Brunchy hash that may as well be sponsored by Trader Joe's

This is a tasty dish and would make a great brunch companion or main. Easy to make. I strongly recommend a stiff bloody mary to start.

Ingredients
Trader Joe's shredded hash browns, 1 bag
Trader Joe's smoked rainbow trout (usually frozen), 1 pack thawed and sliced
Trader Joe's smoked ghost chilies (shelved with the spices), several cracks
1 large bunch of leafy greens like collards, spinach, mustard, or kale, stemmy parts removed and sliced thin
salt
2 T. some tasty mustard
2 T. apple cider vinegar
oil
as many eggs as you have people, or more

Method
Heat oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Add the hash browns and cook until browned and/or more-or-less cooked. They don't have to actually brown; it doesn't matter. Probably at least 10 minutes on medium heat.

Add the leafy greens and cook for a while until they are wilted or reduced in volume by half. Add the trout slices. Add the chilies, mustard, vinegar, and salt to taste. (The trout is on the salty side, which you probably realize already because you tasted it, but in case you didn't, you don't have to add THAT much salt in spite of the fact that hash browns are notorious for saline absorption. Just add and taste.)

After stirring well, add the trout pieces and a few cracks of the ghost chilies. Listen: these ghost chilies are fucking spicy. Don't go overboard. Three good cracks at most. You can always add more later.

Once it has cooked a few minutes, turn off the heat and set the mash aside.

Fry the eggs in a frying pan, doing whatever you would normally do to make fried eggs. Salt and pepper are good.

Spoon the hash into wide bowls or plates. Put a fried egg on top. Have another bloody mary really quick and then eat.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

When we were little kids, come every summer we would make the annual trip to our ancestral goddess' temple in Lonavala (with the giant hives and Buddhist caves) in a crowded state transport bus - red, dusty, and filled with interesting fellow passengers. As we grew older and means of transport changed in India, the mode of transport changed first to a "shared" 11 passenger van and then a rental SUV for the family. One thing that stayed constant during that time was lunch at a particular restaurant and bar - where kids were allowed a sip of the beer along with what we kids thought was the world's best butter chicken and chicken tikka masala!

The recipe below comes very close to the taste of that chicken masala - albeit a little soupier. I am sure that the gravy can be tweaked to be thicker if desired. Serve with hot buttered naan (we buy ours from TJ's) and a cucumber raita or plain raw sliced onions.

Recipe is a variation from thelemonbowl.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed

• 1 medium onion - diced

• 15 oz can coconut milk - full fat (or light)

• 1 cup plain yogurt - low fat

• ¼ cup tomato paste (substitute with 1 can of tomato sauce or about 2 small tomatoes)

• 2 tablespoons ginger root

• 2 garlic cloves 

• 2 tablespoons garam masala

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (if you omit this, gravy will be thinner)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cayenne - substitute with paprika for less spice

• * 2 teaspoons chicken masala (can be found in Indian store)

• ¼ cup minced cilantro 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place cubed chicken breasts and diced onion in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, yogurt, tomato paste, ginger + garlic paste, garam masala, cornstarch, salt, chicken masala,and cayenne. Pour mixture over the chicken and onion and stir well.
3. Cook on Low for 8 hours  (recommended) or High for 4 hours. 
4. If you feel that the gravy is too soupy, cook for sometime with the lid off.

*chicken masala is what gives it that taste of authenticity. Can certainly omit, result will be delicious but similar to an Americanized version.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon butter
Salt

Directions:
Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly.
Remove the toughest third of the stalk and discard.
Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.
Heat a saucepan (big enough to take your amount of leaves) on medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute.
Add the leaves and cover.
Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.
Flip the leaves over in the pan with a tong, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover.
Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it).
Add salt to taste, and some butter.
Serve in a serving dish.

On this recipe card is written: The Best! Yum!

Smoky Rutabaga Mash

Smoky Rutabaga Mash

Ingredients:
2-3 medium rutabagas (about 2 lbs. unpeeled)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (must be smoked)
1-2 teaspoons canned chipotle chili peppers with adobo sauce, minced (optional) (I haven't tried this)

Directions:
Peel the rutabagas by slicing off about 1/4 inch of husk.
Cut into 2 inch pieces.
Cover with water that has been salted with 1 tablespoon salt.
Simmer for about 20 minutes till rutabagas can be pierced easily with a fork.
Drain the rutabagas.

Blend the rutabagas in a blender with the softened butter, the paprika, and the peppers if using.

This makes a wonderful, creamy dish of mashed rutabagas with a distinctive flavor. It's a great side dish and not one that you often see. It is something different and, in my opinion, quite delicious.

Salmon Loaf with Creamed Peas & Mushroom Sauce

Salmon Loaf

1 can wild red salmon
3/4-1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 cup rice cake crumbles (take 1 1/2 plain rice cakes; crumble them up with a rolling pin or roll a glass over them, or buzz them up in a small blender, or crumble them between your fingers till crumbly)
2 beaten eggs (about 1/2 cup)
salt, pepper, paprika

Clean the salmon: dump it in a colander or strainer, then pick through it to remove the larger bones and larger pieces of skin. Leave the tiny bones in there, it's good calcium.
Put the cleaned salmon in a bowl and add the water, olive oil, rice cake crumbles, and eggs. Mix well.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Grease up a loaf pan and put the mixture in it.
Sprinkle paprika on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.
Slice and serve with Creamed Peas & Mushroom Sauce over each serving.


Creamed Peas & Mushroom Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour (can be gluten free, such as Bob's Red Mill all purpose GF)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed sweet basil
1 four oz. can button mushrooms
1 eight oz. can sweet peas, drained
milk

Drain the mushroom liquid from the can of mushrooms into a measuring cup.
Add enough milk to the mushroom liquid to make 1 cup and set aside.
Now melt the butter in a saucepan, and blend in the flour, salt, and basil.
Add your cup of mushroom/milk mixture slowly and gradually, stirring CONSTANTLY till the sauce thickens. You will think this is never going to thicken--just keep stirring, you are making a White Sauce! It magically thickens, and then you add your drained peas and mushrooms.
Cook on low another 5-8 minutes or so.
Serve in a bowl on the table for each person to pour over their salmon loaf.

FYI:  Whitney loves salmon loaf. So do I.

Salmon Fillet

Salmon Fillet

Buy half of a salmon.
Wash and pat dry with paper towels.
Place it skin side down on tin foil on a cookie sheet.
Drizzle generously with olive oil.
Sprinkle generously with Mrs. Dash Original seasoning, paprika, and salt.

Bake at 380 degrees for 30 minutes only.

This is a delicious, healthy, quick entree without a lot of fuss. The salmon lifts right off of its skin, which sticks to the tin foil. So if you like eating the skin, you won't easily get it with this way of fixing. Dad and I have not found a way to fix salmon that we like better than this. It's always tender and delicious.

Cabbage Sausage Crockpot Soup

Cabbage Sausage Crockpot Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups of diced potatoes
5 cups cabbage, shredded fine (I just chop it with knife, is easier.)
1 carrot, shredded fine
1 large onion, chopped (or the green part of table onions)
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed in a bullet, coffee grinder, or small blender
1 lb. Aidells Cajun Style Andouille Sausage from Festival. This comes already cooked; halve it and cut into 1/2 inch slices (or use a similar sausage)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth. (I use Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon with Herbs from the Wedge; 3 cubes to make 6 cups. Rapunzel is the best.)
Salt to taste (wait till the end!)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in crockpot and pour the broth over. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours.

This is a wonderful soup and the crushed caraway seed really makes it!

Split Pea Soup with Ham (in crockpot)

Split Pea Soup with Ham (in crockpot)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. pkg dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty ham bone or 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion (or can use the green part of table onions)
2 ribs celery, with their leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 cups chicken broth (I use Rapunzel brand cubes from coop, good product, 1 cube=2 cups)

Directions:
Layer all ingredients in the slow cooker in the order given above.
DO NOT STIR!
Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours, or on low 8-10 hours.

Baked Potatoes

Baked Potatoes

Wash the potatoes. Dry them.
Stab with a fork a few times.
Put on a glove and oil them up with olive oil all over.
Season on all sides with sea salt and pepper.
Put on a cookie sheet in the oven for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

This recipe came from Celeste! She said she was mainly interested in just eating the skins, they were so good. And it is true.

Filet Mignon

Filet Mignon

Get the grill hot. (Be sure to clean it off with a brush first.)
Sear for 1 minute. Flip.
Sear for another minute. Flip.
Grill for 3 minutes. Flip.
Grill for 2 minutres.
Season with salt and pepper.

These are unbelievable. You can get grass fed filet mignon at Trader Joe's for a reasonable price.

Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy

1 1/2 oz. (or 2?) E&J X.O Extra Smooth Brandy
1 spoon Sue Bee White Clover Honey
5 oz. hot water

Mix and serve hot.

Pankuri likes these! Great for a snowy, wintry, Minnesota evening by the fire!

Hollandaise Sauce

No-Fail Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large yolks

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/3 cup butter, melted to bubbling

1 1/2 teaspoons hot water

Directions:

Blend yolks and lemon juice in blender at medium speed till blended.

While blending, slowly add hot butter in thin steady stream (it thickens as the butter is added).

Scrape sides as needed and add hot water to thin while continuing to blend. 

Serve over eggs or asparagus.

Guacamole

Guacamole

Ingredients:
6 avocados, mashed with a potato masher
2 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 pinches cayenne (optional)

Directions:
In medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, salt.
Mix in the onion, cilantro, tomatoes & garlic.
Stir in the cayenne.
Refrigerate for 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Notes:
Cayenne is the same thing as Indian hot chili pepper.
If serving to Mom, please use the green part of table onions rather than regular onions.

Electrolyte Replacer

Electrolyte Replacer (Pedialyte for big people when they get sick)

1.5 Liters purified water
Juice of 1 whole lime
1 spoon of sea salt
2 spoons of sugar

Drink as needed to replace fluids.

Meg's Monster Cookies (flourless/M&M/chocolate chip/oatmeal)

Meg's Monster Cookies

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12 oz. jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter
1/2 cup M&Ms and 1/2 cup chocolate chips; OR 1 cup chocolate chips
     (make mom's without the M&Ms)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:
Combine eggs and sugars. Mix well.
Add the salt, baking soda, vanilla, peanut butter and butter. Mix well.
Stir in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, raisins and oatmeal.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Oh, my, these are good. You'll need a really LARGE bowl.

Rhubarb Wine

How to Make Rhubarb Wine
     by Ted Kooser

Go to the patch some afternoon
in early summer, fuzzy with beer
and sunlight, and pick a sack
of rhuburb (red or green will do)
and God knows watch for rattlesnakes
or better, listen; they make a sound
like an old lawnmower rolled downhill.
Wear a hat. A straw hat's best
for the heat but lets the gnats in.
Bunch up the stalks and chop the leaves off
with a buck knife and be careful.
You need ten pounds; a grocery bag
packed full will do it. Then go home
and sit barefooted in the shade
behind the house with a can of beer.
Spread out the rhubarb in the grass
and wash it with cold water
from the garden hose, washing
your feet as well. Then take a nap.
That evening, dice the rhubarb up
and put it in a crock. Then pour
eight quarts of boiling water in,
cover it up with a checkered cloth
to keep the fruit flies out of it,
and let it stand five days or so.
Take time each day to think of it.

Ferment ten days, under the cloth,
sniffing of it from time to time,
then siphon it off, swallowing some,
and bottle it. Sit back and watch
the liquid clear to honey yellow,
bottled and ready for the years,
and smile. You've done it awfully well.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Oven-Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
8 large, bone-in, skin-on thighs. (Can use frozen; thaw first.)
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning
Garlic Powder (optional)
Some flour (GF if Quisine de Carolanna is joining)
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Fill 1/4 cup with half butter & half olive oil. Dump this into a cake pan (like 9 x 12or15 or so), and melt it in the oven. Take pan out when this is melted. (If you forget about it, it will burn.)
Wash the thighs and pat dry with paper towels.
Shake each thigh in a baggie filled with flour (or roll each thigh in a bowl of flour). Coat well.
Place the thighs on a plate.
Generously sprinkle the chicken seasoning and garlic on the thighs. Then a little salt.
Place these thighs "seasoned side down" into the pan of melted butter & olive oil.
Now generously season the thighs' top sides with the chicken seasoning and garlic. Then a little salt.
Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Flip the thighs over. (Run a fork under them first to make sure all the delicious crusty stuff doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.)
Bake for 15 minutes more.

Notes:
The McCormick seasoning has salt in it, but I like to add a LITTLE more.
Don't use boneless thighs. This temperature & timing is perfect for the big bone-in thighs.
Eat the skin. The fat on the skin is good for brain health. If you're trying to cut down on fat, just eat some of the skin.
Don't be afraid to use the seasoning generously!
Do not use a fork to pierce the thigh when you flip it over--this will cause the good juices to spill out; just loosen the underside crust with a fork and flip over with a spatula.  

Baked Acorn Squash

Baked Acorn Squash

Bake squash, whole, at 350 degrees for one hour.

Take out of oven, cut each squash into halves, then fourths, and doctor with:
     dotted butter
     light sprinkling of nutmeg
     light sprinkling of cinnamon
     sprinkling of Indian chili pepper
     brown sugar
     salt to taste

Bake pieces another 15 minutes or so.

This is delicious! I've made this all my life, but this last time I added hot chili pepper to it on Whitney's recommendation...wunderbar!!!

Keema

This is Pankuri's recipe. She recited it, from memory, to Caleb over the phone while driving home from work one day.

Ingredients

• 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 two-inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
• 10 mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. cilantro, roughly chopped
• 6 Thai chilis, roughly chopped
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 1/4 t. red chili powder
• 1/4 t. turmeric
• 1 t. meat masala (chicken masala)
• 1 t. Sunday Special masala
• 3 T. tomato sauce (or ketchup, or 1 T. tomato paste + extra water while cooking)
• 1.5 lb. ground goat, ground lamb, or ground beef
• 1 t. salt, divided
• 1 t. garam masala
• 1 c. peas (frozen is okay)

Instructions

Put the first five ingredients (garlic, ginger, mint, cilantro, chilies) into a small blender and liquify. Add just enough water to keep it moist but not too much. This is ginger-garlic paste. Set aside.

Fry the onion in oil until translucent. Add two big spoonfuls of the ginger-garlic paste. (If more is left over, put it in a small jar and store it in the fridge for short-term, or freezer for long-term, future use.)

After frying for about a minute, add next five ingredients (red chili powder, meat masala, Sunday Special masala, tomato sauce) and continue frying. Take care not to let the powders burn. If it seems dry, add a few tablespoons water.

Add the ground meat and mix everything together. When the meat is browned, add 1/2 t. salt, garam masala, and peas. Cover and continue cooking until the meat is done. Add the remaining 1/2 t. salt, or to taste. You should taste it at this point to gauge the spice level. If you need it spicier, add another 1/4 t. red chili powder. If you need it less spicy, you don't deserve this dish.

Soft Toast

 If you wake up in the morning with soar teeth or maybe you had some dental work or maybe you bit your tongue during the night then this Soft Toast for your morning breakfast is a great gentle way to start the day.

 I like to use the Brownberry Select sandwich rolls with sesame seeds.  They are already sliced to the right thickness for my toaster. Simply separate the top from the bottom, set your toaster on light, pop them in and push the toaster lever down.

If you've done it right they pop up just golden brown. All you need is a small amount of butter then honey on one piece and grape jam on the other.  Eat the bottom one first. The top is slightly thicker which makes it softer and warmer.  Then enjoy the soft crunch of the sesame seeds. (They won't bother your sore teeth but you may want a toothpick handy.)

This soft toast is great for kids who don't like the crust on regular toast. These have no crust! The kids love them. PS And so will you.

Menue Manjobe.

SOLARBRATION VI — Faroe Islands — 20 March 2015

Culinary inspiration for this Solarbration comes from Iceland and Denmark.

Appetizers
Pickled Oysters
Rejer eller Majroer I Øl

Entree
Pönnukökur with Lamb or Zuchinideller

Sides
Grønne Bønner
Kartöflustappa
Surbrød

Desserts
Hjonabandssaela

Beverages
Mokaï Elderflower Cider
Assorted Danish Brews



Pickled Oysters

Ingredients

• 1 pint oysters (you can buy these by the jar at Whole Foods for $16)
• 1/2 onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 whole allspice
• 3 whole peppercorns
• 1/8 t. peppercorns
• 1/2 lemon, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. vinegar
• salt

Instructions
Boil the oysters in their own liquid.  When edges curl, remove from heat, lift oysters with a slatted spoon, and allow to cool.  Return the pan to the heat, add all remaining ingredients except vinegar, and boil the liquid down to 1/2 cup.  Add the vinegar and cool.  When the liquid is cool, put the oysters in it and refrigerate immediately.  Serve with toothpicks.


Rejer eller Majroer I Øl
(Shrimp or Turnips in Spices & Ale)

The turnip option is vegetarian.  Do not make both shrimp and turnips in the same dish (unless you want to, of course).  Preparation is identical, except that the turnips will require a longer cooking time.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. shrimp or turnips (if shrimp, peeled and deveined; if turnips, chopped into shrimp-sized bits)
• 12-18 oz. nutty beer, flat (to be added as necessary to maintain the liquid while cooking; just drink whatever you don't use)
• 1 T. salt
• 1/4 c. parsley, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 t. mustard seed
• 1 t. caraway seed
• 1 t. toasted sesame seed
• 1 t. anise seed
• 1 t. cardamom
• 1 t. thyme
• 1 t. marjoram
• 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t. curry powder

Instructions

Open the beer an hour or so before to start cooking to make it lose carbonation at room temperature.  Place the shrimp (or turnips) in a large bowl with all ingredients except beer and mix with a spoon.  In a large pot, bring the beer to a boil and add the spiced shrimp (turnips).  Try to add enough beer so that the mixture is a little liquidy but not a soup.  When the shrimp (turnips) is/are done, remove from heat and chill immediately in the fridge.  When it completely cool, strain out any remaining beer and serve the cold shrimp (turnips) cold either on a small plate or on skewers.


Pönnukökur with Lamb or Zuchinideller
(Pancakes with Lamb or Zucchini)

These are basically savory crepes or thin pancakes topped with a lamb or zucchini mixture.  The zucchini version is vegetarian.  It is up to you whether to make just the lamb, just the zucchini, or both.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 12 c. whole milk
• 1.5 t. salt
• 6 c. flour
• 12 T. butter, melted.
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 lbs. ground lamb or chopped zucchini
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 medium eggplants, skinned and chopped finely
• 1/2 c. parsley
• 2 t. paprika
• 1 small bundle chives
• 12 T. oats
• salt
• pepper
• butter for frying

Instructions

For the crepes, use the first six ingredients.  Whip the milk and eggs together.  Add flour and salt, mix well, then add butter and mix again.  Let this batter stand for at least 30 minutes.  In a frying pan on medium-high heat, pour in enough batter to cover the bottom.  As soon as it is cooked enough to flip, flip it and cook the other side.  Put on a plate and cover with aluminum foil.  Repeat this process until all the crepes are done.

For the topping, melt some butter in a skillet.  Add the onion and garlic and fry for a while.  Then add lamb or zucchini, cook until browned.  Add all remaining ingredients and cook until the meat is fully cooked or the zucchini is fully tender.

NOTE: Only use the oats with the zucchini.

When ready to serve, spoon the lamb or zucchini on top of the crepes.


Grønne Bønner
(Soured Green Beans)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. string beans, washed and trimmed
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 2 c. light cream
• juice of 1 lemon
• bread crumbs
• 1/2 lb. almonds, chopped

Instructions

Steam or boil the beans until tender.  Season with sugar, salt, and pepper.  Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, sauté the mushrooms in butter until tender.  Reduce heat to low and add the flour and cream, stirring until thickened.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice to sour.  

Just before serving, combine the beans with the mushroom sauce.  Sprinkle bread crumbs and almonds on top.

Hjónabandssaela

(Oatmeal Rhubarb Crumble)

Ingredients

• 4 c. white spelt flour
• 4 cups oatmeal
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter
• 2 T. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz. rhubarb jam
• 2 egg yolks to glaze

Instructions

Cut the butter into small cubes and allow to become soft at room temperature.  Preheat oven to 400˚ F.  Grease and flour a 9x13 inch bake pan.

In a large container, mix the flour, oats, baking soda, sugar, and butter.  Mix everything together with an electric mixer.  Use your hands if necessary to get the chunks smashed and gritty.  Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again.

Spread 2/3 of the dough in the bottom of the pan.  Cover with rhubarb jam.  Cover the top with the remaining dough; making a lattice or nice design with the top layer is a nice touch.

Using a fine brush, brush the egg yolk on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes on a lower rack so the egg yolk doesn't burn.  The crust should be golden.

Cambodian Fish Coconut Curry

This is a mostly sweet, somewhat spicy fish curry.  As written, the recipe will serve 6 small portions, or two big ones (for dinner) and two smaller ones (for lunch the next day).  It is gluten-free and diary-free.

Ingredients

• 4 frozen tilapia fillets or other white fish, thawed and chopped into 1x1 in. pieces
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, outer husks discarded, roughly chopped
• 1 can coconut milk or cream (the cream is thicker but either will work)
• 1 t. turmeric powder
• 1 t. smoked paprika
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 2 T. fish sauce
• 4 Thai chilies, finely sliced
• juice of 1 lemon
• cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

Boil the lemongrass in 1/4 c. water for 10 minutes to soften the pieces.  If the water evaporates away, just add a little more.

Put the onion, garlic, ginger, and softened lemongrass into blender or food processor and process into a pulp.  It's okay to add a little water to help it along, but not too much.

Heat a little bit of oil in a wok and fry the onion-garlic-ginger-lemongrass pulp for about 5 minutes.  Add the coconut milk, turmeric, paprika, brown sugar, fish sauce, and Thai chilies and bring to a boil.

Add the fish pieces and cook until they are done, about 3 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and remove from heat.

Ladle the curry over rice in a bowl.

Rapini Tepitana

This is a flavorful egg and greens soup which can easily be made gluten- or dairy-free.

Ingredients

• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large jalapeño, diced
• 1 32-oz carton chicken stock (such as Trader Joe's)
• 3 cups water with one bullion cube or stock packet dissolved in it
• 1/4 dried epazote*, hard stems removed
• 1 bunch rapini, lower portions discarded
• 1/2 t. salt or so
• 1/2 t. pepper or so
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 3 serranos, diced
• 2 links chorizo or spicy sausage, sliced into medallions
• 6 eggs
• sour cream for serving
• rustic bread for serving

*You can find dried epazote in the dried herbs section of your local Latin market.  It has an aroma similar to mint.

Instructions

In a large pot, saute the onion in oil for several minutes.  Then add garlic and jalapeño and continue to saute until just before it burns.  Pour in the full carton of chicken stock and water plus bullion/stock packet.  Once it starts a low boil, add the epazote, rapini, salt, and pepper.  Cover and cook until the rapini is quite wilted and soft.  Add the frozen corn and remove from heat.

In a large frying pan, heat some oil and saute the serranos for a minute or so.  Then add the chorizo.  When the sausage is cooked, remove from heat immediately and set aside.

Return the rapini broth to the burner and bring up to a low boil again.  Quickly break all six eggs into different places of the pot so they don't fuse as they cook.  As soon as the eggs are poached to your liking (runny or firm as to your tastes), pour the serrano-chorizo mixture into the soup.

Ladle the soup into bowls so that each bowl gets at least one egg.  Top with a dollop of sour cream (omit for dairy-free).  Serve with a torn piece of rustic bread for dipping and soaking (omit for gluten-free).