Marinated Chickpea Salad 

This is a Mediterranean salad, specifically a Turkish dish called Nohut Salatasi (literally chickpea salad)

. At our restaurant, Donderos’ Kitchen, we sell quite a bit of it, close but not exactly like the recipe here. 

Traditionally this is the summer version of the salad, when fresh vegetables were readily available. In winter, the fresh tomatoes could be replaced with a quarter as much volume of sun-dried tomato cut in thin strips plus a small amount of mild pickled cucumber. The fresh herbs could be replaced with smaller amounts of their dry counterparts. Nowadays, we have fresh vegetables and herbs available year-round. 

Easy to make, the dish is tangy and exciting. It can be an appetizer (as one of the meze), or simply an accompaniment for a sandwich or small meat dish. Sometimes a few black olives, such as Kalamata, are used with it as a garnish. 

The recipe will serve six, but leftovers store well in the refrigerator for a few days.

 

2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1/4 medium red onion. julienned (cut in narrow strips lengthwise)

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons minced flat parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint or cilantro

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2-3 squirts hot pepper sauce or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

A few Kalamata olives for garnish, optional

 

Mix drained and rinsed chickpeas, onion, vinegar, salt, sugar and fresh and dried seasonings. 

Then stir in the olive oil and tomatoes. Marinate at least half an hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt and/or vinegar, as needed. 

Serve sprinkled with more paprika. Garnish with Kalamata olives if desired.

 

West African Chicken in Peanut Sauce

 

The wonderful African chicken in peanut sauce is served in various forms all over West Africa. I first encountered it while living and working in Cameroon. The dish is originally from Senegal in far West Africa, and was introduced throughout the region to as far east as Congo in Central Africa by itinerant Senegalese merchants, who do business all over. I know of at least five names for the dish: “Poulet en Sauce d’Arachide” in African French, “Groundnut Soup” in West African English, “Groundnut Chop” in West African Pidgin, and “Mafe” (mah-fay), its original Senegalese name, presumably from Wolof, the main Senegalese language. In European English it is “Chicken in Peanut Sauce” or “African Peanut Chicken.”  

The dish has been extremely popular when I prepare it for American friends. It was the first dish to run out at my daughter Lisa’s wedding reception, now many years ago. In West Africa, the chicken is usually cut up into pieces with the bones, and the sauce is seasoned with smoked fish plus red palm oil and can be quite hot with chilies. Here is a fancier version (like I had from a fine chef in Sierra Leone) with boneless, skinless chicken breast. I use Asian fish sauce plus dry chipotle peppers for the smoky pungent flavor in place of the smoked fish and habanero peppers, and usually leave out the palm oil. The dish goes with white or brown rice. 

The recipe easily serves six.

 

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 to 2 dry chipotle peppers (available at Mexican groceries; handle carefully), stem and

seeds removed, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot pepper or cayenne

3 tablespoons oil such as peanut or canola (not olive)

1 1/2 cups water

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (available at Asian groceries) or 3/4 teaspoon extra salt

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1 medium bay leaf

1/3 cup “natural” (unsweetened) peanut butter plus 1/2 cup water

 

Trim away any tough or fatty parts from the chicken and cut the flesh in 1 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. Prepare the onions, garlic, ginger and chipotle pepper. 

Heat the oil in a pot. Fry the onions, stirring frequently, until pale golden. Fry in the garlic and ginger for one minute. Add the water, tomato paste, fish sauce, herbs, bay leaf and chipotle or hot pepper. Stir well. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the chicken and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water, if needed, to keep the liquid level just below the top of the chicken. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the peanut butter with the 1/2 cup of water (the mixture thickens at first). When the chicken has simmered 5 minutes, stir in the peanut butter mixture, and bring back to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer about 4 minutes. Taste for salt, and add some if needed. Remove from the heat. Remove the pieces of chipotle pepper and bay leaf. 

Serve with lightly salted white or brown rice or a seasoned rice dish.

 

North Indian Curried Lentils with Vegetables – Sabji Dal

 

Dal, the Indian term for cooked dry legumes, such as lentils, peas and beans, is basic to cuisines throughout South Asia. Dal is the accompanying dish to curries for a dinner, or the principal dish, when accompanied by rice or the whole wheat flat bread chapatti, for lighter meals. Although soupy, dal is not served as a soup.

Here is a procedurally simplified version of a North Indian vegetable dal, but it approximates the original result well. The ingredients are available at many supermarkets as well as at natural food stores and Indian grocery stores. 

The recipe serves six, but leftovers store and reheat well.

 

2 cups split red lentils (Masoor dal) 

6 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 small onion, diced

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 medium carrot, peeled, split lengthwise then cut in 1/4-inch slices

1 cup green beans, tips removed and beans cut in 1-inch lengths

1 small zucchini, split lengthwise then cut in 1/2-inch slices

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

10 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped, for finishing

2 green onions, green and white parts in 1/4-inch slices, for finishing

 

Rinse and drain the lentils. Put in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, and skim off the foam that collects. Add the butter, onion and spices (not the salt). Reduce heat and simmer five minutes. 

Add the carrot and green beans and simmer until vegetables are becoming tender (10-15 minutes). Add salt and zucchini, Simmer until zucchini is tender, 8-10 minutes. If liquid is cooking down add a little water. Taste and add salt as needed. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and green onion. 

Serve with rice or chapatti.

Here is the classical southern Chinese way of stir-frying vegetables with a small amount of meat (or shrimp) for seasoning the vegetable and adding a little contrasting color to the dish. In this case, because they are easy to find, the principal ingredients are broccoli and chicken. But the method works for other vegetables and meats or shrimp, The sauces are available at Asian food stores and store for months in a refrigerator, once opened. 

Serves 4-6 with rice.  

1 pound broccoli crowns

3 green onions

1/4 inch slice of fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil (not olive) for marinating plus 3 tablespoons for frying

2 teaspoons Chinese hoi sin sauce or oyster sauce

Salt as needed

Water as needed

 

Cut off a little of the base of the broccoli stem, then cut the crown into flowerets each with some stem and about 1 inch of crown part. Cut green onion, green and white parts in 1-inch lengths. Peel skin off the ginger slice and mince the ginger and the garlic together finely.

Split the chicken breast in half flat wise (“butterflied”). Thinly (1/8-inch) slice chicken breast crosswise. In a small bowl, mix the cut chicken with the cornstarch, soy sauce, pepper and 1 tablespoon of oil.. Have these ingredients ready before starting to cook.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil and stir fry the broccoli half a minute. Sprinkle lightly with salt and add half a cup of water. Stir and fry until broccoli is dark green and just starting to become tender but remains a little crisp. Transfer broccoli and any liquid to a bowl.

Clean the cooking pan briefly then reheat it. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and the minced ginger and garlic. As soon as it sizzles, add the chicken and stir and fry so the chicken changes color. Stir in the hoi sin or oyster sauce and continue to stir and fry the chicken until chicken color has lost all raw color. Add the precooked broccoli plus its liquid plus the green onion and stir and fry for fifteen seconds. Remove from the heat. 

Taste a little of the sauce and if salt is needed, stir in a little. 

Serve on a platter or wide shallow bowl. Accompany with white, unsalted rice.

 

Spiced Rice – a New (Old) Family Favorite

The other evening, we had some of our family who had just returned from their summer trip over for dinner, along with two additional grandchildren. The main dish was pork braised with peaches, which are currently in peak season here (see my blog posting for July 12, 2021 for a nectarine version of the dish). To accompany this, I made a spiced rice dish, actually a simple rice pilaf, something that is common in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines, and the sort of thing I made often as a side dish when our restaurant was doing delivery dinners for over a year at the beginning of the Covid period. The rice dish isn’t complex or really special, merely something savory to set off the meat dish. Or so I thought. 

To my amazement, four of the grandkids and a son-in-law found the rice amazingly different. And had their final helping of dinner as simply the rice. 

So, here it is, a new favorite in the family. It goes well with a seasoned meat dish that has a gravy or sauce. It worked very well with the braised pork. 

The recipe serves six. The rice, if necessary, reheats well in the microwave. 

1 1/2 cups basmati rice (or long-grained rice, such as Mahatma)

1 small onion, finely minced

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/4 cups water or unsalted chicken broth

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 whole cloves or a pinch of ground cloves

3 large bay leaves 

Rinse and drain the rice twice and set aside.

Mince the onion and fry it, uncovered, with the butter and olive oil over low heat in a heavy pot that has a tight-fitting lid. When onion is softened but not browned, stir in the drained rice and fry it with the onion 1 minute, stirring often. Add the water or unsalted chicken broth and seasonings and stir to mix. Do not stir again until the cooking is finished.   

Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, uncovered, for 1 minute. Cover pot and reduce heat to lowest setting and set the timer for 20 minutes. Do not open the pot. When the time is up, keep the pot covered, turn off the heat and let rest for 10 minutes. 

Open the pot and remove the bay leaves and whole cloves. Fluff the rice with a fork or rice paddle. Keep warm until served.

 

Pork or Pork and Beef Meatballs, Roasted

 

Pork Meatballs with Fresh Peach Salsa

These meatballs go with a topping such as a tomato sauce, fruit salsa or chutney, or barbecue or sweet-sour sauce. The meatballs can be made ahead then reheated briefly in the oven or over a grill. 

The recipe serves 4-6 persons as a main course or snack.

 

1 pound ground pork or a pork and beef mixture

1 very small clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons tomato ketchup

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

A pinch of ground nutmeg

A pinch of cayenne

 

Mix all the ingredients together well, then knead the mixture with your hands until completely smooth. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Lightly oil a baking pan or cookie sheet, or spray it with baker’s spray, Roll the meat into 1-1/4 inch meatballs (easiest if using a small scoop to portion out the meat mixture first). A little water on your hands makes the meatball rolling easier. Place meatballs on the baking sheet with some space between them. 

Bake the meatballs 6 minutes. Then with a sharp spatula turn the meatballs and roast another 6 minutes. Turn the meatballs again and bake for another 6 minutes, or until cooked through.
 

Serve on a platter with a sauce or salsa drizzled over them.

 

Fresh Peach Salsa

 

Working with a young colleague who produces short videos on cooking, I prepared for the upcoming filming in mid-summer in Athens Georgia – read peak peach season -- by developing a fresh peach salsa. We will use it for the video over pan-seared chicken thigh. But if I could get good salmon right now we’d serve the peach salsa over grilled salmon. 

This fresh peach condiment is a different, and fairly easy, use for our major Georgia fruit, and a change from the typical fruit snack and desserts that are all about. 

Use the salsa over grilled meat, chicken or fish, or over cheese such as goat cheese or Brie, or just scoop it up with tortilla chips. 

The recipe makes sufficient salsa for 4-6 people. But the recipe is easily doubled. The salsa will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

 

1 medium-large peach

1 small green onion, green part only

1-inch length piece of jalapeño pepper, membrane and seeds removed

1/8-inch slice of fresh ginger, peeled

2 sprigs cilantro or 3 mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

3 teaspoons brown sugar

5 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

 

Peel peach and remove the pit. On a cutting board, using a chef’s knife, slice then finely mince the peach flesh. Transfer to a bowl. On the same cutting board, very finely mince the green part of the onion, the jalapeno, the ginger and the fresh herb leaves. Add the mixture to the minced peaches. Stir in the salt, sugar and lime juice. 

Let the salsa rest for 10-15 minutes, Stir well and taste. If needed, add a little salt, sugar or lime juice to taste. Store, refrigerated, for an hour or more
before serving to let the flavors mingle.