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.

Do you know this feeling when you try some amazingly delicious dish and even before you’ve finished it you realize that you want to visit the country this dish is origin from? This is exactly how I feel about this Mediterranean Kofta. Every ingredient reminds me of beautiful and far Israeli. And it is not a coincidence. I always try to find some inspiration for my cooking, this time my amusement was fantastic and very talented cookbook called Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. I am sure lots of you have heard about it already. The book is saturated with Jewish spices and cooking traditions. Maybe it is the reason I am so eager to visit Israeli. I can only imagine what a breathtaking culinary adventure I would have there. I guess I would gain a few extra pounds, trying to taste everything that the country could offer me. Luckily for my body shape, this is not going to happen in the nearest future. Lol! But if seriously, I feel like I have already made the first step to start learning more about wonderful Jerusalem cuisine, even if this step is inside my kitchen.I am sure you can find many different Kofta recipes on the internet, but I really want you to try this one. Garnish it with some simple salad and this meal will highlight your day!

Kofta with Tahini Sauce

By voloshyna, January 21, 2015

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the Kofta: -
• ground beef - 1 lb
• ground lamb - 1 lb
• bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
• yellow onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
• garlic - 2 large cloves, minced
• toasted walnuts - 6 tablespoons, coarsely shopped
• red chili pepper - 1 small, finely chopped
• grated nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon
• ground allspice - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• grund cinnamon - 1 3/4 teaspoon
• freshly ground black pepper - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• salt - 1 3/4 teaspoon
• freshly grated lemon zest - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• For the Tahini Sauce: -
• light tahini paste - 2/3 cup
• lemon juice - 3 tablespoon
• water - 1/2 cup
• garlic - 1 clove, crushed
• toasted pine nuts - 2 tablespoons
• For garnish: -
• parsley - 2 tablespoons, finely shopped
• sweet paprika - 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients for Kofta in a big bowl and mix well with your hands or wooden spoon. With damp hands, shape the meat into 3 inches oval shape meatballs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sear kofta in batches, so they can cook evenly. Sear until golden brown about 6 minute for medium-rare. If you want your kofta well done, just put them in the oven (425F) for 3-4 minutes. In a small bowl mix, all the ingredients for tahini sauce, adjust to taste. Whisk well and spoon over kofta before serving. Sprinkle with sweet paprika and chopped parsley.

I guess I’ve always been intimidated by these little rolls of goodness, probably because I was afraid that my rolls will be ugly and sloppy. But once I’ve finally made them, they seem to me like a pretty easy appetizer after all. Just with a little practice, they are very easy and fun to make. Dipped in a homemade peanut or chili sauce (or both), these rolls are a great healthy appetizer or light lunch.
One of the best parts about this dish is that you can mix and match ingredients, but today I’ve decided to play safe and make these light and healthy Vietnamese-style veggie rolls. I filled them with avocado, sliced oranges, rice noodles, and plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables for flavor and crunch. Once your ingredients are prepped, the rolling “fun” begins. It’s not hard to roll them, but you need to concentrate and be very gentle. The quantity needed for each ingredient is approximate because it’s pretty hard to measure exactly how much you need to use for each roll. Just try not to put too much stuff inside, since your rolls might become huge and not that pretty, but delicious though.

Fresh Homemade Spring Rolls with 2 Dipping Sauces

By voloshyna, October 16, 2014

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the peanut sauce: -
• creamy peanut butter - 3/4 cup
• water - 1/3 cup
• freshly squeezed lime juice - 2 tablespoons or to taste
• mirin sauce - 2 tablespoons
• light soy sauce - 5 tablespoons
• chili sesame oil - 1 teaspoon, or to taste
• garlic clove - 1, minced
• For the spicy chili sauce: -
• fish sauce - 1/4 cup
• water - 1/4 cup
• lime juice - 1/4 cup
• red chili pepper - 1 small, finely chopped
• sugar or honey - to taste
• rice vinegar - 1 teaspoon or to taste (optional)
• For the spring roll: -
• dried rice vermicelli - 4 oz
• rice paper wrappers - 1 pack
• shredded carrot - 1 cup
• peeled cucumber - 1 cup, cut into thin, long sticks
• blanched asparagus - 5-6, cut into 1 1/2 inch long pieces
• ripe avocado - 1 big, thinly sliced
• orange - 1, sliced into wedges (all membranes need to be cutter off)
• fresh mint leaves - 1 small bunch, chopped
• fresh Thai basil leaves - 1 small bunch, chopped
• fresh cilantro sprigs - 12, chopped
• lettuce leaves - 8-10, cut in halves

Instructions:

For the peanut sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until you will reach smooth and creamy consistency; set aside. To make spice chili sauce mix together the fish sauce, water, lime juice, vinegar, sugar or honey and chili; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain. In a small bowl mix all the chopped herbs. Then start to soften the rice papers. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper at a time into the hot water for a few second to soften. Lay wrapper flat on a clean kitchen towel or plastic cutting board. In a row across the center, place avocado and orange halves, asparagus, a handful of vermicelli, chopped herbs and lettuce. Leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve fresh spring rolls with the dipping sauces.

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.    

]]> http://divinecuisine.recipes/mango-saffron-jam/feed/ 0 http://divinecuisine.recipes/basic-crepes-recipe/ http://divinecuisine.recipes/basic-crepes-recipe/#comments Fri, 07 Mar 2014 01:30:06 +0000 http://divinecusine.com/?p=1241

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.

Don’t know why it’s called Chicken Parmesan, because, as you would see, the prime cheese here is Mozzarella. But anyway I like this dish, because it’s an ideal comfort food to serve, when you want to have just a casual dinner with your friends. It isn’t a sophisticated dish, but Chicken Parmesan definitely that kind of food everybody love. To make it even more tasty, I suggest to cook your own Marinara sauce from scratch, the taste of the dish will surprise you. And please, please, please use only freshly grated cheese and very good olive oil!

Chicken Parmesan

By voloshyna, December 13, 2013

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• skinless boneless chicken breast halves - 6
• all-purpose flour - 1/3 cup
• eggs - 2
• water - 1 tablespoon
• dried breadcrumbs - 3/4 cup
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• extra-virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
• fresh buffalo mozzarella - 1 ball
• freshly grated parmesan - 1/2 cup
• marinara sauce - 2 cups, (homemade or store-bought)
• fresh basil leaves - 6-8, chopped

Instructions:

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Mix flour with a pinch of salt and pinch of freshly ground black pepper; put into a shallow platter. In a small bowl lightly beat eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. In another bowl, mix the bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then dip chicken in egg and dredge in the bread crumbs. Drizzle a big skillet with an olive oil, place over medium heat. Add the cutlets and cook until brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 F. Spoon the Marinara sauce in a medium baking dish, just to coat the bottom; transfer the chicken cutlets and pour in the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh basil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with a side of spaghetti.

My last recipe for the Chinet Baking Series. This Lemon Sheet Cake will be a perfect dessert for Veterans Day, everybody will definitely like the weightless cream frosting!

Lemon Rum Sheet Cake

By voloshyna, November 1, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the cake: -
• all-purpose flour - 2 cups
• freshly grated lemon zest - 2 tablespoons
• baking powder - 1 teaspoon
• salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• sugar - 1 1/2 cups
• melted butter - 1 cup
• water - 1 cup
• Greek yogurt - 1/2 cup
• eggs - 1, lightly beatten
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• heavy whipping cream - 3/4 cup, cold
• For the syrup: -
• water - 1/2 cup
• caster sugar - 6 tablespoons
• lemon juice - 3 tablespoons
• rum - 1 tablespoon
• For the frosting: -
• cream cheese - 8 oz, room temperature
• mascarpone cheese - 4 oz, room temperature
• confectioners sugar - 3/4 cup
• lemon juice - 2 teaspoons

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl mix the flour, lemon zest, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add in the eggs, water, yogurt and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Spread the mixture into a greased 11-in. x 13-in. baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the lemon syrup, by boiling the water and the sugar together, then add the lemon juice. Boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let to cool and mix with a rum. Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle with the syrup. Leave to cool. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, lemon juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the whipped cream. Spread the frosting over the cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Here is one more recipe for Chinet Baking Series! Perfect recipe to celebrate National Dessert Day, October 11.

I hope you guys will like it, because I literally can’t stop eating this brownies.

Delicious brownies with pecans and homemade caramel sauce

By voloshyna, October 4, 2013

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

Ingredients:

• For the batter: -
• all-purpose flour - 1/2 cup
• unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/2 cup
• light brown sugar - 1 cup
• baking powder - 1 teaspoon
• salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• eggs - 2, lightly beaten
• water - 1/3 cup
• unsalted butter - 5 tablespoons
• dark chocolate chips - 1/3 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• chopped pecans - 3/4 cup
• For caramel sauce: -
• light brown sugar - 1 cup
• water - 1/4 cup
• light corn syrup - 1 teaspoon
• warm heavy cream - 1/2 cup
• unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 inch square pan with a cooking spray. For this recipe I used Chinet 8x8 Square Pan. In a medium bowl combine sifted flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add lightly beaten eggs and water, mix until smooth. In a small sauce pan melt the butter, add chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir constantly just until chocolate is melted. Pour chocolate mixture into the batter, add chopped pecans and mix well. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overcook. Cool in pan on a wire rack. To make the syrup, in a heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, light corn syrup, and water. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the syrup cook undisturbed fro 15-20 minutes. Until it becomes dark amber. Then remove from the heat, add heavy cream and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Return to the heat and add butter, stir. Bring to a boil one more time and immediately remover from the heat. Let to cool for a few minutes and add the vanilla extract. Serve warm brownies drizzled with a cooled caramel syrup.

That’s what I call The Perfect Autumn Dinner. This recipe I’ve created special for the Chinet Baking Series, using Chinet Bakeware® Small Oval Pan 7.25 x 9.25 x 2 . I love this dish because it’s creamy, crunchy and very easy to customize. There are also no strict list of ingredients, you can use any mushrooms you like, add pancetta, vegetables or herbs to your taste. Don’t limit yourself and be creative.

By the way, I need to test three more Chinet Bakeware Pans, so expect three more delicious and simple recipes from me!

Mac & Cheese with mushrooms and truffle butter

By voloshyna, September 10, 2013

• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• mix of mushrooms - 12 oz (any mushrooms you like), roughly chopped
• medium shallot - 1, finely chopped
• butter - 2 tablespoons
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• For the topping: -
• bread crumbs, lightly toasted - 1 1/2 cups, I used the whole wheat crumbs
• dry garlic - 1 teaspoon
• chili powder - 1teaspoon
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano - 2 tablespoons
• unsalted butter - 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons, melted
• truffle butter - 1-2 teaspoons, melted
• For the cheese sauce: -
• unsalted butter - 3 tablespoons
• all-purpose flour - 3 tablespoons
• whole milk - 2 cups
• mascarpone - 1/4 cup
• gouda, finally grated - 3 cups
• salt - to taste
• To cook the pasta: -
• elbows - 3/4 lb
• water -
• salt - to taste

Instructions:

In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender about 7-9 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cook 1 minute longer and set aside. For the topping, put the breadcrumbs into a medium bowl, mix with dry garlic, chili powder and grated Parmegiano. Drizzle with melted butter and toss well to combine. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (according to package direction). Meanwhile make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a heavy-duty saucepan. Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk over medium-low heat, until the the butter and flour become golden-brown. Slowly add the milk, while whisking constantly. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and has consistency of heavy cream, about 5-6 min. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat. Cook for another 8-10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Gently whisk in the cheese, season to taste with salt. Add the sauce and sautéed mushrooms to the drained pasta and gently stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to a baking dish and evenly scatter the breadcrumbs topping. Bake at 350 F about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Hi guys! Finally I’m back from my vacation to Ukraine and ready to surprise you with new and creative recipes! For today I prepared for you an incredibly easy Hummus from scratch. If you only tried a store bought one, today is a day to break a habit. You will be amazed how tasty your homemade hummus can be.

Oh, one more thing if you didn’t like the idea of adding pesto to your humus just don’t do this. In this case you will get a smooth and rich classic hummus!

Perfectly Smooth Humus with Hint of Basil Pesto

By voloshyna, September 3, 2013

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - 15 oz
• fresh lemon juice - 1/4 cup
• tahini - 1/4 cup
• Pesto sauce (optional) - 2 teaspoon, plus more for serving
• garlic - 1clove, medium or small
• good quality olive oil - 2 tablespoon, more for serving
• kosher salt - 1/2 - 1 teaspoon, or to taste
• ground cumin - 1/2 teaspoon
• water - 2-3 tablespoon

Instructions:

If you want your hummus really smooth, spend a few minutes and remove the skin of each chickpea. In my opinion this is absolutely necessary for an extra smooth hummus. So open can of chickpeas, drain liquid and remove the skins from every chickpea. Then rinse well with water. In a food processor combine tahini and lemon juice; process for a 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. Thanks to this procedure you humus will be as creamy as possible. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds. Add half of the chickpeas and pesto, process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and smooth. The hummus will be probably too thick, so you'll need to add a little bit of water. With the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect. Voila! Hummus is ready. Transfer the hummus into a serving bowl, top with a 1-2 tablespoons of pesto sauce and drizzle with an olive oil.

I love stir fry! I think this is a very healthy and really fast method to cook my food. And the best part is that I can save more vitamins and natural flavors of the fresh ingredients. That’s why I’m dreaming about a new wok, it will make cooking process  fun and fast. This recipe I found on foodnetwork, added some my own ingredients and voila fast and delicious dinner is ready in 30 minutes! Enjoy guys!

Chicken and broccoli stir fry with rice noodles

By voloshyna, June 3, 2013

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Prep Time: 5+30 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• boneless chicken breast - 1 lb, cubed
• green onion - 3 strings, sliced on an angle
• garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• fresh ginger - 1 inch piece, pilled and chopped
• small fresh red chili pepper - 1, thinly sliced
• low sodium soy sauce - 1 tbsp, or to taste
• light brown sugar - 2 tbsp
• cornstarch - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
• salt - 1 1/4 tsp, or to taste
• dry sherry - 1 tbsp
• dark sesame oil - 1 tbsp
• water - 1/3 cup
• vegetable oil - 3 tbsp
• broccoli - 5 cups, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets
• rice noodles - 1 pack,
• sesame seeds - 1 tbsp for garnish

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the green onion, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup water. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. In a medium sauce pan bring a water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and cook the noodles following the instructions on the pack. Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and sliced chili. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add rice noodles and a little bit of water to thin the sauce, if necessary. Cook for another 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like.

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.

The light and moist cake, that just melts in your mouth!

Moist walnut torte

By voloshyna, March 25, 2013

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• unsalted butter, room temperature - 1 stick, 4 oz
• baked walnuts, finely chopped - 5 oz
• sugar - 2/3 cup
• large eggs - 4, separated
• orange blossom water or zest of 1 orange - 1 tsp
• all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
• cream cheese - 4 oz
• poppy seeds - 2 tbsp
• apricot jam - 3 tbsp
• water - 2-3 tbsp
• dark chocolate (70% cocoa), grated - 1 1/2 oz

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 11 inch  loose-bottomed flan tin mold with a cooking spray, or just butter it and place into a fridge. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add the egg yolks one by one, and the orange blossom water. Sieve in the flour, add the cream cheese and stir in the finely chopped walnuts and the poppy seeds. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for around 25-30 minutes until there is a little colour on the top of the torte. You can check to see that it's ready by sticking a cocktail stick into the centre of the torte. It should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. In a small sauce pan combine apricot jam and water, bring to a boil. Brush this over the top of the torte, and when cool, sprinkle with a grated chocolate.

Tarte tatin – one of the most classic French desserts. I could eat this dessert literally every day, because it’s incredible delicious and so easy to cook!

Pear tarte tatin with mascarpone cream

By voloshyna, March 13, 2013

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

Ingredients:

• water - 2 tbsp
• confectioners sugar - 3/4
• medium firm pears - 6, pilled
• cider vinegar - 1 tbsp
• vanilla extract - 1 tbsp
• unsalted butter - 1 oz
• frozen puff pastry - 1 sheet
• mascarpone, room temperature - 6 oz
• heavy whipping cream - 3 oz
• rum - 1 tbsp
• confectioners sugar - 2-3 tbsp
• cinnamon - 1-2 tsp

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet combine sugar, vinegar and water. Cook without stirring until the syrup is become golden. Add butter and vanilla extract, mix well. Arrange pears, cut side up and overlapping, in circle in skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until pears are tender, 10-15 min. Bake tart until pastry is puffed and golden, about 35 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry; using a plate about 2 inches bigger then a skillet for the tart, cut out a round. Drap pastry round over pears, tucking edge under Bake tart until pastry is puffed and golden, about 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile in a medium bowl beat together heavy whipping cream, mascarpone, rum and confectioners sugar. Serve warm tart with a scoop of light mascarpone cream, sprinkle with cinnamon.