A spice that has been around for ages is now my current favorite. This spice, Rosemary gives a wonderful fragrant “depth” (I can’t think of any other word for it) to whatever I’m cooking. It colors the flavor subtly, probably because I don’t “pour it on,” but sprinkle it while stirring so as to lightly coat the food as I’m cooking it.
I love the taste of this spice so much that I’ve concocted a number of dishes that make good use of it. Here’s one that we enjoy a lot in the Simon household. I call it Balbalaya, a play on both my name and the popular cajun dish, jambalaya. It has some of the same ingredients, but it’s most definitely not cajun.
Bear in mind that, for me, unless you’re serving people who have definite expectations and the right to such expectations, a recipe is a launching point. It is an instruction from which to innovate, not something to slavishly adhere to. My wife teases me about this, but I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember and she and my son seem to like what I come up with after all… :)
I really wish I didn’t have to make it, but I do. Disclaimer: You are responsible for what you put in your mouth. I presume you’re intelligent enough to know about food allergies and will seek medical help if you are in doubt about any of the ingredients listed here. I also presume that you know you should use fresh ingredients. If these assumptions are not true about you, do us both a favor and please leave my blog forever. You really need professional help.
Here’s the “recipe.”
Balbalaya
©2007, by Bal Simon & NewbieReports.com – All Rights Reserved
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of rice or pasta noodles - any variety you want. I usually go with whole wheat pasta.
- Some chicken and some sausage (we use turkey-sausage) :)
Nothing exact here. You want it meatier, add more chicken. You want a lighter fare, use less. Generally, I include about 6 ounces of chicken and 4 ounces of turkey-sausage, which gives a little over 3 ounces of meat per person (me, my wife and son).
- mushrooms
- black olives
- 1 tablespoon of margarine
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- spices which you’ll add suit your taste. I usually include the following:
… garlic powder (fresh garlic if I have it handy)
… dill weed
… salt I use very little due to blood pressure concerns)
… pepper
… Rosemary
1. Boil the pasta till it’s soft and drain it.
2. Cook the meat.
3. With heat at medium, but keeping your eye on things to prevent burning, mix the pasta and meat, adding the margarine and olive oil while you stir.
4. Add the olives and mushrooms and keep stirring till the entire concoction is hot.
5. Add your spices.
6. Every so often taste what you’ve got so far. This step is very important since there’s no precision here. When it tastes “right,” it’s done.
Serves three. Calories: About 400 per person.
Enjoy.
