Archive for April, 2008

Tagine of Kefta

April 30, 2008 at 11:31 am · Filed under Cooking, Food, Recipes

My first experience with Moroccan food was a trip several years ago with my mother, sister, and sister-in-law to Walt Disney World. We were in Epcot that day and while my little sister and sister-in-law decided to hit up the attraction, Test Track,  my mother and I took a stroll around World Showcase. By the time we realized we were hungry we were standing in front of the Moroccan pavilion’s Tangierine Cafe. The menu looked good so we ended up eating some great food that day. A couple years later, on another trip, I tried out the sit-down place there, Marrakesh, and again was pleasantly surprised. I even bought the Moroccan cookbook, but alas, have never used it.

I have no idea what inspired me to want to make Kefta recently. Kefta is a Middle Eastern meatball with herbs and spices usually served in a tomato sauce. I suppose I wanted something different and new and there’s only so much you can do with ground beef before getting bored. As I started thumbing through my cookbooks, I remembered eating Kefta at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival last year and really enjoying it. I immediately grabbed that Moroccan cookbook I purchased years ago, but it wasn’t in there! A quick search on the web and there it was.

Now, the flavors are different…If you are expecting a typical Italian-style meatball in tomato sauce, that’s not what you’ll find. I would attribute it to the coriander and cumin. I love it though. It’s definitely a change from meatloaf and burgers. I added a can of diced tomatoes to this to create more of a sauce and served it with green beans and Israeli couscous. Granted, I’m sure this is a dumbed-down version of a real Moroccan Tagine with Kefta, but nonetheless, still yummy.

Overall rating – 4 stars

1 lb Ground beef
1   md Onion, finely chopped
½   bn Coriander, chopped
½   bn Parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon White pepper
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Paprika
½ cup Tomato paste
½ cup Chopped onion
1   md Tomato, diced
½ tablespoon Garlic
½ tablespoon Cumin
½ tablespoon Salt
½ tablespoon White pepper
½   bn Parsley, chopped
1   bn Coriander
2 ounces Olive oil

Combine beef, onion, corinader, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin and paprika.
Roll into meatballs. Brown and boil in shermula sauce until done. For
shermula sauce, combine remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce
sauce until it reaches desired thickness.
Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #323

Recipe by: Morocco

http://recipes.celsius1414.com/t/recipe_118656.html

Comments (12)

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

April 28, 2008 at 12:48 pm · Filed under Food

So my cooking has really taken a back-seat lately…Between working my full-time “9 to 5″ job and then working my part-time job 3 to 4 nights a week, I rarely have any time to cook anymore. And those nights I can cook? Well, I just want to get something on the table quick since I’m usually exhausted. This dish was perfect for just that - Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Caramelized Garlic from the April 2008 issue of Cooking Light. It was super-quick and pretty tasty. Not mouth-watering-I-want-to-lick-the-bowl-when-I’m-done, but it sufficed.

Of course, you’ll notice right away from the recipe it calls for gnocchi. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some gnocchi. I even learned how to make them when I was a wee child with my grandmother. But my JLo behind needs to stay away from them during the week. Hence, the usage of whole wheat pasta… Overall, a simple dish that will work when you are short on time.

My buddy over at Black Coffee & Bourbon made a similiar recipe recently. He added sausage. Now that would have made it a hell of a lot tastier!

Overall rating – 3 stars 

Gnocchi with Broccoli Rabe, Caramelized Garlic, and Parmesan


Keep an eye on the garlic to be sure it browns but doesn’t burn, which can make it unpleasantly bitter. Blanching the broccoli rabe helps tame its bitterness. Total time: 25 minutes.


3/4 pound broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed
1 (16-ounce) box vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Vigo)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Parmesan cheese

 

 

 

 

 

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add broccoli rabe, gnocchi, and reserved cooking liquid to pan; cook 2 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Place 1 1/4 cups gnocchi mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

 

Yield:  4 servings CALORIES 281 (28% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 2.2g,mono 5.6g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 9.9g; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 134mg; SODIUM 806mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.8g

1. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 4 minutes. Remove broccoli rabe with a slotted spoon, and place in a colander; drain. Add gnocchi to pan; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain gnocchi in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. 

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News Bites

April 25, 2008 at 11:14 am · Filed under Food, Misc. posts, Other Cool Sites

Here’s some News Bites for all you foodies out there…..

First up, I have two great sites for you. Even if you aren’t New Jerseyans, you may find some useful info on the Garden State here. They’ve been listed in my ever-expanding blog roll for awhile now.

(*I encourage you to check out some of my blogroll links, you might find something you like! There’s something for everyone listed from food sites to Disney sites to Jane Austen sites (yes, NERD alert) and more.)

First up, for all you NJ foodies (or those who like to eat in NJ!) we have Jersey Biters at http://jerseybiters.ning.com/. This is a social network site where you can discuss food, dining, cooking, and food events in the Garden State. From the creator of the food blog, Jersey Bites.

Another social network site dedicated to NJ is Bayshore Friends, http://bayshorefriends.ning.com/.  Bayshore Friends is dedicated to connecting those of us in the Bayshore area of NJ (which encompasses the Amboys down to Sandy Hook and all the towns in between like Keyport, Union Beach, Keansburg, Middletown ) or those interested in the Bayshore area of NJ!! We discuss all sorts of things there, including yes, FOOD!!

Another finally for our last bit of news…My favorite NJ restaurant, Trinity in Keyport, will be having a Latin Night! It will be held next Saturday, May 3rd and will feature Latin dance music all night. Starting at approximately 9pm or later, complimentary dance lessons from Shall We Dance Studios in Middletown, NJ,  will be given every hour on the hour for about 20 minutes or so. You can learn to cha-cha, salsa, samba, tango, maybe more! You can turn it into a great night with great food and drink and some free dance lessons! No cover at the door!

Link to restaurant: http://trinitykeyport.com/

Links to my reviews of Trinity:  December and March

Comments (2)

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

April 23, 2008 at 3:09 pm · Filed under Cooking, Food, Recipes, soup

Probably my last soup for awhile due to the lovely warm weather we’ve been having here in the Garden State. This recipe, Tuscan Vegetable Soup, came from Ellie Krieger’s new cookbook that I recently purchased. It’s been hit or miss with these recipes but some are very good like this one. I love a hearty vegetable soup full of fresh, flavorful veggies. I also added some whole wheat elbows to give it more substance. Not only did I enjoy the fresh veggie flavors of this soup but I felt good eating it because it was so good for you. And it’s very quick and simple to make. What more can I ask for?

Overall rating – 3.5 stars

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Copyright 2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

 

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional analysis per serving Calories 140
Total Fat 4 grams Saturated Fat 0.5 grams
Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 310 mg
Carbohydrates 19 grams Protein 8 grams
Fiber 4.5 grams

 

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Risotto with Italian Sausage, Carmelized Onions and Bitter Greens

April 21, 2008 at 12:38 pm · Filed under Food

I know, the picture doesn’t look too appetizing. But this was good eats. Seriously. I wouldn’t call this dish “light” though… I did make this on my cheat night. Way too many calories and fat and carbs for me to consider during the week. But damn this was good. I don’t make risotto often because of the carb factor but I do love a good risotto, even when I dine out.

Risotto is one of those dishes you can royally screw up if you don’t do it right. You could potentially end up with a big pot of sticky goo because of the high starch level. I’m no professional but I believe the trick is to not overcook it and constantly stir. I read some of the reviews on Cooking Light and some people ran into this problem.

But overall, a relatively simple dish to make. As usual, I had my own deviations from the recipe. I used escarole instead of arugula since I’ve a big fan of escarole. However, I picked a bad bunch of escarole so I got very little out of it and ending up tossing in some mushrooms to give it more substance. And I forgot to add the lemon rind to the end, but it still tasted great without it.

Overall rating – 4 stars

Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens

Sweet onions and salty cheese temper the bitterness of arugula, which cuts the starchy richness of the rice. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.


4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
2 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups arugula leaves
3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1. Bring broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sugar to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until onion is golden. Place onion mixture in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Removing casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add chopped shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add Arborio rice; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in white wine; cook 45 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup hot broth; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove from heat; stir in reserved onion, arugula, and remaining ingredients.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 390 (24% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 3.6g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 21.1g; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 104mg; SODIUM 900mg; FIBER 4.4g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 53.1g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2008

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