I Am Delicious

Rum & Cream Cupcakes

Rum and cream cupcakes are again a great option for a nice dessert or sweet breakfast. I love the smell when baking and delicious taste when having my morning coffee with one cupcake. Best thing about this recipe is that apart of the cake itself you can be really creative for a cream, fruits and decoration.   

Prep Time: 55 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 1 glass of sugar 
• 3 large eggs
• 70 g raisins
• 5-6 Tbsp dark rum
• 300 g plain flour
• 25 g yeast
• 150 ml lukewarm milk
• 150 g butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 20 g vanilla sugar
• fruits, jelly and icing for decoration. You can create nice jelly shapes like I did - anything you like  

Method:

1. Soak the raisins in the rum for as long as you wish. Of course, the longer, the better.

2. Add the flour to a large bowl and create a hole in the center. Crumble in the yeast. Add 3-4 Tbsp of lukewarm milk, 2 Tbsp of sugar and create a dough.

3. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and leave in a pre-heated oven to 50 C for approx. 15 minutes. Oven must be pre-heated and switched off. The dough should expand almost a double of its size and develop plenty of air bubbles.

4. Now add the remaining sugar, milk, vanilla sugar, eggs, flakes of soft butter, salt and soaked raisins into the dough. I also add a few additional spoons of dark rum for a better taste :)

5. Kneed the mixture using a dough hook of a hand-held mixer. Again cover the dough and leave it in a pre-heated to 50 C and switched off oven for approx. 30 minutes until it has doubled the size. 

6. Once your dough is ready, fill cupcake baking moulds to approx. 2/3 full. Do not overfill. Am using silicon moulds for that as I think they are best. Do not forget to springle some oil over the moulds so your cupcakes won't stick when baked.

7. Place the moulds into the center of a pre-heated to 180 C oven and bake for approx. 25 minutes. Cupcakes are ready when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8. Cool aside then remove cupcakes from the moulds and place on wire racks to cool completely.

9. Now time to decorate. I used a whipped cream with 1 Tbsp of orange liquer, decorated with icing sugar and fruits. Additionally, I created nice and funny shapes jellies in two flavours: cherry and kiwi. You can be as creative as you wish.

ENJOY!!!

 

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Orange and Chocolate Muffins (Cupcakes)

Orange and chocolate muffins are so delicious that I cannot resist to stop preparing them. I love the smell when baking and incredible taste of orange mixed with white chocolate when having my morning coffee. Best thing about muffins is that you can be really creative and you can bake your own designed muffins.  

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 1 glass of sugar - I use powder sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 glasses of plain flour
• 200 ml fresh orange juice
• 400-500 ml butter milk
• 100 g butter
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 250 g orange jam
• 100 g white chocolate
• 100 g candied orange
• 100 ml cointreau liqueur
• 20 g vanilla sugar
• 1/3 tsp salt
• chocolate for decoration 
• decorate your orange muffins as desired - be creative 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C (top and bottom heat).

2. Cut the chocolate into small pieces. Mix the flour with sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla sugar.

3. Beat the eggs, then add orange juice, cointreau liqueur, buttermilk, melted butter and orange jam. Then add these ingredients into flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix well.

4. At the end add candied orange and white chocolate into the mixture.

5. Fill the muffin (cupcake) baking moulds to approx. 2/3 full. Do not overfill. Am using silicon moulds for that as I think they are best. Do not forget to springle some oil over the moulds so your cupcakes won't stick when baked.

6. Place the muffins into the center of a pre-heated oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes. 

7. Muffins are ready when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8. Cool 5 minutes then remove cupcakes from the moulds and place on wire racks to cool completely.

9. If the muffins are not coming out, carefully move a blunt blade along the rim.

10. Decorate with dark chocolate. Remember to be creative.

ENJOY!!!

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Oven Baked Apples with Raspberry Jam

Super delicious and healthy dessert. Perfect option for cold autumn afternoons. Takes just a few minutes to prepare. Just give it a try and you will see what I mean.   

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 2 large apples
• 4 Tbsp raspberry jam
• 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar
• 1.5 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp cloves

Method: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 C. Wash the apples and scoop out the core from top of the apple, leaving a hole. Do not cut all the way through.

2. Stuff each apple with butter, vanilla sugar and 2 Tbsp of raspberry jam.

3. Place the apples in a shallow baking dish and pierce cloves into skin of the apples. Bake for approx. 30 minutes until apples turn tender.

4. Ready apples place on a plate and serve hot immediately.  

ENJOY!!!

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Little Sauerkraut And Mushroom Pies

Little sauerkraut and mushroom pies are a perfect accompaniament for any clear soup like Christmas beetroot soup called in Polish barszcz. These little pies are made from puff pastry which you can make yourself or buy a ready pastry in supermarket. My pies are just for two bites so a perfect little snacks. It might look complicated to prepare but not that difficult. Most important is to have a great sauerkraut and mushroom filling. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes                                   

Cook Time: 80 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 600 g pastry for pies (at its most basic, it is a mixture of flour and fat bound with water to form a paste) - puff pastry
• 1 kg sauerkraut mixed with two grated carrots and 1 Tbsp of cumin
• 45 g dried mashrooms eg. edible boletus, king bolete
• 2 big onions - chopped
• 6-8 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 l of boiling water
• 1 egg - beaten

Method: 

1. Finely chopped onion fry in a large skillet with olive oil. Keep stirring until onion is soft and translucent.

2. Pour hot water into dry mashrooms and leave aside for 10 minutes.

3. Now cook the mashrooms with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for 10 minutes.

4. Cut sauerkraut into small pieces. Add sea salt and pepper. Now add cooked mushrooms together with their boiling sauce. Now add boiling water and cook on medium-low heat until half of water evaporates. Should take approx. 30 minutes. 

5. Roll out the pastry in the flat surface, dusted with a bit of flour and form a square shape, then cut it creating two triangles. Pastry should be max 5 mm thick. Triangle hight should be about 10 cm long.

6. Prick each triangle with a fork. Brush each square with well beaten egg.

7. Spread 1 Tbsp of sauerkraut and mushrooms on on each pastry. 

8. Now connect two opposit corners of pastry together. Brush with an egg again.

9. Put the tarts on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in pre-heated to 180 C degrees oven for approx. 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

10. Serve hot. You can serve it plain, as is, or together with a clear soup like beetroot soup. 

ENJOY!!! 

Poppyseed Roll (Strudel) Recipe

Poppyseed cakes are very popular in Poland, especially for Christmas and Easter time. Some Poles believe that poppyseed brings luck. I decided to use a real poppyseed, however, canned filling works well in this recipe unless you want to grind your own - like me! Does not take that much to prepare, however requires quite a technique to roll the dough. Just try and you will love it as much as I do. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Wait Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 100 g all purpose flour 
• 100 g potato starch
• 150 g powder sugar
• 8-10 egg yolks
• 4-5 egg whites - beaten
• 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla essence

Filling Ingredients:

• 750 g ground poppyseeds
• 400 g sugar
• 4 Tbsp of honey
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 20 g softened butter
• 100 g dried raisins
• 100 g diced candid orange and lemon rind - chopped or grated
• ground walnuts, sliced almonds
• 4 egg whites - beaten
• 150 ml dark rum 
• chocolate or frosting to decorate

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites. Add sugar and vanilla sugar at the end. Add egg yolks and stir well with a spoon. Add vanilla essence, mixed potato and all purpose flour. Stirr well, until you have a creamy mixture.  

2. Pour the mixture into a baking tray. Sponge cake should be approx. 1 cm thick. 

3. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C. Bake the cake for 10-13 minutes until cake starts to turn gold.

4. When the sponge cake is ready, remove it immediately from the oven. Otherwise it will start to dry too much. Move it to the kitchen towel sprinkled with some powder sugar. Cover it with another kitchen towel but make sure it is damp.

5. Now we will prepare the poppyseed filling, unless you have the canned one so you can directly move to step 7.

6. Walsh the poppyseed. Move to the pot, pour enough water to cover entire poppyseed and cook for 30-35 minutes. Clean the raisins, add dark rum and leave aside to soak a bit. Ready poppyseed must be filtered first. Now we have to mill it three times at least. Mix milled poppyseed with sugar, honey, cocoa powder and beaten egg whites. Melt the butter on a large skillet and add poppyseed. Cook, stirring for 5-10 minutes. Now, almost ready poppyseed filling mix with the raisins and all remaining rum, diced candid orange and lemon rind, almonds and ground walnuts. Leave it aside to chill a bit. Your filling is ready now.

7. Remove the damp kitchen towel from the sponge cake and paste the poppyseed filling on the cake. Roll the cake using the kitchen towel which is under the cake. Wrap in kitchen foil and leave to cool down in a fridge for 1 hour.

8. Before serving glaze with frosting or chocolate and sprinkle with desired topping.

ENJOY!!!

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Christmas Dried Fruit Compote

Dried Fruit Compote is another example of traditional Polish recipes for Christmas. It is one of the 12 dishes that should be served on Christmas Eve dinner. Very easy to prepare, takes less than one hour. You will love it as much as I do. Also you can serve it both chilled or hot. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 l water
• 250 g dried plums
• 300 g dried apples
• 200 g dried pears
• 100 g raisins
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp powder sugar
• 40 g vanilla sugar
• 1 Tbsp whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon 

Method:

1. First you need to rinse and soak all the fruits for approx. 30 minutes in hot 2 l of water. Later, move the fruits into a large pot, together with water they were already soaking. Make sure you have about 2 liters of water, if needed add some more.

2. Add sugar, cloves, lemon juice and cinnamon into the fruits. Cook for 30 minutes, adding more lemon juice or sugar to taste.

3. Filter the compote and you can serve it chilled or hot. I like both and cannot even decide which one I prefer. I love to serve it with Christmas cookies or a gingerbread cake for a dessert. 

ENJOY!!! 

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Christmas Gingerbread Little Cakes

I love Christmas and everything around that magic time. Gingerbread recipes are part of my Christmas since years. This time I decided to prepare a funny version of traditional gingerbread cake. Just try and you will love it as much as I do. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 250 - 300 g powder sugar
• 250 g butter
• 3 eggs
• 20 g vanilla sugar
• 1 Tbsp rum essence
• 200 g honey
• 500 g all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 - 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 500 - 600 ml warm milk
• 100 ml dark rum 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. 

2. In a large mixing bowl mix together butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs. Mix all together and add honey. Keep mixing. 

3. Add into a creamy mixture vanilla sugar, rum essence and rum. Mix again.

4. At the end, add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves. Mix well. At the end add warm milk and make sure you blend well the creamy mixture. The mixture cannot be too dense because then it will be a real challenge to fill the baking moulds.   

5. Fill the baking moulds to approx. 2/3 full. Do not overfill. Am using silicon moulds for that as I think they are best. Do not forget to springle some oil over the moulds so your cupcakes won't stick when baked.

6. Place the moulds into the center of a pre-heated oven and bake for approx. 30 minutes. 

7. Your cakes are ready when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8. Cool 5 minutes then remove your cakes from the moulds and place on wire racks to cool completely.

ENJOY!!!

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Cinnamon Oven Baked Pears with Vanilla Ice cream

Super delicious and healthy dessert. Perfect option for cold autumn afternoons. Takes just a few minutes to prepare. Just give it a try and you will see what I mean.   

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 4 ripe pears, peeled
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1.5 Tbsp butter
• vanilla ice cream to serve with

Method: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 C. Cut peeled pears into halves. Remove the seeds with a small spoon.

2. Put 2 halves of a pear on a piece of foil and carefully wrap it all around the pears.

3. Season with brown and vanilla sugar and cinnamon. Add small piece of butter into each pear foil package.

4. Place on a baking tray and bake for approx. 30-35 minutes until pears turn tender.

5. Ready pears place on a plate, pour sauce from inside the foil and serve hot with vanilla ice cream.  

ENJOY!!!

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Zucchini Vegetarian Pancakes

This is an excellent recipe option for vegetarians. Great for lunch or light dinner. Zucchini pancakes are light and very tasty. Takes about 30 minutes to prepare. Must be served hot, straight from the pan. We are using only fresh ingredients here thus your pancakes are nutritious meal. Enjoy!!!

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Wait Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:                                       

• 1 big or 2 smaller zucchinis (350 g)
• 250 ml cold milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 egg white 
• 150 g all purpose flour
• 2-3 Tbsp hashed basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil for zucchini
• 2 Tbsp olive oil to fry the pancakes
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method: 

1. Beat the eggs with a little bit of salt.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the following ingredients: milk, beaten eggs and all purpose flour. Mix well with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture has a cream consistency. Should take about 5 minutes. Whisk until lumps are completely gone. Mixture cannot be too dense. Set the mixture aside in the fridge for about 1 hour to 'breath'.

3. In the meantime, wash zucchini, cut into halves and again into halves. Grate into thin slices.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. You can apply it using a paper towel to avoid excess of oil. Add sliced zucchini mixed with sea salt and pepper. Fry until zucchini becomes soft. Should take about 5 minutes. Once ready leave aside to cool down a bit.

5. Add cooled zucchini into cooled mixture and stir well. Whisk the egg white and add to the mixture and zucchini.

6. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of mixture onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Should take 60-80 sec on one side and about 30-50 sec on the other side of the pancake. They will turn into nice brown color.

7. Before you put pancakes in one pile, set it aside for a moment letting to cool down, otherwise they will stick to each other.  

8. Serve hot.   

ENJOY!!!

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Delicious Apple Pie

Apple pie is a perfect dessert during autumn when delicious apples are in all the supermarkets. This is my grannie recipe, old and traditional. Using fresh apples is a key secret here. This is the apple pie that is true delight in every forkful. I hope it becomes one of your favorites apple pie recipes.  

Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 - 35 minutes

Wait Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:                                  

• 500 g all purpose flour
• 4 large egg yolks
• 200 g sugar
• 20 g vanilla sugar
• small vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 200 g butter
• 250 g 18% sour cream
• 1.5-2 kg apples, peeled, cored and grated
• 2 Tbsp of sugar for the apples
• 1 Tbsp of cinnamon

Method: 

1. In a large bowl combine all-purpose flour, yolks, sugar, cut into pieces butter, vanilla extract, vanilla sugar, baking powder and sour cream. Using your hands create two balls from the dough. One ball should be bigger.

2. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit of milk.

3. Ready bowls leave for 2 hours in the fridge.

4. After the dough is well cooled down, from a bigger bowl create a large rectangle, not too thick and put on the bottom of a large baking tray. Prick the dough with a fork to let it breath.

5. Put the dough into a pre-heated to 180 C oven and bake for 10 minutes until cake starts to become gold.

6. In the meantime we prepare the apples. Grate peeled and cored apples and mix with 2 Tbsp of sugar. It is better when you have less sweet apples.

7. When the bottom of the cake is ready, put the apples on the top of it and season with 1 Tbsp of cinnamon on the top.

8. Now take the second bowl from the bridge and grate it on the apples.

9. Bake in a pre-heated to 180 C oven for 20-25 minutes until cake turns gold.

10. I love to serve it warm with a cup of coffee.

ENJOY!!!

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Chocolate - Coconut Mousses

Chocolate Mousse is one of my favorites. I add fresh coco and that is an excellent combination. Takes about 25 minutes to prepare - give it a try and you will see.

Prep Time: 20 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Wait Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:                                       

• 70 ml cold milk
• 4 egg whites
• 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 fresh coconut fruit
• 2 Tbsp dark chocolate shavings to decorate (I use 85% cocoa chocolate)
• 4 Mars bars (69g each)

Method: 

1. In a large saucepan combine the following ingredients: milk, cocoa powder and Mars bars (in small pieces). Cook over a low-medium heat and keep stirring. Wait until chocolate and all other ingredients melt and mix. Should take about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer melted chocolate into large mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture has a cream consistency. Should take about 5 minutes. Whisk until lumps are completely gone. Wait a bit until chocolate cools down a bit. 

3. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl. 

4. Pour a half of the whites into chocolate sauce and mix again. Add remaining half and mix again. 

5. Pour the mixture into 8 small cups or ramekins. 

6. Decorate with fresh coconut pieces and freshly grated dark chocolate.

7. Set in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

8. Serve chilled and with cup of coffee.   

ENJOY!!!

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Cognac Pancakes with Orange and Banana

Cognac pancakes are simply heaven in your mouth. Because we are adding some cognac, the cake will become very tender and fluffy. Takes about 40 minutes to prepare. Must be served hot, straight from the pan. We are using only fresh ingredients here thus your pancakes are nutritious meal. I like to have it for dinner or late Sunday breakfast. Enjoy!!!

Prep Time: 15 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Wait Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:                                       

• 250 ml cold milk
• 200 ml mineral water with gas
• 4 yolks
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 5-6 Tbsp cognac
• 250 g all purpose flour
• 40-50 g melted butter
• 1 Tbsp oil to fry the pancakes
• 4 oranges, peeled and cut into small pieces - no seeds
• 2 large bananas - cut into 1 cm slices
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 30 g butter
• 60 g hazelnut - roasted in 190 C, peeled and chopped

Method: 

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the following ingredients: milk, mineral water, yolks, cognac, sugar, all purpose flour and melted (not too hot) butter (40-50ml). Mix well with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture has a cream consistency. Should take about 5 minutes. Whisk until lumps are completely gone. Mixture cannot be too dense. Set the mixture aside in the fridge for about 2 hours to 'breath'.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with 1 Tbsp of oil. You can apply it using a paper towel to avoid excess of oil. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Should take 60-80 sec on one side and about 30-50 sec on the other side of the pancake. They will turn into nice brown color.

3. Before you put pancakes in one pile, set it aside for a moment letting to cool down, otherwise they will stick to each other.  

4. Now we will prepare banana and orange dressing. Peel 2 oranges and cut into small pieces. Remove white parts as much as you can and remove all the seeds. 

5. Squeeze 2 remaining oranges to get the juice into a large cooking pot. Then add 30 g of butter. Place on low-medium heat and stir until butter is melted. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar melts in orange-butter juice. Add pieces of orange and slices of bananas.

6. Roast hazelnuts in a pre-heated oven to 190 C until lightly colored and skins are blistered. Should take about 10 minutes. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins and cool completely. Then finely chop all the nuts. 

7. Now fold each pancake into quarters creating a triangle and pour orange and banana mixture on the top of the pancake. Season with finely chopped roasted hazelnuts on the top.

8. Serve hot.   

ENJOY!!!

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Home Made Blini with Smoked Salmon and Cream

Blinis are a Russian type of pancake. They are traditionally made from buckwheat flour and served with caviar or smoked fish like in my recipe. Very easy to prepare and a perfect option for nutritious starter or lighter dinner. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 2 large eggs
• 100 g all purpose flour
• 50 g buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 150-170 ml milk
• 80 g melted butter
• freshly ground pepper
• 200 ml sour cream - 22% fat
• 5-7 Tbsp chopped chives
• 250-300 g smoked salmon - in thin slices
• dill leaves to decorate

Method: 

1. In a large bowl mix well both flour types, salt, sugar and baking powder. 

2. In another bowl beat the yolk. In third bowl beat egg whites with a bit of salt - they will have better consistency.

3. Add milk and melted butter to the flour and mix well. Then add yolks and egg whites and keep mixing until you have a consistency of a dense cream.

4. On a hot frying pan preheat some butter. When butter is hot, drop 1.5 Tbsp of the mixture on the pan and create a couple of circular spots. Make sure that blinis do not stick completely to each other. Cook blinis for 1-2 minutes  and turn them into other side for another 1 minute. Remove when both sides turn gold. 

5. Repeat the sequence, after each batch of blinis, clean the pan and again add some butter. Wait until butter melts and do the next series of blinis. 

6. Now we will prepare the cream. Mix sour cream with chopped chives, salt and freshly ground pepper. 

7. Ready blinis should be served hot with 1 Tbsp of cream with chives on the top and a slice of smoked salmon. Add a bit of dill under the salmon - that way you will have even better taste of your ready blinis. 

ENJOY!!!

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Rum & Cream Cherry Little Desserts

Rum and cream cherry little desserts are very easy to prepare. Takes about 20 minutes and they are ready. Once you try you will love it - same as my friends and neighbours. Spoil yourself and try that Italian dessert.

Prep Time: 15 - 20 minutes

Wait Time: 2 hours

Ingredients - 15 servings:                                       

• approx. 20 small amaretto biscuits
• 300 ml 36% double cream
• 2.5 Tbsp icing sugar
• 15 small canned cherries to decorate
• 240 g toasted, finely chopped almonds
• 3-4 Tbsp dark rum
• 4 Tbsp of freshly grated dark chocolate, 85% cocoa 
• 15 paper muffin cases

Method:

1. Crumble all amaretto biscuits and put the pieces into the bottoms of the muffin cases.

2. Whisk together the cream and icing sugar until cream becomes stiff. Add almonds and dark rum into the cream and stir gently.

3. Put the almond whipped cream on the top of biscuit crumbles.

4. Top the cream with a cherry and grated chocolate.

5. Freeze for about 2 hours until firm. 

6. Serve chilled. 

ENJOY!!! 

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Italian Omelet with Spinach and Tomato

Omelet is a perfect dish for nutritious and hot breakfast. Perfect for cold winter mornings on Saturday. Tastes Delicious. No meat so might be perfect for vegetarians. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 6 eggs
• 6 Tbsp of freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 glass milk - you can also add 1 Tbsp cream 
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes in halves
• 2 spring onions - finelly chopped
• 1/2 red pepper in slices
• 100 g fresh spinach leaves
• freshly ground sea salt
• 2 Tbsp butter 

Method: 

1. Eggs beat well with milk, parmesan cheese and a bit of sea salt - for a good taste. The mixture should have a consistency of a cream. 

2. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and fry the onion until it turns translucent. Add sliced pepper and cherry tomatoes.

3. Add beaten eggs to the vegetables and  let cook over medium-high heat until eggs are nearly set. Sprinkle washed spinach leaves over the omelet. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.

4. Slide the omelet out of the skillet onto a plate and serve immediately.

ENJOY!!!

Kiwi Fruits & Raspberry Jelly Dessert

Kiwi fruits in raspberry jelly and whipped cream dessert is so easy to prepare. Takes almost nothing to have a heavenly tasting dessert in your kitchen. Also ingredients you need, you probably already have it in your kitchen. Simply Delicious. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Wait Time: 1 hour

Ingredients - 4 servings:                                       

• 5-6 leaves of gelatine
• 500 g of raspberries
• 400 ml of cold water
• 150 g of icing (caster) sugar
• 2 peeled kiwi fruits in slices
• 500 ml cream - 36% fat
• 4 Tbsp of sugar
• chocolate chips to decorate 

Method:

1. Soak the gelatine in cold water until softened.

2. Raspberries, icing sugar and 400 ml of cold water put into a pan. Heat on low-medium heat until sugar dissolves. Then simmer for 5 minutes.

3. When raspberry mixture is ready, sieve it into a clean pan. Heat a bit and add the gelatine. Mix well to make sure gelatine dissolves well. Pour into serving bowls and leave to cool down in a fridge. 

4. In a mixing bowl whip the cream (make sure cream is not taken straight from the fridge, it should have room temperature) with 4 Tbsp of sugar.

5. When raspberry jelly is ready, put one slice of kiwi on the top of jelly.

6. Pour whipped cream and decorate with remaining kiwi slices and chocolate chips. 

7. Serve chilled. 

ENJOY!!! 

Plum and Raspberry Pastry

Another example of quick dessert or a perfect breakfast option. Raspberry and plum pastry is very tasty because it bakes into a puffy, golden, textural substance that make the perfect crust for fruit pastry and any other desserts you can think about. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 600 g pastry for pies (at its most basic, it is a mixture of flour and fat bound with water to form a paste) - puff pastry
• 6 red plums, deseeded and cut into halves
• 12 tsp raspberry jam
• 1 large egg - beaten 
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar

Method:

1. Roll out the pastry in the flat surface, dusted with a bit of flour and form a square shape. Pastry should be max 5 mm thick. Square hight should be about 10 cm long.

2. Prick each square with a fork. Brush each square with well beaten egg with 2 Tbsp of water and vanilla sugar.

3. Now we will prepare plums. Wash them well. Then cut into halves, remove the seed and prick their skin with a fork a bit. Spread 1 tsp of raspberry jam on each pastry square and place the plums flat side down on the jam.

4. Now connect two opposit corners of pastry together. Brush with an egg again.

5. Put the tarts on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in pre-heated to 180 C degrees oven for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and apples tender.

6. Serve hot. You can serve it plain, as is, OR you can drizzle some caramel topping all over the top.

ENJOY!!! 

Roasted Duck with Cranberries and Peach

Duck meat is considered to be 'white' meat, although it is darker than any other poultry like chicken or turkey. Ducks are more active than chickens, they need and use much more oxygen. Extra oxygen in their body gives their meat darker red colour. Due to that duck meat is much reacher in flavours and aromas than any other poultry. This also means, duck meat goes really well with any fruits, sweet or spicy ingredients. This is why you have so many duck recipes and all of them are delicious. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 1 whole duck
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 5-6 pimientos
• 400 g cranberries
• 1/2 cup honey
• 300 ml water
• 1 big onion - in thick slices
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 150 g sugar

Method: 

1. Wash the duck and cut off the wing tips (the last bony segment) as there's no meat on them and they will boost the flavour of the giblet stock. 

2. Remove any obvious spare fat from inside the cavity. 

3. Rince the cranberries and mix with honey, wine, water and sugar. Simmer the cranberries and cook until they turn soft. Leave aside.

4. Put the bird in a pre-heated with melted butter heavy skillet and roast for 10 minutes on the back and then breast of duck so the fat starts to run and duck skin turns yellow-gold.

5. Now, using a knife, cut the skin all over the fatty parts at the breast and where the breast joins the leg. Don't cut deeper than is necessary just to cut the skin. You want the fat to run, but not the juices from the meat. By cutting or piercing the skin of the duck, this will allow the fat to drain out during roasting. Season the skin lightly with salt and pepper.

6. Place the onion and half of cranberry sauce inside the duck. Add bay leaves and pimientos. 

7. Place the duck breast-side up in a roasting pan and place in the center rack of a 220 C degree preheated oven for 30 minutes to brown lightly.

8. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 C degrees and roast for 120 minutes. Remove accumulated fat occasionally with a bulb baster.

9. The duck is done to medium rare if the juices from the fattest part of the thigh or drumstick run faintly rosy when the duck is pricked, and when the duck is lifted and drained, the last drops of juice from the vent are pale rose. The duck is well done when the juices run pale yellow.

10. Another method of checking if duck is ready is to check meat temperature. A duck is properly cooked when the temperature of the meat at the thickest part of the thigh or breast has reached 75-80 C.  

11. Remove the duck from the oven, discard trussing strings, and place on a serving platter. Let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

12. To carve the bird, slice between the legs and breast, then prise off the whole legs, carefully pulling the thighbone away from the body of the bird. Cut each leg in half at the joint between the thigh and the drumstick. Slice each whole breast from the carcass, with the crispy skin attached, then cut each breast into 5 or 6 thick slices.

13. Serve on warmed plates, with the gravy and remaining half of cranberry sauce. I also decorated my duck with peach from the can and served it with roasted potatoes.

ENJOY!!!

Delicious Puff Pastry Apple Tart

If you want to make a very quick and easy dessert that also happens to yield impressive results, here is a perfect recipe for you. Puffed pastry is very special because it bakes into a puffy, golden, textural substance that make the perfect crust for fruit tarts and any other desserts you can think about. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 600 g pastry for pies (at its most basic, it is a mixture of flour and fat bound with water to form a paste) - puff pastry
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large egg - beaten 

Method:

1. Roll out the pastry in the flat surface, dusted with a bit of flour and form a rectangle. Pastry should be max 5 mm thick. Rectangle hight should be about 20 cm long.

2. Prick each rectangle with a fork. Brush each rectangle with well beaten egg.

3. Peel the apples. Cut in half lengthwise and into quarters. Do not forget to cut out stem and core. Place the apples flat side down on the pastry. 

4. Sprinkle the apples with sugar mixed with cinnamon.

5. Put the tarts on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in pre-heated to 180 C degrees oven for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and apples tender.

6. Serve hot. You can serve it plain, as is, OR you can drizzle some caramel topping all over the top - like I did. Some of my friends like it also with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream scoops.

ENJOY!!! 

Catalan Cream Dessert

Catalan Cream in Spanish: 'crema catalana' is also known as Crema de Sant Josep, a typical dessert of Catalonia in Spain. It consists of a custard base crème caramel and a caramelized, crisp sugar topping. The custard might be flavored with lemon, orange zest or simply cinnamon.

You will see how delicious Catalan Cream might be. It is rich and creamy and will melt in your mouth. Great dessert for spring time, since traditionally this dessert was prepared on March 19th, St. Joseph’s Day, the Spanish equivalent of Father’s Day in the USA. But to be honest, I can eat it entire year. Just try and you will see what I mean.

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

 Cooling Time: 2-3 hours                           

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 2 cups sugar
• 8 egg yolks
• 2-3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
• 3 cups milk (3.2%)

Method: 

1. In a pot, beat together the egg yolks and add 1 cup of sugar. Beat until throughly mixed. Add cinnamon sticks, grated lemon and orange rind. Add the milk and cornstarch.

2. On low heat, slowly heat the mixture. Do not stop stirring. Cook until thickened. The texture should be smooth and creamy. Then immediately remove from the heat.

3. Remove the cinnamon sticks and ladle the milk mixture into ramekins or little bowls. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. 

4. Before serving, preheat the broiler. Remove ramekins with the catalan cream from refrigerator and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each ramekin. When broiler is hot, place the ramekins under the broiler on the top shelf and allow the sugar to caramelize, turning gold and brown. This may take 10 minutes or so, depending on your broiler.

5. Remove and serve immediately. You can also carefully glaze the sugar using a mini-blow torch.

ENJOY!!!

 

Delicious Apple Pancakes

Apple pancakes are very easy to prepare. Perfect option for nutritious and hot breakfast. Ideal for cold winter mornings on Saturday. For me, these little pancakes bring back great memories from when I was a little kid spending my summer holidays in a countryside with my grannie.  Apple pancakes made polish way taste delicious and should be eaten fresh just after preparation. Enjoy!!!

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 2 eggs
• 1-1.5 glass of all purpose flour
• one package of vanilla sugar
• 3/4 glass of sugar
• fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 glass milk - you can also add 1 Tbsp cream 
• 1/2 glass soda mineral water
• a bit of salt but just a bit
• 3-4 big sour apples - peeled and cut into pieces
• 100 g margarine or butter

Method: 

1. Eggs beat well with milk, add water, flour, sugar and a bit of sea salt. The mixture should have a consistency of a dense cream. 

2. Peel the apples and cut in pieces. In order to avoid apples turning brown too fast, sprinkle them with fresh lemon juice. Add to the pot and mix.

3. Leave the mixture for 20-30 minutes in room temperature. Your pancakes will be softer.

4. On a hot frying pan preheat some butter or margarine. When butter or margarine is hot, drop the mixture with a table spoon to the frying pot and create a couple of circular spots. Make sure that pancakes do not stick completely to each other. 

5. When your apple pancakes turn brown-gold, turn them into other side and continue frying. Remove when both sides are gold. Repeat the sequence, add more butter or margarine to the pot, melt it and do the next series.

6. Each pancake series should be drained on a paper towel for 1-2 minutes.

7. Ready pancakes should be served hot. You can eat them plain or put some powdered sugar on the top once cold. I prefer hot version of pancakes with nothing on the top.

ENJOY!!!

Italian Tiramisu For Everyone (in Polish: Wloskie tiramisu dla kazdego)

There are many recipes and versions of Tiramisu but the basic and original ingredients are: mascarpone cheese, eggs, espresso, some sugar, amaretto liquor and lady fingers of course. This recipe will be the purest version of real Italian dessert. I have tried Tiramisu many times in restaurants all over the world and still I like the most the one I prepare at my own kitchen.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Wait Time: 120 minutes 

Ingredients:                                       

• 2 packages of lady fingers (sponge fingers) - approx 300 g
• 6 pasteurized eggs
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 500 g mascarpone cheese
• 8 small (8oz) espresso cups 
• 4 shots of amaretto liquer (can be also brandy, cognac or rum)
• 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa to dust

Method:

1. Prepare espresso shots and pour all into a shallow flat bowl. Add three shots of amaretto and 1 Tbsp of cacoa. Leave aside to cool down.

2. Beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and 1 shot of amaretto (can be also brandy, rum or cognac). Again keep mixing until creamy.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg whites.

4. Pour beaten egg whites into mascarpone and mix only a bit in order to blend all the ingredients. Do not over mix.

5. Dip lady finger biscuits in the espresso mixture just long enough to let them absorb enough espresso and amaretto mixture (approx. 5 sec). Remember to do it with sugare side up. Make sure all biscuits after espresso bath look completely dark.

6. Place the soaked ladyfingers on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom. Remember to lay biscuits with sugar side down.

7. Once the first layer of biscuits is ready, put the mascarpone mixture across. The layer should be about 1 cm thick. So with that amount of mascarpone - egg mixture it should be about a half of the mixture. 

8. Dip another layer of espresso moistured lady fingers on the mascarpone mix. Lay them sugare side down.

9. Spoon last layer of mascarpone across the biscuits. The layer again should be about 1 cm thick.

10. Dust remaining cocoa on the top of mascarpone mixture. 

11. Cover ready Tiramisu with a wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

ENJOY!!!

Prosciutto & Cheese Twisters (in Polish: Paluszki z ciasta francuskiego z szynka Prosciutto i serem)

Great salty pastry which I like a lot. Here you can use your imagination because you can make your twisters with anything you like. Exampleas could be: cumin, sea salt, prosciutto, cheese etc. Great as a starter, especially when still warm, straight from the oven. Very easy to prepare and simply delicious. Just give it a try and you will see how delicious it is.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 600 g pastry for pies (at its most basic, it is a mixture of flour and fat bound with water to form a paste) - puff pastry
• 2 Tbsp flour 
• 4-5 Tbsp mustard
• 200 g grated cheese - can be Gruyere, Cheddar or even Mozzarella
• sea salt in crystals & freshly ground black pepper
• 20 slices of Prosciutto ham or excellent quality bacon
• 2 large eggs - beaten 

Method:

1. Prepare a baking flat dish - best would be like a tray.  Put parchment paper inside the tray.

2. Roll out the pastry in the flat surface, dusted with a bit of flour and form a rectangle. Pastry should be max 5 mm thick. Rectangle hight should be as long as your prosciutto slices.

3. Spread the mustard over the pastry and sprinkle with grated cheese. Line up slices of prosciutto as shown on the picture and add black pepper.

4. Cut the pastry into smaller rectangles.

5. Carefully pick up each piece of pastry and twist it 3-4 times. Lay all on earlier prepared tray. Put the pastry in the fridge for approx. 20 minutes to firm up a bit. 

6. Pre-heat the oven to 220 C. Once you remove the pastry from the fridge, brush beaten eggs over each piece and sprinkle crystals of sea salt or anything else you like. Can be cumin as well.

7. Bake in the oven for approx. 20 minutes in 200 C until twisters turn gold - brown.

8. Ready to eat twisters serve warm or cold.

ENJOY!!! 

Champignon Mushroom Quiche (in Polish: Tarta z pieczarkami)

Another Quiche variation. Quiche is one of my favorite meals because you can be very creative and put whatever you like or whatever you have in your home fridge. Easy to prepare, nutritious and simply delicious. Also no meat inside so perfect for vegetarians. Just try and you will see how delicious it is.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 400 g assorted sliced champignon mushrooms
• 2 medium leeks
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 sliced onion
• 5 Tbsp of chives - finely chopped
• 100 g grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup heavy 30% cream
• 3-4 large eggs
• 300 g pastry for pies (at its most basic, it is a mixture of flour and fat bound with water to form a paste)
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 6-8 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black, red and white pepper

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot on a medium heat. Add shallots and onion and cook stirring occasionally until translucent. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

2. Add mushrooms into the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms first release their liquide and then liquid evaporates and mushrooms turn into dark brown. Should take 8-10 minutes.

3. Put pastry into round tart pan. Prick the dough with a fork and transfer to pre-heated to 200 C oven for 8 minutes. 

4. After 10 minutes in the oven, sprinkle a half of cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Spread mushrooms over the cheese, add chopped leeks and chives. Top with remaining cheese.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, cream and eggs together. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the cheese.

6. Transfer your quiche to the pre-heated oven and bake for 35 minutes over 200 C. Cool in a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicking.

ENJOY!!! 

Amaretto Peach Heaven (in Polish: Podniebna rozkosz Amaretto)

Amaretto Peach Heaven is light and so easy to prepare. Once you try you will love it - same as my friends and neighbours. Simply Delicious. 

Prep Time: 15 - 20 minutes

Ingredients - 6 servings:                                       

• package of amaretto biscuits 
• Greek yoghurt - approx. 600 g
• 150 ml amaretto liquer
• 350 g sliced peach from a can
• chocolate chips to decorate 

Method:

1. Crush 2 amaretto biscuits into each dessert glass.

2. Pour a bit of amaretto liquer on the top of crushed biscuits.

3. Add a layer of greek yoghurt and a layer of sliced peach. 

4. Repeat the siquence adding one crushed biscuit onto each yoghurt layer until all the yoghurt and fruits have gone.

5. Crush one more biscuit on the top of each glass.

6. Decorate with chocolate chips or anything else you wish.

7. Serve chilled. 

ENJOY!!!