Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [39]
cup ketchup
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, plus more if necessary
2 tablespoons packed darkbrown sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons mild paprika
½ teaspoon celery seeds
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 small yellow-fleshed potato (about 4 ounces), such as Yukon Gold, peeled and shredded
1 very small Savoy cabbage (about 9 ounces), outer leaves removed, cored, and the remaining leaves shredded
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 or 4 challah rolls, kaiserrolls, or hamburger buns (depending on if you want 2 large or 4 small sandwiches)
1. Stir the ketchup, vinegar, ¼ cup of the water, the brown sugar, dry mustard, paprika, celery seeds, pepper, and Tabasco sauce in a large saucepan set over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stir in the carrot and potato, and continue simmering for 5 minutes, stirring often.
2. Lay the cabbage on top of the simmering sauce and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of water over it. Do not stir. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to very low, and steam the cabbage for 3 minutes undisturbed.
3. Stir to thoroughly incorporate the cabbage, cover the pan, and continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is quite thick, stirring occasionally. If the mixture boils vigorously or starts to stick, reduce the heat even further, to the barest flame, then add water in 2 tablespoon increments, until the sauce is thick but not pastelike.
4. When the vegetables are tender, remove the pan from the heat, season with salt, and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve on challah rolls, kaiser rolls, or hamburger buns.
VEGETABLE TAGINE makes 2 generous servings
An aromatic Moroccan tagine is perhaps a cross between a stew and a casserole. It’s usually served with a thin flatbread used to scoop up small portions of the dish. Tagine is also the name of the conical casserole dish in which the dish is traditionally made and served, but a 2½-quart covered casserole will hold the layered vegetables and spices just as well. Serve the tagine with plain couscous and Moroccan flatbread, or naan, an Indian flatbread.
1 teaspoon mild paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2½ tablespoons water
1½ tablespoons almond oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow-fleshed potato (about 6 ounces), such as Yukon Gold, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
4 dried, pitted dates, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 large Italian plum tomato (about 4 ounces), thinly Sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, or ½ teaspoon dried cilantro
1 small onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 green Italian pepper (cubanel), cored, seeded, and cut into rings; or 1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1. Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the paprika, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and pepper in a small bowl; set aside. Whisk the water, almond or olive oil, and honey in a second small bowl.
2. In a 2½-quart casserole or oven-safe pot, layer the following in this order: the sliced zucchini, ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture, the sliced potato, ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture, the parsley, dates, garlic, the sliced tomato, ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture, the sliced carrot, ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture, the cilantro, onion, and pepper. Sprinkle any remaining spice mixture over the top, then pour the reserved honey mixture over the entire casserole.
3. Cover the casserole dish or pot with its lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 55 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
SWISS CHARD ENCHILADAS makes 4 enchiladas
These enchiladas are spiked