Recipes with bay leaves

Baby portobello mushrooms, dried porcini mushrooms and tomatoes make this ragu taste super delicious. Mix it into spaghetti or use it to make lasagna, and it will deliver the maximum yumminess.

There are hundreds versions of this very Polish soup. Here you have an original proposition of mine. I used to cook it on the base of my favorite duck and chicken stock. The cream is a must to create wonderful pink color. Optionally you may add a quarter or a half of hard boiled egg to your bowl. By the way, I change my recipe sometimes, for instance by adding dried California prunes instead of sugar, or by adding some white vinegar instead of lemon juice.

Chunky California beef and bean chili made with cubed round steak, scratch-cooked beans and fresh-toasted cumin. Three peppers and a jalapeño build layered heat in this lean, hearty bowl.

Austrian quick pickled red onions in an apple cider brine with bay leaf, allspice and peppercorns. Bright pink, sweet-tart and warmly spiced. Pile onto dark rye with paprika cheese, burgers, or fish tacos.

A lovely rich tasting lentil salad. High in protein, fiber and low in saturated fats.

A garden vegetable spaghetti sauce loaded with peppers, zucchini, and summer squash, slow-simmered with garlic and a big handful of herbs. A meatless, freezer-friendly marinara for using up the garden.

Wow, the pot roast came out so flavourful and the gravy was also very tasty. We thinly sliced the leftover, used in sandwiches and wraps. Bravo!

So to start off with the first post, I decided to make a meal that screams of comfort food. Whilst it does take a bit of a while to get the meal done, once you take that first bite, heaven couldn’t seem closer if you were Adam trying to touch God’s finger in the “Creation of Adam” fresco created by Michaelangelo. The meal I speak of is Cottage Pie. There is much debate as to what exactly a cottage pie is and how it is different to a Shepherd’s pie...I don’t know. The dominant theory is that Sheperds pie uses lamb mince, whilst a cottage pie uses beef mince. I don’t know about you, but the term “Sheperds Pie” does not get my tastebuds going quite as well, so I prefer the term cottage pie. Besides, comparing the price of ground (mince) beef to ground lamb, a student would pick up the beef mince in a heartbeat without even so much as glancing at the lamb in the meat section. This cottage pie that I made is full of flavour, and just makes you want to cuddle up next to a fire and watch TCM movies all day either by yourself, or with a significant other. Here is the recipe:

Candied dill pickles transformed from store-bought dills into sweet-tart spears with sugar, vinegar, bay, and cloves. The Southern grandma trick that turns ordinary pickles into addictive snacking.

The Cincinatti Chili is, would you believe, an alternative to spaghetti sauce. It's mild and sweet (the cinnamon does that), and won't burn anyone's mouth unless you serve it boiling.

A traditional Scottish soup made with smoked haddock and King Prawns. A Delicious winter warmer.

Cuban-style picadillo with capers, pimento-stuffed olives, burgundy wine, and a touch of nutmeg. Ground beef braised in a savory-sweet sofrito. Serve over rice with plantains.

This thick and rich carrot soup originates from the Cafe Royal in Dallas, Texas. Perfect for the royal baby in all of us!

Side ribs are cheaper than back ribs - there is lots of bone, but you can still get nice portions of meat.

Marynowane pieczarki are Polish pickled button mushrooms in a vinegar marinade with black peppercorns and bay leaves. A classic zakaski appetizer served chilled with bread, cured meats, or vodka.

These sweet and slightly sour pickled pears are soft and melt in your mouth. Serve it with grilled meat, sausages or hot dogs. A delicious and refreshing side dish.