Walima First Challenge - Representing the Algerian Cuisne

Algerian cuisine features cooking styles and dishes derived from traditional Arab, Amazigh, Turkish, and French cuisines. Additional influences of Jewish,Spanish Berber,and Italian cuisines are also found. The Cuisine is flavorful, often featuring a blend of traditional Mediterranean spices and chili peppers. Couscous is a staple of the diet, often served with stews and other fare.We are proud to represent the Algerian Cuisine as our first challenge in the Walima Cooking Club, and the challenge is brought to us by our friend member Khadidja from http://www.desser-world.blogspot.com/

Ready for our first Walima Challenge? As you may know by now, Algerian cuisine have been selected to be the first challenge. I chose a dish that I personally like - to eat and to cook- and hopefully, you'll have fun preparing it too and most importantly, I hope you'll like it. I chose Tajine Ezzitoun / Olives Tajine for the savory part, and Almond Surprises or what is called in Algerian "Slilet laaroussa" which is -translated- "The Bride's Basket" for the sweet part. Tajine Zitoun (Olives Tajine)This dish could be made with chicken or lamb or both. I personally mix the two meats in the same dish This recipe has some added meat balls and this is optional. If not using both meats, keep the exact same recipe.

Tajine Ezzitoun - Olives Tajine

Tajine Ezzitoun - Olives Tajine

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken cut into pieces
2 lbs of lamb
1 large onion
1 Tbsp butter or oil
2 cups pitted green olives
2 medium carrots, cut into circles
1 tsp salt,1/2 tsp cinnamon,1/2 tsp black pepper
1 chicken cubed
water
parsley
Meat balls (optional)
1/2 lb ground beef
1 small onion
1 small egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Flour to dredge the meat balls
To thicken the sauce: 1 Tbsp soft butter2 tbsp flour

Preparation:
1- In a pot / pressure cooker put the butter ,oil, chicken pieces, lamb pieces (if using), the onion, salt, pepper cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the onionsare translucent. Add the chicken cube and enough water to cover the meat. Bring the mixture to a boil then cover and cook until the meat is tender. If using both meats, half way through cooking, remove the chicken pieces and continue to cook until the lamb is tender.
2 - In a sauce pan, put the olives and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let the olives boil for 3 to 5 mn. Drain and repeat the same process 2 to 3 times until the olives are no longer bitter.They should not be too salty neither. Set the olives aside.
3- Prepare the meat balls: mix all the ingredients and make balls. Put about 1/2 in of oil in a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Dredge each meat ball in flour and fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
4- Once the meat pieces are cooked, add the olives, the sliced carrots and the meat balls. Bring the sauce to a boil, cover the pot and cook until the carrots and the olives are tender, and the meat balls are cooked through.
5-To finish the dish, mix the butter and flour to form a smooth paste. Bring the sauce to a boil and gradually add the butter/ flour mixture, stirring continuously. Let the sauce boil for 3 to 5 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thick. Add 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Serve the dish accompanied with lemon wedges.

Very flavourful recipe , I followed the recipe as given , adding chicken, lamb and meat balls,I did adjust the spices a little to our taste...we enjoyed it , and I encourage you to try it

for the Slilet Alaroussa, or the Bride's Baskets check the original recipe in Khadidja blog, http://www.dessert-world.blogspot.com/. also check the Spicy & talented Walima Team Blogs to enjoy their talented and creative cooking and amazing photos.

Arlette

p.s.: Our June challenge will represent the Bahraini Cuisine... Join us.

Dandelion and Caramelized Onions - Hindbeh maa basal Mhamar

Ingredients:

1-bunch of dandelion

2-2 large size onions sliced half moon

3-olive oil

salt and pepper

Clean and cut the dandelion Wash several times until the water is clear

Steam in little water until they cooked and become tender. Cool, then Squeeze from all the bitter juice .

Slice the onions and start cooking them in couple spoons of olive oil to caramelized, and start getting the golden color, add the dandelion and if needed add more oil, and cook the leaves till they cook through. add salt and pepper, and when served squeeze lemon juice.

* Another alternative instead of carameled onions, steam the dandelion and squeeze, then prepare some sesame tahini and after the dandelion cooled enough mix it with the tahini sauce

both are very tasty and a good alterntive for a vegan meal.

Serve with pita bread...

Dandelion and Caramelized Onions

Apple strudel

Apple Strudel

A strudel is a type of sweet or savoury layered pastry with a filling inside, that gained popularity in the 18th century through the Habsburg Empire (1278-1780). Austrian cuisine was formed and influenced by the cuisines of many different peoples (Turkish, Swiss, Alsacian, French, Dutch, Italian, German, Bohemian-Moravian, Hungarian, Polish, Croatian, Slovenian, Slovakian, Serbian, and Jewish cuisines) during the many centuries of the Austrian Habsburg Empire's expansion.[2] Strudel is related to the Ottoman Empire's pastry baklava, and came to Austria via Turkish to Hungarian and than Hungarian to Austrian cuisine.[3] "Strudel," a German word, derives from the Middle High German word for "whirlpool" or "eddy".[4]
Strudel is most often associated with the Austrian cuisine, but is also a traditional pastry in the whole area formerly belonging to the Austro-Hungarian empire. In these countries, apple strudel is the most widely known kind of strudel.[5][6] Apple strudel is considered to be the national dish of Austria along with Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz.[7] Apple strudel in Hungarian is called Almásrétes;[8] the word "Apfelstrudel" is German for strudel with apple

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

For this Challenge I choose the Apple Strudel for dessert and the Lebanese Krosky for a savoury appetizers.

Preparation timeTotal: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes
15-20 min to make dough30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough 10 min to fill and roll dough 30 min to bake 30 min to cool

Apple strudelfrom “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum

3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g)

1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs

strudel dough (recipe below)

1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts

2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.
3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.
4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.
Strudel doughfrom “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour1/8 teaspoon salt7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.
2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).
3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.
4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and

stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.


Keeping the dough till the next day was easier to work with, and stretch without causing any holes in the dough.

Lebanese Krosky - Chicken Appetizers

Lebanese Krosky:

2 chicken breast broiled /baked

4 big onion cuts into thin slices "half a moon

2 tbsp of olive oil, more if needed (can use butter to fry the chicken )

2 tbsp of sumac (you can add more if needed)

1 tsp of cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 cups of toasted walnuts, chopped

strudel dough

Preparation:

boil the chicken and cool before you slice them into thin strips. In a non stick frying pan, heat the olive oil, and add the silvered onion and cook till they start to change color add the chicken and stir to combine and at the same time to brown the chicken you can add more olive oil if needed , couple spoons of chicken stocks will help cook the chicken and keeps its tender.

Cook on medium low heat till the chicken started to change color a little "avoid cooking the chicken too much it will get dry", add the sumac and cumin, salt and pepper and mix well, take it off the heat add the toasted walnuts and mix all the ingredients well to combine.

prepare your dough... "my suggestion" :

when I prepared the dough the first day, and filled one recipe , I returned the dough to the fridge as I was running out of time to do the second recipe. The next day I took the dough out of the fridge two hours before using it, to come to room temperature, you will notice the texture of the dough is softer and easier to handle and stretch better than the first day, you will not have a hard time to stretch and work with the dough without tearing and leaving holes.

So I recommend resting the dough couple of hours or over night, and not 90 minutes as the recipe suggested. Brush the dough with butter, then spread the chicken filling, and cover both ends over the filling, roll the dough using the towel to help you, brush it with the remaining butter, either turn the dough to a snail shape or leave it as a long rope (I prefer a long rope) its easier to slice small size portion if you are serving it as an appetizer. Bake it in a preheated 400F oven till it turn golden brown, around 30-35 minutes.

Serve hot/warm as an appetizers, or with salad as a light dinner.

P.S. : turn the recipe into two logs if you are using it as an appetizer bites.

I prepare this recipe in Phyllo dough , cutting the top of the Phyllo into one inch portions, but not reaching the knife deep to the end, this helps the steam to come out and be easier to slice the dough after its baked.

Try this recipe the flavours are excellent It's a new taste and flavour, and I am sure you will enjoy every bite of it.

Big thanks to the Ladies who brought us this wonderful Challenge.

The Yeast Went Wild

My Sourdough Starter Experience
I usually make my sourdough starter from mixing flour and water, and let it ferment for 24-48 hours. I wanted to experiment with different techniques giving my starter a new flavour and aroma, and after a good research I made my starter with Raisin water instead to get the wine smell and flavour. You can of course do the starter with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup of water

and loosly cover with a lid dont close the lid a towel , Let it ferment and rise again for six hours, and better overnight.
But let me warn you to avoid my mistake, my starter was alive crazily, I didn’t expect it to rise so high , I didn’t put a deep plate under my plastic bowl, I never expected the starter to rise overnight this high, to open the lid and pour over on my table ( I have a Plastic table cloths) I lost more than half of my starter, and had to feed it again to get enough to make my bread for the market.

every time you take from the starter you need to feed it again , and let it rise at least six hours and better overnight. the next day you can return it back to the fridge.

See the results of the breads I made from the same starter, and I am so happy, I use it to any kind of dough which required yeast in the mix. And what a difference!!!.
Try it and let me know

Peter Reinhart Cinnamon BunsUsing the Brioche Recipe from BBA Book

Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds Breads
Is it a cake or a Bread?
Mishtah