Russian Carrot Salad

We absolutely love this spicy carrot salad. This is a Russian/Korean salad inspired by kimchi.

I think it pairs well with plove, grilled kabobs and many more dishes. 

This salad is easy to make, however it does require a julienne slicer, Here is a link to my favorite one.

Ingredients:

7-10 large carrots 

2 TB white vinegar 

6 garlic cloves 

1tsp sugar 

1-2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper 

Infused oil: 

1/4 cup of oil 

1 small onion (chopped into small chunks)

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

1/2 tsp paprika 

Directions: 

1. Infused oil- in a skillet or small saucepan add oil and onion and heat on medium/low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the spices: coriander, red pepper flakes and paprika. Stir the spices and let the oil infuse and cool while you complete the next steps. 

2. Peel the carrots, then using a julienne grater, grate the carrots into a large bowl. 

3. Press the garlic into the bowl, and season the salad with sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar. 

4. Pour in the infused oil through a mesh strainer. 

5. Mix well and refrigerate for a few hours or over night. 

6. Stir well before serving. 

7. Salad is good in the fridge up to a week.  

Plov (Russian rice pilaf)

Plov is a one pot meal which gives you lots of flavor for very minimal effort. I was born in Tajikistan, and this is something we grew up eating every week. This meal is perfect for dinner parties as it serves a lot of people, and heats up wonderfully the next day. Each family has their own way of making plov, and there is no right or wrong way. My mom, sisters and I all make our plov differently. You need to find what works best for you with the type of rice you use. (Short grained rice will require longer cooking times, as opposed to long grained rice) 

If you like Jasmine rice, you will enjoy my recipe. My spices are not over powering, so if you want even more flavor, then add more cumin, coriander and smoked paprkia. 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs stew cut beef (I like boneless short ribs)
• 3 large carrots
• 1 large onion 
• 1/2 cup oil
• Aromatics: cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric 
• 2 cups jasmine rice 
• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper 

Directions: 

1. Prepare the ingredients for the recipe: cube up meat, peel and julienne the carrots, and peel and chop the onion. 
2. Preheat oil in a pot or dutch oven. Add in the beef and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Stir the meat often to insure that it cooks evenly. 
4. Once the beef is browned, add in the chopped onions. Stir often until the onions are caramelized. 
5. Add in the julienned carrots, stir together.
6. Add in the aromatics: 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp turmeric. 
7. Add in 4 cups of water, 2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper. Bring to a simmer. 
8. Cover with a lid and cook rice on low heat for 20 minutes. 
9. After 20 minutes, fluff the rice, remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

ENJOY!

Vanilla Cheesecake

 

Crust:

1 1/4 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (from ten 5 by 2 1/2-inch graham crackers)

1/3 Cup Sugar

4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled Slightly

    Pinch of Kosher Salt

Filling:

4 Eggs at Room Temperature, Lightly Beaten

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

          Contents of half of a Vanilla Bean

1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 Packages (8 ounces each) Cream Cheese at Room Temperature

1 Cup Sugar

Topping:

3 Cups Sour Cream

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

    Contents of half of a Vanilla Bean

1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Rita's Sourdough Bread

 

The perfect sourdough recipe. This is not a fussy or complicated recipe. But as most sourdough recipes, it does take 2 days to complete its beautiful transformation from starter to a beautiful loaf of sourdough. I like make two loaves at a time which last us around 3-4 days. My entire family has become lovers of sourdough bread. This recipe gives you an amazing chewy and airy texture on the inside and a crispy crust. Serve it with a soup or stew, and then make french toast the next morning for breakfast. 

Recipe make one loaf. 

Ingredients:

100 grams of bubbly starter

340 grams of water

520 grams of unbleached flour

10 grams of sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the starter and water. Mix together using a dough whisk.

2. Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Using a dough whisk or your hands, stir together until combined. Cover with a damp tea towel or seran wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

3. Do 4 stretch and folds every 45 minutes. Covering the bowl during the resting time.

4. After the last stretch and fold, let the dough proof for one hour and then dump onto a clean flat surface.

5. Stretch out the dough into a rectangle, and then bring the sides together, folding it into a square.

6. Flip over and using your hands, final shape it into a ball and place into a floured banneton basket.

7. Loosely cover with seran wrap or a plastic grocery bag, making sure the plastic does not touch the top of the dough. Let raise overnight in the fridge.

BEEF PELEMENI

 

Pelemeni are Russian dumplings filled with meat. They are a perfect meal idea for a cold winter day.

If you are a visual learner, watch my video.  

Ingredients for the dough:

4 eggs

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups of water

6 cups of flour

Ingredients for filling:

1 pound of ground beef

1 medium sized onion grated or finely minced

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

Directions:

Prepare you dough by combining your eggs with salt and water. After mixing the three until combined, start adding your flour, 2 cups at a time. Knead well after each time you add the flour. 

After you have added all 6 cups of flour, knead for about 5 minutes and then let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Come back after 20 minutes and knead it one more time, then let rest again for another 20 minutes. Make sure you cover the dough so it does not dry out. 

Prepare filling: Mix together the ground beef, shredded onion, salt and pepper until combined. 

To make your pelemeni, take a small section of dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. You want to roll it out until it is a little less than 1/2 cm. Using a small biscuit cutter or small glass and cut out circles. 

(keep the scraps of dough, make sure you cover it so it does not dry out)

Place 1/2 a teaspoon of filing inside each circle. Pinch sides together until you have a moon shape. Then bring the two ends together and pinch creating the classic pelemeni shape. 

Place the prepared pelemeni on a floured tray. 

To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the pelemeni in the pot gently. Stir to make sure non stick to the bottom of the pot. 

Boil for 11-13 minutes (depending on the size of your pelemeni)

Remove the pelemeni with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl. Toss with with butter and pepper. 

Serve with sour cream or the broth/water from the pot. 

These can be frozen for future use. First you need to freeze the pelemeni on a tray, once they are frozen, you can store them in a large ziplock bag. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvMBfrEwIGA

Minestroni Soup

 

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium minced onion
• 1 zucchini- chopped
• 1 cup chopped green beans (frozen of fresh)
• 3 stalks of chopped celery
• 3 carrots chopped
• 4 cloves minced garlic 
• 1 quart of vegetable broth
• 4 cups of water
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained 
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1  cup small shell pasta

Directions:

1. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
2. Sauté  onion, celery,  green beans, carrots, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.
3. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 more seconds until aroma is released. 
4. Add tomato sauce. Stir together. 

1. Add vegetable broth, water, beans and noodles. 
2. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. 
3. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer on low for 45 minutes.
4. Taste your soup and adjust salt and pepper if you need to.

Blueberry Muffins

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup fresh blueberries

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• Chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder.

Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Add 1 tsp of vanilla. Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts and the crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20-23 or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Iced Christmas Sugar Cookies

One of my favorite things to do is bake with the kidos, and with winter break we have plenty of time.  

We love making these iced cookies, and the kids can't get enough of them. I have used this recipe for many years, because the cookies always keep their shape and the royal icing actually tastes good. 

Cookie Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter (softened)

2 cups white sugar 

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups of flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Beef egg rolls

I have been making these for many years and they are always a hit. I love the simplicity of this recipe, but you can change it up to your hearts desire with more veggies and meats. 

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground beef
• 1/4 of a small  head of cabbage (thinly sliced)
• 2 large carrots (peeled and shredded)
• 1 package of egg roll wraps
• salt
• pepper 
• oil for frying

Directions:

1. Preheat a large skillet, add 2 TB of oil, and 1 lb of ground beef. 
2. Season your ground beef with salt & pepper. 
3. Cook the meat until it is browned. 
4. While the meat is cooking, prepare you cabbage and carrots. Thinly slice your cabbage and peel and shred your carrots. 
5. Once the meat is browned, transfer to a large bowl. 
6. Add the prepared cabbage and carrots to the same skillet. Season with salt & pepper. Stir and sauté until the veggies are tender. 
7. Once the veggies are cooked, add it into the bowl with the browned meat, and stir until combined. 
8. Clean the skillet and add about 1-2 cups of oil for frying. The oil should cover the eggrolls halfway when frying. 
9. Assemble egg rolls: Lay out one egg roll wrapper with a corner pointed toward you. Place the meat mixture in the middle. Use your fingers to spread a little bit of water along the edges.
10. Fold the bottom and two opposite corners together to make almost like a envelope,  then roll tightly. 
11. Fry egg rolls on medium/low heat,  until lightly browned and crispy turning occasionally.
12. Place fried egg rolls onto paper towels to drain grease. 
13. Serve with your favorite sweet and sour sauce.

Christmas home tour 2020

 

Hello friends, and welcome to our 2020 Christmas home tour. I have to admit, my style is very simple. I don't think I qualify as "minimalistic",  but I don't like clutter, even when it comes to holiday decor. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this post and find some inspiration. 

All of the details and links will be in my YouTube post (link is down below)

living room 

Gingerbread men cookies

 

These cookies have been our favorite for many years. The dough is perfect and the cookies keep their shape when baked. They are soft and have just the right amount of spice in them, and off course the most important thing of all is that the kids love them. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter softened 

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 egg

2 TB water

2 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground allspice

Directions:

Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 

Beat in molasses, egg and water. 

Add the water, flour, baking soda, salt and all the spices and mix until creamy. 

Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for atleast 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8 thickness. Cut with a gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. 

Bake 9-10 minutes and remove and cool on wire racks. Decorate with icing 

Icing recipe:

2 cups of powdered sugar 

4 tsp milk

1 TB light corn syrup

1/2 tsp almond extract

food coloring of your choice. 

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in the corn syrup and almond extract until smooth and glossy. If icing is to thick, add more corn syrup and milk. If it is to runny, add more powdered sugar. 

Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring to each. Use piping bags to decorate your cookies. 

Leave your cookies to completely dry and harden overnight before stacking them.