quick meal

Okonomiyaki Inspired Cabbage Pancake / Palačinka sa zeljem inspirirana Okonomiyakijem

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Autumn Triangles are the New Spring Rolls (with a vegan option!) / Jesenski trokutići su nove proljetne rolice (sa veganskom opcijom!)

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While thinking about what to cook the other day, I realized that I have a few sheets of phyllo pastry leftover from a different recipe. I absolutely didn’t want to throw them away, so I decided to combine other odds and ends from the fridge and make these quick snacks.

Since I had a bit of leftover pork roast, I went ahead and threw it in the filling as well. However, feel free to replace pork with any other meat, or ditch it altogether. To make vegan versions of these triangles, replace butter with coconut or sunflower seed oil and use smoked tofu or sauted mushrooms for the filling.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 6 triangles / 0.53 EUR per triangle / 2.12 EUR for all)

¼ of small cabbage head (0.13 EUR)

1 large carrot (0.10 EUR)

2 spring onions (0.27 EUR)

Small piece of roasted pork (0.67 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

3 sheets of phyllo pastry (0.40 EUR)

4 tbsp butter, melted (0.53 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Thinly slice cabbage, carrot, spring onions and pork, then toss it all together with salt and pepper. Cut the phyllo sheets in half so you end up with 6 strips. Brush each strip with melted butter, place a small amount of filling in one corner and fold the phyllo into a triangle. Repeat until all the filling and phyllo strips are used up.

Space out the triangles on prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes in a middle rack, until crispy and golden. Serve hot, or at room temperature. You can also quickly reheat the triangles in a microwave on the next day, if needed.

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Dok sam se neki dan bavila mišlju što skuhati, sjetila sam se da imam par listova tijesta za savijače koji su mi ostali od nekog drugog recepta. Bilo mi ih je žao baciti, pa sam odlučila iskombinirati i druge ostatke iz frižidera i smutiti ovaj brzinski snack.

Pošto sam imala i malo svinjskog pečenja, ono je također završilo u nadjevu. Međutim, slobodno zamijenite svinjetinu nekim drugim mesom ili meso skroz izbacite. Za vegansku verziju trokutića umjesto maslaca upotrijebite kokosovo ili suncokretovo ulje, a umjesto mesa upotrijebite dimljeni tofu ili dinstane gljive.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 6 trokutića / 2,64 kn po trokutiću / 15,81 kn za sve)

¼ male glavice kupusa (1,00 kn)

1 velika mrkva (0,75 kn)

2 mlada luka (2,00 kn)

Komadić svinjskog pečenja (5,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

3 kore za savijače (3,00 kn)

4 žlice maslaca, rastopljene (4,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 180°C. Obložite protvan za pečenje masnim papirom i stavite na stranu. Jako tanko narežite kupus, mrkvu, mladi luk i meso, pa sve skupa pomiješajte sa soli i paprom. Raspolovite kore, tako da ukupno imate 6 traka. Svaku traku premažite maslacem, u jedan kut stavite malo nadjeva i složite tijesto u trokut. Ponavljajte dok ne potrošite sav nadjev i tijesto.

Raširite trokutiće po pripremljenom protvanu i pecite 20 minuta u sredini pećnice, dok trokutići ne budu hruskavi i zlatno-žuti. Poslužite vruće ili na sobnoj temperaturi. Trokutiće možete i sljedeći dan po potrebi kratko podgrijati u mikrovalnoj.

Autumn Triangles are the New Spring Rolls (with a vegan option!) / Jesenski trokutići su nove proljetne rolice (sa veganskom opcijom!)

Juiciest Vegetarian Pizza (Including a vegan option!) / Najsočnija vegetarijanska pizza (Sa veganskom opcijom!)

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I’ve definitely upped my pizza game a notch from the last time I’ve baked it. Since I don’t own a pizza stone or any other fancy stuff other than a baking tray and my oven, I’m always looking for ways to enhance and elevate the pizza experience without caving in and buying additional cookware. Also, I wanted to utilize the fact that fresh tomatoes are just exploding with flavour at the moment.

The secret of this pizza is very soft and pliable dough, with plenty of olive oil mixed in. It bakes short, but on high temperature and in two parts. First part is to puff up the dough and evaporate excess liquids from vegetables we are using. The second baking is there just to briefly crisp it all up and melt the cheese. This ensures that the cheese doesn’t burn but turns into a gooey heaven instead.

Also, we won’t be using rolling pins on our dough. Instead, we’ll just stretch the dough out with our hands. Let’s allow it to be imperfect. In return, it will puff out beautifully.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 pizza / 1.05 EUR)

For the dough:

½ tsp dry yeast (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

1 – 1 ½ cup plain all-purpose flour, divided (0.07 EUR)

½ cup warm water (–)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

Additional:

Olive oil for greasing bowl, dough, your hands and baking pan (0.07 EUR)

For pizza topping:

3 tbsp roasted red pepper salsa (0.07 EUR)

1 medium sized heirloom tomato (0.27 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp dried oregano (0.03 EUR)

½ cup shredded cheese(0.27 EUR)

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METHOD:

To make the dough, start off by whisking together yeast, sugar and 1 teaspoon of flour in warm water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy. If the yeast doesn’t bubble up, discard and start with a fresh batch of yeast, as your dough might not rise.

Add 1 cup of flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of oil to the bubbly yeast. Mix with a spoon until shabby dough forms, then dump on a clean counter and shortly knead, incorporating more flour as necessary. Final dough should be quite soft and pliable, but not too sticky.

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Clean up your mixing bowl, lightly grease with more oil and turn the dough around to grease from all sides. Cover with clean kitchen towel and allow it to rest for about half an hour, until doubled in size.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 250°C. Gently deflate the dough onto a lightly greased baking tray. Add a bit more oil to the dough and your hands, then work to stretch it out with your fingers and shape the pizza. Should any holes appear, fear not and just pinch the dough back together.

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Top the stretched dough with a thin layer of red pepper salsa. You can definitely use a roasted tomato salsa, ajvar, or any other pizza sauce you prefer. Thinly slice tomato and onion, then scatter around, topping them with salt, pepper and oregano.

Bake pizza for 10 minutes in the upper third of the oven. Quickly scatter shredded cheese on top and finish baking for 5 more minutes in the oven’s lower third. Serve immediately.

Vegans: Feel free to ditch the cheese with its additional baking step and make this pizza vegan! In that case, I’d recommend baking the pizza during a single 13-15 minute session on the middle rack, until crispy and blistered on the edges.

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Definitivno sam za jedan nivo unaprijedila pečenje pizze od kada sam ju zadnji puta radila. Pošto nemam kamen za pizzu, niti neko drugo fensi pomagalo osim protvana i pećnice, uvijek gledam kako da još nabrijem pizza iskustvo, a bez da moram kupovati nešto novo. Osim toga, htjela sam iskoristiti i činjenicu da su rajčice trenutno najfinije ikad.

Tajna ove pizze je jako mekano i podatno tijesto u kojeg ide dosta maslinovog ulja. Peče se kratko, ali na visokoj temperaturi i u dvije etape. Prva je zato da se tijesto napuhne i višak vode iz povrća ishlapi. Drugi dio pečenja je samo da se kratko sve zahrska, a sir rastopi. Na taj način sir neće zagoriti već se pretvoriti u raspoljenu divotu.

Također, nećemo tijesto valjati, nego ga samo rastegnuti rukama. Pustiti ćemo ga da bude nesavršeno. Za uzvrat će ono biti divno napuhnuto.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 pizzu / 7,49 kn)

Za tijesto:

½ žličice suhog kvasca (0,50 kn)

1 žličica šećera (0,01 kn)

1 – 1 ½ šalica glatkog brašna, podijeljena (0,50 kn)

½ šalice tople vode (–)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

Dodatno:

Maslinovo ulje za namastiti posudu, tijesto, vaše ruke i protvan (0,50 kn)

Za pizzu:

3 žlice šalše od pečenih crvenih paprika (0,50 kn)

1 srednje velika rajčica volovsko srce (2,00 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

½ žličice sušenog origana (0,25 kn)

½ šalice naribanog sira (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Da bi ste napravili tijesto, za početak pomiješajte skupa kvasac, šećer i žličicu brašna sa toplom vodom. Ostavite da miruje 10 minuta, dok smjesa ne postane pjenasta i ne nabubri. Ako kvasac ne postane pjenast, bacite i krenite ispočetka sa novim kvascem, jer vam se kasnije tijesto možda neće dignuti.

U pjenasti kvasac dodajte 1 šalicu brašna, sol i 2 žlice maslinovog ulja, pa miješajte žlicom dok se ne formira labavo tijesto. Sve istresite na čistu radnu plohu i kratko mijesite, dodajući malo po malo brašna prema potrebi. Tijesto treba biti mekano i podatno, ali ne previše ljepljivo.

Očistite posudu, lagano namastite, pa okrećite unutra kuglu tijesta da se namasti sa svih strana. Pokrijte čistom kuhinjskom krpom i ostavite da se diže oko pola sata, dok se tijesto ne udvostruči.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje zagrijte pećnicu na 250°C. Nježno ispuhnite tijesto na lagano namašćeni protvan. Stavite mrvicu ulja na tijesto i ruke, pa prstima rastegnite tijesto i oblikujte pizzu. Ako vam negdje slučajno pukne, ništa zato i samo stisnite tijesto skupa da zakrpate rupu.

Pokrijte rastegnuto tijesto sa tankim slojem šalše od pečenih paprika. Ako želite, apsolutno možete upotrijebiti šalšu od pečenih rajčica, ajvar, ili bilo koji drugi umak za pizzu koji volite. Tanko narežite rajčicu i luk pa ih raširite po pizzi i posipajte solju, paprom i origanom.

Pecite pizzu 10 minuta u gornjoj trećini pećnice. Brzo po njoj raštrkajte ribani sir, pa dovršite pečenje sa još 5 minuta u donjoj trećini pećnice. Odmah poslužite.

Vegani: Slobodno izbacite sir i dodatno pečenje i napravite vegansku pizzu! U tom slučaju, moja je preporuka peći pizzu sve skupa 13-15 minuta u sredini pećnice, dok ne bude hruskava i nabubrena po rubovima.

Juiciest Vegetarian Pizza (Including a vegan option!) / Najsočnija vegetarijanska pizza (Sa veganskom opcijom!)

Colourful Fig Salad / Šarena salata sa smokvama

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I’ve returned from my vacation a couple of days ago and am slowly getting back into my old routine and structure. I mostly ate crap while on vacation, so this really simple and healthy salad was a welcome change. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed every bite of all the millions of fire-soared hot dogs I devoured, but it’s about time to get a few vegetables in my body as well.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 large serving / 1.13 EUR)

2 cups thinly shredded cabbage (0.07 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (0.03 EUR)

½ small onion, thinly shredded (0.03 EUR)

½ red bell pepper, thinly shredded (0.03 EUR)

2-3 small tomatoes, cut into wedges (0.20 EUR)

5-6 small figs, halved or quartered (0.33 EUR)

Small chunk of hard cheese, thinly cut (0.33 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

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METHOD:

Start off by mixing cabbage with salt, pepper and vinegar. Allow it to sit for about half an hour or more, so the cabbage can soften up. Mix in shredded onion and pepper. Arrange tomatoes, figs and cheese on top, drizzle everything with olive oil and serve right away. Ta-da!

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Pred par dana sam se vratila sa godišnjeg i polako se vraćam svojoj starroj rutini i strukturi. Na godišnjem sam uglavnom jela smeće, tako da mi je ova jako jednostavna i zdrava salata bila dobrodošla promjena. Nemojte me krivo shvatiti, uživala sam u svakom zalogaju milijona hrenovki pečenih na vatri kojih sam proždrla. Ali mislim da je krajnje vrijeme da u sebe ubacim i pokoje povrće.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 veliku porciju / 8,42 kn)

2 šalice tanko narezanog zelja (0,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

2 žlice jabučnog octa (0,20 kn)

½ malog luka, tanko narezanog (0,25 kn)

½ crvene paprike, tanko narezane (0,25 kn)

2-3 male rajčice, narezane na kriške (1,50 kn)

5-6 malih smokvi, narezanih na polovice ili četvrtine (2,50 kn)

Komadić tvrdog sira, narezan na tanke listiće (2,50 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Za početak pomiješajte zelje sa soli, paprom i octom, pa ostavite da odstoji barem pola sata kako bi zelje omekšalo. Umiješajte narezani luk i papriku. Poslažite po vrhu rajčice, smokve i sir, pokapajte maslinovim uljem i odmah poslužite. Ta-da!

Colourful Fig Salad / Šarena salata sa smokvama

Mozzarella and Veggie Stuffed Peppers (vegetarian, low-histamine) / Paprike punjene mozzarellom i povrćem (vegetarijanske, niskohistaminske)

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Peppers are everywhere and the smell of them cooking is just too tempting to be ignored. This is my take on traditional stuffed peppers in an attempt to feed a vegetarian boyfriend on a low-histamine diet.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 7 stuffed peppers / 0.30 EUR per pepper / 2.07 EUR for all)

7 large bell peppers (0.67 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 garlic cloves (0.07 EUR)

1 large carrot (0.07 EUR)

1 small zucchini (0.07 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley (0.07 EUR)

1 cup precooked rice (0.07 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.03 EUR)

1 ball of mozzarella cheese (0.93 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash peppers and remove stem and seeds with a small paring knife, while leaving the rest of the skins intact. Cut mozzarella into 7 equal segments. Wash and finely chop up onion, garlic, carrot, zucchini and parsley, then mix together with rice, salt, pepper and paprika. Using a spoon, place small amount of stuffing in each pepper, add mozzarella slice in the center and then fill up with more stuffing.

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Arrange upturned peppers in an oven-safe dish and bake for 45 minutes, until tops are crispy and slightly charred.

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Paprike su svuda oko nas, a mirisi koji se šire dok se kuhaju su jednostavno prezamamni da ih se samo tako može zanemariti. Ovo je moj pokušaj da modificiram tradicionalne punjene paprike i nahranim dečka vegetarijanca na niskohistaminskoj dijeti.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 7 punjenih paprika / 2,19 kn po paprici / 15,31 kn za sve)

7 velikih paprika babura (5,00 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

2 češnja češnjaka (0,50 kn)

1 velika mrkva (0,50 kn)

1 mala tikvica (0,50 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina (0,50 kn)

1 šalica kuhane riže (0,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

1 žličica slatke crvene paprike (0,25 kn)

1 loptica mozzarelle (7,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Operite paprike pa im nožićem izdubite peteljke i sjemenke, pazeći da ne oštetite ostatak kože. Narežite mozzarellu na 7 jednakih dijelova. Operite i fino nasjeckajte luk, češnjak, mrkvu, tikvicu i peršin, pa pomiješajte sa rižom, soli, paprom i crvenom paprikom. Žlicom stavite malu količinu nadjeva u papriku, u sredinu stavite komadić mozzarelle, pa onda napunite do kraja papriku sa još nadjeva.

Složite paprike okrenute prema gore u vatrostalnoj posudi i pecite 45 minuta, dok vrhovi ne budu hrskavi i zažareni.

Mozzarella and Veggie Stuffed Peppers (vegetarian, low-histamine) / Paprike punjene mozzarellom i povrćem (vegetarijanske, niskohistaminske)

Whole-Wheat Flour Summer Zucchini Pizza / Ljetna pizza od integralnog brašna sa tikvicama

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If only the summer could last forever, with its abundance of fresh produce, colours, smells and tastes. And the sunshine. Ah… I wanna enjoy the Summer to the max while it’s still here, but I also wanna enjoy a pizza. So here’s a delicious summer pizza for you all!

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 large pizza / 1.56 EUR)

For the dough:

½ tsp active dry yeast (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

¾ cup warm water (–)

1 – 1 ½ cup plain all-purpose flour, divided (0.07 EUR)

1 ½ cup whole-wheat flour (0.13 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil + more for greasing the bowl (0.10 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

For the pizza topping:

2 large zucchini (0.40 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

½ cup of hard, finely grated cheese (0.67 EUR)

1 tsp dried oregano (0.07 EUR)

Additional:

A bit of oil for greasing the baking tray (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

To prepare the dough, first whisk together yeast, sugar, water and 1 tsp of plain flour in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes until frothy. If the yeast mixture doesn’t become frothy, discard and start over with fresh batch of yeast because this means that your dough won’t rise either and that would suck.

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Add 1 cup of plain flour, all of whole wheat flour, 2 tbsp of olive oil and salt to the frothy yeast mixture and stir well with a spoon, until shabby dough forms. Dump everything onto a clean flat surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, incorporating extra flour as necessary. The dough should be soft and pliable, but not too sticky. Clean and oil your mixing bowl, turn the dough around to grease from all sides and cover the bowl with clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

While you’re waiting for the dough to rise, wash and grate your zucchini. Mix with salt and leave in a colander to drain. You wanna get as much water out of that zucchini as humanly possible.

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When ready to bake pizza, preheat oven to 250°C. Deflate the dough and stretch with your hands on a lightly greased baking tray. This doesn’t need to be perfect and completely even, so just pinch the dough together should you need to patch up any holes. Omitting the rolling rends a super fluffy and puffy finished pizza.

Press any excess liquid with your hands out of the grated zucchini and scatter on top of the dough. Sprinkle with black pepper, grated cheese and oregano and bake for 10-15 minutes in the middle rack, until crispy and golden. Serve immediately.

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Ah, kada bi ljeto moglo trajati vječno sa svojim obiljem svježe hrane, boja, mirisa i okusa. I svo to sunce. Ah… Želim maksimalno uživati u ljetu dok još uvijek traje, ali želim i jednu pizzu. Pa vam evo jedan recept za savršenu ljetnu pizzu.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 veliku pizzu / 11,38 kn)

Za tijesto:

½ žličice suhog kvasca (0,50 kn)

1 žličica šećera (0,01 kn)

¾ šalice tople vode (–)

1 – 1 ½ šalice glatkog pšeničnog brašna, podijeljene (0,50 kn)

1 ½ šalica integralnog pšeničnog brašna (1,00 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja + još malo za namastiti posudu (0,75 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

Dodaci za pizzu:

2 velike tikvice (3,00 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

½ šalice tvrdog, fino naribanog sira (5,00 kn)

1 žličica sušenog origana (0,50 kn)

Dodatno:

Malo ulja za namastiti protvan za pečenje (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Da bi ste napravili tijesto, prvo u velikoj zdjeli pomiješajte kvasac, šećer, toplu vodu i žličicu glatkog brašna. Pustite da miruje 10-15 minuta dok ne postane pjenasto. Ako mješavina do tada ne postane pjenasta, bacite i krenite ispočetka sa novom turom kvasca, jer vam se tijesto vjerovatno neće dignuti, a to bi bilo koma.

Dodajte u mješavinu kvasca 1 šalicu glatkog brašna, svo integralno brašno, 2 žlice maslinovog ulja i sol, pa miješajte žlicom dok se ne formira labavo tijesto. Sve iskrenite na čistu radnu plohu i mijesite 5-10 minute, a po potrebi dodajte još malo brašna. Tijesto treba biti mekano i podatno, ali se ne smije previše lijepiti. Očistite i nauljite svoju posudu, okrenite unutra tijesto da se namasti sa svih strana, pa prekrijte posudu čistom krpom. Ostavite tijesto da se diže oko 30 minuta, dok mu se veličina ne udvostruči.

Dok čekate da se tijesto digne, operite i naribajte tikvice. Pomiješajte sa soli i ostavite u cjediljki. Željite da u tikvici na kraju ostane što manje vode.

Kada ste spremni za pečenje pizze, zagrijte pećnicu na 250°C. Ispuhnite tijesto i rukama ga rastegnite na lagano namašćenom protvanu. To ne mora biti savršeno i svugdje jednako, a rupe samo zakrpajte tako da tijesto stisnete skupa. Ovako, bez valjka, će vam pizza na kraju biti puno prhkija i pufastija.

Rukama iz tikvica iscijedite što više vode pa ih raštrkajte po tijestu. Posipajte sa paprom, naribanim sirom i origanom, pa pecite 10-15 minuta u sredini pećnice, dok pizza ne bude hruskava i zlatno-žuta. Odmah poslužite.

Whole-Wheat Flour Summer Zucchini Pizza / Ljetna pizza od integralnog brašna sa tikvicama

Hot and Sour Soup / Kiselo-ljuta juha

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , Leave a comment

Can you tell that I’ve been on a Chinese food kick lately? But I wasn’t happy until I’ve made this soup, as I’ve been craving it for weeks. Weeks, I tell you!

Of course, there is nothing better than to have a piping hot, spicy soup on an average summer day. So naturally, I’ve cooked up a batch to feed an army. Or, you know, just me, for a week. Because I’m greedy and this soup is so delicious that I just don’t wanna share.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 8 serving / per serving / for all)

2 tbsp oil

1 large onion

3 large carrots

250 g block of smoked tofu

5 large shiitake mushrooms

8 cups of chicken broth

1 tsp dried chili flakes

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup corn starch

½ cup warm water

2 eggs

Handful of chopped green onions or chives for serving

IMGP5234

METHOD:

Wash, peel and finely dice onion, carrots and tofu. Cut the mushrooms into thin strips. Add oil and diced onion to a large pot and saute on high heat until translucent. Add in diced carrot and tofu and cook for a few minutes to soften. Throw in mushrooms, broth, chili, soy sauce and sesame oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, then add in vinegar.

Completely dissolve corn starch in warm water and then slowly pour into soup, while stirring constantly. This will prevent large blobs of corn starch from forming. Continue stirring while the soup thickens to desired consistency for another minute or two and then remove from heat. Also note that your soup will additionally thicken as it cools. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and pour into soup in a slow stream, while you gently stirring it.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve sprinkled with a bit of chopped green onions or chives. This soup refrigerates and reheats splendidly.

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Jeste li primjetili da se u zadnje vrijeme ubijam u kineskoj klopi? Ali nisam bila skroz sretna dok nisam smućkala i ovu juhu, jer mi se jela već tjednima. Da, da, tjednima!

Naravno, nema bolje stvari od tanjura kipuće i ljute juhe na posječni ljetni dan. Tako da sam, naravno, skuhala lonac dovoljno veliki za nahraniti vojsku. Ili, samo sebe, jedno tjedan dana. Zato jer sam pohlepna i ova juhica je tako fina da ju odbijam dijeliti.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 8 porcija / 6,99 kn po porciji / 55,93 kn za sve)

2 žlice ulja (0,20 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,50 kn)

250 g dimljenog tofua (18,00 kn)

5 velikih shii taka (10,00 kn)

8 šalica pilećeg temeljca (14,48 kn)

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

¼ šalice soja sosa (2,50 kn)

1 žlica tostiranog sezamovog ulja (1,00 kn)

½ šalice jabučnog octa (0,50 kn)

½ šalice kukuruznog škroba (1,50 kn)

½ šalice tople vode (–)

2 jaja (3,00 kn)

Pregršt nasjeckanog mladog luka ili vlasca za posluživanje (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite, ogulite i sitno nasjeckajte luk, mrkve i tofu. Gljive narežite na tanke trakice. Stavite ulje u veliki lonac i na jakoj vatri prodinstajte luk dok ne postane staklast. Dodajte narezane mrkvu i tofu i kratko prokuhajte da omekšaju. Ubacite unutra gljive, temeljac, čili, soja sos i sesamovo ulje te pustite da zavrije. Smanjite temperaturu i krčkajte 15 minuta, pa dodajte ocat.

Dobro rastopite kukuruzni škrob u toploj vodi i polako dolijevajte u juhu uz neprekidno miješanje, kako se ne bi napravile velike grude škroba. Nastavite miješati dok se juha ne zgusne do željene konzistencije još koju minutu, pa maknite s vatre. Imajte na umu kako će se juha još dodatno zgusnuti kako se bude hladila. Razmutite jaja u maloj zdjelici, pa u tankom mlazu uz nježno miješanje ulijevajte u juhu.

Kušajte i prilagodite začine. Poslužite posipano sa malo nasjeckanog mladog luka ili vlasca. Ova juha se super drži u frižideru i podgrijava.

Hot and Sour Soup / Kiselo-ljuta juha

Spicy Cabbage Salad / Ljuta salata od kupusa

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , 2 Comments

Despite the weather being so hot and humid lately, I’ve been craving spicy foods like crazy. Obviously, I enjoy sweating all the time. 😀

This salad is super simple, keeps in fridge for days and is even better on the second day, when the cabbage gets juicy and all the flavours have enough time to mingle. Also, one head of cabbage yields a mountain of salad that can feed an army. You have been warned.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields at least 6 servings / 0.12 EUR per serving / 0.72 EUR for all)

For the dressing:

½ cup apple cider vinegar (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp sugar (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp dried chili flakes (0.03 EUR)

For the salad:

1 small head of cabbage (0.40 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.20 EUR)

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METHOD:

In a small saucepan whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt and chili flakes. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and stir until sugar and salt have completely dissolved. Allow to sit for a few minutes so that chilli flakes infuse the vinegar mixture. Depending on strength of your chili and your personal preferences regarding spicy food, you might want to adjust the chili amount. Mine was mouth-scorching hot, so ½ a teaspoon was more than enough.

Meanwhile, wash the veggies, peel and grate carrots and thinly slice the cabbage. You can help yourself out with mandolin if you have one. Toss together with dressing and serve chilled. This salad keeps fantastic for days when stored in fridge in an airtight container.

Usprkos tome što je vrijeme u zadnje vrijeme vruće i sparno, meni se jede ljuta hrana kao nikad. Očito je da se volim prekomjerno i neprekidno znojiti. 😀

Ova salata je super jednostavna, može u frižideru stajati danima, a još je finija idući dan, kada kupus malo omekša i svi sastojci su imali vremena da malo prominglaju. Također, jedna glavica kupusa biti će vam dosta za brdo salate kojom možete nahraniti vojsku. Tek toliko da vas upozorim.

SASTOJCI:

(Za barem 6 porcija / 0,89 kn po porciji / 5,31 kn za sve)

Za dressing:

½ šalice jabučnog octa (0,50 kn)

1 žlica šećera (0,05 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

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

Za salatu:

1 mala glavica kupusa (3,00 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

U malom lončiću pomiješajte ocat, šećer, sol i čili. Pustite da zavrije, skinite s vatre i promiješajte da se šećer i sol do kraja rastope. Pustite da sve odstoji par minuta da pahuljice čilija puste okus u ocat. Ovisno o tome koliko vam je čili ljut i kakve su vam osobne preference, prilagodite količinu čilija. Moj je bio toliko ljut da pali usta, pa je ½ žličice bilo sasvim dovoljno.

U međuvremenu operite povrće, ogulite i naribajte mrkvu i tanko narežite kupus. Možete sipomoći sa mandolinom, ako ju imate. Sve pomiješajte sa dresingom i poslužite ohlađeno. Ova salata se danima super drži u frižideru ako ju čuvate u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi.

Spicy Cabbage Salad / Ljuta salata od kupusa

Chicken and Summer Veggie Stir-Fry / Stir-Fry od piletine i ljetnog povrća

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

Have you tried making Chinese food at home, but never got that taste just right? So then you just succumb to getting a takeaway instead? Those days are now over because I’m gonna let you in on the secret of perfect homemade Chinese food. It’s MSG!

Just kidding. We’re not using that.

It’s all in the sauce. And a really hot and well-seasoned wok. But mainly, it’s the sauce. For wok seasoning, I suggest you just take a peek at Youtube, but it basically comes down to coating the wok in layers of burnt fat. It does sound kinda gross, but it’s the only way to get that deep smoky flavour.

Now onto the sauce.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 0.69 EUR per serving / 2.75 EUR for all)

For the sauce:

3 tbsp soy sauce (0.20 EUR)

1 tsp toasted sesame oil (0.07 EUR)

¼ tsp of cayenne pepper (0.02 EUR)

3 tbsp corn starch (0.10 EUR)

½ cup warm water (–)

For the stir-fry:

½ of large chicken breast (1.33 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

3 tbsp oil, divided (0.04 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.13 EUR)

3 carrots (0.20 EUR)

1 large bell pepper (0.27 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

1 large zucchini (0.27 EUR)

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METHOD:

Prepare the sauce by whisking together soy sauce, sesame oil, cayenne, corn starch and water until no lumps remain. Set aside.

Cut chicken into thin strips and rub well with salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to soak in the salt and pepper by letting it rest for 20-30 minutes. During that time mince garlic and wash and chop all the vegetables. You want to have everything prepared beforehand before you start cooking, because it’s going to go fast.

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Place wok on high heat for a few minutes until it starts smoking. Add a tablespoon of oil and half of the chicken to your wok and stir-fry for a few minutes until slightly crispy. Remove chicken when it’s done and repeat with second half of the meat.

Remove all meat from the wok, then add to it remaining tablespoon of oil, chopped carrot and minced garlic. Briefly stir-fry, then gradually add in chopped pepper, onion and zucchini in that order, while stir-frying for a few minutes in between, before adding a new batch of veggies. The idea is to start with firmer veggies which take longer to cook and work your way towards softer ones. Once you’ve finished cooking up all the vegetables, return meat to the wok and stir to warm through. Pour sauce over everything, stir and cook for just a few seconds until the sauce thickens. Be sure not to overcook as the sauce might get burnt and bitter.

Remove from heat and serve immediately over a bed of cooked rice. Either go with the plain old rice, or spice things up with this coconut lime rice.

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Jeste li već pokušavali doma kuhati kinesku klopu, ali vam okus nikad ne bi ispao baš onako kako treba? Pa onda na kraju pokleknete i naručite dostavu? Ti su dani sada iza vas jer ću vam odati tajne savršene kineske hrane iz kućne radinosti. To je MSG!

Šalim se. Nećemo to koristiti.

Stvar je u umaku. I jako vrućem i dobro začinjenom woku. Ali uglavnom je stvar u umaku. Što se tiče začinjavanja woka, predlažem da malo virnete na Youtube. Ali u principu, sve se svodi na to da vam wok bude obložen slojevima zagorene masnoće. To možda zvuči malo ogavno, ali je i jedini način da dobijete onaj duboki dimljeni šmek.

Sad idemo na umak.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 5,12 kn po porciji / 20,49 kn za sve)

Za umak:

3 žlice soja sosa (1,50 kn)

1 žličica tostiranog sezamovog ulja (0,50 kn)

¼ žličice kajenskog papra (0,13 kn)

3 žlice kukuruznog škroba (0,75 kn)

½ šalice tople vode (–)

Za stir-fry:

½ velikih pilećih prsa (10,00 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

3 žlice ulja, podijeljene (0,30 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (1,00 kn)

3 mrkve (1,50 kn)

1 velika paprika babura (2,00 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

1 velika tikvica (2,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Pripremite umak tako da dobro razmutite soja sos, sezamovo ulje, kajenski papar, škrob i vodu, i to tako da ne bude grudica. Stavite na stranu.

Narežite piletinu na tanke trakice i u nju utrljajte sol i papar. Pustite da odstoji jedno 20-30 minuta da se sol i papar upiju u meso. Za to vrijeme sitno nasjeckajte češnjak te operite i narežite svo povrće. Neka vam sve bude spremno prije nego što krenete kuhati, jer će to ići jako brzo.

Stavite wok na par minuta na jaku vatru dok se ne počne dimiti. Dodajte žlicu ulja i pola mesa, pa pržite miješajući par minuta dok se piletina ne zahrska. Izvadite meso kada je gotovo i ponovite sa ostatkom piletine.

Svo meso maknite iz woka, dodajte u wok preostalu žlicu ulja, narezanu mrkvu i sjeckani češnjak. Kratko pržite uz miješanje, pa onda postepeno u wok dodajte narezanu papriku, luk i tikvicu po tom redoslijedu, a sve tako da miješate i par minuta pržite između svakog novog povrća. Ideja je da počnete sa najtvrđim povrćem kojem treba najduže da se skuha i idete prema onom najmekšem. Kada je svo povrće na taj način gotovo, vratite u wok meso i promiješajte da se ono ugrije. Prelijte preko svega umak, dobro promiješajte i kuhajte svega par sekundi, samo da se umak zgusne. Pazite da ne kuhate predugo jer bi vam umak mogao zagoriti i postati gorak.

Maknite s vatre i odma poslužite preko kuhane riže. Možete upotrijebiti i najobičniju rižu, ili učinite stvar zanimljivijom sa ovom rižom sa kokosom i limetom.

Chicken and Summer Veggie Stir-Fry / Stir-Fry od piletine i ljetnog povrća

Coconut Lime Rice (vegan) / Riža sa kokosom i limetom (veganska)

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , 2 Comments

What if I told you that you can totally change things around and upgrade the plain old boring rice into something exciting and fragrant in literally no time and with minimal expense? Even if you like your rice plain, this recipe will brighten your rice eating experience. Trust me, you really should try this out.

IMGP5177

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 0.21 EUR per serving / 0.82 EUR for all)

2 cups rice (0.40 EUR)

3 cups water (–)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp shredded or thinly sliced coconut (0.07 EUR)

Juice from 1 lime (0.27 EUR)

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (0.07 EUR)

METHOD:

Add rice, water, salt, coconut and lime juice to a pot over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and cook with the lid cracked open for 15 minutes on low. There is no need to stir the rice, just make sure that your heat is on low. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and let it sit covered for additional 5 minutes. Fluff the rice up with a fork and serve. This also reheats and freezes great.

 IMGP5176

Jeste li znali da običnu dosadnu rižu možete promijeniti u nešto uzbudljivo i aromatično sa gotovo nikakvim trudom i uz minimalni trošak? Čak i ako volite najobičniju rižu, ovaj će vam receptić podignuti cijelo iskustvo jedenja riže. Vjerujte mi, ovo definitivno teba isprobati.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 1,50 kn kn po porciji / 6,01 kn za sve)

2 šalice riže (3,00 kn)

3 šalice vode (–)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

2 žlice ribanog ili tanko narezanog kokosa (0,50 kn)

Sok od 1 limete (2,00 kn)

2 žlice svježeg nasjeckanog peršina (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Dodajte rižu, vodu, sol, kokos i limetu u lonac na jaku vatru. Pustite da zavrije, pa kuhajte 15 minuta sa odškrinutim poklopcem na niskoj vatri. Nema potrebe da rižu miješate, samo pazite da vam je vatra slaba. Skinite s vatre, umiješajte peršin i pustite da odstoji poklopljeno još 5 minuta. Viljuškom raštrkajte rižu i poslužite. Riža se također dobro podgrijava i smrzava.

Coconut Lime Rice (vegan) / Riža sa kokosom i limetom (veganska)