Lamb with Vegetables and Aubergine Sauce/ Hunkar Begendi/ Баранина с Овощами и Соусом из Баклажана

This is a Turkish dish, which translates as "Sultan's delight". I rarely cook lamb, but somehow I liked the whole idea of meat stew with vegetables and nice creamy aubergine sauce...and since the recipe called for lamb, so lamb should it be.

Preparation takes around 1 hour, really not too long and it's easy. I love aubergines, so this aubergine sauce was also very interesting for me to try. The result is tender meat with juicy autumn vegetables and creamy aubergine paste. Lovely!


700g lean lamb meat, chopped
2-3 tb.s. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 Charleston peppers
3 juicy tomatoes
salt and pepper

3 medium aubergines
2tb.s. butter
2tb.s. flour
2 cups milk (around 400ml)
salt

In a large frying pan with some olive oil cook cubed meat until it's juice evaporates and it browns a little, season the meat.

Add onion and peppers to the meat, stir and cook for 5 minutes, add chopped tomatoes. Cover with the lid and cook for about 30-40 minutes, until the meat is tender.

In the meantime, wash and dry aubergines. Place them one by one on stove above the fire and turning from time to time cook so that the skin can be peeled off. Let them cool a bit and take their skin off. Cut them into small cubes or blend with blender.

Place milk, salt, flour and butter onto a small saucepan and cook on medium heat, whisking all the time until the bechamel sauce thickens. Mix it with the aubergine and add mashed garlic if you are a fan of it, like me:)

Serve meat with vegetables over the aubergine sauce. Enjoy!

Chicken, Grapes and Blue Cheese Salad / Салат с Курицей, Виноградом и Голубым Сыром

This is just a well known great combination of tasted and textures. Sweet fruit and sharp cheese dressing, juicy pieces of chicken meat, crunchy walnuts. I love these fruity salads so much! Hope I've inspired you to make it. Give yourself a treat!:)

200g roasted chicken meat, sliced
1 medium red apple
2 handfuls red grapes, cut in half
handful toasted walnuts
rucola (enough for 3-4 people)
some parsley leaves

2 egg yolks*
1 large garlic clove
about 100ml olive oil
about 80g blue cheese
1-2 t.s. lemon juice

Place rucola leaves into a salad bowl. Add chopped grapes, sliced apple and toasted walnuts.

Beat egg yolks, adding gradually olive oil into the mixture. Add lemon juice and crushed garlic. In the end add blue cheese and continue beating.

Divide mixed salad between dishes, place sliced chicken on top of every dish and sprinkle with blue cheese dressing.

* If children are going to eat it, I would not add egg yolks. The dressing will be just as delicious without them.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Risoni with Chicken Meatballs / Ризони с Сыром и Куриными Тефтелями

A very easy and quite healthy chicken meatballs with cheese and garlic and creamy risoni pasta.
The meatballs are not fried in oil, but instead boiled quickly in chicken stock, which makes them tender and delicious, cuts on calories too. Original recipe called for much more butter. I used just olive oil which was good.

Serves 4

250g risoni pasta
1-1,5 l chicken stock

2 large chicken breasts
4 pieces of stale bread (about 90g)
2 eggs
70-80g parmesan or sharp sheep cheese will also be good + some for garnishing
small bunch of parsley
1 t.s. dried thyme
black pepper and salt to taste
2 garlic cloves

olive oil

Begin by blending all ingredients for the meatballs in food processor. Now make small (about half a table spoon) sized balls. I got 24.

Pour chicken broth into a large pot and wait until it boils. Drop meatballs in three batches into chicken broth and cook during 8 minutes approximately. Take them out.

When all meatballs are ready cook risoni in the same broth until done. I found that adding garlic to the pasta will make the dish even better.

Serve risoni with some olive oil, garlic, chicken meatballs and cheese. Enjoy!

Eastern Carrot Coconut Soup with Grilled Chicken/ Восточный Морковно-Кокосовый Суп с Курицей

Delicious and so easy to make soup! My family loves soups, but to tell the truth, I often don't want to make them just because they go down so fast and everyone is hungry soon again:) Yeah, I know, it's bad. But if I do make a soup it at least would not take a lot of time to prepare.

This eastern carrot coconut soup is in that category. Takes less than half an hour and it is filling as well. It has mild taste, little spicy and not dull at all. Try it and you'll like it!:)

Serves 4 (adapted from Dutch cooking magazine)

750ml water
400ml coconut milk
500g carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablets of chicken stock
2 chicken breasts, cuts lengthwise into stripes
olive oil
salt, black pepper
some chili pepper to taste (for chicken and soup)
2t.s. cumin powder (one for chicken one for soup)
1t.s. dried mint
flat bread to serve

Into a large pan place carrots, coconut milk and water. Add crushed chicken stock tablets and bring to boil. Cook on medium low for 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper to taste. Blend with hand blender and return to fire to cook for 10 more minutes.
In the meantime, grill or fry chicken seasoned with pepper, salt and cumin powder.
Pour soup into plates, sprinkle some dry mint on top and add chicken. Enjoy !

Chicken Sauté in Peanut Sauce/ Куриное Соте в Арахисовом Соусе

We love chicken sauté in this creamy, spicy, fragrant peanut sauce. And this is something we miss a lot since we live abroad, away from the Netherlands. It's just really delicious as part of a lunch or just as a snack. Back in Holland I would never think to cook it myself. But since there is no alternative any more I have to:)
This recipe is a good enough variation to bring back those tasty memories. It takes about 20 minutes to put together and grill, which is always a bit plus for me:) If you like a lot of sauce I suggest to make double portion.

2 large chicken breasts (about 200g each)
wooden sticks

4 full tb.s. crunchy peanut butter
1,5 tb.s. soy sauce
1 spanish red pepper
2 cloves garlic
2tb.s. coconut flakes
2cm fresh ginger root
juice and zest of 0,5 lemon
0,5 t.s. chilli pepper flakes

olive oil
some honey

Makes about 7-8 sticks

Soak wooden sticks in water for 10 minutes.
Cut chicken breasts into medium sized stripes.
Combine in blender all ingredients for the sauce (written in the middle) and whizz. Add a little bit of oil. Toss chicken pieces in marinade and leave for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle grill pan with oil. Thread the chicken onto the skewers and place onto grill pan. Fry on medium high heat several minutes from each side. Drizzle with some honey (about 1 tb.s.) and serve with rice or s salad...

Chicken Mushroom Loaf with Cheese/ Запеканка из Курицы с Грибами и Сыром

This loaf is so easy to put together and it is one of my favourite dishes. I must say I could eat the entire thing in one day...I just have to stop myself all the time:)

It's juicy, full of flavours, low on fat and carbs and with a lot of different vegetables. My kids eat this stuff every time I make it, it's a 100% success. It's also easy to take with you on a trip/picnic, if you slice it cold and make sandwiches. Very convenient:)

500g chicken breasts, minced
1 large red onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves
250g mushrooms
small bunch of dill
2 eggs
3-4tb.s. flour (I use WW)
salt, black pepper

sheep cheese/parmesan for grating on top (not too much)
a couple of spoons of ketchup or spicy tomato sauce


On olive oil cook half of the onion and carrots until they begin to get golden. Add chopped mushrooms and cover with frying pan the lid. Cook, stiring a couple of times for about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 175C. Brush baking dish (rectangular for baking bread) with olive oil.

Mix minced chicken with another half of chopped onion, chopped garlic and tomato. Season to taste. Add chopped dill, eggs and mushroom mixture. Regulate thickness of the mixture by adding more or less flour. Don't make it stiff though.

Transfer everything into prepared baking dish. Spread some ketchup over the top. Cover with aluminium foil and bake 30 minutes. The remove foil, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for about 15 more minutes. Enjoy it warm or even cold.

Mafaldine with Mushrooms and Aubergine/ Паста с Грибами и Баклажаном

It was quite a while ago that I tried new pasta recipe at home. But this one touched my soul so much!:) All those flavours are just exactly what I like. So I have to share the recipe here!

Earthy flavours of mushrooms, aubergine and walnuts combine so well in this easy to prepare pasta. Recipe is adapted from Dutch cooking magazine.

app.250g mafaldine or other type of pasta
app.200g mixed mushrooms
1 aubergine
1 clove garlic
salt, black pepper
t/s/ balsamic vinegar
dried oregano, 1t.s.
handful chopped walnuts
olive oil
Pecorino or other sharp cheep cheese

Heat water to cook pasta.
Thinly slice aubergine and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
Coarsely chop mushrooms.
Pour olive oil into frying pan and add aubergine stripes. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add mushrooms and garlic.
Add pasta into boiling water and cook for about 9 minutes, until al dente.
Sprinkle mushrooms and aubergine with oregano and season to taste. Add balsamico.
Divide pasta between plates and add hot mushrooms. Sprinkle with cheese and walnuts.

Pasta with Tomato, Spinach and Pesto/ Паста с Томатами, Шпинатом и Песто

Satisfying and delicious pasta. It won't take a lot of time to prepare, and you are going to enjoy every component of it, because they combine great here. It's healthy too!

For two or three:

250g dried pasta (better flat and large)
2 large tomatoes, cubed
1 tb.s. tomato paste + 0,5 cup water
bunch of spinach, about 200g
2 garlic cloves
half an onion
salt
sugar
black pepper
olive oil
some ricotta

For pesto:

2tb.s.olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
1,5 tb.s. pine nuts
small bunch of basil, about 20g
1tb.s. grated parmesan


On olive oil cook garlic and onion for about 2-3 minutes, until just golden, add tomatoes and cook 4-5 minutes. The pour water with tomato paste in it, season to taste and cook, covered, for approximately 15 minutes. In the end add torn spinach.

For pesto blend chopped garlic, nuts, then add basil and slowly pour olive oil into it, season to taste.

Cook pasta. Drain, mix it with tomato-spinach sauce and divide between plates. Add pesto to each plate and some ricotta. Enjoy!

Salmon in Soy-Honey Glaze/ Лосось в Соево-Медовом Соусе

This is a super easy and very tasty recipe, taken from Dutch cooking magazine with minor changes. It's healthy and very quick, so it's perfect for me:) Salmon tastes great in a company of carrots and fragrant sesame seeds.

2tb.s. sesame seeds
about 300g young carrots
olive oil, about 4tb.s.
2tb.s. runny honey
6tb.s. soy sauce
1tb.s. white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
black pepper to taste
2 portions of salmon

First on a dry and hot frying pan cook sesame seeds approximately 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Set aside.
Peel and cut carrots in half lengthwise.
Heat about half of olive oil on frying pan, add carrots and cook them for 2 minutes. Pour 1 tb.s. honey, 3 tb.s. soy sauce, vinegar and press 1 clove garlic into the pan, stir and cover with a lid. Cook 7-10 minutes. Set aside.
Pat dry salmon pieces. Pour olive oil,  1 tb.s. honey and another 3 tb.s. soy sauce into a pan and add salmon. Fry on medium high during 3 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of salmon).
Serve with carrots and sprinkle sesame seeds over the fish. Great with some rice.

Baked Dutch Meatballs/ Запеченные Голландские Тефтели

This is a simple, yet tasty recipe of meatballs, that does not require a lot of ingredients...but the taste is so good!

When we were living in the Netherlands and travelling within the country...well, it's not like an entire trip...the country is so small that getting from north to south would take you 3 hours maximum. But what I wanted to say is that every time we where getting ready to go somewhere I always knew we would make a stop on the way to relax...yes, we would make a stop as well!:) and buy a big juicy meatball with mustard. Really! I loved them! Just those from a tank station. Very tasty! And our dog would get such a thin sausage every time, which he knew he would and was waiting for it every time..So everybody would be happy:) Oh, the Netherlands....happy country...

I always use lean beef whatever I make with it, so this recipe is a little bit lightened up. No excessive fat amounts, no butter or gravy either. And they are baked. Just a juicy meatball with a little bit crispy crust....with mustard...on bread or just like that!

700g lean minced beef
1 onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large egg
70g bread crumbs
1 t.s. nutmeg - don't like nutmeg? add 2tb.s. mustard instead
1,5 t.s. paprika powder
salt and pepper to taste
butter...or olive oil

On oil cook chopped onion just until golden. In a large bowl mix minced beef, garlic, spices and egg. Add onion and bread crumbs. Now if the mixture is too moist add more crumbs, if it's too dry add some milk or maybe one more egg. With your wet hands make 8 large balls. Dutch meatballs are BIG, well, not like a tennis ball, but close:)
Heat some oil/butter on a pan and fry them from all sides until golden brown, around 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 150C. Bake meatballs on a tray or in a baking dish during 30-40 minutes.

Turkish Yoghurt Soup/ Турецкий Йогуртовый Суп

Very easy to prepare refreshing, creamy, spicy and a little tart Turkish yoghurt soup (Yoğurt çorbası ).

1l beef stock
0,5 cup rice or noodles
1 egg
1,5tb.s. flour
1 cup (200ml) thick yoghurt
salt to taste
1 tb.s. dry mint
0,5tb.s. chilly pepper flakes
olive oil

Bring broth to boil and add rice or noodles. Cook around 15 minutes until rice/noodles is almost ready. Mix in a small bowl egg with flour and yoghurt, add mint and pepper. Cook, whisking occasionally for about 5-10 minutes longer. Serve with some olive oil and extra herbs, if desired.
It's very tasty!:)

Best 10 Yoghurt Recipes of this blog/10 Лучших Рецептов с Йогуртом

10 Best Yoghurt Recipes of this blog

I don't know many people who do not like yoghurt. I love it! Thick, creamy plain or flavoured...for dessert, for baking or cooking. It's delicious, healthy and cosy, I think.

Я не знаю людей, которые не любят йогурт. Я его обожаю! Густой, кремообразный, натуральный или с наполнителем...на десерт, в выпечке или для главного блюда. Это вкусно, полезно и очень уютно, я думаю.

So here are top 10 recipes using yoghurt in my blog.
Вот Топ 10 рецептов с использованием йогурта из этого блога

1. Yoghurt baked chicken. Tender and juicy!
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2012/05/yoghurt-baked-chicken.html

2. Pistachio yogurt with Strawberries! What a combination...and it's light too!
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2012/04/pistachio-yogurt-with-boozy.html

3. Easy berry ice cream. Beautiful!
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2011/04/super-tasty-and-easy-berry-icecream.html

4. Baked Orange yogurt. So tender and tasty!
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2012/03/baked-orange-yogurt-with-pistachio.html

5. Oatmeal bars with Yogurt filling. Scrumptious breakfast idea!
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2012/01/oatmeal-bars-with-yogurt.html

6. Peach and Honey yoghurt parfait.
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2011/07/peach-and-honey-yogurt-parfait.html

7. Summer morning smoothie. Thick, tasty, energizing!
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2012/03/summer-morning-smoothy.html

8. Ricotta Lemon Pancakes. Fluffy and light for tasty breakfast
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2012/01/ricotta-lemon-pancakes.html

9. Carrot cheesecake in a Glass. Carrot cake and cheesecake combined in this easy healthy dessert
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2012/04/carrot-cheesecake-in-glass.html

10. Strawberry Scones! Instant summer feeling
http://mijndagelijksegedachten.blogspot.com/2011/03/strawberry-scones.html

Hope you enjoyed it! And don't forget to tell your opinion about this product. As I mentioned above I really like it, so it means I'll be posting more recipes using yoghurt and it would be nice to know what your preferences are!
Надеюсь, Вам понравилось! И не забудьте поделиться своим мнением по поводу этого продукта. Как я указала выше, мне он очень нравится, это значит, что вы увидите рецепты с использованием йогурта и дальше. Поэтому мне бы хотелось узнать Ваши предпочтения!

Yoghurt Baked Chicken/Запеченная в Йогурте Курица

Very light, tender and luscious chicken. Original recipe can be found here, I just changed proportions of yoghurt and stock for even more tender result with less liquid.

1,5kg chicken, jointed
olive oil
1 large onion, cut in thick slices
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 tb.s. dried thyme
200ml chicken stock
600ml Greek yoghurt
2tb.s. honey
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 160C. Heat olive oil in frying pan and fry pieces of chicken from both sides until golden.
Transfer to the heavy casserole. Add the rest of ingredients to the frying pan, where chicken has been cooked and heat them up. Pour it back to casserole, cover with foil and bake for 2,5 hours.

Creamy Walnut Sauce Pasta/Паста с Ореховым Соусом

Very tasty nutty-creamy-cosy pasta, though without cream in it. Some extra protein is always welcomed:) The recipe belongs to Nigella Lawson, I made only small changes.

I took tortiglioni, though flat pasta was recommended
olive oil
2 garlic cloves
salt
black pepper
small handful toasted walnuts
1 thinly sliced bread soaked in
app.50ml milk
oregano
parmigiana

Cook pasta. Reserve some of the water.
Place walnuts (reserve several for garnishing) , soaked in milk bread, garlic, oregano in blender and pulse until creamy. Add olive oil and some of the reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce and serve with nuts and parmesan.

Lighter Chicken Parmigiano/Курица Пармиджанo (облегченная)

Tasty chicken with cheese and tomato sauce, contains a little less calories.

2 chicken breasts (cut horizontally in halves)
olive oil
black pepper
salt

4 thin slices of light mozzarella
grated parmigiano

half of onion
2 tomatoes
2garlic cloves
1 red bell pepper
tomato paste
1t.s.rosemary
1t.s.oregano
1t.s. paprika flakes
1t.s. sugar
some water or stock
salt
olive oil
pitted black olives

Prepare simple tomato sauce using ingredients from the third table or use your favourite tomato sauce. Cook until it gets thicker, about 40 minutes.
Pound pieces of chicken to make them thinner. Heat olive oil, season chicken and fry from both sides until golden, about 4-5 minutes from both sides.
Preheat oven to 250C. Pour some of the sauce into baking dish, place chicken pieces on top and put small pieces of mozzarella on each. Sprinkle with parmesan and pour the rest of the sauce over.
Bake in the over uncovered until bubbly, around 15 minutes.
Serve.

Hachee- Dutch Beef Stew/Жаркое в Голландском Стиле

This dish is one of many variations of hearty stews with thick gravy, that are traditional in the Netherlands. Before real spring weather arrives this would be a good way to warm up and relax at the lunch time. Another similar Dutch fragrant stew is here.

For this fragrant, simple and satisfying dish you'll need:

app.700g beef escalopes
2-3 large (red) onions
4 cloves
3 bay leaves
50g butter
500ml beef stock
3 tb.s. red wine vinegar
1 tb.s. apple sauce
1x1cm thick slice of ontbijtkoek (dutch spiced breakfast cake) to thicken the gravy*
*can be substituted by adding 1,5tb.s. flour with a pinch of cinnamon, dry ginger and nutmeg and 1t.s. flower       honey

In a deep and heavy pan heat butter and add pieces of meat. Fry for about 10 minutes, then add sliced onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Add spices, vinegar and apple sauce and pour stock. Lower the heat and cook covered for about 2 hours (adding some water if needed).
At the end add crushed slice of cake)alternatively just flour to thicken) and serve with creamy potato mash and apple sauce.

Creamy Penne with Garlic/ Сливочные Пенне с Чесноком

This is an absolutely delicious creamy pasta without cream actually. So easy and quick- perfect for me!
I use whole wheat penne here, to make it more healthy...well, you should know me by now:)

ww penne for two
handful roasted pepitas
1 egg yolk
2 garlic cloves
some olive oil
dried or fresh basilicum
parmesan or sharp sheep cheese - optional

Cook pasta till al dente. In the meantime on frying pan heat olive oil, add chopped garlic and heat it through, one minute approximately.
When pasta is cooked, drain it and transfer to oil and garlic. Add egg yolk and stir well. The yolk will be almost cooked, so I would not worry about raw egg. Add basilicum, divide between plates, garnish with pepitas and cheese if desired.

Easy Fried Rice/Жареный Рис

A very quick and easy dish, can be made with some leftovers too. Tasty and full of flavour.
Adapted from BBCgoodfood

1 egg
vegetable oil
app. 50g sausage for frying
150g mushrooms
200g frozen peas
2 garlic cloves
1 t.s. ginger powder
app.3-4tb.s. soy sauce
1t.s. sugar
250g cooked long grain rice

Fry egg on vegetable oil, swirling it and cutting into small pieces. Take aside. Put sausage and mushrooms in the pan and fry for a couple of minutes. Add peas, garlic and ginger. Now add rice and pour soy sauce with sugar. Heat through and turn the heat off. Return egg and serve.

Spicy Roasted Chicken with Quince/Пикантная Запеченная Курица с Айвой

Juicy meat. Golden crust. Full of flavour. What else to add?

chicken of 1,5-2kg

2 medium sized quinces

1t.s. cumin powder
1t.s. red pepper powder
1t.s. ginger powder
1t.s. curry powder
1t.s. turmeric powder
app.70ml olive oil
4 garlic cloves (crushed)
2tb.s. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients for the sauce. Cut quinces into 4 parts, stuff the chicken with it. Rub the chicken with the sauce.
Preheat oven to 200C. Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes at this temperature, then lower to 160 and bake for one hour more (there should be clear juice running if you prick it).
Serve and enjoy:)

Roasted Pumpkin Pasta with Meatballs/Паста с Запеченой Тыквой и Тефтельками

This pasta is quite light as I replaced part of cheese with yogurt, and it came out still very tasty.

app.500g pumpkin, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt, black pepper

250g ground beef
small onion
1 garlic clove
black pepper
salt
lemon juice
1 egg

Preheat oven to 190C. Place pumpkin pieces, onion wedges on baking dish, sprinkle with oil and vinegar, season and roast for about 30 minutes, at the end add garlic.

Mix all ingredients for the meatballs, form small balls and fry them from both sides on olive oil.

Cook pasta al dente, sprinkle with olive oil, add vegetables and about 1-2 t.s. yogurt per plate, sprinkle with Parmesan, preferred herbs (here dill) and serve with the meatballs!