Category Archives: recipes

Springroll Sushi Rolls with Rice Paper

Springroll sushi rolls
Springroll Sushi Rolls

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked sushi rice, follow my sushi rice recipe here,
7 rice papers,
10 crab sticks,
1 mango, peeled and sliced thinly,
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced,
shredded carrot,
1 cup cucumber sticks,
1/2 oz. toasted sesame seeds, mix of black and regular color sesame seeds;
1 sushi mat and plastic wrap.

Recipe:

  1. Place one rice paper on a larger plate and run hot water over it slowly until the rice paper is very soft.
  2. Spread a layer of sushi rice over the rice paper, leaving just 1-inch on both sides uncovered.
  3. Place some of the ingredients in the center of the rice.
  4. Fold both sides of the spring roll over the ingredients.
  5. Now remove the spring roll from the plate and place it on sushi mat that have been wrapped with cling wrap in order to prevent sticking. Using the mat work the spring roll into an evenly-shaped sushi roll.
  6. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the spring sushi roll and let it sit in a plate until you finish rolling the rest of them.
  7. Cut each spring roll in the middle and serve with some sweet soy sauce or a sauce of your choice.

Beef Shawarma Recipe At Home

Beef shawarma
Beef Shawarma Recipe at Home

Ingredients:

1 four-to-five pound eye of round beef roast,
1 teaspoon kibbeh spice mix,
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin,
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1/2 teaspoon paprika,
1 carrot,
1 onion,
2 stalks of celery
As needed:
1/2 cup Middle Eastern pickled beets or turnips,
diced tomato,
romaine lettuce,
sliced purple onion,
chopped parsley,
10 pita breads (8-inch) or more.

Ingredients for Garlic Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup strained yogurt or labneh

Recipe:

  1. Rub the eye of round with the kibbeh spice mix, ground cumin, salt and paprika, and let it sit in a refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to marinate. Kibbeh spice mix can be obtained from a Middle Eastern grocery stores.
  2. Add a cup of water, the carrot, onion and celery to a roasting pan with the beef, preheat the oven to 400 F and just brown the top of the beef. After that, reduce the heat to 300 F, cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and cook for a couple of hours or until the eye of round roast is tender and internal temperature is at least 178 F.
  3. Let the roast beef rest for about 10 minutes before you slice it thinly to strips. You should have enough meat for at least 15-20 beef shawarmas.
  4. In the meantime mix the ingredients for the garlic sauce.
  5. Spread some garlic sauce on the pitas and add your vegetables. Top with 3 oz. of sliced beef per pita and close the ends of the pitas so they can still slightly overlap.
  6. Use a panini press to grill the outside of the beef shawarma pita wraps to the desired doneness.
  7. Enjoy.

Beets Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Beets, cucumber and tomato salad
Beets, Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

3-4 whole beets, (I used candycane beets),
1 iceberg lettuce,
1 cup grape tomatoes,
1 seedless cucumber,
greeen onion, sliced,
purple onion, chopped,
fresh parsley, chopped,
your favorite dressing

Recipe:

  1. Peel, dice and boil the beets.
  2. Strain the beets and let them cool down.
  3. Cut the rest of the vegetables and mix them with the beets and the dressing.

Chicken Shawarma Recipe – How To Make Shawarma at Home

Chicken shawarma
Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients:

2, six-ounce each, chicken breasts,
1 teaspoon kibbeh spice mix,
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin,
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon white vinegar,
1/2 teaspoon paprika,
1/2 cup Middle Eastern pickled beets or turnips,
As needed:
diced tomato,
romaine lettuce,
sliced purple onion,
chopped parsley,
4 pita breads (8-inch)

Ingredients for Garlic Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup strained yogurt or labneh

Recipe:

  1. Mix the chicken breasts with the kibbeh spice mix, ground cumin, salt, vinegar and paprika in a mixing bowl and let them sit in a refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to marinate. Kibbeh spice mix can be obtained from a Middle Eastern grocery store.
  2. Bake the chicken breasts in a preheated oven at 325 F for about 30 minutes or until ready. Internal temperature should be 175 F.
  3. Let the chicken breasts rest for about 10 minutes before you slice them thinly on strips.
  4. In the meantime mix the ingredients for the garlic sauce.
  5. Spread some garlic sauce on the 4 pitas and add your vegetables. Top with 3 oz. of sliced chicken per pita and close the ends of the pitas so they can still slightly overlap.
  6. Use a panini press to grill the outside of the chicken shawarma pita wraps to the desired doneness.
  7. Enjoy.

Baked Calzone Recipe

Baked calzone
Baked Calzone

Ingredients:

8 oz pizza dough for each panzerotti,
1 oz. sliced pepperoni,
pinch of dried herbs – Italian mix,
3 ounces mozzarella,
1 slice of prosciutto,
6-7 Italian meatballs,
2 tablespoons pizza sauce,
salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe:

  1. Pull the dough with your hands to about 8 inches in diameter and over one half of it put the filling and close it with the other half. Tuck it in or use a fork to close the calzone properly.
  2. Brush the calzone top with little tomato sauce flavored with a few drops of garlic infused oil. Sprinkle some semolina on a pizza pan, put the panzerotti over it and bake it in a preheated oven at 400 F.
  3. Bake the panzerotti until it is golden brown and when you insert a toothpick in it comes out clean.
  4. Cooking Tip: You can make a vegetarian panzerotti if you stuff it with grilled vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, onions, etc. and then cook it the same way.

Penne Pomodoro Pasta Recipe

Penne pomodoro pasta
Penne Pomodoro Pasta

Ingredients:

1 can (500 gr.) peeled Roma tomatoes in tomato juice,
4 tablespoons olive oil,
1 tablespoon chopped basil,
1 small onion, chopped,
1 tablespoon minced garlic,
2 teaspoons sugar,
1 teaspoon salt,
2 bay leaves,
1 teaspoon dry oregano,
1 tablespoon butter,
1 teaspoon white pepper.

Recipe

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until slightly golden.

2. Blend briefly the tomatoes with a stick blender and pour them in the saucepan. Add the salt, white pepper, oregano and bay leaves.

3. Simmer the tomato sauce over low temperature for about 30 min. (or until the desired consistencyis achieved), stirring occasionally.

3. Add the sugar, chopped basil and butter 10 minutes before the sauce is ready. 

Cooking tip: Make sure you are using real butter, not margarine, in this recipe. Use this Italian tomato sauce for pastas or on top of veal or chicken parmesan.

Rigatoni Melanzane Eggplant Pasta Recipe

Rigatoni melanzane eggplant pasta
Rigatoni Melanzane Pasta (with eggplant)

This recipe serves three or four dinner servings. Rigatoni Melanzane is a very simple and tasty recipe, one of the best ways to enjoy the great taste of the eggplant.

Ingredients:

1 lb. rigatoni pasta,
2 cups tomato pasta sauce,
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,
2 cups diced eggplant,
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil,
2 garlic cloves, chopped,
1/4 small yellow onion, chopped,
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese,
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano, salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet and saute the eggplant, onion and garlic until the eggplant cubes are soft and nicely browned.
  2. Add the tomato sauce, basil and oregano and reduce the sauce slightly by simmering it at low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Boil the rigatoni pasta according to the package instruction, usually about 12 minutes. Strain the boiled rigatoni and toss them with the melanzane pasta sauce.
  4. Serve the Rigatoni Melanzana with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top.

Vegetarian Nigiri Sushi Recipe

Vegetarian nigiri sushi
Vegetarian Nigiri Sushi

There is no such a thing in traditional Japanese cuisine as a vegetarian nigiri sushi, except the nigiri with tofu skin (and omelette nigiri doesn’t use fish, but it can hardly be called vegetarian). For my sushi bar, which I owned between 2009 and 2013 I created many kinds of vegetarian nigiri – with roasted bell pepper, avocado, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and sprouts to cater to the tastes of customers who aren’t fish lovers.

Ingredients:

1 cup sushi rice,
1 tablespoon rice vinegar,
1 teaspoon sugar,
1 1/2 cups cold water,
1 red bell pepper,
little sesame oil oil,
several nori strips cut from a large sheet of nori,
for serving: soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.

Recipe:

  1. Rince the rice until the water runs clear and place it in a rice cooker with the cold water. When the rice is cooked, let it stay for 10 minutes before lifting the lid.
  2. Stir the rice gently with a spatula and fan the excess steam with a fan. Combine the rice vinegar and sugar and fold it gently into the rice. Let it stand for about 20 minutes to cool down, but not completely cold, as nigiri is better made with warmer rice.
  3. Make as many oblong rice balls as you can using vynil gloves.
  4. Meanwhile, cut the red bell pepper to diamond shapes large enough to cover the nigiri balls, toss them with a tiny bit of sesame oil and saute them in a cast iron pan. Smear a small amount of wasabi over each rice ball, place a piece of red pepper over them and secure each nigiri with a nori strip.

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

Crab-stuffed mushrooms recipe
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients:

16 big mushroom caps, (called stuffers),
1 single package cream cheese,
4 oz crab meat, diced,
1 Tbsp. chopped onion,
1 handful fresh baby spinach,
3 garlic cloves, chopped,
1 Tbsp. butter,
1 Tbsp. chopped red pepper,
16 thin slices of aged cheddar,
salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe:

  1. Heat the butter and saute the mushroom caps. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. In the same pan saute the pepper, onion and garlic for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the crab meat and baby spinach, and cook for about 1 minute more, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
  4. Add the softened cream cheese and mix well.
  5. Fill the mushroom cups with the mixture and top with the aged cheddar.
  6. Bake the stuffed mushrooms in the oven until the cheddar cheese is melted.
  7. Serve four stuffed mushrooms with a little salad in each plate, as appetizer.
  8. (Optional): Panko bread crumbs can be added to the mushroom stuffing mixture.

Tuna Salad Wrap Recipe

Tuna salad wrap
Tuna Salad Wrap

Ingredients for 8 tuna salad wraps:

7 cans of skipjack tuna (120 gr. each),
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped,
1/4 purple onion, chopped,
1/2 cup light mayo,
1 teaspoon smoked paprika,
2 stalks of celery, chopped,
1/2 teaspoon black pepper,
1 romaine lettuce,
8 12-inch white tortillas

Recipe:

  1. Drain the water from the tuna cans and place the tuna in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients except the lettuce and tortillas and mix well.
  3. Place a leaf of the romaine lettuce in the middle of each tortilla and devide the tuna salad equally between the 8 tortillas.
  4. Place another small romaine lettuce leaf on top of the tuna salad and roll the wraps.
  5. Make grill marks on the wraps in a preheated panini press, cut the tuna salad wraps on a bias and serve.