Grandma's Kitchen Table

My Kitchen My World: Tonga - Papaya with Coconut Cream Sauce

      The world cuisine country chosen for October's My Kitchen, My World is Tonga.  My friend Margaret is always encouraging us all to explore food in different cultures, and the first week of November she will have a round-up of all the Tonga recipes made for October so you can see them at the MKMW site. 

      I can't say that I really knew where Tonga was at the beginning of the month (somewhere in the South Pacific was as close as I could remember)...I had sort of a general idea, but if you gave me one of those little stick pins and told me to pin it, I would have a 50/50 chance of missing it.  At the end of the month, I am proud to say, I can at least get the little stick pin in the correct place on the map.  Not so much with understanding the food and cuisine of Tonga. 

      When I started my search for a recipe to make, the first one I came across was "Octopus in Cream Sauce."  Hmmm...not so much a sure-fire hit here and where does one get octopus exactly?  It's not a regularly stocked item at my market.  I don't live close enough to Detroit to score one (those of you who live in Detroit will get that little joke, those who don't, it's probably best you don't know). 

      The next "hit" was a set of instructions on how to build an "umu."  Hmmm...what's a umu?  It's a pit "big enough to hold a day's worth of food."  Again, not thinking I want to make a recipe that starts with "first you dig a pit...." 

      This wasn't looking promising until I spied a recipe using a Papaya (sometimes available at a market here, and I did get lucky in that regard as  Polynesian food can be a bit of a challenge for someone who lives in say, Indiana, a far cry from anything tropical). 

      As I read the recipe further, I couldn't think where I was going to come up with the taro leaves or banana leaves used (in countless recipes) as you wrap things in these before you put them in your fire pit, until I came across a very simple recipe that said, "If you are out of banana leaves, you can use tinfoil."  Bingo, tinfoil I can score in the non-tropics of Indiana. 

      So, here is my simple, yet delicious, Tongan recipe for Papaya with Coconut Cream Sauce, a recipe that allows the use of a plain old everyday oven and tinfoil. Simple, delicious, and very tropical tasting.

Papaya with Coconut Cream Sauce
Serves 2

1 papaya
Coconut Cream or Coconut Milk

Halve and seed the papaya.  Fill the cavity with coconut cream (or coconut milk).  Wrap in banana leaves (or tinfoil if you are short on banana leaves).  Bake at 250 degrees F for 25 minutes.  

      November's destination is Poland.  (Anyone can participate any time with no advance or further commitment, so it you have something you would like to explore and make from Poland, join in and leave your link!)

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Banana, Hazelnut, and Chocolate Bread

      My seventy-seventh recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Banana, Hazelnut, and Chocolate Bread, was chosen by Chaya, and is found online here. 

      The ingredient list:  butter, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, bananas, hazelnuts, chopped dark chocolate, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and golden syrup. (I also sprinkled a little powdered sugar on the top just because I felt like it and it makes it pretty.)

      This recipe goes together quickly, bakes for enough time for you to run a couple of errands, and leaves the house smelling like chocolate.  (Okay, I know you all think that is a good thing so I included that part.) 

      Since we all know I did not sample the entire piece (I did pick around the chocolate and the bread was a nice texture with a delicious crumb), I will leave you with Mark's impressions.  He thought the bread was wonderful, not too sweet but yet it nicely fulfilled the craving for something sweet at the end of a meal.  He has been taking it in his lunches this week, enjoying the bits of chocolate and the nuts in it and would definitely eat it any time I wanted to make it.  High praise indeed. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Margaret's post is here. Chaya's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is Sarah's choice, Eggplant and Feta Meatballs, found online here. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

IHCC: Donna Hay - Simple Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich

      The theme for this week for I Heart Cooking Clubs is Sandwich Sensations! (Celebrating all Sandwiches, Wraps, Burgers, etc).  The recipe I chose was Simple Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich, and it can be found on page 26 in Donna Hay's Simple Dinners cookbook. 

      The ingredient list:  fresh breadcrumbs, butter, grated parmesan, chicken breast fillets, salt, pepper, and bread rolls (also whatever you wish to put on your sandwich, I chose fresh tomato and spinach).  

      When I first saw the recipe photo in the book, I thought it was a little strange to have breading on the chicken and also a bread roll.  I usually have one or the other, not both (not really big on breaded things in general).  Schnitzel is usually pork, flour/egg/milk-breaded, and pan-fried so I was intrigued by the method of broiling the chicken in the oven with the breading just on top, no breading completely around the piece of meat, and no frying at all.  I decided method alone (and I love chicken) would be a good reason to give it a go. 

      It was easy, you just put the chicken with the breading on top under the broiler, and in a few minutes (depending on thickness of your chicken piece), you have a lovely crunchy chicken sandwich...and I do love crunch in anything.  Definitely a repeat here, easy (cleanup was just tossing the piece of foil I broiled it on and washing the bowl from the breadcrumb mix).    Really, for the recipe, just buy the book, I've made five recipes from it so far, and each one worthy of the purchase price.

      Please visit the I Heart Cooking Clubs site to see what the others made, you just click on their photo entry and it links you to their post/recipe.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Chicken and Roasted Pepper Pasta

      My seventy-sixth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Chicken and Roasted Pepper Pasta, was chosen by Margaret, and is found online here. 

      The ingredient list:  red bell pepper, roma tomatoes, penne pasta, olive oil, malt vinegar, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, pepper, and chicken. 

      There is a fair amount of messing around with this recipe, none of it difficult, but you have to cook the chicken (a pan), boil the pasta (a pan and a lid), roast the peppers and tomatoes (a pan), so the pan count and pan washing count adds up quickly.  That said, you could use leftover chicken. 

      All the ingredients are cooked separately, the dressing for the recipe is mixed in a bowl (quick and easy), and then it is all tossed together and plated.  We had it for lunch on Saturday, much healthier than the burgers my husband wanted to stop for on the way home from errands.  We both felt much better eating this and I would definitely make it again (you could make all the cooked parts ahead of time and just assemble when you were ready to serve it).  Light, fresh, flavorful, and filling as pasta is wont to be. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Margaret's post is here. Chaya's post is here.  Next is Chaya's choice, Banana, Hazelnut, and Chocolate Bread, found online here. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

IHCC: Donna Hay - Spicy One-Pot Couscous

      The theme for this week for I Heart Cooking Clubs is October Potluck! (Cook any Donna Hay dish or make a recipe from ANY former IHCC chef.) 

      Potluck weeks are always fun at IHCC because you get such a variety of recipes chosen by the participants, you just never know if you will get all Donna Hay recipes or some recipes thrown in from the previous chefs showcased at IHCC.  I just got the new Tessa Kiros book, Recipes and Dreams from an Italian Life, so I was tempted to do a recipe from there, but decided that I would stay with DH's Simple Dinners book this month. 

      The recipe I chose for this week's October Potluck! was Spicy One-Pot Couscous, on page 68.  One of the reasons I chose it was because I had chorizo left from the recipe last week (package of 4 means 2 meals for us with the boys off at school).  It also looked like a good dish to actually take to a potluck as it could manage to sit on a buffet table for an hour or two without adverse effects as well as being tasty at room temperature. 

      Ingredient list: olive oiil, red onions, chorizo, dried chili flakes, rosemary leaves, couscous, chicken stock, spinach leaves, parsley, lemon wedges, and aioli to serve.

      Although the chorizo can pack a few calories, the rest of the ingredients do not, so it is not so much of a guilty pleasure as one would associate with eating sausages maybe.  I didn't like chorizo for the longest time because I thought it was too spicy, but now have grown to appreciate that special kick that it gives a recipe.  The lemon, onion, parsley, and spinach go really nice with the sausage, the couscous just makes it all fun.  It is one of those under 30 minute deal of a meal recipes that you can throw together quickly on the busiest of weeknights and an excellent way to use the leftover chorizo from the package of 4.  Really, for the recipe, just buy the book, I've made four recipes from it so far, and each one worthy of the purchase price.

      Please visit the I Heart Cooking Clubs site to see what the others made, you just click on their photo entry and it links you to their post/recipe.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Garlic Chickpeas with Cumin-Fried Fish

       My seventy-fifth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Garlic Chickpeas with Cumin-Fried Fish, was chosen by me, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Off the Shelf:  Cooking From the Pantry, on page 80. (I also found it online here.)

      The ingredient list for the chickpeas recipe:  olive oil, leeks, lemon zest, garlic, chickpeas, and parsley.  The ingredient list for the fish recipe:  butter, olive oil, cumin, red chili, and firm white fleshed fish. 

      Both recipes come together quickly, making them ideal for a weeknight when time is always a little short.  The chickpeas were full of flavor with the onion, garlic, and that lemony tang, a great accompaniment for the fish. The fish is moist and flavorful with the kick of the cumin (a substantial amount) and the red chili, no boring fish dish here.  She suggested serving it with a lime wedge but all I had was lemon, so I can say that lemon works nicely, giving it a fresh clean flavor and cooling off the spiciness of those chilis a bit.  Definitely would make and eat this one again. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here. Chaya's post is here.  Next is Margaret's choice, Chicken and Roasted Pepper Pasta, found online here. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

IHCC: Donna Hay - Spicy Chickpea and Chorizo Fried Eggs

      The theme for this week for I Heart Cooking Clubs is Up & At 'Em! (Do you like something sweet for breakfast, or are savory dishes your favorite way to start the day?). 

      Breakfast? Hmmm...most days breakfast isn't much...a husband who does not really care to eat breakfast and has eaten cookies for breakfast on his drive to work for our entire married life, one son who refuses to eat breakfast at all, the other son who, as a competitive swimmer heading out to swim practice in the wee hours of the morning for the past 15 years, grabs only an occasional banana or yogurt, and myself who definitely does not want to face anything sweet to break any kind of fast, breakfast, per se is not high on our list of priorities.  That said, breakfast for lunch or dinner is always a happy occasion as we do it so rarely.  The theme this week was a good excuse to make breakfast for dinner.  (We do occasionally have what is known as Big Sunday Breakfast around here late morning of a Sunday where pancakes make a regular appearance.) 

      Staying with my Donna Hay Simple Dinners cookbook, I found many choices for this theme, one just as delicious-looking as the next, but finally settled on page 18, Spicy Chickpea and Chorizo Fried Eggs. 

      The ingredient list:  chorizo, red onion, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, oregano, chickpeas, eggs, smoked paprika, sea salt flakes, shredded lemon zest, flat- leaf parsley, and hot buttered toast to serve. 

      Seems like a lot of ingredients when you first read through it but the process is extremely easy and it all goes together in about 20 minutes. The combination of flavors is fabulous. I was very impressed with the glazed onions (red onion, a tiny bit of brown sugar, red wine vinegar) and I think I could have sampled that until there was none left to serve if I hadn't diligently told myself to get on with the recipe.  Chickpeas and oregano just go well together in no matter what you put them in, so enough said on that.  The most surprising discovery was the inclusion of lemon zest...lemon zest with eggs, are you serious?  I am the biggest fan of lemon in anything, but I have never put lemon with fried eggs before...and I will say this is just the beginning with that combination, it was so good!   Definitely worthy of a repeat.  (And, really, for the recipe, just buy the book, I've made three recipes from it so far, and each one worthy of the purchase price.)

      Please visit the I Heart Cooking Clubs site to see what the others made, you just click on their photo entry and it links you to their post/recipe.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Lentil, Lemon, and Yoghurt Soup

      My seventy-fourth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Lentil, Lemon, and Yoghurt Soup, was chosen by Gaye, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1, on page 16. You can also find it online here. 

      The ingredient list: olive oil, onion, cumin, coriander, red lentils (I had to use brown lentils as my store doesn't carry the red ones), vegetable stock, water, lemon rind, spinach, salt, pepper, yoghurt, and parsley. 

      Soup, I love it when someone chooses soup for the week's recipe, but I have to say that I was very surprised it was Gaye as she doesn't usually care for soup that much (we are trying to slowly convert her, however).  Lentil soup is pretty plain, not much flavor to the lentils usually, so whatever you put with them has to be able to work with them and make them shine.  This recipe did a fairly good job of that...the onions, coriander, and cumin were great for spicing up the lowly lentil.  The lemon lent a very nice pop that works so well with the two spices, together the three of them create a kind of flavor magic. 

      The spinach and yoghurt were optional ingredients and I took advantage of both, so my soup had a wonderful mix of flavors and was nice and creamy as the yoghurt melted into the hot soup.  All in all, a very healthy lunch, and one I would gladly make and eat again.  I can't wait to get over to Gaye's site to see what she thought of it. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Margaret's post is here. Chaya's post is here.  Next is my choice, Garlic Chickpeas with Cumin-fried Fish, found on page 80 in DH's Off the Shelf:  Cooking From the Pantry. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Butter

      My seventy-third recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Butter, was chosen by Sarah, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1, on page 86. 

      The ingredient list: asparagus, olive oil, unsalted butter, balsamic vinegar, and cracked black pepper. 

      Simple, simple, simple and the flavors are just wonderful together, that browned butter with the balsamic vinegar pairs wonderfully well with the asparagus, giving it a nutty flavor which rounds out the acid in the vinegar.  Delicious, easy enough for any meal, and one which I will definitely make again and again (we eat a lot of asparagus here). And, yeah, that portion above was not near enough for the two of us, make plenty!! 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is Gaye's choice, Lentil, Lemon, and Yoghurt Soup, found on page 16 in DH's Modern Classics 1 cookbook. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

IHCC: Donna Hay - Porcini, Bacon, and Maple Beans

      The theme for this week for I Heart Cooking Clubs was Pantry Magic (What kind of magic can you create from your pantry this week?).  One of Donna Hay's cookbooks is actually entitled Off the Shelf:  Cooking from the Pantry, and I have cooked a substantial number of recipes from that book (it is one we have been using in Wednesdays with Donna Hay), and the recipes in that book are wonderful to have at my fingertips for those times when you just stand in front of your pantry and wonder what you can possibly throw together with a few ingredients and a little amount of time, that book is priceless.  So in the spirit of pantry cooking, I looked through my Simple Dinners cookbook (the one I am showcasing for the next six months with IHCC) and chose Porcini, Bacon, and Maple Beans on page 71. I could not find the recipe online so you will need to buy the book or take a loaner from the library.   

      The ingredient list:  dried porcini mushrooms, boiling water, olive oil, leek, bacon, chicken stock, borlotti bean (cranberry beans or pinto beans), maple syrup, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and parsley. 

      Not too much to say about a little bowl of beans, is there?  Except that this was delicious...the flavors of bacon, onion, and mushrooms just perk up plain old beans like you wouldn't believe.  The recipe is spot on with just the right amounts of everything. 

      She suggested serving it with buttered toast, so we did that and I have to say, never being a fan of anything remotely resembling beans and toast, I would definitely make this and eat it again, it was flavorful and filling.  Definitely worthy of a repeat.

      Please visit the I Heart Cooking Clubs site to see what the others made, you just click on their photo entry and it links you to their post/recipe.

IHCC: Donna Hay - Pasta with Chorizo, Tomato, and Basil

      The I Heart Cooking Clubs picks a chef and his/her cuisine to explore twice a year, they change chefs every six months, alternating between women/men chefs.  This week marked the change-over from chefs Yotam Ottolenghi to Donna Hay. 

      Once I heard that Donna Hay was the chef for this rotation of IHCC (from now through the end of March), I figured we would be enjoying even more of her recipes each month as I would want to participate in all the fun going on at IHCC. (I already belong to a group for the last couple of years that cooks from Donna Hay's recipes called Wednesdays with Donna Hay.) 

     The I Heart Cooking Clubs chooses a theme for each week and the participants may cook/bake any recipe they wish from any of Donna Hay's books or online, etc. which fits into that theme, posting at will sometime during the week before the following Monday when the new theme goes into play (themes for the entire month are listed on the right sidebar of the IHCC site here).  Once you post, you simply leave your link at the site and readers are able to click on other participants to see recipes chosen by them.  I like the freedom of this style of recipe selection/posting/linking very much. 

      The theme for this first week of Donna Hay recipes was G'Day, Donna Hay! (make any of her recipes to welcome her to IHCC).  Last spring, a blogging friend, Jerry, sent me a nice little surprise in the mail for my birthday:  Donna Hay's cookbook Simple Dinners.  It is loaded with wonderful recipes and I am just loving this book, so probably I will try to do this book justice and select my recipes from it. 

      For a nice G'Day, Donna Hay! welcome, and as my welcome to this book, I selected the cover recipe, Pasta with Chorizo, Tomato, and Basil.  You will find the recipe on page 40 of Donna Hay's Simple Dinners cookbook.  You can also find the recipe online here. 

      The recipe comes together easily, which is a big plus always on a busy weeknight.  We liked the light dressing of olive oil, lemon rind, and garlic tossed with the pasta, the burst of the warm tomatoes, and the spicy chorizo flavored with the fried basil.  The cheese melted for a creamy goodness.  Definitely a repeat, it was delicious. 

      Please visit the I Heart Cooking Clubs site to see what the others made, you just click on their photo entry and it links you to their post/recipe.

My Kitchen My World: Bangers and Mash with Beer and Onion Gravy

      The world cuisine country chosen for September's My Kitchen, My World was Great Britain.  I haven't participated at MKMW for quite awhile but my friend Margaret is always encouraging us all to explore food in different cultures.  Somehow I always have good intentions, but then life gets busy and I find that at the end of the month I have forgotten all about My Kitchen My World once again.  This past month I had even made a dish and photographed it and still the posting did not make it to the blog.  I'm a bit late, but I figured you all might not mind, so I'm posting it anyway.

      The recipe I chose was Bangers and Mash with Beer and Onion Gravy because it seemed quintessentially British.  Whenever I think of British food, I think of bangers and mash for some reason.  I had never eaten it, and I barely knew what it was...loosely, I figured, something to do with sausages and mashed potatoes.  I figured anything to do with sausages and mashed potatoes would be a hit with Mark and I would have at least one enthusiastic eater when all was said and done.  I was not wrong, this was a really good (and easy) recipe.  Although not exactly high in the "healthy eats" and definitely a little high on the calorie count, I think it can make an appearance every now and again.  

      There are so many different recipes for bangers and mash, but the one I chose to make came from the blog Simple Provisions at this link here (I won't post the recipe as it is not mine to take credit for, so please follow the link, and you will be rewarded with wonderful photos as well a terrific recipe).  I made the recipe as stated with no variations and it was delicious (and I am not a big fan of sausages by a long shot).  When I make it again, I will follow the same recipe. 

      It's always fun to explore a country's cuisine, choose a recipe, and participate with the others also exploring and cooking in the group that month, I really need to make more of an effort to remember to factor that it more often. Margaret will have a round-up of all the recipes made for MKMW this month at the MKMW site. 

      October's destination is Tonga (and yes, first I need to figure out just where that is exactly and a whole lot about its cuisine).  Anyone can participate any time with no advance or further commitment, so if you have something you would like to explore and make from Tonga, join in and leave your link!  You seriously want to know where Tonga is, don't you?  And you also seriously want to know what they eat there, right? I thought so...what will we all make for October?