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Crepes with sweet cheese filling and citrus blueberry sauce or Ukranian “Nalisniki”

January 30, 2012 · by · 19 Comments
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 Lightly sweetened buttery crepes stuffed with  cream cheese,ricotta, powdered sugar, and a touch of orange zest then topped off with sweet blueberry sauce.They are perfect for breakfast or for a dessert.
Or you can make traditional Ukrainian “Nalisniki” with sour cream on top instead of the sauce. You can also substitute ricotta cheese for farmers cheese (Tvorog). You may choose raspberries or strawberries instead of blueberries.

Crepe batter ingredients:
2 1/2 cup sifted flour
2 cups milk
1 cup water
6 eggs
1 stick butter melted (1/2 cup or 4 oz.)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer combine milk,water,eggs,sugar,salt,and butter.Gradually add flour.  Scrape the sides with spatula if needed and mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
 
Heat a crepe pan or a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Lightly grease with butter or spray oil. When hot, add 1/3 cup of batter to the pan.
Swirl the pan to spread the batter all around evenly. Then, place on the heat and cook for about 20-40 seconds. When the top is no longer shiny, then you will know it is ready to turn. Flip with a spatula and cook for another 15-45 seconds.

Cheese filling ingredients:

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese or tvorog
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 stick butter (approx.)

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients using a hand blender/mixer.

Filling in the crepes :

Spread a good amount of cheese filling around the entire crepe.Roll the crepe in to a tube and place it in a glass baking dish.Repeat for the rest of the crepes.When all done,add little slices of butter on the very top layer. (note: you will have about 2-3 layers of rolled crepes)
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or when the butter is completely melted and the crepes are fully warmed up.

Blueberry sauce:
2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
squeezed juice of orange
squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
1 heaping teaspoon starch (I used potato starch)

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, heat up blueberries,sugar,and water.bring to a slight simmer.cook for 1 minute or so.Mix together orange juice,lemon juice and starch. add to the hot blueberry sauce. cook for a minute or until sauce thickens. Serve over baked crepes.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert ·

Russian Honey Cake “Medovik”

January 27, 2012 · by · 45 Comments
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honey cake

This multi layer cake is fairly sweet and soft from the luscious amount of sour cream and condensed milk cream. The layers are baked to a perfect  golden colour. This cake does take sometime to make,but it’s not difficult at all to make it.It’s better when you make it day ahead.
There is two different variations for the cream.Sour cream with sugar or condensed milk with butter.I like them both,so I use them both in my cake.The sour cream and sugar will make it more softer then the condensed milk and butter.If you decide to make condensed milk cream, then don’t place it in the fridge. Let it sit for 6 hours at room temperature.

Prepare a pot with hot water for water bath.
For 5-6 layers (I doubled for 10 layer cake)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon honey
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 stick butter + 1 tablespoon
2 eggs
3- 3.5 cups flour

Cream #1 for 10 layers:
3 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream #2:
1 can condensed milk
3 sticks butter (softened at room temp.)

Directions for the cake:

Heat oven to 375 degrees

In a mixing bowl (that can be placed on top of a water bath)Combine sugar and eggs with a whisk.
Add honey and place the mixing bowl over the water bath. Mix until all the sugar is dissolved.
Add butter and 1 tablespoon of flour.Mix well.
Remove the mixing bowl with honey mixture from  the water bath and add baking soda and flour gradually mixing it well. Start with 3 cups of flour and add more if needed.(remember it will thicken as the dough cools down). Divide the dough it to 6 equal balls. You can let it cool down for a little or you can start rolling.

Sprinkle flour on the surface where you will roll the dough.
Roll the dough very thin.( sprinkle with flour in between when you flip the dough to other side,so it doesn’t stick to the surface)
Transfer to an upside down cookie sheet(well floured or greased)
and bake 3-4 minutes or until it will nice and golden in colour( be careful,It can burn fast)
As soon as you take it out from the oven place a round dinner plate (upside down) and cut out the circle leaving the edges for later use on the topping.
Repeat with the rest of the layers.

Combine eggs,sugar and honey
Mix on top of water bat (double boiler) until sugar is dissolved
Add butter and 1 tablespoon of flour
Add the rest of the flour

Cream #1: Beat sour cream,sugar and vanilla with a mixer for about 4-5 minutes.

Cream #2:
Beat butter for 1 minute. Slowly add condensed milk while still beating.

leave 1(or two if the recipe is doubled)layer for the topping

Add Generous amount of cream to each layer: 2 layers sour cream,1 condensed milk cream and so on.
Add cream to the top and sides of the cake.

Crumble the leftover pieces and layers of the cake.( I use mini blender for this)

Add the crumbs to the top and sides of the cake. For best results leave in a fridge for 12 hours.Enjoy!!!

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Russian Honey Cake “Medovik”

Ingredients

  • Prepare a pot with hot water for water bath.
  • For 5-6 layers (I doubled for 10 layer cake)
  • Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 stick butter + 1 tablespoon
  • 2 eggs
  • 3- 3.5 cups flour
  • Cream #1 for 10 layers:
  • 3 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1 cup sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Cream #2:
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 3 sticks butter (softened at room temp.)

Instructions

  1. Directions for the cake:
  2. Heat oven to 375 degrees
  3. In a mixing bowl (that can be placed on top of a water bath)Combine sugar and eggs with a whisk.
  4. Add honey and place the mixing bowl over the water bath. Mix until all the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Add butter and 1 tablespoon of flour.Mix well.
  6. Remove the mixing bowl with honey mixture from the water bath and add baking soda and flour gradually mixing it well. Start with 3 cups of flour and add more if needed.(remember it will thicken as the dough cools down). Divide the dough it to 6 equal balls. You can let it cool down for a little or you can start rolling.
  7. Sprinkle flour on the surface where you will roll the dough.
  8. Roll the dough very thin.( sprinkle with flour in between when you flip the dough to other side,so it doesn't stick to the surface)
  9. Transfer to an upside down cookie sheet(well floured or greased)
  10. and bake 3-4 minutes or until it will nice and golden in colour( be careful,It can burn fast)
  11. As soon as you take it out from the oven place a round dinner plate (upside down) and cut out the circle leaving the edges for later use on the topping.
  12. Repeat with the rest of the layers.
  13. Combine eggs,sugar and honey
  14. Mix on top of water bat (double boiler) until sugar is dissolved
  15. Add butter and 1 tablespoon of flour
  16. Add the rest of the flour
  17. Cream #1: Beat sour cream,sugar and vanilla with a mixer for about 4-5 minutes.
  18. Cream #2:
  19. Beat butter for 1 minute. Slowly add condensed milk while still beating.
  20. leave 1(or two if the recipe is doubled)layer for the topping
  21. Add Generous amount of cream to each layer: 2 layers sour cream,1 condensed milk cream and so on.
  22. Add cream to the top and sides of the cake.
  23. Crumble the leftover pieces and layers of the cake.( I use mini blender for this)
  24. Add the crumbs to the top and sides of the cake. For best results leave in a fridge for 12 hours.Enjoy!!!
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Filed Under: Cakes, Dessert · Tagged: , , , ,

Spinach salad with mushrooms

January 20, 2012 · by · 6 Comments
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Serves 2
Ingredients for the salad:
Organic baby spinach
3 white mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons Pine nuts
2 slices of Apple wood smoked bacon
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Dressing:

1 small shallot
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed juice from orange
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 scallions
2 tablespoon honey (more or less depending how sweet you like it to be)
Fresh ground pepper and and little bit of salt

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender.you will have leftover of this dressing that you can store in fridge for later use.

Directions:

Make the dressing first and set aside.
Cut the bacon and bake it at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes or so.Let it slightly cool down.
Place spinach in a salad bowl.Add mushrooms,pine nuts, and bacon.Drizzle some dressing and mix gently.Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and salt if needed.You can also add fresh fruit like orange,apple or pear if you prefer.

Filed Under: Salad ·

Crab salad

January 16, 2012 · by · 4 Comments
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Ingredients:

7 eggs diced
1 can corn
8 oz imitation crab diced
1 1/2 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese( or your preference)
6 green onions finely chopped (green parts)
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt if needed

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients.place it in fridge for a least one hour.

Filed Under: Salad ·

Fish and Zuchinni appetizer

January 16, 2012 · by · 3 Comments
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 These are really filling appetizers. You can use zucchini,Mexican squash or yellow squash.they could be grilled or fried.

Ingredients:
2 zucchinis sliced lenghtwise
any white fish (I used rock fish.) cut into 1 inch strips.
breadcrumbs ( I used Panko breadcrumbs)
salt and pepper
about 1 cup of oil, add more if needed.
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill
red bell pepper  sliced(optional)

Directions:
Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper.
sprinkle salt on sliced zucchinis.
Add some oil to the frying pan and fry the zucchini on both sides on medium-high heat.
Add 1 cup of oil to the pan and let it heat up.
Dip  fish strips in the breadcrumbs so its well coated.
fry the strips turning once.

In a small dish combine sour cream,garlic,dill and salt.
Spread the sour cream mixture on one side of the zucchini strip.
Take one fish strip and place it on one end of the zucchini strip.
If you like, you can add a strip or two of bell pepper, or serve it on a side.
roll the zucchini and insert a toothpick to hold it together.

Filed Under: appetizer ·

Chicken noodle soup

January 14, 2012 · by · 4 Comments
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This soup is light and very easy to cook.It is  best when made with homemade vermicelli, which I don’t make very often, so I usually buy thin egg noodles or vermicelli from European market.That’s the closest to homemade.

Ingredients:
Whole Organic free range chicken( for best taste)
1 big onion cut crosswise to the middle
1-2 carrots peeled and cut in to thick rounds
1-2 bay leaves
salt
egg noodles or vermicelli
chopped fresh dill

Directions:

Fill a big cooking pot with water.Bring water to a boil.Rinse the chicken and place it in the boiling water.Add onion,carrots,bay leaves and about 1 tablespoon of salt (I use Himalayan pink salt, you might need more or less with other types).
Bring it to boil again and reduce to low. Cover with lid but not all the way.Let it cook for about 2 hours.check for salt and add more if needed.

Cook egg noodles in a separate pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil added to the water. drain the water.
When the stock is ready,take out the chicken and let it cool a little.Take off the skin and pull the meat apart.

To serve (per 1 serving) Add some noodles/vermicelli and chicken to the soup bowl. Pour the chicken stock over noodles.sprinkle with chopped fresh dill and fresh ground pepper if desired.Return left over chicken and dill to the pot with stock.

Filed Under: Soup ·