Mixed Fruit Compote

Mixed Fruit Compote

2 navel (seedless) oranges
2 & 1/2 cups mixed dried fruits, such as apricots, apple rings, peaches, pears, figs, raisins, and prunes
1 cup dried cherries (I took 1 & 1/2 cup fresh cherries)
1/2 cup dry cranberries
1 & 1/2 cups medium-dry sherry
3 cups apple cider or orange juice
1 cinnamon stick

Use a small, sharp knife to remove the peel of each orange in a continuous spiral or make several long pieces. Turn the peel over and use the knife to cut or scrape out and discard as much of the white pitch as possible. Trim any pitch from the oranges as well, then cut them into 1/4-inch slices. Place the oranges and all the remaining ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high beat. Reduce the heat so that the mixture barely bubbles, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes ( I did 15 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and let the fruit cool in a pan. The orange peel and cinnamon stick remain in the juice just to give it flavor; do not serve them. Store the fruit and its juice in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

I'm sure, you don't need 1 month to store such delicious dish. It's goes very well with most of all of the baking goods you have in your home.

Recipe from Lora Brody's cookbook.

Pirozhki with Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Pirozhki with Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Couple days ago I posted a recipe for Potato pirozhki. Today I'm making an attempt to post a recipe for pirozhki with sweet and sour cabbage.

First of all, sweet and sour cabbage (тушеная капуста) is quite traditional side dish, which goes along with meat, fish and even for pirozhki filling. Recently I have read a book "The very best of recipes for health" by Martha Rose Shulman and found a recipe called "Italian Sweet and Sour Cabbage". Since I have never lived in Italy, I did not know that our recipe is quite popular there. So, now I know how popular sweet and sour cabbage around the world.

Here's my recipe, which I used for filling and a side dish. Thanks Martha for helping me to describe one of my favorite recipes.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 medium size cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1 medium size carrot, peeled and grated.
3-4 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over the medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add cabbage and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add ketchup and honey. Stir together and cook uncovered, stirring often, for 20 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and fragrant. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

For filling, cool the cabbage mixture, take 4 cups of the cabbage mixture, add 1 egg and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix everything together. Now you can do pirozhki.

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

This year for Shavuot I decided to make something different and ended up with absolutely healthy and delicious Cheesecake Swirl Brownies.
Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Yield: makes one 9 x 9-inch pan
Ingredients
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) plus 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
3 large eggs, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (3/4 ounce) cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9- by 9-inch baking pan.
2. In large bowl set over pan of simmering water, melt butter with chocolate until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in salt, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and sour cream. Add flour, cocoa, and baking powder to the bowl and whisk until smooth. Drop blobs of batter into the pan. Do not spread.
3. In another large bowl, stir cream cheese with remaining 4 tablespoons sugar until smooth with no lumps. Whisk in remaining teaspoon vanilla and remaining egg. Drop blobs of cheesecake batter into pan in any of the empty spots or crevices.
4. Using a butter knife or offset spatula, swirl batters together. Bake until just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan an hour. Cut into bars and serve.

Американские шоколадные пирожные со сливочным сыром.

6  столовых ложек сливочного масла
180 грамм  шоколада, мекло порезанного
1/4 чайной ложки соли
3/4 чашки сахара + 4 столовых ложки
3 яйца
2 чайной ложки ваникчного экстракта
1/4 чашки сметаны
3/4 чашки муки
1/4 чашки какао-порошка
1/2 чайной ложки разрыхлителя
240 грамм сливочного сыра "Филадельфия" (1 ямериканская упаковка)
Нагреть духовку до 350Ф амд приготовить формочку размераму 9 на 9 дюймов.
Приготовить водяную баню, на которую поставить миску с шоколадом и маслом. Держхать на паровой бане до того, как весь шоколад и масло растворятся. Снять с паровой бани и остудить немного, добавить соль, 3/4 часки сахара, 2 яйца, ванильнуй экстракт, сметану, муку, какао и разрыхлитель. Все хорошо перемешать. И выложить ложкой в формочку, не разравнивать.

В другой посуде миксером взбить сливочный сыр, 1 яйцо и 4 столовых ложки сахара. Выложить ложкой полученную смесь между шоколадной. Взять нож и перемешать светлую смесь с шоколадной. печь 20-25 минут. Вынуть ис духовки, дать постоять 1 час и нарезать.

Recipe came from Serious Eats

Southern-Style Slaw with Pecans and Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

Southern-Style Slaw with Pecans and Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette
Yield: serves 4
2-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2-1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups prepared shredded coleslaw blend (I took 3/4 medium size green cabbage, 1/2 medium size carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
5 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted if desired
In a large bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl, whisking constantly.
Add the coleslaw(I rubbed salt into cabbage and added carrots), bell pepper, scallions and chopped pecans to the bowl and toss with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Serve.

Капустный салат с соусом из кленового сиропа

На 4 порции
2 1/2 столовые ложки Дижонской горчицы
2 1/2 столовые ложки кленового сиропа
1/2 чашки яблочного уксуса
1/2 чайной ложки соли
1/2 чайной ложки молотого перца
1/4 чашки подсолнечного масла
3/4 средней головки белокочанной капусты, мелко нашинкованной (1/2 чайной ложки соли)
1/2 средней величины морковки, почищенной и натерной на терке
1 сладкий красный перец, тонко нашинкованный
5 стеблей зеченого лука, мелко нарезанных
1/2 чашки мелко нарезанных опер пекан, по желанию можно их поджарить на сухой сковороде.
В большой посудине смешать горчицу, кленовый сироп, уксус, соль и перец. Помешивая медленно добавить масло и еще раз перемешать. Перетереть капусту с солью, добавить морковку, перец, зеленый лук и мелко нарезанные орехи. Попробывать, если нужно добавить соль и черный перец. Накрыть и поставить в холодильник как минимум на 20 минут до подачи.

Recipe from Serious Eats and Jennifer Segal, author of Once upon a Chef

Potato Pirozhki

Potato Pirozhki

Quick, tasty and good for any occasion homy dilicatecy. Many years ago my family and I lived in Ukraine, where we did not have much variety of food, but our table always was full of really good dishes. I think, even in America this recipe will be interesting for many of us. Remember, the dough is fantastic and you can use any filling you want.

Makes 25 - 30 mini-pirozhki

Dough:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

In a large bowl mix flour and baking soda. Set aside. In another bowl mix buttermilk, salt and sugar. Whisk everything together. Add flour mixture to a buttermilk mixture. Form a dough. Place a dough in a bowl, cover with a cotton cloth and ;et rest for 20-30 minites. Let's make a filling.

Filling.

2-3 medium sized potatoes (more towards the smaller size than larger)
1  tablespoons cottage cheese
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Some vegatavle oil for frying.

Peel and cut potatoes in cubes. Cook in salted water until they can be easily broken apart. Drain and place in a bowl. Mash them well and set aside loosely covered to cool. Meanwhile, FINELY mince the onion and fry it in about 1 tablespoon oil once browned,

Take the cottage cheese and onion, mix well with potatoes so it is broken down finely. (if you like smooth filling, place potatoes, onion, cottage cheese, salt and pepper into food processor and pulse several times.) Add  egg, taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Warm the frying pan with vegetable oil. For the beginning take 2 tablespoons of oil. Later add more as you need.

Divide dough in half.  Roll out the 1/2 portion of dough to about 1/8" thick on a floured board. Using a cutter or a drinking glass, cut out approximately 3 inch circles. Place only about 2 tsp. filling maximum, in the center of the circle. Gather the edges up to make a bundle around the filling and pinch to seal. (reroll your scraps until it is ALL used up! after removing the lacy bits of dough in between the circles, put it back in a bowl and use for more pirozhki.) Put bundles in a greased frying pan and fry on a medium heat 2-3 minutes on each side. Once they fried carefully remove them and drain the pirozhki on paper towel. You can serve them warm and keep the extra in refrigerator. Please, rewarm then just before serving. It would take only 10-15 second in microwave.