Cuisine Eric

There are a million ways to make dhal, a creamy Indian bean mixture.  Normally based on red lentils, you can find many interesting small bean mixtures (sometimes with small grains as well), that cook up to a creamy dhal. A Buddha bowl is a mixture of elements both hot and cold, that together form a complete meal.  According to legend, Buddha carried a bowl around with him and accepted food donations in it, which he ate at the end of the day. I expect a vegetarian dish, probably combining a dhal and a grain, with some fresh veggies. Of course like a soup or stew, there are myriad varieties.  Next time you make dhal - consider a Buddha bowl something like this. 1 cup Rainbow lentil mix (I used Dunya Harvest, from Canada) - find on Amazon 2 cups water (more if needed) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp favorite curry powder 1/4 tsp garam masala 1 leek, cleaned and diced 4 cups broccoli flowerets 2 cloves garlic, minced crushed r

Heading out soon after work and don't have time to grill Korean Bulgogi? Plan ahead and make this slow cooker Korean BBQ number.  A quick prep in the morning - or the night before - and it'll be waiting at the ready when you get back home from work. 1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced 6 cloves garlic, halved 1-inch fresh ginger, chopped 1 doz (about 12 oz) fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved 4 carrots, peeled and coarsely sliced 2 lb meaty pork country ribs, on bone 1 16 oz jar favorite Korean BBQ sauce juice of 1 lemon dash crushed red pepper flakes Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes.  I used a slow cooker in which I can brown.  Otherwise use a separate skillet.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Transfer onions to slow cooker and add the mushrooms and carrots. Nestle the pork ribs in the veggie mixture and pour the BBQ sauce and lemon juice over the mixture.   Cook on slow for 8 hours. Transfer to a serving dish and gar

This hearty vegetarian stew nearly makes itself. 1 lb dry cannellini beans or Spanish Tolosana (Steuben yellow eye bean) 1/4 cup pearl barley 1/4 cup red quinoa (short grain brown rice) 1 sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 qt chicken broth enough water just to cover beans Soak the beans in a large bowl of water with 1 Tbsp salt overnight.   Drain beans when ready to cook. Sauté onion, celery, fennel and carrot in a dash of olive oil in a pressure cooker.   Cook until veggies just begin to soften, about 5 minutes.   Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the beans, barley and quinoa to the veggies.   Add the broth, and water if necessary to just cover beans). Bring beans to a boil, then cover pressure cooker.   Bring pressure cooker to high and cook 3 minutes. Remove pressure cooker from heat and allow to depressurize naturally -

A quick chef salad perfect for a hot summer day - cool greens, fresh lime countered by spicy tender shrimp. 4 cups baby kale leaves 1 cup sliced iceberg lettuce 1 red pepper, diced palmful fresh parsley leaves, chopped Favorite vinaigrette dressing (I used my Vinaigrette Erique) 1 lime, quartered 12 shrimp 1 Tbsp favorite harissa paste (I used Cava) 2 Tbsp butter Toss the kale, iceberg, red pepper and parsley together in a bowl and lightly dress with favorite vinaigrette to taste. Melt the butter in a skillet and whisk in the harissa.   Heat skillet to high and toss in the shrimp.   Cook just until the shrimp turn pink and just cook through; about 3-4 minutes. Plate the salad among 2 plates.   Top each plate with half the shrimp.   Garnish with lime wedges. Serves 2.

You have to eat something with all this delicious summer corn we are getting now!  Try these. 10-12 meaty individual wingettes Marinade - 2 Tbsp each: Harissa paste (I used Cava) Hoisin sauce Maple syrup (or honey) Seasoned rice vinegar (I used Marukan) canola oil Mix marinade together in a medium bowl.   Wash and dry wingetts.  Toss wings into marinade and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or longer.  Overnight, covered in the refrigerator would be best. Preheat oven to 400F.  Distribute wings onto a rimmed cooking sheet pan.   Pour remaining marinade over wings.   Bake wings for about 20 minutes, until cooked through. Serve hot.  Makes 10 wings.

This is grilling season - sharpen your skills. Here is absolutely the best, most foolproof way to make an evenly cooked steak.  Because of the even cooking by slow roasting in the oven, you get even color throughout the thickness of the steak.  Finish by searing on a grill or in a hot cast iron skillet. Searing a steak at the start, tends to develop a layer of grey at the edges, no matter how medium or rare you want your steak.   This technique is only appropriate for a very thick steak.  Also, you do not need to rest the steak to redistribute juices, so just dig in! 2 thick NY strip or ribeye steaks (at least 1-1/2 to 2-inches thick) coarse Kosher salt Generously salt both sides of the steak, ideally the night before.   Seal in a zip plastic bag overnight in the refrigerator. An hour before you are ready to cook, allow steaks to return to room temperature.   Preheat oven to 250F. Insert a thermometer probe into middle of steak.   Place steaks on a rack on

This is a delicious berry cake, not too sweet, allowing the berries to shine.  A bit of quinoa adds some texture and protein - my excuse for having this for breakfast! Serve with vanilla ice cream for a great 4th of July treat. 1 stick butter (1/4 lb) at room temperature 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup cooked rainbow quinoa, cooled to room temperature 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 pint blueberries 12 oz strawberries, trimmed and quartered 1-2 Tbsp coarse sugar for topping (if you have it - otherwise regular cane sugar) vanilla ice cream - the ‘white’ Preheat oven to 350F. Cream the sugar together with the butter with a mixer.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Mix in the quinoa.  Then mix in the flour, baking powder and salt.   Fold in 3/4 of the berries into the batter.   Transfer to a buttered 9- or 10-inch springform pan.   Top the cake with the remaining ber