Portuguese Fish Soup with Rice

In 2011, Nick e-mailed me and asked if I'd seen the article about fish stews on NPR.org.  He pointed out that the Fisherman's Stew of Graciosa looked really good.  I read the recipe and said I would attempt it, though I had never seen some of the ingredients.  It would be fun to use my mortar and pestle, I thought.

While I've seen various pickled peppers, I have no idea what variety the recipe is actually calling for.  The first time I made it, I tried mincing a seeded jalapeno.  Grinding a raw jalapeno in a mortar takes a long time.  But the soup was delicious...salty and tangy with umami from the fish and hint of sweetness...I tried it again with slices of canned jalapeno.  I also tried the same basic recipe replacing the fish with bone-in chicken thighs.  I would have made the soup more often if not for the time it takes to grind the damn peppers.  Then I saw Amore's Hot Pepper Paste (which appears to have been re-named Chili Pepper Paste).  Grinding the garlic still takes a little effort, but the seasoning paste now comes together in about the time it takes for my (still partially frozen) fish fillets to cook.

I still haven't seen Portuguese ground safflower anywhere, but I have paprika.  We like a bit of heat, so I usually use Hungarian Half-Sharp Paprika from Penzey's.  We usually ladle the soup over steamed brown rice, but for this batch I used some black rice, which was particularly beautiful with the white fish, red broth and green parsley.

I keep a small bottle of really good extra virgin olive oil that I mostly use for dressing salads and cold applications.  This is the only recipe where I heat the really good olive oil...

Since this soup has drifted from the original recipe over the last 2 years, Nick asked me if I had it written down... so here it is, written down.  The immersion blender is completely optional... but I do think you need to have a small mortar and pestle to grind the garlic.



2 rice cooker cups of whole grain (brown, red, or black rice)

2 ~ 3 lbs of cod, halibut or other meaty white fish (still frozen is OK)
1 quart water
1 T kosher salt
3 sprigs of Italian parsley
2 medium onions, quartered and sliced
3 bay leaves
1 T olive oil

1 1/2 T whole cumin seed
7 cloves garlic
2 t kosher salt
1 1/2 T finely chopped Italian parsley
2 T Amore chili pepper paste
3 T Amore tomato paste
1 T sugar
1/4 t freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Cook the rice in your rice cooker or in separate pot, following the instructions on the package.

Peel and quarter the onions, and slice thinly.  Combine the onions, water, kosher salt, parsley, bay leaves and olive in in large soup pot over medium high heat.  Nestle the frozen fish in the water and cover the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the fish begins to flake.

Measure the cumin seed into a mortar and pestle, and grind it.  You don't have to get it all into a fine powder, but all of the seeds should be broken into pieces 1/4 ~ 1/3 the size of the original seeds.  My mortar isn't large enough to hold all of the ingredients in the paste, so I transfer the cumin to small bowl.

Finely chop enough parsley leaves to make 1 1/2 T.  (Remove the tough stems.)

Smash the garlic cloves with the mortar and remove the skins.  Place the peeled garlic and salt int the mortar and grind with the pestle.  Scrape down the sides occasionally, and keep grinding until you have a chunky paste.  Add the chopped parsley and continue grinding until there aren't any large pieces of garlic left.  (Adding a little of the oil makes the grinding a little easier.)

If your mortar is less then 2 cups in volume, transfer the contents to the bowl with the cumin.  Add the nutmeg, pepper paste, tomato paste, sugar and the rest of the olive oil.  After all the seasonings are mixed into the oil, stir in the vinegar.

When the fish flakes, remove it to a platter and cover it to keep it hot.  Discard the parsley stems and bay leaves.  Use an immersion blender to grind up about half of the onions into the broth.  Stir the seasoning paste into the broth and bring it to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

To serve, place a serving of fish and rice in a bowl or soup plate.  Ladle the hot broth over the fish.  You need to stir the broth between ladlefuls to keep the parsley and oil distributed between the servings.

This soup freezes and reheats well...and smells more savory than fishy when you reheat it in the break room microwave.

Maybe I should order the lettuce wraps at a restaurant again...

I have vague memories of ordering lettuce wraps in restaurants, and getting spicy, gooey ground chicken and other stuff in Boston lettuce cups.  A few years ago I had a package of turkey to use up, and I decided to cook it, toss in some veggies, and serve it in lettuce leaves.  (Nick requested a side of steamed rice, thus blowing my attempt to make a low-carb dinner.)

It's a little different every time I make it, and I really can't remember if the similarity to other recipes ends with the poultry, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.   I didn't measure anything tonight, but here's a rough outline of what I made.

2-4 T stir-fry oil with ginger and garlic

~ 24 oz. 93% lean ground turkey

1 medium onion, quartered and sliced cross wise

4 shakes crushed red pepper flakes

2 large pinches Szechuan Peppercorns, crushed in a mortar

2 inches of garlic, grated on a garlic grater

6 cubes of Dorot ginger

1 small can slivered bamboo shoots

1 small can sliced water chestnuts

2 ~ 4 T soy sauce

water (to taste)

sweet mirin (to taste)

1 T corn starch

Dark Sesame oil (to taste)

Preheat a large non-stick wok over medium high.  Add 2 T of stir fry oil and the ground turkey.  Break the turkey up into pieces.  When the turkey is all opaque, there might be a lot of liquid in the pan.  Remove the liquid to a small, deep bowl and set aside to cool.    When the last of the water evaporates, add 1/2 ~ 1 T stir fry oil to the pan and toss the turkey with it.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until there are some nice golden brown patches on most of the turkey.  Remove the turkey to large plate.

Drain the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.  (Since I had the salad spinner out to dry the lettuce leaves, I gave them a spin.)

Add soy sauce and mirin to the reserved turkey dripping and add enough water to make about 3/4 c. of liquid total.    Drip a little on your finger and taste to decide if you want more salty soy sauce or sweet mirin.  Whisk in cornstarch with a fork or small whisk until you have a uniform slurry.  (Or put everything in a jar with a liquid tight lid and shake to combine.)

Add 1 T more stir fry oil to the wok, and when it shimmers add the red pepper flakes and crushed peppercorns.  Allow to sizzle for 1 minute before adding the onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown.  Add the ginger and garlic.  Stir frequently and cook until the garlic starts to brown.

Add the drained bamboo shoots, drained water chestnuts and browned turkey back to the pan, and stir well to combine.  Add your soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until it has thickened to coat everything in the pan.  Drizzle in some sesame oil, stir well and taste.

I think something fresh and green at the end would be an improvement, but I didn't have any....

Serve with steamed rice topped with nanami togarashi and a pile of leaf lettuce.

Cheeseburgers for breakfast

We were out late at a party last night and weren't particularly hungry when we got up.  I was drinking my second cup of tea and pondering what to make for breakfast.  I wanted was to go to a diner and get a cheeseburger and fries, while Nick could have a more traditional breakfast.  But our favorite breakfast spot doesn't make hamburgers on the weekend....and going out would require getting dressed.

I remembered that I had some cooked ground beef crumbles in the freezer.
And Tillamook sharp cheddar in the fridge.
And dehydrated hash browns in the pantry...mere inches away from cans of mild green chiles.

I love it when a meal comes together...

4.2 oz. package just-add-water hash browns

4 oz. can mild green chiles

Aleppo pepper, to taste

8-10 oz ground beef*

4 slices sharp cheddar

4 - 8 eggs

salt & pepper, to taste

oil or cooking spray

Combine the hash browns, canned chiles, and Aleppo pepper in a 3-4 cup container with a lid.  Stir to evenly distribute the chiles before adding boiling water.  Stir, cover and let sit 10 minutes.  It's better to have to add more water because the potatoes are still a little crunchy and have to add more water.  (Wet potatoes won't brown...)  The hash browns I buy are already pretty salty, so I don't add any salt...

Preheat a sandwich press to medium high, and oil it or spray with cooking spray.  Spread out the hash browns on the hot surface and spray the top with cooking spray (or drizzle it with oil) before closing the press.

Add your ground beef to a skillet over medium heat.  Break it up and continue cooking until it's  nicely browned.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the potatoes and beef are browned, transfer the beef to a bowl or plate, and wipe out out the frying pan.  Oil the pan, and add your eggs.  (I usually add a little hot water and cover the pan to steam-cook the tops.)

Open the press and separate your hash brown patty into 4 servings.  

Sprinkle the ground beef evenly over the hash browns and top with sliced cheese.  Leave it on the griddle until the cheese softens and melts.

Plate the hash and top with fried eggs.

Since this made a lot of hash, and there are only two of us, I packed half of it into freezer containers, and then topped each serving with one raw egg.  I pierced the yolks in a couple places with a toothpick before freezing.  Even if the hash browns aren't crisp and the egg yolk cooks hard, it should make a pretty tasty lunch.

*I buy large packages of ground beef, cook it up in crumbles, cool it, and freeze 8 -12 oz. bags.  The cooked brown beef will thaw and brown faster than a frozen package of raw ground beef for quick week night cooking.

Gingerbread Pecans

I wasn't quite ready to attempt a gluten free version of my aunt's gingerbread recipe, but I thought I might try making it into a glaze for nuts.  They're tasty and quick to make.

2 T salted butter
4 T sugar
2 T molasses
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground allspice
1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t lemon extract
16 oz. pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 300F.  Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Place the pecans in a medium-sized bowl.
Combine butter, sugar, molasses, dry spices and salt in a small saucepan.  Heat until the butter is melted, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the lemon extract. (It's OK if the alcohol in the extract boils off rapidly.  Just stir until the bubbling stops and the extract is mixed in.)   Pour the mixture over the pecans, and stir until they're evenly coated.
Spread the nuts out in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheet.  (Clumps of nuts will stick together.)  Bake 20 -25 minutes at 300.  Allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

Apple Buckwheat Muffins (Gluten-Free)

When I made Buckwheat-Corn muffins, I loved the texture -- crisp on the outside, crumbly inside.  They tasted great and the frozen leftovers thawed and reheated well.  I know a recipe is a winner when Nick asks if I've blogged it.  I just made a second batch with apples and spice. This recipe is lightly sweet...so you could add a dollop of apple butter or a drizzle of honey.  See the note at the end for the modifications to make a savory dinner muffin.

1/2 c. cornmeal
1 c. gluten free buckwheat flour
4 T sugar
2 1/2 t Baking Powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t Penzey's Cake Spice blend
1 T whole psyllium husk
2 c. of peeled, diced baking apples (Cortland, Jonathon, Granny Smith)
6 oz. plain Greek Yogurt*
1/2 c. water*
2 eggs
1/2 t Penzey's Double-Strength Vanilla
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

Grease or line 12 muffin cups.  (I use foil cupcake liners, sprayed with cooking spray.  The pans stay clean, and the liners come off easily for a crispy outside on your muffins.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F, using a convection setting if you have it.

Melt your butter in the microwave and set it aside to cool.   Peel and dice the apples.
Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.
In another bowl, combine the yogurt and water and beat with an electric mixer until it's smooth and lump-free.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat in the eggs.  With the mixer running, drizzle in the butter.
Add the apples and dry ingredients and stir until everything is well combined, with no dry lumps.
Fill the muffin cups almost to the top.  (I used ~ 4 T of batter per cup.)  Leftover batter can be baked in greased custard cups.
Bake 14 - 18 minutes, until browned and firm.

* The Greek yogurt and water can be replaced 1 1/4 c. low-fat buttermilk or 1 1/4 c. kefir.  I use the three pretty much interchangeably for quick breads and muffins.

TO make a SAVORY DINNER MUFFIN :  Omit apples, Cake Spice, and vanilla.  Reduce sugar to 2 T.

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

When we stopped a the Sharp Edge Creekhouse near Pittsburgh in 2009, the soup of the day was Stuffed Pepper.  We loved it, and I thought "I could do that."   I now make this soup about 3X as often as I make stuffed peppers.  It freezes well, so it's a good dish to make at the end of the summer when bell peppers are cheap or friends are giving away excess from their gardens.

The local meat market had just started carrying grass fed ground beef, so I tried that for this recipe.  It didn't have the fat content listed, but I would guess it was close to 15%.  Enough fat that I didn't have to add oil to brown the onions, but not so much that draining the meat seemed necessary.

1 pound ground beef
2 small onions, chopped (1 ~ 1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ~ 2 t of Italian herb blend
1/2 ~ 1 t of oregano
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T of Penzey's Pork Soup Base
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 c. water
10 ~ 12 oz of low sodium V-8 juice
15 oz. can chopped tomatoes (plain, low-sodium, or  fire-roasted)
1 c. of brown rice
2 -3 bell peppers (green, red, or a mix).


In a Dutch Oven, brown half of the ground beef and set aside on a plate.  Add the rest of the ground beef to the pot, and when it is cooked, add the onions.  Cook until the onions are translucent, and the beef in the pot is starting to brown.  Stir in the garlic, herbs, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and soup base.  (You don't have to completely break up the lump of soup base...it will dissolve later.)  Add the water, V-8 juice, and tomatoes.  Bring the soup to a boil and add the brown rice.  Cook ~ 45 minutes until the brown rice is tender.

Meanwhile, halve the bell peppers and remove the seeds.  Slice the peppers thinly, and then cut the slices in half cross-wise.

Taste the broth and add salt if necessary.  (Depending on the flavor of V-8 and the brand of tomatoes you use, you may not need any.)  Stir in the peppers, and cook for ~ 10 minutes.

If you store leftovers in the refrigerator, the rice will swell to make it more of a porridge than a soup.

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread and Faux Pumpernickel

I made this lovely loaf of sandwich bread using the recipe from Shauna James Ahern's book Gluten Free Girl Every Day.  I'm not going to post the recipe because she makes her living developing recipes, but I am going to rave about it. (Pardon the exclamation points.)

The finished product is light and crusty, slices beautifully (when cool) and toasts up beautifully.
It's >50% whole grain!
It's faster and easier to make than any of the GF bread mixes I've tried!
The loaf released from a pan that had merely been sprayed with olive oil!  Most of the bread mixes I've tried create an adhesive-like batter, which sticks unless I use solid fat (butter, coconut oil, or shortening) to grease the pan.

OK, raving over.   To provide a full and fair review, I will warn you that this recipe contains 3 eggs and 1/4 cup of butter, so it's not suitable for a vegan, low-fat, egg-free diet.  It's also a batter bread, and came out looking like it had been baked in a Pullman pan.

I made the loaf in the picture using buckwheat flour for the whole grain, and my  All Purpose blend, which is a recipe I got from the Shauna Ahern's blog, Gluten Free Girl and the Chef.  I sprinkled the top with golden flax seeds.  I also used my 4" x 10" bread pan, because the narrower, longer pan seems to work better for GF loaves.

The bread was so good that I immediately made a second loaf, adding 1 T of instant espresso, 1 T of cocoa powder, 1 t of caraway seeds and ~ 1 t of molasses.  It was a wonderful faux pumpernickel (faumpernickel?) for pastrami & Swiss cheese sandwiches.