Cog

Cog (or pop) is a cornmeal-based breakfast porridge. The procedure and ratios are nearly identical to polenta, but the flavour profile is very different. I quite like it as a warm and comforting alternative to oatmeal. (I still love my oatmeal, but sometimes I am just not feeling the oats.)

As with polenta, cog wants a 4-5:1 ratio of liquids to cornmeal. The difference is that you replace some of the water with coconut milk and then season it with things like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and sweeten it with condensed milk. Instead of serving it topped with sausages or a hearty ragu, it's generally topped with fresh fruit (or just eaten on its own). I also tend to cook my cog just a bit less than polenta and serve it slightly thinner. Whereas polenta should have a sort of "soft scrambled egg" texture, I like my cog to have a "very thick gravy or soup" consistency. Not quite "stand a spoon in it" thick, but not exactly runny either.

I had been hoping to post a pressure cooker/Instant Pot cog recipe today but, as it turns out, my Instant Pot method still needs a little tweaking. So, instead, I'll give you the stove top recipe that I have used with great success in the past.

Cog
Adapted from African Bites
1 c. cornmeal
2 c. lite coconut milk
2 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk + more for serving
fresh fruit (optional)

1. Combine cornmeal, coconut milk, water, cinnamon stick, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil, whisking often.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cog reaches desired consistency.
3. Stir in nutmeg, vanilla, and condensed milk.
4. Serve as is or topped with fruit and/or additional condensed milk.

Eggplant and Lentil Tagine

This was tasty but didn't blow me away. The eggplant and the lentils were both good, but I think my brain wanted those chunks of eggplant to turn out to be sausage or something similar.

Eggplant and Lentil Tagine
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 onions, quartered
1 Tbsp. berbere
3 Asian eggplants, cubed
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c. chicken broth
500mL cooked lentils (I used French lentils, but brown lentils would probably also work well)
1/2 c. raisins or dates, chopped

1. Heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onion and berbere and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add eggplant and garlic, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Add broth, lentils, and raisins.
4. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 7-12 minutes.

Fiery Beef Tagine with Vegetables

I think this is my favourite of the tagine recipes we've tried so far. So, so tasty! It has a nice mix of meat and vegetables and includes both bebere and harissa. (For best results, serve with even more harissa as a condiment at the table!)

As with other tagine recipes, the preferred method is to cook it in an actual tagine. Barring that, a Dutch oven is probably the next best option.

Fiery Beef Tagine with Vegetables
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 slice candied ginger, chopped
1 Tbsp. harissa
2 tsp. berbere
1 lb. stewing beef, cubed or sliced
3 tomatoes (preferably roma), quartered
1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
2 c. diced squash
2 c. green peas, fresh or frozen
2 c. Balkan-style yogurt
1/2 c. fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
extra harissa (optional)

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes.
2. Add ginger, harissa, berbere, and stewing beef and cook for 7-10 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, lemon, and squash.
4. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Add peas and cook, covered, for another 15 minutes.
6. Serve over couscous garnished with yogurt, cilantro, and extra harissa.

Beef Tagine with Peaches and Raisins

I've been on a bit of a tagine kick lately. My brother got us a phenomenal tagine cookbook a few years back and I've made shamefully little use of it so far. Better late than never I suppose!

This tagine is relatively easy to throw together, especially if you already have some chermoula on hand. And it results in lovely, tender beef in a meaty, slightly sweet-and-sour gravy. The sesame seeds make a nice garnish and complement. I think next time I would try adding a few tsp. of popped mustard seeds along with the broth. I am very fond of the mustard-peach flavour combo and think it'd work quite well here.

Beef Tagine with Peaches and Raisins
1 1/2 lbs. stewing beef, cubed or sliced
1/4 c. chermoula
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. warm water
20 threads saffron
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1/2 c. beef broth
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. mustard seeds, popped in 1 Tbsp. of oil (optional)
1/2 c. raisins
4 fresh peaches, sliced (or equivalent frozen)
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

1. Toss beef with chermoula and flour. Set aside.
2. Add saffron threads to warm water. Set aside.
3. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add beef and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add broth, vinegar, mustard seeds and oil (if using), and saffron with its soaking water.
6. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
7. Add raisins and peaches, replace lid, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
8. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Ideally this should be (as the name implies) cooked in a tagine. That said, I think it would work reasonably well in a Dutch oven with a good, tightly-fitting lid.

Slow Cooker Brunch Casserole

Ingredients

• 30mL unsalted butter, softened
• ~350g bulk breakfast sausage meat
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
• 15mL tinned chipotle in adobo, minced
• 5mL adobo sauce (from the above)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5mL ground cumin
• ~400g baguette, cut into ~1cm pieces
• ~350g pepperjack cheese, shredded
• 750mL half-and-half (10%) cream
• 12 large eggs
• salt and pepper
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Procedure

1. Cook sausage, onions, and bell peppers in a large skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, ~10 minutes.
2. Stir in chipotle, adobo sauce, garlic, and cumin, and cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds.
3. Transfer sausage mixture to a large bowl, add bread, and stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Grease slow-cooker with butter.
5. Arrange half of bread mixture in an even layer in the slow cooker. Top with ~1/3rd of the pepperjack cheese. Arrange remaining bread mixture in another even layer on top.
6. Whisk together cream, eggs, 5mL salt, and 1mL pepper in a bowl, then pour evenly over casserole. Using spatula, press gently on bread mixture to partially submerge.
7. Top with remaining cheese.
8. Cook on low, 3-4 hours, until center registers 160° (TODO: what units? probably F?)
9. Let cool, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Top with scallions and serve.

Creole Potato Salad

Ingredients

• Salad
• 1.5kg Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in ~2cm chunks
• 64mL white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped fine
• 30mL minced fresh parsley
• Remoulade
• 320mL mayonnaise
• 85mL gherkins, drained and chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 15mL prepared horseradish
• 30mL spicy brown mustard
• 30mL ketchup
• 30mL lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5mL paprika
• 5mL worchestershire sauce
• 2.5mL sugar
• 2.5mL salt
• 2.5mL pepper
• 1mL cayenne

Procedure

1. Combine potatoes, 2L water, half the vinegar, and 15mL salt in a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, 14-17 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes, then transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle remaining vinegar over them and toss to coat.
4. Let cool to room temperature, ~30 minutes, then refrigerate until cool, another 30 minutes, stirring halfway through chilling.
5. Whisk together all remoulade ingredients.
6. Gently fold together potatoes, remoulade, and all remaining ingredients.
7. Refridgerate, covered, for another ~30 minutes, to let the flavours blend.

Grilled Corn

This Cook's Country recipe for grilled corn steams the corn in its husk first, then slathers it with seasoned butter before returning it to the grill. We've made two variants (the brown sugar cayenne butter and the mustard paprika butter).

Ingredients

• 6 ears corn, unshucked
• 90mL tablespoons soft unsalted butter
• 2.5mL salt
• 2.5mL pepper
• Brown sugar cayenne butter:
• 30mL brown sugar
• 1mL cayenne
• Cilantro lime butter:
• 64mL minced fresh cilantro
• 10mL grated lime zest
• 15mL lime juice
• 1 minced garlic clove
• Mustard paprika butter:
• 30mL spicy brown mustard
• 5mL smoked paprika
• Rosemary pepper butter:
• another 2.5mL pepper
• 15mL minced fresh rosemary
• 1 minced garlic clove

Procedure

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Combine butter, salt, pepper, and other butter ingredients in a bowl.
3. Oil grill. Place corn on grill. Cover and cook, turning every 3 minutes, until husks have blackened all over, 12-15 minutes. Interior should be steaming and bright yellow when you pull back a bit of the husk.
4. Remove husk and silk with tongs. Roll each ear in the butter mixture and return to the grill to char lightly on all sides, ~5 minutes.
5. Coat with remaining butter mixture and serve.