Asian Steamed Fish

 

Asian Steamed Fish

Ariel Barthels – Missionary Wife
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • Saltwater fish
  • Ginger sliced
  • Green onions chopped
  • Oil
  • Soy sauce
  • Sugar
  • Chili flakes Optional

Instructions
 

  • Picking your fish: Look for saltwater fish with thin skin (no big scales) that’s generally 8-12 inches long. Pick one that fits into your pan without having to cut it in half.
  • Clean the fish thoroughly.
  • Cut slices of ginger and chop your green onions.
  • Place the fish on a plate and scatter the ginger and green onions over it. Note: Some people also put a pair of chopsticks under the fish and place the green onions around to keep airflowing underneath.
  • Put water into a wok and bring it to a boil. Place fish inside steaming tray (we use a bamboo steamer).
  • Put the cover on and steam the fish for 8-13 minutes. Timing is dependent on weight of the fish.
  • Switch off the stove and let the fish sit for 2 minutes. Do not open the cover; this will cause the heat to leak out.
  • To prepare your sauce, liberally add oil to a heated pan.
  • Add soy sauce and a bit of sugar.
  • Add extra ginger and chili flakes (if desired).
  • Optional: Pour the juice from the fish into the sauce.
  • Bring to a boil. Add your green onions last so they remain green and don’t get overcooked.
  • Pour the boiling sauce over the fish and serve.

Notes

Eating whole fish with bones in it is common in China and Hong Kong. Don't be shy about eating the meat that's on the head—the cheeks are supposed to be the best part of the whole fish! Chinese tradition also says that eating the eyes will help you see better.
Keyword Asian, Hong Kong

 

German Potato Pancakes

 

German Potato Pancakes

Lu Hirsch – Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany)
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Course Side Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 1/2 lbs. potatoes
  • Sunflower oil or other fat
  • Salt

Instructions
 

  • Peel the potatoes and grate coarsely or finely, whatever you prefer, with a kitchen grater.
  • Add 1/2 tsp of salt to the mixture and stir.
  • Heat sunflower oil or other fat in a pan for frying.
  • Use a spoon to add the potato mixture to the hot oil and flatten slightly.
  • Fry the potato mixture until one side is golden brown. Turn the potato pancake and fry on the other side.
  • Enjoy your meal!

Notes

You can also add sugar, cinnamon, and applesauce on top of your potato pancakes.
Keyword Europe, German

 

English Mince and Tatties

 

English Mince and Tatties

Ruth Nitz – Missionary Wife
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Course Main Course
Cuisine English, Scottish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 lb ground beef beef mince
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 large carrot chopped to the samesize as the onion
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • Mashed potatoes made to your liking

Instructions
 

  • Fry the beef in the oil for a full 15 minutes, until the fat is released from the meat and it looks browned.
  • Add the carrots and onions and cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the pan and stir, cooking for two minutes to get the raw taste out of the flour.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, tomato ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Slowly stir in the beef stock. Add salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer.
  • Cook for 45-50 minutes until the mixture looks thick and dark brown. Serve over the mashed potatoes and garnish with green onion if desired.

Notes

This is a Scottish comfort food recipe. Kids absolutely love it!
Keyword English, Europe, Scottish

 

Latin American Seco de Carne

 

Latin American Seco de Carne

Missionary Nathan Schulte – Latin America mission team
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Ecuadorian, Latin American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt
  • Oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 3 serrano peppers deseeded and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock
  • 4 potatoes cubed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325F. Season meat with lots of salt.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to large pot over medium heat. Add the meat in one layer once oil is hot. Sear on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Combine cilantro leaves, your serrano peppers that have been deseeded and chopped, and 1/4 cup of stock. Blend until smooth.
  • Cook your onions and then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in cumin, pepper, paprika and pinch of salt.
  • Add back in the meat and its juice along with the cilantro mixture and remaining 1 1/4 cup of stock.
  • Cover the pot with lid and transfer to the oven. Simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until tender, adding stock as needed. Stir in potatoes and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
  • Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

We really like seco de carne for lunch!
Keyword Ecuador, Latin America

 

Russian Solyanka

 

Russian Solyanka

Jennifer Wolfgramm - Missionary wife
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Course Soup
Cuisine Russian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium potatoes cut in chunks
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 8 cups beef broth
  • 2/3 cup boiled sausage diced
  • 2/3 cup smoked sausage diced
  • 2/3 cup ham diced
  • 3 medium pickles cut in short sticks
  • 1/2 cup pickle juice
  • 1/4 cup capers
  • 3 tbsp oil for frying
  • 2-3 carrots cut in short sticks
  • 2 onions diced
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Lemon thinly sliced
  • Olives
  • Sour cream

Instructions
 

  • Put the potatoes, garlic, bay leaves, and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Add in the meats, pickles, pickle juice, and capers to the pot. Keep at a simmer.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add in the carrots and onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Add in the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Then ladle out about 1 ½ cups of broth from the pot with the potatoes and add it to the carrots. Stir gently. Let the carrot mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  • Add the carrot mixture into the big pot of soup. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • To serve, ladle some soup into each bowl. Carefully place on top of each serving a thin slice of lemon, 3-4 olives, and a dallop of sour cream. Each person should stir in the sour cream before eating. Serve with hearty bread.

Notes

My friend Marina said about Solyanka, "Russians make solyanka like Americans make pizza. Just open up the refrigerator, see what you've got, and throw it in!" :-) That's not exactly true, but it makes me smile. Don't skip the olives, lemon and sour cream on top - they make all the difference! Solyanka is one of our family's favorite Russian foods. Here in the eastern part of Germany where we now live, solyanka is a well-known soup because of the history of East Germany and the Russian influence on cuisine.
Keyword Europe, Russian

 

German Glühwein

 

German Glühwein

Jennifer Wolfgramm - Missionary wife
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Course Drinks
Cuisine German
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 orange medium
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 12 cloves whole
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 bottle dry red wine (750 ml)
  • Rum or amaretto for serving optional

Instructions
 

  • Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the orange.
  • Combine water and sugar in a pot and boil until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Reduce the heat and add cloves, cinnamon, star anise, orange zest, and the juice form the orange. Simmer about 1 minute.
  • Reduce the heat to low and add the wine. Let the wine simmer for at least 20 minutes (you can leave it on the stove on low for few hours).
  • Strain and serve in small mugs. You can add in a shot of rum or amaretto if desired.
  • Garnish with orange, star anise, and/or cinnamon sticks if desired.

Notes

Glühwein is most common at German Christmas markets. Each town will have its own mug design for the annual Christmas market, and each year the design is new. You pay for the glühwein as well as a deposit on the mug. Then you can return the mug or keep it for your collection. Glühwein is really easy to make at home, and it makes a fun addition to a cozy winter evening. Don't use an expensive dry red wine, but do use a wine that you would be happy to drink plain.
Keyword European, German

 

German Senfeier

 

German Senfeier

Jennifer Wolfgramm - Missionary wife
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Course Main Course
Cuisine German
Servings 3

Ingredients
  

  • 9 small to medium potatoes peeled
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • bouillon
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt
  • 6 eggs
  • greens for serving

Instructions
 

  • Boil the whole potatoes in salted water until tender. Remove from water but keep warm.
  • Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the water and milk until you have a smooth sauce.
  • Stir the mustard, some bouillon powder, vinegar, and sugar into the sauce. Add salt to taste. Heat through and keep warm on low heat.
  • Boil the eggs to your desired doneness. Peel the eggs carefully and cut in half.
  • To serve: Ladle some mustard sauce into a shallow bowl or deep plate. Add to the sauce 3 potatoes and 4 egg halves. Sprinkle generously with fresh parsley, dill or chives.

Notes

Senfeier (Eggs in Mustard Sauce) is an easy and economical lunch from old East German times. Google often mis-translates Senfeier as "Mustard Party," which, although incorrect, is much more fun!
Keyword Europe, European, German

 

European Potato Soup

 

European Potato Soup

Anne-Kathrin Thiele - Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany)
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Course Soup
Cuisine European, German

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs potatoes
  • 1 1/4 lbs carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 1 parsnip
  • 1/4 celery root
  • 1/2 leek
  • 3 tbsp vegetable bouillon
  • Hotdogs

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a big pot and fry the onion pieces until they are glazed.
  • Cut the potatoes and all the other vegetables into cubes and fry for a bit.
  • Add enough water to cover everything as well as the bouillon dissolved in a few spoonfuls of hot water.
  • Let everything simmer over low heat until it's soft.
  • Blitz with a blender until everything is smooth and there are no more chunks.
  • Cut hotdogs into small pieces and add to the soup.
  • Serve with a sprinkling of fresh or dried parsley.
Keyword Europe, European, German

 

English Toad in the Hole

 

English Toad in the Hole

Valerie Kohler-Regel - Holy Word Lutheran Church, London, England
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Course Main Course
Cuisine English
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • Sunflower oil
  • 8 sausages large
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 large red onions sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2-3 tbsp butter
  • 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cube/tbsp vegetable stock
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • Salt
  • 3 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the milk, flour, and eggs together with a pinch of salt.
  • In a small baking pan, or bread tin, add a thin layer of oil (about 2 tbsp) and place in the middle shelf of your oven at about 475 F. Place something underneath to catch any oil that boils over.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the sausages. Cook until lightly golden.
  • Take the sausages out of the oven and add your batter mixture with the rosemary added in.
  • Carefully put the pan back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so. Remove from the oven when golden.
  • Fry your sliced onions and garlic in the butter for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add your balsamic vinegar and cook down to half.
  • Sprinkle in your vegetable stock powder and add some water. Simmer.
  • Serve your toad in the hole with gravy over the top. Add a side of mashed potatoes and your preferred vegetable.

Notes

Toad in the Hole is a traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, and best served in the winter for either lunch or dinner.
Keyword English, European

 

African Mabuyu

 

African Mabuyu

Kate Dowling, Missionary wife
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Course Drinks
Cuisine African
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 baobab pod
  • 1 pitcher of warm water
  • sugar to taste

Instructions
 

  • Hit the baobab pod with something very hard until it cracks open.
  • Remove the white chalky seeds from the pod and place seeds in a pitcher.
  • Pour warm water over the seeds and stir until the white coating has dissolved.
  • Use a sieve to remove the seeds.
  • Add sugar to taste and stir well.
  • Drink immediately or let sit for a few hours or overnight.
  • Serve warm or chilled.
Keyword african, zambia