main

Potato Halves with Bacon / Krumpirove pole sa špekom

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

I’ve been craving something savory, crispy and smoky and these potato halves were just the thing. They’re inexpensive, super simple to make and require only a few ingredients, all of which we had at home.

IMGP6135

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 servings / 0.42 EUR per serving / 0.84 EUR for all)

5-6 potatoes (0.40 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.03 EUR)

Small piece of bacon (0.40 EUR)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Give potatoes a good scrub and cut them in half. Arrange potatoes in a baking dish with skins facing down and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake potatoes for about 45 minutes, until slightly crispy and deep golden-brown. Cut the bacon in small pieces and arrange on top of potatoes. Finish baking potatoes for another 15 minutes, until bacon is nice and crispy. Serve with a big crunchy salad and a dollop of sour cream.

IMGP6138

IMGP6140

Baš mi se jako jelo nešto slano, hrskavo i sa aromom dima, a ove krumpirove pole su bile baš prava stvar. Ovo jelo je jeftino, skroz jednostavno za napraviti i uključuje samo par sastojaka, a koje smo sve ionako već imali doma.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 2 porcije / 3,13 kn po porciji / 6,26 kn za sve)

5-6 krumpira (3,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,25 kn)

Mali komadić špeka (3,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Dobro oribajte i raspolovite krumpire. Poslažite krumpire po posudi za pečenje, sa ljuskom okrenutom prema dolje, te posipajte sa soli i paprom. Pecite krumpire oko 45 minuta, dok se ne zahrskaju i ne budu zlatno-smeđi. Narežite špek na male komadiće i poslažite po krumpirima, pa pecite još 15 minuta da se špek zahrska. Poslužite sa velikom salatom i žlicom kiselog vrhnja.

Potato Halves with Bacon / Krumpirove pole sa špekom

Bean and Lentil Stew (vegan) / Varivo od graha i leće (vegansko)

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

I’ve been in a mood for a hearty bean stew for a while and decided to add in some lentils for a good dose of creaminess. This recipe yields a huge bulk, which is more than fine by me, because it means I have lunch sorted out for a while. While it does take some time for dried beans to cook, the actual work involved here is minimal, so it’s definitely worth to put in the extra effort to be more cost-effective.

IMGP6115

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 8 servings / 0.66 EUR per serving / 5.30 EUR for all)

2 cups dried beans (2.00 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

2 large onions (0.20 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.13 EUR)

2 chili peppers (0.40 EUR)

4 large carrots (0.40 EUR)

1 can peeled tomatoes (0.67 EUR)

1 cup red lentils (1.00 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.02 EUR)

Pinch red pepper flakes (0.03 EUR)

6 cups water (–)

Bunch of fresh parsley (0.27 EUR)

IMGP6114

METHOD:

Pick through, wash and soak the beans in cold water the night before. The following day drain the beans, cover with fresh water and simmer until the beans are cooked through. Rinse once more, drain and set aside.

Wash, peel and chop up all the veggies. Rinse and drain lentils and set aside. Saute onion on oil in a large pot for a few minutes, on high heat, until softened and slightly translucent. Add in minced garlic, finely chopped chili peppers and diced carrots and cook briefly to get the flavours going. Dump in canned tomatoes and crush them with your spatula. Now add in the cooked beans, lentils, bay leaf, paprika, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until thickened and the lentils are cooked through. Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley and taste to adjust seasoning. This freezes and reheats great, so you have lunch situations sorted out for a while.

IMGP6117

Već mi se neko vrijeme jede neko fino varivo od graha, a u ovo sam odlučila ubaciti i leću za ekstra kremastu teksturu. Ovaj recept daje ogromnu količinu, ali meni to sasvim odgovara jer onda imam riješen ručak za neko vrijeme. Usprkos tome što suhom grahu treba vremena da se skuha, stvaran posao je u tom dijelu minimalan. Tako da mislim da se definitivno isplati uložiti malo više truda i tako proći jeftinije.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 8 porcija / 4,96 kn po porciji / 39,64 kn za sve)

2 šalice suhog graha (15,00 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

2 velika luka (1,50 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (1,00 kn)

2 čili papričice (3,00 kn)

4 velike mrkve (3,00 kn)

1 konzerva pelata (5,00 kn)

1 šalica crvene leće (7,50 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,10 kn)

1 žlica slatke crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

½ žličice svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,12 kn)

Prstohvat sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,25 kn)

6 šalica vode (–)

Pregršt svježeg peršina (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Većer prije proberite i operite grah, te ga ostavite namočenog u hladnoj vodi. Sljedećeg dana ocijedite grah, pokrijte svježom vodom i stavite kuhati. Skuhani grah isperite, ocijedite i stavite na stranu.

Operite, ogulite i nasjeckajte svo povrće. Isperite leću i sstavite na stranu. U velikom loncu na jakoj vatri prodinstajte luk na ulju par minuta, dok ne bude staklast i mekan. Ubacite sjeckani češnjak, čili i mrkve, pa kratko prokuhajte da se aktiviraju arome. Dodajte pelate pa ih izgnječite špatulom. Sada u lonac ubacite kuhani grah, leću, lovorov list, slatku papriku, sol, papar, čili pahuljice i zalijte sve vodom. Pustite neka zavrije, a onda smanjite vatru i krčkajte oko 30 minuta, dok se varivo ne zgusne, a leća se ne skuha. Maknite s vatre, umiješajte sjeckani peršin, te kušajte i prilagodite začine. Ovo se super smrzava i podgrijava, tako da imate osiguran ručak za još neko vrijeme.

Bean and Lentil Stew (vegan) / Varivo od graha i leće (vegansko)

Potato Phyllo Rolls (vegan) / Pita krumpiruša (veganska)

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

Whoever tells you that potatoes and dough can’t mix doesn’t know what the hell they are talking about it. It’s carbs on carbs! Of course they mix, and they mix quite well. Naturally, if you are on a low carb diet, avoid this like the plague. But everyone else should definitely indulge in this super simple, yet very tasty dish, at least occasionally.

imgp6067

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 10 rolls / 0.24 EUR per roll / 2.41 EUR for all)

4-5 medium sized potatoes (0.67 EUR)

2 large onions (0.20 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.03 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

¼ cup sunflower seed oil, divided (0.10 EUR)

10 sheets of phyllo pastry (1.33 EUR)

4 tbsp water (–)

imgp6072

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease a large baking tray, or two smaller ones, with a bit of oil and set aside. I prefer dividing these rolls between two trays, so I can bake one right away and freeze the other one for later.

Peel and finely dice potatoes and onions, then toss with salt, pepper, paprika and a tablespoon of oil. Add about three tablespoons of filling to each phyllo sheet, sprinkle the sheet with about a teaspoon of oil and roll up. Repeat until all the filling and phyllo sheets are used up, but reserve a teaspoon of oil for later. Arrange the rolled phyllo in prepared baking tray. At this point you can freeze the rolls for later, but otherwise bake them for 45 minutes, until crispy and golden.

imgp6075

After 45 minutes remove the rolls from the oven and taste a tiny bit to check the seasoning. Stir the remaining tablespoon of oil with water and if necessary add in any salt and pepper. Sprinkle the rolls with this mixture, cover the tray with aluminum foil and return to the oven for additional 15 minutes. Serve the rolls warm with some yogurt or a big crunchy salad. These also reheat great.

imgp6076

imgp6078

Tko god vas proba uvjeriti da krumpiri i tijesto ne idu skupa nema pojma o čemu priča. To su ugljikohidrati sa ugljikohidratima i naravno da idu skupa. Razumljivo, ako ste na dijeti zaobiđite ovo u širokom luku. Ali svi ostali definitivno se trebaju s vremena na vrijeme počastiti sa ovim jako jednostavnim, a finim jelom.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 10 bureka / 1,80 kn po bureku / 18,01 kn za sve)

4-5 srednjih krumpira (5,00 kn)

2 velika luka (1,50 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,25 kn)

1 žlica slatke crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

¼ šalice suncokretovog ulja, podijeljena (0,75 kn)

10 listova kora za savijače (10,00 kn)

4 žlice vode (–)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 175°C. Namastite jedan veliki ili dva manja protvana sa malo ulja i stavite na stranu. Ja radije podijelim bureke u dva protvana i jedan pečem odmah a drugi onda smrznem za kasnije.

Ogulite i narežite na kockice krumpir i luk, pa pomiješajte sa solju, paprom, paprikom i žlicom ulja. Na svaku koru dodajte oko 3 žlice nadjeva i poškropite ju sa još žličicom ulja, pa ju zarolajte. Ponavljajte dok ne potrošite sav nadjev i kore, a žličicu ulja sačuvajte za kasnije. Zamotane burekiće poslažite u pripremljeni protvan. Ako hoćete, sada možete dio smrznuti za kasnije, a ostatak pecite 45 minuta, dok tijesto ne dobije lijepu zlatno-smeđu boju.

Nakon 45 minuta izvadite pitu iz pećnice i probajte komadić da provjerite začine. Preostalu žličicu ulja pomiješajte sa vodom i po potrebi dodajte još soli ili papra. Poškropite bureke sa ovom mješavinom, pokrijte protvan aluminijskom folijom, pa vratite u pećnicu na još 15 minuta. Pitu poslužite toplu sa jogurtom ili velikom hrskavom salatom, a super se i podgrijava.

Potato Phyllo Rolls (vegan) / Pita krumpiruša (veganska)

Simple Curried Lentils (including a vegan option) / Jednostavna leća sa curryjem (uključena i veganska opcija)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , , , 2 Comments

We’ve been having a period of Siberian-like freezing weather for quite a while and all I wanna do is eat comforting food. Of course, it has to be spicy too, to warm me up a little and uplift my spirits. Honestly, I’m still pretty lazy about cooking, as part of ongoing holiday recuperation, and try to keep things minimal. This lentil dish filled all of the above criteria and I liked it so much that I’ve already made it twice during the past week.

If you want to make this in vegan version, just be sure to substitute butter with coconut or olive oil and add vegetable stock to it instead of chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 0.78 EUR per serving / 3.13 EUR for all)

2 tbsp butter (0.27 EUR)

2 large onions, diced (0.20 EUR)

6 garlic cloves, minced (0.20 EUR)

1 can of peeled tomatoes (0.67 EUR)

1 cup red lentils (1.00 EUR)

2 cups chicken stock (0.48 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp curry powder (0.07 EUR)

Pinch of chili flakes (0.03 EUR)

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (0.13 EUR)

imgp5898

METHOD:

Place pot with butter on high heat. As soon as the butter melts, add diced onion and saute for a few minutes until softened and slightly translucent. Add minced garlic, briefly stir and add in canned tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes using your spatula. Wash lentils in colander under running water, then add to the pot together with stock, salt, paprika, curry and chili flakes. Stir and bring to a rolling boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until thick and creamy. Be sure to stir occasionally, so the lentils wouldn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.

imgp5901

S obzirom na sibirske vremenske uvjete zadnjih dana, jede mi se samo neka utješna hrana. Naravno, to mora biti ljuto, da me malo ugrije i ojača mi duh. Iskreno, još uvijek sam malo lijena što se tiče kuhanja, a što je i dio oporavka od zimskih blagdana, pa se trudim stvari raditi minimalistički. Ovo jelo od leće ispunjava sve gornje stavke i toliko mi se svidjelo da sam ga kuhala već dva puta u zadnjih tjedan dana.

Ako želite ovo napraviti u veganskoj verziji, nema problema. Samo zamijenite maslac sa kokosovim ili maslinovim uljem, a umjesto pilećeg temeljca podlijte sa povrtnim.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 5,85 kn po porciji / 23,38 kn za sve)

2 žlice maslaca (2,00 kn)

2 velika luka, sitno nasjeckana (1,50 kn)

6 češnjeva češnjaka, sitno nasjeckanih (1,50 kn)

1 konzerva pelata (5,00 kn)

1 šalica crvene leće (7,50 kn)

2 šalice pilećeg temeljca (3,62 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žlica slatke crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

1 žličica currya u prahu (0,50 kn)

Prstohvat sušenog chilija u pahuljicama (0,25 kn)

2 žlice sjeckanog svježeg peršina (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Stavite lonac sa maslacem na jaku vatru. Čim se maslac otopi dodajte luk i dinstajte par minuta dok luk ne omekša i ne postane staklast. Dodajte sjeckani češnjak, kratko promiješajte, pa ubacite pelate i usitnite ih sa kuhačom. U cjedilu operite leću pod mlazom vode, te stavite u lonac skupa sa temeljcem, soli, paprikom, curryjem i chilijem. Dobro promiješajte i pustite da zavrije.

Kada sve zavrije, smanjite vatru i krčkajte oko 45 minuta, da leća zgusne i postane kremasta. Samo pazite da povremeno promiješate kako se leća ne bi zalijepila za dno lonca. Kušajte, prilagodite začine i poslužite posipano svježim sjeckanim peršinom.

Simple Curried Lentils (including a vegan option) / Jednostavna leća sa curryjem (uključena i veganska opcija)

Turkey and Mushroom Phyllo Rolls / Burek sa puretinom i gljivama

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

I know, I know, we’ve just finished with the holidays and are probably all ready for a detox and yet here I am, bringing such a rich dish on the table. In my defense, I’ve made this prior to Christmas and everything else I’ve ingested afterwards. I just couldn’t get around to write up a post about it. Well, since I am on vacation as of three days ago, the post is finally being compiled.

Please be warned that this recipe yields an enormous amount and could easily feed 8-10 people, especially if served with a nice big salad. However, this dish both freezes and reheats great, so don’t be afraid to stock up. Oh, and don’t be intimidated by this super long block of text. You’ll see that this dish is actually quite simple to make and, while it might take up some time, it’s most absolutely worth it.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 12 rolls / 0.93 EUR per roll / 11.17 EUR for all)

To assemble the rolls:

12 sheets of phyllo pastry (1.33 EUR)

500 grams of turkey breast (4.67 EUR)

1 tsp salt, divided (0.01 EUR)

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

3 tbsp sunflower seed oil, divided (0.02 EUR)

2 large onions (0.20 EUR)

3 garlic cloves (0.10 EUR)

3 tbsp butter (0.40 EUR)

500 grams of Portobello mushrooms (2.00 EUR)

Handful of Shiitake mushrooms (1.33 EUR)

2 cups of chicken stock (0.48 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley (0.13 EUR)

2 tbsp corn starch (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp warm water (–)

To pour over rolls:

1/3 cup chicken stock (0.08 EUR)

2 tbsp butter (0.27 EUR)

Additional:

Butter for greasing the baking dish (0.07 EUR)

imgp5788

METHOD:

Start off by cutting turkey breast into small cubes, then toss them with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper and allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile you can dice the onion, mince garlic, cut mushrooms into thin strips and finely chop up parsley, so you have everything ready for later on.

Place a larger pot on high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil to it and stir-fry half of the turkey. Using a slotted spoon remove the meat from the pot and set aside, add another tablespoon of oil and fry the rest of the meat. Remove all meat and keep aside.

Add remaining oil to the pot and sauté onion until softened and slightly translucent. Add in minced garlic, stir and cook for a minute or two. Now add in butter, mushrooms and remaining salt and pepper and stir everything well. Cook for about 10 minutes, so the mushrooms can soften down. Pour stock over, add in parsley and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, dissolve corn starch in warm water and stir into the filling so it thickens. Return the fried turkey back to the pot, stir everything well, then taste and adjust seasoning.

imgp5792

Allow the filling to cool down a bit. Meanwhile grease your baking dish or dishes with a bit of butter and set aside. I assembled my rolls in two baking dishes, baking one right away and freezing one for later, so do this the way it works for you.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180°C. Spread phyllo sheets on clean flat surface. Assemble the rolls by adding about 3 tablespoons of filling to each phyllo sheet and roll them up, then nest the rolls neatly in to the prepared baking dish. If you’re planning to freeze the rolls, cover the prepared baking dish with assembled rolls with cling foil, then stash in the freezer. There is no need to thaw the rolls before baking, just add about 5 minutes to the total baking time. Otherwise, place the rolls in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, until golden and crispy.

imgp5797

If you enjoy the rolls super crispy, you can eat them up right away because they are ready. I prefer mine softened, so I add an additional step. Please note that the amount of stock and butter for drizzling over rolls are for the total amount of 12 rolls which are in the recipe. If you froze a portion, adjust the amount accordingly so you don’t end up with a soggy mess.

Once the rolls are baked, bring the remaining 1/3 cup of stock to a boil with 2 tbsp of butter. Drizzle this mixture over baked rolls, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Be super careful when handling the baking dish because it’s gonna be hot. Also, be equally careful when removing the foil so the steam doesn’t get to you. Cut the rolls up in smaller pieces and serve them warm. For reheating, just nuke them up in a microwave for half a minute or reheat in the oven in a covered oven-safe dish.

Znam, znam, tek smo završili sa blagdanima i svi smo skupa vjerojatno spremni za jedan detox, a eto mene sa jednim ovako bogatim jelom. U svoju obranu mogu reći da sam ovo radila prije Božića i prije nego što sam potamanila sve što je uslijedilo. Ali jednostavno nisam nikako uspijevala sjesti i napisati recept. E pa pošto sam od prije tri dana na godišnjem odmoru, ovaj post je napokon napisan.

Molim vas da imate na umu da je ovo recept za enormnu porciju i lako može nahraniti 8-10 ljudi, posebno ako bureke poslužite sa nekom lijepom velikom salatom. No ovo se jelo također i super smrzava i podgrijava, pa se nemojte bojati napraviti zalihu. E da, i nedajte da vas ovaj super dugi blok teksta obeshrabri. Ovakav burek je jako jednostavan za napraviti, a iako možda zahtijeva malo više vremena, stvarno se isplati jer je prefin.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 12 bureka / 6,98 kn po bureku / 83,73 kn za sve)

Za nadjev za bureke:

12 komada kora za savijače (10,00 kn)

500 g purećih prsa (35,00 kn)

1 žličica soli, podijeljena (0,01 kn)

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

3 žlice suncokretovog ulja, podijeljene (0,15 kn)

2 velika luka (1,50 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

3 žlice maslaca (3,00 kn)

500 g šampinjona (15,00 kn)

Pregršt gljiva shii taka (10,00 kn)

2 šalice pilećeg temeljca (3,62 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina (1,00 kn)

2 žlice kukuruznog škroba (0,50 kn)

2 žlice tople vode (–)

Za zaljev:

1/3 šalice pilećeg temeljca (0,60 kn)

2 žlice maslaca (2,00 kn)

Dodatno:

Maslac za namastiti posudu za pečenje (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Za početak narežite puretinu na sitne kockice, pomiješajte sa po ½ žličice soli i ½ žličice papra, pa ostavite da miruju 20-tak minuta. U međuvremenu možete narezati luk, češnjak, gljive i peršin da vam sve bude kasnije spremno.

Stavite veći lonac na jaku vatru, pa na žlici ulja ispecite pola puretine. Maknite meso kada je gotovo, dodajte novu žlicu ulja i ispecite ostatak mesa. Svo meso izvadite iz lonca i držite sa strane.

Dodajte ostatak ulja i na njemu izdinstajte luk da omekša i postane staklast. Ubacite češnjak, promiješajte i kuhajte minutu-dvije. Sada dodajte maslac, gljive i ostatak soli i papra, pa sve dobro promiješajte. Kuhajte desetak minuta, dok gljive ne omekšaju. Prelijte temeljac, dodajte sjeckani peršin i pustite da zavrije. Razmutite kukuruzni škrob u vodi i umiješajte u kipući nadjev da ga zgusnete. Vratite u lonac pečenu puretinu, sve dobro promiješajte, kušaje i prilagodite začine.

Pustite da se nadjev malo ohladi. U međuvremenu namastite posudu ili posude za pečenje i stavite na stranu. Ja sam bureke raspodijelila u dva protvana, s time da sam jedan pekla odmah, a drugi smrznula za kasnije, pa organizirajte situaciju kako vama najbolje odgovara.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje, zagrijte pećnicu na 180°C. Raširite kore na čistoj ravnoj površini. Na svaku koru stavite oko 3 žlice nadjeva, zarolajte i slažite u pripremljeni protvan. Ako planirate smrzavati bureke, samo pokrijte protvan sa složenim burekima sa prozirnom folijom i stavite u frizer. Nemorate ništa odmrzavati prije pečenja, samo pecite još dodatnih 5 minuta. U protivnom, stavite bureke u pećnicu i pecite 30 minuta, dok ne postanu zlatno-žuti i hruskavi.

Ako volite hrskave bureke, možete ih odmah sada jesti jer su spremni. Ja volim da su mekaniji, pa dodajem i zaljev. Imajte na umu da je količina zaljeva ovdje u receptu za svih 12 bureka, pa ako ste nešto smrzavali prilagodite količinu da ne završite sa gnjecavim užasom.

Kada su bureki pečeni stavite da ostatak od 1/3 šalice temeljca sa 2 žlice maslaca zavrije. Pokapajte ovaj zaljev po pečenim burecima, pokrijte protvan aluminijskom folijom i vratite u pećnicu na 10 još minuta. Budite jako oprezni kada baratate protvanom jer će sve biti vruće, kao i kada ćete micati foliju sa njega, da vas para ne zahvati. Bureke narežite na manje komade i poslužite tople. Za podgrijavanje, bombardirajte ih u mikrovalnoj pola minute ili podgrijte u pećnici u poklopljenoj posudi.

Turkey and Mushroom Phyllo Rolls / Burek sa puretinom i gljivama

Grilled Tuna (paleo) / Tuna na žaru (paleo)

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

I’m ashamed to admit how long it’s been since I’ve last cooked up some fresh fish. Since I bought a beautiful piece of tuna for gravlax, I decided to toss a chunk on a grill as well. I ate it with a handful of cherry tomatoes and this whole lunch was done in about 10 minutes.

imgp5666

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 serving / 3.51 EUR)

For tuna:

Tuna fillet of preferred size (2.67 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

For serving:

Handful of cherry tomatoes (0.67 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

Drizzle of olive oil (0.02 EUR)

Juice from ¼ of a lemon (0.07 EUR)

METHOD:

Place grilling pan on high heat and allow it to get thoroughly warmed up. Wash and pat dry tuna with a paper towel. Brush the fish with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on preheated grilling pan and grill for about 3 minutes on one side, then flip and finish for another minute or two on the other side. Meanwhile, while the fish cooks, wash and halve cherry tomatoes and season them with salt and pepper. Transfer cooked fish on a plate with tomatoes, drizzle with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice and dig in right away.

imgp5670

Sve me sram priznati kada sam zadnji puta kuhala neku svježu ribu. Pošto sam kupila krasanu tunu za gravlax, odlučila sam baciti komad i na gril. Poslužila sam ju sa cherry rajčicama i cijeli je ručak bio gotov u desetak minuta.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 porciju / 26,10 kn)

Za tunu:

File tune po želji (20,00 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

Za posluživanje:

Pregršt cherry rajčica (5,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

Mrvica maslinovog ulja (0,15 kn)

Sok od ¼ limuna (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Stavite gril tavu na jaku vatru da se dobro ugrije. Operite i papirnatim ručnikom dobro posušite tunu. Premažite ribu maslinovim uljem te posipajte soli i paprom. Stavite peći na zagrijanu tavu i pecite oko 3 minute na jednoj strani, pa okrenite i dovršite još minutu-dvije na drugoj strani. U međuvremenu, dok se riba peče, operite i raspolovite cherry rajčice te ih začinite soli i paprom. Gotovu ribu stavite na tanjur sa rajčicama, pokapajte sa još malo maslinovog ulja i limunovim sokom pa odmah navalite.

Grilled Tuna (paleo) / Tuna na žaru (paleo)

Barley and Millet Mushroom Skillet / Ječam i proso sa gljivama

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

I’m gonna just throw this out in the open. This dish is very fugly looking. Don’t cook it if you’re trying to impress on a first date. On the other hand, it’s also so comforting and tasty. So maybe reserve it for that date night when you stop feeling uncomfortable parading your ugliest, but coziest, sweatpants in front of your significant other. Or, you know, just keep a batch around for those weeknights when you’re too zonked to even consider cooking. Trust me – you’ll thank yourself on any Wednesday evening for having sense enough to whip this up on a lazy Sunday.

imgp5538

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 6 servings / 0.63 EUR per serving / 3.78 EUR for all)

2 tbsp sunflower seed oil (0.01 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

Small chunk of bacon (0.67 EUR)

500 grams of portobello mushrooms (2.00 EUR)

3 garlic cloves (0.10 EUR)

1 large tomato (0.27 EUR)

½ cup millet (0.40 EUR)

½ cup pearl barley (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.01 EUR)

2 ½ cups water (–)

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (0.13 EUR)

imgp5543

METHOD:

Finely dice all of the vegetables and bacon. Halve and slice the mushrooms. Place a large skillet on high heat to warm up. Add oil, then saute onion for a few minutes until softened. Add in bacon and cook to crisp up. Gradually add in sliced mushrooms to cook them down. It probably looks like you have an enormous amount overflowing your skillet, but those will cook down in just minutes.

When mushrooms have cooked down, add in garlic, tomato, millet, barley, salt, pepper, bay leaf and water. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat to low and cook with a lid cracked open for 25-30 minutes, until barley is cooked through. Fluff up with a fork and serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.

This dish reheats and freezes great, so do yourself a big favor and stock up.

imgp5544

Biti ću iskrena sa vama: ovo jelo izgleda užasno grdo. Nemojte ga kuhati da nekog impresionirate na prvom spoju. S druge strane, jako je fino. Pa ga možda spremite za večeri kada vam prestane biti neugodno pred boljom polovicom defilirati u vašoj najružnijoj i najudobnijoj trenirci. Ili jednostavno imajte zalihu za dane u tjednu kada ste prekrepani da i pomislite na kuhanje. Vjerujte mi – reći ćete si jedno veliko hvala u srijedu navečer što ste bili dovoljno mudri da si ovo skuhate u lijenu nedjelju.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 6 porcija / 4,73 kn po porciji / 28,36 kn za sve)

2 žlice suncokretovog ulja (0,10 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

Mali komadić špeka (5,00 kn)

500 g šampinjona (15,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

1 velika rajčiuca (2,00 kn)

½ šalice prosa (3,00 kn)

½ šalice ječmene kaše (0,50 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

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

1 lovorov list (0,20 kn)

2 ½ šalice vode (–)

2 žlice sjeckanog svježeg peršina (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Fino nasjeckajte svo povrće i špek. Raspolovite i narežite gljive na listiće. Stavite veliku tavu na jaku vatru i pustite da se ugrije. Dodajte u tavu ulje pa kratko popržite luk da omekša. Ubacite špek i dinstajte ga dok se ne zahrska. Postepeno dodajte i kuhajte gljive da iz njih izađe većina tekućine. Možda će vam se učiniti da imate enormnu količinu gljiva u tavi, ali će se one brzo iskuhati i smanjiti u volumenu.

Kada su gljive gotove, dodajte češnjak, rajčicu, proso, ječam, sol, papar, lovorov list i vodu. Dobro promiješajte, pustite da zavrije pa smanjite vatru na skroz lagano. Kuhajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem 25-30 minuta, dok se ječam skroz ne skuha. Vilicom raštrkajte i poslužite posipano svježim peršinom.

Ovo se jelo super podgrijava i smrzava, pa si napravite veliku uslugu i nakuhajte veću zalihu.

Barley and Millet Mushroom Skillet / Ječam i proso sa gljivama

Okonomiyaki Inspired Cabbage Pancake / Palačinka sa zeljem inspirirana Okonomiyakijem

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , , , 3 Comments

While I was in school (I have a B.A. in Japanese language and culture), we’d often have parties with our teachers which, more often than not, included food. Our teachers were all super nice and friendly and were kind enough to teach us how to prepare sushi and other Japanese delicacies. Also, a few of my colleagues went on round trips to Japan and would always haul food back home. As you can imagine, my student life wasn’t bad at all, as it mostly included a lot of eating.

From those times stem my memories of okonomiyaki – a delicious savory cabbage pancake drenched with sauce and various toppings. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get ahold of any of those ingredients necessary to make an authentic Japanese dish. Things like aonori, bonito flakes and okonomiyaki sauce are nowhere to be found over here. But I worked with what I had and produced a yummy and easy-to-mix treat anyway. So here’s a very simplified okonomiyaki type of dish for you to try out.

imgp5506

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 pancake / 2.10 EUR)

For the pancake:

¼ of small head of cabbage (0.13 EUR)

2 spring onions (0.27 EUR)

2 eggs (0.40 EUR)

1 cup all-purpose flour (0.07 EUR)

½ cup water (–)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp sunflower seed oil (0.01 EUR)

Few thin slices of bacon (0.67 EUR)

Topping:

2 tbsp tomato puree or ketchup (0.13 EUR)

1 tbsp barbecue or teriyaki sauce (0.27 EUR)

1 tbsp mayonnaise (0.13 EUR)

imgp5508

METHOD:

Place a cast iron skillet on medium heat, so it gets thoroughly warm while you prepare everything else. Thinly slice cabbage and spring onion, reserving the onion greens for garnish. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, water, salt and pepper. The mixture should be like a thick pancake batter. Dump in shredded cabbage and spring onion, then stir well so all of the vegetables are coated in batter.

imgp5510

Add oil to preheated skillet and swish around so the skillet is coated evenly. Pour in all of the batter and press down with a spatula to even it out. Cut bacon slices in a few smaller segments and arrange on top of the pancake, pressing them a bit into the batter. Leave the pancake alone for about 10 minutes, until the bottom is browned and crispy and the top is slightly set.

imgp5511

Flip the pancake over and cook for another 5 minutes, so the bacon and the other side get crispy as well. I found that the simplest flipping method was to cover the skillet with a plate and turn the skillet over, so that okonomiyaki falls out on the plate. Then I’d just slide it off the plate back into the skillet.

Serve okonomiyaki with meat side up. Whisk tomato puree / ketchup with barbecue / teriyaki sauce and spread on top. Drizzle with mayo and sprinkle with onion greens. Serve immediately.

imgp5521

imgp5517

Dok sam bila na faksu (završila sam Japanologiju), često smo imali tulume sa profesorima koji su uglavnom uključivali i hranu. Profesori su nam bili jako simpatični i dragi, a naučili su nas raditi sushi i druge japanske delicije. Uz to, dosta kolega s faksa išlo je u Japan, pa bi se vraćali doma nakrcani japanskom hranu. Kao što možete zamisliti, studentski mi je život uz svu tu hranu bio užasno težak.

Iz tih vremena proizlaze i sjećanja na okonomiyaki – prefinu slanu palačinku od zelja, natopljenu umakom i raznim dodacima. Na žalost, nisam uspjela nabaviti sastojke za autentično japansko jelo. Stvari kao aonori, bonito i okonomiyaki sos kod nas nisu dostupne. Ali sam zato upotrijebila ono što mi je bilo pri ruci i smutila ovo ukusno i jednostavno jelo.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 palačinku / 15,11 kn)

Za palačinku:

¼ male glavice kupusa (1,00 kn)

2 mlada luka (2,00 kn)

2 jaja (3,00 kn)

1 šalica glatkog brašna (0,50 kn)

½ šalice vode (–)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

1 žlica suncokretovog ulja (0,05 kn)

Par tankih kriški špeka (5,00 kn)

Za serviranje:

2 žlice umaka od rajčice ili kečapa (0,50 kn)

2 žlice barbacue umaka ili teriyaki umaka (2,00 kn)

1 žlica majoneze (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Stavite željeznu tavicu na srednje-jaku vatru da se dobro ugrije dok pripremate sve ostalo. Tanko narežite zelje i luk, a zeleni dio mladog luka stavite na stranu za serviranje. U zdjeli pomiješajte jaja, brašno, vodu, sol i papar. Smjesa treba biti kao gusta smjesa za palačinke. Ubacite unutra zelje i luk, te dobro pomiješajte da svo povrće bude pokriveno smjesom.

Dodajte ulje u zagrijanu tavu i okrećite ju da bude ravnomjerno namašćena. Ulijte svu smjesu u tavicu, poravnajte i pritisnite špatulom. Narežite kriške špeka na manje komade, posložite špek po palačinki i lagano ga utisnite u smjesu. Pustite sada da se sve peče 10-tak minuta, dok dno palačinke ne bude smečkasto i hrskavo, a vrh se ne zgusne.

Preokrenite palačinku i pecite još jedno 5 minuta, da se špek i druga strana isto zahrskaju. Meni je najlakše bilo preokrenuti palačinku tako da tavu poklopim tanjurom i onda sve preokrenem. Palačinka bi mi ispala na tanjur i onda bi ju samo odsklizala natrag u tavu.

Poslužite okonomiyaki sa mesnom stranom prema gore. Pomiješajte paradajz sos / kečap sa barbecue / teriyaki umakom i premažite to po palačinki. Pokapajte majonezom i posipajte zelenjem od mladog luka. Odmah poslužite.

Okonomiyaki Inspired Cabbage Pancake / Palačinka sa zeljem inspirirana Okonomiyakijem

Love Your Leftovers Burrito / Burrito od raznih ostataka

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

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

IMGP5040

INGREDIENTS:

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

For the meat:

200 g pork loin (0.80 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp oil (0.03 EUR)

For the burrito:

¼ of avocado (0.20 EUR)

½ of small onion (0.03 EUR)

1 Roma tomato (0.20 EUR)

Handful of arugula (0.13 EUR)

½ can of corn (0.40 EUR)

1 tbsp lemon juice (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tortillas (0.53 EUR)

2 tbsp sour cream (0.07 EUR)

3 tbsp shredded cheese (0.13 EUR)

IMGP5035

METHOD:

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

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

IMGP5038

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

SASTOJCI:

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

Za meso:

200 g svinjskog buta (6,00 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

2 žlice ulja (0,20 kn)

Za burrito:

¼ avokada (1,50 kn)

½ malog luka (0,25 kn)

1 rajčica šljivar (1,50 kn)

Pregršt rukole (1,00 kn)

½ konzerve kukuruza (3,00 kn)

1 žlica limunovog soka (0,50 kn)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

2 tortilje (4,00 kn)

2 žlice kiselog vrhnja (0,50 kn)

3 žlice naribanog sira (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

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

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

Love Your Leftovers Burrito / Burrito od raznih ostataka

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

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

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

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 huge serving of salad / 1.28 EUR)

5 large lettuce leaves (0.27 EUR)

1 large carrot (0.10 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

Juice from ½ lemon (0.20 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp crushed raw peanuts (0.13 EUR)

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

IMGP4951

METHOD:

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

IMGP4952

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

SASTOJCI:

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

5 velikih listova zelene salate (2,00 kn)

1 velika mrkva (0,75 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

Sok od ½ limuna (1,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

2 žlice zdrobljenih sirovih kikirikija (1,00 kn)

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

PRIPREMA:

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

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