Rhubarb crumble
800 g rhubarb, washed, cut into 1 cm pieces
100 g light brown sugar
50 g sugar
Optional: cinnamon or a few handfuls of fresh or frozen berries
For the crumble
200 g all purpose flour, can use whole grain for healthier option
200 g old fashioned rolled oats
200 g unsalted butter, cold
100 g light brown sugar + 1 tbsp for sprinkling
Pinch of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (celsius).
2. Wash and peel the rhubarb, then cut in 1 cm pieces, mix with both sugars and set aside. Add the berries or cinnamon here if desired. If using frozen berries, no need to defrost, just add straight from the freezer.
3. Butter or oil a 30x20x6 cm baking pan, pour the rhubarb mixture in and press down lightly. Place in the oven to cook for 10 min.
Make the crumble
4. In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, sugar, salt and cold butter (cut into cubes). Use your hands to press everything together until a crumble forms.
5. When the rhubarb has been cooking for the 10 min, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the crumble mix. Then top it all off with more brown sugar for extra crunch.
6. Place the pan back in the oven for about 25-30 min, until the crumble is golden brown.
7. Can be served hot or cold with a ball of vanilla ice cream or a glass of milk.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Oto Avots
Chewy oat cookies
110 g walnuts or pecan nuts
170 g unsalted butter, room temp
210 g light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla sugar
95 g all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
250 g old fashioned rolled oats
100 g dried cranberries or cherries
100 g chocolate, chopped (can use white or dark chocolate- whichever you like better)
optional- handful of fresh cranberries
Makes 18 large cookies, must be preserved in a container
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (celsius). Bake the nuts for 8 min until fragrant on a baking sheet and set aside, then chop.
2. In a medium bowl mix the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 min). Add the egg and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until incorporated.
5. Stir in the oats, dried and fresh cranberries if using, nuts and chocolate chips.
6. Using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, put the dough on baking sheet 9 cookies at a time. Shape the form using wet fingers.
7. Bake in the oven for 12-15 min until golden on the sides, but the middle is still soft.
8. Set aside to cool.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Foto: Ieva Andersone (IG: photoievaandersone)
Published: Ievas Virtuve, santa.lv
Vegetable stew with cheese
When it is harvest season and a lot of fresh delicious veggies are available, it is very easy to make a rich and filling dinner without meat. The cheese is what helps create the full flavor and the pickle is just a great addition to make it the perfect vegetarian dish!
I borrowed this recipe from friends that are lifelong vegetarians and have figured out a way to feed their always hungry meat-eating friends that come over for dinner parties 😆
8 medium new potatoes
8 medium carrots
1 cauliflower or cabbage head
1 medium eggplant
1 medium squash
4 medium tomatoes
200 g fresh yellow wax beans
150-200 g fresh peas
2 medium onions
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp Indian spices garam masala (cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, etc)
200 g cottage cheese
Seasonal greens (thyme, parsley, basil, dill)
1 chili pepper
100 g butter for cooking
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup boiling water
Salt and pepper
1. Wash all the veggies, peel the potatoes and carrots and cut into medium pieces. Cut the eggplant (and immediately place in water so it doesn’t brown), squash, tomatoes and cauliflower similarly.
2. Cut the ends off the wax beans and cut them in half (or three pieces if the beans are very large). Peel the peas, peel and cut the onion and leave the garlic cloves separated but unpeeled.
3. Wash and pat dry the greens and then chop finely. Deseed the chili and chop finely, leave the seeds if you want it spicier.
4. On medium heat place a cast iron pot and melt half of the butter, watch for it not to burn. Cook the onions, later the garlic cloves with the peel still on, chili pepper and the spices (cumin and masala).
5. Once the onions are transparent, remove the garlic cloves, add olive oil and start gradually adding the veggies. Carrots first, then potatoes, stir and after 3-5 min add cauliflower and wax beans. Watch for the stew not to get too dry and add boiling water if and when necessary. Add the rest of the vegetables and sautée until everything is soft.
6. While stewing the veggies, add the greens gradually. When almost done, add the cooked garlic cloves and cheese (cut in pieces). Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Once the stew is ready, stir in the rest of the butter and sprinkle greens on top.
8. Serve with pickles, if desired.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ieva Andersone
Avocado hummus
What can make our breakfast fresh and more healthy? Avocado humus, of course!
If you enjoy hummus in general, I suggest to get a whole jar of tahini paste- it gives that tangy taste to the hummus and can stay in the fridge for quite a while.
Anytime you come across some ripe avocados, make some hummus!
400 g canned chickpeas
4 ripe medium sized avocados
1 garlic clove
Handful of coriander or parsley
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for serving
3 tbsp lime juice
1-2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
¼ tsp cumin
Chili to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Using a food processor pulse together the chicpeas, olive oil, garlic, chopped coriander, chilli, tahini until it forms a smooth paste.
2. Add cumin, salt and pepper and the avocados- blend together until incorporated.
3. Serve with olive oil and fresh pepper on top.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ārija Avota
Split pea porridge with Greek sauce salad
I didn’t use to make split pea porridge too often, since it usually was served with meat or other foods that made the whole dish seem a little heavy. This all changed once I traveled to Greece and discovered you can have the porridge on its own, just drizzled with a little olive oil and onions- that is just the kind of food you want in hot weather!
This recipe is currently very popular in my mother in laws household- hot weather outside, lots of garden work to be done, so this is the perfect dish- both rich and light at the same time.
And turns out, a salad of any kind pairs well with this porridge- I like a classic Greek salad with olives, tomatoes and fresh cucumber.
500 g split peas
1 medium onion for cooking
2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
Salt and pepper
For serving
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
For the salad
1 small head of lettuce
1 sweet onion
4 medium cucumbers
100 g feta cheese
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
2 handfuls Kalamata olives
1 sun dried tomatoes, cut in strips
200 g Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Rinse the split peas several times in fresh water. Chop the onion finely.
2. In a pot heat the olive oil and cook the chopped onion until transparent, add the split peas and add cold water so that the peas are covered 2 cm above. Rapidly bring to boil and then turn the heat down and keep cooking for about 40 min until the peas become soft while stirring every once in a while.
3. Once almost ready, add the salt. The porridge will be runny so set the pot aside with the lid on and covered in a blanket for at least 20 min.
4. In the mean time prepare the salad.
5. Tear the lettuce and arrange on the bottom of the plate or bowl the salad will be served in.
6. Grate the onion and cucumber, drain the juice and add to the lettuce.
7. Mix the Greek yogurt with lemon juice, salt and pour over the salad. Add olives, cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and sprinkle the feta cheese on top. Add fresh pepper to taste.
8. Chop the fresh onion and set aside.
9. Serve the porridge in bowls and drizzle over with olive oil and chopped onions, add pepper to taste.
10. Serve with the salad.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ieva Andersone
Salmon with mango salsa and sweet potato
4 pieces of fresh salmon fillet, approximately 3-4 cm wide
½ chili, chopped
Few branches of thyme
Olive oil
Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
For the salsa
1 large, ripe mango, half finely chopped, other half pureed
Small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
½ fresh chili pepper, deseeded, very finely chopped
½ sweet onion, finely chopped
¼ lime juice
Salt
1. Remove the pin bones from the salmon, clean the scales and cut off the uneven edges. Cut in 3-4 com pieces.
2. Place the salmon pieces on a baking sheet and season with the chopped chili, thyme, olive oil and rub that in, leave for a while to marinate.
3. Peel the mango, finely chop one half and puree the other using a blender. Add chopped parsley, chili, onions, salt and lime juice to the mango. Stir everything together and the salsa is ready.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
5. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut in 0.5 cm slices. Place the slices in a bowl and season with cumin, thyme, pressed garlic and add olive oil, stir well. Add salt and pepper too.
6. Place a baking sheet on a deep baking tray and arrange the sweet potato slices along with the garlic in one layer.
7. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake until golden and soft.
8. Heat a frying pan on medium heat with the olive oil and butter, when the butter begins to foam, cook the salmon. Both sides need to be cooked only until golden brown. The in the end, fry the skin side until crunchy, but be careful not to overcook. Rest for 5 min after cooking.
9. Serve salmon with the salsa on top and sweet potatoes on the side.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ieva Andersone (IG: photoievaandersone)
Published: Ievas Virtuve, santa.lv
Green salad with basic sauce
This salad will save the world and all of us along with it :) If we are looking for a magic key to healthy lifestyle and regulating weight- this salad is that key! This basic salad recipe should be taught to every family member, so we can all live healthier and learn more healthy habits. This is the only time when the bigger the portion- the better!
The main part of this salad is the sauce, however for the salad itself- any in season greens and veggies will work.
Different seasonal salads and greens (rucola, spinach, dill, basil, chives, etc)
4 fresh cucumbers, peeled, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced or a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 sweet onion cut into rings
Options to add: bell pepper, avocado, mango, apple, pear, leek, carrots (grated), strawberries, sun dried tomatoes, capers, feta cheese, blue cheese, cooked chicken or shrimp etc.
For the basic sauce
¼ tsp salt
¼ tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (balsamico, apple or red wine vinegar)
1 tsp raw honey, jam, syrup or sugar
4+ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For extra flavor: chopped anchovies, blue cheese, pressed garlic, Dijon mustard, etc.
1. On a wide plate or large bowl, place the teared salad and chopped greens.
2. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onions and all other chosen options.
3. In a small bowl make the sauce: add salt, squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the honey until it dissolves. Then drizzle in the olive oil slowly while stirring constantly with a fork. This is when to add the additional flavor option.
4. Pour the sauce over the salad only before serving.
Recipe:: Ārija Avota
Photo: Oto Avots
Apple crumble
Oh yes, yes, yes! During apple season baking an apple crumble is a MUST!
So you are left with fond memories and a wonderful aftertaste of the end of summer and the harvest season. And that amazing smell- my family has a smile on their faces as they come right through the door.
800 g sour apples, peeled and cut into pieces
100 g light brown sugar
Optional- cinnamon
For the crumble
200 g all purpose flour (or use wholegrain flour)
200 g old fashioned rolled oats
200 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
100 g light brown sugar + 1 tbsp to sprinkle
Pinch of salt
1. In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients- flour, oats, sugar, salt. Add the cold butter and using your hands mix everything together until crumbles form.
2. Peel the apples and cut into pieces. Mix together with the brow sugar and add cinnamon if using.
Only mix the apples with the sugar right before use so that the apples don’t lose their juices.
3. Heat the oven to 180 degrees (celsius).
4. Butter a 30x20x6 cm pan.
5. First place the apples on the bottom of the pan and then evenly cover with the crumble dough. Now sprinkle over the extra tablespoon of sugar for more crunchiness.
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25-30 min. The crumble is ready when the top is golden brown.
7. Can be served hot or cold, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream can be added.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Oto Avots
Romaine and blue cheese salad
This salad is great by itself as a snack or entrée, or as a perfect addition to many main dishes. When eating this salad, you use the romaine leaves as a utensil to scoop all the delicious sauce up. This salad could be called the “quick Caesar salad”- it is a little spicy and very juicy.
2 romaine salad cores (if you can’t buy the core separately, just use the inner leaves)
1 medium sweet onion, cut in thin slices
For the sauce
200 g blue cheese, crumbled
2 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
4 fillets of anchovies, very finely chopped
3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
80 g high quality olive oil
Salt and pepper
Makes 4 portions
1. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the Balsamic vinegar, chopped anchovies, salt and garlic. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in the sauce, whisking with a fork constantly. Finally add the crumbled blue cheese and fresh pepper.
2. In a large bowl or plate (the one you will be serving the salad in) arrange the romaine lettuce one by one. If the leaves are too big, cut them in half.
3. Spread the sauce evenly over the leaves and sprinkle the fine onion slices on top.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ieva Andersone (IG: photoievaandersone)
Published: Ievas Virtuve, santa.lv
Tiramisu
This is as classic as it gets- a very traditional tiramisu, that is the best I’ve ever tasted. Also great point- it has little ingredients and is easy to make. Many recipes suggest to cover the tiramisu with grated chocolate, but I prefer using cocoa powder that makes the chocolate taste less dominant and over powering.
Sometimes I like to take this dessert to work and enjoy it with a cup of coffee.
For the cream
500 g Mascarpone cream cheese
250 g sugar
4 egg yolks
2 egg whites
2 tbsp cocoa powder for sprinkling
3 cups strong, black coffee (cold)
1 tbsp brandy or whiskey
400 g ladyfinger cookies
1. Brew the coffee and set it aside to cool (you can make it using any method you prefer).
2. In a large bowl mix together the egg yolks with sugar and beat until the mixture turns light and fluffy. Then gradually add the mascarpone cream cheese one tablespoon at a time, beating in between every time.
3. Using clean and dry whisks, beat the egg whites in a smaller and also clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
4. Slowly stir in the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture. Be gentle not to lose the fluffiness.
5. Pour the cooled coffee and the brandy (or whiskey) in a shallow bowl.
6. Prepare the baking pan 30x20x5 cm to start layering the tiramisu.
7. One by one take the ladyfinger cookies, dip in the coffee and place on the bottom of the pan tightly side by side. You only need to dip the cookie for a second, otherwise it can get too soggy and the tiramisu wont hold together as well as it should.
8. On top of the first layer of ladyfingers, spread half of the cream cheese mixture evenly. Then repeat a layer of ladyfingers and again the cream cheese. Use a sift to sprinkle cocoa powder on top of the tiramisu at the end. The cocoa is supposed to cover the whole tiramisu.
9. Place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Serve with fruit and some coffee or by it self, of course.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ārija Avota
Buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and bacon
In our family we enjoy these buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup or soft honey and a side of crunchy salty bacon. What a combo!
Sometimes I add blueberries to this dough- fresh or frozen both work great. You mix the berries in the flour mixture before adding that to the wet ingredients. And the frozen berries don’t need to be defrosted.
2 large eggs
80 g butter, melted
500 ml buttermilk or keffir
260 g all purpose flour (can replace half with wholegrain flour for a healthier option)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar (or honey)
Pinch of salt
Olive oil for cooking
For serving
Maple syrup
Bacon, cooked
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- flour, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar.
2. In a smaller bowl beat the eggs and add the melted butter. Then slowly mix the buttermilk in as well.
3. Create a pit in the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture in there. Slowly stir them together and do not overmix. It’s completely fine if some lumps are left as those will mix throughout the cooking process.
4. Grease the frying pan with olive oil and use a tablespoon or ice cream scoop to put the dough on the pan. The number of pancakes you can cook at one time depend on how big of a frying pan you have. Cook on medium heat until golden brown, from both sides.
5. Serve while hot with maple syrup and few bacon strips (or any other condiments you like).
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ārija Avota
Rhubarb muffins
This is a great way how to finish off rhubarb season- baking some juicy rhubarb muffins 👌
320 g all purpose flour, I like to replace 1/3 with whole grain flour
150 g sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
grated lemon peel of 1 lemon
250 ml buttermilk
1 large egg, room temp
120 ml vegetable oil
300 g fresh rhubarb, cut into small pieces
Optional: add 100 g frozen (no need to defrost) blueberries, raspberries or black currants
Makes 12 muffins
1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (celsius). Place muffin liners in the muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl stir or whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt and lemon peel. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl beat the egg and then add oil and buttermilk.
4. Take the large bowl and create a pit in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour in the egg mixture and stir everything very gently.
Be careful not to over mix the batter, there might be some lumps left and that is ok. If over mixed, the muffins could turn out dense and not as fluffy.
5. Add the rhubarb and berries (if chosen to use) to the batter and stir in slowly.
6. Pour the batter in the muffin tin, spread it evenly. Place the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 min. The muffins will be well risen and a little golden brown on the top. Check the center with a toothpick.
7. When removed from the oven, let the muffins cool for 5-10 min and then serve.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Oto Avots
Omelette
I am learning to cook the perfect omelette my whole life- turns out it isn’t that easy! An omelette needs to be soft, melting in the mouth, fluffy and with the beautiful taste of butter. It should not be golden brown- that indicates it is overcooked.
Some advice: 1) the eggs should be room temp before cooking, then the omelette will cook more evenly, 2) use the correct size pan- 25 cm pan for a 3 egg omelette, 20 cm for a 2 egg omelette, 4) if you are cooking the omelette using the folding method, fold the omelette while the surface is still moist. Once folded it will still keep cooking and be nice and juicy.
3 eggs, room temp
2-3 tbsp full fat milk, heavy cream, sour cream or water
20-30 g grated cheese (cheddar, gruyere or parmesan)
1 tbsp butter for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
Options for serving:
Cooked onions
Bacon strips
Cooked tomatoes with mushrooms
Serves two people
1. Heat a 25 cm frying pan on medium heat.
2. Lightly beat the eggs, add the salt and milk and mix together.
3. Grease the frying pan with butter and pour the egg mixture on- then turn down the heat to medium low.
4. Wait a minute for the eggs to raise on the edges, then using a spatula, pull the edges to the center so the liquid part can flow underneath.
5. Now sprinkle the cheese (and other condiments- greens, spices, cottage cheese, tomatoes etc) and put the lid on the pan, let it cook. Another version- put the pan in the preheated oven (175 degrees celsius) for 2-3 min with no lid on. This can be done even with pans that have plastic or wooden handles.
6. After 2-3 min cooking under the lid, use a spatula to fold the omelette in half. Take the pan off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve with one of the chosen options and some toasted bread.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ārija Avota
Potato salad
This salad is something straight from my childhood in Latvia, I love them for any occasion. With a cold and sparkling pickle straight from the jar! My grandmother and mom sometimes used linseed oil that gives the salad an interesting but really good taste. I mostly use extra virgin olive oil, sometimes pumpkin oil and also update the salad with cold smoked salmon for more spiciness.
I feel like this is a very healthy and real type of dish. You can just feel the strength it gives you when eating it!
8 medium potatoes, approximately 800 g
1 large onion, better sweet
50 ml pumpkin seed oil or extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Wash the potatoes with a brush and boil them in a pot until soft. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Peel and chop the onion.
3. When the potatoes are cool, peel and cut them into 1.5-2 cm cubes. If you want to have the salad warm, then use gloves to peel the potatoes sooner. Place in a large bowl and add the chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste and mix everything with olive oil.
4. Serve with pickles. Can also sprinkle with cold smoked salmon.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Oto Avots
Beans and chicken with a crunchy corn chip and cheese crust
When it is rainy or cold outside, it’s really nice to turn on the oven and bake something just like this- a little spicy, creamy, rich, crunchy and very very delicious. The perfect comfort food!
2 (480 g net) cans of kidney beans in saltwater, drained
2 (480 g net) cans of white beans in saltwater, drained
2 (800 g) cans tomatoes whole or chopped, peeled
500 g cooked chicken meat, cut in 1.5 cm cubes or pulled. You can boil a whole chicken the day before in greens, carrots and onions and get a real broth along with the process.
250 g hard cheese, grated
300 ml chicken or vegetable broth
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips or diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed through garlic press
large handful of parsley or kinza, chopped
3 tsp ground cumin
1 chili pepper, chopped or tsp of chili paste
4 tbsp olive oil for cooking
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
For the crust
1 (200 g) pack tortilla chips, slightly crushed
250 g hard cheese, grated
200 g sour cream for serving
Canned Jalapeno peppers, chopped for serving
1. Get a large cast iron pot or a deep pan with a lid (it needs an iron handle to be put in the oven, if not, then this will need to be later transferred to a baking dish 22x30 cm) and heat the olive oil. On low heat cook the onion until it becomes soft and transparent.
2. Add the cumin, chili, garlic, pepper and sautée for approximately 5 min.
3. Then add the canned tomatoes and stir.
4. Gradually add the rinsed beans, chopped parsley and half of the broth, stir and sautée for 5-7 min.
5. Stir in the chicken strips and the rest of the broth, put the lid on and let it simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes so the flavors can be absorbed.
6. Stir in the grated cheese.
6. Heat the oven to 200 degrees (celsius).
7. Cover the stew with the crushed tortilla chips, press down lightly.
8. Place the pot in the oven and bake for 20-30 min. Then sprinkle the grated cheese on top and put back in the oven for a few more minutes until cheese has melted.
9. When removed from oven, let it rest for 10 min and then serve along with the sour cream and chopped jalapenos.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Oto Avots
Chicken wings in bbq sauce
This recipe is simple- the wings can be eaten immediately as a main course with a side dish of your choice, or cold as a snack. Usually no one is left indifferent and the cook receives a lot of compliments. The key is to use a high quality soy sauce and ketchup. Also- the wings need to be cooked long enough for the sauce to start thickening and the wings are almost falling apart (and off the bone). After removing from the oven you need to stir the wings several times to let the sauce cover the wings completely and nothing is left at the bottom of the pan.
2 kg chicken wings (cut into 3 pieces, don’t use the tip)
For the marinade
100 ml ketchup
100 ml 9% vinegar
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp sugar, best to use brown sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (celsius) with fan. If you don’t have the fan option- heat it to 200 degrees (celsius).
2. Cut the wings in three pieces each (we don’t use the small tip), rinse and pat them dry. Arrange the wings in a 26x18x6 cm deep pan and set aside for now.
3. In a small pot mix together all the ingredients for the marinade sauce. Bring to a boil and pour it over the wings while still hot. Stir the wings so that everything is covered in sauce. Place the pan in the oven in the middle rack and cook for approximately 1 hour (stirring every once in a while). It is crucial to get the wings to brown and the marinade to thicken so it holds to the wings like a glaze instead of dripping off.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Oto Avots
Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Our family loves any kind of homemade cookies! Especially the chewy and soft kind- like these.
I try to put part of the dough in the freezer right away since sometimes you just really crave some sweets immediately :)
The peanut butter gives the cookies a nice nutty, salty taste. For absolute best results use homemade peanut butter or use the organic kind.
300 g dark chocolate (cocoa content at least 50%)
100 g milk chocolate (cocoa content at least 35%)
100 g light brown sugar
85 g butter, room temp
100 g peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
1 egg, room temp
1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla sugar
100 g all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
100 g salted, roasted peanuts
Makes 12 large cookies
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (celsius). Prepare the baking sheets for the pan.
2. Melt 200 g of the dark chocolate (best method is over water) in a medium bowl. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a little.
3. Chop the rest of the chocolates (dark and milk) into chunks.
4. Add the sugar, soft butter, peanut butter to the melted chocolate bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture- the flour, chocolate chunks, salted nuts. The dough will be kind of soft.
6. Using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop form the dough in balls on the baking sheets- six on each sheet.
7. Bake one pan at a time for 10-12 min, until the sides ar brown, but center still soft. The cookies will set as they cool.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ieva Andersone (IG: photoievaandersone)
Published: Ievas virtuve, santa.lv
Citrus and avocado salad
This exotic salad is quite unusual, but it pairs very nicely with rich meat dishes, for instance a roast or ribs. It can really refresh and bring out the taste of the main course making any plain dish extraordinary.
Two handfuls of assorted green leaf salads- arugula, spinach, romaine lettuce etc.
1 orange
1 grapefruit
2 ripe avocados
2 medium sweet onions
For the sauce
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp honey
½ tsp seeds of coriander
Pepper to taste
Makes 4 portions
1. Peel the orange and grapefruit with a knife so that none of the white part is left on the fruit. Then slice the fruits in thin slices and then in half.
2. Peel the avocado and cut in slices.
3. Peel and slice the onion.
4. Take a large bowl (the one you will be serving the salad in) and layer the ingredients: the green salad on the bottom, then alternately add the citrus, avocado and onion rings.
5. In a small bowl or cup mix together the lemon juice, soy sauce, honey and coriander seeds. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while constantly whisking the sauce using a fork. Pour the sauce over the salad just before serving, add fresh pepper.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ieva Andersone (IG: photoievaandersone)
Fettuccine with mushrooms
It’s best to cook fettuccine in one pan for 2-3 people at a time. If you cook for larger groups of people, the mushrooms can turn out not as golden or the sauce could be a little off and not as aromatic. If everything is done right- this is a very wonderful and amazing dish!
Even better if this is cooked by a man and he can use the big knife to slice the cheese on top- very very romantic :)
150 g mushrooms, champignons or portobello
2 garlic cloves
300 g fettuccine noodles
150 ml heavy cream
50 g grated cheese, Cheddar or Parmesan
2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large pot, boil water and add salt generously. Cook the fettuccine noodles as instructed on packaging.
2. Cut the mushrooms in slices and cook them in olive oil and butter until golden brown (in a large pan with high edges). Add the garlic, pushed through a garlic press, salt and pepper and sautée for a little bit. Then stir in the heavy cream and lower the heat to a minimum, let everything simmer for about 2 min. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Set aside.
3. Drain the noodles and stir in together with the sauce in the pan.
4. Serve hot on a plate topped with grated or shaved cheese.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Foto: Oto Avots
Spaghetti Carbonara
This is a recipe for those times when you have nothing at home to cook dinner from. And really, spaghetti, eggs and a piece of bacon is something you should have lying around to be cooking from scratch in the first place :) And if you have some cheese to grate over this dish- perfect! This is a great classic pasta recipe- creamy, rich in flavor and without using any heavy cream! It really is possible.
100 g bacon
1 garlic clove
200 g spaghetti
1 egg
40 g (2-3 tbsp) Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1. Cut the bacon into 5-7 large squares.
2. Heavily salt a large pot of water (general rule when cooking any kind of pasta) and bring to boil, add the spaghetti and cook as directed on package.
3. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and add the grated cheese, set aside.
4. Fry the bacon on a pan and once the pieces are golden, press the garlic clove through the press, add pepper and stir. When the garlic becomes fragrant, remove pan from heat.
5. Drain the spaghetti, but leave a little of the water in a cup (approx 150 ml).
6. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan with the bacon and put the pan on the heat again. Add a little of the pasta water- just enough to make a sauce.
7. Remove from heat and slowly add the egg and cheese mixture, stir to create a creamy sauce. If necessary, add more pasta water.
8. Serve while hot.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ārija Avota