Koushari - One Of The Most Popular Egyptian Food Recipes

KOUSHARI: Often referred to as the Egyptian national dish, Koushari is one of the most popular dishes in the country. 


The ingredients include:
- Rice - 1 cup
- Lentils - 1 cup
- Macaroni Pasta - 1 cup
- Onion - 1 (chopped finely)
- Oil - 2 tablespoons and also some for frying
- Onion - 1 (sliced thinly)
- Tomato sauce/Crushed Tomatoes - 2 cups
- Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves (minced)
- Salt and Pepper - To taste
- Pepper flakes - ½ to 1 teaspoon


The rice is cooked in the requisite quantity of water for 20 minutes in a closed pot, until completely cooked. The lentils are cooked separately in water in an enclosed pot under simmered flame for 30-45 minutes. The macaroni is cooked separately according to the instructions written on the packet.
Now some olive oil is heated in a separate pan over medium flame and the chopped garlic and onion are added to it. These items are sautéed for 4-5 minutes till the onions get wilted and translucent. Now, the crushed tomato and the pepper flakes are added to it and stirred for 10-15 minutes under medium-low heat. A little amount of water can also be added, if necessary. It is then seasoned with salt and a bit of pepper and set aside.


The next step is to heat about half an inch of the cooking oil in a skillet and fry the sliced onions in it until they turn brown. These are to be drained on tissue paper or paper towels to get rid of the excess oil.
Now the rice, lentils and macaroni are placed in a large serving bowl, seasoned with pepper and salt to taste and stirred with a fork so that all the ingredients get mixed evenly. While serving, this mixture is topped up with the tomato sauce prepared earlier along with the crispy onions. It is best when served hot but can also be served at the normal room temperature.


One can also bring about some variations in Koushari like:
• Instead of macaroni pasta, one can use penne, bucatini or ditalini.
• Cooked chickpeas can also be added to the topping.
• Chunks of cooked chicken and lamb can be added to the Koushari.
• Small pieces can be squeezed over the Koushari to make it more piquant.
• A little amount of ground cumin, cinnamon or 'baharat' spice mix can be added to the tomato sauce.

Caribbean Beef Recipes

When you think of Caribbean cuisine most people think of seafood and bean dishes, not necessarily beef recipes, but especially in Cuba, beef has been a traditional staple of the populace since before the 20th century. In Cuba these days, however, regular citizens can't afford beef. A pound of ground beef costs over $20 dollars or the equivalent in Cuban pesos. Taking into consideration that the average Cuban makes less than $30 per month, beef just is not an option for most Cubans unless they work in a dollar restaurant or one of the tourist hotels.
Cuban beef recipes include the ever popular "picadillo" (pronounced pick-a-dee-yo) which is basically seasoned ground beef. You need to make the seasoning, or "sofrito" first which consists of fried onions, a little oil, and some garlic. Let the sofrito cool and then add it to one pound of 80% lean ground meat. The ground meat is then mixed with about half a cup of tomato paste or tomato sauce (paste is better). The mixture is then cooked on a skillet for half an hour. Add chopped or sliced green pitted olives at the end and it is ready to serve over plain white rice and accompanied by fried plantains and black bean soup.
Another one of the great tasting Cuban beef recipes is beef empanadas, which are pastries filled with picadillo. These meat filled treats are deep fried until crispy and perfect. Most good Cuban restaurants will also offer beef, ham, chicken, or bacalao (dried smoked cod) croquetas (croquettes). Croquetas are made with finely ground meat or fish filling and spices, then rolled and formed into little "finger" shapes, then rolled in egg yolk and finally into bread crumbs. Once they are ready the croquetas are deep fried until golden brown and crispy. Both croquetas and empanadas are really tapas, or appetizers but can also serve as a main dish when accompanied by traditional fried green plantains and some form of rice dish, or black beans.
Cuban beef recipes from the island include the famous "ropa vieja", which literally translates as "old clothes". This is a dish of shredded skirt steak sautéed in a sauce of red bell peppers, onions and tomato sauce. All of these dishes begin with the traditional "sofrito" and then the meat is mixed in and cooked.
Most Cuban recipes go better with plain white rice and a black bean soup, or "potaje" (pronounced po-ta-heh). Add some fried sliced sweet or green plantains and you have a great traditional Cuban dish right at home.
Cuban beef recipes go well with mixed rum drinks such as rum and coke with a slice of lime, also known as a "Cuba Libre" (free Cuba) or the favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway, the Mojito (pronounced mo-hee-to) which is white rum, lime juice, soda, simple syrup, and crushed mint.

Bread recipe

This is a fantastic recipe for a honey and whole wheat loaf that is still a family favorite after many years.
4 cups white bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups very warm (but not hot) water about 100 degrees. A little warmer than body temp
1 stick butter softened
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (or honey if you prefer)
4 tbsp white sugar
2 pkgs regular powdered yeast
Put white sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup of warm water. Whisk until yeast dissolves and set aside until the yeast activates and it gets foamy; this just takes a few minutes.
Mix the whole wheat flour with 3 cups of white flour, salt and brown sugar. Use dough hook on mixer. If you do not have a mixer with a dough hook, kneading by hand is just fine, though it will take a little longer. Add softened butter and warm water. Mix well. Add yeast mixture and add the rest of the white flour a little at a time, mixing well until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and is just a tiny bit sticky. Dough should be smooth and elastic. Kneading in a mixer should take about 5-8 minutes or 10 minutes by hand. If kneading by hand use a lightly floured board to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn over to oil all sides. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel or some plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. You will know it's doubled if you can poke two fingers into the middle of the dough and the imprint stays. This should take about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. This is the time to put your feet up with a cup of tea and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment as your bread dough rises.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and punch down. Knead with your hands a few times and then cut the dough in half. Put each half in a greased bread pan and let rise again until it's up to the top of the pans - about 40 minutes.
If you prefer a shiny crust, this is the time to brush the loaves with an egg wash made by beating one egg with a little water. Put pans in a preheated 375 degree F oven. Turn the loaves about halfway through for even baking. When your bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when you tap on the tops, they're done. This should take about 30-35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for about 5 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges of the pan and take the loaves out of the pans. Let the loaves finish cooling a bit on the racks before you rip them open and slather them with butter. Be proud! You have some beautiful homemade bread, and you made it yourself!

Fresh and Spicy Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups wild blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°. Scoop 2 cups of flour into measuring cups and level with a knife. In a large bowl, put together 2 cups of flour and the next 6 ingredients and stir. Place blueberries in a small bowl then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour; toss to coat. Put together butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl then beat with an electric mixer at high speed until blended well. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla to butter mixture; beat to combine. Add butter mixture into flour mixture, thoroughly stirring until moist. Fold in blueberry mixture then pour into individual muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Evenly sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar on top and bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from pans.
This blueberry muffin recipe can be made days in advance. Simply put them in the freezer and reheat. Take note that if you plan ahead, there will be no last minute panic. So on Easter Sunday, spice up spring in the air and refresh the whole family with the freshest hand-picked fruits that are easy to come by and your family's favorite. Add a new homemade dressing and enjoy your Easter Brunch with the whole family.

Cheesy Chili And Grits Casserole

The amounts listed below are for one Cheesy Chili And Grits Casserole; just multiply the amounts by the number of casseroles you need if you want to make extra for freezing.
Ingredients
1/4 cup of dry grits or polenta
1 cup of whole milk (you can use water or skim milk if you want to decrease the calories, but it won't be as creamy and delicious)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Enough olive oil to lightly grease an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish
1 15 ounce can of your favorite prepared chili
1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 green onions, both the white and green parts
Directions
The most time intensive part of this recipe is cooking the grits. You can substitute instant grits if you are in a hurry; just follow the directions on the package of instant grits. Otherwise, put the milk and sea salt in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and heat over a low flame. Once the milk is hot, but not yet simmering, slowly whisk in the dry grits. Cook over a very low flame until it thickens; this should take about 20 to 25 minutes.
Lightly grease an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish. Pour the prepared grits into the dish and evenly spread them out with a spatula. Pour the can of prepared chili over the grits. Evenly spread out the chili. Sprinkle the shredded Cheddar cheese all over the top. Tightly cover the baking dish, with either a lid or aluminum foil. You can either cook the casserole immediately or move it to either the freezer or refrigerator for later use.
Heat your toaster oven to 350 degrees F. A casserole at room temperature will need to bake for about 30 minutes. One at refrigerator temperature will take about 50 minutes, and one that is frozen will take about 1 hour and 10 minutes. You should always check the internal temperature of any casserole and make sure it reaches 165 degrees F to be sure it is safe to eat. Let it cool slightly before serving.
Thinly slice the green onions and sprinkle them over the cooked casserole just before serving.

Breaded Catfish

• 4 catfish filets, about 4 ounces each

• 1 large chicken egg

• 1 tablespoon of whole milk

• 3/4 cup of fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (you can buy these or use your food processor to make them from fresh bread)

• 1/4 cup of finely ground cashews (use your food processor or a heavy rolling-pin to grind the cashews)

• 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon of dried garlic granules

• 1/4 teaspoon of dried onion granules

• 1/4 teaspoon of paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat your toaster oven to 450 degrees F.
Put the egg and milk into a shallow bowl or dish. Beat well and set aside.
Put the breadcrumbs, ground cashews, allspice, cumin, thyme, garlic, onion, paprika, salt and pepper in another shallow bowl or dish. Mix together well.
Pat dry the catfish filets, then dunk them in the beaten egg mixture. Move them to the bread crumb and cashew mixture and flip them around to coat both sides. Place the breaded catfish onto a parchment lined baking sheet that will fit into your toaster oven. Bake in your toaster oven until the fish is opaque throughout and the breading is golden brown; this should take about 10 minutes. Serve with hot sauce.

Beef Brisket In Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 beef brisket, grass-fed would be best (about 4 pounds)
• 1 twenty-four ounce jar of your favorite prepared tomato sauce
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large chunks
• 1 small red onion, diced into large chunks
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

Directions
Place the onion, green pepper and garlic into a casserole dish that is large enough to fit the beef brisket yet small enough to fit into your toaster oven. Evenly distribute the vegetables to form a bed for the beef brisket, then place the meat on top of that. Pour the entire jar of prepared tomato sauce over the beef. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and place it into the refrigerator overnight.
Remove the brisket from the refrigerator at least one hour before beginning the cooking process. You want it to be at room temperature or close to room temperature before proceeding.
Heat the toaster oven to 200 degrees F. Place the casserole dish, still covered in foil, into the toaster oven. Bake for 2 hours. Flip the brisket over, then cook for another 2 hours. Uncover the brisket, flip it, then cook the brisket uncovered for another 2 hours. Flip the brisket yet again and cook for 2 more hours, still uncovered. Once the 8 hours has passed, your brisket should be perfectly tender and ready to serve, after a short 10 minute rest.
Slice the brisket against the grain to get the most tender beef possible. Serve it with the vegetables and sauce. You can also cook some of your favorite pasta to serve with the extra sauce, which has now been infused with an incredible, beefy flavor.