Post your favorite Holiday Ethnic Recipes here please

[zulaya]

Looking for some quick recipe ideas from different ethnic backgrounds. My 4th grade son's class is doing a project on immigration. This week we are doing a Recipe Sampling with foods from around the world. I thought it would be nice if we could find recipes that were holiday traditions since Xmas is next week.

Anyhow...if you have a family recipe that you always make at this time of year, that could be easy to make, please post it here! Not main dishes, please. Desserts, like cookies, small cake, etc. or side dish is preferable. But I'm interested in reading everything you can show me.

I only had 2 other parents volunteer to bring something in. Both are bringing something Scandinavian (that's MN for you). I am bringing Polish (Chrustciki). I'd like to have a little more variety and willing to make a couple more things myself, but I want to get some more ideas.

If someone has a particular Spanish or Mexican traditional recipe, that would be welcome as my kids go to a Spanish immersion school.

Thanks!

 

[Pollito916]

DH is Mexican, and his family tradition is tamales. He is not home from work yet, and I can't cook, so I don't have a recipe right now.

Another Mexican holiday tradition is the pinata, which would not involve any cooking, and would be fun for the kids!

 

[florida-again]

An easy, traditional Jewish Chanuka recipe:

Potato Latkes

 

[PrincessaC]

How about Lumpia.... It's a filipino egg roll...

1 pound of any sort of meat you wish.

Some suggestions:
. minced beef
. minced pork
. chopped shrimp

1/2 cup of onions
1/4 cup of any sort of any vegetable (e.g. chopped water chestnuts, sliced bamboo shoots,
chopped mushrooms, chopped green beans, chopped cabbage, chopped carrots, diced
potatoes, etc. the possibilities are endless.......

Please Note: You may want to put in at least 2-3 different sorts of vegetables in the lumpia.

lumpia wrappers (available in most Asian food markets. Egg roll or spring roll wrappers
should do well also.)
Salt, pepper, soya sauce to taste.

Fry the meat either in a deep pan or in a wok until done. Then add the vegetables, salt,
pepper, and soya sauce and stir-fry until done. When done, drain the mixture in a
colander and save the drippings.

Wrap the mixture in a lumpia wrapper (similar to wrapping up a burrito) and seal with
the drippings. If it won't hold together, try a mixture of one egg diluted with water and
just a bit of flour. You may wrap to any size you want. Usually if you want the lumpia
small, cut the wrapper in half then wrap the mixture.

Deep fry the lumpia in oil ~ 350 degrees or so. Serve with either sweet and sour sauce
or a mixture of soya sauce and vinegar (equal parts) and one or two cloves of smashed garlic.


Enjoy!

 

[Crankyshank]

For Christmas Eve dinner we do a traditional French Canadian dish, Tourtiere. It's very easy to make and I cheat - I use the pillsbury all ready made frozen pie crusts

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 large baking potato
1 large onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 dash ground allspice
1/2 cup water
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust deep dish pie
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon paprika

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
Bake the potato until done, 30 - 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven. Peel and mash the potato.
Place the potato, ground pork, onion, spices and water in a large frying pan and simmer until very thick, for about one hour.
Meanwhile, prepare your pastry.
Line a deep-dish pie plate with pastry. Spoon in filling, spreading evenly. Cover with top crust.
Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cut steam vent. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). If edges brown too fast, cover with a strip of foil. Serve warm.

 

[zulaya]

These are awesome! Keep them coming! I'll wait on the Beef Tamale recipe as well! I found one online, but I'd like to see someone's traditional recipe.

Thank you!

 

[Mandabella]

Do you have access to a pizzelle iron? Pizzelles are a very thin waffle cookie that is a popular treat for Christmas for Italians.

 

[zulaya]

I have no idea what a pizzelle iron is. Rats. That waffle cookie sounds good, but I am really hungry right now, too!

Is there anything else I could use? I have a regular waffle iron, but I gather that this recipe calls for a really thin waffle iron.

 

[zulaya]

Bumping for the evening crowd!

 

[Pollito916]

Here is a recipe for tamales from DH, as told to me. He is a chef, but he doesn't measure anything when he cooks, so I'm not sure how helpful this will be. It may also be difficult to find some of the ingredients. I've been to MN before, and I know there aren't as many Mexican stores as there are here, but I think I may have seen one in Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn Center.

You may also want to check the website for the Food Network, they may have a recipe that is easier to follow.

Ingredients:
Corn Husks
Maza para tamales - Unsalted is better (this is the dough)
Lard
Pork/Chicken/Beef
Salsa - (tomatillos, jalapenos or other hot peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt)

Soak the corn husks in cold water.
Boil the meat, and pull or shred it.
Melt the lard, and mix it with the dough.
Dry the corn husks, make sure they are soft. The bigger ones work better, or you can put two small ones together.
Spread the dough in the corn husks, then put salsa, and meat.
Fold in each side of the corn husks, then fold the "tail" over the top.
To cook the tamales, they are usually steamed for 4-5 hours. Check them often and make sure there is enough water.

 

[LastTycoon]

Norwegian Kringla

Mix like pie crust

1 cup flour
½ cup butter
2 T water

Divide into two rolls and spread into two long strips, three inches wide on a large cookie sheet, spreading it with your fingers, as far as it will go.

Put 1 cup water and ½ cup butter in suacepan, and heat to boiling point. Remove it from the stove and immediately add 1 heaping cup flour, and stir until smooth. Then beat in 4 large eggs, one at a time—beating until smooth after each egg is added. Then add 1 large teaspoon almond extract.

Spread this paste on top of the two slabs of dough concocted above, covering them, and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

When cool frost with

1 ½ cups powered sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cream
1 ½ tablespoon butter
1 ½ tablespoons almond extract

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Is there anything else I could use? I have a regular waffle iron, but I gather that this recipe calls for a really thin waffle iron.

I am thinking that it is not the waffle iron, but the amount of batter. I don't have a recipe, but I have had pizelles. They are thin and crisp. I have had them in vanilla and lemon. Bet you could flavor waffle batter.

 

[Mandabella]

I have no idea what a pizzelle iron is. Rats. That waffle cookie sounds good, but I am really hungry right now, too!

Is there anything else I could use? I have a regular waffle iron, but I gather that this recipe calls for a really thin waffle iron.

You really need a pizzelle iron to make real pizzelles. Some stores actually sell pizzelles already made, but they aren't as good.

I've never tried making them with a waffle iron because a waffle iron is too thick. You know the bumps that make the indentions? On a pizzelle iron, they are not as deep so you can get the really thin and crispy pizzelles.

If you ever get your hands on an iron, they are very easy to make and you can make them any flavor you want....anise, vanilla, almond, lemon, orange rum, chocolate, etc. Typically my family makes pizzelles for Christmas, Easter, Weddings, and Baby Showers.


Good luck with your recipe search!

 

[zulaya]

bumping for Monday's readers!

 

[Aidensmom]

This is a traditional Polish pastry:

Chrusciki (Polish Bow Ties)

Makes 8 dozen.

9 egg yolks
3 tb sugar
3 tb whipping cream
1 t vanilla
3 c flour (sifted)
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
oil for deep frying
confectioners sugar

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until well combined. Add cream and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add it to egg yolk
mixture, a little at a time.

On a heavily floured surface knead the dough vigorously, punching
and squeezing as much flour into it as it will take until the
dough is no longer sticky (1/2 hour).

Separate dough into several portions and roll very thin. Turn the
dough and loosen often when rolling.

Cut dough into strips approx. 1 1/2 inches wide, 4 inches long.
Make slit about 1 inch long closer to one end and bring the longer end through the
slit.

Heat oil to 375 degrees and fry quickly (only a few seconds) until
golden not brown. Turn only once. Drain on paper towels.

Dust with confectioners sugar.

 

[Monte Cristo]

My wife is from the Dominican Republic and always makes Flan this time of year. It's a custard like dessert....if you've ever been to Le Cellier, it's similar to their creme brulee (sp?).....but different in that this has a caramel sauce rather than a burnt sugar top. It's absolutely out of sight and really not all that difficult. The only thing that takes a little touch is making the caramel sauce at the beginning, if you cook the sugar too long it gets bitter.

1 Can Evaporated Milk
1 Can sweetened condensed milk
8 Egg yolks
Vanilla Extract- no more than 1 tsp

Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
water--- no more than 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 225

For the sauce:
Heat the sugar and the water in a sauce pan over medium heat until sugar bubbles. cook until it's a light brown color stirring often....don't let it cook to a dark brown. While sauce is hot coat the inside bottom and sides of a square pyrex type dish with the sauce. Set aside to cool.

Wisk the eggs, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in a bowl and then pass the mixture through a fine strainer to get rid of any of the egg "yukies." Pour mixture into the dish with the caramel sauce.

Place in a larger dish filled with water (water bath) and bake for 2-3 hours depending on your oven. Start checking at 2 hours....stick a knife in the center, you do want stuff to cling to the knife, but not be liquidy. You don't want to over cook either.

Let cool in the refrig and then prior to serving, flip the dish onto a serving plate and let the sauce drip on top. Prior to flipping, run a knife along the top edge to sort of break the seal.

It's absolutely awesome.

MC

 

[zulaya]

That Flan recipe looks awesome! Thank you!

Keep them coming!