Bulgarian-ized Carbonara with Feta Cheese and Zucchini

this carbonara was the result of an "emergency" dinner (aka no time for cooking and a famished toddler at hand). the great part is that besides taking only about 15mins. to make, it also proved very tasty. it uses things you most likely already have in your fridge. obviously the feta has no place in an italian carbonara, but that's what was in my fridge, and the zucchini touch was inspired by Jamie Oliver's recipe :) you can maybe also sub the zucchini with peas or peppers? 

the ingredients are:

• 500g penne
• 200g bacon
• 3 whole eggs
• olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper 
• dried oregano
• 180g grated Bulgarian or Greek feta cheese
• 1-2 zucchini sliced thin
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped

the making:

- bring a big pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta for 9 min (or according to package until al dente

- add the pasta to the water 

- when the penne are about ready fry the bacon and shallot in a large nonstick pan for a minute, then add the zucchini and a bit of olive oil. continue frying for another minute until pasta is ready

- drain pasta and transfer to the pan with the bacon and continue to fry it adding more olive oil as needed.

- in a large bowl whisk the eggs with some black pepper and add the grated feta and oregano

-transfer the hot penne directly from the pan with the bacon and zucchini into the bowl with eggs and stir very quickly and thoroughly. the eggs will thicken from the heat and the melting feta will create a nice sauce.

- you can add more pepper and feta to taste. the feta i used was not as salty as the one i usually get in Bulgaria, so i added some seasalt to my plate :) добър апетит/ buon appetito!

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spring nettle and wild rice casserole

spring finally came to Basel! after what seemed like weeks of rain and cold (1-2C in the mornings- dear Spring, are you kidding me?!), along came also one of the most memorable leafy vegetables from my childhood- nettle! or, is it even a vegetable? this is what wiki has to say in short: Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica. The plant has many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on its leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans and other animals.[1] The plant has a long history of use as a medicine and as a food source. when i was little in the spring my grandma would make a soup from the fresh tips of nettle she picked, garnished with feta cheese, which i remember not being very fond of. but now somehow i grew nostalgic and decided to find a recipe for nettle, which i would like. it was inspired from taking a walk in the Allschwil forrest nearby our new home. there I noticed the familiar green sprigs along the path. actually, the first thing that came to mind when seeing them was not my grandma's soup, but an unfortunate memory.. when i was 4 years old and playing outside our apartment building, some older kids bullied me and dared me to jump into the nettle bush in the backyard. of course i didn't want to, so then they pushed me! i remember crying a lot and running back home with my entire legs covered in nettle stings (i guess i was wearing shorts)! terrible flashback.. anyhow, back to the recipe. after digging into some bulgarian traditional recipes this seemed like something that would be tasty, and indeed it was. what: 1 bunch green onions, 1 medium onion, 1 bunch fresh garlic, >300-400gr fresh nettle (tips only), 2 cups wild rice mix (or any rice you like, you'd just have to adjust the cooking time and liquid amount accordingly), 1 large carrot, chopped, 6 cups chicken/beef broth, few tablespoons sunflower oil, 4 late eggs, shredded cheese (optional). spices to taste: fresh mint, marjoram, pinch of nutmeg, fresh ground black pepper, sea salt. how: saute the finely minced garlic and onions on slow heat in the sunflower oil until golden and soft. then add the carrots, then rice and spices and sauté until fragrant. meanwhile, pour some boiling water over the nettle. this will somewhat neutralize its stinging properties.. then wash immediately with cold water and chop finely, using gloves (just in case!). add to the rice/onion mixture and pour in the (hot) broth.pour the entire soupy mixture in a glass baking dish and bake at 200C for 40+ mins (until rice is soft and all liquid is absorbed). sorry for the inaccurate description, but i was really making this as an experiment... little before removing from the oven, make four "nests", or holes on the surface of the rice and break one egg in each. at this point you can also sprinkle with cheese if you want, but i didn't do it and was still delicious! leave in the oven until the eggs are no longer runny. bon apetit :)

and kep in mind, nettle is also super good for you, packed with iron and other goodies. from www.livestrong.com : Minerals Stinging nettles supply iron -- each 1-cup portion contains 7.7 percent to 17.5 percent of the daily recommended intake, depending on your nutritional requirements. Your physician may urge you to consume more iron-rich foods, such as nettles, to combat anemia or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The calcium content of stinging nettles is also significant: 1 cup provides 32.9 to 42.8 percent of the amount you require daily. Calcium promotes strong teeth and bones, and it may also lessen the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, preventing headaches, mood swings and bloating. Vitamins Including stinging nettles in your diet gives you a huge boost in vitamin A. A 1-cup serving contains 1,790 IU of this vitamin, nearly three times the amount you need in a single day. Vitamin D works with calcium to strengthen your teeth and bones, although its main role in the body is to normalize the amount of calcium and phosphorus in your bloodstream. Your body is able to store extra vitamin A, so the additional vitamins you consume are not wasted. Stinging nettles also serve as an excellent source of vitamin K, a vitamin your body requires for blood clotting. Each 1-cup portion contains 369 to 493 percent of the daily recommended intake. Like vitamin D, your body can store vitamin K for later use. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/350785-stinging-nettles-nutrition/#ixzz1tHNYdrNr

brown rice risotto with fennel and leek

this is my first post since moving back to europe. it has been quite busy the past couple of months.. i am loving switzerland so far and the food quality here is amazing. i buy local and organic produce at the farmers market, there is also some good lamb and other meats in small butcher shops i have found in town. certainly meat is quite pricey here, but i am not really into eating meat daily, anyways.... thus a vege recipe for a sunday dinner :)
this dish is actually my second personal encounter with fennel (in my own kitchen). i have to say that i was always a little suspicious of the licorice taste, which i am not a big fan of.. however, after making it roasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar a couple of days ago, i realized, that when it's cooked the taste is not overpowering at all and quite pleasant. i made this risotto with short grain brown rice, you could do it with long grain (adding some more cooking time) and also substitute any veggies or mushrooms you have. i basically used whatever veges i had left in the fridge.

ingredients:
2 1/2 cups short grain brown rice
6 cups of water
1 medium leek, green part removed
1 fennel bulb
1 yellow pepper
4-5 cloves garlic
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tbs Butter
3 small thinly sliced onions
5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup of dry white wine (or marsala)
1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan


directions:
IMPORTANT: do not wash the rice prior to cooking it, as it will not achieve the sticky/creamy texture caused by the starch.
Put the rice into a pot with the water. After it boils bring down to a simmer. Simmer about 20-25 minutes-until most water is absorbed. Drain and set aside.
Saute the chopped fennel, leek, and pepper until tender. Make sure you cook them until tender, because they won't soften much more when cooking in the risotto.

In a large pan sauté the thinly sliced onion in the olive oil and butter. Caramelize the onion on low heat and towards the end add the chopped galic cloves. Add the precooked rice, vegetables, 1 cup of the broth, and the wine. Stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup of broth and continue this adding/stirring until you use all of the broth.
When the last 1/2 cup of broth is absorbed, season the risotto with salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add the parmesan. Serve very warm, with mâche salad.

berry buttermilk cake

i made this with a mix of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. however it will be just as yummy with any berry on its own, fresh or frozen. the 2 cakes i made were gone in a couple of days so it was a success ;)the recipe is for 2 9-inch cakes.

ingredients:
2 cups pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick softened sweet cream butter
1 plus 1/3 cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
2 cups mixed berries
first, preheat the oven to 400F. line 2 9-inch round pans with parchment paper, spray the sides with nonstick spray.
in a large bowl beat butter with 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. add vanilla and eggs and continue beating. mix in flour until just combined. spoon the mixture onto the pans, sprinkle evenly with the berries and the remaining sugar on top. bake the cakes until they're golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted (20-25min) it's deliciousss ;)

rainy chococoatmeal pepita cookies

this is what i made yesterday. it happened as a result of being stuck inside with the baby, while outside rained all day long.... my husband went to a rock concert after work so i had a good chance of devouring half of the cookies before he got back :) thank god it's not raining today (i might need a jog or some other fitness activity)....
nevertheless, the cookies were amazing, and as my dear hubby said when he tried them late last night "seriously, the best cookies i have ever tasted!"
here are the ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/2 cup or less chocolate chips (i used about 1/3 actually, because i don't like when the cookies are overwhelmed by the chocolate-y taste)
1 1/4 cups regular rolled oats (i prefer the texture of these, as opposed to quick cooking oats)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

the making: preheat oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper

put butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat with mixer until fluffy. add the egg, vanilla and salt and beat again just until combined. stir in coconut and pepitas. in another bowl, combine oats, flour and baking powder, mix well then add to butter mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined.

drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them about 1-2 inches apart. bake about 10-11 minutes for softer/chewy cookies. then set aside on a cooling rack.wait!for them to cool before eating (if you can).serve with a nice latte.. store in an airtight container.

spanakopita/ banitsa with spinach

this might be either a greek or a bulgarian recipe, but regardless of the nationality- it's a tasty and hard to mess up dish..it's also something rather quick you can make if you have unexpected visitors. i'm not claiming it's healthy by any means though....
here's what products you'll need:


- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 stick butter
- bunch green onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb package frozen spinach (use organic, spinach is one of the "Dirty Dozen" )
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup crumbled sheep's feta cheese (Bulgarian vs Greek, I make it with Bulgarian)
- pinch of nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup yogurt
- 12 sheets phyllo dough
- more olive oil for sauteeing the spinach and oiling the baking dish

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9x9in baking pan (or use 4qt pyrex baking dish, also works)
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute green onions and garlic, until soft. Mix in the thawed spinach and parsley, and continue to saute about 5 minutes. Season with nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together eggs, yogurt and feta. Stir in spinach mixture.
Melt the butter. Mix it in with the 2tbs of olive oil. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough in the baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil mixture. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with oil mixture, and repeat process. After 6 sheets pour in and spread the spinach/cheese/yogurt mixture. Then layer remaining 6 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil mixture. PRIOR to baking cut the spanakopita into squares- this will allow for the filling to spread and cook evenly.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into the pre-cut squares and serve warm. Yum!

chicken ceasar salad with yogurt dressing

a simple salad with a healthy twist on the dressing and minus the anchovies.. i made this for dinner together with the kale soup ;)


ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 head of romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
6 cloves garlic
1 cup greek/strained yogurt
1 bunch of cilantro (i know people either love or despise this spice so if you are of the latter group of people omit or substitute it using common sense..)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
few pitted kalamata olives
2 tbs shredded parmesan (to sprinkle on top)
1 tbs grated parmesan or asiago cheese (for the dressing)

how to cook chicken:
blend cilantro in food processor or blender with half of olive oil, half of the lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves, adding some black pepper and salt. marinade chicken in this mix for 1+ hours in the refrigerator. then grill on a stovetop grill pan or broil chicken until done. set aside.

how to make dressing:
mince the remaining 3 cloves garlic. whisk them in the yogurt with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, grated parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. if desired add more lemon juice for tartness..

now the salad is almost ready:
stir dressing into lettuce, top with shredded parmesan, chicken breast and kalamata olives. enjoy!