gluten free

March in the Kitchen – Roast Cabbage with Cream and Parmesan
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March in the Kitchen – Roast Cabbage with Cream and Parmesan

Those of you who know me and/or read my blog, know that roasting is a favorite method of cooking vegetables. But, cabbage is a new one for me. When I saw a recipe for garlic rubbed roast cabbage steaks on the blog Everyday Maven, I had to try it.

We were grilling salmon and I wanted a “bed” to serve the salmon on. Somehow, garlic didn’t seem right. But, a little cream and parmesan, bingo! This was SOOOO easy and delicious.

Cabbage "Steaks"

Cabbage “Steaks”

Roast Cabbage Steaks

  • 1 head of cabbage, organic if possible
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Heavy cream, 1-2 tablespoons for each slice
  • Kosher or sea salt
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  1. Remove any wilted or browning outside leaves and rinse the cabbage, dry with paper towels.
  2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  4. Cut the cabbage into slices (about an inch thick), sideways from top to bottom. Most slices will have a circle of the core in the middle.
  5. Brush the slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream over each slice.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes. Grate Parmesan over each slice and return to the oven until brown and crusty, about another 10 minutes.

And what was the best part of these? See that crusty melty cream on the parchment paper? I peeled it off and ate it as a pre-dinner snack. Yum!

Seriously! The cabbage was sweet and delicious, no strong taste.

Roast Cabbage Steaks with Cream and Parmesan

Roast Cabbage Steaks with Cream and Parmesan

They were a perfect “nest” for the grilled salmon, creamy and toasty.

Do you think the folks at Fiesta Friday over at Angie’s will like this one?Fiesta Friday

 

March in the Kitchen – Obe’s Chicken
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March in the Kitchen – Obe’s Chicken

This recipe came to me via a long time friend of my parents, Obe. He had retired to Florida from a long career traveling the world in the merchant marines. Obe was a character (understatement), told wonderful stories, and threw great parties. His recipe has been in my files for decades. It seems timeless, and I return to it again and again when I want something simple but impressive. Do you have those as well? What are your timeless recipes? Obe’s Chicken is simple but it’s a winner because of the presentation. My mother called it “Game Hens Obe” because Obe made it with halved Cornish game hens. I’ve adapted the recipe (the first spring asparagus was too inviting and the game hens were all frozen). The original recipe called for halved game hens, small baking onions, and lightly steamed green beans. That’s the way Obe served it. The sumac is my own addition, I like the slight lemony flavor and lovely color. You could easily leave it out without compromising any flavor.

This is the perfect introduction to spring, an attractive platter full of lovely colors and aromas. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled and could be the centerpiece of a large dinner party. It’s time for your best china and stemware.

Chicken Obe

(serves 4-6)

Chicken Obe

Chicken Obe

  •  6 chicken leg/thigh pieces or 3 game hens, halved
  • 6 Plum tomatoes (one for each serving), may substitute whole canned plum tomatoes
  • 12 large shallots or small boiling onions
  • 1 tablespoon ground sumac
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • Kosher salt 
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends snapped off and peeled if necessary
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
  • splash of wine vinegar
  1. Dry the chicken with paper towels and put into a large bowl. Rub with the sumac, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  3. Peel the shallots or onions.
  4. Skin the tomatoes (if using fresh) by dropping them into boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and cool, the skins should easily peel off. Leave them whole.

    Plum tomatoes ready to peel

    Plum tomatoes ready to peel

  5. Line a roasting pan with foil, put a rack in the pan to keep the chicken above the juices (I used a couple of cake cooling racks). Place the chicken on the racks in a single layer.

    Chicken with Shallots, ready for the oven

    Chicken with Shallots, ready for the oven

  6. Drop the shallots or onions into the bowl which had contained the chicken, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and roll them around to cover with any residual spice mix. Add them to the roasting pan with the chicken, nestling them among the chicken pieces. Brush the chicken with any olive oil remaining in the bowl. Bake in middle part of the oven for 45 minutes. Check to see if cooked through (game hens could take longer depending on their size).
  7. Meanwhile rinse the asparagus and place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven with the chicken for the final 12 minutes.
  8. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet, preferably non-stick, on medium heat. Add the tomatoes and cook, turning occasionally, until they are beginning to soften. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

    Italian plum tomatoes

    Italian plum tomatoes

  9. When the chicken is done, remove from the oven and carefully add any juices to the skillet where the tomatoes were cooked. Bring to a boil, add the sugar and continue to cook until it turns syrupy. Add a splash of wine vinegar.
  10. Carefully add the tomatoes (plus any accumulated juices) and shallots (or onions) from the baking pan to the skillet to warm and coat with the sauce.

    Sauce

    Sauce

  11. Spread the asparagus on a warm platter, top with the chicken, then the tomatoes and shallots. Pour any sauce over all.
Chicken with asparagus, tomatoes, and shallots.

Chicken with asparagus, tomatoes, and shallots.

Serve each person a portion of asparagus, chicken, a tomato, and two shallots.

Baked Chicken Obe

Baked Chicken Obe

I’m taking a platter to the party at Fiesta Friday hosted by Angie at the Novice Gardener.

Fiesta Friday

Fiesta Friday

March in the Kitchen – Marak of Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Olives
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March in the Kitchen – Marak of Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Olives

Marak of Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Olives

Cauliflower

Morak of Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Olives

This recipe comes from Paula Wolfert’s “The Food of Morocco” and is part of an ongoing cookbook book club. You will find all the postings connected to various cookbooks on the blog The Cookbook Guru. “The Food of Morocco” is the choice for March and April of this year.

A Marak is a Moroccan vegetable stew. In her introduction to the dish Ms. Wolfert says “Moroccans often steam or pan-roast vegetables in order to preserve their sweet intense flavor and to endow them with a creamy texture. Here juicy bits of preserved lemon and ripe olives embellish pan-roasted cauliflower.” Being a big fan of cauliflower, and having a head in the fridge, I decided to try it. My usual method of cooking cauliflower is tossing with spices and roasting in a hot oven, so this dish was a departure from habit.

I’m not going to wait until the end to tell you it was a big hit. Especially useful is the fact that it is best served at room temperature and can be made ahead. I would definitely serve this as part of a spread of small plates or as a side dish with roast meat.

This would serve 4 as a side, more if part of a larger spread.

Marak of Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Olives

  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 1 medium cauliflower, trimmed, halved, cored, divided into 1-inch florets, rinsed and drained (about 4 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 2 ripe or canned tomatoes, peeled (I didn’t bother), halved, seeded, chopped and drained
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 ½ cumin seeds, preferable Moroccan (mine weren’t)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Juice of ½ a lemon or to taste
  • ½ a preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp and white pith removed, and slivered
  • 12 green or ripe olives, pitted
Marak of Cauliflower
  1. Heat the oil in a large straight sided skillet on medium-low heat. Add the cauliflower and sprinkle with sugar. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and the lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to medium, and continue cooking until all the moisture in the skillet has evaporated and the cauliflower begins to turn golden.
  2. Add the tomatoes and paprika and continue cooking, uncovered, for another 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, crush the cumin seeds (next time I would roast them first) and garlic into a paste with the salt in a mortar or small food processor. Sir in ½ cup of hot water and mix into the paste. Add it to the skillet.
  4. Continue to cook, uncovered, until all the moisture has evaporated and the cauliflower is soft and covered in sauce (about 20 minutes).
  5. Add the parsley and lemon juice, toss, let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes until the flavors mix.
  6. Garnish with olives and sliced preserved lemon.
Marak of Cauliflower

Marak of Cauliflower

March in the Kitchen – Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Almonds in the Style of the Rif Mountains
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March in the Kitchen – Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Almonds in the Style of the Rif Mountains

Chicken Tagine – with Prunes and Almonds in the Style of the Rif Mountains

The Food of Morocco

The Food of Morocco

Just writing the title of this recipe transports me to exotic places. It came from a wonderful cookbook, “The Food of Morocco” by Paula Wolfert. This book is the March/April choice of the Cookbook Guru, an online cookbook book club. I have several cookbooks by Ms. Wolfert; they all have a definite Mediterranean slant and are all highly recommended. If you would like to read more posts inspired by the cookbook, click on the link.

She credits the origins of this recipe to the Moroccan writer Mohammed Mrabet, who lived in the Rif Mountains. It seems the people who inhabit the area are very individualistic and do things their own way. The technique of rubbing cumin into the skin of the chicken before cooking is not known in other parts of the country.

First I think we all need a short geography lesson if you were wondering, as I was, “where are the Rif Mountains?” The Rif, or Arabic Al-Rif, is a mountain range in Northern Morocco. It extends from Tangier to the Moulouya River valley near the Moroccan-Algerian frontier. For most of its 180-mile length, the range hugs the Mediterranean Sea, leaving only a few narrow coastal valleys suitable for agriculture or urban settlement. . The higher peaks, including Mount Tidirhine, which at 8,059 feet (2,456 metres) is the loftiest, are snow-capped in winter.The Berbers have inhabited the Rif since prehistoric times and the region’s name comes from the Berber word Arif.

This dish was reportedly cooked for members of the Tangier literary set by Mohammed Mrabet; who is mostly known in the West through his association with Paul Bowles, William Burroughs and Tennessee Williams. He is a writer and artist who makes colorful felt tip and ink drawings in the style of Paull Masson or a more depressive Jean Miro. He is increasingly being recognized as an important member of a small group of Moroccan Master Painters.

Ok, enough back story, here is the recipe:

Chicken Tagine – with Prunes and Almonds in the style of the Rif Mountains

  • One medium-sized chicken, preferably organic and air chilled
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of cumin (she prefers Moroccan which I did not have)
  • 12 ounces of pitted prunes
  • 2 -3 teaspoons of ground Ceylon cinnamon (I used 1 stick of cinnamon)
  • 2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used ½ teaspoon of freshly grated ginger)
  • 1 cup blanched whole almonds
  • Vegetable oil such as canola for frying

This is the perfect dish for cooking in a clay casserole, if you have one. It is the first dish I have cooked in my new Emile Henry casserole.

Clay Baker

Clay Baker

  1. Wipe the chicken dry with paper towels, trim away excess fat. Cut off the wings and leg/thighs; leave the breast in one piece. Rub all the pieces with the cumin, salt, and pepper. Let stand at least 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, cover the prunes with hot water in a small saucepan and add the cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Place the onions in a wide, shallow casserole, with the turmeric, ginger, more salt and pepper to taste, and ¼ cup of water. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, brown the almonds in a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. When golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Using the same oil, brown the chicken on all sides.
  5. Transfer the chicken to top the steamed onions.
  6. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper, then the lid to the casserole (the recipe as written did not say the lid). Cook on the lowest heat for about 1-1/4 hours.
  7. Uncover and discard the parchment paper. Add the cooked prunes to the casserole and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Arrange the chicken breast in the center of a serving dish, place the legs and thighs around and cover all with the prunes and sauce. Sprinkle with almonds to serve.
Chicken Tagine

Chicken Tagine

I made a few modifications to the recipe as written, have a few comments, and changes I would make next time.

  • We thought the chicken was very flavorful but the breast was dry. I would use either leg thigh quarters or all thighs next time.
  • I prefer whole spices to ground as they lose flavor and aroma quickly. You can see my substitutions in the list of ingredients.
  • She did not say to put on the lid of the casserole, after 30 minutes it was not really cooking as there was no liquid to submerge the chicken. I don’t know if this was a mistake or an intentional omission. I finally put the lid on the casserole to finish the dish.

The recipe is beautiful and I love the combination of spices and fruit. I would make it again but use primarily dark meat which would stay moist.

I’m taking this to share with Angie and the gang at the Novice Gardener for Fiesta Friday. Please come and have a virtual taste of all the lovely food.

Fiesta Friday

Fiesta Friday

March in the Kitchen – Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Soup)
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March in the Kitchen – Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Soup)

Are you feeling under the weather? There are certainly some horrible colds going around, and they are going around…and around…and around again. This soup is warming, nutritious, easy on the stomach, and quick (as well as gluten-free if you use rice). Please use the best stock you have on hand, this is the perfect time for magic mineral broth or Parmesan broth or your homemade chicken stock (or in a pinch the best commercial stock you can find).

Avgolemono (or Greek Lemon Soup) is a classic Greek dish. Some recipes add cooked chicken at the end, but it’s not necessary. Make this soup with rice or orzo pasta. I prefer rice as it thickens the soup slightly, giving it more body. The snap and snow peas are not a classic part of the recipe. I picked a handful in the garden just before making the soup for lunch. I was lucky to have stock in the freezer and some leftover rice from takeout Chinese. The whole thing took about 15 minutes from start to finish!

Avgolemono soup

Ingredients for Avgolemono soup

Avgolemono (egg and lemon) Soup (2 lunch sized portions or 4 starter portions)

  • 4 cups of broth (chicken, vegetarian or Parmesan)
  • 1 cup of cooked long grain rice
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 lemons (juice and zest of one), plus extra juice if needed at the end
  • Optional small handful of snap and/or sugar peas – sliced thinly lengthwise
  • Sea or kosher salt
  • Parsley for garnish
Avgolemono Soup

Avgolemono Soup

  1. Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the rice to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the optional snap/snow peas to the saucepan.
  4. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk the eggs and lemon juice until frothy.
  5. Add one cup of hot stock to the eggs, whisking to combine.
  6. Transfer the egg/stock mixture back to the saucepan
  7. Cook, while stirring for about 2 minutes more. DO NOT LET THE STOCK BOIL AS IT WILL CURDLE THE EGGS.
  8. Taste to see if you need some more lemon, the soup should have a definite lemon flavor.
  9. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Soup

Avgolemono Soup