Stuffed Zucchini with Beef and Ancho Chiles

When I spot small zucchinis at the store, the idea of stuffing them is my first choice. I look to Ottolenghi for inspiration, who doesn't fail. My only complaint is that his  recipes have a myriad items, which I then streamline for my recipe. 

Halved zucchini have their insides scooped out. The filling is made with onions, garlic, ancho chiles, sumac and paprika. Sauteed beef is combined with an onion ancho paste, cilantro stems and some of the zucchini flesh. Carefully piled into the zucchini boats, these boats bake in a hot oven till tender. 

STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH BEEF AND ANCHO CHILES

Serves 6

6-8 small Zucchini

1 Onion

3 Garlic Gloves

2 Ancho Chiles

1/2 teaspoon Sumac

1/2 teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Several grinds of Black Pepper

1/4 pound ground Beef

1/2 cup chopped Tomatoes

2 tablespoons Cilantro Stems

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

Feta Cheese

Cut zucchini  lengthwise in half. Scoop out the flesh leaving a 1/4 inch outer rim. Save 1/2 cup flesh. Use the rest in soup or a stir fry.

Soak ancho chiles in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain chiles and remove seeds and stem. Chop into small pieces.

Mince onion and garlic finely. 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in  saucepan and saute the ground beef till brown. Keep aside.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan. 

Add chopped onion and garlic. Saute till soft and translucent.

Add ancho chiles and spices. Saute till the mix is fragrant.

Scrape onion mix into ground beef.

Add chopped tomatoes and cilantro stems as well as 1/2 cup scooped zucchini flesh and saute for a few minutes till tomatoes are soft and pulpy.

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Pile ground beef into scooped zucchini, dividing beef evenly. 

Brush a baking dish liberally with canola oil.

Arrange zucchini in the dish. 

Top zucchini with some feta cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. 

Serve them warm.

This experiment has gone down rather well. Another 'almost Ottolenghi' delight!

Mandarin Orange Cake

My ode to Ottolenghi continues. Though, I have to label my attempts as 'Almost Ottolenghi' as I usually trespass slightly from his written methods! Given that I mostly follow the recipes, all results, yes all resulting creations have been epicurean.

So it is with this same intention I try to replicate the clementine cake from his cookbook Jerusalem. His recipe calls for almonds and almond flour, items I cannot use. So I add more flour, some baking powder and whisk away. Other steps are in tandem with Ottolenghi. The  burnished results are just what the patissier ordered for a damp rainy day!

The main reason for making the cake is the sweet ending to a 'thanks'giving meal for the Louis family. Recently we celebrated a wedding pandemic style. They helped us maneuver the events in innumerable ways, too many to describe. The multi course meal is our tribute to these stalwarts, who took up knives, spoons, forks, gardening shears, scrubbers, silver polish, thereby pouring out their graciousness into wedding preparations. We are eternally grateful.

MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE

Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 8-10

3/4 cup Butter plus more to butter the baking pan

2 cups Sugar + 1/2 cup Sugar

4 seedless Mandarin Oranges

1 Lemon

5 Eggs

1 1/4 cups all purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

A pinch of Salt

Candied Orange Peel

Orange Segments

Butter a 9 inch springform pan.

Line the base with parchment paper. 

Bring butter and eggs to room temperature.

Heat your oven to 350F/180C.

Place soft butter and 2 cups sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle beater.

Beat butter and sugar for few minutes till light and fluffy.

Zest oranges and lemon right into the butter. Combine on low speed. 

Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides as you add them. 

Sift flour and baking powder and add them slowly to the batter. Try not to over mix.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top of the cake. Tap the pan gently to get rid of air bubbles. 

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes. Poke the center of the cake with a skewer or knife making sure it comes out clean.

While the cake bakes, juice the oranges and lemon. 

Put the juices in a small saucepan. 

Add 1/2 cup sugar to juice and bring to a boil. Allow juice to boil for a minute, them take it off the heat.

Cool cake on a wire rack for 5 minutes. 

Poke holes in the cake with a toothpick. 

Ladle boiled juice over the cake making sure to cover the entire cake. You will not need all the juice. Use about half of the juice and save the rest for another use.

Let cake sit in the pan for at least 20 minutes. 

Run a blunt knife along the edge of the pan, then undo the rim. 

Place cake on a platter and serve with candied peel and orange segments. 

NOTES

The cake can be made up to 3-4 in advance. Keep it covered in an airtight box. 

The original recipe called for almonds as a garnish. Feel free to improvise.

Our lengthy meal ends with a slice of cake and nugget of semolina halva as it is Dussehra. An opportune ending on an auspicious day. 

Molletes

Marisela who cooks amazing food, demonstrated these Mexican bean and bread toasts on television. She is a font of all things Mexican, including a vast repertoire of  traditional foods. I had never heard of these beauties till I saw her making them on her show. That show was followed by a quick trip to our local Hispanic store!

I make the beans from scratch, pressure-cooking pinto beans till soft. Sauteed onion, garlic and the cooked beans are sauteed with a few spices and then roughly pureed. I slice crusty buns in half and slather them with the bean puree. Use a crusty roll like a bolillo or Portuguese bun or even crusty French bread for best results. Topped with a mound of shredded Jack cheese, the buns are baked for few minutes till the cheese melts and the bread is crusty. Eat them hot for a just reward!

MOLLETES

By Marisela De La Parra

Serves 4-6

3-4 Portuguese Rolls or Bolillos

2 teaspoons Canola Oil

1 Onion, chopped

1 cup uncooked Pinto or Red Beans OR 1 can Pinto or Red Beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Pressure cook beans till soft. OR drain and rinse the canned beans.

Heat canola oil. 

Add onions and saute till translucent.

Add cooked beans to onion along with spices and salt. Saute for afew minutes. 

Puree beans. 

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Cut bread rolls in half. 

Slather halves with bean puree.

Cover the beans generously with Jack cheese.

Place halves on a baking sheet. 

Bake for 5-8 minutes till cheese has melted and edges are crusty. 

Eat them hot or warm...cold rolls are an unsatisfactory option!

Kheema with Goan Spices

Burlap and Barrel has a zesty trilogy of Floyd Cardoz's spices. The garam masala and Kashmiri masala have astounded me with their vibrant potency.  So it with renewed enthusiasm that I use the Goan Masala. I make dinner for friends who have an earth-shaking moment in their lives. And as always, I think that food will soothe any angst.

I scatter heaping teaspoons of the Goan masala over the requisite Indian quartet of any curry, namely golden brown onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. This combination is the steadfast foundation of most Indian dishes. As soon as the spices hit the oil, the rising aroma feels like a big, warm hug from a loving relative! Such joy in familiarity is gratifying! The ground beef turns out really good, a blessing of beloved flavors! 

KHEEMA WITH GOAN SPICES

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds ground Beef

3 tablespoons Canola Oil

2 large Onions

1 teaspoon Garlic Paste 

1 teaspoon Ginger Paste

1 large Tomato

2-3 teaspoons Floyd Cardoz Goan Masala

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh Cilantro

Cut onions  into small dice. 

Chop tomatoes into small pieces.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or deep saucepan. 

When it shimmers add chopped onion and saute till golden brown.

Add ginger and garlic paste as well as chopped tomatoes to onions and saute  till tomatoes are pulpy. 

Scatter Goan masala over onions and saute for a few minutes till spices bloom and smell fragrant.

Add ground beef to onions and break up the meat with the back of your spoon so you don't have any clumps. The ground beef should be smooth and not lumpy. 

Season with salt.

Fry the meat on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes till the meat turns a darker color. 

Add 1/2 cup water to meat, cover and simmer beef for 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with rice or bread.

I hope the brown bag of food takes the edge off a hard week. I pray for better days. Till then, they will have to reap the benefits of parcel food! 

Kashmiri Kofta Curry

I read somewhere that Floyd Cardoz relished rogan josh, a Kashmiri meat delicacy. Undoubtedly, his Kashmiri masala pays tribute to those flavors. With hints of fennel and cardamom, fragrant chile powder and a host of other spices, the masala makes my meatballs sing. 

This curry is a mash up of a few Kashmiri cooking techniques. Koftas or meatballs, are kneaded with the spice masala and eggs. The curry comprises of browned onions, ginger garlic paste, coarsely pounded fennel seeds, saunth or ground dry ginger and Floyd's masala . A little water gives the gravy body, bringing it to a rolling boil. Koftas slide into the gravy. Unlike traditional koftas, Kashmiris cook them in a bubbling gravy, keeping them soft and moist. Cream and yogurt are whisked together and vigorously stirred into the gravy, another Kashmiri way to thicken and flavor curries. 

What could be better than this masala? I really can't say.. this is the best thing  right now. Burlap and Barrel is where this spice heaven is found! Barkha Cardoz valiantly carries on her talented husband's legacy and we gratefully reap the benefits.

KASHMIRI KOFTA CURRY

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground Beef or Lamb

2 teaspoons Floyd Cardoz Kashmiri Masala

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Egg

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

2 large white onions

1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste

1 teaspoon Ginger Powder or Saunth

1 tablespoon coarsely powdered Fennel Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Floyd Cardoz Kashmiri Masala

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 cups Water

1/4 cup Cream

1/4 cup Yogurt

Cilantro

Mix ground meat, 2 teaspoons kashmiri masala, salt and egg. Knead the meat well with your hands till soft and smooth. 

Form meat into small meatballs or koftas.

Chop onion finely.

Heat oil in a saucepan.

Add onions to hot oil and saute till golden brown. 

Drop ginger garlic paste into browned onions and saute for 30 seconds.

Add ginger powder and fennel seeds to onions and saute again for another 30 seconds. 

Sprinkle kashmiri masala and salt over onions.

Pour water into the saucepan and bring the gravy to a vigorous boil.

Slip the koftas into the bubbling gravy. 

Cook them uncovered for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Gravy should simmer while koftas cook.

Whisk cream and yogurt till smooth. 

Push the koftas towards the outer edge of the pan, so the center of the pan has just gravy.

Drizzle the cream-yogurt sauce into the gravy in a thin stream, stirring continuously while adding the sauce. Save a little sauce to garnish the koftas.

Stir the koftas back into the middle so they are coated with the creamy gravy. Cook them for another 3-5 minutes.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and remaining sauce.

Enjoy with naan or rice.

Dinner is a huge success...Kashmiri flavors are here to stay!

Cauliflower with Chile and Garam Masala

The legacy of a chef lives on forever. Floyd Cardoz, chef extraordinaire, leaves behind not only a larger-than-life persona, but also a family who wants to share his love of Indian foods with the world. Barkha, his wife, together with Burlap and Barrel, connects the dots with three distinctive masalas. A fragrant Kashmiri mix, a powerful Garam masala and veritably Floyd's heritage, a zesty Goan masala. Each one different, each a statement to his roots, the country he grew up in, to the family that shaped his palate and also Barkha whom he shared his life with, who now lovingly assembles his legacy.

Today's choice is garam masala. As I open the bottle I am assailed by the rich aroma of roasted spices. It is a far cry from the one I normally use, my Mum's garam masala, whose flavor profile veers towards North India. Most Indian chefs use their preferred mixed masalas. So this bottle is a no surprise, a blend of spices that I haven't encountered before, and yet achingly familiar. Some people can suss out ingredients from a whiff or a taste. Not me, my nose and palate just appreciate the aromatic flavors.  

I make a simple side. Pan-roasted cauliflower florets are seared with very little oil. Then dusted with chile powder and Floyd's fragrant garam masala. Garnished with fresh cilantro. Dal, rice and roti complement the cauliflower....an everyday meal with out of the ordinary seasonings.

CAULIFLOWER WITH CHILE AND GARAM MASALA

Serves 4

1 large Cauliflower

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

1/2-1 teaspoon Chile Powder

1 teaspoon Floyd Cardoz's Garam Masala

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Cilantro

Cut cauliflower into small florets.

Heat oil in a saucepan, preferably nonstick.

Add florets to hot oil and stir well to coat.

Cover the saucepan and let florets cook. Stir often till florets acquire a golden brown color and are cooked.

Uncover saucepan and dust florets with chile powder, garam masala and salt.

Saute florets uncovered for a few minutes, allowing spices to blossom.

Garnish with cilantro.

Serve as part of an Indian meal, with dal, rice and roti. Or any way you like.

Chiles Toreados

Love chiles? This recipe will genuinely please. These mild chiles have been pan-roasted with a little oil, then slow cooked with garlic onions, soy sauce and lime juice. I use mild banana peppers. You could happily roast jalapenos. Or use Hatch peppers as my friend Marisela did. 

Marisela De La Parra is a chef par excellence. I've only eaten once at her house and have replicated almost all the dishes she made for us that evening! Besides being the consummate host, her bubbly personality carries over to television where she demonstrates Hispanic cuisine via Evansville Library Program. The molletes she made were addictive!!  Go ahead... make these peppers...enjoy the flavors!

CHILES TOREADOS

Serves 5-6

10 Banana Peppers

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

5 Garlic cloves

2 Onions

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Lime Juice

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Cut each pepper in half through the stem.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick saucepan.

When the oil is hot place half the peppers cut side down.

Cook over medium heat till the bottoms are brown. 

Flip peppers and cook the other side till soft and brown. 

Remove peppers from the pan.

Add more oil and peppers. Cook in the same way. 

Once the second batch is done, add the first batch to the pan. 

Slice onions and garlic thickly and add to saucepan. 

Add soy sauce and lime juice to peppers.

Sprinkle salt over peppers.

Cook uncovered till peppers become soft.

Eat them warm. 

 These peppers have been well appreciated. We've eaten them with pork chops, rice and beans and chorizo tacos....muy delicioso!!