Feta, basil & scallion muffins

I love  feta and try to experiment with it, when ever I find a good recipe. Recently I picked up a very good baking book "Ovenly" by  Agatha Kulaga & Erin Patinkin and found an absolutely delicious recipe with feta. I jumped and decided to make right away. Here's a recipe and my pictures. I know, we did not used to savory muffins, but they are good with wine, beer, fruits. I love them and will make again and again.

Feta, basil & scallion muffins

Yield: 12 muffins (medium size)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 & 1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder ( I used 1 garlic clove, minced)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup crumbled feta
4 scallions, washed, root ends trimmed and finely chopped
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped into thin strips (I used chopped parsley because Yiddishe mama does not like basil)
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
Sea salt, paprika and red pepper flakes for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the wells of 12-cup muffins tin with softened butter or nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt. Whisk in feta, scallions and  basil. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together whole milk, canola oil and eggs until smooth.

Add flour mixture to the mill-egg mixture. Using wooden spoon or large spatula, stir together until just combined.

Portion out the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, using a large spoon or cookie scoop. fill each well about 3/4 full.

Sprinkle the tops of each muffins with a pinch of sea salt, paprika and red pepper flakes. Bakes about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of few muffins comes out clean.

My recipes with feta:

1. Feta cheese straws

2. Feta cheese buns

3. Roasted beet salad with barley and feta

4. Flaky Turkish feta turnovers

5. Summer garder pasta salad with feta nad olives

6. Tuna salad with feta and nuts

7. Cornbread for Khrushchev

8. Greek spinach dip

9. Greek salad with heirloom tomatoes

10. Avocado cucumber tomato salad

11. Warm sweet pepper salad

12. Mediterranean tuna spread

Salmon Rice Pie

Salmon Rice Pie - It's not just a Lox.

Make 1 11-inch pie, good to feed 8-10 people.

Filling:

2 cups boiled rice
1 medium red onion, diced
10 oz salmon fillets
1 egg, salt and pepper to taste

Dough:

1 cup sour-cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda diluted in 1 teaspoon vinegar
1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat a non-stick pan, spray it with canola oil. Rinse your salmon fillets and pat it dry. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and place the salmon in the pan. Cook until golden brown on 1 side, about 4 minutes. Let the fish sit off the heat for 2-5 minutes to finish cooking and redistribute juices, then flake quickly.  Place fish flakes in a bowl, add rice, onion, egg, salt and pepper. Mix everything.

Preheat oven to 350F.

To make dough, in a medium bowl add sour-cream, mayonnaise, eggs, salt. Mix very well. Add 1 cup of flour. Dilute baking soda in a vinegar above flour, add soda and more 1/2 cup flour. Mix everything well to form pancake style dough.

Pour half of the dough in pie plate, spread filling over one layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Pour second half of the dough over the filling.

Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool pie on a wire rack. Serve warm. You can store pie in refrigerator for a couple days and reheat in microwave.

Пирог с рисом и лососем

На 1 большой круглый пирог

Начинка

2 чашки вареного риса
1 средняя головка красного лука, мелко порезанного
300 грамм филе лосося
1 яйцо

Соль и перец по вкусу

Тесто
1 чашка сметаны
1 чашка майонеза
1/2 чайной ложки соли
3 яйца
1 чайная ложка соды, погашенной в 1 чайной ложке уксуса
1 + 1/2 чашки муки

Нагреть сковороду: Помыть филе лосося, протереть бумажным полотенцем. Посыпать солью и перцем. Выложить на сковороду, побрызгать растительным маслом и жарить до образования золотистой корочки, приблизительно 4 минуты на одной стороне. Снять с огня, остудить и вилкой или ножом разрезать на небольшие кусочки. Добавить лук, рис и яйцо. Все хорошо перемешать.

Нагреть диховку до 350Ф (180Ц)

Приготовить тесто. Смешать сметану, майонез, яйца и соль. Добавить 1 чашку муки, Растворить соду в уксусе над мукой, добавить соду и в конце подмешать 1/2 чашки муки. все хорошо перемешать до получения блинного теста.

Вылить половину теста в круглую форму для пирога. Выложить на тесто начинку, оставив немного место по краям, вылить оставшееся тесто.

Печь 30-35 минут. Вынуть готовый пирог из духовки, остудить и подавать теплым. Пирог можно хранить в холодильнике несколько дней и подогревать в микровольновой духовке.

Coleslaw with grapes and apples.

Coleslaw with grapes and apples.

Dressing

5 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 & 1/2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon caraway seeds

In a medium bowl mix everything together.

Salad

1 medium head of green cabbage, thinly shredded

2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 3" matchsticks

1 cup halved grapes

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/4 cup flat parsley, chopped

1/4 cup dried pomegranate seeds (optional, but very healthy)

Salt to tаste.

For the salad, place cabbage on a large cutting board and massage with 1/2 teaspoon of salt for 1-2 minutes. Place cabbage in a large bowl and add rest of ingredients. Pour dressing, toss well and serve.

Капустный салат с виноградом и яблоками

Соус

5 столовых ложек оливкового масла

3 столовых ложек винного уксуса

1 & 1/2 столовых ложек американской горчицы

1 зубец чеснока, мелко нерезанного

1/4 чайной ложки молотого черного перца

1/8 чайной ложки семян тмина

Для соуса перемешать все ингридиенты.

Салат

1 средняя головка белокочанной капусты, мелмо нашинкованной

2 средних яблока, нерезанных на тонкие полоски

1 чашка вунограда, порезанного напополам

1/3 чашки  тонко нарезанных миндальных орех

1/4 чашки петрушки, мелко нарезнанной

1/4 чашка сушеннох семочек граната (по желанию)

Соль по вкусу.

Для салата, выложить капусту на доску и перетереть с 1/2 чайной ложки соли. Положить капусту и все оставшиеся ингридиенты в большую посуду, полить соусом и хорошо перемешать. можно подавать. 

Idea came from last issue of Oprah magazine.

Quick puff apple tarts with pecan topping

Quick puff apple tarts with pecan topping

Make 12 big tarts.

1 package ( 2 sheets) puff pastry dough

Filling
5 large apples
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tabelspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins
1 egg

Pecan topping

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 c. pecans, chopped

Mix above ingredients.

Preheat oven to 400 and spray regular size muffin tins with cooking spray.

Unfold each sheet of puff pastry and cut each into 6 squares or rectangles. Press each square completely into the muffin tins so that the edges show above the top of each tin opening.

Make a filling, Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar. Mix in apples and lemon juice. Cook until apples are tender and all liquid evaporates, about 20-30 minutes Mix in raisins. Cool filling at least 20-30 minutes. Add egg and mix everything well.

While, filling is cooling, chill muffin tin with dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Take out the muffin tin
and place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the apple filling on the center of each puff pastry. Sprinkle on top of apple tarts with pecan topping and bake approximately 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.