International Food Recipes

Hi everyone. If you were with me a couple of years ago before I took a break from blogging, then you know that things are starting to look different around here. There are going to be more changes over the next month, too. I am really excited!

I have been working behind the scenes, so to speak, for the past 4 or 5 weeks to bring this blog into 2018. Yes, I am honestly coming back to blogging after a 2 year hiatus. I will tell you more about it in an upcoming post. I am happy – truly happy – to be reentering the blogging world. It is a decision that has been a long time coming.

For today, however, I am posting pictures and links to some of the international recipes that I have on this blog. It’s almost the end of the OLYMPICS 🙁 and I’d like to pay tribute to athletes from around the world. I just love the winter Olympics. My favorite sport to watch has been the snowboard half pipe! I find myself swaying side to side as the boarders glide back and forth up the walls of the half pipe. I catch myself holding my breath a lot during the aerial acrobatics. Wow, I wish that I could do those tricks!

And can I just scream “Wahooooooo! Go Shaun White!!!!!!”

Oh, and one more scream. The U.S. Women’s Hockey Team totally rocks!!!!!

What’s your favorite Olympic sport? You do have one, don’t you?

As I was looking through my recipes recently, it was surprising to find that I really do have recipes from around the world. Take a look at these and see if you’d like to try some of them for yourself.

 

Sweden

First up is Sweden. My husband lived in Sweden for five years and also has a very strong Swedish ancestry. It is the country of his youth and he truly loves it.

Of course we are going to start with dessert. The texture of this outrageously good “cake” is dense throughout and almost creamy at the very center. The aromatic flavor of almond comes shining through, complemented by the perfect amount of sweetness. The edges of this Swedish Almond Cake are golden and crunchy, almost cookie-like and I love to save the edge for last. You can find the recipe here.

This is such an interesting salad with beets, apples and red onion. To look at it, you’d think it would be sweet, but it is not, except for mild sweetness from the apples. The dressing or binder is made with mayonnaise, sour cream and a little bit of dijon (or Swedish) mustard. This salad can be made with either regular beets or pickled beets. It tastes great either way. Find the recipe here.

Another purpley-red side dish, Swedish Red Cabbage and Apples has become one of my favorites. It is as flavorful as it is colorful. With sugar, vinegar, salt, cloves, allspice, and a touch of lingonberry jam this dish will keep you coming back for more and more. Fine the recipe here.

On my goodness, I could eat my weight in Swedish Meatballs. They are made with both ground beef and ground pork (not sausage). The thing that sets Swedish meatballs apart from other types of meatballs are the spices. These meatballs use nutmeg and allspice which makes them taste downright irresistable. The creamy gravy is made with beef broth and cream. Real, honest to goodness cream. If meatballs could be classified as decadent, these would be first on the list. Go get the recipe right here!

 

Israel

In 2010, my husband and I, along with his mom and his brother and sisters and their spouses all went on a Mediterranean cruise together. We had the time of our lives! One of our stops was Israel. We traveled inland by bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Oh my goodness; it was amazing. While we were there, we sampled some Jerusalem Bagels. Their shape is very unique, as you can see from the picture. The texture of the bagels is much lighter than the more traditional bagels. Additionally, Jerusalem Bagels are baked without first boiling them. Traditionally they are eaten with a blend of middle eastern spices known as za’atar. These bagels are really quite easy to make. Try out the recipe here.

 

Barbados

Although Barbados has not competed in the Winter Olympics, I am including a recipe that originated in Barbados. It is a personal childhood favorite that made a frequent appearance on at the family dinner table.

Food does not get any better than this Macaroni Pie. Although it originated in Barbados, it is now a Southern classic. I was raised on this cheesy, noodley wonder and it is still one of my very favorite dishes. Macaroni Pie is NOT mac-n-cheese. Instead, it is a combination of elbow macaroni and cubes of cheese all baked together in a savory custard of butter, eggs and milk. You can spice things up by adding red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper like they do in Barbados – mmmmmmm! Check out the blog post and the recipe here.

 

Australia and Britain

While we were in Israel, we encountered the most wonderful foods with dates as the main ingredient. When we got back home from our trip, I started looking up recipes for using dates. In the process, I came across a recipe for Sticky Date Pudding With Butterscotch Sauce. The recipe was on an Australian blog and when I saw it, I knew that I had found the perfect recipe for using dates. In Britain, this recipe is also referred to as Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce. Either way, it is absolutely decadent. Find the recipe here.

 

Germany

When I introduced Sweden, I stated that my husband, John, had lived there for five years. Well, he also lived in Germany for 3 years prior to living in Sweden. Yes, he was one of those international brat kids. Despite his upbringing, he turned out well. 🙂 One of the meals that John remembers from his time in Germany is Bavarian Pot Roast or Sauerbraten. traditionally, this style of roast is brined for at least 3 days prior to cooking. It is seasoned with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice which gives it such a wonderful flavor. Vinegar is also added to the mix, deepening the flavor combinations. I cheated on my recipe and used my slow cooker, instead of brining the roast. It got me in trouble with one of my readers who was very offended by my shortcut. In my defense, John said that the pot roast tasted like he remembered from when he was in Germany.

 

Spain

Arroz Con Pollo, or Rice with Chicken is such a treat. This dish originated in Spain and is common in Hispanic communities. There are as many different recipes as there are people who make it. After reviewing a number of recipes, I decided to make my own version of this popular dish. The rice in this dish is full of wonderful flavors and colors. I used fresh tomatoes and onions and exotic ingredients such as saffron threads. The addition of cumin deepens the flavor of the rice and Spanish olives brings a fun tang to the party. As for the chicken, it is first seasoned and browned in oil before it is added to the rice to complete the cooking process. Although there are several components to this recipe, it is essentially a one-dish meal. Yay! The recipe is at this link.

 

Italy

We started with a dessert and I would like to end with a dessert. This is in honor of my dear friend, Rita, whose Italian accent will always echo in my mind and remind to always be able to laugh at myself.

These cookies are typically made at Christmastime in Italy, but I made them in pink during October for Breast Cancer Awareness. They are the most interesting cookie I have ever made or eaten. Despite the fact that they look like a simple sugar cookie or a Mexican wedding cookie, they are quite different in texture from either of those. They are amazingly light little cookie puffs, almost fluffy in texture. After two or three chews, they develop a surprising marshmallow-like consistency.

 

I hope that you have enjoyed browsing these dishes. There are more “international” types of recipes here on That’s Some Good Cookin’. Here is a list of recipe categories waiting for you in my recipe index. I know that you will definitely find some recipes that you just HAVE to try:

• Mexican
• Indian
• Italian
• Asian