Seasonal Ontario Food

Classic meat and potatoes, the Turkish way! I see a lot of versions of this on Pinterest, with the meat portion and potato portion shaped in different ways, but the dish overall consisting of all the same parts. The dishes get different names, but really, it's these components in some configuration. 

The easiest way, and the most like a classic shepherd's pie, would be to press the meatloaf mixture into a shallow baking pan, and then when the time comes, pour on the sauce then spread the potatoes evenly over the top. I've seen that done. But this shaping the meat into individual cups to hold the potato topping is even more common, although the exact shape varies quite a bit. For some reason Turkish dishes often are made into a group of clearly delineated portions like this. Perhaps it's so that if you have a large family, you know the dish will make it all they way around the table without running out because the first people to be served take too much? Or maybe I'm over-thinking it. 

At any rate, these were cute, not hard to make, and a very satisfying take on the theme of meat and potatoes. I used lamb, which is always the proper meat to use in a shepherd's pie; otherwise it's technically a cottage pie although few people seem to stick to that convention these days.

 

4 to 8 servings

2 hours. This is going to take 2 hours, with 1 1/2 hours being prep time.

 

freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika

2 teaspoons rubbed dry mint

Grind the salt and allspice berries, then mix all the remaining spices with them in a small bowl.

1 medium onion

1 small carrot

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 medium red pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

500 grams (1 pound) ground beef OR lamb

1 large egg

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a baking pan. 

 

Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and shred the cabbage. Deseed the pepper and dice it finely. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the onion and carrot until softened. Mix in the little bowl of spices. Add the garlic then the cabbage, and cook, stirring until just wilted down. Transfer it all to a mixing bowl and let it cool. 

Mix in the ground meat and the egg by hand, until you have a smooth evenly blended mixture. 

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, and form each one into a ball. Then press in the middle and shape each ball into a shallow bowl. Place them in an oiled baking pan, that fits them snugly but in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (the time necessary to cook the potatoes).

Last year at this time I made Vietnamese Style Noodle Salad.

I was a bit startled to write up this post then go to last year's date and see that I had made something extremely similar then. The thing is though, I make a lot of fried patty things; usually some variation on Vegetable Patties. They provide carbohydrate, protein, and vegetable all in one dish. Sometimes I make a little salad to go with them, but usually it's just the patties, and they are lunch; quick and satisfying. 

 

Some sort of sauce is nice to finish them off. I don't make the Apple Butter Chutney much anymore, alas, as it has too much sugar, so it's usually garlic-yogurt or a mix of half and half chile-garlic sauce and mayonnaise. The yogurt is probably the best choice for these, as it was with last year's iteration. Leftovers? Not too carby for most people to put them into a bun with some sauce and a slice of tomato and lettuce leaf. If you want to reheat them, a minute or so on each side in a hot skillet is better than the microwave.

The only salt that should go in is with the wild rice; halloumi is salty and will provide ample more. I keep meaning to rinse halloumi before I use it, just to see if it could be a little less salty.

 

4 servings

1 hour to cook the wild rice plus time for it to cool

20 minutes to make and cook the patties

 

3/4 cup wild rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups water

Place the wild rice, salt, and water in a rice cooker, and cook. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

1 medium carrot

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1/3 cup minced parsley OR cilantro

250 grams halloumi cheese

1/4 cup potato starch

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed savory OR thyme

2 large eggs

mild vegetable oil to fry

 

Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the carrot and onion gently over medium heat until softened, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly. 

 

Wash, dry, and mince the parsley or cilantro. Grate the cheese. Add both to the mixing bowl of vegetables, along with the cooked and cooled wild rice, with any clumps in it broken up. Add the potato starch, seasonings, and eggs. Mix well. The mixture will be very loose and lumpy, but don't worry. Once you get it into the pan and cooking, it will rapidly become more co-operative.

 

Heat enough oil to generously cover the bottom of a large skillet, and ladle spoonfuls of the mixture in. Spread them to form neat, 1/2" thick patties. For the first 30 seconds or so, you can push the edges inwards to form neater shapes. Then cook them over medium heat for a total of 3 minutes per side, until firm and well browned. Add a little more oil as you turn them or if making new patties, if needed to prevent sticking.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made... uh, this is embarrassing, actually... Carrot-Halloumi & Dill Fritters with Garlic Yogurt. Very much the same principle, with a slight change in ingredients. This one would also go well with Garlic Yogurt.

We really enjoyed these but as with a lot of dishes that include a carb, protein, and vegetables and yet don't seem quite sufficient to be the entire meal, I am at a bit of a loss as to how to classify them, and what to serve them with. They might make a nice appetizer, or if you want to serve them as a main course I think a bit of salad might be a good choice to accompany them; maybe this cold spinach salad. If you are serving a crowd, they could also just be one of an ensemble of other Korean dishes.

 

12 small omelettes - 4 to 6 servings

30 minutes prep time

2 bundles (100 grams) bean thread (cellophane) noodles

2 to 4 green onions

1 small carrot

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

5 large eggs

mild vegetable oil to fry

parsley to garnish

chile-garlic sauce to taste

 

Put a small pot of water on to boil, then boil the noodles for 5 minutes. Drain them well and snip or cut them into short segments. 

 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and finely chop the green onions. Peel and grate the carrot. Mix these in a mixing bowl withe the drained noodles, and season with the soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and sugar.  

Break in the eggs and whisk until well blended. Heat a griddle or frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. Ladle in the egg mixture to form small omelettes. Once the bottoms of the omelettes are set, fold them in half, and cook until done, turning them over as required. Once they are set and very lightly browned transfer them to a serving plate, and continue cooking more omelettes until they are all done. Add more oil as required. 

I put the parsley on just to give a touch of colour, but it went really well with them. Maybe next time I will put some right in. Chile-garlic sauce provided the finishing touch.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Pizza Strata.

I'm giving instructions for making this as 1 large pie, but I actually made one medium pie (for my mother and I) and a couple of individual pies (for Mr. Ferdzy). This will all make sense when I also tell you that the medium pie was made with chopped lamb liver (could have use beef, or chicken for that matter) and the smaller ones had regular ground beef in them. The kind of meat you use in these is really very flexible; it just has to be chopped up fairly finely. 

This is another relative of the Russian pies made with some combination of yogurt/sour cream/mayonnaise, and no complaints here. It was lovely. 

As with the meat, the herbs can be changed around. If there's anything that's immutable, I'd say that lots of onions are required. 

It feels strange publishing a Russian recipe at the moment, but let's try to remember that people are not their nation's politics. I'd like to share a story I heard of a woman in our town, a friend of my mother-in-law's. She used to go around and share her history with high-school students. She came from Poland (I think), and was a teenager during WWII. When the Russians came in from the east, she was on the road as a refugee. She was seized by a band of Russian soldiers, raped, and left to die in a snow-bank. A little while later another band of Russian soldiers came along, who pulled her out and gave her medical treatment and took care of her until she could get to a better situation. 

Let's remember that every society has its smashers and its menders. Let us be on the side of the menders and support them wherever we can find them.

 

8 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

 

 

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup thick yogurt

 

Mix the spelt flour with the salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Grate in the butter, pausing to dust the flour over it every so often. Rub the butter into the flour until evenly distributed but still in little lumps. Mix in the yogurt to form a ball of stiff dough. Cover and set it aside.

 

3 medium onions

3 cloves of garlic

1 medium carrot 

1 tablespoon bacon fat or mild vegetable oi

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Peel and chop the onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and grate the carrot. 

 

Heat the fat or oil in a large skillet and cook the onions and carrot gently over medium heat, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced. Add the garlic and seasonings. Add the ground or finely chopped meat, and cook until browned but still with a fair bit of pink showing. Remove the pan from the heat. 

Wash, dry, and chop the herbs. 

Roll out the pastry to fit your pie plate(s). Spread the filling out in it evenly, and sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

1 cup thick yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk the mayonnaise into the yogurt, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Season with the salt and pepper, and whisk again. Pour this evenly over the prepared pie(s). Shake them gently to settle the topping into the meat. 

Bake at 375°F for 45 to 50 minutes for a single pie, or for 30 to 35 minutes if you have made 6 single pies. In any case the filling should be just set in the middle, and show some brown spots. 

Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving; also fine at room temperature.

This is as simple a little lentil soup as one could make; but very tasty nonetheless. Summer savory and paprika are typical seasonings in Bulgarian cuisine. When I first discovered this, I exclaimed "I'm a Bulgarian cook and didn't even know it!" 

 

Well, not quite. But I have gotten more interested in Bulgarian cuisine this winter, as you may have noticed. This is not quite the original Bulgarian soup as I found it, but close enough. The original did not have the vinegar added as it cooked, but vinegar was mixed with garlic and salt and swirled though the finished soup. I prefer to add it to the soup in good time to allow it to mingle and mellow, and to use a more Turkish finish of garlic yogurt. Since the Bulgarians also use garlic and yogurt in quantity, I'm sure I am not the first to do so. If you don't want it you don't have to; but we thought it a very good addition.   

I'm saying 15 minutes prep time, but you can't wander away for the hour of cooking - it does want stirring every so often.

 

2 to 4 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

 

2 teaspoons summer savory

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

 

In a small bowl; set them aside.

 

1 large onion

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 medium carrot

2 tablespoons sunflower OR olive oil

1 cup green or brown lentils

6 to 7 cups of water

3 to 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar OR white wine vinegar 

 

Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and dice the carrot finely. 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Cook the onion and carrot gently over medium heat, for 5 to 10 minutes,  until softened and very lightly browned. Mix in the garlic, give it another minute, then add the lentils and 4 cups water. 

Simmer gently for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until the lentils are tender. Add more water as it cooks down to keep a thick but soupy consistency. When the lentils seem to be done, add the seasonings and the vinegar. Simmer for a further 15 minutes or so, again stirring regularly and maintaining the consistency. 

Serve plain, or with a dollop of Garlic-Yogurt. 

Even though we eat a fair bit of frozen vegetables around here in the winter, I tend to give them short shrift on the blog. So this week I am going to put the spot-light on them for a bit of a change. 

 

Ontario frozen edamame can be hard to find, but check your local health food store - they may have them. Mixed with cabbage and greenhouse peppers and lettuce (you could throw in a cucumber too if you like) they make a great substantial salad. 

 

I've always tried not to put sugar in vegetable and salad recipes, but maybe my tahini was unusually strong/bitter; I really felt it needed a little smoothing out. It's up to you - maybe taste the dressing before you add it.  

I assume this is the main body of the meal; it would go further as a side salad but it seems like a main dish to me with all those edamame in it. Maybe add the entire lettuce if using it as a side salad.

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

 

 

1" piece ginger root 

1 tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider OR rice vinegar

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

black or chile pepper to taste

 

Peel and grate the ginger finely into a small mixing bowl or jam jar. Mix in the tahini and soy sauce, then mix in the remaining ingredients, stirring well after each addition. 

2 cups frozen edamame, thawed

1/3 red, yellow, or orange greenhouse bell pepper

1 or 2 green onions

1 medium carrot

1 cup finely shredded Savoy cabbage

1/2 to 1 head greenhouse lettuce

 

Cook the edamame in boiling water for 3 minutes then drain them very well. 

 

Meanwhile, dice the pepper. Wash, trim, and finely chop the onions. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, drain, and shred the cabbage. Wash, dry, and chop the lettuce fairly finely. Mix all these in a salad bowl. 

 

When the edamame are done, drain them and rinse them in cold water until cool. Drain well. 

 

Toss the edamame into the salad with the dressing and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Braised Tau Pok & Cabbage.

It's a basic dish of stir fried noodles and vegetables... without any noodles. I found tofu sheets in the cooler of an Asian market last time we were in Windsor. It's a big pity I cannot get anything like it around here. The local grocery has a few slabs of basic tofu; take it or leave it, and misses out on the huge range of shapes and textures available. This particular iteration is a large, thin, and rather dense sheet that cuts nicely into strips that have about the texture of cooked noodles, hence this dish. Ideal for anyone trying to avoid carbohydrates, like (*checks notes*) me. There are also dried sheets of tofu, but that's not what you need here. The refrigerated tofu sheets freeze really well, so next time we're in Windsor or some other civilized spot I intend to stock up.

Having said that, next time I might replace half the tofu with a square of ramen noodles; I do miss them even though this was really good. Unlike real noodle dishes, it would also be quite appropriate to serve this with some rice.

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

300 grams (10 ounces) fresh tofu sheet
3 cups shredded savoy cabbage (or other cabbage or greens)
1 large carrot
1 large onion
1 or 2 stalks of celery
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
2 slices fresh ginger optional
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
1/4 soy sauce (light helps keep the salt down)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

While the tofu sheet is folded as it came in the package, cut it into 1/8" strips. Cut them in half again across the middle. This will leave you with a pile of noodle-like tofu shreds.

Prepare the vegetables; shred the cabbage, peel and grate the carrot, peel and cut the onion into slivers, wash and thinly slice the celery, and chop the garlic and ginger fairly finely.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok. Sauté the onion until it begins to soften, then add the remaining vegetables including the garlic and ginger. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of water over them, and cook at high temperature, stirring and tossing constantly until the veggies are softened and the water is evaporated. Remove the veggies from the pan and set them aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Put in the tofu "noodles", and drizzle the soy sauce over them. Cook them, stirring constantly and turning until they are well mixed and heated, then add the vegetables back in. Continue to mix and toss until well blended and hot through, and all the liquid has evaporated. Drizzle with the sesame oil, mix well and serve. 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Tomato, Macaroni, & Cheese Soup.

Here's a last-minute treat for Valentine's day, which you can possibly make with things already around the house, at least if you are in the habit of keeping a can or 2 of evaporated milk at hand, as I do.

 

This traditional Indian sweet is somewhere between a thick pudding and soft fudge in texture. I could probably have improved mine by grating the carrots more finely or even putting them through the food processor, but, oh well. It was still delicious. As usual I cut the sugar way back and replaced some of it with sweetener. Or, don't add sugar at all and instead of condensed (unsweetened) milk, use evaporated (sweetened) milk; that's quite a common way to make it, actually. 

I made mine thick enough to mold, but cook it to a thickness that looks good to you, keeping in mind that it will set a little more as it cools.

 

8 servings

1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes prep time

 

450 grams (1 pound) carrots

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

354 ml (1 tin) condensed milk

12 pods (1/2 teaspoon) green cardamom

1/8 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup ground almonds or other nuts

1 teaspoon chick pea flour

1/4 cup coconut sugar OR Sucanat

1/4 cup sugar OR erythritol-monkfruit sweetener

1/4 cup chopped nuts, raisins, dessicated coconut, 

   chopped dried apricots, preserved ginger, etc - OPTIONAL

Wash, peel, and grate the carrots finely. 

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat and add the carrots. Cook gently, stirring regulary, until softened and reduced in volume, about 10 minutes. 

Add the evaporated milk and mix well. Let it simmer gently while you grind the cardamom pods with the salt. (Remove the green husks as they are broken.)

Add the cardamom and salt. Mix the nuts, chick pea flour, and sweeteners, and mix them in. Continue to cook gently, stirring regularly, for another 30 to 40 minutes until thickened.  Add any of the possible add-ins that appeal to you, appropriately chopped if they require it. Mix in well, and simmer for a few more minutes. 

You can serve this as a warm pudding, or press it into a mold and cut it (serve at room temperature) according to how you would like it and how thick you let it get. I am told it is very good with vanilla ice cream. I can  also picture some thin custard.

Last year at this time I made Kimmel Beef Stew.

I've made this a few times over the winter; I think it is one of my favourite pot roasts - this is one of the tastiest marinades for beef out there. Since I made it several times, I used a few different roasts. I thought the sirloin tip was noticeably the best, and the chuck roast was... chewy. Tasty, but chewy.

 

You will notice I don't brown the roast. I can't stand the smoke and spatter of doing so, and now I only brown meat that is going into the Instant Pot. Same would apply to using a slow cooker. The initial bake at 400°F is enough to make it reasonably brown on top; at least, I think so. 

I found the cooking time somewhat variable with the different roasts. This is also probably not the best roast to make if you are planning for a very specific start time for your meal, as I suspect the time may vary a bit in any case. It could be reheated in some of its own juices if made in advance and sliced, but in that case be sure to keep it a bit on the rare side in the first cooking.

6 to 8 servings

15 minutes to make marinade 

2 to 4 days to marinate

2 hours prep & finish plus N hours per pound to roast

including warm-up from fridge

 

1 medium onion 

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

2 or 3 bay leaves

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon juniper berries

10 to 12 whole cloves

a 2" stick of cinnamon OR 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

a good grate of nutmeg

2/3 cup red wine

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons apple butter 

1.5 to 2 kilos (3 to 4 pound) rump, blade, round, or cross-cut roast;

   -  sirloin tip is particularly recommended

Put everything but the roast into a pot, and bring it to a boil. Allow it to cool slightly, then immerse your roast in it. Keep refrigerated for 2 to 4 days, turning the roast a couple of times to be sure it is evenly marinated. 

I have found the best container to brine or marinate roasts and small poultry is a stainless steel compost bucket. You can keep one for the purpose, or just run the regular one through the dishwasher first.

2 carrots 

2 onions

2/3 cup beef or chicken stock

Bring the roast out and clean off the marinade (discard). Leave the roast out for an hour to bring it up to room temperature. This is important, or the cooking times will be off. 

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Peel and cut the carrots into small chunks. Peel and chunk the onions. Lay them in the bottom of a roasting pan, and pour the broth over them. Lay the roast over the top. 

Roast at 400°F for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 225°F and continue roasting for approximately 1 hour per pound. Internal temperature should be 160°F to 180°F for medium to well-done beef, which I recommend for this recipe. Cover loosely and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

 

I used a deep roasting pot with a lid, and covered the roast during the cooler roasting time, and just left it on while it rested. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Turkey & Wild Rice Porcupines. 

Yes, it's a little sweet for a salad - but nothing like as sweet as actual carrot cake, about which I was dreaming when I decided to make this instead (or perhaps I should say, at all). As such, it won't go with everything, but plainish grilled chicken or tofu would be lovely, or certain kinds of sandwiches would go nicely alongside it.

My raisins are not rotating like they used to, and they used to sit long enough to get pretty dried out, so I soaked them in a little of the pineapple juice. I added the left over juice, but I don't think it's a good idea; the dressing came out a little thin. My pineapple came out of a tin, and that's perfectly cromulent, but if you happen to have a fresh one around, a slice could be chopped to mingle unobtrusively with the other ingredients, but even more deliciously. 

Salt and pepper absolutely required - I peppered enthusiastically - because this is a salad, and not a cake, after all.

 

4 to 8 servings

 

2 cups grated carrots

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple tidbits 

1/2 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut

1/2 head greenhouse lettuce

 

Peel and grate the carrots, and mix them with the raisins, walnuts, pineapple, and coconut. Wash and dry the lettuce.

 

1/2 cup thick yogurt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

1/16 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

the juice of 1/2 lemon

Mix the seasonings into the yogurt, then mix in the lemon juice. Toss the carrots, etc, with this dressing then arrange the salad over the dried lettuce leaves. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Chocolate Cake with Roasted Strawberry Cream. 

You could, I suppose, serve the filling just as a stew, but somehow putting it in a puff pastry crust makes it clear just how special and delicious this really is. We got some lovely lamb from Wooldrift Farm this year, and this was our first big try-out, on Christmas day. It was definitely worthy of that special spot. We thought this hit the perfect spot between nicely seasoned, but letting the flavour of the lamb speak for itself.

I had made some lamb broth which no doubt added to the intensity of flavour, but if you can't get it beef or chicken broth would do. I also pre-cooked the lamb in our Instant Pot, but you could stew it slowly instead if you don't have one. Should I confess that I used the heart in this dish? Mr. Ferdzy "doesn't like it" but it's just a particularly tough cut of stewing meat, and if you order a complete lamb you will get one. I cut it to about 1/4 of the size of the other pieces and proceed - no one has yet detected them.

The filling should be warm when you assemble the pie - too cold and it will take a long time to bake, too hot and you will really struggle with the pastry, which will want to melt rather than fold around it. By using the full-sized sheets you will have eight points around the edge, which should be folded inward once tucks have been made in the upper sheet to seal the edges of the lower sheet.

 

6 to 8 servings

1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours to pre-cook the lamb - 30 minutes prep time

1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook the pie - 40 minutes prep time

 

1/4 cup barley or wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed savory

3/4 teaspoon rubbed rosemary

2 bay leaves

freshly ground black pepper to taste

900 grams (2 pounds) stewing lamb

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 cup lamb, beef, or chicken broth  (can replace up to 1/2 with red wine) 

Mix the flour and the spices in a mixing bowl, then gently toss the prepared lamb in it - the lamb should be trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1" cubes, and if at all wet patted dry with paper towels.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the floured meat in two batches to allow it to be well spread out in a single layer as it cooks. Put the browned meat into a large stewing pot or Instant Pot as it is done. 

Add the broth or broth and wine. If cooking in a stewing pot, simmer gently for an hour to an hour and a half until tender. If using the Instant Pot, cook for 30 minutes and allow it to release naturally. 

This can be done up to a day ahead and refrigerated; and it's a good idea as that will allow you to remove excess fat while it is congealed.

2 medium carrots

1 large onion

2 stalks of celery OR 1 cup peeled diced celeriac

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons lamb fat OR mild vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

up to 1 cup more lamb, beef, or chicken broth

450 grams (1 pound; 1 package) thawed from frozen puff pastry

 

Peel the carrots and cut them in dice. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the celery or peel and dice the celeriac. Peel and mince the garlic. 

 

Heat the fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery, and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened and tender. You may want to add a bit of water and broth to help cook the carrots, but not so much that it won't cook off in the allotted time. 

 

Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar, and cook for a minute more, then add the stewed lamb along with any sauce that it is in. Add a little more broth if it seems dry. Heat the mixture through and simmer for a few minutes. It should be thick and saucy but not runny. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Gently roll one sheet of pastry to expand it slightly. Place it in a 9.5" pie plate. The short sides of the pastry should come most of the way up the sides of the pie plate, and the corners will hang over. Fill it with the warm lamb filling. 

Roll out the remaining sheet of pastry in the same way as the first. Place it on top of the pie so that the corners of the top piece are in between the corners of the bottom piece. Lift them one at a time so that you can see the lower piece of pastry. Pull the lower piece of pastry away from the side of the pan and tuck the top piece down between them to seal it. The corner will stick up; fold it in over the pie. Repeat with the remaining three corners/sides. Cut some vent holes in the top of the pastry. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, in case of leakages, and bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden-brown. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Braised Oxtail with Dried Tomatoes, Peppers, & Beans. 

This is a perfect salad for the summer, being cool and refreshing yet relatively substantial without being heavy. But it is also a perfect salad for the winter, since it can be made with readily available winter vegetables. Carrots and cucumbers make a good foundation, then add such things and green onions, celery or celeriac, turnip or winter radish, bean sprouts or cabbage. I used a little cabbage; I had been thinking bean sprouts but whottasurprise, my local grocery store had none. 

If you can't find sweet potato noodles (which generally seem to come in bundles of about 200 grams) then you could use mung bean thread noodles. They tend to come in bundles of about 50 grams, so you will need 3 or 4 of them. The treatment is similar, but do check the cooking time - I think they might need a little less. 

I did not get around to making this as quickly as I intended (so just as well there were no bean sprouts) and my shiitakes got a little dried out. Therefore, I fried them briefly in a smidge of oil before adding them.

 

4 to 8 servings

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons gochujang OR chile-garlic sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons sesame seeds 

Put the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, hot sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl or jam jar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. 

The sesame seeds don't go directly in the dressing, but now is the time to toast them - a few minutes in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir them as they toast and be prepared to scrape them out at once onto a plate to cool - they will go from perfect to scorched very quickly.

 

150 grams to 200 grams sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon)

10 to 20 grams (1/2 ounce) dried wakame

8 to 10 shiitake mushrooms

1 medium carrot

1 or 2 small greenhouse cucumbers

1 cup other prepared vegetables (see introductory notes)

 

Put a fairly large pot of water on to boil. Boil the noodles as instructed on the package (probably for 5 minutes). LIFT them out of the water, keeping the water. Put the noodle in a strainer and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well. Chop slightly to make them more manageable, if you like.

 

Meanwhile, put the wakame into the boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Turn it over as it cooks several times, to allow it to re-hydrate evenly. You will need about a 3" x 8" sheet. Drain the wakame well, shred it into long thin "noodles", then cut it into bits about 2" or 3" long. 

 

Mix the noodles and wakame in a serving bowl. 

 

Remove and discard the shiitake mushroom stems, and shred the caps into thin julienne strips. Peel and slice the carrot very thinly, then slice the other way thinly to form fine julienne strips. Wash and trim the ends from the cucumber(s), and slice in the same way. Any other vegetables used should also be cut in fine julienne pieces. Toss them all with the noodles. 

 

Toss the dressing into the salad. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving (it can be kept for longer in the fridge) then sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over it and serve. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Jerk Sweet Potatoes.

I'm on a bit of a roll with "things that get simmered in some kind of sauce or sauce-adjacent mixture" at the moment. Eggs, fish, chops, meatballs... simple and straightforward, and usually just needs a judicious quantity of carbs to round out the meal. I see some take on spaetzle or noodles with these, but potatoes or rice would be just fine, or even some good crusty bread. Actually, how about Rye & Spelt Naan? That would be lovely!

 

4 servings

1 medium leek

1 medium carrot

2 cloves of garlic

500 grams (1 pound) ground turkey

1 large egg

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed savory or thyme

2 tablespoons barley or wheat flour

 

Wash, trim, and shred the leeks fairly finely. Peel and grate the carrots - you might as well do the ones that don't go into the meatballs at the same time, but keep them separated. Peel and mince the garlic. Put these in a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix well by hand. Form into 32 equal balls, putting them on a plate as you work. 

 

1 medium leek

1 medium carrot

4 cups chopped green or Savoy cabbage 

3 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons barley or wheat flour

2 cups unsalted chicken broth

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

If you have not already, wash, trim, and shred the leek, and peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and finely chop the cabbage. 

 

Heat half of the oil in a large skillet and cook the meatballs until browned on all sides. Remove them back to the plate (but WASH it while they are browning, duh). 

Heat the remaining oil, and add the vegetables. Cook over medium heat until softened and reduced in volume. Add the seasonings once they are going well, then mix in the flour. Once the flour is well mixed in with no remaining specks of white, slowly stir in the broth. Return the meatballs to the pan, nestled down into the vegetables, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through - it's a good idea to turn them halfway through. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Rye & Spelt Naan, which calls for Bread Spice.

Cabbage rolls are a bit fiddly to put together, but there is something delightful about receiving your food in a neat little package. It's a present! Usually they are the main course, and contain meat or at least some kind of substantial protein or grain, but I thought I would do something a little different, and make them a vegetable side-dish. I have to say, I really loved them! 

 

The fiddly-ness is mostly chopping vegetables, and once you've made enough cabbage rolls to have the stem-shaving down, they are really quite quick and straightforward to put together. All the work also happens at the front end, so you have lots of time to work on the rest of dinner while these are in the oven. Mind you, I think something relatively simple is a good plan for serving with these - chops, steak, plain baked chicken (thighs could go in at the same time as the cabbage rolls), broiled fish, grilled tofu - they are going to be agreeable with a lot of different things. 

The dill pickle brine and paprika make these piquant, and I have to say the sour cream or yogurt really finished them - I don't know that I would describe it as optional. I didn't actually use a turnip, as I had a kohlrabi in the fridge that won't last as long. You could use some rutabaga or celery instead if you preferred. You could make them more substantial with about a cup of cooked rice, quinoa, or other grain added, but in that case you will need a few more cabbage leaves and should be prepared to apply the pickle brine and tomato sauce with a slightly heavier hand.

 

3 to 4 servings

1 hour 45 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

 

6 to 8 large whole Savoy cabbage leaves

1 medium carrot

1 medium-small turnip (or similar)

1 medium onion

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste, possibly salt

1 teaspoon rubbed savory

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

1/2 cup dill pickle brine

3/4 to 1 cup tomato sauce

thick yogurt OR sour cream to serve

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Carefully remove outer leaves in good condition from a large cabbage. Shave the stems down to as close to the thickness of the rest of the leaf as you can. Once the water boils and you have your leaves ready, blanch them in batches until just softened, then rinse them in cold water to stop them cooking any further. Drain well. This can be done up to a day ahead. 

Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and grate the turnip. Peel and chop the onion. Clean and chop the mushrooms. Peel and mince the garlic. Other than the garlic, this too can be done up to a day ahead. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking (lasagne) pan which will hold the cabbage rolls snugly. (Should be 1.5 litre/quart, or 8" x 10"). 

Put the oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the prepared vegetables and cook until softened and reduced in volume by half. Stir frequently. Season with pepper, savory, and paprika when close to done. You may wish to add a little salt, but it will depend on how salty the dill pickle brine is. 

Remove the vegetables from the heat, and allow them to cool enough to handle. Divide them amongst the prepared cabbage leaves, rolling them up and placing them in the oiled pan. Pour the dill pickle brine and tomato sauce over them evenly, and bake for 1 hour. Check them half way through the cooking time, and if they look like they are drying out, cover them with some foil. 

Best served with a dollop of thick yogurt or sour cream. 

Last year at this time I made Buck-"Meat" Balls (or Patties).

It's the end of the year, so it's the end of the year lucky bean dish. This traditional Slovakian dish usually has a variety of smoked pork products added to it, but I didn't happen to have any and wanted to keep it a little lighter. It's still a pretty substantial meal. I did use some bacon fat, but some kind of vegetable oil is all it needs to be vegetarian. If you want to use some meat, cut it in chunks (unless it's on the bone) and cook it with the beans once the water has been changed. 

I have to say though, my end of the year lucky bean dishes are not doing the trick. I would be happier to see the end of 2021 if I thought 2022 would be any better; I think it's going to take more than beans though. Here's to good luck to us all...

 

4 servings

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time 

NOT including cooking the beans

 

1 cup dried borlotti or pinto beans

1 teaspoon salt

2 medium onions

1 medium carrot

2 or 3 medium potatoes

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoons bacon fat OR mild vegetable oil

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

1/4 to 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika

1/3 cup tomato sauce

2 cups sauerkraut

1 tablespoon vinegar (optional)

Cover the dry beans generously with water, then bring them to a boil and boil one minute. Remove them from the heat, cover them, and let them soak for 2 hours to overnight. Drain them and add enough water to them to cover by about an inch. Add the salt. Simmer until tender, stirring regulary; about an hour. Or, cook them in an Instant Pot for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to release naturally. This can be done up to a day ahead. 

Peel and dice the onions. Peel and grate or dice the carrot. Wash, trim, peel if you like, and cut the potatoes into chunks. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat the fat or oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook the onions and carrots, stirring regularly, until softened and slightly reduced. Add the garlic, bay leaves, paprika, and Aleppo pepper and mix in well. Add the cooked beans with their cooking liquid, and the tomato sauce, and mix well. Mix in 1/2 of the sauerkraut. Add the potatoes when they are ready. Simmer the beans for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is thick and well-amalgamated. Keeping in mind that there is a little more sauerkraut to be added, taste and decide if you want it a little more sour, in which case add a spoonful of vinegar.

Once the beans have been added, put the potatoes in a separate pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil and boil for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender. Drain them and add them to the stew. 

Add the final cup of sauerkraut just before you are ready to serve, and allow it to just heat through.

This keeps and re-heats well, as with most bean dishes. 

Last year at this time I made Lentils with Smoked Sausage.

I have come to love roasted salads in the late fall and winter; they do such an excellent job of hitting the sweet spot between hot and hearty fare, and a healthy pile of vegetables. Za'atar and tahini give this one a Middle-Eastern twist, although the veg are right out of the garden.  

In theory, you could make the dressing while the roasted vegetables cool slightly, but it's better to make it earlier, as soon as they go into the oven, so the flavours can blend and settle a bit.

 

2 to 4 servings

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time 

3/4 teaspoon coriander seed

3/4 teaspoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon rubbed savory

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 teaspoons sumac

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Grind the coriander and cumin seeds, then mix them with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. 

2 cups cooked, well-drained chick peas

4 to 6 shallots

1 large carrot

1/4 cup olive oil

4 to 5 cups (1 kilo; 2 pounds) sliced Brussels sprouts

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread the chick peas over it. Peel and sliver the shallots, and add them. Peel and thinly slice the carrot, and add it. Drizzle them all with the olive oil and mix, then sprinkle over the za'atar and mix again. Spread them all out as evenly as you can. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and slice the Brussels sprouts into 2 to 4 slices each, depending on size. Mix them in with the roasting vegetables and return the pan to the oven to roast for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are browned in spots and the chick peas are dry and a bit crispy. Let rest for 10 minutes. 

1 large clove of garlic

the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons tahini

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

the juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons mayonnaise (light is fine)

 

Peel and mince the garlic and place it in a small bowl. Grate in the lemon zest. Add the salt and pepper. Add the tahini and mustard and mix it all to a smooth paste. 

 

Mix in the lemon juice a little at a time to keep the dressing smooth and lump free. Once it is all in, mix in the mayonnaise. 

 

Transfer the salad to a serving platter or plates, and drizzle with the dressing. Serve while still a little warm.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Tau Pok & Brussels Sprouts.  

This is a pretty classic comfort-food tuna casserole, but for the fact that the usual pasta has been swapped out for quinoa. I always cook more quinoa than we will eat when I make it the first time; it keeps so well and is so handy to have for so many dishes. You can add this one to that list. 

It's a fairly large casserole; if you don't want leftover leftovers, you could cut in in half quite easily. I sprinkled a few tablespoons of water on the leftovers, covered it in foil, and reheated it in the oven to good success, though.

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the quinoa

 

3/4 cup quinoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups water 

Into the rice cooker with them; turn it on; cook. Remove as soon as it is done. You could also use 2 to 2 1/2 cups leftover cooked quinoa, without or with vegetables in it; adjust the other vegetables if necessary.

1 stalk of celery

2 medium leeks OR 1 large onion

1 medium carrot

1 or 2 cloves of garlic (optional)

125 grams (1/4 pound) button mushrooms

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1/4 cup barley OR other flour

2 teaspoons rubbed savory, thyme OR other herb of choice

2 cups whole milk or light cream

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

2 133-g when drained tins of tuna (chunk)

1 cup grated old Cheddar cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

 

Wash, trim, and chop the celery. Wash and trim the leeks, and chop them, or peel and chop the onion. Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and mince the garlic. Clean, trim, and chop the mushrooms. 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

 

Heat the oil in a medium skillet, or better in a shallow casserole dish that can also be used on the stove-top. Cook the celery, leeks or onions, and carrots over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until softened and reduces in volume. Add the garlic, flour, and other seasonings and mix in well, cooking for another minute or so until well blended and fragrant. 

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the milk or cream, the thawed peas, the drained tuna broken into chunks, and the quinoa. Spread it all out smoothly. 

Mix the cheese and bread crumbs, and sprinkle them evenly over the casserole. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes until nicely browned. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Spiced Boiled Fruitcake. 

Well, you know; it's another scalloped root vegetable dish, and very good too. Are there any root vegetables - and a good few others - that are not improved by creamy sauce and buttery, cheesy bread crumbs? None that I know of. Go for it!

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour 40 minutes - 40 minutes prep time

2 cups sliced parsnips

2 cups sliced carrots

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup milk or 10% cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

a good grind of nutmeg

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or other sharp cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Put a pot of water on to boil for the vegetables. Peel and trim the parsnips and carrots, and cut them into thin slices. Boil them for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. Drain them well. Peel the onions and garlic. Slice the onion and mince the garlic.

While the parsnips and carrots cook, preheat the oven to 350°F. Use the butter to grease a 2-quart (8" x 10") shallow baking (lasagne) pan. 

Mix the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the cream. 

When the vegetables are tender, drain them well. Spread about 1/3 of them in the prepared pan, then spread 1/2 of the onion and garlic over them. Top with 1/2 of the remaining parsnips and carrots, then the remaining onions and garlic, and finally the remaining parsnip and carrots. Pour the cream evenly over them. 

Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and butter together until well combined and none of the crumbs seem dry. Sprinkle this mixture over the prepared vegetables. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour until browned and bubbling.

This is very like the ever-popular Broccoli & Cheddar Soup, only with Brussels sprouts instead of broccoli. It's just as good, and if you are a sprouts lover, maybe even better! It's pretty rich and filling, so a little bread and butter will round it out and make it a complete meal. 

Leftovers will be fine the next day, heated gently, but like a lot of green vegetable soups it doesn't keep as well as some other soups; so do not make it too far in advance. Fortunately it's a pretty quick and simple soup to make.

 

4 servings

45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

 

2 large shallots

1 medium carrot

1 stalk celery

5 to 6 cups chopped Brussels sprouts

 

Peel and mince the shallots. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and finely chop the celery. Set them aside together. 

 

Wash, trim, and chop the Brussels sprouts. Set them aside on their own. 

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons barley (or wheat) flour

 

Peel and mince the garlic, and put it in a small bowl. Grind the rosemary leaves and peppercorns with the salt, and add them to the garlic. Add the flour. 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 cups water OR vegetable broth

1/2 cup 10% cream

1 1/3 cups grated old Cheddar

2/3 cup grated old Cheddar to garnish

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, and celery, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly reduced. Add the Brussels sprouts and raise the heat slightly. Cook for another 6 to 7 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are well wilted down and lightly browned in spots. Add the bowl of seasonings, mix in well and cook for another minute or so until no white flour can be seen. 

Add the water or broth and mix well. Reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the cream and the cheese. Stir in until the cheese is melted, and the soup is steaming hot. Serve at once, with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top of the bowls. 

Last year at this time I made Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Red Cabbage, & Parsley.