Did you see Chef Serge on his recent appearance on KARK Channel 4?  He is continuing his culinary trip around the Mediterranean with this Shakshuka dish, a tomato and pepper stew with poached eggs is a great vegetarian option for breakfast.  Serve it on top of a toasted piece of bread for a quick, easy meal.  And, perhaps most importantly, it’s not only delicious it’s beautiful!

Shakshuka

• 2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. Aleppo pepper or red pepper
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 6 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbls. tomato paste
• 5  large eggs
• Fresh parsley and mint, garnish

1. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add the onions and green peppers and saute for 4 to 5  minutes until soft.
3. Add garlic and spices and saute for another 3 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes and simmer until the tomato mixture begins to reduce, about 10-12 minutes
5. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Gently crack the eggs into the mixture, keeping the egg yolks and whites together but not scrambled.. Cover and reduce heat until eggs look poached and are done to your preferred doneness, between two to three minutes.
7. Garnish with chopped parsley and mint, if desired, and serve

Chef Serge recently appeared on KARK Channel 4 to demonstrate the cooking of a Baked Cod with Chermula Sauce.  This is part of Chef’s culinary trip around the world starting in the Mediterranean.  Chermula Sauce is very similar to the Latin American Chimichurrie Sauce, which is also made with cilantro and parsley.  This is a very easy, delicious Mediterranean recipe for a simple weeknight dinner, but it’s also fancy enough for when you have company coming over.

Baked Cod with Chermula Sauce

For the Sauce:

• 1 cup Cilantro Leaves
• 2 cups Flat-Leaf (Italian) Parsley
• 1 Tbls. Fresh Mint
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Ground Coriander
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• Pinch of Saffron  (optional)
• ⅓ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Freshly-Squeezed Lemon Juice (about 1 large lemon)

For the Fish:

• 4 6 oz Cod
• 4 Slices of Fresh Lemon

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients for the sauce into a food processor and pulse until it makes a thick paste.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
4. Drizzle the fish on both sides with the Chermula Sauce.  Place one lemon slice over each piece of fish.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the fish is flaky and cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Turkey is a very popular entree this time of the year, so we wanted to share one of our favorite recipes for this classic Orange Rosemary Brined Turkey Breast!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Apple Juice
• 1 Gallons Water
• 2 Tbsp Rosemary, dried
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup salt
• 1 cups sugar, brown
• 1 ½ tbsp peppercorn, black
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 ½  peeled orange
• 12-15 pounds turkey breast, boneless, raw 

Brining the Turkey

Combine apple juice, water, rosemary, garlic, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and the peel of 3 oranges in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.

Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large container. Place uncooked turkey breast in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

Roasting the Turkey

When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.

Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

• 1 lbs. New York strip steak (2 steaks)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 Tbls. butter
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
• 4 Tbls. diced shallots
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup beef stock
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1/2 lbs. egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tsp. minced parsley for garnish

Season both sides of the steaks with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Sear both side of the steaks until it forms a brown crust, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks from the pan and keep warm. Add the diced shallots, garlic and mushrooms to the pan and saute until the mushrooms are cooked and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour the brandy over the mushroom mixture and, while tipping the pan away from your face, light the brandy on fire with a long-handled lighter. Allow the brandy to burn until it extinguishes itself. Reduce the heat and add the mustard, cream, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and Louisiana Hot Sauce to the pan. Continue to cook and stir, being sure not the bring the sauce to a boil, until sauce is reduced by 1/3. Return the steaks to the sauce. For medium, leave the steaks in the sauce for 5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Allow it to cook longer if you want your steak to be more done. To serve, remove the steak from the sauce and slice it across the bias. Spoon the sauce over hot, cooked egg noodles and top with the sliced steak. Garnish with chopped parsley. NOTE:  I totally forgot the parsley in the picture because I was so excited to eat!