Caprese Sandwiches with Avocado Basil Spread

Arrange sliced bread on baking sheet.Drizzle with some olive oil.

Broil for 3-4 minutes in 500 degrees oven.

Using a blender or food processor,pulse spinach,basil and garlic. Then add avocado,lemon juice,salt and olive oil.pulse until well blended.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:8]

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

A Delightful,beautiful,healthy and refreshing salad especially when strawberries are in season.This salad can versatile by adding different variety of ingredients of your choice.Poppy seed dressing is so delicious that you can eat it with a spoon.You can also add this dressing to your fruit salad.[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:5]

Baked Buffalo Wings

This is a great alternative to regular all time favorite buffalo wings appetizer. The wings are baked instead of fried which is already cutting off on that extra fat and calories. Want even less calories and fat take of the skin and dip it in the sauce, that’s why I make extra sauce, for that extra dip. If you like them extra hot you can add cayenne pepper to the marinade.

Ingredients:
20 chicken wings, split at joints,tips removed ( total of 40 pieces all together)
12 oz. Franks hot sauce
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup flour
Seasoning salt (optional)
celery

Blue Cheese Yogurt Dip:

1 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

¼ cup finely chopped green onions (green part only)

¼ finely chopped red onion

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (good one)

salt to taste

fresh cracked pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Preheat oven on 400 degrees.
Directions for marinade:
Combine buttermilk, flour, onion powder,garlic powder, salt,pepper,paprika and seasoning salt (optional).
Add and mix it well with the wings.
Arrange wings on the baking/cooling rack and add some water to the bottom of the baking pan.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Turn the wings over and transfer back in to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and hot sauce on medium heat in small sauce pan until the butter is melted. Stir to combine the ingredients.

Remove the wings from the rack. Add the sauce and toss well to cover the wings with sauce.
Serve with celery and blue cheese or ranch dressing.

……and EXTRA sauce!!!!
Enjoy!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:87]

Eggplant capresse appetizer

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Sorrel soup (Borscht with shchavel)

This is a classic Ukrainian/Russian sorrel soup that’s often called “green borscht” because of the sorrel.It has similar leafs of spinach and sour to taste.You can cook it with meat or make it vegetarian, ( that’s how I usually cook it), but if with meat I usually make my own chicken broth. Serve it hot with a dollop of sour cream and crusted bread.

Ingredients:
1 onion chopped
1 carrot peeled and shredded
8 oz. tomato sauce
4 cups chopped sorrel
3 hard boiled and chopped eggs or uncooked whisked with a fork
3-4 potatoes diced
10 cups water or chicken broth/stock
2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons oil
2 bay leaf
salt and pepper
sour cream
*optional- 1/4 of shredded cabbage and add 1-2 crushed garlic to onion and carrots if cooking vegetarian.

Directions:
Heat a pan or large pot on medium heat.
Add oil to the pan/pot.
Add onions and carrots.
Saute onions and carrots until golden brown.
Add tomato sauce and bay leaf.
Cook for about 3-4 minutes stirring often.
Add the potatoes and broth/stock or water to the pot *
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to boil on high heat then reduce heat to low and let potatoes cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Add sorrel,eggs,dill,parsley and green onions.
Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat.
I like my soup to sit for awhile to get the flavors combined, then serve in approx. 30 minutes with sour cream and crusted bread.

*If using a saute pan, transfer the onions,carrot and tomato sauce cooked mixture and potatoes to the pot with boiling water or stock/broth.Let it cool until potatoes are done.

Apple Tvorog Crumb Cake

This apple tvorog crumb cake will melt in your mouth.Combination of apples and tvorog is amazingly delightful.Its fairly easy to make and perfect with your favorite cup of tea or coffee.

Adapted from edimdoma.ru

Ingredients for crumb crust:

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 sticks cold butter shredded

Filling:
2 1/4 cup Tvorog(farmers cheese)*
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons cream of wheat(manka)
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
4-5 apples peeled and shredded

*You can use ricotta cheese if you have trouble finding tvorog.

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Directions:

For the filling: Combine all the ingredients except apples and mix until well combined.Add apples and mix again.

Crust:combine all the ingredients and rub using hands to make crumbs,that butter is well incorporated with all the ingredients.

Grease 11×15 glass baking pan.Transfer half of the crust/crumb mix to the baking dish. press and spread out making a smooth layer.Add the filling and spread it out.Add the rest of the crust mix to the top layer and spread it gently. bake for about 45 min-1hour.

Giant Cabbage Meatballs over Black Lentils

Beans and legumes are essential in our diet. Giant cabbage meatballs over black lentils are a perfect combo.
These meatballs can be served with rice, mashed potatoes,buckwheat,beans or lentils.

12 meatballs

About 3 lbs ground beef,chicken,or turkey
1/3 head of cabbage minced
½ onion minced
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and form into 12 giant meatballs.

1 onion chopped
2 carrots small julienne slices
½ red bell pepper small julienne slices
2 tablespoon oil
1 bay leaf
8 oz tomato sauce
¾ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
dash of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup fresh dill finely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro finely chopped
water

Directions:
Heat oil in a dutch oven on medium heat. Add onions,carrots and bell pepper. Cook until soft and golden brown.Add tomato sauce,salt,pepper,cumin,cayenne and bay leaf and cook stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes.Arrange meatballs in single layer on top of the vegetables.Add water so it just covers the top of meatballs. Cover and bring to boil.reduce to low and cook for about 25-30 minutes.Add fresh herbs and gently mix with meatballs. Serve over one of the sides mentioned above.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:77]

Ukranian Borscht

Borscht is a soup mostly made with beets and cabbage. It is a speacialty of Russian and Ukranian cuisine. It’s still a specialty in my family.There is lots of variations how to make borscht, but the base ingredients are cabbage and beets.Most of the time I can cook borscht without any meat or broth(believe me It’s still good) but sometime I would make it with homemade chicken or beef broth.

1 big or 2 small onions chopped

1 big or 2 small carrot shredded

½ green bell pepper chopped

½ red bell pepper chopped

1 small raw beet and 1 cooked beet for really red borscht shredded

4 cloves garlic finely chopped or crushed

8oz. Tomato sauce

3 bay leaves

8 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into squares

½ of medim size cabbage thinly sliced

2/3 cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped (optional)

2/3 baby dill finely chopped

3 quarts (12 cups) of water,chicken/beef broth with meat

salt and pepper

3 tablespoon oil

Heat oil in large heavy pot on medium-high heat.

Add garlic . When garlic starts to turn light brown add onions, carrots, and bell peppers.

Saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionaly.

Add beets.saute for another 4-5 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce,bay leaves and black pepper. Stirring few times,let it cook for 5 minutes .

Throw in the potatoes and pour in water or broth.

Season with salt,stir,close lid and bring to boil.

When starts to boil reduce heat to low and cook until potatoes are done.

Throw in cabbage,parsley and dill.(I like to add half of uncut bell pepper for more flavor.)

Bring to a light boil and remove from heat.Tear chicken/beef in to small parts and throw in to the pot.

It is best when served couple hours later.serve with dallop of sour cream , thinly sliced onions and bread.

Optional: to cook Beef or Chicken stock; Bring water to a boil in a big pot,add whole chicken or beef (your choice of meat,ribs ). 1 whole onion and 1 carrot peeled.2 bay leaves and season with salt.cook for an hour on low heat or until chicken is soft and tender.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:55]

Smoked Salmon Lettuce Rolls

Tasty and crisp smoked salmon lettuce rolls.A perfect appetizer if you’re cutting on carbs.

Ingredients:

Thin slices of smoked salmon

Romaine lettuce

Cucumber ( cut lenghtwise in to thick strips)

Cream cheese

Chives or green onion(green parts only) finely chopped

Directions:

Cut of the hard parts of lettuce.

Use only dark green leafy parts.

Spread cream cheese.

Sprinkle little bit of chives or green onions.

Add smoked salmon and 2 cucumber strips.

Roll it up and tie the roll with a chive string or green onion.

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