Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too: Eating to Be Sexy, Fit, and Fabulous! (18 page)

3.
Add the rice and stir until it is coated with the fat. Pour in the wine and cook until the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes.

4.
Add the hot stock 1 cup at a time, cooking while stirring constantly until each addition is completely absorbed. Once half the stock has been added, stir in the bay leaves, guinea hen meat, carrots, and spinach, and continue cooking and adding stock until the liquid is absorbed. This whole process should take 30–40 minutes.

5.
When all the stock has been absorbed, remove from the heat and stir in the thyme, pecorino, and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper.

TO ASSEMBLE

Put each squash half on a plate. Fill each one with an equal portion of risotto and drizzle the sauce (prepared along with the guinea hen) over the top. Serve hot.

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Merguez

S e r v e s 6

√This spicy sausage originated in North Africa but is also popular in France. Shaped into small patties, merguez makes a good appetizer or can be part of a meze platter. For a meal, serve this with couscous, pita wedges, and a crisp green salad or stuff them into pita bread halves topped with cucumbers, scallions, lettuce, and plain yogurt or Mint Yogurt (page 43).

1⁄2 pound lean ground beef

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced

1⁄2 pound ground lamb

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black

1 tablespoon harissa (optional, a spicy

pepper

Tunisian condiment)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1⁄2 cup water, or as much as needed

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1.
Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer with a paddle or with your hands. Add more or less water to get a consistency you can easily form into patties.

2.
Form the meat into small patties, about 2 inches in diameter.

3.
Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy sauté pan over medium heat.

Cook the patties in batches until done, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

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Pomegranate-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

with Honey, Ginger, and Cardamom-Scented Sweet Potatoes S e r v e s 2

√This recipe adds fruit and sweet-potato spiciness to pork in the Mediterranean-African tradition. It’s perfect for an intimate dinner with very little effort. These instructions tell you how to cook the pork in the oven, but you can also cook it on the grill with excellent results. You can use pomegranate molasses right out of the jar in place of the Pomegranate Glaze.

FOR THE POMEGRANATE GLAZE

FOR THE HONEY, GINGER, AND

3 pomegranates, or 1 cup pomegranate

CARDAMOM-SCENTED SWEET POTATOES

juice

2 medium sweet potatoes

1⁄2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

FOR THE PORK

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon wildflower honey

1 pork tenderloin, 10–12 ounces

Salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

2⁄3 cup chicken or beef stock or broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1⁄2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)

FOR THE POMEGRANATE GLAZE

1.
Seed the pomegranates and push them through a mesh strainer, reserving the juice. Discard the pith. (If you are just using the juice, ignore this step.)

2.
Place the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan with the sugar and vinegar. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil,
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then reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. You will use about half of the glaze on the meat and about half for the final assembly.

FOR THE PORK

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a large cast iron skillet or a heavy ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.

2.
Season the pork with salt and pepper. Sear the pork in the pan on all sides, then place in the oven. Cook to 120°F internal temperature—this takes about 10 minutes, but use a meat thermometer to be sure. It could take longer.

3.
When the meat is cooked, brush all sides with half of the pomegranate glaze. Return to the oven for 6 more minutes, and stop to glaze a few more times. Let the pork rest 4–5 minutes on a platter.

4.
Meanwhile, add the chicken or beef stock to the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Set this sauce aside.

FOR THE HONEY, GINGER, AND

CARDAMOM-SCENTED SWEET POTATOES

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the sweet potatoes and bake for about 1 hour, or until tender.

2.
Cut the baked sweet potatoes in half. Scoop the pulp into a bowl.

3.
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter or olive oil. When it is hot (about 3 minutes), add the ginger and cook 2

minutes. Add the cardamom and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

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4.
Add the ginger mixture to the sweet potatoes. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper, smashing while mixing.

If the potatoes are ready before the pork, keep warm until the pork is ready.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Mound the sweet potatoes on the center of a plate. Slice the pork tenderloin into about 10 slices. Arrange the sliced pork around the potatoes and drizzle a little pomegranate glaze around the plate. Pour the pan sauce over the meat and garnish with the pomegranate seeds, if using.

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Braised Rabbit alla Cacciatore

S e r v e s 4

√This classic Italian dish is perfect for Sunday dinner when you have time to spend preparing something really special. The meat is braised in a rich concoction of high-flavor summer vegetables and olives. If you don’t want to try rabbit or it’s not available, you can easily substitute chicken legs. Use the leg quarters with the thigh attached. I like to serve this dish tossed with gnocchi, with the whole mixture on a bed of wilted greens. Try Wilted Swiss Chard (page 194), or sauté spinach quickly in olive oil with minced garlic until just wilted.

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon tomato puree

2 sprigs fresh tarragon

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 cups rabbit or chicken stock

1 cup dry white wine

or broth

4 rabbit legs or chicken leg quarters

4 sprigs fresh rosemary (2 picked

21⁄2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

from stem, chopped and reserved;

Salt and pepper to taste

2 whole for braise)

Flour for dredging (about 1 cup)

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped

1 cup diced fresh mushrooms:

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

portobello, crimini, porcini, or

1⁄2 cup green olives in brine (preferably

domestic,

large Sicilian), drained, pitted, and

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and

chopped

chopped

1⁄2 cup gaeta or kalamata olives, pitted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

and chopped

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1.
In a large bowl, combine the mustard seeds, peppercorns, tarragon, garlic, and white wine. Add the rabbit or chicken legs and turn to coat in the marinade. Let them marinate at room temperature for 3 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

2.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.

Take the rabbit or chicken legs out of the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Reserve the marinade. Dredge the meat in flour (shake off excess). Place the rabbit or chicken in the skillet and brown on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan.

3.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the meat in a casserole dish.

Keep the skillet ready.

4.
Add the onions, celery, carrots, and olives to the skillet. Cook until the vegetables are browned, about 10 minutes. Add half the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and crushed tomatoes and brown carefully without scorching, about 5 minutes.

5.
In a separate small saucepan, heat the marinade you used for the meat over medium-high heat until it is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Add the marinade to the tomato mixture along with the stock, scraping up any browned bits.

6.
Pour the tomato mixture over the rabbit or chicken in the casserole dish and top with the whole rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Cover and bake for 2 hours. The meat should be falling off the bone. If it isn’t, keep baking and check every 15

minutes.

7.
Put the meat on a platter and pull it off the bones. Set the meat aside. Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves, and puree the sauce with an immersion blender, or in small batches (carefully!) in a blender or food processor. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing on it with a spoon to get as much sauce as possible. Set aside.

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8.
Heat the skillet again over medium heat. Add the butter.

When the butter begins to foam, add the mushrooms and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the garlic and the plum tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes. Add the vegetable sauce, the chopped rosemary, and the thyme. Add the rabbit or chicken meat and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Boil for 2

minutes, then ladle over hot pasta or gnocchi and toss to coat. If you wish, you can serve on a base of wilted greens.

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Munchkin Pumpkins with Shrimp

and Couscous

S e r v e s 4

√This dinner is easy to make but very impressive, so it’s a fun meal to serve to friends or on special occasions. Kids will love using the mini pumpkins as bowls.

FOR THE COUSCOUS

1 large piece of ginger, peeled and

1 cup couscous

chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 garlic clove

1 cup hot water

1 bay leaf

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus

3 tablespoons dried currants

more for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, split in

FOR THE PUMPKINS

half

4 mini pumpkins (about

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 inches in diameter)

12 Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 quart water or fish stock

Pumpkin seeds toasted in 300°F oven

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

for 30 minutes, for garnish

FOR THE COUSCOUS

1.
Place the couscous in a bowl. Stir in the curry powder, then add the hot water. Set aside and let the couscous “bloom” (swell until it has absorbed all the water). This should take about 15

minutes.

2.
When the couscous has bloomed, add the carrots and currants and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

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FOR THE PUMPKINS

1.
Cut the tops off of the pumpkins to expose the seeds. Scoop out the seeds.

2.
Place the pumpkins and tops in a large pot with the remaining ingredients, except for the shrimp and garnishes, over high heat. Heat to a boil.

3.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the pumpkins until they are tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the broth. Set the broth aside.

4.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stuff three shrimp into each pumpkin. Place the pumpkins in a shallow casserole and add 1⁄2

cup of the broth to the casserole. Bake until the shrimp are done, about 10 minutes.

5.
To serve, mound the couscous into four shallow bowls. Place a pumpkin on top. Replace the tops on the pumpkins. Pour the broth around. Garnish with chopped cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds.

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Quick-Cooked Salmon

with Fall Vegetable Pistou

S e r v e s 4

√Pistou is the French version of Italy’s pesto—both include fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and olive oil to make a savory green paste. This recipe gives salmon a Mediterranean flair.

You can use different vegetables or make your pesto with arugula instead of basil—whatever is fresh.

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup cauliflower (immerse in boiling

1⁄2 cup pine nuts

water for about 2 minutes to

1⁄2 cup finely grated pecorino or

blanch)

Parmesan cheese

1 cup cooked fava, soy, or cranberry