What the heck is "zumi"?

ZUMI...any Greek will tell you, is the elixir of life!


Zumi is flavour, zumi is richness, zumi is any saucy concoction in any type of dish.  From the "jus" of a good steak, to the delectable vinaigrette of a salad, to the lemony sauce of a fresh piece of grilled fish. Zumi is the thing that makes you sad when the meal is over and there isn't any left, so now you are licking the plate!


All good food has zumi!

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Jackie's Thai Mussels

This mussel recipe is ridiculous. The first time we ate these mussels, we couldn't even speak.  And how about that beautiful, briny broth ("zumi") beyond delicious.  We have made this dish so many times and find that the Costco mussels are always clean, plump and so affordable.  This is crazy good, it's addictive...the first bite will surprise you!  Offer a nice baguette to slop up the "zumi " (see post) and a big soup spoon for drinking it...

2 to 3 lbs (1 to 1.5 kg) mussels
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. Thai red curry paste 

( Maesri brand is the best)
1 can unsweetened coconut milk (use full fat, light stuff doesn't cut it)
¼ cup fresh lime juice, about 2 to 3 limes
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 small tomato, diced
Lots of chopped coriander

Clean mussels well. In a very large saucepan (or 2 pans, make the entire sauce in 1 pan and then pour half into a second pot) Sauté onions until golden and then add garlic and curry paste.

Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add tomato and stir. Then add mussels. Stir.

Cover the pot and simmer stirring occasionally until mussels have all opened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in most of the coriander.

Spoon mussels into 3 or 4 large bowls and discard any that aren’t open. We usually just use one big bowl on the table and refill.

Pour coconut milk broth overtop, then sprinkle with the rest of the coriander.

So good over basmati rice! 

 

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Stuffed Cubanel Peppers with SAZON

SAZON...that perfect packet of punch!  A unique Latino seasoning (cumin, turmeric, chili pepper) “con azafran”, that special flavour and colour of saffron. Granted, it’s a bit salty as any prepared seasoning is, but the wonderful aroma and taste is definitely worth exploring.  I use the GOYA brand found in any Latino market and some grocery stores. It elevates these delicious Columbian inspired stuffed peppers to another level.

 

Cubanel peppers are long, light green, hearty and not overly sweet.  They are perfect for a sauté, BBQ and better yet for stuffing. So, here’s the meat filling recipe.  At the end, I’ll give you the veggie variation that we have enjoyed a few times, equally delish!

You will need about 6-8 Cubanel peppers for this recipe. Try to pick fat ones ...easier to stuff.

Make a small pot of brown or white rice, 1 cup cooked rice. Set aside to cool.

Sauté in a bit of canola or grape seed oil:

1 large diced onion

1 diced red or orange sweet pepper

1 (or 2 for more spice) large diced Serrano or jalapeño pepper
3 cloves of crushed garlic

Lightly salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp of cumin and about 2 tbsp of dried oregano

To this, add 1 medium size packet of hamburger beef, or any other chopped meat (turkey, pork, veal and/or a mix) Cook the meat through and through

Add about a half can of diced tomatoes or some tomato sauce and let simmer (keep the rest of the tomatoes for a bit later)

Put 3 packets of SAZON in a glass (not in plastic as the saffron will stain) and mix with about a half a cup of water.  Add this to the pan and then sprinkle 2-3 more packets right in to the meat mixture. Let simmer all together for a while and all the flavours will combine and the liquid will slowly evaporate.

Add the cooked rice to this wonderful concoction and let it cool.  Add huge bunch of fresh chopped cilantro, stems and all.  The stuffing is now ready.

Spread some diced tomatoes and a bit of olive oil on the bottom of a large Pyrex or corning ware type pan, enough to lightly coat. Cut the tops off the peppers and pull out seeds.  Stuff the peppers to the rim, push stuffing into the end with the stem of your spoon, and put the tops back on as well as you can.  Lay them side by side in the pan. If you have left over stuffing, put it in between the peppers, just adds more deliciousness to the whole thing.

Drizzle olive oil and a bit more of the diced tomatoes on top of the peppers. Salt and lots of big grind pepper. In a 350 degree oven, cook the peppers for about 50 min- 1 hour. 

For a veggie version, use cooked rice or barley as the base and add legumes and or more veggies to the sauté...diced zucchini, cauliflower, white beans etc.  The SAZON and fresh cilantro is of course essential to the taste nonetheless!!

Try to cook these early in the day  ( or day before serving) and then warm to devour.  As with most "assembled" dishes, they tastes better if they have a chance to sit and meld for a while.  So good with a nice baquette!!

 

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"Spaghetti" and Meatballs

First...my Marinara sauce- no onions. Ever. 

Brown a bunch of chopped garlic, 7-10 cloves chopped or smashed in olive oil until the aroma is rich, usually golden brown by this time. Be patient to get it right. A trick is to add salt on the garlic while chopping or smashing so pieces don't dance around. 

Add chilli pepper flakes to taste.

Add 2 cans of whole  tomatoes, squish in a bowl before adding for better texture. 

Add quite a bit of salt (no sweet sauce please), medium ground pepper, dried rosemary and Greek oregano.

Doesn’t need to cook much but needs a fairly big pot so meatballs fit in to cook through and flavour the dish.

Meatballs- in a large bowl:

Use any Meat combo you like. Beef alone, or with sweet Italian sausage or ground pork  I like a beef and mild italian sausage best, out of its casing and crumbled up with other meat. 

The key is not to overmix the meat. You want a light touch.

Add 1 egg.

Add water or milk soaked white or multi grain bread, enough so that the meat has some light moisture.

No panko or breadcrumbs... makes a dense meatball in my opinion. 

1 big bunch of chopped parsley, lots!

1 small onion, chopped finely

Big handful of parma cheese, optional

A few squirts of ketchup and worstershire sauce make all the difference!

A few more squirts of chicken broth for flavour (Bovril is good.)

Salt, pepper, and of course, Greek oregano and dried rosemary. I don't add garlic or garlic salt, enjoy that flavour in the sauce, not in the meat. 

In canola oil, brown the meatballs on both sides in a frying pan for best flavor or brown under the broiler, also a great method to get color on to the meat.  They will not be fully cooked through.  Place them in the sauce pot and let simmer to cook. After a while, that simple combination of sauce and browned meat melds into a fabulously tasty affair.

Of course, any pasta you like works. Love spaghetti squash or zucchini "zoodles" too! 

This only gets better as the meatballs sit in the sauce. Unforgettable leftovers!! 

A family favorite. 

Actually, my favorite. 

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Quinoa and Salmon Croquettes

Who doesn’t love crunchy croquettes of something or other?  And, once you discover the quinoa TWIST, you will never go back to mushy breadcrumbs for this type of cake. Golden brown quinoa adds a fabulous texture and nutty taste to any type of sautéed “cake” and keeps them fairly light.   I love the fresh salmon version, but these can be made with canned salmon or tune, grated squash, zucchini, sweet potato or any other “cake-able” idea you may gave. This is a basic recipe in which you can play with flavour profiles and has become an easy go-to supper that we never get tired of eating. 

 

The KEY- more salmon than quinoa!

 

First 15 minutes:

Cook ½ cup of quinoa, will make about 1 cup cooked. I always cook quinoa in chicken broth for a richer flavor. Bake the fresh or frozen salmon till done, 350 degrees, salt and pepper

Once both are cooled, combine flaked salmon and quinoa in a large bowl...remember, more salmon than quinoa

 

Add and build flavour:

Any fresh herbs you like and lots- parsley, cilantro, tarragon, dill etc.

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Dry mustard
Dried oregano
Lemon zest

Enough egg to bind it all...start with 1 and add more egg as needed to be moist enough to make a patty

 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a non stick frying pan, heat a knob of butter with canola or grape seed oil.  Fry the patties on medium heat until golden brown on each side.  On a flat pan with a rack, cook the patties in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.

 

Greek yogurt and/or mayo make a great base for a dipping sauce. Match the herbs used by adding more herbs,  lemon juice, lemon zest, Harissa etc...it’s all good!

 

 

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Janet's Sumptuous Seafood Pasta

This bowl of pasta was one of the best I have ever tasted...my friend Janet (with the good guidance of Chef Zitiouni) created this fabulous flavor at a lovely dinner party hosted by her and her husband.  Here is what I did to try and re-create this special dish although no one can beat Janet's touch! We are still licking our chops...

Sautee:

Lots of diced onions ( 2)

Diced red pepper, half a pepper is enough

4 or 5 cloves of crushed garlic

Deglaze with fairly dry white wine, about half a bottle

Add small can or half of a large can of diced tomatoes

THE KEY: add heaping tablespoon of Hot Pepper Sauce - a spicy paste, the Cedar brand made in Turkey was great

Add about a cup of chicken stock and let the sauce simmer

Salt, pepper and a bit of oregano works well

Add some chili pepper flakes if you want it spicier

 

Throw any seafood you like into the sauce while it simmers...shrimp, calamari, scallops, lobster, clams, mussels or even just fish. frozen seafood will do too.

 

Use thin pasta, so vermicelli, spagettini, linguini and cook until almost al dente, and then throw in the sauce; it will cook a couple of minutes more.

Finish with a bit of fresh parsley or basil...and enjoy this luxurious meal.

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