Sunday, 30 April 2017

Day 73: Guyana and Metemgee


Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are fighting our cat, who is refusing to take her medicine. From the lovely and sweet creature she is (she never even scratches you), she turns into a possessed demon, as soon as she sees the syringe with the antibiotics. We have to wrap her in a towel and shove the medicine down her throat, while she is screaming, biting and trying to scratch you. This is going to be a fun week..but she is feeling better already.


Here she is in her usual state.


We've come to the last country with the letter "G".
Today we are going to Guyana and we are going to try out Metemgee, a traditional Guyanese stew with plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, okra, salt fish and meat (usually pork and beef).

For the recipe, I have used this one. I have skipped the meat, because I have a feeling that I have been eating a lot of meat lately. Anyways, the recipe was quite easy and the dish turned out well. It was filling and very nice. I would very much like to enjoy this in the Caribbean.


Have a great evening and see you tomorrow!

Love,

Raffi

Saturday, 29 April 2017

Day 72: Guinea Bissau and Jollof


Hello, Raffies!

Today was the last day skating for this season. Now I'll have to wait until September to be able to go ice-skating again.

Yesterday, the post was a bit rushed and short. I wanted to explain the reason: my cat was feeling sick all day yesterday, so that we decided to rush her to the vet in the evening, after dinner. She has the flu and has to take antibiotics. But don't worry, she is fine already and refuses to take her meds already.
Anyways, due to this unplanned turn of events, I came home around 22 and still had to write my post and prepare the photo upload.

After this long introduction, here comes the dish of today: Jollof.
This is a very common dish all over West Africa. It is basically rice with vegetables, that can be accompanied with some meat. A lot of people eat it all over West Africa and they use the ingredients they happen to have. This means, you can literally just make it with whatever happens to lay around. Isn't that great?

For my version, I have chosen the following:

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 leek
1 bell pepper, red
1 can of tomatoes
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt
pepper
vegetable oil
2 cups rice
water or broth

Chop the vegetables. Fry the onion and the garlic in a pan with oil. add the remaining vegetables, the canned tomatoes and the spices. After a couple of minutes, add the rice. Add water or broth for cooking the rice. Serve warm. if you want to, you can accompany it with meat. I skipped that today.

It was a very easy and quick recipe. The result was a deliciously healthy dish.


Love,

Raffi

Friday, 28 April 2017

Day 71: Guinea and Kansiyé




Good evening, Raffies!

Tonight we are going to Guinea. After a week of eating nothing but meat, I really needed a break.
So we went for the vegetarian version of Kansiyé.

This is the recipe with lentils I followed. The traditional version, however, is with meat. Here is the recipe for the meaty one.

The dish was lovely. Very flavourful and filling. I'll be trying the meaty version soon!


 Love,

Raffi

Thursday, 27 April 2017

Day 70: Guatemala and jocón



Buenas tardes, Raffies!

Today was a day off, for it is Kingsday in the Netherlands. However, I have been busy cooking.
For instance, I made my husband very happy, since he was complaining about my making only fruity smoothies. Therefore, I decided to make a chocolate one for him..What do you think?


Anyways, today's country was Guatemala and some nice jocón.
The recipe is quite simple. The only tricky thing might be finding tomate verde. I myself, was able to get my hands on only 2. For the rest, I have used normal tomatoes and yellow ones..Therefore, my version might not be as green as it is on the pictures I had found on Google.

For the jocón you'll need:

300 g chicken, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 red and 1 green bell pepper
500 g tomato verde (ideally the canned ones)
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 bayleaf
1 tbsp oregano
1 c stock or water
1 tbsp sauce binder
2 chiles
salt
pepper
olive oil

Start by frying the onions, garlic and peppers until the onion is tender and soft. Add the meat, the bayleaf, the tomatoes, the oregano, chilies and salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes and then add the stock. Cook until tender. Dissolve the sauce binder in some water and add to the sauce. Stir well and once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat. Serve with white rice.

The dish was delicious and very easy to make. I will definitely make it again. Hopefully, the next time I will be able to get more tomatillos.


Love,

Raffi

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Day 69: Grenada and Jerk chicken wings


Good evening, Raffles!

Today we are fleeing the cold Dutch weather and going to the Caribbean. We are going to Grenada!
Actually, I wanted to make Oil Down, the traditional dish of Grenada, but I could not find the needed breadfruit. Therefore, I will have to wait till I get a chance to go to the Caribbean and try the real deal.

My backup recipe was Jerk chicken wings. I started marinating the wings a couple of hours before cooking the wings.
For the marinate, you'll need:

1 onion
2 scallions
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c jalapeño or chile
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 c oil

Mix the ingredients together ans crush them in a mortar, until you'll have a nice smooth paste. Using rubber gloves, rub the paste on your chicken wings and leave to rest for at least one hour.
Heat the oven at 225° C and cook for around 30 minutes.

I must say that I loved the marinate for the wings! Lovely flavour!


Love,

Raffi

Tuesday, 25 April 2017

Day 68: Greece and Greek meatball with potatoes and Horta Vrasta


Καλησπέρα, Raffles!

Today we are going to one of the countries of my dreams. I have always wanted to go to Greece, but no matter how close, I haven't managed to cross the sea to this wonderful country. Ever since I was a child, I dreamt about Ancient Greece. I used to read lots about the Greek mythology and history. I even studied Greek and am still working my way through it.
For this dish, I decided to make a very simple meal (I even discussed it with a Greek friend of mine): Μπιφτέκια με πατάτες και χόρτα βράστα (meatballs with potatoes and green vegetables).

Most of you will probably know moussaka and zaziki, therefore I wanted to come up with something different.

The vegetables, horta vrasta, are a dish that you will find in almost every single Greek household as a staple. For the greens, you'll need:

1 kg of leafy greens like endive or chards
white vinegar
salt
olive oil
freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt
pepper

Start by washing and cleaning your greens. Chop them roughly and boil them in hot water with some vinegar.
Squeeze them and let them cool a bit. Make the sauce by mixing lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper (I added some oregano too). Mix the greens with the sauce and accompany with meat or anything. You can serve them warm or at room temperature.

For the meatballs you'll need:

300 g minced meat (I used lamb)
1 egg
1 grated onion
1 grated tomato (small)
1 tbsp oregano
breadcrumbs
olive oil
salt
pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and shape small balls with the dough. Either fry them in a pan with olive oil or cook them on top of the potatoes.

For the potatoes:

6 potatoes, peeled and cut into triangles
1-2 lemons (juice)
2-3 cloves of garlic, squeezed or sliced
salt
pepper
oregano
1/3-1/2 cup water
olive oil

Start by frying the potatoes. After about 5 minutes, when the potatoes are getting brown, add the lemon juice and the spices. Fry some more. Add the water and cook until the inside of the potatoes is soft and the outside is still crispy.

If you want to, you can also make the potatoes in the oven. Heat the oven at 180°C and cook the potatoes for 30-45 minutes. If you want to make the meatballs in the oven, on top of the potatoes, add them after 30 minutes and cook for another 30-45 minutes.


And since I have been eating this all my life: for dessert we had γαούρτι με μέλι και καρύδια, yoghurt with honey and nuts!


What Greek dishes do you like?

Love,
Raffi

Monday, 24 April 2017

Day 67: Ghana and Chichinga with African rice

Good evening Raffles!

Today we are going to Ghana and enjoying a common street food: Chichinga with some typical African rice.
While choosing the recipe for this country, I have come to realise that the Ghanaian cuisine is a very rich and varied cuisine. One dish that I would have liked to try, was the stuffed crab..Guess I'll have to come back then..

Well first things first, the Chichinga is a common snack that you can find on the streets in Ghana.
This recipe helped me out quite a bit, although I used beef instead of chicken, like it was on another recipe.

As for the rice, I recycled the beans I had left from Benin, therefore they are white instead of red. And I followed this recipe.

It was lovely. The marinated meat was so tender and juicy..I can definitely picture myself enjoying it on the street.


Love,

Raffi

Sunday, 23 April 2017

Day 66: Germany and Sauerbraten mit Klößen und Rotkohl


Guten Abend, my friends!

Today we are going to one of my home countries: Germany.
We are making a very traditional dish: Sauerbraten. My grandma used to make it almost every Sunday.
This is a typical pot roast. Ideally you marinate the meat a week before preparing the dish. However, I followed Granny's recipe and marinated it "only" three days before.

For 4 people you'll need:
1.2 kg beef (ideally from the shoulder or the leg)
1 celery root
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
4 clovers
2 bay leaves
1 handful pepper corns (whole)
5 juniper berries
salt
sugar
0.5 l red wine
200 ml red wine vinegar
oil to fry
2 tbsp honey
200 ml meat stock
some old bread (optional)
1 handful raisins

When marinating the meat, join the chopped vegetables with the wine, the vinegar, the pepper corns, the juniper berries, the bay leaves, salt, sugar and clovers in a bowl with the meat. Cover and refrigerate.
Start by frying the meat on all sides in a casserole or a roasting pan, if you have one. Remove the meat and now glaze the onions (if you want to add more onions to the dish). Join the meat and the marinade in the casserole. Add the honey and the meat stock and simmer for at least two hours. Don't forget to put a lid on the casserole. Approximately every 30 minutes, turn the meat.

Once the cooking time is out, put the meat aside and put the bread into the sauce. Bring it to a boil and wait until the bread has melted. My grandma skipped the bread every now and then and used sauce binder instead. Blend the sauce and adjust with salt and pepper, if needed. Add the raisins and the meat.

Serve with red cabbage (Rotkohl) and Kartoffelklöße.

For the Rotkohl, you'll need:

1 red cabbage thinly sliced
2 apples (grated)
2 onions (chopped)
200ml wine
4 tbsp vinegar
salt
pepper
sugar
5 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
4 clovers

Join the ingredients in a pot and let them simmer for approximately 30-40 minutes. Add water if necessary.

For the Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) you'll need:

500g mealy potatoes
100g starch
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp butter
nutmeg
salt

Start by peeling and roughly chopping the potatoes. Boil them in water until soft. Remove the water and let them dry out and cool down a bit. Mash the potatoes, by adding the butter, salt and nutmeg. Then add the egg yolk and the starch. In a pot, bring some very salty water to the boil. Cover your hands in flour and form a ball with the dough. When the water is boiling, cook a test dumpling to see if it falls apart. If so, add more starch for the coming ones. If not, boil the balls of dough for 15-20 minutes (they will rise to the surface when ready).

Slice the meat into thin slices, garnish with the sauce and serve with the Kartoffelklöße and the Rotkohl. Enjoy!


Ok, my German side arose from the depths..this post turned out to be a lot longer than the usual ones..


Love,

Raffi

Saturday, 22 April 2017

Day 65: Georgia and Khinkali

Good evening, guys!


Today we are going to Georgia. This is a country I would definitely like to visit someday soon.
Khinkali, the dish I have picked out for Georgia, are a traditional type of dumpling.
This dumpling has the size of a fist, sometimes even bigger, and is filled with lamb meat and a juicy, brothy sauce. The combination is amazing.
As for the recipe, I have halved the amount of this recipe that wonderfully guides you through the procedure step-by-step.
I must say that in the beginning I was a bit nervous about making these dumplings. I feared the dough would not turn out to be that easy to work and that the shaping the dumpling would be very difficult. Much to my surprise, this wasn't the case and the lovely scent that embraced the kitchen while boiling them proved me that this would be a great experience.
The Khinkali were amazing. Steaming hot, juicy and flavourful. Lovely!


Have you ever tried them?

Love,

Raffi

Friday, 21 April 2017

Day 64: Gambia and Cherreh

Good evening, my fellow foodies!


We are going to Gambia tonight. Once again, a country I know very little about and that I am eager to discover.
The dish I have decided to make for Gambia is Cherreh.
This is the recipe I have followed. If you like veggies and are curious to try something new, this is the right dish for you!

You'll need:
500g spinach
a handful of okras sliced
250g beef diced (optional)
250g grated or chopped peanuts
2 bouillon cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1,5-2 l water
1 red and 1 green pepper sliced

Begin with washing the spinach. Boil it with the okra and crush them in a bowl.
Season the beef with salt and pepper and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Put all the ingredients (apart from okra,spinach and pepper) into a casserole with the water and simmer for approximately one hour, until the meat is tender and most of the water evaporated.
Add the spinach, okra and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve with steamed millet balls or rice.

The dish was very delicate, yet flavourful due to the peanuts. Very nice. This is a perfect dish also for the vegetarians among you.


Love,

Raffi

Thursday, 20 April 2017

Day 63: Gabon and Nyembwe Chicken

Welcome to Gabon!

I must say that this was quite the adventure. For Gabon, I have decided to make a nice cucumber salad and Nyembwe Chicken. On the picture it looks less dark as on the recipe. It might be that this is because I used normal butter, instead of palm butter.

Well..let's start with the chicken. This had to be grilled or barbecued on wood chips, while standing on a full can of beer. Alas, I do not have a picture of this and I am awfully sorry.
As for the recipe, as usual you can follow the one I have used.
I admit, that I did not know much about cuisine in Gabon and now I am really intrigued.
The sauce accompanying the chicken was really simple: just butter and onions.

As for the salad, here is the recipe. (I must say that the chicken with mustard on that site will be the next in line for Gabon). I really liked the salad and I thought that it would be a nice option for a very hot day.

As for the whole experience, it was definitely fun and although simple, quite delightful.


 Love, Raffi

Wednesday, 19 April 2017

Day 62: France and Coq au vin

Bonsoir!

Tonight, despite my blasting headache, we are going to France and enjoy some of its legendary cuisine: Coq au vin.
This recipe is said to have its roots all the way back to ancient Gaul and Julius Caesar.
Julia Child introduced Coq au vin to the US-American tables.
And we are going to make it tonight.
I grew up with a half-French grandma, therefore I have been eating French dishes all my life. Nevertheless, I always cherish an opportunity to cook something French.

Obviously, I marinated the chicken in red wine one day before cooking it, as the recipe suggested.
The result was marvellous. My grandma would be proud of me.

For those of you who would like to try this dish, here is Julia Child's recipe. I myself used a French version.


Love,

Raffi

Tuesday, 18 April 2017

Day 61: Finland and Karjalanpiirakka

Hyvää iltaa!

Today we are going to a country I have always had a deep connection to. In my teenage years I had the strong love and passion for Finland and I have studied the language for 3 years. Alas, after not using it that much, it has gotten a bit rusty on the active part.

Each and every time I have been to Finland, I have eaten Karjalanpiirakka. It is a must that I associate immediately with this wonderful country and its great people.
I have never made them from scratch all by myself. Usually there was always a nice Finn helping me out. I think, for a first try, they did not turn out that bad. The taste was great, the shape could be improved.

As for you eager to try these Karelian pies (Karelia is the region furthest East, close to the Russian border), here is a nice English version for you :)
I am curious to see how yours look.


Love,

Raffi

Monday, 17 April 2017

Day 60: Fiji and Fijian Curry

Happy Easter Monday!

In Italy there is this lovely tradition to have a picnic on this day, or even have, usually the first, barbecue of the season. And I still remember that usually it would be raining exactly on this day. So it was no surprise that here in the Netherlands the weather was not exactly ideal for a picnic. However, years of experience did not bring me down and I organised our picnic in the living room.

Anyways, we are at day 60 and starting with the short list of countries starting with an "F".
Fiji struck me with its version of chicken curry..so I obviously had to try it.

First things first, I had to make my own Garam masala.

The recipe is really easy:

2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 chilies
1/2 tsp cloves

Start by toasting the spices, apart from the turmeric and the chilies, in a pan for a couple of minutes.
Grind the spices in a mortar or a grinder until you have a powder. This powder can be stored for approximately a month. Afterwards, the flavour loses its intensity.

Now let's get to the curry. I have used this recipe as a guideline. You'll need:

2 tbsp peanut oil
1 onion chopped
3 garlic crushed
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground chili
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 medium aubergine or 2 long and thin aubergines chopped
8 curry leaves, if you can find them
1 plantain or alternatively 2 medium potatoes chopped
1 can tomatoes
3/4 c coconut milk
1-2 chicken breasts or otherwise you can also use chicken pieces
2 tomatoes chopped
fresh coriander to serve
1 lime to serve

Start by heating some oil in a pan. Cook the onion until it is golden. Add the garlic and the spices and cook until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add some water to keep it from drying or burning. Add the curry leaves, aubergine, plantain, canned tomatoes, coconut milk and some water. Add also some salt to taste. Cover with a lid and let it simmer until the aubergine is soft. Add the chicken and the tomatoes. Continue simmering until it the chicken is done. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with coriander. Before eating, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of the curry. Serve with steamed white rice

Obviously, it goes without saying, that for me as a curry lover, the dish was delicious!


Love,

Raffi

Sunday, 16 April 2017

Day 59: Ethiopia and Timatim Firfir with Sambusa

Happy Easter to you all!

This year, my Easter is going to be different form the other years. No traditions, no great Easter dinners as we are going to Ethiopia!


At first, I was really inclined to making injera once again, maybe with some different side dishes..but then I said "No! You should do something else for Ethiopia!"
And so here I am having found a way to recycle the little injera that was left over from Eritrea.

First one on the menu was Timatim Firfir, which is a tomato salad.
The recipe is easy and the result is lovely. I have slightly changed the recipe linked here.

You'll need:

  • 1 tsp of berberé sauce
  • 1/3 cuo of wine
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 chopped tomato
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 1 chopped green pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic 
  • left over injera torn into small pieces
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 chili 
If you would like to add more tomatoes, onions or bell peppers, feel free to do so.

You start by mixing the berberé sauce with the wine. Then you'll add the lemon juice and the olive oil. You'll stir in the tomato, pepper, onion and crushed or chopped clove of garlic.
You'll add the injera and mix well. The liquid has to be absorbed almost entirely. Refrigerate it before serving it, because it is to be served cold. (I preferred it to be not that cold).

For the sambusa I have followed this recipe and I admit that I might not be that good at folding the wraps nicely cone shaped :D

You'll need:


  • a package of spring roll wrappers
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500 g minced meat (I used beef)
  • 1 leek chopped
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground cardamom
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • oil to fry
In a frying pan, heat the olive oil, add onions, leek, garlic and stir fry. Add the minced meat and the spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and cook until done.
Mix flour and water in a separate bowl. Be careful not to have any lumps.
Fold the wrappers into a cone shape, by using one at the time. The type I used had to be soaked briefly in water, otherwise you would not have been able to fold them.
Fill the cone with the mixture and close the top, using the water-flour mixture as glue to close. Repeat until you have used up all the filling/ wraps.
Heat up the oil to fry in a frying pan. I have used a wok for this, because it splashes less.
When the oil is hot you can start frying. To see if the oil is ready, put a wooden stick (I use a cooking chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon) into the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood, it is ready.
Fry the cones until golden. Be careful to fry only 2-3 at the time, in order to prevent them from sticking. Drain the sambusa on some kitchen paper.

I have used some berberé sauce as dip. It was delicious!

Love, 


Raffi

Saturday, 15 April 2017

Day 58: Estonia and Kiluvõileib

Good evening, guys!

Today we are going North. We are going to Estonia and we are making a dish that I have eaten every single time I have been in this country. We are making Kiluvõileib!
This is a simple sprat sandwich on rye bread. It is lovely!

This dish is a very important part of Estonian culture. You can find this sandwich at any occasion. Sprats are a common fish in the Baltic Sea and therefore very easy to come by.
Tallinn even made the world's longest Kiluvõileib a couple of years back.

I have decided to make the standard version with bread, butter, sprat, gherkins, onions and dill. However, you can put almost anything on your sprat sandwich.


Love,

Raffi

Friday, 14 April 2017

Day 57: Eritrea and Injera

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to make a dish that I have been looking forward to trying at home for a very long time: Injera
This is a quite common dish in most of Eastern Africa.

It all begins with the injera, the traditional flatbread, made out of sourdough. I prepared the dough yesterday to leave it to rest and ferment. When I came home from work today, it had developed some kind of foam, like when you leave yeast to rest in water and sugar.
Then I started my marathon for the berebé paste and the different side dishes. Luckily, I had feared it would take me longer, but I was done within 2 hours..also thanks to my husband who was upgraded to chief onion and garlic chopper.

First things first, injera presents itself as flatbread with different dishes and sauces on it. The traditional injera is not only an important part of a meal in Eastern Africa, but it is also a fundamental utensil. It is used to grab and scoop the sauces and side dishes.

I had decided to make 5 side dishes and obviously the fundamental berberé sauce. As it seems, this sauce is fundamental for most Eritrean dishes.
I have taken inspiration for the side dishes from these great websites:

To give you an overview of injera buzzfeed.com
For some great vegetarian dishes: thestar.com

And I can definitely see myself making this for some dinner party! It was incredible!
I would love to try it in Eritrea or with some great people from Eritrea and learn more about this incredible dish!

The recipes I have used are the following:





Have you ever tried this? What do you think of it?

Love,

Raffi

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Day 55: Equatorial Guinea and Millet porridge

Hello, Raffies!

Today we are changing our usual pattern and are preparing something nice for breakfast, instead of dinner!
The reason why is simple: I have wanted to try millet porridge for a long time.

We are going to Equatorial Guinea and making some nice millet porridge.
This is a common breakfast in most of Western and Central Africa.
The recipe is really easy:

Stir 1 cup of millet with some water and sugar. Boil it over medium heat and add 1 1/2 cups of milk and some grated ginger. It is ready once it has a thick consistency. For me it took about 5 minutes.
About the sugar, add as much as you would like, depending on the sweetness you would like to achieve.
It was a really nice breakfast, different from the usual bowl of müsli.


Have you ever tried millet porridge? If so, what do you think or how do you like it?

Love,

Raffi

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Day 54: El Salvador and Papas rellenas

Hola, Raffies!

Today we are going to El Salvador. In this country, like in most Latin American countries, you can find a huge variety of different potatoes. Therefore, it is not surprising that a lot of dishes contain potatoes.

While looking for a recipe for El Salvador, I was intrigued by the Papas rellenas (which translated means "stuffed potatoes"). As it seems, there are infinite varieties of papas rellenas.
I have chosen one with tuna, onion, peppers and homemade mayonnaise and one version with minced meat and tomatoes.
The procedure is really easy:

You start by boiling 2 big potatoes with their skin. Remember not to boil them for too long, otherwise they might crumble.
Then you cut them in half and scoop the potatoes out. Leaving a margin on the sides of approximately 1 cm.
Then you stir fry your vegetables or ingredients and add the scooped out potatoes. In the meantime, you fry the emptied potatoes, that will now look like a boat, on both sides.
You fill the emptied halves with your filling and enjoy!


It was really good, but incredibly filling. Now my stomach hurts and I will lay down on the couch. See you tomorrow!

Love,

Raffi

Tuesday, 11 April 2017

Day 53: Egypt and Koshari

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to one of the countries that is high up on my bucket list: the country of the pyramids and the Pharaohs..We are going to Egypt!

To be honest, I wanted to make Mulukhiyah for Egypt, but I found out that these leaves are incredibly hard to find..so this recipe is still on my list of dishes to try..
Instead, I went for the national dish of Egypt: Koshari.
For this dish, I have followed this lovely recipe. The preparation is well tedious and long, but the result is absolutely satisfying! My advice to you, if you have the patience and the time: do it! It is awesome!
I love the consistency of it and how the different ingredients mingled so perfectly together. The lentils with the rice and the noodles, the chickpeas and the spicy sauce..it was amazing!


Love,

Raffi

Monday, 10 April 2017

Day 52: Ecuador and Curtido de cebolla con tomate

Hola, Raffies!

And today, after the lovely warm weather we had the pleasure to enjoy during the weekend, clouds are back.
But the show must go on, and we are now officially starting with the letter "E" and Ecuador.
A nice and refreshing salad with Curtido de cebolla con tomate is on the menu.
This recipe is really easy:

2 onions thinly sliced
2-3 tomatoes, sliced
2-3 lemons (or their juice, to be precise)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1cup of freshly chopped cilantro
salt
pepper

mix the ingredients and enjoy! If you would like to, since there are numerous versions of this dish, you can add avocado, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, chilies, etc, as long as the ingredients are thinly sliced or in very small dice.
I would actually like to enjoy it with avocado next time. Very refreshing and a wonderful salad!


Love,

Raffi

Sunday, 9 April 2017

Day 51: Dominican Republic and Habichuela con dulce

Buenas tardes, Raffies!

Today was a wonderful Sunday. I even managed to get a sunburn while dangling in my spontaneous Sunday-shopping :) (I'll be writing a post about it soon)

I have been burning to make a dessert for quite some time now. Therefore, while looking for a dish for the Dominican Republic, this sweet dish caught my attention.
This dish is also very fitting, since it is typical for Lent, the Spanish cuaresma, the period before Easter.
The recipe I have followed, clearly showed me the steps to take for this dish, which is actually really easy to make. This dessert consists of red kidney beans, evaporated milk, coconut milk, sugar, sweet potatoes, raisins, clovers and cinnamon. Add some traditional Dominican cookies (unfortunately, I could not find the original ones..sorry) and enjoy it warm or cold. It was really good, similar to a cream or custard.


Have you ever tried it?

Love,

Raffi

Saturday, 8 April 2017

Day 50: Dominica and Callaloo

Good evening, Raffies!

We are at day 50! One fourth of the challenge is over..It is hard for me to grasp that I have been into this challenge, eating a different dish from a different country every day for the last 50 days..

Anyway, today was a wonderful sunny day and I enjoyed an afternoon sitting in the sun in my backyard.
Today we are going to enjoy some nice green soup from Dominica. It was a lovely soup and I must admit that its green colour got me a bit too enthusiastic.
Callaloo is the national dish of Dominica. It was a widespread dish among the African slaves in the Caribbean and remains a big favourite all over the archipelago. Its green colour is given by the dasheen leaves, or alternatively spinach.
Very satisfying and flavourful!


 Love,

Raffi

Friday, 7 April 2017

Day 49: Djibouti and Skoudekharis

Good evening, Raffies!

We are almost at 50! Thank you so much for sharing this adventure with me!
Tonight we are a bit later than usual, because I was enjoying some nice happy hour with my colleagues...but I had to leave, because it was time to cook.

Djibouti and its national dish, Skoudekharis, were coming up. I must say that I had not checked the recipe before coming home. All I had done was take the meat out of the freezer. Luckily, this stew-like one-pot dish was really easy and rather fast to make (I had time to shower while it was cooking).
This dish portrays the nomadic history of this African country and is therefore a simple dish. I missed the night in the desert, while cooking on an open fire, but the dish was very nice and filling.
Lovely and simple recipe!


Love,

Raffi

Thursday, 6 April 2017

Day 48: Denmark and Stegt Flæsk med Persillesovs

God aften Raffies!

We are in Denmark today! We are touching our first Scandinavian country. Dwelling in the old Viking kingdom and enjoying some nice Northern food: Stegt Flæsk!


Stegt Flæsk med Persillesovs, translated it means "fried meat with parsley sauce", is the national dish of Denmark and a main course you can find in any Danish household on a daily basis.

As a good Northman, there has to be meat..fried pork belly with some boiled new potatoes and a nice parsley sauce. The dish was simple, but really good. The sauce went really well together with the potatoes. The only downside: It is very filling!

Actually, while looking for a recipe for Denmark, I had first thought of the Danish pastries, like Danish and Cinnamon rolls..but I guess I'll do them some weekend very soon..

Love,

Raffi

Wednesday, 5 April 2017

Day 47: Czech Republic and Kulajda

Ahoj, Raffies!

We are almost at 50..wow!
We are at our last dish of a country with the letter "c".
The Czech Republic is famous for its soups. Children are told that if they eat their soups, which is an almost daily dish, they will grow up to be big and strong.

I decided to make one of the most famous soups in the Czech Republic: Kulajda.
This lovely mushroom soup, brings you into the forest of Bohemia. Wandering through the woods and smelling the lovely scents of the forest. Too bad, I cannot pick mushrooms..
The recipe itself is quite easy and straightforward. The result is a nice and warming, creamy mushroom soup.

Now, with a nice and full belly and all warmed up, I take my leave and see you tomorrow with the first country with "d".


Love,

Raffi

Tuesday, 4 April 2017

Day 46: Cyprus and Cypriot Moussaka

Γεια σού, Raffies!

Today we were having the usual late dinner, due to my Dutch language course.
It is time for a dish from the island of Cyprus! Although the Greek and Turkish influence is very strong on Cyprus, its cuisine has given a Cypriot tone to the dishes. Moussaka is a very famous Greek dish, but the Cypriots claim that their version is different, therefore I had to give it a try.

The recipe (here is an English version) itself resembled the Greek dish very much. I was even lucky enough to find some halloumi cheese! I enjoyed this dish after a long day.
Now I only have to try moussaka on Cyprus to have my final proof!


φιλιά,

Raffi

Monday, 3 April 2017

Day 45: Cuba and Ropa Vieja Cubana

Buenas, Raffies!

Tonight we are going to Cuba and enjoy some nice Ropa vieja cubana.
This dish is the most famous dish on the island, but it seems that it is not originally a Cuban dish. Variations of this dish exist all over Latin America and even as far as Spain.

Ropa vieja takes a lot of time to make, I won't deny it. Therefore, if you can, prepare the cocido - the meat- the night before. I didn't, but I used the pressure pot to speed things up. As for the recipe, I used a version in Spanish. I accompanied the Ropa vieja with some fried potatoes.

The dish itself was very flavourful and very tasty. My only regret is that my meat did not make those nice strings..guess I'll have to practice some more..


Love,

Raffi

Sunday, 2 April 2017

Day 44: Croatia and Slavonski fiš paprikaš

Good evening, Raffies!

Today was another sunny day and we went exploring the beautiful town of Delft.
Dinner today took us to Croatia with some nice Slavonski fiš paprikaš.


This is a typical dish for the region of Slavonia, one of the historic regions of Croatia. This regions is rich in lakes and, therefore, fresh water fish. Thus, is tonight's dish a soup with fresh water fish - I have used trout and catfish - and a lot of paprika, which gives it its red colour.
For the recipe, I have followed this link, but instead of tagliatelle noodles, I used fideuá, because I prefer short noodles for soups :) sorry, my Italian side pokes out every now and then.
I have also added some potato, as you can find in some recipes, and I was very satisfied with the result. The soup was warm and delicious.

Have a wonderful evening!

Love,

Raffi

Saturday, 1 April 2017

Day 43: Côte d'Ivoire and Peanut stew

Good evening, Raffies!

Today I decorated my house for Easter. The weather was all but sunny today and my ice skating lessons are coming to an end (at least until October).

The letter "C" is coming to an end, with only a few countries left. Tonight was Côte d'Ivoire with some nice peanut stew. To be perfectly honest, peanut stew is a widespread dish all over Western Africa and not only Côte d'Ivoire..The recipe is quite simple:

Start by stir frying an onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of ginger (all of the ingredients chopped, obviously). Add some chunks of chicken meat and adjust with salt and pepper. The meatless version is also widespread, so you can leave out the meat without any hard feelings :) Fry some more and then add a 3 small sweet potatoes, diced. Add 5cups of chicken stock and a chopped chili. Let it simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Then add 1 cup of peanut butter and a can of tomatoes and some green vegetables like spinach. Boil on a low heat for 20 minutes. The stew has to lose most of its liquid and get a thick consistency. Decorate with some fresh peanuts and accompany with some plain rice.

It was a really good stew and I think what made it so delicious was indeed the peanut butter. Lovely!


Love,

Raffi