Pasta a la Putanesca

This dish is so Italian, and full of flavour.

just the sauce 

- 1/2 clove garlic  
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 can tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 3 quartered mushrooms
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- parsley to taste
- fettuccine


1. Cook fettuccine according to packet directions.


2. In a frypan, heat the garlic in the oil.


3. Add the tomato, puree, capers, olives, salt and pepper. Simmer to reduce and serve over the pasta. Sprinkle with parsley.

Zapallitos Rellenos

This recipe was originally made with these large round looking zucchini, but I couldn't find them anywhere near where I live, so I just used long green zucchini. They still worked.



               
- 4 medium green zucchini
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 red capsicum, diced small
- 1/2 onion, diced small
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch of chilli flakes
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (reserve 2 tablespoons for on top)
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1/2 an egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon bread crumbs




1. Boil the zucchini in salted water until just tender and cool enough to handle. cut in half lengthways and scoop out the pulp. Chop this pulp, drain it and reserve it to use later.




2. In a large frypan, heat the oil and sauté the onion, capsicum, and salt until soft. Add the garlic and the reserved pulp. Remove from the heat and season with chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Cool for a few minutes and add 2 tablespoons of mozzarella, parsley, egg, and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly.




3. Place zucchini shells on a lined baking tray. Fill with the mixture made in step 2 and sprinkle with remaining cheese.




4. Bake at 200 degrees celcius for approximately 20 minutes until the cheese is gold.

Bifes a la Criolla

This dish turned out like a stew, but I'll admit I quite enjoyed it. The herbs in it made it so tasty.


- 2 tablespoons oil  
- 225g steak
- 1 large onion, julienned
- 1 large red capsicum, julienned
- 225g potatoes, cut into rounds
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- chopped parsley


1. In a saucepan with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.


2. Layer the meat, onion, capsicum, and potato, seasoning each layer with salt, pepper, chilli flakes, and thyme.


3. Add the bay leaf and stock down the side. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and cook for approximately 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Serve with parsley.

Alfajores

I can't say much about this sweet, except for MY TASTEBUDS DID CARTWHEELS when they tasted these! For this sweet, you need to make 2 things... The biscuit, and the filling - dulce de leche.


DULCE DE LECHE: 
- 1/2 can condensed milk
- 1/2 can evaporated milk
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tablespoon glucose syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla


1. Add the 2 milks into a pot. Add the baking soda and salt and stir constantly over medium heat. Turn down to a simmer.


2. The mixture will become thicker and darker. Keep stirring.


3. Continue to stir until large bubbles appear and it is very thick and a golden caramel colour.


4. Lift out the spoon and drizzle. If the ribbon doesn't disappear after 10 seconds or so, it is ready.


5. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the glucose syrup and vanilla.


BISCUIT:
 - 1/2 cup +6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup flour  
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 1/2-1 tablespoon brandy
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup dulce de leche
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut


1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius.


2. In a large bowl, mix together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt.


3. Cut the butter and blend in with the flour mixture with your fingers until smooth.


4. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and brandy and mix with your hands until smooth. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.


5. Roll out to 3/8ths of an inch thick and cut into rounds.


6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until barely golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool completely.


7 Fill/ sandwich together the biscuits together with the dulce de leche. Roll the edges in desiccated coconut and store in an air tight container.

Pollo al Verdeo

This recipe is so full of flavour, I think next time I make it though, I might add some fettuccine to eat with it and use this as a sauce.
                     
             
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 whole shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/2 tablespoon parsley
- salt and pepper


1. In a medium frypan, heat oil and butter together. Season chicken and cook it in the oil and butter. Remove and keep warm.


2. Saute the shallot, and add the garlic until transparent. Add the wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the cream, stir, bring to the boil and simmer.


3. Add the chicken back along with any juices and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with parsley.   

Pollo al Disco de Arado

I found this recipe to be quite stew like for me. I'm not a fan of stew, but it is made with chicken. Be sure not to overcook your potatoes, I did and it went a little mushy.

- 1/2 kg chicken, chopped  
- 1 tablespoon oil        

- 450g potatoes, sliced thick
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 1/2 red capsicums, julienned
- 1 medium onion, julienned
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 1/2 teaspoons capers
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley


1. Heat oil in a large frypan and cook chicken.


2. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until just cooked. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water. Drain and set aside.


3. Move the chicken to one side. Add the shallot, capsicum and onion, then the wine and stock. Saute until vegetables are soft.


4. Add the mushrooms and capers. Mix all together and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pepper, chilli flakes and cream.


5. Add the potatoes. If the dish looks too dry, add some of the reserved water. Sprinkle with parsley and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes.

Argentina

So this week my finger pointed me in the direction of Argentina.
According to sources, Argentinian food has a distinct Mediterranean flavour, thanks to Spanish colonisation in the 16th century, and later, the immigration of Italians during the 1800s.
Beef is extremely popular in Argentina and the country has the 2nd largest consumption in the world.
The Argentinians are also major producers of wheat, corn, milk, beans, and since the 70s, soybeans.
this week, I have made:

- Pollo al Disco de Arado
- Zapallitos Rellenos
- Pollo al Verdeo
- Bifes a la Criolla
- Pasta a la Putanesca
- Alfajores  

German Christmas Cookies

I found that I had to leave these cookies in the oven for another 5 minutes as they weren't cooked properly in the middle. Also, I think I could've added some more vanilla sugar and I don't know why my icing wasn't white. It stayed clear.


DOUGH:                            
- 75g margarine
- 50g icing sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 an egg
- 1/2 packet of vanilla sugar
- pinch of salt
- 25g ground walnuts
- about 1 1/2 cups flour


 GLAZE:
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam
- 50g icing sugar
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon warm water
- halves of walnuts to decorate


1. Whisk the margarine, yolks, egg, vanilla and salt until foamy.


2. Add the walnuts and mix in the flour.


3. Make balls walnut sized and place onto a greased oven tray.


4. Bake for 20 minutes at 150-175 degrees celcius.


5. FOR THE GLAZE: Press the jam through a sieve. Brush or spoon the jam over the warm cookies.


6. Mix the icing sugar and water together and drizzle on top once the jam has dried.


7. Place 1/2 a walnut on top. It should stick.

Barley Soup

WOW this dish ended up salty. I think next time I make this dish I'm going to leave out the salt.


- 1/4 onion                  
- 1/4 tablespoon oil
- 55g diced bacon
- 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable stock
- 1/2 carrot, diced
- 1/4 clove garlic
- 1/4 stick of celery, diced
- 1/4 leek, sliced
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup pearl barley


1. In a large pot, cook onion until it is translucent. Add the bacon and cook for 1 minute.


2. Add the barley and broth, and stir to boil.


3. Add the carrots and celery, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.


4. Add the garlic and leek. Simmer for another 20 minutes until all is tender. The barley should have a bit of a bite. Season.

Roasted Veggie Rice Bake

This recipe called for Buffalo Mozzarella, but I couldn't find any, so I just used plain mozzarella. This dish is quite cheesy and becomes a bit thick, but the taste is so good.



  - 1 tablespoon and 1/2 cup olive oil      
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1/2 alborio rice
- pinch of saffron
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- salt
- 1 1/2 large zucchinis
- pepper
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 225g buffalo mozzarella, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided




1. Preheat the oven 220 degrees celcius. Spread zucchinis over a baking tray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through.


2. In a large pan, cook the onions in the left over oil. Add the rice. Add the wine, saffron, and broth and cover and for 6b minutes until the rice is al dente.


3. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with half the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 the cheeses, vegetables and rice. Do these layers twice, ending with cheese and sauce.


4. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden.

Beef Rouladen

This is the recipe I was talking about in the 1st page of Germany... the recipe where the comment was saying how a person spat it out. I don't know what the original of this dish is supposed to taste like, and there are different variations of recipes, but I did enjoy this dish. I thought it tasted like a hamburger without the roll.


- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 slices thin top steak                                
- salt and pepper
- 4 bacon strips
- 1/2 large onion, cut into think wedges
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 pickles, sliced in half lengthways


1. Lightly spread mustard on one side of the steaks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 1 strip of bacon, 1 slice of pickle and a few onion wedges on each. Roll up and secure with toothpicks.


2. In a frypan, brown the rolls and drain. Add the broth and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours until tender.


3. Remove meat and keep warm. Combine the flour and water until smooth, and gradually stir it into the broth. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Remove toothpicks from the rolls and add to the gravy.

Bierocks

I was a little disappointed with recipe. I was expecting to have a huge mouth of flavour, but maybe I didn't put enough salt in the filling. Last week, I made bolognaise (I know that's not German), but I thought maybe I could use left over bolognaise sauce as the stuffing.


- 1 cup hot milk                      
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet (1/4oz) yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 450g mince
- 450g cabbage, shredded
- 1 onion, chopped
- pinch of allspice
- salt and pepper
- melted butter for brushing


1. Combine the milk, sugar, shortening and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Add the yeast, (dissolved in warm water). Stir in flour and knead. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until it is doubled in size.


2. Meanwhile, in a frypan cook the mince, cabbage, and onion. Add the allspice, salt and pepper.


3. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into squares. Put 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture in each. Fold the corners to the middle, pinching together at the top. Place on a baking tray and let rise for 10 minutes.


4. Bake at 220 degrees celcius until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

Dumpling soup

This was the 1st time I ever made, even tasted dumplings. I'm not sure if I like them or not yet, they're a different, funny textured thing.


DUMPLINGS:                        
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons milk
- 1 teaspoon salt


SOUP:
- carrots, diced small
- water
- celery, diced small
- onion, diced small
- chicken, cubed


1. Cook all soup ingredients in the water. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it and drain. Save the chicken, broth, and carrots. Cut into small pieces and add it to the broth.

2. Make the dumplings by mixing all the ingredients and dropping spoonfuls into the boiling broth. Boil for about 5 minutes, add 1 cup of cold water, and cover the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meatballs Stroganoff

I really do enjoy a stroganoff dish, and I have already made a beef one and a chicken one before. I came across a recipe for meatballs stroganoff, and I thought I would try this one, I never heard of one made with meatballs before. Also, for the first time, the onion actually stayed in my meatballs, even throughout cooking.


- 1/2 an egg, lightly beaten      

- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon onion
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- pinch of dried marjoram
- pinch of garlic salt
- pinch of pepper
- 225g beef mince
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
- 6 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons sour cream
- hot cooked egg noodles (to serve)


1. Combine the first 7 ingredients and mix well. Roll into small balls.


2. Gently roll balls into flour and brown in the oil. Drain and return to the pan.


3. Combine the soup and water and pour over the meatballs. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the meat is not pink, stirring occasionally.


4. Stir in the sour cream and serve over the noodles.

Potato Rivel Soup

I have no idea what a Rivel is. I think it is a dumpling (or kind of dumpling), because it is the same ingredients for dumplings. As the weather is starting to get quite cold here, I am starting to enjoy soups. The only problem with me having soup for dinner is that it doesn't really fill me up. So when I saw this recipes for a potato soup, I thought it might be filling. Also I wanted to know what a rivel was.

- 4 medium potatoes

- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

- 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 can evaporated milk


RIVEL:

- 6 tablespoons flour

- 1/2 an egg

- salt to taste

1. Cube your potatoes ready to cook. Cook all your soup ingredients (except the evaporated milk) in a large pot until the potatoes are soft.

2. Smash about 1/4 of the potatoes and stir through the soup thoroughly.

3. Mix together all your rivel ingredients. Drop spoonfuls into the soup. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Add the evaporated milk and simmer for a few minutes.

Germany

The first country my random choosing came to was Germany. While looking for German recipes, I noticed that there were a lot of hearty stew like dishes, along with a lot of cabbage as well.

Now, I have come to realize, that not only is it NOT all stews, soups, and cabbage dishes, Germany is also influenced by Austrian, Swiss, and even French tastes. Also, I understand that different people have different ways of cooking the same meal. For example, I found a recipe for Beef Rouladen. In the comments for this particular recipe, someone wrote that her father spat it out as soon as he tasted it, said it was nothing like the original. I thought to myself 2 things... 1. maybe the person commenting didn't follow the recipe properly and 2. there's no harm in trying a new recipe, and considering I haven't tasted the original version before, I'll either like it or not based on the recipe itself.

So this week my kitchen smelt German... The German dishes of:
1. Potato Rivel Soup
2. Meatballs Stronganoff
3. Beef Rouladen
4. Roasted Vegetable Rice Bake
5. Dumpling soup
6. Bireocks
7. Barley Soup
8. German Christmas Cookies

A NEW IDEA

So, while I've been looking for new recipes to cook and taste, I got an idea. There are so many different recipes out there and some I thought I'd never try, so, to try and make my choices as mixed up as I could, I have decided to travel around the world via my kitchen. 

Each week, I will be cooking 6 dishes (which will be my dinners), and 1 sweet (to satisfy that sweet tooth mine) from 1 country. 

These countries will be chosen by random... I have written a list of around 70 different countries, and I just drop my finger to one with my eyes shut.