Perfect hamburger – your step by step guide

All right… Hamburger. The quintessence of junk food, well, besides hotdog, of course… But really, to make a really good burger is very much not a trivial job, mind you! Nailing that perfect balance of taste in the patty, ensuring the texture is just right, using just the amount of sauce required (and creating that sauce too!) – that’s a never ending journey… I’ve spent over 10 years perfecting my burger patty recipe and yet, after a trip down to Tasmania, it got a new twist!

Curious? Great! I’ve got a true step by step guide for you, so let’s go!

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Coconut Curry with Prawns

This recipe is a bit different from what I usually cook, and I indeed am stepping out of my comfort zone! I’ll be honest – I don’t like coconuts, and this is quite the only way I actually enjoy them – when it’s coconut cream and it’s used in a sauce or a caramel.

Now this quick dish goes wonderful with steamed rice, fried rice or even pasta sauce!

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Grilled chicken thighs with Cuban “Mojo” sauce

Chicken, garlic, cumin, oregano and tanginess of lemon, softened with the sweetness and aroma of oranges… That’s what this dish is about – Cuban Mojo chicken!

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Soy & Ouzo Chicken Wings – Middle East and Asian fusion

This is the 3-rd and final post of the “Holy Wings Trinity” series. Growing up in Israel, I’ve learned a lot about the Middle Eastern food, and how diverse it can get… On other hand, I’ve always appreciated the Asian cooking, so in this recipe I simply combined the two and created a marinade, which might seem a bit odd (and honestly, weirdly smelling one too!), but trust me, the wings come out so good you won’t be able to resist! The subtle anise flavour from ouzo is taking the wings to a totally different level!

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Lemon & herbs roasted hens

Hi there!

Very often my recipes are quite complex, but sometimes I like to go back to the “keep it simple” approach, and this is one of those times. Hens, simply halved, rubbed with olive oil and spices and grilled – quick score when you don’t want to get into complications.

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Quick’n’Easy marinated mushrooms – Russian classics

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It is quite an interesting fact that marinated mushrooms are most known as classic Russian dish, regardless of the fact many world kitchens make an extensive use of this wonderful ingredient. Marinated mushrooms – be it champignons or any other – were mostly considered either as pickles or, more popular, as the bite following a shot of an ice chilled vodka. So, as a tribute to this wonderful dish, here’s my version of it – quick, easy and very tasty!

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Strawberry & lemon cake – easy score!

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Hi,

Few days ago we were invited to a dinner at our friends… As it was one of those “collectively prepared” meals when everyone brings a plate to share, we were requested to bring the dessert. Making a long story short, my wife pulled few recipes out of her infinite stash of books, cut out magazine pages, notes and God knows what else, and there was this one, right on the top of that pile… As I saw it, I knew it’s going to be the one, and boy, it turned out to be a success!

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Mpiftekia (Greek burgers) and souvlaki – simple pleasures

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Hi there!

When I posted this photo on my Facebook page I wrote “burgers and kabobs”. However, since I got quite a few complaints from my Greek speaking friends (and working in a company with a big branch in Cyprus, I have a bunch of those 🙂 ), I decided to give this post a Greek spirit. So, today we are grilling mpiftekia – Greek burgers, and souvlaki – chicken thigh fillet skewers. And yeah, you’ll get extra points if you’re able to actually pronounce those names 🙂 🙂 🙂

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Grilled “mititei” – back to the roots…

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Hi mates!

Those of you who follow my posts probably remember my origins, roots, if you like, are from Eastern Europe. Generally speaking, Russian, I would say, but being more specific, I was born in Bessarabia, a relatively small piece of land in between Moldova, Ukraine and the Black Sea. Throughout its whole history Bessarabia was a very desired trophy – it’s been conquered by Turks, Romanians, Russians and a handful of others who ruled the land for shorter periods of time… Such a mixture of cultures created a very interesting culinary fusion as well, and Bessarabia’ cooking is heavily influenced by that of the conquerors – Turkey and Romania mainly, but also Russia and Ukraine. So, today I want to show you my take on a traditional Romanian “mititei” – grilled ground meat rolls, as I remember them from my childhood.

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Grilled chicken breasts – the simple way

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So, the chicken breasts… One of the cheapest cuts you can get, and one might think, quite simple to cook. But here’s the catch – this cut is one of the leanest ones as well, so, to keep it succulent and tender, you will find all kinds of marinating, brining and wrapping techniques suggested in the recipes. No, I am not saying these methods won’t work… On a contrary, they will, and you’ll most probably love the results, but… what if I told you there’s a way to grill an ultimately juicy and tender chicken breast completely fuss-free and ridiculously simple? Do I have your attention now? Good! Let’s go!

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