22 Nov 2008

Egg and Soldiers

The quintessential British breakfast, and perfect for breakfast in bed - Boiled Eggs and Toast Soldiers are a British culinary institution! Soft boiled eggs are commonly served in Britain in egg cups. The top of the egg is cut off with a knife leaving a jagged shell edge around the white and oozy yellow interior. Soft-boiled eggs have been eaten, by generations of British Schoolchildren, with buttered toast cut into strips, which are then dipped into the runny yolk. In the United Kingdom, these strips of toast are known as soldiers. Why is in issue...but it may come from Humpty Dumpty...or the way they line up ready for dipping??


Ingredients

4 eggs4 slices of breadButter

Making and Cooking It

So, for boiled eggs and soldiers the first thing you need is some eggs!1. Half fill a saucepan with cold water and place it on the hob on quite a high heatso the water boils quickly.Don't forget to make sure the handles of the saucepan are facing inwards so youdon't knock it over!2. Pop the eggs in the water, using a big wooden spoon so you don't burnyourself, and turn the heat down a bit so it's simmering rather than boiling.3. For soft yolks you need to boil the eggs for about 5 minutes. If you prefer hardyolks, leave them for about 7 minutes.4. While they're cooking, put some bread in the toaster and butter it when it'sready, then the toast into strips to make soldiers.5. When the eggs are cooked, lift them out of the saucepan.6. Pop the eggs into an egg cup and take the top off the top of the egg with aspoon.Now you are all for dipping your soldiers into your eggs.

Yorkshire Pudding


Yorkshire Pudding is a traditional and popular British dish, originating from
the North-east of England.

A Little History

Yorkshire Pudding was originally used as a first course filler for poor people who could not afford much meat. Years ago, when the meat was cooked on a spit or trivitt, the batter was put underneath and the fat and meat juice dripped onto the batter. If there wasn't enough meat to go around the children would get Yorkshire pudding and gravy as their main meal. Now the dish is almost always served with a roast beef main course to form part of a 'traditional English dinner'. In its home county, it is often served on its own filled with onion gravy so that it acts as a form of edible soup bowl. This practice probably originated with people who could not afford crockery either.

It has become very popular with tourists in search of traditional English fare and ranks along with fish and chips as an internationally known item of English cuisine. In fact many foreigners believe the English national dish is 'Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding' but as we all know it is really Curry.

How to Make It

Yorkshire pudding can be cooked in a large flat tray, and cut into slices, which is called a bed of Yorkshire pudding, otherwise they can be served as small individual bun-sized puddings. Either way, the perfect pudding has a big dip in the middle, where the gravy is poured in, and the edges rise up around the edge of the dish into a crisp crust.

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe

100g/4oz plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of white pepper
1 tablespoon of suet (optional - but adds texture to the bed variant)
2 eggs
200 ml of milk - topped up to 250ml with water (1/2 pint liquid)

· Put flour, salt and eggs in a bowl and beat with a fork or handmixer, gradually add the liquid until the batter is smooth and creamy. Leave the batter to stand for ten minutes, it improves the pudding.

· Put some beef fat into either one large metal roasting tray, or 12 individual metal small patty tins. Preferably the fat will be taken from the pan in which the beef or meat is roasting.

· Put the tray or tin in the oven at a temperature of 225°C. Leave them there for five to ten minutes until the fat is smoking hot.

· Pour in the batter. Put the pudding in the oven.

· A bed of Yorkshire pudding in one large roasting tray will take 30 minutes to cook. Individual puddings in patty tins will take 10 to 15 minutes.

· The puddings are ready when they are well risen around the edges and golden brown.

Other Points

· A Yorkshire pudding bed cooked with whole sausages thrown into the batter is called toad-in-the-hole.
Leftover Yorkshire Pudding can be eaten as a dessert with jam and cream

3 Nov 2008

PEYNIRLI KUNEFE (Sweet Shredded Pastry With Cheese)


Ingredients (12 servings)
Sugar 2 1/4 cups 450 g
Water 1 1/2 cups 350 g
Lemon 2 teaspoons 10 g
Kadayif (shredded pastry) 500 g
Butter or margarine 1 cup 200 g
White cheese (un-salted) 1 2/3 cups 375 g

Directions
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Boil gently for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice; stir. Boil for 1 minute. Set aside. Combine kadaylf shreds and melted butter in a pan.
Break kadaylf shreds in butter blending well with tips of fingers. Divide into half.
Spread one half in a slightly greased baking pan 25x25 cm (9x9 inch). Press with fingers slightly.
Spread cheese over kadaylf shreds. Repeat the same with the remaining half, pressing firmly this time.
Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven. Let stand for 2 minutes.
Pour warm syrup over. Cover and let stand until syrup is absorbed.
Cut into 5-6 cm (2-2 1/2 inch) pieces.
Arrange on a serving plate. Serve warm.

Tips: This form of kadayif is usually served warm following a full meal. Cottage, Ricotta or cream cheese can be substituted for cheese.

KAPAMA (Lamb with onions and cos lettuce)


Ingredients
1000 gr. fatty lamb meat
15 fresh onion petioles
1 onion
2 bunches dill
1 glass water
2 heads cos lettuce

Directions
Cut the meat into 8 pieces.
Peel, wash and cut onion petioles into 1 inch slices.
Wash the lettuce and cut into 2.5 inch pieces.
Peel and slice the onion into rigns.
Chop the dill.
Wash the meat and put into a saucepan.
Add the lettuce, fresh onion petioles, onion, dill, some salt and water.
Cover and cook for 90 minutes.
Place in a serving bowl when cooking time is over.
Put the cubed lamb meat in big casserola, top with 1/3 of the tomatoes, green besns, carrots, eggplants, gibson onions, half of the tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes, garlic, okra and the rest of the tomatoes.
Add 1/2 tablespoon salt, the granulated sugar, the margarine, and the water.
Cover and place in moderately hot oven. Allow to cook for almost 1.5 hours until the meat and beans are tender.
Remove from oven, place on a plate and serve hot.

DUGUN CORBASI (Wedding Soup)

Ingredients
6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Tablespoon paprika
1 lb. lamb or beef, diced fine or ground
cayenne pepper
1 carrot, chopped fine
Garnish: dusting of cinnamon.
1 onion, chopped fine
5 cups beef stock
2 egg yolks
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon butter

Directions
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add meat, carrots, and onions and saute over low heat for 10 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook until blended.

Gradually stir in stock, scraping up any bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for an hour.

When ready to serve, remove soup from heat.

Beat the egg yolks, then beat the lemon juice into them--and slowly stir into the soup.

Ladle into bowls--then quickly saute the paprika and cayenne in the tablespoon of butter and swirl equally into the individual soup servings.

Lightly dust the top of each bowl with cinnamon.

PIZZA ROLLS (Pizzabrötchen)

Ingredients
50 g ham
100 g Salami
150 g cheese (any cheese that melts like Edam cheese)
100 g mushrooms
½ pepper (green or red)
1 teaspoon pizza seasoning
100 g sour cream
4 rolls

Steps

1. Dice ham, salami and cheese, slice mushrooms, dice pepper and put everything into a bowl;
2. Add pizza seasoning and sour cream and stir
3.Cut rolls in halves and spread mixture on;
4.Put the eight halves on baking tray and leave in oven for about 15 minutes at 200°


Tips:
Vegetarians can replace ham and salami by putting vegetables in the mixture


Ingredientes:
50 g. de jamón.
100 g. de Salami.
150 g. de queso (cualquier queso que se derrita como el queso Edam).
100 g. de setas.
1/2 de pimiento (verde o rojo).
Una cucharilla de condimento de pizza.
100 g. de crema agria.
4 rollos.

Pasos:
1. Cortamos en cuadraditos el jamón, el salami y el queso, rebanamos las setas, cortamos, de nuevo, en cuadrados el pimiento y ponemos todas lo demás en un cuenco.
2. Añadimos el condimento de pizza y la crema agria y lo revolvemos.
3. Cortamos los rollos en mitades y extendemos la mezcla.
4. Ponemos las ocho mitades en la bandeja del horno y las dejamos durante unos 15 minutos a 200º.

Consejos:
Los vegetarianos pueden reemplazar el jamón y el salami y poner vegetales en la mezcla.


TRANSLATED BY: Eduardo Relaño Algaba. 2º ESO C

MIXED PASTA PAN (Bunte Nudelpfanne)

Ingredients ( serves 4)
250 g pasta
1 onion
100 g ham
100 g mushrooms
1 pepper
3 tablespoons oil
100 g green peas ( frozen)
1 double cream
Pinches of salt, pepper, macis
1 teaspoon of vegetable boullion (or crushed cube)

Steps

1. Cook pasta according to package, drain
2. Dice onion and ham, wash and slice mushrooms, remove seeds from pepper and then dice it
3. Heat oil in pan, fry onion, add ham, after a while add mushrooms and pepper, stir;
4. Add peas and fry for 3 minutes;
5. Then season with salt, pepper, macis and vegetable boullion
6. Stir again, add drained pasta, stir and season again if necessary and serve in china bowl.


Tips Vegetarians can replace ham by vegetables

Cazuela de Pasta
Ingredientes
(para 4 personas)

250g pasta
1 cebolla
100g jamón
100g setas
1 pimiento
3 cucharadas de aceite
100g guisantes verdes (congelados)
Pellizquitos de sal, pimienta, nuez moscada (macis)

Pasos

1. Cocinar pasta según el paquete.
2. cortar en dados la cebolla y el jamón, lavar y cortar en rebanadas las setas, quitar las semillas del pimiento y después cortarlo en dados.
3. Calentar el aceite en la cazuela, freír las cebollas, añadir el jamón, después de un rato añadir las setas y el pimiento, removerlo todo;
4. Añadir los guisantes y freírlos durante 3 minutos
5. Luego condimentar con sal, pimienta, nuez moscada (macis) y verduras cocidas
6. Remover todo otra vez, añadir la pasta escurrida, remover y condimentar otra vez lo necesario y servir en un bol chino.

Consejos:
Los que sean vegetarianos pueden reemplazar jamón por verdura.

TRADUCIDO POR MARTA CAPARRÓS GONZÁLEZ 2º ESO C

HUNTER'S TOAST (Jägertoast )

Ingredients
4 slices of toasted and buttered bread
4 slices of ham
4 slices of cheese
1 onion, chopped
1 tin/glass of (drained) mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons of oil
Salt, pepper, sour cream (200 g)

Steps

1. Heat oil in pan, fry chopped onion, add mushrooms, stir and season with salt and pepper;
2. Mix with sour cream ;
3. Spread on toasted and buttered slices of bread after putting a slice of ham on each
4. Cover each toast with a slice of cheese; put in oven for about 15 minutes at 200°


Vegetarian tip: Replace ham by any kinds of vegetables (pees, corn..)

Ingredientes

4 rebanadas de pan tostado y con mantequilla

4 lonchas de jamón

4 lonchas de queso

1cebolla picada

1 lata/ tarro de (escurridos) setas, troceados

3 cucharadas

Sal, pimienta, nata agria(200 g)

Pasos:

1 Pon aceite caliente en la cazuela,frie la cebolla cortada, añade setas,añade la sal y la pimienta.
2 Mezclal con nata ácida.
3 Extendela sobre las rebanadas de las tostadas y untalas en el pan coloca una rebanada de jamón sobre cada uno.
4 Coloca una rebanada de queso en cada tostada ; ponlo en el horno durante aproximadamente 15 minutos en 200

Consejo vegetariano: sustituir el jamón por cualquier tipo de verdura (guisantes, maiz...)

TRADUCIDO POR JUAN JOSÉ PALAO ORTEGA 2º ESO C

2 Nov 2008

NATILLAS


Natillas is a traditional Spanish dessert and is similar to cold custard, but creamier and with a hint of cinammon. Most Spanish restaurants offer natillas in their list of home-made dessert . This is an easy recipe for Spanish natillas which just takes about 30 minutes to do.


Basic ingredients
8 egg yolks
1 litre milk
200 gr. sugar
1 dessert spoon cornflour
1 stick of cinammon
Powdered cinammon

Steps:
1. Put the milk in a saucepan with the cinammon stick and heat. Save a small glass of cold milk.
2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar. Dissolve the cornflour in the cold milk, stir well and then add to the eggs and sugar.
3. When the milk is starting to boil, remove the cinammon stick and add the mixture of flour, milk, eggs and sugar. Stir well over the heat until the custard thickens. Don't boil.
4. Put the natillas into individual bowls or dessert glasses. Sprinkle with a little cinammon powder.


Tips and ideas:
· Many Spanish cooks add a biscuit to the natillas mixture when they are pouring it into the individual bowls. The biscuit sometimes rises and as the natillas cool, becomes soft. If you want to do this, choose a plain biscuit (the Spanish "Maria" biscuits are what Spanish people use).

Easy quick recipe for Spanish omelette


A delicious potato omelette which can be served as a tapas, warm, cold , with salad....

Ingredients (for 3 people)
4 eggs
1/2 kilo potatoes
Olive oil (one glass, or 1/4 litre)
Salt

Steps:
1: Wash and cut the potatoes into thin slices. Heat the oil in the pan, and add the potatoes and salt. Fry, stirring occasionally. Tip: If you prefer the potatoes to be soft, use a spatula to mash them as they are frying. As soon as they are a golden colour, remove from the pan and put the potato mixture either in a sieve or on kitchen paper, so that as much oil as possible drains away or is absorbed.
2: Beat the eggs well with a pinch of salt, and add to the potatoes. Mix well.
3: Put two small spoonfuls of olive oil in the frying pan, so that the bottom of the pan is covered with a thin layer of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the potato and egg mixture. Tip: shake the pan gently as you move the mixture, so that none sticks to the bottom. Once the omelette seems to be cooked, use the lid of the frying pan (or a large plate) to tip the omelette out of the pan, add a little more oil and slide the omelette in again, this time putting the less cooked side first into the pan. If you need to repeat this step, so that the omelette is perfectly cooked and golden on both sides, you may do so.

Other versions:
Spanish omelette with onion and potato: the process is the same. All you have to do is cut two onions into thin slices, and add them to the oil just after adding the potatoes.
· Spanish omelette with almost anything: other ingredients Spaniards sometimes use in their omlette recipies include ham, cheese, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, chorizo...

Recipe for Spanish Paella


Traditional and easy Paella recipe. There are many Spanish rice dishes.

This is the most famous of them.

Ingredients (for 4 people):
600 grams rice (short grain)
Half a chicken in pieces
2 artichokes
2 medium-sized red peppers
2 mature tomatoes
Black pepper
Garlic
Parsley
A strand of saffron
Olive oil (one glass, about 1/4 litre)
1/2 lemon
A sprig of rosemary and thyme
Salt

Steps:

1. Fry the chicken in some olive oil. Put the browned chicken pieces into a pan with 8 glasses of water, and bring to the boil. Leave simmering for half an hour.
2. Cut the artichokes and red pepper and fry them.
3: Fry the tomato and garlic in olive oil in the large paellera (special paella pan), then add the rice, stir for a minute and then add the chicken, chicken stock (there should be 6 glasses), artichokes, red peppers, the juice of half a lemon, black pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, the saffrón strands (grind them first. If you haven't got a grinder, use Colorante which you'll find in the spice and herbs racks in supermarkets) and salt.
4: Once all the ingredients are in the paella pan, turn the heat up to maximum and boil for about 10 minutes. Then lower the heat and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, the liquid should have evaporated. Turn off the heat, and leave to stand for five minutes. If possible cover while it is standing (many Spaniards use paper to cover the pan).

RECIPE FOR PISTO (Tomato and vegetable mix)


Pisto manchego is similar to ratatouille. It can be served warm to accompany a main dish or cold as a starter or to accompany a salad. Pisto can be used as a filling for sandwiches, savoury crepes, empanadillas or little puffed pastry pies or even as a pasta sauce. Pisto manchego freezes well, so you can make a big batch and use as required. This is an easy recipe for a traditional Spanish dish which originally came from Castilla la Mancha (hence it's name, Pisto Manchego) but is nowadays a favourite simple dish cooked and served all over Spain.

Basic ingredients
4 ripe tomatos
2 medium sizes onions
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
2 courgettes
3 cloves of garlic
olive oil
sugar
salt and pepper

Steps:
1. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water to loosen the skin, then peel them and cut them in to small pieces
2. Peel and slice the onions and garlic
3. Clean and slice the peppers and courgettes
4. Put the olive oil into a frying pan, and gently fry the garlic and onions for a couple of minutes. Add the peppers and turn up the heat a little. Cook for five minutes, stirring all the time.
5. Add the courgette, stir and cook for five more minutes and then add the tomatoes. Cover the pan, and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Add a teaspoon of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Turn up the heat and stir well. If the pisto has too much liquid, let it boil away but keep stirring so that none of the ingredients stick to the bottom.

Tips and ideas:
· If you can get hold of plum tomatoes, use these. If you can only get hold of nice uniform-looking but sadly tasteless tomatoes then add a little tomato puree before covering the pan and leave it to simmer.
· If you want a herby flavour to your pisto, use fresh basil or oregano.
· For a delicious sandwich, slice a chapata or baguette loaf and put in a slice of
Spanish omelette and a generous spoonful of pisto manchego. Delicious cold or warm.

MARMITAKO (BASQUE TUNA AND POTATO CASSEROLE)


Many of Spain's best chefs come from the Basque region. Marmitako is a traditional Basque dish which is as delicious as it is easy to make.

Ingredients
1kg fresh tuna or bonito
5 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 green peppers
2 large tomatoes
1tsp paprika
1 chilli or pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper
1kg potatoes
water

Steps:
Cut the fish into large, chunky pieces (about 3cms x 3cms).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large earthenware casserole dish.
3. Chop the onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes and fry in the oil over a low heat.
4. Add the paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper and cook for another 5 mins before adding the potatoes (peeled and sliced).
5. Add the water and cook until the potatoes are nearly done (the water should be covering the potatoes and vegetables).
6. Finally add the fish and some white wine (optional) and cook for a further 15 mins

Tips and ideas:
· It is important to use a really strong casserole dish - the Spanish terracotta ones are the best for this recipe
· Make sure the tuna is very fresh and has a healthy glow to it when it is cut. You can ask the fishmonger to cut it into chunks for you when you buy it

Traditional Gazpacho Andaluz (SPAIN)


Spanish cold tomato soup which is the perfect starter to a Summer meal. Gazpacho is easy to make and although ingredients may vary according to region, this is the basic Andalusian Gazpacho recipe. A delicious potato omelette which can be served as a tapas, warm, cold with salad....

Ingredients (for 4 people):
1 Kilo tomatoes
1/2 small onion (60 grams)
1 small green pepper
1 small cucumber (the small chubby Spanish type)
1 small cup of olive oil
2 desert spoons of vinager
200 grams of bread from the day before, soaked in water
Small portions of diced tomatoes, red and green peppers, cucumber, onion and bread or croutons to sprinkle on top.

Steps:
1: Put the tomatoes, onion, pepper, cucumber, vinager, oil and bread into a liquidizer. If you want to dilute it, add a glass of water. Tip: if you want to go for a tangy garlic taste, add a small amount of fresh garlic to the mixture before liquidizing.
2: Put the mixture into a bowl, add salt and pepper and leave the gazpacho to chill for at least an hour. If you want to eat it straight away, you can put some ice cubes in to cool it down. Gazpacho is a Summer dish which is meant to hydrate and cool down your body. So the colder the better!!
3: Serve the gazpacho in soup bowls, with the portions of diced tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, croutons etc on the table, so that everyone can add them to their bowl as they prefer.



Tips: you can also sprinkle diced serrano ham or hard boiled egg.


Secrets: Make sure you have enough time to put it in the fridge so that you can serve your gazpacho really chilled. Use quality produce. Vary the ingredients according to your personal taste. Gazpacho makes a delicious starter to a meal.