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Pita Bread
Pita Bread
Pita bread can trace it’s roots over 14000 years ago to the Stoned Age in the Middle East. Today, pita bread is a staple of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. The yeast leavened flatbread dough is rolled flat. The edges are then tucked up underneath itself into a ball. This allows air to be trapped, creating steam to puff up the flatbread and make a pocket once the dough is baked. There is also pita that is just rolled flat and use more as a wrap, such as is Greek cuisine.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together.
- On a floured surface, knead the dough fo 7-8 minutes.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm place.
- Let dough rise for 2 hours. It will double in volume.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface.
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces.
- Flatten the dough into a circle.
- Tuck the edges up under into itself to form a ball. This helps trap air inside, making the pita light and airy.
- Roll out the dough ball into 1/4” thick discs.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Cook the pita for 4 minutes a side.
Chicken Samosas
Chicken Samosas
Samosas are pastries filled with either potatoes, peas, and spices. Instead of the vegetarian variety, the potatoes are replaced with ground chicken in this recipe. Originating from India and East Asia, samosas have made their way into African cuisine from immigration. They are popular all over East, West, and South African countries; each with their own distinct taste. These can be either baked or fried. The samosas can be made in large batches, then frozen down on a baking sheet and stored in gallon sized freezer bags.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 12 oz ground chicken
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1 tsp salt
Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
Filling
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes.
- Add in the spices. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the ground chicken. Break up all of the clumps. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Stir in the peas and parsley. Season with salt. Let cool before filling the samosas.
Dough
- Mix all of the dough ingredients together.
- Need the dough on a floured surface for 3-4 minutes.
- Portion out the dough into 16 equal dough balls.
Assembly Method 1
- On a floured surface, roll out one of the dough balls into a rectangular shape; about the size of an envelope.
- Place a heaping tbsp of the chicken filling in the center of one half of the dough rectangle.
- Fold the bottom right corner up and over the filling to make a triangle.
- Fold the triangle over to the left.
- Fold the bottom left corner up over the triangle and gently seal.
Assembly Method 2
- Roll out each dough ball into a circular shape. Place a heaping tbsp of the chicken filling in the center.
- Make a corner out of the dough circle and fold it up. Shape into a triangular shape and crimp the edges.
- You should yield 16 samosas from this recipe.
Baking Method
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the samosas with oil or butter.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once half way through.
Frying Method
- Heat up 1” of cooking oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add in samosas, making sure to not over crowdthe pot.
- Fry for 4-5 minutes a side.
- Drain grease on a paper towel.
Snow Peas with Shrimp and Quail Eggs Stir Fry
Snow Peas with Shrimp and Quail Eggs Stir Fry
This is a real simple stir fry with snow peas, shrimp, and quail eggs in an oyster and soy sauce base. The addition of the quail eggs adds a creaminess to the stir fry. You can buy them at Asian markets in a can or fresh to hard boil for yourself. Either are good in my book. Serve the stir fry with steamed rice. This entire dish cost about $10 to make for 4 really large servings.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 oz snow peas
- 1 large carrot sliced 1/8” thick on a bias
- 2 stalks celery sliced 1?4” thick on a bias
- 8 oz 31/40 ct shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 medium white onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can quail eggs drained
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all of the stir fry sauce ingredients together.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large wok or sauté pan over high heat. Stir fry the snow peas for 1 minute. Remove from pan into a bowl.
- Stir fry the celery and carrots for 2 minutes. Remove from pan into the bowl.
- Stir fry the shrimp for 2 minutes. Remove from pan into the bowl.
- Stir fry the onions and garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the sauce. It will thicken really quick, in about 15 seconds.
- Turn the heat to medium high. Stir back in the snow peas, carrots, celery, shrimp, and quail eggs. Mix thoroughly.
- Simmer for 3 minutes.
