Easy cookies with spicy chocolate filling

Unbelievable delicate texture, which stays fresh for 2-3 days, smooth chocolate filling and excellent presentation. Real treat for tea party!

Makes 26 medium size cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Good pinch cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup ground nuts (I used 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup walnuts)
3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Mix together cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and ground nuts in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together 3 cups of flour, baking powder and salt.

In a big bowl with your wooden spoon, stir the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture off the sides of the bowl periodically. Add an egg, vanilla extract and continue to stir. Holding a strainer or sifter filled with flour above the bowl with butter mixture, sift the flour on it. Using the wooden spoon and then hands make a dough.

Separate 40% of dough and set aside in a medium bowl. Continue to sift 1/2 cup of flour into a big chunk of the dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-4 minutes, divide into 2 equal balls. Flat the balls into thick disks, wrap into plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate mixture over the small piece of dough. Knead in a bowl until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Divide the chocolate dough into 2 equal balls. Flat the balls into thick disks, wrap into plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place parchment paper on a large cookie sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Prepare 2 (19 a x 12 inch each) sheets of plastic wrap.

Take one piece of white and chocolate dough from refrigerator. Using warm hands, press white dough into 15 x 6 inch rectangle on a piece of plastic wrap. Turn the chocolate dough on lightly floured surface and using hands, make a rope the same size as a long side of the pressed dough. Place the rope along one of the long sides of a white dough, leave a 1/2-inch border from a long side. Roll the dough up gently (leaving the plastic wrap behind), then tightly wrap into plastic and refrigerate for one hour. Repeat with another set of white and chocolate dough. Since you might have some difficulties forming a long rope, please make a smaller ropes, which might be place along the long side and tweak together.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Take the rolls out of refrigerator and cut each one into 13 equal pieces. Place on a prepared cookie sheet leaving about 1-inch in between and bake about 20 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep in air-tight container for 2-3 days.

If you like a sweeter version, please cover each cookie with universal lemon glaze: 1 tbsp melted butter or margarine, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 c icing(powered) sugar. Mix together all ingredients until smooth and well blended. Using a pastry brush, decorate cookies with lemon glaze. Give 10-15 minutes for glaze to be harden.

Recipe (Russian version) from Luda Easy cook

20-minutes creamy coleslaw

Makes 4 servings

3 cups shredded green cabbage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1  medium apple, cored or 1 medium carrot, peeled
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced on a diagonal
4 peers of green onions, thinly sliced

Dressing
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt and sugar to taste
parsley, finely chopped for final sprinkling

To make a dressing, whisk mayonnaise, grainy mustard, and black pepper. Lightly sprinkle with salt. 

To marinate cabbage, in a medium bowl, mix shredded cabbage, salt and vinegar. Leave on a table for 20 minutes tossing 3-4 times to evenly marinate cabbage. 

While cabbage is marinating, shred apple or carrot on a large holes of the grater. After 20-minutes, add apple, celery, green onions to cabbage and pour dressing over. Mix everything together, taste for salt or sugar and sprinkle with parsley before serving.  Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Американский салат из быстро маринованной капусты за 20 минут.

На 4 порции

3 чашки порезанной свежей зеленой капусты
1/2 чайной ложки соли
1 чайная ложка яблочного уксуса
1 среднее яблоко, очистить от серцевины или 1 средняя морковь, очищенная от кожуры
1 стебель сельдерея, тонко нарезанный по диагонали
4 пера зеленого лука, тонко нарезанного

Соус

3 столовые ложки майонеза
1 чайная ложка зернистой горчицы
1/4 чайной ложки молотого черного перца
Соль и сахар по вкусу
петрушка, мелко нарезанная для окончательного посыпания

Для соуса перемешать майонез, зернистую горчицу и черный перец. Слегка посыпать солью.

Для маринования капусты в средней миске смешать измельченную капусту, соль и уксус. Оставить на столе на 20 минут, 3-4 раза перемешать в течении 20-минут, чтобы капуста равномерно замариновалась.

Пока капуста маринувается, натереть яблоко или морковь на крупной терки. Через 20 минут добавить в капусту яблоко, сельдерей, зеленый лук и залить соусом. Перемешать, попробовать на соль или сахар и посыпать мелко нарезанной петрушкой перед подачей на стол. Поставить в холодильник на 15-20 минут перед подачей.

I'm crazy about!

To tell all of you, that blog is a quite contemporary and enough unique way to connect with absolutely contrasting people, it means does not say anything. It does not matter, when I started my culinary journey, but it's absolutely essential and serious, how many people decided to try recipes from my blog. And it's exclusively meaningful, at least for me, THE opinion of those, who determined to share their experience with me and many others. Yes, many of us want to explore a tempting world of delicatessens.

Needless to say, I need to thank all of you and would like to share some of samples. I had never asked for feedback, and genuine choice to share personal experience is very important to me. It's not just important, it's principal to know people's opinion. I hope, all of you understand me, person, who is dreaming to write a cookbook and inspire many of you to feel more comfortable with simple ingredients, which might be a backbone of quite sophisticated menus. Thank you so much for reading, trying, criticizing, and simply visiting my blog.

Fishballs in creamy tomato sauce

Serves 4
For the fish balls:
1 lb (500 g) ground white fish
2/3 cup fresh white crumbs or matzo meal (I prefer a fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leafed parsley(optional)

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup tomato sauce (I used Bertolli)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste, salt

Put fish and breadcrumbs into food processor to grind the fish, do so very briefly or it can turn into a creamy puree.Add egg and onion. Briefly process again. Take lumps of paste the size of a small walnut and roll into little balls. Put them on a baking sheet and refrigerate for an hour.

Make the sauce. In a wide pan, fry the garlic and onion in oil till the aroma rises, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Add 1 cup whipping cream and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-7 minutes. Take fish balls out of refrigerator and drop them one by one into the sauce and simmer for 20-25 minutes, turning them over once.

Рыбные тефтели в томатном соусе со сливками

На 4 порции

1 lb 2 oz (500г) филе белой рыбы
1 яйцо
1/4 чашки мелко нарезанного свежего лука
2/3 чашки хлебных крошек или мацовой муки
соль и черный молотый перец по вкусу
3 столовые ложки мелко нарезанной петрушки

Томатный соус:
1 луковица, мелко нарезанная
2 столовые ложки оливкового масла
2 зубчика чеснока, мелко нарезанных
1 ч.л. паприки
1/4 ч.л. кайенского перца
1/2 ч.л. зиры (cumin)
1 ч.л. сахара
1 чашка (240 мл) томатного соуса (Я использовала Bertolli)
1 чашка (240 мл) сливок

Нарезать рыбу на крупные куски и положить в кухонный комбайн. Добавить яйцо, свежие хлебные крошки или мацовую муку. Добавить 3/4 ч.л. соли и свежемолотый черный перец по вкусу. С помощью кухонного комбайна перемолоть в густую пасту. Влажными руками сформировать шарики размером немного больше чем с грецкий орех. Выложить на разделочную доску и поставить в холодильник на 1 час.

На среднем огне, в сотейнике, разогреть оливковое масло и обжаривать лук 5 минут. Затем добавить чеснок и все специи. Обжаривать несколько секунд, затем добавить томатный соус, сахар, соль, перец и 1 чашку сливок. Довести до кипения и тушить на маленьком огне 5-7 минут.

Аккуратно выложить рыбные шарики в соус, время от времени потрясывая сотейник, чтобы тефтельки равномерно покрылись соусом. На среднем огне довести соус до кипения, затем снова убавить огонь и тушить еще 20 минут. Подавать горячими с кускусом или салатом.

Roman Family Matzo Brei or Житомирская преженица

Believe it or not, this recipe from my childhood. The art of making of matzo brei is a must skill for every Yiddishe woman.

Chef's note: The key to good matzo brei lies in two things: very seasoned, very caramelized onions; and properly soaked matzo boards. Not enough soaking and it’ll be dry; too much, and it’ll feel bland and waterlogged. It may take you a few tries to see what I mean. It is, after all, an art.

Serves 4

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 salted matzo boards (unsalted will work, too, just be sure to compensate by adding salt when making it)
6 large eggs
Sour cream and applesauce, for serving

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have caramelized and softened completely, about 15 minutes; don’t rush this part! Low-and-slow caramelized onions are key to its deliciousness. Remove from the heat and set aside while you deal with the matzo.

Soak the matzo in a large bowl of warm water for a few seconds to soften and just soak through (leave them in there too long and they’ll fall apart). You’ll know they’re properly soaked when they are soft and no longer snap like a cracker. Drain the matzo in a colander.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the soaked matzo and, using your hands or a spatula, stir to coat so that all the matzo is evenly coated with the egg mixture. Let this sit for 2 to 3 minutes.

Return the skillet to medium-low heat and add the matzo mixture to the caramelized onions; season again with salt and pepper. Cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet occasionally, almost like you’re making a soft scramble. Cook until the eggs are just set, then remove the skillet from the heat (they will continue to cook off the heat).

Transfer the matzo brei to a large bowl (or serve straight from the skillet) and serve with plenty of sour cream and applesauce.

Recipe comes from "Dining in" by Alison Roman If you don't have a book, you can find a recipe online

Walnut-crusted Lemon Tart (Passover Friendly)

Makes one 9-inch tart (I made one rectangle tart with removable bottom size 14" L x 4.5" W)

3 cups walnuts
1  1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from 4 large lemons)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 large lemons)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the walnuts, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are evenly ground, but not ground into a fine dust.

Scrape the walnut mixture into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture evenly into 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is slightly golden.

Turn the oven temperature down to 325 F.

Whisk the eggs and yolks together in a medium-size bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar, the zest, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoons salt and whisk for 1 minute. Pour into a medium-size saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly.

Add lemon juice in 3 increments, whisking after each addition until the mixture thickens. When the mixture has thickened after the last addition of lemon juice, turn the heat down to very low and add the remaining butter 1 piece at a time, whisking it in completely after each addition.

While the mixture is still warm, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into the prepared crust. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the filling is set. Chill the tart for at least 1 hour or cover and refrigerate for up 2 days before serving.

Recipe comes from "Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats With a Sublime Kiss of Salt " by Christie Matheson

Quick Chicken Liver & Potato Latkes

Makes 5-6 servings with medium size pancakes

1 pound chicken liver
3 medium size potatoes
1 medium carrot
1 medium size onion
1 large egg
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
vegetable oil for frying

How to clean chicken liver: Place the livers in cold water. Fill a glass bowl with cold water – not as cold as ice water but colder than room temperature. Place the livers in the cold water. If possible, don’t lay them on top of one another. You should leave the livers in the cold water for about fifteen minutes. This gives the water time to coagulate the blood, which will make it easier to remove. After fifteen minutes, hold the livers in place and dump the water out of the bowl. Take one liver out at a time and pat it dry with a paper towel. Make sure you blot both sides of the liver. If you find some of the blood is stubborn, you might have to wet a paper towel and wipe the blood off. Using a sharp knife, removing connective tissues from chicken livers. You should also look for any greenish parts on the liver, as these will cause the liver to taste bitter. (from https://www.wikihow.com/)

Peel and cut into medium chunks, potato, carrot and onion and place into bowl of food processor. Process until small pieces resemble. Add chicken livers and process again for 30 seconds. Pour mixture into a big bowl, add egg and flour. Mix everything very well. Season wit salt, pepper and baking soda.

Grease a griddle or nonstick pan with cooking spray and a little vegetable oil. Heat pan on medium for about 10 minutes. Pour batter to form pancakes of whatever size you like. Cook first side until bubbles form on top, about two-three minutes; then flip and cook other side until it, too, is brown, about two minutes. Add more vegetable oil if pan's surface is drying up. Fried latkes place on a large serving plate with paper towel. Keep warm and serve immediately.

Картофельные оладьи с куриной печенью.

На 5-6 порций, если оладьи среднего размера.

1 фунт куриной печени
3 картофеля среднего размера
1 средняя морковь
1 лук среднего размера
1 большое яйцо
6 столовых ложек белой муки
1/2 чайной ложки поваренной соли
1/8 чайной ложки молотого черного перца
1/8 чайной ложки пищевой соды
растительное масло для жарки

Как почистить куриную печень: выложить печень в емпкость с холодной водой. Если возможно, не выкладывайте их друг на друга. Оставить печень в холодной воде на пятнадцать минут. Через пятнадцать минут слить воду из емкости. Вынимать одну печень за другой и каждый кусок хорошо с обеих сторон обсушивать бумажным полотенцем. Используя острый нож, удалить соединительные ткани из куриной печени. Обычно они беловатого цвета. Также удалить зеленоватые участки на печени, поскольку они обыцхно горчат. (с https://www.wikihow.com/)

Очистить и нарезать на средние куски картофель, морковь и лук и поместить в чашу кухонного комбайна. Прокрутить до образования смеси из очень мелких кусочков. Добавить куриную печень и снова прокрутить в течение 30 секунд. Вылить смесь в большую миску, добавить яйцо и муку. Все очень хорошо перемешать. Приправить солью, перцем и пищевой содой.

Побрызгать сковороду антипригарным раствором и смазать небольшим количеством растительного масла. Нагреть сковороду на среднем около 10 минут. Вылить ложкой оладьи желаемого размера. Жарить обе стороны по 2-3 минуты на каждой до образования светло-коричневой корочки. Добавлать растительное масло по мере того, как оно изпользуется во время жарки. Выложить оладьи на блюдо с бумажным полотенцем. Подавать теплыми.

Wilted Greens with Garlic

1 3/4 to 2 lb. fresh greens (Chinese cabbage, Savoy cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, snow pea shoots, watercress, baby spinach or regular spinach, arugula etc.)

1 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Garlic Dressing (mixed together)

3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce,

3 1/2 tablespoons rice wine or sake

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon hot chili paste (optional)

Salt to taste (optional)

If using cabbage, kale, or Swiss chard, trim and coarsely shred. Cut away tough ends from snow pea shoots, watercress, or other greens. In a colander, rinse vegetables thoroughly under cold running water. Drain or spin-dry and place in a bowl near the stove.

Heat a large nonstick skillet or a wok over high heat. Add oil; heat until near smoking. Add greens and toss with a spatula for about 20 seconds. Add Garlic Dressing and toss lightly over high heat about 1 & 1/2 minutes, or until the greens are slightly wilted, but still bright green. 

Scoop out greens and arrange on a plate. Adjust seasoning to taste and spoon the juice on top. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature. I love to serve with lemon slices.

Слегка притушенная зелень с чесноком

1 3/4 - 2 фунта свежей зелени (китайская капуста, савойская капуста, капуста, швейцарский мангольд, побеги снежного гороха, кресс-салат, шпинат или обычный шпинат, руккола и т. Д.)

1 1/2 чайной ложки оливкового масла первого отжима

Чесночный соус 

3 1/2 столовых ложки соевого соуса,

3 1/2 столовых ложки рисового вина или сакэ

1 1/2 столовой ложки измельченного чеснока

1 1/2 чайной ложки сахара

1 чайная ложка острой чили пасты (по желанию)

Если вы используете капусту, капусту или мангольд, обрежьте и грубо измельчите. Обрежьте жесткие концы от побегов снежного гороха, кресс-салата или другой зелени. В дуршлаге тщательно промойте овощи под холодной проточной водой. Слейте воду или вытрите насухо и поместите в миску рядом с плитой.

Нагреть большую антипригарную сковороду или вок на сильном огне. Добавить масло, зелень и перемешать с помощью шпателя в течение 20 секунд. Добавить чесночную заправку и слегка перемешать на сильном огне около 1 & 1/2 минут, или пока зелень не станет немного завядшей, но все еще ярко-зеленой.

Выложить на тарелку. Попробуйте и если нужно добавьте соль и ложку сока из сковороды сверху. Подавать горячим, холодным или комнатной температуры. Я люблю подавать с ломтиками лимона.

Recipes comes from "Spices of Life" by Nina Simonds