budget cooking

Baked Squash and Sweet Potato Autumn Soup / Jesenska juha od pečene bundeve i batata

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Today we will be baking a soup. Yes, you’ve read this correctly, a soup which comes out of the oven. Incidentally, I had the oven going for some other stuff and thought to myself, why couldn’t I just make a soup in the oven as well? Why, indeed? It’s totally doable. The internet is full of baked potato soup recipes and this is just taking things a step further down the path of lazy. I have zero shame about it, too. In fact, I’m thinking about making a baked mushroom soup next. The possibilities opening before me truly seem endless.

Anyhow, what you will end up here with is a batch of thick yummy paste which you can later take any way you’d like. I’m talking pasta toppings, or stew starters, or just soup. On its own, or with some spinach in, or topped with croutons, or pumpkin seeds, or drizzled with yogurt or cream. It’s like ten meals hiding inside one container of pureed veggies. It’s magic.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 10 generous servings / 0.22 EUR per serving / 2.24 EUR for all)

½ small Kabocha squash (0.66 EUR)

2 sweet potatoes (1.07 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.13 EUR)

1 chili pepper (0.07 EUR)

1 small piece of ginger (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.08 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Crack of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.09 EUR)

Oil or non-spray for coating the pan (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease baking tray or coat with non-stick spray, line with parchment paper and set aside. Wash, peel and roughly chop all the vegetables and leave skins only on whole garlic cloves, as we’re baking those whole with skins intact. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper in prepared baking tray, arrange whole unpeeled garlic cloves among vegetable chunks and bake for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables soften and slightly caramelize. My tray was placed in lower third of the oven as I was baking something above, so the veggies got nice and charred on the bottom.

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Allow vegetables to cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and working in batches, run everything in your food processor until smooth and creamy. You might want to add a cup of water for smoother texture and also run things in batches if you have a tiny food processor like me.

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For finishing soup, mix two heaping tablespoons of paste with one cup of water and bring to a rolling boil and then serve. Or just store the paste in your fridge or freezer in an airtight container.

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I intentionally made seasoning pretty mild so the final soup can later be customized to wish. However, my chilies were insanely hot, so I suggest you only add one chili at a time, or you too might have a real kick with your soup.

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Danas ćemo peći juhu. Da, da, dobro ste pročitali, radimo juhu u pećnici. Naime, desilo se to tako da mi je pećnica već gorila radi nekih drugih stvari, pa sam pomislila, zašto ne bi mogla napraviti i juhu u pećnici? Zaista, zašto ne? Totalno je izvedivo. Internet je krcat receptima za juhu od pečenih krumpira. Ovo je samo korak dalje prema putu lijenosti. Uopće se zbog toga ni ne sramim. Zapravo, već planiram raditi juhu od pečenih gljiva. Mogućnosti koje su mi se otvorile čine se beskrajnima.

Uglavnom, ono što ćete dobiti je gusta fina krema sa kojom kasnije možete raditi svašta. Kao recimo upotrijebiti kao sos za tjesteninu, ili početak nekog finog gulaša, ili jesti samo kao juhu. Čistu juhicu, ili sa špinatom, ili sa krutonima, ili bučinim sjemenkama, ili pokapanu sa jogurtom ili vrhnjem. To je kao čarobni paket od deset jela u jednom.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 10 izdašnih porcija / 1,68 kn po porciji / 16,78 kn za sve)

½ male kabocha tikve (5,00 kn)

2 batata (8,00 kn)

1 veći luk (0,75 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,00 kn)

1 čili papričica (0,50 kn)

1 mali komadić đumbira (0,10 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (0,70 kn)

Ulje za premazati posudu za pečenje (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Namastite posudu za pečenje i obložite masnim papirom i stavite na stranu. Operite, ogulite i grubo nasijecite svo povrće, osim češnjaka, jer ćemo njega peći cijelog u ljusci. U pripremljenoj posudi za pečenje pomiješajte povrće sa maslinovim uljem, soli i paprom, pa među povrćem razmjestite i češnjak. Pecite 30-45 minuta, dok povrće ne omekša i ne postane blago karamelizirano. Moj protvan je bio u donjoj trećini pećnice jer sam gore pekla nešto drugo, pa se zato lijepa korica uhvatila sa donje strane.

Pustite da se sve malo ohladi, istisnite češnjak iz ljuski i sve ispasirajte u multipraktiku do kremaste teksture. Možete slobodno dodati šalicu vode da se lakše propasira, a po protrebi i ovisno o veličini vašeg multipraktika, možda ćete morati sve podijeliti u par tura.

Da zgotovite juhu, pomiješajte oko 2 žlice paste sa jednom šalicom vode i stavite da zakuha, pa poslužite. Ili jednostavno spremite pastu za kasnije u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi u hladnjaku ili zamrzivaču.

Baked Squash and Sweet Potato Autumn Soup / Jesenska juha od pečene bundeve i batata

Cocoa Banana Bread / Kruh od banane i kakaa

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It just so happened that we had two bananas sitting on the counter and starting to look unappealing enough to eat raw. So I figured, why not bake them into banana bread? After a quick scan of what was on hand (not much), this is what I came up with. And the result is fantastic; moist and fragrant and so dang tasty. So I really hope you have two unappealing bananas sitting on your counter as well, as those yield the best banana bread.

Bonus: you only need one bowl for it! Win!

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 loaf / 2.20 EUR per loaf)

2 overripe bananas (0.53 EUR)

2 large eggs (0.40 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

1 cup yogurt (0.40 EUR)

4 tbsp butter, melted + more for greasing the loaf pan(0.40 EUR)

1 cup rolled oats (0.13 EUR)

1 cup all-purpose flour (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp flax seed (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp raw cocoa powder (0.13 EUR)

4 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp baking powder (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp baking soda (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease loaf pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, smash bananas using a potato masher or a fork. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, yogurt and butter, until creamy and fully incorporated. Add in oats, flour, flax seed, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir everything with a spatula until just incorporated. Pour the batter into prepared pan, gently shake to even the surface and bake for 30-35 minutes, until top cracks and a toothpick inserted comes out clean (a crumb or two is also okay). Let banana bread cool in its pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Desilo se to da su te dvije banane stajale u kuhinji i počele izgledati prilično neprivlačno. Zaključila sam da bi najbolje bilo od njih napraviti kruh. Nakon brzog pregleda čega sve imamo doma (ne baš puno toga), dobila sam kruh koji je fantastičan; sočan i aromatičan i jako fin. Tako da se nadam da i vi imate doma par neprivlačnih banana, jer od njih je najbolji kruh.

Bonus: treba vam samo jedna zdjela! Pobjeda!

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 štrucu / 16,42 kn za štrucu)

2 prezrele banane (4,00 kn)

2 jaja (3,00 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta vanilije (0,20 kn)

1 šalica jogurta (3,00 kn)

4 žlice rastopljenog maslaca + još malo za namastiti kalup za pečenje (3,00 kn)

1 šalica zobenih pahuljica (1,00 kn)

1 šalica oštrog pšeničnog brašna (0,50 kn)

2 žlice sjemenki lana (0,50 kn)

2 žlice sirovog kakao praha (1,00 kn)

4 žlice šećera (0,10 kn)

1 žličica praška za pecivo (0,10 kn)

½ žličice sode bikarbone (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Ugrijte pečnicu na 200°C. Maslacem namastite kalup za kruh i obložite papirom za pečenje. Stavite na stranu. U velikoj zdjeli gnječilicom za krumpir ili viljuškom zdrobite banane. Umutite jaja, vaniliju, jogurt i rastopljeni maslac da bude jednolično i kremasto. Dodajte zobene, brašno, lan, kakao prah, šećer, prašak za pecivo, sodu bikarbonu i sol pa špatulom mješajte dok se sastojci ne sjedine. Istresite smjesu u pripremljeni kalup, nježno protresite da poravnate pa pecite 30-35 minuta, dok se vrh ne raspuca a umetnuta čačkalica ne izađe čista (mrvica-dvije su sasvim okej). Pustite da se kruh hladi 15-tak minuta u kalupu prije nego ga preselite na rešetku za pečenje da se ohladi do kraja.

Cocoa Banana Bread / Kruh od banane i kakaa

Homemade Clumpy Granola / Domaća grudasta granola

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This granola recipe is just the thing when you need to have breakfast situations solved. You can make a huge batch to store in the fridge, as it keeps for weeks. It’s delicious served over milk and yoghurt, and even on its own, as a snack.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 8 generous servings / 0.42 EUR per serving / 3.37 EUR for whole)

500 g rolled oats (0.67 EUR)

3-4 apples, grated with rinds (0.40 EUR)

1 cup golden raisins (0.67 EUR)

1/3 cup almonds, whole or cut or smashed into rough chunks (0.67 EUR)

1/3 cup butter (0.40 EUR)

4 tbsp honey (0.53 EUR)

1 tsp cinnamon (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.02 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together oats, apples, raisins and almonds or almond chunks. The easiest way for me to get almond chunks is to put almonds in a freezer bag and bash the crap out of them with a rolling pin. In a small saucepan melt butter and honey. Remove from heat, add cinnamon and vanilla, pour over oats mixture and stir everything until fully incorporated. Spread the mixture on a prepared baking tray, leaving it clumpy and not pressing it into the pan as you want it to be quite loose. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring well halfway through.

Leave granola to cool completely on a baking tray before storing in an airtight container.

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Ovaj recept za granolu je prava stvar kada trebate imati super rješenje za doručak. Možete napraviti veliku porciju i čuvati ju u frižideru i do nekoliko tjedana. Jako je fina sa mlijekom ili jogurtom, ili ju možete grickati samu bez ičega.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 8 izdašnih porcija / 3,16 kn po porciji / 28,27 kn za sve)

500 g zobenih pahuljica (5,00 kn)

3-4 jabuke, naribane skupa s korom (3,00 kn)

1 šalica zlatnih grožđica (5,00 kn)

1/3 šalice badema, cijelih, nagrubo narezanih ili izmrvljenih (5,00 kn)

1/3 šalice maslaca (3,00 kn)

4 žlice meda (4,00 kn)

1 žličica cimeta (0,07 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta vanilije (0,20 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pečnicu na 180°C. Obložite protvan papirom za pečenje i stavite na stranu. U velikoj zdjeli izmiješajte zobene pahuljice, naribane jabuke, grožđice i cijele bademe ili komadiće badema. Meni je najlakše usitniti bademe tako da ih stavim u vrećicu za smrzavanje i onda raspalim po njima valjkom za tijesto. U lončiću rastopite maslac i med. Maknite sa vatre i umiješajte cimet i vaniliju, pa prelijte preko smjese sa zobenim pahuljicama i izmiješajte dok ne bude jednolično. Raširite smjesu po protvanu, i to tako da ostane grudasta i nemojte ju utiskivati u protvan. Pecite 30 minuta, a na pola pečenja jednom dobro promiješajte.

Ostavite granolu da se skroz ohladi na protvanu prije nego ju spremite u hermetički zatvorenu posudu.

Homemade Clumpy Granola / Domaća grudasta granola

Sauerkraut Bean Stew / Varivo od graha sa kiselim zeljem

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I’m crazy about sauerkraut. I love colder seasons just because of all the sauerkraut we get to devour. We eat it as a salad, in main dishes and side dishes. I’m yet to discover a sauerkraut desert to make the obsession come full circle.

This dish is so filling and easy, it’s just beautiful. Sure, it takes a while for it to cook, but you don’t have to hover over the pot so active cooking time is minimal. Also, this makes a humongous batch. I froze a ton, as it reheats wonderfully.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 10 generous servings / 0.78 EUR per serving / 7.81 EUR for whole)

500 g dried beans, presoaked overnight (2.00 EUR)

4 tbsp vegetable oil, divided (0.05 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

4 carrots (0.13 EUR)

3 chili peppers (0.20 EUR)

3 garlic cloves (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp tomato paste(0.13 EUR)

2 dried bay leaves (0.03 EUR)

2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.01 EUR)

Sausages, smoked bacon or cured meats of choice (I used 1 kg of cured pork ribs and leftover bacon skins I had lying around); for vegan version omit (4.00 EUR)

6-8 cups warm water (–)

500 g sauerkraut (1.00 EUR)

2 tbsp plain white flour (0.01 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (0.07 EUR)

Salt and pepper to taste (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Rinse beans after soaking, place in pot, cover with fresh water and simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, clean and dice all the vegetables. Drain beans, discard the cooking water and rinse well. Set aside.

In a large pot saute diced onions on 2 tbsp of oil until translucent. Add diced carrots, chili peppers and minced garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste, bay leaves, paprika, rinsed beans and meats of choice if using, cover with about 6-8 cups of water, so everything is fully submerged, and simmer for 45 minutes on low. Wait with seasoning until the stew is done; my pork ribs and sauerkraut were pretty salty on its own. 45 minutes into cooking add sauerkraut and simmer for another 45 minutes, up to 1 hour, until the beans are completely softened.

In a small saucepan mix together the remaining 2 tbsp of oil with flour and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until flour starts smelling nutty and turns golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Once done, carefully pour into the pot of stew (it’s gonna be bubbly, so watch your hands). Stir until fully incorporated, add parsley and cook through for 5 more minutes. Adjust seasoning, fish out bay leaves and bacon skins, if using, and serve with a thick slice of yummy bread of your choice.

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Luda sam za kiselim zeljem. Hladnije vrijeme mi je drago samo zato jer ga možemo tamaniti. Jedemo kiselo zalje u salatama, u glavnom jelu i u prilozima. Moram samo još otkriti neki desert sa kiselim zeljem da obsesija napravi puni krug.

Ovo je jelo tako zasitno i lagano da je to milina. Istina, treba dosta vremena da se sve skuha, ali ne morate stajati nad loncem, tako da je aktivno vrijeme koje treba utrošiti zapravo minimalno. Također, dobiti ćete ogromnu količinu. Ja sam smrznula brdo variva, jer se super podgrijava.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 10 izdašnih porcija / 5,85 kn po porciji / 58,47 kn za sve)

500 g suhog graha, namočenog večer prije (15,00 kn)

4 žlice ulja, podijeljene (0,40 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

4 mrkve (1,00 kn)

3 čili papričice (1,50 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,50 kn)

2 žlice koncentrata od rajčice (1,00 kn)

2 suha lovorova lista (0,20 kn)

2 žlice crvene slatke paprike (0,10 kn)

Kobasice, dimljena slanina ili suho meso po izboru (ja sam stavila oko 1 kg dimljenih suhih špic rebrica i kože od špeka koje sam skupljala u frižideru); za vegansku verziju izbaciti (30,00 kn)

6-8 šalica tople vode (–)

500 g kiselog zelja (7,50 kn)

2 žlice oštrog pšeničnog brašna (0,01 kn)

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

Soli i papra po ukusu (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Isperite grah nakon namakanja, stavite u lonac, pokrijte svježim vodom i kuhajte na srednjoj vatri oko 45 minuta. U međuvremenu, očistite i sitno nasjeckajte svo povrće. Nakon 45 minuta ocjedite i dobro isperite grah i bacite vodu od kuhanja, pa ga stavite na stranu.

U velikom loncu pirjajte nasjeckani luk na 2 žlice ulja dok ne postane proziran. Dodajte nasjeckane mrkvu, čili i češnjak pa pirjajte 5 minuta, povremeno miješajući. Dodajte koncentrat rajčice, lovorov list, slatku papriku, ocijeđeni grah i meso ako ga koristite, prelijte sa 6-8 šalica tople vode da sve bude potopljeno, pa krčkajte na laganoj vatri 45 minuta. Pričekajte sa solju i paprom dok vam varivo ne bude skroz gotovo; moja rebrica i zelje su bili jako slani pa nije uopće trebalo dodatno soliti. Nakon 45 minuta dodajte kiselo zelje i kuhajte još 45 minuta do 1 sat, dok grah skroz ne omekša.

U maloj tavici ili lončiću pomiješajte preostalih 2 žlice ulja sa brašnom i kuhajte na srednjoj vatri, stalno miješajući, dok brašno ne zamiriši i ne postane zlatno-smeđe, oko 3-5 minuta. Kada je gotovo, oprezno zapršku dodajte u grah, pazeći da vas ne pošprica po rukama. Miješajte dok se zaprška sasvim ne sjedini sa varivom i prokuhajte još 5 minuta. Probajte i začinite solju i paprom po potrebi, ispecajte van lovorove listove i kože od špeka ako ste ih stavili, i poslužite sa debelim komadom omiljenog kruha.

Sauerkraut Bean Stew / Varivo od graha sa kiselim zeljem

Spaghetti Squash with Mixed Veggie Salsa / Špageti tikva sa šalšom od miješanog povrća

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I’ve never had spaghetti squash up to now. I know, I know, I’ve been living under a rock. But, once I’ve finally had it, I’m so making it again because it’s wonderful and flavourful and also a fantastic way to ditch carbs in a meal. Not to mention, cheap and low maintenance, so you can just dump everything in the oven to bake and go about your business.

Oh, and in my initial batch I’ve made enough sauce for at least four meals, so I’m going to half the amount for you, since small squash would make two generous servings and this way you won’t end up with leftover sauce.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields two generous servings / 0.91 EUR per serving / 1.83 EUR for all)

For the squash:

1 small spaghetti squash (0.93 EUR)

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (0.06 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste (0.01 EUR)

For the sauce:

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

1 small red bell pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 small chilli pepper (0.13 EUR)

1 large carrot (0.03 EUR)

¼ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.01 EUR)

2 tsp corn starch (0.01 EUR)

¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 can diced tomatoes (0.47 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (0.03 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line baking tray with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Halve the squash lengthwise using a sharp knife. With a spoon, remove seeds and squishy middle from the squash, place skin down on prepared baking tray and season the inside with sliced garlic, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until slightly charred and wrinkled. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 20 minutes, so the skin can loosen up from the flesh. Using a fork separate the flesh from the skin into spaghetti.

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Meanwhile, roughly chop onion, pepper, chilli and carrot. Mix the vegetables well with salt, paprika, corn starch and black pepper in a baking dish and place in the oven together with the squash. Bake for around 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. After 30 minute mark add diced tomatoes, stir once more and return to the oven for additional 10 minutes. Once done, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Serve spaghetti squash with a dollop of sauce on top.

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Do sada nisam nikad prije jela špageti tikvu. Znam, znam, živim pod kamenom. Ali, sada kada sam ju prvi puta probala, sigurna sam da ću ju raditi opet jer je divna i fina. A i super način da malo smanjim ugljikohidrate. Osim toga, jeftina je i skroz lagana za napraviti jer se sve može samo baciti u pečnicu dok se bavite nekim drugim stvarima.

Kada sam kuhala napravila sam dovoljno umaka za barem četiri porcije, pa ću ovdje za vas sve prepoloviti jer je mala tikva dovoljna za otprilike dva izdašna obroka.

SASTOJCI:

(Za dvije izdašne porcije / 7,22 kn po porciji / 14,45 kn za sve)

Za tikvu:

1 manja špageti tikva (7,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka, tanko narezana (0,50 kn)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Svježeg mljevenog crnog papra po ukusu (0,05 kn)

Za umak:

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

1 mala crvena paprika roga (0,75 kn)

1 čili papričica (1,00 kn)

1 velika mrkva (0,25 kn)

¼ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

2 žličice slatke crvene paprike (0,10 kn)

2 žličice kukuruznog škroba – Gussnel (0,10 kn)

¼ žličice cvježeg mljevenog crnog papra (0,10 kn)

1 konzerva sjeckanih rajčica (3,50 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina, sitno nasjeckanog (0,25 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pečnicu na 200°C. Obložite pleh za pečenje alumijskom folijom za lakše čišćenje. Oštrim nožem uzduž raspolovite tikvu i žlicom odstranite koštice i gnjeckavu sredinu. Položite kožom nadolje na pleh za pečenje, pa unutrašnjost tikve začinite sa narezanim češnjakom, maslinovim uljem, soli i mljevenim crnim paprom. Pecite 40-45 minuta, dok se ne počne loviti korica i tikva se malo ne smežura. Izvadite iz pečnice i ostavite da odstoji 20-tak minuta kako bi se koža otpustila od mesa. Vilicom odstranite meso od kože u špagete.

U međuvremenu, narežite luk, papriku, čili i mrkvu, dobro pomiješajte sa solju, paprikom, kukuruznim škrobom i crnim paprom u manjem protvanu i pecite skupa sa tikvom oko 30 minuta. Nakon 15-tak minuta sve jednom dobro promiješajte. Nakon što istekne 30 minuta, dodajte sjeckane rajčice i sve još jednom dobro promiješajte pa vratite u pećnicu na još 10 minuta. Kada je gotovo, posipajte svježim peršinom.

Špageti tikvu poslužite prelivenu sa umakom.

Spaghetti Squash with Mixed Veggie Salsa / Špageti tikva sa šalšom od miješanog povrća

Poor Man’s Broccoli Soup / Siromahova juha od brokule

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They say necessity is the mother of invention. I was in a mood for a soup, but our pantry and fridge stashes were running on fumes. We were even out of onions and carrots, a few of which can always be found sitting around. After inspecting what was at hand, this is the soup I came up with and it didn’t turn out half as bad either. I imagine it would taste even better with broth, but alas, we were out of broth as well, so water it was.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 generous servings / 0.52 EUR per serving / 2.08 EUR for whole)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

2 chili peppers, deseeded and cut thinly (0.26 EUR)

3 cloves of garlic, minced (0.06 EUR)

25 g butter (0.23 EUR)

2 tbsp all-purpose white flour (0.01 EUR)

4 cups warm water (-)

1 pack (450 g) frozen broccoli florets (1.06 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

2 large eggs, whisked (0.40 EUR)

Few drops of toasted sesame oil (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Add olive oil and cut chilies to a pot and sauté on high for a minute or two, until fragrant and a bit softened. Add minced garlic, stir for a minute and then add butter. As soon as the butter melts add flour, stirring constantly until golden brown and it starts smelling nutty. Slowly add warm water (or broth, if you have it around), bit by bit, all the while stirring the mixture in the pot and making sure the flour doesn’t end up clumpy.

Once it comes to a rolling boil, add frozen broccoli florets with a pinch of salt and cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes, until broccoli stalks have softened through. Once cooked, reduce heat to low and slowly drizzle in whisked eggs, stirring gently as you drizzle. Turn off the heat, test for seasoning and serve with a few drops of sesame oil on top.

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Kažu da je nužda majka izuma. Jela mi se juha, ali su nam i špajza i frižider zjapili prazni. Ostali smo čak i bez mrkvi i luka, iako inače uvijek pokoji bude negdje pri ruci. Nakon što sam pregledala raspoložive namirnice, smislila sam juhu koja uopće nije ispala loše. Sigurno bi bila još finija sa temeljcem, ali smo bili i bez temeljca, pa sam upotrijebila običnu vodu.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 izdašne porcije / 3,91 kn po porciji / 15,65 kn za sve)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

2 čili papričice, bez sjemenki i tanko narezane (2,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka, mljevena (0,50 kn)

25 g maslaca (1,75 kn)

2 žlice oštrog pšeničnog brašna (0,01 kn)

4 šalice tople vode (-)

1 paket (450 g) smrznutih cvjetića brokule (8,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

2 velika jaja, razmućena (3,00 kn)

Par kapi tostiranog sezamovog ulja (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Stavite ulje i narezane čilije u lonac i pirjajte na jakoj vatri minutu-dvije, dok malo ne omekšaju i zamiriše. Dodajte mljeveni češnjak, miješajte minutu i onda dodajte maslac. Čim se sav maslac otopi dodajte brašno i stalno miješajte dok ne postane smećkasto i ne počne mirišati. Polako dodajte toplu vodu (ili temeljac, ako ga koristite), malo po malo, uz stalno miješanje, kako brašno ne bi bilo grudasto.

Kada zakipi ubacite smrznute cvjetiće brokule i posolite, pa kuhajte 10-15 minuta dok stabljike brokule ne omekšaju. Kad je brokula kuhana smanjite vatru pa polako sipajte razmućena jaja, miješajući nježno. Skinite s vatre, dodajte začina po potrebi i poslužite pokapano sa sezamovim uljem.

Poor Man’s Broccoli Soup / Siromahova juha od brokule

Teeny Tiny Plum Cobbler / Minijaturna pita od šljiva

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What to do when you have those few random pieces of fruit lying around? Take out your smallest ramekin and make a cobbler, that’s what! This recipe is customizable to no end, really. Easily substitute plums with whatever fruit you have at hand. The same goes for the topping, which in my case was a convenient way to use up the leftover ground walnuts I had lying around.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 small servings / 0.46 EUR per serving / 1.83 EUR for the whole)

5 plums, pitted and sliced (0.40 EUR)

5 tbsp vanilla sugar, divided (0.33 EUR)

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, divided (0.01 EUR)

¼ tsp ground nutmeg (0.01 EUR)

4 heaping tbsp all purpose flour (0.03 EUR)

4 heaping tbsp rolled oats (0.07 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

50 g cold butter, cut into small cubes (0.47 EUR)

2 tbsp ground walnuts (0.50 EUR)IMGP3742

METHOD:

In a small bowl, toss together sliced plums with 1 tbsp of vanilla sugar and 1 tsp of ground cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, oats and salt. Quickly work in cubed butter with your hands, until butter breaks down and pieces are generally sized from oats to peas.

Spread half of your plums on the bottom of your ramekin, top with half of cobbler mixture, then repeat with another layer of fruit and layer of cobbler. Gently press everything down and sprinkle with ground walnuts. Refrigerate prepared cobbler for half an hour before baking, so the butter can solidify again.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 175°C. Bake for around 25-30 minutes, until crispy golden brown on top. Allow to cool slightly before serving with ice cream, milk, Greek yogurt, or on its own. Nothing beats vanilla ice cream, however. 😉

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Što napraviti sa zadnjih par komada voća koji vam se povlače po doma? Uzmite najmanju posudu za pečenje i napravite minijaturnu pitu, eto što! Ovaj recept je beskrajno prilagodljiv i funkcionirao bi sa bilo kojim voćem. Isto vrijedi i za ono sa čime ćete ga posipati po vrhu, a što je meni bio zgodan način da iskoristim mrvicu mljevenih oraha koja mi je ostala od drugog recepta.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 male porcije / 3,43 kn po porciji / 13,71 kn za sve)

5 šljiva, očišćenih od koštica i narezanih na kriške (3,00 kn)

5 žlica vanili šećera, podijeljeno (2,50 kn)

1 ½ žličica mljevenog cimeta, podijeljeno (0,10 kn)

¼ žličice mljevenog muškatnog oraščića (0,10 kn)

4 žlice oštrog pšeničnog brašna (0,25 kn)

4 žlice zobenih pahuljica (0,50 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

50 g hladnog maslaca, narezanog na male kockice (3,50 kn)

2 žlice mljevenih oraha (3,75 kn)

PRIPREMA:

U maloj zdjelici pomiješajte narezane šljive, 1 žlicu šećera i 1 žličicu cimeta pa stavite na stranu. U drugoj zdjelici pomiješajte preostali šećer, cimet, muškatni oraščić, brašno, zobene pahuljice i sol. Prstima brzo umiješajte narezani maslac dok se na razbije na grudice veličine od zobene pahuljice do zrna graška.

Na dno posude za pečenje rasporedite pola šljiva, posipajte sa pola ‘tijesta’, pa ponovite sa ostatkom šljiva i ‘tijesta’. Sve nježno utisnite u posudu i po vrhu posipajte mljevene orahe. Stavite pitu na barem pola sata u hladnjak prije pečenja, kako bi se maslac ponovno stisnuo.

Kad želite peći, zagrijte pećnicu na 175°C. Pecite 25-30 minuta, dok se na vrhu ne uhvati hrskava, zlatno-smeđa korica. Mrvicu ohladite prije posluživanja, a jedite uz sladoled, mlijeko, grčki jogurt, ili samo bez ičega. Ali ništa nije bolje od sladoleda od vanilije. 😉

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Teeny Tiny Plum Cobbler / Minijaturna pita od šljiva

Stuffed Peppers / Punjene paprike

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , , 1 Comment

You know it’s autumn in Zagreb when you’re walking down the street and whole neighborhoods smell of stuffed peppers simmering. It makes me want to just randomly invite myself to peoples’ apartments and sit down at their table. Feed me your peppers, yo! I am crazy about this dish. It’s perfect – warm, hearty, filling, tasty, simple. And, you can make a humongous batch and freeze for later, which I always do. More often than not, my ambitions exceed the capacities of my pots. There’s always something spilling and bubbling over, because I’ve filled the pot to the brim. What can I say, I have a problem.

The key to making fantastic stuffed peppers is in two things: picking out the right peppers and picking out the right meat. Pick out peppers that are big, meaty and with intense smell. They don’t need to look perfect. You’re not gonna force them into a beauty pageant. Mine were all spotty and overripe. Petals were dark brown with a bit of gunk here and there. In other words, they were just right.

When it comes to meat, try to avoid buying prepackaged ground meats. Ever. That’s just not the right way to do ground meat. Supermarket ground meat is filled with preservatives to extend its shelf life. No one knows how long it’s been minced and hanging around. I won’t even go into the abyss off imagining from how many animals and which body parts it came from. I really think that ground meat should be used up on the same day it was minced. So, if you can’t mince it yourself, ask your butcher to do it for you and use it up on the same day.

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Okay, now that we’ve got these important questions out of the way, let’s do some stuffed peppers!

INGRIDIENTS:

(Yields 14 stuffed peppers / 1.03 EUR per stuffed pepper / 14.55 EUR for the whole batch)

14 large bell peppers – around 2 kilos (2.13 EUR)

1.5 kilo of mixed ground beef and pork – 50:50 (10.66 EUR)

1 large egg (0.20 EUR)

1 large onion, finely diced (0.13 EUR)

4 garlic cloves, minced (0.13 EUR)

1 chili pepper, seeds discarded, then finely diced (0.07 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (0.13 EUR)

½ cup rice (0.07 EUR)

1 ½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 kilo tomato puree – 2 boxes (0.93 EUR)

Warm water to submerge the peppers – around 1 liter (–)

METHOD:

Wash peppers and remove stem and seeds with a small paring knife. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix ground meat with egg, diced onion, minced garlic, diced chilly, chopped parsley, rice, salt, paprika, cayenne and black pepper until thoroughly combined. Stuff prepared peppers with the filling and neatly arrange in a deep pot. Once all the filling and peppers are used up, pour tomato puree over. As necessary, add warm water until most of the peppers are submerged. Don’t worry if they are peeking out here and there, as they will cook through from the steam within the pot.

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Simmer on medium heat for two hours, with lid cracked open, so extra steam can escape. There is no need to stir this dish at all, as peppers are lighter than liquid and will float above the pot bottom, hence escaping the peril of ending burned.

Once cooked, serve with mashed potatoes.

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This dish freezes and reheats tremendously and tastes even better on the second day.

Znate da je jesen u Zagrebu kada cijeli kvartovi mirišu po punjenim paprikama. Od toga mi dođe da banem ljudima doma i samo se sparkiram za njihov stol. Dajte mi vaše paprike! Luda sam za ovim jelom jer je savršeno – toplo, domaće, zasitno, fino i jednostavno. I možete napraviti gargantuansku porciju i onda smrznuti za crne dane, a što ja uvijek napravim. Često moje ambicije premašuju kapacitete mojih lonaca. Uvijek mi nešto iskipi jer natrpam previše paprika. Što reći, imam problem.

Dvije su stvari ključne kod toga da paprike ispadnu fantastične: prave paprike i pravo meso. Uzmite paprike koje su debele, mesnate i intenzivnog mirisa. Ne moraju izgledati savršeno jer ih nećete natjerati na izbor za miss. Moje su bile točkaste i prezrele. Peteljke su bile smeđe i povenute, sa mjestima koje je trebalo izrezati van. Drugim riječima, bile su savršene.

Kada je u pitanju meso, probajte izbjegavati pakirano faširano meso. Uvijek. Dućansko faširano meso puno je konzervansa da može dulje stajati na polici. Nitko nema pojma o tome kada je smljeveno. Neću ni ulaziti u priču od koliko je životinja napravljeno i kojih sve njihovih dijelova. Mislim da je najbolje faširano meso iskoristiti isti dan kada je smljeveno. Ako ne možete sami samljeti meso, zamolite mesara da vam to napravi od komada koje ste izabrali i iskoristite ga obavezno isti dan.

Okej, sada kada smo riješili ove bitne stavke, idemo puniti paprike!

SASTOJCI:

(Za 14 punjenih paprika / 7,80 kn po punjenoj paprici / 109,16 kn za sve)

14 velikih paprika babura – oko 2 kg (16,00 kn)

1,5 kg miješanog mljevenog junećeg i svinjskog mesa – 50:50 (80,00 kn)

1 jaje (1,50 kn)

1 veliki luk, sitno nasjeckan (1,00 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka, sitno nasjeckana (1,00 kn)

1 čili papričica, sjemenke bačene, pa sitno nasjeckana (0,50 kn)

1 svežanj peršina, sitno nasjeckan (1,00 kn)

½ šalice riže (0,50 kn)

1 ½ žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žlica slatke paprike (0,50 kn)

¼ žličice kajenskog papra (ili ljute paprike) (0,10 kn)

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

1 kg pasirane rajčice – 2 tetrapaka (7,00 kn)

Tople vode da paprike budu potopljene – oko 1 litra (–)

PRIPREMA:

Operite paprike i nožićem im odstranite peteljke i koštice. U velikoj zdjeli rukama dobro izmješajte mljeveno meso, jaje, nasjeckane luk, češnjak, čili i peršin, rižu, sol, slatku papriku, kajenski papar i crni papar dok se svi sastojci ne prožmu. Punite paprike smjesom i uredno slažite u duboki lonac. Kada ste iskoristili svu smjesu i paprike, prelijte sve pasiranom rajčicom i dodajte vode dok paprike uglavnom nisu potopljene. Nema veze ako malo i strše van jer će se skuhati od pare u loncu.

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Krčkajte na srednje jakoj vatri dva sata, sa poklopcem mrvicu odškrinutim da višak pare može izaći van. Nema potrebe uopće miješati jer su paprike lakše od tekućine pa će se odignuti od dna lonca i neće zagoriti.

Kada su paprike kuhane, poslužite ih sa pire krumpirom.

Ovo se jelo super smrzava i podgrijava, a još je finije idući dan.

Stuffed Peppers / Punjene paprike

Classic Apple Strudel / Klasična štrudla od jabuka

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , 2 Comments

Apple strudel is just the thing when you need to quickly whip up a desert. Or when you have a ton of apples at hand. It’s simple, delicious and can hold for a couple of days in the fridge. Of course, nothing beats the taste while it’s still hot, fresh from the oven. But, you can prep and wrap the rolls beforehand and just pop the tray in the oven an hour before you need it done.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 10 very generous servings / 0.38 EUR per serving / 3.85 EUR for whole)

1 pack (10 sheets) of phyllo pastry (1.60 EUR)

10 medium sized apples (1.33 EUR)

4 tbsp butter, divided (0.47 EUR)

4 tbsp sugar, divided (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp cinnamon (0.10 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

½ cup raisins (0.26 EUR)

½ cup milk (0.06 EUR)

Butter or vegetable oil for coating the baking tray (0.01 EUR)

Powdered sugar for serving (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease large baking tray which can hold all 10 strudel sausages and set aside. Alternatively, you can also divide strudels between smaller trays, so grease those accordingly. Unwrap stacked phyllo pastry sheets on flat clean surface to allow the dough to rest a bit. In a small saucepan on stovetop, or in a cup in a microwave, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Wash, peel and grate the apples, discarding the cores. Pour melted butter over grated apples, add 3 tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and raisins and mix everything well using a spatula or your hands. Put about 2 heaping tablespoons of the apple filling on each pastry sheet, arranging it in a single line through the sheet’s length. Gently wrap the pastry sheet and place on a prepared tray. Repeat until all filling and pastry sheets are used up.

Place baking tray in a center of the oven and bake for around 30 minutes, until strudels are golden brown and crispy on top. Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter with milk and remaining sugar and simmer until the mixture warms up. You can also use microwave for this step. When the strudel is done, turn the oven off, drizzle warm milk mixture over it, carefully (it’s going to be very hot!) cover the tray with aluminum foil and place in still warm oven for 15 minutes. The liquid will soften the strudel and make it amazingly yummy and juicy. If you’re a fan of a crispy strudel instead, skip this step.

Allow strudel to cool for about 15 minutes before serving, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

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Štrudla od jabuka je prava stvar kada trebate na brzinu smutiti desert. Ili jednostavno imate hrpu jabuka pri ruci. Jednostavna je, ukusna i može stajati i do nekoliko dana u hladnjaku. Naravno, ništa nije bolje od svježe, tek pečene štrudle. Ali možete sve pripremiti i zamotati štrudlice unaprijed, i onda ih samo staviti da se peku sat vremena prije nego ih trebate gotove.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 10 veoma izdašnih porcija / 2,83 kn po porciji / 28,34 kn za sve)

1 paket od 10 listova za savijače (12,00 kn)

10 srednjih jabuka (10,00 kn)

4 žlice maslaca, podijeljene (3,50 kn)

4 žlice šećera, podijeljene (0,05 kn)

1 žličica cimeta (0,07 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

½ šalice grožđica (2,00 kn)

½ šalice mlijeka (0,50 kn)

Maslac ili ulje za namastiti pleh za pečenje (0,01 kn)

Šećer u prahu za posluživanje (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 180°C. Namastite veliki pleh za pečenje u koji stane svih 10 štrudli i stavite na stranu. Naravno, možete podijeliti štrudle i na manje protvane, pa si onda namastite njih. Razmotajte listove za savijače na čistoj ravnoj površini kako bi se tijesto mrvicu opustilo. Na štednjaku u malom lončiću, ili u mikrovalnoj u šalici, rastopite 3 žlice maslaca. Operite, ogulite i naribajte jabuke, a bacite kocenove. Prelijte rastopljeni maslac preko jabuka, dodajte 3 žlice šećera, cimet, vaniliju i grožđice, pa sve dobro promiješajte špatulom ili rukama. Dužinom svakog lista za savijače, u tankoj liniji, raspoređujte oko 2 vrhom pune žlice nadjeva od jabuka, pa nježno zamotajte i slažite u namašćeni pleh. Ponavljajte dok ne potrošite sav nadjev i listove.

Stavite napunjen pleh u sredinu pećnice i pecite oko 30 minuta, dok štrudle ne postanu hrskave i zlatno-smeđe. U međuvremenu rastopite preostali maslac, dodajte šećer i mlijeko, pa kuhajte dok se ne ugrije. To također možete napraviti i u mikrovalnoj. Kada je štrudla pečena ugasite pećnicu, pa prelijte smjesom mlijeka. Pažljivo (jer je jako vruće!) prekrijte pleh aluminijskom folijom i stavite u ugašenu pećnicu na 15 minuta. Štrudla će od tekućine omekšati i biti baš sočna i fina. Ako više volite hrskavu štrudlu, preskočite ovaj korak.

Ostavite štrudlu da se hladi 15-tak minuta prije posluživanja. Poslužite posipano šećerom u prahu.

Classic Apple Strudel / Klasična štrudla od jabuka

Roasted Tomato Salsa / Šalša od pečenih rajčica

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , 2 Comments

This might be the last chance to make a batch of tomato salsa for the season. Autumn is kicking in, summer is waning and tomatoes are only lingering here and there. Here’s my take on a classic salsa recipe.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 10 generous portions / 0.42 EUR per portion / 4.26 EUR for all)

2 kg tomatoes (2.66 EUR)

2-3 chili peppers, depending on how spicy you like your salsa (0.4 EUR)

2 whole garlic bulbs (0.4 EUR)

2 large onions (0.4 EUR)

3 tbsp olive oil (0.13 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Handful of parsley, chopped (0.26 EUR)

Black pepper and more salt to taste

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Wash and half tomatoes and chili peppers, discard chili pepper seeds for milder salsa and arrange skins down in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Cut whole garlic cloves with peel intact in half and clean and quarter one onion to arrange between tomatoes and chilies. Drizzle olive oil on top, sprinkle salt, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until tomatoes are wrinkled and slightly charred.

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Let everything cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic out of peels, clean and dice the remaining onion and parsley and blitz with tomatoes and all together in a blender to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Use over pasta, or freeze for later and add to soups, stews and even as a pizza base.

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Čini se da je sada zadnja prilika ove sezone za napraviti šalšu. Jesen je u zamahu, ljeto blijedi, a rajčice su još zaostale tu i tamo. Evo moja verzija klasične šalše.

SASTOJCI

(Za oko 10 izdašnih porcija / 3,10 kn po porciji / 31,01 za sve)

2 kg rajčica (20,00 kn)

2-3 čili papričice, ovisno koliko ljutu šalšu volite (3,00 kn)

2 cijele glavice češnjaka (3,00 kn)

2 velika luka (3,00 kn)

3 žlice maslinovog ulja (1,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Svežanj peršina, grubo narezanog (1,00 kn)

Crni papar i ekstra sol po ukusu

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 220°C. Obložite lim za pečenje masnim papirom. Operite i razrežite rajčice i čilije na polovice, a za blažu salsu bacite sjemenke čilija, pa rasporedite u jednom sloju na pripremljeni lim tako da su kože rajčica i čilija okrenute na dolje. Razrežite glavice češnjaka sa cijelom ljuskom na pola, očistite i raščetvorite jedan luk, pa rasporedite među rajčicama i čilijima. Pokapajte maslinovim uljem, posolite i pecite 30-40 minuta, dok rajčice ne povenu i ne počne se loviti crna korica.

Pustite da se sve malo ohladi, istisnite češnjak iz ljuski, očistite i narežite preostali luk i peršin, pa skupa sa rajčicama i svime ubacite u blender i sameljite na željenu gustoću. Po ukusu prilagodite začine. Jedite sa tjesteninom, ili zamrznite za kasnije pa dodajte u juhe, gulaše, variva ili koristite kao sos za pizzu.

Roasted Tomato Salsa / Šalša od pečenih rajčica