Dukkah

Dukkah

Dukkah is a famous Egyptian seasoning made of nuts, seeds, and spices.

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup walnuts
– 1/3 cup almonds or hazelnuts
– 2 tbsp sesame seeds
– 1 tsp ground coriander
– 1 tsp ground cumin
– 1/8 tsp ground allspice
– Salt, pepper, to taste fine sea salt

Cooking Instructions:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, roast walnuts and almonds, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Add sesame seeds to the nuts and continue cooking, stirring often, until sesame seeds are lightly golden.
3. Transfer the nut and seed mixture to a food processor.
4. Add the coriander, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper.
5. Run the food processor for a few seconds, just to break the nuts into a coarse, sand-like texture.
6. Transfer the dukkah to a bowl for serving, or store it in an air-tight container for 1 to 2 weeks.

Tom Kha Gai

Tom Kha Gai

Tom Kha Gai is a Thai coconut chicken soup.

Ingredients:
– 1 shallot, diced
– 1/4 cup ginger
– 1/4 cup galangal root
– 3 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
– 8 kaffir lime leafs
– 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
– 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or sub 500 crispy tofu)
– 200g mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, cremini, or straw mushrooms)
– 2-4 fresh Thai chilies
– 3 tbsp fish sauce
– 1 1/2 tsp salt
– 2 cans of coconut milk
– 3 tbsp lime juice
– 2 tsp coconut sugar

Cooking Instructions:
1. Slice the chicken into thin bitesized pieces. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. In large heavy bottom pot, sauté diced shallot with a little oil over medium heat. Add sliced ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and galalagal.
3. Add 2 cups broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken (or tofu) and sliced mushrooms and simmering for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.
5. Stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, chilies, and salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Add the lime juice and sugar.

Mimosa Salad

Mimosa Salad

Mimosa Salad is a Russian layered tuna salad.

Ingredients:
– 1 can tuna in oil
– 4 large eggs
– 1 large carrot
– 1 small onion
– 2 medium potatoes
– 1 cup mayonnaise
– Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions:
1. Boil whole unpeeled potatoes and carrots for about 30 minutes, or until knife pierces them smoothly. Let cool to room temp then refrigerate.
2. Peel veggies just before grating.
3. Boil eggs for 5 minutes. Once eggs are cooled, peel and separate egg whites from yolks.
4. Drain tuna. Add chopped onion and mix with a fork.
5. Spread tuna mixture over the bottom of a glass baking dish.
6. Drizzle a light layer of mayo over the tuna.
7. Finely grate the egg whites evenly over the tuna. Drizzle a light layer of mayo over the top.
8. Finely grate carrot evenly over the egg whites and drizzle on another thin layer of mayo.
9. Finely grate potatoes evenly over the carrot and drizzle on remaining mayo. Spread mayo gently and evenly over the top with a spatula.
10. Top with finely grated egg yolk.

Kyiv Cake

Kyiv Cake

Kyiv Cake is a classic Ukrainian cake, made with sponge cake, a crunchy meringue with hazelnuts and cream.

Ingredients:
– 5 large eggs
– 3/4 cup sugar
– 1 cup all purpose flour
– 6 egg whites
– 1 cup sugar
– 1 cup hazelnuts
– 2 cups apricot jam
– 6 egg yolks
– 1/3 cup water
– 8 tbsp condensed milk
– 100g chocolate chips
– 400g butter

Cooking Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. Beat 5 eggs with sugar for up to 5 minutes.
3. Fold in flour gently with a rubber spatula.
4. Add cake batter to an oiled 11-inch baking sheet.
5. Bake at 175C for approximately 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, whip egg whites with sugar on high speed until they are doubled in volume.
7. Add hazelnuts.
8. Spread the mixture onto 11-inch baking pan, lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake it at 130C for 6 hours.
10. In a small pot, beat egg yolks, slowly adding water and condensed milk.
11. Cook all ingredients on low heat, mixing the cream the entire time. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Do not bring the mixture to a boil.
12. Remove the mixture from the heat and add chocolate chips. Mix well.
13. Let the mixture cool off to room temperature.
14. In a separate bowl, beat butter. Once the butter is fluffy, add the cream mixture to the butter, a few spoonfuls at a time, until fully blended.
15. Slice the sponge cake horizontally in half.
16. Cover each layer with jam, excluding the top layer.
17. Place the first layer of sponge cake and cover it with cream, followed by meringue, then again, a layer of cream.
18. Frost the sides, then top with the remaining cream.
19. Refrigerate overnight.