Afghan National Dish

When I worked in Sunnyvale, California, there was a fabulous restaurant that we used to frequent for lunch. It was called Kabul, and it served delicious Afghan food full of lamb and sweet spices that still makes me salivate just thinking about it. In reading The Kite Runner, I was reminded of those dishes and felt a certain connection with Hussain as he described enjoying the same rich stews and rice dishes I remembered enjoying. I often wonder about the restaurant owners and staff of Kabul and whether their history is close to those of the families in the book.

In last month's issue of Saveur, Jennifer Bourguignon traveled to Afghanistan and found among the people a longing for the familiar foods of their childhood to reconnect them with their heritage and the national pride that had been thwarted during decades of strife and oppression first by the Soviet Union and then under the Taliban. Many families who had fled Afghanistan returned to their homeland after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, and they, like most of us, find that sharing a meal of simple, but delicious comfort foods gives them the sense of togetherness they crave. I am going to make the Quabili Pilau this week and share it with my own family.

Chicken pot pie

Talk about comfort food! Elizabeth just loves chicken pot pie, and I've not loved any that I've made in the past. My old flame, Paul, had a sister who made a magnificent chicken pie. It took all day to put together - starting with poaching an entire chicken, making a pie crust from scratch, cooking the vegetables to just the right doneness, then putting it all together with a rich creamy sauce. Oh yeah, it was to die for, and it was her ultimate demonstration of love. I remember she made it for the first guy she ever slept with. He didn't even show up the next day for dinner. His loss. Anyway, I think she used a recipe from the McCall's cookbook, but this one looks pretty close. It's from the King Arthur's Flour catalog.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie may be made the "old-fashioned" way, beginning with boiling the chicken, and peeling, chopping and blanching the vegetables; or the "short-cut way," beginning with boneless chicken breast and thighs, and using thawed frozen vegetables and cream of chicken soup as the sauce. Use any or all "convenience" products to cut one or more of the steps out of the process.

Chicken one 5-pound roasting chicken, or 5 pounds of chicken parts, including light and dark meat 1 large onion, cut in chunks 2 large carrots, cut in chunks 5 sprigs fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon salt 1 quart (32 ounces) water Filling 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) chicken fat (reserved from poaching liquid, above) 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) chicken stock (prepared from poaching liquid, above) 11/2-2 cups sliced carrots, (blanched until tender—or just use thawed frozen carrots) 11/2 cup peas, (we used frozen, thawed) 1 1/2 cup small white onions (we used 1 10 ounce bag of frozen onions)

Chicken: Place the chicken (or chicken parts), onion, carrots, parsley, thyme and salt in a deep stock pot. Add the water; it should almost cover the chicken (if it doesn't, add more). Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer the chicken and vegetables for about 1 1/4 hours (for a whole chicken) or 45 minutes to 1 hour (for chicken parts), till chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and vegetables, discarding the vegetables and spreading the chicken on a platter to cool. Boil the stock till it's reduced to 2 1/2 cups; this will take about 45 minutes. If after 45 minutes there's more than 2 1/2 cups of stock, simply measure out 2 1/2 cups, and save (or discard, or pour on your dog's food) the rest. Alternatively, you can use 20 ounces of canned chicken broth, about 1 1/2 cans. Filling: Skim the fat off the top of the stock, reserving 3 tablespoons and discarding the rest. Place the 3 tablespoons of fat in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of butter, and heat over medium heat till butter is melted. Add 6 tablespoons of flour, and stir to combine. Gradually pour in the 2 1/2 cups stock, whisking constantly. Cook and stir the sauce over medium heat till it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it for 5 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, remove the skin and bones from the chicken, and tear it into 1-inch pieces. When the sauce is ready, stir in the chicken and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add ground black pepper, additional salt to taste, and the blanched or thawed vegetables Spoon the filling into an 8 x 12-inch (or similar size) 2- to 3-quart casserole dish; it should be wide rather than deep, in order for the crust to fit on top. Prepare your favorite single-crust pie crust recipe or; the one that follows. Feel free to use all butter (rather than a butter-shortening mixture) if you prefer, but using some vegetable shortening helps make a flakier crust that's also a little easier to handle. All-butter crusts tend to have a mealy rather than flaky texture. Crust 1 1/2 cups (6 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Mellow Pastry Blend or Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1 tablespoon (1/8 ounce) buttermilk powder (optional; it'll make the crust tenderer) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 1/2 stick) butter 1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) vegetable shortening 1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar 3 to 5 tablespoons cold water In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, buttermilk powder (if you're using it), salt and baking powder. Using a pastry fork, pastry blender, your fingers or a mixer, cut in the butter and vegetable shortening, leaving some baby pea-sized lumps. Mix the vinegar with 3 tablespoons of the water. Sprinkle this mixture over the flour and fat. Squeeze the dough together; if it's not cohesive, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons water (just enough to make the dough stick together). Seeing as flour is at its driest in the winter, you'll probably have to use the greatest amount of water. Shape the dough into a flattened disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or longer. Roll the crust out slightly larger than the dish. Place it on top of the filling; cut several vent holes, and use any scraps of dough to decorate the top crust. Bake the pie in a preheated 375?F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Yield: about 8 servings. SHORT-CUT METHOD Use leftover cooked turkey or chicken; you'll need 1 3/4 to 2 pounds of boneless, skinless meat, which is between 6 and 7 cups of meat. Or use 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless breast or thighs, cut into pieces and saut?ed until cooked through. Use 2 cans of undiluted cream of chicken soup for the sauce, and stir in the thawed frozen vegetables. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish, and top with pie crust (prepared, or your own). Cut vents in the crust, and bake in a preheated 375?F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbly underneath.

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Pigeon Peas with Rice

In looking for an authentic rice and beans recipe for the book club food to go along with "Their Eyes Were Watching God", I came across a can of Pigeon Peas. I wondered if they were what was meant by "cow peas" in the book, so I bought a couple of cans. Turns out cow peas are what we always called black-eyed peas, so I did the recipe with the black-eyed peas instead. Very yummy.
But now I had these two cans of pigeon peas on the shelf. On the back was a recipe for a hispanic version of beans and rice - I guess there's a recipe for beans in rice in nearly every culture! Turned out to be a family favorite - all the kids just loved it- ate every bite. So I made some for Kathy's family the next night. I hope they liked it too.

Here's the recipe with my changes:

4 slices thick sliced bacon, chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 c chopped bell peppers (I like a mix of red, yellow, and green)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans pigeon peas (Gandules Verdes)
2 tsp salt
1 cup tomato sauce
3 cups water
2 cups rice
The recipe calls for something called Sazon Goya con Culantro y Achiote as well, but in looking up that item, I found that paprika plus a bit of nutmeg and dash of cayenne will serve just fine. Plus a sprinkling of fresh cilantro at the end is a very nice touch.

Cook the bacon in a large shallow skillet till crisp. Add the onions , garlic, and peppers and cook till softened. Drain most of the liquid from the pigeon peas and stir them in. Add the salt, seasoning, tomato sauce, rice, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook about 20 minutes until rice is done. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. You can sprinkle with a little hot pepper vinegar if you like.

eat your veggies

I'm determined that we should eat more fresh vegetables even if it's the middle of winter. So scrounging around for lunch materials yesterday I found
a red bell pepper
an apple
carrots
radishes
half a red onion

So I chopped the all up finely and threw them together with about a half a cup of crumbled feta cheese and a handful of chopped walnuts. Used bottled balsamic vinaigrette dressing with a little dijon mustard stirred in. I also had a little cooked brown basmati rice left over, so I heated it up just a smidge and stirred it in. We dished it up into three servings and crumbled up two strips of bacon for the three salads. It was really good. The bacon is not necessary, but the feta is a must. I would make this again for sure.

Went to Giant yesterday for the first BIG shopping trip in a few weeks. The kids all needed stuff for their lunches, and it seemed we were out of fresh produce of any kind. My DH mentioned he was craving steak, so I picked up some nice looking sirloin to marinate and cook London broil style. Half of the left over pork roast from Sunday night, went into homemade BBQ last night with coleslaw. We had gotten some really yummy sauce from the East Carolina BBQ company when we were down there in November. I love the vinegary flavor it adds to the shredded pork. Then just some good old fashioned KC masterpiece finishes the sandwich.

The rest of the pork leftovers will go into these great little tacos – here’s the recipe

Shredded pork roast (shoulder is best, but loin will do)
Thinly sliced radishes
Sliced avocado
Cilantro with stems
Plenty of salt and pepper
Corn tortillas cooked in a little oil until they’re mostly soft with a few crispy places.

Just roll the stuff up inside the tortilla – very different and very yummy. You can add sour cream if you like, but I find that the subtle blend of flavors is great without.

They had beautiful ground beef, so I made some chili for Wednesday night. And picked up some sirloin to marinate and grill Thursday. So, my weeknight meals are done! Happy happy!

I also picked up the January issue of Bon Appetit - lots of yummy ideas in there to try - I'm especially excited about the sweet and salty dessert ideas.

Buttermilk Pecan Chicken

Here's a recipe I got from my friend, Sandy, at the Gym. It's not flashy or new, but it's good and the kids like it all around. It's also handy because you make extras and freeze them uncooked. Then when you need a quick meal you can just pull them out, drizzle with a little melted butter or olive oil and bake.

1/3 c butter
1 c flour
1 cup pecans, ground up in food processor
1/4 c sesame seeds
1 T paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Melt butter in 13x9 baking dish. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Combine egg and buttermilk. Dip chicken in egg then in flour mixture. Place in pan and turn to coat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Apples a plenty

We brought back apples from our trip to North Carolina last month. Here's the recipe we used to scallop them in the oven - delicious warm or cold.

12 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thick slices
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 T lemon juice

Melt butter. Add sugar, spices, and lemon juice. Put apples in a baking dish and pour butter mixture over. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until apples are tender.

Busy week ahead

This week coming up is so busy, I can't believe it. The two middle school kids have Christmas concerts - one Monday night, and one Tuesday night. I can't decide which is worse: a single 3.5-hour torturous concert where every group in every grade performs on the same night, or a week-long marathon of 2-hour concerts. Hmmm. I guess that depends on whether I have my knitting with me or not.

So, this week we'll have swordfish on Monday. It's not a big deal to prepare, and I'll cook some brown rice to go with, so there's something for anyone who hates fish. They can put leftover chili verde on the rice. Maybe some cooked carrots. I can do those ahead. Then off to concert number one


Tuesday - Rogan Josh. I love this Indian dish. It's traditionally made with lamb, but equally good with beef, and I have two smallish roasts in the freezer that ought to be used. Tuesday will be tough because the shop's open late, and there's concert number two. Serve with Basmati rice - love that stuff, and plain yogurt. Maybe some fruit too. I'd love to try this recipe for Naan if there's enough time.

Wednesday - Busy busy day. Special shopping night at the shop, plus I have to work from 2-5. Something fun - made ahead? Hmmm. I have Schwan's frozen breaded chicken in the freezer. I'll do a homemade Wendy's chicken sandwich. I'll sneak in some lettuce and tomato. Maybe some coleslaw too. My favorite is Marzetti's bottled coleslaw dressing and the packaged coleslaw shreds. So much better than the deli variety, and it doesn't get any easier than that.

Thursday - I'm going to try to make this soup that's a winter version of a salsa I make in the summer. Black beans, corn, mexican tomatoes, cilantro, and lime. I'll cook some chicken breast and cut it up in there too. Top with a little sour cream and serve it with chips or flour tortillas. Gonna have to make it ahead too. It would probably go nicely in the crock pot. Then off to dance class.

Friday - birthday party for daughter. Requested paninis. Panini sandwiches for 15. Anyone know a good way to keep the first ones crisp while I cook the rest?? And instead of cake, she's requested a triple chocolate semifreddo. At least I can make it ahead...

Giant has boneless chicken breast and butter on sale this week, so I'll stock up on those. I already have the chocolate for the semifreddo, but I'll need the turkey and ham for the paninis . Last week IQF swordfish and tuna and jumbo shrimp were on sale. I just love Giant.