Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 T plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 6 T  all-purpose flour
• 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage (or kielbasa), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped fine
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen okra, thawed
• 2 teaspoons Creole spice mixture, such as Zatarain's or Emeril's
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound shredded cooked turkey or chicken (great use of leftover thanksgiving turkey)
• 3 scallions, sliced thin

Instructions

1. Prepare the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and celery while the roux browns 
2. MAKE THE ROUX AND SAUCE: Whisk 3 tablespoons of oil and flour together in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture is color of an old copper penny, about 15 minutes. Slowly whisk in clam juice and water and bring to simmer. Continue to simmer until needed in step 3.
3. SAUTÉ SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLES: While roux cooks, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add andouille, onion, bell pepper, celery, okra, Creole spice mixture, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. ASSEMBLE GUMBO: Slowly stir roux mixture into vegetables, scraping up any browned bits. Add turkey/chicken. Simmer until vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 ­minutes.
5. Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with scallions before serving.

Source: adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

• 2T Butter
• 2C Onion Paste (about two or three blended)
• 2T Ginger Paste (about 1.5in blended)
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 2t Whole Cumin seeds
• 2t Whole Coriander seeds
• 2 Whole red chilies
• 2in Whole cinnamon (1t ground)
• 2t Turmeric (ground)
• 1/4t Cayenne Pepper (ground)
• 2t Garam Masala (ground)
• 1t Salt
• 15oz Diced Tomatoes (canned)
• 1lb Spinach 
• 4-6T Yogurt or Sour Cream
• 1t Lemon Juice
• 16oz Panner (cut into 1/2in cubes)

Directions:

1. In parallel:
   • Blend onions, ginger, garlic into a paste. 
   • Very finely blend spinach into not-quite-paste. 
   • Grind whole spices and set aside.
   • Cut panner into chunks.
2. Heat butter and cook paste mixture until soft (about 10 minutes)
3. Add add all spices. 
4. Add tomatoes and panner. Simmer 10 minutes. 
5. Add spinach, sour cream, and lemon juice. Cook for additional 5 to 10 minutes. 
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or bread. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. 

Okra with Onions (Sel Bhindi)

Serves 3 to 4 as side dish, serves 2 as light main dish with rice.

Ingredients:
Blend in spice grinder:
2 t whole coriander seeds
1 whole hot dried red chili, seeds removed (will be too spicy with seeds)

3 T vegetable oil
12 oz fresh okra, topped and tailed, then sliced in half lengthwise
1 small onion, sliced into fine half-rings
3/4 t salt
1/2 t ground turmeric
2 T chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

Directions:
1. heat oil in large dutch oven (or nonstick pan) over medium heat
2. stir fry okra for 10 min or until lightly browned on all sides
3. add the onions. stir and cook for another 5 minutes and onions begin to brown
4. add the coriander-chili mix, salt, and turmeric. reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
5. add garnish and serve with rice.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's "From Curries to Kebabs."
2.

Pureed Broccoli Soup

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
• 2tablespoons dry sherry
• 2   crushed garlic cloves
• 2pounds broccoli, stalks discarded and florets cut into bite-size pieces (about 5 cups)
• 2cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
•      ground white pepper
• 3/4cup whole milk
• 2tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic.  Add sherry and broccoli; stir until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
2. 2. Add broth and pepper to taste to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.
3. 3. Add 1/2 cup milk; blend until very smooth with immersion blender. Cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. (Soup can be refrigerated for 3 days and reheated just before serving.)
4. Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Frittata with Grated Zucchini

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound zucchini, grated (about 4 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 eggs

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) (too bland for our palate. try charcoal-aged goat cheese, or a sharp cheese like parmesan)

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (too bland for our palate, try fresh thyme or rosmary)

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini begins to wilt, about two minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook for another minute or until the zucchini has just wilted — it should still be bright green. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the goat cheese. Add salt and pepper, and stir in the zucchini and the dill.

3. Clean and dry the pan, and return to the burner, set on medium-high. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Drop a bit of egg into the pan; if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking.

4. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid, tilt the pan and loosen the bottom of the frittata with a wooden spatula so that it doesn’t burn. The bottom should have a golden color. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if they’re not.

5. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for one to three minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, and shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking. Allow it to cool for at least five minutes and for as long as 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.

Yield: Six servings.

Adapted from NY Times Recipe.