Paraguay

 Welcome to Paraguay!  We thought it was a good time to do another South American country, and boy were we right!  Well, kinda right.  Some interesting facts about Paraguay: there is a dam called Itaipu Dam that borders Brazil.  This dam produces almost all the power for Paraguay and is owned by both Paraguay and Brazil.  Also, the flag of Paraguay is the only country to have a double-sided flag!  According to Google, the population of Paraguay is around 7 million people, and the capital is Asunción, Their national dish is...

Sopa Paraguaya!

It literally translates to the Soup of Paraguay.  However, the dish is not soup at all! It is actually a cornbread!  That didn't stop us from making soup though...To go with sopa paraguaya, we made Paraguayan Dumpling Soup.  While I was reading recipes from Paraguay, many of them talked about how people of Paraguay use cassava or corn in some form for almost every meal.  Well, we had corn as part of both our dishes!  Here's what we did:

SOPA PARAGUAYA

8 oz corn flour

2 large onions, sliced thinly

4 tbsp avocado oil, divided

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 tsp salt

10 oz. mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 C milk

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small skillet, heat two tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. 
3. Add two sliced onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk four egg yolks with 10 oz cheese and a teaspoon of salt. 
6. Mix in the sautéed onions and one cup of milk. 
7. Add corn flour and whisk until incorporated. 
8. Pour in the remaining milk and mix with a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary.
9. In a separate bowl, beat the four egg whites on high speed until foamy and stiff peak forms. 
10. Fold into the cornmeal mixture.
11. Grease a 9" non-stick round or square baking dish. 
12. Pour in the mixture and bake until golden brown, for 30-35 minutes. 
13. Let cool and slice into wedges or squares.
14. Enjoy!

(Source: Sopa Paraguaya)

PARAGUAYAN DUMPLING SOUP

Dumplings

1/3 C yellow cornmeal

1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C gluten free flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp minced scallions, white portion only

2 tbsp oil

Soup

2 tbsp oil

1 lb stew meat

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

8 C beef broth, plus as needed

1 onion, finely chopped

4 small carrots, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1 bay leaf

3 whole cloves

2 or 3 crushed saffron threads

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1. Make the dumplings: Combine the cornmeal, Parmesan, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, egg, scallions, and oil in a mixing bowl. 
2. Cover the batter and let it rest at least 45 minutes and up to 3 hours before shaping and cooking the dumplings.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. 
4. Season the stew meat with salt and pepper and add it to the hot oil. 
5. Sear the beef on all sides, turning as necessary, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
6. Add the broth and simmer over low heat until the beef is tender, 45 to 50 minutes. 
7. Remove the beef to a plate and let cool. 
8. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and reserve.
9. Return the soup pot to medium-high heat. 
10. Add the remaining oil and heat over medium-high heat. 
11. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
12. Add the strained broth to the soup pot along with additional broth, if needed, to make 8 cups.
13.  Bring the broth to a simmer and add the bay leaf, cloves, and saffron threads. 
14. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the broth is flavorful, 30 minutes.
15. Trim the cooled beef and cut it into medium dice. 
16. Return the beef to the soup. 
17. To form the dumplings, pinch off small pieces of dough (about 1 teaspoon) and roll them into balls. 
18. Add the dumplings to the soup and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. 
19. Serve immediately in warmed soup bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
20. Enjoy!

(Source: Paraguayan Dumpling Soup)

The verdict?  The soup was really good.  It was a hearty, filling soup.  It was very much like a traditional beef stew, but for some reason had a bit more flavor. The dumplings in the soup were interesting - they were good to start off, but then they just fell apart, and then the texture was a bit odd.  But overall, it was really good!  The sopa paraguaya wasn't great.  That could be because the power went out halfway through cooking, but it tasted more like an egg bake than cornbread.  The flavor profiles were good, but it was just too dense and eggy. Not one we would like to make again.

   

ME

Taste of Sopa Paraguaya (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Sopa Paraguaya (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

ME

Taste of Paraguayan Dumpling Soup (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Paraguayan Dumpling Soup (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

Hope you had fun in Paraguay!  Join us next time in Mali!

Georgia

 Welcome to Georgia!  In looking up facts about Georgia, there are many fascinating facts, and the pictures are beautiful!  Facts like it is home to the worlds deepest cave, Veryovkina Cave, which is over 7,000 feet deep! Handsome Husband wants to go into the cave...I do not... Georgia is said to be the second-oldest country to adopt Christianity as it's official religion, second to Armenia.  According to Google, the population is 3.6 million people and the capital is Tbilisi.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Khachapuri!

It is a cheese bread, served with an egg and butter on top.  To go with the Khachapuri, I made Khinkali, which is a Georgian dumpling.  This meal wasn't super difficult to make (OK, the dumplings were tricky...), but took a while.  I had to figure out a different way to make the bread for the Khachapuri, so I went with pizza dough (that was the closest I could find to the ingredients in the original recipe). Here's what I did:

KHACHAPURI

7 g active dried yeast

15 g sugar

340 g warm water, divided

18 g psyllium husk

140 g tapioca starch

120 g millet flour

40 g sorghum flour

8 g salt

3 tbsp avocado oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 C Muenster cheese, shredded

1 C Provolone cheese, shredded

1 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 C feta cheese, crumbled
3 Eggs

1. In a small bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar, and 160 g warm water.  Set aside for 10-15 minutes, until frothy.
2. In a small separate bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and 180g warm water until a gel is formed.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, and salt.  
4. Add the yeast mixture, psyllium gel, 1 tbsp avocado oil, and apple cider vinegar.
5. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook, knead dough until smooth, about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the bread to a lightly oiled surface and form into a smooth ball.
7. Rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
8. Divide the risen dough into 2 pieces and shape into a tight ball.
9. Place dough balls on a lightly millet-floured surface and cover with a tea towel and prove for 45 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
11. In the meantime, combine the cheeses in a bowl and set aside.
12. Roll the dough into an oval shape.
13. Place 1/2 of the cheese in the center of each loaf, leaving about 1/2 inch around the outside.
14. Pinch the ends together and fold the outside of the bread over, leaving the center exposed.
15. Twist each end once.
16. Whisk 1 egg, forming an egg wash. Brush the egg wash onto the dough around the edge of both loaves.
17. Place the bread on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
18. After 15 minutes, crack an egg into the center of each loaf and bake for another 5 - 6 minutes. The white should be almost set and the yolk should be runny.
19. Remove from the oven and top each loaf with 1 tablespoon of butter.
20. Serve warm.
21. To eat, mix the egg yolk into the cheese mixture, being sure to scoop some of the cheese from under the crust.
22. Rip the bread into chunks and dip inside the cheese mixture. Enjoy!

(Source: Kahachapuri and Pizza Dough) 

KHINKALI

Dumplings 

1/3 C sour cream 

1/4 C milk

1 egg

1 tbsp avocado oil

1/2 C brown rice flour

1/4 C cornstarch

1/4 C tapioca starch

2 tbsp potato starch

2 tbsp sweet rice flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp salt

 

Filling

1 lb ground pork
1/4 C onion, finely minced
1 garlic clove, minced into a paste with salt
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp fenugreek

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp caraway seeds, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cumin
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 C beef broth

 

Cooking the Dumplings

Water

4 bay leaves

Generous amount of salt 

 

Serving
Fresh pepper

Pepper flakes

Sour cream 

1. Combine all filling ingredients except the broth in a bowl. 
2. Add broth to the mixture a little at a time and mix with a fork to help it absorb. Set aside.
3. Place the sour cream, egg, milk, and oil into a food processor and mix until completely smooth.
4. Place all dry dumpling ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment.  
5. Run the mixer to combine the dry ingredients.
6. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the wet ingredients until the dough has come together and is not too sticky.
7. Place the dough on a large, lightly-floured piece of plastic wrap, and cover with a second piece of plastic wrap.
8. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick. 
9. Using a round cutter, cut the dough into 2-1/2 inch circles. 
10. Roll each disc out into a larger circle, approximately 4 inches in diameter. Roll the edges of the dough to be a bit thinner than the center.
11. Place a tablespoon of filling into the center of each piece of circle. 
12. Crimp or pleat the dough's edge and twist to create a stem to form a dumpling.
13. Put each dumpling on a floured sheet pan and cover with a towel until ready to cook. 
14. When you're about to start your last batch, start boiling a large pot of water with the bay leaves.
15. When the water is boiling and your dumplings are ready to go into the pot, salt the water generously. 
16. Gently lift each khinkali by their bottoms and put them in the boiling water.
17. Cook your khinkali in batches of 6 or 9, depending on how large your pot is.
18. After adding the dumplings to the boiling water, gently use a wooden spoon to ensure they're not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
19. Cook each batch for 8 minutes. Adjust the heat if necessary to ensure a rolling, but not violent boil.
20. Remove the dumplings and set on a plate.
21. Serve with freshly cracked black pepper. If you want a little more heat, you can also serve with crushed red pepper flake. If you want even more deliciousness, serve with crème fraîche or sour cream.
22. Enjoy!

(Source: Khinkali and Dumplings) 

The verdict?  The khachapuri was delicious.  Handsome Husband described it as a cheese pizza with really good cheese.  The egg was tricky to keep on the bread, which made for some laughs.  The cheese was also not as melty as I thought it would be, so it was hard to dip the bread in.  But the pieces that we had with the cheese and egg were delicious.  The dumplings.  Oh, the dumplings.  I didn't get a picture of them, but you're not missing much.  They reminded us greatly of pel meni's.  There was so much dough and so little filling.  I didn't get any "soup" in mine, which was a bit disappointing.  But the filling was good, just LOTS left over!  The recipe for the dumplings said it yielded 7 dumplings - haha!  Needless to say, we have to find another use for the ground pork mixture - we're thinking stuffed peppers?  But, overall, the taste was delicious for this meal overall.

 

ME

Taste of Khachapuri (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Khachapuri (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 9

 

ME

Taste of Khinkali (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Khinkali (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

Hope you join us next time in Paraguay!  

 

 

Germany

Welcome to Germany!  I've been wanting to do Germany in October, but the last four years haven't allowed me to do that.  This time, we barely made it!  Germany is a bucket list country, and I think that may be the truth for many people.  The country looks beautiful, and the history is fascinating.  According to Google, the population of Germany is 84 million people and the capital is Berlin.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Sauerbraten!

It literally means "sour meat". Sounds appetizing, right?  Along with the sauerbraten, we made Kartoffelpuffer, which is a German potato pancake, Rotkohl, which is a red cabbage slaw, and a German apple cake with streusel topping.  This meal took a while (2 weeks!) to get ready, so if you're going to make it, plan ahead!  Here's what we did:

SAUERBRATEN

Marinade

2 onions, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

1 large leek, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

2 bay leaves

4 tsp gin

6 whole cloves

10 peppercorns, cracked

2 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

2 C red wine

1 1/2 C red wine vinegar

1 C beef broth

 

Roast

3-4 lb pot roast

2 tbsp avocado oil

10 gluten free gingersnap cookies, crushed

1. In a large pot, combine all of the marinade ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, boil for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
3.  Put the pot roast in a freezer bag and pour in the cooled marinade to marinate for 10 days.
4. Remove the roast from the marinade and pat dry using paper towels.
5. Do not discard the marinade!  Keep it for later.
6. In a dutch oven, heat oil over high heat.
7. When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides until it is browned, then pour the marinade into the dutch oven with the meat.
8. Bring the liquids to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.
9. Simmer for 3 hours, or until the meat is tender.
10. Remove the meat from the dutch oven and set it aside to rest.
11. Meanwhile, strain the marinade, discarding the solids and reserving the liquids.
12. Return the liquids to the dutch oven. 
13. Add the crushed gingersnap cookies to the reserved liquid.
14. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the gravy has thickened.
15. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
16. Slice the sauerbrauten into thin slices and serve with the hot gravy.
17. Enjoy!

(Source: Sauerbraten)

KARTOFFELPUFFER

2 1/2 lbs gold potatoes, peeled and very finely grated (raw)

1 onion, very finely grated

2 eggs

1/2 C gluten free flour (or more if needed)

1 tsp salt (more to taste)

Oil, for frying

1. Thoroughly remove the liquid in the grated potatoes by putting them in a tea towel and wringing out the liquid.
2.  Place the drained grated potatoes in a medium-sized bowl with the grated onions, eggs, flour and salt.
3. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together into a tacky mixture.
4. Heat a few tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat and place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mixture in the hot pan and flatten into pancakes.
5. Fry on both sides for 3-5 minutes, until they are golden.
6. Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Kartoffelpuffer)

ROTKOHL

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

1 head red cabbage, sliced very thin

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 C apple juice

1 tbsp sugar

1 bay leaf

2 whole cloves

1 tsp gin

1/2 tsp salt

1. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and apples and saute for 7-10 minutes, until soft.
3. Add the cabbage to the onions and apples, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.
5. Simmer for 1 hour until cabbage is soft.
6. Serve warm or cold.
7. Enjoy!

(Source: Rotkohl)

GERMAN APPLE CAKE WITH STRUESEL TOPPING

Shortbread Crust

175 g gluten free flour

50 g sugar

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

145 g butter, cubed and chilled

 

Apple Filling

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

3/4 C unsweetened applesauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp cinnamon

 

Streusel Topping

1 C gluten free flour

1/2 C cold butter, cubed

1/2 C sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Add the flour, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine.
4. Add the butter and pulse until fully incorporated and you get a mixture of smaller breadcrumb-like pieces.
5. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and press to compact it into an even layer.
6. Put it in the fridge until later.
7. In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon, and applesauce.
8. Spoon the apple filling in an even layer over the shortbread dough that was in the fridge.
9. In another large bowl, cut the butter into the flour and sugar using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
10. Squeeze handfuls of streusel topping together to create larger clumps, then sprinkle the streusel over the apple filling.
11. Bake for 45 minutes until lightly golden brown on on top and the apples are soft.
12. Cool completely, and then cut into squares and serve cold.
13. Enjoy!

(Source: German Apple Cake with Streusel Topping and Shortbread Crust)

The verdict?  This was a favorite, for sure. Handsome Husband declared that the gravy for the sauerbraten was the best brown gravy he had ever had!  We will be doing this roast again.  The original recipe called for juniper berries instead of gin, so I will try those next time.  I just couldn't find them in time.  I also couldn't find gluten free gingersnap cookies, so I also made those on my own.  We did have to plan ahead in order to marinate it for 10 days, but I think it was worth it.  That meat was so tender!  I subbed the juniper berries for gin in the rotkohl as well, and it worked well.  I liked the rotkohl, but didn't care for the mushy apples in it.  The textures were strange together.  The kartoffelpuffer were not anything special - typical potato pancake, but they were very good with the gravy.  It almost gave it an apple taste.  We were disappointed in the apple cake.  Usually apples, cinnamon and sugar go great together, but it just wasn't great.  That said, we were compelled to eat it.  Go figure!  We ended up tossing the leftovers.  The sauerbraten was the winner of this meal!

 

 

ME

Taste of Sauerbraten (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 9

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Sauerbraten (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 10

 

ME

Taste of Kartoffelpuffer (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Kartoffelpuffer (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

ME

Taste of Rotkohl (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Rotkohl (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

ME

Taste of German apple cake with streusel topping (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of German apple cake with streusel topping (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

Join us next time in Georgia!

 

Marshall Islands

 Welcome to the Marshall Islands!  This is another stunning place that I wouldn't mind visiting.  It seems like our travel fund needs a boost to go see all these amazing places!  The tallest point on the Marshall Islands is a whopping 32 feet above sea level, and they span about 770,000 square miles.  Most of the atolls and islands are coral that are on top of underwater volcanoes.  Sounds like a fun place, right?  According to Google, the population is about 82,000 people and the capital is Majuro.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Barramundi Cod! 

I'm not sure where to get Barramundi cod...however, everything I read says to use a white, flaky fish, so that's what we're going to use!  We've  been eating a lot of fish lately...  The Barramundi cod is traditionally made in a coconut sauce.  To go with the fish, we made roasted sweet potato salad with passion fruit mayonnaise, papaya salad, and Marshallese Baked Papaya with Coconut Cream.  It was a lot of different steps, but fairly easy to make.  Here's what we did:

COCONUT FISH

6 pieces white fish fillets (I used rockfish)
2 C coconut cream
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
2 jalapeños, thinly sliced in rounds
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tomatoes, sliced
6 tbsp avocado oil
6 tbsp gluten free flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Mix cornstarch to a paste with a little bit of the coconut cream.
2. Combine remaining coconut cream, onion, salt, jalapeño, lemon juice, and the corn starch mixture in a saucepan.
3. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring continually.
4. Simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
5. Heat oven to 300 F.
6. Cut fish into even sized pieces (about 2-3 inches or so long).
7. Mix flour, extra salt & pepper on a plate for dredging the fish.
8. Dredge the fish until the fish is evenly coated with the flour mix.
9. Heat avocado oil in a pan over medium heat.
10. Lightly brown fish on both sides in the hot oil, adding more oil as needed.
11. Place the fish in an ovenproof dish as it is browned.
12. Evenly cover the fish with the tomato slices.
13. Evenly pour the coconut sauce over the top.
14. Bake uncovered in the oven until the fish is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
15. Enjoy!

(Source: Coconut Fish) 

 

ROASTED SWEET POTATO SALAD

1/3 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into cubes
1 1/2 C raw whole macadamia nuts
2 avocados, cut in large dice
Avocado oil, for roasting
Salt

Dressing
3 tbsp passion fruit

6 tbsp mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. To make the dressing, mix passion fruit with mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugars & vanilla.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
3. Spread the cubed sweet potato over a baking tray and drizzle avocado oil and salt on the sweet potatoes, and mix until evenly covered.
4.  Roast for 10 minutes.
5. Turn the sweet potatoes over then roast for a further 10 mins.
6. Add macadamia nuts to the tray of sweet potatoes then roast for a further 10 mins.
7. Remove tray from the oven when nuts are evenly golden and let cool.
8. In a salad bowl, mix the lettuce, avocado, sweet potatoes and nuts.
9. Serve with the salad dressing, to taste.
10. Enjoy!

(Source: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad)

 

PAPAYA SALAD

1 papaya, cubed

1 pineapple, cubed

Thai basil leaves, to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients.
2. Enjoy!

(Source: Papaya Salad) 

 

MARSHALLESE BAKED PAPAYA WITH COCONUT CREAM

1 papaya, halved and seeded

1 can coconut cream

1/2 C sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place the papaya halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Sprinkle the papaya halves equally with the sugar.
4. Bake for 1 hour.
5. After 1 hour, remove from the oven and baste the papaya with the melted sugar.
6. Increase the heat to 400 F. 
7. Add the coconut cream into the center of the papaya. 
8. Bake for another 5-7 minutes.
9. Serve warm and enjoy!

(Source: Marshallese Baked Papaya with Coconut Cream) 

 

The verdict?  It was good!  We really liked the additional sweetness of the tomato on the fish with the coconut.  I didn't see the value in dredging the fish with the flour and frying it - I would skip this step next time.  The sweet potato salad was very strange, and the dressing was very sweet, but it really worked.  The macadamia nuts gave it some extra texture, which was great. The pineapple was delicious and the papaya didn't really do anything for me, but it could be that I didn't choose the right papaya.  The Thai basil was an interesting addition, but I really liked it.  It was really good with a little bit of salt on it too! The baked papaya with coconut cream was exactly as it sounds.  There wasn't anything special about it, and was like eating warm papaya and coconut.  

 

        

 

      

 

 

ME

Taste of Coconut Fish (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Coconut Fish (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

ME

Taste of Roasted Sweet Potato Salad (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Roasted Sweet Potato Salad (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

ME

Taste of Papaya Salad (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Papaya Salad (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

ME

Taste of Baked Papaya with Coconut Cream (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Baked Papaya with Coconut Cream (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

Join us next time in Germany for Oktoberfest!