Valerie Ohata

Ingredients:

- 500 g of wheat flour
- 7 g of salt
- 0.25 tsp of dry yeast
- 450 g of warm water
- 1.5 Tbsp of olive oil

Preparation:

1) Mix wheat flour, salt and dry yeast in a bowl.
2) Add warm water and mix dough with hands or spoon.
3) Cover the bowl with clean towel and leave the dough to rise for 12-24 hours in room temperature.
4) 2-4 hours before baking mix the dough again. Cover with clean towel and leave it to rise.
5) Heat the oven to 230C.
6) Put your cast iron pot with lid into oven for 10 min.
7) Take the pot out of oven, pour olive oil in it and spread it around the pot walls. Put the dough to cast iron pot. Sprinkle olive oil on the top of the dough.
8) Cover the pot with lid and put into oven for 30 min.
9) Remove the lid and bake for another 15 min until golden brown color.
10) Take the pot out of oven and leave for 30 min to rest without lid.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

- 4 glasses of flour
- 300 g of butter
- 4 eggs
- 300 g of sour cream
- 2 glasses of sugar
- 400 g of walnuts
- 1 tsp of soda
- 4 Tbsp of honey

Preparation:

1) Put flour into the bowl.
2) Grate room temperature butter into flour.
3) Rub butter with flour with hands into crumbs.
4) Mix sour cream with soda.
5) Separate three yolks from egg whites (keep them), add egg yolks and sour cream with soda to flour mixture, stir well and form dough.
6) The dough will turn out soft, not sticking to the hands. Form three balls from the dough, one ball is slightly larger than the others. I weighed the balls on the kitchen scales to make it more or less the same.
7) Wrap balls in food film wrap and put into the refrigerator for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
8) Choose about 20-25 pieces of whole walnuts for decoration.
9) Cut the remaining nuts finely with a knife.
10) Add the sugar to the chopped nuts, mix.
11) Divide the last egg into egg white and yolk (keep the yolk). Whisk 4 egg whites a bit, but not too much.
12) Get the dough out of the fridge.
13) Cover the baking tray with parchment paper, roll out the dough about 0.5 cm thick by the size of the baking sheet.
14) Lay out the dough layer, make edges. Grease with whipped whites, then lay out half of the sugar-nut mixture.
15) Roll out the second ball of dough, lay on top of the first layer, press it slightly to release air. Grease with whites, then lay out the remaining sugar-nut mixture.
16) Roll out the largest of the balls, lay on top of the other two layers, press a bit and pinch the edges. The
17) Beat one egg yolk and grease the top layer of baklava.
18) Cut the incisions with a knife (just cut it slightly, not deep), then put whole nuts on each sector.
19) Put Baklava in a cold oven, then turn the oven on 200 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes (it took me less time) until golden brown.
20) If honey is not liquid, then heat it in a microwave to a liquid state and grease the finished baklava all over the surface, especially in sections.
21) Put in to oven for another couple of minutes, then take out and cool it down. Cut before serving.

Ваша,

V.O.

Ingredients:

- 200 ml of kefir
- 3 eggs (2 eggs for dough and 1 for ricotta cheese)
- 200 g (+ 3 Tblsp for ricotta) of sugar
- 300 g of flour
- 0.5 tsp of soda
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 250 g of ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp of vanilla sugar
- 100 ml of vegetable oil

Preparation:

1) Add soda to kefir and leave for 10 minutes.
2) Then add sugar, 2 eggs and mix with whisk.
3) Add the vegetable oil, mix.
4) Add the sifted flour and baking powder, mix until smooth.
5) Separately mix the ricotta cheese with 1 egg and 3 tablespoons of sugar, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar.
6) Pour dough in a greased form and lay out the ricotta cheese on the top of dough.
7) Bake in preheated to 180 degrees oven until cooked for about 30-40 minutes.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

Base:

- Digestive cookies
- coconut oil

Filling:

- 400 g of vanilla ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 80 g of sugar (100 g if ricotta cheese is not sweetened)
- 60 g of sour cream
- 1 tsp of vanilla sugar or vanilla paste

Preparation:

1) Put cookies in a bag and grind it with rolling pin into crumbs (the amount of cookies and coconut oil depends on baking form size).
2) Melt coconut oil in a microwave and add to the cookie crumbs, mix.
3) Put parchment paper on the bottom of baking form, then put cookie crumbs, press it with the glass and make the sides. Put in the fridge while preparing the filling.
4) Beat eggs with sugar and vanilla.
5) Add the cheese, mix.
6) Add sour cream, stir until smooth.
7) Take the base out of the fridge, pour the filling into the mold.
8) Bake in preheated to 170 degrees oven for about 45 minutes - 1 hour. The cake will turn gold on top and the filling will not be liquid anymore.
9) After baking, do not get the cake out of the oven, but let it cool down there with the door ajar. After complete cooling, cover with a film and put into the refrigerator for the night.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

- potato
- zucchini
- sweet potato
- tomatoes
- salmon filet
- olive oil

Method:

1) Peel potato, zucchini and sweet potato.
2) Cut vegetables in thin rings (tomatoes too).
3) Heat the oven to 180C.
4) In a greased with an olive oil glass baking form with a lid put in layers: potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, salmon, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and zucchini.
5) Add a little water.
6) Sprinkle the casserole on top with olive oil, cover and put in the oven.
7) Bake until fish and vegetables are ready, it will take about 35-40 minutes.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

Base:

- 100 g of butter at room temperature
- 50 g of shredded cheese
- 50 ml of heavy cream
- 150 g of flour

Filling:

- 2 eggs
- 250 g of shredded cheese
- 150 ml of heavy cream
- tomatoes
- seasonings (salt, pepper, basil etc)

Preparation:

1) Mix the room temperature butter, cheese, heavy cream and flour with your hands until soft dough.
2) Press into baking form and trim edges.
3) Whisk the eggs.
4) Add the heavy cream, cheese, seasonings and mix.
5) Pour the filling onto the base.
6) Cut the tomatoes in circles (you do not need to cut very small tomatoes) and put them on the filling. You can sprinkle it with black pepper.
7) Bake in preheated to 200 degrees oven until cooked (the filling will thicken and the cake will become more golden) for about 25-35 minutes.
8) Cool in shape, then cut and serve.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

- amaranth
- tuna in brine
- cauliflower

Side dish:

- zucchini
- green beans

Preparation:

1) Rinse amaranth under cold water.
2) Pour cold water in a saucepan (1 part of amaranth for 4 parts of water), put on fire and bring to a boil.
3) Cover with a lid, reduce the fire to medium and cook for about 25-30 minutes (amaranth does not increase in size and remains crisp).
4) In another saucepan boil cauliflower, green beans and zucchini until soft: add cauliflower to cold water, put on fire, add a green beans and chopped zucchini 5 minutes before the cauliflower is ready.
5) Rinse the tuna under cold water to get rid of excess salt.
6) If there is excess water left in the amaranth, then drain it. Add the tuna and chopped cauliflower.
7) Serve green beans and zucchini to amaranth.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

- ready schnitzel/minced meat/fish
- 120 ml of water
- a pinch of dashi powder or any other soup stock
- 30 ml of soy sauce
- 20 g of sugar
- half onion
- 2 eggs
- leek/zucchini
- green onion

Preparation:

1) Prepare the schnitzel (chicken or pork: pound every pieces of meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, first coat in flour, then in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs and fry over medium heat from two sides to golden crust), use ready-made or fry minced meat / fish .
2) Mix the water, dashi and soy sauce.
3) In a small frying pan heat the sauce, add sugar and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
4) Add the cut into half rings onion and leek / zucchini, bring to a boil.
5) Add chopped schnitzel / minced meat/ fish.
6) Beat eggs a little and pour them on schnitzel.
7) Cover the pan with a lid, boil for 20 seconds and turn off the heat.
8) Give a few minutes to simmer, do not remove the lid at this time.
9) Sprinkle with chopped green onion, serve on a cushion of rice / buckwheat / pearl barley.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small onion
- minced meat
- 1 piece of pumpkin
- zucchini
- 2/5 of red paprika
- 50 g of red lentils
- 7 medium tomatoes
- fresh spinach
- olive oil
- water

Preparation:

1) Peel the onion, garlic, pumpkin and zucchini.
2) Cut the onion, garlic, pumpkin, zucchini and paprika.
3) Put the saucepan on the fire, heat it a little (do not heat it too much), add olive oil and put onions and garlic, saute for a minute, stir constantly.
4) Add minced meat and saute it for a couple of minutes, so it is not pink anymore.
5) Rinse the lentils under cold water.
6) Add pumpkin, zucchini, paprika. Mix.
7) Grind the tomatoes with blender until smooth and add to the saucepan.
8) Add the lentils. If the liquid is not enough, then add water.
9) Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer under the lid for about 30 minutes until the lentils become soft.
10) Turn off the heat and add spinach leaves, stir.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 of onion
- 1/4 of red paprika
- zucchini
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 Tbsp of red lentils
- 5-7 medium sized tomatoes or chopped tomatoes in a can
- olive oil, water and seasonings if needed

Preparation:

1) Rinse lentils under cold water, drain the water.
2) Peel the onion, zucchini, garlic. Chop them (paprika also).
3) Heat the saucepan on the stove (but do not heat it much), add olive oil and put onion, paprika, zucchini and garlic, fry for 2 minutes.
4) Make tomato puree from tomatoes in a blender or use canned tomatoes.
5) Add the lentils, then tomato puree.
6) Simmer for 20 minutes under the lid on a small fire until lentils and veggies are soft.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

Layers:

- 4 eggs
- 400 g of sugar
- 4 Tbsp of honey
- 2 ts of soda
- 200 g of butter
- 900 g of flour

Cream:

- 1 kg of sour cream (20%)
- 350 g of sugar
- 2 tsp of vanilla sugar or vanilla paste
- 250 g of prune
- 3 bananas

Preparation:

Layers:

1) Put the water in a saucepan on a fire.
2) Put eggs, sugar and honey in a bowl.
3) Add the soda and mix well.
4) When the water in the saucepan boils, place the bowl on a saucepan (make water bath) and mix eggs with sugar for 7-10 minutes, so that the eggs do not curl. Add the butter and stir until completely dissolved.
5) Remove the bowl from the water bath, add half of the specified amount of flour and mix well. Leave the batter to cool.
6) When the batter has cooled, add the second half of the flour and knead the soft dough.
7) Divide the dough into 6 parts.
8) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
9) Roll the dough on baking paper, cut out with a shape (or a plate. I had a rectangular shape in size 35x24 cm). Roll remaining dough together, roll it in the end, bake and make a crumb of it.
10) Poke dough with a fork, make frequent pokes around the entire dough to prevent it from rising.
11) Bake each layer until golden brown (about 4 minutes). Layers are baked very quickly, so keep an eyes on them!
12) Fold the baked layers on top of each other and leave to cool.



Cream:

1) Beat cold sour cream with sugar and vanilla sugar. Beat with the mixer, cause this will take time (do not be afraid if the sour cream is very liquid at first, it will rise after whipping and thicken, but it will take about 15 minutes!).
2) Cut prunes and bananas into small pieces.
3) Now we will assamble the cake: put cream on each layer, sprinkle with prunes and bananas. Put cream on a sides, too.
4) Make the crumbs of the leftover baked dough in the blender.
5) Sprinkle the cake with crumbs from the top and sides.
6) Put it in the fridge and let it stay for one night.
7) If you wish, you can decorate only with fresh berries. And if you want to decorate also with chocolate, then melt the chocolate (240 grams of dark chocolate) with butter (120 grams) in a water bath. Mix well, pour into the cellophane bag. Cool a little, cut a corner of the bag and decorate with chocolate around the perimeter of the cake. Put the berries on the chocolate to fix them.

Yours,

V.O.

Ingredients:

Base:

- 100 g of butter
- 50 g of shredded cheese
- 150 g of flour
- 50 ml of cold water
- salt

Filling:

- chanterelle mushrooms
- 1 onion
- butter for frying
- 200 ml of heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 100 g of shredded cheese
- seasonings

Preparation:

Base:

1) Mix butter, cheese, salt and flour with hands.
2) Add little by little cold water and make a soft dough.
3) Push the dough to oiled baking form, make the edges.
4) Dock the dough with a fork and put in preheated to 200 degrees oven for 10 minutes.

Filling:

1) If the chanterelles are small, then use them like that and if big, cut them.
2) Peel and cut onion.
3) Heat the pan, put a slice of butter and fry onion and chanterelles until liquid is gone.
4) Put the chanterelles and onions on the prepared base.
5) Mix cream, eggs, cheese and seasonings (salt, pepper) and pour on chanterelles.
6) Put in preheated to 200 degrees oven until it is ready (the pie will get a golden shade and the filling will thicken).

Yours,

V.O.

Bolognese sauce ingredients:

- minced meat
- fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes
- onion
- carrot
- garlic

Preparation:

1) Peel the onion, carrot and garlic. Chop onion and garlic, grate carrot.
2) Add a little water to the saucepan, put it on the fire, when the water warms up add minced meat and cook until ready, stirring constantly.
3) Crush tomatoes in a blender or add canned tomatoes to minced meat. If the sauce is too thick, then add a little water.
4) Add onion, garlic and carrot, cook over low heat until soft.

Vegetable pasta ingredients:

- pasta (I use Tartu Mill Alfabeto)
- frozen spinach (fresh one is ok too)
- cauliflower
- olive oil

Preparation:

1) Put the water in a saucepan to boil, when it boils add pasta.
2) After 5-6 minutes, add the spinach and cook until the pasta is ready. Drain excess water. Add olive oil and mix.
3) In another saucepan boil cauliflower until cooked.
4) Combine the pasta and cauliflower, serve with Bolognese sauce and other vegetables (for example avocado).

Yours,

V.O.

When we went to Japan 3 years ago, my husband's sister showed me how to eat a watermelon with salt. Salt makes the watermelon even sweeter. Try it!

Now you can buy a watermelon at a good price of 0.35-0.70 cents in different stores (Konsum, Maxima, Rimi, Prisma). Preparation of watermelon popsicles is very easy, you will need only seedless and sliced watermelon. The best dessert when it's hot outside!

Preparation:

1) Clear the watermelon from the skin and seeds.
2) Cut into cubes and press into an popsicle mold.
3) Freeze and enjoy :)

Yours,

V.O.