Onions Galore! (Week 36 - Egypt)

Onions, sums up our Egyptian food experience – wrongly or rightly. Both my husband and son were amazed at the amount of onions we ate. I changed the fish dish as I didn’t really like the tahini paste,( Tahini is a thick paste made from ground sesame seeds mixed with olive oil) it is too strong for me, but I did make a sauce which had sesame seed flavours in it and the lemon and garlic and cooked it the same and we loved it. The beef dish was enjoyed more by the others than by me and the vege meal was loved by the men folk more than I did – which is a big change in our household. The Egyptian bread and butter pudding was a hit, and I loved it warmed with maple syrup on it! The fruit compote was nice, although again I think I would have preferred it warm with ice cream or yogurt. 

I do confess I am struggling with this challenge at the moment, so was pleased when, my son pulled out America as our next country. Nothing to different from what we are familiar with this time – almost a rest from it all. 

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Lahma Bil Basal (Meet stew with onions)…………………………………70

Koushari (Lentils, pasta, rice and chichpeas)……………………………70

Khoshaf (fruit compote)………….………………………………………………33

Tahini Baked Fish…………………………………………………………………….80

Omm Ali (Bread and butter pudding)………………………………………73

 

Lahma Bil Basal (Meet stew with onion)

Source: www.food.com

Serves 4

1 lb stewing beef (you can cut each piece in half if you want)

4 onions (sliced super thin)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon canola oil (or oil of your choice, but NOT olive oil for this)

water

salt & pepper

 

1. Wash the meat well. Put into a saucepan with butter and oil. Cook until all beef lightly browned.
2. Add all sliced onions, bouillon cubes, salt and pepper, bay leaf and stir around cooking on medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Add water, approximately 1-1/2 cups, turn to low, cover and cook for 2 hours or more.
4. Check during cooking, add more water if too dry. But the onions should give enough liquid with initial water you added.
5. When finished you should have super tender beef with a thick oniony sauce. The onions will have cooked down to a thick rich sauce. Serve with rice or pita bread

 

 

Koushari (Lentils, pasta, rice and chichpeas)

Source: www.food.com

Serves 6

1 cup brown lentils

1 cup basmati rice

1 cup uncooked pasta (small shells or elbow macaroni is best)

2 large onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons oil

1 (400 g) can chopped tomatoes

¹⁄₄ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes (or more to taste)

salt and black pepper 

1. Cook the lentils in just over a litre of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15-30 minutes, depending on the type of lentils you are using.
2. When the lentils are quite tender, add the rice to the lentils and continue simmering until the rice is cooked, adding water if necessary.
3. Cook the macaroni in a separate pot. Rinse and strain when done.
4. Meanwhile, fry the onions and garlic in the oil until golden.
5. Add the tomatoes, chilli flakes, salt and pepper to taste and let it bubble for 10-20 minutes or until thickened and sauce like.
6. You can now blitz the sauce in a food processor until smooth or just leave as is.
7. Mix the lentils, rice and macaroni together in one pot.
8. Place some of the lentil mixture on each plate and top with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with more hot chili powder or salt and pepper, if desired.

 

 

Khoshaf (fruit compote)

Serves 4

6oz dried prunes (I used dates)

6oz dried apricots

6oz dried small figs

9oz dried raisins

60z nuts (I didn’t use these)

1 cup (4oz) sugar, or to taste

Boiling water to cover

 

1. Mix all the fruit and nuts, if using, together. Sprinkle over the sugar. Pour on the boiling water, to cover the mixture.
2. Cover and allow to cool. Once cool, pop it in the fridge overnight before serving.

 

Tahini Baked Fish

Source: Around the World in 450 Recipes.

Serves 6

 

6 cod or haddock fillets

Juice of 2 lemons

4 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

250ml / 8fl oz tahini paste

1 crushed garlic

3-4 tbsp water

Salt and pepper

Rice and salad to serve

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Arrange the fish in a shallow ovenproof dish, pour over 1 tbsp each of the lemon juice and olive oil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions for 6-8 minutes until well browned and almost crisp.
3. Put the tahini paste, garlic and seasoning in a small bowl and slowly beat in the remaining lemon juice and water, a little at a time, until the sauce is light and creamy.
4. Sprinkle the onions over the fish and pour over the tahini sauce and bake for 15 minutes more, until the fish is cooked and the sauce is bubbling. Serve the fish with the rice and a salad.

 

Omm Ali (Bread and butter pudding)

Source: Around the World in 450 Recipes.

Serves 4

10 – 12 filo pastry sheets

600ml 1pint milk

250ml / 8fl oz double cream

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp rose water

50g / 20z each of chopped pistachio, almonds and hazelnuts.

115g / 4oz raisins

1 tbsp ground cinnamon 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / 325F. Bake the filo pastry on a baking sheet for 15 – 20 minutes until crisp. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 200C / 400F.
2. Scald the milk and cream by pouring into a pan and heating very gently until hot, but not boiling. Slowly add the beaten egg and the rose water (if using). Cook over a very gentle heat until the mixture thickens, stirring all the time.
3. Crumble the pastry using your fingers and then spread in layers with the nuts and fruits into the base of a shallow dish.
4. Pour the custard mixture over the nut and pastry base and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve with single cream.

 

 

The longest river in the world runs in Egypt, for 6,670km and most of the country’s population live near. Egypt away from the river is dry and sandy dessert, but near the river it is green and fertile. Egypt also has the largest dam in the world, the Aswan, to stop the Nile flooding the plains and this creates the largest reservoir – Lake Nasser, which borders Sudan. Egypt is famous of the ancient Egyptians, a civilization which rose to power over 5,000 years ago and left us which such wonders as the pyramids, the Pharaohs and Tutankhamen, and the Valley of the Kings. Mount Sinai, believed to be the place where Moses received the ten commandants is in the northeast of the country. It is famed for its oil, as well as its cotton and the Red Sea for its superb diving.

 

.

CUISINE

When it comes to food, Egyptians know their way around. It is all about generosity, never expect to be fed small portions, and always be prepared for unexpected extras on the house, such as freshly baked bread and dips, or a refreshing after-meal cup of “karkadeh” (hibiscus tea).

Egyptian cuisine caters to all types of palates, including hard-core carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. It might not be as diversified as other Middle-Eastern cuisines, but it is simple and tasty, mostly relying on vegetables, herbs, lamb and chicken.

What did I do wrong? (Week 35 - Pakistan)

I was really excited about this weeks’ worth of food, as we love Indian but I think I picked the wrong recipes as none of them scored that high. Various people were feeling a little low and I did roll the heat back a little, and I wonder if that somehow lost some of the flavour; so perhaps this country should be added to the ‘need to cover again’ list for another day. I did chop and change some things around as I found my mum’s old recipes book, dating from 1964, had some Pakistani recipes in.  The lamb dish was the preferred one, although my husband scored the biryani quite high – my son didn’t like the rice being a different colour and therefore tasting different (which it didn’t too much). 

On reflection, I think I rushed this weeks challenge, my son was back to school, husband of sick and all the emotion of those events with trying to find something that we would all eat, caused me to make some bad choices. Hopefully I can up my game for next week, as we are exploring Egypt a place my husband longs to visit. 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Chicken Karahi……………………………………………………………66

Biryani.……………………………………….………………………………43

Salan Sada (Lamb Curry)…………………………………………….77

 

 

Chicken Karahi

Source: www.desicookbook.com

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

½ Kg. chicken

3-4 tomatoes–chopped

1 onion-chopped (optional)

3-4 whole green chilies

¼ tsp crushed black pepper (Kali Mirch)

½ tsp. salt (adjust to taste) 

3 tbs. oil

1 tsp garlic (Lehsan) paste

½ tsp. ginger (Adrak) paste

Instructions

Remove the skin of the tomatoes.

In a pot add chicken, garlic (Lehsan), ginger (Adrak) and salt. Cover and cook on low heat till the water from the chicken has dried and chicken is half cooked.

Add oil, tomato, green chili and onion. Cover and continue cooking. When the water dries and chicken is tender add the black peppercorn (Kali Mirch), stir and remove from heat.  Serve with naan or boiled rice.

Biryani Recipe

Source: www.desicookbook.com

Serving: 6 to 8 persons. 

 

Ingredients

1 to 2 kg mutton or chicken (preferably bony & fatty)

1 kg basmati rice

100 to 150 grm. Yogurt

3 to 4 tsp. salt (according to taste)

1 medium onion

6 garlic (Lehsan) cloves

1 tbs. ginger (Adrak) paste

12-16 green cardamom (Chhoti Ilaichi)

1½ to 2 tbs. garlic (Lehsan) paste

16-20 cloves (Laung)

1 cup oil, preferably ghee
2-3 tbs. Kewra (or rose water) [I didn't use this]

½ tsp. yellow food colour

1 tsp. sugar

1 pinch saffron (Zafran)

½ tbs. lemon juice

Instructions

Add mutton, salt and garlic (Lehsan) cloves in a pot with 2 glasses of water. If you are using chicken you can do with only one glass of water or less.

Cook on low flame till the meat is tender and the water dries.

Take one medium onion slice it and fry it in about 1 cup of oil/ghee till it is light brown. Add the rest of the spices, yogurt and fry it little and then add the meat.

Simultaneously soak the rice in water for half an hour.

Boil the rice with 1 tps. of salt and ½ tbs. of lemon juice till it is ¾ cooked. (I cooked the rice in turmeric, rather than adding food colouring) Drain the water and keep it aside.

Transfer a little rice to a pot and on top of that add some of the meat masala combo so as to make layers of rice and masala keeping rice layer at the bottom and top.

Sprinkle on it a solution of Kewra, yellow food colour, 1 tsp. of sugar and a pinch of Saffron (Zafran) soaked in a tbs. of milk or water.

Keep it covered and on a low flame for about 10 minutes keeping the pot tightly closed to steam cook (dum).

When the rice is done, the biryani is ready. Serve with salad or Garlic (Lehsan) chutney and Raita.

NB: I did the layer of the rice and meat in an ovenproof dish and cooked it in the oven, as I had seen it done this way too. I must admit, I added other things in such as peppers and mushrooms – still tasted great!

Salan-Sada (Mutton Curry)

Source: www.desicookbook.com

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

1 kg mutton

1½ tsp. salt (according to taste)

1 tsp chili (Lal Mirch) powder

4 tbs. coriander (Dhaniya) powder

¼ tsp. turmeric (Haldi) powder

200 grm. onion chopped

½ cup oil

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ginger (Adrak) paste

1 tsp garlic (Lehsan) paste

2 large size tomato-pealed

Instructions

Fry the onion on low flame then remove from the oil and spread out on a plate to dry.

Meanwhile in the hot oil add all the spices with a few tbs. of water and mix well aver medium heat.

Add the meat and stir until the water has dried.

Add 2-3 glasses of water, cover and leave on low heat to tenderize.

When the water is half dried, crush the onion you fried earlier and add to it. Add finely chopped tomato.

Cook it and let the meat soften and the desired consistency of curry is achieved.

The name Pakistan, Pak (pure) and stan (land) means ‘land of the pure’ in the Persian and Urdu languages. I hadn’t realised it but Pakistan does not just share a border with Afghanistan, India and Iran but also China. As of 2013, it was the 6^th most populas country in the world. The Indus area which covers the majority of Pakistan was home to some of the oldest known civilizations. The Neolithic Mehrgarh people and later the Indus Valley Civilisation lived in the area as long as 9000 years ago.

Pakistan was originally made up of East and West areas split either side of India. East Pakistan rebelled with a Civil war in 1971, and, with the help of India the area gained independence from the west and become the country of Bangladesh.

The massive Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges to the North of Pakistan contain 5 of the 14 mountain peaks in the world over 8000 m (26,250 ft) high. Including the world’s second highest mountain, K2 at 8611 m (28,251 ft) and Nanga Parbat at 8126 m (26,660 ft).

Cricket, whilst popular, is not the country’s national sport - field hockey is. The country has had a lot of success in the sport having won the Olympic gold medal 3 times in 1960, 1968, and 1984, and the Hockey World Cup 4 times in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994.

 

CUISINE

Source: http://www.foodbycountry.com

Pakistan is divided into four provinces, each with different cultures and regional specialties. For example, machli (fish) and other seafood are delicacies in the coastal Sind province. In Baluchistan, (the largest province) located in western Pakistan, cooks use the sajji method of barbecuing whole lambs in a deep pit. The people living in Punjab (eastern Pakistan) are known for their roti (bread) and elaborate cooking preparations. The Pathens, who occupy the Northwest Frontier province, eat a lot of lamb. Their cooking, however, is considered more bland than the other regions. Oven-baked bread eaten with cubes of meat, called nan-kebab , is a favorite Pathen dish.

As a whole, milk, lentils, seasonal sabzi (vegetables), and flour and wheat products are the most abundant foods, forming the basis of Pakistani cuisine. Chapatis is a flat bread made from wheat and is a staple at most meals. It is used to scoop up food in place of eating utensils. Vegetables such as alu (potatoes), gobhi (cabbage), bhindi (okra), channa (chickpeas), and matar (peas) are eaten according to the season. Dhal (or dal ) is a stew made with lentils, one of the most commonly eaten vegetables.

 Pakistan offers many fresh fruits that are most plentiful in the summer and autumn months. Mangoes, papayas, bananas, watermelon, apricots, and apples are some examples. Chiku have the taste of a date and the texture of a kiwi fruit. Many Pakistanis eat their fruit (especially watermelon) with a light dusting of salt to offset the sweetness or tartness.

 While these dietary staples may seem bland, Pakistani cuisine is rich with sauces and condiments to spice up their dishes. A variety of spices (an Indian influence), such as chili powder, curry, ginger, garlic, coriander, paprika, and cinnamon, are at the heart of Pakistani cuisine. A wide range of chutneys (a relish usually made of fruits, spices, and herbs), pickles, and preserves that accompany meats and vegetables give Pakistani cuisine its distinct flavor.

Finally, a bad choice! (Week 34 - Czechoslovakia)

Oh dear, I am not sure how I can say this politely, but I really did not like the roast pork – in actual fact, I couldn’t eat all mine. I have eaten pork dishes before, and liked them but on this occasion I didn’t. I had cooked this dish before, a few years ago, and I liked it but I don’t think I did it quite to the recipe then, whereas this time I did and it was not for me. I didn’t even like the onion, so I think it must be the sauce. It has been the first time I could not eat something, that was cooked correctly, on this adventure. The Bramboracka went down much better, not just with me but the rest of the family as the score shows and I think in having this dish I know why the roast was not to my liking ; caraway seeds; either that or beer! The palacinky (pancakes) were a bit hit, however. They differed from the Brits way, but we couldn’t put our finger on why; but they were lovely. I remember when we visited Prague about 10 years ago whilst we relished the culture and the sites, we were not so keen on the main meals – they were fuel, but the pastry’s and cakes were so lovely I have a feeling we spent one afternoon just trying all sorts of different ones and thus avoided the need for a main meal!

We are off to Pakistan next!

Cooked:

Bramboracka (Soup)……………………………………………………76

Veprova Pecene (Roast Pork)…….………………………………..33

Palacinky (Pancakes).......................................................83

 

Wanted to cook:

Dusene Zeli (Braised Cabbage)

 

BRAMBORACKA (Soup)

Source: mycookingrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes, diced into cubes

6 cups of water

1 onion

1 parsnip

2 sticks Celery

8 oz of fresh mushrooms (or use dried mushrooms and soak them 1 hour before using)

4 Tbs of butter

2 Tbs of flour

4 cloves of garlic, minced

salt, marjoram, caraway seed

fresh parsley,chopped

½  cup of diced, fried bacon

Method:

1. Sauté finely chopped celery, onion and mushrooms in butter, while stirring, gradually sprinkle the vegetable mixture with the flour. Keep stirring until all of the flour blends in with all of the vegetables.
2. Add 1 cup of water and stir for about 30 seconds, add the rest of the water, diced potatoes, parsnip, caraway seeds and salt. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Add marjoram, crushed garlic, parsley and simmer the soup for 5 more minutes
4. Dish the soup up and sprinkle it with bacon and fresh parsley
   PS: Some people also add more root vegetables in such as cauliflower, carrots and/or sauerkraut

 

Dusene Zeli

Source: mycookingrecipes.com

This recipe is easy to prepare, but it takes about 1 hour to braise properly. The ingredients are few and simple and the dish makes a great accompaniment to many meat offerings.

Makes 6 servings, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 1 hour: Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon bacon fat or butter or olive oil

1 finely chopped large onion

4 slices bacon, chopped 1/4 inch

1 (3-pound) head white or green cabbage, cored and shredded

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, or more to taste

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Preparation:

1. In large skillet or Dutch oven, heat bacon fat and sauté onions 8-10 minutes or until lightly colored. Stir in bacon and cook about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cabbage and caraway seeds, mixing well.
2. Cover and cook 5 minutes over medium heat. Add vinegar, water, salt, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and cook 45 minutes to 1 hour over low heat, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is done to your liking. Add water if necessary

 

Veprova Pecene (Roast Pork)

Ingredients

2 lbs pork roast

1 teaspoon mustard

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium onions

1/2 cup beer (you may use water instead)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Meanwhile, prepare the meat. In a medium bowl, combine garlic powder, caraway seeds, pepper, salt, mustard, and oil. Rub all over the pork roast with this mixture and let it sit at least 45 minutes.
2. Chop the onion and arrange it on a large pan. Pour the beer over the onion. If you like a spicier taste, you can add a few garlic cloves to the pan next to the pork. Place the pork over the onion and cover the pan with foil. Seal the foil well. Bake the pork for about 1 or 1-1/2 hours, turning the meat occasionally and basting with its own juices from time to time.
3. When it is cooked through, transfer the pork on a plate. Reserve the meat juice from the pan and combine it with the cornstarch and butter. Add this mixture in a medium-sized saucepan and simmer over the low heat until it thickens a little. Serve the pork with the sauce.

PALACINKY  

Source: czechmatediary.com

batter (for about 4 pancakes):

2 cups of milk

2 egg yolks

1 Tbs sugar (leave the sugar part if you are going to make the the salty way)

1/4 Tsp salt 

  3/4 cup of all-purpose flour (= 0.65 cup; or 8-10 Tbs)

vegetable oil

Filling

fruit yogurt and/or jam

fresh fruit

Nutella

Toppings

Whipped cream

powdered sugar

powdered cocoa

cinnamon

chopped almonds or walnuts

 

Method:

1. Mix flour with salt, mix egg yolks with sugar and milk and slowly pour this mixture into the salted flour and mix the batter until it looks very smooth.
2. Lightly grease a small, non-stick pan and wait until the oil gets hot (med-high), pour a thin layer of the batter on the pan, using a ladle.
3. The hard part: when one side seems to be done (about 2-3 minutes), flip the palacinka (pancake) using spatula
4. Once palacinka is done, scoop it with your spatula on a plate and spread the filling on (spread jam and/or yogurt (or Nutella) all over the surface)
5. Roll it into a tube and top with fresh cut fruit (strawberries, bananas..) and whipped cream , sprinkle with  cocoa powder or cinnamon

As it is still the summer holidays, the facts are from a child’s perspective:

• Skoda Auto, the large European car manufacturer, is from the Czech Republic.
• Prague castle is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest ancient castle in the world by area, at over 7 hectares (70,000 m²).
• Beer has been brewed in the Czech Republic since the year 1118, the country has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world.
• The most popular sports in the Czech Republic are ice hockey, football, sport shooting, tennis, basketball, volleyball, handball, and athletics.

CUISINE

Most of the Czech cuisine recipes include meat food. Unique Czech dishes include roast pork with bread dumplings and stewed cabbage, roast beef with steamed dumplings and creamy vegetable sauce, roast duck with dumplings and red cabbage, and potato pancakes. Fish is rare, except at Christmas when carp is served.