Healthy Homemade Granola

Breakfast is an essential part of our day. "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch as a prince and dinner like a pauper," someone smart said. As much as I try to follow those guidelines, I think that a king's meal should be not only fulfilling but healthy and nutritious as well. When I was little, my mom cooked hot meal every morning and she always said, "Our body is like an engine. Whatever we put in the engine every morning, that way our body will work." Back in the day, I did not care about it much. All I wanted in the morning was my sweet sleep. Things have not changed much since then. I still love to sleep and to have my "9-hour-queen-sleep":-) However, I became more alert to what I like to have on my plate for breakfast.

Today I started the morning with homemade granola. I used to get it in the store and became a little upset when I ran out of it. I find granola nutritiously delicious. It combines all the ingredients I love: baked crunchy oatmeal, a variety of my favorite nuts, colorful fruits and aromatic honey. Besides, as I found out, it was very easy to make on my own at home. So, here is the recipe of my happy healthy granola:)

Ingredients

3 cups of oats (I like to have a big pack of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats. That way you will never run out of them:-)
1/2 cup of sliced almonds (any other nuts will work as well)
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/2 cup of dried cranberries (or any fruit you like)
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
3 Tbs of orange zest
1/3 cup of olive oil (Extra virgin)
1/2 cup of honey
1Tbs ground cinnamon
1 tsp of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300F and prepare a sheet pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: oats, sesame seeds, nuts, fruits, zest, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, mix honey and oil.

3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Spread the mixture on the sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Stir the mixture every 10 minutes so that granola cooks evenly.

4. Take the sheet pan out and cool.

* Granola can be stored in a plastic container or a jar for up to 3 weeks.

Bon Appetit!

Spinach Crust Mediterranean Pizza

What a beautiful Saturday morning in Florida. As soon as I thought that autumn was not coming to the southern side of North America, the reminder of home arrived to us. In November, Moscow streets are usually cloudy and grey. The early September sun travels far away to the south, somewhere to Sochi. As much as it sounds depressing, it is actually lovely weather. Maybe because I grew up with that weather, there is calming, romantic and slow-paced atmosphere. Slow pace is the opposite of what one might think of Moscow. However, cool and cloudy days are what brings people together in one place.

Returning to my life in Florida, it has been almost six months since I moved here. In retrospective, I feel like this was one of the biggest changes of the year 2013. My move to Florida allowed me to pursue my dream - going to culinary school. Every day at school is different. Sometimes I feel like I learn a lot, sometimes the water seems calm and stagnant. At times, days are emotionally and physically challenging. Truly, the doubting thoughts visit my mind. After a while, I come only to one conclusion -I would not wish any other path for me right now. From my observation, often people are consumed by daily activities and details that they do not see the bigger picture. When we do look at the bigger picture: how amazing our life actually is and what incredible things happen to us every single moment.
Also I agree with my favorite writer Paulo Coelho that when we choose to follow our path, the rise of emotions such as fears, happiness, worries, show that we follow the path that truly matters to us.

Because my culinary life brings so much joy and happiness, I decided to stop being lazy and finally use the computer to put in words what I make from day to day:-) Lately, I worked very often with dough: pastry, yeast bread, quick bread and so on. I learned there are couple ways to prepare yeast dough. One of them is straight dough method - the liquid ingredients are placed on the bottom then the dry ingredients are added to mix all the parts together. At school, we use mixers only. However, my grandmas, aunts and my mother have been making dough by hand ever since I remember. So, comparing two methods, I go 200% for the mixers!! It saves so much time and energy!!! I feel especially lucky to live in the time of progress and Kitchen Aid:-) So, here is a super easy and quick recipe of Spinach crust pizza with fetta, olives and preserved basil.

Ingredients 

1 Tbsp of active dry east
2 fl oz of warm water
14 oz of bread flour (sifted)
6 fl oz of cool water
1 tsp of salt
2 Tbsp of olive oil
1 Tbsp of honey
4 oz of spinach leaves
1 cup of feta cheese (crumbled)
1 onion (sliced)
1/2 cup of boneless olives (I like to buy big olives with bones from Costco and remove bones myself)
1/2 cup of basil and olive oil preserve ( the recipe is found here:  http://yayaskitchentoday.blogspot.com/2013/07/frozen-basil-preserve.html)

Instructions 

1. In a large bowl, combine warm water with yeast and add some flour. Let the yeast mixture rise.

2. Meanwhile, process spinach in cool water (the amount of cool water in the recipe).

3. Caramelize onion slices in olive oil on a pan.

4. Stir the remaining ingredients in the large bowl with the yeast mixture: spinach water, salt, olive oil, honey and flour.

5. Knead the dough until it becomes elastic and smooth.

6. Place the dough ball on the slightly floured surface and cover with material. Let it rise for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 400F.

8. Punch the dough and roll it to the desired thickness (or 0.5 of inch). Brush generously with basil preserve, add caramelized onions, sprinkle feta cheese and olives on top.

9. Bake pizza in the oven until crisp and brown (10 to 14 minutes).

* Instead of the basil preserve, you can brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle fresh basil leaves.

* The dough can be divided in parts and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

* On the bottom picture, the pizza is with regular dough, grilled chicken and salsa. To make regular dough, use water without spinach.

Bon Appetit!

Swiss Bread "Zopf"

My ideal rainy day includes a wooly blanket, a cup of aromatic hot tea and a warm piece of pastry. When autumn knocks on the door, it brings crispy golden leaves, cool fresh air and gloomy rainy days. The place I am from has one of the most magnificent autumn looks. In September, in Moscow, when trees loose their summer greenness, all the roads are layered with yellow, brown, golden, purple and red leaves. The days get suddenly shorter giving space to the dark early evenings. At the end of September, finally, the rain and gloominess chase away summer warmth. Somewhere I heard that in spring life wakes up, in summer everything is full of life, in autumn everything grows old and in winter it dies to reborn again in spring:-) To bear with melancholy of autumn, there are some nice things:-) Yes, I am talking about freshly baked goodies:-) Not only they are delightful but they also give another reason to gather close people together.

In Switzerland, on Saturday mornings, we had a fresh Zopf Brot, some jam, orange juice and coffee for breakfast. This cute little tradition gathered the whole family together. I still remember the feeling of sitting inside on a rainy day with a loaf of bread and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The bread which we usually ate was Zopf. Zopf literally means braid. I also learned that there was another name for this bread - Hallah. The main ingredients are yeast, milk, butter and white flour. When all the ingredients are combined in yeast dough, I let it sit for some time to raise. Yeast dough is one of my favorite types of dough. It is quick, easy and tastes delicious at the end:-) The base recipe for my bread was taken from the On Cooking book we use in culinary class. However, I slightly modified ingredients and steps. So here is the recipe:

Ingredients for 1 medium loaf

For the fermenting mixture
1/2 oz of instant dry east
1 t of sugar
1 T of flour
1/4 cup of very warm water (90F)

For the dough 
1/3 cup of honey
1/2 t of Kosher salt
14 oz of white flour (sifted)
3/4 cup of warm milk
2 large eggs
2 oz of unsalted butter (melted)
1 small egg for egg wash
Sesame or poppy seeds

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix warm water, dry east, sugar and flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until the mixture has bubbles.

2. To the mixture, add honey, salt, warm milk and half of the flour. Add eggs and mix well.

3. Add another half of flour and butter. Mix and knead smooth elastic dough. Add some flour if needed.

4. Place the dough in a slightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until the dough is doubled (1 hour approximately).

5. Divide the dough in 3 equal portions. Roll each portion in a long strip. Lay strips side by side so that you to can braid them. Pinch the ends of the braid on each side.

6. Place the braid on a baking sheet (greased or covered with a baking paper). Let it raise for 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350F.

8. When the braid has raisen, brush it with egg wash and sprinkle some sesame or poppy seeds.
Bake the loaf for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.

* Did you know that in order to check if a bread is ready, you can pierce it with a toothpick?! If the toothpick is clean and dry, the bread is ready.

* Did you know that the yeast dough raises better in a warm temperature?!

* I always mix my dough by hands. It helps me to feel how much flour to add.

Bon Appetit!

Swiss Banana cake

Back in 2003 when I was an exchange student in Switzerland, I lived in a small charming town, 30 minutes away from Zurich, called Wolfhausen. Wolfhausen is a beautiful place, surrounded by green hills, where modern life meets old traditions of Alpes, where two to three story houses prevail, where local people know and greet each other. I was a very lucky student. My new Swiss family greeted me with open arms and taught me German with patience and dedication. It was not the German language I had been learning at home; it was Swiss German!!! So, I thought when greeting a local villager, I should say "Hoi Zamme". Later, in a couple of months, after practicing my Swiss German knowledge with locals every day, I discovered that this phrase was only used when meeting a group of people:-) What a surprise!

Switzerland is an amazing country when it comes to variety of delicious food. Going back to its history, the country was formed by four distinct groups which later contributed to four languages spoken in Switzerland: German, French, Italian and Romansch. Thinking of that, can you imagine how diverse Swiss cuisine is?! During my stay, I enjoyed not only well - known traditional Swiss dishes such as Fondue, Raclette and Rosti but great Italian, French and German cuisines as well.

Knowing my passion for cooking, my host mother Monika presented me a baking book which I often use today. The book has great cakes and quick bread recipes. To my pleasure, widely used ingredients in Swiss goodies are butter and nuts:-) As I say there is never too much butter, the same rule applies to nuts:-) Banana cake recipe is simple to make and is utterly tasty! I translated the original recipe from Betty Bossis' book. However, I substituted some ingredients. So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

3.5 oz of butter (unsalted and room temperature)
5 oz of sugar ( I used brown sugar)
1/4 t of salt
2 eggs
Zest of one lemon
3.5 oz of raisins
1 T of Rum
14 oz of peeled and mashed bananas
1 t of lemon juice
5 oz of minced walnuts
1 1/2 t of baking powder
10 oz of flour (I used whole wheat)
4 T of milk
1 t of vanilla extract (if you'd like)

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F and coat muffin pans with oil.

2. In a bowl, whisk well butter with sugar and salt.

3. Add eggs and continue whisking until the mixture becomes light and pale.

4. Mix in raisins and lemon zest. Add lemon juice and mashed bananas.

5. Fold in walnuts, flour and baking powder. Finally pour milk and mix until smooth.

6. Scoop the mixture into muffin pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

* Did you know that if you mix baking powder with lemon juice, you eliminate baking powder taste in the finished product?!

* Did you know if you pour some lemon juice on peeled bananas or other cut fruits, you can protect them from browning?!

* Did you know that in order to enhance sweetness in baking products, you can simply add a little bit of salt?!

I hope you will like the recipe:-)

Bon Appetit!

Leek Cheddar Tartelletes

It's has been a while since I have posted any recipe here. Ever since I have started going to culinary school, all my delicious activities happened within the school's doors:) Only now I take seriously the words of my friend; she said once that she knew a talented chef who ate only sausages at home. I do not think that I will settle for sausages only. So this weekend I reminded myself of who I was and why I went to culinary school. I hope that it will not be just a profession for me but the style of life. That is why I gave myself a promise that this weekend I was going to make something delicious for my close ones:) In my mind there were two things: quiche which I loooove and black bean vegan muffins - complete newbies for me. Oh yeah they do really exist:) A girl from my school shared an idea with me. Since then my mind was wondering about black bean muffins:)
Returning to the quiche theme, every quiche is gooood! My favorite one is with leek and cheese. Leek is an amazing product! Even though it is a part of onion family, its flavor is mild. The edible part of leek is a white stem. Leek is often used for pie fillings, stocks and garnishes. I really enjoy leek in omeletes. When cooked properly, its texture is wonderfully tender. So, knowing my warm relationship with leek, I could not resist to prepare a mini version of a quiche:) Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

for the dough (taken from On Cooking Forth Edition) 

13 oz of white all purpose flour
1 stick of cold butter (flaked or cut in small pieces)
1 large egg (cold temperature)
1 pinch of salt

for the filling

2 medium leeks (washed and dried)
1 T of butter
1 T of olive oil
1 T of flour
1 cup of warm milk
1 cup of shredded cheddar
Salt and black pepper according to your taste

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and cold butter flakes. Add an egg and mix gently to form a ball. Refrigerate the ball for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Heat the pan over a medium heat.

3. Meanwhile, trim leeks' ends to keep white parts only. Slice circles 0.2 inch thick.

4. On a pan, pour olive oil and add the leek. Saute them for 5 minutes stirring gently until they become soft. Set aside.

5. Melt 1 T of butter over a pan and add flour. Mix gently. Add warm milk and cheddar. Wait until cheese melts and the mixture thickens stirring occasionally. Add leeks and salt and pepper according to your taste.

6. Preheat an oven to 350F.

7. Prepare a rolling pin, butter a muffin sheet (or tartelletes' forms) and flour the working surface. Divide the dough into 10-12 small balls. Roll each ball to form a circle. Place each circle in a muffin form.

8. Divide the leek mixture evenly in tartelletes. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on the top of each tartellete.

9. Place tartalletes in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.


* You can make a quiche if you use a bigger form.

* Instead of cheddar cheese, I also like to use gorgonzolla or parmesan.

* Milk can be substituted with cream.

Bon Appetit!

Eggs Benedict by Julia Child

Once upon a time there was a wonderful woman. She was passionate about traveling around the world, loving her family and of course cooking. When her husband moved to France for work, of course she traveled with him. She enjoyed Paris as much as she could: visiting local markets with fresh and aromatic produce, dining out in marvelous restaurants and trying out various wines. One day, she thought why not to go to culinary school - the famous Le Grodon Bleu. School time was challenging yet entertaining and fulfilling. I guess now you all know that I am talking about legendary Julia Child.

The first time I have heard about Julia was when I watched a lovely movie Julie&Julia. I was fascinated by the real stories which were behind the movie - the famous Julia Child who introduced approachable French cuisine to America and a wonderful blogger Julie Powel who shared her culinary experiences with the whole world. Years have passed since I saw the movie. 2013, here I am in Florida, visiting one of my favorite places, Davie, strolling through a local thrift shop, touching items on shelves and imagining who they belonged to. Suddenly, I see the name Julia Child. I do not believe my eyes! Instantly, I go on my cell phone and google to find the name of her and her co-writers' first book - Mastering The Art of French Cooking. I look at the year and I see 1961! All I can do at the moment, cry of delight and rub my eyes in disbelief.

While examining the book, I found it very approachable and easy to comprehend. Each step in recipes makes sense and authors spend time on explaining why each step is necessary. Eggs Benedict was the first recipe to try from the book even though it is just the beginning:-) So here is the recipe:

Ingredients

for Hollandaise sauce 

3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
6 ounces of unsalted butter (melted)
1 teaspoon of cold butter
Salt and ground white pepper
Paprika (I thought it would be a good additive)

+ a dip pan or pot and a bowl

For poached eggs

3 large fresh eggs
2 tablespoons of white vinegar

+ a boiling pot

Instructions

Hollandaise 

1. Heat a pot with water over medium - low heat. In a bowl or sauce pan, combine egg yolks, water, lemon juice. Whisk for 1 minute until all the ingredients are well-combined.

2. Place the bowl in a pot with water (for a warm bath) and continue whisking slowly heating the egg mixture. The ready egg sauce will become frothy and smooth. When whisking, you can see the bottom of the bowl and eggs are thick, remove the sauce from the heat. To stop the cooking process, whisk in a teaspoon of cold butter.

3. Add melted butter spoon by spoon, whisking after each spoon added. This process is important because if butter is added all at once, the mixture will not thicken. Continue incorporating until the mixture has the right  thickness consistency for you!

4. Sprinkle salt and pepper according to your taste. Set the sauce aside.

Poached eggs 

1. Bring to boil a pot with water and vinegar. The pan should be filled with water to a depth of 3 to 4 inches.

2. Once water starts boiling, take a spoon and make a circular motion in water to create funnel. Quickly, crack each egg one by one and open them into boiling water, keeping shells close to the water surface. Cook the eggs for 4 minutes.

3. Fish each egg with a spoon and place it in a bowl with warm water to remove vinegar taste. Place the eggs on a dry paper to remove excess water and serve immediately.

* To assemble Eggs Benedict, toast English muffin or fresh baguette. Place an eggs on each piece and pour the sauce generously.

* You can add bacon or ham as well. For that, heat the skillet and fry them with butter.

* Even though it is written that eggs can be boiled in water at the same time, as a beginner, I would recommend to try making one egg first to get comfortable with the process.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Kiev

Finally I got back to my lovely blog. My last days have been a little bit busy in a good way. They were weekends and they were filled with events:-) My friend's friend was visting Miami. So, we finally got together and had lots of fun. It always feels wonderful to meet someone from the same area, to chat about things in common and check if mother tongue is not forgotten completely:-) Moreover, we went to the same school in Russia. So, there were many things to talk and laugh about. We also discussed how some districts in America are occupied by people of a certain cultural origin. Sunny Isles is one of them - a district occupied by Russians. It has Russian restaurants, stores and other places. I always find it extremely interesting when people tend to gather closely. It gives the sense of companionship, support and closeness. Because Russia was the part of the Soviet Union, it shares a great deal of food products with its neighbors. Sometimes it is hard to track an origin of some dishes and people continue arguing about it :-)
Chicken Kiev is well - known in the Post Soviet area. Even though it came from Ukraine, the dish is so popular that you can find it in almost any restaurant or cafe in Moscow. I love Chicken Kiev for its tenderness and unforgettable rich herby aroma when cooked right. Pounded chicken fillet, wrapped around herby butter, rolled in bread crumbs, fried until golden brown and baked until the meat is just right - this is what an ideal Chicken Kiev is! So here is the recipe:

Ingredients
for two portions

2 chicken breast halves (skinless and boneless)
1/2 half of butter (close to room temperature)
1/4 of a bunch of fresh parsley (thouroughly washed and dried)
2 cloves of garlic (peeled)
1 large egg
1 cup of bread crumbs
1 cup of flour
Salt and black pepper (for seasoning chicken and butter mixture)
Vegetable oil or ghee for frying

+ an oven safe skillet/frying pan

Instructions

1. Chop pasrley and garlic nicely. In a small bowl, combine butter, parsley and garlic. Sprinkle salt and black pepper according to your taste. Set aside.

2. Place chicken breasts on a working surface. Cut each chicken breast across but not completely through so you can have wider pieces to roll butter in.

3. Cover each piece with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Carefully pound chicken into cutlets with a meat mallet 1/4 inch thick. Don't tear the meat! Salt and pepper each piece. Set aside.

4. In three different deep plates, place separately flour, bread crumbs and eggs. Beat eggs well. Place the plates so that you can coat in flour - first, in eggs - second and then in bread crumbs.

5. Take one piece of chicken, place a half of the butter mixture in the middle, roll the breast in a log and fold in the ends of it. Roll very tightly so that butter is completely enclosed.

6. Roll each chicken log in flour, dip completely in egg and roll well in bread crumbs. Freeze the chicken for at least 1 hour.

7. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

8. Heat well a skillet with oil over medium heat. Place each chicken in oil gently. Cook on one side for 5 minutes, on the other side for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Place the skillet with chicken in the oven for 10 minutes.

* The classic Chicken Kiev has a bone stuck in so it looks like a chicken leg.

* You can add other herbs such as chives, tarragon or any you prefer.

* You can store chicken in a freezer for a while. Keep them in a plastic bag or a container.

* Usually Chicken Kiev is served with mashed potato.

Bon Appetit!

Russian Style Coriander Malt Bread

In Russia, people say, "Bread is the head of everything". On the Russian table, bread has a very special place: it brings happiness and joy during special occasions like weddings, it saved many lives during the time of hunger and it is a necessary element of Russian meal. On a wedding, there is a beautiful tradition when a Caravai - a unique type of bread is given to a couple. Then, holding a bread from each side, a groom and a bride break a bread in two halves. Whoever has the biggest part will be the head of the family:-) So, going from the traditions, Russian people really like bread:-)
The coriander bread I baked was more common and consumed daily. I missed so much our rye bread that I decided to make it myself. The bread has versatile usage and goes well with preserves, for sandwiches, with salads, for toasts or with a Russian salted herring mmm! What I really love about this bread is its lovely aroma of coriander and malt. Originally, the bread is made of rye flour. I substituted rye with whole wheat flour. So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

for pre - ferment 
1 cup of Malta Goya
1 package of instant dry yeast
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (or rye flour)
1 tablespoon of ground coriander

for dough 
1 cup of warm water
5 cups of whole wheat flour (you might need more or less flour depending on the room humidity and flour type)
1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

1. Slightly warm up Malta Goya (near 100 degrees F).

2. In a large bowl, mix Malta Goya, flour, coriander and dry yeast. Cover with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place.

3. Once the mixture forms a creamy foam, stir in warm water, add salt and flour (1 cup at a time). Knead the dough to form a ball. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Knead the dough and shape a loaf. Place the loaf into a well - oiled loaf pan. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.

5. Warm the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle flour on the top of the bread. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes.

* Depending on your loaf pan size, you might need two pans. Also you can use a baking sheet shaping any bread form you prefer.

* In stage 3, you might need to reduce or increase flour. The ball should not be runny or too firm.

* To make sure that a beard is ready, pierce it with a stick. If a stick is dry and does not have parts of dough on it, a bread is done!

Bon Appetit!

Pearl Couscous with Salted Lemons and Summer Squash

Who said that vegetarian diet can not be as diverse as carnivore's? I would say it is when preparing my new favorite couscous dish:-) In this colorful dish, there are carbs, proteins, vitamins and lots of flavors:-) Slowly but steadily, I come to the understanding of why some people turn easily to fruits, roots and other rich vegetarian products. I would love to live completely sustainable life, preserve our mother nature and its creatures. However, for now, I am eating meat in moderation for two major reasons: too much meat is not healthy in a long run and too much natural resources are being spent to raise meet. Because I am going to be a chef and I am going to a culinary school pretty soon, my thoughts of vegetarianism might be postponed for indefinite time:-)
When I decided to put an experiment with couscous, I already had some ideas in mind. Couscous is a North African product which is widely used in many countries. There is a number of couscous types: Moroccan - small and cornmeal size; Israeli - pearl shaped and bigger in size than Moroccan; Lebanese - the largest in size. The latest couscous variation I tried was at the Cheesecake Factory - Moroccan chicken with pearl couscous and caramelized onions. Honestly, the moment I put spoon in my mouth, I lost my speech so delicious it was! I am a huge fan of African and Arabic cuisines. I kind of figured out that my little salted lemons would match ideally couscous and I also decided to add some sweet taste by adding dry plums and a butternut squash. Since I played fearlessly with tastes and wanted to jazz up flavors, I thought why don't I bring some sourness with tamarid paste. The dish can be served cold or hot, an additive to the main course or by itself. It takes only 30 minutes to make it! So here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup of pearl couscous (the other name is Israel Couscous)
1 1/4 cups of water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of butternut squash (washed, peeled and diced of 1/10 inch)
1 cup of walnuts (diced)
1 cup of dry plums (diced)
1/2 of 1 salted lemon (cut in small pieces)
1/2 bunch of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of tamarind paste
1 tablespoon of agava nectar
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
Salt and pepper according to your taste

for the dish, you will need: 1 cooking pot, 1 small skillet and 1 large skillet.

Instructions

1. Bring to boil a pot with water and salt (according to your taste). As soon as water starts boiling, add couscous, stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until ready. When ready, set aside and drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Toast walnuts on the skillet for 5 minutes tossing them occasionally.

3. Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add squash and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Then add plums, a salted lemon half and walnuts. Mix gently.

4. Add couscous to the mixture. Pour agava nectar and tamarind paste. Sprinkle cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes stirring gently.

5. Finally, chop fresh parsley and sprinkle it over the couscous. Set the dish aside.

* Be careful with salt. Lemons already contain lots of salt!


Bon Appetite!

Summer Strawberry Walnut Salad

Today has been a rainy and cloudy day. I am still surprised by the weather in Florida. Now I remember my physical geography class when we talked about different climates and the teacher mentioned tropical climate:-) Anyways, when a day is grey, it puts me asleep and it feels lovely to bring more bright colors in life. So, I decided to make a summer salad which was sweet, delightful and colorful. The only thing which I forgot to include was Gorgonzola cheese. When I remembered about it, it was too late:-) I thought that walnuts and cheese are always win-win combination. Next time, I will remember about my cheese:-) So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

Salad mix (Washed and dried. I got spinach and arugula mix but spring mix should be fine as well)
1 package of fresh strawberries (washed and dried)
1 cup of walnuts (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon of agava nectar
1/2 orange (for juice)
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a small skillet over medium-small heat. Put the nuts on the skillet and toast them for 10 minutes tossing occasionally. Add agava nectar and toast for another five minutes tossing from time to time.

2. Meanwhile, cut each strawberry in half from top to bottom and each half in two small halves.

3. For the sauce, in a small bowl, combine orange juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

4. On plates or in a salad bowl, place the salad, add fresh strawberries, walnuts and drizzle the sauce.

* Next time, I want to try to toast nuts with brown sugar. This way they should be crunchier.

* You can use any nuts you like. I thought pecans should be also delicious:-)

* If you like other fruits, oranges or cranberries will be awesome!

Bon Appetit!

Syrniki "Quark cheese pancakes" with Raspberry Sauce

To continue Russian food theme of this week, I decided to make syrniki for breakfast. Syrniki is a popular delicious breakfast dish in Russia and the post Soviet Union countries. They have small round shape and remind mini pancakes. Although syrniki look like their bigger American cousins, the ingredients are different. For Russian mini pancakes, we use quark cheese, eggs, flour, salt, sugar and sometimes vanilla. Quark cheese is a principal and irreplaceable ingredient! Commonly, cheese quark is made of cow milk with special milk ferments. You can buy it in many stores in Russia or in a gourmet section in big stores in America. Some people make this cheese at home. It takes some knowledge of the process and a little bit of time:-) The recipe is very simple. I am going to post the recipe of cheese quark in my blog.
When preparing syrniki, Russian people get very creative. Even though the process of making them is pretty straight forward, people add various fillings, toppings and powdering. Sour cream, raisins and fruit preserve are the most popular. The mixture of cheese quark is fried; it becomes crispy on the outside and moist in the center. The simplicity of the recipe and delicate yummy flavor make syrniki very popular in Eastern Europe. So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
for 2 people

1 package of quark cheese (or 8 oz)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
flour for surface
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix well quark cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour and mix with a spatula or a spoon so that the mixture doesn't have any lumps.

2. Heat the a skillet over medium heat, add vegetable oil.

3. Move the mixture on a floured surface. Divide it into 8 equal parts, roll the balls and press each ball into patties of 1/2 inch in height.

4. When oil and the skillet are hot, place patties on the skillet. Toast every patty on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown (tossing only once).

5. Place syrniki on a plate. Decorate with raspberry preserve or sauce and fresh raspberries.

* Sour cream on top of syrnyki makes them juicier. You can add some sour cream on each patty and sprinkle sugar on top.

* Instead of vegetable oil, you can use any other as long it doesn't have strong odor.

* As I mentioned, any filling and topping is good.

Bon Appetit!

Homey Liver Pate "Russian Pashtet"

Sometimes during summer my desire for cooking lowers. It is because summers are usually hot and even humid. When it is hot, I just want to dedicate the whole day to doing nothing and celebrating the sun:-) Especially, while living in the Southern Florida, I am being constantly seduced to go to the beach and I often choose to do so:-)
When I do cook in summer, most of my dishes tend to be light, cool and easy to make. Pate of chicken livers is one of them. One might doubt the easiness of preparing the dish. It is sounds French; French cuisine is famous for its richness and complexity. In the case of my pate, I completely agree with richness of flavors. However, the recipe is easy to follow and can be executed in less than an hour. It is my mother's recipe. She used to make the dish quite often when I was little; in original recipe, she uses beef liver and lots of butter. I use chicken liver because it has mild aroma. I also slightly modified the original recipe by incorporating red wine and basil paste. I purposefully added basil paste right before rolling the pate, so the flavors won't blend completely.
The final product was so delicious, so fluffy and so tender! I was very glad to be able to wait for the pate without spoiling my appetite. Unlike me, you can prepare pate in advance and store it in a fridge:-) So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 package of fresh chicken livers (slightly washed and well drained)
3 cloves of garlic (peeled and sliced)
1 tablespoon of butter (for sauteing)
1/2 of butter stick of room temperature
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 small carrots (washed and peeled)
1/4 cup of red wine
Salt and pepper
Basil paste or fresh basil mixed with olive oil

Instructions

1. Slice 1 carrot on small pieces.

2. Heat a medium size pan over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil.

3. Add garlic, carrots (slices and 1 whole carrot) and the chicken livers; cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

4. Add wine, salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes so that livers are slightly brown on the outside and still pink on the inside (without blood inside). Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.

5. Take out the whole carrot and put it aside. Puree the liver mixture in a food processor or a blender until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

6. Lay out aluminum foil on a cutting board. On the foil, spread the liver mixture evenly in a rectangle shape. Spread the butter on top, add basil paste and the cooked carrot in the middle.

7. Fold gently from your side shaping an even roll. Place the roll in a fridge for at least couple hours.

* You can add onions while sauteing as well. They will give delicious sweet taste.

* I used Merlot. You can use other red wine or brandy.

* I like to spread pate on a French baguette crust right from the oven. It aslo goes well with any other bread.

Bon Appetit!

Squash Soup Puree with Spicy Sweet Potato Chips

Squash is one of my favorite food products. I love it for incomparable taste and versatile usage in cooking. Squash goes well on its own or as a nice additive to a main dish: soups, souffles, pies, pastry or just baked squash with butter and brown sugar. Interestingly, when I was little, I did not like the texture of the plant as much as I do now. I remember my mother who was baking a fresh squash, brought from a farmers' market, with a slice of creamy butter and mountain honey. Wonderful nutty smell enveloped the whole kitchen and rooms. Despite my childish dislike of squash, I was always intrigued by the aroma it carried:-)
Fortunately, with time, my love to squash increased as my overall interest to food:-) More often I use the plant as a pie filling. I have some great recipes which I am going to share in my blog. My favorite type is Buttercup squash for its' intense texture - it almost reminds me of a potato. I like to experiment with food. This time, I decided to play with flavors by combining sweet and spicy - sweet soup puree and spicy potato chips. The final product was delicious! So, here is the recipe:


Ingredients
for the soup
1 medium size buttercup squash (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 small onion (diced in small pieces)
2 tablespoons of ghee (olive oil works perfectly as well)
3 cups of water
1 cup of condensed milk (or cream)
1/2 of a small bunch of fresh parsley (thoroughly washed and dried)
Salt and black pepper (depending on your preference)

for the chips 
1 long sweet potato
Sea salt and cayenne pepper
Olive oil

Instructions
for the soup

1. Heat ghee or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until fragrant. Add squash and cook for 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in 3 cups of water, bring to boil and reduce the heat to minimum. Cook for another 15 - 20 minutes or until squash gets tender.

3.  Meanwhile, cut parsley and warm up condensed milk. When the squash gets tender, add in a cup of condensed milk, salt, pepper and parsley.

4. Puree the soup in a blender in small batches until smooth.

for the chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Wash and dry a potato. Peel and slice in very thin circles. (You can use a potato peeler to make pieces equally thin)

3. Cover a baking sheet with foil or baking paper. Place potato slices on the sheet, each separately from another. Sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper and olive oil. Place the sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.

* You can store ships in a dry plastic container layered with paper.

* The type of a squash and spices can be changed depending on your taste.

* If you like the soup to be more liquidy, you can add some more cream or water and reheat the soup in a saucepan without boiling it.

Bon Appetit!

Frozen Basil Preserve

Basil or Basilik is one of the most widely known culinary herbs around the world. Not only it brings unforgettable aroma and flavor, it is often used in traditional medicine as well. Even though the origin of basil is unknown, it is deeply rooted in many cultures: in Italy, the herb is used to complement many traditional dishes; in Mediterranean France, basil side by side with fennel, oregano and saffron is considered essential part of culinary activities; in the Southern part of Russia, people add basil to fresh salads or eat it by itself.
There are many ways to preserve basil. I do it rarely. Luckily, we can buy a fresh bunch of basil and other herbs all year round:-) On the other hand, what should we do when we have so much herbs that we can not use it all at once? This time it happened to me. After visiting local farmers' market in Davie, I came home with a giant bunch of aromatic basil:-) Usually I dry my herbs and store them in plastic bags or glass jars. However, basil loses its' beautiful green color when being dried. After checking various websites, I found this really amazing and easy way to freeze basil on frugalliving.com. Besides, one time, on my friend's kitchen, I saw milled garlic frozen as ice cubes - another marvelous idea! So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

A bunch of fresh basil (separated from the steam, thoroughly washed and dried)
2 tablespoons of olive oil (you can always add more depending on the consistency of mixture)

Instructions

1. Place basil leaves in a blending cup. Add olive oil and blend it with a hand processor for 1 minute or until thick and blended well. (You might need to stop a couple of times to scoop the mixture off the blades with a spatula to blend better)

2. Transfer the mixture in a plastic container, cover with a cap and put in a freezer.

* If there is more basil, you can use a regular food processor.

* I reuse plastic containers from food I buy in stores. It is a good way to save our environment:-)

* When using the basil, take it from the freezer and use it as you would usually do.

Bon Appetit!

Moroccan Salted Citrus Fruits

Morocco - a country in the northern part of Africa which I do not know much about. Berbes, red clay, Maghrib Kingdom, French language, endless deserts, colorful food markets with everything possible for curious or demanding shoppers excite imagination when thinking of it. When I think of globalization, I have two things in mind: it is sad that some cultures disappear while blending in larger ones but it is amazing that people can easily learn something about countries and cultures far away from them. New cuisines and ingredients are remarkable parts of new knowledge that we are very lucky to experience:-)
Moroccan chicken is a must if you want to experience the cuisine of northern Africa. A year ago, I decided to prepare my first Moroccan Chicken. Besides flavorous Moroccan spices, salted lemons were a necessary ingredient. As Russians say, "The first attempt is a lump", my first attempt to salt lemons did not end as I wanted. Even though the ingredients were very basic: lemons and salt, I did not understand how lemons could be covered by juice completely or how much salt was necessary. Luckily, we are the one who decides how many attempts to take:-) So, I have learned from my experience and my friend's advice that one to two lemons can be used for juice only and there is never two much salt:-) Also this time, I tried a new variation with other citrus fruits, limes and oranges. So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
for 1 jar

10 Citrus fruits: 5 lemons, 4 limes, 1 orange (washed and dried)
1 pack of sea salt (can be both crystals or powder)
Cinnamon stick
Bay leaves
Cloves clavos

Instructions 

1. Prepare a clean and sterilized jar.

2. Take one lemon, from one end, slice it as to half it but not until the end (leaving the base of the lemon intact). Slice it in half from another end also leaving the base intact.

3. Squeeze some juice of the lemon in the jar. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on it - approximately 2 to 3 table spoons of salt for 1 lemon. Place the lemon in the jar. Add a small cinnamon stick, a bay leaf and 1 to 2 cloves clavos. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of citrus fruits.

4. The last 2 lemons are left for juice. Squeeze the juice covering the citrus fruits in the jar and a bit on a cap of the jar. Sprinkle salt on the cap generously and cover the jar. That way, you reduce the chances of mold to spoil your efforts:-)

5. Place the jar in a cool dark place of room temperature and keep it there for two weeks.

* Salted citrus fruits can be used with any poultry, meat or veggies. They go also well with rice.

* If you like, you can use lemons only instead of various citrus fruits.

* I reuse my jars. After washing and drying them, I keep jars in a dry place. To sterilize a jar, I place it and a cap in the oven on the lowest temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. After that, I cool them off.

* If a jar in not fully filled with citrus fruits, you can add some extra.

* If you prefer other spices, feel free to incorporate them. My friend Julia recommended me the current selection of spices, however you can also salt lemons without any spices at all.

Bon Appetit!

Russian Crepes "Blyny" on Milk

Blyny "Crepes" are universally famous. Often they are associated with pancakes in England and North America. Both recipes include basic ingredients such as milk, flour and oil. Unlike their cousins - pancakes, in general, crepes are much thinner and wider in diameter. Their shape and size are perfect to wrap various fillings. Such fillings can be sweet or salty. In Russia, people prefer both.

On Maslenitsa - famous Russian holiday to celebrate the end of winter, people fry Blyny almost in every house. According to the old Maslenitsa tradition, the golden disk will scare away winter and melt all the snow. People had been celebrating Maslenitsa long before the Christianity came to the Russian land. That is why many events during the Maslenitsa week seem very different: on Saturday men used to hold serious fist fights on snow; on Sunday, Forgiveness day, friends, relatives and men who fought on Saturday:) could visit each other and ask for forgiveness if they did something wrong during the year:)

I fry my Blyny not only on Maslenitsa but whenever I want to please my guests and myself:-) I don't know why but they always make me happy. The process of making them is a little bit time consuming but very fun. This time I had my friend Carmen visiting me from Wisconsin. So, while making Blyny, we had an interesting conversation:). Moreover, Carmen introduced me to a new filling - European cookie spread. OMG a hot buttery crepe with spread Tahini and European cookie with a cup of black tea - life worth experience! So, here is the recipe of Blyny on milk:

Ingredients

1 cup of milk

1 large egg

1/2 of teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1/2 cup of white flour (can be easily substituted by whole wheat flour)

1 tea spoon of vanilla

1 table spoon of olive oil (can be substituted by vegetable one)

A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, flour and oil. Whisk well until all the ingredients are well incorporated. The batter should be smooth.

2. Heat a slightly oiled frying pan on medium heat. With a ladle, poor the butter on a frying pan and tilt it so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

3. Cook the blyn on one side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. With a spatula, flip it on the other side for another 2 minutes. When the blyn is done, lay it one a plate and butter it.

4. Lay each blyn on top of each other.

* Kefir or water can be used instead of milk. The kefir blyn is lacy and a little bit sour.

* If your first blyn doesn't look well, this is normal practice. There is an old Russian quote "The first blyn is usually a lump":) Don't worry and continue the practice!

* If you don't want to use too much oil on a pan, pour some oil on a small plate, cut an onion in half and use one half to grease the surface lightly. (Another grandma technique;-)

* The fillings can be various: salted salmon, caviar, jam, sugar, fruits, cream and etc. All comes from your imagination!

Bon Appetit!

Leek Artichoke Mozzarella Omelet

When writing the omelet recipe, I instantly thought of Turkey. Turkey locates at the heart between the Mediterranean sea and the Black sea. Because of the central location, the country has been famous for amazing cuisine which was heavily influenced by the Central Asian, the Middle Eastern and the Balkan cuisines. Moreover, because Turkey - Persia back in the days, located on the Silk Way, the caravans and traders from all over the world organized famous markets on its' territory. Food markets deserve separate place in the history of the country for richness and variety of products: unbelievable variety of spices, Turkish teas, hookah tobacco, exotic fruits, freshly delivered lamb and sweet delights such as lukum and baklava.
Coming back to the omelet theme, this dish was my favorite when I stayed in the southern part of Turkey. Every morning, a hotel cook prepared delicious omelet with different ingredients in front of you. All you do - decide which ingredients go well together:-) So here is the recipe of my summer variation of omelet:


Ingredients

2 large eggs
1/3 cup of almond milk (or any milk you like)
1 medium size leek (washed, trimmed and sliced in circles 1/2 inch in width)
1/2 cup of artichoke hearts (drained and cut in halves)
3 oz of fresh mozzarella (I got mine at the local Costco store. The chunk was huge and very fresh)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt, pepper and paprika according to your taste

Instructions

1. Slice mozzarella in circles and each circle in half.

2. Heat a medium pan over high heat until hot. Add olive oil, make sure it coats the bottom of the pan.

3. Add leek and saute until soft consistency.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs well. Add salt and milk and continue whisking for 1 minute.

5. Gently poor in the egg mixture and spread it evenly tilting the pan. Lower heat to medium.

6. In 15 seconds, use spatula to gently direct the omlette from sides to the center. Tilt the pan so that the omlette is spread evenly.

7. While the omlette center is still runny, add artichokes and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the omlette for 3 more minutes.

8. Take off the lid, add mozzarella halves and cover for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat, sprinkle some black pepper and paprika.

*The omlette is very nutritious and has strong flavor because of artichokes. It goes well with fresh bread.
*I like to add mozzarella at the very end so that it doesn't melt completely.

Bon Appetit!