Herbed Farfalle and Steak Salad

Ingredients

• 8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) farfalle (bow tie) pasta
• 2 cups arugula
• 1/4 cup cilantro , coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh fresh basil , coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint , coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup Italian Italian parsley , coarsely chopped
• Grated Parmesan cheese , enough to garnish

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 clove garlic , smashed
• 1/2 tsp. kosher kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. cracked pepper

• 1 (12-ounce) New York Strip New York Strip Steak
• Kosher Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. canola canola or vegetable oil

Directions

To make salad: Cook the pasta according to the package directions (don't forget to salt the water, or your pasta will taste flat). Drain, rinse with cool water and drain again until you get as much water off the pasta as possible. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, arugula, cilantro, basil, mint and parsley. Mix well.

To make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, smashed garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make steak: Heat an indoor grill pan or small cast-iron skillet until hot over medium heat. Season the steak with kosher salt and pepper on both sides. Season pan. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil over grill or pan and spread evenly with a paper towel. Cook 2 minutes on each side for 8 minutes and then 1 minute on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Let rest for 10 minutes (this allows the juices to stay in the meat). Slice the steak thinly.

To assemble: Remove the garlic from the dressing. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the dressing over the salad and toss lightly. Place the sliced steak on top. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese. Add cracked pepper to taste.

Read more

Risotto with Spring Greens and Prosciutto

Ingredients

8 cups unsalted unsalted chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cups Italian Arborio or carnaroli Italian Arborio or carnaroli rice
2 cups chopped fresh fresh spring greens, such as spinach, chard, turnip greens, or arugula
4 ounces prosciutto, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. sea sea salt
Freshly ground Freshly ground pepper
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

• Add chicken stock to a pot and bring to a simmer. 
• Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sauté shallot until just soft. Add rice and sauté, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Pour a ladleful of hot chicken stock into the mixture; stir constantly until the stock evaporates. Pour another ladleful in and stir until stock is absorbed. Keep doing this for 14 minutes longer. Add just enough hot chicken stock each time to keep the rice from sticking. Slowly, the rice will become creamy. 
• After that 14 minutes, when the rice is getting softer but is still not entirely cooked in the center, add greens. Continue adding stock for another 2 minutes, then add prosciutto. Stir another minute and continue adding chicken stock until the rice has just the right texture: Each grain should retain its shape, but the overall risotto should have a velvety creaminess. Add butter and salt.

Read more

Pasta with Pea Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen fresh or frozen peas , blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds and shocked in cold water
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 medium garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
6 boneless, skinless boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. olive oil
8 ounces whole wheat whole wheat pasta , such as penne or fusilli

Directions

• For the pesto, combine the peas, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, 2 tablespoons water and salt in a food processor. Blend until the ingredients are combined and form a thick sauce.
• Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken on each side until cooked through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Toss together the pasta, pesto and chicken and serve immediately.

Read more

Pasta with Walnut Pesto, Sausage, and Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups basil leaves , loosely packed
1 small clove garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1 pound rigatoni
4 sweet Italian sweet Italian sausages (about 1 pound), casings removed
1 bunch broccoli rabe , tough stem ends trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh fresh ricotta cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300°. Spread walnuts on a baking tray, and toast until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool completely.
• Combine 1/4 cup nuts, basil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process and, while motor is running, drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil to form pesto; set aside. Chop rest of nuts, and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook rigatoni until tender. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. When oil is hot, add sausage and cook, breaking up meat, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a small bowl, and leave 1 tablespoon fat in pan.
• Return skillet to heat, and add rest of olive oil. Add broccoli rabe; cook until just crisp, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, cover skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspooon pepper; return sausage to pan to heat through.
• Toss cooked pasta with pesto; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 plates, and top each with sausage and broccoli rabe, a dollop of ricotta cheese, and chopped walnuts.

Read more

British Berry Pudding

Ingredients

3 cups raspberries , plus more for garnish
1/2 cup sugar , or more to taste
1 1/2 cups blackberries or blueberries or black currants (or any combination of the three), stems removed, plus more for garnish
1 loaf firm white firm white bread , sliced
Mint sprigs , for garnish (optional)
Whipped cream or creme fraiche or clotted cream

Directions

• Place raspberries in a stainless steel saucepan; add 4 tablespoons sugar. Toss gently to combine. Bring to a boil. Taste (carefully—they're hot), and add more sugar if necessary. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until berries begin to burst and yield more of their juice. In a separate saucepan, combine blackberries, blueberries, and/or black currants; add 4 tablespoons sugar. Toss gently and bring mixture briefly to a boil, as instructed above. Taste, and add more sugar if necessary.
• Remove crusts from bread slices. Using a downturned cup as a template, cut one slice in a circle and place it at the bottom of a three-quart ceramic or glass bowl. Line bottom and sides of bowl with remaining bread slices, cutting some in half or into shapes as needed to cover any gaps where fruit could run out. Do not overlap. Put a layer of raspberry mixture in, then a layer of blackberry mixture, alternating until both are gone, reserving 1/3 cup raspberry juice. The bowl should be filled with fruit almost to the rim.
• Cover top with remaining bread slices and press down until they absorb the juices. Cover with a saucer or plate that has a diameter just smaller than the diameter of the bowl, so that the plate fits just inside the bowl. Weight the plate with a heavy can. Alternatively, place pudding in refrigerator and wedge an object snugly between the refrigerator rack and the top of the plate so that it pushes down on the pudding, achieving the same result as the weight. Refrigerate overnight.
• About 15 minutes before serving, remove pudding from refrigerator. Remove can and plate. Using a flexible, dull-edged knife or spatula, loosen bread around edges of bowl. Cover bowl with a serving plate and, holding the plate in place, turn the pudding upside down. The bread should have turned a deep ruby red. If there are any light patches, pour reserved raspberry juice over them. Garnish with fresh berries and mint sprigs, if you like. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche, or clotted cream on the side.

Read more

Blueberry-Lime Parfaits

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup fresh fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) cold, unsalted cold, unsalted butter
Grated zest of 2 limes
1 container (17 ounces) plain, fat-free Greek plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
1/3 cup confectioners' confectioners' sugar , plus more to taste
1 pint (about 3 cups) blueberries
1 lime , cut into wedges

Directions

• To make curd: In a small, nonreactive saucepan, whisk egg yolks, lime juice, and sugar. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter 1 Tbsp. at a time. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap onto surface of the curd, and cool completely in refrigerator.
• Stir zest into curd. Stir together yogurt and sugar. In each of 4 six-ounce glasses, layer yogurt, curd, and berries; repeat. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Read more

Skillet-Roasted Apricots and Blackberries

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Vin Santo or other other white dessert wine
1/2 vanilla bean , split and scraped
1 strip (2 inches) lemon peel
6 ripe ripe apricots , halved
1 cup blackberries
Crème fraîche or ice cream , for serving

Directions

• In a large skillet, combine sugar and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir in Vin Santo, vanilla bean, and lemon peel. Arrange apricots in skillet, cut side down; cook 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully flip apricots over, add blackberries, and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until fruit has softened, about 8 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Serve immediately with crème fraîche or ice cream on the side, drizzling some of the cooking liquid over each plate.

Read more

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

Ingredients

Purple Artisan Lettuce (was in mixed container with other butter lettuces)
½ fresh and sweet spring white onion – sliced thinly
1 fennel bulb – sliced medium on mandolin or thinly by knife
1 blood orange with pith removed and sectioned & chopped
1 lemon
2 tsp of Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
Handful Pea Greens

Instructions

• To build the salad:
• Arrange the purple lettuce on the plate.
• Add a few slices of onion.
• Add a pile of fennel – about 10 slices.
• Place blood orange pieces on top.
• Squeeze lemon over top to taste (I use about ¼ of a lemon per plate).
• Drizzle ½ tsp oil over salad.
• Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle Pea Greens on top.
• Devour.

Read more

Strawberry, Balsamic, Basil & Brie Grilled Cheese

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Slices of french bread
• 2 Teaspoon reduced balsamic vinegar
• 1 Large strawberry
• 2-3 Basil leaves (chopped)
• 4-5 Slices of brie cheese
• Dash of salt

PREPARATION

• Get a pan on medium heat. Butter outside of each slice of bread. Spread a teaspoon of reduced balsamic vinegar on each slice of bread. (If you only have regular balsamic, google “how to reduce balsamic vinegar”.)
• Place basil and a couple slices of brie on the bottom slice. Place sliced strawberries with a dash of salt on top of the brie.
• Add more brie on top of strawberries. Place top slice of bread. Fry until golden brown on each side.

Read more

Cheesecake Nutella Twists

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (8 Ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 (8 Ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup Nutella
• 1/4 Cup white chips, melted

PREPARATION

• In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and egg until creamy. Unroll the crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Press two triangles together to form a rectangle.
• Spoon a large tablespoon of Nutella down the right side of the center. Repeat with a large tablespoon of cheesecake filling down the left side of the center.
• Fold the edges of the rolls over the filling. Press the seams together at the middle and the end. Flip the roll over so that the seam is underneath. Gently twist the roll. Press together any seams that come undone. Bake at 375* for 10-11 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Drizzle with melted white chips. Let set. Refrigerate leftovers.

Read more

Caramel and Nutella Hazelnut Brownies

INGREDIENTS

1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
Cup cocoa powder
1/4 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Pinch salt
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 Large eggs
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 Cup evaporated milk
3/4 Bag of unwrapped caramels
1/4 Cup Nutella, melted

PREPARATION

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Into a mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. whisk together and set aside.
• In a mixer add sugar and butter; cream together. add in eggs one at a time and mix well. add in vanilla.
• Slowly add in your flour mixture until it’s well combined with the other ingredients. batter should be thick and sticky.
• Spray an ovenproof dish {10 x 7} with cooking spray. place a piece of parchment paper (slightly larger than your dish to allow for easy removal) inside. it will adhere to the bottom of the dish. spray the top of parchment paper with cooking spray.
• Spread half of your brownie batter on top of the parchment paper.
• Slowly melt the evaporated milk and caramels together, stirring frequently.
• Take your caramel sauce and pour it over the brownie mixture.with a spoon gently spread. place the remaining brownie batter on top, smoothing it out.
• Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until sides are firm.
• Bake a small indentation with your finger into each brownie. take your melted Nutella and drizzle over the tops of the brownies.

Read more

Nutella Cookies and Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Refrigerated pie crust
• 1 (8 Ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 Cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 1 Cup Nutella
• 2 1/2 Cup Cool Whip, divided
• 12-15 Chocolate cream filled cookies, chopped

PREPARATION

• Bake the pie crust in a 10 inch pie plate according to the package directions. Let cool completely.
• Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the milk and sour cream and beat again. Remove 2 cups of batter and set aside. Beat in the Nutella and 1/2 cup Cool Whip. Spoon into the bottom of the cooled pie crust.
• Fold the 2 cups of Cool Whip into the reserved batter. Spoon gently onto the Nutella batter in the pie crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours or over night. Before serving, cover the top of the pie with the cookie crumbles.

Readmore

Indonesian Cooked Vegetable Salad with Peanut Dressing

INGREDIENTS

One-quarter 3 ½-pound cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
2 Cup chopped green beans or Chinese long beans (1-inch lengths)
1 Pound bean sprouts
1 mirliton (chayote squash), peeled, cored and julienned
2 Cup spinach or Chinese kangkung (optional)
1 Cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
2 Tablespoon dark brown or palm sugar
1/2 Cup water
2 Teaspoon sambal oelek or 1 red chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (optional)*
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into half-discs (optional)

PREPARATION

• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
• Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
• Blanch the vegetables for these listed times, immediately plunging each vegetable into the ice bath afterward and then draining: cabbage, until crisp tender, about 7 minutes; green beans, until crisp tender, about 2 minutes; bean sprouts, until cooked through, about 10 minutes; mirliton, until soft, about 3 minutes; spinach, if using, until just wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Combine the peanuts and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. With the machine running, gradually add the water until slightly grainy while still runny. It should not turn creamy like peanut butter; there should still be some texture. **
• Blend in the sambal oelek or chile pepper and fermented shrimp paste, if using.
• Once the vegetables are done, chill the vegetables in the refrigerator first, if desired
• Bunch the cabbage up and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
• Then, combine it in a large bowl with the other vegetables and cucumber, if using, and gently toss by hand together with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Read more

japanese take out ginger salad dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or 1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (1 inch) knob fresh ginger, grated (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup canola oil

Directions:

• Combine the vinegar, tomato paste, soy sauce, salt, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, celery, and onion in a blender. Pulse several times, until the celery and onion are finely chopped. When the blender running, slowing drizzle in the canola oil.

Read more

Sweet Biscuits Salami

Ingredients
 
 - One pound of petit beurre biscuits
 - Half pound of Turkish delight
 - Four ounces of unsalted butter
 - Half pound of walnuts
 - Eight spoons of cocoa powder
 - Half pound of sugar
 - Rum or vanilla essence (to taste). Last time I made this recipe, I added a shot of rum as well.


Preparation

•   Crush the biscuits by hand - don't ground them completely, but leave some larger chunks as well, if possible.
•   Cut the Turkish delight and the walnuts in small pieces.
•   Warm up about 5 ounces of water, and mix with the sugar until it is completely melted.
•   Mix with the cocoa powder and with the butter (which could be melted in a pan to speed things up). Make sure there are no lumps of cocoa in the mix.
•  Add the biscuits, Turkish delight, and walnuts, and stir.
•   Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a table, pour some mix over, and roll it like a salami. Seal both ends with plastic wrap.
•   Store in the fridge for about 24 hours. This will harden the mix, and allow you to cut it in slices. Serve cold.

Read more 

Romanian Cheesecake

Ingredients
 
 - 1 pound of farmer's cheese (or ricotta cheese)
 - 1 pound cottage cheese
 - 3 eggs
 - 1.5 cups of raisins or cranberries (or a mixture)
 - 3-4 spoons of vanilla or rum essence
 - 8 full tablespoons of sugar
 - 2 tablespoons of lemon or orange peel
 - 10 phyllo dough sheets
 - 2-3 tablespoons of butter
 - Half a cup of cream of wheat
 - Powder sugar (to decorate)


Preparation

•   Carefully break an egg, and separate the white from the yolk.  Keep the yolk separately for now.  Mix in the two other eggs with the extra white.
•   In a large bowl, mix the two cheeses until you have a uniform paste.
•   Add the eggs and the sugar, and mix until uniform again.
•   The final mix should have a consistency similar to that of sour cream - not too liquid.  If yours is more watery, slowly add the cream of wheat and mix till uniform.  This will help the cake pieces stay together and not falling over.  If this sounds like cheating, add an extra egg instead - this will help keep the mix together better.
•   Add the raisins and/or cranberries, the rum or vanilla essence, the sugar, and the orange peel.  Mix till uniform.
•   Use a large or a deep non-stick baking pan.  Make sure that all the cheese mix fits in, and there is some extra space left (the mix will expand during baking).
•   Coat the pan with a very thin layer of butter: it makes it easy to remove the cake at the end, and it'll also help provide a nicer color and texture to the bottom and the sides of the cake.
•  Layer 4-5 phyllo dough layers on the bottom of the pan.  They don't have to line up, but make sure you covered the bottom and the sides of the baking pan uniformly.  I found the phyllo dough in a nearby supermarket, in the frozen section.  Make sure you defrost them first - I tied handling them while frozen, and it was...  interesting...
•  Add the cheese mix over the dough.
•  Add another layer of phyllo dough on top (again, use 4-5 more sheets).  Fold the sides over, and make sure the cheese mix is uniformly covered in phyllo dough sheets.
•   On top, I add a few very thin slices of butter, particularly around the edges of the phyllo dough sheets.  This helps them from raising and getting all sorts of chaotic shapes - which provides for an interesting presentation, but it interferes with serving.
•   Finally, spread the egg yolk from the very first step over the top of the cheesecake.  This will help it get a very nice color during baking.  I use a fork, but a brush will work better, if you have one.
•   Bake this in the over, at 425F, for about 30-40 minutes.  To know when it's ready, use a toothpick: stick a toothpick vertically all the way to the bottom of the cheesecake, and remove it.  It should come out clear and fairly dry (a bit of oiliness or wetness is ok at this point).  Use the color of the cheesecake top to guide you as well on when it's ready.
•  Let the cheesecake cool before cutting or serving.

Read more 

Sweet Smokey Bacon

Ingredients
 
 - Half a pound of brussels sprouts
 - Smoked bacon (about 10 ounces)
 - Half an onion
 - Half a cup of cranberries or raisins
 - Spices: salt and pepper
 - Three spoons of balsamic vinegar


Preparation

•   Add a bit salt to a pot of water (to flavor the Brussels sprouts), and bring it to a boil.
•   Carefully cut the Brussels sprouts in halves, such as to not detach too many leaves.
•   Drop the sprouts halves in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes.  They cook very quickly.
•   Next, we'll give the sprouts some color. Heat up a flat cooking pan, then place the sprouts face-down.  They'll start turning brown in about a minute.  Remove them from the pan once you're happy with the color.
•   Separately, cut some smoked bacon into pieces (about the size of a thumb).
•   Chop half an onion into medium-sized pieces.
•   Place the smoked bacon in a frying pan, and turn the heat to medium.  Add the chopped onion as soon as some of the fat starts melting.  Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper (enough to bring some flavor out), then turn the heat to medium-high.  Cook until the onion changes color to dark yellow or brown (about 5-10 minutes).
•   Drain the fat away.  Mix the cooked bacon and onions with the brussels sprouts halves.
•   Add the cranberries
•   Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar on top, and mix.
•   Serve while the bacon is still warm.

Read more 

Vegetable salad with mushrooms

Ingredients:

100 g. boiled mushrooms
4 onions
1 cucumber
3 carrots
6 tomatoes
1 Bulgarian pepper
200 g. Cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sugar, salt and black pepper (milled) to taste
Directions:

•  Cut onions in semicircular shapes. Cut cucumber, carrots and pepper in cube shapes.
•  Scald and peel tomatoes, afterwards slice it. Cut the mushrooms in pieces. Dismantle cauliflower and boil it with carrots in brine.
• Mix all the vegetables, sprinkle black pepper and mix again.
• For preparing sauce – mix oil, lemon Juice, salt, sugar together and pour over the prepared salad.
•  Garnish salad with greens.

Read more

Polenta with Cream and Cheese

Ingredients (per person)
 
 - 1 cup of corn meal
 - 1 tablespoon of butter
 - Half a cup of sour cream
 - Half a cup of feta cheese
 - 2 strips of bacon
 - 1 egg
 - Spices: salt and pepper


Preparation

•   Prepare the polenta.  This really depends on the type of corn meal you have.  I prefer the instant type - it is quick and easy to prepare, and it reduces the changes of burning the recipe.  For each person, you'll need about two cups of water.  Boil the water with a pinch of salt.  When it is boiling, reduce the heat to medium, stir, and slowly add the corn meal.  Keep on stirring - you need a uniform mix.  I end up using about a cup of corn meal (but again, it depends on what type you use) - I stop adding the corn meal around the time when the mix has the consistency of sour cream.  Don't worry if it's too thin - it'll get thicker as it cooks and cools down.  Continue following the directions on your corn meal package (the instant version is ready in 5 minutes, but other corn meals might required half an hour or more of cooking).
•   While the polenta is cooking, fry a couple of strips of (smoked) bacon in a pan.  Remove the bacon, then fry the egg.
•   Place a tablespoon of butter on a clean plate, for each guest.
•   Add about two cups of hot polenta on top - this will melt the butter.
•   Add sour cream and feta cheese, to taste.  I use about three quarters of a cup of it, mixed half-half.
•   Add the bacon strips and the fried egg on top.
•   Add salt and pepper to taste.  Note: don't add too much salt, as the feta cheese is already salty

Read more 

Spring Oriental Salad

Ingredients
 
 - 4-5 potatoes
 - 1.5 cups kalamata olives
 - 1 small red onion, or half a large one
 - 1 cup pickled bell peppers (or red sweet cherry peppers pickled in vinegar)
 - 2 eggs
 - 4 tablespoons of olive oil
 - 4 tablespoons of vinegar
 - Spices: salt and pepper
 - 1 frech lettuce (though you probably will only use half of it)
 - 1-2 fresh tomatoes


Preparation

•   Peel the potatoes, then cut them in cubes, and boil them.  Discard the water.
•   Slice the red onion, then mix with the potatoes while they're still warm.
•   Hard-boil the two eggs.  Remove the shell, then slice them, and mix them with the potatoes and onion slices.
•   Cut the kalamata olives in halves, and add to the mix.
•   Slice the pickled peppers, and add to the mix.
•   Add salt and pepper (to taste), olive oil and vinegar.  Mix thoroughly.  I like to mix until the soft outer layer from the potatoes mixes with the oil and vinegar, and transforms into a bit of paste that rubs off on other ingredients in the recipe.
•  This is the prepared part of the recipe.  You can store this in the fridge.  Always serve it at room temperature.  In Romania, this is called an Oriental Salad.
•   What makes it a Spring Oriental Salad is the two fresh ingredients - the lettuce and the tomatoes.  When serving the salad, wash the lettuce and the tomatoes, slice them, add them to the salad, and mix everything.

Read more

Tempura Blossoms

Ingredients

 

 - A dozen zucchini flowers

 - 3-4 tablespoons of dried cranberries

 - 3-4 tablespoons of pistachios

 - One cup of goat cheese

 - A quarter teaspoon of cinnamon

 - A pinch of salt

 - 1 cup of tempura batter

 - Cooking oil

 

Preparation

•   Mix the goat cheese with the chopped pistachios, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt.
•   Place about a tablespoon and a half of the mixture in each zucchini flower (more or less, depending on their size).
•   Mix one cup of tempura batter with 1 cup of ice cold water (or whatever ratio is indicated on your tempura batter mix package).  If you can't find the tempura batter, mix instead a large egg with one cup of mineral water, half a cup of flour, and half a teaspoon of baking powder.
•   Heat some oil in a cooking pan - use high heat.
•   Roll each stuffed flower in the tempura batter to coat, the gently slide it into the oil.  Cook only a few at a time, and make sure they don't stick to one another.
•   When ready (the tempura butter is crisp), place each fried flower on a paper towel to drain the extra oil.  Serve immediately.

Read more 

Romanian vegetable salad

Ingredients:

100 g. ham
3-4 tomato
2 cucumber
2 Bulgarian pepper
100 g. lettuce leaves
20 g. green onions
150 g. dried cheese
2 eggs
4 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove
Pepper*, salt and dill to taste

Directions:

1. Cut tomato in small pieces. Peel cucumber and cut it in small pieces too. Take out seeds from peppers and cut them horizontally. Cut the lettuce leaves in large pieces.
2. Prepare the sauce: mix oil, lemon juice, pepper* (milled), garlic and chopped dill.
3. Thinly cut ham and add prepared vegetables. Pour the sauce over salad and mix well.
4. Sprinkle grated cheese, chopped onions before serving and garnish with boiled egg slices.

Read more

Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients

 - 2 large portobello mushrooms (I buy mine from Trader Joe's)
 - 3-4 cherry tomatoes
 - 2-3 garlic cloves
 - 1 sausage (I prefer smoked or spicy)
 - Shredded cheese
 - Spices: salt, pepper, chili pepper

Preparation

•   Clean the portobello mushrooms, and remove the stipes (this will create more space for the ingredients).
•   Heat the oven to 400F.
•   Cover a large flat baking pan with aluminum foil, then place the mushrooms on top.
•   Cook the mushrooms in the over for 35 minutes.
•   Remove the mushrooms from the oven.  You may discard the liquid in the mushroom caps.
•   Finely chop the tomatoes and the garlic cloves, and add on top of the mushrooms.
•   Add salt, pepper, and chili pepper.
•   Slices the sausage, and place it on top of the mushroom pizza.
•   Cook for another 15 minutes if the sausage was pre-cooked, or 25 if it was not.
•   Remove from the oven, and top with shredded cheese.
•   Serve before it gets cold.

Read more 

Kale Salad

Ingredients
 
- 5 cups of kale
- Half a cup of dried cranberries
- 1 mango, cut into bite-size chunks
- Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- Sesame seeds


Preparation

•  Slice the garlic. Place the butter in a pan, and fry the sliced garlic and the mushrooms in it. Use medium-high heat, and cook until the mushrooms start turning brown (takes about 5-10 minutes). If the garlic gets cooked before the mushrooms, gently remove it from the pan, then add it back when the mushrooms are ready.
• Meanwhile, clean the kale, remove the stems, and cut or tear it into bit-size chunks. Once the mushrooms and garlic are cooked, add the kale. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the dried cranberries and the mango chunks. Stir, and remove from heat.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds all over the recipe. Serve warm.

Read more 

Chocolate Blasts

Ingredients
 
- 1 lb of petit beurre biscuits
- 8 ounces of unsalted butter
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of walnuts
- 8 spoons of cocoa powder
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of rum or vanilla essence
- Maraschino cherries (or alcohol-infused blueberries, as described below)
- Shredded coconut


Preparation

• Finely grind the biscuits, and mix with the sugar.
• Melt the butter on low heat, and add to the biscuits. Mix.
• Carefully dissolve the cocoa powder into the milk, and add the rum or vanilla essence. When ready, add to the biscuits, and mix.
• Finely chop the walnuts, and add to the biscuits. Mix everything together. If all went well, it sticks together when pressed. If the mixture is too watery, incorporate a few more finely ground biscuits into the mixture.
• Next, let's proceed to form the blasts. Pick about 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture, and press it flat in you palm. Add a maraschino cherry in the center, then roll the mixture to uniformly cover it all around. Finally, covering it with coconut shreds. Repeat.
• Serve cold or at room temperature. Given that you've used melted butter for this recipe, it probably means that you need to let it sit and cool for a while after the preparation. I usually just refrigerate them overnight, which also helps make each blast firmer.
• Note: while maraschino cherries have some nice flavor and consistency, I do love a different twist to this recipe. It takes some preparation in advance, but it is definitely worth the effort. Here's what you do. Takes about five cups of berries, and poke each of them with a toothpick (to help the juice flow out). Place in a jar, cover with two cups of sugar, and shake gently to mix. Cover, and let sit. After about a week, the berries would have bled some juice which also caused the sugar to melt. Add about 250 ml of vodka, and let sit for one to two months. Aside from the delicious blueberry liquor which you can now enjoy, you also have some alcohol-infused blueberries for your desserts. Use 2-3 such blueberries as a filling for the chocolate blasts, instead of the maraschino cherries.

Read more

Potato and Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients:

800 g. potatoes
1 pomegranate
3 onion bulbs
15 g. dill(optional)
1 pepper(add more to taste)
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash and boil potatoes; peel cooked potatoes and cut them into medium-size cubes.
2. Seed pomegranate.
3. Chop onions, dill and pepper.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan and cook onions over a medium heat.
5. Add potato cubes and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add pepper and dill; turn off the heat; mix and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Read more

Yellow Wax Bean Salad

Ingredients:
- 1 pound of yellow wax string beans
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 2-3 fresh cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup of chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar
- Spices: salt and pepper


Preparation

•  Bring water to boil in a pot. Add the yellow wax string beans, and boil for 20-25 minutes. When ready, discard the water.
•  Mash the garlic cloves. If you don't like raw garlic too much, mix with the beans while they're still hot - this will slightly cook the garlic. If you're a big fan of raw garlic (like I am), wait for the beans to cool, then add the mashed garlic.
• Partially mash the beans - we don't want them to be a paste, but we don't want the whole strings either.
• Dice the cherry tomatoes and the fresh parsley, and add them to the mix. Also, add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
•  Mix everything.
• Serve cold or at room temperature.

Read more 

Mititei

Ingredients

- Two pounds of ground meat; ideally: a combination of ground beef, pork, and lamb; common: a combination of beef and pork; simplest: either ground beef or ground pork
- One teaspoon each of ground cumin, anise seeds, allspice, and coriander
- Two teaspoons each of ground pepper and thyme
- One cup of beef broth
- One and a half teaspoons of baking soda
- One tablespoon of lemon juice
- A small head of fresh garlic, or half a large one
- Two tablespoons of olive oil
- Two medium-sized yellow squash


Preparation

•  Peel the yellow squash, discard the skin, and shred the interior.
•   Mix the baking soda with the lemon juice.
• Thoroughly grind the garlic.
• In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients.
• Form the mititei: for each one, take about three or four tablespoons worth of mix, press in the palm of your hand, and roll in the form of a cylinder. Do not worry if they don't yet keep the desired shape.
•  Refrigerate overnight - this allows the flavors to blend, and it makes the composition firmer, and allows them to keep their shape while cooking.
•  Remove from fridge, and roll again in your hands to reinforce a nice cylinder shape. The composition is much firmer now, and the mititei will keep the desired shape much better.
• At this point, you're ready to grill the mititei. Make sure you prepare them medium-rare, such that they stay juicy and soft.

Read more 

Boeuf Salad

Ingredients

- Five red potatoes
- One large parsnip
- One large carrot
- One chicken breast
- One cup of sweet peas
- Eight baby dill pickles
- Two pickled bell peppers (if you can't find those, use fire-roasted peppers kept in lemon juice or vinegar for one hour)
- One-two cups of mayonnaise
- Three boiled eggs
- Spices: salt, pepper
- For presentation: two boiled eggs, mayonnaise, olives, extra pickles, fresh parsley



Preparation

•  Boil the eggs, including the ones to be used for presentation (make sure the yolks are firm).
•  Boil the chicken breast for about an hour in a large pot, together with the peeled potatoes, parsnip, sweet peas, and carrot. Periodically remove the foam that forms on top of the boiling soup. You may want to start checking with a knife about 45 minutes in, and remove the pot from heat once a knife starts to easily slide through the largest potato.
• Remove from heat and drain. You may want to save the water and use it for a soup.
•  Carefully dice the boiled vegetables, the chicken, and the pickles. You want all pieces to have about the same size - aim for something slightly slightly bigger than a pea. Place everything in a large bowl.
•  Take three of the boiled eggs, cut them in two, and separately the yellows. Dice the egg whites, and add to the other diced ingredients.
• Add the spices, to taste. Be careful with the salt - the pickles are already fairly salty.
• Finally, you want to add as little mayonnaise as possible, but make sure that the whole dish stays together. You may want to add a few spoons of mayonnaise, mix everything together, check the overall consistency, and repeat if not yet ready.

Read more 

Fluffy Cherry Cake

Ingredients

- Four eggs
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of sparkling water
- A pinch of salt
- One cup of fresh fruits
- One spoon of vanilla
- One spoon of lemon peel
- A bit of butter or oil
- For presentation: powder sugar, a few extra fresh fruits


Preparation

•  Preheat the oven to 325F.
• If you're using cherries (or other seeded fruits), carefully remove their seeds.
• Carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites. We'll thoroughly whip the them in two separate bowls. I recommend you use a mixer, unless you're in the mood for a serious workout.
•  Start by whipping the whites for about 5-10 minutes (they turn into a foam). Continue whipping to incorporate half of the sugar.
• Next, we'll whip the yolks for about 5-10 minutes. Add the rest of the sugar slowly and gradually, then the lemon peel, vanilla, the sparkling water, and a pinch of salt. Continue whipping for another 15-20 minutes. The end result has a lot of volume due to small air bubbles mixed in the composition - these will make the whole dessert fluffy.
•  We need to gently combine the whipped whites, yolks, and two-thirds of the flour (we'll need a third for the next steps). The key word here is gently - we need to preserve the airiness of the composition. Start by putting the whites and yolks in the same bowl, and mix slowly from the bottom to the top with a wooden spatula. Use a sifter to gradually add the flour, and keep slowly mixing the composition from the bottom to the top. We're actually not even mixing the flour in - we're gently incorporating it by allowing the flour powder to stick to the surface and then turning the mixture over.
•  For baking, choose a pan wide enough to accommodate the composition while not spreading it too thin (I use a 9x9x2 inches pan). Coat it with a thin layer of butter or oil, then a thin layer of flour (use the sifter again). Remove any extra flour. This allow the cake to nicely separate from the pan.
•  Use the sifter to cover the cherries (or whatever fruits you use) with a thin layer of flour. Mix to uniformly cover all sides of the fruits. This will help some of the fruits to not sink to the bottom of the cake.
• Place the mixture in the coated pan. Gently add the flour-covered fruits on top. Bake for 45 minutes.
• Remove from the over and let cool.

Read more 

Vegetable Gelatine-Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

200 g. carrots
200 g. frozen green peas
350 g. potatoes
5 eggs, boiled
100 g. apples
6 tbsp. mayonnaise
3 tsp. sour-cream
200 ml. vegetable broth
20 g. gelatine
1 tsp. prepared mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the carrots, peas and potatoes. Slice carrots and potatoes. Slice apple and add in salad bowl together with vegetables.
2. Stir in mayonnaise, sour-cream, mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Dissolve gelatine in vegetable broth. Then add in salad bowl and mix well. Add in all the rest ingredients, except the eggs.
4. Cover the bottom of loaf pan with plastic wrap. Add in half salad. Place boiled eggs like train and cover with the second part of salad. Place it in the refrigerator overnight.


Read more

French Flan

Ingredients
 
 - Ten eggs
 - Two cans of evaporated milk (12 oz each)
 - Two cans of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz each)
 - One tablespoon of lemon peel (for simplicity, I use orange marmalade, same same)
 - Four tablespoons of sugar
 - Four tablespoons of vanilla extract or rum essence
 - A pinch of salt
 - One pie crust



Preparation

•  Break the eggs in a bowl, and add the sugar, the rum or vanilla, the lemon peel, and the pinch of salt. Mix everything until uniform. Add the condensed and the evaporated milk. Use a mixer to ensure the composition is homogeneous.
•   Note that the French flan needs to be between three and four fingers tall when cooked. Choose a baking pan where the composition would fill about that much space. Also, make sure that there is a bit of extra space on top - the flan tends to bloat while cooking, and then it reverts pretty much to its original volume.
•   Preheat the oven to 425F.
•   Carefully lay the pie crust such that it uniformly covers the baking pan (both bottom and sides). Add the flan batter. Leave about half an inch of crust above the batter level, and discard the rest.
•  Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve cold.

Read more 

Blueberry Liquor | Afinata

Ingredients
 
 - Five pounds of fresh organic blueberries
 - Five cups of sugar
 - (Optional) 2-3 tablespoons of vanilla essence or 1 vanilla bean
 - One 750ml bottle of 150 proof distilled alcohol



Preparation

•  Wash the blueberries thoroughly, then dry with a paper towel. As an optional step, gently poke each blueberry with a toothpick to help the juice flow out. Place them in a large jar, accompanied by the sugar (make sure the sugar is spread all around the berries, not just in a uniform layer on top or on the bottom). Also, add the vanilla bean now, if you're using it. Cover the jar, mix occasionally (about once per day), and let sit for around one week (until the berries are covered in syrup and there is no more visible sugar).
• Add the alcohol. If you want to add vanilla essence (and did not add a vanilla bean earlier), now is a good time to do so. Cover the jar, and let sit for 1-2 months.

Read more 

Papanasi

Ingredients

- Half a pound of cottage cheese, white cheese, or farmers cheese (if using cottage cheese, place it in a strainer, cover it, and keep it in the fridge overnight to discard extra water)
- Two cups of flour
- A pinch of salt
- Half a cup of sugar
- One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- One tablespoon of vanilla
- One teaspoon of baking soda
- One tablespoon of lemon juice
- One egg
- One tablespoon of lemon peel (optional)
- One cup of sour cream
- One jar of fruit preserve (my favorites include sour cherries or berries)
- Plenty of cooking oil
- A couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar (for decoration)



Preparation:

• Stir the baking powder with the lemon juice. Add the cheese, salt, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and lemon peel. Mix until uniform (it's ok if you have small chunks of cheese every here and there).
• Slowly add the flour, and mix. You want to end up with a dough that does not stick to the fingers - you might not need all the flour, depending on how wet the cheese you use is.
•  Now to forming the papanasi. There are two parts: the base, and the top. You create the base by using a bit of dough, rolling it in a line that has the same diameter as a pinkie and the length of about three pinkies, and firmly joining the two ends (same shape as a doughnut). Note that the dough will increase in volume when cooking.
•  For the top, use about a tablespoon worth of dough, and roll it into a sphere.
•  The next step is frying. It is best if you have enough oil to cover the papanasi when cooking: so use a taller frying pan, and be generous with the oil. Pre-heat the oil on medium heat - it is ready when you add a bit of dough in the pan and it starts quickly cooking and forming circles around it. Now carefully add bases and tops, rotate and necessary, and remove when they turn golden-brown and look delicious. Don't overcrowd the pan. Place the cooked papanasi on a paper towel (such that it absorbs the extra oil from cooking). You may want to prepare one or two papanasi, cut them, and check the interior - if it's not properly cooked, then reduce the heat to prevent burning the outside while the interior is still cooking. If they're too thin or think, adjust the size/shape of the dough before starting to cook.
•  You want to serve this quickly, while they're still hot/warm.

Read more