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!