Dumplings

My grandmother used to cook the most delicious dumplings in the whole world. But I can't remember the last time when she made them. So I borrower her recipe and tried to cook dumplings on my own.

P.s.I've already created a twitter account. Check it out here!

Dumplings(about 55-60 pieces)

Ingredients:

dough:

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2,1/2 cups wheaten flour

pinch salt

filling:

250g beef mince

1 tablespoon marjoram

pinch pepper

pinch salt

Instructions:

1.Take a bowl, combine the beef mince and spice(marjoram, pepper, salt) and place this mixture in to a refrigerator until you make a  dough.

2.In another bowl, beat the egg and salt, pour the milk in and whisk for a few minutes. Add the flour spoon by spoon until it becomes too hard to mix with a spatula. Then knead a dough(about 10-15 minutes). If it's necessary, add some more flour, as we need a paste not to be sticky.

3.Divide a batter into two or three balls and roll each of them. The dough leaves shouldn't be thicker than 3mm. Then make circles by using, for example, a glass or a cup. The diameter of every circle should be about 7cm. Put half tablespoon of prepared beef mince in to each of the circle and shape them into the form how you want the dumplings to look like. (In the pictures you can see how I made them.)

4.Take a pot, pour some water in and simmer it. Add a pinch of salt and then put the dumplings in to the boiling water. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Then strain the dumplings off and place them in to the plates. Flavour with some tablespoons of the cream.

YUUUUMMI!!!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Today I was at the school. It was so strange to enter that building and not to see any familiar faces(I mean classmates, as I finished school last year). That place was my second home for four years and now I come there just as a guest. I'm not a part of that community anymore. Jeez, I've never thought I'll feel such a nostalgia related to the school, to all the memories.

But you know, it was sad just at some first minutes. A little bit later I hugged one of the best teachers I've ever had and from that moment I couldn't stop smiling. It was so great to visit my english teacher. And of course, I baked some chocolate cupcakes for her.

We spent a cosy afternoon drinking tea, tasting those delicious muffins and talking about everything. It seemed that I was sitting next to my friend, but not a teacher. And it doesn't matter that she's much older than me, she has some special character features which makes you feel that you know her for ages. She told me about her daughter's youth, about the time, when she was my age, about her failure in one music high school's admission exam and also about her success in passing another exam at another music high school just a few hours after her first misfortune. This story and every word that she said encouraged me to reach my goals, to achieve what I want so bad. So I told her about my future plans, what I'm going to do in the next few months period. I told that I'll take one of the most important exams in the beginning of the spring and she agreed to help me to prepare. And I'm so thankful, that I don't even know how to describe.

I genuinely admire her as a person.

And now I'm really very busy, I have so many tasks to do. The whole book of readings similar to those which may be included in the examination. And of course, some novels that I can't wait to start reading. I've just finished one of Jodi Picoult books - 'Mercy' and 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' written by Louis de Bernières is waiting for me.

Oh, and the recipe:

This one belongs to Beata Nicholson, who's writing her own blog http://www.beatosvirtuve.lt/blog/. She's also a host of her own TV broadcast - 'Beatos virtuvė'('Beata's Cuisine'). And I think that she's a marvelous cook/chef!

Chocolate Cupcakes(12 pieces)

Ingredients:

100g dark chocolate

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons cocoa

3 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

pinch vanilla

3 tablespoons cream

1,1/2 cups wheaten flour

1,1/2 teaspoons baking powder(I used baking soda)

Instructions:

1.Take a pot and melt the chocolate and butter, add some spoons of cocoa.

2.In a bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla thoroughly and then pour a chocolate-butter-cocoa mixture in. Mix once again. Add the cream and flour and whisk for a few minutes.

3.Heat the oven to 190 degrees(Celsius). Take a cupcakes pan, put the lined paper cups in. Then fill those cups with a batter until the top edges. You may also insert some chocolate chips or squares in the middle of each cupcake. Bake about 30 minutes.

YUUUMMI!!!

Home-made Noodle with Béchamel and Veggies Sauce

I will never buy noodles anymore, because home-made ones taste thousands of times more perfect and they are really simply and quickly made.

Home-made Noodle with Béchamel and Veggies Sauce(4 servings)

Ingredients:

noodle:

4 cups wheaten flour

4 eggs

pinch salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1 leek

1 carrot

pinch salt

pinch pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil

1, 1/2 tablespoons wheaten flour

2, 1/2 cups milk

some grated cheese

Instructions:

1.Take a bowl, combine flour and eggs, add salt, one tablespoon of the olive oil and knead a dough for about 15-20 minutes. If a paste is still sticky, add more flour and knead once again. Then roll some dough leaves(very thin ones, 1-2mm), cut them in to narrow and long stripes. Take a pot, pour some water in and simmer.

2.Sauce making process: Cut vegetables(a leek and a carrot) in to small pieces. Melt the butter in a frying-pan, put chopped veggies and spice in and fry until they get soft. Add the flour, pour the milk in and fry for another 10 minutes, slowly and carefully mixing the sauce with a spatula. Take the frying-pan from the heat and add some grated cheese.

3.When the water simmers, add one tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Then put rolled and cut noodle in to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes(not longer). Strain the pasta off and place in the plates. Put some béchamel and veggies sauce on the top. You may also flavour a dish with some grated cheese(according to your taste).

YUUUMMI!!!

Cocoa Cupcakes with Banana Frosting

Cocoa cupcakes - the easiest thing to make when unexpected guests arrive.

But it's not very easy for them to wait until I take all these pictures, hahha. You know that feeling when you see steamy muffins on a rack and smell that wonderful scent, but you can't bite and taste them.

Cocoa Cupcakes with Banana Frosting(24 pieces)

Ingredients:

cupcakes:

2 cups water

1 cup cocoa

3 cups wheaten flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2  teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

frosting:

2 medium-size bananas

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:

1.Boil two cups of water, add cocoa, wait until it melts. Then take a pot from the heat and place it in a refrigerator.

2.Take a bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until a batter becomes fluffy. Then mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and pour this mixture in to the paste. Whisk for a few minutes. Add melted cocoa and beat once again thoroughly.

3.Heat the oven to 180 degrees(Celsius). Take a cupcake pan, put lined paper cups in it and fill three quarters of each of them with the batter. Bake about 20 minutes. Then take muffins out of the oven and while waiting until they get cool, prepare a frosting.

4.Banana frosting making process: Mash bananas, add lemon juice, vanilla and milk and beat for 5 minutes. Then put confectioners' sugar, spoon by spoon and slowly whisk until the mixture is creamy. Frost cupcakes and flavour them with some chocolate chips.

YUUUMMI!!!

Brown Curd Cake

It's the third curd cake that I'm baking, but it's kind of similar to this one - the first which I tried.

To be honest, I could say that this brown curd cake tastes perfect, there's no need to say anything else.

And that smell of cocoa when you take the cake out of the oven.

Mmmm, love it!!!

Brown Curd Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1,1/2 cups cocoa

1,1/2 cups white sugar

pinch vanilla

3 cups wheaten flour

1, 1/2 teaspoons baking powder or baking soda

500g curd

4 eggs

Instructions:

1.Paste making process: Take a pot, melt the butter, take it from the heat and put in the cold place until it gets cool. Then add cocoa, vanilla, 3 cups of white sugar and mix everything thoroughly. Combine wheaten flour with baking powder/soda and put them in the pot, where melted butter and other ingredients are. Knead the pastry for more than 10 minutes. Then place the pot in the refrigerator and keep it there while you prepare the curd filling.

2.Curd filling making process: Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup of sugar, then add curd and whisk the mixture. In another bowl froth egg whites and put them in the curd filling. Mix for 5 minutes.

3.Heat the oven to 180 degrees(Celsius). Take a cake pan, put half of the pastry in it, then pour curd filling in and then the left batter. Bake about 1 hour.

YUUUMMI!!!

Noodle with Bolognese Sauce

Have you ever heard about 'Mystery shopper'?

I've been looking for a job for several days and I saw an online advert called like this.

I had no idea what it was, but it sounded interesting, so I checked one company's website which had announced this ad.

There was plenty of information that I needed and even a codex that people willing to become a mystery shopper have to sign.

Should I apply for this kind of job(actually I think that it's not a serious job at all, but it could be a great opportunity to try something new out and to have more activity)?

And of course, the recipe:

Noodle with Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

1 noodle pack(about 500g)

500g beef mince

2 onions

3 cloves garlic

400g mushrooms(I used chanterelles)

3-4 spoons ketchup

a few laurel leaves

olive oil

pinch salt

pinch pepper

pinch other spice(basil, marjoram and ect.)

Instructions:

1.Chop vegetables(onions and garlic cloves). Take a frying-pan, pour some olive oil in, add chopped veggies and fry until onions and garlic get a golden colour(it takes about 10 minutes).

2.Put the beef mince  in the same frying-pan and fry for another 10 minutes. While waiting, chop mushrooms. Then add them, ketchup, a few laurel leaves and other spice to a beef-onions-garlic mixture. Put a frying-pan's top on and stew for 30-40 minutes.

3.Take a pot, pour some water in and simmer it. Add oil, salt and noodle and cook(about 20-30 minutes). Strain the pasta off.

4.Put the noodle in the plates and then some spoons of the sauce. You may flavour this dish with some grated cheese(parmesan!)

YUUUMMI!!!

Simple Curd Cake

Oh, everything is just great!

I keep doing my workout each morning and afterwards I always feel so energetic, so capable of doing anything. I just love that feeling, as it makes me more concentrated on my future!

Also, today is very warm(22 degrees!!!), it seems that summer came back, doesn't it?

I am really in a good mood, that's why right now it doesn't matter that I didn't pass my driving exam yesterday. I am an optimist and I know that I'll do it next time. I'll get that fuc*ing driving license!

Today I wanted something simple and quickly made, so I baked curd cake. And while waiting until the top of the cake gets a golden colour, I've spent the afternoon in my cosy balcony reading one of my favourite books - 'Jane Eyre' written by Charlotte Brontë(an old version(released in 1954) of the book, which belongs to my grandmother). I think I should also watch a movie, may be in the evening or tomorrow. 

Simple Curd Cake

Ingredients:

base:

1 egg yolk

1,1/2 cups wheaten flour

1/2 cup butter

pinch vanilla

1 tablespoon white sugar

6-7 tablespoons cold water

curd filling:

1/4 cup wheaten flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

pinch vanilla

2 tablespoons cream

3 eggs

450 g curd

Instructions:

1.Base making process: Take a bowl and combine the butter with the flour. Blend until it becomes a crumbly pastry. Add the egg yolk, the vanilla and six tablespoons of the water. Whisk for a few minutes. Then knead a paste for more than 5 minutes and roll a medium-size circle.

2.Curd filling making process: Mix the butter and sugar. Add the curd, flour, cream, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat for a while. In another bowl froth egg whites. Pour them in the curd mixture and slowly beat.

3.Heat the oven to 200 degrees(Celsius). Butter and flour a cake pan and put the rolled batter round in it. Fill with the curd cream mixture. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

YUUUMMI!!!

Cabbage Soup

A while ago, a friend of mine(actually, my BFF) reminded me the name of my blog: 'Cookbook&other notes'. Yes, OTHER NOTES.

But until now, I've posted just recipes, there were no other notes.

So there is a time for some small changes.

From now I am going to write not only about food, but also my daily life(no too much personal information, just some notes to make the blog more interesting to read).

So here we go:

Today is a big day for me, as I am starting running.

I mean RUNNING, not just jogging some rounds in the stadium.

I have found(on the Internet)  runners' training plan for a half marathon race and now I am so excited.

It will take 18 weeks to prepare, but I am sooo ready to start it right now!!

And today I am having a strength train.

I hope my muscles won't hurt very much tomorrow, as I haven't done sports for a long time.

Of course, I add one recipe(it's still a food blog, right?) - a cabbage soup.

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

half cabbage(not a large one)

4 carrots

4 potatoes

2 onions

2 cups chicken bouillon 

pinch salt

pinch pepper

pinch dried herbal(I used basil and parsley)

1/4 cup butter

Instructions:

1.Peel potatoes. Chop them and the cabbage. Take a pot, pour in some water, boil it and then put chopped vegetables, add salt and pepper.

2.Peel carrots and onions, chop them. Take a frying-pan, melt butter, put veggies and fry for about 30 minutes. Then put everything into the pot. Add the chicken bouillon and the mixture of dried herbal. Cook for more than 30 minutes. Also you can add some cream(according to your taste).

YUUUMMI!!! 

P.s. Wish me luck for my new challenge.

Chicken Lasagna

Sadly, my mother and I got sick. It feels that we are in hospital. So, I think, there is no need to say how we feel right now.

And may be it seems that we are insane, but the only one thing which helps us these days is FOOD.

Cooking and eating really increase our moods.

Today I baked lasagna with chicken. I tried it for the first time. Earlier I cooked lasagna with vegetables or pork/beef. But I can say that this version of lasagna is the best. It tastes so good!

Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodle leaves

350g chicken breast without skin

2 onions 

half leek

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup wheaten flour

150g grated cheese

2 tablespoons cream

pinch salt

pinch pepper

a few laurel leaves

chicken spice

a few cups chicken bouillon

olive oil

Instructions:

1.Chop the chicken breast. Take a pot, pour in some water, put the chicken in, add a few laurel leaves, some pinches of salt, pepper and chicken spice. Boil for about 30 minutes.

2.Chop onions, garlic and leek. Take a frying-pan, melt half of the butter, put chopped vegetables in and fry until veggies get the golden colour.

3.Take another frying-pan, melt the left butter, add flour and mix for about 5 minutes. Then pour in chicken bouillon, cream and a quarter of cheese. Fry for 5 minutes. Then take from the heat and mix for a few times.

4.Boil the water in a pot, add a pinch of salt and one or two tablespoons of olive oil. Put the noodle in, cook for less then 10 minutes and take it out one by one. Pour cold water in the pot and put noodle in once again. After 10 minutes take it out.

5.Take a square-shape pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with some tablespoons of the butter-flour-cream-bouillon-cheese sauce, then put two leaves of lasagna noodle, then add some chicken, grated cheese and again sauce, noodles and etc. On the top of the lasagna should be the sauce layer with some pinches of cheese.

6.Heat the oven to 200 degrees(Celsius) and bake about 40-50 minutes until the lasagna gets golden/dark brown colour.

YUUUMMI!!!

Dark Creamy Hazelnuts Filling Cake

Today's my Dad's celebrating his birthday, so I baked this wonderful taste cake!

Dark Creamy Hazelnuts Filling Cake

Ingredients: 

cookie:

1,3/4 cups wheaten flour

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 cup buttermilk(you can buy it or make by yourself(you'll need 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice))

1/2 cup oil(I used sunflower oil, but you can also use olive oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla

filling:

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

frosting:

1,1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup softened butter

pinch salt

half bar melted chocolate

1,1/2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1.In a bowl combine flour, white sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

2.In a cup of milk pour in the lemon juice and wait for a few minutes.

3.Add eggs, brewed coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in the bowl with flour mixture. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.

4.Heat the oven to 175 degrees(Celsius). Butter and flour two cake pans(I used 18,5x18,5cm) and put the batter in. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans.

5.Filling making process: In a small saucepan or pot combine sugar, flour, salt, cream, milk and butter. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is creamy. Remove the saucepan/pot from heat, and stir in chopped hazelnuts and vanilla. Cool completely. Then spread this mixture on the cookie and put another one on.

6.Frosting making process: In another bowl mix sugar, softened butter and salt until fluffy. Add melted chocolate, milk and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Then frost the top and all the sides of the cake.

YUUUMMI!!!

P.s. Baking this cake requires a lot of patience, as it takes plenty of time. But I can say: it definitely worths that!

Chocolate Chips Cake

Is it normal to bake something sweet everyday?

I guess it isn't, but I'm addicted to it and there's nothing I can do.

So I just enjoy every bit.

Today I chose a chocolate chips cake and I don't regret of having consumed thousands of calories, as it's really the tastiest cake I've ever eaten!!!

Chocolate Chips Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups wheaten flour

1,1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups softened butter

1,1/2 cups white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

120-150g dark chocolate

Instructions:

1.Combine the softened butter with the sugar and blend for a few minutes.

2.Add the eggs one by one and constantly whisk a dough.

3. Add the vanilla and the mixture of the wheaten flour, the baking powder, the baking soda and the salt and beat very carefully and thoroughly.

4.Chop the chocolate into small pieces, put almost all of them in the dough and blend.

5.Heat the oven to 180 degrees(Celsius). Butter the cake pan, pour a batter in, sprinkle the remained pieces across the top and press them into a dough. Bake 35-40 minutes until the top of the cake becomes golden.

It's really such a tasty cake that I just can't describe it!!!

YUUMMMI!!!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Filling

I'm saying hip-hip hoorey one more time, as I just turned 19(actually yesterday)!!!
And I had a wonderful day with my girl!
Thank you one more time!

For my birthday I baked some vanilla cupcakes with a chocolate filling.
The taste of them was perfect(I suppose because of the chocolate, as I really love it).

  

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Filling(12 pieces)

Ingredients:

paste:

1/4 cup softened butter

3/4 cup white sugar

pinch vanilla

3 large eggs

1,1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1,1/2 cups wheaten flour

chocolate filling:

50g semi or bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup softened butter

pinch vanilla

1/4 sifted confectioners' sugar/powdered sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Instructions:
1.Combine the softened butter with the sugar and blend until it becomes a fluffy dough. Add the vanilla and the egg yolks and beat until smooth.
2.Put the flour and the baking powder to the dough and whisk until well-blended. Froth egg whites, also add them to a paste and blend everything.
3.Chop the chocolate and put it in a place or a bowl. Simmer some cups of water, then put the plate/bowl on the pot in which the simmering water is and wait until the chocolate becomes melted.
4.Take another bowl and blend the butter combined with the vanilla and the sugar until smooth.
5.Dissolve the coffee powder in the hot water. Pour the melted chocolate and the dissolved coffee powder in the mixture of the butter and the vanilla and slowly and carefully whisk.
3.Heat the oven to 180 degrees(Celsius). Put 1 tablespoon of the dough in each of lined muffin/your own made baking paper cups. Divide the chocolate filling 12 ways and pour it in each cup. Then put 1-2 tablespoons of the left paste in each cup. Bake 25-30 minutes until the top of the cupcakes gets a golden colour.

Enjoy the taste!!!

YUUUMMI!!!

Tea

I love drinking tea(I won't lie, coffee is much better, but I drink it more rarely than tea, usually instead of a dessert. And the tea is a thing which warms you, especially in the winter.).
So I decided(actually my mom offered) to stop buying various tea and try to make it at home.

Tea

Ingredients:

mints

lemon-balms

thymes

blueberries

cranberries

lemon/orange zest

Instructions:

1.Dry all the herbal, the berries and the lemon or orange zest(It takes a long time(a few weeks). Put them in the light place and wait until they become dried.)

2.Combine everything and flavour with a vanilla or a cinnamon. You can also add some pinches of ginger(according to your taste).

YUUUMMI!!!

Now you have your own tea, not the one from the shop!

Toasty Sandwiches

When you fall asleep after midnight and get up early in the morning(just after the sun rose up), the only thing you want at that moment is simply and quickly made breakfast.

So I chose the toasty sandwiches, as making them doesn't require any especial skills.

Toasty Sandwiches

Ingredients:

a few slices of bread

grated or sliced cheese

half tomato

a few pieces of paprika

pinch spice

Instructions:

1.Toast the slices of bread in a toaster(1-2 minutes).

2.Grate or slice the cheese, chop the tomato and the paprika.

3.Heat the oven to 150 degrees(Celsius) and while waiting for the right temperature, prepare the sandwiches. Put the grated/sliced cheese, the slices of tomato, the pieces of paprika on the toasty bread and flavour with some pinch of spice(I used the mixture of dried basil and rosemary). Bake about 10 minutes.

YUUUMMI!!!

Make a cup of tea, put a slice of the lemon in it and taste your breakfast!