Rotkohl (German style red cabbage)

A great way to prepare the humble cabbage. Be careful, the red color of the cabbage can stain countertops.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 red cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 small yellow onion, finely sliced
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 medium tart apples (Golden Delicious, Fuji, Braeburn, etc), cored and sliced
• 1 cup unfiltered apple juice (to just cover the cabbage)
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or more to taste)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of caraway seeds
• 2 cloves

PREPARATION

- Fry the bacon over medium heat and remove, leaving the fat.

- Saute the onion until soft and slightly browned.

- Add the cloves, caraway seeds and heat one minute longer.

- Add the apple juice, salt, brown sugar, cabbage and simmer for 30 minutes.

- Add the apples, crumbled bacon and cook for 30 minutes longer or until desired doneness.

- During cooking, add apple juice if needed to cover the cabbage.

- Just before completion, taste for acid/sweet balance and add juice or vinegar if needed.

Gringo Tacos

WARNING – this recipe is posted for informational purposes to the Herb and Spice challenged residents* of certain U.S. regions and other English speaking countries.

Tacos of Mexican origin are never (well, rarely) made with ground beef, black olives, lettuce and cheddar cheese. Real tacos use actual corn tortillas, homemade salsa and a variety of imaginatively cooked meats or other fillings.

Please STAY THE HECK AWAY from ‘taco’ shells, ‘taco’ seasoning packets, bottled spice blends (Gebhardts) and cooked bottled ‘salsas’ (Pace, Old El Paso, etc.).

That said, a well made gringo taco is a perfectly tasty snack.

*Notes for the Humor Impaired:

- It’s OK if your and my ancestors didn’t use many Herbs and Spices, and they’ve written countless fine recipes.

- I’m 100% American. Really.

- If you want to see some really Bad recipes for tacos, search the Kraft Foods website or cooks.com.

INGREDIENTS

for SALSA:

• 1 ea. small White onion, finely minced
• 2 ea. fresh jalapeno or serrano chiles, finely minced with seeds and pith removed
• 2 c. diced tomatoes - fresh or 16 oz. can (drain and save liquid)

for MEAT FILLING:

• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 1 ea. small White onion, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 lb. lean (15 - 20%) ground beef
• 2 Tbsp. spice mix (see Instructions) or more to taste

Toppings and misc:

• Diced tomato (fresh or canned and drained)
• Shredded cheese (good quality jack, cheddar or your choice)
• Shredded lettuce
• 12 regular size corn tortillas
• SPICE MIX - see Instructions

PREPARATION

- Prepare the salsa by mixing the diced tomatoes, onion and chiles in a mixing bowl. Blend or leave chunky as you prefer. If salsa is too thick, add a little of reserved tomato juice or water. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to meld the flavors.

- Prepare the spice mix from the following ingredients: 2 Tbsp powdered medium hot chile (New Mexico, California, ancho, and/or guajillo), 1 Tbsp paprika, 2 tsp powdered hot chile (chipotle, cayenne, japon and/or de arbol), 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

- Store in a sealed glass container.

- Prepare the meat filling by sauteing the meat in a skillet until pink color is gone, then drain all but one Tbsp of fat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, spice blend and saute until the onions are soft. Add the vinegar and simmer for one minute.

- Prepare the tortillas by heating a skillet and adding enough oil to cover bottom about 1/8 inch. Heat oil to high temp without smoking, then fry tortillas until just crisp (30 seconds per side); drain on paper towels.

- Place about one and a half oz of meat filling into the tortilla. Add a little diced tomato, lettuce and shredded cheese. Add salsa to taste.

Succotash Soup

A great way to use corn and, er, get rid of lima beans. The green onions (scallions) give it a vichysoisse like taste at much lower cost.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. frozen corn, or equivalent fresh kernels
• 1 can (16 oz.) creamed corn
• 1 lb. frozen lima beans
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 bunches green onions (trimmed to 50% green, 50% white tops and diced)
• 1 lemon
• 1 medium russet potato, finely diced
• 1 poblano or Anaheim chile, roasted, deskinned, deseeded

PREPARATION

- In a large pot sweat the onion until translucent. Add the creamed corn, chicken stock, lima beans, potato and simmer for 30 minutes.

- Add the green onions, frozen corn, chile and simmer for 15 more minutes. If too thick, add water. Puree the soup using a stick blender or remove to a stand up blender; return to the pot.

- Zest the lemon into the soup. Juice the lemon, strain and add to the soup. Add ground black pepper and salt to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Savory Bringal (eggplant) Pickle

This is a South Indian style savory pickle/relish. By contrast, most commercial brinjal pickles are tamarind based, fairly sweet and obscenely salty.

The recipe is designed to emulate the product available from Mudgeeraba Spices which is not available in the U.S.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup mustard oil
• 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
• 4 cu in. ginger, minced into paste
• 1/2 bulb (8 cloves) garlic, minced into paste
• 1 lb eggplant (thin Indian or Japanese variety), cut into 1/4" x 1" strips
• 2 tsp mustard powder, or more to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp hot red chili powder (cayenne, de arbol), or more to taste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, roasted and ground
• 1 TB jaggery or piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar)
• 3/4 cup vinegar

PREPARATION

- Heat mustard oil in a skillet and fry the garlic & ginger till golden brown, then remove from heat.

- Add eggplant, salt mustard powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin and fenugreek into the ginger garlic. Cook for 5 miniutes till the eggplant just starts to collapse (kind of al dente).

- In a separate vessel dissolve the jaggery in vinegar by heating on a low heat, then remove.

- Add the jaggery and vinegar mixture to the eggplant mixture and simmer for about one minute more, then remove.

- Cool and transfer to a tight sealing clean jar. Clean off any external residue since the mustard oil will stain.

- Let sit in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before use.

Mexican style Chorizo

Due to the shameful state of commercially packaged ‘Mexican’ chorizo in the U.S., I usually make my own. I never include pork salivary glands or lymph nodes!

The chile mix depends on what you have available. The listed varieties are easy to get at Mexican markets or online from Penzeys. I include a lot of paprika for color, enough de arbol for heat, and the rest for the main flavor. The vinegar will partially mute the chile heat; after a few hours cook a little to check for balance.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup mixed varietal chile powders of your preference (ancho, guajillo, New Mexico, de arbol, paprika) or more to taste
• 1 pound finely ground lean pork
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano
• 2 Tbsp vinegar (red, white, apple cider, pineapple)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp ground clove
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

PREPARATION

- Mix ingredients together in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Mushroom and Turkey Risotto

This is my risotto variation trying to approach the rich taste of Tetrazzini with a side benefit of lower calories. The fabulous flavor of turkey is preferable to chicken if you can get it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lb turkey or chicken thighs
• 1 lb (400 g) arborio rice
• 6 cups rich homemade chicken stock or low sodium store-bought stock, heated to a low simmer
• 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 lb crimini or button mushrooms, quartered lengthwise
• 1/4 cup dry sherry, plus extra for finishing
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan plus extra for garnish (preferably Italian)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp grapeseed, canola or regular olive oil

PREPARATION

- Season turkey thighs with salt and pepper, then sear in a hot large heavy-bottomed, straight sided pan with 1 Tbsp oil. Remove, cool, strip meat from bones and chop into bite-sized pieces. They should be a little undercooked, because they will cook more later.

- Add 2 Tbsp butter to the same pan and saute onion on medium heat until translucent. Add rice and saute for a couple of minutes until the rice is coated and smells slightly nutty. Add mushrooms and sautee briefly.

- Deglaze pan with the sherry and let cook off for 30 seconds or so. Ladle hot stock over rice 1 cup at a time to just cover and to keep it stirrable (loose) and creamy. Simmer on low heat and stir regularly to avoid sticking to bottom of pan.

- It is done when the rice is firm to the bite (al dente) but not crunchy at all; test it after every ladle of stock has been mostly absorbed. Once the rice is mostly cooked (about 15 minutes of simmering), add the turkey back to the pan.

- Once the rice is al dente, you may need cook slightly longer with a little extra stock and a dash of sherry to achieve a barely loose and creamy consistency. Turn off the heat, stir in the cheese and the rest of the butter until incorporated.

Recado Colorado (for pibil)

I’m publishing this recipe to encourage the use of PREGROUND achiote; most recipes say to grind the seeds from scratch which is virtually impossible with a mortar and pestle.

The spice mix is based on starting with a 1.5 oz ‘standard’ packet of achiote powder and will marinate one pork shoulder or turkey or maybe two chickens.

For the citrus juce listed below sour (seville) oranges are traditional; if these aren’t available a mix of regular orange, lime and grapefruit will work fine.

If the meat will be marinated with fresh minced garlic, the garlic powder can be left out.

If you don’t have time to grind and mix spices or can’t find pure achiote, the paste is available in most Latino oriented markets (substitute for all dry spices).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp dried oregano, Mexican preferred
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, Mexican canela preferred
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup citrus juice
• 1 1/2 oz packet ground achiote (Not paste)

PREPARATION

- Grind any whole spices as necessary, then combine with the achiote and citrus juice and let the spices hydrate (bloom) for at least one hour.

- Keep the recado and any marinating meat in tightly closed containers inside a leakproof tray. Achiote will stain many plastics and your skin, so rinse off quickly as needed.

Salsa Mexicana

This sauce is a prerequisite for the great ’Merican breakfast burrito and is one of the preferred toppings for tacos and other street food.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ea. large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 6 ea. serrano chiles, finely minced and seeded
• 1/2 white onion, finely minced, or more to taste
• 1/2 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• Pinch of salt

PREPARATION

- Mix all ingredients thoroughly. For a smoother texture (that I prefer) use your standup or hand blender. Let sit for 12 hours or more before serving. Use within three days or so.

- I don’t like the texture of chile seeds but I leave in part/most of the veins (pith) for good heat. Don’t worry, the acid in the tomatoes will temper the heat some.

- I prefer a higher percentage of onion to tomato than seems common in local restaurants.

- A 16 oz can of diced or whole tomatoes, drained and chopped, can be substituted for fresh (reluctantly). FRESH is the key concept here. NEVER use tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes or anything COOKED. Lately I’m suspicious of tomato puree as well. NEVER use pickled chiles in this recipe.

- Garlic and lime juice are seen in some recipes including one from Rick Bayless. I don’t think they are necessary. ‘Traditional’ may be in the eye of the beholder’s mother :-)…

Greek style Lentil Salad

This is my version of this classic salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb brown lentils
• 1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 large cucumber or two Persian cucumbers, seeded and diced
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

PREPARATION

- Cook the brown lentils in generous water until barely done, about 15 minutes. Taste frequently to ensure that you don’t overcook them. Drain and remove to a 1 qt mixing bowl or storage container.

- Add half of the olive oil and vinegar to the lentils. Season generously with black pepper to taste. Mix gently. Chill until the lentils reach room temperature.

- Add the tomato, cucumber, feta cheese, the rest of the oil and vinegar and mix gently again.

- Chill for an hour or two before serving ..... if you can wait that long :-)

Chile Squash Casserole

I’ve been making variations of this dish for a long time. Similar recipes are seen in books about Mexican home cooking but are rarely served in restaurants.

Take care to remove or cook off as much liquid as possible – you don’t want the dish to become mushy.

If you want to make a stew or soup from the same ingredients, omit the cheese and simmer in chicken stock until the vegetables are barely done.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ea. medium zucchini or Mexican squash
• 4 ea. medium waxy potatoes (red, white or Yukon gold), partially cooked
• 1 ea. large white onion, thinly sliced
• 15 oz can of whole tomatoes (thoroughly drained), or three large ripe, fresh tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 cup shredded melting cheese (jack, provolone, quesadilla, mozzarella) or more/less to taste
• 2 fresh jalapenos, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 1/2 cup topping cheese (cotija, parmesan, romano)
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 10 poblano chiles (labelled 'pasilla' in California)
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

PREPARATION

- Blister and deskin the poblano chiles, remove the stem end, seeds and separate into large pieces.

- Cook the potatoes until barely tender, let cool, then slice 1/8 inch thick.

- Peel the squash and cut the long way into 1/4 inch thick slices, place on paper towel, sprinkle with salt and set aside for at least 30 minutes to remove some of the water.

- Into a buttered 14×8 inch glass casserole dish place layers of potato, onion, squash, chile, tomato, corn, melting cheese; sprinkle with jalapeno, garlic, oregano, black pepper and repeat layering once.

- Bake partially covered in a 400 degree oven for at least 30 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone.

- Lastly, sprinkle with the topping cheese and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more.

Bean with Bacon Soup

The overall intent of this recipe is to emulate the commercial soup in a healthier way.

Ingredient list from the red and white canned product:
Cooked White Beans, Water, Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Bacon (Cured With Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite), Carrots, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following Ingredients: Modified Food Starch, Salt, Sugar, Onion Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Yeast Extract & Natural Smoke Flavoring.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb. bacon, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 chipotle chile, minced
• 2 small carrots, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, pan roasted
• 1/4 cup catsup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 small russet potato, finely diced
• 1 qt chicken stock, low sodium
• 1/2 lb white beans, soaked overnight (OK to substitute blackeyed or pinto beans)
• 6 drops liquid smoke

PREPARATION

- Fry the bacon in a saucepan until crispy, then drain and set aside, reserving 2 Tbsp bacon fat in the pan.

- Add onion and carrot to the pan, saute until soft.

- Add wine and cook for about five minutes (until alcohol is evaporated).

- Add garlic, chipotle, pepper, thyme and catsup; saute for about two minutes.

- Add chicken stock, vegetables and liquid smoke to a 3 qt pot; simmer for five minutes.

- Add salt, white beans and potato to the pot, simmer for 1 hour over medium heat or until beans are just soft.

- Blend 1/3 of the soup mixture and return to the pot.

- Add bacon and simmer over VERY LOW heat for 15 minutes longer.

Faux Banh Mi

Due to the lack of banh mi joints close by I decided to try making them myself. I don’t know Vietnamese ingredients well enough so I substituted American cooked ham and liverwurst for the protein. Find the narrowest, crustiest baguette or roll that you can. Taste a small piece of jalapeno to judge the heat; these days they may be much milder than you think.

A good way to enjoy sandwiches made without cheese.
Remember, banh mi sandwiches are All About The Crunch!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz sliced cooked deli ham
• 1 oz liverwurst
• Carrot
• Daikon radish (OK to substitute red radish)
• White onion, to taste
• Fresh jalapeno chile, to taste
• Mayonnaise
• White vinegar
• 6" baguette section or small, narrow crusty french roll
• Soy sauce
• Cilantro

PREPARATION

- Preferably one day ahead, put about 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a non-reactive bowl. Cut some carrot and daikon strips about 2" long and 1/8" square and add to the vinegar.

- Split the roll lengthwise and remove some of the soft insides. Lightly toast and let cool. Spread one side with the liverwurst. Sprinkle the other side with soy sauce then spread with mayonnaise.

- Remove pith and seeds from the jalapeno chile, then cut into 1" by 1/8" sticks. Spread the chile strips evenly onto and into the liverwurst half. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro leaves and sprigs.

- Cut one slice of onion into quarters. Break into small sticks and place evenly on the mayo half. Spread a thick layer of carrot and radish sticks onto the same half. Cover with the sliced ham.

- Assemble the two halves of the roll together.

Enjoy!

Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa

This is a traditional combination of ingredients. I wanted something in between a straight tomatillo based salsa verde (green) and the typical tomato based salsa roja (red) found in taquerias.
The proportions are approximate – keep adding chipotles until the sauce has enough bite for you.
This sauce will keep about a week in the refrigerator.
Definitely NOT found at Chipotle *cough*mexican*cough*.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. fresh tomatillos - husked and rinsed
• 4 ea. chipotle chiles, en adobo
• 6 ea. garlic cloves, in husk
• 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

PREPARATION

- Heat up a skillet to medium flame, then place the tomatillos stem end down along with the garlic cloves. When the garlic cloves start to turn brown, turn everything over. Cook until cloves are brown then remove from heat. Remove husks from garlic cloves and cut out any tough stems from tomatillos.

- Place all ingredients in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Place in refrigerator overnight to ‘bloom’ and to disperse the chipotle heat.

- Taste, adjust salt and add more chipotle if desired.

Alcaparrado (Puerto Rican olive salad)

To my surprise there is not an alcaparrado recipe on the Daisy Martinez web site, her book, any of my cookbooks or anyplace else I can quickly search. Therefore from the ingredient list on the (sometimes unavailable and mediocre) store bought kind I deduced the following recipe.

Besides usage in Puerto Rican dishes, it makes a good ‘starter’ olive salad for a Muffuletta sandwich especially if you add a little pepperoncini, white onion and oregano.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 oz. green 'salad' olives, pitted and chopped (1)
• 4 oz. small capers, chopped
• 1/2 fresh red bell pepper, minced or 4 oz. jarred roasted red pepper, minced (2)
• 1/2 c. red wine or white vinegar or more to taste
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper or to taste

PREPARATION

- In the olive oil sweat the fresh pepper (if used) until soft or thoroughly blister in a gas flame, steam in paper bag then peel.

- Add the vinegar, olives, capers and black pepper and mix thoroughly.

- Heat until just simmering, then remove from heat.

Notes:
(1) – By definition salad olives are pitted to make your life easier. Beware of most stuffed olives–the so called pimientos are usually awful and should not be used.
(2) – Try to find good domestic roasted peppers without too much vinegar–I like Durkee’s brand in 28 oz. can if available. The very small jars of pimentos are overpriced and usually tasteless.

Salsa Verde, Mexican style

This recipe is based on a common Mexican salsa verde.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1/2 small WHITE onion, finely diced
• 4 jalapeño or serrano chiles, stem on, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, in husk
• Lime juice (strictly optional)
• 1/4 cup water

PREPARATION

- Place the tomatillos, garlic cloves and chiles into a cast iron skillet lined with aluminum foil. Roast on medium heat until one side is brown, then turn and roast the other side. Remove the ingredients from the skillet and cut the handles, er, stems off of the chiles.

- Remove the husks from the garlic and cut off the tough stem end if present. Cut the chiles into quarters and the garlic cloves and tomatillos in half.

- Place all of the ingredients into a blending jar and blend until ‘medium’ smooth; a few lumps for texture are just fine. Cool in a non-reactive bowl in the fridge for a few hours minimum. If the consistency is too jelly like, thin with a little more water.

- Add lime juice only if the tomatillos aren’t tart enough.

X-Ni-Pek (Habanero Salsa)

The name literally means ‘hot as a dogs nose’. My Yucatecan style recipe is a ‘happy medium’ derived from others published by well known Mexican cook book authors.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ea habanero chiles
• 2 ea ripe medium tomatos
• 1/2 c. minced red onion
• 1/4 c. bitter (Seville) orange juice or citrus blend (see below)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 ea. roasted orange or yellow bell pepper (optional)

PREPARATION

- Remove seeds from the habanero chiles unless you want the salsa even spicier. WARNING–these are extremely hot chiles–use gloves or wash hands twice with liquid soap afterwords. You have been warned!!

- If you can’t find sour oranges or their juice, mix the juice of one grapefruit, one sweet orange and one lime. Use leftover juice to make pickled red onions, another Yucatecan treat!

- Blend all ingredients but leave a little texture–it doesn’t need to be super smooth.

- The bell pepper is definitely Not traditional–it adds a striking color, smoother texture and diffuses the habanero heat a little. You might even add another habanero!

- Let sit for a few hours so that the flavors mingle thoroughly.

- Serve with the pibil of your choice.

Curtido (Salvadoran cole slaw)

My recipe is reversed engineered from the many Salvadoran curtidos I’ve tasted around the Los Angeles area. Most internet recipes don’t allow enough pickling time. Do NOT use a regular yellow onion – it is too stinky! Cole slaw mix can be substituted for the cabbage and carrot.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium head red or green cabbage, THINLY SLICED
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 small red or white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 c. apple cider or pineapple vinegar
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• Chile flakes or sliced pickled jalapeno chile (optional)

PREPARATION

- In a large pot, cover the cabbage with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for only one or two minutes. Remove from the heat and strain out the cooking water.

- Combine blanched cabbage with the remaining ingredients in a glass container, adding enough water to barely cover the vegetables.

- Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving.

Tartar sauce

I was looking for an alternative topping for fish tacos and the occasional seafood steak. This sauce is all about herbs held together with a bare minimum of binder. As it turns out, this recipe is reminiscent of the classic French 'remoulade' sauce that I recently rediscovered.

Feel free to substitute sour cream or yogurt for the mayo.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, finely minced
• 1 green onion including top, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp capers, finely minced
• 1 fresh chile serrano, finely minced (optional)
• White or rice vinegar, to loosen up sauce and to taste

PREPARATION

- Mix all ingredients and set aside for two hours to let the flavors develop.

Chicken Vegetable Stew with drop Cornmeal Dumplings

I didn’t eat this recipe growing up, not being a Southern boy. However, I’ve tried and tweaked a few other recipes to come up with my preferred ingredients. For a stovetop recipe, I find the cornmeal dumplings are preferable in taste and texture to flour.
This recipe is not difficult to prepare but it does take time – it is best to prepare the stock ahead.

INGREDIENTS

Stew finishing vegetables

• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 stalks celery, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 6 summer squash (zucchini or mexican) peeled and diced into 3/4 inch cubes

Dumpling ingredients

• 3/4 cup corn meal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg, whisked (optional)
• Milk, as required

Stock ingredients

• 2 stalks celery
  
• 3 Tbsp parsley, fresh
• 1 yellow onion, cut into quarters
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 whole chicken, cut at joints and breast/ribs split or 2 lb chicken thighs and breasts, bone-in
• 1/2 tsp table salt

PREPARATION

- To prepare the stock, first remove the skin from the chicken parts.

- In a large pot cover the chicken, salt, onion, carrots and thyme with water and bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes or until the breasts are just done, then remove. Cook 15 more minutes or until the dark meat parts are just done, then remove.

- Let cool, separate the meat from the bones, then add the bones Back to the stock. Simmer for one hour, cool the stock, strain off the bones/veggies and discard. If you chill the stock overnight in the fridge, you can remove any ‘excess’ fat. Shred the chicken into bite size (1 inch) pieces.

- Prepare the dumplings by mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl, then adding the egg and oil until incorporated. Add just enough milk to make the dough pliable but not too soft. Form into 1 inch balls and chill in the refridgerator.

- Bring the stock to the simmer, add the onion, celery and carrots and cook for ten minutes until barely tender. Check for seasoning and ‘body’ – you may want to thicken the stew with a little cornmeal and flour slurry. Add the squash, shredded chicken and bring the stew back to a barely bubbling simmer. Float the dumplings on top, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.