Street Food Recipe: Russian Beef Chebureki

Never heard of chebureki? Well, if you haven't been to Eastern Europe (and particularly Russia), that's not surprising! Over there it's a massively popular street food, and it's not so different from a Mexican empanada. Chebureki are made from unleavened dough. They're filled with spices, onions and ground meat, and fried in oil. Pop one as a snack or make a plate as an appetizer to share with family and friends. 

No time to make homemade dough? You can also throw these together with raw tortillas from the refrigerated foods aisle at your local grocery store. Read on for our favorite recipe... 

Beef Chebureki

(makes 7 servings)

Ingredients:

2 1⁄2 cups flour

1⁄2 cup water

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon vodka (optional)

1⁄2 teaspoon sugar (white)

1⁄2 pound ground beef

1⁄2 onion (medium, finely chopped)

6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon parsley flakes (or finely chopped fresh parsley)

vegetable oil (for deep frying)

salt and pepper (to taste)

 

 

Directions:1. In a large bowl, sift together sugar, salt (about 1/3 teaspoon) and flour. Add olive oil and vodka. Add water to the flour mixture (a small amount at a time) mixing it and kneading dough until it's even, soft and doesn't stick to your hands. Add a little more flour if the dough is sticky, or water if it's stiff. Place the dough aside and prepare the filling.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together ground beef, finely chopped onion and parsley. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and stir in milk.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until it is about 1/10-1/8 inch thick. Cut circles using a small tea plate. Gather the rest of the dough into a ball and roll again. Repeat until you used all the dough.

4. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling on one side of the circle, leaving 1/2 inch space at the edges.

5. Fold the other half of the circle over and pinch the edges firmly together using your fingers.

6. Make sure there is no air inside chebureki and the edges are closed tightly. 

7. In a large skillet, heat the oil for deep frying (it should cover about 1/2 of a cheburek), reduce heat to medium and place 3 or 4 chebureki into oil (depending on the size of your skillet). Fry chebureki on both sides until nicely and evenly brown (about 5 minutes per each side).

8. Drain on paper towels, let rest for a few minutes. Serve while still hot.

Holiday Recipe: Roasted Chestnuts Two Ways

We all know about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. It goes hand in hand with Jack Frost nipping at your nose. So many people have heard this famous start to "The Christmas Song" yet in recent years it feels like roasted chestnuts have fallen out of favor, or at least off the Christmas menu in our homes. We find this really quite a shame, because they are a perfect treat for Christmas and are only in season until the end of December.

Before you rush off to the store, we must take a moment to discuss the chestnut itself. You want to choose ones that aren't externally wrinkled and have no holes in the skin (some can be as small as pinpricks). The shells should be a glossy brown color and smooth, as mottled or wrinkled shells could indicate mold. They should also be firm to the touch, and there should be no rattling when you shake them.

Today we'll show off two variations on roasted chestnuts: plain and seasoned. Both are incredibly simple recipes and are sure to be a hit.

Roasted Chestnuts Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2lb chestnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Use a paring knife to cut a thin line across the chestnuts. The knife should pass through the shell just barely into the flesh of the nut.
3. Place the nuts in a rimmed baking dish and bake for 35 minutes.
4. Once finished, remove from oven and peel the flesh away from the shell and the papery skin.
5. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Huffington Post

Buttery Roasted Chestnuts

Ingredients

• 2lbs chestnuts
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• a pinch of ground nutmeg
• pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425F
• Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil
• Use a paring knife to cut an X into each shell, just barely into the flesh of the nut.
• Soak the nuts in a bowl of hot water for 1 minute.
• Pat the nuts dry, then place in a medium bowl.
• Add rosemary, butter, 2 teaspoons salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Toss in bowl to liberally coat each nut.
• Place chestnuts in a single layer on the baking sheet, then gather the edges of the foil around the nuts, leaving a large opening at the top.
• Roast the nuts in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, or until the shells of the nuts start to curl.
• Remove the chestnuts from the oven and toss them again with any leftover butter, then season with salt again if desired.
• Serve hot or warm.
• Enjoy!

Asian Appetizer Recipe: Beef Satay

If you're looking for a new appetizer, or platter to serve at your next barbecue or party, here's a real treat for you: beef satay. This kebab-style dish is a quintessential street food from Asia, and it's such a treat with some peanut sauce. 

One issue with many beef satay recipes is how chewy and tough the meat can come out. Sometimes it just comes out more like a jerky than the delicious steak it started as. We wanted to really make each bite taste delicious with or without the peanut sauce. To get a perfectly tender meat we used flank steak sliced into thin strips cut across the grain. The marinade for the meat was a simple combination of sauces available in most supermarkets today, including a favorite of ours: Sriracha. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Beef Satay

(makes 20 skewers)

Ingredients

PEANUT SAUCE

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha (or Asian chili sauce)
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin

BEEF SATAY

• 1 1/2lbs flank steak
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha (or Asian chili sauce)
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin

Directions

1. Create the peanut sauce: whisk the peanut butter and hot water together in a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients, then transfer to a small serving bowl and put aside to use after the beef has been placed on skewers.
2. Cut the flank steak in half lengthwise and freeze it for 30 minutes.
3. Combine soy sauce, oil, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, garlic, and scallions in a measuring cup and set aside. Remove the flank steak from the freezer and slice each piece across the grain into 1/4" thick strips. Weave the meat onto individual bamboo skewers then dunk the meat end of each skewer into the marinade to coat. Lay the skewers in a shallow dish, propping up the exposed end of the skewers to keep them clean. Pour the remaining marinade over the meat and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Adjust the oven rack to the top position and set the oven to broil. Lay the skewers on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and cover the skewer ends with foil. Broil for 6 to 7 minutes, flipping the skewers halfway through until the meat is browned. Serve hot with the peanut sauce.
5. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Recipe: Perfect Falafel

One middle-eastern cuisine many of us have probably encountered along the line is falafel. They're deep-fried patties of ground chickpeas or fava beans, and they make a perfect little appetizer, or even a main ingredient in a homemade gyro. The mood struck recently, and we couldn't help making our own.

For our recipe, we used a mixture of chickpeas and fava beans to get the perfect texture and base flavor. We then seasoned them with coriander, cumin, cayenne, and a few additional herbs. We didn't want to use up too much oil in deep-frying, so instead we relied on pan-frying our fritters to get the perfect crunch without them becoming too greasy. Keep reading below for our favorite recipe...

Falafel

(makes 12 pitas)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 3/4 cup dried split fava beans
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, quartered
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
• grapeseed oil for frying

Directions

1. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 4". Soak for 24 hours, checking occasionally to make sure you don't need to add more water to keep the beans covered.
2. Drain the beans and transfer to a food processor with all of the remaining ingredients except the oil. Pulse until minced but not pureed. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon if necessary to make sure the machine is able to work. You want to mixture is as dry as possible, though. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to taste. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Form the mixture into balls a little smaller than golf balls and flatten just a little. In a nonstick pan, heat 1/4" grapeseed oil on medium high heat until it sizzles when  a small piece of falafel is added. Turn the heat to medium.
4. Add just one falafel to begin with and fry until all sides are a deep golden-brown (about 6 to 7 minutes). If it browns too quickly, turn the heat down a little.  If the falafel sticks to the pan, dredge the falafel in a little flour. From there, cook the remaining falafel in the oil. Serve with pita bread and tahini sauce.
5. Enjoy!

Latin-Inspired Recipe: Beef Empanadas

Beef empanadas are a dish of Spanish and Portuguese origin. They are baked or fried pastries typically filled with meat, cheese, vegetables, or fruits. For dinner, we wanted to come up with a delicious beef empanada recipe that was full of flavor with a perfect crust. We wanted to create a delicious empanada recipe that was baked and full of flavor.

The secret to a good empanada recipe is in the dough. To get the best dough, we took a page from other areas of Latin cooking and added a little alcohol. It doesn't impart any flavor, but it does give the crust the perfect texture. We also added a cornmeal-like ingredient from Mexican cooking called "masa harina". It should be available in the international aisle, but if you can't find it, that's okay, just use equal amounts flour instead. Keep reading below for our favorite empanadas recipe!

Beef Empanadas

(makes 12 empanadas)

Ingredients

FILLING

• 1 large slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1lb lean ground beef chuck
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup raisins, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
• 4 teaspoons cider vinegar

DOUGH

• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup masa harina (or unbleached flour as substitute)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 cup cold vodka
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Process the bread and 2 tablespoons chicken broth in a food processor or blender until a paste forms (about 5 seconds). Add beef, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pulse until the mixture is combined (about 6 to 8 1-second pulses).
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and cloves. Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the beef mixture and cook, breaking the meat into 1" pieces with a wooden spoon until browned (about 7 minutes). Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth and simmer until the mixture is moist but not wet (3 to 5 minutes). Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, eggs, raisins, olives, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until cool.
3. Meanwhile, work on the dough. Process together 1 cup flour, the masa harina, sugar, and salt in a food processor or blender until combined (about two quick pulses). Add the butter and process until homogeneous and the dough resembles a wet sand. Add the remaining 2 cups flour and pulse until the mixture is evenly distributed around the bowl (4 to 6 quick pulses). Turn the mixture out into a large bowl.
4. Sprinkle vodka over the mixture and use your hands to mix the dough until it becomes tacky and sticks together. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces. Transfer the dough pieces to a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (about 45 minutes).
5. To assemble, place 2 baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 425F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll each dough piece out on a lightly floured work surface into 6" circles about 1/" thick. Cover each dough round with plastic wrap while rolling the remaining dough. Place about 1/3 cup filling in the center of each dough round. Brush the edges of dough with water and fold the dough over the filling. Trim any ragged edges, then press the edges to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork.
6. To bake, remove the hot baking sheets from the oven and brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Return to the oven for 2 minutes. Brush the empanadas with the remaining tablespoon oil. Carefully place 6 empanadas on each baking sheet and cook until well browned and crisp (25 to 30 minutes), rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool the empanadas on a wire rack 10 minutes before serving.
7. Enjoy!

Italian Street Fare: Sicilian Arancini

You’ll find arancini sold as street food throughout the Italian peninsula, but they truly belong to Sicily. These decadent balls of fried rice are known as ‘little oranges’ thanks to their remarkable resemblance to one of the island’s other specialities. Arancini are savory treats that shine as elegant appetizers on the dining room table or as an afternoon snack fresh off a food cart. They’re just plain delicious.

If you want to make your own arancini from scratch, you’ve got to put yourself in a Sicilian mindset. In other words, slow down. Cooking up a batch of these goodies takes patience. This sort of recipe wasn’t made for rushing—you’ll want to dedicate a full afternoon to ensure the arancini meet Sicilian standards. In a way, making arancini is like making two recipes! The first step is to make a risotto. While risotto is a typical northern Italian dish, it’s the base for this southern staple.

Arancini come stuffed with all manner of yummy ingredients: cheese, meat sauce and cheese, ham and cheese, even chocolate! The scrumptious recipe we’re sharing with you today is a meat/cheese combination. You can choose your meat filling to suit your own tastes: we recommend prosciutto, salami, or chopped ham.

Sicilian Arancini
Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter 
3/4 cup finely chopped onion 
1 cup Carnaroli or Arborio rice 
1/2 cup dry white wine 
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for garnish 
1/3 cup heavy cream 
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil, thyme, parsley or chives)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
3 eggs 
1/3 cup cubed mozzarella, cheddar, muenster or Swiss cheese 
1/3 cup fully-cooked meat filling (pepperoni, prosciutto, chopped ham, salami, sausage, etc.)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying 
1/2 cup flour 
1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs 
Tomato sauce, as accompaniment

Directions:

1. First make your risotto! In a saucepan bring chicken stock to a simmer. Cover and set aside to keep hot.
2. In another large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until transparent, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is opaque and fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed. While continually stirring, begin adding the stock in 1/2 cup increments, allowing the liquid to become completely absorbed between additions. Cook until the rice is just tender and the risotto is creamy, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, heavy cream, herbs and salt and pepper and stir to combine well. Transfer to a mixing bowl or baking dish and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least one hour!).
5. Once the risotto is cold, remove it from the fridge and stir in 1 of the eggs. Using a large spoon, divide the risotto into approximately 3 tablespoon portions. With your hands, form the portions into balls.
6. Press a hole into the center of each risotto ball and stuff the center with some of the cheese and the meat filling. Press the opening closed and roll the ball between your hands until it is smooth. Set aside while you prepare the other arancini.
7. In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil until a deep-fry thermometer reads 360 degrees F. Place the flour, remaining 2 eggs and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Using a fork, lightly beat the eggs. One by one, lightly coat each risotto ball in the flour, then the beaten egg mixture, then the bread crumbs, so that each ball is completely covered.
8. Transfer to a plate or baking sheet until you are ready to fry the arancini. Fry the balls in batches, a few at a time, turning once during cooking so that they are evenly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper-lined plates to drain briefly, then serve while they’re still hot and gooey. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top and add tomato sauce on the side.
9. Buon appetito!

Makes 16 arancini.

Indian Appetizer: Savory Samosas

Anyone who is familiar with Indian food is likely familiar with this delicious appetizer. Samosas are a fried and stuffed pastry with a savory (although sometimes sweet) filling and they are one of the most popular snacks all over India. A large number of fillings can be used like sweetened coconut, or even minced meat.

For our recipe, we wanted to capture everything we love about samosas: the perfectly crunchy fried pastry with a somewhat sweet, mostly savory interior. For our filling, we combined potatoes, peas, and onions with a little green chili, cumin, and coriander. The pastry was a simple combination of flour, oil, and water along with a little semolina (also known as cream of wheat) although in a pinch that can be replaced with more flour. Keep reading below for our favorite samosa recipe...

Samosas

(makes 14-16 samosas)

Ingredients

PASTRY

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons semolina (cream of wheat)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a little over 2/3 cups water

FILLING

• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup sweet green peas
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon minced green chili
• 1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
• a dash of lemon juice
• oil for frying

Directions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together for the pastry dough. Add the oil into the flour and mix well together until the flour holds itself together. Add the water in small portions, mixing the dough after each portion until well mixed.  Once the dough comes together, work it for another 5 minutes, then wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
2. For the filling, boil the potatoes. Cool, mash, and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add the chili and onion. cook until the onion becomes translucent. Add the peas and turmeric. Once the peas are cooked, add the remaining filling ingredients including the mashed potatoes. mix well, then set the mixture aside to let cool before using.
4. Roll a lemon-sized ball of the dough into a 5" circle with a rolling pin. Cut the circle in half, forming two semicircles. Add about ball of the potato mixture into the center. Dip your finger into water and rub it along the straight edge of the semicircle to make the dough wet enough to stick.
5. Pick the samosa up from one side and place it over the potato ball, covering it half way. Pick up the other corner and place it over the previous one, covering the potato to make a triangle shape. Set the last un-folded end of the dough, and fold it over the overlapping corners to make all of the flaps stick together. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
6. Add the samosas to a wok or deep fryer with enough room temperature oil to cover. Begin to heat the oil on high and cook until the samosas turn a golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set on a place of paper towels to drain. Serve with a sauce or chutney.
7. Enjoy!

Italian Recipe: Panzerotti

Of the many delightful appetizers that hail from the boot, panzerotto is one of our favorites. A mouthful of gooey Italian goodness, these fried pockets of dough are stuffed with all range of ingredients, sweet to savory. Classic fillings include salumi, ham and ricotta, and chopped meat with mozzarella. The options are truly limitless, though. Chocolate, caramel, honey-filled panzerotti? Yes, please. Gruyère and prosciutto? Don't mind if we do. What stays the same is that light, flaky pastry crust. 

Panzerotti are the speciality in Bari, a southern Italian city located on Puglia's coast. If you don't have plans to visit Puglia anytime soon, time to get creative in the kitchen and make your own panzerotti from scratch! With a traditional filling of mozzarella and tomatoes, the following recipe is a real crowd-pleaser: 

Tomato & Mozzarella Stuffed Panzerotti

(makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ lb all-purpose flour
• ½ oz fresh yeast
• 1 cup water
• 1 lb whole peeled tomatoes
• ⅝ lb fresh mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt and water to create dough. Allow to rise for about 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, cut the peeled tomatoes, squeeze them and leave to drain in a colander. Dice mozzarella; once the tomatoes have drained, add the diced mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Roll out the dough into disks of about 8 inches in diameter and 0.2 inch thick.

3. Fill each disk with the tomato-mozzarella mixture, then fold into half-moon shaped pouches. Folding together the edges to seal the panzerotti.

4. Deep-fry in abundant olive oil. Flip the panzerotti often to prevent them to avoid burning on either side. Wait until the pouches are golden-brown in color. Then transfer to a plate for serving. 

5. Buon appetito!