Fried Green Tomatoes & Spicy Remoulade-style Sauce

1 c. buttermilk

1 large egg

5 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices*

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

6 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you like less spicy)

*Note: Green tomatoes are sort of unripened heirloom tomatoes and can be difficult to find, especially outside the summer months--ask for them at your local farmer's market or green grocer.

Combine egg & buttermilk in a small bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients (except tomatoes) in a separate bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat vegetable oil about 1/2" deep in a deep-sided frying pan (to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit if you have a thermometer).

Next, taking one tomato slice at a time, dip the slice first into the buttermilk mixture, then into the cornmeal mixture, pressing firmly to ensure good coating with cornmeal. Gently drop the covered slice into the hot oil (it should begin bubbling around the edges immediately). Repeat with 2-3 more slices per batch. Fry until crisp (about 60-90 seconds per side), flipping them over once during cooking. Place on baking sheet in oven to keep warm and serve immediately with Remoulade Sauce (see below) for dipping.

Remoulade-Style Dipping Sauce

3 oz Heinz Chili Sauce

3 oz Best Foods Olive Oil Mayonnaise

1 tsp prepared horseradish

Ultimate Sloppy Joes Sandwiches

This is another recipe from a chef who appeared on Oprah's show featuring "Easy Family Recipes". I've never made Sloppy Joes' (an American dinner classic for all you non-Yanks) from scratch before, but they were so easy and delicious that I'm a total convert. The recipe calls for ground/mince turkey, but if you don't have turkey on hand, it's just as tasty with beef.

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds (750g) lean ground turkey or beef

Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

2 cups (500ml) ketchup
1/4 cup (60ml) yellow mustard

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Set a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. 2. Add ground turkey or beef, season well with salt and pepper and brown well all over, breaking it up with a wooden spoon—about 7 to 10 minutes. 3. Add ketchup, mustard, cayenne, brown sugar and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Finish with a splash of apple cider vinegar and season it once more before serving on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns.

Easy Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

This recipe came from one of Oprah's favorite chefs, Custis Stone, and was featured on their Easy Family Dinners program. I've made it twice now--though I can't remember where I found the Chipotle Paste (it may have been London). In the US, cans of chipotle peppers in sauce can be found in the Mexican/Hispanic sections of most large grocery stores, so just experiment with the amount of peppers to suit your taste. I halved the recipe and it made about 6 large tacos.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion , roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 dried chipotle chilis, seeded and chopped

(or 50g Discovery brand Chipotle Paste)

3 tomatoes , roughly chopped

2.5 lbs (1500g) raw prawns/shrimp, peeled and deveined

(fresh prawns tasted way better than frozen, thawed prawns)

1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice to taste

Fresh cilantro (coriander)

Shredded cabbage

Corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and sweat onions in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and chipotle peppers (or paste), and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, season lightly with salt, cook for 1 minute and remove from heat.

2. Blend mixture well in small batches until smooth, adding a little water if needed, and reserve. In a large heavy-bottom pot, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes stirring occasionally, allowing the shrimp to lightly color. Remove shrimp from the pan to a plate and add the tomato mixture to the remaining oil in the pan, being careful, as it will splatter slightly.

3. Cook sauce for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and add shrimp back to pot. Once shrimp are cooked through and coated with the sauce, remove from heat and season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper. Finish with the chopped cilantro and serve with shredded cabbage on corn tortillas (Note: I tossed my cabbage in a homemade chili-lime-cilantro dressing before serving, and that gave it a nice, fresh tang). Add additional toppings as desired: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Creamy Orzo with Peas & Tomatoes

I pulled this from Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta cookbook, and it made an easy weeknight dinner served with some grilled salmon a few weeks ago. If you 1/2 the recipe, it still easily serves 4 (remember to 1/2 the cooking times as needed).

Creamy Orzo (serves 6-8)

1 lb (500g) orzo pasta (available at ASDA or Whole Foods)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (14.5 oz./400g) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/4 cups heavy cream (double cream)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to create a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Quick Italian-Style Chopped Salad

This recipe started out as 'Quick Chickpea Salad' from Easy Summer Food, but I wanted it to be more substantial, so I added chopped salami and baby bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) from Trader Joe's to the salad, and it was great. You could also add any of the following: partially sundried (sun-blush) tomatoes, olives, prosciutto, cooked chorizo, tuna, other vegetables, lettuces or herbs. You can also partially prepare the salad ahead of time by combining just the dressing and the chickpeas, allowing the chickpeas to absorb some of the dressing flavors, and adding the fresh ingredients just before serving.

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed & drained

4 marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

8oz./250g very ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

8 scallions (spring onions), sliced diagonally into 1/2" pieces

a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

a small bunch of fresh chives, snipped

leaves from 4 springs of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 oz. (55g) fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp black pepper, cracked with a mortar & pestle

hard italian salami, chopped

mini mozzarella balls, or mozzarella cut into bite size pieces

Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, crushed

sea salt & fresh ground pepper

1. Put the dressing ingredients in a bowl and beat with a fork. Add the chickpeas, artichoke hearts and salami (if using), and toss in the dressing. Cover & chill for up to 4 hours.

2. When ready to serve, add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, scallions, basil, chives and parsley. Stir gently, sprinkle with shaved Parmesan, salt and pepper, then serve.

Orzo Tomato Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing

We're going out to dinner tonight, but this is a recipe that I've made a few times (usually in the warmer months) and it's delicious. It's also from the Easy Summer Food cookbook. Note: Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta available at most large supermarkets in California, but I've a little trouble getting it here. I found it locally through ASDA's online market site, and also saw it at Whole Foods in London.

Ingredients:

2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

8oz (250g) orzo or other tiny soup pasta

6 scallions/spring onions, finely chopped

1/4 c. coarsely chopped mixed fresh herbs (I used basil, dill & parsley)

grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

4 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

Directions: Thread the tomatoes onto the soaked wooden skewers with all the cut halves facing the same way. Sprinkle over a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil under a preheated hot broiler for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until lightly charred and softened.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for about 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet, add the onions, herbs, lemon zest and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the mixture to the orzo, then add the tomatoes, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and let cool before serving.

Note: This dish is best eaten fresh, but keeps well. If you refrigerate this dish, bring it back to room temp before serving; you may also need to add a dash of olive oil to bring the right moisture level back.

Mediterranean Vegetable Pitas with Spicy Squash Dip

I made this Spicy Squash Dip with some leftover chickpeas (garbanzo beans) about 3 weeks ago and it kept really well in the fridge, so I decided to make some Mediterranean pita bread sandwiches with the remaining dip. The dip is great served warm on pita breads or flat-breads alone for an appetizer, but it really added a special flavor to the sandwiches.

Mediterranean Vegetable Pitas

Ingredients:

whole wheat pita breads

Spicy Squash Dip (see recipe below)

extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

Equal amounts: cherry tomatoes (quartered), cucumber (thinly sliced and quartered), and red onion (thinly sliced and quartered)

feta cheese (low-fat OK)

In a bowl or small container, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and flat-leaf parsley with a little olive oil and vinegar, then crumble some feta cheese into the mix, and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. The mixture is to taste, so add more cheese, oil, vinegar or seasonings as desired. The mixture is even better if left to chill overnight in the fridge before serving, as the veggies will marinate in the dressing.

To assemble the sandwiches, toast pita bread in the toaster oven until warmed and slightly browned. Cut an opening along 1/2 of the pita edge (not on the flat face). Heat 3-4 tablespoons of Spicy Squash Dip per pita in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until warm. Spoon dip into each pita bread opening and spread over bottom half of pita. Spoon in chilled vegetable & feta mixture until pita feels almost full, and enjoy warm!

The dip recipe came from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics.

Spicy Squash Dip

1 15 oz. (425g) can pumpkin puree

1 15 oz (425g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted

1 tsp whole mustard seeds, toasted

1 tsp whole coriander seeds, toasted

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

To toast seeds, place them in a heavy skillet over medium high heat and shake pan back and forth until seeds are aromatic and start to take on color. Transfer toasted seeds to a spice grinder or mortar and grind into a fine powder. Set aside.

Combine the pumpkin, the mixed ground spices, olive oil, chickpeas, salt, pepper, lemon juice and thyme leaves in a food processor. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately, or let cool and refrigerate.

Monday Night Pesto Pasta Carbonara

On Monday night I didn't have anything planned to eat, but we needed a break from Thanksgiving leftovers and I had a bunch of random leftover bits in the fridge taking up space, so I decided to get creative....what resulted was a sort of Pesto Pasta Carbonara. It was great!

Here's what I used (made about 3 large servings):

Remains of a jar of store-bought pesto, 1/4 c. to 1/3 c.

Remains of a tub of mascarpone cheese, about 1/2 c.

Remains of a jug of milk, about 1 cup

1/2 lb (250 g) Messicani pasta spirals from M&S (any small curly or shell shaped pasta will do)

1/2 pot of Sunblush sundried tomatoes in oil, about 1/2 c. (120g), drained and chopped up

Remains of a bag of frozen peas, about 1 cup

1/2 pot of Sainsbury's cubed pancetta, or 50 grams (sliced, chopped pancetta would also work)

Fresh grated parmesan cheese, about 1/4 c., or to taste

First, cook the pasta until al dente in a pot of salted, boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. In a small frying pan, heat a spoonful of oil over medium high heat and cook the pancetta cubes until crispy. Drain oil from pan and set pancetta aside on a paper towel to drain.

In a large saucepan, combine the milk, pesto sauce and mascarpone cheese over medium-low heat (taking care that the milk doesn't get too hot and boil or burn), until the mascarpone is mostly melted and combined with the milk. The sauce should be creamy. Add the frozen peas and sundried tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring, until peas are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add cooked pancetta and Parmesan cheese to sauce and stir to combine. Add drained pasta to sauce mix and stir to coat. Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese topping, if desired, and a green salad.

Homemade Chili Con Carne

Tonight's dinner was fish & chips from the Fairfax Fish Shop in Kings's Norton, but while D was out I made Chili Con Carne to have for dinner tomorrow night--it taste's great! I got the recipe from the BBC Food website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chilliconcarne_67875.shtml

Chilli con carne

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1kg/2¼lb lean minced beef
250ml/9fl oz red wine
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 red chillies, thinly sliced, or 3-4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 stick cinnamon
good shake of Worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 400g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
wedges of lime, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
2. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli or chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.
4. Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further ten minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary. Serve with rice (or in a baked potato), sour cream and a big green salad.

Tips:
The chilli is much tastier a day or two after it's cooked because the flavours develop and the texture becomes richer. Simply leave to cool, stick in the fridge and gently heat before serving. If you're eating the chilli on the day you prepared it, any leftovers can be frozen in individual portions in well-sealed sandwich bags, then reheated by boiling from frozen in a saucepan of water for about 15-20 minutes until steaming hot.