Brie and Brisket Tacos with Mango Barbecue Sauce

I saw this recipe sometime back and it initiated a drool fest. I can’t usually make mango dishes because Matt is allergic to many raw fruits – mangoes, avocados, pears, apples . . . basically, lots of stone fruits. However, if you take those raw fruits and cook them he’s not allergic to them anymore. We’ve done some research on it and basically it’s an enzyme in the fruit he’s allergic to that gets cooked out. Because of this I rarely get to eat avocado and I rarely get to eat mango. When I saw this recipe I was so happy because the mango was cooked!

If you read this, will you share recipes with me that you’ve enjoyed that have included cooked mango and avocado? I know of dishes for the pear and apple, but the mango and avocado are much desired in my diet but also avoided.

Anyway, this mango barbecue sauce did not cause an allergic reaction in him! The brisket was absolutely delicious. The brie on the taco was so fancy and tasty.

Brie and Brisket Tacos with Mango Barbecue Sauce
(source)

Ingredients

BRISKET
3 lb brisket
salt
ground black pepper
garlic powder
ground chili powder
20 oz Dr. Pepper

MANGO CHUTNEY (needed for sauce) 
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 jalapeno, minced
3 cl0ves garlic, minced
3 tbsp cider vinegar
juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of ginger
pinch of curry powder
1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup water

MANGO BARBECUE SAUCE
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 cup of mango chutney

TACOS
8 taco shells
8 oz brie, thinly sliced

Directions

BRISKET

1. To make the brisket, rub the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Place in the slow cooker and pour the Dr. Pepper over the top. Set on low and cook for 8 hours.

2. Once done, remove from the slow cooker and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice the brisket against the grain.

MANGO CHUTNEY

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the jalapeno and garlic an cook for 1 more minute.

2. Whisk together the vinegar, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and curry powder.

3. Add to the onions. Add mango, raisins, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Using a spoon smash the mangoes. Cook uncovered until the liquid has reduced.

MANGO BARBECUE SAUCE

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Saute the onions for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Pour into a food processor and pulse until well combined.

TACOS

1. Put meat in each of the taco shells. Top with barbecue sauce and cheese.

* serves 8, but with extra meat left over
* Shared with F.O.T.M.C. at La Cocina de Leslie and Simply Delish at KB and Whitesnakes Home

Tomato and Sausage Pilaf

This last semester of law school had me effectively fall off the planet. As of last night though I am now 66% done with law school – only one year left!

If this blog were actually entitled Law Student Eats or something (as opposed to it being my Cookbook) these last few months of food would be filled the nastiest foods ever. I have eaten a lot of hot dogs and chili fries, hamburgers, pizza, and Chinese food. I am not saying any of those are actually nasty, because they taste really good . . . But I have hardly been healthy and unfortunately I’ve noticed a major increase in my weight in the last few months. This is very disappointing given how much I lost last year. I don’t want it all to be for nothing, so it’s time I pull myself together again and start making meals that matter and reexplore my kitchen and have fun.

My around the world challenge, like I’ve mentioned, was entirely set-back by my hectic life. But I will be making those missed out ‘trips’ up starting next meal plan hopefully. If not, I do still plan to make 52 dishes from other countries – we will just see how it pans out.

My school work has really gotten in the way of cooking. I was also disappointed that I wasn’t able to participate in Food ‘n Flix last month because I just had no time to watch the movie. I already have my dish picked out though for this month’s movie, Sideways. I plan to make it Friday this week. I just need to go to the store and get some wine first. To participate in this fun event check it out here.

Now with that being said and all my talking out of the way, this pilaf was delicious. I usually mess rice up if it’s not cooked traditionally (or in a rice cooker.) This recipe was surprisingly simple, left me with fluffy (not burnt) rice, and tasted delicious.

Tomato and Sausage Pilaf
(source)

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
9 oz smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup basmati rice
2 1/2 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Heat 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Add 1/2 tsp of olive oil, onion, and garlic to the frying pan. Cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the rice, and cook stirring for 1 minute. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Place sausages on top of rice.

4. Add the remaining oil and mushrooms to the frying pan. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to release liquid. Add the tomato and broth; bring to a boil. Pour over rice and stir to combine. Cover dish with tight-fitting lid.

5. Bake for 40 minutes. Add peas. Bake covered for 5 more minutes.

* serves 2

Beer Battered Grilled Cheese

I missed last month’s Crazy Cooking Challenge (blueberry muffins) because I just forgot to post the link. I made these delicious blueberry rum muffins, but oh well.

This month’s challenge was to make a grilled cheese sandwich. And with grilled cheese sandwiches comes a story from my youth. When I was little my mom loved grilled cheese sandwiches. And if I recall correctly, we had them quite often. But I didn’t realize they were called grilled cheese sandwiches. What I heard was girled cheese sandwiches. I would always get upset that my brother was getting a girled cheese for lunch because I thought they were part of the magical world of girl foods, or something.

In college I ate grilled cheese sandwiches a lot also, mostly because they were cheap and easy to make. A grilled cheese and tomato soup was hands down one of the best meals after a long day working for minimum wage.

This sandwich was a twist on the classic grilled cheese, having the beer batter. I probably should have cooked them a little longer to get a little crispier, but all in all, loved it!

Beer Battered Grilled Cheese
(inspiration)

Ingredients
4 slices bacon
4 slices bread
2 slices mozzarella cheese
2 slices cheddar cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup beer
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp butter

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside.

2. On 2 slices of bread place 1 slice of mozzarella, 2 pieces of bacon, and 1 piece of cheddar cheese. Top each with a piece of bread.

3. Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl combine the egg, beer, flour, and chili powder. Dip each side of the sandwich into the batter and let absorb.

4. Melt butter on a hot griddle. Place sandwiches on griddle. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

* makes 2 sandwiches

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Beef Stew

This month Food ‘n Flix was hosted by La Cocina de Leslie. The movie this month was a movie I had never seen before, Last Holiday. Georgia Byrd, a woman who lives just an average life has a life changing moment when she learns she has only a small amount of time left to live. Georgia regrets not going for her dreams while she had the chance, the dreams of being a chef, the dreams of traveling.. So she cashes in her life savings and goes on a European adventure before she dies. To enter Food ‘n Flix this month, go here to check it out. You have until the 29th!

Georgia seems to have a love affair with the Food Network, with the first dish she makes in the movie being from Emeril Lagasse. I decided that in the spirit of the movie I would make a dish of Emeril’s. This stew was perfect. The flavors were absolutely amazing. For something as simple as stew, I was surprised this could be full of so much flavor. Part of the recipe calls for Essence. I made way too much of the spice mixture just for this stew, so I’ve been including it in every recipe I’ve cooked since. It’s a wonderful combination. If you see me mention  Essence in the ingredients of my upcoming posts, this is what it is!

Beef Stew
(Emeril Lagasse)

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
3 lbs beef, cut into chunks
2 tsp salt
2 tsp Essence (recipe below)
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp butter
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
2 cups onions, chopped
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups beef stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp ground allspice
4 cups russet potatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions

1. Set a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and Essence. Add the meat to the pot and cook until brown on each side. Remove the beef and set aside.

2. Add the butter and mushrooms to the pot, and cook until well browned. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and saute until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, allspice, and beef. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes. Recover and cook 30 minutes more.

4. Stir in peas. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

* serves 6

Essence

Ingredients
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme

1. Mix all together thoroughly. 

Spicy Meatballs and Spaghetti

This is the first month I’ve participated in the Crazy Cooking Challenge. Every month a new dish is listed to be created, using a recipe from a blog found elsewhere on this world wide web we surf. This month’s challenge was spaghetti with red sauce. I knew when I saw this that I needed meatballs, because no spaghetti is complete without them. But I didn’t want normal meatballs, I wanted something more! So I surfed the web and found normal meatball recipe after normal meatball recipe. When I stumbled upon Blissfully Delicious however, I changed paces. The Spicy Turkey Meatballs that Yudith made are anything but your traditional meatball. Using prosciutto in her meatballs, she added that spark I was looking for!

Now unfortunately when it came to meatball making night I had forgotten to buy prosciutto. But I did have pastrami, so I decided to use that instead. And also.. stupidly, the ground turkey I was going to use had been in the refrigerator too long and had to make its dissent into the trash. With only the Italian sausage thawed, I decided to just go with it and make sausage/pastrami meatballs.

So while my meatballs may not be exact replications of Yudith’s, they got their inspiration to do something different and be more than a boring ball of meat.

Spicy Meatballs and Spaghetti
(inspiration)

  Ingredients
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
2 oz pastrami, thinly chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 jar marinara sauce
1 lb dried spaghetti

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Pour the bread crumbs and milk together. Let sit for 5 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sausage, pastrami, bread mixture, Parmesan, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine with your hands. Add the olive oil and eggs and mix together well.

4. Roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

5. Pour the marinara in a large pot. Add the meatballs and bring to a simmer.

6. Cook spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain. Place spaghetti in individual bowls and top with meatballs and sauce.

* serves 3

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Around The World in 52 Weeks: Sarma

Though sarma is traditionally a Serbian dish, Montenegro, my county for the week borders Serbia. Food in Montenegro has both Italian and Serbian influences. These wraps can be made using grape leaves, chard leaves, or cabbage leaves. I opted for the cabbage as I had one in my refrigerator and it didn’t require a trip to a specialty store (as the grape leaves would have.)

The only thing I regret about this dish was not having started it earlier. It takes three hours to cook, so starting dinner at 6PM was just a dumb idea on my part. When dinner was finally read around 9PM I indulged in these delicious wraps. The sauerkraut made them the perfect amount of bitter. I would definitely make these again.

Sarma
(source)

Ingredients
1 head cabbage
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 lb ground pork
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 egg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can sauerkraut
1 cup tomato sauce
water, as needed

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine the meat, rice, onion, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Form meat mixture into oblong balls, about 1/2 cup of meat each. Wrap each ball with a cabbage leaf.

2. Spread the sauerkraut on the bottom of a pan. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top of the sauerkraut. Pour tomato sauce on top and then add enough water so that the cabbage rolls are completely covered.

3. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, allowing to simmer. Simmer for 3 hours.

* serves 3
* Shared with KB and Whitesnakes’s Simply Delish Saturdays.

I’d like to see people travel the globe with me.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time
- If you enter a recipe you will be automatically entered into my current giveaway.

Lamb Moussaka

This month over at Food n Flix we watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a romantic comedy which I hope you’ve seen! My Big Fat Greek Wedding is actually one of the few movies I’ve seen more than once. When I was rewatching the movie to decide what to make for this month’s Food n Flix submission my boyfriend was confused at why I would laugh before anything funny would happen. But that was because I kept hearing the funny lines in my head right before they were said. So I would preemptively laugh.

I had a long list of inspirations by the time the movie was over. I decided to be traditional though and make a moussaka.

In the movie there’s a flashback to Toula as a girl in elementary school. She was sitting at one table in the cafeteria and the girls behind her made a comment about what she was eating. Toula responded that it was moussaka. The mean little blonde girls squealed, “Moose kaka?!!??”

I also new I needed to use lamb in this dish to hit the nail on the head because “You’re a vegetarian. That’s ok, I’ll make lamb.”

Finding lamb however was not an easy task. Apparently my grocery store doesn’t carry it – only the commonly used beef, poultry, and pork. I almost decided to make a ground beef version of the moussaka, but I really needed the lamb if I wanted to make this a true “vegetarian” dish.

I googled around and found that this place in Sacramento (where I live) called Mediterranean Market sold ground lamb. On the Saturday I made this dish I jumped in the car and found this cute little market, which was full of grape leaves, kabobs, falafel mix, hookah supplies, and lamb! The butcher ground the lamb for me there on the spot and I was on my way with my lamb (and the falafel mix that I picked up too.)

This wasn’t exactly an easy dish, so it was good I picked a weekend to make it. It was definitely time consuming, but the product that came out in the end made it worth it. It’s kind of silly I made moussaka, because eggplant is not my favorite vegetable in the world (which I’ve said before.) This preparation of the eggplant though was great, so I think I might be slowly drifting to Team-Eggplant instead of Team-Eggplant-Is-Gross.

Anyway, the one real lesson I learned from the movie is to put Windex on every ailment. I couldn’t really show that to you guys in food style though.

Thanks to Kahakai Kitchen for hosting this month’s Foon n Flix! If you want to enter a dish for this month’s movie you have until the 27th of February.

Lamb Moussaka
(Source)

 Ingredients

CHEESE SAUCE
2 1/2 tbsp butter
2 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup milk
Nutmeg to taste
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

MOUSSAKA
1 1/2 eggplants
1 large potato
salt to taste
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 lb ground lamb
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
pinch of allspice
ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp dry red wine
2 tbsp bread crumbs

Directions

1. Make the cheese sauce first. To make it heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir well, making sure to get rid of all dry clumps. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk to create a smooth sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, letting simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Once thickened remove from heat. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. In another bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Add a bit of the hot sauce mixture to the yolks, stirring well. Combine the rest of the yolks with the sauce. Stir in the cheese and blend well. Keep warm and set aside.

3. Place potatoes in a pot. Add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, remove from the heat and drain them. Once cool slice into 1/8-inch slices and set aside.

4. Peel the eggplants and slice into 1/8-inch slices. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil until hot. Add the eggplant to the oil and cook a few pieces of eggplant at a time, until tender and lightly colored about 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack and set aside.

5. Next prepare your meat sauce. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat, for about 10-12 minutes until tender. Add the ground lamb and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cloves, bay leaf, allspice, salt, pepper and water. Simmer until thick, about 30 minutes. Add tomato paste and red wine  and continue simmering for 10 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. To assemble the moussaka, scatter the breadcrumbs in a deep baking dish. Place a layer of half of the eggplant slices over the breadcrumbs.  Add the meat sauce and spread it in an even layer. Top with a layer of potatoes. Then create a layer of eggplant with the remaining slices. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top.

8. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the moussaka from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes before serving.

 

Around The World in 52 Weeks: Barbecue Limas

This week my kitchen to the Marshall Islands. I was going to make dessert as well as dinner, but I kind of forgot I didn’t have any heavy cream and had to say goodbye to my plans to make a coconut cream macadamia cake, because I was too lazy to go to the grocery store.

While I didn’t make the coconut cream cake, I did use an ingredient I haven’t use before (which by the way is another of my resolutions for the year.) I had no idea until I made last week’s meal plan that butter beans and lima beans were actually the same thing. I had a can of butter beans in my cabinet, for whatever reason, and they have been sitting there forever because I had no idea what a butter bean was. I learned this week that it’s a lima bean! I’d never cooked with butter/lima beans before, but this Marshall Islands dish was delicious.

Of course the American is using canned lima beans.. But if we were actually on the Marshall Islands in the Caribbean we would have fresh beans that grow wild on the island. Cite.

I wasn’t too sure about this recipe. But after it was made and I was eating it, it was so good. And my boyfriend liked it too. We like the Marshall Islands.

Barbecue Limas (adapted from here)

Ingredients
1 can lima beans (or butter beans)
6 oz spicy Italian sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 16-oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp mustard
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

1. Brown the sausage, onion, and garlic in a skillet. Add the tomato sauce, mustard, and brown sugar and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.

2. Pour the sausage mixture into a baking dish. Mix with lima beans and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

* serves 2
* I’m sharing this dish with KB and Whitesnake’s Simply Delish Saturdays.

I’d like to see people travel the globe with me.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time
- If you enter a recipe you will be automatically entered into my current giveaway.

Beef Rendang and Coconut Butternut Squash

Julia Roberts is hands down one of my favorite actresses. She’s so natural. She looks natural, she acts natural; I feel like if I knew her in real life we would get along wonderfully. I love watching movies with Julia in them because she adapts to the parts she plays so well. She is absolutely convincing.

For Food ‘n Flix this month we watched the movie Eat Pray Love – hosted by me!

I actually read the book Eat Pray Love before I saw the movie. I loved the book. I was drooling through Italy, I was reminiscent through India (because I went there once and I missed it,) and I felt peaceful through Indonesia. When I found out that a movie was coming out of the book, I was actually disappointed. So much of the time the movie versions of books just don’t quite capture it. But when I found out that Julia Roberts was starring, playing Elizabeth Gilbert, I knew I had to see the movie. I’m really glad that I did see it, because the book truly was captured in the movie. I probably drooled more, felt more reminiscent, and felt more at peace watching the movie than I did reading the book. This is rare. Usually the movie just can’t compare. But in this case, seeing the foods, the sights, and the people really added that element that my mind wasn’t able to fill in when I was reading the book.

The majority of the food in this movie is seen in Italy. I intended at first to make Italian food, because I was literally slobbering while I was watching the movie. With all the pictures of Italian food, I just wanted it all in my belly, from gelato to pizza to spaghetti. But then when it got to India, my mind changed. Indian food is actually one of my favorite cuisines, so it only made sense to make some curry and naan. But then when I got to Indonesia I realized I actually needed to make something that I think Elizabeth Gilbert would have eaten in Indonesia, in the the part of the movie where she really finds herself. It is in Indonesia that Elizabeth is able to fit all the pieces of herself together, to find what makes her happy. Though food wasn’t a huge component of these scenes, it seemed fitting to make a dish representing this part of the movie.

I have no idea what Indonesian food is. I did search the internet a little bit for some information and found that rendang is a ceremonial dish used to honor  guests that originated in Indonesia. Perhaps when Elizabeth visited Ketut he had an honorary dinner for her, with rendang as a dish. I served the rendang with a coconut butternut squash. The flavors melded together beautifully.

Beef Rendang

Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
1/3 cup ginger, peeled and sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 anaheim pepper, chopped
1 14-oz can coconut milk
2/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
2 lemongrass stalks, crushed
2 lbs boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups cooked rice

Directions

1. Place the first 9 ingredients (through the pepper) into a food processor. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk and process until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and set aside.

2. Place 3 tbsp coconut milk and the flaked coconut in the food processor. Pulse until a thick paste is formed. Set aside.

3. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the remaining coconut milk, lemon juice, sugar, lemongrass, chuck roast, and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender. Discard the lemongrass. Stir in the flaked coconut mixture and cook for 10 more minutes.

4. Serve the rendang over cooked rice.

* serves 6
* 621 calories per serving (this includes the rice)

Coconut Butternut Squash

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sriacha

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant.

2. Add the squash, coconut milk, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and sriacha. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the squash is tender.

3. Remove the squash from the pan and reduce the liquid, until it creates a thick syrup. Pour the liquid over the squash.

* serves 4
* 99 calories per serving

Around The World In 52 Weeks: Coupé Coupé and Yucca Fries

Like I mentioned in my introduction to my journey around the world in 52 weeks, today starts my journey around the world. I’ve invited you all to join my trek across the globe with me. Every week (including this one) I am going to open it up to you guys so you can share your worldly dishes with me. They can be from anywhere!

Guinea is a country in Western Africa and was definitely an adventure for the week! Not only is it likely that I’ll never get to go anywhere in Africa, I also used yucca for the first time ever which was quite an experience. 

Coupé coupé is a dish prevalent throughout Africa, being their version of what we know as barbecue. Originally when I had planned my 52 week journey I had planned to go to French Guinea. Apparently French Guinea doesn’t actually exist anymore, but just because the country borders have changed, the influence that the French have on this region must still be in existence.  The name of the this sandwich, coupé coupé comes from the French word “couper,” meaning to cut or to slice. Traditionally the meat is grilled over hickory wood chips and has a smokey flavor.

Unfortunately, my grill was not yet set up. So rather than fly past this region in West Africa straight to Jamaica (my next week’s adventure,) I decided to make it work and find a way to recreate a barbecue in my oven.  While I’m sure the flavor would be more extreme had I grilled the meat over the wood chips, it was still a tasty sandwich. Also, it would have been better if I hadn’t bought already sliced beef, but had grilled a big chunk. Oh well though.

Additionally, I made yucca fries! I have never used yucca before. I have seen it in the grocery store and have been intimidated by the root. I had no idea how you would prepare it or what it would taste like. The yucca fries however were delicious and actually, I would consider never having french fries again and just replace them completely with these fries. They were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and they gave me a reason to pull my deep fryer out from the depths of my kitchen supplies.

Coupé Coupé

Ingredients
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp powdered chicken bouillon
1/8 tsp cayenne
salt
pepper
12 oz steak
1 tbsp mayonnaise
half anaheim pepper, cut into chunks
half onion, sliced
1/2 baguette

Directions

 1. In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, bouillon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Rub half of it into the steak.

2. In your broiler brown the steak on both sides.

3. In a roasting dish place 1/4 cup water and the steak. Lower the oven to 350 and cook for a half hour. Remove from the oven, add another 1/4 cup of water, and lower the heat to 250. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and check if it’s cooked or not. If not, continue this process checking roughly every 20 minutes. Once done, slice the steak.

5. In a skillet with a little bit of oil, cook the onions and pepper. Slice the baguette down the middle and then in half. Put it in the oven for about 10 minutes.

6. To make the sandwich spread some mayonnaise on one side of the bread. Place the onions, pepper, and steak on the bread to make the sandwich.

* serves 2
* I’m sharing this sandwich with Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen 

Yucca Fries

Ingredients
1 yucca root
vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Peel and quarter the yucca.  Cut the yucca into smaller, fry size pieces.

2. Boil a pot of water. Once boiling, add the yucca pieces and boil for 10 minutes or until soft.

3. Either in a deep fryer or deep skillet, get your oil sizzling hot and fry the yucca fries in batches for about 5 minutes a batch.

4. Set on a plate covered with a paper towel. Put some salt on the fries.

* serves 2

NOW! Come travel the globe with me this year.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time