Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a north African dish that is basically eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce. This is both a very easy, but also very customizable recipe, suitable for any meal of the day. It goes very well with pitas, and maybe a side of yogurt or raita.

All of the ingredients in shakshuka are really cheap, but it's still a tasty, nutritious, and satisfying dish.  Pretty good stuff.


PREP

bowl 1:
* 1 bell pepper diced
* hot chiles to taste, seeded and diced
* 1 md onion diced
* ~5 cloves garlic smashed and roughly chopped

get a 28oz canned whole tomatoes (plastic lined type like borillo or red gold)

spice mix:
~2 Tbsp paprika (can seed and mince, or grind equivalent non-spicy chiles)
~1.5 tsp black pep
~1 tsp salt (use more if not using salty olives)
~2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of fennel seeds
~1/2 tsp RCP (optional, to taste)
~1/2 tsp GM pdr (optional)
cover until ready for use, or prepare when needed

olives:
~8 olives of any color, sliced/chopped (if they're not salty then add more salt)

herbs:
~1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, or just get out some dry herbs (fresh mint was good)
(make herbs are properly sealed or prep at last second)


COOK

heat 9~12" pan on medium high until smoking
add 3~4 Tbsp high heat flavored oil (i.e. ghee or gingelly)
fry all of the veggies on medium high, stirring occasionally
(add a dash of salt to the veggies to cook them faster)
once veggies are anywhere from fully clear to caramelized, add spices
mix spices briefly, then add tomatoes to prevent burning
mash the tomatoes with a potato masher or something
add olives
reduce heat to medium-low and let it cook until sauce thickens some (~10m)

reduce heat to low-medium-low
add herbs and stir
taste test and adjust
create holes for as many eggs as you want
cover the eggs with surrounding sauce to stop them from escaping
optionally spoon some sauce over the top, but it will make it harder to check doneness (maybe only do it if you know the time already)
cover the pan
cook until you can see the whites have turned white... but stop before yolks become firm
(check every few minutes until you get a timing that works for you)

if saving leftovers, wait until the sauce is cooled before adding the rest of the eggs
cook them slowly until whites just barely start to set, they will set in microwave



Prepped veggies, I liked the result better with this smaller cut.


Type of tomatoes used.


Chopped olives.  These ones are salty and a little spicy.


Browned veggies, this was cooked enough for me.


Prepared mint.


Thickening the sauce, spices already added.


Sauce thickened.


Only cooking 2 eggs for a dinner portion for now, I'll do the others later.


Ready to eat :)  2 eggs, 2 pitas, and some alcohol or yogurt is a satisfying meal.


I cooked the rest of the eggs partially after the sauce was cooled.  I'll nuke them later.

Loobia Polo

Loobia polo is an Iranian (Persian), rice pilaf made with beef and green beans.  The cooking technique is shared with the technique used for Persian rice, which is actually more similar to Biryani than pilaf (pulao).  I believe the Persian technique actually pre-dates Biryani (though it does have it's oirigin in pulao).

Ultimately you can just think of this as yet another tasty way to cook basmati rice.

As a side note, it's not required to use potatoes when making loobia polo or persian rice.  However for loobia polo I do think it helps to make cleanup easy so I recommend it.  If you don't have potatoes on hand, maybe you can use a little extra rice and create a large bottom layer.  This way you will have enough buffer to prevent the meat sauce from sticking to the bottom.  Also instead of having fried potatoes, you will have more tahdig (crispy rice).

--prep--
2 cups of rice, rinsed, soaked with 1 tsp salt and a dash of EVOO
1 lb green beans, rinsed, chopped, put into a small pot, with 1/2 tsp salt
1 medium onion, minced
4 cloves of garlic (optional)
1 medium or large potato, cut into slices
1 lb ground beef (85 to 90 percent lean, reduce oil if using more fat)
4 Tbsp tomato paste
get out spices
boil water in a kettle

--cooking--
pour boiling water over green beans, burner to medium-high to prevent boil over
cover

heat sunflower oil in wok, or medium sautee pan
add minced onions (and garlic if using), and fry until golden

parboil rice (80-90 percent done), hold in strainer covered when finished

once onions are golden, add ground beef, and a pinch of salt
fry beef until browned and it's starting to sear up, and reduce heat to low

when green beans are done, strain some of the water into a bowl for the sauce

add green beans
stir
season with:
4 Tbsp tomato paste
1.5 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp RCP or to taste
1 tsp salt or to taste
3 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
some fresh ground nutmeg (optional)
stir
add green bean water as needed (around 1/2 cup)

simmer it for awhile until everything is well combined and aromatic
add more water as required to properly mix spices

cover the bottom of a pot with thin layer of EVOO
put in the potato slices
layer rice -> beef mixture -> rice ... ect
mix up the top layer or two since the sauce won't automatically drip into it like on the bottom
pour thin layer of EVOO on top (1~2 Tbsp)
put the pot 2 notches above low
cover with a paper towl, and put a lid on it (pressure cooker)
cook for 30 minutes and serve with the potatoes on the side


Everything going at once in this picture... rice just finished.

I hold the rice like this.  If it does dry out some, just add a little water later.

Mixing everything together in the pan.

Preparing the pot.

I make the bottom layer a little bigger than the rest.

Mixing together the top layer.

Paper towel will prevent water from dripping back in and creating soggy rice.

I'm using a pressure cooker but the seal is removed.

All done!

Time to eat :)  I served with a side of carrots and olives.

Olive Burger (experiment)

I just wanted something quick for dinner and have been eating a lot of green olives lately, so I decided to make an olive burger.  Came out good!

1/4lb 85% lean ground beef
3-4 sliced olives
layer of dried onions
drizzle of EVOO
seasoning to taste:
* salt
* pepper
* garlic powder

combine into a round meatball and chill in the fridge
(can prepare other things in the meantime)

once chilled, put onto a hot pan with EVOO, and flatten
(heat only to medium-low to avoid smoking the oil)

once half cooked flip
finish at desired done-ness
put on toasted bun with condiments and sides as desired

I used only 2 sliced olives but after eating it I felt that 3 or 4 would be better.

If dressing it only with spicy brown mustard like I did, i would recommend 1.5 to 2 times more than what I used to properly cut the flavor of the burg.

Oyster Bay - Merlot (2014)

This is just a Merlot so the review is very easy.

$10.

Medium dark fruit.  A little bit sweet.  Tannins are moderate, and contrast the slightly sweet flavor of fruit well.  There is no complexity to this wine otherwise.

Of course make sure it's not served cold, aerate to taste.

Overall it's kind of boring since it's a Merlot.  But affordable and better than some others I've had.  This is a good buy if you're looking for a Merlot to go with your food.

It would have went nicely with my Ethiopian veggie combo but I didn't take it out of the fridge early enough.  Had it afterwards instead.

3/4

Gnarly Head - Old Vine Zin (2014)

Gnarly Head's Old Vine Zin is the wine that got me into my current wine adventure.  Mainly because it was on sale for $8 and looked cool, but also because it tastes really good.

The description of this old vine zin is actually very accurate.  I do not understand how people can make up things like tasting vanilla in wine, but that aside...

Mostly dry, but with a hint of sweetness.  I usually find old vine zins to have this profile.

This wine tastes like dark fruit, exactly as you would expect from this varietal.  There's many hints of spice and wood flavor which add a lot of really enjoyable complexity to the flavor profile.  The complexity of this wine is top notch even though it's an affordable brand, though it's not completely perfect.

The only downside of this wine is moderately strong tannins.  Not the strongest I've experienced, but to make them manageable, be sure to properly warm and aerate the wine before serving.  Best starting from somewhere between cellar and room temp, all the way to room temp.

I did enjoy this wine with some of my beef stew which I just posted a recipe on.  Though, being wine, you can enjoy it with about any meal that doesn't taste like fruit. (why do these wine labels always make such a big deal out of food pairing?  pairing beer with food is way harder...)

Overall this is a very flavorful wine.  Tannins are only a bit on the strong side, and the price is affordable.  Excellent bang for the buck.

4/4

Beef Stew (Pressure Cooker)

This is a bold and flavorful beef stew that can be made in 1.5 hours or less if you have a pressure cooker.   Adapt my recipe to Paula Deen's cooking style if you do not have a pressure cooker, and it will still take under 3 hours.

Served with the wine I used to cook it :)

Some time ago I wanted to learn to make beef stew, and I used Paula Deen's recipe, found here. I liked her recipe because the cook time wasn't extremely long like some others I saw. But most importantly she did not include potatoes, and used corn starch in lieu of flour. This makes the stew a lot more healthy. It becomes suitable to serve with bread, or nuts and fruit, or honestly anything you please as a compliment. I think this style of stew is not only more healthy, but helps to open up different ways of enjoying it.

While I did like Paula's basic technique the end result is a mild stew that takes over 2 hours to cook. Over time, I've mastered seasoning to my taste, as well as adapted the recipe to work perfectly in a pressure cooker.

This is one of my most successful pressure cooker adaptations, because this version is indistinguishable from the traditional cooking method.



* cut up 3lb of stew beef
good beef cuts:
Chuck, Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, Top Chuck, Bottom Round Roast, Bottom Eye Roast, Rump Roast, Eye Round Roast, Top Round, Round Tip Roast, English Roast, Pot Roast

* marinate 3 lbs stew beef while doing other prep
~1 tsp salt
~2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
~1 Tbsp ghee, or EVOO
~1 Tbsp worchestershire
dry red / xiaoxing wine, as need to spread the marinade

* create soup base
~3 cups of water
~4 beef cubes
~3 lg or 6 sm bay leaves
~2 med or 1 lg onion chopped into petals
* bring it to enough of a simmer to combine the boullion well
* reduce to lowest setting while waiting for the beef to brown
* cover if needed to prevent evaporation

* heat cast iron pan with some high heat oil (i.e. peanut, sunflower, ghee, or gingelly)

* fry beef until it's all browned. some searing is desired (not required), so only stir as needed.

* add the following ingredients to the pot:
~1 Tbsp minced garlic or 1.5 Tbsp garlic powder
~8 fresh ground allspice berries
~3 fresh ground cloves
~2 tsp additional black pepper
~1 Tbsp paprika
~1/2 tsp red chili powder
~1 tsp sugar / honey / molasses / jam
~1 Tbsp additional worchestershire

* add the beef to the pot, leave the resultant liquid in the pan (heat off)

* seal pressure cooker and set to high
* once high pressure is reached (stream of steam from nozzle switch), set to 4 notches above low and set timer for 15 minutes

* chop ~4 large carrots, and ~5 large celery sticks into bite size pieces

* without cleaning cast iron pan, add carrots and celery
* fry until nice seared and carbon is built on bottom of pan
(do not add extra salt in this step)
* deglaze with enough dry red / xiaoxing wine to cover the bottom.

* once the time is up release the pressure from the cooker with the nozzle
* beef should be a little tender but not quite done yet

* add vegetables and deglaze sauce
* seal and set to high
* once high pressure is reached (stream of steam from nozzle switch), set to 4 notches above low and set timer for only 5 minutes
* uncover pot / release steam

* add 1~2 Tbsp corn starch slurry with the same amount of water
(adjust to preference. 1 Tbsp is slightly soupy. 2 Tbsp is pretty thick once cooled)

* simmer only until the stew thickens
* make sure to stir the bottom of the pot aggressively to loosen anything that is cooked to the bottom, this is actually intentional
* taste test and add more salty, spicy, sweet, or savory flavors to match taste

remove bay leaves and serve hot

Marinated meat.  Anywhere from ~10 minutes to overnight is fine.

Making the stock while beef browns.

Had more free time, so I added all seasonings too.

This is about how much done-ness I look for in the beef.  If you want more searing, crank the heat.  I was chilling so I didn't bother this time.

Combined and prepared for pressure cooking.

These veggies are browned enough, and the pan has built some nice carbon.

Deglazing veggies and releasing pressure at the same time :)

Here you can see how the deglaze sauce has become nice and brown.  I think this is ideal, but it doesn't need to be perfect every time.

Beef just after pressure cooking, note that onions are still in-tact.

After stirring in the veggies.  This was enough force to break apart the onions (bye!)

While waiting for the final cooking I prepared the corn starch, and cleaned my cast iron pan... as well as the rest of the kitchen :)

Final pressure cooking completed.  The beef is already nicely tender.

After thickening.

Oyster Bay - Pinot Noir (2013)

This is actually an interesting Pinot Noir.  You need to make sure it's warmed quite well or the taste will be no good.  Usually I try to serve wine around cellar temperature, but ideally I would serve this one around half way between cellar and room temperature.

The tannins are also pretty strong in this one when it's chilled, so make sure to properly aerate.

What makes this pinot really interesting is that the fruity flavor is kind of muddled and muddy, and to me it has part of the flavor of a German or Czech pilsner.  I would describe half of the flavor profile as being medium-dark fruit (standard for Pinot Noir).  The other half, once warmed, I would describe as the slightly sour and savory flavor from a good pilsner.

It's different than I was expecting, but an interesting flavor that I enjoy.

Overall worth the $13, and this is a pretty common brand in the US.

4/4

Kim Crawford - Pinot Noir (2014)

This bottle cost me $15 but I don't regret it for once.  Probably not quite as expensive in New Zealand.

As expected of a Pinot Noir this wine isn't bold in flavor, but the flavor profile of this one is very nice.  Medium-dark fruit forward, offset by mild tannins.  What makes this wine really great is that it's supremely dry, so the sweetness doesn't get in the way of this excellent balance.

Flavor is the best between cellar and room temperature, so if serving directly from the fridge, make sure you let it warm for awhile first.

There is not even a hint of alcohol taste in this wine.

4/4

Chicken Yassa

Yassa is a famous dish from senegal.  It can be made with different types of meat, but the key components is something along these lines:

1) meat marinated overnight with lemon or lime juice

2) a lot of onions
3) the meat is browned before adding to the stew

4) dijon mustard is almost always used as a primary sauce ingredient (influence from French colonization)

5) when researching recipes every version I saw was very different, it's a flexible dish

Yassa is tender meat in a savory sauce containing a lot onions.  If made right it's very flavorful, and it's usually made to be spicy.



3 servings

-------
PREP
-------

==Giant Bowl==
* ~1.5 lbs chicken into big pieces
* if there is any juice with the chicken put it into the marinade
* 4md / 2lg onions into thin slices (manage length to preference)

==Big Bowl==
* mince a habenaro
* 4~5 finely minced and smushed garlic cloves
* 1/4 cup lime juice freshly squeezed
* 1.5 tsp salt
* 1-2 tsp medium or fine ground pepper
* 2 Tbsp of peanut / olive oil
* whisk well

add the marinade to the Giant Bowl and toss well with hands or something

cover and marinate in fridge for 3-24 hours

==Prep Later==
(prep this stuff during downtime of the other cooking steps)
* 2 thinly sliced washed carrots (peeling not required)
* 5 thinly sliced pimiento stuffed green olives (reduce some if using big olives)

------------
COOKING
------------

* remove the Giant Bowl from the fridge so it doesn't freeze your hands later
* line a high edge medium baking pan with tin foil
* preheat broiler

==The Chicken==
* separate the chicken onto the pan, space evenly or as needed
* add ~1/4 cup salted water to the pan, or as needed to create a very thin layer
* once broiler is heated, broil the chicken on the top rack until lightly browned
* flip the chicken and broil until other side is also light brown
* set aside chicken once done if onions aren't yet ready, otherwise add to wok
* drain drippings into the marinade

==The Onions==
* meantime, heat a wok on medium heat until hot, smoking not required
* 1~1.5 Tbsp of peanut / olive oil
* squeeze most of the water from the onions using hands / strainer, or however
* cook the onions slowly until medium browned
* reduce heat if required to finish chicken and sauce

==Combining Everything==
add to the reserved marinade / drippings:
* 1.5~2 Tbsp dijon mustard
* ~1 Tbsp chicken boullion
whisk well

* leaving the heat on medium, add the sauce
* add the chicken if not yet added
* add the sliced carrots and olives

* once liquid boils, reduce heat to 1 notch above low and cover
* set timer for 30 minutes
(optional: can prick a habenaro to add a extra spiciness and remove it later)

* stop by once or twice while it's simmering to rotate and flip the chicken around
* make sure all chicken remains partially submerged

serve with white rice, can cook it during the simmering step

Prepped ingredients.  This time I substituted a big habenaro for 3 serranos and a spoon of my homemade habenaro salsa (I prefer mine on the spicy side).

Mixed for overnight marinade, I just took care of it after dinner the day before.

Separated onions, chicken, and pickling water.  I realized after the fact these chicken pieces are a little smaller than intended, if you picked up small pieces like I did, just half instead of fourth them.  This is actually important to make sure the chicken stays supremely juicy.

I'm only looking to brown the chicken a little bit.

Sauce and veggies that I prepped during the early cooking stages.

Browned onions.  You can brown them more or less if you prefer.

Chicken drippings :)  don't forget to mix them into the sauce.

Everything is mixed together and ready for simmering.  Pretty easy stuff!