Traditionally a Mughal dish, Rogan Josh originated in the Kashmir and derived its red coloring from Kashmiri red peppers. In this version I use paprika and fresh tomatoes for the red coloring and heat. This curry goes amazingly served over long grain basmati rice with a side of raita.

This is a slight variation of traditional Rogan Josh; the only difference is that I add fried sweet potatoes into the curry at the end to give the dish a little sweetness and add a different texture. If you want to stick to a by the book Rogan Josh, just skip the steps the sweet potatoes.

Makes About 6 – 8 Servings

2 Pounds Leg of Lamb, Cubed into One Inch Pieces and Trimmed of Fat

6 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Coriander Seed

1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Cumin Seed

½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

¼ Teaspoon Turmeric

½ Cup Plain Low Fat Greek Yogurt or Regular Yogurt, Drained

¼ Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Cups Thinly Sliced Onions

2 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced

2 Teaspoons Ginger, Minced

2 Cups Fresh Tomatoes, Chopped and Drained

2 Teaspoons Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds, Finely Ground with a Mortar and Pestle

1 Teaspoon Paprika

1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Cinnamon

1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Cloves

1/8 Teaspoon Finely Grated Nutmeg

1/8 Teaspoon Mace

½ Cup Water

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes or Yams, Peeled and Cut into One Inch Pieces

¼ Teaspoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

• In a large bowl, combine:
  • 2 Pounds leg of lamb, cubed into one inch pieces and trimmed of fat
  • 6 Teaspoons freshly ground coriander seed
  • 1 Teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed
  • ½ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ Teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ Cup plain, low fat Greek yogurt or regular yogurt drained through a cheese cloth
• Allow the meat to marinate in the spices and yogurt for at least one hour
• In a large dutch oven or another large heavy pot heat the ¼ cup of vegetable oil over medium – high heat
• Once the oil is hot add the 2 cups of thinly sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the onions are a nice medium brown, about 4 – 5 minutes
• Once the onions have browned, add:
  • 2 Teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 Teaspoons ginger minced
• Cook the onions, garlic, and ginger for 2 additional minutes, stirring frequently and then add:
  • 2 Cups fresh tomatoes, chopped and drained
  • 2 Teaspoons sea salt
• Continue to cook the mixture over medium – high heat until the tomatoes pieces soften and begin to break apart
• Add the 2 pounds of marinated lamb and continue to cook over medium – high heat until there are no longer any traces of the yogurt and the lamb is no longer pink, about 2 – 3 minutes and then add:
  • 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds, finely ground with a mortar and pestle
  • 1 Teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 Teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 Teaspoon freshly ground cloves
  • 1/8 Teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 Teaspoon mace
  • ½ Cup water
• Stir the mixture until all of the ingredients are combined, turn the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil
• Once the mixture has begun to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the dutch oven or pot and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice
• When the lamb mixture is about half way done simmering, in a separate non-stick frying pan heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium – high heat
• Once the vegetable oil is hot, add the 2 prepared sweet potatoes and cook, turning about every 5 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned, crusty on all sides, and cooked through, about 20 minutes
• After the lamb has finished simmering for the complete 45 minutes, uncover the lamb, increase the heat to medium, add the cooked sweet potatoes, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the potatoes are coated in the sauce
• Add the lemon juice, cook for one additional minute, serve and enjoy!

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This past weekend I visited a little Greek restaurant that just opened up in my neighborhood and I got some great tips on making Bifteki, wonderful Greek style burgers that are flavored with fresh herbs, Greek yogurt, and stuffed with feta cheese. I love cooking these on the grill but they also turn out wonderfully on a lightly oiled griddle.

Makes 4 Servings

1 Pound Ground Beef

1 Pound Ground Lamb

2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt or Drained Plain Yogurt

1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme, Minced

1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint, Minced

1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano, Minced

1 Medium Yellow Onion, Grated

1 Egg

2 Teaspoons Sea Salt

1 and ½ Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper

8 Ounces Greek Feta Cheese

4 Grilled Pitas

1 – 2 Cucumbers, Sliced

1 – 2 Tomatoes, Sliced

1 – 2 Cups of Lettuce, Chopped

1 Onion, Sliced

1 – 2 Cups Tzatziki sauce

• In a large bowl, mix together:
  • 1 Pound ground beef
  • 1 Pound ground lamb
  • 2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt or drained plain yogurt
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
  • 1 Medium yellow onion, grated
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 Teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 and ½ Teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• Mix together the ingredients until well combined and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine
• Preheat the grill to medium – high heat
• Remove the meat from the refrigerator and shape into 8 large flat patties
• Place about 2 ounces of the Greek feta cheese onto one of the patties and place a second patty directly over the cheese and seal the two patties together by pressing the edges closed, sealing in the cheese, continue to stuff the patties with feta until all the bifteki’s are prepared
• Cook the bifteki for about 3 – 4 minutes per side on the preheated grill or lightly oil a griddle and cook the bifteki for about 5 minutes per side
• Place the bifteki’s on a lightly grilled piece of pita bread and garnish with fresh lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce and enjoy!

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I make this recipe at least a few times every year and everyone always loves it. The brisket takes almost half a day to cook, but don’t get put off by that, all you’re doing for most of that time is flipping the brisket, and in the end you’ll have an impressive, elegant dinner. One great thing about this recipe is the leftovers! I always make a big enough piece of brisket to have enough leftovers for sandwiches, salads, and we even shred some for tacos.

This is my traditional, never fail brisket recipe, but you can get as creative as you want with this dish. One of my wife’s favorite versions is made by adding diced jalapeños and about a half cup of cilantro in the pot before cooking the brisket.    

Cooks Note: If you have time to make the brisket a day ahead of serving it, you can refrigerate the sliced brisket with the juices overnight to make all of the fat collect on the top. The next afternoon you can remove all of the fat with a spoon and reheat the juices and brisket over very low heat for about an hour.

Makes About 8 – 10 Servings

1 Four to Five Pound Beef Brisket

1 Tablespoon Hungarian Paprika

1 Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 and ½ Cups Shallots, Chopped

5 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

• In a large pot with deep sides over medium – high heat, brown the four to five pound beef brisket for about 2 – 3 minutes per side, or until the brisket has lightly browned
• Remove the brisket form the pot, turn the heat off, and allow the pot to cool
• Place the brisket on a large cutting board of plate and rub into each side of the brisket:
  • ½ Tablespoon Hungarian paprika
  • ½ Teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  • ½ Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Rub the spice mixture into each side of the brisket
• Add to the large pot that the brisket was browned in:
  • 1 and ½ Cups shallots, chopped
  • 5 Garlic cloves, chopped
• Place the brisket, fatty side down, over the shallots and garlic and cover the pot (make sure it is tightly covered, if there are gaps between the lid and the pot wrap the top of the pot with aluminum foil)
• Turn the heat on the stove to the lowest setting possible and cook the brisket for at least 5 hours
• Once the brisket has reached your desired tenderness, remove it from the pot and place it on a large cutting board or plate and using a serrated knife carefully remove the layer of fat on one side of the brisket and discard, you can also use a fork to scrape off any remaining fat and cut the brisket into about 1 and ½ inch slices and return it to the pot, there should now be enough juices in the pot to fully cover the sliced brisket
• You can either serve the brisket at this point or continue to cook the sliced brisket in it’s juices for an additional 2 – 3 hours or until the brisket is so tender it’s almost falling apart
• Serve the brisket covered with a few spoonfuls of the juices and shallots with your choice of side (I love mashed potatoes because you can use the juice to make a nice gravy) and enjoy!

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Tzatziki is traditionally served as a Greek appetizer or sauce used with Gyros and Souvlaki dishes, but is delicious on its own, and makes a wonderful dip or salad dressing. I also love serving a side of this wonderful, cooling yogurt sauce when I make a spicy dish, it goes especially well with lamb if you throw a little fresh chopped mint into the tzatziki sauce.

Makes About 8 Large Servings

2 Cups Plain, Low Fat Greek Yogurt

2 and ½ Teaspoons Fresh Dill, Chopped

2 Cucumbers, Peeled, Seeded, and Diced

1 and ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil

½ Large Lemon, Juiced

1 – 2 Garlic Cloves, Diced

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

• In a large bowl, mix together:
  • 2 Cups plain, low fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 and ½ Teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 Cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 and ½ Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ Large lemon, juiced
  • 1 – 2 Garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 Teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ Teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• Mix the ingredients together until well combined and the sauce has a glossy texture
• Place the tzaziki sauce into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes, but preferably two hours for the flavors to combine, and enjoy!

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I’m a really big fan of simple recipes that are authentic, and really tasty, and this is definitely one of those! I love making this dish because you can throw all of the ingredients into a big pot and pretty much forget about it for 2 hours, except for the occasional trip into the kitchen to stir the beans.

You can cut the ancho chili powder in half and add only 1 jalapeño if you want to cut back on the heat. If you’ve already put together all the ingredients and think the dish is too spicy, add an additional tablespoon of brown sugar. Replacing the chorizo sausage with bacon will also cut down on the heat, but will also take away some of the smokiness of the sausage.  You can also try adding about ½ cup of your favorite beer when adding all the other ingredients to give the dish a different flavor. I love making a double batch of this recipe and having it in the fridge for easy access, enjoy!

Makes About 8 Servings

1 Pound Dried Pinto Beans, Rinsed and Picked Through

2 Quarts Water

½ Pound Chorizo Cut into 1 Inch Pieces

1 Cup Yellow Onion, Chopped

½ Cup Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

5 Garlic Cloves, Diced

2 Jalapeño Chilies Cut Lengthwise, Seeded, and Diced

4 Medium, Ripe, Plum Tomatoes, Chopped

½ Cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Ancho Chili Powder

2 Tablespoons Freshly Ground Cumin Seeds

½ Teaspoon Dried Mexican Oregano

1 and ½ Teaspoons Sea Salt

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Bay Leaves

• In a large dutch oven or another large, deep pot, add:
  • 1 Pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked through
  • 2 Quarts water
  • ½ Pound chorizo sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 Cup yellow onion, chopped
  • ½ Cup green bell pepper, chopped
  • 5 Garlic cloves, diced
  • 2 Jalapeño chilies, cut lengthwise, seeded, and diced
  • 4 Medium, ripe, plum tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ Cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons ancho chili powder
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly ground cumin seeds
  • ½ Teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 and ½ Teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Bay leaves
• Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the beans, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and thick, about 2 hours
• Remove the 2 bay leaves from the beans and either leave the beans whole or smash with a potato masher, serve, and enjoy!

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Breakfast in my house often consists of scrambled eggs with something spicy mixed into them, flour tortillas, cheese, and more often times than not beans.  By this point we must have come up with about 100 different combinations for breakfast burritos, but this is my go to recipe; it’s so easy and is a nice change from the regular breakfast options.

You can make the salsa ahead of time if you’re in a real rush in the mornings, and the best thing is if you don’t over stuff the burritos they make a great grab and go meal. If you really like spicy eggs, add a diced jalapeño pepper into the butter before you add the eggs.

Makes 4 Servings

8 Eggs

¼ Cup Diced Chorizo Sausage

1 and ½ Teaspoons Sea Salt

½ – 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

4 Large Flour Tortillas

8 Slices Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, or American Cheese

1 Cup Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Serrano Pepper Salsa

• In a large mixing bowl, combine:
  • 8 Eggs
  • ¼ Cup diced chorizo sausage
  • 1 and ½ Teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ – 1 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Mix the ingredients together until the eggs are well beaten
• Add the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a large skillet over medium – high heat and melt
• Add the beaten eggs into the skillet and cook, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan with a spoon until the eggs are fully cooked, about 4 minutes
• Turn the heat to medium on a free stove pilot and lay the flour tortillas, one at a time, directly over the flame and cook for about 5 – 10seconds, flip and cook the other side for another 5 – 10 seconds and continue with the rest of the tortillas
• Place two large scoops of the scrambled eggs into each flour tortilla and top with two slices of your choice of cheese and about two tablespoons of the salsa and enjoy!

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