Figs, Figs, Figs

This is fig season. We purchased a large box of figs, and decided to make a fig-themed dinner. I made Grilled Pork Chops with a Fig-Chipotle sauce, and we made Katie's Fig Risotto. Katie and I had made this risotto last week at her apartment, but because she does not have her computer, she has not been able to blog about it. Key to both recipes is the use of red, rather than white, wine. Makes for a heartier and tasty risotto. The sauce was so good that we are using it on other dishes this week!

Pork Loin Chops with Fig Sauce
The spicy sweetness of the chipotle pepper blends beautifully with the figs to give a little kick to the pan gravy which is also flavored with onions, garlic, and thyme. Prepare all your ingredients in advance. This goes together quickly.
Ingredients:
• 4 (about 8 ounces each) boneless pork top loin chops, 1-1/2 inches thick
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle peppers, or 1 chipotle in adobo, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup diced fresh figs
Preparation:
Place each pork loin chop between sheets of plastic wrap and pound down to a 1-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper, and ground chipotle.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Sear pork loin chops until golden brown on each side, turning only once. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Alternatively, grill the pork chops, and begin with the sauce below.

Reduce heat, add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional 1 minute. Carefully pour in red wine and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Cook 1 minute, then add chicken broth, chipotle in adobo (or ground chipotle), thyme, and figs. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring often and mashing the figs until the sauce is thickened.

Serve pork loin chops with the fig sauce.

Fig Risotto
• Time 40 minutes
• Serves 6
Ingredients
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 4 TBSP olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 pint fresh figs, quartered
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp cardamom, coriander, nutmeg
• 1 pat of butter
• salt and pepper
How to make it
• Bring the broth and red wine to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover it to keep it warm.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and lightly saute' until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat, 3 minutes.
• Add the broth 1 cup at a time, stirring until the broth is fairly well absorbed and the rice is tender and it looks creamy.
• When most of the broth is used up, mix in the spices and figs. Continue to cook until all liquid is absorbed.
• Stir in the cheese and pat of butter until blended in.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lobstahs

Eric went to Boston and brought back lobsters. Nothing more to say. Went through security with no problem! Yay!

Csipos and Csemege

It was a cold and cloudy day in Charlotte, or as we would say in Boston, “summer”. Sherry wanted some food that would fit the change in seasons, so I decided to cook a paprika-based meal. We had purchased some paprika in a tube while in Budapest, and thought it would be interesting to use them. I decided on two Hungarian dishes, Chicken Paprikash, the classic and yummy dish, and Gombaporkolt, a mushroom-paprika stew. The chicken was served with Whole Wheat Gnocchi (available at your local Trader Joe’s). What a wonderful meal. We are saving the sauce for another meal.

Chicken Paprikash
Chicken, onions, oil, stock, paprika, salt, sour cream. That's about it, and all you need for one of the best dishes on the planet, chicken paprikash. Uncomplicated. Unpretentious. So good you'll be drinking the sauce. Cooks up quickly too. Serve it with gnocchi or

Ingredients
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of chicken pieces, preferably thighs and legs (2-3 chicken leg quarters)
• 3 Tbsp canola oil/olive oil, evenly mixed
• 2-3 onions, sliced top to bottom
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
• 2 tsp (or to taste), hot paprika or cayenne
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Method

1 Let the chicken pieces sit at room temperature. Slice the onions lengthwise (top to root).

2 Add oil and heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and place them skin-side down in the pan. Let the chicken pieces cook 4-5 minutes on one side, until well browned, then turn them over and let them cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. (Take care when turning so as not to tear the skin if any is sticking to the pan.) Remove the chicken from the pan to a bowl, set aside.

3 Add the sliced onions to the sauté pan and cook them, stirring occasionally, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.

4 Add the paprika and some black pepper to the onions and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, again scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and then nestle the chicken pieces into the pan, on top of the onions. Cover and cook on a low simmer for 30 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces). When the chicken is cooked through (at least 165° if you use a thermometer, or if the juices run clear, not pink when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a knife) remove the pan from the heat. (If you want, you can also keep cooking the chicken until it begins to fall off the bone, which may take another 30 minutes or so.)

5 When the chicken is done to your taste, remove the chicken from the pan. In a small bowl, mix sour cream with flour. Temper the mixture with some of the pan juices. Return tempered sour cream mixture to pan and simmer until juices are thickened. If the sour cream cools the sauce too much, turn the heat back on just enough to warm it through. Add the chicken back to the pan and coat with the sauce.

Gombapörkölt; Hungarian Mushroom Stew

Ingredients:
2 tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 lbs mushrooms, sliced
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp Hungarian hot paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp Carmel chicken soup mix, or 1 cube bouillon, crushed
3/4 cup plain yogurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the onion. Continue cooking until the onion takes on an amber hue.

Add the mushrooms and red pepper. Stir and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften.

Combine the flour and paprika in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the cold water, tomato paste and soup base, and whisk until smooth.

Pour this over the mushroom mixture. Lower the heat and cover the saucepan. Allow to simmer gently for about 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Stir in the yogurt until well combined; heat through. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Can be served over cooked rice or egg noodles. I usually just have it on its own, like soup or stew.

Garnish with additional yogurt if desired.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Feta

Israeli Couscous Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Chickpeas

We found a basket of fresh figs at the Farmers' Market this week, and wanted to do something other than the usual Figs/Goat Cheese/Prosciutto/Greens delight.  We found this recipe, and adapted it to our needs.  The couscous came in a package from Harris Teeter - you may be able to find your own version locally.

1 medium sized eggplant, cut into half and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil

1/3 lb. proscuitto, cut into strips and fried in a saucepan

1 package whole Wheat Israeli couscous (10 oz)
1 tsp dried or fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cayenne
pinch of salt

1/4 cup fat free feta
1 can (15 oz) drained chickpeas
small handful pistachios or pine nuts, toasted
5-10 fresh figs, cut into quarters small bunch fresh mint
olive oil

Optional:  1/2 pomegranate, seeds taken out

Heat a grill on high, brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill on both sides until tender. Set aside.

Follow directions to cook couscous, adding cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, mint and pinch of salt. Set aside for 3 minutes then use a fork to separate and mix the couscous.

Fry up the prosciutto strips and add them to the salad.
Add in the chickpeas, pomegranate seeds (leaving some for serving), nuts and figs. Chop the fresh mint and in as well. Toss to mix and finish with a dash of olive oil. Sprinkle feta on top (liberally).  
 Arrange the salad on a plate with the grilled eggplant (eggplant can be chopped and mixed in as well) and serve (we added balsamic vinegar to the eggplant).

I Am Curious (Yellow) and Shark Steak

The picture really doesn’t have anything to do with the main dish, except that we found yellow eggplants and tomatoes at the Farmers’ Market. I wanted to do up a dish with nothing but yellow ingredients, but we couldn’t find yellow zucchini to complete the ratatouille. Maybe another day…. I did grill slices of the eggplant and served it with the Shark Steak.


We made a wonderful dish with shark steaks. Shark is usually too tough to eat, but we marinated it in a Jamaican Jerk marinade overnight, grilled it on the grill and it came out soo tender!! Here’s the recipe (which can also be used for chicken pieces or boneless breasts).


Jamaican Jerk Shark Steak


INGREDIENTS:
• About 1 lb shark steak (about 1 ½ inches thick)
• 1 habanero (or scotch bonnet) pepper (or see hints below)
• 1 inch, thumb size, piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• 3-4 Tbs fresh thyme leaves (or 1-2 tsp dried)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 Tbs ground allspice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar


PROCEDURE:


1. Deseed the habanero pepper and add it to a food processor (and wash your hands afterwards) with a 1-inch long, thumb size piece of peeled fresh ginger, 1 large clove garlic, add 3-4 Tbs fresh thyme leaves, 1/2 small chopped onion, add 2 Tbs ground allspice, 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup white vinegar and puree until smooth.


2. Pour the marinade into a large Ziploc bag or into a large baking dish and marinate the shark for 6-8 hours or overnight, covered, in the fridge.


3. You'll get the most flavor cooking the shark over a hardwood or charcoal fire but a gas grill is fine or even cook it inside in the oven in a pinch.


4. Cook the shark slowly until it is are cooked through and done, but not dried out, about 10-15 minutes.


HINTS: If you can't find a habanero (or Scotch bonnet) pepper, substitute 2 large jalapeno peppers instead. Substitute chicken parts or chicken legs or substitute pork.

Coconut Crusted Tilapia with Pineapple/Curry Sauce (Passover version)

So, it was passover, and we wanted to make some lovely crusted Tilapia with a spicy curry sauce. "That's what Matzo Meal is for!" So here it is.

The ingredients
3 3oz tilapia fillet
1/4 c panko or matzo meal (depending on season)
1 c shredded coconut (unsweetened)
2 tbs olive or canola oil
salt & pepper
1 c vinegar
1/8 c sugar
1 c water
1 c diced pineapple, chopped
2 tsp corn starch
2 tbs curry powder (spicy), PLUS one tbsp red (or green or masaman) curry paste (optional)

1. The first thing to do is to mix together the panko, shredded coconut, salt and pepper. Rinse the fillets with water (or you can dip them in a beaten egg), then dredge them in the panko-coconut mix. Make sure it is completely coated with coconut, then set aside. This is called the standard breading procedure.
3. Heat up a pan and add 2 tbsp oil. Make sure the oil is hot by dipping a toothpick into the oil, if tiny bubbles form around the toothpick that means it is hot enough to cook the fish. Place the coconut covered fish and cook on each side for 2-4 minutes. The coconut crust will become a golden color. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel so it can absorb the grease.
4. Add the vinegar plus the sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple. Let that simmer until it is reduced by half. In a separate bowl mix the cornstarch with the curry powder, and add the cup of water and the curry paste. Finally, once the vinegar-sugar-pineapple mix has reduced, add the water+curry+starch mixture into it and whisk. Bring it to a quick boil then simmer. You will notice that the sauce thickened and you may add more water if you wish to have a thinner sauce. If you want something more thick, like a glaze, then reduce the water added to only half a cup.
5. Add the sauce to the top of the tilapia as garnish.

John and Jill Went Up The Hill …… An Italian Dinner

Italian Dinner

John and Jill came up from Atlanta to visit for the weekend. We had hoped to be able to grill and eat outside with them, but the weather was rainy and cold, so that option went out the window. Instead, Sherry prepared a variety of meals that fit well with the weather.

Sherry prepared a salad Nicoise for lunch, which required that I grill some crushed salt-and-peppered tuna steaks. While I prepared the tuna (rare, of course), Sherry set up a plate with Boston lettuce, pitted kalamata olives, sliced hard-boiled eggs, steamed green beans, roasted and quartered baby red potatoes, and cherry tomatoes, all coated with a Vidalia Onion-balsamic vinegar dressing. It was a wonderful and filling lunch.

For Dinner, Sherry prepared an Eggplant Napoleon, Chicken Marsala, while I made a Lemon Risotto. The risotto is flavored with the juice from a cut, squeezed lemon, 2 Tbsp. limoncello, and 1 Tbsp. cardamom. The meal was exotic and tasty!

EGGPLANT NAPOLEON (see photo)

1 eggplant, sliced laterally in ½ inch slices
4 portobello mushroom caps
2 large tomatoes, sliced into ½ inch thick slices
1 ball mozzarella, sliced into ½ inch slices
Pesto
Rosemary sprigs
Balsamic glaze

1. Grill the eggplant and mushroom caps. Set aside.
2. Prepare a stack of a mushroom cap on the bottom, then a slice of mozzarella, eggplant, tomato, pesto, eggplant, mozzarella, etc.
3. Hold the napoleon together with a rosemary sprig.
4. Decorate with balsamic glaze

To work off the dinner, we climbed to the top of King’s Pinnacle at Crowder’s Mountain State Park in Gastonia, NC.