TWICE BAKED POTATOES

Ingredients
3 large baking potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sour cream
5 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
Salt and pepper
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash the potatoes and pierce them with a fork. Rub the potatoes with the olive oil and place them on a jellyroll pan or a large cookie sheet with a rim. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes to an hour, or until done. Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half lengthwise. Set aside. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the potato flesh into a large electric mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter, sour cream, cheese, garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until creamy. Divide the mixture evenly and spoon it back into the potato shells. Return the potatoes to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with the bacon and green onion.
Cook Notes: I learned the hard way not to wrap the potatoes in foil before baking. It softens the shells and they will fall apart not good! Baking them unwrapped makes the shells stronger for scooping out the potato flesh later.

ALGERIAN CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEAS (Chtit'ha Djedj)

Chtit’ha Djedj(Algerian Chicken with chickpeas)
Ingredients

5 chicken legs
2 chicken breast(cubes)
1 bunch of cilantro
2 onions chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 can (15.5 Oz)garbanzo beans
1-1/2 tablespoon Tomato paste
Oil
Water
Salt to taste
Spices
1/2 teaspoon Harissa
OR
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon dry mint leaves
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon black and white pepper corns
1/2 tablespoon allspice peppers
2 red dry chili
Instructions

In a pot,heat some oil,about 2 tablespoon.
Add chopped onion.Saute it until translucent.
Add chicken legs.
Meanwhile grind all the spices.
Add spices,tomato paste,crushed garlic.
Cover and turn the heat low.Let it cook for couple of minutes.
Add cubed chicken and garbanzo beans,stir it well.Season it with salt.
Add Water enough for desired consistency.
Let it come to boil and simmer it down,until it is cooked.
Serve it with Couscous/rice.
Enjoy

CHICKEN MACHBOOS RICE

Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 large onions, diced
3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
1 tablespoon baharat (see recipe below)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
A combination of chicken thighs, legs and breasts (about 3 pounds)
1 hot green chile, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
5 large cloves or garlic, thinly sliced
2 large roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, juices drained)
2-3 dried limes (loomi), several holes punched throughout each one
5 green cardamom pods
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick cinnamon (about 2 inches long)
2½ teaspoons salt
2½ cups chicken stock
2 cups basmati rice (soaked for at least 15 minutes, then rinsed and drained)
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Rosewater for sprinkling (optional, but recommended)


For the Homemade Baharat:
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches long)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
¼ teaspoon green cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon paprika powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Baharat:
Set the paprika and nutmeg powders aside. Place all remaining ingredients (whole seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves) in a small frying pan and dry roast over medium-high heat, tossing regularly to prevent scorching, for 3-4 minutes or until very fragrant. Transfer to a spice or coffee grinder and let cool. Add the paprika and nutmeg and grind all the ingredients to a fine powder. Store left over baharat in an airtight jar.


Instructions
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces on both sides until the skin is brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave the remaining oil in the Dutch oven.
Add the ghee (or butter), reduce the heat to medium, and fry the onions until starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Add the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.
Add the baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute.
Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven along with the tomatoes, dried limes, cardamom pods, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour.
Add the cilantro, parsley and drained rice and stir to combine. Return it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is done and has absorbed the liquid.
Transfer the chicken and rice to a serving dish (either leave the chicken pieces tossed in with the rice, or place the chicken on top of the rice), and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons of rosewater (optional).
Serve with a green salad and yogurt raita.EN 

ROMANIAN CABBAGE ROLL

Ingredients:

Makes about 60-70 cabbage rolls
For preparing the cabbage leaves
2 medium cabbages
1 tbsp (15g) salt
4-5 thyme sprigs
2 fresh dill sprigs
hot boiling water
Meat Filling
4 medium onions (500g), chopped
5 tbsp (70g) vegetable oil
1/4 cup (65g) tomato paste
2 tsp (4g) paprika
1 1/4 cup (250g) long grain rice, rinsed and drained
1 pound (450g) ground pork
1/4 pound (110g) ground beef
1/2 cup (25g) fresh dill, chopped
1 1/2 tsp (7g) salt
1 1/2 tsp (5g) ground black pepper
For cabbage mixture to place in top and bottom of the pot
1/2 tsp (3g) salt
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
For adding on top of the rolls
14 oz (400g) can diced tomatoes
1/2 pound (230g) smoked pork ribs, cut in smaller pieces
Hot salted water
Directions
Remove core from cabbages. In a large pot bring water to a boil, enough to almost cover the cabbage. Add salt, few thyme and dill sprigs. Immerse cabbage in boiling water with core side down. Cook over medium-high heat 5 to 10 minutes. Turn and gently remove leaves. When the leaves are tender and flexible remove and let them cool.  Prepare the filling. In a frying pan heat oil over medium high heat. Cook onion until soft and glossy. Stir in paprika and tomato paste and remove from heat. Let cool slightly. Add rice, ground pork and beef, dill, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Trim the thick veins from cabbage leaves for easier rolling and set aside. Cut leaves in smaller pieces if too large. Chop any leftover cabbage (middle part) and the veins and place in a bowl. Mix chopped cabbage with dill, salt and pepper. Place few thyme sprigs on the bottom of a large pot, place half of the chopped cabbage and few dill sprigs on top. Start making the cabbage rolls. Place 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of mixture on the center of the bottom of each leaf. Fold in the sides and start rolling the cabbage leaf to create a roll.Place on the prepared pot and continue until all the filling is done. Place the other half of chopped cabbage over the top of the rolls. Add diced tomatoes on top, arrange the pork ribs and pour hot salted water until the cabbage rolls are almost covered with liquid. Cover the pot and cook at medium heat until they start to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Serve cabbage rolls warm with sour cream and polenta.

HOMEMADE CARIBBEAN ALL PURPOSE CURRY POWDER

 1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds
2 tablespoons whole anise seeds
1 tablespoon whole fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
5 tablespoons ground turmeric


Combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, anise seeds, fenugreek seeds, and allspice berries in a skillet. Toast over medium heat until the color of the spices slightly darkens, and the spices are very fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove the spices from the skillet, and allow to cool to room temperature. Grind the spices with the turmeric in a spice grinder. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

BEST RUSSIAN FISH AU GRATIN

INGREDIENTS
300g fish fillet (tilapia, bass, or catfish), halved
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup mushroom, sliced
1 teaspoon whiskey (option)
1/4 onion, sliced
150ml heavy cream
100ml milk
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoon flour
2 egg whites
2 tablespoon butter
1 small potato, sliced
2 handful grated mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese


INSTRUCTIONS
Dry fish with paper towel and place on a plate. Add lemon juice, rubbed salt and black pepper on fish, marinate in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Heat a teaspoon oil in a non-sticky skillet till hot, in about 1 minute, add mushrooms and stir fry till turn soft, add salt, pepper and whiskey, continue to stir fry till all the liquid evaporate and mushrooms turn golden. Put mushrooms in a plate and set aside.
Heat rest of oil in the same skillet and add onion, stir fry till onion turn soft and golden. Put in a plate and set aside.
Add heavy cream and milk into a medium size bowl, add parsley, basil, white pepper, salt and egg yolks, stir till everything mix well. (* see footnote)
Preheat oven till 180 degres C (350F).
Place flour in a big plate and egg whites in another big plate. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a non-sticky skillet and heat on medium high heat. Coat each side of fish fillet with flour. When butter is melted and stop bubbling, dip both sides of fish fillet in egg whites, and place in the skillet immediately. Fry fish till the bottom side turns golden, then flip to fry the other side. When both sides are done, remove skillet from heat. Do not cook fish for too long time, since it will continue to cook in the oven.
Grease 2 medium size baking dishes with the rest butter. Place half amount of onion in both dishes separately, add fish on top of onion, place potato slices against the wall of dish. Add the rest onion on top of fish, then place mushrooms on onion. Fill each dish with the milk mixture, around 2/3 of the dish or 1cm to the top. Top with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Place the baking dishes on baking tray, put in the bottom level of oven, bake till the cheese melts well and turns golden brown, in about 30 minutes. If cheese does not brown well, switch baking tray to middle level at the end of baking process.
NOTES
The amount of sauce in this recipe is quite small, because I don't have big baking dish. If you use a bigger or deeper baking dish/baking pan, double or triple the ingredients of sauce. The sauce should be able to cover the fish and all the vegetables.

HOMEMADE WORCESTERSHIRE

½ cup malt vinegar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup blackstrap molasses
¼ cup naturally fermented fish sauce (find it here)
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 tablespoon naturally fermented soy sauce
3 tablespoons onion juice, or 1 teaspoon dehydrated onion
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
8 anchovies, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
Whisk together the vinegars, molasses, fish sauce, tamarind paste, soy sauce, and onion juice. Set aside.
Heat a small, dry saute pan over medium heat. Toast the spices until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat; then sauté the shallots until transparent and beginning to brown, 2–3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, anchovies, and reserved spices and continue to saute just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the vinegar mixture and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a full simmer; then remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the lime juice. Pour into a jar or bottle for long-term storage. Will keep in the refrigerator for 1–2 months.