main dish

Dry Rubbed Low and Slow Pulled Turkey / Sporo pečena puretina u suhoj marinadi

Crunch Crunch Away, , , 1 Comment

We are not big meat eaters at home. When we do eat meat, it’s mostly either minced, or clean, lean cuts like chicken breast or pork fillets, or something really easy and similar to that. Stuff that comes attached to a bone? Nah. That feels like too much of a hassle. Especially if there is roasting involved. I’m always scared that I’ll bite into raw, bloody hunks of meat surrounding the bone.

But then we were given a whole turkey. I dropped the idea of roasting it intact right away. We could never manage to eat such a gigantic bird, and even if we did, roasting a whole turkey seems like too daunting of a task with too many uncertainties. Plus, I still haven’t fully recovered from the oven scrubbing action after roasting a whole chicken on a beer bottle. But that’s a whole different story. (The chicken was delicious, though.) IMGP4399

Anyway, after mulling over what to do with a whole turkey, I’ve figured the best approach would be chopping the bird up and processing different things in different ways. And thus thighs and legs went to dry marinade for slow cooked pulled meat dish, which you can later use for sandwiches, tacos, stews, salads, or have on its own with a side of some potatoes and veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields at least 4 servings / 1.37 EUR per serving / 5.48 EUR for all)

2 turkey legs and 2 turkey thighs (5.33 EUR)

1tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika (0.07 EUR)

½ tsp smoked paprika (0.03 EUR)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

¼ tsp ground nutmeg (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp vegetable oil (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Using a sharp paring knife remove skin from turkey and save for broth or discard. In a small bowl, mix together salt, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper, sugar and nutmeg. Place meat in a freezer bag, pour marinade mix over and, using your hands, rub well into the meat. This might seem like an awful lot of marinade, but worry not. Close the bag and allow meat to marinade in a fridge, ideally for 24 hours.

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When ready to bake, preheat oven to 150°C. For easy cleanup, line baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly coat the foil with a tablespoon of oil. Remove meat from freezer bag and place in a prepared pan. Discard any liquid and marinade residue remaining in the bag. Tightly cover baking pan and meat in it with another sheet of aluminum foil and bake covered for 3 hours. Be very careful when peeling the foil from the pan, there is going to be a lot of hot steam in there. You’ll know the meat is done when it’s pulling away from the bone.

Let the meat sit for at least 15 minutes before separating from the bones and cleaning any remaining veins and fat. Shred the meat using two forks, pour over any juices remaining from the roasting with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, stir and serve.

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Mi doma i nismo neki veliki mesojedi. Kada jedemo meso, uglavnom je to ili faširano, ili čisti jednostavni komadi pilećih prsa ili svinjski file. Stvari koje su prikačene na kost? Ne baš. To mi se uvijek čini kao previše posla. Posebno ako je u pitanju pečenje. Uvijek se bojim da ću zagristi o krvavu hrgu mesa oko kostiju.

Ali dobili smo cijelu puricu. Odmah sam odustala od ideje da ju pečem u komadu. Nikad ne bi uspjeli pojesti tu pričurinu. A čak i da tome nije tako, pečenje cijele purice čini mi se kao preogroman projekt sa previše neizvjesnosti. Osim toga, još uvijek se oporavljam od ribanja pečnice koje je slijedilo nakon pečenja cijelog piceka na pivskoj boci. Ali to je skroz druga priča. (Picek je bio jako fini.)

Uglavnom, nakon mozganja i premišljanja, zaključila sam da je najbolje puricu raskomadati i različite komade pripremiti na različite načine. Tako su bataci i zabatci završili u ovom jelu koje kasnije možete koristiti u sendvičima, tacosima, gulašima, salatama ili jesti samo za sebe, sa krumpirima i povrćem za prilog.

SASTOJCI:

(Za barem 4 porcije / 10,26 kn po porciji / 41,03 kn za sve)

2 pureća batka i 2 pureća zabatka (40,00 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žlica slatke paprike (0,50 kn)

½ žličice dimljene paprike (0,25 kn)

½ žličice svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,10 kn)

1 žličica šećera (0,01 kn)

¼ žličice mljevenog muškatnog oraščića (0,10 kn)

1 žlica suncokretovog ulja (0,05 kn)

1 žličica jabučnog octa (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Oštrim nožićem skinite kožu sa mesa pa sačuvajte za temeljac ili bacite. U maloj posudi izmiješajte sol, slatku papriku, dimljenu papriku, papar, šećer i muškatni oraščić. Stavite meso u vrećicu za smrzavanje pa preko pospijte marinadu i rukama ju dobro utrljajte u meso. Možda vam se čini da je ovo previše marinade, ali ništa ne brinite. Dobro zatvorite vrećicu pa ostavite meso da se marinira u hladnjaku, najbolje 24 sata.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje, zagrijte pećnicu na 150°C. Za lakše čišćenje, obložite tepsiju za pečenje aluminijskom folijom i foliju premažite sa žlicom ulja. Izvadite meso iz vrećice i poslažite po tepsiji, a eventualni ostatak marinade i tekućinu koja se skupila u vrećici bacite. Čvrsto pokrijte tepsiju sa mesom još jednim komadom folije i pecite 3 sata. Budite jako oprezni kada mičete foliju jer će ispod biti puno vruće pare. Znati ćete da je meso gotovo kada se bude lako odvajalo od kostiju.

Pustite da meso odstoji barem 15-tak minuta prije nego ga krenete skidati sa kostiju i čistiti od žilica i masnoće. Sa dvije viljuške natrgajte meso, prelijte preko sokove koji su se skupili od pečenja sa žličicom jabučnog octa, promiješajte i poslužite.

Dry Rubbed Low and Slow Pulled Turkey / Sporo pečena puretina u suhoj marinadi

Mushrooms with Chili Scrambled Eggs / Gljive i kajgana sa čilijem

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I love mushrooms and I love scrambled eggs, but cooking them together often results with eggs swishing in mushroom water. And that’s pretty yucky. So I’ve decided to deconstruct the mushroom scrambled eggs and make two separate dishes.Which is also a breeze, as it all cooks fairly quickly. Plus, you can use the same pan and thus have less to clean up. And there you have a perfect weekend breakfast or weekday dinner. IMGP3964

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 servings / 1.67 EUR per serving / 3.34 EUR for all)

For the mushrooms:

1 tbsp vegetable oil (0.01 EUR)

1 medium leek (0.13 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp butter (0.27 EUR)

250 g cremini mushrooms (0.73 EUR)

100 g shiitake mushrooms (0.93 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Crack of fresh black pepper (0.01 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley (0.13 EUR)

For chili scramble:

1 tbsp vegetable oil (0.01 EUR)

2 small chili peppers (0.13 EUR)

4 large eggs (0.80 EUR)

½ cup milk (0.10 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash and finely chop leek, onion, parsley and chili. Cut mushrooms in thin stripes. Heat a skillet with tablespoon of oil, add leek and onion and sauté for a minute or two on high. Add butter, mushrooms, salt and pepper and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms cook down and most of their liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, fold in fresh parsley and set aside on a plate.

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Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and place on medium heat with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add diced chili and sauté for a minute or two. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs with milk and a pinch of salt. Pour eggs over chili and gently fold with a spatula for up to a minute, until cooked through. Serve immediately.

Obožavam gljive i obožavam kajganu, ali kada ih kuham zajedno rezultat su često jaja koja se bljućkaju u vodici od gljiva. A to je poprilično gadno. Zato sam odlučila rastaviti kajganu s gljivama na dva zasebna jela. Što je također brzo gotovo jer se sve za čas skuha. Osim toga, možete iskoristiti istu tavu i uštediti na čišćenju. I tako imate savršeni vikend doručak ili tjednu večeru.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 2 porcije / 12,42 kn po porciji / 24,84 kn za sve)

Za gljive:

1 žlica ulja (0,01 kn)

1 srednji poriluk (1,00 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

2 žlice maslaca (2,00 kn)

250 g smeđih šampinjona (5,50 kn)

100 g shiitaka (7,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina (1,00 kn)

Za čili kajganu:

1 žlica ulja (0,01 kn)

2 male čili papričice (1,00 kn)

4 jaja (6,00 kn)

½ šalice mlijeka (0,75 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite i fino nasjeckajte poriluk, luk, peršin i čili. Narežite gljive na listiće. Zagrijte tavu sa žlicom ulja, pa dodajte poriluk i luk i dinstajte minutu-dvije na jakoj vatri. Dodajte maslac, gljive, sol i papar i dobro promiješajte. Kuhajte nekoliko minuta uz povremeno miješanje dok većina tekućine iz gljiva ne ispari. Umiješajte svježi peršin pa odložite na stranu na tanjuru.

Obrišite tavu papirnatim ručnikom, dodajte žlicu ulja i stavite na srednje jaku vatru. Dodajte sitno narezani čili i pirjajte minutu-dvije. U međuvremenu, u maloj zdjelici razmitite jaja sa mlijekom i solju. Prelijte jaja preko čilija, pa špatulom nježno preklapajte do jedne minute, dok se ne skuhaju. Poslužite odmah.

Mushrooms with Chili Scrambled Eggs / Gljive i kajgana sa čilijem

Sauerkraut Meat Wraps / Sarma

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This dish is, hands down, one of my favorite local specialties. It’s an old folk dish, hearty and filling. And it is said that it tastes the best on the seventh day, when you reheat it for the seventh time. So you simmer it in your largest pot, hoping that it will actually last for seven days. It never does, though. We always polish off whatever we have in a couple of days.

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Sarma is traditionally prepared for New Year’s Eve celebrations. It’s supposed to be eaten after midnight, when everyone already has a steady alcohol flow in their bloodstreams. It warms you up and puts you back on your feet, so you can go party some more. Isn’t that a perfect dish, the one that brings you back to life?

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Don’t get intimidated by what seems like a lengthy process. Making a batch of Sarma isn’t really such a big deal.And, once cooked, you’ll have lunch and dinner situations solved for many days to come. This dish also freezes really well.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 20 wraps / 0.96 EUR per wrap / 19.30 EUR for all)

1 medium sized whole sauerkraut head, about 2.5 kilos (5.00 EUR)

0.2 kilos of smoked bacon (1.47 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

1 chili pepper (0.07 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.09 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley (0.13 EUR)

1.5 kilos of 50:50 mixed minced beef and pork meat (11.00 EUR)

1 large egg (0.20 EUR)

1 cup rice (0.13 EUR)

Crack of fresh black pepper (0.01 EUR)

3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika, divided (0.20 EUR)

2 bay leaves (0.03 EUR)

1 tbsp tomato concentrate (0.07 EUR)

0.5 kilo cured smoked pork ribs, broken into smaller chunks(0.80 EUR)

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METHOD:

First taste your sauerkraut. If you think it’s too salty or sour, give it a quick rinse from excess brine. Using a small paring knife, gently separate 20 whole leaves from the head, cutting out and discarding the tough middle vein, and set aside. You’ll use these to make wraps. Thinly slice the remaining cabbage, discarding the tough middle stem. Place about 1/3 of shredded cabbage on the bottom of a large pot. This will ensure that wraps don’t stick to the pot and burn while cooking.

Finely chop bacon, onion, garlic, chili pepper and parsley. Add all to a large bowl and mix with your hands with minced meat, egg, rice, black pepper and 1 tbsp of paprika until thoroughly combined. I intentionally avoid adding any salt to the mixture, as cured meats and sauerkraut are already salty enough on its own.

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Squeeze a handful of meat mixture in a ball and wrap into sauerkraut leaf you prepared earlier. Neatly arrange wraps on the cabbage bed on your pot bottom, squeezing chunks of pork ribs in between and filling any gaps with shredded sauerkraut. When you finish the first row, add a row of shredded sauerkraut, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of paprika, add a bay leaf and repeat once more with another row of wraps. Once everything is used up, sprinkle with remaining tbsp of paprika, add bay leaf,tbsp of tomato concentrate and enough water to the pot that everything is submerged.

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Place pot on high heat until it starts boiling. Then reduce heat to medium and cook with lid cracked open for 1.5 hours. Don’t even attempt to stir during cooking as the wraps will fall apart.

Once cooked, serve on its own or with some mashed potatoes.

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 Ovo je jelo, bez imalo dvojbe, meni najdraži lokalni specijalitet. To je staro narodno jelo, zasitno i punog okusa. Kažu da je sarma najbolja sedmi dan, kada ju sedmi puta podgrijete. Pa ju uvijek kuham u najvećem loncu, u nadi da će nam možda i trajati sedam dana. To se još nije desilo. Uvijek smažemo sve što imamo u samo par dana.

Sarma se tradicionalno jede na dočeku Nove Godine, iza ponoći, kada su svi već dobro potkresani i imaju dovoljno alkohola u krvotoku. Ali sarma je tu da vas ugrije i digne natrag na noge, da možete dalje tulumariti. Zar jelo koje vas vraća natrag u život ne zvuči savršeno?

Nemojte se bojati pripreme sarme koja se možda čini dugačkom i kompliciranom. Sve je to zapravo jako jednostavno, a kada se sve skuha, imati ćete ručak i večeru riješene za sljedećih nekoliko dana. Također, sarma se i super smrzava.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 20 sarmi / 7,23 kn po sarmi / 144,70 kn za sve)

1 srednje velika cijela glavica kiselog kupusa, oko 2,5 kg (37,50 kn)

0,20 kn dimljenog špeka (11,00 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

1 čili papričica (0,50 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (0,70 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina (1,00 kn)

1,5 kg 50:50 mješavine mljevenog goveđeg i svinjskog mesa (82,50 kn)

1 jaje (1,50 kn)

1 šalica riže (1,00 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

3 žlice slatke crvene paprike, podijeljene (1,50 kn)

2 lovorova lista (0,20 kn)

1 žlica koncentrata rajčice (0,50 kn)

0,5 kg dimljenih suhih svinjskih rebrica, nasiječenih na manje komade (6,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Prvo probajte kiselo zelje. Ako je prekiselo i preslano, isperite ga pod tekućom vodom. Nožićem nježno skinite 20 cijelih listova i odstranite im i bacite tvrdu glavnu žilu. Stavite na stranu. U te ćete listove kasnije umatati sarme. Tanko narežite ostatak zelja, a debelju stabljiku bacite. Oko 1/3 narezanog zelja rasporedite po dnu lonca, jer ćete tako osigurati da se sarme ne prime za dno i ne zagore dok se kuhaju.

Sitno nasjeckajte špek, luk, češnjak, čili i peršin pa ih u velikoj zdjeli rukama pomiješajte sa mljevenim mesom, jajem, rižom, paprom i 1 žlicom slatke paprike, dok ne dobijete jednoličnu smjesu. Ja namjerno ne solim meso iz razloga što su i kiselo zelje i suho meso dovoljno slani da začine svu sarmu.

Oblikujte loptice od mješavine mljevenog mesa i umatajte u ranije pripremljene listove zelja. Slažite sarme na posteljicu od narezanog zelja u loncu, a između njih rupe popunjavajte sa suhim rebricama i ostatkom narezanog zelja. Kada složite prvi red, pobacajte po vrhu još malo narezanog zelja, posipajte sa 1 žlicom paprike i stavite lovorov list, pa sve ponovite u drugom redu dok ne potrošite sve sastojke. Na kraju sve posipajte preostalom žlicom slatke paprike, dodajte list lovora, žlicu koncentrata rajčice i prelite vodom dok sarme ne budu potopljene.

Stavite lonac na jaku vatru dok ne zakipi, potom smanjite na srednje i kuhajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem 1,5 sat. Nemojte niti pokušavati miješati jer će vam se sarme raspasti.

Kada je sarma gotova, poslužite ju samu ili sa pire krumpirom.

Sauerkraut Meat Wraps / Sarma

Sauerkraut Bean Stew / Varivo od graha sa kiselim zeljem

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , 8 Comments

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

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