The Odd Kitchen

Made this earlier this month, and it was pretty good.  I believe some saffron milk would go along very nicely, too, if you have it.

Also, I want a tagine.  And someone to show me how to sharpen my own knives.

Also: Korean food. Can’t get enough of it. Even though it’s not strictly Korean, I’m ready to take a trip to L.A. to get my hands on a bulgogi taco. Bulgogi tacos, surfing (or trying to, anyways), and visiting my dear old pal and her weird dogs sounds like a good way to spend the next out-of-town weekend I can afford.

Next up: Philosophical Mint Cookies, in honor of friend Tommy Thornhill’s departure to the east.

NEEDED:
1 cup dried red lentils/masoor dal
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 can coconut milk
1 cup water
3 eggs
Ghee

Heat about a tablespoon of ghee in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, salt, and turmeric and fry until translucent and tender. Stir in coconut milk and water and bring to a boil, then lower heat & let simmer. Stir occasionally so things don’t stick. Add water, if needed, so lentils are of a thinnish porridge-like consistency. Lower heat so the flame is very faint; crack eggs into the lentils and let sit, covered, about four minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the lentils to sit at least another five minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and cracked peanuts, if you have some handy.

Serves 2, or one hungry adult

So many beets, so few mouths here at Odd Kitchen!  Time to get creative. This is essentially an alfredo sauce with grated beets. You can make a vegan version, sans cheese, by substituting olive oil and coconut milk for butter and cream.

2 cups grated beet (1 very large beet or 2 medium-sized beets)
1/2 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3-4 tablespoons butter
2 cups cream
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and Fontina
3/4 – 1 cup stock
5-6 leaves fresh basil, shredded (or chiffonade cut, if you like it like that)
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium-low flame. Add onion and stir, stir, stir until it’s golden brown or darker — caramelized, if you can get it there, but never burned. Add the garlic and a flourish of salt and pepper.

Pour the cream and basil into the pan.  Add grated beets.  Stir and let simmer for about ten minutes; add stock as the liquid evaporates.  When beets are tender, add the cheese and stir until it’s melted and the sauce is creamy. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta to come…

2-4 servings

1/2 Butternut squash
1/2 onion
Some cloves of garlic
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
1/2 – 1 head Kale, curly or dino
1 can/2 cups coconut milk
Some cups of stock

Have the squash halved, peeled, and gutted.  Then cut into chunks.  (Don’t worry how they look.  They’ll go into a food processor later.)  Chop the onion and smash the garlic cloves.  Coat everything in olive oil and salt and pepper, put into a baking dish, cover with foil, and pop into a 350-degree oven.

Cut the center vein out of the kale and chop leaves into smallish bits, nothing bigger than a stick of gum.  Rinse them in a colander and put them into a pot with the coconut milk.  Then pour in stock until the leaves are covered.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer until the leaves are very tender.  If they do not melt in your mouth, or if you have to chew them, they are not tender enough.  Tender is the key!

When the squash is soft — about 40 minutes to an hour — remove from oven and let cool a bit.  Then put everything into the food processor and cream it up.  Pour the squash mixture into a bowl, and when the kale is tender, add that too.  It’s better here to incorporate the kale first before adding the broth; strain or spoon it out.  Stir in enough broth to make a consistency you like.  Then put it on your pasta.  Parmesan cheese and hot pepper top things off nicely.

This is one way to incorporate dark leafy greens into your diet if you are not so keen on them.  You could probably puree the kale as well.

About 6 cups, depending

1 large head cabbage, human head sized, chopped
2 carrots, grated
Bunch red radishes, chopped
2 Serrano chilies, minced
2/3 cup cilantro, minced
1 1/2 cups Mexican mayonnaise
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Cut up the stuff. (A Cuisinart is good for the cabbage. So is one of those handheld cabbage choppers.) Put all the vegetal things except the chilies in a big bowl. In another bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, chilies, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and what ever else you think tastes good. Incorporate with the veggies. Stick the slaw in the fridge, and put a note about it on the kitchen mirror for your roommates to see.

10 servings, give or take