Creamy Chicken Soup

I love soups, no matter the season and the weather. Hot tasty soup is always a good idea. This soup is creamy and super tasty. And most important very easy to make.

Шведски ќофтиња / Swedish Meatballs

(scroll down for the recipe in English)

Многу пати сум слушала како велат дека одат во Икеа и кога немаат ништо за купување само за да јадат од познатите Шведски ќофтиња. Рецептов е комбинација на неколку различни рецепти за ќофтињата од Икеа. Едноставно превкусни. Убави ќофтиња прелиени со прекрасен млечен сос.  Пробајте ги и никогаш повеќе нема да правите ќофтиња на друг начин.

Состојки (за три лица):

за ќофтињата

• масло за пржење
• еден помал кромид исецкан на ситно
• пола килограм мелено месо
• 3-4 лажици презла
• 1 жолчка
• малку мускатно оревче
• сол
• црн пипер

за сосот

• 1 лажица путер
• 2-3 лажици брашно
• половина литар говедски бујон
• 100 мл кисела павлака
• сол и црн пипер
• ситно исецкан свеж магдонос

На почеток пропржете го исецканиот кромид неколку минути, па измешајте го со сите други состојки за ќофтињата. Убаво измесете со раце се додека смесата не се изедначи.

Формирајте убави топчиња, колку помали толку се повкусни.

Пржете на почеток на висока температура за да не се залепат ќофтињата на тавата, а потоа намалете ја температуратa. Пржете се додека не добијат убава кафеава боја од сите страни.
Испржените ќофтиња ставете ги на хартија за да се впие маслото.

Сосот можете да го правите во друга тава, јас само го избришав маслото во кое пржев во хартија и го ставив путерот да се стопи на средна температура (не сакам да мијам многу тави). Кога се стопи путерот го ставате брашното малку да се пропржи и полека ја туривате супата. Полека без брзање за да не ви се направат грутчиња. Додајте ја павлаката и сол и пипер по желба. 

Во сосот ставете ги ќофтињата и оставете ги да се крчкаат на тивко околу десет минути.

Еве вака

Пред да ги сервирате ставете го исецканиот магдонос и убаво  измешајте. Ете, толку е едноставно, а превкусно.

Добар апетит

 Swedish Meatballs!

As good as those in Ikea. Meatballs covered in tasty creamy sauce. You simply have to try this recipe. You'll thank me later

Ingredients (for three people):

for the meatballs

• 2 tablespoons oil for frying
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pound ground meat
• a couple of spoons breadcrumbs
• 1 egg yolk
• some ground nutmeg\
• salt and pepper

for the sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs, together with the onion. You can do it with a spoon or with your hands, as I did.

Form little balls from the meat. You will get about 12-15 meatballs.

Fry the meatballs, first on high heat, then on medium heat until they have nice brown color. About 7 minutes.
When fried, put the meatballs on paper so the oil is absorbed.

For the sauce. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add the flour until lightly browned. Gradually pour the beef broth and cook, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and add salt and pepper.

Put the meatballs in the sauce and leave them on low heat to cook for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the parsley and mix everything together.
Serve hot and enjoy the taste of Sweden!

Штрудла со јаболка / Apple Strudel

Каква е таа есен без штрудла од јаболка? Самиот мирис дома додека се печи е доволен, а да не кажувам колку е лесна за правење и превкусна. Совршен доручек за малку да го стопли денот на почеток.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The first time I tried to make these cookies, the final result was one huge cookie over the baking paper. This time I got them right, and I don't know if that's a good thing because they are so delicious that you can't stop eating them. Chewy and soft. Perfect, in one word.

Poppy Seed Roll

Tender, sweet bread with creamy poppy seed filling. We always have it for Easter. It's even tastier after a few days.

24-Hour Sour Dough Bread

I continue my sour dough adventure. The starter is alive and very active. A couple of days ago I tried a recipe four sour dough bread with 24-hour fermentation. The result was- perfection. You can find the original recipe here. I did a small change. I used 300 grams whole grain flour, and 500 grams all purpose flour. It was easy to prepare and the bread was delicious.

Chocolate Baklava

Baklava and some Turkish coffee, my recipe for a perfect Sunday afternoon. For those that do not know baklava is a kind of sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts. My baklava is a little different from the traditional recipe. It has chocolate in it and does not have the traditional form. The filo can be homemade, but I bought the it from the grocery store. I promise I will make it myself next time :)

Vegan Cashew Cheese

I could leave without meat, but I couldn't live without cheese. So, during the Great Lent the thing I miss the most is cheese. In pasta, in salad, or just cheese. So when I found a recipe on the internet for a vegan cheese I didn't think twice to try it. And the result is incredible. I think I will continue to make this cheese even when it's not a Lent time. You can use it as cream cheese, or you can leave it in the fridge for 2 days and use it as regular cheese.

Ginger Ale

You either like ginger or you can't stand it. I love it! This is a drink for people who like the smell and taste of ginger. It's refreshing and healthy and very easy to make.

Peanut Spread

If you want a healthy snack this is the perfect recipe for you. It's a veggie recipe, no dairy products, no meat, not even oil. And the taste is...... I cannot describe, you have to try it yourselves. With some pickles on top, or some tomato, or lettuce to give it freshness. In one word - perfect. I started with one piece of bread with this spread on top, and five minutes later I had eaten four. Yup, four :)

Guacamole

My favorite food especially during the Great Lent. I could eat guacamole every day, literally. On a piece of toast, with some olives....delicious

French Crepes

There are two very similar crepes recipes in  my Grandad's cookbook - French and Turkish. The difference is that the French recipe has some white wine in it, so that's why I decided to try that :) But I used the walnuts from the Turkish recipe, so it's one sweet combination. Crepes, and cream with taste of wine, vanilla and rum. Perfect!!!

Melted Cheese

We all love cheese, and especially melted cheese. This is so easy to make and so delicious that I am sure it will become a regular treat at you home. It goes well with wine or beer. For lunch, dinner or as a snack :)

Лазања со моцарела и спанаќ / Mozzarella and Spinach Lasagna

Рецептов не е од книгата на дедо ми, но сигурна сум дека би му се допаднал. Веќе ја забележавте сигурно мојата опседнатост со спанаќ. Посебно во комбинација со сирење, кисело млеко, павлака. Лазањава со спанаќ ми е десет пати поубава од таа со месо. Не ни правам со месо откатко ја пробав оваа. Моцарелата ја прави целата приказна совршена.

Состојки:

• 500 грама лазања
• 500 грама спанаќ
• 250 грама моцарела
• 250 грама урда (или рикота ако сакате да е уште повусно)
• 100 грама фета сирење
• 100 грама кашкавал за од горе
• 1 чешне лук
• малку сол и бибер

За бешамелот:

• 50 грама путер
• 4 лажици брашно
• 750 мл млеко
• 1 лажиче сенф
• малку сол и бибер

Ставете малку масло во тава и загрејте го. Испржете го лукчето и додадете го исецканиот спанаќ. Нека се пржат неколку минути. Зачинете со сол и бибер и додадете ја урдата и фета сирењето и измешајте убаво. Тргнете го од шпоретот.

За бешамелот, загрејте го путерот и постепено додавајте го брашното, мешајќи постојано. Додадете го топлото млеко, малку по малку и се убаво промешајте. Додадете го сенфот и зачините. Оставете го настрана да се излади 10 минути.

Покријте ја тавата во која ќе печите со лазањи, врз нив ставете една третина од бешамелот и половина од смесата со спанаќ. Од горе ставете кругчиња моцарела. Повторете го истото уште еднаш. Завршете со лазањи најгоре премачкани со бешамел.

Печете на 180 степени, 40 минути. Покријте ја лазањата со пармезан или кашкавал и вратете ја тавата во рерна уште 10 минути.
На здравје!

Mozzarella and Spinach Lasagna

Not a recipe from my Grandad's Cookbook but I'm sure he would have liked it. It's so tasty I had to share it with you. With plenty of spinach and ricotta , this is the most delicious lasagna I have ever tried. I don't want to hear about meat lasagna anymore. The mozzarella makes it cheesy and perfect.Ingredients:

• 500 grams lasagna (17 oz)
• 500 grams spinach (2 cups)
• 250 grams mozzarella cheese (1 cup)
• 250 grams ricotta cheese (1 cup)
• 100 grams feta cheese (1/2 cup)
• 1 clove of garlic
• some salt and pepper

For the bechamel sauce (White sauce)

• 50 grams butter (1/4 cup)
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 750 ml milk (3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• some salt and pepper

Put some oil in a pan and heat it. Fry the minced garlic and then gradually add the sliced spinach. Let it fry for a couple of minutes. Add the salt and pepper and the ricotta cheese and feta cheese and mix everything well. Put the spinach mixture aside.

For the white sauce, heat the butter and gradually add the flour mixing constantly. Add the warm milk little by little and mix everything well. Add the mustard and the spices. Set it aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Cover the lasagna pan with lasagna noodles, spread one third of the white sauce and one half of the spinach mixture. Put slices of the mozzarella cheese on top of the spinach mixture. Repeat it again. Finish with lasagna noodles and white sauce on top.

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 40 minutes. Cover the lasagna with Parmesan cheese, or any other cheese you like and return it in the oven for additional 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chinese Salad

I found this salad recipe on the internet, but I made some little changes. It's fresh and tasty. I love it, and everyone in my family does.

Lemon Muffins!

These sweet-savory lemon muffins are my perfect breakfast. Add your favorite type of coffee and you have the recipe for a perfect beginning of the day. The grated lemon peel adds additional exotic flavor. And they should me made with love, of course :)

Baked Potatoes

Easy to make and delicious. They are spicy and crispy. With a lot of different flavors from the cheese and the different herbs, and of course her majesty - the olive oil :)

Chicken Soup

I love soups, and my favorite is chicken soup. This is an easy recipe, perfect for these winter days. When I come home I love to have a big bowl of warm soup. Yeah, this is my "welcome home" soup :)

Tiramisu

This is not a recipe from my grandad's cookbook, but I like it so much that I had to share it. Creamy, light tiramisu. The perfect dessert after all those chocolate-buttery cakes we had for the holidays.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels

Bagels are my favorite breakfast. With some cheese, tea or jam. This is the first time I'm making them at home. And I made a healthy version using whole wheat flour and some flax seed. They are tasty and crunchy and not to mention that perfect baking smell in the house.