Thread: January 2014 Challenge!

Welcome to our Monthly Recipe Challenge!

January's recipe challenge is going to be:

Ethnic Cooking!!

Let's start off 2014 by cooking and sharing an ethnic recipe. Something Mexican? Or perhaps Italian? How about an Asian dish? Whatever suits your fancy! It will be fun to cook and share recipes from all around the world.


Here is how the challenge works:

To enter the challenge, simply reply to this post with the recipe you plan on making. Once you make it, take a photo of your dish, post the recipe in the "Monthly Recipe Challenge" forum, and tell us about the recipe you chose. Did you love it or hate it? Did it need something different? Next time you make it would you change anything?

No matter how the dish turns out, we will have a lot of fun trying new ingredients, testing our palates, and exploring new cooking adventures together!

I am going to enter Suchi,
do I post it here Henny?

Originally Posted by Ftse 100

I am going to enter Suchi,
do I post it here Henny?

yes, Julie, post here. You can also post the recipe in the regular forum section as well…like under the Asian section. Can't wait to see your dish!

My version of Sushi

ingredients:
2 1/2 sheets of Yaki Nori paper
1/2 a chicken breast marinated in Teriyaki sauce
thin slices of capsicum
thin slices of cucumber
1 cup sushi rice
1 3/4 cups water
1 tablespoon Sushi seasoning (liquid)

Method:
Place rice and cold water in pan bring to the boil and turn down to a very low simmer place tight fitting lid on and leave for 12 - 20 minutes once done stir in the sushi seasoning an set aside to cool.
Once cool spoon rice I sushi maker and make indentation and fill with the chicken, capsicum and cucumber and close the sushi maker and press to form the roll an press out onto the Yaki Nori paper shiny side down and then roll the paper round the rice roll seal ends with water slice and sere with soy sauce.

Julie, that sushi looks so good! How creative to use chicken too. I'm seriously getting hungry looking at your sushi!! Great job!!

Wow... That's amazing Julie, I love sushi but have never attempted it at home!!! Lol


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Originally Posted by cali baker

Julie, that sushi looks so good! How creative to use chicken too. I'm seriously getting hungry looking at your sushi!! Great job!!

Originally Posted by ddnene

Wow... That's amazing Julie, I love sushi but have never attempted it at home!!! Lol


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I don't eat Sushi but Richard really likes it so I stared making it myself and it is so easy

For my January challenge, I decided to make something Greek. Today I prepared the classic Greek soup called Avgolemono Soup, which sounds more complicated than it is! Basically, made with chicken stock, lemons and rice. Oh, I liked it! Very tangy and light. Here's the recipe:

Avgolemono Soup:

INGREDIENTS
4 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons long grain rice
2 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 lemon slices and tarragon springs for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan, heat chicken stock/broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add rice to chicken stock. Cover pan and simmer 10-15 minutes or until rice is cooked.

In a bowl, beat together eggs and lemon juice. Strain into another bowl. Add a ladleful of hot stock to egg mixture. Whisk and pour back into saucepan.

Heat gently, stirring, 3-4 minutes or until soup thickens. Do not boil. Pour into 6 warmed soup bowls and garnish with lemon and tarragon if desired.



The second recipe was a Tzatziki sauce which is made with yogurt and cucumbers! You can use this sauce as a dip or as a salad dressing. Traditionally used in pita sandwiches over some kind of meat. Again, very light and delicious.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup seeded cucumber, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Simply mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl and allow to chill in the refrigerator to let the flavors marry.

Originally Posted by Bella'sMom

Baked Ziti

I have made this with regular Ziti, gluten free pasta and Spaghetti squash. All taste wonderful

1 lb Italian sausage
I med onion
1box of pasta
1 egg
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of Tomato sauce
3c of Mozerella
1c Parmesan cheese
1 16oz tub of ricotta cheese
Parsley
Oregano
Minced garlic

Brown sausage, onion and garlic (add garlic as you desire for taste)

Boil pasta

Mix canned tomatoes, parsley and oregano ( again to desired taste there is no wrong or right amount, just taste and add) bring to boil then simmer

Once pasta is done, mix with egg and cheeses reserving a cup of mozerella
Stir well

Once sausage is browned add to tomato sauce

Place 1/2 sauce in bottom of 9x13 layer the pasta in then top with the other 1/2 of sauce and last cup of mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 30 mins


Hope this all makes sense. I know it by heart and I just add to taste when I cook.

Is Zitti a form of pasta?

Originally Posted by Ftse 100

Is Zitti a form of pasta?

Yes it is, Julie!