Brussels Sprouts for Jess! (with pancetta and balsamic glaze)

A few years ago, I cooked dinner for a few of my friends and family while visiting home from NYC.  I completely forgot to post the recipes that I made that night, but promised Jessica I would do so.  Here is my attempt at recollecting how I made these brussels sprouts!

Ingredients: 

About 1/2 - 1 cup of pancetta (depending on how much you want), diced 

A couple Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil

12 oz of Brussels sprouts (about 20 - 24 medium sprouts), trimmed and cut in half

1/4 - 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp. butter

Recipe: 

1. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat that is big enough to hold the amount of brussels sprouts.  Once heated, pour in about a Tbsp or two of olive oil.  Add in pancetta and cook until a bit crispy (about 10 minutes).

2. Once the pancetta is cooked, remove it onto a plate with a paper towel (with a slotted spoon!  This way, the flavor from the pancetta will help cook the brussels sprouts).  There should be enough fat still left in the pan, however, if not, add about another Tbsp. of olive oil and make sure it's hot before adding the brussels sprouts.

3. Turn up the heat to medium and add the brussels sprouts.  Cook for a few minutes until they start to brown.  Once this happens, add about 1/2 cup of water and cover the pan. After about 4-5 minutes, you should be able to easily pierce the brussels sprouts with a fork.  

4. Remove the brussels sprouts with a slotted spoon.  If there is more water in the pan, just let it boil off.  Once this is done, add the balsamic vinegar to the pan.  Boil the vinegar for about two minutes, turn down the heat to low, and then add butter (so the butter doesn't burn).  

5. Once the butter is melted, add both the pancetta and the brussels sprouts back to the pan and evenly coat with the balsamic glaze!

Enjoy!!

Chicken Korma

I NEVER cook from cookbooks but a close friend, whom I trust to only give me the best advise, recommended the Williams-Sonoma 'Essentials of Slow Cooking' Cookbook.  Well, to my disbelief, ALL the recipes have turned out AMAZING! (obvi... its william-sonoma)

So I had to post this and recommend everyone get this cookbook!

1/2 cup canola oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2-inch cinnamon stick (I used ground cinnamon)

2 bay leaves

1 T. ground coriander

1 t. ground turmeric

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. ground cumin

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1 T. sugar

salt

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1/2 wide

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts

3 T. chopped fresh cilantro

In a large frying pan (I use my dutch oven to make it a 1 pot meal) over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil.  Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and cumin and saute until the spices are fragrant and evenly coat the chopped onion, about 1 minute.  Stir in broth, tomato sauce, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and de-glaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil.

STOVE TOP:  Add chicken strips into broth-spice mixture and stir to coat.  Partially cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is thickened, about 1 hour.

SLOW COOKER:  Transfer the broth-spice mixture to a slow cooker.  Add the chicken strips and stir to coat.  Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is thickened, 3 hours on the high-heat setting or 6 hours on the low-heat setting.

About 15 minutes before the chicken is done, combine the buttermilk and cashews in blender or food processor.  Blend or process until the nuts are finely pureed and combined with the buttermilk.  Add to the chicken and stir to blend with the chicken and sauce.  Continue cooking until the sauce is completely heated through and thick, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard the cinnamon stick (if used) and bay leaves.

Divide the chicken and sauce among warmed bowls, garnish with the cilantro, and serve at once.

About 

Sweet & Spicy Thai Chicken Pizza

This is one of my FAVORITE pizzas!!! Not traditional and such a fun change for a weekly norm.

1 package store bought pizza dough

1 jar Sweet Thai Chili Sauce (trader joes has it)

1/2 T. red pepper flakes

5 slices 'canadian bacon', each cut in 4 pieces ... americans don't have 'real' canadian bacon apparently- it's pretty much ham here. so if you want to save money just get 4 slices of ham.

4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1/2 tomato, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 cup chopped pineapple (or more... )

2 cups mozzarella cheese

3 green onions chopped 

1. Preheat oven to the packaged temperature for the pizza dough.

2. Prep pizza dough as directed on package.

3. Par-bake pizza for 2 minutes (this helps the dough from not becoming soggy when all the toppings go on)

4. Take pizza out of oven and spread sauce on pizza (the more the better)

5.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and layer the following:

- 'canadian bacon'/ham

- 'real' bacon

- tomato

- bell pepper

- pineapple

- cheese

6. Bake as directed or until cheese has melted and is bubbly

7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped green onion!

Serve with a asian slaw and enjoy!

Tabouli (Parsley Salad)

3 large bunches of parsley
1/3 cup burghul (crushed wheat #2)
2 cups water
4 green onions, with ends
1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)
2 large tomatoes (diced small & seeded)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup lemon juice (or to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil

Wash parsley well, drain and shake out excess water.
Soak crushed wheat in water in large mixing bowl for 20 minutes, stirring the wheat every 5ish minutes.
Drain well and set aside. Remove stems from parsley and chop fine (I put the parsley in the food processor and pulse a few times till "chopped finely").
Add wheat, tomatoes, and green onion and mix.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

*To serve, line outside of a platter with romaine leaves, green ends facing out. Add tabouli in center of platter. Scoop tabouli with leaves and eat! (it's kinda like an arab lettuce wrap!)

Hommous Bi Tahini (Hummus)

In lou of Lent, I thought we should post some "veggi" foods... since we are supposed to be fasting from meat and dairy. If you have a chance to go to a middle eastern store to get Tahini, DO IT! it's worth it. I usually use the glass jarred Tahini's... usually the brand "MidEast"

1 19oz can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, liquid saved and set aside
1/4 cup sesame seed past (Tahini)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup lemon juice (or to taste)

Combine all the above ingredients in a food processor, adding only enough of the reserved liquid to meet your satisfaction...(the more liquid added, the thinner the dip). Blend for 2-3 minutes to a smooth consistancy.
*Place in a shallow bowl or on a platter, smooth out. Take a spoon and add little divits in the hummus. Sprinkle with good olive oil and garnish center with parsley sprigs, lemon wedges, or a tomato rose.

Serve with Pita Bread (also worth getting fresh at a middle eastern store)

Arabic Rice

1/2 cup vermicelli (cut into 1 inch pieces)

1/4 cup unsalted butter (or clarified butter)

1 1/2 cups rice

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups water

Brown vermicelli with butter in saucepan.  Add rice stirring over medium heat for 1 minute.  Stir in salt and water.  Turn to high heat and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to simmer; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.

   *when rice is tender, there may be some liquid at the bottom of the pan.  After it has cooked, let rice sit for 10-15 minutes to absorb and liquid and "set" the rice.  Cooking time varies.

   *Garnish with toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.

Lubi bi Ziet (Green Bean Stew)

2 cans green beans or 2 lbs. fresh or frozen

1 medium onion, diced

3 T. olive oil or vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1.4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

water

1 can tomato paste

In a saucepan, saute onions with oil until almost brown.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute.  Add tomato paste and cook about 2 min.  Using the can from the tomato paste, add 3 cans of water.

Bring to a boil and add salt, pepper, and cinnamon.  Cook 5 minutes.

Drain and rinse green beans and add to the tomato mixture.  Let cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. 

Serve over Arabic Rice 

Laham Bi Ajeen (also a meat pie)

1 lb lean ground beef

1 t. dried Mint

1 t. Lemon Pepper

1 T. Paprika

1/2 t. Chili Pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)

1 T. Flour

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 1/2 t. Salt

1 Onion, minced

1 Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped

1/2 Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

1/2 bunch Parsley, finely chopped

1 15oz can  Diced Tomatoes, well drained

2 T. Tomato Paste

Pine Nuts

Pizza dough

Mix beef with hands with first 7 ingredients.

Add all other ingredients except pine nuts and mix well.

Spread onto little stretched out rounds of pizza dough about 6" in diameter, pressing meat into dough so it stays.  

Sprinkle with a few pine nuts.

Bake in oven at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until meat is cooked and dough is done.

This mixture is enough for (2) 1lb packages of pizza dough. 

(I've baked a whole pizza with the mixture... it only took half of this mixture to make a 15" pizza)

You can also make little turbans (pictured) or triangles like the spinach pies.

Fataya (Mom's Meat Pies!)

Mary and I are still trying to get Mom to post something on One Family Four Kitchens.  But of course, trying to explain how to "post" something over the phone 1500 miles away is nearly impossible.  (we are still trying to teach her how to scan something and send it in an email... sorry mom!)

So here is Mom's Meat Pies!

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, finely chopped

1 t. salt

1 t. Lemon Pepper

1-2 Lemons, juiced

Dash or 2 of cinnamon (this is the most important thing, next to the lemon juice)

2 cans Pillsbury Biscuits Dough (the blue can)

Brown meat and onions, chopping meat into small pieces while in pan.

Drain if needed and start adding the rest of the ingredients while you are still cooking the mixture.

Cut biscuits in half so you have 2 circles.  Roll them out with rolling pin on floured board so they are about 4 inches in diameter

Add a tablespoon or two of meat mixture at one edge of dough

Roll meat in dough so like a cigar. (or you can do it in triangles like the spinach pies)

Bake at 375-400 degrees for 8 minutes or until dough is light brown in color.

Remove from oven and serve! 

As a child, being one of the only "brunettes" in our neighborhood, my parents would pack these in our lunches instead of a sandwich.  I didn't know the difference till I got older... I thought everyone knew what a meat pie was!

Fataya (spinach Pies)

1 lb. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry

1 Small Onion, chopped fine

1 t. salt

1/2t. lemon pepper 

juice of 2 lemons

dash or two of cinnamon

2 T. Olive Oil 

Pizza Dough (or buy Bridgeford frozen rolls or loaves of bread)

Mix all ingredients together except dough.

Roll out 4" rounds from dough.

Add 1-2 Tablespoon of spinach mixture to middle of dough

make a triangle with dough, pinching the seams together.

Spray a baking sheet with oil and place spinach pies on sheet 1 inch apart from one another

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Take out of oven and brush with olive oil immediately