This is from the 'Indian Instant Pot Cookbook' by Urvashi Pitre. Highly recommended.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ghee or peanut oil
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp black mustard seeds (or omit and use 1/4 tsp cumin seeds)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger (NOTE: I found a jar of pre-minced garlic and ginger mix at my local Asian supermarket. Giant time-saver)
1 cup diced tomato (canned is fine)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to your preferred heat level)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1 cup dried black-eyed peas (no need to pre-soak)
2 cups water
4 cups raw spinach (I used a 5oz package of baby spinach)
Directions:
1) Preheat the Instant Pot using the saute function. When hot, add the ghee or oil. When shimmering, add the cumin and mustard seeds. They'll probably sputter a bit. Do not be alarmed. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 30 seconds.
2) Add the tomato and cook for 1-2 minutes until they get a little soft.
3) Add the turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin and salt. Mix.
4) Add the black-eyed peas and water. Stir. Place the raw spinach on top of everything, don't mix.
5) Cook on High pressure for 10 minutes. Allow 'natural release' for 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure.
6) Stir, taste and adjust salt or cayenne if necessary.
7) Urvashi recommends serving with rice, naan or chapatis. Basically any starch will do. Even mashed potato.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Spicy Lentil Stew/Soup for the Instant Pot
So. It's really cold today, and I wanted something warming, quick and relatively painless. And this is it.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 bag baby carrots (you can use regular carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" slices. I couldn't be arsed)
1 lb small red potatoes, cut up if they're bigger than 2" or so
1 cup dried green lentils
1 cup dried red lentils
1/4 cup black rice
8 cups stock (beef or chicken, whichever)
1 28oz can crushed, or diced, or whatever, tomatoes
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Berbere spice mix (optional - it's spicy)
3 tbsp vinegar of your choice
1) Put a little oil in the Instant Pot, hit 'Saute' and let it heat up
2) Saute the onions until soft
3) Add all the spices. Give it a good stir to let them 'bloom'
4) Throw in the broth, the tomatoes and all the other ingredients except for the vinegar. Give it a good stir.
5) Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes
6) Stir it up, add the vinegar, and serve with some sort of bread
7 Damn, that's good.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 bag baby carrots (you can use regular carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" slices. I couldn't be arsed)
1 lb small red potatoes, cut up if they're bigger than 2" or so
1 cup dried green lentils
1 cup dried red lentils
1/4 cup black rice
8 cups stock (beef or chicken, whichever)
1 28oz can crushed, or diced, or whatever, tomatoes
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Berbere spice mix (optional - it's spicy)
3 tbsp vinegar of your choice
1) Put a little oil in the Instant Pot, hit 'Saute' and let it heat up
2) Saute the onions until soft
3) Add all the spices. Give it a good stir to let them 'bloom'
4) Throw in the broth, the tomatoes and all the other ingredients except for the vinegar. Give it a good stir.
5) Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes
6) Stir it up, add the vinegar, and serve with some sort of bread
7 Damn, that's good.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Roasted Tomato Sauce
I have a friend who owns a farm. I know, I know, you all want to be me.
This friend (who shall remain nameless to preserve my source) gifted me with a 30-pound box of tomatoes that weren't quite perfect enough for the farm stand. As I am also not perfect (stop whispering in the back, there. I can hear you) they were the ideal match for me.
Of course, my schedule and lack of motivation being what they are, these babies got very ripe as they sat in my kitchen. Dark red, just starting to get a little soft. Not bad, mind, but not at their peak. So, plans to can fresh tomatoes went out the window. Instead, it struck me that I could roast them and make them into a simple sauce that I could can and use later to create whatever kind of sauce I wanted.
The recipe is simplicity itself: Tomatoes. Salt. That's it.
After roasting, you yank off the skins, put them in a stockpot, boil, whiz with an immersion blender, then can using the hot water bath method. Simples!
And being so basic, you can customize it later. Add oregano and garlic and some olive oil for a marinara. Jazz it up with some pepper flakes. Or add some za'atar or berbere for a shakshuka.
Depending on the tomatoes and how much you reduce, this can make anywhere from 5 to 7 pints.
Ingredients:
20 lbs. tomatoes - whatever you've got, basically
2 tbs kosher salt
Citric acid or lemon juice
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425F/220C/Gas Mark 7
2) Wash tomatoes, core and cut off blossom end. Cut in half
3) Sprinkle salt on a sheet pan covered with foil or silicone pad. Divide if using more than one pan at a time.
4) Place tomatoes, cut side down, on pans
5) Roast for about 45 minutes, or until the skins are mostly brown and kinda puffy. You'll probably want to rotate about halfway through.
6) Remove from oven, pick the puffy skins off and discard
7) Throw into a large stock pot, heat, and then liquidate the hell out of your tomatoes with an immersion blender.
8) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until you get the consistency you want.
9) While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare you jars, lids and rings as you normally would for water bath canning.
10) Add 1/4 tsp citric acid or 1/2 tsp lemon juice to each jar (for pints. If using quarts, double it).
11) Fill with sauce, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal and process in boiling water bath, 35 minutes for pints, 40 minutes for quarts.
This friend (who shall remain nameless to preserve my source) gifted me with a 30-pound box of tomatoes that weren't quite perfect enough for the farm stand. As I am also not perfect (stop whispering in the back, there. I can hear you) they were the ideal match for me.
Of course, my schedule and lack of motivation being what they are, these babies got very ripe as they sat in my kitchen. Dark red, just starting to get a little soft. Not bad, mind, but not at their peak. So, plans to can fresh tomatoes went out the window. Instead, it struck me that I could roast them and make them into a simple sauce that I could can and use later to create whatever kind of sauce I wanted.
The recipe is simplicity itself: Tomatoes. Salt. That's it.
After roasting, you yank off the skins, put them in a stockpot, boil, whiz with an immersion blender, then can using the hot water bath method. Simples!
And being so basic, you can customize it later. Add oregano and garlic and some olive oil for a marinara. Jazz it up with some pepper flakes. Or add some za'atar or berbere for a shakshuka.
Depending on the tomatoes and how much you reduce, this can make anywhere from 5 to 7 pints.
Ingredients:
20 lbs. tomatoes - whatever you've got, basically
2 tbs kosher salt
Citric acid or lemon juice
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425F/220C/Gas Mark 7
2) Wash tomatoes, core and cut off blossom end. Cut in half
3) Sprinkle salt on a sheet pan covered with foil or silicone pad. Divide if using more than one pan at a time.
4) Place tomatoes, cut side down, on pans
5) Roast for about 45 minutes, or until the skins are mostly brown and kinda puffy. You'll probably want to rotate about halfway through.
6) Remove from oven, pick the puffy skins off and discard
7) Throw into a large stock pot, heat, and then liquidate the hell out of your tomatoes with an immersion blender.
8) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until you get the consistency you want.
9) While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare you jars, lids and rings as you normally would for water bath canning.
10) Add 1/4 tsp citric acid or 1/2 tsp lemon juice to each jar (for pints. If using quarts, double it).
11) Fill with sauce, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal and process in boiling water bath, 35 minutes for pints, 40 minutes for quarts.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Cheesy Corn Muffins
So, I found this recipe on Food52 and I'm posting it here for later. You're welcome.
Yield: 9 normal sized muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup crumbled/grated cheese. Suggestions include feta, parmesan, cheddar. Even blue cheese would work. Hell, try some Emmenthaler and go nuts.
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs. Parsley, thyme, rosemary, even chives.
Preheat oven to 400F
In a large bowl, whisk together the corn meal, flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add milk, oil and beaten egg. Stir to combine, but don't overwork.
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Add cheese and herbs and stir just enough to combine.
Pour the batter into standard size muffin tin (greased or lined with paper). About half-way is fine.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown on top. Cool for a bit in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
These would be great with just butter, or you can use up some pickles, or tomato jam would be really good too. (Photo Credit: Posie Harwood)
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Brussels Sprouts - the best you ever et.
But now, this is how I eat them. And I swear by all that is holy that you will love them too. Even if you normally hate them.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 slice bacon (or as the Brits would refer to it, 'streaky' bacon)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons really good balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper.
Trim & split the sprouts, and then toss in a large bowl with the oil, salt & pepper. Dice the uncooked bacon very fine, and toss with the sprouts. Pour the whole thing onto a baking sheet. In a 400 degree oven (200C or gas mark 6), roast the sprouts for 20-30 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven, put into a casserole or gratin dish. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top, then the balsamic. Back into the oven for another 20 minutes or so. (If you're doing a roast, you can just throw it in during the last 20 minutes with the meat.)
Roasting tends to get rid of the sulphur-ish taste, but leaves the lovely sweet-bitter flavor that sprouts are so good at. Trust me, you will love these.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Onion Soup, Lyonnaise Style
So this is completely ganked from Jacques Pepin. There was a repeat of a 2011 episode of 'Essential Pepin' on PBS this afternoon and I just had to try it.
Oh. My. God.
Onion soup is pretty much mindless. So is this one. But the late addition of egg yolk with wine makes this a total winner. I just had a giant bowl, and I can't wait to have it reheated for lunch tomorrow.
Serves 6 to 8
15–20 thin slices (1/4-inch-thick) baguette
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups). I used the mandoline for this and it took 2 minutes tops.
6 cups homemade chicken stock or low-salt canned chicken broth (I used a 32 oz box of unsalted chicken stock from the store, plus 2 cups of water)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Gruyère or Emmenthaler cheese (I used a mixture of both).
2 large egg yolks
½ cup sweet port. If you don't have port on hand (as I didn't) you can substitute pretty much anything. I used 1/4 cup of leftover sake, plus some dry vermouth. You could also use sherry, or a sweet red. Go nuts.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Arrange the bread slices on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Leave the oven on.) Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and sauté for 15 minutes, or until dark brown. Resist the urge to keep the burner on high: You want the onions caramelized, not burnt.
Add the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Pepin advises pushing the whole mess through a food mill. Don't bother. If you're really bothered by onion pieces, you can run an immersion blender through it if you want. I wouldn't.
Arrange one third of the toasted bread in the bottom of an ovenproof soup tureen or large casserole. Sprinkle with some of the cheese, then add the remaining bread and more cheese, saving enough of the cheese to sprinkle over the top of the soup. Fill the tureen with the hot soup, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for approximately 35 minutes, or until a golden crust forms on top.
At serving time, bring the soup to the table. Combine the yolks with the port in a small bowl and whip with a fork. With a ladle, make a hole in the top of the gratinée, pour in the wine mixture, and fold into the soup with the ladle. Stir everything together and serve.
Have some extra bread on hand. Trust me.
Oh. My. God.
Onion soup is pretty much mindless. So is this one. But the late addition of egg yolk with wine makes this a total winner. I just had a giant bowl, and I can't wait to have it reheated for lunch tomorrow.
Serves 6 to 8
15–20 thin slices (1/4-inch-thick) baguette
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups). I used the mandoline for this and it took 2 minutes tops.
6 cups homemade chicken stock or low-salt canned chicken broth (I used a 32 oz box of unsalted chicken stock from the store, plus 2 cups of water)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Gruyère or Emmenthaler cheese (I used a mixture of both).
2 large egg yolks
½ cup sweet port. If you don't have port on hand (as I didn't) you can substitute pretty much anything. I used 1/4 cup of leftover sake, plus some dry vermouth. You could also use sherry, or a sweet red. Go nuts.
Arrange the bread slices on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Leave the oven on.) Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and sauté for 15 minutes, or until dark brown. Resist the urge to keep the burner on high: You want the onions caramelized, not burnt.
Add the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Pepin advises pushing the whole mess through a food mill. Don't bother. If you're really bothered by onion pieces, you can run an immersion blender through it if you want. I wouldn't.
Arrange one third of the toasted bread in the bottom of an ovenproof soup tureen or large casserole. Sprinkle with some of the cheese, then add the remaining bread and more cheese, saving enough of the cheese to sprinkle over the top of the soup. Fill the tureen with the hot soup, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for approximately 35 minutes, or until a golden crust forms on top.
At serving time, bring the soup to the table. Combine the yolks with the port in a small bowl and whip with a fork. With a ladle, make a hole in the top of the gratinée, pour in the wine mixture, and fold into the soup with the ladle. Stir everything together and serve.
Have some extra bread on hand. Trust me.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Pasta alla Norcina
This September, I will have the great good fortune to spend a week in Tuscany with wonderful friends. As a side-effect, I've been trying some more non-traditional Italian fare. Oh, I still love a good Bolognese (and mine kicks ass, if I do say so my own self) but I wanted to try a pasta that did not include either tomato or pesto. And lo and behold, I came across Pasta alla Norcina.
The sauce is based on pork. And cream. Yes, you heard me right. Pork and cream. Add in a naked soccer team and you have nature's most perfect food. But I digress...
Here's what you need:
1 lb ground pork
10 oz cremini/baby bella mushrooms
1 lb orecchiette pasta (would also work with rotini or cavatini)
3/4 cup cream
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup pecorino
Rosemary
Basil
Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Baking Soda
So, the authentic Norcina uses a pork sausage from Norcia, a little town in Perugia. Since I'm not in Perugia, and I'm guessing you're not either, it's time to improvise. Take your pound of ground pork, and throw it in a bowl. Add a little bit of water, about a half teaspoon of salt, and maybe 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Take a spatula and smear it around in the bowl until it's all combined. Add some garlic, black pepper and rosemary, mix it again and set it aside to sit for about 15 minutes or so.
While the pork is resting, throw the creminis in a food processor and pulse a few times until they're pretty finely chopped. You could do this by hand, of course, but then you'd have forearms like Popeye and really, what's the point?
In a large skillet or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it shimmers but doesn't smoke. Throw the pork into the pan and brown, about 5 or 6 minutes. Remove the pork, place in a bowl and pour in the cream. Let it sit there getting good and creamy/porky.
Now, throw the mushrooms in the pan with a pinch of salt and some more garlic. Cook until browned and dry, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, scrape all the brown bits (fond, if you're pretentious) up, and cook on medium-high until the wine is 95% evaporated. OK, I made up the percentage. Just cook until it's almost dry.
Then, pour the porky cream mixture into the pan. Cook on medium until it starts to thicken. Take it off the heat, and add the pecorino and some fresh basil, chopped or chiffonade, if you intend to keep on being pretentious. I don't judge.
Of course, while all of this is going on, you also have to cook your pasta. 1 gallon water, 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, dump in the pasta and cook it how you like it. I will admit, in print, that I am not a fan of al dente. Perhaps it's my New England upbringing, but I'm not really fond of something that's not cooked all the way through when it comes to noodles. If the box says "11 minutes" for al dente, I'll cook it for 12.
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup or so of the pasta water. Dump the pasta in the pan with the sauce, and stir to coat it well. If it's a little thick, add some of the pasta water.
Salt & Pepper to taste, and add a sprinkle of the pecorino on top, just to be fancy.
The sauce is based on pork. And cream. Yes, you heard me right. Pork and cream. Add in a naked soccer team and you have nature's most perfect food. But I digress...
Here's what you need:
1 lb ground pork
10 oz cremini/baby bella mushrooms
1 lb orecchiette pasta (would also work with rotini or cavatini)
3/4 cup cream
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup pecorino
Rosemary
Basil
Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Baking Soda
So, the authentic Norcina uses a pork sausage from Norcia, a little town in Perugia. Since I'm not in Perugia, and I'm guessing you're not either, it's time to improvise. Take your pound of ground pork, and throw it in a bowl. Add a little bit of water, about a half teaspoon of salt, and maybe 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Take a spatula and smear it around in the bowl until it's all combined. Add some garlic, black pepper and rosemary, mix it again and set it aside to sit for about 15 minutes or so.
While the pork is resting, throw the creminis in a food processor and pulse a few times until they're pretty finely chopped. You could do this by hand, of course, but then you'd have forearms like Popeye and really, what's the point?
In a large skillet or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it shimmers but doesn't smoke. Throw the pork into the pan and brown, about 5 or 6 minutes. Remove the pork, place in a bowl and pour in the cream. Let it sit there getting good and creamy/porky.
Now, throw the mushrooms in the pan with a pinch of salt and some more garlic. Cook until browned and dry, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, scrape all the brown bits (fond, if you're pretentious) up, and cook on medium-high until the wine is 95% evaporated. OK, I made up the percentage. Just cook until it's almost dry.
Then, pour the porky cream mixture into the pan. Cook on medium until it starts to thicken. Take it off the heat, and add the pecorino and some fresh basil, chopped or chiffonade, if you intend to keep on being pretentious. I don't judge.
Of course, while all of this is going on, you also have to cook your pasta. 1 gallon water, 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, dump in the pasta and cook it how you like it. I will admit, in print, that I am not a fan of al dente. Perhaps it's my New England upbringing, but I'm not really fond of something that's not cooked all the way through when it comes to noodles. If the box says "11 minutes" for al dente, I'll cook it for 12.
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup or so of the pasta water. Dump the pasta in the pan with the sauce, and stir to coat it well. If it's a little thick, add some of the pasta water.
Salt & Pepper to taste, and add a sprinkle of the pecorino on top, just to be fancy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)