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.

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.

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!

IFN: Bahrain

Okay. So either I'm not looking in the right place... or Arabian/Middle Eastern food is pretty similar. They all use pretty much the same spices, and a lot of rice and some tomatoes. But at any rate, it tasted pretty good, and we especially liked the sweet rice.

So... Bahrain is a little island country off the coast of Saudi Arabia. We looked it up. Haha.

We essentially had two things, and they pretty much looked the same. Though they were very different in taste. Machboos and Muhammar.

This is the Chicken Machboos. It's a savory dish with a lot of spices in it.

This is the sweet rice Muhammar. Yum!

Essentially we ate rice with a bit of chicken and veggies for this meal, but it was incredibly filling and we had a ton of leftovers. (They're also pretty much one-pot-wonders, which is a plus.)

Enjoy!

Chicken Machboos
serves 4

2 c. water
1 1/2 c. basmati rice
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 chicken breasts
2 onions, finely chopped
coriander (fresh chopped, or powdered)
hot pepper
cinnamon
paprika
tumeric
cloves
cayenne
cardamom powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 slice gingerroot, minced
2 T. butter
1/8 c. lemon juice
3 T. oil
3 t. salt

Heat the water. While heating, mix together paprika, tumeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cayenne. salt, and pepper. Rub onto chicken.

Heat oil and fry onions, garlic, and ginger until golden brown. Add your favorite hot pepper. Add chicken and brown. Sprinkle more cinnamon and the remaining mixed spices. Cook on medium for about 3 minutes, turning often.

Add tomatoes, turn ingredients, and cook for 3 more minutes. Sprinkle additional salt on top of everything and pour water on top while it is still hot.

Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked. Add coriander about 5 minutes before you remove chicken from the stock pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice in cold water and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot, place in pan, brush with oil, and sprinkle more cinnamon on top. Place in oven at 325 degrees and allow chicken to become golden brown.

Add rice to the stock pot. Stir and cook at low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and is almost done. Sprinkle the lemon juice on top, and place butter pieces. Cover and cook on low heat for 30 more minutes.


Heap rice in serving dish and top with chicken.

Sweet Rice Muhammar
serves 4

2 c. basmati rice
1/4 t. saffron
1/4 t. cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
 2 T. water

Soak together saffron, cloves, and cinnamon in water.

Boil 6 c. of water and add rice. Boil to half cooked (about 8 minutes) and drain.

Stir sugar throughout. Add butter and stir. Pour spices on top and stir.

Cook on very low heat for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to serving platter. Top with more melted butter.

Enjoy!

IFN: Japanese Food Night!

One time we pulled Japan. I am half Japanese, so I wanted to try some things that I don't typically make. Even though teriyaki chicken is pretty "standard" Japanese fare, I actually hadn't ever made it before. The menu: teriyaki chicken, Asian slaw (not really Japanese, but a good pairing for this meal), miso soup, and asparagus tempura.

It was really great! So here are the recipes...

Teriyaki Chicken
serves 4

1 T. cornstarch
1 T. cold water
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. shoyu (soy sauce)
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. ground ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts

Combine cornstarch and water in a saucepan. Mix together. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken. Simmer until sauce thickens and bubbles.  Set aside 1/8 c. of sauce.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chicken in a lightly greased pan. Brush with sauce. Turn pieces and brush again. Bake for 30 minutes or until done and brush every 5-10 minutes with sauce.

Garnish with extra sauce, sesame seeds, and orange (if desired).


Asian Slaw

6 T. rice wine vinegar
6 T. vegetable oil
5 T. creamy peanut butter
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. ginger root
1 1/2 T. fresh garlic, minced
5 c. thinly sliced green cabbage
2 c. thinly sliced red cabbage
2 carrots julienned
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
(can also add napa cabbage and red bell peppers)

Whisk together rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic.

Combine remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Toss with sauce mixture just before serving. Garnish with sesame seeds.


Tempura Batter

1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
2/3 c. ice water

Stir together dry ingredients and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat egg slightly and mix with ice water.

Stir in the dry ingredients. Stir only until mixed. Will be slightly lumpy.

Dip whatever you would like (we used asparagus) into the batter and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.


Miso Soup

4 c. water
4 T. Miso
Green onions
Tofu

Mix together water and miso until miso is dissolved. Add green onions and tofu (firm), simmer until warmed through and ready to eat.

IFN: South African Tastiness

International Food Night strikes again! South Africa was the destination location. I will admit, I was a little wary... mainly because meatloaf is not my favorite food ever, but this recipe is truly fantastic!

Unfortunately... it looks kind of yellow and brown generally, but pair it up with a green salad, and you'll have a fantastic meal! A note, we cut all these recipes in half and they worked out wonderfully, so if you double it, you'll have enough to feed a much larger crowd. With us we had more than enough for both of us to take for lunch the next day.

Bobotie
3-4 servings

1 T. oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. ground beef
2 slices bread (the recipe calls for white, we used wheat), crust removed and cubed
1/2 c. milk
1/8 c. lemon juice (can substitute vinegar)
1/4 c. raisins (we used golden)
1 T. sugar
2 T. curry powder (we used spicy)
1/2 t. tumeric
salt and pepper to taste
5 bay or lemon leaves (opt)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet over medium. Add onion and saute until translucent and just starting to brown. Add beef and cook until crumbly. Remove from heat, drain of any excess fat and place in a large bowl.

Put the bread and milk in a bowl and soak for 5-10 minutes. Remove bread and squeeze it dry, adding the excess milk back into the bowl.

Add the soaked bread, lemon juice, raisins, sugar, curry powder, tumeric, salt, and peppter to the bowl with the cooked meat and onions. Mix well.

Pour the meat mixture into a greased casserole dish and smooth out the top. If using the leaves, arrange them in a decorative fashion on the top of the dish. Press them down slightly to make them stick. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Beat the eggs with the reserved milk. After the meat has baked for 30 minutes, pour the egg mixture over the top of the meat and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the custard is set and lightly browned.

Remove from oven and serve hot with geelrys and mango chutney.

Geelrys
serves 3-4

2 1/4 c. water or stock
1 1/4 c. long-grain rice
1/2 t. tumeric
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. sugar
salt and pepper
1/4 c. raisins (we used golden)

Add the water or stick to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes (or until water is absorbed). You might need to add a little more water that noted (since ours was a little crunchy).

Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick, fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Mango Chutney (Aam ki Chatni)
serves 3
I made mine the night before so it could cool

1 T. oil
1/2 t. ginger, minced
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. tumeric
1 green or ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 c. lime juice (can substitute vinegar)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. mint, chopped
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. salt

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add the ginger, coriander, and tumeric and saute lightly to cook ginger and toast the spices (about 30 seconds).

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the mango softens and the chutney becomes glossy.

Remove from heat and cool completely. Put into a clean glass jar (it will stain plastic) and store refrigerated. (Good for weeks).

Try these out! Seriously they are awesome!

IFN: A Taste of Thai

Thai food is one of my favorites! These recipes are tried and true and two of my favorite Thai dishes! We had Pad Woon Sen and Gaeng Khiew Waan Gai (Green Curry). Both are awesome!

Plated and scrumptious!

Green Curry
Green Curry Paste (to taste) - I use a whole jar (about 4 tablespoons)
2 cans coconut milk
1 chicken breast
green bell pepper
red bell pepper
onion, sliced
2 red potatoes, or 1 russet potato, cubed
1 carrot
1/2 c. bamboo shoots
2 c. water
1 T. sugar/brown sugar
1 t. salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 c. fresh basil (preferably Thai)

Cut the chicken in to 1/4" slices. Chop peppers, carrots, and bamboo shoots.

Put a little oil or butter in your pot and saute the chicken and veggies until crisp-tender.

Pour coconut milk into the pot and turn on the stove to medium. When it begins to boil, add the green curry paste. Stir together for 2 minutes. Add sugar, pepper, and salt. Simmer until chicken and potatoes are done. Add basil. Serve hot over rice.

Pad Woon Sen
9 oz. (1 pkg) cellophane noodles (rice)
1/2 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. sliced cabbage
1/2 c. bean sprouts
1/2 c. green onions, thinly sliced
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 egg
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. fish sauce
4 T. oyster sauce
1 T. minced garlic
2 T. oil
cilantro if desired

Soak noodles in water. Set aside. Scramble the eggs and set aside. Add oil to hot pan. Fry garlic until brown, be careful not to burn it. Add chicken to pan, stir fry until cooked. Add carrots, cabbage, and bean sprouts. Stir fry for  1 minute. Add egg. Cook until done. Add noodles to pan. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Toss well and cook until heated. Add more sauce if needed to taste. Serve hot with cilantro if desired.

IFN: The Egyptian Fast Food

Now let me just say that the title is somewhat a misnomer... this dish isn't particularly fast... mainly because it uses a whole bunch of different ingredients that have to be cooked separately. Koshari is fast food in Egypt, I guess because the actual assembly of said meal takes all of a minute. Thus, if the food is already cooked and ready to be assembled, it really is a fast food. (Which is why it is such on the streets of Egypt.)

Honestly, I was pretty excited to try this carb fest, as I pretty much love all of the elements of this dish. And it turned out to be incredibly tasty! Try it out! (If you can balance cooking multiple things on the stove at once, you can get this dish ready in about 45 minutes.)

Koshari
2 large onions, sliced into rings and halved
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. uncooked long grain rice
1/4 t. red pepper
1 t. cumin
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 c. lentils
4 c. water
1 c. salad macaroni
1/2 c. vinegar
1 can chickpeas

Boil lentils for 25 minutes. Drain. Add new water and add rice. Simmer for 20 minutes until rice is tender.

Cook macaroni according to directions.

Add oil to saucepan and brown garlic. Add vinegar and bring to a coil. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, and red pepper. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer. (You can add more red pepper and make it as spicy as you want. I'm pretty sure I added more than 1/4 t.... like way more...)

Cover onions in oil and fry.

After everything is prepared, serve in separate bowls.

Layer as follows:
lentils and rice
macaroni
sauce
chickpeas
fried onions

IFN: A Cheery Costa Rican Breakfast

I thought we'd change things up a little and do a typical breakfast instead of regular lunch or dinner food, though this is still pretty savory and may be mistaken as a lunch/dinner. But anyway.

So Costa Rica (officially The Republic of Costa Rica). The capital of the country is San Jose and their official language is Spanish. The population is over 4 million. They've come a long way from being a tiny isolated (read: poor) colony in the 18th century to present where they have become one of the most prosperous (and stable) countries in Latin America. Interesting fact: they have no standing army. It was abolished when their constitution was written and accepted in 1949. It is a constitutional republic, and was the only democracy in Latin American before 1950 (even if it was 1949).

Read more about Costa Rica here.

Gallo pinto is apparently the most (or one of the most) common breakfasts in Costa Rica. It is served with huevos (eggs-fried or scrambled), natilla (sour cream), and patacones (fried plantains). And, of course, a generous dose of Lizano Salsa. Apparently it's the sauce of choice there. Unfortunately, I didn't do my research early enough, so the version below is a homemade recipe I found. Hopefully it tastes similar. I guess I won't know until I try the real Lizano. My gallo pinto recipe is kind of a mash of the various recipes I found. And we've made patacones before, but I'll put the recipe on here just for easiness sake.

We thought this was a hearty and tasty breakfast! Bubs and I had scrambled eggs with cheddar and The Man had a fried egg. And by the way, if you love potato chips and/or french fries, you should try fried plantains. They are like a cross between the two. We LOVE them. LOVE!

And here's Costa Rican BREAKFAST!

Gallo Pinto
3 c. black beans
1 1/2 - 2 c. white rice
small onion, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. chicken stock (or veggie)
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 sweet pepper (red or orange), finely chopped, (optional)
4-6 tablespoons Lizano salsa (or sub some Worcestershire sauce)
oil

If beans are dried, cover with water and soak overnight, if they are fresh, just rise them off. If they're from a can, drain the beans and skip the simmering. Add fresh water to an inch above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft.

Saute dry rice in oil (1 tablespoon) for a minute or so, then add the onion and garlic. Saute until soft. Add pepper (if desired) and cilantro. Add stock and cook until rice is tender. Stir in the beans and the salsa.

Lizano-style Salsa
makes about 1 cup - original recipe found here 
1 dried chili, such as guajillo
3/4 cups water
1/4 small yellow onion
1 2-inch piece thick carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon molasses

Remove the stems of the chili(es) and then slice the chiles in half lengthwise. Remove the innards and pre-heat a skillet over medium heat. Lay the chile pieces in the pan and toast, turning after about 2 minutes. Add the water and lower the heat to bring the water to a simmer. Simmer for about five minutes. Remove the chile pieces from the pan and place in blender. Measure out 1/2 cup of the chile-infused water and add this to the blender with the chiles. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Sauce will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Patacones (Fried Plantains)
3-4 green plantains
salt
oil

To peel the plantains, take off both ends with a sharp knife. Then cut incisions along the natural ridges of the plantain, peel away the skin. Cut into 1” rounds.

Heat an inch of oil in a deep skillet at medium (325F). Carefully place plantains in the oil. Fry until light brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper. Flatten the rounds with a mallet, frying pan, bottle, knife, etc. to about 1/4 “ thick. Season with salt.

Turn up heat to 375F. Carefully drop the flattened plantains back into the oil and fry until brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Season to taste with salt. The second fry is SO important!

Eggs

Microwave Scrambled
When I'm in a time crunch, and I want to make a scrambled egg fast, I do it in the microwave!
eggs
butter
salt and pepper
other mix ins (cheddar cheese!)

Crack eggs into a microwave safe mug. Scramble the eggs well. Season and add mix ins. Place in microwave for 30 seconds on high. Remove and scramble with a fork. Place in for additional 15 second increments until done to taste.

Fried - Sunny Side Up
eggs
butter/oil
salt and pepper

Preheat a skillet (bigger if you're cooking more than one egg) on medium with a little bit of oil or butter coating the bottom. Crack egg carefully onto pan (or you can crack into another dish first if you don't trust your egg cracking skills!) and allow the white to set before you finish pouring the yolk on. (The white should start cooking immediately upon touching the pan). Place a few teaspoons of water in and cover with a lid (this steam creates the top white coating on the yolk and helps cook the white through). Check periodically until done to taste. The yolk should be covered with a white film and the white should be cooked through with the edged of the egg starting to curl. If you do not want the steam on your egg, turn the heat down to medium low and cook slowly until the egg is done through. 

So there you have it. Costa Rican breakfast!

IFN: French Fare

Old post...

I don't know how reputable these particular recipe is in terms of its "French" origin, but it was amazing either way! (At least the site I looked at mentioned it as French... so if the internet says it, it must be true, right?)

We had amazing French Onion Soup (with made up wine flavor since I didn't have any on hand), Rosemary Lemon Chicken, New Potatoes with Butter and Parsley, and Honey Baked Brie for dessert. TASTY!!!

French Onion Soup
serves 2

1/2 c. unsalted butter
2 large onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leaf, crushed
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
1/2 c. red wine (or 1/2 c. grape juice, short 1 T. + 1 T. red wine vinegar)
1 1/2 T. flour
2 cans beef broth
1 baguette, sliced (3 slices per serving)
1/4 pound grated Gruyere (or mozzarella)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and seasonings. Cook until onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. Add the wine (or wine substitute), bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry. (If using the substitute and after 10 minutes there is still liquid, drain the extra liquid off.) Dust the onions with the flour, stir, and turn the heat to medium low so the flour doesn't burn. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the beef broth and simmer for 10 minutes or more. Add additional seasonings if desired.

There are two methods for finishing it off. If you don't have cups or bowls (to serve individual servings in) that can go in the oven,  then place the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle with cheese, and broil until golden and bubbly (3-5 minutes).

Ladle the soup and float the cheese croutons on top.

If you have stoneware to go in the oven either under the broiler or oven, broil the baguette slices until golden brown on each side (2-3 minutes - browner is better if you don't like soggy bread). Place a crouton at the bottom, ladle the soup into the serving bowl or cup. Cover the top of the soup and croutons with soup and place in the oven or under the broiler. Heat until cheese is melted and browned.

*notes* sometimes I just use red wine vinegar instead of "red wine." It doesn't taste quite the same, but works in a pinch. Also... sometimes I just throw cheese in this and dip the bread if I'm feeling particularly lazy.

The Gruyere is really good, and some chefs will swear by it for their soup. I didn't think it was worth the extra cost. I will stick with mozzarella next time.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken
1/2 - 1 chicken breast per serving
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest (I like to use more)
1/4 c. dry white wine (cooking)
3 T. fresh chopped rosemary
1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
3/4 t. salt
Rosemary sprigs for garnish if desired.

Stir the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined. Pour the marinade into a bag or glass dish. Add the chicken and turn to make sure all is coated. Turn throughout the marinating process. I marinated my chicken about 8 hours. It was delicious. I'm sure overnight would be fine.

Grill or fry in a skillet with a little oil and serve with rosemary garnish.

Parsleyed New Potatoes
3/4 lb. baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved or quartered
1 T. butter
2 T. chopped parsley (Italian)
1/3 t. salt
1/3 t. pepper

Combine potatoes and 2 t. water in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Test with a fork. Microwave more if needed. Stir in butter, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover.

Baked Honey Brie
1 round of Brie
3 T. honey
Bread (I used the same baguette as with the soup)

Preheat the oven to 375F. Place Brie on ovenproof serving plate and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is hot throughout. Garnish the baked Brie with honey and serve with bread.

Cheers!

IFN: East Timor aka Timor-Leste

I've decided to start incorporating a little bit about the country for all of the interested parties out there...

East Timor or Timor-Leste, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia (by Indonesia). The capital is Dili and it uses the USD as currency. Official languages are Portuguese (because it was colonized by Portugal) and Tetun. It's been a little rough for them. In 1975 they declared independence from Portugal only to be invaded by Indonesia the same year. Finally, in 2002, the country became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century!

But things are still hard. Almost 40% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day. Which is crazy. And about 50% are illiterate. But things are slowly improving and hopefully getting better!

If you want to learn more about this country, visit the Wikipedia page.

Originally I was going to make this involved soup, but if I felt like it used too many ingredients, I can only imagine that it's not really everyday fare for these islanders. So, I went with something that appeared a lot in my searches: Batar Da'an. It's essentially a corn, bean, and squash soup. Looking at all the recipes, if you wanted to be completely authentic, you would just have those three ingredients, salt, and pepper, and serve over rice. But I needed a little more flavor, so I just added some simple ingredients like garlic and onions to give it a little more flavor. Make it however you'd like!

This meal is one of those that is nothing to write home about, but it is cheap and incredibly filling. And it doesn't taste bad by any stretch, it's just very... normal. It's definitely something that you could eat for days and be okay with. We liked it.

Batar Da'an

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced (pumpkin was also a popular ingredient)
1 can red kidney beans (or mung beans... but I wasn't going there today)
1 large onion, diced
3 cups stock
Garlic, minced (to taste - I use about 4 cloves)
1 can or 2 cups corn
salt and pepper 
Ai-manas to serve on the side (see below) OR sub:
     red pepper flakes
     basil (or 1 sprig fresh which is best, but I used dried)
     dash ginger (or fresh)
     lemon juice
     OR use pre-made chili sauce or other spicy sauce like Tabasco

Rice for serving

Method:
Saute onions and garlic until tender.

Add stock and squash and increase heat until simmering. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining ingredients. Cook until squash is tender (15-20 minutes).

Serve over rice.

If you are feeling ambitious (and I wasn't), you can make your own chili paste. Untested recipe here, so use at your own risk. :)

Ai-manas

Recipe found here.

Chili peppers 1/4 lbs fresh and pulverized (use Thai peppers or long hot peppers for best result)
2 Shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Basil (Thai is close to the type they have there), one big sprig
Ginger fresh and grated or sliced one medium sized root (about the size of your index finger)
Lemon juice 3 tbls
Lemon skin with outer layer sliced off leaving white flesh sliced
Salt

Mix together.

Enjoy your eating adventure. :)

IFN: Smashing British Fare...

Hallo... I have a bunch of old posts of food and international food nights, so I'll be posting them along with new stuff as it happens!

So...

Let's be honest, Britain isn't exactly known for its exotic fare... it's typically roast beef and other hearty, yet fairly bland, foods that smatter the plates of the Brits. So I went searching for some kind of recipe that would give a little twist on typical British food...

And I found this AMAZING braised pork recipe (adapted a little, of course, as most of my recipes are)! I paired that with green beans and roasted potatoes and classic Yorkshire puddings, and we had an amazing, tasty British meal! This pork is particularly good for those of you who are not huge fans of pork because it gets dry. This pork was incredibly moist!

Braised Spicy Pork
serves 4

2 lb. pork shoulder roast
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2" fresh ginger, peeled
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. honey
1 t. freshly ground pepper
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 red chilies
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
500 ml (or so) chicken stock
1 t. butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put garlic, ginger, soy, honey, pepper, and olive oil into a blender or food processor (it will make a paste). Place pork into a large roasting pan/tray and smear the paste all over the pork.

Snap the chilies and throw them in the roasting tray with the cinnamon, star anise, and chicken stock. Cover (if desired) and roast about 30 minutes for every pound.

For the last 20 minutes of cooking, uncover and baste with juices. Increase temperature to 400 degrees F. Test that the internal temperature is 160F and remove from oven.

Allow pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Strain the juices from the pan into a small saucepan. Place over high heat and drop butter into sauce. If a thicker sauce is desired, thicken with cornstarch or flour. Serve over pork.

Yorkshire Pudding
serves 6

3 medium eggs (or 2 large)
Milk
Flour
Salt
Vegetable Oil

Heat oven to 425 F.

Pour the eggs into a liquid measuring cup. Note the amount of eggs. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Measure out the same amount of milk (as the eggs) and pour into the mix. Whisk and add a pinch of salt. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Measure the same amount of flour (as the eggs) and whisk into the mixture to create a lump-free batter resembling thick cream. Leave the batter to rest for AT LEAST 30 minutes (longer is better).

Take muffin tin and place about 1/2 t. of oil in the bottom of each cup. Place in oven until oil starts smoking. Take out.  Give the batter another good whisk adding 2 T. of cold water. Fill a third of each in and return quickly to the oven.

Leave to cook until golden brown (15-20 minutes). Repeat if you have additional batter.

*we ate them the next morning cold with jam and honey and they were delicious! They don't reheat well due to their makeup, so don't reheat them :)*

Roasted Thyme Potatoes
serves  4 (I cooked these at the same time as the pork)

6 potatoes, cubed
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary
Thyme

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix cubed potatoes with remaining ingredients. Place in baking dish and cook for about 1.5 hours. Increase temperature to 425 and cook for 10 minutes to get a nice browning.

It was all delicious! And the fresh green beans with butter and salt and pepper were so good!

IFN: Malaysia, Benin, and Switzerland

To kick things off in the recipe department (excuse the poor lighting on photos, it's usually dark when I get dinner on the table) I am going to post three awesome sets of international recipes! In our family, we try to do international food night (ifn) 2-3 times a month. This involves picking a random country out of a plastic bag (where we have all the countries in the world) and making food from that country! We try to be as authentic as possible (and that we can find surfing the internet), but sometimes ingredients just aren't easily accessible. At any rate, here are three fantastic tastes!

Malaysia

Rendang
4 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 cm ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 t. chili paste or 3 fresh chilies
1/2 t. tumeric
1-2 lb. stewing beef, cubed
1 c. coconut milk
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. oil

Blend onion, garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric and chili paste until smooth. Heat oil in wok and add blended mixture. Stir fry for 2 minutes or until paste separates from the oil.

Add beef and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add bay leaves and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes or until meat is tender, adding water as necessary to keep sauce from drying. When beef is tender, add coconut milk. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Serve with rice.

Mango Avocado Salsa
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
¼ red onion, diced
garlic salt
ginger
lime juice
jalapenos

Benin

Poulet Béninois (Beninese Chicken)
1 chicken
1 hot chili, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 chicken bouillon cubes
3 T tomato puree
2 bay leaves
1 t. dried thyme
Salt and pepper

Dissolve chicken stock cube in warm water (according to directions); add thyme and bay leaves and season to taste. Pour the stock into a large casserole dish, add chicken. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 20 mins on high. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onions, garlic, and chili to the stock and whisk in the tomato puree. Continue to boil, uncovered, until sauce thickens (30 mins). Cut chicken into pieces and add to sauce, lower heat, cover the dish and continue to cook until chicken is tender. Stir frequently.

Serve hot, accompanied by rice, yams, or sweet potatoes.

Beninese Peanut Sauce
3 T oil
2 T tomato puree
2 habaneros, paste
½ t salt
1 bouillon cube
¾ c peanut butter
2/3 c. onion, diced

Add oil to pan, heat and fry paste, onion, tomato, and bouillon. Add peanut butter and 1 c. water. Mix and bring to a boil. Simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Switzerland

Aelpermagronen
serves 4-6

3 large potatoes, scrubbed, and cut into small cubes
½ lb. macaroni (tubes preferred)
1 c. heavy cream
Pepper, sale, nutmeg (1/4 t)
2 ½ c. mountain cheese (Gruyere and/or Emmentaler) – (1/2 lb)

Preheat oven to 250. Boil 4+ cups of water with salt. Add potatoes and boil for 5 minutes until almost tender. Add pasta and cook al dente. Dump out excess water. Stir in cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. (This dish needs more salt than less).

In a 9x13 pan, layer half the macaroni, followed by half the cheese. Layer remaining macaroni mixture, top with remaining cheese. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling, but not burned.

Top with onion rings (French’s or make your own). Serve with applesauce (bought or make your own).

Onion Rings
Unsalted butter for frying
2 large onions, chopped into rings
Flour

Melt butter. Combine onion and flour, shake off excess. When butter is hot, fry onion rings for about 4 minutes until crispy, set aside to drain on paper towel.