Sautéed Kale

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb green kale, coarsely chopped
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1/2 c water or stock
• salt flakes and fresh-cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Sauté garlic briefly in olive oil on medium heat.
2. Add kale and water or stock, cover and bring to a boil.
3. Remove cover and sauté until all the liquid is gone.
4. Stir in the vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Braised Short Ribs

There are a million ways to braise beef short ribs, including methods that turn the process into a two-day affair. This recipe is pretty much the bare-bones (sorry) minimalist recipe — ribs, mirepoix (diced celery, carrots and onion), wine and thyme. Right now I’m using an oak-aged cabernet sauvignon for the braise, but use what you like — just be sure to use a wine that you want to drink, not a “cooking wine”. I’m serving the ribs with sautéed kale and buttered rice.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef short ribs
• 1/2 large sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 t dried thyme
• 1/2 bottle red wine
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• salt flakes & fresh-cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Season ribs with salt and pepper.
2. In a large Dutch oven, brown ribs on all sides in olive oil.
3. Remove ribs for later.
4. Add mirepoix to pot and sauté till soft.
5. Add thyme and sauté 2 minutes longer.
6. Add wine and deglaze the pot on high heat.
7. Bring to a boil and reduce wine by about a third of the original volume.
8. Reduce heat to a low simmer, return ribs to the pot, and cover. Cook until meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
9. Carefully remove and plate ribs on a small amount of braising liquid.

Pasta Fredda (Pasta Salad)

I often substitute fusilli tricolore or medium penne rigate for the farfalle.

Ingredients

• 1 lb farfalle
• 1 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 c fresh peas
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 c black olives, pitted and halved
• 4 T extra virgin olive oil
• 4 t white wine vinegar
• 1/4 c fresh basil, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt flakes
• black pepper, freshly cracked

Directions

1. Cook pasta as usual. Drain and allow to cool completely.
2. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, basil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Combine tomatoes, peas, bell pepper and olives in a large serving bowl.
4. Add pasta and then vinaigrette to bowl, toss to combine.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Horiatiki Salata (Greek Salad)

This is pretty much the old standby. I make it frequently, and seldom change a thing.

Ingredients

• 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced very thin
• 1 1/2 c kalamata olives, pitted
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t dried Greek oregano
• salt flakes
• black pepper, freshly cracked

Directions

1. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a serving bowl. Whisk the dressing briefly to re-emulsify if necessary and pour over salad. Toss carefully to coat.

2 generous servings

Bulgur Pilaf

This can be an excellent accompaniment to a Middle Eastern meal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c onion, minced
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 c bulgur
• 1 c boiling water
• 1 t whole coriander, crushed
• salt flakes
• fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent.
2. Add coriander, bulgur, salt and pepper, sauté 2 minutes more.
3. Stir in water and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, until water is absorbed and bulgur is soft, about 20 minutes. Fluff with fork.

4 servings

Pollo alla Cacciatora (Chicken Cacciatore)

I serve this with white rice about as often as I serve it with pasta. You can substitute any kind of mushrooms to make it more rustic. It’s especially good with mixed wild mushrooms when they’re in season. You can also substitute red or orange bell peppers for the yellow ones, but I like the way the tomatoes pop out this way, and I don’t eat green bell peppers.

Ingredients

• 6 boneless chicken thighs
• salt & pepper
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 c button mushrooms, halved
• 2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 1″ squares
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1/2 c dry red wine
• 1/4 c chicken broth
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into sixteenths

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
2. Brown chicken on all sides in olive oil. Remove chicken and drain excess grease from skillet.
3. Sauté onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic and oregano until onions are translucent.
4. Deglaze skillet briefly with red wine.
5. Return chicken to skillet and add broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes and simmer covered 15 minutes more or until chicken is tender.

Couscous

This is a very basic recipe for a meat sauce to be served over couscous (or bulgur wheat). You can substitute or add whatever vegetables you like, and it works just as well with lamb or chicken.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sweet yellow onions, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dried chick peas
• 1 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup celery, diced roughly
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt flakes to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soak chick peas in water overnight, or bring them to a boil and let stand for 1 hour.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven (or couscousière if you have one), brown beef in olive oil.
3. Add onions and garlic, cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until chick peas are tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Chicken-Leek Risotto

This is a fairly generic risotto recipe. You can use any combination of meats, seafood and vegetables that strikes your fancy.

I always provide extra Parmesan cheese at the table for those who want it. Like me.

Ingredients

• 5 boneless chicken thighs, halved and sliced
• 1 large leek, halved, rinsed and sliced into thin strips
• 8 baby carrots, 1/2″ pieces
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt flakes and fresh-cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and maintain at a simmer.
2. In a large, deep skillet, brown chicken in olive oil.
3. Push chicken aside, sauté carrots for a few minutes.
4. Push carrots aside, sauté leeks until somewhat soft.
5. Push leeks aside, sauté rice until grains begin to turn white.
6. Add thyme, salt and pepper and stir all ingredients together.
7. Add a ladleful of broth, reduce heat and simmer uncovered.
8. When broth is almost entirely absorbed, add another ladleful of broth.
9. Continue until all the broth has been added and absorbed.
10. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Tahini Halva with Almonds

Halva is a Middle Eastern and South Asian sweet made from either semolina or tahini (sesame paste or butter), to which sugar or other sweetener is added and possibly additional flavorings.

If you can’t get store-bought tahini, you can make your own by toasting sesame seeds in a dry skillet, then grinding them to a paste in a food processor. You may need to add a small amount of sesame oil to get the grinding process started.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups tahini, beaten to reincorporate oil
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped

Directions

Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl until well-combined. Refrigerate for at least 36 hours before serving. Slice while cold and serve at room temperature.

 

Almond Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups white rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes
• 1 cup almonds, blanched, skinned and slivered
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Combine rice, water and salt in a saucepan, cover and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
3. Combine rice, almonds and butter in a large bowl and serve immediately.