New Challenge - Home Cooking - Week 1 Somerset

We are going to stay at home a little bit more this year, by travelling around our shores cooking local recipes. My husband, as you know, is a pie man and is looking forward to hearty meals. I, on the other hand, worry for waists and general fitness but I am sure I can balance it out!


So far we have been to Somerset and Cornwall and next stop is Hertfordshire, which is proving a little more difficult to find anything other than Lady Pope Cake!

Somerset was first on our list as it is a place we often visit - although thinking about it, we should have started with where we live in sunny Dorset! We have several caravan holidays in Somerset and have done for several years.


We had a Chicken, Fish Pie and Apple Cake (although we preferred Dorset's version - which we will when we pick out Dorset. Recipes below.

Chicken Pie

6 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

3tbsp olive oil

75g butter

2 onions, sliced

4tbsp plain flour

2tbsp grain mustard

2 dessert apples, peeled and sliced into batons

110g button mushrooms, sliced

250ml chicken stock

300ml cider

250ml double cream

1tbsp finely chopped sage leaves

300g Cheddar cheese, grated

6 baked potatoes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6). Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat a large saute pan and add 2tbsp of the oil and 50g of the butter.
3. Fry the chicken breasts in batches for 1-2 mins on each side until golden. Put them into a deep-sided oven tray and roast for 25 mins until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan and cook the onions for 4-5 mins until softened but not coloured. Add the flour and mustard to the pan and cook for another 2 mins. Add the apples and button mushrooms and cook for 1 min. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then pour in the cider. Bring back to the boil and cook for 5 mins. Add the cream and sage, cook for another 5 mins, then season with salt and black pepper.
5. Take the chicken out of the oven and pour the sauce into the dish to cover the chicken completely. Preheat the grill to high. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and place under the grill for 5 mins until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling. Serve with jacket potatoes topped with a knob of butter.
   This recipe is from The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain, £20 from Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
    
    
   Fish Casserole
   Serves 4- 6
   2lb Cod or Haddock
   2 ½ oz butter
   Salt and pepper
   4 oz mushrooms, sliced
   4 oz tomatoes, skinned and sliced
   ½ pint cider. Butter for dotting
   1lb creamed mash potatoes
   Grated cheese for sprinkling
   Tomato slices and parsley sprigs for garnish
   Sauce
   1 1/2oz butter, 1 ½ oz flour, fish liquid
    

1. Set oven to 375F or Mark 5
2. Butter and oven proof dish and cut the fish into small cubes and arrange in the dish. Season and add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Pour over the cider and dot with butter.
3. Cover and bake for 25mins. Carefully strain off the liquid.
4. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour and gradually stir in the fish liquid. Bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes, stirring to thicken.
5. Increase oven to 450 or GM8. Pour the sauce over the fish in the dish, arrange a boarder of mash potatoes, sprinkle the fish with cheese and garnish with tomatoes.
6. Return to the oven, uncovered for the cheese to bubble and brown.

Serve garnished with parsley.

 

West Country Fish Recipes, published by Salmon.

 

 

Apple Cake

From The Dairy Book of British Food. "Both Somerset and Dorset lay claim to this deliciously moist cake which is equally good served with cream and eaten warm as a pudding. It is best consumed within two days of being made".

 

Servings  10

4 ounces butter

6 ounces dark brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

8 ounces whole meal flour

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 lb cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped

3 -4 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon clear honey

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Directions

1.       Grease and line a deep 7" round cake tin with greaseproof paper (waxed paper).

2.       Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, spices and baking powder and mix well. Fold in the apples and enough milk to make a soft dropping consistency.

3.       Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and bake at 325F for 1 1/2 hours, until well risen and firm to the touch. Turn out on a wire rack to cool.

4.       When the cake is cold, brush with the honey and sprinkle with the light brown sugar to decorate.

Finished! (Week 51 - Kenya)

We had a couple of dishes, although as I am writing this two weeks later I cannot find the final recipe we had. But, what we did have was lovely. The curry with the veg, and plain rice was very nice indeed. My Grandmother often gets leftovers as food meals, but not on this occasion my son asked for it another day! Would of loved to of explored more food from this country, but illness and Christmas got in the way. Still, a really nice meal to end our years challenge!

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Kuku Wa Kupaka (Chicken curry) with Sukuma Wiki……………………………………………………94

 

 

Kuku Wa Kupaka 

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

3 lbs Chicken, cut into pieces

1 Onion, chopped

 2 or 3 Hot chili peppers, chopped

2 tbsp. Ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp. Garlic, chopped

Oil or ghee

1 tbsp. Curry powder / turmeric

2 tpsp. Cumin seeds

2 cups Chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce

2 cups ( 1 15oz can) Coconut milk

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup Cilantro (Coriander), chopped

 

Method

 

1. Add the onion, chiles, ginger and garlic to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add a little water if necessary.
2. Heat the oil or ghee in a large pot or wok over medium flame. Add the onion puree, curry powder and cumin and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until cooked down.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the chicken, coconut milk, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Add more water as needed.
4. Stir in the cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with rice or chapatti.
    
   Variations

• For authentic flavor, grill the chicken pieces before stirring them into the simmering sauce. If you like, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
• Some recipes add potatoes or hard-boiled eggs to the curry. The potatoes can be cooked ahead, cut into chunks and stirred into the curry toward the end.
• Eliminate the hot chiles for a milder dish. Or substitute a chopped sweet bell pepper.
• Reserve some of the coconut cream that gathers at the top of the can and stir it into the sauce at the very end for extra silky results.
  https://emmyschickenbanda.wordpress.com/emmys-chicken-recipe-guide/kuku-paka-recipe/ (accessed Dec2015)
  
  

Sukuma Wiki

The word ´sukuma wiki´ means ´to stretch the week´, implying that sukuma wiki is a food used to stretch the meals to last for the entire week.

 

8 cups sukuma wiki (kale or collard greens), chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tomato, chopped

½ cup water

Salt

 

In a cooking pan, add the vegetable oil and onions. Sautee the onions until they are golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook until they soften into a paste. Add the sukuma wiki, salt to taste and ¼cup water. Let the mixture cook on low heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the sukuma wiki has reached a desired tenderness, and still crunchy. Serve with ugali, rice or chapati and any meat of your choice.

 

http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/kenya-recipes.html

• Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, is located along the border between Kenya and Tanzania
• For the Kenyans, however, coffee is considered an export product, not something for local consumption. The local favorites are tea and beer.
• Some of the oldest known paleontological records of man’s history have been found in Kenya.
• Kenya’s Great Rift Valley was formed around 20 million years ago, when the crust of the Earth was split
• There are only two seasons.

• CUISINE
  Because of Kenya's long-standing relationship with foreign settlers and its colonization by the British, the taste, cooking methods and presentation of Kenyan foods have been greatly influenced by the Indians, Arabs, Europeans, and Pakistanis as well as some western countries.

 

Gettting Closer! (Week 50 - Algeria)

North African food is up there with middle eastern food, as far as I am concerned.  It meant I got the chance to comb one of my favourite books ‘North African Cookery’ by Arto der Haroutunian. It has such lovely recipes and so simple to follow. The surprise for us was the soup with semolina balls, it was lovely. We hadn’t expected such a treat, so that made it even more enjoyable. Chakchouka–bil–badendjel (Aubergine Chakchouka) was a nice change to beans on toast on a Saturday, and something we all enjoyed. I think my ‘boys’ would have been happy with this as a main dish, which took me by surprise as aubergine is normally not very popular with them!

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Arnab bil tomatich (Rabbit with tomato sauce)……………………82

Tajine Maderbel (Aubergine Tajine)…………………………………….86

Chakchouka–bil–badendjel (Aubergine Chakchouka)………….86

Osbane es’smid (Semolina balls in a lamb soup)………………….92

 

Wanted to cook:

Soles b-chakchouka (Sole cooked a la chakchouka)

Brouklou bil dersa (Cauliflower in dersa sauce)

Harira min himass (Harira with chickpeas)

Ktef ghalmi (Roast shoulder of lamb)

 

All recipes are from: North African Cookery by Arto der Haroutunian

 

Harira min himass (Harira with chickpeas)

 

Harira is a classic soup, often eaten to break a fast, it is eaten across northern Africa with many variations.

 Serves 6-8

50g / 2oz butter

225g / ½ lb raw chicken, skinned and cut into small pieces

110g / 4oz chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

8 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tsp black pepper

¼ tsp powdered saffron

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1.8l / 3pints water

110g / 4oz long grain rice, rinsed thoroughly under cold running water

2 tbsp flour mixed with 450ml / ¾ pint water until smooth

2 eggs, lightly beaten

 

Garnish

Juice 1 lemon

Serve with bread, or to be more authentic with fresh or dried dates or dried figs.

 

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken pieces, drained chickpeas, onion, parsley, pepper, saffron, salt and cinnamon and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan; lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until the chickpeas are tender.
3. Add the rice and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes. Stir in the flour mixture and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. If the mixture is too thick add a little more water.
4. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the beaten eggs.
5. Serve in bowls with a little lemon juice squeezed over the top.
   NB: You can substitute kidney beans for the chickpeas and crushed vermicelli for the rice.
    

Osbane es’smid (Semolina balls in a lamb soup)

Serves 6-8

 

4 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

225g / 8oz lamb or mutton (or veal), cut into 1 cm / ½ cubes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp harissa

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (optional)

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp finely chopped mint or ½ tbsp dried mint

3 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

1.8l / 3 pints water

175g / 6oz whole lentils, ringed

 

Semolina Balls

375g / 12oz medium semolina

½ onion, very finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (optional)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp finely chopped mint or ½ tbsp dried mint

1 tsp black pepper

1 egg

90ml / 3 fl oz oil

90ml / 3 fl oz water 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry until soft. Add meat and fry, turning frequently, until evenly browned.
2. Add salt, paprika, cinnamon, harissa, coriander, parsley, mint and tomatoes and stir well. Cook over a lower heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the water and lentils and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile prepare the semolina balls by placing the semolina, onion, herbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Add the egg and oil and mix well.
5. Now add enough of the water to make malleable dough which holds together. Keeping your palms damp, roll the mixture into apricot-sized balls.
6. When the soup has been simmering for about 20 minutes add the semolina balls and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes or until the meat and lentils are tender.
7. Taste adjust seasoning if necessary, and add a little more water if the soup is too thick for your taste. Place a few balls in each bowl and spoon the soup over them.
    

Chakchouka–bil–badendjel (Aubergine Chakchouka)

Serves 6

This is one of the most popular and beloved dishes of the meghrib as well as the most versatile.

5-6 tbsp oil

2 large green or red peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

3 medium aubergines, peeled, quartered and cut into 2.5cm / 1in slices

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

6 eggs

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper 

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan and add peppers, tomatoes, aubergine slices, garlic and parsley. Mix thoroughly, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little more oil if necessary, as aubergines have an unquenchable thirst for oil.
2. Remove lid and break the eggs over the mixture stirring gently with a fork to break the yolks.
3. Cover the pan again and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the eggs are set.
4. Remove from the heat , sprinkle with the salt and pepper and serve immediately.
    

Tajine Maderbel (Aubergine Tajine)

Serves 6

900g / 2lb aubergine, tailed and cut crossways into 2.5cm / 1in slices

3 tsp salt

Oil

675g / 1 ½ lb leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into 2.5cm / 1in cubes

4 cloves garlic

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp powered caraway

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ginger

½ tsp turmeric

110g / 4oz chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water

1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice 

1. Sprinkle the aubergine slices with 2 tsp of salt and set aside for 30minutes. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Meanwhile heat 6 tbsp oil in a large saucepan, add the meat, garlic, black pepper, caraway, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the drained chickpeas and enough water to cover by about 5cm / 2in. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender. Add a little more water if necessary.
4. Meanwhile heat about 150ml / ¼ pint oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergine slices, a few at a time, until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the remaining slices in the same way. Add a little more oil if necessary.
5. When the chickpeas are cooked stir remaining salt and the vinegar or lemon juice into the stew and add the fried aubergine slices. Cover the pan and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until the sauce is reduced.
6. Serve immediately in a large dish with the meat in the centre decorated with the aubergine slices and topped with the chickpeas and sauces.
    
    

Brouklou bil dersa (Cauliflower in dersa sauce)

 A typical Algerian dish, which is tasty, simple and filling.

Serves 6

1 large cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets

4 tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, shopped

2 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp harissa

4 tbsp long grain rice, washed thoroughly under cold running water

2 tsp coriander

 

1. Half fill a large saucepan with lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Add the pieces of cauliflower and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain into a colander.
2. In a large saucepan heat the oil, add the garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika and harissa and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add 300ml / ½ pint water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rice, coriander and cauliflower, stir gently and simmer until the rice is cooked and the sauce reduced, stirring gently occasionally. Serve immediately.
    
    

Ktef ghalmi (Roast shoulder of lamb)

Serves 6

Vegetables are often cooked with the meat, among the most popular are artichoke hearts, peeled and quartered potatoes, quartered onions, quartered tomatoes, sliced courgettes or aubergines.

 

1.75 – 2.25kg / 4-5 lbs shoulder or leg of lamb, boned

6 cloves garlic, halved

1 tsp salt

1tsp black pepper

110g / 4 oz butter, melted

2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

 

1. With the point of a sharp knife make 12 incisions into the meat and insert a halved clove of garlic in each. Mix the salt and pepper together and rub all over the surface of the joint. Brush the meat thoroughly with the melted butter and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Scatter the chopped tomatoes in the bottom of a baking tray and place the joint in the centre. Pour the rest of the butter over the top. Place in an oven preheated to 325F / 160C / GM3 and roast for 2-3 hours basting frequently with the pan juices.
3. Serve the meat accompanied by the pan in a sauceboat.
    

Arnab bil tomatich (Rabbit with tomato sauce)

Serves 4-6

2tbsp oil

2 tbsp smen or 25g / 1 oz butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1-1.5kg / 2-3 lb rabbit, skinned, drawn and cut into small pieces

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp harissa

2 bay leaves

½ tsp cumin

600ml / 1 pint water

450g / 1lb ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

1tbsp tomato puree diluted in 15ml / ¼ pint water

 

1. Heat the oil and smen(butter) in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and fry until soft. Add the rabbit pieces, stir, cover and fry for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in the salt, pepper, harissa, bay leaves, cumin and water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and diluted tomato puree into the casserole and simmer for a further 20-30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the rabbit is tender.
4. Serve with steamed rice or pasta.
    
    

Soles b-chakchouka (Sole cooked a la chakchouka)

 

Serves 6

4 tbsp oil

2 onions, finely chopped

3 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

2 green peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Juice 1 lemon

½ tsp oregano

110g / 4oz butter

110g / 4oz flour

6 medium sole, washed, drained and dried

 

Garnish

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

 

Serve with a fresh salad or roast vegetables of your choice.

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and fry until soft. Add tomatoes, green peppers, salt and black pepper, lemon juice and oregano and mix well. Simmer over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat the butter in a large frying pan and spread the flour over a large plate. Dredge the sole, one of two at a time depending on size of pan, in the flour and place in the frying pan. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until cooked and golden. Keep warm while you fry the remaining fish in the same way.
3. To serve spoon the vegetable mixture over the base of a large serving dish and arrange the fish over the top. Sprinkle with the paprika and parsley. Just before serving heat the butter in which the fish has been fried until bubbly and pour over the fish.

Some fun facts:

• Over 90% of Algeria is covered by the Sahara desert, of the total land area of Algeria, only 12% is inhabited.
• Albert Camus, the Nobel Prize winner and world-renowned French writer, was born in Algeria in 1913. His family was called pied-noir, a term used to describe French people living in Algeria during the colonial years.
• Petroleum and gas make up 98% of Algeria’s exports.
• Algeria became the largest country in Africa and the tenth largest in the world in 2011, after South Sudan separated from Sudan, which was at that time the largest country in Africa. (Sudan, also known as North Sudan, is now the third largest, next to Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
• It can be really, really hot in Algeria. The official hottest temperature ever recorded in the country was 50.6 °C (123.1 °F), in the oasis town of In Salah.
• Algeria is the largest oat market in Africa.
   
   
  CUISINE
  The most important influence on Algeria’s cuisine was that of France, which is apparent by its use of tomato puree, sweets and starters. They use little spice in their food, and their cooking techniques are simple.

 

Nearly home....(Week 49 - Fiji)

We liked this food, the banana cake was a big hit, not just with us but with other family members as well, I thought my sister was going to eat the lot of it! My husband does not normally like banana cooked, but he enjoyed this cake more than one I make, so along with Mexican bread and butter pudding, I now have two recipes for mushy bananas!

 

The fish was very refreshing, but then there are not many fish dishes that I don’t like; the Palusami looked horrid and my son was not keen on it but my husband and I thought it was great! Although, we agreed it didn’t look great – not a dish you could serve to others. And then I discovered I had used coconut milk and I should have used cream, which would have been much thicker and would therefore have looked a lot nicer too!

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Ginger Fish……………………………………………………………86

China Keke (Banana Cake) …………………………………92

Palusami……………………………………………………………….84

 

Wanted to cook:

Tropical Flavoured Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Banana Scones

Courgette Bake

 

Ginger Fish

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds of snapper, grouper or cod -- or any firm white fish

1 lemon

2  vegetable oil

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1/4 cup corn oil

3/4 cups white wine

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp grated fresh ginger root

2 tsp sugar

parsley, coriander or slivered ginger root for garnish

 

Method:

1. Rinse and dry the dry fish well. Cut lemon in half and squeeze, rubbing juice into fish, inside and out. Refrigerate for about an hour then rub with vegetable oil and place in a shallow baking dish.
2. In a blender, mix thoroughly soy sauce, corn oil, white wine, garlic, sugar and ginger. Pour over fish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until the fish flakes easily and juices are opaque. Baste frequently with sauce. Garnish & serve.
    

Curry

Substitute lamb for the best results, or you can use beef, chicken, or pork. This dish makes a lot of curry, but it freezes well, or adjust for your need. Serve over rice with the chutney and the raita on the side.

Serves 6

8 cloves of garlic crushed with 1 teaspoon salt (use a mortar and pestle or mini-chopper)

1 teaspoons each ground fenugreek, coriander, and black mustard seed

2 teaspoons each cumin and turmeric powder

5 small, red, hot dried chiles, such as piquins, crushed, or substitute

1 tablespoon cayenne powder

2 tablespoons imported Indian curry powder

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 pounds goat or lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 carrots, diced (or substitute a small, peeled eggplant)

1/3 cup yogurt 

1. Mash the garlic and salt together in a mortar. Add just a bit of water to make a paste. Add the ground fenugreek, coriander, black mustard seed, cumin, turmeric powder, red chile, and curry powder and pound to a smooth paste, adding water as necessary. Transfer to a large pan and add half the cilantro. Add two cups or water and cook over medium heat until thick.
2. Add the meat to the sauce. Stir to coat the meat and partially cover, stirring occasionally. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
3. Add ½ of the chopped onion, the potatoes, and carrots, partially cover and cook for 45 minutes or until everything is tender. The sauce should be very thick. At the end, add the rest of the chopped onion, stir in the yogurt, and sprinkle the rest of the cilantro over the top.
   Source: http://www.fijibure.com/namatakula/food.htm#recipes
    

China Keke (Banana Cake)

2 cups sugar

4 table spoons butter

4 eggs

5 cups of self-raising flour (or plain flour with 5 teaspoons of baking powder)

1 ½ cups of milk or coconut milk

4 bananas 

1. Pre-heat the oven to a moderate heat.
2. Beat the sugar and butter together until soft. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is fluffy. Add the flour, little by little to make a very soft dough.
3. Mash the bananas and stir these into the mixture. Add the milk and mix all together.
4. Grease the cake tray and then pour in the mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.
    
   Easy Icing
   Mix together 7 tablespoons of Icing Sugar and 3 tablespoons butter. When the cake is baked and smelling delicious, leave to cool. Then spread the icing sugar thickly (very important) all over the cake! Scrummy!
   /www.thetraveltester.com (accessed 09/12/2015)
    

Palusami

A traditional Fijian dish made with taro leaves (swiss chard or big spinach leaves make a good substitute). The usual filling is corned beef and onion; seafood is delicious, too.

2 or 3 dozen young taro leaves

500ml coconut cream

200g cooked corned beef

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

Salt 

1. Remove the central stalk from the leaves, soften them in hot water until pliable, then arrange in order of size, so that the smaller ones are on top. Make sure any holes are covered.
2. For individual servings, hold the leaves in the palm of your hand to form a cup. For larger servings, place in a shallow round bowl.
3. Put half the coconut cream and the beef in the centre of the leaves, add a layer of tomato and onion, season with salt, then top with the remaining coconut cream (you may not need it all).
4. Fold over the leaves to make a neat parcel, and secure the ends with a toothpick. Wrap in foil, place in a covered container and bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes (longer for a larger parcel). Alternatively, cook in a steamer. Serve hot or cold.
   Taste Of The Pacific, by Susan Parkinson, Peggy Stacy and Adrian Mattinson
    

Tropical Flavoured Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Chop sweet potato into small pieces.

Heat up some coconut oil in a large saucepan, then add about 2 tablespoons of red curry paste.

Let it sizzle for a minute, then add finely sliced onion.

When the onion's looking cooked, add the sweet potato, a 400mL can of coconut milk and some finely chopped kaffir lime leaf and ginger.

Simmer until the sweet potato is almost cooked. You'll probably need to add some water.

At the end of cooking, stir in a can of chickpeas and some chopped garlic.

This is the basic recipe, but add whatever vegetables you like about 5 - 10 minutes before the sweet potato is cooked through, for instance broccoli, courgette, carrot, peas and peppers if they're in the fridge, and to make it vibrantly colourful, red cabbage.

http://www.fiji-budget-vacations.com/sweet-potato-recipes.html

 

Banana Scones

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup mashed banana

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons 

1. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together and out in bowl.
2. Beat egg and combine with milk, melted butter, sugar and banana.
3. Stir the egg-banana mixture into a hollow in the middle of the flour. Mix the flour and banana with a fork.
4. When all the flour is mixed in, put table spoons of the scone mixture on a greased baking tray and bake in a hot oven till brown - about 15 minutes.
   This mixture could also be made into fried scones or cooked on a greased roti iron. The scones are very good for school lunches.
   http://fijilive.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeid=11
    

Courgette Bake

 Ingredients

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cottage cheese

4 eggs beaten

1 tablespoons parsley, minced

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 pounds courgette, sliced 1/4" round

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Butter inside of shallow two quart baking dish.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl and mix well. Place layer of courgette in baking dish and layer with same of the cheese mixture.
3. Repeat, ending with cheese mixture. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan in small bowl.
4. Sprinkle over casserole. Dot with butter. Tent with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes until top is brown. Serve hot
   
   

Although time has not changed much in the villages in Fiji other than some of the western influences in clothing, generators, housing and radio the cities have. They are similar to the western way with churches and government buildings, schools and businesses.

The way of life for the Fijian family still living in the villages is based solely on the patriarchal village. The village is divided into groups. Individuals are identified by their status, which tells what role in the village you are, such as a fisherman, hunter, warrior, herald or a chiefly person in the village. This role also identifies who your closest relatives are. These divide groups into positions that dictate the kind of food that is forbidden, the war-cry, and the animal or fish that must be prepared for the chief in the village or the island.

In the old days when a marriage took place it was arranged and the wife went to live in the husbands village. Today Fijians marry for love but continue to move into the husband's village, but in the cities this does not take place other, than in rituals. However, children still inherit the land from the father's village. The people truly live day to day because they do not believe in tomorrow.

CUISINE

Traditional Fijian food is unique to the islands and surprisingly hard to come by. Most hotels and restaurants will feature a dish or two (most likely Kokoda) on the menu as well as have “Lovo Nights” (food cooked over hot stones in an earth-oven), but there are only a handful of restaurants that specialise in traditional Fijian cuisine.

 Such foods would include Dalo (a dry starchy root crop which has a taste reminiscent to artichokes), Tavikoa (another a root crop with a bland taste but a lot starchier than dalo. When well-cooked the taste could be likened to a boiled potato. ) Miti (a thick coconut cream combined with onions, chilli’s, lemon juice, salt and pepper, often used as a dressing for most seafood), Kokoda (cubed fish steeped in lemon/lime juice then squeezed and garnished with onions, chillies, shallots, grated carrots, tomatoes and combined with thick coconut cream and usually served chilled), Palusami (a popular dish made from dalo or taro leaves. Thick coconut cream is combined with onions, salt [chillies and canned meat are optional choices] and poured into a cup made from several leaves, wrapped in foil or banana leaves and baked), Duruka (an asparagus like delicacy which is creamy in colour and normally cooked in coconut cream) or Fish in lolo (which is fish boiled in thick coconut cream, with onions and tomatoes. Prawns, crabs, fresh/sea water mussels can also be cooked this way. Duruka is sometimes added. )

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