Faith Cakes

Cooking "local" comes naturally to me anywhere in the world I seem to be experiencing in my brain except for the actual physical location I can be found in.. here, in Lyon, France.  Maybe it's because I wasn't born here and all my guests were, which usually steers me clear of this type of cooking for company.  Maybe it's because I rarely get off on food lacking either heat or spice.

I'm not saying I don't like French food.  I'm lucky to live in a country with so much culinary culture in the air.  With the largest choice of incredible cheeses, the most elaborate pastries, the finest vineyards, and knowledge of gastronomy (or at least the big names of the field) being just as common here as we in the US would find it normal to see the American flag sported on any house, I really don't have much to complain about.

It's just that since it's all around and all almost expected, I'm just never motivated enough to cook "French" food for guests.  I'll do some of my mother or grandmothers recipes out of nostalgia from time to time, but I'm pretty sure nobody expects to eat anything typically French when coming to my home.

I imagine it's because they already eat it everyday (even if the tough reality is that less and less French people actually like to cook or know how or claim to have enough time for it) so I'd rather help them discover something different and break that stereotype that  "French cuisine is the best in the world."

You can't name any culture as the best in the world.  Each culture has its stars and its losers.  Each person has his or her individual criteria as to what tastes good or not.. which texture is pleasing or nauseating...whether mold is a food group or garbage.  

I tend to be very open (I actually can't wait to have the opportunity to eat a grilled scorpion), but the majority of the local population is not naturally open.  With some coaxing, they can be.. which is the case of the people that get invited to my dinner parties (or invite me to theirs)!

What is strange is that when I lived in the US, I would make typically French dishes all the time.  I would make Escalopes Normandes, Coq au Vin, Tomates Farcies, Boeuf Bournignon, etc all the time.  I haven't made any of those items while living in Lyon... ever.  The only recurrent French thing in my kitchen is Quiche, but I never make it the traditional "Lorraine" way.

It's a geolocalisation thing I'm sure.

So why with this monologue am I presenting you a traditional Lyonnaise recipe, Lyon, being my physical host location for just over 3 years, the longest I've ever lived anywhere other than my hometown?

Well, this week, I bought a house...here, near Lyon.  For the first time since leaving Cali, I feel at home in this strange country so far from my real home.  Since leaving the family nest, I'd never spent more than 2 years in one place.  I never really knew which city or state I wanted to be in.. let alone the country.  With all the short term contracts I've done, I never really knew if I'd ever have a permanent position.  I always thought I'd need an emergency exit back to the states, and being a renter gave me the possibility of making a split second decision.  I didn't change my mind all by myself.  I was given several reasons as to why I should take this step, and all of them made complete sense.  They always have.  Nothing has really changed in terms of reasons to buy vs to rent.
What has changed is that I no longer need that psychological escape route.  I am comfortable being a borderline French sister to my brother and "l'Americaine girl (sans s)" to my coworkers.  I love my job and it seems to appreciate me as well.  I love the new friends and activities I do here.  I love the scenery, the outskirts of a big city giving me access to most ingredients I need without having to go on an expedition but still having the river to hike up at my doorstep.  Lyon may not be THE perfect place in the world to live, but as long as I am here, it is for me.  The fact is, once you figure out you can be happy anywhere, everywhere is the perfect place, which removes that dependence on slipping through the back door.
I named this recipe Faith Cakes, but they're really more like Faith Souflées.  In Lyon, they are called Gateaux de Fois and are usually done in a rectangular cake pan instead of muffin tins.. but I only have muffin tins.
Faith Cakes, because I know I made the right choice, and I know I will continue to thrive while living here.
Foies are livers, for this recipe is a Chicken Liver Souflée, but Foi also means Faith.  The fact that French is a language rich in grammar but poor in vocabulary makes for excellent plays on words.
I'm kidding about the vocab, but I like to bust that out every now and then.  They tend to spend the majority of their word count figuring out how to say something instead of just saying it!
Ah la France.
The photo is hideous, and I apologize for that, but my intro should make up for it.

Yield 11-12 muffin sized soufflées
Ingredients
250g (8.8oz) chicken livers, chopped (I used turkey livers)
3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp chopped chives
13cL (1/2 cup) béchamel (I used heavy cream)
lots of ground black pepper
few pinches fleur de sel
buttered and floured muffin tins or cake mould
Directions
1.  Mix the chicken livers in a food processor with the egg yolks, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.  The mixture should be homogenous.  Then add the cream and blend into a goopy liquid.
2.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.  Use an electric beater.  It is much easier.  In French this step is called battre les oeufs en neige, which translates to "beat the egg whites into snow" which is a more romantic portrayal than the English version.
3.  Fold the snowy egg whites into the chicken liver mixture gently.  Don't go nuts, you want the snow to hold its form.. which qualifies this as a soufflée.
4.  Distribute the mixture into your buttered and floured cake mould or muffin tins.
5.  Bake in a 170°C 340°F for 20 minutes if using muffin tins and 40 minutes if using a cake mould.
6.  Remove and let rest 10 minutes before removing from the moulds, then plate and top with chopped chives.

Serve hot or warm as an appetizer or dressed with a tomato sauce and salad as a main course.
I didn't make the tomato sauce because I only had 40 minutes to make something before bringing it to the dinner party I was invited to.

The texture is very fluffy, as a souflée usually is.  The earthy liver flavor isn't too overwhelming, it's actually just perfect.
I cut these into slices and served with slices of cooked beets and pieces of sucrine lettuce.  It was a test, but it's probably the only local dish I would make again, so I'm hanging on to this one!

p.s:  The only other Lyonnaise dish I would try to make is Quenelles de Brochet... the rest is not for me..

Marinated Sardine Filets

I've done this before once or twice, and I'll do it again...

Because nothing screams "I'm Delicious" like a bunch of sardines that were filleted until 11 pm the night before, then very very well rinsed, doused with lime juice, whose acidity cooks the filets, then marinated in garlic, piment d'espelette, grinds of black pepper, a few pinches fleur de sel, and extra virgin olive oil.

This marinated overnight in the fridge,

and then they were plated as best as I could do before sprinkling them with chopped parsley and chives.

It's tough to plate.  I tried the parallel method and the radial method, but I'm not sure either of them really look as good as they should..

because this hors d'oeuvre is just phenomenal.

It should look spectacular.

I used atlantic sardines which were much smaller than the usual atlantic sardines are.  They were almost like large anchovies (in size, not taste).  I can't really say which are better between atlantic or mediterranean, but I do feel blessed to even have the choice between the two fresh beauties!

Pollock Fish Fajitas with Navy Beans

Oh California.. I miss you so..
Fajita plates are my transition into outdoor cooking weather.  They make me feel like I'm at a picnic because I could have used my plancha to do the last minute veg cooking, but didn't because it was too cold outside.

Exactly the same as my last fajitas, except for the fish instead of turkey meat... Or just like my fish burritos but with different beans and plating style.

Pollock Fish Fajitas

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 Pollock filets (colin), cubed

1 garlic clove, grated

few pinches fleur de sel

squeeze from 1/2 lime

few grinds black pepper

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chile powder (optional if serving with spicy beans)

1+1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced into moons

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 green chile, sliced (optional if serving with spicy beans)

Directions

1.  Rub the grated garlic onto the fish cubes and sprinkle on some fleur de sel, black pepper, cumin,  coriander, chile powder, and paprika.  Add the lime juice, rub in to make sure everything is evenly distributed.  Set aside and let marinate for at least 10 minutes (while you chop everything else.)

2.  Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil on high in a wok or heavy based pan.  Add the onion slices and stir fry until just translucent, then add the bell pepper and green chile slices with a pinch of fleur de sel.  Cook on high, stirring for about 3-5 minutes.  Reserve.

3.  Heat the other Tbsp olive oil into the same wok.  Add the marinated turkey slices and cook until nicely colored.

4.  Add the vegetables to the meat and heat through.  You want the bell peppers to be crisp, so don't over-cook them into mush.

Smokey Navy Beans

Serves 6

Ingredients

3/4 cup dried white navy beans, soaked overnight and drained

1/4 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained

2 bay leaves

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 chicken or veg bouillon cube

1 tsp coarse sea salt

5 chipotle ancho chiles with their sauce

4-5 cups water

1 small can corn

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1.  Place everything up to the water in the slow cooker.  Cook on low for at least 6 hours.

2.  Add the corn, pepper, and cumin.  Stir to heat through, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

3.  Remove the bay leaves and whole chiles before serving.  If the chiles burst, the beans will be way too spicy.  By removing them, you can decide which plate you would like to add the chile to.. (by the way, it's always my plate that wins).

Fajita Plate Garnish

cooked rice (I used a trio of Basmati, Brown, and Thai Red rice)

shredded cabbage

shredded swiss or gruyère

dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream

chopped cilantro

chopped green onions

tortillas (unfortunately, not pictured, but necessary to call this a "fajita plate")

I love the way changing one ingredient can transform a regular "classic" dish into a completely different work of art.  For the fajitas, I switched out the meat which is usually either flank steak or chicken for fish.  The fish works so well in these types of dishes.  Be sure to use a white firmed flesh fish and use filets to avoid any bones.

For the beans, I switched out the usual black or pinto beans for white navy beans, or "haricot lingot" which I lightly sprouted before cooking.  That part is optional and the sprouts were so tiny that it didn't make any difference in cooking time.

Now I need to find some masa harina (that doesn't cost 12€/kg) and a tortilla press to finish this job...

Pan-Fried Chicken Liver and Apples

It is quite difficult to get a good photo of a bunch of chicken livers, but I did try my best.  As Spring approaches, liver and gall bladder stimulating foods are encouraged, which includes sour foods, leafy green vegetables, and, of course, liver itself.
Sometimes, life just seems to synchronize itself all the way onto your plate...
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g chicken livers

2 cloves garlic, grated
2 golden apples, peeled and sliced
5-6 small shallots, sliced
1 cup savoy cabbage, shredded
1 tsp dried rosemary
some olive oil (about 2 Tbsp, but I didn't measure)

lots of freshly ground pepper
few pinches fleur de sel
1/4 tsp dried piment d'espelette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar for deglazing
1 very large handful arugula (rocket) per person
Directions
1.  Rub the grated garlic onto the raw chicken livers with a bit of fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.
2.  Heat a small amount of olive oil on high heat in a wok or heavy based pan.  Add the chicken livers in one layer.  Cook for about 1 minute, then flip and cook for another minute.  If you can't make 1 layer, do this in batches.  They should be browned on the outside but tender on the inside.  Taste one to make sure.  Reserve.
3.  In the same pan, add a bit more olive oil along with the sliced shallots.  Cook until just translucent, then add the apple slices.
4.  Add some fleur de sel, rosemary, piment d'espelette, and black pepper, and cook until the apples are nice and golden and start to stick.  Stir in the shredded cabbage.
5.  Deglaze with balsamic vinegar and add the reserved chicken livers.  Heat through.

Serve over some arugula for the best effect.

Cantonese Braised Beef and Daikon Stew

Awkwardly, as I was about to prepare a Boeuf Bourgignon, my heart quickly switched to hoisin and garlic.  I suppose the beef and carrots and the "stew" part are the same, but my flavor yearning was for spice, umami, and daikon.  It's funny but I only just recently learned that my favorite "long white turnip" that I use regularly in various recipes from various cultures is called "daikon" in English.  I've always preferred it to it's stubby purple-beige counterpart in taste, and when it's available, I have a hard time resisting placing it into my basket.  I use it sautéed in duck fat when making magret, or in couscous, cooked in that magical ras el hanout meat and vegetable broth.  I've had it in miso soup with seaweed, too, which was a pleasant surprise.  My yearning directed me to a Chinese dish, but this time, a Cantonese recipe.

Adapted from Yi Reservation.
Ingredients
600g stew beef
500g daikon turnip (1 large), peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp oil
2 star anis
1 dried red chile (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 dried orange peel
5 cloves garlic, 3 sliced and 2 grated
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 Tbsp chu hou sauce (I subbed hoisin + the 2 grated garlic cloves)
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tsp doubanjiang (optional)
2 Tbsp shao xing wine
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp freshly ground green pepper
Scallions and cilantro for garnish
Directions
1.  Cut the beef into 1 inch cubes.  Blanch in some boiling water for 8 minutes, then drain and rinse.
2.  Heat the oil in a wok.  Add the star anis, dried chile, bay leaf, and orange peel and fry for 30 seconds until the aroma is released.
3.  Add the ginger and garlic slices and cook another 30 seconds.
4.  Add the blanched beef and stir to coat, cooking for about 1 minute.
5.  Deglaze with the shao xing wine, then add the chu hou, hoisin, oyster, and doubanjiang sauce.  Stir well to coat the meat and cook for another 3 minutes.
6.  Transfer everything but the dark soy, green pepper, and garnish into a slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours.
7.  Before serving, stir in the dark soy and green pepper.  Taste and add salt or light soy sauce if needed.  I didn't think it needed anything extra.

Serve with rice or noodles and garnish with cilantro and scallions.
I served mine with some Stir-Fried Cabbage as well, which was a pleasant enhancement.

Do not skip the orange peel.
It's amazing...

Roasted and Marinated Peppers

Something about roasting brings out the best in vegetables, especially when roasted with their skin on.  This goes for potatoes as well as pumpkins, but it's especially true for peppers with their thin skin and juicy flesh.  The veggies steam in their own juices and become magically sweet.  I like buying roasted peppers from a jar just as much as anyone does, because it's quick and easy.  Oven roasting them yourself, however, is a whole other story in terms of taste.  They are smokier, sweeter, and a bit more.. how should I say.... wild.

The method works on any fleshy peppers or chiles.

Use any combination of peppers and colors you like.  Here's what I used:

Ingredients

1 long green bell pepper (corne de boeuf -Capsicum annum)

1 yellow bell pepper

1 Moroccan green chile (or serrano or jalapeño)

Marinade:

juice from 1/2 lime

1 large clove garlic, grated

few pinches sea salt (mine was laced with piment d'espelette)
few grinds black pepper
a bit of chopped parsley
about 1/4 cup + some generous drizzles high quality olive oil
Directions
1.  Preheat your oven to 200°C 400°F.  Place the peppers on the highest rack, making sure you have a pan underneath to catch the drippings.
2.  Depending on the size of your pepper, the time can vary.  The Moroccan green chile took 10 minutes, the long green bell took about 20 and the yellow bell took about 25.  You want to oven roast them until the skin is a bit charred and colored all over.
3.  Remove the peppers (in intervals) from the oven and transfer to a plastic bag with a paper towel inside.  Close the bag and wait about 2 minutes.
4.  After the peppers have "sweat" in the bag, the skin should come off easily.  Remove the skin, carefully cut them open and remove the seeds.
5.  Pour the marinade over them.  If your recipient is to wide, you may need more olive oil.  Let marinate for at least 1 hour.

I served mine as a side to some griddled octopus and zucchini with a sucrine lettuce salad.

Coconut Ginger Pie

Ginger gives life meaning.  When I create, there must be ginger involved.  It gives any item intensity and can be used in savory as well as sweets.  I particularly like to snack on candied ginger, or have it for breakfast with a few cashews with my dates and oats.  I love to add it to fried spices along with garlic to extract that pungent aroma and breathe it in.  I like it pickled with sushi, and raw in cocktails or off my fingers after having grated it.  It heats me deep from within, and I firmly believe that regular consumption of the root can keep you away from most common ailments.
This is why I chose to integrate it into my coconut pie.  With all that coconut and ginger, there is very little need for sugar or any oter taste enhancers.  You can just let nature reveal itself piece by piece as you enjoy the heat that flows through your body..

Ingredients

Ginger Buckwheat Crust:
100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp cane sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp ginger powder
100g (3.5oz) buckwheat flour
130g (4.6oz) T80 flour
1 egg yolk
5 cL (2oz) water
Make the crust using the method, then pre-bake it at 190°C 375°F for 10 minutes

Coconut Ginger Filling:
4 eggs, beaten until foamy
110g (3.9oz) cane sugar
1 can coconut milk
1 inch piece ginger, sliced into thin strips
2 cups desiccated coconut

Directions
1.  Whisk together the filling ingredients.
2.  Pour into the pre-baked crust and bake at 180°C 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until just set.
3.  Remove and let cool for at least 1 hour.

Serve at room temperature or cold.

I wasn't sure how gingery this would come out since I did a complete freestyle evening with this recipe.  I'm happy to say the ginger was not too strong, but present enough to be felt.  It did not overpower the coconut, but rather infused in a synchronized dance.

The texture was incredibly interesting as well.  The desiccated coconut worked as a thickener and absorbed the liquid.  It had the texture of semolina halwa or couscous, but with the comforting flavor of coconut.

Lemongrass Coconut Chickpea Curry

Something draws me in when I see a Burmese recipe.  It's probably that I have most of the items on hand and I can realistically imagine the outcome before even getting started.  While flipping through my favorite Burma book, I found chickpeas.. and anything involving beans usually ends up showing up at my table.
Another thing I like about Burmese cooking is that it's not just one recipe that you have at a meal, much like Indian cooking.  There are several small dishes filled with various things, some actual dishes, some condiments that can be counted as side dishes, some sauces, some garnishes.  You can always have a little bit of everything in one single meal.  Chinese cooking is similar as well.
Toppings are also extremely important.  Herbal toppings such as mint or cilantro give a refreshing addition to a cooked meal, and others such as fried shallots or crushed peanuts provide a wonderful contrast in texture.  All these little things are what make me tick.
I especially like that I get to make several dishes and intelligently use up the space in my kitchen.

My recipe is very loosely inspired by Naomi Duguid's "Burma: Rivers of Flavor" Chickpea Soup p.97.
Her's was a soup, mine is more like a creamy curry laced with leeks.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients

slow cooker:
1/2 cup dried white chickpeas, soaked overnight

1/2 cup dried black chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 leek, sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, grated

2 bay leaves

2 kaffir lime leaves

1 slice galangal (mine was dried)

2 thai chiles

1 tsp coarse sea salt (mine was from Camargue)

3-4 cups water
Seasoning:
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric

6-7 shallots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp tamarind paste
juice from 1/2 lime

garnish:

crushed peanuts

fried shallots

sesame seeds
chopped cilantro (which I didn't have but I should have had)

Directions
1.  Place all the "slow cooker" ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours.  The chickpeas should be tender.
2.  Heat the oil on high in a wok and fizz the turmeric.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3-5 minute or until shallots are colored.
3.  Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
4.  Stir in the tamarind and lime.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, then pour the sauce into the chickpeas.  5.  Stir to even out the sauce throughout the chickpeas.  Remove the bay leaves and galangal piece before serving.

Serve garnished with any or all of the listed toppings.
I served mine alongside some Stir-Fried Cabbage and a mix of brown basmati and red rice.

Mixing chickpeas with coconut milk is probably one of the most genius ideas our Earth has produced..

Burmese Cabbage Stir-Fry

I'm quite a fan of cabbage in all its forms.  I like it raw, grilled, stewed, stir fried, as a main course, condiment, a wrapper, or a filling.  I like it American, Russian, Indian, and all types of Asian styles.

I like it red, green, white, small, large, frizzled, hard, soft, or fermented.

It's not a surprise that when I used my Burma cook book as a weight for my batch of weekend paneer and flipped through it once again, I paused for this cabbage-glorifying recipe.  I actually paused for a few different cabbage-glorifying recipes, but this one used napa cabbage which was the closest to what I had on hand.  What is it I like so much about cabbage?  Probably the sweetness it exudes when cooked and crunch it has when raw.  It's the way it can keep its freshness for weeks so I can afford to buy a whole head and be the only cabbage eater in the house.  I can always find several things to do with a single head of cabbage without wasting one shred of it.

That on it's own makes it an amazing food.

That and the fact it comes in purple... and that today is St. Patrick's day.. so it's almost a legal obligation to eat cabbage today.

Inspired by Naomi Duguid's "Burma: Rivers of Flavor" Smokey Napa Stir-Fry p.115

Serves 4-6 as a side

Ingredients

2 Tbsp oil

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 green chile, sliced

2 small shallots, sliced

1/2 inch ginger, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 head cabbage (about 3 cups) shredded

1 Tbsp oyster sauce (or mushroom sauce)

1/2 cup hot water

few grinds green pepper

garnish:

Thai red chile

sesame seeds

fried shallots

Directions

1.  Heat the oil on high in a wok, then add the turmeric until it fizzes.

2.  Add the green chile, shallots, ginger, and garlic.  Lower the heat just a touch and stir fry until the shallots are tender, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3.  Add in the shredded cabbage and stir until well coated and it starts to soften.  Naomi does this with savoy cabbage.  I happened to have just a normal cabbage and it worked out rather well.  Don't fuss about these types of details.

4.  While the cabbage is coloring, stir the hot water onto the oyster sauce and add the green pepper grinds.  Set aside.

5.  After about 5-7 minutes of stir frying the cabbage, pour in the oyster sauce mixture.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Serve garnished as you like.  I sprinkled some sesame seeds and fried shallots before deciding to add a Thai red chile.

I served mine in a Burmese thali alongside some Lemongrass Coconut Chickpeas and red and white rice.

I will continue to find more reasons for which cabbage must at all times be a part of my edible inventory.. especially this time of year... or should I say, especially any time of year!

Turkey Fajitas with Smokey Black-Eyed Peas

A few weeks ago, a coworker brought me back some dried chiles from California upon my request.  As he handed over the package to me, he asked me, "What in the world can you do with those hideous things?"

This surprised me coming from someone who regularly visits SoCal.  If you don't know what do do with them, you at least know they are prized possessions and absolutely not hideous!  

Either way, the comment didn't bother me because I was so dang giddy just to be holding the little plastic bags filled with delight to even make a smart comment back.  All I could say was "Thank you so much" with a permanent smile and images of all the possibilities that were making my brain skip frequencies.

The thing about dried chiles that I don't understand is why they aren't available all over the world?  Seriously, they are dried, so easily exportable with a very far away expiration date (if any at all).  Here in France, you can find the Indian dried chiles, Thai chiles, Caribbean chiles, Moroccan ones, and of course, the prized French Piment d'espelette.  You can even find a variety of these fresh rather than dried, but you can absolutely not find any of the Mexican ones.  No Serrano, Jalapeño, California, Poblano, Ancho, Arbol, Chipotle in a can (come on it's in a can!!!).  So of course, when someone is willing to bring something back from home, I always ask for dried chiles and I give a map to go along with it...

you know, just in case.

So now that I've had a bit of time to ponder what I would do with my precious treasure, I have this lovely fajita plate to show.  The French love fajitas (though they pronounce them farritas with the throaty R) now that Dany Trejo has been doing commercials here for Old El Paso.  They are much much less familiar with the incorporation of various beans on the plate, which I always have a blast helping them discover.  I usually do black or pinto, but I put some black-eyed peas to soak last night and woke up imagining a smokey creamy bean side that I would be able to use as a soup after the fajita deal was over.

So to answer the question, you can make different salsas, marinades, broths, Mole, chili, dips, and pretty much transform any beans into a smokey spicy blissful dream with "those hideous things."

Turkey Fajitas

Serves 4

Ingredients

250g (1/2 b) turkey cutlets, sliced thinly

1 garlic clove, grated

few pinches fleur de sel

squeeze from 1/2 lime

few grinds black pepper

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chile powder (optional if serving with spicy beans)

1+1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced into moons

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 green chile, sliced (optional if serving with spicy beans)

Directions

1.  Rub the grated garlic onto the turkey slices and sprinkle on some fleur de sel, black pepper, cumin,  coriander, chile powder, and paprika.  Add the lime juice, rub in to make sure everything is evenly distributed.  Set aside and let marinate for at least 10 minutes (while you chop everything else.)

2.  Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil on high in a wok or heavy based pan.  Add the onion slices and stir fry until just translucent, then add the bell pepper and green chile slices with a pinch of fleur de sel.  Cook on high, stirring for about 3-5 minutes.  Reserve.

3.  Heat the other Tbsp olive oil into the same wok.  Add the marinated turkey slices and cook until nicely colored.

4.  Add the vegetables to the meat and heat through.  You want the bell peppers to be crisp, so don't over-cook them into mush.

Smokey Black Eyed Peas

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained

2 bay leaves

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 chicken or veg bouillon cube

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1 dried ancho chile

2 dried morita chiles

2 dried chiles de arbol

4-5 cups water

1 small can corn

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1.  Place everything up to the water in the slow cooker.  Cook on low for at least 6 hours.

2.  Add the corn, grated garlic, pepper, and cumin.  Stir to heat through, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

3.  Remove the bay leaves and whole chiles before serving.  If the chiles burst, the beans will be way too spicy.  By removing them, you can decide which plate you would like to add the chile to.. (by the way, it's always my plate that wins).

Fajita Plate Garnish

cooked rice (I used a trio of Basmati, Brown, and Thai Red rice)

shredded cabbage (mine was Savoy)

avocado slices

shredded swiss or gruyère

dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream

tortillas (unfortunately, not pictured, but necessary to call this a "fajita plate")

When meals like this just happen in my kitchen, I truly feel fulfilled.  I know I'm treating every part of my body to a delight, either immediate or deferred.. because, well, yes.. those chiles have quite the effect on me..

Mackerel Rocket Canapés

As much as I like to have my weekly adventure on uncharted sea territory, I also am comforted by the more common simple and indulgences such as sardines, anchovies, herring, and mackerel.  Not only are they less expensive than their fancier fish friends, they are the bottom of the sea-foo chain, so eat the most unaltered original seafood, plankton.  They are also most likely to be caught rather than farm raised, which means less antibiotics (possibly, more Mercury.. but that only brings me closer to my Freddy, so I don't mind).

The thing about the simpler fish is that they blow me away much more easily than the complicated and "must time it right" fish.  I suppose they are a comfort food, because they are in my comfort zone.. harder to overcook and transform into mush.

By the way, if you ever do overcook fish and transform it into mush, just change your game plan.  Throw it into some fried rice or as a topping to a noodle dish, or in some pasta or soup instead of making it the centerpiece.  You may just surprise yourself.
Canapé means couch in French, but it makes you seem more sophisticated than just saying "thinly sliced lightly toasted bread."

Serves 2-3 as an appetizer (the photo is just a sample)

Ingredients

1-2 mackerel filets per person (I had 3)

1 clove garlic, grated + 1 whole

few grinds cracked black pepper

pinch fleur de sel

pinch piment d'espelette

drizzle lime juice

few drizzles olive oil

handful arugula (rocket)

6-8 slices fresh or toasted baguette

Directions

1.  Rub the baguette slices with the whole garlic clove.  Distribute the arugula onto each slice and await the mackerel preparation.

2.  Prepare the filets with a bit of piment d'espelette, evenly distributed grated garlic, some black pepper, and lime juice.

3.  Spray a bit of olive oil in a pan and sear the filets on high heat for about 2 minutes, skin side down, then flip them and do the same skin side up.

4.  Remove from the pan, cut into sections, and place onto the prepared baguette slices.

5.  Sprinkle a bit of fleur de sel onto each slice.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

The simplicity of this recipe is what makes it so indulging.  I prepared it on a whim before preparing dinner and was rewarded with an embalming melding of flavors, from the pungency of the garlic, the sourness of the arugula, and the meatiness of the mackerel.  

Each simple ingredient connects with you individually before becoming the sum of its parts.. 

Garlic Buckwheat Crusted Spinach Mushroom Quiche

What I like the most about quiche is that it's basically a fancier way of serving a jazzed up omlet.  It works perfectly for guests, and you can usually make it vegetarian without anyone noticing.  Make several in smaller portions to get extra fancy or just a big one you cut into slices for a nice appetizer.. Or meal it you pair it with a salad.
I'm on a sautéed spinach craze these days.  Until the local asparagus starts peaking it's coiffe, my go to wood ingredient is spinach.  Oh I can't wait for the first aparagus!  How I love to roast thee...
Since I was out all day and ended up having company, but didn't quite want to go shopping since I'm trying to empty my fridge for the upcomong abstinence week, my omlet no company plan flourished into this quiche-for-company creation.
The pairing of spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and garlic in a buckwheat crust is so symbiotic it seems one ingredient nourished and introduces you to the next with each bite.
Serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients

Garlic Buckwheat Crust:
100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
100g (3.5oz) buckwheat flour
130g (4.6oz) T80 flour
1 egg yolk
5 cL (2oz) water
Make the crust using the method, then pre-bake it at 190°C 375°F for 10 minutes

Spinach Mushroom Filling:
200g (about 1/2 lb) fresh spinach, washed and patted dry
200g (about 1/2 lb) mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced into moons

3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp dried savory or thyme
juice and zest from 1/2 lime

1 handful grated gruyère

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk (I used goat)

3/4 cup cream
1  tsp paprika

pinch nutmeg

lots freshly ground black pepper

pinch fleur de sel

Directions

1.  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan and add the sliced mushrooms.  Sautée for a few minutes until colored and add half the garlic slices, a bit of savory, fleur de sel, and black pepper.  Do this in batches if your pan is not big enough.  Set aside.

2.  Do this again with the onions by adding only a drizzle of oil, since the mushrooms probably let the surface viscous.  Set aside.
3.  Add the rest of the olive oil and sautée the spinach in batches.  Add the rest of the garlic, the lime juice and zest, and cook until the spinach wilts.  Set aside while you construct.

4.  Make the "appareil" by beating together the eggs with the milk and cream.  Do this until frothy.  The frothier your appareil, the fluffier your quiche will be.  Add in the nutmeg, some fleur de sel, a generous hand of ground black pepper, and the paprika.

5.  Construct.  Place the sautéed spinach into the bottom of your pre-baked shortcrust.  Add the onions, gruyère, then mushrooms.  Pour the beaten mixture over it all.

6.  Cook at 180°C 350°F for 35-45 minutes or until the top starts to become golden.  It should still be jiggly in the center when removed from the oven.

7.  Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.  This is admittedly the most difficult part.  During this time, clean the kitchen, set the table, make a salad.. try to keep yourself from cutting it open while it's still piping hot and not completely set.

I served mine with a lambs lettuce salad and it was a gorgeous little meal.

Burgundy Truffle Buckwheat Risotto

Life is always full of surprises.  There are those you more or less find natural, and those that are in reality, a completely unexpected surprise.  I find that in my life, there are exactly those types of human beings.  Those that are just there, present, and those that illuminate my life with thoughtfulness and pleasant company.  Those are the ones I consider family because they truly know how to make me tick.

I can count those ones on one hand.  Those are the ones that know I'll always have their back.

Last night, for the first time in my life, I held a fresh little black Burgundy Truffle between my little palms and my mind started racing with all the potential creations I could make with it.

Since it was fresh, it needed to be kept in a sealed container in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for no longer than 2 weeks.. which wasn't a problem because I knew I would be consuming it right away.

I read that it can be frozen as well (just in case).

I'm familiar with the aroma, for I've been gifted truffle infused oil before, but never had I before been able to taste a slice of pure truffle.  Surprisingly, it was very mild.  I thought it would invade my senses, but since it was cold and right out of the fridge, I could hardly taste it.  The intoxicating invasion comes a few minutes later.

After pondering and filtering all my truffle ideas, I settled on a risotto made with buckwheat bulgur and quinoa instead of arborio rice.  Why this choice?  Well, first of all, I dont have any arborio rice on hand.  I have a myriad other treasures in my "dry' cabinet, but the only rice other than basmati I ever have is whole wheat basmati or red rice.  

Not suitable for risotto.

I did have this other product that makes me tick, buckwheat bulgur.  Quinoa is a given for me in risotto substitutes, but here I thought the starchiness and nuttiness of the buckwheat would make for a wonderful creamy risotto.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup buckwheat bulgur

1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 onion, chopped

2 turkey cutlets

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 quart hot chicken stock

fleur de sel

cracked black pepper

handful parmesan

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 black truffle, shaved (mine was 12g 0.4oz)

Directions

1.  Prepare the turkey cutlets by sprinkling them with some fleur de sel and black pepper, then rubbing one of the grated cloves garlic onto each side.  Place 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a hot flat pan and cook the cutlets a few minutes on each side.  You want them to have a nice color.  Set aside, then slice.

2.  Prepare the risotto.  Heat the other 1/2 Tbsp of oil along with 1/2 Tbsp butter in the same pan.  Add the onions and cook until translucent.

3.  Add the quinoa and buckwheat and stir to coat.  Let toast a bit.

4.  Add a few ladles of the stock to level.  Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until absorbed.  Repeat this a few more times.  You will probably not use the entire quart of stock.

5.  Right before you place your last ladle in, stir in the turkey slices.

6.  When the risotto is done absorbing, remove from heat and stir in the remaining butter, truffle shavings, and parmesan.  Add some ground black pepper as well.

I served mine with some lambs lettuce in a walnut oil-balsamic vinegar spritz.

This meal was so stimulating it's hard to describe.  At first, you search for the pungent truffle taste, but realize it is mild.  As you go, the nutty flavor of the buckwheat seems to enhance the truffle aroma.  When you finish you still somewhat search for the moment the truffle will slap you in the face.. and it doesn't.  Maybe these ones are milder than the ones from Périgord.  I don't really have a way to compare, since this is the first time I've had a fresh morale of divinity within my grasp.

10 minutes later, as you are cleaning up, your eyes roll back into your skull and you just stop what you're doing and enjoy the moment...