Mashed Potatoes with Spinach and Gruyère

A Swiss dish that was supposed affordable for students and interns who came to work at the UN on a minimal stipend. Of course, in Canada, the cost of Gruyère is a bit stiff.  

2 pounds of fresh baby spinach

4 pounds white-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

½ cup butter

1 ¼ cups (or more) of warm whole milk

3 cups (about 12 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

Salt and pepper

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the baby spinach and cook for one minute.
• Drain well, squeezing out as much water as possible. Set spinach aside.
• Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until very tender.
• Drain well.
• Return to the pot and mash potatoes until almost smooth.
• Set pot over very low heat.
• Add butter and stir until melted.
• Gradually add the milk, mashing until the potatoes are completely smooth.
• Add cheese and reserved spinach and stir until cheese melts.
• Thin with more milk if desired.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer potatoes to a bowl to serve.

Note: You can substitute sour cream or yoghurt for butter and milk. As well, if you do not have Gruyère, you can add another cheese – for example, I have used bacon flavoured creamy cheese.

Saudi Arabian Rice with Turkey Kabobs, Zucchini, and Spicy Yoghurt

This evening (10 June 2013), I had dinner with my very dear friends Paul and Silke Handley at their home in Gex, France.  (Paul was the head of OCHA – my boss – when I worked in Nepal in 2007).  As always – Paul made a fabulous meal, a Saudi Arabian rice dish with turkey kabob, zucchini and a spicy yoghurt.

The Rice

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1½ cups Basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes, rinsed and drained)

4 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 4 tablespoons hot water

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Good pinch of ground cloves

3 cups water

4 tablespoons pine nuts (or sunflower seeds) toasted, for garnish

2-3 sprigs coriander leaves for garnish

• In a large pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil, for about 10 minutes. 
• Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add all the rest of the ingredients (except for the pine nuts), and stir. 
• Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes. 
• Stir the rice once, cover tightly, and turn off the heat so that the rice continues to cook in its own steam for another 30 minutes. 
• While the rice is cooking, toast the pine nuts in heavy frying pan over a medium heat, until nicely browned.

The Zucchini

2-3 zucchini

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

• Wash the zucchini but do not peel and cut into chunks.
• Sauté in the olive oil for about 15 minutes, until soft.

The Turkey Kabobs

About  1 pound of turkey (or chicken) kabobs, spiced 

Olive oil

• If the kabobs are not spiced, spice or marinade the turkey or chicken with your favorite spices.
• Stir fry in olive oil until cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

The Yoghurt

Approx. 1½ cups plain thick yoghurt (great if you can get sour Iranian, Afghan or Balkan yoghurt)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Tablespoon crushed cumin

½ teaspoon sea salt

• Grind together the sea salt and cumin. 
•  Add the olive oil and salt/cumin to the yoghurt and mix well.

To serve

•  Put the rice on a large serving dish. 
• Put the zucchini around the dish.
• Add the kabobs on top of the rice. 
• Garnish with pine nuts and coriander leaves. 
• Serve with yoghurt on the side.

 

Libyan Spicy Pumpkin Dip

 Subrata - about 45 minutes west of Tripoli - August 2012

 Subrata - I went out by Taxi and was the only "tourist" on the site.

 The amphitheatre in Subrata

Leptis Magna - about 2 hours East of Tripoli

I spent 3 months in Libya this year – mostly in Tripoli, but I also had a chance to visit both Subrata and Leptis Magna. (Magnificent.)  This Libyan pumpkin dip is not a dish I had when I was there. The recipe comes from Marlena Spieler, Jewish Cooking. London: Hermes House, 2003. It is a dish I make frequently for parties.

 Mashing the pumpkin

The dip - serve with crackers

 

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

5-8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1½ pound pumpkin, peeled and diced

1-2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ - ½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ - ½ teaspoon curry powder

3 ounces chopped canned tomatoes or diced fresh tomatoes

1-2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ - 1 Jalapeno or Serrano chilli, chopped, or cayenne pepper, to taste

pinch of sugar, if needed

juice of half a lemon, or to taste

salt

2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and half of the garlic and fry until softened.
• Add the pumpkin, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, until half-tender.
• Add the spices to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, chilli, sugar and salt and cook over a medium heat until the liquid has evaporated.
• When the pumpkin is tender, mash to a coarse purée.
• Add the remaining garlic and taste for seasoning.
• Stir in the lemon juice to taste.
• Serve at room temperature, sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander.

Variation: Use butternut squash or any other winter squash in place of the pumpkin.