Happy Easter to all the foodies all over the world! Although today is Catholic Easter, we still have one week until Ukrainian (Orthodox) Easter, which also called Pascha, and that means the whole week to decide what to cook for this great holiday. In my family, like in many Ukrainian families, we have a tradition to cook a lot for Easter: crepes, salad, veggies, fish, poultry, meat and of course Kulich (or Paska) for dessert, we have all these goodies in one day. Mostly because historically our religious ancestors had a very strict Lent eight weeks before the holiday, which ended only on Resurrection Sunday. For 56 days, they lived with total abstention from meat, fats, eggs and dairy products. Instead they used cereals, veggies and another type of food devoid of fats, almost like vegans. However, not a lot of modern people can endure such a strict Lent, and honestly they don’t want to do that anymore. Even though Ukrainian refused to fast, they continued to feast on Easter.

Usually, for our festive Sunday we start cooking a couple days in advance, just because the number of dishes is always crazy, and we need to spend a lot of extra time in the kitchen. Every family has their own signature dishes. Ours are Beer Roasted Pork Knuckle with Honey Glaze and my signature Kulich, which is similar to Italian Panettone. This year I decided to make Kulich a little bit more interesting. Instead of traditional white topping I used shiny apricot glaze and dried fruits and nuts, in my opinion because of this Kulich became much more sophisticated. I will gladly share the recipe of this wonderful Easter dessert with you, hope you will enjoy it as much as my family and friends do.

Easter Kulich (Paska)

By voloshyna, April 5, 2015

• Total Time: 03h 10min
• Prep Time: 02h 30min
• Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the dough: -
• active dry yeast - 4 tsps
• whole milk - 1/2 cup
• heavy cream - 1 cup
• saffron threads - 1 pinch
• sifted all-purpose flour - 6 cups, or more if needed
• sugar - 1 1/4 cup
• big organic eggs - 5
• butter - 1/2 stick, melted
• salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• candied fruits - 3/4 cup, cubbed
• rum - 1/2 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• For decoration: -
• apricot jam - 1/2 cup
• water - 1/4 cup
• dried fruit and nut mix - 2 cups

Instructions:

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of lukewarm milk. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar; mix well. Let this mixture stand until it is frothy, for about 20 minutes. Yeast need this time to start working. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until very warm but not simmering. Stir in saffron threads and remove from heat, and let the cream mixture stand until lukewarm. Transfer yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Beat egg yolks with remaining sugar until light. Add melted butter to yeast mixture, and then egg yolks with sugar. Stir in saffron heavy cream. Gradually add the remaining flour. The dough will be soft, elastic, and should not stick to hands. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hour or longer. Place candied fruits into a bowl, drizzle with rum, and allow them to soften for 1-2 hours. Then drain the fruits and place them on a paper towel to dry just a little bit. After the dough has risen and doubled in size, you need to punch it for a few times to release the air. Then add softened candied fruits, vanilla extract and knead the dough until smooth, for about 5-10 minutes.  Place the dough in greased and floured kulich tins or paper molds. Be sure not to fill the tin or can more than 1/2 full. Allow the Kulich to rise another hour. Bake for about 40-45 minutes at 325 F until puffed and golden. Let cool to room temp or just warm. Once they are at room temperature, get your glaze ready. In a medium saucepan mix water and apricot jam. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and let the mixture boil for a few minutes until it became slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and let to cool. Cover each Kulich with a thin layer of the apricot glaze. Then top with the dried fruits and nuts. Gradually cover with the remaining glaze. Let them stand undisturbed until the glaze is set.

Porcini Fettuccine Aflredo is officially my major comfort food this autumn and definitely on top of my autumn recipe list, specially considering the fact that I absolutely crazy about porcini mushrooms. Since I figured there are already lots of restaurant-style fettuccine alfredo recipes in the internet, this time I have decided to go a little healthier and present a “lighter” version of Fettuccine Alfredo, made with light whipped cream cheese. No worries it is still very creamy, thick and full of flavor. However you can feel less guilty about eating a whole plate of this delicious pasta. I also recommend use olive oil instead of butter and whole wheat pasta instead of a regular one. Those small twists will make a big difference.
Bon Appetite! Eat delicious food and stay fit.

Porcini Fettucine Alfredo (Light version)

By voloshyna, October 21, 2014

Ingredients:

• dried porcini mushrooms - 3/4 cup
• boiling water - 1 cup
• whole wheat fettuccine - 12 oz
• garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped
• shallot - 1, finely chopped
• light whipped cream cheese - 8 oz
• heavy cream - 1/3 cup
• freshly grated Parmesan - 1/3 cup
• lemon zest - 1/2 teaspoon, optional
• parsley - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Instructions:

Combine 1 cup boiling water and mushrooms in a small bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup of soaking liquid. Chop the mushrooms. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, in generously salted water. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Then add shallot and mushrooms; sauté 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add cream cheese and heavy cream, bring to a boil. Stir in salt, pepper, lemon zest (optional), Parmesan and reserved mushroom soaking liquid; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add pasta, toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and chives. Serve immediately.

 

You do not need ice cream maker to make this delicious treat!

Rum & Raisins Ice-Cream

By voloshyna, August 14, 2014

Ingredients:

• egg yolks - 4
• whole milk - 1 cup
• raisins - 1/4 cup
• rum - 1/4 cup
• heavy cream - 1 cup
• sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup
• confectioners sugar - 1/4 cup orto taste
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Instructions:

Soak the raisins in the rum for a couple of hours. In a medium sauce pan mix together the sugar, milk and egg yolks. cook stirring constantly over low heat, until the mixture is thick like a custard. Let cool completely and then transfer to a refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Whip the heavy cream with vanilla extract until stiff peaks. Mix together whipped cream, chilled custard and condensed milk. Transfer to an ice-cream container and place in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours. Then add the soaked raisins and mix well, return your ice-cream to the freezer. Freeze for another 4-5 hours.

Scallops are one of the my favorite sea creatures, mainly because they are crazy delicious and so easy to cook. I love them for delicate taste and incredible tenderness, and they are always look elegant on the plate.

I could not miss the opportunity to cook them with my favorite black truffles. Fresh black truffle is not a frequent guest on my kitchen, I mainly use oil, salt and butter infused with this wonderful mushroom. But my beloved husband knows how much I love truffles, so he took me to Napa Valley on Truffle Festival where we bought hole bunch of stuff infused with truffles and of course amazingly fragrant fresh black truffle. I barely could wait till the next day to cook something with it, so I used a chance to combine two of my favorite ingredients in one plain, but elegant, dish that I really loved.

Seared Scallops with Truffles over Creamy Leek

By voloshyna, February 20, 2014

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• sea scallops - 8
• butter - 3 tablespoons
• kosher salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• leek - 2 cups, thinly sliced
• dry white wine - 1/4 cup
• frozen peas - 1/4 cup, defrosted
• heavy cream - 1/3 cup
• black truffles - thinly shaved

Instructions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet on medium high heat. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and black pepper. Sear the scallops on the first side until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. Turn on the other side and cook for 1-2 minutes. Until nice and brown. Be careful and not overcook them. When scallops are seared, transfer them to a plate and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, add leek and sauté for a couple minutes. Pour in white wine and cook until leek is tender. Add peas and heavy cream, bring to a boil. Season to taste and remove from the heat. Transfer leek garnish to a platter and top with scallops and shaved truffles.

Need to say, that this is the most easy cake I’ve ever made. I found this amazing recipe in Jamie’s Oliver “Food Revolution” cookbook and I’ve really liked the idea to make a superior dessert with minimum efforts.

Here is what Jamie Oliver says about this cake: “Panettone is a brioche-type bread from Italy. It comes in loads of different sizes – I’ve used a large one here but you could easily adapt the ingredients to make a smaller cake. Cakes don’t come much simpler than this one and the nice thing is that, even if it’s assembled roughly and things aren’t exact, it will still look cute. You’ll probably have a bit of panettone left over so keep in mind that it’s brilliant torn up for a layer in trifle or eaten toasted for breakfast”.

I’ve changed a few ingredients (like always =)), but I’m sure you will like it!

Raspberry Panettone Christmas Cake

By voloshyna, December 24, 2013

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• heavy cream - 3 cups
• confectioners sugar - 2 tablespoons
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• sweet condensed milk - 3/4 cup
• panettone - 2 - 2 1/2 lb
• port wine - 3/4 cup
• raspberry jam - 4-5 tablespoons
• flaked almonds - 2 cups, toasted
• raspberries - 1 1/2 cups
• good-quality dark chocolate - 4 oz,

Instructions:

Place the heavy cream in a large bowl. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla extract, whisk together until the cream forms nice thick peaks. Add sweet condensed milk and mix just to combine. In a small sauce pan combine port and raspberry jam, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let to cool. Cut the Panettone cake into approximately 3/4 - 1-inch slices. You should get 3-4 slices. Lie a slice on a plate and drizzle over a few tablespoons of warm raspberry syrup. Reconstruct the Panettone by re-layering the slices of cake with the cream and raspberry syrup equally in between all the layered pieces. Repeat until all the layers and cake have been reconstructed. Spoon the remaining cream over and smooth it gently over the top and sides of the cake. Pat the top with the knife to create little peaks. Sprinkle the toasted almond slices, gently pressing them against the side of the cake so they stick to the cream. Place the raspberries on the top. Finish with a generous amount of dark chocolate shavings.

I love autumn and I love pumpkin! That’s why I’ve created this delicious dessert, try it and maybe it’ll become your new Thanksgiving special!

I took this wonderful recipe as a base for mine Pumpkin Caramel Ice cream.

Pumpkin Caramel Ice Cream

By voloshyna, October 31, 2013

Ingredients:

• whole milk - 1 1/4 cup
• heavy cream - 1 cup
• granulated sugar - 1/3 cup + 2 tabs of vanilla sugar
• ground cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon
• cinnamon stick - 1
• freshly-ground nutmeg - 1/4 teaspoon
• himalayan or kosher salt - 1/4 tespoon
• large egg yolks - 4
• brown sugar - 1/4 cup
• pumpkin puree - 3/4 cup
• homemade or store bought caramel - 1/2 cup, room temperature

Instructions:

Fill large bowl with an ice and a little bit of water, place a medium metal bowl inside it. Set a mesh strainer over the top. In a medium saucepan mix the milk, cream, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and salt. Bring almost to a boil. In a small bowl whisk he egg yolks; gradually whisk in about half of the warm spiced milk mixture, stirring constantly. Combine egg mixture with a remaining spiced milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens. If using a culinary thermometer, it should read between 160º-170ºF. Quickly pour the mixture through the strainer into the bowl nested in the ice bath. Mix with a brown sugar, stir until sugar dissolves. Set a site to cool. Then refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight. Stir in pumpkin pure Press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you transfer the ice cream to the storage container, drizzle in the caramel after every few scoopfuls.

Here comes my favorite Indian dish of all times. I’m crazy about Chicken Tikka Masala, no wonder I order it every time I’m at the Indian restaurant! Unfortunately my husband isn’t an Indian food fan, so I cook it at home not so often.

Chicken Tikka Masala

By voloshyna, June 4, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 10min
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

• boneless and skinless chicken - 1 lb, cut into large bite-sized chunks, and poked with a fork
• Marinade: -
• plain yogurt - 1 cup
• fresh lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• salt - 1 tsp
• garlic - 3 cloves, minced
• freshly grated ginger - 1 tbsp
• cumin - 1 tsp
• black pepper - 2 tsp
• ground red pepper - 1 tsp
• chili powder - 1 tsp
• Sauce: -
• ghee - 1 tbsp
• garlic - 3 cloves minced
• serrano peppers - 1-2, chopped
• ground coriander - 2 tsp
• ground cumin - 1 tsp
• paprika - 2 tsp
• garam masala - 1 tsp
• canned diced tomatoes - 1 can, 15 oz
• tomato sauce - 1/2 can, 8 oz
• heavy cream - 1/2 cup
• salt - to taste
• sugar - 1 tsp, or to taste
• cooked quinoa - for serving

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight. Place a large skillet or sauce pan over medium heat and add the olive ghee. Add garlic and serrano pepper, cook for 1 minute. Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika and garam masala. Then stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add salt and sugar to taste. Meanwhile fire up your grill. Coat it with some oil. Place the chicken on the grill. Cook until lightly brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for another 10 minute. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve over quinoa or rice.

So simple and so regale – this is a real gourmet dish! Just imagine that you can cook this pasta with a few ingredients only in 15 minutes. Create a very romantic dinner mood with a perfect Italian pasta.

P.S. I’m afraid, but now I have a truffle addiction.

Homemade pappardelle with black truffles

By voloshyna, March 1, 2013

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Pappardelle pasta, fresh or store-bought - 1 lb
• extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp
• chopped medium yellow onion - 1
• heavy cream - 1/2 cup
• black truffles, fresh, preserved or salsa tartufata - 1 tbsp
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• green peas - 1/2 cup
• freshly grated Parmesan - 1/3 cup + more for garnish
• ground pink pepper - to taste
• truffle oil -

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan heat an olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and golden; pour heavy cream. Cook on med-low, for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it begins to slightly thicken. Season with salt and black pepper.  Add in the truffles and Parmesan, cook stirring for 1 more minutes. Add green peas and mix well. Probably you should start to cook pasta at the same time as sauce. Cook it an a boiling salted water, until al dente. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss. Serve immediately, season with pink pepper and shaved Parmesan. Drizzle with a truffle oil.