Samosas
Recipe from Extending the Table, 2014, © Herald Press. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
This cookbook is a compilation of international foods. Samosas hail from the country of Kenya. The notes by the recipe indicate that they “originated in India, and are common across East Africa. Also called zamboozies, they are a favorite snack, served with sweet tea.” Shout out to Ronnie at the gun counter at the co-op who requested a fried recipe. This one’s for you, Ronnie!
Pastry:
2 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
⅔ c. water
1 T. oil
Aim for slightly moist dough. Knead until smooth, 3-5 minutes. Cover with damp cloth and set aside.
Meat filling:
Sauté in a little oil:
2 onions, finely chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
Add:
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. curry powder
1 medium potato, finely chopped or grated
1 c. water
½ tsp. ground cardamom
2 T. raisins (optional)
ground red pepper or chopped chili peppers to taste (optional)
Simmer about 10 minutes until vegetables are cooked through and flavors are blended. Drain thoroughly.
When filling is ready, divide dough into 2 sections. Keep sections covered until you are ready to work with them. Divide each section into 7 balls. Roll each ball into thin circle, about 5 inches in diameter. Cut each circle in half. Place 1 heaping tablespoon filling on each half circle. Moisten edges of pastry with water or milk, fold pastry over filling to form triangle, and press edges firmly to seal (see below). Repeat with remaining pastry.
Cooking:
To cook, heat about 2 inches oil in heavy saucepan to about 360°F. Fry pastries a few at a time until golden brown and crisp on each side, 3-4 minutes, turning 2-3 times. Drain on paper. Keep warm in low oven (uncovered or loosely covered) until ready to serve. Serve 4-5 samosas per person if used as a main dish, or 1-2 each if served as appetizer. To save part of the batch, freeze in tight container before cooking. When ready to use, thaw and fry Samosas. To reheat leftovers, heat uncovered in oven (if covered, they will become soggy).
To simplify process, use prepared egg-roll skins from Asian food stores or supermarkets. Cut skins in half and fold into rectangles or triangles.
Citrus-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
From Hope’s Table, 2019, © Herald Press. All rights reserved. Used by permission of author, Hope Helmuth. Hope’s Table can be purchased locally at all of the same places mentioned below for the other local cookbook, as well as on Amazon.
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges (about 6 cups)
juice of ½ lemon
2 T. olive oil
3 T. honey
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. garlic powder
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper (opt.)
Place sweet potato wedges in a 9×13-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Drizzle glaze over potatoes and toss with hands until evenly coated. Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Swedish Tea Ring
From Favorites From Our Kitchens, 2012, © Morris Press Cookbooks. All rights reserved. Used by permission of author, Janet R. Shank. This cookbook, “a collection of over 800 recipes from the Gilbert Rohrer family, extended family and friends” can be purchased at both markets – Kitchenwares and More within the Shops at Dayton (Dayton Market) and the Kitchen Kupboard in the Shenandoah Heritage Market, as well as Rocky Cedars, a fabric store in rural Dayton area.
2 pkg. (2 T.) dry yeast
½ c. warm water
½ c. milk (scalded)
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
½ c. butter, softened
4½ – 5 c. flour
2 T. softened butter
½ c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ c. raisins
Dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter and 2 ½ c. flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough flour to form soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5-10 min. Place in greased bowl, cover with cloth or plastic wrap and let rise 1 ½ hr. Roll ½ dough in 15”x9” rectangle, spread with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Roll up as for cinnamon rolls bringing ends together to make ring*. Place on greased cookie sheet with cut edge down. Make cuts with kitchen scissors ⅔ way through ring, 1 in. apart. Turn each section slightly on its side. Cover lightly with cloth or plastic wrap and let rise until double. Bake at 350°F for 25 min. or until top is golden. Frost with 10x sugar frosting. Decorate with nuts and cherries. Repeat with other half of dough. Makes 2 large tea rings.
*For Valentine’s day or other special occasion, make into the shape of a heart.
