Chakchouka more popularly known as Shakashuka

The Chief Commentator claims this is a 10/10 and quite possibly the best meal I've ever made.  He went so far as to ask for it a second time this week... which is awesome -  but also a little insulting, since I've slaved for hours over things like Beef Wellington, and this is um - not that difficult. Also, I have made it before, and it did not receive this much praise.. maybe he was just hungry? 

It's been a long time since I've posted a recipe.  Years!  and in that time period -  I have fallen out of being the primary cook in our house, to the back up.  In becoming the back up - I tend to cook the same things, over and over and over again.  Lately - I've been trying to mix it up a little more, because I am tired of the same old steamed veggies, and green salad -I've been branching out. Also, on Sunday, I scored an entire case of Roma Tomatoes for $5.50 -  which means we are eating a lot of things with tomatoes this week... and I love anything with a tomato base - plus I had 4 dozen eggs which I forgot I bought... so this seemed like a no brainer.  

I have no idea were this one originally came from - it's just cut out of a magazine and pasted in one of the books I made in my late teens early twenties, with a little note from me that said "cook eggs all the way".  Back when I cut this out - the ONLY way I would eat my eggs was hard poached /  hard boiled, so that makes a lot of sense... I've slightly graduated to medium now. 

Recently we have gone on a diet.  Let me rephrase that - We have made a change in how we eat, so that we don't gain as much weight, but still try to eat foods that we enjoy in moderation.  Part of this "change" is also being mindful of what we put in our mouth -  so at the end of the recipe, I will include calorie portion. - Serves 4.  Let me just say - it eats like a meal that is twice as calorie dense.  So satisfying and has so much satiety. 

Meatballs -   

1 pound chicken ground
2 teaspoons cumin ground
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (mint or basil works too if you hate cilantro)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic.

Prep:  I put the cilantro, garlic, and spices in the food processor and pulse it until I have a nice consistency, then I mix it by hand into the ground chicken.  (I grind my own chicken breasts - but store bought works well too. )  Then I roll them into meat balls about the size of a large super ball (about 1 inch).  This part can be done ahead of time.   I make several dishes with chicken meat balls, so I grind all the chicken at once, and portion out different bowls to be spiced and mixed - make the meatballs, and then freeze them in a vacuum bag.  But if you do it fresh - it works great too and only takes about 10 minutes to make them. 

Sauce -

1 tablespoon butter (salted/unsalted your choice) I use Ghee because I have it on hand. 
1 cup white onion - small chop (bigger than a diced, but smaller than a rough chop) 
2 green bell peppers - small chop
6 roma tomatoes - rough chop
3 oz tomato paste  
1 tablespoon garlic- minced
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin ground
1 cup Beef or Vegetable Bouillon/broth (don't use chicken)
6 oz cheap white wine (or use extra bouillon/broth) - but I like the acid the wine adds.
8 large eggs (I did the recipe calculation with 8.  If you want to drop 78 calories per serving, use only one egg per person.  I like eggs.

To garnish:
1/4 Cup rough chopped cilantro (or basil or mint)
fancy sea salt
cracked pepper

Other things to know - This dish does best in a pot/pan that is wide rather than tall.  I have a very large skillet that I use, but a paella pan would also work killer for this.  The more eggs you add, the wider you want that pan.

Method: 

1) Make the meatballs and set aside.

2) Melt the butter over medium heat in a your pan. 

3) Add the onion and bell peppers and sauté for about 5-7 minutes (you want soft and starting to turn translucent).

4) Add the garlic, the cumin, and pepper, continue stirring and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. 

5) Add the tomato paste and mix really well, then add the chopped tomatoes.  

6) Add the broth, give it a good mix, and turn the heat to high.  Add in your meat balls, and cover your pan and cook for about 6 minutes.  After the 6 minutes are up. Take tongs and flip each of the balls over in the sauce - remove lid and turn back to medium high heat - cook for 6 more minutes. Avoid stirring during this time, you want the meat balls to get firm so they don't break apart.  The sauce will begin to thicken. 

7) Gently stir and move the meat balls around in the sauce - in doing so make wells for the eggs.  If you are doing 4, it's pretty easy to find space, if you are doing 8, try moving the balls around to use them as dividers. 

8) Crack the eggs into the wells.  Do not touch anything in the pan.  Put the lid back on.  

If you want your eggs runny - cook about 1 minute medium high heat, then shut off heat and leave for about 30 seconds. You want the white to be firm, if it's not quite there, leave it a little longer.

If you want your eggs more medium (How I like mine)  Cook for 2 1/2 minutes covered.  Shut off heat and leave the lid on for about 90 seconds.

Once you are happy with the consistency of your eggs - sprinkle the dish with the chopped cilantro. 

Plate the meal with 1-2 eggs per person, and 1/4 of the meat balls.  Offer the fancy salt at the table for people to adjust the saltiness themselves.  Depending on the broth/bouillon you select, salt content varies.

Calories per serving: 353 (with 2 eggs/serving)   275 (with 1 egg/serving
Fat 12.9g
Carbs 16.4g
Fiber 4g
Protein 34.2

 

Fudgy Brownies

It's been a while since I've blogged because I've been trying to eat healthier, and I've been too lasy to go through the cook books and spot pick healthy recipes.

Yesterday I wanted chocolate... and chocolate I got. It's an old magazine clip, and given the big fluffy letters, I'm guessing it's Cosmo, Marie Claire or the like.

6oz unsweetend chocolate

1 1/2 sticks (6oz) sweet butter

6 eggs

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts or confectioners sugar (optional)

** I had a cup of white chocolate chips left over from something, that I sprinkled on the top before baking **

The recipe also has this optional frosting:

4 tablespoons butter, soft

1lb confectioners sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup warm water

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with butter, dust with flour and set aside. Using a knife, finely shop chocolate. in a medium-size heavy sauce pan, melt chocolate and butter over medium-low heat, stiring occasionally. Immediately after chocolate is melted, set aside to cool. With an electric mixer at medium speed, combine eggs, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl until fluffy. Add melted chocolate, and blend well. Fold in flour and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan. When cooled cut brownies into 3 inch squares. Dust with confectioners sugar or spread with frosting.

To make frosting - combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix until smoth, then drizzle over brownies.

Chicken Francais

Firstly, let me appologize for such an ugly photo of the dish. I only took one last night, and the cauliflower sitting next to it, doesn't look half as tasty as it actually was.

Secondly, I am a little troubled by the name of this dish. This comes from my Grandma Melusine, and she was a stickler for spelling things correctly. I cannot figure out what a Chicken Francais is. At first I thought maybe she just forgot the E in Fracaise, but the ingredients aren't what you would find in Fricasise. There is no lemon, no bread crumbs...

Irregardless, this is a damn good recipe. It's also one of a kind I suppose. This one is written in my grandmother's hand. It's printed, and it's very neat, which tells me that it's very old. My grandma Mel, had horrible arthritis by the time I came long (mid 70's) and her hand writting was not this neat then. She also opted for cursive later in life, because it was easier for her to continue the flow of the pen. anywho, just alittle aside to the history of the recipe.

Chicken Francais

1/4 cup butter

1 frying chicken cut up

1 medium onion, minced

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

3/4 cup apple cider or juice

2 cups half and half

2 tbsp cornstarch

heat butter, add chicken and onions and brown slowly for 20 minutes. Add seasonings and apple juice. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove chicken to headed platter. add cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp of half and half. Stir in remaining half and half and cook until thick.

Add chicken back in and cover in sauce, then serve.

First let me just say the Chief Commentator's eyes lit up when he walked into the house and smelled dinner. He rushed right over to the pan and stuck his nose in it. Perhaps that's because Chief Commentator thinks that pan cooked chicken is a gift from the gods. Until we started this project neither of us had really cooked chicken in a pan, but rather relinquished it to the oven or a fryer. the Chief Commentator loves the color on the skin, and how it seals in all the juices.

This recipe was no exception. Great flavors, tender chicken. He ate a good 3/4 of the entire pan last night - picking every morsal he could find from the bones, and enjoying the sauce. I loved the texture of everything. I think the chicken really is showcased nicely in the sauce. I think next time I make it, I may double the seasonings and add a hint of black pepper, but that is just how I like my sauces.

Pumpkin Bread -1

First let me say, I didn't actually make this one. I did stand over and supervise the making of it though. Chief Commentator's daughter asked to make some pumpkin bread, so I dug up a recipe in my Grandma Melusines cookbook, and the two of us hit the kitchen for a little baking time. Again a recipe that was cut out of a newspaper with no credits.

Also, much like my cranberry dilema, it seems that myself, and both Grandma's have a think for pumpkin bread too (and zucchini bread, and carrot cake... ) so I have resorted to the numbering system.

2 cups cooked pumpkin
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 cup walnuts,finely chopped (thank you food processor)

Blend pumpkin, sugar, eggs and oil, add baking powder, soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon and flour. Mix well and fold in nuts. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until done when tested with toothpick. Makes 3 small loaves.

Delishes. Everyone who tried some loved it. No one could believe that a 10 year old made it. One friend commented that she is officially 'out baked' by a 10 year old. The recipe is pretty fool proof, and the loaf comes out with a beautiful texture and pumpkin flavor. Not overwhelming with too many spices, or faux pumpkin like some of the boxed mixes - this is really a treat to behold.

Cranberry Caramel Drops

In continuing with my love of everything cranberry, I have decided to make a cookie that involves them, to break up the monotony of all the bread recipes.

This one comes from my Grandma Melusines binder, they are called Cranberry Carmel drops, and the recipe is a cut out from a newspaper, no credit is given to the original creator.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 package (small 3 3/4oz) butterscotch instant pudding

5 cups quick cooking oatmeal

2 cups fresh cranberries

In a large saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and milk. Cook while stirring until miture comes to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in pudding, otameal and cranberries. Stir until well blended. Cook 15 minutes. then drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper. Let set several hours befor paking into airtight container and storing in a cool dry place.

Ok - first of all, the recipe does not say how to cook for the final 15 minutes. Cook high? cook low? I just put it on medium, and stirred it a bunch of times and hoped that counted. I am guessing it didn't, because the drops came out a bit soggy. The flavor was incredible, and I loved the idea behind them, but I really need to figure out how to make them a little less limp.

Kids loved them. Chief commentator loved them. But we'd all like them to be a little firmer.

Cranberry Bread - 2

Yes. Here we have another recipe for Cranberry Bread. This one also comes from my grandma Melusine. This one is a cut out from a newspaper clipping. The clipping credits Eleanor Madigan, so cheers to you Eleanor, thank you for sharing your recipe.

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1 cup fresh cranberries - chopped (I threw them in whole, and let the mixer chop them)
1 cup nuts (ditto on the chopping)

Combine all ingredietns except cranberries and nuts, mix well, stir in cranberries and nuts, pour into pan which is well greased and bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.

Yes, you can see this one earned the distinction of Easy - mostly because I took it upon myself to make the chopping of the nuts and cranberries easier. A little something I learned, if you just toss them in and let them whip themselves with the dough - the crack and chop all on their.

Chief commentator liked this one a lot. He said he could really taste the orange coming through in the recipe and loved how the cranberries left little tart pockets in the orangy flavored bread. We both liked the consistancy better than the first batch, although I still feel like there is a recipe out there with a slightly better texture. Good thing I seriously have like 29 more cranberry bread recipes to try...

Arnaud's Remoulade Creole Jambalaya

If you now me, then you know of my love of all things New Orleans. The food, the people, the culture, the music, the ambiance, did I mention the food? I love Remoulade's situated right on Bourbon street in the heart of the French Quarter. Its somewhere that I frequent, when in NOLA, and if you are a fan of yelp, you can read me waxing poetically about my love of this restaurant.

When I was there in 2007, I fell in love with their Jambalaya. As luck would have it, I found the recipe on their website, and printed off a copy for my cookbook. I have made it many times over the past few years, and it has become a staple in my cooking.

If you are in the NOLA area, Remoulade's is a must stop. If you can't make it there, well, you can have a little taste of NOLA right in your home. I like to make it when watching Saints games...

2 pounds jump shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound seasoned sausage, such as andouille, diced
1/2 cup green onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
1 bayleaf
1 teaspoon crushed thyme
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (I use 1/4 I like it a little hotter)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups broth
1 cup long grain rice

1 - prepare shrimp.

2 - in a dutch oven or a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid, saute sausage in the oil for about 3 minutes

3- Add garlic, onion, and green pepper, cook til tender

4- Add parsley, tomatoes, seasonings, rice and water. stir in thoroughly then add shrimp

5- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover tightly

6- cook without stirring over low heat, or transfer to 350 degree oven for 25-30 mins until rice is fluffy (I prefer the oven method)

7 - remove bayleaf before serving.

The chief commentator couldn't get enough of this. I think he ate 3 bowls the first night (and I had made homemade corn bread to go with it!) He was delighted beyond all belief. I of course love it, and have considered it a staple in my kitchen for a while now.

I do double the cayenne in the recipe when it's just him and I. The 'normal' 1/8th teaspoon howeer is fine for the kids, and they love eating the recipe as well.