If you are looking for a dish to surprise your guests, you have found the right one. I can bet that most of them have never tried chicken that was roasted in milk. But believe me they will love it! This chicken is incredibly juicy and tender, and the meat is falling off the bones. Serve it with potatoes roasted with herb butter to develop a complex main course.
The recipe was adapted from Jamie Oliver

Chicken Cooked in Milk

By voloshyna, September 29, 2014

• Total Time: 01h 45min
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 01h 30min

Ingredients:

• whole chicken - 3-4 lb.
• kosher salt - 1 tablespoon
• freshly ground black pepper - 1 teaspoon
• butter - 1 tablespoon
• olive oil - 1 tablespoons
• cinnamon stick - 1/2
• fresh sage leaves - 10
• garlic cloves - 8, skin left
• lemon zest - 2 tablespoons
• milk - 2 1/4 cups

Instructions:

Season the chicken all over with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan and brown the chicken on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Place the browned chicken into an oven proof pot, breast side up. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover and roast for 1 1/2 hours, removing the lid for the last half an hour if you like to brown the top a bit more. To serve, pull the meat off the bones and drizzle with sauce.

Probably this is one of the most requested recipes. My friend Hannah eagerly expected for it. And finally here they are my Puff Pastry Cream Cones!

This recipe is very easy and inexpensive to make, plus it does not require any baking skills. You can make this dessert with your kids, I’m sure they will have a lot of fun.

 I usually use 2 sheets of puff pastry, but I always have some extra filling left. So if you a desire to spend a bit more time in the kitchen, you can surely use 4 puff pastry sheets with this amount of ingredients for the filling.

I highly recommend to use lemon juice when you are making a meringue, lemon makes it less sugary and the taste becomes more interesting.

Puff Pastry Cream Cones

By voloshyna, August 4, 2014

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• frozen puff pastry - 2 sheets, (4 sheets optional)
• all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
• eggs - 2, room temperature
• milk - 1 tablespoon
• water - 1/3 cup
• sugar - 1/2 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• lemon juice - 1 tablespoon, or to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unfold one thawed puff pastry sheet. Keep the second sheet refrigerated. Dust the dough with a flour; roll until it becomes and even rectangular about 12 inches long. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into even 1 1/4 inch strips. If you want you can grease cream horn metal cones with a small amount of vegetable oil. Wrap the dough around the mold, pushing the dough down to seal it as you go. Separate egg yolks from the whites. Reserve the whites, will use them for the filling later. Whisk the egg yolks with the milk and lightly brush the pastry with the egg wash. Place the cones on a baking sheet layer with a parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile make a syrup. In a small sauce pan combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until frothy. With a mixer running slowly pour hot (240-250 F) syrup into the whites. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract. Continue beating until the meringue becomes room temperature. Remove cones from the oven. Let cool on a wire rack. Then remove pastry cones from the molds. Place the filling in a pastry bag and pipe it into each cream horn, making sure to fill the cone.    

Growing up in Ukraine, one of my absolutely favorite dishes were my grandma’s incredible crepes. Oh, that was really something. Just imagine a huge plate with a mountain of fresh and hot crepes thin as silk, with a jar of homemade apricot jam standing nearby and a cup of hot, aromatic black tea. These are the memories I will tell my children about. I can still feel the taste and smell of those crepes, like it was only yesterday!

Probably that is why I love crepes so much and it was one of the first dishes I learned to cook. When I lived in Ukraine I’d tasted hundreds types of crepes, sweet and savory, with honey, jam, mushrooms and caviar. Some of them where thin and flawless, some thick and lush, but I love all of them and cannot give my heart to any particular recipe. These memories gave me an inspiration to search for even more interesting, rustic and traditional crepes and blinis recipes. They are an integral part of our Ukrainian culture and now I want to be close to it like never before.

I’ve decided to start with a pretty basic crepes recipe my mother taught me. I think every crepe lover should know it, because with this classic recipe you can create countless numbers of different variations. But this is just a beginning, I’ve already found a couple of rare old cook books from Ukraine and USSR, with some wonderful recipes I’m willing to try. Hope all you fellows will support me in my small culinary adventure! 

Basic French Crepes Recipe

By voloshyna, March 6, 2014

• Total Time: 01h 50min
• Prep Time: 01h 10min
• Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• milk - 1 cup
• water - 1 cup
• eggs - 3
• salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• sugar - 2 tablespoons
• all-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
• melted butter - 3 tablespoons

Instructions:

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. In a bog bowl whip the eggs until blend, mix in the milk and water. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in the 3 tablespoons melted butter. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or better overnight. Gently stir the batter if separates. Heat a crepe pan over medium-high heat until really hot. Cover with a thin layer of butter and pour a small amount of batter. Rotate the pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Cook over moderate heat until lightly browned on the edges, about 1 minute. Loosen the edges with a spatula and flip over the crepe. Cook on the other side for15-20 seconds. Transfer the crepe on a platter . Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot.

All my friends are just crazy about this Peanut Butter Pie. I’ve made it on Thanksgiving and it instantly became my most popular dessert. I found the recipe in the Food Network Magazine, changed a few ingredients and made this decadent pie. I will keep searching for a good dessert ideas, so you could treat your friends and family during the winter holidays!

It looks and taste just amazing, but it’s still pretty easy to make. This pure creamy delight will be a great dessert for a Christmas eve dinner.

Creamy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pie with Toasted Meringue

By voloshyna, December 12, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the Crust: -
• unsalted butter - 5 tablespoons
• whole graham crackers - 10-11, roughly broken
• peanuts - 1/4 cup
• semisweet chocolate chips -
• For the Filling: -
• peanut butter - 1 cup, room temperature
• mascarpone - 8 ounces
• milk - 1/3 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• confectioners sugar - 3/4 cup
• cold heavy cream - 1/4 cup
• For the Meringue: -
• large egg whites - 3
• sugar - 3/4 cup
• salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions:

First you need to make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 10 inch pie platter. In a food processor pulse the crackers and peanuts until finely combine. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and the side of the pie dish. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Then cool on a rack. Meanwhile, using a microwave, melt the chocolate until smooth and uniform. Spread evenly in the pie crust; set aside until the chocolate sets, 10-15 minutes. For the filling, beat the peanut butter, mascarpone, vanilla extract and milk with a mixer, until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and mix until incorporate. In a medium bowl beat the heavy cream until soft peaks. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the peanut mixture until combine, then follow the rest. Spoon into the prepared dust and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. And the last step is making the meringue. Fill a medium saucepan one quarter full with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. In a medium metal bowl combine egg whites, sugar, and salt. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to form a double boiler. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk the eggs with an electric mixer, until the meringue is thick and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. Using a piping bag pipe the meringue on top of the pie. Lightly toast with the torch.

It’s Fennel Friday Again! Here is my quick and easy recipe of a Roasted Fennel. My little tip for you – add a little bit of Big Devil spice from Pollen Ranch, every time you want to make your roasted veggies piquant and even more delicious!

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan sauce

By voloshyna, October 25, 2013

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
• Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

• Fennel - 1, quartered
• butter - 1 tablespoon
• all-purpose flour - 1 tablespoon
• milk - 1 cup
• grated Parmesan - 3/4 cup
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• garlic - 1 clove, minced
• Big Devil Spice - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small sauce pan melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Reduce heat to medium; cook stirring until the mixture turns a slightly golden. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Slowly add milk to a butter mixture, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, then add the grated Parmesan cheese and minced garlic. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Big Devil spice. Remove from the heat. Place fennel into a small baking dish, pour Parmesan sauce. Bake for a 30-35 minutes, or until fennel is tender.

One more nice autumn recipe for Chinet Baking Series. This Mushroom Lasagna is a perfect example of my favorite comfort food for a cold weather – hot, creamy and incredibly delicious. The perfect dish to celebrate autumn and a Veggie lifestyle.

Super Creamy Mushroom Lasagna

By voloshyna, October 23, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 25min
• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the filling: -
• portobello mushrooms - 1 lb, sliced crosswise ¼-inch thick
• fresh mushroom mix (like Mysopia - 1/2 lb, sliced
• medium red onion - 1, finely chopped
• extra virgin olive oil - 4 tablespoons, divided
• cream cheese - 1/2 cup
• kosher salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• dry Italian herbs - 2 teaspoons, divided
• For Béchamel sauce: -
• butter - 3 tablespoon
• all-purpose flour - 2 tablespoons
• milk - 2 cups
• salt - 1 teaspoon, or to taste
• freshly ground nutmeg - 1/4 teaspoon
• For the layers: -
• lasagna noodles - 12
• shredded mozzarella - 1 1/2 cup
• grated Parmesan - 3/4 cup

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly browned 10-15 min. Season to taste with salt, peppers and Italian herbs. Stir in cream chees. Cook until cheese is completely melted, remove from the heat. Now it's time for a Béchamel sauce. In a medium, heavy bottom sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a slightly golden color, about 7-8 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Slowly add milk to a butter mixture, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and ground nutmeg. Set aside. Cook the lasagna noodles in a salt boiling water, as described on the box. Drain and place in a single layer on dry paper towel sheets. Toss together the shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in a small bowl. Cover the bottom of 7x11x2 Chinet baking pan with a 1/2 cup of Béchamel sauce. Arrange 4 noodles in a single layer on top of the sauce. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce evenly over the noodles, then sprinkle with a half of the mushroom mixture and ¾ cup of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layering of noodles, sauce, mushroom mixture, and cheese one more times. For the final layer, arrange the remaining 4 noodles on top and cover completely with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and 1 teaspoon of Italian herbs. Drizzle with an olive oil. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I love crepes so much, that I decided to share one more good recipe. This time it’s a dessert.

Crepes with lemon curd

By voloshyna, April 2, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 10min
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the curd: -
• whole egg - 1
• yolks - 3
• sugar - 3/4 cup
• lemon juice - 1/2 cup
• zest of 2 lemons -
• For the batter: -
• all purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup
• sugar - 1/2 cup
• melted unsalted butter - 2 oz
• eggs - 3
• salt - 1/2 tsp
• milk - 1 3/4 cups
• water - 3/4 cups
• confectioners sugar - for serving
• unsalted butter - 4 tbsp

Instructions:

To make a lemon curd whisk the egg, yolks and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice, zest and whisk until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Set the saucepan on the stove over medium heat, cook stirring constantly, until thick - 8-10 min. If you have a cooking thermometer - use it. Cook the cream until it reaches a temperature of 160 F, then immediately remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a jar or bowl and leave for several hours in the refrigerator. When the cream is cool - it will be much thicker. Cook 18-20 crepes as described in my previous recipe, but without orange butter. Fill the crepes with the lemon curd, sprinkle with a confectioners sugar and serve.

Thin and light crepes are the famous French treat. Today I tried to make them a little bit different. In this recipe I used nice and tasty light beer for the batter, the beer creates this piquant savory taste that my guests just loved. As for the filing I could not find a better pair than mushrooms and smoked cheese. Try this recipe and tell me how do you like it!

Savory crepes filled with smocked cheese and mushrooms

By voloshyna, April 1, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 20min
• Prep Time: 40 + 60 for resting minutes
• Cook time: 40-50 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the batter: -
• all purpose flour, sifted - 1 1/2 cups
• salt - 1/2 tsp
• eggs - 2
• milk - 1 1/2 cups
• light beer or pale ale - 1 1/2 cups
• melted unsalted butter - 3 tbsp
• For the filling: -
• unsalted butter - 3 oz
• mushrooms, thinly sliced - 8 oz
• small yellow onion, finely chopped - 1
• all purpose flour - 1 tbsp
• heavy whipping cream - 1/2 cup
• smoked Gouda or other smoked cheese - 1 cup
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions:

Sift the flour and the salt in a big bowl. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add the milk. Combine the egg mixture with a flour and whisk until smooth. Thin the batter with as much beer, as necessary, add the melted butter. Allow the batter to rest for 30-40 minutes. If the batter thickens after resting, add a little bit of milk. Preheat medium skillet until really hot and fry your crepes, you will make around 10-12 (not too thin). To make the filing, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan, add the mushrooms and chopped onion, saute until tender. Add the flour, mix well and then pour the heavy cream. Bring to a boil and add grated cheese. Season to taste, remove from the heat. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the mushroom filing on each crepe and roll up the pancakes. Alight them tightly in a grease ovenproof dish. Put the remaining butter on top and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Very exotic pancakes recipe from Camille Le Fall. Your new must try recipe=)

Gones banana pancakes

By voloshyna, March 19, 2013

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

Ingredients:

• all-purpose flour - 1 cup, packed
• baking powder - 1 tsp
• vanilla sugar or superfine sugar with a drop of vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• brown sugar - 1-2 tbsp or to taste
• egg - 1
• milk - 7 tablespoons
• coconut milk - 3/4 cup
• rum - 2 tsp
• melted butter - 2 tbsp
• bananas - 2 small
• Nutella - 7-8 tbsp
• grated coconut -

Instructions:

Mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter and coconut milk. Stir in the rum.  Pour the liquid into the flour and beat until the batter is smooth.  Leave to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Peel bananas and slice into rounds. Cook the pancakes over medium heat, and as soon as the underside begins to brown, turn it with a spatula. Continue cooking until the other side is cooked and no longer sticks to the pan. Transfer the pancake on a plate. Cover with a layer of Nutella and sliced bananas, sprinkle with grated coconut. Serve immediately.

What could be better then a smell of freshly baked muffins in the kitchen?

You can never lose with this recipe!

Classic blueberry muffins

By voloshyna, February 20, 2013

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
• Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

• soft unsalted butter (room temperature) - 1/2 cup
• all-purpose flour - 2 cups
• white sugar - 1/2 cup
• brown sugar - 3/4 cup
• eggs - 2
• milk - 1/2 cup
• baking powder - 2 tsp
• salt - 1/2 ts
• fresh blueberries - 1 1/2 cups

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour muffin pan or better use paper cups for muffins. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add milk and flour mixture. Beat until combined, be careful to not overbeat the batter. Stir in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

I’m a huge fan of homemade crepes. I cook them very often and in a different variations. Today I want to present one more recipe of perfectly delicious crepes, this is exactly what you need for a nice weekend brunch!

Have a nice weekend!

Crepes Filled with Fromage Blanc and Served with Blueberry compote

By voloshyna, January 25, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the batter: -
• all-purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup
• sugar - 1/2 cup
• unsalted butter - 2 oz
• eggs - 3
• salt - good pinch
• milk - 1 3/4 cup
• water - 3/4 cup
• For the filling: -
• fromage blanc or drained cottage cheese - 1 lb
• golden raisings - 1/4 cup
• sugar - 1/4 cup or to taste
• vanilla extract - 1/2 ts
• For the sauce: -
• blueberries - 1 cup
• sugar - 2 tbsp
• lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Put raisins in a small bowl, pour with a hot water. Let stand 15-20 min, or until they swelled. Cook 18-20 crepes as described in my Basic Crepes Recipe. In a food processor mix fromage blanc or drained cottage cheese with the sugar and vanilla extract, process until smooth. Add raisins and mix well. Spread thin layer of filling on each crepe and roll them tightly. To make a blueberry compote, just simmer all the berries with the sugar and lemon juice until soft, about 3-4 min. Serve crepes drizzled with berry sauce.

This dish might be new for you, but I’m sure you will like it! It’s a traditional meal in my native country – Ukraine, we cook it with a freshly picked dark cherries and serve with a sour cream. But this time I decided to serve dumplings with a berry compote, in my opinion it’s a wonderful combination of sweet and sour! I want you to cook this dish in winter, because it will remind you of warm summer days =)

P.S. In Ukraine we do not use the word dumplings, we called this dish vareniki.

Dumplings with dark cherries and berry compote

By voloshyna, January 11, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the dough: -
• all purpose flour - 3 cups + more for dusting
• eggs - 2
• cold water - 1/2 cup
• milk - 1/4 cup
• salt - 1/2 tsp
• For the filling: -
• fresh or frozen dark cherries (sour cherries) - 1 1/2 lb.
• For the compote: -
• frozen berries - 1 1/2 cup
• lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• sugar - 4-5 tbsp
• For serving: -
• butter - 2-3 tbsp
• confectioners sugar -

Instructions:

If you use frozen dark cherries - you need to defrost them. Mine was already sweetened, so I didn't add any sugar. But if you bought the fresh ones, you need to sprinkle them with 1 cup of cane sugar, let stand for 1 hour and drain the juice. Probably you would also like to make a berry compote in advance. In a small sauce pan mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often until the sugar dissolves. Let berries boil 1-2 minutes and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool. Then you'll need to make a dough. Lightly beat the eggs with a salt and milk. In a large bowl mix flour, egg mixture and water, add more water if needed. Stir with a wooden spoon (you can make the dough in a stand mixer, or with your hands). When it becomes hard to stir,  pour sticky dough on a flour surface and continue to knead until it becomes smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 3-4 parts. Roll each part 1/4 inch thin. Using a 2.5 inch diameter glass cut as much rounds as you can. Fill each round with 3-4 cherries, pull the sides together and seal them with your fingers to form a semicircle. You can decorate your vareniki (dumplings), just press the fork's tines on the edges of vareniki. Place them on a lightly floured board and cover with a kitchen towel. You can also freeze remaining dumplings and store in freezer in ziploc bag for later use. In a large pan bring the water to a boil, add pinch of salt. Add vareniki (not all at one time) and stir with a wooden or plastic spoon to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook over the medium heat until they come to the surface, cook for extra 2-3 minutes and take out into a medium bowl. Add 1 tbsp of butter (left the rest butter for another portion of dumplings) and gently mix. Serve immediately with a berry compote or sour cream. Don't forget to sprinkle with a confectioners sugar!

Making the perfect scrambled eggs isn’t difficult at all. You just need to know the couple of basic rules and you’ll make the best scrambled eggs in your life. First of all whisk the eggs thoroughly and vigorously before cooking them. Then continue to whisk constantly while cooking and also keep track of time, to not overcook your eggs. Well, this is it, just try and you’ll see how easy it is.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon

By voloshyna, November 27, 2012

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

Ingredients:

• baguette - 4 slices
• extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp
• eggs - 4
• milk - 5 tbsp
• butter - 2 tbsp
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• smoked salmon - 4 slices
• finely chopped green onion - 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 C. Put baguette slices on a backing sheet and drizzle with an olive oil. Bake 5-7 min, or until golden brown. Then transfer on a plate and cover each bread slice with a smoked salmon. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat them until they turn a pale yellow color. Add the milk and season to taste with salt and  pepper, whisk until incorporate. In a heavy sauce pan melt a butter, pour in eggs. Do not whisk, let the eggs cook for up to a minute. Then grab your whisker and start to stir constantly until egg pieces become firm but still a little bit moist. Using a spoon set the scrambled eggs on a bread with a salmon slices, top with a green onion.

When outside is cold and rainy, all you need is a cup of hot chocolate. It’s like a magic potion, which can make your day better.

Hot chocolate with maple syrup

By voloshyna, October 15, 2012

Ingredients:

• dark chocolate chips - 1/4 cup
• milk - 2 cups
• unsweetened cocoa powder - 1 tsp
• butter - 1 ts
• maple syrup - 2 tbsp
• sugar - 1-2 tbsp
• vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp
• small marshmallow - 12

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate, cocoa and sugar. Stir in hot milk and butter; bring almost to a boil. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract and 6 marshmallows. Heat through, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted.  Turn stove off, pour hot chocolate into the mugs nag top each with a marshmallow.

This is my first attempt to cook a real homemade ravioli. I’m proud of myself.

Ravioli with Parmesan cream sauce

By voloshyna, October 1, 2012

Ingredients:

• For the ravioli dough: -
• all purpose flour - 2 cups, plus more for dusting
• sea salt - 1 tsp
• eggs - 3
• extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbs
• For the filling: -
• mozzarella - 3/4 lb
• grated Parmesan - 1/2 cup
• chopped fresh dill - 1/2 cup
• salt - to taste
• black pepper - to taste
• For the sauce: -
• butter - 2 tbsp
• all purpose flour - 2 tsp
• milk - 1 cup
• freshly grated Parmesan - 1/2 cup
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions:

Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface. Shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Begin mixing the eggs with the flour with one hand; use your other hand to keep the flour mound steady. Knead the dough until smooth, for about 10 minutes; add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic. Leave to rest for a 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, you can prepare the filling. In a food processor combine all the ingredients for the filling, mix until smooth. Roll out the pasta dough into thin sheets no thicker than a nickel. Lay a strip of the thin dough over over ravioli press to make the little pockets. Fill the pockets with a teaspoon of filling and cover with the top sheet of pasta. Then, just roll over the top with your rolling pin and your ravioli will be perfectly cut. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a  boil over high heat. Stir in the ravioli, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the ravioli float to the top and the filling is hot, 4 to 8 minutes. Drain well. For the sauce melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and fry it stirring, until golden brown. Then add milk, Parmesan , salt and pepper to taste. Stir constantly until the sauce become uniform. Immediately serve with a hot ravioli.

Just recently I had an experience of making a homemade cream cheese. It tasted similar to “Philadelphia” cheese, but better and it is hard to imagine my delight when I tried it. The taste of this cheese is less fat, a little sour and just melts in your mouth. Encouraged by his success, I decided to use my cream cheese for cooking classic New York cheesecake. This is probably the most American dessert of all, maybe except brownies. For this cheesecake you can use any available to you cream cheese, but if you’ll cook your own cheese at home – I guarantee it will taste a hundred times better.

New York cheesecake

By voloshyna, August 22, 2012

Ingredients:

• crushed graham crackers - 1 1/3 cup
• melted unsalted butter - 3 tbs.
• cream cheese - 4 cups (32 oz), room temperature
• sugar - 1 1/2 cup
• milk - 3/4 cup
• eggs - 4
• all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 tbs.
• plain Greek yogurt or sour cream - 1 cup
• strawberry jam - for serving

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter.  Using small glass press the mixture over the bottom. The crust should be thin and flat. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and continue to bake for about another 80-90 minutes.  The center of the cheesecake should be a little runny.  Remove the cake from the oven, and run a knife around the edges of the pan. This procedure prevent cheesecake from cracking as it cools.  Set the cake aside to cool. Once it is completely cooled, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for about 8-12 hours.

It doesn’t even a drink, it is a real dessert in a cup. Marshmallows, chocolate and cocoa – nobody can resist.

Cocoa with marshmallow

By voloshyna, August 3, 2012

Ingredients:

• milk - 2 cups
• unsweetened cocoa powder - 2 tbs.
• sugar - 1,5-2 tbs.
• whipping cream - 2 tab.
• unsalted butter - 1 tsp.
• chocolate syrup - 3-4 tbs.
• miniature marshmallows - 8-10

Instructions:

Pour the chocolate syrup on the bottom of the cup. In a small saucepan, heat the milk. Add cocoa, sugar, cream and butter, mix well. Bring to a boil and immediately turn off. Pour into cups with melted chocolate, sprinkle with marshmallows on top and enjoy.

You will love this buns. The secret is in an incredibly delicious lemon curd. By the way, you can use it not only in this recipe. Try replacing the usual vanilla custard in your recipes by lemon, and you will be surprised with new flavors of traditional desserts. Just warning you, the cream should be cooked at least for 3-4 hours before you begin to bake buns. It is better to cook it in the evening, and let stand overnight in refrigerator.

Buns with lemon custard

By voloshyna, July 22, 2012

Ingredients:

• For the dough: -
• all-purpose flour - 2 cups
• dry yeast - 1 tsp
• sugar - 1/3 cup
• dry milk - 1 1/2 tbs
• lemon zest - 1 tsp (finely grated)
• eggs - 2
• milk - 3/4 cup
• softened butter - 1.5 oz
• For the lemon custard: -
• eggs - 1
• yolks - 3
• sugar - 3/4 cup
• lemon juice - 1/2 cup
• unsalted butter - 4 tabs
• zest of 2 lemons - finely grated

Instructions:

To make a custard whisk the egg, yolks and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice, zest and whisk until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Set the saucepan on the stove over medium heat, cook stirring constantly, until thick - 8-10 min. If you have a cooking thermometer - use it. Simmer the cream until it reaches a temperature of 175 F, then immediately remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a jar or bowl and leave for several hours in the refrigerator. When the cream is cool - it will be much thicker. To prepare the dough, you need to warm milk, add in 1 tsp. sugar and yeast, and set aside 10 minutes to let the yeast come alive. In a bowl mix all dry ingredients and finely grated zest. Make a recess in the center, pour in there a lightly beaten egg and melted butter. Gradually add the milk with the yeast, knead the dough. The dough should be slightly sticky. Cover the bowl with the dough with a clean towel, and leave for 1.5 - 2 hours. Press down the dough and divide into 15-17 pieces. Roll out each piece on floured surface. You should get a thick oval of about 5x2,2  inches. Put a tablespoon of cream and fold once. So, you will get piece folded less than half. The rest, not folded part, cut into 1 inch strips and roll up to the end. Repeat with remaining portions of dough. Put the buns on the baking sheet, covered with a parchment paper, leave to "rest", about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cover your buns with beaten egg, bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Let to cool on a wire rack, covered with a towel. Then sprinkle with powdered sugar - and you're done.