Samoan Palusami

Ingredients
Original recipe makes 8 servings

2 (10 ounce) bags fresh spinach or taro leaves (originally in Samoa)
1 (12 ounce) can corned beef, broken into pieces
2 (10 ounce) cans coconut milk or fresh coconut milk

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Make a layer of spinach leaves in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with some of the corned beef, then keep repeating layers of spinach and corned beef until you run out of spinach. Don't worry about how full the dish is because the spinach will shrink as it cooks. Pour both cans of coconut milk over the dish, pressing the leaves down with a spoon. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until spinach has completely wilted and the sauce is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving

Authentic Chicken Cacciatore from Italia

Take 1 chicken and cut up into smaller pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Brown in a hot skillet with some olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Slice 1 large onion, crush 3 cloves garlic and slice a punnet of mushrooms. Add to chicken and brown gently. Add 1/2  cup prosciutto or bacon can be used as a substitute.

Place the chicken back in the pan and add sprigs of rosemary, sage and thyme to the chicken.Add a dash of brown vinegar and allow to vaporize. Now add enough red wine to cover the chicken. Make sure that the wine is good. Chianti would have been the traditional wine added to this dish. Simmer over a slow heat until the chicken is well tender and falls off the bone.

Serve with either polenta or hunks of bread with steamed or roasted vegetables on the side. Garnish with chopped parsley.

With our chicken cacciatore recipe, the gravy that comes just by the stewing of the chicken in the wine is used as a base with no additions of tomatoes anywhere. Many will be surprised to read that, because it is probably not the chicken cacciatore that they have seen and eaten and you will see many a chicken cacciatore recipe calling for tomatoes of some description. Of course these recipes are equally delicious, just not authentic.

Russian Borscht

Ingredients:
3/1/2c. canned tomatoes
5 or 6 med.size potatoes cut in halves
1 large carrot cut fine
1 small peeled beet
salt to taste
1 small onion chopped
butter
4 c. shredded cabbage
3/4 c. sweet cream
1/2c. fresh green pepper chopped
2 tbs. fresh or dried dill
1 celery chopped fine
2/1/2 qts. water
1/1/2 c. diced potatoes
black pepper

Method:
Put water to boil in large kettle.Add 1/2 c. canned tomatoes. When water is boiling drop in 5 or 6 med. size potatoes,chopped carrot and the beet. While this is cooking add 3 tbs butter in frying pan. When melted add chopped onion,cook tender but do not brown. Add 3c. canned tomatoes and let simmer with onion and butter until a thick sauce. Set to back of stove. Into a separate frying pan put 2-3 tbs. butter to melt. Add 2c. shredded cabbage and fry.Cook tender but do not brown.Shred another 2c. to add later to the borstch. When potatoes are tender remove them to a bowl.Add 2tbs. butter, mash well,then add 3/4c. sweet cream and mix well and set aside. Add 1/1/2c. diced potatoes to the stock and the remainder of the shredded cabbage. When diced potatoes are tender, add the onion-tomato- sauce, then add the cooked cabbage,and the potato-cream mixture. Add 3 tbs. butter to the borsch. Stir well. Add fresh chopped fine green pepper. Add 3tbs fresh or dried dill. The more fresh dill the better the flavor. Remove beet, one hour later after borsch is ready. Borsch is ready to serve. Serve hot. Serve with chopped garlic in your soup bowl and a fresh piece of bread and butter... Yummy, enjoy...

Potato Omelet (Torta De Papas), a Chilean favourite

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes

1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
1.Wash and peel (peeling is optional) potatoes; slice into 1/4" rounds.
2.Heat oil in heavy frypan until very hot, but not smoking; fry potatoes for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden-brown; remove potatoes to absorbent paper to drain.
3.Beat eggs well with parsley; add salt and pepper to taste; add the drained potatoes.
4.Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the oil from the frypan; reheat if necessary; slowly pour egg-potato mixture into the pan; distribute the potatoes evenly; cover frypan and cook omelet for 4 minutes on medium-low heat; turn omelet over and cook, covered, another 4 minutes; top with some grated cheese, if desired, to melt during the last couple of minutes in frypan; carefully remove omelet from pan and cut into 4 servings.

OCTOPUS RISOTTO (RISOTO DE POLVO) from Brazil

*Serves 2-3*

Ingredients:
1 pound octopus
1 cup risotto rice
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Cut the octopus properly into pieces.
2) Place it in a saucepan along with its juices and 1 tablespoon olive oil and cover it. Let it simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat.
3) Set aside the octopus in a bowl.
4) Place the onion and tomatoes in a frying pan with the rest of the olive oil on medium heat. Add the rice and fry for a minute or two.
5) Now add the wine, half a cup of the boiling liquid of the octopus and half a cup of water. Stir well and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add more water if necessary.
6) Once done, turn off the heat and mix in the parsley.
7) Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve while hot.

Tofu Banh Mi from Vietnam

Ingredients

Preparation1 (14-ounce) package water-packed firm tofu, drained

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 1/4 cups (3-inch) matchstick-cut carrot 

1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 julienne-cut green onion 

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 2 cups) 

2 tablespoons canola oil 

1 (12-ounce) loaf French bread 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs

2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced 

1. Cut tofu crosswise into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Arrange tofu on several layers of paper towels. Top with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Remove tofu from paper towels.

2. Combine soy sauce and ginger in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish. Arrange tofu slices in a single layer in soy mixture. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning once.

3. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Add carrot and next 4 ingredients (through cucumber); toss well. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain carrot mixture through a sieve; drain thoroughly.

4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove tofu from marinade; discard marinade. Pat tofu slices dry with paper towels. Add tofu slices to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden.

5. Preheat broiler.

6. Cut bread in half lengthwise. Open halves, laying bread cut side up on a baking sheet. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Place tofu slices on bottom half of bread; top with carrot mixture, cilantro, and jalapeño slices. Top with top half of bread. Cut loaf crosswise into 6 equal pieces.

Thai Green Curry with Shrimp and Kale

Photo: Randy Mayor

Ingredients

Preparation

6 ounces dried rice noodles

2 teaspoons olive oil 

1/3 cup chopped green onions 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)

1 1/4 cups matchstick-cut carrots 

1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock 

1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk 

6 cups packed chopped Lacinato kale (about 1/2 bunch)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 pound peeled and devein medium shrimp 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon grated lime rind 

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 

1. Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions, garlic, and ginger; sauté 1 minute. Stir in curry      paste; sauté 30 seconds. Add carrots, chicken stock, and coconut milk, stirring well to combine; bring to a simmer, and  cook 5 minutes.

3. Fold in kale; sprinkle with salt. Cook 3 minutes or until kale is wilted and tender. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat; top with cilantro, lime rind, and juice. Serve over rice noodles.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients
3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
1 clove garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
Photograph by Antonis Achilleos
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Per serving: Calories 413; Fat 23 g (Saturated 5 g); Cholesterol 87 mg; Sodium 1,055 mg; Carbohydrate 19 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 32 g

Courtesy of Food Network Magazine