Tag Archives: My Life

Birthday trip

Hello my dear readers!

 I’ve been away from the blogging for some time, but I had a serious reason – it was by birthday and …  birthday trip!
 My beloved husband made me surprise and we went to Morocco. I can’t even describe how excited I was! Long time ago I watched one TV-series, where the main character lived for some time in Morocco and some action happened there also, and I had a great desire to visit this amazing country since then.
 Morocco had always seemed mysterious country to me, the country from cartoon Alla-din and the book ‘1000 and 1 night’..
The reality and impression about this place exceeded all my expectations. Magical places like Medina and various Souqs all over the major cities, the unique ambiance and atmosphere made Morocco indeed a one of its kind and worth to visit and see. I have got some pictures from the trip and going to share them with you very soon.
Rabat

Syrniki

 Syrniki are fried pancakes, which are made from cottage cheese and traditionally garnished with a sour cream. They are very popular and widely-cooked not only in Russia, also in Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. The word ‘syrniki’ is derived from Russian word ‘syr’ which means cheese.
 The main ingredients are cottage cheese, flour, eggs, sugar, sometimes raisins and vanilla. Commonly syrniki are eaten for freakfast, but could be served as a dessert.
 You can find a great variety of syrniki recipes, in one you should add one egg, in another three, in third just few spoons of flour or semolina flour, and etc. Finally, it doesn’t matter which recipe you’re using, just adjust it to suit your own taste.
TIPS:
Flour and sugar. One adds only few tablespoons of flour, in such option, might be difficult to shape syrniki and turn them over during frying, as they will be soft, but at the same time tender and creamy. Amount of sugar is totally depends on your preferences.
Filling. Raisins and vanilla are most popular ingredients for the syrniki filling, but you can go further – add cinnamon, dried apricots, plums or cherries, lemon or orange zest.
Dressing. Sour cream, jam and sweet condensed milk are the most favourite toppings for syrniki. If you neither like the one nor the other, make berry or chocolate sauce, or just dust it with icing sugar, or pour over some honey, add dulce de leche…
Syrniki-2
You can fry syrniki on a moderate heat in a frying pan for 5 minutes on each site or until golden-brown (using few tablespoons of sunflower oil). I propose you the recipe of an oven-baked syrniki, which is much better and healthier, as you don’t need to use oil.

Russian Syrniki

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:
Cottage cheese, 500g
Eggs, 2
Sugar, 2-4 Tbsp
Flour, 50-80g
a pinch of salt
Semolina, 2 Tbsp
Vanilla sugar or extract, 1 tsp, optional
Raisins/sultanas, 50g
Preparation:
  1. In a small bowl or mug, put raisins, cover with warm water and let it soak, meanwhile you do all below steps. Optionally, you can add a tablespoon of cognac, brandy or rum along with water for an extra flavor. Then pour the water out and wipe raisins.
  2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar and vanilla together and beat well until pale color (use hand whisk or electric mixer).
  3. Add flour, semolina, salt, raisins, and combine well.
  4. Shape beautiful syrniki -about 5cm/2inch in diameter and 1cm/0.5inch wide.
  5. Arrange syrniki on a greased baking tray and bake in preheated 200C/400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until nice golden color.
  6. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.
  7. You can keep all remaining syrniki in a fridge, and reheat them next morning.

Syrniki are so delicious that I could eat them every other morning. Cooking of syrniki is highly recommended as alternative to regular pancakes! 🙂

Enjoy! ❤

Syrniki-1

Syrniki-4

Mini Appetizer: Goat Cheese Balls

 Goat cheese must be the most controversial cheese. One does like it, another hate. What about you, dear reader? Do you like goat cheese or its odour is too pungent for you?
 Whatever you goat cheese stance, I suggest you to try it! May be you will find you earthreal cheese! 🙂
 I couldn’t find a good goat cheese, when I lived in Russia, there was no any variety even in supermarkets. You could find the goat milk, which was sold by farmers in the countryside, but usually only milk, they didn’t produce any goat cheese. There were plenty of soft and hard farmer cheeses but made from cow milk. Thus many people haven’t try goat cheese. Of course the situation has changed now.
 I was amazed how many goat cheeses are sold in Dubai: fresh, soft and creamy, aged, etc, which are brought here from Europe (usually from France).
 Once I watch a food-show and chef made a salad with mini cheese balls, covered with parsley. I liked the idea.. After several days  I created my own appetizer to impress my guests.
 It looks like a gourmet appetizer, and it’s certainly good if you don’t want to hang around the kitchen for hours. 😉
Goat cheese starter

Mini Appetizer: Goat Cheese Balls

  • Servings: 5-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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If you want to make it ahead of time, you can roll the balls and roast beetroots 1 to 2 days beforehand.
Ingredients:
150g soft goat cheese (I used honey-flavoured)
1 Tbsp cream cheese
a pinch of sea salt
1/3 tsp white or pink pepper, freshly ground
1-3 Tbsp walnuts, finely chopped
1-3 Tbsp fresh thyme, sage, flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1-2 small beetroots
1-2 small tomatoes
Dressing:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1/2 tsp liquid honey
Method:
  1. Wash and clean beets, cover with a foil and bake in preheated oven 200C/400F for 30-45 minutes, depends on the beets’ size.
  2. Cut the beets and tomatoes into equal circles, and arrange them on a serving plate.
  3. In a bowl combine goat and cream cheeses along with salt, pepper and walnuts. Spoon cheese mixture and form into balls (you can use table or teaspoon, depends on a size of your choice).
  4. Gentle roll the balls in herb mixture, coating well. Place onto vegetables.
  5. Serve immediately (with fresh arugula or young chard leaves, if desired), or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  6. Optionally, you can make a dressing and pour over cheese balls and salad.
TIP: You can add 1-2 fresh or dried finely chopped figs into the cheese mixture.
I’m bringing this dish over to FF tonight! Hopefully, someone has brought a good bottle of wine.. 😉 And don’t forget to bring the good mood to the party!
 ENJOY!

5-star Salad

  I feel very honoured that I took the 1st place in the challenge held by Angie – Thenovicegardener.  This was my first time I won in food-blogging contest and hope not the last. Thank you all who stopped by my post and made comments about kulebyaka. The kulebyaka is so Russian and delicious pie, and I hope one of you will make it one day. 😉 Feel free to ask me if you have any questions about the kulebyaka preparation.
 Is it Friday yet? Oh, yes! That means one more party at Thenovicegardener. Does anybody would like ‘a 5-star salad’? Why 5-star, because it looks posh and the portion is so small like from a high-class restaurant. Moreover, it’s healthy and tasty.
 Actually, I made it from the cauliflower remains, when I cooked this soup. 🙂

5-star Salad

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: very easy
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Ingredients:
7-9 small cauliflower florets
1 red or yellow capsicum
1 small shallot
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1-2 tsp almonds, sliced and roasted
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp fresh parsley or basil, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil + 1/3 Tbsp butter
The dressing:
1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp small capers
freshly ground sea salt and white pepper
  1. In a frying pan heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and cook until soften but not browned for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the capsicum, garlic, thyme, and sauté for 5 minutes or until the pepper is soft and browned. You can add the cauliflower along with capsicum and sauté it too, or leave it raw. Pick out and discard the garlic.
  3. In a small bowl or glass, combine all ingredients for the dressing and give it a good stir.
  4. Arrange the vegetables on a serving plate, sprinkle with almonds, parsley or basil; pour over the dressing.
Enjoy!
Salad
You can also check out these recipes, using the capsicums: the salad with chickpeas and Russian stuffed capsicums. 

Kumquat preserve

 Hi there! First of all, I’d like to say Happy belated Easter to all who celebrated it, hope you had a really great, joyful and warm holiday!
I’ve been out of bloogging for some time, because my sister visited me and I didn’t have free time to post; we were walking, swimming, shopping and chating all days long. We meet really rarely – one or two times a year, and I miss her all the time..

 Thus I didn’t prepare anything for the Easter this time, but I’ve got a great recipe of the citrus preserve! It is the unusual one, because made out of kumquats!
I do like kumquats, that sometimes to treat myself I’m buying a kilo and eat them alone. 😀 Just joking. I have never seen any kumquat jams in stores, and if you like it’s citrus bitterness – go for it!
Jam-2

Kumquat preserve

  • Servings: 2 jars
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Such homemade preserve makes a great gift for family or friends.
 
Ingredients:
500g firm kumquats, cleaned and sliced
400g white sugar
120ml water
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
 
  1. In a saucepan, put sugar, water and spices, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Add kumquats.
  3. Bring the ingredients to boil. 
  4. Then switch off the heat, remove the saucepan from the hob and set aside to cool.
  5. After 1 hour return the saucepan to the medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  6. Repeat the step #5 and #4 two more times.
  7. Pour the preserve into prepared hot sterilized jars and seal, or eat it straight away.

Jam-1
I’ve eaten the result on toast, as topping for panna cotta or cheesecake, and even with chicken!
The preserve is perfect for person who likes the bright, bitter and familiar flavor of orange! 🙂
Jam-3
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