Pulling prizes from the pantry one last time

We're still in quarantine and although grocery stores are open, many of us don't want to risk public contact.  So it's possible we're down to what's stored in the pantry or freezer, with not too much fresh food to add. That's okay. There are still delicious dishes to pull together in this pinch. Here are a few, the last I'll post on pantry raiding.

Lemon risotto 

The bright flavor and color of lemon makes this traditional Northern Italian dish exceptional comfort food right now. There are many variations on the theme so you can do as you like.
 serves 4

4 1/2 c vegetable or chicken broth 
4 tbsp unsalted butter 
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb arborio or canaroli risotto rice 
1/2 c dry white wine
1 lg unwaxed  lemon, zest and juice
 2 tbsp ricotta cheese, creamy
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
* Manchego will work too although it isn't Italian
Optional serving garnish: minced flat leaf parsley

 Put the broth in a large pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and keep it on simmer while you continue.
 In a large heavy gauge casserole or frying pan, warm half the butter and all the oil over low heat. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt and gently sauté to soften until they are translucent, 6-7 minutes. Add the rice and stir until every grain is glistening.  

Add the wine to the bubbling broth and cook 1 minute. Then start to ladle the stock, one ladle at a time, into the rice pot, stirring constantly. Add a new ladle full as soon as the earlier one has been absorbed.  After 10 minutes, add the lemon zest and continue as before until the rice is soft. This will take 17-25 minutes depending on the rice, etc. so you will have to test.        

Once the rice is soft, remove the pan from the heat and with a wooden spoon, beat in the remaining butter, ricotta and parmesan with 2 tbsp lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pan and let it sit one minute. Stir again, optionally sprinkle with a garnish of minced fresh flat leaf parsley.   


Moroccan meatballs with chickpeas

Another recipe from my can of chickpeas collection that's perfect for right now. It's colorful, tasty, filling and easy to make.  And it let's you feel you've traveled to a sunny clime.

serves 4 For the meatballs 2 thick slices white bread, crusts removed ½  milk 1¼ lb lean ground lamb 1 small onion, grated 2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp salt for the chickpeas 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, halved and finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 14/15 oz cans or boxes of chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 cup water 1 14/15 oz can chickpeas, drained 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp salt Heat oven to 400º. Soak the bread in the milk 5 minutes then squeeze out the excess milk. In a medium bowl mix the wet bread with the meat. Add the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and salt.  Knead the mixture with your hands until it’s very blended. Roll the meat into golf ball-sized balls, and place them on a lightly oiled baking tray. Bake at 400º 15 minutes until they are all lightly browned. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and sauté five minutes to soften and color it. Add the garlic, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste and water. Bring this mix to a boil. Add the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, cumin, paprika, ginger and salt, stirring to blend. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add the meatballs and simmer 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Kwaati 

This very beloved Nepali recipe from the Newari people, original inhabitants and artisans of the Kathmandu Valley, is considered medicinal, so healing it's offered to new mothers, the aged and infirm. It also has its very own celebration day at the end of monsoon when everybody's thought to need a shot of physical energy.  It's such a remarkable soup, I included it in my book Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking, explaining that in the traditional, medicinal version, the beans and lentils are in exactingly calculated proportion to one another. Plus, they are sprouted first to increase their zest. This is a cans in the pantry version that's just as tasty and plenty nutritious for quarantined bodies seeking a shot of energy. 


Serves 8-10 
¼ cup dried whole mung beans, soaked overnight 
¼ cup soybeans, soaked overnight 
2 tbsp mustard, corn, sunflower, safflower or olive oil 
1 lg onion, diced 
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 
1” fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or grated 
1 tsp fenugreek seeds 
2 bay leaves 
1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained 
1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained 
1 15 oz can black-eyed peas, drained 
1 15 oz can cannellini or any white beans, drained 
1 15 oz can black beans, drained 
1 tsp ground turmeric 
2 tsp ground cumin 
1 tsp ground coriander 
1 tsp arbol chili powder (or any chili powder that’s mildly hot)
1 tsp salt 
1cup water 
3 cups vegetable broth (or water) 
fresh cilantro leaves for garnish, chopped 
1 tsp. caraway seeds, lightly fried in 1 tsp butter/ghee for optional garnish

Drain soybeans and mung beans. Put soybeans in a saucepan, cover well with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 30 minutes. Add mung beans and cook another 20 minutes or until both beans are soft but not mushy. Drain.

In a soup pot or large casserole, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté 4-5 minutes until onion is soft and golden. Stir in fenugreek and add bay leaves. Cook 30 seconds. Add all beans, spices and salt. Carefully blend. Add water and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes. To serve: remove bay leaves. Garnish with chopped cilantro and, optionally, caraway seeds. Serve in soup bowls. Optionally, serve over aromatic rice.

Potato carrot cake

Nope, this is NOT dessert, not a traditional carrot cake made with potatoes. It's grated carrots, sliced potatoes and onions layered and baked into a cake. It's very simple to assemble yet remarkable when served. Which it can be to the gluten-free.
serves 6
1 med yellow onion, diced
4 lg or 7 med carrots, peeled and grated
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
3 med boiling potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and very thinly sliced
pinch of saffron
1/8 tsp dried rosemary leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Use 2 tbsp butter to grease a 7" springform pan. If yours is 8", use an extra carrot and a large onion instead of a medium one so no worries. Preheat oven to 350º.Cut a piece of parchment or other grease proof paper into a circle the size of the prepared pan.

Combine 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet or fry pan, using an extra tbsp of oil if your pan is very large. Over med heat, melt the butter into the oil and when it starts to foam, add the onion with a pinch of saffron. Sauté 3-5 min until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the carrots and dill. Sauté 1 min and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Put half the carrot/onion mix in the bottom of the buttered pan, leveling the top. Line the top with potato slices, covering everything. Overlapping slices work well. Put a pinch of dried rosemary on the potatoes. Press down lightly. Put the remaining carrot/onion mix on top and level. Top this with another layer of thinly sliced potatoes. Again press down lightly. Season the potatoes with a pinch of rosemary, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Break 1 tbsp butter into tiny pieces and sprinkle over the potatoes. Put the cut piece of  parchment over the top and press down once again. Put in the oven and bake at 350º 25 minutes, Remove from oven. Lightly press down--you can use a glass jar or other aid instead of your hand because it's hot--one last time, then remove the paper. Run a small spatula around the rim to loosen anything that sticks to the pan. Release the springform and serve.

Spaghetti with oil and garlic

This classic Neapolitan dish stars the very basics of Italian cooking: garlic, olive oil and spaghetti. It's an alternative to the recently posted (pasta express post) Roman favorite, cacio e pepe-- pasta with butter, cheese and pepper--for vegans and the dairy-free. This traditional recipe comes from the grand dame of Italian cookbook authors, Marcella Hazan.    serves 4 

1 lb  spaghetti
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
3 lg garlic cloves, minced or put through a garlic press
1/4 tsp hot red chili flakes
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

Cook the spaghetti in very heavily salted boiling water according to package instructions for timing.       
While it cooks, in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. On low heat cook until the garlic is golden--not brown or burnt.  
Combine the cooked spaghetti with the sauce, tossing it over and over. Taste and add salt if necessary Add the chopped parsley and toss one more time  before serving.                                       
 

coming up: Spring flings Parsnips and asparagus,

More world travel in your kitchen

Being stuck at home doesn't mean you can't get out. As I've said before, you can travel the world right in your own kitchen by cooking traditional, iconic dishes of the places you wish were right now. Here are a few more of them to follow the first post.










Vietnamese chicken cabbage salad

This is an old favorite of mine and everyone I served it to --lots of requests for the recipe. Cabbage, onions and carrots are vegetables you can hold onto for more than a few days, so--if you kept chicken in the freezer-- this recipe can come in handy as quarantines linger.    
serves 4-6

For the dressing 
2 chilies, seeded and minced 
3 tbsp fresh lime juice 
3 garlic cloves, minced 
3 tbsp canola, corn or vegetable oil 
1 tbsp sugar 
3 tbsp fermented fish sauce (nam pla) 
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 
1 med onion, sliced in very thin rings

Combine all ingredients into a dressing and let stand 30 minutes.

For the salad 
2 poached, shredded chicken breasts without skin or bones 
4 cups shredded green or white cabbage 
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped 
1 cup shredded carrots 
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Combine all but cilantro in a serving bowl and blend in the dressing. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

West African plantain pancakes

This recipe from Ghana is a great way to use overripe plantains. The sweetness of the overripe plantains makes a delicious foil for the hot chili. The pancakes are usually served with a bean stew. You can also try them with over easy eggs or the coconut rice posted with the jerk chicken. I recently had something similar served to me on an island off of Panama beside prawns cooked in garlic and tomato: a yummy combo.
 makes 12 pancakes

 4 overripe plantains
 2 onions, peeled and chopped
1/2 very hot chili, deseeded and minced 
2" fresh ginger root, peeled and grated    
1/2 tsp  ground hot chili or cayenne pepper
Coarse salt to your taste
1 c rice flour as needed
1/2 c corn or peanut oil for frying 

Peel and chop the plantains. Put them in a food processor/chopped with the onions, chili, ginger, cayenne pepper and salt.  Process into a chunky paste.  Stir in the rice flour to get a thick consistency you can shape.  

Using a soup spoon, scoop out batter and form it into a 2" pancake. Lay it on waxed paper and continue until all the batter is gone. 

Over med/high heat, heat half the oil in a heavy gauge frying pan until it sizzles. (If you drop a pinch of water in, it should sizzle.) Fit as many pancakes as you can in a single layer and fry until they begin to show tiny bubbles. With a spatula or pallette knife, gently turn them over and fry on the other side until it's lightly browned. Remove to paper towels. Add oil and continue to fry until all the pancakes are cooked.
 
Greek lamb with orzo 

Arni giouvetski as this is known in its native habitat is one of the first traditional Greek dishes I ever tasted and then learned to make. That was decades ago. It remains popular because it's so easy, tasty, filling and kid friendly.
serves 6   
   
2 lbs boneless lamb, cubed
1 med onion, sliced into thin disks       
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano 
6 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1/2 c white wine
4 c water or beef broth
8 oz tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes in juice
1 lb orzo pasta
Garnish: grated dry cheese 
chopped flat leaf parsley   

Heat oven to 450º.  In a heavy gauge oven proof casserole, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add lamb with the onion, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Brown it on all sides. Add the wine, cover the pot and put it in the oven 20 minutes, basting after 10 minutes.   Add 1 cup water or broth, reduce oven to 350º, cover pot again and bake 45 minutes or until the lamb is tender.  Remove the lamb from the pot . 

Add 3 c water/broth, tomato, 4 tbsp butter, salt and black pepper. In the oven, bring this sauce to a boil. Meanwhile on top of the stove, parboil the orzo in heavily salted 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the orzo to the sauce in the oven, stir, cover the pot and bake 15 minutes. Add the lamb back in, cover and back 5 minutes so it's hot.  Serve with grated cheese and a sprinkle of parsley .  
        
Jamaican coconut rice

The Jamaicans calls this rice and peas, although the "peas" are often beans. You can use pigeon peas if you have them.  In this picture I stuffed winter squash with it.  Traditionally it goes beside jerk chicken to cool the mouth.


serves 8  (but you can reuse the leftovers)
1 tbsp olive or corn oil 
1 cup long grain rice 
1 15 oz can pinto or red kidney beans, drained 
1 cup coconut milk (lite is okay) 
1 small hot red pepper, seeded and minced 
1 med-lg onion, peeled and finely diced 
½ tsp dried thyme leaves 
1 tsp ground allspice 
1/8 tsp salt 
1/8 tsp fresh or coarse ground black pepper 
¼ cup (4 tbsp apple cider or pure apple juice) 
½ tsp ground cinnamon 
pinches of salt 
½ bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish Heat the oil on medium heat in a large lidded saucepan. Add the onion and sauté until soft and golden, maybe five minutes. Add the thyme leaves, hot red pepper, allspice, black pepper and rice and stir to blend. Add the coconut milk. Now add enough water to cover the rice by 1 inch. Add the salt and beans. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, checking that it doesn’t burn and adding ¼ cup of water at a time to prevent that. The rice should be cooked.   
Serve it as a bed under the chicken.    
 
North African couscous with seven vegetables

This is such an iconic dish I included the straight vegetarian version, just the seven vegetables without the lamb, in my book, Veggiyana, The Dharma of Cooking. What the people of the Levant--Lebanon and Palestine--call this is Mahgrebiah, meaning from North Africa. Their difference is that instead of couscous they use maftoul, tiny dried pasta balls. 

Serves 4-5

2 tbsp butter or ghee
1 med onion, peeled and quartered
1 cinnamon sticks 
1/4 tsp turmeric
pinch of saffron, pulverized 
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp cracked or freshly ground black pepper
1/2 chili pepper, seeded and diced
2 tomatoes, blanched and skinned 
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh parsley and cilantro leaves mixed, not chopped 
 OPTIONAL:  1 lb (go over not under) lamb chunks in bite size pieces
1/2 lb turnips, peeled and sliced into disks
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1½” lengths
2 c vegetable broth
1/2  lb zucchini, about 4 medium squashes
1/2 15oz can cooked fava or brown beans or chickpeas
2 tbsp raisins, try not to use golden as they won’t show up well
2 tbsp mashed pumpkin
1/2 lb couscous, packaged is fine

In a large heavy gauge casserole or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron, black pepper, allspice, chili pepper, tomatoes, salt and parsley. Sauté 3 minutes, shaking the pot a few times so the butter touches everything. OPTIONALLY add the lamb and be sure it is covered with all the spices. Brown the lamb 5 minutes on all sides. Add the broth now, lower heat to simmer and cook 45 minutes to soften the lamb. Then follow as below.

WITHOUT LAMB: Add turnips, carrots and vegetable broth to the buttery spices . Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer 30 minutes.
 

Add zucchini, cooked beans and raisins. Cover and continue simmering 20 minutes. Stir in mashed pumpkin (this slightly thickens the broth). Cover and simmer 10 more minutes.

Prepare couscous according to package instructions.

Mound couscous on a very large serving platter. Press a well in the center and fill it with the vegetables removed from the pot with a slotted spoon to drain them. OPTIONALLY arrange the lamb on to of the vegetables. Ladle broth over the whole platter and serve. (Note: if there is too much broth, pour some into a gravy boat to serve on the side.)

Brazilian Feijoada

This black bean and pork stew is probably Brazil's most iconic dish. There are recipes galore so this is just one idea.  A rather simple one that relies on pantry products.

serves 6
1 lb black turtle beans
2 green chilies
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and diced 
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb pork belly slices, cut into 1" pieces
 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander  
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp salt
       
Soak the black beans overnight. Drain and rinse. It's better to use dried than canned for this stew.

In a food processor or chopper, combine the ginger, green chilies, garlic and onions. Finely chop them into a mush.
In a large heavy gauge, lidded casserole, heat the olive oil over med/high heat and fry the pork until it's browned all over. Add the chopped mixture and continue to cook 5 minutes, stirring.  Add the spices, bay leaves, tomato paste, beans and 2 tsp salt. Stir to blend everything. Add 7 1/2 cups water--this should cover everything completely. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to low, cover the pot and cook  60 minutes or until the beans are soft but not mushy. 
Remove the lid, raise the heat to med/low and cook 25 minutes to reduce and thicken the liquid.  
Serves this in bowls with fresh tomato salsa.                                                       

Travel the world in your kitchen right now

With planes and people grounded for the duration, travel can't go further than the next room. But you can still go places! Your kitchen can transport you. Eat like you were where you dream to be. Here are some tickets to foreign adventure. I'll offer more in the next post.





Burmese/Thai khao soi
This coconut chicken noodle soup with a chili kick is a traveler's favorite in Northern Thailand and all across Burma. It's so beloved, it's on the menu of just about every Burmese restaurant everywhere.

not my photo

     
Serves 6 people as a main course. 

6 boneless breasts of chicken, cut into large bite sized pieces
2 tbsp corn, Canola or sunflower oil
1½ tbsp. red curry paste
3 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp. Garam Masala
½ tbsp turmeric
1 star anise or ½ tsp powder
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom or 3 crushed pods
2 cups chicken stock
½ tsp brown or raw sugar
¼ c fish sauce
About 6-7 (loosely packed) cups of boiled flat Chinese Bah-mi egg noodle or fettucini noodles (about 11/4 lbs)
1 tsp lime juice
Thinly sliced shallots (garnish), fried.
To garnish: 6 slivers of fresh lime, chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Optional: 1 cup pickled Chinese cabbage

Soak noodles to remove excess starch and drain. Cook noodles as per directions on package and set aside. Fry the garlic in a little extra oil until transparent.

In a heavy casserole or soup pot, heat oil and add the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric. Cook stirring vigorously until the curry paste is fragrant—1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the paste. 

Add 1 cup of coconut milk. Over med/high heat, let it come to a boil and bubble for a few minutes, stirring well, until the red oil separates from the coconut milk. Add another cup of coconut milk and wait until the oil separates. Add garlic, chicken pieces, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom with chicken stock and the rest of the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, add fish sauce and simmer.

Cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is done, 4- 5 minutes. Check seasonings; you might need to add more fish sauce. The flavor should be a bit salty and spicy with a sweet aftertaste. It should be a bit saltier than what you would like the final dish to taste. Stir in lime juice and remove from heat.

Divide noodles between deep soup bowls. Pour the coconut chicken over the noodles. Garnish with fried shallots, cilantro leaves and a lime wedge. Optionally pickled cabbage.


Portuguese Caldo Verde

I recently published this in a magazine and almost immediately a reader wrote in to say it had quickly become her favorite dish.  There are many ways to make it so feel free to improvise. Before blenders, the soup was served chunky but you can puree as much or as little as you want.

Serves 6

2 large chorizo or linguiça sausages
¼ c olive oil
2 yellow onions, peeled and diced 1 bay leaf
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb boiling potatoes (I used yellow), peeled
1 tsp salt
4 c vegetable broth (some people use chicken)
2 c water
¾ lb kale, washed, stems removed
1 tsp sherry vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
To Serve: Olive oil, best quality
Buttered cornbread or rustic loaf croutons

Fill a medium saucepan 2 /3 with water. Over high heat bring it to a boil.

With a small fork, prick holes in the sausages and put them in the boiling water for 5 minutes to leach out the fat. Remove with tongs and discard the water.  When the sausages are cool enough to handle, strip the casing off one and crumble it up.  Slice the other into thin disks. Set aside.

In a large heavy gauge casserole or a soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and on medium/low heat sauté 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, crumbled sausage and freshly ground black pepper, stirring to blend. Continue sautéing until the onions are soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. 

Add the diced potatoes to the pan with the salt. Stirring, cook over low heat to slightly soften the potatoes, 2 -3 minutes, not letting them stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the broth and water.  Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat to simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Scrape scum off the top.

While that’s cooking, cut the kale into horizontal shreds. You can do this by rolling up a bunch of leaves as though making a cigar, then cutting across into thin shreds. Once the potatoes are soft, using a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of them (sausage and onions might come with them, no problem) and set aside. Add half the kale to the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes to soften it. Remove the pot from the stove. Remove the bay leaf from the pot and discard.

If you have an immersion/stick blender, put it in the pot and partially purée the contents to thicken the soup.  There’s no exact measure for this. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can put 2/3 of the pot contents in a food processor and lightly blitz it.  If you don’t have that either, take out 2/3 of the contents and mash them with a potato masher, then return to the pot.  

Put the pot back on the burner on low heat. Add the reserved potatoes, rest of the kale and the sliced sausage. Stir in the vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

To serve: ladle into large bowls, put a few drops of best quality olive oil around the top and then a few crunchy cornbread or other croutons.  You can also make buttered crostini to top the soup with.   

Guatemalan chicken stew

This is known as "pepian" for the pumpkin seeds in it and is an alternative to a Mexican chicken tinga. This is a quick version using a rotisserie chicken already cooked.

5 red, ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters

3 tomatillos, husked then cut in half
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 small dried guajillo chile pepper, soaked in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp pepitas (pumpkin or squash seeds)
One 3 -inch cinnamon stick
3 to 4 cups chicken broth (salt free works best) 
White and dark meat from 1 purchased rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 5 cups
Salt (optional)

Combine the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion and the soaked, chopped chili pepper in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid; place over medium heat and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until most of the vegetables have softened. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds, pepitas and cinnamon stick; toast for about 6 minutes, shaking the skillet a few times to keep the contents from burning. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.
Working in batches, combine the vegetable mixture with its liquid and the toasted mixture in a blender. Add up to 1 cup total of the broth, if needed, in order to process into a fairly smooth puree.

Strain the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer back into the pot that was used to cook the vegetables, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible; you should have about 4 cups. Discard the solids.
Place the pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 to 3 cups broth and the shredded chicken. Cook uncovered 30 minutes, stirring a few times. Taste and season with salt, if desired. Remove from heat; after a few minutes, the sauce should thicken slightly.
Serve hot in tortillas or over rice.

Middle Eastern Shakshuka

This fabulously tasty and vivid egg dish is served in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and almost all the countries that abut them. So naturally there are many ways to prepare it. This is one.
Serves 4

3 tbsp fruity olive oil
3 lg garlic cloves, minced
1 lg red onion, diced
1 med green bell pepper, seeded and chunked
1 sm yellow bell pepper, seeded and chunked
1-2 hot chili peppers like Serrano or real jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp caraway seeds, smashed or ground
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp dried mint leaves
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground cayenne or arbol chili powder
pinch ground cinnamon
1 tsp wine/balsamic vinegar
½ tsp honey
1 tsp tomato paste
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes in their juice
salt
black pepper to taste
8 eggs 
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed, washed and chopped for garnish
optional add ons: feta cheese, pitted black kalamata olives, chopped spinach

In a large heavy-gauge sauté pan that has a lid, heat olive oil. Sauté onions, bell and chili peppers and garlic over medium heat til soft, about 5 minutes. Add the spices—cumin through cinnamon—and heat until fragrant, maybe 60-90 seconds. Stir in vinegar, tomato paste, honey and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens, maybe 10-12 minutes depending on how juicy the tomatoes were. Taste for flavor and add seasonings to your taste.

Get the sauce very hot and bubbly over medium heat and have the pan lid handy. Carefully create 8 small pockets in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Try to nudge a little sauce into the egg whites. Cover and continue cooking to poach the eggs to your liking.

Uncover the pan. Add the optionals you desire. Let them heat up 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve right out of the pan.
Afghani Qorma

This delicious, colorful and very healthy chicken dish is in my collection of what to do with yogurt recipes. It's what's called a qorma lawand, a fragrant Afghan curry thickened by nuts and made creamy by yogurt naturally sweetened by carrots, which are native to Afghanistan, and raisins. So all the good food groups at once.

serves 4-6

1/2 cup almonds
4 garlic cloves
2" fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
1/2 c water or chicken broth if you prefer
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (breast meat won't be as tasty or tender)
1/4 ghee or unsalted butter
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 yellow onions thinly slice

1 Serrano pepper, seeded and minced (2 if you like hot food)
2 med carrots, peeled and sliced in thin disks
1/3 cup dark raisins
1 heaping cup plain thick yogurt
salt and black pepper to your taste
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a food processor, purée the nuts, garlic, ginger and water. Put this into a large bowl.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, stir into the marinade.
Marinate at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Melt the ghee in a large heavy gauge lidded casserole over medium heat. Add the spices and sauté about 30 seconds until they are fragrant but not brown. Stir in the onions and chili pepper. Sauté until the onions are soft and starting to brown, maybe 7 minutes.  Stir the chicken into the pot with all its marinade. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Stir in the carrots and raisins and yogurt, blending everything. Add 1/2 c water or chicken broth to make gravy. Bring to a boil,then reduce heat to low simmer, cover the pot and simmer 40 minutes, adding water or broth if the dish seems to be drying out. Most important: keep heat low to avoid curdling the yogurt.

Serve with the chopped cilantro on top as garnish. Serve with rice, roasted potatoes or naan and perhaps a simple spinach salad.

Bengali/Nepali carrot pudding

I included what is everybody's favorite dessert in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking after it got thumbs up from all the mothers of a fifth grade in Marin County, CA. In the book I tell the remarkable story of how I found out about this dish and learned to make it. I also point out that leftovers make a perfect breakfast. What I am most proud of is that many Nepalis have told me my version beats every other one they know. 

serves 6

2 cups finely grated carrots, about four large carrots (you can also chop them finely in a food processor if you stop long before the puree point)

4 cups (1 quart) whole milk
1/2 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar (use regular granulated sugar if you don’t have this. I use it because the cornstarch mixed with the sugar makes thickening go faster)
2½ tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup white raisins
1/4 cup cashews, split and lightly toasted* -Optional
2 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted*-Optional
*Put them in separate piles on the small baking sheet of a toaster oven or on a small baking sheet in a regular oven and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes until they are lightly golden.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the carrots and cook until they’re buttery and very mushy.

Meanwhile in a large heavy bottom saucepan or medium sized casserole, put the milk on high heat and bring it to a boil. Immediately lower the heat just enough so the milk continues to boil but does not bubble over. The aim is to boil it down without burning it or losing it over the top of the pot.

When its ready, pour and scrape the contents of the carrot mush into the milk, add the cardamom and raisins. Stir to blend. Continue to boil this over the highest heat at which it will not boil over, and stir occasionally to determine if the mix is thickening, also to keep anything from sticking to the bottom. Do this until you start to feel it thicken against the spoon, which could be up to 30 minutes.
Stir in the sugar and continue cooking another 10 minutes or as long as it takes for the mixture to stick to the spoon or seem wiggly. This means you can see the bottom of the pan because the pudding wiggles aside as the spoon passes through it.

Pour into a serving bowl and cool. It will thicken a little more. To serve, optionally top with the toasted coconut and cashews.