Zucchini Pie

 

The Guardian has some lovely recipes. I haven't made this yet, but it sounded so good that I wanted to get it stored somewhere.

Μπατζίνα Batzina (Zucchini pie)

This is a delicious crustless savoury pie that originated in Thessaly, near central Greece. As it’s pastry free, it’s lovely and light. It is also very versatile: substitute the zucchini for everything from grated pumpkin or sweet potato to any cheese, or just use zucchini without the eggs and cheese. Enjoy it hot or cold, as a main or as part of a meze platter.

Serves 6

4 zucchinis, grated
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp Greek‑style yoghurt
3 eggs
2 spring onions, chopped
1 cup chopped mint 
1 cup chopped dill 
1 cup chopped flat‑leaf parsley 
 3/4 cup plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup Greek feta, crumbled
4 tsp extra‑virgin olive oil
1 cup breadcrumbs

Place the grated zucchini in a colander, cover with salt and set aside to drain for two hours. Once drained, use your hands to squeeze out any remaining juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine drained zucchini and all the remaining ingredients (except for the oil and breadcrumbs) in a bowl, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to create a thick batter. Season with salt and pepper.

Grease a 11 inch round cake tin with two teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle two tablespoons of breadcrumbs over the base of the tin (this will help prevent sticking). Pour mixture into the tin and top with remaining breadcrumbs and olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden.

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

 

I was very pleased with the outcome of this recipe. For myself, I made a few changes. I didn't use heavy cream. I'm sure it would have been even more delicious with cream, but 2% milk is good enough for me. I will use some smoked paprika next time and add that in when the garlic goes in. We had leftover rice from the Chicken and Chorizo recipe you can find here in the Nanners and I added that to the soup instead of the orzo. In the directions you'll find that she calls for a tablespoon of salt. Not even. I used a teaspoon and thought it was just fine. In fact, the reason for making soup is to get around the high sodium content found in canned soup, so thanks for no thanks on tons of salt. 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons good olive oil

• 3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Grilled Cheese Croutons (recipe below)

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will -finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer, and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve hot with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.

Grilled Cheese Croutons (Serves 4 to 6)

• 4 (½-inch-thick) slices country white bread
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyère on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyère, -buttered sides up.

Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute, and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Copyright 2012, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

Mushroom Curry

 

This is an easy vegetarian dish you can put together quickly. The sweetness of the coconut milk really comes through. I put plain yogurt on mine when I served it up. 

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated

one inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can coconut milk
2 cans black-eyed beans (or any bean you like), drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and cook over a low to medium heat for five minutes, until softened and starting to colour. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for a minute, then pour in the tomatoes and cook on a low to medium heat for five minutes.

Stir in the salt and ground spices, followed by all the remaining ingredients, stir well and bring to a boil. Cover, then leave to cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes. (If you have more time, cook it over over a lower heat for 30-40 minutes.) Serve warm.

From Chetna Makan, The Guardian

Chicken with Rice, Chorizo, and Tomatoes

 

Chorizo is a type of pork sausage from the Iberian peninsula. I had it first in Portugal and I love it even more than bacon. Just like bacon, anything you put it in will immediately become the most delicious thing in the world. This is a one pan meal and that, combined with delicious, makes this one of my favorite recipes.

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 TBSP oil, divided

4 ounces cured Spanish chorizo, diced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped  

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ cup white wine or 2 TBSP white wine vinegar

One 14.5 ounce crushed tomatoes or 1 3/4 cups diced fresh tomatoes

1 ½ cups uncooked white rice

2 cups chicken broth

 

Directions:

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add 2 TBSP of oil. Brown the chicken 3-4 minutes on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

If the pan looks dry, warm the last TBSP of oil in it. Otherwise, just add the chorizo and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it’s beginning to crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and paprika, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine (or vinegar) and cook until it’s almost all reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes plus 2 tsp salt (I don't use all the salt). If using whole tomatoes, cook until they lose their shape. Otherwise, a few minutes will do. Nestle the chicken back into the pan, including any juices that collected on the plate. Pour in the broth and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, and cover the pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender, and the chicken is cooked through. Add more water if the rice is undercooked and continue cooking until done.

If you like you can make the rice crispy by putting on the lid and increasing the heat to medium-high. Cook, moving the pan around every minute or so, allowing the bottom to color evenly. You’ll hear it crackling in the pan. Remove it from the heat and let it rest with the lid on for 10 minutes.

From Smitten Kitchen Keepers, D. Perelman. (2022)