August 31, 2011

Easy refrigerator pickles


Refrigerator pickles made with bush and lemon cucumbers

Easy refrigerator pickles

refrigerator pickles

Khavanu turns 3 today. I started blogging (I still find that word awkward) as a way to share recipes and  store my favorite recipes online. I didn't think I'd stick with it. It has grown into something I really enjoy doing. Some outcomes I'm generally happy about are that my photography skills have improved, I've grown as a cook, and I've been able to see how progress has been made in the garden. After moving to Belgium a year and a half ago, I began including travel posts. However, my writing is still awful! Isn't it?

My goals, since this is a kitchen sink of ideas, are:
- to try out more regional Belgian (or other) foods in the upcoming posts and cook more foods with beer.
- Write better, clearer instructions from recipes that have been tested at least three times.
- Challenge myself to write more nutrition public health posts.

In keeping with my goals, and honoring my very first dorky post, here is my tried and true version of refrigerator pickles (which I've been using and adapting from Alton Brown's Good Eats!). I've made these pickles dozens of times. The cucumbers came from my garden and are a mixture of bush cucumbers and lemon cucumbers.

Easy refrigerator pickles
Yield: 3 jars, 8 oz each
Ingredients, listed in order of use

Sterilized jars and lids, such as 3 8 oz ball jars, or a mixture of other clean glass jars and lids
4-6 small-medium cucumbers
multiple cloves garlic (1 smashed clove for each jar)
1 onion, sliced in rings or half-rings
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar if you can find it)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp pickling spice (optional)

Directions:
  1. With all clean utensils prep the cucumbers by slicing into 1/4" slices or prep them as spears. Place 1 smashed garlic clove in each jar. Fill with cucumbers and onions, and set aside.
  2. In a non-reactive medium sauce-pan combine water, cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. Add in mustard seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric and pickling spice and heat up over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 4 minutes to wake up the spices.
  3. Fill each jar with the pickling liquid, and let stand. Top the jars with any remaining liquid. Once cooled off, tighten the lids and place in the fridge.

The pickles should be ready in as little as 3 days, but a week is better for them to set. You can easily double the recipe if you have more pickles or jars. 

August 29, 2011

Ethiopian-style red lentils


Ethiopian-style red lentils

spices

Masala mix

These red lentils are adapted and modified from a Saveur recipe. While the preparation was simple, the homemade spice mix the Saveur recipe called for had some hard-to-find ingredients, and called (optionally) for spice-infused clarified butter. The spice mix, with ingredients that you can find, is easy to make with a spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. I absolutely love the home-made masala (masala = blend of spices) mix used in these red lentils - whether they are authentically Ethiopian is hard to tell. I think they certainly tasted more Indian (perhaps because my pantry is stocked with Indian spices?). The lentils took their sweet time cooking on the stove top, which as the aromas of this dish waft around the house, you'll stomach will grumble in eager anticipation. If you have left overs they will be spicier the next day.

Clarified butter, also known as ghee, is made by heating up regular butter over a low-medium heat, and then skimming off the milk solids which collect at the top. This leaves a clear golden liquid, that can be heated to a higher temperature, or has a higher smoke point (the smoke point is the physical temperature that hot cooked fat reaches before it starts smoking). I substituted regular butter, as butter always tastes delicious, and added in a few of the spices to the red lentils.

Here's my take, this serves 4; can be served over rice, or with dosa to mimic injera, or pita or naan bread. The red lentils are called masoor dhal or red lentils. While lentils don't need any soaking, I soak the lentils while I'm prepping the rest of the ingredients to soften them up. The butter in this imparts a lovely flavor, but can be omitted (such as using cooking spray) or replaced with oil, 1 tbsp is fine. Use as many of the spices you can find, and if you can't find them, just leave them out. Garnish with some fresh chopped onions and a squeeze of lemon. 

Ethiopian-style red lentils
Serves: 4
Ingredients, listed in order of use:

1 cup of long grain rice, cooked according to package directions (optional)
1 cup of red lentils or masoor dhal
2 tbsp butter, divided; stir in remaining 1 tbsp just before serving
1 onion, chopped fine
3-4 whole cardamom pods (optional)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped fine
2 and 1/2 tbsp home-made masala mix, recipe below
1 tomato, chopped
salt to taste
3 and 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder (optional)

Directions:
  1. If serving with rice, cook and prepare according to package directions.
  2. Next, rinse the red lentils under water. Put it in a large bowl and cover with water. Let it soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Heat up a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp butter, or oil if using, and once the butter is melted and slightly foamy, turn the heat down to medium and add in the onions. Saute until golden, 7 minutes. Add in the whole cardamom pods.
  4. Add in garlic and red bell pepper. Stir to combine. Cook 5 minutes.
  5. Add in 1 tbsp of the masala powder. Stir to combine.
  6. Add in chopped tomatoes along with their juices. 
  7. Rinse the soaking lentils and drain off the soaking water. Add the lentils to the pot along with 3 and 1/2 cups of fresh water.
  8. Stir in 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring the heat up to medium-high and cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring often. Half-way through cooking add in the rest of the 1 and 1/2 tbsp masala powder. 
  9. Just before serving, stir in 1 tbsp of butter, the fenugreek powder if using, adjust for salt, and serve immediately.
Masala Mix (adapted from Saveur)
A small coffee grinder works efficiently to make ground spices. With some patience, a mortar and pestle can work just as well. Adding the toasted seeds and spices 1 tbsp at a time, begin making swift strokes to pound the spices. This will help break up the seeds and crush the larger parts. Then in a circular motion, crush the spices until a powder forms. Repeat the process to get a finer powder. Remove each batch to a bowl. A small non-slip corkboard can be placed under the mortar to protect the countertop. Pre-ground spices can be added last.

Ingredients, listed in order of use:
2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
6 whole cardamom pods
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
  1. Toast the coriander, cardamom pods, and fenugreek seeds together in a small sauce pan (low heat so they don't burn). Stir them around the pan often.
  2. Once they are toasted and golden, about 5 minutes, transfer the spices to a spice grinder, or add in batches to a mortar and pestle.
  3. Place the crushed powder in a small bowl. Add in pepper, nutmeg, red chili powder, red chili flakes, both types of paprika, salt and cinnamon to the bowl.

August 19, 2011

Simple small batch pesto


Fresh basil almond pesto

Gnocchi pesto

Gnocchi with pesto

dinner

This pesto is easy enough to make with some basic kitchen tools, such as a cutting board, knife, and mortar and pestle. A mortar and pestle will make pounding the nuts and garlic easier, but you could chop them fine with a cutting board and knife.

Simple small batch pesto
Yield: ~ 5 tablespoons
Ingredients

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil
1/4 cup whole almonds, or pine nuts
2 cloves garlic (use 3 if you love garlic)
2-3 tbsp olive oil, more if needed
salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh parmesan shredded fine

Directions:
1. Begin by pounding half the nuts in a mortar and pestle. Using gentle force, gradually break the almonds into smaller pieces. Increase pressure as you smash the nuts to make a fine ground. You could use a cutting board, or coffee grinder (cleaned out first!), or place nuts in a ziplock bag and roll them with a rolling pin. Remove the nuts to a small bowl.
2. Pound the garlic with 1/8 tsp salt in the mortar and pestle. Pour the olive oil on top - do not pound again after pouring olive oil in. Set aside the mortar and finely chop the basil on a cutting board.
3. Remove basil leaves from stems and finely chop. Move the chopped basil to the bowl with the nuts. Pour the olive oil infused garlic on top. Add in parmesan cheese and stir together.
4. Add more salt if needed, and pour in a little bit of oil if too dry.

The pesto can be tossed with some cooked pasta, or warm potatoes. I prepared store-bought gnocchi and topped with 1 tbsp or more of the pesto. Divine.  

August 11, 2011

Lemongrass tofu with soy-sesame sauce and sticky rice



I made this dish for a friend that is interested in preparing more dishes with tofu. It's a simple stir-fry so if you don't have lemongrass or ginger just leave them out. The soy-sesame sauce is fast to prepare. Sticky rice absorbs the sauce much better than long-grain jasmine or basmati, but this could be served over noodles too.

My secret to successful golden pan-fried tofu is pressing extra-firm tofu for as long as possible, 30 minutes or longer. To get started, first press the tofu. Unwrap it from the package, drain the water and set the tofu in a colander or drainer (either over a bowl, or the sink so the water can drain out). Place a plate over the tofu and stack cans of beans or other heavy objects on top. The weight will help expel the water from the tofu. Next, begin cooking the rice, and then prep and cut up the veggies. If you are fast vegetable chopper, you can also use the time the tofu is pressing to make the soy-sesame sauce, or prep it while the tofu is cooking. Fresh lemongrass and ginger are added towards the very end of cooking time.

Other good stir-fry veggies include cabbage, bean sprouts, and even cherry tomatoes. Feel free to add or remove items to use up what you have.

Lemongrass tofu with soy-sesame sauce and sticky rice
Serves: 4
Ingredients (listed in order of use)

1 package tofu, pressed and drained, and then cubed into 1" chunks
2 cups sticky rice (sushi rice), prepared with 1.5 times as much water as rice, or according to package directions
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 package mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
1 red bell pepper, in strips
1 cup snow peas
2, 4" stalks of fresh lemongrass or enough to equal about 1 tbsp chopped (see note)
1 and 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
Note: To prep the lemongrass, use a small pairing knife and cut the stalk in half length-wise. Remove the first or second layers, it'll reveal a purplish interior. Finely chop the lemongrass stocks starting from the root end. It will become tougher about 3" inches up from the root end. For the ginger, peel the skin away with a pairing knife or veg peeler, and finely chop.

For soy-sesame sauce:
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice-wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
3 spring onions chopped, chop the long part of the greens in 1" segments
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/4 tsp or more red chili flakes

Directions:
1. Heat up a large stir-fry pan or wok over medium-low heat. Add in 1 tsp of sesame seeds and toast until the seeds become golden. Move them around the pan often, so they won't burn. Set aside.
2. Add 2 tbsp of peanut oil to the same pan and increase the heat to medium-high heat. Once hot, add in tofu chunks. Don't touch them or move them around. Let them sit for about 5-7 minutes until the bottom 1/4" of the tofu squares look like they are turning golden. The tofu will take 15-20 minutes to become lovely, golden, and crispy. Carefully, take a spatula and lift the tofu gently up. It's ready when it gives. The length of time will depend on your pan (non-stick vs iron). When the tofu is removed easily, flip it over so the other sides can cook.
3. While the tofu cooks, prepare the soy-sesame sauce. Add soy sauce, rice-wine vinegar, sesame oil to a bowl, and adjust for taste. Add in toasted sesame seeds, the white part of the spring onions, chopped garlic and red chili flakes. Stir everything together and set aside.
4. Remove the tofu from the pan and set it aside on a large plate. There should be enough oil (about 1 tsp) leftover in the pan, if not add in 1 tsp of peanut oil. Turn heat up to medium-high or high, and add in mushrooms. Cook 5-6 minutes stirring often, and then add in red peppers, cook 4 minutes, and then add in snow peas, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the snow peas turn bright green.
5. Once all the veggies are cooked, add the cooked tofu to the pan, add the ginger and lemongrass, and remaining spring onion greens to the pan. Combine and stir together for 1 minute.
6. Place rice in a bowl, cover the rice with about 1 cup of the stir-fry, and top everything with 1 and 1/2 tbsp of soy-sesame sauce.