Feta Stuffed Peppers

      I have been dying to try to stuff mini peppers with feta for a while now.  I miss Bulgarian food so much and especially stuffed peppers with feta and eggs. Here in the United States the peppers are thick skinned and it is almost impossible to duplicate the pepper recipes from back home. The mini mexican sweet peppers they sell here are probably the closest peppers to texture that you could get. This recipe was an attempt to get at least a little bit of the Bulgarian taste I used to remember and I think I succeeded. I love, love, love this appetizer/side dish. This is an easy 1, 2, 3 recipe and it tastes wonderful. Good quality feta makes a difference so make sure you buy a good one. I personally like cow's feta cheese but it is hard to find. My second choice would be sheep's milk feta. Bore's Head is a good brand. These peppers will make your kitchen smell SO good too. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

10 mini sweet peppers 

8oz good quality feta cheese 

1 large egg 

dash of salt 

dash of ground pepper 

olive oil 

parsley, chopped for garnishing (optional) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Half the peppers and clean from seeds. Place in a baking pan.  In a small bowl mix together the feta and the egg. The consistency doesn't have to be perfectly smooth. Lumps of feta cheese are ok. With a small spoon stuff the peppers as much as you can, covering the little crevasses. Drizzle bountifully with olive oil (the olive oil will help your peppers cook faster make them more tender). Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Bake in the oven about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.    

Avocado Salsa

I recently went to a party where they served this avocado salsa with chips and it was so good I kept going back for more. It was delicious,  yet light, nutritious and the crunchy and salty chips were just the perfect addition to it. Not to mention it was perfect for the month of August when tomatoes are ripe and corn is fresh. I just knew I had to put it on the blog. I do have a few suggestions: use good quality tomatoes and feel free to play with the salt and lemon. We all have different tastes so just make it perfect for you. I hope you like it as much as I do. 


Ingredients: 

1 (16 oz) package frozen corn kernels, thawed (canned corn is ok)

2 (2.25 oz) cans ripe black olives, drained and sliced 

1 small onion, thinly chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped 

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste 

4 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced 

1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional) 

2 cloves garlic, minced (optional) 

3 tablespoons cider vinegar (optional) 

Directions: 

Toss all the ingredients except the avocado in a big bowl. For best flavor refrigerate overnight. If you don't have that option salad is still good. Mix in the avocado right before serving. Serve with chips or add to your favorite wrap. Enjoy!

Tea Party

This is in not your Downton Abbey tea party but still a fun and elegant way to gather together with your girlfriends. Tea parties are a great way to celebarte bridal showers, baby showers or just a fun way to gather with the girls. And we women sure know how to keep up the conversation especially around a table full of yummy stuff. This post offers menu ideas and table decor from fancy to inexpensive ways to make your tea party a success. Enjoy and don't forget to share pictures with me if you use this post to organize your tea party. 

 The Menu: 

SAVORY: (OPTIONAL - you may choose to do only deserts as long as you pick a time that is in-between breakfast, lunch and dinner.)

Tea Sandwiches (cucumber, prosciutto with goat cheese and honey, pesto caprese, ricotta with orange jam and mint).  

Salad of your choice - optional (pasta salad is a great option and filling since the tea sandwiches are quite small) 

Directions: To cut the sandwiches in these fun shapes, use cookie cutters. Lay bread flat on a cutting board then press the bread with a book or another cutting board to smash the bread slightly. It is much easier to cut. You can use different kinds of bread to get layers of different colors. 

   Cucumber sandwich : layer a piece of round bread. Top with hummus and then a cucumber. Add salt and pepper. (You may substitute the hummus with tzatziki sauce, olive tapenade or simply butter according to yours or your guests taste).
  
  Pesto Caprese: layer a piece of bread. Top with pesto sauce, add a slice of tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with salt, pepper and fresh basil. 

Prosciutto & Goat Cheese: you may use 2 or 3 pieces of bread for this sandwich. Whipped goat cheese is easier to spread but regular one is ok too. Top with a few slices of pear and drizzle with just a little bit of honey. (Prosciutto can be expensive. If you are organizing a party for a large group, you may substitute with bacon or turkey). 

Ricotta and Jam: the jam can be orange or apricot. Wonderful combination with peaches on top and the mint it is garnished with adds so much to the flavor! Don't skip it. 

SWEETS: (You may choose all or just a few of these wonderful additions to your tea party) 

French Macarons - Vanilla: for the best recipe click here.  If you must know I am a complete french macaron junkie. I think every tea party should have french macarons. It is something your guests will love and this french vanilla flavor will go so perfectly with you tea. The other great thing about these is you can prepared them in advance and just refrigerate for a whole week before your event. You can buy some but I can guarantee you that this recipe is better than a store bought macarons unless off course you buy them from a professional bakery such as Laduree. 

Creme Brûlée: for the perfect recipe click here. This desert can also be prepared in advance. It can sit in the fridge for up to a week. It is also a great addition to your tea party that everyone will love. 

Madeleines: are known to be served with tea, hot cocoa or coffee. This recipe is SO easy and delicious that you might end up making these on a regular basis. It takes only 30 minutes to prep and make these. For Orange Madeleines click here. For Lime Madeleines click here.

Fruit Bars: this recipe was inspired by the cherry almond bars I did for 4th of July with just a few changes. Follow this recipe but use the following filling instead of the canned cherries: 

    Mix softened cream cheese with any jam of your choice. You don't have to decorate the bars just cut with the same cookie cutters you used for the tea sandwiches and dust with powedered sugar. 

Fruit: Any fruit is great to serve at a tea party. In my case I did raspberries and strawberries as it also served as beautifying the table and it gave my table a little pop. 
Fresh Lemon is a must as people will use it for their tea.

Drinks: 

     Tea: what would a tea party be without the tea??? You may have two or more kinds of teas. If you want to get a little fancy you may go to the local tea shop and get a fine tea that will actually require a tea sifter. If not I am sure people would still like tea bags as it is much easier. For my party I decided to stick with Herbal Teas (Mint and Lavender/Camomile). If you are doing tea party in the hot summer you might consider iced tea instead or in addition to your variety to teas. 

Cream or Vanilla Soy Milk: most people that like tea love to use cream or vanilla soy milk in their teas. You don't have to have much just about a cup to cup and a half.

Hot Chocolate (optional): if you are doing a tea party in the winter hot chocolate is a great addition to your tea party. 

Tea Party Table Setting 

You will need china, napkins, flatware, center piece and anything else you would like to use that is tea party appropriate. You can make your tea party as fancy or as simple and inexpensive, yet still fun as you wish. If you have a china set that has been sitting in your cupboard without use this is the time to use it. The china doesn't have to match. Mixing it a bit is actually quite fun. If you don't have a china but you would like to use one, ask any relatives that might have some. Usually a grandmother or a mother in law might one. Same with the flatware and napkins. Also consider renting it. 
      If you want to make it simple yes you may use simple mugs. You may even use fun paper plates and cups. Click here for this fun paper set you can find on amazon. You can find so many fun disposable items on Amazon, from table cloths to floral straws, to tea party decorating flags. So you can go as cheap or as expensive as you wish. 
     I have said this many times but I will say it again, the food plays a huge role in your table's decor. All you really need is a center piece. I picked pink roses as I though it would best match my china. Off course if you are organizing a tea party for a bridal shower I would have in mind the bride's color theme and stick with it. Stacking tea cups is also a fun and creative idea to decorate your table with. Add deserts or flowers to the stacked cups and you have a fun decor. Pearl necklaces and more flowers would make your party a little more fancy as well. I added a floral pillow to one of the chairs as a nice addition to the table decor as well. And at the end, remember to use your imagination and have fun with it. 

German Pancakes With Butter Syrup

Truth is there is nothing healthy about these German Pancakes.  Yet these are SO ridiculously delicious that frankly the calories won't matter. Every bite is a piece of rich buttery delight that you won't regret. And the butter syrup is to die for! Serve with fruit and/or powdered sugar and you have yourself the best breakfast ever!!!


Makes 4 Servings 

Ingredients: 

5 tablespoons butter

2/3 cups milk 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

4 eggs

2/3 cup flour 

Directions: 

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put butter in 9/13 pan. Mix eggs, flour, and salt in a bowl. Put baking dish with butter in oven until melted. Take dish out of oven and pour flour mixture into the hot baking dish. (Be careful as it will splash). Turn oven down to 425 degrees F. Return baking dish to oven. Bake 12-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into peaces, drizzle with butter syrup (recipe below)and serve immediately. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sugar 

1 stick of butter

2 tablespoons Karo syrup 

1/2 baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

3/4 cup butter milk 

Directions: 

Place in pan butter, sugar, butter milk and syrup until melted and boiling. Take off stove and add vanilla and soda. Stir and serve. It is good stored in the fridge for four days. 

West African Chicken

This is our family's new favorite recipe, ready in 30 minutes. My husband who is perhaps the pickiest man alive, (the only fruit he will eat is citrus. Crazy! I know!) LOVES this meal. So did my picky two year old. It is absolutely healthy, easy and 100% delicious. No baking. Just cook in a frying pan. I am so excited to share this recipe with you because you will love it. Serve over rice or cus - cus and enjoy! 

Serves: 3 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 - boneless chicken thighs,cubed 

1 yellow onion, diced

2 teaspoons curry powder 

1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained  

1/2 green bell pepper, diced 

2 tablespoons peanut butter 

2 teaspoons chicken stock powder

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

Heat oil in a heavy pan and fry the chicken and onion on medium high heat until chicken is no more pink. Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add remeining ingredients, decrease heat to medium and cook and stir until well blended and peppers are tender (about 10minutes). You may mash the tomatoes while you stir if you don't like big chunks of tomatoes. Also you may add hot sauce if you like spicy food. Have a taste and if chicken is too bland add salt and pepper. Serve over rice, cus - cus or by itself. Enjoy!

Easy Orange Madeleines

This is the easiest Madeleine cookie recipe you will ever make. Not only easy but also delicious and uses basic ingredients you already have in your kitchen. This is a good basic recipe where you may also use to try other flavors such as lime and lemon. All ready in a little over 30 minutes. You will love these! 

Ingredients: 

2 - eggs 

1/2 cup - sugar 

2 tablespoons orange zest

3 dashes - salt 

1 teaspoon - vanilla extract 

1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract

1 cup - flour 

11 tablespoons - unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

powdered sugar to garnish (optional) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the madeleine pan with butter. In a standing mixer (you may use a hand mixer too), beat eggs and sugar until just blended. Add zest, orange extract, vanilla and salt. Mix until just blended. Add the flower and beat until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended. 

Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and brown on the edges (9 minutes). Gently remove from pan. Repeat process. If you'd like dust cookies with powdered sugar and serve. 

Notes: Do not store the cookies in a closed container. If you wish to keep them crunchy leave them out overnight.  

Easy Lime Madeleines

French Madeleine cookies are generally served with tea, hot cocoa, coffee and milk in France and the UK. To me Madeleines are not too sweet but complementary to whatever you are drinking. You will be surprised how easy this recipe is.  The ingredients are so simple that you most likely already have them in your kitchen. All you need is a madeleine pan. I developed this recipe so that the outcome would be absolutely perfect! Crunchy and buttery on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. I love the lime flavor because it is fresh and it leaves a really nice flavour on your pallet. Madeleines are best served right out of the oven or on the same day of baking. You will love these! Bon Appetit!

Makes: 20 - 24 cookies 

Prep Time: 15 min 

Bake Time: 18 min 

Ingredients: 

2 - eggs 

1/2 cup - sugar 

2 fresh limes - zest from both limes. One of the limes juiced. 

3 dashes - salt 

1 teaspoon - vanilla extract 

1 cup - flour 

11 tablespoons - unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

powdered sugar to garnish (optional) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the madeleine pan with butter. In a standing mixer (you may use a hand mixer too), beat eggs and sugar until just blended. Add zest, lime juice, vanilla and salt. Mix until just blended. Add the flower and beat until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended. 

Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and brown on the edges (9 minutes). Gently remove from pan. Repeat process. If you'd like dust cookies with powdered sugar and serve.