corn

No-knead Mixed Corn Bread / Miješani kukuruzni kruh koji se ne mijesi

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

It’s been ages since I posted a bread recipe and, while it’s true that I haven’t baked as much bread during the last couple of months due to apartment renovations, I’m slowly getting back into the habit of making homemade bread pretty frequently. My latest exploit was with a mixed corn bread which turned out so delicious that I had to share it.

As always, I used a heavy cast iron lidded pot for baking the bread, but any heavy lidded, oven-safe dish will do.

IMGP7577

IMGP7580

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 medium sized loaf / 0.36 EUR)

For the dough:

1 and ½ cup corn flour (0.20 EUR)

1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour (0.10 EUR)

¼ tsp active dry yeast (0.03 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

1 and ¼ cups warm water (–)

Additional:

Flour for sprinkling (0.01 EUR)

IMGP7578

IMGP7584

METHOD:

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, yeast, salt and sugar. Pour warm water on top and give a good stir so all the flour is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with cling foil and leave to rest in a warm room overnight, so the dough can ferment and puff up.

The next day, place a heavy lidded oven-safe dish to the oven and preheat to 220°C. This is gonna take about 30 minutes, so while the oven and the dish get toasty, prepare the dough for the second rise. Dump the dough on a well-floured counter, fold over with a scraper a couple of times and shape into a ball. Transfer the dough to a bowl lined with parchment paper, similar in shape and size to the dish you’re going to use for baking. Cover with clean tea towel and leave to rise for a second time for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, and once the oven and the heavy pot are thoroughly preheated, carefully transfer the dough together with parchment paper into the hot pot and bake covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 10 minutes to get that lovely crust. Once the bread is done, transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

IMGP7583

IMGP7585

Prošlo je već sto godina od kada sam zadnji puta objavila recept za kruh. Glavni razlog zašto sam nekako smanjila količinu pečenja je bilo renoviranje stana, ali sada se polako opet vraćam u staru rutinu sa domaćim kruhom. Zadnji eksperiment je bio sa fantastičnim miješanim kukuruznim kruščićem, pa naravno moram sa vama podijeliti taj recept.

Kao i uvijek do sada, kruh sam pekla u željeznom loncu s poklopcem, ali možete koristiti bilo koju tešku posudu koja ima poklopac i sigurna je za korištenje u pećnici.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 srednju štrucu / 2,66 kn)

Za tijesto:

1 i ½ šalica kukuruznog brašna (1,50 kn)

1 i ½ šalica glatkog brašna (0,75 kn)

¼ žličice suhog kvasca (0,25 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

1 žlica šećera (0,05 kn)

1 i ¼ šalice tople vode (–)

Dodatno:

Brašno za posipanje (0,10 kn)

PRIPREMA:

U velikoj zdjeli skupa pomiješajte brašna, zobene, kvasac, sol i šećer. Izlijte preko svega toplu vodu i dobro promiješajte da se svo brašno inkorporira. Pokrijte zdjelu prijanjajućom folijom i ostavite preko noći u toploj prostoriji da tijesto fermentira i nabubri.

Sljedećeg dana stavite tešku posudu sa poklopcem u pećnicu da se sve skupa zagrije na 220°C. Za to će trebati oko 30 minuta, pa za to vrijeme ujedno priredite i tijesto za drugo dizanje. Iskrenite tijesto na dobro pobrašnjenu radnu plohu, te ga strugalicom nekoliko puta presavinite i oblikujte u kuglu. Preselite tijesto u posudu koja veličinom i oblikom odgovara onoj u kojoj ćete peći kruh, a koju ste obložili papirom za pečenje. Pokrijte čistom kuhinjskom krpom i pustite da miruje 30 minuta i da se diže drugi puta.

Nakon 30 minuta, kada su se pećnica i posuda dobro ugrijale, pažljivo preselite tijesto skupa sa papirom za pečenje u vruću posudu. Poklopite i stavite peći na 30 minuta. Nakon 30 minuta otklopite i pecite još 10 minuta da se napravi lijepa korica. Kada je kruh gotov preselite ga na rešetku da se skroz ohladi prije nego ga krenete rezati.

No-knead Mixed Corn Bread / Miješani kukuruzni kruh koji se ne mijesi

Tomato and Corn Soup (including a vegan option) / Juha od rajčice i kukuruza (i sa veganskom opcijom)

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

If you are in the mood for a quick soup, there likely isn’t a faster and easier recipe than the one ahead. Furthermore, a tomato soup is such a versatile dish that it can easily be made with dumplings, croutons, grilled cheese sandwich, precooked rice, tiny pasta or whatever else you feel pairing it with instead of corn. We happened to have half a bag of frozen corn in our freezer, so that’s what went into the soup. Canned would work just as well here.

To make this meal vegan, either skip the butter altogether or swap with vegan butter instead (which would be a far better choice, if you ask me). The butter simmering with the tomato puree adds quite a lot of silky richness to the dish and is a game changer.

IMGP7523

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 generous servings / 0.85 EUR per serving / 1.69 EUR for all)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 garlic cloves (0.07 EUR)

½ tsp garlic powder (0.03 EUR)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.03 EUR)

½ tsp smoked paprika (0.03 EUR)

½ tsp dried basil (0.03 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

1 cup frozen corn (0.33 EUR)

2 cups tomato puree (0.53 EUR)

2 cups vegetable broth (0.20 EUR)

2 tbsp butter (0.27 EUR)

IMGP7525

METHOD:

Finely dice the onion and mince garlic. Place a pot on high heat, add in the oil and saute the onion for a few minutes, until soft and translucent. Add in minced garlic, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, basil and salt. Cook for just a minute, so the spices can bloom before adding in corn, tomato puree, veggie broth and butter. Give everything a good stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer with a lid cracked open for about 20 minutes. Serve warm, or portion out to reheat and eat later on.

IMGP7522

Ako vam se baš jede neka juhica, vjerojatno nema bržeg i jednostavnijeg recepta od ovoga koji slijedi. Osim toga, juha od rajčice je jako prilagodljivo jelo i super je također i sa noklicama, prepečenim kockicama kruha, toplim sendvičem sa sirom, kuhanom rižom, sitnom tjesteninom, pa i svim ostalim stvarima koje mislite utrpati u nju osim kukuruza. Nama se u frizeru našlo pola vrećice smrznutog kukuruza, tako da je to završilo u juhi. Kukuruz iz konzerve bi funkcionirao jednako dobro.

Da ovo jelo bude vegansko jednostavno izbacite maslac ili ga zamijenite sa veganskim maslacem (što bi po meni bio bolji izbor). Maslac koji se krčka sa pasiranom rajčicom jednostavno daje svilenkastu dubinu ovom jelu i bogatiji okus.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 2 izdašne porcije / 6,34 kn po porciji / 12,67 za sve)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

2 češnja češnjaka (0,50 kn)

½ žličice češnjaka u prahu (0,25 kn)

½ žličice svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,25 kn)

½ žličice dimljene paprike (0,25 kn)

½ žličice sušenog bosiljka (0,25 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

1 šalica smrznutog kukuruza (2,50 kn)

2 šalice pasirane rajčice (4,00 kn)

2 šalice povrtnog temeljca (1,50 kn)

2 žlice maslaca (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Fino nasjeckajte luk i češnjak. Stavite lonac na jaku vatru, dodajte ulje, pa koju minutu dinstajte luk da postane staklast. Ubacite svježi i sušeni češnjak, papar, papriku, bosiljak i sol. Promiješajte i kuhajte minutu, samo da začini zamiriše, pa onda dodajte kukuruz, rajčicu, temeljac i maslac. Sve dobro promiješajte i pustite da zavrije. Smanjite vatru, te kuhajte 20-tak minuta sa odškrinutim poklopcem. Poslužite toplo ili rasporedite u porcije za kasnije.

Tomato and Corn Soup (including a vegan option) / Juha od rajčice i kukuruza (i sa veganskom opcijom)

Lentil and Corn Stew (vegan) / Varivo od leće i kukuruza (vegansko)

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

By now even the birds in the trees know that whenever I lack time and inspiration for cooking, I turn to good old lentils. There are always some lentils kicking around our pantry and with just a few humble staples it enables us to come with quick, cheap and really satisfying meals.

Just a small note, though. The stew itself is vegan, but I opted to top it with a bit of shredded cheese. Naturally, you can skip the topping altogether or use a vegan substitute.

IMGP7152

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 6 servings / 0.72 EUR per serving / 4.30 EUR for all)

For the stew:

2 tbsp sunflower seed oil (0.03 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

6 garlic cloves (0.20 EUR)

1 tsp garlic powder (0.07 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp smoked paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp dried chili flakes (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 cup ajvar – red pepper paste (0.67 EUR)

1 can diced tomatoes (0.67 EUR)

½ cup water (–)

2 tbsp dried parsley (0.13 EUR)

1 cup dried green lentils (0.60 EUR)

2 cups frozen corn (0.67 EUR)

For serving:

6 cups cooked rice (0.60 EUR)

½ cup shredded cheese (0.33 EUR)

IMGP7154

METHOD:

Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Wash lentils under running water in a colander and set aside. Add oil to a big pot and saute the onion on high heat for a few minutes until translucent. Throw in minced garlic, garlic powder, bay leaf, Hungarian and smoked paprika, chili flakes and salt, stir and cook for a minute, so the flavors can bloom. Add in red pepper paste (ajvar), diced tomatoes, water, parsley and lentils. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer with a lid cracked open for 30 minutes. If needed add a splash more of water and stir occasionally. Fold in frozen corn and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the corn is cooked through.

Serve warm with cooked rice and sprinkled with a bit of shredded cheese, or its vegan alternative.

IMGP7156

IMGP7153

Do sada već i vrapci na grani znaju da kada mi za kuhanje usfali vremena i inspiracije, okrenem se dobroj staroj leći. Pošto nam je leća već standardni dio inventara u špajzi, sa još samo par skromnih sastojaka možemo spraviti brza, jeftina i ukusna jela.

I još mala napomena. Samo je varivo vegansko, ali sam ga ja servirala posipanog sa malo ribanog sira. Naravno, vi slobodno to izostavite, ili upotrijebite vegansku zamjenu.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 6 porcija / 5,34 kn po porciji / 32,06kn za sve)

Za varivo:

2 žlice suncokretovog ulja (0,20 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

6 češnjeva češnjaka (1,50 kn)

1 žličica češnjaka u prahu (0,50 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,10 kn)

1 žlica slatke paprike (0,50 kn)

1 žličica dimljene paprike (0,50 kn)

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

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 šalica ajvara (5,00 kn)

1 konzerva sjeckanih pelata (5,00 kn)

½ šalice vode (–)

2 žlice sušenog peršina (1,00 kn)

1 šalica zelene leće (4,50 kn)

2 šalice smrznutog kukuruza (5,00 kn)

Za posluživanje:

6 šalica kuhane riže (4,50 kn)

½ šalice ribanog sira (2,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Ogulite i fino nasjeckajte luk i češnjak. Isperite leću u cjediljci pod tekućom vodom i stavite na stranu. U veliki lonac dodajte ulje, pa na jakoj vatri kratko prodinstajte luk, dok ne bude staklast. Ubacite svježi sjeckani češnjak, češnjak u prahu, lovor, slatku i dimljenu papriku, čili i sol, promiješajte te kuhajte samo minutu da začini zamiriše. Dodajte ajvar, pelate, vodu, peršin i leću, dobro promiješajte i pustite da zavrije. Smanjite vatru te krčkajte 30 minuta sa odškrinutim poklopcem. Povremeno promiješajte, a po potrebi dodajte mrvicu vode. Umiješajte smrznuti kukuruz, pa kuhajte još 10-15 minuta, dok kukuruz ne bude gotov.

Poslužite toplo sa kuhanom rižom i posipano sa malo ribanog sira ili sa veganskom alternativom.

Lentil and Corn Stew (vegan) / Varivo od leće i kukuruza (vegansko)

Corn and Potato Chowder (vegan) / Krem juha od kukuruza i krumpira (veganska)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , , , 4 Comments

This dish definitely isn’t the prettiest, but it’s super tasty, filling and cheap. Plus, it takes very little effort to make. I opted for roasting the potatoes, onions and garlic to give the chowder an extra layer of flavor. You can absolutely skip this and just cook everything on stovetop. But I think such extra little effort was well rewarded.

IMGP7050-2

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 6 servings / 0.37 EUR per serving / 2.24 EUR for all)

6 medium sized potatoes (0.40 EUR)

3 tbsp olive oil (0.13 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.03 EUR)

2 onions (0.20 EUR)

6 garlic cloves (0.20 EUR)

3 cups frozen corn (0.80 EUR)

6 cups water (–)

2 tbsp coconut butter (0.27 EUR)

1 tsp garlic powder (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp smoked paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.03 EUR)

Pinch of dried chili flakes (0.03 EUR)

IMGP7049-2

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash, peel and dice potatoes and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Quarter the onions with skins intact and tuck around the potatoes, together with unpeeled garlic cloves. Bake for about 45 minutes, until slightly crispy and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before peeling and discarding the skins from onions and garlic.

Meanwhile, cook the frozen corn in water for about 10 minutes, until softened through. You can also use canned corn and skip this step, but frozen was what I had on hand. Reserve one cup of cooked corn for later and add the rest together with cooking water, coconut butter, garlic powder, smoked and Hungarian paprika and chili flakes, together with roasted potatoes, garlic and onions to a food processor and pulse until creamy. If needed, dilute with a bit more water. Put to a pot, add the reserved whole corn and gently simmer on low for about ten minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve.

Ovo jelo definitivno nije najfotogeničnije, ali je jako fino, zastino i jeftino. Osim toga, treba uložiti sasvim malo truda da ga smutite. Ja sam se odlučila ispeći krumpire, luk i češnjak, kako bi sve dobilo još jedan sloj arome. Naravno, možete taj korak preskočiti i sve skuhati na štednjaku, ali ja mislim da se taj mali dodatni napor i više nego isplatio.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 6 porcija / 2,79 kn po porciji / 16,75 kn za sve)

6 srednje velikih krumpira (3,00 kn)

3 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,99 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Dobar prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,25 kn)

2 luka (1,50 kn)

6 češnjeva češnjaka (1,50 kn)

3 šalice smrznutog kukuruza (6,00 kn)

6 šalica vode (–)

2 žlice kokosovog maslaca (2,00 kn)

1 žličica češnjaka u prahu (0,50 kn)

1 žličica dimljene paprike (0,50 kn)

1 žličica slatke crvene paprike (0,25 kn)

Prstohvat sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,25 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Operite, ogulite i narežite krumpire na kocke, pa pomiješajte sa maslinovim ulje, solju i paprom. Raširite po protvanu u jednom sloju. Raščetvorite luk skupa sa ljuskom, pa zajedno sa neoguljenim češnjakom rasporedite među krumpirima. Pecite oko 45 minuta, dok se sve ne zahrska i ne zažuti. Maknite iz pećnice i pustite da se malo ohladi prije nego ogulite i bacite ljuske od luka i češnjaka.

U međuvremenu, desetak minuta kuhajte kukuruz u vodi, dok ne bude mekan. Možete također uzeti i kukuruz iz konzerve, pa ovaj korak preskočiti, ali ja sam doma imala smrznuti. Sačuvajte jednu šalicu kuhanog kukuruza, a ostatak skupa sa vodom, kokosovim maslacem, češnjakom u prahu, dimljenom i crvenom paprikom, čilijem, te pečenim krumpirima, lukom i češnjakom, ubacite u blender i pulsirajte dok ne bude kremasto. Po potrebi, razrijedite sa još malo vode. Sve ubacite u lonac, skupa sa cijelim kukuruzom kojeg ste sačuvali, te lagano krčkajte desetak minuta. Kušajte i prilagodite začine, pa poslužite.

Corn and Potato Chowder (vegan) / Krem juha od kukuruza i krumpira (veganska)