Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

chicken breasts
mixed salad greens
seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
oil

Dressing:
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
thyme
salt
pepper
a drop of mustard

Preferably, a couple of hours before grilling, apply seasoning generously on both sides of the chicken breasts. I use chunky seasoning, add some salt and pepper, and paprika and garlic powder if the seasoning doesn't contain it already. Press with your fingers to make sure the spices get absorbed. Then sprinkle some Worcestershire sauce and oil over it. Cover and leave in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill it.


Grill the chicken, and while it is grilling, wash and cut salad greens .


Make salad dressing. I make mine by mixing some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I also add thyme, salt, pepper and just a little bit of mustard.


When the chicken is done grilling, cut it up while its still hot.

When you are ready to eat, poor the dressing over the salad greens. Then place hot grilled chicken pieces over it.

Featured products:

I use OXO salad spinner to dry my salad after washing. You don't want your salad to be too wet, it will dilute the dressing and the flavors. Also, a nice wooden bowl is good for serving salads and both formal and casual dinners.

Strawberry Cake by Svetlana R.

Ingredients:

DOUGH:
5 eggs
7 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp flour

CREAM:
250ml milk
a packet vanilla pudding (4.3g/ 1.5oz)
5 eggs
7 tbsp sugar
200g butter
250 powder sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 package strawberries

DOUGH:

Prepare your baking dish. Place parchment paper on the bottom. Preheat the oven to 390F.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Please the egg whites into a mixing dish and egg yolks into a cup.

Use a mixer to mix the egg whites until a you get a stiff foam.

Then add sugar, one spoonful at the time.

Note: when mixing an egg white, it is important to follow these 3 rules:

1. the mixing dish has to be completely dry

2. do not add sugar prior to forming a thick stiff white foam

3. add sugar in slowly, one spoonful at the time

At this point, add egg yolks, one by one, while mixing continuously. Then lower the mixing speed to the lowest setting and add flour, again one spoonful at the time.

Transfer the dough into the baking dish and bake at 390F until it gets color. This is quick, however you should not open the oven during the baking, or the dough will go flat.

When the dough is done baking, take it out of the pan onto a clean kitchen cloth.

Remove the parchment paper.

Immediately roll in a cloth, and allow it to cool rolled like that.

When it is cooled, unroll it, spread your favorite jam and roll it back (this time roll without the cloth).

CREAM:

You will need to prepare 3 different portions that will form cake cream at the end.

First portion: take 250ml milk and cook it. Add vanilla pudding in it and cook according to the instruction. Do not add more milk, even though it says so on the packet, otherwise your cream will turn out too runny. Leave the pudding aside to cool, but do stir it every once in a while so that it doesn't form skin on top.



Second portion: mix 5 egg yolks and 7 tbsp sugar. Cook it above steam (you can do this by filling a pot with water and then cooking egg yolks and sugar in a smaller pot above it).


Cook until the egg yolks thicken to the point where a wooden spoon you are using for stirring leaves thick streaks on the bottom of the pan. This happens fairly quickly. When this is done, set aside to cool.



Third portion: mix 200g softened butter with 250g powder sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Do not heat butter to soften it, its best to leave it at room temperature a couple of hours before use.

Now take the first mix (pudding), and add second mix (yellow cream), while using a mixer at lowest setting. Then slowly add third mix (butter) in the same way.

It is important that all ingredients are cold, and that they are added in the proper order.

Note: When mixing the cream, make sure you spend enough time and all 3 mixes are smooth and uniform texture.

Cut the roll into sections and arrange them next to each other on a tray.


Add 1/2 of the cream you just made over it.



Then fresh strawberry slices.


Then another layer of cream (use the rest of it) and more strawberries on top.


Cover everything with whipped cream. You can decorate with strawberries if you have any left.

Allow it to cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

Pasta with Spinach and Cheese

Quick, easy and healthy meal. Follow the procedure below:

Ingredients:

pasta
fresh baby spinach

cheese (any kind you like, I used feta and manchego)
olive oil
salt

Wash the spinach. Shake the water off.

Transfer the spinach into the pan together with some water that's left on it from washing and a little bit of oil. Saute for 10-15 minutes until it shrinks to about 1/4 size.

Than add cheese. I grated some manchego cheese (about 4 tbsp), and added crumbled feta (about 2 tbsp). Parmesan and cottage would work too. You can add more or less, depending on how you like.

While your spinach is cooking down, use that time to cook some pasta. I am using my home made pasta recipe, which you can fine here.