Course: Main Dish

Chicken Tagine

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 Chicken Tagine
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings
servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Heat a tagine or heavy-bottomed shallow lidded pan on a low heat and add the oil, followed by a layer of onion. Mash the garlic with ½tsp salt and add to the pan.
  2. Sprinkle over the ginger, saffron water and cinnamon, followed by the lemon juice, and coarsely chopped pulp of one preserved lemon and the rind of both, cut into slivers. Add the parsley and 2tbsp chopped coriander and toss it all together well.
  3. Arrange the chicken on top and scatter over the olives. Pour 175ml water into the pan, cover tightly and simmer very gently for about 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  4. Season to taste and top with the remaining coriander, chopped.
Recipe Notes

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/mar/13/how-make-perfect-chicken-tagine

Can subsitute 1/4 tsp saffron with 1/8 tsp turmeric and 1/4 tsp sweet paprika.  Not quite the same, but supposed to be pretty good, and a lot cheaper!

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Tandoori Chicken

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 Tandoori Chicken
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Indian
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Indian
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Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat, then cook the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, garam masala and paprika, stirring often, until fragrant (approximately 2-3 minutes). Let cool completely.
  2. Whisk in the cooled spice-oil mixture into the yogurt, then mix in the lemon juice, garlic, salt and ginger.
  3. Cut deep slashes (to the bone) in 3-4 places on the leg/thigh pieces. Just make 2-3 cuts if you are using separate drumsticks and thighs. Coat the chicken in the marinade, cover and chill for at least an hour (preferably 6 hours), no more than 8 hours.
  4. Prepare your grill so that one side is quite hot over direct heat, the other side cooler, not over direct heat. If using charcoal, leave one side of the grill without coals, so you have a hot side and a cooler side. If you are using a gas grill, just turn on one-half of the burners. Use tongs to wipe the grill grates with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. Take the chicken out of the marinade and shake off the excess. You want the chicken coated, but not gloppy. Put the chicken pieces on the hot side of the grill and cover. Cook 2-3 minutes before checking.
  5. Turn the chicken so it is brown (even a little bit charred) on all sides, then move it to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook for at least 20 minutes, up to 40 minutes (or longer) depending on the size of the chicken and the temperature of the grill. The chicken is done when its juices run clear.
  6. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. It’s also great at room temperature or even cold the next day.
  7. Serve with naan, and Indian flatbread, or with Indian style rice, with yogurt-based raita on the side.
Recipe Notes

If you don’t have a grill, you can broil the chicken for a few minutes on each side to get some browning, then finish in a 325°F oven until done.

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Chicken Paprikash Recipe

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 Chicken Paprikash Recipe
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Hungarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Hungarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Salt the chicken pieces well and let them sit at room temperature while you cut the onions. Slice the onions lengthwise (top to root).
  2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. When the butter is hot, pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and place them skin-side down in the pan. Let the chicken pieces cook 4-5 minutes on one side, until well browned, then turn them over and let them cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. (Take care when turning so as not to tear the skin if any is sticking to the pan.) Remove the chicken from the pan to a bowl, set aside.
  3. Add the sliced onions to the sauté pan and cook them, stirring occasionally, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.
  4. Add the paprika and some black pepper to the onions and stir to combine. Let cook a minute more. Add the chicken broth, again scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and then nestle the chicken pieces into the pan, on top of the onions. Cover and cook on a low simmer for 20-25 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces). When the chicken is cooked through (at least 165° if you use a thermometer, or if the juices run clear, not pink when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a knife) remove the pan from the heat. (If you want, you can also keep cooking the chicken until it begins to fall off the bone, which may take another 30 minutes or so.)
  5. When the chicken is done to your taste, remove the chicken from the pan. Allow the pan to cool for a minute and then slowly stir in the sour cream and add salt to taste. If the sour cream cools the sauce too much, turn the heat back on just enough to warm it through. Add the chicken back to the pan and coat with the sauce.
  6. Serve with dumplings, rice, egg noodles or potatoes. (If cooking gluten-free, serve with rice, potatoes or gluten-free noodles or dumplings.)
Recipe Notes

We like cooking chicken skin-on and bone-in, but this recipe will easily work with boneless, skinless chicken pieces as well, if that’s what you prefer. Paprika can go flat and tasteless if it is too old. So check your paprika first, before starting this dish.

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Venison Sauerbraten

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 Venison Sauerbraten Recipe
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
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Instructions
  1. Bring marinade ingredients to a boil and turn off the heat. Allow to cool. Submerge the venison in the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours, and up to 5 days. Three days is a good length of time. When you are ready to cook, take the roast out of the marinade and salt it well. Set it aside for 15-20 minutes or so.
  2. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Actually, 225 is a better temperature, but the roast can take up to 8 hours to properly cook then; this is what I do at home on weekends. At 275 degrees, the roast will probably take about 5 hours to cook. You can go up to 300 degrees – a typical venison roast will be ready in 3 1/2 hours at this temperature – but you will get gray, not pink, meat. It will still taste good, though.
  3. Now you have an optional step: You can, if you choose, brown the venison in butter or oil. I chose not to because if you then simmer the venison at a low enough temperature, it will remain pink all the way through. If you brown the outside, you will get a gray ring around the edge of the venison when you cut into it. Either way is fine.
  4. Pour the marinade into a pot and bring it to a boil. Pour it into a Dutch oven or other lidded pot and place the venison inside. Cover and put in the oven. If the venison is not submerged by the marinade, turn the roast over every hour. This is also a good way to test for doneness – you want the roast to almost be falling apart. When the roast is done, take it out of the pot and coat it with some of the 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter. Reserve the rest of the oil or butter for later. Wrap it in foil.
  5. Now you make the sauerbraten sauce – and sauerbraten is all about the sauce. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Take the 8 ginger snap cookies and pulverize them in a blender. You want it to look like a rough meal or coarse flour.
  6. In a medium-sized pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. When it is frothing and totally melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour. Cook until it is the color of coffee-and-cream, stirring often. Slowly whisk in the cooking liquid, one cup at a time. The mixture will turn to clay at first, then loosen into a silky sauce. Taste for salt – it will probably need it – and add enough to your taste.
  7. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of the pulverized ginger snaps. They will not dissolve completely at first, but keep stirring and they will disappear. Taste the sauce. Add another tablespoon of ginger snaps if you want, or add a tablespoon of sugar. The sauce should taste sour, warm (a pumpkin pie sort of spicy warm) and a little zippy and sweet.
  8. To serve, slice the roast into 1/4 inch thick slices. Venison can be dry – it has zero fat – so one trick I do is to coat each slice in melted butter before I serve it. You’ll need about 1/2 stick melted to do this trick. Serve with lots of sauce, some braised onions, and either mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or spaetzle. A hearty red wine would be an ideal match here, as would a dark, malty beer.
Recipe Notes

You can of course use beef for this recipe; brisket or a chuck roast would be good, and you could also use London broil or tri-tip.

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Ravioli Dough

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 Ravioli Dough
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings
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Instructions
  1. In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add eggs 1 at a time and continue to mix. Drizzle in oil and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Sprinkle some flour on work surface, knead the dough until elastic and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
  2. *Alternatively if you don’t have an electric mixer: Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Continue as directed above.
  3. Cut the ball of dough in half, cover and reserve the dough you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with flour. Form the dough into a rectangle and roll it through the pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at its widest setting. Guide the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. *Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue until the machine is at its narrowest setting. The dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick.
  4. Dust the counter and dough with flour, lay out the long sheet of pasta. Brush the top surface of dough with egg wash. Drop 1 tablespoon of cooled filling about 2-inches apart on half the sheet of pasta. Fold the unfilled half over the filling. With an espresso cup or fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling and form a seal. Use a crimper to cut each pillow into squares. Check to make sure the crimped edges are well sealed before cooking. If making ravioli in advance, dust with cornmeal to prevent them from sticking.
  5. Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 10 to15 minutes. Ravioli will float to the top when cooked so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. Plate the pasta, top with sauce and grated cheese before serving. Garnish plate with chopped herbs and toasted pine nuts.
  6. *For Herb-Patterned Pasta: Follow the standard recipe given above and roll it out to a medium-thick sheet. Next, take well-washed leafy herbs such as, basil, flat-leaf parsley and tarragon, pinch away the stems so only the leaves remain. Hand press the fresh herbs on the dough’s surface at 1-inch intervals. Fold the dough over itself and run the “sandwich” through the pasta machine at a thin setting. The leaves will stretch and pattern the pasta. Continue making ravioli as indicated in the procedure.
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Quiche Lorraine

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 Quiche Lorraine
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine French
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Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine French
Servings
servings
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Instructions
  1. If you are making your own pie crust, roll out the pie dough into a 12-inch round. Place it in a 10-inch wide, 1 1/2-inch high tart pan, pressing the dough into the corners. Use a rolling pin to roll over the surface of the tart pan to cleanly cut off the excess dough from the edges. Freeze for at least half an hour before blind-baking.
  2. Pre-bake the frozen crust (also called “blind” baking). Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the frozen crust with heavy duty aluminum foil or with parchment paper. Allow for a couple inches to extend beyond the sides of the tart or pie pan. Fill two-thirds with dry beans or other pie weights (I’ve heard copper pennies work well for this too). If you are using a pan with a removable bottom, place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to catch any spillage. Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven, remove the pie weights (the easiest way to do this is to lift up the foil by the edges) and the foil. Using the tines of a fork, poke little holes all around the base of the crust. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until lightly browned all over. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. Cook the bacon. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Arrange strips of bacon in a single layer on the bottom of the pan (you may need to work in batches or do two pans at once). Slowly cook the bacon, turning the strips over occasionally until they are nicely browned and much of the fat has rendered out. Lay the cooked strips of bacon on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat. Pour fat out of the pan into a jar (not down the drain, unless you want to clog the pipes) for future use, or wait until it solidifies and discard in the trash. Chop the cooked bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch pieces.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the nutmeg, salt, black pepper and chives and whisk a little more. Add the milk and cream and whisk vigorously to incorporate and introduce a little air into the mix – this keeps the texture of the quiche light and fluffy.
  5. Arrange the bacon and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.
  6. Whisk the egg-milk mixture hard again for a few seconds, then pour it gently into the pie crust. You want the bacon and cheese to be suspended in the mix, so you might need to gently stir it around just a little. You also want the chives, which will float, to be evenly arranged on top, so move them around with a spoon until you like where they are.
  7. Put the quiche into the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. (If using pan with removable bottom, be sure to place a rimmed baking sheet underneath.) Check for doneness after 30 minutes by gently jiggling the quiche. It should still have just a little wiggle. (It will finish setting while it cools.) Cool on a wire rack.
Recipe Notes

Onions or shallots can be used in place of the chives. Use about 1/2 cup, finely chopped, and sauté in butter first, before spreading over the bottom of the quiche crust with the bacon.

Eat at room temperature, cold (a quiche will keep for several days in the fridge), or reheated gently in a 200-degree oven.

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Three Cup Chicken Recipe

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 Three Cup Chicken Recipe
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings
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Instructions
  1. Cut the chicken into pieces and marinate them with baking soda. Set aside for 10 minutes before rinsing the chicken off with water. Make sure the baking soda is completely rinsed off. Pat dry the chicken pieces and set aside.
  2. Heat up a claypot on high heat and add the dark sesame oil. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in chicken and do a few quick stirs. Add soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and continue to stir-fry the chicken. Cover the chicken and lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir well with the chicken, dish out and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

This recipe calls for dark sesame oil, which is different from regular sesame oil. Dark sesame oil is a lot more expensive but the flavor is more intense and with a stronger toasted sesame fragrance. You can skip the first step of tenderizing the chicken with baking soda. I personally like it because it makes the chicken so tender. If you don’t have a clay pot, you can use a regular wok to make this dish.

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Three Teacup Chicken

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 Three Teacup Chicken
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings
servings
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Instructions
  1. Make the braising liquid: In a bowl combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and Shaoxing wine together and mix well. Set aside.
  2. Place the oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat and swirl until hot. A drop of water should evaporate within 1-2 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns/chili pepper if using and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  3. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no pink on the surface remains (you just want to sear the outside nicely).
  4. Add the braising liquid and star anise or anise seed if using and cook for 1 minute ensuring that the chicken is well coated in the braising liquid. Add the water and cover and cook for 4 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no pink remains. Serve immediately over rice with hearty amounts of the broth. Garnish with a little extra chopped scallion.
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Lamb Köfte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammar

The Middle East on a flatbread: Turkish meatballs, a tahini-spiked yogurt sauce, and muhammara, a Syrian red pepper spread.

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 Lam Köfte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammar
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Turkish
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Turkish
Servings
servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. For yogurt sauce: Stir all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Cover and chill.
  2. For Köfte: Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix lamb and next 8 ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange on sheet. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place large sheet of foil on work surface. Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add flatbreads to skillet 1 at a time; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Enclose in foil; place in oven to keep warm. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer onions to 1 side of large rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Sauté half of meatballs until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs, adding oil to skillet if dry. Reserve skillet.
  3. For muhammara: Add roasted peppers to reserved skillet; stir 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses. Bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more pomegranate molasses, if desired. Transfer to small bowl. Arrange onions and meatballs on platter. Serve with warm breads, yogurt sauce, and muhammara.
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Turkish Manti


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 Turkish Manti
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Turkish
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Turkish
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Make the Dough: Pour flour and salt into a pile on a work surface or large board. Make a well in the center of the flour and crack the eggs into it. Start with a fork, mixing the eggs and incorporating the flour. When the mixture is too thick for stirring with a fork, start using your hands to mix everything together, gradually adding the water, as you start to knead and press the dough. Knead dough for 8-10 minutes until you get a firm, smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Prepare the filling: While the dough rests, combine lamb, onion, parsley and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Prepare the yogurt sauce: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in the fridge. (Bring to room temp before serving)
  4. Fill Manti: preheat oven to 325ºF. Cut dough into fourths. (Work with one piece at a time, leaving others covered to prevent drying) Roll dough on floured surface, into a thin sheet, about 1/16 of an inch thick. Use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut into 1½-inch squares. (you can use the edge of a ruler as a guide) Add a small ball of meat - about the size of a chickpea - to the center of each square. Pull the four corners up around the meat and press the four side seams firmly together to seal. Set manti onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. (you'll need two baking sheets) Repeat with the rest of the dough. You should have about 120 manti. Bake manti for 15 minutes, until it just starts to brown. At this point you can let the manti cool and store it in the fridge for up to a day or in the freezer for up to two weeks. Allow to come to room temp before continuing.
  5. Prepare the tomato sauce Cook oil and tomato paste in a small pot over medium low heat, stirring constantly, for about 7 minutes, until you get a deep rich color and oil is incorporated. Add Aleppo (or paprika and red pepper) and cook, stirring for 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat. Add water and whisk to combine. Set aside. (Reheat just before serving)
  6. Prepare butter sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly for 1-3 minutes, until you see little brown flecks appear. Remove from heat. Add olive oil. Set aside.
  7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add manti and cook at a gentle boil 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain. Return manti to its cooking pot. Pour butter sauce over and toss to coat, reheating gently, if need be. Season with salt, to taste. Divide manti between 6 bowls. Spoon on the tomato sauce and yogurt. drizzle on any extra butter sauce. Sprinkle with spices. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Make sure the dough is really, really thin!  But it's awesome!

Also, if you don't want to deal with making all those tiny packets, you can make small meatballs with the lamb filling mixture and serve them with egg noodles, which are almost identical in ingredients with the dough. May want to thin out the caramelized tomato mixture, but with the yogurt sauce on top it's wonderful, much easier and faster!

Nutrition Facts
Turkish Manti
Amount Per Serving
Calories 824 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 52%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 758mg 32%
Potassium 630mg 18%
Total Carbohydrates 98g 33%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 6g
Protein 32g 64%
Vitamin A 11%
Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 10%
Iron 38%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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