Healthy banana muffins
As with most recipes, these banana muffins have gradually and naturally evolved into what they are today. And what they are today is a cause for a bit of pride. Earlier this year I made these exact banana muffins for a neighbourhood baby shower. They certainly had a lot of competition: a local baker brought one of her homemade cakes. The same baker who later that day asked me for a recipe of my muffins because her son demanded more of them in his life. As you can imagine, that was rather ego-stimulating. Not that there was really any doubt about how tasty they are because this is certainly one of my family’s favourite ways to use up over ripened bananas.Syrniki – easy cheesy pancakes
After this unexpected and much longer than desired hiatus, we are back to (hopefully) regular broadcasts. The truth is that I had these cheesy pancakes, commonly known as syrniki, photographed over a month ago. Then life happened. Early last month we set off for a family vacation. In the days leading up to it, I diligently made sure to have the pictures ready because I very naively assumed I would have time to blog during kids’ nap time. In reality, we walked about 150km in 2 weeks. This is according to a phone application that does not include the time or effort spent on the playgrounds. Nor does it account for pushing a “lightweight travel stroller” (read: zero suspension) along cobbled streets in an already hilly terrain. And that’s probably a blessing because real numbers and figures would be too exhausting. Tvorog (quark) – soft white cheese
Typically when cheese making is mentioned, an average person pictures an intensive and lengthy process using specialty tools and ingredients. While this is certainly true for a lot of cheeses, there are some that come together fairly easy. I have already mentioned tvorog (also known as quark) before. One of my earlier childhood food memories involves tvorog mixed with sugar and sour cream for a quick, tasty and healthy snack. It’s high in calcium, low in fat and has a neutral taste. It is very popular all over ex-USSR and is sold in most food stores with varying fat content. Luckily for countries where it’s not readily available, tvorog is also one of the easiest cheeses to make at home. There are only 2 ingredients and the most extravagant tool you will need is some cheesecloth.Sicilian lemon meatballs
As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to visit Italy. When an opportunity finally presented itself, I started discovering from the south. Upon my arrival in Palermo, I quickly learned a few things. Firstly, the locals consider themselves independent from the mainland. Not only do they have their own dialect, they mostly prefer to be called Sicilian rather than Italian. And secondly, the food is even better than I imagined. I instantly fell in love with Sicilian cuisine. The street fare alone deserves odes dedicated to it. People’s ability to turn anything into a meal is fascinating. Hence, the mighty meatballs. As a nation that’s been oppressed for most of its existence, Sicilians were forced to be creative with limited provisions. Meatballs are all over Sicily and it’s a great way to turn a little meat into a satisfying meal. These lemon meatballs is just one example.Banitsa – Bulgarian cheese pie
Before we begin, I would like to state for the record that I have never been to Bulgaria. A good friend who divides her time between Sofia and Burgas shared this recipe during her visit few years ago. Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian cheese pie. It’s made with sheets of filo dough, white cheese and eggs. And, as is typical with any traditional national dish, everyone has their own recipe for banitsa. Or a preferred bakery visited early in the morning before work. Apparently banitsa is so popular that it is sold out daily in good bakeries. This recipe is very basic and has a lot of room for improvisation. Normally banitsa is made only with cheese but it can easily include a variety of herbs, vegetables and even meat.