Author: Crunch Crunch Away

Tangerine and Apple Jam / Pekmez od mandarina i jabuka

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My folks gave me a bunch of tangerines during the weekend and I’ve decided to make a small batch of jam. The tangerines I got weren’t organic, so keeping a peel was definitely a big no-no. But if you luck out with the organic fruits, be aware that there are plenty of recipes out there to jam up the peels as well.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 3 jars / 0.67 EUR per jar / 2.00 EUR for all)

1 ½ kilo of tangerines (0.80 EUR)

2 large apples (0.40 EUR)

Juice of 1 lemon (0.40 EUR)

½ cup of water (–)

1 ½ – 2 cups of sugar (0.40 EUR)

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METHOD:

Peel and halve tangerines and pick out any seeds. Peel, core and dice the apples. Place tangerines and apple chunks in a deep pot with lemon juice and water. Simmer on low for about an hour, while stirring occasionally.

Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to mash up the fruits to desired consistency, then add in 1 ½ cups of sugar. Taste for sweetness and adjust sugar amount as needed. Continue to cook to desired thickness for about 30 minutes, up to 1 hour. As the jam thickens, you’ll need to stir more often. Also keep in mind that the jam will thicken additionally as it cools.

Meanwhile, while the jam cooks, wash your jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse and then leave to air dry. Once the jam is cooked, turn on the oven to 75°C. Distribute jam among the prepared jars and wipe the rims clean with a paper towel. Do not put the lids on for now, but carefully place the filled, open jars in preheated oven for half an hour, so a thin protective film can form on top of the jam. Carefully remove the jars from the oven, seal the lids and leave jam to cool off completely at room temperature, before storing it in a dark and cool place.

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Od svojih sam za vikend dobila brdo mandarina, pa sam odlučila napraviti turu pekmeza da mi ne propadnu. Mandarine koje sam dobila su sigurno bile špricane, tako da nije dolazilo u obzir da iskoristim i koru. Ako vam se posreći i uspijete nabaviti nešpricano voće, imajte na umu da postoji i hrpa recepata za pekmez gdje možete iskoristiti i koru.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 3 teglice / 5,00 kn po teglici / 15,00 kn za sve)

1 ½ kila mandarina (6,00 kn)

2 velike jabuke (3,00 kn)

Sok od 1 limuna (3,00 kn)

½ šalice vode (–)

1 ½ – 2 šalice šećera (3,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Ogulite i prerežite mandarine na pola, pa im povadite sjemenke. Ogulite i očistite jabuke od koštica te ih narežite na kockice. Stavite mandarine i komade jabuka u duboki lonac sa limunovim sokom i vodom. Krčkajte na laganoj vatri jedan sat, uz povremeno miješanje.

Sa gnječilicom za krumpir ili štapnim mikserom usitnite voće do željene konzistencije. Dodajte 1 ½ šalicu šećera, kušajte, pa po potrebi još zasladite. Nastavite kuhati pekmez do željene gustoće, još jedno pola sata do 1 sat. Kako se pekmez bude zgušnjavao, morati ćete učestalije miješati. Također, imajte na umu da će se pekmez dodatno zgusnuti kada se ohladi.

U međuvremenu, dok se pekmez kuha, dobro operite teglice i poklopce u vrućoj vodi sa deterdžentom, isperite, te ih ostavite da se posuše na zraku. Kada je pekmez gotov, zagrijte pećnicu na 75°C. Raspodijelite pekmez po čistim teglama i papirnatim ručnikom obrišite grla staklenki. Za sada nemojte stavljati poklopce, već oprezno stavite pune otklopljene tegle u zagrijanu pećnicu na pola sata, kako bi se na pekmezu napravila tanka zaštitna korica. Oprezno izvadite teglice iz pećnice, zatvorite ih i ostavite da se skroz ohlade na sobnoj temperaturi, prije nego što ćete ih uskladištiti na tamnom i hladnom mjestu.

Tangerine and Apple Jam / Pekmez od mandarina i jabuka

Buckwheat Flour Apple Cookies (vegan, low histamine) / Keksići od heljdinog brašna sa jabukama (veganski, niskohistaminski)

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For all you folks on a low histamine diet, deserts are probably only a distant memory. Well, here come the cookies that actually taste quite good and are super easy to make. I used a silicone mini muffin tray to keep the cookies in place and ensure an easier clean-up, but you can definitely just dump them on a parchment lined baking tray.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 11 small cookies / 0.12 EUR per cookie / 1.35 EUR for all)

1 large apple, peeled and grated (0.20 EUR)

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted (0.40 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp honey (0.27 EUR)

3/4 cup buckwheat flour (0.40 EUR)

2 tbsp shredded coconut (0.07 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix together grated apple, coconut oil, salt and honey. Add in buckwheat flour and stir until uniform. If the mixture appears too thick, feel free to add in a tablespoon of water. Divide the cookie dough between muffin cups, or space out on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until slightly golden on top.

I can’t tell you how long the cookies will last, because we ate them all right away. 😀

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Za sve vas koji ste na niskohistaminskoj dijeti, deserti su vjerojatno samo stvar daleke prošlosti. E pa imam za vas recept za keksiće koji su fini i super jednostavni za napraviti. Ja sam upotrijebila silikonski kalup za mini mafine kako bi keksići ostali na mjestu i čišćenje bilo brzo, ali naravno da ih možete peći na protvanu obloženom masnim papirom.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 11 malih keksića / 0,91 kn po keksu / 10,01 kn za sve)

1 velika jabuka, oguljena i naribana (1,50 kn)

3 žlice rastopljenog kokosovog ulja (3,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

2 žlice meda (2,00 kn)

3/4 šalice heljdinog brašna (3,00 kn)

2 žlice ribanog kokosa (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 180°C. U zdjeli pomiješajte ribanu jabuku, kokosovo ulje, sol i med. Dodajte heljdino brašno i miješajte da sve bude jednolično. Ako vam se smjesa čini pregustom, slobodno dodajte žlicu vode. Podijelite smjesu za kekse među posudicama za mafine, ili ju raširite po protvanu obloženom papirom za pečenje, a keksiće posipajte ribanim kokosom. Pecite 15-20 minuta, dok keksići ne budu zlatno-žuti.

Rado bi vam rekla koliko dugo keksići mogu stajati, ali problem je u tome što smo sve odmah slistili. 😀

Buckwheat Flour Apple Cookies (vegan, low histamine) / Keksići od heljdinog brašna sa jabukama (veganski, niskohistaminski)

Cranberry Bean and Caramelized Onion Hummus (vegan) / Humus od trešnjevca i karameliziranog luka (veganski)

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It started off with a batch of accidentally overcooked beans. I planned to add the cooked beans to a salad, but they ended up so sad looking that I eventually changed my mind about this. However, they seemed perfect for a quick hummus.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 cups / 0.68 EUR per cup / 1.36 EUR for all)

2 large onions (0.20 EUR)

½ cup olive oil, divided (0.67 EUR)

3 garlic cloves (0.10 EUR)

2 cups precooked cranberry beans (0.33 EUR)

1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.03 EUR)

Pinch of red pepper flakes (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Peel and chop up the onion, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then saute on low for 30-40 minutes, until caramelized. In the beginning you’ll only need to give an occasional stir, but keep a close eye on the onions towards the end so they do not burn. Be patient and resist the temptation to crank the heat up.

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Once the onions are caramelized, add in minced garlic, rinsed precooked beans, paprika and red pepper flakes, just to heat it all up a bit. Stir for a few minutes, remove from heat and run through a food processor with the remaining oil, salt and pepper. If the paste seems too thick, add in a bit of water. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve chilled with crackers, pita bread, vegetables, in sandwiches or with salads.

Hummus will keep refrigerated for a week, but you can also freeze it for up to a couple of months.

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Sve je počelo sa grahom kojeg sam slučajno prekuhala. Planirala sam ubaciti taj grah u salatu, ali izgledao je tako tužno da sam se na kraju predomislila. Srećom, bio je savršen za brzinski humus.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 2 šalice / 5,08 kn po šalici / 10,16 kn za sve)

2 velika luka (1,50 kn)

½ šalice maslinovog ulja (5,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

2 šalice skuhanog graha trešnjevca (2,50 kn)

1 žličica slatke crvene paprike (0,25 kn)

Prstohvat čilija u pahuljicama (0,10 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

½ žličice svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Ogulite i narežite luk, dodajte dvije žlice ulja, pa dinstajte na laganoj vatri 30-40 minuta, dok se luk ne karamelizira. U početku ćete morati samo povremo promiješati, ali prema kraju dobro pazite na luk kako vam ne bi zagorio. Budite strpljivi i oduprite se iskušenju da odfrljite vatru.

Kada se luk karamelizira, dodajte sitno sjeckani češnjak, oprani skuhani grah, slatku papriku i čili, samo da se sve ugrije. Kratko promiješajte, skinite s vatre i sameljite u multipraktiku sa ostatkom ulja, soli i paprom. Ako vam se pasta čini pregusta, dodajte mrvicu vode. Kušajte i prilagodite začine, pa poslužite ohlađeno sa krekerima, pita kruhom, povrćem, u sendvičima ili sa salatama.

Humus će držati u hladnjaku do tjedan dana, a možete ga bez problema i zamrznuti na par mjeseci.

Cranberry Bean and Caramelized Onion Hummus (vegan) / Humus od trešnjevca i karameliziranog luka (veganski)

Super Quick Pickles / Brzinski kiseli krastavci

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I came up with this to use up a few sad cucumbers that were sitting alone and forgotten deep inside the fridge. I had a few other odds and ends around the house I’ve decided to throw in just for fun.

These pickles will keep in your fridge for up to a month, which makes such quick pickling a great way to extend shelf life of veggies which have started to lose their glory.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 jars / 0.68 EUR per jar / 1.35 EUR for all)

3 large pickling cucumbers or 1-2 regular cucumbers (0.53 EUR)

3 large carrots(0.20 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

2 garlic cloves (0.07 EUR)

1 small piece of ginger (0.07 EUR)

1 cup apple cider vinegar (0.33 EUR)

1-2 cups water (–)

2 tbsp sugar(0.01 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of red pepper flakes (0.03 EUR)

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METHOD:

Give cucumbers a good scrub and slice them into thin coins. I didn’t bother peeling the cucumbers and just carved out anything suspicious looking. Peel carrots, onion, garlic and ginger and cut it all very thinly. Divide the veggies between two jars.

In a small saucepan, mix together vinegar, 1 cup of water, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes, then bring to a boil. Divide liquid between the jars and, if necessary, add a bit more water so everything is fully submerged. Refrigerate the closed jars for at least a day before using, so all the flavours have time to mingle.

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Ovo sam smislila da iskoristim par tužnih krastavaca koji su već neko vrijeme samovali na dnu frižidera. Imala sam još par drugih stvarčica koje sam odlučila ubaciti sa krastavcima da stvari budu zanimljivije.

Ovakvi kiseli krastavci mogu stajati u frižideru do mjesec dana. Radi toga je ovo brzo kiseljenje super način za oživjeti bilo koje povrće koje je već pomalo na izdisaju.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 2 tegle / 5,06 kn po tegli / 10,11 kn kn za sve)

3 velika krastavca za kiseljenje ili 1-2 obična krastavca (4,00 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,50 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

2 češnja češnjaka (0,50 kn)

1 mali komadić đumbira (0,50 kn)

1 šalica jabučnog octa (2,50 kn)

1-2 šalice vode (–)

2 žlice šećera (0,10 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,25 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Dobro izribajte krastavce i narežite na tanke novčiće. Ja ih nisam gulila, već samo sam izrezala sve dijelove koji su mi bili malo sumnjivi. Ogulite mrkvu, luk, češnja i đumbir te sve narežite jako tanko. Podijelite povrće između dvije staklenke.

U malo lončiću zakuhajte ocat, 1 šalicu vode, šećer, sol i čili. Podijelite tekućinu među staklenkama, a po potrebi nadopunite sa još malo vode kako bi svo povrće bilo potopljeno. Prije upotrebe spremite staklenke u hladnjak barem na jedan dan, kako bi se svi okusi prominglali.

Super Quick Pickles / Brzinski kiseli krastavci

Corn Horns / Kukuruzni roščići

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One of our local bakery chains sells these tiny, delicious corn horns. I rarely buy any bakery products, but when I do, 90% of the time it’s those little buggers. Of course, I figured they can’t be that hard to make, so after a bit of research, this is what I came up with.

Just be warned, these are totally addictive, so be prepared to ruin your diet. 😀

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INGREDIENS:

(Yields 16 horns / 0.06 EUR per horn / 1.01 EUR for all)

For the dough:

1 cup corn flour (0.10 EUR)

1 cup boiling water (–)

1 cup warm milk (0.20 EUR)

1 tsp dry yeast (0.13 EUR)

1 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

1 ½ – 2 cups plain white flour, divided (0.13 EUR)

3 tbsp olive oil (0.13 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

Topping:

1 egg (0.20 EUR)

1 tsp coarse sea salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp cumin seeds (0.07 EUR)

Additional:

Flour for dusting the work surface (0.01 EUR)

Oil for greasing the mixing bowl (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Start off by placing corn flour in a mixing bowl and pouring boiling water over it. Quickly stir to form a thick sticky mass. In a separate small bowl, whisk together warm milk, yeast, sugar and 1 teaspoon of plain white flour. Allow the yeast mixture to rest for about 10 minutes until it starts getting foamy. Be sure that your milk isn’t hot, because it will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise. The safe milk temperature is if you can comfortably stick your finger in it.

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After 10 minutes, add 1 ½ cups of plain flour, olive oil and salt to corn flour mixture. Pour the bubbly yeast over that and give a good stir to form shabby dough. Dump everything on a clean work surface and briefly knead, incorporating more flour, bit by bit, as you knead along. The final dough should be quite soft and pliable, but not too sticky. Clean your bowl, lightly coat in oil and turn the dough ball around to grease from all sides. Cover the bowl with clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest until doubled in size, for about 45 minutes.

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Once the dough has risen, gently deflate and divide into two balls. Roll out each ball on a floured work surface into a thin disc. Then cut each disc into 8 triangles. At this point you can also add stuffing to the horns, but I decided to just roll them out empty. Roll the triangles to form the horns, then space them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the shaped horns with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for additional 10-15 minutes for the second proofing.

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When ready for baking, preheat oven to 190°C. Whisk an egg and brush over horns. Sprinkle coarse sea salt and cumin seeds on top and bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes, until beautiful golden-brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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The horns taste the best on their first day, but will keep for a day or two at room temperature in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can do-ahead and freeze the horns after second proofing, before giving them an egg wash. Then just give them an egg wash straight out of the freezer, sprinkle with toppings and bake.

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Jedna naša lokalna pekara prodaje male, prefine kukuruzne roščiće. Kupujem vrlo malo pekarskih proizvoda, i to su u 90% slučajeva baš te kiflice. Naravno, zaključila sam da ih ne može biti prekomplicirano za napraviti doma. Nakon malo istraživanja, ovo je konačni rezultat.

Malo upozorenje – ovi roščići izazivaju ovisnost, tako da budite spremni da si zeznete dijetu. 😀

SASTOJCI:

(Za 16 roščića / 0,47 kn po roščiću / 7,51 kn za sve)

Za tijesto:

1 šalica kukuruznog brašna (0,75 kn)

1 šalica kipuće vode (–)

1 šalica toplog mlijeka (1,50 kn)

1 žličica suhog kvasca (1,00 kn)

1 žlica šećera (0,05 kn)

1 ½ – 2 šalice glatkog brašna, podijeljene (1,00 kn)

3 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,99 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

Za posipanje:

1 jaje (1,50 kn)

1 žličica krupne morske soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica sjemenki kima (0,50 kn)

Dodatno:

Brašno za posipati radnu plohu (0,10 kn)

Ulje za namastiti posudu (0,10 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Za početak stavite kukuruzno brašno u veću posudu i prelijte kipućom vodom. Brzo promiješajte da dobijete gustu, ljepljivu smjesu. U manjoj zdjelici pomiješajte toplo mlijeko, kvasac, šećer i 1 žličicu glatkog brašna. Pustite da odmara 10-tak minuta dok kvasac ne nabubri i postane pjenast. Pazite da mlijeko ne bude prevruće jer će ubiti kvasac i tijesto se neće dignuti. Sigurna temperatura mlijeka je kada možete u njega bez problema umočiti prst.

Nakon 10 minuta dodajte 1 ½ šalicu glatkog brašna, maslinovo ulje i sol u smjesu kukuruznog brašna. Prelijte preko svega pjenasti kvasac i dobro promiješajte da se formira labavo tijesto. Istresite na čistu radnu plohu i kratko mijesite, dodajući po potrebi još malo po malo brašna. Tijesto treba biti meko i podatno, ali ne previše ljepljivo. Očistite posudu, namastite s malo ulja, pa unutra okrećite kuglu tijesta da se namasti sa svih strana. Prekrijte posudu čistom krpom i pustite da tijesto odmara oko 45 minuta, dok se ne udvostruči.

Kada se tijesto dignulo, nježno ga ispuhnite i podijelite u dvije lopte. Razvaljajte obje lopte na dobro pobrašnjenoj plohi u tanke diskove. Onda svaki disk podijelite na 8 trokuta. Po želji, sada možete dodati i neku filu u kiflice, ali ja sam odlučila napraviti prazne. Zarolajte trokute u roščiće i raširite ih po protvanu obloženom papirom za pečenje. Pokrijte sve čistom krpom i ostavite da se tijesto digne drugi puta, još 10-15 minuta.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje, zagrijte pećnicu na 190°C. Razmutite jaje i njime premažite roščiće. Posipajte krupnom soli i kimom, pa pecite u sredini pećnice 20 minuta, dok roščići ne dobiju lijepu zlatno-smeđu boju. Poslužite roščiće tople ili na sobnoj temperaturi.

Roščići su najbolji istoga dana, ali držati će još dan ili dva na sobnoj temperaturi u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi. Također, možete si ih pripremiti unaprijed i zamrznuti ih nakon što se drugi puta dignu, a prije nego ih premažete jajem. Onda ih samo onako smrznute premažite jajem, posipajte čime želite i odma stavite peći.

Corn Horns / Kukuruzni roščići

Dulce de Leche / Mliječna karamela

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Got some extra fresh milk lying around the house that you don’t know what to do with? Make Dulce de Leche – a delicious milk caramel! The cooking time is a bit lengthy, but super simple and requires just three ingredients. So if you’re already hanging around the kitchen because of something else, whip up this tasty treat too.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields around ½ cup / 0.68 EUR)

2 cups milk (0.40 EUR)

4 tbsp vanilla sugar (0.27 EUR)

Pinch of baking soda (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Whisk up all of the ingredients in a wide pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, reduce heat and simmer, while stirring as necessary, until thickened to desired consistency. In the beginning you’ll only need to give it a stir just now and then. However, as the mixture starts thickening, stirring should be more frequent so your caramel doesn’t burn. The expected cooking time can vary between one and a half to two hours, depending on how thick you want your caramel. Also, picking a wider pot should help with water evaporating more quickly.

Once the caramel reaches the desired thickness, transfer to a clean jar, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for up to a couple of weeks. Please note that Dulce is gonna thicken more as it cools down. Serve with pancakes, ice cream, deserts or just shovel in your mouth straight from the jar.

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Imate doma viška svežeg mlijeka sa kojim ne znate što bi? Napravite Dulche de Leche – savršenu mliječnu karamelu! Iako se kuha poduže, jako je jednostavno za napraviti i trebaju vam samo tri sastojka. Pa ako već radi nečeg drugog boravite u kuhinji, smutite usput i ovu ukusnu poslasticu.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko ½ šalice / 5,01 kn)

2 šalice mlijeka (3,00 kn)

4 žlice vanili šećera (2,00 kn)

Prstohvat sode bikarbone (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

U širokom loncu pomiješaje sve sastojke i pustijte da zavriju pa odmah smanjite vatru. Krčkajte na laganoj vatri, uz miješanje po potrebi, dok se ne zgusne do željene konzistencije. Na početku ćete morati promiješati samo povremeno. Kako se bude zgušnjavalo, trebati ćete sve češće miješati da vam karamela ne zagori. Očekivano vrijeme kuhanja može varirati od jednog i pol do dva sata, a sve ovisno o tome koliko gustu karamelu želite. Također, širi će vam lonac ubrzati stvari jer će voda moći brže ispariti.

Kada karamela bude željene gustoće, preselite ju u čistu posudu i ostavite da se ohladi na sobnu temperaturu. Kasnije ju čuvajte u hladnjaku do nekoliko tjedana. Također, uzmite u obzir i to da će se karamela dodatno zgusnuti kako se bude hladila. Poslužite sa palačinkama, sladoledom, uz deserte ili jednostavno tamanite direktno iz tegle.

Dulce de Leche / Mliječna karamela

Fresh Bean, Sausage and Pipette Rigate Stew / Mladi grah s kobasicom i pužićima

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The weather is not exactly calling for stew type of dishes yet – it is still quite hot and humid, so I continue to sport shorts and flip-flops. But I stumbled into such irresistible fresh beans that a large pot of stew was inevitable.

Of course, you can make this with dried or canned beans instead and also use any small type of pasta you like. Just be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 10 servings / 0.89 EUR per serving / 8.93 EUR for all)

For the stew:

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

100 g chunk of bacon (0.80 EUR)

2 large sausages (4.00 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.16 EUR)

2 parsley roots, with their greens (0.16 EUR)

Chunk of celeriac root (0.16 EUR)

3 Roma tomatoes (0.53 EUR)

3 garlic cloves (0.10 EUR)

3 cups of fresh beans (1.60 EUR)

2-3 kale leaves (0.16 EUR)

Bunch of celery leaves (0.16 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.03 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

10 cups water (–)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (0.03 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 cup pipette rigate, or any other small pasta (0.53 EUR)

For the roux:

2 tbsp butter (0.27 EUR)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Start off by washing and finely dicing all the veggies and bacon. Be sure to separate any leafy things and keep them on the side. Chop the sausages into thin coins. Place a large pot with olive oil on high heat and saute onion until slightly translucent. Add bacon and sausage, then cook for a few minutes to crisp it all up. Gradually add in carrots, parsley roots, celeriac root, tomatoes and garlic cloves and cook to soften it all up.

Now add in beans, kale leaves, parsley and celeriac leaves, bay leaf, paprika and vinegar, cover with water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer with the lid cracked open for about an hour, until beans are softened and thoroughly cook. Once the beans are cooked, taste the stew and season accordingly with salt and pepper. The required amounts will vary depending on how spicy your bacon and sausages were initially. Finally, add pasta to the stew and finish cooking until pasta is done.

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While the pasta is cooking, prepare roux by cooking butter and flour on medium heat while stirring constantly. The roux is done when it gets deep golden brown and starts smelling nutty. Carefully stir it into the stew, turn off the heat and serve.

This stew freezes and reheats great, so you just have emergency lunches to take to work or for those times when you’re too zonked to cook.

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Vrijeme baš i nije još ono pravo za jela na žlicu jer još uvijek poprilično vruće i sparno. Koristim priliku, pa sam i dalje u kratkim hlačama i japankama. Ali bez obzira na to, naletila na tako divni mladi grah da je veliki lonac čušpajza jednostavno bio neizbježan.

Naravno, ovo možete skuhati i sa suhim grahom, kao i sa onim iz konzerve, a unutra staviti bilo kakvu drugu sitnu tjesteninu. Samo imajte na umu da onda prilagodite i vrijeme kuhanja.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 10 porcija / 6,69 kn po porciji / 66,89 kn za sve)

Za varivo:

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

100 g suhog špeka (6,00 kn)

2 velike kobasice (30,00 kn)

1 grincajg (6,00 kn)

3 rajčice šljivara (4,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

3 šalice mladog graha (12,00 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,20 kn)

1 žlica slatke crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

10 šalica vode (–)

2 žlice jabučnog octa (0,20 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,10 kn)

1 šalica pužića, ili neke druge sitne tjestenine (4,00 kn)

Za zapršku:

2 žlice maslaca (2,00 kn)

2 žlice glatkog brašna (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Za početak operite i sitno nasjeckajte svo povrće i špek. Držite odvojene sve listove i zelenje iz grincajga. Narežite kobasice na tanke novčiće. Stavite na jaku vatru veliki lonac sa maslinovim uljem, pa kratko prodinstajte luk da bude staklast. Dodajte špek i kobasicu te kuhajte nekoliko minuta da se zahruskaju. Postepeno dodajte grincajg (osim zelenja), rajčice i češnjak i kuhajte da sve omekša.

Sada ubacite grah, nasjeckano zelenje iz grincajga, lovorov list, slatku papriku i ocat, prelijte vodom i pustite da zavrije. Smanjite vatru i kuhajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem oko 1 sat, dok se grah ne skuha do kraja. Kad se grah skuhao, kušajte i po potrebi dodajte soli i papra. Količina će ovisiti o tome koliko su vam začinjeni bili špek i kobasice. Na kraju dodajte tjesteninu i kuhajte još koliko treba tjestenini da bude gotova.

Dok se tjestenina kuha pripremite zapršku tako da na srednjoj vatri na maslacu popržite brašno, uz stalno miješanje. Zaprška je gotova kada je zlatno-smeđe boje i ima orašasti miris. Oprezno ju umiješajte u varivo i onda maknite sve sa vatre i poslužite.

Ovo varivo se super smrzava i podgrijava, tako da sada imate ručak za hitne slučajeve za ponijeti na posao, ili za one trenutke kada ste preumorni za kuhanje.

Fresh Bean, Sausage and Pipette Rigate Stew / Mladi grah s kobasicom i pužićima

Juiciest Vegetarian Pizza (Including a vegan option!) / Najsočnija vegetarijanska pizza (Sa veganskom opcijom!)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , Leave a comment

I’ve definitely upped my pizza game a notch from the last time I’ve baked it. Since I don’t own a pizza stone or any other fancy stuff other than a baking tray and my oven, I’m always looking for ways to enhance and elevate the pizza experience without caving in and buying additional cookware. Also, I wanted to utilize the fact that fresh tomatoes are just exploding with flavour at the moment.

The secret of this pizza is very soft and pliable dough, with plenty of olive oil mixed in. It bakes short, but on high temperature and in two parts. First part is to puff up the dough and evaporate excess liquids from vegetables we are using. The second baking is there just to briefly crisp it all up and melt the cheese. This ensures that the cheese doesn’t burn but turns into a gooey heaven instead.

Also, we won’t be using rolling pins on our dough. Instead, we’ll just stretch the dough out with our hands. Let’s allow it to be imperfect. In return, it will puff out beautifully.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 pizza / 1.05 EUR)

For the dough:

½ tsp dry yeast (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

1 – 1 ½ cup plain all-purpose flour, divided (0.07 EUR)

½ cup warm water (–)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

Additional:

Olive oil for greasing bowl, dough, your hands and baking pan (0.07 EUR)

For pizza topping:

3 tbsp roasted red pepper salsa (0.07 EUR)

1 medium sized heirloom tomato (0.27 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp dried oregano (0.03 EUR)

½ cup shredded cheese(0.27 EUR)

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METHOD:

To make the dough, start off by whisking together yeast, sugar and 1 teaspoon of flour in warm water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy. If the yeast doesn’t bubble up, discard and start with a fresh batch of yeast, as your dough might not rise.

Add 1 cup of flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of oil to the bubbly yeast. Mix with a spoon until shabby dough forms, then dump on a clean counter and shortly knead, incorporating more flour as necessary. Final dough should be quite soft and pliable, but not too sticky.

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Clean up your mixing bowl, lightly grease with more oil and turn the dough around to grease from all sides. Cover with clean kitchen towel and allow it to rest for about half an hour, until doubled in size.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 250°C. Gently deflate the dough onto a lightly greased baking tray. Add a bit more oil to the dough and your hands, then work to stretch it out with your fingers and shape the pizza. Should any holes appear, fear not and just pinch the dough back together.

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Top the stretched dough with a thin layer of red pepper salsa. You can definitely use a roasted tomato salsa, ajvar, or any other pizza sauce you prefer. Thinly slice tomato and onion, then scatter around, topping them with salt, pepper and oregano.

Bake pizza for 10 minutes in the upper third of the oven. Quickly scatter shredded cheese on top and finish baking for 5 more minutes in the oven’s lower third. Serve immediately.

Vegans: Feel free to ditch the cheese with its additional baking step and make this pizza vegan! In that case, I’d recommend baking the pizza during a single 13-15 minute session on the middle rack, until crispy and blistered on the edges.

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Definitivno sam za jedan nivo unaprijedila pečenje pizze od kada sam ju zadnji puta radila. Pošto nemam kamen za pizzu, niti neko drugo fensi pomagalo osim protvana i pećnice, uvijek gledam kako da još nabrijem pizza iskustvo, a bez da moram kupovati nešto novo. Osim toga, htjela sam iskoristiti i činjenicu da su rajčice trenutno najfinije ikad.

Tajna ove pizze je jako mekano i podatno tijesto u kojeg ide dosta maslinovog ulja. Peče se kratko, ali na visokoj temperaturi i u dvije etape. Prva je zato da se tijesto napuhne i višak vode iz povrća ishlapi. Drugi dio pečenja je samo da se kratko sve zahrska, a sir rastopi. Na taj način sir neće zagoriti već se pretvoriti u raspoljenu divotu.

Također, nećemo tijesto valjati, nego ga samo rastegnuti rukama. Pustiti ćemo ga da bude nesavršeno. Za uzvrat će ono biti divno napuhnuto.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 pizzu / 7,49 kn)

Za tijesto:

½ žličice suhog kvasca (0,50 kn)

1 žličica šećera (0,01 kn)

1 – 1 ½ šalica glatkog brašna, podijeljena (0,50 kn)

½ šalice tople vode (–)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

Dodatno:

Maslinovo ulje za namastiti posudu, tijesto, vaše ruke i protvan (0,50 kn)

Za pizzu:

3 žlice šalše od pečenih crvenih paprika (0,50 kn)

1 srednje velika rajčica volovsko srce (2,00 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

½ žličice sušenog origana (0,25 kn)

½ šalice naribanog sira (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Da bi ste napravili tijesto, za početak pomiješajte skupa kvasac, šećer i žličicu brašna sa toplom vodom. Ostavite da miruje 10 minuta, dok smjesa ne postane pjenasta i ne nabubri. Ako kvasac ne postane pjenast, bacite i krenite ispočetka sa novim kvascem, jer vam se kasnije tijesto možda neće dignuti.

U pjenasti kvasac dodajte 1 šalicu brašna, sol i 2 žlice maslinovog ulja, pa miješajte žlicom dok se ne formira labavo tijesto. Sve istresite na čistu radnu plohu i kratko mijesite, dodajući malo po malo brašna prema potrebi. Tijesto treba biti mekano i podatno, ali ne previše ljepljivo.

Očistite posudu, lagano namastite, pa okrećite unutra kuglu tijesta da se namasti sa svih strana. Pokrijte čistom kuhinjskom krpom i ostavite da se diže oko pola sata, dok se tijesto ne udvostruči.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje zagrijte pećnicu na 250°C. Nježno ispuhnite tijesto na lagano namašćeni protvan. Stavite mrvicu ulja na tijesto i ruke, pa prstima rastegnite tijesto i oblikujte pizzu. Ako vam negdje slučajno pukne, ništa zato i samo stisnite tijesto skupa da zakrpate rupu.

Pokrijte rastegnuto tijesto sa tankim slojem šalše od pečenih paprika. Ako želite, apsolutno možete upotrijebiti šalšu od pečenih rajčica, ajvar, ili bilo koji drugi umak za pizzu koji volite. Tanko narežite rajčicu i luk pa ih raširite po pizzi i posipajte solju, paprom i origanom.

Pecite pizzu 10 minuta u gornjoj trećini pećnice. Brzo po njoj raštrkajte ribani sir, pa dovršite pečenje sa još 5 minuta u donjoj trećini pećnice. Odmah poslužite.

Vegani: Slobodno izbacite sir i dodatno pečenje i napravite vegansku pizzu! U tom slučaju, moja je preporuka peći pizzu sve skupa 13-15 minuta u sredini pećnice, dok ne bude hruskava i nabubrena po rubovima.

Juiciest Vegetarian Pizza (Including a vegan option!) / Najsočnija vegetarijanska pizza (Sa veganskom opcijom!)

An Even Better Roasted Tomato Salsa (vegan) / Još bolja šalša od pečenih rajčica (veganska)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , 4 Comments

We’re slowly approaching first anniversary of this blog. It was, and still is, a great journey; the one where I continually learn, improve and look forward to exploring more fresh ideas and recipes. I also look forward to tweaking the existing ones, making them even easier and tastier.

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Last year I was quite certain that I’ve found a perfect roasted tomato salsa recipe. Of course, such assumption was incorrect. This year’s salsa is even simpler, yet more delicious. The stars of this salsa are overripe Roma tomatoes. They are currently super cheap and abundant, so there is no reason to not stock up on homemade salsa. Also, you want to really roast the heck out of them, so all the juices and flavours thicken.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 10 cups of salsa / 0.42 EUR per cup / 4.19 for all)

3 kilos of Roma tomatoes (2.80 EUR)

4 large onions (0.40 EUR)

2 whole garlic bulbs (0.53 EUR)

1/3 cup olive oil (0.44 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash and halve the tomatoes, discarding any suspicious parts which have started to go bad. Spread tomatoes with their skins facing down in a single layer on a large baking tray. You’ll probably need to use at least two large trays for the amount of tomatoes in this recipe. Quarter onions with their skins intact, then nest among tomatoes while turning their skins upwards. This will prevent the onions from burning and you’ll later easily peel the skins off the roasted onions. Scatter around whole garlic cloves, also with their skins intact. Season generously with salt and pepper, then drizzle everything with olive oil.

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Roast for one to one and a half hour, until tomatoes have shrunken down and are slightly caramelized. The exact roasting time will vary depending on your oven and water content in tomatoes. Also, you’ll definitely need to increase roasting time if your oven is crowded with more than one tray. If that’s the case, be sure to replace baking trays halfway through to ensure even doneness.

Allow things to cool enough to handle before peeling the skins off of onions and garlic. Add everything to a food processor and blitz to desired consistency. Just be sure to scoop all of the delicious juices from the bottom of the tray. Taste and adjust seasoning, distribute salsa between containers and store in freezer. Use as a ready-made pasta sauce, pizza topping, tomato soup base or instead of ketchup.

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Polako se približavamo prvoj godišnjici ovog bloga. Ovo je bilo, i još uvijek je, divno iskustvo, u kojem stalno učim i napredujem, te se veselim istraživanju novih ideja i recepata. Također se radujem i modificiranju onih postojećih, kako bi bili što jednostavniji i ukusniji.

Prošle sam godine bila prilično uvjerena u to da sam našla savršeni recept za šalšu od pečenih rajčica. Naravno, takava je pretpostavka bila pogrešna. Ovogošnja je šalša još jednostavnija, a opet ukusnija. Zvijezde ove šalše su prezrele rajčice šljivari. Trenutačno su super jeftine i ima ih u izobilju, pa bi bilo šteta ne napraviti zalihu domaće šalše. Također, treba sve peći što duže, kako bi se svi sokovi i arome zgusnuli.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 10 šalica šalše / 3,14 kn po šalici / 31,44 kn za sve)

3 kg rajčica šljivara (21,00 kn)

4 velika luka (3,00 kn)

2 cijele glavice češnjaka (4,00 kn)

1/3 šalice maslinovog ulja (3,33 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,10 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Operite i raspolovite rajčice, s time da bacite sve sumnjive dijelove koji su se krenuli kvariti. Raširite rajčice sa kožom prema dolje u jednom sloju po velikom protvanu. Za količinu rajčica u ovom receptu vjerojatno će vam trebati dva velika protvana. Raščetvorite luk skupa sa ljuskom, pa ga ugnijezdite među rajčice, tako da je ljuska okrenuta prema gore. Na taj način vam luk neće zagoriti, a ljuska će samo skliznuti dolje kada bude pečen. Raštrkajte okolo cijele češnjeve češnjaka,  također sa netaknutom ljuskom. Sve dobro začinite sa solju i paprom i pokapajte maslinovim uljem.

Pecite od jednog sata do sat i pol, dok se rajčice ne smežuraju i lagano karamelizijaru. Točno vrijeme pečenja ovisiti će o vašoj pećnici i količini vode u rajčicama. Također, morati ćete peći duže ako vam je pećnica natrpana i pečete u više protvana, a u tom slučaju imajte na umu da zamijenite protvane na pola pečenja kako bi se sve ravnomjerno ispeklo.

Pustite da se sve malo ohladi prije nego što ćete oguliti ljuske sa luka i češnjaka, te sve izblicajte u multipraktiku do željene gustoće. Obavezno pokupite i sve fine sokove sa dna protvana. Kušajte i prilagodite začine, raspodijelite po teglama i čuvajte u zamrzivaču. Upotrijebite kao gotovi umak za tjesteninu ili pizzu, kao bazu za juhu od rajčice ili umjesto kečapa.

An Even Better Roasted Tomato Salsa (vegan) / Još bolja šalša od pečenih rajčica (veganska)

Drunken Coconut Grits Skillet Cake / Pijani kolač sa kokosom i grisom

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , 5 Comments

I’ve had an itch for something sweet last night, but couldn’t be bothered to take my ass to the grocery store. Instead I did quick assessment of what was in the pantry and worked my way from there. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any fresh or frozen fruit at home, but we did have raisins and rum. Have you ever baked with raisins soaked in rum? No?! My god, you haven’t lived!!! What are you waiting for?!

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 20 cm cake / 1.49 EUR)

For raisins:

½ cup raisins (0.40 EUR)

2 tbsp rum (0.13 EUR)

1/3 cup milk (0.07 EUR)

For the cake batter:

1 egg (0.20 EUR)

2/3 cups milk (0.13 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

2 tbsp butter, melted (0.27 EUR)

1 cup instant grits (0.10 EUR)

4 tbsp shredded coconut (0.13 EUR)

4 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp baking powder (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

First soak the raisins in rum and milk mixture, allowing them to sit for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven with cast iron skillet to 200°C. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk and vanilla. Stir in melted butter.

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In a larger bowl, whisk together grits, coconut, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ones and briefly stir to combine. Finally, add in raisins with all the remaining liquid and briefly stir until it’s all uniform. Your batter will be pretty thick.

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Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and, even more carefully, pour the batter into the hot skillet. Gently even the top and bake in top third of the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven, until deep golden brown and crispy on top. A skewer inserted in the cake should come out clean. Mine was perfect after 18 minutes.

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Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes before digging in. Serve warm, with a slab of your favourite jam and a big mug of hot coffee.

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Sinoć mi se baš jelo nešto slatko, a nikako mi se nije dalo ići do dućana. Umjesto toga sam zavirila u špajzu i krenula od toga. Na žalost, doma nismo imali nikakvog svježeg, a ni smrznutog voća. Ali imali smo grožđice i rum. Jeste kada pekli nešto sa grožđicama namočenim u rumu? Ne?! Pa onda niste živjeli!!! Što čekate?!

SASTOJCI:

(Za kolač promjera 20 cm / 11,11 kn)

Za grožđice:

½ šalice grožđica (3,00 kn)

2 žlice ruma (1,00 kn)

1/3 šalice mlijeka (0,50 kn)

Za smjesu za kolač:

1 jaje (1,50 kn)

2/3 šalice mlijeka (1,00 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

2 žlice maslaca, rastopljene (2,00 kn)

1 šalica grisa (0,75 kn)

4 žlice ribanog kokosa (1,00 kn)

4 žlice šećera (0,10 kn)

½ žličice praška za pecivo (0,05 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Prvo dvadesetak minuta namočite grožđice u rumu i mlijeku. Zagrijte pećnicu sa željeznom tavicom na 200°C. U zdjelici pomiješajte jaje, mlijeko i vaniliju, pa umiješajte u to rastopljeni maslac.

U većoj posudi pomiješajte gris, kokos, šećer, prašak za pecivo i sol. Prelijte mokre sastojke preko suhih i miješajte dok se ne sjedine. Na kraju dodajte unutra grožđice sa svom preostalom tekućinom i kratko promiješajte da bude jednolično. Smjesa će vam ispasti prilično gusta.

Pažljivo izvadite vruću tavicu iz pećnice, pa još pažljivije u nju ulijte smjesu. Nježno poravnajte po vrhu i pecite 15-20 minuta u gornjoj trećini pećnice dok kolač ne bude zlatno-žuti. Vrijeme pečenja ovisi o vašoj pećnici, a kada testirate čačkalicom, ona bi trebala biti čista. Moj kolač je bio savršen nakon 18 minuta.

Pustite da se kolač par minuta ohladi, prije nego što navalite. Poslužite sa najdražim pekmezom i velikom šalicom vruće kave.

Drunken Coconut Grits Skillet Cake / Pijani kolač sa kokosom i grisom