Vegetarian Asian Fusion Samosa

So as I have never made samosas before,

I thought to myself that it looked fairly simple and consequently, I decided to make an attempt while completely free styling the recipe. A way of keeping control over an otherwise uncontrolled and unpredictable cooking session.

For those of you who are not familiar with samosas, here is a little back story:

A samosa is a stuffed pastry and a popular snack in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, throughout the Mediterranean (Greece), Southwest Asia, the Horn of Africa, North Africa and South Africa.

It generally consists of a fried or baked triangular, semi-lunar or tetrahedral pastry shell with a savory filling, which may include spiced potatoes, onions, peas, coriander, and lentils, or ground beef or chicken. The size and shape of a samosa as well as the consistency of the pastry used can vary considerably, although it is mostly triangular. Samosas are often served with tamarind chutney or curd.

Ingredients:

6 Filo dough sheets or Spring roll sheets

2 Yellow Onions

2 Big Potatoes  (boiled)

1 Bunch of KangKung (10 stems or so not too much)

1 Small can of peas

2 Cloves of garlic

1 Twig of fresh mint

1/2 cup Canola or Sunflower seed Oil

Cumin seeds (Powder works fine as well)

Chili powder

Coriander powder

Curcuma (optional)

Garam Masala

Pepper

Salt

This is my very first video blog ! Please forgive my multiple hesitations..

Music By:

- Bibio - Sugerette (Wax Stag Remix) / The Apple and the Tooth

- Gui Boratto - Mr. Decay / Chromophobia

 Filling Cooking Instructions:

Set your stove temperature to meduim-high heat.

Once the Pan is hot, put in your spices to release the flavors of the various kinds of spices you've added to your oil. Do not let them burn!!

Add your peas as soon as you hear your spices hiss in your oil.

Let your peas take on the flavors of the spices by mixing them around for about 1 minute.

Add in your boiled and cut potatoes to the pan and mix well.

Reduce the stove to medium heat.

Taste and add salt and/or pepper if needed.

Turn your stove off and mix your hot ingredients to your cold ones. You can mash with your hands for some authentic homemade flavors! (granted you've washed them first by now. LOL.)

You're Filling is ready!

Samosa Cooking Instructions:

After you've cleaned up your pan, pour some oil ( in it and heat it up on medium-high heat.

Test the oil with a sprinkle of water to make sure it is "sizzling" hot. Once your oil is hot, place your samosas CAREFULLY into the oil. Use thongs if you have to.

Garam Masala fact:

The word garam refers to spice intensity, not heat; garam masala is pungent, but not "hot" in the same way as a chili pepper.The composition of garam masala differs regionally, with wide variety across India. Some common ingredients are black & white peppercorns, cloves, malabar leaves, long pepper (also known as pippali), black cumin (known as shahi jeera), cumin seeds, cinnamon, black, brown, & green cardamom, nutmeg, star anise and coriander seeds. Varying combinations of these and other spices are used in regional variants of garam masala, none of which is considered more authentic than another.

Some recipes call for spices to be blended with herbs, while others grind the spices with water, vinegar or other liquids such as coconut milk to make a paste. In some recipes nuts, onion or garlic may be added. The flavours may be carefully blended to achieve a balanced effect, or in some cases a single flavour may be emphasized for special dishes where this is desired. Usually a masala is roasted before use to release its flavours and aromas.

For my filling I decided to have it partially cooked while keeping some ingredients uncooked until they are in the dough to have a difference of consistencies, which I find a bit more interesting when eating.

Bon Appétit!

Mediterranean Beef Stew

This is an entirely homemade recipe made with left-overs and overlooked veggies I found in my fridge.

                                                You will need:

250-300g of Beef

(Chuck or Round as you want a nicely marbled piece, if you don't know these terms feel free to look them up here: "Cuts of Beef" .)

1 piece of tail  

(LOL! basically you want to add a bone to the mix to give it more flavor).

1 Fennel root

2 Garlic cloves

2 Yellow onions

1 zucchini

4-5 Brown mushrooms (Big ones!)

1 Leek
1/2 Vegetable bouillon cube

1 big can of whole marzano tomatoes in their juice

1 Twig of fresh rosmary

2 tbsp. of Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. of brown sugar

Salt

Pepper

Ok you got everything? Can we start?

Wonderful, let's get cookin'!

First you want to get out one of your medium to big sized sauce/soup pot. Is it out? Good.

Then get out the chopping board, knives, hankerchief cause you might shed some tears on that one.

Crush your two garlic cloves and put them in your pot on medium heat with the two table spoons of EVOO.

Then cut your two onion in half inch wedges and throw them uncaringly in the pot.

(I told you this recipe is EASY!) Add to that the twig of fresh rosmary to let all the wonderful flavors mix together. Add your fennel root chopped in half inch wedges as well. Make those onions and fennel wedges sweat and glisten but don't let them burn.

Add the piece of beef tail and the beef piece WHOLE in the pot. Add to that 1 1/2 cup of water and your 1/2 veggie bouillon cube. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes on medium heat. Ok, now it's time to add the leek which you have cut in 1 inch pieces right? No? Well it doesn't matter, you can do it now.

Keep in mind, easyyy...

You've added the leek now? Ok. Next we're going to add the chopped zucchini to the pot.

Cover and let simmer on low heat for a good 5-8 minutes again with the added vegetables.

Go check on your meat, pull it, and it alone, out of the pot and onto your chopping board.

With a big knife slice a big cut in the middle of your piece of meat,WITHOUT cutting it into two seperate pieces! Ok now put it all back in the pot. Open your can of tomatoes and add those as is, in the pot.

Add to this some pepper and salt to taste, as well as the table spoon of sugar to remove some of the acidity of the tomatoes. Cover partially and let simmer quietly for about 10 minutes.

You can serve this dish with rice, wheat, quinoa, polenta and many other sides like potatoes or even a salad.

As a last step which is optional, I personally cut my stew in bite sized pieces as it makes it easier to serve it in plates.

Bon Appétit!

Homemade Salade Niçoise

So I thought that today I would show you how to make a Salade Nicoise. But what exactly is a salade Nicoise you ask?

Let's check:

Sometimes referred to as Salade Niçoise or insalata nizzarda, is a mixed salad consisting of various vegetables topped with tuna and anchovy. It is a specialty of the Côte d'Azur named for the city of Nice.

The salad or "salade" is displayed on a flat plate or platter and arranged on a bed of lettuce. Ripe tomato wedges, halved boiled new potatoes, steamed green beans, wedges of hard-cooked eggs, are topped with canned tuna (tinned in oil), and Niçoise olives. Finally the salad is garnished with tinned anchovies. The salad is served with a vinaigrette.

The original version of the salad always included raw red peppers, shallots, and artichoke hearts, never potatoes. The French, especially in the Nice area, will clearly state no cooked vegetables are to be used. I am going to teach you my version on this recipe.

If you're like me and you want a lighter version of this salad without using anchovies, just follow my recipe.

OK! so now we know where it comes from. Let's get ready to make this delicious salad.

Ingredients:

2 Ripe tomatoes

2 Hard boiled eggs

1 Red onion

25g. Black olives (no seeds)

25g. Green olives (no seeds)

1/2 Red pepper

1/2 Green pepper

1 Can of artichoke hearts (in oil)

1 Fresh Goat cheese tomme

2 Cans of tuna (in salt water)

1 Fresh salad of your choice

1 Lemon's Juice

Salt

Black Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh basil leaves

        

  (in this recipe I used a mix of Romaine  lettuce (left)  and Rocket (right) or "Eruca sativa" )

Let's get mixing and assembling;

The first step is to wash, tear and set your romaine lettuce and rocket in a shallow and wide salad bowl.

Then julienne your green and red peppers and place them on top of your lettuce bed in a circle formation around the salad bowl.

Continue the julienning process with the red onion and the tomatoes. Place the freshly cut ingredients on top of the green and red peppers. Cut your artichoke hearts in half and your hard boiled eggs in 4 wedges each, place them in a circle at the center of your lettuce bed on top of the other ingredients you've already layed down. Leave some space in the middle to add the tuna in the center. Cut your goat cheese in cubes or bite-sized pieces and add them around the eggs.

Now let's prepare the tuna;

chop your basil leaves finely and set them aside. Press your lemon in order to get the most juice out of it.

Take your 2 cans of tuna and spoon them in a small bown, mix in 1 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper and half of the lemon juice you've squeezed. Add a pinch of the basil you've chopped and mix well with a fork. Spoon the mixture in the center of your salad bed.

We're almost done!

Now add the left over lemon juice all over your pretty salad, add 2 tbs. of evoo (extra virgin olive oil),

salt, pepper. Decorate the salad with a basil head and set on the table.

Mix the salad just before serving after your guests have seen the beautiful work you've done decorating with the ingredients and voilà!

I hope you try this recipe and have as much fun as me eating it!

Bon Appétit!