Monaco

 Welcome to Monaco!  In 2014, 30% of the population were millionaires!  Monaco's defense is the responsibility of France, and Casino Monte Carlo was established in 1863.  If you are a native of Monaco, you are not allowed to gamble at the Monte Carlo!  Fascinating.  There ae so many interesting facts about this country - it was great to research!  You'll have to look it up yourself for more.  According to Google, the population is 38,000 people and the capital is Monaco (it is a city-state and has no designated capital city).  Their national dish is...

Barbajuan!

It is a greens and cheese filled crispy pastry.  Which, if you make gluten free, is not easy.  So, because I am a glutton for punishment, I decided to look for a dessert to make too.  I found something called Fraise Millefeuille, which is a strawberries and cream dessert.  It was said to be Prince Albert's favorite dessert.  What could possibly go wrong with strawberries and cream?!  Here's what we did:

BARBAJUAN

Pastry

1 2/3 C gluten free flour

Pinch of salt

3 tbsp + 1 tsp avocado oil

1 egg, separated

3 tbsp + 1 tsp water

Oil, for frying

Filling

1 tbsp avocado oil

1/4 C finely chopped onion

1/4 C finely chopped leek (white part only)

2 Swiss chard leaves (green parts only), shredded and chopped

2 C chopped fresh spinach

Pinch of dried oregano, crumbled

1/4 C ricotta cheese

1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg yolk, beaten

1. For the pastry
2. 1.  In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, avocado oil, and the egg white.  
3. 2.  Add just enough water to bring the pastry together as a firm dough.
4. 3.  Turn this out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
5. 4.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. For the filling
7. 5.  Heat the avocado oil in a shallow pan over medium heat and add the onion and leek and fry until golden.
8. 6.  Add the chard, spinach and oregano and fry until the chard is tender.
9. 7.  Transfer the contents of the skillet to a bowl and then mix in the cheeses and the egg yolk from the pastry.
10. 8.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
11. Putting it together
12. 9.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to about 2mm thick.
13. 10. Use a large cup and cut into as many rounds as you can.
14. 11. Gather the scraps, re-roll out and cut again. You should end up with about 20 circles.
15. 12. Place 1 tsp of the filling in the center of each pastry round and brush the edges with water.
16. 13. Fold the dough over to form a semi-circle and press the edges with the ends of a fork to seal.
17. 14. As you complete each pastry, transfer to a baking tray lined with foil.
18. To Cook
19. 15. Pour oil into a deep pan and heat to fry.
20. 16. Working in batches, add the pasties to the oil and fry until brown and crisp.
21. 17. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towels using a slotted spoon.
22. 18. Enjoy!

(Source: Barbajuan)

FRAISE MILLEFEUILLE

2 C milk

3/4 C sugar

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 tbsp corn flour

1/4 C butter

2/3 C whipping cream

Other needed ingredients

1 1/2 lbs fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

3 gluten free puff pastry sheets

1/2 C white frosting recipe follows:

White Frosting

1 C milk

1/4 C gluten free flour

1 C butter

1 C white sugar

1 tsp vanilla 

1. 1.  Add vanilla to a pot along with the milk and 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar. 
2. 2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. 
3. 3.  Meanwhile, beat together the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl. 
4. 4.  Whisk corn flour into egg mixture. 
5. 5.  Remove milk from heat and add the egg mixture, whisking constantly and return to low heat. 
6. 6.  Cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. 
7. 7.  Pour mixture into a bowl and add the butter one small cube at a time. 
8. 8.  When butter has been incorporated, set aside to cool. Stir occasionally so mixture cools and thickens evenly.
9. 9.  Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. 
10. 10. Roll out puff pastry into three sheets. 
11. 11.  Layer with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for at least thirty minutes. 
12. 12. Layer each pastry sheet on parchment paper and set on baking trays. 
13. 13. Place in oven and bake for thirty-five minutes. 
14. 14. When pastry rises and turns golden, remove from oven. 
15. 15. Set a plate on top of each pastry sheet and set aside to cool.
16. 16. In the small saucepan containing the milk mixture, add flour. 
17. 17. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. 
18. 18. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 
19. 19. When milk mixture is cool, add butter, sugar and vanilla. 
20. 20. Beat with an electric mixer for ten to twelve minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl occasionally. 
21. 21. Refrigerate frosting about thirty minutes before using.
22. 22. After pastries have cooled, spread frosting on smoothest side of each pastry sheet. 
23. 23. Place in a preheated 425-degrees F oven. 
24. 24. Bake for about four minutes, or until lightly caramelized. 
25. 25. Allow the pastry to cool, then proceed to assemble the cake. 
26. 26. Whip the cream and fold through the custard mix.
27. 27. Place a sheet of pastry on a serving plate and add layer of cream. 
28. 28. Add a layer of strawberries. 
29. 29. Repeat layering until three sheets of pastry have been assembled. 
30. 30. Slice and enjoy!

(Source: Fraise Millefeuille)

The verdict?  This was a hard one.  The barbajuan did not turn out well at all.  The pastry was hard and very bland.  I didn't add xanthan gum, which would have helped.  I also probably didn't roll it out thin enough.  The pastry filling was tasty, and there wasn't a lot of it leftover, like there usually is with fillings.  I think the filling would have been a tasty pasta topping or a lasagna filling!  The fraise millefeuille was a disappointment too.  The puff pastry sheets worked great, but the icing never caramelized and the custard did not set in a way that we could add it to the cake.  It was incredibly runny.  So, we didn't add that part to the cake, and instead just added whipped cream and strawberries.  It was very tasty - we enjoyed it!  It was strange to put flour in the frosting, but it ended up working just fine!  We turned the custard mixture into ice cream the next night.  It was good, but the corn flour gave it a bit of a gritty taste.  So, my thought is that if we made it again as ice cream, leave out the corn flour!  Overall, we were disappointed in this country's meal, but it wasn't a total loss!

    

ME

Taste of Barbajuan (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 Barbajuan (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 Fraise Millefeuille (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

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Fraise Millefeuille (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 Guiena!

Thailand

 Welcome to Thailand!  We took a detour on our way to Monaco because we had Delightful Dad here, who loves the national dish of Thailand.  Thailand has always interested me and a place I would love to visit and take some cooking classes - I do love Thai food!  "Thai" means "free man" - Thailand has never developed a national army.  Thailand loves animals, and has an annual monkey buffet, where they set up a buffet for monkeys!  According to Google, the population of Thailand is 70.03 million people and the capital is Bangkok.  Their national dish is...

Pad Thai!

I love Pad Thai.  I have a really good recipe for it that I have been making for years, and was hesitant to make a different type.  However, we agreed that we wanted to try an authentic (or as authentic as we could find) recipe, so below is what we found.  To go with the Pad Thai, we made Thai iced tea and Thai sticky mango rice.  It didn't seem complicated to get all of these things made, but coordinating the timing of it all was a bit tricky.  Here's what we did:

PAD THAI

Sauce

5 tbsp palm sugar, chopped

3 tbsp water

4 tbsp Thai cooking tamarind

2 tbsp fish sauce

Pad Thai

4 oz dry rice noodles, medium size, soak in room temp water for 1 hour

2 tbsp dried shrimp, medium size, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 C roughly chopped shallots

Dried chili flakes, to taste

3 tbsp vegetable oil

10 medium sized shrimp

2 eggs

2 1/2 C bean sprouts

7-10 stalks garlic chives, cut into 2” pieces

1 lime

1. 1.  To make the sauce, add palm sugar to a small pot and melt over medium heat. 
2. 2.  Once the sugar is melting, keep stirring until it darkens in color.
3. 3.  Immediately add water, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. The sugar will harden immediately and this is okay.
4. 4.  Bring sauce to a simmer, then turn off heat. 
5. 5.  The hardened sugar will not have dissolved at this point, but let it sit while you prep other ingredients and it should be dissolved by the time you need it. 
6. 6.  In a bowl, combine garlic, shallots, dried shrimp, and chili flakes.
7. 7.  Heat a large skillet over high heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom. 
8. 8.  Sear shrimp until done and remove them from pan.
9. 9.  In the same skillet over medium heat, add a little more oil if needed, then add everything in the bowl and sauté for a few minutes until garlic starts to turn golden and shallots are wilted. 
10. 10.  Add more oil if the skillet looks dry.
11. 11.  Turn heat up to high then add noodles and sauce. 
12. 12.  Keep tossing until all the sauce is absorbed.
13. 13.  Once sauce is absorbed, you can turn off the heat and taste the noodles for doneness. If they're still undercooked, add a little more water and continue cooking.
14. 14.  Once noodles are done, push them to one side of the pan. 
15. 15.  Add a little extra oil to the empty space and add eggs. 
16. 16.  Break the yolks, then put noodles on top of eggs and cook for about 30 seconds. 
17. 17.  Flip and toss to mix eggs into noodles. 
18. 18.  Toss the cooked protein back in, plus any collected juices. 
19. 19.  Then add bean sprouts and garlic chives. 
20. 20.  Turn off the heat and toss until well mixed.
21. 21.  Serve immediately with a lime wedge. 
22. 22.  Enjoy!

(Source: Pad Thai)

THAI ICED TEA

2 black tea bags

1 pod star anise

2 pods cardamom

1/2 cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 C boiling water

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp evaporated milk

1. 1.  Steep tea, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, and almond extract in boiling water for five minutes.
2. 2.  Strain the mixture with a fine-mesh strainer.
3. 3.  Stir in sugar and sweetened condensed milk until both are completely dissolved.
4. 4.  Fill 2 tall glasses with ice. 
5. 5.  Pour the tea over the ice, leaving an inch or so of space at the top for the evaporated milk.
6. 6.  Top up with more ice if needed, and then drizzle with evaporated milk on each glass of tea.
7. 7.  Enjoy!

(Source: Thai Iced Tea)

THAI MANGO STICKY RICE

1 C glutinous rice

1 C coconut milk

3 tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 ripe yellow mango, peeled and sliced

1. 1.  Soak the rice in room-temperature water for one hour.
2. 2.  Strain and rinse rice to remove extra starch.
3. 3.  Bring 2 C water to a boil, and add the rice.
4. 4.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.
5. 5.  While the rice is cooking, put coconut milk, sugar, and salt into a small pan and warm over medium heat.
6. 6.  Once the rice is cooked through with no hard, raw bits in the middle of the grains, transfer to a mixing bowl. 
7. 7.  Slowly pour the warm coconut milk mixture over the cooked rice, stirring frequently to coat the rice in the coconut milk mixture, but watching so that you are not oversaturating the rice to the point that there are puddles of coconut milk. 
8. 8.  Continue stirring and stop adding the sweetened coconut milk once it looks like the rice is saturated. 
9. 9.  Set the rice aside for 20 minutes to finish absorbing the coconut milk.
10. 10.  Keep the remaining coconut mixture for later.
11. 11.  When the rice has absorbed the coconut mixture, spoon a helping on a small plate. 
12. 12.  Add mango slices to the side, and top with extra coconut mixture.
13. 13.  Serve room temperature, and enjoy!

(Source: Thai Mango Sticky Rice)

The verdict?  We liked my other Pad Thai recipe better.  This one was good, but not as good.  I didn't like the dried shrimp in this recipe - it was very chewy and very fishy.  Handsome Husband didn't mind it so much, but I picked mine out.  The sauce was more of a sour sauce, but with the noodles, it mellowed it out quite a bit.  I missed the lime taste that is in my recipe.  The recipe also called for peanuts, but we chose to skip them due to allergies around the table.  The sticky rice was not my favorite either.  The texture was gummy or mushy - I'm not really sure what to call it.  The coconut topping helped, but still not my favorite.  The mangos, however, were delicious!  The tea wasn't what I expected either.  I typically don't like Thai iced tea, but this one was good.  It had a lot of interesting flavors.  We all agreed that there was too much of an almond flavor, so if we make it again, we would cut down on the almond extract.  I also think I would use half and half instead of evaporated milk, so that it's not as sweet.  Overall, it was a decent meal, but not one that we will make again.  At least not with this recipe...

   

ME

Taste of Pad Thai (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 Pad Thai (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

ME

Taste of Thai Mango Sticky Rice (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): 4

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Thai Mango Sticky Rice (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 Thai Iced Tea (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 Thai Iced Tea (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

Next time, we REALLY WILL go to Monaco!  Hope you join us there!

United Kingdom

 Welcome to the United Kingdom!  Another bucket list country - it is just filled with so much history.  Especially history with the United States.  It is hard to remember, sometimes, that the United Kingdom (UK) includes Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, not JUST England.  It is estimated that 100 million cups of tea are consumed every day in the UK.  Golf was started in Scotland, and is considered the national sport.  The Union Jack (the flag) is a combination of elements of the flag of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.  When we found out what their national dish is, we were shocked.  More on that down below.  According to Google, the population is 68.75 million people and the capital is London.  The national dish is...

Tika Masala!

I'm sorry, what?  Isn't it something like fish and chips?  Beef wellington? Roast beef dinner?  It is said to be tika masala because there is a wide variety of cultures in the United Kingdom.  I was so surprised.  To go along with the tika masala, we made a dessert called Eaton Mess.  That at least SOUNDED more like it belonged in the UK...So I gathered my Indian spices, my fresh berries, and went to work.  Here's what I did:

TIKA MASALA

For the chicken tikka:

2 lbs chiken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp ginger, peeled and zested

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

3/4 tsp chili powder

6 tbsp whipping cream

1/2 tsp garam masala

3 tbsp avocado oil

For the masala:

4 tbsp avocado oil

1 onion, halved and finely sliced

1 tbsp ginger, peeled and zested

5-6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

4 tbsp yogurt

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 1/2 C chicken stock

1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp garam masala

4 tbsp chopped cilantro

1. 1. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add salt, lemon juice, spices, cream, and garam masala. 
2. 2. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 6-8 hours. 
3. 3.To make the masala, pour the 4 tablespoons of oil into a large pan and set it over a medium-high heat. 
4. 4. When the oil is hot, put in the onions, stir and fry until they brown, six or seven minutes. 
5. 5. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to fry, stirring, for a minute. 
6. 6. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, chili powder and paprika and stir for 10 seconds, then add a tablespoon of the yogurt. 
7. 7. Stir and fry until it is absorbed and add the remaining yogurt in this way, a tablespoon at a time.
8. 8. Add the tomatoes and fry them for three or four minutes, or until they turn pulpy. 
9. 9. Add the stock and salt and bring to a simmer. 
10. 10. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. The sauce should turn thick. 
11. 11. Stir in the garam masala and cilantro leaves, taste for balance of seasonings and add more salt if you need it.
12. 12. Shortly before you eat, preheat the grill to its highest setting. 
13. 13. Thread the chicken on to two to four large skewers.
14. 14. Grill until the chicken is cooked through. 
15. 15. Remove from the grill and take the chicken off the skewers.  
16. 16. Add the chicken to the masala, stir to combine, and serve over rice.
17. 17. Enjoy!

(Source: Tika Masala)

ETON MESS

1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp sugar

2 cups meringue cookies

3 cups strawberries

1. 1. In a stand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until you get stiff peaks.
2. 2. Break the meringue cookies into bite-sized pieces and add them directly to the whipped cream.
3. 3. Slice the strawberries into small pieces and set half of them aside. 
4. 4. Using a fork, mash the other half of the strawberries in a small bowl.
5. 5. Add the mashed strawberries to the cream and stir to combine everything together.
6. 6. Spoon the eton mess into individual cups or into a large serving bowl. 
7. 7. Top with the remaining strawberries and a sprinkle of sugar.
8. 8. Enjoy!

(Source: Eton Mess)

The verdict?  This was a delicious meal.  Every aspect of it!  The tika masala was delicious, and the chicken was so tender.  There was a lot of flavor in the sauce and the chicken - we were very impressed.  The ginger gave it a bite that made it taste almost spicy, but honestly, we wouldn't change it.  The sauce never thickened like the recipe said it should.  I think if I were to make it again, I would add a bit more of every spice and then add some heavy cream - that may help? But seriously, this was a delicious dinner.  The Eton mess was great as well!  It was strange not adding any sugar to the whipped cream as it was whipping, but honestly it didn't need any extra sweetness because of the strawberries and meringues.  Those meringues gave the dessert a very interesting texture, but it was very welcome.  It truly was very good!  It has already been requested again!  I'd call that a success!

  

ME

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

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

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

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Tika Masala (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

ME

Taste of Eton Mess (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

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 Eton Mess (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

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

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

We hoped you enjoyed the United Kingdom!  Join us next time in Monaco!

Costa Rica

 Welcome to Costa Rica!  This is another place we would love to visit, but are a little concerned about the humidity and the heat.  The pictures I have seen from friends who have visited are incredible, so we could probably handle the heat for a bit of time...There are 121 volcanos in Costa Rica, and 7 are active.  It has more than 500,000 species of plants and animals, which makes it one of the most biodiverse places in the world.  According to Google, the population is 5.3 million people and the capital is San Jose.  Their national dish is...

Gallo Pinto

Rice and beans.  When I could eat beans, this was one of my favorite combinations.  I miss it!  So, to go with gallo pinto, we made Casado, which is a more inclusive dish with several additional items.  This dish had several different elements, which was tricky to time so everything was completed together.  So find yourself a Spectacular Sister to help with the cooking - it really helps.  Here's what we did:

GALLO PINTO

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 C cooked black beans, liquid reserved

1/4 C Salsa Lizano

3 C cooked rice

1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro

1. 1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. 
2. 2.  Sauté chopped bell pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. 
3. 3.   Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. 4.  Add black beans, all reserved cooking liquid, and Salsa Lizano, stirring to combine. 
5. 5.  Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and a little bit of the liquid is evaporated. 
6. 6.  Gently stir in cooked rice and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes.
7. 7.  Stir in chopped cilantro. 
8. 8.  Season to taste with additional Salsa Lizano, if desired, and serve.
9. 9.  Enjoy!

(Source: Gallo Pinto)

CASADO

4 chicken thighs

1 tbsp coriander

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp sea salt

Pepper, to taste

1 tbsp avocado oil

2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces

1 C avocado oil

1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 tomato, sliced

1 carrot, grated

Salad dressing

Gallo pinto

4 Eggs, Fried

1 Cup queso fresco, sliced

1. 1.  In a small bowl blend spices together. 
2. 2.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. 
3. 3.  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice blend. 
4. 4.  Cook on each side for 4 minutes or until cooked through.
5. 5.  In a large skillet pour about 1" of oil. 
6. 6.  Heat oil over high heat. 
7. 7.  Place plantain sections in oil and cook until golden brown. 
8. 8.  Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
9. 9.  Prepare the salad by combining the lettuce, grated carrot and tomato slices. 
10. 10. Season with salt, pepper and dressing, set aside.
11. 11. Lastly, fry the eggs.
12. 12. When everything is ready to serve each plate will get one chicken thigh, with a serving of fried plantains to the side, followed by salad, rice, beans, one fried egg and some slices of queso fresco.
13. 13.  Enjoy!

(Source: Casado)

COSTA RICAN OATMEAL COOKIES

200 g brown sugar

250 g softened butter

2 egg whites

300 g gluten free flour

200 g oats

90 g chocolate chips

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1. 1.  Beat butter, sugar and egg whites for a couple of minutes until fluffy. 
2. 2.  Add vanilla. 
3. 3.  In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. 
4. 4.  Mix just until combined. 
5. 5.  Preheat oven to 375 F. 
6. 6.  Scoop cookie dough onto a lined baking tray. 
7. 7.  Bake for 12 minutes, take out of the oven and let cool completely before storing them.
8. 8.  Enjoy!

(Source: Costa Rican Oatmeal Cookies)

The verdict?  I will have to let Handsome Husband tell you how the gallo pinto was.  I kept some rice aside for myself to eat with the casado.  Overall, the casado was delicious.  I even enjoyed the plantains!  I made some extra lizano, and it was delicious on the rice and chicken.  We haven't been disappointed by Central and South American cuisines, and this one was added to the list.  The Nifty Niece even said that this was a "must make again!".   Guess we will have to! The cookies were delicious.  The hint of cinnamon and chili powder were such an amazing addition to the flavors.  Handsome Husband declared them some of the best chocolate chip cookies he has ever had!  We will definitely make these again!

The gallo pinto was pretty standard. Not to say it wasn't good, because there is something about beans and rice that is just inherently tasty... which probably accounts for why we have seen that several times as a national dish, and I'm never disappointed to see it on the menu!

Oh, and the cookies were indeed fantastic, and a repeat has been requested for tomorrow.

    

ME

Taste of Gallo Pinto (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): NA

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

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

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Gallo Pinto (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

ME

Taste of Casada (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 Casada (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

ME

Taste of Costa Rican Oatmeal Cookies (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 Costa Rican Oatmeal Cookies (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

Hope you enjoyed reading about Costa Rica.  Join us next time in Rwanda! 

Grenada

 Welcome to Grenada!  A neighbor to our last country, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada is another country in the Caribbean.  It is known as the "Island of Spice", and exports many spices.  It is the second largest producer of Nutmeg (second to Indonesia!).  Grenada is also home to the first underwater sculpture museum - interesting!  According to Google, Grenada has a population of 117,000 people and the capital is St. George.  Their national dish is...

Oil Down!

Sounds appetizing, right?  I have to admit, I wasn't too excited to try this meal.  I found a couple other dishes to make too: Nutmeg Chicken and Nutmeg Ice Cream!  Since I had leftover breadfruit from St. Vincent and Grenadines, and Oil Down has breadfruit, I figured why not.  We did this country over two days, and I'm glad we did!  The ice cream took a little bit of planning ahead, but the chicken and Oil Down were quick, easy meals.  Here's what I did:

OIL DOWN

1 breadfruit

1 whole hot green pepper (I used Ancho)

1 tsp thyme

1/2 oz saffron

2 tbsp curry powder

12 oz salted meat (I used spam)

6 C coconut milk

4 C spinach

Salt, to taste

1. 1. Cut the breadfruit into slices about 1 1/2 inches thick
2. 2. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and place them in the bottom of a large pot
3. 3. Arrange the breadfruit over the meat
4. 4. Add the seasonings and coconut milk
5. 5. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil
6. 6. Add spinach to the pot.
7. 7. Cook until the breadfruit is tender and the liquid has mostly absorbed (about 30 minutes)
8. 8. Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Oil Down)

NUTMEG CHICKEN

Nutmeg syrup

1/3 C sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 C gluten free soy sauce

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1 C water

1/2 tbsp tapioca starch

Chicken

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 lb chicken thighs

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1. 1. Place the chicken in a medium sized bowl and season with the poultry seasoning, salt, thyme and back pepper, and set aside
2. 2. Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and chili flakes in a saucepan
3. 3. Mix the gluten free soy sauce, maple syrup, water and tapioca starch together then pour it into the saucepan
4. 4. Bring the saucepan to a boil, and reduce to a simmer while stirring for 5 minutes; then set aside
5. 5. Meanwhile heat the oil on medium heat
6. 6. Proceed to sauté the garlic and onion until soft and translucent
7. 7. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan and proceed to cook the chicken until just white (it won't be cooked all the way.  Also, make sure there is no water or liquid in the pan before the next step)
8. 8. Pour the nutmeg syrup all over the chicken and bring to a rolling boil
9. 9. Reduce the flame to medium-low, cover the pan with lid and occasionally baste the chicken throughout the 20-25 minute cooking time
10. 10. If you are left with excess liquid and want the syrup to adhere to the chicken increase heat to high and allow the liquid to evaporate and stick to the chicken (be careful not to burn the chicken)
11. 11. Enjoy with rice!

(Source: Nutmeg Chicken)

NUTMEG ICE CREAM

1 1/2 C milk

1 1/2 C heavy cream

3 eggs

3/4 C sugar

1 tbsp fresh nutmeg; grated (about 1 whole nutmeg)

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1. 1. In a saucepan bring the milk and the cream to almost boiling - do not let it boil - then turn off the heat
2. 2. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla
3. 3. Whisk 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk that mixture into the remaining milk mixture
4. 4. Cook the custard over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it registers 175 F on a candy thermometer
5. 5. Transfer the custard to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir it until it is cold
6. 6. Freeze the custard in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions
7. 7. Enjoy

(Source: Nutmeg Ice Cream)

The verdict?  So many thoughts on this one.  Let's start with Oil Down.  I didn't think this meal was anything special at first.  It was OK to eat, but nothing to write home about.  But then we hit the sauce.  The sauce was GOOD.  It was delicious on the breadfruit.  We didn't taste the spam in the dish at all.  If I were to make it again, I would cut the breadfruit into smaller, bite-sized pieces, and make more sauce (double the recipe, except for the breadfruit, spinach, and salt meat).  The more we ate the dish, the better we liked it.  The nutmeg chicken was delicious.  I didn't know what to expect with it, but it was so good.  It was a warming meal - like something you would eat in the fall or winter.  When I make it again, I won't put as much sugar in - I would probably only do half the sugar it calls for.  I would also chunk the meat instead of leaving it whole.  The ice cream was interesting.  It really reminded me of the Christmas cookies that my sister makes each Christmas - it was good!  Rich, but good.  

 

ME

Taste of Oil Down (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 Oil Down (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

ME

Taste of Nutmeg Chicken (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): 8

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Nutmeg Chicken (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

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

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

ME

Taste of Nutmeg Ice 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): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Nutmeg Ice 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): 7

Hope you enjoyed Grenada!  Join us next time in a mystery country!

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!

Norway

 Welcome to Norway!  I had every intention of completing this during the Olympics, since Norway dominated the medals!  However, life happened, and here we are. The pictures of Norway remind me of my time in Alaska.  It looks absolutely beautiful there!  The cheese slicer was invented in Norway in 1925 (thank you, Norway!) and it is home to the longest road tunnel, which is 15 miles long!  Norway is also the worlds largest exporter of salmon (sorry Alaska!).  According to Google, the population of Norway is 5.4 million people and the capital is Oslo.  Their national dish is...

Fårikål!

It is a lamb and cabbage stew - very simple meal.  For dessert, we made Kvæfjordkake, which is said to be the world's best cake.  We'll see!  I was very interested to see how this meal was: I am not a fan of lamb, and wasn't sure how it was going to taste after cooking and stewing.  We only had to wait three hours for the stew (had to start way earlier for the cake!).  Here's what we did:

FARIKAL

4 1/2 lbs lamb meat, cut into large pieces

1/2 C gluten free flour

1 1/4 C water

1 large cabbage, cut into large wedges.

5 tsp whole black peppercorns

3 tsp salt

Potatoes

Butter, as garnish

1. In a large bowl, mix together the lamb meat and flour. The flour will help thicken the stew just a bit as it cooks.
2. Pour the water into a large pot. 
3. Place a layer of the floured lamb on the bottom, followed by a layer of cabbage. 
4. Add some peppercorns and salt. Repeat this process until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a final layer of cabbage on top. The volume should be about 1 part meat to 4 parts cabbage.
5. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. 
6. Turn the heat to low and slowly cook until the meat is tender and pulls apart from the bone easily, around 2 hours. 
7. Serve warm with freshly boiled potatoes and a knob of butter.
8. Enjoy!

(Source: Farikal)

KVAEFJORDKAKE

For the cake:

1/2 C butter

1/2 C plus 2 tbsp sugar

4 egg yolks

4 tbsp milk

1 1/4 C gluten free flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

For the meringue:

4 egg whites

1 C sugar

1/2 C sliced almonds

For the vanilla custard:

1/4 C sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp corn starch

2 C milk

1 tsp vanilla

For the whipped cream:

1 1/4 C heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F
2. Make the custard by whisking together the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. 
3. Add the cornstarch and blend until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. 
4. Place the milk in a saucepan and add the vanilla. 
5. Heat the milk to almost boiling, without letting it boil. 
6. Take it off the heat. 
7. Steadily and slowly, add the milk to the bowl with the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid any cooking of the eggs. 
8. When you have mixed everything together, pour it back into the saucepan and return to the stove. Over medium heat, cook the mixture until it has thickened, stirring constantly. 
9. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. 
10. In a large stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. 
11. Add the egg yolks one at a time, while whisking.
12. Add in the milk and vanilla. 
13. Add flour and baking powder to the mixture, whisking until combined. The batter will be somewhat thick.
14. Grease a 12 x 16-inch rimmed baking sheet. 
15. Cover with a piece of baking parchment, pressing the parchment so it sticks well to the baking sheet. 
16. Gently spread the batter evenly and thinly across the baking sheet, as far to the edges as possible, with a rubber spatula while maintaining a rectangular shape. The batter is quite thick and sticky, but it will spread out with a little patience (and because greasing the baking sheet earlier means the parchment paper won’t move around). 
17. In a clean stand mixer, whisk together the egg whites until foamy. 
18. Add the sugar a little at a time and continue to whisk until glossy, stiff peaks form. 
19. Gently pour the meringue evenly over the batter and spread with a rubber spatula. 
20. Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly across the meringue. 
21. Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the meringue is dry and lightly golden. 
22. Remove and set aside to cool.
23. In a stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. 
24. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard.
25.  When the cake has cooled, lift it out with the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. 
26. Cut the cake in half. 
27. Take one half and peel it from the parchment paper. 
28. Gently turn it, taking caution not to break the cake, over on a serving tray so the meringue side is facing downwards. 
29. Spread all of the custard cream over the cake and gently place the remaining half on top, with the meringue side up.
30. Best to chill for an hour or so before serving, but this is not necessary. 
31. Serve with fresh fruits, such as strawberries.
32. Enjoy!

(Source: Kvæfjordkake)

The verdict?  Wowza!  We were impressed!  This stew was so simple with 5 ingredients, but had so much flavor.  It smelled like corned beef and cabbage cooking all afternoon!  But yes, this stew was so good on a cold day.  When I make it again (because we will make it again!), I would cut the meat into smaller pieces to make them easier to eat.  The Kvæfjordkake was OK.  It wasn't my favorite, but it was fine.  I think there was too much whipped cream in the custard - I would have cut the whipped cream in half if I did it again.  The custard and cream also just smooshed out of the cake when you cut it to eat it.  The flavor was OK, just not anything great.

     

ME

Taste of Fårikål (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): 8

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Fårikål (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 Kvæfjordkake (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 Kvæfjordkake (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

Another country down!  Join us next time in Uzbekistan!

Singapre

 Welcome to Singapore!  This is a country that, when I think of it, I think something like the jungles of Thailand, not the infrastructure of Abu Dabi!  But Singapore has lots of high-rises and is a huge city.  Singapore is the only island-city-state in the world: this means the whole country is basically just one big city, without a capital. It is one of only three surviving city-states in the world. The other two are Monaco and Vatican City. It is home to the largest indoor waterfall in the world, and the pictures are stunning.  It's in one of the airports, so maybe a trip to Singapore is in the cards?  There are several more things about Singapore that I could add here, but I think maybe we should just go and see for ourselves...  According to Google, the population of Singapore is 5.3 million people and the capital is Singapore (see above for the explanation :-) ).  Their national dish is...

Hainanese Chicken and Rice!

It looked simple enough...but there were lots of little steps to this meal.  And who doesn't love chicken and rice? It's a classic!  To go along with the Hainanese chicken and rice, we made Mango Sago, which is like a mango tapioca pudding-like dish.  Here's what we did:

HAINANESE CHICKEN AND RICE

For the Chicken

1 whole chicken

1/4 C salt for exfoliating (the salt is for cleaning the chicken, this is not consumed)

4 inch section of fresh ginger peeled and cut into 1/4'' slices

4 cloves garlic

2 stalks green onion cut into 1" sections (both green and white parts)

1 tbsp sesame oil

For the Rice

2 tbsp avocado oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 shallot, minced

1 inch section of ginger, finely minced

2 C rice

2 C reserved chicken poaching broth

1/2 tsp sesame oil

For the Chili Sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp reserved chicken poaching broth

2 tsp sugar

4 tbsp sriracha chili sauce

4 cloves garlic

1 inch section of ginger, peeled

For the Ginger Garlic Sauce

4 tbsp avocado oil

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp rice vinegar

COOK THE CHICKEN: 

1. Boil a large pot of water. 
2. Clean the chicken by exfoliating with kosher or coarse salt. Rinse chicken well, inside and outside.
3. When water is at a hard boil, add the chicken. 
4. Return to hard boil, let scum come to the surface. 
5. Boil for 5 minutes. Discard all the water, including the scum.
6. Refill pot with clean water to cover the chicken by 1-inch, and add in the garlic, green onion and ginger. 
7. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then immediately turn the heat to low to keep a simmer.
8. Cook for about 30 minutes more.
9. The chicken is done when it reaches 160 degrees.  The chicken will continue to cook to 165F during rest.
10. When the chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner.
11. Immediately lift and transfer the chicken into a bath of ice water to cool. The quick cooling will stop the cooking process, keeping the meat soft and tender. 
12. After cooling, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub the sesame oil all over the chicken. This will help prevent the chicken from drying out.

SEASON SOUP: 

1. Discard the garlic, ginger and green onion. Season the soup with salt to taste.

COOK THE RICE: 

1. In a pot, heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil over medium-high heat. 
2. When hot, add the ginger, shallots and the garlic and fry until your kitchen smells like heaven. 
3. Add in the uncooked rice and stir to coat, cook for an additional minute. 
4. Add the sesame oil, mix well.
5. Add 2 cups of your reserved poaching broth and bring to a boil. 
6. Immediately turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. 
7. Remove from heat and let sit (with lid still on) for 5-10 minutes more.
8. While the rice is cooking, make the sauces and carve the chicken for serving.

MAKE SAUCES: 

1. To make the chili sauce: Blend your chili sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth and bright red.
2. To make the ginger garlic sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the cooking oil until very hot, when you start seeing wisps of smoke. 
3. Turn off heat. 
4. Immediately add garlic and ginger and let it sizzle for a few seconds. 
5. Once it settles, stir in salt and vinegar.
6. Serve all together and enjoy!

(Source: Hainanese Chicken and Rice)

MANGO SAGO

1 large ripe mango

1/4 C Sago pearls, medium size

1/2 C condensed milk

1 tbsp sugar

1 C milk

1. Cook the sago pearls according to the package directions, until they turn transparent and gets cooked.
2. Drain the cooked sago pearls and wash again under the running water, this removes additional starch.
3. Peel and chop mango into small pieces.
4. Reserve 1/4 cup of pieces for usage later.
5. Boil milk until it is reduced to half and cool the milk.
6. Grind the cooled milk, mango pieces, condensed milk and sugar to a smooth puree in a blender. 
7. Now mix the pureed mango mixture with the cooked and washed sago pearls to a uniform mixture.
8. The consistency should be slightly thick.
9. Add reserved mango pieces, mix, and pour into individual bowls and garnish with few mango pieces and chill it for 2-3 hrs.
10. Enjoy!

(Source: Mango Sago)

The verdict?  This dish was a bit underwhelming.  We expected a lot more flavor, with this meal being from Singapore.  But it wasn't exciting at all.  It tasted like plain chicken and rice.  However, the garlic ginger sauce was delicious.  We put that on everything, and it helped make it better.  We were not impressed with the mango sago either.  The flavors were strange: it tasted like an artificially sweet mango.  Then you add the textures of the sago pearls, and it was just off.  We ended up throwing it out.  I wonder if you liked tapioca pudding if you would like this.  Overall, underwhelming dish.  

 

ME

Taste of Hainanese Chicken and Rice (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): 4

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Hainanese Chicken and Rice (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 Mango Sago (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): 4

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Mango Sago (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

Another country in the books!  Join us next time as we eat in Cameroon!