Lamb Stuffed Greens With Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes

This is a variation on cabbage rolls, or even a stuffed grape leaves idea.  If you have a favorite stuffing for such things, I'm sure they would be nice inside these leafy greens as well.  In this recipe, many of the items in this season's share are used.  I have fresh herbs in my garden, but I would imagine a zesty or flavorful dried seasoning blend would be nice too.  One thing to keep in mind is that the leaves will extract a lot of flavor from the stuffing. Be sure to season it generously so it does not end up tasting bland. Ingredients: About two dozen large leafy greens, (kohlrabi greens, collards, or napa cabbage work well) 1 lb ground leg of lamb 1/2 cup (dry) quinoa, cooked with broth or stock until tender 1 sweet onion, minced 6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1 large sweet pepper, diced 1 medium tomato, diced Fresh hot peppers (to taste), diced Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme (to taste), minced 6 oz tomato paste 4 slices of dry toast, ground into bread crumbs 1-2 cups lamb stock 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes or diced tomato 1 cup balsamic vinegar Sea salt & pepper, to taste

Method: Boil about 8 quarts of water in a large stock pot.  Dunk the washed and trimmed greens in the pot and boil for about one minute. Gently lift the leaves out of the boiling water (as to not tear them) and place in a bowl of ice-cold water.  When cool, remove from the water and let drain in a colander. Next, combine the lamb, cooked quinoa, onion, garlic, sweet pepper, tomato, hot peppers, herbs, tomato paste, bread crumbs, about one tablespoon of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.  Take about 1/4 cup of the stuffing and place at the base of each leaf (they may require more or less, depending on the size of the leaves.) Roll from the base of the leaves to the tips, tucking the sides in as you go so the stuffing is completely encapsulated in the leaves.  Place snugly in a glass or ceramic baking dish and pour the lamb stock over the rolls.  Cover with an ovenproof lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for one hour. After removing the rolls from the oven, let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

While the rolls are baking, place the cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar in a skillet and saute until the tomatoes have burst and the vinegar and juices have reduced a little. When the tomato and vinegar begin to caramelize, remove from the heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the warm tomato and vinegar reduction over the lamb rolls before serving.

Moroccan Spiced Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup

This soup is an absolute staple for fall.  I have had the most basic version of butternut squash soup, which is essentially boiled squash, onions and broth, pureed until smooth.  That soup is satisfying and delicious, But when you spice it up, toss in some fresh aromatics, and add some red lentils for protein, the whole thing goes to another level. This is a delicious, warm, and filling soup.

Ingredients:

One large butternut squash

Moroccan spice blend (see below)

1 1/2 cups red lentils

3 leeks

3 cubes of Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon with sea salt and herbs

a 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1-2 stalks of fresh lemongrass (optional) Chop if tender, or leave whole and remove before pureeing if it's woody and tough

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 cups of diced tomato

1 bunch of fresh cilantro

Juice from 1-2 lemons

 

Moroccan Spices:

This is basically the same as the Ras-El-Hanout blend on Epicurious.com, with a few minor changes. Whisk together spices that are already ground, or use whole and grind in a clean coffee grinder or spice grinder. Keep in mind that you may need less of the spice blend if the spices are freshly ground. The Neo Masala Indian Spice Blend by Alchemy Spice is very similar to this one, and can be used as a substitute if you don't have time to blend your own. 1/2 tsp each of the following:

Cumin

Sea salt

Black pepper

Fenugreek

Turmeric 1/4 tsp each of the following:

Cinnamon

Coriander

Cayenne

Allspice

Cloves

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, seed and cut the butternut squash into cubes and place on a baking sheet. Toss with some oil and sprinkle some of the Moroccan spices over the cubes and roast in the oven until the tips begin to turn dark brown.

 

Meanwhile, trim the green parts from the leeks and chop the tender white parts. Place in a large stock pot with some oil. Saute on medium-high heat until tender. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, stock cubes, lentils, and 2 tablespoons of the spice blend. Stir until combined, then add 8-10 cups of water. Stir occasionally. Allow to boil a few minutes, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are very tender. When the lentils are cooked completely, add the cooked butternut squash. Remove from heat and let cool enough to puree safely. Remove the lemongrass stalks if they are whole. Either with an immersion blender or standard blender, puree the soup until smooth.

 

After the soup is pureed, warm through on low heat. Stir in the diced tomato, chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Add water if too thick. Season with more salt or spices to taste.

Tacos With Cooked Greens & Smokey Sofrito Sauce

Ingredients 1 package of soft corn tortillas 1 lb chicken breasts, tenders or thighs 1 bunch lacinato or red kale, washed and sliced thinly. 3-4 banana peppers, sliced 1 tomato, diced 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 3-4 green onions, chopped Sliced avocado, or 1 recipe for Auntie's Guacamole (optional) 2 limes Sea salt & Pepper

Smokey Sofrito Sauce: 1 large sweet red pepper 1 small sweet onion 1 medium tomato 6 cloves of garlic 1 Tbs vinegar 1 tsp local honey 1 Tbs smoked serano chili powder, or another smoked chili powder Sea salt

Method: Prepare the Smokey Sofrito Sauce first.  You can do this a day or two in advance if necessary.  Cut the sweet pepper in half, and remove the stem and seeds.  Cut the onion in half and peel the dry outer layers.  Cut the tomato in half, remove the hard core from the stem end.  Place the pepper halves, onion halves and tomato halves on a hot barbecue grill or under a broiler.  Cook until the skins begin to blister and turn black. Turn and cook the other side the same way.  Remove from the grill and let cool.  Place the vegetables in a blender with the peeled cloves of garlic, vinegar, honey, and chili powder.  Puree until smooth, and adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate unused portions.

To prepare the chicken, rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.  Heat some oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet and brown the chicken until it is golden and crispy on the outside.  Remove from the pan and let cool. Meanwhile, put the chopped kale in the same skillet where the chicken cooked and saute until it wilts, while also dislodging the chicken fond that is stuck to the pan.  Add a little salt and some good apple cider vinegar to the kale.  Cook for one minute more, then remove from the pan. Shred the chicken with a fork.  Place in a bowl and toss with the chopped cilantro, juice from two limes and a little olive oil if the chicken seems dry.  You can also add some of the sofrito sauce if you want more flavor.

Brush the corn tortillas with a little oil and heat in a clean skillet, one or two at a time, and on both sides.  Layer the ingredients on the tortillas and serve with warm or cold smokey sofrito sauce.

Hearty Homemade Pot Stickers

I should preface this post with saying that I'm not a professional pot sticker-maker.  Actually, this was my first time.  I was staring at a bag of frozen pot stickers from Costco, and looking at my bag of freshly milled flour from Sonrisa Farm, and thought to myself, "I could do this...and I bet it would be better because it's fresh, whole-wheat, and full of local goodies." So I gave it a whirl.  I was surprised at how easy it is to make homemade pot stickers, and in case I miss the convenience of pulling them out of the freezer for a quick meal: This recipe made enough for filling our bellies and the freezer.

Filling: 1 lb ground pork, chicken, or pressed tofu 1 head of napa cabbage 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1-2 tbs grated fresh ginger 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbs toasted sesame oil 1 Tbs soy sauce 1 Tbs Mirin (or can use honey and rice vinegar) 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Dough: 1 lb (3 cups) Sonrisa Farm stone ground whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt (optional) 1 cup warm water

Sauce: 1 recipe for Teriyaki Marinade and Stir Fry Sauce (or make a simple dipping sauce with rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce and garlic)

Method: Wash and thinly slice the napa cabbage.  Place in a bowl and salt generously to draw out the moisture.  Let stand for about 15 minutes. When the cabbage has wilted, squeeze out the moisture (you can use your hands or wrap it in cheesecloth or strong paper towels).  Place the cabbage in a large bowl with the ground meat or tofu and the remaining ingredients.  Mix well with your hands so the ingredients are thoroughly combined.  If you want to test the mixture for flavor balance beforehand (which I recommend, because the strength of your ginger and garlic can vary), cook a spoonful of the mixture in oil or water for about 5 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to the filling as necessary. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is ready.

To prepare the dough, mix the salt into the flour and slowly add the warm water while stirring with a fork.  When the ingredients are combined the dough will feel quite firm (harder than a pizza dough, softer than pasta dough).  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Then begin to knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until the texture is uniform.  Pinch off one-inch cube pieces of dough (or less if you want smaller pot stickers), roll into a firm ball and set aside until you have portioned out all of the dough.  With a rolling pin, flatten and turn the dough until you have made a circle a bit larger than the palm of your hand.  It may stick to your rolling pin a bit, but should peel off easily.  You can use a little flour for dusting the board and pin, but be careful to not use too much or the pot stickers may not seal easily.  If you have someone to help with the filling and sealing, the process can go quite quickly.

Put a spoon or two of the filling in the center of the disc of dough and stretch the dough around the filling and pinch the sides together across the top.  Place the pot stickers in a heated, well-oiled, non-stick skillet with enough water to cover the bottoms of the pot stickers by about 1/3.  Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes. Serve with Teriyaki sauce or a simple dipping sauce.  If you want to freeze extras, place the uncooked pot stickers on a baking sheet covered with waxed or parchment paper and freeze.  Once frozen, place in a freezer-proof bag or container.  Cook as directed above.

Roasted Vegetable Stew With Beans & Spiced Chicken

This is a great soup to get you in the mood for late-summer and early-fall.  It is rich, hearty, and full of flavor.  The key is finding your favorite spice blend to create a signature flavor.  I tend to habitually reach for the sweet and spicy Jamaican Jerk blend.  But Alchemy Spice, a local spice and herb blender in Chattanooga, has an inspiring selection of blends.  What's best, is the fantastic flavor of freshly milled spices, as opposed to the bland old ones found in a grocery store. You can find Alchemy Spice online, at the Chattanooga Market, and in local specialty food shops. Ingredients: 3 Sweet peppers (any color), seeded and coarsely chopped 3 Medium tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 Yellow onion, coarsely chopped 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced 1 qt chicken or vegetable stock 3 cups beans (black, white or red beans, cooked and drained, or fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces) 1 lb boneless chicken, or leftovers from a roasted hen 1 Tbs your favorite Alchemy Spice blend (like The Jerk, Neo Masala, or Bayou Ya-Ya Cajun blends) Juice from one lime or lemon 1 Bunch cilantro, chopped (optional) Canola or olive oil Sea salt Black pepper

Method: Place the chopped peppers, tomatoes, and onions in a baking dish.  Coat with some oil, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for at least one hour, or until the vegetables are black on the tips and have begun to caramelize.  While the vegetables are cooking, season the chicken with the spices and brown in a heavy-bottomed stock pot with a little oil.  If you are using meat from a whole hen, rub the hen with the spices before roasting.  Chop the cooked chicken, and set aside.  Place the roasted peppers, onions and tomatoes in the stock pot with the chicken or vegetable stock.  Pulse with an immersion blender until coarsely pureed, or pulse in a conventional blender and return to the stock pot.  Add the beans, chicken, lime or lemon juice, and cilantro.  Simmer for a few minutes (or until the beans are cooked if using fresh green beans).  Serve with freshly baked corn bread.