“SLAW”

… as you probably realize – today’s recipe is not just a slang expression of  “COLESLAW” (which you know as a salad made with raw shredded cabbage, carrot and mayonnaise), but it is a short version of this typical recipe.
SLAW fits perfect as a side dish to BBQ or can be serve as appetizer or small afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage
2 carrots
1 onion
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Clean vegetables and prepare for shredding or cutting.

2. Shred cabbage on a mandolin or on coarse grater; carrots on a fine grater and chop onion in small cubes.

3. Prepare solution from sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Pour over the vegetables and mix with wooden spoon. In the end add some black pepper and vegetable oil.

Root celery dip

We are preparing again with my colleagues our “lunch together”. This month we choose “appies” as our main theme.
Celery has not only a significant place in a natural medicine for thousand of years, but also in the culinary, because it has an extraordinary power as a appetite stimulant. Therefore celery dip (also called false lobster dip) will be just a perfect match and great appetizer not for our coming event, but hopefully for you as well to enrich your fall bill of fare…

Ingredients:

1/2 root celery
1 carrot
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper

Directions:

1. Scrape through a fine grater celery and carrot.

2. In a bowl sprinkle with lemon juice, add salt and pepper and mix it with mayonnaise. It can be use as a dip or as a spread.

Lumberjack’s spread

Today evening when I did some research on the Internet – for some reason came on my mind Nine Fairy Tales from one of the most influential Czech writers 20th century – Karel Čapek, which he published in 1932. One of the fairy tales is a story how lumberjack cure a princess with bread and curd spread. In this fall time this story and recipe remains me early summer and gives the energy to body and soul. Enjoy the simple but tasty recipe for today.

Ingredients:

250g curd
small piece of butte
1 small onion inc. the green parts (leek could be as well nice substitution)
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground caraway seeds
chives for decoration

Directions:

1. Mix butter in a bowl with salt and caraways seeds.
 
2. Add curd and mayonnaise and whip.

3. In the end add fine chopped onion or leek.

4. Spread on the bread and decor with some cut chives.

Garlic spread

I used to prepare this spread for many years and usually in double or triple quantity than recipe ask for. We used to live in a small town in south Moravia region in Czech Republic and our friend used to come to visit us quite regularly – always on Saturday. She brought fresh loaf (or two) of bread and we were sitting and talking an eating till we ate everything. Then we were soooo full and in the odour of garlic felt to somnolence.
Here in Canada we have every last Thursday in month extended lunch break (always thematic). This Thursday garlic spread will be very much suitable and because it is not for the firs time we will enjoy the taste, we have some improvements as well: after we spread the garlic spread onto pieces of baguette or ciabatta we will put these pieces for couple of minutes to the oven – just to melt cheese inside and recover so a new dimensions of taste this garlic spread.

Ingredients:

10-15 cloves garlic
250g pot cheese
250g cream cheese
100g shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar or eidam)
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, salt      

Directions:

1. Rub garlic with salt, add water and then oil and mix everything nice together.
 
2. Mix in a bowl (or mixer) pot cheese with cream cheese, and then add the garlic mixture from step 1.

3. Add shredded cheese and mayonnaise and mix to finalize.

Yeast Pate

Something tasty as a spread on the fresh breakfast buns…

Ingredients I.:

20g dry baking yeast
Sprinkle of sugar
1 teaspoon of flour
200g lukewarm water

Directions I.:

- mix, let raise for 10 min

Ingredients II.:

yeast mixture form step I.
1 bigger onion (chopped)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Directions II.:

1. In frying pan heat 3 spoon of oil and add onion – let it caramelize.

2. Add the yeast mixture and let almost all water evaporate (about 10 min on medium heat).







3. Add 3 eggs and milk and mix all together (consistence of scrambled eggs).

4. Let the mixture cool down (room temperature).

Ingredients III.:

cold mixture from the step 4.

100g butter

salt, pepper, chives (or parsley leaves)

Directions III.: 

1. About 100g of butter (ambient temperature) mix in a bowl (mixer).

2. Add the cool down mixture from step II. 

3. Flog to foamy (fluffy) consistence and add sprinkle of salt (if necessary), sprinkle of grounded black pepper and chives or parsley leaves for nice fresh „spring look“