vegetables

Kale and Ham Stew / Varivo od kelja i šunke

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A few days ago I’ve managed to give myself a black eye. Actually, it wasn’t exactly I that gave me the black eye, it was a giant box of cookies that I’ve managed to get all fumbling and flipping through the air and thus smacking myself right across the face with it. Oh, and that happened at work. So of course, there were witnesses to this graceful act.

And this isn’t the first time I’ve been attacked by inanimate objects while trying to eat either. That one time a refrigerator door fell out of its hinges and got cushioned by my conveniently placed forehead. Which was also at the same work.

Come to think of it, maybe our office feng shui needs a bit of realignment.

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So anyway, about food. Are you still trying to go through leftover ham from Easter? I definitely am. So in order not to waste a single thing, I came up with this dish. Of course, this batch can feed like a dozen people, so feel free to scale down. Or make space in your freezer if you have trouble with assessing quantities like I do.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 10 servings / 0.51 EUR per serving / 5.09 EUR for all)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

4 tbsp sunflower seed oil, divided (0.03 EUR)

2 enormous potatoes (1.07 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.27 EUR)

½ head kohlrabi (0.13 EUR)

3 garlic cloves, minced (0.10 EUR)

1 head of kale (1.07 EUR)

2 cups diced ham (2.00 EUR)

½ cup tomato puree (0.13 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.03 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

Good pinch of hot pepper flakes (0.07 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

8-10 cups water (–)

2 tbsp all purpose flour (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash, peel and dice all the vegetables. In a large pot, sauté onion on high heat on 2 tablespoons of sunflower seed oil until slightly translucent. Add in diced potatoes, carrots, kohlrabi and minced garlic and give everything a good stir. Cook for a few minutes and then add kale, ham, tomato puree, bay leaf, paprika, pepper flakes and salt. Just a small heads up, though, if your ham is salty, you definitely want to go easy on the salt. Cover everything with water, give a good stir and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook with a lid cracked open for 30 minutes. Then taste and adjust seasoning.

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To thicken the stew, make roux in a small saucepan on medium heat, by adding flour to remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix constantly for a few minutes, until the flour becomes golden and starts smelling nutty. Remove from heat and slowly and carefully ladle in some liquid from the stew, while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Then when you have a thick and evenly creamy mixture, pour everything into the stew, give it all a good stir and cook through for a minute or two.

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Pred par dana uspjela sam si napraviti šljivu na oku. Tehnički, nisam si ju sama napravila, napravila mi ju je ogromna kutija kolača koju sam nekako uspjela prevrnuti i okrenuti u zraku i raspaliti se sa njom po faci. To mi se naravno desilo na poslu. Tako da je taj gracijozni čin imao i svjedoke.

Ovo čak nije niti prvi puta da su me napali neživi objekti dok pokušavam jesti. Jednom je moje čelo uspjelo ublažiti pad vratima od frižidera koja su ispala iz šarki. A što se također desilo na tom istom poslu.

Sada kada malo razmislim o tome, možda naš uredski feng shui treba malo kalibracije.

Uglavnom, idemo na hranu. Da li i vi pokušavate pojesti ostatke uskršnje šunke? Ja definitivno da. Pa kako se ništa ne bi bacilo, smislila sam ovo jelo. Naravno, ova količina dostatna je za nahraniti deset ljudi, pa slobodno dodajete manje svega. Ili si oslobodite mjesta u frizeru, ako kao i ja imate problema sa procjenom kvantitete.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 10 porcija / 3,80 kn po porciji / 37,96 kn za sve)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

4 žlice suncokretovog ulja, podijeljene (0,20 kn)

2 enormna krumpira (8,00 kn)

3 velike mrkve (2,00 kn)

½ glavice korabe (1,00)

3 češnja češnjaka, sitno nasjeckana (0,75 kn)

1 glavica kelja (8,00 kn)

2 šalice kockica šunke (15,00 kn)

½ šalice pirea od rajčice (1,00 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,20 kn)

1 žlica slatke paprike (0,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,50 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

8-10 šalica vode (–)

2 žlice brašna (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite, ogulite i narežite na kockice svo povrće. U velikom loncu, na jakoj vatri i 2 žlice ulja, prodinstajte luk dok ne postane staklast. Dodajte narezane krumpire, mrkvu, korabu i sjeckani češnjak i sve dobro izmiješajte. Kuhajte tako par minuta, pa dodajte kelj, šunku, pire od rajčice, lovor, papriku, čili i sol. Samo mala napomena, budite oprezni sa solju ako vam je šunka već slana. Sve prekrijte sa dovoljno vode, dobro promiješajte i pričekajte da zavrije, a onda smanjite vatru na srednje jaku i kuhajte 30 minuta sa odškrinutim poklopcem. Kušaje i prilagodite začine.

Da zgusnete varivo, napravite zapršku u malom lončiću tako da na srednjoj vatri pomiješate brašno sa preostale 2 žlice ulja. Stalno miješajte par minuta, dok brašno ne dobije zlatno-smeđu boju i ne zamiriši. Maknite sa vatre, pa polako i oprezno malo po malo u zapršku dodajte tekućinu iz variva, konstantno miješajući kako se ne bi napravile grudice. Onda kada imate gustu i jednolično kremastu smjesu, zapršku istresite u lonac sa varivom, dobro promiješajte i kratko sve prokuhajte još koju minutu.

Kale and Ham Stew / Varivo od kelja i šunke

Lentil and Corn Stew / Varivo od leće i kukuruza

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I came up with this because I needed something to stuff into sort of tacos I was making but didn’t feel like waiting for 3 hours for beans to cook. Then I figured, why not just use lentils instead? I mean, it’s a legume and is done in 15 minutes. The outcome was just as hearty and tasty. Naturally, I felt like I’ve won at life. IMGP4409

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 generous servings / 0.60 EUR per serving / 2.40 EUR for all)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

2 large carrots (0.07 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.09 EUR)

1 cup lentils (0.40 EUR)

1 500 g box tomato puree (0.67 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 can corn (0.80 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (0.13 EUR) IMGP4411

METHOD:

Finely dice onion, add with tablespoon of oil to a pot to saute on high for a few minutes, until softened. Add diced carrot and minced garlic and cook for two to three minutes. Meanwhile, pick through lentils and rinse well in a colander. Then stir in lentils together with onion and carrot and saute for just a minute. Pour over tomato puree, add bay leaf, paprika, salt and pepper and cook on medium high for fifteen minutes, until lentils are cooked through, stirring occasionally and adding a bit of water if necessary. When lentils are cooked, add in corn and parsley, stir well and serve. IMGP4412

 

Ovo sam jelo smislila jer mi je trebalo neki filer za tacose koje sam radila, a nije mi se dalo čekati 3 sata da se skuha grah. Onda mi je sinulo da umjesto graha upotrijebim leću. Zašto ne? Također je mahunarka, a gotova je za 15 minuta. Rezultat je bio jako zasitan i ukusan. Naravno, odma sam se osjećala kao da sam pobijedila u životu.

 

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 izdašne porcije / 4,50 kn po porciji / 18,00 za sve)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

2 velike mrkve (0,50 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (0,70 kn)

1 šalica leće (3,00 kn)

1 pakiranje od 500 g pasirane rajčice (5,00 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,10 kn)

1 žlica slatke paprike (0,50 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

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

1 limenka kukuruza (6,00 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina, sitno nasjeckanog (1,00 kn)

 

PRIPREMA:

Sitno nasjeckajte luk pa na jakoj vatri dinstajte na žlici ulja nekoliko minuta, dok ne omekša. Dodajte narezanu mrkvu i nasjeckani češnjak pa kuhajte dvije-tri minute. U međuvremenu, proberite leću, isperite u cjedilu pod mlazom vode i ubacite sa mrkvom i lukom na minutu. Onda umiješajte pasiranu rajčicu, lovorov list, papriku, sol i papar pa kuhajte na srednje jakoj vatri 15 minuta dok se leće ne skuha do kraja, uz povremeno miješanje i dodavanje malo vode po potrebi. Kada je leća gotova ubacite kukuruz i peršin, dobro sve promiješajte i poslužite.

Lentil and Corn Stew / Varivo od leće i kukuruza

Cream of Broccoli and Jerusalem Artichoke Soup / Krem juha od brokule i čičoka

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This soup is so creamy and rich you’ll have a hard time constraining yourself from polishing off the whole pot. I mean, you totally don’t need any excuses at all, just have all the soup you’d like. I know I did. This soup is also 100% vegan. I just can’t get it around my head how quickly it cooks and how little ingredients it took, so I know this one will be a keeper for sure.

So without further ado, here’s the recipe.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 generous servings / 0.62 EUR per serving / 2.47 EUR for all)

6 medium to large bulbs of Jerusalem artichokes (1.33 EUR)

1 large head of broccoli, florets only (0.80 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

4 garlic cloves, minced (0.09 EUR)

1 tbsp tomato paste (0.07 EUR)

4 cups of water (–)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Crack of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash, peel and roughly dice Jerusalem artichokes. Wash broccoli florets and set aside. Finely chop the onion, add to pot with olive oil, place on high heat and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Add minced garlic and stir for a few seconds. Throw in chopped Jerusalem artichokes, broccoli florets, tomato paste, water, salt and pepper to bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until artichokes soften up. Turn off heat and puree with an immersion blender. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool a bit and run through food processor. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

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Ova juhica je tako kremasta i bogata da ćete se teško obuzdati da ne smažete cijeli lonac. Mislim, nije da trebate neku ispriku, slobodno potamanite svu juhu koju želite. Znam da ja jesam. Ova juha je također 100% veganska. Ni samoj mi još uvijek nije jasno kako se tako brzo može skuhati i kako malo sastojaka za nju treba, tako da ću ju sigurno ubrzo opet kuhati.

Bez puno daljnje priče, evo vam recepta.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 izdašne porcije / 4,60 kn po porciji / 18,42 kn za sve)

6 srednjih do velikih čičoka (10,00 kn)

1 velika brokula, samo cvjetići (6,00 kn)

1 manji luk (0,50 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka, sitno nasjeckana (0,70 kn)

1 žlica koncentrata od rajčice (0,50 kn)

4 šalice vode (–)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite, ogulite i grubo narežite čičoke. Operite cvjetiće brokule i stavite na stranu. Fino nasjeckajte luk, stavite u lonac sa maslinovim uljem, pa pirjajte na jakoj vatri 2-3 minute dok ne postane staklast. Dodajte nasjeckani češnjak i miješajte nekoliko sekundi. Ubacite u lonac narezane čičoke, brokulu, koncentrat rajčice, vodu, sol i papar, pa pustite da sve zavrije. Smanjite vatru na srednje jaku i kuhajte 15-20 minuta, dok čičoke ne omekšaju. Maknite s vatre i štapnim mikserom sve ispasirajte. Možete također pustiti da se juha malo ohladi pa sve ispasirati u multipraktiku. Kušajte, po potrebi prilagodite začine i poslužite.

Cream of Broccoli and Jerusalem Artichoke Soup / Krem juha od brokule i čičoka

Kabocha Squash and Pomegranate Salad / Salata sa kabocha tikvom i narom

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We Croats are not a big squash eating nation. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that squashes were mainly grown as pig food. Sure, we have a few old local recipes, but foods like pumpkin pie, soup or roast squash would only be looked down on with utter suspicion. But, we entered the 21st century, after all, and squashes are migrating more and more onto our tables. Supermarkets are also flooded with many squash varieties, so we’re experimenting and expanding our horizons.

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This salad is a real autumn treat. The pomegranate seeds give it a nice crisp and roasted Kabocha makes it hearty and filling. Oh, and if you’re wondering what to do with leftover pomegranate seeds, fear not. Here is a muffin recipe that you can quickly whip up. You’re welcome. 🙂

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 2 servings / 1.03 EUR per serving / 2.06 EUR for all)

½ small Kabocha squash (0.67 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Crack of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

10 leaves of chicory salad (0.40 EUR)

2 handfuls of rocket salad (0.40 EUR)

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (0.13 EUR)

For the dressing:

1 tbsp mustard (0.07 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

1-2 tbsp lemon juice – from ½ a lemon (0.13 EUR)

2 tbsp yogurt – use non-dairy for vegan version (0.07 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Crack of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Wash squash, halve, discard seeds and carefully cut into half-moons, keeping the skin intact. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper, spread on prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until softened and slightly charred. Allow to cool slightly.

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Meanwhile, wash and roughly chop chicory and toss together with washed rocket. Pat to dry or use a salad spinner and divide salads between two plates. Thinly slice onion, placing on bed of salad, topped then with cooled Kabocha.

Assemble dressing in a small bowl by whisking together mustard and olive oil until frothy. Add lemon juice, yogurt, salt and pepper and whisk until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle salad with dressing and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

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Mi Hrvati nismo baš neki narod od tikvi. To vjerojatno ima puno veze sa činjenicom da su se tikve uglavnom koristile kao hrana za pajceke. Naravno, imamo par starinskih narodnih recepata (bućnica!), ali na jela kao što su pita od bundeve, juha ili pečena bundeva gleda se sa sumnjom i nepovjerenjem. Ali, ipak smo ušli u 21. stoljeće i tikve sve više migriraju prema našim stolovima. Supermarketi su prepravljeni šarenilom i izborom tikvi, a mi pokušavamo eksperimentirati i širiti svoje horizonte.

Ova salata je prava jesenska poslastica. Sjemenke nara daju joj divnu hrskavost, a pečena kabocha je zasitna i izdašna. A ako se pitate što ćete sa sjemenkama nara koje vam ostanu, ne brinite. Evo vam jedan recept za mafine koje možete za čas smutiti. Nema na čemu. 🙂

SASTOJCI:

(Za 2 porcije / 7,64 kn po porciji / 15,28 kn za sve)

½ male Kabocha tikve (5,00 kn)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

10 listova endivije (3,00 kn)

2 pregršta rukole (3,00 kn)

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

2 žlice sjemenki nara (1,00 kn)

Za dresing:

1 žlica senfa (0,50 kn)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

1-2 žlice soka od limuna, od ½ limuna (1,00 kn)

2 žlice jogurta, za vegansku verziju koristiti jogurt od soje ili orašastih plodova (0,50 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pečnicu na 200°C. Obložite protvan za pečenje masnim papirom i stavite na stranu. Operite i prepolovite tikvu, izvadite sjemenke, pa oprezno skupa sa kožom narežite na polumjesece. Pomiješajte sa žlicom ulja, solju i paprom, raširite po pripremljenom protvanu pa pecite 30 minuta, dok ne tikva ne omekša i ne karamelizira se po rubovima. Pustite da se malo ohladi.

U međuvremenu, operite i grubo narežite endiviju, pa pomiješajte sa opranom rukolom. Lagano posušite sa kuhinjskim ručnikom ili izvrtite u cjedilu za salatu, pa podijelite salatu na dva tanjura. Tanko narežite luk i poslažite po salati, a po vrhu rasporedite ohlađenu tikvu.

Složite dresing u maloj zdjelici, tako da istučete senf i maslinovo ulje dok ne postanu pjenasti. Dodajte sok od limuna, jogurt, sol i papar pa miješajte dok se sastojci ne sjedine. Probajte, pa još začinite po potrebi. Pokapajte dresing po salati i na kraju po vrhu razbacajte sjemenke nara. Poslužite odmah.

Kabocha Squash and Pomegranate Salad / Salata sa kabocha tikvom i narom

Homemade Vegetable Bouillon / Domaća Vegeta

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Like all of us, I love having around batches of things that make life nicer. I love it even more when it’s something that I’ve made myself. Like a jar of homemade jam or salsa. Or, you know, ten jars. You don’t want to run out of jam.

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I’ve been toying with the idea of making my own vegetable bouillon mix for a while now, but something would always get in the way. This weekend I finally remembered about it, bought a bunch of vegetables and set to work. You can, of course, adjust the vegetables to your own liking. I also picked out a head of lovely young kohlrabi, but when I got home, it was nowhere to be found. Alas, I didn’t want it to stop me, so I went ahead and just used the things I had. I am very happy with the result and already tried my bouillon in scrambled eggs and a few dishes I’ve made since. It gives a subtle veggie note that I love.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 5 cups / 0.47 EUR per cup / 2.37 EUR for all)

4 small leeks (0.40 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.07 EUR)

3 large yellow carrots (0.40 EUR)

4 small regular carrots (0.27 EUR)

2 large parsley roots, with all its leaves (0.53 EUR)

½ celeriac root (0.40 EUR)

2 chili peppers (0.13 EUR)

1/3 cup salt (0.07 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash, peel and roughly chop all the vegetables and toss together with salt. Run everything through your food processor, in batches if necessary. Store in a freezer, in airtight containers. Due to the salt amount, the bouillon won’t actually freeze solid and you’ll have no problems taking a spoonful or two when needed. Use later for soups, sauces, stews or basically anything else you can think of. Just remember that it’s really salty, so be extra careful about adding extra salt to your food.

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Kao i svi, volim imati doma zalihe stvari koje čine život ljepšim. Još više volim kada je to nešto što sam sama napravila. Kao recimo staklenka domaćeg pekmeza ili šalše. Ili deset staklenki. Ne želite da vam u životu ponestane pekmeza.

Napraviti domaću vegetu već mi je neko vrijeme bilo na radaru, ali uvijek bi nešto iskrsnulo. Ovaj sam se vikend napokon sjetila, kupila povrće i primila se posla. Naravno, povrće prilagodite svojem ukusu. Ja sam na placu kupila i lijepu mladu korabicu, ali kad sam došla doma, netragom mi je nestala iz torbe. Nisam htjela da me to zaustavi, pa sam jednostavno upotrijebila ono što sam imala. Jako sam sretna sa rezultatom koji je već isproban u omletima i par jela koje sam skuhala u međuvremenu. Svemu daje suptilnu povrtnu notu koja je divna.

SASTOJCI:

(za oko 5 šalica / 3,55 kn po šalici / 17,75 kn za sve)

4 manja poriluka (3,00 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (0,50 kn)

3 velike žute mrkve (3,00 kn)

4 manje obične mrkve (2,00 kn)

2 velika peršina, korijen i list (4,00 kn)

½ glavice celera (3,00 kn)

2 čili papričice (1,00 kn)

1/3 šalice soli (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Operite, ogulite i grubo nasijecite svo povrće, pa pomiješajte sa solju. Sve sameljite u multipraktiku, po potrebi u više tura. Čuvajte u hermetički zatvorenim posudama u zamrzivaču. Radi velikog udjela soli, vegeta vam se neće smrznuti u blok i moći ćete bez problema žlicom odgrabiti koliko vam je potrebno. Koristite za juhe, umake, variva i sve ostalo što vam padne na pamet. Samo se sjetite da je jako slana, pa budite oprezni ako dodajete još soli.

Homemade Vegetable Bouillon / Domaća Vegeta

Baked Squash and Sweet Potato Autumn Soup / Jesenska juha od pečene bundeve i batata

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Today we will be baking a soup. Yes, you’ve read this correctly, a soup which comes out of the oven. Incidentally, I had the oven going for some other stuff and thought to myself, why couldn’t I just make a soup in the oven as well? Why, indeed? It’s totally doable. The internet is full of baked potato soup recipes and this is just taking things a step further down the path of lazy. I have zero shame about it, too. In fact, I’m thinking about making a baked mushroom soup next. The possibilities opening before me truly seem endless.

Anyhow, what you will end up here with is a batch of thick yummy paste which you can later take any way you’d like. I’m talking pasta toppings, or stew starters, or just soup. On its own, or with some spinach in, or topped with croutons, or pumpkin seeds, or drizzled with yogurt or cream. It’s like ten meals hiding inside one container of pureed veggies. It’s magic.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 10 generous servings / 0.22 EUR per serving / 2.24 EUR for all)

½ small Kabocha squash (0.66 EUR)

2 sweet potatoes (1.07 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.13 EUR)

1 chili pepper (0.07 EUR)

1 small piece of ginger (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.08 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Crack of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.09 EUR)

Oil or non-spray for coating the pan (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease baking tray or coat with non-stick spray, line with parchment paper and set aside. Wash, peel and roughly chop all the vegetables and leave skins only on whole garlic cloves, as we’re baking those whole with skins intact. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper in prepared baking tray, arrange whole unpeeled garlic cloves among vegetable chunks and bake for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables soften and slightly caramelize. My tray was placed in lower third of the oven as I was baking something above, so the veggies got nice and charred on the bottom.

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Allow vegetables to cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and working in batches, run everything in your food processor until smooth and creamy. You might want to add a cup of water for smoother texture and also run things in batches if you have a tiny food processor like me.

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For finishing soup, mix two heaping tablespoons of paste with one cup of water and bring to a rolling boil and then serve. Or just store the paste in your fridge or freezer in an airtight container.

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I intentionally made seasoning pretty mild so the final soup can later be customized to wish. However, my chilies were insanely hot, so I suggest you only add one chili at a time, or you too might have a real kick with your soup.

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Danas ćemo peći juhu. Da, da, dobro ste pročitali, radimo juhu u pećnici. Naime, desilo se to tako da mi je pećnica već gorila radi nekih drugih stvari, pa sam pomislila, zašto ne bi mogla napraviti i juhu u pećnici? Zaista, zašto ne? Totalno je izvedivo. Internet je krcat receptima za juhu od pečenih krumpira. Ovo je samo korak dalje prema putu lijenosti. Uopće se zbog toga ni ne sramim. Zapravo, već planiram raditi juhu od pečenih gljiva. Mogućnosti koje su mi se otvorile čine se beskrajnima.

Uglavnom, ono što ćete dobiti je gusta fina krema sa kojom kasnije možete raditi svašta. Kao recimo upotrijebiti kao sos za tjesteninu, ili početak nekog finog gulaša, ili jesti samo kao juhu. Čistu juhicu, ili sa špinatom, ili sa krutonima, ili bučinim sjemenkama, ili pokapanu sa jogurtom ili vrhnjem. To je kao čarobni paket od deset jela u jednom.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 10 izdašnih porcija / 1,68 kn po porciji / 16,78 kn za sve)

½ male kabocha tikve (5,00 kn)

2 batata (8,00 kn)

1 veći luk (0,75 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,00 kn)

1 čili papričica (0,50 kn)

1 mali komadić đumbira (0,10 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (0,70 kn)

Ulje za premazati posudu za pečenje (0,01 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Namastite posudu za pečenje i obložite masnim papirom i stavite na stranu. Operite, ogulite i grubo nasijecite svo povrće, osim češnjaka, jer ćemo njega peći cijelog u ljusci. U pripremljenoj posudi za pečenje pomiješajte povrće sa maslinovim uljem, soli i paprom, pa među povrćem razmjestite i češnjak. Pecite 30-45 minuta, dok povrće ne omekša i ne postane blago karamelizirano. Moj protvan je bio u donjoj trećini pećnice jer sam gore pekla nešto drugo, pa se zato lijepa korica uhvatila sa donje strane.

Pustite da se sve malo ohladi, istisnite češnjak iz ljuski i sve ispasirajte u multipraktiku do kremaste teksture. Možete slobodno dodati šalicu vode da se lakše propasira, a po protrebi i ovisno o veličini vašeg multipraktika, možda ćete morati sve podijeliti u par tura.

Da zgotovite juhu, pomiješajte oko 2 žlice paste sa jednom šalicom vode i stavite da zakuha, pa poslužite. Ili jednostavno spremite pastu za kasnije u hermetički zatvorenoj posudi u hladnjaku ili zamrzivaču.

Baked Squash and Sweet Potato Autumn Soup / Jesenska juha od pečene bundeve i batata

Poor Man’s Broccoli Soup / Siromahova juha od brokule

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They say necessity is the mother of invention. I was in a mood for a soup, but our pantry and fridge stashes were running on fumes. We were even out of onions and carrots, a few of which can always be found sitting around. After inspecting what was at hand, this is the soup I came up with and it didn’t turn out half as bad either. I imagine it would taste even better with broth, but alas, we were out of broth as well, so water it was.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 generous servings / 0.52 EUR per serving / 2.08 EUR for whole)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

2 chili peppers, deseeded and cut thinly (0.26 EUR)

3 cloves of garlic, minced (0.06 EUR)

25 g butter (0.23 EUR)

2 tbsp all-purpose white flour (0.01 EUR)

4 cups warm water (-)

1 pack (450 g) frozen broccoli florets (1.06 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

2 large eggs, whisked (0.40 EUR)

Few drops of toasted sesame oil (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Add olive oil and cut chilies to a pot and sauté on high for a minute or two, until fragrant and a bit softened. Add minced garlic, stir for a minute and then add butter. As soon as the butter melts add flour, stirring constantly until golden brown and it starts smelling nutty. Slowly add warm water (or broth, if you have it around), bit by bit, all the while stirring the mixture in the pot and making sure the flour doesn’t end up clumpy.

Once it comes to a rolling boil, add frozen broccoli florets with a pinch of salt and cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes, until broccoli stalks have softened through. Once cooked, reduce heat to low and slowly drizzle in whisked eggs, stirring gently as you drizzle. Turn off the heat, test for seasoning and serve with a few drops of sesame oil on top.

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Kažu da je nužda majka izuma. Jela mi se juha, ali su nam i špajza i frižider zjapili prazni. Ostali smo čak i bez mrkvi i luka, iako inače uvijek pokoji bude negdje pri ruci. Nakon što sam pregledala raspoložive namirnice, smislila sam juhu koja uopće nije ispala loše. Sigurno bi bila još finija sa temeljcem, ali smo bili i bez temeljca, pa sam upotrijebila običnu vodu.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 izdašne porcije / 3,91 kn po porciji / 15,65 kn za sve)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

2 čili papričice, bez sjemenki i tanko narezane (2,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka, mljevena (0,50 kn)

25 g maslaca (1,75 kn)

2 žlice oštrog pšeničnog brašna (0,01 kn)

4 šalice tople vode (-)

1 paket (450 g) smrznutih cvjetića brokule (8,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

2 velika jaja, razmućena (3,00 kn)

Par kapi tostiranog sezamovog ulja (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Stavite ulje i narezane čilije u lonac i pirjajte na jakoj vatri minutu-dvije, dok malo ne omekšaju i zamiriše. Dodajte mljeveni češnjak, miješajte minutu i onda dodajte maslac. Čim se sav maslac otopi dodajte brašno i stalno miješajte dok ne postane smećkasto i ne počne mirišati. Polako dodajte toplu vodu (ili temeljac, ako ga koristite), malo po malo, uz stalno miješanje, kako brašno ne bi bilo grudasto.

Kada zakipi ubacite smrznute cvjetiće brokule i posolite, pa kuhajte 10-15 minuta dok stabljike brokule ne omekšaju. Kad je brokula kuhana smanjite vatru pa polako sipajte razmućena jaja, miješajući nježno. Skinite s vatre, dodajte začina po potrebi i poslužite pokapano sa sezamovim uljem.

Poor Man’s Broccoli Soup / Siromahova juha od brokule