Couscous with Spinach & Sundried Tomatoes

Couscous is pasta made from semolina (the hard part of wheat) and shape into pellets that resembles tiny grains of pasta. There are a few variety of couscous: Moroccan, Israeli and Lebanese. The former is the most common and cooks quickly, while the latter two are larger in size and take longer to cook. To complement and enhance the flavor you can add an endless selection of ingredients. One of my favorites is chopped nuts, cheese and dried fruits to give it an exotic flair. Here’s my recipe for this Mediterranean-inspired dish. You can also serve this as a side dish with your meat dishes. Enjoy!

Israeli couscous

Ingredients:
1 cup Israeli couscous or Moroccan couscous
1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 bunch baby spinach
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup dried tomatoes, chopped
½ cup raisins
½ cup toasted pine nuts or almonds
1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 tsp. garlic, chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
a pinch of salt
dash of paprika
crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Method:
1. In a saucepan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté couscous over medium heat until it is light browned about 5 minutes. Slowly add in the vegetable or chicken broth (if used) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for about 10-12 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and keep warm while you prepared the rest of the ingredients. Note: If using Moroccan couscous, bring water or broth to a boil and add couscous. Cover and remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a skillet, sauté onions and garlic in some oil until tender. Stir in dried spices, tomatoes, and raisins. Fry until well mixed and fragrant. Add in spinach to cook until slightly wilted, then add in the pine nuts.
3. Using a fork to fluff the cooked couscous and mix it with the spinach mixture. Season to taste and sprinkle lemon zest or feta cheese (if used) on top. You can serve this as a side dish for those of you who love
Printable Recipe

Braised Baby Onions with Raisins

If you like baby onions, you will love this piquant and flavorful dish. It is simple to prepare and great served with skewered meat, such as lamb or beef.
Ingredients:
20 baby white onions, peeled
½ cup red wine winegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey or sugar
½ cup raisins
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Add all the ingredients in a saucepan with 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Cook until onions are tender and most of the liquid has thickened.
2. Remove bay leaf and season to taste. Serve warm.
Printable Recipe

Cheesy Potato Cakes

I found an old recipe book on potatoes and the different ways of cooking this spud. Here's a simple and easy one flavored with fresh dill and lemons from our garden. Great for an afternoon snack or a side dish.

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized potatoes

4 ozs goat cheese or plain feta cheese

1 bunch scallions, diced finely
2 Tbsp. dill, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying
all-purpose flour
Method:
1. Washed potatoes and boil them in their skins with a pinch of salt. Cook until they are soft. Drain, then peel while still warm. Put them in a mixing bowl and mash them.
2. Crumble cheese with your fingers into the potatoes and add the scallions, dill, egg mixture and lemon juice. Season with pepper and salt (lightly) as cheese is salty. Mix well to incorporate the ingredients.
3. Cover the mixture and leave in the refrigerator to chill when ready to fry.
4. Divide the mixture into golf-sized balls, flatten slightly and dredge them with flour to coat. Repeat the same with the rest of the mixture.
5. Heat a non-stick pan with some oil and fry the cakes on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Printable Recipe

Lemon Barley Chicken Soup

Whenever I have some leftover cooked chicken, I would prepare his simple and tasty soup. This is an adapted version of the famous Avgolemono, a Greek soup. I used barley instead of the orzo pasta and added celery to the soup. You can use home made chicken stock or substitute with 3 cans of low-sodium chicken stock instead.
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded finely
½ cup celery, finely diced (about 3 sticks)
3 Tbsp. barley, washed and drained
1 Tbsp. onion, finely diced
3 eggs, beaten
juice of 1 large lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a large pot, heat some oil and fry the onions until soft, then stir in the celery and fry for about 5 minutes. Add in the stock and barley and bring to boil and cook until barley is cooked, about for 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix the lemon juice to the egg mixture and a ladleful of the warm chicken soup. Stir this mixture into the soup, season with salt and pepper. Do not let soup boil once you've added the egg mixture as this will cause the eggs to curdle. Remove from heat and serve with lemon slices.
Printable Recipe

Flambé White Sea Bass with Fresh Fennel

If you like the taste of licorice, and want to impress your guests you might enjoy this dish. The fish is grilled and flambé with Pernod, an alcoholic liqueur with the taste of anise. Bon Appétit!
Ingredients:
1 white sea bass, about 2 lbs, cleaned, gutted, and head removed
2 medium sized fresh fennel bulbs and fronds, sliced thinly
½ cup olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
3 tsp. fennel seeds
salt and pepper to taste
an ovenproof platter
½ cup Pernod
Method:
1. Pat fish dry and cut three deep cuts on both sides of the fish. Brush some olive oil on fish and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cuts and the fish cavity with fennel seeds. Set aside.
2. Preheat the broiler. Spread the slices of fennel evenly on the broiler rack and brush with remaining olive oil. Broil on high for 3-4 minutes on each side until fennel is tender. Remove and transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep warm.

3. Place the oiled fish back to the broiler rack and broil for about 10-15 minutes on each side.
4. Assemble the fish on top of the fennel and garnish with fennel frounds. In a saucepan, heat the liqueur gently, light it with a long bamboo stick and pour the flaming warm liqueur over the fish. Serve immediately.
Printable Recipe

Baked Lemony-Garlic Chicken

This is a delightful dish to serve with crusty bread to soak up every bit of the sauce. I made this with my daughter and we both enjoyed it. This one is for you Melissa :)
Ingredients:
8 pieces of skinless, boneless chicken thighs
3 cups organic chicken stock
25 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 lemons, peeled, rind removed and sliced thinly
3 Tbsp. flour
3/4 cups dry white wine
salt and black pepper to taste
1 small bunch sweet basil, chopped for garnishing
Method:
1. Dry chicken with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in garlic cloves and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a pan and fry chicken pieces are golden on all sides. Remove and transfer them into an ovenproof dish with lid. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Remove garlic from the chicken stock. Distribute the garlic and and lemon slices evenly among the chicken pieces.
3. Reheat the pan in which the chicken was browned, add flour to mix in with the brownings for about 2 minutes. Add in the wine, stirring constantly and then gradually add in the stock, making sure that mixture is smooth and free of lumps (use a small whisk). Continue doing this until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove from heat and pour flour mixture over the chicken. Cover and bake for an hour. Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve with rice or bread.
Printable Recipe

Fried Collard Greens with Smoked Apple Bacon

I was at Trader Joe this weekend and they were serving this delicious uncured apple bacon to shoppers. I took a bite and it was really good! It has a nice apple flavor and I like it as it is not as salty. What a perfect coincidence, as I went in to get some bacon for tonight's dinner. This would be wonderful with collard greens that I got from the farmers market. Beside collard greens, it is great with dinosaur kale (lacinato). Yummy!
Ingredients:
2 bunches collard greens, cut in bite sized
1 red onion, sliced thinly
4 ozs bacon, sliced thinly
half cup dry white wine
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a large frying pan, heat oil and add in bacon to brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and fry until the onions is beginning to soften and absorbed most of the bacon oil.
2. Add in the wine and simmer for about 3-4 minutes to reduce the liquid. Add in greens and seasonings. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes until greens are tender. Serve hot with rice.
Printable Recipe