Pulled Pork Braised in Tomatillo Green Chile

Don't be fooled by the name. Tomatillos pair well with tomatoes, but by no means are they similar. Tomatillos are a mix between a tomato and an eggplant in consistency, and are sometimes a bit sweet and sometimes a bit sour.

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 lb. boneless pork butt or shoulder
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 red chili pepper, minced
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried oregano
6 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
4 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 quart chicken broth
Fresh cilantro leaves
2-3 limes, quartered
10-12 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 375F.  Heat oil in a large Dutch oven.  Brown the  pork roast until all sides are nicely browned.  Remove pork to a plate.  Add the Onion and peppers to the Dutch oven and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and brown.  Add the garlic and spices, and cook another two minutes.  Add the tomatillos and tomatoes and cook five minutes, until the tomatillos begin to soften.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Add the broth and then nestle the pork into the mixture in the Dutch oven.  Add a bit more water if necessary to bring the liquid to just under the top of the pork roast. Bring mixture to a boil, stir to mix a bit , cover pot and place in oven.  Bake for an hour.  Remove from oven, turn roast over in liquid, recover and bake another hour. Pork should be cooked enough to separate easily with a fork.

Remove the roast from the braising liquid and carefully pull pork apart with two forks.  Stir tomatillo chili well and ladle into serving bowls.  Top chili with pulled pork and fresh cilantro leaves.  Serve with lime quarters and tortillas.

Serves six to eight.

Poached Salmon with Lemon and Tsatsiki Caper Creme

1 cup water
1 cup white wine
1 lb. salmon fillets, cut into four serving pieces
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 lemon, thinly sliced
palmful fresh dill weed, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced

Make a ‘court-bouillon’ or poaching liquid, by mixing the water and wine in a wide 3-inch deep pan. Bring to a boil and lay the salmon fillets, skin-side down into the liquid. Sprinkle the fennel seeds over the salmon and lay the lemon on top. Salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the dill weed over all. Cover tightly and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through. Remove salmon to individual plates and serve with Tsastiki sauce.

Tsatsiki - Yogurt of the Gods

No wonder Zeus, Apollo and all those Greek Gods were so powerful and so beautiful - I'm sure they they ate Greek yogurt! The health benefits of yogurt are well known and if anyone, the Nepalese demonstrate the value of this simple, life-sustaining food. I recently had fantastic Tsatsiki in Athens and Delphi and now am hooked on creating varieties on a theme. The base must be Greek yogurt - a much, much thicker, richer preparation, even in low-fat or non-fat version. Do not compromise for Tsatsiki - it MUST be made with Greek yogurt, or you will have to strain your yogurt through a coffee filter for an hour or two, at best. The traditional version has grated cucumber, but ion Greece I had many variations. You can mix all sorts of things in to make a world or variations - olives, herbs, capers, anchovies - experiment and have fun! I add a touch of really good mayonaise to make a creamy sauce in this variation.
½ cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
2 tsp capers, minced
1 clove garlic, minced through a press
2 tsp fresh dill or other fresh herb such as tarragon, chive, lavender or mint
dash ground Cayenne red pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. Allow to meld for half an hour before serving.

Lamb Shank Ettlingen

While in Germany I enjoined lamb shanks several times in the little town of Ettlingen, near Karlsruhe, not far from Heidelberg on Rhine (below).
I was actually looking for a knuckle or hock joint of pork - a German specialty, and all I could find were lamb shanks braised in wine with vegetables. An excellent alternative, which I reverse-engineered below.

1/4 lb thick-sliced bacon, diced
4 lamb shanks
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 medium carrots, diced
1 turnip or 1/2 rutabaga, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried Rosemary
20 oz. Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, thickly
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 cups red wine
About 1-2 cups water

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large Dutch Oven, sauté the bacon in a bit of olive oil, until just beginning to brown. Remove to a large bowl. Brown the lamb shanks in the Dutch Oven for about 10 minutes, turning often, until all sides are nicely browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove to the bowl. Add the onion, celery, carrots and turnip to the Dutch Oven and sauté the veggies for about 10-15 minutes, until beginning to soften and caramelize. Add the sage, rosemary and garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove to the bowl. Add the mushrooms and sauté over high heat until they release their water and begin to brown.

Add the tomatoes and wine to the mushrooms and return veggies to Dutch Oven. Immerse the shanks in the sauce and add enough water just to cover. Bake for 2 hours, turning the shanks at least 2-3 times.

Easter Lamb Souvlaki

For me, lamb is a tradition for Easter. My brother-in-law, Tommy and I would roast up a leg every Easter, studded with garlic and dressed with rosemary (see earlier Easter blog entries below). But with kids in school and a new interstate job relocation, no time for a leg of lamb roast this year. No problem - kebabs with boneless lamb is a great second choice. Very simple and quick to prepare, this is still an elegant and festive enough treat, even for guests.

I renamed this Lamb Souvlaki because after posting, I was on a recent trip to Greece, and I had this exact dish! I was so surprised, and satisfied when I ordered Lamb Souvlaki to get a plate with gorgeous cubes of lamb, separated by yellow pepper, marinated with fresh herbs, and served with lemon on the side. I realized the kebabs I made several weeks before were actually souvlaki.
2 lbs boneless lamb, cubed
1 yellow pepper, diced into ½-inch pieces

Marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tsp Kosher salt
lots of fresh ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lavender or other early spring herb, minced
1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
Jest of one orange

Mix the marinade and toss with the lamb. Allow to marinate at least an hour, or even better, all day in the refrigerator. Light the grill. Skewer the lamb alternating with the peppers. Grill for about 2 minutes on each of four sides. Serve with couscous and fresh lemon.

Curried Fish with Bruschetta Tomatoes

This dish can be made very, very quickly. I've used frozen green beans, frozen cubed fish and jarred Bruschetta tomatoes all from Trader Joe's - they are all fantastic. For a quick weeknight meal, you can't beat that convenience. And it tastes fantastic as well.

1 lb. fish fillet, such as Haddock or Cod, cubed
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
handful of green beans, cut to 1-inch lengths
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp favorite curry powder – I use my Korma Masala
1 cup coconut milk

Bruschetta tomatoes:
3 large tomatoes, diced and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice or Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
about 12 fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade

Mix together the Bruschetta tomatoes and allow to marinate. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, carrots and green beans in a bit of canola oil for about 5-8 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften. Add the pepper, garlic and ginger and cook another 3-5 minutes, until very fragrant. Add the masala or curry powder and cook another minute. Mix in the coconut milk and the Bruschetta tomatoes. Heat through.

In a separate hot non-stick skillet, sauté the fish in a bit of canola oil, until each side has browned just a bit, about 2-3 minutes a side. Pour the curry sauce over the fish and fold together very gently. Serve over white rice.

Here's a version made with grape tomatoes.

Moroccan Orange and Lemon Chicken

1 chicken cut into serving pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
½-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups crushed tomatoes
Juice of 2 fresh navel oranges (or 1 cup orange juice)
juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Pimenton, smokey Spanish Paprika
1 16-oz can chick peas, drained
zest of 1 lemon
palmful of fresh cilantro or parsely leaves, finely chopped

In a large Dutch Oven or large pot, sauté the chicken pieces until nicely browned, in a bit of olive oil. If necessary, do this in batches to give the pieces plenty of space in between them while browning. Salt and pepper the chicken while browning. Set aside in a bowl. In same Dutch Oven, sauté the onion and jalapeno pepper for about five minutes, until onion softens. Add the garlic, ginger and fennel seeds and continue cooking another 3-5 minutes until very fragrant. Add the cumin and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes, orange and lemon juices, the turmeric, paprika and chickpeas. Stir well, and then immerse the chicken pieces into the sauce. Add any remaining juices collected with the chicken. Cook for about an hour on low heat, turning the pieces every fifteen minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and plate the chicken, topped with cilantro or parsley. Serve with couscous or rice.

Pan Seared Mahi Mahi over Soba Noodles and Edamame

200 g soba noodles
1 tsp sesame oil

1 cup red, yellow and green peppers, thinly sliced
1/3 cup edamame
3 cloves garlic, minced
½-inch fresh ginger, minced
dash red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 lb Mahi Mahi fillets, cut into four servings, lightly salted
toasted sesame seeds

Cook noodles in boiling slated water for about 5 minutes, just until softened. Drain, toss with sesame oil and set aside. Meanwhile sauté the veggies and red pepper in a bit of canola oil until softened and fragrant. Heat a skillet over medium-high with some canola oil until just shimmering. While the vegetables cook, sauté the mahi mahi, laying one side into the hot oil. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, until the first side browns well – do not disturb it for at least 2 minutes to allow to brown and separate from pan. Flip the fish and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. You may want to use a non-stick skillet until you get the knack of sautéing fish in a regular skillet! But you really have got to try it sometime because a pan-seared fish fillet is something special.

Fold the noodles into the veggies and toss with the soy sauce. Distribute about four plates. Top noodles with the fish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Couscous of Curried Chick Peas and Vegetables

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
dash salt
splash of olive oil

1 leek, washed and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 can chick peas, drained
2 cups cauliflower, cut to bite-sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp favorite masala or curry powder

palmful of cilantro or parsley leaves, minced
4 Tbsp Greek Yogurt or sour cream

In a small pot, bring water, oil and salt to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, remove from heat and cover.

Meanwhile, toss leek and peppers into a non-stick skillet with olive oil and butter and sauté for about 8-10 minutes. Add next 4 ingredients and sauté until cauliflower is just beginning to soften, about another 5 minutes.

Fluff couscous and fold into the veggies. Top with cilantro and yogurt. Serve fresh lemon on the side.

Waldbronn Soup with Leek and Smoked Salmon

I know its April Fools Day but I am not kidding you when I say that I have had some of the lightest, freshest food in Holland and Germany this week. Granted I also did eat Grilled Crispy Pork Neck with Spatzle in Germany and we did experience questionable deep fried Von Dortmund croquettes with dubious unidentifiable slimy, meaty filling, famous in the North Sea beach region near Middelburgh, Netherlands. But we also had an absolutely world-class 5-course prix-fixed meal at restaurant TBD in Holland. And after a long 10-hour drive to Waldbronn, Germany, it was a pleasure to happen upon the creamiest potato soup with smoked salmon, late at night in a pub, with live jazz music and great local Pilz beer.

Don't believe world-class cuisine is relegated to environs such as France and Italy. I have to say though that I still love the hearty classics of Germany like roasted pork knuckle with potato dumpling or rich grilled pig neck with cabbage!

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1/8 lb smoked salmon, finely diced
Zest of 1 lemon
2 slices hearty bread, cut into very small cubes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
dash red pepper flakes
Palmful of fresh parsley, minced
4 Tbsp yogurt or light sour cream

Boil the potatoes in the stock until soft and purée with an immersion blender. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, sauté the leek for about ten minutes, until soft and beginning to caramelize. Toss in the smoked salmon and lemon zest just to heat through. While the leeks cooks, heat the oil and butter in a separate pan until frothy. Add the bread cubes and red pepper flakes. Cook about five minutes, tossing to brown the cubes. Divide the leek-salmon mixture between four large bowls. Cover with soup and top with bread crumbs, parsley and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.