Coconut cilantro chutney

This is a chutney traditionally served with idli. For the coconut, use a fresh coconut or frozen flesh that is sometimes available at supermarkets or Asian grocers--don't use dried or the sweetened stuff for baking. There are tons of really easy to follow instructions online on how to get the coconut flesh, if you're unfamiliar. You can also get the hing (asafoetida), curry leaves, urad dal, and chana dal online or at an Indian grocer.

Prep time: 1 cocktail

1/2 cup chana dal
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut meat (about 1 small coconut)
3/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2-inch ginger piece
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 serrano chili, chopped
1 cup water or coconut water if you use a fresh coconut
3/4 tsp salt
Agave nectar or sugar (optional)
2 TBSP neutral oil, like canola
1/2 tsp urad dal
8 fresh, whole curry leaves
A pinch of hing (aka asafoetida)

Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add chana dal and toast until it's lightly browned, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, transfer to a spice grinder or electric coffee grinder and process into a powder.

Combine chana dal, shredded coconut, cilantro, ginger, lime, chili, water/coconut water, and salt in food processor. Puree into a smooth paste. Adjust lime and salt to taste, add some agave or sugar, if desired.

Pour into the container you want to serve the chutney in. Then in a small, clean frying pan, heat the oil over medium to medium-low heat. When oil shimmers, add mustard seeds. Simmer the seeds until they just start to pop. Add urad dal and simmer until the dal is browned but not burned, stirring constantly. Add curry leaves and hing cook 3-5 more seconds. Remove from heat and immediately pour on top of chutney and serve--no need to incorporate or stir in oil and spices.  

Major Grey-style fruit chutney

This is a mango chutney, but you can use any fruit that cooks down well.

Prep time: 1/2 cocktail, plus additional simmering time

2 TBSP neutral oil, like canola
1-2 dried red chilies
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 TBSP coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dark mustard seeds
8 cloves, ground with mortar and pestle
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 20-ounce can mango pieces or pineapple pieces, retain juices
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
Agave nectar (optional)

Heat oil over medium-low heat. While it warms up, combine next 6 ingredients in a small bowl. When oil shimmers, add spices and simmer for a minute or so, until they turn a shade darker. Add fruit (juice and all). Bring to boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and if the fruit hasn't broken down, mash it up with a potato masher until it's thick and chunky. Increase heat to medium, add raisins, vinegar, and salt. Cook down until you have a thick, jam-like consistency. Adjust salt and vinegar, if necessary and add agave if you want it sweeter. Let cool and serve.

No-knead sourdough bread

This is my version of sourdough bread that's easy to make and really only involves a few minutes of active work. The rest of the prep time, you are just relying on natural yeasts and other microorganisms in the bread do all the work. No kneading, no yeast, and no sugars added!

You will need a sourdough starter for this. Find a friend who has one going in their refrigerator already or buy one online or at a gourmet shop. I maintain a 16-ounce mason jar of pure whole wheat starter in the refrigerator. I've also left it totally alone for as long as 8 months and it comes back to life in just a few hours! Amazing! You'll also need a pizza stone for this recipe. If you don't have one, a large cast-iron pan will also work.

~8-12 ounces sourdough starter
2 teaspoons salt
~2-3 cups whole wheat flour, divided
~1 1/8 cups all purpose white or bread flour

First, triple the volume of your sourdough starter by combining your existing starter with whole wheat flour and water until you have tripled the volume (you'll want at least 3 cups of starter). You want to add water and flour to the existing starter trying to achieve the consistency of waffle batter. Mix well with a rubber spatula in a mixing bowl an once incorporated, let stand at room temperature, covered with a damp towel, until the top gets bubbly, like a pancake that's ready to flip. This can take anywhere from 3-24 hours, depending on how old your starter is and the temperature of the room. But in general, a slow activation is nothing to worry about.

Now, split the starter up. Return about 1/3 of the volume to a jar in the refrigerator to maintain the colony (basically the volume you started with). And take your remaining starter and add salt. Stir well with a rubber spatula. Now add 1 cup warm water and 1 1/8 cups each whole wheat and white flour. Incorporate well with the spatula--not your hands or an electric mixer. You want the dough to be about the stickiness of pizza dough. In my climate, I find that I actually need about 1 1/4 cup of each flour, but this will vary based on your flour and humidity.

Once everything is well incorporated, transfer to a large mixing bowl that you've sprayed with cooking spray or brushed with olive oil. Cover with a damp towel and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size, about 6-18 hours.

After it has doubled in size, transfer dough to refrigerator. Let sit for at least 3 hours (though letting it sit 24-48 hours will enhance the flavor). Regardless of how long you let it sit in the refrigerator, take it out and let it sit at room temperature 4 hours before baking begins.

In your oven, you want a to arrange the racks so that you have one rack in the middle of the oven and one in the bottom of the oven. Put the pizza stone on the middle rack.

Now after the dough has rested at room temperature for 3 hours, preheat the oven with a pizza stone for at 60 minutes at 450F, so pizza stone gets fully up to temperature. Once you're about ready to bake, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pour this into a large baking dish and put it on the bottom rack.

Now flour the top of the dough and a pizza peel and gently flip the dough onto the peel, trying to preserve the round loaf shape. Next, use the peel to put the dough on the pizza stone, being careful to preserve the shape that it has formed in the bowl. Close oven and reduce temperature to 425F. DON'T USE CONVECTION SETTINGS!

Bake until the outside gets golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. BE CAREFUL when you open the oven--the steam can cause burns when it rushes out.

Let cool on a baking rack after rmoving from the oven for a few minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Simple, spicy pickled eggs

So even though I went to college and hold down a reasonable job, I've still not totally forgotten my roots that trace back to a long line of simple folk in a small, godawful town in the middle of the country. Only being a few steps removed from my kinfolk who wear wifebeaters and watch daytime TV, I often have a hankering to visit dank, dingy watering holes after a long day. And the ultimate litmus test for me is that if it is a TRUE dive bar, there are pickled things in jars for sale. Doesn't matter what is in said jars--pigs feet, dill pickles, eggs--just as long as there's a decade-old, vinegar-embalmed offering at hand, I feel like I'm home. So much so, in fact, that I have a need to keep a jar of pickled eggs in my refrigerator at home as well. Though it represents a true strain on my marriage to have these orbs floating in a Mason jar living behind the orange juice, I can't say I'll ever be able to give up the habit of nibbling on a spicy, tangy egg after cracking a can of Schlitz on a hot summer afternoon.

For this, I use a half gallon Mason jar, so you'll want to scale your recipe depending on the size of your container.

4 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
4 TBSP salt
18 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1/4 onion, cut into thin half moons
1-3 jalapenos, sliced into wheels
10-20 whole peppercorns

Combine vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and let cool, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes.

In Mason jar put onions, jalapenos, and peppercorns in the bottom. Add the eggs. Pour the brine over the top, seal with a tight lid. Let sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes before placing in the refrigerator. Allow eggs to sit in the refrigerator for at least a week before eating.

Burmese coconut noodles from Shan state

We just got home last week after 6 months of travel! It feels amazing to sleep in our own bed again!  We spent time in some remarkable spots in the western US, southern Mexico and Thailand. But the most memorable adventure we took was the 2+ weeks we spent in Myanmar. 

Myanmar (aka Burma) isn't as well known as some of its neighbors for food. Indeed, it kind of gets a bad reputation for greasy, bland noodles and little else. While we found this to often be the case in the south, the northeastern state of Shan had some of the most outstanding cuisine I've had anywhere. Shan is at a culinary crossroads with heavy influences from neighboring China and Southeast Asia, plus some uniquely local twists. The Shan food was so good, we each packed on a couple extra pounds during our travels. And it was worth every extra mile I now have to run to burn it all off!

This recipe is my attempt to capture the essence of Shan cuisine--a balance of fishiness, spice, and tang all served over a heap of noodles with a ton of simple garnishes. If you're looking for something unique, satisfying, and straightforward to make, this is your dish. 

Note that strict vegetarians or vegans won't want to forego the fish sauce altogether, as it is essential to achieve the right flavor and balance. You can find a lot of recipes for vegan fish sauce online, mostly involving a combination of soy sauce, dried seaweed, and dehydrated mushrooms. I suggest going with one of those.

Prep time: 3 cocktails

Noodles:

2 cups chopped shallots

2 stalks lemongrass

1/4 cup peanut oil, divided

1 block of extra firm tofu, chopped into 3/4 - 1" cubes

1/4 cup chickpea flour (sometimes called besan--it is sold in bulk at natural grocers and in Indian markets)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1" piece of ginger, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

2 TBSP fish sauce

1-2 tsp fermented soybean paste (available at any Asian grocer)

1 TBSP tamarind concentrate

1 tsp sugar

8 ounces dried noodles

Salt to taste (I usually need about 1/2 tsp)

Garnishes:

Minced cilantro

Lime wedges

Roasted peanuts, chopped coarsely

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced into thin wheels

Shredded red or Napa cabbage

Red chili flakes

Start by prepping your shallots. Once you've got the 2 cups chopped, you want to get them very finely minced. You can do this by hand, but it's faster to toss it all in the food processor and pulse until it is a fine mince, but not so well processed that it starts to become a slurry. Set aside.

Now, peel outer layer from each lemongrass stalk. Then, using a sharp serrated knife, remove the tough 1-2 bottom inches and the top third of the stalks. Then chop your usable remaining lemongrass into 1/2-inch segments. Transfer to a mortar and grind it until you just have lemongrass fibers. Set aside.

In a large, heavy frying pan, heat 2 TBSP of the peanut oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add tofu cubes and saute until they become a nice dark golden-brown. This takes about 10-20 minutes, depending on the moisture content of the tofu. You'll need to stir almost constantly to prevent the tofu from sticking and you will also need to be careful not to break the tofu. Add a bit of extra oil if it all cooks off and tofu is sticking. Once fully cooked, transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside.

While you're working on the tofu, you can also toast the chickpea flour. Put it in a dry frying over medium-low to medium heat. Stirring almost constantly, dry-fry the flour until it turns a light brown. Then remove from heat, whisk in 1/2 cup water and set aside.

Once your tofu and chickpea flour are done, you can start to prepare your noodles.

As the noodles do their thing, you can assemble the sauce. Start by heating the remaining 2 TBSP peanut oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Once hot, add the turmeric and saute a few seconds. Then add the shallots and saute until they soften and become translucent, about 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes. now, add coconut milk, fish sauce, soybean paste, tamarind concentrate, sugar, tofu, pulverized lemongrass, and chickpea paste. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered about 5 minutes or until you have reached the consistency of a thick cream sauce or gravy. Adjust salt and other flavorings as needed until you have a perfect balance.

Serve over noodles with all the garnishes!

Tetela! An amazing Mixtec stuffed taco!

Living in Oaxaca has it's perks. We recently took a cooking class from a local Mixtec woman. The Mixteca are one of many indigenous groups who call our state home. In addition to teaching my wife and I our first Mixtec word ("nuni", which is corn), she taught us a few recipes. This is by far my favorite. It's tetala--basically a stuffed bean pocket with cheese and salsa on top. They're great finger food when you want something a little different!

Note that you'll need a cheap tortilla press for this recipe. If you don't already have one, you can grab one at a Mexican market or online for a few bucks.

Prep time: 2 cocktails
1 batch tortilla dough - NOTE: just make the dough in this recipe, don't form or cook into tortillas
1 batch sexy Oaxacan black beans
1 batch Oaxacan salsa (or another favorite salsa)
Crumbled queso fresco or crumbled queso blanco (optional)

You start by lining your tortilla press with plastic wrap on the bottom. Then roll a ball of tortilla dough about the size of a golf ball. Place it in the center of the tortilla press and put another sheet of plastic on top. Press until you get a 6-8 inch ball that's twice the thickness of a normal tortilla (you might have to adjust the amount of dough up or down a bit from golf ball size).

Remove the top plastic sheet and put a heaping 1 TBSP dollup of beans in the center and spread it out a little bit. Now, fold the tortilla in thirds so it's totally enclosing the beans. Photos are below demonstrating this.

Now, heat a dry frying pan over medium-low to medium heat. Transfer your tetela to the pan and cook until the bottom is a tad browned, just as if you were cooking tortillas. Flip and repeat. Top with cheese and salsa and eat with your hands or with a fork! Amazing!

Note: I searched the internet high and low for photos of this process since I've so far failed to take photos every time I've made this recipe. I found these pics on a blog called Mexico In My Kitchen. After subsequently spending way too much time on this blog, I can honestly say that I'm in love with the creator's recipes. She has some truly great stuff. If you're into Mexican cooking, it's a great resource for fresh ideas! A new favorite!!

Cheese-less chile rellenos

I love chile rellenos. But what I don’t love is feeling like a bloated old beached whale after I consume what is essentially a pound of deep fried cheese. Luckily, when I was visiting a rural village in Oaxaca, Mexico, I came across this version. It swaps out the cheese for a savory vegan stuffing that’s every bit as good as it’s cheesy cousin… but it won’t make you feel like a manatee who just ate a tub of lard for dinner. Note that this can be prepared vegan by substituting garbanzo bean water (called aquafaba)--it’s a brilliant old vegan life hack that’s good for meringues and other whipped egg white applications!

While ingredients like capers, raisins, olives, parsley, and olive oil might seem out of place in Mexican cooking, I’ve found many of these are actually really common during my time living south of the border. So don’t think this is some gringo-ification of an otherwise great recipe. This is exactly as I was taught to make the rellenos.

Prep time: 4 cocktails

To make the filling:

1/3 pound fresh oyster mushrooms

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 clove garlic, whole

2 tsp salt

2 allspice berries

3 cups water

2 TBSP olive oil

1 small onion, chopped finely

2 additional cloves garlic, minced

1 pound tomatoes, chopped

2 sprigs Italian flat leaf parsley

2 allspice berries

2 cloves

½ cinnamon stick

1 more sprig thyme

¼ cup raisins, chopped coarsely

1 TBSP capers

10 green olives, chopped + 1 TBSP of the olive brine

16 whole, raw, unsalted almonds

Combine first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until mushrooms have softened but aren’t mushy, 10-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove mushrooms and shred with a fork like shredded chicken. Discard the rest of the other ingredients in the saucepan.

Next, in a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Now add the shredded mushrooms, tomatoes, parsley, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Now add the second sprig of thyme, raisins, capers, and olives with brine to the mushroom/tomato mixture. Sauté until all excess water has cooked off, about 20 minutes. Salt to taste about halfway through.

While your mushroom and tomato mixture simmers, bring a cup or two of water to a boil. Add the almonds and remove from heat. Let it soak for 10 minutes. Then remove the almonds from the water and peel them by squeezing each almond between your thumb and forefinger. You can chop the almonds up a tad if you like as well, but that’s optional.

Toss the almonds into the simmering mixture once all the liquid in the mixture has fully cooked off and remove the parsley, thyme, and dry spices if you can find them. Set mixture aside.

To make the chilies:

You can make this recipe with fresh and/or dried chilies.

12 chilies, fresh or dried

6 eggs (or about 3/4 cup garbanzo bean water), whites and yolks separated

1 Tbsp white flour

Oil for frying

Your favorite Mexican sauces or salsas for serving

Beans or other Mexican sides are a great addition too

For fresh chilies:

Use poblano or some other good sized chili for stuffing. First, cut a slit in each peppers and the grill or oven broil, turning every couple minutes until pretty well-charred or blistered. Transfer to a Tupperware with lid or a paper bag and close the top. Let sit for 10 minutes then remove and peel skin under cold running water. Also, remove innards through the slit you cut. The chilies will be delicate and it is possible to mutilate them. Do your best to keep them in tact, or else they’ll spill their contents when you fry them.

For dried chilies:

You will want to use an ancho or some other large, fairly mild chili for this. Cut a small slit in each chili. Boil a couple quarts of water and add the chilies. Remove immediately from heat and let soak until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove chilies from water, pat with towel until fully dry and remove innards through slit you cut. Like the fresh chilies, these are delicate, so try not to mutilate them.

For all chilies:

After you’ve prepared the chilies as described above, stuff them by gently spooning in the filling.

Next, combine the egg whites in a mixing bowl. Using an electric beater, mix until they are totally stiff, which can take up to 15 minutes. Now gently fold in the yolks and flour to your whipped whites.

Heat a frying pan with a neutral-flavored frying oil, like canola over medium heat. You want it to be between a half inch and an inch in depth.

Now, using a big spoon, very gently lower a chile into the egg batter (you might have to spoon a little over the top to fully cover them). After you’ve battered a chili, gently lower it into the oil—this is easiest if you pinch the stem and slowly slide it off your dipping spoon. Fry 1-2 chilies at a time. Flip over once the bottom is golden brown. If the chilies are too delicate to flip, just spoon hot oil over the top until the batter has solidified enough to flip without the contents falling out.

After each chile is nicely golden brown on all sides, remove from oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined platter and blot additional oil off the tops.

Southern Mexican black beans: Giving a sexy makeover to a humble legume

After living part-time in Oaxaca for the last few years, I still can’t get enough of the black beans here. They’re sublime. Finally, after asking around, I learned they key is avocado leaves! They make your boring run-of-the mill black beans into something amazing. It’s like those daytime shows when they give some frumpy dude in sweats a makeover and you realize with some new clothes and a decent haircut, he’s a real ladykiller. That’s the same with these beans. Just a few simple changes to your old, boring beans will make an amazing, delicious, complex black bean wonder. If only the makeover guy knew this recipe, he could have just picked up all the ladies without even having to ditch his sweats and dumpy haircut. Oh well.

Note that you can get epazote and dried avocado leaves at most Mexican grocers and maybe some specialty grocers. You can also order them on Amazon.

Prep time: 1/2 cocktail (after the beans are cooked)

Bean base:

2 pounds of black beans

1 small bunch fresh epazote or a scant handful of dried

1 onion, chopped

1 head of garlic, unpeeled and whole

Salt

For each batch batch of sexy makeover beans:

3 dried chilies (I like Pasilla or Guajillo)

7 dried avocado leaves

1-2 cups of the beans from the bean base
1 TBSP neutral cooking oil, like canola

Soak the beans overnight. Then rinse well and put in a Dutch oven with at least a couple quarts of water and bring to boil. Stir occasionally and add more water, as needed. Cook until soft, usually a few hours. But when they’re about 40 minutes from that point, stir in epazote onion, and garlic. Salt to taste. When beans are finished, fish out and discard the garlic head and epazote (if you used fresh).

Once your beans are done, toast the chilies and avocado leaves in a dry frying pan over medium high heat for a few minutes until they become highly aromatic and maybe a tad charred.

Transfer 1-2 cups of the beans plus the toasted chilies and avocado leaves to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.

Now take a small frying pan and heat the oil.  Transfer the contents of the the blender to the pan and sautee the pureed beans until they become “dry” to the point they clump together a little bit and are no longer runny (like in the photo above).

You will have a fair amount of leftover bean base. You can make additional batches of sexy makeover beans by repeating the process with the peppers and avocado leaves or use the beans for other purposes.

Salsa Oaxaqueño

So this is a great all purpose, quick salsa that's good with anything from chips to smothering enchiladas. The only thing unique about it, other than it being really amazing, is that the woman who taught me the recipe--a native Oaxacan--said that it's a traditional salsa from the area because it doesn't use lime. Instead, it relies on a hefty dose of charred tomatoes and peppers to produce the acidic bite that limes usually provide. And to be sure, she was right. It's big, fresh, and bright.

One word of note, however, is that you really don't want to try to save 90 seconds by using a food processor. This salsa--like many in mexico--is meant to be ground by hand in a molcajete, though any mortar and pestle will work. However, a food processor or blender totally rips the ingredients to shreds, which imparts some funky flavors. Channel your inner abuela and prepare this the traditional way. Your tastebuds will thank you!

One ingredient note is that here in Oaxaca, the recipe calls for chiles de agua. They're a local heirloom that isn't commercially cultivated outside our little valley. So instead, I recommend a couple Anaheim chilies and a jalapeno as a totally suitable replacement. That said, you should totally use 2-4 fresh chiles de agua if you happen to see them at your local Mexican market.

Prep time: 1/2 mezcal-based cocktail

6 Roma tomatoes
2 Anaheim chilies
1-2 jalepenos
4 cloves garlic, coarsely minced
1/4 cup chopped onion
2-4 sprigs cilantro, leaves plucked off and stems discarded
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to broil or fire up your outdoor grill. Once hot, place tomatoes and peppers on the grill (or the top rack of your oven, with a foil-lined pan underneath to catch drippings) and char everything until well blistered/charred and the skin of the tomatoes falls away, rotating every few minutes so all sides are equally roasted. Don't overthink this, as it's impossible to overcook these, and a long as things are well-blistered, they're not undercooked. It will take your peppers about 10 minutes and your tomatoes about 15, but mileage will vary. Your tomato skins will probably fall off and stick to the rack. Don't worry about it.

Transfer peppers to a paper bag or sealed tupperware and place tomatoes in a bowl to cool. Do something fun for about 15 minutes or until everything has cooled enough to handle.

After you return, in your molcajete or mortar and pestle, first grind your garlic and onion into a paste. Then peel, stem, and seed peppers (doing this under a stream of cold water is easiest). Put your pepper flesh into the onion/garlic mixture and pulverize well. Now peel and quarter each tomato lengthwise and transfer all the tomatoes to the onion/garlic/pepper mixture. Grind until you've reached the desired level of chunkiness for your salsa.

Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in cilantro (don't grind it like you did the other ingredients!) and salt.

Moroccan "Meatballs" with Saffron-Lemon Tomato Sauce - A Recipe That Saved My Marriage

Ordinarily, I shy away from the processed fake meat crumbles at the grocery store. I've never really found much that they're good in. Then a few weeks ago, as part of a failed and traumatic "Hamburger Helper" experiment, I was left with an extra package of the sad, gritty crumbles in the back of my refrigerator. Desperate not to repeat my traumatic experiment that both led to two days of indigestion and a near collapse of my fledgling 6-month marriage, I decided to try making north African meatballs. And you know what? They were amazing! Since this recipe basically restored my marriage, I'll definitely be back at the store next week buying more of these once heretical faux-beef crumbles!

Prep time 3 cocktails

Couscous
(I use bulgur instead of couscous, and really any grain will work - just adjust liquid and cooking time accordingly)
1/4 cup dried dates, chopped up to raisin-size if not already that small (or you can substitute raisins)
3/4 cup veggie stock
3/4 cup water
1 cup bulgur
2 TBSP butter (substitute faux butter to make this vegan)
Pinch of ground cinnamon

Sauce
A few TBSP olive oil
1/2 medium/large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic
1/2 of a cinnamon stick
A pinch of saffron threads, crumbled up
1/3 cup veggie stock (store-bought or homemade)
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 TBSP finely grated lemon rind (using the finest side of a box grater or a microplane)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped coarsely

Meatballs
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 pinches of ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
1 TBSP grated or minced ginger
1 12-ounce package faux hamburger crumbles
2 TBSP tomato paste
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup oats, ground into a flour using a spice/coffee grinder or food processor
3 TBSP finely chopped Italian parsley
3 TBSP finely chopped cilantro
3 TBSP chopped green onions
5 TBSP olive oil
Additional white flour for dusting

Garnishes (all optional):

Additional finely chopped cilantro, parsley, and green onion

A dollop or two of plain yogurt

First, get your bulgur or couscous started. Place the dates (or raisins) in a bowl and pour hot water over to soften. Let sit a few minutes before draining water. Meanwhile, combine the stock and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the bulgur and reduce to a low boil, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 12-16 minutes. When liquid is fully absorbed and the grain is tender, remove from heat and stir in drained dates, butter, and cinnamon until butter is melted. Adjust salt, if needed. Set aside with the lid on.

While your bulgur is simmering, start the sauce: In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until fully translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the cinnamon stick and saffron and saute yet another minute. Now stir in the stock, tomatoes, wine, lemon rind, and salt. Reduce to simmer and let it reduce into a nice, somewhat thick pasta sauce consistency, about 10-25 minutes. After you've reached the desired consistency, stir in the olives and adjust salt to taste. Remove from heat.

Now make the meatballs. Combine the cloves, coriander, and cumin in a spice grinder and process into a powder. Now combine this with all the other meatball ingredients EXCEPT for the dusting flour and oil in a mixing bowl and stir until everything is incorporated. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, you're ready to start adding meatballs. Make each meatball small--an inch in diamater and dust or dredge with flour. Then add it gently to the hot oil. Cook each side until it is fully browned, then carefully turn with a tongs. Repeat until the meatballs are deeply browned (but not burned) on all sides. Remove from the frying pan and blot dry with a paper towel.

Now take your frying pan off the burner and replace it with the tomato sauce, keeping the heat at medium. Gently stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce and let it heat up for just a minute.

Now serve the meatballs over a bed of bulgur/couscous, garnish, and serve.