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International Recipes

Argentina Empanadas

4 cups unbleached flour
4 tbsp vegetable shortening
1/2 tbsp salt
2 onions
1 green bell pepper
1/2 kg tenderloin
1/3 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup green olives, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, minced
1 hard-boiled egg, minced
paprika
salt
crushed red pepper

Finely dice the beef.
In a medium-size frying pan, melt 2 tbsp vegetable shortening. Dice the onion, bell pepper and add to the pan. Saute over medium heat until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the diced meat. Season to taste with salt, red pepper, and paprika. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the beef turns brown on all sides.

Remove the frying pan from the heat. Mix in the egg, the raisins, the olives, and the green onions. Allow to cool until it drops to room temperature.

Brazil- Feijoada

4 1/4 lbs black beans
1 1/4 lbs dried beef
1 lb salt cured pork
1 lb bacon
1 lb smoked sausage
6 pieces dried sausage
1 piece smoked beef tongue
2 pigs ears
2 pigs tail (or equal amount of ox tail)
2 pigs trotters
1 large chopped onion
1 medium chopped onlion
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
oranges
hot peppers
rice, manioc, couscous or fried, shredded kale

Place beans and salted meats in separate bowls. Cover each with water. Keep covered with water for 24 hours; but change water every 6 hours. Put all of the ingredients into a very large cooking pan and cover with water. Add ½ orange, 3 bay leaves, 1 medium chopped onion and pepper. Cook everything over a low heat and gradually withdraw the meats as they are cooked to prevent them from becoming too soft. In a separate pan heat a tablespoon of soybean oil and fry the 6 cloves of garlic and the large chopped onion. Pour into the beans and mix well. Temporarily remove a cup of the beans and crush with a wooden spoon to thicken the sauce. Serve with white rice, manioc or fried, shredded kale along with hot peppers.

France- Cheese Fondue

12 oz. Emmental cheese, shredded
12 oz. Beaufort (or other Gruyere) cheese, shredded
12 oz. Tomme cheese
6 glasses dry white wine
1/2 glass kirsch liqueur
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
white pepper
1 or 2 loaves French bread, whole-wheat or white
1 egg

On the day before or the morning of the meal, cube the bread, and leave it out to let it dry a little.

Rub the bottom and sides of an earthenware pot or cast iron saucepan with the garlic. Pour wine into pot and place on stove over medium-high heat. Bring wine to boil, add cheese and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Before cheese is fully melted, take pot off the stove and place on a lighted fondue burner.

Chinese Pepper Steak

1 pound flank steak -- diagonally sliced
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic -- chopped
2 teaspoons ginger root -- peeled, grated
2 scallions -- chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion
2 green peppers -- sliced

Marinate steak for 15 minutes or more. Add oil to hot wok.
Swirl and stir fry garlic, ginger and scallions for 30 seconds. With slotted spoon, reserving the marinade, add half the steak and stir fry for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining steak. Add oil and stir fry onion and green peppers for 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of wok. Add marinade to center of wok and stir until thickened and bubbly. Blend in vegetables and heat thoroughly.

Germany- Sauerbraten

3 1/2 to 4 lbs. shoulder of beef
1 quart buttermilk
a few drops of lemon juice

2 cups red wine
2 cups water
1 Tbsp. salt
1 bay leaf
4 or 5 peppercorns
1 Tbsp. vinegar
3 Tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 cups Lebkuchen, broken into bits, or stale gingerbread
1/4 cup raisins

Wash and dry the meat. Place in a deep bowl, cover with the buttermilk and lemon juice, marinate in refrigerator 2 days, turning several times. Remove; wash off the buttermilk.

Place meat in a pot or kettle, add the red wine, water, salt, bayleaf, peppercorns and vinegar. Cook, covered, 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until very tender. Remove meat. Strain the stock, measuring 3 cups. Melt the butter in saucepan, stir in flour, then slowly stir in the stock, simmer until slightly thickened. Add the Lebkuchen and the raisins, cook until sauce is thickened. Add sugar to taste, if desired.

India - Naan

1 c flour
1 pk dry yeast
2 ts salt
1 c hot water
1 c buttermilk, or yogurt
1 egg, (room temp)
2 T ghee
1 T honey or sugar
2 1/2 c flour
melted (opt) ghee

If desired, you can use cornmeal or sesame or poppy seeds on the bread.

Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in water, buttermilk, egg, oil and honey. Beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft, sticky dough. Turn onto a floured surface; continue to work in flour until dough is stiff enough to knead. Knead until smooth
and elastic, but still soft (3 to 5 minutes). Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat top of dough. Cover, let rise until double in bulk (about 45 minutes). Punch dough down. Shape into 16 equal balls. Let rest 5 minutes. Roll out each ball to a 1/4-inch thick round. If desired, brush with melted butter and
sprinkle with garnishes. Set on baking sheets. Bake at 450 degrees F. for 5 to 8 minutes. NOTE: There is no second rising in this recipe so that you get flat loaves.

Mexico - Chiles Rellenos

8 to 10 7-inch green chiles (Anaheims, poblanos), roasted and peeled
3/4 pound grated mild Cheddar (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
vegetable shortening for frying
4 large egg yolks, beaten
4 large egg whites, beaten until foamy
1/4 pound grated sharp Cheddar (about 1 cup)

prepared salsa (optional)

Preheat broiler. Carefully cut a lengthwise slit in each chile and stuff with some Cheddar. Combine flour, salt, and pepper and dredge chiles. In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 inch shortening to 3750F. on a deep-fat thermometer. Fold yolks into egg whites. Working with 2 chiles at a time, using a slotted spoon, dip chiles into eggs and fry, turning occasionally, until golden, no more than a couple of minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer chiles (careful they are delicate!) to paper towels to drain. Arrange chiles on a flameproof plate and sprinkle with sharp Cheddar. Broil chiles just long enough to melt cheese and serve immediately, accompanied by salsa if desired.

Puerto Rico - Arroz con Gandules - Rice With Pigeon Peas Recipe

1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 oz. of achiote oil
3 oz. sofrito
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups of fresh or canned pigeon peas
4 oz. tomato sauce
2 cups white rice
15 green olives
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of black pepper
pinch of oregano
2 beef bouillon cubes
1oz. unsmoked salty back bacon (tocino or pancetta)

Over medium heat, bring the the achiote oil and the salted fatback to a simmer in a medium-sized saucepan until golden. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add sofrito and simmer until mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add water and remaining ingredients and stir for a bit to keep rice from sticking on bottom. Bring to boil over medium high heat then turn heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover, remove from heat and gently stir mixture. Cover and put back over heat and cook for 20 more minutes or until done.

Russia - Marinated Mushrooms

1 lb. mushrooms
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil (or olive and corn mixed)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 decent-sized clove garlic, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2-3 bay leaves

Use small mushrooms or cut larger ones into thick slices. Mix everything together except the paprika, which should be added at the end. Mix up with mushrooms. Turn the mushrooms around every few hours .Leave overnight in the refrigerator, or at least leave them to marinate for about three hours.

Italia - Chicken Cacciatore

broiler chicken(cut up)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion (sliced)
3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white wine
oregano (optional)
basil (optional)

Brown chicken in oil. Add onion and cook until tender but not brown. Add everything else except wine. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add wine and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove garlic before serving.

Cuban Ajiaco

10 quarts water
1 lb beef jerky (tasajo)
2 lbs flank steak, cubed
2 lbs pork, cubed
2 lbs pork spare ribs, separated (optional)
1 3lb hen, cut up
4 ears corn, cut in fourths
2 lbs malanga (a yellow taro) peeled, cut in chunks
4 green plantains (soaked in lime juice) peeled, cut in chunks
2 lbs yuca (frozen or fresh) peeled, cut in chunks
2 lbs Cuban boniato (sweet potato, not yam) peeled, cut in chunks
2 lbs pumpkin, peeled, cut in chunks
1 lb ñame (a white taro) peeled, cut in chunks
1 lb guagui (a greyish taro) peeled, cut in chunks
4 ripe plantains, peeled, cut in chunks
4 limes for soaking green plantains
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the tasajo. Place into a large pot, cover with fresh water and cook until almost tender. Add the pork cubes and cook until both meats are completely tender. Drain the meat, reserving 8 cups of the cooking liquid.

In a tall stockpot, add all the vegetables, except for the pumpkin and the yellow plantain, all the meat stocks, bay leaves and cumin. Cook for approximately 30 minutes and add the pumpkin and yellow plantain. Cook for 15 minutes. Allow it to rest for a few minutes. Add salt and white pepper to taste. 

Haiti - Griots

Pork shoulder, cubed -- 4 pounds
Onion, thinly sliced -- 1
Green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced -- 1
Scotch bonnet peppers, chopped (optional) -- 1 or 2
Shallots, thinly sliced -- 2 or 3
Garlic, chopped -- 3 or 4 cloves
Thyme -- 2 teaspoons
Salt -- 2 teaspoons
Pepper -- 1 teaspoon
Oranges -- 2
Limes -- 3
Oil -- 1/4 cup

This rich, flavorful dish is one of Haiti's most popular, invariably served at parties and family gatherings. Cubes of pork are soaked in a sour orange marinade and then slow-roasted until tender. The tender morsels are then given a finally fry in oil until delectably caramelized.

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