Recipe: Cauliflower Musakhan

Obviously the original version of musakhan is a big leg of chicken with pinenuts and sumac served on a flatbread but this recipe gestures towards it and is both really easy to whip up (especially if you have some frozen or ready made naan). Usually it’s not served with a yogurt sauce but I think most things in life would be better with a yogurt sauce. You could easily add some fresh olive or tomatoes or finishing olive oil instead and those would all be nice additions too.

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Recipe: Pampushka

Pampushka are a traditional Ukrainian style roll which can be either sweet or savory. This version is an herb and garlic butter topped version which is perfect for dipping in a hearty broth-filled soup or as a side dish at a big meal. You can top these with whatever your heart desires but the smell of garlic and butter before biting into a pillow-like bun is, to me, unbeatable.

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Recipe: Kalasouna

This is an extremely pleasant cheese pie that is made even better with addition in chopped onions. In the future I would definitely whip the feta for an even and soft texture. I have never actually eaten one of these before and saw pictures online of both square and round versions, I eventually opted for the round but you should follow your heart. This is a great snack or light lunch if paired with a soup or salad that’s not too much work and can be made ahead of time.

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Recipe: Panzerotti

If I was being a little mean I’d probably describe this is a slightly fancy hot pocket. I ended up not loving these as much as I thought I would but I think it’s because I let the dough rise too long and they ended up extremely puffy and not at all crunchy despite being fried. However, the idea is solid. You make yourself a little stuffed pizza pocket filled with whatever you like and then you shallow fry it in oil, what could be wrong with that?

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Recipe: Sweet Potato Bread

You can blend the sweet potato in this recipe into a completely smooth paste but personally I like seeing all the little bits of potato throughout the bread. It’s basically a pound cake with a delicious twist and not unlike banana bread and traditional pound cake the recipe is super easy and forgiving. While the cooking time seems very long it actually does need the entire time otherwise it will be surprisingly soupy in the middle. However, your reward will be a warm house that smells delicious.

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Recipe: Liège Waffles

If you have a little time in the morning or decide you want something special the next day these are a great change up from the traditional pancakes and quick waffle batter. What’s so great about this type of waffle is that the batter is a solid mass so there’s no spills or leaks even if you overfill the waffle iron. The original recipe calls for sugar crystals but if you don’t have these you can omit them and simply make sure to put some delicious jam, jelly, syrup, or even savory toppings on the waffles for best results.

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Recipe: Focaccia Pizza

If you’re stuck in a rut of pizzas this is a great way to change things up a little. It’s still very low effort and requires just 10 minutes and the knowledge that you’re going to have pizza that night. This pizza comes out of chewy and flaky. Make sure you don’t put too many toppings on, one or two is the maximum it can hold (and make sure they’re cooked or dry because too much water will make the pizza soggy). Because there are so few ingredients make sure you salt your dough well and season your sauce if you want something out of this world.

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Recipe: Cranberry Brie Bites

This is barely a recipe but it works so well together that I want to post it to encourage people to put these together and have a really delicious day. These come together in just a few minutes and they are something that would really look impressive on a holiday or party table but it’s basically very low effort so I suggest it for your next gathering or any day you want to feel fancy with very little effort.

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Recipe: Bagels

I’m not the sort of person to tell you that you have to make bagels. Commercially available bagels aren’t particularly good but if you live near a bakery that makes fresh bagels the odds are that they’re going to be cheap and fairly good but if you can’t get bagels or happen to live in a place where they’re not particularly available this is an easy recipe which produces really good results for a home kitchen. You can rest these overnight but I’ve found that I personally like the sweet spot of about 4-6 hours in the refrigerator (at 12 hours these start to deflate for me, your results may vary). Luckily the recipe doubles easily and already made bagels last for up to 4 days without any taste or texture difference. If you can’t find molasses most sweet stuff will suffice: honey, brown sugar, and even dark corn syrup will all produce a crisp outside texture with a chewy inside – just how I like my bagels!

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