Central European Yaroa

Living in the Dominican Republic I've had a major exposure to street food. The big meal in this country is lunch and consists of some sort of rice dish, some sort of bean dish, some sort of meat dish and a salad. For dinner, most people eat fried foods from various carts located on the sidewalk. One of these dishes is called Yaroa and consists of french fries, cheese, ketchup, mayonnaise and some sort of pulled meat being placed in a Styrofoam container and then nuked. It's pretty awful to look at, probably carcinogenic and extremely fattening. However, it can also be surprisingly delicious. However, as I'm not eating out this month (and even if I were I've had enough Yaroa to last a lifetime) I thought I might try this combination of things with something ethnically different. Thus, the Central European Yaroa was born. For those that are wondering, Yaroa is the Spanish word for 'clogged arteries'.

Ingredients:

1. Swiss Potatoes (I picked up a box of these at a German store on the North Coast). If you can't find them then simply make hash browns as they tasted similar.
2. 1/4 lb. Gruyère Cheese
3. 3 German Sausages
4. 1/2 big onion
5. Hot peppers (to taste)
6. 1 Tbsp. Maggi Sauce (again found in the German store, substitute HP Sauce or Bold A1 Sauce)

Steps:

1. Fry the Potatoes or Hash Browns in Olive Oil
2. Fry the Sausages, onion, peppers and Maggi sauce in another frying pan.
3. Add the cheese to the potatoes while it's still cooking to melt the cheese
4. Plate the potatoes, top with Sausages.

Now you've got Central European Yaroa.

Deutsch West Indies Sausage Sandwhich

Ok, this is a pretty simple sandwich recipe that combine a bit of divergent ingredients. It's pretty delicious though.

Ingredients:

1. Two pieces of white bread
2. Butter (to butter the bread)
3. Two German Sausages
4. 1/2 a medium onion
5. 3 Habañero Peppers
6. 1 Tbsp. hot curry powder
7. 1 small tomato
8. 1 Tbsp. Ricotta Cheese
9. 1 Tbsp. Jamaican or Haitian Hot Sauce (any will do, but these will give it a unique flavor)

Steps:

1. Chop your sausage (bite size pieces), onion, peppers and tomato.
2. Heat up the sausage in the pan. This should provide enough oil to cook the vegetables, but if not a lot of oil is coming out add a small bit of olive oil.
3. Add the curry to the sausage. Cook for a bit.
4. Add the onion, tomato and hot sauce, stir while cooking.
5. Butter the bread
6. Pull the sausage mixture out of the pan and use a paper towel to remove excess greasiness.
7. Put the bottom bread onto a non-stick pan and put the ricotta cheese on the bottom. Add the sausage mixture and then the top piece of bread.
8. Cook like a grilled cheese sandwich until the desired brownness of the bread is achieved.
9. Serve with chips.

Baked Chicken & Sausage Empenadas

Two parts to this one.

Ingredients for stuffing.

1. Spicy Peppers (Chopped)
2. Onion (Chopped)
3. Sausage (Chopped)
4. Chicken (Shredded)
5. Ricotta Cheese

Steps.

Heat all of the ingredients other than the ricotta in a frying pan.

Ingredients for Bread

2 C. Flour
4 tsp. Baking Powder
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Coriander
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 C. Milk


Steps:


1. Mix dry ingredients
2. Fold in the butter
3. Add the olive oil and mix
4. Add the milk and mix
5. Roll out flat on a cookie sheet
6. Add the ricotta cheese
7. Add the sausage & chicken mix
8. Roll up the bread (add bits of the dough to complete close it)
9. Bake in the Oven at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Ricoprovogoat Cheese Sauce

Ok, we call this an Italian Sauce because it generally goes over Italian noodles. However, it's not very traditional, but it is exceptional.

Ingredients:

1 Onion (Chopped)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (don't skimp, use the good stuff)
5 Cloves Garlic (Chopped)
2 pinches fleur de sel
1 Tbsp. butter
2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. white pepper
2 slices of Provalone
3 heaping Tbsp. Ricotta
1/5 lb. hard goat cheese


Steps:
1. In a frying pay, cook onion for 3 minutes on high in preheated oil
2. Add garlic and sel for a couple minutes
3. Add butter, stir well until butter is melted
4. Add milk, sugar, and pepper. Bring to a near boil
5. Reduce heat. Add all cheeses, and stir frequently to ensure a good even melting
6. Pour over your choice of pasta.

Recommendations:

This is fantastic over Gnocchi.
It is good with chicken or spicy sausage to give it a juxtaposition.
It's not very good with beef or pork or meatballs.
If you want a non-pasta dish its really good with pan seared chicken.

Take the chicken and put it on your plate. Then put some pan fried walnuts (fry them in a bit of olive oil) on top of the chicken, then add sliced pear over the walnuts and drip the sauce over the chicken. Wow. Good stuff.

Spicy Citrus Shrimp

Ok, this recipe is inspired by Chilean Bass Ceviche. But, there are a couple of problems with that where I live. I'm not touching the fresh fish because it comes from the River nearby and I know what happens in that river. Second, I'm not eating any meat raw. But, I wanted to do something with the citrus so this is what I've come up with.

Ingredients: 

1/2 Lb. uncooked Shrimp, shelled & de-tailed.
2 tomatoes
1 Big Onion (diced)
2 Tbsp. Hot Sauce (Use something like Tabasco or Red Pepper Sauce, I'm a big fan of this Creole Red Pepper Sauce I got at Publix right now)
4 Chopped & seeded hot peppers (poblano, habeñero or jalapeño will do)
1 C. Lemon Juice
1 C. OJ
Pinch of Salt

Steps:

1. Mix Shrimp & Juices in a bowl. Make sure the shrimp are fully covered.
2. Add the other ingredients and mix it up nice and good.
3. Put in to the fridge.

Ok, here is where this recipe becomes a create your own adventure.

4. Let shrimp mixture sit for 24 hours. Eat the next day as ceviche. Delish.

Or

4. Remove from fridge after marinating for four hours and cook in a frying pan until the water boils.
5. Serve the Shrimp over rice or possibly Fried Coriander Dumplings.

This is pretty good and had a slow burn. It doesn't pop you in the mouth with a spice but the citrus and spice will leave your mouth a bit rare midway through the meal. It's worth it though.

Fried Coriander Dumplings

Ok, this was a last minute whip together because I didn't think about taking the time to cook rice or some other grain prior to my main dish. So this is really simple and super quick.

Ingredients:

1 C. Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Coriander
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 C. Milk

Steps:

1. Boil Water
2. Mix Dry Ingredients Well
3. Fold in Butter slowly until the batter gets crumbly
4. Mix in the olive oil well
5. Add the milk and mix well
6. Flour up a plate & your hands.
7. Roll the dough into four balls (this will take all of the dough more or less)
8. Boil the balls until they float and then let them sit another 3-5 minutes
9. Heat some olive oil in a pan
10. Mash the balls into pancakes and pan fry

Eat plain or add something on top like Spicy Citrus Shrimp.

Sweet & Spicy Tuna Jibarito Melt

Okay, now we're taking the Puerto Rican inspired Chicago dish to a new level. This Jibarito involves a spicy tuna fish recipe & the Jibarito staple, the Plantain bread.

Tuna Recipe:

Tuna Fish
Jalepeños
Mustard
Onions
Dill
Lemon Juice

Put it together how you like, enough spice for your taste and enough mustard to make it creamy.

Ingredients

Spicy Tuna
Jalapeños
Onion
2 tbsp. olive oil
Tomato
4 slices Provolone Cheese
2 Ripe Plantains

Steps:
1. Heat up the oil.
2. Slice the plantains in half and put in the oil. Fry on both sides.
3. Remove the plantains and put on a cookie sheet. Flatten them. Put cheese on the bottom two to hold them together.
4. Add tuna, onions & jalapeños, tomato and top two plantains.
5. Top with 2 pieces of provolone to hold it all together.
6. Bake it in the oven at 300 degrees for 8 minutes.

Voila.

Pork & Potatoes over amaranth in Sauce Ti Malice

Ingredients:

Meat & Veggies:

3 Pork Chops
4 pre-boiled potatoes
2 onions
3 tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 C. Mushroom
2 Habeñero Peppers

Amaranth:

2 Cups of Amaranth
2 1/2 Cups of Milk

Steps:

1. Heat oil in big sauce pan.
2. put chopped onions, peppers, and garlic in oil.
3. Add pork and tomatoes
4. Add potatoes
5. Add the Sauce Ti Malice
6. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes

1. Boil milk
2. Add amaranth and low simmer for 20-25 minutes

Pour Pork & Potatoes over Amaranth

Haitian Hot Sauce (Sauce Ti Malice)

Ok, this was my first attempt at a Haitian sauce and I made it a bit thicker than I wanted. But, there is an easy fix to that. (The Picture will come next with the dish I made with it).

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Big Red Onion
2 Shallots
1/4 C. Parsley
8 Cloves Garlic
1 1/2 C. Boiled Water
2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Pinches of Fleur de Sal
2 Tbsp. Dry Mustard
1 Tbsp. Habeñero Sauce (Jamaican Pepper Sauce will do)
2 Habeñero Peppers (cut and seeded)
1/4 C. of flour (use 1/8 for a thinner sauce)

Steps:

1. Heat oil
2. Put Onion, Shallots, Garlic and Habeñero in oil and simmer til brown
3. Add Boiling water, Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Mustard, Habeñero Sauce
4. Reduce for 15 minutes, add flour to thicken (or not)

Spicy Veracruz Fish

1 piece of white fish (I use grouper)
4 roma tomatoes (chopped)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 onion
6 hot chili peppers
2 tablespoon black olives
cilantro to taste

1. cover the fish in oregano and garlic powder. put in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
2. cook the rest of the ingredients in a frying pan on low heat.
3. Add the fish to the frying pan after 8 minutes and turn the heat up.
4. Cook until its done
5. Squeeze lime on the fish and serve

Simple Provençal Tapenade

2 Cups of pitted and chopped olives (the best would be a mixture of niçoise & picholine, with about 10 Kalamata. However, I only have access to kalamata olives, so this one is made exclusively with those)
10-15 pitted dates
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cloves of garlic
1 pinch of black pepper (optional)

Mix it all up in a blender until it comes out like a thick paste. Enjoy over crackers or bread. I actually think it goes great on a cold chicken breast sandwich as well.

Capered Fish & Polenta Cake

1 Warholian Polenta cake
Fish
2 tbsp capers
1 small red onion (sliced)
1/2 tomato (sliced)
4 cloves garlic
3 tsp olive oil
6 peperoncinis
1 tbsp white wine
Red Pepper Flakes
Garlic Powder
Salt
Basil
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the capers, onion, and garlic in a frying pan with olive oil and white wine.

Cover the fish in the red pepper flakes, garlic powder and salt.

Put Polenta cakes on cookie sheet. Place basil on top of polenta cakes. Place tomato slices on top of polenta cakes. Put the fish on top of the tomatoes. Top with the capers, cover with cheese. Cook in the oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Calories 350(ish) per (makes 2).

Jibarito Italiano Melt

Ok, the Jarabacoan Jibarito was so damn good yesterday, I thought I'd twist it around again today.

4 cloves garlic
1/3 onion
8 ounces of chicken
2 tbsp black olives
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella
6 pepperoncinis
2 tsp olive oil
2 slices tomato
2 slices serrano ham
basil to taste
marjoram to taste
One ripe plantain

1. Cut the plantain in half. Repeat, but this time longways. Smash down to be flat. Bake on a Pam sprayed pan to warm (300 degrees).
2. mix all the other ingredients (except the tomato, cheese, and ham) and cook in a frying pan
3. put the cooked chicken mix on a plate, pull out the plantain and pop it up into the frying pan, browning both sides.
4. put 2 of the plantains on the tray to serve as the bread. Place a little of the cheese. Then, place some of the chicken mixture. Pop on the tomato, ham, a little bit of the cheese and then put the other two plantains on. Put the remainder of the cheese on Jibarito and put the tray back in the oven. Cook until the cheese is melted.

Eat this with a fork.

A key to these Jibaritos is to get good, ripe (almost black) plantains. That makes them sweeter and more malleable. Buen provecho.

Calories 630(ish).

Jarabacoan Jibarito

Sandwiches. Everyone loves sandwiches. I love them at least.

4 Cloves Garlic
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/3 onion
1 Plantain
8 ounces chicken
lettuce
tomato
pickles

1. Cut the plantain in half, then cut it in half long ways. Bake on a cookie sheet until blackened. Flip them. repeat.
2. Meanwhile, cook the chicken with the onion and garlic and spices and worcestershire sauce.
3. Pull the plantains out of the oven and put them in the frying pan that you cooked the chicken in.
4. Put the pickles, tomato and lettuce on two of the plantains halves. Then put the meat and onions. Then put the other two plantain halves on top.

Prepare to eat the Jibarito with a fork.

Calories - 530

Warholian Polenta Cake

Ok, so this one came out a bit different than I had intended. It was originally supposed to be just a normal polenta cake, but I found that I didn't have any chicken stock on hand like I thought I did. What did I have then? Campbell's French Onion Soup, thus Warholian Polenta Cake was born.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter (I like President)
1 Cup Red Onion (finely chopped)
5 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Cans Campbell's French Onion Soup
1 Cup course ground corn meal

Steps

-Preheat the oven to 350
-Cook Onions with butter and olive oil for 4-5 minutes
-Add garlic for two minutes (don't burn it!)
-Add salt and soup and bring to a boil
-Slowly add the corn meal, stirring constantly
-Put in oven for 40 minutes (stirring every 10)
-Pull out and let cool, put in fridge and then form into patties
-Pan Fry the patties in 1-2 tbsp. olive oil

-Top the patties with a sauce or vegetables and serve
-I topped mine with 2 pieces of 1 tbsp. of ricotta cheese, serrano ham, and grated parmesan

Total Calories = 1,364
Yield - 9 patties, 152 calories per patty

Hongrois à Acadiana aux mercanaire espagnol

An Hungarian in Acadiana with Spanish Mercenaries (an unique take on Low-Country Boil)

Vegetables:
2 ears Corn (chopped into quarters)
1/2 can Lima Beans
1/2 can lima beans
1 Onion (chopped)
1 Bulb of Garlic (chopped)
1/2 head Broccoli (chopped)
1/2 head Cauliflower (chopped)
1 Potato (with skin, chopped)

Spices:
5 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons Hungarian Hot Paprika
1 tablespoon Old Bay
Hungarian Paprika Hot Sauce

Meats:
1 Chicken Breast
2 small spanish chorizos
2 lbs. shrimp

24 Ounces of water

Boil and cook for 4 hours.

2348 Calories in the whole thing.
Number of servings: 17 Cups
Calories/Serving: 1 Cup = 140(ish)

Marrakech Mash

Spices:
2 teaspoons Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed mint
1/4 ground cinnamon
chili threads

meat:
8 oz. shredded chicken

vegetables:
1 & 1/2 onion (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)

fruit:
10 black olives

pickled plant:
2 tbsp. capers

liquids:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 C. chicken broth

grain:
1/2 C. bulgur wheat

1. Boil 1/2 C. water, pour over 1/2 C. bulgur wheat (set aside until the liquid is soaked up)
2. Cook onions and garlic in olive oil for Five Good Minutes whilst listening to Tony and Michael opine.
3. Add spices
4. Add broth
5. Add vegetables
6. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes in a covered frying pan.
7. Add bulgur wheat
8. Serve it up

Calories: 805
Makes 2 Servings

Irate Transdanubian Goulash

Why is this Transdanubian Goulash so irate? Because Goulash is one of Hungary's cherished national dishes and this one is, well, basically the red headed step son who just broke the step mom's crystal vase... with a painting of the Holy Right Hand on it.

Oh yeah, and he's a vegetarian.
      
1 Red Bell Pepper (cut into thin strips)
1/2 Yellow onion (cut into thin slices)
2 Celery stalks
3 cloves of Garlic (pressed)
2 tsp. White pepper
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
4 Tbsp. Hot Hungarian Paprika
8 Chili threads
2 Small Boiled Potatoes (cut into chunks)
2 tsp. Olive Oil

Cook all of this on low heat in a frying pan. Add 1/4 cup of water, more if necessary. Low heat. Don't burn it... Seriously.

1 Carrot (shredded)
1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
2 tsp. Ground All Spice
1 tsp. Ground Mace
4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Cook all of these ingredients in another frying pan with some Pam spray (cuts out the calories). Cook until mostly soft. Did you burn your other frying pan concoction? Check, it cooks quick.

Pour the sweetened Carrots into the other pan (the one you don't want to burn). Mix up really nice. Add Yogurt. That's right add 8 fl. Oz of no-fat natural yogurt. Cook on low mixing.

Serve it in a bowl. If it's too spicy, make him less irate. (add Saltine Crackers, take out the chili threads, etc. but don't skimp on the Paprika or the Holy Right Hand will bring the smack and it'll be gross.)

Calorie Count: 485 Calories.

Genovese Peloponnese Polynesian Chicken

Initially I was going to call this something bland like "Citrus Basil Salad", but when the taste popped I knew it demanded something much more grandiose. Thus, Genovese Peloponnese Polynesian Chicken was born.

Genovese - Basil
Peloponnese - Kalamata Olive
Polynesian - Pomelo

4 Oz. Red Onion (cut into thin slices)
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
Green Onion to taste
4 Oz. Chicken

Sautee these bad boys in a frying pan at low heat until Chicken is done.

15 Basil Leaves (cut into thin strips by rolling the leaves together and slicing)
4 teaspoons toasted almonds
1/2 Pomelo (cut into chunks)
10 Kalamata Olives (pitted preferably)

Mix these ingredients with the chicken concoction when it has cooled down a bit.

2 tsp Olive oil
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Toss this like a salad and chill it.

Calorie Count: 503

Mohenjo-Daro Chicken Salad

Mohenjo-Daro Chicken Salad

I was going to call this Spicy Licorice Chicken Salad because of the taste, but now that it's more done it tastes less like licorice. The dish is called Mohenjo-Daro Chicken Salad because that's what it asked to be named (and I like to name dishes after places I've never been so I can let my imagination run the day).

Ingredients:

2 Cups Bulgur Wheat
2 Cups Water
1/2 teaspoon Ground Red Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Ground All Spice
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/4 teaspoon Ground Mace
1/2 teaspoon Whole Caraway Seeds
2 pinches Kosher Salt
1 bushel* of fresh mint
1 bushel* of parsley
1/4 C. toasted almonds

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Medium Red Onion
8 ounces chopped chicken breast

5 Ounces of plain yogurt

Instructions:

1. Boil cups of water and pour over bulgur wheat in a bowl (it's going to expand so make it a big bowl). Let it sit for awhile and let the water get soaked up.

2. Mix in spices, mint, parsley, salt and almonds.

3. Heat up a pan with the oils and add the chicken breast, onions and peppers. Cook until done. Let cool and mix into the barley mixture.

4. Stir in yogurt and put in a bowl to chill.

Calorie Count in the Whole Dish: 1,951
It makes about 4 Cups.

1 Cup = 488 Calories

Pickled Horseradish Chicken Sandwich

2 tablespoons fresh horseradish
6 slices of pickles
2 slices tomato
1 baguette
1 oz. smoked gouda cheese
6 oz. chicken breast (shredded)
paprika to taste
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon butter
2 eggs

1.  cut the baguette in half and lather on 1 tbsp. of horseradish (warm in the oven)
2. cook the chicken with the other tbsp of horseradish and pam spray
3. cook the 2 eggs like an omelet (with the butter, salt and cheese)
4. put the chicken, omelet, pickles, tomato and paprika on the baguette
5. cook in the oven for 5 minutes

Voila. Tangy, delicious sandwich.

Welcome to Chris' Kitchen Experiments!

Hey, My name is Chris. This blog is my kitchen experiments. Not all of them though. Only the successful ones. Follow me as I post and check back for more recipes and ideas!