Beef with brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are from the list of veggies that i never cooked with.So finally decided to give it a try and very pleased with the results.

Cubed beef was places in skillet with hot olive oil sprinkled with salt and spices.I've added some onion and let is simmer until the meat looses pink colour and the onion becomes transparent .Add some water to cover meat and put a lid on.Check the meat sometimes until it becomes tender.Meanwhile rinse Brussels sprouts  and  mix them with salt,spices,garlic and let them"marinade".When the meat is tender add the sprouts  and cook until sprouts are ready(not mushy)

Broccoli and red pepper quiche

I' ve tried quiche several times and always wanted to make it by myself .Ta -dah !here it is!
very easy recipe and believe me from the all i 've ever tasted this one was the best!!!
If you wish to try here what i used:
1 pack frozen phyllo dough
broccoli
1red bell pepper
1 onion
1/2 cup half and half cream
Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
salt
black pepper and i used some paprika

borscht

 Russian: борщ) is a soup of that is popular in many Eastern and Central European countries. In most of these countries, it is made with beetroot as the main ingredient.

There are two main variants of borscht, generally referred to as hot and cold. Both are based on beets, but are otherwise prepared and served differently.I made the hot one as it was raining all day,but during hot summer days i made the cold one very often too

Baked shish kebab

I am going to post lots of shish kebab recipes.Here is a baked version
For this yummy recipe i used:
1lb ground beef
1lb ground lamb
1 big eggplant
4 tomatoes
2 white onions
salt
1tbs paprika
1ts ground cumin
1tbs plain yogurt

for tzatziki sauce
plain yogurt
diced cucumber
dill
salt
black pepper
1tbs lemon juice

A LITTLE TIP FOR JUICY MEAT:I MINCED ONION IN FOOD PROCESSOR
ADDED ALL SPICES THEN ADDED MEAT AND ONE TBS OF PLAIN YOGURT

Deviled eggs full of Omega 3

So here is another interesting healthy breakfast,lunch or appetizer you choose when to serve it.It is very easy to make ,but it is loaded with OMEGA 3 and tastes great!!!
You will need:
hard boiled eggs
a can or 2(depends how many you want to make) of cod liver(can find in any Russian food stores)
salt
paprika
half onion
olives,parsley,pepper to garnish(anything you like)

a greek-italian breakfast

In our house eggs for breakfast are a must;scrambled,hard boiled,sunny side up.Frittata  is a great breakfast that can be stored in the refrigerator and wormed up if needed.This way i don't have to wake up at 6 am to make breakfast,i can make it the night before and my love will just work it up in the morning.
For this one i used:Italian sausages,feta,black olives,tomatoes and leek but you can use any vegetables,meat you have

yummy tilapia

We love fish,and recently i discovered for myself -tilapia,is cheap tastes great and i love experimenting with it.Today i made a super healthy dinner out of it.Its a great meal for when you have guests.It is easy,fast and believe me- delicious!!!!

I marinated the fillet in soy sauce,fresh squeezed lemon juice and a drizzle of hot chilli  sauce

spicy crunchies

I am not into snacking that much but when i want one i prefer the healthy ones.Here is a easy recipe you,your kids,or guests will enjoy!Cheap,fast ,healthy .What can be better?and most important delicious .We are in loved with chickpeas :hummus never leaves our refrigerator,also we love falafel !
So here is what you ll need:
-1 can chickpeas
-2tbs olive oil
-for flavor anything you like: garlic,Parmesan,spices,etc
So open the can drain and rinse the chick peas ,pat dry
preheat oven to 400F,mix chickpeas with olive oil arrange in one layer on baking pan and bake for 45-50 min ,be careful not to burn them and you can mix them so they brown evenly
When they are brown take them out and here comes the creative part :sprinkle with Parmesan,squeeze some lemon,add your favorite spices,chop some garlic,anything you like .Mix well and enjoy!

Stuffed cabbage (not the traditional way)

I use to make many times stuffed cabbage rolls as it is a Moldovan ethnic food as it is a Ukrainian ethnic dish,Hungarian and Polish at least i know about those,but i am more then sure there must be more countries that have it,Back home we stuff grape leaves the way we do cabbage leaves.And i remember when i was little we used to live in a building that have a vine with grapes  on the back  yard of it,so when my mom was making stuff cabbage early in the summer i would go and pick up some grape leaves,the younger the leaves the better the taste.One day i ll post my mom's recipe for stuffed cabbage leaves,but today i am making a new version of stuffed cabbage.

And there is a funny story related to stuffed cabbage(called" sarmale"  back home)in my family.
As i mention in the page about me, my grandma was a chef at kindergarten in our town and until now kids that are grown ups remember her dishes.So when my cousin got married my grandma was in charge of food and of course of stuffed grape leaves as they are a part of of our wedding menu and are served toward the end (better said almost in the morning,as our weddings last until 4-5 am or even later)
And when the plates with "sarmale"were served you could see confusion on people's faces.They were asking what is it?And indeed  there were piles of something black on the plates,but it tasted very good
  As we found out next day from our grandma  , because she though the leaves were not as tender as she tho they should be, she added baking soda to soften them and the chemical reaction that took places turned the leaves black.Luckily at the end everyone was drunk and happy and nobody complained as i mentioned they tasted pretty good:)

For this recipe you 'll need:
-1cabbage
-1 red bell pepper
-1carrot
-1red onion
-parsley
-any hard cheese
-mayo
-salt
-paprika
-1tbs olive oil

Bring a pot full of water to boil,add salt
Cut the cabbage in half starting with the stem
Put the 2 halfs of cabbage in the hot water,no more boiling necessary .Make sure the water covers the cabbage
Let it stay in hot water until water cools off. Meanwhile cut the vegetables:pepper in stripes,carrots shredded,and onion long stripes as pepper.Sprinkle with salt,paprika
Take the pieces of cabbage out,pat it dry with a paper towel
use olive to coat a baking pan ,make sure it is big enough to" accommodate"both pieces of cabbage
Place the cabbage with the inside  facing up and using your fingers start stuffing in between cabbage's leaves with vegetables.Poor some mayo on top and any shredded cheese.(i used smoked mozzarella) Put it in a oven that was preheated to 375-400F
Check on it and take it out when the cheese has a golden-brown colour

note:this was a vegetarian version.For meat lovers use any ground meat,cook it with some onion a little bit of tomato juice,  to keep it moist,add spices.Mushrooms can be used too.Don't be afraid to experiment!

Rabbit in sour cream sauce(russian style)with a hint of curry

Anyone for rabbit?Here are some facts to make you try it if you never did:

Rabbit has 795 calories per pound. Compare: chicken at 810, veal at 840, turkey at 1190, lamb at 1420, beef at 1440 and pork at 2050.

Rabbit has the highest percentage of protein.

Rabbit has a lower percentage of fat than chicken, turkey, beef, or pork with unsaturated fatty acids at 63% of the total fatty acids.


The cholesterol level in rabbit meat is much lower than chicken, turkey, beef, pork.


So it is a great substitute for some meat if you are trying to loose weight or live a healthy lifestyle.Of course my recipe asks for some sour cream,so if you are worried that this dish is going to make you not fit in your favourite jeans then use your favorite vegetables and skip the sour cream or try it on your"cheating"days guilt free

Another interesting fact is that France is world's #1 producer and consumer of rabbit meat and we all know that they surely have knowledge of what is good,right?

So here is what we will need for this recipe that my mom used to make back home
-One rabbit(fresh or defrosted frozen)rinsed,pat dry  and cut into portion size pieces
-1-2 carrots
-1big white onion
-minced garlic
-about 4 tbs olive oil or butter
-sour cream
-black pepper
-red pepper flakes
-bay leaves
-2tsp curry powder
-salt
-about one and a half cup water,vegetable or chicken stock(i used water)


Cooking is as easy as pie:
Rub the portion pieces with salt ,minced garlic(you can make a paste using garlic and olive oil and spices)
In a large frying pan pour olive oil and put the rabbit it let it brown on both sides,add onion,carrots wait a couple minutes until onion becomes transparent and carrots a little bit soft then add the liquid,and cover the pan.Let it cook for about one hour or until meat is tender and slightly comes off the bones,add sour cream and curry powder but don't bring it to a boil

Just need to warn you!Wash you fingers before you eat this because you ll be tempted to lick them,it is very creamy and the curry gave it a unusual (but in a good sense of the word) taste for the traditional Russian version.

Chicken and vegetables stew

I think everyone knows at least one kind of stew,its a great way to throw in a pot some vegetables and meat,or just veggies add some flavorful spices and have a great warming dish

Today i decided to cook some soul food,something flavorful as it become chilly outside and cold soups are not in demand anymore

So  i made a delicious stew

2tbs olive oil

- half organic chicken cut into pieces

- 1carrot

-2bell peppers(red,yellow)

-4 medium tomatoes

-2 small zucchini-

- 1 red onion

-1red chili pepper

bay leaves

1 teaspoon paprika

salt

black pepper

scallion to garnish

Enjoy!

This is fried trout with garlic on top.IT is caught by myself at a fish preserve in PA.It was our firs time at a fish hatchery and i enjoyed it as i knew i ll definitely catch something.Though i am an adventurous spirit and went fishing to regular lakes with no good luck sometimes as amateur fishermen will understand me.The trout was delicious as they provide cleaning of fish on spot and you don't have to clean fish scare from walls or as my friend was doing:close himself in the shower,put his bathing suit on:)get into the tub ,close the curtains and clean it....

Cooking process very easy:you rinse the fish ,pat it dry,season it with salt,pepper or old bay seasoning (i find it the best for seafood)In a flat plate pour some corn meal,dip each fish in the corn meal from both sides and fry it.Get ready some fresh garlic,mince it or use a garlic press add a little bit of oil and top the fish.Delicious fish as back home.Enjoy!
This is fried trout with garlic on top.IT is caught by myself at a fish preserve in PA.It was our firs time at a fish hatchery and i enjoyed it as i knew i ll definitely catch something.Though i am an adventurous spirit and went fishing to regular lakes with no good luck sometimes as amateur fishermen will understand me.The trout was delicious as they provide cleaning of fish on spot and you don't have to clean fish scales from walls or as my friend was doing:close himself in the shower,put his bathing suit on:)get into the tub ,close the curtains and clean it....