Mexican Cornbread

Ingredients

1	cup yellow cornmeal, stone-ground
1	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
2	large eggs
2/3	cup buttermilk
2/3	cup milk
2	tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1	cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1	jalepeno chili, chopped
1/2	teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4	cup frozen corn (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 425
2) Mix dry ingredients
3) Crack eggs into the bowl with dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon, then add in milk and buttermilk. Quickly stir. Add melted butter. Fold in cheese and Jalepeno.
4) Pour into a greased 9x9 pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Pulled Pork in Slow Cooker

Meat: 
1 bone-in pork shoulder (6-8 pound)

Spice Rub:
2 T paprika
1 T salt
1 T black pepper
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder (maybe ancho?)
1 T brown sugar
1 t white sugar
2 t dried oregano
1 t cayenne pepper

Sauce: 

1 C Apple Cider Vinegar

2 T red pepper flakes

1 T garlic

Mix spices for rub in a bowl. 
Massage spice rub into meat. 
Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap.
Refrigerate overnight.

Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker. 
Add 1/4 cup water. 
Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Combine sauce ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat to Med-High, boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

When roast is tender, transfer to cutting board and discard liquid in liner. 
Pull by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. 
Discard fat.

Place shredded meat back in slow cooker.
Toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. 
Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Borscht with Kielbasa

Serves 6 to 8.

1	tablespoon unsalted butter
1	medium onion , chopped medium
2	medium carrots , chopped medium
2	medium garlic cloves , minced
2	tablespoons tomato paste
2	quarts beef stock
1/2	small head cabbage , green or red, shredded (about 5 cups)
1	kielbasa sausage (1/2 pound piece)
1 3/4	pounds beets , peeled and grated (about 5 cups)
5 - 6	tablespoons red wine vinegar
4	tablespoons sugar
1	tablespoon salt
1	bay leaf
3/4	pound small red potatoes (each 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter), scrubbed
	Ground black pepper
1/2	cup fresh dill , chopped
1	cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

2. 2. Add the tomato paste and stir in 1/2 cup of the stock to dissolve the tomato paste. Add the remaining stock, cabbage, beets, 4 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the vegetables are soft and tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Add the kielbasa about 20 minutes before the vegetables become tender. (The soup can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

3. 3. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring once or twice to ensure even cooking. Cook until a thin-bladed paring knife or metal cake tester inserted into a potato can be removed with no resistance, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes, cool slightly, and cut into quarters.

4. 4. Stir the meat into the pot and remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar, pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup dill. Place 4 potato quarters in each individual soup bowl and ladle some soup over the potatoes. Remove the sausage from the pot and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices in each individual bowl with the potatoes. Top with 2 more pieces of potato, a generous dollop of sour cream, and a generous sprinkling of dill.

   
   

   Modifications:

   We used chicken sausage instead of kielbasa

   Thoughts:

   - Too much vinegar, sugar, and salt

   - chicken sausage doesn't work here

   - overall, tasty and healthy

   Next Time:

   - Add no sugar

   - Halve the vinegar (or don't add more at the end)

   - increase proportion of onions and carrots relative to beets (to further lessen the sweet taste)

   - use stewed beef as meat

   - serve with dark thick bread

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Spinach
1	tablespoon table salt
20	ounces curly spinach (2 bags), stemmed and rinsed
Bechamel
7	tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
8	ounces white button mushrooms , cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
5	large shallots , minced (about 1 cup)
4	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (generous 1 tablespoon)
1/4	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2	cups whole milk
2	bay leaves
3/4	teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1/4	teaspoon ground black pepper
1	ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Cheeses and Pasta
8	ounces whole milk cottage cheese
1	large egg
1/4	teaspoon table salt
1	tablespoon unsalted butter for baking dish
12	no-boil lasagna noodles from 1 box
2	ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
8	ounces Italian fontina cheese , shredded (about 2 cups)

Instructions

1. 1. For the spinach: Fill large bowl with ice water. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven or stockpot over high heat; add salt and spinach, stirring until spinach is just wilted, about 5 seconds. Using skimmer or fine-mesh strainer, transfer spinach to ice water and let stand until completely cool, about 1 minute, then drain spinach and transfer to clean kitchen towel. Wrap towel tightly around spinach to form ball and wring until dry. Chop spinach medium and set aside.
   

2. 2. For the béchamel:(See illustrations below): Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming, add the mushrooms. Sauté until lightly brown, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms to a small bowl. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in the saucepan over medium heat until foaming; add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 1/2 minutes; do not brown. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, whisk in bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in Parmesan and discard bay leaves. Transfer sauce to bowl, press plastic wrap directly against surface, and set aside.

3. 3.For the cheeses, pasta, and assembly: Blend cottage cheese, egg, and salt in food processor or blender until very smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place noodles in a 13- by 9-inch broilersafe baking dish and cover with hot tap water; let soak 5 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on kitchen towel. Wipe baking dish dry and coat with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Use rubber spatula to distribute 1/2 cup béchamel in bottom of baking dish; position 3 noodles on top of sauce. Stir spinach into remaining béchamel in bowl, mixing well to break up clumps of spinach (you should have about 4 cups spinach/béchamel mixture). Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over noodles, sprinkle evenly with Parmesan, and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over noodles, sprinkle evenly with 1 cup fontina, and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over noodles, followed by cottage cheese mixture. Place the mushrooms evenly over the cottage cheese mixture. Finish with 3 noodles, remaining cup spinach mixture, and remaining cup fontina. Lightly spray large sheet foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes, then remove foil. Remove lasagna and adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Broil lasagna until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.

Notes:

• Too mild
• Too sweet
• Excellent
  

Things to change:

• Add cayenne
  
• More Parmesan
  
• Cook mushrooms in white wine (or vermouth) and garlic
• Slightly more salt and pepper
  

Ignoring our principles and reversing our position.

Source: http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=718

After the Timor-Leste debacle we are no longer going to go in alphabetical order and will reserve the right to veto a country if we cannot find an interesting dish. Which is bad news for Togo...

Cooking Around the World: Timor-Leste

The second stop in our tour around the world was East Timor. I have nothing more to add, other than after cooking Sid vowed to never visit the country.

Cooking Around the World: The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

We have started a grand undertaking here at Adventure Thyme. We have decided to cook a dish from every country in the UN! In Alphabetical order! Starting with The!

So needless to say, we began with "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." Its totally obvious, am I right?

After looking around we decided to make Macedonia Souvlaki and Tzatziki.

For the Tzatziki:
32-ounces of Greek style yogurt
1 large cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons cider or white vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste


Peel and grate the cucumbers.

Add the cucumber and all other ingredients to the strained yogurt and mix well.



For the Souvlaki:

2 pounds beef sirloin, (we used chuck instead) cut in 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup dry red wine(optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

Combine ingredients and mix to coat meat evenly. Thread onto skewers, and leave alone in the fridge for an hour or so.

We then seared the meat very briefly in a pan with a little olive oil and grilled the meat in a george forman grill for around 5 minutes.