2007 – 2008 International foods class recipes



Regional U.S. Cooking

and

International Foods

Fall 2007

Pelican Rapids High School

Pelican Rapids, Minnesota

As Compiled by

Mrs. Coleen K. Guhl,

FACS Teacher

Quick Breads

Bessie's Bran Muffins

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup natural bran

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Soften butter to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix sour cream and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cream butter or margarine and brown sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine bran, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add dry ingredients and sour cream alternately to the creamed mixture.

Fill muffin tins, lined with paper muffin cups or greased, 2/3 full.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched.

Sugar and Spice Muffins

(These are a little extra work but they are so light and pretty.)

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

Coating:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In another bowl, combine thoroughly the oil, sugar, egg, and milk. Add to the dry ingredients, and stir only to combine. The mixture will be lumpy. Fill 12 greased large muffin tins 2/3 full of batter (do not use paper muffin cups).

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. As soon as they are done, remove from the oven, tip the muffin tin over and knock the muffins out.

Coating:

Melt butter or margarine in a small saucepan, or in microwave, but do not overheat. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

While they are still hot, dip the muffins in the melted butter and then roll in the sugar mixture, to coat completely.

Place upright on a serving plate. Serve warm.

Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 - 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Soften butter to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, beat butter until fluffy, beat in the sugar and eggs. Then, add the vanilla. Stir flour mixture into the batter mixture, alternately with milk. Fold in blueberries. (Do not over do this step.)

Fill muffin tins which have been greased or lined with paper muffin cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Maple Oat Muffins

(A tasty spiced oatmeal muffin, flavored with maple syrup.)

1 cup flour

1 cup rolled oats

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons melted butter

In a large bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and brown sugar.

In a small bowl, beat egg. Stir in maple syrup, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir only to moisten.

Pour batter into greased or paper lined muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 minutes.

Orange Pecan Muffins

(These are really yummy and so pretty.)

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

3/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Additional sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Beat eggs in a small bowl. Stir in yogurt, orange juice concentrate, melted butter, and orange rind. Add to dry ingredients all at once, and stir until just moistened. Fold in pecans.

Spoon into muffin tins that have been greased or lined with paper muffin cups.

Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Maple Walnut Muffins

(Maple syrup is put to good use in these yummy muffins.)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup melted butter

1 egg

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Topping:

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cold butter

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, combine melted butter, egg, yogurt, and maple syrup. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in walnuts. Pour into greased or paper lined muffin cups.

Topping:

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and whirl until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 16 - 20 minutes.

Spelt Muffins

2 ½ C Bob’s Red Mill Spelt Flour

¼ C brown sugar or honey

1 T baking powder

½ t salt (or less)

1 ¼ C milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 T oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups. COMBINE all dry ingredients, including brown sugar (if using). BEAT together the honey (if using), milk, eggs and oil. MIX with dry ingredients just enough to moisten. FIILL muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 17 minutes, until light brown in color.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

(These are really good and moist)

2 C all-purpose flour

½ C sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t ground cinnamon

½ t ground nutmeg

¼ t salt

1/4 t ground allspice

1 beaten egg

½ C canned pumpkin

¼ C cooking oil

Crumb topping

Grease twelve 2 ½ inch muffin cups. Set muffin cups aside.

In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and allspice. Make a well in the center of dry mixture.

In another medium mixing bowl combine egg, milk, pumpkin, and oil. Add all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Sprinkle with crumb topping. (see below) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then remove muffins from muffin cups. Serve warm. Makes 12.

Crumb Topping:

In a small mixing bowl combine ¼ C packed brown sugar, ¼ C all purpose flour, and 2 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine. Mix till crumbly.

Corn Muffins

1 C yellow cornmeal

1 C flour

¼ C sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t salt

½ t baking soda

1 C light sour cream

2 lg eggs

¼ C melted butter

Grease a 12 muffin tin well and preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.; In a small bowl combine light sour cream, eggs, and butter. Add dry ingredients to wet ones. Stir until moist. Spoon batter into muffins tins and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Buttermilk Chocolate Bread

1 C sugar

½ C butter or margarine softened

2 eggs

1 C buttermilk

1 ¾ C all-purpose flour

½ C unsweetened cocoa

½ t baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ t salt

1/3 C chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease bottom only of a 8 X 4 or an 9 X 5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and margarine or butter until well blended. Add eggs and blend well, stir in the buttermilk. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in nuts.

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator. Yield one loaf.

Sour Cream Muffins

1 C nuts, coarsely chopped

1 stick butter

½ C sugar

1 C sour cream

2 C all purpose flour

½ t baking soda

3 t baking powder

1 egg

¼ t salt

Soften butter- add all the ingredients except nuts. Mix well, it will be very thick (we did add about ¼ C milk because it was too thick). Add nuts. Mix and drop into ungreased muffin pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar or powdered sugar).

Buttermilk Pound Cake

1 C butter, softened

2 C sugar

4 eggs

3 C all-purpose flour

½ t baking soda

¼ t salt

1 C buttermilk

1 t vanilla extract

1 t lemon extract

Cream butter gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Combine flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in flavorings. Pour into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Northeast U. S. Recipes

Buffalo Wings with blue cheese dip

2 lbs chicken wings (about 12 wings)

3 T butter, melted

4 T bottled hot pepper sauce

1 T paprika

½ t salt

½ t cayenne pepper

¼ t black pepper

Cut off wing tip (discard or reserve for other uses such as making stock). Cut wings at the joint. (At this point you will have two pieces each out of a chicken wing.) Put the chicken wing pieces in a plastic bag and set aside.

Create a marinade by stirring together the melted butter, hot pepper sauce, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken pieces in the plastic bag.

****We found out that you need to make some more marinade to pour over chicken pieces after they have baked. Seal bag and let marinate at room temperature for ½ hour. When marinating is finished, drain marinade and discard the used marinade and plastic bag.

Place wing pieces on the rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes on each side, until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove from oven and baste with additional marinade.

Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and celery sticks.

Blue Cheese Dip

½ C sour cream

½ C crumbled blue cheese

½ C mayonnaise

1 T white wine vinegar or white vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine dip ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until smooth. Cover and chill. This can be stored for up to one week.

Boston Baked Beans

2 C dried great northern or navy beans**** OR three (16 oz) cans beans then skip to step number 4.

8 C water

1.2 C molasses

½ C brown sugar

1/3 C onions, coarsely chopped

2 t dry mustard

½ t pepper

2 slices Canadian bacon (we used bacon)

1. Place beans in large saucepan and cover with cold water (water should be at least 2 inches high then the beans). Bring beans to a boil and let boil 2 minutes.

2. Remove pan from heat and let beans soak about 1 hour. This is to allow the beans to hydrate.

3. Return pan to heat, bring water to boil. Reduce heat and slowly simmer beans until almost tender (about 1 to 1 ½ hours); drain and reserve liquid.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees

5. Place beans in 2-quart bean pot or heavy casserole pan.

6. Add enough water to bean liquid to make 2 cups.

7. Combine bean liquid, molasses, brown sugar, onions, dry mustard, and pepper; pour over the beans.

8. Cut Canadian bacon into bite-sized pieces, add to the beans. We used bacon so we cut up and cooked the bacon until crispy and then drained well.)

9. Cover the pot tightly; bake beans 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed.

10. Remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes without stirring.

New England Clam Chowder

3 slices bacon

2 cans minced clams, 8 oz each

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

1 med stalk celery, chopped

1/2 C finely chopped onion

¼ t pepper

1/8 t thyme

2 C fat free milk

1 ½ C evaporated fat free milk

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, cook bacon until crisp.

2. Remove bacon to a piece of absorbent paper to drain. Pour excess fat from pan.

3. Drain clams, reserving liquid. Set clams aside.

4. In a saucepan used to cook the bacon, add potato, celery, onion, pepper, and thyme to liquid from clams.. Bring to a boil; simmer covered until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes).

5. Add milk, evaporated milk, and clams and heat almost to the boiling point. Taste to see if additional seasonings are needed. Serve immediately.

Brown Bread

(A very moist bread with a different texture.)

1 C whole wheat flour

1 C rye flour

1 C cornmeal

1 ½ t baking soda

½ t salt

¾ C raisins

2 C buttermilk

¾ C dark molasses

2 T melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Grease three (1 lb) coffee cans (or one 3 lb can)*****

3. In large mixing bowl, combine flours, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, and raisins; mix well.

4. Combine buttermilk, molasses, and melted butter; add to dry ingredients mixing well.

5. Pour batter into greased cans filling 2/3 full; cover with foil.

6. Place cans on rack in shallow pan. Place pan in over. Pour boiling water around cans to a depth of 2 ½ inches.

7. Steam bread for 3 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8. Cool 15 minutes and remove from cans. Serve warm.

Soft Pretzels

(Soft pretzels should be eaten within two to three hours of making them. The class loved making and eating the pretzels. On the East Coast these are traditional served warm with yellow mustard.)

¼ oz pkg active dry yeast

¼ C brown sugar

1 ½ C warm water, about 85 degrees

5 C all purpose flour

4 C water

1 ½ T baking soda

coarse or kosher salt—A must!

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Grease baking sheets. Combine yeast and brown sugar in a large bowl. Gradually add 1 ½ cups warm water, stirring until yeast is dissolved. Let stand five minutes.

Stir in flour; blend well. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Pinch or slice off enough dough to form a 1 ½ inch ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll ball into a rope and shape into a pretzel.

Combine 4 cups water and baking soda in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Lift pretzels with spatula and drop into boiling water, a few at a time. Boil until pretzels rise to the surface; about one minute. This steps helps make the pretzels chewy.

Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 475 degrees for about 8 minutes. Serve warm.

German Cooking

Apple Bars

(Oh, how I remember when my mom would make this during haying time when all the neighbors came over to help.) Mrs. Guhl

8 to 10 apples, peeled, and sliced

1 C sugar

1 t cinnamon

2 ½ C cornflakes

Dough:

1 C shortening

2 ½ C flour

1 egg yolk (add water to make ¾ C)

Pinch of salt (opt)

1 T sugar

Mix apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Combine flour, salt, shortening, sugar and egg yolk. Divide the dough into two parts and spread one half on to jelly roll pan. Sprinkle corn flakes on dough. Add apples mixture on top of the corn flakes. Roll out top crust and cover the apples. Beat the egg white and spread on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min. Mix 1 T water, ½ t vanilla, 1 C powdered sugar and spread over the bars. Cut into squares when cool.

Apple Pancakes (German)

1 C flour

2 eggs (large ones)

1 t baking powder

½ t salt

About 2 cups milk to thin the batter

1 to 2 raw apples, peeled and shredded

Mix ingredients together. Add apples that have been peeled and shredded. This is a very thin batter. Fry on a hot greased skillet, turning once. Serve hot/warm with sugar, applesauce or syrup.

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

1 C quick oatmeal

1 C flour

3 T sugar

1 T baking powder

¾ t salt

½ t cinnamon

1 1/3 C milk

3 T oil

1 egg

1 apple; peeled and chopped

Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add milk, oil, and egg. Pour over dry ingredients and stir until moistened, stir in apple chunks. Heat griddle to low-medium heat. Pour by ¼ C cupfuls onto griddle or cast iron skillet. Cook until golden brown, flip once. Serve with syrup and butter.

Apple Cake or Apple Kuchen (German)

3 T margarine

1 C sugar

1 t baking soda

1 C flour

½ t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

½ t salt

¼ c chopped nuts

3 C diced apples

1 t vanilla

Cream margarine and sugar together; add beaten egg. Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture. Add apples, nuts and vanilla. Bake in greased and floured 8 by 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Apple Fritters

Serve apple fritter recipe with syrup or sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 egg

• 1 cup finely chopped apple

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add milk and egg; beat until batter is smooth. Fold in chopped apple. Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep hot oil -- about 370° and at least 2 1/2 to 3 inches deep -- and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, until nicely browned.

Drain well on paper towels then roll in confectioners' sugar while still warm. Serve as is or warm, with syrup, if desired.

Apple Fritters

(An old fashioned recipe for apple fritters, or use another fresh fruit.)

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 tablespoon melted shortening

• 2 large apples

• oil for deep frying

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Combine egg and milk; add to flour mixture; beat until smooth. Add shortening and mix well. Peel and core apples; cut into 8 wedges. Dip apple wedges into batter and fry in 370° oil for about 4 minutes, or until brown. Dust with powdered sugar.

Easy Apple Crunch

• 6 cups sliced tart apples, peeled or not

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

• 1/2 to 1 cup sugar, depending on tartness of apples

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup melted butter

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced apples in the prepared baking dish.

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and egg; blend well. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Drizzle melted butter evenly over crumb mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minute. Serve warm, with ice cream or whipped topping.

Somalian Food

***We hosted a cultural exchange with Lake Park Audubon and all the students enjoyed the Somalian food that was prepared.

Sambusa - A Somalian Main Dish

Ingredients for Sambusa

Please note all the measurements are estimates.

Basal – green spring onions – two bunches

Barbarooni – bell pepper

Kabsar/Caleeniyo Tuun – Garlic and chives

Hilib Shiida – Ground Beef

Basbaas – Jalapeno pepper

Cumin and Salt

Saliid – oil

The wrapping:

Bur – Flour

1/2 C water

½ t salt

1 lbs (1/2 Kilo) ground beef (Halaal Meat—animal is killed in a special way) - browned

2 cloves of pressed garlic

2 chive leaves (chopped)

1 Jalapeno pepper (chopped)

2 bunches spring onions – chopped fine

1 small green pepper – chopped fine

(Some people also put in one small potato chopped into small pieces)

First brown the ground beef and then set aside. Chop the vegetables and mix with the meat.

For the wrapping mix the three ingredients together and roll out on a floured surface. The circle should be about 10 inches around. You will stack the rounds on top of one another. Next, you will quickly fry the rounds about three at a time for about 2 seconds. Next, you cut the rounds into four equal parts. Pull apart the rounds and fold into an envelope shape. Spoon a tablespoon of the meat and vegetable filling into the middle of the envelope. Fold over the sides and top and seal with water. Fry into hot oil until golden brown.

Folding directions:

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Madasi

Alaabta Madhaasiga

laga samee yo

Ingredients for Madasi or Bread

Bur – Flour

Sokor – sugar

Ukun – egg

Qamiiriso – yeast

2 C flour

½ C sugar

1 egg

½ t yeast

Oil

Mix flour, sugar, egg, and yeast. Pinch off a round of batter. Roll into a 6-inch rounds. Brush with oil and then fold in ½ and roll out again into a 6-inch round. Fry until brown about one to two minutes.

Ingredents for Somalian Tea

(We all loved this tea!)

Sokor – sugar

Caleen – tea (we will use tea bags)

Qarfa/Heel – cinnamon

Dhaga yare - cloves

Cardamom

2 ½ C sugar

tea bags

1 T cinnamon (freshly ground)

½ T cloves (freshly ground)

1 T cardamom (freshly ground)

Heat water up a large 12 cup tea kettle. Add 6 tea bags to seep along with the spices. At this point you can put it in a large coffee dispenser to keep hot.

NOTE: Some people add about 1 ½ cups of powdered milk to the tea mixture. Other might add the “wet” milk to the tea at the time it is put in the tea cup. Others prefer it without the milk.

Ingredients for Somali cake

Bur – flour

Sokor – sugar

Ukun – eggs

Qarfa/Heel – cardamom

Please note these are all estimates.

6 large eggs – separated

2 C sugar

¼ t cardamom (freshly ground)

2 C flour

Separate the eggs and then beat the egg whites for about five minutes. (Use a timer) Add the egg yolks and beat an additional five minutes. The “batter” should be big and fluffy by this time. Next, add two cups sugar and mix in well for an additional four to five minutes. You need to check the batter to make sure the sugar has dissolved. Add the cardamom and 2 cups flour. Mix well. Pour batter into a well-greased bundt cake pan and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven on and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Immediately invert on to a cake serving plate. This cake is traditional served WITHOUT frosting.

NOTE: Do Not Preheat Oven

Southern U. S. Cooking

Muffuletta

(Everyone loved this; it is a great sandwich from New Orleans.)

* 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, crushed

* 1/2 cup drained kalamata olives, crushed

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 1/4 cup roughly chopped pickled cauliflower florets

* 2 tablespoons drained capers

* 1 tablespoon chopped celery

* 1 tablespoon chopped carrot

* 1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained (what we call banana or salad peppers)

* 1/4 cup marinated cocktail onions

* 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

* 1 teaspoon dried oregano

* 1 teaspoon dried basil

* 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

* 1/2 cup olive oil

* 1/4 cup canola oil

* 2 (1 pound) loaves Italian bread

* 8 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami

* 8 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham

* 8 ounces sliced mortadella (another type of Italian salami)

* 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese

* 8 ounces sliced provolone cheese

1. To Make Olive Salad: In a medium bowl, combine the green olives, kalamata olives, garlic, cauliflower, capers, celery, carrot, pepperoncini, cocktail onions, celery seed, oregano, basil, black pepper, vinegar, olive oil and canola oil. Mix together and transfer mixture into a glass jar (or other non-reactive container). If needed, pour in more oil to cover. Cover jar or container and refrigerate at least overnight.

2. To Make Sandwiches: Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally; hollow out some of the excess bread to make room for filling. Spread each piece of bread with equal amounts olive salad, including oil. Layer bottom half of each loaf with 1/2 of the salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone. Replace top half on each loaf and cut sandwich into quarters.

3. Serve immediately or wrap tightly and refrigerate for a few hours; this will allow for the flavors to mingle and the olive salad to soak into the bread.

Boiled Peanuts

(This is South Carolina’s official state snack food.)

1 lb green (raw) peanuts in the shell (I had to order these on line)

4 quarts of water

4 T plain salt

Wash unshelled peanuts in cold water until water runs clear; then soak in cool, clean water for approximately 30 minutes before cooking.

In a large pot, place soaked peanuts and cover completely with water. Add salt (you might have to add more). Cook covered, on high heat for 4 hours or until peanuts are soft. You will need to test and taste your peanuts for the right texture and salt content. The peanut when cooked right should be similar to that of a cooked garbanzo bean.

Remove from heat and drain peanuts after cooking or they will absorb the salt and become over salted.

Peanuts can be eaten hot or at room temperature, or even chilled in the refrigerator and eaten cold. Be sure to shell the peanuts before eating!

(I enjoy my boiled peanuts hot. I remember eating my first boiled peanuts in Hawaii of all places at the big swap meet in downtown Honolulu.) Mrs. Guhl

New Orleans Style Beignets

(These are little pillows of heaven!)

1 envelope active dry yeast

¾ C water (110 degrees)

¼ C granulated sugar

½ t salt

1 beaten egg

½ C evaporated milk

3 ½ to 3 ¾ C all-purpose flour

1/8 C shortening

vegetable oil for frying

powdered sugar in a sharer or sifter

Combine yeast, water, and sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with a bread hook. Let this sit until frothy; about 5 minutes, then add the salt, egg and evaporated milk. Mix on low speed, then add half of the flour until it starts to come together, then add the shortening. When the shortening is incorporated start adding the remaining flour, a little at a time until most of it is incorporated. At this time I turn the dough onto a floured counter by hand; just like when you make bread. Knead the dough adding just enough flour as necessary to make a non-sticky, smooth dough. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl. Loosely covered and let rise overnight in the refrigerator.

After the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and turn it onto a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle that is about ½ inch thick. With a very sharp knife working at a diagonal to the rectangle, cut into 2 inch wide strips. Now cut into the diamond shapes by making a diagonal cut in the opposite direction. Place the Beignets on a floured baking sheet and let rise about 40 minutes in a warm place (such as a warm oven).

When the Beignets have risen, heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a large saucepan (we will be using our deep fat fryers) to 350 to 360 degrees. Place 2-3 Beignets into the hot oil at a time, being careful not to smash or deflate them. When they are golden brown, flip them over until golden brown on the other side.. (they go pretty quick so check right away.) Remove to paper towels and drain. Serve hot topped with PLENTY of powdered sugar.

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

1/3 C butter--softened

¾ C granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 C mashed yams (we used the canned stuff)

¾ C milk

1 t vanilla extract

¼ t salt

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl; add eggs and stir. Add yams and mix well. Stir in milk, vanilla, and salt; mix well.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until the center is set.

Real Whipped Cream

(Everyone loves the real stuff!)

1 pint heavy whipping cream

4 T granulated sugar (or you can use powdered sugar as well)

Vanilla

Chill your mixing bowl and beaters to ensure that your whipped cream has the best volume.

Pour heavy whipping cream into your mixing bowl. Set your speed at low and when the air starts to incorporate into your cream you can increase the speed until the cream forms soft peaks. Add 4 Tablespoons of sugar and ¼ t vanilla. Continue to beat for 1 minute. This should be used right away. You can test your cream to see if it is at the soft or stiff peaks stage. You can do this by stopping the mixer and lifting beaters. If the peaks are stiff, they will not drop over but stay up. DO NOT OVER BEAT your whipped cream otherwise it will become butter!

Hushpuppies

(What’s not to love about hushpuppies?)

4 C vegetable oil

2 C yellow cornmeal

1 C all-purpose flour

1 egg beaten

¾ t salt

¼ t baking soda

2 C milk

1 C water

In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil to 350° F or until a small amount of batter dropped into the hot oil sizzles and floats. Do not let the oil get too hot or the center of the hushpuppies will not cook thoroughly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, egg, salt, baking soda, milk, and water. Mix until batter is smooth and free of any lumps. Batter should be stiff (if batter is too dry, add milk; if batter is too thin, add cornmeal).

Using two spoons, push a small amount of batter into hot oil (370° to 380° F). After about 10 seconds, hushpuppies will float to the top and begin to brown. Fry for approximately 5 minutes or until golden brown, turning to brown all sides. Remove from oil and place hushpuppies on paper towels; continue cooking the remaining batter (fry in small batches, adding 4 to 6 hushpuppies to the oil at a time). NOTE: They can be held in a 200° F oven until serving time (approximately 30 minutes). Serve hot.

Makes 2 dozen hushpuppies.

Southern Fried Chicken

(Do you remember how to cut up a chicken?)

*******Put in diagrams on how to cut up a chicken---------------------------------

1 – 3 lb fryer, cut into pieces

½ C flour

1 t salt

¼ t pepper

½ C evaporated fat free milk (or you can use buttermilk)

1 egg

shortening or oil for frying

Wash chicken pieces and pat dry with a paper towel.

Combine four, salt, and pepper in a shallow pan. Beat milk and egg together in a pie plate. Dip the chicken pieces in season flour mixture, then in the milk mixture, and then again in flour mixture. Set aside until all pieces are coated. In a large, heavy skillet, heat shortening or oil until hot. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time. Brown all sides, turning occasionally. When all pieces are browned, return them to the skillet. Reduce heat, cover tightly, and cook chicken until tender (about 30 minutes). Remove cover the last 10 minutes to crisp chicken.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 C all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

½ t salt

¼ C shortening

2/3 to 3/4 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in shortening until mixture resembles small peas. Add buttermilk, stirring gently with fork until soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Knead 8 to 10 times. Roll to ½ inch thickness. Cut into rounds or use a 2 inch biscuit cutter. You can also you a glass drinking glass just be sure to dip the rim in flour before you cut the biscuits. Place biscuits close together on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown; serve hot.

Classic Fried Green Tomatoes

• 4 to 6 green tomatoes

• salt and pepper

• cornmeal

• bacon grease or vegetable oil

Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2-inch slices. Salt and pepper them to taste. Dip in meal and fry in hot grease or oil about 3 minutes or until golden on bottom. Gently turn and fry the other side. Serve as a side dish - delicious with breakfast!

Fried Green Tomatoes II

• 4 to 6 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• salt and pepper

• flour for dusting

• 2 eggs, beaten

• cornmeal or bread crumbs

• bacon grease or vegetable oil

Salt and pepper the tomato slices; dust lightly with flour. Dip slices in beaten egg, letting excess drip off, then coat well with meal or crumbs. Fry in hot grease or oil until browned, turning gently (about 3 minutes each side). Keep warm in a low 200° to 250° oven if frying in batches.

| |

|Fried Green tomatoes |

| |

| |

| |

|1 cup stone-ground cornmeal |

|1 cup all-purpose flour |

|1 tablespoon garlic powder |

|Pinch cayenne |

|1 1/2 cups buttermilk |

|Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper |

|4 large unripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, ends removed |

|1/2 cup vegetable oil |

|1 tablespoon unsalted butter |

|Hot pepper sauce, for serving |

|Lemon wedges, for serving |

|In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, garlic powder, and cayenne together. Pour the buttermilk into a separate bowl and |

|season with salt and pepper. Dip the tomatoes in the buttermilk and then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides |

|well. |

|Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the tomatoes (in batches if |

|necessary) until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Carefully remove the tomatoes and drain|

|on paper towels. Serve with hot pepper sauce and lemon. |

Southwest U. S. Cooking

Ranch Chicken

(This is a really tasty casserole.)

20 each corn tortillas- quartered

3 chicken breast – diced

1 lg onion – diced

1 lg bell pepper – diced

2/3 C cheddar cheese – grated

1 ½ t chili powder

1 t garlic salt

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can Rotel tomatoes

Saute chicken until no longer pink in oil; add onions, bell pepper, and garlic salt and continue to sauté. When vegetables are soft, add tomatoes, soups, chili powder, and salt to taste. Simmer for 10 min; then layer tortillas mixture and cheese until tortillas or mixture is completely used in 19 X 14 pan. Place in oven and cook for 350 degree for 15 minutes. Cheddar cheese can be added to the top.

Tex-Mex Chile Con Carne

1 lb ground beef

½ C chopped onion

½ C chopped green pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 t chili powder

1 t salt

¼ t pepper

¼ t hot pepper sauce

¾ C water

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, cut up

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1 can (15 ½) kidney beans

In medium skillet, brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Drain excess fat.

In a large pot, combine ground beef mixture and remaining ingredients. Stir, cover, and simmer over low heat for two hours.

Chicken Taquitos

(This was a class favorite; they were all gone by the end of the period!)

1 t cumin

3 T chili powder

2 garlic cloves or 1 t garlic powder

1 med onion

2 med bell peppers

3 T cooking oil

1 canned whole tomatoes or chopped

2 C chicken broth

12 to 24 soft tortillas

In a four quart pan add chicken breasts. Salt cover with water, bring to boil, loosely cover. Cook over medium low heat for one hr, drain saving broth. Set chicken aside to cool.

When cooled, shredded chicken into thin long strips. In the same pot add oil and sauté diced onion and bell peppers. Cook mixture over low heat till lightly sautéed. Add chicken pieces; cooking three or four more minutes.

In blender add the can of tomatoes, chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano. Pour mixture in pan along with two cups of broth. Bring to boil, cover and simmer over med heat about 15 to 20m min, salt to taste.

Heat oil in skillet. Cook corn tortillas, one at a time, in hot oil until soft, about 5 to 10 seconds; drain.

Strain liquid, and then spoon 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture onto the tortilla. Next place 1 to 2 T of the chicken and vegetables mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla around the chicken filing into a tight tube. You will need to use a toothpick to hold the tortilla in shape.

Fry chicken taquitos approximately 2-3 min or until tortilla holds its shape and is a nice brown color. . Remove the toothpicks and serve 2-3 taquitos on a plate. Serving salsa, sour cream and guacamole on the side.

Mexican Rice

(All the students loved this rice.)

1 C chopped unpeeleld Roma tomatoes

½ C chopped onion

1 to 2 cloves

½ C cooking oil

1 ½ C uncooked long grain white rice

3 ½ C warm chicken broth

½ C fresh or frozen peas or chopped zucchini

½ C chopped carrots

Combine tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until smooth.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; carefully add rice. Cook and stir for 8 to 10 minutes or until rice is golden in color. Drain any excess oil. Stir in tomato puree. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until puree is absorbed.

Add broth, peas, and carrots. Bring to boiling over med-high heat, reduce heat and simmer uncover for 12 to 15 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Cover; remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes before serving to let rice steam and absorb remaining liquid. Fluff rice with fork before serving.

Chicken and shrimp tortilla soup

(Do not over cook the shrimp otherwise it will get tough. The students put in a couple of drop of hot sauce to kick this up a notch. It was really good.)

6 oz fresh or frozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 recipe crisp tortilla shreds (see below)

****I would advise making a double batch of the tortilla shreds

1 lg onion, chopped

1 t cumin seeds

1 T cooking oil

4 ½ C reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (14 ½ oz) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

3 T snipped fresh cilantro

2 T lime juice

1 ½ C shredded cooked chicken breast

Thaw shrimp; if frozen; prepare crisp tortilla shreds and set aside.

In a large saucepan cook the onion and cumin seeds in hot oil about five minutes or until onion is tender. Carefully add chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice.

Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 8 minutes. Stir in shrimp and chicken. Cook about three minutes more or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Top each serving with tortilla shreds and serve immediately.

Crisp tortilla shreds:

Brush four 5 ½ inch corn tortillas with 1 tablespoon cooking oil. In a small bowl combine ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, sprinkle mixture on tortillas. Cut tortillas into thin strips. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for about 8 minutes or until crisp.

Dr. Pepper Texas Chocolate Cake

(The students loved this cake.)

2 C sifted all purpose flour

1 C granulated sugar

1 C dark brown sugar

1 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ t baking soda

1 C Dr. Pepper

½ C chocolate chips

2 large eggs

1 C buttermilk

1 C vegetable oil

1 ½ t vanilla extract

Frosting:

¾ C butter flavored vegetable shortening

6 T unsalted butter, softened

4 C sifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

¼ C unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ C Dr Pepper

1 ½ t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, tapping out any extra flour.

Sift together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa and baking soda into a bowl and set aside.

Pour the Dr. Pepper into a saucepan and add the chocolate chips. Heat on low, stirring often, until the chips are just melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until combined, about two minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the Dr. Pepper-chocolate mixture and continue beating until combined, about one minute.

With mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium and beat two minutes more. Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the layers in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and flip the pans over onto a cooling rack. Gently lift off the pans and let the cake layers cool completely.

To make frosting, beat shortening and butter in a mixer bowl until soft and fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar and cocoa and continue mixing until combined. Stir together the Dr. Pepper and vanilla extract and very slowly pour it into the frosting, beating with mixer on high speed to thin it a bit. Continue beating until light and fluffy, about one minute.

Set first layer, top down, on a flat plate. Spread one cup of the frosting on top. Top with the second cake layer and spread remaining frosting on the too and sides of the cake, making attractive swirls.

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

3 oz semisweet chocolate, cut up

1 T sugar

½ to 1 t ground cinnamon

4 C milk

½ t vanilla

A few drops of almond extract

Combine chocolate, sugar, and cinnamon in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until finely ground.

In a large saucepan combine the ground chocolate mixture and milk. Cook and stir over LOW heat for about 10 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extract. Beat with a rotary beater or Mexican moinillo until froth. Serve in mugs. This can be topped with whipped cream as well.

Italian!

Pasta Pomodoro

(This is Mrs. Heyek’s recipe that she demonstrated to our class. Everyone enjoy this tasty and simple side dish. This is a great dish to make when you have all those tomatoes from the garden in August.)

4 cloves garlic--chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

6 to 8 chopped (quartered) fresh tomatoes

(or 2 to 3 cans of diced tomatoes if tomatoes are out of season)

1 fresh ball of mozzarella (cubed) 4 oz ***A MUST

8 fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips

½ t red pepper flakes

Mostaccioli pasta – 16 oz box

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese ***A MUST

Bring to boil a 4-quart pan of water--enough water to cook a box of pasta; we used Mostaccioli pasta. Remember the water must be a rolling boil and you need to add a tablespoon of salt to the water.

In the meantime; add the olive oil to your large skillet and sauté over medium heat the chopped garlic until it is tender but not browned.

Next you will add your chopped fresh tomatoes. Careful with this step as you need to add the tomatoes so that they do not splatter on you. Pour them in so that if they do splatter it is towards the back of the stove. Cook the tomatoes down for at least 15 minute. The last 5 minutes of cooking add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Right before serving add the basil strips and bite size pieces of fresh mozzarella.

Quickly toss together and serve at once. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Buon Appetito!

Antipasto Tray

Anitpasto means “before the meal”, so this is a tease as to what is to come. For our class we made an antipasto tray with a variety of cold cuts, cheese cubes, green and black olives, pickled peppers, artichoke hearts, onions, and bread sticks. Arrange the various items in an attractive manner (into groups). There is not hard and fast rule with this because you can add fresh fruit (in season) crusty bread, etc. you are only limited to your imitation.

Tuscan Bread Salad (Panzanella)

(This sounds unusual but it is so unique and tasty that I would highly recommend it to anyone.)

6 slices Italian bread, cut into ½ inch cubes and toasted (we toasted ours in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the moisture was out of the bread.)

4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 stalk celery, cut crosswise into ½ inch pieces

1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small cucumber, skinned, seeded , halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/8 inch crescents

¾ C olive oil

½ C red wine vinegar

1 C fresh basil, sliced into long ribbons

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss, and let sit one hour.

Serve at room temperature.

Focaccia Bread

(This is a quick alternative to garlic bread. If you use lots of herbs –either fresh or dried—you get a lot of flavor.)

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly oil floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Punch down dough and place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a ½ inch thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Cheese Manicotti

(The whole class loved this.)

8 pkg manicotti shells OR 16 pkg conchiglioni (jumbo shells)

2 beaten eggs

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

2 C ricotta cheese

1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 T snipped parsley

¼ t pepper

2 C Hot ‘n’ spicy sauce

¼ C grated parmesan or Romano cheese

Cook manicotti or conchiglioni until al dente and then immediately drain. Rise in cold water, then drain again.

Meanwhile; for the the filling, in a medium mixing bowl stir together the eggs, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper.

To fill manicotti shells, stuff about 1/3 C of the filling into each cooked shell. To fill conchiglioni, stuff about 3 Tablespoons of the filing into each cooked shell. Arrange filled manicotti or conchiglioni into a 12 X 7 ½ X 2 inch baking dish. Pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parmesan or Romano cheese. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through. Makes 4 main dish servings.

Pizza Crust

2 ¾ to 3 ¼ C all purpose flour

1 pk active dry yeast

¼ t salt

1 C warm water

2 T olive oil or cooking oil

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 ¼ C of the flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Divide in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

For thin crusts: grease two 12-inch pizza pans or large baking sheets. If desired sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll each half of the dough into a 13 inch circle. Transfer to prepared pans. Build up edges slightly. DO NOT LET RISE. Prebake in a 425 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Add desired toppings and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly.

For thick crusts: Grease two 11 X 7 X 1 ½ inch baking pan. If desired, sprinkle with cornmeal. With greased fingers, pat each half into bottom and halfway p the side of the prepared pans. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until nearly double (30 to 45 minutes). Prebake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Add desired toppings and bake an additional 25 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Make two thin or thick crusts.

Rustic Pizza or Napoleon Pizza

(A really good easy, simple pizza; the teachers and students who tried this one loved it!)

We topped our pizza with:

1 C shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

2 medium ripe fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 T olive oil

1 T snipped fresh basil or 1 t dried basil, crushed (Fresh basil is best)

¼ C grated Parmesan cheese (Of course, use the fresh Parmesan cheese)

Prebake the thin crust as directed.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the prebaked crust. Without overlapping, arrange the tomatoes in a circular patter on top of the cheese. Drizzle the olive oil over the mozzarella cheese. Next, sprinkle the basil, then the Parmeasan cheese over the top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until bubbly. Serve hot. Make 4 to 6 side dish servings.

We also topped one of our pizzas with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.

Sausage and Mushroom Calzones

1 16 oz loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

¾ lb bulk Italian sausage

1 C sliced fresh mushrooms

1/3 C chopped onion

1/3 C chopped green pepper (optional)

½ recipe Tomatoey Pizza sauce or one 8 oz can pizza sauce

1 ½ C shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)

milk

1 T grated parmesan cheese

Divide loaf into 6 equal pieces. Shape into balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a circle about 7 inches in diameter. Cover to prevent from drying out.

In a large skillet cook sausage, mushrooms, onion, and if desired, green pepper until sausage is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat, pat with paper towels to remove additional fat. Stir in pizza sauce. Spoon meat mixture into half of each circle to with ½ inch of the edge. Sprinkle about ¼ C mozzarella cheese over meat mixture on each circle.

Moisten edges of dough with water. Fold dough in half over filling. Seal by pressing with tines of a fork. Prick tops. Lightly brush tops with milk. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place calzones 1 to 3 inches apart on a greased large baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until crush is lightly browned. Makes 6 main dish servings.

Hot ‘n’ Spicy Sauce

(This is a very tasty sauce.)

¾ lb bulk Italian sausage

½ C chopped onion

¼ C finely chopped green pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 oz can tomatoes, cut up

1 6 oz can tomato paste

½ t salt

½ t dried oregano, crushed

½ t dried basil, crushed

¼ t pepper

¼ t ground rep pepper

8 oz pkg spaghetti, fusilli, or other pasta

In a large saucepan, cook the Italian sausage, onion, green pepper, and garlic until sausage is brown. Drain fat.

Carefully stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and red pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Then uncovered and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al denta. Immediately drain. Serve sauce over pasta. Makes 4 main dish servings.

Biscotti

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-processed

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 t almond extract

1 cup whole almonds--toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). To toast almonds; spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven set aside while you prepare the dough.

Reduce temperature of oven to 300 degree F (150 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the coarsely chopped chocolate and brown sugar and process until the chocolate is very fine; set aside.

Sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer combine the eggs and vanilla and almond extract and beat to blend, about 30 seconds. On low speed mix in the chocolate/sugar and flour mixtures until a stiff dough forms, adding the almonds about half way through mixing.

On a floured surface divide the dough in half. Form each half into a log 12 inches (30 cm) long. Do this by rolling the dough back and forth into a cylinder shape with floured hands. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet, spacing them well apart (width-wise on the pan), and pat to even the shapes. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 35 - 40 minutes (logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven, place on wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.

Use a long spatula transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife cut the dough into slices 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick on the diagonal. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. This can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

Makes about 30 biscotti

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

(This was all gone before the end of class—the students loved it!)

3 chicken breast cubed and cooked until no longer pink

3 T light cream or whipping cream

4 oz grated Parmesan cheese (Use the good stuff that you have to grate)

1 T margarine or butter

Coarsely cracked black pepper

Ground nutmeg

Let cream come to room temperature. Cook fettuccine (follow directions on the back of the package) and drain well. Return fettuccine to the hot saucepan. Add cream, cooked chicken, Parmesan cheese, and margarine or butter. Toss gently until fettuccine is well coated. Transfer to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with pepper and nutmeg. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Norway/Scandavian Food

Lefse

(What Norwiean meal would not be complete without Lefse?)

A big thank you to Mrs. Ebserviller for the recipe. Lefse requires at least two days to prepare.

Day 1:

Cook potatoes until done in either salted or unsalted water, whatever you prefer. Mrs. Ebserviller prefers to use red potatoes.

Drain potatoes then set. Drain again after a little while. Mash (I use my mixer) and then add the oil, sugar and salt.

While potatoes are still warm, add the other ingredients:

For every 3 C mashed potatoes (please measure), add

¼ C salad oil (Crisco oil)

1 T sugar

1 t salt

Then, set the uncovered mixture aside and room temperature until cool! Once the mixture is completely cool; refrigerate.

Day 2 or 3

1 C flour

Just before rolling, add the 1 cup flour to each potato mixture. Stir in flour completely like you do for a pie crust. Using a small amount (1/4 C) roll dough into a generally round piece on a very well-floured pastry cloth using a stockinette-covered rolling pin, which has also been well floured. I use the ¼ cup measuring cup and measure out all the lefse balls at once from a 3 cup recipe and put them into the frig on a cookie sheet until I’m ready to roll each one out. They are better cold. (But do not cover the lefse balls in the refrigerator or they get condensation on them and are too damp.) Roll out like you would roll out a pie crust. (Use a pastry board covered with a pastry cloth. Do not flip over and roll. You can add a dusting of flour to each lefse roll if you want.

****Roll thinly enough to see the lines or read the words from the pastry cloth through the lefse. You want to flour the board and rub the flour into the pastry cloth each time. You really do not want the lefse to stick and leave a damp spot. If that happens, you have to rub a lot of flour into that spot otherwise the next lefse will stick again.

Using a lefse griddle fry at 475 to 500 degrees. You may need to play with this number. I usually need to use 450 degree on my lefse griddle but another person may need 475 degrees. Use a lefsa stick and carefully slide it under the lefse round and pick up the raw lefse round; place the piece on lefse onto the hot griddle. When removing the lefse or turned the lefse, slide the stick carefully under the lefse. The lefse will have brown spots when it’s done. It will bubble up on the griddle. When the lefse is done you stack it up on a white dishtowel as it comes off the grill. As soon as you have put the new piece of lefse on the lefse stack, cover it with a white dishtowel. Just keep stacking it up and covering with the dishtowel. The lefse pieces all tough each other. Sometimes I pick up half of the cooling lefse stack and move it to the bottom of the stack (like you’re cutting a deck of cards). Cover with a white dishtowel as you are frying th4e next piece. The lefse moistens up as it sits in the stack.

When it’s cool you can freeze the lefse in zip lock bags. I fold each lefse round into quarters and put 4 to 6 in a bag.

I usually cut each lefse round into 4 pieces after buttering ad sugaring to serve Roll UP and eat.

Krumkaka

(How we loved these filled with sweetened fresh whipped cream.)

3 lg eggs

¾ C granulated sugar

½ C melted butter

1 C plus 2 t flour

1 t vanilla

Beat eggs until thick. Add sugar gradually, then remaining items. Drop about 1 T on krumkaka iron and bake on one side and then flip and bake the other side. Roll cooked cookie on to cone and let it cool. We put real whipped cream into the center.

Norwegian Flat Bread

(These are very tasty; however, be sure to roll paper thin to get the crunch you expect from flat bread.)

1 C sugar

3 C graham flour

4 ½ C white flour

1 ½ t salt

1 t soda

½ C margarine

2 C buttermilk

1 C water

Mix dry ingredients together. Melt margarine and add buttermilk and water. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened.

Make a ball of ¼ cup of dough and roll thin—about 12 by 16 inches. Bake on cookie sheet in oven at 400 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned. Watch closely, they over bake quickly. Cool on rack. This makes a large batch.

Bergen Easter Chicken

1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut up (3 lbs)

1 t salt

½ ground white pepper

2 t butter

1 C chicken broth or water

¼ C sherry or 2 T lemon juice

¼ C whipping cream

1 C shredded gjetost or aged Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Remove skin from chicken; rub meat with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; brown on all sides. Pour broth or water over browned chicken. Add sherry or lemon juice. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Use a slotted spoon to place cooked chicken on a platter; keep warm. Add ¼ C chopped parley and cream to drippings in pan. Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer. Cook and stir until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup and has a glazed appearance. Stir in cheese only until melted. Pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Swedish Meatballs

(The class loved the meatballs because there were no left overs!)

2 slices fresh white bread

¼ C milk

3 T clarified butter, divided

½ C finely chopped onion

A pinch plus 1 t kosher salt

¾ lb ground chuck

¾ lb ground pork

2 lg egg yolks

½ t black pepper

¼ t ground allspice

¼ t freshly grated nutmeg

¼ c all purpose flour

3 C beef broth

¼ C heavy cream

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12 inch straight sided sauté pan over medium heat melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chick, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg and onions Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1 oz portions and place on a sheet pan. Use your hands to shape the meatballs into rounds.

Heat the remaining butter in a sauté pan over medium low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees. Add the meatballs and sauté until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in a warmed oven.

Once all the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Next, add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve with mashed potatoes.

Norwegian Sweet Soup

½ lb large pearl tapioca

¼ C raspberry, strawberry, strawberry or blackberry juice (rhubarb sauce or cooked apples may be used)

2/3 lb pitted prunes

1 1/2 C dark seedless raisins

¼ C grape juice (or more)

Cinnamon stick (small)

Sugar to taste pinch of salt

Soak pearl tapioca and pitted prunes overnight. Add enough water to cook fruit tender and so that all the tapioca looks transparent. Add the fruit juices when the prunes and raisins are tender and the tapioca is transparent. Add salt and sugar to taste. Serve hot or cold. We added fresh grapes and fresh slices apples.

Tomato Salad

6 med tomatoes

Boiling water

4 green onions with tops, sliced

2 T red or white wine vinegar

1 T sugar

½ t crushed whole allspice

¼ t ground white pepper

2 t salt

¼ C vegetable oil

1 European-style or other cucumber (8 inches) sliced paper-thin

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Immerse tomatoes in boiling water for about 15 seconds, then immerse in cold water. Quickly core and peel tomatoes. Cut peeled tomatoes into thin slices; arrange in a 2 inch deep platter. Sprinkle with green onions. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, allspice, white pepper, and one teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in oil until blended. Pour over tomatoes. Drain cucumbers on paper towels; sprinkle with remaining teaspoon salt. Pat dry with paper towels. Loosely pile cucumbers in a mound on center of platter over tomato slices. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 6 hrs before serving.

Greek Food

(The entire class and several teachers discovered how much we love Greek food!)

Baklava

(A class favorite and it looked picture perfect. Please note: This takes a considerable amount of time but it is worth the extra effort.) You can change this into Turkish Baklava but substituting pisticuiico nuts instead of the walnuts and almonds.)

1 ¾ C granulated sugar

1 ½ C water

¼ C honey

1 small strip lemon peel

1 small cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ C finely chopped walnuts

1 ½ C finely chopped almonds

2 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground cloves

1 lb pkg (about 20 sheets) frozen phyllo dough, defrosted overnight

¾ C (12 T) melted, unsalted butter

Prepare the syrup by combining 1 ½ C sugar, water, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon peel, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice. Pour through a fine mesh strainer (sieve) before using.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the walnuts, almonds, the remaining ¼ C sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a small bowl and set aside.

Unroll the defrosted phyllo dough. Place on a clean kitchen cloth. If necessary cut sheets to fit a 13 X 9 X 2 inch pan. Cover with wax paper or a dampened kitchen cloth that has been wrung out well; this is so the phyllo dough does not dry out.

Brush the bottoms and sides of a 13 X 9 X2 inch baking pan with some of the melted butter.

Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the prepared pan. Brush with melted butter and top with another sheet of dough. Repeat the process 6 more times so that you have a stack of 8 butter sheets.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the nut mixture over the buttered stack of phyllo.

Cover with a sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with melted butter. Top with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter.

Sprinkle another cup of the nut mixture over the buttered stack of phyllo.

Cover with a sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with melted butter.

Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the buttered stack. Top with the remaining sheets of butter phyllo (approximately 9 more sheets, depending on brand and pkg size). Make sure that the top sheet is clean, without any tears. Brush with melted butter.

Holding a sharp knife vertically cut the unbaked baklava into diamonds.

Bake on the center oven rack for approximately 75 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the layers are puffed up.

Remove from oven. Carefully spoon half of the prepared syrup over the baked baklava. Let sit for five minutes. Spoon the remaining syrup over the baklava. As soon as the baklava is cooled to room temperature, cover with foil and let sit overnight before serving.

Carrot Salad

(This unusual salad is great, a lot of students were pleasantly surprised when they ate the dish.)

2 C water

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ¼ inch pieces

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ t sugar

1 t paprika

½ t salt

½ t ground cumin

1/8 t ground cinnamon

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

1 t minced flat-leaf parsley

Bring the water to a boil in a 2 qt saucepan. Salt the water. Add the carrots and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Drain the carrots and place in a serving dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, paprika, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Drizzle over the carrots and toss well.

Sprinkle the carrot salad with the minced parsley before serving.

Bulghur (BULGUR) Wheat and Parsley Salad (Tabbouleh)

(The majority of the class loved this refreshing salad and said it would be great in the summer time.)

1 C fine bulghur

2 C water

1 1/3 C freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 bunches scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 C flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and chopped

½ C extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Combine the bulghur, water, and 1 cup of lemon juice in a large glass bowl. Cover and let set for 2 hours, or until the bulghur has absorbed most of the liquid and is soft.

Drain the bulghur in a sieve. Gently press to remove any excess liquid.

Combine the soaked bulghur in a large glass bowl with the scallions, parsley, tomatoes, olive oil, and the remaining 1/3 C lemon juice. Season with salt and toss well.

Rice Pilaf

16 oz can of chicken stock

1 C long grain rice (Basmati works best, but almost any long grained rice will work well. Do not use short-grained rice such as risotto, or brown rices for this dish.)

2 T butter

2 T oil

½ C thin egg noodles

½ of small onion, diced

½ C water

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a skillet, gently melt the butter with the oil, taking care not to burn the butter.

When the butter has melted sauté the onions until they are translucent. Next, add the egg noodles and rice and sauté them until the noodles are brown (but not burned). After the noodles have browned add the rest of the ingredients. Set the heat on low and cover the skillet. This should take about 18 minutes to cook. All the liquid should be absorbed and the rice and noodles are swelled up.

Fluff mixture with a fork before serving.

Spinach and Cheese (Spanakopita)

(Everyone loved this dish and there was hardly any left over.)

2 lbs fresh spinach, trimmed of stems, coarsely chopped and washed well but not dried

4 t olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

4 T chopped flat-leaf parsley

4 eggs lightly beaten.

1/2/ C grated Parmesan cheese

1 C crumbled feta cheese

¼ t grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

10 sheets frozen phyllo dough (about half of a 16 oz pkg), defrosted overnight

6 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place the wet spinach in a large covered pot. Let it cook in its own liquid over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until wilted. Drain well in a colander, pressing on the spinach with the back of a large kitchen spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the scallions and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Place the drained spinach in a large bowl with the cooked onions. Add the parsley, eggs, Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, and nutmeg. Generously season with salt and pepper. Combine well.

Unroll the defrosted phyllo dough. Place on a clean kitchen cloth. If necessary, cut sheets to fit a 13 by 9 inch pan. Cover with wax paper or a dampened kitchen cloth wrung out well, so that the phyllo dough doesn’t dry out as you’re working.

Brush the bottom and sides of the 13 by 9 inch baking pan with some of the melted butter.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the prepared pan. Brush with melted butter and then top with another sheet of dough. Repeat the process 4 more times so that you have a stack of 5 buttered sheets.

Spread the spinach filling over the top of the phyllo.

Cover with a sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with melted butter. Top with the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter. Tuck the edges down into the pan. Sprinkle top sheet with some water so that it doesn’t curl up.

Cut the pie with a sharp knife into 8 pieces. Bake on the center oven rack for 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Baked Macaroni Casserole (Pasticcio)

(Really good and a little different.)

4 T olive oil

1 lg onion, chopped

1 ½ lb lean ground beef or lamb

1 t ground cinnamon

1 T salt

½ t pepper

1 C sweet Marsala wine (we did not use—I wonder why?)

(We used 1 C beef broth instead)

28 oz can tomato sauce

4 T unsalted butter

4 C whole milk

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 X grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb ziti, cooked al dente

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up any large pieces of meat with a spoon. Add the cinnamon, salt, pepper, and wine or in our case beef broth. Bring to a boil and let cook for one minute. Stir in the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.

While the tomato sauce mixture cooks, prepare the white sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Blend in the flour and cook slowly, stirring until the butter and flour foam without changing color, about two minutes. Remove from the heat. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Slowly pour the hot liquid over the hot flour mixture, beating with a wire whisk until smooth. Add the eggs by tempering it with a little of the hot liquid until they come up to the temperature of the milk then add the grated Parmesan cheese and eggs to the rest of the hot liquid. This will ensure that you will not get scrambled eggs in your white sauce! Return to the stove and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce boils. Cook a minute longer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Add ½ C of the white sauce to the cooked tomato sauce. Stir well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease a 9 by 13 baking pan. Spread half of the cooked pasta into the pan. Cover with the tomato sauce. Cover with the remaining pasta. Spoon the white sauce over the pasta. Smooth with a spatula to cover completely.

Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Yogurt Cake ((Yaourtopita, Yogurt Tatlisi)

(This is a great moist cake with the sweetness of the syrup on it that makes it out of this world. Be sure to make the day before you want to eat it because you need to let the syrup soak into the cake.)

¾ C (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 C granulated sugar

Grated zest of lemon

5 eggs, separated

1 C plain yogurt

2 1/4 C all-purpose flour

2 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

Pinch of salt

Syrup:

1 C granulated sugar

1 ½ C water

3 T honey

4 small strips lemon peel

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the flour an 8 or 9 inch tube pan (angle food cake pan).

Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light in color and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the yogurt and mix until well combined.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold into the butter mixture. Stir until well combined.

Beating the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold into the batter.

Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake on the center rack for 50-55 minutes or until the cake is golden and it tests done when a toothpick is inserted.

While the cake bakes, prepare the syrup by combining the sugar, water, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon peel. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice.

Remove the baked cake from the oven. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert the cake on a serving plate.

Slowly spoon the syrup evenly over the entire cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature before serving.

Easy Pita Bread

(The pita bread was so good that the people who were at the International Market in the Twin Cities the day before said that ours tasted better!)

4 C flour

4 ½ t quick-rising yeast

1 t salt

2 ½ C hot water (but not boiling)

2-3 C flour

Combine first four in a large bowl. Beat well for one minute. Then, mix in the remaining flour, using just enough to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn out on floured board and continue to knead for five minutes. Divide into 8 balls. Roll out each one to about ¼ inch thick and 6 inches in diameter. Place on very lightly greased cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal (this step in not really necessary) so you don’t have to do it.

Let rise in a warm place for 25-30 minutes. Bake at 450 for 4 minutes and then turn over for 4 more minutes or until lightly browned. Wrap immediately in a dishtowel for 3 to 4 minutes.

Turkey

(Many thanks to Artun for giving us some wonderful insights into his country.)

|Chicken with walnut sauce | |

|Turkish Cuisine | |

|Ingredients |Measure | |

|Chicken |1 medium size | |

|Walnuts (halves) |3 cups | |

|Bread (stale) |5 thin slices | |

|Garlic |8 cloves | |

|Salt |2 teaspoons | |

|Black pepper |1 teaspoon | |

|Chicken broth |2 ½ cups | |

|Olive oil |2 teaspoons | |

|Red pepper |½ teaspoon | |

Simmer chicken in water for 35 minutes or until tender; drain. Reserve broth. Bone chicken. Remove skin.

Cut or tear into 5-6 cm (2-2 ½ inch) long and 1-1 ½ cm (1/2-3/4 inch) thick strips. Arrange in a serving dish. Set aside. Combine walnuts, bread slices (soaked and squeezed dry) garlic; mix well.

Place into blender or a food processor container. Process until well blended. Add salt, black pepper and chicken broth gradually blending thoroughly until it gets medium white sauce consistency. Pour over chicken. Heat oil. Stir in red pepper. Remove from heat. Sprinkle over walnut sauce. Serve at room temperature.

Regional characteristics

The dish originated from the Circassians. It is called “Mamursa” in Bolu province and served with traditional corn bread. In original recipe walnuts are crushed between two stones and oil is dispersed. This oil is sprinkled over walnut sauce. In some villages of Bolu, boiled rice is used instead of bread in sauce. In the black sea region hazelnuts are substituted for walnuts.

This dish is very popular all over the country. It is usually prepared for buffet type luncheons or suppers, or served on special days as an appetizer. It may be garnished with parsley.

|Stuffed green peppers | |

|with olive oil | |

|Turkish cuisine | |

|Ingredients |Measure | |

|Green peppers |12 medium size | |

|Onions |8 medium size | |

|Pine nuts |2 tablespoons | |

|Olive oil |2/3 cups | |

|Rice |1 ¼ cups | |

|Tomatoes |3 small size | |

|Salt |2 teaspoons | |

|Sugar |2 teaspoons | |

|Water |1 cup | |

|Currants |2 tablespoons | |

|Parsley |1 small brunch | |

|Dill |1 small brunch | |

|Fresh Mint |10-15 medium leaves | |

|Black pepper |¾ teaspoon | |

|Allspice |¾ teaspoon | |

|Cinnamon |1 teaspoon | |

|Lemon Juice |2 tablespoons | |

|Water |1 cup + 2 tablespoons | |

|Salt |1 teaspoon | |

| Remove stems and seeds of peppers. Pierce on bottoms with tip of a parking knife. Set aside. Combine finely chopped| |

|onions and pine nuts in a saucepan. Add oil. | |

|Sauté covered for 20 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in rinsed and drained rice; mix | |

|well. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring again. Add minced tomatoes reserving one, salt, sugar and hot water; stir. | |

|Sprinkle currants over. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes; drain. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 10 | |

|minutes. Stir in finely chopped herbs. Season with spices, sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss slightly. Fill peppers | |

|with filling. Cut reserved tomatoes into 12 wedges. | |

| | |

|Cover open ends of peppers with tomato wedges pushing in slightly. Arrange in a shallow saucepan. Add hot water. | |

|Sprinkle with salt. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat; cool. Serve cold. | |

RED LENTIL SOUP 

(Everyone loved this soup. You can also improvise by adding some chopped fresh tomatoes, sliced steak, etc.)

1 glass of Red Lentils

4 glasses of Broth

1 glass of Water

1 tablespoon of Flour

1 Onion -1 Carrot

1 tablespoon Butter

4 slices of White Bread

2 Egg Yolks -1 Glass of Milk

Salt

Chop the onion, put into a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté. When onion is almost sautéed add flour and mix well. Wash the lentils, chop the carrot and put them in the saucepan. Pour the broth and water into the saucepan, add salt to taste and boil the soup for 30 minutes until the lentils are softened. Strain the soup and pour it back into the same saucepan. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile blend egg yolks and milk well in a bowl and add to the soup. Remove saucepan from heat after a couple of minutes. The soup is now ready to serve.

Cut 4 slices of white bread into cubes. Fry bread in a pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Drain off the butter and put the bread cubes (croutons) on the soup.

SPINACH WITH GROUND MEAT

2000 Gr. Spinach

3 Tablespoons Margarine

3 Medium Onions

200 Gr. Ground Meat

3 Glasses Water

1 1/2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (Unsalted)

2 Tablespoons Rice

1 Teaspoon Salt

Cut the roots off the spinach and wash spinach several times. Place in boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. After boiling, drain the spinach by squeezing with the hands, then chop.

Put margarine and chopped onions into a pan, sauté until the color of the onions change. Add ground meat and continue to sauté until the meat simmers, while occasionally stirring. Add water or meat broth, salt, tomato paste, chopped spinach and rice. Cover the pan and cook until the rice becomes tender, then serve.

SHEPHERD'S  SALAD

(This simple salad is SO good)

Cucumbers                 2 medium size

Tomatoes                   3 large size

Green Peppers           4 medium size

Spring Onions           7 medium size

Parsley                       2/4 bunch

Fresh mint                  7- 8 sprigs

Olive oil                      2 tablespoons

Lemon juice               2 tablespoons

Salt                             1 teaspoon

Wash the vegetables, peel  cucumbers, remove stems and seeds of the green peppers, remove the surplus parts of onion, parsley and the mint. Chop the onions and the green peppers 1 cm. thick and the tomatoes and the cucumbers into 1 cm. cubes. Finely chop the mint and parsley. Add lemon juice and salt to olive oil, whisk well and pour over the salad.

|Bread (Ekmek) |

|This is a simple sourdough bread for a standard, everyday loaf which is the foundation of Turkish eating habits. It can be shaped |

|into oblongs, circles, long tubes, plaits or small rolls, glazed with egg yolk or milk, sprinkled with sesame, poppy or nigella |

|seeds, or just left plain. It is usually made with strong white flour, to which a little wholemeal flour is sometimes added. Make |

|1 Loaf |

| |

|½oz/15g fresh yeast, or ¼oz/7g dried yeast |

|½ teaspoon sugar |

|4fl oz/125ml lukewarm water |

|1lb/450g strong white flour |

|1-teaspoon salt |

|6-8fl oz/175-250ml cold water |

|scant teaspoon olive or sunflower oil. |

|Preheat oven to 425F/Mark 7/220C |

|· Cream the yeast with sugar in the lukewarm water until frothy. |

|· Sift the flour with the salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast and the cold water. Draw in a little of |

|the flour from the sides to make a smooth batter. Sprinkle a dusting of flour over the surface of the batter, cover the bowl with |

|a damp cloth, and leave the batter to sponge for about 20 minutes. Remove the cloth, draw in the rest of the four, and knead well.|

|Continue to knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. |

| |

|· Pour the oil in the bottom of a bowl, flip the bread dough over in it, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and leave the dough to |

|prove for a few hours until doubled in size. |

| |

|· Punch the dough down, knead it again on a light floured surface and mould it into the shape you want. Place it on a floured |

|baking tray and leave to prove again under a damp towel. Once it has doubled in size, you can score it with a sharp knife, glaze |

|it, and sprinkle it with a variety of seeds. For a simple plain loaf just brush a little milk over the surface to harden the |

|crust. |

| |

|· Bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes, then turn it upside down and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. It should sound |

|hollow when the bottom is tapped. Leave to cool a little on a wire rack. |

|Soft Bread Pouches |

|Large rounds or ovals or hollowed, knobbly, spongy pide, baked in hot ovens, are served to soak up all kinds of food. They should |

|be short in texture, with a slightly crispy crust, but can be varied according to personal taste. A swift bake in the high oven |

|produces a crisp crust with a hollow pouch, whereas a longer back in a lower oven produces softer bread with a barely discernible |

|pouch good for mopping up garlicky olive oil a yogurt. Small, thin pouches are filled with grilled kofte and onions and eaten as a|

|snack. To keep them soft and warm, place a dray towel over them when fresh out of the oven, and if they need to be resuscitated |

|before eating sprinkle them with water and place them in a hot oven for a few minutes.Makes 2 Medium-Sized or 1 Large Pide |

|½oz/15g fresh yeast, or 1/4oz/7g dried yeast |

|1/2 teaspoon sugar |

|4-6fl oz/125-175ml lukewarm water |

|1lb/450g strong unbleached flour |

|1 teaspoon |

|2 tablespoons thick yogurt |

|2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter |

|1 egg, beaten |

|1-tablespoon nigella seeds |

|A few drops olive or sunflower oil |

|· Preheat oven to 450F/Mark 8/230C |

|· Preheat 2 baking sheets |

|· Cream the yeast with sugar in a little of the lukewarm water. Leave to froth. |

|· Sift the flour with the salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast, the tablespoons of oil, they yogurt and the rest |

|of the water, using your hands to draw in the flour from the sides and work the mixture into a sticky dough. Add more water if |

|necessary. Knead until the dough becomes a pliable and leaves the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead on a lightly floured |

|surface until the dough is smooth and elastic. Roll it in the few drops of oil in a bowl, cover with a damp towel, and leave to |

|prove until doubled in size. |

| |

|· Punch the dough down, knead it again and divide it into two pieces. Knead each piece well. Flatten them out with the heel of |

|your hand, and stretch them into large uneven rounds or ovals, creating a thick lip around the edges. Indent the dough with your |

|fingertips. |

| |

|· Lightly oil two hot baking sheets and place them in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Place the pide on them, brush with a little beaten|

|egg, and sprinkles the nigella seeds over the top. Bake them for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden with a crisp crust around the|

|edges. Transfer them to a wire rack. If you want them to retain their soft, spongy texture all dray, wrap them in foil or in a dry|

|towel while still warm. |

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Turkish Baklava

(Baklava)

[pic]

Baklava is of Turkish origin and is the world's favourite Turkish Dessert. It's extremely delicious.

Syrup:

1 1/4 cup water

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Baklava:

454 gr (1 lb) Phyllo Pastry (~20-22 sheets)

1 cup + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cup pistachios, grounded (use a mixer but do not grind finely), the measurement is after grinding

6 tbsp cream 35%

3L (13x9x2") Pyrex casserole dish

To prepare the Baklava syrup place the water and sugar in a medium sized pot. First bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then simmer for 15 minutes and turn the heat off. Add lemon juice and place the syrup in another bowl so that it cools down quickly.

Place the block of Phyllo sheets on the counter. Cut the sheets in half (8x12 inches). Now there are two blocks of approximately 40 sheets. After cutting in half, the size of the sheets should the same as the size of the Pyrex dish. Keep the blocks separate as half the sheets will go below the Baklava filling, and the rest above.

Brush the inside of the pyrex dish with the butter. Then lay down 2 sheets. Spread more butter on top, and then place two more sheets on top and butter again. Continue until you finish the first block of the phyllo sheets. Then brush on the cream evenly on top.

Spread the pistachios on the cream evenly. Then finish second block of the sheets the same way. Don't forget to brush the very top with butter.

Dip a big, sharp knife into hot water to cut the Baklava in rectangles. Cut 4 vertically and 6 horizontally to get 24 piece of Baklava. However, don't cut all the way down, only cut halfway until you reach the pistacchio. This will ensure only the top parts will rise when you bake it.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the pyrex dish on the middle rack. Bake for 25 minutes. At this point turn the heat down to 325 F while the dish is still in the oven. Bake for 30 more minutes and take the Baklava out. Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Then using the same knife, re-cut the Baklava all the way down. This part may be a little bit hard but is worth it:)

With a tablespoon pour the lukewarm syrup evenly along the cut lines. Make sure not to pour it all over, only between the lines, otherwise Baklava won't turn out well.

Sprinkle some pistachios on top of each Baklava. Let it rest at least 4 hours before serving. The syrup should be completely absorbed. You don't need to refrigerate it. Cover Baklava loosely with aluminum foil.

History of Baklava

The history of baklava, like that of many other foods, is not well documented. Though it has been claimed by many ethnic groups, the best evidence is that it is of Central Asian Turkic origin, but its current form was developed in the imperial kitchens (Ottoman Empire) of the Topkapı Palace (located in Istanbul).

Other claims about its origins include: that it is of Assyrian origin, dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, and was mentioned in a Mesopotamian cookbook on walnut dishes; that al-Baghdadi describes it in his 13th-century cookbook; that it was a popular Byzantine dish; and so on. But Claudia Roden and Andrew Dalby find no evidence for it in Arab, Greek, or Byzantine sources before the Ottoman period.

Vryonis (1971) identified the ancient Greek gastris, kopte, kopton, or koptoplakous, mentioned in the Deipnosophistae, as baklava, and calls it a "Byzantine favorite". However, Perry (1994) shows that though gastris contained a filling of nuts and honey, it did not include any dough; instead, it involved a honey and ground sesame mixture.

Perry then assembles evidence to show that layered breads were created by Turks in Central Asia and argues that the "missing link" between the Central Asian folded or layered breads (which did not include nuts) and modern phyllo-based pastries like baklava is the Azerbaijani dish Bakı pakhlavası, which involves layers of dough and nuts, but not thin phyllo dough, which probably was developed in the kitchens of the Topkapı Palace. Indeed, the sultan presented trays of baklava to the Janissaries* every 15th of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayı.

* The Janissaries comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguard. The force originated in the 14th century; it was abolished by Sultan Mahmud II in 1826 in The Auspicious Incident. The name janissary or janizary derives from the Ottoman Turkish:"yeniçeri" meaning "new soldier".

Flour Helva

(Un Helvasi)

[pic]

125 ml unsalted butter

1 cup flour

2 tbsp pine nuts

Syrup:

200 ml sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

Cook all the syrup ingredients, put aside and let warm.

Put the butter, flour and pine nuts in a large pot. Stirring constantly, cook on medium-low heat until the colour turns to a light golden shade. Add in the warm syrup. But be very careful when you do this as it will spit. Stir until the mixture becomes doughy and leaves the edges of the pot. Turn the heat off.

Take one tablespoon of the Flour Helva and using a tablespoon, give it an oval shape using the sides of the pot. Place each piece on a service plate. Eat while they are still warm. Store the rest in the fridge. Flour Helva is also very tasty when cold.

This traditional Turkish dessert is very quick and easy to cook, and makes a great snack.

Noah's Pudding

(Asure)

[pic]

1 cup barley

1 cup white kidney beans (in a can), washed and drained

1 cup chickpeas (in a can), washed and drained

1 cup sugar

1 pkg vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla extract

10 cups water

10 dry apricots, soaked in water overnight, cut in pieces

10 dry figs, cut in pieces

1/2 cup raisins

Garnish:

1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled

Put 4 cups of water in a large pot along with the barley. Get it to boil on high heat. Then as soon as it boils, turn it down to medium-low heat and cook for about half an hour. Add the beans, chickpeas, vanilla, apricots, raisins, figs, sugar and 6 cups of hot water. Cook for about 45 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. Pour into a large service bowl and let cool.

Keep Noah's Pudding refrigerated. When serving, garnish with crumbled walnuts.

This recipe is one of the oldest and best known desserts of Turkish Cuisine. It's original name is "Asure". When we cook Asure, it is traditional to give some away to friends and family.

5000 years ago in Mesopotamia, Noah was King of the city Shuruppak. His was a trade empire, and he built a large trading ship. At that time, there was a raging flood and rainstorm. He and his family loaded animals, grain, fruit and beer onboard. The rain continued for 40 days. Afterwards there was no land in sight for 7 days. They ran out of drinking water and since the sea was salty, they had to resort to drinking beer. They eventually landed on Mount Ararat.

The old saying goes that Noah's food was about to run out. He mixed and cooked all that he had left. The result became known as "Noah's Pudding". Turkish people love Asure and there is even an Asure Month.

Yogurt Soup (Yayla corbasi)

1/3 C rice

4 C Water

2 t salt

3 T flour

1 2/3 C yogurt

1 egg

4 T butter or margarine

1 ½ T mintt

Wash the rice and place in a saucepan together with water and salt and cook for about 30 minutes, until tender. Blend the flour into the yogurt in a separate dish, beak in the egg, mix and warm the mixture by adding a couple of spoons full of the hot soup. Gradually add the yogurt mix to the saucean, stirring continuouslly and keepstirring until it comes to a boil and then cook for 10 minutes. Melt the butter or margaine in a pan, add the mint, stir a couple of times and remove from heat and slowly sprinkle over the soup.

This soup is made all over Turkey. Literal translation of the name means “the soup of the high plateaus”. In the old days when refrigeration was not available it was difficult to keep milk fresh and it was thus turned into yogurt as soon as possible. Plateause were cool and consequently the best ogurt could be found in these high lateaus. Hence the name of the yogurt soup.

|LEMON MEATBALL SOUP (STEW) |

| |

| |

| |

|Ingredients |

|1 lb. ground meat |

|Dash of salt |

|Parsley flakes to taste |

|3 lg. potatoes, cubed |

|3 handfuls of rice |

|Dash of pepper |

|4 carrots, sliced |

|2 eggs, lemon juice and 2 T cornstarch |

|2 |

| |

| |

| |

|Mix all ingredients (except carrots and onions) and shape into small balls and place into the bottom of a saucepan. Place carrots |

|and potatoes over the meatballs. Cover all with water and bring to a boil. Keep at a boil until all vegetables are soft. |

|Continually skim the top of the water during the boil and add 1/4 stick of butter. |

|In a separate bowl, combine 2 eggs, lemon juice to taste and two heaping teaspoons of cornstarch. When the vegetables are cooked, |

|add boiling water from the pot to the egg mixture. Then gradually add the egg mixture back to the pan. Let cook and serve. |

Spain

Tapas - appetizer

Patatas Bravas - Bravas Potatoes

Patatas Bravas or Bravas Potatoes is one of the classic Spanish tapas dishes and is served in bars all over Spain. The sauce has a slight bite from the Tabasco, hence the name bravas, which means "fierce."

• 5-6 Medium Potatoes

• Salt to Taste

• 1 1/2 - 2 Cups Olive Oil for Frying

• 1 - 8 oz can of Tomato Sauce

• 1 1/2 tsp mustard

• 4 drops Tabasco Sauce

• Toothpicks for Serving

Cut and Fry Potatoes: Peel the potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1/3" to 1/2" chunks as follows: Cut the potato lengthwise, then cut it lengthwise again. You should have four long pieces. Now, cut each of those pieces into 3-4 pieces, cutting crosswise. This should give you nice bit-sized pieces, small enough to use a toothpick to skewer. Sprinkle with salt.

Pour olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan, with a heavy bottom. Heat the oil on medium high until hot. To test the oil, carefully place one piece of potato in the oil. It is hot enough if the potato immediately fries. If there is no bubbling/frying, the oil is not hot enough and the potato will absorb too much oil. Once the potatoes are fried(about 10 minutes), use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove and set them aside to drain.

Sauce: Using a small 8" frying pan, put 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the pan. Heat over medium heat. Pour tomato sauce into the pan and sauté the tomato sauce for 3-5 minutes. Turn heat to low and add the mustard, stirring well. Finally, add the Tabasco and mix well. Taste the sauce and adjust as necessary with salt, more Tabasco, etc.

To Serve: Place the potatoes on a plate or in a wide open dish. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and serve warm, with toothpicks.

Spanish Rice

1 c rice

butter

1 onion, chopped

2 t salt

1 clove fresh garlic

1 fresh tomato

1/2 t cumin

2 c chicken broth

Brown the rice in the butter.  Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer

until done and moisture is gone.  Green pepper can also be added.

Tortilla Espanola - Spanish Omelet

If you like the taste of French fries, you'll love the Spanish tortilla. When made correctly, the Spanish tortilla is a delicious half-inch thick "cake" of fried potatoes mixed with fried eggs and onions. After cooking, the tortilla can be cut into pizza-like triangles to serve 4-6 people, or cut into squares to give a whole group a bite-sized toothpick sample.

1 cup olive oil

four large potatoes (peel and cut into small pieces about 2mm thick)

salt to taste

one large onion, thinly sliced

four large eggs.

Some people add thin slices of red pepper together with the onion.

Heat the oil in a 9-inch skillet, add potato pieces, one slice at a time so that they don't stick. Alternate layers of potato and onion. COOK slowly, medium flame. DO NOT FRY!! Turn occasionally until potatoes are tender, but NOT brown. They must be loose, not "in a cake".

Beat eggs in a large bowl with a fork. Salt to taste. Drain potatoes. Add potatoes to beaten eggs, pressing them so that eggs cover them completely. Let sit for 15 minutes. Heat 2 tbsps of the oil in large skillet. Add potato-egg mixture, spreading quickly. Lower the heat to medium-high. Shake pan to prevent sticking (crucial step!!) When potatoes start to brown, put a plate on top skillet and flip to cook other side, adding another tbsp of oil. Brown on the other side. Can flip three or four times for better cooking. 

Sopa de Pollo con Fideos - Spanish Chicken Noodle Soup

[pic]

This soup is a typical first course in Spanish households, regardless of the region. You are sure to be served a chicken soup with either noodles or rice if you visit a Spanish family for any length of time. Spanish love soups and seem to eat them whether it is winter or summer. This soup is perfect for those cold winter evenings when you need something to warm you from the inside out. Luckily, it is an easy soup to make.

• 3 Celery Stalks, coarsely chopped

• 2 Carrots, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 Yellow Onions, chopped

• 3 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 Chicken Backs

• 6 cups Water

• 2 Bay Leaves

• 1/5 lb Angel Hair Pasta

• Salt to Taste

Chop and Sauté Vegetables : Peel and coarsely chop vegetables. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and sauté the vegetables for 2 minutes stirring constantly.

Brown Chicken and Simmer: Add the chicken backs to the pan. Brown the chicken for 2-3 minutes. Add water and 2 bay leaves. Simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. Salt to taste. Chicken will be soft and practically falling off the bones.

Add Noodles

Bring soup to a fast boil. Break dry noodles in half and add noodles to soup. Cook until noodles are done. Serve while hot.

Salad Sevillana

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 10-ounce package ready-to-use spinach leaves or 1 pound fresh

 spinach, stemmed

1 8-ounce can Spanish artichoke hearts, drained, quartered

4 bacon slices, fried until crisp, broken into pieces

2 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced

Combine first 8 ingredients in blender or processor and blend until well combined and frothy. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Combine spinach, artichoke hearts, bacon and eggs in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat generously. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

|Easy Paella | |

| | | |

"In this version of the classic Spanish dish, chicken, chorizo sausage, and shrimp combine with rice simmered in broth and flavored with saffron threads, garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, paprika, and bay leaf."

|2 tablespoons olive oil |1 bay leaf |

|1 tablespoon paprika |1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf |

|2 teaspoons dried oregano |parsley, chopped |

|salt and black pepper to taste |1 quart chicken stock |

|2 pounds skinless, boneless |2 lemons, zested |

|chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch |  |

|pieces |2 tablespoons olive oil |

|  |1 Spanish onion, chopped |

|2 tablespoons olive oil, divided |1 red bell pepper, coarsely |

|3 cloves garlic, crushed |chopped |

|1 teaspoon crushed red pepper |1 pound chorizo sausage, |

|flakes |casings removed and crumbled |

|2 cups uncooked short-grain |1 pound shrimp, peeled and |

|white rice |deveined |

|1 pinch saffron threads | |

|1. |In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to |

| |coat. Cover, and refrigerate. |

|2. |Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice.|

| |Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon|

| |zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes. |

|3. |Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 |

| |minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are |

| |pink. |

|4. |Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture. |

PAELLA (serves 6)

1/3 cup of Olive Oil

1 Small Onion, minced

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed

3-5 tbsps minced fresh parsley

1 generous pinch of saffron

2 tbsps of chicken bullion

3 skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in large chunks

2 green peppers, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 tsp of yellow food coloring (optional -- saffron is very expensive, a pinch

of it is all you need for taste but a richer color is desired)

8 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

4 cups of rice

7 cups of water

salt

1/2 lb - 1 lb shrimp, leave shell on

1 lb scallops

Sauté onion, parsley, and garlic in olive oil until the onion begins to become transparent. Add saffron, chicken bullion, chicken, peppers and sauté until chicken has become white. Add tomato sauce, sugar, food coloring. Stir. Add rice & water and bring to boil. Salt to taste. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp & scallops, boil an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Simmer 10 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. If the rice appears to be getting too dry during the last 10 minutes, add more water. If the rice is too wet at the end of the 10 minutes, uncover and evaporate unwanted liquid.

ENJOY!

Paella can be very different from family to family and region to region in Spain. The reason being is because you can throw almost anything into the pot from your refrigerator and improvise on the spices to suit your palate. Here is a brief outline on making a paella with what you have in the refrigerator.

Phase I - Make the chicken & broth

Put 3lb or so of chicken parts (or a whole fryer) in about 10 cups of water with salt and pepper. Add a couple of bay leaves and a few whole cloves. You can also add things like onion, garlic, celery, carrot, leeks, etc as you would when making chicken soup. Cook until the chicken is tender. Strain & save the broth, and discard (or eat) all the solid bits except the chicken meat and the bay leaves. Tear the chicken into manageable pieces and set aside. (I've had paella where the chicken was left on the bones, and I find it rather difficult to eat.)

Phase II - Things to be sautéed

olive oil (for sautéing)

garlic, several cloves, sliced, crushed or minced

onion, 1 med to large, chopped

1 large bell pepper, finely diced (you could add a small hot pepper

also if you felt like it)

3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped, left sitting in some wine

chorizo, cut into 1/4" slices (you can also use kielbasa or any type of firm sausage) if you don’t have chorizo available)

shrimp, shelled and deveined

Heat some olive oil over high heat in a large pan (they actually sell paella pans, but you can use a large sauté pan or even a wok). Add the garlic and sauté until light brown. Add the onions, cook until translucent. Add the pepper, cook a few minutes more. Add the sausage and shrimp. When the shrimp are done (they've just turned kind of orange-red-pink and are curled up -- don't overcook them), add the tomatoes and their juice. Turn the heat down a bit.

Phase III -- The Wet Part

You will need:

the chicken broth, chicken & bay leaves from Phase I

a small sack (a couple pounds, I guess) of live mussels and/or clams

3 cups rice

oregano, thyme, ground pepper (black or white, a little cayenne if you like)

saffron

Prepare the shellfish (remove their beards, wash the shells, make sure none of them are dead). Put roughly six cups of broth into the pan with the cooked veggies, sausage and shrimp. Add spices to taste (don't forget the bay leaves). The saffron should be maybe 2-3 threads -- it's the big flavor here. Stir thoroughly, and then add the shellfish. Cook for a few minutes, and the shellfish should start to open. When they are well on their way, start sprinkling the rice over the mixture, gently folding it in as you go. Be careful from this point on not to mangle the shellfish -- you don't want a lot of empty shells when you're done. When all the rice is in the dish, let it cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the broth and the cooked chicken pieces. Continue cooking until the rice is "right" -- tender, not too dry, not too wet. Take out the bay leaves (or don't bother if it's just you).

I've had this with peas in it, which was quite good. You can use any kind of shellfish, vary the veggies, change the spices, substitute bite sized pieces of boneless pork for the sausage, etc Use your imagination and have fun!

Panaderia Bread

1&1/2 TBS of bread yeast, 3 cups warm water, 7 cups of white flour, two teaspoons of salt, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Mix the yeast in the warm water let sit in a warm place for 10 minutes. Mix the salt with the flour and run through a fine mesh, allowing it to fall into a large bowl. Using your fingers, mix in the oil or butter. Slowly pour in the raised yeast while working the dough with your hands so as to produce a firm dough. Place the dough on a flat surface with some flour sprinkled on it. Knead the dough until it becomes firm and elastic.

Grease the bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with a moist sheet and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume.

Once again, remove the dough and knead it again over a floured tabletop, to remove air pockets and until the dough feels smooth. Return the dough to a covered bowl and let it rest. 15 minutes should be sufficient.

Cut the dough as desired to form bars, loafs or balls and place on greased pans. Cut slits in top of bread as desired.

Let bread raise on pans 30 more minutes or until the tops of the bars begin to flatten.

Place in a very hot oven (450 degrees F) for 30 o 50 minutes, or until the tops of the bars become toasted and they sound hollow when knocked on the bottom. Remove the bread from the pans and let cool.

Churros

Here's the ultimate recipe to make your own churros at home, just like they were at the churrería stands. Of course, the difference here is price. Here you can make a whole batch for what is cost for a few. Once you make the churros, you can make the authentic chocolate dip to dunk them in.

Ingredients: (Makes one plate full)

Vegetable or Olive Oil

1 cup water

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a pan (1 to 1&1/2 inches) to 360 degrees F.

To make churro dough, heat water, margarine and salt to rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat eggs all at once; continue beating until smooth and then add to saucepan while stirring mixture.

Spoon mixture into cake decorators' tube with large star tip (like the kind use to decorate cakes). Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. (Mix Sugar and the optional cinnamon); roll churros in sugar or dump the sugar on the pile of churros, like the pros. That churro taste will take you right back to your favorite summer days walking the paseos of Spain.

Note: REAL churros in Spain are made without cinnamon mixed with the sugar, but the cinnamon adds an extra nice flavor.

Chocolate for Churro Dunking

4oz dark chocolate, chopped

2 cups milk

1 tbsp cornstarch (also known as corn flour and is the powder that causes the thickening)

4 tbsp sugar

Place the chocolate and half the milk in a pan and heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about five minutes. Add extra cornstarch if it doesn't start to thicken after 5 minutes. Remove and whisk smooth. Pour and server in cups or bowls for dunking churros. Do not pour over churros, but use the mix for dunking churros after every bite. Served warm.

|Empanadas | |

| | |

"Better make plenty - these disappear fast. The unbaked dough may be frozen. The baked cookies may also be frozen."

| |1 cup fruit preserves |

|1/2 cup butter, softened |1/3 cup white sugar |

|1 (3 ounce) package cream |1 teaspoon ground cinnamon |

|cheese | |

|1 cup sifted all-purpose flour | |

|1. |DAY BEFORE: Cream butter and cream cheese together until smoothly blended. Beat in the flour. Shape dough into a smooth |

| |ball, wrap in foil or cling wrap, and refrigerate overnight or up to a week. |

|2. |AT BAKING TIME: Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Start heating oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).|

|3. |Roll chilled dough thin. Cut with 3 or 4 inch round cookie cutter. Place small spoonful of jam in center of each round, |

| |moisten edges with water. |

|4. |Fold round over and press edges together. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately roll in sugar mixed |

| |with cinnamon (traditional) OR in confectioners' sugar if preferred. |

Spanish Flan

8 eggs

2/3 c granulated sugar (table sugar)

l/4 t salt

2 cans (14 oz) evaporated milk

2 T vanilla

1 T brandy (we skipped this step and it is just fine)

l/2 c brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs until yolks and whites are well

blended.  Add granulated sugar and salt and mix well.  Beat in milk and

add the vanilla and brandy.  Sift the brown sugar into bottom of loaf pan

and pour custard over it gently.  Place in shallow baking pan with hot

water.  Bake for about 1 hour.  Do not cover.  Refrigerate overnight.

Sober Sangria

yields 8 servings

1 pt cranberry juice

1 can (6 oz) frozen orange juice

2 T lemon juice

1 qt raspberry or strawberry soda, chilled.

Combine cranberry juice, OJ (that has been reconstituted) and lemon juice.

Chill.  Add soda before serving.  You can dress this up with a few fresh

orange slices and lemon slices.

Spanish Flan

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened

condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can

evaporated milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

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

2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

4. Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.5. To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.

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