Category: International

Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)

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This is a vegetable that’s always available in Asian Markets and one of our favorites. It has a milder flavor than broccoli, and is much leafier. You could substitute spinach I think. Or you could use Broccoli rabe. Whatever you use – it’s a super quick side dish and so good. I served it tonight with Thai Fish and rice and it was a perfect plate. It does use sesame oil which is available in Asian Markets and adds a wonderful flavor.

1 bunch gai lan, washed
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp soy sauce (check label for gluten)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed.

Start a large pot of well-salted water to boil.

Add all other ingredients to a large frying pan. Stir well and heat on medium/low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the sauce is starting to get quite sticky and a little thick, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Lay Gai Lan on a cutting board, and cut it in 2″ strips, starting at the bottom of the stem. As soon as you have stem pieces cut, toss them in the boiling salted water. Continue cutting leave into 2 inch strips and add the leaves to the boiling water. Boil for just a couple of minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, or tongs, remove the Gai Lan from the boiling water, shaking as much water out as you can. (Some will remain.) Add to sauce and stir to distribute the sauce all over the Gai Lan. Serve immediately.

If you are making it with spinach, there is no need to boil the spinach, just add it to the pan as soon as the sauce begins to thicken. The moisture in the spinach will thin down the sauce and make it just perfect.

Here is a photograph of Gai-Lan:

Gai-Lan-Chinese-Broccoli

Asian Cabbage Slaw

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Simple and delicious – great for a picnic.  Great side with grilled chicken.

2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp oil
2 tsp sugar
pinch salt

Mix in a large bowl

3-4 cups cabbage, sliced thin
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 cup cilantro, chopped
4 scallions, cut into 2″ pieces, and slivered into “matchsticks”
1/2 jalapeno, split, deseeded and minced

Dump all veggies into the bowl and toss well.

Dobar Chicken with Port Wine and Gorgonzola

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This recipe is Slovenian I think. I originally thought it was from one of our family Christmas Eve dinners, but I can’t remember ever having Slovenia as the country. Wherever I found it, this chicken was delicious and very, very purple!

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into strips
olive oil
salt & pepper
Penne pasta

Slather chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper generously. Cook on a George Foreman grill. You could also just pan fry them. Meanwhile, cook a box of Penne pasta in salted water.

1 tsp butter
1 1/4 cups port wine
3/4 cup half and half
6 oz Gorgonzola cheese
1/8 tsp each Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp parsley

Melt butter in a sauce pan and add wine. Cook on medium heat until it’s reduced by half. Add half and half, cheese, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly for another 5 minutes or so.

In serving bowl, place cooked pasta, then strips of chicken and top with wine sauce, and garnish with parsley. You can also garnish it with grapes, halved and soaked in port wine.

Kir (Rice pudding)

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There are so many different ways of making Kir.  It can be very soupy, or quite thick.  It can be plain, or garnished with almonds, pistachios and raisins. I learned this recipe form my mother-in-law Shamim in Karachi, and it’s a great dish for large groups, because it makes a lot.  It is also called Phirni.

We took it most recently to an international dinner at my daughter Maya’s high school.  That was an amazing dinner –  her school is really diverse and the food was so good.   I also took some to a Unitarian Eid lunch one year. One of my friends who is Indian said it tasted just like her Grandmother’s recipe.

1 1/3 cup basmati rice, rinsed, dried and ground
8 green cardamoms, ground
2 Tbsp ground pistachios
Rose Essence (optional, but it gives a lovely floral scent) (1/2 tsp or to taste)
7 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar

Grind dry rice and cardamoms in a food processor or mortar and pestle. I use a coffee grinder we keep for spices that gets it really finely ground.

Add ground rice and cardamoms to a large pot and add 6 3/4 cup of the milk. Stir well, and cook over a medium/low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rest of the milk, pistachios, sugar and rosewater and cook 2 more minutes.

The kir should thicken up as it chills, but will still be quite soupy when warm. Pour into small bowls, (little unglazed clay bowls are traditional) and chill well. Before serving, garnish with more chopped pistachios, and if you want to give it the full monty; rose petals.

Note: Watch the heat carefully when you are cooking the milk. Don’t let it scorch!

Feijoada – a much simplified version of a classic Brazilian stew

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My extended family always gets together for a potluck on Christmas Eve. 20 years ago, we decided that it would be fun to choose a different country each time and have everyone try cooking recipes from that country. The year we chose Brazil was really outstanding and the first time I made Feijoada.  That was also the year of our fabled introduction to the national drink of Brazil, Caiparinha’s, which is another story altogether. This dish is a very simplified version, but we love it.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried thyme

Saute together for 10 minutes.

4 cans black beans, rinsed and drained or 1 lb. black beans, soaked and cooked the night before
1 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut into small bite-sized pieces
2 cups of chicken broth
2 chipotle peppers, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves.

Add all to onions, and cook on low heat for 25 minutes.

Serve on white rice, garnished with diced fresh parsley

 

Sriracha Glazed Salmon (or Chicken)

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Just made this last night for dinner with  friends.  It was easy and delicious -plus you just let it marinate until it’s ready to cook.  So you can hang out with your friends instead of messing around in the kitchen.  What more can you ask?

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp vinegar (I used cider vinegar.)
1 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce (use less if you don’t like it too spicy)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated, or 1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp Sesame Oil  (Check the Asian section of the grocery store.)

2 large Salmon fillets

Mix glaze ingredients and pour into a large baking dish (I used a big rectangular pyrex dish, but you can also use a big, flat baking pan.)

Rinse fish, and shake off as much water as possible. Lay the fish skin side up in the glaze, so the actual fish meat is in the glaze. Lift it up from both sides to be sure it’s all in contact with the glaze. Let marinate at least 20 minutes.

Flip the fillets back over (skin side down now) and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until the fish just flakes with a fork.  This is also a great fish for grilling.

Remove from pan and drizzle glaze from the pan over the fish with a spoon.

The glaze is also good on chicken. I served this last night with Brown Butter Potatoes, and a spinach and strawberry salad. Love it when the plate is so full of color!

Goa Shrimp Curry

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Made this on Christmas Day, 2006, with basmati rice. It makes a pretty spicy curry, so if you’re not sure, halve the dry spices.  You can always add them back later if you want to. Just cook them for a couple more minutes if you do.

This recipe is cooked in a process adding ingredients every couple of minutes. I wrote it in sequence to help keep it easier to follow, and you may want to keep the additions sorted into little bowls so you can just add them as you need them.

1 lb. cooked, peeled shrimp
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vinegar

Mix in a bowl.

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, very thinly sliced

Saute onions until very soft and lightly brown.

1 tbsp garlic puree
2 tsp ginger puree

Add to onions, and saute a couple of minutes.

1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (add less if you don’t like it too spicy.)

Add to frying pan and saute a minute or two.

1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Add to frying pan and saute for a minute.

1  14-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 can coconut milk
1 cup water

Add shrimp, tomatoes, coconut milk and water to pan and cook five minutes.

1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 tsp chopped cilantro

Add to pan and cook 2 minutes.  Serve over hot rice.

Erum’s Spicy Baked Mince Squares

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This recipe comes from Kumy’s sister Erum and it’s both easy and delish.  Thanks, Emum!

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
2 jalapenos, ground (use less if you don’t want it too spicy.  1/2 pepper is fine.)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger puree
1 tsp garlic puree
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (This makes it really spicy so add just a pinch if you don’t want it spicy!)
1 onion, thinly sliced and fried in oil until it’s nice and brown

Garnish:
2 jalapeno peppers (use less if you don’t want it too spicy)
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
lemon juice

Mix all and spread in a baking dish about 1/2″ thick. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then reduce to 300 and bake another 20 – 30 mninutes.

Remove from the oven and garnish with jalapenos, cilantro and lemon juice.  Slice into squares and serve with hot naan or pita bread.

St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church’s Chicken Gyros

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I found this recipe on the internet once and noted it down, which is good because I couldn’t find it when I went to look for it again.   Also a great summer recipe when cucumbers and tomatoes are in the garden.

1 recipe Tatziki sauce (below)
1/2 lb. chicken meat, cut into thin slices
Greek seasoning mix (available in most grocery stores)
olive oil
pita bread
1/4 onion, sliced very thinly (slivered)
1/2 tomato, sliced very thinly

Sprinkle greek seasoning mix over chicken and saute chicken in a frying pan until cooked through.

Spread some olive oil on the pita bread and warm them in the oven for a couple of minutes. Cut them in half, and stuff with the chicken, onions and tomatoes.

Pour Tatziki sauce over and serve more on the table.

Tatziki sauce:

1 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
2 peeled & diced cucumbers
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all and check seasonings. Add salt to taste.

Moroccan Squash & Chicken Tagine

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A tagine is a stew that’s cooked in a ceramic dish with a conical lid that sits on top of it, but you can also just cook it in a dutch oven. The original recipe called for a cup of golden raisins and 3 Tbsp honey, but I found it too sweet, so I’ve cut them both in half.  This recipe makes a nice, large batch.

Moroccan Spice Mix:
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper

Blend and set aside.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, cut in wedges
6 cloves of garlic, halved
5-6 saffron threads
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. of butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″ cubes
1 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Rub 1 Tbsp spice mix on chicken. Heat oil in a dutch oven and saute chicken for 6-8 minutes. Remove and add a little more oil, than add onions, garlic and saffron. Cook 2 minutes and add squash. Add 2 tsp more of spice mix. Add chicken back in, and add broth and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer one hour, stirring very gently once in a while.

Add raisins and cook 10-20 more minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley just before serving with Couscous, or whole wheat flour tortillas warmed in the oven.