Tortma Stew My Little Twist On A Traditional Arabic Meal Recipes

TORTMA STEW - MY LITTLE TWIST ON A TRADITIONAL ARABIC MEAL

Steps:

• Peel and cut eggplant into 1 1/2 inch cubes.
• Sprinkle with salt in a colander. Shake to mix.
• Wait 10 minutes to 1/2 hour.
• Blot eggplant with paper towels.
• Fry in oil until soft and golden brown.
• Set aside.
• Brown ground beef in a large pot.
• Add onion and cook until onion is soft.
• Add spices and saute a few minutes.
• Add fried eggplant, tomatoes, tomato paste and water.
• Simmer for 1/2 hour to an hour.
• Add more water if necessary.

TZIMMES - A SWEET & SAVORY JEWISH STEW

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a pot.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour. Stir frequently.
• Cook until carrots are soft but not mushy.
• Tzimmes should have the consistency of a thick stew with very little liquid left in the pot.
• Serve hot.

COOKING ON THE FLY, CHICKEN AND RICE ONE POT MEAL

Steps:

• Preheat a large pot over medium/high heat, add olive oil and chicken and brown chicken well on all sides.
• Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon and add all copped vegetables (except canned tomatoes). Sautee' vegetables and garlic about 3-4 minutes until they begin to wilt.
• Add thyme, canned tomatoes (I usually just squish them in my hands out of the can right into the pot) drained beans, chicken broth, vinegar and rice.
• Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook on low for 20 minutes, stir once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking. Allow to rest with the lid on about 5 minutes before serving.
• Heap into bowls and serve with a nice salad on the side and enjoy your one pot dinner!

MY OH SO LITTLE TWIST ON SWEET AND SOUR PORK

Steps:

• Blend cornflour with water in a medium-sized bowl until dissolved. Add pork, egg yolks, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt and mix well. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Make the sweet and sour sauce. Remove core from pineapple and finely slice into pieces. Using a vegetable peeler, finely slice carrot lengthways into ribbons. Cut cucumber in half lengthways, slice on the diagonal and set aside, together with the pineapple and carrot.
• Place vinegar, wine or sherry, sugar and extra salt in a medium-sized heavy-based saucepan and stir over high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, add garlic and ginger, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add reserved pineapple, carrot, cucumber, pepper and tomato and simmer for a further 3 minutes or until pineapple is tender and tomato has broken down slightly. Stir in soy sauce, remove from stove and set aside.
• Make the pork. Combine plain flour and extra cornflour. Add to the marinated pork and mix well. Heat vegetable oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly. Deep-fry pork in batches over high heat for 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium and fry for another 2 minutes, or until pork is almost cooked through.
• Remove from wok and drain on kitchen paper. Gently reheat Sweet and Sour Sauce. Finally, return all pork to the hot wok and deep-fry for a further 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, crispy and cooked through. Remove from wok and drain well on kitchen paper.
• Arrange pork on a platter and serve immediately with a bowl of warm Sweet and Sour Sauce.