Month: December 2008

मेमने Lamb Rogan Josh

/ Ren

Yoghurt and spice-marinated lamb shoulder in a thick red-colored curry.

Curry powder, ajwain seed, rogan josh blend, charnushka, plain yoghurt with live acidopholus, onion, tomatoes, lamb, fresh ginger, garlic, paprika, cilantro and ghee.

Stir the spices into the yoghurt, add the lamb and refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Sautee the onions, ginger and garlic in ghee in a heavy pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until soft, about 3 minutes.  Take care not to burn the garlic.

Add the lamb and its marinade and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add enough lamb, beef or vegetable stock to barely cover the meat.

Reduce heat, cover (offset) and simmer until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Add wedges of tomato and cilantro and cook uncovered another 5 minutes.

Serve topped with yoghurt and cashew butter with saffron basmati.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Vilsack is not “Change We Can Believe In”

/ Ren

USDA – Let them eat high fructose corn syrup.

CONTACT: Organic Consumers Association
Ronnie Cummins  (218) 226-4164
Alexis Baden-Mayer (202) 744-0853

sayno140

Carne de Venado Incrustada de Cacao y Cafe con Crèma de Comino Tostado

/ Ren

Cocoa & Coffee Crusted Venison w/Toasted Cumin Crèma

Make a dry rub of annatto seeds, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, cocoa, corriander and cinnamon. For best flavor, use whole spices toasted in a dry skillet before grinding.  Coat the venison with the spice rub and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Gather the rest of the ingredients: pumpkins seeds, fresh thyme, sesame seeds, cloves, reserved dry rub, tomato puree, achiote paste, deied peppers, jalapeno, dark chocolate, onion and tomatoes.

Split the dried peppers and steep in hot water for a few minutes to soften.

Sautee the onion, jalapeno and rehydrated peppers in a little oil until softened.

Add chopped tomatoes, crushed toasted pumpkin seeds, achiote paste and a spoonful of the dry rub mix. Cook until tomatoes release all their liquid, about 10 minutes.

Add tomato puree, orange juice, fresh thyme and chocolate and simmer for 10 minutes.

Sweeten with enough agave or honey to provide a nice balance with the heat of the peppers.

Sear the venison in olive oil as you would a pan-fried steak.  Deer that was properly field dressed, chilled and processed is generally as tender and flavorful as pastured beef.

Thicken the sauce with toasted bread cubes.  Place thick-sliced venison over sauce and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and Mexican crema flavored with toasted cumin and S&P.  Polenta fried in butter with cilantro makes a nice side.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Tell Supermarkets, No More Fishy Business!

/ Ren

You can help save the oceans every time you go grocery shopping. Consumers buy half their seafood at supermarkets, yet most supermarkets don’t consider where the seafood they sell comes from or how it was caught. Destructive fishing practices and overfishing are two of the gravest threats facing our oceans, and experts predict if current trends continue, global fisheries will collapse in 50 40 years.

Take action – Flex your power as a consumer. Tell the largest U.S. supermarket retailers to adopt sustainable seafood policies, stop selling destructively fished seafood, and provide informative labeling so customers, like us, can choose the most sustainable seafood and avoid the most imperiled fish. Don’t delay, ocean protection starts with all of us.

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Short’nin’ Bread

/ Ren

All-purpose, graham or whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, buttermilk, butter, molasses, egg.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 10-inch iron skillet.

Dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk.

Lightly beat an egg.

Grate cinnamon & nutmeg into flour.

Bring butter and molasses to a boil, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and allow to cool several minutes.

Stir molasses mixture into flour and combine well.

Stir buttermilk into flour and combine well.

Stir egg into flour and combine well.

Turn batter into perpared skillet and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Cool and serve.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ –

Fotch dat dough fum the kitchin-shed—
Rake de coals out hot an’ red—
Putt on de oven an’ putt on de led,—
Mammy’s gwineter cook som short’nin’ bread

“A Short’nin’ Bread Song—Pieced Out”
James Whitcomb Riley, 1849-1916