Homemade Granola July 4, 2009

This recipe was slightly adapted from John Berardi’s Gourmet Nutrition cookbook,  and if you’re familiar with his work  you know that there isn’t anything that shouldn’t be in there. It’s great as a breakfast or a post-workout meal.

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped ( or bludgeoned  with a rolling pin. It’ s easier, take my word for it;) )
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped ( again, I recommend bludgeoning )
• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 2-3 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat ove to 350ºF.  Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven ( middle rack ), mixing once during baking until oats are golden brown ( about 20 min. ). Then remove to cool.

Chardonnay and Berry Jello June 26, 2009

No, there’s no special celebration or anything, just Ms. Nigella sneaking into my home again, this time via television… There she was, sitting on her beautiful patio, dressed in white, slurping a wine jello…now, if I wasn’t a woman…Hell, I’ d still make it!

Really, what better dessert on a hot summer day? And super easy too!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Chardonnay
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup red currants
• 1-2 tbs sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 4 gelatine sheets

Pour wine in a pot and heat until it boils. Lower the heat. Cut the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and sugar to the pot. Cook for a minute or two. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for 7-8 min. Squeeze the access water and add them to them wine.

Place the berries in a glass bowl or individual cups and pour the wine. Let cool in the fridge for a few hours.

To invert the jello onto a plate, dip the bowl shortly in some hot water and flip it over.

Sushi! June 26, 2009

See, the cool thing about sushi is that you can roll pretty much anything in a handfull of rice and still call it sushi. Here’s my pick of the day:

Ingredients:

For the sushi:

• 3 cups sushi rice, refrigerated
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber
• 1/4 avocado
• a handfull of watercress sprouts
• 1 slice of smoked trout fillet
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds

Sauce:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp wasabi paste
• fresh ginger, grated ( or if you prefer, pickled )

Star by julienning the carrot, cucumber and avocado. Take a piece of foil if you don’t have a rolling mat on your hands. Grease the foil lightly. Moisten your hands and pat down the rice on the foil. Form a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Arrange the veggies and the fish and start rolling making sure the filling stays in the center. Let sit for a few minutes. Unwrap and roll in sesame seeds. Slice the sushi with a sharp, wet knife.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients… and start dipping…

I just went over to Ajme koliko nas je! to check what my fellow bloggers are up to and found out that this month’s theme ingredient is rice! Well, isn’t that convenient!  Thank you Cosmo for reading my mind!

Fava Bean and Seafood Paella June 3, 2009

It’s paella time! Well, any time is paella time I guess, but with all the spring time abundance at the markets these days I had the hardest time picking out my ingredients…ah, decisions…

Anyway, I finally settled for fava beans and sea food from the Adriatic. It doesn’t get fresher than that!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fava beans, blanched and peel removed
• seafood of choice ( shrimps, squids)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cup rice ( I used parboiled )
• 1 tsp turmeric powder (  not a big fan of saffron )
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 3-4 cups of stock
• salt, pepper

Preheat the oven broiler.

Chop onion and bell pepper and saute for 7-8 min. Add the rice, turmeric powder and tomato paste and saute for additional 1-2 min. Season with salt and pepper. Start adding the stock one cup at a time. Stir occasionally. Cook the paella on the stove until almost done. Add the fava beans and sea food and cook for a minute. Put the paella under the broiler. Make sure the paelly is not too dry, there should be some liquid on the bottom when you take it out. The rice will absorb it eventually.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Not as complicated as it looks, huh? Hopefully I’ve cured some paellophobes…

Three-Nut Pesto (me being one) May 8, 2009

Last year I tried making pesto at home. I really don’t know why I waited so long! What was I thinking?? Clearly, I wasn’t…

Well, those who have tried making it know there’ s no looking back anymore…you can skip that supermarket aisle!

Thanks to my dear friend Z., I’m a proud owner of a beautiful pestle and mortar, however, I find it easier and better to just mix everything in a food processor. Here’s how you do it if you don’t have a mortar and don’t want to end up with an overly mushy pesto.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups basil leaves
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup walnuts
• salt

Start by adding olive oil and nuts to the food processor. Pulse a few times. There should be some visible chunks. Add the basil leaves and salt. Pulse again. Mix in the grated parmesan cheese ( don’t puls ) and transfer to a bowl. Add more olive oil if  needed.

Now, how easy is that??

Guess who’s 30? Ouch! May 5, 2009

Wow. It’s been so long I’ve blogged I almost forgot I had a blog. I really ought to work on my inconsistency. Like, big time.

Anyway, not to bore you too much with my annoying flaws let’s talk cake. I  normally like to try out new things in the kitchen but this particular cake has become a sort of a birthday tradition. It was passed down to me by my ex-boyfriend’s mother ( a great woman and an excellent cook ) who spent a few months living in Sweden as a refugee. She quickly picked up on the language and started reading Swedish cookbooks and magazines. Unfortunately, we’re not in touch anymore but her recipes still make up a large part of my culinary repertoire. So, here it goes:

For the cake:

• 3 eggs
• 9 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 9 tbsp all-purpose flour

For the filling:

• 5 cups sour cream
• 1 pound strawberries
• 1 cup honey
• 6 gelatine sheets
• brown sugar and cinnamom to sprinkle

Preheat the oven at 200ºC (400ºF ). Mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy ( 5 min ). Add flour and baking powder and mix for 15 seconds. Grease a 22 cm ( 9-inch) springform and transfer the mixture to the form. Bake until golden and the skewer comes out clean. Let cool. Run a knife around the edge to cut out a disk.

In a separate bowl mix sour cream with honey. Soak gelatine sheets in cold water for 5 min.

Arange strawberries on the bottom of the cake. Heat the gelatine sheets over low heat and add them to the sour cream and honey.  Pour over the strawberries and cover with the second disc. Let cool overnight. When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle the top with some brown sugar and cinnamon.Trust me, it makes all the difference.

A piece of cake and a shot(s) of tequila and I’m ready to face the rest of my life. I think…

Old-fashioned Easter Eggs April 11, 2009

You’ll have to forgive me my lack of culinary imagination lately; all I can say in my defense is that some other priorities have taken over my life.

I did, however, find a little time to do something I haven’t done since I moved out of my parents’ home and that’s dyeing eggs the natural way. I’m not a big holiday person but I do remember this being really fun so I thought I’d remind myself of this particular tradition. This way, once you’re done admiring them, you can peel them and eat them safely.

And, to overcome my laziness, I’ve even included a little tutorial;)

Directions:

Cook the eggs first until they’re hard boiled. Let them cool.

In a separate pot bring water to boil. Peel the skins ( only the dry ones ) off  4-5 purple onions and add them to the water. Cook for 30 minutes.

Use an old pair of stockings and cut them into 5-inch long pieces. Take one egg and press a little plant of your choice ( shamrock works really well ) against the egg.

Now, pull the piece of the stocking over the egg and tie the ends in a knot.

When you’re done tying all the eggs, soak them in the onion water and let sit for 30-40 minutes. The longer, the better. Obviously, I was impatient.

Drain the eggs and remove the stocking wrap.  Run the eggs under some cold water and pat dry. You can brush them with some oil to add shine.

Happy Easter everyone!

Parlez-vous French Bread? April 2, 2009

Well, well,… it was about time I tackled this particular challenge. They don’t say neccessity is the mother of all invention for nothing. I found myself wandering the streets of Zagreb early Sunday afternoon looking for bread and came back home empty handed!

Okay, partly it was my fault because, God forbid I should have a life and sleep a little longer in the morning but ever since a law was passed that all stores be closed on Sundays, scouting for food has become mission impossible!

Seems that as long as I do have a life bread baking’s going to be a tradition in this household. Luckily, I always have flour and a package of yeast so I rolled up my sleeves and got down to business.

I made bread in the past but I was looking for something different this time. Well, being hungry and all I didn’ t feel like fussing too much…I wanted the least kneading possible and a thin, soft crust. And I found it.

Maybe it’s just me, but this bread smelled differently…

You can find the recipe here, it’s very well explained. No need to recycle, really…

Hasselback Potatoes March 23, 2009

Here’s a cool and unique way to serve potatoes next time you make your favorite roast or want to impress your in-laws. I actually stumbled upon the recipe while looking for something to go with some fresh turkey sausages I bought at the market. I mostly cook for myself, and if you think that I wouldn’t turn on the oven for two potatoes…

Those two potatoes were the bestest, awesomest potatoes I’ve ever had!

What you’ll need:

• As many potatoes as you can eat
• Favorite blend of seasoning
• A drizzle or two of olive oil
• salt, pepper

Wash the potatoes thoroughly ( you can also peel them, but I prefer them with the skin on ).

Using a sharp knife slice each potato crosswise, making 1/4-inch apart slices, cutting down vertically, but not all the way through.Dust with seasoning and drizzle with olive oil.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place the potatoes in a glass baking dish and bake for 45 min.

That’s it! Carb heaven right in your kitchen!

Chicken Paprikash and Homemade Bread Dumplings March 20, 2009

What better way to welcome the first day of spring than to make hot ‘n’ spicy chicken paprikash and bread dumplings! If you’re sensing a sarcastic tone in that comment, you’re very right.  I actually had to check the calendar to make sure, ’cause I swear I saw a family of penguins heading over to my house for a cup of tea!

But all sarcasm aside, I’m glad I made the paprikash which, at the same time, is my contribution to this month’s challenge for Ajme, koliko nas je! hosted by Branka of  Dvi ribe, dva krumpira.

Recipe:

For the paprikash:

• 6 chicken thighs + 6 wings
• 1/3 cup bacon, cubed
• 1 cup button mushrooms
• 2 meduim-sized onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp lard
• a splash of Worcester sauce
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 cups chicken stock
• salt, pepper

Cook the chicken in batches. Add chopped onions and garlic to the chicken and cook until translucent. Add the paprikas, tomasto paste, Worcester sauce and brown sugar and cook for one minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and lower the heat. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

In a separate pan cook the bacon until browned then add the sliced mushrooms. Add them to the paprikash and cook for 15 minutes more.

Now, while the paprikash is simmering prepare the bread dumplings. Here’ s what you’ll need:

• 1 bread
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1-2  cups bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt, pepper

Cook the chopped onion until it starts to brown.

Remove the bread crust and soak the soft part in milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze the excess liquid and transfer the bread to a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Let sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow to thicken.

Form dumplings and cook in water for 10-15 minutes ( Cooking time really depends on the size of the dumplings, but when they start to float, it pretty much means they’re done ).

Pair the dumplings with the paprikash and pretend it ’s still winter!