noodle rucola salad

i n g r e d i e n t s :

• "penne" noodles
• rucola
• grated parmesan
• sun-dried tomatoes
• pine nuts
• salt, pepper, aceto balsamico (or vinegar)

p r e p a r a t i o n :
very simple!

wash the rucola and cook the noodles

roast the pine nuts on a frying pan until they turn gold brown

when everything has cooled off, mix all ingredients on a salad bowl, adding the sun-dried tomatoes and the grated pamesan to it.

spice it with pepper, salt (if necessary) and a bit of aceto balsamico. enjoy the salad and the summer!

beetroot salad with banana and walnuts

summer is coming and nothing better than eating a delicious salad for lunch on hot days. and this salad isn't only delicious, it is exotic and healthy!

i n g r e d i e n t s :

• 3-4 medium size beetroots (cooked)
• walnuts
• 1 banana
• goat cheese
• pumpernickel

p r e p a r a t i o n :

on medium heat, mash a banana in a frying pan, let it cool off a little.

grate the beetroots, be careful not to grate it too fine.

add them to the mashed banana.

crush the walnuts into smaller pieces and add it to the frying pan. mix everything.

serve on a plate with goat cheese and pumpernickel. enjoy!

rosemary potatoes

looks fancy on your plate and anybody can make it.

i n g r e d i e n t s :

• potatoes
• rosemary
• olive oil
• salt

p r e p a r a t i o n :

pre-heat the oven to 200°C, pour some olive oil on the bottom of an ovenproof dish, lay the rosemary on the oil. slice the potatoes, but not through, so they remain in one piece. lay the potatoes on the oil and rosemary.

pour some salt and drops of olive oil on each potato. put it in the oven for about 30 minutes. serve immediatelly.

shepherd's pie

good old recipe that always brings me to my soviet childhood haha :)

i n g r e d i e n t s (for 3-4 persons):

• 500g of minced meat (I prefer beef)
• 800g of potatoes
• 1 onion, garlic
• 100g of parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• olive oil
• 150ml milk or cream
• salt, pepper, thyme, whatever spices you like

p r e p a r a t i o n

skin the potatoes and start cooking them.
add 1-2 spoons of oil in a frying pan. cut the onion and garlic the smallest possible, then start frying it on a medium fire until "onion smell". add thyme. when the onion is golden, add the meat and cook it until it's done but not too dry, always mixing. add salt and pepper up to your taste.

preheat the oven to 180°C.
don't forget to salt the potatoes when the water starts boiling :) preheat the milk, and grate the cheese. when the potatoes are ready, mash them the finest you can, adding 1/3 of parmesan into it, the milk, and the egg. mix well. put half of the mashed potatoes in the form, making a bottom layer.

then add the meat, and the second half of  the purée as a third layer. rest of the cheese on top. put it inside the oven for about 20 minutes.

the dish is done, and it's tasty, so good appetite! :)

spinach-ricotta-cannelloni

let's go veggie today and nevertheless have a sumptuous lunch/dinner!

i n g r e d i e n t s  (for 4 portions)

• 400g - 500g of fine minced spinach
• 250g - 300g of ricotta
• 50g of parmesan or any cheese you like to sprinkle your pasta with
• dille, parsley, black pepper, salt
• 500ml mashed tomatoes
• cannelloni noodles

p r e p a r a t i o n

add to the spinach 1 spoon of parsley, half a spoon of dille, pepper and salt as you please, one ingredient after the other, always mixing inbetween.

then add the parmesan (or your chosen one), save some for the end to sprinkle it on top when it's done, of course, and at last, add the ricotta, mixing everything very well until you get a sort of paste. this will be the filling for your cannelloni.

pre-heat your oven to 180°C. get a square form and arrange the noodles to have an exact idea how to lay them in the form, this is very helpful, specially for the newbies. cook the noodles according to the manufacturer's instructions, careful not to overcook them. pour half of the mashed tomatoes on the bottom of the form, this will help to make your meal particularly juicy.

now it's time to fill the noodles with the filling. you can use a pastry bag or improvise using a normal plastic bag with a hole on the bottom. fill each one generously and lay them in the form, covering them with the rest of the mashed tomatoes.

put it in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, sprinkle the rest of the cheese when you take it out and enjoy your meal!

borsch

traditional russian/ukrainian soup. a hassle to cook, delicious to eat!

i n g r e d i e n t s (for 4 persons)

• peace of meat on bone (relatively big bone and less meat)
• 4-5 bay leaves
• 4-5 black pepper seeds
• salt
• 1 onion
• 2 potatoes
• half a head of cabbage (small)
• 1 carrot
• 1 beetroot
• half of a tomato (or one small)

s e r v e d  w i t h

• sour cream
• bread
• dill (optional)

p r e p a r a t i o n

b r o t h:   put the meat in approx. 1.5 l of water and set on a medium fire. you need to be careful: once it's about to boil, meat gives some really not nice scum that you have to remove from water surface with a skimmer. after it stops appearing, add half a tablespoon of salt, half an onion, bay leaves and black peppers and leave it boil on a small fire for 2.5 - 3 (!) hours.
after that, remove everything from the water. leave meat aside to cool. bay leaves, pepper and onion go to the trashcan.

shred potatoes and add it to the boiling broth.
cut remaining half an onion small, stew it in a frying pan with oil. while it's getting ready, shred cabbage, grate the carrot and the beet (separately ;-)).
when broth with potatoes is boiling, add cabbage to the soup.

once the onion is golden, add carrot to the frying pan, add some oil as carrot usually adsorbs a lot, after some time add grated beet as well. slice the tomato.

when your soup is boiling for some minutes (you need the potato and cabbage to get ready), add the mix from the frying pan right there. leave it boil (all on a small fire of course), meanwhile fry the tomato until it becomes almost a paste.

separate the meat from bone, cut it. add the tomatoes and meat to the pan.

now it needs no more than 3-5 more minutes on stove.

your borsch is ready! it is usually served with a teaspoon of sour cream and some dill (cut very small) on top.

P.S. do not be fooled by the size of everything on the pics, it's not that big :-) this pan size is 2.5 liters.

leek noodle au gratin

i n g r e d i e n t s (for 3 persons or 2 hungry adults)

• 500g of minced meat (prefer beef)
• 1 onion
• 3 carrots
• 2 leeks
  
• 250g tagliatelle (or ribbon noodles)
• 2 teaspoons (or 2 small cubes) vegetable stock in 200ml water
• 200g cheese for grating
• salt, pepper, spices... whatever you like to spice meat!
  

p r e p a r a t i o n


pre heat the oven to 200°C.
slice the carrots and the leeks, cut the onion the smallest you can, don't cry!

cook the noodles "al dente", don't forget adding salt!
in a frying pan with a spoon of oil, stew the onions till they're golden, add the meat, let it fry a bit, spice it according to your taste.

when meat is done, add the carrots and leeks, mix well, add the vegetable stock, let it cook while the noodles cook (about 10 minutes)

when everything is cooked, put it in a form, mix well, cheese on top.

in the oven for 10-12 minutes... bon appétit!

t i p: vegetarians, use soy meat ;-)