Bisteeya (Moroccan Chicken and Almond Pie)

At the Maybachufermarkt in Berlin, there used to be a Moroccan lady who sold this delicious phyllo dough pies.  I only ate it once, but I will remember that little pie for the rest of my life.  I immediately started looking on Pinterest and the internet for a recipe.  This is what I came up with after reviewing a number of different ones.

Ingredients

2 lbs. chicken thighs
2 red onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp saffron
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup almond slices
powdered sugar
ground cinnamon
50 g melted butter
6 sheet phyllo dough
1 egg, lightly whisked
fresh minced parsley
salt and pepper

Place chicken in a large pot.  Cover with water, add salt and bay leaf, bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked.  Remove chicken from water and let sit until cool and then remove meat from bone.  Add oil in a pan and fry the onions for 5 minutes, then add garlic and ginger and continue to to cook.  Add chicken, saffron, stock and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until all the liquid evaporates.  Let cool. Brush a shallow round 20cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to grease. Place the filo sheets on a clean work surface. Cover with a dry tea towel, then a damp tea towel (this will prevent the filo from drying out). Brush 1 sheet of filo with a little of the melted butter. Sprinkle one-fifth of the almonds on top. Top with another filo sheet, turning slightly, and brush with a little more butter. Sprinkle one-quarter of the remaining almond mixture on top. Continue this layering process with the remaining filo, butter and almond mixture. Line the prepared pan with the filo stack, allowing edges to overhang. 

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Add the egg and parsley to the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the chicken mixture into the pan lined with filo. Bring the filo edges over the chicken mixture to enclose. Brush with remaining butter. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and turn onto the lined tray. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden and heated through.  Sprinkle powdered sugar and cinnamon on top and serve in wedges,.

Tuna Casserole

I was really feeling an itch the other day for Tuna Helper.  Now I'm generally opposed to ready-meals and strange out-of-the-box creations, but Tuna Helper was something my dad would always made.  Luckily, Irma Rombauer had a homemade version in her cooking compendium, The Joy of Cooking.  I modified it a little, adding peas and carrots because I feel that a needed a little more veggies, you could easily add broccoli or any other vegetable for that matter.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup carrots,diced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cups shredded Cheddar (I used Gouda as Cheddar is hard to comeby in Germany)
12 ounces (2 cans) of tuna, drained and broken into chunks
2 cups cooked egg noodles (4 ounces uncooked)
1/2 cup minced parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (I used crispy onions for the topping)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease a 1 1/2 to 2 quart shallow baking dish.  Melt in a medium saucepan over medium heat the butter.  Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic and carrots.  Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Bring the sauce to a boil, whisking, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add, whisking until hot the cheese and the tuna.  Add and stir together the egg noodles, minced parsley, cooked peas and then salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Mix together and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top.  Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes or until browned on top.

Kotopita

This is one of my all-time most requested dishes.  Once I made this for somebody, they usually request me to make it again.  The best way to describe it is Greek Pot Pie.  Being Greek, it uses Phyllo dough instead of a traditional pie crust.  I came across this dish originally in a Greek restaurant back in Norfolk, Virginia.  It sounded good in the discription, but once it arrived, it was mediocre.  I decided that I could make it better.  This recipe is what I created after comparing various recipes I researched online.  It does take a bit of time to make, but it it totally worth it.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
3 cups stock (made from stewing chicken)
1/3 cup butter
1 bunch scallions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten
12 to 14 sheets Phyllo dough
1/2 cup melted butter

1. Place the chicken, stock or water, salt and pepper into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, reserving the broth, and set aside to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers.
2. Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, reduce heat to low and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour the reserved broth into the skillet all at once and whisk to eliminate any lumps. Simmer the broth for about 5 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the feta, dill, parsley, mint, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and the thickened broth and stir together. Adjust seasoning and then stir in the beaten eggs.
5. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish or a deep-dish pie tin. Lay a layer of filo into the dish and brush it with meltied butter or olive oil. Add 5 or six more sheets of filo, brushing each with oil or butter and laying them at different angle to cover the dish. Press the filo gently down into the corners of the dish or pie tin.
6. Pour the chicken-cheese filling into the dish and spread it out evenly. Lay the remaining layers of filo over the top of the filling, brushing each layer with butter or oil and draping the excess over the edges of the dish. Trim the filo to leave about 1 1/2 inches draping over the edge. Roll the filo edges up toward the center of the dish to form a rolled edge.
7. Place the dish in the oven and bake for anywhere from 45-75 minutes, or until the center is bubbly and the crust is nicely browned.
8. Remove from the oven, cool about 15 minutes and serve with a salad.

Hazelnut Brownies

This is a yummy German/American infusion I thought up.  I had to find a brownie recipe because unfortunately here in Germany they do not sell brownies mixes cheap.  I found this on Pinterest and the original recipe is from the Fake-It Frugal website, which I totally think is a great concept.  The great thing about these is how cheap they are to make.  What I also find great is that you probably already have these ingredients in your cupboard.  If you don't have unsweetened cocoa, use a sweetened kind and then cut a bit of the sugar out of the main recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup crushed hazelnuts

Mix all the ingredients together and place into a oiled 9x9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Moroccan Shredded Carrot Salad

This was acutally a dish I made after I was inspired eating over a friend's house.  He prepared this salad in the traditionally French style with a really good wine vinegar.  It was delicious.  The following week it was my turn to host for dinner, and I decided to use the shredded carrot idea but add a Moroccan twist.  This salad was also divine.  Its also super heathy, cumin and cinnamon are both spices one should eat regularly.

Ingredients for about 4 people
1/2 lb (500 g) carrots ( I chose smaller carrots as my friend had recommended)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (half a lemon)
1/4 cup parsley
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (I'm sure a smoked on here would also be good)
salt and pepper to taste

Grate all the carrots on the side of the grater with the biggest holes.  Then add all the rest of the ingredients and cover.  Place in fridge for about 2 hours.  This will allows all the flavors to blend together.

Soljanka

This was a typical dish back in the Former East Germany.  It was usually available at most canteens and public restaurants.  It is essentially soup that was made with left-overs.  As was common in both parts of Germany, there were always plenty of sausages. Strangley enough, this soup has ketchup as an ingredient, although an odd addition, it gives this soup its unique flair.  This makes a good quantity, so feel free to freeze some and thaw it out when you are short on time.

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped
4 pickles, chopped
3 red peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup ketchup
1 lb. leftover meat (pork or beef), chopped
1/2 lb. salami, chopped
1/2 sausage (mixed bockwurst, jagdwurst or whatever you have), chopped
4 1/4 cups beef stock
salt and pepper
1 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
butter

sour cream and lemon wedges, to serve

Heat butter in a dutch oven, add onions, cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the red peppers, garlic and continue cooking.  Add the sausages and leftover meat, stir.  Add the ketchup, pickles, paprika and chili powder, stir.  Now add the beef stock and mix well.  Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for about 1 hour.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into soup bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream and lemon wedges.  Guten Appetit!

Madrid-Style Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Albóndigas con Tomate)

Spanish-Style meatballs have always been one of my most favorite dishes.  There was a tapas bar in Jerez, Spain that I ate at frequently as a child called Bar Alegria (Happiness Bar) and that was certainly the feeling you got as you devoured those meatballs.  Since then, my aunt and mother have been trying tirelessly to replicate that beloved balls of meat.  I was always more than happy to try each and every one of their attempts.  Unlike the Italian cousin of this dish, Spaniards tend to eat meatballs with fried potatoes.  Gotta love anything fried in oil.  This is a recipe I got at a book fair in Madrid.  It is called Madrid Al Fuego

Ingredients for 6 people

1 lb. ground beef/pork mixture
2 cloves or garlic, minced
1 teaspoon parsley
fist sized quanity of left-over inside of bread
equal quantity of milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
6 tablespoons of flour
vegetable oil for frying
2 big potatoes, cut into pieces

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons of oil that the meatballs were fried in
1 medium sized-onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup tomate frito (or homemade tomato sauce/tomato puree)
3/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In a big bowl, mix the meat, garlic, parsley, white pepper, salt, cinnamon and bread together and blend together.  Then mix in the eggs.  At this point, its best to let this mixture set for about an hour, covered, while the flavors blend together.  Now, roll the meatballs about the same size as ping-pong balls.  Set aside.

Now in a deep pan, add oil and allow it to heat up.  Add the flour to a wide plate, and roll the meatballs, then, place them one by one into the oil and brown on each side.  Once the meatballs are brown on each side, remove and reserve.  Finish browning all the meatballs.

Once the meatballs are all brown, use some of the oil from frying the meatballs and add the onion and cook.  Cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.  Then add tomato sauce, white wine, water, salt and cumin.  Now, return all the meatballs to the pan and cover.  Let the meatballs simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked completely.  Serve over fried potatoes with a generous helping of the sauce.