Hearty and heart-healthy, this roasted butternut squash dish makes a warming main course for a weekday family dinner. Beautiful and simple plate for a Monday night.
Roasted Rosemary Pumpkin with Black Rice & Cashew Nuts
Brussels Sprouts, Red Cabbage & Sweet Peas Salad
Vegetables are fun to photograph! I had a pleasant time capturing the ingredients of my salad today. Dramatic, dark style is definitely my favorite and since there is no sun visiting our town, the rainy weather is a perfect setup. This post is not so much about the recipe as much about the beauty of simple vegetables becoming center of attention on the dinner table. I hope you like my creations and if you have any questions about styling or my photographing technique I will be glad to answer them all.
Have a creative weekend my dear readers!
Almond-Cornmeal Black Currant Cakes
Reminiscent of the crisp tops of berry corn muffins, these golden little cakes are absolutely irresistible. The cakes have a delicious sugary crust like muffin top, but unlike muffins, the crumb is moist, buttery, and very tender. Serve them with tea, or pair them with ice cream or fresh fruit for dessert.
Romaine Salad with Couscous & Soft Boiled Egg
A galaxy of color and texture, with a soft boiled egg and couscous, will make this a favorite salad.
Spring Strawberry Tapioca Soup
This winter has been so long with a lot of snow and cold nasty winds. Sometimes snow turned into rain which froze and turned back into snow. I don't mind winter and I love snow days when fluffs are falling and covers trees and roofs of our houses. Snow days mean no school for kids and many cups of hot coco by the fireplace. But this winter was too cold and too unpleasant and I am tired of it. I need spring badly and I miss long walks in a park with my lovely daughter. Where are those yellow flowers you can see in March? Where are green leaves?
Russian Monday: "Gribnoy Soup" - Mushroom Barley Soup
Mushroom and barley soup is one of my favorite soups since childhood. The only difference between now and then is that years ago the soup had to be made from dried mushrooms. Back then in Russia it was not possible to buy a lot of fresh food during winter time, especially mushrooms. Summer was a busy season for making jams, picking wild berries and mushrooms in a forests. However, to be used throughout the year these had to be dried and frozen.
Irish Coffee - Have a Jolly St. Patrick's Weekend!
"As always at an Irish dinner party, there were three desserts - vanilla ice cream, a chocolate mousse covered with whipped cream and chopped nuts, and fruit salad with maraschino liqueur and thick cream poured on.
Sherry was served with the grapefruit, a Rhine wine with the chicken and champagne with dessert.
Coffee and liqueurs were served in the drawing room, and entertainment was supplied by collection of stereo slides of American scenes. There were enthusiastically received, for no one had ever seen stereo slides before…"
by Margaret Rudkin 1953
Stuffed Tomatoes with Black Rice & Basil
In ancient China, Black Rice was known as "Emperor's Rice", and it was reserved exclusively for Chinese Royalty. Loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E and fiber, Black Rice is as versatile as it is delicious. Its slightly sweet, slightly nutty taste, combined with its distinctive dark color, makes it appealing to the eyes and the taste buds. One serving has the same amount of antioxidants as a single serving of cultivated blueberries - without all the sugar. Simple, healthy, delicious - and easy to prepare.
Russian Monday: Lemon "Keks" - Lemon Tea Cake
"Keks" - Russian tea cakes are a tradition in Russian households and have been since the last century when the technology was perfected for milling fine, smooth white flour. Before, lemons were prized for there medicinal and cosmetic qualities. Today, at breakfast, lemon tea cakes enriched with honey are perfect for a cup of coffee or aromatic tea.
Ricotta Pancakes with Berry Coulis & Whipped Cream
I'm entertaining this weekend, and when one particular friend of mine comes over, I always make sure this is on the menu – my ricotta pancakes with berry coulis is her absolute favorite! If you love good breakfast and you haven't tried this, make it with me.
Potato Gnocchi with Baby Lima Beans
There are few things tastier than light, freshly cooked, fluffy potato gnocchi. The addition of certain spices in combination with other ingredients can elevate this simple foodstuff to heights of gourmet artistry.
Kasha Cakes with Mushroom Sauce
Made from buckwheat, kasha has very nutty taste. Here, it is combined with a fragrant parsley, scallions and carrots, and formed into small cakes. Serving with mushrooms sauce these kasha cakes made an excellent lunch or a tempting appetizer.
