Mozambique: Grilled Piri Piri Shrimp

Ingredients (4) :

Piri-Piri:

• 1 red onion peeled and roughly chopped

• 0.5 head of garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped

• 10 African bird's eye chillies stems removed

• 1 red bell peppers seeds removed and roughly chopped

• 1 ripe tomatoes skins removed and roughly chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• juice and zest of 1 lemons

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 0.5 tbsp salt

• 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper

• 1 bay leaves

• 0.5 tbsp dried oregano

• 0.5 tbsp smoked paprika

Shrimp:

• 450g, frozen large shrimp , thawed, peeled, tails still on

• skewers

How to:

Piri-piri:

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor/blender and mix until all the ingredients are finely chopped and the mixture is quite saucy.

Transfer to a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent the sauce from burning.

After 20 minutes, check the seasoning and adjust. The sauce should be well balanced with a good kick of spice and sourness from the lemon and vinegar.

Pour into jars/bottles and keep in the refrigerator.

Shrimp:

Pat shrimp dry and place in a medium bowl. Add 2 tbsp piri piri sauce and mix. Refrigerate to marinate at least 30 min.

Preheat barbecue to medium-high. 

Put the shrimp on skewers and grill until they turn pink. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Armenia: Gata

ingredients (20):

Dough:

• 250 g flour

• 125 g unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes

• 225 g full-fat sour cream

• 0.5 tsp baking soda

• 0.5 tsp baking powder

Filling: 

• 90 g flour

• 85 g unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes

• 150 g sugar

• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Finish: 

• 1 egg, beaten

How to:

Dough:

The dough needs to be made the day or night before you assemble and bake your gata. Start by adding the baking soda and baking powder to the sour cream and mix it until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Add the flour and the butter to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture several times until it looks sandy.

Add the sour cream mixture and mix until it comes together into a doughy mass. Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface. (Do not knead it, but make sure it’s all incorporated.).

Cut the dough into two equal parts. One at a time, on a lightly floured surface, use your hands to press each dough piece flat, about 1cm thick, then fold it into thirds like a letter, turn 45 degrees and fold again into thirds to yield a perfect square. Use your hands to straighten the edges and make sure the corners are relatively sharp. Wrap in plastic and place in an air-tight container and refrigerate overnight.

Filling :

The next day, Add the flour and butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse the mixture several times until it looks sandy. Add the sugar and vanilla and quickly pulse just a few more times to combine, but not enough to form a dough. Pour this crumbly filling into a wide, flat bowl and use a large spoon to divide it into two. Set aside.

Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Remove the cold dough squares from the refrigerator and put them on a  lightly floured work surface. Gently roll out one of the dough squares into a rectangle about 2mm thick (about 30cm* 38cm rectangle). Do your best to create straight edges and corners for your rectangle, and an even thickness, dusting with minimal flour. Arrange the rectangle so the longest edge is facing you with the shorter edges on either side.

Add half of the filling to the rectangle and use your hands to spread it over the surface, leaving about a 2 cm border at the furthest edge clear of filling, but otherwise spreading the filling from edge to edge. Use the palms of your hands to firmly press the filling into the dough. (This will make it easier to roll without the filling falling out too much).

Beginning with the edge closest to you, start rolling the dough tightly. When finished rolling, gently press the top of the roll to help seal.

Carefully move your roll to a clean piece of parchment or wax paper on your work surface. Use your rolling pin to gently flatten the roll starting at the center and moving outward, and then again starting at the center and moving outward in the opposite direction. You are not rolling it out, but just using the natural momentum of the rolling pin to flatten it.

Brush the top and sides of the roll with the beaten egg. Cut the dough into 3cm slices. Very gently use a small spatula or your dough scraper to remove each piece to the prepared pans. 

Repeat the process with the remaining dough square.

Finishing:

Bake the gata on the middle rack for about 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are dark golden brown, and the dough on the sides is no longer pasty looking, and appears to be cooked through (it may even start to look slightly golden). 

Cool the gata completely before removing from the baking sheets. To store, place them either on a large baking sheet, pan, or serving dish, but cover with a large tea towel as opposed to foil or plastic wrap, which will cause the gata to soften.

Iran: Khoresh Fesenjan

Ingredients (4 servings):

Chicken:

• 1.5 large yellow onion sliced thin

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 

• 1 kg chicken drumsticks or thighs

• 225 g walnuts

• 0.5 dl cold water

• 2 dl pomegranate concentrate

• 0.25 tsp salt

• 0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Pomegranate seeds for garnish

How to:

Chicken:

Add walnuts to a food processor and process until it turns to a tan-colored paste.

With the food processor running add 0.5 dl cold water through the feed chute. Continue processing until the paste becomes uniformly beige in color.

Fry the sliced onions in the vegetable oil in a large pot until golden brown. Remove from the pot. Add chicken to the same pot and top it with the fried onions. Spoon the walnut paste evenly over the fried onions. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Drizzle the pomegranate concentrate over all the ingredients.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. 

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes,or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is fork tender and falls off the bone. 

Stir every 15 minutes or so to make sure the sauce does not stick to the pot. Transfer the Fesenjan to a serving dish and sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top as garnish.

Serve over rice.

**This recipe is from: https://persianmama.com/chicken-in-walnut-pomegranate-sauce-khoresht-fesenjan/

Collectivity of Saint Martin: Callaloo Soup

ingredients (6 servings):

Soup:

• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

• 2.5 dl of pumpkin chopped 

• 1 green onion

• 1 onion chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic chopped

• 2.5 dl of green lentils (I make sure to either soak them overnight or I will pre-boil them so they don’t take long to cook or you could also used canned)

• 150g spinach

• 2 tomatoes chopped

• 1 can of coconut milk

• 1l of chicken broth

• 150g fatty pork cubes

• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme

• 1/4 tsp of crushed coriander

• 1/4 tsp of allspice

• Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

In a large soup pot heat up oil to medium and fry up the prok until crisp, then add you chives, onion and garlic and sauté for a minute or two

Add in your pumpkin, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and coriander, thyme and the allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for another minute and then add broth or water and lentils and let simmer for 10 minutes or so until the veggies start to soften

Once that happens add in the spinach and coconut milk and let everything simmer for another 20 minutes or until all the veggies are soft and lentils are cooked though. Add more broth or water as needed.

Take soup off the heat and carefully blend the soup using an immersion blender.

Hong Kong: Red Bean Ice

Ingredients:

Red Bean Ice:

• 150 g red beans

• 75 g sugar 

• 4 dl water

• Evaporated milk (NOT sweet condensed!!)

• ice

How to:

Rinse the red beans, then let them soak overnight in plenty of water.

The next day, rinse the beans again and add them to a medium pot. Add the water and bring to boil, then on medium/low heat simmer with lid on for 30 minutes. Add sugar and cook for another 15-30 minutes. You want the beans to still hold their shapes but be easy to squish. 

Let it cool and refrigerate it.

Once it is cooled, fill your serving glass  ⅓  with the beans. Fill the rest of the glass with ice. Pour water over it until there is only 2 cm left, then add evaporated milk. Serve with straw and spoon! :)

Yuzu Lady

Ingredients ( 1 serving):

Yuzu Lady:

• 3cl Organic summer spirit, (Spirit of Hven)

• 2cl Gin (Nordés)*

• 3cl fresh lemon juice

• 3cl Simple syrup

• 3 dashes Rabarber Bitters, (Fee Brothers)**

• 1,5 Barspoon Yuzupuree

• slice of dried yuzu or lemon

  *You can use any type of gin, but Nordéns has a nice floral taste that is perfect for this drink!

  **I used 3 dashes of angostura bitters instead

How to:

Add ice to a shaker and add all the ingredients. Shake until ice cold.  Pour into a sours glass and garnish with a slice of yuzu or lemon.

A bartender at one of my favorite bars in Gothenburg created this drink.

(John Söderberg, Steampunk bar in Gothenburg.)

http://www.aretsbartender.nu/drinkar/

Grapefruit Salad

ingredients (4 servings):

Salad:

• 4 small handful of spinach & arugula

• 4 tbsp walnuts, chopped

• 2 avocados

• 2 grapefruits

• 4 tbsp green part of green onion

• 60g feta cheese, crumbled

How to:

Add a small handful of arugula and spinach to each plate. Peel the grapefruits and slice them, then add them to the plates. Slice the avocados into very thin slices and carefully arrange them into 4 circles. Add the walnuts and crumbled feta cheese and serve.

Orange Chicken

Ingredients (4 servings):

Chicken:

• 800g chicken

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 0.5 tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp oil

Sauce:

• 1.5 dl orange juice

• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1 tbsp chinese soy sauce

• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 0.5 tsp ginger powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder 

• 1 tsp black pepper

Topping:

• sesame seeds

• green onions

• slice of orange

How to:

Chicken:

Cut the chicken into pieces. Heat up about 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, onion powder, black pepper and lastly paprika. Cook until done.

Sauce:

In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Heat it up and whisk constantly until it thickens up. Pour the mixture over the chicken and cook everything for 2 more minutes.

Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

Lemon Mirror Glaze Cake

ingredients (10 ):

Cake:

• 3 dl flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 0.5 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 dl melted butter -ge i gram!

• 3 dl sugar

• 3 eggs

• 0.5 dl of sour cream

• Zest and juice 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

• 1 dl lemoncurd

Buttercream:

• 2 dl unsalted butter room temperature

• 200 g cream cheese room temperature

• 9dl confectioner's sugar

• 2 tsp heavy whipping cream or milk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

Glaze:

• 2.5 tsp powdered unflavored gelatin, bloomed in 0.5dl of additional water

• 300 g granulated sugar

• 180 g water, room temp

• 170 g sweetened condensed milk

• 350 g white chocolate chips

How to:

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 165C.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest.

Fold in the flour mixture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Pour the cake batter into a 20cm diameter pan that has been generously sprayed with baking spray.

Bake for 35-45minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge for at least 2hours (I left it there overnight).

Buttercream:

Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff. Next carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.

Add in heavy cream, vanilla, lemon extract and salt and continue whipping until it is smooth, light and a fluffy frosting.

Assemble:

Slice the cake into 2 pieces. Add the lemon curd on the first layer and a bit of buttercream. Add the top layer and crumb coat everything, leave it in the fridge for 1 hour. Next add a second thick coating to the cake, and make sure to smooth it out as much as possible! Put it in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before pouring the glaze on top.

Glaze:

Mix the gelatin in a bowl with 0.5dl of water, and set aside to let it bloom while you begin the glaze. Over medium heat, stir together the sugar, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble. At this point, pour in the gelatin, and stir until fully dissolved. Then turn off the heat, and gently pour in the white chocolate chips. Stir slowly, until all the white chocolate has melted. Pour through a sieve into a large bowl, then divide the glaze evenly between 2 bowls. Leave one uncolored, and color the other one yellow. 

I let them cool down a bit until they reach around 32 degrees C. Once cooled, pour half of the yellow back into the uncolored one in a swirling motion. 

Remove the smoothed buttercream cake from the freezer, and place on a circular object, on top of a large baking sheet. I placed a 10cm cake pan underneath my cake, then slowly poured the glaze on the cake. Once I had fully covered the cake, I added a little bit more of the yellow to make it even nicer. I let it continue to drip for about 10 minutes, then placed it in the fridge.

I used Chelsweets glaze recipe: https://chelsweets.com/easy-5-ingredient-mirror-glaze-recipe/

Lime Popsicle

Ingredients (6) :

Popsicle:

• 1 dl lime juice

• 1 dl siple syrup

• 4 dl water

• 6 slices of lime

How to:

Popsicle:

Add 1 slice of lime to each of the popsicle molds. Stir the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour them into the containers as well. Freeze for at least 4hours.

Love actually: Banoffee pie

ingredients (10 ):

Pie:

• 200g digestive crackers

• 100g butter

• 125g light brown sugar

• 125 g butter

• 1 can condensed milk

• Pinch of sea salt

• 4 bananas

• 150ml whipping cream

• 1 tbsp icing sugar

• 50g dark chocolate, to decorate

How to:

Lightly grease a 23cm tart or pie tin, and line the base with a circle of parchment paper.

In a food processor blitz the digestive crackers to a fine crumb. In a small saucepan gently melt the butter. (TIP: gently melt the butter, being careful not to brown it). Pour the melted butter into the processor and blitz again until well mixed. 

Tip the biscuit mix into the tart tin and press it down into the base and sides. Using the base of a glass or mug is a good way of ensuring the biscuits are well compacted. Place it in the fridge to set.

Caramel:

Place the butter and sugar into a pan and gently melt together, keep mixing until the sugar has melted and they are combined. Then add the condensed milk and bring up to the boil allowing it to bubble and thicken.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sea salt.

Take the set biscuit base from the fridge and pour over the caramel, transfer this back into the fridge and allow it again to set and cool completely.

Once cool, remove from the fridge and slice the bananas. Arrange the slices on top of the caramel.

In a bowl whisk together the whipping cream and icing sugar until it reaches medium peaks. Spoon this on top of the bananas and create peaks using the back of the spoon. Grate over the dark chocolate and the banoffee pie is ready to serve.

Die hard: Twinkies

Ingredients (10) :

Cake:

• 4dl cake flour or (4 dl wheat flour - 4tbsp wheat flour + 4 tbsp cornstarch)

• 2 dl sugar

• 0.5 tbsp baking powder

• 0.5 tsp salt

• 0.25 tsp baking soda

• 110g butter (room temperature)

• 1 dl buttermilk or (1dl milk + 1tsp fresh lemon juice)

• 1 tbsp oil

• 3 egg yolks

• 2 egg whites

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling:

• 1 egg white

• 0.5 dl sugar

• 0.25 tsp cream of tartar

• 110 g unsalted butter (room temperature)

• 0.5 tbsp vanilla extract

How to:

Cake:

Turn the oven to 160 C. 

Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add butter, buttermilk and oil, beat until smooth. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat again until smooth and light.

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold it into the batter. Fill the mold ⅔  way and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Let them cool down completely.

Filling:

Combine egg whites and sugar, whip until white and start to thicken. Add butter, 1 tbsp at a time until super thick and light. Lastly add vanilla. 

Pipe into the twinkies by making 3 insertions from the bottom.

Recipe: BA Test Kitchen - Pastry Chef Attempts to make gourmet twinkie

Home alone: “A lovely cheese pizza just for me”

Ingredients (4 servings):

Dough:

• 4 g fresh yeast (about 1 tsp) 

• 700 g wheat flour (00 flour) + more for kneading

• 5 dl water

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

• Pizza sauce

• 100g mozzarella

• 100g ricotta

• 50g gorgonzola

• 50g parmesan

• ruccola or fresh basil

How to:

Dough:

Crumble the yeast into a big bowl. Add the flour and water, mix and knead for 5-10 minutes. Next add the salt and oil. Knead for another 5-10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, roll each one into a smooth ball and rub olive oil over them. Put them onto a cutting board, cover with clean cloth and let rise for 4 hours at room temperature.

Topping:

Turn the oven to 250C. Leave the baking tray you are going to use in the oven (this will give a similar effect on the pizza as a pizza stone would).

Roll out each ball onto a parchment paper, and cover with store bought or homemade pizza sauce. Add the different types of cheeses and when the oven is ready, bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes.

The Grinch who stole christmas: Who Hash

ingredients (4 servings):

Hash:

• 1 tsp Garlic powder

• 1 tsp Onion powder

• 4 potatoes, large

• 1 Egg, large large

• 0.5 tsp ground Black pepper

• 1 tsp Salt

• 2 tbsp Butter

• 2 dl grated cheddar cheese

How to:

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C and line a large baking pan with parchment paper.

Shred the potatoes into a large bowl. Whisk the egg in a small bowl then pour over the potatoes. Add the shredded cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Toss to combine. Then pour the melted butter over the top and toss to combine.

Hand-form the potato mixture into patties and place on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.

The Holiday: Hot Chocolate

Ingredients ( 1 serving):

Hot chocolate:

• 2 cl whiskey

• 2 cl chocolate liquor

• 1.5 tsp cacao powder

• 2 tsp sugar

• 2.5 dl milk

• 0.25 tsp vanilla extract

• 5 minimarshmallows

How to:

Combine the milk, cocoa, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan.

Heat until steaming hot, then remove from heat and stir in the liquors. Pour the hot chocolate into a mug and top with 5 mini marshmallows.

Saffron biscotti

Ingredients (20) :

Biscotti:

• 50 g butter

• 0.25 g saffron

• 0.75 dl sugar

• 1 egg

• 2.5 dl wheat flour

• 0.5 tsk baking powder

• 0.5 dl pistachios, chopped

How to:

Turn the oven to 175˚C.

Melt the butter in a small pan, add the saffron and pour it into a medium sized bowl and let it cool down a bit. Add the egg and sugar and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and pistachios then add the dry mixture to the wet one. Mix until a nice soft dough forms. Divide into two parts, and roll them out to two 20cm logs and put them onto a parchment covered baking sheet. 

Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Then take them out and let them cool down for the same amount of time. 

Lower the temperature to 100C. 

Cut the logs into 1.5 cm thick slices, and put them back onto the baking sheet. Dry the biscottis in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour, turning them over half way through.

Saffron & Vanilla Buns

ingredients (15 ):

Buns:

• 25g fresh yeast

• 75g butter

• 0.5g saffron powdered

• 0.75dl sugar

• 2.5dl milk

• 125g quark or thick greek yoghurt

• 0.5 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 8-9 dl wheat flour

filling:

• 100g room temperature butter

• 0.75dl sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

egg wash:

• 1 egg

• pearl sugar (also called nib and hail sugar)

How to:

Buns:

Crumble the fresh yeast into a bowl. 

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the saffron powder to it. Then add in the milk and make sure the mixture is at 37°C.

Pour the liquid over the yeast and mix until the yeast has dissolved. Add sugar, quark/yoghurt, salt and egg and mix well. Then gradually add the wheat flour and save about 1 dl for later. 

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes then let it rest under a moist towel for 30-45 minutes.

Filling:

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla extract to a nice paste.

Put the dough on a well floured working space and roll it out to a 25*60 cm rectangle. Spread the filling on to i , and fold it in half making it around 25*30cm. 

Cut it into 1-2cm thick strips, then two by two spin the strips together and twist them around into a bun. Put them on a parchment lined baking dish and cover them with a towell again, letting them rest and rise for 30 minutes. 

Turn your oven to 250°C. Give the buns an egg wash and spread some pearl sugar on top before letting them bake for 8 minutes. Then let them cool down on a rack. Enjoy!

Zereshk Polo Ba Morgh

Ingredients (6 servings):

Chicken Ingredients:

• A few tablespoons vegetable oil 

• 6 pieces of bone in chicken (I use drumsticks)

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1.5 tsp turmeric

• 0.25 tsp cinnamon

• 0.25 tsp nutmeg

• 0.25 tsp cardamom 

• 0.25 tsp cumin

• 0.25 tsp coriander

• 0.25 tsp chili powder

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 6 dl chicken stock

• 0.5 of the saffron water (see below)

• salt and pepper to taste

Saffron Water:

• 0.25 tsp of saffron, ground with a pestle and mortar 

• 1 ice cube

Sprinkle the saffron in a small dish over the ice cube and allow the ice cube to melt. Set aside.

Rice Ingredients:

• 3 dl basmati rice (dry)

• Half of the reserved saffron water

How to:

Chicken Directions:

Heat the oil over medium high in a large pot. Combine the spices and sprinkle a little on the chicken. Saute the chicken and onion in the oil until browned.  Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining spices, tomato paste, half of the saffron water (reserve half for the rice!) and chicken stock. Simmer until chicken becomes very tender and sauce thickens and reduces. If the chicken gets done before the sauce is thick and reduced, then remove the chicken from the pot and continue simmering until the sauce is done.

Rice Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package directions. 

Pour the rice into a serving bowl. In a separate bowl, combine 1 dl of the cooked rice with the reserved saffron water. Spread the saffron rice over the top of the rest of the rice. 

Saffron Waffles

ingredients (4 servings):

Waffles

• 25 g butter

• 100 g potatoes

• 1,5 dl wheat flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 0.25g saffron powder

• 1,5 dl milk

Topping

• 0.5 red onion, chopped 

• 1 dl smetana

• 4 lox slices

• fresh dill

How to:

Melt the butter and peel the potatoes and grate on a fine grate. 

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and saffron in a medium bowl. Add milk and whisk until it forms an even smooth batter. Then add the grated potatoes and the butter and mix. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp and serve immediately. 

Add smetana, a slice of lox, red onions and some fresh dill do each waffle. :)

Saffron Gin & Tonic

Ingredients ( 1 serving):

Gin & Tonic:

• 5cl saffron gin*

• pinch of saffron powder

• tonic

• orange peel

• coffee beans

• 1 cinnamon stick

• cardamom seeds
  

How to:

Fill a large wine glass or gin&tonic glass with ice. Add the spices, then pour in the gin and top it off with the amount of tonic you like.

*Safron gin:

Add a pinch of saffron powder to a teabag and let it soak in 1 dl gin for 1-2 hours. Taste it after an hour to make sure it’s not to strong tasting.