Tag Archive for: Taste and See

Bulgarian Tomato Salad (Shopska Salata)

 

Bulgarian Tomato Salad (Shopska Salata)

Liliana and Chrissy Roebke
Shopska Salata is a salad that originated in the Shopluk region of Bulgaria. It is said to have been invented in the 1960s as part of a tourist promotion by the socialist party to highlight local ingredients.
Today, it is common among the Balkan countries of Serbia, Macedonia, and others and has been proclaimed as a national dish of Bulgaria.
There are slight variations from family to family, but the basic ingredients for this refreshing salad, served year-round, are the same―tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onion, red wine vinaigrette, and feta cheese which is known as sirene cheese in Bulgaria.
Since olive trees are not as plentiful ​in Bulgaria as they are elsewhere, sunflower oil is used in most cooking and salad dressings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Servings 6
Calories 253 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tomatoes chopped
  • 1 large cucumber unpeeled and chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/2 cup sunflower oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup bulgarian sirene cheese or feta crumbled
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, place tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion and parsley, and toss.
  • Place oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste in a screw-top jar. Cover and shake until well blended.
  • Toss dressing with vegetables, turn into a serving bowl, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Top with crumbled cheese and portion on chilled plates. Serve with hearty bread and a glass of rakia.

Video

Keyword bulgarian, cucumbers, salad

 

Chicken Riggies – Watertown, NY

 

Chicken Riggies

Rev. Aaron Goetzinger - Home Missionary at Redemption in Watertown, NY
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Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for browning chicken
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced (1-1.5 cups)
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup green pepper diced toasted
  • 1/2 cup roasted red pepper - either fresh or jarred
  • 1/2 cup hot cherry peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 28 oz can of whole tomatoes - in puree (not water)
  • 1 lb uncooked rigatoni
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup parmesan  cheese, grated (50 g)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 tbsp fresh Basil, 1/2 for the dish and 1/2 for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a skillet over medium high heat brown the chicken in batches. You are looking for browning on each side. Adjust heat so that the flavor developing in the bottom of the pan (fond) doesn’t burn. When chicken is brown transfer to a bowl
  • Add onions to the skillet you browned the chicken in. Add a pinch of salt. If you didn’t adjust the heat while browning chicken you may need to do so now, so the crispy flavor bits (fond) don’t burn. Let the onion sit for a minute and then add a dash of wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. You made need to continue to add dashes of wine, up to half a cup, throughout the process. Let the onions sweat without burning or caramelizing. Once the onions are cooked through add the garlic. Stir the garlic in and let cook for 1-2 minutes, making sure the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn.
  • Pour in the remainder of the wine and let reduce to about a 1/4 cup. 
  • Once the wine is finished reducing add in the green pepper. Give it a stir and let it nearly cook through. Once the green pepper is nearly cooked through add in the roasted red pepper and hot cherry peppers. Stir in and let sit for a few minutes to let flavor develop.
  • Add in the can of whole tomatoes. You can break up the tomatoes with your hands or with a potato masher. Pour in any excess puree. Give it a stir. If you haven’t turn your heat down to low or med low and let the sauce simmer. 
  • While the sauce simmers start your water boiling for the pasta. Salt the water generously so that it tastes like the sea. Once the water is at a boil, dump in the rigatoni and cook until al dente. Just before the pasta is cooked add a half cup of pasta water to your sauce and stir in. Remove pasta from heat and transfer to a colander. 
  • As the pasta drains and dries out a bit, individually add the butter, cream, and parmesan to the sauce allowing each new ingredient to incorporate before adding the next. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.
  • Return your cooked rigatoni to the pot. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce. Give a stir. Then pour the sauce into the pot with the rigatoni. 
  • Give the rigatoni a stir. Add in 2 tbs of the fresh basil. Then gently stir the sauce until the rigatoni is well coated. Serve with parm and a little extra fresh basil.

Video

Keyword american, italian, new york

 

Cauliflower Pie – Toronto, ON, Canada

 

Cauliflower Pie

Carol David
Learn how to make Cauliflower Pie from Carol David, member and youth leader at Hope Lutheran Church in Toronto, ON, Canada
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Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Canadian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 4 potatoes
  • grated cheese (any kind you wish)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp roasted garlic
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup 2% milk
  • 2 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Chop up cauliflower and four potatoes. Boil on stove top until potatoes and cauliflower are tender (about 20 minutes). 
  • Drain cauliflower and potatoes. 
  • Mix grated cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, butter, milk, and eggs.  
  • Fold potatoes and cauliflower into the cheese and milk mix. 
  • Place in casserole dish and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Video

Keyword cauliflower, main course

 

Nsima with pumpkin leaves, tomato, and ground nuts – Zambia, Africa

 

Nsima with pumpkin leaves, tomato, and ground nuts

Kathy Felgenhauer and Perseverance Kalyobwa
This recipe is verbally and visually handed down from woman to woman in the African culture.  It is difficult to put into written word.  Best results will be to first witness and then practice.  However, it is delicious.  Nsima is eaten every day with the relish (vegetables and sometimes meat) varied.  Enjoy! 
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Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine African

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large handfuls of young, green pumpkin leaves (directly from pumpkin patch)
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups ground peanuts
  • 4-8 cups ground maize white corn flour as found in an African market
  • salt
  • water

Instructions
 

  • Wash pumpkin leaves in a sink full of water and proceed to de-vein by grabbing hold of tiny strings and pulling them off – this makes the leaves easier to eat.
  • Chop tomatoes into small pieces 
  • Place ¼ to ½ cup water in large pot and salt the water. Then put pumpkin leaves on top of the water and steam on the stove at a medium temperature. Put the lid on the pot. 
  • Once the leaves begin to steam – add the chopped tomatoes on top of the leaves and then add the groundnuts on top of the tomatoes.  Replace the lid and continue to steam on medium/low heat.  
  • As liquid reduces, stir the vegetable/nut mixture and continue cooking until it has more of a creamy consistency with most liquid reduced.
  • Now add ½ up water to bottom of another large pot. Salt the water.  Add 2-4 cups ground maize and stir.  Place on medium/low heat and cook until it begins to boil. 
  • As it starts to bubble, add hot water and more cups of ground maize until the desired amount.  Continue to let it cook  - stir occasionally in an upward motion until it has a thickness of mashed potatoes – quite stiff.  
  • Serve large spoonful of nsima onto a plate.  Add a desired amount of vegetable relish on the plate.  Eat with fingers – enjoy! 

Video

Keyword african

 

Carlota de Limón – Latin America

 

Carlota de Limón

Cindy Johnston
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Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 large package of Maria cookies graham crackers can work if you cannot find Maria cookies.
  • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice juice from about 5 limes
  • 1 small package of plain gelatin

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients except the cookies. 
  • Pour part of blender mix in bottom of baking dish (any size, any shape) 
  • Place Maria cookies on top of blender mix 
  • Alternate layers of blender mix and Maria cookies until one runs out or pan is full. 
  • Top layer should be the blender mixture 
  • Garnish with fruit or lime rinds 

Video

Keyword dessert, lemon, mexican

 

Russian Hunter’s Salad

 

Russian Hunter's Salad

Jennifer Wolfgramm
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Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Russian

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 lb. beef
  • 3/4 lb. fresh mushrooms
  • 3/4 lb. cucumbers
  • oil for frying
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • pine nuts toasted

Instructions
 

  • Wash and coarsely grate the cucumbers. Salt the cucumbers and let them sit for 15 minutes to release juices. 
  • Cut the beef into thin, bite-sized pieces and pound. Sauté the beef in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. 
  • Sauté the mushrooms in oil and set aside. 
  • Squeeze the cucumbers dry. 
  • Combine the cucumbers, beef and mushrooms in a bowl. Add 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil as a dressing. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Place the salad into a pretty serving bowl. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts just before serving

Video

 

Nsima with bonongwe and peanut flour relish – Malawi, Africa

 

Nsima with bonongwe and peanut flour relish

Mindy Holtz, Gloria Chimaliro
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Course Main Course
Cuisine African

Ingredients
  

  • 4-5 cups bonongwe leaves (or spinach, kale, etc.) chopped
  • 1 medium tomato chopped
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 cup peanut flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup water

Instructions
 

  • Bring water and salt to a boil in a pot.
  • Add the chopped leaves and simmer, covered, for 3-5 minutes.
  • Addonion, tomato and peanut flour. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
  • Serve with nsima or rice (see Nsima with pumpkin leaves, tomato, and ground nuts for nsima recipe)

Video

Keyword african

 

Creamy Boneless Chicken Handi – Pakistan

 

Creamy Boneless Chicken Handi

Aneela Jordan
This dish is made in a round clay pot called handi which gives it even a better taste than this.  It is made occasionally for special guests.   
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 2 large roma tomatoes
  • 1-2 green chilies
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp freshly ground coriander powder
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 small heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 stick butter

Instructions
 

  • Cut the chicken breasts into 1 or 2 inch cubes. 
  • Also chop onion  tomatoes ,cilantro, green chilies and keep them separately. 
  • Take a wok or a pot and heat 1/2 cup (or less oil if you want to add butter) on medium flame. 
  • When the oil is hot add onions and till light golden brown. You will smell a nice aroma of the onions.
  •  Add minced garlic and fry for another minute.  
  • Add chicken, turn the heat to high and keep frying for 8-10 minutes till the meat cubes change the color and become light golden red. Add butter .
  • Add salt, red chilies, ginger, cumin, coriander black pepper and tomatoes fry for 5 minutes till the tomatoes mix up and form a nice gravy.
  • Add finely chopped green chilies and cream. Cover with the lid and let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes over medium to low heat while keeping watch that it does not burn. To avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot keep stirring often.  
  • Add cut up mozzarella cheese cubes and cilantro on the top of the chicken and let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. 
  • Very tasty creamy boneless chicken handi is ready. Serve it with boiled long grain basmati rice or Nan bread.

Video

Keyword chicken, handi, pakstani

 

Cacio e Pepe – New York City

 

Cacio e Pepe

Alfredo Ravelo
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 100 grams pasta

Instructions
 

  • Bring pot of water to boil. Be sure to add salt to the water.
  • Add pasta and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes.
  • While pasta is cooking, add black pepper to frying pan over medium/high heat and toast until there is a strong pepper smell.
  • Add butter to the pan with pepper. Melt butter.
  • Add a spoonful of pasta water to the butter and pepper. Mix in pan.
  • Add pasta to the pan with the sauce and mix together.
  • Add one or two more spoonfuls of pasta water to the pasta.
  • Add the parmesan cheese and mix until cheese is melted
  • Serve on a warm plate and garnish with fresh pepper and parmesan cheese.

Video

Keyword italian, pasta

 

Indian Tacos – Apache mission field

 

Indian Tacos

LizaTina Stanley and Carlotta Stanley, members at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Bylas, AZ
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Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • warm tap water
  • 2 lbs pinto beans
  • 3 medium tomatoes
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1/2 head iceburg lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded cheese

Instructions
 

  • In the morning: rinse beans, put in pot, cover with water and soak 2-3 hours
  • In the early afternoon, bring beans and water to a boil, simmer for another 1.5-2 hours. Drain. Smash.
  • Dice tomatoes and onion
  • Shred lettuce and cheese
  • Make dough by sprinkling salt and baking powder on flour. Mix with hands.
  • Add warm water, mixing with hand til dough is formed.
  • Roll dough into balls, setting into a pan, cover with a dry towel. (Some make dough balls the size of a large onion)
  • Let set for 5 minutes.
  • Heat oil, flatten dough ball, fry till golden on both sides.
  • Assemble taco, fold and enjoy!

Video

Keyword apache, native american, tacos