Shout out to my pops: Kebabs

I grew up eating all sorts of kebabs; lamb, chicken, beef maybe even some goat thrown in there too. All kebabs are all born out of the fact that there was very little cooking fuel available in the Middle East during ancient times. This made it difficult to cook large animals or heat large cooking vessels. Most people are familiar with shish kebabs which are chunks of meat and vegetables cooked on a skewer. I, however, grew up mostly eating seekh kebabs which are spiced ground meat kebabs. They are native to Pakistan, where my father is from. For my kebab recipe you can use ground lamb, beef or turkey. The lamb is the most traditional and delicious and you lose that hearty meat flavor as you go down the line.

1 lb. ground lamb, beef or turkey
1 tbsp. garlic paste (or finely minced)
1 tbsp. ginger paste (or finely minced)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp. garam masala (if you don’t have it use curry powder or a mixture of cumin and turmeric)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and combine well. Now you have many cooking options. The most traditional way would be to form long sausage shaped kebabs around skewers and then line them up above a roasting pan so the meat isn’t touching the pan. Set your broiler to low and place the kebabs in the oven. Rotate them every few minutes to they brown and cook through. Cook no more then 15 minutes in total. If it is warm outside you could go through the same skewering process and throw them on the grill. Another good option is to turn them into hamburgers as they are certainly an interesting twist to an old favorite. However you decide to cook them I suggest you make a tiny test patty and cook it on the stove top to check the seasoning. You don’t want to cook the entire batch and realize you didn't put enough salt or garlic in. I stick with the traditional and broil them. You can serve them with pita and salad, or with couscous or rice.

It's not just a movie. Ratatouille.

Ratatouille, while thrust into popular culture with the 2007 Disney movie, is still a mysterious food to most people, but nothing could be simpler, more versatile or delicious. The dish is a simple vegetable stew containing eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers, but the options are endless. The following recipe is simple is incredibly easy.

1 medium Italian eggplant cut into 1'' cubes
4 zucchini sliced into 1/2'' quarter circles
2 bell peppers (red or yellow) roughly chopped
1 carrot peeled and diced
1 large onion peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock or water
3 springs of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Here's a quick visual guide to how everything should be cut:




Coat the bottom of a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven with olive oil, place over medium-high heat. Saute the carrots, onions, and garlic and until translucent, 3-4 mins. Add the sprigs of thyme and eggplant, saute for 3-4 more minutes. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes and stock. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and simmer covered for 25 minutes. That's it. You can serve it with pasta or rice as a main course or as a side dish. It also makes a great substitute for meat sauce in a lasagna. Feel free to add mushrooms, squash or any other vegetable you like.

Alfredo? You can call it whatever you want.

In today's heart healthy society people are staying clear of cream sauces. But, I think there's a way to make a dish like fettuccine alfredo and keep the calories reasonable. First off you can load your pasta dish with vegetables. Mine has artichokes, zucchini, yellow bell peppers and onions but you can put in whatever you have on hand. Adding some lean meats like chicken breast or shrimp doesn't hurt either. Instead of using heavy cream I am going to make a light white sauce using skim milk. I use Skim Plus because it has more flavor then regular skim milk. Which isn't saying much since regular skim milk is pretty much water with white food coloring. Here is my recipe for a a full pound of pasta (that's one box).

Ingredients:

1 lbs. of fettuccine
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 1/2 cups bell pepper (sliced)
1 large zucchini (sliced)
1 6 oz. jar of marinated artichokes (drained)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Bring 6 qts. of water to a boil and cook the fettuccine to aldente, 10 mins. Meanwhile prepare the cream sauce. In a medium saucepan bring together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the flour over low heat. Whisk in the milk until thickened. Add salt to taste and whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Set aside. In a saute pan, over medium high heat, add the other tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot add in the onions, zucchini and peppers. Saute 4-5 minutes until tender. Add in the artichokes and the pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. To finish the dish add the pasta to the pan with the vegetables and stir in the cream sauce. If the sauce is too thick add some of the pasta water. Sprinke with parsley if you so desire. Enjoy.

Kickin' it off right: Turducken.

I don't think there is a more American food than a the Turducken. It is the pinnacle of American abundance and absurdity, but if properly prepared, it is also moist and delicious. What other country on earth decides to stuff one bird into another, into another. As if the birds themselves were not enough, between each layer there is, you guessed it, stuffing. Some recipes take this idea too far suggesting that each layer of stuffing contain its own unique animal either crab, oysters or sausage. But, besides over complicating the process, the idea of 6 different meats, birds and fish in one dish is gross. So i present to you my tips to a successful Turducken.


1. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare and roast. Roasting can take anywhere from 6-10 hours and prep anywhere from 1-3 hrs.
2. Get your butcher to debone the birds for you. I deboned all three birds myself and however gratifying it was to complete the task, it's just not worth the effort.
3. Make one stuffing. Making a Turducken is a herculean feat in and of itself so there is no need to make 3 different stuffings.
4. Sear the deboned duck and chicken before assembly. This is especially important for the duck because it renders down some of the duck fat. Which is good for two reasons. First, you can put the duck fat in your stuffing. Second, it ensures that there isn't a thick fatty layer in your Turducken.
5. Get some help. Assembly requires two people. (Thanks Karima)
6. Get a smaller Turkey. Most recipes call for a 3-4 lbs. chicken a 5-6 lbs. duck and a 15-20 lbs. turkey. If you used a smaller turkey, say 13 lbs., you can reduce your cooking time greatly and assure that all three meats remain moist.
7. This is critical. Don't go overboard on the stuffing. My sister in her infinite wisdom had been victim to a nasty Turducken and stressed that only a light layer of stuffing should go between each bird and she was right. It also ensures quick and even cooking.

Those are my Turducken tips. For a complete guide on how to make a Turducken check this site out: http://homecooking.about.com/od/turkeyrecipes/ss/turduckensbs.htm. Enjoy these photos and check back often for more updates.