Indian Spice Chicken Sandwiches

Cooking skills focus: Braising, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
1 head garlic, peeled & sliced

1 t cooking oil
5 whole chicken legs (or 10 each drumsticks/thighs), meat scored with a knife so heat can penetrate and cook it faster

1 T cooking oil
2 medium bags braising greens mix
2 # tomatoes, cored & diced large

2 T Sambar Masala spice blend (also from World Spice Merchants)
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the first 1 T cooking oil over high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes. Remove to a baking dish.

3. Heat the pan again over high heat, then add the next 1 t cooking oil. Brown the chicken in the hot pan until well browned and remove to the baking dish.

4. Heat the pan again over medium-high heat. Add the last 1 T cooking oil, then add the braising greens for 6-7 minutes or until well-wilted.

5. Combine the onions, chicken and greens with the tomatoes, and season everything with salt, pepper and the Sambar Masala. Cover the dish and start to braise for an hour.
4. When the chicken's done, let it cool for a little bit so you don't kill yourself doing the following:
6. Pull the meat off the bones (the bones can still be used for stock), toss with the potatoes and kale, and use the mixture to fill sandwiches or wraps.

Chimichurri-Tomato Naked Casserole (V)

Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, baking, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil

1 ¼ # mushrooms, sliced thickly

2 T cooking oil

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thickly

2 T cooking oil

2 bu red chard, ribs removed and cut bite-sized

2/3 C water

1 bu broccoli rabe, sliced ½” thick

2 # tomatoes, cored & diced large

1 ½ # potatoes, cut into medium dice (1/2” on a side)

Salt & pepper TT (lots)

4 t Chimichurri spice blend (also from World Spice Merchants)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, then add the first 2 T cooking oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. Heat the large sauté pan again over high heat, then add the next 2 T cooking oil. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.

4. Heat the large sauté pan again over medium-high heat, then add the last 2 T cooking oil.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms, onion & garlic, and chard with all the remaining ingredients. Season with salt, pepper and Chimichurri spice blend. Transfer to a baking dish, cover and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, then serve.

French Fall Vegetable Salad (V)

Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, sautéing/caramelizing, roasting, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

1 ½ # tomatoes, diced large (I know they aren’t seasonal, but they were cheap and available when I went shopping)

2/3 C red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 # yellow potatoes, diced large (3/4” on a side)

1 t Melange Classique spice blend (from World Spice Merchants)

salt & pepper TT

1 t cooking oil

2 acorn squash, sliced 1” thick and seeds/insides removed

salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 ¾” Brussels Sprouts, sliced ¼” thick

1 T cooking oil

2 bags braising greens mix

3 T olive oil

2 cara cara oranges, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

4 t Melange Classique spice blend

salt & pepper TT

2 avocados, medium-diced

Instructions:

1. Toss the tomatoes with the red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and set aside until the end.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the potatoes with the first 2 T cooking oil, salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside when done.

3. Meanwhile, coat the acorn rings in the next 1 t cooking oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and soft. When done, remove the peel and cut into large cubes, then set aside.

4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the next 2 T cooking oil. Add the Brussels sprouts and begin to caramelize for 10-12 minutes, or until browned and tender.

5. Heat the sauté pan again over medium-high heat, Add the last of the cooking oil, then add the braising mix and briefly brown for 5-6 minutes.

6. Combine all ingredients (remove the tomatoes from their marinade) except the avocados, then add the avocados at the end so they don’t get too mashed up.

Uber Thanksgiving Veggies (V)

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, cut into 1" thick rings and insides cleaned out
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

4 carrots, cut uniform & bite-sized
1 t olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 bu kale, ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

1/2 C pumpkin seeds
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub the acorn squash with the first 1 t olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until well-browned and tender. Set aside.
3. Toss the carrots with the last of the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.
4. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees.
5. Remove the peel from the squash and cut into large chunks. Add to the carrots in the bowl.
6. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the 2 T cooking oil. Heat up the oil, then add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Then add the kale & season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add the 1/2 C water and cook the water down.
7. Roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until browned.
8. Add the lemon juice, combine with everything and serve.

Delicious Braised Turkey Legs

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
2 turkey legs, scored (cut some slits in the meat down to the bone)
2 turkey thighs, scored
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and cut in half
4 stalks celery, peeled & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
2/3 C water

1 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Brown the turkey legs in batches; don't overcrowd the pan. When all the turkey is well-browned, move it to a deep baking dish.
3. Heat the saute pan again over high heat and add more cooking oil if there isn't some left. Add the shallots, garlic and celery and brown them for 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn the bottom of the pan if you can help it, because you'll be deglazing it later. Add the vegetables to the turkey in the baking dish, season with salt and pepper and stir.
4. Heat the saute pan over low heat, add the 2/3 C water and scrape the brown goodness off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the flavored water to the baking dish.
5. Cover the dish and braise for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Pull the meat off the bones, combine with the veggies, add the lemon juice, taste for seasoning and serve.

Cauliflower-Kale Pasta with Sausage

This one is for those with some confidence, since you'll be sauteeing two things at a time. Which also means it's lots of fun to cook. Shawni and I made this up together and we had this locked down no problem, of course. :)


Ingredients:

1 T cooking oil
4 precooked sausages, sliced in half lengthwise and cut 1/2" thick

2 T cooking oil
1 yellow onion, medium diced (1/2" on a side)
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1 bu kale ribs removed & cut bite-sized
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C water

2 C walnuts, chopped coarsely

1 lb. fresh pasta (linguine or fettuccine would work well)

1 lemon, juiced.

Instructions: (read these through a couple of times before you start)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Start a large pot of salted (ocean salty) water boiling over high heat. Start two large saute pans heating over hight heat and add 1 T cooking oil to one pan and 2 T to the other. To the pan with 1 T oil, add the sausage; to the other, add the cauliflower.
3. Brown the sausage and the cauliflower each for about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside. Reduce the cauliflower's heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. If both saute pans are unburned (no black stuff on the bottom, just brown stuff), deglaze one and add to the sausage or cauliflower (doesn't matter). Heat the other one (or the unburned one, if one got scorched) over medium-high heat and add the last 2 T cooking oil. Add the onion and cook 3- minutes, then add the garlic and kale, and season with salt & pepper. Cook another 7-8 minutes, add 1/2 C water and cook until the water is cooked out.
5. Roast the walnuts for 5-7 minutes or until browned & aromatic.
6. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package, drain and combine with all the other & remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning & serve.

Black Pepper Cranberries (v)

Ingredients:
1 T butter
1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 C water
1 T raw sugar
small pinch kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t vanilla extract
1 T butter

Instructions:
1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the first 1 T butter and melt it, then add the cranberries.
2. Cook the cranberries for 10 minutes or until well broken down, stirring occasionally. Then add the water, sugar, salt & pepper and cook for 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in the vanilla and the last of the butter. Taste, add more sugar if needed. Serve in a tart, over ice cream or over a pastry.

Braised Chicken, Kale and Potato Sandwiches

Cooking skills focus: Braising, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1/2 t oil
1 yellow onion, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 head garlic, peeled & sliced
4 whole chicken legs (or 8 each drumsticks/thighs), meat scored with a knife so heat can penetrate and cook it faster
2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small dice (1/4” on a side)
1 bu lacinato kale (also called "dinosaur" kale because of its cool bumpy texture), cut into ½: slices

½ C water
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute 5-6 minutes. Remove to a baking dish and heat the pan again, over high heat.
3. Brown the chicken in the hot pan until well browned and remove to the baking dish. Add the onions, potatoes and kale, and season everything with salt and pepper. Cover the dish and start to braise for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.
4. When the chicken's done, let it cool for a little bit so you don't kill yourself doing the following:
6. Pull the meat off the bones (the bones can still be used for stock), toss with the potatoes and kale, and use the mixture to fill sandwiches or wraps.

Broccoli Madness Naked Casserole (V)

Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, baking, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil

1 onion, sliced thinly

½ head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thickly

5 broccoli crowns, quartered and sliced ½” thick

4 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into medium dice (1/2” on a side)

5 carrots, cut into half moons ¼” thick

4 T olive oil

½ C water

Salt & pepper TT (lots)

1 T besar spice blend

2 lemons, juiced

½ bu parsley, chopped fine

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, then add the 2 T cooking oil. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onions and garlic with all the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and besar spice blend. Transfer to a baking dish, add the water, cover and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

4. Top with the lemon juice and parsley and serve.

Note: You can get besar spice blend in Seattle at World Spice Merchants.

Green Bean, Caramelized Onion & Apple Salad (V)

Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, sauteeing, blanching, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

2 T cooking oil

2 yellow onions, sliced thinly

1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thickly

salt & pepper TT

½ C water

1 1/2 # green beans, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces

3 carrots, trimmed & cut into half moons ¼” thick

1 head romesco cauliflower (a.k.a. broccoflower), diced ½” on a side

2 Fuji apples, cut into large dice (1/2” on a side)

3 T olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

salt & pepper TT

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The water should taste salty like the ocean.

2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the 2 T cooking oil. Add the onions and saute on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic. Drop the heat to low and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the ½ C water and cook another 10 minutes. The onions and garlic should be dark and gooey. Set them aside.

3. When the water’s boiling, drop the green beans in and get ready to pull them out again after 2 minutes. Spread them on a sheet pan to dry and cool.

4. Combine all remaining ingredients.

Berbere Broccoflower & Mushroom Chips (V)

Ingredients:
2/3 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced about 1/4" thick
3 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

1 T cooking oil
1/2 red onion, diced small
1 head broccoflower, core removed and cut about 1/2" on a side
salt & pepper TT
1 lemon, juiced
1 t berbere spice blend, or more TT

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the mushrooms with the first 3 T cooking oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until well-browned and crispy. When they dry, they should be like thick chips in texture.
3. While the mushrooms are roasting, heat a large saute pan over high heat and add the last of the cooking oil. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, then drop the heat to medium-high, add the broccoflower and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes more, then add the lemon juice and berbere. Add the mushroom chips. Serve as a salad by itself or as a topping for something else.

Redbor Kale & Pomegranate Salad (V)

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bu redbor kale, ribs removed and leaves cut bite-sized
salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 pomegranate, seeds removed
1 orange, juiced

Instructions:
1. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the first 2 T oil and then half of the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the first half of the kale leaves. Cook for 7-8 minutes more, stirring occasionally and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup or so water, stir, and cook until the water evaporates. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the oil, onion and kale. Allow to cool slightly and then add the pomegranate seeds and orange juice. Serve as a salad by itself or on top of other vegetables, meat or eggs.

Togarashi Braised Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 T cooking oil
6 chicken thighs or drumsticks

1/2 red onion, julienned
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and thickly sliced
1 bunch rainbow card, ribs and stems removed and leaves cut bite-sized

1/2 grapefruit, juiced
2 t togarashi shichimi powder (Japanese 7-spice), or to taste
1 t soy sauce, or to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the oil when the pan is hot, then add the chicken and brown well. Remove to a small baking dish.
3. Heat the same pan again over medium-high heat, then add the onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and chard. Cook for 7 minutes more, then mix in with the chicken.
4. Cover the baking dish and braise the chicken and veggies for one hour. Pull the meat off the bones when they're cool enough to handle, then add the remaining ingredients and taste for seasoning. Make some sandwiches with this filling and some shredded carrots. Delicious!

Roasted Eggplant Soup (V)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!!!


Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, roasting, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1 onion, cut into large rough chunks
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled
1 T cooking oil
salt and pepper TT

3 eggplants, cut into large dice (3/4" on a side)
1 onion, cut into large dice
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper TT

5 C water
(available vegetable trimmings)
1/2# tomatoes, cut into large rough chunks

1 Fuji apple, diced roughly
1 1/2# roma tomatoes, diced roughly
3 T olive oil

3/4# baby red potatoes, cut in quarters
2 T Harissa powder
salt and pepper TT

1/3 bu parsley, chopped finely
1 grapefruit, juiced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss together the first onion, the first 1/2 head of garlic cloves, the 1 T cooking oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then set aside.
3. Meanwhile, toss together the eggplants, second onion and 1/2 head garlic with the 3 T olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then set aside.
4. While that's roasting, start simmering the water in a large pot over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, vegetable trimmings, and roasted onion and garlic and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Strain when done.
5. In a food processor, puree the eggplant with the onion and garlic, and the Fuji apple, tomatoes and last 3 T olive oil. Thin out with stock if necessary. Add to the strained stock, then add the potatoes. Season the soup to taste with harissa powder, salt and pepper at this point. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are done. Add the grapefruit juice and parsley and taste for seasoning again. Serve.

Broccoflower Potato Salad (V, if you don't add the sausage)

Sorry to say it like this, but if you can't have fun with this vegetable, I feel deeply sad for you.


Cooking skills focus: Roasting, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1 1/2# baby red potatoes, cut in half
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper TT

2 T olive oil
1 # crimini mushrooms, sliced in half and thickly sliced
salt and pepper TT

4 sausages, cut or pulled into chunks 1/2" inch on a side

2 t maple syrup
3 T olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 C water
1/2 bu parsley, chopped finely.
salt and pepper TT
1 T Togarashi spice blend

2 heads broccoflower, diced small (1/4" on a side)
1 Fuji apple, diced medium (1/2" on a side)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss the potatoes with the first 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms with the second 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until brown and slightly crispy. Set aside.
4. Roast the sausage in the oven for 20 minutes or until well browned. Set aside
5. Whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper, Togarashi and parsley.
6. Toss the dressing over the broccoflower and apple in a large bowl. Add the mushrooms and potatoes, toss and serve with the sausage as an optional topping.

Tomato & Fennel Braised Chicken Sandwich

Eat them before they eat our babies!!!


Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, braising, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
8 chicken thighs, scored
salt and pepper TT

1 # roma tomatoes, cored & diced large (3/4" on a side)
1 bulb fennel, cored, outside peeled and sliced thinly

2 T cooking oil
1 onion, diced medium (1/2" on a side)
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and sliced
salt and pepper TT
1 T Berbere spice blend, ground

2 carrots, sliced thinly into coins
1/2 bu parsley, chopped finely

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken thighs in batches and brown well. Remove to a baking dish and set aside. Keep the saute pan out.
3. Heat the saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and fennel and saute for 5 minutes. Add to the baking dish with the chicken.
4. Heat the saute pan over high heat and add the next 2 T cooking oil. Add the onion and saute 3 minutes, then add the garlic and saute 5 minutes more. Add to the baking dish and mix everything together with the Berbere spice blend.
5. Braise covered for 45 minutes. Carefully pull out all the chicken bones and cartilage when done.
6. Stir in the carrots and parsley, and stuff into bread for sandwiches.

Near-Broccoli Naked Casserole (V)

You'll be cooking with broccoflower (above) and broccoli rabe, but not broccoli.


Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, sauteeing, roasting, baking, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
1 onion, julienned
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
salt & pepper TT

1 1/2 # roma tomatoes, cored & diced large (3/4" on a side)
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil
2/3 # chanterelle mushrooms, quickly rinsed & dried, then diced small (1/4" on a side)
salt & pepper TT

1 head broccoflower, diced medium (1/2" on a side)
1 bunch broccoli rabe, 1/2" inch trimmed off the end and sliced 1/2" thick
3 T olive oil
salt & pepper TT
1 T Adobo spice blend, ground
1 lemon, juiced

2 C couscous
1 C water
salt & pepper TT

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the 2 T cooking oil. Add the onion and saute on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic. Drop the heat to medium and saute for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set the onons and garlic aside. Keep the saute pan out.
3. Toss the tomatoes with the 2 T olive oil in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Keep the bowl out.
4. Meanwhile, heat the saute pan again over high heat and add the next 2 T cooking oil. Add the mushrooms and saute for 6-8 minutes, or until browned and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside.
5. In the large bowl, combine the broccoflower, broccoli rabe, roasted tomatoes, sauteed onions and garlic, the 3 T olive oil, lemon juice, additional salt and pepper and Adobo spice blend.
6. Put the couscous in the bottom of a baking dish and add the water. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garbanzo beans, then put the vegetable layer on top of the beans.
7. Bake covered in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the couscous is fully cooked.
8. Top with the sauteed chanterelle mushrooms and serve.

Dinosaur Pasta Stir-Fry!

Harness the power of the mighty dinosaurs to calm your roaring belly!

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil
1 onion, julienned
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 T butter, separated into three 1 T portions
2 C mushrooms, washed & sliced
1 bu lacinato ("DINO") kale, cut chiffonade
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 T soy sauce
1 lemon, juiced

1/2 lb dry pasta, cooked according to package instructions

Instructions:
1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the first 2 T cooking oil, then the onion and garlic, and some salt and pepper.
2. After 7-8 minutes of sauteeing, add the first 1 T butter and the mushrooms, and saute for 5 more minutes.
3. Add the next 1 T butter, the kale and the bell pepper and saute for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Stir in the soy sauce, lemon juice, and the last 1 T butter and then toss with freshly cooked pasta for a ferociously delicious meal!

The Mixer Salad

I made this for a mixer at a friend's house recently. I think the mixer may have evolved into a shindig at some point.

[In condensed recipe format]

2 T cooking oil
1 bu collard greens, ribs removed and cut into strips
1/2 C water
2 t soy sauce
black pepper TT

[heat a large saute pan, add the oil and saute the greens on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. then, add the soy sauce, water and pepper, stir, increase heat to a boil and boil off the water.]

2 T cooking oil
1 red onion, quartered and sliced
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
1/3 C water
1 t soy sauce
black pepper TT

[heat the saute pan again. add the oil and saute the onion and garlic on medium-high heat for 6 minutes. then, add the soy sauce, water and pepper, stir, increase heat to a boil and boil off the water.]

1 head cauliflower, cut bite-sized
3 carrots, cut about 1/2" on a side
1 bell pepper, cut 1/2" on a side
2 cans beans, drained
3 T olive oil
1 T truffle oil
1/2 t black pepper
1 T soy sauce

[combine all ingredients. serve now or later, hot or cold.]

8. saute/sweat

(Part of The Cookbook)

You've got a saute pan, which is a shallow, wide pan with a handle. You've got the pan hot. You put a bit of oil in the pan, and the oil can withstand a lot of heat because you very wisely chose vegetable, canola, grapeseed or peanut oil. And because the oil can withstand a lot of heat, it's getting really hot without smoking yet, and that's good for the flavor of your finished dish and for your health. You've got some food items all prepped and beautifully ready in little bowls next to the hot, oiled pan.

It's an exciting time, baby. You're about to saute.

Sauteeing is a dry heat cooking method. If you don't know what that means, stop and read this first. So, you'll be browning the food items you're sauteeing. You're cooking with a lot of heat and a little fat in a container that will allow steam to evaporate, rather than accumulating to create a steaming effect, which is a wet cooking method. Properly done, sauteeing cooks vegetables while preserving some of their natural crispness. It browns and cooks meat while preserving some natural juiciness. Improperly done, it makes a soggy mess; one of the main reasons this happens is either that the pan is overcrowded or the heat is too low, usually the former.

Flipping the items in the pan every four seconds is not sauteeing. Flip or stir the food every once in a while to make sure it's cooking evenly, but you need the food in contact with the pan for most of the time in order for it to cook properly.

Here are some great recipes for practicing sauteeing:

Chorizo, Apple & Kale Sandwich

Summer Afternoon Sandwich (V)

Pav Bhaji (V)

Caramelized Spring Onion Fried Eggs (v)

Cucumber & Sausage Green Salad

Roast Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Fresh Apple-Corn Relish

Lamb Heart Salad

Teresa's Delicious Wraps

Sauteed Asparagus with Walnuts & Lemons (V)

Sauteed Duck Breast with Pomegranate Seeds & Walnuts

Tuna & Broccoli Salad

Fall Lamb Salad

Apple & Kale Bread Salad (V)

Corn & Spiced Pork Tacos

Sweating is not sauteeing, but I included it here because it's a very similar process. Sweating is more of a wet cooking method than dry: it's basically low-heat sauteeing where it's OK to overcrowd the pan, since you want to encourage the steam from the food items to cook the other items around them. It's useful if you don't want to brown your food, or if you want to cook it gently.

Stir-frying is the opposite.. it's very high heat sauteeing, where you have to move the food around in the wok or pan quickly so it doesn't burn. It's fun! And healthy, because generally, the longer you cook something, the less nutritious it becomes (especially vegetables).

4. knife skills

(Part of The Cookbook)

An important revelation for me was that every knife cut you make in the prep phase affects the cooking phase. How could it be otherwise? The smaller the item you're cooking, the less time it takes to cook. Not just that, but the shape you cut things into affects their cooking, too. A carrot that's cut into long and flat planks will cook faster than the same-size carrot cut into cubes, because there's more surface area in the first shape to absorb heat. This is probably obvious to you, but I'm a bonehead sometimes.

So, by paying attention to the size of things I was cutting, I became a better cook. If you're cutting carrots, try to get them the same size and shape, and they will be ready at the same time. If you're cooking multiple things together (like you usually will), cut them so they'll be ready at the same time.

Cook this recipe a few times and you'll understand what I mean really well: Red Cabbage & Cashew Slaw, Stuffed Collard Greens and Red Quinoa with Caramelized Fennel

It's important to hold a knife correctly, but what you do with your other hand (your "guiding hand") is even more important. You must learn to use "the claw." You hold the item you're cutting, but you tuck your fingertips under your knuckles and you tuck your thumb behind your fingers. This feels really awkward at first, but it pays off, because if you keep your guiding hand in this position, it's nearly impossible to cut yourself. Eventually, you will develop a sense of your thumb or fingertips being in danger if you slip out of the claw position.

If you want lots of practice cutting things, buy a bag of potatoes. Practice your hand position and also practice dicing at the same time: Cut a flat bottom and rest the potato on it, then cut 1/2 inch wide planks, take the planks and cut them into 1/2 inch wide batons, then take the batons and cut them into 1/2 inch wide cubes. There, you just medium-diced a potato (small-dice is 1/4 inch on a side, and large-dice is 3/4 inch on a side). Repeat until you're out of potatoes, then make a bunch of mashed potatoes.

I hope you like mashed potatoes!

3. understand prep vs. production

(Part of The Cookbook)

In nearly every recipe, there's a crucial point to observe: The time it's OK to take a break. This magic time occurs between the preparation of ingredients for cooking and the beginning of the actual cooking (a.k.a.: prep vs. production). Most recipes omit this detail. In most of my recipes on this blog, the prep work is listed in with the ingredients (e.g.: "1 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced"), and the first step of the instructions marks the beginning of production.

The idea is that first, you wash and cut your produce, cut any meat, and get everything else physically together that you will need to make the dish. Once you've done that, you can take a little break. Or a long one. Sometimes you can prep a day or two in advance, if the quality of your ingredients won't suffer. This is what cooks do in restaurants; it's why you can get pot roast that needs to be cooked for 3 hours on your table 15 minutes after you order it, or risotto that takes 40 minutes to cook in the same 15 minutes. The pot roast was cooked already and cooled; it just needed reheating in some delicious sauce, which was also made in advance. The risotto was cooked 2/3 of the way, cooled, and finished when the cooks got your order. This is how you can make cooking at home easier. Even a short break makes the whole experience nicer for you.

So, once you've got everything in your dish washed, cut and assembled, take a rest. And do whatever you can do in advance. You'll have more fun cooking.

7. understand wet vs. dry cooking

(Part of The Cookbook)

With one exception, you don't create flavors when you make a dish. What you do is simply arrange foods and seasonings together so they complement each other and taste good, but the flavors in those foods are created by nature. I know you're with me so far.

The one thing you can do in the kitchen to add flavor is to brown a food item with heat. Browning changes the way a food tastes drastically. Think about the flavor of mushrooms simmered to doneness in a soup compared to mushrooms roasted crispy in a hot oven. Browning makes such a difference that it splits the whole world of cooking methods into three categories: wet cooking where no browning occurs, dry cooking where browning does occur, and combination cooking methods, where both wet and dry cooking takes place.

Wet cooking involves water somehow. Since water evaporates at 212 deg. F. and browning occurs between around 300 and 360 deg. F, you'll never get browning using a wet cooking method.

By understanding the nature of the cooking method you're thinking about using, you can more accurately predict what your result will be.

Wet cooking methods:
Boiling/simmering/poaching - immersion in hot, water-based liquid of varying temperature ranges
Steaming - contact with steam from some source of boiling water

Dry cooking methods:
Sauteeing - high heat, a little bit of fat in a shallow pan
Frying - high heat immersion in fat
Roasting/Broiling - contact with hot air (roasting) or proximity to a nearby object that radiates heat (broiling)
Baking - contact with hot air
Grilling - contact with heated metal and proximity to a nearby heat source

Combination cooking methods:
Braising/stewing - browning of large items (braising) or small items (stewing), then immersion in water-based liquid

For examples, you can find a list of recipes grouped by the above cooking methods here (scroll down to the "Browse by cooking method" section).

Why do I keep using the weird term "water-based liquid?" Well, oil's a liquid too, but it has nothing to do with wet cooking because it's not water.

There's another method that doesn't quite fit in the above categories. Sweating is low-heat sauteeing, and as a result, it doesn't brown food very much. It actually creates a steaming effect by gently bringing out the water in foods as steam. So, it's a kind of weird method. I like it, though. It's gentle and subtle.

In most cases, I think browning an item to develop flavors is a good idea and I do it a lot, even if I'm just going to add it to a soup later. If you put a little color on your onions by sauteeing them for a couple of minutes and then add them to your simmering stock, they'll add both the basic onion flavor and the rich, mellow, complex flavor of browned onion.

Given the choice of getting more or less flavor from something you paid for, which would you choose?

2. shop for meat

(Part of The Cookbook)

Caution: politics ahead.

Try to find a butcher shop you feel good buying meat from. You should be able to tell the butchers what you're planning to cook and have them recommend the right cut of meat and tell you the best way to cook it. (We'll go over cooking methods for meat later.) If there isn't one near you, go ahead and go to the supermarket for your meat. Wherever you go, do not purchase meat from factory farms. This is harder to do if you go to the supermarket, but it's possible if you're familiar with a few large-scale producers that are also sustainable. Chicken from Draper Valley Farms in Oregon and Washington is a great example. You should be able to get a little information about where your meat is coming from. At a good butcher, the name of the farm the meat came from will be right on the price tag. Or, you should be able to ask the butcher.

But most of the meat you'll find in the supermarket is garbage, the product of over-subsidized, over-produced commodity crops like corn, and the practices of huge agricultural corporations focused on making money at the expense of their products' nutritional value and their customers' health. Sustainabletable.org put together a great list of reasons to buy meat produced in a sustainable manner, here: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/  The list is even alphabetized.

You'll notice that "happy" meat looks healthier and smells better even before you cook it. It tastes better. That's because sustainable producers don't cut the corners that large conventional factory farms cut in order to drive their prices down. You'll also quickly notice that the meat is more expensive. Yep, that's what it costs to produce meat that isn't full of growth hormones and antibiotics, and packed into stacked cages or feedlots with such concentrations that their waste becomes impossible to contain. Remember the egg recall? The source of the salmonella was likely rodents getting into the chicken feed and pooping there. I remember an industry spokesperson defending their practice by saying something like, "You could have the same problem with pests whether you have an operation with a hundred or a million chickens." But which pest problem is easier to clean up? The sheer scale of such huge operations makes it nearly impossible to keep them clean and their products healthy for consumption. They do things to compensate, like feeding the animals antibiotics, washing their meat in chlorine baths or treating it with ammonia before you buy it, but those things aren't good for people, either.

Are they evil? I say no. They're responding to the public demand for lots of cheap meat. They're just selling us what they think we want so they can make money. I believe that the public demand needs an adjustment so it's more in line with our health needs.

So, good meat's expensive, but if you eat less of it,  you can easily afford it. Most American diets are really meat-heavy. If you do eat a lot of meat now, a good way to wean yourself off it a bit is to try cooking with smaller amounts of nicer meat and notice the difference in the way the food tastes and the way you feel afterwards. Your palate and your body cannot lie to you. Pay attention to them and you'll be rewarded.

And, we're off the soapbox now. Thanks for your patience.

Oh, what cuts of meat should you buy? Mostly things you can braise. They're cheap and really flavorful.

14. braise/stew

(Part of The Cookbook)

(I will put things here soon. Good things)

0. have some basic ingredients on hand

(Part of The Cookbook)

Some things last for a recipe, like meats and produce. And some things last for several recipes, like these:

salt (kosher is best)
pepper (nice, freshly ground pepper makes a big difference in flavor)
high-heat cooking oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or peanut oil
vinegar or extra lemons
unsalted butter
olive oil

I would say that if you're just getting started cooking from scratch, you need at least these things. You may think that it's a short list and if you think that, you're right. You use mostly fresh ingredients when you cook from scratch.

-1. have some basic equipment

(Part of The Cookbook)

You need tools for any job. You need cooking tools for cooking jobs, and I think you should have at least these tools:

a chef's knife
a bread knife
a smaller knife that you like

a cutting board

a medium saucepan (2-3 qts)
a medium saute pan (around 8-10 inches)
a large pot (around 2 gallons)
a large wire mesh strainer
a couple spoons, one slotted
a rubber spatula
a baking dish (preferably with a cover)
a sheet pan or two
2-3 mixing bowls, at least one large
a whisk
a pair of metal tongs

I won't insult you by telling you to get things as basic as dinnerware, flatware & can openers, because you wouldn't try to open a can with a knife anyway. Messy. Blood and crying.

1. shop for produce

(Part of The Cookbook)


I believe that one of the most important steps in cooking from scratch is selecting seasonal and affordable produce. If you do that first and then buy other things to complement the produce, it's pretty easy to cook without using a recipe.


So, I go to the produce stand first. Produce is a bigger variable than meat (more seasonal), and I like to cook food with a lot of veggies and a little or no meat, so once I get the produce together, I'll know what other things to get. I look first in the "#2" or slightly blemished produce bins, which exist at (I think) all the produce stands in the Pike Place Market, and many stands at neighborhood farmer's markets, too. The availability of these cosmetically damaged but still very nutritious and cheap items is even more of a variable than the rest of the produce. So, by starting there and building around those first selected items, you're maximizing your food dollars already. Some places sell pre-packaged bags of slightly blemished produce instead of keeping them in bins.

Still at the produce stand, after getting everything I can from the "#2" bins, I continue by selecting things that I like and that are in season. Ask someone if you don't know what's in season, but sometimes I can tell just by looking closely at everything and noticing which fruits and veggies almost appear to be glowing, their colors are so happy and vibrant. When I think I have about enough produce, I start physically grouping items together into clusters. If I think or know that things will taste good together, I put them together. Then I start thinking in terms of the types of dishes I like to make (salads, sandwiches, naked casseroles, soups, etc.), and I see which clusters of produce might fit those categories. I grab anything else I need to complete the recipes, which are at that point created in terms of what I know I will be cooking together.

Then I just go and get whatever else I need in terms of bread, grains, or whatever else I need to make the recipes I decided on at the produce stand. I write the details of the recipes later, which I will admit was a pain in the butt for me to start doing, but I'm glad I made myself do it because I'm able to share my recipes now. So, the next time you come up with something new, consider writing it down. I'd like to see it!

That's my process. If you've ever seen me stand for long periods of time at the produce stand with a vacant look on my face, now you know why.

If you want information on seasonal produce before you go to the farmer's market, here's an awesome site for that: http://seasonalcornucopia.com/sc/default.asp

September CK Digest

Hello fellow eaters!

Thanks to those who came out to the Senior Center Thursday night. I had a great time cooking with you! It was a lovely group, filling the kitchen with lots of fun and energy. The recipes are attached*, so if you couldn't make it, you should try them at home. Let me know how they work for you, or if you come up with a variation on one.

We made some delicious food. I like these recipes, although I was planning to go with a different theme until a couple days before the community kitchen. My original plan was to research the cuisines of a few different countries, select a few traditional dishes that I thought would use a reasonable amount of in-season produce, and cook those recipes. We'll probably do that next month, and I think that'll be a nice change from the usual completely new and sometimes unusual combinations.

But I didn't do that research! Failed! So what to do? I just went with my normal process for writing recipes for the CKs. We actually talked about it at the Thursday CK as we ate our salad, but I'd like to repeat it here:

First, I go to the produce stand. I go there first because produce is a bigger variable than meat (more seasonal) and because I like to cook food with a lot of veggies and a little or no meat, so once I get the produce together, I'll know exactly what meat to get. I look first in the "#2" or slightly blemished produce bins, which exist at (I think) all the produce stands in the Pike Place Market, and many stands at neighborhood farmer's markets, too. The availability of these cosmetically damaged but still very nutritious and cheap items is even more of a variable than the rest of the produce. So, by starting there and building around those first selected items, you're maximizing your food dollars already. Some places sell pre-packaged bags of slightly blemished produce instead of keeping them in bins.

Still at the produce stand, after getting everything I can from the "#2" bins, I continue by selecting things that I like and that are in season. Ask someone if you don't know what's in season, but sometimes I can tell just by looking closely at everything and noticing which fruits and veggies almost appear to be glowing, their colors are so happy and vibrant. When I think I have about enough produce, I start physically grouping items together into clusters. If I think or know that things will taste good together, I put them together. Then I start thinking in terms of the types of dishes I like to make (salads, sandwiches, naked casseroles, soups, etc.), and I see which clusters of produce might fit those categories. I grab anything else I need to complete the recipes, which are at that point created in terms of what I know I will be cooking together.

Then I just go and get whatever else I need in terms of bread, grains, or whatever else I need to make the recipes I decided on at the produce stand. I write the details of the recipes later, which I will admit was a pain in the butt for me to start doing, but I'm glad I made myself do it because I'm able to share my recipes now. So, the next time you come up with something new, consider writing it down. I'd like to see it!

That's my process. If you've ever seen me stand for long periods of time at the produce stand with a vacant look on my face, now you know why.

cheers!

-ryan

*The recipes were:

Chorizo, apple & kale sandwich

Togarashi Naked Casserole

Crazy Vegetable Salad

Harissa-spiked chicken & corn stew with pineapple

Black Pepper Pineapple

Chorizo, Apple & Kale Sandwich

From the September Pike Market Community Kitchen at the Pike Market Senior Center.


Cooking skills focus: Sauteeing, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1 t cooking oil
6 chorizo sausages (Spanish style, fresh, not cured), sliced 1/2" thick
1 T cooking oil (if needed, see below)
2 bu kale, ribs removed & cut bite-sized
1 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
salt & pepper TT
1 lemon, juiced
3 apples, diced medium (1/2" or so on a side)

Instructions:
1. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. When you can see some wavy smoke lines coming from the pan, add the 1 t oil. Allow it to heat up for a few seconds, coating the pan, and get ready to add the chorizo.
2. Add the chorizo and brown well. reduce heat to medium-high and cook through. Remove and set aside. Heat the pan again over medium-high heat.
3. You will be adding the kale in batches since the pan won't hold all of it at once without being really overcrowded. Before the first batch, if there isn't enough combined oil and fat rendered off the chorizo to coat the bottom of the pan with a decent layer, add up to 1 T cooking oil.
4. Add the kale and garlic in batches, season with salt and pepper and stir gently, cooking each batch for 6-8 minutes or until the kale is well-wilted. When everything's cooked, mix it on a bowl with the chorizo and add the lemon juice. Taste it and season it with salt and pepper if it needs it. Add the apple.
5. Stuff it in a sliced, toasted baguette and eat it!

Taste how the sweetness of the apple complements the spiciness of the chorizo, the tartness of the lemon contrasted with the savory depth of the onion, garlic and kale, and how the textures create a variety of mingled sensations on your mouth. Great job!