Polish apple pie from my mom's cookbook - classic "szarlotka"

 

I love apples! Well, who doesn't? This recipe for a delicious apple pie comes from a family cookbook my mom wrote and gave me when I moved to Greece - I mentioned it on another occasion - when I was making a brownie.
Apple pie (szarlotka) is a perfect dessert no matter what time of a year it is. In the Summer it tastes amazing with some ice cream on top, in the Winter it's perfect with a cup of tea or hot chocolate. It smells delicious - apples and cinnamon is a mouth-watering combination for me! Plus this apple pie comes with a light foam and sweet crumble on top - what else could I possibly need?

Greek bean soup (Fasolada)

 

Lately it's pretty cold, even in Greece. Days like these I really enjoy food that warms you up! This bean soup (fasolada) is one of such dishes - hearty, spicy and perfect in the Winter. It's also pretty simple, just few ingredients, it doesn't need much attention and the only thing that takes time is soaking & cooking beans (unless you're using canned ones). Fasolada is one of my favourite Greek dishes - the taste is amazing, it's one of those comfort foods that we all need sometimes, especially in the cold, gloomy days!

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!