meal prep

Homemade Power Bars (vegan) / Domaće energetske pločice (veganske)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , , , 6 Comments

In August we ventured for an epic trek through the mountain range of southern Velebit. The nature was truly magnificent and in three days we met altogether about 15 people. The downside of such remoteness is that we had to carry absolutely everything in our backpacks, including all of the food. This is where these power bars come in. They are dense in nutrients, tasty and very compact, which means they took up only a small fraction of valuable backpack space. They also came out way cheaper than any store-bought power bars would and were therefore an absolute win.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 18 bars / 0.37 EUR per bar / 6.67 EUR for all)

500 grams of old-fashioned oats (0.80 EUR)

2 cups ground walnuts (2.00 EUR)

2 cups raisins (0.80 EUR)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (0.07 EUR)

½ tsp ground nutmeg (0.03 EUR)

6 bananas (1.60 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

¼ cup coconut oil (0.67 EUR)

¼ cup honey (0.67 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg. Throw peeled bananas in a food processor and pulse until creamy. Pour banana cream, vanilla, coconut oil and honey over dry mixture and stir until everything is fully combined. The mixture is gonna be a pretty thick, so this will require some elbow grease.

Dump the mixture on a prepared baking tray and completely flatten and even out with a spatula. Make sure that it’s evenly thick in all places so it doesn’t burn. Especially pay attention to the edges and even them out as much as possible. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until darkened and crispy on top. As soon as you remove the tray from the oven, cut out the bars. Allow them to sit on the tray undisturbed to cool down completely, before storing for later. The bars will firm up as they cool. They will hold refrigerated in an airtight container for a month and will keep at room temperature for at least five days.

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U kolovozu smo otišli na epsko planinarenje kroz južni Velebit. Priroda je bila doista veličanstvena, a u tri smo dana sreli sveukupno niti 15 ljudi. Loša strana takve izolacije je da smo morali apsolutno sve nositi sa sobom u ruksacima, uključujući i svu hranu. A tu na scenu stupaju ove energetske pločice. Napucane su vrijednim nutrijentima, ukusne i jako kompaktne, pa zauzimaju minimum vrijednog prostora u ruksaku. Također su nas izašle puno jeftinije nego da smo energetske pločice išli kupovati, pa su stoga bile apsolutni uspjeh.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 18 pločica / 2,78 kn po pločici / 49,95 kn za sve)

500 grama krupnih zobenih pahuljica (6,00 kn)

2 šalice mljevenih oraha (15,00 kn)

2 šalice grožđica (6,00 kn)

1 žličica cimeta (0,50 kn)

½ žličice muškatnog oraščića (0,25 kn)

6 banana (12,00 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

¼ šalice kokosovog ulja (5,00 kn)

¼ šalice meda (5,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 150°C. Obložite veliki protvan papirom za pečenje i stavite na stranu. U velikoj zdjeli pomiješajte zobene pahuljice, orahe, grožđice, cimet i muškatni oraščić. Ubacite oguljene banane u multipraktik i pulsirajte dok ne postanu kremaste. Prelijte kremu od banana, vaniliju, kokosovo ulje i med preko suhe smjese i promiješajte dok se sve u potpunosti ne sjedini. Smjesa će biti poprilično gusta pa ćete morati malo uprijeti.

Iskrenite smjesu na pripremljeni protvan i skroz špatulom skroz poravnajte. Obratite pozornost na to da je sve jednake debljine kako vam ne bi zagorilo. Posebno pripazite na rubove i poravnajte ih koliko je god moguće. Pecite 1 sat i 15 minuta, dok sve ne potamni i ne zahruska se. Čim maknete protvan iz pećnice izrežite pločice. Pustite da sve odmara u protvanu dok se skroz ne ohladi, a prije nego što ćete pločice spakirati za kasnije. Pločice će se još dodatno stvrdnuti kako se budu hladile. Hermetički zatvorene pločice će držati u hladnjaku mjesec dana, a na sobnoj temperaturi barem pet dana.

Homemade Power Bars (vegan) / Domaće energetske pločice (veganske)

Pork and Pea Goulash / Gulaš sa svinjetinom i graškom

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , 4 Comments

Oh my, the summer ended in like three and a half seconds. We were sweating and walking in flip-flops for one minute and now we’re in jeans, sweaters and sporting umbrellas. I definitely did not expect it all to be over so abruptly. I’m also burrowing down at home, wrapping myself in blankets and drinking tea. Naturally, all I want to eat are hot soups and stews. This is where the goulash kicks in. It’s super comforting and tasty. It makes autumn exceptionally good.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 6 servings / 0.90 EUR per serving / 5.42 EUR for all)

For the meat:

500 grams pork leg or shoulder (2.00 EUR)

1 tbsp mustard (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.07 EUR)

For the goulash:

5-6 tbsp sunflower seed oil, divided (0.08 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

1 tsp ground coriander (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp dried hot pepper flakes (0.07 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.01 EUR)

5 carrots (0.33 EUR)

2 parsley roots with leaves (0.40 EUR)

1 small bell pepper (0.20 EUR)

5 garlic cloves (0.17 EUR)

1 can of diced Roma tomatoes (0.67 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp smoked paprika (0.07 EUR)

3 cups water (–)

3 cups frozen peas (1.00 EUR)

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METHOD:

Start off by preparing the meat by cutting it into small cubes. Whisk together mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper and massage the mixture into the pork cubes. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting to cook, so it has plenty of time to come to room temperature. Meanwhile wash, peel and finely dice all the vegetables. Keep chopped parsley leaves separated from the roots.

Place large pot on high heat and allow it to thoroughly warm up. Add two tablespoons of oil, then add in half of the pork and cook for a few minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove the browned meat and repeat with the rest, adding in more oil if necessary. Set all cooked meat aside and deglaze the pot with a bit of water. Reserve those delicious juices for later.

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Return the pot to heat and saute onion on remaining oil, until slightly caramelized. Add in coriander, dried hot pepper flakes and bay leaf and stir for about 30 seconds, just so all the flavors from spices can infuse the oil. Throw in diced carrots, parsley roots, bell pepper and garlic, give a good stir and cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies slightly caramelize, while stirring once or twice. Return the meat to the pot with all its juices, throw in diced tomatoes, salt and paprika, then pour water over everything. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook with a lid cracked open for about 2 hours. The sauces will thicken and meat will get super tender. At that point add in frozen peas and chopped parsley leaves, stir and simmer for another 10 minutes, until peas are thoroughly cooked though.

Serve hot goulash over cooked rice, mashed potatoes, pasta or gnocchi.

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Da li samo ja imam osjećaj kao da je ljeto završilo u tri i pol sekunde? Jedan tren smo se znojili i hodali okolo u japankama, a sada smo odjednom u trapericama, džemperima i mašemo kišobranima. Definitivno nisam očekivala da će sve završiti tako naglo. Doma se isto zamatam u deke i pijem čaj. Naravno, sve što mi se jede su vruće juhe i variva. I tu na scenu stupa ovaj gulaš koji je baš fini i topli. Radi toga je jesen iznimno dobra.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 6 porcija / 6,73kn po porciji / 40,38 kn za sve)

Za meso:

500 g svinjskog buta ili lopatice (15,00 kn)

1 žlica senfa (0,50 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,50 kn)

Za gulaš:

5-6 žlica suncokretovog ulja, podijeljenih (0,60 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

1 žličica mljevenog korijandera (0,50 kn)

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

1 lovorov list (0,10 kn)

5 mrkvi (2,50 kn)

2 peršinova korijena sa lišćem (3,00 kn)

1 mala paprika babura (1,50 kn)

5 češnjeva češnjaka (1,25 kn)

1 konzerva sjeckanih pelata (5,00 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica dimljene slatke paprike (0,50 kn)

3 šalice vode (–)

3 šalice smrznutog graška (7,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Prvo pripremite meso tako da ga narežete na kockice. Umutite skupa senf, maslinovo ulje, sol i papar, te umasirajte smjesu u narezanu svinjetinu. Spremite u hermetički zatvorenu posudu i ostavite preko noći u hladnjaku.

Izvadite meso iz hladnjaka pola sata prije nego krenete kuhati, kako bi imalo vremena ugrijati se na sobnu temperaturu. U međuvremenu operite, očistite i fino nasjeckajte svo povrće. Držite nasjeckano peršinovo lišće odvojeno od korjena.

Stavite veći lonac na jaku vatru i pustite da se dobro ugrije. Dodajte dvije žlice ulja pa na njemu kratko popecite polovicu mesa, tako da kockice budu hrskave sa svih strana. Izvadite meso iz lonca, i ponovite sa ostatkom, po potrebi dodajući još malo ulja. Kada je meso gotovo, stavite ga na stranu i sa malo vode otopite sve što je ostalo u loncu i obavezno sve te fine sokove sačuvajte za kasnije.

Vratite lonac na jaku vatru i na ostatku ulja izdinstajte luk dok se lagano ne karamelizira. Ubacite korijander, pahuljice čilija i lovorov list, pa promiješajte tridesetak sekundi, samo da se arome iz začina otpuste u ulje. Dodajte u lonac narezane mrkve, peršinov korjen, papriku i češnjak. Dobro promiješajte i kuhajte desetak minuta da se povrće malo karamelizira. Jednom ili dva puta sve promiješajte. Vratite u lonac meso i sve sokove, ubacite pelate, sol i dimljenu papriku, te zalijte sve vodom. Pustite da zavrije, smanjite vatru i kuhajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem oko dva sata. Umak će se za to vrijeme fino zgusnuti, a meso postati sasvim mekano. Za kraj dodajte smrznuti grašak i nasjeckan peršinov list, promiješajte i krčkajte još desetak minuta, dok se grašak do kraja ne skuha.

Poslužite topli gulaš preko kuhane riže, pire krumpira, tjestenine ili njoka.

Pork and Pea Goulash / Gulaš sa svinjetinom i graškom

Mixed Pickled Veggies (Tursu / Torshi) / Miješano ukiseljeno povrće (turšija)

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Whatever you wish to call this salad, it is a local staple and one of my favorite things to eat during winter months when fresh veggies are scarce and without much variety. Now is an ideal time to stock up on it, so I dedicated an afternoon to some canning.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 16 jars / 0.51 EUR per jar / 8.12 EUR for all)

For the brine:

1 liter distilled 9% vinegar (0.40 EUR)

5 liters water (–)

5 tbsp salt (0.03 EUR)

5 tbsp sugar (0.03 EUR)

Veggies:

1 kilo carrots (0.93 EUR)

1 kilo small gherkins (1.60 EUR)

1 kilo green bell peppers (0.93 EUR)

1 kilo green tomatoes (0.80 EUR)

1 kilo cabbage (1.00 EUR)

1 kilo cauliflower (2.00 EUR)

Additional:

Handful of black peppercorns (0.40 EUR)

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METHOD:

Start off by preparing your jars. Wash them in hot soapy water and allow to fully dry off. Throw a few peppercorns into each jar. You can also add in garlic, bay leaf, dill and the like, but I prefer to have a more neutral taste and skip these aromatics. Wash and thoroughly clean all the veggies while ensuring you throw out any suspicious parts. Cut the veggies into smaller pieces and divide between the jars. Prepare the brine by heating up all of the ingredients until almost boiling, so the salt and sugar are completely melted. Divide the brine between jars and ensure all the veggies are fully submerged. You can also press the veggies down with toothpicks or special plastic rings.

Seal the jars and give them a 10 minute hot water bath. Allow the jars to cool completely before storing in a dark and cool place. After three weeks the veggies will be pickled and ready to enjoy.

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Ova jednostavna salata jedna mi je od najdražih stvari tijekom zimskih mjeseci kada svježeg povrća nema u raznolikom izobilju. Sada je idealno vrijeme za napraviti zalihe, pa sam jedno poslijepodne posvetila kiseljenju.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 16 teglica / 3,81 kn po tegli / 61,00 kn za sve)

Za zaljev:

1 litra 9% alkoholnog octa (3,00 kn)

5 litara vode (–)

5 žlica soli (0,25 kn)

5 žlica šećera (0,25 kn)

Povrće:

1 kg mrkve (7,00 kn)

1 kg sitnih krastavaca (12,00 kn)

1 kg zelenih paprika babura (7,00 kn)

1 kg zelenih rajčica (6,00 kn)

1 kg zelja (7,50 kn)

1 kg cvjetače (15,00 kn)

Dodatno:

Pregršt crnog papra u zrnu (3,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Za početak dobro operite staklenke sa deterdžentom i vrućom vodom i ostavite da se skroz posuše. U svaku staklenku ubacite par zrna papra. Možete također dodati i češnjak, lovorov list, kopar i slično, ali ja više volim neutralni okus pa ne stavljam ništa od toga. Dobro operite i očistite svo povrće te obavezno bacite sve što vam se čini imalo sumnjivo. Povrće narežite na manje komade i rsporedite među staklenkama. Zaljev pripremite tako da zagrijete sve sastojke dok skoro ne zakipe, a da se sol i šećer skroz rastope. Rastočite zaljev po staklenkama, pazeći da je svo povrće potopljeno. Povrće možete također pritisnuti prema dolje čačkalicama ili posebnim plastičnim prstenovima.

Zatvorite staklenke i obradite ih na 10 minuta u kipućoj kupelji. Pustite da se staklenke skroz ohlade prije nego ćete ih odložiti na tamno i hladno mjesto. Povrće će biti ukiseljeno i spremno za jelo nakon tri tjedna.

Mixed Pickled Veggies (Tursu / Torshi) / Miješano ukiseljeno povrće (turšija)

Roasted Tomato and Horn Pepper Salsa (vegan) / Šalša od pečenih rajčica i paprika roga (veganska)

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You know that summer is slowly winding down when ripe juicy tomatoes are on every corner. I am absolutely filling up my freezer with this salsa so I can eat it for the whole year, because it’s delicious and super easy to make. The oven does all the work for you and I find the whole meal prep less daunting when I work in smaller batches. Later on you just need to boil some pasta, heat up the salsa on a splash of olive oil and dinner is served.

The recipe below is an approximation when it comes to ingredient amounts, but this combo of tomatoes and sweet horn peppers works best with my taste buds at the moment.

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INGREDIENTS

(Yields about 15 servings / 0.29 EUR per serving / 4.40 EUR for all)

20 big Roma tomatoes (2.00 EUR)

5 big red horn peppers (0.67 EUR)

5 large onions (0.50 EUR)

2 garlic bulbs (0.27 EUR)

2 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.07 EUR)

10 tbsp olive oil (0.88 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash and halve tomatoes. Halve peppers and discard stems and seeds. Quarter the onions with skins intact. Break garlic bulbs into cloves, but leave the skins on them. Arrange tomatoes, peppers, onion chunks and garlic cloves on a baking tray in a single layer. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 1 hour, until everything is slightly charred.

Allow to cool a bit before peeling and discarding onion and garlic skins. Blitz everything in a food processor to desired consistency and portion out if you wanna freeze for later. This sauce is fantastic on its own, served over pasta. But it’s also very customizable and you can definitely add in any other meat or veggies. It’s also a superb base for a homemade tomato soup and will make a homemade pizza taste like heaven.

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Znate da se ljeto polako primiče kraju kada su zrele i sočne rajčice na svakom koraku. Planiram dubkom napuniti naš frizer ovom šalšom kako bi ju mogli jesti cijele godine, jer je prefina i jako jednostavna za napraviti. Pećnica će za vas odraditi većinu posla, a meni je cijeli pothvat sasvim lagan kada ovu šalšu radim u manjim turama. Kasnije trebate samo skuhati tjesteninu, podgrijati šalšu na malo maslinovog ulja i imate spreman ručak.

Recept u nastavku je poprilično odokativan što se tiče količine sastojaka, ali  ovakav omjer rajčica i slatke paprike roge nekako najabolje odgovara mojem ukusu u ovom trenutku.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 15 porcija / 2,32 kn po porciji / 34,87 kn za sve)

20 velikih rajčica šljivara (15,00 kn)

5 velikih crvenih paprika roga (5,00 kn)

5 velikih glavica luka (3,75 kn)

2 glavice češnjaka (4,00 kn)

2 žličice soli (0,02 kn)

2 žličice svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,50 kn)

10 žlica maslinovog ulja (6,60 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Operite i raspolovite rajčice. Raspolovite paprike i bacite sjemenke i peteljke. Raščetvorite luk skupa sa ljuskom. Razlomite češnjak na češnjeve, ali također ostavite ljuske. Rasporedite rajčice, papriku, luk i češnjak po protvanu za pečenje, posipajte solju i paprom, te pokapajte maslinovim uljem. Pecite oko 1 sat, dok se sve lagano ne zapeče.

Ostavite da se sve malo ohladi prije nego što ćete oguliti i baciti ljuske sa luka i češnjaka. Sve propulsirajte u multipraktiku do željene konzistencije te rasporedite u porcije prije nego što ćete zamrznuti za kasnije. Ova šalša je fantastična sama za sebe sa tjesteninom, no također je i veoma prilagodljiva te joj možete dodati razna mesa i druga povrća. Ujedno je i izvrsna baza za domaću juhu od rajčica, a sa njom će vam domaća pizza ispasti savršeno.

Roasted Tomato and Horn Pepper Salsa (vegan) / Šalša od pečenih rajčica i paprika roga (veganska)

Peach Pie Granola / Granola sa breskvama

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This granola has been a huge success. We shoveled it down in a matter of days, both as breakfast with yogurt and as a snack. It has a mild peachy hint and smells like heaven while it’s baking. I didn’t bother peeling the peaches because I would eat the skins on them anyway if I were to eat them raw. If you are inclined to do so, go ahead, but that step seems completely unnecessary, in my opinion.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 10 servings / 0.55 EUR per serving / 5.49 EUR for all)

5 cups old fashioned oats (1.00 EUR)

1 cup ground walnuts (1.00 EUR)

½ cup ground flax seed (0.47 EUR)

½ cup sunflower seeds (0.47 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (0.07 EUR)

½ tsp ground nutmeg (0.03 EUR)

4 large peaches (1.07 EUR)

½ cup honey (0.67 EUR)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (0.03 EUR)

5 tbsp butter, melted (0.67 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 175°. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together oats, walnuts, flax seed, sunflower seeds, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pit peaches and cut into chunks, then add to a food processor and pulse into puree. Add honey, vanilla and melted butter to peach puree and blitz a bit more in a food processor to combine. Pour the wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir to combine. I find that the easiest way to do this (albeit, a bit messy) is to just use my hands.

Turn the mixture out on a prepared baking tray and spread out evenly. Don’t press the granola down too much, rather leave it in clumps to get a nice chewy and crispy texture mix. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until crispy and golden, while stirring once or twice during baking. Allow granola to cool down completely on a tray before storing in the fridge in an airtight container.

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Ova je granola ispala pravi hit. Potamanili smo ju u samo par dana, kao doručak sa jogurtom i kao snack. Ima blagi okus po breskvama, a miriši stvarno divno kada se peče. Nisam se gnjavila sa time da gulim bresvke, jer bi kožu ionako pojela da breskve jedem sirove. Ako ste vi raspoloženi za guljenje bresaka, slobodno prionite, ali po meni bi to bio sasvim nepotreban korak.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 10 porcija / 4,10 kn po porciji / 40,96 kn za sve)

5 šalica krupnih zobenih pahuljica (7,50 kn)

1 šalica mljevenih oraha (7,50 kn)

½ šalice mljevenih sjemenki lana (3,50 kn)

½ šalice suncokretovih sjemenki (3,50 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica mljevenog cimeta (0,50 kn)

1/2 žličice mljevenog muškatnog oraščića (0,25 kn)

4 velike breskve (8,00 kn)

½ šalice meda (5,00 kn)

1 žličica ekstrakta od vanilije (0,20 kn)

5 žlica maslaca, rastopljenih (5,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 175°C. Obložite veliki protvan papirom za pečenje i stavite na stranu. U velikoj zdjeli pomiješajte zobene pahuljice, orahe, lan, suncokretove sjemenke, sol, cimet i muškatni oraščić. Očistite breskve od koštica i narežite na komade, pa ih ubacite u multipraktik i propasirajte u pire. Ubacite unutra i med, vaniliju i rastopljeni maslac, pa kratko propulsirajte da se sve pomiješa. Prelijte mokre sastojke preko suhih i dobro promiješajte. Meni je nekako najlakše (iako možda ne i najčišće) sve izmiješati rukama.

Iskrenite smjesu na pripremljeni protvan i ravnomjerno raširite. Nemojte previše utiskivati granolu u protvan, rađe ju ostavite u grudama da dobijete kombinaciju hrskave i mekanije teksture. Pecite oko sat i 15 minuta, dok se granola ne zahrska i dobije zlatno-smeđu boju, a jednom ili dva puta tijekom pečenja dobro promiješajte. Pustite da se granola skroz ohladi na protvanu prije nego ju u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi spremite u hladnjak.

Peach Pie Granola / Granola sa breskvama

Lentil and Mushroom Risotto (Vegetarian) / Rižoto od leće i gljiva (vegetarijanski)

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This summer lentils seem to be my most favorite ingredient. They are super quick to cook, cheap, filling and tasty. I am sneaking them into every dish and everything appears to be suddenly improved by lentils. This dish is very quick to make and super tasty. You can also easily make it vegan by just swapping butter for coconut oil.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 1.01 EUR per serving / 4.03 EUR for all)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.13 EUR)

4 tbsp butter (0.53 EUR)

500 grams Portobello mushrooms (2.00 EUR)

1 cup green lentils (0.67 EUR)

1 cup rice (0.27 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp dried parsley (0.13 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.03 EUR)

3 cups water (–)

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METHOD:

Peel the onion and garlic and finely dice them. Wash and thinly slice mushrooms. Pick through lentils, then rinse well in a colander, together with rice.

Add the onion to olive oil and saute until slightly translucent. Throw in garlic and butter and give a good stir. When butter melts, add in sliced mushrooms. You might want to do this in two or three smaller batches as the mushrooms cook down. After a few minutes dump in lentils, rice, salt, pepper, parsley and bay leaf. Cover with water, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer with lid cracked open for 15-20 minutes, until lentils and rice are thoroughly cooked through. Stir occasionally and add in a splash of water if necessary.

This dish reheats great and will keep refrigerated for a few days, so you can prepare ahead and have your lunch ready to take to work.

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Čini mi se kako mi je ovo ljeto leća postala najdraža namirnica, što je sasvim i razumljivo jer se brzo skuha, jeftina je, zasitna i fina. Počela sam leću ubacivati u skoro sva jela, a sa njom je i sve odmah nekako ukusnije. Ovaj je recept jako jednostavan i fin. Lako ga možete modificirati i u veganski, ako maslac zamijenite sa kokosovim uljem.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 7,54 kn po porciji / 30,17 kn za sve)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

4 češnja čenjaka (1,00 kn)

4 žlice maslaca (4,00 kn)

500 g šampinjona (15,00 kn)

1 šalica zelene leće (5,00 kn)

1 šalica riže (2,00 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,50 kn)

2 žlice sušenog peršina (1,00 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,25 kn)

3 šalice vode (–)

PRIPREMA:

Ogulite i sitno nasjeckajte luk i češnjak. Operite i narežite gljive na tanke listiće. Proberite leću, pa skupa sa rižom dobro isprerite pod tekućom vodom u cjediljci.

Bacite luk na maslinovo ulje i kratko prodinstajte dok ne postane staklast. Dodajte češnjak i maslac, pa dobro promiješajte. Kada se maslac rastopi, postepeno u dve ili tri manje ture dodajte gljive da se i one skuhaju. Nakon par minuta dodajte leću, rižu, sol, papar, peršin i lovorov list. Prelijte preko svega vodu, promiještajte i pustite da zavrije. Smanjite vatru i krčkajte uz povremeno miješanje sa odškrinutim poklopcem 15-20 minuta, dok se riža i leća do kraja ne skuhaju. Po potrebi dodajte još malo vode.

Ovo se jelo super podgrijava, a u hladnjaku će držati par dana, tako da slobodno možete skuhati malo više i imati ručak za ponijeti sa sobom na posao.

Lentil and Mushroom Risotto (Vegetarian) / Rižoto od leće i gljiva (vegetarijanski)

Apricot Jam / Pekmez od marelice

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , 2 Comments

We bought a batch of apricots the other day which were super tasty, but already a bit beaten up and would go bad in a day or two if stored in a fridge. Which only means that they were perfect for jam! Such a small batch was quickly done and I didn’t go through hassle of water bath, because I stored the jam in a fridge and plan on using it up fairly quickly. Such jam can also be kept in freezer. Hopefully I’ll whip up another batch while apricots are still around.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2-3 jars / 1.47 EUR)

500 grams apricots (1.00 EUR)

250 grams sugar (0.20 EUR)

2 tbsp lemon juice (0.27 EUR)

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METHOD:

Prepare the jars and lids by washing them in hot soapy water. Wash, pit and roughly chop up the apricots, then toss them with half the sugar and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Add to a pot and place on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium when it starts bubbling up, then cook for about 20-30 minutes while stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and puree to desired consistency with an immersion blender. Stir in remaining sugar. It’s also a good idea to taste the jam at this point to adjust the sugar amount. I prefer my jam on a less sweeter side, so maybe you’ll need to add in a bit more sugar.

Return the pot to medium heat and cook while stirring to desired thickness. You can test the jam thickness by adding a teaspoon of it to a frozen plate. If it thickens, you’re good to go. Distribute the jam between prepared jars. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in a fridge or freezer.

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Neki smo dan kupili marelice koje su bile jako ukusne, ali već pomalo natučene pa bi se kroz koji dan u frižideru sigurno skroz pokvarile. Što znači da su savršene za pekmez! Takva mala količina je bila brzo gotova, a nisam se gnjavila sa time da pune teglice ubacim u vodenu kupelj, jer ću pekmez ionako držati u frižideru i planiram ga brzo potrošiti. Ovakav pekmez također možete čuvati i u zamrzivaču. Samo se nadam da ću uspjeti napraviti još pekmeza dok još ima marelica.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 2-3 teglice / 11,00 kn)

500 g marelica (7,50 kn)

250 g šećera (1,50 kn)

2 žlice limunovog soka (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Prvo si pripremite teglice i poklopce tako da ih dobro operete u toploj vodi sa deterdžentom. Operite, očistite i grubo narežite marelice, pa ih pomiješajte sa pola šećera i dvije žlice limunovog soka. Ubacite sve u lonac i stavite na jaku vatru. Kada zavrije, smanjite vatru na srednje i kuhajte 20-30 minuta uz učestalo miješanje. Maknite s vatre i propasirajte sa štapnim mikserom do željene konzistencije. Umiješajte preostali šećer. Bilo bi dobro i da probate pekmez i tako prilagodite količinu šećera. Ja volim manje slatke stvari, tako da ćete vi možda trebati još malo zasladiti.

Vratite lonac na srednju vatru i uz miješanje kuhajte do željene gustoće. Gustoću pekmeza možete provjeriti tako da stavite žličicu na zamrznuti tanjurić. Ako se zgusne, to je to. Raspodijelite pekmez po pripremljenim teglicama. Pustite da se ohladi na sobnu temperaturu prije nego pekmez spremite u frižider ili zamrzivač.

Apricot Jam / Pekmez od marelice

Lentil and Yellow Bean Spicy Stew (vegan) / Pikantno varivo od leće i žutih mahuna (vegan)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , , 2 Comments

I’m in a super lazy phase when it comes to cooking these days so I’m looking into easy and no-fuss recipes that can be whipped up quickly. Dishes which I can make in big batches and reheat later as needed are currently my BFFs. I don’t know if it’s the weather, very busy period at work, or just life, but man, I am so ready for a vacation (which isn’t happening for another month D:). Anyhow, here’s a super easy and tasty recipe for you guys, so enjoy.IMGP6548

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 0.88 EUR per serving / 3.53 EUR for all)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

1 large onion, diced (0.10 EUR)

1 can of tomatoes (0.80 EUR)

4 garlic cloves, minced (0.13 EUR)

500 grams frozen yellow beans (1.00 EUR)

1 cup red lentils (1.00 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp Gochujang – Korean chili paste (0.13 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

2 cups water (–)

Small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped (0.20 EUR)

IMGP6550IMGP6551METHOD:

Saute onion on olive oil until slightly translucent. Add in canned tomatoes and garlic, then smash down the tomatoes into smaller chunks with your spatula. This is also very therapeutic if you had to deal with annoying people at work for half a day. Allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes, then dump in yellow beans, lentils, paprika, Gochujang, salt and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook with a lid cracked open for about 20 minutes, while stirring occasionally. If needed, add a splash more of water. Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley and serve warm.IMGP6553

Ovih sam dana u nekoj jako lijenoj fazi kada je u pitanju kuhanje, pa tražim lagane recepte bez puno komplikacija, koji se brzo mogu smutiti. Jela koja mogu napraviti u velikim porcijama i kasnije podgrijati po potrebi su mi trenutno najbolji frendovi. Nemam pojma da li je to zbog vremena, užasno ubzranog tempa na poslu, ili jednostavno života, ali ljudi moji, spremna sam za godišnji (koji se neće desiti još mjesec dana, grrr D:). Uglavnom, evo vam jedan jako jednostavan i ukusan recept, pa uživajte.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 6,61 kn po porciji / 26,42 kn za sve)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

1 veliki luk, narezan na kockice (0,75 kn)

1 konzerva pelata (6,00 kn)

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

500 grama smrznutih žutih mahuna (7,50 kn)

1 šalica crvene leće (7,50 kn)

1 žlica slatke crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

1 žlica Gochujanga – korejske chili paste (1,00 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

2 šalice vode (–)

Mali pregršt peršina, sitno nasjeckanog (1,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Prodinstajte luk na maslinovom ulju dok ne bude staklast. Dodajte pelate i češnjak, pa pelate špatulom izgnječite u manje komade. Ovo je jako terapeutski ako ste se cijeloga dana na poslu bavili sa napornim ljudima. Pustite da se krčka 5-10 minuta, pa ubacite unutra mahune, leću, papriku, Gochujang, sol i vodu. Pustite da zavrije, smanjite vatru i krčkajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem oko 20 minuta, uz povremeno miješanje. Po potrebi dodajte još mrvicu vode. Maknite sa vatre, umiješajte nasjeckani peršin i poslužite toplo.

Lentil and Yellow Bean Spicy Stew (vegan) / Pikantno varivo od leće i žutih mahuna (vegan)

Baked Turkey Meatballs / Pečene pureće mesne okruglice

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

I’ve been in a mood for meatballs for the longest time ever. Since the weather is pretty warm, I decided to make the meatballs with ground turkey, as it’s lighter than beef or pork. Naturally, the batch I’ve prepared was huge, so I munched on these for the whole week. Feel free to scale down and adjust the amounts to your liking.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 40 meatballs / 0.21 EUR per meatball, 8.35 EUR for all)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

5 garlic cloves (0.17 EUR)

1.200 grams of ground turkey (6.67 EUR)

1 egg (0.20 EUR)

1 cup bread crumbs (0.40 EUR)

¼ cup sunflower seed oil (0.10 EUR)

1 tbsp Gochujang – Korean chili paste (0.13 EUR)

½ cup Ajvar – red horn pepper paste, here and here are recipes for homemade (0.40 EUR)

1 tsp smoky red paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.07 EUR)

½ tsp dried chili flakes (0.03 EUR)

2 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Finely dice the onion and mince garlic. In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together with your hands. Using a spoon or a small ice cream scoop (which is my personal favorite for this job) scoop up the mixture and form into small balls. Spread the meatballs on a baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes, until they are nice and crispy on the outside. You can also bake the meatballs in a silicone muffin tray, which I find even better for the job as it makes the cleaning less tedious. These meatballs reheat great and once baked should keep in your fridge for at least five days.

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Već mi se sto godina jedu mesne okruglice, a pošto je vrijeme dosta toplo, odlučila sam se za mljevenu puretinu jer je lakša od svinjetine ili junetine. Naravno, morala sam odma napraviti enormnu količinu pa sam okruglice tamanila cijeli tjedan. Vi slobodno prilagodite količine sastojaka svojim potrebama.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 40 okruglica / 1,56 kn po okruglici / 62,52 kn za sve)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

5 češnjeva češnjaka (1,25 kn)

1.200 grama mljevene puretine (50,00 kn)

1 jaje (1,50 kn)

1 šalica krušnih mrvica (3,00 kn)

¼ šalice suncokretovog ulja (0,75 kn)

1 žlica Gochujanga – korejske chili paste (1,00 kn)

½ šalice ajvara – tu i tu su recepti za domaći (3,00 kn)

1 žličica dimljene crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,50 kn)

½ žličice sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,25 kn)

2 žličice soli (0,02 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Fino nasjeckajte luk i češnjak. U velikoj zdjeli rukama dobro izmješajte sve sastojke. Žlicom ili malom žlicom za sladoled (što je moj osobni favorit za ovaj posao) grabite smjesu i oblikujte u male kuglice. Okruglice raširite po protvanu za pečenje i pecite oko 30 minuta, dok se izvana lijepo ne zahrskaju. Okruglice možete također peći i u silikonskom kalupu za mafine, što je po meni još bolje jer olakšava čišćenje. Ove okruglice se super podgrijavaju, a jednom pečene u frižideru mogu držati barem pet dana.

Baked Turkey Meatballs / Pečene pureće mesne okruglice

Quick Cherry and Apricot Jam / Brzinski pekmez od trešanja i marelica

Crunch Crunch Away, , , 3 Comments

Oh, summer fruits! I’m in love with all the delicious and sweet flavors. I’ll be honest with you and admit that my jam game has been super slow this year. I’ve only made this one batch of cherry apricot jam, but there is so much more I wanna do while all the lovely produce is still in season. Hopefully, I’ll have more recipes with you to share.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 jars / 1.17 EUR per jar / 4.67 EUR for all)

750 grams pitted cherries (2.00 EUR)

500 grams pitted apricots (1.00 EUR)

500 grams sugar (0.47 EUR)

2 tbsp lemon juice (0.27 EUR)

1 packet of 2:1 gelling sugar – I used dr. Oetker (0.93 EUR)

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METHOD:

First prepare your jars and lids by washing them well in hot soapy water. In a big pot, toss together cherries, apricots, 2 tablespoons of sugar, lemon juice and gelling sugar. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender to desired consistency. Add remaining sugar, return to heat and cook for three minutes, while stirring constantly.

Divide the jam between prepared jars. Wipe the rims clean and seal. The jam might seem very liquid at this point, but don’t worry. It will thicken a lot as it cools down.

If you want to be extra careful, you can place the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes, or place them in the oven set on 150°C for 20 minutes. Allow the jars to cool completely before storing the jam in a cool and dark place.

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Zaljubljena sam u sve fine i slatke okuse ljetnog voća. Biti ću skroz iskrena sa vama i priznati kako mi je proizvodnja pekmeza ove godine skroz usporena. Napravila sam samo ovu jednu rundu pekmeza od trešnje i marelice i to je to. Ali ima još hrpa toga što bi htjela smutiti dok su sve ove divne voćke još uvijek u sezoni. Zato se nadam da ću sa vama moći podijeliti još recepata.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 teglice / 8,75 kn po teglici / 35,00 kn za sve)

750 g očišćenih trešanja (15,00 kn)

500 g očišćenih marelica (7,50 kn)

500 g šećera (3,50 kn)

2 žlice soka od limuna (2,00 kn)

1 paketić 2:1 džemfixa – ja sam koristila dr. Oetker (7,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Prvo pripremite svoje teglice i poklopce tako da ih dobro operete sa deterdžentom i vrućom vodom. U velikom loncu pomiješajte trešnje, marelice, 2 žlice šećera, sok od limuna i džemfix. Stavite na jaku vatru i pustite da zavrije. Maknite sa vatre i štapnim mikserom propasirajte do željene konzistencije. Dodajte preostali šećer i vratite na vatru, pa kuhajte tri minute uz stalno miješanje.

Raspodijelite pekmez po pripremljenim staklenkama. Obrišite grla staklenki i zavrnite poklopce. Pekmez vam se možda čini kao da je prerijedak, ali će se stisnuti kako se bude hladio, pa budite bez brige.

Kao dodatnu mjeru opreznosti možete napunjene staklenke potopiti u proključalu vodu i tako kuhati 10 minuta ili ih na 20 minuta staviti u pećnicu zagrijanu na 150°C. Pustite da se sve skroz ohladi prije nego staklenke uskladištite na tamnom i hladnom mjestu.

Quick Cherry and Apricot Jam / Brzinski pekmez od trešanja i marelica