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Chimodho Ingredients 250ml buttermilk 90ml sunflower oil 1Eggs 180g coarse cornmeal 170gplain flour 50gSugar 6g (1 tsp)Salt 3g (½ tsp) baking soda 4g (1 tsp)Baking PowderIntroduction Directions Begin by preheating your oven to 175℃ (fan setting). In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine buttermilk, oil, and egg. Use the egg beater attachment to beat them together until the mixture becomes very smooth. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Ensure that the dry ingredients are evenly combined, then sift them into another bowl to remove any lumps or inconsistencies. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in the stand mixer bowl. Use the ordinary paddle attachment to mix everything together until you achieve a smooth dough. The dough may have a relatively wet consistency. Allow it to rest for about five minutes. While waiting, grease a baking tin generously with butter to prevent sticking. Pour the dough into the prepared baking tin and use a spatula to evenly smooth it out. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean, indicating it’s fully baked. Once done, let the Chimodho cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Chicken Gango Ingredients 1/4 lb chicken gizzards 1/2 lb chicken feet 1/4 lb chicken livers 1/2 cupOnionchopped 1/2 cup Pepperschopped 2cloves garliccrushed 1 teaspoon Curry 1 cup kale greensor rape greens chopped 1 teaspoon red pepper flakesIntroduction </adirections Start by boiling the gizzards until they’re nearly tender, then introduce the chicken feet into the pot. Continue cooking until both the gizzards and chicken feet are fully tender. Next, incorporate the oil into the mixture and cook until the chicken livers turn brown, stirring consistently. Add the onions and peppers, and sauté them for about a minute. Then, introduce the garlic and spices to the pan. Now, add the kale or rape greens and stir until they wilt down. Season the dish with salt and pepper to taste. Serve your delicious Chicken Gango immediately, pairing it with either sadza or rice. Enjoy!
Traditional Zimbabwean Okra Ingredients 300gokrachopped (any amount will do depending on the number of people you are making it for, however you may need to double up in the rest of the ingredients below) 1/2 tspbicarbonate of soda 1/2 cup fresh tomatoeschopped 1 medium spring onionchopped 3/4 cupWater 1/2 tspSalt 1 small finger chillichopped 1/2ground black pepperIntroduction directions Start by rinsing the okra thoroughly. Remove both the stems and the tips of the okra. Proceed to dice the okra into small pieces. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring water to a boil, and carefully add baking soda – expect some foaming as you do so. Introduce the diced okra into the boiling water and stir vigorously using a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Incorporate spring onions, tomatoes, chilies, pepper, and salt into the mixture, continuing to stir. Allow it to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes while maintaining a constant stirring motion. Set the mixture aside to cool, and serve it alongside sadza. If you prefer less spicy food, omit the finger chilies, as they are quite hot. Enhance the presentation with a garnish of your choice when serving with sadza.
Guava Hats in Syrup Ingredients 1 pound ripe guavasor pintones 1 liter Water 1 cup Sugar cinnamon(to taste) Introduction Guava is one of the most internationally known Cuban fruits, along with mango and mamey. It has multiple culinary uses, especially in desserts. directions First, gently peel the guavas, taking care not to harm the outer pulp, often referred to as the “helmet,” while removing the skin. Slice each guava in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the inner pulp and seeds, discarding them. Thoroughly clean each guava helmet. Place them in a suitable container with plenty of water and leave them until they are soft. To make the syrup, take 200ml of the water and incorporate the sugar and salt to obtain a light syrup. Finally, add the guavas to the syrup and simmer until you get the desired taste. Remember to let stand before tasting this delicious dessert!
Ajiaco Cubano Ingredients 1 lb Pork chopped 1⁄4 kg appraisal 1small chicken 87 gbacon 6 cups Water 1 lb sweet potatoes 1⁄2 lb yam 1 lb cassava 1 piece pumpkin diced 1 lbmalanga 1 Green Bananas 2bananas 2 tender Corn Cobs 1 cup tomato sauce 1Onionchopped into small pieces 1large chili pepper 4large garlic cloves 2 lemons 2 tablespoons lardIntroduction Ajiaco is one of the emblematic dishes of Cuban cuisine, both for its flavor and for its cultural value. The wide variety of ingredients included represent the cultural diversity of the nation.directions Chop the tasajo into medium pieces and leave to soak for 12 hours. It would be good if you did this procedure the night before so it is ready when you want to prepare your ajiaco. After 12 hours, drain it well and cook it together with the chopped chicken and the 6 cups of water for 30 minutes over medium heat. Then add the pork and cook again for 30 minutes. It is important that you monitor the cooking and extract the fat and foam that accumulates on the surface of the pot. At the same time, prepare a stir-fry in the frying pan, to which you will add the lard, garlic, onion, bacon, and tomato sauce. Once the pork is cooked, add all the previously peeled and chopped beans, lemon juice, and corn cobs and let it thicken for 45 minutes. If you want it to thicken even more, take a few pieces of yam and malanga out of the pot, mash them and throw them back in.
Sadza Ingredients 4 litersWater 5 cupswhite maize mealIntroduction Sadza is the shona word to describe a thickened porridge prepared from any grain and therefore similar to the ugali of Eastern Africa and fufu of West Africa.directions Boil 1 gallon (4 liters) of water. Put five cups of white maize meal in a sauce pan and add cold water to soak the meal. After the white maize meal is completely soaked, add a little more water and stir the mixture with a thick stick (or a big wooden spoon). Cook on a medium heat and stir. Add the boiling water slowly and keep stirring constantly. Make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. While heating, the maize meal will become smooth, like a smooth porridge. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 5 minutes, adding more maize meal flour.
Sardines in Saor Ingredients 16 medium-sized fresh sardinesscaled & gutted, head & backbone removed, butterflied. 2large white onionsfinely sliced 2Bay Leaves Handful pine nuts Handful raisins Small amount White Wine 175mls white wine vinegar(or white balsamic vinegar) 1 teaspoon coriander seedscrushed 2clovesground 1 teaspoon pink peppercornscrushed plain flourfor dusting Light olive oilfor frying Salt and Black Pepper to season Introduction Cleaning and Preparing the Sardines: Preparing the Sardine Fillets: Shallow-Frying the Sardine Fillets: Toasting Pine Nuts: Preparing Raisins: Sautéing Onions and Preparing the Saor Sauce: Now, you’re ready to assemble and enjoy your Sardines in Saor. directions If possible, request your friendly local fishmonger to clean and prepare the sardines to save time. However, if that’s not an option, here’s a step-by-step guide:Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need: Sardines Long kitchen gloves Apron Kitchen scissors Optional: shower cap (to contain flying scales) A short, sharp knife Cleaning and Preparing the Sardines: Hold a sardine by its tail and use a knife to remove the scales. Run the knife at a perpendicular angle along the body toward the head. After scaling, use kitchen scissors to snip off the head of the sardine. Make a lengthwise incision along the undercarriage from head to tail. Remove the innards and then open the sardine out, cut side down, on a cutting board. Gently apply pressure along the backbone with your thumb to loosen it for easier removal. Flip the sardine over and, with the tip of a small knife, pull the backbone forward from tail to head to remove it. Rinse the butterflied sardine fillets briefly under water and place them on a large plate. Preparing the Sardine Fillets: Lightly dust each butterflied sardine with a mixture of plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Shallow-Frying the Sardine Fillets: In a large frying pan, heat approximately 1.5cm of light olive oil over medium heat. Fry the sardine fillets until they are lightly golden on both sides. Place the fried fillets on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Toasting Pine Nuts: Heat a small dry frying pan over low heat. Add the pine nuts and toast them until they turn golden, being careful not to let them burn. Preparing Raisins: Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with a bit of white wine. Allow them to soak while you prepare the other ingredients. Sautéing Onions
Traditional Potato and Pea Samosas Ingredients Samosa Dough: 2 cups Italian '00' flour 1 teaspoon whole ajwain (bishop's weed, or carom seeds)whole ajwain or carom seeds) 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder 1 1/2 teaspoonsSalt 4 tablespoons unscented oil(vegetable/ canola/ sunflower/ grapeseed) warm wateras required Samosa Filling: 2 - 3 tablespoonsunscented oil (vegetable, canola, sunflower or grapeseed) 1/2 teaspooncumin seeds 1 medium oniondiced finely 1 inch piece Gingerchopped finely 1 - 2 green birds eye chillieschopped finely 1 teaspoonturmeric 1 - 2 teaspoonsground cumin 1/2 teaspoon amchur(dried mango powder) 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 2 large potatoeschopped 1 - 2 cupsWater 1/2 cup fresh peasor frozen peas half a lemonLemon Juice to tasteSalt Large handfulcilantrochopped Introduction directions Sift the flour, ajwain seeds, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Rub the oil into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the warm water, a little at a time, and knead into the flour adding more water as required to make a soft, pliable dough. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes, until smooth. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or cling film and leave to rest for at least half hour or overnight in the fridge. Bring the dough back to room temperature before making the samosa shells. Heat the oil in a sauté pan, then add the cumin seeds. When the seeds being to sizzle, add the onion and fry for 5 – 7 minutes, until the onion is soft but not colored. Add the ginger, chilies, turmeric, ground cumin, amchur, and garam masala. Fry together for a couple minutes, then add the potatoes. Sauté the potatoes in the onion and spice mixture for about 5-7 minutes, until they begin to fray around the edges. Add enough water to cover the potatoes, then simmer for about 15-25 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Add the peas and cook for a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice. Take off the heat and mash roughly. Stir in the cilantro. Let the filling cool completely before stuffing the samosas. Carefully cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Take one piece (keep the rest covered with plastic wrap) and gently shape it into a ball. Dust your counter with a little flour, then using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a
Dutch Christmas Cookies (Kerstkoekjes) Ingredients 170 grFlour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp Ginger powder PinchSalt 70 grwhite caster sugar 60 grCold Buttercubed 70 mlpouring syrup For the glaze: 150 grroyal icing powdersee the packaging of the royal icing for the instructions for use 15 mlWaterIntroduction directions Mix the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Rub the cold butter with your fingers to form small crumbs. Pour in the syrup and stir with a spoon. Knead with your fingers until everything is mixed, quickly form a ball without kneading too much. If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add half a tablespoon of cold water. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and put it in the fridge for at least half an hour. Preheat the oven to 175° F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the work surface and the rolling pin with flour, flatten the ball of dough slightly, and roll out to about 8 mm thick. Cut out cookies and place them on the baking tray. Repeat until the dough is used up. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Let them cool completely. Beat the royal icing powder well with the water until you get a very firm white mass. It has to be really firm, otherwise it will fall off the cookies. Hang a piping bag with nozzle in a glass and fold the edge out. Now you have 2 hands free and you can fill the piping bag with the royal icing, then remove the piping bag from the glass and close it tightly. Decorate the cookies with the icing and let it harden for an hour, preferably longer. Store the Christmas cookies in a sealed container.
Dutch Rollade Ingredients 1 kgrectangular loin fillet(beef or pork or combined) 1 tablespoonSalt 2 teaspoonsblack pepper 1 teaspoonground laurelor 2 teaspoons ground cloves 100 grButteror margarine Introduction directions Sprinkle a flat (about 1 inch) rectangular fillet (or 2 when pork and beef are combined) with salt and pepper and 1 grounded laurel leave (in the northern provinces of the Netherlands ground cloves are used). Rub the spices into the meat and roll it up firmly from the smallest end, the roll must be (almost) equally thick the whole length. Fix with cotton to preserve the shape. Let rest for at least an hour (better overnight). Heat the margarine in a pan till golden brown and brown the “rollade” (don’t puncture the meat, as it will lose the meat-juices). Add boiling water (the gravy must keep boiling) till half of the rollade is in the gravy. Cover the pan and simmer. Reckon on simmering for 45 minutes-1 hour for each kilo of meat. Turn the rollade half way through cooking. Take the meat from the pan and cool. Serve, cold and thinly sliced, with a rich sauce, enhancing the taste.
Champurrado Ingredients 8 cups Water 5 ozpiloncilloor 1⁄2 cup of sugar 1cinnamon sprig 2Mexican chocolate bars185 gr 3⁄4 cup Cornmeal(I live in the USA and you hardly get fresh dough, that's why the recommendation to use corn flour, I use Maseca for tortillas, if you live in Mexico use 2⁄3 cup of fresh dough) Introduction This chocolate drink with corn and spices has been part of our culture since the time of the Aztecs. Today, we enjoy this delicious champurrado, especially during the winter season and the holidays and is the most famous Christmas drink across the entire country. This recipe is for classic water-based champurrado, but you can also do it using milk, adding some cloves or orange peel to give it extra flavor. directions Place 6 cups of water in a large saucepan along with the piloncillo and cinnamon stick. Heat the water until it begins to boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the piloncillo has melted. If you are using regular sugar, this step will take less time, since the sugar will dissolve in about 4-5 minutes. Once the piloncillo or sugar has dissolved, add the 2 chocolate bars and wait about 5 minutes for it to dissolve, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, pour the remaining 2 cups of water and mix the corn flour. Mix well with a hand whisk to prevent lumps. Make sure you have a very creamy texture. When the chocolate has completely dissolved, slowly pour the dough mixture into the saucepan while stirring, to make sure there are no lumps. If necessary, strain to remove any lumps. Increase the heat to medium-high until the champurrado begins to boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly. After 6-8 minutes, the mixture will thicken. Let cook for 5 more minutes. Be very careful when serving the champurrado, its thick consistency keeps the drink extremely warm!
South Indian Crepes (Masala Dosa) Ingredients 1/2 cup polished black or white lentil 1-1/2 cups long grain rice 1 table spoonghee or oil 1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds 1 – 2 green chilies chopped 1medium onion chopped 2 large potatoes boiled 1/2 tsp.chana dal 1curry whole leaves Turmeric powder and saltIntroduction Traditionally, dosa is served with a garnish consisting of grated coconut, a pinch of turmeric powder, coriander leaves, and lemon juice and it is suitable for breakfast and dinner. directions Soak the rice and urad dal in separate bowls for 4-6 hours. Strain. Process the rice and urad dal mixture in a food processor until it has the consistency of pancake batter; add water gradually to achieve the right consistency. Salt to taste. Cover the mixture and leave to ferment for 6-8 hours in summer and up to 12 hours in winter. Grease the pan with oil or ghee and add the chana dal and mustard. Shake the mixture over the heat until the color turns golden brown. Chop the green chilis, onions, and add curry leaves to the mixture. Sprinkle in turmeric powder and salt for taste. Stir. Boil the potatoes and chop to small chunks; add them to the mixture. Stir the mixture over a medium heat for 10 minutes then let it to cool down. Now you have your filling ready. Pour a small quantity of the fermented batter into a greased pan after checking the pan heat. Try forming a circle with the batter. Brush ghee (or regular butter) on the frying dosa and place the filling near the center. Lightly lift the edges of the dosa. Roll the dosa from the edge to wrap the filling in, then remove from the pan. Wipe the pan and then pour in the next dosa.
Nhopi (Pumpkin Soup) Ingredients 1 Small pumpkin 750 ml Water 1/4 cupmaize meal 2 tablespoonspeanut butter 3 -4 teaspoons Sugar (adjust to your taste) 1/4 teaspoon Salt again adjust to your taste Introduction directions Begin by cutting the pumpkin in half and removing the seeds and fibrous strands. Peel and chop the pumpkin flesh, placing it into a saucepan, and then add water. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin becomes tender enough to mash with a fork. Turn off the heat and proceed to puree the pumpkin with a blender. In a separate bowl, create a paste by mixing maize meal with a small amount of cold water. Stir this maize meal paste into the pureed pumpkin, achieving a consistency akin to a very thin soup. Add peanut butter, salt, and sugar to the mixture. Return the nhopi to the heat, bringing it back to a boil, and then simmer for approximately 10 minutes. If the consistency is too thick, you can add a little more water; if it’s too thin, incorporate a bit more maize meal. Serve the Nhopi hot and enjoy.
Mupunga Une Dovi (Peanut Butter Rice) Ingredients 1 cup long grain rice or basmati rice (white or brown), par boiled rice does not work in this recipe Salt 1 tbsp peanut butteruse natural peanut butter, the kind that has oil on top Introduction directions Cook the rice following the instructions on the packet, omitting the oil. Add 1/2 cup of water and the peanut butter and let it cook some more. You want your rice to be slightly overcooked. Cover and let the peanut butter cook for about 10 minutes. Using a flat wooden spoon or mugoti, stir in the peanut butter until the rice is well bonded together. Reduce the heat to low and cover for 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Serve with any stew or sauce of your liking or by itself. This rice is especially good the next morning, cold with a cup of tea.
Mopane Worms Ingredients 500 grams (about 2 cups) mopane wormsor macimbi 2 liters (about 2 quarts) Water 1 tablespoon cooking oil ½ teaspoonSalt 1clove garlicfinely sliced 1 tomatochopped 1 Onionchopped Introduction Mopane worms are a staple dish in Zimbabwe. The worms are harvested during the rainy season, then cleaned and sun-dried for preservation. directions Soak the mopane worms in 2 cups of hot water for 10 minutes. Clean the mopane worms and place them in a pot of water and bring it to a boil for 15 minutes. Change the water and boil again for 20 more minutes. Drain the water. Deep fry the mopane worms on a moderate heat. Once the mopane worms are fried and crispy, about 10 minutes, add the salt, garlic, tomato, and onion and mix all the ingredients together. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes until the garlic, tomato, and onion are well cooked. Serve with sadza or as a snack. The mopane worms can also be served with green vegetables and salads.
Momos Ingredients Ingredients for Momos Covering : 1 Cup maida 1/2 teaspoon Oil 1/4 teaspoon Salt 2 to 4 tablespoon Waterfor kneading Ingredients for Stuffing: 1/2 cup Cabbagechopped 1/2 cup carrotchopped 1/3 cup French beanschopped 1/4 cup capsicumchopped 1/2 cup spring onionschopped 2 to 4 Garlicchopped 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Sauce 1/2 tea spoon black pepper powder 1 teaspoonOil Salt is Required according to taste. Introduction directions In a mixing bowl, combine maida, salt, and oil. Gradually add a small amount of water to create a smooth and pliable dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 25 to 30 minutes. Take a heavy bottomed pan and heat the oil. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Now add the chopped onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium heat. Now add all the chopped vegetables and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in black pepper and soya sauce, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and set it aside. Divide the dough into small balls. Roll each ball into a thin circle, leaving the edges thinner than the center. Place approximately 1 spoonful of the prepared filling in the center. Lift one side’s edges and start pleating, joining the ends in the center to seal the sides. Keep the momos covered with a moist cloth to prevent them from drying out. Boil water in to pressure cooker or steamer. Arrange the momos on an oily plate. Make sure to leave space between them. Place the plate in the cooker or steamer, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes over a medium heat until they look cooked. Once done, turn off the heat and remove the momos from the cooker or steamer. Serve them with tomato ketchup or sezwan sauce and enjoy.
Cuban Flan Ingredients 1 cup white sugar(divided) use 1/2 cup now then 1/2 cup for caramel later 1 cansweetned condensed milk 4Eggs 2 canEvaporated Milk 2 tsp vanilla extractIntroduction Flan de leche is possibly one of the most recognized Cuban desserts in the world. It is exquisite and you definitely need to give it a try. It is prepared either plain or with added flavors such as coconut, pineapple, etc.directions In a flan pot or 2 quart pot with a tight fitting lid, caramelize 1/2 cup sugar over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it has melted and is amber in color. Remove from the stove and move caramel around the sides of pot, half way up the sides. Mix the eggs with another 1/2 cup sugar, milk, and vanilla and mix well. (I do this with a blender but you don’t have to). Place the egg mixture in the flan pot, and cover with the lid, or in the 2 quart pot, and cover with tightly fitting aluminum foil and place the lid on top. Place the pot in another pot big enough to hold it and fill with about 1 1/2 inch of water. Bake at 350° F for at least 1 hour. To check the flan is done, remove the lid and stick a kitchen knife into the center of the flan. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Remove the pot from the water pot and cool completely. Once cooled, remove the lid/foil and place a dish or plate bigger than the top of the pot on top. Make sure the plate has a small lip as the caramel will run out otherwise. Place one hand on the bottom of the pot and one hand on the top of the plate and turn upside down. Serve or place in the refrigerator, covered, until you are ready to serve.
Akuri on Toast (Parsi-style Scrambled Egg) Ingredients 4 Whole Eggsorganic 1 tablespoon Oil 1 teaspoon Ginger chopped 1 teaspooncoriander finely choppedchopped 1 Onion finely chopped Saltto taste 1 teaspoonred chilli powder 1 pinch turmeric powder 1 tomatochopped Introduction directions Break all the eggs into a mixing bowl, add the salt and a pinch of red chili powder/flakes and whisk. Heat up a pan, pour 1 tablespoon oil in the pan or a mix of butter and oil. Add the chopped onion and sauté until slightly pink, then add the chopped ginger, chopped green chilies, and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are slightly pulpy, then add the whisked and seasoned eggs. Allow to cook for a minute then gently scrape the sides of the pan. Mix well once again and check for the consistency. It should be semi-soft or liquidy, not firm. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves. Your Parsi akuri/Parsi-style scrambled eggs are now ready.
Traditional British Christmas Pudding Ingredients large bottledark rumbrandy (to soak the fruit) 220 g (1 & 3/4 cups)dried raisins 220 g (1 & 3/4 cupsdried sultanas 120 g (1 cupdried currants 225 g (3 & 1/2 cups)fresh brown breadcrumbs 60 g (3/4 cup)desiccated cocoanut 120 g (3/4 cup)roughly chopped mixed peel 60 g (1/2 cup)self raising flour 220 g (2 cups)beef suetor vegetable suet 150 g (1 cupdark brown sugar ½ grated nutmeg ½ heaped teaspoonmixed spice ½ heaped teaspoon Ground Cinnamon pinchSalt 142 ml (5 fl oz) whole fat milk 4Eggslightly beaten 1 lemonLemon Juice 1 wineglassful dark rumIntroduction directions First off, roughly chop all the dried fruit and soak in any dark rum or brandy for about one week – if pushed for time a few days will suffice. Using a sieve drain the rum soaked fruit and set to one side. Prepare your breadcrumbs using a food processor or similar, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the desiccated coconut, mixed peel, self-raising flour, suet, dark brown sugar, nutmeg, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, rum soaked fruit, milk, lightly beaten eggs, lemon juice, and a wineglassful of rum – Oh, and do save a drop for yourself! Darlings, using a wooden spoon mix all the ingredients together – go on and ‘give it some welly’! Reach for a large saucepan and place an old saucer on the bottom (this will prevent the basin from cracking) then fill with water, about half-way up the basin, and immediately put on to boil. Now, take two pudding basins or an extra large one. Grease well with butter, and three-quarters fill with the mixture. Time to prepare the basins for steaming. Cut a large piece of greaseproof paper and foil. Place the foil on the kitchen counter followed by the greaseproof paper on top, then lightly grease with butter. Holding both pieces, make a pleat in the center – this will allow space for the pudding mixture to rise. Gently place over the basin and mold it around the edges. Using a large piece of string, tightly wrap it around a few times under the ‘lip’ of the basin, and secure with a knot or two. Make a handle by threading the string from one side to the other a few times. Again, secure with a knot or two. Trim off the excess paper/foil, then tuck both layers under neatly – making an extra water-tight skirt. Now the water is boiling, using the handle, place the
Traditional Bread Sauce Ingredients 500 ml 2 cups Milk 2 tablespoonsButter 1whole onion 2garlic cloves 9cloves 2Bay Leaves 100 grfresh breadcrumbs ¼ teaspoonground nutmeg ½ teaspoon table saltIntroduction As the name suggests, bread sauce involves bread – but not sliced bread. Bread sauce is made with breadcrumbs, which is what gives it its thick texture. You can always buy pre-made breadcrumbs at the store, but making your own breadcrumbs is very easy and less expensive (and everyone can use a little extra money in their pockets around the holidays). It’s also a great way to use up old bread. To make your own breadcrumbs, cut up the bread and leave it out overnight. Before making the sauce, put the now stale bread into a food processor and pulse until you have coarse breadcrumbs. If you forget to leave your bread out overnight, you can always cut the bread into chunks and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 120° C. After the bread is toasted, transfer to a food processor and pulse until you have coarse breadcrumbs. This bread sauce is incredibly versatile and can easily be adjusted to suit your family’s taste. For example, if you want a stronger onion flavor, slice the onion before adding it to the milk. Adding garlic is optional as well but gives a lovely flavor to your bread sauce. Another reason I love this recipe is that it can be prepared up to three days in advance, which means more time to spend with family and friends and less time in the kitchen. That’s what the holidays are about, right? When you’re ready to serve, reheat the bread sauce in the microwave or on the hob. Enjoy! Note: This recipe can be made 3 days in advance and can be reheated either in the microwave or on the hob. directions Stud the onion all over with cloves. Over a low-medium heat, simmer the milk with butter, the onion with cloves, garlic, and bay leaves. Strain and return the liquid to the pan. Add breadcrumbs and stir for a few more minutes. Season with nutmeg and salt and serve.
Menudo/ Spicy Beef and Corn Belly Soup Ingredients 1 1/2 gallonWater 3 lbbeef bellyclean and in pieces 1onionsin quarters 4garlic cloves 1bay leaf 1 can (14.5oz) large cornor cooked cacahuazintle corn (boiling corn) 15red chilies New Mexicodried 6garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon oregano Salt and pepper to taste Introduction A party is not a party without a plate of menudo. Made with a dried red chili base in northern Mexico or in a light broth known as ‘what a white’ in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, it is a dish that unites families. This cozy delight is traditionally served at almost all Mexican celebrations including weddings, quinceañeras, baptisms, and even on New Year’s Eve. Tip: To speed up the process, boil the chilies for 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and let them rest covered for an hour or until they cool. directions In a large pot (2 gallons), heat the water over a medium-low heat. Add the belly, onion, 4 cloves, garlic, and bay leaf and let them cook for 2 hours. Check that the belly is soft and not annealed. Clean the chilies by removing the stems and let them soak in hot water for 12 to 24 hours, until they soften. In a blender, blend the chilies with a cup of the liquid in which they were soaked, 6 cloves of garlic, cumin, and oregano. Strain. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the corn and chili sauce and let it boil for 10 minutes so that the chili sauce is integrated with the other ingredients. Serve with chopped onion, oregano, and green lemon
Shrimp Tortillas Ingredients 100 grshrimp 100 grwheat flour 100 grchickpea flour 50 grchivesvery chopped 1 bunchfresh parsleyvery chopped 250 mlcold waterIntroduction Shrimp tortillas are a Mexican dish that is served as a tapa throughout the year, although their consumption increases during Christmas time. It originates from the town of San Fernando. It is a dough without eggs and made with chickpea flour. Shrimp tortillas are usually thin so that they are very crispy and they do not retain much of the frying oil, being light and tasty. They are made with raw shrimp, but if you can’t find them, you can use cooked shrimp. Total time: 15 minutes Elaboration :5 minutes Cooking: 10 minutes Rest: 30 minutes directions In a bowl, mix the wheat flour with the chickpea flour and add the finely chopped parsley, chives, and fresh shrimp. If you can’t find chickpea flour, replace with wheat flour and add a pinch of turmeric to get the classic yellow color. Add a glass of very cold water and stir. You will have a very light dough. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. After resting, add one more splash of cold water and beat again. In a large frying pan or, better, in a paella pan, put a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and wait for it to warm up. Then, add small portions of the dough and wait for it to cook, turning them over so that they brown on both sides. Drain each tortilla in absorbent paper and place them in the serving dish. As with crepes or pancakes, the first one may not go well, but then they will come out perfect.
Champurrado Ingredients 8 cups Water 5 ozpiloncilloor 1⁄2 cup of sugar 1cinnamon sprig 2Mexican chocolate bars185 gr 3⁄4 cup Cornmeal(I live in the USA and you hardly get fresh dough, that's why the recommendation to use corn flour, I use Maseca for tortillas, if you live in Mexico use 2⁄3 cup of fresh dough) Introduction This chocolate drink with corn and spices has been part of our culture since the time of the Aztecs. Today, we enjoy this delicious champurrado, especially during the winter season and the holidays and is the most famous Christmas drink across the entire country. This recipe is for classic water-based champurrado, but you can also do it using milk, adding some cloves or orange peel to give it extra flavor. directions Place 6 cups of water in a large saucepan along with the piloncillo and cinnamon stick. Heat the water until it begins to boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the piloncillo has melted. If you are using regular sugar, this step will take less time, since the sugar will dissolve in about 4-5 minutes. Once the piloncillo or sugar has dissolved, add the 2 chocolate bars and wait about 5 minutes for it to dissolve, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, pour the remaining 2 cups of water and mix the corn flour. Mix well with a hand whisk to prevent lumps. Make sure you have a very creamy texture. When the chocolate has completely dissolved, slowly pour the dough mixture into the saucepan while stirring, to make sure there are no lumps. If necessary, strain to remove any lumps. Increase the heat to medium-high until the champurrado begins to boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly. After 6-8 minutes, the mixture will thicken. Let cook for 5 more minutes. Be very careful when serving the champurrado, its thick consistency keeps the drink extremely warm!
Ambrosia Salad Ingredients ¾ cup heavy cream chilled ¼ cuppowdered sugar 1/2 teaspoonvanilla extract ½ cup sour cream 4 cups mini marshmallowseither regular or fruit-flavored ones (rainbow colors) 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut 11 ouncesmandarin oranges (1 can) well drained ¾ cupmaraschino cherriesstems removed 1 cuppineapple tidbitswell-drained Introduction With its silky sweet, whipped-cream-based “dressing”, plenty of soft mini marshmallows, and an abundance of juicy, colorful fruit, ambrosia salad may be a bit different from those you’re used to seeing around potlucks and parties, but I promise you that it’s every bit as good… if not better! directions In a clean, medium-sized bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form (the mixture should reach a Cool Whip consistency) Add the sour cream and stir until well-combined. In a separate large bowl, combine the mini marshmallows, coconut, oranges, maraschino cherries, and pineapple. Stir to combine. Pour the whipped cream/sour cream mixture over the ingredients and stir until everything is evenly combined and all ingredients are covered. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Be sure to drain the fruit really well if you’re making this salad more than on hour ahead of time. You can put all the fruit in a colander and let it sit to drain and dry for about an hour (if you want to wait that long). This will keep the salad from getting soupy while it sits.
Koskera Hake Ingredients 1 kgfresh hake sliced or loin 750 mlfish broth 1 bottlethick white asparagus320 gr drained 1chives 5cloves of garlic 500 grclams 150 grpeas 2chilliesor cayennes 2 tablespoonfine corn flour (Maizena type) 1 lemonLemon Juice extra virgin olive oil fresh parsleychopped Salt and pepperIntroduction Today we eat delicious koskera hake, or, as it is popularly called, hake in green sauce. Koskera hake is one of those traditional and easy stews that never go out of style and that everyone loves. With a few quality ingredients and the fish sauce that brings the whole thing together, this recipe is a luxury for the palate! Serves: 5-6 people Time: 40 min approx + rest Tips:directions Cover the clams with salty cold water. Let stand for at least 1 hour to clean them and remove any possible grit that they can release. Remove the asparagus from the jar and spread them on a plate. Sprinkle them with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Brown the sliced garlic in a frying pan with 4-5 tablespoons of EVOO, along with the chilies or cayennes. Take out and reserve. In the same oil and over a low heat, poach the chopped chives and then sauté the corn flour. Stir well so that it does not stick. Add a little chopped fresh parsley and continue stirring. Pour in the hot fish broth and stir again until the flour dissolves. Season the slices or hake loins with pepper and place them in the green sauce. Then add the asparagus whole or cut in half (if they are very large). Cover the frying pan or casserole and cook for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat. Turn the hake over and cook 2-3 more minutes, until it is ready. Pour the drained clams, peas (if fresh or frozen) and lemon juice. If you are using canned peas, add them at the end of the preparation. Cook everything together with the pan covered just until the clams to open. Shake the frying pan or casserole from time to time so that the sauce covers the clams. Serve the freshly made dish with the golden garlic on top and more chopped parsley. This same recipe can be made with some variants, such as replacing a part of the fish broth (150-200 ml) with white wine. You can also add some prawns or mussels to the stew, and replace the white asparagus with green, or leave them out all together. Sauté the garlic with the onion, and take out the part where you brown the
Spanish Marzipan Recipe (Figuritas de Mazapán) Ingredients 100 mlWater 200 gr Sugar 200 gr ground almonds 1egg yolk Bitter almond essenceIntroduction Marzipan is a traditional Christmas dessert whose main ingredients are almonds and sugar. It is a sweet made of almonds and sugar crushed with a mallet, hence its name in Spanish (maza and pan equal mazapán). In Toledo, you can find marzipan all year round, despite the widespread tradition in the rest of Spain of eating it at Christmas. directions Pour the water and sugar into a saucepan. Put it on a medium heat to boil for about 4-5 minutes, so that the sugar melts and the resulting syrup is clear. If you want, you can also add a few drops of bitter almond essence. Then add the ground almond and stir constantly until a thick dough forms. Cook it well until it comes away from the sides of the pan; pour into a bowl and let it cool. Put it in the fridge for 1 hour so it is easier to knead. After an hour, the dough for your figuritas de mazapán will look thick and slightly sandy. In order to knead it well, take small pieces of the dough, wet your hands with water each time and form the figuritas. You can give them the shape you like best. For example, with a knife you can make three marks on each marzipan figure. When you have all the figuritas de mazapán ready, paint them only on the top with a brush soaked in beaten egg yolk. With the oven preheated to 210º C, place your figuritas de mazapán on the grill attached to the top of the oven. They only need a couple of minutes; so take them out as soon as you see that they are toasted on top. Let them cool down and enjoy this traditional sweet.
Kerstkransjes(Dutch Christmas Cookies) Ingredients For the dough: 250 grplain flour 1/4 tspBaking Powder 80 grCaster Sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 lemonlemon zest  1/4 tspalmond extract 1egg 150 grSalted Butter cut into small squares To Coat: 1egg(beaten) 4 tbspgranulated sugar 4 tbspalmondssliced Introduction directions Put the all dough ingredients into a bowl and mix well with your hands, using your fingers and thumbs to combine the flour and sugar with the butter, until you have a firm dough. Wrap the dough in baking parchment and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 180° C. Then remove the dough from the fridge and roll out with a rolling pin until about 5 mm thick. Prepare a baking tray with some baking parchment. Then, using a suitable cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on the baking tray, leaving some space between them. The cookies should have a hole in the middle – I use an icing bag nozzle to cut out the holes in mine. Then brush the cookies with some beaten egg and sprinkle them with sugar and the sliced almonds. Place in the oven at 180° C for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. If your oven is unevenly warm, you may need to turn the tray 180 degrees halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool.
Red Cabbage, Castillian Style Ingredients 1 ½-2 poundsred cabbage 2 tablespoonsOlive Oil ½ cup Onionfinely chopped ½ cup White Wine 4prunespitted and sliced 1 cup Water 1 teaspoon Salt freshly ground black pepperIntroduction In the old days, red cabbage could be found in the markets in late autumn, just before Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, making it a typical holiday dish: lombarda de Navidad. Popular in Madrid and Castilla y León, this dish consists of crunchy cabbage, seasoned with vinegar or wine. Spices such as cinnamon, star anise, or cloves can be added, with apple another great favorite, regardless of the region. Note: Red cabbage needs an acid ingredient—wine, citrus, or vinegar—to keep its vibrant color while cooking. Adding sweet fruit such as raisins or prunes balances the acidity. directions Cut out and discard the core. Shred the cabbage and set aside. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Stir in the shredded cabbage and let it sauté for 1 minute. Pour over the wine and mix well. Add the prunes, water, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is cooked—20 minutes for slightly crunchy, 40 minutes for very tender.
Kerststol Ingredients 200 grFlour 120 mlWater 100 gralmond flour 100 grgranulated sugar 25 grCaster Sugar 25 grButter 50 grraisins 50 gr(Zante) currants 30 gralmonds 0.5 Eggs peel of 0.5 orangesOrange peel 7 grdried yeast icing sugarIntroduction Kerststol (Christmas stol) is a richly filled bread traditionally served around Christmas. It’s closely related to the German Stollen, and might very well have descended from it, although its exact origin has been lost. This cake-like fruit bread is full of marzipan, nuts, raisins or other candied fruit, and covered with a thick layer of icing sugar, making it look like it is covered in snow. The most traditional Stollen can be found in the eastern German city of Dresden, where it was first mentioned in historic records back in 1474. directions Mix the flour, water, caster sugar, butter, and yeast. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour. Mix the sugar, almond flour, and egg. Put in the fridge. Roughly chop the almonds. Add the raisins, currants, almonds, and orange peel to the dough. Knead until well mixed. Roll into a 1 cm thick rectangle. Place on a sheet of baking paper. Feel free to sprinkle some extra flour onto the dough if it’s too sticky. Roll the almond paste into a sausage shape, slightly shorter than the dough rectangle. Place at one third of the dough, and fold the dough over it. Let rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven at 200° C. Put the bread in the oven for 35 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180° C. Spread a thin layer of butter on the (still warm) bread. Cover with icing sugar. Slice into 2 cm thick slices. Serve with butter.
Mountain Snails/Caracoles a la Montañesa Ingredients 1 kgland snails 1onions 2cloves of garlic 1red pepper 1boiled egg 1tomato 50 grnuts 100 grchorizo 100 grham Laurel black pepper 1 glassbrandyIntroduction Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes. Recipe for: 6 people. directions Bleach the snails twice by changing the cooking water to get rid of all the slime and then cook a third time, 15 minutes. Sauté the onion tin olive oil with a bay leaf. Add the chopped red pepper and sauté until very soft. Flame with the brandy to burn all the alcohol. Incorporate the diced tomato and let cook until a homogeneous sauce is obtained. Put in the snails once cooked in the sauce and let cook for 20 minutes. Make a refried with garlic, ham, chorizo, and olive oil. Combine the refried with the snails and add the nuts and boiled egg. Let cook for a few minutes, taste, salt, and serve. Before cooking the snails, they must be washed well with water to clean them of all their offal. This is one of the many ancestral dishes that look better overnight, so we get snails to take all the flavor of the sauce.
Spanish Polvorones Ingredients 500 grplain flour 235 grPork Lard 100 gricing sugar 1 tbspAguardientealternatively brandy, grappa or anisette 1 tbspGround Cinnamon icing sugarto decorate Ground Cinnamonto decorate Introduction Polvorón comes from the word polvo, Spanish for dust. Polvorones are an essential part of the Christmas table. They are a small flour cake made with sugar, butter, and almonds, and have a mild flavor and a dense consistency The original recipe for polvorones was inspired by an ancient Arab preparation introduced to the peninsula by the Moors. Serves: 20 pulvorones Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 70 minutes Resting time: 120 minutes (60 + 60) directions Preheat the oven to 120º C. First, toast the flour in order to get rid of any moisture it might hold. To do this, lay the flour all over the bottom of a baking dish and toast it in the oven for approximately one hour, stirring every 15 minutes so that it doesn’t burn. Once toasted, let it cool down and sieve the flour, icing sugar, and cinnamon into a big bowl. Add the liqueur and the pork lard in small bits. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and knead the resulting paste until you achieve a well integrated and consistent dough. Extend a large piece of cling film over the kitchen top and add half of the dough to the center of the sheet. Shape a rough cylinder with a diameter of about 5 cm. Wrap the dough with the cling film and roll it until you have an almost perfect cylinder. Leave in the fridge for one hour so that the dough becomes more solid. Take the dough out of the fridge, remove the cling film, and over a clean surface cut the cylinder in thick slices of about 4 cm. Place the slices on a baking dish covered with baking paper. Bake the polvorones for 10 minutes at 180º C. Take them out of the oven and let them cool down for at least an hour. To decorate the polvorones, sieve some more icing sugar first and then finish with a little bit more of cinnamon. Your polvorones are now ready to be served!
Pasteles de Arroz (Rice Pasteles) Ingredients 3 cups rice 3 cups Water Salt and pepper 2garlic clovespeeled and finely sliced 1 Onionchopped 1/2 cup tomato sauce 3 tbOlive Oil chicken pork or beef, cubed and stewed banana leaves(or its substitution) strings to tie the pasteles Introduction directions Sauté the rice with the olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic, onion, and sauce. You can add some chopped olives and pimentos if desired. Add the water or chicken stock. Cook in on medium high until the water evaporates and it begins to form craters. Cut the banana leaves into rectangles, which you will use to assemble the pasteles. Place a big cucharón of rice (serving spoon full of rice which is still al dente, not fully cooked) onto a banana leaf, forming a smaller rectangle. In the center of the rice, add a serving spoon of the stew. Then, fold the Pastel de Arroz twice, very carefully, and tie it so that both ends are tied. Cook the pasteles in a salted water for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once cooked, take out of the water, remove the leaves, and serve.
Christmas Yorkshire Puddings Ingredients 4Whole Eggs 1 cupMilk 1 cupFlour a pinchSalt 1/2 tsp in each Yorkie cupVegetable OilIntroduction The secret of a delicious Yorkshire pudding is a very hot oven, smoking hot grease/fat, and the right mixture of eggs, milk, and flour. It is crispy and light and delicious. directions Measure your eggs into a large measuring bowl (usually 4 whole eggs). Measure exactly the same amount of milk as eggs. Measure out exactly the same amount of all purpose flour as eggs. In other words, if your eggs measured 1 cup, then you’d want a cup of milk and a cup of flour. Now you have the three key ingredients for never-fail Yorkshires… but there’s more! Using a mixer, blend together the eggs and the milk and add a pinch of salt. Let that sit on the counter to rest in a bowl for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, take out a 12 cup muffin tin or a 6 popover popover tin. Pinch off about a pea size bit of beef fat, lard or, if you want, you can use vegetable oil (approximately 1/2 tsp in each cup. Veg oil does not impart the roasted meat taste, but it is a decent substitute if you need one. Now, your egg mixture should have rested long enough. Now it’s time to add the flour, but you’ll want to sift it quickly into the egg/milk mixture. Use your hand mixer and incorporate the flour, eggs, and milk together well until the consistency is like a thick cream. Let this mixture rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes or longer. About 15 minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Pop in the tin with the fat on the bottom and put in the hot oven until it starts to smoke. This takes about 10 minutes. Remove the tin and quickly fill each cup about half way. You’ll know the pans are ready if you hear the batter sizzle as you pour it in. Return the pan quickly to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN while they bake. You can watch the show through the glass door. After about 8 minutes, your Yorkies will begin to rise and they will emerge from your oven gorgeous, browned, and crisp. Enjoy!
Pork Pozole Ingredients 4 lWater 1 kgPorkcut into cubes 1⁄2 Kg Pork Ribscut into pieces 3 cans cornfor pozole rinsed and drained1 white onioncut into 4 parts 8large garlic cloves to tasteSalt For the sauce: 5ancho peppersClean, seedless and deveined 5guajillo peppers Clean, seedless and deveined 6garlic cloves 1⁄2medium onionchopped 2 Sopered spoons flavoured Oil 1⁄2 Spoon oregano to tasteSalt For garnish: 1LettuceFinely chopped 1 1⁄2 Cup white onionfinely chopped 1 1⁄2 Cup radishesfinely sliced Freshly ground piquin Mexican urganoto taste lemon avocadoto taste Introduction Preparing pozole is not an impossible mission. Pamper your family and friends with this delicious red pozole recipe and become an expert in Mexican cuisine. directions Heat a large pot of water. Add the onion, garlic, salt, meat, and ribs. After a while, lower the flame and let the meat cook for about 2.5 hours or until it falls off the bone. While the meat is cooking, remove the layer of foam and fat that forms on the surface of the broth. If necessary, add more hot water to maintain the same level of broth in the pot. When the meat is cooked, separate it from the broth. Remove the excess fat, rib bones, onion, and garlic. To prepare the salsa, soak the ancho peppers and guajilos for 25 minutes in water. Once the chilies are soft, drain them and place them in the blender along with the garlic, onion, and oregano. Add a little water and blend until it has the consistency of a soft sauce.
Shrimp Tortillas Ingredients 100 grshrimp 100 grwheat flour 100 grchickpea flour 50 grchivesvery chopped 1 bunchfresh parsleyvery chopped 250 mlcold waterIntroduction Shrimp tortillas are a Mexican dish that is served as a tapa throughout the year, although their consumption increases during Christmas time. It originates from the town of San Fernando. It is a dough without eggs and made with chickpea flour. Shrimp tortillas are usually thin so that they are very crispy and they do not retain much of the frying oil, being light and tasty. They are made with raw shrimp, but if you can’t find them, you can use cooked shrimp. Total time: 15 minutes Elaboration :5 minutes Cooking: 10 minutes Rest: 30 minutes directions In a bowl, mix the wheat flour with the chickpea flour and add the finely chopped parsley, chives, and fresh shrimp. If you can’t find chickpea flour, replace with wheat flour and add a pinch of turmeric to get the classic yellow color. Add a glass of very cold water and stir. You will have a very light dough. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. After resting, add one more splash of cold water and beat again. In a large frying pan or, better, in a paella pan, put a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and wait for it to warm up. Then, add small portions of the dough and wait for it to cook, turning them over so that they brown on both sides. Drain each tortilla in absorbent paper and place them in the serving dish. As with crepes or pancakes, the first one may not go well, but then they will come out perfect.
Roscón de Reyes, Kings Cake Ingredients 650 grforce flour 250 mlwarm milk 25-30 grfresh yeast 120 grSugar 120 grmelted butter 2Eggs 1yolk 10 grSalt 2 and 1/2 tablespoonsorange blossom water 1 lemonGrated skin 1 orangeGrated skin To decorate: to tasteFrosted fruits Sugar 1Eggsbeaten Bakable figurinesIntroduction The roscón de reyes is a light pastry that is traditionally eaten on Three Kings Day (Jan 6), but can be enjoyed before and after this date. It is a large ring of light, sweet bread, decorated with slices of candied or crystallized fruit of various colors. The story says that the greatest promoter of this sweet was French King Louis XV. The Court cook, of Slavic origin, wanted to entertain the Monarch on Epiphany Day with a traditional donut from his land, but with a surprise inside: a diamond medallion that he bought thanks in collaboration with other members of the service. Nowadays, some roscones contain cream and even chocolate. Somewhere inside the bun, hidden, there is a religious figurine. Whoever comes across it is supposed to pay for next year’s roscón. Watch your teeth! directions First mix a little of the 250 ml warm milk with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the strong flour. Add 25-30 grams of crumbled fresh yeast and stir. Cover and let it ferment for about 15 or 20 minutes in a warm place. Once the dough has fermented, put in a large bowl and add the rest of the flour and gradually add the rest of the ingredients: sugar, lemon and orange zest, salt, milk, 2 eggs, sugar, orange blossom water, and, finally, the melted butter or margarine. Stir until you get a homogeneous dough. Flour a smooth surface, and knead for a few minutes with your hands. If necessary, add a little more flour to be able to work the dough well. Once well kneaded, roll into a ball and store it in an airtight container or covered with one or two damp cloths for a couple of hours in a warm place. After a couple of hours, the dough will have grown approximately twice as much. Take it out of the container and on a smooth floured surface, knead it again and little by little, shape it into doughnuts. Make two donuts, one larger and one smaller, or make two medium ones. To make two donuts, separate the dough and knead each part while shaping it and making the hole with your fingers. The hole will become smaller when baking, so make it big. Let them rest again for about an hour, well covered and in a hot place: a good trick
Chicharron de Cadiz Ingredients 1 kgbacon oregano sweet paprika garlic powder Salt extra virgin olive oilIntroduction directions Turn on the oven to 200° F. Rinse the bacon well under the tap and, without drying it, smear the whole piece with paprika. This must be done with the hands so it gets rubbed in everywhere. Sprinkle the bacon with salt, oregano, and garlic powder. You can use fresh garlic, but it runs the risk of burning. Place the marinated bacon on baking paper or aluminum foil Pour a splash of olive oil on top and put in the oven for an hour. Let it cool and put it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Slice as thin as possible, serving with a little salt If you want, splash a little bit of olive oil and lemon, which makes it really delicious.
Cod Ajoarriero Style Ingredients 800 gr (28.21 oz)fresh unsalted cod fish 1Onion 1green bell pepperroasted and seeded 3cloves garlic finely chopped 1 TablespoonOlive Oil 2 Tablespoonpaprika 5 Tablespoontomato puree 1guindilla (Spanish chili) 1 cupFish StockIntroduction Fish and broths are a deeply-rooted Spanish tradition at Christmas, and cod ajoarriero is one of the simplest and tastiest. This dish is made with various vegetables cooked in olive oil. directions Soak the cod and rinse under cold running water. With paper towels, pat dry. Cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces and set aside. Peel and chop the onion, cut into thin shreds. Repeat with the green pepper. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion, green pepper, and garlic. When the onion is translucent, add the paprika, tomato puree, and the guindilla. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fish stock. Add the cod to the skillet, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the guindilla. Serve with steamed potatoes.
Guirlache Ingredients 200 gr almondsraw and peeled 160 grSugar 40 grhoney 2 teaspoonsLemon JuiceIntroduction Guirlache is one of the most typical nougats from some of the regions associated with the former Crown of Aragón. So, it is no surprise that it is a common sweet in Catalonia, in the Valencian community, Navarre, and Aragón. It is in this last community that it is still prepared in the traditional way. And it is not strange to think that some of the most renowned medieval villages such as Jánovas, Torla, and Jaca have been preparing this recipe for centuries. Guirlache is a simple preparation with only 2 or 4 ingredients at most, depending on the version. It is a sweet that is easy to prepare in any home and can be enjoyed at any time of the year. Without a doubt, it is the perfect dessert for the upcoming Christmas celebrations.directions First prepare the caramel. To do this, add the sugar, honey, and lemon in a non-stick frying pan so that the sugar melts little by little over a medium heat. You do not want the caramel to burn. This process will take at least 20 minutes. While the sugar melts with the rest of the ingredients, toast the almonds in the oven. Put them on a tray with parchment paper and bake them at 160º C for 5 minutes or until they are slightly toasted, bearing in mind that they will get more toasted when you add them to the caramel. When the almonds are golden, set them aside in a bowl. Once the caramel is ready and has a nice golden color, without being too dark, add the almonds. Stir constantly for 3 minutes so that the caramel wraps around all the almonds and the mixture is very homogeneous. Spread the mixture on a greased baking sheet with a little oil so that it is easy to handle. Try to form a square, although the shape is not really important. Finally, and when it has cooled down enough, cut the guirlache into the desired portions. The important thing is to enjoy this sweet with the most important people!
Cardoons with Almond Sauce Ingredients 2lemons 1 ½ tablespoonsFlour 2-3 pounds cardoons Salt 3 tablespoonsOlive Oil ½ cup skinned almonds 2cloves garlic 1 ½ cupsChicken Stock Pimentón (paprika) or saffron to finish Introduction Cardoons, a vegetable that turns up at the festive Christmas Eve meal in Spanish homes. Known as cardo in Spanish, the cardoon and its close relative, the artichoke, are thistles. The flower bud of the artichoke is eaten, while it is the tall stalks of the cardoon. The first time I ever saw cardoons was in the still-life paintings by Juan Sánchez Cotán (early 17th century). Structurally interesting, but are they edible? Cardoons are grown in the northern regions of Aragón, La Rioja, and Navarra, so that is where this vegetable is most popular at Christmas. But, last week when I spied the stately stalks at a local grocery store, I couldn’t resist having a go. directions Place the juice of 1 lemon in a bowl with about 4 cups of water. Cut the other lemon in half. Stir 1 tablespoon of the flour into ½ cup of water and add it to a large pot with 8 cups of water and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Squeeze ½ lemon into the pot of water and add the lemon too. To prepare the cardoons, discard the hard outer stalks. Separate all the stalks from the base. Use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the strings on the outside of each stalk of cardoon and the thin skin on the inside of the stalks. Rub each stalk as it is peeled with the cut lemon. Cut it into 3-inch pieces and drop them into the bowl with the lemon juice. When the cardoons are prepared, bring the pan of water with the flour and lemon juice to a boil. Add the cardoons, cover and simmer until the cardoons are tender when pierced with a knife, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the cooking liquid. If cooking the cardoons in advance, refrigerate them with the cooking liquid. Drain well before proceeding with the recipe. Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the almonds and garlic until they are lightly toasted and golden. Skim them. Set aside a dozen almonds to use as garnish. Place the remainder in a blender with the garlic and some of the chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Stir the remaining ½ tablespoon of flour into the oil in the skillet and let it cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the drained cardoons, the almond mixture from the blender, the remaining stock, and ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (if the stock is salty, take care not to over
Appelmoes Ingredients 8 large applespreferably a variety of flavours:tart, sweet etc 2 tablespoonSugar 1 tablespoonLemon Juice 1/4 cupWater cinnamon stickoptional Introduction The Dutch love eating applesauce (or appelmoes as they call it) as a condiment with their main course. It’s very much part of the everyday family meal in Holland. directions Peel, core, and chop the apples. Add with sugar and water to a saucepan with a heavy bottom and slowly bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer the apples until done. Leave it chunky or smash it slightly to create a finer texture. Taste and adjust the sweetness or the flavor of cinnamon as prefered.
Cochinillo Asado, Roasted Suckling Pig Ingredients 6 lbssuckling pig(can be ordered in advanced from a good butcher or online) 1/2 cupextra virgin olive oil Kosher Salt to tastefresh cracked black pepper 1/2 cupunsalted butter 2Carrots 1Spanish onion 1 tbsThyme 1 tbsrosemary 1 tbsgarlic powderIntroduction A suckling pig is a pig that is no older than 1 month and weigh no more than 8 lbs. directions Season the pig with salt and pepper, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder on the inside and out. Wrap the ears in aluminium foil to prevent burning. Place the pig in a large roasting pan and baste with butter and olive oil inside and out. Place in the oven and roast, basting often with the pan drippings, about 2 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Halfway through cooking, add the carrots, potatoes, and onion to the roasting pan and remove the foil from the ears. Remove the piglet from oven, check the meat, making sure the juices run clear and the skin is crispy. Place the pig on a platter and serve. With each portion, serve some of the crispy skin. The eyeballs and brains are especially good served atop crusty bread.
Pineapple Glaze for Ham Ingredients 1 7- 9 poundfully cooked ham(or spiral ham) 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 1 can pineapple rings in pineapple juice(20oz can) 1/2 cup maple syrupor honey 1 tablespoonDijon MustardIntroduction directions Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the ham facedown in a roasting pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, pineapple juice from the can, honey or maple syrup, and mustard and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until reduced slightly, about 2 minutes, and set aside. Brush the baked ham with the glaze, then top with the pineapple rings, securing them with toothpicks. Return the ham to the oven and bake uncovered until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.
Torta Alemã Ingredients 2 packscornstarch biscuit 250g unsalted butter (room temperature) 1 cup + 1 tablespoon(+/-200 g)Sugar 3gemspassed through the sieve 2 cans ice cream 1 tablespoonPort Wineor liquor (optional) Coverage: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 4 tablespoons chocolate powder 1 can condensed milkIntroduction Note: directions Beat the butter and sifted sugar (reserve a tablespoon) until you get a whitish and fluffy cream. Add the yolks one by one. Add the whey-free sour cream gradually until you get a homogeneous mixture. Reserve. Add the whey cream, milk, port wine or liquor, and the sugar. In a pyrex dish, alternate a layer of cookies moistened quickly in milk with a layer of cream. Repeat the layers until the ingredients are finished, finishing with a layer of cookies. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (preferably overnight). Make the topping, like a soft brigadeiro: add the condensed milk, butter, and chocolate, stirring non-stop until it begins to thicken. Wait for it to cool down. When serving, place the chosen topping on the pie. Serve cold. This dessert can be frozen. But refrigerate for at least 6 hours to serve. If you want to unmold, line the pyrex dish or rim shape with pvc film. Refrigerate, unmold when serving, remove the pvc and cover only the top of the pie.
Traditional Brazilian Brigadeiros + variations Ingredients Traditional brigadeiros: 1 can condensed milk 3 tbs – 1 ozchocolate powder unsweetened 1 teaspoon Butter Chocolate sprinkles Homemade condensed milk: ½ cup hot water 1 cup powdered milk ½ cup Sugaryou can add more or less to taste, or use an artificial sweetner for a light variation 1 teaspoon unsalted butter 1 teaspon vanilla extract optional Vegan variation: Use soy powered milk instead of cow milkand vegan margarine instead of butter. Introduction directions Put the condensed milk, cocoa powder (sifted if you want) and butter in a small pot. Cook it over a slow heat, constantly mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it almost sticks to the bottom of the pot. This is important: when you tilt the pot a little bit, you’ll notice that the brigadeiro “slides”, without sticking to the bottom. Turn the heat off and pour it over a platter lightly greased with butter. Let it cool. Then, grease your hands with butter and mold the brigadeiro in little balls, taking small portions of the chocolate mix with a small spoon. Cover it with chocolate sprinkles and then put it in little paper molds or on a platter lined with wax paper. Put all the ingredients in a blender (put the hot water first, carefully) and blend it for at least 2 minutes, being careful not to burn yourself. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you want. Store it in a container with a lid and leave it in the fridge until it thickens a little bit. It can be used to prepare all recipes that call for condensed milk, including “pudim” (a type of flan). Follow the same instructions as above, but use soy milk instead of cow’s milk, and use a vegan margarine instead of butter. If you want coconut brigadeiros, which we call beijinho, use dried coconut flakes instead of chocolate/cocoa powder. Instead of covering the little balls in chocolate sprinkles, use coconut flakes (dried). If you want cashew bigadeiros (cajuzinho), use peanut or cashew powder instead of chocolate. Use it also to cover the little balls (you can also mold the candy as little “cajus”, a typical Brazilian fruit). There are many other variations using the same base, for example, surpresa de uva (grape surprise), or a strawberry variation; use strawberry Nesquik instead of chocolate and red granulated sugar instead of traditional sugar.
Puerto Rican Potato Salad/Ensalada de Papas Ingredients salted waterfor boiling 2 pounds peeled potatoeschopped into 2 inch chunks 1 tablespoonwhite vinegar 6 hard boiled eggschopped 3 small applespeeled, cored and chopped into half inch chunks 2 tablespoons red onionsfinely chopped ½green bell pepper chopped 1 celery stalks finely chopped ½ cup mayonnaise 1 1/2 tablespoons (24 grams)Dijon Mustardor yellow mustard Salt and pepperto taste paprikato garnish cilantrochopped, to garnish Introduction directions Put the potatoes and raw eggs in a large stockpot. Once the water has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and set inside to drain and cool at room temperature while you prepare the potato salad dressing. Toss the apple pieces in the apple cider vinegar and let them sit for 5 minutes in a bowl. This step will prevent the apples from oxidizing too much. Put the red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, roasted red pepper, sofrito, and the olives in another, larger mixing bowl. Stir the mayo, dijon mustard, adobo, grated garlic, paprika, oregano, and black pepper into the veggie mixture until smooth using a large spoon or a rubber spatula. Peel, then chop the hard-boiled eggs once they’ve cooled slightly. Add the eggs and potatoes to the bowl with the dressing. It’s okay if the potatoes are still warm. Stir the potatoes and eggs into the dressing mixture ensuring they are evenly coated. Add more mayonnaise as desired. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until it has chilled completely, for 8 hours or overnight is best. When you’re ready to serve, stir the salad to mix up the mayo dressing. If you find your potatoes have soaked up too much of the mayo, add another cup of mayo on top and stir it in. Taste the salad and add more adobo or pepper as required. Garnish with paprika and cilantro. Serve the potato salad well-chilled.
Chicken Mixiotes Ingredients 1 kilogram chickencut into pieces 1ancho peppers 10guajillo peppers 1morita pepperoptional 1 pinchoregano 1 pinchThyme 1⁄2 teaspooncumin 3Peppercorns 2Bay Leaves 3clove 2cloves of garlic 1 pinchSaltto taste 500 grcactus paddles cut into strips 1 cup Onioncut into crescents (julienne) Introduction Mixiote is one of thousands of the most popular traditional Mexican dishes. It can be filled with beef, chicken, fish, mutton, pork, or shrimp. The preparation is somewhat tedious and requires a lot of patience, but it’s worth a try. directions To prepare the chicken mixiotes, boil 3 cups of water, add the seedless and stemless chilies and let them soften for a few minutes. Tip: it is important that the chilies do not have seeds because the marinade is not going to strain. When the chilies are already soft and warm, mash them for 3 minutes with the 3 cloves of garlic, oregano, thyme, cumin, cloves, fat peppers and bay leaves. Also add two cups of the remaining water from the cooking of the chilies. Marinate the chicken pieces with the marinade and let them sit for at least 1 hour. You can let the chicken marinate for one night to reinforce the flavor with the marinade. After the marinating time, spread an aluminum leaf, place a bed of chopped cactus paddles and onions and add salt to taste. Tip: if you prefer to make the chicken mixiotes with the mixiote leaf, you will have to moisturize it for at least 10 minutes before starting to assemble your mixiotes. Place a piece of chicken and add more marinade if you prefer. Season with a little more salt. To wrap, fold the ends inwards, first two of the sides and then the remaining two. Make sure the fold is up to avoid spills and cook the steamed chicken mixiotes for 1 hour over low heat. Tip: if you use the mixiote sheet, wrap making a kind of sachet and secure it with cotton thread. To serve, we advise you to do it on a deep plate and carefully opening the mixiote. Enjoy this delicious recipe for chicken mixiotes with cactus paddles!
Musse de Maracujá (Passion Fruit Mousse) Ingredients 1 cancondensed milk 1 canconcentrated passion fruit juicemeasured in condensed milk 1 cansour creamIntroduction directions Blend everything for 2 minutes. Pour into a deep platter or individual bowls and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Before serving, garnish with passion fruit pulp heated with a little sugar.
Broas de Mel Ingredients 6 and 3/4 cups Flour 2 and 3/4 cups Sugar 2 Eggs 3/4 cup sugarcane honeymolasses 1/4 cup Ground Cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 2 tablespoons ground nutmeg 1/4 cup baking soda 1/2 lemonlemon zest  1/3 cup Butter 1/3 cup lardor butter almondsoptional Introduction This small cookie, originally from Madeira, is immensely popular at Christmas time. The classic recipe uses sugar cane honey, which is prevalent in many Madeiran desserts. Broas de mel are made with flour, salt, yellow sugar, yeast, and cinnamon, mixed with warm oil and honey. directions Mix all the ingredients except the eggs and cane sugar. Once mixed, make a hole in the middle and add the eggs and the molasses. Knead the dough again and again until it becomes smooth and no longer sticks to the bowl. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours. Roll the dough into balls. Place the balls on trays with non-stick paper (place an almond on the cookie ball as a finishing touch, optional). Bake in a preheated oven at 150ºC or 300ºF for 30 minutes.
Mollejas en Escabeche (Pickled Gizzards) Ingredients 4 lbchicken gizzards 2 large white onionor yellow onions 1red bell peppersliced 1 cup stuffed olivessliced 8 garlic clovesdiced 4-6 Bay Leaves 2 cups Olive Oil 3/4 cup white vinegar 2 tablespoons Black Peppercorns Saltto taste Introduction directions In a pot over a medium heat, cook the mollejas until tender; this should take about two hours. If necessary, add more water while cooking. Once cooked, rinse, drain, and let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove any visible fat or hard skin and cut into pieces. You can also cut the mollejas beforehand, but I find them easier to cut after cooking. Combine the rest of the ingredients in the pot, along with the chopped mollejas. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onions have softened. Remove from the heat and let cool before serving. Serve at room temperature.
Guineos en Escabeche (Pickled Bananas) Ingredients 2 lbs gizzards 8Green Bananas ½ white onion ½red bell pepper ½ green bell pepper ½ yellow bell peppers ½ orange bell pepper 8-10 green olives ½ cup Olive Oil ½ cup white vinegar ½ cup Water black pepper Salt bay leaf 2 cloves of garlic 2 teaspoons parsley flakes 1 onion powderIntroduction Notes: Adjust seasonings to your liking! Use chicken or turkey gizzards. You can even use chicken breasts in places of gizzards, if desired. directions Cut the ends of the green bananas and peel them. Cut the bananas into one inch chunks. Place the bananas into a large pot of water with a pinch of salt and boil over a high heat for 10-12 minutes, or just until fork tender. While the bananas are cooking, cut the gizzards into smaller bite sized pieces and boil with water in a different pot for ten minutes. Drain the bananas and put into a large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil to keep them fresh. In a separate pot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat and then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook until the onions and peppers have softened. About 7-10 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust to your liking. Once the vegetables have softened, pour the mixture into the large bowl with the bananas and toss to coat. Fold in the gizzards and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Pestiños Ingredients 750 grwheat flour 250 mlWhite Wine 250 mlOlive Oil 2 capsulesstar anise 1cinnamon 150 grhoney 35 grWater Oil for frying Introduction directions Into a saucepan, put the wine, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Heat until it breaks into a boil. Leave on the heat for 5 minutes and then remove. Pour the wine into a container so that it cools quickly. Dry the saucepan and put in the olive oil to heat. Put a piece of orange peel into the saucepan. When the crust begins to bubble, remove from the heat, remove the orange peel, and put the oil in a bowl along with the flour. Mix with a spatula or bakery scraper, so that the flour absorbs all the oil and a kind of porridge begins to form. Next, remove the star anise and cinnamon stick from the wine and pour it into the bowl with the flour. Knead so that the flour absorbs all the liquid. Once the dough is ready, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours. Just before the 2 hours is up, heat plenty of olive oil, or sunflower oil, in a frying pan. Cut pieces of the dough and stretch them on the countertop with the help of a roller to an approximate thickness of about 2-3 millimeters. Using a square pasta cutter, about 10 x 10 centimeters, cut portions of the dough. If you do not have a pasta cutter, use a knife to trim pieces of the square-shaped dough sheet. With a silicone brush, brush the center of the dough with a little water. Fold one of the corners towards the center and press it down. Next, put a little water over the bent corner and fold the opposite corner (watch video). Once the oil is very hot, throw the pestiños in in batches, putting them in with the joined ends downward. After a few minutes, or when the dough begins to take on color, turn the pestiños so that they brown all over. Once they are golden, take them out of the frying pan and put them on absorbent paper. While they cool down, prepare the mead. Put the water and honey in a bowl and mix with a spoon until the honey dilutes, forming a kind of syrup. Serve the pestiños covered with a generous portion of mead.
Arroz Con Gandules ( Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas) Ingredients 1 tablespoonOlive Oil 1/3 cup country hamor bacon, diced (optional) 1/3 cupSofrito 3 cupsWateror low sodium chicken broth 1 ½ tspsazón con achiote y culantro 1 cube chicken bouillonor more if needed 2 tbsp tomato pasteor 1/3 cup tomato sauce 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning 1/4 cupfresh cilantrochopped optional 2-3Bay Leaves 2 tablespoons pimento stuffed olives optional 15 ounce can Pigeon Peas (Gandules)drained and rinsed or 2 cups of fresh or frozen 2 cups parboiled riceIntroduction directions Heat a caldero or Dutch oven on a medium heat and add the olive oil, bacon/ham (if using), and sofrito. Stir constantly until fragrant and tender, but not browned, about 4 minutes. Next add the Sazon, tomato sauce or paste, and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine. Add the drained pigeon peas, Italian seasoning or oregano, bay leaves, and water/broth. Add the cilantro and/or olives, if using. Allow the liquid to come up to a boil and taste it for salt. If it needs more saltiness, add in another chicken bouillon cube. You want it to be highly seasoned as it will determine the final seasoning of the rice. Once the mixture is boiling, add the rice. Stir the rice to get it submerged and distribute the pigeon peas throughout. Cover and allow the rice to absorb all the liquid. Once most of the visible surface liquid is absorbed, stir the rice, and cover again. Lower the flame to low, and allow it to steam for 20-25 minutes. It’s done when all the liquid is absorbed and the grains are fluffy and fully cooked.
Bolo Rei Ingredients 3 cups plain flouror all purpose flour 2 tbsp dried yeastaround 14g dried yeast 1/2 cupSugar 75 g Buttersoftened 2Eggs 1 eggwhisked – for basting Pinch Salt 1 lemonlemon zest  100 ml warm milk 100 ml Port Wineor brandy or sweet sherry 80 g candied fruitsor dried fruit chopped for filling, sultanas okay 50 g Mixed Nuts unsalted and chopped (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts) Garnish: 50 g dried fruit slices 30 gMixed Nutsunsalted and halved (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts) Sprinkle icing sugaror powdered sugar 1 tsp strawberry jam 2 tsp hot waterIntroduction A lightly spiced, fluffy Christmas cake filled with fruit and nuts. A speciality in Portugal, Bolo Rei or Portuguese Kings Cake, is super easy to bake at home, so get ready to make your Kings Cake “crown” this holiday season! directions Place the chopped candied fruit and raisins in a bowl with the port to infuse. Mix the yeast with warm milk and let rest in a warm place for 5-10 minutes until slightly frothy on top. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest, butter, whole eggs, and salt. Then pour in the yeast mixture and knead together. Once mixed, add in the port and fruit mixture and the chopped nuts. Knead together until well combined. Mold the dough into a round shape in the bowl, scraping down the edges, and slightly sprinkle with flour before covering with plastic wrap and a cloth. Allow to rise to double the size. This should take around 1.5 hours, depending on the climate. Line a baking tray with paper and a light sprinkling of flour. Place the dough onto the tray, forming a ring or “crown”, without handling the dough too much. Place a cup or dish in the centre to keep the ring from closing up. Allow to rise for another 30min – 1 hour. Pre-heat oven to 180°c. Baste th dough with the egg yolk mixture and garnish with the remaining nuts, dried fruit slices, and icing sugar. Pop in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, and you’re done!
Tronco de Natal Ingredients 125 gdark brown sugar 2 tablespoonschocolate powder 4 Eggs 75 g wheat flour 50 ml Milk 50 g margarinemelted 1 teaspoon Baking Powder For the filling: 200 ml Cream 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 1 teaspoonvanilla essence For coverage: 150 g dark chocolate 75 g powdered sugar 125 g margarinemelted Sugar powder to decorate Introduction This recipe can appear complex. In fact, anyone can make a great yule log, as long as they are organized. You can get creative with espresso or liqueur icings, or perhaps a Nutella filling. directions Preheat the oven to 180° C. Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg whites and set aside in the refrigerator. In an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks at medium speed along with the brown sugar until you get a very creamy mixture. Add the milk, softened margarine, and chocolate powder and mix for about 3 to 4 minutes until well incorporated. Reduce to minimum speed, add the flour mixed with the baking powder, and beat until creamy and homogeneous. Finally, carefully fold in the egg whites with a spatula. Line a tray (36 x 30 centimeters) with butter and parchment paper and spread the dough on top with a spatula. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until slightly brown (time depends on the oven). When cooked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down a little. Place a cloth over the cake and turn out. Remove the tray and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Roll the cake carefully from side to side in a cloth and set aside. In a bowl, beat the cream along with the powdered sugar and vanilla essence until firm. Unroll the cake, cut the edges with a knife and spread the cream with a spatula. Then roll it up slowly again, removing the cloth as you roll it up. Put the broken chocolate in a bowl and microwave. In an electric mixer, beat the powdered sugar with the softened margarine at medium speed until you get a creamy and homogeneous mixture. Add the melted chocolate and mix for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is a very creamy mixture. Diagonally cut a slice of the cake and place it next to the pie. With a spatula, cover the cake with the chocolate cream and use a fork to give the icing a tree bark effect. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Perna de Peru de Natal Ingredients 2 turkey legs(preferably sliced) 5 cloves garlic 2 medium onions 200 mlWhite Wine Olive Oil orange juiceor lemon orange zestor lemon potatoesor sweet potato in slices 1 bunchcorianderor parsley (optional) Other herbs(optional) salt flower PepperIntroduction directions In a mincer or with the help of a magic wand, put the olive oil, garlic, parsley, paprika, juice and zest of an orange, salt and pepper. Chop well. On an oven tray place the turkey leg on a tray and cover well with the paste. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for a few hours (preferably do this the day before.) Preheat the oven to 180° C. Add the onions in half moons and drizzle with white wine. Bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes then cover it with the sauce. Serve with boiled or baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Raisin / Fruit Soup Ingredients 40 grdried plums 40 grdried apricots 40 grdried apples 40 grdried pears 350 mlWater 40 grwhite sugar Potato starch water: 2 Tbsppotato starch 2 TbspWaterIntroduction Fruit soup is a must-have dessert for Christmas in Finland. The Finnish way is to serve this fruit soup over milk porridge. directions Cut the dried fruit into bite-sized pieces. Note: The most common dried fruit is a mixture of prunes, apricots, apples, and pears. In Finland, they are sold pre-mixed. Fig is nice also. Put the water and dried fruit in a pressure cooker and heat over a medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes after steam is released. Alternatively, put the water and dried fruit in a regular pot, cover with a lid, and place over medium heat. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until soft. Uncover and add the sugar. In another container, mix cold water and potato starch to make potato starch water. Pour the potato starch water into the soup, mixing well. Heat the soup for a while to thicken it. Serve with milk porridge. Can be served hot or cold.
Polvo Assado com Migas Ingredients 1frozen octopus 3garlic clove 100 mlOlive Oil Salt and white pepper chopped parsley For bread crumbs with spinach: 2large onions 3garlic cloves 1bay leaf 415 gcorn bread 170 gspinach leaves 150 mlOlive Oil Salt and Black PepperIntroduction directions Place the frozen octopus in a pan. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Let the octopus cool in the pan. Cut the octopus through the tentacles. Place it on an oven tray. Add the sliced garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 100 ml of olive oil and bake in a preheated oven at 200° C for 30 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Cut the onions into half moons. Fry the onions in a frying pan with 50 ml of olive oil until soft. Place the onion in an oven tray. Heat the frying pan with 100 ml of olive oil and add the chopped garlic cloves. As soon as they start frying, add the spinach leaves and sauté a little. Add the bread without the crust. Fold in the mixture of garlic, olive oil, and spinach. Season with a little salt. If necessary add a little more olive oil. Place the bread mixture on top of the onion. Bake in a preheated oven at 200° C for 15 minutes. Serve the octopus with the bread crumbs.
Arroz Natalino Ingredients 3 teacups ricewashed and drained 4 tablespoonsButter 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2chopped onion 6 cups (tea) warm water 1 cup (tea) raisinsseedless black raisins 1/2 cup (tea) yellow raisinsseedless 1/2 cup (tea) cashewchopped 2garlic cloves crushed salt to taste 1 cup (tea) Brazil nutschopped Introduction directions Heat a pan with half the butter and oil over a medium heat and fry the garlic until golden. Add the rice and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the water and salt and cook with the pan half covered until the water has almost evaporated. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook until the water is completely dry and the rice is tender. Take off the heat, transfer to a platter, and set aside. Heat another pan with the remaining butter and oil over a medium heat and sauté the onion, raisins, and chestnuts for 3 minutes. Spread over the rice on the platter, decorate with carambola and nuts and serve.
Peru Natalino (Christmas Turkey) Ingredients 4 – 6 kg turkey 2 litres wine 3 orangesorange juice 2 lemonsLemon Juice Yellow mustard sage rosemary Parsley mixed herbs Salt and Black Pepper Onionsliced Garlic crushed For orange sauce: 1 tablespoon Sugar 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar ½ teaspoon all purpose flour 2 orangesorange juice ½ lemonLemon Juice 50 mlGran MarnierIntroduction Turkey might not be a Brazilian creation, for it is a non-native bird. Nevertheless, the tradition of serving a highly seasoned turkey as the main dish for Christmas celebrations runs deep in Brazilian culture, thanks to influence from the American thanksgiving celebration. It is very common to stuff the inside of the turkey with crunchy farofas (toasted cassava mix) and serve with brightly colored tropical fruits, adding an experience for all the senses. directions Marinate the turkey with all the condiments the night before. When it is ready to cook, drain, remove the solids from the marinade to prevent them from burning when cooking and reserve the marinade. If you want, you can fill the turkey with farofa prepared with turkey liver and heart. Sew the turkey up or use toothpicks to close the opening. Tie the turkey legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body. It is easier, however, to serve farofa separately. Brush the turkey with the butter, cover with aluminum foil and roast in a hot oven. A large turkey takes around 45 minutes per kg to cook. When cooked, remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle the marinade over and allow the skin to brown. Garnish with canned or fresh fruit. Bring the whole turkey to the table to carve. In a small saucepan, caramelize the sugar with the vinegar. Dissolve the flour in the orange and lemon juice. Put the dissolved flour in the caramelized sugar and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add the Grand Marnier and allow to boil again. If you like, add a few slices of peeled orange.
Salpicao de Frango (Brazilian Chicken Salad) Ingredients 1 pound chickencoarsely shredded cooked 1 (8 ounce) can canned whole kernel corndrained 1 cup pitted green oliveschopped ¾ cup golden raisins 2 Carrotsgrated 1 stalk celeryfinely chopped ¼ green applefinely chopped 4 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard 1 pinchwhite sugar Salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste 2 tablespoons fresh parsleychopped 2large lettuce leaves 4sprigs watercress 2 cupsshoestring potato sticksIntroduction This is a really easy chicken salad made with a cream and mustard dressing instead of mayo, which results in a lighter taste. Great for leftover chicken. directions Combine the chicken, corn, olives, raisins, carrots, celery, and apple in a large bowl. Stir together the cream and mustard in a cup and season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Arrange lettuce leaves and watercress on a platter and spoon the salad into the middle. Sprinkle with shoestring potato sticks and press into the salad. Chill until ready to serve.
El Sancocho (Dominican Traditional Stew) Ingredients Pork meat or a combination of pork, beef and chicken Smoked Pork Neck Bones ½ teaspoonSalt and pepper 1 teaspoonoregano 1 teaspoonadobo whole allspice 1 teaspoonSofrito chicken bouillon Lime Plantains corn Carrots yuca yautia auyama cilantro cilantro ancho ThymeIntroduction Sancocho is a meat and vegetable stew enjoyed in Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean islands. It’s made of a variety of meats and starchy vegetables such as plantains, yuca, and yautia, and served with a side of white rice and avocado. Among the long list of stews and soups in the Dominican cuisine, this one is the king to rule them all. Loved by every Dominican under the sun, El sancocho is made of meat, tubers, and vegetables. A broth will unfold a culinary delight before you.directions Trim the excess fat and rinse the meat well with lemon juice or vinegar. To season the meat, add 1 teaspoon dry adobo, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, and sofrito. Mix it all together and coat the meat well. In a 6 qts pot or caldero, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the meat to the pot and sear until brown all over. Cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Let the meat cook until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Be sure to add water as needed throughout so that the meat doesn’t burn. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside for later. While the meat cooks, peel and cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces, except for the squash, which you want to peel and cut into two large pieces. Add all the vegetables to the pot and add water until you’ve filled ¾ of the pot. Bring to a boil. Do not overfill the pot because you will be adding in the meat later. When the water begins to boil, add the chicken bouillon and allspice or malagueta. Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes. When the squash is tender, remove it from the pot and blend it with ½ cup of liquid from the pot and ½ cup of cool water until the mixture is smooth. Then, pour it back into the pot. Using cooking twine, tie together tightly cilantro, culantro (cilantro ancho), and thyme and add it to the pot. Let it simmer on medium heat for about 20 more minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoon of adobo, ½ teaspoon of oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Add the meat back into the pot and let it all simmer until the vegetables are tender
Flan Ingredients For the Caramel: 1 cup white granulated sugar For the Custard Filling: 1 (12oz) canEvaporated Milk 1 cup Milk ½ tbsp vanilla extract A pinch Salt 5 Eggs ½ cup white granulated sugarIntroduction Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Yield: 8 servings directions Pour the sugar into a heavy bottomed pot and melt over a medium-low heat. You can shake the pan occasionally to ensure the sugar melts evenly. Once the sugar has melted completely (this can take up to 20 minutes) and there are no sugar crystals remaining, pour the caramel into an oven resistant dish or dishes. Set aside. Next, put all the filling ingredients into the blender and blend until velvety smooth. Pour this mixture into your baking dish, over the caramel and salt. Bake in a water bath (placing your baking dish inside another, larger oven safe dish with water) at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes, or until the center looks jiggly (think jello) but not liquid. Remove the flan from the oven and allow to cool completely. Using a knife, loosen the edges around your flan and the baking dish. Grab a platter to serve the flan on and place it over the baking dish. Carefully flip the flan onto your platter, allowing the caramel to drizzle over the top. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Conquito ( Puerto Rican Eggnog) Ingredients 15 ounces cream of coconut 15 ounces coconut milk 14 ounces Sweetened Condensed milk 12 ounces Evaporated Milk 1/4 teaspoonvanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamonplus more to top 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup (or more)white rum 2 vanilla beanssplit in half 3–4 whole cinnamon sticksIntroduction directions In a blender, combine the canned ingredients, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Blend until well-combined. Add the rum and blend again. Taste and adjust as preferred. Pour the mixture into a pitcher and add the vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or divide into bottles. Letting the mixture refrigerate for at least an hour allows the flavor from the vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks to fuse with the cocktail mixture. Allow the coquito to sit at room temperature before serving. Serve over ice, if desired, with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.
Puerto Rican Tembleque (Coconut Pudding) Ingredients 4 cupscanned coconut milkfull-fat, please! 1⁄2 teaspoonKosher Salt 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1⁄2 cupcornstarch Ground Cinnamonfor garnish Introduction directions Grease 8 4-ounce molds or 1 large 4-cup mold (ramekins, baking pans, custard cups, etc.) with a small spritz of baking spray or coconut oil. In a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat, combine the coconut milk, salt, and sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove 1 cup of the warm coconut milk and put in a separate bowl, and whisk together with the cornstarch to create a smooth mix. Slowly whisk it back into the pot. Let cook, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes or until thickened and pudding-like. Remove from the heat, divide into the prepared molds, and let cool on the counter for 20 minutes before loosely covering with plastic wrap and transferring to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours until set. To serve, run a thin wet knife along the edges and carefully invert onto a plate. Garnish with ground cinnamon, if desired.
Aletria Ingredients 12 oz vermicelli noodles 1/2 cupWater 3 cups Milk 1 cupSugar 1 lemon rinds 6Egg Yolks 2 tablespoons Butter 2 teaspoons cinnamon powderIntroduction Aletria is a Portuguese Sweet Pasta dessert. It is kind of like the pasta version of Arroz Doce, or Sweet Rice. It is quite a unique and traditional Portuguese dessert. directions In a saucepan, put 2.5 cups milk and 1/2 cup water and heat until it boils. Now add the sugar, lemon rind, and butter. Stir well. Reduce to a medium heat. Finally, add the vermicelli noodles and mix again. Let simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Beat the egg yolks well and then add them to the saucepan along with the last 1/2 cup milk. Stir well as it simmers for another 3 minutes. Once done, pour it into a serving dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder.
Rabanadas Ingredients 12 slices toast bread 3/4 cup Sugar 1/4 liter Milk 1 envelope vanila sugar 5 Eggs 1/4 kilo Butter Sugar and cinnamonoptional Introduction directions Start by heating the milk with the sugar and vanilla sugar in a pan. Beat the eggs separately. Soak each slice of bread in milk, leaving it well moistened without getting too soft. Then pass it through the beaten egg. Heat the butter in a frying pan, adding two or three spoonfuls at a time. When hot, fry the slices of bread. You can fry 3 or 4 at a time, depending on the size of the frying pan. Brown the slices on both sides. If desired, sprinkle the French toast with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon to make them even tastier. Now they are ready!
Bacalhau da Consoada Ingredients 2 pounds salt codcut into 6 or 8 fillets,soaked for 24 hours 1 1/2 pounds potatoesboiled in their skins and peeled while still hot 1 large head cabbagecut into 8 pieces (or 8 large kale leaves), blanched until just tender 12 hard boiled eggs sliced in half For the sauce: 3 tablespoons Olive Oilper person 1 clove garlicminced 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar per person (or less to taste) Introduction This Portuguese Christmas Eve cod, called bacalhau de consoada, calls for salt cod, potatoes, cabbage, and hard-boiled eggs. It’s a simple, humble, traditional dish.directions Fill a large pot with enough boiling water to cover the fish by several inches. Cover the pot with a heavy dishtowel and leave the cod to soak in the hot water for 30 minutes. If the fish isn’t cooked fully, simmer gently until finished. Drain the cod, and remove any bits of skin or bone. To make the sauce, bring the oil and garlic to a boil in a small saucepan, remove from the heat, add the vinegar, beat well, and serve in a sauceboat.
Borrego Assado Ingredients 2 kg lamb(hand or leg) 1 kg potatoes 18 spring onions 3 medium onions 2oranges 2 lemons 1 glass brandy 800 mlWhite Wine 1 cube meat broth 2 Bay Leaves 1 sprig rosemary sweet pepper Olive Oil Salt and pepperIntroduction directions Clean the meat, cut into pieces, and season with a generous amount of salt, sweet peppers, bay leaf, oranges and lemons cut into slices, brandy and wine. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and peel the spring onions. Wrap them in a tray with olive oil and rosemary, season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven preheated to 160° C, for about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside. Spread the onion slices over the bottom of another oven tray, preferably clay. Put the meat on top and add the marinade, taking out the lemon and orange slices. Dissolve the stock cube in a glass of warm water and pour it into the bottom of the meat tray. Bake, in an oven preheated to 220° C, covered with aluminum foil, for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. 10 minutes before the end, add the potatoes and spring onions and let it finish. Remove and serve immediately.
African Peanut Soup Ingredients 1chicken clean and cut into pieces 4 tbsppeanut butter 2 tablespoonpeanut oilor any vegetable oil 2fresh tomatoesmashed 1 tbsp tomato paste 2onions chopped 2garlic clove Chili pepperoptional black pepper 1Bouillon cubeor Maggi cube 3 cupsWater potatoes, carrots or pumpkinoptional Introduction African peanut soup is enjoyed in many West African countries. There are a lot of varieties of peanut butter soup. It can be made with beef, fish, chicken, or completely vegetarian. This recipe uses chicken but it can substituted with the meat of your choice. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Serve: 4 directions In a cooking pot, heat the vegetable oil and fry the chicken until brown. Remove and reserve aside. Reduce the oil in the cooking pot, leaving around 2 tablespoons, and add the onions, mashed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, bouillon cube, and black pepper. Stir-fry the mixture for 10 minutes. Add water and the peanut butter, and then cook for 20 minutes. Add the chili pepper and salt to your taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes. To finish, return the fried chicken in the pot and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. The soup is ready when you get the desired consistency. If you like it super thick, let it simmer for a few more minutes. Serve with rice or Fufu.
Bacalhau com Broa Ingredients 4 onions cut into very thin slices 1 cup Olive Oil 2 garlic cloveschopped 1 or 2 cod loins(2 lbs), soaked for 24 hours 1/4 lblinguiça cut into slices 1/4 lb corn breadcrumbs 2 Eggs Salt and pepperto taste Introduction directions Place the onion in a pan with the olive oil and garlic. Add the cod (cut into pieces) and cook. Cover the pan and cook for another 10 minutes, turning the cod after 5 minutes. When the onion is almost cooked, add the sausage. Put everything on a tray and spread the bread crumbs on top. Beat the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and place over the cod. Bake in a preheated oven at 180º C or 350º F until lightly browned.
Oplatki Ingredients 1 cup GF flour 1 tspxanthan gum 1/2 cupWateror enough to form a dough Introduction directions Combine all the ingredients and knead the mixture for 5-8 minutes until it forms a smooth and elastic dough. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes, then give it another brief knead. Roll out the dough as thinly as possible. Cut the dough into squares or circles, then arrange them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to a temperature between 375°F to 425°F (190°C to 220°C) for 20 to 30 minutes or until the dough is thoroughly cooked. The baking time may vary depending on the thickness of the dough. For the best results, consider refrigerating both the flour and water before combining them. This will ensure optimal dough consistency and texture.
Långkål (Creamed Kale) Ingredients 600 g/ 1¼ lb) kale leaves 1 tsp Salt 1 litre/ 4 cups) cooking liquid from ham ham stock or water 50 g/ ¼ cup Butter 180 ml/ ¾ cupwhipping cream salt and freshly ground white pepperto taste ¼ tsp Ground maceoptional 1 tbsp caster sugar superfineoptional Introduction Långkål (creamed kale) is a much loved dish in Sweden that is served as an accompaniment to julskinka (Christmas ham). It is so important that no julbord (Christmas table) is complete without it. I think långkål is absolutely delicious and should not been confined to Christmas as it goes well with pork, smoked meat, and good sausages. directions Pick over the kale leaves to remove any coarse stems. Add the leaves to a large saucepan of boiling salted water and bring back to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches unless you have a very large saucepan. Drain well in a large colander, pressing down well with a spoon to squeeze the water out of the kale leaves. Return the kale to a saucepan and pour the cooking liquid from the ham over the kale so it is just covered. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Drain the kale again, squeezing out as much of the stock as possible. If preparing in advance, when the kale is cold, transfer it to a dish, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Roughly chop the kale. Melt the butter in a pan, add the kale, and lightly fry for a couple of minutes. Add the cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Add ground mace and sugar if desired. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Eat the långkål while piping hot. Ideally långkål should be made using the cooking liquid from the ham, but it can be made using just water or ham stock made using a bouillon cube. Don’t be tempted to replace the cream with milk and flour as it really doesn’t taste as good, even if it might be a shade healthier. Some Swedes like to add a tablespoon or two of sugar and a touch of mace. After the kale has been simmering in the cream for about 5 minutes, have a taste and then add some sugar and mace if you think it would improve the dish. Personally, I prefer it without.
Lussekatter (Swedish Saffron Buns) Ingredients Prep Ahead: ½ tsp saffron threads 2 Tbsp Milk ½ c raisins For the Dough: 1 ½ c Milkwarmed to 80F 2¼ tsp active dry yeast ¾ c Sugar 6 Tbspunsalted buttermelted and cooled 1 egglightly beaten ½ tsp saltSalt 6 -6 ½ c unbleached all purpose flour For the Egg Wash: 1egg 2 Tbsp WaterIntroduction Light and fluffy Lussekatter are a fun to make treat for St. Lucia’s Day and beyond. Celebrate the Christmas season with these Swedish Saffron Buns! For best results, make your saffron milk and start soaking your raisins 1 hour before you would like to start your bread. directions Place the saffron threads in a small bowl and carefully grind them into a fine powder using the back of a spoon, or use a pestle and mortar. Add 2 tbsp of milk and set the mixture aside for an hour or two, stirring occasionally, to let the saffron dye the milk. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Set them aside to plump. Place the warmed milk in a large mixing bowl. Mix in a few tbsp of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the milk and let it stand until the yeast has softened and begins to foam, 5-10 min. Mix in the remaining sugar, melted and cooled butter, beaten egg, and prepared saffron milk. Add the salt and flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add just enough flour so that the dough comes together to a knead-able consistency. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for 5-6 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Once the dough is smooth and soft, shape it into a ball and place it into a clean, greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft free place for 60-90 min, until doubled. Once risen, turn the dough out on the counter and knead it a few times. Divide the dough into 24, roughly even, pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Then, roll each ball into a 6 inch snake. Finally, roll each snake longer, to about 13-14 inches. This dough has a tendency to spring back on you, which is why we roll it out in stages. Giving it time to relax will make it easier to get your long snake. For each snake, spiral the ends in opposite directions to form a scrolled “S”. Place the scrolled “S” onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Drain your rais
Date Bundt Cake Ingredients 250g (8.819 oz) dried dates 200 grams (7.055 oz)Water 175 grams (6.173 ozSugar 200 grams (7.055 oz) Butter 2Eggs 1 tspbaking soda 1 tspBaking Powder 2 tspvanilla sugar 230 grams (8.113 oz)all purpose flourIntroduction Many people in Finland make date cakes during Christmas and there are just as many recipes as there are bakers. directions Put the dates, water, sugar, and butter in a pot. Boil them for as long as it takes for the dates to break. Let the mix cool down and prepare the bundt cake pan. Butter the pan well and dust with dark cocoa powder or a mix of all-purpose four and cocoa powder. Whip the eggs into the mixture, one at a time. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add them to the batter. Mix as little as possible. Bake for about 55-60 minutes in the center of the oven at 175° C (350° F).
Finnish Christmas Cookie (Joulutorttu) Ingredients For Dough: 230 grchilled butter 315 grFlour ½ tspSalt 2 tbspSugar 120 mlcold water 1 tbspwhite vinegar For Cooking: Flourfor working surface 300 ml jam egg washoptional powdered sugaroptional Introduction Joulutorttu are great for breakfast or brunch any time of the year, not just for Christmas. Note: The most important part when making the dough is to not let the butter melt. To achieve this, you can chill the dough in the fridge between steps. directions Grate the butter or cut it into small pieces. Put it in the freezer. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Begin working the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or a pair of forks, but do not incorporate entirely. The dough should still have flecks of butter in it. Add the vinegar and half of the water. Begin mixing the dough. Gradually add the rest of the water. Once the dough has formed, shape it into a disc. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough away from you until it is about 4 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. To do this, fold the top third of the dough over the center and then fold the bottom third over the center. Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll out again, and repeat the folds. Cut the dough in half, wrap it in plastic and let chill for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 220° C (450° F). Roll one half of the dough into a rectangle 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inches). Cut into six squares. Diagonally cut the corners of each square towards the center, leaving enough space in the middle to place the jam. Add 1.5-2 tablespoons jam to the center of each square. Fold one corner from each cut piece towards the center of the square. Pierce with a toothpick to hold it in place. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Brush with egg wash (optional) and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Waldorfsalat – Waldorf Salad Ingredients 2 1/2 decilitercrème fraiche212 g or 7.5 oz 1 1/2 tablespoon Sugar 1/4 teaspoonSalt 1/2 lemonLemon Juice 3celery stalks 400 grgrapes14 oz 100 grwalnuts5.3 oz 2appleI use Honeycrisp apples Introduction Waldorf salad was invented sometime between 1893 and 1896 at the Hotel Waldorf in Manhattan NY. Danes have since then taken this wonderful salad to heart. It’s enjoyed mostly during the fall and winter months and for some families, it deserves a place on the Christmas table. directions Combine the Creme Fraiche, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and set aside. Clean and cut the celery into small pieces. Cut the grapes into half. Chop the walnuts into small pieces. Leaving the peel on the apples, dice them into bite size pieces. Add the celery, grapes, walnuts, and apples to the Creme Fraiche. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve on a bed of Boston lettuce or decorate with celery leaves, top with walnuts. Enjoy!
Mexican Green Rice Ingredients 1 cuprice 2poblano peppers 10-15 sprigcilantro 1 handfulspinachoptional 1/2Onion 1garlic clove 2 cupsstock 1/2 teaspoonSalt Olive OilIntroduction It’s not just any rice, this rice is made with poblano pepper and is very common at Christmas dinner. directions Roast the poblano peppers in the oven for 20-25 minutes. You can flip them over halfway through if you want. De-stem and de-seed the poblanos. Add them to a blender along with 10-15 sprigs of cilantro, a handful of spinach, 1/2 onion, and 1 garlic clove. Combine well. Add a dollop of oil to a saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1 cup of rice and cook until opaque and starting to turn golden brown, stirring regularly. This should only take a couple minutes so keep an eye on it to prevent burning. Add the blended puree to the rice and cook for a couple minutes, stirring regularly. Add 2 cups of stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir and cover the rice, letting it sit in its own steam for a few minutes. Take a final taste for salt level, adding more if necessary. Serve immediately and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. If you are using a high sodium storebought stock then adjust the salt level accordingly. You might need to add a couple tablespoons of stock to the blender to get the ingredients to combine.
Vushka Filling Ingredients 1 small containerdried mushrooms(1 oz. variety pack of wild, woodear, or anything else available; this will really improve the flavor and aroma of final mixture) 1 small containerdiced onions(about 5 oz) or equivalent in freshly chopped onion 2 packetsMcCormick mushroom gravy mix(or your own mix of seasonings to taste) 2 containerssliced button mushrooms(6 oz each) 2 containerssliced baby bella mushrooms(6 oz each) 2 containersliced shitaki mushroomsor stir-fry mix (4-6 oz) to tasteSalt and pepperIntroduction This recipe will yield filling for about 100-150 vushka (depending on the size of the dough square and how much filling you put in each). Note: You can vary the mushroom types and quantities to taste. directions To reconstitute the dried mushrooms, put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them and soak for 2-5 minutes. Arrange a cheesecloth in a strainer and pour the mushrooms and liquid through it into a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms under cool water and pat dry. The liquid can be strained again through the cheesecloth and reserved for another use such as borshch. It can also be frozen. Chop the onions more finely in a food processor. Sauté in olive oil until golden. Process the sliced mushrooms and reconstituted dried mushrooms in batches in the food processor, and sauté with the onions. Mushroom gravy mix can be added at the beginning, with button mushrooms, and mixed in well, or added at the end, but it thickens the mixture and absorbs the mushroom liquid better if added towards the beginning. Cook the mixture until all the liquid is absorbed. Season to taste, allow to cool. Use varenyk dough. Cut in squares to about 2 in x 2 in. Fill with filling. Fold the dough over to make a triangle and seal (as varenyk). Bring two corners in and seal the tips against each other, to look like tortellini. Two vushka can be intertwined to make a ‘shchastia’ (good luck) for whomever finds it in their borshch. Cook, freeze, thaw as varenyky. Serve in borshch.
Uzvar (Kompot) Ingredients 100 g (3.5 oz)dried pears 100 g (3.5 oz)dried apples 60 g (2 oz)prunes 60 g (2 oz)raisins 60 g (2 oz)dried sour cherries ½lemon 1 tcinnamon 4clove buds pinchnutmeg 4 lWater to tastehoneyIntroduction directions Put the honey in a pan. Pour water over it and bring to a boil. Add the dried pears, 5 minutes later add the apples, 5 minutes later add the prunes and dried sour cherries, 5 minutes later add the raisins. Cook over a low heat. When all dried fruit become soft, add cinnamon and cloves. Let steep for a while. Squeeze the lemon juice and add it to the pot with the lemon. Turn off the heat and let it infuse for an hour or two.
Stuffed Cheese//Queso Relleno Yucateco Ingredients 1blue rooster ball cheese Oil 3⁄4 kiloground pork For the filling: 1Onionchopped 1garlic cloveminced 4 tbspButter 1sweet chilichopped 1⁄2 teaspooncinnamon powder Salt and pepper 1⁄4 cupvinegar 50 grolives 50 grraisins 3 tbspcapers 400 grconcasse tomatoes 3boiled Eggschopped For the K'óol (white sauce): 1 ltpork broth where the meat was cooked 1 bunchdried epazote 50 grolives 20 grcapers 3 tbspFlour Salt Oil For the tomato sauce: 1⁄2 kgtomato 1/2Onion xcatik pepper Oil epazote leaves 2 teaspoonsbroth SaltIntroduction Stuffed cheese is prepared with queso de bola (Dutch chesse), stuffed with ground beef and pork with almonds, raisins, sweet chili, and spices from the region. It is covered with a white sauce (known as K’ool) based on flour, butter, and chicken broth, and tomato sauce and garnished with green olives. directions Heat the butter and fry the onion. Then add the garlic, sweet chili, meat, and all the other ingredients. Fill the cheese, and cover it with a cloth and steam it so that the cheese softens. Make a chicken broth with broth powder, add the epazote, olives, and capers. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with a little water, strain, and add to the broth little by little while stirring. As salt and a little oil and keep over a low heat. Blend the tomato, a little water, the onion, and chili. Fry this mixture and add the epazote. Season with broth and salt. Simmer uncovered, stirring until it thickens, approx. 30 minutes Serve with the two sauces and the cheese. You can also serve everything separately, with the cheese on one side, the meat on top, and the sauces.
Portuguese Bean Soup Ingredients 1 lbham hocks 1 lbportuguese sausage diced or cubed (i prefer the hot ones) 3 cansKidney beansor2 1/2 - 3 cups dried small red beans, soaked in water overnight and drained 2 lgpotatoescubed 3 lgCarrotsdiced 1 mdound (yellow/spanish) onionchopped 1 ccelerychopped 1 mdcabbage head chopped or cubed 1 cancrushed tomatoes(16 ounces) 1 cantomato sauce(16 ounces) 1 cmacaroniuncooked 3garlic cloveminced (or granulated if desired) 1 TbspSugar Salt and pepperto taste Introduction directions Boil the ham hocks in 2 quarts of water until tender (save the stock). Cut the meat from the bones. Bring the ham stock to a boil and add the cut meat and all the remaining ingredients except the cabbage. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently. If too thick, add a little water. Lastly, add the cabbage and cook until tender.
Sylta Ingredients 3 lb.veal breast 1med. minced onion ¼ c.celeryminced 1-1/2 Tbsp.Salt 2 lb. pork shoulder 1 tsp. Sugar ¼ tsp. Pepper 1 tsp. allspice 1 Tbsp. whole pepper 2 Bay Leaves 4 chicken bouillon cubesIntroduction Sylta is a type of meat hash, mostly eaten these days by the older generation. It is made with meat from the head of a calf or pig, that has been boiled for hours until tender, mixed with carrots, onions, and spiced with allspice and bay leaf. Sylta is served at the sillbord as a starter and definitely has a required taste! directions Wash the meat. Place in a large kettle. Add water to cover. Add all the ingredients and simmer until the meat is tender and falls from the bone (3 hours or more). Let cool, remove the meat from the bones. Remove bay leaves. Place a white muslin cloth in a loaf pan. Alternate layers of pork and veal using fairly large pieces of meat. Add a little salt each time and dredge a little of the strained broth over each layer, When the pan is full, lap the cloth over the loaf. Use another pan filled with water or a weight to press down the loaf. Chill for 12 hours before cutting. Strained broth can be used for cooking the potato sausages and for dipping bread on Christmas Eve.
Risgrynsgröt (Rice Pudding) Ingredients 150 g/ 5 oz pudding (short-grain) rice 00 ml/ 1¼ cupsWater ½ tsp Salt 700 ml/ 3 cupsMilk 1 cinnamon stick 1½ tbsp caster sugar superfine 15 g/ tbsp Butter Ground Cinnamonfor dusting Introduction Rice pudding has been an important dish in Sweden for centuries. The first record of rice pudding being served in Sweden was in 1328, at the funeral wake for the father of St. Bridget of Sweden. In the 1700s, rice pudding was considered fashionable and was served at all the finest parties. Rice pudding can be served at any time of year, but it is nearly always included as part of a julbord (Christmas buffet). It is normally dusted with cinnamon. Often an almond is hidden in the rice pudding and whoever gets the almond gets a task, like reciting a rhyme in thanks for the meal. In the old days, if a single young man or woman found the almond, it was a sign that the coming year would bring true love. Tips: directions Put the rice, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk and cinnamon stick. Mix well and heat until the mixture is hot, but don’t let it boil. Cover again and leave the pudding on a very low heat until the rice has absorbed all the milk. This will normally take between 30 and 45 minutes. Don’t stir the rice and keep it covered as much as possible. Once the milk has been absorbed, remove from the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes. Then stir in the sugar and butter. Serve lukewarm dusted with ground cinnamon. At Christmas, hide an almond in the pudding before serving. This recipe is based on a traditional Swedish recipe which was for 4 people, but I think it could easily serve 8. A creamy cold version, called Ris à la Malta, is served with a fruit sauce and is perhaps even more popular.
Janssons Frestelse Ingredients 700 g raw potatoes 250 g anchovy filletsmarinated 2large onions 300-400 ml Cream 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs ButterIntroduction Jansson’s temptation is a traditional Swedish casserole made with potatoes, onions, pickled sprats, bread crumbs, and cream. directions Peel the potatoes and cut into strips. Cut the onions into thin strips. Spread the butter on a baking dish. Layer the potatoes, onions, and anchovies, and then potatoes again, etc. Finish with a layer of potatoes. Press the upper layer flat. Pour the cream over it. If you like, pour some of the anchovy marinade from the tin over it. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top. Season with alt and pepper. Spread some butter over it. Then pop in the oven for one hour, at 230° C.
Gingravad Lax (Gin Cured Salmon) Ingredients 1.2 kg/ 2½ lb salmon filletn 2 pieces, with skin on 2 tbsp white peppercorns 2 tsp juniper berries 60 g/ 4 tbspcoarse sea salt(kosher salt) 10 g/ 2 tsplight muscovado sugar 30 g/ 2 tbspcaster sugar superfine 25 g/ 4 tbspdillroughly chopped including stalks 3 tbsp GinIntroduction Gravad lax (cured salmon) is a smörgåsbord (buffet table) classic. It is normally cured with salt and sugar and flavored with dill and white pepper. But here we have also added some gin and juniper, a popular twist in Sweden at Christmas to give the salmon a slightly more sophisticated taste. directions Run your fingers over the salmon to feel for any tiny pin bones. Remove any you find with tweezers. Coarsely crush the peppercorns and juniper berries using a pestle and mortar. Make your curing mixture by mixing together the salt, sugars, crushed pepper, and juniper berries. Take a piece of plastic wrap large enough to take both pieces of salmon. Spread a little of the dill and some of the curing mixture on the clingfilm. Place the salmon fillets skin side down on top of it. Rub the rest of the curing mixture over the surface of each fillet, pour the gin over and then add the remaining dill. Bring the two pieces together to create a sandwich, with the skin on the outside. Wrap up well with the plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, excluding as much air as possible, and then tie the bag. Place in a dish, top with a weight (such as a smaller baking dish or plate with cans of beans on top) and leave to cure in the fridge for 48 hours, turning every 12 hours or so. Unwrap the fish, scrape off the dill and discard it. Rinse the salmon quickly under cold running water. Transfer to a fresh plastic bag and return it to the fridge for a further 24 hours to allow the cure to even out. Slice with a very sharp knife, either vertically in 5 mm (¼”) thick slices or at angle in large thin slices. Use within 2 or 3 days or freeze.
Christmas Finnish Rice Porridge Ingredients 300 ml Water 150 mlshort grain rice 700 mlwhole milk Bilberry/Blueberry Compote: 400 mlbilberriesfresh or frozen 200 mlWater 100 - 150 mlSugarIntroduction Traditionally, Christmas porridge has always been made from oat or barley. Then, in the 19th century, rice was imported to Finland, and it quickly replaced oat and barley at Christmas, since it was expensive and thus considered a festive ingredient. Despite rice becoming commonplace and less exotic over the 20th century, this version of porridge is still going strong at the Christmas table. Note: if eating bilberries for the first time, you should be aware of the fact that they will stain your mouth and teeth purplish-blue, though not permanently! Additional information: In Finland, rice porridge is traditionally served at Christmas time. One scalded almond can be “hidden” in the porridge pot and whoever gets it on their plate will “have good fortune”. directions Use a special porridge saucepan or a saucepan with an extra thick bottom to prevent the porridge from burning on the bottom. Bring the water to the boil in the saucepan. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the water is wholly absorbed into it. Add the milk and bring the mixture to the boil again, stirring frequently. Lower the heat to minimum, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 40 to 60 minutes, or until the rice and milk have thickened into a soft-textured, velvety smooth porridge. Stir every now and then to prevent the porridge from burning or forming a skin on the surface. Season with a little salt, sugar, and a pat of butter. Put the bilberries, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, crushing the berries with a spoon or a pounder. Cook the mixture for a few minutes, then strain it through a fine sieve. Store covered in the refrigerator. Serve the rice porridge piping hot, topped with a pat of butter and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, or with cold or warmed bilberry compote
Rosolli (Finish Beet Herring Salad) Ingredients 2medium potatoes(cooked, peeled and diced) 2tartGranny Smith apples (peeled and diced) 2carrot(cooked, peeled and diced) 1medium onionminced 2medium dill picklesdiced 3/4 cuppickled herring or sardines 1/8 tspPepper 2 cups beetscooked, peeled and diced 1 tspdillchopped Sour Cream Dressing: 1 csour cream 1 Tbl. Lemon Juice 2 tspbeet juice 1/4 tspSugar Whipped Dressing (alternative): 1 cheavy cream 2 Tbl Lemon Juice 2 tspbeet juice dashsalt and sugarIntroduction directions Add all the diced vegetables (except the beets) and herring and toss. Just before serving, add the beets. Gently toss. Serve chilled in a salad bowl lined with crisp lettuce with a generous spoonful of dressing. The dressing can be mixed in or served on the side.
Cappelletti in Broth Ingredients For the Broth: 1whole chickenin pieces 1tomato 2 stalkscelery in chunks 2Carrots chopped in chunks 2large onionschopped in chunkssprig of parsley pinchSalt Water For the Pasta: 3Eggs 1egg yolk 3 cupsdoppio zero “00″ flourIf you can§t find the flour, you can use all-purpose flour, but try “00″ if you can get it. It is different than the flour typically used in the USA pinchSalt For the Filling: 1/4 lb ground vealor pork 1/8 lb prosciutto 1/8 lb mortadella 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese 1egg 1 tspButter nutmeg to tasteSalt and pepperIntroduction Cappelletti in Broth is a lovely Italian soup. It is very simple but packed with flavor and very popular in Italy during the winter months. It is also a staple of the Italian Christmas menu. directions The broth will vary according to your filling. For example, if you are filling the cappelletti with meat you will want a beef or pork based broth. If you are filling them with poultry, then make a chicken stock. If you are filling them with ricotta cheese, the broth base can be either meat or poultry based. In a large stock pot, add all the ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours. Strain your stock and discard the vegetables. Pick the meat off the bone to use in the cappelletti. You will need a pasta machine, which you can get online for as little as $25.00. Using a pasta machine helps to create a silky smooth pasta. Before you begin, take your eggs out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and salt to the well and mix gently with a spatula. Slowly incorporate the flour. Mix in the remaining flour and place on a lightly floured counter. Knead for 10 minutes. The dough will soften up after it rests. Cut the dough in half and wrap each half in a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for one hour. After the dough has rested, unwrap one of the dough pieces and cut it in half, re-wrap the remaining dough. Cut your dough in half and roll it out on a floured surface. Put your pasta machine on setting #1. Pass the dough through each setting (1 through 5) twice. Lay the pasta dough on a flat surface and cover so that it doesn’t dry out as you put the remaining dough through the settings. Cut the sheets 2 inches wide
Fish in Aspic Ingredients 3-4 lbspikecarp or perch 2large onionscut in circles 2large carrotscut in circles 2-3celery stalkssliced 2Bay Leaves 5-6Peppercorns 1/2 tbspSalt 2 qts.Water 1envelope plain gelatin parsley branches lemon slicesor wedges Introduction &nbsp directions Clean the fish, remove the head and tail (or have your fishmonger do it). Place into a large oval casserole/roaster, add the seasoning, fish heads and tails, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 40 minutes. Remove the vegetables. Wrap the fish in cheesecloth, place it in the fish water, and simmer on very low (covered) for 20-25 minutes. Remove the fish to a plate and cool. Divide the fish into 1-1/2 inch sections, keeping the fish shape, remove the bones and arrange the fish in a glass serving dish. Strain the fish bouillon. Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold water, add to the bouillon, bring to a simmer, and then let cool slightly. Cover the fish with the bouillon and chill until slightly set. Decorate the fish with the cooked vegetables, cover, and chill until set. Decorate with parsley and lemon slices or wedges. Serve with lemon juice or white vinegar. A whole fish in aspic may also be prepared this way. Just ask the fishmonger to clean the fish and give you additional heads and tails for preparation of the fish bouillon.
Turron (Spanish Nougat) Ingredients 8 ounces Caster Sugar 8 ounces ground almonds 2Egg Yolks 1egg whitesIntroduction directions Thoroughly mix the sugar and almonds in a bowl. Fold in the egg yolks, one after the other. Whisk the egg white into a stiff foam and fold it into the mixture. Lay a sheet of foil over a baking sheet and place the mixture on it. Press the mixture into a slab about 1/2 inch thick using a rolling pin and your fingers. Cover it with foil and place a wooden board weighted down with a couple of full tin cans on top. Leave the turron to stand for 3 days, so that it dries out and hardens, then slice it into 1 inch squares.
Poi Ingredients 3.85 PoundsTaro Root 2 tbspcoconut oil 2 tbsplard 1 1/2 tbspSea Salt 6 tbspSauerkraut Juice 1 CupWaterIntroduction Poi is a traditional Hawaiian staple that is made from a starch from boiling taro roots and water. Made from mashed taro, plantain or even breadfruit, poi usually accompanies savory dishes like smoked meat, lomi salmon or kalua pork. Depending on how thick the consistency is, poi is often eaten by hand, using two or three fingers. This starch can be an acquired taste. Fresh poi may have a sweeter flavor, whereas poi that has fermented after a week tastes sour. directions Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Clean the taro roots with a knife. Bake the taro roots for 2 hours. Scoop the taro out into a large bowl and discard the skin. Sprinkle sea salt and sauerkraut juice over the taro root. Mix with a spoon. Cover the mixture with a towel and leave to ferment for 24 hours at room temperature. Melt the fermented fat in a saucepan. Uncover the taro root and scoop into a food processor and blend with melted fat and some water to thin the mixture. Finally, the poi is ready. I highly recommend you to serve this nutritious dish to your kids.
Passion Fruit (Lilikoi) Cheesecake Ingredients Graham Cracker Crust: 1 ¼ cupsgraham cracker crumbs ¼ cup Sugar ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 5 tablespoonsButter(salted or unsalted), melted Cheesecake Filling: 3 (8-ounce) packagesregular cream cheese at room temperature 1 cup Sugar 3large eggs 1 cupheavy cream ½ cup + 2 tablespoonsunsweetened passion fruit juice Passion Fruit glaze: ¼ cupWater 1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin ½ cup unsweetened passion fruit juice 3 ½ tablespoonsSugar Whipped Cream Decoration (optional): ¾ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon unsweetened passion fruit juiceIntroduction A round, hard yellow fruit with many seeds, lilikoi thrives in tropical climates and is abundant in Hawaii. Originally from Australia, lilikoi was introduced into the islands sometime in 1923. Concentrated lilikoi juice is used in many desserts, including cheesecake, a popular choice here during the holidays. Rich, smooth, sweet, and tart, lilikoi cheesecake can be found in most Hawaiian restaurants. directions Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the crushed Graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl with a rubber spatula. Press the crumbs firmly onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and bake for about 8 minutes until the crust smells fragrant and begins to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and reset the temperature to 300 degrees. Let the crust cool while you make the filling. When the pan is completely cool, lightly butter the sides with softened butter. Beat the cream cheese until very smooth and free of lumps. Add the sugar and beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each time only until incorporated. On low speed, beat in the heavy cream until smooth. Stir in the passion fruit juice. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 1 hour. The center of the cheesecake will be jiggly and look underdone. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 45 minutes. The cheesecake top will be flat and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool the cheesecake to room temperature. Cover loosely with a paper towel and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until very cold. Put the water into a 1-cup glass measuring cup and sprinkle in the gelatin. Do not stir. Just leave it alone. The gelatin will absorb the water slowly. In a small heavy saucepan, stir the passion fruit juice and sugar together over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid feels very hot to the fingertip. You don
Hawaiian Chantilly Cake Ingredients Chocolate Chiffon Cake: 1 c.egg whites at room temperature ¼ tsp.Cream of Tartar ½ c. + 1 c.Sugar 6 T.unsweetened cocoa powder ½ c. boiling water ¼ c. melted butter ¼ c. Oil 2 Eggs 1 tsp.vanilla 1 c. cake flour(lightly spooned into measuring cup, then leveled off) ¾ tsp. Baking Powder ¾ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. Sea Salt Chantilly Frosting: 1-2/3 c. Salted Butter 1-1/2 c.Evaporated Milk 1-1/2 c. Sugar 2 tsp. vanilla 2 Eggs 2 Egg Yolks 2 T. cornstarch Simple Syrup: ¼ c. Water 2 T. Sugar Topping: 1 c.macadamia nutsfinely chopped , salted taste better, lightly toasted Introduction Chantilly Cake is one of the absolute best cakes in the world. And it is only found in Hawaii. The name Chantilly comes from the name of a castle in France, where French chef Vate created the now-famous chantilly whipped cream. Hawaii has created its own version with a creamier frosting using real butter and condensed milk. It’s spread over a rich and decadent chocolate chiffon cake, topped with chopped macadamia nuts and coconut strips. directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9″x13″ metal pan with parchment paper. Trim the edges to fit the bottom. In a small bowl, blend the cocoa with boiling water until smooth. Set aside. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed. When they become a little frothy, add the cream of tartar. Continue on medium speed. Increase to high speed when the volume has doubled. Slowly add in the ½ cup sugar, while keeping the mixer on. Continue whipping until soft peaks that can hold their shape form (this should only take a minute or so). Place the whipped egg whites into a large mixing bowl, pushing them to one side of the bowl. Place the cocoa-water mixture into the stand mixer bowl (no need to wash the bowl first). Add butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the cocoa mixture. Mix on medium low speed for 1 minute until blended, then increase to medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the open side of the bowl with the whipped egg whites, so that the batter flows mostly to the bottom and below the egg whites. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Place a spatula down one side of the bowl
Carp In Aspic Ingredients 800 grcarp Soup: The head of the fish 1½-liter Water 180 g vegetables(carrot, parsley root, celery turnip, leek) 2 Bay Leaves 3pepper grains Salt Aspic: 7½ dl (750 ml)fish soup 2egg whites ½ tablespoon vinegar 10 g white gelatin Garnish: hard boiled egg 2 small sweet sour gherkins(in slices) Cooked carrot(in slices) Green peasIntroduction Fish aspic uses the same principle as any other aspic. It is a bone broth, flavored with carrots, onions, garlic, peppers, and bay leaves, to which fish is added after boiling. The broth is then strained and left to cool, with the fish and some vegetables added to it. After cooling in the fridge for a few hours, the aspic is ready. Cleaning the Carp: Preparing the Fish Bouillon: Preparing the Aspic: Assembling the Dish: Enjoy your Carp in Aspic! This dish is a delightful delicacy with a rich history, perfect for special occasions or a taste of traditional easter cuisine. directions Start by having your fishmonger clean the carp for you. Alternatively, you can clean the fish yourself. To clean the fish, scrape off the scales from the tail towards the head. Remove the head, tail, and fins, reserving the head for the soup. Carefully cut open the fish along its abdomen and remove the intestines, taking care not to damage the gallbladder. Slice the cleaned fish into pieces and wash them thoroughly. Place the fish head in 1½ liters of water along with the cleaned vegetables, spices, and salt to taste. Simmer this mixture over low heat for approximately 30 minutes. Strain the fish bouillon, then add the slices of fish to it. Continue cooking the fish slices in the bouillon over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Allow the fish pieces to cool in the bouillon. Carefully remove them using a slotted spoon and extract any large bones. Arrange the fish pieces in a fish dish and garnish them with the cooked vegetables and eggs. Begin by preparing the aspic. Pour 6 out of the 7½ deciliters of cold fish bouillon into a pot. Add the egg whites and vinegar to the pot, then whisk while bringing it to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, skim off any foam, cover with a lid, and let it stand for 30 minutes. Soak the gelatin in cold water to dissolve it. Heat the remaining 1½ deciliters of fish bouillon and add the squeezed gelatin, stirring until fully dissolved. Place a folded towel in a sieve and strain the bouillon/egg mixture. Combine this mixture with the dissolved gelatin. Taste and add salt if necessary. Pour a thin layer of
Stuffed Baked Pike/ Stiuca Umpluta Ingredients 1pikeapprox. 2 lbs / 1 kg crustless slice of white bread 2onions 5 tablespoons Oil 3 Eggs Salt and pepper 1carrot 1onions 1 beet 2 qts / 2 l Water 1 teaspoon Parsleychopped lemon Mustard and Sour Cream SauceIntroduction To prepare the dish, the pike is cleaned of its scales, and the meat is cut from the bones. Then the ground meat is mixed with the vegetables, and this mixture is stuffed inside the fish. The skin is sewn together, and the pike is cooked in the oven, together with carrots, onions, and small potatoes. 10 minutes before the dish is ready, the fish is splashed with white wine so that the flavors mix. Served with lemon wedges and oven-baked vegetables, it represents a light main dish for Christmas. directions Clean and wash the pike and remove its head. Starting from the head, skin it carefully. If any meat sticks to the skin, scrape it off with a knife. Salt the skin and leave aside. Debone the fish and mix the milk (or water), moistened bread, and the finely chopped and oil fried onion. Add salt, pepper, a teaspoon of chopped parsley, and two beaten eggs to the mixture. Mix well and stuff the pike skin (do not overstuff or it may burst while boiling). Make small balls from the remaining mixture. Take a pot and put a whole onion, the thinly sliced carrot and beet, as well as the bones into it. Arrange the stuffed fish in the baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and set in the oven to bake. Every now and then, baste with the oil in the dish. When ready, remove from the baking dish, arrange on a long platter, and after it has cooled off, slice into finger thick slices and put them all together to give the illusion of a whole. Garnish with slices of hard boiled egg. Serve with mustard and sour cream sauce.
Hawaiian Lau Lau Ingredients 12luau leaves 1 pound ti leaves 1 pound Pork buttcubed into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 poundblack codcubed into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 poundpurple Okinawan sweet potatopeeled and cubed (optional) 1/2 poundCarrotscubed (optional) Hawaiian sea saltIntroduction Note: Removing the center vein from the ti leaf is hard work. The easiest way to go about it is to place the leaf on a table, shiny side-down. Around the center of the leaf, you’ll see where the vein pokes out a bit. Bend the leaf at that point to make the vein poke out even more. Then carefully drag the vein out and down. You want to remove that whole stem but still keep the leaf intact. If you accidentally rip the ti leaf down the middle, you can’t use it as half a ti leaf is too small to wrap the luau leaf bundle. directions First, prepare the two types of leaves. LUAU LEAVES: take the luau leaves and wash them thoroughly one by one. Chop off the bottom stem that extends past the bottom of the leaf. Chop that stem into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. TI LEAVES: wash the ti leaves and pat dry. Remove the main/thickest vein that runs through the center of the ti leaf. Removing this vein makes the ti leaf more pliable and easier to fold when you wrap the fillings. Set aside. At a clean workstation, stack 3-5 luau leaves on the counter. Arrange them so that the biggest leaf is on the bottom and the smallest leaf is on top. In the center of the leaf, put in a few chunks of the pork butt and butterfish. Add 2-3 pieces each cubed carrots and purple Okinawan sweet potato, if using. Add several of the chopped luau leaf stems. Sprinkle over Hawaiian sea salt. Wrap all the fillings up in the leaves into a tight bundle. Next, wrap the ti leaves around the luau leaf bundle. Use the ti leaf ends to tie a topknot. If the ends are too short, use string to secure the bundle. Put the wrapped lau lau in a steamer. Steam for three to four hours till nice and tender. Remove the ti leaf (you can’t eat the ti leaf), and serve! Ideally, serve with rice and/or poi, chili pepper water and all your favorite Hawaiian side dishes like lomi lomi salmonand chicken long rice. Don’t forget the kulolo for dessert
Pasteles de Masa Ingredients For Filling: 2 lbsPorkcubed 1/4 cup recaito 1beef bouillon cube 1 envelope Sazon sin achiote 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 cup Water 1/2 cup Spanish olives with pimentoschopped 2 tablespoonscapers 1 14.5 oz cangarbanzos For Masa: 2Plantainspeeled 3Green Bananaspeeled 1 1/2 lbs yautia(taro root), peeled 1/2 lb kabocha pumpkinpeeled 1/2 cup recaito 2 envelopes Sazon con culantro & achiote 1 tablespoon oregano 1beef bouillon cube For Achiote Oil: 6 tablespoons achiote seeds(annatto) 2 cups Vegetable Oil For Assembly: 1 small jarpimentos 12 - 14 oz banana leaves pasteles paper or parchment paper butchers twineIntroduction Pasteles (or “pateles” as Hawaiians pronounce it), are a Puerto Rican Christmas dish adopted by Hawai during the plantation era. Made with pork, beef, or seafood and mixed with green plantain masa, pasteles are wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. Achiote, a deep-red seasoning, is used to add color to the dish and add a sweet, nutty flavor. directions Combine all the filling ingredients in a pressure cooker. Set to cook for 30 minutes. Let it come back to pressure naturally without releasing it. Uncover and set to brown/simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Using the fine shredder blade on your food processor or a manual grater to grate the plantain, green bananas, yautia, and pumpkin. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may have to work in batches. Change the shredder blade for the chopping blade. Working in batches, process the shredded vegetables until fine and pasty. Add the remaining masa ingredients and mix until well combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Heat 1 1/2 – 2 cups of vegetable oil and add 6 tbs of annatto seeds. Allow the seeds to simmer until the oil becomes a bright red color. Strain the seeds from the oil and discard. Allow the oil to cool and store in a sealed container until ready to use. Remove the ridge from the leaves. Cut the banana leaves into 12 x 12-inch squares and wash under warm running water. Working in batches, microwave the banana leaves for 1.5 to 2 minutes, this helps make the leaf more flexible. Set up an assembly station with the masa mixture, filling, achiote oil, banana leaves, paper for pastels, and but
Zupa Grzybowa (Polish Christmas Mushroom Soup) Ingredients 1 oz / 30 g / 1 cupdried wild mushrooms 1.5 cupsWater for soaking 6 cupsvegetable brothor 6 cups of water and the next 4 ingredients 2Carrots 1/2celery root 1/4Onion 1parsnips 6allspice and peppercorns - whole 3Bay Leaves Saltcareful if using broth that may contain salt already 2 tbsButter 2 tbsheavy creamIntroduction directions Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with 6 cups of hot water. Allow them to soak for 30 minutes to 4 hours, or until the mushrooms have softened and become pliable. Next day, place the mushrooms with the water they were soaking in a medium pot. Add the broth (or water and vegetables), spices, and a pinch of salt. Boil covered on low for 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. When the wild mushrooms are cooked, strain everything out, reserving the liquid broth. Discard the vegetables and once the mushrooms cool, dice them and return to the broth. Whisk the flour into sour cream until smooth and lump free. Temper the sour cream/flour mixture by gradually adding about 1 cup of the hot soup to the sour cream, mixing constantly until smooth. Now pour the sour cream mixture slowly into the pot, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt & pepper to taste and serve with parsley leaves and slices of bread.
Makowiec (Polish Poppy Seed Roll) Ingredients Filling: about 17 oz / 500 g raw black poppyseedsor blue poppyseeds 3 cups / 750 mlboiling water 4 oz / 100 g Butter 1 cup / 250 g Sugar 4 tbshoney 3/4 cup / 100 g raisins 1 cup / 100 g walnuts Dough: 3/4 cup / 150 ml warm milk 1/2 cup / 110 gSugar 1 1/2 tbs dry active yeast 3 1/2 cups / 500 gall purpose flour 1egg 2egg yolk 2 oz / 50 g Butter Pinch Salt For glaze: 5 tbs / 55 powdered sugar 2 tbs Lemon Juice 1 tbshot water 3-5 tbsOrange peelor sliced almonds Introduction Polish poppy seed roll, which is basically a strudel-esque yeast cake filled with ground poppy seeds, honey, butter, raisins, and walnuts, is one of Poland’s most traditional and most popular sweet foods. And, it is an absolute must at the Christmas Eve dinner table. Making the Dough: Preparing the Filling: Assembling and Baking: Preparing the Glaze: Enjoy your delicious homemade Makowiec !directions Place the raisins in hot water and set them aside to soak. Slightly warm the milk, then add the yeast and sugar to it. Set this mixture aside in a warm spot for 10 minutes. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, place the flour. Whisk the egg with the egg yolks and add them to the flour. Pour in the milk/sugar/yeast mixture and begin combining the ingredients. Add the melted butter and continue to work the dough until everything is well incorporated. If the dough appears too dry, add a few tablespoons of milk as needed. The dough should have a play-dough-like consistency—non-sticky but pliable. Once the dough forms into a ball, cover it and set it aside in a warm place for at least 1 hour or until doubled in size.. Place the poppy seeds in a pot and add boiling water. Let them soak for 10 minutes, then boil for 20-25 minutes. Add more water if they become too dry, ensuring they are adequately covered. Drain the seeds well. After cooling slightly, run the poppy seeds through a meat grinder using the fine grinding plate, doing this twice. If you don’t have a meat grinder available, grind the poppy seeds in batches using a coffee grinder or a spice grinder. If neither is available, you can try using a small food processor or the single-serve container of a blender. Transfer the ground poppy seeds to a large mixing bowl. Pour hot boiled water

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Global Food Recipes Dataset

Overview

This dataset contains 17,000 food recipes sourced from popular cooking websites across the globe. It was collected using Scrapy, ensuring high-quality and diverse recipes for various cuisines.

Features

Cuisine diversity: Recipes from a wide range of regions and cultures.
Ingredients: Comprehensive lists for each recipe.
Instructions: Step-by-step cooking methods.

Purpose

Designed for culinary exploration, recipe recommendation systems, and machine learning applications in food-related projects.

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