All posts by Kelly

Beef, Pork, Soups and stews

Braised Spareribs with Fennel, Mashed Potatoes, and Curried Split Pea Soup

After a 10-minute dig into my deep freezer, I sadly realized we had eaten the last of our Tamworth ham from Farmer Nick’s. Though momentarily disappointed that I couldn’t make the scalloped potatoes and ham I’d been craving, I was thrilled to spot a rack of spareribs hiding beneath the frost. I usually bake spareribs and sauerkraut together for an easy, hearty meal, but I’d already made cabbage once that week and, frankly, didn’t relish the idea of another cabbage-based dinner. Instead, I settled on a braised spareribs recipe. But “settled” isn’t the appropriate word for this dish. “Spectacular” is more accurate. I know I rave about recipes more often than not, but this really is a fantastic preparation, really. The meat falls off the bone and the sauce is perhaps the most savory thing I’ve tasted all year. The only leftovers from the meal were a small bowl of mashed potatoes and a few tablespoons of the sauce. I mixed the two together the next day for lunch, which made for some damn good fried mashed potato patties.

Like the spareribs recipe, the soup recipe is also new to me, sent by my friend Allison. I loved it as a starter for dinner but enjoyed it even more the next day for lunch after the curry flavor developed. Not only was this a tasty soup, but it gave me an excuse to finally buy a stick blender (very fun item, by the way). Thanks for sharing, Allison! Which reminds me — if anyone has recipes they would like us to try out, please send them our way.

Braised Spareribs with Fennel
adapted from Anne Burrell at Food Network

Serves 4

1 rack spareribs, cut into ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1 large fennel bulb, fronds removed, cut into large dice
6 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 bundle thyme
pinch crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Coat a Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the ribs with salt and brown in the hot oil. Brown ribs on both sides. Remove ribs from the pan.

While the ribs are browning, puree the onion, fennel and garlic in the food processor to a coarse paste. After the ribs are browned and removed from pan, add the pureed vegetables and saute for 5 to 6 minutes, until golden.

Return the ribs to the pan and add the white wine, bay leaves, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook over a medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the wine is reduced to about 1 cup (240 ml). Add the chicken broth, cover and place in the preheated oven. Cook the ribs for 2 hours or until they are very soft and almost falling off the bone. Check the ribs periodically to make sure the liquid hasn’t reduced too much. Serve the ribs and sauce over mashed potatoes.

***

Curried Split Pea Soup
adapted from Alton Brown at Food Network

Serves 8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
5 or 6 carrots, chopped
5 or 6 stalks of celery, chopped
1 lb (450 g) dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
8 cups (1.9 liters) chicken broth (reserve 1 cup (240 ml) to thin out soup if it’s too thick)
1 tablespoon curry powder

Place the butter into a large saucepan or stock pot over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow the onions or garlic to brown.

Add the peas, carrots, celery, 7 cups (1.7 liters) of chicken broth and curry powder. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the vegetables are very tender, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. If the soup is too thick, add some of the remaining chicken broth.

Uncategorized

“Spaghetti” and Meatballs with Roasted Beets

Remember the Atkins craze? Eating bacon for dessert? The sudden and sad trend of lettuce wraps instead of burritos? I think this squash recipe may have been a part of that scene, which luckily seems to be coming to an end. I love my carbs and I’m not giving them up anytime soon, but it never hurts to cut back when you can. While the spaghetti squash in this recipe isn’t going to fool you into thinking you’re eating pasta,  I was able to get away with sending it to daycare as the starch in my son’s lunch — without any note home reminding me to send a balanced diet, including grains. Simply put, it’s a delicious vegetable dish with just a bit of pork to turn it into a main dish. And like most of my other recipes this week, it’s a nice way to use up your garden tomatoes, if you have any left.

“Spaghetti” and Meatballs
from Juan-Carlos Cruz at Food Network

Serves 6

1 large spaghetti squash
1/2 lb (225 g) spicy Italian turkey sausage links
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups (about 850 g) diced plum tomatoes
1/4 cup (100 g) Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup (15 g) fresh basil leaves, sliced
1/3 cup (30 g) grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Slice the spaghetti squash in half and place cut side down a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, remove the sausage from its casings and form small meatballs about the size of a quarter. Heat a heavy nonstick pan over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook until browned on all sides. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and garlic and simmer for 15 minutes. In the last minute of cooking, add the basil.

While the sauce is simmering, scrape out the inside of the squash with a fork into a large bowl; set aside.

Toss the sauce and squash together and top with Parmesan. Serve immediately.

***

Roasted Beets

Serves 4

1 bunch beets, washed and trimmed
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 415°F (210°C). Coat the washed and trimmed beets lightly with oil. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for about 1 hour, until cooked through. (I usually put 2 beets on each piece of foil.) Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then peel and slice into 1/4‑inch-thick slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Butter or goat cheese are also good on top.

Asian food, Seafood, Soups and stews

Shrimp Won Tons in Soup and Roasted Asparagus

I’ve probably mentioned that my son loves Asian food before, but I don’t think I mentioned how glad I am of this fact. Asian food, whether Japanese soba, Chinese stir-fry or Thai satay, is quick to prepare and relatively light. Sure beats serving mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. I also love salty sweet tastes, which are easy to find in Asian cuisines.

Though won tons aren’t exactly quick to throw together, using store-bought won ton skins and broth helps reduce the prep time. This was my first time making won tons; my husband usually takes care of it. I’ve included more pictures than usual not because they’re good pictures (they’re actually not good at all), but because I found the picture in the cookbook very helpful. I don’t want to break any copyright laws, so you’re all stuck with my amateur “how to” pictures. Kelly’s birthday wish list: better digital camera with a decent flash.

Shrimp Wontons

Shrimp Won Tons in Soup
adapted from Chinese Snacks Wei-Chuan Cooking Book by Huang Su Huei

Serves 3

for the filling:
10 medium raw, shelled shrimp (about 1/3 lb/170 g)
1/2 teaspoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup minced bamboo shoots
1 teaspoon minced ginger
30 won ton skins

for the soup:
6 cups (1.4 liters) broth
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shredded ginger
6 oz (170 g) spinach or other green vegetable

Garnishes: black pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped green onion, mustard powder or Chinese mustard

Rinse and devein the shrimp. Drain them and cut each into 3 pieces, then mix thoroughly with the remaining filling ingredients.

Step 1Picture 1

Step 2Picture 2

To prepare each won ton, taking one won ton skin, put a teaspoon of filling in the center (picture 1). Fold over in half to form a triangle; make another fold one-quarter from the longest diagonal edge (picture 2).

Step 3Picture 3

Step 4Picture 4

Bring the two outside corners together (the one-quarter fold should be on the inside) and using a drop of water, pinch these 2 edges together to seal (pictures 3 and 4).

Put a large pot of water on to boil (this will be used to cook the won tons). While the water heats, make the soup. Heat the broth, rice wine, salt and ginger in a large saucepan until boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Once the won ton water is boiling, add the won tons and spinach, then cover. When the won tons rise to the surface of the water, remove them and the spinach and drain. Portion into serving bowls. and ladle some soup over them. Serve immediately with garnishes: 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon green onion, and a pinch of mustard powder are recommended for each serving.

***

Roasted Asparagus

Serves 2

1 bunch asparagus spears
good-quality olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sesame oil (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears. Lay the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender, depending on the size of spear. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.

Pasta and noodles, Poultry

Baked Rigatoni with Grilled Vegetables and Turkey Pesto Meatballs

I hesitate to post this pasta recipe, not because it wasn’t good, but because it was a lot of trouble. Considering the 2 hours it took me to peel the tomatoes, grill the vegetables, peel the peppers, simmer the sauce, boil the pasta, then bake dish, I expected a masterpiece, something as good as one of Rick Bayless’s moles, for example, which are worth every minute of work. We did enjoy the baked rigatoni, especially the leftovers, but it wasn’t the masterpiece I had hoped for. It’s a good recipe if you need to use up a lot of produce and you have an afternoon to spend hanging around the house, cooking and drinking the rest of the bottle of wine that you’ll need to open for the sauce.

Although the pasta was a bit disappointing, we loved the meatballs. I think they might be my best pesto concoction to date. Unlike the rigatoni dish, these couldn’t be easier or quicker to make.

Baked Rigatoni with Grilled Vegetables
from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

Serves 8 to 10

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lb/680 g)
2 large bell peppers
olive oil for grilling
2 large onions (red and/or white), peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups tomatoes (about 900 g), peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine
1 lb (450 g) rigatoni
8 oz (225 g) mozzarella, grated

Slice the eggplants lengthwise, 1/2‑inch thick. Salt the slices lightly on both sides and let them sit in a colander to drain for 30 to 45 minutes. Pat dry. Cut the peppers in quarters lengthwise and remove the seeds and stems. Brush the vegetables with olive oil.

Grill the eggplant until tender. Grill the peppers (skin side down) until charred. Put the peppers in a paper bag for a few minutes to sweat, then slip off their skins. Cut the vegetables into wide strips and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, then saute the onion and garlic until golden. Add about three-quarters of the tomatoes, the herbs, salt and pepper, and the wine. Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and oil a gratin dish or 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Cook the rigatoni in boiling salted water until just al dente. Drain and mix the pasta gently but thoroughly with the tomato sauce and grilled vegetables. Pour into the gratin dish and sprinkle with the remaining tomatoes and then the grated mozzarella.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until very hot and the cheese is beginning to color. If you like a brown, bubbly gratin topping, place under the broiler for 1 minute. Serve at once.

***

Turkey Pesto Meatballs

Makes about 18 meatballs

2 slices good-quality white bread, torn into smallish pieces
1 lb (450 g) ground turkey
3 tablespoons pesto
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Make breadcrumbs by pulsing the torn bread in a food processor until crumbs form, usually about 20 short pulses.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Form the mixture into 1‑inch meatballs. Place the meatballs on a wire rack resting on top of a baking sheet (there should be space between the rack and sheet). Let the meatballs rest in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked through, turning the meatballs over once, halfway through cooking.

30-minute meals, Beans, Grains and pulses, Salads, Seafood

Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce, Summer Tomato Salad, and Quinoa and Kidney Beans

Summer’s over, but no one told my tomato plants. After a cool August and September, our tomatoes are finally ripe and in abundance. I feel like every year I struggle to use up our tomato harvest only to plant more tomato plants the following year. This year, in addition to our CSA tomatoes and backyard containers, we (and by “we” I mean my father-in-law) are working a community garden plot. Kristin’s already posted wonderful tomato recipes, but here’s another to add to the collection.

In addition to the refreshing tomato salad, I rounded off dinner with a tangy broiled salmon dish and a new recipe, which uses quinoa. I recently discovered quinoa and am still experimenting with its possibilities. It’s one of the most nutrient-rich ingredients I’ve eaten, with high protein and lots of fiber. Not a bad carbohydrate choice as I try to shed those last few pregnancy pounds.

Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce
adapted from Gourmet, July 2006

Serves 4

4 pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 stick (4 tablespoons/60 g) unsalted butter, melted

Prepare the broiler or grill for cooking over a medium heat. Season the salmon all over with salt and pepper, then broil or grill, skin side down, on a lightly oiled grill rack (if using a grill, keep the lid on) for 8 to 10 minutes, until just cooked through.

While the salmon cooks, puree the garlic with the lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With the motor running, add the melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Remove the salmon from the rack. I usually (but not always) remove the skin before plating; the flesh should slide easily off the skin. Drizzle each fillet with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the lime butter sauce. Serve immediately.

***

Summer Tomato Salad

Summer Tomato Salad
adapted from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

Serves 6 (salad servings)

3 or 4 big, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 medium red onion
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
a few drops of vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wash the tomatoes and slice them thickly crosswise. Arrange them in a single layer on a large platter. Slice the onion crosswise, thinly but not paper thin. Scatter the onion rings over the tomatoes.

Wash the parsley leaves and spin them in a salad spinner. Arrange them in a wreath around the tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle them with a few drops of your favorite vinegar. Add salt to your taste, and grind on some black pepper. Serve within the hour. Do not refrigerate!

***

Quinoa and Kidney Beans
adapted from Feeding the Future Cookbook (American Pregnancy Association member recipes)

8 servings

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup (140 g) uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1 x 15-oz (425‑g) can kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
avocado and/or sour cream for garnish, if desired

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned. Mix the quinoa into the pan and cover with the broth. Season with cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir the corn into the saucepan and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Mix in the beans and continue to cook over a low heat for 2 or 3 minutes more. Stir in the cilantro. Garnish with avocado and sour cream, if desired.

Beef, Cookies

Unstuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage and Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cranberry oatmeal white chocolate cookies are one of my favorite cookies. They’re buttery, not too sweet, and stay softer than your average chocolate chip cookie. The dried cranberries in the cookies tie in nicely with the dried cranberries in this unstuffed version of stuffed cabbage. Stuffed cabbage (cabbage rolls) is one of those dishes that my mother-in-law makes better than I do and that always takes longer to put together than expected.  In other words, I usually just wait for her to make it instead of making it myself. This recipe is nearly as good as my mother-in-law’s and takes less time to prepare, perfect for when I’m craving stuffed cabbage but don’t want to invite myself over for dinner.

Unstuffed Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage
adapted from Gourmet, November 2008

Serves 4

1 medium head green cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cored
2/3 cup (160 ml) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb (450 g) ground beef chuck
2 lb (900 g) plum tomatoes, peeled (or 1 x 28-oz/780‑g can whole tomatoes in juice)
1/3 cup (40 g) dried cranberries
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
steamed rice, to serve

Place the cabbage in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet with the broth, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then cook, covered, turning the cabbage occasionally until it’s very tender, about 45 minutes. (Add more broth or water if necessary.)

Meanwhile, cook the onion and remaining garlic in the oil in a heavy medium pot over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the ground beef along with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until the beef is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Season with salt.

Pour the sauce into the skillet with the cabbage and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

***

Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
adapted from a recipe on the back of a Craisins bag

Makes about 30 cookies

2/3 cup (150 g) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup (120 g) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (120 g) old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups (180 g) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz (110 g) dried cranberries
3/4 cup (150 g) white chocolate chunks or chips
1/2 cup (50 g) toasted pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing well. Combine the oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to the butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the dried cranberries, white chocolate chunks and nuts, if using.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

30-minute meals, Appetizers, Beef, Mexican food

Steak Fajitas with Pico de Gallo

In Milwaukee, you can find dozens of restaurants that serve fajitas, but it’s hard to find great fajitas. Maybe my expectations are too high after a childhood of eating Tex-Mex on a regular basis — in Texas, I should add. In my experience, fajitas are only as good as their ingredients. The meat is especially important, and a charcoal grill is essential. I think this is why so many restaurant fajitas fail — cheap meat and lack of charcoal flavor. There are a few things that made last night’s fajitas good. I made the pico de gallo with tomatoes and onions fresh from Rare Earth Farm. Reuben grilled the Sulzer’s rib-eye steaks to a perfect medium rare on our Weber grill. And last but not least, Whole Foods had fresh baked-in-store whole wheat tortillas in stock. How could we go wrong?

Steak Fajitas

Serves 4 to 6

2 rib-eye steaks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 onions (red and/or white)
2 bell peppers (any color)
1 tablespoon olive oil
toppings: pico de gallo, avocado, Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream

Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper and marinate in the lime juice in a shallow dish. Prepare the grill with charcoal banked to one side (you’ll need direct and indirect heat for this meal).

While the grill heats up and the steaks marinate, peel and slice the onion into thin half moons (about 1/4 cm thick). Cut the bell pepper into 1/2‑cm-wide strips. Place the vegetables onto aluminum foil (preferably heavy-duty foil). You’ll need enough foil to completely wrap up the vegetables, about 18 inches or so. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Crimp together the foil over the vegetables, starting with the short sides, then folding over the long sides. You’ll end up with a rectangular-shaped packet. The foil should be secure enough to remain closed throughout the grilling process.

When the grill is hot, place the foil packet of vegetables on the grill and cook over indirect heat for about 10 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the vegetable slices and the heat of the grill). If the vegetables aren’t tender, reseal the foil packet and cook for a few more minutes. Once tender, transfer the vegetables to a serving dish.

The steak can be cooked at the same time as the vegetables. Grill over a medium-high heat until desired doneness. Remove the steaks from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. While the meat rests, heat the tortillas on the grill for a few seconds on each side. After the meat has rested, slice it into thin strips against the grain of the meat.

To assemble the fajitas, place some sliced meat on a tortilla and top with onions, peppers, and other toppings (pico de gallo, avocado, cheese, salsa, and/or sour cream), al gusto, to taste.

***

Pico de Gallo

Makes about 3 cups (720 ml)

1 medium white onion, minced
3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, diced small
1 or 2 jalapenos, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime (or 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Rinse the onion in a colander under cold water for about 30 seconds. This will sweeten the onion and keep it crispy. Mix the onion and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to any Mexican meal.

Cakes, Fruit, Poultry, Salads

Curried Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Salad and Apple Honey Bundt Cake

When my husband was young, his birthday dinner of choice was his mom’s chicken curry. Shortly after we started dating, he made me the dish and, well, we’re married now. It’s just that good. He still makes it for me often. Though we’ve eaten it dozens of times together, we always end the meal by agreeing that “this was the best batch ever.”

The apple honey cake was left over from Rosh Hashanah dinner last weekend. Honey and apples are traditionally eaten on this holiday. What better way to combine them than a Bundt cake?

Curried Chicken
adapted From my mother-in-law, Kathy

Serves 4 to 6

4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 teaspoon dried ground chili peppers (or more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1 whole chicken, cut into breasts, leg quarters, and wings
3 tablespoons butter
2 or 3 onions, thinly sliced
2 cups (480 ml) boiling water

Combine the dry ingredients and rub them onto the chicken. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and brown the onions over a medium heat. Pushing the onions to the sides of the pan, add the chicken to the onions and brown slightly over a medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add any remaining spice rub mixture to the water. Add the browned chicken and onions to the pot. Cook over a low heat, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Stir the chicken pieces around, remove the cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes or longer.

Serve with rice, cucumber yogurt salad, and chutney.

***

Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Serves 4 to 6

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
3 cups (720 ml) plain yogurt

Place the sliced cucumber in a colander. Sprinkle with enough salt to cover the slices and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Mix together the cucumbers and yogurt in a serving bowl.

***

Apple Honey Bundt Cake
adapted from Allrecipes

Makes 12 servings

1 cup (200 g) white sugar
1 cup (230 ml) vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup (160 ml) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and shredded
1/2 to 1 cup (50 to 100 g) chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a 9‑inch Bundt pan. 

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs until light, then stir in the honey and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice; stir into the batter just until moistened. Fold in the apples and nuts. 

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown comes out clean. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate and tapping out of the pan.