Scrub the potatoes clean and place in a small saucepan with water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the potatoes stand in the water for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow to cool slightly. Remember that potatoes come in various sizes, so the cooking time may vary – if they do not easily glide off of a fork when speared and lifted out of the water, they are not done yet. Fry bacon slices and transfer to a dish lined with paper towels. Peel the red onion and slice in thin rings. Transfer the flour to a bowl and toss the onions in the flour. Remove onions and shake off excess flour. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. You can test whether the oil is hot enough by adding a small piece of onion to the saucepan. If the oil bubbles around the onion, the oil is ready. Transfer as many onion rings to the saucepan as can fit in one layer. Do not add too many onion rings at once. Fry the onions for a couple of minutes until they are golden brown. Transfer onions to a dish lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Repeat the process until all onions are fried. Butter a slice of dark rye bread and arrange round potato slices (or, if the potatoes are very small, halved potatoes) on top. Top your open potato sandwich with a good mayonnaise, crispy fried onions, fried bacon and sliced chives.
Make the filling: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until onion is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add pork and cook until completely browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes more. Drain fat from the skillet. Stir in raisins, olives, and hard-cooked eggs. Whisk water and cornstarch together in a small bowl; pour into the skillet and stir until liquid thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside. Make the dough: Whisk milk and melted shortening together in a bowl until evenly blended. Stir flour and salt together in a separate large bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture; whisk until well combined and a dough forms. Let rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 12 circles with a round cookie cutter or glass. Spoon filling into the center of each circle. Fold each circle in half and press the edges with a fork to seal. Brush the tops with beaten egg. Place empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Step 1 Place pork chops in a 3-qt. glass baking dish. Using a fork, poke holes into pork all over; season all over with 1 tsp. salt. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Step 2 In a small bowl, combine orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, oregano, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder. Add half of marinade to pork and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Step 3 Meanwhile, arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°. Add mustard and mayonnaise to remaining marinade and stir until smooth. Step 4 Transfer pork to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 140°, 15 to 20 minutes. Step 5 To build sandwiches, cut loaf in half crosswise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise for 4 pieces total. Spread butter on outside of bread on the top and bottom. Spread mustard mixture on cut sides of bread. On 2 bread pieces, layer each with 2 oz. cheese, 4 oz. ham, half of roast pork, 4 pickle slices, and remaining 2 oz. cheese. Close with remaining bread pieces and wrap each sandwich in foil. Step 6 Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place foil-wrapped sandwiches in skillet, then place another heavy skillet on top to create a homemade sandwich press. If you don’t have another heavy skillet, weigh the pan down with another lighter skillet or baking sheet, then top with couple of canned goods. Step 7 Grill sandwiches, turning halfway through, until toasted and cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Combine the lard and milk in a saucepan, and heat until the milk is hot. Pour the hot milk into the flour mixture, and stir until a dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Cover, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll the dough out on a floured surface 1/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch rounds. Brush the outer edges of each circle with beaten egg, and fill with a small mound of cheese. Fold each circle in half to form a half-moon; press the edges with your fingers or a fork to seal. Place the empanadas onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with remaining egg. Bake in preheated oven until golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, the empanadas may be deep fried in 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oil. If deep frying, do not brush the outsides of the empanadas with egg. Drain on paper towels.
Cut the peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. In a bowl combine 3.5 oz (100 grams) Feta cheese, 7 oz (200 grams) cottage cheese, 1 tbsp chopped chives (optional), 1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional), 1/4 tsp salt (more or less to taste) and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Fill the peppers with the mixture. Top with chopped chives and parsley. Serve.
1. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. 2. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and 2 finely chopped shallots to the skillet, stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly golden, 2-3 minutes. 3. Tip: Keep the heat medium to prevent burning—garlic can turn bitter if overcooked. 4. Add 1 lb ground pork to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until no pink remains, 5-7 minutes. 5. Stir in 3 tbsp prahok and cook for 1 minute to blend the flavors, mashing it slightly into the pork. 6. Pour in 1 cup coconut milk, stirring to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. 7. Tip: Simmer gently to avoid curdling the coconut milk—a steady bubble is ideal. 8. Add 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp palm sugar, and 2 minced Thai chilies, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. 9. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in 2 tbsp lime juice, mixing thoroughly. 10. Tip: Add lime juice off the heat to preserve its fresh, tangy flavor without cooking it out. 11. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro. 12. Let the dip cool for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Heat up a pan over medium high heat, add olive oil and let it get hot. Add onions, peppers, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper, cook for 3 to 5 min until onion is translucent. Mix in the beans, stir and reduce heat to medium, add the Lizano sauce, stir and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the rice, stir and cooked for a few more minutes, to incorporate all the flavors in the rice. The time to cook it I will depend of how you like your gallo pinto, some people like it a little wet and some other like it a little toasted or dry. I prefer it not too dry, so I cook it for about 5 to 7 min.
Combine vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle salt on top. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil. Top with feta and parsley. Serve.
1 Cooking Fry the leeks in a small dash of olive oil for a few minutes until they start to brown. 2 Add the onions and mince and fry until everything is browned. Ensure you keep stirring to prevent the leeks catching and burning. 3 Add the rice and stir together for a few minutes ensuring the rice is well blended and coated in any juices. 4 Add the lamb stock, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and leave it to come to the boil. Leave to boil for 2 minutes. 5 Baking Pour the mixture into a large baking tray, place on the bottom self of a preheated oven at 180 degrees. Leave to bake for up to 1 hour. The dish is ready when all the liquid is evaporated and the rice is soft. 6 Serving Once cooked turn off the oven and keeping the door open leave the leek and rice bake to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Cook beans until tender, add rice, coconut milk, onion, black pepper and salt, and add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Place Scotch Bonnet peppers on top, careful not to burst them. Simmer until rice is tender. Remove pepper before serving.
Place beans in a large pot and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, before you use in the soup. Chop one of the onions and leave the other one whole. Chop carrots. Heat oil on a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes. Add beans, water, peppers, head of onion, salt, pepper, summer savory, mint, thyme, Vegeta and tomato puree. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the peppers and whole onion. Mash the onion. Peel peppers and chop. Return to the pot. Add more salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve.
1. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, minced garlic, and black pepper to make the marinade. 2. Add the thinly sliced pork shoulder to the marinade, ensuring each piece is fully coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate. 3. While the pork marinates, rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch, which helps prevent clumping. 4. In a medium pot, combine the rinsed rice and 4 cups of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. 5. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F) and lightly brush with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. 6. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and place it on the hot grill, cooking for 3-4 minutes per side until nicely charred and cooked through with an internal temperature of 145°F. 7. Tip: Avoid overcrowding the grill pan to ensure even browning and proper caramelization of the marinade. 8. Once the pork is grilled, let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing to retain its juices and tenderness. 9. Tip: If you prefer a saucier dish, simmer the leftover marinade in a small saucepan for 5 minutes until slightly thickened and drizzle it over the pork. 10. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork to separate the grains and serve it warm alongside the grilled pork slices. 11. Arrange the thinly sliced cucumber and fresh cilantro leaves on top as a refreshing garnish. 12. Tip: For an extra kick, serve with a side of pickled vegetables or a squeeze of lime juice to balance the rich, savory flavors.
Scrub the potatoes well but don't peel them. Cut them into bite-size pieces. Add them to a large pan water and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a good boil. Cook the potatoes until tender and then remove them using a slotted spoon. Keep the potatoes at room temperature. Trim and clean the green beans. Add them to the pan of hot water you boiled the potatoes in. Cook the green beans until nearly tender (keep them crunchy). Strain and refresh them immediately under cold running tap water to stop the cooking process. Add the bacon to a large non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Cook the bacon for a couple of minutes until cooked through. Then take the pan off the heat and let the bacon cool down a little. Combine the olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Transfer the cooked potatoes, green beans, bacon, chopped onion, parsley and vinaigrette. Season with pepper and salt. Stir well. Check the seasoning and add extra vinegar, pepper or salt to taste. Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl or 2 deep plates and garnish with the boiled eggs. Serve lukewarm.
step 1 Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix into a sauce. Add seasoning, then pour into a serving bowl.
1. Add the chopped potatoes and garlic to a high pan and fill it with tap water until the potatoes are fully submerged. 2. Add some salt. Then place the pan over high heat and bring the potatoes to a boil. Cook them until tender. In the meantime rinse and drain the savoy cabbage. Slice it up finely. 3. Add a tablespoon of butter to a large non-stick pan. Place it over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the savoy cabbage. Season with a pinch of pepper and salt. 4. Stir fry the cabbage for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cabbage is soft and tender. Then turn the heat off and take the cabbage off the heat. In the meantime, pan fry the sausages (or sliced bacon if you are using both) in a non-stick pan in a tablespoon of butter or oil until golden brown and cooked through. 5. Transfer the sausages (and bacon) to a plate and cover with a lid or tinfoil to keep the meat warm. In the same greasy pan, add the sliced onion and extra butter and cook it gently over medium heat for 10 minutes until softened. (I often add diced bacon as well, if I only serve the stoemp with sausages.) 6. Then add the beer and turn the heat up. Let the beer reduce until you get a nice beer and onion sauce (you can add a little flour or sauce thickener if you like). Add the pan fried meat back to the pan and cover to keep warm. 7. Drain the cooked potatoes and garlic, add them back to the pan you cooked them in together with the pan fried cabbage and chopped parsley. Sprinkle with some pepper, salt and nutmeg. Also add the milk and the rest of the unsalted butter. 8. Mash the potatoes, parsley and cabbage up. Add extra butter or milk if necessary. Also check the seasoning and add extra pepper, nutmeg or salt to taste if necessary. Scoop the cabbage mash onto plates and top with the pan fried sausages (and bacon). Drizzle with the beer and onion sauce. Serve hot.
1 Preparation In a mixing bowl mix together the summer squash, sugar, eggs and baking soda. Add the flour and continue to mix, you are looking for a thick sticky mixture. Add a bit more flour if the mixture is still thin and slightly runny. 2 In a large round baking tray (about 2 inches deep) rub some olive oil over the base and edges. 3 Scoop the mixture onto the tray and spread out evenly, then pour a small amount of olive oil onto you hand and rub it in circles gently over the top of the mixture. This should flatten it and leave it with a slightly shiny glossing. 4 Cooking Bake in the oven for 40 minutes on 180 degrees – the top should be a golden brown once cooked. 5 Serving Leave to cool before slicing into squares and serving.
Step 1 Finely chop the shallots, and dice the smoked ham or sausage into small cubes. Heat some butter or clarified butter in a pan and sweat the onions in it until translucent. Add the meat and the parsley and fry together briefly before removing from the heat. Step 2 Place the bread in a bowl. Beat the milk with the eggs and season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour over the bread. Stir in the sausage and onion paste and mix in the flour. Mix together to form a relatively firm paste (adding more bread or flour if necessary) and season again according to taste. Smooth the surface of the dough out and leave to stand for approx. 30 minutes. Step 3 Heat up a good quantity of salted water in a large pan. Use the paste to form smaller dumplings (for use as a garnish in soups) or medium-sized dumplings, as required. Moisten the hands regularly with cold water during this stage so that the dumplings take on smooth forms. Step 4 Place in boiling water, bring back to the boil, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for 8-20 minutes, depending on the size. Step 5 Remove from the water, dry off well and serve up garnished with chopped parsley and melted butter (which has been taken on a nut-brown colour).
1 Baking the Lamb In a large pan (with a lid) melt the butter and olive oil together then add the diced lamb. Brown the lamb on a medium heat, this will take around 5 minutes. 2 Add the garlic, oregano, 300ml of water and season with salt and pepper. Mix well before covering with the lid. Leave to simmer for 50 minutes mixing a couple of times ensuring the lamb doesn’t start to burn. 3 The juices should have nearly all boiled away so another 150ml of water should be added along with the rice. Mix altogether, bring to the boil, place the lid on and leave for just 10 minutes. It’s advised to check at around 8 minutes – you want the liquid to be evaporated with just moist coating of oily water left over the lamb and rice. 4 Place the lamb and rice into a casserole dish, the mixture should fully cover the base and have at least 2 inches spare for the yogurt. Alternatively you can split into four ceramic bowls. 5 Making a Roux In a small saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat and then add two tablespoons of flour while continuously stirring for two minutes (add a little extra flour if needed). The roux should not be thick but not too runny, the colour will darken slightly. Pour the roux into a bowl and keep to one side. 6 Making the Yogurt Mixture In a mixing bowl add the yogurt, eggs and season with salt and pepper. Mix together then add the roux continuing to mix fast for a minute to ensure the roux and yogurt are thoroughly combined. 7 Pour the yogurt mixture over the baked lamb and rice and sprinkle on a little oregano. 8 Cooking Place on the bottom shelf of the oven on 180 degrees for 35 minutes then move it up to the middle for a further 10 minutes. The Tavë kosi is ready when the yogurt has risen up high and a golden crust formed. 9 Leave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
Place all of the above ingredients into your roaster pan at least two days before you want to eat. Stir occasionally throughout the days to distribute marinade evenly. Bake at a 350-degree oven for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is not red when sliced. You can also make these on skewers if you wish to go through the process of spearing the meat with other veggies to grill. Freezes well.
Toast the bread slices -- either in a toaster, or by baking them in the oven at 400°F -- until crispy and golden. (Toasting/baking time will totally depend on the type and thickness of your bread.) Take a clove of garlic and rub it cut-side-down all over the top of a slice of bread. Take a tomato half and rub it cut-side-down all over the top of the bread. Drizzle the bread evenly with a hint of olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread. Then serve immediately while they're nice and warm!
1. Place the meat cut into pieces, in a large pan with the onions. Add the turmeric and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then cook gently until the meat is very tender and can easily be removed from the bones. 2. While the meat is cooking, cut the orange peel into thin match style pieces, removing as much pith as possible. Leave to soak in a bowl of water. 3. When the meat is tender, remove from the pan and when cool enough, remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat into strips with your hands. Return the meat to the pan. 4. Wash the short grain rice and then add to the pan with salt according to taste. The juices should cover the rice by about 2cm, add more water if necessary. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook with the lid off, stirring from time to time until the rice is "al dente" and the liquid is absorbed. 5. Add the natural yoghurt, and stir in well but carefully. Fry the crushed cloves of garlic in the oil and add to the dish along with the dill, black pepper, the chickpeas and extra salt to taste. 6. Mix in well, then cover the top of the pan with a clean thick cloth and the lid. Leave on a low heat for about half an hour to allow the flavours to absorb. Enjoy with some warm nan bread for extra comfort.
Bring water with salt to a boil then add grits; reduce heat and cover. occasionally stirring. Cook approximately 15 minutes or until grits have desired consistency. Cool then serve
Peel and chop eggplant and pumpkin into medium-sized pieces. Heat butter and add onions and garlic in a medium sized pot set to medium to high heat. Sauté for 2 minutes until softened but not browned. Add pumpkin and eggplant. Sauté for an additional two to three minutes. Add water just to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the chopped spinach, stir and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture into a colander and let drain. After vegetable mixture has been drained return it to the pot and mash vigorously with a potato masher or a thick whisk. Add salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Blitz all the marinade ingredients in a food processor or with a hand blender. Lay the pork in a large dish, pour over the marinade, then turn the meat in the mixture, rubbing in the marinade all over and making sure every bit of the belly is coated. Cover the dish and leave overnight in the fridge. The next day, heat the oven to 140C (120C fan)/275F/gas 1. Lift the meat out of its marinade (don’t wipe off any that sticks to the joint, though; just leave most of the marinade behind in the dish) and transfer to a large roasting dish. Cover with foil, slip into the oven and roast for four and a half hours – every now and then (say, three or four times over the whole cooking period), take the dish out of the oven, lift off the foil lid and spoon the juices from the bottom of the dish over the meat. Return the foil lid, then put back in the oven. After the time is up, remove the foil, turn up the heat to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and give the pork a final blast – after 15-20 minutes, the top will take on a lovely colour and the meat should be yielding and soft enough to cut with a spoon. To make crackling shards to serve with the meat, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and line a roasting tray with baking paper. Lightly score the skin from the pork belly with a sharp knife, then rub it with a three or four fat pinches of salt – I also like to add a few caraway, cumin or fennel seeds at this point (use anything that takes your fancy). Cut the skin into long strips and lay these fat side down on the lined tray (you can, of course, leave it whole, but I think its pleasing to dress the plate with long, golden shards of crackling). Lay a second sheet of baking paper on top of the skin, then put a second baking tray of the same size on top, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour (if by this point the crackling has not gone crisp, just put it back in the oven and carry on roasting it until it has). Cut or pull the pork apart, top with finely chopped coriand