Albanian Meatballs

 

Albanian Meatballs

Pavlina Bishka - National Pastor's Wife in Albania
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Course Appetizer
Cuisine Albanian
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 slice of bread soaked in milk or water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt
  • black and red pepper
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • fresh parsley
  • oregano

Instructions
 

  • Finely process the onion, garlic, and fresh parsley.
  • Mix all ingredients together.
  • Form small balls, about 2 inches in diameter.
  • Roll meatballs in a little flour.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

Notes

You can stick a toothpick in each meatball for easy serving. Be careful not to bake them too long or they might become dry. 

 

Cajun Jambalaya

 

Cajun Jambalaya

Missionary Andrew Scrimpf - Cross of Glory, Baton Rouge, La.
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Cajun
Servings 3

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 2 medium onions chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery chopped
  • 1 lb smoked sausage or andouille sausage sliced
  • 1 lb shrimp or cubed chicken
  • 3 cups water or stock
  • 1 lb mushrooms sliced
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

Instructions
 

  • In a large iron pot, melt butter and saute onions, garlic, bell pepper, and celery until transparent.
  • Add sausage and cook until brown.
  • Add shrimp/chicken and cook until done.
  • Add water, rice, and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
  • Lower to simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 25 minutes.
  • Serve with French bread and salad.

 

Ecuadorian Llapingachos

 

Ecuadorian Llapingachos (Fried potato Pancakes)

Carla Vivar - Missionary Wife
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Course Side Dish
Cuisine Ecuadorian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs potatoes peeled
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 green onion chopped finely
  • 2 tbsps parsley minced
  • 1 cup queso fresco cheese crumbled
  • oil for light frying
  • 1/2 head lettuce washed and drained

Instructions
 

  • Quarter potatoes and boil in salted water until the outsides begin to crumble, about 25 minutes.  
  • Drain and mash until smooth.
  • Mix onion and parsley with crumbled cheese.
  • Grab a handful of mashed potato and form into a bowl in your palm.
  • Place a tablespoon of cheese mixture into a bowl. Seal the potato around the cheese forming a pancake about 1 inch thick and 3 inches wide. Repeat with remaining potatoes.
  • Fry each side until brown and crispy in a lightly oiled skillet.
  • Shred lettuce. Serve two llapaingachos on shredded lettuce with peanut sauce.

Notes

Typically accompanied by a fried egg and rice.

 

Nepalese Chicken Momos

 

Nepalese Chicken Momos

Cathy Duncan - World Missionary Wife
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Nepalese
Servings 15 pieces

Ingredients
  

For Filling

  • 200 grams ground chicken
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 sprigs spring onion chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp momo marsala
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1 tsp soy sauce

For Dough

  • 1 cup plain flour
  • water as needed

Instructions
 

For Filling

  • Mix the ground chicken in a bowl with spices and mix well to combine.

For Dough

  • Mix flour and water to form a firm and soft dough. Set aside to rest.

For Assembly

  • Take the rested dough and roll into small balls and flatten it with a rolling pin to create a small a thin, flat and round shape. Take a small portion of meat mixture and put it in the center of the dough. Wrap it over making sure you conceal the dough so no meat mixture shows. Repeat.
  • Boil water in a momo steamer, once the water boils, grease the steamer and place momo's at the top shelf making sure they do not touch. Steam for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

This is a favorite dish of many people in Asia. We especially enjoyed them in Nepal. I actually went to a class and learned how to make them with my granddaughters.

 

Russian Cabbage Salad

 

Russian Cabbage Salad

Jennifer Wolfgramm - Missionary Luke Wolfgramm's Wife
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Course Salad
Cuisine Russian
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb green cabbage thinly sliced
  • 2-3 carrots coarsely grated
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 small cucumber sliced into circles and then into thin sticks
  • oil Russians usually use sunflower oil
  • fresh dill

Instructions
 

  • Mix the cabbage, carrots, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Squeeze and stir the mixture with your hands to help the cabbage release some juice.
  • Add the vinegar, cucumber, oil, and lots of fresh dill.
  • Add more salt or vinegar to taste.

Notes

This cabbage salad is the most common salad in classic Russian cuisine. It's name in Russian is literally "Vitamin Salad." I've given you the base recipe, after this you are only limited by your imagination! Here are some common variations:
Variation 1. Omit the cucumber. Add in finely chopped sweet red pepper and finely chopped sweet red (or sweet yellow) onion.
Variation 2. Omit the cucumber. Add in apple and sweet onion, thinly sliced into "sticks."
Variation 3. Omit the carrot. Increase the amount of cucumber and other greens (green onion, dill, parsley). I like this salad with the pretty shades of green.
Variation 4. Omit the cucumber.
This is a fresh, healthy salad that is an excellent replacement for coleslaw in your summer menus. It makes a nice side dish with pork, beef, or other heavier main dishes.

 

Albanian Byrek

 

Albanian Byrek

Pavlina Bishka - National Pastor's Wife in Albania
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Course Dessert
Cuisine Albanian
Servings 20

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 lb baked peta
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup butter melted; scant
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 3 cups milk

Instructions
 

  • Mix together the eggs, salt, yoghurt and milk.
  • Grease a large baking pan (traditionally byrek is baked in large, round, metal pans).
  • Begin layering: cover the pan with peta, then the milk mixture, then drizzle butter/oil on
  • Keep layering (peta, milk, butter) until you run out of ingredients.
  • The top should be melted butter/oil.
  • Bake for 40 minutes at 375 F.
  • Remove from the oven. Cover the byrek with a wet dish towel. Let sit until cool.
  • Remove the towel. Place a large pan upside down over the byrek pan. Flip over the byrek so that it comes out upside down onto the other pan. This will ensure that the top of your byrek is soft and not crunchy.
  • Cut the byrek into small squares or diamonds and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Byrek is a delicious pie very common in Albania and other Balkan countries. "Peta" is not the same as "pita." Peta is a dry, baked, very thin, tortilla-like dough. It soaks up a lot of moisture in this byrek recipe. If you can't get baked peta, and you don't want to make your own (it is a very time-consuming process!), you can use phyllo dough. However, then you must cut down on the milk/egg mixture significantly because the phyllo does not absorb nearly as much liquid as the peta does.

 

Ecuadorian Humitas

 

Ecuadorian Humitas (Ew-me-tas)

Carla Vivar - Missionary Wife
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Course Appetizer
Cuisine Ecuadorian
Servings 10 humitas

Ingredients
  

  • 10-30 fresh corn husks if husks are not very wide, put two together
  • 4 cups fresh corn kernels if using sweet corn, add milk sparingly
  • 2 eggs
  • 1-2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter melted
  • 1/2 lb queso fresco cheese well crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Cut each husk from the base of the corn. Carefully peel off. Trim off the top edge. Fold by tucking one side into the other. Tear long pieces of extra husks to tie around "cups". Stick your finger in to open the "cup" for filling. Blend half the corn, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup milk until very smooth. Pour into a bowl. Blend the remaining corn, egg, and another 1/2 cup of milk. Mix with batter in the bowl. Stir in more milk to make a batter that is pourable, similar to pancake batter. Stir in salt and sugar. Mix in butter and cheese. Heat the Humita cooker.*
    *lay the corn cobs in the bottom of a large lidded pot to form a shelf. Just cover the cobs with water and set to boil. Place the filled husks directly on top of the cobs. This works well and smells great.
  • Transfer the batter into a pitcher. Pour batter into folded husks. Place each humita upright in a flat-bottomed container ignoring any liquid that seeps out. Repeat using all the batter. Place humitas upright into the cooker.* Cover and steam for 30 to 45 minutes. Periodically Check the water level so you don't burn the pan. The humitas are done when they are solidified. These taste best served hot.
    *a vegetable steamer also works well as a humita cooker

Notes

Commonly served as an appetizer throughout the country of Ecuador.

 

Finnish Carrot Bake

 

Finnish Carrot Bake

Johanna Adriansson - National Pastor's Wife in Sweden - Europe mission team
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Course Side Dish
Cuisine Finnish

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs carrots
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, sour cream, or creme fraiche
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp ground anise
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup butter melted; scant

For Topping

  • fine dry breadcrumbs
  • butter

Instructions
 

  • Peel carrots and boil until soft.
  • Finely puree or mash the carrots.
  • Mix in the other ingredients except for the topping ingredients.
  • Pour the carrot mixture into a greased casserole dish.
  • Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.
  • Add several pats of butter to the top.
  • Make optional patterns on the surface with a fork.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for about 60 minutes.

Notes

This is a traditional Finnish dish for a Christmas buffet, but it is easy and tasty to make at other times as well. It goes well with ham, meatballs, sausages, or ribs. 

 

Swedish Chocolate Balls

 

Swedish Chocolate Balls

Johanna Adriansson - National Pastor's Wife in Sweden
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Course Dessert
Cuisine European, swedish
Servings 20

Ingredients
  

  • 1 3/4 cup quick oats
  • 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp cold, strong coffee
  • coconut or granulated sugar to coat each ball

Instructions
 

  • Mix butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Mix in the other ingredients.
  • Form small balls.
  • Roll the balls in oats, coconut, or granulated sugar.
  • Place the balls in the fridge to harden.

Notes

"Fika" is coffee time, which includes not just a cup of delicious, strong coffee, but cookies, cakes, and more. This is a favorite Swedish sweet to have at Fika.

 

Apache Frybread

 

Apache Frybread

Katie Rautenberg - Native American mission team
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Course side
Cuisine Apache
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • oil, shortening, or lard
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • warm water

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add water, little by little, as you knead the dry ingredients into a dough ball.
    When dough is smooth and elastic, separate the dough into about 6 balls (depending on the size frybreads you want).
    Put the balls into baking pan to rest and soften. Cover the dough ball pan with a clean dish towel to keep the dough moist.
  • Pour/place the oil, shortening or lard into a heavy pan--cast iron if available. Heat the one inch of oil on the stovetop until very hot and fumes are visible. You can test the oil by placing a bit of dough in the oil. If it browns (but doesn't burn) quickly, then it's ready.
    When the oil is hot, roll a dough ball out with a rolling pin into a flat circle as thick as the dough for a pie crust. Gently place the round, flat dough into the hot oil.
    Using a 2-pronged fork, lift the bread after 20 seconds to see if it's brown and ready to flip.
    When ready, carefully flip with the 2-pronged fork. Remove from oil and place on a plate covered with a paper towel.
    Place a new paper towel on top of the finished fry bread to prepare for the second piece.
    Alternate the frybread/paper towel layers until the last frybread is on top of your stack.
  • Serve frybread immediately with cooked pinto beans for a meal or honey or powdered sugar as a dessert.

Notes

I have never seen an Apache make fry bread using a recipe. As I've seen, it is always done by feel and sight. After 14 years in the White Mountains, a dear friend was finally able to give me the ingredients using cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons. Thank you, Joni! I added the other steps for nonnatives. Natives don't use a rolling pin.
Keyword apache, Frybread