Chad

 Welcome to Chad! The top third of Chad is covered by the Sahara Desert, and the Tibesti Mountains in the extreme north are home to some of the best camel racing in the world. For every 23,600 people in Chad there is only one Chadian doctor available, and the country has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. 1,100 mothers die per 100,000 births.  Chad is also one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world.  According to Google, their population is 19.67 million people and their capital is N’Djamena.  Their national dish is...

Boule!

It is a rice or wheat porridge dish, traditionally eaten in the morning.  However, we ate it for dinner.  To go with the boule, we made Daraba, which is a vegetable stew with peanut butter.  The vegetables used in the dish were not ones I would ever think to put together!  It looked like a simple, quick meal to make.  Here's what I did:

BOULE

5 C water, divided

1 C rice

3 tbsp natural peanut butter (for authenticity, this should be pure crushed peanuts, no additives)

Pinch of salt

3 tbsp millet flour

1 tbsp lemon juice 

1 C whole milk, to taste

Sugar, to taste

1. 1.  In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil and add the rice. 
2. 2.  Stir in the peanut butter and a pinch of salt.
3. 3.  Mix the flour with the remaining cup of water and then pour the liquid into the boiling mixture.
4. 4.  Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently until tender.
5. 5.  Stir in the lemon juice, and add sugar to taste. 
6. 6.  Pour in as much of the whole milk as needed to thin it out to the desired porridge consistency.
7. 7.  Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Boule)

DARABA

1 lb okra, sliced in big chunks

3 medium tomatoes 

1 sweet potato 

1 eggplant 

1 lb spinach (I used frozen)

1 C peanut butter

6 C beef broth

Cayenne, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. 1.  Add all of the vegetables, except the spinach, and beef broth to a pot. 
2. 2.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for half an hour, or until the vegetables are almost done.
3. 3.  Remove 3/4 cup of the stock and mix with the peanut butter to form a smooth sauce. 
4. 4.  Add the peanut butter and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the soup has thickened.
5. 5.  Stir in the mixed greens until just wilted. 
6. 6.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.
7. 7.  Enjoy!

(Source: Daraba

The verdict?  This was interesting.  The boule was OK, but not great.  It didn't taste bad, but it didn't really taste like anything.  Handsome Husband commented that it was easy to keep eating.  He added the milk - I didn't.  He said the milk didn't add much, but made it more the consistency of rice pudding.  It didn't cook like normal rice - you had to continue stirring it to make sure that it didn't stick to the bottom.  The daraba was also interesting.  I would never have thought to put okra, sweet potato, tomato, and eggplant together.  I don't even like eggplant.  However, in this stew, it didn't taste like anything, and the texture wasn't bad.  It needed the spice from the cayenne, for sure.  All in all, it was fairly bland, but not a terrible meal.

    

ME

Taste of Boule (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 Boule (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 Daraba (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 Daraba (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

Another country down!  Join us next time in St. Vincent & Grenadines!

Indonesia

 Welcome to Indonesia!  Indonesia is comprised of over 17,000 islands, and only 6,000 of them are inhabited.  Indonesia is home to the Komodo Dragon, and the Tarsier, which has eyes that are heavier than its brain!  It is a very biodiverse country, second only to Brazil.  Indonesia is also one of the top nutmeg exporters in the world.  Their population is 283.59 million people and the capital is Jakarta.  Their national dish is...

Nasi Goreng

It is a fried rice dish - it looked delicious!  To go with the nasi goreng, we made chicken called ayam goreng.  I did make a few adjustments to the reicpie, so if you want to do it exactly like the original recipe, I would encourage you to go to the link rather than follow my directions.  We had some Fabulous Friends over for dinner, which always makes dinner taste better.  Here's what I did:

NASI GORENG

3 cups Cooked Rice

2 Eggs

5 Shallots

4 cloves Garlic

1 Red Chili

1/2 tsp Shrimp Paste

2 tbsp gluten free Sweet Soy Sauce

1 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 head of bok choy

Salt & Pepper, to taste

1 tbsp Avocado oil

4 sliced Cucumber, for garnish

2 sliced Tomato, for garnish

2 small red chilies, for garnish

1. 1.  Grind shallots, garlic, chili, shrimp paste and salt until smooth and evenly mixed
2. 2.  Heat oil in a wok over medium heat
3. 3.  Add the spice mix and stir fry for about 2 minutes
4. 4.  Add eggs and stir until they become scrambled
5. 5.  Add rice and stir until evenly mixed
6. 6.  Add pepper, salt, sweet soy sauce and bok choi
7. 7.  Serve and garnish with tomato, cucumber, and red chilis.
8. 8.  Enjoy!

(Source: Nasi Goreng)

AYAM GORENG

10 chicken thighs

6 Shallots

3 cloves Garlic

4 cm Galangal (as big as half a thumb)

3 cm Turmeric

4 cm Ginger (as big as half a thumb)

1.5 tsp Salt

1 cup Water

2 Bay leaves

1/2 tsp White pepper

1 Lemongrass crushed

3 pcs Keffir Lime Leaves (optional)

Cooking Oil for frying

1. 1.  Grind shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric and ginger with a spice grinder until smooth and evenly mixed
2. 2.  Place chicken into a pot, then add water, spice paste, salt, bay leaves, white pepper, lemongrass, and keffir lime leaves. Mix well
3. 3.  Cover the pot with the lid, bring to boil and then reduce the heat to low
4. 4.  Simmer the chicken for 15 minutes, open the lid then turn the chicken over so that all sides are seasoned.
5. 5.  Cover the pot with the lid then simmer again until water evaporates about 10 more minutes.
6. 6.  Turn off the heat and set aside
7. 7.  In a new pot, fry the chicken with cooking oil until golden brown
8. 8.  After the fried chicken is cooked, rest it on a cooling rack to remove excess oil.
9. 9.  Serve and enjoy!

(Source: Ayam Goreng)

The verdict?  Well, I think if I actually did it right, it would have been a lot better.  Make sure, if you make this, that you use 3 C of COOKED rice, not uncooked rice...It was pretty bland, but that's because we had double the rice it should have had!  I think the actual dish would have been great - the spices smelled amazing.  The rice was OK, and the bok choy added a nice texture and unique flavor to fried rice.  The chicken had great flavor!  It was nicely crispy, but nice and tender on the inside.  I'm not sure if that would be something we would make again, but glad that we tried it.

ME

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

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 4

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

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

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

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 3

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

ME

Taste of Ayam Goreng (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 Ayam Goreng (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

Join us next time in Chad!

Algeria

 Welcome to Algeria!  Algeria is the largest country in Africa, and the tenth-largest country in the world!  It is also home to the Sahara Desert, which covers 4/5 of the land mass of Algeria!  Their national animal is the Fennec fox, which is the smallest fox in the world, but has 6-inch ears!  They are pretty cute!  According to Google, the population of Algeria is 47.74 million people and the capital is Algiers.  Their national dish is...

Couscous!

I'm seeing a theme with African nations...Their national dish is usually something to do with cornmeal and water, peanuts, stew, or couscous!  Sadly, I couldn't eat the couscous, but Handsome Husband could!  To go along with the couscous, I made a chicken stew and Maaqouda, which is like a potato dumpling.  In looking at the recipes, it didn't look like it would take us much time to cook.  But there were a lot of things I was keeping track of!  Here's what I did:

ALGERIAN CHICKEN COUSCOUS

1 C couscous

4 chicken thighs

2 potatoes, quartered

1 carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes, liquid included

Small bunch parsley, chopped

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp saffron

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp avocado oil

1. Place a large pot on medium heat and melt butter. 
2. Add chicken, chopped onion, saffron, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper to the pot.
3. Cook to brown the chicken and mix everything together.
4. Add the tomatoes and parsley to the pot. 
5. Cover with hot water and cook for 10 min.
6. Place the couscous in a shallow dish and add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1tbsp of avocado oil. 
7. Mix it with your fingers. You want to make sure all the grains are nicely coated. 
8. Transfer potatoes and carrots into the pot with chicken and boil for another 20 min or until cooked.
9. Cook the couscous in a separate pot according to the directions (mine said to boil water, put the couscous in the water, and let it stand for 5 minutes). 
10. Serve couscous in a deep-dish plate, add chicken and veggies on top. Pour as much sauce as you like. 
11. Enjoy!

(Source: Algerian Chicken Couscous)

MAAQOUDA

1 lb potatoes

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp gluten free breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cumin

Gluten free flour (for coating)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Oil for frying

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender.
2. When the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash them. 
3. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, cumin, turmeric, parsley, beaten egg, salt and pepper. 
4. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients. If the mixture is too firm, add some breadcrumbs.
5. Shape 2-inch diameter patties.
6. In a large saucepan, heat enough oil for deep frying to 350F.
7. Drench maaqouda in flour to cover both sides. 
8. Remove excess flour and deep fry on one side, then the other. 
9. Drain on paper towels and serve with freshly squeezed lemon.
10. Enjoy!

(Source: Maaqouda)

The verdict?  Well, first of all, I forgot to take a picture - oops! The chicken stew needed salt - I would double it next time.  The flavors and spices were similar to those of Morocco; this makes sense, since Algeria borders Morocco!  It smelled amazing as it was cooking.  I thought that it would be tricky to cut the chicken while it was in the stew, but it just shredded beautifully.  We ate the stew and chicken with some homemade bread - delicious!  The maaqiudas were really good as well, and it wasn't as labor-intensive as several other frying recipes have been.  I don't think it needed the flour coating - I think it would have been fine with no coating.  They had really good flavor, and were tasty with the lemon squeezed on them!  Handsome Husband will have to tell you about the couscous.

The couscous was quite tasty, and very fluffy.  I was surprised by the light texture of it, even after it had soaked up some of the sauce... and the couscous and sauce was a great combination, they blended very well. It also made a great base for the chicken and veggies.

ME

Taste of Algerian Chicken Couscous (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 Algerian Chicken Couscous (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 Maaqouda (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 Maaqouda (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

Join us next time in Indonesia! 

Denmark

Welcome to Denmark!  Denmark is reported to be the happiest country in the world as well as the least-corrupted country in the world, has twice as many bicycles as cars, and has been the invention spot of several common things (Google Maps, Lego, insulin, and dry-cell batteries)!  No place in Denmark is more than 30 miles from the ocean.  Sounds like a dream!  According to Google, the population of Denmark is 6.05 million people and the capital is Copenhagen.  Their national dish is...

Stegt Flaesk!

It is pork belly with potatoes.  What could go wrong?!  The dish traditionally is eaten with a parsley cream sauce, and I found another recipe for a second sauce to make with it.  For dessert, we made Risalamande, which is a rice pudding-like dish with a cherry topping.  This is a meal that you have to plan a bit ahead for, especially if you are going to do the dessert. And there was an ingredient (the Heering liqueur) that I could not find anywhere, so I left it out of the dessert.  Anyways, here's what I did:

STEGT FLAESK

Roast

4 lb pork belly

3 tbsp butter

Handful coarse salt

10-14 whole black peppers

6-8 bay leaves

2 lbs potatoes

Brown Sauce Base

1 C beef broth

1 onion (cut into 8 pieces)

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon thyme

Brown Sauce

1/2 c whipping cream

1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

Salt & pepper, to taste

Parsley Sauce

1/3 C butter

3 tbsp gluten free flour

2 C milk 

2 handful's chopped parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Score the fat on the pork belly. Be careful not to cut into the meat, which will cause the skin to be soft.
2. Rub the fat with butter and salt. 
3. Put the bay leaves and peppercorns in the cuts spread them evenly on the roast.
4. Curl up some tinfoil, and put it under the roast, so the roast won't tilt to one side. 
5. Put the roast on a rack over a pan. 
6. Put herbs, onions, and broth in the pan under the roast.
7. Roast the pork at 400℉ for 1.5 - 2 hours. The temperature in the center has to be 167℉ before the roast is ready. Make sure that there is always liquid in the pan. You have to use it for the gravy/sauce. 
8. Just before the center temperature is 167℉, pour the dripping from the pan into a saucepan through a strainer, and boil the drippings for about 5 minutes. 
9. Add the cream, jam, and salt to the drippings.
10. Thicken the sauce with corn starch.
11. To make the parsley sauce, melt the butter in a pot. 
12. Once it is melted, add the flour and stir until the butter and flour is a coherent mass. 
13. Add a little bit of milk and stir. 
14. When the milk is mixed in and has reached the boiling point stir for a few seconds and then repeat. 
15. Add milk stir, boil, stir. 
16. Repeat until the sauce has a consistency that you like.
17. Add the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
18. While the sauce is cooking, set the oven at 527℉, or start the broiler. 
19. Brown the roast in the broiler for about 5-8 minutes.
20. Cut pork in thin slices and serve with cooked white potatoes.
21. Enjoy!

(Source: Stegt Flaesk and Stegt Flaesk)

RISALAMANDE

2.5 C whole milk

3.5 tbsp sugar

1/2 C risotto rice

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C heavy cream

1/2 jar pitted morello cherries (in their syrup)

1/2 tbsp cornstarch , mixed with 1/2 tbsp water

1 whole almond

1. Combine milk, 2.5 tbsp of sugar and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the rice is tender and mixture is thick, stirring often, for about 30-40 minutes.
3. Pour the rice pudding into a bowl and let cool completely.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream and 1/2 tbsp of sugar in a medium bowl until stiff.
5. Add vanilla and cream in rice pudding mixture.
6. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours.
7. Drain the cherries and collect the syrup in a saucepan. Add 1 tbsp of sugar (or more or less, depending on the syrup) into the pan. 
8. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
9. Reduce heat.
10. Add the reserved cherries and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
11. Pour the rice pudding into bowls. Top with warm cherry sauce and one almond.
12. Enjoy!

(Source: Risalamande)

The verdict?  It was good!  Not super, but good. We really enjoyed the pork belly, but the potatoes and both sauces were just plain and not very flavorful.  The parsley sauce tasted a lot like creamed spinach with a lot of flour, too thick and a slightly unpleasant consistency.  The brown sauce had more flavor and was more like a regular gravy, but we didn't think it added much to the meal on the meat or on the potatoes.  The dessert wasn't my favorite, but Handsome Husband liked it.  I don't think that the rice was cooked all the way, so it tasted a little crunchy to me.  He happily ate the leftovers, even though he doesn't usually do that with sugary foods...Overall, not a meal we will likely repeat, but we may use that seasoning on pork belly again!

ME

Taste of Stegt Flaesk (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 Stegt Flaesk (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

ME

Taste of Risalamande (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 Risalamande (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

Join us next time in Algeria!