A Moroccan Feast

This menu was aided by the fact that I was hungry... but even the next day, all the flavors of these foods together made me swoon.

A Moroccan Feast for Four
(or two, if that's what you've got)

Parsnip hummus
The Best Tzatziki
Nigella-scented Moroccan rolls

Pat's Berber Kale
Simple Horiatiki
Roasted chicken with preserved lemon sauce
Pomegranate molasses in club soda

Sweet almond milk flavored with orange-blossom water

Amaranth Greens Picayune

Originally a dish I had with shrimp at the Water Street Oyster Bar in Corpus Christi, TX, this is one of my favorites. Although I was extremely hungry by the time I ate that dinner, it was terribly delicious and one that I have wanted to try as a base for other ingredients. Since one of our dinnertime guests in Seattle was allergic to shrimp, and we needed a veggie to go along with Alligator Jambalaya, the amaranth greens sitting in our refrigerator were the perfect solution.

Another option is to make a double batch of this, and keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Use 2-3 fl. oz for every serving of either amaranth or shrimp, depending on whether you have some fresh, crusty bread to sop up the leftover sauce!

Amaranth Picayune
(adapted from the Water Street Oyster Bar's Shrimp Picayune)
Serves 6

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup clarified salted butter
1/4 cup medium brown sugar, packed
2 Tbl Worcestershire
1 1/2 bay leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup + 1 Tbl vermouth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
2 tsp salt (optional)
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
3/4 tsp poultry seasoning (if using shrimp)

1 large bunch amaranth greens, stripped of their leaves and stems cut into 1" lengths and smashed,
or 2 large bunches, using only the leaves
(or 6 shrimp per person, up to 4 servings)

1. Heat broiler on High.
2. Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat on medium, just until sugar dissolves.
3. Place greens in a large, shallow oven-proof basin. Drizzle hot sauce over greens while stirring until well-coated.
4. Place directly under broiler ~2-3 minutes. Using tongs, stir the greens so browned ones are on the bottom.
5. (Shrimp: under broiler for 5-7 minutes. Best to use individual dishes for each serving)
6. Repeat until you have a browned pile of sticky, sour, piquant greens!

Detour do Brazil

Christmas itself is generally blah - all the leadup is great, but the actual day itself results in somewhat of a disappointment. Not this year - not only did I have a wonderful time, I got to eat great food, and picked up a new fun cookbook to boot! The book is Brazil; A cook's tour, by Christopher Idone. Although the layout is ghastly, with recipes sprinkled throughout in a somewhat willy-nilly fashion (they only hint at falling along regional lines... sort of), I was able to tag tasty-looking recipes with some removeable, colored Post-it tabs (color-coded by ingredients, of course: green for vegetarian dishes, yellow for poultry, etc.).

Although we only had the following five recipes from the book so far, I am a fan. We had a friend over for dinner, who was kind enough to be a guniea pig for this and a couple of other items - like Japanese prickly ash, which we didn't tell her makes your tongue numb until after she tried it. But, the dinner turned out surprisingly well, considering the simplicity. We started cooking the black beans in the afternoon, but otherwise took about an hour for the whole meal, including our somewhat imperfect version of chatting while hosting. For just us it would have taken about 30-40 minutes.

Brazilian, Take I
Couve (sauteed kale)
Banana Frita (fried ripe baby bananas)
Simple Farofa (uh - like dry breadcrumbs... kind of)
Tutu à Mineira (mashed beans)
Arroz (boiled white rice)

The menu was just about perfect, especially since all these are commonly served, normally together. Kale, which I think of as a cold-weather vegetable, is apparently a very common side dish to Brazilian beans and rice. It blended perfectly with the thick black beans and buttery rice, and the fried banana really tied everything together with a tang of sweetness.

The meal was missing at least one or two components. The hot sauce I missed - the meat I did not. Most of the recipes in this book involve meat, so that will likely happen soon, or we'll try to make a veg version of them. The following is what I would serve at a dinner with 6-8 people, if I had actually planned ahead for it.

Brazilian, Take II
Limonada Suissa (limeade)
Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheezy-poofs)

Arroz (boiled white rice)
Couve (sauteed kale)
Banana Frita (fried ripe baby bananas)
Simple Farofa (uh - like dry breadcrumbs... kind of)
Malagueta Pepper Sauce (the national hot sauce)
Tutu à Mineira (mashed beans)
side of pork sausages and/or some exotic meat dish

dessert: banana butter, coconut sweets, Brazil nuts dipped in chocolate, or something

Spicy Amaranth Greens with Preserved Lemons

This dish was inspired by one made with spinach that we found online - since we're so in love with amaranth, it got these greens instead. Also, the few spices in it weren't enough for our heat-loving palates, so we added our own fresh harissa and balanced out the heat with some creamy, resinous raw pine nuts. This is super spicy, but that can be altered with less of the harissa. It is unusual to have cooked parsley and cilantro in a salad in the Western part of the world - it's too bad. The cilantro, parsley, and celery are in the same plant family (Apiaceae - the carrot family), so mirror the 'carroty' flavor of each other. Each has its own twist on the family jewels, however, and they all end up balancing each other out. The pine nuts are a must, as they do something special to all three of them.

1 lb amaranth greens
3/4 c parsley, finely chopped
1/2 c cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 c celery leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves,minced/pressed
1 Tbl spicy harissa
1 preserved lemon quarter, finely chopped
1 Tbl lemon juice
1/4 c raw pine nuts
3 cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved

1. Trim off tough stems from the amaranth, remove bruised and yellowed leaves. Rinse well, drain, and coarsely chop.
2. In a 5-6 quart pan, combine amaranth greens, parsley, cilantro, and celery leaves. Stir over high heat just until greens are wilted, 3-5 minutes.
   
3. Pour vegetables into a colander set over a bowl. Press greens mixture to remove liquid; place vegetables in a serving bowl. (If made ahead, cover and chill up to a day.)
4. Return drained greens liquid to pan; add garlic and harissa and whisk to combine.
5. Boil, uncovered, over high heat until reduced to about 2 Tbl, 3-5 minutes.
   
6. Add oil, preserved lemon, and lemon juice.
7. Top greens with tomatoes and pour dressing over the vegetables.

Lettuce and orange salad with walnuts and cinnamon

A simple salad that goes beautifully with a rich Moroccan dish, lightening it a bit but still echoing
the spices.  Certainly one of our favorite winners, this could lighten a number of dishes, and was
very refreshing on a hot summer night.

Lettuce and orange salad with walnuts and cinnamon
Yield: 6 servings

   1 head romaine lettuce
   3 navel or temple oranges
   2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
   2 Tbl sugar
   1 pinch salt
 1/2 tsp cinnamon
   1 tb orange flower water
 3/4 c toasted walnuts; chopped

Wash lettuce and section into leaves, discarding the tough outer ones.
Drain; wrap in paper towels to dry.  Store in refrigerator until
needed.

Cut off peel and white membrane from oranges using a small sharp knife.
Section the oranges by cutting away all the membranes from the orange flesh.
As you work, lift out each section and place in a small mixing bowl.  Squeeze the
juice from the remainder of the orange over the sections to keep them moist.
Cover; keep chilled.

Make a dressing by mixing the lemon juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon,
orange flower water and 2 tb. of the orange juice.  Blend well, then
taste. The dressing should be sweet.

Just before serving, shred the lettuce and arrange in a glass serving
dish. Pour the dressing over it; toss.  Make a design around the
edges with overlapping sections of orange, then sprinkle the salad
with the chopped walnuts and dust with more cinnamon.  Serve
immediately.

Variation:  Prepare as above, using 3/4 cup chopped dates and almonds
in place of the chopped walnuts.

Modified from Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert

On Chipotles in Adobo, and Mexican Slaw

Our new favorite ingredient: chipotles in adobo. Great stuff! It has smoked jalepeño peppers (chipotles) in a chile sauce that's thick, rich, hot and very smoky. The adobo sauce has tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, and some combination of spices. Use the adobo a teaspoonful at a time, or mince a small chipotle, to give body and heat to a sauce or salad dressing. Adobo, the Filipino dish, we'll tackle another day.

This slaw we made for a basic, quick lunch with tortillas, fresh tomatoes, avocado and some red onion. We had it alongside a yuca root (a starchy potato-like vegetable) I gave to Pat some 5 months ago - what can I say? It keeps.

Mexican Slaw

1/4 head shredded green cabbage, the fresher the better
1/4 cup minced or shredded onion

1/4 cup Best Foods mayonnaise (or half mayo, half sour cream)
1/2 lime, juiced
2 Tbl chopped cilantro
1 small chipotle in adobo, minced, with seeds
1/2 tsp adobo sauce
pinch salt, to taste
(optional: pinch of sugar, or to taste)

Mix dressing ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to taste. Pour over cabbage and onion, mix well, and let sit about 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Amaranth Greens II - Mexican style

The same day we saw the amaranth greens at the farmer's market (Amaranth Greens I), there was another vegetable sold as 'Chinese Spinach'. It looked suspiciously like the amaranth greens, but didn't have the same magenta splotch in the middle of the leaves. Instead, it had fuchsia undersides and stems, so of course we decided to get it.

First, we tried searching online for both amaranth greens and 'Chinese spinach'. As we had suspected, they are both an amaranth. Beyond that, all bets are off. Any authoritative information about the genus Amaranthus is convoluted at best. Apparently, the species don't stay in their neat little boxes, deciding instead to look frighteningly alike and interbreed with each other. A number of plant genera do this, creating a mess for botanists. This assertion isn't stated for amaranth in as many places as it should. (Tanya is overly trained in this area, researched a group of plants that did this for a significant chunk of her life, and is very, very picky about authoritative information. If you want more info, ask!) We'll do some more research, but this post is likely to stand for a while.

The 'Chinese spinach' tasted very similar to the amaranth greens - until we do a taste test with the two together, we'll call them the same. Last night's foray into pozole was perfectly accompanied by these greens, with a dressing that we'll probably want to make again and again: ground pumpkin seeds, lime juice, chipotle...mmmmmmmm........

Amaranth greens, Mexican style
serves 2

• 1 bunch amaranth greens or 'Chinese spinach', steamed until just barely done
• 2 Tbl raw pumpkin seeds, finely ground in a coffee or spice grinder
• 1/2 tsp adobo, from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/4 tsp salad oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbl chopped onion
• pinch salt
• 1-2 Tbl water (to desired consistency)
  

Blend/puree everything but the greens in a small mixer until smooth. Adjust seasonings. Top the greens with it and enjoy!

Amaranth Greens I - Amaranth & Fennel Salad

The farmer's market has many new vegetables for us to try, things we haven't seen in the supermarket for one reason or another. A couple weeks ago, our trip to the farmer's market resulted in the purchase of amaranth and Chinese spinach, which looked pretty similar, but at the very least looked beautiful: dark green, rounded leaves with a large magenta splotch originating at the veins. We purchased them to see what they would taste like.

We were happily impressed! The amaranth wilted like a surprisingly sturdy spinach, and stood up to a fair bit of cooking with ease. It was nutty, with better flavor than spinach. If we can get it year round, I'm not sure we'll go back to spinach - it's that good, and supposedly that good for you (although after 30 minutes of online searching, there isn't much hard data about this).

Monday night's dinner salad of amaranth and fennel bulb was really, really yummy - here's how we made it, at least this time around.

Amaranth and Fennel salad
serves 2-3

• 1 fennel bulb, sliced crosswise into 1/8" slices
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 c. chicken stock
• 2 threads saffron
• 2 Tbl chopped Italian parsley
• 1 large bunch amaranth greens
• freshly ground black pepper
• (optional: fresh shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Saute the fennel bulb in the oil and salt over medium-high heat until the fennel is soft.
2. Meanwhile, wash the amaranth leaves and steam them in a large stockpot with a steaming basket until just barely done, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the stock/saffron mix to the fennel.
4. Mix the two together in a saute pan over medium heat until combined and amaranth is thoroughly cooked.

Salade Niçoise

This salad is one of Pat's favorites, reminding him of earlier days in faraway lands. He's always complained about these salads in the US being 'not quite right', so we decided to try to make an authentic go of it last night. When we finally sat down to dinner (after an hour of prep), a happy, wistful smile spread across his face. It was just right. He closed his eyes to savor the flavors, and told me stories of dear friends, beautiful countryside, and memorable food.

The recipe we used is from Julia Child's "The Way to Cook". We are using her book as a way to learn new French techniques, and to stretch ourselves to eat/prepare foods we might not otherwise. This was perfect for a midsummer's meal - everything was fresh and in season from the farmer's market.

Salade Niçoise

• 1/2 recipe French Potato Salad
• 2/3 c. Oil & Lemon Dressing
• 1 head Buttercrunch lettuce, washed, thoroughly dried, and torn in large sections
• (get only fresh heads with soft, supple leaves - others will be bitter)
• 2-3 Tbl olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 lb wax beans, blanched
• 2 very fresh tomatoes, quartered
• 1 can tuna belly, packed in oil (St. Jude's - available in Seattle supermarkets as our locally-canned line-caught tuna)
• 1/2 c. Niçoise olives
• 1/2 c. fresh shelled peas, blanched
• 2 large duck eggs, perfectly hard-boiled and sliced
• 8 anchovy fillets
• 2 Tbl. fresh parsley, chopped

*To assemble the salad

1. Drizzle the lettuce leaves with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Pile into a large, shallow serving dish.
2. Spoon between a tablespoon and a teaspoon of dressing on each of the following in separate bowls or plates: wax beans, tomatoes, tuna, and peas.
3. Mound the potato salad in the middle of the lettuce.
4. Place the pre-seasoned vegetables and tuna in small, attractive groups around the potato salad.
5. Dress the salad with the remaining dressing.
6. Place the egg slices around the perimeter, laying an anchovy fillet across each.
7. Sprinkle with olives and parsley.

Enjoy!