Panzanella Salad for World Cup

Italian Panzanella is a wonderful and refreshing salad, especially if you can get good summer tomatoes. Try this easy salad June14th (or any other time) to celebrate the World Cup game between Italy and Paraguay.

Panzanella

6 slices baguette bread cut 1-1/2 inches thick

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped red onion

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Lightly brush the bread with about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toast the bread until lightly browned; set aside. Break the bread into pieces into a bowl. Add the tomatoes, feta cheese, red onion, parsley and basil and toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. Whisk together the remaining olive oil, wine vinegar and mustard. Pour over the salad ingredients. Sprinkle with pepper. Makes 4 servings

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Paraguayan Fruit Smoothie for World Cup

Paraguay and Italy play each other June 14th in the World Cup. A Paraguayan Fruit Smoothie is a refreshing rink you can enjoy all summer.Try one for the game!

Paraguayan Fruit Smoothie

1 cup diced pineapple

1 cup diced mango

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

3-4 tablespoons sugar

1 cup crushed ice

Place the pineapple, mango, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and ice in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Makes 4 servings

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Beignets from Cameroons for World Cup

Japan and the Cameroons play each other June 14th in the World Cup. To celebrate, start your day (or afternoon snack or dessert after dinner) with Japanese Green Tea and Beignets, which are delicious little easy-to-make doughnuts that are popular in the Cameroons.

Cameroons Beignets

1 cup water

1 stick butter (1/4 pound)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

vegetable oil for frying

sifted confectioner’s sugar

Heat the water and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and salt and immediately stir vigorously until all the flour has been mixed in and comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the eggs one at a time blending each in completely. Stir in the vanilla extract. Heat enough vegetable oil in a deep pan to come up 1-1/2 inches of the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to about 360 degrees or until a crumb of bread sizzles when put in. Spoon blobs of dough (about 1-1/2 inches in diameter) to the hot oil, making only a few at a time (do not crowd the pan so the oil stays hot). Fry until all sides are crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle the beignets with sifted confectioner’s sugar. Makes 8-10 servings

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BBQd chicken

Hi - the barbecued chicken recipe sounds great! But is there a way to get that same delicious flavor if  you don’t have a grill? 

Thanks!

Yes indeed! Just use the broiler part of your oven. An outdoor grill makes the chicken taste smokier, but the barbecue sauce is nice and tangy and easy to make, so just brush it on a few times during the broiling and it will be fine. Make sure to keep the rack about 6-inches from the heat though because the sauce is sweet and could burn easily if the food is too close to the heat source.

submitted by Gillyf

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Menu for World Cup Watching

Great food for World Cup Watching. June 13th games include:

Slovenia v. Algeria

Germany v. Australia

Serbia v. Ghana

If you’re entertaining fans at home here is a menu and some recipes for you.

Put some shrimps on the ‘barbie for the Australian team.

For the Slovenian team grill some kielbasa until it’s crisp, put it on a hot dog roll and top it off with a hunk of hot sauerkraut.

Hey fans of Serbia, try some Cevapici, which are mixed meat burgers (you can make them into sausage shapes), serve them on pita bread with a blob of Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce (see recipe below).

Slice sweet potatoes and fry them until they’re crispy, then sprinkle with cinnamon. That’s another good side dish that fans of the team from Ghana will enjoy.

Couscous with Dates, Raisins and Toasted Almonds is another delicious dish that would be terrific for fans of the Algerian team (see recipe below).

Beer, beer, great, cold German beer for the German team.

Have fun everyone!

Cevapici

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground lamb

1 small grated onion

2 large eggs

3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Pita Bread

Yogurt Dip

Combine the pork, beef and lamb in a bowl. Add the onion, eggs, garlic and salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Shape into patties or sausage shapes. Refrigerate for one hour. Preheat and outdoor grill or oven broiler (you can also fry these in a saute pan or grill pan). Grill, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until completely cooked through and crispy. Serve on top of pita bread with yogurt sauce. Makes 8-10 servings

Yogurt Dip

2 cups Greek style plain yogurt

1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and grated

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Makes about 2 cups

Couscous with Dates, Raisins and Toasted Almonds

2 cups water

1 cup quick cooking couscous

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

1/4 cup raisins

2-3 chopped scallions

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

2 tablespoons olive oil

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly pour in the couscous, stir, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let rest for 5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Spoon the couscous into a bowl. Add the dates, almonds, raisins, scallions, orange peel and olive oil. Stir. Let cool to room temperature and serve. Makes 4-6 servings

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Barbecued Southern Style Chicken for World Cup

The most exciting World Cup game is the U.S. vs. England today! Watch. Drink some beer. Serve some American Barbecued Chicken. Root for the home team!

Barbecued Southern Style Chicken

2 broiler-fryer chickens, each cut into 8 pieces

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2/3 cup ketchup

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preheat and outdoor grill or oven broiler with the rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Wash and dry the chicken parts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the ketchup, white vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, molasses, soy sauce, chili powder, mustard powder, ginger and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Brush some of the sauce on the chicken. Grill the chicken for about 25 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally and brushing with the remaining sauce, or until the chicken is cooked through. Makes 8 servings

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Churros for World Cup

Argentina plays Nigeria in the World Cup today. If your friends come over to watch with you, maybe you’ll grill some meat, Argentinian style (meaning lots of beef and chorizo).

For an easy Nigerian side dish, make coconut rice (add a hot chopped up habanero pepper and use coconut milk instead of water to make the rice).

Whatever you serve, here’s a recipe for Argentinian Churros to go after the meal.

Churros

1 cup water

1 stick butter (1/4 pound)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

vegetable oil for frying

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat the water and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and salt and immediately stir vigorously until all the flour has been mixed in and comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the eggs one at a time blending each in completely. Optional: spoon the mixture into a pastry tube fitted with a star disk (alternately, scoop lumps of dough about the size of a rounded tablespoon). Heat enough vegetable oil in a deep pan to come up 1-1/2 inches of the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to about 360 degrees or until a crumb of bread sizzles when put in. Squeeze out strips of dough (or add lumps of dough) to the hot oil, making only a few at a time (do not crowd the pan so the oil stays hot). Fry until all sides are crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Roll the churros in the seasoned sugar. Makes 6-8 servings

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Bulgogi for World Cup

South Korea plays Greece today in the World Cup. If you invite people over to watch, grill some Korean-style Bulgogi. It’s easy and delicious. You double or triple this recipe.

Bulgogi

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons sake or sherry

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

3 scallions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, crushed

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 pounds beef short ribs cut with bone on the side

toasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Mix the soy sauce, sugar, sake, vegetable oil, sesame seed oil, scallions, garlic, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes in a bowl and stir to combine the ingredients and dissolve the sugar. Pour over the meat and let marinate for at least one hour, turning the pieces occasionally. Preheat the grill (or broiler). Grill the meat for 3-4 minutes per side or until crispy. Garnish with extra sesame seeds if desired. Makes 4 servings

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Guacamole and Piperade for World Cup June 11, 2010

Years ago Americans barely knew about soccer. My kids played on school teams on the weekend, but it wasn’t a TV sport.

Now the World Cup is news and everyone’s talking about it. There are official Soccer Bars all over the country so you can watch with other fans. Go to www.bigsoccer.com for details about events in your area.

If you’re home and entertaining though, here are some snacks to make for the first game, played today,  June 11th. I am going to match the food with at least one of the teams playing each day.

First game between South Africa and Mexico. This is an easy one. Make Guacamole!

Here’s a recipe:

Guacamole

1 habanero pepper

1 medium tomato

2 medium ripe avocados

2-3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

salt to taste

chips

Discard the stem, white parts and seeds of the pepper. Chop the pepper into small pieces. Chop the tomato into small pieces and add to the pepper. Peel the avocados, discard the pits and add the flesh in chunks into the bowl with the pepper and tomatoes. Mash the avocado, incorporating the pepper and tomato into the mixture. Add lime juice and some salt. Taste and add more juice or salt as needed. Serve with chips. Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Afternoon match is between France and Uruguay. For that you could make Piperade with Eggs, spicy, delicious and filling. Serve it with crusty French bread of course.

Piperade with Eggs

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 green bell peppers, deseeded and chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

5 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

cayenne pepper

8 eggs

1 cup chopped ham

salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep sautepan over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle with parsley and cayenne pepper to taste. Beat the eggs and pour them over the vegetables. Cook, stirring gently until the eggs have the consistency of scrambled eggs. Scatter the ham on top. Sprinkle with salt to taste and serve. Makes 4 servings

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