Burundi: Plantains and Beans

My mother just called.

"Oh hello sweetheart, guess what? I made that Okra Fried Rice you posted on your blog! It was fabulous!"

"What are you talking about, Mom, it wasn't good at all."

"Well, I omitted the okra."

"Ah."

"Also the soy sauce."

"Ok . . . "

"And I didn't have any fennel seeds, so I added parsley instead."

"Mom?"

"And I used bell peppers instead of onion."

"So when you said you made my okra fried rice . . . "

"It was really more of an honorary kind of thing. Oh! And I'm making your cashew lemon rice tonight!"

Sigh. Here is another strange dish that my mother is sure to mis-cook: Burundian Plantains and Beans.

This was a bizarre dish: filling and satisfying, but not particularly spectacular.

Recipe: Plantains with Beans
Serves 2

2 tsp oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 cup cooked or canned kidney beans
1 green plantain (or a green banana), peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp salt

Fry the onion slices in the oil until they begin to brown, then add everything else and stir until the plantains begin to brown slightly. Add enough water to cover, and simmer over medium heat until the plantains are cooked all the way through. You might need to add more water if all of it evaporates. At the end, you should have a little water let over, but not too much.

Ascension Island - A Vegetarian Yorkshire Pudding

Finding recipes from Ascension Island was next to impossible, since 1) only 1,000 people live there, 2) almost all of them are British, working on the Air Force Base, and 3) they like fish.

I eventually caved in and cooked a traditional British dish to celebrate their nationalitiy, if not their locality.

If anyone knows an Ascension Island favorite, I’m dying to hear it.

This recipe is modified from the Inn on the Cove Culinary Column, and was truly delicious.

Recipe: Vegetarian Yorkshire Pudding
Makes ~6 large “puddings”

6 tsp oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place 1 tsp of oil in the bottom of 6 cups of a standard muffin tin.

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they are frothy, then beat in the milk. Mix in the flour and 1/2 tsp salt, and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until a smooth batter forms.

Pour batter into the 6 muffin tins, almost filling them to the top. Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet in case the batter overflows, then bake for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door during that time! When they’re done, they should be golden, enormous, and puffy, with a crisp exterior and a soft, moist center.

While the muffins cook, make the filling. Saute the onions and carrots in a little oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the thyme and salt.

When the muffins are done, stuff their puffy centers with the onion-carrot mixture. Eat warm.

Kookoo Sabzi: A Super-Delicious Iranian Omelet

This is a variation of another gem from ENO, traditionally served for dinner at New Year. A light and fluffy omelet, its tomatoes and vegetables make it sweet and its herbs make it so refreshingly flavorful I could eat nothing but this for a month and be happy.

Recipe: Kookoo Sabzi
Makes enough for 2

2 cups leafy greens (parsley, leek, dill, coridander, and/or spinach)
1 Tbsp oil
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, divided
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp walnuts, chopped
2 tsp dried dill
Salt to taste

Boil the spinach (or other leafy greens) until they are soft and spongy, then drain the water. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the onions and sauté for a few minutes, until the onions begin to brown (but not burn). Then add the tomatoes and leafy greens. Add about a cup of water and let simmer over medium heat while you prepare the eggs.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg yolks gently, then add the milk and the baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into it.

Meanwhile, back on the stove, all of the water should be evaporated. (If not, just wait until it is). Pour the egg mixture on top of the vegetables and spread around with a spatula to fill the frying pan. Cook over low heat until the top of the egg mixture is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.

To remove it from the pan, place a plate upside down over the omelet, and invert the pan. Sprinkle the omelet with the walnuts, dill, and salt. Serve warm.

Netherlands Antilles Applekoek

The Netherlands Antilles are two small groups of islands in the Caribbean. Ruled by the Dutch since the 17th century, the islands absorbed much of Dutch cuisine, including this fantastic applekoek breakfast bread.

What a magnificiently delicious coffee cake! The cut-in butter makes the cake flaky and soft, a cross between a muffin and biscuit, and the sweetness of the apples makes it a perfect morning bread. This is my new favorite coffee cake.

Recipe: Netherlands Antilles Applekoek
Makes 1 8-inch coffee cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 apples, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter. In a separate bowl, mix the egg and milk, then mix into the flour mixture. Pour batter into an 8-inch round cake pan. Press the apple wedges into it in a spiral pattern and dust with cinnamon.

Bake for 25 minutes, until apples are golden.

Guyanan Baked Eggplant

I’ve read that Guyana’s food has been influenced by everything from Chinese immigrants to creole. This eggplant recipe certainly showed that. The spices were overwhelming: onions, curry, thyme, basil, ketchup, and garlic, mixed with eggplant - no bland fruit to begin with.

I mixed some sour cream with it to calm my mouth down, but braver souls than I might be able to eat it straight.

Recipe: Guyanan Baked Eggplant
Serves 2

1 eggplant
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 small hot pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp soy sauce
1 cup bread crumbs

In a large saucepan, boil the eggplant until its skin is tender.

Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients (except bread crumbs) in a food processor or blender. Blend until they form a smooth paste.

When the eggplant is finished boiling, remove it from the water and let it cool slightly. Slice it lengthwise, scoop out its soft innards (leaving a shell of skin). Mix the eggplant innards with the blended ingredients, and blend again until smooth. Stir in the bread crumbs and spoon the mixture into the eggplant shells.

Place eggplants on baking sheet and bake at 320 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes.

Botswanan Greenleaf Vegetable

I found this recipe in a precious collection from ENO, an online community of schools from around the world. It was submitted by the Borwa Community Junior Secondary School in Botswana.

I wasn't enthusiastic about it ("No spices?"), but it was delicious. The sweetness of the onions and tomatoes was all the spice they needed.

Recipe: Botswanan Greenleaf Vegetable
Spinach
Onions
Tomatoes
Pepper
Water

“Instructions for the preparation: Cut the spinach leaves into small pieces. Slice some onions, tomatoes and peppers. Wash the spinach with clean water. Put the spinach into a pot together with the chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers. Pour half a mug of water in the pot and add some salt and spices and pour 2 teaspoons of oil. Cook for about 20 min. Keep the pot closed until the water dries up serve with rice.”

Jagacida: Rice & Beans Cape Verde Style

My 100th post! Time for a fried egg . . .

Toni Gifford submitted this recipe to the RecipeZaar 2005 World Tour, and it is tremendously delicious: warm flavors, satisfying textures, filling and tasty.

Recipe: Cape Verdean Jagacida
Serves 2

1/2 onion, sliced
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 Tbsp paprika
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup cooked or canned kidney beans
Generous salt
1 fried egg

Warm the oil in a very large skillet, and sauté the onions in it until they are a light brown. Stir in the paprika and bay leaf. Add water, bring to a boil, and add rice. Lower the heat, add the beans, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. You will probably need to add a bit more water if the rice starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serve warm, topped with salt and fried egg.

Brunese Sesame-Fried Vegetables

Brunei, on the island of Borneo, is the size of Connecticut, and their sesame-fried vegetables are cartwheelingly delicious. This recipe is filling and somewhat heavy, but in a refreshing kind of way. The sourness of the lemon and tahini complement the sweetness of the onions and carrots.

Recipe: Brunese Sesame-Fried Vegetables
Makes enough for 2

1/2 cups rice
1 Tbsp oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup radishes, sliced into sticks
1 carrot, sliced into sticks
1/2 small cucumber, sliced into disks
1 Tbsp sesame tahini
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Cook the rice as directed. While it cooks, prepare the vegetables and heat the oil in a large skillet. Stir-fry the garlic in the oil until it begins to brown, then add the rest of the vegetables, and continue to stir-fry. Cook until the vegetables are cooked all the way through, lowering heat to avoid burning, if necessary.

When the rice is done, stir the vegetables into it with the sesame tahini and the lemon juice. Serve hot.

Abobora Refogada: Brazilian Pumpkin Hummus

What a bizarre little stew. My new roommate and I ate it for a few moments in silence, not quite sure what to make of it. Finally she suggested adding cumin and layering it on pita bread. Then it was quite good. Pumpkin hummus. Huh.

Recipe: Abobora Refogada
Serves 2

1 can pumpkin
2 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
Lots of salt
Cumin (though it’s not authentic)

Mix everything together in a frying pan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts, then over low until it is warmed through. Season with lots of salt, and eat on pita.

Prebranac: Bosnian Baked Beans

Paprika and onions take these beans to a truly delicious place.

Recipe: Prebranac
Serves 2

1 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 cup white beans, canned or already cooked
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp paprika
Lots of salt

Saute the onion and carrot in the oil until they begin to brown, then add the paprika, white beans, and ~1/2 cup water. Simmer gently until the onions and carrots are soft and water is gone, about 10 minutes. (If the water is gone before the carrots are done, add more water).

Serve with lots of salt.

Bermuda: Johnnycake Corn Bread

Johnnycakes are apparently quite popular in Bermuda. There is nothing exotic about them – just regular cornbread.

Johnnycake
Makes 1 8-inch Square Loaf

1 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp salt
5 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the egg, oil, and milk. Pour batter into greased 8-inch square pan. Bake 30 minutes, or until the bread begins to brown on top.

Belgium: Cream of Endive Soup

I was surprised by how strong this soup is – I ended up adding a bit more cream to smooth it out.

Cream of Endive Soup

2 Tbsp Butter
2 chopped Belgian Endive
1 sliced onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 large sliced potatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup cream
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp chopped dill

Sauté the endive, onion, and garlic in the butter until they just begin to brown, then add the potatoes and stock. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes have cooled all the way, remove from heat and allow to cool a bit so it doesn’t explode when you put it in the blender.

Put it in the blender and blend until it’s smooth. Then return it to the saucepan, add the cream, salt, and dill, and heat until warm.