Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Categories

DK Challenges
This category shows monthly reports of my take on The Daring Kitchen challenges. These posts include recipes I used, comments and cooking process pictures. Occasionaly I include some unrelated photos that I took at the moment and liked that much that couldn't help myself not to post it right away.

International
I live in an area where there are a lot of international grocery shops and virtually any ingredient is accessible for me. It would be a shame for me not to take advantage of it and not to dive into exploration of exciting world of different cuisines. My favorite ones are Japanese, French, Indian, Thai, VIetnamese and Middle Eastern. I'm sure I missed one or two :). Actually I would say there are no "bad" cuisines - there are bad cooks. Each cuisine has its own gems and it's a great fun to discover them.

Kitchen Gadgets
In this category's posts I would like to share information about my favorite kitchen tools and how I use it. Those tools are carefully selected, time-verified and dearly loved. Feel free to ask about any additional information you'd like to know.


My Failures
Here I tell about new and exciting recipes I have tried and which did not meet my expectations. That does not mean at all that recipe is bad. I try to analyze what went wrong and eventually can take another chance on it - there must be a reason why I liked the recipe in a first place.


My Garden
I just can't hold in to myself the excitement and wonder that nature brings. The miracle of growing live things and beauty of it is hard to put in words, that's why there will be a lot of pictures in a posts. Labor and time put into garden work makes me appreciate each piece of produce on my table. That is where my principle of using every possible part of plant or animal is coming from.


My Staple Food
I put in this category all dishes I cook in my household on a regular basis. Mostly they are quick, tasty and healthy. I hope you will try them and will like them as well.


My Successes
I love to experiment in a kitchen with new recipe and especially with new ingredients. When results are exciting - it's a success. Definition of excitement here is when texture, flavor and taste are one whole wonderful palate's pleasureful experience and you close your eyes to turn off other senses and concentrate on this single one in your mouth.


Perfect Breakfast
It's my favorite time of a day, in a summer morning, when you go out on a deck (pajama's on) with a cup of coffee and plate of simple breakfast. In a crisp morning air, breakfast has to be warm and delicious. Eggs in any form are my all time favorite. With these specific requirements, I try to catch and document every perfect breakfast that I come across.


USSR-era Recipes
It's a big chunk of my life I lived in USSR before it fell apart. Recipes in this category are basically international ones as they include, of course, Ukrainian (I'm from Kiev), a lot of Russian, Georgian, Jewish, Middle-Eastern type dishes from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenia, Kazakhstan and other former Soviet republics. Often it is a fusion recipe that's hard to define origin of. But all of them are loved by us, people from former USSR, we call ourselves 'soviets' or 'sovki' etc. As soon as globally speaking there were not enough time for new "soviet" navion to form (is it blessing?), I will often call "Russian" any nation under the late "USSR roof". I admit that it's not politicaly ans culturally correct, so pardon me in advance. Also most of these recipes historically based on great Slovenian, French, Mediterranian and Middle-Eastern cuisines. So, just try them and you may find your new favorite.


What's for dinner
I decided to modify my "What's for Dinner" section to include actual recipe of whatever I have put together for dinner. I hope it will be more useful for readers. As soon as my dinners are almost always improvisations, by documenting recipes I will benefit too - I won't lose those successful meals that often happen randomly without any special efforts. I'm not sure if I will be publishing "all right" meals but those "wow"-once will get here for sure. Also I will publish pictures and possibly recipes of everything yummi, impressive or extraordinary I ate anywhere else prepared by someone else.

Recipe Index

Salads & Appetizers





Almond & Honey Sandwich
Anchovy Snack
Arancini
Asian Style Coleslaw
Asian Style Mussels
Avocado Bites
Baked Tofu with Gun Powder
Beans and Pepper Salad

Beet Salad

Belgian Endive with Kani and Cheese
Braised Cabbage
Braised Fennel
Brussel Sprouts with Carrots
Cabbage, Black Bean and Pea Salad

Cabbage Salad (Ukrainian Coleslaw)

 Cabbage Salmon Patties

 Camembert Cheese Appetizer

 Caramelized Onion Mushrooms

Carrot Croquettes

Caviar Bootterbrod

Chickpea and Purple Cabbage Slaw

Cheese and Anchovy Appetizer

Cheese Souffle

Chicken Liver Appetizer

Chickpeas with Bacon

Classic Hummus

Coconut Purple Potato Mash

Corn Tortilla Crusted Eggs

Crispy Japanese Eggplant

Dressed Asparagus

Duck Galantine

Duck Prosciutto

Easy Tofu Hash

Easy Roasted Zucchinni

Easy Zucchini with Garlic Sauce

Egg and Cheddar Salad (Spread)

Egg Salad with Canned Green Beans

Eggplant Dip - Ikra

Eggplant in Wine Sauce

Eggplant Saute

Eggplant with Capsicum Puree

Eggplant Walnut Rollups

Eggs Stuffed with Anchovy Pesto

Enoki Mushrooms and Carrots

Eurasia Salad Duet

Falafel

Fattoush Salad

Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

Fried Wontons with Onion Jam and Cheese

Garden Salad

Garden Salad with Beans and Feta

Garlic Lime Acorn Squash

Garlic Cocktail Bread with Crab Salad

Garlicky Cheese Spread

Garlicky Eggplant Dip


Georgian Bean and Walnut Pate


Gingery Sugar Snap Peas with Kick


Green Crepe Pinwheels


Green Lobio


Green Mango Salad


Healthy Salmon Salad


Indian Cauliflower Pakora


Japanese Potato Salad


Jellied Catfish

Kale Chips

Kale Pesto

Kani Salad

Kani Salad 2

Korean Calamari

Korean Carrot Salad

Korean Shrimp Pancakes

Korean Style Broccoli

Latkes - Eggless and Flourless

Marinated Pepper

Matzah Brei

Mushroom Crepe Torte

Nutty Kale Salad

Pan Fried Potato with Chanterelle

Parmesan Cream Mussels


Peanut Vegetable Salad

Pear and Camembert Bites

Pea and Potato Pirozhki

Potato and Herring Appetizer

Quinoa Carrot Salad

Radish Salad

Red Cabbage with Beans and Tomato Paste


Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Roasted Eggplant Crostini

Roasted Eggplant Salad

Roasted Yellow Squash with Goat Cheese

Mushroom Julienne

Rice Paper En Croute

Ricotta Dip

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic

Salad Giraffe

Salad Olivier

Salmon Rice Salad

Salt Cod Pate

Salted Salmon

Salted Cod Salad

Sauteed Cabbage Melange

Sesame Kale

Shrimp Layered Salad

Shrimp Sausages

Simple Shiitake Appetizer

Slow Roasted Eggplant Sticks

Smoked Fish Crostini

Spanakopita

Stuffed Eggs

Sushi Wrap

Szechuan Eggplant

Tamagoyaki

Tortilla Chips

Tostones

Vinegrette Salad

Wasabi Almond and Cinnamon Almond

Yogi Falafel


Your Garden Salad

Zucchini Ikra

Zucchini Pancakes
Soups

Bahamian Stew


Borsch


Chicken Egg-Drop Soup


Corn Chowder


Creamy Bean Soup


Easy-Peasy Pea Soup


French Onion Soup


Green Borsch

Indian Daal

Instant Miso Soup

Japanese Kabocha Squash Soup

Mac-and-Chick Soup

Matzo Ball Soup

Meatball Soup

Mulligatawny Soup

Okroshka (Cold Summer Soup)

Pasta e Fagiole

Solyanka Soup

Salmon Noodle Tea Soup

Shrimp Consomme

Sauerkraut Soup

Spanish Garlic Bread Soup

Spinach Lentil Soup

Sweet Potato Soup

Thai Coconut Soup

Ukrainian Lent Borsch

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Main Dishes


Almond and Flax Crusted Chicken Breast

Almond Crusted Tilapia

Appam

Beef Brisket with Matzo Balls

Beef Stroganoff

Biryani

Braised Tofu

Brazilian Shrimp Stew

Buckwheat Noodles Stir Fry

Carrot & Sesame Seed Buckwheat Kasha

Cannelloni

Caramelized Onion Chicken Drumsticks

Cauliflower and Chickpeas Stew

Cha Siu Bao

Chicken BBQ Lollipops

Chicken Bitki

Chicken Breast and Spinach Meatloaf

Chicken Breast Kotleti

Chicken Galantine with Kale Pesto

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tsimes

Chipotle Veggie Burger

Coconut Basil Millet

Crepes Stuffed with Meat

Easy Chili


Fish Escabeche

Fish in Tomato Sauce

French Meat

Gnocchi

Golubtsy

Happy Vegetable Casserole

Indian Chatti Pathiri

Indian Mango Rice

Indian Vegetable Korma

Korean Soft Tofu Stew

Lazy Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

Marine-Style Pasta

Moo Shu

Mujadara

Octopus Bourguignon

Orange Pork Pilaf

Oriental Salmon

Pad Thai

Paella

Pork Bigus

Portabella Pita Sandwich

Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Pozharski Kotlets

Quick Lemon Salmon

Rabbit Stroganoff

Saffron Risotto

Salmon Cakes with Tzatziki Sauce

Salmon Fishballs

Salmon En Papillote

Salmon Pinwheels

Sesame Crusted Tofu

Shepherd's Pie

Soba Noodles with Peanut Butter Sauce

Soft-Bone Sardine Stew

Sweet and Sour Beef

Sweet and Sour Tofu

Sweet Potato Risotto

Tefteli

Teriyaki Pork Belly

Three-way Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Tofu in Tomato and Peanut Butter Sauce

Tofu Satay

Whatever Vegetables

Whole Roasted Stuffed Turkey

Vegetarian Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pilaf

Yams, Chickeas and Kale Stew

Yams, Zucchini and Cashew Curry

Zucchini Pudding


Breakfast


Arpege Egg

Avocado Egg Benedict

Breakfast Burrito

Breakfast Oatmeal Muffin

Broccoli Omelet

Cheesy-Easy Bread Pudding

Coconut Rice Kasha with Squash/Pumpkin

Corn Tortilla and Eggs

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Cream Cheese Quesadilla

Eggs Florentine

Eggs with potato, tomato and onion

English Muffin Duet

Fried Red Pepper Eggs

Herb Harvest Cream Cheese

Huevos Rancheros

Japanese Omurice

Mashed Potato Breakfast Bake

Oyster Mushrooms Omelet

Pan Bread Pudding

Poached Eggs on Cauliflower Bed

Quick Morning Guacamole

Quick Roasted Potato

Scrambled Egg and Kale

Spanish Tortilla

Sticky Rice with Mango

Sunny-Side-Up Eggs with-Leeks

Vietnamese Mung Bean Crepes with Shrimp

Zucchini Fried with Garlic and Queso Blanco Cheese

Breads, Pastry and Desserts

Almond Thumb Cookies

Basil Corn Muffins

Blueberry Mousse Cake

Buckwheat Flex Seed Muffins

Butter-less Tea Biscuits

Cheesy Corn Muffins

Cherry Chocolate Kale Shake

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Healthy!)

Coffee Dulce de Leche Macaron

Cranberry Pumpkin Orange Muffins

Cranberry Walnut Tart

Dark Chocolate Matzo Crisps

Sochniki Or Soft Cheese Scones

Cranberry and Walnut Oat Muffins

Flourless Banana Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Guilt Free Biscotti

Irish Soda Bread

Green Cornbread

Honey Cake

More Apples Muffins

Orange & Poppyseed Cheesecake Dessert

Plums Cooked in Wine

Poppy Seed French Toast

Roasted Almond Stuffed Plums

Shortbread Jam Bars

Stuffed Prune Dessert

Sugar Coated Cranberries

The Best Traditional Banana Bread

Ukrainian Cherry Cake

Walnut Raisin Rugelach

Wine Infused Figs

Drinks

Fresh Coconut Water
Other

Buckwheat Kasha

Curry Leaves Powder

Curry Leaves Powder II

Daikon Radish Kimchee

Fermented Tomatoes

Quick Fermented Tomato Halves

Fresh Coconut Water

Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Homemade cottage cheese

Homemade Mozzarella with Nigella Seeds

Salsa Verde

Savory Coconut Topping

Tarragon Pesto

Tomato Spread