Shortbread cookies recipe

January is the perfect time to bake. It is so cold outside that we crave comfort food. We at the Russian Artists Team love to share good ideas so here is a great recipe of delicate shortbread cookies made using an embossed rolling pin. You can buy a pin like this on Etsy or use your regular one if you want your cookies plain.

The recipe and photos were provided by our team member, Tetyana Otruta ( https://www.etsy.com/shop/otruta ).

Ingredients for basic recipe*:

200 gr unsalted butter, softened

150 gr powdered sugar

1 medium egg

390 gr all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

* If you'd like to make your cookies chocolate flavored, add 30 gr. of cocoa but reduce the flour (the same amount 30 gr). Add an orange or lemon zest from 1 fruit to make them citrus flavored.

How to make them:

Beat the butter with a sugar until creamy. Add the egg and flavor, if using (orange zest or cocoa), then add a flour. The dough will be soft so wrap it in a plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Roll out the dough with your regular pin 5-6mm thick, then use your embossed one. Using a floured cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place them to a freezer for several minutes before baking them.

Preheat the oven to 375'F. Transfer the cookies to parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake for about 5 to 7 minutes.

 Enjoy!

Healthy cooking challenge, February 20th to March 20th, 2016

Let's celebrate spring with delicious and good-for-you dishes that will not make your waist line expand and will be loved by the whole family! Between now and March 20th, post your favorite healthy recipe on your facebook, blog, Pinterest and post your links here in the comments section.  

The rule: no flour, no sugar, no gluten, low fat.

We will share your links and also vote for the most loved recipe. Join the challenge!

National cuisine recipes exchange

The September National cuisine recipes exchange has ended. We had many wonderful and tasty ideas on what to cook and we had both, easy and difficult to cook recipes.  

So here they are - try them at home:

Ukrainian borscht by Irina IrinaPhotographyCard:

 

Egg & milk battered fish by Tanya SocksAndMittens:

 

Salted Salmon by Albina AroundBeads:

 Ukrainian dumplings/ vareniki by IrenkaR:

 Shakshouka/ poached eggs by Galia CasaDeGato:

 

Baked eggplant with cheese by Svetlana NesWeddingGarden:

 

Eggplant spread /caviar by Masha LovelyTrifles:

 Buckwheat with mushrooms by Jane JaneBoFelt:

Fried Chanterelles with potatoes and onions by Tanya CozySeason:

Try one of them or all of them at home and tell us how you like it!

Hungarian Chicken Paprika recipe

Today Nadia (crafts2love) is sharing with our readers one of her favorite recipes, Chicken Paprika.
Try to cook it and you will love this dish full of flavor!

Nadia:
Since moving to Hungary I have been fascinated by its cuisine. Today I would like to share a recipe not less tasty but perhaps a little less knows than the famous Hungarian Gulyash… Paprikas Csirke (Chicken Paprika) is not hard to cook but it needs a couple specific ingredients… here is what you will need to make it for a family of 6 like mine:

Chicken (legs or whole chicken cut up in chunks with bone) - 1-1.5kg
Onion - 2 pcs
Paprika (red powder spice, made in Hungary for best flavor - 2tbsps
Cultured sour cream -1 cup
Flour 1 heaped tbsp
Salt to taste (ground black pepper optional)

 For pasta to go with chicken:
Tarhonya* noodles or any type of egg noodles - 0.5 kg
Olive oil - 2-3 tbsp
Salt to taste

Directions:

Chicken:
Have some freshly boiled water ready. Cut onion in halves or quarters if it’s large. Put onion and chicken chunks in a heavy bottom pot on high.

Brown the chicken skin. (Some of the fat with drip and the onion will get fried a bit.) Put in paprika and stir fast to coat the chicken but not to burn the spice, pour boiling water to just cover meat, turn heat down and simmer for 40minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of your meat pieces).

Noodles:
Tarhonya looks like small grain or (the homemade variety) like crumbs. It needs to be warmed with oil in a heavy bottom pan. Another way of cooking it is to totally brown it but my kids like it light. So pour the noodles and oil and stir together in a heated pot. Pour boiling water over the noodles, salt, turn heat and simmer for 15 minutes (sort of like you cook rice).

*If you'd like to make tarhonya noodles at home here is how:

Per person you will need 120 gram of flour, 1 egg, pinch of salt and a bit of cold water. Knead a very tight dough, adding water by teaspoonfulls, form tight balls, grate them and dry the noodles in the sun (or in hot kitchen). It is possible to cook them fresh (without drying), then heat your oil well (and use more of it), drop the noodles in, stir gently, pour boiling water to just cover them and simmer for 15 min. Leave to stand covered and serve with sauce over the noodles.

For chicken paprika you can substitute tarnoya for any other type of egg noodles your family likes.

Sauce:
Mix 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sour cream, salt and flour. When the chicken is done pour int he flour mixture stirring gently and bring to boil. Add freshly ground pepper if you like it.

Serving:
Some of the sauce may be mixed into the noodles or everything just gets served to plates. People might want to add more uncooked sour cream onto their plate.

Jó étvágyat!

By Nadia (crafts2love)

Lifestyle: yoga

Hello, our wonderful readers!

My name is Yanina and I own shop nafanyafelt on etsy, but today I will talk about yoga. If you have missed my previous post about yoga, no worries, I will go over some of it again.

As we all know it is very important to be yourself, but it is even more important to let it go.

And yes I know I have said that before, but trust me not all of us can do it, so be ready to hear this phrase a lot :)

My story have begun 4 years ago. I have met a wonderful person once, who was so passionate about yoga that I could not resist and I had to try it.

And my journey begins...

 4pm Sunday. My first practice.

Small room, soft music, dim lights and 104 degree. I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know if I will survive the heat and I didn't know that from this very moment I would find my passion, discover my style of life and learn so much!

To be honest my very first practice was awful from every point. I looked around a lot, I have checked myself in the mirrors even more often (well I am a women after all).

I compared myself to others in this small room and felt so weak and awkward. It was so painful not only for my muscles but also for my ego, even thought I didn't try to compete :)

I was inspired by people around me, they were so calm and moved so gracefully!
And yes I was jealous. I was jealous of what they can do, for me it was impossible even imagine I ever could tied myself in such knot or lift my body on one arm.

I have said out loud so many times I will never get this done, and every single time this little voice in my head would whisper practice takes time. To be honest my teacher said exactly the same thing to me once and now I say it out loud to everyone.

Practice takes time, practice and you will get it done. This phrase can be very well used in a regular life too, not just in yoga.

And I listened, and I learned and I grew.

 And I did. And I do...

Along my physical progress I have learned the importance of what I eat.
And today I would like to share with you the recipe of my favorite desert.



Ingredients:
angel's food cake
Greek yogurt (any plain yogurt will work too)
ricotta cheese
strawberry
whipped cream for garnish
mint leaves for garnish
sugar

1.Set aside some strawberries for garnish

Slice the rest of the strawberries into small pieces.

2. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat yogurt and ricotta cheese and 2 tablespoons sugar until soft
peaks form.

Reserve some of this cream for garnish, if you don't have whipped cream on hand.
*If the cream doesn't hold the pikes you can add some gelatin mixed with water according to directions on the packaging.

4. Fold strawberries into yogurt-riccota cheese cream remaining in bowl.

5. Cut cake into 3 equal pieces

Place 1st cake strip on platter; spread with half of mixture with strawberry. Top with 1 more cake strip then with remaining mixture. Top with remaining cake.

6. Spread reserved cream on top of cake or garnish with whipped cream.

Cut each reserved strawberry in half; use to garnish platter and top of cake. Finish with mint leaves.

Refrigerate if not serving right away. Refrigerate for 1 hour if gelatin has been used.


Enjoy and remember:

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny"

Pumpkin risotto

We love pumpkins! Pumpkin is very popular at this time of year and Katrin (Katrinshine) would like to share with us the pumpkin risotto recipe today. It is a simple but tasty and you will cook it in about 40 minutes. Perfect dish for the autumn supper!

 You will need:
200 gr rice
300 gr pumpkin
50 gr butter
50 gr parmigiano, grated
1 medium size onion, chopped
500 gr hot water or vegetable broth
100 ml white wine
Salt & pepper to taste

Remove the peel and the seeds of pumpkin. Cut it into pieces and boil. Remove the pumpkin from the water and whip it up with the blender. Reserve the liquid, this is your vegetable stock.

Saute the onion until golden in color in about half of amount of butter. Add rice and stir. Cook for about 5 more minutes and add some wine to the mix. Stir onion, rice and wine together.

Add some reserved vegetable stock or hot water to the pan, stir. Add pureed pumpkin and the rest of liquid. Stir and cook all together until rice will become tender.

Add the other half of butter and the parmigiano. Stir and leave for a couple of minutes under the lid.

It's ready to serve!

If you like add some chopped parsley when serving.

Enjoy!

Recipe by Katrin Katrinshine
Translated by Natalia Grimme

Barley and smoked bacon skillet supper

Almost anyone who recalls having some pearl barley during his/ hers childhood did not have a very positive impression about it. However, there is a way to make it taste great! Katrin (katrinshine) is glad to share her recipe with us today.

You will need:
1 cup of pearl barley

3 cups of water
2 lbs of tomatoes, chopped or 1 can (28 oz) of diced unsalted tomatoes

1/2 lbs of salted smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil

Wash the pearl barley several times. Leave it soaking in the water for at least 4 to 5 hours. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and continue cooking until the barley is tender and liquid is almost absorbed or use a colander to drain barley (reserve some cooking liquid).

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and sauté the onions over medium-high heat until golden in color. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomatoes and simmer all together on a low setting.

Stir in the cooked barley and reserved liquid. Continue to cook over low heat until heated thoroughly.

Add some salt if needed. Katrin is not using any salt in her recipe because the bacon is salty already. But if you feel you need to add some, feel free.

Enjoy!

Recipe & photography by Katrin (Katrinshine)
Translated by Natalia (Grimme)

Sweet Valentine

Valentine is the sweetest holiday of all and not just because a romantic prospect. This day is all about sweet deserts!


So we'd like to share this recipe with you. It is easy to make and will look perfect on your Valentine's table! Maria (lovelytrifles), who is the author of this delicious strawberry cake calls it "Strawberry fields forever" because she is using strawberries from her own garden in the summer. For the rest of us, who do not grow organic produce it is time to make a list and start shopping!


Here is what you need:

For dough:
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
Butter to grease a form (cooking spray will work also)
2 tablespoons farina
about 3 lbs of strawberries

For glaze:
2 stick of chocolate (200 gr)
50-70 ml of milk (1.5-2.5 oz)
30 gr of butter

Springform pan for baking

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 385'F.
Beat eggs and sugar with mixer. Add flour in two portions at the time while continue beating. The dough should be smooth with no lumps.


Grease your baking springform pan (about 12" diameter). Sprinkle the bottom and edges with farina. Arrange strawberries on the bottom of form, it can be done in two layers (reserve some strawberries for decoration). Pour the liquid dough on top of berries and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until ready (use a toothpick to check if it is ready). Let it chill in a form, then remove the sides.

Make the glaze:
In a double boiler melt the chocolate. Add the butter and the milk and stir occasionally until smooth.


While it is still hot pour the glaze over the cooled cake and spread it evenly. Let it cool slightly and decorate with strawberries.

Bon appetite and we hope your Valentine will like it!


Recipe by Maria (Lovelytrifles)
Translated by Tanya (Socksandmittens)