Week 47 - Switzerland and United Arab Emarites

Last time we did this challenge none of us really warmed to Swiss food - although we do like the chocolate! This time I had another go at Rosti, using sweat potato, and cooked it in the oven. Again, it didn't really work but was much better than previous attempts. There are numerous recipes for rosti, so I will not repeat. I did make the cookies and the neighbours children all enjoyed these!

We loved the Machboos and we all sat around a shared platter for this one! I think that was part of the enjoyment of the dish. We made the bread too, which was very nice - although I don't have a picture of it.

Mailanderli, delicate lemon-flavored butter cookies

40 biscuits
8oz butter, softened
0.5 cups sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 tbp vanilla
2.5 cups flour
1 lemon, zest of

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix well. Gradually add flour while stirring. Chill. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes. Beat remaining egg, and brush each cookie with the beaten egg. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 20-24 minutes or until lightly golden.

There are many source for this, but I will credit http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/mailanderli-swiss-buttery-lemon-cookies-455522, even though they have ingredients for nearly 80 cookies!

Machboos

Ingredients

2 teaspoons salt

1 large tomato

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups water

1/8 teaspoon saffron

4 chicken bouillon cubes or 5 teaspoons chicken stock powder

1 garlic clove

2 cups basmati rice

2 whole dried limes (loomi)

8-10 bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed (if it is the breast pieces, cut those in half since they are very large)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 large onion

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) or chili powder (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F and grease a 9X13 baking dish.
2. Bring water to boiling and add chicken bouillon cubes, lower heat and add dried limes and saffron and let simmer till bouillon is dissolved --keep it hot.
3. Sprinkle chicken with half the spices (except the garlic).
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on med-high to high heat and fry the chicken till both sides are brown, lower heat to medium and remove the chicken to a plate.
5. In that same skillet sautee the onions for 2 minutes, add tomatoes, garlic and remaining spices and sautee another 2 minutes, then turn off the burner.
6. Add the rice and stir for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, till well coated.
7. Spread rice in the baking dish and place the chicken pieces over the rice.
8. Gently press the dried limes on the sides of the pot to distribute flavor in the broth and then poor on the rice and chicken (the whole thing including the dried limes)and cover tightly with foil.
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes--do not open the foil cover at all until the time is up.
10. If you want to eat this the authentic way, you can lay newspaper on the floor (for easy cleanup of spills),put all of this on a very large platter or on a couple large sheets of aluminum foil laid on the newspaper and everyone sits around and eats with their right hand!

Homemade Khameer bread

SOurce: https://amiraspantry.com/how-to-make-khameer-bread-at-home/ (accessed Dec2017)

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 cups bread flour.
• 2 Tablespoons dry milk.
• 2 Tablespoon sugar.
• 1/2 Tablespoon dry yeast.
• 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder.
• 1.2 teaspoon salt.
• 2 Tablespoons oil.
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water.

For the top: ( optional)

• 1 egg.
• 2 Tablespoon Za’atar or sesame seeds.

1. Preheat your oven to HOT
2. In your mixer bowl, combine the first6 ingredients and mix well with a fork.
3. Add the oil and start mixing, gradually add water until you reach a consistent soft dough, keep kneading for at least 10 minutes.
4. lightly oil the bowl and the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest until doubled in size, will take around an hour depending on your kitchen temperature.
5. Take the dough out, cut into 4 equal parts, shape each part into a ball, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
6. Roll each ball into a circle no more than 1/4 inch thickness, cover and let it set until you finish the rest of the balls.
7. On your cooling rack, carefully flip the pitas on the other side so the face that was on the counter is now facing up.**
8. Brush with egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds or Za’atar in top.
9. Open the oven door carefully trying to put your face away from the heat of the oven, bring the middle rack of your oven out a little and place the cooling rack with the pita on it. Push the oven rack in and close the oven door.
10. Bake for about 2-3 minutes until it puffs nicely and the top is little browned.***
11. Take it out of the oven and with a spatula take the pita off the cooling rack and let it cool completely.
12. Give your oven 2-3 minutes to get back to the high temperature before placing the next pita in.
13. When the pitas are completely cooled, store n a ziplock bag.
14. Enjoy!!