Sausage Blinchiki

In my quest to try out more Russian dishes, I decided to try something I ate in Ukraine while I was adopting my twins. Sausage Blinchiki is making Russian crepes with cooked sausage and onions inside. This simple dish is very satisfying and my children quickly scarfed them down! I found the recipe here, but I altered it a bit to my liking. I believe that the difference between crepes and blinchiki is that the Russian version has more eggs in it. 

We ate them with roasted potatoes. And ketchup - because the Russians LOVE ketchup!

Sausage Blinchiki

Ingredients for Filling

2 lb ground sausage

1-2 onions, diced

Salt

Pepper

Ingredients for Blinchiki

2 cups whole milk

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour (I used this recipe)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp powdered sugar

HOW TO PREPARE:

Saute the onions and add the ground sausage. Salt and pepper the meat to your liking.

The blinchiki are extremely easy to make. Beat the milk, eggs, flour, salt, and powdered sugar together until a uniform mixture.

Lightly butter or use some oil spray to grease an electric skillet (medium heat). Ladle in the batter into the center of the pan and spread it out evenly over the bottom to form a very thin layer. Similar to the way you would prepare crepes.

As soon as the batter on top no longer flows, flip the blinchik and cook for an additional 30 seconds. You don’t want to burn the dough, it shouldn’t take longer than 1-2 minutes to prepare one blinchik.

Once you have a stack you can start wrapping the blinchiki. Place one table spoon of the filling slightly off center of the blinchik and wrap it tightly to make sure it doesn't fall apart.

Place them in a pot or a covered bowl and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Right before serving, lightly fry the blinchiki on some vegetable oil on both sides until golden brown. I fried them in the electric skillet where I browned the sausage and onions. 

Chicken Paprikash

I am venturing out and trying some new meals from around the world. This dish is Hungarian! Now, I didn't make Nokedli, which traditionally goes with Paprikash. Instead, I made mashed potatoes. And it was a sumptuous meal! I found the recipe here. The second day I used the leftovers and pour it over rice. Super tasty - my husband was thrilled to take it in to work for lunch.

My photo.

Over rice. Yummy!

Chicken Paprikash 
(serves 6-8 people)
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs chicken drumsticks
1 onion, diced
2-3 tbsp Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper
6 cups water/chicken broth (I did half water and half chicken broth)
1/4 cup flour (I used this recipe)
1/2 cup sour cream
Mashed potatoes

HOW TO PREPARE:
To make the chicken paprikash, season (generously) the chicken with salt, pepper, and the paprika.

In an electric skillet, brown the chicken over medium heat on all sides, and cover with diced onions.

Allow the onions to soften.

Pour water (you could use half chicken broth if you wanted) over the top until the chicken and onions are covered.  Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low.  Allow the mixture to simmer for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone delicious.  Remove the chicken and allow to cool.  Put the 1/4 C flour in a medium bowl and slowly add small amounts of the broth until you form a thick paste.  Keep mixing and adding more broth until the “roux” (not really a roux, but close) is thin enough to add directly back to the pot.

Once the chicken has cooled a bit, remove the bones and other stuff you don’t want to eat, and return the chicken to the pot.

Once the paprikash is cooled enough, add the sour cream.

Top mashed potatoes with the chicken paprikash.  Sprinkle with paprika and enjoy!

Orange Chicken

I was craving some Chinese food a few months ago and saw this recipe on Pinterest. I tweaked it a bit, to make it my own. I have made this twice and it never looks as pretty as the picture from where I got it, but it tastes fantastic! To go with the chicken, I cook some rice in my rice cooker. I substitute out some of the water with orange juice and I add some orange peel, too. I like to mix frozen peas into the rice, as well.

Picture found here.

Orange Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
2 cup chicken broth
1 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp orange peel
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

For the chicken:
3 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1 1/2 c. cornstarch
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 c. vegetable oil

HOW TO PREPARE:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, lightly spray two 9x13 inch glass pans, set aside.

In a medium size mixing bowl (or a 4 c. measuring cup), whisk together the chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, ginger, and black pepper, set aside.

Place the cubes of chicken into a bowl with the whisked eggs, toss the chicken (taking care to let the egg drip off it) into a large ziplock bag full of the cornstarch. Zip and shake until evenly coated.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Working in batches (3-4), add the chicken and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Add the fried chicken to the prepared 9x13 pans. Whisk together a slurry of 2 tbsp. of cornstarch and 2 tbsp. of water, add to the sauce and then pour over the chicken. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Remove and serve immediately.

NOTES
-This dish is best baked to help develop the flavor of the sauce, to thicken it and to make the chicken nice and tender. If you're in a time crunch, you can fry the chicken and heat the sauce (with the cornstarch and water) in a small saucepan until thick, then pour over the chicken and eat immediately.

Chicken Briyani

This was the most tricky recipe I have attempted thus far. One reason is because the original recipe, found here, was most likely written by a native Indian and they left out certain instructions and ingredient amounts, so I had to just wing it and hope that the recipe would turn out. And it was delicious! My children all had seconds AND thirds. We will definitely be making this again. So here is what I did in making this recipe.

My photo. Oh, and this makes great leftovers, too.

Chicken Briyani

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 8

1 cup plain yogurt (I used greek plain yogurt)

1 cup mint leaves, stems removed

1 cup cilantro leaves, stems removed

2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in small pieces

4 tablespoon garlic paste

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tablespoons garam masala powder

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4 cups basmati white rice

2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)*

1 large onion, minced

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoon ground coriander seed

2 tablespoon garam masala

1 cup coconut milk

6 cups chicken broth

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Equipment

Electric skillet with lid

Food processor

HOW TO PREPARE: 

1. In a food processor, put in yogurt, mint leaves, and cilantro. Process until mixed well.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together chicken with yogurt mixture. Stir in garlic paste, ground ginger, and 2 tbsp garam masala. Cover with a lid or saran wrap. Let it rest in the refrigerator for for 4-6  hours or overnight. 

3. In a medium bowl, pour in basmati rice and cover with water. Cover bowl with lid or saran wrap. Soak the basmati rice for 2-4 hours. Once done, drain and set aside.

4. Heat ghee / butter in a large electric skillet and cook minced onion until they are brown in color, about 10-12 minutes. 

5. Sprinkle turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander seed and 2 tbsp garam masala and saute for 3-5 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

6. Add the chicken/yogurt mixture and let it cook for 15 minutes with the lid on, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cook on medium temperature.

7. Once the chicken is almost done cooking, add coconut milk and chicken broth and bring it to a boil.

8. Once you see the sauce bubbling, reduce the flame to low. Add the drained rice and cook covered for 15 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it rest for another 15 minutes - I followed these directions, but my rice still wasn't cooked through, so I added more water and raised the temperature and repeated this step and it worked beautifully. 

9. Using a fork, gently fluff out the rice and transfer to a fresh bowl. Gently mix to combine the rice and chicken. 

*I couldn't find ghee, so I used salted butter and it worked nicely.

Beef Parmigiana

Beef Parmigiana: 

1 ½ lb stew beef

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs (I use leftover GF breadmaker bread that I crumble up and add to some Italian seasoning)

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup corn oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (12oz) can tomato paste

1 tsp salt

½ tsp each granulated sugar & ground marjoram

3 cups hot water

8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced

Cooked penne pasta

Cut beef in bite-size pieces. Combine parmesan & bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and mix well. Dip beef in egg. Coat with parmesan mixture. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat corn oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in hot oil until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer beef to a 13x9 baking dish. Sauté onion and garlic in skillet until tender, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, salt, sugar, marjoram and black pepper to onion mixture and mix well. Stir in hot water gradually. Bring to a boil. Boil, stirring to deglaze skillet, for 5 minutes. Pour ¾ of sauce over beef. Top with mozzarella and the remaining sauce. Bake for 1 hour. Serve with penne pasta, if desired.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

My husband grew up on homemade spaghetti sauce. This recipe was a real winner! I stirred the pasta into the crockpot after both were done cooking. I found the recipe here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/slow-cooker-spaghetti---meatballs

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs 

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 50 min. Cook: 5 hours YIELD:12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used leftover GF breadmaker bread that I crumbled up with some Italian seasoning)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 pounds ground beef

SAUCE:

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano and parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Hot cooked Gluten Free spaghetti

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, pepper and salt; stir in eggs. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. In a large skillet, brown meatballs in batches over medium heat; drain.

2. Place the first four sauce ingredients in a 6-qt. slow cooker; stir in garlic and seasonings. Add meatballs, stirring gently to coat. Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until meatballs are cooked through.

3. Remove bay leaves. Serve with spaghetti. Yield: 12 servings (about 3-1/2 quarts sauce).

Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos

These taquitos are super tasty! I paired them with my crockpot refried beans and they were a BIG hit! My kids cheered and ate the whole pan. I will definitely be making them again. 

Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos

INGREDIENTS:

4 cooked chicken breast, shredded

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4-6 green onions, finely chopped

2 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped

3 garlic gloves, minced

1/2 small anaheim pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp oregano

30 corn tortillas

Shredded cheese

olive or vegetable oil, for brushing the taquitos before baking

HOW TO PREPARE:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, add chicken breast, softened cream cheese, green onions, cilantro, garlic, Anaheim pepper, and all seasonings. Mix everything together until combined well.

Next, line a baking sheet with foil.

Heat up your tortillas for about 30 seconds, or until soft and flexible. (I use a tortilla warmer).

Now add about 2 TBSP of chicken filling and spread it in the middle of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a little shredded cheese. 

Tightly wrap the tortilla and place seam side down. Repeat this process until all the chicken filling has been used.

Once all the tortillas are made, spray the tortillas with vegetable or olive oil. I use a Misto Sprayer for this step. You may also brush on the oil as well.

Cook for 25-30 minutes @ 425 degrees.

Serve oven baked chicken taquitos with a your favorite hot sauce, green sauce, sour cream, and/or avocado salad.

Notes:

If you notice the taquitos cracking or splitting as they cook, spray or brush on more oil as needed.