Pumpkin Croquettes (Middle East)

Serves 6 (201 calories each)

1 C fine bulgur wheat (soaked in 2 C warm water)
2 C mashed cooked pumpkins (about 2½ pounds raw) see hint
or 16 oz canned pumpkin (not spiced pie filling)
1 C whole wheat flour
½ C water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ t salt
½ t ground coriander
½ t grated black pepper
¼ t ground allspice
¼ t ground cumin
1 pinch red or cayenne (to taste)

Soak the bulgur wheat in warm water for 20 minutes, drain. Puree the bulgur wheat and all remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add more flour to thicken, if needed. Shape into croquettes (1 inch round, two inches long) or patties about 2-inches in diameter and about ½ inch thick. In a non-stick pan, fry patties, turning once, until they're lightly brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Healing Heart Hint

To cook fresh pumpkin, cut into eighths, place in a large pot of lightly salted water, cover, and simmer over low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cut off the peel, and mash. Gently press in a strainer to remove the excess liquid.

Vegetarian Samosas (India)

1 packet of spring roll pastry
3 large potatoes
3/4 cup peas
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons red chili flakes
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon water

Make the Vegetarian Samosas Filling
1. Pour in your water into a small bowl with flour, and mix with a brush until it has a thin, glue-like consistency.
2. Chop the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces. Put them in a medium bowl, then add peas, chopped onions, spices, coriander, and lemon juice. Mix everything together.

Stuff the Vegetarian Samosas
3. Place your pastry sheet on the cutting board. Lift one corner of half of the pastry sheet towards the center. Brush it with our flour glue.
4. Lift the other edge of half cookie and lay over the previous. Press to seal. Now, you have formed a dough cone.
5. Hold the cone in your hand, and take about a tablespoon of filling and stuff the samosa. Seal the open lip with sealer. Fold the edge over. Press and seal.

Fry the Vegetarian Samosas
6. Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Put in three samosas, and fry them on one side until they brown. Then turn them over and fry on the other side.
7. Lift them out of the pan on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. You can serve them as an appetizer or as part of the main meal.

Zeljanica - Sorrel and Cheese Pie (Bosnia)

Serves 2-4

Fresh Spinach or Sorrel
Vlashichki cheese or Feta
Pot of Sour Cream
Sheets of Phyllo Pastry
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Ground Black Pepper

1. First wash the Sorrel or Spinach, put into a bowl and sprinkle with salt, leave for 15 minutes then squeeze all excess water from the Sorrel/Spinach. (If you leave any water in it, the pie will have a bitter taste, so really take time to make sure the spinach is dry.
2. After put the squeezed spinach/sorrel back into a bowl and drizzel with extra virgin olive oil.
3. In another bowl, crumble the cheese and stir in sour cream. Start to slowly add the spinach and mix until everything is complete mixed. Add salt to taste and black pepper.
4. Get a 2 inch deep baking tray, oil the inside and cover the whole inside of the tray with some sheets of filo pastry. Seal sheets together with a little melted butter. Make sure the tray is fully lined with approx. three layers of pastry.
5. Add the Cheese/Spinach mixture, the put two/three further layers of pastry to seal the pie.
6. Bake in a preheated over 180°C for about 30 minutes. Take the pie out, mix a little of the sour cream with some milk, then pour of the top of the hot pastry. (In this style of pie you don't want the pastry to be crispy, you want it to be soft) Then put the pie back into the over for a further 5 minutes.
7. Cut into slices - is great eaten hot or cold.

Lemon Ice Granita (Italy)

Serves 4-6











Ingredients
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup fresh lemon juice (juice of about 6 medium lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemons, rind of (about the peel from 1 medium lemon)
2 teaspoons lemon extract


Directions
1. Combine 2 cups of the water with the sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add the salt, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining water and let cool to room temperature.
3. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, place a shallow metal 2 1/2 qt container (such as a large cake pan) in the freezer to chill.
5. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, and extract to the chilled sugar mixture; stir until well blended. Pour into the chilled metal pan.
6. Place the pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or until ice crystals form around the edges.
7. Stir the ice crystals into the center of the pan and return to the freezer. Repeat every 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is crystallized but not frozen solid, about 3 hours.
8. To serve, scoop the granita into chilled dessert bowls or goblets. (If the granita has become too hard, scrape it with a large metal spoon to break up the ice crystals.) Serve at once.
9. Advance Preparation: The granita can be stored, covered, for up to four days in the freezer, but it will have become frozen solid.
10. To serve, either allow the granita to thaw in the refridgerator until you can scrape the crystals, or break it up into chunks and process with on/off motions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade until fairly smooth.

Onion Bhaji with Mint Raita (India)

Serves 2-4















Ingredients
For the bhaji:
1 onion, peeled
¼tsp coriander seeds
¼tsp cumin seeds
¼tsp chilli flakes
50g/2oz plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the raita:
55g/2oz Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint


Method
1. Heat a deep-fat fryer to 190C/375F or fill a large pan one-third with vegetable oil. To test if oil is at the correct temperature, drop a small cube of bread in the oil. If it sizzles and turns golden the oil is ready to use. (CAUTION: hot oil is very dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
2. Chop half the onion and slice the remaining half.
3. In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients together. Squeeze the onion to release the juice and bind the ingredients together.
4. Divide the mixture into four quenelles and deep-fry until crisp and golden.
5. To make the raita, mix the ingredients in a small bowl.
6. Serve the bhajis with the raita.

Potato Parathas (India)

Serves 4

100g (3 1/2oz) butter
125g (4 1/2oz) wholemeal or white flour, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
250g (9oz) potatoes
1 onion
1 pinch chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
a few coriander leaves, chopped
salt to taste

In a saucepan, melt 20g (91/2OZ) butter. Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl, stir in a pinch of salt and form a well. Add the melted butter and 150ml (5fl oz) water. Knead together for 10 minutes to form a smooth dough. Roll into a ball, cover with a cloth and leave to rest for an hour at room temperature.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil, add salt and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel and chop into small pieces.

To make the stuffing, chop the onion very finely. Melt a knob of butter in a pan and add the onion, cooking gently until softened and transparent. Add the chilli, ginger, choped coriander and the potato. Add salt and mix thoroughly to combine. Cook for a further 2 minutes before removing the mixture from the heat and mashing roughly with a fork.

Melt the remaining butter. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Dust the work surface with a little flour and roll each piece into a thin round pancake. Brush each paratha with butter, placing some of the stuffing in the centre. Fold over the edges and pinch to seal before gently rolling flat.

Heat a lightly greased frying pan. When it is very hot, put a paratha in he pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, gently pressing it down with a wooden spatula. When the underside is golden, brush the top with melted butter and turn over and cook the other side. Repeat the procces for each paratha.

Hot Sugarcane Bananas (Caribbean)

Serves 4

4 ripe bananas
knob of butter
4 tsp dark muscovado sugar

- Make a slit down the length of the bananas, without cutting right through. Open the skin slightly and dot the bananas with the butter and sprinkle each one with the sugar
- Put the bananas into a shallow dish and microwave on High for 3–4 minutes until the skins turn black and the banana flesh is warm and soft
Roots recommends...Haven’t got a microwave? Then bake them in the oven preheated to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 for 15 minutes.