*PC Vulcan Chicken

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 20.)


The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 200 g (or 7 oz) of salt pork
• 1 medium onion, weighing approximately 350 g (or 12  oz)
• 2 to 5 carrots, weighing approximately 570 g (or 1¼ lb)
• 6 shallots, weighing approximately 170 g (or 6 oz)
• 4 garlic cloves, weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• 1 chicken, cut into serving-size pieces (or the equivalent weight of chicken legs or breasts)
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 300 ml (or 1¼ cups) of white wine
• 230 g (or 1 cup) of French green lentils, preferably imported from the origin: Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, France
• 240 ml (or 1 cup) of chicken broth, preferably home-made
• 15 g (or ½ oz) of fresh herbs, or the dried equivalent (I used rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves)
• 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons) of Dijon mustard
• Cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Dice the salt pork finely.
2. Cut the onion into 1-cm (or ⅜-inch) cubes.
3. Peel and slice the carrots into rounds.
4. Peel the shallots and slice them in half across the rings.
5. Peel and crush the garlic cloves or force them through a garlic press.
6. Tie the herbs together with a piece of string.
7. Cut the chicken into about 12 pieces: 2 wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 4 to 6 serving-size sections of breast. 
8. Wash the chicken pieces, pat them dry, and season them with the black pepper.
   
9. Place the base of the pressure cooker on the stove and add enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
10. Heat the pan to medium, and add the salt pork.
    
11. Stir the salt pork frequently and cook until it turns a golden brown.
12. Remove the salt pork and set it aside.
    
13. Pour off all you can of the rendered pork fat and return the pan to the stove.
14. If necessary, add a little more olive oil then place the onion, carrot, and shallot into the pan and stir frequently until the onion is translucent.
15. Add the garlic and stir frequently until it starts to smell toasty.
16. Remove the vegetables and set them aside.
17. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, to the pan and allow them to brown for several minutes before turning them and browning them on the other side also.
18. Add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. 
19. Add the lentils, salt pork, vegetables, chicken broth, herbs, and about one-third of the mustard and stir briefly.
    
20. Following manufacturer's instructions, cover the pressure cooker and cook the chicken at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 12 minutes.
21. Following manufacturer's instructions, reduce pressure as quickly as possible.
22. Remove the lid, and return the pressure cooker base to medium heat on the stove; simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes to reduce and thicken the liquid.
    
23. Remove the herbs and add the remainder of the mustard, stirring to distribute it evenly.

The Story:

This is an adaptation of a recipe by Katrina Woodman on taste.com.au.

*PC Chick-Chick

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 18.)

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 250 g (or 1¼ cup) of lentils (I used channa dal, or dried baby chick peas)
  
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of salt pork
• 1 medium onion weighing approximately 225 g (or 8 oz)
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of carrots
• 1 chicken weighing approximately 1.8 kg (or 4 lb)
• 55 g (or 2 oz) of parsley (preferably the flat-leaf Italian parsley)
• 1 g (or 1 tablespoon) of dried tarragon
• 5 bay leaves
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 60 ml (or ¼ cup) of sherry
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Six hours before you plan to serve the Chick-Chick, place the lentils in a medium size saucepan, cover with two or more inches of water, and bring the pot to a boil.
2. When the lentils have boiled for one minute, remove the pot from the heat, place a cover on the pan, and allow the lentils to soak until you are ready for step 11, below.
3. About 2 hours before you plan to serve, prepare the other ingredients by first cutting the salt pork into thin slices and then into approximately 1-cm (or ¾-inch) pieces.
4. Dice the onion.
5. Finely dice or grind the garlic cloves.
6. Peel and chop the carrots into bite-size pieces.
7. Wash the chicken thoroughly, pat it dry, and chop it into about 12 bone-in pieces—wings, thighs, drumsticks, 4 to 6 breast pieces, and the lower spine piece.
   
8. Wash the parsley, tie the stems together with twine, and cut the stems off the bunch.
9. Pour enough olive oil into the pressure cooker to coat the bottom, and heat it over medium-high heat.
10. When the oil is hot, sauté the salt pork until it is browned and slightly crisp.
11. Meanwhile, drain the soaked lentils in a colander and rinse them in cold water to remove all of the soaking water.
12. When the salt pork is browned, add the chicken pieces to the pressure cooker and brown them on all sides.
    
    
    
    
13. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent.
14. Add the carrots and drained lentils, and stir to coat them with the olive oil.
15. Add 300 ml (or 1¼ cup) of water.
16. Add to the pressure cooker the parsley stems, tarragon, and bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and stir to distribute them in the mixture.
17. Lock the lid onto the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions, and turn the heat to high.
18. Cook the chicken and lentil mixture in the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions for 15 minutes at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) .
19. Meanwhile, chop the parsley leaves finely and set them aside.
20. When the pressure has subsided, remove the chicken pieces from the pressure cooker and set them aside.
21. Remove the parsley stems from the mixture and discard them.
22. Add the sherry to the lentil mixture, stirring to distribute it throughout.
23. With the lid off the pressure cooker, return the lentil mixture to the stove and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes more, or until it becomes thickened and creamy in texture.
24. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, add the parsley leaves, and stir gently to distribute them evenly throughout.
    

*PC Muchi Chicken Curry

*PC Muchi Chicken Curry with Smashing Cauliflower, mango chutney, and curd

* Pressure cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 14.)

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 200 g (or 1 cup) of chana dal
• 4 large cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• a piece of ginger root weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• a piece of turmeric root weighing approximately 15 g (or ½ oz)
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of Cayenne pepper
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of paprika
• 1 lb of curly kale
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of medium size carrots
• 2 onions, weighing approximately 550 g (or 1¼ lb)
• 5 g (or ½ tablespoon) of whole cumin seed
• 12 g (or 2 tablespoons) of curry powder (my current favorite is muchi style)
• 6 g (or 2 tablespoons) of ground coriander seed
• 1.3 kg (or 3 lb) of chicken drumsticks
• a 400-g (or 14-oz) can of diced tomatoes, or the equivalent prepared from fresh tomatoes
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. At least 5 hours before serving the curry, place the chana dal in a medium mixing bowl and pour in water to cover the dal by 3 inches.
2. When you are ready to start cooking, first grind together (or grate and mix together) the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt to make a pungent paste.
   
3. Next, in a small bowl or saucer, mix together the Cayenne, the paprika, and 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of water to make a spicy paste. (Ground chili may be substituted for Cayenne pepper if you prefer it.)
4. Wash the kale and cut the stem out of each leaf. Discard the stems and put the kale aside.
   
5. Peel the carrots, wash them, and chop them into bite-size pieces
6. Peel the onions and cut them into thin slices or small cubes.
7. Heat a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
8. Add the onions and cumin seeds, and sauté them over medium-high heat until the onions start to brown.
9. Add the pungent paste from Step 2, spicy paste from Step 3, curry powder, and coriander powder and stir vigorously for 1 minute.
   
10. Add the chicken drumsticks and continue to stir until they are coated with the spices and the skin is beginning to look seared.
11. Add the tomatoes, kale, and carrot to the cooker, and 250 ml (or 1 cup) of water.
12. Drain the dal, rinse it in the sieve, then add it to the mixture in the pan.
    
13. Stir everything together, scraping up any spices that may be sticking on the bottom of the pan.
14. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and, following the manufacturer's instructions, cook the curry at high pressure for 15 minutes (100 kPa, or 15 psi).

Clamming It Up

Clamming It Up with Spanakopeta on Christmas Eve

The Ingredients (for 4 to 6 servings):

• 2 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 10 g (or ¼ oz) 450 g (or 1 lb) of cherry tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato sauce, approximately 425 g (or 15 oz), preferably Muir Glen brand
• 2 kg (or 4½ lb) of fresh clams
• 180 ml (or ¾ cup) of white wine
• 5 g (or 2 teaspoons) of freshly ground black pepper
• 340 g (or ¾ lb) of ziti (I used a product made from green lentil flour as described on my previous post on this blog, Cheeziti.)
• cooking grade olive oil
• salad grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut them in halves.
3. Heat a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat and pour in enough cooking grade olive oil to coat the bottom.
4. Add the crushed garlic and stir it until it no longer smells raw.
5. Add the halved tomatoes and stir until they are coated with the olive oil and slightly softened.
   
   
   
   
6. Pour in the tomato sauce and turn the heat to low. Simmer the tomato sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan of water on the stove and heat the water to boiling.
8. Wash and drain the clams in a large colander.
9.  Add the wine and black pepper to the tomato sauce, stir, then add the clams.
   
10. Stir until all of the clams are coated with the sauce, and cover the pot.
11. Simmer the clams for about 5 minutes, until the clams open up, then turn off the heat.
12. Meanwhile, cook the ziti in the boiling water for 5 minutes, then pour them into a colander or large sieve to remove the water.
13. Immediately drizzle some salad grade olive oil over the ziti and mix them gently until all are coated with the oil.
    
14. Place the ziti in a serving dish and add the clam sauce, then mix gently.

Cheeziti

The Ingredients (for 8 to 10 servings):

• 4 shallots, weighing approximately 200 g (or 7 oz)
• 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 30 g (or 1 oz)
• 0.75 kg (or 1¼ lb) of lean ground turkey meat
• 30 ml (or 2 Tbsp) of Worcestershire sauce
  
• 15 ml (or 1 Tbsp) of dark soy sauce
• One 425-g (or 15-oz) can of thick tomato sauce; preferably Muir Glen Pizza Sauce
• 80 ml (or ⅓ cup) of pesto; preferably home-made to your taste
• optional 450 g (or 1 lb) of prepared meatballs (I used Hawaiian-made Portuguese sausage, casing removed)
• 350 g (or ¾ lb) of lentil flour ziti
• 2 eggs
• 300 g (or 11 oz) of chèvre
• 4 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of  freshly ground black pepper
• 160 g or 5 oz of hard cheese such as Romano (I used Manchego)

The Method:

1. Chop the shallots and garlic finely and sauté them together in olive oil over medium-high heat until they are translucent and no longer smell raw.
2.  Add the ground turkey and continue to sauté until the meat has lost its pinkness.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce and mix them throughout the meat mixture.
4. Add the tomato sauce and simmer the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Off-heat, add the pesto and, optionally, meatballs or sausage to the tomato sauce, and set aside.
6. Turn on the oven and set it to 190°C (or 375°F).
   
7. In a large mixing bowl, break the eggs and whisk them to break the yolks.
8. Add the salt and pepper and whisk again until the eggs begin to froth slightly.
9. Add the chèvre and mix it into the eggs, breaking it up with a fork if necessary into smallish lumps.
10. Cook the ziti in boiling water for 4 minutes, then immediately rinse them under cold water until they lose their heat.
11. Strain excess water off the ziti and mix them into the egg mixture so that each piece is coated.
12. Lightly brush or spray with oil the inside of a casserole dish.
13. Place half of the tomato sauce mixture in the bottom of the casserole.
14. Place all of the ziti mixture on top of the tomato sauce.
15. Spread the remaining tomato sauce mixture on top of the ziti.
16. Grate the hard cheese and sprinkle it on top of the tomato sauce.
17. Bake the ziti casserole in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce begins to bubble around the edges.
    

The Story:

We are always trying to find low-carb versions of, or alternatives to pasta. Imagine our curiosity recently when we discovered a new product on the shelves of our local Costco—ziti made from green lentil flour. We bought some immediately and a label comparison showed that the ziti have about 20% less carbohydrate and 33% more protein than our favorite Dreamfields brand whole wheat spaghetti, and about the same amount of fiber. This is the latest dish I made with the ziti, based loosely on a recipe by Ree Drummond on FoodNetwork.com. We find the lentil flour pasta more satisfying—more filling, I suppose—than the equivalent amount of the spaghetti, meaning we take smaller portions. All of this is good, and I am already thinking of variations for the recipe above, as well as other uses for this and hopefully other products made by Tolerant.

A Pair of Pizzas

Menu Notes:

• After researching low-carb options for pizza crust, I based this recipe on a New York Times article on farinata (Italian for 'made of flour'). The Tuscan cecina ('made of chickpeas') is a more accurate description.
• To make a deep-dish pizza, use the whole of the farinata batter for one pizza. After step 5, below, heat a large cast iron skillet on the stove top, spray or smear it with olive oil, and pour part of the batter in, swirling it around and up the sides. Return the skillet to the stove top for a few minutes until it sets, then repeat the pouring, swirling, and reheating until you have a thick enough crust. Then continue with step 11 et seq.

The Ingredients (for 2 pizzas, or 4 to 8 servings):

• 170 g (or 2 cups) of finely ground chick pea (garbanzo bean) flour
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 3 g (or 1 teaspoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• cooking grade olive oil

• 140 g (or 5 oz) of chèvre, a creamy goat cheese
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 110 g (or 4 oz) of sausage (I used a neighbor's home-made wild boar Portuguese sausage)

• 75 ml (or ⅓ cup) of pizza sauce
• 140 g (or 5 oz) of Manchego cheese or the equivalent
• 85 g (or 3 oz) of salami or pepperoni
• 1 can of anchovies, approximately 10 fillets
• 12 kalamata-style cured, pitted olives

• 1 bell pepper
• 6 scallions
• 2 sprigs of basil

The Method:

1. At least 2 hours before serving the pizzas, place the chick pea flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper and stir to distribute evenly.
   
3. Into the flour mixture, trickle 470 ml (or 2 cups) of tepid water, while whisking to make sure that no lumps form in the batter.
4. Add 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of olive oil and whisk briefly to distribute it evenly. There will be about 700 ml (or 3 cups) of batter.
5. Allow the batter to rest for at least one hour at room temperature and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
6. Meanwhile, about half an hour before you want to serve the pizzas, prepare the toppings. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, sausage, salami, olives, bell pepper, and scallions into manageable pieces. Grate the Manchego cheese.
7. Set the oven to 220°C (or 425°F).
8. Heat an ovenproof pizza pan or skillet measuring approximately 25 cm (or 10 in) across the bottom. Either place it in the oven or heat it gently on top of the stove.
9. When the oven temperature is reached, add 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of olive oil to the pan and swirl or spread it evenly across the bottom and part way up the sides of the pan.
10. Pour half of the batter into the pan and place it immediately in the oven.
11. Bake the batter for 15 minutes, or until the edges and bottom of the crust are a light, toasty brown and the top is dry, slightly spongy. The crust may have small, fine cracks across the top.
12. Repeat steps 9 through 11 with the rest of the batter. If it is necessary to use the same pan twice, gently slide the first crust onto a baking sheet and set it aside while the second is being baked.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Pease Porridge Please

The Ingredients (for 5 to 8 servings):

• 500 g (or 18 oz) of dried black-eyed peas
• 140 g (or 5 oz) of salt cured pork
• 1 medium onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2.5 g (or 1 teaspoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 2.5 g (or 1 teaspoon) of Cayenne pepper
• 6 g (or 2 teaspoons) of garlic powder
• 475 ml (or 2 cups) of chicken stock
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 900 g (or 2 lb) of smoked pork bones
• 225 g (or ½ lb) each of Brussels sprouts, carrots, and mushrooms
• 225 g (or ½ lb) of lean smoked pork
• Cooking grade olive oil
• Water

The Method:

1. About 5 hours before serving, rehydrate the black-eyed peas by bringing them to the boil in a large pot containing water to at least double the volume of the peas.
2. Boil the black-eye peas for 2 minutes, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the peas steep and cool for 2 hours.
3. Drain the black-eyed peas and set them aside.
4. Cut the salt pork in to slices approximately 1 cm (or ⅜ in) thick, then cube them.
5. Cut the onion into cubes of similar size to the salt pork.
6. Finely dice the garlic cloves or put them through a garlic press. 
7. Heat enough oil in a large soup pot to cover the bottom, and fry the salt cured pork cubes, stirring frequently, over medium high heat until they begin to turn brown.
8. Add the onion and garlic and continue to stir frequently until the onion is translucent and no longer smells raw.
9. Turn the heat to medium and add the black pepper, Cayenne pepper, and garlic powder, stirring  briefly to disperse the spices.
   
10. Add the black-eyed peas.
11. Add the chicken broth and 950 ml (or 4 cups) of water.
12. Add the bay leaves and thyme.
13. Turn the heat to high until the broth is boiling.
14. Add the pork bones and turn the heat to low, covering the pot.
15. Simmer the mixture for 40 minutes.
16. Meanwhile, trim and rinse the Brussels sprouts, peel and chop the carrots, clean and slice the mushrooms.
    
17. Add the vegetables to the pease porridge and continue to simmer for 1 hour more, or until the black-eyed peas are soft.
18. Remove the pork bones from the pease porridge and place them on a chopping board. 
19. Cut any meat away from the bones and return it to the porridge.
20. Cut the lean smoked pork meat into bite-size pieces and add them to the hot pease porridge about 5 minutes before serving.

Pease porridge garnished with purple basil

The Story:

This recipe was made from parts of a suckling pig that my son-in-law and daughter smoked in the backyard as a surprise for us. We had to avert our eyes so as not to discover what they were doing but we could not avert our noses for long! After we ate a small part of the smoked pork, the rest was cut into manageable parts and many pounds of meat were frozen. The spine and meat adhering to it were the bones that we boiled the black-eyed peas with; we added some fileted shoulder meat at the end of the cooking. Because the pig was brined overnight before being smoked, I added no extra salt to the pease porridge.