Cookbook Review: Be Your Own Chef

July 11, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Onion & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

Cooking is an art form. It’s not black and white. Be Your Own Chef provides a unique and fun spin on cooking from a cookbook. It inspires you to be creative with each recipe and cook to your own taste. You are the chef!

Karen Blake Peek

Be Your Own Chef is a great cookbook written by Karen Blake Peek. It’s not only a collection of recipes, it is meant to inspire you to experiment with your food and turn simple meal preparation into an art form. What is unique for this cookbook is that each recipe contains a table of alternatives to the most of the ingredients used as well as all kinds of those cooking tips that will make your life so much easier

I’ve prepared a couple of dishes so far and I’m sharing two recipes with you, just to show you how great this cookbook is. I’ve learned a new way to coat the meat. In Serbia, we first coat meat in flour, than egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Then, fry everything in a lots of oil. This recipe gives a way healthier alternative as it’s coated in oats and then baked in the oven.

Onion & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

60 g oats
2 green onions
1 small onion, diced
120 g mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
60 g Gruyere cheese
Dijon mustard
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (meaning you have 4 halves of chicken breasts)
ground black pepper
salt

Process oats and green onions in a blender to make the crumbs. Place in a shallow dish.

Saute mushrooms and onion on olive oil until tender, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add grated cheese to mushrooms and onion. Cut a vertical hole down from the top center of the thickest part of each chicken breast, careful not to cut a hole through the bottom. Carefully expand the hole with ﬁngers.

Stuff each chicken breast with cheese, mushrooms, and onion mixture. Close with toothpicks. Rub chicken with salt and pepper. Spread some mustard all over them, then coat in previously prepared oats and spring onions crumbs. Spray both sides of each chicken breast with cooking spray and lay in a baking dish.

Bake in a preheated oven on 180°C/350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Egg Salad

8 boiled eggs, diced
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp chives, chopped
about 4 Tbsp yogurt
ground black pepper
salt

Line strainer with cheese cloth and place over bowl. Pour yogurt in to drain water and thicken for 15-20 minutes.

In a bowl combine eggs, strained yogurt, mustard, paprika, onion, chives, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cover and keep in a fridge.

Serve on a slice of toasted bread. Or in a lettuce cup. Or as a side with your main dish… It really goes well with everything

Cookbook Give-Away

In a collaborative effort both Correen, from FoodLoversWebsite and I are sharing our cookbook reviews of Be Your Own Chef. The author, Karen Peek, has generously given us a copy (PDF format) to give-away too! It’s easy to enter, here is the scoop…

Cookbook Give-Away

Simply leave a comment (automatically enters you)

Give-away Info…
- Cookbook give-away is open today 07/11/2011 until midnight PST on 07/19/2011
- Enter just once per e-mail address…thanks
- If you have a valid e-mail address you can enter (needed to send your PDF copy if you are the winner)
- Both Correen and I are giving away a cookbook – so visit both our sites, leave a comment and it gives you two chances to win ;)
- Winner will be picked with the true random number generator over at Random.org

Categories: appetizer, cookbooks, main course, salad
by Marija

Sour Meatballs

July 7, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Sour Meatballs

A special thanks to Richard from RESTAURANTWARE for sending me this beautiful Knotted Bamboo Skewer!

Sour Meatballs

(recipe adapted from Sale & Pepe magazine, Serbian issue for April 2011)

800 g ground veal
2 medium sized zucchinis
1 egg
1 bundle of mint
4 cloves
4 juniper berries
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
flour
oil
salt
pepper

For the sauce

2 red onions, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 bundle of sage
2 garlic cloves, pressed
50 ml red wine vinegar
200 ml red wine
oil

Slice the zucchinis thin, then grill them. Crush cloves and juniper berries and transfer into a bowl with chopped mint, meat, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, salt and pepper. Knead with your hands. Now, wet your hands and shape the mixture into balls a bit larger than hazelnut.

Put flour into a freezer bag, add meatballs (not all at once), shake the bag then transfer into a sifter and sift. This is how you’ll coat each meatball evenly, but still, there won’t be too much flour on them. Repeat for the whole amount of meatballs.

Heat some oil in a pan (the oil should be about 3 cm high). Fry the meatballs and take them out on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Then, transfer into a larger bowl with grilled zucchinis.

Fry red onions with garlic for a few minutes on a little oil. Add vinegar, bay leaves, sage, wine and 2 Tbsp water. Wait till it boils then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and when it’s slightly cooled pour over meatballs. Refrigerate overnight.

Serve cold.

Note: This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging. Host is Astrid from Paulchen’s Foodblog.

Categories: appetizer, Sale & Pepe
by Marija

Fairy-tale Cheese

July 5, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Fairy-tale Cheese

No recipe today. Just an idea how to serve soft cheese.

Fairy-tale Cheese

(from Sale & Pepe magazine, Serbian issue for November 2007)

fresh soft cheese
toasted hazelnuts, chopped
slices of toasted bread
chestnut honey
freshly ground black pepper
chestnut leaves

Line small molds with cling film and put cheese inside. Keep in the fridge overnight to set.

Place bread on a plate then un-mold cheese on top of it. Wrap in one chestnut leaf and tie the leaf with a rope. Top with hazelnuts, add pepper if you like and put some honey on top.

If you like, you can combine some hazelnuts with the cheese before you put it in the molds.

Categories: appetizer, Sale & Pepe
by Marija

Pavlova

July 1, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Pavlova

Master technique and then forget about it and be natural.

Ana Pavlova

Pavlova

(original recipe)

3 egg whites
150 g sugar
fresh seasonal fruits
whipped heavy cream

This dessert was created to honor Russian ballerina Ana Pavlova eather by a New Zealand or Australian chef. Hard to say really as she was touring both countries in the 1920s when it’s believed the dessert was first made. The shape of it is supposed to resemble a dress from one of her shows.

First, we’ll make a tutu.

Beat the egg whites stiff with a mixer. Gradually add sugar and mix more until it’s stiff and sugar crystals are gone. Draw 6 circles 8 cm in diameter on a piece of baking paper the size of a large oven pan. Spoon the mixture onto drawn circles. Bake in a preheated oven on 120°C (250°F) for about 50 minutes, then turn of the oven, open the oven door and let pavlovas sit inside for about 15 minutes. Baking time really depends on the oven and the size of pavlovas.

For the froth of the skirt’s net whip some heavy cream. You don’t need to add too much sugar, about 1 tablespoon on 250 ml of heavy cream.

Finally, to achieve the effect of the green roses use sliced kiwi. Which I didn’t :D I had some red currants and gooseberries from my garden and their slightly tart taste balanced perfectly with the sweetness of meringue.

Categories: dessert, food history
by Marija

Redcurrant Pie

June 25, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Redcurrant Pie

(adapted from Kulinarske tajne)

Crust

150 g wholewheat flour
100 g ground hazelnuts
50 g oatmeal
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp honey
100 g sour cream

In a bowl mix flour, hazelnuts and oatmeal. In a separate bowl lightly beat the egg, sour cream, honey and oil. Add to the dry ingredients. Knead and transfer into a fridge for about 30 minutes.

Line 3 16cm diameter spring-form (or tart) pans with baking paper. Flatten the dough thin and evenly pat it onto the bottom and up the sides of the pans. Transfer into a fridge while you prepare the filling.

Filling

500 g redcurrants
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 sachet (2 tsp) vanillin sugar
100 g sugar
100 g ground hazelnuts
2 Tbsp oatmeal
a pinch of salt

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt. Gradually add sugar, mixing continuously, until they form soft peaks. In a separate bowl combine hazelnuts, cinnamon, vanillin sugar and oatmeal and then carefully fold it into the egg whites. Finally, stir in redcurrants. Fill crusts with the filling.

Bake in a preheated oven on 200°C (390°F) for about 40 minutes.

Note: This is my entry to the ‘Simple and in Season’ – June event.

Categories: dessert
by Marija

Royal Cherry Cakes

June 21, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Royal Cherry Cake

Royal Cherry Cakes

(recipe adapted from Sale & Pepe magazine, Serbian issue for June 2007)

100 g dark chocolate
40 g butter
60 g flour
80 g sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 sachet (2 tsp) vanillin sugar
a pinch of salt

In a double boiler melt butter and chocolate. In a separate bowl, beat egg with sugar and vanillin sugar. Sift flour and baking powder over, add salt and whisk. Whisk in melted butter and chocolate also.

Brush 4 small cake molds (6 cm in diameter, or simply use cupcake molds) with some melted butter then dust with flour. Pour batter into the molds up to the two thirds of their height. Bake in a preheated oven on 200°C (390°F) for 20 minutes.

Sour Cherry Sauce

100 g pitted sour cherries
100 g sugar
75 ml white wine
1/2 tsp corn starch

Dissolve corn starch in wine. Add cherries and sugar and bring to boil. After it boils, reduce the heat so that it simmers lightly and cook until the sauce thickens. Strain the sauce. (Don’t throw away the strained cherries, eat them, they are delicious cooked in wine!)

Serve cakes decorated with fresh whole sour cherries and chilled sauce poured over.

Note: This is my entry to the ‘Simple and in Season’ – June event.

Categories: dessert, Sale & Pepe
by Marija

Cold Compote With Porto

June 18, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Cold Compote with Porto

Cold Compote With Porto

(recipe is from Sale & Pepe magazine, Serbian issue for July/August 2011)

350 g sour cherries
50 g cherries
200 ml Porto wine
100 g light brown sugar
1,5 cm long cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 cloves
4 cardamom pods

vanilla ice-cream
powdered cinnamon

Put cherries and sour cherries into a pot and cover with sugar. Add all the spices (except powdered cinnamon) and Porto and let boil. When it boils, reduce the heat so that it simmers slowly and cook for another 10 minutes. Then, remove the fruits from the sauce with a clothed spoon.

Continue to cook the sauce for another 5-10 minutes, or even longer, if you like it thicker. Pour the finished sauce over the cherries and transfer into a fridge for at least 4 hours.

Serve with vanilla ice-cream dusted with powdered cinnamon.

Note: This is my entry to the Serve It – chilled event.

Categories: dessert, preserves, Sale & Pepe
by Marija

Grappa Cherry Preserve

June 16, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Grappa Cherry Preserve

(recipe adapted from Sale & Pepe magazine, Serbian issue for July/August 2007)

500 g cherries (with stems)
cinnamon stick, cut lengthwise into a couple of pieces
150 ml water
150 g sugar
300 ml Grappa (Itallian, grape based brandy very similar to rakija)
cloves
lemon

Wash the cherries. Dry carefully with a kitchen towel. Cut the stems using scissors so that the piece that remains is about 1 cm long. Put them into the jars.

Peel the lemon thin using potato peeler. Try to peel it as thin as possible, you only need the yellow part. Put lemon peel, a few cloves and a piece of cinnamon into jars with the cherries.

Put water and sugar into a pot. As soon as sugar melts, remove the pot from the stove, wait for a few minutes and stir in Grappa. Pour this over cherries.

Keep in a dark, cold place and wait for a few months before opening it.

Note: This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging. This week’s host is Winnie from Healthy Green Kitchen.

Categories: preserves, Sale & Pepe
by Marija

Çömlek Kebab

June 15, 2011 TEKST NA SRPSKOM

Çömlek kebab

A while ago, I posted the recipe for Ohrid Čomlek. I loved the dish and asked Turkish readers of this blog if they would send me the original recipe, as the one I made is only Macedonian adaptation of the Turkish one. And I got it A foodie friend, Ebba from Kirimizi Muftak send me her recipe as well as a special cookware – çömlek. Can’t make proper Çömlek Kebab without çömlek Oh, how happy I was!

Originally, Çömlek Kebab is not cooked in the houses. It is cooked at the special bakeries that have very big (like a small room) stone ovens. These stone ovens are heated with wood. Çömlek is put in that oven at a place that is far from the flame. Because it should be cooked very slowly. So, people prepare the çömlek kebab in the house and then take it to the ovens. These ovens are called ”bazaar bakeries” in Turkey. But, these are very rare nowadays…

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

About the cookware itself… There are lots of çömleks. But lots of them are not healthy. The properly made one should have some sort of glaze inside. The one that I got came from Cappadocia region, famous for it’s pottery masters. There is only one problem with çömlek – you cook with it, then you break it and throw it into the trash! Sooo, lot’s of çömleks if you plan to cook it regularly ;)

Çömlek Kebab

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

The night before… Cut 1 kg lamb in small chunks and oil the lamb with a small amount of vegetable oil. Put in into the refrigerator. (We dont use too much oil because the lamb is already a fatty meat.)

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

The next day… There is a glazed portion in çömlek. Oil this portion with a small amount of vegetable oil. Peel 250 g shallots and blend with the lamb. Shallots can’t be found in Serbia, so I used onions.

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

Add some dry thyme, salt and black pepper (but not so much).

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

Start to put this blend into çömlek. You should press lamb to the bottom of çömlek slightly! Put çömlek aside.

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

Prepare dough with some flour and water in a bowl. Knead it for a few minutes until the dough is as soft as an earlobe. This is the expression Turkish people use for the dough

Put the dough on lamb. You should leave some space like 2 cm lenght at the top of the çömlek because the dough will rise. Poke some holes in the dough with a toothpick so the stem can get out.

Brush with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

Now the package time! Cover the top and the bottom of çömlek with aluminum foil. You can cover the handles if you wish too.

Preheat the oven to 225 – 250°C (440 – 480°F) with the oven rack on the lower shelf. Place the çömlek into the oven. Cook for 2 – 2,5 hours (the time is for the 1 kg lamb).

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

At the end of the baking time remove çömlek out of oven. Be very careful as it will be very hot. Wait for a few minutes to cool. And then remove the dough. Be very careful for stem!

Çömlek kebab, Preparation

Now, break çömlek. And it’s ready to serve. It should be brought to the table and served with a spoon, so that the guests can see the special dish. Usually, it is served with Pide bread and Turkish Shepherd Salad.

Pide

Turkish Ramadan Pide

(original recipe)

For the dough:
7 gr instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
350 ml warm milk
450 g flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the glaze:
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp milk

Mix yeast, sugar and 50 ml warm milk in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast. Cover with a towel and let rest for about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl sift flour and salt and add yeast mixture and the remaining 300 ml warm milk. Knead into a smooth dough. Spread 1 tsp of olive oil inside another bowl. Place the dough in it and spread another teaspoon of olive oil with your hands all over the dough. Cover with a damp towel and let proof for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours at room temperature until it doubles in size.

Place the dough on the lightly floured counter. Press all over it with your hands to get rid of air bubbles. Divide into 2 equal pieces. Knead and give a ball shape to each, cover with a damp towel and let rise for about 15 minutes. Line large oven pan with a baking paper and place dough balls on it. Flatten each using your hands.

Lightly beat the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Brush some over the breads. Sprinkle sesame seeds all over and cover with a damp towel. Leave for another 35-40 minutes to rise at a warm place.

Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F) and put some water in an oven-safe bowl. Place it onto the bottom of the oven. Place pan on the middle rack. Bake for about 8 – 10 minutes until the color becomes light golden. Serve warm.

Turkish Shepherd Salad

Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi)

This salad is a mix of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and cubanelle peppers. Is is seasoned with olive oil, fresh mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper and topped with crumbled feta cheese.

Once again, many thanks to Ebba for the recipe and çömlek! ♥

Note: I am sending the Pide recipe to Susan for this week’s YeastSpotting.

Categories: bread & co, main course, recipe with step-by-step photos, salad, turkish food
by Marija

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Onion & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

Egg Salad

Cookbook Give-Away

Sour Meatballs

For the sauce

Fairy-tale Cheese

Pavlova

Redcurrant Pie

Crust

Filling

Royal Cherry Cakes

Sour Cherry Sauce

Cold Compote With Porto

Grappa Cherry Preserve

Çömlek Kebab

Turkish Ramadan Pide

Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi)

popular this week

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