An Odd Couple That Works...Tomato And Pomegranate Salad

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Pomegranates are not high on my list.  It's not that I don't like them, I just don't like them enough to put them in my grocery cart.  The thought of getting to the little seeds, no matter how pretty and flavorful they are, is enough to discourage me from even trying them; but that all changed last week when I noticed them in plastic boxes at both Whole Foods and my grocery store.  Why not... it was Valentine's Day and I had been intrigued by a recipe I had seen a few months ago in Yotam Ottolenghi's last book Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi.

Coincidentally, I had also been intrigued by the boxes of mixed tomatoes Costco was selling, another ingredient in the same recipe.  I already had pomegranate molasses from this chicken recipe so the signs were auspicious.

You have heard me say this before but I will say it again...the genius of this man knows no bounds.  The things he comes up with are beyond comprehension sometimes; but it all works. You can trust him and that is one of the things that made Julia Child great...she never let you down.  Plus, there is harmony in his recipes.  They sing to you, its an hallelujah chorus on steroids, but enough said.

This recipe has only one problem.  There is a lot of chopping to do.You have to cut all the vegetables in a 1/4 inch dice and it takes time (and you get bored).  Make sure you have a very sharp knife.  I diced tomatoes for awhile, then switched to red pepper, then tomatoes, red onions and watched t.v. Some of them were 3/8 inch but I hid them underneath.

You can get pomegranate molasses at Whole Foods or Amazon.  You can make your own by simply reducing Pom pomegranate juice.  Although it would not be the same, you could substitute balsamic vinegar for both the white vinegar and pomegranate molasses.  Do try to get the latter, it is, after all the point of this recipe and it keeps for awhile.   You will use again and it is great for basting when you start grilling this Spring.

It's been awhile since I last posted but I haven't felt up to it.  I have lost 15 lbs and I am delighted.  I only eat when I'm hungry and I don't think much about food but this recipe was too exciting not to post.  I will be back, as MacArthur said, but only when I have something really nice and different to contribute. After almost seven years it was becoming an obligation and that defeats the purpose of this blog.  Thanks to all of you who have kept on subscribing and accessing the blog.  Sorry to have kept you waiting so long.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Tomato And Pomegranate Salad 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups/200 g red cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

1 1/3 cups/200 g yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

1 1/3 cups/200 g tiger or plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

18 ounce/500 g medium slicing tomatoes (about 5), cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

1 red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice (1 cup/120 g)

1 small red onion, finely diced (rounded 3/4 cup/120 g)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup/60 ml olive oil, plus extra to finish

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large pomegranate, seeds removed (1 cup/170 g seeds)

1 tablespoon small oregano leaves

Preparation:

Dice the tomatoes, pepper and red onion and add to a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. Pour this over the tomato mixture and gently mix.

Arrange the tomato mixture and its juices on a large, flat plate. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and oregano over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Cook's Note
Although it says it serves 4, this recipe really serves 6.  Make sure you don't over mix the tomatoes or they will get mushy.

All photos Lindaraxa

Chicken With Potatoes, Prunes And Pomegranate Molasses

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You will be knocked off your socks when you find out that there's nothing more to this recipe than throwing a few ingredients into a pot and waiting for it to cook. Two hours later you will be marvelling at the genius of Yotam Ottolenghi. Yes I know, I'm one of his groupies and after this dish I will follow him blindly to the end of the earth!

To begin with, there's no fat.  Take it from me, I read through the ingredients twice, There's no browning of the chicken either.  A few of my regular readers who watch their waistline like a hawk will like that.  What did it for me, though, was the one-pot dish...talk about minimizing the clean-up!

I really don't know what made me take a plunge and make this recipe.  It must have been the simplicity of it all.  I do try to keep things low key during the week, seeing that my life has so drastically changed in the last few months.  What I never expected was what came out  two hours later.  It was a masterpiece and worthy of serving to your most distinguished guests.  Let's just say that Madame Mere cleaned her plate and she does not go for the exotic at this stage of her life.  

That being said, here are a few steps that I suggest you follow.  First, if you are using a large Le Creuset pot or cocotte, it is easier to work with legs and thighs separately.  They don't need to fit in one layer, but they are easier to maneuver.  Just throw them in and let them fall where they will.  Do not buy skinless.  People! this is the only fat in this dish! you can remove the skin later, if you must, after you have been served.  Without the skin you won't get that color and the chicken pieces may not come out as juicy as they are meant to.

I bought the small lgolden potatoes, called honey potatoes.  I don't think it much matters which ones you get as long as they are small and yellow,  but I would peel them.  I didn't do it thinking the skin was so thin I could get away with it;  but I think the skin prevents them from absorbing some of the flavors.

I obviously could not find pomegranate molasses in my little town in Georgia but I read that it is very similar to balsamic vinegar and that was what I used.  You can find it on Amazon or you can make your own.  I have placed an order and will definitely use it next time as I hear it is fantastic on marinades and sauces.

The top photo of this dish is by Colin Campbell for the Ottolenghi website., The rest are mine.  You know I'm just a cook with a little camera, not a photographer with fancy equipment.  The reason I put his up on top is to show you that, when compared to my results, one gets exact ly as promised.  No fancy camera work in mine, just point and shoot.

Although Ottolenghi suggests crusty bread and a salad to accompany, I couldn't resist the white rice with a simple salad on the side. It's up to you, bread or rice.

For the amount of work involved, the depth of flavor in this recipe is remarkable.  It is the work of a genius. Just take a leap of faith with me and make it, just the way it says.  You will be amazed at the results and may even become an Ottolenghi groupie together with Madame Mere and me! 

 Ingredients

 Serves four generously (It really serves 6!)

8 whole chicken legs (ie, each with a drumstick and a thigh; 2kg in all)

16 medium charlotte potatoes, peeled (about 800g net)

3 large onions, peeled and quartered

120g/ 1/2 cup pitted prunes 

30g/ 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

100ml/ 6 TB soy sauce

90ml/ 3 oz pomegranate molasses

1 tbsp maple syrup 

120g/4 oz sweet mango chutney

½ tsp whole black peppercorns

20g oregano sprigs, plus a few picked leaves to garnish

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then tip into a large casserole dish. Cover with a lid (or thick foil), and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, and cook for two hours longer, stirring every now and then.

When the time is up, remove the dish from the oven, stir once more, cover and set aside for at least 15 minutes, to rest and allow the flavours to mingle. Garnish with a few oregano leaves, and serve with a sharp green salad and some good bread to mop up the lovely juices.

 
 

Moroccan Style Chicken Kabobs On Yellow Rice Pilaf With Raisins And Almonds

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I am in love with Ras El Hanout.  No, he is not a tall, dark and handsome Arab, although I wish it were. Ras El Hanout is an exotic and aromatic North African spice blend used in grilled meats, curries and tagines. The name is Arabic for "head of the shop" and implies the best spices the seller has to offer.

There is no definitive combination of spices in the mix.  Each shop, company or person may have its own blend which can consist of over a dozen spices. Commonly used ingredients are cardamon, clove, cinnamon, ground chili peppers, coriander, cumin, peppercorn, paprika, fenugreek and turmeric. To this mix, some spices, particular to the region, may be toasted and added to the blend.

I have been experimenting with Ras El Hanout ever since I fell in love with Yotam Ottolenghi's cooking.   I bought all three of his cookbooks and promptly  ordered a bunch of spices from Williams Sonoma.  Ras El Hanout was one of them.  I have already posted two of his recipes, here and here.  Lately,with everything that is going on in this house, cooking has been simple and I have not had a chance to dig deep into his books; but the other night I added this spice blend to the chicken kabobs we were having for dinner.  We loved it.  They were spicy, aromatic and full of flavor.  Everything you would dream about in the perfect grilled chicken.

Ras El Hanout can be ordered  on several sites on the Internet, including Amazon.  As a benchmark, I strongly recommend the blend on the Williams Sonoma website,  but have included a simple recipe below.

Before you say anything, I know soy sauce is not part of Moroccan cuisine and neither are Vidalia onions,  or tomatoes for that matter, but it works.  The world has shrunk and now everything is available everywhere.  Let's take advantage of it and bend the rules once in awhile,  when and if appropriate.   Trust me, this really works!

Accompany with  Yellow Rice Pilaf With Raisins And Almonds but substitute saffron for turmeric. 

Moroccan Style Chicken Kabobs

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs

Marinade

1 TB Ras El Hanout
4 garlic cloves mashed
juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 TB soy sauce
1 TB chopped cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil

1 Vidalia or Spanish onion
4 cherry tomatoes
1 red, yellow or orange pepper
Salt and pepper

Directions

Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces.  In a bowl mix the rest of the ingredients.  Marinade the chicken for at least 1/2 hour. 

Quarter the onions and cut the peppers into 1 inch pieces.  

Skewer the chicken, tomatoes, onions and peppers, alternating.  Drizzle the chicken marinade over the kabobs.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides.

Light the grill and cook on medium high until chicken is done.  If it begins to char too much, lower the temperature and move kabobs to the back of the grill.

Optional but good:  Accompany with sour cream, mango chutney and avocado slices with oil and vinegar. Pita bread can be substituted for the rice.

Ras El Hanout

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cumin\
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds\
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation:


In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until combined well. Spice blend keeps in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 month.

All photos except #2 Lindaraxa
Photo #2 Williams Sonoma

Lindaraxa has not received payment for mentioning any of the products in this post..

Char-Grilled Broccoli Salad With Sweet Tahini

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This salad is loved even by those who claim not to like tahini.  It is delightful as part of a cold buffet or a picnic.
   

I am on an adventurous streak these days, experimenting with new flavors and cuisines instead of falling back on that which is familiar.  Perhaps it has to do with Spring and its association with new beginnings.  Maybe it's just a phase or an "itch", but the truth is I want to feel excited again about cooking.

Discovering Yotam Ottolenghi has opened new doors for me and has introduced me to new dishes, new flavors and spices  I had never heard of.  It has also pushed me to go out on a limb and experiment with the unknown.  It has been almost as good as having an affair!

Take tahini paste.  First time I tried it was three years ago in hummus.  It took me awhile to like hummus but once I did, I couldn't stop eating it.  A couple of months ago, I bought my first bottle of tahini and made Roasted Red Pepper Hummus from scratch.  Little steps...
 
The recipe below is the second time I use tahini, this time to make a delicious drizzle for a broccoli salad.  The Ladies Who Lunch (and travel to London) will be most impressed.  They have heard of Ottolenghi.
 
Tahini  is a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds used in North African, Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is served as a dip on its own or as a major component of hummus and other dishes.  Nowadays you can find it in most supermarkets.  I found mine in the Jewish section at Publix.

I promise you I am not going to turn this blog into a Middle Eastern affair but I will, from time to time, introduce you to new flavors and spices.  I hope you enjoy delving into the unknown and the unexpected, once in awhile, and join me on this culinary adventure. I can't think of a better guide than Yotam Ottolenghi.

 

We had the broccoli salad last night, together with grilled chicken and royal basmati and wild rice.   We both loved it but agreed that it would show off best if served as part of a cold meal or buffet.

Char-grilled sprouting broccoli with sweet tahini

Serves four.

550g broccoli (1 head)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 oz/40g tahini paste
1½ tsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp each black and white sesame seeds, toasted (or just 2 tsp white)

Trim any big leaves off the broccoli and cut off the woody base of the stems. Blanch for three minutes in boiling, salted water until al dente, refresh, drain and leave to dry.

Toss the broccoli in the oil, a teaspoon of salt and a large pinch of pepper, then cook on a very hot ridged griddle pan for two minutes on each side, until slightly charred and smoky. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the tahini, honey, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt, and slowly start to add water half a tablespoon at a time. At first, the sauce will look as if it has split, but it will soon come back together.

Add just enough water to make the sauce the consistency of honey – around three tablespoons in total. Arrange the broccoli on a platter, drizzle with sauce and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.


Recipe Yotam Ottolenghi
All photos Lindaraxa

 

Ottolenghi...Couscous With Grilled Cherry Tomatoes And Fresh Herbs

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I may be stuck in a small town on a lake in Northern Georgia, but believe me, I have ears to the ground everywhere...and I mean everywhere.   Luckily,  two of my best friends live in big cities, New York and Paris, and they are both gourmets and gourmands who still travel the world in the pursuit of pleasure. Or so I thought...

It was on a trip to Miami last month, that I was handed a copy of Ottolenghi, The Cookbook, by one of my scouts.  I must admit that, initially,  I was ho hum about it and did not give it a second look.  That was until I came home and, on a trip to the local library, was surprised to find a copy on the shelves.  Hmmm...Lindaraxa prides herself on being on top of the latest trends, particularly in cooking, so how come I had never heard of this before. Where were my scouts! Worse, if it was at the local library in my little town in Georgia it was old news!

With time on my hands and snow on the ground, I devoured the first book, and then the second and a third.  Finally a cookbook that was new, fresh and innovative.  For months I had complained that there was nothing new in the world of cooking that excited the imagination.  Well, at long last, here it was...Ottolenghi.

Born in Jerusalem and a resident of the U.K  since 1995, Yotam Ottolenghi has written a vegetarian column for the Guardian since 2008 called The New Vegetarian based on recipes from his restaurants. No, he is not a vegetarian, trust me.  He attended the Cordon Bleu in London and together with his partner, Sami Tamami, owns four eponymous restaurants—each a patisserie, deli, restaurant, and bakery rolled into one—in some of London’s chicest neighborhoods.

Ottolenghi, The Cookbook features 140 recipes culled from the popular restaurants and inspired by the diverse culinary traditions of the Mediterranean. They reflect the authors’ upbringings in Jerusalem, yet also incorporate culinary traditions from California, Italy, and North Africa, among others. Featuring abundant produce and numerous fish and meat dishes, as well as Ottolenghi’s famed cakes and breads, Ottolenghi invites you into a world of inventive flavors and fresh, vibrant cooking.

 

His other two cookbooks, Plenty and Jerusalem have been runaway bestsellers here and in UK.  The U.S. editions came out in the Fall of 2013 to rave reviews, one of them from the New York Times.

The excitement over Jerusalem, the newest cookbook, has led to clubs, Facebook pages  and cooking marathons.  And where was I? Sad to say, asleep at the wheel! In all fairness to myself, I can understand this lapse in my life.  It is not the type of cuisine that has ever interested me until I actually held three of his books in my hand and was marveled at the combinations of flavors and the creativity and originality of the recipes.

Tonight, I am correcting this lapse and stepping into the world of Ottolenghi with a side dish to accompany the leg of lamb roasting in the oven, after marinading for four hours in Dijon mustard, rosemary leaves, olive oil, garlic paste and Lea & Perrins Sauce. For the couscous,  I chose a very conservative recipe to begin with which, unfortunately, is not in the cookbooks but on his website. I played around with the measurements.  It was divine.   Little steps...
  

 

Couscous With Grilled Cherry Tomatoes And Fresh Herbs

Serves 8

 

Ingredients:

6 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, sliced into 2mm thick rings (400g net)

1 tsp honey

½ tsp ras el hanout spice mix*

2 oz golden raisins or sultanas

1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cups couscous

1 oz unsalted butter, cut into dice

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped

25g (1 1/2 oz) rocket, roughly chopped (did not add, don't ask)

1 oz coriander, roughly chopped

1 oz parsley, roughly chopped

1 oz mint, roughly torn

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp argan oil, or olive oil if unavailable

Salt and black pepper

Directions:

 

Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees.
 

Start by caramelising the onions. Place a medium sauté pan on a medium to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the onions, honey, ras el hanout, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cook for 15-30 minutes, on until the onions are soft, dark brown and sweet. Remove from the heat, stir in the raisins or sultanas and set aside.

 Place a ridged griddle pan on high heat and leave until piping hot. Mix the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of oil and cook on the hot pan for about 4 minutes, until the skin is slightly charred and the flesh is soft, turning occasionally. Set aside.

 Line the base and sides of a roasting tin, approximately 20 x 30 centimeters, with baking paper and put in the couscous, along with ½ a teaspoon of salt. Pour over 3 1/2 cups of boiling water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir and leave to soak for 10 minutes, covered with foil. Dot the soaked couscous with the butter cubes, cover with foil again and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and fluff up with a fork

.

Once the couscous has cooled slightly transfer it into a large bowl. Add the onion and raisin mix and stir. Add the cumin seeds, garlic, almonds, rocket and most of the herbs, leaving a little to the end. Finally add the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper and mix gently.

Gradually transfer the couscous to a serving platter scattering with the cherry tomatoes as you go. Finish with a sprinkle of herbs and drizzle with argan oil.

IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY!

 

 

 

 

What a wonderful dinner party menu this would make with a cucumber and yogurt salad!

*This is something you can mix together at home.  I used a Thai mix which has most everything, but added coriander seeds which I love.

Recipe adapted from Ottolenghi
Photos #1,6, 7, 8 Lindaraxa
all other Google