TUNISIAN MECHOUIA SALAD

Ok, ok. Now I know that you all have been hoping for a traditional Tunisian dish to appear on the LLOR blog. Guess what? It's here!

My friend Aicha was gracious enough not only to send me an authentic Mechouia (pronounced meh-schway-uh) Salad recipe, but to also help me with the French translation. My French just wasn't that expert and if you've ever used dictionary.com's translator, you'll know that it doesn't quite cut it for literal translation.

Mechouia is a grilled salad made with green peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic. It's quite tasty by itself or with a baguette. There are many toppings that you can add to it, but my personal favorite is with nothing additional added. This recipe will give you options of what to put on top of the dish. And the best part, is that you can find all of these ingredients locally and in Tunisia, pretty much year round!

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Tunisian Mechouia Salad

4 green peppers (In the states, a mild green pepper like a poblano would do.)

4 Roma tomatoes

2-4 cloves of garlic (add more or less depending on your love for garlic)

Juice from a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp of olive oil

Optional for toppings: a hard boiled egg, tuna (Tunisians LOVE tuna), capers, black olives

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Place the peppers and tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 1/2 way through, flip the vegetables and add the garlic. Check the vegetables and if not already, continue in the oven until the skin becomes black and soft.

After the vegetables are done, place them in a bowl with a lid for about 10-15 minutes. This will allow the peppers and tomatoes to cool and make them easier to peel.

Remove peppers and tomatoes and peel the skin as not to remove any of the 'meat'. Remove seeds from peppers.

For the next step, get out either your food processor or a simple knife and fork. When using the food processor, PULSE the peppers, tomatoes and garlic into a nice chunky mixture (much like you would make salsa). You can also simply use a knife and fork to cut everything up and mix together. The KEY here is not to turn it to mush.

Remove from processor and add olive oil, 1TBsp of the lemon juice (fresh is best), and salt and pepper to taste. Finally (optional), place on lettuce and decorate with capers, black olives, tuna, and a hard boiled egg cut into quarters. Serve with baguette or eat plain.

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Thanks to Aicha for submitting this great recipe!

LLOR needs more recipes! Send them to teresaintunisia@gmail.com. We want to know what you're making in your overseas kitchen.

Bring me some Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower has intimidated me for a long time. In fact, I tried to make some cauliflower mash potatoes one time. You know that recipe. They failed miserably!!! Just about as bad as some artichokes I attempted once (who said those were easy??). Upon reading a purchased Family Circle magazine from DFW Airport, I found this fascinating Cauliflower Soup recipe. Could this be the recipe where I triumph over the vegetable that looks kinda like broccoli, but is never really a substitute on the veggie tray at parties?

A couple of things...this recipe is time intensive and it's good if you have to be at the house for a couple of hours. I found myself finally putting up fall decorations in between steps and working on my Halloween costume. Also, if you've been DYING to break out your emulsion blender that you got for your wedding (yep, random appliance-from-the-back-of-the-cabinet-usage!), this one's for you! Oh, and the best part about this is that you should be able to find everything locally.

Cauliflower Soup
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 large onion, cut into pieces (any color will do as I used the purple ones in season here in Tunisia)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, sliced into halves (you can use more if you love garlic and might be afraid that Dracula is lurking outside!)
2 TBsp of olive oil
2 cans of chicken broth (I used 2 chicken bouillon cubes to make 3 1/2 -4 cups of stock. This trick works great when you can't get cans of broth)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp of thyme (it calls for fresh, but I dug into my spice drawer for dried)
1 cup of half and half (you can substitute whole, 2%, or skim milk if you are trying to fit into your Marine Ball dress!)
1 tsp of salt (or more for taste)
1/8 tsp of pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower florets, onion pieces, and garlic clove halves in a roasting dish. Toss with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing mixture 1/2 way through. (Work on your Halloween costume during this time :) ).

Take roasted veggies out of oven and add to a large pot on the stove. Add chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Add bay leaf and thyme. Bring to boil. Turn down heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
(Check email and Lunching Ladies Overseas Recipes!).

Remove bay leaf. Take emulsion blender and blend mixture until smooth (either in the pot or a separate bowl). If you don't have one of these, you can transfer small batches to a food processor or blender. Return to the large pot and add half and half, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve warm.

Now, I know this one took a while, but trust me, you never thought cauliflower could taste so good. And it is filling! By the way, if you ARE watching your calories (or points!), the recipe is great if you opt for the whole, 2%, or skim milk. Bon apetite!

A Man's Gotta Eat (Ground Beef Casserole)

While ladies lunching is a delicate thang, I think it's worth addressing the hardier of the gourmands in your house. My husband, who consumes more food than any human I have ever known, once told me that he doesn't really care what he eats, he just needs sheer volume. While I enjoy creating delectable morsels for the family table, I cannot avoid tossing together an old-fashioned 1970s era casserole once or twice a week so the poor man doesn't starve. Toward that end, I offer the A Man's Gotta Eat (Ground Beef Casserole):

Couldn't be simpler and is easy to adapt to any taste palette.

1 pound of ground beef

1 lb. package of pasta (I like rotini)

mix of cream of chicken soup

1 cup (or more depending on your taste) grated cheddar, gruyere or monterey jack cheese

1 diced onion

1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt and pepper

bread crumbs (optional)

Using a hot saute pan, heat the EVOO and add the diced onion. Saute until tender, then add the ground beef, making sure to brown thoroughly. Salt and pepper to season the beef, and when fully browned, drain the fat and return to pan. Cook the pan of pasta, drain and set aside. If you have canned cream of chicken soup (lucky you), things get pretty simple here. If not, like some of us in far away lands, you'll need to mix the soup and water until it boils and thickens. Once the soup is heated, combine the pasta with the ground beef. Toss the mixture with the cream of chicken soup and mix thoroughly. Then toss in as much cheese as you like. Throw on some bread crumbs, bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, and you're done. Couldn't be simpler.

Some other options: Obviously, you can change the flavor of the casserole with the flavor of cream of whatever soup you choose. I find that cream of chicken has a mild flavor, but some folks like cream of mushroom for this, and some like cream of asparagus. By all means, choose what you love. You can up the heat/spice factor by creating a Tex-Mex version of this and throw in some diced chilis and use a chili seasoning as you brown the meat. There are tons of different options. Good comfort food for all.

All hail Caesar Dressing

So I was at my Uncle Jim's house yesterday celebrating his birthday when he said, "Teresa, I want to show you how to make this." He's always been a good cook, but could this be a recipe that I could share on LLOR? Could Lunching Ladies around the world find all of the local ingredients to make Caesar dressing? You bet your pretty anchovy it is!

That's right, all local. Uncle Jim made this in a wooden bowl, but I think a plastic or glass bowl would work too. Oh, and by the way, don't be scared of the ingredients. I think this is the only time I will eat anchovies as they are definitely not on my pizza topping list.


Uncle Jim's Caesar Dressing

1 large garlic clove
salt
1 small/medium anchovy
1 egg
1 TBsp mustard (a brown type works best, but yellow will do if that's all you have)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup of olive oil (about)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mince the garlic clove and continue chopping until fine. Sprinkle a little salt on the garlic and mash all together with the fork. Take anchovy fillet and mash in the bowl with a fork. Add garlic clove to anchovy in the bowl and mix together. Add egg to bowl and whisk together with the anchovy, salt, and garlic. Continue adding in mustard and lemon juice separately to bowl by whisking in. Finally, stream in olive oil while whisking. Add salt and pepper to taste. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING....taste the dressing. No one taste should be overpowering. Add extra lemon, mustard, or olive oil to your liking. Refrigerate until you add to salad. Do not store for more than a day.

Oh, and I know I mentioned in an earlier post not to divulge your family secrets, but 1. I asked and 2. It was too good not to post! Tres fantastique!

Have your Veggies and Meatballs too!

TV and mags are always telling us to eat more vegetables. If you are like me, you don't get the daily recommended amount. Well, this Veggie Meatball Soup will help you and your family achieve this goal.

The recipe was submitted to me by my gal pal Christine who was in Tunis and is now in Paris (oh-la-la!). The only thing that you may have to buy at the commissary is the meatballs unless of course you are lucky enough to find them locally OR you made extras 2 weeks ago and have them frozen. This is great this time of year when the temps are changing and it's rainy and drizzling outside. It's what I call a smeal, or, a soup meal.

CROCK POT ALERT!!!

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Veggie Meatball Soup

25 frozen cooked meatballs
1 can (28oz/775gm) diced tomatoes (I just bought whole tomatoes and mashed them with a potato masher in the crockpot)
3 cups beef broth
2 cups shredded cabbage (we hate cooked cabbage so we left this out)
1 can (16oz/40gm) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 zucchini, sliced
1 cup green beans
2 carrots sliced
1 cup water
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic (I use fresh chopped)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (or whatever shape I can find, spirals or small shells work fine)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

In a 5 quart crockpot, combine the first 14 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5.5 to 6 hours or until veges are almost tender. Stir in macaroni and parsley and cook 30 minutes longer or until macaroni is tender. Serve with parmesan if desired.

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Seriously, this is one of the easiest meals ever. If you have a knack for planning a few hours ahead of time, it may become your go-to, clean-out-the-veggies-in-the-house, Tuesday-night meal. Christine's kids love it and yours will too!

Teeny Tiny Cream Cheese Biscuits

My friend Julie swears these are the best dang little biscuits and are fantastic for wine and cheese parties (hint, hint). However, if you don't have a wine and cheese party to go to, they would probably work for eating with your bon-bons and watching Oprah. The best part about the recipe is that you should be able to find everything locally.

This recipe is for my buddy Nana who is the Queen of the mini muffin pans. All hail foods that can be baked in these!!
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Tiny Cream Cheese Biscuits

8 oz cream cheese, softened (in Tunisia, I would use 13 of the individually wrapped cream cheese squares unless I was lucky enough to find the tub of Presidente cheese)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup of self-rising flour (if you can't find this at the commissary or local market, substitute 1 cup flour, 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt)

Beat cream cheese and butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add flour, beating slowly until blended. Try not to eat all of the dough :). Spoon dough into an ungreased mini muffin pan, filling each cup. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm; refrigerate leftovers. You could also do drop biscuits if you do not have a mini muffin pan.

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Now, you know you are running to the fridge to get your butter and cream cheese out to soften!

LLOR needs more recipes that you are making in your kitchen. Please send to teresaintunisia@gmail.com . Now, we aren't asking for your grandma's secret recipe. Just something that you wanna share with the other Lunching Ladies!