Feta and Spinach Mini Tarts

Great appetizer for parties.

Ingredients:
Pastry Dough - Buy a ready to bake Filo mini tart shell package
9 ounces of baby spinach
1 tablespoon of butter
2 egg yolks
4 ounces of feta cheese
1/3 cup of pine nuts
salt and pepper

Preparation:
1- Preheat the oven to 400F (check the package instructions). Bake the tart shells for 5 minutes.

2- Blanch the spinach in boiling water for just 1 minute, then drain and press to squeeze all the water out. Chop the spinach. Melt butter in a skillet, add the spinach and season well with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs. Crumble the cheese and divide among the tarts. Top with the spinach mixture.

3- Bake for 10 minutes. Scatter the pine nuts over the mini tarts and cook for additional 5 minutes. 

4- Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes and let cool on the wire pan. Serve warm or cool.

Green Bean and Apple Salad

This is one of the most simple yet healthy salads that I usually make. The preparation takes just few minutes and it is a wonderful companion to any meal or dish.

To prepare this salad I use 2 different types of green beans and green apple.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 pounds of different green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
1/2 cup of apple flakes

Preparation:
1) Boiled the green beans and add salt for about 5 minutes until ready
2) Drain and let them cool
3) Add the lemon zest and apple flakes

Enjoy !

Sweet and Spicy Orange Veggie Salad

I have not been posting new recipes lately but that does not mean that I have stopped cooking. On the contrary, I recently made this sweet and spicy salad using carrots instead of eggplants. I also must tell you that I don't have the exact proportions for each ingredients. But don't be afraid, this version it is very easy to make and a great companion to main dishes or just as standalone side dish with crackers. You can emphasize either side of the equation between sweet and spicy.

Ingredients:
1 back of baby carrots
Red pepper
Green pepper
Tomato
Onions
Garlic

Preparation:
1- Cut the carrots in thin slices or food processor.
2- Add olive oil to the pan and begin cooking the onion slices until they become slightly brown.
3- Add the slices of carrots, slices of red and green pepper and tomato. Add salt and a bit of black pepper.
4- Saute all the vegetables for 15 minutes.

The salad is ready. You can eat it hot with rice, potatoes or store it in the refrigerator 2 hours for the flavors to simmer in.

Summer Rice with Spinach and Feta Cheese

What a wonderful summer dish. It is very light and contains the right amount of proteins. It can be served as standalone dish or a companion to chicken or meat. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of basmati rice, rinsed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds of spinach cut into wide strips
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup roasted and shelled pistachios
Feta cheese
Ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups of water to boil. Stir rice and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and cook over very low heat until rice is almost ready. Keep the rice covered.
2. In a large pot heat 1 tbsp of olive oil, add garlic and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic has a golden color then remove the garlic. Increase the heat and add the strips of spinach. Stir the spinach with the olive oil and cook until tender.
3. Add the spinach to the rice, stir lemon zest, dill and mix everything trying to fluffing the ingredients. Add the pistachos and black pepper.
4. Let the rice seat for 2 minutes and add the feta cheese.

Wine Pair: Serve with a bottle of Saperavi wine from Gorelli

Pasta Primavera

I made this pasta dish for a party last year and it was simple, fast and fun to make. Share the fun with friends and family.

Ingredients:
1 bag of tortellini with cheese
1 bag of frozen baby broccoli 
Handful of small tomatoes 
Parmesan cheese
Gorelli Fig Preserves

Preparation:
1- Boil the tortellini according to the package instructions
2- Boil the broccoli according to the package instructions
3- Cut the tomatoes in half 
4- Mix all the ingredients in a container, add black pepper, salt. Sprinkle with olive oil and Parmesan cheese
5- You can add slides of figs for additional flavor

Wine Pairing: Pasta Primavera goes well with Gorelli Queen of Iberia and Gorelli Saperavi. 

Red Snapper with Lemon and Herbs

Since last Christmas Eve, I have been busy cooking. The good news is that I now have some new recipes to share with you. The first one is this amazing Red Snapper with infused herbs and lemon juice and slices.

To make this dish I will recommend to get a fresh fresh Red Snaper.

Ingredients:

• 1 2-to 2 1/4-pound whole red snapper, cleaned
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 thin lemon slices

Preparation:

1- Marinate the fish with lemon juice, salt, garlic and seafood seasoning for 1 hour before cooking.

2- Place 24x18-inch piece of foil on heavy large baking sheet. Place fish in center of foil.

3- Arrange thyme sprigs and lemon slices inside cavity. Sprinkle outside of fish with salt and pepper. Top with lemon slices.

4- Fold edges of foil over fish; seal. 

5- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake fish until cooked through, about 45 minutes.

6- Transfer fish to platter. Open foil.

ENJOY !

Sprouts with Cheese and Olive Oil

I love sprouts , they are very healthy and great for a low fat diet. I discovered about sprouts only few years ago and I initially did not know how to cook them. Now, I eat steamed sprouts at least once a week and I am sure you will do to if you try this recipe.

Ingredients
Sprouts
Tomato
Sal 
Black pepper
Grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil

Preparation:
1- Cut the top of the sprouts first and after that cut them in half
2- Cut the tomato in thin slices
3- Place the half sprouts and the tomato slices on an steamer
4- Let them steam for 10 minutes
5- When the are ready add salt, peppers, olive oil and cheese

It is simple and easy to make.

Baked Cheese Tomato

Try to select small to medium size tomatoes for these tapas. Baked Cheese Tomato is an elegant and nutritious appetizer.

Ingredients:
4 medium ripe tomatoes
1 large egg
4 tbsp grated sharp cheese like Manchego or Parmesan
2 tbsp of ricotta cheese
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:
1- Preheat the oven to 350F
2- Cut a slice off the top of each tomato and using a teaspoon carefully scoop out the pulp and seeds without piercing the shells.
3- Turn the tomato shells upside down on paper towels and let drain for few minutes.
4- Mix the ricotta cheese, egg, grated cheese, salt and pepper and fill each tomato with the mix
5- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the eggs are just ready

Russian Cabbage Golubsi

Cabbage are very popular in Russian cuisine and Cabbage Golubsi are always present at any Russian table during holiday season. You can make this dish with meat or you can go all veggie.

Ingredients:
1 Large Cabbage
Ground Beef
1 cup of Rice
Onion
Carrots
Pepper
Tomato

The ingredient quantities varies based on the number of Goupsi you want to make and their respective size.

Preparation:
1- First you cook the rice half-way. Add 1 cup of rice to 1/2 cup of water and when the water begin to boil when 30 seconds and stop cooking the rice. Let the rice cool down.
2- Remove each leaf from the cabbage. Put water to boil in a deep pan and put the cabbage leaf in the boiling water for few seconds. You want the leaves to become a bit soft because you will need to fold them to make the Golupsi.
3- Cut the onion, pepper, carrots and tomato into very small pieces.
4- Mix the ground beef with the rice to make an homogeneous mass. Add salt, pepper and onion.
5- Fill each cabbage leaf with the rice and ground beef mass and fold it to make the Golupsi.
6- Place the Golupsi in a large deep pan. Add the carrots and tomato pieces. Add salt and cook for 1 hour.
7- When the Golupsi are ready add sour cream.

Go Vegan! Substitute the meat - Instead of mixing the rice with the ground beef mix the rice with the onion, peppers, carrots and tomato.

Cuban Black Beans (Spicy)

Cuban black beans is one of my favorite recipes. Every time I make black beans I try different combinations of condiments as a way to add a new twist to the traditional recipe. To make black beans the "real way" you need to leave the beans in water overnight. 

Ingredients:
1 package of black beans
Roster red pepper
Small Onion
1 teaspoon of Vinegar
Sazon Goya (instead of the Goya packages you can use cumin and oregano)
olive oil
1 teaspoon of sugar

Preparation: (if you are using the slow cooker cook the beans for at least 6 hours)
1- Leave the beans in water the night before cooking.
2- Turn the slow cooker on high heat, add salt , red pepper slides and Sazon Goya to the beans. 
3- When the beans are soft add less than 1 teaspoon of vinegar and sugar to the beans.
4- When the beans are ready add a teaspoon of olive oil.
5- Garnish with small onion slides.

If you like garlic then you can add garlic instead of onion. Serve as a soup or on top of rice.

Yellow Rice with Edamame and Okra

Yellow rice is easy to make as a main dish or as a companion to meat, fish and poultry. More people are trying to eat light food during lunch time and a tasty yellow rice with veggie is an excellent choice.

Ingredients:
1 cup of yellow rice
1/3 cup of edamame
1/2 of cut okra (use frozen cut okra to make the process easier)
1 tea spoon of lemon juice

Preparation:
1- Boil the cut okra and add the lemon juice to prevent the okra  from becoming sticky (I learned this trick from my grandmother when I was growing up). By the way, my grandmother lived to celebrate her 100 birthday so she was a prolific source of culinary ingenuity.
2- Add the yellow rice to a different pan with water and set to boil. When the water begins boiling add the edamame , the almost cooked okra and salt. 
3- Turn the yellow rice into medium-low heat with a half cover top and let the rice cooking.
4- On a separate pan, add a notch of olive oil, very small onion slides and sundried tomatoes and cook until the onion start turning light brown. 
5- When the yellow rice is ready serve and pour the sundried and onions of the top for additional flavor.

Wine Pairing: Gorelli Saperavi

Couscous with brandy

Couscous came from the North African cuisine. I just recently started cooking couscous and discovered that couscous is very versatile and simple to prepare. Couscous goes with about any main course and can be combined with all sorts of vegetables and spices. Most couscous sold in the grocery stores has already been pre-steamed, so preparation is very simple. 

Ingredients:
1 cup of couscous or 1 package of 5.7 oz
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 medium tomato
1 spoon of olive oil
1 can of green peas
1 tablespoon of B.S. brandy

Preparation:
 In a medium saucepan combine water and couscous. Bring to boil. After 2 -3 minutes lower to medium heat. Cut fresh tomatoes in small slices.
 In medium skillet heat olive oil and add onions and garlic. Cook for 1 minute then add the tomatoes and green peas. Cook for 1 more minute and add the vegetables to the couscous.
Stir the vegetables in couscous. Wait for the couscous to be ready.
Add 1 tablespoon of B.S. brandy. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Wine Pairing: Gorelli Saperavi