It was one of those days when my refrigerator was nearly empty and the freezer only had 1 pound of chicken breasts in its premises. Hesitant to go to a grocery store alone with a baby and a pregnant belly, I searched for ways of utilizing the chicken I had. My cousin Guzal, who lived in another state at the time, recommended to make these delicious cutlets. I checked for the ingredients and surprisingly, had everything I needed for the recipe! It is very easy to make and you will be surprised about how good it tastes with these ingredients.
Apple Pie with Dried Fruit
During our curtain hanging process a couple of weeks ago, we discovered a treasure hidden in a box, at the far corner of the balcony. It is not money, jewelry or an expensive artifact of any type. But the long road my husband travels to buy these delicious honey crisp apples is priceless. I was shocked that I forgot about their existence in our house. Surprisingly, honey crisp apples hold up pretty well, for up to 5 months, if stored properly.
Pan grilled Khachapuri
Khachapuri is a Georgian appetizer, which consists of a dough and a springy cheese filling. My husband is in love with these little things. They always remind him of the vacation days he spent in Georgia, while he was a little kid. Nasim asked me if I could make Khachapuris for him a while ago. Since then I’ve been looking for the perfect and dead on recipe of Khachapuris.
Meat Tortellini Recipe
Tortellini, also known as “Pelmeni” in Russian and “Chuchvara” in Uzbek, is an amazingly delicious dish. I love two types of tortellini: one filled with meat and the other type filled with different greens and herbs. They are fairly easy to make. Once you get used to rolling the dough, you can easily make them every other day :) I make them at least once a week, because my two boys are in love with them.
Pearl Meatball Soup Recipe
If I can describe this soup in three words, they would be: healthy, easy and delicious! Even my picky son Omar loves this soup (except I have to fish out the vegetables from his bowl, just because he doesn’t like bright colors in his food).
Norin recipe
Norin is a very popular dish in Uzbekistan. Norin is a combination of thinly-sliced home-made noodles, aged meat (previously marinated and dried) and herbs. Of all regions in Uzbekistan, Norin is widely available in Tashkent, the capital of the country. While my parents were visiting us here, I asked them to help me out to create a step-by-step recipe of this traditional dish. They conveniently agreed and I snapped many, many pictures of the process. I love Norin, in fact, a lot of Uzbeks do :)
Russian Cutlet Recipe
Russian Cutlet, known as “Kotleta” in Russian, is a pan-fried minced meat dish that contains onions, garlic and various herbs. It is definitely one of the most popular house dishes in Russia, served with side dishes such as mashed potatoes, fries, pasta, buckweat and barley. I decided to post the Russian Cutlet Recipe, because it is also one of the most favorite meals for both of my boys (right after raviolis). Very easy, delicious and totally Russian!
Pickled Cabbage Recipe (Russian Sauerkraut)
This is that “special” recipe Nasim has been raving about – the pickled cabbage recipe, similar to the popular “Russian Sauerkraut”. I did not want to call it Russian Sauerkraut, because it is a little different than the Russian version ingredient-wise and taste-wise (it is much better :)) This pickled cabbage came out so good, that we ate it all in less than a week! It is sooo tasty and crunchy, that you will never want to try any other pickled cabbage elsewhere. And the good news is – it is very simple to make!
Country Fried Steak
My mother is my biggest inspiration in the kitchen. I love the way she cooks and believe me when I say that she is an outstanding cook by all gourmet means. Once you know how good a combination of certain ingredients can taste, you always strive to create something that tastes at least equally as good.