Indian Shepherd's Pie

The other day, I decided that I did not want to go to the store, so I scrounged around to see what I had on hand. There was a pound of lean ground beef that I had purchased, meaning to make Korean burgers. A day later, this did not appeal to me. I also had some spinach and potatoes, along with my various spices. I decided that I would experiment and make an Indian version of shepherd's pie. I liked the result. My Hen was not as thrilled. I cheated and used instant mashed potatoes, and used too much water. The result was soupy.

Begin by boiling the potatoes, for mashing. I am constantly making the mistake of not letting the potatoes boil long enough. Do not do this. You can't mash a hard potato. Let the potatoes boil a bit before you begin to prepare the rest of the food. Once the potatoes have been mashed, set them aside. In a skillet heated on medium heat, add some oil. I used vegetable oil. I should have used ghee; but alas, I could not find it. Olive oil can also be used. Once the oil is hot, add a chopped onion, some minced garlic, and your spices. I used cumin, turmeric and garam masala. I like a lot of spice. Using a spatula, mix the spices with the onion and garlic. Then, add the lean ground beef. You can also use beef or lamb cubes. Once the meat has been browned, add the spinach. Okra would also be nice. Add the mashed potatoes to the skillet, and mix well. Add spices as needed and desired. I try not to use a lot of salt; but, many will want to add sea salt. If you feel the need for pepper, you can add that...but I like to let the other spices speak for themselves. You may also want to put the meat mixture in a casserole dish, and top with the mashed potatoes, making for a more traditional look.

The above is not the exact recipe I used; but, represents the improvements I will make the next time. I should have made real mashed potatoes.  I mixed some tandoori masala into the meat, and was less than thrilled with the result.

You can be as simple, or as complicated as you want with this dish. I chose simple. You can add yogurt, ginger, celery, tomatoes, lentils...the list goes on. Also, other spices and herbs can be added, such as paprika, basil, oregano or thyme. Cheese can also be added. This is a great recipe for using those odds and ends you have in the refrigerator.

I think you will enjoy this Indian touch to a much enjoyed dish. Namaste!

 

BURMA

The cuisine of Burma, now known as Myanmar, is a delightful blending of Chinese and Indian. You may wonder, at first, how the spices of these very different foods will blend. Let me tell you...wonderfully! Bring on the ginger powder and masalas...there's a party in the kitchen! The special guest is beef and okra, Burmese style!

I began with some vegetable oil heating on medium heat. I chopped up a sweet onion and added this with a lot of minced garlic, some ginger powder, turmeric. hot Hungarian paprika, chili powder garam masala, sesame oil, cumin and chopped chives. Saute the spices until the neighbors pound on the front door, drooling like zombies to get in. Then, add a couple of cups of beef stock, some cubed beef and a cup of rice and trimmed okra. Bring to a boil. Then, simmer with the lid on the skillet. I let this simmer for about 20 minutes. Just long enough to board up the windows.

The result? Intestinal happiness! As usual feel free to experiment with how much spice you use. I tend to use a lot.

Western Africa

My next stop was to Burkina Faso. This is a Western African country. Rather than trying to come up with something specific to Burkina Faso, I decided to cook food that would represent Western Africa. There are differences between the countries; but, with enough similarity for me to find something I liked. I decided to make peanut soup.

While I prepared the rice, I diced 2 large onions, a green bell pepper and a red bell pepper. Also a large sweet potato was peeled, and diced. A couple inches of ginger root was peeled and sliced. I used a can of crushed tomatoes, with the juice. All of this was cooked with a little oil in a large soup pan. After 5 minutes, I added a couple tablespoons of crushed garlic. This was cooked for 5 more minutes. Then, I put in 4 cups of water.

The above was cooked for 25 minutes. Then, I added about 4 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. You can put in more or less. I prefer more. While this was cooking, I threw in some salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper. I don't generally make exact measurements when cooking this type of food. personally, I like hot food; so, I put a lot in...stirred it...tasted it...and put more in. The amount you use is purely a matter of taste. About this time, the rice was done; so, I threw that in there too. If you want, you can throw in a cake of soft tofu and green onions. I did not. You will find that the more peanut butter you use, the thicker will be your soup. Mine ended up being a thick stew. In fact, I could have put on a plate instead of a bowl.

I ate this with lamb that was spiced hot, using salt, pepper, cayenne and minced garlic. I put about half a teaspoon of garlic on each lamb chop. This was broiled for about seven minutes. The inside was very red, and warm.

I love...love...LOVE the peanut soup. I think you will too.

BULGARIA

After being downed for a bit, I have finally made a new stop in my quest for World Domination. This week's stop was in Bulgaria. This Slavic Republic sits next to Romania; and, was one of the Gothic nations. Chock full of archeological treasures, Bulgarian cuisine is known for its rich salads, which hold a place of prominence at every table.

I decided to represent Bulgaria by making Gyuveche. This dish does not have any set ingrediants, other than some kind of meat, vegetables and Feta Cheese. This is a dish you make when you want to get rid of left overs. I used browned, lean ground beef for the meat. For the vegetables, I used tomatoes, mushrooms, a diced onion, whole black olives, and fresh parsley and basil. Of course, I topped this off with Feta cheese. I also added a thin layer of sharp cheddar cheese. The ingredients are layered, with the feta cheese going on top. After baking for about 20 minutes, in a preheated oven at 375, a whisked egg is added to the top, and cooked for about 5 more minutes. This will create a glaze. Two eggs would be good for a larger casserole. Mine was small.

The result is a nice meal, that doesn't cost much; and, there should be left overs. In fact, it is better the second time around. There are a couple of things I would have done differently. I would fry the onions before adding them. A lot of people cannot tolerate onions that are near raw. Frying them will make them palpable to just about anyone. I would have cooked it about 10 minutes longer, and covered it in foil, until the eggs were added. My result was good; but, the ingredients did not seem to exactly blend. Putting the leftovers in the fridge, and reheating it the next day took care of the problem. That's not to say my result was not good...but it could have been better.

If you decide to make this dish, experiment with the ingredients. This is your chance to get rid of some odds and ends in the fridge.

HEART FRIENDLY

Lately, I have been focusing on meals that are more heart friendly. The meals I have been making are actually pretty healthy; but, hey, we're not getting any younger you know.

Basically, I have been cutting down on that amount of salt that I use, along with using less butter.

I have discovered this, while shopping with a semi-vegan friend: http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/original-buttery-spread/. It has a nice, slightly nutty flavor. I use it in place of butter for sauteing. I will admit that I still put a little butter in the mix when making shrimp scampi...but even small improvements help.

I have also begun using Skim Plus milk and Half and Half.

BRUNEIAN CHICKEN

Brunei is a Southeast Asian sovereign state on the island of Borneo. It shares Borneo with Indonesia and Malaysia. Brunei is predominantly Muslim. This, and it neighboring countries gives Brunei an interesting cuisine. I have learned that they can do crazy things with a chicken and coconut milk.

I went with a Bruneian chicken recipe, based on a dish called "Beriani". I started with a pound of chicken thighs. I ground together a clove of garlic, a 2 inch piece of ginger, 2 Serrano peppers, seeds included, a tablespoon of poppy seeds, 10 cashew nuts and 10 almonds. In a skillet, I heated some ghee. You can find ghee at an Indian market. You can also use olive oil, or vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, fry up 5 cloves, a 2 inch piece of Cinnamon and a cup of sliced shallots. In goes the chicken, a little salt, and a teaspoon of curry powder. Stir this up, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Here comes the fun part...I put a can of coconut milk in a pot, and added a little more than a cup of basmati rice. Add in a little salt. I can't describe how good rice is when it cooked in coconut milk. Heat until the rice absorbs the coconut milk. After a little bit, I added just a little bit of water. The coconut milk is a little thick, and needed to be thinned out a bit. Then, I put the rice in the skillet with the chicken, and simmered it for about fifteen minutes.

This is a very tasty meal. To make it VERY tasty, add larger amounts of the spices.

BRAZILIAN SHRIMP STEW

The dish I prepared to represent Brazil is shrimp stew. I upped the cayenne and coconut milk factors, creating a dish that, after a little cilantro was added, could have just as easily been found on a Thai menu.

I have finally come to the point where I view recipes as suggestions, as opposed to strict instructions. This view would not work with baking...which may be why baking has never appealed to me. This particular recipe was not my first attempt at making a Brazilian dish. The others were rather bland; so, I decided to take a Brazilian dish, and pop up the volume by adding three times the cayenne.

I thawed out a pound of raw shrimp and removed the tails. In a bowl, I mixed some black pepper, salt, garlic and lemon juice. I rolled the shrimp around in this, and let it set while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. In olive oil,I sauteed one medium onion chopped and a green bell pepper chopped, for about eight minutes. I then poured in the cayenne...about a teaspoon and a half...maybe a little bit more. A little chopped cilantro followed. Stir this up and cook for a minute or two. Then, I added a can of diced tomatoes, juice and all. I let this simmer for about ten minutes. I added a can of coconut milk and boiled; then, added the shrimp. This was alowed to boil for about five minutes. On the side, I was preparing some basmati rice. After the rice came to a boil, I added some cayenne, and a little coconut milk. I have found that it is a good idea to introduce a little of the spices you use in a dish to the rice. Put a little garlic in there too. Now, get a bowl, put in some rice, and spoon some of the shrimp stew on top of the rice. The result is pure wonderfulness!

This recipe belongs on my personal list of favorite dishes. It is both hot, and a little sweet. It could work equally well as a Spanish dish; or, as an Asian side, served with a broiled whole fish, spiced up.

BOTSWANA BEEF

As I travel through Africa, I feel like Livingstone, who has stumbled upon a secret known by few. The secret is this...African food rocks! Along with Korean and Indian, African food is met with anticipation in my house. The spices are out of this world. If you take the earthiness of Indian spices, and combine it with the heat of Korean food, you have a pretty good idea of what African food is like. Yes, there are examples of bland food; but, seriously...do you really expect me to go there?

To represent Botswana, I made a beef marinade, with eye of round steak; and, added a side of okra and tomatoes. Here is what I did...

To make the marinade, I sacrificed a dark beer. In a bowl, the beer was combined with olive oil, soy sauce, crushed garlic, grated ginger root, 2 sliced Serrano peppers, hot paprika, ground black pepper, and coriander seeds. After whisking together, I added four eye round steaks in a gallon size zip lock bag, and poured the marinade in. I put this in the fridge for six hours.

Six hours later, I heated a skillet on high, and poured the steak and marinade in. I boiled the steaks for a few minutes and removed. Then, I added a little corn starch to the marinade, and reduced it to a nice, thick sauce. This was spooned onto the steaks.

For the side dish, I trimmed and sliced a pound and a half of okra, then ran it under hot water for a few minutes. I used my cast iron skillet, heated to moderate high, and heated some vegetable oil in it. Once hot, I sauteed a medium onion, roughly chopped, for about three minutes.I then added two large, ripe tomatoes, diced, juice and all. In went a Serrano pepper, with some holes cut in with a fork, and the whole was boiled for 5 minutes. Now was time to add the okra, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Take out the chili, add salt and pepper, and enjoy.

I have made this meal a few times, and it has become one of my wife's favorites.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

I will be honest here...I was not greatly impressed by my options for making a dish representative of Bosnian cuisine. I am not sure why. Maybe it is because I prefer food that has a lot of spices; and, Bosnian food does not swing that way. It was also hard to find something that was distinctive, as Bosnian food borrows a lot from its neighbors. It is a country caught between the East and the West.

I decided to go with the Cevapcici...meatballs made with ground beef and lamb, served with pita bread. Pork is not often used, because of the Moslem influence; but I included ground pork with mine. I began by heating a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, and added half a chopped onion and a clove of chopped garlic. This was stir fried for about seven minutes, allowing the onions to soften. I mixed the meat mixture in a large bowl, and mixed in an egg and a tablespoon of hot Hungarian paprika. Once the onions and garlic were finished, these were added.

Make small meatballs with the above mixture. We are talking a couple of inches. I also flattened mine, making mini-burgers. I fried these in butter, and placed then on pita bread. As a side, I made a yogurt, cucumber mixture...mixing yogurt, diced cucumbers and salt. I mixed my meat into this, and it worked well with the pita bread. Bosnie is heavily influenced bu turkey, so other turkish side dishes would be appropriate. My wife really seemed to enjoy this meal. I found it to be okay. Looking back, I think I would have added a little cinnamon in with the meat. Perhaps some allspice and nutmeg would work, as well. Typically, this meal would be served with a salad. I also made some homemade stuffed grape leaves. The result was so-so. I am not sure how the restaurants keep the leaves from being tough. I will have to research that when I find the time. So...while this meal didn't exactly thrill me, it was still better than your typical meat and potatoes affair.

Breakfast Mex

Over the weekend, I made tacos for me, my wife, and two teenagers. I made a lot of fixings, sure that the two youngsters would devour them. I was wrong. It seems that one of those handheld computer whatyamathingies was more interesting than eating. I have always stated that this computer jazz is nothing but a fad...and time will bear me out...but now I realize that it is also a device of the fashion industry, insuring that our children remain size zeros so they can fit in those pencil thin clothes they try to hock off. Refusing to to give in, I ate six tacos, with extra sour cream. But I still had zip-loc bags full of leftovers. What to do?

I put a taco twist on a household favorite...breakfast mess...and came up with Breakfast Mex. It's very simple...very good...and will guarantee that you don't become a size zero fashion zombie.

Dice up a couple of potatoes, and deep fry them in oil. Remove, once they become as crispy as you like, and set aside.

Dice a large onion, and heat in a little oil until they begin to become translucent. Add the crispy potatoes, some diced tomatoes, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. When this heats through, add some grated cheddar cheese, or some of that pre-mixed Mexican cheese stuff. Stir in, and add a few eggs. Now, mix it up. Give the eggs time to set; but, do not expect anything to get any crispier. There is too much juice from the tomatoes for that.

If you want to get fancy, place some of the mess on a warn tortilla wrap, and garnish with a whole jalapeno.

Enjoy!

Bhutan...Fire in the Himalayas

There is a saying in Bhutan...If you visited Bhutan, and did not eat Ema Datshi, you haven't been to Bhutan. The national dish of this Himalayan country, Ema Datshi is a dish so hot, it is almost impossible for a Westerner to eat without being toned down quite a bit. I was forced to use only half the chili peppers this dish customarily has. I only used a quarter pound of the little fire crackers.

I cut up a quarter pound of green chili peppers. Do not seed. This dish is supposed to be HOT! Next, I chopped a large sweet onion. These were put in a cup and a half of water, and boiled, with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Boil for about ten minutes. Then, 2 chopped tomatoes, and five crushed cloves of garlic are added, and boiled for a couple of more minutes. Then eight ounces of feta cheese is added.

This needs to be served with rice so that you don't literally burn your mouth out. If you want to make this more authentic, you would have to double upon the peppers. That's right...half a pound of the hot stuff is used for this dish. I also put a pound of beef cubes in mine. This is traditionally a vegetarian dish. The majority of the population of Bhutan is Buddhist; but some do eat yak meat. They also eat yak cheese. I have no idea where you will find authentic yak cheese, unless your neighbor happens to have a yak laying around somewhere. The Bhutanese eat rice with every meal; and, they put peppers in everything. I have noted that countries that have historically suffered from poverty...Bhutan...Korea...parts of LA...use a lot of spices in their food. I imagine that is because it makes you feel full faster. Also, in places like India, it helps you cool off. At any rate...it sure is delicious!

EMA DATSHI:

1/4 pound Green Chillies, seeds left in
1 chopped large Onion
2 tomatoes, chopped
8 oz Feta Cheese
5 cloves Garlic, chopped or pressed
2 tsp Vegetable Oil

Benin...Hot Stuff In West Africa!

I have received a new calling in life. That is the making of curry powders. I received that call after I mixed up a West African powder that raised my taste buds from the dead. A voice came from the Pits and demanded that I bring Hell upon the earth in the form of ground chili peppers. What can I do but obey?

The making of the perfect curry powder is a lifelong endeavor. The willingness to experiment boldly is the only rule. Here is how I made this particular batch. I put a tablespoon of cumin seeds, 3 tablespoons of coriander seeds and 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns in a dry skillet and heated until fragrant. This was put into a grinder, along with a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of whole cloves, half a teaspoon of ground cardamon, 6 dried chili peppers, including the seeds and 2 teaspoons of turmeric.

After being ground to a fine powder, the above mixture was used to spice my Beninese beef stew. Four tablespoons of butter was melted in a skillet, and used to brown two pounds of angus beef cubes. I removed the meat from the skillet, and used the butter to saute a large chopped onion and five minced garlic cloves, until the onions began to brown. I added a tablespoon of flour, three tablespoons of the West African curry powder, tow teaspoons of salt, a pretty good amount of cayenne powder and four tablespoons of smooth, unsweetened peanut butter. This was heated for a minute, when twelve ounces of coconut milk was slowly stirred in, and eight ounces of water. This was stirred until it began to thicken. The meat was then added, along with 3 whole chili peppers. Cover and simmer. I simmered mine about ninety minutes; but, you can go until two hours. Twenty minutes before the end of the simmer, add severalokra with the tops cut off and about eight chunks of deep fried sweet potatoes. Make sure that you serve this on rice.

WEST AFRICAN CURRY POWDER:

1 T Cumin seed
3 T Coriander seed
2 T Black Pepper
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Cloves, whole
1/2 t Cardamon powder
6 dried Chilies, with seeds
2 t Turmeric

SOMETHING FISHY IN BELIZE!

What do you get when you mix Central American food with Caribbean food? Tacos...coconut milk...and, as I found out for myself, something fishy. I got to baker two whole rainbow trout! I liked it.

I used two trout that were about a pound and a half apiece. They were gutted; but, I cooked them with the heads on. First, I mixed some chili pepper, black pepper, celery salt, minced onion, paprika and garlic powder. This mixture was rubbed liberally on both the outsides and insides of the fish. Then, I diced a tomato, a green bell pepper, and a small onion. Even though the fish were already seasoned, I ground some more black pepper on them. I cut a large piece of foil, put the fish on it, and stuffed it with the diced vegetables. I repeated the process with the other fish. I wrapped them nice and tight in the foil. The oven was preheated to 400 degrees, and I cooked the fish for twenty minutes.

I cooked some Jasmine rice to go with it, and made a large avocado and tomato salad. I quartered ten vine ripened tomatoes. I peeled 4 ripe avocados with a potato peeler, halved and pitted them. The oven was already hot, so I just put the rack on the top shelf, and turned on the broiler. I placed the avocados on a baking sheet, flat side down, and drizzled with olive oil, squeezed the juice of one lemon on them, and ground some pepper over them. These were broiled for 45 seconds. A red onion was then diced, and placed in a separate bowl . The juice of another lemon was squeezed over the onion, and salt, pepper and some olive oil were added, and mixed. Lay the quartered tomatoes out on a large serving platter. Line the avocado up on the tomatoes, and scoop some of the onion mixture into each half. This is a LOT of salad, so leftovers are almost assured.

The result? I enjoyed the fish; but, got heartburn from the onions in the salad. My wife enjoyed the salad, but not the fish. It was too fatty for her. It may have worked better if I had used fillets, and still baked the fish in foil, with the vegetables. It may also have been better if I used another kind of fish, such as snapper. Each person is different; and, not everyone enjoys the same kind of fish. In fact, there are many people who simply do not like fish, or seafood. I know! Crazy!

That's it! Enjoy!

BELGIUM: MEAT AND POTATOES THAT GO TO 11!!

I was so looking forward to my stop in Belgium...and I was not disappointed! Belgium cuisine is French cuisine; but without the stingy portions. It is rich deliciousness that goes to Eleven! Bon Appetit!

I went with the Entrecote Bordelaise...Steak in Red Wine with Shallots, Frites...Belgium Fries. I went ahead and bought two good rib steaks, at a little over ten dollars a pound. It was well worth it. They were salt and peppered on each side. I sauteed the steaks in three and a half tablespoons of butter...between two and three minutes per side. Then, I set the steaks aside, so I could prepare the wine sauce. I used the same pan to cook 2 shallots that were diced. These are are stirred periodically until they just start turning brown.

Now, add half a cup of red wine, and stir it around a bit. I used a dry red wine. Next, I put in a cup of beef broth, and stirred to blend the flavors. This was simmered for five minutes. You can simmer it longer, depending on how reduced you want your sauce. I was fine to use a runnier sauce, so five minutes was sufficient. Besides, the smell was making me feel like I just couldn't wait any longer to dig in. After five minutes, I cut another three and a half tablespoons of butter into patties, and melted one at a time in the sauce. Lastly, I put in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. I had put each steak on a separate plate. Now, I sliced each into several strips across the grain, and divided the sauce between the two. I put the sauce on the steaks, and allowed the excess to fill the bottom of the plates. I then piled on the fries that I had made by thinly slicing two large baking potatoes, and deep frying them, in small batches, until they were a brown a little darker than golden, and crispy. They were great soaked in the sauce!

That's it! Meat and potatoes Belgium style, which is actually French style, but with a lot more! Enjoy!

Entrecote Bordelaise:

2 good Steaks
7 tablespoons Butter
2 Shallots finely chopped
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 cup Beef Stock
1 tablespoons fresh Parsley chopped
salt
black pepper

BELARUS

So...what kind of food do they have in Belarus? The cuisine of this Eastern European nation reflects its proximity to Russia, the Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. It also features kosher food, because of its Jewish population.

I will level with you...I came to this particular country with more than a little trepidation. I tend to cook in the Asian style...lots of spices. Lots of fish. And, because of my schedule, something I can accomplish with an hour or so. While I did have to put in a couple of hours in prep time, I am pleased with the results. I found the food filling, tasty; and, it has helped me relax about entering the Russian countries.

My first dish was Bitochki. This dish came over from Russia, and is essentially a meatball. I added a shake of nutmeg, a pinch of salt, a couple twists on thye pepper grinder and six tablespoons of butter to a pound of ground beef. Believe it or not, I actually held back on the butter. Traditional Bitochki has more. After mixing it up a bit, I rolled the meat into eight balls, coated them with plain dried breadcrumbs and flattened them some. Then, each patty was topped with a little more butter. I put two more tablespoons of butter in a skillet, and browned the patties, setting them aside. Next, about a quarter of a chopped onion was put into the skillet to saute until soft. In goes a couple of splashes of white wine...and a few more into the gullet. One must steel one's nerves, don't you know? Then sprinkle in a little flour. When this boils, put in half a cup of sour cream. Add a little pepper, stir, and add a quarter cup of heavy cream, Half-and-half or whole milk, depending on how fatty you want thins to be. I used the Half-and-Half.

The above sauce is spooned onto the patties, after they have been plated. I purposefully did not add any more salt while cooking the sauce, because I found it salty enough without it. That's up to you.

Next, I made a Russian/Ukrainian dish known as Pampushki. If you are Jewish, you know this as Latkes...but with a little filling. This one took a little longer to make. Three medium potatoes were peeled and grated. Meanwhile, one large potato was peeled, cut up and boiled for twenty minutes. Squeeze out the excess water from the grated potatoes, and place in a bowl after the boiled potato has been mashed. Mix them together. Make sure to add some salt and pepper. in another bowl, mix feta cheese with some freshly cut dill. Scoop out some potato mix...about the size of a large egg, flatten in, and put some of the cheese dill mix in the center. Fold it over, and roll into a ball. The mixture is now in the center of the ball. Dip in a beaten egg, and roll in bread crumbs.

After the above process has been performed on each potato ball, put them in either a deep fryer, or a skillet with hot oil...enough to cover at least half of the ball. Turn over after four to five minutes and repeat.

That's it! To round out my Belarus experience, I also bought a jar of red cabbage, and polish dill pickles. Give me a break! After two and a half hours, I owed it to myself NOT to make something from scratch!

BITOCHKI:

1 lb Ground Beef
8 tablespoons Butter
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
1 cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Onion finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon Flour
1/8 cup Dry White Wine
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Heavy Cream, Half-and-Half or Whole Milk

PAMPUSHKI:

3 medium Potatoes grated
1 Large Potato mashed
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
2 tablespoons fresh Dill
All-Purpose Flour
1 Large Egg beaten with 1 teaspoon Water
fine dry Bread Crumbs

BARBADOS...MACARONI PIE AND CHICKEN IN A THICK WINE SAUCE

There are perhaps few people who like their mac and cheese more than southerners...and they are all found in Barbados. Transplanted from the United States, the people of the the Caribbean island of Barbados have transformed the simple mac and cheese into the spicier macaroni pie...often called simply "pie".

Boil 8 ounces of long tube macaroni for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. drain the macaroni, and put it back into the pot you boiled it in. Add a tablespoon of butter and mix. Then add, slowly, a little bit at a time, 12 ounces of grated cheddar cheese. I simply bought a bag of shredded cheese. You want to melt this while the macaroni is hot. Whisk an egg and add. Stir in a cup of milk, two teaspoons of onion powder or minced onion, a teaspoon of white pepper, a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper sauce and a teaspoon of hot English mustard. I actually used spiced mustard.

After everything has been mixed together, take out a Pyrex casserole dish. I sprayed the dish with olive oil, and put the macaroni mixture in the dish. I put a few pats of butter on top, and sprinkled a little more cheese on it. This bakes for 35 minutes. The result is a wonderful twist on mac and cheese.



MACARONI PIE:

8OZ MACARONI
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER
12OZ SHREDDED SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE
1 EGG
1 CUP MILK
2 TEASPOONS ONION POWDER OR MINCED ONION
1 TEASPOON OF HOT ENGLISH MUSTARD OR SPICED MUSTARD
1 TEASPOON WHITE PEPPER
1 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 TEASPOON RED PEPPER SAUCE

GARNISH:

BREAD CRUMBS
PATS OF BUTTER
SHREDDED CHEESE

Next on the menu was chicken thighs in a heavy wine sauce. Ordinarily, Caribbean chicken is grilled. It is February, and my grill needs to be replaced; so, I improvised and cooked the chicken in a heavy wine sauce. I used a fruity blush wine to give it an island flavor. Maybe it will catch on in Barbados.

On a plate, I mixed a quarter cup of all purpose flour, half a teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of ground black pepper, and half a teaspoon of dried oregano. I used this mixture to coat a pound of skinless, boneless chicken thighs. In a large skillet, I melted 4 tablespoons of butter in 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. I know! Yummy...right? I lightly browned the chicken on both sides.

I added half a cup of fruity blush wine. Nothing too sweet; but, choose a wine that is not dry. i also added a quarter cup of Marsala cooking wine. Here's a tip. I tasted the blush wine from the bottle, and loved it. i forgot that the Marsala was a cooking wine, because i usually don't use cooking wines. I took a swig, straight out of the bottle, swallowed...and felt ill for about an hour. Don't do that. I simmered the chicken in this sauce for 5 minutes on each side. This, and the macaroni pie, had me singing island songs for the rest of the night. Okay...maybe that was caused by the bottle and a half of blush wine I had to drink to get the salty cooking wine taste out of my mouth...and the half a bottle of rum needed to get that fruity taste out of my mouth...and the 2 pints of beer to get that rum aftertaste to go away...but I do remember that there were island songs.



CHICKEN IN WINE SAUCE:

1 LB OF CHICKEN
1/4 CUP ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 TEASPOON OF SALT
1/4 TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
1/2 TEASPOON DRIED OREGANO
4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
4 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
1/2 CUP SEMI SWEET WINE
1/4 CUP MARSALA COOKING WINE

BANGLADESH...GETTING CURRIED AWAY!

My next stop in my quest for global gastronomic domination was Bangladesh. I know what you are thinking...isn't Bangladesh pretty much like India. Not so fast my fez wearing friend. The food in Bangladesh is like Indian food...but the curry goes to ELEVEN! Inm fact,the most popular food in Bangladesh is curried chicken, which I made last week. What I want to talk about now is curried salmon.

First I put the juice of one lemon mixed with a 2 teaspoons of lemon, and marinated the salmon for 15 or 20 minutes, which gave me time to gather the spices, and chop a few things...like the onion and garlic. I heated up some vegetable oil in a skillet, and added one small chopped onion, about an inch of ginger root peeled and sliced, and two crushed cloves of garlic. In a few minutes, the onions were soft.

To the above, I added a tablespoon of cumin, a teaspoon of coriander seeds, a quarter teaspoon of chili powder, a can of stewed tomatoes and half a cup of vegetable stock. After thins is stirred together, I added the salmon, along with the marinade, into the skillet and cooked on medium for about 15 minutes. Before serving, i topped with a handful of fresh, chopped cilantro.

My side dish was rice. I While I was cooking a cup of basmati rice in a cup and a half of water, in a skillet, over medium heat, I heated some vegetable oil. I added one small chopped onion, 3 medium carrots sliced, a bay leaf, one ground cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves, 4 black peppercorns, 2 tablespoons of butter and some kosher salt. When the rice was finished, I mixed it with the other ingredients in the skillet, and cooked, on low, for about 15 minutes.

I have to tell you...if that meal is even a little of what one can experience in Bangladesh, i would certainly be curried away there! Enjoy!

Vindication in Bahrain!

I really embarrassed myself when I last tried to produce a meal representing Bahrain. The chicken was dry. The pilaf was laughable. The entire experience was a flop. But I am happy to announce that I have vindicated myself! How did I do this? By making sure I stuck with beef. In the kitchen, beef is no bull.

This is how I made Bahrain Beef...in the Magic Bullet food processor, I ground a teaspoon of fennel, a teaspoon of cinnamon, 5 cloves, 2 star anise, and a tablespoon of coriander seeds. The result was mixed with 1 small onion chopped, half a tablespoon of chili powder, half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, a tablespoon of crushed ginger and a crushed garlic clove. I added a splash of red cooking wine.

I RARELY use cooking wine. In most instances, I use a nice red drinking wine. But, there are some beef recipes that traditionally use vinegar. There is one thing I learned by the now almost famous Hungarian goulash incident of 2011...I really...REALLY...don't like vinegar in beef dishes. Like I said, I use drinking wine instead. This was one of those rare occasions when cooking wine just felt like the right thing to do. So I did. I was right. I then added to the inspired marinade above a third of a cup of UNSWEETENED shredded coconut, a pinch of salt and about 6 whole, fresh curry leaves. These can be gotten at an Indian food store. I mixed the beef cubes in this Arabic goodness, and added just a splash of water. While this was marinating, I thinly sliced a large onion, and sauteed it in coconut oil. Coconut oil is a solid substance, much like ghee, that is rather expensive.

Once the onions begin to look a golden brown, I add the beef and curry mix. I put some garam masala in mine, because I will find any excuse to use garam masala. Stir this up in the skillet with that wonderful coconut aroma, and let it cook on low for a bit. I did not precook the beef, because I like my beef as raw as can be. If you like more cooked beef, you can boil it ahead of time. or brown it.

What did I put this masterpiece on? Well...rice, of course! Boil a cup of basmati rice in a cup and a half of water, with olive oil and salt. Once it began to boil, I reduced the heat to a simmer, and added whatever spices came to mind...cumin, turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon...go nuts. The result is a bed of rice that adds to the flavor of the dish. There is little worse than a good recipe ruined by bland rice. I thought of putting some raisins in the rice, as well; but, my wife can't tolerate too much sweet. If you give that a try, why not comment, and let me know how it went?

There you go! My Bahrain redemption. Enjoy!

THAI SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAPS

The next country on my world tour was Bahrain. I will be honest with you...I crash landed. Yep...this was not my first aborted mission; nor will it be the last. I made a chicken dish that stuck in the throat.

So...let me tell you about some really good food I made last night! Don't look at that dried carcass of a bird behind the curtain. We are talking about one of the tastiest cuisines in the world...Thai! It is not only delicious, it is also easy to make. Which is a good thing, because I don't think my mojo could withstand two major disasters in a row. No sir! When life hands this Rooster a lemon, he finds something easier!

Thai shrimp lettuce wraps follow the ancient Thai formula of filling your mouth with four different kinds of flavor at once. We have your sweet...we have your sour...we have your spicy, and, we have your salty. In a dry pan, heat a third of a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. I was unable to find unsweetened, so I only used a quarter cup. It worked fine. Once the coconut begins to brown, and you are driving the cats, dogs or gold fish crazy with the great smell, put the coconut aside, in a bowl, to cool. Either get a cup of cooked baby shrimp; or, do what I did. I used a cup of raw, medium sized shrimp, cooked them briefly in a little olive oil, and cut them into smaller pieces. These go into a mixing bowl. Also, into the bowl, goes 1/3 cup of chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts, 2 green onions sliced thin, 2 cloves of garlic pressed, 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of dried crushed chili peppers, a half a teaspoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of coconut milk. All of this is stirred together. Now add the coconut.

Spoon this out onto several leaves of romaine lettuce. The sour comes from squeezing the juice of a lime into the finished product. Don't sweat it if you don't have limes. I forgot to do this, and it tasted wonderful. Fold the lettuce around the mixture and enjoy! See...isn't that a LOT better than dry chicken?

CERAMIC KNIVES

There are two things in my kitchen that have saved my sanity over the last couple of years...my knives, and my cutting boards. Okay...there is the liquor cabinet; but, that is best left secret.

There is just something about the rhythmic chop, chop, chopping that is music to my ears; not to mention my stomach. These knives are of various sizes, depending on the job at hand. My favorite is a medium sized knife that I use when cutting meat, potatoes, carrots...things of that nature. One of the things that I have noticed, though, is that I have developed pain in the index knuckle of my right hand. it seems that age is beginning to creep in on me, and decided to gift me with arthritis.

I am pleased to say that I have found some relief. Thanks to my Kyocera ceramic knife, I am able to tackle these jobs with less pain. It is lighter than my metal knives and keeps that sharp edge longer. It does not rust, in case I do not get to washing and drying it immediately. I have to be sure to use proper hand form when cutting, because it can do some damage if i am careless.

I would like to endorse these wonderful kitchen tools. If you like to cook from scratch, you would be doing yourself a favor by purchasing at least one.

Now, if could only find a painless way of opening my gin bottles, i would have it made.

THE BAHAMAS

It has been a couple of weeks of much activity out of the ordinary; but, I am finally getting back on schedule. And the next stop on that schedule is the Bahamas! I decided to do a variation on a theme.

The dish I chose to represent The Bahamas is orange Fish. A lot of food is cut into bite sized pieces and grilled on the island, but I wanted to cook whole cuts of fish indoors, so I set the oven to 400 degrees, laid out four pieces of tilapia, and oranged it up. In a bowl, I mixed4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, a quarter cup of orange juice, the rind of half an orange, and salt and pepper.

I then created a tent using aluminum foil. At the bottom of this tent went a bunch of whole parsley. I put the fish on top of this and poured the marinade on the fish. It only needs to set for half an hour. Deciding there was not enough orange, I squeezed the juice from the half of the orange I zested onto the fish. Still not enough...so I sliced the other half of the orange into thin wheels, and placed these on top of the fish, one layer deep. Now I was ready to cook the fish. I sealed the fish with another layer of foil, and baked the fish for half an hour. Because it was completely covered I didn't have to worry that the fish would get overcooked and dry. It was tender and moist. I layered the bottom of the plate with the cooked parsley, and carefully put the fish on top. I then spooned some of the juices onto the fish. Make sure you serve with the cooked orange wheels. These can be eaten whole, as i found out from my wife. They are tasty, and nutritious.

While not a Bahama recipe, I served the fish with a side of freshly made avocado salsa. The was made with avocados, tomatinas, jalapeno peppers, a tomato, cilantro, olive oil, and salt and pepper.