Cultural Cooking

Meatless Meatloaf

2016-05-23T19:33:00.004-07:00

Derek told me that it was a blasphemy to make meatloaf without meat, but I did it anyway! This is a great quick dinner packed with protein and flavor. I've actually only had meatloaf once in my life, but the idea of simplicity of this dinner dish stuck with me. I was determined to make a meatless meatloaf that I could turn to on busy weeks.

Serves 6

1 cup uncooked lentils
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cook lentils according to package instructions until soft. Drain extra water. Partially mash lentils and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl mix lentils, onion, bell pepper, oats, and cheese. Add eggs, spaghetti sauce, and seasonings. Mix well.

3. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Transfer the mixture into the pan and pack it well.

4. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top of the meatloaf is golden brown. Run a sharp knife around the edges and turn the loaf onto a serving plate. Enjoy with a salad or a side dish of wholesome grains!

Adapted from this recipe.

Oats with Pear and Coconut Sugar in a Crockpot

2016-05-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

I had to archive this recipe because it's so good! My mother-in-law, Helena, was staying with us for two months helping us take care of our little boy while we were looking for a nanny. She made this oatmeal for breakfast a few times and I absolutely loved it. My favorite thing about it is pears! Juicy, sweet, and fruity.

Serves 4

3 firm pears, diced
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/3 cup raisins
2 tbsp. coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
1 1/2 cup boiling water

Combine the first eight ingredients in a crockpot. Pour in milk and boiling water and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Adapted from this recipe.

Apple Sharlottka with Walnuts (Russian Apple Cake)

2016-05-15T17:20:00.002-07:00

This is the most simple, yet delicious dessert you can whip up in a matter of an hour! The chances are you already have all of the ingredients on hand. Bonus- you can serve it both the Russian way, cooled and sprinkled with powdered sugar, with a cup of tea. Or you can serve it the American way, warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple vinegar (or any other vinegar works great, except for balsamic)
4 red apples
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
powdered sugar for dusting (for Russian-style serving)
ice cream or whipped cream (for American-style serving)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Beat eggs and sugar on high for 5-7 minutes until foamy mixture forms. Gradually pour in the flour and continue beating until the batter is smooth and evenly combined. In a small cup combine baking soda and vinegar. Let the chemical reaction do its foamy thing! (The vinegar eliminates the taste of soda from the cake). Add to the batter and mix everything well.

2. Core and slice apples into long thin slices. I don't ever peel my apples for sharlottka. Spray a 9-inch spring form with cooking spray. Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared spring form. Bake for approximately 60 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and firm to the touch even in the center.

3. You can serve it two ways. The Russian way is to cool it completely and serve the cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. Add a cup of camomile tea and you get yourself a real Russian tea-time experience. The American way is to serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

2016-05-10T17:58:00.003-07:00

The goal for this dish is lots of flavor and leftovers. I'm capitalizing on the nutritional benefits of quinoa and flavorful home-made enchilada sauce. It looks like this recipe has a lot of ingredients, but it's actually super easy to make. There is hardly any chopping! I'm not a big fan chopping these days. It takes way too much time.

Enchilada Sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp flour
1 oz can tomato sauce (or paste. Even chunky pasta sauce works!)
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (you can use water instead, but the sauce will be less savory)
4 1/2 tbsp chili powder (this is not cayenne pepper powder. You've been warned)
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste (1/2 tsp works for me

Casserole

1 1/2 cup dry quinoa
20 small corn tortillas, cut in half
1 can corn, drained
2 cans black beans, drained
1 large tomato, diced
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (reserve some for garnish, if desired)
2 cups Mexican blend cheese, divided

Garnish

avocado
sour cream
cilantro

1. Heat vegetable oil in a sauce pan. Add flour, stir well, and and cook for 3 minutes until the mixture thickens. Mix tomato sauce with the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Add the mixture to the flour and oil in the sauce pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. The sauce is done!

2. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Drain. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. (Depending on the size of the casserole dish, you may want to make two casseroles). I'll let you decide how many layers your casserole will have. Lay tortilla chip halves between each layer. Sprinkle with quinoa, corn, black beans, tomato, cilantro, and cheese. Pour the enchilada sauce over the layer. Repeat. Create the top layer with tortilla chips sprinkled with sauce and cheese.

4. Cover the dish with tin foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for additional 10-15 minutes.

5. Serve hot garnished with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro.

Four Bean Chili

2016-05-01T18:50:00.001-07:00

After having a child and continuing with a challenging job, I realized that my past cooking habits were unsustainable in my new reality. My cooking motto is now "Fast, easy, healthy... or I'm not making it!"And if it takes me more than 15 minutes to post it on the blog, I'm not messing with it.

This is a fast, easy, and healthy recipe of a Four Bean Chili. It's super flavorful and will last my family for a few days. Plus it's packed with protein and fiber.

Serves: a little army

Chili

1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste (about 1 tsp worked for me)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cans red beans, drained
2 cans pinto beans, drained
2 cans cannelini beans, drained

Garnish

Sour cream
Cilantro
Cheddar cheese

1. In a large pot heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium. Add onions and red and green bell peppers. Sautee for 5-7 minutes or until peppers are softened and onions become translucent. Add garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Stir well.

2. Add vegetable broth, tomatoes, and beans. Bring the chili to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes allowing flavors to combine. Serve garnished with sour cream, cilantro, and cheddar cheese.

Russian Taiga Salad

2015-10-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Russian Taiga.. When I think of taiga, I think of endless snow, extremely cold weather, and lots of trees. I also think of pine nuts! This salad is inspired by the gifts of taiga's short summers- pine nuts, cranberries, and mushrooms.

Serves 4

4 medium red potatoes, boiled
2 carrots, boiled
1 15-oz can green peas, drained
1 4 oz can marinated mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 green onions, both white and green parts, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
mayonnaise to taste
salt to taste

1. Chop boiled potatoes into small chunks without peeling them. Peel carrots and chop them. Combine in a medium size bowl.

2. Add green peas, mushrooms, cranberries, pine nuts, green onions, and parsley. Stir to combine. Dress with mayonnaise. Season to taste. Chill the salad before serving.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lemon Glaze

2015-08-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

I have never made banana bread in my life just because it sounded a bit too.. boring?.. But my husband loves banana bread, so I've made this loaf for him but with a fun ingredient. Coconut! And to make this bread taste more like a cake, I smothered it in lemon glaze. Decadent! I'm also proud to call this a semi healthy recipe since I have reduced the normal amount of sugar you put in a loaf and completely eliminated the need to add vegetable oil.

Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup shredded dried coconut (Plus more for decorating)
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a bread pan with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and coconut. Mix together well. In a separate bowl beat eggs, bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until even. Pour the banana mixture into flour mixture and beat well until combined evenly.

3. Pour the batter into the greased bread pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool the loaf.

4. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice to create the glaze. Pour the glaze over the loaf. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Black Currant Cheesecake

2015-08-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Having lived in the United States for over seven years I forgot what black currants taste like! Finding them at the local farmers market felt like Christmas! I immediately went into the mode of planning what I'm going to do with them. They taste like home to me.

This is a traditional Cheesecake recipe but topped with glazed black currants. If you don't have black currants, use any other berries such as blueberries or strawberries for the topping. You can omit adding berries to the cheese mixture altogether.

Crust

2 cups pulsed graham crackers
pinch of salt
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp cold water

Filling

2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup cane sugar
2 cups sour cream (do not use reduced fat)
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup black currants

Topping

1 cup red jelly (marmalade-like jam. Do not use regular jam)
1 cup fresh black currants, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl combine graham crackers crumbs, salt, and melted butter. Mix well until the mixture is even. Add cold water and mix again. Spray a 9-inch springform with cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan. Using your hands or a spoon, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan forming a single layer without sides. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

2. Lightly beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until it becomes smooth. Add one egg at a time and continue beating. Add sugar and beat until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Do not overbeat as it may separate. Once the mixture looks smooth, stop. Fold in black currants taking care not to pop them.

3. Increase oven temperature to 410F. Pour the cheese mixture into the springform over the crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 225F and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. When you turn the oven off, the cake should still jiggle a bit in the middle. That is okay. Leave the oven door open and leave the cake inside for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cool completely.

4. To prepare the jelly topping, gently melt red jelly in a small saucepan frequently stirring. Mash 1/2 cup black currants in a small bowl until the juice comes out. Add black currants to the melted jelly and stir to combine. Gently stir the remaining 1/2 cup of black currants taking care not to pop them. Spread the mixture over the cake.

5. Important step! Refrigerate the cake for at least 4-6 hours (or better overnight!) for best results. When the cheesecake is still warm, it will look a little mushy. The cold will make it set properly.

Chipotle Black Bean Burritos

2015-08-02T15:39:00.001-07:00

This is now my to-go-to recipe for a quick and easy weekday meal. Chipotle chile powder is my favorite little addition to tex-mex dishes! It add great smokey taste to the beans and is not too spicy for my liking.

Serves 6

Black Bean Filling

1 tbsp olive or canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 15-oz cans black beans, drained
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder (or you can add a tiny bit more if you want it a little stronger)
salt to taste
4 tbsp store-bought salsa
6 10-inch tortillas

Toppings

6 tbsp sour cream
1 cup Mexican blend cheese
1 1/2 cups Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cups Romaine lettuce, shredded
1/2 bunch green onions
canned corn (optional)
black olives (optional)

1. In a large skillet heat the oil and saute garlic for 1 minute on medium heat. Add black beans, chipotle chile powder, and salt to taste. Cook frequently stirring for 7-10 minutes. Stir in salsa. Remove from the heat.

2. Warm up tortillas in a medium-sized skillet or microwave (for best results follow the package instructions). Assemble tortillas by spreading about 1/2 cup bean mixture over one half of the tortilla. Top with sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and green onions (or corn and black olives if using). Roll up the tortilla and enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

2015-06-29T17:22:00.001-07:00

It's been so hot in Utah the last few days that I've been craving ice cream and Popsicles every day. This is my answer to the summer heat- Strawberry Ice Cream Cake adapted from this Vegetarian Times recipe. The original recipe uses basil insted of mint, agave nectar instead of honey and significantly less ice cream.

Ideally, you will need an ice cream maker to make the sorbet, but I managed without it. The sorbet layer was just a tiny bit hard to cut at first, but if you let the cake sit for a few minutes, it cuts just fine. If you have an ice cream maker, use it.

4 cups vanilla ice cream
4 cups strawberries, stemmed and halved, plus 1 cup whole or sliced strawberries
1 ripe banana, cut into pieces
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate graham crackers, pulsed in food processor

1. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with tin foil. Make sure the ends hang over the pan edges for about 2 inches. This will make the unmolding job so much easier once the dessert is frozen.

2. Using a stand-up mixer or blender, soften the ice cream for about 1 minute. Add 1 1/3 cups halved strawberries and mix for 30 seconds. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the loaf pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

3. In a blender, pulse 2 2/3 cups halved strawberries, banana, lemon juice, honey, and mint until pureed. Transfer to ice cream maker and follow the manufacturing instructions to create a sorbet. Spread sorbet over ice cream mixture in pan, freeze 45 minutes or until just beginning to set.

ALTERNATIVE: If you don't have an ice cream maker, just spread the pureed strawberry mixture over ice cream mixture. Freeze for 30-45 minutes or until just beginning to set.

4. Spread graham crackers over the sorbet, pressing in. The reason you spread them on partially set sorbet is so that the the crackers crumbs would stick to it. Some of them won't stick and that's okay. Wrap pan in tin foil. Freeze 6-8 hours or until fully set.

5. Unmold the cake unto a serving plate. Let stand in room temperature for 5-8 minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch slices. Serve garnished with reserved whole or sliced strawberries and fresh mint.

Quick Jalfrezi Curry with Potatoes and Lentils

2015-06-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Indian food, but to make it at home could be a big pain. I came up with this recipe out of necessity to cook a simple, quick meal that would be filling and produce delicious leftovers for my husband and I to take to work for lunch. And to do it on a budget!

A jar of an Indian simmer sauce was the answer! I've tired multiple brands like Maya Kaimal and Patak's, but I just recently discovered a Jalfrezi sauce sold at Smith's through the Private Selection brand. It sells for only about $2.60 for a 16-oz jar compared to $5 that you will pay for the Maya Kaimal sauces. It is flavorful, coconut creamy, and delicious. The dish turned out awesome and my husband always asks me to make it again and again. If you can't find a Jalfrezi sauce at a store near you, virtually any Indian simmer sauce will work well in this recipe.

Serves 8
Heat: Mild

2 large yellow potatoes, boiled in skin, peeled and chopped
1 cup green lentils, cooked
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 16-oz jar of Indian simmer sauce (I use Jalfrezi sauce by Private Selection)
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
5 small roma tomatoes, pureed in a processor or finely shopped
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
salt to taste
couscous or rice to serve

1. Make sure you have your potatoes and lentils boiled before you start making the dish.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onions and bell peppers. Sautee for about 7 minutes on high while constantly stirring. Reduce heat to medium. Add cooked potatoes and lentils. Pour in the Indian simmer sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, and processed roma tomatoes. Stir everything well, cover with a lid, heat through, and simmer on low for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt if needed.

3. Serve over couscous or rice sprinkled with cilantro.

Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes

2015-03-10T18:53:00.002-07:00

This zesty Mediterranean pasta has become my favorite to-go-to pasta recipe. Marinated artichokes, kalamata olives, and grape tomatoes are cooked to perfection with vegetable broth. The pasta is served sprinkled with finely grated Parmesan cheese, crushed pepper flakes, and fresh basil.

12 oz angel hair spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 12-oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (If you have two jars- even better!)
red pepper flakes to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/3 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving!)
fresh basil for garnish

1. Cook angel hair according to package instructions. Drain and return pasta to pot.

2. In a large skillet on high heat saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic cloves for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and bell peppers are tender. Add grape tomatoes and saute for 2-3 more minutes. Add artichoke hearts, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Cook for 3 more minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth and heat through. Finally add kalamata olives. Season with salt if needed. Remove from the heat.

3. Stir in the cooked angel hair spaghetti into the sauce to make sure it is well coated. Mix in the Parmesan cheese. Serve sprinkled with fresh basil and additional cheese.

Vegetable Pot Pies

2015-03-07T10:20:00.001-08:00

This winter/spring season I wanted to cook with squash more. I have never really been a big fan of squash, so I decided to give it another try. Winter squash blends very nicely with other vegetables in these delicious individual pot pies.

Serves 6

1 large potato
5 1/2 oz winter squash
1 large carrot
1 red bell pepper
2 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 3/4 oz butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 egg yokes, plus 1 lightly beaten egg
cayenne pepper to taste
1 tsp paprika
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 tsp poppy seeds

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray six 1-cup ramekins with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet.

2. Peel potato, winter squash, and carrot and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Cut the red bell pepper into 1-inch squares. Steam potato, winter squash, carrot, and broccoli until tender. Place in a large bowl.

3. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add onion and red bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Add to the rest of the vegetables.

4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add flour while constantly stirring and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the milk while continuing to stir. Bring to a boil. Stir for 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and slightly cool. Stir in cheese and egg yokes. Mix everything well. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt. Add the sauce to the vegetables and stir to combine.

5. Divide the vegetable mixture between 6 ramekins. Cut 6 circles out of the puff pastry to fit the top of the ramekins. Seal the edges. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Adapted from Essential Vegetarian, Individual Pot Pies, p 71.

Russian Honey Cake (Медовый Торт)

2015-02-16T17:19:00.003-08:00

Ever since returning from Russia a few weeks ago, I've been obsessed with Russian cakes. My mom is a fantastic cook and her cakes received awards in local competitions. She's especially famous for her Honey Cake (Medoviy Tort). I'm sharing a simplified recipe of this cake here. It's just heavenly!

Russian cakes are very different from their American cousins because they contain significantly less sugar and are more diverse in the ways you prepare them. Honey Cake is a layered cake with a slight taste of honey. Each layer is baked individually for 7 minutes. The frosting, or creme the way we call it, is light and made of sour cream and sugar. The cake is left to sit for at least 3 hours to allow the cream to saturate each layer. It's heaven.

In Russia we're used to using a double-boil method of preparing the dough for this cake. You will love this recipe because this method is not really required. You will prepare the dough by melting the ingredients in a small saucepan on low heat. This method makes Medoviy so much more manageable.

Serves 8-12

Cake Layers

1 stick (4 oz) butter
3 tbsp honey
2/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp milk, divided
3 eggs
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 1/3 cups flour

Cream

16 oz sour cream (do not use light sour cream)
3/4 cup sugar

1. On low heat, melt butter, honey, sugar, and 2 tbsp milk in a small saucepan. Stir until butter and sugar are completely melted. Beat eggs with a pinch of salt. Gradually pour the eggs into the butter mixture while constantly stirring. Mix soda with 1 tbsp milk to help it get dissolved. Pour the soda mixture into the butter mixture. Heat through while stirring and remove from the heat.

2. Cool the mixture until just barely warm. Gradually stir in the flour. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, combine all ingredients to form sticky dough. The dough may seem unmanageably sticky at this point, but I promise it will get better. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap to form a foot-long tube. Place in the fridge for 1 hour. The dough will become harder in the fridge and will be extremely easy to work with.

3. While the dough is in the fridge, prepare the cream by beating sour cream and sugar with an electric mixer until sugar dissolves and a fluffy cream forms. This light creme may seem a bit runny, but it will do the job to saturate the cake layers and make the cake wonderfully moist.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. What you are going to do next is very much like making giant cookies, only you will make cake layers. Once the hour has passed, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 8 even chunks. If it's warm in your kitchen, I recommend to keep the rest of the dough in the fridge while you're working with each piece individually. Using one chunk of dough, form a ball. On a piece of parchment paper roll it out into a thin circle with a rolling pin. (Hint: do not use flour to dust the surface as it will make your cake layers less fluffy. The dough will roll out on a piece of parchment paper just fine) Make it as thin as you can. Place an 8-inch cake or bowl lid over the thin layer and cut out an 8-inch circle. Just like cutting out a cookie! Using a fork, poke the circle multiple times all over. This will prevent the cake layer from being bubbly. Save the scraps. They will serve a purpose. Transfer the circle on the parchment paper to a cookie sheet. Bake the first layer for about 7 minutes or until it is golden brown. Once it's out of the oven, remove the layer from the parchment paper fast and place on wire rack or a plate to completely cool. Repeat with the rest of the layers.

5. Combine scraps on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Process in a food processor forming fine crumbs. You will use them to decorate the cake.

6. Stack each layer on a cake plate and smear 3-4 tablespoons of the cream on top of each layer. Use generously, but pace yourself to make sure you have enough for all layers. Gently apply pressure on top of the cake to make sure the cream is distributed evenly. Generously sprinkle the top of the cake with the cake crumbs. Leave the cake to sit for 3 hours. I usually leave it for 2 hours at room temperature and then transfer it to the fridge. I hope you enjoy it!

Praga Chocolate Cake

2015-02-11T10:10:00.001-08:00

Praga is a classic cake loved by many Russians. Not a single holiday or birthday went by without a nice chocolaty Praga in our house. My mom's recipe is amazingly delicious, yet surprisingly simple. The cake turns moist and delicate without being overly sweet. The secret of this cake is sweetened condensed milk that you add both to the batter and to the cream.

When I was little, my mom made Praga for someone's birthday. She would always make it the night before so that the creme would saturate the cake making it deliciously moist. That memorable day my mom went to work leaving the cake and us, the kids, home alone... Big mistake, mama. The guests were supposed to come over in the evening. I'd never really exhbited too much self-control anyway, so in the middle of the day I approached the beautifully decorated cake and using my finger scooped the creme off the cake and licked it off. Yum... It was forbidden pleasure.. Sure enough when my mom was back from work, she flew off the handle and I got the belt. I still remember that day very well. Pleasure and pain...

Cake

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vinegar (yep, you read that right)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup flour
3-4 tbsp powdered cocoa (depending on how dark you want your cake)

Cream and Topping

1 1/2 stick butter, softened
3/4 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 chocolate bar with hazelnuts (Ritter Sport works great!)

Preheat oven to 350F. To prepare the batter, beat together sugar and eggs. Whisk in sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and even. In a small saucer combine baking soda and vinegar. Let the chemical reaction run its course for a couple of seconds. This method is believed to help reduce the taste of baking soda in the cake. Pour the foaming soda into the batter.

In a separate bowl whisk together baking powder, salt, flour, and cocoa. Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture while constantly whisking until smooth batter forms.

Lightly grease a form of your choice (a 9'' or 8'' round dishes would work beautifully. I used a square 9x9 dish for the cake in the picture). Pour the batter into the form. Bake for 30 minutes or until the toothpick placed inside of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

To prepare the cream, beat butter and sweetened condensed milk with an electric mixer. Don't overdo it because butter doesn't like a lot of beating and will separate. Here's a hint. Sometimes depending on the sweetened condensed milk brand or the butter, you will decide to use more of either butter or condensed milk. You can add as much butter or condensed milk until your cream reaches the desired thickness. I've used 1 1/2 stick butter and 3/4 can sweetened condensed milk to achieve a nice and thick cream. But you can go crazy!

Now the fun part.. Using a knife, slice the cake lengthwise (horizontally) to create a two-layered cake. Using a spatula, spoon half of the cream onto the first layer spreading it evenly. Cover it with the top layer. Spoon the rest of the cream on top of the cake. Grate the chocolate bar and decorate the cake with grated chocolate. The cake tastes the best after sitting for a few hours helping the cake get saturated with the cream. Enjoy!

Crepe Cake with Custard Creme (Блинный Торт с Заварным Кремом)

2015-02-02T17:13:00.001-08:00

Ooh la la. This cake has got to be my favorite! You can pretty much have it for breakfast and not feel guilty at all. We went to Russia for the holidays and at the New Year's party my sister served an amazing Crepe Cake. I returned to the US with an obsession and a fixed idea to recreate the divine dessert. It turned out to be fairly easy to make, but get ready to make a lot of crepes! My most favorite thing about it is the fact that it's not so sweet and not too buttery. I reduced the amount of sugar and butter in this recipe by 50%.

I used a small 7-inch skillet to make about 25 crepes. The cake turns out to be 2.5 inches tall. Each crepe is about 6.5-7 inches in diameter. It serves about 8 people. It tastes the best after sitting in the fridge for at least 4 hours. This will allow the layers to become saturated with custard. I strongly recommend to not skip this step, but if you're pressed for time, it will work out without it too.

Custard Creme

3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar and it turned out wonderfully delicate. My sweet-tooth husband likes it a bit sweeter)
3 egg yokes
4 tbsp flour
3/4 cup cold milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot milk
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened

In a small bowl whisk together sugar and yokes until the mixture is even. Gradually add flour while continuing to gently whisk the mixture. Add 3/4 cup of cold milk and vanilla. Stir to combine.

In a small sauce pan bring 1/2 cup milk to a boil while constantly stirring and taking care not to burn it. Reduce the heat to medium low. Gradually pour in the egg mixture into the hot milk mixture while continuing to stir. Continue cooking and stirring to the point of the mixture becoming thick and custard forming. The stirring might take about 10 minutes for the custard to become thick.

Cool the custard completely. Gradually add softened butter to the custard while gently stirring it. Quickly beat the custard with an electric mixer until smooth and even. Make sure you don't beat the custard too long otherwise it may separate. Just a few seconds will be enough for it to become smooth.

Crepes and Topping

2 1/2 cups milk, barely warm
3 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 chocolate bar, grated or shaved for the topping

In a medium bowl beat milk, eggs, salt, and sugar. Gradually beat in the flour. Beat until there are no clumps in the batter. Add vegetable oil and beat a few more seconds.

Heat a small skillet on medium. Grease with butter or vegetable oil if needed. Using a ladle, pour about 1/4 a cup of batter unto the batter, making a circular motion to allow the batter to cover the entire bottom of the skillet. Cook until the bottom of the crepe becomes light brown, about a minute. Flip the crepe and cook on the other side for another 30-60 seconds. (Your first crepe may come out weird and you may get frustrated. We have a Russian saying that I always repeat to myself when making crepes, called blini in Russian. It says, "The first crepe always comes out as a lump." Once your skillet is well heated, you will have no problem making beautiful crepes. I usually try to oil or grease the skillet after every 4-5 crepes to help the flipping). Repeat until you run out of batter. You don't need to butter each crepe, but if you would like to- more power to you. I wanted to use as little fat as possible.

Assembling the Cake

Before assembling the cake, please make sure that the crepes are completely chilled. If your crepes are warm, the custard may start melting and you will be dealing with a big mess.

Place one crepe on a cake plate. Smear it with about 1- 1/2 tbsp of custard. Place another crepe on top of the first one. Repeat about 25 times. Pace yourself to make sure you have enough custard to go until the very last layer. (To prevent the cake from becoming lop-sided, I suggest to do half of the layers first and then putting the cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes to set. After the custard becomes more firm, you can continue with the rest of the layers. The cake in the picture turned out a bit lop sided because I skipped this step.)

Sprinkle shredded or grated chocolate on top of the cake. Place in the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!!

BBQ Tofu Salad

2015-01-24T11:31:00.004-08:00

When I'm busy and don't have much time to cook, it's always easy to give up and just have a bowl of cereal. That's why I like to keep a few recipes that make an easy and nutritious weekday meal. For this recipe I've used Trader Joe's Sriracha Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce. It's divine! But any regular BBQ sauce will do the job. If your local grocery store carries baked tofu, try it. It's delicious and savory. I can seriously eat the whole package raw.

Serves 4

1 14-oz package extra firm tofu (or baked tofu!)
2/3 cup BBQ sauce
1 1/2 cups corn, canned or thawed
2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large English cucumber, sliced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
Thousand Island dressing

1. If you're using regular extra firm tofu, slice the tofu block lengthwise and drain the excess liquid by placing the first slice on a piece of paper towel, covering it with another piece of papertowel, and gently applying pressure with your hands. Repeat with the second slice. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Place the tofu in a small bowl and pour the BBQ sauce over it. Let it marinade while you're chopping the rest of the vegetables. (If you're using baked tofu, you don't need to drain it. Just cut it into 1-inch pieces and marinade in the BBQ sauce).

2. Warm up the corn and black beans in the microwave. You can skip this step if you like them at room temperature. In individual plates, combine the corn, black beans, lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

3. Heat a skillet on medium. Add the marinated tofu with the sauce to the skillet. Cook for 7 minutes or until the tofu heats through.

4. Divide the tofu between 4 places. Serve with the Thousand Island dressing on the side. Enjoy!

Meatless Meatballs

2015-01-11T15:10:00.002-08:00

My husband and I have been sick, so I had no motivation to cook. I didn't even go grocery shopping for anything specific this week. Then suddenly I got hungry and wanted to cook. At my disposal were only the ingredients that I already had in my pantry and fridge. The result- the most delicious meatless meatballs! When I come up with a recipe, I usually have to test it a few times. This one was perfect from the first attempt.

The "meat" balls are full of flavor and they hold their shape perfectly thanks to the walnuts, chickpeas, and eggs. They could be used in meatball sandwiches or served smothered with marinara sauce. They are also an excellent way to sneak in some broccoli without grossing out your husband or kids.

Because I get bored too fast, I have to constantly entertain myself by coming up with new eating ideas. My new project is to use a fruit or vegetable that I usually don't use in my cooking at least once a week. This week's random choice fell on rutabagas! I had a lot of hope for this comely root, but I have to say that it wasn't my favorite. I made it mashed with thyme and buttermilk, but I made a mistake of adding a dash of cardamom. It turned out weird hence I'm not posting the recipe here. Now I know why it's famous in Europe as the vegetable of last resort! Apparently, most people eat it only when they have nothing else to eat :) No offense, rutabaga!

Makes 20 meatballs

2 cups broccoli, steamed
3/4 cups walnuts
1 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs, slightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste

1. Make sure you have steamed broccoli and it's ready to go. About 3 cups fresh broccoli make 2 cups steamed. Preheat oven to 350F. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly spray it with cooking spray.

2. Process walnuts until smooth and move them to a mixing bowl. Process chickpeas until smooth and add them to walnuts. Process parsley and add it to walnuts and chickpeas. Mix everything well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until the mixture is even and smooth.

3. With your hands form 20 meatballs, pressing them to make sure they will hold their form. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve as desired.

Хлеб за 5 Минут в День

2015-01-10T17:06:00.002-08:00

What can be better than a piece of warm fresh bread with a perfect crust! I shared my excitement about the book "The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" with my best friend who lives in Russia. This book literally changed my culinary life and I was eager for her to try a new method in bread baking. I've summed up three of my most favorite recipes from the book for her in Russian, but I'm also posting it here for my other Russian friends who may be interested. If you speak English, I would highly recommend purchasing the book. Here's a link to it on Amazon. Boule, Challah, and Cinnamon Raisin breads are in the pictures above.

Все три рецепта придерживаются одного и того же метода. Идея в том, что ты сможешь подавать на стол теплый хлеб каждый день всего за 5 минут в день. И это не развод, а самая настоящая правда! :) Очень важно помнить следующее:

1. Тесто по этому методу содержит гораздо больше воды, чем стандартные рецепты. Это позволяет тесту сохраняться в холодильнике до двух недель! Ты можешь раз в день отрeзать кусок теста, формировать хлеб, и запекать его. И каждый день у тебя будет свежий хлеб.

2. Это тесто ни в коим случае нельзя месить! Не поддавайся соблазну. Ингредиенты тебе нужно будет только равномерно смешать используя деревянную ложку и немного помяв тесто руками до образования однородности. Не меси!

3. При формировании буханочек, работай быстро и опять же не меси. Быстро сформируй (за 20-40 секунд) хлеб и дай ему опять настояться. Если уже поднявшее тесто месить, то ты уничтожишь пузырьки с воздухом, которые делают этот хлеб потрясающим. В общем, надеюсь мы друг друга поняли - не меси :)

4. Муку используй обычную, высшего сорта.

5. Вода должна быть теплой, но ни в коим случае не горячей, иначе дрожжи умрут.

Описание метода

Один и тот же метод используется для трех рецептов, которыми я с тобой поделюсь.

1. Смешай ингредиенты в большой миске, используя деревянную ложку. Я обычно под конец запускаю в тесто руки, и смешиваю тесто руками раза три, не больше. Самое главное - просто ингредиенты смешать, но не замешивать тесто.

2. Тесто накрыть прозрачной пленкой, оставляя небольшие отверстия. Тесто дышит и для того чтобы оно поднялось, ему понадобиться кислород. Пленка поможет тесту не высыхать. Оставить тесто подниматься на 2 часа. Тебе не нужно будет следить за ним. Не важно знать если оно увеличилось вдвое, или втрое. Два часа достаточно, даже в прохладной квартире. Самые главные чудеса будут совершаться в духовке.

3. Каждый рецепт достаточен либо для 2х буханок, либо для 4х. Оторви или отрежь достаточно теста для буханочки, сформируй его руками. Остальное тесто отправь в холодильник. Тесто без молочных продуктов и яиц будет в холодильнике храниться 2 недели. Тесто с молочным и яйцами, будет храниться 5 дней. Оставь пленку на миске. Убедись что тесто сможет дышать.

4. Стандартный хлеб (французкий буле), формируется очень быстро. Берешь четверть теста, хорошо его посыпаешь мукой. Формируешь шар, растягивая края теста, и засовывая их под низ шара. Тебе покажется, что низ хлеба представляет из себя какой-то хаос из спутанных концов теста, но при дальнейшем поднятии теста и в печке, тесто станет равномерным. Весь процесс должен занять не более 20-40 секунд. Как плести плетенку или хлеб с корицей я опишу дальше.

5. Кладешь готовый шарик из теста на приготовленный противень, покрытый пергаментной бумагой. Если используешь алюминевую бумагу, то ее нужно будет сбрызнуть подсолнечным маслом. Пергамент работает лучше всего. Оставляешь тесто “отдыхать” 40-90 минут в зависимости от типа хлеба.

6. После истечения 40-90 минут, ставишь противень в прогретую духовку. Время в духовке и температура для каждого хлеба будет отличаться.

7. Свежий хлеб готов! Лучше всего дать ему постоять и немного охладиться прежде чем его нарезать. Даже после духовки, внутри буханки под корочкой все равно идут процессы, которые помогают консистенции хлеба. Если хлеб разрезать сразу же после духовки, он покажется немного влажным. Если дать остудить, консистенция хлеба будет идеальной.

Хлеб Круглый (Французский Буле)

Этого количества теста достаточно для 4х круглых буханок, каждая весит примерно полкилограмма.

Теплая вода 680 грамм
Дрожжи 10 грамм
Соль 17-25 грамм
Мука 910 грамм
Я добавляю в тесто также немного сухих трав типа тимьяна и розмарина, но необязательно. Очень ароматно!

1. В миске смешать все ингридиенты до образования более или менее однородного теста. Не замешивать.

2. Накрыть пленкой, оставить отверстия для воздуха, и дать подняться 2 часа.

3. Отрезать кусок теста, достаточный для одной буханки (четверть всего теста). Обильно посыпать мукой, но муку в тесто не врабатывать. Сформировать кругляш описанный выше.

4. Положить на приготовленный противень с пергаментной бумагой, дать постоять 40 минут.

5. Разогреть духовку до примерно 230C. Ножом разрезать либо три неглубокие паралельные полосочки на буханке, либо две крестом. Выпекать 30-35 минут до образования хрустящей корочки.

Плетенка (Халла)

Этого количества теста достаточно для 4х плетенок, примерно по пол-киллограмма веса. Не использованное тесто хранится в холодильнике 5 дней.

Теплая вода 400 грамм
Дрожжи 10 грамм
Соль 17-25 грамм
Яйца 4 штуки, больших (Плюс одно для смазки)
Мед 170 грамм
Масло 115 грамм
Мука 990 грамм
Мак или кунжут для посыпки

1. Смешать все ингридиенты до образования более или менее однородного теста. Не замешивать.

2. Накрыть пленкой, оставить отверстия для воздуха, и дать подняться 2 часа.

3. Отрезать кусок теста, достаточный для одной буханки (четверть всего теста). Тесто мукой посыпать не нужно, только руки. Руками нежно растяни тесто и сформируй длинную сосисочку длинной примерно в 30-40 см. Разрежь сосиску на три полоски. Заплети полоски в косичку. Легче всего начать плести косичку с середины. Заправь концы под плетенку.

4. Положи плетенку на приготовленный противень покрытый пергаментной бумагой. Дай постоять еще 60-90 минут. За это время плетенки хорошо поднимуться и станут пузатыми.

5. Смажь плетенку яйцом и посыпь маком либо кунжутом.

6. Разогрей духовку до примерно 175C. Выпекай 30-35 минут.

Хлеб с Корицей и Изюмом на Кефире

Из этого количества теста делается 2 буханки, каждая весит примерно по килограмму. Неиспользованное тесто храниться в холодильнике 5 дней. Изюмная начинка дается на одну буханку. Если используешь все тесто стразу и делаешь 2 буханки, используй вдвое больше начинки. Это тесто также хорошо для всякого рода выпечки!

Тесто на 2 буханки:

Теплая вода 455 грамм
Кефир 240 грамм
Дрожжи 10 грамм
Соль 17-25 грамм
Сахар 20 грамм
Мука 920 грамм

Начинка на 1 буханку:

¼ стакана сахара
1 ½ чайной ложки корицы
¾ стакана изюма

1. Смешай все ингредиенты до образования однородного теста. Не замешивай.

2. Накрой пластиковой пленкой, оставь отверстия, и поставь подниматься на 2 часа.

3. Приготовь форму для хлеба и легко смажь ее маслом.

4. Используй половину теста на каждую буханку. Присыпь рабочее место мукой. Скалкой раскатай тесто в прямоугольник. Короткая сторона прямоугольника должна примерно равняться длинной стороне твоей формы для выпечки. Я раскатываю в прямоугольник 20см х 40см. Длина моей формы 20 см.

5. Смешай корицу с сахаром. Равномерно посыпь тесто смесью корицы и сахара. Равномерно распредели изюм по всему прямоугольнику. Начиная с короткой стороны (20см), начинай закатывать тесто в рулет. Защеми концы рулета и заправь их под буханочку, чтобы получилась овальная рулето-образная буханочка. Помести ее в смазанную форму.

6. Оставь буханку подниматься еще на 90 минут. Это очень важное время. За это время в тесте образуются пузырьки и тесто становится воздушным при выпечке.

7. Разогрей духовку до 190C. Выпекай 40 минут.

Sources: The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Jeff Herzberg, Joe Francois. Here's a link to this fantastic book on Amazon.

Artichoke Leek Bread Pudding

2015-01-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed with artichokes in all forms. Baked artichokes, artichokes on pizza, and artichoke bakes are my favorite. This flavorful bread pudding could be a perfect side dish or a light main dish served with a salad on the side.

Serves 6

6 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups Italian bread, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups sliced leeks (white parts only)
1 12-oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2/3 tsp dried thyme (plus more for sprinkling)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup Italian style cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-cup baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs, milk, mustard, and ground nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bread chunks and press them down to cover them with the egg mixture. They will soak while you're working on the rest of the recipe.

3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium. Add sliced leeks and saute for 5 minutes stirring them every once in a while. Add artichoke hearts, thyme, paprika and season to taste. Saute for 5 more minutes.

4. Combine the bread mixture with the artichoke mixture and Italian style cheese. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and a pinch of thyme. Bake for 45 minutes or until the pudding is golden brown and is set. Bon Appetit!

Inspired by "Savory Bread Pudding with Artichokes and Two Cheeses" by Vegetarian Times. November 2014.

Cozy Soup Trio: Carrot and Orange, Potato and Leek, and Minestrone

2014-12-07T16:39:00.001-08:00

I grew up eating soup every day... mostly because my Dad would get cranky if he went without soup for longer than a day. I used to hate soup, but now I love it for the variety of recipes, the beauty of colorful ingredients, and the warm and cozy feelings I get when I have a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. These three recipes are the most simple but delicious classics: Carrot and Orange, Potato and Leek, and Ministrone.

Carrot and Orange Soup

Serves 4

1 oz butter
1 lb 3 oz carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup orange juice
3 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt to taste
sour cream for garnish
ground nutmeg for garnish

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add carrots and onions. Saute them over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the orange juice, vegetable broth, thyme, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender, or about 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree until smooth. Heat again if needed. Serve garnished with sour cream and nutmeg.

Potato and Leek Soup

Serves 4

3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups sliced leeks (both green and white parts)
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley to garnish (or walnut pesto, optional)

Make sure your leeks are very well rinsed. They are notorious for hiding dirt between the layers. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add leeks and cook them on medium for 3 minutes stirring them. Add garlic and cook everything for 1 more minute. Add vegetable broth and potatoes. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste.

Use an immersion or regular blender to puree until smooth. Heat again if needed. Serve garnished with parsley. I served mine with a teaspoon of walnut pesto.

Minestrone Soup

Serves 6-8

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1/2 small head white cabbage, chopped
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 pieces
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with liquid
7-8 cups vegetable broth
1 cup elbow pasta
1 15-oz can cannellini beans
parsley for garnish, optional

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium. Add onions and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent. Add celery, carrots, and cabbage. Cook for 7 more minutes. Stir in green beans, basil, and oregano. Season to taste. Cook for about 3 more minutes.

Add diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add elbow pasta. Cook for 10 more minutes or until pasta is tender. Add the beans, heat through, and remove from the heat. Serve hot garnished with fresh parsley.

My Babushka's Pirozhki

2014-11-02T16:02:00.002-08:00

My great-grandmother made pirozhki, my grandmother made pirozhki, my mom makes pirozhki, and I make pirozhki, too. It's in my blood. There is a great of variety of buns stuffed with different fillings in different European and even Asian countries. Here I post the true Russian recipe of pirozhki. "Pirozhki" means "little pies" in Russian. "Pirozhok" is a singular form of "Pirozhki." Russians stuff their pirozhki with a mind-boggling variety of different fillings: apple, cherry, cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes, all sorts of meats, eggs, etc. This dough reciple can be used for any variety of pirozhki.

I'm also including three ideas of my favorite fillings below. You can either make the whole batch with one filling, or mix and match. I usually make two fillings: one savory and one sweet. This dough recipe makes about 30-35 pirozhki. The fillings approximate servings are included next to each recipe idea. You can double them if you need to.

Potato Filling For 15-20 Pirozhki

5 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed with a little bit of liquid
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Make regular mashed potatoes. Stir in green onions, butter, salt and pepper. Cool the filling before making pirozhki.

Apple Cinnamon Filling for 10-15 Pirozhki

1 tbsp butter
4 1/2 cups finely chopped apples with skins
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup golden raisins

On medium heat, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add apples and cook, letting the liquid release, for 10 minutes. Add sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. Cover with a lid and cook until the apples are very soft. Cool the filling before making pirozhki.

Egg and Rice Filling for 10-15 Pirozhki

5 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup rice, cooked
1 bunch green onions, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Make sure the filling is cool before you start making the pirozhki.

Pirozhki Dough

2 1/4 oz packages instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water
3 eggs (plus 1 for brushing)
4 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cup sour cream
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F when you're about ready to bake.

1. Combine the yeast with warm water in a cup. Gently stir and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. Hot water can kill the yeast, so make sure your water is just warm.

2. While the yeast is soaking, use an electric mixer to beat eggs with sugar until foamy mixture forms.

3. Stir in the sour cream and mix everything well.

4. After 15 minutes have passed, the yeast mixture should have a foamy top layer formed. I call it a yeast "shapka" (Russian for "a hat").

5. Gently stir in the yeast mixture into the egg mixture. Mix well.

6. Mix the flour with salt. Gradually start stirring in flour, one cup at a time. When the dough becomes thick enough, knead it with your hands until it looks smooth and there are no flour clumps.

7. Once you're done with kneading the flour in, your dough will look like this. Very humble and uncomely. But the looks are deceiving. With the help of some time and warmth, your dough will turn into a majestic piece of work. Leave the dough in the mixing bowl, cover with plastic, and leave to rise. The time needed for the dough to rise largely depends on the temperature of your house. In the summer, it takes about 1 hour for the dough to rise. This time I was making pirozhki in the fall, and it took 3 hours for the dough to rise in the house with the temperature of 66F (Brr, freezing!). I was at Church, so it worked out perfectly. If you're pressed for time, I suggest warming up your kitchen.

8. This is what my dough looked like after three hours or rising. Isn't it beautiful?!

9. Dust the working space with flour. Divide the dough into four parts.

10. Roll each piece of dough into a 12-15 inch roll. It should be about 2.5 inches thick. However, don't stress over the size and dimensions. You can't really make big mistakes here. Your pirozhki can be as small or as big as you want. My grandma makes them real big while my mom makes them a bit smaller. Mine are the smallest in the family.

11. Cut the roll into 1 inch-thick pieces.

12. With your hands form a more or less round circle. No stress if it looks more like an oval :) Dust with flour.

13. Using a rolling pin, roll the circle into a well-shaped circle about 1/4-1/8 inch thick. Again, it all depends on how thick you want them. My grandma and mom love more bread around the filling, so they roll the circle a bit thicker.

14. Add about 2 tbsp filling to the center of the circle. Don't overstuff or understuff them. You should just have enough dough to turn them over and seal. Don't leave too much dough around the filling.

15. Using your hands, roll one side of the circle over and pinch the edges. You'll get your first glimpse of what's going to be a delicious pirozhok!

16. Repeat about 30 times :) Good luck. Spray a cooking sheet or a baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange pirozhki next to each other. Do not skip this step: let them stand for 15-20 minutes to allow the dough to rise a little bit more. That way the pirozhki will come out of the oven fluffy and puffy. Beat one egg in a small bowl. Brush each pirozhok with the egg.

17. Oven should be preheated to 350F. Bake pirozhki for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy warm!

Peach Strudel

2014-09-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

In August and early September I'm making all things peach! I had some leftover filo dough, so I decided to treat my family with a fresh Peach Strudel. It is the easiest recipe and you can be as sloppy as you want. The only tricky thing about it is keeping the filo dough from drying, but I'll give you a couple of tips. Keep reading.

Make sure that your filo dough is thawed overnight in the fridge. If you thaw it too quickly under the room temperature, you will have a great difficulty working with the dough. I recommend thawing it in the fridge for 24 hours. Do not remove the original plastic packaging, as it will keep the dough moist while thawing. Remove the paper packaging only.

Makes: 2 strudels

3 tbsp butter, divided (you can also use cooking spray to spray the filo dough sheets)
8 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup powdered sugar (If your peaches are not very sweet, use more)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
12 frozen filo dough sheets, thawed
brown sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large sauce pan. Add peaches and golden raisins. Cook for 5-10 minutes until peaches become soft and juicy. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and ensure the sugar melts. Remove from the heat.

2. We will now need to brush each filo dough sheet with butter. To do that, cover the stack of filo dough sheets with a moist (but not wet) kitchen towel while working with each sheet. It will prevent the sheets from drying and becoming brittle. Using a small brush, brush 6 sheets of filo dough with butter. You can also use cooking spray instead of butter for the same purpose. You may find it a bit easier to use. The trick with filo dough is to work quickly before the sheets dry out. Stack the 6 sheets on top of each other in a greased baking pan. Pour half of the peach mixture down the middle of the filo dough sheets lengthwise. Fold the pastry lengthwise and place the strudel seam side down. Brush with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon if desired. Repeat with the second strudel.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry looks golden brown. Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Peaches Baked in Puff Pastry with Strawberries

2014-09-09T17:15:00.001-07:00

Peach season is my favorite time of the year. When I thought I exhausted all of my ideas on what to make with peaches, an inspiration came. I halved each peach and put a small strawberry inside of it. I then wrapped the peach into strips of puff pastry, sprinkled it with brown sugar and baked them. They came out fragrant and juicy. The presentation is my favorite thing. Nobody expects a little surprise inside!

Use peaches that are not overly ripened, otherwise your baked peach will turn into something mushy and not so fun. Never peel peaches for this recipe. The peel will help the peach to stay in shape and prevent the juices from ruining the puff pastry. As for strawberries, I recommend choosing the most ripened small-sized berries. They have the most appetizing smell that blends so well with the peaches.

Makes 8 Baked Peaches

8 medium peaches, slightly firm, not overly ripened, with peel
8 medium strawberries, ripened
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
1 tbsp butter, melted
brown sugar to taste
cinnamon to taste
powdered sugar to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Wash peaches and strawberries. Remove the green leaves from each strawberry. Using a paring knife, cut a peach in half and remove the pit.

2. Using a small spoon, make a dent in the peach big enough to fit a strawberry.

3. Place the strawberry inside of the peach and put the peach halves back together. Make sure both halves can fit to firmly close.

4. Cut the puff pastry into a 1-inch wide strips. Use a couple of strips to tightly wrap each peach. Make sure you pace yourself and don't use up all the strips for the first few peaches. Two sheets should be enough for 8 peaches. Cut one strip into half lengthwise to create skinny strips and form a little "hat" on top of the peach to close down the hole.

5. Brush each peach with melted butter.

6. Sprinkle each peach with brown sugar and cinnamon. Repeat with the rest of the peaches. Place the peaches in a baking form. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry becomes golden brown and puffy.

7. Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Raspberry Croissant Dessert

2014-08-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Do you have any stale croissants laying around? Use them up in this quick and light recipe of a bread pudding.

Serves 4

4 croissants, cut in bite-size pieces
2 cups fresh raspberries
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 cup whole milk
2 extra large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Divide croissant bites and raspberries between 4 ramekins (1 1/2 cup-size). Spoon 1 tbsp of maple syrup over the croissant mixture in each ramekin.

2. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Quickly beat in eggs and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture over croissants dividing it between four ramekins.

3. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the pudding is lightly set. Serve hot sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Adapted from "The Easy Way Vegetarian", p. 246.