Zaalouk, Moroccan Eggplant

Ingredients

2 medium Italian or globe eggplants (about 2 pound)
6T olive oil
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1½ tsp. whole cumin seeds toasted* (or 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin)
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2T parsley, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to broil, place an oven rack near the broiler.

2. Cut the eggplants in half and place them skin side up on a baking sheet pan.

3. Place in oven and cook for 15- 20 minutes, or until the skin is black and blistered.

4. Let the eggplant cool slightly. Then scoop out the flesh and place in a colander. Discard the skin and any big chunks of seeds. Press and squeeze any liquid out of the flesh. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small piece. Set aside.

5. In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the tomatoes, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and garlic, Cook 15 -20 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

6. Add the chopped eggplant and cook for an additional; 10- 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick but not completely dry.

7. Add the lemon juice, 2 -3 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Transfer to serving bowl. Serve with sliced bread or chips. Serve warm or cold.

** Toasting Seeds

1. Place the seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan continuously until the seeds become fragrant.
2. Remove toasted seeds from the pan and place in a spice grinder; grind to a fine powder.

TIPS & TRICKS

• For this recipe, you want a total of 2 pounds of eggplant, so you may need 2 or 3 eggplants depending on size. Select eggplants that have a shiny and blemish-free exterior. They should be a little heavy in weight and have greenish stems; these are signs that the eggplants are fresh.
• In the summer, you can substitute fresh tomatoes for the can.
• This recipe doubles very well. You can use it as a dip or spread on sandwiches. Yum!

The Best Dang BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

Sauce:
2 slices bacon
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cups ketchup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1T dry mustard
2 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme
salt & pepper
8-10 pieces chicken, or 1 whole 4-pound chicken cut into parts

1. Sauce: In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside for another use. Leave the bacon fat in the pan. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, dry mustard, paprika, cayenne pepper and thyme. Bring the liquid to a simmer, lower the heat to low and continue simmering for 20 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Wash and pat dry the chicken parts. Trim off any extra fat that hangs off the chicken meat. Season with salt & pepper, set aside.

4. Pre-heat oven to 350º F. and preheat your BBQ grill to medium-high.

5. Place the chicken on the grill skin side up and grill for 5-7 minutes, then flip the chicken and grill for an additional 5-7 minutes until skin is nice and brown.

6. Remove the chicken from grill and place skin side down on a cooling rack on top a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spoon the BBQ sauce on top of the grilled chicken pieces; you will have some sauce left over.

7. Place in a 350º F oven for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°.

8. Remove the chicken to a platter and serve with the extra BBQ sauce.

TIPS & TRICKS

• This BBQ is sauce is fantastic on beef and pork. I love to make a double batch; it can last in your fridge for weeks.

• I prefer to cook chicken on the bone whenever possible. The bone insulates the meat so that it doesn’t dry out when cooking and they are so flavorful. If you want to use boneless thigh, follow the timing of the recipe. If you wish to use boneless breast they will cook completely on the grill, no need to cook in oven. Top with BBQ sauce before serving.

• Cooking time for bone in thighs & legs are about 35 minutes, bone in breast 25 minutes

• We are going to start the chicken on the grill then finish it in the oven, so we get the smoky grill flavor and a sauce that isn’t burnt.

• Start by preheating you grill. Pat dry your chicken pieces and trim off any excess fat that is hanging off the side of the meat. This prevents the fat from catching on fire on the grill.

• Season with salt & pepper right before cooking so that the salt doesn’t bring out any moisture in the meat.

• When cooking the chicken, if the flames should flare up around the chicken, with your tongs simply pick the piece up and allow the flames to subside then place back on grill. If your fire gets to hot, lower the temperature to medium.

Shrimp & Okra Gumbo

Ingredients

3/4 cup oil, split into ¼ and ½ cup containers
1 pound okra, frozen, sliced or fresh
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 can 28oz. diced tomatoes
2 cups celery, medium diced
2 cups onion, medium diced
2 cups green pepper, medium diced
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced or diced
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. cayenne
2 bay leaves
8 cups water or vegetable stock
1 8oz. bottle clam juice
salt & pepper
2lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups white rice, cooked
hot sauce and file powder

1. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat ¼ cup of oil, and then add the okra. Cook the okra, stirring often, until most of the slime has disappeared, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a heavy soup pot on medium heat, add ½ cup oil, then add the flour and stir until combined, making a roux. Continue cooking and stirring until the roux turns the color of caramel/tan, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, celery, onions, pepper, sausage, thyme, cayenne, and bay leaves, and cook 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

4. Add the stock (or water), clam juice and okra. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the shrimp and cook 5 minutes more.

6. Serve over rice, with hot sauce and filé powder.

Tips & Tricks

• You can prepare the gumbo base up to step #4 two days and place in fridge. Then reheat and add shrimp before serving.

• The base can be frozen for 3 months. When ready to use defrost and bring to a boils then add shrimp right before serving.

• You can serve a small serving of gumbo as a starter or a big bowl as a main dish.

• As with all stews, it get better as it sits. It is great as left overs.