Homemade Poppy Seed Filling

Russians like baking with poppy seeds.  Cookies, pastries, cakes, yeast breads, we make it all. You can buy poppy seed filling in the store, but many times it tastes stale and hard. I decided to try my hand at making homemade filling. There was a recipe for poppy seed filling on allrecipes.com and it turned out very well. It’s so simple to make and delicious too. Use this for pastries, yeast breads, etc. You do need a coffee grinder for this recipe. Trust me, I tried it in the food processor, blender, mashing it by hand, grinding it with my teeth (just kidding). It just doesn’t work. The seeds are too tiny for anything besides a coffee grinder. Good thing they aren’t expensive.

100,000 Views and a Giveaway

Yesterday, this blog has reached 100,000 views since I started in the beginning of this year. I have enjoyed blogging about my adventures with food and love it even more than I expected. Most of all, I’d like to thank my husband, Sergi, who has always been so supportive. I couldn’t have done it without him.

Thank you to all my readers! Thanks for trying my recipes, writing so many encouraging comments and visiting my site. I know that most of you don’t comment, but I would like to get to know you, so please let me know who you are:)

In honor of 100,000 views, I would like to extend my appreciation to all of you. I will be having a giveaway of a Cuisinart panini grill. This is one of my favorite “unnecessary” appliances, since I love making all kinds of panini sandwiches. This griddler is great, because not only does it do paninis, but it also functions as a griddle and grill. Now you can make paninis, pancakes, french toast, grilled chicken/fish/meat. If you already have one, this is a great gift to give a loved one.

No one payed me to do this giveaway; I just want to show my appreciation to all of you.

To enter the giveaway:

• Write a comment, and tell me what you like to cook.
• You can also pin your favorite recipe from my blog on Pinterest or share it on Facebook or Twitter, which will give you more chances to win:) Up to four entries per person.
• Please write it in the comments if you shared on Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter, since it’s too hard for me to keep track, and I don’t want to leave anyone out.
• The giveaway is only for the US (48 states).
• The winner will be chosen at random.
• The giveaway will end on Wednesday, April 25th at midnight and the winner will be posted on Thursday.

Once again, thank you to all of you! I appreciate all your support.

Turkey Caprese Panini Sandwich

Panini sandwiches are great. Crunchy, warm and delicious, they can be served as an appetizer with tea or cofffee, as a breakfast meal or even for dinner with a bowl of soup. As the sandwich is pressed and cooked, all the components blend together to form a great tasting mouthful.  This sandwich is the one I make most often. Turkey is paired with the typical caprese salad ingredients – mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Delicious.

Ranch Potato Salad

I have finally found a potato salad that I love. I have never been a fan of potato salad, but this one has won me over. As soon as I saw “Ranch” Potato Salad, I knew I had to try it. Ranch dressing is awesome, especially if it’s homemade! The red potatoes add a bright and colorful cheerfulness to this salad but also are the perfect texture for potato salad, since they are very starchy and hold their shape very well even after cooking and mixing. Minced celery adds a crunchiness without overwhelming the salad with celeriness:). I also really like the roasted red peppers in here. It’s a perfect salad to accompany BBQ ribs, homemade burgers, or to take on a picnic. Adapted from Cook’s Country.

Chicken Riggies

In upstate NY, Utica-Rome area, there is a dish called Chicken Riggies. It is an Italian-American pasta dish, with chicken and peppers in a creamy tomato sauce. There are many variations of this dish. Rachel Ray even did a variation of this dish on her show. Since I grew up there, I am very proud to represent Utica with my way of serving this local classic. Traditionally, the pasta used in this dish is rigatoni; I prefer using a similar tubular shape, but smaller, penne. Plump and juicy pieces of chicken are paired with bell peppers and cherry peppers. Onions, garlic and parmesan cheese create a great flavor for the creamy tomato sauce. This one pot meal is a perfect option for a quick weeknight dinner for your family or for that time when you get unexpected guests and need something tasty but quick to cook.

Belarussian Potato Babka

I love recipes that feature my Belarussian roots. I can still remember watching my grandmothers make potato babka and climbing up on the chair behind the kitchen table to enjoy this potato goodness. I have come to find out that my husband, also with strong Belarussian roots, grew up eating this too. My uncle Leonid reminded me of this great recipe and I decided to make it. It turned out even better than I remembered and I wondered why I hadn’t made it sooner. It’s very similar in taste to Potato Pancakes, but cooked in a different way. The potatoes are creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Using raw grated potatoes makes the texture so unique. Enjoy with a bit of sour cream and some fresh minced herbs.

Bourbon BBQ Chicken Cutlets

When you think of a family dinner, what comes to mind?

In the past family dinners were an expected part of every home. These days, our world is a little different and a meal shared together with all the family members around the table has become a rarity. Instead of working together to prepare the meal, set the table and later clean up, so many of us grab something on the go or fix ourselves food on an individual basis.

What a shame.

Dinner is a place where you belong, a shared experience and a time when you can relax and be yourself.

One of the dishes that our family has enjoyed for dinner probably more than any other are these chicken cutlets. In fact, it’s one of my brother, Mark’s, favorite dishes. We have served this at countless events but mostly at family dinners. Everyone loves them.

Tomato and Roasted Corn Salad

When I put a forkful of this salad in my mouth, I immediately think of the tropics. The flavors are incredible and pair together in great harmony. Fresh, tiny tomatoes, creamy avocado, roasted corn, jalapeno providing a small kick of heat, lime, rice vinegar and cilantro a refreshing taste. Yes, you may be carried away to an island with a gentle breeze, warmth and sunshine and swaying palm trees. Wait! That’s where I live, except it’s not an island:) Vacation is different, of course, from daily living, (sad to admit that we don’t get to the beach too often). Oh, well. This salad will cheer anyone up, even those of us who haven’t been on a vacation in years, and don’t forsee one in the near future.  This calls for grilled shrimp and creamy risotto for an accompaniment. That’s exactly what I had:) Delicious. A tropical delight even in the midst of a typical weeknight.

Chocolate Shortcake Bars With Creamy Ricotta Filling

For those of you who like brownies, this is very similar, and it has won me over. This is a chocolate shortbread cookie with a creamy cheese filling. Yummy. I can’t resist anything with a chessecake like filling and especially with homemade ricotta, or farmer’s cheese. I wanted these bars to be tender and delicate, but sturdy enough to hold up a generous amount of filling. Luscious and smooth, the filling is a perfect complement to the chocolate cookie crust and topping. I purposely created this recipe to not be overwhelmingly sweet and heavy, instead going for a lighter feel, so you can enjoy more, without feeling heavy and getitng a sugar rush.

Homemade Farmer’s Cheese – Tворог

Farmer’s cheese is a soft cheese that is made by curdling milk and then packing it in cheesecloth to drain out the whey. It can be used in place of ricotta cheese. My mom has always made homemade farmer’s cheese at home. There are many ways different ways of making it. This is my favorite, since it’s so simple to made and practically foolproof. There are so many ways to enjoy it, cheese blintzes, as fillings in cookie bars, yeast breads, pastries, vareniki (russian ravioli, both sweet and savory), lasagna, not to mention dipping in with a spoon to enjoy it on it’s own, with honey or berries.