Serves 4-6 Brac de Gitano is a thin cake filled with apricot cream, rolled and then sliced. Andorrans enjoy this rich dessert with tea or coffee. Ingredients: Cake: 4 eggs, separated 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup flour pinch salt 1 oz butter 1 tsp almond extract Filling: 1 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup plus 5 Tbsp apricot or peach jam 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/3 cup almonds Method: For the cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350F . Grease and cover a 9×13 sheet pan with parchment paper. (A sheet pan looks like a cookie sheet with 1/2 inch high sides) 2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale yellow. Add flour, salt, butter, and almond extract. 3. Add egg whites to a medium bowl, beat until stiff. 4. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture. Sir gently until just combined. Fold in remaining egg whites. 5. Pour into pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 6. Cool slightly. Remove cake from pan and place on a sugared dish towel or saran wrap. Roll up into …
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Serves 4 Wild mushrooms give this spinach salad Andorran appeal. The crunch of slivered almonds and the sweet of the golden raisins add another dimension. Ingredients: 12 oz assorted mushrooms (Iused 4 oz French Horn Mushrooms; 8 oz Oyster Mushrooms) 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 3 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp for the last step 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup raisins 1/2 lb baby spinach 1/4 cup slivered almonds salt, pepper Method: 1. In a large skillet over medium high, saute mushrooms in 3 Tbsp olive oil until reduced and golden brown. Add garlic. Saute a few more minutes, until fragrant. Add raisins. Deglaze with white wine. 2. Add spinach and turn off heat. Toss for a few minutes to wilt. Transfer to serving bowl. Toss with slivered almonds, 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Warm Spinach and Mushroom Salad Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Wild mushrooms give this spinach salad Andorran appeal. The crunch of slivered almonds and the sweet of the golden raisins add another dimension. CourseSides & Salads LifestyleGluten-Free, Quick, Vegan, Vegetarian Food …
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Serves 8 Hot Algerian Lasagna blends traditional Italian lasagna with chickpeas, potatoes, ground lamb, and a healthy dose of cayenne pepper. Make this unusual dish once and you will crave the flavors for life. NOTE: Cayenne pepper’s heat is rated in “heat units.” This recipe was made with a 35,000 cayenne, which is on the low-end of the scale. If you have a 90,000 cayenne, you only need 1/3 of the cayenne pepper for the same kick. The label on your spice jar should give you this information. Ingredients: 1 pound ground lamb or chicken 1/2 cup olive oil 1 medium onion, diced salt and pepper 1 Tbsp harissa 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1 tsp to make it mild) 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground caraway 1 Tbsp tomato paste 2 cups tomato puree, plus a half cup 1 can drained, rinsed chickpeas 1 cup water 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 lb) 1 lb no-boil lasagna sheets 15 oz ricotta 2 eggs 2 cups shredded mozzarella 2 cups shredded Gruyère Method: 1. In a large …
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Serves 2-4 Hummus bi’l Kammun is velvety smooth. The smoky blend of cumin, paprika, harissa, and garlic make this soup a wintertime treat. As a special bonus, this soup is vegan. NOTE: Much like chili, our soup benefits from a day of rest while the flavors deepen. When reheating, thin to desired consistency with a little water. Ingredients: 2 15 oz cans drained and rinsed chickpeas (or 3 cups prepared, dried chickpeas) 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp paprika 1 tsp harissa (or more to taste) 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 quart cooking water salt pepper Method: 1. In a large pot over medium heat, add garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika, harissa, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add water and chickpeas (reserve ¼ cup chickpeas for garnish if using shallow bowls). Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. 2. Use an immersion blender to make a coarse puree. Simmer gently, uncovered, for an hour. Stir occasionally. 3. Puree again, this time getting the soup perfectly smooth (you may also use a …
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Serves 4-6 Although this dish is simple, the tender lamb and tangy yogurt are very satisfying on a cold winter’s day. Use Hungarian Paprika to give the dish mild heat. Ingredients: 3 lbs lamb, cut into 10 pieces 2 cups cooking water from lamb 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp flour 4 eggs 3 cups greek yogurt 1 tbsp white rice 1 tsp red pepper (paprika) salt Method: 1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, sear the lamb on all sides. Do not crowd. You may have to sear just a few pieces at a time. 2. Add all pieces back into the pot and cover with water. Add a generous amount of salt and simmer for 1 hour. 3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir until they blend and cook together. When the mixture thickens and begins to turn the color of light peanut butter, begin adding the water. Heat until thick, stirring constantly. You are essentially making gravy. Let cool. 4. Preheat the oven to 350F. NOTE: I …
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Serves 6-8 The cheese and green onion make this cornbread unique. Dense and flavorful, the cornbread makes a great accompaniment to stews. Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups cornmeal 16 ounces cottage cheese 4 eggs 1 cup chopped scallions, plus 1 Tbsp for garnish 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted 1/4 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp thyme 4 ounces feta cheese, chunked 1/4 tsp salt Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8″ square casserole. 2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (cornmeal, cottage cheese, eggs, scallions, melted butter, paprika, thyme, feta, and salt. 3. Pour into prepared casserole and spread evenly. 4. Bake at 400F until lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes. 5. Garnish with remaining scallions. Serve warm. NOTE: This dish was excellent warm, but dries out quickly. On 3/27/12 I adjusted the recipe for more moisture. The first time we gave the little we had leftover to the birds. After the adjustments, even leftovers were moist and yummy. Adapted from Home Cooking Around the World, by David Ricketts and Mark Thomas Albanian Cornbread Votes: 1 Rating: …
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Serves 8 Byrek ose Lakror emerges from the oven with a beautiful, shining crust. Cut into the pie too soon, however, and your dreams will shatter. You must wait a full hour for the pie’s juices to redistribute. Ingredients: Leek Filling 2 large leeks, cleaned and very thinly sliced (use only the white/light green part. Thick slices and/or green parts won’t cook properly) 6 eggs 1/4 cup greek yogurt (or regular yogurt strained for 30 minutes) 1 lbs. cottage cheese, strained for 30 minutes 4 oz crumbled feta cheese 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme, or dried thyme, ground salt, to taste (remember, feta cheese is very salty) 1/2 tsp pepper Pie Crust 1 package puff pastry 1 egg, beaten Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except for leeks. When the mixture is smooth and blended, add diced leeks. Set aside. 3. Roll one sheet of puff pastry into a 15″ circle. Place pastry on the bottom of a 9″ pie dish. NOTE: You can also lay the puff pastry down in your pie dish …
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Both tangy and sweet, Sabse Borani is no ordinary spinach dip. The caramelized onion is this recipe’s secret to success, elevating earthy spinach and yogurt to new heights. Wonderful with homemade noni Afghani (or any fresh flatbread). (Serves 4-6) Ingredients: 1 cup frozen, chopped spinach 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 cup drained yogurt salt, to taste Method: 1. Drain yogurt over a small bowl for 1 hour. Use either a coffee filter in a large colander or a fine strainer by itself. 2. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Saute the onion until golden, stirring occasionally. This can take 15 minutes. Watch that your pan does not dry out and the onions burn. If you do think the pan is drying out, add a little water and/or cover. 3. Add garlic and heat until aromatic. 4. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. 5. In a small bowl, combine yogurt with spinach mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. For maximum flavor, serve cool, but not cold. Spinach Yogurt Dip | …
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When cooked gently over medium heat Noni Afghani is soft and chewy. The yogurt keeps the bread moist, while the cumin seeds add an earthy flavor. This comforting flatbread is ideal for sopping up Afghan dips and curries. Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 package) 2 tsp sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup water 1/4 cup plain yogurt, low-fat or whole milk 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for bowl 2 Tbsp whole cumin seeds 4 Tbsp ghee or butter, melted Method: 1. In a large mixer with paddle attachment, combine flours, yeast, sugar, salt, water, yogurt, and olive oil. 2. Switch to dough hook. Mix for about 10 minutes, or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be moist but not overly sticky. Add extra flour a little at a time, if necessary. 2. Shape dough into a ball and transfer to a clean, oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, …
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Kabeli Palau (also known as kabuli pulao) is a much loved party dish in Afghanistan. The highly seasoned rice dish is finished in the oven, giving the cook 45 minutes to prepare for the arrival of their guests (simply prepare garnish ahead of time). The intense flavor of garam masala is balanced by sweet bursts of carrot and golden raisins. Update (2015): This is the original recipe as prepared for the blog; the recipe in my memoir has been further tested and streamlined. Note: You may purchase 6 cups chicken broth and use leftover chicken pieces. This will save you several steps (and at least an hour) if you are in a hurry. Ingredients: 1 lb basmati rice, rinsed 1/4 cup ghee or butter 1 large onion, sliced thin 1/2 chicken, bone in or 3 chicken breasts 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 Tbsp salt 1 clove garlic, crushed 6 cups water 1 Tbsp garam masala 1/4 tsp saffron Garnish: 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shredded 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup slivered almonds pinch saffron 1/2 cup hot water Method: 1. In a large pot, bring 6 cups …
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