Aggie's beautiful salad

I tried this salad in Nova Scotia, which is an amazing place and people there are so nice. So, back to the salad...My husband's aunt Aggie made this salad and to tell you the truth...it was breathtaking!  
Aggie, it was so good that I keep making it and enjoying it as if I am trying it for the first time!
It has such a delicious rich taste and the tangerines make it even more yummy.
So, as I promised I'm publishing it here, on my food blog.

Ingredients:
Iceberg or salad greens
1/3 cup of toasted almonds (spread on cooking sheet and bake in 400
degree oven but keep an eye on them - not more than 5-7 minutes)
1 cup of chopped celery
2 tbsp of green onion (chopped fine)
1 small can mandarin sections (drained)

Dressing:
¼ cup of oil (I use canola)
2 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp each of salt and pepper
 Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl with a lid and shake it well, then put it in the fridge for an hour.

Toss salad ingredients together and pour over salad dressing.
That's it! :-)
Delicious!!!!

Eggplant and Cheese Rolls

It's a delicious southern-russian appetizer

1 large eggplant
1 4oz container shredded cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh dill
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbl spoons mayo
olive oil
salt
Cut off ends of eggplant. Cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces, lengthwise. Lay on paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. Let sit for a half hour. Rinse with cold water to remove salt and bitter juice.
Brush eggplant with a little olive oil on each side and sprinkle a little salt and pepper on each slice. . Fry in a large skillet until lightly browned on both sides with adding of more olive oil. ( be prepared to do a couple batches.)
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine cheese, dill, garlic and mayo.Add a little olive oil if mixture is too dry.
Spread a small amount on each piece of eggplant.
Then roll eggplant, starting with the large end first. Secure with toothpicks.

Spinach chicken salad recipe

Well, not only that it is healthy it is delish!!!
There is a little secret about the chicken... :-)
I marinade it first. So...

1 chicken breast, skinless, boneless. Cut it in pieces and put it in a bowl. Add a dash of black pepper, 1 tbl spoon olive oil, 1/2 t spoon paprika, 1 t spoon garlic powder...and something that will makr your chicken just delicious...1 tbl spoon lime juice. Put it aside and marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Now salad.
Pretty easy
Spinach
1/2 cup cottage cheese
6-7 cherry tomatoes
1 small cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 big Radishes, sliced
1 small bell pepper, sliced

Then layers - Spinach, onion, radish, pepper, tomatoes, cottage cheese.
For The Dressing:
2 tbl spoons balsamic vinegar
1 tbl spoon Extra Virgin Olive Olive
1/4 tea spoon sugar
1/4 t spoon salt
dash black pepper
Mix it in a small bowl, cover and give it a good shake.

And back to the chicken. Heat 1 table spoon of olive oil in a skillet and fry the chicken until it's ready to go (no pink).
Put it on top of the salad and then pour the dressing.
Done!

Goulash-stew alla me :-)

You gonna love this!!! It's a good winter dish, but russians are famous for their soup and goulash addiction, so we cook good winter dishes even in summer, so...Enjoy!

3 pounds chuck meat, trimmed & cut into 1-1½ inch cubes.
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
4-5 tablespoons sweet paprika
 2 big carrots, chopped
3-4 medium onions, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
¼ cup unbleached flour
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup of red wine
salt & pepper to taste

1. Season beef with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium-high in a dutch oven or stock pot for 3-4 minutes until hot.Add the meat and sear each side about 2 minutes per side until well browned. Make sure each cube of meat is not touching; you may have to brown the beef in 2 batches adding another tablespoon of oil for the second batch. Transfer beef to a plate.

2. Reduce to medium heat, add the remaining oil and stir scraping bottom of pot. Add onions and a pinch of salt and continue to stir scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits. Stir onions about 5-6 minutes.

3. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add paprika and flour, stir for another minute. Add chicken broth, continue stirring and scraping bottom. Stir in tomato paste, bay leaves, marjoram and ½ teaspoon salt.

4. Add the browned beef, bring to a simmer but do not boil . Cover pot with lid and place pot into a 300 degree pre-heated oven for 1 hour.

5. Remove pot from oven, add wine, potatoes, carrots, red and green peppers, cover and return to the oven for 1 hour.

Serve immediately... with bread and butter! :-)

Pork-Pasta Toss

Makes 4 servings:

220 g  spaghetti, uncooked

1/4 cupKraft Extra Virgin Olive Oil Aged Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, divided

4 Hot Italian sausages, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup chopped red onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cupscherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup25%-less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed. drained

1 cupKraft 4 Cheese Italiano Light Shredded Cheese, divided  
     

Cook spaghetti as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sausages; cook 5 to 6 min. or until done, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet.
Add remaining dressing, onions, spinach and garlic to skillet; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. Add tomatoes; cook 1 min. Add broth and sausages; stir. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
Drain spaghetti. Add to ingredients in skillet with 1/2 cup cheese; mix lightly. Top with remaining cheese.

Spicy Chiken curry soup

Just to mention that it is very spicy and if you want a vegetarian version, just don't add chicken, it will be just a vegetable noodle soup.

So, let's begin :-)
Ingredients:
2 tb spoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup frozen vegetables mix (carrots, corn, green beans)

2 tbl spoons tomato paste

2-3 fresh medium size mushrooms, chopped

1 table spoon curry powder

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 t spoon crushed chili pepper

1/4 t spoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup any noodles

4 cups of water

salt, pepper

In a pot, heat the oil and add your chicken, fry it for a little bit (less than 1 minute), add celery, onion, mushrooms and garlic, stir. Then add all the spices, stir again. Add frozen vegetables, water, salt and pepper to taste. Cover it and cook until it boils, add tomatoe paste, stir, don't cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the noodles, stir well, don't cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are done.

That's pretty much it! Easy but spicy and delicious.

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken

This is an easy dish that is quick to prepare ahead and looks really impressive. A great meal to serve to guests
Ingredients ( serves 2)
2 chicken breasts
8 slices proscuitto
4 t spoons mustard
2 slices cheese ( I used brie but any cheese will work)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spread 2 teaspoons mustard over each chicken breast.
put a slice of cheese in the middle

Wrap 4 slices prosciutto around each breast and secure with a toothpick if necessary.

Place chicken into a small baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with mixed vegetables.