Vessy's day » Meat

Chicken chow mein

Vessy — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 14:25:02 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love noodles, especially egg noodles. They are so easy and quick to prepare, plus, there is no boiling needed here. As for the taste, in my opinion, they are a bit lighter than classic pasta, like spaghetti. Don’t get me wrong, I love pasta /I can eat pasta all day long, every day /, but for me, pasta is usually a rich and heavy dish. When I make pasta I keep it simple in flavors, but sauces, as simple as they can be, often involve cream and lots of cheese.
When making egg noodles, you don’t need heavy sauces or cheese, all you need is good amount of veggies and good quality soy sauce (plus some other Asian sauces if you have on hands). A few days ago, I received (thank you, BioMarketBalev) a selection of Asian style organic products of the Clearspring brand, some of which I used in this recipe. Shiitake mushrooms were unbelievable delicious and I believe that the one thing you can not replace in this recipe are the shiitake – they give this amazing flavor to the meal. Believe me, it’s really good, so don’t skip them or use any other mushrooms!
I have a few extra gems left, like organic silky tofu, wakame, sushi supplies, so stay tuned for the upcoming recipes!
Anyway, back to this one….there are millions of flavors and recipes for chow mein. Often, I throw in whatever veggies I have left in the fridge, that’s the beauty of this dish. So, in case you have some other vegetables you want to add to the recipe, just feel free. As of preparation, most important thing to remember here is that egg noodles do not need boiling, you just have to cover them with hot water and let them sit for about 15 min and they are ready.

Ingredients:
30 grams (1 oz) dry shiitake mushrooms
130 grams (5 oz) dry egg noodles
For the chicken:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce Shoyu
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
For the veggies:
5-6 spring onions, chopped
1 leek, chopped
2 tablespoons wild garlic, chopped (or regular, if you don’t have the green one)
50 grams (2 oz) raw mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon soy sauce Shoyu
2 table spoons toasted sesame oil
1 tea spoon sesame seeds, roasted
Salt and pepper

Place shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and cut into small pieces. Discard any tough parts of the mushrooms. Set aside.
In another large bowl add noodles and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes, then drain and wash with cold water to stop the cooking. Add a drop or two of sesame oil and stir. Set aside.
In the meantime prepare the chicken: In a large saucepan, heat a little bit of olive oil and add the chicken, cook until golden brown, then add a tablespoon of soy sauce and cook until soy sauce evaporates and chicken is a bit caramelized. Transfer chicken to a bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle a little bit of sesame oil and stir. Set aside.
In the same saucepan heat another tablespoon or two of olive oil and add shiitake, onions, leeks, garlic and bean sprouts. Cook for a few minutes, then add a tablespoon of soy sauce. Cook for another minute. Sprinkle some sesame oil, sesame seeds, season with salt and pepper and stir. Add chicken and noodles and give it a good stir to combine and noodles warm up.
Serve immediately.

Chicken & kale tortillas

Vessy — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 11:49:57 +0000

These super easy and quick tortillas are not only delicious, but also healthy and nutritious.
These are ready in under 30 minutes, if you are using store-bought tortillas.
I see nothing wrong in buying ready-made tortillas, in fact I usually keep one package in the fridge, just in case we are in need of a quick and casual meal.
The best thing about tortillas is that you can fill them up with anything you have in the fridge. This is a good way to use any left over meat and not-so-fresh veggies.
In this recipe, I used kale, peppers, leeks and onions, but you may add any other vegetable you like and have on hands.

Ingredients for the chicken:
500 grams (18 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
Juice from 1 orange
1 table spoons soy sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

For the vegetables:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 leeks, chopped
3-4 spring onions, chopped
5 red peppers, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
200 grams (7 oz) kale, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt & pepper

For serving:
6 large tortillas
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Combine chicken, orange juice and soy sauce in a large bowl and set aside until you chop up the vegetables.
Chop up the veggies. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add veggies and cook until all of the water they release evaporates, and they are tender, but still fresh looking. Add soy sauce and cook for another minute. Soy sauce will quickly evaporate and what’s left will begin to caramelize. Stir veggies to coat with the caramelized soy sauce and remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and set aside, keep warm.
In the meantime heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet and add the chicken, together with half of the marinade. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until all juices evaporate and chicken bites begin to brown. Remove from pan and set aside, keep warm.
Brush skillet that you used for cooking the veggies, with olive oil and start warming up tortillas, one by one, cooking them both sides.
The moment you remove one tortilla from the skillet and add another, sprinkle a little bit of shredded mozzarella cheese over the hot tortilla. Then sprinkle a little bit of the chicken and veggies and wrap up.
Repeat with all tortillas.

Chili con carne

Vessy — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 09:25:03 +0000

Here is an idea for a nice family meal you can whip up quickly on a mid-week night or a weekend.

This recipe could easily turn into a delicious finger-dinner for a movie night, all you need is a pack of ready-made tortillas and a bowl of chopped veggies.

This chili con carne is one of our very favorite dinner recipes at home. We prepare it at least once month cause it’s simply delicious, easy to prepare and nutritious.

Ingredients:
3-4 table spoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large red peppers, chopped finely
1 large chili pepper, chopped finely
700 grams (25 oz) minced beef
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dry marjoram
1 can (400 grams/14 oz) tomatoes whole or chopped (or fresh if you prefer)
2 table spoons tomato puree
1 table spoon sugar (optional)
1 table spoon flour (optional)
1 can (400 grams/14 oz) red kidney beans (drained)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, peppers and chili. Cook over medium high heat until lightly golden brown. Add the beef and stir to break up using your spatula. Keep stirring for a few minutes, until all the mince is in mince-sized lumps and turns lightly brown. Add seasoning – paprika, cumin, coriander, marjoram, salt and pepper and stir. Once all water has evaporated and mice is nicely fried and browned, add tomatoes and tomato puree. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar in case tomatoes are sour, if they are not just omit the sugar part. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until most or all of the water from tomatoes has evaporated and sauce nice and thick. Add a table spoon of flour to additionally thicken the sauce if you like.
Add the kidney beans and stir to combine. Turn the heat off, put a lit on the pot and let it rest for a few minutes.
Serve with tortillas, tacos or plain rice.
Garnish with iceberg salad, spinach, cheese, fresh tomatoes or other favorite vegetables.

Orange flavored duck magret

Vessy — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 13:01:03 +0000

This is our favorite duck magret recipe ever. We eat a lot of duck around here, and I don’t see why not – meat is healthy, delicious, tender, juicy and super flavorful, comparing to chicken for example.
We have a favorite recipe (my mother’s specialty) for stuffed roasted duck, but it takes about 3 hours of roasting, which is too much for an every day meal, while this duck magret is super quick to cook and perfect for a mid-week dinner.

I make this recipe only in a skillet, without finishing it in the oven, like most recipes call for, simply because it is just perfect cooked only in a skillet.

For the duck magret:
2 large duck breasts, skin/fat on
Salt and pepper
1 table spoon olive oil
For the puree:
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large celery root, peeled and chopped
120 ml. cooking cream
2 table spoons butter
Salt and pepper
For the orange sauce:
100 ml. water
Zest and juice from 1 orange
1 table spoon honey
1 tea spoon balsamic reduction
1/2 tea spoon ginger
30 grams butter

Prepare the meat for cooking: Cut the fat of the duck in squares without cutting into the flesh, season generously with salt and place on a piece of kitchen paper with the fat side down. Let it sit for about 30 minutes or overnight.
Prepare potato puree: In the meantime, heat a large pot of water, add potatoes and celery, cook until tender then drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add cream, butter, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher. Set aside in a warm place until needed.
Cooking: You will be cooking duck breasts and orange sauce at the same time, so you will need a large skillet for the breasts and a small casserole for the sauce.
In the skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat, add dusk breasts skin side down and cook for about 10-13 minutes, without turning in, until skin is crisp and golden brown. Turn the heat down to medium and flip over duck breasts to cook on the other side as well. Cook about 5 minutes for medium-rare or about 10 minutes for medium-well. Once ready, set aside to rest for about 5-6 minutes.
While breasts are cooking, add all ingredients for the sauce, except butter in the casserole. Cook sauce on high heat until it reduces in half. When duck breasts are about to be ready, spoon out a little bit of the fat in the skillet and pour into the sauce (2-3 table spoons will be enough).
Once the breasts are resting, remove sauce from the heat and add the butter. Gently stir to melt and then serve immediately over the duck breasts with potato puree on the side.

Homemade beef burgers

Vessy — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:46:52 +0000

If you are looking for the best burger recipe, I have to say – you FOUND it!

I have been making and experimenting with homemade burger recipes for quite some time now! It’s safe to say that I finally have this great recipe, perfect for our taste at home and I kind of know that you all are going to love it!

Ingredients:
For the burgers (makes 8 large burgers):
300 grams (10 oz) minced pork meat
600 grams (20 oz) minced beef
6 table spoons breadcrumbs
1 1/2 table spoon Worcester sauce
2 tea spoons mustard
1 onion, minced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
1/2 tea spoon cumin
Salt and pepper
8 slices of cheddar cheese (or other type of cheese)
8 burger buns, cut in half

For garnish:
3 large onions, chopped roughly
2 table spoons sugar
Olive oil
5 table spoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
Salt & Pepper

Additional garnish:
Bacon, sliced thinly
Fresh tomatoes
Lettuce
Ketchup & Mayo

To make the burgers: Combine all ingredients (except the cheese slices) in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands or a rubber spatula until all ingredients blend together. Adjust seasoning by adding more or less salt, pepper, cumin, garlic or mustard.

Lay a large tray with parchment paper. Using your hands, roll 8 large balls, then gently press them down to flatten into patties. Put them all onto the tray with parchment paper. Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up a bit.

In the meantime prepare the onions: Heat a couple of table spoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, sugar, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until soft and caramelized, on medium heat, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
Then, preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange bacon slices over the paper and bake for about 7-8 minutes until crispy. Remove from baking sheet and put in a bowl with a lit to keep them warm.

On the same tray, arrange the buns with the cut side up and set aside until ready to bake.

In a large skillet, heat a couple of table spoons olive oil on medium-high temperature. Remove patties from the fridge and immediately transfer onto the skillet. Cook on both sides until well done. Once patties seem almost ready, put the burger buns into the oven to bake for 2 minutes.

Assemble the burgers: Once patties are ready, place a slice of cheese on top of each, while still hot.
Put one patty on every bun, top with the caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes and the bacon. Cover with the other half of the bun.

Serve immediately.

Burgers with caramelized onions and ajvar

Vessy — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:55:38 +0000

What is the best burger made of?
I believe the best burger should have delicious fresh buns, delicious sauce, meat and a fresh finish, something green!

This recipe is a great alternative to the classic beef burgers, which take forever to prepare at home.

To prepare these super delicious mini burgers you will need onions – of course caramelized onions, they are perfect for burgers, some kind of salami – pick your favorite, fresh spinach and spicy ajvar, which I used instead of burger sauce and spices. Ajvar is so full of flavors that you will not need any additional seasoning or sauces, only simple ajvar, but pick a spicy one – this is the best for burgers.
If you don’t have ajvar on your hands, or you can’t find it in your area, let me tell you what it is – it is a dip, prepared from roasted red peppers, roasted egg plants, seasoned with sunflower oil and sea salt, and the spicy flavor comes from roasted red fefferoni peppers – yummy!
Don’t hesitate, get cooking, you will love this burgers!

Ingredients:
Burger buns
2 large onions, chopped roughly
Spicy Ajvar Mama’s (ajvar is dip made from roasted red peppers, roasted eggplant, roasted red fefferoni peppers, sunflower oil and seasoned with salt)
Fresh spinach
Salami of your choice
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Heat a little bit of olive oil on medium temperature in a large skillet.

Add the onions. Cook until golden brown and soft. Make sure to cook the onions on medium-low temperature, so they can cook all the way through without burning.

Add a couple of tea spoons of spicy ajvar and stir.

Transfer the onions in a small bowl.

In the same skillet heat a little bit of olive oil and grill the buns, cut in two.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a little bit of spicy ajvar over both halves of the buns.

Top the bottom half with fresh spinach, salami and the onions. Cover with the second half of the buns and serve immediately.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Vessy — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 19:46:17 +0000

Traditional Italian meal saltimbocca is made with veal and prosciutto, marinated in wine. It is super delicious and quick to prepare.
I propose another version of the famous saltimbocca - with chicken, wrapped in prosciutto, covered in melting mozzarella cheese.
The best thing about this recipe is that you will never taste moister and softer chicken ever, and the secret is in the prosciutto, it prevents the chicken from drying out while cooking.

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts, boneless, cut into thin slices
A couple of sage leafs
A few table spoons flour
Prosciutto, thinly sliced
Mozzarella cheese, sliced
A few table spoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
Sprinkle the chicken pieces evenly with salt and pepper.
Place a sage leaf on each piece of chicken, then wrap the chicken tightly with the prosciutto slices – one prochutto slice per chicken piece.
Place the flour in a small bowl and dip each chicken piece in the flour then add to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until done. If the chicken slices are thin enough then they will be cooked quickly. Remove the chicken slices from the pan and place them on a baking sheet.
Place a piece of mozzarella cheese on every chicken piece and bake in the oven at 180C until the cheese melts.
Serve warm with buttery pasta or risotto.

How to plan the perfect BBQ – ideas and tips

Vessy — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:52:32 +0000

Today, I want to share with you guys, my list of food & necessary accessories for your picnic & BBQ day.
I believe this list will make it much more easier to gather all you need for a day on the outside without worrying that you will forget something, as I always do
So I will divide the list in a few main categories – food, accessories, for relax, for play.
Grab this list and go plan your next weekend, summer is too short to miss a day out!

Food:
Bread (freshly baked baguettes, or homemade bread)
All kinds of spreads for bread – butter, cream cheese, hummus, olives paste, sun-dried tomatoes paste, “lutenistsa”, Foie gras, guacamole;
Chips, Nachos, raw and baked nuts
Cheese – yellow, cheese, feta, mozzarella, cream cheese, Camembert, Bri, Gauda, haloumi (perfect for BBQ)
Salami – your favorite types (you know already which is my favorite brand)
Vegetables for a salad – cucumbers, tomatoes, mix green salads (preferably ready cleaned and cut), cherry tomatoes, green onions, avocado, radishes, lemons, mint leaves, basil, parsley, olives
Vegetables for a BBQ – zucchini, purple tomatoes, red & yellow onions, corn, mix green and red peppers, garlic, lemons, potatoes (all vegetables for the BBQ could be washed, cleaned and cut beforehand, just make sure you place them in an airtight containers to keep them fresh until the BBQ)
Salad dressings – could be prepared in advanced, stored in small plastic containers and use them just before you serve the salad
For the BBQ – your favorite spices for seasoning the meat, honey, mustard (for glazing the meat), meatballs, steaks, meat for skewers, sausages and etc. – the meat could be seasoned, glazed and marinated beforehand, so it is ready for the BBQ, all skewers could be also prepared in advanced in order to ease your work on the day)
Drinks – your favorite soda drinks, beer, lemons, limes and mint for a homemade lemonade, water (+ extra for washing hands),
Fruits – all kinds of berries, peaches, apricots, pears, apples, bananas (washed beforehand)
Yogurt – bring individual sizes of yogurt cups and add chopped fresh fruits and honey for a light dessert
Muffins and loafs – bring a basket of home-made mini muffins – it is always better to prepare individual size desserts for such an outdoor party

Accessories:

Plastic forks, spoons, knifes, straws, cups, plates

Knifes and wooden boards

Bowls for salads
Ceramic dish with a lid for keeping the meat warm
Paper napkins, kitchen paper
Wet napkins – you will need a lot of wet napkins for your hands while dealing with food
Plastic and aluminium foil
Garbage bags
BBQ + all necessary equipment for it

Cooler boxes

For relax:

Waterproof picninc blankets

A couple of blankets (at least 2 for laying on top of them on the grass and a few for covering in case it gets cold)

Pillows

For play:
Badminton
Valleyball ball
Cards
Chess
Monopoly

Creamy chicken soup

Vessy — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 12:52:25 +0000

Lately we have been ignoring the old fashon soup meal at Vessy’s kitchen.

There are so many interesting international meals I could cook and taste, that I rarely think of a good simple soup for dinner.

Nevertheless, chicken soup is one of my favorite meals, and it brings back memories of childhood, winter games, Christmas time and the warmth of my family home – my forthress.

In my soup I mixed sweet carrots, potatoes, chicken meat, cream and fresh thyme.

Do not hesitate to add your favorite vegetables to the recipe, skip the cream if you would prefer, or add more if you would like it creamier.

Ingredients:
6 chicken drumsticks
3-4 potatoes, cut into small pieces
5-6 medium carrots, cut into small pieces
1 onion, cut into small pieces
5-6 garlic cloves, cut into small pieces
300 grams sour cream
3-4 table spoons olice oil
2 tea spoons fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
1 tea spoon chili powder
3 table spoons parsley, cut into small pieces

Boil the chicken drumsticks in a large saucepan with salted water until they are cooked all the way through.
Transfer the boiling water from the chicken in a large bowl. Unbone the chicken drumsticks.
In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil.
Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, while stirring frequently.
Add salt, pepper, chili and thyme.
Add the saved water and continue cooking the vegetables for another 20-30 minutes until they are wll done!
Turn off the heat.

Add the sour cream, and using a hand blender, blend the soup until your favorite texture – more or less.
Add the chicken pieces and parsley and mix well.

Serve hot!

Spinach pasta with bacon and cream

Vessy — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:15:48 +0000

Today I am sharing with you guys one of those quick and easy pasta recipes, which makes your weekdays much more enjoyable.

This pasta is just amazing – it is creamy, has pieces of crisp bacon and spinach to add a bit of freshness to the sauce.

Ingredients:
350 grams pasta (of your choice)
300 grams spinach (cleaned and cut into small pieces)
200 ml. heavy cooking cream
3-4 table spoons milk
5-6 garlic cloves minced
1 onion (chopped into small pieces)
2 table spoons olive oil
200 grams bacon, cut into small pieces (optional)
Salt and pepper
Chili flakes

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet/saucepan. Cook the onions, garlic and bacon until crisp and lightly brown.

Add the spinach and cook until it softens. Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes (optional).

Add the cream and mix well. If the sauce seems too thick, use a couple of table spoons milk to thin it a bit.

Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well.

Serve hot!