Espaguetis con Atun y Salsa de Tomate (Spaghetti with Tuna and Tomate Sauce)

This is a dish from a collection of recipes from Almonte, Andalucia, Spain.  It is a very simple dish, you can use store-bought tomato sauce, or make your own.

Ingredients:
400 gr. (1/2 lb) Spaghetti
can of tuna
can of tomato sauce (or homemade)
grated cheese
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
bay leaf
ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

In a large pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic.  As soon as they start to turn golden, add cooked spaghetti, ground nutmeg, tuna (broken-up with a fork) salt and pepper.  Then add the tomato sauce and mix.

Serve with grated cheese and chopped parsley.  You can also put the finished product in a casserole and bake until crispy on top.

Hungarian Bean Soup

I am a huge fan of bean soups.  Recently on my trip to Budapest I bought a Hungarian Cookbook.  This soup is very hearty and should be served as a main dish.  I served a small green salad with Hungarian-style dressing as a starter to this meal.

Ingredients:
200 g (7 oz) dried beans (pinto or other small bean)
2 bay leaves
1 medium carrot, cut in small cubes
1 medium parsnip, cut in small cubes
1 slice celery root, cut in small cubes
1 peppers, chopped
1/2 lb. smoked sausage (if you can't find Hungarian, than Polish Kielbasa will work as well)
butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon white vinegar (helps prevent gas from beans)
sour cream
chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Soak the beans overnight.  The following day, put the beans in a big pot, with the sliced sausage and 1 1/2 liters (1 1/2 qts) of water and the bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, let cook until the beans are tender, between 45-60 minutes.  When the beans are tender, add water to the level where it was when you began (there is usually a residue line). Add the carrot, parsnip, celery root and pepper and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the onions and garlic and saute until tender, then add a bit more butter and add the flour.  Cook until the flour is a light golden color.  Remove from heat, then stir in the teaspoon of paprika (this is done to prevent the paprika from turning bitter).  Add this mixture to the soup and bring to a boil, the soup will thicken slightly.  Salt and pepper the soup to taste and add a little vinegar and sour cream, continue cooking on low for about 3 minutes.  Serve in deep plates with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of paprika on each serving.

As mentioned, I served this with a small green salad.  Its basically Romaine lettuce with sliced green peppers.  The dressing was 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar mixed well with a little water and salt added to make it go further, seems simple but makes the salad taste very fresh.  I also served this dish with a nice Hungarian red wine, it was a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot cuvee. jó étvágyat!

Königsberger Klopse (German Meatballs)

I first tried this dish back in Stuttgart in 2006 when I was an exchange student in Germany.  My roommate at the time, Holger, who came from Rügen made this for me.  The flavor combination I find is quite amazing.  The meatballs are made with beef, pork and a small amount of anchovies (the secret ingredient).  The sauce contains capers, which may not be to everyone's taste, but they work well with the anchovies in the meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 old roll (from day before)
2 small onions, minced
butter
1 lb. mixed ground meat (50% beef, 50% pork)
1 egg
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons mustard
3 anchovy fillets, minced
1/2 liter beef broth
a pinch of whole peppercorns
bay leaf
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons flour
200 g cream
2 teaspoons capers
2 egg yolks

Put the old roll in water and let soak.  Mince the onions very fine and saute in butter until soft.  Mix the ground meat, sauteed onions, egg.  Take the roll and squeeze out all the moisture and then add to the meat mixture.  Add salt, pepper, mustard and minced anchovies and mix well.  (I used my hand here). With damp hand form meatballs.   In a large pan with lid, warm beef broth with pepper corns and bay leaf.  Carefully place the meatballs in the warm broth and cover, simmer for about 20 minutes on low heat.  Preheat the oven to 125F (50C).  When the meatballs are cooked through, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.  Pass the broth through a sieve to remove large pieces and set aside.  Heat butter in the pan and add 2 tablespoons of flour until the flour is gold colored.  Add the broth and the cream and let simmer on low for 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper the sauce to taste and add the capers.  At the very end, beat the egg yolks together with 1 tablespoon of cold water and mix into the sauce, DO NOT let the sauce cook further.  Serve the meatballs with boiled potatoes and a side salad, cover meatballs and potatoes with sauce.  Guten Appetit!

Canary Island Beef Stew (Estofado Canario)

This recipes is an adaptation from a Canary Island cookbook that a friend brought back for me from his vacation there.  From looking through the cookbook, I noticed that the cuisine of the Canary Islands is very similar to cuisine on the Iberian Peninsula part of Spain.  Exception includes the a more extensive use of corn and sweet potatoes, however; the spices and flavors are all the same.  This delicious stew tastes better when allowed to stew on a low temperature for a long time then allowed to sit overnight so the flavors can mix.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 lbs. (1 kg) beef stewing meat
1 sweet pepper, chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
medium sized onion, chopped
2 glasses of white wine
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in pot until hot.  Add the beef stew meat and brown on each side.  Remove from pot and add more olive oil.  Fry the onions, pepper and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the meat again and the white white and the paprika, cumin and thyme.  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.  Simmer about 1 to 2 hours.  Served alongside starch of your choice (potatoes, noodles, rice)

Serbian Bean Soup

Although the name suggests its from the Balkans, this recipe actually came out of an Austrian Cookbook I bought when I was in Vienna.  I think the history behind this dish is that it migrated to Vienna during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  Like most soups and stews this soup benefits from being made a day before enjoying.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. dried white beans, soaked overnight
4 oz. bacon bacon (cubed if available)
4 oz. Smoked sausage, cubed
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
bay leaf
teaspoon marjoram
teaspoon thyme
splash of vinegar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
4 cups beef stock
2-3 medium sized-potatoes, peeled and cubed
 
Soak the beans overnight it a bowl with water covering an inch over beans.  In a dutch over or soup pot fry bacon, sausage and onions together until onion is soft and bacon crispy.  Add garlic and cook for a minute, stirring.  Meanwhile, drain the beans and rinse, set aside.  Add bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, paprika and salt and pepper to the sausage onion mixture.  Add the beef stock and then beans  Bring to boil, and lower to simmer.  Simmer for aboot 1 hour or until beans are tender.  About 20 minutes before beans are done, add the cubed potatoes to the pot.  Continue simmering until beans are tender and potatos are soft.  Best served with crusty bread.

Tamale Pie

One of the things I miss about the United States is the plethora of casserole dishes.  This dish is truly the embodiment of the 'Melting Pot' culture.  I am a huge fan of tamales, but unfortunately I have not been able to find the corn husks that tamales need to be wrapped in.  This dish tastes spectacular and is a good substitute.  Credit for this recipe goes to All That Splatters. Of course, serve with a generous dollop of sour cream!

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups corn
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons chili powder
Dash black pepper

6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (I used grated Gouda)

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon butter

Cook meat, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet until meat is lightly browned and vegetables are tender.  Stir in tomato sauce, corn, olives, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, chili powders, and black pepper.  Simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until thick.  Stir in cheese. Turn into a greased 9x9x2-inch baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Stir cornmeal and 1/2 teaspoon salt into cold water.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thick.  Add butter, and mix well.  Spoon cornmeal mixture over hot meat mixture.

Bake 40 minutes.

Käsesuppe mit Porree (Cheese Soup with Leeks)

 This is my version of a recipes I got from the side of a package of leeks I bought at a grocery store here in Germany.  After seeing the originial recipe, I did some research online to look at other versions.  Most of them did not have mushrooms, and if I made it again, I may omit the mushrooms, but since I'm a big fan I figured they would be yummy.  Also, no version of this recipe called for garlic, but it is very difficult for me to make a dish without garlic.  This is what I came up with.  This soup is certainly not healthy, but super super delicious.  Most of the recipes I found said to make the soup one day, chill and serve the next.  Because I looked up the recipes on the same day it was not possible, but the leftover the following day were divine!

1 lb. ground meat (beef and pork mixture)
4 strips bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 stalks leeks, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
400 g. cream cheese (roughly one package)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1.5 liter broth

In a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat, add the bacon.  Then cook until the bacon release its fat and the bacon begins to crisp.  Then add the onions and leeks.  Cook for about 5 minutes until they soften.  Then add the ground meat, stirring so the meat does not clump together while browning.  Add the mushrooms, garlic and dried herbs and stir well.   Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower broth to a simmer for about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, add the cream cheese and mix until blended.  At this point you can allow the soup to cool, then transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator overnight.  You could alternatively just put the dutch oven in the fridge if you had enough room.  Reheat the next day and serve with bread.

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,.