My version of Borsch soup.

I'll be honest with you, I never really follow recipes. I usually look at a picture or taste something and I can pretty figure out how to make it. Which is why it's so hard for me to explain to my friends how to make something with all the exact quantities and what not. For the sake of this blog, I tried to pay more attention to all the steps I take in order to give you all the correct information. 

To me, cooking is all about the look, the feel, the smell, the taste and intuition. That's how I cook. Now, when my dear grandpa Joe asked me for the recipe of my "improvised" Borsch soup, I really had to think hard about what it is I did exactly. How many beets did I use? Did I add salt? Can I even call this a borsch? I don't even know what's in a borsch! I know it has beetroots. I know it's red. I know I usually see it served with sour cream and some sort of green stuff on top. Oh well. 

The only reason why I decided to make "borsch" in the first place was because I watched those Russian chiquitas from CosmoTV's Russian Dolls eat it (yes, I watch it. And no, I'm not proud of it.). Thus, after seeing what it supposed to look like, I ran to my fridge and looked at what I had. 

In less that a minute, I had completely destroyed the centuries old classic Russian recipe. I made it my own. And guess what, it was approved by the grand master chef of my new Eastern European family, my gramps-in-law that it. So, here it is dear grandpa Joe, MY version of borsch soup.

-6 medium/large beets

-half of a red cabbage, shredded

-1 onion, shopped

-1 tablespoon of minced garlic (optional)

-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

-1/2 cup of pancetta

-1/2 cup of milk (I use soy milk)

-1 small carton of Belsoy cream (it's a low fat cream substitute that's lactose free and tastes even creamier than the heaviest cooking cream available!)

-4 cups of chicken stock 

-salt & pepper to taste

-sour cream for presentation and taste

-fresh chive or dill for presentation

-White truffle oil (optional)

Prepare beets: Rinse and remove skin from the beets, then shred beets and red cabbage using a food chopper/processor or hand food grater. (Wear rubber gloves when handling beets to avoid stained hands.) In a large pot (I used a 22 quart pot), fried the cubed pancetta in the olive oil until crispy and brown. Add chicken stock and heat up until it reaches its boiling point. Add shredded beets, cabbage, onion and garlic. 

Cool down for 10 minutes and using a food processor or blender, blend until smooth. Poor the soup back in pot.

Finally, stir in the Belsoy cream, stirring until cream has dissolved. Return that portion to the large pot. Season with salt and pepper, but taste as you go so you don't overdo it.

Serve with a spoonful of sour cream, a pinch of fresh chive and a few drops of truffle oil.

Dober tek!   

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 cups diced peeled sweet potato
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup soy milk (you can use regular milk)
• 1/2 cup Belsoy creamy soya preparation (you can use regular cream)
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Chopped chives
• *Optional: 1/2 cup white wine

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; cook sweet potatoes, garlic, onion and ginger until potatoes become golden
2. Pour in stock and simmer.
3. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are very tender (takes about 20 minutes)
4. Transfer soup, in batches, to blender or food processor; purée until smooth.
5. Whisk in soy milk and creamy soy preparation. *optional: add white wine and whisk.
6. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or until chilled. 
7. Ladle into chilled bowls.
8. Garnish with spoonful of yogurt and top with chives.

Miso-Carrot Salad Dressing

I've been asked again and again "what kind of dressing is this? What's in it?" and I've been giving the list of ingredients way too many times. Unfortunately, the list being quite long, most of my gals couldn't remember half of what's needed to make this addictive dressing. So... here it is, I'm sharing it with all of you right here, in writing. Inspired by one of Gwyneth Paltrow's detox recipes, Asian influenced and healthy, this dressing is the best way to add carrots (and their vitamins) to any salad! Now, you can stop calling or texting me in panic, six minutes before dinner, asking for the ingredients, capish?

• 1 -  Magic Bullet or blender 
• 1 ½ - Large carrots (peeled and chopped) 
• 1 - Teaspoon of chopped garlic  
• 2 - Tablespoons of chopped fresh ginger  
• 1 ½ - Tablespoons of  sweet Miso paste (You can keep Miso paste in the fridge for many months and use it for soups too! )   
• 2 ½  - Tablespoons rice wine vinegar (other option: white wine vinegar)  
• 1 ½ - Tablespoons of Sesame Oil (you cannot replace that!-Heaven)  
• ¼  -  Cup of extra virgin olive oil    
• ½  -  Tablespoon of agave syrup or honey  
• 2  -  Tablespoons of cold water   

Now feel free to change the quantities to your own liking!

Mint & Mango Zucchini Spaghetti

Raw Spaghetti2 Zucchinis
Wash the zucchinis and slice them with whatever tool you have.

Mint & Mango Sauce1 mango medium size
4 tbsp olive oil (add more if you like)
15 leafs fresh mint
1-inch fresh red chili
2-inch fresh ginger
a pinch of salt & pepper
a handful of green pea sprouts and pistachio nuts, for garnish

Peel and remove the stone from the mango, add all ingredients in a mixer and mix until smooth. Pour the mango mint marinate over the zucchini spaghetti and work it in by hand. Arrange the spaghetti on the plates and garnish with sprouts and chopped pistachio nuts.

*Green Kitchen

Chocolate Peanut Buttercup Ice Cream

Ice Cream:

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

5 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

20 regular-size peanut butter cups, chopped

Peanut Butter Swirl:

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

4. While the custard cools, make the peanut butter swirl. Combine the peanut butter, whipping cream, corn syrup, and the brown sugar in a small saucepan saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring, until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Transfer to an airtight container.

5. Chill both the custard and the peanut butter swirl thoroughly, at least 8 hours.

6. Freeze the custard mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.) During the last two minutes, add in the chopped peanut butter cups. When packing the ice cream into its container, alternate layers of the ice cream and peanut butter swirl, ending with the ice cream.

Carrot-Ginger-Apple Soup

3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
4 cups chopped and peeled carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups orange juice
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute, until fragrant.  Add sliced apples and diced carrots and cook for 3 minutes more.Turn flame to medium-high and add vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce flame to low and simmer, uncovered,  until carrots and apples are softened, about 30 minutes.  Remove pan from the flame and let rest for 10 minutes.Blend the soup in batches in a blender.  Be sure not to fill the blender more than halfway full or hot soup will explode everywhere.  Not cool.  Also, when blending hot liquids in a blender, leave the blender lid slightly ajar to let some of the steam escape.Once all of the soup is blended, return to the pot.  You may decide that you want you soup a bit thinner in consistency.  Add more vegetable broth if you’d like.  Taste, and add a dash of fresh ground nutmeg, as well as salt and pepper to taste.  The soup won’t need much pepper, as ginger is pretty spicy.Serve with a drizzle of quality olive oil, a sprinkling of fresh cracked pepper, and a few carrot top sprigs… cause you’re fancy, and whatnot. Soup will last, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  Soup also freezes well.  Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Crispy Potato Roast

3 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled (smaller diameter potatoes are great, if you can find them)
4 shallots, peeled
8 sprigs thyme
Garnishes (optional): Bits of goat cheese, crumbles of bacon and/or bits of crisped pancetta

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. With a sharp knife or manoline, slice potatoes crosswise very thinly. Figure out what baking dish you’d like to use; Martha suggests a 9-inch round baking dish (a deep dish pie pan would fit this bill) though I think you could go an inch bigger, an oval 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole dish might also be pretty.
Once you’ve picked the dish that seems the best fit for your slices, pour a tablespoon or so of the butter/oil mixture in the bottom and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the oil mixture with a few pinches of coarse salt and red pepper flakes, if using; this will allow you to season both the top and underside of the potatoes. Arrange your potato slices vertically in the dish.
Thinly slice shallots with your mandoline and slide shallot slivers between potato wedges, distributing them as evenly as possible. Brush with remaining oil/butter mixture. Generously season your dish with salt; go easier on the red pepper flakes, if using. Bake 1 1/4 hours, then arrange thyme sprigs on top and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisped top, about 35 minutes more. If casserole seems to brown too fast, cover it with foil to slow it down. Add any garnishes, if using, and serve immediately.