Cook & Talk September 2013: Team Slovenia

’Boranja’

(Beef & Green Bean Stew)

300g Beef (stew meat) – use entire piece

500g Green beans

1 Bell pepper

1 Onion

1 Carton tomato passata

Salt

Pepper

Flour for thickening

Oil for pan

1. Chop the onions into small pieces.
2. Cut the meat into small chunks.
3. Wash peppers and cut into small pieces.
4. Fry the onion in oil in large pot, add peppers and cook, covered for few minutes.
5. Add meat and saute until golden.
6. Add green beans, tomato passata, salt, pepper and other spices.
7. Mix flour and warm water in a glass and use it to thicken the stew.
8. Cook for another few minutes until beans are soft and stew has started to thicken

Polenta

(cooked cornmeal)

Polenta (cornmeal)

Water

Salt

Creme Fraiche

Cheese

Cook polenta in a ratio of 1 cup polenta to 3 cups of water.

Boil the water, add some salt.

Slowly pour in corn meal and mix it constantly.

Cook for another 2 minutes.

At the end add creme fraiche and cheese.

’Prekmurska gibanica’

(Apple layer cake)

2 cups Flour + extra for dusting

1 teaspoons Baking powder

1 cup Sugar (divided)

1 teaspoons Vanilla Sugar

Oil – for pan

100g Walnuts or Poppy Seeds

4 Large apples, grated or chopped finely

50 grams Kvark (or creme fraiche)

2.5dL Milk

2.5dL Cream

3 Eggs

1 liter Ice Cream or creme fraiche to top

1. In big bowl mix flour and baking powder together with sugar and vanilla sugar.
2. Separate the mixture into three equal parts.
3. Put a few drops of oil in a baking tray, sprinkle the bottom of tray with first flour mixture.
4. Add 1/2 of the apples to the top, add 1/2  of kvark (or creme fraiche) Sprinkle with poppy seeds or walnuts.
5. Add the second part of flour mixture and continue with apples, kvark/creme fraiche, poppy seeds or walnuts.
6. At the end, sprinkle with the last flour mixture.
7. In another bowl mix together milk, sugar, cream and eggs.
8. Pour the egg mixture over cake; wait few minutes so it is all well absorbed.
9. Put mixture in a hot oven (180°) for about 45 minutes.
10. You can serve it hot or cold (add vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche) and enjoy!

Cook & Talk September 2013: Team Iran

Adas Polo

(Lentils Rice)

2 Cups Rice

1 Cup Lentils

1/2 lb (226g) Ground Beef

1/2 Cup Raisins

1 Tsp Zafran (Saffron)

Salt, Black Pepper Powder, Ground Cinnamon

1 Small Onion

7 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Medium Potato

3 oz (85g) Dried Barberries (Zereshk)

PREPARATIONS:

Soak the rice with 1 Tsp salt for 1 hour in a pot.

Add 1 Tsp Zafran (saffron) to 1/4 cup boiling water.

Dice the onion

Slice the potato

5- 6 cups boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the Lentils in a small pot, add salt and pour in boiling water until it covers the lentils (Approx. 2 cups of boiling water).
2. Cover the pot with the lid (leave the lid cracked open so the steam can scape) and simmer for 30 minutes at low heat.
3. Pour the soaked rice (including the water) into a pot and simmer the rice until it becomes tender.
4. Drain the rice in a colander.
5. In a small pot, dip fry the diced onions in vegetable oil until translucent.
6. Add the ground beef to the pot.
7. Add salt, black pepper powder and ground cinnamon, stir well and fry along until the beef is evenly brown.
8. Pour in the lentils in the rice pot and mix well so the lentils and rice are well blended. (Optional: you can keep 1/3 of the lentils back to mix with the beef mixture).
9. In a large pot, pour 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, lay the sliced potatoes across the pot and add the lentils and rice mixture to the pot. Add 2 tbsp oil (Mix 2 Tbsp Oil with 4 Tbsp boiling water) to the pot.
10. Cover the pot with a large napkin and put the lid on top.
11. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
12. Add 5 to 6 tbsp of the lentils rice to the beef mixture, then pour in the soaked saffron
13. Mix thoroughly, cover the pot with the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
14. Fry the dried barberries in 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
15. Add the beef/raisins mixture to the lentil rice pot, stir thoroughly until well mixed.
16. Add the fried barberries right before serving.

Salad

4 Cucumbers

12 Tomatoes

4 heads Iceberg Lettuce

400g Mushrooms

1 package Carrots, shredded

Lemon Juice – to taste

Thousand Island dressing – to taste

Olive Oil – to taste

Salt – to taste

Pepper – to taste

Chop all ingredients and toss together.

Cook & Talk September 2013: Team Colombia

Arroz con Pollo

serves 12       

500g (4 cups) jazmin Rice

4 chicken breasts

500g (3 cups) of frozen carrots and peas

250g (1½ cups) of frozen green beans

2 white onions

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 red pepper

celery leaves for flavour

1 chicken cube (bouillon)

200g butter or margarine

Garlic cloves

Salt and pepper

One plant of coriander – for garnish

1 bottle of oil

3 bottle of capers –for garnish

1 bottle ketchup (1 liter will be enough for 30 plates)

1 bottle of Worcestershire sauce

Sazon Goya (a type of seasoning)

Saffron

Directions

1.      Cook rice with salt and chicken bouillon; then let it cool.

2.      Place chicken breasts, 5 cups water, salt, one onion, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 celery leaf in a big pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the chicken rest in the pot for about 15 minutes covered. Let it cool, shred and set aside.

3.      Cook the diced carrots, green beans and peas as per package directions.

4.      In a medium pot, heat the butter.  Add the onions chopped red peppers, garlic and tomatoes. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

5.      After everything is mixed, add the cooked vegetables.

6.      In a big pot start combining the rice, with the chicken mix; a little at a time. Add some stock if mixture is too dry.

7.      Top with cilantro and capers.

Salpicon

¼ Watermelon

2 Bananas

1 cup Pineapple

2 apples

Vartiety of fruits

1.5 Lemons

1 liter strawberry juice (saftvand)

1 liter Vanilla ice cream

3/4 bottle Whipped cream

Cut all the fruit into very small pieces. Add some strawberry juice (saftevand) and a little bit of lemon to cover the fruit.

Serve in glasses add a small portion of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream to top.

Cook & Talk September 2013 - Slovenia, Iran, & Colombia

On Saturday, September 7th, 2013 Holstebro International held its 3rd Cook & Talk at Sønderlandsskolen.

The doors opened at 17:00, and after a brief introduction by Hans, our guests proceeded downstairs to the school's kitchen, where Laina was briefing our 3 volunteer cooks.

We had another incredible turnout for this event, with 50 guests, including children!

This time around, we tried something different; 4 cooking stations, instead of the usual 3. We added a 'Kids' Cooking Station', where the kids made their own pizzas. It was such a big hit that we will continue to have this 4th station at all of our Cook & Talk events. 

A special thanks to Yuka for volunteering to help out at the Kids' Station, and to Sheryl for stepping in to lend a helping hand.

Over at the Slovenian station Lea and her group worked quickly to prepare quick, simple dishes, that were utterly delicious.

Next, at the Iranian station, Ashkan and his team worked tirelessly to prepare his dishes, but unfortunately ran out of time with the roasted potatoes. Because his dessert took a long time to set, he prepared it the morning of the event, and had to quickly run home while everyone was eating to retrieve it.

The Colombian station led by Nancy and her friend Doris made a palate pleasing rice dish, that is similar to Spanish rice, and followed up with a refreshingly fruity dessert, which was perfect for the warm weather we were having.

After dishes were presented, we headed back upstairs to the dining area, where the eating began and the mingling continued. This was the first Cook & Talk where alcohol was served, and everyone enjoyed the 'hyggelige' atmosphere.

After a long, but wonderful evening, it was time to clean up, pack up, and head home. 

We are anxiously awaiting the next Cook & Talk, on November 9th, and hope to see you there! Also, there have been rumors that we will have Japanese, Russian, and Danish cuisine, but nothing is confirmed yet. 

P.S. Our Marketing and Media board member, Sheryl, took these pictures, and created that short video for us. We hope you enjoyed them!

Volunteering

Do you love to cook? 

Do you enjoy sharing your culture with others? 

Why not combine the two?

We are looking for volunteer cooks for our many Cook & Talk events year-round and we would love to have you join us.

Here are the guidelines:

Deadlines & Formalities -

·                     For each event we will start looking for volunteers at least 2 months in advance, and we need to have all 3 no later than 1 month in advance so we can put the countries on our flyers.

·                     All volunteer chefs must have attended at least 1 previous Cook & Talk, in order to be familiar with what to expect.

·                     Final recipes must be sent to info@holstebrointernational.com at least 2 weeks before the event.

·                     Each recipe submitted must include all ingredients and amounts (in metric), any cooking methods, and the number of servings or portions.

·                     Volunteer chefs are asked to arrive no later than 16:30 to set-up your cooking stations and familiarize yourselves with the converted recipes.

·                     Volunteer chefs are asked to be familiar with their recipes; do not submit dishes you have never cooked/eaten before, as this leads to confusion and results in poor execution and time management.

·                     The board will meet with each volunteer chef about a week prior to the event to do a test-run of the recipes.

Dishes -

·                     Each station will prepare one main course (this includes sides as needed) and one dessert. You are free to choose any recipes from your country, within budget limits and time constraints.

·                     The allotted budget is sufficient for most dishes, but we ask that you try to minimize or refrain from using expensive ingredients.

·                     In order to adhere to the budget, Holstebro International will purchase the ingredients needed and deliver them to the school kitchen.

·                     If your dishes have any ingredients that are difficult to find in Holstebro, we ask that you revise your recipe or provide the ingredients needed.

·                     If your recipes require any special kitchen tools/appliances, please provide them. If you are unsure of what is available, please ask and we will be happy to let you know.

·                     Keep in mind that we have children and vegetarians eating with us, please be prepared to make a few special portions for them. We will also inform you of any food allergies you need to be aware of.

Cooking -

·                     As a volunteer chef, you will be in charge of instructing your team on how to prepare your dishes. Please prepare brief cooking instructions for each of your dishes; we will print several copies for you and your team.

·                     Cooking starts at 17:30 and dinner will be served at 19:30, please make sure that all of your dishes can be prepared in that amount of time. You should expect to have 4 to 8 helpers at any given time.

All volunteers will receive free admission to the event they are volunteering for. 

(Limit 1 free admission per cooking station, per event.)

To sign up, email us at info@holstebrointernational.dk 

or contact one of our board members.

Cook & Talk May 2013

Holstebro International held it's 2nd Cook & Talk on Saturday, May 25th 2013 at Sønderlandsskolen. The event started at 5:15PM and lasted until around 10:00PM.

We had an amazing turnout for this event with 49 adults and children attending, including our youngest atendee, Paul.

This time around, we cooked dishes from Greece, Brazil, and Mexico and not a single person went home hungry. 

Team Greece led by Edward, worked diligently to prepare a Greek meatball soup with lemon sauce, Spanakopitas, and Greek Christmas cookies. Although the team struggled to finish all the dishes, they were well worth the wait! Edward's cookies were a HUGE success. When the evening was over, it seemed that everyone scrambled to get the last of the cookies to take home.

The Brazilian team headed up by Geisa prepared a somewhat simple main dish called Camarão na Moranga or Shrimp in the Pumpkin, a light and filling Brazilian soup. For dessert they made Cocada, a sweet coconut confection.

Rossany was in charge of Team Mexico. They whipped up several pans of Chicken Enchiladas, a few salads, and finished it off with Frutas al Horno, or baked fruit with chopped almonds, fresh lime juice, and cinnamon.

After all the dishes had been prepared, we moved upstairs to the dining area where each team leader presented their dishes before serving.

After the dishes had been presented, it was time for everyone to eat, talk, and eat some more. Following dinner, we had special guest, Ole Sonnichsen from VUC Holstebro to give us all an introduction into Danish politics and democracy here in Denmark. He spoke specifically about the history and structure of the Danish government, both locally and nationally. He also encouraged those of us who could, to vote at the local elections coming up in November.

Following Ole's presentation, we ate dessert, and worked together to clean up before heading home for the night. Thanks to everyone who helped out, our 2nd Cook & Talk was a big success. The food was amazing, and we are eagerly awaiting the next one on Saturday September 7th. 

Lea, who has mentioned volunteering to lead a Slovenian team, surprised us with her own strudel-like dessert. It too was a big hit, and we hope she will be making it for us in September!

Cook & Talk May 2013: Team Mexico

Enchiladas de Pollo

(Chicken Enchiladas)

Image source

Ingredients for 4 persons

4 chicken breasts

3 onions

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato puree

4 garlic cloves

Oil 

Salt

Pepper

2 chicken bouillon

½ bottle of lemon juice

1 bag mozzarella, shredded

1 package wholegrain tortillas

Cilantro for garnish

Creme fraiche to top

Boil the chicken in water, adding the bouillon for approx. 35 min. 

Add Salt and pepper as needed. When the chicken is well boiled, cut it in small parts.

Fry the onions together with garlic until is brown. Add the cans of tomato, concentrated tomato and 1 piece of bouillon, and salt and pepper. 

Cut the tortilla in half and fill it with the chicken and tomato sauce. 

Cover the top with rings of onion, salt, pepper and mozzarella. 

Place in a preheated oven at 180C for approx. 15 minutes or until the cheese is brown. 

Remove from the oven. 

Garnish with crème fraiche and coriander.

Vegetarian Option:

Replace chicken with mashed beans.

Frutas al horno

(Baked Fruit)

Image source

Ingredients for 4 portions

Various fruits (bananas, apples, pears, oranges, etc…)

100g sugar

100g almonds

2 limes

Salt as needed

Ground cinnamon and butter as needed

Cut the fruit in small pieces. Add the remaining ingredients.

Place in a preheated oven at 180C for approx. 20 min.