Couscous Salad

Some friends introduced me to couscous. I like its neutral taste and it give you an ability to be creative....:-). Yesterday I made this salad, my husband and I enjoyed it very much.

Ingredient:

200 g couscous
3 colour bell pepper (green, red and yellow), each of them just an half
3 or more pickled gherkin
1 bundle of chives
1 bundle of scallion (3-4 spring onion)
1 bundle of coriander
1 lime
3-4 Tbs olive oil
black pepper and salt to taste

Direction:

1. Bring 300ml water to boil. Switch off the stove. Add couscous to the water, stir it well until it cooked (you can put more hot water if necessary). Cool it down.
2. Preheat the oven (200°C). Put the bell pepper (the skin on top) into the baking tray (covered with baking paper). Bake the bell pepper until their skin starting to vesiculate. Take out from the oven. Cover the baking tray with a wet kitchen towel. Let it cool down. Then cut them into small cubes.
3. Chop the herbs (spring onion, chives and coriander) after you wash them of course..:-).
4. Cut the pickled gherkin into small cubes.

Finishing:
Mix couscous with bell pepper, pickled gherkin, chopped herbs and olive oil. Taste it with lime juice, salt and black pepper. You can eat this salad as main course or side dish.

Kräuter-Fritattensuppe (beef bouillon with strips of herb-pancake)

"Fritattensuppe" is a typical austrian soup. You find it easily in almost every restaurant in Austria. This is my favourite creation with herb.

Beef bouillon (clear soup)

Ingredient:

• 4 pounds lean beef from shank, diced
• 2 pounds beef bones
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 quarts cold water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced turnips
• 1/2 cup diced onions

Preparation:

Place beef, bones, and whole cloves in a large stockpot. Cover with the cold water. Slowly bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, lower heat, and simmer for 5 to 6 hours. Taste the broth and season with salt.

Add celery, carrots, turnips, and onions to the stockpot. Simmer 1 hour. Strain broth through cheesecloth into another stockpot. Discard solids. Simmer uncovered until broth has reduced to 6 cups. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Skim off fat and discard.

Pancake with herbs

Ingredient

• 80 g flour
• 125 ml milk
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tbs chopped herbs (parsley and chives)
• pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Put the eggs, milk, herbs and salt  into a bowl and mix with a fork.
2. Add the flour by the spoonfull, coutinue mix with the fork until a fluffy mixed well dough formed.
3. Heat the oil or butter to a medium / high temperature in the frying pan. Pour in the dough and after 30 seconds or so mix the firming dough in the pan.
4. Cook each side until very light golden brown.
5. When cooked, gently slide the omelette out of the frying pan and cool it down. Do it with the rest of the dough.
6. Roll on the pancake und cut it into small strips (see above picture).

Serving:

Heat the bouillon. Put into 6 cup of soup. Add each cup with the pancake strips. Garnish with parsley or chives. Serve as it still hot.

Hot Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1,2 kg chicken (breast and legs)

3 tomatoes, cut into small pieces

2 tsp black pepper 

4 cloves of garlic, mince

50 gr ginger, mince

3 bay leaves
3 stalks of parsley, mince the leaves.
3-4 tbs lemon juice
4-5 tbs peanuts oil

Method:

Wash up the chicken. Dab them dry. Peel away the skin (if it's necessary). Rub them with salt. Grind the black pepper coarsely by using mortar. Preheat the oil in the deep pan, add bay leaves and black pepper, fry them for about 1,5 minutes (continual turning). Then add chicken and garlic, fry them until fragrant. Add parsley, tomatoes and ginger. Stew all by middle heat (cover the pan) for about 15 - 20 minutes. Open the pan and let off the steam for a few minutes until the the sauce thicker. Taste it (if it's necessary, add salt) and add the lemon juice, stir them well. Serve them as still hot with safran rice.

Recipe in indonesian language: http://empui.multiply.com/recipes/item/29/Ayam_Pedas_Masak_Jahe_Gaya_India