Lime Tea Cookies {Recipe}

For someone who doesn't think of herself as a very good baker, I sure that a lot of it. I love the baking process and getting better at it by paying close attention to the details. I wanted to make something with the limes that were sitting on my table. I search the Pinterest for perfect cookie recipe which also seemed easy.Two hours later and a cloud of confectioner's sugar later, I had the most delicious lime cookies.  I got the original recipe from  Flavor the Moments (she also has more detailed pictures). The cookies are delicious and I'm glad i tried making them,

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 cups more for rolling

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup fresh key lime juice (regular lime juice is ok)

1 tablespoon key lime zest

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the egg yolk, lime juice, and zest until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. The dough will be very crumbly. Using your hands, knead the dough gently until it comes together and forms a ball. Roll the dough into 1" sized balls and place 1" apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Place the baking sheet on a wire rack. While the cookies are still warm, roll them in the reserved 2 cups of powdered sugar, and place back on the baking sheet to cool completely. Sift the remaining powdered sugar over the tops of the cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Apple Cheesecake Bars {Recipe}

I'm a huge fan of cheesecake. Strawberry, chocolate drizzle and cherry are among my top 3 (that's why I have 4 packages of cream cheese in my fridge at all times). So when I found this recipe for cheesecake bars, I was thrilled.

These bites are delicious, small and have every single layer perfectly packed on top of each other. The only thing is that I don't like doing so many layers. But it turns out, they are well worth it.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter

with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 

13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum 

foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an 

electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a

time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 

tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over 

cream cheese mixture. Spread the apples on top and sprinkle 

evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is

 set.

Beef and Brussels Sprouts Risotto {Recipe}

I've always been a fan of risotto but found that it was quite labor intensive after looking at a few recipes. Then one day I decided to buy the rice and just make it. It was delicious but my husband wasn't a fan of mushrooms (first time I made a mushroom risotto). The next time, I tried to find a flavorful recipe with out mushrooms and stumbled upon this one. The only vegetables that I had in the fridge were Brussels sprouts, so I decided to throw them in. It turned out excellent and I could not wait to share this fall-inspired recipe with you.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1lb of beef (steak of your choice)

2 cups Brussels sprouts

1/2 white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

~ 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmaggiano Reggiano cheese

Method:

In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat to medium.  Meanwhile trim Brussels sprouts. Cut small sprouts in half, and bigger ones slice in thirds so they are at most 3/4 cm thick. 

Add to skillet with a big pinch of salt and give it a shake. Allow the Brussels to caramelize on one side before flipping, check every 3 minutes. Once nicely browned, flip and do the same to the other side. Remove to a plate. 

Wash and pat dry the beef, then cut into small pieces. Raise the heat to medium and add more oil and butter to the pan. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute them for about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add beef chunks. Sear the beef until lightly browned and turn the heat down to medium.

Wash the rice and add it to the beef, season with salt and pepper. Fry rice with beef for about 10 minutes stirring constantly, then add wine. Do NOT stop stirring. This recipe has only one thing that's hard - you have to keep stirring. Keep adding the stock one cup at a time and do not stop stirring until all the stock is gone and rice is cooked. 

Depending on how you like your rice, it will take about 35 minutes of stirring. The rice should be cooked by then but f it's not, just add another half of cup of water and stir for a little longer. 

Mix in the Brussels sprouts and the cheese, stir. Let the risotto stand for about 30 minutes before you serve it.

Bacon and Corn Chowder

 

This recipe came to be as a combination of a few different recipes I found in my Soup Bible Cookbook. I loved the end result, and what's more important, my toddler loved it too. He ate the soup for breakfast lunch and dinner for three days and still wanted more. It's a very easy and delicious recipe but make sure to use fresh corn which is in abundance this time of year. You know when you put bacon on it, everything becomes instantly better.

 

 INGREDIENTS:

2 corn ears 

1/2 lb bacon

2 potatoes

1 large green bell pepper

1 yellow onion

1 garlic clove

2 small celery sticks

4 cups of chicken stock

3 bay leaves

2 tbsp corn starch 

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp water

salt and pepper

 

PROCESS:
Chop bacon into small pieces and fry in a large pan. Remove from the heat when crispy and drain, setting bacon aside.Take the fat from the bacon and pour it into a Dutch oven pot.

Chop onion, celery, pepper and potato into small bite size chunks and sauté with the bacon fat for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the corn kernels off the ears and throw in with the rest of veggies along with garlic. Let it sweat for another 5 minutes, then pour the stock. Add bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer the soup for about 30-40 minutes. Once the potatoes are cooked through, take a potato masher and mash the soup a little bit, creating a thicker consistency. Leave some potato chunks in the soup.

Combine two tablespoons of water with cornstarch until it dissolves and add the heavy cream, then pour the mixture into the soup. Increase the soup to high heat and bring it to boil (turn it off as soon as you see bubbles form). Let the soup rest for about hour before serving, if you can. You can freeze it easily and it's even better the next day.
Serve soup of bacon on top and a piece of black bread on a side. Delicious!

Spinach and Ham Quiche {Recipe}

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. While browsing for breakfast dishes that wouldn't take up my whole morning to make, I stumbled upon quiche. I didn't want to stand at the stove for an hour whipping up something delicious while I miss family time. This recipe is really convenient if I assemble the whole thing the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Easy and delicious breakfast served for the whole family. Plus hubby said that this was the best quiche I have ever made (that's something) and I agree.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (I use pre-maid Pillsbury crust)
• 1 whole Purple Onion, Sliced
• 1 cup of Spinach (about a handful)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 8 oz of  Smoked Ham, Diced
• 5  whole Large Eggs
• 1/2  cup of  Half-and-Half
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/2  cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Fry the onions in the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes (maybe longer), stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden brown. Add spinach and fry until just wilted then take off the heat. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the pie crust and press it into a fluted deep tart pan (or a deep dish pie pan).

Whip the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl, then mix in the onions with spinach, ham, and cheese. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and bake it for about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 5 more minutes, or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden brown. (The quiche will still seem slightly loose, but will continue to set once remove from the oven.)

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. If using a tart pan, remove the quiche from the pan, cut into slices with a sharp serrated knife, and serve!

If you want step by step picture instructions, check out Pioneer Woman's RECIPE for her quiche because it's incredible. Basically you can put anything you want into it.  It's easy and delicious way to start your morning right ! 

ENJOY! 

Cream of Asparagus Soup w/Shrimp {Recipe}

This recipe is brought to you by the lack of outfit pictures due to the fact that I lost the charger to our camera. It's somewhere in the house but the question is, where? So as I try to either find it or buy a new one, here is a post that I meant to do ages ago but forgot all about. This recipe comes just in time for asparagus season. So enjoy the freshness of the newly picked greens with crispy shrimp on top. Don't get alarmed by the fancy title - this recipe is super easy . 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of cream

1 lb asparagus stems

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of cayenne pepper

12 oz of shrimp

METHOD:

In large pot or dutch oven heat oil over medium-low heat. Simmer chopped onion until very soft and golden, stirring often, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In the meanwhile, heat a skillet and add oil. Dab the shrimp with paper towel to absorb as much liquid as possible and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add stock and lemon juice. Increase the heat, and bring to a boil.

Chop asparagus; drop into boiling stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until asparagus is very soft. Remove from heat. 

Pour soup into blender in batches and blend until creamy.

Return purée to pot and add the cream with milk. Taste and adjust seasoning, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic to taste.

Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and garnish with lemon zest and 5-6 pieces of shrimp.

Tip 1: You can substitute the cream and milk with half & half

Tip 2: You can serve this soup cold by omitting the cream in the recipe by substituting with water

My Tasty Valentine {Eggs Benedict Recipe}

Let's face it, anyone can buy a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. But it takes special thought, preparation and care to do something extra nice for your significant other. Making their favorite dessert (my favorite is crème brulée ;-) or bringing breakfast in bed, or even surprising with weekend getaway all would be extra special. 

I'm a self proclaimed queen of breakfast food. I love everything from french toast to savory crepes with smoked salmon, but nothing tastes better than a hot plate of Eggs Benedict first thing in the morning. Of course, it takes practice to get the egg perfectly poached but it's certainly worth it. Then comes the sauce - smooth, velvety, decadent Hollandaise sauce. I have made the sauce from scratch and it was delicious but using packaged dry mix is just fine too. Your sweetheart won't know the difference tasting this delectable dish and admiring the work you put into it. 

Ingredients: 

2 Eggs

1 English muffin

2 slices of Canadian Bacon

1 Package of Hollandaise Sauce dry mix (make it from scratch recipe here)

2 tbsp butter 

1 cup milk 

Method:

First, bring a pot of water to a boil. While the water’s boiling, place a few English muffins halves and an equal number of Canadian bacon slices on a cookie sheet. Lightly butter the English muffins and place them under the broiler for just a few minutes, or until the English muffins are very lightly golden. Be careful not to dry out the Canadian bacon.

Now if you do not have an egg poacher you can poach your eggs by doing the following: With a spoon, begin stirring the boiling water in a large, circular motion. When the tornado’s really twisting crack in an egg. Or two. Or three. The reason for the swirling is so the egg will wrap around itself as it cook, keeping it together. Cook for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes but be careful not to over cook the eggs because they will be hard inside and that's not how you eat eggs Benedict. With a slotted spoon remove the eggs from water and place them on paper towel, keep warm in the oven heated to 200F until ready to serve. 

Melt two tablespoons of butter and add the dry sauce mix, whisk together incorporating it into the butter. Increase hit to high and add the milk, keep stirring and bring to boil. Set aside.

Place the English muffins on the plate, face up. Next, place a slice of Canadian bacon on each half. Vegetarian variation: you can omit the Canadian bacon altogether, or you can wilt fresh spinach and place it on the muffins for Eggs Florentine, which is divine in its own right. Place the egg on top of the bacon and then top with a generous helping of Hollandaise sauce.

Note: To ensure that everything is hot at the time when it’s ready to serve plunge the poached eggs back into the hot water just before serving, and make the Hollandaise at the very last 

Recipe adopted from here.

Buckwheat Pancakes {Recipe}

In an effort to eat healthier this year, I'm experimenting with a lot of different unorthodox ingredients, like buckwheat flour. Traditionally, Russians eat a lot of buckwheat but growing up I absolutely hated this grain. Now, however I have grown to appreciate its delicate taste and learn to make it in a lot of interesting ways. I bring to you a very healthy, filling and absolutely delicious recipe for pancakes. Make these on your day off or for a family brunch and you can skip making the eggs because these are very filling.

INGREDIENTS

vegetable oil for coating the pan

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I make these 100% buckwheat without putting all-purpose flour but they have a lot stronger taste)

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 egg 

1 cups buttermilk (or whole milk)

METHOD

1 Heat a well-seasoned griddle, cast iron skillet, or stick-free pan on medium heat. The pan or griddle should be ready for the batter as soon as it is mixed.

2 Whisk together the dry ingredients—the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda—in a large bowl. In Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and start stirring. Beat the egg with a fork and stir it into half of the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk/egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then slowly add in the rest of the buttermilk as needed to get to the right consistency for your batter (you may not need all of the buttermilk, depending on what type of buttermilk you are using and the brand of flour). Stir only until everything is combined. Do not over mix. A few lumps are fine.

3 Put a small amount (a half teaspoon) of vegetable oil on the pan or griddle and spread it around with a paper towel to coat. Ladle the batter onto the hot surface to the desired size, about 4-5 inches wide. (A 1/4 cup measure will ladle about a 4-inch pancake.) Reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the pancake to cook for 2-3 minutes on this first side (DO NOT speed up the cooking time by increasing the heat as the pancakes will burn very fast) Watch for bubbles on the surface of the pancake. When air bubbles start to rise to the surface at the center of the pancake, flip the pancake. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until nicely browned.

4 Keep your pancakes warm on a rack in the oven set on "warm," or stack them on a plate and cover with a towel as you make more. Spread more oil on the pan as needed between batches of pancakes.

Recipe adopted from here

Cranberry Almond Cookies {Recipe}

To be completely honest with you, cookies are not my forte. I think they take a lot more work than a cake, for example, because they have to be attended to individually. Every year, I leave baking the Christmas cookies to my mom and sister. This year with so many things being different in my life (the new house and baby), I wanted try baking some cookies. Why not? It turns out it's easier than I thought. And what's better than sharing delicious baked goodies with some friends over cup of tea? Christmas Cookie Exchange Party idea was born. I send out some invites, baked a few different kinds of cookies and the girls night was a success. Since then, I had couple requests for this recipe and only now have gotten a chance to post it. Here it is. Nice and simple for ya gals! 

(The recipe is adopted from here with a few of my changes)

Ingredients:  

½ cup unsalted butter, room temp. 

½ cup  sugar 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of nutmeg 

big pinch fine sea salt

1 large egg

1¼ cup flour 

½ cup dried cranberries 

½  cup sliced almonds

Process: 

Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, ~2 minutes

Beat in the egg and vanilla.  

Finally chop the cranberries with a very sharp knife (they will stick to it)

Combine flour and salt (omit salt if you don't want any saltiness in your cookies). Toss a tablespoon or so in with the fruit and nuts and toss around. 

Gradually add the rest of the mixture to the wet mixture.  Fold in the cranberries, and almonds. Turn mixture out onto a sheet of foil and form into a log.  

Twist ends together and put into freezer for an hour, or in refrigerator for 3 hours. You can leave the dough over night and finish baking the next day

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line baking sheets w/ parchment, cut the dough into ¼" slices (mine were a little thick) and place at least an inch and a half or so apart on the lined sheets.  

Bake for ~12 minutes, or until they just start to turn golden around the edges depending on your oven.

Enjoy! 

Crab Cakes {Recipe}

I love crab cakes. Who doesn't? Every time I'm at a restaurant, I'm looking for these delicious bites. If done correctly, you can experience pure, unadulterated crab cake heaven. They are that good.

So I've never made these things before because I figured all fancy restaurant food must take a lot of work and expense to prepare, plus high in calories. Well, not so much.

I mean, first I substituted the imitation crab and then baked these in the oven instead of deep frying them. My recipe comes from combining couple different sources - this video and recipe. Make yourself a double batch and enjoy them with purple cabbage slaw. Delicious!

I made a double batch so if you only need one serving, half the recipe.

Cakes:

-  1 egg

- 1/4 cup mayonnaise

- 3 green onions

- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 

- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 

- 1/2 tsp thyme 

- 1 tbsp chopped parsley 

- 1/4 tsp garlic powder 

- 1 tsp lemon juice

- dash of cayenne pepper

- pepper

- 16 oz lump imitation crab meat (if you can splurge, buy the real stuff)

- 1/4 cup of panko crumbs

 Combine mayo and egg and whip until it's evenly incorporated into smooth consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients through crab meat and whisk together. Next separate the crab meat into small lumps and add to the mayo mixture, add panko and gently toss to combine. Don't over mix. Put the mixture into the fridge and cool for 30 minutes. 
Take it out and shape the crab cakes into 2 inch patties. Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake under the broiler or in 500F oven for 10 minutes. No need to flip.
Serve warm with purple cabbage slaw. 

Slaw:

- 1/2 cabbage head 

- 1 carrot, julienned 

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1/2 lime zest

- 1 tsp mayo

- 1 tsp sour cream

- large pinch of chopped cilantro

Finally chop cabbage, add salt and sugar. Working with one hand and holding the bowl with another, squeeze the cabbage until it becomes soft. Let it rest for couple minutes.

Add rest of the ingredients and toss to combine.