Chicken liver pâté

Have you ever tried preparing liver pâté? It almost can’t be compared to the one you can get in the supermarket. In order to stop myself from buying it, I simply start reading the labels. After looking at ingredients, I return the box right back on the shelf in most of the cases.

Beet, goat cheese and arugula salad

Have you ever tried combination of the beetroot and the goat cheese? That may sound really strange until you get your first bite. After adding a handful of arugula and some splashes of olive oil, you can make a perfect starter which will definitely impress your guests.

Crepes with caramelized fruit sauce

Homemade crepes are nothing better, especially when weekend comes and you have plenty of time to make them. You can waken up your creativity and start improvising with the filling: this versatile French dessert can be stuffed with almost everything you want, like chocolate, jam, fruits, cream cheese, smoked salmon or ham. 

Biscotti

As soon as the snow shows up and people wrap themselves into their wooly scarves and hats, I start dreaming about Christmas. Listening to Tony Bennett’s duets, I spend my time thinking about all those ribbons and papers, presents and Christmas decorations. Of course, good food is also included.

Roasted squash pasta

Some weeks ago food52 published an article, which says that 2-3 glasses of wine (or other alcohol drink) per week leads you to increased risk of developing breast cancer. If it’s no longer just 2 portions of wine per week, the risk of breast cancer grows exponentially: additional 10 grams of alcohol increase the probability of developing breast cancer by 10%. It is awful! So, maybe we should really stop using alcohol for good?

Ukrainian borscht soup

You should have already heard about my love for beets but this wonderful and satisfying soup makes it even bigger. Hailing from Ukraine and called borscht, it was an ultimate soup in my family when I was a child - my mom was preparing a huge pot of this purely red soup filled with beets almost every weekend. 

No bake cheesecake

I have always wanted to make a cake that doesn‘t need any baking. For me, the most interesting part in such recipes is the crust: have you ever thought that biscuit crumbs and butter can make such a perfect base for the cake? For making it even more delicious, I decided to take chocolate biscuits and I can say it was really worth it..

Caesar salad

Eating Caesar salad is very trendy in Lithuania and almost every girl orders a plate of this salad for her main course in a restaurant. However, after some research I have also found that Caesar is the king of salads in America and many other countries as well. I believe that’s because of the combination of healthy and nourishing ingredients, such as lettuce, croutons, eggs and other.

Bacon wrapped champignon caps

If you aren't a big fan of champignon mushrooms, you should definitely try this classic French appetizer. Stuffed with Roquefort and wrapped into bacon, they get amazing taste and make a perfect combination with a full-bodied red wine.

Grilled pear and Roquefort cheese salad

Have you ever tried making warm salad for your lunch or dinner? As the weather cools down, I always include some grilled fruits into my salad to turn crisp salad leaves into winter comfort food. Grilled pears, included into my recipe below, always add nice accent to salads and, together with some crumbled Roquefort and Prosciutto ham, produce a perfect balance of flavors. 

Ricotta crostini with baby basil leaves

For the light Monday breakfast I suggest you preparing those superb simple ricotta crostini. It will take only few minutes to grill your bread (brush the slices with some extra virgin olive oil and grill until golden) and crush the ricotta until smooth. I always add some soft goat cheese to give the flavor and some cucumber if I need to make my crostini lighter.

Low-calorie pumpkin soup

When the cold season starts, I always find that my scales show two kilos more. Of course, I know that it’s normal because we start eating more comfort food which definitely has much more fat and calories. Even doctors claim that we can’t avoid weight gain in autumn because of our metabolism which tends to slow down! (still can‘t believe that..)

Roast chicken for your family dinner

I think that the most important thing in family relationships is to keep close and warm communication. Since I don’t live together with my parents, every time I come back home we all sit at the festive table (thanks to my mom) and eat together. I can say that such family dinners have become a regular tradition which gives us rare opportunity to share everyday experiences, joys, concerns or problems.

Beef a la Bourguignon

I remember Paris...Those extremely delicious crepes and cider for the breakfast…Gorgeous architecture and arts, surrounding you everywhere...Warm evenings right next to Eiffel Tower with champagne and other local goodies (yum!)…Overall, it’s been a brilliant week which must be repeated some day in the future. 

Roast Beef Bruschetta

I love bruschettas because it’s a great way to treat your unexpected guests. If you have some slices of good bread (preferably ciabatta), a clove of garlic and a good splash of extra-virgin olive oil, think you and your reputation is saved. In most of the cases, I choose tomatoes and basil for the topping but sometimes it simply depends on what is left in my fridge. This time I found some leftovers of the beef stew prepared the day before and some fresh leafs of arugula. After being accompanied by balsamic vinegar, all these ingredients turned out into a superb appetizer. 

Minestrone

With the end of October I start cooking thick soups because they are heaven when you need to satisfy the soul. Trying to recover after the long day spent at work, I dedicated the dinner to minestrone. Just like any other recipe representing Italian kitchen, this vegetable soup was completely right decision – thick, hearty and very filling. After some research I found that this soup has numerous variations and technically almost everything whatever you want makes your minestrone. 

Pleasing Carrot Cake

The ‘Silver spoon’ cookbook is one of my favorite ones because it always inspires me to create something new in my kitchen. This weekend it saved me from not-good-at-all autumn mood which visited my house in the afternoon. I brought lots of carrots from the farmers’ market, so I chose making carrot cake which was adjusted according what I managed to find in my kitchen cabinets.

Beetroot Risotto - Why I Love Beets

Continuing seasonal eating topic on my blog, I want to show you a great risotto recipe with one of my favorite vegetables – the beet. If you have trauma from the childhood and still scared of the looks, you should just peel off the skin and see a great burgundy color…After being cooked properly (boiled or baked in the oven), they turn into really nice vegetable full of taste. Of course, I know some people think beets are too ‘earthy’ for eating. For them I would offer trying the least ‘beety’ tasting recipe – traditional Russian soap called the borscht (recipe is coming soon...)

Seasonal Eating and Cozy Butternut Squash Salad

When fall comes, seasonal eating becomes something I think about every time I am cooking. I simply start buying bags of autumn goods, such as beets, carrots, butternut squash, pears or apples, because I believe that it’s a sin not to use these presents got from nature. After all, seasonal food is fresher and gives you the best its taste and the biggest amount of nutrients! Just think about the difference of strawberries or tomatoes that you get in summer and in winter time. If you’ve ever eaten a ripe, freshly picked strawberry on a shiny summer day, you’d know what a real strawberry tastes like! However, we will have to wait for this taste for a while....