Cutlets- Kotletes

Picture borrowed from here

We love these and I love making a big batch and freezing them in meal size portions. Then I just microwave them and whip up some kind of side and salad and we are good to go with a fast meal.

Ingredients:

500 g. ground beef
300 g. ground pork
1 onion- finely chopped
3 cloves garlic- minced
1 egg
3 slices of white bread soaked in the warm water or milk.
250 g. warm milk or water
2 T of spices. ( I don't measure, but use salt, pepper and other spices).
Fine breadcrumbs.

Instructions:

1.  Soak bread in water or milk. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. 
3. Form patties and dip/roll in bread crumbs .
4. Fry on hot pan with a bit of oil until nicely browned. 
5. Bake 10-15 minutes in moderate oven. 
6. If you have too many than freeze. 

Cheese Salad

Cheese salad is very popular in Latvia and since I am constantly hungry now due to my growing baby, I try to eat foods packed with protein. This salad can be dressed up for special occasions by putting it in on fancy crackers or in salty tart shells. It is served that way as an appetizer here.

Ingredients: (For 2 people)
1 boiled egg
1 boiled or steamed carrot (1/2 if yours are large)
6 oz. grated cheese - In Latvian almost all cheeses are white and I use a simple white cheese. You could probably use cheddar. Try a variety of whatever you have on hand.
2 cloves finely minced garlic.
3 T. mayo
Pepper to taste.

Instructions:
Grate ingredients. Mix together and refrigerate. Best if it has time for the flavors to "marry." We love it on crackers or with some delicious bread. Enjoy!

Nutella

So ever since we were in Rome I had a hankering to try and make nutella. I like the real Nutella, but its list of ever so fake ingredients- despite the great taste deter me from buying it my kids.

So I did some research and decided to try this recipe. From this website: http://www.sugoodsweets.com/blog/2005/12/nutella/

I have added my comments in yellow because I think it will help yours turn out even better than ours. And ours is yummy :)



Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread (easy version)
Yield: about 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups whole raw hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
up to 1/4 cup vegetable or nut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking to ensure an even color. Do not cook them this long- they get bitter.
2. To get rid of the bitter skins, wrap the cooled hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Rub until most of the skins come off, but don’t worry if some remain.
3. Process nuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until they have liquefied, about 5 minutes. First, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, then a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade, and it will seem like you only have a solid mass. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils, and you will get hazelnut butter! I have a small food processor and did this in parts. Be patient they really do turn into hazelnut butter!
4. When the nuts have liquified, add the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. Since the mixture is warm, it will be more fluid now than at room temperature.
5. Transfer the spread to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. For best results, stir the chocolate-hazelnut spread before using.

Delicious!

Cookie Night

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar (use all white if you don't have brown)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda or baking powder
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by balls on greased cookie sheet. Bake till golden brown.

Molasses Cookies

2 Cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butter or shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar (can use all white if you don't have brown)
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses (in Latvia you can use iesala extract or dark cane syrup)

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and spices. Add remaining ingredients. Roll balls in sugar before baking.Bake on greased baking sheet or sheet covered with baking paper.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Chocolate Crinkles

1 cup. Cocoa

½ cup oil

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together oil, cocoa and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add rest of ingredients, stir well.. Chill dough several hours. Make balls. Roll in sugar, then in powdered sugar.

Bake at approximately . 220 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit , or less. Use baking paper, or they will stick. Cook apx. 6 minutes. Do not overcook!