The best herring salad ever! (Polish Christmas food #6)

As you might have noticed, we're eating a lot of fish on Christmas Eve in Poland - it's because traditionally we're not supposed to eat meat that day. And this is why we get pretty creative when it comes to fish based dishes! This salad is a perfect appetizer - it combines saltiness of herrings, sweetness of raisins and sour taste of the marinade it's made with. And before you'll think it's weird to make fishes with raisins - trust me, it's a perfect combo! Surprising, but amazing. This herring salad is one of traditional foods for Christmas in my family's house - my mom was the first to make it and since everyone loved it from a first bite, it became a must-have for every year!

Honeypie with walnuts (miodownik) - Polish Christmas food #5

This is my favourite Christmas cake - it smells and tastes like heaven - honey & walnuts combination is simply amazing! It's made with two or more layers of honey shortbread with semolina based cream and topped with walnuts layer. This cake is another traditional food you'll find on my family's table during Christmas - since I remember it was a part of our celebration - sometimes my grandma made it, sometimes my aunt or my mom. Now I'm making it in Greece too and it's one of the greatest Christmas hits!

Cabbage rolls with mushrooms & gravy - Polish Christmas food #4

Continuation of my Polish Christmas preparation! Today "gołąbki" - cabbage rolls! You might have tried traditional cabbage rolls (or made lazy version of them). Usually they're filled with rice, minced meat and onion. This particular type is a meatless version - the one we serve on Christmas Eve in Poland. They're stuffed with mushrooms and rice or buckwheat. Plus, there is a mushroom gravy and hey, who doesn't love gravy?
These cabbage rolls are great not only as part of Christmas dinner, but also as an alternative if you're a vegetarian or you just want to try something different!

Borscht with "uszka" (mini dumplings with mushrooms) - Polish Christmas food #3

I'm continuing my preparation for Christmas Eve dinner. In Poland, we're having a festive dinner on 24th of December - so you may say we start celebrating a day before everyone else!
This day is very special and so is the food we serve. There is twelve traditional dishes and the custom says you need to at least take a bite of every one of them!
Today's recipe - borscht with uszka is served for starters. "Uszka" are tiny dumplings stuffed with mushrooms - their name means "little ears" and it's because of their shape. This type of borscht is light, spicy and it will warm you up - necessary thing in the Winter! We make several types of borscht, but this one is different than others - clean, made only with few ingredients and no meat, as we're not eating any on Christmas Eve. Borscht is specific for a region of Poland I grew up in, in other places at that day they may serve you mushrooms soup or fish soup. 

Pierogi with sauerkraut and mushrooms (Polish Christmas food #2)

 

As I mentioned some time ago, pierogi are one of the most popular and characteristic Polish dishes and come in many tastes and variations (like "ruskie" with cottage cheese and potatoes). The ones I'm presenting today are a traditional Christmas version - stuffed with sauerkraut and mushrooms.
Of course you can make them anytime you want, but it's something else if you wait a whole year to make them  - just for Christmas Eve's dinner!

This is my second Polish recipe for Christmas (first is here if you want to check: fish a'la greek) and there will be more. Hopefully I can make it all before Christmas!

Fish a'la greek that no Greek ever heard about (Polish Christmas food #1)

Have you ever heard of "fish a'la Greek"? Well, for sure if you're Polish and almost certainly no if you're Greek! Nobody knows how name of this dish was developed, but it's widely known in Poland. It's also one of the twelve traditional Christmas dishes in many houses, including mine.
Fish a'la Greek is light, delicious and aromatic dish, that is great not only for Christmas! It's made with fish fillets fried and then braised or mixed with vegetable sauce.
Christmas season has started - this is a first recipe of more to come - we'll be celebrating Polish style, so join me!

Shortbread vanilla cookies & 100 FB fans celebration

Last week fanpage of Lemon & Strawberries has reached 100+ fans! It's a big thing for me and I want to thank you all for your likes & support! This kind of a milestone called for some special sweets - so I've decided to make these little shortbread cookies.

I made two versions - with sprinkled sugar on top and special "facebook" version decorated with royal icing. It was my first attempt to use it and I'm pretty proud of myself, as they turned out very cute! So, grab a cookie and celebrate with me!

Baletki (Polish) - fluffy biscuits with marmalade and poppy seeds

 

Just look at these little cuties! Aren't they adorable? Baletki (which would literally translate to "ballet shoes") are small, fluffy bits of pleasure - they melt in your mouth and are just perfect for an afternoon tea or coffee time. When I was a kid we used to buy them at the pastry shop and because they're extremely light, you would get tons of them for a reasonable price. Their taste takes me back to my childhood, so it's a little bit sentimental recipe. I liked to separate them and eat marmalade first, then the cookies. I never made them before and it was a great surprise to me how easy to make they are and how little time they need!

Lazy cabbage rolls (leniwe gołąbki) in tomato sauce

Who doesn't love cabbage rolls? They're delicious and to die for, but there is one problem - they take a lot of time to make. This version of classic Polish cabbage rolls is a solution!

The taste is amazing, they're easy to make and you won't have to spend hours in the kitchen in order to enjoy them! Lazy cabbage rolls are quite popular in Poland - my mom makes them, when there is not enough time to make traditional ones. My reason to make these delicious food yesterday was the fact, that there was half of a cabbage sitting in the fridge and I had to figure out what to do with it. So, I thought - I've got cabbage, I've got meat - lazy cabbage rolls that is! And let me tell you - they were a hit!

Tourlou tourlou - Greek ratatouille

Tourlou - tourlou is one of these dishes one cannot stop eating! It's so rich in taste and colorful that everyone loves it. Its name means "mixed up" and basically that's what you do - you mix various vegetables into this delicious combination. I didn't know tourlou before I came to Greece - in Poland we make a vegetable stew dishes, but with completely different spicing and ingredients, so it was a very pleasant surprise for me and my taste buds. 

When I was doing a research about it, I found two ways of making it - one calls for a pot and you braise vegetables on a medium heat and the other one is made in the oven on a deep baking pan. Personally I like it made in a pot, as I'm getting more of the delicious juices this way and I just love to dip my bread in it. 

Tourlou is perfect comfort food and easy to make, it also gets better in time! So grab a big pot and make enough to enjoy it next day as well!

Polish sour cucumber soup (Zupa ogórkowa)

This is one of my favourite Polish soups and I missed it greatly for a very long time. Don't get me wrong, I love Greek cuisine with all my heart - it's amazing, but - sometimes, just sometimes I get these cravings for something I grew up with.
And this time I really wanted sour cucumber soup (zupa ogórkowa)! I mean it - I was ready to make preservs myself, just to have the necessary ingredient - sour cucumbers (ogórki kiszone). But there was a problem - I couldn't find small cucumbers suitable for making this type of pickles. Not to mention branches of dill (top parts, with seeds). I was getting really desperated, but then I thought I will ask around and maybe someone knows "something". As it turned out - there is a Polish shop here in Thessaloniki! Yay! So one day I went there hoping to find my precious sour cucumbers and imagine what a wonderful moment it was when I saw them on a shelf! My precious!

So here's the recipe for a delicious, Polish sour cucumber soup - perfect for cold days - it will warm you up and fill your belly with goodness!

Polish steamed dumplings (Pampuchy) with pork stew and beetroot salad

Sometimes I really miss some Polish dishes and today was one of these days. Pampuchy are a type of yeast based dumplings, that are very popular in Poland. Depending on a region one can find them served as savory or sweet dish. I remember eating them in two versions - sweet with sauce made from fruits and cream and with stew, as in my recipe.
Also it's the first time in my life I made pampuchy from a scratch! When I lived in Poland we used to buy them precooked to save time. I must say - homemade are much better! They're really soft and fluffy and will go well with almost any type of sauce or even just with some fried onions on top. I also heard of them being stuffed with meat, groats or fruits, but never had them in such version.

Polish classic beetroot salad

In Poland we love beetroots! We prepare them in many different ways: marinated, as salads, warm side dishes, as a spread mixed with horseradish and of course - made into soups, like botwinka and worldwide known borstch! This simple salad is one of my favorites - doesn't take long to make, it's slightly sweet and sour and goes well with any meat dishes you can think of - cutlets, stews, meatballs etc. 

Game of Thrones inspired sugar cookies

No matter if you're throwing a themed party or planning a nice movie night with your significant other, it's good to surprise your guests or beloved ones with some delicious snacks! I'm a big fan of "Game of Thrones" series and books, so I've decided to make some special GoT themed cookies to munch while I'm re-reading it and waiting for the new season of series. Plus, I came across Food 'n Film blogging challenge on Cooking for Kishore blog, so the idea appeared just in time! They are also perfect for movie-themed Halloween party or birthday.

These sugar cookies are delicious, crunchy and really great, but addition of dark and white chocolate makes them even better!

Two years in Greece - let's celebrate! Lemon cupcakes with light buttercream.

They say that "happy people don't count the time" and it must be true, since my second year in Greece passed so fast I didn't even notice until I've looked at the date in calendar.

Looking back I see how living in this beautiful country has influenced me. Coming from a big city in Poland, in the beginning I had problems adjusting to "slower" life - here nobody rushes in the streets, there is time for everything, no need to run.
People in Greece know how to enjoy little pleasures like coffee with friends despite hard times their country is facing now with crisis. I've learned to appreciate it, it's really a gift to be able to smile no matter what and to never give up. Greeks are also the most friendly people I ever met - they always greet you, chat with you and help you when you need it - as a foreigner I didn't expect it!
With this recipe I invite you to celebrate my 2nd anniversary in Greece with me! Delicious and light lemon cupcakes with swiss meringue buttercream will make you look at the bright side of life, just like Greece made me!

Loukoumades - Greek honey & cinnamon puffs

It looks like that's it - Summer is over, at least around my area. It's raining almost all the time, it's gloomy and slowly we're moving into real autumn. This time of a year usually makes me feel a little bit blue... But there is something that cheers me up! Loukoumades! These little puffs are a perfect comfort food for first days of autumn. Soaked in sweet honey & cinnamon syrup, they're small golden bites of joy that will make you smile, no matter what. Get a couple of loukoumades, a cup of tea, blanket, plus a good book and you're going to win over that moody weather in no time!

Cebularze - Polish onion & poppy seed pies

When I was a kid, you couldn't buy cebularz in my small hometown bakeries, so it was one of these "special" treats we were getting while visiting Wrocław once in a while. I remember mouth-watering smell of bread and baked onion in our family car, when we were going home from our trips to big city. These memories made me connect cebularze with excitement of a little girl going for an adventure!

It's very simple to make, but there is something magical in its simplicity. Golden crust, baked semi-sweet onion and poppy seeds together create an unique experience for your taste-buds!

Historically speaking, cebularz came to Poland from Near East countries along with a big Jewish community that Polish king Kazimierz Wielki brought to his homeland. We're talking about Middle Ages here, so as you can see this round pie has a pretty long tradition in Poland!

At first it was made only by Jewish bakers, but slowly cebularz  became very popular. First mentions about its recepture appeared in XIX century. Noone can tell when exactly other bakers started to make cebularze, but we know that right after WWI it was one of the most known and loved snacks in Lubelszczyzna region.

Now you can buy cebularze in most of the bakeries in Poland and I recommend trying them if you happen to visit my country. Until then - here's the recipe!

Prasorizo (leeks with rice) - Greek traditional dish

Leeks. One of the rather underrated vegetables. We use it to add broth a little more taste, we put it in the salads or as extra-something in our stews and soups, but it's very rare to make leeks a star of a dish! Leeks were appreciated by the ancient Greeks and Romans - they believed eating leeks may improve voice strength and make it more clear.
Did you know that leek is one of the national emblems of Wales? There is a legend saying that King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd has ordered his army to identify themselves by wearing leeks on their helmets in a battle against Saxons. Shakespeare mentions this custom in Henry V play. Leek was even present on the coronation gown of Elizabeth II! Who would have thought?
Today, we know that leeks are great for our cardiovascular system, thanks to antioxidants, vitamin B folate and flavonoid kaempferol they contain.
So let's give leek some of the love it needs by making prasorizo!
Prasorizo is traditional Greek dish - very simple - only few ingredients are needed. Yet it's surprisingly rich in taste and simply delicious!

Ptysie (Puffs) with lemon cream

This is a dessert of my childhood! We used to buy them in pastry shops on special occasions or as a Sunday treat. Whenever I was passing by the store as a kid I had to stop and stare at them - they just look so delicious and fluffy!

Ptysie ("ptyś" in singular) are made with special puff pastry, then cut in half and made into a sandwich-like with a lot of lemon cream.
I've heard that originally they were filled with whipped cream. Due to the shortage of heavy cream in communistic times in Poland, bakers invented egg whites based lemon cream and this is the one I remember from my happy childhood' days.
Now there are versions with other fillings - pudding, whipped cream and many others, but the lemon cream is my favourite and in my mind real ptysie must have it!

Pastitsio with béchamel sauce - Greek pasta casserole

Another culinary discovery from Greece! I'd say pastitsio is a Greek housewives' response to Italian lasagne. This dish is made of layers of pasta, meat sauce with spices and topped with béchamel sauce.

Delicious, rich and very filling comfort food from amazing Greece. It smells and tastes heavenly good!

In my recipe I'm using a pastitsio pasta which can be found in local stores, but you can substitute it with other type.

I'm also using kefalotyri cheese to mix with pasta and eggs. If you can't find it, you may skip it or use parmesan. 

Caramel & peanut butter tart

There are moments in life, when the only thing that is missing is a solid dose of chocolate. Make it chocolate & caramel and it's even better.
Few days ago I was in this kind of mood - but in the same time, I really didn't want to make anything too complicated or time consuming. That's how I came up with this little sweet to-die-for tart. It has everything those with a bit of sweet tooth will love - there is a thin crust, caramel sauce, chocolate and an extra something - peanut butter that adds just a little bit of saltiness to balance the overall sweet taste.

This tart is like a candy bar you can cut with a knife - and what is better than a cake-size candy bar?

Polish vegetable salad (sałatka jarzynowa)

The most popular and loved salad in Poland - if you ever will be invited to a house-party, wedding or any event, there is almost 100% certainty that you'll find this salad on the table!

Even though we consider it a traditional Polish dish, the origins of this salad are Russian. It was invented by a Belgian chef Lucien Olivier in XIX century. Its recepture was a secret (especially the sauce), but the ingredients as we know today included: grouse, veal tongues, caviar, lettuce, capers, crayfish tails and smoked duck. Sounds pretty sophisticated, doesn't it?

That's why initially it was served only in some of the luxurious restaurants. Over the time Olivier's salad became very popular and the expensive ingredients were replaced with much cheaper and popular ones. So grouse was replaced by a sausage, capers by sweet pea, crayfish by carrots and so on.

After 1905, Russian aristocrats who were expelled from a country, popularised this salad in Western Europe - even now one can find "Russian salad" in many countries like Spain or Italy. Here in Greece, I also found it as "rosiki salata", it included potatoes, carrots, sweet pea mixed with mayonnaise only, which is far less ingredients than the Polish version served in my house.

In Poland this salad in a vegetarian version became really popular during PPR (Polish People's Republic) times, it was served in almost every restaurant and homes, as it's based on ingredients that were easy to find.

There are several versions of that salad in Poland - some of them include corn, some other beetroots or herrings, some add apple, some don't and so on - all depends on a cook's preferences. The recipe I present here, is one I grew up with and my favourite!

Delicious brownie from my Mom's cookbook (Murzynek)

When I was moving to Greece, my delightful mom gave me a notebook with her recipes. She actually sat for days after work and wrote down several family recipes for me as a gift. It brought tears to my eyes...a really precious gift and I will do the same for my future daughter for sure!

This brownie (called "murzynek" in Polish) is one of her recipes from that notebook. It brings back memories of my childhood, as it was one of my favorite cakes and my mom used to make it pretty often. Our whole house would smell like chocolate when it was in the oven...

Turkey roulades with sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella

It's one of the experimental meals I've made when I couldn't decide what to cook for a dinner. I had some turkey fillets and wanted to make something different than simply fried or with some sause. Quick look into my pantry and I've decided to create these small roulades stuffed with dried tomatoes, mozarella cheese and olives.
It's a delicious and light combination, perfect for the Summer!

Greek "little shoes" - stuffed eggplants (Papoutsakia)

Another delicious Greek dish! Now eggplants are at their peak, so I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't make papoutsakia. The name in Greek means literally "little shoes", which I find adorable and accurate at the same time, as they do resemble little shoes when they're cooked.
These incredible stuffed eggplants are filled with aromatic meat sauce and topped with béchamel. 

It takes some time to make them, but trust me - the effort really pays off!
As with some other Greek dishes, I always make enough papoutsakia to have it for 2-3 meals.  They're as delicious as fresh or even better the next day - reheated with some melted halloumi cheese on top.

Spinach & tomato salad with roasted almonds

I love spinach! I was one of the very few kids that had no problem eating it...well except times in school canteen where they served it in some unbelievably gooey way with no spices whatsoever. I use spinach as a base for stuffing, soups and sauces, but  I have never tried raw spinach before, so I wasn't sure how exactly it will come out. Turns out - it's delicious, refreshing and makes a very nice salad, especially when combined with roasted almonds and balsamic cream.

Stuffed portobello mushrooms

This dish was another culinary experiment - I got these beautiful portobello mushrooms and was wondering what to do with them. I've decided to stuff them with some of the things I already had in the fridge and it turned out delicious!
It's a food that doesn't need much preparation, a little bit of frying, then stuck in the oven and wait for it to be ready, so it's a good idea for a dinner when you don't have so much time!

Coconut panna cotta with strawberry sauce

It's getting slowly hot here in Greece, which means a season for light & fruity desserts has started!
This recipe was a complete experiment - I wanted something sweet and refreshing at the same time.

I looked into my little pantry and found a can of coconut milk. It was sitting there, waiting for me to get inspired.
This is the result - coconut panna cotta & strawberry sauce - very light, easy to make and so, so delicious!

Cabbage soup - simple and tasty

This type of soup was very popular some years ago as a diet - yes, diet. You were supposed to eat only that soup for a week or so to lose few pounds. Now, I don't know about its effectiveness, as I'm getting bored too easily and monotonous diets are clearly not for me, but what I do know is that it is a delicious and very easy to make meal.

You just need few ingredients, throw them in a pot and about one hour later you've got your soup ready, couldn't be simpler!

Classic Greek moussaka (μουσακάς) with béchamel sauce

If you'd ask me what's an example of a Greek food, moussaka would be one of the top ten on my list. It's one of the most known Greek dishes and really worth trying if you haven't yet!
The combination of vegetables, meat and spices creates an explosion of taste in your mouth and it's really hard to stop eating once you start.

Moussaka (μουσακάς) is a type of layered casserole made with potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes and minced meat. Ideally you would use lamb meat, but pork, beef or mix of these work great too.

The secret of a great moussaka is to fry eggplants and potatoes before you make them into layers - it really does make a difference!

Buckwheat with mushrooms à la risotto

Buckwheat is a very popular ingredient in Polish cuisine and we use it in many ways - as stuffing, addition to soups, fried as cutlets or we serve it cooked with stews and sauces.
I haven't had buckwheat for a long time now, so I got pretty excited when I saw it being sold in the supermarket and immediately got an idea for this dish.
I would call it a variation of traditional Polish buckwheat with mushroom sauce with a "twist". 

Normally you would cook buckwheat in salted water and prepare mushroom sauce separately, but I've decided to make it a little bit differently.
I couldn't find any wild mushrooms like boletus ("borowik" or "prawdziwek" in Polish) so I've used portobello mushrooms as they have more taste and substance than regular white ones.

Sole fillets on celery salad and cauliflower puree

With days getting warmer, I usually get motivated to eat healthier and lose some weight before summer comes. Since I'm not a big fan of diets limiting you too much, I simply try to cut on carbohydrates - potatoes, pasta, flour, bread and replace them with low-carb alternatives.
This dish is one of the inventions I've made during my "diet" phase.

Even if you're not on a diet, try it out! It's delicious, light and very refreshing. Cauliflower makes a great alternative for potato puree if you're bored with it and celery salad goes wonderful with any type of fish or meat.

Meatballs with egg-lemon sauce (Giouvarlakia)

This is one of my favourites - and one of my discoveries after I came to Greece. I guess in every country you'll find some type of meatballs, I knew for example the Polish version with tomato or dill sauce, served with mashed potatoes. Giouvarlakia was something new and captivated me with its refreshing, lemon taste of avgolemono. 

The love story between avgolemono and me started with a pinch of scepticism, as the combination of egg and lemon was a little bit exotic to me and I really wasn't sure what to expect.

After giving it a try with giouvarlakia, my attitude changed from reserved to pretty passionate about it!

Some recipes describe giouvarlakia as soup, some others make it more into meatballs with sauce - I prefer it rather thick and love to scoop out the sauce with some bread, but it's really up to you!

Potato pancakes (Placki ziemniaczane) with mushroom sauce & garlic dip

Another dish that brings my childhood memories! Potato pancakes ("placki ziemniaczane" in Polish) are one of the most popular Polish food - crunchy, delicious and easy to make. 

This time I've decided to make them with mushroom sauce and garlic dip, but they go well with other sauces too. And if you feel adventurous - I suggest trying them with sour cream and sprinkled with sugar. This is how I used to eat them when I was a kid and believe me - however crazy it might sound, it's actually amazing!

"One bite" mushroom mini pies

These little mushroom filled bites burst with taste in your mouth! They're perfect snacks when you just want to grab something fast, when you're going to a picnic, when you want something to go with your beer or at any other time.
Invented as a savory trait I needed to prepare for an event, they've become a "must-have" appetizer in my cookbook and are one of the favourites.

Mazurek with kajmak (dulce de leche) and dried fruits - Polish Easter dessert

Mazurek is a type of Polish short pastry made traditionally on Easter. There are few theories about origins of its name. One says it derived from "Mazur" which was a tribe living in Mazovia region of Poland, the other states that Mazurek took its name from one of our traditional folk dances. The second theory suits the festive nature of that cake, so personally I like it more.

Mazurek comes in many shapes - oval, round or rectangular, can have one or two layers of pastry, but its characteristic are - elaborated decoration made with dried fruits and icing called "kajmak".

This is a very sweet cake, so it comes as a little "reward" after forty days of Great Lent before Easter.

Pierogi with cottage cheese & potato filling (Polish dumplings)

If you'd ask anyone in Poland about the typical Polish food, most likely their answer would be "pierogi ruskie". This is a classic Polish recipe - the name translates to "Russian dumplings", but it has nothing to do with Russia. It comes from the area of Red Ruthenia, called in Polish "Ruś Czerwona". It's a historical term describing territory of southeastern Poland and western Ukraine.

In Poland we make many types of pierogi - with meat, mushrooms, sauerkraut, fruits etc., but these have a special place in my heart - my grandma was making them, my mom did and now me.

Homemade breakfast buns

They say the aroma of freshly baked bread is one of the most comforting and delicious for most of us. Some scientists even prove that it makes us kinder to people! So why not bring some of this kindness to your home? 

These little buns are crunchy outside, fluffy inside and they will take you back to your childhood, when the bread was a real bread...

Greek roasted vegetables (Briam)

This is one of the dishes I've discovered after I moved to Greece two years ago. When I came here I've started researching recipes and asking people about food their mothers used to make. I wanted to learn how to cook "greek" and bring some of the traditional tastes to my new greek home.

As I found out, briam is a variation of another greek dish called "tourlou", or at least this is how it functions in my cookbook now.
Briam acquires taste in time, so usually I make enough for 2-3 days - and basically we could eat it everyday for a week and won't get bored with it.

Spring beetroots soup (botwinka)

The spring is near and I've started craving for a certain dish my mom used to make around that time...This is a traditional polish soup, made with spring beetroots, cream - simple, delicious and perfect for not so warm spring days!

Spinach & feta penne

There are days, when you want something delicious but don't want to spend hours cooking - here's solution! An amazing and simple spinach & feta penne done in less than 30 minutes.

Chocolate birthday cake with mascarpone coffee cream

What would be a birthday without a proper cake?

As the day was getting near I've been thinking of some delicious treat to celebrate my significant other's birthday.

Since we both love chocolate the base was pretty clear, but I wanted to combine it with something slightly bitter, light and delicious so it came to mascarpone based coffee cream with slight addition

of cherry and apricot marmalade.