Ah, ragazzi, this is one that stirs up debate. Annalena has posted a few recipes for rabbit, and inevitably she gets at least one "how COULD you? They are so CUTE" type of message. She also gets the "BUT I HAD A RABBIT AS A PET!!!!" messages. She respects them, yes she does. And if you don't want to make the recipes, for whatever reason, don't. Many of Annalena's readers are vegetarians, or choose not to eat animal flesh. They ignore the recipes that include the ingredients they do not eat. Or they ask: can you make a substitution? Indeed, you will see Annalena write , frequently "you can do this with," or "you can leave out the..." when she thinks it is appropriate. For this one, for example, she will say right up front: use chicken if you like the idea, but not the idea of using rabbit.
The fact is, rabbit is eaten just about everywhere else in the world, with no issue whatsoever. For many peoples, wild rabbit was just about the only protein that they had available, and most people do not know that the original paella was made with rabbit and snails, nothing else in terms of meat. It was what you could hunt, what you could find, that was edible. And the dish in question is a classic of the French kitchen. One doesn't see it very often, and Annalena often wonders why, because in classic form, this is an easy dish to prepare, and delicious.
But like all "classic" dishes, there are a million variations on it. When Annalena wanted to make it, she checked a lot of versions, and finally settled on one that was developed by one of the most underrated chefs working today, David Tanis. His recipe does not rely on a sauce the way most of the variations do, and thus it becomes something far less intimidating to cooks.
Annalena knows her readers are not intimidated by sauce making, but for the few of you out there who may want something without the sauce, here it comes. With a sauce variation , of course.
What Annalena likes about this recipe is the simplicity of it. Yes, simplicity is wonderful. So here we go.
You will need about 3 pounds of legs. For lapin , cornejo, coniglio, or rabbit, that is about eight legs. For chicken, it is probably about four. That's four whole legs, not drumsticks. You want to pat them dry and then salt and pepper the surface.
Leave them airdry while you prepare the rest of these ingredients . Annalena used an 8 ounce jar of grainy mustard, although traditionally, you will use less of dijon (because it is hotter), or you will use half and half. Up to you. Annalena does like the grainy mustard for its texture. Put this in a large bowl, with 8 ounces of creme fraiche. (This, by the way, is going to substitute for the cream that is usually put in at the end for a sauce). Smash six cloves of garlic, and slice it into thin pieces and toss that in again, together with a full tablespoon of chopped thyme, and four bay leaves, broken in half. If you have fresh bay leaves, use them, and don't try to break them. If you happen to have tarragon around, and like it, put in some of that too. Finally, chop up about 3 ounces of bacon, pancetta, or the French one, ventricche.
Now, get your protein back into the bowl, toss everything together, and put it in the fridge , overnight if you can, or for at least three hours. The acid in the creme fraiche, taken with the acid in the mustard, allows a certain break down of the protein in the meat, texturizing it, and flavoring it.
When you're ready to cook, bring the meat to room temperature. That will take about two hours. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and set up a baking sheet, with a cooking rack on it. Lay out the meat, skin side up for the chicken, and take whatever marinade is left and dollop it on top. Put this in the oven, for 30 minutes. Then, take it out, use some tongs and turn it over for another 20.
This is really all you HAVE to do, but look at what's on the baking sheet: stuff has fallen off of the meat, there's burned "stuff" and essentially, there's lots of FLAVOR there. So, here's what Annalena suggests you do: get your finished protein to a safe spot, and remove the rack. Have a pot ready. Now pour a half cup of white wine right on the baking sheet. You'll get a bit of sizzling, and some smoke, and much of the stuff will dissolve into the wine. Scrape it a bit to get as much as you can, and with gloved hands (the sheet is still very hot), pour this into a pot, and add another half cup of wine. Bring it to a boil, and reduce it by half. IF when you taste it, you want to soften it, add about a tablespoon of butter, and/or a few tablespoons of heavy cream. Annalena liked it as it was, but you must account for your own tastebuds.
And there you are. Polenta, spaetzle, noodles, rosti potatoes, or anything you like, will be fine with this dish, be it the meat that dare not speak its name, or chicken (and Annalena thinks chickens are very cute too. Stupid, but cute. ).
Give it a try ragazzi. Annalena bets this will become a favorite.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Pasta veloute', the easy way: for Liz and Jeremy
When Annalena was giovane, that is, somewhere between being a child and adult, she spent some time as a "vegetarian who eats fish." That is the term we had for it then, ragazzi. So, too, was her ragazza Liz. Now, however, as "we are grown, with debts and regrets " (no googling now: where is that from?), we have this term "Pescatorian." That is, someone who eats fish but not red meat. Indeed, the range of terms for different ways people eat has become downright staggering: sort of like the varieties of coffee drinks one can get at Starbucks. These confuse Annalena to no end, as she tries to order a simple skinny cappucino, and she contemplates her encroaching senility.
Well, this is a dish for Annalena's pescatorian friends, most notably Liz and Jeremy. We start with a veloute', one of the most useful things you will ever know how to make.
What, precisely, is a veloute'? Well, ragazzi, if you can make a bechamel, you can make a veloute', because you are making a single substitution. In a veloute', one uses flour, butter, and milk to make a thick white sauce. Or a thin one, depending on proportions. In a veloute', one replaces the milk with stock, except the stock must be one where no roasted materials have been used.
Generally, one finds veloutes of chicken, and fish. However, if you think Annalena is going to make her own fish stock, you are even crazier than she is. So, cheat the way Annalena does, and use clam juice. She bets you will not notice the difference, and you will not be saying "this could have been SO much better if I had used homemade fish stock. See, in addition to being "grown, with debts and regrets," we are all too busy. If there is a good way to save some time and make something tasty, Annalena is all for it. So, let's away, and use the veloute' (it rhymes with many things, doesn't it?).
We start with half a stick of unsalted butter. If you remember your proportions, this is 1/4 cup of butter. You will want the same quantity of flour. Put these in a heavy pot, over low heat, and when the butter begins to melt, start whisking. This is very little material, ragazzi, so you will have to be patient, as it is harder to work with LESS material in a sauce, than with more. Of course, you COULD save this for a time when you are making it for a crowd, but why cheat yourself?
When the butter has melted, and the flour is incorporated therin, start adding clam juice and continue to whisk. Start with a cup. Watch how it thickens almost immediately. Take a look at it: at this point, some have compared the stuff to glue. With good reason. Add another half a cup. You will begin to loosen the stuff. If you feel it is still too thick, now add half a cup of warm water. Stir it all together, and you have the basis for your sauce. Taste it. Too bland? Add salt. But wait until now, ragazzi, beause with clam juice, one does not know .
This is going to provide you with enough veloute' for a pasta sauce for three to four people. And let's away to that sauce. Here's how Annalena did it. She took two carrots, peeled them, and cut them into small chunks. These went into the veloute', together with a half cup of peas she had frozen over the summer, and a small quantity of diced celery. Finalmente, a pound of scallops. If they are large, half or quarter them. Annalena was using bay scallops, so there was no need. If you have done this right after you made the veloute', there is no need for further cooking, as the residual heat of the cooling sauce will cook your vegetables. If not, put this on very low heat, as you prepare your pasta.
There is much seafood and veggies in this sauce, ragazzi, so keep that in mind. Generally, 3-4 ounces of dried pasta per person is considered a correct serving, and Annalena suggests you cut the amount back. Use a stubby pasta, because the scallops are stubby. (Both of her pescatorians know what they are doing in the kitchen, and are seeing the ability to substitute veggies and fish types, are you not? )
When the pasta is just a bit too al dente for you, drain it. Look at your sauce just before you do. Has it thickened too much? If so, then save some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta and the sauce together, and if it seems too tight or too thick, add as much of the pasta water as you think is needed, BUT NOT MORE THAN 1/3 OF A CUP. Taste again, check for seasoning.
AND IF YOU LEARNED NOTHING FROM ANNALENA YOU KNOW THAT AT THIS POINT YOU DO NOT ADD CHEESE. You may want to add some baby greens, or some micro greens, or something like that, but you are finished. You have an easy, tasty pasta that you can be proud of. It is substantial, and... you just learned how to make 1 (and perhaps 2), of the five mother sauces of French cooking. These are the easy ones, ragazzi. The other three will break your heart. Like so many things. So console yourself with pasta
Well, this is a dish for Annalena's pescatorian friends, most notably Liz and Jeremy. We start with a veloute', one of the most useful things you will ever know how to make.
What, precisely, is a veloute'? Well, ragazzi, if you can make a bechamel, you can make a veloute', because you are making a single substitution. In a veloute', one uses flour, butter, and milk to make a thick white sauce. Or a thin one, depending on proportions. In a veloute', one replaces the milk with stock, except the stock must be one where no roasted materials have been used.
Generally, one finds veloutes of chicken, and fish. However, if you think Annalena is going to make her own fish stock, you are even crazier than she is. So, cheat the way Annalena does, and use clam juice. She bets you will not notice the difference, and you will not be saying "this could have been SO much better if I had used homemade fish stock. See, in addition to being "grown, with debts and regrets," we are all too busy. If there is a good way to save some time and make something tasty, Annalena is all for it. So, let's away, and use the veloute' (it rhymes with many things, doesn't it?).
We start with half a stick of unsalted butter. If you remember your proportions, this is 1/4 cup of butter. You will want the same quantity of flour. Put these in a heavy pot, over low heat, and when the butter begins to melt, start whisking. This is very little material, ragazzi, so you will have to be patient, as it is harder to work with LESS material in a sauce, than with more. Of course, you COULD save this for a time when you are making it for a crowd, but why cheat yourself?
When the butter has melted, and the flour is incorporated therin, start adding clam juice and continue to whisk. Start with a cup. Watch how it thickens almost immediately. Take a look at it: at this point, some have compared the stuff to glue. With good reason. Add another half a cup. You will begin to loosen the stuff. If you feel it is still too thick, now add half a cup of warm water. Stir it all together, and you have the basis for your sauce. Taste it. Too bland? Add salt. But wait until now, ragazzi, beause with clam juice, one does not know .
This is going to provide you with enough veloute' for a pasta sauce for three to four people. And let's away to that sauce. Here's how Annalena did it. She took two carrots, peeled them, and cut them into small chunks. These went into the veloute', together with a half cup of peas she had frozen over the summer, and a small quantity of diced celery. Finalmente, a pound of scallops. If they are large, half or quarter them. Annalena was using bay scallops, so there was no need. If you have done this right after you made the veloute', there is no need for further cooking, as the residual heat of the cooling sauce will cook your vegetables. If not, put this on very low heat, as you prepare your pasta.
There is much seafood and veggies in this sauce, ragazzi, so keep that in mind. Generally, 3-4 ounces of dried pasta per person is considered a correct serving, and Annalena suggests you cut the amount back. Use a stubby pasta, because the scallops are stubby. (Both of her pescatorians know what they are doing in the kitchen, and are seeing the ability to substitute veggies and fish types, are you not? )
When the pasta is just a bit too al dente for you, drain it. Look at your sauce just before you do. Has it thickened too much? If so, then save some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta and the sauce together, and if it seems too tight or too thick, add as much of the pasta water as you think is needed, BUT NOT MORE THAN 1/3 OF A CUP. Taste again, check for seasoning.
AND IF YOU LEARNED NOTHING FROM ANNALENA YOU KNOW THAT AT THIS POINT YOU DO NOT ADD CHEESE. You may want to add some baby greens, or some micro greens, or something like that, but you are finished. You have an easy, tasty pasta that you can be proud of. It is substantial, and... you just learned how to make 1 (and perhaps 2), of the five mother sauces of French cooking. These are the easy ones, ragazzi. The other three will break your heart. Like so many things. So console yourself with pasta
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Making it easy on yourself: mustard butter chicken
And so we return to chicken, ragazzi. And why? Well, we like it. And let's face it: we could eat it every single day . Indeed, Annalena believes that some people do. You will find so many recipes with chicken in them: a simple check of "epicurious," one of the "go to" sites for recipes, found 3,887 recipes This is actually fewer than Annalena thought. So, in order to choose which one, of the thousands there are to make, you have to think about what you like, what your time commitment is, etc, etc, etc.
This is one which Annalena found most pleasing. Again, it derives from the NY Times, and it's a winner. It is definitely a five star recipe, on a five point scale.
And why five points? Well, Annalena was cooking last Monday, and she was NOT cooking dinner for that night. Rather, she was preparing a meal for Wednesday night, with the usual chicken ready for roasting sitting there, to go into the oven an hour before the Guyman came back from rehearsal.
Then, the phone call came: the Guyman would be late at work, and he would not be going to rehearsal. Well, so what does one do? Granted, Annalena COULD have stuck with the plan and roasted the chicken, OR she could have served the veal she had just made. But serving the veal would have meant chicken twice that week, on successive nights. This bothered her sense of adventure. She still can't figure out why she didn't just roast the chicken, but she didn't. So she made this recipe ahead of its scheduled time.
It is easy, ragazzi, SO easy. Here's what you need to do. First, you need three pounds of chicken legs. That is probably four whole legs. Go with the whole legs. Before you go and buy them, check to see if you have dijon mustard, unsalted butter, whole grain mustard, garlic, fresh thyme bread crumbs (unflavored), and olive oil. You'll probably have most of those items around: you may only need to shop for whole grain mustard. And here we go. Preheat your oven, to 425. Then, pat your chicken legs dry and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Put them aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
If you have had the chance, before you started any of this, you will have put a tablespoon of unsalted butter in a bowl to soften. If you haven't, what happens next will be harder, but you can do it. To the butter, add a quarter cup of whole grain mustard, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons (oh, heck, use a tablespoon), of chopped thyme leaves, and two teaspoons (oh, heck, use a tablespoon), of dijon mustard. Mash this all together. Use a fork, or use your fingers, whatever is most convenient for you.
Use this mix and rub it all over the chicken legs. You'll have enough. Annalena promises. When you've coated the legs with the butter mixture, pour out breadcrumbs on a flat surface, and roll the chicken legs to cover. Then, put them onto a baking sheet, and drizzle a bit of olive oil over them.
Did that seem hard? It's not. Roast them for 35-40 minutes and you know what? Dinner's ready. Yes, it is. And there is enough room on the baking sheet, and the temperatuare is right, so that if you wanted to make baked potatoes, or baked sweet potatoes, etc, you could put them on the sheet as well, and have them both ready at the same time.
Now, to steal one of Ms. Garten's titles, "how easy is that?" It's very easy. Go for it, ragazzi.
This is one which Annalena found most pleasing. Again, it derives from the NY Times, and it's a winner. It is definitely a five star recipe, on a five point scale.
And why five points? Well, Annalena was cooking last Monday, and she was NOT cooking dinner for that night. Rather, she was preparing a meal for Wednesday night, with the usual chicken ready for roasting sitting there, to go into the oven an hour before the Guyman came back from rehearsal.
Then, the phone call came: the Guyman would be late at work, and he would not be going to rehearsal. Well, so what does one do? Granted, Annalena COULD have stuck with the plan and roasted the chicken, OR she could have served the veal she had just made. But serving the veal would have meant chicken twice that week, on successive nights. This bothered her sense of adventure. She still can't figure out why she didn't just roast the chicken, but she didn't. So she made this recipe ahead of its scheduled time.
It is easy, ragazzi, SO easy. Here's what you need to do. First, you need three pounds of chicken legs. That is probably four whole legs. Go with the whole legs. Before you go and buy them, check to see if you have dijon mustard, unsalted butter, whole grain mustard, garlic, fresh thyme bread crumbs (unflavored), and olive oil. You'll probably have most of those items around: you may only need to shop for whole grain mustard. And here we go. Preheat your oven, to 425. Then, pat your chicken legs dry and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Put them aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
If you have had the chance, before you started any of this, you will have put a tablespoon of unsalted butter in a bowl to soften. If you haven't, what happens next will be harder, but you can do it. To the butter, add a quarter cup of whole grain mustard, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons (oh, heck, use a tablespoon), of chopped thyme leaves, and two teaspoons (oh, heck, use a tablespoon), of dijon mustard. Mash this all together. Use a fork, or use your fingers, whatever is most convenient for you.
Use this mix and rub it all over the chicken legs. You'll have enough. Annalena promises. When you've coated the legs with the butter mixture, pour out breadcrumbs on a flat surface, and roll the chicken legs to cover. Then, put them onto a baking sheet, and drizzle a bit of olive oil over them.
Did that seem hard? It's not. Roast them for 35-40 minutes and you know what? Dinner's ready. Yes, it is. And there is enough room on the baking sheet, and the temperatuare is right, so that if you wanted to make baked potatoes, or baked sweet potatoes, etc, you could put them on the sheet as well, and have them both ready at the same time.
Now, to steal one of Ms. Garten's titles, "how easy is that?" It's very easy. Go for it, ragazzi.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Roll with it: ground turkey chili
Now, ragazzi, you may be thinking: yes, her titles are cute but obscure. THIS ONE? Roll with it? HUH?
Well, read on curious ones, and you will see that this is a tale of making changes before, and during the cooking process, and how one needs to be flexible.
Annalena has come to love the Wednesday New York Times recipe section, as it provides fewer recipes, but the ones it DOES provide, are almost always ones she likes. In the past week, there was a long article on chili. The title for the recipe on which this one was based was "just good chili," and with good reason. Chili purists will blanch at the fact that (i) there are beans in it and (ii) there is turkey, rather than beef in it.
If you are one of those purists, please feel free to call it spicy turkey and bean ragout, or whatever else you like. Until Annalena is released from her "lower your cholesterol" curse, so it goes. (Please note, however, ragazzi, that you should ALWAYS check the amount of cholesterol in your foods. Do not make assumptions. The amount of cholesterol in turkey will surprise you).
The recipe looked wonderful, and completely doable, but it called for steps and ingredients that just required revision in Annalena's view. She will explain these as we go through. And, as the mess cooked, it became clear that further changes would be necessary. The result is a very tasty chili. Probably not the flavor the recipe writer got, but that's cooking for you. So, let's get to work.
Basic ingredients from the recipe were a pound of either ground bison, or dark meat turkey. Now, Annalena could find ground dark meat turkey; however, it was not organic. So, she went for a mix, and it was fine. Just don't use all ground breast meat here. It's way too dry. The recipe also called for a can of white beans, and 2 cans of kidney beans.
Really? Annalena's readers will know that using a can of beans, is not going to happen in Annalena's kitchen. And two kinds of beans? Why? There was no explanation for that. So, Annalena reached into her store room, and got a bound of tepary beans, which are small white ones. Use a pound of whatever beans you like. Let them soak and cook, as per normal. You'll get just about the same amount you would get from three cans. And you can do this before you get your chili ready.
When it's time to cook, finely chop a couple of medium onions. Annalena always uses two, smaller ones when a recipe calls for one, LARGE onion, because she has no idea what a large onion is. You are also going to need two bottles of beer. The recipe did not specify what type. Annalena and the Guyman do not drink wine, but they had some Corona Light from a party and used that. The recipe, by the way, calls for one bottle, but please heed below.
Put the bottle of beer together with a 14 ounce can of tomatoes with their juice. The recipe calls for diced, but Annalena used whole and mashed them while cooking. Add a half cup of leftover coffee to this. Finally, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste. Put this liquid aside.
Let's get our spices together. You should mix a quarter cup of brown sugar (Annalena used dark), with a tablespoon of cocoa, and a tablespoon of hot sauce. Sricha was what Annalena had, and used. The recipe also called for half of a chopped chili, of the hot variety (serrano was recommended). Annalena suggests you use this only if you are a real heat freak, because this chili is going to get very spicy, because...
You now add a tablespoon and a half of coriander, ground and a tablespoon and a half of cumin, ground, and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the sugar, etc. Also add your first teaspoon of salt.
Now, we're ready to go. Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a big pot, and get that oil to the point where it looks like it's rippling. Add the ground turkey, and cook it until the pink is gone. Use a slotted spoon and move the meat aside for a few minutes, while you add the onion, and cook for a minute, followed by adding the beer mixture, and the spice mixture. Stir everything together, and add 2/3 of the beans and the turkey. Lower the heat, cover the pot, but leave it slightly ajar, and cook for an hour.
During the cooking time, you will be assaulted with the smell of the chili for a bit, and it may aggravate your eyes, so be careful. After that hour, that will stop. Check your chili. Is it dry? It probably is, and thus you should add a second bottle of beer, with the rest of the beans. If it's not dry, don't add more liquid. Taste this, and add more salt. Lower the heat further, re-cover the pot, the same way, and cook for another hour , or longer, if you like.
The combination of the cocoa and other spices truly makes the turkey look like ground beef. You will not have that "fatty" taste, however, and the beans, of course, make this a pretty healthy type of dish. You've used a whole two tablespoons of added fat, and you have a good two quarts of chili. According to the recipe, this serves 4-6. Annalena wonders who's being served, because this will easily serve 8 people with some rice.
This sounds complicated, and it sounds like it takes a lot of time, but ultimately, you are only working for about fifteen minutes in total. And it freezes well. So, get your act together, get some turkey, and make a meal. And then, you'll have a second one, too.
Next time around, ragazzi, we're gonna make some wonderful, mustard chicken legs
Well, read on curious ones, and you will see that this is a tale of making changes before, and during the cooking process, and how one needs to be flexible.
Annalena has come to love the Wednesday New York Times recipe section, as it provides fewer recipes, but the ones it DOES provide, are almost always ones she likes. In the past week, there was a long article on chili. The title for the recipe on which this one was based was "just good chili," and with good reason. Chili purists will blanch at the fact that (i) there are beans in it and (ii) there is turkey, rather than beef in it.
If you are one of those purists, please feel free to call it spicy turkey and bean ragout, or whatever else you like. Until Annalena is released from her "lower your cholesterol" curse, so it goes. (Please note, however, ragazzi, that you should ALWAYS check the amount of cholesterol in your foods. Do not make assumptions. The amount of cholesterol in turkey will surprise you).
The recipe looked wonderful, and completely doable, but it called for steps and ingredients that just required revision in Annalena's view. She will explain these as we go through. And, as the mess cooked, it became clear that further changes would be necessary. The result is a very tasty chili. Probably not the flavor the recipe writer got, but that's cooking for you. So, let's get to work.
Basic ingredients from the recipe were a pound of either ground bison, or dark meat turkey. Now, Annalena could find ground dark meat turkey; however, it was not organic. So, she went for a mix, and it was fine. Just don't use all ground breast meat here. It's way too dry. The recipe also called for a can of white beans, and 2 cans of kidney beans.
Really? Annalena's readers will know that using a can of beans, is not going to happen in Annalena's kitchen. And two kinds of beans? Why? There was no explanation for that. So, Annalena reached into her store room, and got a bound of tepary beans, which are small white ones. Use a pound of whatever beans you like. Let them soak and cook, as per normal. You'll get just about the same amount you would get from three cans. And you can do this before you get your chili ready.
When it's time to cook, finely chop a couple of medium onions. Annalena always uses two, smaller ones when a recipe calls for one, LARGE onion, because she has no idea what a large onion is. You are also going to need two bottles of beer. The recipe did not specify what type. Annalena and the Guyman do not drink wine, but they had some Corona Light from a party and used that. The recipe, by the way, calls for one bottle, but please heed below.
Put the bottle of beer together with a 14 ounce can of tomatoes with their juice. The recipe calls for diced, but Annalena used whole and mashed them while cooking. Add a half cup of leftover coffee to this. Finally, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste. Put this liquid aside.
Let's get our spices together. You should mix a quarter cup of brown sugar (Annalena used dark), with a tablespoon of cocoa, and a tablespoon of hot sauce. Sricha was what Annalena had, and used. The recipe also called for half of a chopped chili, of the hot variety (serrano was recommended). Annalena suggests you use this only if you are a real heat freak, because this chili is going to get very spicy, because...
You now add a tablespoon and a half of coriander, ground and a tablespoon and a half of cumin, ground, and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the sugar, etc. Also add your first teaspoon of salt.
Now, we're ready to go. Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a big pot, and get that oil to the point where it looks like it's rippling. Add the ground turkey, and cook it until the pink is gone. Use a slotted spoon and move the meat aside for a few minutes, while you add the onion, and cook for a minute, followed by adding the beer mixture, and the spice mixture. Stir everything together, and add 2/3 of the beans and the turkey. Lower the heat, cover the pot, but leave it slightly ajar, and cook for an hour.
During the cooking time, you will be assaulted with the smell of the chili for a bit, and it may aggravate your eyes, so be careful. After that hour, that will stop. Check your chili. Is it dry? It probably is, and thus you should add a second bottle of beer, with the rest of the beans. If it's not dry, don't add more liquid. Taste this, and add more salt. Lower the heat further, re-cover the pot, the same way, and cook for another hour , or longer, if you like.
The combination of the cocoa and other spices truly makes the turkey look like ground beef. You will not have that "fatty" taste, however, and the beans, of course, make this a pretty healthy type of dish. You've used a whole two tablespoons of added fat, and you have a good two quarts of chili. According to the recipe, this serves 4-6. Annalena wonders who's being served, because this will easily serve 8 people with some rice.
This sounds complicated, and it sounds like it takes a lot of time, but ultimately, you are only working for about fifteen minutes in total. And it freezes well. So, get your act together, get some turkey, and make a meal. And then, you'll have a second one, too.
Next time around, ragazzi, we're gonna make some wonderful, mustard chicken legs
Friday, February 7, 2014
"curry in a hurry?" Annalena makes a quick lentil and veggie curry
To the purists out there, Annalena stipulates that what she is writing about here, is not a true curry. Not even close. It cannot count as curry in the Indian, South Asian, or any other cuisine. But it sure is good. It sure is simple, it sure is fast, and you know what? It sure is good for you. And it sure is vegan.
Annalena is convinced that some of us are still doing penance for the excesses of the holidays, and even if we are not, there is a time when you need to sit back, give up some of the fatty, rich food you have been eating, and have something that not only IS healthy, it makes you FEEL healthy when you eat it, while not giving you that unpleasant sensation of "well, I HAVE to eat this. It's not real good, but it's good for me."
Admittedly, you have to be willing to try lentils. And why wouldn't you? Lentils are absolutely wonderful ragazzi, and Annalena does not know why you are not eating more of them. Perhaps she needs to post more recipes? For those of you who would like to put legumes into your diet, but are discouraged because of the soaking and long cooking times, lentils are the solution: they do not take soaking, and they cook in less than 30 minutes. You can make a big pot of them, and use them through the week in salads, as side dishes, or in this pseudo curry. As the song from "Gypsy" says "they're very versaTILE.' So, come along with Annalena, and make something not too difficult at all, really inexpensive, and really just plain good.
You need lentils, of course. Get the green ones. You may see them called "French" lentils, or "de Puy" lentils, or something else. Ask for GREEN lentils and do not accept any other type. The green ones will keep their firm quality when they are cooked, and you need that for this curry. You are going to need three cups of cooked lentils, and as dried lentils do not expand very much, put three cups of washed lentils (just rinse them quickly), in a pot, and cover the pot with ample water. Add a teaspoon of salt, bring it to the boil, and then lower the heat. Start tasting after 15 minutes to see if they are soft enough for you, and keep testing until they are. It won't take more than 25 minutes.
You can do these ahead of time, or you can push ahead with your recipe. You will need 2 onions, and about a pound of an "orange" vegetable. By an "orange" vegetable, Annalena means carrots, or sweet potato, or butternut squash, or any other winter squash. For the squash, peel it, seed it and cut it into chunks, until you have four cups of cubed squash. For carrots, if they are dirty with a substantial skin, peel them, and cut them into thick slices. For sweet potatoes, peel the raw guys, and cut them into chunks. Peel the onions, and slice them into rings about 1/4 inch thick.
Now, get a big heavy pot, like a Le Creuset, and add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onions to the oil before you start heating. When it begins to sizzle, get your curry powder: Annalena likes the "sweet" versions here, which only means that the spices that are used contain a lot of "sweet" as compared to "hot" varieties. Think of Italian sausage, ragazzi, and you're on it. You can use the hot one if you like though. You need a tablespoon, which sounds like a lot but is a bare minimum. Add that to the onions, and toss them around.
You're going to see the curry begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. When that happens, toss in half a cup of water. Now, add the veggies, and stir them together with the onions and the oil and the curry. You might add a teaspoon or so of salt here. After everything is stirred together, add your lentils, another half cup of water, another teaspoon of salt, and cover the pot. Lower the heat to a very low flame, and let the stuff cook for 15-20 minutes. Check your veggie from time to time, to see if it's soft enough for you. When it is, you are done.
Veggies, onions, lentils, oil, water, curry powder. Those are your ingredients. If you make yourself some brown rice , you have a truly good meal, with enough room to add something to it if you like.
Try it, ragazzi. This one came right out of Annalena's very crowded head, and she'd like to know how you like it.
Annalena is convinced that some of us are still doing penance for the excesses of the holidays, and even if we are not, there is a time when you need to sit back, give up some of the fatty, rich food you have been eating, and have something that not only IS healthy, it makes you FEEL healthy when you eat it, while not giving you that unpleasant sensation of "well, I HAVE to eat this. It's not real good, but it's good for me."
Admittedly, you have to be willing to try lentils. And why wouldn't you? Lentils are absolutely wonderful ragazzi, and Annalena does not know why you are not eating more of them. Perhaps she needs to post more recipes? For those of you who would like to put legumes into your diet, but are discouraged because of the soaking and long cooking times, lentils are the solution: they do not take soaking, and they cook in less than 30 minutes. You can make a big pot of them, and use them through the week in salads, as side dishes, or in this pseudo curry. As the song from "Gypsy" says "they're very versaTILE.' So, come along with Annalena, and make something not too difficult at all, really inexpensive, and really just plain good.
You need lentils, of course. Get the green ones. You may see them called "French" lentils, or "de Puy" lentils, or something else. Ask for GREEN lentils and do not accept any other type. The green ones will keep their firm quality when they are cooked, and you need that for this curry. You are going to need three cups of cooked lentils, and as dried lentils do not expand very much, put three cups of washed lentils (just rinse them quickly), in a pot, and cover the pot with ample water. Add a teaspoon of salt, bring it to the boil, and then lower the heat. Start tasting after 15 minutes to see if they are soft enough for you, and keep testing until they are. It won't take more than 25 minutes.
You can do these ahead of time, or you can push ahead with your recipe. You will need 2 onions, and about a pound of an "orange" vegetable. By an "orange" vegetable, Annalena means carrots, or sweet potato, or butternut squash, or any other winter squash. For the squash, peel it, seed it and cut it into chunks, until you have four cups of cubed squash. For carrots, if they are dirty with a substantial skin, peel them, and cut them into thick slices. For sweet potatoes, peel the raw guys, and cut them into chunks. Peel the onions, and slice them into rings about 1/4 inch thick.
Now, get a big heavy pot, like a Le Creuset, and add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onions to the oil before you start heating. When it begins to sizzle, get your curry powder: Annalena likes the "sweet" versions here, which only means that the spices that are used contain a lot of "sweet" as compared to "hot" varieties. Think of Italian sausage, ragazzi, and you're on it. You can use the hot one if you like though. You need a tablespoon, which sounds like a lot but is a bare minimum. Add that to the onions, and toss them around.
You're going to see the curry begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. When that happens, toss in half a cup of water. Now, add the veggies, and stir them together with the onions and the oil and the curry. You might add a teaspoon or so of salt here. After everything is stirred together, add your lentils, another half cup of water, another teaspoon of salt, and cover the pot. Lower the heat to a very low flame, and let the stuff cook for 15-20 minutes. Check your veggie from time to time, to see if it's soft enough for you. When it is, you are done.
Veggies, onions, lentils, oil, water, curry powder. Those are your ingredients. If you make yourself some brown rice , you have a truly good meal, with enough room to add something to it if you like.
Try it, ragazzi. This one came right out of Annalena's very crowded head, and she'd like to know how you like it.
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