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Zucchini Bread, so simple, so good!

I didn’t create this recipe, it is from my coworker Dale Krupla, the great cook and the gardener. He brought this bread to work, I tried a small bite, loved it, asked for the recipe and it became one of my family’s favorite. Of course I cut 1/3 of the sugar from the amount in the original recipe as I always do with desserts, the sugar amount in the recipe here i already cut down, but it’s still sweet.

It’s quite easy to make, and the beauty is – all done in one big bowl, no whipping, no blending – just your hand and a whisker. And the zucchinis.

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups shredded zucchini (packed)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 3 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

  • Stir together all wet ingredients. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients till just everything is incorporated.
  • Gently stir in 1 cup of nuts. Batter should be pretty thick.
  • Spoon into greased bread pans
  • Bake at 350 for 50-55 min or check when knife comes out clean

Carrot Soffritto Marinated Fish

Very easy way to transform somewhat plain boring white fish like cod or haddock into delicious colorful dish with a spice level adjustable to your taste. Served cold or room temperature, you can take it to work for lunch, serve at brunch buffet or as a dinner appetizer

Ingredients:

  • White fish (cod, haddock, flounder) – 2 lbs
  • Shallot (or small onion) – 1
  • Carrots – 1-1.5 lbs
  • Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp (you can use fresh a couple of tomatoes, ketchup, some spicy sauce you have or like, and or tomato paste)

Directions:

  • Place your fish into a casserole dish, sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper ( you can also sprinkle some lemon juice)
  • Bake in 375 °F oven for about 30 min till fully cooked.
  • Finely chop shallot (or onion), grind carrots (with manual grinder or in a food processor)
  • Add 3 tbsp light olive oil or some other neutral oil into a heavy pan
  • Start roasting shallot on a medium heat till it is translucent, then add shredded carrots. You might need to add some oil
  • Roast your vegetables till golden color, the add your tomatoes or tomato sauce/paste, season with salt, pepper, add some red pepper flakes if you want to make it spicy.
  • Reduce the heat to low, add 1 or 2 bay leaves, cover your pan with a lid and simmer till your sofrito is fully cooked and soft.
  • Split cooked fish into small pieces with a fork.
  • Load the sofrito on top of the fish, better to do it while it’s still hot or at least warm so that the taste of vegetables penetrates the fish
  • Sprinkle with good olive oil.
  • Let it cool down on counter top and put in the fridge for several hours. Sofrito will “marinate” the fish, adding it a color and spice
  • Serve cold.

 

 

 

 

 

Rosette cookies

I remember I tried these cookies over 25 years ago in Moscow, but they were shaped as little pillows, my college friend grandma was making them. Then I tried them in my friend’s house here, she called them rosettes.

The dough is very light because it’s based on farmer cheese. The result is – super airy pastry. Friendship brand works, but I usually make farmer cheese or tvorog (творог) of my own, and that’s the one on the picture.

Ingredients:

  • Farmer cheese – 1/2 lbs
  • 1.5-2 sticks of soften margarine or butter (I usually use 1 stick of butter and the 1/2+ margarine).
  • Sour cream – 3-4 tbsp
  • Eggs – 3 (room temperature)
  • Sugar – 1/2 cup + 1 cup
  • Flour – 3-31/2 cups

Directions:

  • Separate egg whites from yolks
  • In a bowl start mixing yolks and 1/2 sugar with a whisk
  • Add softened butter/margarine, farmer cheese, sour cream and soda and mix it well (with the whisk or a spoon)
  • Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time. Use a spoon till possible, then kneed with your hands. The dough should be soft, even a little sticky. But you will add some more flour when rolling.
  • In a separate bowl beat egg whites + 1 cup of sugar
  • Preheat your oven to 375 °F, cover baking sheet with the parchment paper
  • Divide the dough into 3 pieces (just so it’s easier to roll)
  • Dust you board with flour
  • Roll the dough to the “rectangular” or oval shape (about 15″x 8″), 1/8″ (3mm) thick
  • Spread the dough with 1/3 of a beaten whites leaving some borders (for the whites not to ooze out too much)
  • Make a roll, make it even width with your hands, also trying to spread the whites inside evenly.
  • Cut the roll into 1 inch thick pieces, pressing with the knife and lifting each piece so that the whites don’t come out, placing it to the baking sheet right away.
  • Repeat with the rest of the dough and the whites
  • Bake for about 20 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes. The cookies (and the whites) should be just golden and remain a little soft.

 

 

Vinegrette – Russian salad

Not to be confused with a dressing. Vineigrette is a name of Russian salad based on boiled or baked vegetables.

The ingredients are all simple and very available with the exception of Russian style sauerkraut (you find in any Russian store), but it can be replaced with the regular or totally skip, just put more pickles. The unique taste is again a combination of sweet (beets, potato, carrots, peas) and salty or marinated pickles. The proportions are super flexible too – put more beets if you like it sweeter, add pickles if you want more crunch and brine.

Can be served as a side dish, appetizer, packed for picnic or lunch. Kept in a fridge for 2-3 days and gets even better. And it’s good for you!

Ingredients:

  • Boiled, better baked beets – 2-3 medium
  • Boiled Yukon gold or red potatoes – 3 medium
  • Boiled carrots – 3medium
  • Shallot – 1 small
  • Pickles – 3-4
  • Sweet peas – 1 can or 1 cup of frozen blanched
  • Sauerkraut (better be Russian) – 1 cup

Directions:

  • Finely chop (to a pea size) potatoes, beets, carrots, pickles and shallot. The best beets are baked, all the juices remain inside and pealing is easy. Just wrap each one in a foil and put in your oven when you use it. You can keep them baked in a fridge for several days before you use them. Pea size chopping may sound intimidating, but it’s super easy, everything is cooked and soft.
  • Blanch frozen sweet peas in a boiling water for about a minute so it keeps the bright color or add canned peas.
  • Slightly chop sauerkraut (if you have it).
  • Add salt and pepper, dress with olive oil.

Serve cold or room temperature.

 

Delicious cookies that melt in your mouth and they are good for you!

They are so easy and so delicious! And flexible – you can use any nuts or seeds you like or have, any dry fruits or berries.

The carb content can probably be reduced even further by substituting part of the flour with the whole wheat flour, maybe use more oats, but I didn’t try that. I like them the way they are too much.

Ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter – 1 stick (113gr), room temperature!
  • Sugar – 1/2 cup
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp
  • Egg – 1
  • Baking powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Flour – 2 cups
  • Rolled oats – 1 cup
  • Vanilla extract – 1tsp
  • Walnuts or pecans – 1/2 cup
  • Dried berries (raisins, cranberries, tart cherries) – 1/2 cup

Directions:

  • Put all the ingredients except nuts and dried berries into a bowl and mix them with a spoon first.
  • When it’s too hard to use a spoon, use your hands.
  • Add nuts and berries, combine the batter using your hands into a ball.
  • The dough will be a little sticky.
  • Make a log, wrap with a plastic wrap and freeze it, just to make it easier to divide a dough into cookies.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 °F
  • Using sharp knife, slice frozen dough into 1/4 inch slices and put on a baking sheet covered with the parchment paper.
  • Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown (depends on your oven).

Buckwheat

Buy roasted, but not too dark, I usually buy 2 cups packages that are sold in a Russian store, but you can find it in every health store now.

Ingredients:

  • Roasted buckwheat – 2 cups
  • Olive oil – 1 tbsp (optional)
  • Boiling water – 3 cups
  • Salt – 1 tbsp

Instructions:

  • Rinse and drain the grains
  • Place the grain into a heavy pan on a medium high
  • Add salt and olive oil (if you choose it)
  • Roast (dry) the grain, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes
  • Add boiling water, reduce the heat to very low, cover with a lid and let it sit for about 20-25 minutes.
  • Turn the heat off and let it rest for 5 -10 minutes.

The grain will absorb all the water and will be fully cooked.

If you want to add roasted vegetables you can do it by starting with roasting the vegetables, then adding the grains, roasting it all together, then pouring boiling water.

Or you can have the kasha ready and mix it with your choice of vegetables, source or gravy.

 

The best tuna salad

Ingredients:

  • Canned tuna – 1 can
  • Celery 2-3 stalks
  • Pickled cucumbers – 2- 3 (can be substituted with capers or olives)
  • Sweet pepper – 3-4 small ones
  • Green onions – 3

Optional:

  • Corn (canned or grilled)
  • Hard boiled eggs – 2
  • Cooked white rice 2 tbsp
  • Parsley

Dressing:

  • Extra virgin Olive oil – 1/4 cut
  • Lemon juice – 1tbsp
  • Grained dijon mustard – 1 tsp

Directions:

  • Mash tuna with a folk
  • Finely chop all the ingredients
  • Add dressing
  • Mix to combine

Serve cold or room temperature

 

 

Beetslaw

Another super easy, refreshing and unusual salad. With minimum ingredients and effort you can have a nice side dish or healthy lunch. It will look great on your dinner table or party buffet.

Ingredients:

  • Boiled or baked beets – 2 medium or 3 small
  • Granny Smith apple, pealed – less than a whole one, about 3/4
  • Shallot or small red onion – 1
  • Roasted pine nuts – 2 tbsp

Dressing:

  • freshly squeezed lemon juice – 1/2 of a lemon
  • olive oil2 tbsp
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:

  • Finely slice cooked beets, apple and onion
  • Add roasted pine nuts
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine

 

 

Roasted Mushrooms and Egg Salad

This salad is a meal in itself – very rich, creamy and satisfying. Easy to pack, delicious to eat.

Ingredients:

  • Yellow onion – 1 medium
  • Shitake mushrooms – 8 ounces
  • Hard boiled eggs – 2
  • Manchego cheese 3/4 cup

Dressing:

You can use regular Mayonnaise or whisk together:

  • Olive oil – 3 tbsp
  • Mustard – 1 tsp o

Directions:

  • Slice onion thinly
  • Fry the onion in the light olive oil on medium heat for about 5-7 min or until golden brown, remove to a bowl
  • In the same skillet fry mushrooms till golden brown, add to the bowl with the fried onions
  • Using hand grinder grind hard boiled eggs and the cheese, add to fried mushrooms and onions.
  • Add your dressing, season with salt and pepper, mix to combine.

 

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