Serves 4 Suffering from 1 digit weather? Ice, snow, and rain? What about sleet? Let’s warm things up with Skoudehkaris. Known as the national dish of Djibouti, this heavy stew is a spicy, comforting treat. The bonus? It’ll make your house smell amazing. Ingredients: 1 lb lamb, cubed 1 onion, chopped 1-2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp cloves 1 tsp cardamom 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup water, plus extra as needed 1/2 cup long-grain rice salt & pepper Method: Put on your beret – today you are going to be an artist, painting flavor with spices. (Trust me, the beret is totally appropriate: Djibouti has been heavily influenced by France – it was French ruled until 1977) So.. like I said, get out your beret. Here is your palette… the warm colors of cumin, cloves, cardamom, cayenne, and cinnamon. Heat it up in a large pot or skillet with lid with ghee (or oil) and onions. Cook until soft …
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Makes about 30 small meatballs I’m not usually a fan of meatballs, but these Frikadellers are Frikamazing. I added a slice of rye bread to give it a little something special. If you’re making them for a party, hold them in a warm oven for a few minutes, until ready to serve. Thanks to Stephanie Holguin for letting me adapt her recipe (she got it from a real live Danish person, hurrah!). I went a little over the top by adding heavy cream and using rye bread instead of plain sandwich bread. NOTE: I’ve since been told that, while it tastes really yummy, garlic isn’t the most authentic. A little finely chopped onion would be a more traditional choice. It’s up to you! Ingredients: 1/2 lb beef 1/2 lb pork 2/3 cup flour 1/2 cup of milk 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp of pepper 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 slice rye bread Method: Add the meat to a large bowl… Season with plenty of salt and pepper… And a happy …
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Serves 6 NOTE: Exact portion sizes depend on the dimensions you choose for the sausage. If you like Pigs in a Blanket, you’ll love this authentic snack from the Czech Republic. Be sure to use high quality sausage and you’ll be on cloud 9 in no time. Ingredients: 2 kielbasa sausages (about a pound each) 1 Refrigerator Dough for Czech Desserts & Snacks Method: Gather the Kielbasa – if you are using all the dough, you will probably need two packages like this one… This brand is a tad bit spicy and so goooood. Cut the sausage into desired portion sizes – I made mine about 2″ long and cut them in half since they were so wide. My goal was to make “finger food” for a party. If you’d rather serve these for a meal, cut them into 5″ portions and don’t slit them in half. Working with half the dough at a time, roll it out thinly. Cut into rectangles large enough to wrap around your sausage. Mr Picky tells me your life …
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Serves 2-4 This completely fuss-free roast lamb dish, Ofto Kleftiko, maximizes the rich, succulent flavor of lamb and is so tender it literally falls of the bone. A great dish for holidays, festivals, or even pot luck dinners. Serve one shank per person, unless appetites are small. Ingredients: 2 lamb shanks, about one pound each 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground coriander 4 bay leaves salt pepper olive oil Method: Get the oven nice and toasty – set it to 375F. Meanwhile, drizzle lamb with olive oil… (a.k.a. liquid gold) Sprinkle with heaps of salt and pepper… Then, divide the cinnamon and ground coriander seed equally amongst the lamb shanks. If you’re feeling kind of crazy, you might add a bit more cinnamon. Take off your rings, roll up your sleeves, and rub the spices into the meat. Make sure to also coat the ends and bottom of the lamb. Place both lamb shanks on top of a bay leaf, on their own large square of aluminum foil. Add another bay leaf on top and …
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Serves 2 Ooey, gooey and sizzling hot, The Cuban sandwich will rock your world. The key to a great Cuban Sandwich is to obtain the best possible ingredients, especially when it comes to the bread and pork. Ingredients: 18″ long Cuban bread (can substitute Italian or French bread) yellow mustard (to taste) 4 slices of ham 4 slices of roast pork 4 slices of Swiss cheese thinly sliced pickles (to taste) Method: First of all, roast yourself a pork and use the leftovers in this sandwich. It will be so much better! Now, that that’s out of the way, let’s get started. Slice a loaf of cuban bread almost completely in half, lengthwise. Spread the bottom with yellow mustard. This is very important in a traditional Cuban. My stone ground mustard still isn’t speaking to me. Add sliced ham… deli ham is fine! And thinly sliced roast pork. Make sure you trim off any fatty bits. This is regret speaking. Layer on the beautiful Swiss cheese and sandwich pickles. Cover with top of bread and …
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Makes one 9″ square casserole Breakfasty, bready prisnats are great comfort food. You’ll want to cut the ham smaller or add more flour so the little pieces won’t sink to the bottom. Enjoy warm! Ingredients: 8 eggs, room temperature 8 oz ham steak, cut into small cubes 4 oz bacon diced & fried 3 green onions, sliced 1 cup cottage cheese 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature 2 cups flour (perhaps up to 2.5 cups so the ham won’t sink) 2 tsp yeast 2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, cubed Method: Preheat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile, gather the ingredients. Beautiful ham… but cut yours 1/2 the size of mine, so they won’t sink. Fresh, green onions. A taste of spring, even in winter. Then, crack 8 eggs into a large bowl and whisk until light and frothy. Add the milk… Cottage cheese… (this makes everything nice and moist) Yeast… And flour… Top it off with the rest of the ingredients…bacon, ham, cheese, and green onion. Pull out the whisk and put in a wooden spoon. …
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Serves 6 This spicy one pot dish is a meal unto itself. If you have a band of merry-men coming over for dinner, serve them heaping spoonfuls of this hearty and wholesome rice and they’ll leave with full bellies and even merrier grins. While Riz au Gras is eaten throughout West Africa, 0ur version is from the Ivory Coast as taught me by Linda of Tropical Foodies. NOTE: You may cut down or omit the chili powder if you would like a mild dish. Ingredients: 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped (or half a big one) 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 lb stew beef, cubed 2 cups white rice 4 cups water 1 1/2 cups tomato puree 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp chili powder (for medium heat) salt & pepper Method: Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot. When shimmering, add in two of my BFF’s – onion and garlic. Cook them until translucent and fragrant. Next, increase the heat to medium-high and add seasoned beef. There will be a sizzle as the meat …
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Serves 4 We almost had another epic fail on our hands. Thankfully, however, Linda of Tropical Foodies saved the day. The end result? Creamy, smoky, turkey goodness. Read on to learn the critical lesson I learned about how to cook with melon seeds. Tulsa Shopping Connection: melon seeds are available in Tulsa at Ebute Metta Tropical Market. Pumpkin seeds are in the bulk section of Whole Foods. Ingredients: oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 smoked turkey thigh (available by the meat counter), cut into pieces 1/2 cup melon or pumpkin seeds 1 cup water plus 1/2 cup 1/2 cup tomato puree Method: We get things started by heating up oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook onions … … and garlic, until fragrant and soft. Meanwhile, take one smoked turkey thigh. Which are giant, by the way – especially if you’re only used to dealing with chicken thighs. Using a sharp knife, cut it into chunks. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but it helps if they are roughly the same …
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Serves 4 This traditional African dish combines peanut butter with goat, two of the most common ingredients in many parts of the continent, especially west and central Africa. Hot peppers and cayenne add kick. Ingredients: 1 lb goat meat, cubed 1/2 onion, sliced thinly 1 poblano pepper, sliced thinly 4 12″x12″ banana leaves (or sheets of aluminum foil) For the Sauce: 3/4 cup peanut butter 1 Tbsp bouillon 1/2 tsp cayenne water, as needed (I used 5 Tbsp) Method: Cube up some goat meat. The butcher cut me two pieces from the leg, with little bone. Next, mix up the ingredients for the sauce. First up – peanut butter. I open the jar, and my husband comes running. He loves the stuff. Some bouillon powder. Cayenne, for heat. Feel free to omit this or use less… but I hope you don’t. Finally, add water and mix all the ingredients together until a smooth sauce forms. I used about 5 tablespoons. Next, add in the meat. And onions. Make sure you slice them as thinly as …
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Serves 2-4 However you spell it, Moo Shu (mu sh00, mu shu, etc) Pork is great Chinese food. Simple and quick, you’ll make this recipe over and over again. Note: If you don’t have the Shaohsing rice wine, dry sherry may be substituted. Ingredients: 3/4 lb pork shoulder, sliced thinly across the grain For the marinade: 3 Tbsp Shaohsing rice wine 1/8 cup cornstarch 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp oyster sauce For the sauce: 1 Tbsp Shaohsing rice wine 2 Tbsp oyster sauce 3 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp sugar For the stir-fry 1 tsp minced ginger 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 green onions, thinly sliced (plus one more for garnish) 1 pint shittake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly 1 pint sliced chinese cabbage 1 1/2 cups sliced wood ear mushrooms 1 cup bamboo shoot strips 3 eggs scrambled Method: In a medium bowl, combine pork, cornstarch, shaohsing wine, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Toss to combine and let marinate about thirty minutes. Meanwhile, scramble two eggs and set aside. Assemble sauce ingredients. …
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Serves 2-3 Amazingly enough, Keith had never had lamb before we embarked on our Adventure to eat food from around the world. This stew is so fresh and flavorful it won him over immediately. Serve with millet balls. The key to making good lamb stew is to simmer -never boil – the meat. For the first hour the meat will seem tough and chewy but, incredibly, in the second hour even the toughest cut softens, tenderizes and gets that “melt in your mouth” quality that makes stew completely irresistible. Ingredients: vegetable oil 1 1/2 lb lamb, cubed 1 large onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, cut into strips 1 tsp paprika 1 Tbsp tomato paste 4 cups water, or as needed 1/2 lb chopped okra Method: Heat a little oil in a medium pot. Brown lamb – do not crowd. Brown in small batches if needed. When done, return all the meat to the pot and crank the heat to get things moving. Add onion, bell pepper, paprika and tomato paste. I emptied out my paprika jar …
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Serves 4 Borasheht (or brochettes/kabobs) can be any sort of skewered meat. In our recipe, tender pieces of lamb are marinated in a spicy sauce. As you bite into the lamb, your mouth fills with a hint of cinnamon and garlic, mild tang from the vinegar, and a steady, creeping burn from the cayenne (about mild, on my scale). NOTE: If you would like some extra heat on the side, try our Kan Kan Kan spice blend, popular in Burkina Faso. Ingredients: 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cayenne 3 cloves garlic, crushed salt, to taste 2 Tbsp vinegar 1 1/2 lbs lamb meat, cubed for skewers Method: 1. In a small bowl, mix together paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, salt, and vinegar. Have I told you recently how much I adore garlic? Salt not only adds flavor, but tenderizes the meat as well. Give everything a quick stir. No power equipment needed here! 2. Rub marinade all over the lamb pieces. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 3 hours. Keith snuck this photo …
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