Pastitsio

Ingredients:

* 1 pound dry ziti pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 dash ground nutmeg
* salt and pepper to taste
* 3 eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 1/2 cup dry red wine
* 1/2 cup vegetable broth
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 cups milk
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and return to pan.
3. Melt butter until golden brown and pour over ziti, add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper and toss well; allow to cool. Add eggs and toss again; set aside.
4. To make meat sauce: Gently fry onion and garlic in butter in a skillet until onion is soft. Increase heat and add ground beef; stir well. Cook until meat begins to brown. Add tomato paste, wine, broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
5. To make cream sauce: Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. Pour in milk all at once and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 minute. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and cool slightly before stirring in beaten egg. Transfer 1/2 cup of this sauce to the meat sauce.
6. To assemble pastitsio: Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon half of the prepared ziti evenly in the bottom and top with meat sauce. Top that with remaining ziti. Pour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover ziti. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
7. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Californian Sushi Roll

 

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked rice, warm.
½ cup of cooked crab meat.
½ cup of vinegar.
½ cup of sugar.
3 tablespoons of golden caviar.
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.
½ avocado, chopped.
Wasabi paste.

Directions:

Mix the vinegar and the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Cook until sugar has dissolved completely; remove from heat.
Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar/vinegar combination into the cooked rice.
Stir the sesame seeds into the rice.
Press pickled rice into a square.
Cut rice into squares.
Press each square so that rice clings, and dab some wasabi paste on each square.
Press some crab meat, golden caviar, and avocado on each of the rice square.

Chicken Curry Masala

Masala, a unique mixed spices of Indian. It is a complex and classic aroma. If you drink the Indian tea "Chai", you will smell the strong odor of Masala.

Serve: 4 persons

Ingredients:
 
3 chicken breasts, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
3 tbsp curds
1 tsp red chili powder
half tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

6 cashew nuts
4 tbsp milk

5cm piece cinnamon stick
10 curry leaves
3 cloves

4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions finely chopped
1 large tomato finely chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger minced
2 tsp garlic minced
1 tsp coriander powder
half tsp black pepper powder (adjust to suit your spice level)
half tsp cumin powder
2 tomatoes chopped

masala
coriander leaves for garnish

Directions:
- Mix chicken breasts in chili powder, turmeric powder, curds and salt for 20 minutes.
- While dipping the chicken, make a paste of cashew nuts and milk. Then keep aside.
- Dry roast the cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves for 1 minute and make a powder of them. Keep aside.
- Heat 1.5 tbsp of olive oil in a cooking vessel.
- Add the onions and saute it until its color turn to pink.
- Add fresh ginger and garlic paste and saute further for another 3 minutes on medium heat.
- Add coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder. Mix all well and fry for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 4 minutes.
- Combine well and cook till oil separates.
- Turn off heat. Let it cool.
- Grind the cooked masala. Keep aside this masala paste.
- Heat 1.5 tbsp olive oil in a cooking vessel and add the dipped chicken and cook on high flame for 5 minutes, reduce heat and cook covered for another 5 minutes.
- Add the ground masala paste, cashew nut paste and ground powder of cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves and combine well.
- Cook till chicken pieces are soft and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Butter Chicken

Photo: Sun-Sentinel
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 white onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
3. Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Chinese Wonton Soup

Ingredients

ready made wonton skin
wonton filling;
300 grams of finely minced pork
100 grams of minced spring onion
20 grams of finely chopped celery
20 grams of fried shallots
pinch of salt
generous pinch of white pepper powder
1 egg white
2 tbs of soy sauce
1 tbs of sesame oil
soup base;
4 cups of stock
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of hon dashi (to replace msg)
1 teaspoon of fried garlic
roughly chopped celery

Directions

to make the wonton filling, mix all ingredients in one direction with a big wooden spoon
knead with the wooden spoon for at least 10 minutes
wrap 1 teaspoon of filling on each wonton skin
bring stockto the boil, add all the seasoning, add wontons cook for around 5 minutes, add celery, serve.

Chinese Fried Rice With Shrimp

Ingrediants:

3 large eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon dry sherry
5 to 6 cups cooked and cooled basmati or long-grain rice
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1/2 cup cooked fresh or thawed frozen peas
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Beat one of the eggs in a small bowl and salt lightly. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a small nonstick frying pan, and add the beaten egg. Swirl in the pan until the egg forms an even coat, like a thin pancake. When the egg is cooked through, roll up and slide onto a plate. Cut in thin strips (you can use a scissors or a knife). Set aside.

2. Heat a wok or large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water evaporates upon contact. Add the remaining oil and swirl around the pan, then add the shrimp and cook about one minute, stirring and tossing with a spatula or wok scoop until just about cooked through and pink. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the sherry, and stir everything together. When the sizzling stops, pour in the remaining beaten egg. Stir-fry until scrambled, and add the rice. Cook the rice — scooping it up, then pressing it into the pan and scooping it up again — for about two minutes. Stir in white and lighter green parts of the scallions, the peas and the soy sauce. Stir together for about half a minute, and transfer to a warm serving platter. Sprinkle the egg strips, scallion greens and cilantro over the top. Serve hot.

Sweet and Sour Pork

 
4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless pork loin
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 (15 1/4-oz). can pineapple chunks in juice
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsps. cornstarch
• 2 tbsps. soy sauce 
  

Directions:

• Partially freeze pork. Cut across the grain into 2 1/2 × 2 1/4-inch strips; set aside.
• Preheat a wok or large skillet over high heat; add oil.
• Stir-fry green pepper and onion in hot oil for 2-3 minutes or till crisp-tender.
• Remove from wok. Add more oil, if necessary. Add half the pork to wok; stir-fry until browned. Remove pork; stir-fry the remaining pork. Return all pork to wok; keep warm.
• Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a small saucepan combine the juice, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; cook about 1 minute or till thickened, stirring constantly.
• Return green pepper and onion to wok. Stir in pineapple and the thickened pineapple juice mixture.
• Cook and stir until heated through. Serve with rice, if desired.

Bulgarian Feta Cheese

The Greeks will tell you that only Greek-made feta cheese should be called feta. But Bulgarians make and eat feta cheese even before the Greeks. They call this "white cheese" sirene. Bulgarian feta, made from sheeps' or goats' milk, is eaten all over Bulgaria in traditional Bulgarian dishes.

Homemade Banitsa - Bulgarian Pastry

Ingredients:


For the dough:
1 kg flour
salt
100g sunflower oil

For the filling:
400g white brined feta cheese
4 eggs
500g yogurt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
100g butter




How to prepare:


Use the flour, salt, sunflower oil and 3/2 cupfuls of water to make a hard dough which is divided into first-large balls. Let stand for about 1 hour, then roll into about 1mm thick sheets. Line with melted butter and top with a mixture of beaten eggs, baking soda, yogurt and crumbled cheese. Roll together and place in a lined dish, either Lengthwise or in circles. Bake in a moderate oven.When ready cover with a cloth to keep it soft.
Enjoy!

Shopska Salad

The fame of this salad has spread over Bulgaria.

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 5 peppers
• 1 chilli
• 3 tomatoes
• 150g white brinded cheese
• 40ml vegetable or olive oil
• 1 onion
• parsley
• salt to taste

Method

Cut the peppers in strips along the length and arrange in salad bowl, add cubed tomatoes, cubed cucumber and finely chopped onion and parsely. Pour oil over the mixture, sprinkling salt over it. Top with crumbled or grated white brinded feta cheese.

Tarator - Bulgarian Cold Cucumber Soup

This cold soup is among Bulgarians favorite foods for the summer. It is served as a first course instead of a salad or between meals as refreshment. You might even see it served in a glass. Most men here say it goes great with a glass of cold rakiya (Bulgarian grape or fruit brandy) or Ouzo.


Ingridients:

• 2 cucumbers (about 500 g or 1 lb)
• 500 g plain yogurt (1 lb)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2-3 tablespoons of crushed walnuts (optional)
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• oil
• salt
• water (optional) 
  

 Directions:

Cut the cucumbers into cubes and put them in a bowl. You may aslo grate them but it changes the look and the consistency.
Beat the yogurt with a fork until it gets liquid and pour it over the cucumbers.
Add the crushed garlic, the walnuts and the minced dill as well as salt and oil to taste.
If needed add some water to make the soup as liquid as you like but take care not to make it too "thin".
Put into the refrigerator to cool or add ice cubes.
Serve cold.

Vegeterian

Search Results

Egg Rolls With Fish Sauce

Cha Gio (Crispy Spring Rolls)

Quintessentially Vietnamese, these delicate, crispy rolls are a refinement from the more robust Chinese rolls. The basic ingredient is minced pork, to which either prawns or crab can be added for savory flavor. The gossamer thin bang tranhg (rice paper) is hard to handle. You can use conventional spring roll skins as an easy alternative, but you won't achieve the same crispy results.
2 oz translucent rice vermicelli or cellophane noodles, chopped
2 tbsp dried tree ears (wood fungus or wood ears), soaked until soft and chopped
3 Chinese mushroom caps, soaked until soft and chopped
6 oz minced pork
4 oz water chestnuts, chopped
2 stalks spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp nuoc mam (fish sauce)
1 tsp pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
12-14 sheets banh tranhg
vegetable oil for deep frying
cornstarch (optional)
Put all ingredients except skins or rice paper in a large mixing bowl and blend well. Adding a tablespoon of cornstarch will give the mixture a smooth texture, but this is optional. To adjust seasoning, boil a small nugget of mixture and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. In a bowl of tepid water gently lower each sheet of bang tranhg or spring roll skin until soft and shake off excess water. Very carefully, lay sheets on a clean chopping board. Place a heaped tablespoon of mixture on sheet or skin, roll over once, and fold in sides. Roll over once more and tuck in firmly, patting the ends down. Finish making rolls as oil heats in the wok. Gently lower each roll in the oil to deep fry—a few at a time until light brown and crisp. Serve with fresh lettuce and mint leaves with nuoc cham.

Nuoc Cham (Chili, Garlic, and Fish Sauce)

Piquant dips do double duty as condiments and seasonings in Vietnamese cooking. The base for these is always nuoc mam and you can add ingredients such as lime juice, chopped chilies, chopped nuts, spring onions, fried garlic, ginger and fresh herbs such as coriander, sweet basil, and mint.
4 red chilies
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
2 limes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp vinegar
5 tbsp nuoc mam (fish sauce)
Remove stalks from chilies and de-seed if you want a milder dip, though this defeats the purpose of nuoc cham. Pound garlic in a pestle and add chilies one by one, processing until you get a fine paste. Add sugar and lime pieces and pound to a pulp. Remove to a small sauce bowl and add water, vinegar, and fish sauce. Mix well and serve. Variations on the sauce can include chopped coriander, chopped ginger, pineapple, and any fresh herbs.

Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon)With Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

For the grilled pork:

1 lb pork chops, loin, butt or shoulder. Sliced thin.
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe

1 cup (8 oz) hoisin sauce (if sauce is thick, add about 1/4 cup warm water to reach desired consistency)
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tbs rice vinegar
2 garlic, crushed
1 minced thai chili, or more for desired spiciness

For spring roll rice paper assembly:

About 10 rice paper wrappers
Lettuce
Cucumber, cut into long slices
Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, basil, vietnamese coriander, balm or perilla
Bean sprouts

Method:

1. In plastic bag, combine all ingredients for the grilled pork. Let marinade for about 20 minutes. Grill both sides of pork for about 2-3 minutes, or until desired texture.
2. In blender, combine all ingredients for the hoisin peanut dipping sauce. Blend until everything combines smoothly together. If it is too thick, continue adding warm water until desired consistency.
3. In bowl of warm water, dip each rice paper wrapper for about 3-5 seconds (depending on rice paper thickness). Do not over soak your rice paper wrapper! Place on work service and allow rice paper to soak up water and become gelatinous and pliable (about 30 seconds to 1 minute, again, depending on the thickness rice paper).
4. On top 1/3 side closest to you, lay lettuce on the bottom for added strength to the wrapper. Then place meat, herbs and other vegetables. Roll up spring roll about 1/3 way through, then fold in the sides. View step-by-step photographs of spring rolling here.
5. Serve with hoisin peanut dip.

Soup Tonkinoise (Pho Bo)

Ingredients for 4 servings

Broth

- 1 medium onion

- 1 kg (2 1/4 lb.) beef bones

- 400 g (14 oz.) stewing beef, in large pieces

- 3 liters (12 cups) water

- 2.5 cm (1") piece of ginger, cut into 4 slices

- 2.5 cm (1") piece cinnamon stick

- 2 star anise

- 3 cloves

- 6 black peppercorns

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 tbsp. nuoc mam (fish sauce)

Soup ingredients

- 125 g (4 oz.) Beef tenderloin or sirloin steak, very thinly sliced

- 175 g (6 oz.) dry rice noodles (banh pho)

- Raw onion, thinly sliced

- 3-4 scallions, thinly sliced

- 60 ml (1/4 cup) fresh cilantro leaves

Garnishes

- Sprigs of fresh mint, Thai basil and cilantro

- 125 g (4 oz.) bean sprouts

- Red chilies, thinly sliced

- Lime wedges

 Directions

Broth
To make the broth, place the quartered onion (unpeeled), stewing beef
and beef bones into an oiled roasting pan.
Roast in a 230° C (450° F) oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally,
until well browned.
Transfer the onion, stewing beef and bones to a large pot.
Pour some of the water into the roasting pan, scraping the pan well to dissolve
all the browned juices and add to the pot with the remaining water, the ginger,
cinnamon, star anise, cloves, peppercorns, salt and fish sauce.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the surface as necessary.
After an hour, remove the stewing beef and set aside.
Continue simmering the broth for 1-2 hours longer, adding more water if required.
Strain, correct the seasoning and keep hot.

Serving
About 15 minutes before serving, soak the rice noodles in hot water for about
15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Place some of the noodles into
each serving bowl. Top with some of the sliced cooked stewing beef,
some thin slices of raw steak, a little sliced raw onion, scallion and cilantro.
Return the beef broth to a boil. Ladle the boiling broth over the ingredients
in each bowl. Serve immediately, passing a platter with the fresh herbs,
bean sprouts, chilies and lime, so that guests can garnish their bowls as desired.

Cha Bo - Vietnamese Beef Kabobs Recipe

 
Ingredients
1 pound of minced beef
1 tablespoon of lemon grass (chopped)
2 teaspoon of red or green chili (finely chopped)
1.5 tablespoon of fish sauce
3 tablespoons of roasted peanuts (grounded)
2 tablespoons of onion or shallot (finely chopped)
1.5 tablespoons of coconut cream
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of palm sugar


Directions
Start by adding all the ingredients in a bowl and use your hand to make them into small flat balls. Pan fry or grill the beef balls over medium high heat until they are cooked to your liking. Usually cooked well done. Serve with a sweet chili sauce.

Vermicelli Grilled Chicken

600 g Chicken fillet, thinly sliced
1 kg Dried rice vermicelli
100 g Peanuts (groundnuts), roasted and crushed
Mixed fish sauce

Marinade
2 stalks Lemon grass, bulbous portions only, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Ground white pepper
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
1 Chicken seasoning powder
1 Red chili, finely chopped

Garnishing
1 tablespoon Pickled carrot and radish
2-3 sprigs Thai basil leaves
100 g Bean sprouts
75 g Lettuce, julienned
1 Cucumber, julienned

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate pork for 5 minutes. Soak rice vermicelli in cold water for 20 minutes then place into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain and set aside. Grill chicken in medium charcoal flame until golden brown. To serve, divide garnish equally into 6 serving bowls. Top with rice vermicelli and grilled chicken. Sprinkle with peanuts and mixed fish sauce. Toss well before eating.

Vietnamese

Vietnamese Food

Vermicelli Grilled Chicken	Cha Bo – Vietnamese Beef Kabobs	Soup Tonkinoise (Pho Bo)

Spring Roll	Egg Roll	.

Desserts

Russian

Russian Cuisine

Polish

Polish Cuisine

Mexican

Mexican Cuisine

Japanese

Japanese Cuisine

What is Sushi?
Sushi (寿司, 鮨, or 鮓?) is vinegar rice, topped with other ingredients, such as fish.[1] Sliced raw fish alone is called sashimi, as distinct from sushi. Sushi served rolled inside or around nori, dried and pressed layer sheets of seaweed or nori is makizushi (巻き). Toppings stuffed into a small pouch of fried tofu is inarizushi. Toppings served scattered over a bowl of sushi rice is called chirashi-zushi (ちらし).

Californian Sushi Roll

Italian

Italian Cuisine

Indian

Indian Cuisine

Butter Chicken	Chicken Curry Masala

Greek

Greek Cuisine

Pastitsio

German

German Cuisine

French

Chinese Food

Chinese Food

Sweet and Sour Pork	Fried Rice with Shrimp	Won Ton Soup

Bulgarian

Bulgarian Cuisine
 
Bulgarian food could easily be called one of the wonders of this world. Its unique character has developed through the ages out of wealth of local culinary traditions, intertwined with foreign influence in a way which is possible only in Bulgaria, a culture rich in history and traditions. The result, the unique Bulgarian cuisine, offers an incomparable taste with unique characteristics, originality and exceptional variety.

Tarator - Cold Soup	Shopska Salad	Banitsa