Archive for » November, 2009 «

18
Nov
Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

3 tbs cocoa powder

250 g butter

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

Method:

Beat soften butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla essence and beat until combined.

Sift together all dry ingredients, then gradually add into butter mixture until well combined in a dough.

Rest it in a fridge to firm.

Preheat oven on 200 degrees C. Grease baking tray. Form 2 cm balls and space on a tray (3-4 cm apart). Bake until slightly brown on the edges. Immediately lift with the knife while hot, but leave in tray to cool off.

Category: Desserts  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
18
Nov
Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken (the whole cut in pieces or only legs and wings pieces)

1 rash of bacon

¼ cup oil

2  big onions chopped

3 big carrots thinly sliced

2 red capsicums chopped

2 yellow capsicums chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 fresh tomato chopped

2 tbs tomato paste

2 tbs sweet ground paprika

Bunch of parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

½ l water or chicken stock

Method:

On a grill or in a pan fry bacon rash and chicken pieces until golden. Put aside.

In the cooking pot on heated oil stew onion, garlic, capsicums and carrots until soft.

Add meat, ground paprika, fresh tomato and fry for another couple of minutes.

Add tomato paste, salt, pepper and chopped parsley, mix well then add water or chicken stock that meat is well covered.

Bring to the boil and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens and meat is completely soft (easily detached from the bones).

Serve with some hearty bread, pasta, cooked polenta or mashed potatoes.

Note: Potatoes, mushrooms or some other seasonal vegetables can be added as well. By adding white vine into cooking stock or sour cream at the end the taste can be richer, but the sweetness of original recipe will be diminished.

Category: Mains  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
18
Nov
Brucheta Dalmatina

Ingredients:

1 french baquette

150 g can of tuna in olive oil

1/2 cup cooked white beans in brine

1/2 cup cooked brown beans in brine

1/2 cup steamed sliced carrots

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1 Lebanese cucumber sliced

1 punnet cherries tomatoes

100 g feta cheese cubed

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

lemon slices and basil leaves for garnish

Method:

Cut bread into slices and slightly roast in the pan.

Mix together tuna chunks (with oil from the can), beans, carrots and olives into salad.

Assemble on the bread slices sliced cucumbers, top with tuna mix. Put on top tomatoes, feta cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with lemon slices and basil leaves.

Category: Appetisers  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
05
Nov
Turkish Coffee

Ingredients:

(per one demistasse cup)

1 cup water

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs finely ground coffee

Method:

1.Measure water and sugar in small saucepan (jezve). Dissolve the sugar in the water by bringing the mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in coffee. Return to heat and bring slowly back to a boil.

2.When the coffee begins to rise up remove from heat. Do not boil it. There should be a thick sediment on the bottom and a brown froth on the top.

3.Best way to Drink: Serve the coffee by pouring gradually into each cup to evenly distribute the sediment. Amount of sugar can be adjusted to taste.

Note: This is not coffee for faint-hearted! It is strong, but with full flavour. Coffee itself has to be finely ground into a powder (many modern grinders can’t grind so finely, so having one of the old-fashioned original style grinders is good idea).  As it is not filtered, let the sediment settle and then sip over it. Traditionally, and ideally, it is cooked in copper jezve (conical coffee pot with a long handle) which enhances the flavour of coffee and is served in small demistasse cups. Serve with Turkish delight and glass of water aside.

Category: Beverages, Middle Eastern  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
05
Nov
Cevapcici

Ingredients:

* 250 g ground beef

* 250 g ground pork

* 250 g ground lamb

* 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

* 1/2 cup finely chopped onions

* 1 teaspoon salt

* Finely chopped onions, for garnish

Method:

1. Mix together beef, pork, lamb, garlic,  chopped onions and salt until thoroughly combined.

2. Roll meat mixture into a long, 7-8 cm cylinders. Place on plastic wrap-lined plate, cover with more plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm.  Note: Sausages can be frozen at this point. When ready to use, thaw or cook from the frozen state.

3. Broil “cevapcici” on a charcoal grill or a preheated oven broiler rack coated with cooking spray 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. Or they can be pan fried in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over high heat for a total of about 8 minutes, turning frequently to brown all sides.

4. Serve in warmed or grilled Greek-style pita bread on a bed of chopped onions. Add on a side a dollop of sour cream, ajvar, sliced fresh peppers or tomatoes.

Category: Appetisers, Mains, Middle Eastern  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
05
Nov
Ajvar (pepper relish)

Ingredients:

* 8-12 fresh red paprika (mild or medium-hot, to taste)

* 4 medium-size eggplants

* 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

* 1 large onion, minced

* 3 large garlic cloves, chopped

* 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar)

* Salt and pepper to taste

* Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Method:

Roast the paprika and eggplants over charcoal or a gas flame, or bake them in a preheated 230 C oven, until the skin is blistered and darkened. Place the roasted vegetables in a paper bag and let them steam in their own heat for 10 minutes. Peel off and discard the burnt skin along with the steams and seeds. Mash the peppers and eggplant pulp together to form a slightly chunky mass. You can do this with a fork or in a food processor.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and saute the onion until very soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepper-eggplant pulp, mixing well. Slowly drizzle the remaining oil into the mixture, stirring constantly to incorporate all of the oil. Add lemon juice or vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

For longer storage fill glass jars without air bubbles in ajvar and top with layer of oil. Preferably store in refrigerator.

Note: Serve as an appetizer to spread on thick slices of country-style white bread or flat pita bread with chunks of feta cheese, or use as a side dish to accompany grilled or roasted meats.

Category: Appetisers, Side Dishes, Vegetarian  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
04
Nov
Turkish Delight

Ingredients:

350 ml water

Optional: substitute 30 ml water with rose water or add few drops of rose oil

100 ml orange juice

Juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon agar agar or vegetarian jelly crystals

450 g sugar

A few drops of pink or yellow food colouring (optional)

25g pistachios, skinned and finely chopped (optional)

1 oz/ 25g almonds, skinned and finely chopped (optional)

Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Heat the water, orange and lemon juices in a heavy, non-stick saucepan.

2. Add the agar agar or vegetarian jelly crystals, and stir on a gentle heat until they have dissolved.

3. Add the sugar and food colouring, if using, and increase the heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the nuts, if using.

4. Remove from the heat and cool the mixture, stirring from time to time until it comes to room temperature.

5. Pour the mixture into a square or rectangular dish, and place the dish in a basin of ice-cold water. Cover the dish with a cloth, and leave it in the fridge until the Turkish delight has set.

6. Remove from the fridge and bring it back to room temperature. Cut into 24 squares using a greased knife, and dust with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container, or wrap in cellophane, tie with a colourful ribbon, and give to someone you love as a gift.

Note: Making Turkish delight – also known as locum – is complicated and labour-intensive, and many traditional recipes are closely guarded secrets of Turkish confectioners, whose families have followed them for centuries. This simplified recipe may not be as good as that served to the Sultans, but it is much lovelier than commercial ones. Do try it! Makes 24 pieces.

Category: Desserts, Middle Eastern  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
04
Nov
Greek Lamb Kebabs

Ingredients:

1 kg lamb (Shoulder, roast, shank, etc.), cubed

Lamb Marinade:

1/4 cup of fresh rosemary, minced

1 clove garlic, minced fine

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced

1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced

Note: If you have to use dry herbs, crush them into a powder in a mortar and pestle and use less. How much less? That depends on the freshness of your dried herbs.

Method:

1. Combine all, except lamb, in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

2. In a plastic bag or any deep sided dish, add lamb and pour marinade over. Marinate for at least 2hours, preferably more (like 4).

3. When finished marinating, skewer meat cubes onto metal or wooden skewers. If using wood, make sure to soak for at least 20 minutes in warm water prior to cooking, to avoid charring.

4. Heat BBQ to medium high and grill for a few minutes on each side. Lamb should be served medium rare, so don’t cook it longer than 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Category: Appetisers, Mains, Middle Eastern  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
04
Nov
Tzatziki

Ingredients:

1/2 of an English cucumber, partially peeled OR

1 whole  cucumber – peeled and seeded

1 cup plain yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt or regular yogurt strained through a cheesecloth)

1/3 cup sour cream

juice of 1/4 lemon

1 tsp. dill weed (optional)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out all of the juice.

2. Mix all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Add cucumber.

3. Let stand in fridge for at least 1 hour.

4. Serve with pita chips as an appetizer or with Greek meatballs (recipe follows).

Category: Appetisers, Middle Eastern, Sauces, Side Dishes  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
03
Nov
Rasgullas

Ingredients:

4 cups of whole milk

1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

1 and ½ cup sugar*

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

3 cup water for boiling*

*Proportion of sugar to water should be around 1:2.

Method:

1. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to milk and bring it to boil. The lemon juice will separate the milk into watery whey and solid chunks.

2. Throw away the liquid part by shifting the mixture through a clean muslin cloth. (It will take around 15 minutes to have excessive water drip off.). Then squeeze out the extra water.

3. Mix solid milk chuck with cardamom. Knead it like dough.

4. Make a small balls (around ½ inch diameter) out of dough.

5. Boil water in a wide utensil with at least 2 to 3 inches of water over medium-low heat.

6. Add sugar to the boiling water to make a sweet syrup.

7. Gently drop the solid balls in the boiling syrup.

8. Cook the balls in the boiling syrup for about 25 minutes. Balls will expand about twice its size.

9. Remove from the heat. Cool it. Serve it in room temperature or colder.

Note: The given recipe is a basic guide to make Rasgullas from scratch. Some also add semolina to firmly hold fresh cheese together in the spherical shape. Rasgulla (also spelled rasgula, rassogolla) is popular milk (soft cheese) based Indian dessert. Literally, rasgullas are spherical fresh cheese balls in sugar syrup.

Category: Desserts, Indian  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
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