Fried Apples with Pomegranate

There is nothing like a fresh crisp apple, but frying them is a great option when the apples are less than pristine and pomegranates are in season. 

The Menu

Braised and Shredded Lamb

Roasted Vegetables

Fried Apples with Pomegranate*



About one apple per serving.

Cinnamon

Butter

Pomegranate Seeds

I do not peel the apples.  A good scrub works just fine.  Dry them. Slice about 1/4" thick.  Sprinkle them with cinnamon.

For two apples, melt 1Tsp butter in a medium skillet over medium low heat.   Add the apples and stir to cook the slices with butter.

Cook uncovered until apples are lightly browned and tender.

Add pomegranate seeds. 

I must take full responsibility for this recipe.  It seemed the apples needed a bit of cheering up and the bright red pomegranate seeds did the trick quite nicely.

Potatoes with Paprika

The Menu

Grilled Chicken Thighs

Potatoes Sauteed with Paprika*

Garden Salad with Mango

My time in Budapest left me with a deep affection for all things paprika.  I hit upon the idea of sprinkling the wonder spice on potatoes fairly quickly.  Delicious!  Imagine my delight when I found a recipe all written out by a professional that was an exact duplicate of mine.  The only difference was that hers was written for four people as all of mine are designed for two.

Potatoes Sauteed with Paprika - My Version

1 large potato or enough small new potatoes to equal approximately12 oz, washed and thinly sliced

1 Tsp olive oil

1 tsp hot paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Warm the oil in a medium fry pan and stir in the paprika, salt and pepper.  Quickly add the potatoes and stir until all the potatoes are evenly coated with the paprika and oil combination.  Cover the fry pan and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender.

If you decide to double the recipe, extend cooking time accordingly. 

I use a mild form of paprika for this, but it's fun to experiment with the spicier versions.

The inspiration for this recipe came from my love of paprika, but the validating recipe came from A Taste of Croatia by Karen  Evenden, page 62.

One more note:  I used the same paprika, salt, and pepper mix to season the chicken before grilling. 

Stanley Chicken

The Menu

Stanley Chicken*

Green Beans

When I first met Stanley, the charming man who was to become my husband a few years later, his cooking repertoire was significantly limited.  However, he did make a chicken dish that was easy and outstanding.  Best of all, it was loaded with carrots and his three boys liked it.  Over the years, I've messed with the recipe some, but it is still very recognizable as 'Stanley Chicken.'

Stanley Chicken - My Version

1 large potato

1 lb carrots
3 chicken thighs
3 Tsp Madras Curry Powder
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup red wine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Peel potato and carrots.  Slice into chunks of approximately 1 cubic inch.  Put the chunks in a three quart oven-proof pot with tight lid.  Add the Worcestershire Sauce, the Soy Sauce, red wine, and 1 Tsp Madras Curry Powder.  Stir to coat the vegetables. 

Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and set it aside.  Rub the remainder of the curry powder onto the thighs and set them on top of the vegetables.  Place the skin on top of the thighs. 

Cover the pot and cook approximately 45 minutes or until the thickest thigh shows an internal temperature of 180 degrees. 

If the chicken is very fat, leave the skin off.  If you have too much liquid at the end of cooking, remove the chicken and vegetables and cook the liquid on medium high heat until reduced.  Take care to leave enough liquid to pour over the vegetables when serving. 

This makes plenty for the two of us with nothing left over.

I've made this dish many, many times sometimes cooking two chickens.  Just increase the seasonings and vegetables more or less in proportion to the amount of chicken.  When cooking large amounts, I sometimes leave out the potatoes and serve the dish over white rice.  The blend of carrot, chicken, and curry powder is what makes the magic.

Ratatouille

The Menu

Grilled Lamb Chops

Ratatouille*

Those glossy purple teardrops may look like something on the end of a bull to some folks, but I know they are prize worthy eggplants, the first I have ever had in my very own garden.  Yesterday was the day of reckoning, the day we would see just how good they really were.  Pleasant, sweet surprise!  They tasted as good as they looked. 

Ratatouille* - My Version

1 lb eggplant

1 lb zucchini

1 tsp salt

4 Tsp olive oil - more if needed

1/2 lb thinly sliced onion

2 sliced green peppers

2 to 3 Tsp olive oil, if necessary

Mashed garlic to taste

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup red wine

Salt and Pepper

1 Tsp Herbs de Provence

My eggplant had extremely thin skin so I did not peel it.  However, unless the skin is almost paper thin, remove it and slice the eggplant  in circles 1/2" thick.

Cut the zucchini into circles about the same size as the eggplant.  Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt.  Let stand 30 minutes.  Drain.  Dry each slice with a towel.

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and the zucchini in hot olive oil to lightly brown each side.  Remove to a side dish.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil until tender but not browned.  Stir in the garlic, Herbs de Provence, and season with salt and pepper.

Slice the drained tomatoes into 1/8" strips.  Lay them over the onion and pepper mixture.  Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by half.

Arrange the ratatouille in a  3 quart pot in this order:

Tomato, onion, pepper mixture

Eggplant and zucchini

Tomato, onion, pepper mixture

Eggplant and zucchini

Tomato, onion, pepper mixture

Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.  Uncover, tip pot and baste with the rendered juices.  Add more salt, pepper, or Herbs de Provence as necessary.  Raise the heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes.  Almost all the juice will evaporate so take care not to scorch the bottom.

Reheat slowly at serving time. 

Inspiration for the recipe came from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, page 503.  I made only three changes in the recipe.  I used stewed tomatoes instead of the fresh ones she suggested.  My tomatoes are great for eating fresh, but they tend to have a lot of juice and I didn't want to take the chance of having a vegetable soup instead of ratatouille.  Next time I will use the fresh ones.  I may have to cook them a bit longer, but all will be well.  Also, I used Herbs de Provence instead of the minced parsley she suggested.  And, finally, I added the red wine on my own initiative.  I simply couldn't imagine Ratatouille without the taste of red wine.