Amaretto Walnut Chocolate Cake
This is a spin-off of a flourless walnut cake popular in Bulgaria called “Garash”. The layers are made of merengue and ground walnuts. This version has almonds and walnuts. The chocolate cream is made with Trader Joe’s almond cocoa butter, instead of the Nutella used in the recipe I found, plus a mighty splash of Amaretto. It is the cake I made for myself for my birthday yesterday. In the background is a greeting card from the top boss of my agency… I guess this is a new practice. Special thanks to the nameless report writer who created and scheduled the daily or weekly report with employee birthdays for HR. Lol….

This is not the exact recipe I followed (that one I am too lazy to translate), but this here is the classic Garash recipe with lots of pics, so it should help if you decide to experiment:
http://www.viktoriastable.com/garash-cake/

Ground beef leftovers from burgers or meatballs can be easily co-opted with hashbrowns, with added chopped dill and green onions. Mandatory hot sauce to boot. Brunch all day on Sunday!

Eggs Hollandaise on Smoky Cheddar Brussels Sprouts

Brunch time! If you don’t like Brussels sprouts, look away. Instead of English muffin, the base is a croissant with some melted cheddar. The next layer are some crispy fried Brussels sprouts with onions, smoked paprika and pine nuts. An egg poached in one of these gizmos https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81RehI3%2B7OL._SL1500_.jpg lays on top, and the sauce Hollandaise comes last.

Smores Cookies

Beware, this recipe is a trap. Your marshmallows will slide down the melted chocolate before you can even turn on the Broil! I was able to save more than half… but some perished in the experiment. The marshmallows I used are the handmade chocolate-drizzled Guinness-infused marsmallows by Wondermade: https://wondermade.com/products/chocolatebeer, and the cookie recipe is this one:

https://www.tastemade.com/videos/things-to-do-with-a-whole-chocolate-bar

You got me again, Tastemade!

Tomato Soup with Leeks, Rice, Black Barley and Feta

It’s not really chilly down here in Florida, but some folks actually eat this soup cold, so it is suitable for any weather. It is one of those approximate recipes which never gets written down or followed with precision. You sautee finely chopped leeks and carrots (garlic optional); add 4-5 large chopped fresh tomatoes, and then one can of crushed tomatoes. Add 2 cups of water or vegetable stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Spice it up with crushed savory, oregano, paprika, salt and paper to taste and add the rice and black barley (there is actually a Trader Joe’s mix of brown rice, black barley and daikon seeds, and that’s just what i used – about half a cup). Simmer until the rice is cooked (about 35 minutes).

Top with crumbled feta and fresh dill.

The awesome soup bowl with appendage for crackers is from Etsy, bought it a while back.

Easter Bread with Quince Jam

This challah-like braided sweet bread is a staple of Bulgarian cuisine, especially on Easter, but it is made all year round. I remember being in middle school and having my grandma butter slices of kozunak up, sprinkle sugar on them and broil them (for a brule-like effect) as an afternoon snack. To be honest, I was never a fan until as an adult I got to stuff the thing with whatever I liked – chocolate, nuts, tart cherries etc. The standard is rose hip marmalade, which sounds exotic in the US, but was very common back home.

My version here has quince jam, tart cherries and hazelnuts inside.

So, Happy Easter to whoever celebrates! This year the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Easters coincide, so woohoo, I guess 😉

http://www.bobthechef.com/recipe/kozunak-sweet-easter-bread

Lemony Almond Cake with Blackberries and Honey Drizzle

A rip-off of a Mark Bittman cake that was modified even further by a chef at Food 52. I used her recipe but had no fresh figs so used blackberries and almond flour. It comes out a bit dry so it needs that honey/lemon syrup. A lot.

https://food52.com/blog/18107-how-i-frankensteined-mark-bittman-s-cake-but-i-think-he-d-approve

Cookie Dough Filled Rangoons

Temple Street Eatery had these on special once, so I tried a recreation. They probably used real cookie dough (because they bake cookies too), but mine came from a jar of edible cookie dough that is safe to consume and is sold in some supermarkets like Fresh Market. So you take a rangoon sheet, spoon some cookie dough, seal the edges with egg whites (seal carefully so it doesn’t open up in the oil!), deep fry, sprinkle with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. Super quick (if you have the ingredients on hand). They are not that yummy once they are cold, however, and once they are super hot – they are outright dangerous. Try to find the gold middle 🙂

Rum Raisin Truffles

This recipe has been sitting printed out in my binder for nearly 8 years now, so I couldn’t find it online today to link up. But the gist of it is simple:

Crushed/powdered Speculoos biscuits – recipe says 100g, I used the whole package

200 ml heavy cream or soya cream (vegan)

200 g dark chocolate (chips or baking chocolate)

Raisins – a cup

Rum – to cover the raisins and soak them in overnight

After the raisins have plumped up from the overnight Rum bath and you have consumed the leftover rum :), melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a baine marie, mix with warmed up heavy cream and the crushed speculoos, fold in the raisins, and leave the mix in the fridge to harden. When it is firm, start rolling balls (this is a messy business), and then dust the balls with cocoa powder, or sugar, or coconut, or whatever your heart desires.

Truth be told – the chocolate overwhelms the rum flavor, so next time, I will add less chocolate so these could be more like “blondie” truffles.

I will keep looking for the original recipe and post an update!

Herbed Tuna Pearl Couscous Salad with Cumin, Coriander and Citrus

I think this is my fifth time making it, so it’s a proven recipe! The citrus in the title encompasses four things – fresh lemon juice and rind, preserved lemon and fresh squeezed OJ. Don’t be weirded out by the orange juice – it mellows out the cumin and salty chopped preserved lemons. Also, the spices definitely need to be dry roasted and then ground. Some larger bits of cumin and coriander sneak in and make this salad full of smoky flavors and textures.

https://food52.com/recipes/16313-herbed-tuna-and-israeli-couscous-salad-with-cumin-coriander-and-citrus