Vegetarian - Love... to cooking !

Aubergine Rolls with Walnuts !

May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.
J.R.R. Tolkien

Aubergine stripes ingredients:
– 2 aubergines
– olive oil for baking aubergines
– chopped parsley for serving

Filling ingredients:
– 150g (baked) walnuts
– 2-3 garlic cloves
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp black pepper
– 1 bunch dill
– 1/4 cup warm water

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 200C (400F)
2 Slice aubergines lengthways into 4mm thick stripes, put on the baking paper and brush well with olive oil
3 Add walnuts halves over the aubergines: bake them together for 25min at 200C (400F)
4 Combine and blend the filling ingredients (including baked walnuts) until smooth: put 1tsp of the filling on each aubergine stripe and roll the stripes up
5 Serve cold with chopped parsley !

Spinach and Feta Fatayer: amazing with coffee !

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

I love spinach fatayer: they are simple to make, amazing in taste. They serve great as an appetizer or as a snack with coffee or with soup!

Dough ingredients:
– 1 cup (1 cup=250ml) wheat flour
– 1/4 cup water
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 tsp salt

Filling ingredients:
– 90g fresh chopped baby spinach
– 90g Feta cheese
– 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 2 tsp olive oil
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp pepper

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 220C
2 Filling: combine all filling ingredients and mix well with the hands
3 Dough: combine all dough ingredients in a bowl: knead the dough
4 Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and form a ball out of each of them
5 Roll out each ball into a 8-10cm diameter circle: put 1 tsp filling in the centre of each circle
6 Lift up ends of each circle to the centre to form Fatayers with your fingers
7 Put the Fatayers on the baking paper (sprinkle with Provence herbs or pepper or a little of olive oil): bake for 18 minutes at 220C
8 Serve with a cup of black coffee or black tea !

Tarte Flambée with Pears, Brie and Walnuts

In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.
Jane Austen

Dough ingredients:
– 220g wheat flour
– 1 egg yolk
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 100ml warm water
– 1/2 tsp salt

Filling ingredients:
– 200g sour cream
– 1 large pear
– 100g Brie
– 10 walnuts
– liquid honey for serving
– black pepper for serving

Directions:
1 Preheat the oven to 220C
2 Mix dough ingredients and knead the dough for 5 minutes
3 Roll out the dough into an oval 3-4 mm height
4 Put the dough on the baking paper and bake at 220C for 8 min without a filling
5 Meanwhile slice pear, cut Brie and slightly chop walnuts
6 Remove the baking tray from the oven, spread the sour cream over the dough, add sliced pear, brie pieces and chopped walnuts
7 Bake Tarte Flambée for another 7-8 minutes at 220C
8 Sprinkle with black pepper and honey, enjoy !

Sage and Butter Pasta !

If I could but know his heart, everything would become easy.
Jane Austen

Ingredients (2 servings):
– 30g fresh sage
– 100g butter
– 250g pasta
– 2 garlic clothes
– 50g parmesan

Method:
1 Melt butter in the skillet, add chopped sage, cook at middle heat for 8 min, add chopped garlic and cook for another 2 min
2 Boil pasta in salted water Al Dente, drain water and transfer to the skillet with butter & sage: cook for 2 min
3 Serve with grated parmesan and enjoy !

Hungarian Paprika-Potato Pancakes with garlic sauce !

I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was “mamaliga”, and egg-plant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call “impletata”.
Bram Stoker, Dracula

Pancakes ingredients (15-16 pancakes):
– 500g boiled potatoes (weight boiled)
– 1 red onion
– 2 eggs
– 3 tbsp flour
– 2 tsp paprika powder
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 100g breadcrumbs
– sunflower oil for frying

Garlic sauce ingredients:
– 200g sour cream
– 3 tsp mayonnaise
– 3 garlic cloves
– parsley

Method:
1 Boil potatoes
2 Potatoes-batter: combine boiled potatoes, chopped onion, eggs, flour, paprika powder and salt – mix well until smooth
3 Preheat the skillet with some sunflower oil
4 For each pancake drop 1 tsp of potatoes-batter in bread crumbs and fry for 2-3 minutes each side, medium heat until golden
5 Garlic sauce: mix sour cream, grated garlic, mayonnaise and chopped parsley
5 Serve pancakes hot with garlic sauce and chopped parsley !

Veggie chips with blue cheese sauce !

You must remain. I must depart.
Two autumns falling in the heart
Yosa Buson

Veggie chips ingredients (for 2-3 servings):
– 6-8 medium potatoes
– 4 large carrots
– 2 beetroots
– 1 tbsp sunflower oil
– Herbes de Provence to taste
– salt to taste

Blue Sauce ingredients:
– 200g sour cream
– 125g blue cheese (Saint Agur blue)
– chopped dill and parsley

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 190C
2 Pill and cut veggies into thin strips
3 Mix veggie strips with Herbes de Provence, salt and sunflower oil: transfer to the baking paper
4 Bake for 50-60 min at 190C
5 Blue cheese sauce: combine sour cream, blue cheese, chopped dill & parsley: mix until smooth. Put the sauce in the fridge until the chips are ready
6 Serve veggie chips with a blue cheese sauce !

Cheesy Potato Pancakes !

I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Pancakes ingredients (16 pancakes):
– 700g potatoes
– 100g cheese
– 1 big red onion
– 2 tbsp flour
– 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
– salt and pepper to taste
– sunflower oil for frying

Garlic sauce ingredients:
– 200g sour cream
– 1 tbsp mayonnaise
– 2-3 minced garlic cloves

Method:
1 Combine grated raw potatoes, grated cheese, chopped onion, flour, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper: mix until smooth
2 Preheat the skillet with sunflower oil
3 One tbsp batter for one pancake: fry 3-4 minutes each side until golden, medium heat, transfer on paper towels to absorb extra oil
4 Garlic sauce: mix sour cream, mayonnaise and minced garlic
5 Serve warm pancakes with the sauce and enjoy !

Fresh Corn Pancakes with Basil-Mayonnaise sauce !

We must go on, because we can’t turn back.
R.L.S.

Pancakes ingredients:
– 4 fresh corn cobs
– 2 eggs
– 3-4 tbsp all-purpose flour
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp black pepper
– sunflower oil for frying

Basil sauce ingredients:
– 1/2 bunch fresh basil chopped
– 4 tsp mayonnaise
– 1-2 cloves garlic chopped

Method:
1 Wash corn cobs, cut corn kernels off cobs with a knife
2 Combine corn kernels with eggs, flour, salt, black pepper, mix well until smooth
3 Preheat 2 skillets, add sunflower oil, keep medium heat
4 Add 1 full tbsp of corn-batter for 1 corn-pancake: fry 2-3 minutes each side until golden
5 Transfer ready pancakes on the paper towels to absorb extra oil
6 Basil sauce: combine chopped basil, mayonnaise and chopped garlic and mix
7 Serve warm corn pancakes with the basil sauce and enjoy !

Sweet potato chips – quick and healthy snack !

Ah, Nothing is too late, till the tired heart shall cease to palpitate.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sweet potato chips ingredients (for 2 servings):
– 3 large sweet potatoes
– 0.5 tbsp olive oil
– dash of salt

Sauce ingredients:
– 100g sour cream
– 80g blue cheese
– chopped dill

Method:
1 Sweet potato chips
1.1 Preheat the oven to 190C
1.2 Pill and cut sweet potatoes into strips
1.3 Mix potato strips with salt and olive oil and transfer on the baking paper
1.4 Bake for 30 minutes at 190C
2 Sauce: combine sour cream, blue cheese and chopped dill – mix until smooth and put the sauce in the fridge until the chips are ready
3 Serve hot sweet potato chips with a sauce from the fridge !

Quarkkäulchen – Potato and Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Homemade Cherry Compote !

Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time? That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.
Hermann Hesse

Quarkkäulchen ingredients (for 10 Quarkkäulchen):
– 300g boiled potatoes
– 300g cottage cheese
– 1 small egg
– 100g all purpose flour
– 2-3 tbsp flour for forming Quarkkäulchen
– 1 tbsp olive oil for frying

Cherry compote ingredients:
– 300g frozen cherries without stones
– 50ml water
– 1 tbsp cornstarch
– 1 tbsp brown sugar

Method:
1 Quarkkäulchen
1.1 Mix boiled potatoes, cottage cheese, egg and flour until smooth
1.2 Put some flour on a separate bowl
1.3 Form 1cm width 6-7cm diameter Quarkkäulchen with your hands using the flour from the plate
1.4 Preheat olive oil in the skillet
1.5 Fry each Quarkkäulchen until golden each side for 3-4 minutes at medium heat
2 Cherry compote: transfer in the skillet washed cherries, water, cornstarch and sugar: mix well and cook for 7-10 minutes at medium heat
3 Serve Quarkkäulchen with warm cherry compote !

My first Chepalgash – flatbread with cottage cheese and scallion !

A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came a loud knock
J.R.R. Tolkien

Dough ingredients (for 4 flatbreads 25cm diameter):
– 300g flour
– 250ml Kefir
– 1/2 tsp baking soda
– 3/4 tsp salt

Filling ingredients:
– 50g scallion
– 250g cottage cheese

Method:
1 Dough:
1.1 Combine kefir with baking soda and salt: mix and leave for 15 minutes
1.2 Add flour to kefir and knead a gentle dough: leave under the cloth for 15 minutes
2 Filling: combine cottage cheese with chopped scallion and mix well
3 Chepalgash:
3.1 Separate dough into 4 equal parts and form a 10cm diameter disk with hands out of each piece
3.2 Put 1/4 filling in the middle of each disk
3.3 Gather the sides up sealing the edges with the fingers in the center altogether
3.4 Turn over the disk with filling and gently roll into a ~25 cm diameter disk
3.5 Preheat butter in the skillet
3.6 Fry each flatbread for 3-4 minutes each side until golden
4 Serve with a cup of sweet black tea with lemon !

Cannelloni baked with Chanterelles and Leek !

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu

Notes: inspired by Jamie Oliver Mushroom Cannelloni

Cannelloni & filling ingredients (4 servings):
– 200g cannelloni
– 250g leek
– 250g chanterelles
– 1 onion
– 1 tbsp butter
– 3/4 tsp salt

White sauce:
– 500ml milk
– 100g cheese
– 3tbsp flour
– 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:
1 Filling:
1.1 Wash, peel and chop chanterelles, onion and leek
1.2 Pre-heat the skillet with butter and fry onion 3-4 min, add chanterelles and cook for 10 min
1.3 Add chopped leek, salt and cook for another 10 min
2 White sauce:
2.1 preheat olive oil in the skillet, add 3 tbsp flour: mix well
2.2 Pour milk to flour & oil: cook 2-3 min until smooth constantly stirring, add grated cheese and cook for another 2-3 min: sauce is ready!
3 Cannelloni:
3.1 Preheat the oven to 190C
3.2 Fill cannelloni with filling (I used chopsticks for that)
3.3 Transfer filled cannelloni in the baking form and pour the white sauce over them
3.4 Bake cannelloni for 30-35 min at 190C until golden & serve with fresh greens!

Quick and Simple Fresh Corn-Potato Soup !

It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.
Lewis Carroll

Ingredients (2 servings):
– 3 fresh corn cobs
– 9 middle (~6cm length) potatoes
– 1 tsp salt
– 400-500 ml water
– bunch of green onions for serving

Method:
1 Wash corn cobs and wash & peel potatoes
2 Cut corn kernels off cobs with a knife
3 Cut potatoes in 2-3cm pieces
4 Cook potatoes & corn kernels for 15-20 minutes in salted water
5 Evacuate 3-4 tbsp corn kernels for serving on a separate plate
6 Mash the rest of soup with an immersive blender
7 Serve the soup with chopped green onions and boiled corn kernels!

Healthy Cold Summer Soup with Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Garlic and Feta !

Многоточие – это следы на цыпочках ушедших слов
Vladimir Nabokov

Ingredients (3-4 portions):
– 3 cucumbers (270g)
– 1 small red bell pepper (200g)
– 1 small yellow bell pepper (120g)
– 700ml tomato juice unsalted
– 2 garlic cloves (10g)
– 100g wholegrain rye bread pulp
– 20ml virgin olive oil
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 100g Feta for serving

Method:
1 Wash and chop cucumbers and bell peppers
2 Peel, wash and grate garlic
3 Mash with a blender 2/3 chopped cucumbers and bell peppers+bread pulp+olive oil+tomato juice+grated garlic cloves+salt until smooth
4 Serve the soup with the remaining chopped cucumbers & bell peppers and with crushed Feta cheese
5 Enjoy – it’s a perfect soup for a hot summer day !

Homemade Flatbread with Potatoes and Feta !

It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.
Gabriel García Márquez

Dough ingredients:
– 300g all-purpose flour
– 1 tbsp sugar
– 20g fresh yeast
– 150ml warm water
– 1 tsp salt

Filling ingredients:
– 400g new potatoes (weight unpeeled)
– 150g Feta cheese
– 1/2 tsp black pepper

Serving/baking ingredients:
– 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing the flatbreads before baking
– chopped tomatoes for serving

Method:
1 Dough
1.1 Crush yeast into warm (30-35C) water, add 1 tbsp sugar: mix well until sugar an yeast are dissolved and leave the mixture for 15 minutes
1.2 Add flour and salt: knead the dough and leave it under cloth for 30 minutes (make the filling meanwhile)
2 Filling
2.1 Peel potatoes and boil until ready: drain extra water
2.2 Combine potatoes with feta and black pepper: mash until smooth
3 Flatbread
3.1 Preheat the oven to 200C
3.2 Separate the dough into 4 equal parts: roll out each part into 16-20cm round
3.3 Put 1-2tbsp filling in the middle of each round
3.4 Lift up ends of each round to the centre and seal them tight with the fingers. Then gently flatten into 15cm round.
3.5 Brush each flatbread both sides with olive oil and put on the baking paper
3.6 Bake for 15-20 minutes at 200C until golden and serve warm!
4 Enjoy with a cup of coffee and a good company 😉

Home-made Flatbread with Tomatoes, Zucchini, Rucola and Pine Nuts !

With life as short as a half taken breath, don’t plant anything but love.
Rumi

Dough ingredients:
– 300g all-purpose flour
– 1 tbsp sugar
– 20g fresh yeast
– 150ml warm water
– 1 tsp salt

Filling ingredients:
– 1 cup dried tomatoes
– 250g mozzarella
– 1/2 medium zucchini
– 50g rucola
– 50g pine nuts
– 50g grated Grana Padano
– 2 tbsps olive oil
– salt & pepper if dried tomatoes are unsalted

Serving/baking ingredients:
– 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing the flatbreads before baking
– fresh dill for serving

Method:
1 Dough
1.1 Crush yeast into warm (30-35C) water, add 1 tbsp sugar: mix well until sugar an yeast are dissolved and leave the mixture for 15 minutes
1.2 Add flour and salt: knead the dough and leave it under cloth for 30 minutes (make the filling meanwhile)
2 Filling
2.1 Make tomato pesto: mash in the blender dried tomatoes, pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan (add salt and pepper if dried tomatoes are not spiced)
2.2 Wash and slice 1/2 zucchini
2.3 Wash rucola and let it dry
2.4 Slice mozarella
3 Flatbread
3.1 Preheat the oven to 210C
3.2 Separate the dough into 4 equal parts: roll out each part into 16-20cm round
3.3 Put in the middle of each round: tomato pesto, zucchini, mozzarella, rucola
3.4 Lift up ends of each round to the centre and seal them tight with the fingers. Then gently flatten into 15cm round.
3.5 Brush each flatbread two sides with olive oil and put on the baking paper
3.6 Bake for 15-20 minutes at 200C until golden: let them cool down and serve with a fresh dill
4 Enjoy with a cup of coffee and a good company 😉

Warm rice salad with mushrooms and green peas: quick and healthy lunch!

If it rubs off, it means I’m in love
Ray Bradbury

Ingredients (2 servings):
– 120g boiled basmati rice
– 400-600g unpeeled green peas
– 10-12 medium button mushrooms
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– salt and pepper
– dill for serving

Method:
1 Boil basmati rice until ready and drain water
2 Peel and wash green peas
3 Peel and wash (remove dirt with a paper towel) button mushrooms , then slice them
4 Wash and chop dill
5 Preheat the skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil and add sliced mushrooms and green peas: cook for 10 minutes, constantly stirring
6 Add to vegetables: boiled rice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper: cook for another 5 minutes
7 Serve with chopped dill and enjoy!

Quick and Delicious Pasta for a working lunch !

I don’t feel particularly proud of myself. But when I walk alone in the woods or lie in the meadows, all is well.
Franz Kafka

Ingredients (2 servings):
– 250g spaghetti
– 10-12 button mushrooms
– 1/2 bunch of parsley
– 50g grated Grana Padano
– 1tbsp olive oil
– 1tsp salt

Method:
1 Mushrooms
1.1 Remove dirt from mushrooms with a wet paper towel, then slice the mushrooms finely
1.2 Wash and chop parsley
1.3 Fry champignons for 3-4 minutes in olive oil, then add parsley and fry for another 3-4 minutes constantly stirring
2 Spaghetti
2.1 Boil spaghetti al dente in salted water, drain water
2.2 Combine spaghetti with mushrooms & parsley & grated Grana Padano: mix well
2.3 Serve and enjoy quick and delicious lunch !

Simple Tarte Flambée Feta-Olive !

Are the days of winter sunshine just as sad for you, too? When it is misty, in the evenings, and I am out walking by myself, it seems to me that the rain is falling through my heart and causing it to crumble into ruins.
Gustave Flaubert, November

Dough:
– 220g wheat flour
– 1 egg yolk
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 100ml warm water
– 1 pinch salt

Filling:
– 200g sour cream
– 2 small red onions
– 150g Feta cheese
– 15 green olives without stone

Directions:
1 Dough
1.1 Preheat the oven to 220C
1.2 Mix dough ingredients and knead the dough for 5 min
1.3 Roll out the dough into a 3mm height oval
1.4 Transfer the dough on the baking paper: bake (without filling) at 220C for 8 min
2 Filling and Tarte Flambee
2.1 Chop red onions, feta cheese and olives
2.2 Spread the sour cream over the baked dough; sprinkle with onion, feta cheese and olives: bake for another 10 min at 220C
3 Serve and enjoy with a cup of coffee or a glass of Pinot Noir

Very Quick Homemade Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomatoes !

“And what if the abbot finds us?”
“We will pretend to be a pair of ghosts”
Umberto Eco

Dough ingredients:
– 1 and 1/2 cup (1 cup=250ml) wheat flour
– 1/2 cup water
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 tsp salt

Sauce ingredients:
– 300ml mashed tomatoes
– 1 tsp olive oil
– salt and pepper

Filling ingredients:
– 200g buffalo mozzarella (it’s very tasty!)
– 50g Grana Padano

Serving ingredients:
– 1/2 bunch of scallion for serving

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 220C
2 Combine dough ingredients and knead the dough
3 Roll out the dough to the 3-5mm width round
4 Put the dough round on the baking paper and bake for 8 minutes at 220C (no filling yet)
5 Sauce: mix mashed tomatoes, 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper
6 Distribute the sauce evenly over the baked dough round
7 Add mozzarella slices and sprinkle with grated Grana Padano
8 Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes
9 Sprinkle with scallion and and enjoy !

Notes: I tried this recipe today and loved it – the dough is really easy to make, overall cooking time is less than 30 minutes but the result is delicious 🙂

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