Melinda's Chip Dip

Melynda’s Nacho Chip Dip

Ingredients:

1 Container Sour Cream

1 Container Cream cheese

1 bottle of Medium Salsa

1 package shredded cheese (Mexican)

Mix together sour cream and cream cheese.

Spread on bottom of a rectangular serving dish (8x12)

Spread Salsa on top

Cover with cheese

Serve with the Nacho Chips

This was the most favorite item on our appetizer table

During westknits visit. It was literally scooped up very fast.

Raita
1 cucumber, diced
3 tablespoons of lime juice
1/2 t of peppermint extract or chopped fresh mint
1/3 t salt
1 garlic clove minced
1 box of silken tofu
1 - 2 T dark miso
Blend all ingredients in blender except cucumer. Fold in Cucumer. If thinner consistency is desired add a little soy milk. Also good with a little cilantro

Mascarpone Treat / Annelie's Version

Ingredients:
1 jar of sour cherries without stones 1 medium container joghurt plain 250 g Mascarpone (small container) 250 g whipping cream (small container) Juice of one lemon 1 package vannille sugar, or 1 tablespoon vanille extract 1/2 cup of sugar grated chocolate for decoration

Preparation:
Take sour cherries from jar, siphon of the juice
beat whipping cream until stiff, combine with
mascarpone, lemon juice, sugar and vanille sugar - or extract.

Annelie's version: Separate cherries and juice and sprinkle with
sugar and cinnamon. let stand overnight in fridge, then use cherries in the
recipe as follows.

Then alternate the creme and the cherries in a bowl
and voila! The dessert is done and ready to eat.

Indian Potaoes and Peas (Alu Mattar)

This recipe also comes from the Indian Cooking Class in Princeton I attended in 1981
just off the boat from the old country.

Ingredients:
Approx. 1 pound potatoes
Approx. 1 cup of peas (or thereabouts)
2 tbls. of olive oil
1 teaspoon panch phora (recipe given below)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons of coriander finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, optional
1 teasp. turmeric
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation:
Heat oil add the panch phora.
when mustard seeds in the panch phora start to pop, add the onions and frey stirring constantly until they are soft. Add fresh herbs, turmeric, salt and cayenne powder.
Add potatoes and peas, sprinkle with water and cover tightly. Cook over low heat for 20 min. or so. Shake pan occasionally so that the potatoes do not burn. Sprinkle with Garam Masala and lemon juice and cook until potatoes are tender.

Panch phora
Panch means 5 in Hindi. This is a combination of 5 aromatic seeds. These seeds are used
whole.
2 tablesps. black mustard seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds

Spinachballs - Spinatbaellchen/Appetizer

This is a wonderful easy appetizer and has vegetables! I served it at my 25th year wedding anniversary in 2006

Ingredients:
2 packages chopped spinach frozen
2 cups Pepperridge Farm stuffing
1 cup chopped onions, if you have some green onions as well
3 beaten eggs
1 stick melted butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan Preparation:

Defrost spinach, squeeze out liquid and combine with all the other ingredients. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned in 350 F oven.

Boureka

Comments:

This is a wonderful tasty dish to take to gatherings. I ate it at a get- together (don't know where
anymore) and begged for the recipe.
Ingredients:

1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry prepare to directions
150 g reduced fat sour cream
200 g feta cheese crumbled
200 g Monterey or Colby Cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg
1/2 cup of green olives, cut up into small pieces
Roll up and cut slices off, like for cookies
Place the slices side by side in a pan and bake for 1/2 hour.

Bourekas are very popular in Turkey and Arabic Countries and go with many
fillings. Just google Bourekas and wonderful recipes will come up.

Deutsche Rouladen

Ingredients:
4 thin slices of beef, cut from Top Round (tell butcher)
regular mustard, not spicy
4 thin slices of lean bacon
little Gherkins
2 onions, medium size, cut up in small pieces
toothpicks, or some thread to hold it all together
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Put Salt and Pepper on the slice of beef
Shmear the mustard the piece of beef
Add the bacon, lengthwise, the gherkin and the onions
and roll up very tight.
You can hold it all together with some thread (which you have to remove
before serving, that is usually how I do it) or use some toothpicks.
Brown in some oil for about 5 - 10 minutes, lower heat, then add water
so the meat is covered. Slowly simmer for about 1/2 hour.
it is a good idea to make the Rouladen a day before, then take off the
thread when they are cold, then prepare the gravy.
Gravy: There are two ways: either mix some water and flour and thicken the broth, or use a Knorr mix "brown sauce", that is what I usually do and I mostly
have this on hand. But if you don't, flour and water will do.

This dish is often served with "Knoedel" , Spaetzle or mashed potatoes.
The gravy is excellent because of all the good ingredients of the Rouladen.
Served with a green salad.

Vegetable Couscous

Comments:
This is a vegetarian dish and will compliment many other dishes or can be the
main entree.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, cut into chunks
1 large bell pepper, cut into chunks
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 rounds
2 zuccini quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 " pieces
1 cup of golden raisins
1/4 t turmeric
1 1/2 cup of couscous
2 1/4 cups of chicken stock (or a dissolve bouillon cube)
Kalamata olives pitted

Preparation:
Heat olive oil, add onion and sautee 5 min. Add bell pepper and zuccini and
carrots and cook another 5 - 10 minutes.
Add broth, golden raisins and turmeric. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil and mix in the Couscous. Let stand 10 minutes and fluff with fork.

German Red Cabbage

Comments:

This recipe is for a side dish for 4 people, quantities can be doubled ...
Red Cabbage has been a very much loved by our family members.
It goes very well with meat dishes like turkey or with beef rolls or
pork dishes.

Ingredients:
1 glas jar of red cabbage, so it is partly cooked already
2 large onions
2 large apples
2 tablespoon to fry up the onions and apples
optional: some red currant jelly
spices: 1 bouillon cube and 1/2 t of ground gloves
The bouillon cubes take care of of the salt, but if you desire more...
3 tablespoons of cornstarch and some water

Preparation:

Fry up the onions until golden, add the apples and sautee another 5 minutes, keep stirring
then add the red cabbage from the jar
and add the cloves
add some water so all the cabbage is covered
cook it on low for about an hour
combine cornstarch with water and add to red cabbage
simmer for another 10 minutes, but be careful it has to have enough liquid, otherwise it will
burn at this stage.