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.

Baby Lamb Chops with Fresh Mint Aioli

6 baby lamb chops
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
dash red pepper flakes
salt & freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix all ingredients together and allow to marinate for at least an hour. In a hot skillet, sear chops in a bit of canola oil, for about 1-2 minutes each side. Finish chops in the oven for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, grill chops for about 3-5 minutes per side. Serve chops with fresh mint aioli.

Fresh Mint Aioli

½ cup good real mayonnaise
2 Tbsp fresh mint, minced
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Lentil White Bean and Spinach Stew

2 carrots, diced
1 onion diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
dash red pepper flakes
1 quart chicken stock
¼ cup green lentils
2 Tbsp barley
1 Yukon Gold Potato. diced
1 can Navy beans
1 10-oz package washed spinach leaves, chopped

Sauté carrot, onion, celery, garlic cumin, fennel and pepper in a large skillet until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Then add lentils and barley and stock, and simmer, covered 20 minutes. Then add potato and Navy beans and cook another 20 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook just enough to wilt.

Tofu, Sweet and Gold Potato Gratin

1 sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
2-3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup half and half, or cream
1 cup milk
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and thinly sliced, lengthwise
½ lb. total, Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheese, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced
fresh grated nutmeg

Heat oven to 350F. In a non-reactive pan, simmer the potatoes lightly in the milk and cream until the potatoes just begin to soften. Turn half the potatoes into a large oiled casserole. Layer neatly with half the tofu and top with half the cheese, garlic, onions and some grated nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Pour over any extra cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and cooked through.

Under construction

Chickpeas with Lemon and Dill

This can be a great vegetarian lunch or dinner by omitting the chicken and substituting another element such as light red kidney beans or white hominy.

2 Tbsp better
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
½ tsp dill weed
juice of ½ lemon

Melt butter in the oil in a pan, and sauté the onion and carrot for about 10 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften and caramelize. Add the remaining ingredients and cook about another five minutes to heat through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fish Tacos

6 Tilapia fillets
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 dozen corn, or taco-size flour tortillas
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced

Toppings:
salsas (such as salsa verde)
sour cream
guacamole
1 lime, cut into eights

Mix the lime, cumin, oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a wide casserole. Flip the tilapia in the marinade several times. Cover and marinate for up to an hour.

Warm the tortillas in a 200F oven, between moist towels. Sauté the peppers, onions and cumin in a bit of canola oil, until just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick grill pan to high and grill the tilapia on one side until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on other side until brown grill marks show up, loud and clear, about another 3-5 minutes. Set aside on a plate, covered with foil.

Wrap a generous serving of tilapia and veggies in a tortilla, fold over and top with toppings of choice. Serve with lime wedge.

Frijoles Coco Negro

These beans are packed with flavor and are made rich with a touch of cocoa. They are a great side dish to accompany a Mexican meal or can be served with a grain for a vegetarian meal. Julie and I served these with Fish Tacos and fajitas at New Year's. We used a ginormous bulk can of beans - enough to serve a holiday crowd. You could halve the recipe for a group of 8-10 as a side or 4-6 as a main dish.

2 very large yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 stalks celery, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 108-oz black beans (about 6 16-oz cans), lightly drained
1-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried herbes de Provence (or Italian herbs)
1 Tbsp pimenton, smoky paprika
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a bit of canola oil over medium heat, until the veggies begin to brown and caramelize, at least 10-15 minutes. This step is important – be patient – as it will impart tons of flavor to the beans. Add the garlic and jalapeno and continue cooking another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the beans, about a cup of broth, the cumin, herbs, paprika and cocoa. Bring the beans to a boil, stirring. Then lower the heat and simmer for at least an hour, covered, stirring often – a crock pot is good for this. Salt and pepper to taste, and add more broth as needed to maintain a creamy consistency. Serve topped with fresh cilantro.