Restaurant Recipes

[yaya]

Soutzoukakia (Greek Meatballs) With Tomato & Green Olive Sauce
From Kokkario Estiatorio restaurant in San Francisco, California

Sauce:
1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted
2 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Pepper to taste

Meatballs:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 pound ground lamb
1/2 pound ground pork
4 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
3 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced pitted green olives, for garnish


For the sauce: Crush the cumin with a mortar and pestle. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and crush by hand. Heat a medium-size saucepan over medium heat then add the oil. Add the onion, garlic, cumin and salt and saute until soft. Add the oregano and wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and their juice and the tomato paste and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until the mixture is reduced to a thickened, chunky sauce. Season with pepper and more salt, if necessary.

For the meatballs: Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Remove from heat and let the onion cool completely.

Whisk together the egg yolk and mustard in a medium bowl, add the meats and mix well by hand. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the cooled onions, and mix lightly. Form into 1/2-inch thick patties using about 1/3 cup of the mixture for each meatball.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the meatballs and sear for 3 minutes on each side.

Put meatballs on a serving dish and cover with sauce. Garnish with olives.

Serves 4-6

PER SERVING: 440 calories, 16 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat (10 g saturated), 90 mg cholesterol, 1,036 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

[goodcookin]

Boston Market® Butternut Squash

1 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cut squash into quarters. Remove the seeds and slice off the skin, then chop the squash into 1-inch cubes. Put squash in a steamer rack in a large saucepan over boiling water and cover. Steam for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

When squash has cooked, use a potato masher to mash squash until smooth in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and continue mashing until everything is mixed in. Let the squash sit for at least 10 minutes so that the flavors can develop.

Reheat in the microwave for a minute or so before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

[goodcookin]

Boston Market Creamed Spinach

1 20-oz Package Chopped Spinach Frozen
1 C. White Sauce
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Onion
1/4 C. Water

White Sauce:
3 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Whole Milk

Prepare the white sauce using a medium low setting melt butter in a saucepan add flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until creamed together. Add milk a little at a time on medium heat. Constantly stir with a whisk until mixture becomes thick and smooth.

Place butter in a 2-quart saucepan on medium heat, add onions. Cook until the onions are transparent. Place spinach and add water to pan, lower the heat and place lid on pan. Stir several times until the spinach is almost completely cooked. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. When spinach is almost done add white sauce and sour cream, stir well and simmer until completely blended.

Makes 4-6 servings.

[goodcookin]

LONG JOHN SILVER'S COLESLAW

8 cups very finely chopped cabbage (1 head)
1/4 cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons minced onions
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Be sure that the cabbage, carrots, and onion are chopped up into very fine pieces (about the size of rice kernels).

Combine the sugar, salt pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice, and beat until smooth.

Add the cabbage, carrots, and onions. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 8.

[goodcookin]

Black Angus Garlic Cheese Bread

1 loaf French bread
1/2 cup butter
1 cup shredded jack cheese
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pureed

Split French bread loaf into halves horizontally. Mix butter, cheeses, mayonnaise, green onions and garlic in a bowl, blending well. Spread the cut side of bread with spread. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, then place under broiler about 3 minutes longer. Cut into slices and serve.

[EXPORT]

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[Amani]

Moroccan Stuffed Peppers
by Chef Mourad Lalou of the Aziza restaurant

You can substitute large, hollowed-out tomatoes for some of the peppers if you like. Ground meat that is not too lean, such as meat ground from the shoulder, will yield the juiciest results. Here, the peppers are peeled before stuffing so they will cook through more quickly. Lalou suggests another method for those who are not calorie-conscious: Deep-fry the whole peppers in 420° oil for 1 minute, then cool, peel, core, stuff and bake.

Tomato Sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and grated fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peppers:
6 medium bell peppers, preferably mixed colors
1 pound ground lamb
3/4 pound ground beef chuck
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper

For the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute until soft. Add the garlic and thyme and saute briefly to release the garlic fragrance. Add the tomatoes with their juice, crushing the tomatoes with your fingers as you add them. Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thick and flavorful, about 30 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce gets too thick and threatens to stick. Season with salt and pepper and remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Pass the sauce through a food mill or puree in a blender.

For the peppers: With a vegetable peeler, peel the peppers as well as you can. Don't worry if you can't get every hard-to-reach bit of skin. Cut across the top of each pepper, removing the top 1/2 inch; set the tops aside. With your fingers, pull out and discard the core, ribs and seeds. With a serrated knife, slice just enough off the bottom of each pepper so it stands upright.

In a bowl, combine the ground meats, egg, pine nuts, cilantro, garlic, salt, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon and several grinds of black pepper. Work lightly with your hands, just to blend. Fry a small portion of the meat and taste for seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture. If you have any extra meat mixture, shape it into small meatballs.

Spoon the tomato sauce into a baking dish just large enough to hold the stuffed peppers. Add the peppers and the meatballs, if any. Spoon some of the sauce over the peppers. If you like, put the tops of the peppers back on. Cover the dish and bake until almost tender, about 30 minutes, then uncover, spoon more sauce over the peppers, and cook until the peppers feel tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6

PER SERVING: 465 calories, 28 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 33 g fat (11 g saturated), 124 mg cholesterol, 1,474 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

[Amani]

GRILLED MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH CURRIED COUSCOUS
from the Brix restaurant in Denver, Colorado

Harissa, a spicy sauce from North Africa, adds heat to the marinade and tastes great drizzled over both the chicken and the couscous. The chicken needs to marinate overnight, so plan accordingly.

Harissa
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Chicken and Dressing
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
1 2 3/4- to 3-pound chicken, quartered, backbone removed
Pinch of sugar

Curried couscous
1 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 10-ounce package plain couscous


For harissa: Toast caraway, coriander, and cumin seeds in medium skillet over medium heat until slightly darker in color, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Grind cooled spices and dried crushed red pepper in mortar with pestle or spice grinder to fine powder. Add oil and garlic; grind to smooth paste. Stir in paprika and salt. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For chicken and dressing: Whisk 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon harissa, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and lime peel in small bowl. Rub mixture over all sides of chicken pieces. Place chicken in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Cover and marinate overnight.

Whisk remaining 1/2 cup oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and pinch of sugar in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat barbecue (medium-low heat). Grill chicken until cooked through, turning and repositioning occasionally for even cooking, about 45 minutes total. Let stand at room temperature.

For couscous: Bring chicken broth and curry powder to boil in heavy small saucepan. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork and transfer to platter. Place chicken atop couscous. Serve, passing dressing and remaining harissa alongside.

Makes 4 servings.

[joani]

I am looking for a recipe for Moloukhia. I have had it several times served as a soup over rice. But I don't know what spices to put in it. Can you help thank you

Joani

[Chicken Fillo Rolls]

Chicken Fillo Rolls
Recipe from John Taylor, Executive Chef, Sammy's

Makes 8 rolls or 4 servings

2 sets Ready-To-Go Fillo Dough™
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts (poached and diced)
1 pound Gruyere cheese (grated)
1 bunch green onions
1 red pepper (julienne)
1 yellow pepper (julienne)
cilantro for garnish
clarified butter
salt and pepper

Thaw Ready-To-Go Fillo Dough™ according to package directions. Brush each set of fillo dough with clarified butter and season with salt and pepper. Cut each set of fillo dough into quarters (this will give you eight rectangles). Next mix the diced, poached chicken, grated Gruyere cheese, green onions and peppers. Then place a small portion of the mixture in the center of each rectangle of fillo dough. Remember to distribute the mixture equally between the eight pieces of fillo. Fold over the edges and roll up into a cylinder shape. Each roll-up should be 1 inch in diameter (can be refrigerated on wax paper). Brush with clarified butter and place seam side down on cookie sheet. Allow a generous separation between each roll. Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven for 7 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve 2 per plate on corn cream sauce (see below).



Corn Cream Sauce

3 garlic cloves
6 shallots
1 1/2 quarts cream
3/4 cups corn
Salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, simmer cream, garlic and shallots until sauce is thickened. Then strain, add corn and season with salt and pepper.

[Amani]

Spiced Lamb Kebabs

This recipe is an adaptation of the Velvet Lamb Kebabs served at Junnoon in Palo Alto and is executive chef Kirti Pant's rendition of a well-known northern India kebab. Serve with parathas, flaky bread available in the freezer section of any Indian grocery store.

1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped raw or unsalted, roasted cashews or cashew pieces
1/2 teaspoon red chile or cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 medium-size jalapeno or small serrano chile, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon finely shredded mint
1 pound lean ground lamb
2 tablespoons ghee (see Note)
Clove-infused ghee (optional)
1 tablespoon ghee
4 whole cloves

Garnishes
Eight 1 1/2-inch cubes cheese, like haloumi, aged provolone or ricotta salata (optional)
Butter lettuce leaves
Roma tomato wedges

For the kebabs: Fry the onion in 5 tablespoons oil over medium heat until golden brown; drain on paper towels and set aside. Using the same oil, fry the cashews until golden; add the chile powder, mace, cardamom and cloves at the end and fry a few seconds more until the spices become aromatic.

In a food processor, blend the onion, cashew-spice mixture, salt, garlic, ginger, jalapeno or serrano, and mint with 2 tablespoons of water until you have a thick, fine paste; use additional water if necessary. Add this paste to the ground lamb along with 2 tablespoons melted ghee and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 hour. At the same time, soak 8 skewers in water for 30 minutes to an hour.

For clove-infused ghee: Meanwhile if using, heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan till smoking and add the cloves. Remove pan from heat and discard cloves. Drizzle the clove-scented ghee over the chilled lamb mixture and gently blend.

Divide mixture into 16 meatballs and shape onto skewers, so the kebabs are about 1-inch in diameter and 2 1/2 inches long. If desired, thread a cube of cheese on the skewer between the meatballs. Grill or cook on top the stove to the desired doneness.

To serve, arrange the skewers on lettuce leaves and scatter the tomato wedges around.

Serves 4.

Note: Ghee, which can be purchased in any Indian grocery, is a form of clarified unsalted butter. To make a home version, keep your clarified butter on the stove a little longer until the milk solids brown a bit. Carefully pour the butter into a container leaving the solids behind.

PER SERVING: 450 calories, 26 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 35 g fat (9 g saturated), 89 mg cholesterol, 342 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

[Amani]

Duck Pastilla Roll
From Chef Michael Fiore, Tempo Restaurant

8 whole legs duck confit
3 3/4 ounces sliced almonds, toasted
2/3 cup hoisin sauce
2/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, green parts only
1/2 to 1 tablespoon harissa sauce
salt and pepper
12 sheets feuille de bric or 24 sheets phyllo dough
1 egg white
ground cinnamon, for garnish
confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Pull the meat off the duck bones; discard the bones and skin.

Mix the duck meat with the almonds, hoisin, scallions, harissa, and salt and pepper to taste.

Lay out 1 sheet of bric or 2 sheets of phyllo on a dry work surface. Place about 3 ounces (1/2 cup) of duck mixture along 1 end of the pastry. Fold in the end, then the sides, and roll up the pastry like a cigar. Brush the end with egg white and press to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

For each serving, to order:

Fry 1 pastilla roll until golden brown. Cut it on the diagonal and stand the two halves up on a plate. Garnish with cinnamon and confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Makes 12 servings.

[Amani]

Warm Olives with Sesame Seeds and Oregano
Recipe by chef Ana Sortun, from Oleana restaurant in Boston

At Oleana, Ana Sortun uses za’atar--a type of dried summer savory--instead of the fresh oregano she offers as a substitute here.

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound Niçoise olives or other full-flavored brine-cured black olives, rinsed and dried
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano

1. In a medium skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Heat the olive oil in the skillet. Add the olives and oregano and cook over low heat, stirring, just until heated through. Stir in the sesame seeds, transfer to a bowl and serve.

Serves 8.

[Amani]

Armenian Bean and Walnut Pâté
Recipe by chef Ana Sortun, from Oleana restaurant in Boston

1 cup dried red kidney beans (6 ounces)--picked over, soaked overnight and drained, or 2 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained.
1/2 small white onion, minced
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
3/4 cup walnuts (3 ounces)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced dill
1 tablespoon minced basil
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Armenian string cheese and baguette slices or torn pita, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the dried beans, onion and bay leaf. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until the beans are tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain the beans in a colander and discard the bay leaf. Let cool completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and bake for about 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Transfer the walnuts to a food processor and let them cool completely. Add the cooked dried or drained canned kidney beans, butter and garlic and pulse until smooth. Add the dill, basil and parsley, season with salt and pepper and pulse the bean pâté just until blended.

3. Scrape the bean pâté onto a long sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a 12-by-2-inch log. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Slice the pâté 1/2 inch thick and serve with the string cheese and bread.

MAKE AHEAD The pâté can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Serves 8.

[goodcookin]

Shariats Lentil Hummus
from Shariats, Louisville KY

2 tablespoons coarse salt
1/2 pound lentils, picked over (about 1 1 /4 cups)
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
5 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 1/3 cup water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
toasted pita wedges


In a large saucepan bring 2 quarts water with salt to a boil and simmer lentils about 15 minutes, or until al dente. In a colander drain lentils and rinse under cold water, draining well. Transfer lentils to a bowl and chill 20 minutes.

In a food processor puree lentils, tahini, garlic paste, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup water until smooth. With motor running add oil in a stream, adding up to 1/4 cup remaining water if mixture is too thick. Season hummus with salt and pepper.

Hummus may be made one day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Bring hummus to room temperature before serving. Serve with pita toasts.

Makes about 3 cups.