Recent Eats

Dinnertime is very important at our house.  It is a time for Misha and I to reconnect at the end of our busy days.  Preparing a meal, actually sitting down at the table, and just talking with each other is the perfect way to bring the day to an end. 

We love cooking at home and trying new foods.  I try not to prepare the same thing too often - we really like to mix it up.   Here are pics of some fun and very interesting dishes I have recently made. If you are interested in the recipe, just message me and I'll post it.  Also - side note, many of these ingredients are straight from our garden! 

First up, a vegetable plate - collard greens, new potatoes & dill (from the garden) with feta cheese, 

and sauteed grean beans (also from the garden) with mushrooms.

Also on the vegetable plate is a traditional Russian summertime dish - Vinaigret.  It looks really funky and - I will admit it - I did not like it when I first tried it at Lyuba's house.  The purple color from the beets scared me a bit.  However, now it is one of my favorite dishes and it is soooo healthy for you.

It's a very interesting combination - beets, white beans, carrots, potatoes, and pickles - but ohhh! so! good!

Next up is this delicious white fish that Misha caught on a recent fishing trip.  Striped bass skillet-fried with olive oil, garlic, onion, and salt and pepper! 

 

This is zucchini-wrapped pork with roasted tomotoes.  This meat is also from one of Misha's hunting trips and the tomatoes and zucchini are from our garden.

 

This one I looove and it's super-easy!

Roasted okra! 

Split the okra in half length-wise.  Brush or cover with olive oil.  Sprinkle with S&P.  Spread okra in single layer on a baking pan.  Bake in the oven on 350 for approximately 25 minutes.  Just check it - you may like yours a bit crunchier, but you can be the judge of that!

It's way healthier than fried okra, but still has lots of flavor!  Also - it looks really trendy on the plate!

Here we have another traditional Russian dish.  This one is called Okroshka.  Let me clarify here - Misha loves this one, but I do not.  I just make it because he asks for it.  It's boiled potatoes, carrots, eggs, and meat with radish, cucumber, green onion, dill, and parsley (most everything is from the garden).

You then mix all of it together and pour this lemon/milk-like liquid over it.  It's like veggie cereal.  Not a fan, but he loves it. 

Moving on to a much better dish - Ceviche!  This is so, so yummy and very good for you.  It's really a seafood salad.  It has tilapia, scallops, and shrimp marinated in lemon juice with onion and cilantro.  The lemon juice actually cooks the seafood.  It has the best taste!  

I usually serve it with avacado and sometimes over a bed of spinach. 

Hmmm...now my mind is on what's for dinner tonight?