Bulgur Brown Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS

½    cup bulgur

½    cup brown rice

½    cup snow peas

2     medium tomatoes, diced ½ inch

4     green onions, sliced diagonal ½ inch

¼    cup crumbled feta cheese

¼    cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2    tablespoons white wine vinegar

2    tablespoons olive oil

2    tablespoons lime juice

2    tablespoons honey

METHOD

In separate sauce pans, cook bulgur and brown rice according to package directions. Drain if necessary and set aside in a large bowl. Remove the strings from the peas and cut into ½ inch pieces on the diagonal. Add to the bowl.

Add the tomatoes, the green onions, the feta cheese and the chopped parsley to the bowl and mix all the ingredients. Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, lime juice and honey. Serve individual servings and pass the dressing separately.

Sauerkraut Stew

This is an old time recipe from Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Chill overnight. 

INGREDIENTS

4    strips of bacon

½   pound lamb, cut into ½  inch pieces

½   pound pork,  cut into ½  inch pieces

½   beef short rib meat, cut into ½ inch pieces

1    medium purple onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)

1    large carrot, grated

2    stalks celery, chopped small

4    cloves garlic, minced

½   cup water

1    boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½  inch pieces

2    pounds sauerkraut (1 large jar)

1    teaspoon dried marjoram or tarragon

METHOD

Place the bacon into a large (4 to 5 quart) sauce pan or Dutch oven and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon and half of the fat and reserve the fat. Chop the bacon and return to the sauce pan. Add the lamb, pork and spareribs to the sauce pan and cook on high until the meat is browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cover and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until the onions are golden brown. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the water and continue to simmer.

Meanwhile, using the reserved fat in another skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken pieces and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until thoroughly cooked.  Reserve the fat and chicken.

Drain and add the sauerkraut to the large sauce pan with the meat and vegetables. Add the marjoram and simmer until the sauerkraut is slightly browned and the meat is tender. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for 24 hours. Reheat and serve with sour cream on the side.

Based on a recipe from All Along the Danube by Marina Polvay,  Hippocrene Books, Inc.,1992, New York.  First published in1979 by Prentice Hall, Inc. 

Pork Chops Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2     tablespoons olive oil

2-4   bone in center cut pork chops

½   cup chopped white onion or shallot

4    cloves garlic, minced

1    cup dry red table wine

½   cup dried cranberries (Crasins)

¼   cup red wine vinegar

1    tablespoon grated orange peel

¼   cup orange juice

1    tablespoon all-purpose flour

METHOD

In a skillet over medium-high heat and large enough to hold all of the pork chops, add the olive oil. When warmed, add the pork chops and brown them on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until they are tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, cranberries, vinegar, orange peel and orange juice. Mix to combine and return the pork chops, settling them into the mixture.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cove r and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the chops over and continue to cover and cook for 6 more minutes. Remove the chops and set aside. Add and stir in  the flour. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve each chop with a spoonful of sauce.

Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

Italian Flavored Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

1    cup all-purpose flour *

1    tablespoon baking powder

¼   teaspoon salt

2    teaspoons dried oregano

¼   cup grated Parmesan cheese

1    beaten egg

2    tablespoons olive oil

3    teaspoons minced garlic

1    tablespoon tomato paste

1    cup 2% milk

METHOD

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, oregano and Parmesan cheese. In a small  bowl, mix together the egg, olive oil, garlic and tomato paste.

Whisk the egg mixture and ½ cup of milk into the flour mix. When mixed, add another ¼ cup of milk and whisk that in. The batter should be thick and heavy and not pour well. Slowly mix in parts of the last ¼ cup of milk until the batter becomes just thin enough to pour well – you may not use all of the milk or may need just a bit more.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add ¼ cup of batter. Cook until bubbles rise in the pancake and the edges look stiff, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the pancake over and cook again for 2 to 3 minutes until browned. Remove to a separate plate and keep warm. Continue with the remainder of the batter, one pancake at a time.

*NOTE: Mix two flours if so desired, but always have ½ cup of all-purpose. I tried with ½ cup of garbanzo bean flour and it worked well.

Cherries and Pearls

INGREDIENTS

1    cup chopped dried cherries

1    tablespoon olive oil

1    cup chopped red onion

1    cup pearl couscous

2    cups water

½   cup crumbled feta cheese

¼   cup chopped flat leaf parsley

¼   chopped scallions

2    tablespoons white wine vinegar

METHOD

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small sauce pan and add the dried cherries. Remove from the heat and allow the cherries to steep while the couscous is prepared. Drain before use.

In a medium sauce pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the red onions.  Cook them  for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the couscous and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes until just golden brown.

Add the water, bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove to a serving bowl and add the drained cherries. Allow the couscous to cool slightly before adding the feta, parsley, scallions and mixing in the vinegar. Serve immediately.

Adapted from a recipe in Food.com

Shrimp and Pearls

The photo at the right shows how this was originally derived. The recipe shows how I would cook this the next time. The shrimp were cooked apart as were the tomatoes. The tarragon was put in with the tomatoes rather than with the couscous. They asked for plain white wine, not a fortified wine that adds flavor. There was butter and olive oil – now gone. They used large shrimp which cost more and are trouble to eat (where do you put the tails?). I would like a few for garnish, that’s all.

INGREDIENTS

 1    cup sugar snap peas

½    cup pearl couscous (Israeli)

1 ½ cups boiling water

¼   cup fortified white wine; Sherry, Marsala, Madeira

1    cup tomato, finely chopped

2    teaspoons dried tarragon

5-6 ounces small pre-cooked shrimp (bay shrimp?)

4-6 pre-cooked large shrimp for garnish

METHOD

Remove the strings from the peas and then cut into ½ inch pieces on the diagonal. Set aside. Cook the couscous in the boiling water, uncovered, for 5 minutes and add the wine, snap peas, tomatoes and tarragon.

Cook for another 5 minutes and add the small shrimp, stirring to mix in. Cook until thoroughly warmed. Serve with the large shrimp as garnish.

Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine, June 2009

Rosemary Tri Tip

INGREDIENTS

¼   cup fresh rosemary leaves

2    cloves garlic, mashed

3    tablespoons olive oil

1    tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

1    tri tip roast, fat trimmed

METHOD

Using a mortar and pestle, add the rosemary and crunch, pound and grind it. Add the garlic and grind it also. Add the olive oil and grind some more, about 4 to 5 minutes total. The contents should look real greenish about now. Add the balsamic and stir it in. Rub the marinade over both sides of the tri tip and place it into the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours, in a covered dish or plastic bag.

If cooking on a Weber style grill, half-close the air vents on the bottom and lid of the grill once the coals are hot. On a gas grill, set the controls to medium. If you have a rosemary bush growing in your yard, trim the woody parts back until you have a large hand full and throw those onto the coals before adding the tri tip and closing the lid. This will add a bit or rosemary smoke to the process.

Turn the tri tip after 12 to 14 minutes and grill about the same time on the other side for medium rare. The rosemary stems may flare up when you open the grill to so be careful. The flames will die when the lid is replaced.

Grilled Celery Pasta

INGREDIENTS

¼   cup chopped walnuts

4    stalks celery

½   pound farfalle or rotini or similar pasta

1    tablespoon olive oil

1    tablespoon dried thyme

¼   cup crumbled feta cheese

2    tablespoons lemon juice

1    tablespoon local honey

METHOD

Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the walnuts. Shaking the pan constantly, cook the walnuts for 3 to 4 minutes and set aside.

Remove the leaves from the celery and set aside. Remove the divided parts from the tops of the celery and discard. Using a stove-top grill or an outdoor grill, cook the celery until just browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool

Bring water to a boil in a large sauce pan and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions to an al dente state. Drain and place into a serving bowl. Add the walnuts, olive oil and thyme, stirring to coat completely. Cut the celery on a diagonal into ¼ inch slices and add to the pasta in the bowl Set aside.

.In a small bowl, combine the cheese, lemon juice and honey. Pour over the pasta and celery and stir to combine. Serve garnished with chopped celery leaves.

Adapted from an idea in Redbook magazine