GREEN COCONUT PORK CURRY

GREEN COCONUT AND PORK CURRY

1 teaspoon whole coriander
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black pepper
3 jalapenos, chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, minced
2 inches peeled fresh ginger, grated
8 cloves garlic, smashed

1 pound stewing pork, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 cans coconut milk
2 zucchini, chopped
Cilantro for garnish
Jasmine rice, for serving

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander, cumin, and black pepper until fragrant - just about a minute. Remove from the heat and grind in a food processor then add jalapenos, lemongrass, ginger and garlic and grind to as fine a paste as possible.

Heat a heavy stockpot over medium heat and fry the paste until fragrant - about 2 minutes, then add the pork and fry lightly until just golden. Add the heavy, thick part from one can of coconut milk and fry until the oil separates. Add the rest of the coconut milk and simmer at low heat until the pork is cooked through. Add the zucchini at the end and simmer for a few minutes or until just tender. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN AND SWISS CHARD PASTA BAKE

CHICKEN AND SWISS CHARD PASTA BAKE

1/2 pound whole wheat penne
3 bunches Swiss chard
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t0 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup good-quality ricotta cheese
Splash dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente, or according to package directions. Strain and set aside (toss with a bit of olive oil if you'd like).

Rinse the swiss chard well and pull the leaves off the thick stalks, discarding the stems. Tear leaves into large chunks and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add the swiss chard to the pot and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir a few times to wilt the greens. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until greens are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked noodles, chicken, ricotta, and a generous splash of white wine to the greens, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium-sized baking dish. Combine Parmesan, panko, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the Parm mixture over the top of the casserole and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the top is golden.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MOJO SAUSE

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MOJO SAUSE

For the brine:
1 (4-5 pound) roasting chicken
1 gallon (16 cups) water, divided
1 cup kosher salt
3 lemons, halved

For the chicken:
1 1/2 cups sour orange juice (preferably La Lechonera)
Juice of one lemon
1 large head of garlic (about 12-15 cloves), peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1 white onion, peeled and sliced crosswise into thin rings

To brine the chicken, cover the chicken with 12 cups of cold water in a large stock pot. Heat the remaining 4 cups of water over the stovetop or in the microwave until almost boiling. Add the salt and stir until completely dissolved. Add the salted water to the stock pot. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the water before adding the lemons. Cover and refrigerate the chicken for 8-12 hours, but no longer.

To cook the chicken, combine sour orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin in a blender and season generously with salt and pepper. Blend on medium to high power until the garlic is pureed and the marinade is foamy, about 1 minute.

Remove the backbone of the chicken and discard. Cut the chicken into 4 pieces (two thighs and drumsticks, two breasts with wings). Place the chickens into two large zipper bags, dividing the marinade between the two. Marinate at room temperature for two hours, flipping the bags occasionally to distribute the liquids. Remove chicken, reserving the marinade for cooking, and thoroughly pat dry. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat the cooking oil in large cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Working in two batches, add the chicken, skin side down, and sear until crisp and deep golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Pour off excess oil.

Pour the reserved chicken marinade into the cast iron skillet. Place the chicken pieces, skin side up, in the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and braise in the oven until chicken is fork tender, about 40 to 55 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a roasting pan and rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the onion rings to the skillet and bring the pan juices to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cook mojo sauce until slightly reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Pour the excess juices from the resting chicken back into the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Finish off the chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to re-crisp the skin. Serve the chicken over white rice with lots of sauce and onions.

BAKED CHICKEN WITH BACON

BAKED CHICKEN WITH BACON

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or a mix
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
3 to 4 medium tomatoes, about 1 pound
1 medium onion, about 3/4 pound
4 large garlic cloves
1 pound bacon (20 strips)
2 pounds fingerling or small potatoes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat the oven to 350°F. Cut the chicken into pieces about 2 inches wide and 3 inches long. Cut each breast into about 5 pieces, or chicken thighs into 2 to 3 pieces. You should end up with about 40 pieces of chicken. Toss the chicken pieces with about 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

Heat the oil in a wide, deep skillet over high heat. Brown the chicken pieces for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, letting them develop a medium brown crust. Do this in several batches. Remove the browned chicken pieces to a baking sheet and let cool slightly.

While the chicken is cooling, core the tomatoes and chop them roughly, and peel the onion and chop it roughly too. Blend them in a blender or food processor with the garlic cloves until smooth. Pour into the deep skillet you used to brown the chicken and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes while wrapping the chicken.

Cut the bacon strips in half. Wrap 1/2 piece bacon around each piece of chicken. If desired, secure with a toothpick.

Cut the fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise and spread in the bottom of a deep roasting dish or large Dutch oven. Lay the bacon-wrapped chicken pieces on top of the potatoes.

Turn off the heat under the tomato sauce. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon salt, the smoked paprika, and the sour cream. Pour over the chicken and potatoes and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

BBQ TURKEY MEATLOAF

BBQ TURKEY MEATLOAF

For the meatloaf
2 pounds ground turkey (or beef/pork)
1 cup barbecue sauce (recipe below)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 large carrot, chopped fine
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Additional barbecue sauce for topping

For the barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped small
2 1/2 cups (32 ounce bottle) ketchup
1 1/2 cups (12 ounce bottle) chili sauce, such as Heinz
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Juice from 1/2 orange
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°

To make the meatloaf, combine turkey, barbecue sauce, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, and eggs in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour turkey mixture into an aluminum foil-lined loaf pan.

Cook the meatloaf for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 350°. Top with additional barbecue sauce and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160°, about 35 more minutes. Allow the meatloaf to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan by lifting out the aluminum foil. Drain the excess grease. Slice and serve with additional warm barbecue sauce. Pair with mashed potatoes.

To make the barbecue sauce, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally. This sauce can be made in advance and keeps well in the refrigerator.

BEEF STROGANOFF

BEEF STROGANOFF

Ingredients:

* About 2 cups of sliced mushrooms of your choice, fresh or dried. You can use dried ones if you like, just soak them in water first (then squeeze out water.) I used 1 box of sliced whites and 2 boxes of "gourmet sliced mix" from Whole Foods - it was a combo of oyster, crimini, shiitake, and portobello mushrooms.
* Butter or olive oil
* 1 yellow onion, sliced crosswise (from top to bottom so you have strips, not rings.)
* 1 pound of meat. I suggest using something tender, like a sirloin or tenderloin. Cut in bite-sized cubes.
* Sour Cream - about 1 1/2 to 2 cups - can substitute yogurt if you want to go creamier, but be healthier. Or do 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup yogurt.
* Salt, pepper, rubbed sage, white pepper, and paprika
* Egg noodles

Technique:

Saute the mushrooms in butter or oil until golden. Remove and set aside. Saute onions until brown. Set aside. Add the meat and cook lightly, but don't overcook because you will be adding everything back to the pan and cooking more. Remove meat and set aside. Drain meat juices from pan. Add sour cream, and over low heat (so it doesn't curdle) add salt/pepper/sage/white pepper to your taste. I don't really measure, I just shake in a little, taste, shake in a little more, taste, and repeat until I am satisfied. I think I do the shake/taste thing only 2 or 3 times. Stir up the cream, and add the vegetables and meat back to the pan and stir until coated, only a few minutes. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles and dust with paprika.

NORWEGIAN POTATO LEFSE

NORWEGIAN POTATO LEFSE

1 pound starchy or all-purpose potatoes
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
1 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For serving: butter, cinnamon-sugar, jam, peanut butter, cream cheese, cold cuts, cheese slices, gravlax, or any other topping your inner Norwegian desires

Peel the potatoes and cut them into large, uniformly-shaped chunks. Place in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Over medium-high heat, bring the water and the potatoes to a gentle boil. Cook until the potatoes are very soft and easily pierced with a fork, 10-12 minutes from the start of the boil. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl.

Using a potato masher, potato ricer, or a dinner fork, mash the potatoes as thoroughly as possible; you don't want any lumps. Cut the butter into small chunks and mix it with the potatoes. Add the cream and salt. Keep mixing until the butter and cream are completely absorbed. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Transfer the potatoes to a storage container and refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

When ready to make the lefse, clear a large workspace for dividing and rolling out the flatbreads. Lefse are traditionally made with grooved wooden rolling pins, but a standard rolling pin will do the job just fine. A pastry scraper or sturdy spatula for lifting and transferring the rolled-out flatbreads is also handy.

Mix the mashed potatoes with 1 cup of the flour. At first this will be very crumbly and floury, but the mixture will gradually start coming together. Turn the dough out on the counter and knead once or twice to bring it together into a smooth ball. Roll it into a thick log and then divide it into 16 equal portions for small 6-8" lefse or 8 equal portions for large 10-12" lefse.

Roll each portion of dough between your palms to form a small ball. Cover all the balls with a clean dishtowel off to one side of your workspace.

Set a cast iron skillet or flat grill pan over medium-high heat. When a bead of water sizzles when flicked on the pan, it's ready.

Dust your workspace and rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll one of the rounds of dough in the flour and then press it into a thick disk with the heel of your hand. Working from the center out, roll the dough into as thin a circle as you can manage. Lift, move, and flip the dough frequently as you work to make sure it's not sticking. Use more flour as needed.

Roll the lefse gently onto the rolling pin, as if you were transferring pie dough, and lay it in the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until speckled with golden-brown spots. Transfer the cooked lefse to a plate and cover with another clean dish towel.

While one lefse is cooking, roll out the next one. Keep all the cooked lefse under the towel to keep them warm and prevent them from drying out. If the lefse start to stick to the pan, melt a small pat of butter in the pan and wipe it away with a paper towel to leave only a very thin coating of fat on the pan.

Spread the lefse with your topping of choice and roll it up to eat. Leftover lefse can stacked with wax paper between the layers to prevent sticking and kept refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for three months. They can be eaten cold from the fridge or warmed for a few seconds in the microwave.