The one pot pasta meal, an amazing deal

My quarantine adventure: After several years of two pots, I started experimenting with the Pugliese way of cooking pasta and broccoli in the same pot. Orecchiette con cime de rapa is probably Puglia's signature dish: nutritious. colorful, delicious--and thrifty all around. I was making it every two weeks, as I said, in two pots.  I parboiled chopped up broccoli rabe (what's traditionally used) or baby broccoli in heavily salted water, then used that water to cook the pasta . In another pan, in very fruity olive oil, I sauteed the blanched broccoli with a handful of pine nuts, tons of minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  And then I put everything together, added salt, pepper, a glug of olive oil and grated cheese.  It was always satisfying. Great pasta without tomatoes!

Then I read with disbelief that the Pugliese do this in one pot to embue the pasta with broccoli flavor.  So I figured I'd try it. And it works! It works so well, last night I tried it with fresh shelled peas and a few leftover canned borlotti beans. What a yummy virtuous dinner that made.

So if you'd like to try something different, here's what you need to know:

1. You need small pasta like the traditional orecchiette. Don't use fusilli or rotini or other pastas with lots of edges made to catch sauce. There's no real sauce here, so you're wasting their power. In lieu of traditional Pugliese orecchiette, you can use cencioni, farfalle, cavatappi, conchiglie (shells), cavatelli or just good ole macaroni. These are all small smooth pastas.

2. For the vegetable, broccoli rabe or baby broccoli aka mini broccoli or in a pinch the standard American large broccoli. You can also use fresh peas. I found a bit of celery and onion enhanced the pea version's final flavor. These two vegetables, broccoli and peas, work because they have strong, distinct flavor all by themselves, plus vivid color.

3. Top quality very fruity olive oil definitely adds to the final sparkle.

4. With broccoli, I add a few pine nuts for the crunch and protein.  With the peas, I threw in some leftover light brown borlotti (Italian) beans for the protein push.  Another name for canned borlotti beans is Roman beans and also cranberry beans. I also tossed in some pea shoots left in the fridge.In other words the recipe is not carved in stone. You can also use flat leaf parsley with the peas.
        
5  You'll also need red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, coarse sea salt is best but any salt will do. I also added a hint of mint to the peas.  Tarragon would work with them too. And if you're not vegan, freshly grated parmesan cheese for the finale.

So what to do?
The broccoli version

Chop up the broccoli into the smallest bits you can. If adding onion to the peas or broccoli--and you can, dice it. Mince the garlic, lots of it. This dish should have a garlicky glow, so one large clove per person.

Heavily coat the bottom of a thick bottom pot with best olive oil and warm over medium heat. Toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes per person, then onions if using and soften them a few minutes before adding the broccoli. Stir so the broccoli gets coated in oil. Grind in some black pepper and toss in a pinch of salt. Add the garlic now. Saute 3 minutes. Add the pasta to the pot with another pinch of salt. Stir to blend everything. Then add 1 1/2 c water for every two people you're feeding. This should cover everything with about 1/2" over the top. Boil away until the pasta is cooked. (See package for timing.) At this point, miraculously, almost all the water should be gone leaving a small sauce in the pan. Add a spill of your best olive oil to this. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Put on a serving plate and top with freshly grated cheese. 

Fresh peas version 

This is similar so you start off the same heating the olive oil. Put in diced onion and diced celery (1/2 small stalk per person) with a grind of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Saute 3 minutes to soften. Add peas (3/4-1 c per person), any pea shoots you have (chopped up) or flat leaf parsley, and a small amount of garlic. Stir to blend. Add mint or tarragon. Sauté 1 minute. Add 1/4-1/3 c canned beans per person and another pinch of salt. Add the pasta, stir to blend. Add enough water to cover everything with 1/2" above the top. Boil away until the pasta is cooked. (See package for timing.) You can check and stir every 5 minutes.  In the end,  add a good glug of your best olive oil. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Put on a plate and top with freshly grated cheese.           

Dead Bread

Every so often I like to talk about what to do with food you think you should trash. You know, beet greens and turnip tops, chard stalks, snippets of various leftover vegetables that can be combined into a luscious soup, even sour milk which you can convert into yogurt. I have from time to time talked about salvaging stale bread too, and because I reckon many of us in quarantine aren't getting fresh bread daily or even close to daily, there might be a lot of seeming stale bread shaming you. So here as a reminder are a few ways to recycle that bread into something you can proudly enjoy....now or later, including everybody's favorite dessert: my chocolate bread pudding. And if these aren't enough, Google panade for another idea. 
              

In the last post, I gave the recipe for Asparagus revuelto, a Spanish way to put yesterday's bread into today's breakfast. This Spanish /Portuguese recipe is very similar, just fries the eggs instead of scrambling them. 
Migas 

Serves 4

1 medium loaf of stale white bread (2-3 days old) 
Extra virgin olive oil 
4 garlic cloves, crushed with the skin on
6 oz  morcilla, chorizo or pancetta, cubed 
4 shallots, finely chopped 
2 tsp smoked paprika 
Flat leaf parsley, a small bunch chopped 
1/4 c white raisins, soaked (either overnight or 2-3 hours before) in sherry 
2 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted 
8 eggs
Salt and black pepper

 
Remove the bread crusts. Cut it into 3/4" cubes. Sprinkle with water to make damp. Keep aside in a Tupperware box or in a bowl covered with a damp tea towel until needed.

Put a sauté pan on a medium to low heat and pour in 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil. When it is warm, add the garlic. When the garlic is halfway  caramelized, add meat. Cook 2 minutes to release its fat, then add the bread and toss it continually 2 minutes over a low heat. Add shallots, smoked paprika, the chopped parsley, raisins, hazelnuts and pine nuts. Toss continually and cook another 2-3 minutes.  The bread should be crispy on the outside but still moist and chewy on the inside. Divide what's in the pan on four servings plates.

Fry the eggs, making sure they’re crispy on the outside (with a skirt) and runny in the middle. Place on top of the bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Panzanella

This traditional Italian salad is one of my summer favorites. I actually hoard bread to be able to make it.
Serves 6

6 thick slices Tuscan, French or Levain bread (any very crusty, dense bread) 

2 sm red onions, sliced into thin rings 

1 lg green bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces (about 1” sq) 

4 med/lg freshly ripe tomatoes (these are the star of this show), chunked 

½ cup shredded Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese 

12 black olives, pitted 

1 tbsp capers 

½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 

¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, minced 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tbsp red wine vinegar 

½ cup best quality olive oil + 3 tbsp more 

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Put 3 tbsp olive oil in a shallow bowl. Cut bread into bite sized chunks and soak in the oil. Toast the bread at 400º for 5 minutes or until crunchy and browned.
 

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, salt, vinegar and olive oil to make a dressing.
 

Put toasted bread into the bottom of a large serving bowl. Add the onion rings, chunked tomatoes and diced pepper. Add olives, cheese and herbs.  Pour on the dressing and blend everything. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Ribollita

This beloved soup is classic Italian recycling.

For 4-6

3 tbsp and 2 tsp olive oil 
1 med onion, peeled and diced 
1 lg garlic clove, peeled and minced 
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves 
2 sm or 1 lg celery stalks, finely chopped 
1 lg carrot, peeled and finely chopped 
½ Savoy cabbage, shredded 
4 stalks red chard, stems removed and chopped 
1 bunch Tuscan/lacinto/blue kale, stems removed and chopped 
6-7 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water 
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste 
2 cans (14 oz) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained 
1-2 tbsp tomato paste 
6 slices day or two old (i.e.stale) Tuscan or other dense crusty Italian bread 
Fruity olive oil for final garnish 
Optional: 1 sm parmesan rind

Coat bottom of a large heavy-gauge pot with 3 tbsp olive oil and heat on medium flame. Add onion, garlic, rosemary, celery and carrots. Sauté until soft, 5 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Add Savoy cabbage and chard, stirring to blend, and cook until they wilt.

Add broth, salt and kale. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and simmer 40-45 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Timing does not have to be precise.

Purée 1 can of beans. Add puréed and whole beans to the soup along with the tomato paste. (suit yourself with how much) Stir to blend everything. Continue to simmer with lid on pot 15 minutes. Stir from time to time so nothing sticks to the bottom. Taste for salt and correct if necessary.

At this point, you can be very Tuscan and get out a large earthenware casserole pot, then layer the bread and soup in it. Or you can simply add the bread to the soup pot you’re already using, trying to “layer” it in. In either case, remove soup from heat and let cool. Refrigerate overnight so it sets up.

To serve: stir in 2 tsp olive oil. Reheat on low flame or in the oven until hot enough to eat. Garnish with fruity olive oil.



Croutons and crackers

Don't think these are a waste of effort. Peppery garlicky croutons will noticeably brighten up a salad or a soup, and bring them both needed crunch. If you cut the bread into thin slices, you can make melba toast crackers for any canapé or snack you want.  And both of these preparations can be stored in an airtight tin for at least two months. So get the work over with now and enjoy your summer with extra flair.

    There is not exact recipe for this because you will all have varying amounts of bread of various sizes and textures. So the trick is to either cut that bread into one-bite chunks or very thin cracker slices. Put it all in a bowl and then drizzle on as much olive oil as it takes to get every piece with at least a tiny drop on it. 

 Then if you like garlic, which is what makes these, put one or two cloves through a press and stir what comes out into and among your croutons.  Toss in a good pinch of salt and then lay everything on a baking sheet.  If it's a small one for the toaster oven, line it with tin foil. If it's large for the oven use parchment paper: it just makes cleanup easy. Has nothing to do with the baking process.
     Bake everything at 325º at least 30 minutes. Check to see if everything is dry and crisp and keep cooking until it is. You can't really overdo the drying out process too much so don't worry. Cool the croutons/crackers and store them in an airtight tin

Last post had a recipe for Asparagus Bread Pudding.   
Here's the recipe for the king of all bread puddings, the one you'll keep forever and use everytime you have an occasion:

Chocolate Bread Pudding
The secret of this, as with the asparagus bread pudding is that you pulverize the bread into crumbs. Most bread puddings leave the bread showing in slices.

 for 12 lucky people

2/3 c sugar
1 c heavy cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 eggs, separated
1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs from 5-6 slices firm white bread

Preheat oven to 350º and butter an 8" square or 8"x3" round cake pan.
Bring cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
Put chocolate in a food processor and cut it into smaller and smaller pieces while pouring in the hot cream. When mixture is smooth, add 1/3 c sugar and one by one the egg yolks. Add butter and vanilla and process until the mix is very smooth.

Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture in, stirring to blend.

In separate bowl, beat egg whites til soft peaks form. Continue beating in the remaining 2/3 c sugar until peaks stiffen and are glossy.
Slowly combine the egg whites with the chocolate mixture, trying not to loose their fluff. Blend everything well. Pour into buttered pan evenly and level.

Put pan into a larger roasting pan and fill that with water halfway up the side of the pudding pan. Put in center of oven and bake at 350º 45-50 minutes or until pudding is set. (A cake tester should come out clean.) Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes and invert onto your serving platter.

Custard to top your Bread Pudding
6 egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp brandy

Combine yolks and 1/3 c sugar in a large bowl and beat until totally blended. Egg color should be lighter.
Combine remaining sugar and milk in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and very gradually, in a thin stream, whisk in the egg yolks.
Return to low heat and stir constantly until custard gets thick enough to stick to the back of your spoon. Do not let this boil or it will curdle. Stay low. Add vanilla and brandy. Remove from heat. Cool and pour over the bread pudding.

To go all out, top with fresh raspberries!

Asparagus

While we're sitting stranded at home, asparagus spears are popping up through thawed ground. These messengers for Spring are tonic food, meaning the energy they generate to push up through hard ground goes into us. We can use that energy to push onward too. Plus asparagus has hard to find folic acid, Vitamin K and potassium that we can definitely use. So take advantage of what's going to be asparagus season. Unless you have gout: then stay away.

Asparagus still sprouts in Thomas Jefferson's garden

Usually 14 spears make a pound. That makes about 3 servings if you're just putting out spears on a plate. It makes 4-5 servings if you're chopping the spears into a dish with more ingredients. 

Asparagus is more versatile than you think. You can eat it raw in salads, plain steamed or deliciously roasted, cut into a creamy tart (which I would make if I weren't quarantined and didn't have creme fraiche and heavy cream on hand) or a fritatta with leeks and lemon, or boiled and served Polish style whole under chopped egg and breadcrumbs. Here are a few other ideas, including pickling it as a way to enjoy it later in the year.

Asparagus escabeche

Escabeche is the classic Iberian method of cooking something quickly in something acidic (lemon juice, lime juice,vinegar) and then  serving it hot or cold. (Yes, it is related to the Latin American ceviche.) Usually an escabeche is fish or meat, but here asparagus gets the treatment and is more delicious for it. Hot from the pan or cold the next day, it can be addictive. This is a very fast recipe that makes a dish perfect for vegetarians and vegans and the gluten-free.

serves 4-6
 

3-4 tbsp olive oil (enough to cover bottom or large sauté pan
2 bunches med thick asparagus, cut into 4" lengths
1 sm leek, white part only, cleaned and thinly sliced into disks
5 lg garlic cloves or spring garlic bulbs, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
8 whole small dried red chilies
1 tsp dried thyme or 4 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only and chopped
1/2 c dry sherry
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
 

In a large flat sauté pan, heat the olive oil and asparagus together over low heat, moving the spears around to coat them. Once the asparagus is sizzling, add leek and garlic, salt and pepper. Gently sauté over med/low heat until leek softens, 4-5 min. Add chilies and thyme. Increase heat to high. Add sherry and vinegar. Boil on high to reduce liquid to a few thick tbsp, 5-7 min. Stir in the parsley and serve.   
Asparagus bread pudding

I included this unusual recipe in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. It's a gift to vegetarians looking for something special, but it can also dress up a meal of quickly sauteed chops or roasted meat.       
Serves 8-10

1 ½ lbs fresh asparagus 
1 tsp olive oil 
1 medium leek, cleaned 
1 tsp dried thyme leaves 
4 tbsp unsalted butter 
2 oz Gruyere cheese 
1 ½ cups half and half 
3 extra large or jumbo eggs, separated 
¼ tsp salt 
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper (more to your taste) 
2 cups freshly made breadcrumbs (from 3-4 slices firm white bread ground in a food processor)  
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest

 
Preheat oven to 450º.
Cut the bottom inch off the asparagus stalks and cut the remaining stalks in four equal pieces. Line a shallow roasting dish, or large toaster pan tray with foil and put the asparagus pieces on it. Coat with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 12 minutes at 450º. Remove from oven.

Reduce oven heat to 350º. Butter an 8” square baking pan or round cake pan, whatever you have.

Dice the leek. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the leek and thyme. Sauté on medium low heat until leeks are soft, 3-5 minutes.

Pour half and half into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer (bubbles at the pot edge). While waiting, put the cheese into a food processor bowl and chop it. Add the roasted asparagus to the bowl. With the machine running, pour in the warm half and half. Do not overprocess. Add the remaining butter and one egg yolk at a time, processing with the pulse button to incorporate the three. Add the leeks from the sauté pan and salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and quickly process just to blend.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold them and the lemon zest into the asparagus mixture. Optionally: sprinkle on top 1/8 tsp smoked paprika and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg. Pour into the baking pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour into that pan enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the pudding pan.

Bake in the center of the oven at 350º for 40-50 minutes, depending on whether you use convection or not, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter and serve warm.

Roasted asparagus

This is my lazy method for just enjoying asparagus. I roast it in the toaster oven, keep it in the fridge and munch spears whenever. Or I add a few to a dinner plate or an omelet plate for lunch. The method is basically the same for all roasted vegetables but this last time I used some lemon infused olive oil I had from Italy and the effect was sensational. So I am suggesting you use some if you have it and if you don't, try grating a bit of lemon zest over the spears before they roast. 

I can't give an exact recipe for this, just these thoughts:
Heat your oven to 450º.
1 bunch asparagus, cut the tough bottoms off each stem about 1/2" up. Rinse and dry the spears. Lay them flat on a roasting sheet: I line my toaster oven pan with aluminum foil and recommend this even for the bigger oven baking sheet if you use that. 

In a small bowl combine about 3 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp sea salt and a grind of fresh black pepper. Here's where you can add 1 tsp lemon zest too.  Sprinkle this all over the asparagus, remembering that oil conducts heat into the spears and salt brings out their juices. If you need more, make more. No worries.

Roast the spears at 450º about 15 minutes or until they are soft and starting to look toasty. How long this really takes depends entirely on the thickness of the spears. It could take only 12 minutes or it could take 20 or even a few more.  

I wrap the spears I don't eat right away in that foil they roasted on and store in the fridge.  
         

Asparagus revuelto

Here is asparagus in a breakfast brunch egg dish from Spain. Revuelto meants "scrambled." This recipe is also a way to get best use out of yesterday's bread. 


Olive oil 
2  garlic cloves peeled, plus 1/2 tsp minced garlic 
2 c bread cubes 1/2" square, made with day-old bread 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 oz Spanish chorizo, diced 
1 1/2 lbs thin asparagus, cut in 1 1 1/2" lengths 
1 bunch scallions, chopped 
8 large eggs, beaten 
1/2 tsp paprika 
2 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley


Put 3 tbsp olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add peeled garlic cloves and let them sizzle until lightly browned, then remove. Add bread cubes, season with salt and pepper, lower heat to medium and gently fry until lightly browned and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove bread and set aside to cool.  Add chorizo and fry lightly. Add asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until cooked through but firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Add green onions and minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Break and whisk the eggs with salt, pepper and paprika. Pour into pan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, just until soft and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add parsley and serve immediately, topped with the fried bread cubes.



Himalayan style asparagus

This is sometimes called a "curry" because it's made with spices and tomatoes.  Potatoes too--all traditional curry ingredients in Nepal. There this dish would probably be part of a meal that included rice, dal, chutney and one more vegetable.

serves 4-6

1 bunch asparagus, tough ends off and washed 
3 small (new) potatoes, scrubbed 
1 med. onion, peeled 
2 med. tomatoes or 1/2 c boxed or canned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp. cooking oil (not olive) 
½ tsp. fenugreek seeds 
½ tsp. tumeric 
½ tsp. ground coriander 
1 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste 
½ tsp. salt

 
Cut the asparagus into 2” pieces. Coarsely chop the onion. Slice the potatoes into thin disks. Chop the tomatoes finely.
Heat oil in medium size saucepan. Fry fenugreek seeds until they turn brown. Add onion and fry until it’s soft and translucent. Add potatoes and stir to blend. Add tumeric, salt and coriander. Add the asparagus and mix well while stir-frying. After 2-3 minutes, add the ginger/garlic paste and tomatoes. You can also add ¼ cup of water if you think this will burn for lack of liquid. Cover and cook on medium heat about 8-10

minutes or until asparagus is tender.

Asparagus salad with cheese and mint 

 asparagus ribbons for salad

Get out the carrot peeler for this one. And try to buy thicker stalks. or if you get stuck with thicker stalks, this is what you can do. The recipe calls for using a peeler to scrape out ribbons of asparagus and strips of cheese. It calls for a salad but I'm thinking you could also put both of these strips into the lemon risotto I posted a few weeks back for a whole new delicious dish. 

1 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed
 2 1/2 oz  pecorino or parmesan or Manchego cheese
1/2 bunch fresh mint leaves, no stems
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse and dry the asparagus spears. With a peeler, cut them lengthwise into ribbons as best you can.  Then cut the cheese into ribbons also. Put everything in a medium serving bowl. 

Chop the mint leaves and add to the bowl, stirring to blend. 
Season everything with salt and pepper to your taste.
Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice.  Drizzle this over the asparagus salad and serve.  
 
Pickled asparagus

 And finally, this is how you can have great cocktail or picnic food later this summer or for Thanksgiving.  It requires canning jars.

2 lbs. asparagus spears 
6 lg garlic cloves, halved and smashed 
1 tsp red pepper flakes 
1 dill head or 2 tbsp dill seed 
2½ cups white vinegar 
2½ cups water 
¼ cup kosher salt (not regular salt) 
3 1 qt canning jars with lids

Sterilize jars in boiling water.

Cut woody bottoms from spears and cut spears into 4” lengths (slightly shorter than the jar height). Put 4 garlic halves in each jar. Evenly divide pepper flakes and dill between each jar. Fill jars tightly with upright spears, mixing bottom and top halves as you go.

In a large saucepan, combine water, vinegar and salt. Stir to dissolve salt and bring to a full boil. Ladle into jars while boiling, filling to ¼” of the top. Shake jars to remove air bubbles. Seal jars. Put back in boiling water 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Listen for the lids to “pop” so you know the jars are securely sealed. Cool. Store in the pantry. Store opened jars in the refrigerator.

Spring lamb

Like eggs which represent new life, lamb is a symbol of Spring,  renewal of the animal kingdom. You can buy a whole leg to roast or a boned and butterflied (opened wide) leg to grill or chops to pan fry or shanks to braise or bake and chunks for stew. So here again this year are a few ways to enjoy lamb this bleak quarantine season and hopefully brighten your table.  As usual none of the recipes are complex. And they don't require any fancy purchases to send you rushing perilously to a store.   
Next post will feature Spring vegetables like asparagus.

Lamb with fresh dates This is the recipe everybody asks me for after they eat it. I never get time to photograph it. Sorry!
Serves 8-10

3 lbs cubed lamb 
5 lg garlic cloves, minced 
2” fresh ginger, peeled and grated 
1 tbsp paprika 
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin 
3 tbsp butter 
1 lg onion, sliced into thin rings (you’ll need about 2 cups) 
Pinch saffron
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cinnamon sticks 
2 tsp dried ginger 
1/8 tsp ground cayenne (1/4 if you like hotter) 
1/2 c chopped fresh dates plus 24 whole Medjool dates (yes, with pits) 
1/2 cup raisins (preferably golden) soaked in hot water with 1 tsp rose water 
Optionally: 1/2 c pomegranate arils 
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Season lamb generously with salt and pepper. 
Combine garlic, fresh ginger, paprika and cumin in a small bowl, then smear it all over the lamb. Let the lamb sit in that on the counter for at least an hour or wrap it and leave it overnight in the fridge. Return to room temperature to continue.

In a Dutch oven or large heavy gauge lidded casserole (think Le Creuset), melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saffron and generous salt. Sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and continue cooking another minute. Add lamb and sauté until meat and onions are lightly browned.

Heat oven to 400º. To the lamb pot, add cinnamon sticks, dried ginger, chopped dates and enough water to just cover everything. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot tightly with a lid and put in the hot oven. Bake at 400 for 1/2 hr, then reduce heat to 350º. Check liquid and add water if it has fallen below the meat. Continue to bake another hour until the meat is almost falling apart.

Remove from the oven and skim off any obvious surface fat. Add the whole dates, stir, cover the pot and put it on a burner with medium/low heat. Cook 5-8 minutes until dates are plump from the sauce. Remove from heat.
To serve, pour into a large bowl, top with the drained raisins, optional arils and cilantro. The sauce should be very thick.

not my photo

Lamb with chickpeas and chard
This colorful and nutritious Palestinian dish comes from the Gaza Strip where it’s known as Fogaiyya.

It features a typical local flavoring method of frying the garlic in salt at the last minute. Usually it’s served “soupy” in a bowl with medium grain rice. I prefer to use fregola to soak up the juices for a drier dish served on a flat plate. You have choice.

Serves 4 and is easy to double

1½ -3/4 lb boneless lamb stew meat, lean if you can get it 
2 tsp ground allspice 
3-4 tbsp olive oil, 1 reserved for the finale 
1 lg yellow onion, finely chopped 
1 lg cinnamon stick 
4 whole cloves 
5 cardamom pods, cracked to release the seeds 
½ tsp ground nutmeg 
1 lg bay leaf 
2 tsp salt, divided (1 tsp of coarse sea salt if you have it) 
3½ -4 cup water or vegetable broth or combination of the two 
½ cup medium grain or paella rice or fregola or farro 
1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
1 bunch chard, thick stems removed, washed, leaves chopped Freshly ground black pepper to your taste
6 garlic cloves
½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed 
Lemon wedges for garnish


Coat the lamb with the allspice.
Cover the bottom of a heavy gauge lidded pot with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 3 minutes to soften. Add the lamb. Sauté until meat is brown, 5-7 minutes. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom seeds, nutmeg and bay leaf. Stir to blend. Add the water/broth (use 4 cups if you plan to use farro), bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer 90 minutes or until lamb is tender.

Stir in 1 tsp salt, black pepper, chickpeas and the rice or fregola or farro. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then immediately lower to simmer and cook until grain is soft. (Rice will take 10-12 minutes, fregola 12-15 and farro 15-20.) If you need more liquid, add water. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Add chopped chard leaves, stirring them in as you go. Continue to keep warm on low heat.

Mash or mince the garlic cloves with 1 tsp coarse sea salt. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan and brown the salted garlic, 1-2 minutes. Add to the stew and blend.

Remove the stew from the heat. When ready to serve, stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Lamb shanks with prunes
Cinnamon spiced lamb slow cooked in saffron and garnished with honey plumped prunes.  Bravo Morocco!
Serves 4
4 lamb shanks, hopefully the same size 
2 tsp ground cumin 
4 tbsp olive oil 
2 tbsp unsalted butter 
1 lg onion, diced 
2 c beef or bone, broth, vegetable broth or water 
lg pinch of saffron or ¼ tsp ground saffron threads 
1 tsp ground ginger 
2 cinnamon sticks 
4 cilantro sprigs (more optionally for garnish) 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste 
½ lemon, peel only, cut lengthwise into wide strips  
1 1/3 c pitted prunes, whole 
3 tbsp honey 
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds


In a large heavy lidded pot/casserole, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Raise heat and add the lamb shanks. Sprinkle the cumin all over them and brown the shanks on all sides, turning with tongs. (Reduce heat to medium if the pot starts to smoke.) Remove the shanks to a plate and put the onion in the pot. On medium heat, sauté to soften it, 3-5 minutes. Add the broth/water, saffron, ginger, cinnamon sticks and cilantro springs. Bring to a boil. Return the shanks to the pot. Season everything with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Cover the pot, reduce heat to simmer and cook 1 hour. Add the lemon peel and continue to simmer, covered, another 30 minutes. Add the prunes and honey. Cover the pan again and cook 30 minutes. The lamb should now be almost falling off the shanks.

Remove the lamb from the pot and place the shanks on a serving platter. Arrange the prunes and sauce over them. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Optionally you can strew chopped cilantro leaves around.

Kleftiko: roasted leg of lamb with potatoes 

You start this traditional Greek dish the night before to get the lamb marinated, then you slow roast all day.

6 garlic cloves 
1 tbsp dried oregano leaves 
1 tbsp rosemary leaves 
3 lemons, zest of one, juice from two 
½ tsp ground cinnamon 
¼ c olive oil 
4½-5 lb leg of lamb 
2¼ lbs waxy potatoes 
 2 lg red onions, peeled and cut half, then half again (wedges) 
5 bay leaves

Optional yogurt sauce below

Crush together the garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt using a pestle and mortar or small chopper. Add the herbs, lemon zest, cinnamon, a few grinds of fresh black pepper and blend. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Using a sharp knife, create 2-3” deep holes all over the lamb, and rub in this paste, pushing it down. Wrap the lamb tightly in tin foil or a food bag or plastic container. Before closing it up, pour the lemon juice all over the lamb. Tighten the enclosure, put it in the fridge and let the lamb marinate overnight.

The next day, an hour before you want to cook it, take the lamb out of the fridge. Heat oven to 325º.

Line the base of a large lidded heavy oven proof casserole dish (or line a roasting pan with two layers of parchment paper large enough to fold together over the top of both sides – you’ll probably need two pieces at right angles). Peel potatoes and cut in wedges. Line the bottom of the cooking vessel with the cut potatoes and onion. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and the last of the olive oil over them. Pour any juice around the lamb into the pan. Place the lamb itself on top. Add 1 c water and seal the lamb in by folding up the parchment or by closing the lid on the casserole (to make sure it is really tight you can slide a piece of moist parchment on top of the pot before putting the lid down). Roast 4 ½-5 hours. The lamb should be very tender.

Remove pan from the oven. Raise the oven temperature to 425º. Unwrap or uncover the lamb (scrunch down the parchment on each side) and baste the lamb with the juices in the bottom. Return to the oven for 20 minutes to brown. Remove the lamb from the pan, wrap in foil and let it rest. Remove bay leaves and discard them.

Stir the onions and potatoes to flip and return the pan to the oven 15 minutes so they brown. Remove and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


While the potatoes brown, you can make the optional yogurt sauce: 
1 c thick Greek yogurt (plain) 
2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed 
1 tbsp olive oil 
¼ c chopped fresh mint leaves

Whisk everything together and pour into a gravy or spouted serving bowl. 
To Serve: slice the lamb and lay on a serving platter with the roasted potatoes and onions. Pour the pan juices on top. Serve with yogurt on the side.

Armenian lamb shanks with chickpeas
This is an old favorite comfort food recipe of mine that's not as glamorous to serve as the Moroccan shanks with prunes.  It's just homey.

serves 4
olive oil to coat your pan
4 lamb shanks, trimmed of fat and gristle
4 lg tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne or chili pepper
4 c heated vegetable broth, or water
1 20-oz can chickpeas (2 c), rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 450o. Coat the bottom or a large roasting pan lightly with olive oil. Cover with lamb shanks and roll them to coat in the oil. Roast 30 minutes, turning halfway so they brown evenly. Remove pan from oven and reduce heat to 400o. Cover the lamb with the tomatoes and onions. Add the garlic, herbs, spices plus salt and pepper to your taste. Pour the hot broth or water around the meat. Cover the pan and return to the oven. Roast 1 1/2 hours.

Uncover, stir and add chickpeas, stirring them into the sauce, and roast another 20-25 minutes. By now the lamb should be close to falling off the shank bone. If not, keep roasting. Serve garnished with chopped flat leaf parsley and flat bread to mop up the yummy sauce.

Hummus with ground lamb

This is the traditional way to eat hummus in the Middle East where it comes from, slathered all over the plate, then topped with very crisply fried lamb with lemon and spices. It's extraordinarily satisfying and filling. Just add flatbread.

If you have time to bother to make the chickpeas from scratch, you will be rewarded with an addictive dish. If you can at least get the skins off canned chickpeas, you'll get a rewarding smooth texture. (You soak them a few minutes then stir them up with your hands and you'll see ghostly skins start to come off.)

for the tahini/hummus
If you are NOT using canned chickpeas,
1 c dried chickpeas
1 sm onion, peeled
1 celery stalk
2 bay leaves
Soak the chickpeas in lots of water overnight. Drain and rinse. Put in a large pot with enough water to be 4" over the top. Add the onion, celery and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and cook 45-60 until chickpeas are soft. Toss out the onion, bay leaves and celery. Drain but keep the cooking water. Cool. Run your hands through the chickpeas and you will start to see skins shed. Pull them out and continue as long as you can. It's tedious but worth the effort in the end.

If you are using CANNED chickpeas,
1 14/15 oz can, drained and rinsed but keep the liquid from the can and try to remove skins if you can
1/4 c good quality tahini
1 lg or 2 sm garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 lg lemon, its juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp Aleppo chili pepper or hot paprika

for the lamb
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 very sm onion, minced
1/4 lb lamb, cut into tiny bits (you can use ground but the bits effect is MUCH better unless you really break it up well into bits)
3 tbsp pine nuts
freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp hot paprika or Aleppo pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp best quality olive oil
1/4 c chopped flat leaf parsley

Stir the tahini in the jar to blend the oil into the solids. Put 1/4 c into a food processor, blender or mixing bowl. Add the garlic, salt and lemon juice. Blend until the mixture looks whiter. Add 1/2 c chickpea water and blend. Add all but 1/4 c chickpeas and process until smooth. Taste to adjust for salt or lemon juice. Spread evenly on a shallow plate, top with sprinkles of cumin and hot paprika and let it sit at room temperature at least 1 hour.

About 15 minutes before you want to serve this, make the lamb.
Heat butter in a medium skillet. With heat at medium/low and add onion and sauté until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the lamb, raise heat to medium and stirring brown it as much as you can--5-8 minutes. The crispier the better! Add the pine nuts, salt and spices, stirring to blend. Cook another 2 minutes to brown the nuts.
Distribute the cooked lamb over the top of the hummus. Distribute the remaining chickpeas around and over it. Sprinkle over everything all 1 tbsp best quality olive oil and top the whole dish with the chopped parsley. Serve with pita or flatbread as first course or part of a mezze (small plate) meal or anytime really.