A Nice Cool Weather Casserole

While in lower altitude Arizona where we live now doesn't begin to compare to the frigid weather up north, it is still nice to have something warming on a cool day, and this casserole does the trick.

This recipe for Beef & Sauerkraut Casserole (or "Tushena Kapusta," as it was given to me) is an homage to a wonderful Ukrainian lady named Oksana, who was kind enough to make it for us. While her methods spoke of the "old country," it was easy enough to update and make in my own fashion. Apparently, many of the foods that came down to me from the paternal side of my family, are similar, if not identical to much of the food in the Ukraine (and most of that whole large region). 

Beef and Sauerkraut Casserole or Tushena Kapusta

My paternal grandparents came over to the U.S. from what was Yugoslavia in the very early 1900s. The town they came from is in what is today northern Serbia, in Vojvodina. It is a very small town named Kucur, northwest-ish of Novi Sad, and not found on many maps. That whole area was overrun so many times, changing "ownership," and the languages overlapped as well as food style. 

This dish is made with beef, sauerkraut and cabbage. Apparently it can be made with all sauerkraut and no fresh cabbage, or all fresh cabbage and no sauerkraut. However it is made, it comes out the most delicious comfort food. Just set out some good bread and butter to accompany, and there you have it: one fine meal. That said, as I looked up Tushena Kapusta recipes out of curiosity, I found that there is every variation imaginable for the meat (beef, pork, chicken, duck, Kielbasa sausage), and some are meatless. The remaining ingredients are the same, allowing for slight differences in amounts, and sometimes people add a touch of sour cream. 

Beef and Sauerkraut Casserole or Tushena Kapusta

Oksana worked with no recipe, of course, and gauged everything by eye. When I set about recreating for myself what she did, I wrote down everything I did and made note of all the amounts, so I could share it here. While seasoning the meat, she asked for a few different dried herbs, in an effort to replicate a seasoning mix she used back home. I chose to replace her herbs with my Beef & Pork Seasoning, as it had some of the items she used, plus those flavors go excellently with beef and pork. I added dried and reconstituted shiitake mushrooms, though I do not believe she used mushrooms in her dish. She did many things two different ways while making her recipe, things I could see no earthly reason for doing. These I changed to make things easier, less time-consuming. 

All in all, the recipe came out close enough to hers that I have no qualms about posting, revised though it is. To me, it tastes nearly identical. For certain, it is simply delicious, mouthwatering, comfort food.

Beef & Sauerkraut Casserole

(Tushena Kapusta) 

Beef and Sauerkraut Casserole or Tushena Kapusta

Serves 4 to 6

4 cups / 10 ounces thinly sliced green cabbage
½ teaspoon salt
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6 dried shiitake mushrooms
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1½ cups shredded (large holed grater) carrot, divided
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips about 1½-inches long
1 (32 ounce) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
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2 slices (thick-slice) bacon, or 3 if thin sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced then quarter the round slices
¼ teaspoon salt
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1 pound beef stew meat, in ¾-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons Beef & Pork Seasoning or Montreal Steak Seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated pepper
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 ounces tomato paste
2 bay leaves

Set the prepared cabbage into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the ½-teaspoon salt and mix with hands, squeezing and rubbing the cabbage vigorously, or pound with the flat part of a meat tenderizing mallet. This breaks down cell walls in the cabbage and helps release liquid. This dish is a dry style casserole. Set the cabbage aside to release more liquids for at least 15 minutes.

Place the dry shiitake mushrooms into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Use a plate to help keep them submerged and set aside while preparing the rest of the dish.

Drain the sauerkraut and rinse under running water, then set to drain well.

Set the cubed beef into a bowl and sprinkle with the Beef & Pork Seasoning, ½-teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Set aside.

Cut the bacon slices into ¼-inch bits and place in a large skillet or simply use the Dutch oven to be used to bake the casserole. Cook the bacon until crisp, then set the bacon onto paper toweling to drain and set aside. In the resultant bacon grease, fry the onion with the ¼-teaspoon of salt until tender, then add in half the shredded carrot and cook just until softened.

Everything mixed together in bowl

Drain the cabbage well, squeezing to extract moisture, and return to the mixing bowl. Add in the fried onion and carrot mixture (reserving any remaining bacon grease in the pan) with the remaining raw carrots, red bell pepper and drained sauerkraut. Drain the mushrooms, remove hard stems, then slice the mushrooms and add to the mixing bowl. Add in the brown sugar, tomato paste and paprika and stir well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the same skillet, adding more oil only if needed, quickly sear a few of the meat pieces at a time, never over-crowding the pan, until browned, then place the pieces of meat into the mixing bowl with the vegetables as they are browned. Once all the meat is browned, stir all the ingredients well (photo at left), then turn into an oven-safe casserole or Dutch oven with lid, slip in the bay leaves, submerging into the mixture. Cover the casserole and bake the casserole for 30 to 45 minutes, checking to ensure it is not scorching on the bottom. Add hot water only if absolutely needed to prevent burning. 

Serve this casserole with mashed potatoes or rice and with bread and butter on the side.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Weather is Cooling and Time for Soups

Having allowed my website to lapse, due to many complaints (mine) and difficulties, I am using solely my blog for publishing recipes these days. Also, without all those recipes on my website available anymore, I have been trying to get them published here in my blog, so they continue to be available. 
 

Add Beef with Sweet Cabbage

What with all the website recipes not there anymore, the other problem is that I have a whole lot of places where there are links to a recipe on the website - and the website is not there any longer, and this is not good in any way, so I have been going over my blogs, starting from the very first post, correcting link errors wherever I can find them. There were and still are, lots of posts that are missing photos - only heaven knows what happens "out there" online! All I can say is that it is a very slow and tedious process, going through all my posts, updating, updating. And something else - I realize that there is a  glaring lack of certain recipes. Even when I though I had all my lists made, something else comes up. One is one of my Mom's recipes. In flavor, it was one of my favorites. However, she made it with beef short ribs, notorious for a lot of fat and bone, with a little meat that you really have to fight for. That made the recipe one I didn't try to make for a long time. Then one day I thought, "Hey, what if I used a different meat?" 

Living in Guatemala at the time, I used what I later found was brisket. I find brisket, especially when cooked in a soup, gives really great flavor. I happened on it by chance in Guatemala, as I was young and with little cooking experience, but I stuck with that meat ever since, because it turns out so delicious. Mom called the recipe "Beef with Sweet Cabbage."

Beef with Sweet Cabbage

Serves 8 - 10

1 (2 – 3 pound) brisket

Beef with Sweet Cabbage

1 large onion, diced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
¾ cup ketchup, or as needed
¼ cup of sugar
2 – 4 tablespoons vinegar
A few grinds of pepper
2 - 3 large potatoes, peeled, cut in 1-inch dice
1 small head of cabbage, in cubes

Place the brisket, onion, bay leaves and salt into a large soup pot with a tight fitting lid. Add water to just cover. Bring to a boil on high heat, then lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat and bay leaves from the pot. Set the meat on a platter until cool enough to handle.

Slice the meat across the grain into 2 – 3-inch sections. Break the sections into smaller pieces and pull the meat apart into strips. Return the meat to the pot.

Add in the ketchup. The soup should be nicely reddish. If it is not, add more. Add in the sugar and some of the vinegar. The goal in this dish is a nice sweet/sour balance between sugar, salt and vinegar. If the dish needs more vinegar, add a little at a time. Conversely, if it needs more sugar, add more. Remember it is easier to add more, but it cannot be taken back out. Start small and build the flavor. Grind in some fresh black pepper. Add in the cabbage and potatoes, stir, bring pot back to boiling, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for at least another half hour, or until the cabbage and potatoes are very tender.

NOTE: If you can only find a large cabbage, use only half, or as much cabbage as preferred.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

On a Theme of Threes

As I am bringing in recipes from my website (which I am giving up soon, for many complicated reasons), I have been adding in recipes, here to my blog, for ease of access, ones that had previously been only in the website. 
 

Szechuan Hot Sour Cabbage

It has worked well in sets of threes, with recipes in a single theme. Today, I am adding in three side dishes that have long been favorites. One of these is grilled, and I call it Grilled Portobellas 'Richard," after our friend Richard. Another is a truly delicious way to make green beans, especially for a special occasion. I made a slew of these for a birthday dinner, and the bowl was scraped clean at end of meal. The third recipe is a cabbage dish (above) that is one my husband will actually eat. It has enough great flavors that he will tolerate the fact that it is cabbage.

What to do With Huge Portobello Mushrooms?

Our friend Rich thought up this idea, and had some very definite ideas on how it should be made, ideas that I implemented with my own knowledge and expertise. I have to say, these turned out with absolutely exquisite flavors, and truly are satisfying enough as a main dish, should you be vegetarian (or even if you're not!). As a matter of fact, they can be used in place of a hamburger on a bun, which I did for a vegetarian friend who came to dinner.
 
His idea started out like this:
Rich: How about if we grill some big portobello mushrooms to top our burgers for supper?

Me: Sure, lets go get some at the store.

Rich: I think if we season them and let them set all afternoon before grilling, they will taste great on the grill.

Me: That would certainly make them tasty.

Rich: Let's grill some slices of onion to set on top!

Me: That sounds good, too!

Rich: Then we could set some smoked provolone to melt on top of  them.

Me: Yep, sounding better and better.

Rich: So, I think if we mashed up a LOT of garlic with some olive oil and spread that all over the inside of the mushroom, that would taste really great.

Me: We can do that, plus, I think some smoked salt would add to the flavors. Maybe some minced rosemary? Or maybe some smoked paprika?

Grilled Portobellas Richard

And thus went the day. We went and bought the foods we needed, and proceeded with the marinade and the grilling later on. And the recipe came out so far better than even expected. Don't be afraid of the garlic - these are great just as the recipe stands. Totally unbelievable.

Grilled Portobellos 'Richard'

Stacking Grilled Portobellas with Onion and Cheese

Serves 4

4 very large Portobello mushrooms
1 large onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced (Richard loves garlic)
1 teaspoon salt, preferably Hickory Smoked
½ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
½ teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves, optional
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
4 slices smoked Provolone cheese

Early in the day, or even the day before, mix together the olive oil, melted butter and garlic. Add in the smoked paprika and minced rosemary, if using. Remove the stems from the portobellas. Brush the oil and garlic mixture all over the mushroom, first on the outside of the cap, and then leaving the mushroom cupped upwards, make sure there is a lot of the garlic mixture inside. Sprinkle with some of the salt. The hickory smoked salt can be found in some specialty stores, but regular salt will do. Sprinkle on some pepper, as desired. Wrap in plastic wrap, or place in a sealed container until needed.

When ready to cook, light a grill. This works better if you have a grill pan, so the mushrooms and the onions don’t slip through the grate. Slice an onion into thick slices, about ¼-inch thick or more. Grill the onion slices on both sides, until well done and a little bit charred. Have the mushrooms grilling alongside; first grill the outside of the cap downwards and then turn them over. Be prepared! This will flare the flame, as the butter and oil will come running out. Once the mushrooms and the onion slices are cooked through, flip the mushroom cup side upwards and place one slice of the grilled onion onto the cup side of the mushroom. Top with a slice of Provolone cheese and allow the cheese to melt slightly.

Prepare for some of the best mushrooms, ever!

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A Delicious Preparation for Green Beans

Creamed Green Beans with Bacon

I remember, as a kid, my Mom making something similar to this recipe, without the bacon. Without the fresh green beans, for that matter. She would make a roux with butter or bacon grease and flour, then drain the can of green bean liquid into the mix and cook till thickened, then add the can of green beans in to heat through. They were good. But, it's been a long time since then, and my body does not tolerate that much salt anymore.

I love green beans now - the fresh kind. I make them "French-cut" all the time. I guess I like that they seem easier to eat, easier to chew than blunt cut green beans, less "squeaky" between the teeth. My husband also loves my green beans, so for one of his birthdays he was quite specific what he wanted for his birthday and green beans were part of the requested meal. Since it was his birthday, I opted to make them a bit fancier than normal. I made the roux, just like Mom made, but as I fried minced bacon to add to the dish, I used the resultant bacon grease in the pan for the roux, and water for the liquid - there were plenty of other flavors going on. These came out with such stellar flavor. At the table, it was close to a fight over the last bits of beans in the bowl.

Creamed Green Beans with Bacon

Creamed Green Beans with Bacon

Serves 6 - 8

1 pound green beans, stem end removed, cut as desired
6 slices thick-sliced bacon (about 4 - 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons reserved bacon grease
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems
1 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the bacon strips across the grain into ¼-inch pieces. Fry the bacon until almost crisp. Remove the bacon pieces to paper toweling to drain and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease for another use. Add the butter and garlic to the pan and saute the garlic gently for 2 minutes. Add the flour and thyme leaves and stir to combine. Add in the water and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring for about 5 minutes until the mixture is like a gravy. Set aside and keep warm.

Prepare a steamer and set the green beans into the steamer basket. Sprinkle Kosher salt all over the green beans. Bring water to a boil and steam the green beans for about 8 to 12 minutes, or until the green beans are just barely tender. Drain well and add the green beans to the sauce in the skillet. Add in the bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish. Stir together and bring the mixture back to full heat. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with reserved bacon pieces. Serve immediately.

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Taking Cabbage to New Heights

Cabbage is one of those love or hate type of vegetables. It can certainly be made badly and tasteless. This recipe is not one of those. While my recipe is quite similar to one I found in a book somewhere long ago, it is the first time I came across reference to Szechuan "peppercorns." And, after hunting them down and making the recipe, I found that while the peppercorns did have a particular flavor, there just aren't that many in the recipe to really gauge how the overall recipe tasted with or without them. While I would urge you to try and find some to try in this recipe, I believe there are enough other much more easy to find ingredients that make the recipe taste so great.

What Are Szechuan "Peppercorns"?

Szechuan Peppercorns

Just to be clear, Szechuan "peppercorns" are not pepper at all. Unrelated to pepper, these little pinkish, petal-like pods are extensively used in Southeast Asian cuisines. An essential component of Chinese Five-Spice Powder, they are also used on their own in many dishes. Their flavor is unlike pepper or chilies and has no heat but instead a slightly lemon or citrus flavor. They are said to cause a slight numbness or tingling in the mouth when eaten. The pods are used whole or slightly crushed, unless ground into a spice mixture. Avoid them if too many of the inner black seeds are present, as they are gritty to chew. The name is also found spelled as Szechuan, Sichuan or Szechwan.

Szechuan Hot Sour Cabbage

Szechuan Hot Sour Cabbage

Serves 6 - 8

1 pound cabbage
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, I use olive oil
4 dried hot chilies, optional
12 Szechuan peppercorns, or black peppercorns if preferred
1 tablespoon Asian dark sesame oil

Thinly shred cabbage and green and red peppers. For sauce, in a small bowl, combine soy, vinegar, sugar and salt; set aside.

Preheat a wok or a large skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add chilies and peppercorns and stir-fry a few seconds. Add shredded cabbage and bell peppers and stir-fry for 1 - 1½ minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add sauce mixture and stir until blended. Place cabbage mixture in a serving dish. Discard chilies and peppercorns if desired. Sprinkle cabbage mixture with sesame oil and serve either hot or cold.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Homely Vegetables Made Grand

Beets, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage. Homely vegetables that seem to be either loved or hated. I learned very young to love cabbage in the form of cole slaw, a love that continues to this day, though cabbage in most any form is high on my list of loves. I also loved beets, as my Mom would can them each summer and at a very young age I enjoyed helping her slip off their skins after boiling, as well as popping some of the tiny ones into my mouth. Beets also figured large at Easter each year, when my Yugoslav (these days her hometown would be in north Serbia) paternal grandmother made Beets with Horseradish to go with her ham. To this day, ham doesn't taste right unless I have some beets with horseradish on hand.

Lots of beets and healthy greens

Brussels sprouts on the other hand, took me a lot longer to come to terms with. I was a highly picky eater as a child. Once I married in 1970 at age 20 and moved to Guatemala, I was exposed to all sorts of foods I'd never heard of before and learned to like and to cook most of them. Brussels sprouts were not on that list, as I never once saw them while down there. So it wasn't until much more recently, like in the early 2000's, that I finally tackled learning how to make Brussels sprouts taste good. 

Brussels Sprouts

Along with many other members of the cruciferous vegetable family (cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, arugula radishes, bok choy and others), Brussels sprouts can be pungent and sometimes bitter. However, as they are now believed to trigger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant responses, we are encouraged to eat more and more of these vegetables that are sometimes hard to enjoy. 

What I discovered is that Brussels sprouts become bitter when they are over cooked. If steaming, ensure they are cooked just until they are bright green and can be pierced with the tip of a knife. Once the color darkens into the olive range, they become bitter. I steam my Brussels sprouts more often than not, and this recipe for a "sauce" makes them quite palatable. My husband, far more picky than I ever was, has finally come to enjoy eating these little veggies based solely on this recipe, and that is a true coup!

Dijon Caper Brussels Sprouts

Dijon Caper Brussels Sprouts

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound Brussels sprouts
Salt, for sprinkling
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup capers, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lime zest
Salt and pepper, to taste

Trim the Brussels sprouts so they are of a fairly uniform size. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts in a very small amount of boiling water and sprinkle with salt. Cook until just barely tender. Better yet, steam them. Watch that they stay bright green. This can take about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size. They become bitter when overcooked.
 
While sprouts are cooking, mix all the rest of the ingredients together into a paste. When sprouts are tender, drain and return to pan. Mix in the flavored butter and toss until melted. Serve immediately.

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Cabbage

Another of the cruciferous vegetables, as mentioned above, cabbage is supposed to be exceedingly healthy for the body. That does not mean it is palatable to everyone. As I mentioned, I love cabbage. Whether it is plain boiled or served raw, I just love it. My husband however, will not eat it raw under any circumstances. Cooked? Depends. I have gotten creative with some recipes to tempt him. Often, it is better if he isn't aware of it at all. In that way of thinking, I have made this noodle dish, in which the noodles and the cabbage are pretty much all the same color, as well as a similar looking size, so it isn't as noticeable that there is cabbage in the recipe. He does love noodles, and most any pasta. So this recipe is perfect. If, perchance, you like the flavor of caraway seeds, do add a half teaspoon or so to the cabbage when it is being cooked. As my husband also dislikes caraway, I leave it out.

Noodles with Cabbage

Noodles with Cabbage

Serves about 6 to 8

6 ounces wide egg noodles
2 onions, sliced thin
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
(¾ teaspoon caraway seeds)
¼ teaspoon salt
12 ounces cabbage, cored and cut into ½-inch strips
1 tablespoon paprika, preferable Hungarian
¼ cup dark brown sugar, or more, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Put 6 ounces of water into a large pan. Add the onions, vinegar, butter, caraway seeds (if using) and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, and stir in the cabbage, paprika and brown sugar. Cover the pan and cook for 35 minutes, removing the lid three times during this period to stir. Add water, if necessary, to ensure that the liquid in the pan remains about ½-inch deep.

Approximately 5 minutes before cabbage finishes cooking, drop the noodles into 2 quarts of boiling water, with 1 teaspoon of salt and cook them for 5 minutes. The noodles will be undercooked. Drain them and add them to the cabbage mixture, along with some ground pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and the noodles are al dente, 5 - 7 minutes. 

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Beets

Unlike the above vegetables, beets are not cruciferous vegetables. This does not mean they aren't also healthy eating. Also anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying, beets, in the chenopod family along with chard, spinach and quinoa, also have edible greens, making this great root a twofer in terms of great healthy eating. Beets come in various colors. I find the lighter colors such as in golden beets or in the lovely striped Chioggia beets to be lighter in flavor also. Maybe just me, but to me, if you object to the dark red beets, give one of the lighter colored ones a try. Beets are touted as possibly having anti cancer benefits, and the type of fiber in beets can provide special health benefits in the colon.

While I have loved beets since little, I have yet to persuade my husband to try any of them (Except by subterfuge, in my Chocolate Beet Cake!) That does not stop me from trying out new recipes, and this particular recipe is so good that I just cannot stop eating the beets when they are done.

Lemon Garlic Beets

Lemon Garlic Beets

Serves about 6

14 to 16 ounces fresh beets, peeled
1 teaspoon lime zest
juice of one juicy lime (1 - 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 - 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. 

Slice the beets into ¼-inch thick slices, then slice the pieces into quarter-rounds. Place the beets into a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients. Toss well to coat. Spread the beets into a single layer in the sheet pan, then spray another piece of foil with cooking spray and place the oiled side down over the beets, crimping the edges to seal the pan. Bake the beets for about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Different Kind of Potato Salad

It seems I have barely gotten around to trying anything new on the recipe front. So much stress has been present in other areas of my life, that sometimes it is all I can do to make some old tried and true recipes and have done with it. Not that there is anything wrong with the old tried and true, but it makes for scant blog posts.

Lamb Curry - Indian Rice & Cabbage - Rhubarb Pecan Coffeecake

Last week on Monday our friend Rich arrived with two fishing buddies, both of whom have visited in past. They are fun to be around, so that part is good, and they love to eat, so that is also good, for someone who loves to cook to please people. The guys went out at 7 in the morning and returned around 4:30 PM for the first three days. They did catch some fish, and ceviche was planned, in that eventuality. Meanwhile, I had my hands full with cooking dinners to feed three guys and me. Plus desserts. The first night I had made a lamb curry recipe; Curried Lamb with Peas. With the curry, I made Indian Cabbage and Rice, using brown rice to add a little fiber with the cabbage. I had some Naan breads in the freezer and pulled them out and everything went, with the guys practically licking the serving bowls. I had bought rhubarb at the Farmers' Market, so I made Rhubarb Pecan Coffeecake for dessert, and there was very little of that 9 x 13-inch pan of cake left! I had substituted all but ½ cup of whole grain Kamut Khorasan flour for the amount called for in the recipe, and no one noticed, so I got a little extra fiber and whole grain goodness in there without difficulty. 

Gumbo - Chocolate Beet Cake - Cream Cheese Icing

On Tuesday morning, I had absolutely nothing at all planned for dinner, and was starting to panic, trying to think of what I could make. I ended up making Chicken & Andouille Gumbo, with white rice on the side. I would  have preferred to make whole brown rice, but didn't have enough and didn't want to take the time out to run to the store. That recipe makes a very large pot, so even with everyone serving themselves second helpings, we had Gumbo leftover. That night I made my Chocolate Beet Cake, revised for dessert, frosting it with Cream Cheese Frosting. I used Kamut Khorasan flour in the Chocolate Beet Cake, revised recipe also, and it was delicious that way. The guys made a very serious dent in that cake too, though there was enough for the next night's dessert.

Lamb Burgers with Greek Olive Tapenade

Day Three I made Lamb Burgers, served with my usual Greek Olive Tapenade. The big difference in the burger recipe is that ever since making them in mini size for last year's wine tasting event, I had grated the feta and added it to the burger mixture before grilling. This worked so well that this is how I do it now, and it is so much better and easier. 
 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

For a side dish to go with the Lamb Burgers, I did actually create a new salad side dish. Not a salad in the sense of "greens" but I used roasted sweet potatoes as a base and added in things as I thought of them. I wanted to use some leftover grilled corn kernels, and black beans, since they make a great contrast. I wanted to use a vinaigrette and no mayo. Into the vinaigrette I added some odd mixtures, but it all came out tasting wonderful. For crunch, I went for celery, red bell pepper and scallions. It came out colorful and absolutely delicious, and the guys polished all that off too. And it all happened so fast I totally forget to take any photos! That was no hardship though, so I made another batch that my husband and I have been enjoying for these past couple of days on our own. 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

Serves 6 

1½ pounds sweet potatoes
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

VINAIGRETTE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 teaspoon Curry powder or Garam Masala
½ teaspoon salt
dash pepper
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1 cup roasted/grilled fresh corn kernels
¾ cup red bell pepper, small chunks
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, well rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped scallions
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped cilantro (or parsley, if preferred)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into about 1-inch cubes. Toss the cubed sweet potato with the olive oil and salt, then spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly before combining.

Place all the vinaigrette ingredients into a medium mixing bowl (one that will hold all the salad, ultimately) and whisk until combined.  Add in the slightly cooled sweet potatoes, and all the remaining ingredients and toss well. Garnish with cilantro leaves.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Cod on the Menu

I like fish. At least, most fish. My husband, on the other hand, does not. On very extremely rare occasions, we have gone for "fish & chips" together, and while he will eat the hugely battered piece of fish, he will opt to leave some fish and eat all the fried batter. So, we come down to the fact that I rarely eat fish, because if I am to cook a whole dinner for us both, I really hate to have to make two separate dinners.
 

Cod Fish Stew

And so, we come to the fact that after his latest hospital scare, he is willing to go some lengths to prevent any more of what got him there in the first place. With that, diet is very important. And while he is hugely overweight, he has, until now, been unwilling to do anything about it. Food is his pleasure. Unfortunately, the range of foods he normally eats is very, very small. Since he came home from the hospital, he has been eating (mostly) what I give him to eat and has even consented to eat half an acorn squash (generally a complete no-no), and even a piece of salmon (an absolute no-no), though he didn't care for it. (Truth be told, salmon is one kind of fish that I, myself, have to be in just the right "mood" to eat with any joy.)

Thinking about new ways to get something other than beef, pork, chicken or lamb into him, I remembered this fish stew recipe. It came, originally, from a book called "The F-Plan Diet," back in the early 1980s. I like white fish. I love cabbage and carrots. And that is what makes up the bulk of this recipe. I made it for myself way back then and have made it only a very few times in the nearly 30 years with my husband. My reasoning was that if he doesn't like "fishy" fish, and while cabbage and carrots are not his favorites, as long as they're cooked, it might be acceptable, then he might just like this dish.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. 😒 

Cod Fish Stew

I made the dish, and the smell is (to me) just heavenly while it is cooking. I looked forward to dinner with relish. He took two bites and said, sorry, but he just could not eat it. Drat!

All that aside, it is still a most excellent dish. The flavors are really wonderful. The use of cloves and honey in this stew made me curious the first time I ever made it, but it just truly makes an excellent meal, if you happen to like white fish, cabbage and carrots. I used cod, because I love cod, but you could substitute any white fish that flakes easily. Haddock would be great. Sole, halibut or grouper can work. You choose.

Originally the recipe is called "Cold Fish Casserole." And while it is very tasty when cold, especially with a nice chunk of buttered French bread, we are not eating breads at this point in time, so that was not an option. Plus, I don't see much of "casserole" about this dish. It is cooked in a skillet. I see a casserole as something in a pot that generally goes in the oven. Semantics, maybe? To me, it is a stew. And so, I am renaming the dish. It is simple and goes together in no time. And, obviously, the fish cooks through in short order as well, so altogether, it can be served from start to finish in 30 to 40 minutes, max, depending on your speed in assembling and chopping vegetables.

Cod Fish Stew

Cod Fish Stew

Serves 2 to 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 or 2 carrots, shredded
½ small cabbage (4 - 5 cups), thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup fish or chicken stock, or water
1½ tablespoons honey
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cloves (truly!)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1-pound white fish filet: cod, halibut, haddock
parsley for garnish

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook lightly for about 3 to 5 minutes, until wilted. Add in the carrots, cabbage, tomatoes and dill and using tongs preferable, toss the mixture to combine and continue tossing until the cabbage softens slightly, about 2 more minutes. Mix together the vinegar, stock and honey and pour this mixture over the cabbage mixture. Stir a bit, then nestle the fish filet(s) into the cabbage mixture and sprinkle the salt over all. Cover the skillet and cook on a low simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes apart. Serve in bowls and garnish with parsley leaves. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.