Pishloqli chuchvara (Cottage cheese Dumplings )

I learned this dish from my mother-in-law (she also cooked it very rarely). I liked this dish at that times, but I almost forgot about it:) Recently I was thinking about to cook some vegetarian dish and I remembered about this meal. Although my mother-in-law made them same as regular "chuchvara"s (I mean the shape), I decided to make them bigger, in rectangle shape, to make my work easier (as I am a big Lazy girl). "Pishloqli chuchvara" is very good source of protein and calcium. Cheese that I used, in Uzbekistan is usually called "tvorog" which is similar to cottage cheese, ricotta cheese or even paneer. Try to use fresh, thick and non sour cheese.
Ingredients:
Same dough as for "chuchvara"
200 grams of cottage cheese
1 big egg
1 tbsp of clarified butter
Salt to taste
Half a tsp of fresh ground pepper
Fresh sour cream for serving
Make the dough, cover and let it rest. Prepare filling: finely mash cottage cheese with eggs, salt, pepper and butter. Set aside.
Roll out the dough and cut 2X2 inch squares. Put in 1 tsp of filling and finely pinch the edges.

Continue pinching, until you will use up filling or dough:)
In separate bowl, boil about1.5 liters of water and bring to boil. Add in 1.5 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of any vegetable oil. Put "pishloqli chuchvara"s in boiling water, about 10-15 at once. Ready dumplings will float to the surface, but still you need to cook them 1 min more, to be sure, that filling is cooked well.
Cook as many dumplings as you need and keep the rest in your freezer.
Serve dumplings with sour cream and enjoy!!!


Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Ismaloqli kesma lag'mon (Noodles with spinach)

As I already wrote, I love experimenting in kitchen:) So I decided to make green noodles for lunch:) I used spinach for color and it gave great taste too! For topping, I just fried minced meat and vegetables and serve it with colorful corn, just to give that dramatic and appetizing look for my "Kesma lag'mon" :) Prepare noodles and save some for later use. I usually dry my noodles or just put them in freezer.
Ingredients:
200 ml of spinach juice
2 eggs
1,5 tsp of salt
Plain flour as needed
150 ml of vegetable oil (I used corn oil)
350 gram of minced meat
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 capsicum, chopped
2 tbsp of tomato puree or paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of black cumin seeds
Sweet corn and fresh chopped greens for serving
Slightly beat up eggs with spinach juice. Add in salt. Gradually add flour, until you form slightly hard dough, but not too hard. Cover and let it rest for 20 min.
Generously sprinkle the surface with flour, roll out the dough (about 0.5 mm thick) and again sprinkle generously with flour, just to prevent sticking. Let it dry for 5-8 min, then roll around itself forming long log. Start cutting the log in 1/4 inch thick slices.

Open up every slice, hang them over and let them dry for at least 20 min. I use my rolling stick and 2 chairs for drying my noodles:)

While your noodles are drying, prepare the topping: Heat up oil and brown minced meat over medium heat, add in onions and fry until onions are slightly golden in color. Add in capsicum, fry until capsicum is half done. Finally add in tomatoes and tomato paste. Fry until oil will start to separate out. At the end, add in spices and fry for 2 min more. Add in salt and then take from the stove.
Boil 2 liters of water in deep bowl and add in 1 tbsp of salt in it. Add in less then a half of your noodles and cook for about 3-4 min or less, just until noodles are soft and cooked. Drain all water and then serve topping with fried meat and vegetables. Also sprinkle corn and greens for additional color and enjoy your creative and beautiful lunch!!!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Shirgrechka:) (Milk porridge with buckwheat)

Usually I call this meal "Grechkali kasha" which means buckwheat porridge, almost in Russian:) so I decided to call it "Shirgrechka" :) This meal is great for breakfast, as it contains useful elements and calcium, so needed for our bones: I love porridges!!!
Ingredients (for three people):
600 ml of milk (full fat or reduced, but I used full fat, as it is tastier:))
1 cup of buckwheat
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Butter for serving (1, 5 tsp for each bowl)
Finely wash buckwheat and pour in milk. Put on stove and bring to boil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally as at the end it can stick to the bottom. Cook until porridge is thick and buckwheat is finely cooked. At the very end, sprinkle salt and sugar, mix well and serve topping with butter. Your delicious and healthy breakfast is ready to enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!