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International Cuisine
Greek
Hot Olives
Heat a skillet and add 2 T Olive Oil.
Add 1 Bay Leaf
Add a pinch of Red
Pepper flakes (more to taste)
Add 1 t fennel seeds
Add 1 chopped clove garlic
Saute
this for 1 minute
Add 1/2 C of any type olives you'd like.
Add 1/2 can artichoke hearts
Add 1/2 of a roasted red pepper
Saute 1 minute
Squeeze in juice of 1/4 lemon
Remove
from heat and let cool a little. Remove bay leaf and serve with toasted pita bread
Feta Cheese Spread
Mash 1/2 C Feta cheese in a bowl
Add 1/4 C sour cream and mix
Add 1 clove minced garlic
Add 1/4 cup chopped nuts of your choice...we used pistachios
Add 2 t Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and a squeeze of 1/4 of a lemon
You can also drizzle on a little more olive oil
Mix it all well and serve with toasted pita bread
Caribbean
West Indies Raita (Vegetables in yogurt)
1 C plain yogurt
1 T finely chopped
scallions
1/2 small cucumber, sliced thin and quartered
1/2 C potatoes (sweet and/or
white) cubed and cooked
1/4 t cumin seed
1/4 t salt
1/4 t dried chili's chopped
4 or 5 fresh chopped mint leaves
black pepper and paprika to garnish
Mix yogurt,
cumin, salt, chili, and mint together. Add vegetable and mix gently. Serve this
over curried coconut rice or other curry dish.
Curried Coconut Rice
1 C rice, brown or white
1 cups water
1 C coconut milk
pinch of salt
2 t curry powder
1/2 sweet red pepper chopped
Cook in rice cooker or on stove top until all water is absorbed
Japan
Remember that Japanese cuisine is very visual. Make it pretty!!!
Baba Chirashi
Sushi (Zushi)
Rice:
2 1/3 c sushi rice
3 c water
1 inch piece of Kombu
Wash rice
in several changes of water until water runs clear. Cook in rice cooker or on stove
top until all water is absorbed. Don't open the lid too much during cooking time.
Dressing for rice:
3 T Rice Vinegar
2 1/2 T sugar
2 t salt
Simmer dressing ingredients
over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Now, put rice in large flat pan and fan
it as you run a flat spatula through the rice being careful not to break the grains.
Pour the dressing mixture over the rice a little at a time until the rice is cool.
Place the rice in serving bowls and top with any number of the following ingredients...
Matchstick sliced carrots
Matchstick sliced cucumbers
sliced scallions...Slice
length wise or in circles
avocado
cilantro leaves
shitake mushrooms...slice and
saute these in soy sauce and sesame oil
raw fresh Tuna, salmon, smoked salmon, cooked
shrimp
snow peas
Tempura crunch (fried tempura batter)
Top with toasted sesame seeds
and toasted crumbled Nori seaweed
Don't forget to serve with wasabi, pickled ginger
and soy sauce.
South America
Empanadas
Pre-heat Oven to 375 degrees
Ingredients:
2 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 t salt
1/2
c partially frozen butter
4 T ice water
1 egg
1 T vinegar
In a large bowl sift flour
and salt. Grate butter into flour and "fluff " until crumbly. In a small bowl beat
egg, ice water and vinegar. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix with a fork
until just incorporated. Knead 4 times on a mat. Form into a rectangle about 3/4 inch
thick, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick and cut
into circles with a glass about 2 1/2 inches around. Fill and pinch edges together
with water and a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Serve these
with hot sauce or a sweet chili sauce.
Black Bean Hummus
Ingredients:
16 oz (about 2 cups) black beans, cooked (if using canned, drain and rinse then
omit salt from recipe)
1 clove garlic-sliced
1 T tahini
3 T Olive Oil
1 t ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
Salt & pepper to taste
Process all ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Use this for a dip for
chips, as a sandwich or wrap spread or stuff into Empanadas.
Spain
Tapas
"The Little Dishes of Spain"
Tapas are like appetizers here in America.
In Spain eating Tapas is a social event!
Banderillas
"Tidbits" of food on fancy
skewers, served with or without dipping sauces. They are named after the colorful
darts used in the bullring. Banderillas are meant to be eaten in one bite, so put
your ingredients on accordingly.
Ideas for Banderillas:
Spanish Olives
pimientos
pickles (cornichons)
marinated onions
marinated mushrooms
pickled herring or anchovies
shrimp eggs
cherry tomatoes
cooked potatoes
use your imagination......!
Banderilla
Dressing "Picada"
3 T finely minced parsley
2 cloves garlic finely minced
3 T dill
or cornichon pickle finely minced
3 T olive oil
Process in mortar and pestle adding
the oil slowly to emulsify or use a small food processor in the same method. Dab
this on banderillas and eat them in one bite.
Good cookbook for Tapas recipes: Tapas:
The Little Dishes of Spain, By Penelope Casas
Build Your own Quesadillas! (Advanced Cooking)
A quesadilla, (K-sa-deee-ya), is a flour tortilla that is filled with
your choice of cooked and/or raw ingredients... then folded in half and brushed lightly
with oil. It's grilled in a frying pan till golden crisp on the outside and warm
on the inside. Quesadillas can be prepared from available ingredients for breakfast,
lunch, dinner or even dessert. It's up to you!
A few "filling ideas" for a quesadilla
dinner:
Refried beans- cooked black beans or pinto beans mashed with Mexican flavors
of cumin, coriander, oregano and chile powder. Made in a frying pan with just a
tad of oil. Smash, smash, smash!!
Roasted or mashed sweet Potatoes- these are really delicious!
Fresh Spinach
Roasted or raw sweet red peppers
Cooked corn
Caramelized onions
Scallions
Avocado slices
Any cooked or raw veggie or fruit that you like
Cooked chicken or beef
Shredded cheese- Monterey jack, cheddar, brie
Just about
anything you like to eat IN GOOD COMBINATION will work!
Fresh Smoky Salsa
1 - 28oz.
can organic fire roasted tomatoes (or plain diced), undrained
6 scallions, thinly
sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced very small
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1
lime (approx 2T.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine in bowl. It will keep well for
about 5 days
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