This week our menu features dishes from around the world, or at least from several different cultures. I didn’t start out planning any such thing, and was surprised when I realized what I had done.
Mabo dofu and fried rice are both Chinese dishes, but we make the mabo dofu Japanese-style, using Cook Do sauce, from Japan. The fried rice, which YaYu makes, is more authentically Chinese, and contains minced vegetables, diced ham, and scrambled eggs and is flavored with oyster sauce. The Polish sausages and cabbage are eastern European, but our dinner is probably more American style, with the sausages grilled and the cabbage roasted. The Spicy Steak Pizzaiola is Italian, although the recipe I use actually comes from Weight Watchers. I usually make the Mexican chili-pork sauce for burritos, but since we don’t have tortillas right now I’ve decided to serve it over rice instead. Shakshuka is a north African egg dish, with the eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. Finally, we’ll finish the week with all-American sloppy joes!
It’s going to be a very tasty week! And, with YaYu home all week, I’ll have help in the kitchen, and most likely no leftovers.
Here’s this week’s menu:
- Tuesday (this evening): Grilled beef Polish sausages; roasted cabbage; country bread (no bread for me)
- Wednesday: Mabo dofu; steamed rice; cucumbers (I’ll just have the sauce and cucumbers)
- Thursday: Spicy steak pizzaiola; garlic bread; grilled zucchini (I’m skipping the bread)
- Friday: Chili pork sauce; yellow rice; cole slaw (no rice for me)
- Saturday: Fried rice with vegetables and ham (not sure what I’m having)
- Sunday: Shakshuka; couscous (no couscous for me)
- Monday: Sloppy Joes; chips; coleslaw (just sloppy joe and coleslaw for me, no bread or chips)
We’ll hopefully be able to get zucchini this week at the farmers’ market, along with cucumbers, parsley, jalapeños (for the Shakshuka), and a papaya.
The Occasional Nomads 
Wow! We have a dish called Shakshuka but it is very different. You cube the eggplants and put a lot of salt on them for a while. Rinse them well, pat dry, and then fry in olive oil until soft and brown. Stir in some finely chopped peppers and cubed tomatoes and simmer.. When these start to break down you add tomato puree and garlic, and continue to simmer for a few more minutes. It is served as “meze” rather than a full dish especially when we are drinking Raki.
LikeLike
Apparently Shakshuka is popular all around the Mediterranean (it’s especially popular in Israel), but it’s made differently everywhere. Your Turkish version sounds delicious (I love eggplant!), but the recipe I’m using is the northern African version, so is very spicy.
By the way, I love eating meze – it was always my favorite way to order whenever we went to a Middle Eastern restaurant. Shakshuka would have been an interesting addition!
LikeLike