International Cookbook

Frittata

2009-11-22T12:45:00.003+01:00

Frittata is a type of Italian omelette, filled with additional ingredients, such as meat, cheese, vegetables and even pasta. Traditional Italian ingredients for the frittata include Italian sausage or ham, sweet peppers, fontina cheese, garlic, onions, salt, pepper and nutmeg. There are infinite ingredient combinations and different recipe suggestions for the dish. You can use various ingredients or just one, or you can also use leftover from previous meals. You can make a veggie version, or you can add some meat like bacon or sausage. To avoid a high cholesterol dish, there are recipes for frittatas using egg whites rather than whole eggs.

Frittata can be served either for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Once cooked, can be served hot, or cooled and served at room temperature. It is healthy, tasty, very quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 to 4 servings

4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon herb of your choice (basil)

2 teaspoons butter or vegetable oil
1 cup filling of your choice (ingredients should be cooked, cut fairly into small pieces and drained well)

Example:

- peppers, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, corn, peas, edamames (soy beans), sprouts, and fresh chiles.

- ham, bacon, turkey, chicken, sausages, ground beef, pork, smoked or fresh salmon, tuna, and kippers

- shredded moist- or semi-moist cheese such as cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, dry cheese such as Parmesan or Romano

Preparation:

* Beat eggs, milk, herb and salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended. Add filling and mix well.
* Heat oiled nonstick omelet pan or skillet over medium heat. Add egg mixture and cook over low to medium heat until eggs are almost set, about 8 to 10 minutes.
* Turn it over or put the pan under a medium hot grill for a few minutes, until the frittata is golden and set.
* Cut and serve either hot or at room temperature.

Congolais (coconut biscuits)

2009-11-22T11:23:00.000+01:00

Delicious and easy to make biscuits!

Ingredients :

- 200 gr (7 oz) shredded coconut
- 175 gr (6 oz) sugar
- 10 gr (1/3 oz) vanilla sugar
- 3 egg whites
- butter for baking sheet

For approx. 20 coconut buiskits

Preparation:

* Pre-heat oven at 200°C (400°F) and grease a baking sheet.

* Pour the egg whites, sugar & vanilla sugar into a saucepan over med-heat/flame, and whisk vigorously over a medium heat until hot and frothy. Remove from flame and keep whisking until the mixture cools down a bit.

* Add the coconut to the pan all at once and mix together with a wooden spoon.

* Place balls of coconut mixture on the baking sheet (around 6 cm /2.5 in diameter).

* Bake in oven for 15 minutes until they get golden brown.

* The Congolais should be crispy on the outside and soft inside.

* Serve the biscuits warm or cold by themselves at teatime or with vanilla ice-cream and/or hot chocolate sauce for dessert.

Rigó Jancsi

2009-11-07T21:04:00.004+01:00

Rigó Jancsi is a traditional Hungarian Chocolate Mousse Cake. The cake is named after Rigó Jancsi, a famous Hungarian gypsy violinist in the early 20th century.

In 1896 Rigó Jancsi was playing the violin at a Parisian hotel while in the audience was Belgian Prince de Caraman-Chimay with his young beautiful wife, Clara Ward, a daughter of an American millionaire. Klara was so fascinated by good-looking gypsy and his music that she left her husband and children to follow Jancsi who divorced his wife.

Ingredients:

For the Sponge Cake

3 eggs, separated
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Filling:
100g/3 ounces chocolate, chopped
400ml /1 pints whipping cream, whipped to firm peaks
1/2 cup sugar

Glaze
50g/ 1,5 ounces chocolate, chopped
half tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation:

Sponge Cake
* Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar until foamy. Beat the egg whites and fold it into the yolk foam. Whisk the flour and cocoa together and then gently fold it into the batter.
* Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Spread the batter over the wax paper into a thin layer. Bake in a preheated 180C/350 ºF oven for 8 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed in the center. Cool fa few minutes.

Filling
* In the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in a third of the whipped cream. When incorporated, add the remaining whipped cream and stir gently and carefully.
* Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake into two halves. Place 1 layer to a flat platter and spread the chocolate mousse over it. Refrigerate until firm.

Glaze
* In the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate and oil and heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Pour the glaze over the second cake layer, spreading it with a dry knife to cover the cake evenly. When the glaze firms up, cut it into 6 squares, remove the chilled layer from the refrigerator and carefully set the glazed layer on top of it.
* Cut the cake into squares.

Horiatiki (Greek Salad)

2009-11-07T15:42:00.002+01:00

Horiatiki is a rustic, greek country salad. "Horiatiki" in greek means village-style. It`s very healthy, refreshing and great for hot summer days.

Ingredients:

1 cucumber - peeled, seeded and cubed

3 tomatoes (medium) - seeded and diced

1/2 cup cup feta cheese chunks

1/2 cup kalamata olives

1 onion - sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp vinegar

salt, peper and oregano

Preparation:

* Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

* In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.

* Add Pour the dressing into the bowl with the vegetables and toss together.

Cevapi

2009-11-05T20:20:00.005+01:00

Ćevapi (or Ćevapčići) are small grilled rolls of minced meat, usually beef, lamb or mixed. They may be served on a plate or in a flatbread (lepinja or somun), with chopped onion and sour cream (kajmak). They are considered a national dish in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also can be found in other countries of southeastern Europe.

Ingredients:

500 g ground beef (or 400 g beef and 100 g lamb)

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt

peper

Preparation:

* Mix well all ingredients. Refrigerate mixture for about 2 hours.

* Shape the mixture into finger-length shapes.

* Cook on a lightly oiled barbecue grill or frypan, medium-low heat.
* Serve between slices of warmed flatbread, with onion.

Fluffy Pikelets

2009-11-01T21:16:00.001+01:00

Pikelets are small breads or pancakes from Australia. It is usually served with whipped cream and jam.

Ingredients:

1 cup self raising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
pinch of salt

Preparation:

* Sift flour, salt and soda into a bowl. Add sugar, egg and milk.

* Beat on low speed until mixed. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Fold in melted butter.

* Place spoonfuls onto a hot griddle or frypan.

* Serve with your favorite topping, like honey, jam, maple syrup etc.

Tzatziki

2009-11-01T14:20:00.002+01:00

Tzatziki is a classic Greek dip, also used as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros. Tzatziki is made with yogurt and cucumber.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain full fat yogurt
2 teaspoons pureed very fresh garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and grated
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

* Drain yogurt for 1 hour in a cheesecloth−lined strainer to remove some of its water.

* In a bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

* Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt over the grated cucumber and drain, 10 to 15 minutes, to extract
excess water.

* Add drained cucumber to yogurt, along with pepper, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with mint leaves.

Homemade corn tortilla

2009-11-01T11:39:00.002+01:00

The tortilla is a mexican flat bread made from corn or wheat. The word "tortilla" originally comes from the Spanish word torta, which means "round cake".

Traditionally tortillas are made with a special kind of corn flour called Masa Harina.

Tortillas are usually prepared with meat to make dishes such as tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

The traditional method for making tortillas was to flatten balls of dough between hands. The "modern" way to make tortillas is with a press.

If you do not have a press, you can make tortillas usinga flat bottomed plate or the bottom of a heavy skillet.

Ingredients:

2 cups Masa Harina (corn flour)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tortillas

Preparation:

* Mix Masa Harina and salt with water until masa harina is moistened. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it. Ad more water if necessary. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.

* Divide the dough into 12 equal balls.

* Wrap your tortilla press or the bottom of your plate and counter top with plastic wrap. This makes it easier to remove the delicate tortillas.

* Using a tortilla press or a plate, press each ball until evenly flattened. Remove tortilla from the plastic wrap by carefully peeling it off.

* Put the flattened masa in a very hot cast iron pan. Heat for 1-3 minutes on each side. You will know when they are done when they bubble or puff up.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2009-10-31T20:18:00.001+01:00

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a rustic and traditional Italian pasta dish, created probable in the middle of the 20th century. The origins of the dish are obscure and there are many legends about it. As "Alla carbonara" means "coal worker's style", some believe that the dish was first made as a meal for Italian coal workers.

It is a wonderful and very quick and easy dish to make.

Ingredients:

1/4 pound (100 g) guanciale, pancetta or bacon
1/2 cup (25 g) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
4 egg yolks and 2 egg whites
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
A scant pound (400 g) of spaghetti (or other pasta, penne)

Serves: 4

Preparation:

* Set salted water to boil. As soon as the water boils, add the pasta. Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients.

* While the pasta’s cooking, beat the eggs and mix with cheese, pinches of salt and pepper, and the cream.

* Dice the meat into small pieces and cook it slowly in olive oil till it`s well browned.

* When the pasta’s done, drain it and transfer it immediately to the skillet with the pancetta. Turn off the heat. Add the egg mixture, stirring briskly. The heat of the pasta will cook the eggs. Serve immediately.