Slovenian Recipes

Creating a new salad is a fun adventure. It's exciting to see how well the ingredients you pick will taste together. Deciding what to pair with this beautifully creamy Burrata was a no-brainer because of the abundant supply of peaches and tomatoes. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outside is solid mozzarella, while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unexpected, creamy texture. The word “burrata” means “buttered” in Italian, giving us a hint, before we bite into the cheese, that its center will be velvety. We have made this salad twice. The first time it was lunch for two and the second time it was a side dish for dinner. Actually, the dinner was built around this salad; that's how delicious it is. Chop 2 or 3 ripe, but not too soft, peaches . Add chopped tomatoes . The second time we made the salad with all grape tomatoes that were sliced in half. They were the perfect size and did not pr...

the Slovenian-inspired salad had become one of our favorite dishes. It is a tasty twist on a familiar salad that is normally based on bulgar wheat.  Made with buckwheat instead, it is unusual and perfect for entertaining. A low-sodium version would be a challenge, because one of the key ingredients is feta cheese.  I resolved to try it with cubes of my homemade salt-free curd cheese, pressed and cubed, then doctored up with paprika, onion, and pumpkin seed oil. Without the tang of feta, the salad tasted a little bland.  So I had to make a few adjustments: more spice and a tangier dressing. For the recipe and the verdict, read on. Low-Sodium Kasha Mediterranean Salad with Curd Cheese   Salad: 1 c. dry whole buckwheat groats or kasha, cooked in 1 ½ c.  salted water 1 16 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 6-8 oz salt-free curd cheese (or paneer),  cubed * 4 small/medium tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded...

During these hot summer days, using our grill to cook is a given. Not only does it make clean up in the kitchen much quicker, but it also gives dinner that summer feel we all love. This week I decided to make something entirely new on the grill and created mini pita sliders. For me a slider usually implies a traditional ground beef burger on a mini bun. Usually; but not this time. Using mini pitas filled with grilled shrimp and chicken strips gave these pitas the lightness I was looking for. Adding my topical pine nut salsa added fresh flavors and made me feel like I was on vacation. To make this tropical pine nut salsa, chop up the following ingredients:  1 avocado, 1 white nectarine , 1/2 a red onion , 1 mango , a handful of cherry tomatoes , and a bunch of cilantro . Mix together and squeeze the juice of 1 lime over top. While the salsa flavors marry, roast your pine nuts. Swirl a little olive oil into your skillet, heat over medium heat, then add raw pin...

We are so excited to share this light, refreshing cocktail with you. It is definitely a crowd pleaser and compliments almost any food. Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine. Think Champagne only way less expensive. You could use any sparkling wine, but we usually have Cava or Prosecco on hand (okay, we often have BOTH on hand.) Pick your favorite chilled  dry sparkling wine and pour over chopped peaches . Right before serving, garnish with a couple mint leaves . This drink is perfect for summer; the peaches lightly perfume the Cava enhancing its flavor. The Cava soaked peaches are crazy delicious. Try this cocktail while the peaches are plentiful. You will thank your two favorite chicks. Cheers!

The heat wave finally broke in Cleveland; it is a beautiful, sunny day with cool temperatures in the high 60s. I had an hour between picking up and dropping of my kids at their various activities, and since it was so gorgeous outside, I decided to go to one of my favorite places:  The Westside Market. I didn't have anything specific in mind to buy but knew that it would be well worth my time. The beauty of going to the market is that the vegetables look so fresh and vibrant, and you can rely on them tasting just as good as they look. This trip to the Market did not disappoint. My first pick of the day was a huge organic sweet onion bulb . It caught my eye as soon as I walked up to my favorite stand. I knew immediately that dinner would consist of veggies grilled in my grill basket and topped with one of CW2C's vinaigrettes.  I love this time of summer when it is so easy to find such wonderful produce. Grilling the veggies so they get that chargrilled flavor with a ni...

This is the simplest approach I have found to making curd cheese, otherwise known as farmer cheese, bakers cheese or (if you are Slovenian) as skuta. These recipes appear under a variety of labels.  Curd cheese and farmer cheese seem to have given way to Indian paneer or Italian ricotta in popularity. But they are all variations on a theme: simple, unripened cheeses, in which an acid is used to separate curds from whey. The recipe below can easily turn into paneer, if enough moisture is pressed out. Technically, it is not really ricotta, although it makes a decent substitute.  Ricotta means "re-cooked" and is based on the whey that is left after making a rennet-based cheese. This is an approach more than a recipe.  You can experiment and adjust.  The only absolute no-no is ultra-pasteurized milk, because it won't work. A helpful and amusing comparison of the various approaches to making this style of cheese can be found on Serious Eats Hom...

After featuring our lemon herb vinaigrette last week we decided to add two more vinaigrettes to our collection. A handful of basic ingredients is all that's needed; making a vinaigrette is so easy! It tastes better than any bottled dressing from the grocery store, and you will have the perfect dressing for your summer salad or a flavor-boosting garnish to drizzle on grilled veggies or pan seared pork tenderloin. Our Classic Vinaigrette is, well, classic with bright flavors from red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. Pour ¼ cup  red wine vinegar  into a jar. Add a spoonful of  Dijon mustard , about a tablespoon. Add a pinch of  kosher salt , several grinds of  black pepper  and 1 teaspoon of  sautéed shallots . Put the lid on your jar and shake to combine ingredients. Add ½ cup  olive oil  and shake again. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Our second vinaigrette is Pepp...