Cottage cheese pancakes

It's beens 2 years since I have tried the Tvorog, a very typical cheese in the Eastern Europe, and used very often in cookery. At that time, I had it with home-made jam, but in countries such as Russia, Ukraine or Poland people also serve it with pancakes. I remember the smoothness of this cheese, it was so delicious. And although it is hard for me to find it nowadays, one can always substitute it for cottage or any other soft/fresh and unsalted cheese.

Ingredients:

225 gr. Cottage /fresh cheese
3 tablespoons flour 
1 egg +1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients into a bowl and beat well until the mixture is creamy. Take a non-stick skillet to medium heat and add a little oil. Pour a tablespoon of batter and fry for 1 minute over medium (not too strong) heat, making sure it doesn't burn. Turn the pancake with a spatula and cook the other side for another minute. Remove the pancake and place it on a plate. Repeat the process until the batter is finished. Enjoy the pancakes with yogurt, honey, cinnamon and / or scarlet fruits.

Source: Adapted slightly from "The food and cooking of Russia" by Elena Makhonko

 



Chilli feta cheese

As I saw Nigel Slater cooking a feta cheese in one of his latest shows for BBC- Simple Suppers, I knew I would just love this recipe! I run to grab a paper and a pen and wrote it down, as Nigel started cooking it. That was also an interesting program itself, where he showed different types of chillies, from the point of production to the selling. This is also a great starter for a lazy dinner with friends or a naughty snack! Even though I am not a fan of extra spicy food, here the thyme goes incredible well with coriander and the chillies, and also the saltiness of the feta. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 medium hot chillies
Bunch of coriander
Bunch of lemon thyme
5-6 spring onions
Olive oil
200g feta cheese
Naan bread to serve

Preparation:

Cut the chillies, remove their seeds and finely chop it. Slice the spring onions as well as coriander, very finely. In a shallow pan, put the olive oil and when its hot, add the chillies and spring onions and leave to soften over a gentle heat, stirring from time to time. Add the thyme leaves, up to your taste. When the spices are tender, put the whole feta in the pan and leave to cook for few minutes (without melting). Cover with chillies and serve the bits with Naan bread, seasoned with the sauce.

Coconut and white chocolate chip cookies

As I saw these cookies in Donna Hay's website, I immediately knew I would love them! They are so chewy and deliciously soft inside. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

125g butter, chopped
1 cup (220g) white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 cup (150g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
100g white chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 180ºC (355ºF). Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the plain and self-raising flours and coconut and mix with a butter knife until a soft dough forms. Add the chocolate. Using your hands, mould 2 tablespoons of cookie mixture into a flat round. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving room to spread. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool on trays.

Almond and coconut truffles

I had found a little note with this recipe lost in the middle of my recipe book, and so I couldn't remember where exactly it was from! These little almond and coconut truffles are delicious anyway, and quite easy to make.

Ingredients:

160 gr. almonds peeled and crushed
90 gr. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. cream
100 gr. shredded desiccated coconut

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until you get a dough which is firm. If you find it dry, add another tablespoon of cream. Pour some sugar onto a plate and with your hands mold small balls and then roll them in the sugar. Place them in paper liners and chill until ready to serve.

Caldo verde

Caldo verde is a very Portuguese soup and probably one of the most traditional dishes, which can be found in any typical or small restaurant in the country. It is best served in winter, and its gentle taste is delicious with a slice of chourizo.


Ingredients:
 
2.2 lbs potatoes
4 onions
Salt to taste
1/2 pound (250 gr.) kale
Thin slices of chorizo ​​to taste
1 heaped tablespoon of olive oil

Remove the skin of potatoes and onions and place them in a large pan, cut into halves and covered with water. Let them boil and cook till tender. When ready, blend them into puree. Wash and cut the kale to very tiny and fine strips. Add them to soup and stir wells. Season with salt and olive oil and cook until they are soft for 10-15 minutes. Serve them in little bowls and garnish with a slice of chourizo in each bowl. Serve hot.

Chocolate mousse

This is a classic and I am sure everybody has the best recipe of it. It has always been a must do in all parties at my home as everybody loves it, despite its simplicity. This is a gentle one, fluffy, creamy and very addicting! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 chocolate bar
7 oz (200 gr.) sugar
8 eggs
3,50 oz (100 gr.) unsalted butter

Beat well the egg yolks with sugar until fluffy and creamy. Melt the chocolate broken into small pieces and when melted add the above mixture, alternating with the butter. Beat the egg whites until very firm and carefully wrap into the chocolate cream. Place in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Pumpkin jam with almonds

This jam is one of my time favorites, and this is a recipe I used to make very often when we had pumpkins in the country house. It is really long- lasting when preserved well, perfect with some light cheeses, crackers or biscuits.

Ingredients:

2,2 pounds pumpkin/ squash
1 pound sugar
Rind of half a lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup (200 gr.) ground almonds
1 / 2 tsp cinnamon

Place a saucepan on the stove with the pumpkin, cut into cubes, previously cleaned and stripped of bark. Boil until tender and then drain it well, saving a bit of that water. Reduce it into puree and set aside. In the water saved from cooking mix the sugar, lemon and cinnamon stick and let it boil up in slow heat for few minutes until foamy. Pour the puree and beginning to thicken add the coarsely chopped almonds and cinnamon. Keep stirring until it thickens again. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon and let cool. At this point add the 1/2 tsp of cinammon. Put in jars and keep them closed preserved in the fridge.

Farofinha

I have always loved to eat this dish as a side, with rice, black beans and a good steak. It is a very typical one in Brazil, and these days it has been expanding to my country too.

Ingredients:

Cassava flour to taste
1 tsp. tablespoons olive oil
Diced bacon to taste
1 egg

Fry the bacon in a pan with the olive oil and when it's golden, crack the egg, beat it well, add it to the bacon and stir quickly. Enter the cassava flour and mix slightly until it has a sandy texture. Place in a bowl and serve with black beans.

Almond cake

This is a luscious almond cake, and if you happen to be an almond lover, then you will love this! It is quick to make and, most of all, really delicious! The frosting can be replaced by any other, but in this case I have used the yolks I didn't need for the cake.

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1 cup (250 gr) sugar
1 cup (250 gr) peeled and ground almonds
1 tablespoon wheat flour 
6 egg whites 
Port wine to taste
For the frosting:
1+1/2 cup (300 gr) sugar
6 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1.5 dl water

Add the flour, sugar and almonds. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until firm. Add them carefully to the almond misture and pour it into a greased rectangular baking pan, lined with parchment paper. Bake the cake in moderate oven for + - 30 minutes (you might want to check).
Once cooked cut the cake in half and sprinkle both sides with a little port wine. Fill one of the parties with the soft eggs and put them together. Put the rest of it on top. For the custard: In a saucepan, combine water and sugar. Cover and let it boil, then remove the cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir the egg yolks and beaten eggs quickly. Bring back to boil to thicken. Remove from heat and beat with sticks and wire.


Source: Recipe from here.

Banana and strawberry smoothie

I love the recipes you can find in the St Dalfour website, not even mentioning their jams, which I think are great! This really easy smoothie was made on a Saturday morning, when all I want is a bit of rest and a good breakfast... Enjoy!

Ingredientes:

1 heaped tablespoon (St Dalfour or other) Strawberry fruit spread
1 banana
½ cup Yoghurt
1 teaspoon Honey
1 cup of Milk

Place all ingredients in a blender and whisk together. Serve with pancakes or bread.

Sausage pie

This sausage pie was probably the very first recipe I learnt to make when I was a kid. And so, when I was thinking with which recipe to start my blog, the choice was very obvious for me! Nowadays, I can almost do this recipe with my eyes closed, and the thing is- everybody at my place loves it! Here goes the recipe:

Ingredientes:

1 cup (200 gr.) of flour
1/2 cup (100 gr.) of butter
2 tablespoons milk (or water)
1 egg
A pinch of salt
For the filling:
4 eggs   
1 cup (200 ml) milk
1 / 2 cup cream
Slices of ham, chourizo sausage, frankfurter sausages, bacon and other meats to taste


Start by preparing the dough, mixing the flour with the salt and the egg, butter and milk (or water). Knead all ingredients well and then put in a pie tray, spreading evenly until the dough is well spread and without holes.
For the filling, beat the eggs with the salt, the meats broken into small pieces and sliced ​​sausages. Adjust the amount of milk and cream according to the size of the pie tray, so that it covers the tray without being overloaded. Transfer it in a hot oven, until well browned. Serve with a salad and crisps.