Green Curry with Bok Choy

I wanted to cook something green but healthy for St Patrick’s Day. Again, I found another curry recipe in the Cooking Light magazine. This time the curry is inspired in a Thai version. The dish is beautiful and tasty, check the recipe here. Check their picture of the dish, it's super beautiful!

I used ½ onion instead of shallots, coconut oil in place of the sesame oil, and 2 teaspoons of sugar instead of 4. The broccoli and bok choy came from Door to Door Organics and they were as fresh they could possible be!  I served with brown rice but because the flavors of this dish are so delicate, I would serve it with steamed white rice next time. I also think that the recipe yields to more than 4 servings.

Moroccan Spiced Lamb-and-Rice Meatballs

I went through my Japanese and Indian food phase. I am still having some Indian food cravings. But Moroccan has been in my mind a lot lately. I found this recipe that sounded delicious and tried it. It took a long time to make, maybe because it was the first time I was making it, but it’s worth it. This dish fragrant and full of flavor!

I followed the recipe for the most part. The only changes I made were that I used 1 tablespoon of butter instead of 4and ½ tablespoon of salt instead of 1 ½. I opted for making the ras el hanout but it is optional, I bet the dish will taste wonderful even without it.

Moroccan Spiced Lamb-and-Rice Meatballs

(From http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/moroccan-spiced-lamb-and-rice-meatballs)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup medium-grain rice, such as arborio

2 medium onions, 1 quartered and 1 thinly sliced

1 cup cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup mint leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Scant 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

(substitution = 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.)

Scant 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Scant 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout (optional; see Notes)

Kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb

4 1/2 cups water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a small bowl, soak the rice in water for 15 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well. 

In a food processor, pulse the quartered onion with the cup of cilantro leaves and the mint, cumin, paprika, allspice, cayenne, ras el hanout and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt until pureed. Scrape the puree into a large bowl and mix in the ground lamb and rice. 

Line a large baking sheet with plastic wrap. Using lightly moistened hands, roll rounded tablespoons of the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and transfer them to the baking sheet. 

Pour the 4 1/2 cups of water into a large, deep skillet. Add the sliced onion, butter, parsley, crushed red pepper and saffron to the skillet and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the meatballs; they will not fit in a single layer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over moderately low heat until the meatballs are cooked and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir gently once or twice halfway through. 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a large platter. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl and skim off as much fat as possible. Return the cooking liquid to the skillet and boil over high heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. 

Return the meatballs to the sauce and simmer over moderate heat until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro and the lemon juice, season with salt and serve with pita bread.

Notes:

Ras el hanout, a Moroccan blend of up to 30 spices, including ginger, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorns and cloves, is available at Middle Eastern markets

Ras el Hanout

http://cookalmostanything.blogspot.com/2006/04/ras-el-hanout.html

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon cardamom seeds

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon cayenne

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat up the seeds and peppercorns in a frying pan. Dry fry until aromatic, about a minutes. Place all the ingredients into a food processor/mill and process until smooth.

Grilled Lamb Chops with English Mint Sauce

These were our last loin chops… we already ordered another lamb but it will be here only by the end of January. This mint sauce is delicious and it lightens up the meat. Serve in individual small bowls. Just dip every bite into the sauce.

I decided to make a rice with Brussels sprouts in the last minute so there is no recipe for it. I cooked the halved sprouts in a bit of olive oil and salt for 5 minutes, covered. Then added the cooked brown rice, a dollop of butter and some lime rind. Ready.

Lamb Chops with English Mint Sauce

4 servings

Ingredients:

Mint Sauce:

Makes 1 cup

(adapted from Joy of Cooking)

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons boiling water

4 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

16 to 20 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Lamb:

4 loin lamb chops 1.5" thick

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

Instructions:

To make the mint sauce stir in together brown sugar and boiling water in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Then stir in chopped mint leaves and vinegar. Cover and let stand for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Preheat broiler. Mix oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush lamb chops with the oil mix. Broil in a sheet pan 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Serve each lamb chop with 1/2 cup of mint sauce on the side.

Fall Salad

I apologize if I don’t have a detailed recipe for this salad, but I guess it’s pretty easy to make, there is no mystery!

Fall Salad

Shredded beets, shredded carrots, baby lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, sesame seeds, mint. Beets, carrots, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes from CSA. Pear tomatoes from my garden. Dressing: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil. 

Mint Eggplant Salad

I served this dish with the kibbeh. It was a perfect combination!

Mint Eggplant Salad

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 Japanese eggplants

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

1/2 cups fresh parsley, chopped

1 can white beans, drained

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prick eggplant(s) with a fork.

Bake whole until tender (about 20 minutes). In the last 5 minutes, add garlic wrapped in a piece of foil. Remove eggplant from oven, put in a bowl and cover with a towel for 5 to 10 minutes. Peel and cut in coarse pieces.

Toss with white beans, diced cucumber, mint, parsley. Dress with kosher salt, olive oil, lemon juice.

Kibbeh

Brazil has a large community of Middle Eastern immigrants/descedants (mostly Lebanese and Syrians) and their cuisine is big part of our daily lives. Some of their foods, such as sfiha and kibeh are so popular that they are sold in fast food chains.

The seasonings for kibbeh varies and the recipe here is my own. You can check the web for traditional. The original recipe calls for frying. I bake it. Some versions add stuffing to it, which I think is delicious, but adds more meat to it.

Today I made this dish with ground turkey, not traditional at all. Because turkey is a drier meat, I added an additional ½ grated onion. I am serving the kibbeh with tabbouleh, and a fresh salad.

Kibbeh

8 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs finely ground beef or lamb, lean

2/3 cup bulgur

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup fresh mint, chopped

1 pinch of cinnamon and ground clove, or a pinch of allspice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven 375 F.

Soak bulgur for 1 to 3 hours in cold water. Drain. Place in a large bowl and combine with ground meat, chopped onion, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mint, cinnamon.

Combine well. You can use a food processor if you like. Press the mixture into a baking pan, smooth the surface with a knife. Cut into diamond shape pieces. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, until it starts browning. Garnish with mint leaves and lime wedges upon serving (optional).