Trastor's Tortilla Patatas

Pre-preparation

• If you can, get potatoes that are about a year old, they have better starch. You can sometimes buy potatoes from the previous harvest (they are cheaper, and there are 3 harvests a year).
• Good oil ("sabor de intenso" is good enough).
• Eggs!
  

Instructions

• Cut potatoes: One quick and easy way is to cut the potatoes with a peeler (after peeling it of course!).
• Put quite a bit of oil in the pan (a non-stick pan will help) and heat it until it is on the verge of boiling.
• Toss the potatoes (drain them a bit beforehand if they're very wet) into the pan and give it time to soak up the oil and grow.
• Cook the potatoes until they "fall apart in your mouth" (this is a sign that they are cooked). You also want them a bit brown and a bit crsipy.
• Scoop the potatoes out and put them in a plate/bowl/colander to allow the oil to drain out.
• Prepare a big bowl with well beat up eggs.
• Toss the potatoes into the bowl of eggs and let it sit for several minutes.
• Put the mixture in a heated pan with a thin layer of oil.
• Let it cook while shaking/jiggling the pan the entire time with one hand to make sure the mixture does not stick to the pan.
• Cap the pan using a plate or lid and flip the half-cooked tortilla onto it. (I have been told that you need to do this with a "whoop." If you don't flip in a whooping arc, the eggs leak out to the sides.)
• Reheat the pan a little and add some oil if necessary.
• Then put the other side of the tortilla back into the pan.
• Heat and jiggle.

Enjoy with bread and wine and whatever else you wish!

Quick and Dirty fiddlehead dinner

I received lovely fiddleheads and ramps from my friend's Mainer parents. In an attempt to cook something fantastic, in my 20 minute study break this is what I came up with. Very simple but yummy.

Saute ramps in olive oil
blanch fiddleheads
combine ramps and fiddleheads in marinade
marinade = assortment of vinegars (I had apple cider, red wine and a little rice vinegar for sweetness), olive oil, s+p, spices (I used oregano and rosemary)

boil up some pasta (I used spinach and chive linguini from trader joes... probably a fresh pasta would be fantastic)


toss above items together. add parmesan to taste. eat

Dal Makhani

from India Curry

Ingredients

Basic Dal

1. Water: 6 Cups
2. Dhuli Moong Dal (Skinless split Mung beans): 2 Cups
3. Turmeric powder: ¼ teaspoon
4. Ghee: 2 teaspoons
5. Chopped Spinach: 1 cup (channy note: i used baby beet greens)

Makhani Masala

1. Cooking oil: 3 Tablespoon
2. Finely chopped onion: 1½ Cup
3. Salt: 1 teaspoon or to taste
4. Cayenne powder: 1 teaspoon
5. Minced Garlic: 1 Tablespoon
6. Finely chopped ginger: 1 Tablespoon
7. Chopped Serrano: 3
8. Garam Masala:1 Tablespoons
9. Yogurt: ¼ Cup
10. Chopped tomatoes: 1 cup (Use Roma Tomatoes, Cut them in quarters, Discard seeds)
11. Amchoor (Dried Mango powder): ½ teaspoon (channy note: i substituted tamarind paste. lime juice would also work)
12. Unsalted Butter: ½ Cup
13. Heavy Whipping Cream: ½ Cup (channy note: i used half-and-half)

Garnish

Ginger julienne cut: 2 Tablespoon
Chopped Cilantro: 2 Tablespoon
Fresh Serrano Chopped

Method

Basic Dal

1. Wash and Rinse beans. Select a heavy stock pot. Bring the water to a boil. Add beans remaining ingredients except spinach. Bring it to a boil again. Add about a teaspoon of Ghee. Let it simmer on medium heat. The purpose of the oil is to break the surface tension to avoid boil over. It will take about 15 minutes after boiling.

2. Add Spinach. Bring to boil. Simmer about 5 minutes.

Makhni Masala

1. In a separate pan, heat cooking oil.

2. Add onions, salt and cayenne pepper. Sauté till edges of brown.

3. Add Garlic, ginger, and Serrano. Sauté about 2 minutes.

4. Add Garam Masala. Sauté about 2 minute

5. Add yogurt. Stir and fry till all the yogurt is consumed.

5. Add tomatoes and Amchoor. Bring to a boil. Cook till tomatoes are softened. DO NOT smash tomatoes. You want cooked tomato pieces. It will take about 5 minute

6. Transfer to Dal.

7. Stir in Butter and Cream. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

The Trash's Paella in a Pot

0. The preparation

• A big aluminium pot because it conducts heat rapidly and allows for more flexibility in timing
• Pressure cooker top for the above pot to expedite cooking time
• Borrow ingredients from mom because you didn't go grocery shopping this morning and our lunchtime guest only told you last night that he was arriving in town today

1. The meats

• Cut up chicken wings/drumsticks and quail into limb-sized pieces
• Salt both sides
• Fry in oil for a while until the skin begins to yellow/brown -- no need to cook it well
• Toss into big pot (without the oil)

2. The veggies

• Chop up large handfuls of onions, tomatoes (peeled), green peppers and red peppers into finger-nail sized bits
• Fry onions, then add in green peppers, fry, then add in red peppers, fry, then add in tomatoes, fry
  
  (If you are not a "fundamentalist" you can expedite this step by cooking all the vegetables in one go. But be warned, the Trash may frown upon you.)

3. The seafood

• Take off the heads and shells from small shrimps, collect the heads/shells in a separate small pot.
• Add some water to this small pot and boil the shrimp throwaways for a while.
• Filter this broth into a collecting cup.
• Take a pestle and gently ground the shrimp heads in the pot to squeeze the juices out.
• Add a bit of water to this mix and filter out the broth again into the same collecting cup.
  
  This broth will later be used as a substitute for water when we cook the rice.
  
  
• Collect any of the clam water into the broth cup, remember to filter.
• Cut up squid into strips.
  
  
• Toss the seafood into the pan with the vegetables and let them cook together for a while. Then toss everything into the big pot.
  

4. The extras

• Gently ground one tooth of garlic in a mortar and pestel.
• Add parsley (just the leaves, preferably dried) and gently ground.
• Add a dash of white wine and mix.
  
  
• Squeeze the juice out of half a lemon.
  
  
• Ground some saffron (threads, not powder) gently with a dash of white wine.
  

5. The rice

• Prepare one-and-a-half as much water/broth as you want rice. Use the broth collected before as much as possible and add water to make up the rest of the volume.
• Add a bit of extra water/broth and cook everything in the big pot for a while (5 minutes, no more).
• Add in the lemon juice and garlic/parsley here.
  
  
• Add in the white people's rice now. (Here we used Arroz SOS, which is known for its initial resistance to bursting/swelling.)
  
  
• Stir the contents of the pot (but never ever after) and bring to a boil.
• Add in the saffron here.
  
  
• Put the pressure cooker top on the pot and heat up until the whistle is loud and spinning. At this point, turn the heat down to low and let it sit for approxmiately 7 minutes.
  
• After 7 minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit for an additional 3 minutes.
  
  (Actually timings will depend on the technology of the pressure cooker, this one was apparently old and new ones are supposed to be even faster! If you are using a normal pot, it will take approximately twice the amount of time. If you are using a large broad pan, no lid, as most people usually do, then it will take even longer.)
  

6. The eating

• Serve with Spanish red wine (Rioja for example) because Spain is a wine counry and we have the best wines in teh world.
• Remember to also eat the toasted bits of rice stuck on the inside of the pot (called "sacarat" in some parts) because it is where the flavor has crystalized and is the best part.
• You will probably want to have dessert afterwards, followed by a shot of something from your liquor cabinet.
  
  
• The post-meal siesta is optional.
  

Apple-Cucumber Salad with Split Mung Dal

from www.bigoven.com

MBC note: I didn't have curry leaves, so I left them out. I doubled the amount of dal, and used dried cayenne instead of fresh. Or maybe it was paprika. The jar wasn't labeled.

anyway, it was delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 tb Split mung dal
• 1 lg European cucumber
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1 Green cayenne pepper; or two
• 3/4 c Fresh cilantro leaves;
• 2 tb Fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ts Salt; or to taste
• * Tempering *
• 1 tb Vegetable oil
• 1 ts Black mustard seed
• 1 ts Cumin seed
• 1 tb Dried curry leaves; or

Instructions

1. Place the dal in a small bowl with 1 cup water and soak for 1 hour.

2. Cut the cucumber lengthwise into 4 or 6 wedges. discard the seeds, then cut crosswise into 3/4 inch or 1/2 inch chunks. Place in a large bowl. Core the apple, but do not peel, then cut into small chunks and add to the cucumber. Add the chile. coriander, soaked dal, and lime juice and toss to blend well.

3. Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and when it is hot, toss in the remaining tempering ingredients. Give a quick stir, then cover to prevent the mustard seeds from popping out. When most of the seeds have popped, about 30 seconds, remove from the heat and pour over the salad. Sprinkled on the salt and toss well. Served in a shallow bowl.

Caribbean Stuffed Chicken

My co-worker helped me come up with this recipe. It was very good, and my housemate said this was one of the top 10 meals I have made him.



Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 slices prosciutto
1 yellow plantain (on the riper side is better, but not so ripe that it's black)
1 sweet potato
6 slices mozzarella cheese
butter
salt, pepper, garlic salt
olive oil

Peel the plantain and sweet potato. Cut the sweet potato into small chunks, and cut the plantain in half. Boil them in salted water until they are cooked. They will float once they are done. Drain, then mash with some butter, salt, pepper.

Trim off the fat on the chicken thighs, and lay as flat as possible. Pound or flatten the chicken if necessary. Lay a slice of prosciutto over each slice of chicken, followed by a spoonfull of the plantain/sweet potato mixture. Fold the chicken over on itself and secure with a toothpick. Salt, garlic salt, and pepper the outside of the stuffed thighs.

In a cast iron skillet (or other oven proof skillet), heat olive oil. Place the chicken in the pan to brown on both sides. Once chicken has browned, put the cast iron skillet in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, lay the slices of cheese over the chicken so that they are melted by the end.

Enjoy!

Okonomiyaki

adapted from 101 cookbooks

2-3 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup leeks, well washed and chopped (channy: i used green garlic)
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or apf flour)
a couple pinches of fine grain sea salt
3 eggs, beaten
1+ tablespoon olive oil

Garnish: whatever you have around. slivered almonds. chives, pesto, olives, cheese. I ate mine with kimchi.

Combine the cabbage, leeks, flour, and salt in a bowl. Toss until everything is coated with a dusting of flour. Stir in the eggs and mix until everything is evenly coated.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a generous splash of olive oil. Scoop the cabbage mixture into the pan, and using a metal spatula press it into a round pancake shape, flat as you can get it. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. To flip the okonomiyaki, slide it out of the skillet onto a plate. Place another plate on top and flip both (together) over. If you need a bit more oil in your skillet, add it now, before sliding the okonomiyaki back into the skillet. Again press down a bit with a spatula and cook until golden on this side - another 3 -5 minutes.

When you are finished cooking, slide it onto a cutting board to cut into wedges. Garnish and enjoy immediately.

Serves 1 - 2.