vespresso

Cream of Potatoes Soup

I love veggie soups. They are nutritious, tasty and very easy to make. When it’s freezing outside, a big bowl of soup has the power to warm up both your body and your soul.

Today I chose a cream of potato soup. It’s so hearty and creamy. For extra flavor, I boiled veggies in homemade chicken soup and I seasoned my cream of potatoes with Cajun spice blend. I served this wonderful soup in huge bowls with crispy bacon, avocado, pumpkin seeds and chilli pecorino cheese sprinkled on top.

Continue reading Cream of Potatoes Soup

Česnica – Traditional Serbian Christmas Pie

Česnica is a Serbian brioche made from flour and water and is served on Christmas Eve. Its name comes from the noun cest = share (beautiful, isn’t it?). The person who prepares this delicious dessert always hides a coin inside it. The coin brings luck to whomever finds it.

My grandmother used to prepare this treat each year. But our Česnica was different. It was filled with a rich walnut mixture and coated with a decadent honey glaze. My grandmother used to turn flour and water into an extremely elastic dough. Then she used to stretch the dough into several thin sheets just by using her hands. It was such a delight to watch her!

Continue reading Česnica – Traditional Serbian Christmas Pie

Chocolate-Meringue Buttercream Cake

I love chocolate cakes! They taste like heaven. I tried lots of chocolate cake recipes and I can honestly say that I’ve found a perfect version. It has a brownie-like sponge and a fabulous chocolate-meringue buttercream. And another great thing is the fact that it’s made in less than 2 hours.
Continue reading Chocolate-Meringue Buttercream Cake

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Liver / Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates served with Beetroot and Greek Yogurt Sauce

Is there anyone who doesn’t like bacon? I don’t think so! In my case, the more (and the crispier), the better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware of the fact that bacon isn’t exactly healthy, so I try to cut on it as much as I can. I usually crave bacon during the cold season, so I add crispy bacon on my Christmas/ New Year’s Eve menu.

So, when I say bacon, I usually have in mind two things: chicken liver and dates. These two combinations are simply amazing, each in it’s own perfect way. The first one is so rich and flavorful and the second one is so decadent and sharp. I made for those rolls a fresh and tangy beetroot and greek yogurt sauce.

Continue reading Bacon Wrapped Chicken Liver / Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates served with Beetroot and Greek Yogurt Sauce

Cream Cheese Stuffed Eggs Served with Remoulade Sauce

I serve stuffed eggs on each and every single Christmas dinner. I remember that my grandmother used to make huge amounts of stuffed eggs. I mean two or three platters. I loved those eggs so much that I used to live only on them for at least three days after Christmas. My grandmother’s recipe was very tasty; she used to fill hard boiled eggs with a flavorful butter and pork loin pâté and serve them with a decadent sour cream and mayonnaise sauce.
I took her recipe and made a few swaps so I developed a healthier vegetarian version. I dye my hard boiled eggs with beetroot juice, fill them with a cream cheese mixture and serve them with a tangy remoulade sauce.

Continue reading Cream Cheese Stuffed Eggs Served with Remoulade Sauce

Brioches Suisses

I can honestly say that brioche is my favorite dessert. I cannot picture something more delicious than freshly baked brioche. And the best part is yet to come: if you have leftovers (that is one big IF), you can transform brioche in a flavourful pudding or a French toast, perfect for breakfast. Genious, right?

I simply adore brioche suisses. They are golden brioche rectangles filled with crème de patisserie and dark chocolate flakes. They are so rich and tasty!

Continue reading Brioches Suisses

Asian-Style Glazed Meatballs

I cannot picture a really big family gathering without a platter of meatballs. I strongly believe that the recipe of meatballs is the most adjustable recipe in the world. You can add almost anything you find in your pantry and the result is still delicious. I remember that my grandmother had 3 recipes: one from her mother, one from her in-laws and one from a Hungarian cooking show, even though she didn’t understand a single word in Hungarian. Surprisingly enough, the third recipe would turn out absolutely spot on every single time.

Continue reading Asian-Style Glazed Meatballs

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is a soup of Italian origin made with seasonal vegetables and pasta or rice. This soup often contains tomatoes, carrot, celery, onion and beans. It’s such a lovely and heart-warming soup. And the great part is that there’s no recipe for this amazing soup, so the sky is the limit… It is thick. It is tasty. It is… perfect.

Continue reading Minestrone Soup

Mini Irish Soda Bread

I bake bread as often as possible. I like to control what goes into my bread and let’s face it, nothing smells better than freshly baked bread. Generally speaking, baking a bread is time-consuming. Sometimes I’m not willing to spend my next two to three hours in the kitchen. So, when I’m in a hurry but I still want to eat delicious homemade bread, I choose this recipe. These mini irish soda breads are both adorable and tasty. They have a lovely crunchy crust and a dense and flavourful center.

I like to make my own buttermilk. It’s super simple and fast.
Continue reading Mini Irish Soda Bread

Smoked Prunes Stuffed Tenderloin Served with Celeriac Puree

I love dried prunes. Their autumnal, smoked flavor brings me back to my childhood. Dried prunes and pork tenderloin is suck a magnificent combination. I like to pair stuffed tenderloin with autumnal veggie puree (such as celeriac, sunchoke or butternut squash). For me, this is how fall tastes like.
Continue reading Smoked Prunes Stuffed Tenderloin Served with Celeriac Puree