Shakshuka

Shakshuka! What a fabulous word! I love saying it. Shakshuka!

I also love the word Schenectady…but I digress.

What is shakshuka, you ask?  Shakshuka is a dish of eggs baked in a tomato sauce.

Mexicans have their huevos rancheros. Italians have eggs in purgatory. North Africans have shakshuka.

This is a perfect brunch dish. Be sure to serve it with lots of crusty bread to sop up the flavourful sauce.

Now I have to be honest here. I didn't have feta so I subbed with queso fresco. It was just as fab!

Shakshuka

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups of crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
6 eggs
crumbled feta cheese
cilantro to garnish

Place a large pan over medium-high heat and toast the cumin seeds until fragrant. Add the olive oil,

onion, garlic and chill flakes and cook until onion is soft. Add the cherry and crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Make a little well in the sauce and crack an egg in it. Continue with the remaining eggs. Sprinkle a little salt on each egg and cover the pan with lid. Cook on low heat 10-12 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle with some feta and cover again a couple minutes until the feta has melted. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

m xo

Paella

Isn't paella amazing?! You have everything in one dish. A little sausage, some poultry, a bit of seafood and of course rice. What more can you ask for? I love it!

There are many recipes for this Spanish national dish depending on the region and the cook. This recipe is very loosely based on The Dean and DeLuca cookbook by David Rosengarten that I have had many years. It's my go-to paella recipe. It's a pretty simple and forgiving recipe. Please don't be intimidated by it.

I like taking out my paella pan that a friend gave me many years ago from Spain but you can use a wide, oven proof skillet.

Paella

olive oil
6 oz chorizo, sliced
2 chicken thighs, skinless with bone in
2 chicken legs, skinless with bone in
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
saffron threads
5-6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon sambuca
1 lb. raw shrimp, shelled
parsley
lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in pan over high heat. Cook the chorizo slices until brown.
Remove and set aside. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to skillet. Sear on both sides. Remove and set aside.
Lower heat to medium and put the rice in the same pan and stir around for a few minutes. Add the onion, garlic, fennel and pepper flakes and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the wine, saffron threads and 5 cups of chicken stock. Season with salt if you have to (depending on your chicken stock). Bring to a boil and nestle the chorizo and the chicken in the rice and add the sambuca. Place the pan in the oven for 30 minutes. Bury the shrimp in the rice 20 minutes into the cooking time. You might have to add more stock if the rice had soaked it all up. It is ready when the rice is tender. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Buen apetito!

m xo

Surprising Meatloaf

When I first tried this meatloaf recipe, I have to admit I wasn't that impressed. John claimed it was one of the best so far.  It reminded him of his childhood and his mother made one for him whenever he came home for a visit from the army.

The ingredients are pretty simple: ground beef, bread, eggs and cheese.

The next day when I made a sandwich with the leftovers for lunch, wow was it ever great! It was even better than the first day I served it. This could definitely be a great make ahead meal.

A little tip I stole from my niece Jennifer when she makes meatloaf; she lines the pan with carrots and potatoes so it doesn't stick to the pan and it adds a little more flavour. I love the idea but I only had carrots.

Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef
4 slices of bread
1 cup of milk (I used almond milk because that's all I had)
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl soak the bread with the milk for a few minutes. Add the ground beef, eggs and parmesan cheese. Also add salt and pepper but be careful with the salt because the parmesan adds a lot of saltiness.

Mix all the ingredients together. I find the best way to do this is with my hands. Really get in there.

Place the carrots side by side on the pan and shape the meat into a loaf on the carrots.

Glaze with the ketchup and bake for 1 hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Sorry I don't have a photo of the sliced meatloaf. I forgot to take a picture and just served it :-0

m xo

Caesar Salad with Chicken

I really like caesar salad, especially for dinner with the addition of chicken. And once you see how much better it is when you make your own dressing, you'll be hooked.
Just a couple of pet peeves regarding caesar salad I need to get out.

I HATE when there is too much garlic in the dressing ( I know, hate is a pretty strong word but it really makes me angry). In my opinion, the garlic should be noticeable but subtle. Nobody needs to know you had caesar salad for the next THREE days. Gross!
I guess because I've always worked in a close proximity to my clients, I'm always conscious of what I eat : ) So I only use 1 or 2 cloves of garlic.

Another thing I really dislike are the packaged croutons. They're way too salty and most of the time they taste stale. I just cube or tear whatever bread I happen to have. Heck, even sliced bread (that's toast bread for all you Anglo-Italian people). Lightly coat with olive oil and a little salt and toast in oven. Easy peasey.
Whenever you have leftover bread and don't know what to do with it, make croutons and store in a zip lock bag for future use. Warning though, you will  be snacking on these all the time! So put them where you don't have easy access to them. Hahaha, but that could just be me!

I'm also not a fan of chicken breast. If it's up to me, I will always choose thighs and legs. When I do cook chicken breast, I cut it on the bias so I get 3-4 pieces. Place each piece between cling film and pound it out a bit. Because they are thin, they cook a few minutes on each side and therefore they are not dry. But you can use whatever cut you want.

Caesar Salad with Chicken

Dressing

3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 2 small anchovies, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
a splash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil, I used a combo of olive oil and veggie oil
pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Romaine lettuce
Croutons
Grilled chicken( breast or thighs)

In a bowl combine mayo, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually start whisking the oil in drop by drop. You don't want to dump it all in otherwise it won't emulsify and will separate. It should be thick and glossy. Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with pepper. You can definitely make the dressing a day ahead.
Dress your romaine leaves and croutons. Top with chicken.

m xo

Zucchini Butter

When I see recipes that have less than 5 ingredients, I'm intrigued! I don't why. Maybe I'm lazy, hahaha! No seriously, I figure it has to be really good because there aren't a lot of ingredients to mask the taste.
This comes from food52, a site that has some amazing recipes that people share and contribute to. It's a wonderful site that I would definitely recommend.
It suggested to make this in the summer, when there is an abundance of zucchini, but I couldn't resist. I used baby zucchini. I feel they have more flavour when not in season. I also added ground coriander seed to brighten it up a bit.
Really nice on crunchy, toasted bread. It makes a nice appetizer or snack.

Jennie Cook's Zucchini Butter
(adapted from food52.com)

2 lbs zucchini, about 5-6 baby zucchini
1/4 olive oil or butter, I used a combination of both
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
salt and pepper

Grate the zucchini and place in a colander for a few minutes. Saute the shallots and garlic in the oil/butter until soft. Wring out as much liquid as you can from the zucchini and add to the pan. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. You want to caramelize the zucchini until soft. The original recipe says 15 minutes but I cooked it for 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on toast.

m xo

Valentine's Day Dates for My ❤️

I know! I know! There are a lot of cynics out there when it comes to Valentine's Day…it's commercialized, someone else is dictating when you should buy flowers, jewelry and cards, go out to dinner and even declare your affection or love. Bah, humbug!! But I love it! I never say no to flowers, cards and definitely NOT jewelry! Bring it on!
What I don't like is, going out for dinner that night. Too crowded. The food is not that great and too expensive. Why not use that money for jewelry. Ha! I like to stay in and cook a nice meal. My husband usually surprises me with dessert but I thought I'd make a little treat that doesn't break the calorie bank and keep it healthy but still include some sort of chocolate. Another bonus…no baking involved!
If you are anything like me and need something sweet after dinner, these are perfect.

Coconut Date Bites

1 cup medjol dates, pitted
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1/3 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Place all the ingredients, except the shredded coconut, in a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Roll teaspoonfuls in your hands to form balls. Press the balls in toasted coconut. Refridgerate for a few minutes. Voila! Ready to eat!

Happy Valentine's Day

m xo

Not Really a Recipe #1... Avocado on Toast

This is not a recipe, just something I wanted to share.

Toast some wholegrain bread. With a fork, mash avocado, place on toast. Top with a poached or sunny side-up egg. Salt and pepper. I sprinkled a little sumac on it to give it some brightness.

If you don't know what sumac is, it's the berry of a bush that grows in the Mediterranean and Middle East. It has a tart, fruity flavour and is used in the same way as lemons. It comes in ground form.

Makes a nice breakfast or light lunch.

Enjoy!

m xo