Finland

Karelian Hot Pot with Lingonberry Preserves and Mashed Potatoes

I made this dish on Tuesday, July 15, 2014 for Andy and me.  According to wikipedia, Karelian Hot Pot has been the national dish of Finland since 2007.  I found the recipe here and halved it.  It was very simple to prepare, requiring only a small bit of slicing and a slow cooker.  Given the unseasonably cool temperatures, this stew was surprisingly appropriate.  I heard on MPR that it hadn't been as cool on July 14 in Minnesota as it was yesterday since 1884.  It feels like fall!

This was good, but a little bland.  The allspice and pepper didn't really permeate the meat at all.  The meat was tender, but rather gray looking.  I thought that the lingonberry preserves were what really brought all of the components together.  The bright, tart, sweet flavor added a lot to the meat and potatoes; the preserves also added some color to an otherwise "blah" plate.

 Ingredients:
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1/2 lb. beef, cut into 1" pieces (I used stew meat)
- 1/2 lb. lamb, cut into 1" pieces (I used leg)
- 1/2 lb. pork, cut into 1" pieces (I used shoulder)
- large onion, sliced
- 1 tsp. peppercorns
- 4 whole allspice
- 1 bay leaf, broken in half
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 c. water
(mashed potatoes and lingonberry preserves for serving)

Directions:
1) Brown all of the meat in the olive oil.
2) Cover the bottom of a slow cooker with half of the onions.

3) Place half of the browned meat atop the onions.  Season with 1/2 tsp. peppercorns, 2 whole allspice, 1/2 of a bay leaf and 1/4 tsp. salt.

4) Repeat steps 2-3 with remaining ingredients.
5) Pour in water.  Cook on Low for 6 hours.

6) Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry preserves.

From Italy...super authentic, right?

Fiji

Kokoda

Kokoda is the national dish of Fiji.  It is very similar to a ceviche in that raw fish is "cooked" in acidic citrus juices.  I found a traditional recipe for kokoda here.

I made this recipe on Monday, July 7.  I thought it was okay - It wasn't super flavorful.  There was some heat, and I could definitely taste the lime.  I wanted the coconut flavor to come through more.  Andy ate one piece of fish and said, "I don't think I can eat this."  He thought it was too citrusy.  We're big fans of sushi, but this one didn't really do it for us.

Ingredients:
- 1 mahi mahi fillet
- 1/2 c. lime juice (for marinading)
- 1 c. coconut cream
- 1/2 c. lime juice (for serving)
- 2 T. finely diced shallots
- 2 T. finely diced red jalapeño
- 2 T. finely diced green jalapeño
- 2 T. finely diced cucumber
- 2 T. finely diced red chile pepper- 2 T. finely chopped cilantro
- 2 T. finely chopped tomato
- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Dice the fish fillet into small cubes.  Place in a non-reactive container with the lime juice to marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours until opaque and "cooked."

Before "cooking"

After "cooking"

2) Drain the lime juice and discard.
3) Combine coconut cream and lime juice into a mixing bowl.  Add the "cooked" fish to the liquid along with all of the other ingredients.  Stir until combined.

All ingredients added, but not stirred in

All stirred up!

4) Transfer to a serving dish.  Serves 4.