Awen's Post Holi Paella + Middle Eastern Aubergine Salad

POST HOLI PAELLA
Redondo/Arborio Rice
Rainbow-coloured cauliflower
Artichokes
Frozen pea
Rocket+Spinach leftovers (mine were almost expired)
Veggie broth
Lemon juice
Salt
Rosemary+black cardadamom (these were cheating, real, Levante-style paella has no flavouring ingredients or spices, but after earning a reputation for my vegan paella in my Madrilenian years, I decided I can cheat)

Stir-fry the cauliflower and artichokes. Stir-fry the rice for a minute or until the grain is white (that isn't the traditional way, in Levante they don't stir-fry the rice--they just add it later on to the boiling broth, but I'm Veneto-Brazilian and as I said, because of I passed the paella test in Spain, I am entitled to cheat). Pour water to cover stir-fry, add broth, juice, the leaves and the pea. Add the rest to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer until rice has soaked almost all of the liquid. Serve with oven-roasted onion rings.

MIDDLE EASTERN AUBERGINE SALAD
(my own invention inspired by something Arpad ordered at the Kebap place next to the gay sauna in Budapest last weekend)

Yellow peas from the can, or chickpea
Diced aubergines
Salt
Olive oil (Don't overdo! Aubergines absorb a lot of oil, they won't get greasy).

Dressing:
1/2 cup HONEST Tahini
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Cilantro leaves, fresh and in abundance

Mix aubergines with salt and oil. Roast them in the oven at 175C/350F (I had the oven fan on) until aubergine is soft and golden-brown. Leave outside the window so the Beast from the East cools it down (but bring it back in before it freezes!). Mix the dressing ingredients. Mix them together with the yellow peas, and store. Pour the dressing over the base the next day, preferably just before eating.

Madeline's real Alecha

Eritrean alecha (based on an original recipe from Eritta)

Ingredients
...
* 2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 cup red or white onion, chopped (optional: 1 1/2 cup chopped cabbage)
* 2 cups yellow or red split peas
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 5 cups water
* 4 pods cardomom (crush)
* 5 grains whole black pepper (crush)
* Salt to taste

Procedure

1. Pour oil into a large pot and place over medium heat.
2. Add onion, stirring often, (add optional cabbage half-way through) until golden brown.
3. Add all other ingredients.
4. Cook over medium heat until the veges are tender. Adjust pepper, salt, and other spices to taste. Check that it does not run out of water or burn, stir occasionally and add more water if needed. Consistency should be thick but not dry.
5. Serve with Injera, (‘Injera’ is special fermented pancake but you can also prepare your own unsweetened pancake without egg and served with drizzle of lemon)

Madeline's Cuban-style Black Beans

FRIJOLES NEGROS (BLACK BEANS), ESTILO CUBANO

1 can of cooked black beans (400ml? 10oz?)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
¼ C. sweet green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 tsp. vegetable bouillon cube or powder
1 pinch ground pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 pinch dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 bay leaves
1 1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt (optional, to taste)

1. In a skillet, heat olive oil and gently sauté garlic, onions, and chili peppers for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you are lazy to chop things like me, I blended the onions, garlic and pepper into a paste and sautéd this, You have to stir more often and watch out so it does not burn or dry out. More oil may be needed)

2. Add the can of cooked black beans (with juices) and mash together (just a bit) with the rest of the ingredients in skillet. Add the pepper, oregano, cumin, sugar, bouillon, and bay leaves (and salt at the end if needed, after tasting). Add ¼ cup water to keep the sauce from evaporating.

3. Cover and simmer 8 minutes on low heat. Add Vinegar, cover, and cook over low heat for another 2 minutes. Uncover and cook until sauce thickens as desired; add more
water if required. Serve with hot cooked brown or white rice, fried plantains, and sliced avocado, garnished with a slice of lemon. ☺

Ali's Pakistani Vegan Recipes

Three vegan treats I selected from Ali's treasure chest.

1. Dal Moong-Phareri

Ingredients
½ cup Moong Dal (Dhuli) presoaked for 2-3 hours
1 tsp. salt (according to taste)
1/2 tsp chili (Lal Mirch) powder
1/4 tsp turmeric (Haldi) powder
6-7 whole black pepper (Kali Mirch)
6-7 cloves (Laung)
1 black cardamom (Bari Ilaichi)
1 tsp. cumin seeds (Zeera)
1 tsp. ginger (Adrak) paste
1 small onion
4 tbs. oil

For garnishing:
Few fresh coriander (Dhaniya) leaves
Chopped green chilies
1 Lemon

Instructions
Sauté the sliced onion in oil till light brown.
Add all spices and Dal. Mix well. Add water 1/3 cup.
Cover and cook on medium heat till soft and water has dried.
Garnish with fresh coriander (Dhaniya) leaves, chopped green chilies and lemon.
Serve with paratha or chapatti.
Serving: 2 to 3 persons

2. Aloo Palak

Ingredients
250 grm. potatoes-peeled and cut into small pieces.
2 clove of garlic (Lehsan)-chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds (Zeera))
2-3 whole dried red chilies
½ tsp. salt (according to taste)
1/8 tsp. turmeric (Haldi) powder
1 packet frozen spinach. (Or a 1/2 cup of blanched spinach leaves)
2 tbs. oil
1 medium sized tomato-chopped (optional)

Instructions
In oil fry the pieces of Garlic (Lehsan) till they start to turn brown.
Add Cumin Seeds (Zeera) red chili and Turmeric (Haldi).
When brown add the chopped tomato and rest of the spices.
When mixed well and the tomato has softened add the potatoes.
When the potatoes are half done add Palak and cook till water dries. Cook throughout on low heat.
Garnish with green chilies and lemon.
Serve with chapati

Serving: 3 persons

3. Aloo Methi

Ingredients
250 grm. Potato - peeled and cut into small pieces.
2 to 3 clove of garlic (Lehsan) - chopped
½ tsp. cumin seeds (Zeera)
2-3 whole dried red chilies
½ tsp. salt (according to taste)
1/8 tsp. turmeric (Haldi) powder
1 cup fresh fenugreek (Methi) leaves OR 1 tsp. dried fenugreek (Methi) Leaves
2 tbs. oil
1 medium tomato, chopped -optional

Instructions
In oil, fry the pieces of Garlic (Lehsan) till they start to turn brown. Add Cumin Seeds (Zeera) and red chili. When brown add the spices (and the chopped tomato).
When the spices and tomato are well mixed add the potatoes.
When the potatoes are half done add Fenugreek Leaves (Methi)) and cook till water dries.
Cook throughout on low heat.

Serving: 2 persons

David's Gnocchi with Salsa Alla Norma

Homemade gnocchi takes a long time to prepare, but just a little bit can feed anybody very hungry. We were four people at David's place for dinner last night, and it's amazing at how full we felt after a few spoonfuls of gnocchi with this delicious sauce.

Ingredients:
~4 well-boiled potatoes
1/2 kg of wheat flour (but try to have more around, just in case)
Salt
1 egg (optional)


1. Peel potatoes with your fingers (it'll be easy if they're well cooked and cooled under running water).

2. Cut them in thick slices, and then mash well with a fork. Lay the mash on a bowl with some flour.

3. Add more flour on top, and then mix with hands until homogenic. Cover your hands on flour, so that the mix doesn't stick to your fingers so much.

4. If you wish, you may add a stirred egg. David says it makes the gnocchi taste better, but it also makes it more difficult to make homogenic and to succeed on the boiling part.

If you add the egg, mix again (always with hands), until homogenic.



5. Spread flour over a clean table, cover your hands in flour again, and roll the potato dough into "fingers".


6. With a fork, chop the fingers in pieces of more of less 1,5cm.


7. we've reached the artistic part.: to give the shape of a real gnocco, press each piece with the back of a fork...


8. ... and roll it up with your thumb to separate from fork, making a cilinder-like figure.


9. Boil the gnocchi on some water with oil.


10. When a gnocco floats up, remove it from boiling water and let it sit on a dish. Continue, one by one.


11. Serve warm with sauce, spices, freshly-grated Parmiggiano cheese and candlelight. ;)





Salsa Alla Norma: Traditional Sicilian vegan sauce. David explained to me the two meanings of the sauce's name. First, normal Sicilian food is comprised mostly of cultivated vegetables and fish; second, it's "to the norm" because when you prepare this sauce, you can never fail.




Ingredients:
1 eggplant, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic (but I'd have added two, myself), chopped
4 carrots
1 small can of peas
0,5 kg of thick tomato juice
Olive Oil
Salt, black pepper, assorted spices to taste.

Stir-fry vegetables (except for the peas, which came already cooked in the can) on olive oil, until all is tender. If you want a strong onion flavour, you can let the onion turn golden-brown, if not, stir-fry it only until tender and translucid. Add spices and tomato juice when veggies are soft and well-cooked. Cover, and let cook on low fire for some twenty or thirty minutes.




Side dish: Bruschette



Ingredients:
1 chopped tomato
Chopped Mozzarella
Oregano
Basil
Flavoured toasts (we had garlic with parsley flavour)
Olive Oil

Mix tomato, mozzarella and the spices. Spread the mix over the toasts, then pour some olive oil just before serving. You may add salt, too (to taste).

Madeline's Algerian Couscous

Algerian-style Vegetarian Couscous
(Serves 6-8)

Essential: Couscousier (big pot with well-fitting steam tray). Without this, your couscous grains will not be scrumptious as they should be.

Couscous:
500g good quality Couscous (Arabic on package)
5 Tbs. good quality olive oil (fragrant)
Salt to taste

Sauce:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion
1+ Tbs Raz-al-Hanout (Moroccan curry powder, buy at Arab/Pakistani store)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 large zucchini
2 large carrot
100g pumpkin or squash
300g+ fresh or frozen green beans
1-2 large tomatoes, peeled and grated
500g+ cooked garbanzo beans, well-rinced
-Salt, and other above spices to taste

Couscous:
-Put couscous in a bowl, cover with water and stir for a few seconds
-Pull out a handful of couscous and squeeze the water out, put aside in steam tray of Couscousiers
-Do this with all the couscous and set aside to dry for 20 minutes
-Start preparing your sauce - come back to this part when you add the water to the sauce
-Oil your hands lightly, take a handful of washed couscous and separate the grains by rolling your thumb against the inside of your first finger. Separate the grains into the steam tray of the couscousier with a plate under it so grains don't get all over the place. Do this until all couscous is well separated
-Place steam tray on top of pot with the simmering couscous sauce and cover. Make sure the steam is not escaping from the sides, if so tie a piece of cloth around the gap. Steam 20 minutes, more or less, until the steam flows heavily through the couscous grains. You can taste-test if they are done.
-Remove steam tray and transfer couscous grains into a large bowl. While still hot and steamy, sprinkle about 50cl of water over grains and roll with your hands or use a wire wisk. Sprinkle 4 Tbs. olive oil over couscous and 2 tsp. salt, and roll with your hands or use a wire wisk. The goal is that the couscous will absorb a bit more water, becoming more tender without getting soggy, and that all grains be separated, oiled and lightly salted. Taste test and set aside if delicious. If still a bit underdone, put back on sauce pot to steam more, cover.

Sauce:
-Wash and chop veggies onto spoon-sized pieces, except the onion (fine chop), the pumpkin (small cubes), and the tomato (peeled and grated)
-Fry onion on low heat until tender
-Add dry spices and stir until things get sticky, then add other vegetables (except the tomato and the garbanzos) a bit more oil and stir well for a few minutes
-Add 1 liter of good water (Barcelona city water is not good), the grated tomato and the garbanzos and bring to a boil. If your veggies are not well-covered by the level of water, add more
-Reduce heat to medium-low and put your couscous grains to steam!
-When you remove the couscous grains to oil and salt, taste your sauce, add salt as needed but not too much since the couscous grains are also salted, and adjust the spices as needed (Raz-al-Hanout, pepper, cinnamon) but a little at a time so as not to ruin your sauce!

Serve couscous in shallow bowls, spreading it nicely on the bottom of the bowl, put veggies on the couscous first, then ladle the sauce over, asking guests how much they like :) If you put too much sauce it becomes a sad soup instead of a fabulous bowl of tasty Algerian-style veggie couscous.

Bon appetit! Bismillah! Psatig

Mounya's Mutabbal

Also known as Baba Ghannouj, Babaganoush and Moutabbal.

4 eggplants
tahina
2/3 lemons (depending on taste)
salt
olive oil
garlic (optional)

This first step surprises everyone but it is what gives
the smoked taste to the dish, so I recommend it:

Put the 4 eggplants on a fire each (gas) directly and
unpeeled - wait for one side to be burned and tender
(the skin will take the shape of the metal. I know it
is not clear now but when you see it you will
understand) then you do the same thing on the other
side.
They should be soft and usually lose water.
Wait for them to be lukewarm and peel (I collect the
inside with a big spoon, but I am sure there are tons
of techniques).
I put it in a drain to get rid of the water, then put
in a bowl and mix with hands (you can use the mixer but
I like this texture better).
Add tahine (2/3 table spoons) and lemon (2 for a start)
and salt and a little bit of olive oil. Mix. taste and
add any of the above until you reach your perfect
balance. (I have it very lemony, my Mom puts a lot of
tahine, my brother likes it with garlic...)
Be careful with the tahine, it soakes up a lot of
liquid (water, lemon) so add it little by little.

Juliet's Falafel

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp baking powder
4-5 Tbs flour
1 cup garbanzo (chickpeas)
1/2 large onion (1 cup)
2 Tbs perejil (parsley)
2 Tbs cilantro
1 tsp sal
4 cloves garlic


Directions:
1.Soak the garbanzo/chickpea beans overnight in about 2 inches
of cold water. Cook the next day, til soft. Or buy a
jar of pre-cooked garbanzo beans.
2. Blend in a food processor, not puree: garbanzos,
onion, parsley, salt, garlic, and cumin.
3. Sprinkle in baking poweder and 4 tablspoons flour.
Put in bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several
hours.
4. Make into small balls and fry in vegetable oil
until brown on the outside.

Yummy to eat in a wrap or pita with tahini, cucumbers,
lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, yogurt sauce and/or hot
sauce.

and thatś it!

Awen's Pilaf

1 cebolla picada
Oil
375g de arroz grano largo (Basmati, etc.)
Azafrán o cúrcuma
50g de maíz dulce
1 pimiento rojo, sin semillas y picado pequeño
1 cucharadita garam massala en polvo (llamado "curry" en España)
2 gotitas de salsa de chile habanero verde
Ramitas de un brécol
Medio litro de caldo vegetal (quizá un poco más)
Nueces picadas
90-100g de pasas
Sal
...pero en realidad todo eso es sostituible por lo que haya en la nevera!

Para la salsa: tres vasitos de yogur natural de soja, 2 cucharadas de hierbabuena fresca picada, una cucharada de pimienta cayena molida (o un pelín más--el yogur suaviza la cayena)

Calentar el aceite en una sartén y agregar la cebolla y el arroz. Rehogar de 3 a 4 minutos removiendo. Añadir el resto de los ingredientes y llevar a ebulición. Bajar el fuego y hervir 30 minutos más, removiendo de vez en cuando y hasta que el arroz esté tierno y el líquido se haya consumido.

Mezclar todos los ingredientes de la salsa el dia anterior, servir con el pilaf y una ensalada.

Awen's Birthday Paella!

Empiezando aqui, seguir pinchando en la siguiente foto. Las instrucciones están en los captions.

Hoy día, las paellas que yo hago llevan de verdura sólo alcachofas, champiñones, pimiento rojo y muchísima coliflor. A veces echo judías verdes, garrafó y alubias blancas, de este paquete congelado del Mercadona.

Buen provecho!

Awen's Simple Rösti

1. Cook about 8 potatoes in steam the previous night and fridge them overnight. I like to fridge them for 24 hours, but you might be happy with only 8. I steam the potatoes for about 12-15 minutes, as I don't really like them overcooked--it makes it difficult to grate them the following day and the final product is less visually appealing. The quantity of potatoes really depends on the hunger, number of guests you're going to feed and the size of your frying pan for the following day.

2. The next day, when they're already stiff and cold, grate them thick.

3. Melt butter or warm a lot of oil in a frying pan (say, 1/4 cup). If you're doing a simple rösti without filling, you may use a large pan, otherwise, it's better to use a small frying pan. Put the grated potato in the pan and let it fry.

4. When you see the bottom is fried/cooked/hard/glued together, flip the rösti. You may do it tortilla-style, with a plate. Or, if it's small enough, just flip it like a crêpe, with a spoon or spatula.

5. When it's fried on what is now the bottom, just flip it again and put away from the fire. It's done.

Serve it with a sauce, salad and/or sunny-side-up (fried eggs). You may fill it with almost anything you want if on Step 2 you put just half of the potatoes, then the filling, then the other half of potatoes, much like a sandwich.

Potato Extravaganza Recipes!

Hector&Eva's:

Patatas gratinadas.

It's very easy...just fried potatos, mushrooms, white sauce (bechamel) with blue cheese. finally everything into the oven to cook it...that's all!!!!

Patatas gratinadas.

freir patatas y champiñones. Hacer una bechamel con queso azul. poner todo en el horno y gratinar. eso es todo!!!

Lindie's:

Alternative Spinach "stamppot"

- spinach (chopped, or from frozen)
- 1 spice cube.
- mashed potatoes (homemade or instant)
- cheese diced(optional)
- bacon (optional)
- 1 onion
- 1 pepper (as in bell pepper, any colour will do but if you want to make it look better avoid the green ones)

- Chop the onion and the pepper (and the bacon)and fry them.
- boil the spinach with the spice cube and drain in a colander.
- press out as much water as you can with a spoon.
- prepare the mashed pototoes according to the instructions or mash your own
- mix all, add pepper and salt (and cheese) to taste. done

NB: If you're using instant mashed potatoes you can also just add the powder to the pot with spinach and the cooking juices until the mixture thickens. Then just add the onion and pepper (and cheese and bacon) and mix and you're done. The ration potatoes:spinach is up to you but traditionally it's about 3:2.

Uxía's:

Patatas gratinadas al queso:
Cocer patatas con piel. Enfriar, pelar y cortar en rebanadas. Poner en fuente de horno capas de patatas con sal y oregano, capas de queso(yo use emmental, manchego y cheddar), aceitunas negras picaditas. Terminar con queso, regar con nata , poner mantequilla arriba y dorar en el horno 20 min.

Desayuno campesino de patatas:
Cocer 1 k. y medio de patatas con piel. Enfriar, pelar y cortar en rebanadas.
Dorar en aceite cebolla y añadir tocino ahumado o bacon. añadir las patatas y dejar hasta que se doren. Sazonar con sal, pimienta y cominos. Verter 4 huevos y remover un poco. Dejar cuajar a fuego lento y espolvorear con perejil.

Hector's Salsa Brava

aceite en un sarten, no mucho vaya un chorrito, despues se pone un poco de harina para que espese la salsa y un poco de cayena molida(no mucho que pica la ostia), cuando ya hayas cocinado la harina pon un chorrito de agua del grifo y que se caliente. a continuacion, se pone un par de guindillas,( si quieres que abrase las rompes si no es mejor que las dejes enteras) y salsa de tomate, a fuego lento deja que hierva un poco. para finalizar a mi me gusta darle un toque de perejil fresquito...y ya está!!!

Eveline's Dutch Recipes

Bitterballen (la cantidad de ayer):
- Mantequilla (mas o menos 100 gr)
- Harina
- Caldo de algun animal
- carne picada (300 gr)
- perejil fresco
- huevos
- leche
- aceite
- pan rallado

Pon una olla con agua al fuego y echale un poco de sal. Cuece la carne haste ue este hecha.
En otra olla pon la mantequilla y deja que se derrite. Despues echale harina hasta que se forma una masa que se pega a la cucharra y deja limpia la olla. Despues echale caldo poco a poco hasta que la masa se hace mas liquido pero sigue un poco espesa (como pegajosa). Echale el perejil a gusto, pimienta negra y la carne. Dejalo enfriar en el frigo para 1-2 horas.
Mezcla los 4 huevos, 4 cucharas de leche y 4 cucharas de aceite. Haz bolas de la carne tamaño albondiga y pasalos por el huevo y despues el pan rallado.
Frielos en aceite caliente para unos minutos y presto!


Hete Bliksem (patatas con manzana)(para 12 personas hambrientas):

- 2,5 kg de patatas
- 1kg de manzanas acidas
- 750 gr de manzanas dulces
- 2 cebollas grandes
- 2 á 3 dl de agua caliente
- Mantequilla

Pela y corta la patatas y ponlas en agua fria. Despues pela y corta las manzanas y las cebollas. Pon lo todo a hervir con las 2-3 dl de agua durante 20 minutos. Despues de los 20 minutos saca el agua de las patatas y guarda lo. Machaca las patatas con manzanas. Con el caldo y la mantequilla haz una salsa para ablandar la machaca de patata-manzana y presto!

Hutspot (patata con zanahoria y cebolla)(cantidad de ayer):

- 2,5 kg de patata
- 2 kg de zanahoria
- 1kg de cebolla
- caldo de verdura

Pelas y corta las patatas y pon los en agua al fuego durante 20 minutos.
Pela y corta las zanahorias y cebollas y pon los en el caldo a hervir durante 15-20 minutos. Sacale el agua de las patatas y las zanahorias, mezclar, machacar y presto!