Welcome to the September/October 2022 edition of RecipeLion Magazine! For this issue, we’re going on a European vacation, and we’re bringing you with us! But don’t worry about plane tickets, hotels, or figuring out how to ask for an omelet in French. This tour of six European countries is happening right in the kitchen!

Thanks to the wonders of vegetables, meats, spices, and herbs, we’ll visit Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Germany, and England. It’s a culinary tour of 36 European-inspired dishes that you can enjoy in your own home! 

Best of all, you don’t have to wait at the airport or hop a train to get to a new destination. Enjoy breakfast at a Parisian cafe, relax for a light lunch overlooking the Mediterranean in Barcelona, and sit down for dinner and dessert in the Italian countryside. Not too shabby! 

There’s something here for any occasion, too. You’ll find comfort foods from Germany and Italy, rich and tasty meals from France, bright Greek meals full of sunshine, classic hearty dishes from England, and recipes rich with fresh vegetables from Spain. 

Here’s a sampling of the recipes you can look forward to in this issue of RecipeLion Magazine! 

Italy

When it comes to home cooking, Italy may have one of the most famed culinary traditions in the world. Try these recipes, and I think you’ll agree. 

• Italian Wedding Soup: Don’t wait for the wedding bells to ring if you want to enjoy some Italian Wedding Soup. The name is more about the marriage of flavors between the greens and the broth — and what a marriage indeed! It’s a filling dish for lunch or dinner, especially when it starts to get a little chilly. This soup is best enjoyed with some crusty bread!
• Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce: Direct from Florence, Italy, comes this easy-to-make authentic Italian pizza sauce recipe that allows you to quickly whip out a pizza for lunch or dinner on almost a moment’s notice!
• Garlic Gremolata: I love using this Garlic Gremolata as a topping for fish, chicken, or steak, but it’s also great on pasta, rice, or vegetables. Basically, if you can think of it, you can probably top it with this Garlic Gremolata, and it will taste amazing.
• Italian Lemon Mini Poundcakes: These bite-sized cakes have a light and airy texture, and they’re glazed with a lemony frosting that takes them over the top. Plus, they’re so easy to make! You don’t need any special equipment or skills to make these little cakes. Just a few simple ingredients and you’re on your way to pound cake perfection.

Spain 

Spanish cuisine may be most well-known for tapas, or small dishes. These dishes lend themselves well to long, drawn-out meals where each bite is savored and every ingredient has an important role to play. 

• Cucumber Gazpacho: If you have a bountiful harvest of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, scallions, and — of course — cucumbers in your garden, you won’t go wrong with this Cucumber Gazpacho, which is a classic chilled soup that’s as healthy as it is delicious. 
• Blistered Shishito Pepper Recipe with Sriracha Crema: Shishito peppers are one of the most underutilized hot peppers out there. This recipe along with the sriracha crema is so easy to make, you’ll want to grow your own if you aren’t already!

France

What can I say about French cooking? It’s renowned as some of the finest cooking and dining anywhere, with plenty of rich butters and creams and fresh vegetables. These luxurious recipes are just a small sample of the French recipes in this edition of RecipeLion Magazine! 

• French Onion Soup: Luxurious, decadent, irresistible — it’s everything you can expect from this classic French onion soup. It’s the perfect comfort food that brings a taste of France right to your table!
• Three-Cheese Soufflés: This isn’t your quick weekday morning meal that you put together in a hurry and sit down to eat before you rush off to work or school. Soufflés take time. It is time very well-spent, though. Just wait until you taste these!
• Classic French Madeleines: Classic French Madeleines are so light and airy. These little sponge cakes are a simple and elegant dessert, and go perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. They always make me feel so fancy!

Greece 

With plenty of sunshine, warm waters, and ocean breezes, Greek food is full of warm, bright flavor. Greek recipes are loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs, making the cuisine so wonderfully flavorful. 

• Greek Yogurt Chicken and Cremini Mushroom Rice Casserole: This casserole is now one of my favorite Greek recipes! The chicken is tender and juicy and the rice is cooked perfectly. But the real star of the dish is the yogurt sauce. It’s creamy and tangy, bringing all the flavors together.
• Turkey Burgers with Greek Yogurt Dressing: Turkey burgers typically have a milder taste than beef burgers, but that’s what makes them really receptive to the herbs, spices, seasonings, and other toppings you’ll be adding in this recipe. This way, you get to savor all the ingredients that make your burger a sumptuous dish.

Germany

Something about German food just feels warm, like you’re sitting in a big comfy chair in front of a stone hearth with your best friends. I think these recipes attest to that feeling. 

• German Apple Pancake: The deep flavors of apple pie and the sweet goodness of pancakes come together beautifully in this recipe. The nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, and, of course, apple give the recipe the flavors of apple pie, while the eggs, milk, and flour make it more like a giant pancake. Delish!
• Noodle Kugel: This is a simple dish, but it’s so comforting and filling. I can never get enough of the hints of sweetness that complement the pudding’s richness, and the golden raisins add a lovely texture to the dish. Whenever I feel like my family will need a little pick-me-up, I make Noodle Kugel.

England

There are plenty of jokes out there about English cuisine, but the truth is, these dishes are stick-to-your-ribs goodness — perfect for a blustery fall day. Plus, what’s better with a cup of tea than a perfectly baked scone? 

• Berry Almond Scones: These scones are moist and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness. They’re packed with fresh berries and a touch of almond extract, giving them a delicious taste that’s hard to resist.
• Classic Shepherd’s Pie Casserole: Meaty, cheesy, savory, and healthy, this Shepherd’s Pie hits the spot no matter what you’re hungering for! This is one of our go-to comfort foods, and we always enjoy it.

I hope you enjoy this issue and have fun cooking these recipes.

Happy cooking — and happy eating!

Kim Mateus
Editor & Publisher

P.S. Please enjoy this issue of RecipeLion Magazine, and let me know what you think about it by commenting below with your feedback! Your input is valuable to us and can help us make improvements.