Multi-grain Bread with Sesame, Flax and Poppy Seeds

Lately, I've been progressively disappointed with the quality of bread in stores. Given that my family polishes off 2-3 loafs per week and getting to artisan bakeries every few days is not an option, I really would like the boys to have the best bread there is - bread that smells just like out of my childhood, bread that goes stale in 2 days, bread that isn't too airy or too dense, loaded with goodness of whole grains.

Enough said, I decided to give bread-making a shot. I'm a first-time bread maker so I wanted a solid recipe to go by. The multi-grain recipe I got off Epicurious.com has great reviews so I gave it a go. I used my dough mixer attachment for all of the kneading work - let me tell you, it makes life so much easier!

As a novice bread-maker I didn't tweak anything in the recipe and followed it to a 't', mostly. What I got was 2 wonderful aromatic multi-grain bread loafs, a bit denser that I expected (probably, due to a lot of whole wheat flour) but absolutely delicious, holding shape well, perfect for school sandwiches. However, I found the process pretty time-consuming - it requires a few steps of adding - mixing - waiting. It took me about 3 hours from the beginning to finish, which is expected with a yeast-based recipe.

What I'd like to do soon enough is to establish a regular bread-making schedule when I can bake a weekly supply, about 4 loaves per week; freeze 2 and keep 2 for eats. Is this too utopian?

• 1/2 cup unsweetened multi-grain cereal (such as 7-grain)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 1/2 tsp or 1 envelope dry yeast
• 4 1/3 cups bread flour
  I used a combination of 60% / 40% of whole wheat / rye flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons flax seeds*
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2 cups water

1. Place cereal in large bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over. Let stand until mixture cools, about 20 minutes.
2. Sprinkle yeast over cereal. Add 1 cup bread flour, oil, sugar and salt and stir until smooth. Gradually mix in enough remaining bread flour to form dough. Cover dough; let rest 15 minutes.
3. Turn out dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes. Oil large bowl. Add dough to bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm area until doubled, about 1 hour. 
4. Mix all seeds in bowl. Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly oiled surface. Knead briefly. Shape into 12x4-inch loaf. 
5. Sprinkle baking sheet with 2 teaspoons seeds. Place loaf atop seeds. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm area until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
6. Position 1 oven rack in center and 1 just below center in oven. Place baking pan on lower rack and preheat oven to 425°F. Brush loaf with water. Sprinkle with remaining seed mixture. Using sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes in surface of loaf. Place baking sheet with loaf in oven. Immediately pour 2 cups water into hot pan on lower rack in oven (water will steam).
7. Bake loaf until golden and crusty and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

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Perfect Roast Chicken by Ina Garten

There's something about a late afternoon on Sunday that calls for a roast. Early dinner with family and plenty of leftovers for the next day - that's definitely a few of its draws.

I've tried quite a few chicken roast recipes and always come to the conclusion that Ina Garten's recipe is the best. This recipe produces that perfect chicken - moist on the inside with crispy brown skin.

• 1 (5 to 6 lb) roasting chicken
• freshly ground black pepper
•  coarse salt
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
I used 1 tbsp herbs de province instead
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 turnip or other root vegetable, cut into wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. 
3. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. 
4. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
5. Roast the chicken for at 425F for 15 minutes and leave for another 15 minutes for each lb of weight, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. 
6. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

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"Buffalo"-style Cauliflower Bites

Superbowl 2015 has recently passed. There are a few quint-essential recipes that are associated with watching the game, Buffalo chicken wings included. I love the pungent flavour of the Buffalo dressing, spiked with vinegar, but have always wanted to try a vegetarian option. After searching a bit, I found this recipe of the Cauliflower Buffalo Bites on by the SaucySoutherner.

I simplified the preparation: so this recipe of the "Buffalo"-style Cauliflower Bites is easy and fast. You can have this guilt-free and light recipe ready in under 30 minutes, including the prep time!

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tbsp hot chili sauce / Sriracha / Frank's Hot sauce , etc
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups Panko crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
2. Separate the cauliflower head into bite-sized florets. Place the florets in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, add the melted butter, hot sauce, white vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and mix well so the florets are covered with sauce evenly. 
5. Pour the crumbs over the cauliflower and mix well. Most of the crumbs will adhere to the florets.
6. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.

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Red Cargo Rice and Brown Rice Salad with Bell Peppers, Raisins, and Walnuts

This Red Cargo Rice and Brown Rice Salad salad is a burst of textures, colours, and flavours. Asian-style dressing adds depth to the nutty texture; with a surprising combination of raisins and red bell peppers.

Red Cargo Rice is definitely a star in this Red Cargo Rice and Brown Rice Salad - it has more texture than brown rice and adds a great colour.  The presentation is beautiful enough to make it a holiday dish. It can be served warm as a colorful side dish or as a salad, when chilled.

Serves:  12 

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup red cargo rice 
• salt to taste
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup roasted walnut pieces, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Soy Sauce Dressing

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sugar 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic crushed or finely chopped
• 1cm root ginger finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste 

1. To make the soy sauce dressing, put all sauce ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well to blend. 
2. Cook rice in boiling salted water for 40-45 minutes until soft. Rinse, drain well and cool. Place in a bowl and add remaining ingredients. 
3. Toss thoroughly before serving. 10 minutes before going to serve, add the soy sauce dressing to the rice and veg and toss well, then serve.
   
   
   
   Adapted from Allrecipes.au

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Russian-stye Crepes. Блины Ажурные

There's nothing like a slow Sunday morning, when the kids are still asleep and I have a lovely morning in the kitchen all to myself. This is a perfect morning for making crepes! Once the aroma of of heated butter and sugar starts saturating the house, the family tumbles down the stairs, sleeply-eyed, still in pj's.


Russian-style crepes or bliny are very airy and light, not as dense as French recipes. Our favourite stuffing combo is sour cream + smoked salmon / caviar, cream cheese + jam, and the kids' favourite - plain Nutella.

The crepes have disappeared so fast, I had no chance to snap a photo. So this photo is for the recipe of French Crepes

Makes: 12 6-inch crepes

• 0.5 cup kefir
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1,5 cups white flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp oil

1.  In a microwave heat kefir for about 20 sec., until warm. Pour kefir in a mixing bowl, add eggs, soda, baking powder, sugar and salt. Beat until mixed.
2. Add sifted flour, mix well.
3. Pour 1 cup milk in a small pot over medium heat, bring to a boil. Slowly add the milk to the flour mix, mixing well.
4. Fold in oil. 
5. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Return pan to burner and cook until top is set and edges begin to turn golden, about 30 sec. Loosen with a spatula and flip. Continue cooking 30 sec more. Transfer crepe to a plate. Cover with kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

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Vegetable Pulp Bread

If you have ever juiced, you know how much pulp you get left over. It is almost sinful to get rid of the green goodness (I mostly do greens). I have tried all there is to put pulp to use - broths, muffins, crackers, etc, but nothing goes super well with my family as this bread. It is moist and smooth in texture, similar to zucchini or banana bread.

• 2 cups veggie or fruit pulp
  Usually, I use carrot / apple / pear combination. But you can pretty much use any vegetable and / or fruit you have juiced. Also, I juice the veggies twice or even three times, so my pulp is not super moist.
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
  I like using kids granola cereal, that has raisins, pieces of fruit, etc
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1,5 cups sugar
• 1 cup sunflower and / or pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
  
  
  1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. I use an electric beater to combine all ingredients.
     If you don't have one, sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in pulp and seeds until well combined. 
  3. Pour batter into prepared pans.
  4. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.
     
     Adapted from Allrecipes.com

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Perfectly Seared French-style Duck Breast. Magret de Canard.

By mid-December seasonal refrigerators in French supermarkets are full of local delicacies for Christmas luxury dinners: foie gras, escargot, oysters, seafood of all sorts, roasts of all kind, goose, and of course, whole duck and duck breast.

After spending some months in France nothing is more natural than serving Magret de Canard for Christmas Eve dinner. The preparation from the beginning to serving takes about 45 minutes and it requires your 100% presence.

For many years I had been afraid to handle duck breast - it had seemed to me beyond grand mastery to create a perfecly seared duck breast, the way they make it in France - tender, juicy, with crispy golden skin that melts in your mouth. But all of the hesitation is a thing of the past. After a few recipes and try-outs, I've aggregated this experience into this lengthy to read, but quick to implement, technique. 

• 2 duck breasts
• salt, pepper

1. Take the duck breasts out of the fridge and leave to come to room temperature, about an hour or so.
2. Wash and pat dry with paper towels. Do NOT season yet!
3. Preheat the oven to 200C.
4. Using a very sharp knife, score the duck breast by making long diagonal incisions across the duck skin going from top left corner to bottom right, 1 inch / 2cm apart. The incisions should be deep enough to cut through the fat but should not reach the meat. Once done, make incisions going from from the top right corner to the bottom left.
   This will help that duck fat melt faster and create that beautiful golden crispy skin.
5. Put the duck in a heavy frying pan skin-side down. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Once you hear the sizzle, set the timer to 5 minutes. Now duck fat will start melting and it will sizzle and splash all over the place - be careful as the sizzling fat can shoot pretty far. It helps you have a splash guard to put over the pan.
6. After a minute or so, you will notice the outer edges of the breasts start contracting. If you press down the meat with thongs on both ends of the breast for 30 seconds, you will have a perfectly-shaped piece and an even colour!
7. As the fat melts, you need to remove it from the pan as it will overcook and will taste bitter - you just can't do this to the pride of French gastronomy!
   Usually, I remove the pan from the heat, pour the fat into a prepared bowl, and return the pan back; about 3 times during the searing process. But you can do the same by removing fat with a spoon with a long handle. If you can multi-task, you can also baste the top side of the duck with fat and juice from the pan, while removing the fat.
   Reserve the fat for future use by freezing. But I generally have pre-cooked potatoes ready in an oven-proof dish. At this point I pour some fat over it, mix potatoes with some herbs de Provence, garlic, and paprika and put the dish in the oven.
8. After 5 minutes carefully, lift the breast off the pan. The skin should be golden and feel quite crispy. If not, you can increase the temperature and leave for another minute or two.
9. Flip the breasts over and immediately lightly salt the seared skin. 
10. Sear the turned-over breast for another minute or two, basting with pan liquid: 2min for small breast, 3 minutes for medium-sized pieces.
11. Place the pan in the oven (some move the breasts in a roasting pan). Now cook until ready - 6-7 minutes for rare and 10 minutes for well-done meat. A good rule is to compare the feel of the meat to your face:
    
    Cheek = rare
    Chin = Medium
    Forehead = well done.
    By the way, none of the magret (and steaks) served in French restaurants are well-done: they are medium-rare to rare by default. If you ask for a well-done steak (bien cuit), it'll be overcooked or burnt. French cooks just refuse to acknowledge another degree of readiness for meats that these two.
12. The last essential step is to let duck rest. This helps the moisture spread evenly. Remove the breast and place them on a cutting board, skin side up. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
13. Cut into thin slices. Serve.

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Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt, pepper to taste
  
  Combine the ingredients in a jar with a lid. Close the lid and shake until thoroughly combined.

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Prosciutto Rolls with Mixed Greens

I absolutely love good dry-cured ham, any type - prosciutto, Serrano, Bayonne, Iberian jambon, etc. I think I could live off of it alone! So I'm always on a lookout for recipes that bring out the smokiness of these wonderful ham and add an unusual flavour.

This prosciutto-wrapped greens recipe is a great alternative to the traditional asparagus-prosciutto or a proscuitto-melon duos. The crunch of the greens and a hint of honey, add a bit complexity to the taste. This appetizer is easy and quick to put together and has a beautiful presentation.

Makes 12 rolls 

• 12 prosciutto slices, sliced thinly
• 1 cup mixed spring greens, packed

Dressing

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Combine the dressing ingredients, mix well.
2. Place the greens in a mixing bowl, pour the dressing over it and mix gently to coat.
3. Place about 1 tbsp of greens on a slice of prosciutto, roll up.

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Clay Pot Roast Beef with Mushrooms. Жаркое с грибами в горшочках

Testi Kebab getting prepared for us in Istanbul

One of the well-known cooking methods in Russia is making meat dishes in clay pots - with various vegetable and grain add-ons, filled with broth. The pot contents simmers gently and slowly, loosing little to no moisture and results in delicious and dreamy-tender meal.

The method of preparation of meat / fish in clay pots is well-known from the times of ancient Greece and is very popular throughout the Mediterranean region, including Turkey, with its own Anatolian version, called testi kebab. Africa has its clay pots' version - tagine; Germany - Römertopf; and other pot shape varieties in Asia.

Russian clay pots are the smallest in size, which makes them an ideal serving size. Lately, I've seen amazing clay pots in Russian retail stores, which look more like a work of art than a cooking utility. Generally, the recipes are awfully simple, the preparation is even simpler, and the presentation always gets a wow-feedback.

• 700g / 1,5 lb beef chuck roast, cut into thin strips 
• 100g / 2 strips Canadian bacon, diced (optional)
• 250g / 1 cup sliced mushroom
• 500g / 1lb potatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 4 tbsp tomato sauce 
• 2 tsp herbs of your choice, I prefer herbs de Provence

1.  Saute onion until soft and golden, add bacon and beef. Cook until tender and browned.
2. In a separate bowl combine cut-up vegetables, sugar, salt, pepper, spices to taste. In a separate bowl mix beef broth, wine, tomato sauce, add salt, pepper. 
3. Fill 1/2 of the clay pot with the meat mix. Add the veggie mix until the pot is 3/4 full and pour the broth over it. The broth should cover the contents by half an inch.
4. Cook in an oven for 60 min on 180C / 350F. Once done, take the pots out and let them cool for 15 minutes.
5. Serve clay pot roast beef with mushrooms garnished with parsley.

Photo credit: http://abc8.ru/

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Oysters in Garlic Butter

Oyster purists might argue that oysters don't require any condiments. True, but sometimes, adding a bit of a punch to the oyster is just what's needed. This garlic butter is subtle enough to bring the flavour of the oyster to its high. The oysters in garlic butter is a simple but great recipe to add something different.

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 tablespoons minced parsley
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 24 oysters
• coarse salt for baking sheet

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Put the butter in a bowl. Press the garlic cloves over the butter and mix well. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate. 
3. Open the oysters and put them, in their shells, on a baking sheet filled with coarse salt. Add about 1⁄2 teaspoon of the parsley butter mixture to each oyster and broil for 1 to 2 minutes. 
4. Serve the oysters in garlic butter immediately with rye bread.

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Turkish Stuffed Eggplant. Karnıyarık

In Turkey eggplants are everywhere - meze, main dishes, appetizers; broiled, roasted, mashed, diced!
The name of this dish translates as split belly or the belly is split and it originates in the Ottoman cuisine. When in Turkey I saw it in restaurant menus but stuffed eggplant seemed not-exotic enough to try in a new country's cuisine. So I filed it in my 'to-do' list and viola!

The recipe is quite complex and time-consuming to prepare but it is well worth the effort. As with many Turkish dishes, there is no overwhelming combination of spices, just a bit of pepper - that is why the vegetables should be the freshest and the best.

• 6 eggplants (one per person), 20 cm in length, the ones you find at the farmers' market ones are best or in the worst case scenario use Chinese aubergines (but adjust the cooking time)
• 2 medium white onions, diced finely
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped finely or minced
• 1 lb ground beef or lamb (using lamb is in the authentic Ottoman recipe)
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 tsp red pepper / paprika
• 3 tbs tomato paste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 ripe tomato for decoration
• green banana peppers or slices of green bell peppers, as many as eggplants, for decorating
•  salt, pepper to taste

1. Wash the eggplants. Using a peeler, peel the eggplant lengthwise, in 1cm-wide strips. Put the eggplants in salted water and press them down with a plate to prevent from floating up. Leave for 30 minutes - this will remove any bitterness.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 375 F.
3. In a frying pan, saute the onions in olive oil, add meat and cook until no longer pink. Add the chopped garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and red pepper. Mix gently, add the parsley, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
4. Roasting eggplants: Remove the eggplants from water, dry with a towel. Line a baking sheet with foil, drizzle with oil and lay eggplants. Prickle the white strips with fork to allow better roasting. Pour 1 tsp oil over each eggplant and put the sheet in the oven for roasting. Check them in 15 minutes, turn them over, add more oil if needed. In 45-50 minutes the eggplants should be a bit charred. Prickle with a knife to check if they are ready - the knife should go in easily. Take them out, let them cool. 
5. Now, a bit tricky here - with the two spoons, slit eggplants into two leaving the tops and bottoms attached. Fill with meat. The eggplant flesh should be very soft and give in easily for stuffing. On the top of each filled eggplant put a slice of tomato and a green bell / banana pepper slice.
6. Lay the stuffed eggplants in an oiled baking dish. Mix 1 tbs tomato paste with 1 cup of boiled water and pour to cover the bottom of the dish.
7. Put in a 350F oven for 30 minutes or until the peppers on top have softened.
8. Serve with pide bread or plain white rice.

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Turkish Zucchini and Walnut Dip. Cerkez Kabak

After the recent trip to Turkey, I have been so taken with the wonders of the Turkish cuisine - it is so diverse and plentiful! The flavours and variety of meze dishes were so amazing that I really wanted to keep a few recipes from this country. This dip comes from Binnur Turkish Cookbook (http://turkishcookbook.com/) and it super easy to make (especially if you are using a processor to grate zucchini. 

• 2 medium sized zucchini, finely grated
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fresh green onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled
• 1 slice of bread, crumbled (French or Italian style)
• 1 garlic clove, smashed with salt
  
  Red Pepper Sauce:
  
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red pepper (paprika)
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1. Saute the zucchini with 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan until all the water evaporates. Let it cool down. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Place on a service plate. 
3. To make the sauce, heat up the olive oil in a small pan, add the red pepper in it and turn the heat off. Don't burn the pepper! Pour all over the zucchini and serve with toasted French baton bread or toasted pide slices.

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Korean-style Russian Carrot Salad. Корейская Морковка / Mорковча

Photo Credit: http://fb.ru/article/64680/koreyskaya-morkovka-dlya-poklonnikov-ostroy-kuhni

Another Russian culinary legend that you will absolutely surely encounter on your travels to Russia -  a crunchy and spicy carrot salad made with garlic, sunflower oil, and a few spices. It is so popular that it can be found in any market or grocery store.

The recipe is said to have come from the Korean emigres to the to the Russian Far East and Siberia of the early 20th century. In the Stalin era, under the migration program, the Korean population was moved to Central Asia. There the recipe got adapted by the local population and started spreading to the rest of Russia. Rumour has it that the original kimchi-like salad called for Napa cabbage, which was impossible to find, however carrots were widely available. 

• 1 kg carrots,
• 1 head garlic
• 1/2 cup sunflower or any vegetable oil
• 2 white onions
• 1-2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cloves gralic
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. It is absolutely essential that the carrots are juliened, not grated into strips 2-4mm thick, while the length is optional. 
2. In a large mixing bowl mix the julienned carrots with 1teaspoon salt and leave. 
3. In the mean time, slice onions and skin garlic.
4. In 30 minutes tip the bowl to drain the liquid. 
5. In the same bowl, gather carrots from sides to the center to form a "hill" and make a bit of a hole in the center. Add cayenne pepper to the center.
6. In a frying pan heat the oil until it is extremely hot. Add the sliced onions and bay leaves, fry until the onions turn golden-brown. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and discard.
7. Pour the oil into the crater of the carrot mountain.
8. Add the minced garlic and the rest of the ingridents. Mix well, let it sit for 15 minutes. Now try the salad, add more spices or vinegar to your liking. 
9. Move the salad to a glass jar / container and put in a fridge for 12 hours to marinate. Garnish with parsley and serve.
   
   Version 2
   Julienne 1 kg carrots. Add 2 T white vinegar, 2t salt, 1T sugar, 5 garlic cloves, mix and mash with hands. Lightly sprinkle with 1/2t red and black pepper each, 1/2t ground coriander. Let it stay for 30 min, pour the excess juice.
   
   Heat 1/3C sunflower seed oil till white smoke it visible. Add sliced onion, 3 cloves, 2 bay leaves. Fry till the onion turns golden. Discard the onion. Pour the oil over carrots, mix well. Let stay in the fridge for an hour.

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Bosnian Meat Bureks

 

 

While away from home, what Canadian food do my kids miss the most in France?! Not a burger, nor an apple pie, but the bureks that we used to buy at the local market in Canada. They had mentioned it so many times over the past weeks that my heart couldn't take the kids' culinary suffering no longer and I started the quest for a pseudo-burek.

Burek is a Mediterranean pie with various fillings, from meat to apples, made by a variety of ethnicities in Europe and Asia: Turks, Greeks, Croats, Bulgarians, Bosnians, Czech, etc. The commonality among all recipes is phyllo dough and the rest of the ingredients, as well as the shape, vary from region to region.

I call this particular recipe Bosnian because I tried to approximate the bureks that we buy at the local market in Canada, whose owner is (or at least I heard is) from Bosnia.

From the start I knew it would never make the dough the way it is supposed to be made - beautifully thin, flexible, moist, and live. I just don't have the skills for it. I went to the box French supermarket, Carrefour, bought a pack of phyllo dough. Unfortunately, the pre-made phyllo dough is not as flexible as home-made and I couldn't make those perfectly round pies.

Next time I'll try making Turkish cigar-shaped bureks by laying out the bureks in straight lines vs. trying to roll them.

What I created is not the original recipe by any means, mostly in the difference of the dough. Nevertheless, these bureks turned out to be really good. The phyllo dough added crunch to the top dough layer and the filling was savoury, tender and moist. Although the original bureks are great, these turned out different, but quite delicious.

Servings: 10 bureks, 10cm in diamer
Time: 1 hour

• 1 pack phyllo dough, 10-12 sheets
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 med. potato, grated
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a large baking sheet. 
2. In a large bowl mix ground beef, garlic, onions, grated potato, egg, and spices.
3. Choose a large working surface, at least the size of a phyllo sheet - this can be a counter top or a large cutting board. Make sure it is not granite or wood: oil will ruin both.
4. Grease the surface with oil and lay out the first phyllo sheet. Cover the rest of the dough with a towel to prevent drying out. Grease the sheet with more oil.
5. Spread some filling length-wise. It should not be too much, just a bit of meat for each inch.
6. Starting with the side closest to you, start wrapping the sheet in a loose tube. Once done, form a snail-shaped circle. Alternatively, lay them out in straight lines next to each other.
7. Put the baking sheet with bureks in the oven for 30 minutes. Once done, let them cool for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

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Chantilly Cream

Chantilly Cream over raspberries.
Photo credit: http://www.domainedechantilly.com/sites/default/files/M.Savart-IMGdessert.JPG

One cannot leave Chantilly without trying the Chantilly cream. Each village in France has its own culinary traditions and specialties, with Chantilly being no exception - this is an area that for centuries catered to the nobles' refined tastes.

Chantilly cream is what we might call whipped cream sweetened with sugar and flavored with vanilla, and sometimes, orange water or brandy. The origins of the recipe are ambiguous; some attribute it to Francois Vatel, an unfortunate chef at the Chantilly Castle, who committed suicide over the fish order that didn't come in time at the reception of Louis XIV in 1661. However, there is no mention of the cream in historical records until late 18th century.

Chantillois take pride in their cream - they say the amazing light taste of the cream starts with the grass and the grounds of the area that are unlike anywhere else. The cows must take their job seriously too - as replication of the recipe in any other area of France doesn't taste the same.

Truly, the cream we tasted there is like no other whipped cream - simply divine, light, subtle, and deep.

Official recipe of the Chantilly cream 
(http://www.domainedechantilly.com/domaine-de-chantilly/cr%C3%A8me-chantilly/recettes-officielles)

Preparation 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 50 cl cream 
• 40g icing sugar  
• 1 vanilla pod

Put very cold cream in a bowl previously cooled in the refrigerator. Add the vanilla sugar and icing sugar. Vigorously beat the cream with a whisk or electric mixer until the cream thickens and forms waves. The cream is rising "Chantilly" when cream waves appear retain their shapes. Be careful at this stage as overeating transforms cream into butter!

 

For a pleasant change
Here are some other recipes:
All ingredients are to be incorporated in the cream when it has the texture of a sour cream.

Chantilly with herbs: 1L liquid cream 35% fat, 1 bunch dill, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt and pepper (to taste)

Chantilly Espelette pepper and tomato: 1L liquid cream 35% fat, 250g tomato paste, salt and pepper (to taste), sprinkled with Espelette pepper

Chantilly curry: 1L liquid cream 35% fat, 3 tablespoons curry powder, salt and pepper (to taste)

Pistachio Chantilly: 1L liquid cream 35% fat, 4 tablespoons pistachio flavor, 3 tablespoons icing sugar

Chocolate Chantilly: 1L liquid cream 35% fat, 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons sugar

Chantilly Raspberry: 1L liquid cream 35% fat, 150g raspberry jam, 2 tablespoons icing sugar

An official recipe of the cream in Chantilly Gardens

 

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Cabbage Rolls, Lazy-style. Ленивые Голубцы.

If you haven't yet caught it, I'm not a big fan of cooking Russian dishes. Don't get me wrong - I find the traditional Russian cuisine delicious but... very time-consuming.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls used to be something I disliked (extremely) when I was a kid - I unrolled them and ate the stuffing, leaving the cabbage leaves to my poor dad and frustrating my poor mom, who had spent hours in the kitchen making them.

Now that I've mastered the art of making authentic Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, I love them, but... I love this recipe more... This is a lazy version that doesn't require the time-intensive artful and unrolling and pre-cooking of delicate cabbage leaves, alas... nor does it have the final beautiful presentation. But... what you have as a result is a low-carb, tender, and moist and MIXED version of all of the ingredients that make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. It is more like meatballs that melt in your mouth with no crispiness of the original recipe.

• 500g / 1lb ground beef
• 2 white onions, chopped finely in a food processor or finely diced
• 3 tbsp white rice, cooked
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cabbage, chopped finely in a food processor
• 250g / 1 cup tomato sauce

1. In a food processor, chop the cabbage and onion finely, but not to a paste - it should be made of fine but visible fine chopped pieces. 
2. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, minced onion, egg, rice, salt and pepper. Add cabbage. 
3. Make balls 5-7 cm in diameter, flatten a bit, and in a heated frying pan.
4. Tomato sauce:
   -saute another onion, add tomato sauce, some salt, sugar, spices, some water. Add to the pan, bring to boil.
   I just use jarred spaghetti sauce diluted with water
5. Pour the tomato sauce over the balls. Simmer for an hour. 
6. Serve with sour cream and the sauce

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Baba Ganoush. Roasted Eggplant Spread

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin,
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• parsley

1. Preheat a traditional oven or a grill up to 400C. Half the eggplant length-wise, sprinkle with olive oil and put in a baking dish or a grill rack with the cut side down.
2. Roast for 30 minutes till the skin gets charred. I love the taste of roasted garlic so I put 3 garlic cloves in a foil and let it roast for 10-15 minutes as well.
4. Cool the eggplant and garlic. Peel the skin off the eggplant.
5. Put the eggplant, roasted garlic, tahini, lemon juice in a food processor and mix well until creamy.
6. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add salt, spices, 1 clove raw minced garlic. I'm a fan of spicy foods so I add a teaspoon of asian red chili paste. Mix well, sprinkle with parsley, put in a fridge to cool off and flavours develop.
7. Serve with pita bread or on the side of a main dish.

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Super-Easy Kid-Friendly Chili (Slow-Cooked)

No matter how much I'd want my kids to appreciate a wider range of food tastes, they tend to cling to the traditional North American food palette. They may select an unusual dish when we go out, but at home, they prefer less exotic choices. It makes my time in the kitchen both less and more challenging: I'd love to offer them something more creative  but making simpler foods is well... just simpler. I keep slipping unusual options once in a while, hoping that one day, when they get older, their childhood cuisine will find a way and at least one of them them will pick fois-gras over nachos.

In the mean time, one of their all-season favourites is chili. It is hardly spicy and hardly hot with just enough of the chili and cumin powder aroma. The slow-cooker completes the simplification process and voila, you have something that's simple, quick (prep time) and kid approved.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 white onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 800g can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 each green and yellow / red bell pepper, diced
• 500 ml / 19 oz red / pinto or kidney beans.
  I really like a 6-bean mix that you can get at Loblaws or NoFrills 

• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. Heat a skillet on med.-high heat and brown the beef, breaking up clumps, until no longer pink. Put in a slow cooker.
2. In the empty skillet saute onions until transparent with a bit of oil. Add minced garlic, saute for 1 minute, add the spices. Fry to 30seconds, enough for the spices to release the aroma. Put in a slow cooker.
3. Add diced tomatoes, rinsed beans and peppers in the slow cooker. Mix the ingredients well.
4. My slow cooker retains all original liquid, so I don't add extra broth. If your slow cooker is the opposite, add broth. 
5. Cook for 5 hours on high or 9 hours on low.

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Aioli Sauce

This classic Provencal specialty combines olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice for a pungent variation of a mayo; in Occitan region of France, it is served with fish soup and croutons. It is a great accompaniment to seafood and / or salads. Try adding mustard for more of a kick, herbs for more flavour.

• 4 Clove(s) garlic, crushed
• 2 yolk egg
• 1 cup light olive oil
• lemon juice to taste

In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks well with a wire whisk. Stir in garlic. Gradually add oil in a thin stream, beating constantly until light and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate. 

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