Zhug/Zhuk/Skhug

Last night I had a little recipe experiment, I made a chile paste called zhug or zhuk or skhug or סחוג. Mmmmm! It was tasty!

Zhug is a Yemenite Jewish hot sauce. I guess it can be made with red or green chiles. The recipe I first saw in Mediterranean Hot and Spicy was with green chiles and it sounded super tasty! I love anything spicy so I figured I'd give it a try. Plus I liked the name - I like words with Z or X in them. LOL!!


My general recipe (serves 2-4) was as follows:

2 serranos and 1 jalapeno (depending on the heat of the chiles and the spiciness you prefer)
3 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Toss all in a food processor and blend up until a smooth paste is formed, like pesto. (variation: you can also add cardamom - I did, but it tasted awful to me - I'd leave it out next time)

I think zhug is typically eaten with pita or flatbreads or added to soups and stews. I put it on top of fish and veggies. I slathered a bit on the fish before I cooked it and then put some dollops on top of the finished dish. It was good! Very spicy and super garlic-y! Whoa. If you eat a lot the vampires will not bother you for a day or so. I ate a lot. haha!

If you like spicy and GARLIC - try it!

After dindin I went for an evening walk. It was the perfect temp out- mid 70s I'd say with a nice breeze. Scattered clouds with a silvery sky peeking through, turning to navy blue. What a nice night!

Enjoy the day! :)

Chicken stock - questions for you!

I made up a big pot of chicken stock this weekend. Chicken carcass, smoked turkey bones, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, chiles = lots of delicious savory liquid -mmm mmm!
I have a question for you all....when you use a leftover carcass to make the stock, what do you do with the meat that remains afterward? I have heard that people give it to their dogs. I'm wondering- can't you eat it or does it taste bad or something? My doggie enjoyed it but I was a little bit jealous.

Another question- is there an easier way to sort through all the leftover meat without just feeling it all with your fingers to pick out the tiny bones? I don't mind using my hands but I imagine someone about to eat the leftover meat might find the sight kind of gross. hehe! Luckily, my dog doesn't mind. He is not discerning at all. The cat gave me a dirty look though.

Too much fun this weekend

Whew! I went to a fun party this weekend and drank way too much champagne! I love champagne and sparkling wine. Mmmm. At this party they were serving a champagne cocktail that I had not heard of before - champagne and St Germain liqueur. Wow- it was really tasty, but after 4 of them I had a killer hangover the next day. It was worth it..I think?

Have you heard of St Germain before? It's made from elderflowers. It has a wonderful flavor and aroma. Fruity, floral, minty. Yum. Hunter Angler Gardener Cook has a wonderful post about making elderflower syrup and liqueur yourself. Way cool.
Last night I made up some more bison patties. But this time I tried to make a persian eggplant dip called kashk-e bademjan to go along with it. Sadly, it really tasted disgusting, so I won't bother you with my failed recipe. Maybe I'll try again. The bison was great- I added fresh mint leaves to the meat.

Have a great day!!!

Carne asada

Had a nice little BBQ of carne asada last night. Have you had Mexican style carne asada before? It's marinated (typically) flank or skirt steak, fired up on the grill until a little smoky and charred. People usually chop it up for tacos, or eat it with rice and beans.

Sometimes I'll grill up some veggies and make an awesome veggie mix to eat with it. Other times I will just make a fresh green salad. Last night I made a spinach salad with some avocado chunks to go alongside my meat. Over the top of everything goes any delicious salsa that you prefer.

It goes great with a nice glass of Pinot Noir from the Santa Barbara area. :)

I'd give you this salsa recipe, but I have been sworn to secrecy. Sorry!!

Photo of the day

A deserted beach in Uruguay. Very peaceful. Perfect for a long walk, or running sprints!
Have a lovely weekend!

Chicken drumsticks on the grill

For dinner I marinated some organic, free-range chicken drumsticks in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and lemon juice and zest for about an hour or so. Then threw them on a medium heat grill for about 20 minutes. Delicious and juicy! If you don't have a grill you could try broiling them in the oven.Alongside I sauteed up a bunch of frisee greens in a little bacon grease with chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Quick, healthy and easy.
Sorry this photo does not look appetizing at all but it tasted great! (That's my super old and burnt up cookie sheet that I use for roasting veggies. Sorry it looks so dirty and gross!)

Farmers Market

Hello everyone! Today I thought I'd share with you a collage of a few images from this morning's farmer's market. I usually go before work on Wednesdays.

A bounty of fresh fruits and veggies!Enjoy the day!

Romesco sauce

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Getting through the week one day at a time....

Last night I made something new so I thought I'd share with you. I made romesco sauce, or at least something similar. I broiled up a bunch of veggies (eggplant, zucchini, red peppers) and cooked some shrimp and poured the sauce on top.Have you had Catalonian romesco sauce before? I was craving something with a bit of fat and good flavor so I figured I'd try making this sauce.

I looked up recipes online and then made up my own variation. Following is an approximation of my "recipe" which would make about two servings:

1/2 red bell pepper, broiled until softened
1/2 tomato, broiled until softened
1/4 cup mixed nuts - marcona almonds and hazelnuts
2 gloves roasted garlic
1 clove fresh garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
generous pinch (handful-haha) red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil

Throw the garlic cloves, tomato and red pepper under the broiler until softened. Then toss all ingredients in the food processor and blend up to a paste. That's my lazy girl "recipe". If you want the perfect emulsified sauce, add the olive oil in a stream while you blend. I didn't and it came out fine. The only problem is I had to use my mini-processor and it just does not grind things up properly. But it still tasted awesome!!

Many romesco recipes say to add bread, of course I didn't. Most recipes also are much more involved, removing the skins from the tomato, etc. Forget that! I like the fiber! :) OK, OK - I'm just lazy.

The sauce was satisfying and garlic-y. I originally had used just the roasted garlic but it lacked a punch. The one clove of fresh garlic kicked it up. You can make the sauce with a wide variety of ingredients - different peppers etc. I think I'll try that next time! I'm excited for the leftovers tonight!!

Lunch salad

I had a great little salad for lunch today. I heated then crumbled up some leftover Applegate Farms bacon and sprinkled it over fresh greens and diced tomato. A bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and some red pepper flakes for a bit of tang and spice.Almonds and cherries with tea (Numi Tea's Organic Honeybush) for an afternoon snack.After (boring) work I'm off to run the steps again tonight and do some leg exercises and sit ups. It's bikini time!!!

Korean BBQ

This weekend I went out to Korean BBQ with a gang of partiers for a friend's birthday. YUM! A delicious and paleo meal of grilled meat, salads, and pickled veggies. Living in smoggy Los Angeles, I am lucky to have access to tons of great foods from all over the world. I really LOVE Korean BBQ though.
Everything was delicious! The spicy red paste has some sugar in it and I think the kimchee does too. But it is fermented so it has some other benefits I think? I'm not really that picky about a little bit of weirdness in sauces etc (as in the 80/20 rule) when I am eating at retaurants, I like to enjoy myself and not be a stick in the mud. I cook my own meals most of the time anyway.

I fasted all day so that I could really enjoy the masses of meat. Unfortunately, sometimes when I don't eat for a while, once I start eating again I get full quickly. Luckily there were other diners in our group who were more than happy to chow down on the food I could not fit in my tummy! Here's a pic for you of all the little veggie dishes, the "panchan". I lovvvvvveeee these little dishes, especially the bean sprouts. The salad at this particular restaurant is also divine. I wish I knew what spicy fresh dressing they put on it? MMMMMMMmmm.

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend!