Ginger Spiced Carrots

The April 2011 issue of Bon Appetit featured a recipe for Carrots with Caramelised Ginger.   The recipe looked pretty good, and I planned to make it to serve along with the roast chicken I wrote about yesterday, but when I got around to preparing the carrots, I decided to spice them up a bit. 

This recipe makes for tender, tasty carrots, coated with a flavorful, spicy-sweet glaze.  This goes great as a side dish for any number of main dishes.

Ginger Spiced Carrots

yield = 4 servings

1                  pound baby carrots with some tops still
                       attached
3                  tablespoons butter, divided
1/2               teaspoon sea salt
3                  tablespoons honey, divided
1                  teaspoon peeled fresh ginger, cut into thin,
                         matchstick-sized pieces
1                  tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/8               teaspoon cinnamon
1/8               teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1                  pinch cayenne pepper
2                  tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Arrange carrots in a single layer in a heavy large skillet.  Add 1 1/2 cups water and 2 tablespoons butter.  Sprinkle the carrots with sea salt.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to a plate.  Cover with foil to keep warm.

Add 2 tablespoons honey and the ginger to the skillet ad bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Boil until the liquid is syrupy and pale brown, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne pepper.  Remove skillet from heat and let sauce cool slightly, about 10 minutes.  Spoon sauce over carrots, sprinkle with parsley and serve

Couscous with Dried Fruit and Almonds

While planning to make the Lamb Chops with Hot Pepper Cherry Sauce featured in yesterday's post, I gave some thought to what I would be serving along with the lamb chops.  Couscous is often served along with lamb in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, and since I hadn't made anything with couscous in awhile, I decided to go with that idea.  I decided adding some chopped fruit - including cherries - to the couscous would make it go well with the fruit-topped lamb chops.  I also knew from experience that nuts go well with couscous, so I decided to add some slivered almonds to provide more flavor and a different texture.  I usually make couscous with broth instead of water to make it more flavorful, and I decided that with the fruit and nuts, I wouldn't need to add much else in the way of seasonings.  Frying the couscous in olive oil before adding the liquid makes the couscous itself more flavorful, so that was a must.  I decided all it needed beyond that was some red onion and cumin, to provide a bit of a Middle Eastern flavor, plus a bit of salt and pepper. 

The couscous turned out great:  Tender and flavorful, with delightful chunks of fruit and/or almonds in every bite.  It did go along great with the lamb chops, and drizzling a bit of the spicy cherry sauce on top made for a delicious combination as well.  This couscous recipe will serve just as well with a lot of other dishes, and particularly those with a fruit sauce.   Since I love to cook meat with fruit sauces, I expect this recipe will be seeing more use in the future.

Couscous with Dried Fruit and Almonds

yield = 4 servings

2                  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2               cup grated red onion
1                  cup large (Israeli or maftoul) couscous
1                  teaspoon ground cumin
1 3/4            cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4               cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4               cup dried cherries, chopped
1/3               cup slivered almonds
1/4               teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4               teaspoon table salt

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.   Add red onion and cook two minutes, then add couscous and cook, stirring often, until golden brown (2-3 minutes). 

Stir in cumin and cook until fragrant (about 45 seconds), then add chicken broth and stir in chopped apricots and cherries, sllivered almonds, pepper and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, then cover the Dutch oven and remove from heat.  The couscous will continue to absorb what liquid remains in the pot.

Stir with a spoon, then serve.

Cooking Tips:
Much of the couscous you find in supermarkets is the standard stuff with really small grains.  That is good, but I personally prefer the larger Israeli and Middle Eastern varieties, which are a bit more flavorful and which hold up better to browning in oil before adding the liquid (the smaller variety is more prone to burning).  This style of couscous can be found most readily in kosher or Middle Eastern groceries.  I've gotten consistently good results with Ziyad brand Mafoul.

This dish is easy to customize to go along with different sorts of fruit sauces.  Simply vary the mix of fruit, using raisins, chopped dried apples or chopped dried cranberries in place of the dried cherries.  I'd leave the apricots, as they are a common ingredient to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking.

Grilled Baking Potatoes with Chives

When I grilled Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops last weekend, I wanted to serve them with baked potatoes, to take advantage of our fresh chives (I love baked potatoes with sour cream, minced chives and a bit of freshly-ground black pepper), but I didn't really want to heat up the kitchen to bake the potatoes.    I could have wrapped the potatoes in foil and baked them on the grill, but from experience I knew that took a long time, so I decided to try something new.

I knew from making Grilled Potato Kebabs that sliced potatoes can cook up great on the grill.  The Kebabs had a slightly crisped exterior but were soft and moist on the inside.   I figured I could do something similar with large russet potatoes, but without having to use skewers, by slicing large baking potatoes lengthwise into planks.  Since I was going for more of a baked potato flavor this time around, I didn't use the same mix of seasonings as I used with the Kebabs.  I was going to go with just salt, pepper and chives, then got the idea to toss on some dill as well.  That turned out to be a good choice, as the dill added another pleasant flavor element without overwhelming the chives.   Unfortunately, the high heat we'd been having did in my dill plant, so I had to go with dried dill.

The results were really quite nice.  Although the russets didn't brown as easily as the small potatoes I used for the Kebabs, they had the same pleasant texture, and the seasonings tasted great.   As we ate our meal, I remembered to add some sour cream, which provided an extra baked potato touch, but if you aren't as fond of sour cream (or simply want to avoid the extra calories), these potatoes also taste great without it.

Grilled Baking Potatoes with Chives

yield = 2-3 servings

2                  large baking (russet) potatoes
1                  tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1                  tablespoon minced fresh chives
1                  teaspoon minced fresh or 1/3 teaspoon
                       dried dill
                    kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper,
                       to taste
2                  tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly.  Slice lengthwise into thirds.

Lightly brush the potatoes on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle on both sides with chives, dill, pepper and salt.

Grill over direct medium heat until lightly browned on the bottom side (approximately 5-6 minutes) then turn and repeat on the other side.  Serve as is, or with sour cream if desired.

Grilled Potato Kebabs

Last weekend the local Hy-Vee store had a great deal on t-bone steaks, so I decided to buy some and grill them.   We often have baked potatoes with steak, but I was in a mood for something different.  Since I was planning to use the grill to cook the steaks, I decided I'd cook the potatoes on the grill also.  Considering my options, I decided to slice the potatoes, arrange them on skewers and cook them like kebabs.

From there, it was pretty easy to decide on the rest.   I'd brush the potato slices with some olive oil, then sprinkle them with seasonings.  The olive oil would provide a bit of flavor, but more importantly it would hold the seasonings to the potato slices and keep the potato skewers from sticking to the hot grill. 

I have to admit, when I tossed these together, I didn't give much thought to measuring the amounts of the various seasonings I used.  I just sprinkled on ample amounts and later tried to guess how much I used of what.  If you try out the recipe below, I'd encourage you to do the same, rather than worry too much about the amounts, as those listed are nothing but rough estimates.

I'm happy to say these potato kebabs turned out great.  They were nicely cooked - a bit crispy on the outside, tender on the inside - and they tasted great.   I served them with the steaks - which cooked up wonderfully using nothing but my Peppery Steak Seasoning - and some baked stuffed zucchini and summer squash (which I'll write more about another time).    In all, this made for a really satisfying summertime meal.

Grilled Potato Kebabs

yield = 4 servings

2             pounds red or yellow new potatoes, cut into slices
                   1/2 inch thick
2             tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2       teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2       teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2       teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1             teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare a grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. 

Thread the potato slices onto skewers.   Brush both sides of the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with basil, oregano, black pepper and kosher salt.  

When the grill is ready, arrange the potato skewers on the hot (direct heat) side of the grill.  Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned on each side, then move the skewers to the cooler (indirect heat) side of the grill.   Cover and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, turning once. grill and cover it.   Transfer the potato skewers to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Chinese Rice Pilaf

I designed this recipe to accompany two other recipes I've already published, Grilled Pork Chops with Asian-Spiced Honey Glaze and Roasted Asparagus with Soy-Lemon Glaze.   My goal in coming up with the recipe was to make a rice dish that tasted like fried rice, but which didn't require as much attention as fried rice.   This was important because I wanted this dish to cook while I was grilling the pork chops. 

After considering options, I decided to cook some vegetables in oil, brown the rice, then boil the rice and vegetables in a combination of water and soy sauce.  The pre-cooking would supply the fried flavor.  At the last minute I decided to toss in some toasted sesame seeds (something I was also using with the asparagus), which would add a bit of nutty flavor. 

This recipe turned out great.   The rice was quite tasty, and a lot less greasy than is often the case with fried rice, the flavors of the vegetables blended nicely with the overall flavor of the dish, and adding the sesame seeds and green onions after the rice was cooked provided the dish with a bit of crispness.  This rice dish went great with the other two dishes, and I think it would go well with a variety of Chinese dishes.  Since it was so quick and easy it was to make, and since it mostly cooks with minimal attention, thus allowing you to cook something else at the same time, I expect I'll be turning to this recipe again in the future.

Chinese Rice Pilaf

yield = 4-6 servings

2                tablespoons canola oil
2                carrots, peeled and diced
1                medium yellow onion, minced
4                ounces button mushrooms, minced
8                green onions, thinly sliced, white and green
                     parts separated
2                cups long grain white rice
3 1/2          cups water
1/2             cup low-sodium soy sauce
1                tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Heat the oil to shimmering in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the carrots, yellow onion, mushrooms and the white parts of the green onions and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. 

Stir in the rice and cook until the rice has started to turn golden-brown.  

Stir in the water and soy sauce.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook about 20 minutes or until the rice is done.   Stir in the sesame seeds and the green parts of the green onions.  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Roasted Asparagus with Soy-Lemon Glaze

Recently, I designed a meal featuring three new recipes, each using Chinese seasonings.  This is one of those recipes.

The basic idea is pretty simple:  Drizzle some asparagus with seasonings, roast it in the oven, then serve it with a flavorful glaze and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.  It's fast and easy to make - it took maybe 20 minutes from start to finish - and it's full of great flavor.  Roasting the asparagus intensifies its flavor, while the various seasonings add savory and tart flavors and a bit of heat.  The result is a nice, memorable vegetable side dish.

Roasted Asparagus with Soy-Lemon Glaze

yield - 2-3 servings

Roast Asparagus
1            bunch asparagus (about 1 pound) fresh asparagus, trimmed
1            tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
1            tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
1            tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2         teaspoon kosher salt
1/4         teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Glaze
1/4         cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4         cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/4         cup water
3            tablespoons cornstarch
2            tablespoons rice wine
2            teaspoons minced garlic
1/4         teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
              zest from one lemon
1            tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Roast Asparagus
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer in a 11x13-inch casserole dish.   Add sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar and lemon juice to a small bowl.   Mix to combine, then drizzle over the asparagus.  Sprinkle asparagus with kosher salt and black pepper.   Place in oven and roast until tender, 7-10 minutes.

Glaze
While the asparagus is roasting, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, water, cornstarch, rice wine, garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon zest in a small saucepan.  Stir together ingredients and heat to boiling over medium heat.  Reduce heat and let simmer 2 minutes or until thickened.

Transfer cooked asparagus to a serving platter.   Pour the glaze across the middle of the asparagus stalks, then top with the sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

Awhile back, I decided to make some steak tacos.   I wanted to have something else with them, so I decided to make some Mexican Rice.   In the past I've used a recipe from Cook's Country to good effect, but I decided to try my hand at making my own.    I was very pleased with the result, and will be using this as my default recipe from now on.

This rice is pretty fast and easy to make.   Saute the rice with onions and jalapenos, add some garlic, tomato paste and other aromatics and seasonings, then add some chicken broth and lime juice, bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for a few minutes, and you've got a wonderfully flavorful Mexican-style side dish.   This is as good as any version of Mexican Rice I've ever had, and better than all but a few.  If you try it out, I believe you'll come to the same conclusion, but as usual, I encourage you to try it out for yourself.   If you do, please let us know what you think.

Mexican Rice

2              tablespoons olive oil
2              cups long grain white rice
1              medium yellow onion, diced
2              large jalapeno peppers, minced
4              teaspoons minced garlic
2              teaspoons cumin
1/2           teaspoon table salt
1/4           cup tomato paste
1/4           cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
4              cups low-sodium chicken broth
1              lime, halved

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add the rice, onion and jalapeno.   Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and the rice has browned (5-7 minutes).  Add garlic, cumin and salt and cook until the garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds), then stir in the tomato paste and cilantro and cook another minute.

Add the chicken broth and squeeze in the juice from both halves of the lime.  Heat to boiling, then cover.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-17 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and keep the pot covered for about 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, then serve hot.

Quick Cauliflower Curry Rice

I knew I was going to be grilling some Indian-Spiced Pork Chops for lunch on Saturday and wanted something quick and easy and flavorful to go with them.   Normally I cook some basmati rice and usually a vegetable dish to go with anything Indian, but I didn't want to have to run back and forth between the kitchen and the grill while making lunch, and I knew Juli was going to be busy making ice cream at the same time, so I decided to make a quick dish with rice, vegetables and Indian flavor elements.   I could have made some sort of Indian-flavored pilaf or a vegetable biryani, but both would have required more time and effort than I wanted to put in.   So, I came up with a short cut by using something pre-prepared.

Juli likes the packets of supermarket flavored rice and noodle packets, the sort where you boil some water, stir in the contents of a packet, and in a few minutes you've got noodles or rice in a flavored (if usually too salty) sauce.    I'm okay with those sometimes, if I'm in a hurry or want something fast and easy to accompany something else, but the supermarkets in our neck of the woods don't carry any Indian-flavored brands.  I figured I could still use a couple of those rice packets, though.   I'd just fry up some onions and vegetables in oil first, then stir in some curry powder and the packet contents along with some chicken broth and water (much more flavorful than using only water).  Since I'd need oil to fry the onions and vegetables, I'd also then be able to skip adding any butter along with the flavor contents while still being sure the rice wouldn't be too dried out.

I decided I'd chop up some Indian hot peppers I picked up last weekend when we dropped by Maria Grocery, plus some cauliflower.    Along with the onions, that would give me a flavorful vegetable element for the meal, and a mix of hot and sweet curry powders would provide a distinctly Indian touch.

It worked like a charm.   This rice and vegetable dish turned out much better than I'd expected.  In fact, it was really darn good!   I'm not a big fan of the packet/box/can shortcut school of cooking, but there are times when it works, and this is one of those times.   This was so good, in fact, that it would really stand on its own as a meal.   As is, it went great with the chops, and some samosas and chutney rounded out the meal quite nicely. 

I'll still probably stick with some basmati rice and a vegetable curry most of the time when I'm cooking Indian, but given how fast and easy it was, and how pleased we both were, we'll probably be falling back on this every now and then, and I'm going to remember it for when we need a quick, easy meal to fall back on.

Quick Cauliflower Curry Rice

yield = 6-8 servings

3          tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1          large onion, chopped fine
2          hot chili peppers, minced
1          head cauliflower, cut into bite-size floret pieces
2          teaspoons hot (Madras) curry powder
1          teaspoon sweet curry powder
2          packets (5.7 ounces) chicken-flavored rice and
               pasta blend
2          cups low-sodium chicken broth
2          cups water

Add the oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook 4 minutes. 

Stir in the chili pepper and cook 2 minutes.   Add the cauliflower and the two curry powders and cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes. 

Add the flavored rice packets, chicken broth and water.  Stir to mix and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low simmer and cook 7 minutes, then remove from the heat.  

Let sit off heat for 2 minutes, then stir with a fork, and serve.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

There are lots of ways to cook cauliflower, but I've found that baking is a perfect way to bring out caulliflower's flavor.  As an added bonus, baking prevents the cauliflower from getting all mushy, as can happen when it is boiled or steamed.  I knew I'd want a vegetable dish to go with the Lamb Curry I made last weekend, and since I had picked up some cauliflower during my most recent trip to the grocery, I decided I'd bake it up with Indian spices to go along well with the main dish.

This is a pretty easy recipe to make, and what time it takes to prepare is mostly cooking time.  In just a little over 1/2 hour, you end up with nicely browned, perfectly-cooked, flavorful cauliflower.  Neither Juli nor I found this dish to exciting enough to stand on its own as a main course, but it made for a very nice side.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

yield = 4 servings

3                   tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2             teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2             teaspoons ground coriander
1/4                teaspoon kosher salt
1/4                teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8                teaspoon cayenne pepper
1                   large head cauliflower, separated into
                      florets
1/2                fresh lemon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine olive oil, cumin, coriander, kosher salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.  Add cauliflower florets and stir to evenly coat.

Arrange cauliflower on the baking sheet.   Place in oven and bake 15 minutes.  Remove baking sheet from the oven, turn the cauliflower florets and return to the oven to bake an additional 10 minutes.  Transfer caulifower to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower Saute

This is a simple, quick and really delicious vegetarian dish that I served as a side (along with rice and naan) with Chicken Tikka Masala, but it's tasty and hearty to serve two as a main course.  Juli and I both think it is one of the best vegetarian dishes I've made yet.  I'll definitely be making this one again in the future.

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower Saute

yield = 4 side-dish portions, or 2 main-dish portions

3                tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2          teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2          teaspoon ground cumin
1                teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4             teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4             teaspoon table salt
1/8             teaspoon cayenne pepper
1                large head cauliflower, cut into florets
                    (approximately 2 lbs of florets)
1/2             fresh lemon, seeded
                  chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, pepper, salt and cayenne.  Cook until fragrant and the oil has taken on a yellow-orange color (about 45 seconds).

Add the cauliflower and let it cook without stirring until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes.  Stir to lightly brown on most or all sides (about 10 minutes total), adding 1/4 cup of water if necessary to prevent the spiced oil from burning (be careful of hot oil splatterning when adding the water).  Transfer to a serving platter, squeeze the half-lemon to drizzle cauliflower with the juice, sprinkle with cilantro and serve. 

Jalapeno Black Beans and Corn

The February 2011 issue of Cuisine at Home featured a recipe that looked pretty good, for a Black Bean Saute.   I liked the basic idea of the recipe printed there, but thought it would benefit from a few changes.  My version of the recipe is presented below.

The dish is pretty straight-forward:  fry up some onion and jalapenos, then add seasonings, black beans and corn, stir it all together until heated through, and you've got a nice, Mexican-style vegetarian side dish.

This dish marks the first time I've used one of the spices that is featured in this dish:  Epazote.   Having used it and having liked the results, I think this one will make a nice addition to our collection of seasonings. 

This dish is a winner:  Fast and easy dish to put together, and really tasty.   I served it along with Gambas al Ajillo, and it went quite nicely with that spicy shrimp dish.  Juli liked it quite a lot.  I cook Mexican dishes on a semi-regular basis, and since it's nice to have some Mexican side dishes to fall back on besides such standards as Spanish (or Mexican) rice and refried beans, I think this is a dish I'll be making again in the future.

Jalapeno Black Beans and Corn

yield = 2 servings

1               tablespoon canola oil
1               small yellow onion, diced
1               jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2            teaspoon ground cumin
1               bay leaf
1 1/2         teaspoons minced garlic
1/2            teaspoon epazote
1               can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1               cup frozen corn kernels
1/4            cup chopped scallions
2               teaspoons fresh lime juice
                 freshly-ground black pepper and table salt to taste

Heat the oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add onion, cumin and bay leaf.  Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens (about 5 minutes).

Add garlic and epazote and cook until fragrant (about 45 seconds).  Stir in black beans, corn and scallions and cook to heat through.  Discard bay leaf.   Stir in lime juice and season to taste with pepper and salt.  Serve.

Baby Bok Choy in Coconut Milk

This recipe is one I came up with to serve with the Chicken and Lemongrass Curry I wrote about in the recent past.   I wanted a vegetable to serve with the the main-dish curry, and figured another dish with typical Thai seasonings would go along well with that curry.  There's really not much to it:  Some ginger and garlic are cooked in oil, then coconut milk and some other seasonings are brought to a simmer, after which the bok choy is added to the pot and cooked in the flavored coconut milk, which is then cooked until thickened and used to top the bok choy.

This one wasn't one of Juli's favorites.  She really prefers baby bok choy be mixed in with other ingredients in a stir fry, as opposed to a dish based around the baby bok choy.  I thought it was pretty good, though, and I'm thinking that with some more experimentation, I can probably make it into something that Juli and I will both like.  Meanwhile, it's a neat side dish, and not really very much like anything else I've made to date.   If anyone wants to try it out and provide some feedback, or possibly some ideas how to make it even better, I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Baby Bok Choy in Coconut Milk

yield = 2 servings

12             ounces baby bok choy, leaves separated,
                         cleaned and trimmed
1               teaspoon vegetable oil
1               tablespoon fresh, peeled and grated ginger
1               teaspoon minced garlic
1               cup coconut milk
2               tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
1               tablespoon fish sauce
2               teaspoons granulated sugar

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium-high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add the ginger and garlic and cook until it is fragrant (30-45 seconds).  Add the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. 

Add the baby bok choy and toss/stir to coat witht he coconut milk mixture.  Cook until the bok choy is tender (4-5 minutes).  Remove the bok choy to a serving bowl or dish and cover to keep warm.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook the coconut milk mixture for a couple more minutes, until it reduces and thickens.  Pour over the baby bok choy and serve.