Shakshuka With Feta

My coworker told me about this recipe.  It's pretty simple and delicious.  I served it with toasted whole wheat rolls.
This recipe is a mixture of New York Times and Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with juices, coarsely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt, more as needed
¼ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large eggs
Parsley for serving

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta.Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle and serve with parsley.

Boulettes (North African Tunisian/Moroccan Meatballs)

This is a Tunisian/Moroccan dish called boulettes in French.  This recipe was a lot of work, taking close to 2 hours to prepare.  I had a good sense of accomplishment!  This recipe was suggested by my coworker Mary.  Instead of using tomato paste, I used puree.  I only added in 1 cup of chicken broth.  I skipped cilantro.  I used panko breadcrumbs.  I thought it was better.  I went by my own recipe for couscous.

Ingredients:

Saffron Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 and 1/2 cups finely diced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
26 oz. tomato puree, unseasoned
1 inch piece cinnamon stick 
Large pinch saffron, crumbled 
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth

For the meatballs:

1 and 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions

For the couscous:

1 cup couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
Chives
1/4 cup pine nuts
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

Make the sauce:

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onion and cook without browning until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato puree, cinnamon and saffron, and stir well to incorporate. Season generously with salt and pepper, and allow to sizzle for 1 minute more. Add broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes. May be made several hours in advance, up to a day.

Make the meatballs:

Put bread cubes and milk in a small bowl. Leave bread to soak until softened, about 5 minutes, then squeeze dry.In a mixing bowl, put squeezed-out bread, ground meat and egg. Add salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, cloves, coriander and cumin. Mix well with hands to distribute seasoning. Add 2 tablespoons each of parsley, and scallion, and knead for a minute. May be prepared several hours in advance, up to a day.

Make the couscous:

Cook according to package directions, fluff gently and stir in butter and raisins. Season with salt and cinnamon, and toss well.

Garnish meatballs with couscous and roasted tomatoes if desired.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12763-north-african-meatballs

Quinoa Salad with Miso Dressing

I had this dish at Tartinery Restaurant in Manhattan.  It was delicious and I thought I would make it at home.

Miso Dressing:

2 tbsp miso
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup water

Salad:

Broccoli, chopped
Avocado, chopped
Baby spinach, chopped
Scallions, chopped
Almonds, toasted and crushed
Coriander
Mint, chopped
Quinoa, cooked

Mix all together with salad dressing to taste.

Pickled Jalapeños

I can eat this all day!

Pickled Jalapeños

Ingredients:

1 lb jalapeno peppers sliced
2 c. white vinegar (5-percent acidity)
2 c. filtered water
1 Tbsp McCormick® Pickling Spice
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar

Prepare the brine:

Add vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and McCormick® to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to keep at a simmer.  Stir in the sliced jalapeños and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer about 5 min.  Cool 30 min. and transfer into jars.  Refrigerate.

Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta

We are making Gorgonzola/Parmesan Alfredo with bacon sauce tonight but first we have to prepare and cut the pasta dough.

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Place all ingredients into a bowl and beat at speed 2 for 30 seconds. Exchange the flat beater for a dough hook and beat for another 2 minutes on speed 2. Remove dough from bowl and hand-knead for 2 minutes. Divide dough into four pieces (each piece is one serving) before sending though a pasta sheet roller and pasta cutter.

Cook in oiled and salted water for 2-5 minutes

Whole Wheat Fettucine Alfredo with Gorgonzola and Bacon

time to get out the pasta machine!

• whole wheat egg fettuccine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 6 oz. diced bacon
• 2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola 
• chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper 

Cook the bacon

Cook fettuccine in a pasta pot f boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.                                    

 

Meanwhile, bring cream and butter to a simmer in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat, adding 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper,  egg yolk, and cheese to sauce.  Mix in the bacon.  top with parsley.

Spinach Quiche with Shallots and Gruyere

This quiche looked intriguing.  Started out with food preparation for tomorrow but it lead to me finishing at 9:30 pm.

Ingredients:  

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 bunches flat-leaf spinach, thick stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• Home made whole wheat pie crust
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium. Add shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add as much spinach to skillet as will fit; season with salt and pepper, and toss, adding more spinach as room becomes available, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Transfer spinach mixture to a colander. Press firmly with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Divide spinach mixture and cheese between prepared crusts. Place each crust on a separate rimmed baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Dividing evenly, pour egg mixture into crusts.
4. Arrange baking sheets on racks, and bake until center of each quiche is just set, 55 to 60 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Let quiches stand 15 minutes before serving

http://www.marthastewart.com/336904/spinach-and-gruyere-quiches