This weeks Tasty Thursday theme is ‘around the globe. Lets take a little trip and tickle our taste buds with different cultural foods!

Our first stop will be here,in our homeland, where we will bake an all American apple pie!

When I think about the Fourth of July, I think about three things. Fireworks, BBQ, and a nice homemade apple pie. This easy recipe is sure to be a hit with your friends and family!

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-2 tablespoons cold milk
-1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
-1 teaspoon salt
-6 Fuji apples, cored and sliced
-3/4 cup white sugar
-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1/2 cup butter

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2) To Make Crust: In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, oil, milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and salt until evenly blended. Pat mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, spreading the dough evenly over the bottom and up sides. Crimp edges of the dough around the perimeter.
3) To Make Filling: Mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples and toss to coat. Spread evenly in unbaked pie shell.
4) To Make Topping: Using a pastry cutter, mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and butter until evenly distributed and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle over apples.
5) Put pie in the oven on a cookie sheet to catch the juices that may spill over. Bake 45 minutes.

Pssst: Frozen pie crusts are a nice shortcut with this recipe and it tastes ALMOST as good

Next, Lets spice things up a bit with an authentic Mexican dish! My Grandma is 100% full blooded Spanish and she is also the best cook I know! This is one of my favorite recipes of hers, I’m sure you’ll love it to!

Grandma’s green chili:

-2 medium size pork steaks
-2/3c flour
-1 can of petite diced tomatoes
-3 cans of chopped green chilis
-1 can of chopped jalapenos (make sure these aren’t marinated in vinegar,it will ruin the recipe)
-1.5tsp salt
-1.5tsp garlic salt
-5c water

1) Cut pork into 1 to 2 inch pieces.Thoroughly cook pork steaks in a skillet on medium until no longer pink in the center. Do NOT drain the grease.
2) Slowly add the flour directly to the skillet and stir until meat is evenly coated.
3) Pour entire contents of the skillet in to a large pot (meat,grease,flour)
4) Add all of the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thick. (about 30 minutes)

Psssst: For the perfect burrito, take a large flour tortilla, smear center with heated refried beans, add shredded cheese then a scoop of the chili. Then top that with shredded lettuce,tomato and sour cream. Roll burrito and sprinkle more cheese on top followed by another scoop of chili. VOILA! The perfect burrito.

Grandma’s Spanish rice:

-2c white rice
-2tbsp tomato paste
-salt,garlic salt and pepper to your taste
-4c water

1) Add enough vegetable oil in the bottom of a 2qt pan to just coat the bottom.
2) Add rice and cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly
3) Stir in tomato paste and mix until evenly coated
4) Add seasonings
5) add water, bring to a boil and simmer,covered, on low for 30minutes

Now lets take a trip around to the other side of the globe to Asia where we will cook us up some yummy Chicken Stir fry!

-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
-1c chopped celery
-1 chopped green pepper
-1/2pkg stir-fry flavor mix
-1tsp sugar
-3 cloves garlic
-1/2c sliced carrots
-1c chopped mushrooms
-1pkg UNCLE BEN’S white rice
-2tbsp soy sauce
-Salt and pepper

1) Chop chicken into bite sizes. Bring 2 cups water to boil in saucepan. Drop in packet of rice. Cook until tender (about 15 minutes). Set aside.
2) Cook chicken in hot skillet with oil and 3 small pieces of garlic. Cook until tender (10 minutes). Remove and set aside.
3)Cook all the vegetables in skillet with a little oil until desired tenderness. Mix all remaining ingredients together. Add stir-fry flavoring and soy sauce, along with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice for a yummy dish even your kids will love!

Our last stop will be to Italy where we will learn to cook an Italian cannelloni, A DE-LISH Italian pastry that will have everyone begging you for the recipe!

Shells:
-1 3/4 cups flour
-1 tablespoon sugar
-pinch of salt
-2 tablespoons of butter, melted
-3/4 cup Marsala wine
-egg white
-2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

Filling:
-1 15oz container of Ricotta cheese (whole milk tastes the best)
-1/2 cup of sugar
-1 teaspoon of vanilla
-1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips
-powdered sugar for dusting

1) In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and marsala wine. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until well mixed.
2) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
3) Roll out the dough until very thin. Using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut dough into 4-inch rounds, and roll again until very thin.
4) Roll each piece tightly around a cannoli tube. Seal with egg white.
5) Heat the vegetable oil in a deep 3.5 quart pot to 350 degrees.
6) Place the dough forms in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain. Cool and gently twist tube to remove shell from form.
7) Place the dough forms in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain. Cool and gently twist tube to remove shell from form.
8 ) In a large mixing bowl whip sugar, vanilla and ricotta together until smooth, then stir in the chocolate chips.
9) Spoon filling into a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe the ricotta cream into the pastry shells, dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediately.

Psssst: You can purchase pre-made cannoli shells at any Italian pastry shop.

I hope you enjoyed your trip with me around the globe for some yummy treats! Join me again next week for more Tasty Thursday fun!

~Tasty Thursday brought to you by: Heather of My Quest for Sanity