Dukkah

Dukkah is a mix of nuts and seeds used for dipping with bread, crackers, or raw vegetables along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It makes a great appetizer or snack food. These are two ideas for making dukkah, but there are limitless variations. Nearly any kind of nut or seed or spice can be used. The quality of the olive oil and the vinegar is critical in creating a good dipping experience. Olive oils infused with lemon or herbs are particularly good with dukkah. 

Kelly’s Dukkah

1/3 cup hazelnuts

2 Tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds (salted and roasted)

½ teaspoon whole cumin

All of the above ingredients can be ground in a coffee grinder. They can be ground together or separately, depending on the size and strength of your grinder.

Add the following to the ground mix:

Dash of onion powder

Tablespoon of dried parsley

Dash of curry

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of ground thyme

½ teaspoon paprika

Pinch of saffron if you have it

Dash of garlic salt

¼ cup sesame seeds

Sweet Dukkah

1/3 cup hazelnuts

2 Tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds (salted and roasted)

½ teaspoon whole cumin

1/3 cup pecans

All of the above ingredients can be ground in a coffee grinder. They can be ground together or separately, depending on the size and strength of your grinder.

Add the following to the ground mix:

Dash of onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon paprika

Pinch of saffron if you have it

¼ cup sesame seeds

2 tablespoons whole flax seeds

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Put a little oil and vinegar on a plate and the dukkah mix into a small bowl.  Dip bread or vegetables into the oil and vinegar and then into the seed and spice mix. This is one of the best appetizers ever. 

Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.    Mark Twain

Beef Stew with Orzo or Stroganoff Stew

2 cups cut up beef – could be chuck steak or stew meat

1 cup flour

Salt

Pepper

Beef bouillon

Carrots

Parsnips

1 Onion

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup safflower or olive oil

1 cup sour cream

Thyme

Parsley

½ cup orzo

Step 1 - Put 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and 1 cup flour into a flat baking dish and mix until the salt and pepper are evenly distributed. Pour in cubed beef and coat the cubes with the flour mixture; then put them in a skillet with about 3 tablespoons of oil. (Save the remaining flour in a glass container.) Sauté until the beef cubes are slightly golden on the outside. They do not have to be cooked through.

Step 2 – Put the sautéed beef cubes into cooking pot with about 3 quarts of water and the beef bouillon. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 2 – 3 hours or until the beef is tender and flaky.

Step 3 - While the beef is simmering, sauté the onion and garlic and add them to the beef.

Cut up the potatoes, parsnips, and carrots into approximately half inch cubes.

Add a cup of water and 1 cup sour cream to the remaining flour and mix together. This can sit in the refrigerator until needed.

Step 4 – When the beef is thoroughly cooked, add the cut up vegetables and continue to simmer for about ½ hour. Add seasonings: parsley, thyme, salt, pepper. Add water if neeeded. 

Step 5 – Add the orzo and continue to simmer slowly until the orzo is soft.

Step 6 – Add the flour and sour cream mixture, and stir until the stew is an even consistency.

Add more spices if necessary. If the stew is too pale for you, add some browning liquid, such as Kitchen Bouquet to get it back to a brown color. You may also need to add more water, depending on how thick you want your stew.

Serve with bread and salad for dinner or all by itself for a hearty lunch. Worry about calories some other day!

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.   Blaise Pascal