Recipes by Ingredient + Prep – Page 50 – Writing With My Mouth Full

Grilled Kid or Baby Goat Meat

I was tempted to omit “or baby goat meat” in the recipe title because grilled kid sounded funnier. This recipe is from Scott Gold’s The Shameless Carnivore, a new book about, well, eating all kinds of meat. It’s obvious from the title alone why I felt an affinity towards the book. His recipe called for cubed goat meat for barbecue and kebabs, but when I went to the farmers’ market, Patches of Star Farm from Nazareth had already ran out. The lady sold me rib chops instead.

I’ve had goat meat before but never this tender. It makes a huge difference when the animal is a young one. The younger it is, the more tender the meat. The chops weren’t any bigger than my hand so they took less than 10 minutes to cook both sides. I served two chops to myself with a side of kimchi and some rice.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh baby goat rib chops
juice of 2 limes
half a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
oil, salt

1. Combine all ingredients except goat in a bowl and whisk. Season with salt to taste.
2. Transfer the marinade in a shallow glass baking pan with cover. Add the goat, making sure all the meat is covered by the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. When ready to cook, heat a skillet. When almost smoking, add one or two goat rib chops at a time. Apply light pressure on the meat using a cast iron grill press or the back of a large spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Spinach Potato Gnocchi

These came out looking more like mini-sausages than authentic gnocchi. I’m sure any Italian grandmother will freak out if they saw how I made these at home. It seems like a lot of work but after you mash the potatoes, they kind of form themselves with just the help of some extra flour. It’s helpful to have a Bravo TV marathon on in the background.

If making ahead of time, prepare them on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Then transfer them to a Ziploc bag and keep in the freezer until ready to boil. Do not thaw them out; just throw them in a pot of boiling water when ready to serve.

Ingredients:
6 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, washed
2 bunches of spinach, thoroughly washed, chopped
1 cup flour, and more for dusting
1 egg
oil, salt, pepper

1. Cook potatoes in a large stock pot with boiling water, about 25 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. When cool enough to handle, peel by gently shredding the skin off with a fork. In a large bowl, mash potatoes. Add flour and egg to the mashed potatoes and combine well. Season with salt and pepper.
2. On a clean table surface dusted with flour, form medium-sized logs using hands. Keep sprinkling flour as necessary to avoid potatoes from sticking to hands. Slice off small quantity of dough and form mini-sausage-shaped “dumplings”.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the gnocchi and remove to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon when they float on top.
4. Heat some oil in a skillet. Fry the gnocchi until light brown on all sides. Remove to a serving plate and top with pesto.

Smoked Tofu and Celery Salad

You can find smoked tofu from your Chinatown’s refrigerated aisle next to the regular tofu. I order a spicier version of this salad whenever I’m in a Sichuan restaurant because I like the combination of spongy and crunchy textures. The tofu brings down the spiciness of the other dishes while the celery cleanses the palate. With a dash of red pepper flakes, this salad makes a good starter for non-Chinese dishes.

Ingredients:
1 package smoked tofu, sliced thinly
5 stalks of celery, cut into matchsticks
a splash of soy sauce
a splash of rice wine vinegar
red pepper flakes
peanut oil
salt

1. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet. Add the celery and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the tofu and continue to stir-fry for another 4.
2. Add a splash of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Sprinkle some salt and red pepper flakes. Toss and cook for the last 2 minutes.

Dilled Vegetables with Lentils

You can use almost any vegetable to make this dish at home. I chose potatoes and carrots because they are hefty enough to keep me full for a couple of hours. The spinach, I think, is a must–don’t be afraid to use frozen spinach leaves if you want to skip the chore of washing them. Add some roasted butternut squash and you’ll be more than set for autumn.

I made my own ginger-garlic paste and froze them in batches. Store leftovers by spreading a small bit on Saran wrap. Top it with another sheet of Saran. Repeat until you have a small stack of ginger-garlic paste separated by Saran in sheets. Store in a resealable plastic bag and put in the freezer. If you want to skip that step, just add 2 tbsp of ginger cut in thin strips and 3 cloves of minced garlic.

Ingredients:
3 bunches of spinach, rinsed thoroughly, chopped
3 potatoes, peeled, quartered
half a bag of baby carrots
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cup of lentils, washed and drained
a handful of dill leaves, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt, oil

For ginger-garlic paste:
cloves from 3 heads of garlic, peeled
1 large ginger root, peeled, chopped

1. Make ginger-garlic paste. Blend ginger and garlic together until smooth. Set aside.
2. Cook lentils. In a small saucepan, boil some water and add lentils. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon, reserving some of the water for later.
3. In a large Dutch oven, heat some oil. Add the cumin seeds and toast until light brown. Then add a tsp of ginger-garlic paste and mix.
4. Add all the vegetables and the lentils. Season with salt. Add turmeric and mix. Put 2/3 cup of the lentil water, cover, and cook in low fire for about 35 minutes. Stir occasionally until carrots are tender. Some of the vegetables will be mushy.

Broccoli with Cumin and Black Mustard Seeds

I don’t like broccoli but these sure were tasty, was one of the comments I received after including this in my first Mother Hen project for some of my co-workers. They were my favorite, too, because they came out bright green and perfectly tender. If you need to eat more greens, this is a good dish to start with.

Ingredients:
3 bunches of broccoli, separated and cut into small florets
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, oil

1. In a large skillet, heat some oil. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the cumin and toast until light brown. Then add and sauté garlic. Add turmeric and mix.
2. Add the broccoli and season with salt. Add 2/3 cup of water and cook covered for about 5 minutes. Uncover and check if florets are tender. They should still be a bit crisp. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving plate using a slotted spoon.