Chuletas Ahumdas, Semiya Payasam, Veg & Cheese Pie

Chuletas Ahumdas en Salsa Verde
That's Mexican Spanish for Smoked Pork Chops in Green Salsa.  We have a local Carnicera (Mexican butcher shop) that makes the best thin cut smoked pork chops you can imagine!  You can probably find smoked pork chops in your area too, even in a megamart.   If not, you could fry up regular pork chops with a few drops of Liquid Smoketm to get something close in flavor....

The dish is very simple.  Brown the chops in a splash of oil.   

While they're browning, remove the paper outer skins of  2-4 Tomatillos (not green tomatoes), chop them up and a dice a sweet white onion. to make a simple Salsa Verde. 

 If you can't find tomatillos in your regular megamart or Latin specialty store, you can still make this dish using commercial salsa verde

Remove the browned chops and reserve.

To make the salsa verde, start cooking the onion and tomatillos in the pan the chuletas came out of.  No sense in wasting any flavor! 

As the veg starts to break down, add about 1/2 cup of water, some minced garlic, and spices like cumin, pepper flakes,  black pepper, etc.  If you want some heat, add a minced jalapeno or other chili pepper.  Or, you can do like I did -- instead of water, I added about 1/4 cup of commercial salsa verde for its spice content.  I also added the canning liquid my side of Hominy came packed in, and just a splash of water.  

Turn the heat down, put the chops back in the skillet, and simmer/braise until the salsa verde ingredients are broken down and the chops are heated through.

I served mine with one of my favorite veg -- White Hominy -- a special preparation of corn which breaks down the skin of the kernals and makes the result more digestible.  The flavor of hominy is that interesting 'umami back taste' which you have in corn, but not flour, tortillas, especially noticeable when said tortillas are warm/hot.


Semiya Payasam
Sally first tasted this at her friend's parents home in India.  Think "rice pudding"... but instead of rice you have short broken/cut pieces of vermicelli pasta.  You can use Italian wheat Vermicelli, or thin Asian rice noodles (both are popular in various parts of India).  I used wheat Vermicelli because I had some on hand, although Angel Hair pasta is probably closer in thinness to what is used in India.  

1/2 cup 'broken' Vermicelli about 3/4" long
10-12 Cashews, halved
equal amount of shaved Almonds
20+ Raisins
2 cups Whole Milk, divided
6 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp ground Green Cardamon
1/8 tsp Cornstarch

In a tablespoon or so of butter/Oliviotm saute the fruit and nuts until the nuts are golden and the fruit plumped.  Remove and reserve.

Add some more butter and the vermicelli.  Saute, tossing often until they start to turn golden but not brown.

Add half of the milk and all of the sugar.  Cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.  To the remaining milk add the corn starch and whisk to combine.  Then add that plus the cardamon to the pan.

Stirring constantly to prevent burning/sticking and bring the almost-pudding to a good boil to activate the cornstarch thickener.  

Reduce heat and keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken.  Add about half of the fruit/nut mix, reserving the rest for topping when served. 

Remove the thickening liquid from the heat -- it will continue to thicken after you transfer it to serving bowls.  Can be eaten warm or chilled -- I prefer warm.  Don't forget the fruit/nut toppings!    Can be kept in the fridge, covered, for  3-4 days.  

Really nice warm.  Not too much of either custard or the vermicelli; just the right texture balance.   Satisfying, slightly sweet, and the flavor of cardamon is just perfect!  

Veg & Cheese Pie
Not Shepherd's, not Cottage, a mixed Vegetable pie.  Not pastry, not mashed, a melted cheese top crust.

I started with a pre-made crust and blind-baked it.

Assorted veg -- I sauteed fresh celery, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and parsnips, then added frozen green peas and corn to fill in the corners.   

Next I made a cup batch of Bisto!tm Crystals gravy and poured that over around and through the filling.  

Then I sprinkled shaved Parmesan and shredded "Mexican Blend" cheese over the top.  Baked the pie at 400F in my airfryer for 30 minutes until the cheese toping was all nice and melted and crusty!  Yummmmm.  

 

10-Minute Tuna-Pasta Casserole, Besan Roti, PB&P, Matar Mushroom, Green Cheese?

 10-Minute Tuna-Pasta Casserole
Yes -- a dinner casserole in the time it takes to cook the pasta.  Hard to beat that!  Here's how.

1/2 box shaped Pasta
1 can White Albacore Tuna in Water (never oil)
3 oz sliced Mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
1/2 jar Artichoke Hearts
1/4 cup Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing
14 cup Shaved Parmesan,  grated would work too but not as well
Sazon Complete or 24/7 spice blend to taste
Medium Paprika to taste

Start a large pot of water to cook the pasta and everything else in.   While it's coming to a boil assemble and prep the other things you're going to add.  Plenty of room to substitute or add favorite veggies here...

Cook the pasta about 6 minutes (normally 9 minutes to finish).  Add to the boiling water everything else except the cheese, dressing and spices.

Bring the pasta water back to a boil for 3 more minutes, then drain.  Transfer to your serving bowl and fold in the salad dressing, and cheese.  Dust with the spices, and serve.

Besan Roti
Besan is the Hindi word for chickpea flour, and Roti is a kind of griddle-cooked flatbread common to India.   You can think of these as more or less savory pancakes which can be topped or filled with a variety of sweet or savory accompaniments.  The following makes 6 roti.

1 cup of Besan --  Chickpea  Flour -- readily found on megamart shelves today
1 tsp each Baking Powder and Baking Soda... yes, both of them
1 Egg, beaten
1 cup Hot Water
Optional flavorings:  I used 1/2 tsp each of ground Green Cardamon and Culinary Lavender
Other possibilities:
Garam Masala
Cumin, paprika, saffron, fenugreek, jaggery, any of the common Indian spice blends you like 

Whisk all of the above together well and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes to hydrate, then whisk again for a minute or so.

Heat a non-stick or cast iron griddle or pan over medium-low heat -- I used 4 on a 10 scale.  You don't want the pan blistering hot.  

Drop a half tsp of butter or Oliviotm in the hot pan and -- swirl off the heat -- while it melts.
Pour 1/3 cup of the batter on the center of the pan and let it spread like a pancake.

Like a pancake, let it cook until the bubbles stay broken over most of the surface (1-2 minutes) then flip and cook another minute on the second side.   

Remove to a plate and repeat the process, cooling the pan a minute or so between pours so it doesn't get too hot.

The roti are best hot from the griddle, topped with a chutney or pickle, or just slathered with butter.  A hint of jaggery or crude sugar makes a sweet roti; or you can use a marmalade.  You can also top with slices of avocado, cooked lentils (dal) or any number of other things to make these an appetizer or a meal.

Here I've topped my roti with a spoonful of our favorite Indian condiment -- Brinjal Pickle also called Aubergine or Eggplant Pickle.  Sweet and tart at the same time, we love Brinjal Pickle on all sort of things.  Now I'll fold in half and enjoy!

The cardamon and lavender were present and pleasant but not plentiful.  Net time I'll double the amounts.

Roti can be stored in the fridge, cooled, in a zip-top bag, and re-heated in a microwave with just a few seconds on High.


PB&P... DP that is
The subject of Peanut Butter and Pickle (PB&P) sandwiches came up the other day, and although nearly everyone favored white bread over whole wheat, and smooth over crunchy PB, a lively argument ensued over the choice of pickle -- sweet or dill.  

The PB&P sandwich was a child of the Depression, featured on lunch counter across America.  Cookbooks of the 30s and 40s wrote of using pickle relish as a way to save money and stretch the pickle-ness.  Food fashions come and go, of course, and this one surfaced again in the New York Times during Covid lockdown, as a tasty way use pantry staples and avoid going to the grocery store another day... 

I'll say right off that I'm a proponent of the dill pickle for this application.  PB has a rich unctuousness which a bit sweet.  To my taste buds the sharpness of a good dill (kosher or otherwise) is the perfect balance of that unctuousness.  I also favor the flavor burst of a good multi-grain bread.  The one I get from local German bakers is 20% WW, 75% AP, and 5% other grains.  

I also favor whole dills or dill spears over thin slices of pickle.  As you see above, I roll my PB&B in slightly warmed bread rather than using two pieces of bread and making an ordinary flat sandwich.   PB&P roll-ups as it were.  That one features a whole mini dill. Perfect as a snack, or as an appetizer on a buffet spread.

Matar Mushrooms
Matar, also spelled 'Mutter' is the Hindi word for "green peas",  So this is basically a green pea and mushroom curry.  Since we love both of those vegetables, it seemed like a logical choice to make, to share Sally's odyssey.  As I type, she's touring India with a retired MD friend who was born and raised there.  The two ladies are having blast while I keep the home fires burning.

This recipe makes a "semi-dry" family-style dish not a cream-gravy restaurant-style curry.

Masala -- Spice Blend

1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Coriander Powder
3/4 tsp Red Chile Powder (not flakes)
1/8 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/8 ground Fenugreek Seed

Ingredients
1/2 tsp Cumin Seed
1 cup Diced Red Onion
2 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
3/4 cup Chopped Fresh Tomatoes -- I used quartered yellow cherry tomatoes
Pinch of Salt
1 cup Frozen Peas
2 cups Sliced Mushrooms of choice  (can be pre-cooked if you choose)

• Heat a tablespoon of oil to medium high in a large skillet, and add the Cumin seed.  cook until they start to pop.
• Add the onion and continue cooking until it starts to soften.
• Add the tomatoes continue cooking until they start to get mushy.
• Add the spice blend and continue cooking.
• Add the peas and mushrooms.  Reduce heat, cover and cook until the mushrooms are done to your liking are cooked through.  
  

Serve with rice or roti.  I made self-rising flour Roti this time, having already eaten the Besan Roti I made above.

Green Cheese x 2
Soft or Farm cheese, like boursin,  is easy to make at home, inexpensive, and you can flavor it anyway you like.  The basic recipe dates back to medieval times when it was  called Green (meaning not ripe or aged) Cheese.  Now you know where the phrase "the Moon is made of green cheese" comes from!   

These cheeses are European versions of the Indian cheese called Chenna or Paneer.

Unlike ripe or hard cheeses that require weeks to months of aging, Green or Farm cheese can be made in an afternoon.  Unless you really love the stuff, have a large family, or are planning to feature this as part of a big dinner party, the following Quart/Liter batch is going to be plenty to experiment with.  You can of course double or quadruple the recipe to use a half or whole gallon of milk.

#1  Tasting History 
This recipe comes from Tasting History by Max Miller:  http://tinyurl.com/mr4av4n8  I've made his recipes before.  They are very well researched and presented.  This recipe makes a fairly firm soft cheese...
 
1 Quart/Liter of Whole Milk*; sheep or goat milk is really medieval authentic

1-2 tsp Salt
1/8 cup of half Lemon Juice and half White Wine Vinegar
Optional -- herbs to flavor the cheese -- chives, dried onion and dried garlic are traditional
Cheesecloth
Colander
Mixing Bowl
Quick Read Thermometer
Slotted or Strainer Spoon

* Pasteurized Whole Milk is fine, but not "super pasteurized" or irradiated shelf-stable milk. You can't use any plant-based "milk" either.

Line the colander with several layers of cheesecloth, set it on top of the mixing bowl, and set aside for the moment.

Stir the salt into the milk, plus any optional herbs,  and in a large pot bring it up to 185F (85C), stirring to prevent sticking/scalding.  Keep it at that temp, for ten minutes.  I used my electric soup kettle but an ordinary pot on the stovetop works just fine (see #2 below).  This step kills any bacteria laying around in the pot or wherever.

Take the pot off the heat, stir in the Lemon/Vinegar mix, cover and let it cool to room temperature (70F or so). 

During this time the proto-cheese, called Curd, is congealing from the chemical reaction with the lemon/vinegar.  The remaining mostly clear liquid is called the "whey" as in the nursery rhyme "curds & whey".  Whey is a superfood/probiotic and can be used for all sorts of things, so don't just discard it.  

Use a slotted or strainer spoon to transfer the curd to the cheesecloth covered colander, to drain. 

How long to drain?  Anywhere from an hour to overnight.  I drained about an hour then gathered up the cheesecloth and squeezed to remove excess.  The longer you drain the firmer your final product will be.  

To flavor my batch of cheese I used 1/4 teaspoon of powdered garlic, and a finely minced 4" piece of leek greens (I keep the green from a trimmed leek frozen in a zip top for just such applications).  Waste not, want not!  The quart of milk -- 32 oz, made 6 ounces of cheese.

#2  St. Môret French Style Green Cheese
http://tinyurl.com/4mv8d475 is a  French blogger who calls herself One Day, One Recipe who us a creamier, softer Green Cheese in a French style.  Same quart/liter of milk, but slightly less hassle. 

Add flavorings to the pan of milk, bring it to a boil (no thermometer hassle), then remove the pan from the heat.  

Add 3 Tbsp of White Wine Vinegar, and wait about 20 minutes for the curds to form. 

Scoop and strain as in #1 above, then wring dry in a tea towel. 

Put the wrung-out cheese in your food processor and add a bit of salted butter (1 Tbsp in my small batch) and whirr together.

Remove to a container.  Makes about the same amount of cheese as Method#1 (surprise, surprise).

I went 'wild' with the flavorings this time, and I'm much happier.  I used two minced leek leaves, a whole tablespoon of garlic powder, plus a whole tablespoon of fresh cracked pepper.  Now the flavors shine but don't over-power!

I didn't have any crackers to schmear with cheese, but this toasted left-over roti  made a nice St. Môret cheese and vegetable flatbread appetizer:

Square Sausage?, Beer Biscuits, Mincemeat, Pasta all'Assassina

Square Sausage?
Square Sausage or Lorne is a Scottish invention that does not use the usual gut or artificial tubular sausage casing.  Instead the meat mixture is packed in a bread loaf tin, partially frozen, then sliced and separated by parchment or other waxed paper before being frozen for storage.

1 lb Ground Beef (mince as it's called in the UK)
1 lb Ground Pork (pork mince)
1-1/2 cup Bread Crumbs -- I used Panko, but any breadcrumb will work just fine
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
1-1/2 tsp ground Coriander
1/2 tsp fresh ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Mace
1/2cup cold Water

Combine everything with your Mark I Mixer (hands) and a spatula, mixing and "smushing" things together into a coherent mass.  Chill in the fridge while you prep the loaf pan.

Line the loaf pan or similar container with a single strip of parchment or "baking paper" across the long side.  You can use an empty waxed quart milk carton for the pan and  you won't need the parchment.  If you're really into square sausage you could easily make a square form out of thin wood and seal it with a food-grade sealer.  Since the sausage isn't  cooked until later, as long as the form's surfaces were covered with parchment, waxed paper, or cling film it would certainly be food safe.

Pack the mixture densely into your pan or container, ensuring you get in packed well into the corners.  If you really get into making Lorne you can hunt for (or even make) a container that will give you a  more square than rectangular shape for the batch size you make.  But needs must as they say. 

 Cover the filled container with cling film and freeze it for 3-4 hours.  Then remove from the container and slice into 1/2" thick squares/rectangles. 

I used my bread slicer to get nice even slices.  The recipe made 16 slices.  I cut a few slices and separated them with parchment, then froze the mixture again for awhile and repeated the process until everything was sliced and frozen for the last time.

Fry your thawed Lorne for 5-6 minutes per side in just a splash of oil or butter, and serve  as a rissole, on a bun/roll/bap/stottie cake,  or even as a Square Taco:

(Ginger) Beer Biscuits
I haven't made Beer Bread/Biscuits in a long time with real beer or any other kind of carbonated beverage.  But I wanted some buns/biscuits to go with my Square Sausage.  This is it -- 3-ingedients simple, and very tasty.  Makes 5-6 biscuits 3" in diameter.

2-1/2 cups Self Rising Flour plus more for kneading
1/2 cup  Plain Skyr or Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup Beer, Ginger Beer or even Lemon-Lime Soda

Fold everything together into a shaggy sort of dough.  Flour your work surface, then dump the dough out and start folding/kneading it into a normal sort of biscuit/scone dough and pat out about 3/4" thick.  Use a 3" biscuit cutter to cut your biscuits and put them on a parchment covered baking sheet.  Re-knead and repeat until you get 5 or 6 nice biscuits.

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, until, GB&D.  Slice open and slather with butter, or insert a slice of fried square sausage and some brown sauce or whatever other condiments you choose.  

Perfect as a breakfast biscuit sandwich or with sausage gravy; or serve with sides as a lunch or dinner.  


Mincemeat
This past holiday, mincemeat was almost impossible to find in my entire metro area.  Tio make my mince pies/tarts for Christmas I had to order some on-line.  Not a bad solution... until I looked at the cost.  Then I looked for a recipe to make my own.  About the same cost for ingredients/ jars, plus I get to tweak the recipe with my own ingredients, and "mature" it in screw top jars in the fridge (along side the Christmas Pudding) for the next 10 months...

Spice Blend
1 teaspoon each:  ground cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.  

Ingredients
2 Granny Smith Apples, chopped fine
1+ cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup each:
Dried Cranberries
Sultanas (golden raisins)
Dark Raisins
Candied Orange Peel
Candied Ginger 
Vodka Infused Cranberries  -- homemade with 1 cup vodka and 1/2 cup dried berries
Chopped Whole Almonds -- not slivered
Bottom-shelf Brandy -- not the really good stuff

Put it all in a large pot with  1-1/2 cups water and a half cup of butter or Olivio. Bring to a boil and simmer about 30 minutes until the butter melts and the apples have gone tender and most of the liquid has cooked off.  

Remove from the heat and cool for a bit before spooning into screw top jars.   Seal the jars and store in the fridge for at least 6 month to "mature".    The recipe makes about 5 cups of mincemeat.  More than enough for two dozen mince mini-pies and a rustic tart this holiday season...

Pasta all'Assassina 
In Puglia,  Italy  they make a dish called Spaghetti all'Assassina where the pasta is cooked in the sauce in the same way rice is cooked in a risotto by adding a bit of liquid/sauce at a time.  My version uses shaped pasta cooked in a rustic sauce with vegetables added as everything cooks together.  

1 box (8 oz)  shaped Pasta -- I used gluten-free Pagoda shaped pasta
Yellow Tomatoes
Celery
Red Onion
Artichoke Hearts
Mushrooms
Kalamata Olives or other special olives not the usual black/green ones
Zucchini
Bell Peppers
3-4 cups Vegetable Broth -- I used herbed water with a mixture of Italian herbs and spices
Additional Italian herbs and spices like Red Pepper flakes and minced garlic
Shaved Parmesan -- not the grated stuff in the tube...

Chop the tomatoes and add them and their juices to a splash of oil in a large skillet.  Add the fine chopped celery and diced onion and cook until the tomatoes are falling apart.

Now add about 2 cups of broth, the pasta, and additional Italian herbs and spices and bring to a low boil/simmer.  Cover.

Gradually add the rest of your ingredients in longest-to-fastest cooking order, covering and cooking between additions in ten minute segments, checking the liquid level and adding additional broth/water as needed. 

When everything is done, transfer to a serving dish and top with shaved Parmesan.    Serve "family style" where folks can spoon up what they want, along with garlic bread...

New Years Soup, Creamy Mushroom-Chestnut Soup, Zoodles, Stuffed Globe

 New Year's Soup
Some folks eat blackeyed-peas for New Years.  Others have Collard Greens.  This recipe combines thosee two with carrots, celery and zucchini as well as some Mediterranean spices for a healthy start to the New Year (or any time).

2 Leeks, trimmed, sliced and rinsed.  Freeze the tops to add to other soups!
1 cup chopped Celery
1 cup chopped Carrots
3 cloves Garlic, minced
6 cups Vegetable Broth or water with 2-3 Tbsp assorted herbs
3 cups Black-eyed Peas
1 medium Zucchini cut lengthwise then cut into 1/2" slices
2-3 tsp Italian Seasoning (I like Old Thompson Everything Italiantm)
3/4 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
1-2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar to finish

Cook the mirepoix (celery, leeks and carrots) in a splash of oil for 5 minutes or so.
Add the next 7 ingredients (through Red Pepper), bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until things are tender.

Add the vinegar and stir to combine.   Serve with crusty bread and butter.


Creamy Mushroom-Chestnut Soup
I had some packaged, peeled/cooked Chestnuts, and this Turkish-influenced soup sounded like the perfect place to use them...

1 large Sweet Onion, diced
1-2 tsp Baharat or Ottoman Spice blend
1 tsp Za'Atar spice blend
8-12 oz peeled, cooked chestnuts, sliced
10-12 oz assorted sliced Mushrooms
5 cup Vegetable Broth or water with 1-2 Tbsp mixed herbs (my personal choice)
3/4-1 cup plain Skyr or Greek yoghurt

In a large skillet saute the mushrooms in a splash of oil and if you like, a few drops of Liquid Smoketm or toasted sesame oil.  Reserve.

In your soup pot, saute the onion in a splash of oil until they start to soften.  Add the Baharat or other Turkish spice blend and cook another minute or three.

Add half the broth/water and the Chestnuts.  Cook for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the liquid and the mushrooms.   Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the dairy and stir well to combine.  Cook another 10 minutes.  If desired, you can add some bread crumbs to thicken a bit.   Serve with a nice crusty bread.


Zoodles
Here's a bit of a blast from the past -- zucchini spiralized into noodles!  With a rustic yellow tomato sauce with onion, bell pepper, and even more zucchini.  I only have a manual spiralizer that Sally got me a few years back to see whether the veggies-turned-noodles was a good idea.  Haven't needed one with a hand crank even.  I use it a few times a year, and I did have this big, firm zuccini from the Farmer's Market...

Spiralize the zucchini and reserve.  Then start the sauce with chopped tomatoes, celery, onion and carrots saute-ing in a splash of oil along with any other veg.  As the tomatoes and onion soften, add a cup or so of water, Italian seasoning of your choice, and the zoodles.  Gently stir everything together and cook another few minutes until the zoodles are tender.  Then plate with some nice bread on the side:

Stuffed Globe
Globe eggplant/aubergine are a more or less standard offering at the Farmer's Market this time of year. and I chose a nice big one to stuff  -- about 9" in diameter.

Slice the globe from pole to pole, and using a sharp knife and spoon, remove the 'guts' of the eggplant, leaving about a 1/4" of 'meat' on the shell.

Chop of the removed meat and start to saute it with some onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, celery -- whatever veg you like. Add some seasoning to taste too -- Italian/Mediterranean or Taco seasoning work well here.

Add a can of tuna, or some peeled and chopped shrimp or faux meat  -- or not-- and some water, and keep cooking until the eggplant is soft and the vegetables/meat tender.  Add a cup or so of Panko and some grated Parmesan to soak up the juices and help bind things together.

Mound the filling into the half-globes and pack in down.   Top with shredded cheese and bake for about 30 minutes at 375F until the cheese on top is nicely melted.   This huge globe actually made two meals for the two of us!