Recipe of the week

GRECO – TURKISH MOUSSAKA By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Moussaka is to the Ottoman Empire (think Greece and Turkey) what Lasagna is to the Italians (and Italian- Americans!). It is a slow baked, layered casserole with a rich meat sauce, sliced eggplant and a cheesy bechamel sauce. No pasta. Of course, there are many variations. In my version, I have added a layer of thinly sliced potatoes to the bottom of the dish to give the finished Moussaka a bit more structure. I didn’t invent this technique, but I encourage you to employ it as my portions of
finished Moussaka held their shape beautifully when plated. PS - This dish is a labor of love, and it will take you a bit of time to prepare. The results are well worth your efforts.(I suggest that you read through the entire recipe first and visualize the preparation and cooking steps required.)

Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

We’ve been having long stretches of rainy days in Boston and that just makes me want to eat soup. And this soup reminds me of my childhood when Campbell’s Beef Barley was a pantry staple, along with Tomato and Scotch Broth. Fast forward many decades and the variety and quality of canned soups has exploded…but I need to make my own because I want to believe that engaging in cooking will disperse the doldrums of more rain.

‘Middle Eastern’ Chicken Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a chicken salad made with flavors and ingredients from a Middle Eastern pantry—chickpeas, olives, scallions, yogurt, tahini and za’atar spice mix - don’t forgo the za’atar spice mix! It is used to marinate the chicken breasts. This chicken salad has an herby, savory and exotic flavor and is also a bit crunchy thanks to the sesame seeds. (And za’atar spice is easy to find these days!)

Broccoli Salad by Chef Laura Brennan

This is an easy, delicious and crunchy broccoli salad that does NOT call for cooking the broccoli. All the ingredients are prepped (the ‘mise-en-place’) and tossed together with a seasoned mayonnaise dressing. (I used Hellman’s, my favorite.) And feel free to substitute ingredients; for example: you could omit the bacon or switch out the raisins for dried cranberries or use toasted sunflower seeds instead of almonds.

Green Split Pea Ham Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s certainly been cold enough for split-pea soup; I’d never think of making or eating it in the warmer months. This is a straight forward, one-pot soup. I used a smoked ham hock to flavor the broth and added diced ham to the nearly finished soup. And big chunks of crusty, toasted and buttered bread would be great to serve with this soup.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Italian -Style by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Can roasted Brussels Sprouts truly be festive? Sure. Why Not? Especially if they are beautifully roasted and deliciously seasoned. The secrets to good roasting are high heat (400 degrees F) to promote deep browning and caramelization and a heavy-duty sheet pan or large cast iron skillet to promote even cooking without scorching.

This recipe glazes the cooked sprouts with a reduced balsamic vinegar, fennel seed, orange juice and orange rind sauce to give the sprouts an Italian flair. And adding diced and crispy-cooked pancetta to the finished dish would not be amiss here either. Finally, garnish your dish of roasted brussels sprouts with a few tablespoons of toasted pignoli (pine nuts). Buon Natale!

Baked Brie with Glazed Shallots & Toasted Almonds by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a super-easy holiday party appetizer—it’s baked in the box the cheese is sold in! I lined the box with a circle of parchment paper before I baked it. It looks a bit more ‘partyready’ and keeps the oozing baked cheese from sticking to the edges of the box. Serve with crackers of your choice and a sweet/savory pepper jam or cranberry sauce on top after it comes out of the oven. Done. Easy. Delicious.

CANDIED COCOA ESPRESSO WALNUTS by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Snacks for the holidays. These candied nuts would be great served with a charcuterie platter or used as a crunchy element on a pear & cheese salad. Or gifted as an edible holiday treat.

VINDALOO STEW by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a chunky and aromatic fish (salmon) stew that’s part Indian flavors (vindaloo curry spice mix**) and part Thai flavors (coconut milk, lime and ginger). There is some work in the preparation of the ingredients, but the result is well worth the effort. It’s fragrant, unctuous and very satisfying. **Morton & Basse- Vindaloo Spice Mix contains coriander, turmeric, paprika, cumin, pepper, mustard seed, ginger, cardamom and cayenne.

Glazed Salmon Bowl with Brown Rice, Shiitakes, Roasted Scallions & Soy Marinated Eggs by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Often, it’s a picture in a magazine that inspires a recipe and that’s exactly what happened here. I saw a picture of ‘jammy’ looking soy & teriyaki marinated eggs and thought: “I’d like to make (eat) them”. And that initiated my recipe process. What do I want to eat with these eggs? First, some soy-glazed salmon and then I had an idea to use up two ingredients from my Farmer’s Market Veggie Share: (grilled/broiled) scallions and (sautéed) shiitake mushrooms and finally some brown rice or other grain to tie the dish together. Eh voila ! That’s how this recipe was born.