Week 34 Montenegro and Pakistan

A successful week of food, a lovely curry and some nice rolled meat.

Pakistan was a biryani, using boiled meat. I wasn't too sure how this was done. So, instead of boiling on the stove I put the meat in water in the oven and cooked slowly that way (as I was using the oven for something else, it made more sense and made me feel like I was doing something for the environment!) Mine did not look quite like the pictures I saw, however we all really enjoyed it and I will use it as a basis for another curry.

So, we had an experiment this week from Montenegro. A dish I found reference to on the
http://balkans-guide.com/montenegro/montenegrin-cuisine/ website, but I couldn't find a recipes. So, using the description I came up with my version - now I don't deep-fry, so after browning I popped it into the over for half an hour and we all enjoyed it!

Podgorica popeci is prepared with a piece of cheese or ham wrapped in the steak veal, then breaded and fried. I flattened out beef steaks, as I couldn't get veal, then put some cured ham and then some smoked cheese for the boys. I rolled this up, dipped in egg and then in breadcrunbs. Fried it off, then in the warmed oven for 30 mins. I did serve it with Blitva, which my husband thought was a poor version of bubble and squeak and Ajvar - which I thought was amazing and good for a BBQ!

Blitva (chard and potatoes)

500g potatoes cut into 1-2cm pieces
3 tbsp olive oil, for frying
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
200g chard, leaves shredded (I would urge you to pick out stalks, as these tasted foul!)

1.  Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes, or until just cooked. Drain well.
2.  Heat the oil in a large pan and add the garlic. Stir-fry for a minute before adding the potatoes and tossing them in the garlic oil until lightly browned.
3.  Add the chard and cook with the potatoes until wilted. Season well.

Ajvar

4 red peppers
1 aubergine
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper

1.  Heat a griddle pan (or grill) until hot. Add the peppers and grill on each side until charred all over. Remove and put in a bowl. Cover with clingfilm.
2.  Prick the aubergine all over with a fork, and grill on the griddle until charred all over. When the aubergine is soft, remove from the grill.
3.  Remove the skin and seeds from the peppers. Skin the aubergine and put its flesh in a food processor with the garlic. Blitz until smooth.
4.  Add the peppers to the food processor and pulse until combined, but still a little chunky. Season and stir in the paprika and vinegar to taste.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/11/blitva-ajvar-recipe-stuffed-cabbage-montenegro-adriatic-feasting-henry-dimbleby-jane-baxter

Chinioti Biryani

Ingredients

• Rice (soaked) ½ kg
• Beef (boiled) ½ kg
• Yogurt 250 gms
• Tomatoes 250 gms
• Green Chilies Powder 2 tbsp
• Coriander Powder 2 tsp
• Salt 2 tsp
• Red Chilies Powder 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder ½ tsp
• Mix Garam Masala 1 tbsp
• Star Anise 4
• Nutmeg Powder ½ tsp
• Mace Powder ½ tsp
• Finely Chopped Ginger 1 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tbsp
• Plum 50 gms
• Coriander Leaves ½ bunch
• Mint Leaves ½ bunch
• Yellow Food Color ½ tsp
• Oil 4 tbsp oil
• Onions (fried) 1 tsp

Cooking Directions

1. In a pan, add 2 1/2 glasses water, yogurt, turmeric powder, red chilies powder, salt, oil, mix garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, nutmeg and mace powder, star anise and mix it.
2. Add boiled beef in spice mixed water and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Then add yogurt, yellow food color and rice. Cook until water dries and rice 80% cook.
4. Now spread fried onions, tomatoes, plum, coriander leaves, mint leaves, finely chopped ginger and oil.
5. Let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, removes from the stove. Dish out and serve.

Week 33 - Monaco and Oman

We should be on week 36, but I have only reached week 33 as I have had some time of from doing this. I will still do all the countries, but sometimes life is way more important and it does not mean I have given up it just means I had to focus my attention elsewhere for a bit. Whilst I have been updating this blog from week 20, which has taken a bit of doing. I have been very aware of how dry it is and the lack of pictures. Some blogs have too much information, but I think this lacks. So, I felt I ought to explain. This is not a fancy site, it is simply a means to record the recipes we have done while doing a family challenge.

So, week 33 over half way and Monaco and Oman, what have we got...

O'man, is what my husband had to say for the dish from here. Both he and my son loved it, in particular the chicken. I think I scored 10's for this one. I discovered that I don't do lentils, my tummy was really poorly after this so I scored it low. However, the chicken was a winner and I am sure I will do that again and a tummy-friendly version of the rice to go with it and maybe some veg; but not sure what.  For the same meal we had s dessert from Monaco, which apparently was a favourite of Prince Albert; hence the use of strawberries. Well, we prefer cherries, so I used them instead. This scored 10's all round too - plus I have a picture!

Monaco Millefeuille

Serves: serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 C milk
• ¾ C sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla pod, sliced lengthwise
• 3-1/2 TBS corn flour
• ¼ C butter
• ⅔ C whipping cream
• Other needed ingredients:
• 1-1/2 LBS fresh strawberries
• Puff pastry sheets
• ½ C White Frosting recipe follows:
• Recipe for White Frosting:
• 1 C milk
• ¼ C all-purpose flour
• ½ C shortening
• ½ C butter
• 1 C white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Slice vanilla pod lengthwise; add to a pan along with the milk and 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, beat together the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl. Whisk corn flour into egg mixture. Remove milk from heat and add the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Remove vanilla pod and return to low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes. Pour mixture into a bowl; add the butter one small cube at a time. When butter has been incorporated, set aside to cool. Stir occasionally so mixture cools and thickens evenly.
2. Prepare Puff Pastry. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Roll out puff pastry into three sheets. Layer with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least thirty minutes. Layer each pastry sheet on waxed paper and set on baking trays. Place in oven and bake for thirty-five minutes. When pastry rises and turns golden, remove from oven. Set a plate on top of each pastry sheet; set aside to cool.
3. Make the White frosting
4. In a small saucepan, combine milk and flour. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When milk mixture is cool, add butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer for ten to twelve minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl occasionally. Refrigerate frosting about thirty minutes before using.
5. After pastries have cooled, spread icing on smoothest side of each pastry sheet. Place in a preheated 425-degrees F oven. Bake for about four minutes, or until lightly caramelized. Allow the pastry to cool, then proceed to assemble the cake. Whip the cream; fold through the custard mix.
6. Place a sheet of pastry on a serving plate; add layer of cream. Clean and snip strawberries; slice and add a layer to cake. Repeat layering until three sheets of pastry have been assembled. Use whole strawberries to decorate the top of the cake. Cut into slices and serve.

Source: http://www.internationalcuisine.com/monaco-fraise-millefeuille/

Maqbous

Source: https://blog.arousingappetites.com

Prep 30 mins

Cook 1 hour

Inactive 4 hours

Total 5 hours, 30 mins

Yield 6 people

Ingredients

For the Chicken and Spice Marinade

• 5 chicken thighs (approximately 1 lb)
• 1/2 teaspoon Allspice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon lime powder
• 1 tablespoon salt

For the Rice and Braising Stock

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 6 pieces cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 2 pieces bay leaf
• 6 pods green cardamom
• 2 pieces white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 2"-piece ginger, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

For the Toppings

• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup chana dal, boiled
• a pinch of saffron
• 1/2 cup rose water

Instructions

Stage 1: Marinating the chicken

1. Start by combining all the spices for the marinade in a bowl. 
2. Place your chicken thighs in the bowl and coat them evenly in the spice mix. Once they're coated, cover the bowl and let it marinate for at least four hours in the refrigerator.
3. At this point, rinse the chana dal and leave to soak in a bowl.

Stage 2: Cooking the chicken

1. Combine your white onion, garlic, ginger, and olive oil in a food processor, and pulse it into a smooth, non-clumpy paste.
2. Roast this paste in a braising pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly to keep it from burning.
3. Add your cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, and cardamom pods into the pan and roast for 2 more minutes, still stirring constantly.
4. Next up, add in your marinated chicken thighs and sear for about a minute on each side.
5. Pour in just enough chicken stock to cover the chicken about 2/3 to the top.
6. Raise your stovetop heat to bring the stock to a boil, and then cover the pot with a lid and braise on a simmering heat for 20 minutes.
7. When the chicken is done, pull them out of the stock (which you'll save for the rice) and set them on a colander or cooling rack to air-dry for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on the chicken skins to draw out any excess moisture.

Stage 3: Cooking the Rice

1. Put the basmati rice in a large bowl and rinse it under a cold running tap until the water runs clear.
2. Next, soak the rice in water for 15 minutes and let it sit.
3. As your rice sits, drain your chana dal and place it into a pot, then cook it on a simmering heat for about 45 minutes after bringing the water to an initial boil.
4. Returning to the rice, drain your bowl and allow the rice to air-dry for 10 minutes.
5. Place your braising pot back on the stovetop and heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the rice, coating the grains evenly with oil.
6. Ladle in 4 cups of the cooking stock, including the whole spices.
7. Bring the stock to a boil, put the lid on, and then cook for 18 minutes over the lowest possible heat setting.
8. After 18 minutes, turn off the stovetop heat and keep the lid on for another 10 minutes.
9. After 10 minutes, take off the lid and fluff the rice gently with a meat fork.
10. Soon thereafter, your dal should be fully cooked, so take it off the heat and set aside.

Stage 4: Finishing and Assembling your Maqbous

1. Preheat your oven broiler to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (~220 Celcius)
2. Arrange the chicken pieces on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil, then broil for 10-15 minutes.
3. As your chicken broils, soak the raisins in rose water for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
4. Next, soak a pinch of saffron threads in warm water for 5- 10 minutes.
5. Take a pan and heat it over medium-high heat then add a tablespoon of olive oil.
6. Sauté your raisins and almonds for 2-3 minutes. The raisins should puff up. Once they have, take them off the heat and set aside.
7. In the same pan, sauté your cooked chana dal, adding a tablespoon of the saffron-infused water, then set aside.
8. Tint about half of the cooked basmati rice with the rest of your saffron-infused water.
9. Finally, top the basmati rice with dal, raisins, almonds, and the chicken pieces, and enjoy!

Week 32 - Moldova and Nepal

The plachyndy from Moldova was nice, mine did not have the cheese but the others did. Instead of using sorrel, I used spinach and we all enjoyed it. I did a light salad to go with it. The ones which looked as thought they had been over cooked actually tasted better, as the pastry was cooked throughout. So be brave, and let it cook!

The chicken tarkari from Nepal was lovely, I do not normally like putting yogurt in things, but I did and it worked a treat. I did rice to go with it and a roti, using the recipe from a previous country. We all really enjoyed this meal and as my husband said it would be one he would like again - if I can remember to do! The only thing they did not like was the fact I hadn't removed all the cardamom pods, so someone had a nasty surprise...

Chicken Tarkari

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken, black and white, skinned, boned, and cut into 1.5-in. cubes
2 cups onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
5 dried red chilies
1 bay leaf
4 green cardamom, bruised
1 cup yogurt
1 cup broth or water
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Cooking Instructions:

In a large bowl, season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil and brown chicken. Reserve brown chicken in a plate. Drain excess oil.
In a non-stick sauce pan, heat oil. To the hot oil, add whole red chilies and bay leaf; fry for 30 sec. Add turmeric and chopped onion, and fry until brown. Put garlic and ginger into the onion mixture; fry for 30 sec. To this mixture, add cumin powder, curry powder, chili powder, bruised cardamom, salt and pepper; mix well for a minute or so. Transfer browned chicken pieces into the spice mixture; stir well. Add yogurt and broth to the chicken mixture; set heat to low and let simmer until chicken pieces are tender, and the sauce has thickened up to a desired consistency, about 35-45 min. When cooked, turn off the heat and add chopped cilantro to garnish. Serve hot with rice and roti (flat bread).
Source: http://www.explorenepal.com/recipes/polutry/chicken_tarkari.php

Plachyndy

Makes 4
250ml kefir or buttermilk
½ tbsp distilled vinegar
½ tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the filling
50g sorrel, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 small bunch of dill, chopped (stalks and all)
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp sunflower oil, plus 100ml for frying

1 Add the kefir, vinegar, sugar and salt to a large bowl and mix well with a fork. Sift the flour with the soda into the kefir mixture and mix to obtain a soft and pillowy dough.

2 Heavily flour your work surface, tip out the dough and start kneading, incorporating more flour as needed. The dough should stop sticking to your hands, but it should also remain soft.

3 Mix the sorrel, spring onions, dill and parsley together, then stir through the eggs. You can gently heat this mixture in a pan to help the egg coagulate a little bit, so it’s not too runny when you put it on the pastry.

4 Divide the dough into four equal pieces and flour the surface really well. Roll out each piece of dough, one by one, into a 20cm disc.

5 Moisten the surface of the pastry with about 1 tbsp sunflower oil and spread equal quantities of the filling over the whole surface of each circle.

6 Now for each flatbread, fold opposite sides of the pastry to make a parcel. Then fold the parcels corners into the centre, creating a moneybag shape.

7 Make sure all of the edges are firmly pinched inside, flour the top lightly and gently flatten the moneybag with your rolling pin or with your hand.

8 Heat the remaining 100ml of sunflower oil in a pan until hot and gently lower in each flatbread, one after the other. The first one will take around 4 minutes per side but, as the oil heats up, the next ones will take around 3 minutes per side. You can also brush them with oil and cook them under your grill. The result will be a bit different, but still delicious.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/11/moldovan-recipes-plachyndy-flatbread-olia-hercules

Week 31 - Malta and Mongolia

The boys loved this did, I didn't get a chance to sample it as I do not eat cheese. My husband is a Mac'n'cheese fan, and he rated this highly. We not only loved the name of the Mongolian dish but - despite its look - loved the dish. It was a Russia meets Chinese dumplings meal and was really nice. Two meals that I would never of thought of, and both very successful. Neither of which use unusual ingredients but are just made differently. This is why I wanted to do this challenge and why I continue to do it, even though sometimes it can be very tough.

Imqarrun il-forn - bake macaroni in the Maltese way

Imqarrun il-forn is one of the most favourite dishes for the Maltese; it is very often eaten as a Sunday Lunch. Macaroni with a special bolognaise sauce are baked in the oven until they're golden brown and smelling delicious. This dish is a variety of Timpana, where the macaroni is comes covered in pastry.

Ingredients

      500g dried macaroni
      200g beef mince
      200g pork mince
      200g chicken livers, diced (optional)
      200g bacon, finely diced
      100g onions, finely diced
      4 cloves garlic, crushed
      50g parmesan cheese, grated
      50g Edam cheese, grated
      4 eggs, beaten
      100g tomato paste
      200g tomato purée
      500ml chicken or beef stock
      50g butter
      Salt and pepper 

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Fry onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes, add the bacon and pork mince and stir well to separate from each other. Add the beef mince and cook for another 10 minutes. If you want to keep to the tradition, add the chicken liver and cook for 5 more minutes. Pour the stock, mix well and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and then you can add the tomato paste and purée. 

In the mean time, boil salted water in a large pot and let the pasta cook for a little while. Don't let it cook completely as it will continue cooking in the oven. A bit before al dente is good enough. Drain the pasta and mix with sauce, add the parmesan and the rest of the cheese. Beat the eggs and stir win the mixture to give a thicker consistency.

Take a baking dish and spread some butter so that the pasta doesn't stick. Pour the pasta and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours and enjoy a delicious traditional Maltese dish!

Source: http://www.malta.com/en/dining/maltese-specialities/imqarrun-il-forn

Buuz – Бууз

Ingredients

Dough

250g Flour

1.5 dl water

Filling

300g Minced lamb (Traditionally, mutton is used, other types of meat such as beef work just as well.
Mongolians consider fat meat to be of higher quality, but there's no problem in using western style lean meat.)

1 onion, minced

2 garlic gloves, minced

3-5 tbls water

Salt pepper caraway seeds

Prepare the filling

Mix the meat onion and garlic, add enough water until the mixture is smooth to work with and salt and spices.

Prepare the dough

Mix the flour and water to create a pliable dough and leave to rest for 15 mins.

Cut the dough into 2cm thick slices and roll.Cut the rolls into pieces of 3 cm, and flatten with a finger.

There are several styles for the pockets, but this is what I did:

Roll each piece into a 7cm circle, making the centre slightly thicker than the edge. Only roll out a couple at a time.  I then put some mixture in the middle and folded up opposite sides and pinched, so I had a ‘square’ shape.  With practice I got the pattern to work well!

The Buuz are cooked in steam and NOT a pressure cooker. Brush the bottom with a little oil and place without touching another. Steam for about 15mins without looking. The mongolians are not known for their vegetables, so two of these are ample for a meal.

Source: http://www.mongolfood.info/en/recipes/buuz.html

Week 30 - Macedonia

I needed to back these for longer to get the crust all over; as the crusty bits tasted the best, specially with the sausage. The lot was eaten and the boys thought it was good, nothing really wow, but then they are getting a little tired of all the different meals. As my husband said, we have some stars, never to be seen again.....

Tavche Gravche Recipe (Macedonian Baked Beans)

 

These beans can be made as written below, or you can add sliced fried polish sausage. NB: We had sausages with them!

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups white beans
• 2 medium onions (chopped)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dried red pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons high temperature oil (sunflower, peanut, canola)
• 1 sprig fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried coriander seed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse beans and place in a medium pot and cover with about six cups water. Water should twice the height of the beans.
2. Add chopped onion, dried pepper, bay leaf and garlic.
3. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer until soft. The required time will depend on the freshness of beans used, usually no more than three hours. (If you want to speed them along, soak the beans in water the night before.)
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
5. Once the beans are soft, heat oil in a small frying pan. Quickly stir in paprika and allow to sizzle for about 10 seconds (or less) until the paprika just begins to change color. (Do not let the paprika get too dark. If it looks dark brown or black it is best to start over with fresh paprika.)
6. Add oil and paprika to the beans, then stir in coriander, mint, salt, and pepper.
7. Pour the bean mixture into an oven safe pan. In Macedonia, an earthen pot would be used, but a cast-iron braising pan works just as well.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a dark brown/black crust forms on top of the beans.

3.2.2802

Source: http://www.thewanderingfig.com/tavche-gravche-macedonian-baked-beans/

Week 29 - Luxembourg and Maldives

The apple cake was lovely, very wet going into the oven but splendid when it came out! This is one that I wish I had taken a picture of.

The curry was good too and I am glad I went to the trouble of making the roshi to go with it; although I only cooked them in the oven so I didn't get the authentic look, however they tasted fine.

Chicken Curry (Kukulhu Rriha)

Even though the ingredients are pretty similar to the fish curry, the chicken curry offers a quite distinctive taste. The following ingredients will amount for a double portion of chicken curry.

• 100g chicken (any part will do)
• &fraq12; tbsp chicken curry powder
• 1 tomato
• 1 medium shallot
• ½ garlic clove
• ½ tsp ginger
• ⅓ tsp turmeric powder
• ⅓ tsp cumin powder
• 1-2 curry leaves
• ½ pandan leave
• ½ Small cinnamon stick
• ½ cardamom
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp coconut cream ( or coconut milk)
• 1 cup Water
• Salt to taste

Cut the meat and vegetables into bite sized pieces and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sear the chicken meat for a couple of minutes. Next add onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, curry and pandan leave and fry until the ingredients are lightly browned. Add the turmeric, cumin, curry powder and tomatos and cook the mixture for a quarter hour. Lastly add water and coconut milk to cover the ingredients and simmer until the gravy thickens. Serve the curry with steamed rice and Roshi.

Roshi              

• 1 cups flour – sifted
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• Warm water

Mix the oil, salt and flour. Then add water while kneading the dough until soft but not sticky. Leave the dough for about an hour before forming equal sized balls and flattening them with a rolling pin. Roast the flattened dough on an oiled metal surface until moderately browned.
Source: http://www.roomsmaldives.com/about/foodandcuisine#curries

 

Dainty Apple Cake | Äppelkuch

Ingredients

Dough

2cups all-purpose flour
2Tbsp baking powder
1stick butter(salted), cubed
1/2cup milk
2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced in 1/4" pieces

Topping

2 eggs
1cup milk
3/4cup sugar

Garnish

apricot jam, thinned in a little hot water
powdered sugar
ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with dough blade, add flour, sugar and baking powder. Pulse to combine.
Add hunks of butter and pulse until pea sized pieces form.
While pulsing, stream in the milk until a soft, shaggy dough forms one that can easily be pressed together into a ball.
Take the dough and press it into a greased and floured 8" cake pan.
Then slice the apples and press them firmly into the dough, overlapping as you go.
Whisk together the topping ingredients and pour it on top of the cake.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
Use a 8" cake pan with standard 2" inch sides (no shorter). Do not use a springform pan, as the milk mixture will certainly leak out. The easiest way to remove the cake from cake pan is to let cool until just warm, run a butter knife around the edges, invert onto one dish, then quickly onto a second dish (the serving platter). Comes out perfect every time!
Source:Recipe Copyright Sasha Martin, Global Table Adventure. For personal or educational use only.

Week 28 Lithuania and Malaysia

The Malaysian dish was lovely, although I didn't do the cockles as I was taking a risk with prawns! For the first time I am going to do a straight copy of a recipe, as it was a winner in a competition,. It was hard work to make, but lovely to eat!

"To participate in the Kugelis Cook-Off, I undertook a little bit of research: I studied my mom’s recipe, went online to look at YouTube recipes and demonstrations, looked at a few more Lithuanian cookbook recipes and finally settled on a basic recipe in Lithuanian Traditional Foods published by Baltos Lankos (1998) containing recipes compiled by Birute Imbrasiene. I was most motivated to avoid the greatest fear there could be with kugelis: having the potatoes turn dark. [...]

Here is my final version which I entered in the Kugelis Cook-Off. I hope it works for you. The hardest part of the baking is to step away from the oven. Although Kugelis will look and smell done at 1 hour baking time, it MUST stay in the oven baking for at least 1hr 15 min. (if a thinner version) to 1 hr 30 min. (if the mixture comes close to the rim). "
Kugelis By Krokys (1st Place: 2014 Kugelis Cook-Off)

• 5 lbs. Pennsylvania Butter Potatoes (Yukon Gold will do)
• 2 cups scalded milk (scalding the milk helps to distribute the potato starch)
• 3 brown eggs (I like to use cage-free I think it adds color and flavor and I feel less guilty)
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, finely grated
• 1 lb. bacon, finely chopped and fried, do not drain fat
• 1 cup minced ham
• Salt to taste
• Butter for the casserole dish
• Cheesecloth to squeeze out excess moisture from the potatoes

Although I believe that the grated onion quickly applied to the grated potatoes helps to keep the potatoes white, it is important to prepare all of your ingredients in advance and to work quickly so that the potato batter does not darken.
1. Butter the 10” x 16” (thereabouts) casserole dish (I like to use a glass dish) and set aside.
2. Set up your potato grater. I am lucky, I have the electric kind, otherwise, find a couple of people to help you grate, speed is of the essence.
3. Peel your potatoes and submerge them in cold water. Peel your onion, set aside.
4. Measure out the milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan and turn on very low. You will know the milk is scalded when tiny bubbles begin to form along the edges. You can keep an eye on the milk while you are doing other preparation, just don’t forget. Turn off the milk once the bubbles appear. By the way, I used 4% milk.
5. Whisk the eggs and set aside.
6. After you have crisped the bacon, add the ham and mix, and turn off the heat.
7. Set up your cheesecloth so that it sits over a colander which sits over a bowl. You will also need another large bowl in which you will put the squeezed potato mass and into which you will add the other ingredients.
8. Drain the water off of the potatoes. Grate the potatoes. If by hand it must be through the small openings, the potatoes must come out like a fine batter. I suggest that you alternate grating potatoes with grating the raw onion. Same if you are doing it through the electronic grater.
9. Take about ¾ cup of this potato-onion mass and place on the cheesecloth which you then use to squeeze out the excess liquid by hand. I actually squeezed out a lot of the liquid; not all of it but enough to be able to peel off the wet potato-onion mass and place it in the larger bowl. Work quickly.
10. Once you are done with squeezing off the liquid, take the scalded milk and pour over the potatoes and mix with a wooden spoon.
11. Add the whisked eggs, mix.
12. Add the bacon-ham mixture, mix.
13. Add one teaspoon salt, mix.
14. Pour into the buttered casserole dish, and say a prayer as you put it into a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven, the middle of the oven.
15. Plan for 1hr and 30 minutes of baking. If after 1hr. 15min. it looks browned on the top, check with a toothpick in the center. The toothpick should come out completely dry. If not, give it another 10-15 minutes.
Source:http://lithuanianmha.org/category/lithuanian-recipes/



Char Kuey Keow

500 g kway teow

3 cloves chopped garlic

3 tablespoons cooking oil

300 g prawns, shelled but leave the tails intact

150 g cockles, scalded and shelled

150 g bean sprouts

100 g chives, cut into 3cm lengths

chili paste

2 eggs

water

Seasoning

1 tablespoon light soya sauce

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chili paste

dark soya sauce

Directions See How It's Made

1. Mix seasoning ingredients in a bowl.
2. Heat wok with 3 tbsp oil until hot and fry chopped garlic until light brown.
3. Add prawns and cockles.
4. Push all the fried ingredients to one side and add in kway teow.
5. Stir-fry the kway teow quickly and add seasoning and chili paste.
6. Sprinkle with a little water and mix in all the fried ingredients together.
7. Spread all the ingredients around the wok to create an empty space in the centre, then crack an egg into it and add a little more oil.
8. Cover the egg with all the ingredients and stir-fry evenly.
9. Add beansprouts and chives and stir well.
10. Do not overcook.
11. Remove the dish to a plate and serve hot.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/penang-char-kway-teow-32468

week 27 Liecthtenstein and Lebanon

We love pancakes, so if the opportunity comes up to have them; we do. So, I was very excited to try this one out. I had some cherries, so I used them with cherry jam. Strange combination you may think, but it worked really well. We all loved it, and there was enough left for my son to have them for breakfast the next day!

The Lebanese pizza and salad is a firm favourite in our household, so this was a tried, tested and much loved meal. The salad I used was tomato, cucumber and a simple dressing, lovely with the pizza. Both my boys love Italian pizza with cheese, however I do not eat cheese so this is great for me. Yet, they both enjoy it too as it differs from what they normally have. A lovely week of overseas food....


Pizza

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onions, chopped finely

1 garlic clove, crushed

500g minced lamb

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

250ml beef stock

2 medium tomatoes, chopped finely

50g pine nuts, toasted

2tbs chopped flat leaf parsley

2tbs chopped mint

4 individual pizza bases

280g jar char grilled aubergine, drained

280g natural yogurt (optional;) 

1. Preheat the oven to hot. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft. Add mince, cook. Stirring, until browned. Add the pepper and spices and stir until fragrant.
2. Add the stock and tomatoes to the pan and cook, stirring over a medium heat until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pine nuts (if using), parsley and half the mint.
3. Place pizza bases on a greased baking try. Top each pizza base with the aubergine, then press the mince mixture onto each aubergine leaving a small border.
4. Bake on lower shelf in a hot oven for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
5. Serves the pizzas stopped with yogurt and remaining mint.
   
   

Liechtensteiner Tatsch or Kratzete (Pancakes with Compote and Berries)

Ingredients

• For the batter
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• vegetable oil
• For the Filling:
• fruit jam or preserves of your choice I used raspberry preserve
• Fruit of your choice for topping I used blueberries and strawberries
• garnish
• Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. Mix the flour and salt together
2. whisk the eggs in a bowl and add int eh sugar and milk
3. slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until very smooth
4. Lightly grease a non-stick pan and wait until the oil get hot.
5. Ladle in a a thin layer of batter
6. When one side is done, approx a minute or two, flip it. You can use a spatula if needed.
7. Once the second side is cooked , slide it onto a plate.
8. spread the preserve over the pancake
9. Repeat until you have three pancakes. It is not necessary to put preserves on the top layer.
10. Garnish the top layer with berries of your choice and a fresh sprig of mint

Source: http://www.internationalcuisine.com/liechtensteiner-pfannkuchen/

Week 26 - Latvia and Laos

The honey cake never did get made, I think it was because I just could not reason with myself to make such a sugar loaded cake for the three of us! There needed to be a special occasion and despite it being my sister's birthday, she was not a lover of honey.

I researched Laos tourist information sites for this idea; as I struggled to find something that my browser was prepared to display and the library couldn't help. Yet, this little gem came to the rescue. I just made up my own version and we had it once lunch-time.


Friced Rice Ball Salad- nam Kaow 
Fried Rice Ball Salad – Nam Kaow is a mixture of crispy fried rice, preserved pork, green onions, and lime juice. It looks quite simple, just fried rice but its taste is really much awesome than it appearance.

Latvian Honey Cake

Cake
3 eggs
1 cup honey
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Filling

2 (16 oz) sour cream
1 cup white sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
Nb: this is not a calorie friendly cake!

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix together eggs, honey, flour, and baking soda in a large bowl. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter onto 5 9x13-inch sheets of parchment paper. Spread the mixture as thin as possible using a wide spatula. There is enough batter for 5 thin layers.

Place one sheet of batter onto a baking pan and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the baked cake layer from the baking sheet and prick with a fork to enhance filling absorbency. Repeat with the remaining 4 cake layers.

Stir together the sour cream and sugar in a small bowl. Place one cake layer in 9x13-inch baking dish with the parchment paper side up. Carefully remove the parchment paper from the cake layer. Spread 1/5th of the sour cream mixture on the cake layer and then sprinkle 1/5th of the walnuts on the layer. Repeat the process with the remaining 4 layers. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Trim off any ragged edges before serving.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/184203/latvian-honey-cake/

Week 25 - Kosova

The recipe I had for Mantia was not easy to follow, but it did have pictures but I don't. It tasted good though and I have been thinking about taking pictures of what I make. However, sometimes it does turn out right, and sometimes it looks pretty awful (and there is no picture to guide me) but tastes amazing! Will think about it...

Only one country this week as every there are not enough for double each week. It was a good meal, took time to make and eaten quickly; as it should be!


Kosovar mantia/mantija

These are what I would describe as mini pita-rolls. We made them stuffed with a meat-onion-paprika filling, but they are also tasty with a cheese filling. It had equal volumes of ground meat and onions and was spiced with several spoonfuls of paprika.

The dough

1 kilo all purpose flour

1 Tbsp salt and

2 1/2 cups warm (not hot) water.

Mix the ingredients into a dough with a large wooden spoon. The final product had a consistency where it could take the flour away from the sides of the bowl but it was still a little sticky to the touch. Knead the dough for 3 min on the countertop. The dough should not stick to your fingers, but still be sticky to the touch.

Divide the dough into 3 balls, kneaded each ball for 1 min and then let each of the soft mounds rest in plastic bags for 30 min. This is the minimum rest time. It can be left for hours, but not overnight. Now make the filling. Gently fry off the onions, meat and paprika and put to one side.

Roll out one ball and spread some melted margarine around (one could also use butter). The circle of dough is then folded in half, and rectangle-sized pieces are cut out. The average piece measured about 2 x 3 inches. To roll these up, once the filling has been placed in, stretch one end of your piece of dough, hold the filled edge of your piece in one hand (in your left hand if you're right handed). Then with your other hand stretch and pull open the dough that is closest to the filling and then roll the filling into the stretched out dough. Continue until you had reached the end of your piece. These pieces are then packed into a dish so you have a single layer of tiny parcels. Then just bake in the oven until browned on the top.

Source: http://homemadephyllo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/kosovar-mantiamantija.html

Week 24 - Kazakhstan and Kygyzstan

Wow, what a week. We loved it, although I nearly burned myself and got very flustered. The bread from Kazakhstan was amazing. The hot oil was very oil and I made the rooky error, although I should of known better, of putting cold water in the pan afterwards. Wow, did it hiss pop and bang! No harm to pan or self and lesson remembered. The Ormo was unusual, but again we enjoyed it, more likely to make this one again unless I get a fryer!

Baursak – Kazakh puffy bread

Baursak is a delicious puffy fried bread served on special occasions all over Kazakhstan. This isn’t an everyday bread, but something for an important party, like a wedding, or even a memorial. It is said that the smell of the oil and the frying baursak floats high into the sky so that your dead loved ones can feed on the aroma and enjoy them with you. It’s a beautiful thought as you fry.

You could vary the recipe according to whether you want it sweet  (yespe baursak) or not, whether you use melted butter or oil, or even whether you want the added richness of egg or not. Whatever the variation, you will produce fabulous fluffy pillows of crisp yet soft dough, hollow in the middle, light as air, and irresistibly moreish. You can vary the recipe below as you prefer – just reduce the sugar to a pinch if you want a more savoury version. Another note – it sounds like a lot of salt, and you can reduce that too if you prefer – but it does taste good!

Recipe

Ingredients

1.5kg white flour

500ml lightly warmed milk

1 tbsp salt

3-4tbsp sugar

10g dried yeast

2 eggs

1 tbsp melted butter

MethodMix the ingredients together in a large bowl with your hands, and once it is pulled together knead it for up to 5 minutes until it is springy and forms into a nice, slightly loose, ball. Cover and leave in a warm place for a minimum of 4 hours (this is generally a dough made in the morning for cooking in the evening).

After the rising time has passed and you are ready to cook, heat a light oil (e.g. sunflower) in a heavy pan for shallow frying – about 3cm depth of oil in a pan with high enough sides for safety.

Separate the dough into 7 or 8 medium-sized balls and one at a time roll them out to a thickness of about 5mm. Cut your rolled dough into strips of around 10cm wide, and then each strip into rectangles. Don’t worry about the curved bits at the edges – these shapes do not have to be perfect, simply fairly regular. You can use either a straight sided or fluted cutter depending on what you prefer. As you make the shapes set them aside on a towel in a single layer, and repeat the process with each of your balls of dough.

Once you are ready to cook, lay out a few of the shapes on a plate you can carry to the stove, and make sue your oil is at the right temperature. Mrs Karatayeva drops a match into her oil, and if it lights, it’s ready. You may prefer a more conventional method. like testing one small piece of dough before putting in the rest.

Put as many pieces of dough as will fit in a single layer into the hot oil and fry, turning over to ensure they are golden all over. Scoop out, drain on paper briefly, and serve.

Source: https://silphiumfood.com/recipes/baursak-kazakh-puffy-bread/

Kyrgyz stuffed & rolled pasta | Oromo

Ingredients

1 1/2cups sweet potatoes, finely chopped - OR -

1 1/2cups pumpkin, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1lb lamb, fat trimmed and finely chopped, about 2 cups

homemade pasta dough see Recipe Notes

salt

pepper

Instructions

Prepare your pasta dough and set it aside to rest.

Add everything to a bowl with salt and pepper and give it a good mix.

Divide the now rested and smooth pasta dough into four pieces.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it out as thin as you can - about 2 mm thick.

Cover with 1/4 of the filling and roll up the pasta into a long tube.

Next, coil it around itself. Repeat and add the second coil to the first, making it twice as big. Do this again with the remaining two pieces of dough so you end up with two coils of pasta.

Steam for 45 minutes to an hour, or until cooked through. Add extra water as needed in the pot.

Slice into pie shaped pieces and enjoy with a dollop of yogurt sauce.

Recipe Notes

Before you get started on this little journey you'll need a steamer, preferably metal but bamboo will do just fine.

Pasta Dough Recipe

5cups all-purpose flour

4large eggs

water(about 1/3 cup, or as needed)

Instructions

Use your eggs to make a well in the flour. Crack them into the well and beat them, pulling in a little flour at a time. Some people use a fork, but I like to use my fingertips.

When the mixture turns into a shaggy mass, add a little water at a time until ti forms a nice, soft (but not sticky) ball. I almost always use 1/3 cup—sometimes a little more. Knead for a few minutes to bring it together.

Next, set the dough aside to rest.

After resting for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine—you can refrigerate overnight—then bring back to room tempature before working it), all the bumps will smooth out—it'll be ready for rolling. It's like a completely different dough.

Source:

Recipe Copyright Sasha Martin, Global Table Adventure. For personal or educational use only.

Week 23 - Italy and Kuwait

Kuwait's national dish had a long list of ingredients and there were numerous instructions, but it was worth it. We did enjoy it, although I wouldn't be in a rush to make it again. It is a bit like hand making ice-cream, a lot of work for something nice, but there are easier ways to get the same thing!

We all love Italian food, so the other days of the week were taken with pizza, Polpetini (one of our favs) as well as Tiramisu; plus I did make some pasta . I have only included the Kuwait recipe as there are so many Italians variations of a theme that we all have our favourite.

Machboos Laham

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 45 mins

Total time

2 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients

The meat

• 1 kg lamb
• 2½ l water
• 1 small onion
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• ½ tsp cloves
• 5 pieces cardamom
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• salt
• pepper
• ¼ tsp saffron threads
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil

The rice

• 1 kg rice (basmati)
• 2 onions
• 75 g yellow split peas
• 75 g raisins
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• ground cloves
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the raisins
2. Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut the lamb into cubes. In a large pot, combine meat cubes with the water, all whole spices, salt and a small onion, quartered.
3. Bring to boil. Once water has come to boil remove the froth that has come on top with a spoon. Cover and let cook over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. Meanwhile, make the stuffing.
4. In a small saucepan put split peas, cover with water and add 1 tsp of salt. Over medium-high heat bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, until peas are tender. Drain and set aside.
5. Chop the remaining onions and sauté them in oil, until tender and golden brown. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cooked split peas and drained raisins. Add cinnamon, gloves, salt, sugar and black pepper. Continue to cook for a few more minutes until eve-rything is well combined. Take off from heat and set aside.
6. After 90 minutes drain the lamb cubes in a colander that is set over a large bowl. Save the stock and discard of the spices.
7. Mix all the ground spices. (Taste the meat to see if it needs more salt.) Rub the dry in-gredients over the meat cubes. Arrange meat on an oven pan.
8. Mix 1 tbsp of saffron water with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp of the meat stock. Drizzle over meat, cover pan with aluminum foil and enter oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the rice.
9. Wash and drain the rice several times, until water runs clear from the rice, cover with water and mix with 1 tsp salt.
10. Drain rice from water. In a medium non-stick saucepan put rice, pour enough meat stock to cover the rice by 2 cm. Bring to boil over high heat, cover and reduce to medium-low. Cook until rice absorbs all the liquid and is cooked and fluffy – about 15-20 minutes.
11. When it is time to serve, fold meat with stuffing and serve over rice. Drizzle with remain-ing saffron water.

Source: blog.ingredientmatcher.com