One of the most delicious dishes of Philadelphia. Everyone knows Philadelphia cheesesteaks! I cook those to enjoy after a hard and busy week.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients for 2 cheesesteaks:

2 bread rolls

3/4 pounds of beef ( rib-eye or top round, although any other beef will be good as well)

6 thick slices of provolone cheese

2 teaspoons of mayo (optional)

1/2 cup of canned sweet pepper

1/2 of white onion

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

1 tablespoon of cooking oil.

1. Slice in thin slices the beef (it is the hardest task here). Hammer the beef thoroughly, add salt and pepper.

2. Peel and finely chop the onion.

3. Fry the beef on high heat for 10 minutes then add the chopped onion and fry for another 10 minutes on  medium heat.

4. Cut the long bread rolls and spread the mayo inside.

5. Put the cheese on top of the meat on the frying pan and wait until it melts, about 3-4 minutes.

6. Divide  the meat in two even parts and put the meat with cheese inside the rolls.

7. Garnish with bell pepper.

Serve the cheesesteak warm!

This cheesecake is creamy and moist and is very easy to cook. It doesn’t require a lot of cooking time and efforts.

I invented it many years ago and it’s my favorite, although I do love New York Juniors cheesecake as well.

For this recipe you don’t necessary need a spring form.

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Preparation time 30 minutes (not taking into the account the time in the freezer 2h optional, but not a must)

Serves 8 people

Ingredients:

Dough:

1.5 cup of self rising flour (sifted)

1/2 cups of sugar

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup of cooking oil

1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract (3-4 drops)

1 tablespoon of baking powder

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon of water

1 tablespoon of mayo

Filling

1.5 packages of cream cheese

3 egg whites

1/2 cup of sugar

1 cup of pumpkin (preferably boiled for 3 -5 minutes, then peeled and shredded, not pumpkin filling)

Preparation:

Take the cream cheese packets out of the fridge and set aside.

In a bowl, pour the sugar, 1 cup of flour and  cut 1/2 stick of butter. Mix everything with fork, trying to rub the butter with sugar and flour. Add vanilla sugar, baking powder and the rest of the flour (0.5 cup). Mix everything again very well. Add the cooking oil (I use the vegetable oil)

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites . In a separate cup mix: the egg yolks with water and 1 tablespoon of mayo. Pour into the dough mixture and  mix all the ingredients with a fork, then with a hand, shaping a ball.

Put the dough ball in a freezer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the filling:

Mix the egg whites with sugar and pulse it with mixer for 1 minute.

Cut the cream cheese and put it in a bowl with egg whites and sugar.

Mix everything very well with mixer for 3 minutes.

Add the shredded pumpkin that was precooked for 3 minutes, peeled and shredded.

Mix everything with mixer very well.

Baking

Take the dough out of the freezer.

Roll it out slightly, (not to the full shape), put the layer into the baking dish or spring form. (The form should be very well greased before putting the dough in it). Spread the dough with your hands around the form and extend the dough to the wall, thus forming the dough bowl for the cheese mixture.

Pour your cream cheese mixture inside and bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 F.

After the cheesecake is cooked, turn the heat off and leave it in the oven for additional 5-10 minutes so that it would cool off with the oven and not fall (because it should raise pretty well)

TAke the cheese cake out of the oven let it rest for some time and then take it out of the form.

I let the cake rest for another 10 minutes and then just turn the dish over an put it on the plate with cheese facing down. Then I take another plate and  cover the bottom of the cake and turn it around on another plate. (but you can use the spring form it’s simpler)

Decorating.

You may use whipping cream to decorate. or I used 3 egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar to make a cream and just pour it on the cake when serving.

Egg whites and sugar cream.

Take 3 egg whites add 1/2/ cup of sugar beat it up with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes.

Freezing, freeze your cake or 2-3 hours (optional, but not necessary). it tastes good even without freezing.Keep it in a fridge or freezer!

Enjoy.

This stuffing “lives” in my family for decades. I remember my grandmother cooking it since I was a little child.

Preparation time: 5 minutes.

Cooking tome: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

4 apples (peeled and cored)

1/2 of white onion

1 carrot

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

1 pinch of cumin

1 pinch of oregano

8 prunes

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 tablespoons of prepared honey mustard

Step 1. Peel carrot, apples and onion.

Step 2. Cut the apples in quarters and cut the core with seeds.

Step 3. Shred the carrot and  Finely chop the onions.

Step 4. Wash the prunes.

Step 5. preheat the frying pan at max heat. Then turn it to medium, add the olive oil, put the apple quarters, cover with shredded carrots and onion. Braise for 5 minutes at medium heat.

Step 5. in 5 minutes add the salt, peppel and spices. mix everything, add the mustard and braise for another 3 minutes.

Step 6. 2 minutes before turning the heat off add your prunes, mix everything and braise for another 2 minutes.

Done!

This stuffing may be used for any bird. It will be good with duck and chicken and with turkey. It may be cooked overnight or the day when you plan to roast your bird. Just  remember to not use too much stuffing in your bird!

Have a great holiday and  a great time with your family!

Easy sweet and sour marinade for the turkey, chicken or pork chops. You will never buy marinade after you try this recipe. it’s so simple, flavorful and everything is under yourcontrol: the amount of herbs and garlic, the sweetness, the sourness…Enjoy!

1 cup of olive oil (good for one 12 lb hen turkey)

½ cup of fresh lemon  basil  leaves;

½ cup of fresh chives;

½ cup of parsley (optional)

2  oranges

2 lemons

2 cloves of garlic (large, optional)

1 tablespoon of dry oregano

1 tablespoon of  dry paprika

1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning (optional)

1 tablespoon of cumin

2 tablespoons of white wine and herbs mix (optional).

Mix olive oil and lemon and orange juice. Whisk in dry herbs and freshly chopped chives, lemon basil and parsley.

Let the marinade stand for 15-20 minutes.

Then marinade your turkey or chicken by at first rubbing in the mix and then pouring it on top of the bird and turning it in the marinade couple times.

Don’t forget to turn your bird every 4-5 hours, this way the meat will absorb more juices.

Don’t use not boiled marinade in other dishes as it may be dangerous.

If you want to incorporate the rest of the marinade in the other dishes boil it first.

This is a great warm winter soup. It takes only 30 minutes to cook, but it vanishes even faster than it took you to cook

it.

Cooking time 30 minutes.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves 4 people.

 These three soups are the best comfort meal for the lunch in fall: it enegrizes, keeps you warm and boosts your taste buds. You can add lots of flavors to these soups by experimenting with herbs: basil, dill, parsley and others.

Vegetarian Pea Soup 

Vegetarian pea soup is good those days when you want a rich-creamy soup without any meat component in it. It’s a comfort food perfect right for the days when it’s chilly and drizzly outside. This recipe has simple ingredients and doesn’t require to be a skillful chef to prepare it.

All in all perfect autumn soup for the family. Read more

Pumpkin crème-soup with shrimp, cream cheese and basil.

It’s autumn and it means that it’s time for a great pumpkin soup with shrimp that I just LOVE cooking.

It doesn’t require a lot of effort but it comes out perfectly smooth, bringing in the autumn flavors and colors into your kitchen.

I tasted this soup long time ago in Europe, brought it into my kitchen and my family just loves it. Hope, you will too. Read more

 Zucchini crème-soup

This is a very simple crème soup. It takes 40 minutes to cook and your family will enjoy this meal. It’s a great summer or fall soup for your to enjoy! Simple and flavorful! It takes little effort to cook and it’s a really light  dish. It gives you energy and makes you feel good. Read more

I hope you love the colors of this dish: it’s so autumn and bright! My family members call this dish “weird braised cabbage”:-)

To me the red cabbage tastes absolutely different, than the ordinary green one. It’s more flavorful, tender…. mmm, it’s more autumn!

For this recipe you will need:

1 lb of red cabbage (shredded)

1 onion

1/2  red bell pepper (or yellow one for the color)

1 chili pepper (small)

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 pinch of salt

Serves 4 people.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Shred the cabbage carefully, peel, wash and chop the onion, wash and chop the red bell pepper.

Chop the chili separately.(you will throw it in 3 minutes before serving).

Season the cabbage and squeeze it , so that it would be more juicy!

***Tip from Helen*** You can add 1/4 of shredded carrot if you would like to. I sometimes do.***

Start braising the cabbage with onions, then add peppers after 10 minutes of braising and 3 minutes before taking your cabbage off the stove throw in the chili.

*** Tip from Helen*** be careful with chili , wash carefully your hands and don’t touch your eyes when just worked with chili. Wash the knife and your cutting desk very well.

If you need during the cooking add some salt as well, I don’t as I don’t like too much salt in my food.

This recipe is really amazing and fast to cook, considering the fact that button mushrooms contain 17 different vitamins, the benefits from this dish increase dramatically.

This dish has a long history in my house, it was cooked without cheese and grapes, but I decided to add the sweet twist to it. THe bitterness of cheese and buttin mushrooms combined with sweetness ofgrapes and lemon basil make the combination very rich and the taste pallette wider.

Recipe serves: 2  

Cooking time:20 minutes

Preparation time :10 minutes

For the recipe you will need:

8 big button mushrooms

1/2 lbs of minced pork meat

1/4 of white onion peeled and finely chopped

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of black pepper

8 leaves of lemon basil

grapes

2 pieces of provolone sliced cheese.

Step 1: Take the button mushrooms stalks away. Clean the mushroom from the inside peel the skin (optional), wash carefully.

Step 2: Chop the onion, mix with minced pork and seson very well.

Step 3: Take the washedbutton mushroom caps, put them near you, form the meatball out of the meat, put the meatball inside the button mushtoom cap.

Step4: Repeat with all 8 mushroom caps, set on a baking dish and set to bake at 350F for 17 minutes.

****Helen’s cooking tip*** Don’t forget to add water into the baking dish (1/2 cup)***

Step 5: While the mushrooms are baking take the cheese slices cut them in quarters and set aside. Take the seedless grapes,  cut it in slices and set aside. Wash the lemon basil leaves.

Step 6: In 17 minutes take your button mushrooms out of the oven, sover with cheese and set to bake for 3 more minutes.

Step 7: In 3 minutes, take the mushrooms out and decorate with sliced grapes and lemon basil.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

This is the simplest recipe of rolls in the world. The dough is very easy to cook and it’s very tender, almost melting in the mouth. This is also a very good dough for cookies.

For the dough:

1 stick of butter

1 cup of sugar

1.5 cups of flour (sifted, self-rising)

1 teaspoon of baking powder 

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 egg

1 tablespoon of sour cream

2 tablespoons of water

For the filling:

3-4 apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 tablespoon of sugar

½ cup of chopped walnuts

The dough:

Cut 1 stick of butter (or shred), mix it with 1 cup of sugar and  mash the butter with a fork or knife until it will turn into butter crumbs.

Add 1.5 cup of flour, mix very well with butter and sugar.

In a cup mix: 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of water +1 tablespoon of sour cream. Pour into the butter-sugar-flour mixture and knead the dough. The dough will be very tender and fragile. Form out of the dough two balls and put the dough into the freezer for 10 minutes.

Filling:

Wash, peel and chop the apples into the midsized chunks, add sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.

Set aside.

Forming the rolls:

Take out the dough. Take one ball and gently (!) roll it out with the dough roller. Don’t press too hard this dough is fragile. Cut the dough layer into two halves. (This will be your two big rolls that you will cut into the small bite size rolls) on one half of the dough put the apple filling. Put not too much of the filling and put it in a row. Then roll the layer with filling in and cut into the small bite size rolls crosswise.

Put the small rolls roses on a baking dish 4-5 inches away from each other as they will become bigger while baking.

Repeat the same procedure with the second half of your rolled out dough and with the second ball of dough.

 ***Tip from Helen*** I used for the second dough ball cream cheese filling. The filling is very simple to make ¾ of a cream cheese pack and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar mixed. When you mux the cream cheese and sugar spread it on each dough layer and roll it in as I wrote before. The rest of the procedure is the same.***

Baking:

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Which version to choose?

I honestly can’t decide which rolls are more delicious: with apples and cinnamon and walnuts or with cream cheese. So bake the two versions usually.

It’s very delicious, simple and warm fall dessert.

Enjoy!

Tortilla is a unique ingredient: every dish you incorporate it in is simple, easy to cook , yet very delicious.

These 3 recipes are my favorites when I am on the run and the family needs to have a snack.

Fried tortillas with beef

It’s good to take with you if you decide to go camping or travel by car at the long distances.

You can also cook this dish with fruit, berries, I sometimes use bacon and cheese, whatever you want.

For this dish you will need

Meat ( in my case beef) for 4 tortillas I used ½ pound

1 small onion

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper Read full recipe 

Apple hot pockets:

Apple hot pockets are a great fall breakfast for a weekday. with Tortillas you can cook them in minutes in the evening and reheat in the morning.

For the recipe you will need:

4 medium apples;

4 tortillas;

2 tablespoons of sugar;

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil Read more 

 Burrito with sausage, cheese, tomato and basil.

Burritos should be spicy and meaty, but as my family loves burritos and doesn’t loce them too spicy I decided to invent mine.

(Honetly there’s nothing to invent) Just throw in together the delicious vinnagraitte of saucage, tomato, cheese and onion with herbs. Read more