NAME: _Aquarian Capretto con uva
INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
500g of capretto (young goat) - leftover forequarter pieces or similar (see Notes)
several potatoes, whatever you have (see Notes)
1 turnip
1 small swede
2 medium carrots
1 large brown onion (see Notes)
500g red seedless grapes (see Notes)
1 tin chopped tomatoes (or chop up a tin's worth of fresh, discarding the liquid and seeds)
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tbsp grape molasses
2 tbsp zartar (see Notes)
salt
METHOD:
Peel the vegetables and cut into slices about 1cm - 2cm thick, boil in barely enough salted water for about five minutes.
In the meantime, slice the onion into rings about 1cm thick, put both the oils in a frypan, heat to smoking, and add the onions. Fry until the onion is cooked brown. Brush a casserole dish and its lid with some of the oil on the insides, then layer the onions on the bottom.
Drain the vegetables, rinse, add the tomato and return to medium/low heat. You may add salt to taste.
Fry the pieces of meat over high heat until browned evenly all over, take out with tongs and arrange in a layer over the onions, then sprinkle the zartar evenly and fairly thickly over the meat. The vegetables can now be removed from the tomato sauce and arranged in a layer over the meat, then the tomato sauce poured over.
Strip the grapes from the stem and cut them in halves or chop/crush them so that all grapes are split at least once. Arrange them on top of the vegetables, and drizzle the grape molasses over.
Cover the casserole dish with the lid and put in an oven at 160 - 165 (low heat.) Check occasionally that it is slightly simmering, leave in oven for at least two, preferably three hours. After three hours, check that the grapes have begun caramelising, and remove the lid for a final 30 - 60 minutes, during which time you raise the heat slightly to 170 until done.
(Check once or twice to see if the liquid is all absorbed and evaporated, and when it is, leave for a further fifteen minutes, at which point the dish should be finished. What you're aiming for is slightly caramelised grapes on top, and the same for the onions and juices that ran to the bottom of the dish.)
SERVING:
Serve right away, with or without a side of crusty bread and butter.
NOTES:
Meat: I got a forequarter of capretto the ribs cut for chops, shoulder for a small roast, and other pieces cut about 5cm square by 2cm thick, bone in and not trimmed up too much - this dish is ideal for tougher cuts, bits that are left over from preparing fancier (but not tastier!) meals, etc. You can also use lamb or mutton for the dish. I prefer the taste of goat.
Potatoes: I had a Kipfler, a Nadine, and some unspecified pink potato, and just used them all. Use what you have to hand.
Onion: Prefer onions with thick layers for this - you're going to fry them brown, then slow roast them for a few hours, they need some body to them,
Grapes: I found red seedless to be the best because there'd be a LOT of seeds otherwise. But any deep red sweet grapes will do in a pinch.
Zartar: is a Middle Eastern mix of wild thyme, sumak, and sesame seeds. Any dried thyme or oregano would do if you can't get the zartar.
This is a dish I developed because I don't have much of a liking for older lamb and mutton, and what I had were zartar, grapes, and the vegetables. Much to my delight, the very first one worked perfectly and I just stuck to the same recipe.
The long slow cooking time in the oven on low heat makes the meat fall off the bones, while keeping the temperature low means the vegetables don't overcook. You can't hurry this dish - three to five hours is a good point to aim for. You have some control over the timing by leaving the lid on the retain the liquid longer, but it can't really be done faster.
When the casserole dries off, the onions on the bottom and the grapes on the top will brown and caramelise, and the flavours develop. Surprisingly enough, the process kills most of the wild thyme flavour, so don't be afraid of well and truly covering the meat.
The flavour is well worth the wait!
ENJOY!
Monday, 16 January 2012
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Risoni Carbonara Style
NAME: _Risoni Carbonara Style
INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
500g risoni or orzo pasta
1.2L chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp dried wild oregano (or dried wild thyme)
250g (1 small pack) bacon
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
about 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar
about 1/2 cup grated parmesan
about 1.5 cups sliced mushrooms (if wanted)
about 1 cup peas
METHOD:
Chop the bacon crosswise into 5mm (1/4") strips, then cut the strips into 1cm length. Roughly enough will do, some size variation lends a bit of texture. Fry this in a pan over medium to high heat until the bacon starts to brown, take it out (leave the grease behind though) and drain on a slice of bread or paper towel.
Add the butter to the bacon grease, wait until the butter's stopped frothing and is starting to turn brown a bit, generally takes three minutes or so. Put the pasta in and toss to coat in butter. Add one litre of the stock, and the dried herb, bring to a fast simmer and leave it simmering until almost all the stock is absorbed. Stir it a few times as it simmers.
Meanwhile mix the egg, milk, and yoghurt in a jug and set aside. Divide the parmesan cheese into two even portions.
Test the pasta, it should be just done (al dente) - if not, add a bit of water and keep simmering until it's all absorbed and the pasta is al dente. Add the mushrooms and peas, add the milk/egg/yoghurt, add all the cheddar and one of the parmesan portions. Reduce the heat and stir until the cheese has melted through the pasta and the milk mixture has incorporated.
SERVING:
Put into serving bowl and top with the remaining parmesan. Serve immediately.
NOTES:
This is not a full-on carbonara but it's delish, I've heard of people seasoning it with salt and pepper during cooking but I let diners season it for themselves - most don't, it's just got that much flavour.
Risoni (and orzo) are small pasta shaped like long rice grains, and they must be made of pretty tough durum or semolina because they seem to take longer to cook than other pasta. They also hold their shape and texture better, which makes them so good for this dish - they don't melt into the cheesy sauce as much.
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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
500g risoni or orzo pasta
1.2L chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp dried wild oregano (or dried wild thyme)
250g (1 small pack) bacon
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
about 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar
about 1/2 cup grated parmesan
about 1.5 cups sliced mushrooms (if wanted)
about 1 cup peas
METHOD:
Chop the bacon crosswise into 5mm (1/4") strips, then cut the strips into 1cm length. Roughly enough will do, some size variation lends a bit of texture. Fry this in a pan over medium to high heat until the bacon starts to brown, take it out (leave the grease behind though) and drain on a slice of bread or paper towel.
Add the butter to the bacon grease, wait until the butter's stopped frothing and is starting to turn brown a bit, generally takes three minutes or so. Put the pasta in and toss to coat in butter. Add one litre of the stock, and the dried herb, bring to a fast simmer and leave it simmering until almost all the stock is absorbed. Stir it a few times as it simmers.
Meanwhile mix the egg, milk, and yoghurt in a jug and set aside. Divide the parmesan cheese into two even portions.
Test the pasta, it should be just done (al dente) - if not, add a bit of water and keep simmering until it's all absorbed and the pasta is al dente. Add the mushrooms and peas, add the milk/egg/yoghurt, add all the cheddar and one of the parmesan portions. Reduce the heat and stir until the cheese has melted through the pasta and the milk mixture has incorporated.
SERVING:
Put into serving bowl and top with the remaining parmesan. Serve immediately.
NOTES:
This is not a full-on carbonara but it's delish, I've heard of people seasoning it with salt and pepper during cooking but I let diners season it for themselves - most don't, it's just got that much flavour.
Risoni (and orzo) are small pasta shaped like long rice grains, and they must be made of pretty tough durum or semolina because they seem to take longer to cook than other pasta. They also hold their shape and texture better, which makes them so good for this dish - they don't melt into the cheesy sauce as much.
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Pane Tostato Tre Formaggi e Pomodori Secchi
NAME: _Pane Tostato Tre Formaggi e Pomodori Secchi
(Three cheeses and sundried tomato toasted sandwich)
INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
Sliced bread
Provolone
Fetta
Grated parmesan
Oil-preserved sundried tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic mashed with salt
METHOD:
Put a small amount of the mashed garlic into a small dish of olive oil, allow to sit while you cut the Provolone and Fetta into slices about 2cm square and a few mm thick. Cut the sundried tomatoes into strips.
Brush one side of each slice of bread with the garlic-infused olive oil, then sprinkle quite liberally with Parmesan cheese. Turn one slice upside down on another so as to keep oil sides together, fill each sandwich with the other two cheeses and sundried tomato.
Whether toasting in a frypan or toasted sandwich press, lift the filled slice off the bottom one, place in pan or sandwich maker, cover with remaining slice. Toast both sides until the Parmesan is quite brown.
SERVING: Serve immediately, with side salad if desired.
NOTES: I used a herbed Fetta, good Provolone, and herbed semi-dried tomatoes in oil. I You could use plain fetta and SDT and add some finely shredded basil and a shake of ground black pepper. When you add the salt-mellowed garlic to the oil, you'll soon learn if you used too much - it's the merest hint of garlic you're aiming for. And use a robust olive oil with a bit of colour to it.
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(Three cheeses and sundried tomato toasted sandwich)
INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
Sliced bread
Provolone
Fetta
Grated parmesan
Oil-preserved sundried tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic mashed with salt
METHOD:
Put a small amount of the mashed garlic into a small dish of olive oil, allow to sit while you cut the Provolone and Fetta into slices about 2cm square and a few mm thick. Cut the sundried tomatoes into strips.
Brush one side of each slice of bread with the garlic-infused olive oil, then sprinkle quite liberally with Parmesan cheese. Turn one slice upside down on another so as to keep oil sides together, fill each sandwich with the other two cheeses and sundried tomato.
Whether toasting in a frypan or toasted sandwich press, lift the filled slice off the bottom one, place in pan or sandwich maker, cover with remaining slice. Toast both sides until the Parmesan is quite brown.
SERVING: Serve immediately, with side salad if desired.
NOTES: I used a herbed Fetta, good Provolone, and herbed semi-dried tomatoes in oil. I You could use plain fetta and SDT and add some finely shredded basil and a shake of ground black pepper. When you add the salt-mellowed garlic to the oil, you'll soon learn if you used too much - it's the merest hint of garlic you're aiming for. And use a robust olive oil with a bit of colour to it.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Fowl Toastie
NAME: _Fowl Toastie
INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
100g chicken or turkey mince
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp tomato paste
1 egg
2 tbsp grated cheese (good mozzarella is best, mild cheddar works too)
8 slices white bread
salt/pepper to taste
chilli flakes if desired
METHOD:
Cold sweat the onion and garlic together with a sprinkling of salt, toss. Meanwhile, put the mince, egg, cheese, and sauces into a bowl and stir lightly together. Once the onion and garlic have lost their edge and sweated a bit, add them and mix through.
Spread mixture equally onto four slices of bread, cover with the other four, and slip into toasted sandwich maker and toast for at least five minutes.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD:
Make up the mince as above, in whatever quantity you think you may need, lay on a sheet of cling-wrap and roll out to 3 - 5 mm thick, cover with second sheet of cling-wrap, and using a sharp knife, cut into squares slightly smaller than sliced bread, freeze, and use as required straight from freezer to sandwich toaster. This makes a handy snack that's ready in five minutes.
SERVING:
It's a toasted sandwich. Garnish it with a sprig of parsley that most people don't eat anyway, or just bang it on a plate and thrust it towards your intended victim.
NOTES:
Surprisingly good, and there are dozens of variations of the recipe that work. The secret is the quite thin layer of meat filling, it cooks in just a few minutes, even if using the frozen version.
I've also used pork mince (with no garlic, and nutmeg and small raisins of all things) in the recipe, and played with a range of fillings with assorted spices and cheeses.
Visit The Body Friendly Zen Cookbook and help support my work!
INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
100g chicken or turkey mince
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp tomato paste
1 egg
2 tbsp grated cheese (good mozzarella is best, mild cheddar works too)
8 slices white bread
salt/pepper to taste
chilli flakes if desired
METHOD:
Cold sweat the onion and garlic together with a sprinkling of salt, toss. Meanwhile, put the mince, egg, cheese, and sauces into a bowl and stir lightly together. Once the onion and garlic have lost their edge and sweated a bit, add them and mix through.
Spread mixture equally onto four slices of bread, cover with the other four, and slip into toasted sandwich maker and toast for at least five minutes.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD:
Make up the mince as above, in whatever quantity you think you may need, lay on a sheet of cling-wrap and roll out to 3 - 5 mm thick, cover with second sheet of cling-wrap, and using a sharp knife, cut into squares slightly smaller than sliced bread, freeze, and use as required straight from freezer to sandwich toaster. This makes a handy snack that's ready in five minutes.
SERVING:
It's a toasted sandwich. Garnish it with a sprig of parsley that most people don't eat anyway, or just bang it on a plate and thrust it towards your intended victim.
NOTES:
Surprisingly good, and there are dozens of variations of the recipe that work. The secret is the quite thin layer of meat filling, it cooks in just a few minutes, even if using the frozen version.
I've also used pork mince (with no garlic, and nutmeg and small raisins of all things) in the recipe, and played with a range of fillings with assorted spices and cheeses.
Friday, 24 December 2010
Potato Kugel Loaf TEd Style
NAME: _Potato Kugel Loaf TEd Style
INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
300g bakers plain flour
4 eggs
2 tsp instant baking yeast
2 medium brown onions
5 medium waxy potatoes (about 700g)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp EVOO
(optional)
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar or whatever you like.
METHOD:
Peel and grate potatoes, using coarse side of a standard box grater. Place grated potatoes into a teatowel or other clean strong cloth, and twist the end to wring out liquid. Save the liquid in a bowl. Squeeze and re-arrange the grated potato a few more times to ensure it is as dry as possible. Leave wrapped in teatowel and set aside, in a cool place or the refrigerator.
Grate the onion or cut into thin strips about the same size as the grated potato or a bit thicker, place in a bowl, sprinkle over the teaspoonful of salt and toss through. Set aside in a cool place or the refrigerator.
Put flour in mixer bowl, add the yeast, and stir through quickly with a spoon. Start mixer on low speed and begin adding three lightly beaten eggs. Pour off most of the clear liquid from the potato starch and add the starch, then add the last beaten egg slowly, you want a sticky paste not totally liquid but not dry either.
Once the mixer has kneaded this mixture for about three minutes, use half a tablespoon of olive oil to grease a bowl, place the douhg in it and cover with a teatowel. Leave in a warm place for half an hour to an hour, until it's definitely risen.
Push a hollow into the dough ball, put the grated potato in. Use the teatowel to similarly squeeze liquid from the onions, be gentle to avoid crushing the onion. Discard the liquid, add the dried onion to the bowl. Add a tablespoonful of olive oil, and mix together all with the dough. The dough will have developed a strong gluten by now, be careful, try and mix the grated ingredients in with minimal disturbance to the cohesiveness of the dough.
Use the remaining half tablespoonful of EVOO to grease a loaf tin that the dough will fill to around 1/4 to 1/3, and put the dough mixture in and level it out. Cover with a teatowel again and let rise a second time, half an hour to an hour.
Put in preheated oven (180C) and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. If you are using the grated cheese, then sprinkle this in a thick layer over the risen dough just before placing in the oven. At the end of baking time, the top should be golden to brown, and the loaf should have risen to the height of the bread pan. Slide a knife or spatula all the way around, and gently turn out onto a biscuit rack.
SERVING:
Server hot or cold, sliced into 2cm slices. Excellent as a side to dishes with gravy. Can also be served by itself with a cheese sauce.
NOTES:
Polish and Russian people in particular have "potato kugel" recipes. Jewish people have a version of it. The word "kugel" just means a ball, and that's how it's generally baked. But. Oh!. All traditional recipes don't have a leavening agent and this comes out like a heavy dough and potato dumpling. I've seen recipes where baking powder raising agent is added, but it was still not what I wanted.
The yeast transforms this from a dumpling to a loaf, with a dense but open crumb and a GREAT flavour combination of yeast dough, potato, and the salting of the onion changes the flavour of the onion from sharp to mellow and rounded. I eat this by itself instead of bread, it just needs buttering and is a complete meal. It's YUMMY. 'Nuff said.
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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
300g bakers plain flour
4 eggs
2 tsp instant baking yeast
2 medium brown onions
5 medium waxy potatoes (about 700g)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp EVOO
(optional)
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar or whatever you like.
METHOD:
Peel and grate potatoes, using coarse side of a standard box grater. Place grated potatoes into a teatowel or other clean strong cloth, and twist the end to wring out liquid. Save the liquid in a bowl. Squeeze and re-arrange the grated potato a few more times to ensure it is as dry as possible. Leave wrapped in teatowel and set aside, in a cool place or the refrigerator.
Grate the onion or cut into thin strips about the same size as the grated potato or a bit thicker, place in a bowl, sprinkle over the teaspoonful of salt and toss through. Set aside in a cool place or the refrigerator.
Put flour in mixer bowl, add the yeast, and stir through quickly with a spoon. Start mixer on low speed and begin adding three lightly beaten eggs. Pour off most of the clear liquid from the potato starch and add the starch, then add the last beaten egg slowly, you want a sticky paste not totally liquid but not dry either.
Once the mixer has kneaded this mixture for about three minutes, use half a tablespoon of olive oil to grease a bowl, place the douhg in it and cover with a teatowel. Leave in a warm place for half an hour to an hour, until it's definitely risen.
Push a hollow into the dough ball, put the grated potato in. Use the teatowel to similarly squeeze liquid from the onions, be gentle to avoid crushing the onion. Discard the liquid, add the dried onion to the bowl. Add a tablespoonful of olive oil, and mix together all with the dough. The dough will have developed a strong gluten by now, be careful, try and mix the grated ingredients in with minimal disturbance to the cohesiveness of the dough.
Use the remaining half tablespoonful of EVOO to grease a loaf tin that the dough will fill to around 1/4 to 1/3, and put the dough mixture in and level it out. Cover with a teatowel again and let rise a second time, half an hour to an hour.
Put in preheated oven (180C) and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. If you are using the grated cheese, then sprinkle this in a thick layer over the risen dough just before placing in the oven. At the end of baking time, the top should be golden to brown, and the loaf should have risen to the height of the bread pan. Slide a knife or spatula all the way around, and gently turn out onto a biscuit rack.
SERVING:
Server hot or cold, sliced into 2cm slices. Excellent as a side to dishes with gravy. Can also be served by itself with a cheese sauce.
NOTES:
Polish and Russian people in particular have "potato kugel" recipes. Jewish people have a version of it. The word "kugel" just means a ball, and that's how it's generally baked. But. Oh!. All traditional recipes don't have a leavening agent and this comes out like a heavy dough and potato dumpling. I've seen recipes where baking powder raising agent is added, but it was still not what I wanted.
The yeast transforms this from a dumpling to a loaf, with a dense but open crumb and a GREAT flavour combination of yeast dough, potato, and the salting of the onion changes the flavour of the onion from sharp to mellow and rounded. I eat this by itself instead of bread, it just needs buttering and is a complete meal. It's YUMMY. 'Nuff said.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Find Restaurant Deliveries In Your Area
I don't normally. No, really - I don't. It's very rare that I plug a service on my blogs. And it's even more rare for me to do it for free and gratis. But in this case, I had to. I've often wished I had the smarts to set up a variety of online services, and this was one of them. I'm extremely pleased to see that not only has someone had the same idea and implemented it, but they've done so extremely well from what I've seen.
Menulog finds restaurants in your postcode that deliver, lets you order online and then pay on delivery. It's brilliant. If I say so myself. And they are offering $10 off the first order to TEdAMENU Tuckertime readers! Discount code and details are down the bottom, and I wish you a very enjoyable dinner out, (brought in,) in the future.
"Aha!" say you, "he does get something out of it! A $10 discount voucher for himself! Not free and gratis after all! Foul! Foul!"
But in actual fact, in my area code, 6244... - well, you check it out. I'm 100km from the nearest larger population center... However, I know quite a few of you are in cities and large towns, and you'll have no trouble finding some fine quality tucker out there. Bon Appetit, folks!
Menulog finds restaurants in your postcode that deliver, lets you order online and then pay on delivery. It's brilliant. If I say so myself. And they are offering $10 off the first order to TEdAMENU Tuckertime readers! Discount code and details are down the bottom, and I wish you a very enjoyable dinner out, (brought in,) in the future.
"Aha!" say you, "he does get something out of it! A $10 discount voucher for himself! Not free and gratis after all! Foul! Foul!"
But in actual fact, in my area code, 6244... - well, you check it out. I'm 100km from the nearest larger population center... However, I know quite a few of you are in cities and large towns, and you'll have no trouble finding some fine quality tucker out there. Bon Appetit, folks!
Order home delivery online, get instant confirmation.
1000 restaurants around Australia, 2000 specials, no markup.
Get $10 off your first order with this code at checkout: 25E47D
Details: Available for a customer’s first order only, at participating
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expires March 31, 2011, min order $20.
restaurants only (which display the “accepts vouchers”) sign,
expires March 31, 2011, min order $20.
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