International Heritage Recipes
Posted by funfelt on Tuesday Jul 10, 2007 Under
The following recipes come from the exclusive felt International Heritage Costumes set by Story Time Felts, which is a set of clothing to go with our girl felt ‘paper’ dolls. Many parents and teachers enjoy teaching their children about the people of the world with this great set! The literature that comes with includes these recipes plus background information and traditions for each country, activity ideas and lessons, and bibliographical and reading references! The following countries are represented:
Brazil
China
Egypt
Germany
Holland
Indonesia
Japan
Kenya
Mexico
Native America
Spain
Switzerland
Tahiti
India
Norway
Make some of these great recipes with your kids!
Abbreviations: T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, C = cup , g = Gram, oz. = ounceENJOY!!
==
BRAZIL: Creme De Palmito
1 16 oz can of Hearts of Palm, drained with 1 T of liquid reserved
2 C vegetable stock
2 t flour
1 egg yolk
3 C water
3/4 C yogurt
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh parsley to garnish
Mix the Hearts of Palm liquid, stock, flour and egg yolk. Cut the Hearts of Palm into 3/4 inch thick round circles, Place the liquid mixture and the Hearts of Palm in a large saucepan. Add the water and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the yogurt while stirring, Season to taste, Serve hot, garnished with a sprinkling of parsley.
==
CHINA: Sweet and Sour Pork
2 pork fillets, cubed
Oil for deep frying
1 onion sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small can pineapple chunks
Batter:
1-1/2 T flour
4 T corn flour
1-1/2 T baking powder
pinch of salt
1 T oil
water as needed
Sauce:
2 T corn flour
1-1/2 C light brown sugar
pinch of salt
2/3 C rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 t fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
6 T catsup
6 T pineapple juice
Batter: Sift the flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl,. Make a small hole in the center of the ingredients, Add oil and enough water to make a thick and smooth batter.
Pork: Heat enough oil to deep fry the pork. Dip the pork cubes one at a time in the batter, making sure the batter covers the pork completely. Drop in the oil and deep fry for 4-5 minutes, then remove and let drain on paper towel.
Sauce: Drain most of the oil from the pan, Fry the sliced onion, pepper and pineapple, Cook for 1-2 minutes over high heat, then remove the vegetables and pineapple and set aside. Pour all the sauce ingredients into the pan, and bring it slowly to a boil. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Allow the sauce to simmer 1-2 minutes or until clear. Add the vegetables, pineapple and pork cubes to the sauce and stir to coat the pork. Reheat for a few minutes, then serve with rice.
==
EGYPT: Omm ‘Ali (Bread and butter pudding)
1 packet of roqaq (a type of cracker bread) or substitute of your choice
1 C mixed nuts
1 T grated coconut
1 T unsalted butter or fresh cream
1 C rich, well-sweetened milk
Dry the bread for 1-2 minutes in a hot oven enough to make them dry and crisp. Crush with fingers and place in a lightly greased oven dish. Mix nuts and coconut, and scatter on top. Warm the sweetened milk and pour over the dessert. Dab with butter or cream, and place in moderately hot oven, 325-375 degrees F.
==
GERMANY: Lebkuchen (Spice bar)
2 C honey
5-1/2 C flour
3/4 C grated unblanched almonds
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t powdered cloves
3/4 C mixed candied fruits (orange, lemon and citron peel)
1/2 t baking powder
Egg White Icing (see below)
Heat honey until thick, do not boil., mix in all other ingredients except icing. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth, adding a little flour if necessary. Roll with a floured rolling pin to 1/2 inch thickness. Grease and flour a baking sheet and lay rolled dough on it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cook for about 20 minutes. Spread with icing while hot, cool before cutting into rectangles.
Egg White Icing:
2 egg whites
1-1/4 C confectioners sugar
1 T lemon juice
Whip egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Add sugar and lemon juice. Continue beating until thick and glossy,. Spread on cake or cookies with a spatula.
==
HOLLAND: Alphabet Chocolates
1 large high quality chocolate bar (not milk chocolate!)
Sugar sprinkles and mini-candies
Unwrap the chocolate bar and place in a sealable bag. Microwave on high for one minute at a time until the chocolate melts. Place a piece of waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag. Then slowly squeeze the chocolate onto the waxed paper in the shapes of letters. Decorate the letters with sugar sprinkles and mini candies. Refrigerate the letters until they harden. Wrap in plastic wrap and tie with a bow.
==
INDIA: Samosas
1 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 t ginger
1 t garlic powder
1 t curry powder
1 fresh tomato, chopped
3/4 C cooked peas
1 package egg roll or wonton skins
oil for deep frying
Heat 1 T oil in large frying pan, add onion, stirring constantly, until browned. Add ginger, garlic powder, and curry powder. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add tomato. Stir in peas and allow to cool. Cut egg roll skins into 4 squares. Put about 1 T or less of mixture into center. Moisten edges with water. Fold over and press to seal. Heat oil for deep frying, about 375 degrees F. Cook samosas a few at a time until golden brown, turning once. To reheat, place on baking sheet in 350 degree F oven until warm.
==
INDONESIA: Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)
2 C long grain rice
4 shallots or 1 small onion, sliced
2 red chiles, seeded and sliced or 1 t chili powder
1 t paprika
2 T vegetable oil
salt
1 t sweet soy sauce
1 t catsup
Cook rice as directed on package and then let cool. Heat the oil in a wok, saute the shallots and chiles for about a minute, season with salt, soy sauce, and catsup. Add the rice and stir until it is well heated, about 5-8 minutes. Serve in a large dish and garnish with sliced cucumber, tomatoes or fried onions.
==
JAPAN: Tempura
Items to fry:
12 med. prawns
4 red snapper fillets or any small white meat fish fillets
4 green peppers
2 Japanese eggplants or 1 regular eggplant
4 large shitake mushrooms
Tempura Batter:
2 eggs
1-1/2 C iced water
2 C sifted all purpose flour
Dipping Sauce:
Combine the following:
1-3/4 C of dashi stock
1/3 C soy sauce
1/3 C of mirin
Beat the eggs in a large and well chilled bowl then add the water. Add the sifted flour and stir lightly with chopsticks. There should be lumps of dry flour in the batter. Never mix well! Heat oil for frying to 325-350 degrees F. Dip all the ingredients in the batter - they should be well covered by the batter. Deep fry until golden brown. Tempura should be eaten immediately after frying. Dip in the dipping sauce and eat with rice.
==
KENYA: Kuku na Nazi (Chicken with coconut milk)
2-3 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
5 inches fresh ginger, grated
20 small cloves garlic
2 hot chili peppers or 1 t cayenne pepper
1 med. onion, sliced, 2 T oil
2 T curry powder
1/3 C clarified butter (directions below)
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 T whole cumin seeds, pounded
4-6 C coconut milk (directions below)
1 C coconut cream (directions below)
Wash the chicken and pat it dry. Pound the ginger, garlic, chilies, and curry powder with a mortar and pestle, or puree in a blender or food processor. In a small skillet, saute the onions in oil for 4-5 minutes, then add the spice puree and simmer, Braise the chicken in butter in a large skillet or stew pot. When the chicken pieces are brown, transfer the onion-puree mixture to the chicken pot. Add coriander, cumin and coconut oil. Cook until the chicken is tender. Pour coconut cream over the chicken, remove pot from heat, and let stand until ready to serve. To eat, spoon over rice.
Clarified Butter: Take 2 sticks of butter (8 oz total) and cut into pieces and melt in a saucepan over low heat. Skim off the buttermilk fat that will foam to the top with a slotted spoon. Remove the pan from the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then pour off the clear liquid, leaving behind the residue of milk solids that have settled to the bottom. The clarified butter will last 2 weeks when refrigerated.
Coconut Milk: Take fresh white meat of 1 coconut. Grate the meat by hand or process it in a blender. Extract the flavorful mixture from the gratings by pouring the gratings into a cheese cloth, then pour 1 cup of hot water over it. Squeeze the liquid out until you get 1 cup. Continue the process until you have 3 cups. Repeat with a 2nd coconut.
Coconut Cream:
Coconut cream can either be the first squeezing from the coconut milk, or a thick later than forms from chilled coconut milk.
==
MEXICO: Chapurrado (Dessert often eaten at Christmas)
6 C Whole milk
1 C masa harina (corn flour)
2 C water
1 C brown sugar, firmly packed
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, grated
1 cinnamon stick
Heat the milk and chocolate in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the chocolate. When it is completely dissolved, remove from heat and set aside to keep warm, Mix the masa harina with the water in another saucepan. Place over low heat, add the cinnamon stick and cook until the mixture has thickened and the masa becomes translucent. Add the chocolate milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and simmer for a few minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve the champurrado hot in cups or mugs
=
NATIVE AMERICAN: Zahsakokwahn (Frybread)
2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 C milk
Deep hot fat in frying pan or fryer
Sift the dry ingredients. lightly stir in milk. Add more flour as necessary to make a dough you can handle. Knead and work the dough on a floured board with floured hands until smooth. Pinch off fist-sized balls and shape into a disk. Fry in fat about 375 degrees F until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.
==
NORWAY: Kransekake (Ring shaped Almond cake)
250 g (8.8 oz, about 1-1/8 C) unblanched almonds
250 g blanched almonds
500 g icing sugar (17.7 oz, about 2-1/4 C)
100 g icing sugar (about 1/2 C) for icing
3 egg whites
The almonds must be completely dry before they are ground. Grind them twice, first alone and then together with the icing sugar. Add egg whites to make a firm dough. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Over low heat, knead the dough until it is almost too hot to handle. Pipe the dough into graduated ring shapes onto ovenproof paper or into greased ring molds. Bake until the rings are dry and firm on the outside and chewy inside. This takes about 12-15 minutes. Cool the rings a little before removing them from the molds to cool completely. Mix icing sugar and egg white to make a fairly thick icing. Use the icing to glue the rings together in ascending order. Pipe the icing in thin zigzags on the sides of the tower. Garnish with sweets, small crackers, flags, etc. The cake should be deep frozen and thawed before serving. This will improve the taste and handling. Make sure the cake does not get the change to dry while stored.
==
SPAIN: Caramel Custard
1/2 T water
8 egg yolks
a few drops of vanilla essence
1 pint milk
2 T syrup
4 oz sugar
Heat sugar with water until it is of a brown caramel consistency. Pour into an oven proof dish or little individual dishes which have been previously dipped into cold water and not dried. This prevents sticking. Make the custard by beating the egg yolks well, adding the milk and flavoring, then pour into the caramel-lined dish and bake about 20 minutes. Cool, turn out, and keep in cool place until ready to serve.
==
SWITZERLAND: St. Galler Klostertorte (Jam tart)
Dough:
75 g butter (about 1/3 C)
50 g sugar (about 1/4 C)
51 g grated almonds (about 1/4 C)
1 g cinnamon (about 1/4 t)
10 g cocoa powder (about 2 t)
1 g baking soda (about 1/4 t)
150 g flour (about 2/3 C)
40 g milk (about 3 T)
Red currant jam
Stir butter and milk together. Add all other ingredients and work quickly into a dough. Set aside for 1 hour. Cut the dough in two halves. Cover the bottom of a round cake tin with one half and make a rim with the rest. Fill with red currant jam. Make a grill shaped ornament on top of the jam with dough strips. Top the dough strips with frosting. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
==
TAHITI: Orange Stuffed Dates
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 C powdered sugar
1 T grated orange peel
1 t vanilla
1 box whole pitted dates (8 oz)
Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange peel. Add vanilla. Cut the dates down the middle and fill with cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate.
I hope you enjoy these recipes!!
