budget cooking

Love Your Leftovers Burrito / Burrito od raznih ostataka

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Our fridge got to the point where we had various scraps of odds and ends mingling together. Naturally, I wasn’t going to throw any of those things away. Instead, I whipped up these colorful burritos. Hence the amounts in this recipe are a bit annoying – it was literally stuff we had lying around. So tweak and adjust the ingredients a bit to make it all work for you. Just don’t go running to the store to buy an avocado to only use up a quarter! That would be pure madness!

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 burritos / 1.34 EUR per burrito / 2.67 EUR for all)

For the meat:

200 g pork loin (0.80 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp oil (0.03 EUR)

For the burrito:

¼ of avocado (0.20 EUR)

½ of small onion (0.03 EUR)

1 Roma tomato (0.20 EUR)

Handful of arugula (0.13 EUR)

½ can of corn (0.40 EUR)

1 tbsp lemon juice (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tortillas (0.53 EUR)

2 tbsp sour cream (0.07 EUR)

3 tbsp shredded cheese (0.13 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease an oven-safe dish and set aside. Cut the meat into thin strips, toss with salt, pepper and oil and fry in a skillet on high heat. Drain from the excess oil and set aside. Dice avocado, onion and tomato, chop up arugula and then toss everything with corn, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

To assemble burritos, divide veggie mixture between tortillas, top with meat, dollop sour cream, sprinkle cheese and wrap up. Mine were really fat, so the only way to secure them was with a toothpick. Place burritos in your prepared baking dish and bake for 5-7 minutes, just so the cheese can melt and the top crisps up slightly. Serve immediately.

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Spletom okolnosti u frižideru su nam počeli minglati razni čudni ostaci od svega po malo. Naravno, nisam namjeravala išta od toga baciti. Umjesto toga, iskombinirala sam ove šarene burritoe. Iz tog su razloga količine u receptu iritantne – to su doslovce stvari koje sam imala pri ruci. Tako da podesite i prilagodite sastojke kako vama najbolje odgovara. Samo nemojte trčati u dućan po avokado i onda iskoristiti samo četvrtinu! Ti bi bila čista ludost!

SASTOJCI:

(Za dva burrita / 9,95 kn po burritu / 19,90 kn za sve)

Za meso:

200 g svinjskog buta (6,00 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

2 žlice ulja (0,20 kn)

Za burrito:

¼ avokada (1,50 kn)

½ malog luka (0,25 kn)

1 rajčica šljivar (1,50 kn)

Pregršt rukole (1,00 kn)

½ konzerve kukuruza (3,00 kn)

1 žlica limunovog soka (0,50 kn)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

2 tortilje (4,00 kn)

2 žlice kiselog vrhnja (0,50 kn)

3 žlice naribanog sira (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Lagano namastite posudu za pečenje i stavite na stranu. Narežite meso na tanke trakice, pomiješajte sa soli, paprom i uljem, pa u tavici ispecite na jakoj vatri. Ocijedite od viška ulja i stavite na stranu. Narežite avokado, luk i rajčicu na kockice, nasjeckajte rukolu, te sve pomiješajte sa kukuruzom, limunovim sokom, maslinovim uljem, soli i paprom.

Složite burritoe tako da podijelite povrće među tortiljama, pokrijte s mesom, pokapajte kiselim vrhnjem i na kraju posipajte sirom. Zamotajte tortilje, a ako vam budu debele kao moje, učvrstite čačkalicom. Stavite u pripremljenu posudu za pečenje i pecite 5-7 minuta, samo da se sir rastopi a vrh lagano zahrska. Poslužite odmah.

Love Your Leftovers Burrito / Burrito od raznih ostataka

Garlic Sesame Zoodles (vegan) / Špageti od tikvica sa češnjakom i sezamom (veganski)

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I am very reluctant about purchasing new kitchen gadgets, but vegetable spiralizer was a pretty cool buy. Of course, you can make zoodles with a mandolin, box grater or even a potato peeler, but spiralizer makes the process so much faster and easier. Sure enough, I got the cheapest one from E-bay for about 3.00 bucks. It gets the job done and thus is an investment well made.

This whole dish is whipped up in about 10 minutes, including all the chopping and cleaning up. It is the weeknight meal perfection.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 serving / 0.79 EUR)

1 medium zucchini (0.27 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

2 garlic cloves, crushed (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp sesame seeds (0.03 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Thai chili sauce (0.13 EUR)

1 tsp toasted sesame oil (0.03 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

¼ avocado, peeled and thinly sliced (0.20 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash, pat dry and push zucchini through spiralizer with skin intact. To a skillet on high heat, add olive oil and crushed garlic and briefly cook, merely to slightly soften. Then add sesame seeds and toss for a few seconds. Dump in the zoodles and stir-fry for a few minutes, until zucchini is heated up. Stir in sweet Thai chili sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper and serve immediately, with avocado slices arranged on top.

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Nisam niti malo sklona nabavi novog kuhinjskog pribora, ali spiralizator je bio super investicija. Zoodlse (špagete od tikvica) možete napraviti i sa mandolinom, ribežom, pa čak i običnom gulilicom za krumpir, ali spiralizator tu proceduru olakšava i ubrzava. Naravno, ja sam kupila neki najjeftiniji na E-bayu za oko 3,00 dolara. Ali služi svrsi, tako da se kupnja isplatila.

Ovo cijelo jelo je napravljeno u kojih 10 minuta, uključujući i svo rezanje i pranje suđa. Savršena večerica za preko tjedna.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 porciju / 5,89 kn)

1 srednja tikvica (2,00 kn)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

2 češnja češnjaka, sitno sjeckana (0,50 kn)

1 žlica sjemenki sezama (0,25 kn)

1 žlica tajlandskog slatkog chili umaka (1,00 kn)

1 žličica tostiranog sezamovog ulja (0,25 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

¼ avokada, oguljena i narezana na tanke ploške (1,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite, posušite kuhinjskim ručnikom i naspiralizirajte tikvicu skupa sa kožom. U tavi na jakoj vatri kratko popržite češnjak s uljem, samo da mrvicu omekša. Dodajte sezam i kratko promiješajte. Ubacite zoodlse, pa pržite miješajući koju minutu, dok se tikvica samo ne ugrije. Umiješajte tajlandski čili umak, sezamovo ulje, sol i papar, pa odmah poslužite sa kriškama avokada posloženim po vrhu.

Garlic Sesame Zoodles (vegan) / Špageti od tikvica sa češnjakom i sezamom (veganski)

Kaiserschmarrn – Imperial Crumble / Kaiserschmarrn – Carski drobljenac

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My great grandma, who lived to be 96 years old, and through her long life saw three wars and consequential formation and dissolution of several countries, would often whip up Kaiserschmarrn for me while I was growing up. If you are unfamiliar with the dish, it’s basically a crumbled up pancake, named after Austrian emperor (or Kaiser) Franz Joseph I. The dish is incredibly humble and easy to make, unlike what its fancy name might suggest. It is still my favourite, whenever I am in a mood for a quick and simple desert.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 small or 1 gigantic serving / 0.85 EUR)

2 eggs (0.40 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

2 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

2/3 cup of yogurt (0.27 EUR)

4 tbsp all-purpose flour (0.03 EUR)

1 tbsp butter (0.10 EUR)

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METHOD:

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, vanilla, sugar and yogurt. Then add in the flour and whisk for a minute, until creamy and no lumps remain. The batter might appear too liquid, but don’t worry, it’s going to turn out fine.

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Place heavy skillet on medium heat. Allow skillet to fully warm up before melting the butter in it. Swoosh the melted butter around to evenly coat the skillet and then pour in all of the batter. Allow the batter to cook for 5-10 minutes (this depends on your skillet size and thickness) without disturbing it. When the edges start puffing up, but the center is still quite liquid, check the bottom of Kaiserschmarrn to see if it is nice deep golden-brown. If yes, flip the whole thing over. Don’t worry too much if it’s messy as you will tear it down to small chunks anyway. For easier flipping, you can also divide the Kaiserschmarrn with your spatula into smaller pieces.

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Once flipped, finish on the other side for 2-3 minutes, to brown the bottom and thoroughly cook through. Using a spoon or a spatula, tear Kaiserschmarrn to bite-sized pieces. Kaiserschmarrn is usually served with jam or apple sauce and sprinkled with powdered sugar. However, my favourite toppings are a sprinkle of castor sugar for crunchiness combined with instant cocoa powder.

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Moja prabaka, koja je doživjela 96 godina, te je kroz svoj dugi život vidjela nekoliko ratova i posljedično formiranje i rasformiravanje nekoliko država, bi mi dok sam odrastala često napravila Kaiserschmarrn. Ako niste upoznati sa ovim jelom, ono je u biti izdrobljena palačinka, a ime je dobilo po austrijskom caru (odnosno, Kaiseru) Franji Josipu I. Šmarn (po naški) je jako skromno i jednostavno jelo, nevezano na to što možda sugerira njegovo fensi ime. Ono je još uvijek među mojim omiljenima, kad god sam raspoložena za brzi i jednostavni desert.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 2 manje ili 1 gigantsku porciju / 6,25 kn)

2 jaja (3,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

2 žlice šećera (0,10 kn)

2/3 šalice jogurta (2,00 kn)

4 žlice glatkog brašna (0,20 kn)

1 žlica maslaca (0,75 kn)

PRIPREMA:

U zdjeli izmiješajte jaja, sol, vaniliju, šećer i jogurt. Onda dodajte brašno, pa dobro miješajte koju minutu, dok sve ne bude kremasto i bez grudica. Smjesa vam se može učiniti prerijetkom, ali bez brige, sve će ispasti okej.

Stavite težu tavu na srednju vatru. Pustite ju da se skroz ugrije prije nego što ćete u njoj rastopiti maslac. Malo promrdajte tavu da se maslac po njoj ravnomjerno rasporedi, pa onda ulijte svu smjesu. Pustite da se smjesa kuha 5-10 minuta (ovo ovisi o veličini i debljini vaše tave) bez da ju dirate. Kada se rubovi napuhnu, a sredina je još dosta tekuća, provjerite da li je dno šmarna dobilo lijepu zlatno-smeđu boju. Ako da, preokrenite šmarn. Nemojte se brinuti ako to bude neuredno, jer ćete ionako šmarn natrgati na komade. Da si olakšate okretanje, možete šmarn sa špahtlom podijeliti na manje dijelove.

Kada ste preokrenuli šmarn, kuhajte drugu stranu još 2-3 minute, dok i ona ne bude zlatno-smeđa te se dobro skuha. Sa žlicom ili špahtlom natrgajte šmarn na komadiće veličine zalogaja. Kaiserschmarrn se obično poslužuje sa pekmezom ili umakom od jabuke i posipan sa šećerom u prahu. Međutim, meni je najdraže jesti ga posipanog sa običnim šećerom za hrskavoću, pomiješanim sa instant kakaom praškom.

Kaiserschmarrn – Imperial Crumble / Kaiserschmarrn – Carski drobljenac

Peanut and Pork Roast Salad / Salata sa kikirikijem i pečenom svinjetinom

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If you’ve decided to make pork roast for the weekend, then you probably have a bunch of leftovers to eat. Here is a salad idea where you could incorporate a bit of that leftover cold meat.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 huge serving of salad / 1.28 EUR)

5 large lettuce leaves (0.27 EUR)

1 large carrot (0.10 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

Juice from ½ lemon (0.20 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp crushed raw peanuts (0.13 EUR)

4-5 super thin slices of cold pork roast (0.40 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash and pat dry all the vegetables. Cut lettuce into strips. Peel carrot and then, using a peeler, make carrot strips. Peel and cut onion super thinly. Mix the cut vegetables with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and, using your hands, gently massage the seasoning into the veggies. Scatter crushed peanuts and meat on top and serve right away.

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Ako ste se odlučili za vikend raditi svinjsku pečenku, sigurno imate još ostataka mesa za iskoristiti. Evo jedna ideja za salatu u koju možete uključiti malo hladnog pečenja.

SASTOJCI:

(Za jednu veliku porciju salate / 9,47 kn)

5 velikih listova zelene salate (2,00 kn)

1 velika mrkva (0,75 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

Sok od ½ limuna (1,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

2 žlice zdrobljenih sirovih kikirikija (1,00 kn)

4-5 jako tankih šnita hladne svinjske pečenke (3,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite i kuhinjskom krpom posušite svo povrće. Narežite zelenu salatu na trake. Ogulite mrkvu, pa onda ljuštilicom od mrkve napravite debele rezance. Očistite i jako tanko narežite luk. Pomiješajte narezano povrće sa uljem, limunovim sokom, soli i paprom, pa onda rukama nježno umasirajte začine u povrće. Po vrhnu raštrkajte kikiriki i meso te odmah poslužite.

Peanut and Pork Roast Salad / Salata sa kikirikijem i pečenom svinjetinom

Bacon and Spinach Frittata / Fritata sa špekom i špinatom

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If you ask me, eggs are a perfect food. You can do a thousand things with them and easily add them to dishes to round up a full, nutritious and cheap meal. They cook quickly and are quite difficult to mess up. They work in breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners. And elevenses, naturally.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 1 / 1.30 EUR)

Large handful of fresh spinach (0.27 EUR)

2 eggs (0.40 EUR)

2 tbsp finely grated hard cheese, like Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano (0.13 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2-3 slices of bacon, chopped into squares (0.40 EUR)

1 tbsp oil (0.01 EUR)

2 garlic cloves, minced (0.07 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 250°C. Meanwhile, wash, pat dry and coarsely chop spinach. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. On medium-low heat add bacon and oil to oven-safe skillet and cook for a minute or two to slightly crisp up. Add in garlic and give a good stir and then add in all of the spinach and cook covered for a few minutes, while stirring once or twice until the spinach wilts down.

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Redistribute spinach, eggs and bacon with a spatula and then carefully pour eggs on top, evening everything out as needed. Cook for about 5 minutes until eggs are almost fully set on top and then transfer to the oven to cook for another 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your frittata. Serve immediately.

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Ako se mene pita, jaja su savršena hrana. S njima se da napraviti tisuću stvari i lako ih se doda jelima za zaokruženi, hranjivi i jeftini obrok. Brzo se skuhaju i teško ih je upropastiti. Funkcioniraju za doručak, brunch, ručak i večeru. I elevenses, naravno.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 osobu / 9,66 kn)

Veliki pregršt svježeg špinata (2,00 kn)

2 jaja (3,00 kn)

2 žlice fino naribanog tvrdog sira, kao što su parmezan ili Grana Padano (1,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

2-3 kriške špeka, narezane na kvadrate (3,00 kn)

1 žlica ulja (0,10 kn)

2 češnja češnjaka, sitno nasjeckana (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 250°C. U međuvremenu operite, posušite i grubo narežite špinat. U maloj zdjelici razmutite jaja sa sirom, soli i paprom. Na srednjoj do laganoj vatri u tavicu, koja može i u pećnicu, dodajte špek i ulje te kuhajte minutu-dvije, dok se špek lagano ne zahrska. Dodajte češnjak, promiješajte, pa ubacite sav špinat i kuhajte poklopljeno nekoliko minuta dok špinat ne povene. Po potrebi promiješajte jednom ili dva puta.

Špatulom rasporedite špinat, špek i češnjak, pa pažljivo preko prelijte razmućena jaja. Po potrebi malo poravnajte. Kuhajte oko 5 minuta, dok jaja sa gornje strane nisu skoro pa gotova. Onda sve preselite u pećnicu i zapecite 5-10 minuta, ovisno o tome koliko hrskavu fritatu želite. Poslužite odmah.

Bacon and Spinach Frittata / Fritata sa špekom i špinatom

Classic Pork Roast / Klasična pečena svinjetina

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I remember clearly those Sundays while I was just a little girl, when I’d step into the hallway of our apartment building, and the smell of roasting meat would just swarm me from all around. The times were definitely different back then and big chunks of roasted meat were a luxury people would only serve on big Sunday meals or on holidays.

Nowadays, though, meat is pretty affordable. Roasting a big hunk of meat is easy and leaves you with plenty of leftovers to incorporate in your meals during the week. I love adding thinly sliced cold roast into my salads or sandwiches, just as much I love a fresh roast.

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For a delicious roast, the only two things you need to do is to pick out a fresh and good quality chunk of meat and generously season it with salt and pepper the night before. That’s it. I prefer going for such neutral seasoning, so I can later play with add-ons while eating leftovers.

A lot of people prefer searing the meat in the pan before roasting, so the outer pores can seal and the meat is more juicy and tender. Honestly, I never bother with this. Mainly because I am too lazy to justify getting another dish dirty, but also because I prefer meat really well done. I’ve never had a piece of meat that was too dry for my unsophisticated palate.

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INGREDIENTS:

(4.86 EUR)

1 kg pork loin (4.00 EUR)

1 tsp salt, divided (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided (0.01 EUR)

3 tbsp oil, divided (0.04 EUR)

4-5 large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks (0.80 EUR)

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METHOD:

Pat dry pork loin from any liquids, rub well with about ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of pepper and refrigerate overnight in an open container. When ready to roast, preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly brush the meat and roasting pan with a bit of oil. Sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper on top of the pork loin. Scatter potatoes around the meat and toss with remaining oil, salt and pepper.

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Roast all for 1 to 1 ½ hours, depending on how well done you prefer your meat, while stirring the potatoes once or twice during baking. Once done, allow the roast to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into it and serving. This way the meat will relax after roasting and all the juices will redistribute evenly.

This amount of potatoes should be enough for 3-4 servings and you’ll have enough leftover meat to use up in later meals. Of course, feel free to add in more potatoes to your pan. As they bake, they’ll soak up all the delicious juices from the meat and taste heavenly.

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Dobro se sjećam tih nedjelja dok sam još bila mala, kada bi izašla na hodnik naše zgrade, a sa svih strana bi me oplahnuo miris pečenog mesa. Onda su vremena bila drugačija, a veliki komadi pečenog mesa bili su luksuz koji bi si ljudi priuštili za velike nedjeljne objede i za blagdane.

U današnje je doba meso poprilično jeftino. Ispeći veliki komad mesa je jednostavno, a kasnije vam ostane dovoljno ostataka da ih kombinirate sa obrocima kroz tjedan. Volim ubaciti tanko narezanu hladnu pečenku u salate i sendviče jednako koliko volim i svježe pečeno meso.

Za ukusnu pečenku trebate samo dvije stvari, a to su izabrati dobar i svjež komad mesa i večer prije ga pošteno začiniti sa solju i paprom. I to je to. Meni je draže koristiti takve neutralne začine, jer onda se kasnije kada jedem ostatke mogu poigrati sa raznim dodacima.

Dosta ljudi prije pečenja meso kratko poprži na tavi da se vanjske pore zatvore, pa unutrašnjost onda bude mekša i sočnija. Iskreno, meni se to nikada ne da. Uglavnom iz razloga što sam prelijena da opravdam prljanje još jedne posude, ali također i zato što volim kada je meso jako dobro pečeno. Još mi se nikada nije desilo da pojedem komad mesa koji je presuh za moje nesofisticirano nepce.

SASTOJCI:

(36,41 kn)

1 kg svinjskog buta (30,00 kn)

1 žličica soli, podijeljena (0,01 kn)

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

3 žlice ulja, podijeljene (0,30 kn)

4-5 velikih krumpira, oribanih i narezanih na kocke (6,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Kuhinjskim ručnikom dobro posušite but od bilo koje tekućine, utrljajte u meso oko ½ žličice soli i ½ žličice papra i ostavite preko noći u hladnjaku u otvorenoj posudi. Kada ste spremni za pečenje, zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Lagano premažite meso i protvan sa malo ulja. Posipajte još mrvicu soli i papra po butu. Krumpire raštrkajte oko mesa i pomiješajte sa preostalim uljem, soli i paprom.

Pecite sve 1 do 1 ½ sat, ovisno o tome koliko dobro pečeno volite meso, s time da jednom ili dva puta promiješate krumpire tijekom pečenja. Kada je sve gotovo, pustite da pečenka odmara oko 15 minuta prije nego što ju krenete rezati i posluživati. Na taj način će se meso opustiti i svi će se sokovi u njemu jednako preraspodijeliti.

Ova bi vam količina krumpira trebala biti dovoljna za 3-4 porcije te će vam još ostati i nešto mesa, da ga iskoristite u kasnijim obrocima. Naravno, slobodno dodajte još krumpira. Kako se peku, oni će upiti sve ukusne sokove iz pečenke i biti prefini.

Classic Pork Roast / Klasična pečena svinjetina

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Squares / Zobene kocke sa bananom i kikiriki maslacem

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You’re in dire need of a portable, budget friendly and healthy breakfast idea? Look no further, friends, for these will change your life.

Take out a few minutes out of your weekend to prepare breakfast for the upcoming week and start your day right. Double or even quadruple this recipe to take things even further and have breakfast sorted out for almost the entire month, because these freeze great. Really, you can have no more excuses for skipping breakfast in the morning.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 squares / 0.28 EUR per square / 1.11 EUR for all)

1 tbsp butter or coconut oil for vegan version + more for greasing the baking dish (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp honey (0.13 EUR)

2 tbsp peanut butter (0.27 EUR)

½ cup warm water (–)

1 banana (0.20 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

2 tbsp ground flax seed (0.13 EUR)

1 ½ cup rolled oats (0.27 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a small baking dish with butter or coconut oil and set aside. Add butter (or coconut oil, if using), honey, peanut butter and water to a small sauce pan and heat up while stirring occasionally until everything is melted and combined. You can also do this in a microwave. Mash up the banana using a fork or a potato masher, stir in salt and vanilla, then add in flax seed, oats and butter mixture and stir until combined.

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Transfer the batter into prepared baking dish, even out the top with the back of a spoon and bake for 30 minutes, until firmed up and crispy. Allow the oatmeal to cool off in the baking dish for about 5 minutes, before slicing into squares and carefully transferring on a rack to cool off completely and thus firm up a bit. Once completely cool, wrap each individual square in parchment paper or cling foil and refrigerate in airtight container for up to a week, for a quick grab in the morning. To freeze, just add individually wrapped squares to a zip-lock bag and thaw as needed.

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Tražite ideju za prenosivi, jeftin i zdravi doručak? Ne tražite dalje, jer ovo će vam promijeniti život.

Odvojite par minuta za vrijeme vikenda kako bi ste pripremili doručak za nadolazeći tjedan i tako započeli svoj dan na pravi način. Udvostručite ili čak učetverostručite ovaj recept, pa ćete imati riješen doručak za skoro cijeli mjesec, jer se ove kocke super zamrzavaju. Stvarno, više ne možete imati izgovor zašto ste ujutro preskočili doručak.

SASTOJCI

(Za 4 kocke / 2,05 kn po kocki / 8,21 kn za sve)

1 žlica maslaca ili kokosovog ulja za vegansku verziju + malo za namastiti posudu (0,50 kn)

1 žlica meda (1,00 kn)

2 žlice kikiriki maslaca (2,00 kn)

½ šalice tople vode (–)

1 banana (1,50 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

2 žlice mljevenih sjemenki lana (1,00 kn)

1 ½ šalica zobenih pahuljica (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Lagano namastite mali protvan za pečenje i stavite na stranu. U malom lončiću zagrijte skupa maslac (ili kokosovo ulje, ako ga koristite), med, kikiriki maslac i vodu i povremeno miješajte dok se sve ne rastopi. To također možete napraviti i u mikrovalnoj. Zgnječite bananu viljuškom ili gnječilicom za krumpir, dodajte u nju sol i ekstrakt vanilije, pa na kraju umiješajte lan, zobene pahuljice i mješavinu maslaca.

Smjesu izlijte u pripremljeni protvan, poravnajte stražnjom stranom žlice i pecite 30 minuta, dok se ne stisne i ne dobije hrskavu koricu. Pustite da se sve ohladi 5 minuta u protvanu, prije nego što ćete narezati na kocke i pažljivo ih premjestiti na rešetku da se ohlade do kraja i tako stisnu. Kada su kocke skroz hladne, zamojtajte svaku pojedinačno u papir za pečenje ili prozirnu foliju. Čuvajte u hladnjaku u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi do tjedan dana. Ako ćete kocke smrznuti, samo dobro umotajte pojedinačno zamotane kocke u plastičnu vrećicu i odmrznite po potrebi.

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Squares / Zobene kocke sa bananom i kikiriki maslacem

Homemade pita bread / Domaći pita kruh

Crunch Crunch Away, , , 3 Comments

I’m always amazed at how much difference in quality there is between homemade and store bought breads. So if you are eying the recipe length and wondering “Is this really worth my time?”, my answer to you is YES! Always a yes.

It might seem like there are a million steps by the length of the recipe, but actually, it’s all pretty straightforward. Plus, there are instructions for both stovetop and oven baked pitas, so choose whichever you like more. Stovetops would always be my preferred choice, as you get those delicious charred parts. But the advantage of oven baked is that you get to make more pitas at the same time and don’t need to hover over them.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 8 pita breads / 0.06 EUR per pita / 0.48 EUR for all)

1 cup warm water (–)

1 tsp active dry yeast (0.13 EUR)

1 tsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

2 1/3 – 3 cups plain white flour, divided (0.20 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

3 tbsp olive oil + more for greasing the bowl (0.13 EUR)

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Oven baked pita

METHOD:

First prepare the yeast by whisking together water, yeast, sugar and 1 tsp flour in a large bowl. Set aside for 10-15 minutes until it’s bubbly. If the yeast doesn’t bubble it means that either your yeast was old or the water was too hot and killed it, in which case you need to discard the mix and start all over again, or your dough won’t puff. Sorry, it’s just the way it is.

Once the yeast is bubbly, put in 2 1/3 cups of flour, salt and olive oil and give everything a good stir. Once the dough starts coming together, dump it all onto a lightly floured counter and knead for about 10-15 minutes, until the dough becomes silky and forms a nice ball, sprinkling with more flour if necessary.

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VS. stovetop pita

Clean the large mixing bowl you were using, add a bit more of olive oil in it and turn the dough ball around until it’s greased on all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and set aside for 1-2 hours for rising, until the dough doubles in size. You want the dough to rise someplace warm where there are no drafts.

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When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 220°C if baking pita in the oven. Turn the risen dough over on a counter and softly deflate. Gently knead into a ball and divide into 8 equal parts. Whatever you’ll be using up right away, roll into thin disks and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes, until pitas are puffy. Everything else you can keep in your fridge, tightly wrapped in a plastic wrap up to one week. I’ve found that pita’s actually taste better when you use the dough after it’s been sitting in a fridge, so it’s worth having a batch of dough around.

If you’re making pitas stovetop, preheat skillet over a high flame and bake pitas for 1-2 minutes on each side. To keep the pitas warm until ready to eat, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. They are best eaten right away, while still warm.

Uvijek se fasciniram time kolika je razlika u kvaliteti između domaćeg kruha i onog kupovnog. Tako da, ako gledate dužinu ovog recepta i pitate se „Da li je ovo stvarno vrijedno mojeg vremena?“, moj odgovor je DA! Uvijek da.

Možda vam se čini da po dužini recepta da ovdje ima milijon koraka, ali zapravo je sve poprilično jasno. Osim toga, tu su upute za pita kruh koji možete peći i na štednjaku i u pećnici, pa odaberite opciju koja vam se više sviđa. Pečenje na štednjaku bi uvijek bilo moj prvi izbor, jer onda dobijete finu zapečenu koricu. Ali prednost pečenja u pećnici je da istovremeno možete peći više kruhića, i to bez da cijelo vrijeme stražarite nad njima.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 8 pita kruhića / 0,44 kn po piti / 3,52 kn za sve)

1 šalica tople vode (–)

1 žličica suhog kvasca (1,00 kn)

1 žličica šećera (0,01 kn)

2 1/3 – 3 šalice glatkog brašna, podijeljene (1,50 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

3 žlice maslinovog ulja + još malo za namastiti posudu (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Prvo pripremite kvasac tako da u velikoj zdjeli izmiješate vodu, kvasac, šećer i 1 žlicu brašna. Stavite na stranu na 10-15 minuta dok ne postane pjenasto. Ako kvasac ne postane pjenast, znači da je ili star ili da vam je voda bila prevruća pa ste pobili kvasac, pa to morate baciti i početi ispočetka jer vam se inače tijesto neće dignuti. Sori, to je jednostavno tako.

Kada je kvasac postao pjenast, dodajte unutra 2 1/3 šalice brašna, sol i maslinovo ulje i dobro sve promiješajte. Kako se tijesto bude formiralo, tako sve istresite na lagano pobrašnjenu radnu plohu i mijesite 10-15 minuta, sve dok tijesto ne bude glatko i ne oblikujete ga u loptu, a po potrebi dodajte u tijesto malo po malo brašna.

Očistite posudu koju ste koristili, kapnite malo ulja u nju, pa okrećite po posudi kuglu tijesta kako bi se namastila sa svih strana. Pokrijte posudu čistom krpom i ostavite tijesto da se diže 1-2 sata, dok se ne udvostruči. Najbolje je ostaviti tijesto da se diže na toplom mjestu bez propuha.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje, zagrijte pećnicu na 220°C ako pečete pite u pećnici. Dignuto tijesto izokrenite na radnu plogu i nježno ispuhnite. Lagano umijesite kuglu i podijelite na 8 jednakih dijelova. Ono što planirate odmah koristiti razvaljajte u tanke diskove i rasporedite po protvanu za pečenje obloženom masnim papirom i pecite u pećnici 4-5 minuta, dok pite ne budu lijepo pufaste. Sav višak tijesta možete čuvati u hladnjaku dobro zamotan u plastičnu foliju do tjedan dana. Osobno mislim da su kruhići još finiji kada tijesto odstoji neko vrijeme u hladnjaku, pa se isplati imati turu tijesta pri ruci.

Ako radite pite na štednjaku, dobro zagrijte tavu na jakoj vatri i pecite pite 1-2 minute na svakoj strani. Da vam kruhići budu topli, držite ih umotane u čistu kuhinjsku krpu. Najbolje ih je poslužiti odmah, dok su još topli.

Homemade pita bread / Domaći pita kruh

Spicy Bean Burgers (vegetarian) / Pikantni burgeri od graha (vegetarijanski)

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

Low on cash, but want to make something filling and delicious? Fear not, these burgers are just the thing.

I came up with this recipe in order to use up all of the bits and bobs I had lying around the house. For different bits and bobs you have on your hand, feel free to subtract or add things. Just remember, you’ll need to add plenty of dry ingredients to the mashed beans and chopped vegetables to hold those burgers together. Here I opted for soy flakes, so I could ditch breadcrumbs or flour and make the burgers even more protein packed.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 8 burger patties / 0.27 EUR per patty / 2.14 EUR for all)

1 ½ cup precooked cannellini beans (0.40 EUR)

1 small onion, finely diced (0.07 EUR)

3 garlic cloves, minced (0.10 EUR)

½ small bell pepper, finely diced (0.13 EUR)

1 cup dried soy flakes (0.53 EUR)

1 large egg (0.20 EUR)

2 tbsp finely grated hard cheese, like Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, etc. (0.13 EUR)

Bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp ground flax seed (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

2 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce (0.27 EUR)

1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.03 EUR)

½ tsp smoked paprika (0.03 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Strain the beans from any liquid and pat dry with a kitchen towel, then mash them up using a potato masher. Add all of the ingredients to the bean paste and stir really well to combine. Let sit for about half an hour, so all the flavors can mix.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 200°C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and using a large spoon (or large ice cream scoop, if you have one), divide the mixture on baking sheet. Gently press the down with your hands and thus form into patties. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until crispy and deep golden-brown.

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Niste baš pri novcima, a htjeli biste napraviti nešto zasitno i ukusno? Ne bojte se, ovi burgeri su baš prava stvar.

Ovaj sam recept smislila da potrošim sve ostatke koji su mi se povlačili po kući. Slobodno oduzmite ili dodajte stvari da biste upotrijebili sve ostake hrane koje vi imate doma. Samo imajte na umu da trebate u burgere dodati dovoljno suhih sastojaka u pastu od graha i nasjeckano povrće kako bi se sve držalo na okupu. Ja sam se odlučila za sojine ljuspice da mogu izbaciti krušne mrvice i kako bi burgeri bili još napucaniji sa proteinima.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 8 burgera / 1,99 kn po burgeru / 15,97 kn za sve)

1 ½ šalice već skuhanog bijelog graha (3,00 kn)

1 mali luk, sitno nasjeckan (0,50 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka, sitno nasjeckana (0,75 kn)

½ male paprike babure, sitno nasjeckane (1,00 kn)

1 šalica sojinih ljuspica (4,00 kn)

1 jaje (1,50 kn)

2 žlice fino naribanog tvrdog sira, kao parmezan, Grana Padano i sl. (1,00 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina, sitno nasjeckanog (0,50 kn)

2 žlice mljevenih sjemenki lana (0,50 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

2 žlice tajlandskog slatkog chili umaka (2,00 kn)

1 žličica slatke crvene paprike (0,25 kn)

½ žličice dimljene crvene paprike (0,25 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

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

PRIPREMA:

Ocijedite grah od tekućine i malo ga posušite kuhinjskim ručnikom, pa ga onda izgnječite sa gnječilicom za krumpir. Dodajte sve sastojke u pastu od graha i dobro sve promiješajte. Pustite smjesu da odstoji oko pola sata kako bi se svi okusi proželi.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje, zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Obložite protvan za pečenje masnim papirom, pa velikom žlicom (ili velikom žlicom za sladoled, ako ju imate) grabite smjesu na protvan. Rukama nježno pritisnite smjesu da biste formirali burgere. Pecite oko 25-30 minuta, dok burgeri ne budu hrskavi i ne dobiju lijepu zlatno-smeđu boju.

Spicy Bean Burgers (vegetarian) / Pikantni burgeri od graha (vegetarijanski)

Vegan Soy Bolognese / Veganski sojonjez

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , 4 Comments

This dish has become my weeknight staple, as it’s incredibly quick and zero fuss. I usually whip up a humongous batch and then have lunch situations at work settled during the next few days. On top of this, the ingredient list is super short and it’s basically stuff that I always have lying around.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 0.45 EUR per serving / 1.78 EUR for all)

1 large onion, diced (0.10 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

3 garlic cloves, minced(0.09 EUR)

1 can diced tomatoes (0.53 EUR)

1 cup dry soya flakes (0.53 EUR)

1 cup water (–)

1 tbsp dried basil (0.27 EUR)

2 tbps dried parsley (0.13 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.03 EUR)

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METHOD:

Saute onion on olive oil on high heat for a few minutes, until slightly translucent. Add in minced garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add in tomatoes, soya flakes, water, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, give everything a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook with cracked lid for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add a splash more of water.

Serve over freshly cooked pasta and with a huge green salad.

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Ovo je jelo postalo moj prehrambeni temelj preko tjedna, pošto je turbo brzo gotovo i nema nikakvog prtljanja. Obično skuham ogromnu količinu pa si s time riješim ručkove na poslu za idućih par dana. Osim toga, popis sastojaka je jako kratak i to su sve stvari koje ionako uvijek imam doma.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 3,33 kn po porciji / 13,32 kn za sve)

1 veliki luk, sitno nasjeckan (0,75 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka, sitno nasjeckana (0,70 kn)

1 konzerva nasjeckanih rajčica (4,00 kn)

1 šalica sojinih ljuskica (4,00 kn)

1 šalica vode (–)

1 žlica sušenog bosiljka (2,00 kn)

2 žlice sušenog peršina (1,00 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,20 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Na jakoj vatri dinstajte luk na ulju nekoliko minuta, dok ne postane staklast. Dodajte nasjeckani češnjak i promiješajte par sekundi. Dodajte rajčicu, soju, vodu, bosiljak, peršin, sol i papar, dobro sve promiješajte i pričekajte da zavrije. Onda smanjite vatru i kuhajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem 15-20 minuta uz povremeno miješanje. Po potrebi možete dodati još malo vode.

Poslužite uz svježe kuhanu tjesteninu i sa velikom zelenom salatom.

Vegan Soy Bolognese / Veganski sojonjez