Cape Malay chicken curry

Active: 40 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 6

Cinnamon sticks	2 sticks
Fennel seeds	2 teaspoons
Chicken, whole, cut into 10 bone-in pieces	3 ½ to 4 ½ pounds
Salt, kosher	1 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon +
Oil, grapeseed	2 tablespoons
Onions, yellow, cut into ½-inch-thick slices	2 medium
Jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeded, thinly sliced	2 medium
Ginger, peeled, grated	2 tablespoons
Curry powder	2 tablespoons
Garlic, finely chopped	3 cloves
Tomatoes, diced, undrained	15 ounces
Water	1 cup
Mango chutney	¼ cup
Bay leaves, fresh or dried	2 leaves
Lime juice, fresh	1 ½ tablespoons
Mielie pap
Cilantro	Garnish

1. Heat the cinnamon sticks and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. 
2. Transfer to a spice grinder; process until very finely ground, about 45 seconds; set aside. 
3. Sprinkle chicken pieces all over with 1-tablespoon salt. 
4. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 
5. Working in two batches, cooking the chicken until browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. 
6. Reduce heat to medium. 
7. Add onions and ½-teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to loosen any browned bits, until onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. 
8. Stir in the jalapeños, ginger, curry powder, garlic, and ground cinnamon mixture. 
9. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
10. Stir undrained tomatoes into curry mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces and forms a thick paste, 3 to 4 minutes. 
11. Stir in water, chutney, bay leaves, and 2-teaspoons salt. 
12. Nestle chicken pieces into the mixture. 
13. Bring to a boil over medium heat. 
14. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken thighs registered 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. 
15. Stir the lime juice into the curry mixture; season with salt to taste. 
16. Ladle curry over mielie pap; garnish with cilantro. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, October 2020

High-flying turkey & black bean chili

Beans, black, cooked, rinsed	30 ounces
Lime juice, freshly squeezed
Salt, sea
Oil, extra-virgin olive	3 tablespoons
Onion, yellow, chopped	1 large
Garlic, minced	1 clove
Jalapeño, deribbed, chopped	1
Chili powder	2 teaspoons
Ancho chili powder	1 teaspoon
Paprika, smoked	1 teaspoon
Cumin, ground	1 teaspoon
Oregano, dried, gently crushed in your hand	1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, ground	½ teaspoon
Turkey, ground	1 pound
Tomatoes, fire roasted, crushed	28 ounces
Piquillo peppers, roasted, chopped	2
Maple syrup, grade B	1 tablespoon
Lime juice, freshly squeezed
Cilantro avocado cream
Avocado, halved, flesh scooped out	1
Water	2 tablespoons
Lime juice	¾ teaspoon
Cilantro, coarsely chopped	2 teaspoons
Salt	¼ teaspoon

1. In a bowl, combine the beans with a spritz of juice and a pinch of salt; set aside. In a 6-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat. 
2. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and sauté for 3 minutes, until the onions are translucent. 
3. Add the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, ancho powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon, and sauté for another minute. 
4. Add the turkey, and break up the meat with a wooden spoon, and brown for about 3 minutes. 
5. If the pan is too dry or the spices stick, pour in a little juice from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, stirring with the wooden spoon to loosen any bits stuck to the pan. 
6. Add the tomatoes and another pinch of salt, then the peppers and beans; stir to combine. 
7. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
8. Remove the cover and simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. 
9. Stir in the maple syrup. 
10. Taste, and add the lime juice and salt, as needed. 
11. Place the avocado, water, juice, cilantro, and salt in a blender, and process until smooth, about 1 minute; transfer to a small bowl. 
12. Serve the soup in bowls garnished with a dollop of the cilantro avocado cream. 

Recipe mildly adapted from The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz.

Green corn soup

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 30 minutes plus 2 hours refrigeration; Serves: 8 to 10

Corn, shucked	8 ears
Oil, extra-virgin olive	3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon
Shallots, chopped	1 medium
Garlic, 3 thinly sliced, 2 crushed	3 cloves + 2 cloves
Salt	½ teaspoon + 1 tablespoon
Pepper, freshly ground	1 teaspoon
Water	1 ½ cup + 1 cup
Baby spinach, ¼ cup chopped	1 cup packed + ¼ cup
Jalapeños, stemmed, seeded; 2 rough chopped, 2 thinly sliced	4
Lime juice, fresh	1 tablespoon
Pumpkin seeds; toasted, lightly salted	½ cup
Feta, crumbled	¼ cup
Parsley, chopped	¼ cup
Vinegar, white	1 cup
Sugar, granulated	2 tablespoons

1. Using a thin knife and work in a bowl, cut the kernels from the cobs; you should have 6 cups. 
2. Working over another bowl, scrape the cobs with eh back of the knife to release the corn milk; discard the cobs. 
3. In a large skillet, heat 3-tablespoons oil over moderately high heat. 
4. Add the onion and sliced garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. 
5. Add 4 ½-cups corn kernels and the corn milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender crisp, about 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper. 
6. Transfer to a blender, and let cool slightly. 
7. Wipe out the skillet. 
8. Add 1 ½-cups water to the blender with the corn, and puree at high speed until very smooth, about 5 minutes. 
9. Strain the puree through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing on the solids. 
10. Return the corn puree to the blender, and add the spinach, chopped jalapeños, and 1-tablespoon juice, and puree until the spinach is finely chopped and the soup is green. 
11. Cover and refrigerate the soup until cold, at least 2 hours. 
12. Meanwhile, in the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 ½-cups corn kernels, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, about 1 minute. 
13. Transfer the corn to a small bowl, and refrigerate until cold. 
14. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, 1-cup water, crushed garlic, and sugar; bring to a boil.
15. Place the sliced jalapeños in a mason jar, and pour the pickling mixture to cover; let sit 8 minutes, then seal with a clean lid.
16. In a small bowl, combine the crispy corn, parsley, spinach, ¼-cup chopped pickled jalapeños, pumpkin seeds, and feta.
17. Transfer the soup to bowls, and garnish with the hardy pinch of the corn mixture. 

Recipe modified heavily from Food&Wine Magazine, August 2017.

Shrimp with green banana cocktail sauce

Pickle
Daikon, peeled, very thinly sliced	1 pound
Mirin cooking wine	½ cup
Vinegar, rice, unseasoned	½ cup
Peppercorns, Sichuan	5
Star anise	2
Sugar	1 tablespoon
Salt, kosher	2 teaspoons
Sauce
Banana, green, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces	1
Ketchup	1 cup
Chili sauce, sweet	½ cup
Horseradish, prepared	3 tablespoons
Lemon juice	2 tablespoons
Shoyu or other soy sauce	1 tablespoon
Shrimp
Garlic	4 cloves
Lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces	2 stalks
Jalapeño, halved lengthwise	1
Bay leaf	1
Kaffir lime leaf	1
Salt, kosher	3 tablespoons
Allspice, whole	¼ teaspoon
Coriander seeds	¼ teaspoon
Peppercorns, black	¼ teaspoon
Cinnamon	1 stick
Water	8 cups
Shrimp, extra jumbo	2 pounds

Pickle

1. Place the daikon in a heatproof bowl. 
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the mirin, rice vinegar, peppercorns, anise, sugar, and salt to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. 
3. Pour the hot brine over the daikon, let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, combine the banana, ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, juice, and soy sauce, and cook over moderately low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes; let cool slightly. 
2. Transfer to a blender, and puree until smooth. 
3. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. 

Shrimp

1. Prepare an ice bath. 
2. In a large saucepan, combine the garlic, lemongrass, jalapeño, bay leaf, kaffir leaf, salt, and spices with the water, and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce the heat to moderately low, add the shrimp, and simmer until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. 
4. Drain and transfer the shrimp to the ice bath; let cool completely. 
5. Drain, peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tail end intact; discard the shells and aromatics. 

Serve the shrimp with the drained pickled daikon, cocktail sauce, shrimp chips, and fresh basil.

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2017.