RED CABBEGE
                             SALAD

 

 

 

Cabbage is  one of  the symbol of winter. Cabbage has two colors, red and white. You can find many different recipes with white cabbage. But I can not say the same thing about  red cabbage.  This recipe is one of it. This dish can be use as salad when it is cold or  as a side dish when it is warm.    

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 kg-2lb red cabbage, shredded

2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and divided in small cubes

4 table spoon red vine vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 table spoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 table spoon virgin olive oil

 

Heat oil in a pan, add  shredded and washed  red cabbage, and apples. Simmer 5 minutes while stirring. Add vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt,  and water. Cook 10 minutes more until cabbage is soft  and all liquid has been absorbed  but not overcook.

 



 

 



                           MAKING VINE VINEGAR 

                                                    AT HOME

Making vinegar at home has been practiced since ancient time. It was used as a medicine at that time.  Home made vinegar is much more healthier and better tasting than the vinegar which you buy from stores. Also it is easy to make.
You can use many different fruit to make vinegar ...like grapes, apples, berries ....

INGREDIENTS

1kg-2lb  red or white grapes
3 lt -  6,3 pint water
1 sliced white bread
1 tbsp. chickpea
1/2 tbsp. crack wheat (bulgur)
1 tsp sea salt
a wide mouth jar
a piece of cheeseclot

Wash well grapes, drain . Put grapes into the jar with stalks,  pour 3 lt-6.3pint water,  cover the mouth of jar with cheesecloth. Leave the jar in a dark place for 2 weeks. If you can't find a dark place cover the jar with folio or dark color plastic bag. You will see a grayish scum form on the surface. This is normal.
End of two weeks  strain the liquid through a piece of cheesecloth. Squeeze grapes to remove all the juice thoroughly. Don't wash the jar. Pour the liquid back to jar. Add slice of bread, chickpea , crack wheat and salt. Cover the lid of jar. Leave in a dark place  for 40 days. A layer is formed on top which resembling jellyfish. This is 'mother of vinegar ' which can use as yeast for next vinegar making. Strain the liquid through a coffee filters , store in glass bottles.

      

      CAULIFLOWER  GRATIN

 

 



Winter is at the door. It is time to start cooking seasonal vegetables. Cauliflower is one of them. This dish has vegetable, meat and cheese . I think it is  a good combination for cold winter days.

The trick of cooking cauliflower is never overcook.

 It can be prepare a day ahead. Just bake it before you want to eat. 

 

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS

1 medium size cauliflower-500g-1 lb

 

For Meat Sauce

250g-1/2 lb ground beef

1 medium onion , finely chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil

2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2tbsp  tomato puree

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup hot water

 

For white sauce

1 1/2 tbsp. plain flour

2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil

2 cups milk

 

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

 

 

Cut  cauliflower into individual florets. Boil into salted water 10 minutes, drain well.

For meat sauce, place  oil in pan, add chopped onion, stir few minutes, add ground meat, stir until it turns brown. Add carrots and tomato puree, salt  & pepper and hot water. Cook until mixture is thickened slightly.

For white sauce heat oil in a pan add flour ,cook stirring until mixture is bubbling. Remove from heat add milk , stir over heat until thickens.

 

Place cauliflower into well greased ovenproof dish, top with first meat sauce and then white sauce .

Sprinkle with grated cheese  . Bake in 180C-375F oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Serve with green salad.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APRICOT CAKE

 

 

 

 

 

This is my basic cake recipe. I give you guarantee to you never fail with this recipe. You can make many different cake just changing some ingredients. For example  you can use any other fresh fruit instead of apricot. If you add cacao powder and grated chocolate you can have  delicious chocolate cake.

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

3eggs

1 1/2 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup ground almond,

1 cup milk

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

500g-1 lb fresh apricot

2 tbsp. extra sugar

 

Beat eggs and sugar until  thick and creamy. Add vegetable oil , continue to mix. Stir in flour and  almond, vanilla extract, baking powder and then milk, mix well. Spread cake mixture into the well greased and lined with baking sheet 22cm-9inch cake tin. Top with apricot. Sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake to 180C-350F for 40 minutes

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEMON AND ROSEMARY

 

 

CHICKEN

 

 

 

 

 Chicken is much cheaper and healthier  then red meat. Problem is find a tasty and high quality chicken. They say organic free range chickens are permitted to roam freely , eat natural diets and free of antibiotics.  I hope all are true .

INGREDIENTS
1,5kg-3lb organic  free range chicken
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, crashed
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 stalks  of fresh thyme

Cut straight down the back of the chicken, open it out flat. Blend 1/2  lemon,  lemon juice, olive oil,garlic cloves, salt& pepper and fresh rosemary.
Spread this mixture all over the chicken. Place the chicken in a roasting pan . Put  halved 1/2 of lemon and  fresh thyme on top of the chicken. Bake to 200C-400F , for  1 1/4-1 1/2 hour until well browned and tender. Serve with plane rice pilaf and green salad.

 

 

 

SAUSAGE ROLLS

 

 

 

 

 

Picnic is a traditional event in Britain. Eating out of doors is hit & miss activity. Picnic food  must be portable-like sausage rolls, Cornish pastry, sandwich, pate', pie. Sounds great to me  the idea of having picnic at Hyde Park  (  or any other beautiful park) in London eating good picnic food and drinking cold champagne ....  IF  the weather is dry and little bit sunny.
Sausage roll is also eaten during Christmas and afternoon teas. They are very simple to make  and can be freeze.

INGREDIENTS

225g-8oz  puff pastry
450g-1lb sausage meat
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp sage
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbsp milk
salt & pepper



Mix sausage meat, onion and sage. Season with salt & pepper. On a floured surface roll out the pastry to form an oblong. Cut this oblong into three, divide sausage meat mixture into three. Make three long rolls the same length as the pastry. Place each rolls onto strip of pastry. Brush the egg & milk mixture along one edge. Fold the pastry over and seal. Turn it and cut into 2 inches (5cm) long.
Place into the tray which covered with baking -sheet. Brush with egg mixture. Bake 220C-425F for 20-25 minutes.

SWISSCHARD WITH CRACKED WEATH

 

 

 

SWISSCHARD

WITH

CRACKED WHEAT

 

 

 

 

 



Green vegetables are good for our health. Swiss chard is one of them. This dish is combination of vegetable and protein. Also it  is suitable for vegetarians.
 Another good thing about this is  you can prepare it ahead. Just add eggs on top of it and bake last moment.

INGREDIENTS

500G-1lb Swiss chard,stalks removed and chopped

1/2 cup cracked wheat, bulgur

1 mediım onion, chopped

3 medium eggs, beaten

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt
 

ON TOP

250g-8oz yogurt

1 clove garlic, crushed(optional)
 

CHILI SAUCE

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

PREPARATION

Boil , chopped Swiss card in 2 cups salted water. Add cracked wheat. Turn off the heat. Cover and stand 10 minutes or until all juice absorbed, drain. Heat oil in nonstick frying pan. Add chopped onion. Stir 3 minutes. Add well drained Swiss card and cracked wheat mixture, stir and smooth the surface. Just before serving pour over beaten eggs on top. Grill/broil  until eggs cook and colour is  light brown. Serve with yogurt and chili sauce.

For chili sauce: heat olive oil, turn off the heat, add chili powder