Easter Sugar Cookies

I wanted to make something festive for Easter, I kept thinking, "ok yah I can dye some eggs throw them into a basket and call it done," but I wanted something a little more. So I decided to go with the "Edible Arrangements" theme and make cookies on sticks. It was so much fun to make and it looked so awesome on the table. Not only does it add decor but it was really yummy tasting. It was extremely hard for me not to eat the dough because I was on lent and the dough consists of cream cheese and butter. MMMMMMM....

You can always double or tripple the recipe for the amount of cookies you want. I doubled this recipe.


Ingredients you will need are:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  Directions are:

• In a bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using parchment paper helps. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. 
• The BBQ sticks need to be inserted as soon as they come out of the oven. Decorate as desired. Yield: 4 dozen.

The remaining dough after I made a whole bunch of cookies, I thought hey I can imitate another cookie called "Subleh" So I used my egg cookie cutter and cut out pairs and with the whiskey cap I cut out a hole on 1 cookie in each pair. You then bake the cookies let them chill fill them with any type of jelly you would like, press them together sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar and wallah you have a different cookie. Now you may also grind up some nuts and throw and knead it in your dough before you do this. It ads awesome texture and flavor. 

Paprika's Vegetable Stew

Alright, so with less than a week left of being vegan for lent I came up with this yummy vegetable stew! I tried to somewhat turn it into a chili but mission failed! It's okay though, Kakod couldn't stop eating it so I believe it is a mission well accomplished!


Okay so here are the things your are going to need for this dish. You don't have to use exactly what I have used, use anything you have in your fridge.

Ingredients:

- 3 Tablespoons Olive oil (to saute the onion and garlic and the veggies) 
- 1/4 Green Cabbage (sliced thin to medium thickness)
- 1/4 Red Cabbage (sliced thin to medium thickness)
- 4 Green Zucchinis (Chopped)
- 2 Yellow Zucchinis (Chopped)
- Bok Choy (I used a whole head)
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper 
- 1 Carrot (G ratted)
- 1 1/2 Cups of Mushrooms sliced
- 1 Can Red Kidney Beans
- 1 Can Garbanzo Beans
- 1 Whole Onion Chopped
- Garlic ( this is really up to you I used about 7 cloves)
- 2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (I used 1 can with chilies and 1 can with garlic and olive oil)
- 1 Tablespoon of Tomato Paste
- 1 Tablespoon of Red Pepper Paste
- 2 Can of water ( fill up the diced tomato cans with water and mix the tomato paste in one and the red pepper paste in the other. If you don't have pepper paste use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste)
- Salt, Red Pepper, 7 Spice, Black pepper and Oregano  (please adjust this too your taste buds ad a little as you go)
-Scallion and Cilantro for topping and to taste 



Start by chopping your onion and mincing your garlic and put aside.
(Please wash all of your vegetables) Start chopping all of your vegetables and put them in a large bowl.
Grab your olive oil and saute' the garlic and onion until the onion has died down a bit, ad in the veggies you have chopped and stir it with the garlic and onion and let the veggies die down a bit, lets say about 5 or 6 minutes. Come and go and stir the veggies in the pot. After the veggies have deflated add in your kidney and garbonzo beans, as well as the diced tomatoes, the water, the pepper and tomato paste. Let it simmer on the stove on high for about half an hour come and go and just stir it a bit. It might look like a soup at first but you need to reduce the water. If at the half hour mark the water hasn't reduced keep it on low and let it simmer for about 20 more minutes.

Let it cool down for a bit, serve warm and top with scallions and cilanto.

Enjoy!!! I hope you all love it as much as kakod and I did! =]

 

Gatnabour (Armenian Rice Pudding)

Again on lent I crave everything I can't have, but I guess that's just the way the world just works. You want everything you can't and/or don't have.

Even though we can't have any animal products that didn't stop me! I substituted the milk for coconut milk and almond milk.
(Pictures to come!)

Recipe (for 12 bowls or 6 large cups)
   
Ingredients

– 1 cup white rice (round)
– 1 cup water
– 5 cups of almond milk
– 1 can of coconut milk
– 2 cups sugar
– 1 tbsp rose water
– cinnamon to garnish
– crushed or finely ground pistachio to garnish

Procedure

1. Wash the rice and boil in water for about 10 minutes at medium heat, until all the water gets absorbed.
2. Add the 5 cups of almond milk and coconut milk to the boiled rice and continuously stir while still at medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the starch of the rice mixes and thickens the milk.
3. Add 1½ cups of sugar and continue stirring for another 5 minutes.
4. Once the sugar is fully mixed in, remove from heat and add the rose water.
5. Separate into individual bowls and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon or pistachio.
6. Let cool and set for about 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Lahana (cabbage) Dolma

My fiance and I decided to give up meat for lent. I had a craving for these puppies so I decided to whip them up vegan style! I hope you guys try to make this dish because it's really delicious when cold and it is a great summertime meal!


Ingredients
Filling

(1 lb ground meat or beef, turkey or ground chicken - of course I left this part out)
2 big onion, chopped finely
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped dill (optional)
1/2 cup chopped basil ( optional )
1 tablespoon dry mint
1/2 cup rice, washed and drained
2 tomato, diced/1 cup crushed
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp pepper paste (optional)
1 tbsp salt to taste
½ tsp black pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp 7 spice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon’s juice






Outer Layer
1 head cabbage

For the liquid in the pot
7 cloves of garlic ( you can adjust this amount to your liking of garlic. WE LOVE GARLIC!)
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp pepper paste (optional) 
2 lemons juice
3 cups of water (depending on how deep your pot is. Just have the liquid cover just about the top)

Preparation Method

Mix all the filling ingredients  in a bowl with a tablespoon.

Take out the outer leaves of cabbage. In a large pot place the cabbage and cover it with lightly salted water. Bring it to boil and turn the heat down to medium high. Boil it till the outer leaves start to loosen and get softer (2-3 minutes). Remove the soft leaves from the core and place them on a big plate or tray. Return the cabbage to the pot and repeat the first step until all leaves get soft and removed. Let the leaves cool for 8-10 minutes.Remove the center stalks from the leaves with a knife so you will have 2 slices of the leaf. 

Fill the cabbage leaves with the filling and roll.

Line up all the rolls in a pot. Pour your liquid mixture carefully into the pot. Take a small plate place it over the leaves on the pot and a bowl of hot water on the plate. This prevents the leaves from unraveling. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes. After the rolls are cooked squeeze lemon juice all over (your preference).

We love this dish when it's cold and the next day. It is full of way more flavor!

Comment me if you would like the garlic and yogurt topping.

Paprika's style of her declicious egg rolls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Coconut oil (olive oil is fine if you don't have)

Quarter of the red cabbage

Quarter of the green cabbage

1/2 green zucchini julienned

1/2 yellow zucchini julienned

Quarter of a red onion sliced really thin

1 stick grated carrot

2-3 table spoons of soy sauce (I use low sodium)

1 pinch of ginger

Add cilantro and basil to your liking

(I also added white wine vinegar for taste)

(Keep in mind you can add any vegetable to your liking: bean sprouts, bell peppers avocados, [avocados do fry well inside of a egg roll], anything really as long as they are julienned)

Directions:

Shred both cabbages really thin, julienne the zucchinis and slice the red onion really thin. Grate your carrot and chop some cilantro and basil to your liking. Then sauté all of the ingredients including the spices in a pan on low heat and let it cook until the veggies are translucent.

Wrap them in your egg roll paper, seal them and flash fry them until the outside of the wrap is golden brown and crispy looking.

I used a Thai Ginger dipping sauce on the side!

Good Luck and Enjoy!!!