Börek - Ground Meat and Leek-Filled Pastry

For the pastry, I used 3 sheets of yufka. The filling consisted of:

- 1 lb leeks

- 1 medium yellow onion

- 1 lb ground meat

- 1 tsp sweet paprika

- 1/2 bunch parsley

- salt and pepper to taste

Deviled Chicken Drumsticks

I know, it's chicken again, but at 90 degrees outside I was happy to get in and out of the kitchen as soon as possible. So I found this wonderful recipe that did not require any supervision, the product went into the oven and was done in under one hour.

I used:

• 6 chicken drumsticks
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 3/8 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 3/8 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in the upper third of the oven.

Pat chicken dry, then toss with mustard until evenly coated.

Stir together panko, cheese, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. 

Drizzle with butter and toss. 

Dredge each drumstick in crumb mixture to coat

Arrange, without crowding, in a buttered large 4-sided pan. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature

I made some roasted bell pepper salad to go with it (roasted bell pepper, vinegar, vegetable oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, everything left in the fridge for at least 3 hours)

 

And I added some roasted eggplant salad to serve

I am sorry the pictures are blurred, my daughter was patrolling around the kitchen, as the smell of the freshly baked chicken was unbearable ;). These moist and juicy drumsticks (with a slight kick) are perfect picnic food, since they're also terrific cold or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Chicken Breasts in Lemon and Sage Sauce

After another week of business travel, I managed to return home intact but sooo tired. And of course, as luck would have it, the fridge was very empty and my little princess wanted something special from "Chef Mommy", as she calls me.

Tagliatelle (or Fettuccine) with Zucchini and Parmesan-Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 4 ounces dried tagliatelle (or fettuccine)
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 tsp fresh grated lemon zest
• 1/8 cup white wine
• 3/8 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1/6 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus Parmesan curls or more grated cheese, for garnish (if desired)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetarian Lasagna

About two weeks ago we had another party in the office and, as I seem to be the designated cook for such functions, I had the very important task to cater the entire lunch. So I made manicotti, raw broccoli salad, the vegetarian lasagna and three colours chocolate mousse cake for a colleague that was celebrating her birthday.

This post is for GreenGirl, I hope it will help her find some time for herself ;) (excuse the elbow, I didn't know there was a photo shoot going on :D).

Asparagus and Gorgonzola Souffle

I had this recipe on my mind ever since Alina posted the "Sweet Romania" challenge on her blog. Tonight I finally got around to make it and I must say the result is delicious, fluffy and light. This must be one of the easiest souffles ever, and the combination of asparagus with Gorgonzola cheese is amazing. It doesn't just taste fantastic, but it also looks elegant and beautiful (I'm very modest, I know! :))).

Pecan-Crusted Pork Tenderloin Pinwheels with Carolina Mustard Sauce

I made this recipe some time ago, but could not find the time to post until now, so here it is today. I used:

- 1 pork tenderloin of about 1 lb

- 4 bacon strips

- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Carolina Sauce: 

1/2 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon firmly-packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes (recipe by Nigella Lawson)

The other day I was looking for a fast and tasty dinner so I opened Nigella Lawson's most recent cookboook (yes, I bought all of them, I love how she writes!). Without further ado, here are the ingredients:

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 6 chicken thighs, bone in, with skin

- 1 lb chorizo sausages, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

- 1 lb baby white-skinned potatoes, halved

- 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

- 1 tsp dried oregano

- grated zest from one orange

Preheat the oven to 425F. Put the oil on the bottom of a shallow roasting pan and rub the skin of the chicken in oil, then turn skin-side up. Add the chorizo sausage chunks and the baby potatoes. Sprinkle the onion and the oregano over, then grate the orange zest over the meat, potatoes and onion.

Cook for 1 hour; after 30 minutes baste the contents with the orange-coloured juices.

And that's it!

Any leftovers can be used for quesadilla, says Nigella. I didn't have any, so please share with me your experiences!