Stirring, frying, the tender piece of meat...

It is part of our cultural food- Great beef!

In the pan it cooks,

I can’t wait to have it~ it’s

So Good.

Oh! The onions, red & green peppers shout..

Do not leave us out of the frying pan.

What else do I need to add?

The potatoes all scream,

As they are placed in a pot-

They’re all being deep fried..

Becoming a new form...

Chips!!

Even the leafy greens, radish & tomatoes join the food band.

My eyes gaze on it all-

What could possibly be more satisfying than beef stir fry, chips, and a salad?

DIRECTIONS.

What you will need:

Beef stirloin strips

An onion

Big red tomato

Salt

Black pepper

6 or 8 Potatoes

Olive oil

Radish (optional)

Cabbage/lettuce

Green and red peppers

Bisto

Steps~

1. Place some olive oil in a frying pan. Let the oil in the pan heat up.

2. Once the oil is hot, place the beef strips in the pan and let it cook. Make sure you stir the beef strips as they fry in the pan.

3. Chop the onion, tomato, red and green peppers. Place them in the frying pan. Onion and peppers first. When those ingredients are well done add the tomato. Let them all cook and mix all the ingredients in the pan. Then add salt and Black pepper. Final addition will be bistro- for the nice gravy to be nicely thick. When the beef strips are well cooked- place them in a serving dish ( or on a plate).

4. Wash and peel the potatoes. Then cut them into chips/fries shapes.

5. In a medium pot, place some olive oil. Let the oil heat up.

6. When the oil is hot- place the chips in. Allow them to deep fry in the pot. Only wait till they are nice and crisp to take them out of the pot, and serve them in a dish/on a plate.

7. Wash the radishes. Then chop them into nicely circular size. Wash the cabbage and cut some of it into well salad size. Mix the radish and cabbage in a bowl.

8. You are now ready to serve the feast. Every bite will be worth having. Enjoy!

Shall I tantalize your taste buds...

with from-scratch Golabki or some fancy-sweet-treat

like Walnut torte with French Lemon Butter Cream

pulled from our dear Pani Stasha's treasury?

Or should I shock and appall you

with the twelve hundred or less calories

a day of raw foods that I actually eat?

Perhaps a small sampling of both...

is what we will feed!

*

Here is the beloved family dessert

commonly turned to for comfort

—The Regal Charlotte—

("Szarlotka po Królewsku")

This is in essence a deluxe apple pie!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUST:

2 cups sifted unbleached flour

2 heaping spoons of powdered sugar

1 tsp real vanilla

1 tsp fresh lemon zest

1 egg yolk *

1 stick of butter salt or not, chopped**

1 - 2 Tbsp of water if dough is too dry

IF VEGAN...

* the yolk may be omitted

**1/4 canola oil may sub for butter

Combine all dry ingredients thoroughly

add all wet ingredients, mixing quickly

if using butter it's important not to over work the dough!

place the dough in a covered bowl or in wax paper into freezer for 1 hour

(or just place outside if it's winter! or refrigerate over night if you have no freezer)

After chilling, cut the dough in two, approximately...

slightly larger portion for bottom crust roll out on wax paper... roughly

and transfer with the wax paper into an ~9" square or rectangular pan

press up sides approximately 1" and even out the crust with fingers

On another wax paper roll out other portion into a flat top for the pie

transfer to another same sized pan making sure there are no edges

lightly pierce both crusts with a fork in a pretty pattern for faster baking

place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for ~30 min or till lightly golden edged

(if you do not have two pans, or have a small oven, bake one at a time)

Meanwhile prepare the filling and topping...

INGREDIENTS FOR THE APPLE FILLING

6 apples (granny smith, golden delicious, gala, a mix is good... not macintosh or roma!)

2 - 3 Tbsp of sugar depending on type of apple and your sweet tooth

2 - 3 Tbsp of water

1 tsp of real vanilla

peel and chop apples into nice forkful size chunks, bigger and smaller pieces

place in pan with bit of water, turn on medium heat, cover with lid to begin poaching

after about 5 - 7 minutes sprinkle with sugar and add vanilla mix and cover again

continue to poach for about 7 - 10 or until fork easily pierces the fruit

Meanwhile for the topping...

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MERINGUE

4 egg whites

4 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

When the crust is baked and the apples are ready whip the meringue

by placing all four egg white in a bowl and beating first at low speed

then at higher speed as the whites begin to foam... gradually add sugar

and vanilla...

Assemble the Szarlotka thusly...

On the crust traditionally finely chopped walnuts are sprinkled, but

of course omit if allergic or not to taste!!!

...then the apples are placed over this and evenly compressed... next place the top crust

the top crust can be flipped and peeled from the wax paper or you can sometimes slide it

if you place the top on a cutting board and push with a long broad knife...

(if it cracks no biggie! no one will see the top thanks to the topping of fluffy meringue)

with spatula or spoon cover crust with meringue nice and evenly

place back in oven reducing heat to 250 F

the edges of the meringue should begin to golden in ~15 - 20 minutes

Allow to cool fully before serving!

It is the lemon zest and walnuts that make this version "Regal."

(without these the dessert is simply called a Szarlotka and it is still delicious :)

Amount of sugar may certainly be adjusted according to your taste preference.

& here is the typical no fuss meal I had for dinner tonight...

—Chilled Apple Edamame—

4 average apples (I happened to have 3 small red del. and 1 tiny granny smith)

1 lemon juiced

10 min. leaves of Escarole (my favorite green)

3 leaves of Romaine

2 leaves of Iceburg

1 package of frozen shelled Edamame (I had a 10.5 oz, but 10 - 12 as available)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp turmeric

dash of black pepper

pinch of sea salt

wash dry chop greens

wash peel and chop apples

place in bowl with still frozen (but not clumped!) edamame (hence the chilled part!)

add cinnamon and pepper toss lightly

sprinkle with salt

add lemon juice

sprinkle with turmeric (I don't stir, as it looks and tastes nice on top, but you can...)

and as simply as that! enjoy with spoon or fork :)

This meal is approximately 830 calories, 135 g of carbs, 40 g of protein, 18 g of fat

this is my main meal of the day... for breakfast/lunch/brunch? I had 2 oranges and a handful of grapes ...and yes it is joked that I eat like... "a rabbit."

* this dish may of course be served over steaming brown rice or quinoa to be equally delicious and more filling depending on your caloric needs; avocado goes good too :)

Well that is a look into my kitchenette! Currently I am enjoying a cup of chamomile tea which is a favorite beverage (...it elevates my mood... I read somewhere that chamomile is just as popular as coffee in Italy and it has some nice nerve soothing properties including easing away tendencies towards insomnia :)

#PoemAndRecipe #Challenge