Spicy Mac and Cheese

SPICY MAC AND CHEESE

(c) Kemberlee Shortland, 2021

I originally saw this recipe listed as Turkish Mac and Cheese, but upon doing a little research, I discovered it was also called Indian Mac and Cheese, Pakistani Mac and Cheese, and simply just Spicy Mac and Cheese, which is what I've called this recipe.

As I learned with researching the Tavče Gravče recipe, ingredients and flavors can change with not just the region, but also within a family. Some recipes include making a flour roux during the course of cooking, some don't use the chili but opt for paprika, and some even add ginger.

I believe my version is a good basic recipe and one which you can use to create your own preferred flavor. And you'll see at the end of the post, I've suggested some ways you can adapt this recipe to create slightly new flavors.

As always, if you try this recipe, or any of my others, drop me an email and let me know what you thought, and how you added to it to make your own version of Spicy Turkish Indian Mac and Cheese.

! This recipe serves two hungry hippos, our four if served with side dishes such as salad.

!! This recipe can easily be doubled or further increased as desired.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of dry pasta - any will do, but I used macaroni here

*reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water for later

Olive oil or other cooking oil, as needed

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 small onion - finely chopped

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar - used to balance the flavors (optional)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy or double cream

1 stock cube - vegetarian or chicken flavored - crumbled

1/2 cup cheddar

1/2 cup mozzarella

1 Tbsp butter

METHOD

First, put on the pasta to boil. Pasta times vary, but take this time to prepare your onion and garlic.

When the pasta is al dente (done cooking but still with some firmness), drain and set aside. *Be sure to save your 1/2 cup of pasta water for later.

Into a hot skillet, add some cooking oil. When warm, add the garlic and onion and sauté until translucent.

Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook the tomato paste for a few minutes which will enrich the tomatoey flavor.

Add your dry spices to a bowl and mix well before adding to the tomato, garlic and onion mixture in the pan. Mix well.

Now add your pasta water and mix well to smooth out the spicy tomato paste.

Next, add in your milk and cream. When that's well-blended, add in your crumbled stock cube and mix well.

Add in your cooked pasta and stir well to be sure all the pasta is coated.

Add both cheeses and the butter and stir well.

Once the cheese is melted and everything is hot through, it's time to plate up.

Serve with a side salad, garlic bread, or just a big spoon.

Customize ingredients to your taste

If you don't like a very cheesy mac and cheese, use 1/4 cup each of mozzarella and cheddar. If you like it more cheese, add more cheese to taste.

This dish is a warming dish, meaning you will have a warm spice feeling as you eat. If you want a hotter dish, add in a 1/4 tsp of cayenne or 1/2 tsp Tapatio or Sriracha sauce.

This dish is easily adapted to have more of an Italian flavor by adding 1 tsp of oregano vs 1/2 tsp, and add 1/4-1/2 cup of Ketchup.

For something a little fancier, add the finished meal into a baking dish and add a layer of cheese to the top and put into a preheated 350F oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and with a golden brown color.

Chicken à la Kiki

CHICKEN À LA KIKI

(c) Kemberlee Shortland, 2021

INGREDIENTS 

8 large chicken thighs (2 per person)

2 large onions, peeled and sliced

2 medium-large shallots, peeled and sliced lengthwise

2 large yellow bell peppers, sliced (any color but yellow stands out against the red sauce)

2 medium size carrots, peeled, cut in half and into half circles...or whatever shape you want

4-5 large garlic cloves, peeled and rough chopped

1 can of good quality chopped tomatoes

1 jar of salsa (mild, medium or hot)

2 tablespoons dry mixed herbs

3 stock cubes, chicken or vegetable (traditional stock cubes, not stock gel/jelly)

olive oil, as needed

! Options below for vegetarian and other ingredients

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350F

Clean and prepare the chicken thighs (remove straggling pin feathers, lose fatty bits, etc), rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.

Put 2 stock cubes into a wide bowl and add about 1/3 cup of olive oil. With the back of a spoon, mash the cubes into the oil to form a lose paste.

Baste your chicken thighs with the paste and set aside, reserve the leftover paste. If you don't have enough, add a little more olive oil.

Heat a heavy skillet with a little fresh olive oil and when hot, add the chicken skin side down. Brown both sides.

While the chicken is browning, prepare your vegetables. Slice the vegetables vs rough chopping it.

When the chicken is done, remove to a pan or dish and set aside.

Using the chicken cooking oil, add the reserved paste, onions and peppers and sauté until they start to soften. Add the carrot and garlic and mix thoroughly.

When your veg is well mixed and softened, add the can of chopped tomatoes and your jar of salsa and mix well.

Finally, crumble in your last stock cube and and the dried herbs and mix well.

In a large oven proof dish or pan, pour in your vegetable mixture. Layer the chicken on top.

Cover and put in the oven for approx 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.

Remove the cover and continue cooking in the oven for another 10-15 minutes to crisp up the chicken skin.

At this time, if you're serving with rice, prepare that now. If you're using a pot on the stove method, this will take about 15-20 minutes. If you're using a rice cooker, this takes 15-30 minutes.

Serve hot when the rice is ready.

OPTIONS

*Option 1:

If you have zucchini available, add that to your mix. Slice into strips like the onions and peppers, or into halves like the carrots.

You can also add in some cherry tomatoes if you have some laying around. Add them into the pan just before putting it into the oven.

** Option 2:

If you don't want rice, just before you pour your veg into the baking pan, add in a can of your favorite beans. Drain well. White beans or garbanzos would be a nice color to stand out against the red sauce.

*** Option 3:

Another alternative to rice is baked or steamed potatoes.

!! Vegetarian option:

Use vegetable stock cubes.

Also, in place of the chicken, use cubes of good quality tofu. Prepare the same as the chicken by basting them in the paste, then quickly browning the cubes in a pan. Add to the stop of the veg mix before putting into the oven to finish off. Start your rice at this time.

Tavče Gravče

Unglazed earthenware pot
traditional to Macedonia

Tavče Gravče is considered the national dish of North Macedonia and is the most popular dish eaten by the Macedonian diaspora. However, this dish is also popular in neighboring countries such as Serbia, Kosovo, Croatia, and other nations which once made up the country of Yugoslavia.

First, let's pronounce this dish:

Tavče Gravče

Tahv-chay Grahv-chay

The name translates as beans on a tava (a flat or concave disc-shaped frying pan similar to a wok), although the dish I'm talking about today is traditionally slow-cooked in an unglazed earthenware pot, and usually over an open fire.

I was inspired to make Tavče Gravče after watching the video for Epic Beans & Sausage Tavče style by AlmazanKitchen. I love watching his videos. He takes viewers out of the traditional kitchen and into nature where he often uses produce he's grown himself and water from his fresh running stream. Or he brings viewers into his covered cooking area with a built-in fire space for cooking, which is where he made his version of this dish.

Like most national dishes, every family has their own take on Tavče Gravče. I've looked at several recipes and watched a lot of videos on YouTube, and came away with the basic ingredients that all dishes have: beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and paprika. Simple. Each cook adds their own favorite ingredients and method of cooking.

For my dish, I followed Almazan's recipe and tweaked it a little based on some of the other ingredients in my research.

Before starting, let me just say that the dish is normally eaten as is...the beans and sausage. I changed it up a bit and cooked some rice to go with it. I know. I doubled up on the carb...beans and rice! But, I only did that because I didn't have any crusty bread to sop up the sauce. For you, eat it as-is, or with rice, or with crusty bread, or whatever takes your fancy.

Okay, so here's my recipe for:

TAVČE GRAVČE KEME STYLE (or Kiki Style if you're talking to Beck):

>> Tools: Sharp knife, wood or non-scratch spatula or spoon, deep-sided skillet, ovenproof baking dish with lid (or foil to cover).

>> Prep time: About 45 minutes

>> Serves: This dish, as-is, serves two people. Double or triple as needed.

>> Preheat: Oven to 250F/125C, Skillet to medium heat.

INGREDIENTS Part 1

2 large bell peppers - yellow and orange/red for contrasting color

2 medium shallots

1 small red finger chili (optional)

4 or 5 fresh garlic cloves

Cooking oil, as needed

INSTRUCTIONS Part 1

De-seed bell peppers and cut into thin rings.

De-skin shallots and cut into long, thin slices.

De-seed chili and cut into thin, diagonal slices.

De-skin garlic and mash with the knife blade, rough chop.

Add cooking oil to pan and add everything in at once, mix well.

Continue mixing for just a couple minutes. You're not cooking these ingredients, just getting them started.

Go to part two:

INGREDIENTS Part 2

1 can of white beans of choice - Navy/Haricot are smaller than Canallini but taste the same 

1 can of chopped tomatoes (unseasoned) 

2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2-3 bay leaves

3-4 tsp of smoked paprika (does not need to be level)

1 Tbsp real butter (does not need to be level)

Salt and pepper - half tsp salt and 1 tsp fresh ground pepper or to taste

INSTRUCTIONS Part Two

To your pan of veg, add paprika, rosemary, bay leaves, mix well.

Add butter, salt and pepper, mix well. 

Add beans (drained and rinsed), mix well.

Pour everything into baking dish and set aside.

Got to part three:

INGREDIENTS Part 3

4 medium homemade or artisan style sausages (can be omitted for vegetarians)

a big handful of cherry tomatoes - 6-10 whole or cut in half

INSTRUCTIONS Part 3

Wipe out the skillet and reheat with a little oil.

Add the sausages and brown all over.

While the sausages are browning, fold the cherry tomatoes into the sauce.

When evenly browned, add sausages to the top of the sauce, partially submerge. 

SLOW COOKING

Cover your baking dish (lid or foil) and put into the preheated oven. Slow cook for 4-5 hours.

Be sure to check every couple hours to ensure the sauce is not evaporating. If so, mix in a little water and recover.

About half an hour before you're ready to serve your meal, prepare your accompaniments, such as steamed rice or crusty bread.

Also at this time, remove the cover to give the sausages a little more color if needed.

Before serving, remove the rosemary stems (leaves will have fallen into the sauce) and the bay leaves.

*Taste - If the flavor is too sharp or hot from the chili, add a squirt of ketchup. It will knock the edges off the sharpness.

Serves two or one piggy!

Macedonian - Dobro jadenje!

Serbian - Dobro jelo!

English - Good eating!

If you make this dish, or any others on my site, please message me through the mailer on the sidebar and let me know how it went and if you liked it or not. And let me know if it's missing an ingredient you'd like to see. Your email is not harvested and I'll be the only one seeing your message.