What about some international recipes or menus? PTO has members from all over the world- Australia, New Zealand, Africa, South America and Europe-so it would help with the winter blahs if we could try (or learn) something new.(Next best thing to actually being there! :) ) Any regional specialties or just a typical supper recipe would be great!!

Here's a traditional dish from England- a good way to use leftover potatoes and cabbage-
Bubble and Squeak
Serves 4

450g (1lb) Potatoes, cooked and mashed
225g (8oz) Cabbage or Brussel Sprouts, cooked and finely chopped
25g (1oz) Butter or Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped

Heat the butter or oil in a large frying pan.
Add the onion and cook until soft and transparent.
Add the potatoes and cabbage (or sprouts).
Mix well.
Fry over a medium heat, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with bacon and eggs for breakfast or as part of a supper dish.

Pytt i Panna
Scandinavian Leftovers

Scrub 6 to 8 large potatoes. Boil them till they are not quite done. Peel them anfd cut them in cubes(1cm, 0.4 inch). Cut two large onions into small bits. You will need about 450gr (1lb) left over meat cut into strips. You can add ham strips to your meat leftovers to make the 450gr.
Bake the potato cubes golden brown in some (olive) oil. Take them from the pan. Now you fry the onions in the same oil. Add the meat strips when they are glazed. When the meatand the onions are nicely browned, add the potatoes agian. Add quite a bit of fresh cut parsely. Bring to taste with salt and pepper.
In Scandinavia this dish is served with a raw egg in half an egg shell on top. With all the danger of salmonella, I would just serve it with fried eggs.
http://home.wanadoo.nl/bmbaert/kook/knol/pyttGB.html

DLM, I tried the Bubble and Squeak, it was yummy!! thank you so much. :)

Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Quiche Lorraine is a specialty of the region Nancy, Lorraine on the French and German Border. Originally a flan filled with a mixture of egg and bacon or ham, cheese was a later addition to quiche recipes. If you add onions you have Quiche Alsacienne

1 and ½ cups of plain flour
½ a teaspoon of salt
85 grams / 3½ oz of butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

250 grams / 8 oz thick bacon
5 eggs
1¼ cups of cream
salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup of grated cheese, Gruyère or cheddar (optional)

Short Pastry

In a large bowl or food processor sift the flour and salt, cut the cold butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour with your hands or using the food processor, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre; add 1 beaten egg and the vinegar mixing to a firm dough. If the dough seems a little dry add a little water. Handle as little as possible as this prevents the pastry from becoming hard when it is baked. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling

Preheat oven to 190°C / 425°F. Cut the bacon into small strips (lardons), sauté until crisp and put aside to cool. Whisk together the eggs, cream, grated nutmeg and pepper in a large bowl.

Assembly

On a lightly floured bench or board roll the short pastry out to around 5 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Line a flan or pie dish with dough, flute and crimp the edges decoratively. Scatter half the cheese (optional) over the bottom of the pie crust. Continue by placing the cooled bacon lardons over evenly and pour in the egg and cream filling mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place into the pre-heated oven on a middle rack and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the top is browned and an inserted knife-edge comes out cleanly.

Finally let the quiche cool for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve wedges with a fresh green salad and a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc

(Serves 6)

Gratin Dauphinois

From the Dauphinée area, near the Swiss border.

1 garlic clove
2 lbs. baking potatoes, such as russets, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 cup freshly grated French or Swiss Gruyere cheese
1 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
salt & pepper


Preheat the oven to 350F. Thoroughly rub a 6 cup gratin dish* with the garlic. layer half of the potatoes in the dish. Sprinkle the half of the cheese and then half of the crème fraîche. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Add another layer, using the rest of the ingredients. Bake , uncovered, until the gratin is crisp and golden on top from 50 to 60 minutes . Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

Mousse au Chocolat.

Anywhere in France :D

Serves:6


Ingredients

6 oz (168 grm) semi-sweet chocolate, cut into pieces
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp (15 ml) strong black coffee (1 tbsp (15 ml) instant coffee disolved in 1 tbsp (15 ml) water)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 tbsp (15 ml) dark rum or Grand Marnier
4 eggs separated, plus 1 egg white
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cream of tartar
1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar


Preparation

In a double boiler (bain-marie), melt the chocolate over very low heat, with the butter, coffee, vanilla, and rum or Grand Marnier.
Remove pan from heat and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
In a bowl, with a mixer, beat the egg whites with salt, until they are frothy.
Add cream of tartar, and beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.
Gently add the sugar and beat for a minute more, or until they hold stiff but not dry peaks.
Fold them gently but thoroughly into the yolk-chocolate mixture.
Pour the mousse into a large serving bowl or into serving cups.
Chill, covered, at least 3 hours or overnight.
For a stronger mousse, omit the extra egg white, which makes the mousse on the light side.

Piperade

Recipe from Basque Land, South West France (Biarritz, Bayonne, Saint Jean de Luz..)


Ingredients

4 beaten eggs
4 large tomatoes skinned and de-seeded
2 onions peeled and finely sliced
a little garlic if liked
1 green pepper finely sliced
olive oil for frying
2tbs butter
4oz finely chopped lean ham
salt and pepper

Method

Heat oil. Fry pepper very gently. Add the tomatoes, the garlic, ham and seasoning. Stir in the butter and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the beaten eggs. Allow to set but do not allow to get too dry. Serve immediately.

Ratatouille

Recipe from Provence, South East France

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 Courgettes (or zucchini)
2 Aubergines (or egg plant)
4 ripened Tomatoes
3 small Green peppers
1 Medium Red pepper
1 Medium to large Onion or 4 to 5 small fresh onions
2 cloves Garlic
Flat Parsley, chopped
Basil, chopped
Salt
Pepper from the mill
Olive oil for cooking

Preparation

The order of cooking is important, so keep the vegetables separate when preparing them. Slice the onion and chop the garlic finely. Cut the peppers in two and remove the storks, seeds and white fleshy parts, then cut into 1/2 inch squares. Without peeling them, cube the Aubergines and courgettes to an equivalent size. Remove the stem and seeds from the tomatoes and cut the flesh into small pieces. Chop the parsley and basil, keeping a few small leaves as garnish. In a frying pan, sauté the onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil over a brisk heat, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper as you go along. When the peppers are 3/4 cooked (they should be nice and crunchy), remove from pan and keep warm. Sauté the aubergines until they are cooked through and nice and golden. Set aside with the peppers. Sauté the courgettes, adding the tomatoes and parsley as they start to golden, and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Return the peppers and aubergines to the pan, mix all the vegetables thoroughly and add the basil. If required, deglaze the pan with a little water and then reduce. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish parsley and basil leaves.

Chicken in Wine (French) - Coq Au Vin

1 1/2 tb butter
1 tb oil
125 g salt pork, ham, or bacon, chopped
12 ea button onions
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 c button mushrooms
1 ea chicken, jointed, or 6 chicken pieces
1/2 c seasoned flour
3/4 ts salt
1 x pepper, freshly ground
1/2 ts thyme
2 ea bay leaves
2 ea sprigs parsley
1/4 c brandy
1 sm bottle red wine(claret or burgundy)
1 ts sugar
2 ts flour
1/4 c parsley, finely chopped


Directions:

Heat butter and oil in pan, fry pork, onions, garlic. Add mushrooms, fry
gently, remove ingredients from pan. Dredge chicken pieces in seasoned flour
and saute in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes until well brown. Return mushrooms,
onions and pork to pan, add salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and parsley. Cover
and cook over low heat for 20 - 30 minutes.

Warm brandy, ignite and add to the pan, allow to burn for 1 minute, then
extinguish by pouring in the red wine. Add sugar.

Blend flour with some of the liquid, add to dish, stir till thickened. Serve
hot, garnish with finely chopped parsley and mashed potatoes.

Serves 6

LOL Barb you're showing off your French roots. :D

Actually, it's not with chicken but with rooster. :) "Coq" means rooster, and the taste is a little bit different than the one of chicken.

Phil

LOL well I live in the city and they don't give us a choice here :) if I was still on the farm I would use a rooster because I would use the chickens for eggs LOL. I fix this chicken (rooster) all the time and just love it.
Love Barb

here is a olish dish...Cabbage Rolls..or Stuffed Cabbage..or as they say in Poland...Gotabki..


1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork or veal
1/2 cup of rice
1 onion , chopped fine
2 Tablespoons of butter`
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
salt & pepper
2 eggs

Remove core from head of cabbage with shap knife. Scald the cabbage in boiling water. Remove a few leaves at a time as the wilt. cool before using.
Wash rice in cold water and stir into 2 quarts of rapidly boiling water. Boil 10 minutes and strain. Run cold water through rice strainer. This rice is only half cooked. Saute onion in butter only until it becomes transparent. Do not let it turn yellow. Combine with meat, eggs, rice, bread crumbs and seasonings and mix well. Spread each leaf with meat, about half inch thick, fold the two opposite sides and roll, starting withone of the open ends. Fasten with toothpick.
To cook - place cabbage rolls in baking dish, cover with 5 slice of bacon and roast uncovered for 2 hours at 300*. Baste from time to time. You can add a can of tomato sauce or soup or mushroom soup before baking..
Gotabki May be served with sour cream or musroom sauce . Maybe reheat the next day..enjoy

4 egg yolks, beaten slightly

Mix, in order, into the yolks:

4 tsp sugar

4 tbsp heavy cream (or sour cream)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Keep dough covered with damp towel to keep from drying out as you work.

Roll out dough and cut into strips about one inch wide. Make a slit in the middle of the strip and push one end through so it kind of looks like a bow.

Fry strips in 2" of shortening or oil. Fry 1 minute on each side until lightly brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Here are some fried bread recipies

2 Cups FLOUR
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 cup Instant Dry Milk
2 Cups Shortening

Mix Flour, baking powder, salt, powdered milk, and water. Heat shortening until flakes of flour start to bubble when dropped into oil. While shortening is heating, Pull off a palm sized mound of dough and roll it into a smooth ball then flatten into a disk shape. Size is a matter of preference. Put dough into pan, cook until brown, turn over and cook other side until brown. You can take a brown paper bag and place a few sheets of paper towels on the bottom and drop finished fry bread into bag to let grease drain. Makes about 6 servings.

Version #2
2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Baking Powder
1 cup Water
Version #3
3 cups Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbs. Baking Powder
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbs. Shortening (cut in)
Using the ingredients from either version above, mix ingredients and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Break off a ball of dough about golf ball size and pat out no thicker than 1/4 inch. (In some tribal traditions a hole is always made in the center which has spiritual significance)
Fry in deep hot oil to a light golden brown, turn once to brown both sides. (Oil is hot enough if a small test piece of dough dropped in the oil begins cooking almost immediately and rises to the top.) Drain bread well and pat with paper towel to remove excess oil. Keep covered in a bowl while cooking to keep bread warm.
Serving - Usually eaten like bread with soup, stew or posole
Variations - Eat with honey, powdered sugar, cinnamon.