2 cups fresh cilantro 2 garlic cloves ¼ cup olive oil 1 TSP lime juice 3 TBSP Sour cream 3 TBSP Kewpie (Japanese Mayo) or Mayo ¾ tsp honey ¾ tsp salt
Put all into a blender. Store in frig several hours before serving.
1 fresh Artichoke
Cup off the top of the artichoke, then cut the spiky tips off each leaf. Cut the stem leaving an inch of the stem. Rinse the artichoke under cold water. In a large pan fill with water and boil 30 to 40 minutes. Or you can steam it for 30 to 40 minutes. It is done when the leaves pull easily from the stem.
Cut off the stem flush with the artichoke. Pull a leaf, dip in the cilantro dressing, and eat. When the leaves are eaten, remove the choke (the fine, fuzzy hairlike filaments on top of the heart) with a spoon. The heart will remain. Cut the heart into squares and dip in the dressing and eat.
I have made this dish several times before but I keep making adjustments. This one I like b/c it brings me back to my roots in New Orleans’s for meat stuffing. Instead of a Mirepoix (onion, carrot and celery), I went with the New Orleans Trinity of onions, celery and bell pepper. This all comes back as a favorite of mine for stuffing green bell pepper or mirlitons (aka chayote squash). Only with mirliton, I like to use ground lamb. This substitute blend of Trinity offers a little more punch. I have researched the origins of this dish (the way Grandma made it) but those left me little in want of just a little more flavor. Don’t get me wrong. Grandma’s is always good.
(Click on pic to enlarge)
1 head of cabbage ¼ Lb. ground beef ¼ Lb. ground veal ½ Lb. ground pork Mirepoix: ½ onion finely chopped 1 celery stalk finely chopped 1 medium carrots grated ½ medium green pepper finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves minced
1 cup of cooked long grain rice 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs/panko S&P Sour Cream Fresh dill 4 TBSP Butter (2 for the filling and 2 for the first sauce) 1 TBSP Olive oil Two of these items. You will make 2 sauces, one for the over and one to serve: 1 15oz. can of stewed tomatoes (in celery, onion and green bell) ½ cup dry white wine 2 TBSP tomato paste (Mixed in the white wine) 1 tsp balsamic vinegar Other: 1 cup chicken stock 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Cabbage – Cut the core out of the center of the cabbage. Place in at least a 7 Qt. pot half full of boiling water with the core side up. Boil a couple of minutes and then gently remove the leaves with tongs and place on a tray, keep doing this until you have peeled all the biggest usable leaves and that the leaves are cooked but firm enough to roll. Set aside to cool. With a knife shave the top main part of the rib off of the cabbage leaf to make the leaf flexible.
Rice – In the left over cabbage water cook rice 10 minutes and remove and drain. Run in cold water to stop cooking.
Chop the Mirepoix – Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper and 2 TBSP butter and chop in a food processor.
Filling – Mix the rice, meat, bread crumbs, mirepoix, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. I mixed it in a KitchenAid 3 minutes on stir setting with the mixing blade. Spoon ~ a third cup of filling and make a cylindrical meatball and place in a cabbage leaf. Fold the top over tight then the sides and roll the cabbage and place in a 13×9 dish to set aside.
Sauce – Add 1 can stewed tomatoes, wine/tomato paste, chicken stock, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer and place 1/2 at the bottom of a Dutch Oven. Note: The added chicken stock is there to boil and steam the rolls.
Cooking – Add the rolls in the pan. Cover with the rest of the sauce and a couple of cabbage leaves. Cook covered on 325° in the oven for 60 minutes. The idea is to cover the rolls so that they steam in the oven making the cabbage very tender and easy to cut with a fork. Check the rolls to make sure the cabbage is cooked. Remove the rolls into a cover cookware bowl. Let cool.
Place it in the frig overnight and reheat.
Serving Sauce – Make the sauce above again only do not add chicken stock.
Plate, cover with serving sauce, sour cream and chopped fresh dill.
Kedgeree is a British/East Indian version of Cajun Jambalaya, and Jambalaya is an American version of Spanish Paella. The most important item needed for this dish is a cast iron pot your God Mother gave you. Other than that, the deal is, when you cook rice in a stock, add meat and fish, spices and veggies you get a great meal. The Italians call theirs Risotto alla pescatora. It’s all pretty close to almost nearly the same ingredients, only the herbs and spices are regional.
The traditional British dish has smoked haddock. You can substitute any local while fish or even use Salmon. The main signature is the curry, turmeric, bay leaf and coriander (aka cilantro).
Ingredients Serves 2 • 2 TBSP ghee or butter • ½ onion, finely diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • ½ piece fresh ginger, finely minced • 2 tsp. yellow curry powder • 1 tsp. tumeric • ½ tsp. ground coriander • Salt and Pepper • 1 c. rice, rinsed and drained • 1 ½ c. chicken or vegetable broth • ¼ c. peas • ¼ c. carrots precooked and diced • 2 pieces of white fish • Other adds: hardboiled eggs, cilantro , roasted cashews.
In a saucepan add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the fish and submerge. Cook 8 minutes. Remove. Cool and break the fish up into bitesize pieces. Reserve ½ cup of the broth.
In the remaining broth add the rice and cook 13 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff rice.
In a nonstick sauce pan add the butter sauté the onion, garlic and ginger. Add the turmeric, coriander and curry and mix in. Add the cooked rice and mix. Add the reserve broth and mix. Add the peas, carrots. Mix.
Add the fish, mix in. Cover and if necessary add a little more broth, n medium heat cook a little longer to steam a little before serving.
Kolbassa is a finer cut than the meat in Kielbasa.
Serves 2
2 medium potatoes skinned and grated. Soak the grated potatoes in water and wash – twice. Drain and dry. In a non-stick fry pan place the potatoes in, place on medium-low heat and dry for several minutes. Remove and set aside.
½ chopped onion ½ strip of bacon and cut into lardons 1 egg beaten 1 tsp flour 1 tsp butter 2 TBSP Sour Cream Salt and pepper
½ lb. Kolbassa, cut in half (You can use Kielbasa instead)
In a small non-stick fry pan sauté the bacon, onions and butter. After the potatoes have cooled place in a large mixing bowl, add the potatoes, bacon, onions and butter, the egg and salt and pepper. Mix the Babka and lay out in a greased 8”x8” pan. Spread the sour cream on top.
In a separate ovenproof pan place the Kolbassa in it and cover with foil.
Place both pans in a 350° oven and cook for 45 minutes. Remove and serve.
Ducks Mahal 