A Stack of Dishes

Something good is cooking...

appetizer

Making Dukkah

by

Making Dukkah~ A Stack of Dishes

Have you heard of Dukkah? It’s relatively new to me, which is surprising since I feel like I sometimes have heard of it all. Dukkah is a spice and nut blend that can be sprinkled on top of just about anything. Also sometimes spelled Duqqa, this melange is of middle Eastern origin, namely Egypt, where you may purchase it on the streets of Cairo in paper cones.

The concept is a mix of nuts such as hazelnuts and blended with toasted seeds such as coriander, anise and herbs such as mint. There is no real master recipe, the versions are as varied as the maker- sort of like ice cream. One idea, many flavor combinations.  My combination consisted of hazelnuts, pine nuts, poppy seeds, anise, coriander and purple basil from my garden.

dukkah ~ A Stack of Dishes

I toasted the nuts and spices separately, then ground them separately. I left the hazelnuts with a little bit of texture, which is my preference, but most often Dukkah is of a unified consistency.

How to Enjoy Dukkah

Traditionally in Egypt dukkah is served alongside olive oil and bread. Either the dukkah and oil or mixed together, or the bread may be dipped in oil, then into the dukkah before eating. It’s a nosh. A simple, flavorful, great treat along with your tea or lunch. But I find dukkah to be much more versatile that that. I like mine sprinkled over yogurt, or to lace an otherwise plain green salad. Add it to your chicken salad, or enhance your grilled cheese with a smattering. Spinkle it over your morning eggs, or coat fish before roasting. Recently I used it in this Coconut Sweet Potato Soup recipe. I also tossed some into my latest scone recipe too. It was completely divine!

Worth the Effort?

To be honest, it took me a little time to make this batch. One must be careful when toasting nuts and spices. As you can see from my photo I got a little side tracked when toasting the pine nuts and they turned out a little dark. But there are several great reasons to make your own batch. 

The first reason is it’s a great way to use some of those spices sitting in your cupboard. They don’t last forever, so you might as well create something with them. The second thing is a few tablespoons of this and that makes quite a big batch, which leads me to the third thing. Bottled up, this makes an awesome hostess gift and a great stocking stuffer. Stash a few jars in your freezer for quick hand outs. Trust me, you’ll make lasting friends with this one.

Dukkah~ A Stack of Dishes

Like I said the recipe may vary. Here is the breakdown of my combination, along with some other suggestions:

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

small handful hazel nuts, toasted

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 tablespoons anise seeds

small handful of dried purple basil

 

Using a spice blender, or by hand, or in a mortar and pestle, reduce the ingredients to a grainy powder and toss to thoroughly combine. Taste for balance. Anise, for instance, has a strong flavor and may out shine some of the subtler flavors. Store in an airtight container, preferably in the fridge. Mine presently lives on the counter as I find uses for it almost every day. (you know those avocado toasts everyone is going nuts over lately? Yup, a sprinkle of this goodness will make it shine!

Some other options:

sesame seeds

cumin seeds

mint

tarragon

caraway

nigella

almonds

black pepper

Lentil Salad with Grilled Haloumi + Machu Picchu

by

lentilSalad

Oh what fun I’ve been having the past month or so. For those that do not know, the wife and I went down to Peru and hiked the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu. I was without a doubt challenging in many ways. Five days and four nights, and 38 miles on the trail was arduous, but it also turns out that this city girl is afraid of heights. Normally this doesn’t impact my life very much, but when hiking through the Andes it can be a challenge.

There is nothing like countryside of Peru. It is breathtaking, absolutely stunning! The mountains rise up straight from the ground in vertical regal grandeur, nudging the clouds. Towns and villages cling to the edges in miraculous ways, as the sun and winds sweep over them. As a flatlander I was dazzled by the agility and grace of folks traversing up and down cliff like hillsides without one single huff or puff. All this at elevations miles above sea level. I, on the other hand, struggled like a 100 year old woman. 

haloumi

Even though we spent three days in Cusco adjusting to the altitude (11,000 feet), I was still plagued with piercing headaches, nausea and and overall feeling of being on a college weekend alcoholic bender. The hiking itself is tough going over rough rocky trails, and the first days they took us upwards to a peak of 15,000 feet. From the highest point it is mostly a descent, taking us from scrubby mountain terrain down into humid leafy jungle.

There were several moments of terror for me as I traversed narrow trails carved into sheer cliffs- the worst being a long crossing over a huge mudslide on a fresh (and rather soft) man made trail which dropped off several hundred feet into a ravine. I was only able to do this while clinging onto our guide and my wife, and NEVER looking down.

By the end of the trip I had fallen off of a horse, suffered altitude sickness, blistered my toes, shivered in tents, slept on slopes, and was traumatized by the heights- but I can sincerely say it was by far one of the most fantastic things I have ever done. Though I ached and fretted, the hike was so beautiful, so encompassing, that I did not suffer my ills.

bitten

How this is possible I cannot say exactly- to feel uncomfortable or even pain, but not suffer it. Perhaps it’s because our comforts are not always the thing that drives us, or insures our happiness. There is more. As I hiked along I kept thinking. I am here. I am here now in Peru, and I let myself experience that, rather than my aching toes. The pains washed through and over me. I felt them, especially my anxiety, but they did not color my moments of being there.

Lentil Salad with Grilled Haloumi
The lemony aspect of the dressing balances out the smoke and heat of the paprika. This was inspired by Donna Hay's recipe.
Save Recipe
Print
316 calories
40 g
0 g
12 g
16 g
2 g
381 g
67 g
5 g
0 g
10 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
381g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 316
Calories from Fat 103
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g
18%
Saturated Fat 2g
8%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 67mg
3%
Total Carbohydrates 40g
13%
Dietary Fiber 22g
86%
Sugars 5g
Protein 16g
Vitamin A
551%
Vitamin C
31%
Calcium
13%
Iron
38%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup french puy lentils
  2. 1 bay leaf
  3. 2 heads romaine
  4. 8 oz haloumi, sliced into 4 pieces
  5. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  6. zest of one lemon
  7. 3 tablespoons olive oil
  8. 1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
  9. pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. In medium saucepan, combine lentils, bay leaf and a pinch of salt with 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered until the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender. About 30 minutes. Set aside and discard bay leaf.
Meanwhile make the dressing
  1. In a small bowl combine the zest, lemon juice, olive oil and paprika and stir thoroughly, set aside.
  2. Preheat a grill pan or cast iron pan over high heat. Lightly coat with cooking spray and grill for 2 minutes on each side.
  3. Prepare the plate by placing several clean romaine leaves, then sprinkling with lentils. Place haloumi on top and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.
beta
calories
316
fat
12g
protein
16g
carbs
40g
more
A Stack of Dishes https://www.astackofdishes.com/
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by Recipe Card
composit

Coconut Red Lentil Soup and Socca

by

Coconut Red Lentil Soup~ A Stack of DishesI’ve gotten onto a bit of an Indian food spree lately. This is a direct result from my trip to NYC a few weeks ago. When Pam and I go to larger cities we often seek out Thai restaurants. After living in Thailand for 5 years Thai food has become comfort food for Pam. So during our first week in NYC we ate Thai just about every day. We have a few favorite restaurants that we return to often when in town, and this time we found a few new places. All quite good for American Thai. We had some delicious Gai Yang, plenty of Kraw Pao Gai, and piles of Som Tam. None had the nose-running spiciness that we adore when in Chiang Mai, but no complaints.

During our second week in NYC we stayed with our friend Claire, and for a switch we all went out for Indian food around the corner from her apartment. The dishes were a new symphony of spices and spiciness that our bellies just adored. Warm curries, cinnamon, cardamom, oniony naan and earthy vegetables.

The delight of the new flavor profiles was doubly enhanced by our visiting with our friend. Claire has done the remarkable thing of completely transforming her self and health over the past couple of years, and a lot of that started with a change in her diet. After years of aches and pains and stubborn weight, Claire shied away from gluten and refined sugars and then ultimately became a Vegan. {well actually a 95% vegan as she calls it, she is not militant. It turns out she enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner just like any good Pilgrim} 

I had not seen Claire much during this transformation phase, but each morning, sitting at her kitchen table while she ate her porridge of grits and lentils, I couldn’t help but be blown away. Claire now has a significantly more svelte physique, but more importantly a lightness of spirit and energy. No- it’s more than that, I dare say that she is somewhat radiant. This from a woman who was gray skies and wore dreary black every day.

After a week of Thanksgiving indulgences, and in the glow of Claire’s revival, you might see how one might fall in love with bowls of Daal.

Coconut Lentil Soup and Socca~ A Stack of DishesBefore leaving NY I tucked into my suitcase fresh spices to bring back home. BTW- spices DO stale in time, so a revamp of your spice rack once a year of so is in order. You’ll be amazed in the difference fresh spices can make to a dish.

So here you have it. A soul satisfying Red Lentil soup made with coconut milk. In addition I fried up a batch of Socca. These are a chickpea flour pancake that have a wonderful creamy texture to them. For you gluten free folks, this is one for the recipe file. I tossed in some black sesame seeds into mine, but like any pancake, they are a blank canvas for any flavor combination. They also take no time at all, so for those nights when you hanker for a starch but don’t want to wait for rice to cook, this would be a fantastic go-to.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup
I made a huge pot of this and kept it in the fridge. During these cold days and holiday indulgences a friendly bowl of healthy Daal and rice is heaven.
Save Recipe
Print
311 calories
34 g
0 g
15 g
14 g
13 g
333 g
621 g
3 g
0 g
2 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
333g
Servings
8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311
Calories from Fat 127
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g
23%
Saturated Fat 13g
63%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 621mg
26%
Total Carbohydrates 34g
11%
Dietary Fiber 10g
40%
Sugars 3g
Protein 14g
Vitamin A
31%
Vitamin C
8%
Calcium
6%
Iron
30%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup yellow split peas
  2. 1 cup red lentils (masoor dal)
  3. 7 cups water
  4. 1 medium carrot, sliced into 1/4" coins
  5. 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  6. 2 Tablespoons Bolt's curry powder (I used hot)
  7. 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  8. 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  9. 1/3 vup tomato paste
  10. 1 14oz can light coconut milk (full fat coconut milk makes a creamier dish)
  11. 2 teaspoons salt
  12. 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped
Instructions
  1. Thoroughly rinse the lentils and peas, picking through to remove any debris or stones. Place them in a large pot and add the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, add the carrot and half the ginger. Cover and cook until tender, abut 30 minutes. While the lentils and peas cook, in a small dry skillet over low heat, toast the curry powder. Take care not to burn it. You will get a burst of curry aroma coming from the pan, remove from the heat and scrape the powder into a bowl. Add the coconut oil to the pan and add half of the scallions and the remaining ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the toasted curry powder and stir to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the lentils along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add more water if the consistency gets too thick. Serve with Socca and top with the remaining scallion and a dollop of yogurt if you like.
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
beta
calories
311
fat
15g
protein
14g
carbs
34g
more
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
A Stack of Dishes https://www.astackofdishes.com/
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by Recipe Card
Socca~ Chickpea Pancakes
These cakes are gluten free and have a lovely creamy texture to them that is addicting.
Save Recipe
Print
266 calories
31 g
0 g
12 g
10 g
7 g
121 g
162 g
5 g
0 g
4 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
121g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 266
Calories from Fat 102
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g
18%
Saturated Fat 7g
33%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 162mg
7%
Total Carbohydrates 31g
10%
Dietary Fiber 9g
37%
Sugars 5g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A
1%
Vitamin C
3%
Calcium
10%
Iron
21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
  2. 1 cup water
  3. 2 tablespoons warmed coconut oil
  4. 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
  5. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  7. coconut oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and stir thoroughly. Allow the batter to sit for at least 15 minutes for the flour to completely hydrate. You may adjust the thickness of the batter by adding more water if necessary.
  2. Place a large skillet over a medium flame and prepare with either cooking spray or a small amount of coconut oil. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes.
  3. Like any pancake you can make them any size you desire.
Notes
  1. The pancakes are best served warm, but I honestly have no complaints with them being at room temperature. You may make them up in advance and then simply rewarm then in a dry pan for a minute or two before serving.
beta
calories
266
fat
12g
protein
10g
carbs
31g
more
A Stack of Dishes https://www.astackofdishes.com/
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by Recipe Card