Chopped Liver – A small batch
Traditionally this recipe uses rendered chicken fat, known as gribenes or schmaltz. It’s not something I have readily on hand, so I use plain old oil.
1/2 pound liver, either chicken or beef
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 egg, hard-boiled, peeled, and diced
1 slice hearty bread, diced (I prefer rye)
salt and pepper
oil
Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat
season raw liver with salt and pepper
brown the liver on both sides, about 3 minutes for each side
remove from pan and set aside
Brown the onions in the dirty pan
add more oil if needed
In a food processor add all the ingredients and pulse for about 30 seconds, or until the desired consistency is achieved. More oil may be needed to loosen up the chopped liver.
Salt and pepper to taste
chill for about 2 hours
Seafood Stew – A small batch
aka cioppino
Not only is this a small batch, but it's the perfect pantry-version of this recipe. All the ingredients are canned, bottled, or frozen. But, that said, I’ve added fresh fish and seafood before, with great success.
Oil, for sautéing
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can crushed tomato
1 bottle clam juice
2 small cans chopped clams, reserve liquid…
My attempt at vertical gardening
So I thought I had this really great original idea. Well, in the end, not such much. But I’m giving it a try just the same.
I have a very small garden, and most of that is always in shade. I thought I’d take advantage of the one unused and sunny spot by planting a small vertical garden using a dollar-store shoe bag attached to the basement stair railing. Not growing a lot, some herbs, lots of lettuce, a few patio-variety tomato plants, strawberries, snow peas, and one tiny Thai chili plant. My biggest concern is not yield, it’s forgetting to water on a regular basis, once the novelty has worn off.
I’m already having thoughts of making a pasta and scallop dish using all those wonderful tiny tomatoes come July!
Masala Dosa – A small batch
The dosa is Southern India’s answer to a pancake or crepe, they are typically stuffed, and eaten for breakfast. The batter is made primarily of ground urad dal and rice, and though I give the directions below for a scratch version, mixes are readily available online or at your local Indian grocer, if you are lucky enough to have one.
Dosa
3/4 cup dry rice
1/4 cup dry urad dal, skinless
1/4 small onion
salt
The day before…
begin by soaking the urad dal and rice in two separate container covered with several inches of water. Cover and allow the bowls to sit out at room temperature at least overnight and up to one day.
The next morning…
drain and rinse the rice and dal
using a food processor grind the two together into a paste
add the onion and salt
and continue to grind
add water slowly until you get a smooth creamy and slightly thin batter
continue to grind the batter in the processor until you can rub it between your fingers and the grit remaining should be a little finer than cream of wheat
Filling
1 large potato, peeled, cubed, and cooked until fork tender (russets are recommended)
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green chili, minced (or chili powder to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon garam masala (or prepared curry powder)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper
oil for sautéing
Heat the oil over medium heat
add the mustard and cumin seeds until they begin to pop
add the onion, garlic and chili
sauté for a couple minutes
add the ground cumin and coriander
gently stir in the cubed potatoes
add the turmeric, garam masala, chopped cilantro and mix well
add a about 1/4 cup of water and mix well
salt and pepper to taste
The Masala Dosa
Heat a well-oiled medium non-stick pan over high heat
reduce heat
pour 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the pan, like a crepe, work quickly swirling the batter outwards into a very thin flat pancake. (don’t be overly concerned about holes or getting it perfectly round, just focus on spreading it thin. Use a rubber scraper to move the batter if you feel more comfortable)
Cook the dosa until the underside is golden brown and the top is no longer glossy. This will only take a few minutes and do not flip the dosa. (If your dosa seems a little thick, too chewy, or not quite crispy enough, blend the batter again and add a little more water.)
Remove the dosa from the pan and fill with several tablespoons of the prepared potato filling and a little squeeze of sriracha for more heat, if you like that. Roll up and serve immediately with your favorite chutney.
Makes 6
Chocolate Syrup
This is not hot fudge, and yes, there is a difference. A teaspoon or two makes great chocolate milk.
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Dissolve cocoa powder with water in a saucepan
heat through
add the sugar, and stir to dissolve
boil for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly
Be careful, do not step away, or let it get too hot, it WILL boil over!
Add the salt and the vanilla
let cool and pour into a clean glass jar
This recipe make two cups
store in the refrigerator
Moussaka – A small batch
This is best described as Greek lasagna, replacing the noodles with slices of roasted eggplant. This isn’t traditional, in that I don’t use Béchamel sauce or lamb, but still tasty.
1 pound ground meat
1 large eggplant
1 onion, diced
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
dash of chili pepper, to taste
3 cups tomato sauce
grated parmesan cheese
bread crumbs
The meat
Sauté onions until golden
add garlic and cook until fragrant
brown meat
add spices
add approximately 1/3 cup of sauce
salt & pepper to taste, then set aside
Turn on the broiler
The eggplant
Peel and slice into 1/4″ slices, you need 18 slices
place slices on foil-lined baking sheets
brush lightly with oil
sprinkle with salt
Broil slices for about 5-7 minutes, or until the slice begin to get brown
flip slices and broil the other side
Assembly
You know how this goes, but if you really need a reminder…
Begin with about 1/2 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, then alternating eggplant slices, meat, then more sauce, layering the ingredients until all are used
Be sure to reserve some tomato sauce for the last layer
then sprinkle the top with a combination of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese
Bake at 375° F covered with foil for 45 minutes
then finish uncovered for another 30 minutes
Freezes very well
Ersatz Bananas Foster for One
1 banana, sliced into disks
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon water
dash of cinnamon
drop of vanilla
spray oil
Mix honey, water, cinnamon, and vanilla together and set aside
Heat a sauté pan coated with a thin layer of oil and the butter
place the banana slices in the hot pan and brown one side
flip slices over
Pour honey mixture into pan over banana slices
let the honey cook down a little bit, until the water evaporates
Shake the pan to coat the slices well
Serve on its own, as shown, or over ice cream, pancakes, or French toast.
You can even skip the butter if you so choose.
