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!

• 
  

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!

creamy kale soup

kale is sooo good for you, vitamins, minerals and all that makes it a wonder veggie! yea, tell that to my husband.. but with this easy and yummy recipe i had him asking for seconds and thirds ;)


here's what you need:
1 bunch of kale, washed, chopped, stems removed
4-5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
600ml chicken bouillon
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper

how to make it:
saute the green onions in some olive oil (use as much as you need, i didn't measure). when they become soft add the minced garlic and cook a few minutes longer. set aside. meanwhile bring the bouillon to a boil. saute the potatoes in some olive oil. add the onions, garlic, potatoes and kale to the bouillon. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. puree soup in blender until smooth and creamy. add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy with a fresh salad :)

the flourless, sugarless, eggless, butterless cookies

i've meant to post these last week when i made them, but didn't have time. the two dozen i made were gone in just a couple of days! so they must have been good :)
here is what you need:
2 cups rolled oats
3 large ripe bananas
2/3 cup almond or hazelnut meal ( i used hazelnut this time); alternatively if you have neither you can use whole wheat flour, but then they won't be flourless :)
1 ts pure vanilla extract
1/3 coconut oil, warmed until liquid
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 ts baking powder
1/2 ts sea salt
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup (you can adjust the amount depending on your preferred sweetness, i omitted entirely and the cookies were still sweet enough, because of the ripe bananas)
how to make them:
preheat oven to 350F. place racks in the top part of the oven.
in a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork and combine with the vanilla, honey/maple syrup and coconut oil. in another bowl mix the oats with the almond/hazelnut meal/flour, shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, salt and baking powder. combine the wet and the dry ingredients and mix well. drop spoonfuls of the dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. bake about 15 mins. enjoy with your tea or latte; for me they're perfect in the morning. i guess they're also perfect for vegans :)

beef kofta kebabs

everything started with my husband's complain that i haven't cooked recently any bulgarian KIUFTETA(kiufte= bulgarian traditional grilled/fried meat patty, sort of like a hamburger but made with mix of beef and pork, onions, cumin and other spices). so i decided to make that for tonight's dinner. i thought i can pick up some ground beef and pork on my way back from a gig downtown. but the ugly day it was today, with rain and snow pouring like crazy i barely had a chance to quickly stop by the organic market on washington street in hoboken, where i got only beef. soo..my bulgarian dinner idea transformed into something more exotic- beef kofta kebabs! the same ones i used to get in arabic joints in the old days when i was baby-free and could smoke all the apple hookah i wanted..
then i realized i don't know how to work the broiler in our oven (we just rented this apt a couple of months ago and i haven't cooked much since). my husband, however was in a mood to go out despite the crappy weather(since he had been stuck at home with the baby all day), so he ran to this nearby kitchen gadget shop and got me a grillpan. i love it- you can cook on top of the stove and get even better results than an outdoor grill- no need to use oil, never sticks, easy to clean, made from titanium and basically lasts forever. anyway, i'm sure you can't quite relate to my excitement about this pan right now, so here's the recipe..
what you will need (and don't let the many spices scare you):
18 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30+ mins
1 pound ground beef (organic, grass fed, you know..)
2 medium/small yellow onions (finely minced/grated)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 small bunch parsley (leaves only), chopped
1 ts sea salt
1 ts ground cumin
1/2 tbs ground cinnamon
1 ts ground nutmeg
1/4 ts cayenne pepper
1 ts finely minced fresh ginger
1/2 ts ground black pepper

how to make it:
in a large bowl mix the ground beef with the garlic. add parsley and all the other ingredients mixing well with your hands (i know, yuck) or a fork until it's well blended together. shape the mixture into 18 small balls. flatten each ball around a skewer and shape as an oval. place the ready skewers on a parchment paper, cover with plastic foil and refrigerate for 30+ mins. cook on a preheated grill pan over medium heat, turning from time to time, until desired done-ness. i prefer well done, and it took about 4 minutes.

i served it with mixed herb avocado salad and greek yogurt.
say cheers with a shot of turkish yeni raki or just a glass of red wine (as we did) and follow up with a nice flavored tobbacco hookah and a morrocan mint tea (if you can):P

whole wheat pizza with arugula and prosciutto

today was a short day. perhaps, because my husband went out without successfully waking me up, so both the baby and i slept till 10.. fortunately he came back home early and we all went for a stroll. we ended up going into a store called copper kettles on washington st. and bought a pizza stone (which i've wanted to get for a while). even though i had planned on cooking something else today the plans changed around because of the new acquirement and we ended up going to the grocery store for some mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto....
you should have no doubts that i tried to make something as cliche as pizza super healthy..oh, well the prosciutto..maybe not "super" but at least rather healthy. so the dough was 100% organic whole wheat flour (stone ground) and surprisingly turned out delicious (even the texture was not stiff, but a combination between crunchy ad chewy). since i had some yeast which was almost expiring i used a lot of it (just to be safe, given how tough is for the whole wheat flour to rise'n'shine)
dough recipe
ingredients:
4 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
3 packages dry yeast (perhaps you can use less, as i said mine was almost expired, so i wanted to be sure it works)
1 1/2 cups warm water (120-130F)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs honey
2 ts salt
directions:
in a large bowl combine flour, salt, yeast, mix well.
add honey, oil and warm water stirring with a wooden spoon.
start kneading, until dough becomes elastic, soft and smooth (2-3mins)
rest dough in a covered bowl for 20mins and then separate into two balls.
roll each ball into a 1/8in crust. dimple crusts with your fingers.

pizza topping ingredients:
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed (you ca definitely cut down on that, we're garlic lovers at home)
4 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese/ or substitute fresh mozzarella for a fancier taste
6 thin slices of prosciutto di parma (about 2-3 oz)
4 cups baby arugula (you can use less to your tastes, i just love arugula!)
sea salt
black pepper

preheat oven to 425-450 with pizza stone inside for 20mins.
mix olive oil with crushed garlic, 1 ts black pepper and 1/2 ts salt. spread mix evenly onto the two crusts.
cover crusts with tomato slices, basil and arugula on top, dividing it evenly.
top arugula with shredded mozzarella cheese and 3 slices of prosciutto per pizza crust.
given i only have one baking stone (so far) i baked them one by one for about 8 mins each.

serve with ARUGULA salad ( i know, i just love it too much)
and whatever red wine you prefer,
i'm drinking chilean carménère santa carolina-
cheap, but worthy of mention :)

coconut obsession granola

ever since i discovered extra virgin coconut oil in the healthfood store i have been a bit obsessed with it and using it in all kinds of ways (some better than others..).it is just so versatile: from cooking thai and indian curries, to making crepes, cookies and even cosmetics.. but for anyone who loves coconut as much as i do, this granola will be a major hit!
ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw walnuts (or macadamias, cashews)
3 tbs flax seeds
4 tbs honey
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup raw sugar
pinch of salt

directions:
preheat oven to 300F
combine all dry ingredients and mix well.
combine coconut oil with honey, adding a spoonful of warm water. add to oats and stir until coated. cover the bottom of a large pan/ cookie sheet
with parchment paper and spread mixture evenly in a thin layer. bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15mins until golden, but not brown. NOTE mixture will become more crispy once it cool out of the oven.

enjoy on greek yogurt, kefir, with cold milk or any other way you like granola!next time i think i'll add pieces of dried apricots :P

coconut vegetable curry with tofu

after gigging in NJ (namely playing the musical Candide for a high school show in Nutley) and eating mostly cookies and chocolate all day long i felt like cooking something meat-free and vitamin-icious today.. that, and the fact we had chicken last night sent me out to the store for some fresh veggies. and since i had a can of coconut milk in the pantry- had to be curry night! organic tofu was on sale- $1.50 for a 14oz tub! i picked up also green bell pepper, basil, bok choy, scallions and canned organic plum tomatoes (also on sale). here we go:

ingredients:
1 bunch scallions divided: white part finely chopped, green part sliced into bigger pieces
1 (14oz) can coconut milk
14oz. firm tofu, cubed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 ts raw sugar
1 1/2 ts minced ginger
2 ts chili paste
2 teaspoons curry
2 cups diced plum tomatoes (used canned but try fresh if you have)
about 1 handful sugar snap peas
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 bunch chopped baby bok choy


directions:
-in a large skillet mix coconut milk, half of soy sauce, raw sugar, ginger, chili paste and curry powder and bring to boil
-add tofu, tomatoes, pepper, white part of the scallions
-after a couple of mins. add sugar snap peas, cover and cook for 5 more mins.
-mix in the bok choy basil and green part of the scallions
-add the rest of the soy sauce (to taste) and cook few more minutes, leaving the veggies tender but slightly crisp

serve over rice- i used brown basmati..

cocoa butter brownies/triangles

this is my third experiment with brownies for the past month.. it's odd given that i never even made them before. but now i seem to be obsessed with trying to make something chocolate-y healthy and tasty! the previous couple of times i made them with organic virgin coconut oil. first time were amazing, but the second something didn't quite work out- perhaps the baking time was off- but they turned out super flat. the taste was ok, but the texture- not right. so i had soem leftover organic cocoa butter from the time i was preggo- i used some against stretchmarks. and since it's food grade and i don't like to use it for moisturizing purposes anymore (because of the strong smell) i thought it'd make a delicious ingredient for brownies.. and it did!
so here are the ingredients (i used everything organic..except for the baking powder and the salt, which was Kosher Mediterranean Sea Salt):
1 cup melted cocoa butter
3 eggs
1 tbs Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup dehydrated cane juice/ or substitute raw sugar
1/2 cup (or more, for chocolate addicts) raw cocoa powder
2/3 cup + 1tbs stone ground whole wheat flour
non-stick coconut oil spray
1 ts baking powder
pinch of sea salt

preheat oven to 350F
beat the cocoa butter with the dehydrated cane juice/sugar, adding the eggs one by one, then the vanilla extract, in a large bowl.
mix the cocoa, flour and salt in a separate bowl and add to the wet ingredients. beat mixture with until smooth.
spray 4x4in square pan with the coconut spray. (since i didn't have such a pan on hand i used a round one, thus making cake-piece-shaped brownies, however that didn't compromise the taste)
pour mixture and bake 20-25mins until a slight crust forms but it is still jiggly underneath.
NOTE: brownies should look a bit underbaked, once they cool down they will be chewy, not flaky..