North-African Lamb Couscous

Plate of North-African Lamb Couscous

Ingredients (serve 6):

• 2 tablespoon of Harissa (Hot Chili Sauce)
• 1 can (15 oz) of Organic Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (6 oz) of Organic Tomato Paste
• 2 tablespoons of Organic Cumin
• 2 tablespoons of Organic Garlic Granules
• 2 tablespoons of Organic Premium Olive Oil
• 1 quart of Organic Chicken Broth
• 1 Natural New Zealand Lamb Shank
• 3 slices (1 inch thick) of Natural New Zealand Leg of Lamb
• 5 medium Organic Carrots cut in long slices
• 2 Organic White Turnips cut in medium size pieces
• 1 bunch of Organic Swiss Chard (remove the green part of the leaves and use only the white ribs you cut in pieces 2-3 inches long - keep the green to make later a soup with potatoes)
• 1 Organic Artichoke
•  NOTE: You may not be able to find "blette" in the US-Canada which is used in original recipes. The combination of Swiss Chard + Artichoke has a similar flavor to "blettes"
• 2 cans of Chick Peas (also known as Garbanzo Beans)
• 1 minced Organic Onion
• 1 Organic Zucchini cut in slices
• 3 cups of Organic Couscous
• 2 tablespoons of Organic Unsalted Butter
• Sea Salt to taste

How to prepare the North-African Lamb Couscous:

In a large roasting pan mix Harissa, Tomato Sauce & Paste,
Cumin, Garlic, Olive Oil, Chicken Broth

Add the Minced Onion, then add the meat.

In the middle put the Artichoke. Add the Carrots,
Swiss Chard Ribs and Turnips + Salt to taste

Add Purified Water to almost cover
the ingredients as seen on the photo. 

Cover and put in the oven at 250 for 4 hours.
Then add the Chick Peas and Zucchini.
Put back covered in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the Roasting Pan from the oven and put in one dish or bowl
 the meat (remove the bone from the shank) & the vegetables,
and in an other one the Marga (the liquid).

Heat 4 cups of Marga to boiling point and remove from fire.
Add slowly the 3 cups of Couscous and mix.

Add the butter and mix well. Cover until ready to serve.

In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of Harissa and
2 cups of Marga to make the Hot Sauce.
Bring to the table: Hot Sauce, bowl of Marga,
the dish with the meat and vegetables
and the dish with the Couscous.

From left to right: Hot Sauce, Marga, Couscous.

In each plate put couscous, vegetable and meat.
Pour Marga over the Couscous until real wet.
Add Hot Sauce to taste.

Almost ready to be eaten. It is delicious!

Harissa Hot Chili Sauce

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce.

It is a standard ingredient of North African cuisine.

The recipe below is for you if you cannot find

Harissa in a Gourmet Store.

The Harissa in cans or tubes as show below

is much better that the one you can prepare yourself.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Arbol Chili
• 2 tablespoons of Organic Garlic Granules
• 1 cup of Organic Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon of Organic Caraway Seeds
• 1 tablespoon of Organic Coriander Seeds
• 2 tablespoon of Organic Cumin
• 1 teaspoon of Organic Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoon of Organic Lemon Juice
• 1 can (6 oz ) of Organic Tomato Paste
• 1/4 cup of Purified Water

How to prepare it:

It should be prepared at least 1 day before using it to make sure all the flavors are blended.

• Crush the Arbol Chili and soak them for 30 minutes in hot water
• Drain the Chili
• Put all the ingredients in the blender at high speed until the mixture is smooth
• Put in a glass jar and cover with 1/5 inch of Olive Oil
• Can be kept in the fridge for few months

Chocolate Strawberries and Red Wine Strawberries

Ingredients:

Ingredients for Chocolate Strawberries

• 1 lb. of ripe Organic Strawberries
• 2 cups of Premium Baking Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup of Organic Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 cup of Organic Half & Half

Ingredients for Red Wine Strawberries

• 1 lb of ripe Organic Strawberries
• 2 cups Red Wine (Merlot)
• 1 cup of Organic Powered Sugar
• 2 oz of Cognac

How to prepare Chocolate Strawberries:

Mix in a Double Boiler the Chocolate, Sugar and Half & Half.
Stir until melted and smooth.

Dip each Strawberry in the Chocolate

Place each chocolate dipped Strawberry on Wax Paper

Put in the refrigerator for the Chocolate to harden.
Remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before serving.

If you have Chocolate mixture left, mix it with fruit
(Apple or Strawberry or Banana).
Put in the refrigerator for the Chocolate to harden.
Remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before serving.

How to prepare Red Wine Strawberries:

Cut the Strawberries in small pieces and mix them in a steel bowl
with the Red Wine, the Sugar and the Cognac.
Mix every couple of hours.
It tastes better if eaten the next day.
(could be kept for few days in the refrigerator)

The Official US Obesity Rates Timeline

It is a real problem. Please be concerned.

Stuffed Green Cabbage & Potatoes

Ingredients: serve 6

• 1 Organic Green Cabbage (2.5 to 3 lb)
• 3 large Potatoes
• 3 medium organic Carrots
• 1 small organic white Turnip
• 1 medium size red organic Onion
• 1 free range Egg
• 1 lb natural Ground Pork
• 1/2 lb natural Ground Beef (85% lean)
• 1 cup organic Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup of organic Half & Half
• 1/4 cup of organic virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons of Bread Crumbs (from Ezekiel Bread)
• 1 tablespoon of organic Garlic Granules
• 1 tablespoon of organic Italian Seasoning 
• Kitchen Twine
• Sea Salt - Black Pepper - Cayenne Pepper to taste

How to do it:

Stuffing: In a large bowl mix Meat, Egg, chopped half Onion, Garlic,
Italian Seasoning, Half & Half, Bread Crumbs,
Salt & Pepper (to taste).

Cut the Potatoes in half (peeling optional)
 Cut the bottom so they will lay flat in the roasting pan. 

Slice and dice the Carrots & the Turnip,
add the Potatoes and boil for 10 minutes in water
with Salt and Garlic Granules to taste. 

In the roasting pan pour the Chicken Broth and half of the minced Onion.
Add the Carrots and the Turnip that you boiled.

Remove the leaves from the Cabbage and steam them for 10 minutes.
Steam the Cabbage heart for 15 minutes.

Let the Cabbage leaves and Cabbage heart cool 

Spanish Omelet

Spanish Omelet

Ingredients: Serve 4

• 6 Eggs free range
• 1/2 Onion (medium size)
• 1/2 lb Button Mushrooms
• 3 Roma Tomatoes Organic
• 5 small Organic Potatoes
• Cilantro and Chive to taste (fresh)
• 1 teaspoon of Garlic Granules
• 1/3 cup of Premium Organic Olive Oil
• Cayenne Pepper and / or Black Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of 3-Cheese Blend grated
• 1/4 cup of Organic Half & Half
• Sea Salt
• Option: 1/ 4 cup chopped mixed Olives, 1 small Anaheim Pepper

How to do it:
The day before: 

• Brush the Potatoes, do not peel them and cut them in 1" pieces
• Put Sea Salt, Garlic Granules  and water in a large sauce pan, add the Potatoes
• Boil for 12 minutes, then remove the Potatoes.  When cold, put them in a container in the fridge overnight

The day you cook the Spanish Omelet:

Red, yellow or white Onion

Mince the Onion

Slice the Mushrooms

Dice the Tomatoes

6 Eggs in a bowl

Add the Half & Half

Add Cilantro, Basil, Salt, Pepper to taste 

Beat the Eggs and Spices into an homogeneous mixture

Cantaloupe - Cognac

Ingredients: serve 2
1 Cantaloupe
2 Tablespoons of Organic Powdered Sugar
1 pinch of Cayenne Pepper
2 oz of Cognac
Tools: Sharp Knife and Small Scoop

How to do it:

Cut the Cantaloupe in two and remove the seeds
Put each half in a bowl

Pour in the hole 1 tablespoon of Sugar
1 oz of Cognac
1 pinch of Cayenne 

OPTION 1: With a sharp knife cut slots

Cut at an angle along the rim
to make small triangles 

OPTION 2: cut small balls with the scoop

Keep in the fridge 2 hours before serving

The FLAVOR BIBLE and CULINARY CREATIVITY

A good friend of ours recommended the FLAVOR BIBLE book. We ordered it, read it and we are recommending it to you.

It is a guide to Culinary Creativity, based on the wisdom of America's most imaginative Chefs.

It is a guide to hundreds of ingredients along with the herbs, spices, and other seasonings that will allow you to coax the greatest possible flavor.

FLAVOR = TASTE + MOUTHFEEL + AROMA + "THE X FACTOR"

• Taste = What is perceived by the taste buds
• Mouthfeel = What is perceived by the rest of the mouth
• Aroma = What is perceived by the nose
• "The X Factor" = What is perceived by the other senses - plus the Heart, Mind, and Spirit

The photos below are samples of pages of the book:

Enjoy !