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Uzbek Plov

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Plov is a central Asian dish made mostly from rice is cooked in a seasoned broth, called zirvak (Uzbek). Depending on the region it may also contain meat, fish, vegetables, pasta, and even dried fruits. In the east, plov is almost a daily staple but at the same time is served for special events like a wedding, funeral, child birth etc. Since...
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Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Now when it's getting colder and windy outside, this soup is a great idea for your lunch or dinner. Even my kids like to eat this soup. I love how this chicken tortilla soup is both easy to make and satisfying. If you like spicy soup, add jalapeno to the vegetables. True comfort food! (more…)...
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Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Garlic

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A similar dish is very popular from my hometown of Odessa, Ukraine called 'eggplant caviar'. I changed the recipe a bit, usually eggplant is baked over an open fire, I instead baked eggplant in the oven with tomatoes and garlic and added the walnuts to the recipe. Perfect appetizer for dishes with meat or fish, or you can serve simply with a toast....
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Tomato Cheese Salad

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Easy and really tasty salad-appetizer for picnic or party. You can use any flavor chips you like, we prefer the cheese or onion flavor. Decorate with the chips just before serving or they will be soggy....
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Beef Burger with Mozzarella and Basil Oil

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Less is sometimes more with burgers and to keep it simple this burger is topped with delicious toppings like mozzarella, tomatoes, and lettuce. The basil oil adds great flavor as well.  A great tip we learned with my husband for burgers is if you make a small indentation in the middle of each burger patty. the patties won't shrink...
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Tzatziki

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Tzatziki is a classical Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce. If you don’t have  Greek yogurt, take 1 cup plain yogurt with no additives, strain it and mix with 200 g of sour cream. Also use small or medium cucumbers, preferably without large seeds. This sauce is great to serve with pita bread, fresh vegetables, meat or fish....
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Wild Duck with Bacon and Vegetables

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I usually fry the vegetables and duck breasts in lard or melted goose (or chicken) fat but you can use vegetable or olive oil. For the herbs I use a couple of sage leaves, a little thyme, Thai basil, tarragon and oregano. The finished duck was juicy, tender and had a light smoke flavor from the bacon. Read more