Hot hummus with chicken and cauliflower is a complete meal, an excellent source of protein and healthy fiber. We are more accustomed to seeing hummus as a cold appetizer or dip, a thick sauce in which pieces of vegetables, pita, or crackers are dipped. However, in the Middle East, hummus is often served warm as an independent dish with various toppings—mushrooms, eggs, beef, or, as in our recipe, chicken.

Hot hummus with chicken and cauliflower

This is a very summery dish, typical for mid to late summer in most parts of our country. Even large, overgrown chanterelles, which are abundant in the forest at this time, will work well in this pie.

Chanterelle pie

You have an amazingly fragrant cream soup before you, prepared in the French tradition. The taste of mushrooms is complemented by fried bacon, cognac, and cream. The soup is served in pots with lids made of dough. By the way, you can eat the lids instead of bread.

Festive chanterelle soup

Strawberry jelly is the easiest way to live beautifully right here and now. Both fresh berries, which are just beginning to appear in supermarkets, and frozen ones are perfect for it. A simple and delightful dessert: light, not too high in calories, tasty, and photogenic. Perfect for posting on social media.

Strawberry jelly

The trendiest Georgian dish in both capitals these days! And its popularity is easily explained: young lamb is simmered in white wine with tkemali and a whole bunch of aromatic herbs. The result is an incredibly fragrant sauce and the most tender meat!

Chakapuli

Spicy eggplant caviar is a variation on the classic appetizer. The spiciness in this dish can be achieved in different ways. You can add raw hot pepper pods to the standard ingredients, or you can add already processed pepper (for instance, ground or flakes). Choose more or less hot pepper varieties according to your taste.

Spicy eggplant caviar for winter

Squid stuffed with rice, baked in the oven, is an excellent dish for a family dinner. Thanks to the tomato sauce, it turns out very juicy and tender. This dish will not only be loved by all your household members but will also bring undeniable health benefits, as it contains a lot of protein, valuable dietary fiber, and very little fat. And it doesn’t take too long to prepare and is not too difficult either! By the way, it is also ideal for a work lunch: transfer the cooled squid stuffed with rice into a container and take it with you to the office.

Squid stuffed with rice in the oven

Perhaps you have never prepared mackerel skewers before, but if you do it once, you will be pleasantly surprised by its exquisite taste and pleasant firm texture. Although, when you think about it, choosing such a fish for grilling over an open flame is quite obvious: it is fatty and tender. True, some people don't like the strong smell of mackerel, but this problem can be easily solved by marinating it for a long time with lemon juice, onions, and garlic. After that, you just need to skewer the pieces of fish and grill them over the barbecue until fully cooked (spoiler: it will take just over five minutes!).

Mackerel kebab

Grilled chicken hearts skewers are a rather unusual dish: they are very rarely included in picnic menus. And it seems, quite unjustly so! The taste of these skewers surprises even the most skeptical individuals, especially if the chicken hearts are properly marinated beforehand. We have an excellent recipe and are ready to share it with you right now! So, we prepare a simple marinade from sour cream, cream, and tomato sauce, season it with garlic and mustard, and then pour it over the chicken hearts. Let them sit for a couple of hours and grill them. The chicken hearts turn out exceptionally tender and delicious, so making this dish at least once is definitely worth it.

Chicken heart kebabs on the grill

The mysteriously warm word "Ushnoye" has nothing to do with ears: to make the Russian dish ushnoye in pots, our ancestors took some kind of meat, usually lamb, and simple vegetables - root vegetables. The name "ushnoye" comes from the same root as "ukha," "yushka." It means something in between a soup and a second course. Ushnoye has been mentioned in ancient sources since the 16th century until the early 19th century. It was very popular. Even in the iconic pedagogical work for young boys "The Honorable Mirror of Youth," prepared by the decree of Peter I, it is said: "Do not eat like a pig, do not blow into the ushnoye, to make it splash everywhere." In his collection "Proverbs of the Russian People," Vladimir Dal gives this expression: "Beetroot telnoe, and radish ushnoye, this is the food of the stingy." Stingy - because you could use a little meat but simmer it longer with broth and vegetables in the oven. We propose a simplified recipe for this Russian cuisine dish. We will cook it not in the oven, but in the stove, albeit three times faster than the classic recipe. Instead of lamb, we will take chicken breast. And you can experiment with vegetables. We suggest trying it with potatoes or zucchini. Or with both. The proportions of the ingredients are conveniently given for one pot with a capacity of 400-500 ml. You just need to multiply everything by the number of servings.

Russian ear dish in pots

Tatar mini pies "Vak Balish" – one of the popular dishes of Tatar cuisine, renowned for its exceptional taste. This is an appetizing and delicious pastry that is easy to prepare at home. The sweet filling of Vak Balish successfully combines rice, raisins, and dried apricots, creating a balanced and harmonious combination. The shortcrust pastry dough for the pies is very simple to make and does not require prolonged standing time. Butter ensures the tender crispness of the dough, and the addition of kefir guarantees that the finished product will not be too heavy on the stomach. By the way, from such dough, you can bake both very small pies and large pies in the oven, with any filling of your choice.

Tatar pies Vak Belysh with rice and raisins and dried apricots

You won't really surprise anyone with rice and greens. Usually, greens are sprinkled on top — but here they simply used about 10 times more, that's all. But the main star of this dish is the avocado! Luxurious, smooth, like a creamy sauce that makes the rice tender and incredibly delicious.

Green rice with avocado dressing

Pickled cucumbers that stay crisp for winter make an excellent off-season snack, but during the cold season, they will be especially welcome on the table. Importantly, cucumbers prepared according to this recipe retain their vitamins for a long time, especially the cold-fighting vitamin C. Sealing cucumbers is simple. The most challenging part of pickling is actually the marinade. You need to calculate the amount so it suffices for all the jars. But adjust according to the situation: if one batch isn't enough, prepare more. The size of the cucumbers, by the way, also matters in this process.

Crispy pickled cucumbers for the winter

Did you know that pumpkin dumplings are just slightly less popular than meat dumplings? It's true! And it's not surprising at all: pumpkin filling is very juicy and flavorful. These dumplings are not difficult to prepare at all (you'll find a detailed recipe below), and they are cooked in the same way as the classic meat ones – steamed. By the way, you can easily use a multicooker for this: it will be faster. Pay special attention to the last step of the process: the ready pumpkin dumplings should be slightly dried so that they stick less to the plates. And don't forget to put a piece of butter in the middle of each one: it will melt and give the filling an extra tender taste.

Manti with pumpkin

Pasta made from homemade dough will always be tastier than store-bought pasta. Moreover, it's no more difficult to prepare than dough for dumplings or pierogi.

Basic pasta dough

Don't be alarmed, mutton soup with turnip is not a treat made from lamb ears for pets. It’s not about ears at all, but about an ancient Russian dish, the name of which comes from the same Proto-Slavic root as the words "ukha" and "yushka." Ukha, the progenitor of all Russian soups, was once prepared not only from fish. Vladimir Dal defined it as: "meat broth and any broth at all, hot dish, meat and fish" and immediately listed a derivative word: "ushnoye"—"meat broth, noodles, or soup made from lamb intestines." Whether this is a soup or a second course is debatable. Rather, it’s something intermediate between a thick soup and a stewed ragout with broth. Similar to Hungarian goulash, German eintopf, or Irish stew. In English, there is an appropriate word "stew" for a group of similar stewed dishes. However, in Russian, "ushnoye" has been lost in the distant past. But that doesn't stop us from cooking a classic hearty mutton soup with turnip!

Lamb ear with turnip

Plum jam with walnuts will appeal to people who, in principle, love bold culinary experiments. And also to those who are somewhat tired of the classic recipes for similar preserves! Thanks to the addition of walnuts, the plum jam has an original taste that will pleasantly surprise your family and house guests. Children, on the other hand, will be thrilled by the "surprise" when they find a walnut half inside the fruit. In short, everyone will be pleased. Note that plum jam with walnuts is cooked over several days in three to four sessions, which is quite convenient: you won't have to stand by the stove for hours.

Plum jam with walnuts

Classic Béarnaise sauce

Grilled champignons add a pleasant variety to a picnic menu or backyard barbecue party by "diluting" traditional skewers of pork, lamb, poultry, or fish. Mushrooms can serve as a complement to meat or as a standalone dish, especially for vegetarians or those fasting. It is worth noting that grilled champignons are significantly different from those fried in a pan, and in a better way: they retain their shape, texture, and natural flavor. And if you marinate the mushrooms, as we recommend, their aroma will captivate even the most steadfast meat-eaters.

Grilled mushrooms

Dalgu – a green salad with eggs – came to us from Dagestani, more precisely Lak cuisine. Traditionally, this salad was made in the spring, adding all sorts of available greens and the essential green onions. Young nettle and goosefoot were often used in the salad. We suggest preparing Dalgu with spinach, cilantro, and mint, which are available all year round. Use some of the eggs for the salad dressing and the rest for garnishing. Sour cream in the dressing can be replaced with another thick fermented dairy product, such as matsoni.

Spinach and Egg Dalgue Salad

Curd yeast Easter cake, prepared according to our recipe, turns out juicy and tender. And the technique for making Easter cake with curd is not that labor-intensive. The most challenging part is preparing the yeast dough (it requires careful handling) and waiting for it to rise. Once the dough becomes fluffy (don't forget to distribute it into the molds right after kneading), put the cake in the oven and bake until golden brown. The ready Easter cake with curd has a fresh curd taste and aroma that will fill your home with coziness and warmth and make the spring holiday special.

Cottage Cheese Yeast Cake

Vegetable stew with eggplants and zucchinis is good because you don't need rare ingredients to make it – everything is at hand. Just go to the store or market, and if you are lucky enough to have a summer house or countryside home – step into the garden. If desired, you can diversify the taste of the stew by adding celery (stalks or root), carrots, and greens.

Vegetable stew with eggplants and zucchini

Classic millet porridge is an incredibly simple dish, but not everyone knows how to prepare it correctly. First and foremost, remember that the millet needs to be sorted and then washed very thoroughly, otherwise the dish will taste bitter and its color will be completely unappetizing. This process can take quite a long time, so be patient! Rinse the millet until the water runs completely clear. After that, it seems simple enough, but it's best to cook the classic millet porridge in a pot with thick walls and a thick bottom, and over low heat. This way, the millet will swell up perfectly, become velvety, and even those who usually are indifferent to such dishes will appreciate it.

Classic millet porridge

Ossetian pies have become more popular than khachapuri here; they are baked in culinary shops and bakeries – but often not very well. Try making such a pie with your own hands! You can add beet leaves, spinach, or greens to the filling.

Ossetian pie with potatoes and cheese

Italian minestrone soup is one of those dishes that were invented out of necessity, as they say. Originally, it was made by poor peasants who included a variety of seasonal vegetables from their own gardens. By the way, this sparked the development of the dish's idea! For example, the composition of spring minestrone was very different from the autumn version. In wealthier families, this soup was made with meat, but traditionally it is not included in the recipe. In other words, a rich broth is not needed for minestrone: making the dish more filling is achieved by using a large quantity of vegetables, including legumes, sometimes bacon, and also grated Parmesan cheese, which is sprinkled on top before serving. It’s worth a try!

Italian minestrone soup

What is Uzbek kazan-kabob? Meat fried to a crispy crust with small potatoes fried to a golden color in oil and fat from the meat. The meat is pre-marinated in a dry or acidic marinade. Let's compare three types of kazan-kabob: from lamb, poultry, and beef. How much time is needed to fry medium-sized pieces of chicken in hot fat? About 20-25 minutes. And for lamb rib parts? 25-35 minutes, depending on the meat. And beef cut into pieces of the same size? It won't be quick... And how will the beef be in terms of juiciness when fried? You say you'll fry it just to a crust? If you are confident in the freshness and quality of the meat, then of course. You'll achieve juiciness. But when you mix the potatoes with the meat, it will be bloody – the look won't be right. And if you fry the meat until it's fully cooked? It will look wonderful, but the tenderness will be lost. What to do? Just stew the meat a bit. Additionally, in this case, it's permissible to violate the traditional frying sequence.

Beef Kazan-kabob

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern fast food made from chickpeas or beans, fresh herbs, and spices. It is believed that the recipe for this dish was invented in Egypt by Coptic Christians, who were looking for a meat substitute during long fasting periods. Legumes, in this case, could be a true salvation: they are rich in protein and the "slow" carbohydrates that provide a lasting feeling of satiety. In recent decades, falafel has also become popular in Russia, especially with the spread of veganism and the principles of healthy eating. So if you want to learn how to cook this dish at home, take our recipe and try it out!

Falafel

A really simple sorbet to make, which can be prepared from any fruits and berries of your choice.

The easiest sorbet made from any fruit

You can make both hot and cold soups from young zucchini. They turn out very tender and delicious and don't require any special additions except potatoes and onions. All you need to do is to lightly sauté all the vegetables, add water or broth if available (chicken, vegetable, or mushroom broth will do), cook for a bit, blend with a blender, and add cream to taste.

Cream of zucchini soup

Georgian adjika

Hearty lentil soup with sausages is an excellent choice for lunch or a filling dinner. You could say that lentil soup with sausages is a "two-in-one" first course because it turns out so thick and rich. This recipe features flavorful and simple ingredients — lentils and regular sausages, generously seasoned with lightly sautéed vegetables, spices, and herbs. The combination of all ingredients is so perfect that any soup would be "jealous." Lentil soup with sausages is a great choice for those who appreciate tasty and healthy dishes and home cooking.

Lentil soup with sausages

Carrot hummus is a variation of the most popular Middle Eastern appetizer, whose essential ingredients are chickpeas, tahini sesame paste, olive oil, and lemon juice. In the recipe, we explain how to make carrot hummus, but using the same recipe, you can create excellent classic hummus (if you don't add the boiled carrots), as well as any other vegetable variations of hummus — for example, beet, spinach, or sweet potato hummus.

Carrot hummus with cauliflower steak

If you think that pasta primavera is a traditional Italian dish, that's not entirely true. The dish, in the style of Mediterranean cuisine, was invented by a chef (of Italian origin) at a New York restaurant. The name of the dish translates to spring (primavera-spring) pasta. Unlike the well-known carbonara or bolognese, primavera is made exclusively with vegetables. Traditionally, it includes peas, asparagus, zucchini, leek, and celery. Everything is so spring-like and green that the name of the pasta justifies itself completely. This splendor is complemented by a piquant creamy sauce and, of course, cheese. Grated Parmesan is an essential part of any pasta.

Primavera Pasta

Apricot glaze will not only make an excellent decoration for your dessert, but will also delight you with its unique taste. We especially recommend making it if you plan to bake a cake or Easter bread. What's especially nice is that you can make it in any season because it doesn't require fresh apricots; it's made from dried apricots. Bright and incredibly aromatic on its own, apricot glaze will gain additional flavor thanks to a few "secret" ingredients—turmeric, lemon juice, or almond extract. These additions will give the glaze an even richer taste. The main thing is to follow the recipe to achieve the desired result.

Apricot glaze

Rich chocolate glaze with pieces of nuts, following our recipe, is perfect for decorating Easter cakes, muffins, croissants, or cookies. The butter in the chocolate-nut glaze will make it glossy and pliable, while the nuts will create a contrast in textures. Choose dark chocolate without additives with a high cocoa content. It is optimal to use confectionery chocolate in drops, but regular high-quality chocolate bars will also work.

Chocolate-hazelnut glaze

The basic recipe for lemon icing is suitable for Easter cakes, muffins, and cookies. It's very easy to make and requires only two ingredients: powdered sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Working with this icing is not difficult; the main thing is not to waste time, as the icing hardens quickly. While the icing is still wet, you can additionally decorate the dessert with candied fruits, dried fruits, nuts, or confectionery sprinkles.

Lemon glaze

If you love red currant jelly but have never tried black currant jelly, believe me, you are in for a surprise and a gastronomic delight. Unlike red currant jelly, black currant jelly not only has taste sensations but also an aroma. A vividly expressed, concentrated, excellent aroma of currant. And after that, you will face a difficult choice - which jelly to prefer. And the solution is simple – both.

Blackcurrant jelly

If you love pizza or pasta, you simply cannot do without Italian tomato sauce for the winter. Prepare it in the summer from sun-ripened tomatoes, and you will definitely taste the difference.

Italian tomato sauce for the winter

The recipe for an alcoholic cocktail with kiwi and vodka is quite simple to prepare. Perhaps the most difficult part of this recipe is peeling the kiwi, but you can accomplish this with the help of an ordinary tablespoon: simply cut the kiwi in half and carefully scoop out the flesh from the skin. The subsequent steps are no trouble at all, and the result will certainly be memorable for you and your guests.

Cocktail with kiwi and vodka

Donuts with ice cream in chocolate glaze are the perfect option for welcoming guests. And hardly any of them will guess that you made this dessert in just 20 minutes, almost "on the fly." The recipe is so simple that you won't even have to bake the donuts. Ready-made ones without filling will do just fine. You can find these in any supermarket. Choose ice cream to fill the donuts according to your taste, preferably with a dense consistency, like crème brûlée or creamy. It can have an additional flavor, such as strawberry or banana. We opted for classic vanilla. All you have to do is prepare the glaze and assemble the donut. Guests will love the combination of slightly crunchy glaze with soft sponge inside and delicate ice cream in the center.

Donuts with ice cream

When you grow tired of traditional cabbage and beet soups, and your soul craves something exotic, prepare pumpkin soup with shrimp and coconut milk using our recipe. This dish will especially be loved by all fans of Asian cuisine: its taste is very spicy, piquant, and rich. Also, if you didn't know until now that pumpkin pairs perfectly with shrimp, this is the perfect time to find out! Moreover, the dish is quite easy to prepare and doesn't take too long. Additionally, pumpkin soup with shrimp and coconut milk has excellent warming properties, making it an ideal choice for lunch during the cold season.

Pumpkin soup with shrimp and coconut milk

This moist Easter cake will become a true decoration of your Easter table and will also pleasantly delight your family and guests. Of course, making such a pastry will take time and certain skills, but if you carefully follow all the directions of our recipe, everything will turn out perfectly. What's especially interesting is that this cake gets tastier after a day or two: its texture stabilizes, and the slices do not crumble but separate into soft fibers. So, you can very well prepare the Easter pastry, as is customary, on Maundy Thursday evening, so that by Sunday it will reveal itself in all its glory.

Moist Easter cake

Scalded Paska Three Chocolates is a special treat that promises triple the joy. No one knows exactly when the Orthodox tradition of making curd Paska began, but over the many years of this extraordinarily delicious Easter dessert's history, numerous preparation variations have emerged. Even in the times of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, each housewife had her own recipe with secret ingredients. However, the fundamental difference lay in the technology: some preferred raw Paska, others — scalded. Scalded Paska not only has an especially delicate taste and texture but is also suitable for those who avoid consuming raw eggs, as the ingredients undergo gentle heat treatment. The originality of our scalded Paska lies in the use of three types of chocolate, resulting in a pronounced chocolate-creamy flavor and a striking appearance.

Easter Custard Three Chocolates

Traditional Easter kulich made from yeast dough can be tastier than any cake, and if it's a cottage cheese kulich with raisins, it is guaranteed to be a top-tier success. The baked good will delight you with its fluffiness and rich flavor. Additionally, the cottage cheese will add pleasant moisture to the kulich. The amount of sugar in the dough can be adjusted to your taste, considering the fact that there will still be a white sugar glaze on top. Plus, raisins, which will give the Easter treat sweetness and aroma. For the recipe, it is essential to prepare a starter dough – because if something is wrong with the yeast, it is better to find out at the very beginning of the process.

Cottage cheese Easter bread

It would seem impossible to make vegan (also known as Lenten) cheese curds, given that the main ingredient is of animal origin. Well, we will replace the cow's milk curd with soy curd, that is, tofu. The tastiest cheese curds are made from so-called "silken" tofu, the softest and most delicate kind. And for the chocolate, we'll use dark chocolate, which contains no milk or other animal products.

Lean glazed tofu bars

If you generally love seafood, then shrimp in a creamy sauce will definitely suit your taste. And overall, there are plenty of reasons to sincerely love this dish! First, of course, for its flavor — rich yet refined. Second, for its aroma: the spices and turmeric do their job. Finally, we cannot ignore the speed of preparing shrimp in a creamy sauce: the entire process will take you no more than fifteen minutes. Agree, such an excellent dish is definitely worth a try, especially if you have a good proven recipe on hand.

Shrimp in creamy sauce

Egg envelopes with cheese and ham will help you diversify your weekend breakfast. It's the same scrambled eggs, but with a hearty filling. In the middle of the egg envelope, slices of cheese and ham are wrapped. But with proper imagination, the filling can be changed as desired. Any sausage can be used instead of ham – smoked or doctor's sausage. And if you want a restaurant touch, add a slice of prosciutto. Hard cheese can be replaced with mozzarella or sulguni. Vegetables, such as bell peppers and tomatoes, can be added to the existing ingredients. And to serve it as in a restaurant, you should add a leaf of lettuce, cucumber slices, and a sprig of cilantro.

Egg envelopes with cheese and ham

In fact, it's just a typical omelette. It simply has a lot of delicious vegetables in it. And it's about five times thicker than a normal one. But if your household likes omelettes, this casserole will surely become a favorite dish – because you can eat it not only hot but also cold the next day! It will be especially tasty if you put slices of the casserole into a split and opened baguette, spread with your favorite sauce.

Vegetable casserole with egg filling

Would you like to learn how to make tomato soup with mussels? Then take our detailed recipe for this dish! The process is not too complicated, and the result will definitely not disappoint (if, of course, you love seafood). And what's more, the soup turns out to be very filling, despite being cooked in water and not in broth. This effect is achieved thanks to the rice in the recipe and the thick texture of the dish. Plus, garlic and basil, added in the final stage of preparing the soup, give it a piquant fresh aroma. In short, it will be interesting!

Tomato soup with mussels

Georgian soup chikhirtma is less known here compared to kharcho, but in its homeland, it is no less popular. It is most often made from chicken (sometimes from lamb), necessarily thickened with corn flour and seasoned with lemon juice, which gives the dish a light, unobtrusive sourness. An essential part of chikhirtma is also cilantro — perhaps the most respected herb in Georgian cuisine. The soup is prepared fairly quickly and turns out so tasty that it has every chance of "registering" in your family menu.

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