Harissa-Spiked Chicken & Corn Stew with Pineapple

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

Cooking skills focus: Preparing meat for cooking, braising/stewing, balancing flavors

Ingredients:
1 qt chicken stock (homemade is strongly preferred, but sometimes you have to make do)
1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 T cooking oil
8 chicken thighs, meat cut off the bone & diced about 1/2" on a side
salt & pepper TT
1 yellow onion, diced 1/2" on a side
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled & sliced thinly

6-7 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
4 Yukon gold potatoes, diced 1/2" on a side
4 T harissa spice blend
salt & pepper TT (about 2-3 T salt and 1 T pepper)
water if needed (see below)

1/2 pineapple, diced about 1/2" on a side

Instructions:
1. In a large pot, heat the stock and tomatoes together to a simmer, over medium-low.
2. 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 the oil to heat up for a few seconds, coating the pan, then add the chicken, season with some salt & pepper and brown well, for about 3-4 minutes on high. Be careful, especially when moving the chicken around in the pan!
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and stir in the onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes and then add to the simmering stock & tomatoes.
4. Add the corn, potatoes and seasoning. Add a little more water if needed but keep the consistency stew-like. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minues to an hour, until the potatoes are done and the chicken is tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
5. Serve with the pineapple as a garnish in the middle of each bowl.

This recipe embodies the power of balancing flavors. You have sweet and savory playing together in a multitude of ways, given the chicken, onion and garlic as savory, the corn and tomato as sweet and savory combined, the harissa spice blend as sweet and savory also but in the form of spices, and the pineapple as sweet but also tangy, and that pineapple tangyness reaching back to the tomato's delicious acidity and connecting there. It's a complex web of flavors that's pretty easy to create.

Stuffed Potatoes Two Ways

The two ways are: (1) Vegan, and (2) Decidedly not vegan. So you get to please everybody.

Well, except picky eaters, but you didn't invite them anyway.

Makes: a lot

Ingredients:
12 medium red or yellow potatoes, cut in half
3 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

3/4 lb mushrooms, washed & sliced thinly
2 T cooking oil
plenty of salt & pepper TT
1/2 pt cherry tomatoes, diced
1 t red wine vinegar

2 T cooking oil
2 shallots, peeled & sliced
2 bu mustard greens, washed & rough chopped
1 head garlic, peeled & sliced thinly
4 ears corn, shucked & kernels cut off the cob
salt & pepper TT
1 t mustard

1 t cooking oil
2 Merguez sausages, diced
2 other sausage (we used sausage made from BAAAAAACON *droooool*)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss the potatoes in 3 T cooking oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on sheet pans and begin to roast for 25-30 minutes or until golden and soft inside.
3. Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms with the 2 T cooking oil, salt and pepper and begin to roast in the oven for 20 minutes. When done, toss with the tomatoes and vinegar.
4. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat and add 2 T cooking oil. Add the shallots and brown for 2 minutes. hen add the mustard greens and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and cook another 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide into two parts and add the mustard to one part.
5. Heat the sauté pan again over high heat and add the last 1 t cooking oil. Add the diced sausage and cook until done and slightly crispy.
6. When they're cool enough to handle, scoop out a divot from each potato half to make room for the filling. Reserve the potato for another use like meat or vegetable hash, or a pureed soup.
7. For the vegan potatoes, layer from the bottom: corn/mustard greens (w/o mustard), then mushroom/tomato. For the meat ones: corn/mustard greens (w/ mustard), then sausage.

Roast Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Fresh Apple-Corn Relish

This was one of those "just throw it together" things that turned out really well.

Ingredients:
1 t oil
about 2 lbs pork tenderloin
salt & pepper TT

1 t oil
3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
salt & pepper TT
1 lemon, juiced
1 Fuji apple, diced

1 baguette, sliced thinly

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Season the tenderloin well with salt and pepper.
3. Get a large saute pan hot over high heat, then add the first teaspoon of oil. Allow to heat up, then brown the tenderloin well. Transfer to a baking dish and roast in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until pretty firm to the touch.
4. Let the meat rest for 5-7 minutes under cover on a cutting board, so it remains moist when you cut into it.
5. Get the same saute pan hot over medium-high heat, add the last of the oil and the corn. Saute for 4-5 minutes.
6. Cut the heat and add the lemon juice. Scrape the good stuff off the bottom of the pan, turning it into a sauce with the lemon juice. Add the apple. Taste it. Mmmmm. Taste it again. Mmmmmm.
7. Cut the tenderloin into thin slices. Make sandwiches with the bread, pork and the corn relish.

Corn and Spiced Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

1 T and 1 t cumin and chili powder blend

Salt and pepper TT

2½ lb ground pork

2 T oil

4 ears corn, kernels cut off cob

3 bunches radish, quartered

½ head garlic, peeled and sliced

1 T oil

2 limes, juiced

corn tortillas

Instructions:

Season pork with the salt, pepper and cumin/chili powder mixture. Brown in large sauté pan with 2 T oil. Set aside.

Heat pan, add corn, radish and garlic, and sauté a few minutes. Add lime juice. Add to pork.

Heat tortillas, fill with mixture and serve.