Rashmi shows us how to make

          Naan Bread

·         All Purpose Flour - 2 cups.

·         Canola oil - 1 table spoon.

·         Salt - 1 tsp for taste.

·         Baking powder - 1 tsp.

·         Sour curd (yogurt) - 1/2 cup

·         Water – 1/2 cup or as needed.

·         Some plain flour for dusting.

Preparation

·         Mix flour, salt, baking powder, curd  and oil in a big bowl.

·         Add water little by little and form soft dough. The dough should not be too tight.

·         Knead well. Keep aside in a warm place for 3-4 hours or more, till the dough rises.

Making Naan:

1. Knead the dough again till it is smooth.
2. Divide in 4 big portions.
3. Sprinkle a little flour on the board. Place a dough ball on it and pat in a thick oblong or round shape as you like. You can also use a rolling pin if you wish.
4. Heat girdle (tava). Place the rolled naan on it and cook on both sides till brown spots appear. Smear a little butter on the naan

Tips:

1. The above recipe is the traditional naan recipe using only plain flour (maida). I use whole wheat flour and plain flour together to make it healthier.
2. Traditionnaly naan is cooked in a tandoor oven which is made of clay. Tandoors are available for home cooking. you may use one of those.
3. You may use your electric oven too.

Tips about fermenting dough:

4. The time for fermentation may depend on the climate where you live. In warm weather, the dough will rise faster. If the weather is cold, fermentation may take longer. In that case, keep the dough in a warm place. You may wrap something warm around the container of dough such as an old sweater or blanket.
5. The sourness of the curd (plain yogurt) helps in fermenting the dough faster. Vegans may omit curd and add a little more baking powder.
6. You may use 1 tsp yeast dissolved in warm water for fermentation instead of baking powder if you wish. 

Cristina's Brazilian Delight

Cristina and Luis dazzle us with this savory Brazilian dish.

FISH STEW (Traditional in Brazil)

Difficulty: Easy Preparation time: 40 min

Ingredients:
2 lbs. of fish fillet without skin
Salt, black pepper, minced garlic,  and lemon juice to taste
2 onions, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 tbsp. of cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp. of parsley, chopped
3 tbsp. of olive oil
13.5 oz. of coconut milk

How to Prepare:
Season the fish with salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon, and leave to marinate for about 20 min.

In a large saucepan (iron or clay) preheat the olive oil, make a bed with some slices of onion and place in layers the fish, the tomatoes, the peppers, the parsley, and the cilantro. Repeat layers until finish the fish.
Drizzle with olive oil and then place the coconut milk.

Simmer for 15 minutes with the pan covered. During cooking, use a large spoon to collect and place the broth over the fish.

Bon appetite!

C. R.

Laura's version of Raquel's flan

Raquel's Cuban specialty: FLAN

Raquel dictated her recipe to me. We studied the words carefully together. Here is Raquel's contribution to Laura's Food Court. I shall make this lovely custard on Father's Day and surprise all my guest. We will be 14 people. I will tell you later, if my little surprise was a good surprise.Thank you Raquel, for sharing this traditional dessert with us.

The ingredients are simply:

1 can condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

4 eggs

Raquel explains that you place 6 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a pan and cook until the sugar thickens and turns to caramel. Pour the caramel in a glass bowl where you want to make the flan, tilting the dish to "coat" the bottom. 

Next, mix the 2 kinds of milk and eggs with a blender. Pour into the glass bowl. Gently place the glass bowl in a pan filled with hot water. -Then put it in the oven to bake for 45 minutes at a temperature of 350º. When the flan is cooked, check to see if a knife inserted comes out clean. Then when the flan cools, invert the dessert so that the caramel side is up. Looks delicious!!

Thao's Vietnamese Salad

The lovely Thao tells us about a recipe she learned from her mother. Thao says that this salad is for a party or really any event. You can eat it with chopsticks or a fork. The recipe is originally from Vietnam.

Ingredients
 1 celery stalk
3 carrots
2 daikon radishes
1 lb. shrimp
1 lb. pork
1/4 cup white vinegar and 3/4 cup water
6 tablespoons of sugar

Shred the carrots and daikon radishes. Slice the celery, boil the pork and shrimp until well done. After that, slice the pork and peel the shrimp. Mix the white vinegar, water and sugar together. Take a big bowl and mix the carrots, daikon radishes, celery, pork and shrimp together and then pour the dressing over the salad. Thao says "Enjoy your meal."  Thank you Thao. It looks like a healthy, delicious dish. Very appropriate for a hot summer's day.

Luz "Sol" shares her EMPANADA recipe

Luz says that these empanadas are delicious with a drink called Champus. She doesn't give us the instructions about making champus but she does share her empanada recipe. I've made these delicate pastry delights. They are a little work but they taste like heaven in your mouth!

Ingredients
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup diced peeled potatoes
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 bag flour La Venezolana

Directions
Cook the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and beef, cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the tomato sauce.

Making the dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon butter

Mix all the ingredients. Let the dough rest for fifteen minutes
Luz says "I put the dough on the counter, I roll the dough and then I make it flat. I cut small rounds and then I put the beef on the small rounds of dough. After this, I fold the round dough in half. The dough becomes a crescent shape. Seal the edges with a fork. Then I put in the fryer for a few minutes."

Magali's Favorite

Magali's aunt's recipe

Magali, my young student from Mexico, shares with us one of her favorite recipes. This looks delicious and great for the summer.

Cheesecake with ice cream and chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients:

1 package (15.2 oz) cookies with little chunks of chocolate real chocolate chip cookies, divided

2 tbsp butter melted

2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese softened

½ cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 ½ quarts (6cups) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Procedure

Crush 20 cookies  into  fine crumbs, with butter until smooth. Press it against the bottom of a mold. Cut the 16 remaining cookies. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer. Add the ice cream, beat until smooth. Incorporate the cookies, pour over base. Put the cheese cake in the freezer for 4 hours or until firm. Thaw for 10 min before serving, let it stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with remaining cookies.

Magali says "I chose this recipe because I like cheesecake desserts especially; I think it’s easy to do. But I’ve never made it. However, my aunt makes it on special occasions. It’s delicious!"