Category Archives: Recipes

03

Jun. ’18

Bahraini Cuisine

Bahrain is an international port and, as such, imports goods from all over the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Africa. Each restaurant in Manama featured a different cuisine and the food markets offered a dazzling selection of bins filled with spice, shelves stocked with oils, dates, honey and staples from around the world.

Spices

But what did the average Bahraini eat? Every meal was served with flatbread, and various small plates of egg dishes, meat dishes (usually chicken or lamb), vegetables (I liked the white beans with cilantro which were very spicy), hummus, tahini, and curries. These dishes were shared among diners. The flatbread was torn into smaller pieces and a spoonful of one of the other items was placed on the flatbread and rolled up. Diners ate this morsel with their right hand, utensils being reserved for serving. The population is predominantly Muslim and alcohol is not served except in larger establishments and hotel restaurants. Thus, diners drink water or fruit juices with their meals and follow the meal with Arabic style (strong) coffee or chai tea.

The area is subject to dust storms of very fine, white silt, which was probably the reason there was not any “street food” per se as there is in other cities of the world. The famed “shwarma” was sold at many establishments along the sidewalk where doors could be slid open to reveal the juicy, marinated chicken and lamb roasting on a spit. This Middle Eastern variation of a wrap was available everywhere for the equivalent of $3 US.

The vast array of available spices is incorporated into most menus. The following recipe is for the Chicken Machboos that we made in our cooking class.

Bahraini Chicken Machboos

Ingredients

¼ c. rose water

¼ t. saffron threads

2 T. melted butter

¼ c. canola oil

Whole spices:

3 star anise

2 black lemons*

2 cinnamon sticks

5 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

5 whole cardamom

Vegetables:

2 medium onions, diced

2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced

½ t. ground ginger

½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped

½ c fresh dill, chopped

1 medium tomato, diced

Remaining spices:

1 T. salt

½ t. black pepper

½ t. cinnamon

½ t. ground cardamom

½ T. turmeric

½ T. paprika

1 T. curry powder

1 t. cumin

1 2-3 lb. chicken, quartered

2 c. basmati rice

4 c. water

Green chili (optional)

Directions

Pour rosewater into a measuring cup and add saffron threads. Cover with plastic wrap and soak for 4 hours or overnight.

In a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven, heat butter and oil over medium high heat. Add whole spices and sauté until you can smell the aroma. Then add onions, garlic and ginger. Fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add cilantro and dill and stir for one minute. Add the fresh tomato and mix until it softens. Add remaining spices and mix for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes on both sides to lightly brown. Add 4 c. water and bring to boil. Simmer for 40-45 minutes until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Rinse rice with cool water until it is clear. Drain. Add to stockpot. There should be 3 c. water in the stockpot for the 2 c. rice. If not, add more water. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rose water and saffron. Place chicken on top of all other ingredients and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until rice is cooked. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4-6.

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19

Mar. ’18

African Peanut Stew

 

Our daughter, Gretchen Steidle, Founder and President of Global Grassroots, was recently named by INC Magazine as one of the top 100 leadership speakers! She is in Rwanda and Uganda this week to oversee the women-led Conscious Change Initiatives that her organization funds. This spicy Peanut Stew recipe is typical of East African cuisine and can be prepared without meat.

 

Ingredients

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 quarts turkey stock

2 cups cubed, peeled sweet potato

1 cup creamy peanut butter

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

3 cups shredded cooked turkey, chicken or pork

One 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)

1 cup chopped lightly salted peanuts

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Optional: 1 cup chopped kale or spinach

 

Directions

In a Dutch oven or stock pot, cook green onions and sweet pepper in butter and hot oil for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add stock and sweet potato. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In a medium bowl, whisk peanut butter and tomato paste until smooth. Gradually add one cup of the hot turkey stock from the Dutch oven and continue to whisk until well-blended.

Add turkey, peanut butter mixture, and tomatoes to Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro. Top with green onion slices and peanuts.

 

Serves 4-6.

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31

Jul. ’17

Summer Salads: Beets, Quail Eggs, Pistachios and Goat Cheese

Nasturtiums are edible and add summer color to this flavorful salad!

Ingredients:

6 c. baby spinach, stems removed

4 golden beets

8 quail eggs, hard boiled and peeled

4 oz. log of goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 c. pistachio nuts, shelled

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Divide baby spinach between four salad plates.  Cut cooked quail eggs in half lengthwise and arrange on baby spinach.  Peel golden beets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and boil over medium heat until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.  Drain. Arrange hot beets on baby spinach.  Garnish with goat cheese and pistachios. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serves 4.

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14

Jul. ’17

Summer Salads: Arugula, Oranges and Fennel

Arugula, Orange and Fennel Salad

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 large oranges

6-7 cups arugula, trimmed

1 large fennel bulb, quartered lengthwise, cored, thinly sliced crosswise

2 ripe avocadoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

Whisk olive oil and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Combine arugula, fennel and orange segments in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Add avocado and gently toss to combine. Garnish salad with long, thin strips of Pecorino Romano cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler. Serves 4.

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12

Mar. ’17

Thai Cuisine

Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has not been colonized by Europeans. Thus, its cuisine is authentic and has only been slightly influenced by bordering countries or traders.

Thai cuisine is very spicy and focuses on dishes which are well balanced in four areas – sweet (usually palm sugar or coconut milk), salty (fish sauce and salt), sour (lime in several forms and tamarind) and spicy (chilies). Meals served in restaurants are accompanied by a quartet of sauces brought to the table – fish sauce, sliced chili peppers in rice vinegar, dried chili flakes, and palm sugar. Rice is served at most meals, (usually jasmine rice, but also sticky or glutinous rice) and sometimes noodles. Cucumbers are often served to cool the palate. I was told recently that additional ways to counter the spiciness is to add more rice, add sugar, or drink more beer!

Thai food was traditionally eaten by the right hand while seated on cushions on the floor, but today most Thais eat with a fork and large spoon. The fork is held in the left hand and is used to scoop or push into the spoon which is held in the right hand. Chopsticks are reserved only for noodle dishes.

The Thai pantry can be stocked from items available in the international aisle at a grocery store or a local Asian market. Lo’s Seafood in Portsmouth, NH carries Thai canned goods (coconut milk, fish sauce, tamarind paste), kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, fresh chilies (bird’s eye chilies or very tiny chilies are hotter than larger chilies), Thai basil and cilantro. Green, yellow and red curry pastes (hottest to mildest, respectively) can be made from scratch or purchased already prepared.

The following recipe for Chicken Coconut Milk Soup is one which we prepared at the Thai Farm Cooking School while I was in Thailand recently.

Tom Kaa Gai (Chicken Coconut Milk Soup)

Ingredients:

½ c. water

¼ cup of peeled, thinly sliced galangal or ginger

1 stalk of lemongrass, sliced into one-inch pieces

½ cup halved grape tomatoes

½ cup sliced mushrooms

1-5 bird eye’s chili peppers

1 chicken breast, sliced thinly and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 can coconut milk

2-3 kaffir lime leaves

1 stem of cilantro, finely diced

3 sliced scallions

1 T. fish sauce or soy sauce

½ teaspoon light brown sugar

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons of lime juice

Directions:

Combine water, galangal, lemongrass, tomatoes and mushrooms in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to boil. Remove stems from chili peppers and crush open by banging down with your palm on the flat side of a heavy knife. Add chili peppers, coconut milk and chicken pieces to broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is milky white all the way through. Fold kaffir lime leaves in half along spine and remove spine of each leaf to release flavor. Add to soup with cilantro, scallions, fish sauce, sugar and salt to taste. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes to intensify flavor. Finally add lime juice (soup will be too bitter if lime juice is added too early.) Lemongrass pieces, kaffir lime leaves, chilies and  galangal or ginger root should be removed prior to serving as they are all too tough to chew. Serves 2.

 

 

 

 

 

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02

Feb. ’17

Super Soups: Lobster Stew

 

lobster-corn-chowder2

Here in New England the landscape is dusted with snow and it’s a perfect time to warm up with  a pot of lobster stew. So, add a log to the fireplace, pour a glass of wine and tie on your apron!

Lobster Stew

Ingredients:

1 quart of seafood stock

2 T. tomato paste

2 c. heavy cream

2 T. butter

2 c. lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 c. red potatoes, diced

1 c. frozen corn

½ c. celery, diced

1 t. parsley

¼ t. cayenne

½ c. cooking sherry

3 T. cornstarch mixed with cold water

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Boil diced red potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and drain. In a Dutch oven or stock pot, combine all ingredients, including cooked potatoes, and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until stew is desired thickness. Serves 4.

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22

May. ’16

Summer Cold Remedy Tea

Turmeric tea

Now that you know about all the health benefits of turmeric, prepare this citrus ginger turmeric mixture to have on hand the next time to feel a cold coming on. The lemon decreases the strength of the cold virus, the ginger soothes your throat after coughing, and the honey contains tryptophan which will help you sleep at night.

Ingredients:

2 lemons, thinly sliced with seeds removed

1 orange thinly sliced

2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

1 T. of ground turmeric

1 c. honey

Directions:

Mash the ginger root with a mortar and pestle to make a paste. Combine all ingredients in a jar and store in refrigerator for up to one month. To make a cup of tea, simply put a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into a tall mug and fill with boiling water.

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01

May. ’16

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Spinach-and-Mushroom-Lasagna-040

This Spinach and Mushroom lasagna is a great vegetarian alternative to the classic meat lasagna.

Ingredients

12 lasagna noodles

2 T. butter

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

4 lbs. mushrooms, washed and sliced

2 lbs. spinach

2 T. butter

¼ c. flour

2 c. half and half

¼ t. nutmeg

1-16 oz. carton ricotta cheese

1 egg

½ c. grated parmesan cheese

¼ c. fresh basil, sliced thinly

8 c. grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350o F. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain. In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil and sauté garlic, mushrooms and spinach until mushrooms are tender and spinach is wilted. In a sauce pan over medium heat, make the white sauce. Melt butter and stir in flour and nutmeg. Whisk in half and half until smooth, well-blended and cook over low heat until slightly thickened. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, the egg, grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil and stir until well-blended. To assemble: Line a baking dish with one layer of lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping them. Spread one half of the spinach mixture over the noodles. Pour 1 c. of the white sauce over the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with half the grated mozzarella cheese. Dot with spoonsful of the ricotta cheese mixture. Place a second layer of overlapping lasagna noodles on top of the ricotta. Spread the second half of the ricotta over the noodles. Put the remaining spinach mixture over the ricotta and pour the rest of the white sauce on the spinach mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 8.

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26

Apr. ’16

Seafood Crepes

crepes

These seafood crepes are great for brunch too. Pair with a green salad and a crisp white wine.

Ingredients:

Crepes

¾ c. milk

¾ c. water

3 egg yolks

1 ½ c. flour

5 T. melted butter

Filling

2 T. butter

2 T. scallions, minced

½ c. sliced mushrooms

3 c. diced lobster, shrimp, crab, or scallops

Sauce:

3 T. butter

¼ c. flour

¾ c. milk

¾ c. chicken stock

1/3 c. sherry

Topping (Optional)

1 c. Swiss cheese

Paprika

Directions:

For crepes – Combine all ingredients for crepes in bowl and beat until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for one hour to allow flour particles to expand an soften. Spray an 8 inch skillet with nonstick coating and heat over medium high heat. Measure about ¼ c. of the batter into the skillet and tilt the skillet to spread the batter evenly in a thin film. Cook one minute or until golden. Turn and cook about 30 seconds. Remove from skillet and stack between wax paper or parchment paper.

For filling – Sauté scallions and mushrooms in butter. Gently stir in seafood and set aside.

For sauce – Melt butter in sauce pan and blend in flour. Whisk in milk, chicken stock and sherry. Cook and stir until mixture bubbles and thickens.

To assemble, blend half the sauce into seafood. Place ¼ c. seafood mixture onto each crepe and roll up. Arrange in buttered baking dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over crepes. Sprinkle with cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Preheat oven to 425oF. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling hot. Serves 6-8.

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20

Apr. ’16

Lemon Tart

lemon tart

This lemon tart is a perfect ending to a summer meal!

Ingredients:

Tart Crust

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour

5 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

10 T. butter, melted

Filling

4 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 c. sugar

Pinch of salt

4 T. buttermilk

2 T. cornmeal

½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

4 lemons

Directions:

Tart Crust

Preheat oven to 350oF. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until dough forms. Using your hands, press dough into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Place pan on lowest rack in oven and bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown, rotating pan half way through baking. Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling

Using a fine grater or microplane, remove the lemon zest (skin) from the lemons, being careful not to include the bitter white pith. Squeeze lemons to make ½ c. lemon juice and set aside. In medium bowl, cream butter, sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then add salt, and lemon juice and mix until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and fill the tart crust with the warm filling. Cool at room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

 

 

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