Apples for Afghanistan

Apple Rings with Cheese and Bacon

Serves 4

Ingredients 2 medium sweet apples (enough for 4 apple rings) 8 rashers unsmoked back bacon Emmental cheese, sliced black pepper 2 spring onions, finely chopped 1 large tomato, finely chopped and deseeded 1 tablespoon butter

Method Grill the bacon until really crisp.1. Chop bacon up into small pieces and put into a bowl. 2. Cut four good rings from the apples, leaving the peel on. 3. Remove the core from the four rings. 4. Gently fry the apple rings in the butter until they are lightly 5. coloured and slightly soft. Add to the bacon the tomato and spring onions. 6. Season with black pepper. 7. Place the apple rings on a greased, shallow oven proof 8. dish. Pile the bacon mix in the centre of each apple ring. 9. Top with several thin slices of Emmental. 10. Put under a hot grill until the cheese melts and colours 11. slightly.Serve with a crisp green salad. 12.

Recipe taken from www.greenchronicle.com

Apple and Leek Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients230 g leeks1 clove garlic, crushed30 g butter15 ml olive oil1 pinch curry powder 230 g turnips, peeled and diced 200 g green apples, peeled and diced 500 ml vegetable stocksalt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method In a pan sauté the leeks and garlic in the butter and oil 1. until tender. Add the curry powder and stir-fry lightly. After 1 minute add the turnips and apples and stir-fry everything together until tender. Reduce the heat and add the chicken stock. Let simmer 2. until the vegetables are tender and done.Strain through a sieve reserving the liquid. Purée the veg-3. etables in a blender until smooth.Add to the reserved liquid and return to the pan. Season 4. with salt and pepper and let simmer for a further 5 minute.

Recipe taken from www.cooksunited.co.uk

Starters

Watercress Apple and Goats Cheese Bruschetta

Serves 4

Ingredients1 ciabatta loaf, cut into 8 slices2 tbsp extra virgin olive oilSalt and pepper1 apple, corred and finely sliced75g watercress, washed200g firm goat’s cheese, crumbled50g walnut halves, roughly chopped3 tbsp honey and mustard salad dressing

Method Preheat the oven to 190c/375f/Gas 5.1. Arrange the ciabatta slices in a single layer on a baking 2. sheet.Drizzle with oil and season.3. Bake for 10 minutes, turning half way through until golden 4. and crisp.Arrange the apple slices, watercress and goat’s cheese on 5. the ciabatta slices and scatter over the walnuts.Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve straight away.6.

Recipe taken from www.the-best-vegetarian-recipes.com

Starters

Apples for Afghanistan

Lamb and Apple Stew

Serves 4

This is a slightly sweet Afghan qorma.

Ingredients75ml vegetable oil3 medium onions, finely chopped1kg lamb on the bone or chicken, cut into chunks4 apples75g sugar1tsp ground ginger½ tsp red pepper½ tsp ground green cardamom2 tsp lemon juiceSalt, according to taste

MethodHeat 50g of the oil in a pan and add the onions. 1. Fry over a medium/high heat until soft and golden brown. 2. Now add the meat and fry well until browning. 3. Add about a teacupful water, mix well and cook gently until 4. the meat is tender. When the meat is almost cooked, peel and core the apples 5. and cut each into eight pieces. Fry them gently in the remain-ing 25 ml of oil for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the apples and then add them to the 6. qorma. Season with the ginger, red pepper, cardamom and salt to taste. Sprinkle in the lemon juice. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes until the apples and 7. meat are soft and the oil has separated out.

Recipe taken from Noshe Djan: Afghan food & cookery by Helen Saberi. To purchase this please contact Ffion on ffion@afgha-naid.org.uk or 0207 065 0825.

Apple Burgers

Makes 4-6 burgers

Ingredients 2 tart apples, grated1 cup onion, minced2 cup bread crumbs1 green pepper, seeded and chopped1 tsp fresh ginger, minced2 cup brown or white rice, cooked (leftover is fine)6 tsp rolled oats, ground½ tsp saltBlack pepperVegetable oil

MethodSqueeze some of the juice out of the apples, then place in 1. bowl with onions, bread crumbs, green pepper, ginger, rice, 3 tsp oats, salt, and pepper. Mix well.Heat the oil in the frying pan, over medium heat.2. Shape mixture into patties, adding more bread crumbs if 3. necessary. Coat with remaining 3 tsp of oats.Fry in 1 tsp oil over medium heat until golden brown, 2-3 4. minutes per side.

Recipe adapted from Didi Emmons’ Vegetarian Planet, taken from www.theveggietable.com

Main Courses

Apples for Afghanistan

Middle Eastern Stuffed Apples

Serves 3

Ingredients6 cooking apples, well cored and skins pricked225g cooked chicken, turkey, aubergines or mushroomscut finely or. 6 cloves¼ tsp. cinnamon½ tsp. ground ginger50g Traidcraft walnuts, chopped1 tsp. Traidcraft raisins or sultanas tsp. Traidcraft honey1 tsp. Traidcraft sugarMargarine

Method

Heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.1. Partially cook the cored apples for 20-30 minutes until they 2. begin to soften.Place the chicken in a bowl and add the cloves, cinnamon, 3. ginger, salt and pepper.Add the nuts, raisins and honey. Combine well.4. Spoon some of the mixture in the centre of each apple in an 5. oven-proof dish. Pour enough water to cover the base in the dish.Sprinkle the sugar over the apples and put a small knob of 6. margarine on each.Cook for 40 minutes or until the apples are cooked through. 7. Serve with Traidcraft Basmati rice. 8.

Recipe taken from www.traidcraft.co.uk

Pork in mustard and cider sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients2 pork chops2 tbsp. garlic oil60ml cider 1 tbsp. grainy mustard35ml double cream

Method

Wrap pork in cling film and hit with a rolling pin until flat.1. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the pork for 5 minutes on each 2. side.Take pork out and allow to rest.3. Meanwhile pour the cider into the frying pan.4. After one minute add the mustard and cream. Allow the mix 5. and heat for a further 3 minutes.Serve with crushed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.6.

Main Courses

Apples for Afghanistan

Apple Sponge Pudding

Serves 1

IngredientsFor the apple:1 apple75g butter75g sugar

For the pudding:75g self raising flour25g butter25g brown sugar1 egg25m milk

For the toffee sauce:75g butter75g dark brown sugar100ml double cream

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.1. Peel and slice the apple into wedges. Melt the butter and 2. sugar in an oven-proof frying pan. Cook until golden. Add the apple wedges.For the pudding, mix together the flour, butter, sugar, egg and 3. milk to form a smooth paste.Place the mixture on top of the apples and place into an oven 4. proof frying pan. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 min-utes.For the toffee sauce, melt the butter and sugar for four 5. minutes slowly adding the cream.Serve with the apple sponge pudding.6.

Recipe taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/food

Apple Crumble

Serves 1

IngredientsFor the crumble mix:50g breadcrumbs50g pecans nuts, chopped50g unsalted butter50g brown sugar

For the fruit mix:25g unsalted butter1 tsp brown sugar½ tsp cinnamon½ cooking apple, peeled and diced50g dried fruit

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.1. To make the crumble mix, place all of the crumble ingredients 2. into a food processor and blend to an even mixture. To make the fruit mix, melt the butter in a frying pan and add 3. the sugar, cinnamon, apple and dried fruit. Cook for 4-5 min-utes, until the apple is soft, then transfer to a small ovenproof dish.Spoon over the crumble mixture to cover and place into the 4. oven for 6-7 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.Remove from the oven and serve in the dish.5.

Recipe taken from www.bbc.co.uk/food

Desserts

Apples for Afghanistan

Apple Strudel

Serves 1

Ingredients1 apple, peeled and grated1 tbsp chopped pecan nuts2 tbsp chopped dates1 tbsp maple syrup½ lemon, juice only3 sheets ready-made filo pastry30g/1oz butter, meltedicing sugar, to dust2 tbsp double cream, lightly whipped

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.1. Place the apple, pecans, dates, maple syrup and lemon juice 2. into a bowl and mix well.Place the filo pastry sheets onto a baking sheet and place a 3. spoonful of the apple mixture near the bottom of each sheet. Brush the edges of the pastry with melted butter, then fold the pastry over the filling and roll up like a cigar. Dust with icing sugar.Transfer to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the 4. pastry is crisp and golden-brown and the filling is warmed through.To serve, place onto a serving plate with a dollop of whipped 5. cream.

Recipe taken from www.bbc.co.uk/food

Muraba-E-Saib (Afghan Jam)

Ingredients5 – 10 cardamom pods, according to taste, or 1tbs rosewater4 dessert apples (Royal Gala are recommended)1 tbs lemon juiceSugar to equal weight of the apples75ml of waterPinch of saffron

Recipe taken from Noshe Djan: Afghan food & cookery by Helen Saberi which you can buy from ffion@afghanaid.org.uk.

Afghans usually eat this jam, which is actually more like a compote, as a dessert with yoghurt. The apple should not become mushy but remain in firm slices. It does not really matter if the syrup does not set like jam.

Method

Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods, but do not 1. crush them, leave them whole. Peel and core the apples. Cut them into eight slices and 2. sprinkle with lemon juice. Place the apples in a pan along with the lemon juice, sugar 3. and water. Bring to the boil removing any scum which forms. Boil gently until the apples are just soft and take on a sort of 4. translucent look. Add a good pinch of saffron and the cardamom pods or 5. rosewater to the apples and their syrup. Boil for a few more minutes until the syrup is starting to set, 6. then remove from the heat and start to cool. Place in clean, dry jars and store in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

Desserts

Apples for Afghanistan