geek

Kushari – because carbs are good too

Kushari

Special times we are living in folks…but you know how it is and I’m sure you don’t want to hear me moaning about intolerance, ignorance, greed, and injustice. 13 days until the election and I’ve voted, have you?

This morning’s car conversation consisted of a debate regarding who would reign supreme in a battle royale involving a giant squid, a communist whale, and Woody Allen. The consensus was that Mr. Allen would form an alliance with the communist whale and soundly defeat the giant squid. This conversation brought to you by Alex and Dexter Balchen…they approved this message.

I watched Anthony Bourdain in Egypt and it seemed pretty clear that he didn’t not enjoy Egypt. I did enjoy the Kushari joint and I thought it was a wild take on a Cleveland-style chili. It’s been a carb fest around here this week because when you need warmth and comfort you can always get satisfaction from a steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese, or kushari.

Kushari

Kushari is basamati rice and brown lentils, pasta, chickpeas, a tomato sauce, and fried onions. It sounds strange, looks even stranger, but tastes really good. This is a dish that could have saved me from bowls of ramen noodles while in college. It’s simple to make, requires very little cooking skill, has great flavor, and an awesome nutritional profile. The cumin and garlic in the sauce makes it spicy but not too spicy and I recommend a stiff dose of either sriracha sauce or tabasco on top…but that’s just me.

Kushari
(printer-friendly recipe)

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and steamed
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and cooked until tender
1 cup pasta, cooked and rinsed
1 can chickpeas
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
4 onions, peeled and sliced
canola oil
salt

Heat a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once it’s hot add 2 tablespoons canola oil and dump the sliced onions into the pan. Lightly salt the onions and allow them to brown before stirring. You want the onions to be a sweet, almost crunchy brown fried onion when they’re done.

Combine the steamed rice and the cooked lentils in a large bowl. Stir and fluff unti the lentils are evenly distributed.

Heat the chickpeas either in the microwave or in a small saucepan on a burner.

Throw the garlic cloves, tomatoes, and cumin into a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until heated through.

Note, to cook the lentils put them in a pan with water covering them and bring them to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer or a low boil. Check often to make sure there is enough water in the pan. They’re done when they are tender to the bite.

Once the pasta is cooked, drained, and rinsed you can assemble a bowl of kashari. It’s a big scoop of the rice and lentil mix, a small scoop of pasta, a smaller scoop of chickpeas, a dose of sauce, and a pile of fried onions. That’s it. Make it once, love it forever.

October 22, 2008 | Filed Under beans, food, pasta, pizza, noodles, spicy, vegetable | 13 Comments 

White Sauce and Bread Crumbs – the mac magic

white sauce

My menu planning and wiki posting system is still being fine tuned. I say this because there is the absolute sloth factor that crops up when one is too lazy to come up with a practical and cogent weeknight menu. Last week went off without a hitch but we’ve had two Plan B nights this week. Last night we ate Paninis instead of risotto and tonight ot was homemade mac and cheese instead of pizza. Both were big hits…especially the mac and cheese.

white sauce

The backbone of macaroni and cheese is a classic white sauce. Its simple proportions makes it easy to remember and it’s a snap to pull off. It’s 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, and 3/4 cup milk. For my mac and cheese I use 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoon flour, and 2 cups of milk (I go a little light on the milk because I’m adding cheese). I use a heavy 4 quart cast iron/enameled sauce pan. I start by melting the butter and then adding the flour. I stir the flour into the butter and let it cook over a medium low flame for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Then I add the milk, turn up the heat to medium and whisk it until smooth. Then I add pepper, salt, and Crystal Hot Sauce and let it simmer on medium low for 5 minutes or so, stirring often.

While it’s simmering I grate up (use the food processor) some cheese…this time it’s cheddar and Gruyere. I add it to the white sauce and bingo… it becomes a cheesey delight that would be so tempting to guzzle. But I restrain myself and combine it with the drained pasta instead. I transfer it to a buttered cast iron gratin pan and bake it at 375 degrees. After 10 minutes I pull it out and add a layer of breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs are the other must have for homemade mac and cheese. They too are so simple…if you’ve got bread then you’ve got bread crumbs. When you’re grating the cheese for the sauce as I outlined in the step above you also want to pop 3 or 4 slices of your most stalest bread into the toaster and let it do its thing on its lowest setting for as long as possible without burning the bread. I use the toaster oven and set it to 250 degrees. Once the mac is in the oven you can pop the bread into the food processor which is now fitted with its blade and pulverize the bread into crumbs. I also like to add a pinch of salt and a clove of garlic. Heat a heavy skillet over a medium flame and add a 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it’s melted add the bread crumbs and cook them until they’re lightly browned, stirring often.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mac and return it to the oven for 5 minutes or until it’s golden crunchy brown on top. Serve it up and know this…it is totally possible to make this fabulous, soul-satisfying dish in 40 minutes; just remember to put the pasta water on to boil the minute you walk in the door. Menu Planning and wiki posting are all good but it sure is helpful to have a Plan B like this.

Wednesday, September 17 is my 2 year blogiversary….woot. I’ve got a few blog improvements on my task list that I hope to get completed soon…a recipe index is number one. Thanks to all my sweet readers for keeping me going….I’m looking forward to another year.

September 16, 2008 | Filed Under beef, fish, poultry, pork, food, geek fast food, gratins, stews, and stir-frys, menu, pasta, pizza, noodles, quick and easy, recipe | 12 Comments 

Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Pasta Salad

pasta salad

I never make pasta salad. That’s because in the ’80s so many atrocious, awful, nasty pasta salads were created and served that it actually makes my head spin to think about it. At that time I didn’t have a phobia about mayonnaise, which I do now, and that’s what 99 percent of those evil pasta salads were dressed with. Let me backtrack here…I hate jarred mayonnaise…it sucks and blows at the same time. In fact it’s so bad that when I do actually make a mayonnaise it’s not a mayonnaise…it’s a classic aiol which I would never, ever slop over a bowl of pasta salad. Dave eats mayonnaise…I eat mustard.

Anyways…pasta salad is something I don’t even think of making. But I was talking to a friend and she too lives in a house with three men, two of which are teenagers, so like me she spends a lot of time preparing food to feed those eating machines. She mentioned a Barefoot Contessa pasta salad with roasted eggplant, bell peppers, and onion all tossed with a lemon vinaigrette and I thought it sounded tasty and light and I love Ina Garten so I looked it up, then cooked it up, and it was a big hit.

pasta salad

This salad is perfect for this time of year when you may be swimming in too many vegetables; whether you have a generous garden or you just can’t control yourself at the farmers’ market this salad will make quick and easy use of all that you have. The flavors are light, tangy, and perfect to accompany a burger, a stuffed chicken thigh sandwich, BBQ chicken, or steak. I can’t believe I went this long without making this salad…it’s that good.

The original recipe called for feta, pine nuts, and fresh basil…none of which I had and I actually don’t regret not having them. The basil would have been a tasty topper but the cheese could have over-powered the lightness of the salad…it’s your call but I know I won’t be adding it the next time I make this salad, it was delicious without it. Instead of pine nuts I used toasted and salted pumpkin seeds and they were a fabulous salty crunch with a robust flavor. Best of all, the leftover salad is great for a workday lunch. I added some leftover grilled salmon and a tomato and it was superb.

Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Pasta Salad
adapted from an Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa recipe
Printer-friendly version

1 large eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
2 red bell peppers, 1 inch diced
2 green bell pepper, 1 inch diced
2 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil
Salt
1 pound orzo pasta
½ cup toasted and salted pumpkin seeds

For the dressing
½ cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for 40 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting cook the orzo according to package instructions. Feel free to use any shape of pasta that you love. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl making sure to include all those good veggie juices. Combine the lemon juice and olive oil and whisk to mix. Add some salt and pepper and then pour over the pasta and vegetables and toss to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve at room temperature or chilled with the pumpkin seeds as a garnish on top.

August 8, 2008 | Filed Under Wisconsin, food, pasta, pizza, noodles, recipe, soup, salad, sandwich, vegetable | 5 Comments 

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