All posts tagged: winter

Balkan Baked Beans | Prebranac

Serves 2-4 Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked bean dish is like a warm hug from Bosnia, the “Heart of Europe.” The key is to slowly cook the onion until the golden, sweetness develops. I will be making Prebranac over and over again. I suggest you do the same! 🙂 Ingredients: 1 cup dry Lima beans, cooked (or 2 cans, drained) 2 medium onions, chopped 1/8 cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 Tbsp paprika seasoning salt pepper 1 Tbsp of flour Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400F. Heat up olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden. 2. Add garlic, paprika, flour, salt, and pepper. Cook a few minutes until spices are fragrant and flour is moistened. 3. Add beans and stir to combine. 4. Pour into a casserole and bake until crusty on top, about 15 minutes. Enjoy hot! Just look at all those ooey-gooey, sweet onions! Awesome. Balkan Baked Beans | Prebranac Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked …

Bosnian Coffee | Bosanska Kafa

Good morning! Let’s wake up, Bosnian style, and sip a shot of robust, Bosnian coffee. What is Bosnian Coffee? When someone says they had Bosnian coffee, they are referring to the method of preparation. This method (also referred to as Turkish coffee) is used all over the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa. Although there are many steps, each one is critical to making a good cup. And by good cup I mean a GOOD cup. The effort is worth it! The coffee beans for Bosnian coffee must be ground into a superfine powder. So fine, in fact, that it looks a lot like hot cocoa. You may purchase “Turkish Coffee” for this purpose at any Middle Eastern grocer. (Tulsa, here’s your local connection: Middle Eastern Market). If you have Colombian espresso, you can use it as long as you grind it super duper fine – until it disintegrates into a fluffy powder. The coffee cups: Bosnian coffee is served in small, espresso cups (also referred to as demi-tasse). Sounds fancy, but you can just …

Baked Milk Custard | Leche Asada

Serves 6-8 Leche Asada is super easy and quick to put together. This recipe fills 6-8 small ramekins or one large (1 1/2 quart) for family-style eating. You may want to set the custard in a water bath to make the cooking process more gentle. This will produce a very creamy, flan-like texture. Even without this step, this makes a great – dare I say – weeknight dessert. Ingredients: 6 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2 cups milk Method: Preheat oven to 350F Crack 6 eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and milk. Whisk to combine. Strain all the icky egg stuff out. Much better! Now, pour into individual ramekins or one 1 1/2 quart ramekin. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the small ramekins or for 1 hour in the large. (Setting them in a water bath will make them creamier). Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon if desired… and serve chilled, with a warm smile. Baked Milk Custard | Leche Asada Votes: 2 Rating: 1 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Leche Asada is super easy …

Butter Tea

Serves 1 Butter and tea are two of my favorite things! 🙂 This rich and flavorful drink is popular in Bhutan, especially during the cold winter months. The secret is to stir the tea vigorously/froth to blend and eliminate any the “greasiness.” Ingredients: All ingredients are to taste. Hot water Black Tea Butter (preferably Yak butter, if available) Milk or cream Method: 1. Boil water. Add tea to desired strength. I like 1 teabag per cup. 2. Add butter and milk/cream to taste (about 1/4 tsp). Stir vigorously and drink immediately. I think it is important to use a mug you really like. Here’s the one Keith picked out: I dig it. Here’s mine: Let’s get started. First, the water because it’s just oh, so pretty! Then we’ll add a teabag and watch the goodness leach out, into the water. And then, the magic… a bit o’ butter. Please use the real thing! Milk and cream make everything better… Stir it up… You know what to do next. Smiles all around! See Bhutanese Meal Review …

Pureed Black-eyed Peas

Serves 4 Benin’s Pureed Black-eyed peas are smooth and creamy thanks to peeling the beans. If you do not have the patience for peeling the beans, use a food mill or omit the step all-together. The resulting mash is rich and flavorful, but it looks a lot like mashed potatoes so you might give unsuspecting guests a heads-up. Ingredients: 2 cups dried black-eyed peas salt pepper 1 stick butter Method: 1. Soak beans overnight in cool water. Drain the beans and slip the skins off. For detailed explanation see Technique Thursday: Peeling Beans. 2. Cover beans with about an inch of water and simmer for about 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue simmering until tender. 4. Drain liquid off and puree. I used an immersion blender. You could use a ricer, food processor, blender, or a large mortar and pestle. 5. Throw in a stick of butter and beat it in with a wooden spoon. The mixture will look like thick mashed potatoes. Pureed Black-eyed Peas Votes: 0 Rating: 0 …

Johnny Cakes

Makes about 8 Johnny Cakes are like dense biscuits with a mild coconut flavor. In Belize they are often enjoyed in the morning with a slice of melted cheese, eggs, and sausage. They are also wonderful served under Stew Chicken where they wick up the delicious broth. Ingredients: 5 Tbsp melted butter 2 cups flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup coconut milk Method: 1. Mix flour salt and baking powder together. 2. Add butter and milk. Mix to combine. Knead briefly to bring dough together. 3. Divide into 8 portions. Shape into balls and flatten into discs. Pardon mine looking so “homemade”… I was in a hurry. Ava wanted to play! They still baked up fine 🙂 4. Preheat oven to 400F. Prick with a fork and let rest 15 minutes. 5. Brush with milk or butter and bake for 15 minutes. Johnny Cakes Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Johnny Cakes are like dense biscuits with a mild coconut flavor. In Belize they are often enjoyed …

French Fries | Pommes Frites

Serves 2 Umm, let me explain the small amount of fries. We couldn’t keep our fingers off of them long enough to get a picture! I don’t need to tell you – French fries are tasty with just about anything. Try these homemade French fries for the fun and satisfaction of making them yourself! 🙂 NOTE: Please read my Technique post all about French Fries. Ingredients: 2 extra large baking potatoes (about 2.5 pounds total) quart of vegetable oil salt Method: 1. Cut all edges of potatoes to make a rectangle. Slice into 1/2″ slabs. Cut each slab into several sticks. 2. Immerse in cold water for at least 30 minutes (you can also store them in the fridge overnight this way). Alternatively, rinse potatoes under cold water until water runs clear. You are trying to get rid of all the loose starch that will make the fries stick to each other. 3. Carefully dry off potatoes with towels right before frying. 4. Preheat oil to 320F. Cook fries in small batches (about a handful …

Bajan Peas n’ Rice

Serves 4 Peas n’ Rice really is “beans” and rice. This savory side will go with almost anything – chicken, pork, fish, vegetables – especially grilled or roasted. In Barbados Peas n’ Rice is often served with fried fish. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 1 Anaheim pepper, minced 1 habanero pepper, minced (optional) 3 cups water + extra as needed 1/2 cup dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups rice 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp fresh parsley Method: 1. In a large pot, add oil and fry onion, Anaheim pepper, and habanero pepper (if using) until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the black eyed peas, stir and sauté for about 5 minutes. 2. Add 3 cups of water, and simmer covered until the peas are almost done (just slightly hard still). This might take 45 minutes or so. Just taste a bean every once in a while. 3. Add salt, pepper, and rice. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 3o minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally. …

Bajan Pound Cake with Cherries | Christmas Puddin’

Makes about one 10″ bundt cake or several smaller cakes Enjoy this lovely pound cake cold with hot tea or a tall glass of milk. We loved the addition of maraschino cherries and wished we would have added more (we only added about 20 chopped cherries). A yummy cake – my husband has already requested it for his birthday! Ingredients: 3 cups flour 2 Tbsp baking powder 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 sticks (2 cups) butter (room temperature) 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1 Tbsp vanilla extract pinch of salt chopped maraschino cherries to taste (optional) NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of batter, so you may want to divide it into more than one pan, even if you use the 10″ bundt. You’ll see in our pics it threatened to overflow… but luckily didn’t. If you decide to live on the edge, like us, just put a cookie sheet under the cake to save you the trouble of a messy clean up. Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift flour and baking powder together. Set …

Potato Curry | Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum

Serves 4 The curry sauce is fire-hot (I was sweating while eating), however the potatoes do not absorb the heat so you can easily control how much chili you get in a bite. To make this dish more mild, adjust the amount of chili powder (or remove this spice completely). NOTE: This recipe makes a LOT of curry sauce, so you could freeze half of it and save for another dish if you wanted to – unless you think you’ll sop it all up. Ingredients: 20 baby red potatoes For the curry: 1 small onion, chopped 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp cumin powder 1/8 tsp ground clove 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp red chili powder (Lanka guro) (this is VERY hot, adjust according to your tolerance) 1/2 tsp Garam Masala 1 tsp salt Aromatics: 2 Tbsp mustard oil 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 2 bay leaves 1 cinnamon stick 4 cardamom pods 2 cups water Method: 1. Boil potatoes in salted water until almost cooked. Drain. …

Red Conch Chowder

Serve 6-8 Bahamian Conch Chowder is light and brothy, not creamy like the famous New England version. Leftovers thicken slightly, due to the starches that leach out of the potatoes. I might actually prefer this chowder the next day. Ingredients: 1 large onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 green pepper, diced 1 Anaheim pepper, diced 1 ham bone (I used a smoked ham shank) 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes 4 Tbsp tomato paste 2 carrots, sliced into half-moons 4-5 potatoes, cubed 1 cup clam stock 1 lb conch, diced 1/2 tsp dried thyme 3 bay leaves water, to cover everything Method: 1. In a large pot, sauté onion, garlic, green pepper, and Anaheim pepper, over medium heat until softened. Add ham bone, tomatoes, paste, carrots, potatoes, clam stock, conch, thyme, bay leaves, and water to cover. 2. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer covered for at least 2.5 hours, or until conch breaks down and gets tender. I simmered my chowder for 5 hours and all the flavors had melded wonderfully. NOTE: If you try to serve this …

Sweet Saffron Custard with Rose Water

Serves 4 This dessert combines crunchy almond pieces with creamy custard. I learned from my Global Table dinner people either love or hate the contrast of texture. Enjoy with hot tea. Ingredients: 3/4 cup slivered almonds 2.5 cups milk 1/4 cup sugar 1 Tbsp butter 1/8 cup semolina 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp rose water pinch saffron, crushed slivered almonds & cinnamon – garnish Method: 1. Finely grind the almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Heat ground almonds with milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, to infuse the almond flavor into the milk. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, toast semolina in butter, stirring for a few minutes. 3. Add milk mixture to semolina in a smooth, steady stream. Simmer, uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until thickened like pudding. Add saffron and cinnamon. NOTE: If you let this boil by accident, the bubbles are like volcanos. The lava pudding can give quite a burn. Don’t ask me how I know… 4. Stir in …