Moroccan Inspired Potato Salad with Harissa and Preserved Lemons

Some of the Common flavors from Morocco are Spicy Harissa, Preserved Lemon and Olives so those are the flavors I need to put in this Potato side dish. It might be best at room temperature,  warm or heated. The salad will absorb much of the Harissa sauce but this recipe makes about 1/4 more Harissa than you need so you can either freeze extra Harissa or use for eggs or grilled meat. Or just reduce the Harissa ingredients by 1/4. The flavors marry better after a day. The lemon seemed slightly dominate on day one and I was going to change the recipe but by day two is tasted perfect to me so I was glad I didn’t change it.

Ingredients for about 6 generous servings

3 lbs red potatoes – peeled and cut in half

1 hot pepper cut in half long ways (to flavor boiling potato water)

3 garlic cloves (to flavor boiling potato water)

2 Tablespoons sea salt (for boiling water)

4 roasted red bell peppers – skin, seeds and core removed – peppers chopped (and use red pepper juice that came out of fresh roasted peppers) (for Harissa)

1 teaspoon cumin (for Harissa)

2 teaspoons caraway seeds (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (for Harissa)

6 garlic cloves – chopped fine (for Harissa)

2-6 hot peppers – (usually jalapeño) (preferably red in color) (depending on the heat of the pepper and your heat tolerance) – chopped (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons tomato paste (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed) (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (for Harissa)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (for Harissa)

1 teaspoon course sea salt (for Harissa)

8 green olives -preferably a quality olive – pit removed – cut each olive in 4 pieces

2 preserved lemons – scrap out insides and pith really well. Chop in small pieces.

1/4 sweet onion – chopped

1 celery rib – chopped

6 XL eggs boiled at a rolling boiled about 6 minutes, shell removed

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Fill a sauce pot with cold water to a little over half way. Add the potatoes, hot pepper that’s cut in half (longways) 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 onion and 2 Tablespoons sea salt. Add water to cover the potatoes if needed. Bring pot to boil. Reduce to a medium boil. Wash eggs and place them gently on top. After 6 minutes remove the eggs and put them to the side. Let the potatoes go till just past fork tender. About 9 minutes more or for a total of around 15 minutes. The timing will vary depending on size of potatoes and your cookware.(among other things) When the potatoes are done scoop them out with a slotted spoon into a large bowl. Throw away the onion, garlic and hot pepper used to flavor the potatoes. Set the bowl to the side.

In your blender or blending bowl add the roasted peppers, sweet juice from the fresh roasted peppers, cumin, caraway, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, a few of the hot peppers (you need to taste when done and add more hot peppers at the end till you have it right), tomato paste, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Blend it all up. Decide if you want to add more hot peppers and add them one at a time till the Harissa is the right heat for you.

Pour 3/4 of the Harissa over the potatoes. It might seem over sauced to you but it will soak in pretty fast. (Save the remaining Harissa and either freeze or use it on eggs or grilled meat.)  Add to the potato mixture the olives, preserved lemons, sweet onion, celery, cilantro. Mix. If you have very large pieces of potatoes break them up a little but not too much.

Peel the eggs and cut into quarters.

Top the potato mixture with the eggs and top with a light sprinkle of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Moroccan Inspired Potatoes with Harissa and Preserved Lemon

Moroccan Inspired Potato Salad with Harissa and Preserved Lemons

Tasty and delicious!

The Forking Truth

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto is easy to prepare. I like to roast up the squash in small cubes and half I mash up when I add it to the risotto so it’s creamy butternut in every spoonful. I usually don’t use heavy cream when I make a risotto because I don’t need the cream taste. Unless it’s a truffle risotto I usually pass on cream.  I think this risotto is usually creamy enough. Feel free to substitute a cup of cream for a cup of stock if you care to. The risotto comes out creamy and flavorful with sweet chunks of butternut squash. The Butternut Squash Risotto holds up better than regular risotto for re-heating.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 small butternut squash (mine weighed 1 lb. 10 oz before removing skin and seeds)

1/2 large sweet onion – chopped close to fine

1 cup arborio rice

2 Tablespoons sweet butter

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

5 cups hot vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

big pinch saffron

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded

1/4 fresh nutmeg – grated (mine was a smaller nutmeg)

1 Tablespoon fresh marjoram – chopped fine

2 Tablespoons fresh sage – chopped fine

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to taste

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees

Peel butternut squash and chop into small cubes….(around frozen peas and carrot size) put in a medium size bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil to coat squash. Put squash on a baking sheet(s) in a single layer on top rack. Roast till tender about 25 minutes. When squash is done mash 1/2 with a potato masher. Set to the side till your ready to add it to the risotto.

In your sauce pot on medium high heat add the butter and remaining olive oil. when the butter is melted add the onions and rice and fry it for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and stir it around a little till you smell it. Now add the wine and keep stirring till it absorbs. Add a cup of stock and stir till it absorbs. Repeat 3 times till you only have one cup left. Now all the remaining ingredients and and squash except for the fresh herbs. Add the last cup of stock and the fresh herbs last. Stir it a few times and taste it. Adjust with fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to your liking.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Sweet Jalapeño Stuffed Acorn Squash

I wanted to come up with a delicious and DIFFERENT way to serve Acorn Squash. I happened to have a bunch of crazy hot jalapeño peppers in the house that I cooked with sugar, carrot, apples and some seasonings. I discovered that I made the painfully hot jalapeño peppers edible but sweet and I thought they’d be delicious with the squash and they are! I do note that acorn squash are very hard and might be too difficult or dangerous to cut for some people. The Acorn Squash and the Jalapeño Peppers can both cause injury. You need a decent sharp knife and some strength to cut Acorn Squash. I do find that the acorn squash that turn slightly orange are slightly softer. You should wear gloves and maybe eye googles to protect your hands and eyes when you work with a large amount of Jalapeño Peppers. The heat from the peppers can actually burn your hands and be painful.

Ingredients for 6 generous servings or 12 small servings depending on the sizes of your squash.

3 acorn squash – washed well, cut in quarters with seeds and membranes removed

12 oz. jalapeños – washed well, stems and seeds removed, chopped

1/2 sweet onion – chopped

1 carrot – peeled and shredded

1 apple – peeled, cored, chopped

1 garlic clove – ground to paste

1 1/2 cups water

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 cup sugar

pinch sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

non stick spray

4 oz. stick unsalted butter

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees F

Set Squash and baking sheet(s) and set to the side.

To a sauce pot on medium high heat add a little non stick spray and add the jalapeños and onion and cook till the onion is transparent.

Then add the rest of the ingredients except for the butter.

Bring to boil and then reduce to a medium heat. Stir occasionally and you need to keep your eye on the pot to prevent boiling over or burning and let it go about an hour.

Take the stick of butter and cut in half and then cut each half in thirds and cut each third in half like this.

Put a pat of butter into each squash.

Stuff the squash with the sweet jalapeños.

Bake 35 – 45 minutes till baked, caramelized and slightly browned.

Sweet Jalapeño Stuffed Acorn Squash

You will be left some some delicious sauce at the bottom of the pan that you should serve over the squash.

This is a unique but delicious way to serve Acorn Squash!

The Forking Truth

Hatch Chili and Roasted Red Pepper Challah Bread

There are a few places that make first rate bread in Metro Phoenix AZ but the majority of breads I tried here are very disappointing particularly Challah Bread.  It seems that people here don’t add eggs or add almost no eggs to the bread. Challah bread that I’ve tried here looks white and shouldn’t look and taste white. Challah is an egg bread that’s similar to brioche and it is suppose to be an eggy bread. The main difference between Challah and Brioche is that Challah must be braided. The secondary difference is that Brioche is very rich and contains butter and challah isn’t suppose to contain dairy. I don’t mean to brag but these challah breads came out FORKING AWSOME! The breads came out moist and flavorful with a nice texture. I thought adding the hatch chili and roasted red pepper would add a nice taste to the bread and would make tasty sandwiches. The only thing I didn’t expect was that while I was formulating this recipe it got to be a big batch and makes two loaves that are very large. After I got my ingredients together I needed to use my stand mixer (kitchen aid) and it just barely was able to hold all the dough. You might want to consider cutting the recipe in half if your mixer bowl is smaller than 5 quarts. I do note that different brands of flour, different ovens and different climates do produce slightly different results but it should be very close.

Ingredients for two large Challah Breads at least 20 servings.

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 oz + 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (one 1/4 oz pack + 1 teaspoon)

2 cups water (100 – 110 degrees F or to follow active dry year instructions)

1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon 100% pure honey (1 Tablespoon is for egg wash)

7 1/2 cups bread flour (plus extra for handling)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons course sea salt

7 XL eggs (3 for bread, 4 for egg wash)

3 XL egg yolks

3 oz hatch chili – fire roasted with stem, seeds and most of skin removed – chopped

1 roasted red bell pepper – stem, seeds and skin removed – chopped

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions

In a large bowl add the sugar, yeast and water and place in a warm place. Wait for the yeast to grow. (15-30 minutes)

Mix in 1/2 cup honey. Add about half the flour and mix. Add olive oil, 3 eggs, yolks, salt, all the peppers and rest of flour. Place dough in stand mixer and start low and turn up to medium speed and let it go till the dough pulls away clean from bowl.

Add a little flour to a bowl and form a dough ball the best you can and add a little flour to the top and place in a warm place till at least doubled in size. Take your time.

About 2 hours latter the dough looked like this.

Punch the dough down and knead. Then cut the dough in half for two loaves.

With one half of the dough make three long pieces that you will braid on a slightly floured surface.

Got a visitor in the kitchen.

Place braid on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Don’t worry if the braids don’t look so great. They need to sit in a warm place till they double and will get better. Set the oven to 375 degrees F.

Now they doubled. Mix the 4 eggs with the one Tablespoon of honey and brush it on the loaves twice. Apply sesame seeds.

Place one loaf in the oven. After 15 minutes brush the loaf with egg wash again put aluminum foil loosely over the bread so it doesn’t get too dark and put back in for about 10 minutes or until done.

Repeat with second loaf.

I found that both loaves took 25 minutes in my oven on the middle rack. I baked the breads one at a time because my oven seems to work more efficient that way.

Hatch Chili and Roasted Red Pepper Challah Bread

This bread truly came out FORKING DELICIOUS…..My husband couldn’t stop eating it and kept saying this is really good. Even the dogs wanted to eat it.

Latter I started to prepare Toasted Cheese Sandwiches.

In this moment this little one reminds me of my dear departed Louie.

And here comes the well behaved lady of the house.

“HEY you Forking PIP-squeek..your not getting all that food.”

“I’m cool…..with that….” “I’m happy to eat after you like I should…..” “I’ll do whatever you say…you Amazon Queen”

Forking Delicious Hatch Chili and Roasted Red Pepper Challah Bread. It’s dog-gone good and Forking Delicious!

Hatch Chili and Roasted Red Pepper Challah Bread

The Forking Truth

Tuna Cucumber and Bean Salad

Tuna cucumber and Bean salad is in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. I used a drained $2.00 pouch of wild light tuna instead of wasting $24.00 on fresh tuna that I’d rather eat as an entree. Most people will like the salad. It has a lot of the usual flavors of an Italian style salad but with a few surprises of sweet tangerines and raisins. I think the salad actually taste better if you let it sit a day because the raisins soak up the dressing and get interesting. It’s a pretty easy salad to prepare, it’s healthy and it cost very little to put together.

Ingredients for 4 servings

6.4 oz chunk light tuna drained

1 cucumber diced

1 16oz can large white beans (either butter or gigante) – rinsed well three times

1 celery rib – diced

1/4 large sweet onion – diced

9 katamata olives – cut in quarters

1 XL lemon – zest and juice

1 tangerine – peeled – cut sideways in four slices and separate each quartered segment

2 garlic cloves ground to paste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic

1/4 cup raisins (I prefer the jumbo fancy mix)

1 Tablespoon capers

1 teaspoon anis seeds

1/4 cup parsley – chopped

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to taste

Directions

In a big bowl combine the tuna, cucumber, beans, celery, onion, olives, zest, tangerine, raisins and capers. Mix gently.

In a small bowl whisk the remaining Ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tuna Cucumber and Bean Salad

Enjoy! Serve with a small chunk of crusty bread.

The Forking Truth

Rosemary Chicken Meatballs

Here’s something just a little different. Rosemary goes really well with chicken so I made rosemary flavored meatballs. They came out juicy and flavorful. I think most people will like them.

Ingredients for about 5 servings

1 lb ground chicken

2 XL eggs – slightly beaten

1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup sweet onion – chopped fine

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 carrot – grated fine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary – chopped fine

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley – chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

pinch crushed red pepper

1 Tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Non stick cooking spray – (or oil if you prefer)

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Spray or oil your baking sheet(s)

In a large mixing bowl add everything except the ground chicken. Mix well. Now add chicken and mix well again.

Pinch off a small marble size piece and zap in the microwave in paper towels for about 10 seconds or pop in the oven for about 5 minutes in some oiled aluminum foil and test for seasoning and adjust if you care too. (The taste will be close from the microwave but not exact).

Scoop out balls with a small scooper on to your sprayed baking sheet(s). I made 28 balls.

Cook till done on middle rack. In my oven the meatballs were ready in 15 minutes.

Chicken Rosemary Meatballs

Forking Tasty!

The Forking Truth

Bread and Butter Pickles

These pickles come out light but with a really yummy flavor. They are not too sweet or too salty. I think everyone will enjoy them. It’s usually best to use pickling cucumbers but I used seedless because that’s what I had. Sometimes I substitute yellow squash for cucumbers and sometimes the yellow squash taste better as a pickle than the cucumber. The onions came out tasty and delicious too. You might enjoy them in a sandwich. Let these pickles sit about three days for the best flavors.

Ingredients for about 15 servings

2 1/2 lbs cucumbers cut in thick coin shapes

1/2 sweet onion – quartered and cut in slices

3/4 oz fresh dill

1 cup white vinegar

3 cups water

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

8 garlic cloves – smashed

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

1 Tablespoon white peppercorns

Directions

In sterilized containers or jars add the cucumber, onions and dill.

Add remaining ingredients to a sauce pot on near to high heat and bring to a boil. Let it medium boil (a tad more than a simmer) for about five minutes. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers and let it sit on the counter till it cools a little. Refrigerate when it’s around room temperature. It’s not necessary to can because they will stay good for several months.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Levant Inspired Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Israeli Couscous

I had a butternut squash and Israeli Couscous to use up and this is what I came up with. I have to say it really did come out Forking Amazing! I did use a bunch of ingredients that most people don’t use or have such as zahtar, Aleppo pepper, sumac and urfa pepper. The only ingredient that’s hard to find here is urfa pepper (one of my new favorites). The urfa pepper is more intense than Aleppo and a Spanish pepper called Nora. It’s really delicious. It’s fruity, raisin like,lightly smoky and mild heat. It’s worth your time and money to find the urfa pepper for your own creations because it will make anything you make delicious. The recipe is easy to prepare and is sure to be a #crowdpleaser. Sorry now that I didn’t make a bigger batch. This one is really special.

Ingredients for 4 servings

1 small butternut squash – peeled, seeds removed and cut in bite size pieces

1 15.5 oz can 50% less sodium garbanzo beans – drained and rinsed three times

5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1T on garbanzo beans, 2T for butternut squash and 2T for couscous)

1/2 teaspoon urfa pepper

1 Tablespoon zahtar

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sumac

fresh ground sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup Israeli Couscous

1/3 medium onion – chopped

1 medium tomato – core removed – chopped

3 garlic cloves – sliced razor thin

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 Tablespoons cilantro – chopped

2 Tablespoons parsley – chopped

4 oz goat cheese – crumble it

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Place the butternut squash pieces in a medium/large bowl and drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle the urfa pepper, and zahtar. Mix well. Place in one layer on a baking sheet(s) and sprinkle  very lightly with a little bit of fresh crushed sea salt and black pepper.

Place the garbanzo beans in a medium bowl. Add one Tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle the Aleppo pepper,seasame seeds and sumac. Mix well and place on a baking sheet in one layer. Sprinkle very lightly with a little fresh crushed sea salt and black pepper.

Place squash pan(s) on the middle rack and the garbanzo pan on the top rack in oven.

Keep the pans in the oven till the beans have a light crisp and the squash is fork tender. In my oven this took thirty minutes.

In your sauce pot on medium high heat add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and when hot add the couscous. Fry the couscous for about five minutes. Add the onions and cook till transparent. Next add the tomato followed by the garlic. You will smell the garlic soon and then add the stock. Simmer till couscous is done. About ten minutes.

Add fresh crushed sea salt and black pepper to taste.

By now the squash and garbanzo beans are done and carefully stir them into the sauce pan. Mix in the herbs. Serve and sprinkle the cheese on last.

Everyone will FORKING Enjoy this one!

Levant Inspired Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous

The Forking Truth

Italian Style Eggplant White Bean Dip

I had a couple of extra eggplants so I decided to make an Italian type seasoned healthy dip. I made this dip with minimal amounts of oil. I used just enough to make the dip taste good. Besides Olive oil this dip is fat free. This dip is healthy and delicious.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

2 eggplants

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 very large lemon or 2 regular lemons – (just the fresh squeezed juice)

15 oz can 50% less sodium white beans – drained and rinsed three times. (50% less sodium beans don’t taste as canned as regular beans)

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

3 Calabrian chili peppers – chopped fine (or substitute a hot red jarred chili that you enjoy to taste but the Calabrian chili is recommended)

1 teaspoon fresh chopped fine rosemary

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

fresh crushed black pepper to taste

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

about 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil per portion to finish

about 1/2 teaspoon reduced balsamic vinegar per portion to finish

Directions

Set oven at 350 degrees F.

Wash the eggplants and slice them in half long ways. Place the eggplants in a baking dish. Score the eggplants on a diagonal in both directions like in the photo below.

Pour the lemon juice over the eggplants and then pour the olive oil over the eggplants. Roast until the tops are very dark brown (but not hard black) and the eggplants are squishy. (about one hour to one hour 15 minutes) like in picture below.

The eggplant then gets scraped out like the same way you do avocados, mangos and dragon fruit.

Blend up the eggplant. Add the rest of ingredients except finishing ingredients and blend. I prefer the dip slightly chunky so I don’t blend completely smooth.

Place in dish. Make well and fill with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with vegetables and or crusty bread.

It’s delicious and healthy!

Italian Style Eggplant White Bean Dip

The Forking Truth