Easter is here and—for my family—this means lamb. The question is which flavor? Greek lamb—my usual choice—is out, because daughter Miriam is off garlic and onions. Thirty years ago, we visited Kashgar in the far west of China. Shashlik and Naan is a popular meal in that city. Meat and bread call for a salad and a traditional Xinjiang dish would be a tomato and cucumber salad.
Karl’s Cumin Lamb
Filed under Lamb, Main Dishes, Sauces and Spices
I decided to make a Moorish themed dinner this Sunday. The Moors controlled most of present day Spain from the 8th–15th centuries. While Moorish cuisine is little different from that of Morocco, the Moors had a great effect on the gastronomy of Spain. They introduced almonds, citrus fruit and rice, as well as the irrigation systems necessary to grow them. However, this period was also pre-contact with the New World, so that some items that are common to today’s Spanish and Moroccan cuisines had not yet been introduced to European diets—no tomatoes or chilies, including paprika and cayenne.
Karl’s Moorish Chicken Tajine
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Sauces and Spices
I decided to make a Moorish themed dinner this Sunday. The Moors controlled most of present day Spain from the 8th–15th centuries. While Moorish cuisine is little different from that of Morocco, the Moors had a great effect on the gastronomy of Spain. They introduced almonds, citrus fruit and rice, as well as the irrigation systems necessary to grow them. However, this period was also pre-contact with the New World, so that some items that are common to today’s Spanish and Moroccan cuisines had not yet been introduced to European diets—no tomatoes or chilies, including paprika and cayenne.
Karl’s Moorish Spice Blend
Filed under Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
I had run out of my usual four chile chili powder, so I threw together a new blend for my chicken soup. Continue reading
Filed under Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
Adapted from a Saveur recipe
I am constantly looking for new ideas for recipes. I explore the internet with search strings like “ethnic barbecued chicken” just to see what comes up. This week it was Djaj Bil-Bahar Il-Asfar.
Karl’s Djaj Bil-Bahar Il-Asfar (Iraqi Yellow Spice-Rubbed Chicken)
Filed under Chicken, Main Dishes, Sauces and Spices
I had made a chile chicken and was kind of locked into recipes South of the Border for my leftover dishes. To season my chicken tacos and chili chicken soup, I made a batch of chili powder. This was enough seasoning for both dishes.
Karl’s Four Chile Chili Powder
Filed under Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
Chili powder—as a blend of spices—is composed chiefly of chile peppers and mixed with other spices including cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. While there is some agreement about which spices this blend should contain, the amount of each is a matter for debate. This is not improved by the linguistic confusion between “chili powder”—as a blend of spices—and the “chili powder”—as in powdered dried chilies—used in those blends. In addition to the basic ingredients, some add other herbs and spices and still call it “chili powder.”
Karl’s Quick Chili Powder
Filed under Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
I have made the Moroccan spice blend Ras el Hanout before. For this Father’s Day, I wanted a Moroccan blend that was just a little bit simpler than 29 ingredients. Looking at my old recipe, I cut out the more obscure spices and adjusted the quantities. To be called a Ras el Hanout the blend should have at least these eleven spices: allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne pepper, cloves, coriander seeds, ginger, mace, nutmeg, turmeric, and white pepper. The quantities of each spice vary widely between blends I have found.
Karl’s Moroccan Spice Mix II (another “Ras el Hanout”)
Filed under Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
This dish has become a standard weekday meal at my house. Jan asks for it at least once or twice a month. This makes it a bit boring for me, so I am always tinkering with the recipe trying to make it even better.
Karl’s Barbecued Veracruz-style Fish Tacos
Filed under Barbeque, Fish, Main Dishes, Sauces and Spices, Seafood
I thought I would change up the seasoning for my fish tacos. I found some guajillo ground chili. I added that to the mix as well as some coriander seeds. I also decided to eliminate the non-Mexican Indian chili powder.
Note: If you are a Vegan this would go well on grilled tofu or tempe.
Filed under Sauces and Spices, Vegan
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Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 