Wednesday, December 16, 2015

deconstructed cottage pie

I used to have an Australian cookbook and there was a recipe similar to this in there. Similar, but anyway, I just went on a cooking spree and used whatever I had on hand tonight.

Rather than making a casserole and peeling potatoes to mash them, I threw the meat-veggie sauce on top of microwave-baked taters. Feel free to use your proper oven as you have time. I was in a bit of a rush. (The sauce would probably be even better if you got it going and let it simmer while you actually baked real baked potatoes.)

You'll need:
  • about 450 g (1 lb.) ground beef/pork mixture
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 4 minced garlic cloves
  • olive oil
  • 1/4 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
  • 1 small bag (250 g) frozen peas
  • handful fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons chunky sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • shake of cayenne pepper for warmth
Do this:

Saute your onion and garlic in olive oil till toasty and fragrant and soft, toss in the cabbage till wilted, then add the beef/pork and stir till broken up and browned. Throw in the peas, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Let it bubble while you deal with your potatoes (1 per person).

When soft, split a potato on each plate, dollop a little butter and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Cover with a heaping spoonful (or several) of meat sauce.

This'll warm yer bones. 

Monday, December 14, 2015

faux-roccan chicken

Not exactly Moroccan, but as close as Ameri-Brits in Japan could get.

This was a kitchen-collaboration with my younger Bean, and we had fun putting it together. A Mamatouille-J-Bean original. Enjoy!

You'll need:
  • 2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 7 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
  • olive oil
  • cooking alcohol such as white wine (I used sake)
  • a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 15-oz. (425-g) can chopped tomatoes
  • 2.5 teaspoons Moroccan spice (includes salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, rosemary, turmeric, cumin, and coriander)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chunky black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon powdered dried yuzu (citron) or other citrus peel
  • 2 small lemons, juiced
Do this:

Saute your onions in olive oil until brown, then add the garlic and stir for a bit. When the garlic is a bit browned, pour in about 1/4 cup of cooking alcohol and let it steam off. Throw in a little more oil and then brown the chicken in the pan with the onions and garlic. It doesn't have to cook through at this point, just enough to get a little color. Now toss in the tomatoes, parsley, Moroccan spice, salt, pepper, coriander, cinnamon, and dried citrus peel. Simmer for as long as you have time (and make sure the chicken isn't pink in the middle--this doesn't actually take long).

At the very end, just before serving, add the lemon juice and stir through before spooning it all on rice with a side of roasted broccoli. We had pineapple for dessert, and the elder Bean had his in a yellow bowl. He said the pineapple was camouflaged.

Monday, December 7, 2015

coconut-flour apricot-pear crumble

Fresh out of the oven!

We've had a long bout of bronchitis passed around among the four of us, and now that we're looking at it from a different angle (not a completely well angle, but a we-have-slightly-more-energy-angle), I actually remembered that I have a food blog. {Hello, Mamatouille! I've missed you, girlfriend.}

This is a Mamatouille original, concocted in love and in dessert-longing. 

You'll need:
  • a 15-oz. (425-g) can each of apricots and pears (or fresh, if you've got them), and save the apricot juice for later 
  • a splash of lemon juice
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar (I used Okinawan "black" sugar)
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Do this:

Preheat your oven to 350 F/170 C.

Chop the fruit with tender loving care, popping the occasional apricot treat into your happy gob. Chef's perks.

Grab an 8x8-inch pan, metal or glass, and place the fruit randomly and beautifully in the bottom. Sprinkle some lemon juice over all (just enough to add a bit of tang but not enough to make some kind of funky chunky lemonade).

In a big mixing bowl, beat your eggs with the vanilla extract and melted butter or coconut oil, then stir in the sifted coconut flour, oats, brown sugar, spices, and walnuts.

It will get hard to stir pretty quickly (coconut flour tends to do that), but don't worry. Blend as best you can and then dollop it on the fruit.

Bake approximately 25-30 minutes, until everything is bubbly and browning. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't go beyond tan to blackened.

Sprinkle with a little of the reserved apricot juice if you so desire.