Author: Crunch Crunch Away

Ginger and Fig Granola / Granola sa đumbirom i smokvama

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It’s my first day at work today after a vacation and when my alarm blared this morning at 6:20 am, it was still dark outside and rain was pouring. One can only assume that this means summer is officially over. Boo.

However, seems like my witchy powers were strong yesterday, because I had enough sense to make a batch of fresh granola for my weekly breakfasts. There was at least some small comfort in dragging myself out of bed this morning.

This granola is crispy on the outside but a bit chewy and soft on the inside. It’s also loaded with millet, which gives it a good dose of crunch. Figs and ginger make a great mix of sweet and spicy. It was just what I needed to fuel up and attack a new work week.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 8 servings / 0.27 EUR per serving / 2.15 EUR for all)

10 small figs (0.67 EUR)

3 tbsp melted butter (0.40 EUR)

½ tsp dried ginger powder (0.03 EUR)

1 tsp cinnamon powder (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

1 apple (0.20 EUR)

3 cups rolled oats (0.40 EUR)

4 tbsp ground walnuts (0.27 EUR)

4 tbsp hulled millet (0.13 EUR)

1-2 tbsp water (–)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. In a food processor, blitz together figs, melted butter, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and salt into a smooth and thick paste. Grate the apple with its skin and mix together with fig paste, oats, walnuts and millet. If necessary, add a bit of water to the mixture, just in case it’s too dry and the clumps don’t stick together.

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Spread the granola out on a prepared baking tray without pressing it down and use your hands to keep it clumpy. Bake for 40 minutes, until crispy and golden-brown on the outside, but still a bit moist and juicy on the inside. Allow granola to cool completely on a baking tray, before breaking the bigger chunks down and refrigerating in an airtight container.

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Danas mi je prvi dan na poslu nakon godišnjeg i kada mi je alarm jutros zazvonio u 6:20, vani je još bio mrak i lijevala je kiša. Možemo pretpostaviti da to znači da je ljeto gotovo. Bu.

Međutim, čini se da su mi jučer vještičje moći bile jake, jer sam imala dovoljno mudrosti da napravim frišku granolu za tjedne doručke. To je bila barem mala utjeha kada sam se jutros izvukla iz kreveta.

Ova je granola hruskava izvana, ali malo mekša iznutra. Također je nafilana sa prosom, što joj daje dobru dozu hrskavoće. Smokve i đumbir osiguravaju super omjer slatkog i začinjenog. To je bilo baš pravo gorivo za juriš na novi radni tjedan.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 8 porcija / 2,01 kn po porciji / 16,06 kn za sve)

10 malih smokava (5,00)

3 žlice rastopljenog maslaca (3,00 kn)

½ žličice đumbira u prahu (0,25 kn)

1 žličica cimeta u prahu (0,10 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

1 jabuka (1,50 kn)

3 šalice zobenih pahuljica (3,00 kn)

4 žlice mljevenih oraha (2,00 kn)

4 žlice prosa (1,00 kn)

1-2 žlice vode (–)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 180°C. Obložite protvan papirom za pečenje i stavite na stranu. U multipraktiku smeljite smokve u glatku i gustu pastu sa rastopljenim maslacem, đumbirom, cimetom, vanilijom i soli. Naribajte jabuku skupa sa korom i pomiješajte sa pastom od smokava, zobenim pahuljicama, orasima i prosom. Po potrebi dodajte mrvicu vode u smjesu, ako je presuha i neće se držati skupa u grudama.

Raširite granolu po pripremljenom protvanu bez dodatnog utiskivanja, a rukama ju formirajte u grudice. Pecite 40 minuta, dok ne bude hruskava i zlatno-smeđa izvana, a još uvijek malo vlažna i sočna iznutra. Pustite da se granola skroz ohladi na protvanu, prije nego što ćete razlomiti veće komade i spremiti ju u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi u frižideru.

Ginger and Fig Granola / Granola sa đumbirom i smokvama

Colourful Fig Salad / Šarena salata sa smokvama

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I’ve returned from my vacation a couple of days ago and am slowly getting back into my old routine and structure. I mostly ate crap while on vacation, so this really simple and healthy salad was a welcome change. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed every bite of all the millions of fire-soared hot dogs I devoured, but it’s about time to get a few vegetables in my body as well.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 large serving / 1.13 EUR)

2 cups thinly shredded cabbage (0.07 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (0.03 EUR)

½ small onion, thinly shredded (0.03 EUR)

½ red bell pepper, thinly shredded (0.03 EUR)

2-3 small tomatoes, cut into wedges (0.20 EUR)

5-6 small figs, halved or quartered (0.33 EUR)

Small chunk of hard cheese, thinly cut (0.33 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

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METHOD:

Start off by mixing cabbage with salt, pepper and vinegar. Allow it to sit for about half an hour or more, so the cabbage can soften up. Mix in shredded onion and pepper. Arrange tomatoes, figs and cheese on top, drizzle everything with olive oil and serve right away. Ta-da!

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Pred par dana sam se vratila sa godišnjeg i polako se vraćam svojoj starroj rutini i strukturi. Na godišnjem sam uglavnom jela smeće, tako da mi je ova jako jednostavna i zdrava salata bila dobrodošla promjena. Nemojte me krivo shvatiti, uživala sam u svakom zalogaju milijona hrenovki pečenih na vatri kojih sam proždrla. Ali mislim da je krajnje vrijeme da u sebe ubacim i pokoje povrće.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 veliku porciju / 8,42 kn)

2 šalice tanko narezanog zelja (0,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Dobar prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

2 žlice jabučnog octa (0,20 kn)

½ malog luka, tanko narezanog (0,25 kn)

½ crvene paprike, tanko narezane (0,25 kn)

2-3 male rajčice, narezane na kriške (1,50 kn)

5-6 malih smokvi, narezanih na polovice ili četvrtine (2,50 kn)

Komadić tvrdog sira, narezan na tanke listiće (2,50 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Za početak pomiješajte zelje sa soli, paprom i octom, pa ostavite da odstoji barem pola sata kako bi zelje omekšalo. Umiješajte narezani luk i papriku. Poslažite po vrhu rajčice, smokve i sir, pokapajte maslinovim uljem i odmah poslužite. Ta-da!

Colourful Fig Salad / Šarena salata sa smokvama

Plum Jam / Pekmez od šljiva

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Plum jam – the jam of my childhood. It seems like everyone had a grandparent or a relative with that odd plum tree which would yield copious amount of fruit each year. After using those plums up fresh, in dumplings, or for slivovitz, the rest would inevitably end up as a jam.

This is a very basic plum jam recipe, which above all requires your time and patience. But it’s so going to be worth it.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 5 jars / 0.53 EUR per jar / 2.67 EUR for all)

2 kilos of plums (1.60 EUR)

800 grams of sugar (0.67 EUR)

Juice from 1 lemon (0.40 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash, pit and dice plums. Combine with ½ of the sugar and let sit for a few hours, or overnight, so the fruit can soften and release juices. When ready to start cooking, run plums through a food processor or blitz with immersion blender.

In a deep pot, place plums on high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for about 2 hours, until thickened to desired consistency. Initially, you will need to stir very often for the first half an hour or so, as the plums will tend to stick to the bottom of the pot. Also, be careful about the boiling jam bubbling and splashing. As the jam cooks down, you’ll need to stir less and less. Add in the remaining sugar gradually as you cook. This way you can taste the jam and adjust sweetness to your liking. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the lemon juice. Also, please note that the jam will thicken even more as it cools down.

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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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Pekmez od šljiva – pekmez moje mladosti. Čini mi se kao da su svi imali baku, djeda ili nekog rođaka sa šljivom koja bi svake godine rodila enormne količine voća. Nakon što bi se te šljive pojele svježe, stavile u knedle ili ispekle u rakije, ostatak bi bez iznimke završio u pekmezu.

Ovo je najosnovniji recept za pekmez od šljiva, koji prije svega iziskuje vaše vrijeme i strpljenje. Ali će vam se to apsolutno isplatiti.

SASTOJCI

(Za 5 teglica pekmeza / 4 kn po teglici / 20 kn za sve)

2 kg šljiva (12,00 kn)

800 g šećera (5,00 kn)

Sok od 1 limuna (3,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite šljive, izvadite im koštice i narežite ih na kockice. Pomiješajte sa ½ šećera i ostavite da odstoje nekoliko sati, ili preko noći, kako bi voće omekšalo i pustilo sokove. Kada ste spremni za kuhanje, sameljite šljive u multipraktiku ili sa štapnim mikserom.

Stavite šljive na jaku vatru u dubokom loncu i pustite da zavriju. Smanjite vatru na nisku i kuhajte otklopljene oko 2 sata, dok se sve ne zgusne na željenu konzistenciju. Na početku ćete, prvih pola sata, morati često miješati jer će se šljive lijepiti za dno lonca. Također, pazite se mjehurića i špricanja kipućeg pekmeza. Kako se pekmez bude kuhao, morati ćete sve manje i manje miješati. Ostatak šećera dodajte postepeno kako se pekmez kuha. Tako ga možete probati i količinu šećera prilagoditi po svojem ukusu. Kako se kuhanje primiče kraju, umiješajte sok od limuna. Također, imajte na umu da će se pekmez još više stisnuti kako se bude hladio.

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.

Plum Jam / Pekmez od šljiva

Mozzarella and Veggie Stuffed Peppers (vegetarian, low-histamine) / Paprike punjene mozzarellom i povrćem (vegetarijanske, niskohistaminske)

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Peppers are everywhere and the smell of them cooking is just too tempting to be ignored. This is my take on traditional stuffed peppers in an attempt to feed a vegetarian boyfriend on a low-histamine diet.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 7 stuffed peppers / 0.30 EUR per pepper / 2.07 EUR for all)

7 large bell peppers (0.67 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 garlic cloves (0.07 EUR)

1 large carrot (0.07 EUR)

1 small zucchini (0.07 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley (0.07 EUR)

1 cup precooked rice (0.07 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.03 EUR)

1 ball of mozzarella cheese (0.93 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash peppers and remove stem and seeds with a small paring knife, while leaving the rest of the skins intact. Cut mozzarella into 7 equal segments. Wash and finely chop up onion, garlic, carrot, zucchini and parsley, then mix together with rice, salt, pepper and paprika. Using a spoon, place small amount of stuffing in each pepper, add mozzarella slice in the center and then fill up with more stuffing.

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Arrange upturned peppers in an oven-safe dish and bake for 45 minutes, until tops are crispy and slightly charred.

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Paprike su svuda oko nas, a mirisi koji se šire dok se kuhaju su jednostavno prezamamni da ih se samo tako može zanemariti. Ovo je moj pokušaj da modificiram tradicionalne punjene paprike i nahranim dečka vegetarijanca na niskohistaminskoj dijeti.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 7 punjenih paprika / 2,19 kn po paprici / 15,31 kn za sve)

7 velikih paprika babura (5,00 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

2 češnja češnjaka (0,50 kn)

1 velika mrkva (0,50 kn)

1 mala tikvica (0,50 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina (0,50 kn)

1 šalica kuhane riže (0,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Dobar prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

1 žličica slatke crvene paprike (0,25 kn)

1 loptica mozzarelle (7,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Operite paprike pa im nožićem izdubite peteljke i sjemenke, pazeći da ne oštetite ostatak kože. Narežite mozzarellu na 7 jednakih dijelova. Operite i fino nasjeckajte luk, češnjak, mrkvu, tikvicu i peršin, pa pomiješajte sa rižom, soli, paprom i crvenom paprikom. Žlicom stavite malu količinu nadjeva u papriku, u sredinu stavite komadić mozzarelle, pa onda napunite do kraja papriku sa još nadjeva.

Složite paprike okrenute prema gore u vatrostalnoj posudi i pecite 45 minuta, dok vrhovi ne budu hrskavi i zažareni.

Mozzarella and Veggie Stuffed Peppers (vegetarian, low-histamine) / Paprike punjene mozzarellom i povrćem (vegetarijanske, niskohistaminske)

Super Quick Whole Grain Bread – Revamped / Super brzi integralni kruh – revidiran

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A few months ago I’ve posted a bread recipe which changed my whole perspective on home bread baking. I’m happy to say that I’ve continued to bake bread ever since, using the described technique which includes a water bath in the oven during baking. The results are always so great that bread baking became my favourite form of relaxation.

Furthermore, my bread has been evolving over time. My whole approach now is more relaxed. I go with my instinct and add a bit here and a bit here. And the bread is just getting better and better. So, described below is my perfect bread recipe. Perfect for now, that is. I expect this whole bread adventure to grow, evolve and change even more, as I grow more and more confident in this whole endeavour.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 loaf / 1.10 EUR)

For the bread:

2 cups warm water (–)

2 tsp active dry yeast (0.27 EUR)

2 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

2 – 2 ½ cups plain white flour, divided (0.17 EUR)

2 cups whole grain flour (0.20 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

3 tbsp ground flax seed (0.10 EUR)

3 tbsp sunflower seeds (0.10 EUR)

3 tbsp hulled millet (0.10 EUR)

3 tbsp olive oil (0.13 EUR)

Additional:

Oil for greasing the bowl and the loaf tin (0.01 EUR)

1 cup water for baking (–)

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Every bread is different

METHOD:

Take a large mixing bowl and whisk together water with yeast, sugar and 1 tablespoon of plain white flour. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until frothy. If the mixture doesn’t bubble, discard and start again with a fresh batch of yeast, as your dough probably won’t rise.

Add 2 cups of plain flour, all whole grain flour, salt, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, millet and olive oil to the frothy yeast mixture and stir with a spoon until shabby dough forms. Dump everything on a clean counter and knead for a few minutes, incorporating a bit more flour as necessary. Dough should be soft and pliable, but not too sticky.

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Wash up your mixing bowl, grease with a bit of oil and turn the dough ball around to coat on all sides. While your hands are already greasy, you may as well coat the loaf tin in oil. Cover the dough bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours. The resting time always depends on my other activities and what I’m doing. The bread doesn’t mind. We’re friends.

When ready to bake, place a tin pan to the bottom of your oven and preheat oven to 250°C. Gently deflate the dough, give it a few kneads, shape a loaf and gently transfer to greased loaf tin. Sprinkle with a bit of flour, cover again with a kitchen towel and let sit for about 10 minutes, while your oven fully heats up.

Just before baking, using a very sharp knife, make a few incisions on the dough’s surface. Really carefully pour 1 cup of water into the pan you left at the bottom of the oven. Quickly place the bread pan with dough onto the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes until bread is deep golden brown. Do not open the oven door during that time under any circumstance.

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After 30 minutes remove bread from the oven and allow it to cool in its tin for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove from tin and allow the bread to completely cool on a rack before digging into it.

Since I am the sole bread eater in our household, I always slice up the whole loaf once it’s completely cool and freeze it sliced in a zip lock bag. Then, when I am in a mood for some bread, I simply toast as much as I feel like eating.

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Pred nekoliko mjeseci napisala sam recept koji je skroz promijenio moj pristup pečenju kruha kod kuće. Sa zadovoljstvom mogu reći kako sam od onda nastavila redovito peći kruh, a prema opisanom načinu, tako da u pećnici za vrijeme pečenja bude vodena kupka. Rezultati su svaki puta bili tako dobri da mi je pečenje kruha postalo omiljeni način opuštanja.

Osim toga, moj je kruh s vremenom evoluirao, a moj vlastiti pristup je sada puno opušteniji. Slijedim instinkte pa dodajem malo tu i tamo. A kruh postaje sve bolji i bolji. Pa vam u nastavku dostavljam svoj recept za savršeni kruh. Savršeni za sada. Očekujem da će ova cijela avantura sa kruhom rasti, evoluirati i još se više mijenjati, sve kako bude raslo i moje samopouzdanje u ovom cijelom pothvatu.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 štrucu / 8,06 kn)

Za kruh:

2 šalice tople vode (–)

2 žličice suhog kvasca (2,00 kn)

2 žlice šećera (0,05 kn)

2 – 2 ½ šalice glatkog brašna, podijeljene (1,25 kn)

2 šalice integralnog brašna (1,50 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

3 žlice mljevenih sjemenki lana (0,75 kn)

3 žlice suncokretovih sjemenki (0,75 kn)

3 žlice prosa (0,75 kn)

3 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,99 kn)

Dodatno:

Ulje za namastiti posudu i kalup za pečenje (0,01 kn)

1 šalica vode za pečenje (–)

PRIPREMA:

U velikoj posudi razmutite vodu sa kvascem, šećerom i 1 žlicom glatkog brašna. Pustite 10-15 minuta dok ne postane pjenasto. Ako vam smjesa ne bude pjenasta, bacite i počnite ispočetka sa novim kvascem jer vam se tijesto na kraju vjerovatno ne bude dignulo.

Dodajte 2 šalice glatkog brašna, svo integtalno brašno, sol, lan, suncokretove sjemenke, proso i maslinovo ulje u pjenasti kvasac i dobro pomiješajte žlicom dok se ne formira labavo tijesto. Sve istresite na čistu radnu plohu i mijesite par minuta, dodajući po potrebi malo po malo još brašna. Tijesto treba biti mekano i podatno, ali se ne smije previše lijepiti.

Operite svoju posudu u kojoj ste zamijesili tijesto, namažite sa malo ulja, pa unutra okrećite loptu tijesta dok se ne namasti sa svih strana. Kad su vam ruke već masne, namastite i kalup za pečenje. Pokrijte zdjelu sa tijestom čistom krpom i ostavite da miruje barem 30 minuta, a do nekoliko sati. Ja to vrijeme uvijek prilagodim nekim drugim aktivnostima. Kruhu je to okej. Mi smo frendovi.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje, stavite plehnati protvan na dno pečnice i zagrijte ju na 250°C. Nježno ispuhnite tijesto, kratko promijesite, oblikujte štrucu i nježno ju prebacite u namašćeni kalup. Posipajte sa malo brašna, pokrijte čistom krpom i ostavite da miruje još desetak minuta, dok vam se pećnica skorz ne ugrije.

Netom pred pečenje, jako oštrim nožem par puta zarežite tijesto. Jako, jako pažljivo ulijte šalicu vode u protvan koji ste ostavili na dnu pećnice, pa brzo stavite kruh da se peče 30 minuta na srednjoj rešetki, sve dok ne dobije duboku zlatno-smeđu boju. Ni u kojem slučaju ne otvarajte pećnicu za to vrijeme.

Nakon 30 minuta izvadite kruh iz pećnice i ostavite ga da se 5 minuta hladi u kalupu. Nakon toga ga pažljivo izvadite iz kalupa i pustite da se skroz ohladi na rešetki, prije nego što ćete navaliti na njega.

Pošto sam ja jedini jedač kruha u našem kućanstvu, uvijek cijelu ohlađenu štrucu narežem na šnite i u vrećici smrznem. Onda, kada mi se jede kruh, samo kratko tostiram onoliko šnita koliko mi treba.

Super Quick Whole Grain Bread – Revamped / Super brzi integralni kruh – revidiran

Roasted Bull’s Horn Pepper Salsa (vegan, low histamine) / Umak of pečenih roga paprika (veganski, niskohistaminski)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , , 5 Comments

This recipe is super simple and would work great for any type of summer barbecue, roast potatoes, tortillas or just as a chips dip. The red bull’s horn peppers are super sweet and meaty, so I’ve decided to take current advantage of the markets bursting with peppers.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 cups of salsa / 0.93 EUR)

4 large red bull’s horn peppers (0.67 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

3 cloves garlic (0.10 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley (0.07 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 220°C. Wash and pat dry the peppers, then arrange in a baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, until charred and blistered. Allow peppers to cool down enough to handle.

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Meanwhile, roughly chop up onion and garlic. Pull and discard stems and seeds out of peppers and add to the food processor together with onion, garlic, salt and black pepper. For creamier texture, feel free to peel the skins off peppers before adding to the food processor, but I left the skins on. Pulse to desired consistency, taste and adjust seasoning and stir in chopped parsley.

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Serve chilled. The salsa will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Ovaj je receptić super jednostavan i izvrsno ide uz bilo koji ljetni roštilj, pečene krumpire, tortilje ili kao jednostavni umak uz čips. Crvene paprike roge su baš jako slatke i mesnate, pa sam odlučila iskoristiti činjenicu što ih sada na tržnicama ima na vagone.

SASTOJCI

(Za 2 šalice umaka / 6,81 kn)

4 velike crvene paprike roge (5,00 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Dobar prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

2 žlice fino nasjeckanog svježeg peršina (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 220°C. Operite i posušite paprike, pa ih raširite po posudi za pečenje. Pecite 45 minuta, dok ne budu tamne i napuhane. Pustite da se paprike ohlada da ih možete dirati rukama.

U međuvremenu, grubo narežite luk i češnjak. Izvucite i bacite peteljke i sjemenke iz paprika, pa ih ubacite u multipraktik sa lukom, češnjakom, soli i paprom. Za kremastiju teksturu slobodno ogulite kožu sa paprika prije nego ih stavite u multipraktik, ali ja sam ih samljela skupa sa kožom. Pulsirajte do željene gustoće, kušajte i prilagodite začine, te umiješajte nasjeckani peršin.

Poslužite ohlađeno. Umak će držati u hladnjaku u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi do tjedan dana.

Roasted Bull’s Horn Pepper Salsa (vegan, low histamine) / Umak of pečenih roga paprika (veganski, niskohistaminski)

Whole-Wheat Flour Summer Zucchini Pizza / Ljetna pizza od integralnog brašna sa tikvicama

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If only the summer could last forever, with its abundance of fresh produce, colours, smells and tastes. And the sunshine. Ah… I wanna enjoy the Summer to the max while it’s still here, but I also wanna enjoy a pizza. So here’s a delicious summer pizza for you all!

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 large pizza / 1.56 EUR)

For the dough:

½ tsp active dry yeast (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

¾ cup warm water (–)

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

1 ½ cup whole-wheat flour (0.13 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil + more for greasing the bowl (0.10 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

For the pizza topping:

2 large zucchini (0.40 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

½ cup of hard, finely grated cheese (0.67 EUR)

1 tsp dried oregano (0.07 EUR)

Additional:

A bit of oil for greasing the baking tray (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

To prepare the dough, first whisk together yeast, sugar, water and 1 tsp of plain flour in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes until frothy. If the yeast mixture doesn’t become frothy, discard and start over with fresh batch of yeast because this means that your dough won’t rise either and that would suck.

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Add 1 cup of plain flour, all of whole wheat flour, 2 tbsp of olive oil and salt to the frothy yeast mixture and stir well with a spoon, until shabby dough forms. Dump everything onto a clean flat surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, incorporating extra flour as necessary. The dough should be soft and pliable, but not too sticky. Clean and oil your mixing bowl, turn the dough around to grease from all sides and cover the bowl with clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

While you’re waiting for the dough to rise, wash and grate your zucchini. Mix with salt and leave in a colander to drain. You wanna get as much water out of that zucchini as humanly possible.

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When ready to bake pizza, preheat oven to 250°C. Deflate the dough and stretch with your hands on a lightly greased baking tray. This doesn’t need to be perfect and completely even, so just pinch the dough together should you need to patch up any holes. Omitting the rolling rends a super fluffy and puffy finished pizza.

Press any excess liquid with your hands out of the grated zucchini and scatter on top of the dough. Sprinkle with black pepper, grated cheese and oregano and bake for 10-15 minutes in the middle rack, until crispy and golden. Serve immediately.

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Ah, kada bi ljeto moglo trajati vječno sa svojim obiljem svježe hrane, boja, mirisa i okusa. I svo to sunce. Ah… Želim maksimalno uživati u ljetu dok još uvijek traje, ali želim i jednu pizzu. Pa vam evo jedan recept za savršenu ljetnu pizzu.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 veliku pizzu / 11,38 kn)

Za tijesto:

½ žličice suhog kvasca (0,50 kn)

1 žličica šećera (0,01 kn)

¾ šalice tople vode (–)

1 – 1 ½ šalice glatkog pšeničnog brašna, podijeljene (0,50 kn)

1 ½ šalica integralnog pšeničnog brašna (1,00 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja + još malo za namastiti posudu (0,75 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

Dodaci za pizzu:

2 velike tikvice (3,00 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

½ šalice tvrdog, fino naribanog sira (5,00 kn)

1 žličica sušenog origana (0,50 kn)

Dodatno:

Malo ulja za namastiti protvan za pečenje (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Da bi ste napravili tijesto, prvo u velikoj zdjeli pomiješajte kvasac, šećer, toplu vodu i žličicu glatkog brašna. Pustite da miruje 10-15 minuta dok ne postane pjenasto. Ako mješavina do tada ne postane pjenasta, bacite i krenite ispočetka sa novom turom kvasca, jer vam se tijesto vjerovatno neće dignuti, a to bi bilo koma.

Dodajte u mješavinu kvasca 1 šalicu glatkog brašna, svo integralno brašno, 2 žlice maslinovog ulja i sol, pa miješajte žlicom dok se ne formira labavo tijesto. Sve iskrenite na čistu radnu plohu i mijesite 5-10 minute, a po potrebi dodajte još malo brašna. Tijesto treba biti mekano i podatno, ali se ne smije previše lijepiti. Očistite i nauljite svoju posudu, okrenite unutra tijesto da se namasti sa svih strana, pa prekrijte posudu čistom krpom. Ostavite tijesto da se diže oko 30 minuta, dok mu se veličina ne udvostruči.

Dok čekate da se tijesto digne, operite i naribajte tikvice. Pomiješajte sa soli i ostavite u cjediljki. Željite da u tikvici na kraju ostane što manje vode.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje pizze, zagrijte pećnicu na 250°C. Ispuhnite tijesto i rukama ga rastegnite na lagano namašćenom protvanu. To ne mora biti savršeno i svugdje jednako, a rupe samo zakrpajte tako da tijesto stisnete skupa. Ovako, bez valjka, će vam pizza na kraju biti puno prhkija i pufastija.

Rukama iz tikvica iscijedite što više vode pa ih raštrkajte po tijestu. Posipajte sa paprom, naribanim sirom i origanom, pa pecite 10-15 minuta u sredini pećnice, dok pizza ne bude hruskava i zlatno-žuta. Odmah poslužite.

Whole-Wheat Flour Summer Zucchini Pizza / Ljetna pizza od integralnog brašna sa tikvicama

Hot and Sour Soup / Kiselo-ljuta juha

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Can you tell that I’ve been on a Chinese food kick lately? But I wasn’t happy until I’ve made this soup, as I’ve been craving it for weeks. Weeks, I tell you!

Of course, there is nothing better than to have a piping hot, spicy soup on an average summer day. So naturally, I’ve cooked up a batch to feed an army. Or, you know, just me, for a week. Because I’m greedy and this soup is so delicious that I just don’t wanna share.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 8 serving / per serving / for all)

2 tbsp oil

1 large onion

3 large carrots

250 g block of smoked tofu

5 large shiitake mushrooms

8 cups of chicken broth

1 tsp dried chili flakes

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup corn starch

½ cup warm water

2 eggs

Handful of chopped green onions or chives for serving

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METHOD:

Wash, peel and finely dice onion, carrots and tofu. Cut the mushrooms into thin strips. Add oil and diced onion to a large pot and saute on high heat until translucent. Add in diced carrot and tofu and cook for a few minutes to soften. Throw in mushrooms, broth, chili, soy sauce and sesame oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, then add in vinegar.

Completely dissolve corn starch in warm water and then slowly pour into soup, while stirring constantly. This will prevent large blobs of corn starch from forming. Continue stirring while the soup thickens to desired consistency for another minute or two and then remove from heat. Also note that your soup will additionally thicken as it cools. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and pour into soup in a slow stream, while you gently stirring it.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve sprinkled with a bit of chopped green onions or chives. This soup refrigerates and reheats splendidly.

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Jeste li primjetili da se u zadnje vrijeme ubijam u kineskoj klopi? Ali nisam bila skroz sretna dok nisam smućkala i ovu juhu, jer mi se jela već tjednima. Da, da, tjednima!

Naravno, nema bolje stvari od tanjura kipuće i ljute juhe na posječni ljetni dan. Tako da sam, naravno, skuhala lonac dovoljno veliki za nahraniti vojsku. Ili, samo sebe, jedno tjedan dana. Zato jer sam pohlepna i ova juhica je tako fina da ju odbijam dijeliti.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 8 porcija / 6,99 kn po porciji / 55,93 kn za sve)

2 žlice ulja (0,20 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,50 kn)

250 g dimljenog tofua (18,00 kn)

5 velikih shii taka (10,00 kn)

8 šalica pilećeg temeljca (14,48 kn)

1 žličica sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,50 kn)

¼ šalice soja sosa (2,50 kn)

1 žlica tostiranog sezamovog ulja (1,00 kn)

½ šalice jabučnog octa (0,50 kn)

½ šalice kukuruznog škroba (1,50 kn)

½ šalice tople vode (–)

2 jaja (3,00 kn)

Pregršt nasjeckanog mladog luka ili vlasca za posluživanje (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite, ogulite i sitno nasjeckajte luk, mrkve i tofu. Gljive narežite na tanke trakice. Stavite ulje u veliki lonac i na jakoj vatri prodinstajte luk dok ne postane staklast. Dodajte narezane mrkvu i tofu i kratko prokuhajte da omekšaju. Ubacite unutra gljive, temeljac, čili, soja sos i sesamovo ulje te pustite da zavrije. Smanjite temperaturu i krčkajte 15 minuta, pa dodajte ocat.

Dobro rastopite kukuruzni škrob u toploj vodi i polako dolijevajte u juhu uz neprekidno miješanje, kako se ne bi napravile velike grude škroba. Nastavite miješati dok se juha ne zgusne do željene konzistencije još koju minutu, pa maknite s vatre. Imajte na umu kako će se juha još dodatno zgusnuti kako se bude hladila. Razmutite jaja u maloj zdjelici, pa u tankom mlazu uz nježno miješanje ulijevajte u juhu.

Kušajte i prilagodite začine. Poslužite posipano sa malo nasjeckanog mladog luka ili vlasca. Ova juha se super drži u frižideru i podgrijava.

Hot and Sour Soup / Kiselo-ljuta juha

Spicy Cabbage Salad / Ljuta salata od kupusa

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Despite the weather being so hot and humid lately, I’ve been craving spicy foods like crazy. Obviously, I enjoy sweating all the time. 😀

This salad is super simple, keeps in fridge for days and is even better on the second day, when the cabbage gets juicy and all the flavours have enough time to mingle. Also, one head of cabbage yields a mountain of salad that can feed an army. You have been warned.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields at least 6 servings / 0.12 EUR per serving / 0.72 EUR for all)

For the dressing:

½ cup apple cider vinegar (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp dried chili flakes (0.03 EUR)

For the salad:

1 small head of cabbage (0.40 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.20 EUR)

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METHOD:

In a small saucepan whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt and chili flakes. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and stir until sugar and salt have completely dissolved. Allow to sit for a few minutes so that chilli flakes infuse the vinegar mixture. Depending on strength of your chili and your personal preferences regarding spicy food, you might want to adjust the chili amount. Mine was mouth-scorching hot, so ½ a teaspoon was more than enough.

Meanwhile, wash the veggies, peel and grate carrots and thinly slice the cabbage. You can help yourself out with mandolin if you have one. Toss together with dressing and serve chilled. This salad keeps fantastic for days when stored in fridge in an airtight container.

Usprkos tome što je vrijeme u zadnje vrijeme vruće i sparno, meni se jede ljuta hrana kao nikad. Očito je da se volim prekomjerno i neprekidno znojiti. 😀

Ova salata je super jednostavna, može u frižideru stajati danima, a još je finija idući dan, kada kupus malo omekša i svi sastojci su imali vremena da malo prominglaju. Također, jedna glavica kupusa biti će vam dosta za brdo salate kojom možete nahraniti vojsku. Tek toliko da vas upozorim.

SASTOJCI:

(Za barem 6 porcija / 0,89 kn po porciji / 5,31 kn za sve)

Za dressing:

½ šalice jabučnog octa (0,50 kn)

1 žlica šećera (0,05 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

½ žličice sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,25 kn)

Za salatu:

1 mala glavica kupusa (3,00 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

U malom lončiću pomiješajte ocat, šećer, sol i čili. Pustite da zavrije, skinite s vatre i promiješajte da se šećer i sol do kraja rastope. Pustite da sve odstoji par minuta da pahuljice čilija puste okus u ocat. Ovisno o tome koliko vam je čili ljut i kakve su vam osobne preference, prilagodite količinu čilija. Moj je bio toliko ljut da pali usta, pa je ½ žličice bilo sasvim dovoljno.

U međuvremenu operite povrće, ogulite i naribajte mrkvu i tanko narežite kupus. Možete sipomoći sa mandolinom, ako ju imate. Sve pomiješajte sa dresingom i poslužite ohlađeno. Ova salata se danima super drži u frižideru ako ju čuvate u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi.

Spicy Cabbage Salad / Ljuta salata od kupusa

Beetroot Chocolate Cake / Čokoladni kolač sa ciklom

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Today is my mom’s birthday (Happy birthday, mom! ❤ :* ) and she asked if I’d make her a cheesecake that she could take to work for her co-workers. Of course I obliged, but I decided that she also needs a chocolate cake to have on her. I secretly sneaked beetroot in there, making it a bit healthier and not so decadent.

I’ve tested this recipe on my own co-workers a week prior. Sure enough, none could tell there was a beetroot hiding in there and all praised the cake to be very tasty.

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INGREDIENTS:

(2.41 EUR)

2 medium sized beetroots, cooked and peeled (0.27 EUR)

2 eggs (0.40 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

½ cup yogurt (0.13 EUR)

3 tbsp butter, melted (0.30 EUR)

1 cup all-purpose flour (0.07 EUR)

4 tbsp caster sugar (0.13 EUR)

4 tablespoons raw cacao powder (0.27 EUR)

½ tsp baking powder (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp baking soda (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

3 rows of dark chocolate, chopped into smaller pieces (0.67 EUR)

Oil or butter for greasing the pan (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 170°C. Coat a shallow baking pan with oil or butter and set aside. Blitz beetroot in a food processor. Add in eggs, vanilla and yogurt and pulse until creamy. Finally pour in melted butter, then pulse to incorporate.

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In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour wet ingredients over dry ones and stir until no lumps remain. Transfer batter into a prepared pan and scatter chocolate chunks on top. You can also press the chocolate a bit into the batter.

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Bake the cake for 30 minutes, until skewer inserted inside comes out mostly clean. Serve chilled, or at room temperature, along a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and with some fresh berries.

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Danas je mojoj mami rođendan (Sretan rođendan, mama! ❤ :*), pa me zamolila da joj napravim čizkejk da počasti kolege na poslu. Naravno da sam prihvatila, ali sam zaključila da joj za svaki slučaj treba i čokoladni kolač. Potajno sam u njega podmetnula ciklu, da bude mrvicu zdraviji i malo manje dekadentan.

Ovaj sam recept prošli tjedan isprobala na svojim vlastitim kolegama. Nitko nije ni posumnjao da se u kolaču skriva cikla i svi su ga nahvalili da je jako ukusan.

SASTOJCI:

(17,12 kn)

2 cikle srednje veličine, skuhane i oguljene (2,00 kn)

2 jaja (3,00 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

½ šalice jogurta (1,00 kn)

3 žlice maslaca, rastopljene (2,25 kn)

1 šalica glatkog brašna (0,50 kn)

4 žlice šećera u prahu (1,00 kn)

4 žlice sirovog kakao praha (2,00 kn)

½ žličice praška za pecivo (0,05 kn)

½ žličice sode bikarbone (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

3 reda tamne čokolade, nasjeckane na manje komadiće (5,00 kn)

Ulje ili maslac za namastiti posudu za pečenje (0,10 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 170°C. Namastite plitku posudu za pečenje i stavite na stranu. Usitnite ciklu u multipraktiku. Dodajte jaja, vaniliju i jogurt pa propulsirajte da sve bude kremasto. Na kraju dolijte rastopljeni maslac pa pulsirajte da se sve sjedini.

U zdjeli pomiješajte brašno, šećer, kakao, prašak za pecivo, sodu bikarbonu i sol. Prelijte mokre sastojke preko suhih i miješajte dok ne nestanu sve grudice. Preselite smjesu u pripremljenu posudu za pečenje te po vrhu raštrkajte komadiće čokolade. Također možete i malo utisnuti čokoladu u smjesu.

Pecite kolač 30 minuta, dok štapić umetnut u kolač ne izađe skoro sasvim čist. Poslužite ohlađeno ili na sobnoj temperaturi, skupa sa sladoledom od vanilije ili šlagom i svježim bobičastim voćem.

Beetroot Chocolate Cake / Čokoladni kolač sa ciklom