Living

• TOMATOES IN SPICY YOGURT SAUCE
  Recipe from: My Recipes



• INGREDIENTS


• 8 ripe but firm tomatoes (about 2 lbs)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)



• TO MAKE


• ■ Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes and set near the pot. Put tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds each, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to ice water. Drain tomatoes and pat dry. Core and peel tomatoes (leave them whole). Set aside.
• ■ In a large frying pan, heat oil over high heat. When hot, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and reduce heat to medium-high. Cover and cook until seeds start to pop, about 2 minutes.
• ■ Remove cover and add butter. When butter is melted, add turmeric and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic, chiles, and salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low.
• ■ Add yogurt and stir in one direction until smooth. Add tomatoes. Gently stir to coat with sauce. Cook until tomatoes are just warm, about 5 minutes.
• ■ Garnish with cilantro if you like and serve warm, with plenty of sauce.

Have a great weekend!

Living

Image courtesy | The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

A tradition my mother has faithfully celebrated has been Ukrainian Christmas on the eve of January 6. The celebrated date is according to the old Gregorian calendar. I now celebrate Christmas with my husband and his family but January 6 is extra special because of my mom.
One of the dishes that was served and will always stand out is borscht. My mom is getting older and for the first time she will not be making the usual traditional meal. We will be taking her out to dinner.
I have never made borscht, thought about how my mom made hers and compared recipes online. Martha Stewart's Ukrainian borscht was the closest but on Christmas Eve, we have meatless dishes. I adapted the recipe, kept the meat and it was delicious. So I will carry on the tradition of borscht. Enjoy!

• UKRAINIAN BEET BORSCHT
  Adapted from: Martha Stewart



• INGREDIENTS


• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds short ribs (used veal)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium onion cut in quarters (for broth)
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 4 cups good quality beef stock or bouillon.
• 2 bay leaves
• teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - we like a bit of heat)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium carrot cut into chunks
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1/2 pound cabbage, shredded
• 2 pounds beets, scrubbed, trimmed and coarsely shredded with a box grater
• 5 cups water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (used whole sm can)
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup chopped dill - 1/4 cup left for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
• sour cream for garnish



• TO MAKE


• ■ Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs, 3 to 4 minutes per side; set aside.
• ■ Add quartered onion, bay leaves, pepper flakes, celery and carrot. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until ribs are tender. 1 1/2 - 2 hrs.
• ■ Shred ribs, discarding fat and bones. Strain stock through a sieve, and skim off fat . (You should have 2 cups.)
• ■ Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add remaining onion and the garlic; cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add carrots; cook for 4 minutes. Add reserved stock, the cabbage, beets, water, and tomato paste. Cook for 30 minutes. Add meat and dill; cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more. Stir in vinegar; garnish with dill and sour cream.

Have a great weekend!

Living

Image courtesy | The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

Side dishes can often slip into this comfort zone of mashed or baked potatoes and some frozen veg. Don't get me wrong, mashed potatoes are fantastic and I could eat a plateful, pretty much anytime. At the same time, exciting side dishes created with ordinary, humble vegetables make a meal memorable.

• ROASTED PARMESAN CREAMED ONIONS
  Recipe source: Proud Italian Cook



• INGREDIENTS


• 4 medium to large yellow onions
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of white wine
• Parmesan cheese



• TO MAKE


• ■ Peel and slice the onions into ¼ inch thick slices. Carefully place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, keeping the rings intact. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 for about 15 minutes.
• ■ While the onions are roasting, place the heavy cream and wine in a small saucepan and simmer until it starts to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and set aside.
• ■ After the onions are out of the oven, carefully transfer them to a shallow baking dish, again, keeping the rings intact. Slowly pour the cream sauce over all the onions. You can add more black pepper at this point if you’d like. Raise the oven temp to 450. Sprinkle each onion with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese.
• ■ Cover baking dish with foil and return to the oven for another 20 – 25 minutes. Remove foil and let the onions get nice and brown and caramelized for about 5 more minutes.

Enjoy - have a great weekend!

Living

Simple Bites

Roast potatoes. Crispy and golden, with creamy white interiors, infused with a rosemary-garlic oil. That's how Aimee from Simple Bites describes these delicious roasted potatoes. Easy and quick, roast a batch of these for brunch or for a simple weeknight dinner. Definitely one of my favourite ways to eat potatoes.

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Living

Image | Kitchen Heals Souls Blog

This apple yogurt cake is a dessert recipe from David Rocco's cookbook "Made in Italy". Simple to make, this recipe will become a favourite when you want something quick and delicious.
The finished cake has a homemade rustic appeal, is very moist and full of apple slices. A perfect fall cake.

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