T is for Turkey!!

A very in-the-season idea for dinner.

You'll need:
1 turkey steak
1 pear
1  dark plum
2 slices of brie
3 potatoes
butter
2 garlic cloves
2 cardamom pods
rosemary
salt and pepper
olive oil

Let's start with the potatoes, as they take some time to make:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes.
2. Put in a heatproof dish. It should have a lid. If you don't have one, no worries, simply cover it with silver foil.
3. Finely chop garlic and add to the potatoes. Add rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir. Add some olive oil and butter on top.
4. Put in the oven set for 200 degrees for about 45 minutes.
5. If you want your potatoes to have a nice golden crust, remove the lid/foil after 45 minutes and leave the potatoes for another 15 minutes in the oven set to a grill option. Mine does not have one, but the outcome was still plenty yummy:

6. Cut the plum into thin slices. You'll need some thin pear slices too. Cut the rest of the pear into 2cm slices.
7. 'Hammer' the turkey steak, so that it's nice and thin. You might want to use foil to avoid the mess.
8. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill fry on one side, so that it's no longer raw, but no more. It needs to stay flexible enough to bend it later on.
9. Remove the steak from the pan and add plum and pear slices on top of the fried side. Add the insides of the cardamom pods. Caradmom is very intensive, so 2 pods are enough. Put brie slices on top and bend the steak so that it forms a sack. You might need some string to keep it together. I realised that I don't have string when it was too late to go and buy some, but it turns out that need if the mother of invention so... I used parsley to tie it together.

10. Put your turkey sack and pear slices on hot grill pan. Make sure the meat is fried on all sides, et voila!

Grill fried pears are simly divine!! Brie will melt inside the turkey sack almost like butter in de volaille and cardomom will give the meat a very specific taste - delicious!

Bon appétit!

Countryside style savoury tart

Tarts come in all different forms. They can be both savoury and sweet. The only limit is one's imagination really. They can be eaten both hot and cold. You could prepare one to eat as a lunchtime snack or as a dinner course. It takes some time to make one (mostly because of the time it has to spend in the oven), but once done you can eat it over a few days. Of course, provided you can resist eating it all at once!

This one has a very classic taste. It has bacon, two types of onion, olives, cherry tomatoes and herbs in the filling.

You'll need:
5 eggs
4 spoonfulls of sour cream
250g of flour
150g of butter/margarine
1 medium white onion
1 medium red onion
250g (un)smoked bacon
12 cherry tomatoes
30/40 black olives
some freshly grated gouda
dried rosemary
dried thyme
fresh parsley

Pastry making:
You need to start by preparing your pastry dough. Mix flour with butter and one egg. It will need some kneading. When ready put it in the fridge for an hour. After that roll it out and fit into a flan dish. Don't forget to butter the dish first, otherwise the dough might stick to it. Cut the edges. Cover with foil  and put some dried beans or rice on top. This is to prevent the pastry from growing when put in the oven. Put in the oven set for 180 degrees for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Filling:
When the pastry is in the oven you have time to prapere your filling.
1. Start by cutting the bacon into thin slices and chopping the onions.
2. Fry them all. I did it separetely, but you could mix them together if you wish.
3. Cut the tomatoes into halves, do the same with olives.
4. Break the remaining four eggs and stir them vigourously with a fork. Add cream and stir again. Then proceed to add the herbs into the mixture (parsley needs chopping beforehand).

Remove the pastry bottom from the oven. Spread grated cheese on it. Then put bacon, onions and olives on top.

Now pour the egg and cream mixture evenly over it. Put the tomatoes on top. It's ready to go into the oven again. The whole thing will be ready when the egg filling turns solid and golden brown. It might take around 30-40 minutes.

et voila!

Bon appétit!

Beef in blue cheese and mushroom sauce

Guess what? It's beef time again. This is my lastest take on it. It's quick, it's easy, and it's yummy!!!

You'll need:
150g beef
8 mushrooms (champignons de Paris)
150ml sour cream
40g blue cheese
lemon pepper
(olive) oil  
salt

1. Cut the beef into small cubes, mushrooms into quarters.
2. Make sure the olive oil on the pan is hot before you start frying. The easiest way to check if it's warm enough is to pour a few drops of water on it and see if there is any effect. When ready, transfer your beef into the pan and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Stir. Fry it for 3-4 minutes.
3. Once ready, transfer the contents of the pan into a plate and cover so that it stays warm.
4. Fry the mushrooms. Mushrooms like salt, but this time watch out not to add too much because blue cheese is already rather salty.
5. Add cream to the mushrooms and then blue cheese.Wait for the cheese to melt.
6. Pour the sauce over the meat. The juice from beef will nicely mix with the creamy sauce.
7. This dish tastes great with fresh cucumber on the side.

Bon appétit!

Beef theme continues...

This ain't a traditional English beef stew, or Polish gulasz or Hungarian pörkölt - though all of them served as inspiration.

You'll need:
400g beef
1 yellow paprika
200g mushrooms (champignons de Paris)
1 chopped tomato can/carton
1 glass of red wine
30 black olives
chilli
salt & pepper

1. Cut beef into small cubes, paprika into thin slices and mushrooms into quarters. Fresh mushrooms are firm and their underside is pinkish brown rather than dark brown.

2. Start by frying beef. Add some salt and pepper. No other spices are needed. Don't fry the meat for too long.

                                                    (Can there be anything better than the sight of raw red meat?)

 3.Once it turns brown add the tomatoes and soon after a glass of red wine. Allow to simmer under lid for 15 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, paprika and chilli. Leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the olives at the very end, et voila!
4. Serve with fresh white bread.

Bon appétit!

PS. It tastes very differently on the second day as paprika becomes more dominant.

Time for 'festivity'

Apparently the name pierogi derived from a root meaning festivity or festival. Thus, the title of today's post.

What are these? These are ruskie pierogi, or Russian dumplings. Don't let the name mislead you - this is a traditional Polish dish.

You'll need:
flour (type 550 would be best)
water
3 potatoes
150g white cottage cheese (the original should be made with Polish twaróg, but it could also be made with ricotta)
1 onion
pepper

The preparation of pierogi looks more difficult than it actually is, and it actually doesn't take much time after one has had some practice.

You should probably start with the filling. Boil the potatoes and mash them when they are ready (no butter or cream to be added). Chop the onion and fry it. Add the onion and cheese to mashed potatoes and mix it all together. Add a generous doese of ground black pepper. Your filling is ready.

The dough for pierogi is unleavened. You simply need to mix flour with water. I'm not providing any precise measurements, because as my grandma puts it, "you need to feel it". Too much flour and the dumplings will be too hard (and their edges won't stick in the first place), too sticky and they will dissolve when boiled. You'll probably reach the right consistency when the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

Once your dough is ready, roll it out so that it's no more than 2mm thick. Back home I would use a wooden board which serves the fourth generation now to do that, but it's ok to do it on the table for as long as you make absolutely sure it's clean ;). Also, if you don't have a proper roller, don't worry - a wine bottle works equally well.

Find a glass with a sharp edge (a cup with a round edge won't do) and cut circles from the dough.

Put a spoonful of the filling in the centre of a circle.

Bend your dumpling-to-be into half and stick the edges together.

Use your thumb and index finger to create additional horn like edges, like the ones in the picture. This way your pierogi won't get destroyed when boiled.

If your preparation takes time, remember to cover your pierogi with a cloth, because the dough dries up very quickly.

Put your pierogi in salted boiling water, and wait for a few minutes. They will be ready around a minute after they reach the surface. Voila!

The best thing is that you can freeze them. Transfer them onto a plate and wait until they cool down. Once they do, they are ready for freezing.


Bon appétit!

A little something for garlic lovers

I got this recipe for carbonara  from a friend, who claims to have received it from an actual Italian. I hope he doesn't mind that I'm sharing it.

Most people think of carbonara as pasta with bacon in creamy sauce. This one is different. And in my humble opinion way better. Since it's very rich in garlic, I recommend it on days when you plan to be antisocial. While it's not the most romantic food in the world, its surely very tasty. A health warning though: you need to be well organised to succeed with this one. Timing is the key.

You'll need: (a portion for 1 person)
pasta (I used fusilli)
one egg
1/2 onion
2 or 3 garlic cloves
two bacon slices
finely grated hard cheese

1. Cut the bacon into small pieces, chop onion and garlic very finely.
2. Boil your pasta in salted water.
3. While pasta is boiling, fry the bacon. When it's no longer raw, add the onion. When it's almost done add garlic. Garlic needs to be added towards the end, because it goes bitter if fried for too long. Feel that smell? It's absolutely marvelous.
4. Put the egg in a glass. Mix yolk and egg white with a fork, so that the resulting mixture has a homogeneous consistency. Start adding the cheese while stirring continuously, so that no lumps form up. Keep adding the cheese until you can add no more (i.e. it's almost solid). I'm not giving any precise measurements because it really depends on the size of an egg. A rule of thumb is that the mixture will just about double in volume.
5. The point when the pasta is ready is critical. You need to be quick to succeed. Transfer the pasta into a strainer, and then put it back into the still warm pot. Add the contents of the glass and stir vigourously. The idea is that thanks to high temperature the egg will no longer be raw within seconds and it will nicely stick to the pasta together with cheese. Add the contents of the pan and stir again.

Bon appétit!

Meaty feast for a rainy autumn evening

A perfect recipe for a depressing rainy day. I think that this new invention of mine could be a deserving replacement of a Sunday roast. All in all, what could go wrong if there is wine involved? ;)

You'll need:
2 medium size potatoes
150-200g of mince beef
75g of chopped tomatoes from a can/carton
50ml red wine (I usually use dry wines for cooking)
blue cheese
fresh basil
cinnamon
salt & pepper

1.Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into 5mm slices (normally I wouldn't mention the need to peel, but living in England has taught me that everything is possible). Boil them in salted water until they are nearly ready.
2. Fry the mince. Adding some water will prevent it from from collecting in bigger lumps and will make it softer. Only add salt & pepper for taste. Once it turns brown, add tomatoes, and after 30 seconds or so add the wine. The mixture will be very watery at this point, so you will need to reduce it quite significntly.

3. Spread the potato slices on the bottom of a heatpoof dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

4. Transfer the contents of the pan on top.
5. Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and freshly cut basil leaves.

6.Put in the oven set to 200 degrees for 10-15 minutes, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Sunday morning special

It's a tradition in my house to have scrambled eggs for breakfast each Sunday. Now, I know that making scrambled eggs is something that absolutely everyone can do, it's said to be only slightly more difficult than boiling water. Yet, nearly everone has their own special way of doing that. Some prefer it well stirred, some stir only at the end. Some like it with ground pepper, some believe it's a heresy to add it. And of course, there are many different things you can add to your eggs: dill, onion, bacon, blue cheese, chili or even bamboo or carrots. Below I present my favourite way of preparing scrambled eggs, which is with tomatoes and bacon.

You'll need:
eggs
bacon
tomoto(es)
tomato concentrate
salt

You start by cutting the bacon into small slices and chopping the tomoto(es). You need to fry bacon first, then add chopped tomoto(es). Add a tea spoon of tomoto concentrate, and then add the eggs. Don't forget a pinch of salt (only a pinch coz bacon is usually already salty).

 Personally, I prefer it well stirred. a few more minutes on the pan, et voila!

Perhaps it doesn't look most appetising (the tomotoes give it a slightly funny consistency), but it's really yummy.

TRICK: If you want your scrambled eggs to have a really smooth texture, add a few spoonfulls of milk when frying your eggs. I don't use this trick for this particular version of scrambled eggs though, coz it doesn't go well with the tomatoes which are already a juicy addition.

Bon appétit!

Everyone wants to be Italian

Many moons ago one of my friends organised a pasta night. She made sicilian tomato and tuna pasta. This is my take on it. I made only some small variations.

You'll need:
spaghetti (d'uh)
chopped tomates from a can/carton
1 tuna can
fresh basil
3 garlic
tarragon
lemon pepper
olive oil
salt (for pasta)
Freshly grated hard cheese (parmesan or regiano)

The sauce can be made while boiling pasta. Add all of the ingredients into a pan (except for grated cheese of course). The only thing that needs chopping is basil. No need to chop garlic. Put whole cloves in. They will give out the taste, and will have to be removed before serving. It;s part of the magic of this recipe. I cut mine into halves, that's why there seem to be so many in the picture. Simmer on low gas. No need to add salt.

When the pasta is ready, sprinkle it with olive oil and add the sauce. Stir everything and transfer into a plate. Sprinkle with grated cheese, add a few leaves of basil on top for extra effect, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Every day is a discovery :)

Every day is a discovery. A world of new tastes opens before me. Today, thanks to Colin, it was a Cornish lard cake. Sounds not so tasty, but it actually was pretty decent. I love discovering new tastes, which is why I will never say no to even the most unusual food. Not even a bug could scare me (I ate ants when I was a kid so what's the difference :P). Be it an ostrich or a reindeer, it can always end up on my plate.

This post is really a huge thank you note to all of my wonderful friends who, over the years, helped me to discover new flavours in life. Thanks to whom I know how a real Hungarian pörkölt and lángos, Swedish pickled herring, Bolivian beans stew, Indian tarka daal, Sicilian tomato pasta, Slovak bryndzove haluski and many other dishes taste like.

Truth be told the real reason why I love food and cooking is because it is a social phenomenon. It is a chance to meet together and put all the problems on the side. To feel at home. To feel part of a group. Some of my best memories involve me and my friends having a meal together. My meals are there to show you how much I appreciate you.

Bon appétit!

Fig delight

This is not my idea, but it's seriously worth trying. Figs go very well with mozarella!! Served on a bed of mixed salads with a dressing of my own invention. The original recipe has a cranberry dressing, but I was short of cranberries (dried are not good enough). So I made a cherry and lime dressing to go with it. Be careful though and don't add too much, because it's very intensive. Simpy mix 3 tea spoons of cherry syrup with a quarter of lime and add a tea spoon of olive oil, et voilà!

Bon appétit!!