Phase I of the Fat Smash Diet is halfway through, and if you joined me on this venture, you must be as ecstatic about it as I am.  This is the most challenging phase of the whole program.

I needed to intensify (just a little)  my daily exercise, due to the unfavorable weather conditions hindering my walking routine.

Today I was thinking about some new items to add to my menu, and realized that the breakfast quiches, I posted in the past, would make a great breakfast, or snack,  with some modification to the original recipe.

Check out the original recipe, and make these adjustments:

• Take out the bacon
• Use low fat cheese
• Use FF or low fat milk
• Add another vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, spinach)

If you have any other suitable recipes  for this phase of the Fat Smash Diet, or any of the future phases, please share them with us.

I will also share any new recipe I get to try out.

Good Luck!

Keep up the good work!

I have been very busy preparing all sorts of “healthful” foods for my first week of the Fat Smash Diet.

This helps me get motivated, and really psyche myself out for the long haul ahead.

I am all set for the next three days, with Carrot Soup,  Brown Rice , Chickpeas Vinaigrette, Fruit Smoothie, chopped raw veggies, and Veggie Burgers.

Since my husband is not willing to join me on this venture, I prepared some regular meals for him, so I can stay out of the kitchen for few days to avoid any unnecessary temptations.

Today I will share the Carrot Soup recipe, which yields 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 10 carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp. butter (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 cups (40 oz), vegetable broth (I prepared my own)
• 3 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 Tbs. minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Tbs of chopped parsley
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup brown rice (I used cooked brown rice)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts pot with water (5 cups), and prepare your own veggie broth, or use ready-made broth.
2. I prepared my own broth by boiling 2 stalks celery, 1/2 onion, 2 bay leaves, parsley root (or parsnip), 1/2 cup of chopped broccoli, 2 tsp. kosher salt.
3. While the veggie broth is cooking, heat a medium saucepan with 1 tsp of olive oil.
4. Add chopped onion, and saute until translucent.
5. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
6. Add chopped carrots and saute additional 10-15 minutes.
7. Combine the sautéed veggies with the veggie broth, and ginger and curry powder.
8. Bring to boil and simmer 30-40 minutes.
9. Remove bay leaves, chopped parsley, black pepper and salt, as needed to taste.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Pour soup into blender, in batches, and puree.
12. Add cooked brown rice.
13. Serve hot, or store in the fridge for future use.

Enjoy.

TIP: I also purred all the other vegetables which I used for the veggie broth, and added them to the soup.  I could not just waste them by tossing them away.

The traditional Christmas celebration on December 24th is over, but we are still in the Christmas season.

On January 6th, a Christmas Eve is observed by many Ukrainians, Greeks, Orthodox Christians, and others, who follow the Julian calendar.

Our family, here in the US, celebrates  Christmas on December 24th, since our church observes it on this date.

However, we also commemorate this holiday on January 6th, to unite in spirit, with our family and friends in Ukraine, Poland, Portugal, France, Germany, England, etc, who celebrate on this date, only .

The Kolach in this post, is complimentary by one of my readers, Marilyn K, who baked it this year for her Christmas holiday, and was kind enough to share the picture with all of us.

She did a beautiful job with this special bread.   The presentation is very creative, and festive.

Congratulations Marilyn on job well done.

Thank you for sharing.

Best Christmas wishes to all my readers, and their loved ones.

Khrystos Rozhdayetsia!  Slavite Yoho!

Christ Is Born! Glorify Him!

Merry Christmas !

Another year is passing us by, and a new one is just around the corner.

There is no better way to farewell an old year, and welcome in the NEW YEAR, than to do it with food and friends.

If you are planning such a fun gathering, and searching for some tasty appetizers, you stumbled upon the perfect site to get this information.

Since I am still dealing with leftovers from Christmas, I will not be posting new recipes this week, but will provide you with links to yummy recipes already posted.

Selection A:

• Tzatziki Dip
• Rye Bread Dip
• Hummus
• Chick Peas Vinaigrette
• Veggie Platter
• Ham Canapes

Selection B:

• Jalapeno Corn Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Seven Layer Guacamole Dip
• Swedish Meatballs
• Texas Caviar
• Caramel Apple Dip
• Mrs. Z’s Deviled Eggs
• Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoe Cheese Spread
• Honey Apple Brie Bites
• Turkey Taco Ring

Selection C:

If you are looking for a more substantial food selection, in addition to the appetizers, you may want to check these out:

• City Chicken
• Chicken Paprikash
• Chicken/Turkey Tetrazzini
• Calico Beans
• Homemade varenyky/perogy
• Cabbage Rolls (vegetarian, or with meat)

I believe this list should be very helpful for you, and by next year, I should have more recipes for you to try.

Enjoy your party.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

While most children are awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus, many others are expecting a visit from St. Nicholas.

My grandchildren are very excited about receiving  gifts from St. Nicholas, since they also get to participate in plays and poetry recitals at our local church, and youth organization.

It makes this holiday that much more special, feeling like a star, performing on a stage at such a young age of three.

This year, my granddaughter received a Gingerbread House kit from St. Nicholas, and could hardly wait to get home, to get the project started with her mom.

She was very patient, following all the instructions from her mom, and very meticulous about positioning all the candy in the proper places ( sampling few here and there…that’s part of the fun).

She was so proud of her completed project, and so were we, so I promised that I will post some pictures on my blog.

This is the front entry to the Gingerbread house.  She was deciding on the colors and type of candy to use, and the positioning of the figures. Her mom handled the icing part.  The white base was part of the kit.

She decided on a back entry as well, including additional windows. How cute is that.  Maybe that’s grandma’s private entrance?

A side view.  As you will see, she decided to decorate the house from all sides.  Good thing there was plenty of candy with this kit.

View of the other side, and top of the roof.  Not sure what all the gum drops represent on the roof top??

Close up view of the roof with a chimney.  She was very excited about the chimney, so I needed to point it out as well.

If you are looking for fun projects to do with your children, or grandchildren, putting together a Gingerbread House is a wonderful idea.

It lets you spend quality time with them, and makes their imagination run wild.

If your children, or grandchildren are older, you may want to make a Gingerbread House from scratch.

It is a known fact that holidays mean spending fun time with family and friends, as well as enjoying lots of delicious food and drinks.

As our family tradition, and to alternate with our married children in-laws, we celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th, by the  Gregorian calendar , and then again the Traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve, per Julian calendar, on January 6th.

I am still making all the traditional foods and baked goods for both dates, but have more time for shopping, as this year’s  gift exchange will take place in January.

Since I will be doing most of my baking later on this month, I will share links to my past year’s baked goods recipes, for your convenience and baking pleasure.

Cream Wafers

Miniature Nut Cups – Tea Tassies

Sugar Cut- Out Cookies

Sugar Wafers

Pecan Butterballs

Dycio Crescents

Frosted Lemon Cookies

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Chocolate Scotcheroos

Ginger Chocolate Truffles

This should give you a good start for early holiday baking.

This recipe has been in our family since at least the late 18oos.  My great-grandmother was making these sauerkraut filled pyrizhky, she called “Kapusnyachky”, and my grandmother continued making them for her family as well.

My maternal grandmother always made these for me, as a special treat, on our visits with my mom.  I was a very finicky eater, as a child, but these were my favorite snack.

Sweet treats were not as popular then, maybe because of high cost of many of the ingredients, as well as their unavailability.   However, yeast raised baked goods were made fresh on regular basis.

One of my readers inquired about a recipe for these pyrizhky, so I promised to make them, and to prepare a post with pictures.

These pastries may also be filled with fruits, jams, buckwheat, sautéed onions, spinach, cheese, poppy seed, or even ground cooked meat.  They may be eaten as a snack, an appetizer, or as an accompaniment to soups, or salads.

There is a similar pastry called “Pyrih”, or “Pyrohy” (plural), same recipe and fillings, but in a form of a sheet cake.

Some folks use the word “Pyrohy”, to describe Varenyky, which is totally incorrect.  The word “Varenyky” derives from the base word “varyty”, which means to cook, hence these filled dumplings are cooked.

Pyrohy,or Pyrizhky, as you see in this recipe, are not cooked dumplings, but rather a baked pastry.

Next time you hear someone asking for “Pyrohy”, but expecting to receive “Varenyky”, please correct them politely, by explaining the difference between these two dishes.

My favorite filling is the sauerkraut filling, which I am using in this post.

This recipe yields at least 24 pieces.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (3/4 oz = 21g) Fleishmann’s Rapid Rise dry granular yeast
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup whole milk, scalded
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg (to use as egg wash for the final step)

Filling:

• 2 lbs sauerkraut
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Filling Directions:

1. Filling needs to be prepared ahead of time, and cooled off, or it can be done during the time the dough is rising.
2. Place the sauerkraut in a colander, and rinse for about a minute, under running cold water.
3. Fill a 4 quarts pot with 5 cups of cold water.
4. Add sauerkraut and bay leaf.
5. Bring to boil, partially over, and cook for at least 20 minutes.
6. Remove bay leaf, drain onto colander.
7. Mix with a spoon, to cool it off faster.
8. Using your cupped hands, squeeze out the water from the sauerkraut, over colander, until fairly dry.
9. Place the butter in a saucepan, warm up, add chopped onions, and saute until golden.
10. Mix in sauerkraut, salt and pepper, and saute few more minutes, to blend the flavors.
11. Set aside to cool off.

Dough Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the warm water with 1 tsp. sugar, and sprinkle the yeast over the top.
2. Keep it in a warm place, free of draft, for about 10 minutes, so the yeast becomes bubbly.
3. Scald the milk, add butter, and cool to lukewarm.
4. Mix the flour with the salt and sugar, and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs .
6. Add the yeast to mixture to the lukewarm milk, pour into the egg mixture.
7. Add the flour, and mix about 10 minutes to form a soft bread dough. You can use a mixer with a hook, but I mix it by hand, just like my Paska dough.
8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, keep it in a warm place, free of draft, until the dough doubles in bulk.
9. Punch down, and knead it a few times, cover it up again, and let it double in bulk, once again.
10. Divide the dough in half, for easier handling.
11. Place one half of the dough onto a floured work area, and knead it for a minute.  I love working withe the doughon a Silicone Silpat.
12. Roll out into a rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.
13. Using a pizza cutter, or a knife, cut into  2 x 3 inch rectangular pieces.
14. Spread a teaspoon of filling, in the center of each rectangular piece.
15. To close up the filling into the pyrizhky, fold over one side of the longer end of the dough piece, pushing the filling under, and keep on rolling to the other end, overlapping it.  Before final overlapping, moisten the other edge of dough with a drop of water, to form a better seal.
16. This is how they should look, once rolled and sealed.  While you are working with the rest of the dough, turn them over on the seam, so they do not open up during rising and baking.
17. Grease a cookie sheet ( I use vegetable Crisco shortening, since butter burns too quickly), and place the rolled pyrizhky, seams down, spaced enough to allow for growth, so they don’t stick together during baking.
18. Beat one egg with 1 tsp of water, to prepare an egg wash.  Using a pastry brush, dip it in egg wash, and brush tops and sides of the pyrizhky set up on a cookie sheet.
19. Place them in a warm place, until they rise again, about 20 minutes.
20. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the cookie sheet on a middle oven rack, and bake for 25 minutes.
21. Remove onto a wire rack to cool.
22. I quickly brush some butter on the warm tops and sides, to retain the softness of the crust.

These are absolutely delicious while still warm, but they are just as great at room temperature.

Once fully cooled, they freeze very well.  Actually, if you do not plan to use them within a day or two, it is better to freeze them in a ziplock bag, to preserve their freshness.

Enjoy.

Most popular mushrooms in the US,  and most readily available,  are the farm grown white mushrooms.

There are also other varieties of  mushrooms, more on a brown side in color, called Cremini, or Portobello Mushrooms.  These two types are tastier, but a little more expensive, and not as readily available in all grocery stores.

I am also lucky to have some dried mushrooms (borowiki), grown in Poland, and these are my all time favorite, due to their rich flavor.  I use these for preparing filling for Vushka to serve with a Ukrainian Traditional Christmas Borscht.  I also like to add a couple of these mushrooms to my Kapusnyak, which I usually prepare for Easter Brunch.

Today I am sharing my recipe for a Ukrainian Mushroom and Vegetable Soup, which my husband and I really enjoy, and hopefully you will too.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts soup stock
• 1 lb white mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 2 large carrots
• 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbs Canola oil
• 1 Tbs dill weed, chopped
• 1 Tbs garlic chives, chopped (optional)
• 1 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of uncooked pasta (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts soup pot, with soup stock.
2. Add chopped carrots, potatoes, celery, and bay leaves.
3. Bring to boil.
4. Heat Canola oil in a saucepan, add chopped onions and saute until wilted.
5. Add chopped mushrooms, and saute 3 minutes, until juices start to build up.
6. Add chopped garlic, and saute another minute.
7. Season with salt and pepper and add to the soup stock.
8. Add pasta, if you choose to use it. ( Before adding pasta, I use a potato masher, and pulsate it several times in the soup, to break up the veggies to smaller pieces, and make the soup creamier).
9. Cook, until all veggies and pasta are tender.  About 15-20 minutes.
10. Remove the large celery pieces, and bay leaves, and discard.
11. Add 1 Tbs flour to the sauce pan, and fry it until golden, mixing frequently to prevent excessive browning.
12. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream, or milk, forming a creamy mixture.  You may add some of the soup stock if needed to make it creamy.
13. Cook for a minute, and add to the soup.
14. Cook soup for a minute longer. Turn the heat off.
15. Add the chopped dill, garlic chives, and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Serve hot, with a fresh piece of rye bread, garlic bread, or Kapusnyachky. (see TIP)

Enjoy.

TIP: Kapusnyachky recipe is coming up very soon.

Sauerkraut soup, also known as “Kapusnyak”- in Ukrainian, or “Kapusniak” – in Polish, is a very refreshing, zestful, and  nutritious soup.

I like making Kapusnyak for Easter late afternoon meal, since in Ukrainian Easter tradition, very special foods are served for brunch, so Kapusnyak is a wonderful addition to this menu for an early afternoon meal.

It also gives me a chance to use the leftover shank bone from the baked ham, and some of the pan juices, which add wonderful flavor to the Kapusnyak.

Ingredients:

• 1 ham shank bone, with some meat on it
• 8 cups of water
• 1 whole onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 carrots, cubed
• 2 stalk celery, cut to large pieces
• 2 cups sauerkraut (drained, and rinsed out)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tbs. Canola oil
• 2 Tbs. flour
• Sour cream (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs dill weed, chopped
• 2 dry Porcine mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts (or larger) soup pot  with  cold water.
2. Add the shank bone, and bay leaves, and some of the pan juices (these may be quite salty), and bring to boil.
3. Cook for 30 minutes.
4. Add whole onion, chopped carrots, celery, and 2 dry Porcine mushrooms.
5. Cook for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the celery stalks, whole onion, and the bay leaves.
7. Drain the sauerkraut, place on a colander, and rinse under a running, cold water, for about 2 minutes, continuously mixing it, to remove most of the sour juices.
8. Squeeze out, to drain the water, add to the soup pot.
9. Bring to boil, and cook for additional 30 minutes, or until kraut is tender.
10. Remove the whole mushrooms, chopped them up, and add back to soup.
11. Remove the shank bone, cut away the remaining meat, and add the meat back to soup.
12. Heat Canola oil in a sauce pan, add the chopped onions, and saute until golden.
13. Mix in 2 Tbs of flour to the onions, and brown lightly.
14. Gradually add some soup stock to this mixture, and mix well to creamy consistency (not lumpy), while cooking it for a couple of minutes, so it thickens.
15. Add to soup, and bring to boil.
16. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste.
17. Add chopped dill.
18. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, and fresh rye bread.

If you like creamy soups, you will enjoy this Broccoli Cheese Soup, which may also be served in a Bread Bowl, rather than the traditional soup bowl.

Cream soups are usually higher in calories, due to the creams and cheeses, but by preparing it yourself, you can lighten it up with low-fat cheese, and low-fat milk.

If you are not a big fan of broccoli as a side dish, you might surprise yourself, and really like this broccoli soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups potatoes, diced
• 1 cup carrots, sliced thin
• ½ cup celery, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli flowerets, separated to smaller pieces (or 16 oz. package frozen, chopped broccoli)
• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups of soup stock (I used chicken stock) see TIP below
• 1 cup of low-fat milk (see TIP below)
• 1 Tbs. corn starch, or flour
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup cheese, shredded (Swiss, Cheddar)
• 1/8 tsp ground thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Simmer potatoes, carrots, and celery in 4 cups of soup stock, for 20 minutes.
2. Add broccoli and cook for 7 more minutes.
3. Remove 1 cup of cooked broccoli, set aside.
4. Saute chopped onion in 1 Tbs of canola oil, until golden.
5. Add butter and minced garlic. Saute 1 minute longer.
6. Set aside.
7. Pour the soup into a blender, or food processor to puree it.
8. Return back to soup pot.
9. Add sautéed onions and garlic.
10. Mix corn starch, or flour, with 1/4 cup of milk, until smooth.
11. Add to the remaining milk, and pour into the soup.
12. Bring to boil.
13. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
14. Mix in shredded cheese, until melted.
15. Fold in the reserved cooked broccoli.
16. Serve it hot.
17. You may also cool  it, refrigerate, and reheat before serving.

You can create quick bread bowls, by hollowing out crusty rolls, such as Portuguese Rolls, and serve the soup in them.

TIP:  You can prepare a quick soup stock by dissolving chicken, or vegetable bullion in water, per package directions.  You can also use ready-made stock, if you do not have time to make your own homemade stock.

For richer soup, and higher calories of course, you can use whole milk, or even cream and milk mixture.