I Am Delicious

Polish Cabbage & Meat Rolls in Tomato & Capers Sauce

Cabbage and Meat Rolls served in Tomato & Capers Sauce are known in Polish as gołąbki (literally: little pigeons) and definitely are one of my favorite traditional Polish recipes. Cabbage rolls stuffed with a meat, rice and 'secret' herbs mixture are simply delicious and very easy to prepare. Full of nutrition and will keep your stomach full for many hours.   

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 100 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 1 whole head cabbage - white or green - with large leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp dried marjoram
• 2 Tbsp dried thyme
• 500 g minced beef meat
• 500 g minced pork meat
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1 l beef or vegetable stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• mashed potatoes to serve with
• 500 ml tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes
• 150 g capers to mix with the sauce

Method:

1. Chop the onion. Add minced garlic cloves. Saute both in butter in large skillet until onion turns gold. Once ready. Leave aside to cool.

2. Beat the eggs. Add marjoram, salt, pepper and thyme. Add the eggs into minced beef mixed with minced pork. Add rice, onion and garlic. Mix well with your hands.

3. Leave aside in a fridge.

4. Core the cabbage and blanche its leaves in boiling salty water. Peel them off as they become limp. Once you separated all the leaves, cut off thick stems to prevent the limp leaf from bending.

5. Put about 2 Tbsp of meat & rice mixture in the center of each leaf and fold the sides of the leaf in a roll shape. Should look like a little envelope package. 

6. Move all cabbage rolls into a casserole dish with their seam down. Pour beef stock into a casserole to come about half way up the rolls. Cover the casserole tightly and cook in a preheated oven in 190 C for 60 minutes. 

7. Check the level of liquid in the casserole. Pour away all but 1 cup. Pour on the fresh tomato sauce with capers and cook, uncovered, for a further 30-40 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. You can reduce the heat to 170 C. 

8. Served hot with mashed potatoes.

ENJOY!!!

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Serrano Ham Salad with Black Olives

Serrano ham salad with black olives is a perfect option for light lunch or a great dinner starter. Takes only a few minutes to prepare and worth every single bite.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 200 g wild rocket leaves
• lettuce leaves
• spinach leaves
• 5 Tbsp of black olives
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• small red onion - finely sliced
• 100 g camembert cheese - cut in fin slices
• 2 Tbsp sunflour seeds
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 150 g chopped serrano ham
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Method: 

1. Mix wild rocket leaves with lettuce and spinach. Add cut in halves cherry tomatoes.

2. Add finely sliced red onion and black olives. Add chopped serrano ham, sliced camembert cheese and sunflour seeds.

3. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with olive oil and your salad is ready.

ENJOY!!!

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Tiger Shrimps in Garlic

Super delicious tiger shrimps recipe. Takes less than 15 minutes to surprise your guests. Excellent option for a light starter. Seasoned with a touch of freshly chopped parsley and a drop of lime juice. Simply heaven. Enjoy!!!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7-8 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 20-30 cooked, peeled and de-veined tail-on tiger shrimps 
• 5 crashed garlic cloves
• 8-10 Tbsp olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lime
• sea salt

Method:

1. Wash the shrimps and remove the shells.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C.

3. Put the olive oil and garlic in a large, shallow dish and heat in the oven for 3-4 minutes. You need to watch carefully so that the garlic does not start to brown.

4. Put shrimps into the oil and make sure they are completely coated. Season with black pepper and return to the oven and cook for another 3 minutes unitil they are pink and cooked. 

5. Ready shrimps season with freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lime. 

ENJOY!!!  

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Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Salad on Rocket Bedding

Mozzarella and tomato salad is one of the easiest salads you can prepare in less than 15 minutes. Also perfect salad for vegetarians and of course healthy and nutritious for everyone. Mozzarella cheese is produced from milk obtained through cows or buffalos. It originated in Italy. Most common use of mozzarella comes on pizza or lasagna. However, very often you can find it in a variety of salads like the one below. The word “mozzarella” was first discovered in 1570 in a cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi. A 100 gram mozzarella ball contains approx. 22 grams of protein and 22 grams of fat. Healthy and nutritious.

Prep Time: 15 minutes                                   

Ingredients:                                       

• 2 balls of mozzarella cheese - approx. 300 g
• 3 large tomatoes
• 50 g rocket leaves
• 6-8 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic sause to decorate
• basil leaves to garnish
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method: 

1. Cut mozzarella balls and tomatos into slices with same thickeness.

2. Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella on rocket leaves and drizzle with olive oil.

3. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and docorate with fresh basil leaves.

4. Optionally you can also drizzle with some balsamic sauce or venegar. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!!! 

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Roasted Duck Breast in Cranberry Sauce

Duck meat is considered to be 'white' meat, although it is darker than any other poultry like chicken or turkey. 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. In this recipe I propose simple roasted duck breast This is why you have so many duck recipes and all of them are delicious. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 2 large duck breasts
• 1 Tbsp of butter
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 250 ml cold water
• 250 g cranberries
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp of cinnamon
• 20 g vanilla sugar
• 2 Tbsp of honey
• 150 ml dry red wine

Method: 

1. Wash the duck breast well. 

2. Now, using a knife, cut the skin all over the fatty parts at the breast. 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 and leave aside for a moment. 

3. Melt butter on a heavy skillet, brown breasts on both sides - approx. 3 minutes on each side.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C and cook the breasts together with butter and red wine for approx. 10-15 minutes. Remember to not over-cook, otherwise breast will be too dry. A good method to check if the meat is ready is to check meat temperature. A duck is properly cooked when the temperature of the breast has reached 75-80 C.  

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

6. Serve on warmed plates, with cranberry sauce on side. 

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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White Asparagus with Fresh Herbs Sauce

Unlike green asparagus, white one has a tough, bitter peel that must be removed before cooking. I love white asparagus because its taste is more delicate than the green and is less likely to be bitter as long as you peel the skin. Perfect warm dish for everyone. No meat so excellent for vegetarians. Additionally my herbs mix makes our asparagus to taste like heaven. Just give it a try.

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 10-30 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 500g
• 4 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp of butter
• 1 large egg (boiled)
• 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2-3 small shallots, finely chopped
• 4-5 cornichons, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp capers
• 1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs (parsley, dill, chives, tarragon), chopped
• sea salt & freshly ground white and black pepper
• 4 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

Method: 

1. Snap off the bottoms of asparagus at the point where they break naturally, then pare off those unpleasant spiky little triangles along the sides. After that, peel the stalks up to the bud at the tip. Now your asparagus is ready to be cooked.

2. Bring water, 3 Tbsp of lemon juice, butter and sea salt to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Best is to use a special asparagus pot. See below. Cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 10-30 minutes, depending on thickness of asparagus. Drain well on paper towels. 

3. Once your boiled egg is cooled, remove the shell and separate the white from the yolk. Chop both well. 

4. Mix the mustard, red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, shallot, cornichons, cappers and chopped egg. Add olive oil.

5. Season with salt and pepper, add chopped herbs.

6. Serve warm asparagus with the sauce on the side. You will love that dish.  

ENJOY!!!

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Delicious Veal with Mashed Potatoes and Tomato Salad

Veal is an important ingredient in Italian and French cuisine, but also in Poland veal is very popular in daily menu. My secret here is that veal must stay marinated for a few hours in the fridge. I love to serve it with mashed potatoes and dill and of course tomato salad in balsamic sauce. Among the different types of meat, veal is very special. Veal is tender, lean, mellow in taste and contains important minerals and vitamins. Veal is important in our menu because of its high nutritional value, easy digestibility and a good alternative when keeping an eye on calories. Perfect recipe for a quick dinner. Your family and friends will love it. Simply delicious.

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Wait Time: 2-3 hours                                  

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 500 g veal
• 10 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic sauce with lemon - from Modena
• 1 tsp crushed chilli
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• rosemary and lemon mix
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 4-5 Tbsp soya sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 500 g young potatoes
• dill - hashed
•  2 Tbsp cream
• cherry tomatoes - in halves
• 1/2 onion - chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground garlic
• 1 -2 Tbsp meat herbs
• 1 tsp white ground pepper
• 1 baking bag

Method: 

1. First you need to prepare a marinade. 8 Tbsp of olive oil, crushed chilli, rosemary and lemon mix, soya sauce, juice and zest of 1 lemon, sesame oil, ground cumin, white pepper, meat herbs and ground garlic mix well together. Combine all marinade ingredients. 

2. Wash the veal and put into the marinade.  Do not cut veal in slices. It is better to have one bigger piece otherwise when cooking your veal might become a little bit too dry. Leave it in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours. 

3. When veal is well marinated, pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Place the veal into the baking bag together with a marinade. Close and tie the bag well. Make a few little holes in the bag so the meat can 'breath' a bit. Place the bag in a baking dish and on middle shelf of the oven. Cook for 60-65 minutes.  

4. When veal is cooked, cut open the bag - be carefull to the very hot steam. 

5. Serve with mashed potatoes: boiled young potatoes in salty water, mashed with 2 Tbsp of oilve oil and 2 Tbsp of cream. Add fresh hashed dill. Mix all well and serve immediately.

6. Serve together with a tomato salad. Tomatoes in halves mix with chopped onion and balsamic Modena sauce. Add freshly ground pepper.

ENJOY!!!

Codfish in White Wine & Dill Sauce

Cod Fish has been a staple of the human diet all throughout history. Codfish has lvery ow fat content and high Vitamin A, Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids level. Cod are omnivorous, swimming with their mouths open they will eat anything that fits, including young cod. For a long time – particularly in England, the word fish was synonymous with cod. And Codfish are believed to have existed as the species we know today for about 120 million years. What is interesting and I just found out recently, is that cod was the original fish of choice used in th eMcDonald’s Filet-O-Fish burger. Codfish live to an average age of 20-30 years. Below recipe takes about 40 minutes to prepare and the sauce is outstanding, tastes delicious and you will not forget neither the flavor nor aroma. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes                            

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 3-4 codfish fillets
• 2 onions or challots - finely chopped
• 250 ml cream 18% fat
• 350 ml white dry wine
• 1/2 cup fresh dill finely hashed
• 1/ 2 cup fresh chives finely hashed
• 2 Tbsp fresh oregano finely  hashed
• 3-4 Tbsp butter
• sea salt (only if needed) and freshly ground black pepper

Method: 

1. Pre-heat large skillet and add the butter. Add finelly chopped challots or onions, sea salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until onion turns translucent.

2. Put the codfish fillets into the onion and add all the wine. Simmer covered for another 10 minutes or until fish is cooked.  

3. After fish is ready, remove it from the pan and put aside. Now we will prepare our delicious sauce.

4. Add cream to the onion, butter and wine, more sea salt and pepper for a good taste. Stir well. Add finely hashed dill, oregano and chives. The more, the better. Leave a bit of dill for seasoning. Stir and simmer on a low heat for another 20 minutes until sauce becomes a bit dense. 

5. Serve codfish immediately, with young boiled potatoes and our delicious sauce. Season with remaining dill.

ENJOY!!!

Delicious Grilled Salmon with Green Salsa and Tomatoes

Excellent option for quick and healthy dinner. This salmon with fresh and homemade salsa tastes amazing. No need to say anything - just try to prepare. Enjoy!!!   

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 800 g of salmon fillet (with skin on one side)
• freshly ground black, red and white pepper
• 4 Tbsp of extra vergin olive oil for salsa and 3 Tbsp to sprinkle the salmon
• 2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
• fresh juice of 2 lemons
• 30 g dill, roughly chopped
• 30 g mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 30 g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 30 g chives, roughly chopped
• 65 g capers
• 75 g pine nuts
• 200 g green olives
• cherry tomatoes to serve with

Method:

1. Wash the salmon fillet and season with freshly ground red, black and white pepper. Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp of oilve oil. 

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Put the salmon fillets on baking sheet and squeeze over the juice from half of lemon. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until salmon turns gold and cooked. 

3. Now we will prepare salsa. Put the herbs, olive oil, pine nuts, olives, juice of 1.5 lemons, capers and mustard in a blender and mix until fully blended.

4. Spread the salsa on top of cooked salmon fillets.

5. Serve with rice or simply like I did cherry tomatoes. 

ENJOY!!! 

Fried Cauliflower with Spices

Easy and quick to prepare. Perfect starter when served hot and fantastic option for vegetarians. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• medium size cauliflower
• olive oil for deep-fry
• 1 tsp dried coleander
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• lemon juice
• 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil            

Method: 

1. Clean the cauliflower and cut it into florets.

2. Pre-heat the olive oil in the deep fry pan.

3. Pieces of cauliflower dip in the pre-heated olive oil. Fry until they turn gold.

4. Mix extra-virgin olive oil with fresh lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, coleander, fennel seeds and ground cumin.

5. Ready cauliflower mix with olive oil mixture and serve immediately.

ENJOY!!!

Grilled Tiger Shrimps From Mediterranean Region

Grilled Tiger Shrimps are a perfect option for a nice starter or light lunch. Shrimps prepared in various ways are healthy and perfect for well balanced diet. Did you know that there are more than 2000 different species of shrimps all over the world? But keep in mind that they are not the same and each type of shrimp have their own characteristics as far as flavor, texture, cooking times and a best cooking method for them. The flavor and texture of shrimp are influenced by the waters they come from or are raised in, also additionally are influenced from what they eat or are fed. Because of the mild flavor of tiger shrimps, they are best when you use them in a cooking method that adds flavor to them, like grilling or in recipes or dishes that would have a sauce. This is a perfect example of grilling recipe with extraordinary flavors and aromas. It takes just a few minutes to prepare and tastes simply delicious. Enjoy!!!

Prep Time incl. Marinate: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 5 - 6 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 400 - 500 g cooked, peeled and de-veined tail-on tiger shrimps 
• 3-4 finely sliced garlic cloves
• hashed bunch of fresh parsley 
• fresh juice and zest from one big lemon
• 4-5 Tbsp olive oil 
• freshly ground black, red and white pepper
• sea salt
• soy sauce or balcamic vinaigrette to decorate
• skewers

Method:

1. Wash the shrimps and remove the shells.

2. Season the shrimps with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add fresh lemon juice and zest, garlic and parsley. Set aside for minimum 30 minutes.

3. Heat up the grill. Thread shrimps onto skewers sticks and place your pre-cooked shrimps on slightly greased grill over medium-high heat, close the lid and grill for 2-3 minutes each side until the shrimps have turned gold / pink, turning them once halfway through cooking time.

4. Serve hot immediately with a bit of balsamic vinaigrette or soy sauce.

ENJOY!!!

  

Smoked Salmon and Rocket Summer Risotto

Another Italian risotto recipe. As delicious as the previous one published months ago. This time we serve it with smoked salmon and fresh rocket leaves. Arugula, also known as salad or garden rocket has Mediterranean origin. It has anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals that can immensely benefit health. Rocket leaves are excellent source of vitamin A and good levels of vitamin C and K when served fresh. Takes about 45 minutes to prepare. Serve hot and with parmesan topping. No meat included so perfect for vegetarians as well. I love it!!!

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:                                  

• 1.25 l vegetable broth (stock)
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp capers
• 250 g smoked salmon - chopped
• 200 g mascarpone
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3-4 garlic cloves - finely chopped
• 1-2 big onions finely chopped
• 400 g risotto rice (Arborio)
• 250 ml dry white wine
• zest of one lemon
• 100g of fresh rocket leaves
• 90 g freshly grated parmesan cheese
• sea salt (only if needed) and freshly ground white pepper

Method: 

1. Fry the onion and garlic on olive oil mixed with butter for 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper for taste.

2. Add the rice and keep stirring until the rice softens a bit and becomes translucent as well. Should take about 5 minutes.

3. Add wine. Keep stirring until wine is absorbed by rice.

4. Slowly add vegetable broth - spoon by spoon - waiting until rice absorbs previous portion and turns creamy. Cook for about 20 minutes until rice absorbs all the broth. Rice should be slightly firm in centre and look creamy. Do not stop stirring.

5. Remove rice from the heat and add chopped salmon, capers, mascarpone and lemon zest. Season with white pepper. Remember to check the taste before adding any salt as the salmon should be already salty enough. Leave for 5 minutes to settle.

6. At this point you can also add lemon juice if you like.

7. Serve topped with remaining salmon and rocket leaves. Season with freshly grated parmesan.

ENJOY!!!

Broad (Fava) Beans and Asparagus Salad

As you already know from my previous recipe with broad (fava) beans, it can be prepared in many ways and this recipe is another example of how we can prepare the beans. Full of aroma and flavour and additionally with green asparagus which I love too. And of course we cannot forget about healthy side of green asparagus. Asparagus is a good source of folate, dietary fibre and vitamins C and E.

This recipe is an example of another perfect vegetarian starter. Takes less than 20 minutes to prepare; just give it a try and you will see.       

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:                

• 500 g fresh broad (fava) beans
• 1 bunch of green asparagus
• 4-5 garlic cloves - finely sliced
• 4-5 Tbsp salsa balsamico sauce
• freshly ground sea salt and pepper (red, white, green and black)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme and sage - mixed 
• warm pita bread to serve with

Method:

1. Boil a big pot of salty water.

2. Put broad (fava) beans into the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

3. Drain the beans and put them in the cold water for a few minutes. 

4. Once the bean is cold peel the skin off and put the beans into a serving plate. To peel them, squeeze between two fingers to get the bean out. Otherwise, a little slit with a knife should do the trick.

5. Now you should cook green asparagus. To prepare asparagus, wash the vegetablein cool water. Remember to remove all the sand from from the stalks. Now gentle press the end of the stem to break the woody end and remove it. Cut asparagus into three pieces. Asparagus needs to be cooked quickly to a tender-crisp texture. To gauge doneness, poke a stalk with a knife and you should feel a little resistance. One cooking method is to stand the asparagus in three inches of salty boiling water, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove asparagus from boiling water immediately and move to chilled water. Then drain and leave aside. 

6. Put mixed broad beans, garlic and asparagus on big serving plate. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme and sage. Drizzle with salsa balsamico.

7. Serve immediately with warm pita bread - fresh or toasted. Perfect starter option and a great dish to start the dinner party. 

ENJOY!!! 

Delicious Italian Pasta with Pesto

Extreemely fast to prepare - takes almost nothing to cook. I love fresh homemade pesto and you cannot compare it with the one bought in the grocery store. No meat, so perfect option for vegetarians. 

The word "pasta" comes from the Italian word for "paste" and means a mix of flour and water. Popular legend says that pasta was introduced by Marco Polo to Italy following his travels exploration of the Far East in the 13th century. The Chinese were making a noodle dishes in early 3000 B.C. Pasta made its way to the New World through the English travellers, who discovered it while living in Italy. Pasta consists of flour, water, salt and sometimes eggs. Over the centuries dozens of pasta shapes, sauces and ways of serving were invented. There are over 600 pasta shapes worldwide. Spinach is used to make pasta green, tomato makes pasta red and squid ink makes pasta gray. I read somewhere that an average Italian person eats more than 51 pounds of pasta every year. How about you?

Prep Time: 5 minutes                                    

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• any dry pasta shapes you like - you can use tagliatelle, farfalle or any other
• 70 g of fresh green basil stalks and leaves
• 10 g of ground almonds instead of pine nuts
• 30 g parmesan
• 40 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves 
• sea salt & freshly ground black and white pepper

Method: 

1. Boil a large pot of water and put a bit of salt in it for getting more flavor out of your pasta. Cook pasta al dente, which means "to the tooth" in Italian. That means it's cooked, but still has some resistance when chewing. For how long to cook al dente you need to read instructions on the pasta box. In average it would be approx. 10 minutes but might differ per pasta shape.   

2. Now we will prepare pesto sauce. In a blender mix well basil stalks and leaves, olive oil, salt, pepper, almonds and parmesan. Check the flavor and if needed add a bit more of salt. I like it more salty but that is my individual preference.

3. Mix cooked pasta with your pesto sauce and serve immediately.

ENJOY!!! 

 

Broad (Fava) Beans and Herbs Salad

Broad beans was originaly born in North Africa and Southwest Asia, then widely introduced to Italian, Spanish and Lebanese cuisine. Rich in carbohydrates and potassium. Can be prepared in so many ways and this is why I really love to cook it. We can serve broad beans in a soup, as a purée or fried, with pasta. Full of aroma and flavour. This recipe is an example of another perfect vegetarian starter. Takes less than 15 minutes to prepare; just give it a try and you will see.       

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3-4 minutes

Ingredients:                

• 500 g fresh broad (fava) beans
• 2-3 garlic cloves - finely sliced
• 4-5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly ground sea salt and pepper (red, white, green and black)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme and sage - mixed 
• warm pita bread to serve with

Method:

1. Boil a big pot of salty water.

2. Put broad beans into the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

3. Drain the beans and put them in the cold water for a few minutes. 

4. Once the bean is cold peel the skin off and put the beans into a serving plate. To peel them, squeeze between two fingers to get the bean out. Otherwise, a little slit with a knife should do the trick.

5. Now we will prepare the dressing. Mix all together: olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, dried oregano, garlic, dried thyme and sage. 

6. Drizzle the beans with olive oil and herbs. 

7. Serve chilled with warm pita bread - fresh or toasted. Perfect starter option and a great dish to start the dinner party. Broad beans go well with lamb, pork, ham, bacon or poultry. 

ENJOY!!!

Tropical Couscous with Pomegranate

I can literally eat that delicious dish with my eyes. Perfect combination of flavors, colors and aromas. Excellent vegetarian meal and for those loving healthy food. Takes very little to prepare and it is simply delicious.

Pomegranate seeds are a source of antioxidants and vitamins. Eating pomegranate and drinking its juice might increase oxygen levels to the heart. 

Nutrition facts say that one cup of couscous provides approx. 35% of your recommended daily requirement of nutritious fibers. Couscous additionally provides a range of B group vitamines along with the minerals needed for its efficient absorption into the body. Simply perfect meal for everyone to keep your energy levels up for long.      

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 1 cup of uncooked couscous
• 1 cup of boiling water for couscous
• seeds from 2 pomegranate fruits
• fresh juice from one big orange
• 2 Tbsp of finely chopped mint
• 2 Tbsp of finely chopped coriander
• 2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

Method: 

1. Most important in this recipe is to know how to seed a pomegranate. If you don't know how, that might be not so easy and for sure you will have red pomegranate spots all over your kitchen and your clothes.

2. First cut your pomegranate into halves and put it into a bowl full of cold water. 

3. Now use your hands to separate the seeds from the inner side of the fruit. 

4. Once all seeds are removed, drain them well and leave aside.

5. Pour boiling water into a bowl with couscous. Mix and cover for approx. 5 minutes or until water is fully absorbed. Once ready stir with a fork in order to separate the grains.

6. Put pomegranate seeds into the couscous and mix well. 

7. Add chopped mint and coriander. Now in a separate bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil and orange juice. Stir tropical sauce into couscous with pomegranate seeds.

8. Serve chilled.

ENJOY!!! 

Classic Tzatziki Recipe

Another delicious recipe coming from Greece. Cucumber flavoured dip can be served with warm pita bread or as a side dish with grilled meat or vegetable. Its main ingredients include Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, and garlic. And I love that garlic smell and taste. Tzatziki dip is simply delicious and easy to prepare. I love to serve my tzatziki with warm pita bread or as a dip for fresh vegetables.      

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 1 cucumber, peeled, deceeded and grated
• 2-3 garlic cloves - crashed
• 200 ml Greek yoghurt
• 4 Tbsp finely hashed dill
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly ground sea salt and pepper (red, white, green and black)
• 1 tsp white vinegar or 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• drizzle with olive oil over the top and decorate with basil leaf
• warm pita bread to serve with

Method:

1. Pour the Greek yoghurt into the mixing bowl. 

2. Peel off cucumber, remove the seeds and grate it on a coarse grater. 

3. Do not forget to drain the cucumber before putting it into the yoghurt. That is extreemely important step which will help you to keep the right consistency of the dip and you will make real tzatziki. Also it is very important to remove the seeds otherwise they will change dip texture and the taste. 

4. Add hashed dill into the yoghurt, together with cucumber, vinegar and olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. 

5. Mix tzatziki well and drizzle with olive oil on the top. Garnish with basil leaves or hashed dill.

6. Serve chilled with warm pita bread - fresh or toasted. Perfect starter option and a great dish to start the dinner party.

ENJOY!!!

Grilled Chicken Breast on Vegetable Bedding (in Polish: Grilowana piers z kurczaka serwowana na warzywach)

Another easy chicken dish option for everyone. Ideal for light early dinner or lunch. Takes only 30 minutes to prepare and you will see how tasty it might be. Vegetables with delicious tomato sauce are perfect mix when you add some coriander. I used corn from a can but best is if you take locally grown fresh corn first cooked for 30 minutes in a bit salty water, and then grilled for another 20 minutes. Enjoy!!!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 750 g boneless and skinless chicken breast 
• 250 ml chicken & vegetable broth
• 150 ml fresh tomato sauce with basil
• 300 g corn from the can
• 1 red pepper - de-seeded and sliced
• 1 green pepper - de-seeded and sliced
• 300 g red bean from the can
• 2 red onions - chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves - mashed
• 2 tsp powder chilli
• 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3-4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters - I took red and yellow ones
• 3 Tbsp fresh coriander - hashed 
• freshly ground black, red and white pepper
• sea salt

Method:

1. In small bowl whisk together garlic, chilli, sea salt, pepper, lime juice and olive oil. Set aside.

2. Wash the chicken and put into the marinade. Leave in the fridge for minimum 15 minutes.

3. Heat up the grill. Place chicken breasts on greased grill over medium-high heat, close the lid and grill until chicken is ready. Grilling should take about 6-8 minutes on each side.

4. Now we will prepare sauce. In large pot mix chicken broth with corn, pepper, red bean, cherry tomatoes, onion, tomato sauce, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.

5. Pour vegetable sauce over the chicken right before serving and season with freshly hashed coriander. Serve on ice salad leaves with baked potatoes.

ENJOY!!! 

Endive and Banana Salad in Vinaigrette Dressing (in Polish: Salatka z cykoria i bananem w sosie winegret)

Very quick to prepare and so delicious salad. Fresh and full of vitamines. Can be served as a side dish or a starter with a few slices of full grain bread. Perfect option for vegetarians. Make sure you prepare your own vinaigrette dressing as it is not even comparable in taste with the ones you buy in a grocery shop. Vinaigrette dressing recipe you can find on this blog. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• vinaigrette dressing - see my other recipe
• 2 endives
• 1 medium banana
• 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp cashews

Method:

1. Cut the endives and banana into 1 cm slices.

2. Mix endives, banana with sunflower and cashews.

3. Add vinaigrette dressing. See my recipe on: http://iamdelicious.typepad.com/iamdelicious/2012/05/vinaigrette-dressing-in-polish-sos-winegret.html

4. Serve as a side salad or a starter with some full grain bread. 

ENJOY!!! 

Vinaigrette Dressing (in Polish: Sos winegret)

Classic homemade vinaigrette dressing can be used for any green salads. Once you try to prepare your own vinaigrette dressing you will realize how simple it is and how different it can taste in comparison with what you can buy in grocery shops.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 6-7 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• splash of lemon juice
• freshly ground black, red and white pepper
• sea salt

Method:

1. Mix all together: the mustard, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

2. Start adding olive oil spoon by spoon and keep mixing all the ingredients. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Make sure all ingredients are nicely blended.

3. Serve with any fresh salads and vegetables you like.

ENJOY!!! 

Irish Beef and Vegetable Stew (in Polish: Irlandzki gulasz z wolowina i warzywami)

Beef loin is the most tender and expensive cur of beef. Beef and vegetable stew is another example of simply delicious dish you can prepare all by yourself. Takes a bit to cook well the beef until tender but the dish is very easy to prepare and full of colors. Another special thing about Beef Stew is that there is no salt added. My friends came to day to taste and they loved it!!! 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 500 g beef loin - most tender part of beef
• 1 l homemade beef stock
• 1 green pepper - de-seeded and sliced
• 1 red pepper - de-seeded and sliced
• 2 red onions - sliced
• 1 Spanish onion - sliced
• 7-8 cloves of garlic - finely sliced
• 1 leek - finely sliced
• 150 g sweet green peas - fresh
• 400 ml fresh tomato and garlic sauce
• 8 Tbsp extra-vergin olive oil
• 5 Tbsp dark soya sauce 
• 250 ml red dry wine
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 2Tbsp oregano
• 4 Tbsp meat herbs mix
• juice from one lemon
• freshly ground black, red and white pepper

Method:

1. Wash the beef and cut into small chunks.

2. Put beef into a separate dish and prepare marinade. Marinade will be made from lemon juice, red wine, pepper, cumin, oregano, meat herbs mix and soya sauce. Leave the beef to marinade for a few hours. The more the better. Usualy I leave it for entire night.   

3. Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut into slices.

4. Once beef is ready, place it to a pre-heated with olive oil pan on a medium heat. Cook beef for approx. 10 minutes.

5. In the meantime prepare beef stock - best would be home made. Add the beef and cook for another 15 minutes.

6. To the beef stock add onion, garlic, red and green pepper, leek and green peas. Keep cooking for another 20 minutes until both beef and vegetable turn tender. At the end add fresh tomato sauce and freshly ground pepper. Cook for 5 minutes and then put aside for a few minutes covered with a lid.

7. Serve warm with a full grain bread.

ENJOY!!! 

Grilled Salmon in Basil Sauce (in Polish: Grilowany losos w sosie z bazylia)

Excellent option for quick dinner. Looks complicated and a lot to prepare but all done at the same time so in less than one hour your perfect and delicious dish will be ready. You can serve it with basil sauce as in below recipe or without having a simply grilled salmon fillet.  

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 500 g of salmon fillet (with skin on one side)
• 4 Tbsp of chopped basil leaves
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp natural yoghurt
• 1.5 Tbsp flour
• sea salt and freshly ground black, red and white pepper
• mixed fish herbs
• 100 ml extra vergin olive oil
• 10 medium size new potatoes
• 400 g haricot 
• 2 Tbsp finely-minced dill leaves

Method:

1. Wash the salmon fillet and season with sea salt, pepper and mixed fish herbs. Leave it aside while preparing basil sauce.

2. Cook vegetable stock adding chopped basil leaves. Keep stirring and cook over a low heat. Add sea salt and pepper. 

3. Mix the flour with a small amount of cold water and pour into basil sauce. Keep stirring until sauce turns a bit dense. Add yoghurt and cook for 5 minutes in a low-medium heat.

4. In the meantime pre-heat a frying pan and add olive oil. Once hot, put a salmon fillets and grill on both sides for about 10 minutes over a medium heat. Make sure salmon is well cooked on both sides. Cooking time depends on how big  your fillet is.

5. Wash new potatoes well and cook with the skin in a bit salty water.

6. Cook haricots in a small amount of water until tender. Remember to add some salt into the boiling water.

7. Transfer the salmon into a warm plate, spoon hot sauce over the fillet. Add potatoes and haricots. Garnish potatoes with chopped dill leaves.

ENJOY!!! 

Fusilli Pasta with Zucchini and Tomato (in Polish: Swiderki z cukinia i pomidorami)

Pasta comes to my menu occasionally but then it is simply delicious and special. It turns out that fusilli pasta goes really well with zucchini and simple tomato sauce. It takes only about 40 minutes to prepare. No meat, thus perfect for vegetarians.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 250 g dry fusilli (spiral) pasta
• 2 mid size zucchinis (approx. 500 g) cut in half slices
• 1.5 l of vegetable stock (broth)
• 2 red onions - finely sliced
• 5-6 garlic cloves - crushed
• 1 chilli hot red pepper
• 100 g of grated Parmesane cheese
• 3 Tbsp chopped basil leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground black, white and red pepper
• 3-4 Tbsp fresh finely hashed parsley to garnish
• 600 ml fresh tomato sauce with chopped tomatoes

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of vegetable stock to boil. Add fusilli dry pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Then drain and leave aside.

2. In the meantime wash zucchinis. Cut both ends, then alongside and finally into 0.5 cm slices. 

3. Dice red hot chilli pepper.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C with a large non-stick pan inside. Put the onion, garlic and zucchinis into the oven and fry for 4-5 minutes.

5. Combine chilli, tomato sauce and basil. Add dry fried galic, onion and zucchini. Bring to simmer in a large pot for about 5 minutes.

6. Toss fusilli pasta with the sauce and vegetable. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

7. Transfer pasta to the oven baking pot. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese on the top.

8. Bake in the pre-heated to 200 C oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley before serving. 

9. Serve hot.

ENJOY!!! 

Delicious Oven-Cooked Veal (in Polish: Pyszna pieczona cielecina)

Perfect for quick dinner. The only thing you need is a piece of veal and some spices. Best to serve with jacket boiled potatoes and cucumber, red onion and cream salad. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 - 55 minutes

Ingredients:                                       

• 500 g of veal
• 2-3 Tbsp lime juice
• 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp meat spices
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder or 4-5 garlic cloved - crashed
• sea salt and freshly ground black, red and white pepper
• 1 Tbsp finely-minced rosemary

Method:

1. Veal clean under cold water and remove any piece of fat. 

2. Whisk together lime juice, garlic, olive oil, meat spices, rosemary, sea salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 190 C. Veal place inside the oven baking bag and pour the marinade sauce inside the bag. Shake all a bit making sure veal is well covered with the marinade.

4. Bake for 50-55 minutes until veal becomes tender and still juicy. 

5. Serve your oven baked veal with jacked boiled potatoes and green cucumber and red onion salad.

ENJOY!!!