The simplest meals can be so satisfying.I sautéed some Roma tomatoes in olive oil with chopped garlic. While this was simmering I defrosted some T.J. artichoke hearts, a little salt and tri colored pepper. I added the hearts to the tomato sauce. I sprinkled a whole wheat tortilla with grated mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar cheese.(not too thick) This I toasted. I was so happy to find some left over Kalamata olive,thyme,rosemary tapenade in the fridge that I made last shabbat.When the tortilla was toasty and golden I spooned some of the artichoke mixture on top of the tortilla and added two dollops of tapenade. What a fabulous meal!!!!!

portabellas

So, what am I going to do with the two huge portabellas?I decided to saute 3 crushed garlic with two sliced yellow onions.in extra virgin olive oil, I added a quarter cup of red wine, a large pinch of sugar and let that caramelize for a bit. I then added the thinly sliced portabella and a tablespoon of tamari. I decided that it probably need some fresh black pepper so I added a half a teaspoon of crushed black pepper corns. I let this simmer for 35 minutes or so.Let it cool I then added this dish to my already made tappas.Wow its a keeper!

I decided on a decadent tunnel of fudge cake to prepare which seemed easy enough.I must say it looks absolutely sumptuous!
I will be generous and share this decadent royal treat with you.

Bastilla

In Morocco, Bastilla is traditionally made with pigeon, but Mamounia offers diners chicken, seafood and even vegetarian versions of dish, along with the more traditional pigeon. In this recipe we'll be making the chicken version.
Ingredients: 1/2 chicken
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 cup chopped cilantro
6 eggs
1/2 pound almonds
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 large sheets phyllo pastry dough
1/4 cup melted butter

For Garnish:
confectioner
additional cinnamon
Instructions: Boil chicken in enough water to keep covered along with the chopped onion and spices until cooked, about 30 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving about 1/4 -1/3 cup of the cooking liquid. Bone the chicken and cut the meat into small pieces.
Cook eggs, along with 1/4 - 1/3 cup reserved cooking liquid from chicken in a large skillet until soft scrambled, do not overcook the eggs. Mix cooked eggs with chicken meat until well combined.
Process almonds, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor until almonds are crushed.
The above three steps can be done ahead of time, if desired. refrigerate ingredients until ready to cook.
phyllo dough can be a little tricky to work with. For best results, thaw completely. It's important to keep the dough you are going to work with wrapped in a slightly damp kitchen towel, as the dough dries out very quickly and becomes fragile and breaks apart. To prepare for the recipe, Chef Daniel separated two large sheets of dough, folded each sheet in half, then in half again and wrapped them in a damp towel.
Now you're ready to assemble the dish.
1. 2. 3.
Brush an oven-proof skillet with melted butter. Unfold layer a phyllo pastry a little more than halfway across the skillet (photo 2), followed by another layer of dough over the other half (photo 3), overlapping the two pieces in the middle.
4. 5. 6.
Spread about 1/3 cup of the crushed almond mixture over the bottom of the dough (photo 4), followed by the chicken egg mixture, followed by another layer of almonds (photos 5 and 6).
7. 8. 9.
Carefully fold over the phyllo dough on all sides (photos 7 and 8), then brush the top of the pastry with melted butter (photo 9).
10. 11. 12.
Bake the bastilla in a 350° F. oven for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned (photo 10). Carefully turn skillet upside-down on plate to remove bastilla (photos 11 & 12).
13. 14.
Sift a heavy layer of confectioner's sugar over the Bastilla (photo 13). Pinching cinnamon between your fingers, draw a criss-cross pattern of cinnamon over the layer of confectioner's sugar (photo 14). Take a paper towel and wipe away excess sugar from the edges of the plate. Serve immediately.

Chinese plum sauce:

CHINESE PLUM SAUCE

- makes about 3 cups -

Ingredients

2 pounds plums, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 star anise

Procedure

1. Prepare: Combine the plums, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and star anise in a large nonreactive pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Fish out the star anise and discard. Purée the sauce with a stick blender.
2. Refrigerate: Ladle into bowls or jars. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 week

lamb Tagine(easy way)

ingredients

2 Tbsp virgin olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 pounds shoulder of lamb, cut into bite pieces
1 stick cinnamon
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups water
1 to 2 tsp salt
2 cups dry prunes
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
3 tablespoons honey
How to make it

In a large pan, cook onions in 2 tablespoons oil for about 3 minutes, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon.
Add meat, cinnamon stick, turmeric and pepper, stir carefully.
Add water, bring to boil, then cover, lower heat and leave to simmer for at least an hour. Salt.
Wash prunes and add to dish. Leave to cook over a low heat for 30 minutes.
Mix honey and powdered cinnamon together, pour into pan and leave for another 15 minutes. Stir well, but do not cover.
Serve tagine piping hot, over couscous or in a separate serving dish.

Delicious Shoes!

Charlie prepares a feast.

about garlic

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive,^[1] and rakkyo.^[2] Garlic has been used throughout history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The garlic plant's bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant. With the exception of the single clove types, the bulb is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves are used for cloning, consumption (raw or cooked), or for medicinal purposes, and have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.^[3] The leaves, and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also edible, and being milder in flavor than the bulbs,^[2] they are most often consumed while immature and still tender. Additionally, the immature flower stalks (scapes) of the hardneck and elephant types are sometimes marketed for uses similar to asparagus in stir-fries.^[4] The papery, protective layers of "skin" over various parts of the plant are generally discarded during preparation for most culinary uses, though in Korea immature whole heads are sometimes prepared with the tender skins intact.^[5] The root cluster attached to thebasal plate of the bulb is the only part not typically considered palatable in any form. The sticky juicewithin the bulb cloves is used as an adhesive in mending glass and china.^[2]

The irrational fear of garlic is alliumphobia.^[6]

midnight snack:

Am pooped but need a little some thing to tide me over. I made myself a sour dough English muffin with earth balance marge and fresh berry preserves. I know this is not terribly interesting however am too tired to start cooking.

Shabbat,Late start...

Had a late start preparing this shabbat. I have saved laundry cleaning for today and got home after 2:00 p.m.etc and this old girl is slowing down.So went back to a few easy things. When all else fails ...apricot chicken always works . I mixed some organic apricot jam with crushed garlic, lemon ,salt ,paprika,pepper, cane sugar and some fresh sliced apricots. You would really have to be a incapable person to fail this recipe. Just mix ingrediants lay on top of chicken and Bake uncovered at 360 degrees for an hour ,give or take.Look how good they look!

Salade cuite or Moroccan cooked salad is ALWAYS a must. recipe to follow. See photo.

Also ,had to make southern corn cakes .Thank goodness my daughter is baking her famous killer chocolate chip cookies and some of the salads for this meal.

How to make tea with love:

Moroccan mint tea can be intoxicating.The perfume of fresh spearmint and orange blossoms can take you to far away places in your mind. Fortunately living in California mint grows very well and I have it in my garden. I also have orange, tangerine and lemon trees .I occasionally will pick some small blossoms and add them to my tea.Most Moroccans use a green tea known as gunpowder.I like bancha tea roasted a bit.First rinse teapot with some boiling water.Put in one tablespoon of tea to into a teapot.and two handfuls of fresh spearmint.,Cover with boiling water and steep for three minutes.Sweeten to taste. This is a delightful tea,make it with love.

I liked the way the artichokes at Trader Joe,s looked today. They will get steamed with cut up lemon.Tonite will be organic chicken on the bbq.I am a bit lazy so just a dash of tamari,crushed garlic, olive oil and rosemary marinade.Marinate for one hour,and grill. Brown Rice medlly is so satisfying.It is packaged at T.J.s with black barley and daikon radish seeds. Cook as directed on package then, I will chop fresh Italian parsley,basil, salt pepper and cranberries that I pre soak in hot water.Drain and add to medley.Steamed fresh vegetables, whatever I have a la dente of coarse. T.B.D

o I did not get around to grating chocolate for the banana bread that I never made. I opted for a "farm chop."Farm chop is the nme of organic fresh vegetables cubed and steamed . I add organic pinto beans, cilentro, parsley, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.Avocado cubes are added after with finely minced red onion and chives.

What to make?

When your brain cells misfire and you are fasting it is not so easy to be inspired. Oh I forgot to share with you the whole grain cous cous that I made last night. Remind me later cause its very good. The one with anise, saffron and root vegetables. okay back to my dilemma ,what will I make for breaking the fast. my mind keeps going to a banana bread with grated chocolate and a Americano (Peets) coffee my fave!So...... it has to be light and easy ..... May be a butternut squash soup with a little cumin and cinnamon....or a minestrone.... My mind keeps going back to cravings. Buttermilk Pancakes with maple syrup and strawberrys and whipped cream?????

Potato Pancakes:

I have to admit James McNair inspired me for this recipe. I was pondering what to prepare with the Orange Roughy Kabobs. I decided on a crisp potato pancake. I peeled one pound of baking potatoes. I grated them(with the help of my food processor).I put them in a bowl of ice cubes and water,let them sit for 5 minutes and poured out the water. I squeezed all remaining liquid and starch out by placing the grated potatoes in a towel.I squeezed out all liquid.I placed potatoes in a bowl .I beat four eggs,chopped 1/2 cup of onion,I measured 4 tbsp of unbleached flour.salt and pepper big pinch.I then added beaten eggs,flour ,salt and pepper to the bowl . I chilled this in freezer 10 minutes.

In a large skillet I poured canola oil to cover bottom of the pan on medium heat.I added potato mixture and made a large pancake. I flattened it so it was not thick.I let it cook until golden and flipped it.I waited a few more minutes for the other side to get crispy.

Now if you want to be creative, add grated celery root, carrot, butternut sqaush to potato mixture. Or.... chopped scallions, basil, garlic, parsley .

It tasted perfect! Crisp out side and soft inside.A hit!

Before Tisha b'av :tonights meal:

Before a fast it is not a good idea to eat anything salty, oily or heavy. Since we are not eating chicken or meat I have decided on A kabob of orange roughy.I soaked some bamboo skewers in water. I sliced a purple onion into moons, yellow and orange peppers, large beef steak tomato in moons,mushrooms (whole) and artichoke hearts. I started threading with the mushrooms and added the rest of the ingrediants. About three piece of orange roughy chunks per skewer.I have laid them on a tray . I decided to pour agave maple on them and squeeze some juice of Mayer lemon. .Next a little crushed garlic and a drizzle of organic extra virgin olive oil. I added a bit of sea salt and mixed crushed pepper corns.Then on to the grill for 10-15 minutes.Its smelling great! Still on the grill.