Week 6, Italian.......

This week I made an Italian meatball soup. It's made with water, potato, onion, green onion, carrot, rice, and meatballs. I made the meatballs with egg, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese. I just cooked the meatballs in the soup, not the oven. This soup is really healthy, easy, and fast to make.
One thing that I noticed in Italy is that a meal consists of many courses. Since I made noodles last week, I decided to make more of an Italian starter rather than pasta. When most people think of Italian food they just  think of pasta and pizza, but there are so many more types of dishes that are native to Italy. When I was there a few years ago, I ate mussels, risotto, and lots of fresh mozzarella with different olive oils, just to name a few. Of course, I ate tons of pasta and pizza, but I tried to eat some different things as well.
Here's a pic of my soup. If you're looking for a healthy, low-carb dish, this soup fits the bill.

Week 5, Chinese........

This week I made a Chinese dish called lagman. This dish is made with handmade noodles. The noodles are thicker than spaghetti and really delicious. Along with the noodles, it has beef, bell pepper, cabbage, onion, tomato, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and coriander. I also used this dish for my instructions, so if you want the recipe you can check it out on the discussion board.

Lagman is one of my favorite foods. It's popular in China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and all across central Asia. So when I'm in Central Asia, it's always the first thing I want to eat. 

Anyways, check out the recipe. It's a really great, home-cooked meal, that most anyone would enjoy.

Week 4, Russian, Again........

This week I made beef stroganoff.  It's another Russian dish.  I decided to make this because I hadn't had it in a long time and I was in the mood for it.
Beef stroganoff is cooked with beef, mushrooms, sour cream, onion, flour, and butter.  Even though it's not in most recipes, I like to cook the mushrooms in Marsala or Madeira wine.  The wine gives this dish a great sweet flavor.
The dish reminds me of my childhood.  It was a staple dish for me growing up.  Here is a pic of the finished product........

Week 3, Russian.....

This week I made my version of comfort food.  I made Russian ravioli.  In Russian, we call them "pelmeny".  
They're handmade.  First you make the dough, then fill them with practically anything you choose.  I usually put a mixture of beef and pork inside, but you can even make them with fruit.  Usually when people make these, they make six pounds or more.  It's always good to have "extra" hands to make these.  When I make them, I make enough for a few months and end up freezing a large bag.  Every time I need to eat in a hurry I just throw them in boiling water for five minutes and they're done!