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!

Albania

 Welcome to Albania!  Albania is considered a Balkin country, even though it is independent.  They are known to be relatively bad drivers, since most cars didn't come into the country until the early 1990s.  They also serve coffee that is very thick - like Turkish coffee!  The pictures look beautiful - maybe somewhere to check out in the future!  According to Google, the population of Albania is 2.55 million people and the capital is Tirana.  Their national dish is...

Tavë Kosi!

It's a soured milk casserole.  Sounds appetizing, right?  I will apologize ahead of time that the recipe is in grams and milliliters - I didn't convert it to metric when I cooked it, so this is true to the original recipe.  To go with the Tavë Kosi, we made Byrek, which is a filo dough-stuffed finger food.  This one was going to be tricky, because I could not find gluten free filo dough anywhere.  So, what's a girl to do but make her own!  I used this recipe (I'm not going to write it out).  This was a fragrant meal to make, even though there weren't many spices, which was strange.  Here's what we did:

TAVE KOSI

Lamb

600g Diced Lamb 

20g Butter

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

70g Rice

2 Tsp Oregano

450ml Boiling Water

2 Cloves Diced Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Roux

50g Butter

2 Tbsp Flour

Yogurt

750g Sour cream

6 Eggs

Salt

Pepper

1. 1.  In a large pan, melt the butter and olive oil together then add the diced lamb. 
2. 2.  Brown the lamb on a medium heat, this will take around 5 minutes.
3. 3.  Add the garlic, oregano, 300ml of water and season with salt and pepper. 
4. 4.  Mix well before covering with a lid. 
5. 5.  Leave to simmer for 50 minutes mixing a couple of times ensuring the lamb doesn’t start to burn.
6. 6.  Add the rice.  The juices should have nearly all boiled away so another 150ml of water should be added along with the rice. 
7. 7.  Mix altogether, bring to a boil, place the lid on and leave for just 10 minutes. It’s advised to check at around 8 minutes – you want the liquid to be evaporated with just a moist coating of oily water left over the lamb and rice.
8. 8.  Place the lamb and rice into a casserole dish, the mixture should fully cover the base and have at least 2 inches spare for the yogurt. 
9. 9.  In a small saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat and then add two tablespoons of flour while continuously stirring for two minutes. 
10. 10.  Pour the roux into a bowl and keep to one side.
11. 11.  In a mixing bowl add the sour cream, eggs, and season with salt and pepper. 
12. 12.  Mix together then add the roux continuing to mix fast for a minute to ensure the roux and yogurt are thoroughly combined.
13. 13.  Pour the yogurt mixture over the baked lamb and rice and sprinkle on a little oregano.
14. 14.  Place on the bottom shelf of the oven on 356 degrees for 35 minutes then move it up to the middle for a further 10 minutes. 
15. 15.  The Tavë kosi is ready when the yogurt has risen up high and a golden crust formed.
16. 16.  Leave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
17. 17.  Enjoy!

(Source: Tave Kosi)

BYREK

1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed

1 tbsp avocado oil

4 green onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, grated

7 oz feta (the block in brine, not pre-crumbled)

1 C full-fat cottage cheese

1/2 C sour cream 

2 small eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

Phyllo

1 packet filo dough

4-5 tbsp oil, for brushing the dough

1. 1.  Defrost the spinach and squeeze out the excess moisture.
2. 2.  Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
3. 3.  Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. 4.  Sauté green onions: Finely chop them. Heat the oil and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes until slightly softer.
5. 5.  Mix the green onions, spinach, grated garlic, crumbled feta, cottage cheese, sour cream, and eggs thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. 6.  Place one sheet of filo pastry on the working surface and brush it with oil. 
7. 7.  Layer two more sheets on top, brushing each with oil. 
8. 8.  Cut the filo sheets into 16 rectangles 6x7 inches.
9. 9.  Place a heaping tablespoon of filling on the bottom of each rectangle. 
10. 10.  Fold the long sides of the filo over the filling, then fold the bottom edge over it as well.
11. 11.  Roll up the pastry starting from the bottom. 
12. 12.  Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. 
13. 13.  Brush them with the remaining oil.
14. 14.  Bake the rolls for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 
15. 15.  Let them cool slightly (5-10 minutes) before serving. You can also serve them at room temperature.
16. 16.  Enjoy!

(Source: Byrek)

The verdict?  The Tave Kosi was really good!  It took a few bites for us to decide if we liked it, since the textures were very strange.  But we all agreed that this was a delicious meal.  The Nifty Niece and Nephew really enjoyed the lamb, which turned out to be AMAZINGLY tender, but not the rice or yogurt souffle.  The Super Sister loved the souffle part. And the rice part was very flavorful, but there wasn't very much of it.  We decided that we needed to make this meal again, but next time we would add more rice, and maybe see how beef stew meat is instead of lamb.  We would probably add more meat too, to make it chunkier.  The byrek was a disappointment.  I think part of that was because of the homemade filo dough - it wasn't super.  They were really hard to fold, and it didn't seem like enough of the filling in each byrek.  It also made a TON of extra filling.  We're going to try making them with rice paper wrappers with the rest of the filling.  That should be an interesting experiment.  Overall, it was a good main meal, but not a good appetizer.  

   

    

ME

Taste of Tave Kosi (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

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Tavi Kosi (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 Byrek (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): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Byrek (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

Hope you enjoyed reading about Albania!  Join us next time in the United Kingdom!

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! 

Syria

 Welcome to Syria!  Syria gained its independence from France in 1946 after WWII.  Syria is home to the oldest library in the world -- in 1974, the ancient city of Ebla was discovered along with around 1,800 clay tablets dating from around 3,000 BC. Syrians are some of the lightest drinkers in the world: the average Syrian consumes just 0.1 liters of alcohol per year.  According to Google, the population of Syria is 24.26 million people and the capital is Damascus.  Their national dish is...

Kibbeh!

They look like little footballs!  However, to make kibbeh, you need to use bulger wheat, which I cannot eat. So it was off to the recipes to find something to make with the kibbeh.  We found Batata Harra (which is a spicy potato), Syrian Salad, and Fattet Djaj, which is a chicken and rice dish.  It was a very full, busy kitchen, but the smells were wonderful.  I did the prep over two days, just to make it easier on myself.  Here's what I did:

KIBBEH

For the shell:

1 lb bulgur wheat

1 1/2 C cold water.

1/2 lb ground beef

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 C onion, diced

1 C plus 2 tbsp water

For the filling:

2 tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

1 lb ground beef

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1/3 C pine nuts

Iced water for shaping and forming

Oil for frying

1. 1. In a deep bowl, add bulgur wheat and pour water over, cover and let it soak for 30 minutes.
2. 2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add oil and sauté onions until translucent.
3. 3. Add the ground meat and stir until it is browned. 
4. 5. Add the seasoning, mix well.
5. 6. Turn heat off and stir in the pine nuts.
6. 7. Add the onion, ground beef, salt and pepper to the bulgur wheat and combine well.
7. 8. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of food processor in batches, adding a couple of tablespoons of water and processing until mixed each time. 
8. 9. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes.
9. 10. Fill a measuring cup with cold water and add some ice (this is for when you roll the kibbeh).
10. 11. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper and set next to you.
11. 12. Lightly dip your hands in the cold water and take about 3 Tablespoons of the shell mixture then roll into a ball the size of a golf ball.
12. 13. Place the ball in your left hand and using the index finger of the other hand poke a small hole in one end of the ball reaching to the middle of the ball.
13. 14. Gently roll the ball into your left hand while pressing your index finger in a circular motion.
14. Keep doing this until the hole is bigger; make sure not to press too hard on the walls of the kibbeh or it might break or tear.
15. 15. Now take about 3/4 teaspoon of the filling and fill the hole of the kibbeh, do not overstuff.
16. 16. Close the end of the kibbeh by pinching the end together, make sure to dip your fingers in the iced water every now and then.
17. 17. Place the kibbeh on the baking sheet and continue until the whole batch is done.
18. 18. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour,
19. 19. In a deep frying pan add oil enough to cover the kibbeh when put in it.
20. 20. Heat oil on medium-high , between 355F-375F. 
21. 21. Add cold kibbeh and fry for 4 minutes until dark brown.
22. 22. Transfer the Kibbeh to a plate lined with paper towel.
23. 23. Continue until you are done with them all.
24. 24. Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Kibbeh)

BATATA HARRA

2 lbs potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes or baby potatoes

3/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tbsp avocado oil

Cilantro Sauce

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cayenne 

1/2 C cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp lemon juice

1. 
   
2. 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. 2. Pat the 2 lbs potatoes dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel until they're completely dry.
4. 3. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika in a medium bowl. 
5. 4. Stir in the avocado oil to make a paste.
6. 5. Add the potatoes to the spice mix and coat evenly until every surface is covered.
7. 6. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with oil.
8. 7. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
9. 8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and golden in color. 
10. 9. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish.
11. 10. In a small saucepan, saute garlic in avocado oil over medium heat. 
12. 11. Turn the heat down to low and add cayenne and stir briefly. 
13. 12. Stir in cilantro, paprika, and lemon juice. 
14. 13. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
15. 14. Add cilantro garlic sauce to the potatoes. 
16. 15. Stir all ingredients together and serve immediately as a side dish or appetizer.

(Source: Batata Harra)

SYRIAN SALAD WITH ZA'ATAR VINAIGRETTE

4 C Romaine Lettuce, chopped

1 C diced tomato

1 C diced cucumber

1/2 C thinly sliced red onion

1/4 C minced parsley

1/4 C minced fresh mint

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 C avocado oil

1/4 C lemon juice

2 tbsp za'atar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. 1. Place the first six ingredients in a large salad bowl (Romaine through mint)
2. 2. Squeeze juice of one lemon around the bowl, carefully holding your opposite hand underneath to catch the seeds.
3. 3. Using a microplane, grate the garlic directly over the salad.
4. 4. Drizzle salad with oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with za'atar. 
5. 5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. 6. Gently toss the salad together and enjoy!

(Source: Syrian Salad with Za'atar Vinaigrette)

SYRIAN FATTET DJAJ

1 rotisserie chicken, chopped

3 gluten free pita breads, cut into small squares

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 C cooked rice

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 C plain yogurt

1/4 C tahini

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 C toasted sliced almonds to garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Chopped parsley, to garnish

1. 1. Start by heating the vegetable oil, over medium heat, and frying the pita squares until golden and crispy. 
2. 2. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to soak up the extra grease and set aside.
3. 3. Prepare the sauce by combining the mashed garlic and the yogurt and whisk until smooth. 
4. 4. Add the tahini while whisking and, finally, the lime juice. 
5. 5. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.
6. 6. Make sure your shredded chicken and rice are warm before assembling the Fattet Djaj and work quickly so everything is still warm when you serve it.
7. 7. In a big casserole dish or serving platter, start with the pita squares, evenly distributed in a single layer.
8. 8. The next layer is the rice and finally 2/3 of the chicken.
9. 9. Top with the yogurt sauce and the remaining chicken and finish by sprinkling the toasted nuts, the chopped parsley and the cinnamon. 
10. 10. Serve warm and enjoy!

(Source: Syrian Fattet Djaj)

The verdict?  The Fattet Djaj was ok.  It was a very strange combination of flavors and textures.  I think it needed more seasoning and needed more sauce.  It was slightly dry unless you had a spoonful of sauce.  And the combination of the cinnamon and the yogurt made it slightly sweet, but not icky sweet.  Then you had the soft rice and chicken with the crunchy almonds.  It was a party in your mouth!  The fried pita bread at the bottom didn't add much.  I think it would have been better to fry the pitas and used them as chips and eaten the Fattet Djaj as a dip.  It was also a little bit odd that it is supposed to be served lukewarm... I'm sure the health department would have something to say about that!  The potatoes were good, but had a kick to them!  I would recommend roasting them a bit more so they are more crispy - maybe put them under the broiler for the last 5 minutes.  I didn't care much for the salad.  I think it would have been fine without all the different spices in the za'atar mix, but that's what is unique about the salad!  I think more tomatoes would have been good too :-)  I did forget to take a picture of the salad...oops!  I will let Handsome Husband tell you about the Kibbeh!

The Kibbeh was very interesting. It was firm and almost crunchy, and I had no idea that there was actually ground beef in the shell until I previewed the blog post! Very odd, but it worked! It was a little bit dry and crumbly, but the flavor was mild and nice. The savory flavors were a good addition to the rest of the meal.

    

ME

Taste of Kibbeh (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 Kibbeh (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 Batata Harra (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): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

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

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

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

ME

Taste of Syrian Salad (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): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Syrian 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): 7

ME

Taste of Fattet Djaj (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 Fattet Djaj (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 enjoyed reading about Syria.  Come with us to Costa Rica next time!

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!

Saudi Arabia

 Welcome to Saudi Arabia!  I always want to sing the opening song to Disney's "Aladdin" when I think of Saudi Arabia - no idea why.  Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East, and is the 12th largest country in the world.  Up until 2018, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world that did not allow women to drive!  95% of Saudi Arabia is desert.  No thank you.  According to Google, Saudi Arabia has a population of 37.17 million people and the capital is Riyadh.  Their national dish is...

Kabsa!

We've made something like this before in Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE. It is a chicken and rice dish, with a bunch of spices. We learned that you have to be careful when you eat it, so as not to eat the large spices or mistake the limes for chicken...It wasn't a difficult meal at all to make.  Here's what we did:

KABSA

1 1/2 C Basmati rice

1 package of chicken thighs (from Costco)

For Chicken Kabsa Base

1/2 C avocado oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 can diced tomatoes

5 tbsp Baharat spice blend

1/4 C tomato paste

2 tbsp orange zest

Salt to taste

3 1/2 C water

For Sauteing Carrots

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 large carrot, grated

Whole Spices

1 stick cinnamon

2 bay beaves

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

2 dried limes

For Garnishing

1/2 C almonds

1/4 C raisins

1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 1 hour. 
2. Soak almonds in hot water, we will be using it for garnish.
3. Heat oil in a large pan. 
4. Add in onions, garlic and salt. 
5. Sauté for 2 minutes. 
6. Add in chicken, and sear it for 5 mins on each side.
7. Add in tomatoes, baharat, tomato puree, whole spices, orange zest, dried limes, and mix well.
8. Add in water and mix well. 
9. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 mins till the chicken is cooked completely.
10. Remove the chicken and set aside.
11. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a pan, add in carrots and sauté it for 5 mins. 
12. Set this aside.
13. Add the drained basmati rice into the liquid. 
14. Add in sauteed carrots and mix well. 
15. Cook on high heat till everything comes to a boil. 
16. Cover and simmer it for 20 mins until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. 
17. Once the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork. 
18. Cover and set aside for 10 mins.
19. Set oven to broil. 
20. Line a baking tray with foil and grease it well with oil.
21. Take the cooked chicken and arrange it on a baking tray. 
22. Sprinkle the top with some more baharat and drizzle some oil over it and pop it into the oven and broil for 5 mins.
23. Spoon rice onto a serving plate, place the broiled chicken on top of rice and sprinkle with nuts. 
24. Serve and enjoy!

(Source: Kabsa

The verdict?  It smelled amazing as it was cooking, so we expected this meal to have a lot more flavor than it did.  It was just OK.  I think the chicken was way overcooked - if I did it again, I would either a) use bone-in chicken or b) not broil it.  I don't think the broiling did anything for the dish.  I would also cook the raisins and almonds in the dish.  They were very weird on top raw.  The dish also needed more salt than was called for.  I also cut the rice that the original recipe called for in half.  Three cups of rice seemed overkill.  And we have a ton of leftovers...Overall, an OK dish, but not anything great.

ME

Taste of Kabsa (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 Kabsa (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 in the books.  Can you believe we've made it through 132 countries?!  Join us next time in Denmark!

Uzbekistan

 Welcome to Uzbekistan!  Uzbekistan gained its independence in 1991 from Russia when the Soviet Union fell, so it is a fairly new country.  Uzbekistan is a combination of the Turkic words “uz” (self) and “bek” (master) and the Persian suffix “-stan” (country). This essentially translates as the “Land of the Free”.  It is also the most populated country in Central Asia.  According to Google, Uzbekistan has a population of 37.02 million people and the capital is Tashkent.  Their national dish is...

Plov!

This is also the national dish of Azerbaijan, but there were some interesting additions to this version.  It was not a difficult meal, but there are some things that I would do differently if I made it again.  It's a one-pot-wonder (who doesn't love those?!) and relatively easy to make.  Here's what I did:

PLOV

2 C Basmati rice

4 whole heads of garlic (peeled slightly and with the tops sliced off)

1/2 C avocado oil

2 lbs lamb meat (cut into 2-inch pieces)

2 large red onions (sliced into half rounds)

5 large carrots (julienned)

2 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 C dried barberries

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

5 C water (divided)

2 tbsp salt

1. Soak 2 cups of rice in warm water for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over high heat. 
4. Once it smokes, add lamb pieces and brown them for about 10 minutes, turning each piece occasionally. 
5. Add red onions to the lamb. 
6. Stirring occasionally, continue cooking until the onions soften and start to brown. 
7. Stir in the julienned carrots and cook until they soften.
8. Sprinkle in the toasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dried barberries, and whole black peppercorns. 
9. After that, place the 4 whole garlic heads into the mixture.
10. Add 2 cups of water. 
11. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. 
12. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
13. Spread rice evenly over the meat and vegetable mixture. 
14. Without stirring, immediately pour 3 cups of boiling water over the rice. 
15. Ensure that the rice is covered by about ¾ inch of water.
16. Season the pot with salt. 
17. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed (about 25-30 minutes).
18. Let the plov rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
19. Gently fluff the rice and meat mixture before serving. 
20. Serve with the whole garlic heads on top.
21. Enjoy!

(Source: Plov)

The verdict?  It was good.  We loved the garlic (you have to squeeze the garlic out, but that's a fun thing to do!) and the flavors went well together.  Like I said earlier, there are some things that I would do differently.  We thought there was way too much rice.  And then the rice was soggy at the bottom, and cooked perfectly at the top.  If I were to make it again, I would cut the rice in half and not cook it as long.  I would also stir the whole pot about halfway through cooking the rice.  We also didn't taste the barberry much at all, so I would have added more - probably around a cup of it.  However, if you only used 1 cup of rice instead of 2, maybe the 1/2 cup of barberry would have been enough.  The lamb was tender and tasted very good with this dish.  Overall, it was good!

ME

Taste of Plov (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 Plov (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 Uzbekistan!  Join us soon in Malta!