IFN: Malagasy Dining Extraordinaire...

So the menu was really awesome, and was as follows:

Lasopy (beef veggie puree soup), Varenga (roasted shredded beef), Vary Amin Anana (rice and greens), Lasary Voatabia (tomato and scallion salad), with Sakay (red pepper sauce), and Salady Voankazo for dessert (vanilla fruit).

So the first course was Lasopy:

Does it look gross? Kind of. But it was a really good, thick vegetable soup with a whole lot of vitamins and nutrition, and it was super easy to make!

Then the main course:

 

It was really quite good! Our favorite was the rice. (And we forgot to take a picture of the dessert...)

At any rate, try it out. It's all pretty simple to make and makes a great meal together, or you could piece and pair with some other favorites.

Lasopy

Vegetable Puree Soup

serves 4

Beef stock (for base)

1 qt. water

salt

pepper

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

1 turnip, peeled and cut into chunks

1 bunch scallions, cut into large pieces

2 c. fresh green beans

2 tomatoes, quartered

In a large pot, simmer for about an hour until veggies are tender.

Puree in blender or food processors.

Serve thick soup hot.

Varenga

Roasted Beef

serves 4

2 lbs. boneless chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 qt. water

2 T. salt

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 c. onion, slices

In a large pot, cover and bring to a boil.

Simmer gently for about 2 hours or until meat can be shredded easily with a fork.

Add water if necessary to keep meat at simmering point.

Shred the meat and transfer to a 9x12 in baking pan. Pour sauce on top.

Roast at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes until meat is nicely browned across the top.

Vary Amin Anana

Rice and Greens

serves 6

1/2 lb. boneless chuck, cut into small cubes

2 T. oil

1 tomato, cut into pieces

1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 in. pieces

3/4 lb. spinach, cut into small pieces

1 bunch watercress, cut into small pieces

1 c. rice

salt

pepper

Brown meat in oil.

Add all except rice

Saute, stirring occasionally until veggies soften and volume is lowered.

Add 2 c. water (or enough to cover veggies)

Add rice.

Cover tightly and simmer until rice is thoroughly cooked and water is gone.

(Serve with Sakay sauce)

Sakay

Hot Red Pepper Sauce

Combine

1/2 c. crushed red pepper

1 T. ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Add 4 T. oil to make a mush.

Lasary Voatabia

Tomato and Scallion Salad

serves 4

1 bunch scallions, finely diced

2 c. tomatoes, finely diced

2 T. water

1 t. salt

Tabasco sauce to taste

Combine all, stir lightly, and chill.

Salady Voankazo

Vanilla Fruit

1 fresh pineapple cut into 1 in. dice

1 small cantaloupe, cut into 1 in. dice

1 mango, diced

1 c. strawberries, sliced

(you could add whatever fruit you wanted)

Mix fruit so it is well blended.

In saucepan combine:

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. water

1/4 t. salt

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.

Add 2 T. vanilla extract.

Pour over fruit, chill.

Can serve with additional vanilla extract on top.

Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas

The Man lived in Mexico for two years while he served a mission for our Church, so Latin cuisine is common in our home. This is a vegan twist on a classic enchilada. As noted below, I used enchilada sauce I had previously frozen. Great taste. I have no idea what the recipe is. So the next time I make a tasty enchilada sauce, I will include post the recipe.

I added some cocoa to the enchilada sauce. The Man tasted it and thought for a moment, then realized that this was unsweetened mole sauce. So, I guess it was somewhat authentic. Haha. Anyway, it was a Chipotle enchilada sauce, that much I know.

This recipe is delicious and a great option for a meatless meal. It's also really cheap, because there is no cheese or anything more expensive than a couple avocados! This recipe does have about 8 servings, but if you're like us and can't help yourselves with good food you might eat them all by yourselves. Not even Bubs helped this time... Yeah.

Try them!

Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas
Enchilada Sauce*
14-16 tortillas (fajita/corn size) – corn or flour

Filling
2 cans black beans, drained
2 medium avocados, chopped
2 small tomatoes
3 green onions, sliced
1 can corn/1 cup corn
½ c cilantro, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine filling ingredients. Season to taste. You could add some bell peppers jalapenos, or other ingredient if desired (this is almost like black bean salsa). Coat a 9x13 inch pan with oil or cooking spray.

Use a small frying pan to heat each corn tortilla until pliable. Pour about ¼ - ½ c. filling in the center of a warm tortilla, roll and place fold side down into dish. Repeat until filling is gone or pan is full (usually the latter happens). Pour enchilada sauce over the top and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and sauce is bubbling. Sprinkle some cilantro leaves on top if desired.

*When I tested this recipe I used enchilada sauce I had frozen a while ago, so I don’t remember the recipe. So next time I make one and I like it, I will post it on the blog. But I did add cocoa to make it more like a mole sauce. But I would add a little sugar to sweeten it up a little next time.

IFN: New Caledonian ... weird? Yes.

So this eating adventure took us to the South Pacific nation of New Caledonia. And yes, the food was a bit weird.

We had coconut chicken and sweet potato and pineapple casserole. Weird. I know. I really actually liked both of them, but I thought the coconut chicken could have used a bit of spice for flavor.

At any rate, here they are in all of their glory (PS, the casserole sounds gross, but really, I liked it.) Try it. I dare you.

New Caledonian Coconut Chicken
serves 4

1/2 head cabbage, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
2 potatoes, peeled, cubed
2 c. coconut cream
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Wash and chop veggies.
Pour 1 c. of coconut cream into the bottom of baking dish. Layer cabbage on the bottom and spread remaining ingredients on top. Cover with remaining coconut cream. (I added salt, pepper, cayenne, and a little thyme).
Cover and bake at 350 F for 1.5 hours.

If you don't like curdled-like coconut milk, I would wait to add it until the end of cooking. Which is what I will do next time.

New Caledonian Sweet Potato and Pineapple Casserole
serves 6

2 large sweet potatoes, cooked and sliced
2 c. cheese sauce
1 T. grated coconut
1 fresh pineapple, cored and sliced
2 T chopped green onions
2 T butter
Salt

Arrange in layers: pineapple, sweet potatoes, coconut, onion, cheese sauce. Repeat.
Bake in oven at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Cheese Sauce:
1 T. butter
1 T. (heaping) flour
1 1/2 c. milk
3 T cheese
salt and pepper

Melt butter. Mix in flour. Remove from heat.
Add half of milk.
Return to heat.
Slowly add remaining milk.
Add cheese and spice.
Stir until cheese melts.

IFN: Where in the World is Benin?!

So we originally pulled out Iran from the bag of countries this week, but we cheated and put it back. We figured since we just had Middle Eastern food, we'd give ourselves at least a week's respite. And out came Benin! Originally we thought it was a country in the Caribbean. Not so much. It's a tiny county in West Africa on the southern coast. Yeah. Who knew? Probably some of you, but not us.

The food was excellent. We made two dishes. Beninese Beef Stew (which was a curry... and so delicious!) and Couscous Azindessi.

This is the couscous azinedessi (couscous with peanut sauce!)

Here's the couscous with the Beninese Beef Stew over rice. Both delectable! Also really simple to make. (Though it does take a couple hours of simmering to make the beef tender.)

Here are the recipes! Enjoy!

Beninese Beef Stew
serves 4

1-1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat
2 medium onions, chopped
3 T. Spicy Curry
2 t. salt
ground Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
ground Chipotle Pepper (to taste)
1 can coconut milk
1 c. water
1 sweet potato, cut into chunks, and deep fried
4 T. butter
1 T. flour
4 T. smooth peanut butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
several whole okra with tops removed (we couldn't find any, so we didn't use them)

Melt butter. Brown beef. Remove beef and use the remaining oil to fry onions and garlic until golden brown.

Add flour, curry, salt, peppers, and peanut butter. Heat for a minute, then slowly add coconut milk, then add the water. Heat for a minute. Simmer until thickened. Add beef and simmer until meat is tender (can take up to two hours)


About 20 minutes before serving add sweet potatoes and okra.

Serve over rice.

Couscous Azindessi
serves 4

1 package couscous
2 cans chicken stock
1 garlic clove, minced
1 slice gingerroot, minced
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 T. oil (peanut, preferably)
1 T. tomato paste
4 T. peanut butter
1/2 c. peanuts, crushed
green onions, sliced for garnish

Cook couscous according to package directions, substituting chicken broth for water. (We had 2 c. broth and a package of couscous, about 1 1/2 c. dry).

Brown garlic, ginger, and onion in oil in a separate pan.  Transfer to blender with 1 c. chicken stock and tomato. Puree. Return to pan. Add peanut butter and paste. Heat through.

Mix peanuts with couscous. Top with peanut sauce and garnish with green onion.

Personal History

This is not a recipe. I know. Don't freak out.

So I was feeling like I needed to get started on recording my personal history, so I did. And then I realized that it would be awesome to hear the stories from my family and in-laws as well, so I created a family blog (one for each family) where we can all post portions of our personal histories. It's been really interesting getting to know people and their stories better. Maybe you should work on yours. Think about it. :)

On the blogs I post one challenge weekly. The first one we did was our own birth stories. We're now on week four and just finishing up our family section (I also like to refer to it as the Cast of Characters). I'm having a lot of fun recording all of it for myself and reading everyone's posts. Anyway. That is all.

IFN: Jamaican Me Crazy!

Jamaican night was fantabulous! The night before we made this fantastic jerk chicken marinade... I had two habanero peppers and a couple jalepenos... The Man threw in another habanero... it was intense.

So, we had Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Cabbage Salad, Rice and Peas (beans), and Fried Plantains.

Here are the recipes. The jerk chicken and plantains were the best! We have made both multiple times since the original IFN!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

1 big bunch of green onions 
2 T soy sauce 
2 T oil 
1 T salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 T fresh thyme
1 T allspice 
3 Habanero peppers (to taste for you)
2 Jalepeno peppers
1 thumb sized knuckle of ginger (don't bother peeling)
3 cloves of garlic
 1/2 a small onion 
2-3 T of brown sugar

Cooking Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a mixer until pureed. Don't add extra water, it will be plenty juicy.


Dump over chicken and marinate over night.

We baked our chicken, but grilling or smoking it would do just as well. You can also baste it while cooking with sauce you set aside before marinating.

Jamaican Rice and Peas
(this makes a ton)

3 cups of rice
1 cup or can of fresh red peas (beans)
5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 uncut habanero or jalepeno pepper
3 Scallions
1 tin (or one cup) of coconut milk
1 t of salt
1 t of black pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
7 c. water

Add garlic to boiling water (7 cups).
Add milk, rice, salt, pepper, and thyme.
Add beans.
Crust scallions and add. Also add pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and place lid on pan.
Cook about 40 minutes or until rice is done.

Cabbage Salad
(also makes a lot)

1 Green cabbage
4 medium Carrot
6 Stalks Celery
1 Cucumber
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Vinegar
½ Cup Oil
1 Cup boiling water

Slice cabbage into thin strips
Slice carrot into thin slices
Slice celery in to thin strips crossway.
Slice cucumber into thin strips
Place all ingredients in to a container
Pour the boiling water in the container
Cover the container for 20 minutes   
Drain the liquid
Serve at room temperature


Fried Plantains 
(these taste pretty much like fries)
See recipe here.

IFN: Saudi Arabia

More Arabian food! Woot!

So the Arabian food was a lot like the Moroccan food... no curry though, saffron instead, but the premise is very similar (tomato base, veggies, etc.)

I made Al Kabsa, Fattoush, and Falafel (I think I didn't put enough bread crumbs in the falafel because they didn't fry up right, so that recipe is going to be excluded until I figure out what works...)

Enjoy!

Al Kabsa
serves A TON

1/4 c. butter
Chicken breast pieces (how every many people you're planning on serving - 8-10)
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. tomato sauce
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 c. grated carrots
4 whole cloves
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cumin
1 pinch coriander
1 pinch saffron
6 whole allspice berries
1/2 t. cinnamon
(Other spice suggestions are white pepper, dried limes, and green cardamoms, which we didn't have)
salt
pepper
4 c. hot water
1 chicken stock cube
2 1/4 c. basmati rice
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

Melt butter in large pot. Add chicken pieces, onion, and garlic and saute until onion is tender.

Stir in tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, carrots, and spices. Cook for a few minutes. Add water and stock cube.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.
Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add rice and stir carefully.
Re-cover and simmer for 45 minutes until rice is tender.
(Can remove chicken and brown it in the oven at low temperature instead of boiling it)
Serve rice on platter with chicken and garnished with almonds.

Fattoush (bread salad)


*This is a great fresh salad that is a bit tangy, but has a lot of different flavors to it

4 c. lettuce
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
4 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. fresh mint, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 T. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
2 c. well-toasted pita bread, broken into small pieces

Mix all except pita.
Add pita bread. Mix again.
Serve.

Enjoy!