# Need easy recipes



## Tiffanie (Dec 5, 2003)

I am a daisy scout troop leader, our christmas party theme is "christmas around the world" I am looking for simple recipes that I can make for them to try, I am looking for any recipes from places other than the United States. any recipes will br greatly apperciated.


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## ironchef (Dec 5, 2003)

honestly, if you want to keep it as simple and easy as possible, then go and visit your local supermarket and look for the ethnic bottled sauces that can be used as marinades/sauces etc. at least the troop can get a beginner's grasp on different flavors from the different ethnic cuisines.


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## BubbaGourmet (Dec 5, 2003)

*Ethnic food for kids*

Tiffanie;
   For Japan: Teriyaki Chicken. Buy boneless chicken thighs and cut them into strips. Marinate them overnight in soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour, thread the marinated strips onto the skewers and grill for 5-7 minutes per side until done.
   For India: Raita. Take 1 cucumber, dice it. Add 1 small diced onion and a small diced tomato. Dress with a spoonful of plain yogurt, black pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar.
   For Italy: Meatballs. 1 pound of ground beef, 6 cloves garlic finely minced, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 tsp each oregano and basil and 1 tbsp. fennel seed, 1 egg beaten and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Mix well, form meatballs (app 1 1/2" across)brown in olive oil then place on a broiler pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
   If you need more,let me know.


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## kitchenelf (Dec 5, 2003)

*Ethic Appetizers*

I was going to say teriyaki chicken wings but Bubba Gourmet beat me to it! LOL  These recipes are not difficult

For Italy you could do bruchetta - (broo-SKEH-tah) "sk" sound not "sh" sound (not broo-SHEH-tah)

1 baguette, sliced at a slight angle
1 clove of garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
half a cup of chopped basil
1 - 2 TBS of finely chopped red onion 
a dash or two of olive oil
dash of red wine vinegar (I use balsamic for a milder flavor but red wine is traditional)
dash of s & p

Slice baguette, cut clove of garlic in half and rub on one side of bread then brush a little olive oil on same side - spread out and put under broiler until a light golden.  (You may also grill the bread)

Chop the tomaotes, basil and then add the finely chopped red onion (I say finely chopped so they won't notice it as much - if you think 1 TBS is better just do that).  Mix, add s & P, and your dashes of olive oil and red wine/balsamic vinegar.

Let them spoon a little onto the bread when they're ready to try it.
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Lion's Head Meatballs (Chinese)

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS 
1 lb. ground pork 
1 slice ginger, minced 
3 scallions, cut into thin slices 
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1 tsp salt or to taste 
1 tsp sugar 
1 TBS sherry (regular drinking dry sherry - not cooking sherry) 
1 TBS light soy sauce 
1/2 TBS cornstarch 
black or white pepper to taste 

1 cup chicken stock
1 lb. bok choy, thoroughly washed of dirt and cut into bite-size pieces 
3 TBS oil to be used for cooking 

Put ground pork in bowl and add all of the meatball ingredients mixing by hand, moving in one direction. Kind of like you are folding everything in as you would do with a mousse. When everything is mixed form into about 2-inch meatballs. *In your case I would make them about 1" meatballs.*  Cook meatballs on medium heat until they are golden brown. They do not have to be done, just browned (but yours may cook much faster being so small)

Heat the stock separately (I add a little soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil to it also (maybe 1 TBS of each).  Drain the meatballs on paper towels. 

Place bok choy on bottom of pot, place meatballs on top, add stock and then the meatballs - cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (normally, if they were 2" meatballs, I would cook  1 to 1 1/2 hours)

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I'll try to think of more and post them.


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## cocinero (Dec 14, 2003)

*Bean Tostadas*

Tiffanie,

Something very simple to make are Mexican tostadas.

Pre-fry corn tortillas flat and drain (you could do this for safety) or buy pre-made flat fried tortillas.

Buy some jack cheese and have the kids grate it. Some lettuce and slice it.
Some canned refried beans.

Spread some beans on a flat fried tortilla (tostada) and heat in a micro-wave. Then sprimkle some grated cheese and some shredded lettuce on top. Top with a few sliced black olives for garnish and there you have.

Also this is a vegetarian dish!

Good Luck!

Bill G.
Crestline, CA


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## billhoo (Feb 27, 2004)

*Jamaican Journey Cakes aka Fried Dumplings*

I submitted this one to our International business unit's Employee cookbook when they kept badgering me for a home recipe.  As a chinese born in Jamaica, I grew up on these.

1)  Fry some bacon to desired crispness.  Set asside bacon.  Keep the grease in the pan - heavy cast iron works best, but any frypan will do.  Fry bacon til you have a 1/4 of fat or more.

2) Make a simple dough from 3 cups flour, 1 cup water and a tablespoon of salt.  Knead for 10 minutes until it is elasic and no longer sticks.  It helps if you have a bread maker to do the skunk work.  A food processor might work too.

3)  Form into patties (any diameter) no more than 1/2 inch thick. 

4) bring the frypan to medium heat.  Gently lay the dumplings in the fat.  when you see the edges turn white, lift one up and see if the bottom is golden brown.  If brown, turn over and cook the other side.

5) Drain on paper towels when done.  Sprinkle salt immediately if desired.  Serve with bacon, corned beef, cheese and a side of eggs for a Jamaican style breakfast.

They are called Journey Cakes because they keep well on trips.  Islanders did not often have fresh meat and subsisted often on ships rations - bacon, corned beef and other salted foods.

This recipe is similar to Souix Indian Frybread which uses milk, or Bannock bread made by miners/prospectors during the gold rush and cattlemen on the range who did not have a chuck wagon cook working for them.  A simple cowboy breakfast would be a fried bannock with slab of bacon and  black coffee boiled in a pot.  to get rid of the coffee grounds, they would drop a raw egg in it and the grounds would stick and settle to the bottom.

This may also have it's roots in the Hard Tack biscuit used by seamen and soldiers as a staple up until the early 1900s.  I surmise this because the recipe is the same except you bake the patties in an oven around 250 degrees until it is hard as a rock.  In the civil war up to World War I, they were known as tooth dullers, or crown crackers as they had a tendancy to break the teeth of those with poor dental hygeine.  Very rarely did a GI actually bite into a hard tack biscuit.  Usually they would soften them in water or a cup of black coffee.  If they had a mess cook on hand, they would be soaked in warm water for an hour and then fried in bacon grease (see the similarities).

Well enough of my rant for a very simple recipe.

-Bill


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