Italian Sausages with Peppers & Onions

This is for when you want something more than just a hot dog!

Ingredients:

• 1 package uncooked Italian sausages, hot or mild
• Water
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Condiments of choice (ketchup is really good here)
• Hot dog buns (preferably from the bakery section)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook the sausages in a large skillet filled with water (enough to cover the sausages) on medium heat 45-60 minutes (more water should be added throughout cooking if too much evaporates).
2. Slice the onion and pepper into long, thin strips and add to the skillet.
3. When there is almost no more water in the skillet, add extra virgin olive oil.
4. Add salt, pepper to taste. Cook together until the onions and peppers are tender.
5. Brown the sausages on both sides. Serve in hot dog buns with condiments of your choice. ENJOY!!

BBQ Burgers

So much healthier than going to a fast-food restaurant! (This makes enough for 4 burgers).

Ingredients:

• 1-1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20 ground chuck or sirloin)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce (use your favorite)
• Dried parsley and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 8 tomato slices
• 4 medium lettuce leaves
• 8 thinly-sliced onion rings
• 4 hamburger rolls (or bakery bread of your choice - pumpernickel is great for this)
• Condiments of choice

Directions:

1. Lightly beat the egg. Add bread crumbs and BBQ sauce; mix well.
2. Add ground beef and mix. Form into 4 patties.
3. Sprinkle dried parsley and black pepper on top of each patty.
4. Cook the burgers on a preheated grill over medium heat on both sides, until desired doneness. (Grill on aluminum foil (to keep the juices), previously sprayed with nonstick cooking spray).
5. When serving, spread the insides of both bread slices (you can toast them for an even better flavor) with condiments of choice.
6. Add lettuce, tomato, and onion slices on each slice. Place the burger patty on one slice, add some more condiments on the patty, and cover with the other bread slice. ENJOY!

Garden Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

A great starter to any meal! (This makes enough for 4 people).
Ingredients:

• Green leaf lettuce, washed and drained (enough to make 6 cups when shredded)
• 4 hydroperfect tomatoes on the vine, washed (sold in a plastic package in the vegetable section of your grocery store)
• 1/2 large cucumber, washed, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 cup black olives
• 1/2 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas)
• 4 teaspoons chopped onion
• 2 rings canned pineapple in 100% juice (optional)
• 8 slices canned beets (optional)
• 1/2 cup roasted nuts (optional)

Dressing:

• 2 parts aged balsamic vinegar (use the best kind you can find)
• 1 part extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil or parsley to taste

Directions:

1. Shred the lettuce and divide evenly among 4 prepared salad bowls (about 1.5 cups each).
2. Cut the tomatoes (1 each) and cucumber (1/8 of cucumber each) and add to the bowls.
3. Add 1/8 cup garbanzo beans, 1/8 cup black olives, and 1 teaspoon chopped onion to each bowl. If desired, add 1/2 ring of canned pineapple, 2 beet slices, and 1/8 cup roasted nuts to each bowl.
4. Sprinkle with a little bit of dressing when serving (add more if desired). ENJOY!!

Dressing:

1. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, and spices in a bottle.
2. Shake well before serving. (You can vary the amount of dressing you want, keeping the 2:1 vinegar to olive oil ratio).

Vegetable Marrow Caviar

This is a great vegetarian appetizer!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium vegetable marrow
• 1 tomato
• 1 sweet pepper (red or green)
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• Vegetable oil
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Finely chop the onion and fry in vegetable oil in a skillet until slightly golden.
2. Peel and grate the carrot, add to the onion.
3. Peel the marrow and remove stem and seeds from the pepper. Chop them finely and add to the same skillet.
4. Add the chopped tomato, salt, and pepper.
5. Stew the vegetables until ready (about 20-25 minutes).
6. Serve with bread or as a garnish.

Black Currant Jam (Preserving Pectines)

The food industry produces a huge variety of jams and canned berries and fruits, but what's better than an unbelievably tasty homemade jam that is full of natural vitamins!

Ingredients:

• 2.2 lb (1 kg) black currants
• 1 cup (200 ml) water
• 1.5 lb (600 g) granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Wash the berries, put them in a large enameled pan, add water (1 cup water for each 2.5 lb black currants), heat until 170F (70C).
2. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer.
3. Add sugar and boil on low heat 10-15 minutes (skimming the foam with a spoon).
4. While the jam is still hot, pour it into glass jars and seal with plastic lids (make sure everything is sterilized).

Vanilla-Chocolate Cake Prague ("Praga")

A perfect Birthday cake!
Ingredients:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2-2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cognac or liquor (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Creamy Frosting:

• 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon cognac or liquor (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Nuts to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the sweetened condensed milk (in the can) in a large saucepan (make sure the water covers the top of the can) for 1 hour and cool.
2. Beat eggs and sugar very well (using a whisk or mixer).
3. Add 1 cup of the flour, sour cream, 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk, and mix. Add the rest of the flour and mix again (sift all of the flour).
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the baking soda and vinegar, cognac or liquor (optional), vanilla extract, and baking powder. Add to the rest of the cake mixture and mix.
5. Pour the batter into a warm greased baking tray.
6. Put an oven-proof plate filled with water on the bottom of the oven to avoid burning.
7. Bake the cake at 375-400F about 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake, cut into 2 layers (cut across the middle of the thickness), and trim the edges to make them even.
9. Using a butter knife, frost each cake layer (and stack them on top of each other).
10. Sprinkle the top layer with the crumbs from the trimmed edges. Add nuts (if desired). ENJOY!

Creamy Frosting:

1. Mix the other 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk with butter very well.
2. Add cognac or liquor (optional), vanilla extract, and nuts to taste, and mix again.
3. Cool the cream before frosting.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Ingredients:

• 2 lb beef (~60% of all meat)
• 1.5 lb pork (~40% of all meat)
• ~1/3 cup (uncooked) white rice
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 lb sweet peppers (green or red)
• 4-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Grind beef and pork (in a meat grinder) together twice.
2. Chop onion very finely and cook in a skillet in vegetable oil, stirring, until golden; then add the onion to the ground meat.
3. Cook the rice according to package directions and add to the ground meat.
4. Add salt and pepper and mix everything.
5. Cut the top of each pepper, remove the seeds, and put in a pot of salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
6. Put the pepper in a colander to strain the water.
7. Take a piece of the ground meat mixture with a tablespoon, and stuff each pepper.
8. Dip the open side of the stuffed pepper in flour and fry in large skillet in vegetable oil about 30-40 minutes, turning to all sides throughout cooking.
9. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add a teaspoon of sour cream on the open side of each pepper. ENJOY!!