weeknight meal

Salsa, Pancetta and Cherry Tomato Spaghetti / Špageti sa šalšom, pancetom i cherry rajčicama

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As with most things in life, my drive for cooking often fluctuates. There are weeks and days when I dive head on into something complicated and don’t mind spending the whole day hovering over the stove. Of course, there are also days when assembling a sandwich seems like a daunting task. This quick recipe definitely falls into the latter spectrum.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 1 serving / 1.91 EUR)

To cook the spaghetti:

Water (–)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Handful of spaghetti (0.33 EUR)

For the sauce:

3-4 thin slices of pancetta (0.40 EUR)

2 tbsp olive oil (0.09 EUR)

½ cup tomato salsa (0.21 EUR)

Handful of cherry tomatoes (0.67 EUR)

Pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

For serving:

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (0.07 EUR)

A bit of fresh basil or parsley (0.07 EUR)

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METHOD:

Place a big pot filled with water, tablespoon of oil and a good pinch of salt on high heat. Bring to a rolling boil, add pasta and cook according to package instructions to al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water for later. Drain spaghetti and rinse well under cold running water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Clean any remaining pasta bits from the pot and return it to high heat. Cut pancetta slices into segments and add them to your pot together with olive oil. Cook briefly, just to crisp pancetta up. Add salsa to the pot, stir and cook for a minute or two. I used some of my roasted tomato salsa, but you’re more than welcome to use whichever’s your favorite. Return pasta to the pot and stir well to coat with the sauce. Cook just briefly so everything is thoroughly heated through. As necessary, add a splash of reserved pasta water. Remove from heat, cut cherry tomatoes in half and toss them with pasta, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and chopped up fresh herbs.

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Kao što je slučaj sa većinom stvari u životu, moja želja za kuhanjem često fluktuira. Ima tjedana i dana kada se bacim u nešto komplicirano i nije mi teško provesti cijeli dan kraj šparheta. Naravno, ima također i dana kada mi se slaganje običnog sendviča čini kao nepremostivi pothvat. Ovaj brzinski recept definitivo pripada drugom dijelu spektra.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 1 porciju / 14,16 kn)

Za skuhati špagete:

Voda (–)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Pregršt špageta (2,50 kn)

Za umak:

3-4 tanke kriške pancete (3,00 kn)

2 žlice maslinovog ulja (0,66 kn)

½ šalice šalše od rajčica (1,60 kn)

Pregršt cherry rajčica (5,00 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Prstohvat svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,05 kn)

Za posluživanje:

1 žlica ribanog parmezana (0,50 kn)

Malo svježeg bosiljka ili peršina (0,50 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Stavite lonac sa vodom, žlicom maslinovog ulja i dobrim prstohvatom soli na jaku vatru. U kipuću vodu dodajte tjesteninu i kuhajte prema uputi na pakiranju dok ne bude al dente. Sačuvajte ½ šalice vode od tjestenine za kasnije. Ocijedite špagete i dobro isperite pod mlazom hladne vode da se ne nastave kuhati. Stavite na stranu.

Obrišite lonac od eventualnih mrvica tjestenine i vratite ga na jaku vatru. Narežite pancetu na komade i stavite u lonac skupa sa uljem. Kratko kuhajte, samo da se panceta zahrska. Dodajte šalšu, promiješajte i kuhajte minutu-dvije. Ja sam upotrijebila svoju šalšu od pečenih rajčica, ali slobodno iskoristite onu koja vam je najdraža. Vratite tjesteninu u lonac i dobro promiješajte da se obloži umakom. Samo kratko prokuhajte da se sve dobro ugrije. Po potrebi dodajte mrvicu vode od kuhanja tjestenine koju ste sačuvali. Maknite lonac s vatre, raspolovite cherry rajčice, pa ih pomiješajte sa tjesteninom, soli i paprom. Kušajte i prilagodite začine.

Poslužite odmah, posipano sa parmezanom i sa malo nasjeckanog svježeg peršina ili bosiljka.

Salsa, Pancetta and Cherry Tomato Spaghetti / Špageti sa šalšom, pancetom i cherry rajčicama

Chicken Teriyaki Fried Rice / Pržena riža s piletinom i teriyaki umakom

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I was in a mood for something flavorful and spicy, but also had a lot of odds and ends floating around the fridge. Instead of resorting to a takeout, which is undoubtedly always my first instinct, I decided to whip up a fried rice dish. For me, fried rice is always the best way to use up any boring leftovers.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 1.28 EUR per serving / 5.11  EUR for all)

For fried rice:

1 chicken breast (2.67 EUR)

½ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp corn starch (0.07 EUR)

5 tbsp sunflower seed oil, divided (0.03 EUR)

2 large carrots (0.13 EUR)

1 red bell pepper (0.20 EUR)

3 cloves of garlic (0.10 EUR)

¼ small head of cabbage (0.20 EUR)

1 onion (0.10 EUR)

2 cups precooked rice (0.20 EUR)

For teriyaki sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce (0.33 EUR)

½ cup warm water (–)

1 tbsp corn starch (0.03 EUR)

2 tbsp honey (0.27 EUR)

1 tsp toasted sesame oil (0.07 EUR)

Pinch of cayenne pepper (0.03 EUR)

Additional:

4 tbsp crushed cashews for serving (0.67 EUR)

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METHOD:

Dice the chicken, sprinkle with salt and let sit for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, wash, peel and thinly slice all the vegetables so you have everything ready once you start cooking, as it’s gonna go quickly. Place wok on high heat to get it thoroughly warmed up. Toss chicken with corn starch.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to hot wok and half of the chicken. Stir-fry for a few minutes, until chicken is crispy and golden. Remove chicken from wok and then repeat the process with remaining meat and fresh 2 tablespoons of oil. If necessary, deglaze the pan in between. Once you removed the chicken, add a bit of water to wok, place it back on high heat and scrape all the bits off with a spatula. Allow most of the water to evaporate, but be sure to reserve this sauce with all its delicious bits for later.

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Once all the meat is done and you did another deglazing, add remaining oil to the wok and gradually add in thinly sliced carrots, bell pepper, garlic, cabbage and onion, following this order. Stir-fry for a minute or two before adding in each new vegetable. Return chicken to the wok, add precooked rice and stir everything well.

In a bowl, quickly whisk together all sauce ingredients and add the sauce all the juices left over from deglazing the pan. Pour sauce over veggie, meat and rice mixture in wok, give everything a good stir and cook for a few seconds, just until the sauce thickens. Serve immediately sprinkled with crushed cashews.

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Jelo mi se nešto bogatog okusa i začinjeno, ali sam imala i hrpu nekakvih ostataka koji su mi se povlačili po frižideru. Umjesto da pribjegnem tome da naručium dostavu, što mi je bez dvojbe uvijek prvi instinkt, na brzinu sam smutila ovu prženu rižu. Jer za mene je pržena riža uvijek najbolji način za iskoristiti dosadne ostatke hrane.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 9,57 kn po porciji / 38,26 kn za sve)

Za prženu rižu:

1 pileća prsa (20,00 kn)

½ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

2 žlice kukuruznog škroba (0,50 kn)

5 žlica suncokretovog ulja, podijeljene (0,25 kn)

2 velike mrkve (1,00 kn)

1 crvena paprika (1,50 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

¼ male glavice kupusa (1,50 kn)

1 luk (0,75 kn)

2 šalice kuhane riže (1,50 kn)

Za teriyaki umak:

1/3 šalice soja sosa (2,50 kn)

½ šalice tople vode (–)

1 žlica kukuruznog škroba (0,25 kn)

2 žlice meda (2,00 kn)

1 žličica tostiranog sezamovog ulja (0,50 kn)

Prstohvat kajenskog papra (0,25 kn)

Dodatno:

4 žlice drobljenih indijskih oraščića za posluživanje (5,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Narežite piletinu na kockice, posolite i ostavite da odstoji 20-tak minuta. U međuvremenu operite, očistite i tanko narežite svo povrće kako bi bilo spremno kada krenete kuhati, jer će sve ići jako brzo. Stavite wok na jaku vatru da se dobro ugrije. Piletinu pomiješajte sa kukuruznim škrobom.

U vrući wok dodajte 2 žlice ulja i pola piletine. Pržite uz miješanje nekoliko minuta, dok piletina ne bude hruskava i zlatna. Maknite meso iz woka i ponovite sa ostatkom piletine i nove 2 žlice ulja. Po potrebi prethodno otopite sve sedimente koji su se skupili u woku od prženja mesa, i to tako da dodate u wok mrvicu vode i nad vatrom špahtlom postružete sve što se za wok prilijepilo. Pustite da većina vode ispari prije nego što ćete takav umak, sa svim ukusnim mrvicama od pečenja sačuvati za kasnije.

Kada je svo meso gotovo i još ste jednom otopili sve mesne sedimente, dodajte preostalu žlicu ulja i postepeno ubacujte tanko narezane mrkvu, papriku, češnjak, kupus i luk, i to slijedeći ovaj redoslijed. Svaki puta minutu-dvije miješajte i pržite prije nego dodate novo povrće. Vratite piletinu u wok, dodajte kuhanu rižu te sve dobro promiješajte.

U zdjelici brzo pomiješajte sve sastojke za umak skupa sa umakom koji ste sačuvali od prženja mesa. Prelijte preko mješavine povrća, mesa i riže te sve dobro pomiješajte. Kuhajte par sekundi, samo dok se umak ne zgusne. Poslužite odmah posipano sa drobljenim indijskim oraščićima.

Chicken Teriyaki Fried Rice / Pržena riža s piletinom i teriyaki umakom

Root Veggie Slaw / Salata od kupusa sa korjenastim povrćem

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Cabbage often feels like such an underestimated vegetable, which is a huge shame because it’s so tasty and versatile. Not to mention super cheap and healthy for you. Here’s a very simple salad recipe to whip up when you’re in dire need for a quick meal.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 4 servings / 0.29 EUR per serving / 1.16 EUR for all)

For the salad:

3 large carrots (0.20 EUR)

2 parsley roots, together with leaves (0.40 EUR)

¼ small head of cabbage (0.20 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

For the dressing:

¼ cup yogurt (0.07 EUR)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (0.04 EUR)

2 tbsp mustard (0.13 EUR)

Good pinch salt (0.01 EUR)

Good pinch freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Wash and peel all the vegetables. Using a vegetable peeler, make thin strips of carrot and parsley root. Finely chop parsley leaves and reserve to add to dressing. Thinly shred cabbage and onion, then toss together with carrot and parsley strips.

To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together with chopped parsley leaves. Drizzle the dressing over mixed shredded vegetables and serve immediately.

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Kupus mi se često čini kao totalno podcijenjeno povrće, što je velika šteta s obzirom na to kako je fin i prilagodljiv u raznim receptima. Da ni ne spominjem činenicu da je jeftin i zdrav. Evo vam jedna jednostavna salatica da ju na brzinu smutite kada vam treba ekspresni obrok.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 4 porcije / 2,15 kn po porciji / 8,61 kn za sve)

Za salatu:

3 velike mrkve (1,50 kn)

2 korjena peršina, skupa sa lišćem (3,00 kn)

¼ male glavice kupusa (1,50 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

Za dressing:

¼ šalice jogurta (0,50 kn)

3 žlice jabučnog octa (0,30 kn)

2 žlice senfa (1,00 kn)

Dobar prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

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

PRIPREMA:

Operite i ogulit svo povrće. Sa ljuštilicom za krumpir narežite mrkvu i peršinov korjen na tanke trake. Fino nasjeckajte lišće peršina i stavite na stranu za dressing. Tanko narežite kupus i luk, pa pomiješajte sa trakama mrkve i peršina.

Da napravite dressing, pjenjačom umutite sve sastojke skupa sa sjeckanim lišćem peršina. Pokapajte dressing po povrću i odmah poslužite.

Root Veggie Slaw / Salata od kupusa sa korjenastim povrćem

Sweet Potato Ginger Soup (vegan, paleo, low histamine) / Juha od batata i đumbira (veganska, paleo, niskohistaminska)

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We’re having a case of really moody weather over here and as a result everyone seems to be down with a cold. This soup is loaded with ginger and will help clear out those clogged sinuses. Plus, it’s also yummy and super simple to make.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 6 servings / 0.36 EUR per serving / 2.18 EUR for all)

2 large sweet potatoes (1.33 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.20 EUR)

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

2 tbsp coconut oil (0.13 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

6 cloves of garlic (0.20 EUR)

6 cups water (–)

2 tbsp chopped parsley (0.13 EUR)

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METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Peel and chop up sweet potatoes, carrots and ginger, then toss together in a baking tray with salt, pepper and coconut oil. Quarter the onion with its skin intact and arrange among diced veggies together with unpeeled garlic. Bake everything for 45 minutes, until veggies start to get slightly charred.

Allow veggies to cool a bit before squeezing garlic cloves out of its skins and discarding onion peels. Add all the vegetables to a food processor with 6 cups of water and pulse until smooth. Bring the soup to a boil and serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

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Pošto je vrijeme u zadnje vrijeme stvarno čudljivo, svi su navukli nekakve prehlade. Ova je juhica dobro napucana sa đumbirom, pa će vam za čas pročistiti zaštopane sinuse. Osim toga je i jako fina i super jednostavna za napraviti.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 6 porcija / 2,73 kn po porciji / 16,36 kn za sve)

2 velika batata (10,00 kn)

3 velike mrkve (1,50 kn)

1 komad đumbira veličine palca (0,50 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

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

2 žlice kokosovog ulja (1,00 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

6 češnjeva češnjaka (1,50 kn)

6 šalica vode (–)

2 žlice sjeckanog peršina (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pećnicu na 200°C. Ogulite i narežite batat, mrkvu i đumbir, pa u protvanu pomiješajte sa solju, paprom i kokosovim uljem. Raščetvorite luk skupa sa ljuskom i zajedno sa neoguljenim češnjakom rasporedite među narezanim povrćem. Pecite sve skupa oko 45 minuta, dok se povrće lagano ne karamelizira.

Pustite da se povrće mrvicu ohladi prije nego češnjak istisnete iz ljuski i bacite ljuske od luka. Sve propulsirate u multipraktiku skupa sa 6 šalica vode dok ne dobijete glatku masu. Stavite juhicu da prokuha i poslužite vruću, posipanu sjeckanim peršinom.

Sweet Potato Ginger Soup (vegan, paleo, low histamine) / Juha od batata i đumbira (veganska, paleo, niskohistaminska)

Barley and Millet Mushroom Skillet / Ječam i proso sa gljivama

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

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INGREDIENTS:

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

2 tbsp sunflower seed oil (0.01 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

Small chunk of bacon (0.67 EUR)

500 grams of portobello mushrooms (2.00 EUR)

3 garlic cloves (0.10 EUR)

1 large tomato (0.27 EUR)

½ cup millet (0.40 EUR)

½ cup pearl barley (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.01 EUR)

2 ½ cups water (–)

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (0.13 EUR)

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METHOD:

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

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

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

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

SASTOJCI:

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

2 žlice suncokretovog ulja (0,10 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

Mali komadić špeka (5,00 kn)

500 g šampinjona (15,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

1 velika rajčiuca (2,00 kn)

½ šalice prosa (3,00 kn)

½ šalice ječmene kaše (0,50 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

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

1 lovorov list (0,20 kn)

2 ½ šalice vode (–)

2 žlice sjeckanog svježeg peršina (1,00 kn)

PRIPREMA:

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

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

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

Barley and Millet Mushroom Skillet / Ječam i proso sa gljivama

Okonomiyaki Inspired Cabbage Pancake / Palačinka sa zeljem inspirirana Okonomiyakijem

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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

Fresh Bean, Sausage and Pipette Rigate Stew / Mladi grah s kobasicom i pužićima

Crunch Crunch Away, , , , , 2 Comments

The weather is not exactly calling for stew type of dishes yet – it is still quite hot and humid, so I continue to sport shorts and flip-flops. But I stumbled into such irresistible fresh beans that a large pot of stew was inevitable.

Of course, you can make this with dried or canned beans instead and also use any small type of pasta you like. Just be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields about 10 servings / 0.89 EUR per serving / 8.93 EUR for all)

For the stew:

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

1 large onion (0.10 EUR)

100 g chunk of bacon (0.80 EUR)

2 large sausages (4.00 EUR)

3 large carrots (0.16 EUR)

2 parsley roots, with their greens (0.16 EUR)

Chunk of celeriac root (0.16 EUR)

3 Roma tomatoes (0.53 EUR)

3 garlic cloves (0.10 EUR)

3 cups of fresh beans (1.60 EUR)

2-3 kale leaves (0.16 EUR)

Bunch of celery leaves (0.16 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.03 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

10 cups water (–)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (0.03 EUR)

1 tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 cup pipette rigate, or any other small pasta (0.53 EUR)

For the roux:

2 tbsp butter (0.27 EUR)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour (0.01 EUR)

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METHOD:

Start off by washing and finely dicing all the veggies and bacon. Be sure to separate any leafy things and keep them on the side. Chop the sausages into thin coins. Place a large pot with olive oil on high heat and saute onion until slightly translucent. Add bacon and sausage, then cook for a few minutes to crisp it all up. Gradually add in carrots, parsley roots, celeriac root, tomatoes and garlic cloves and cook to soften it all up.

Now add in beans, kale leaves, parsley and celeriac leaves, bay leaf, paprika and vinegar, cover with water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer with the lid cracked open for about an hour, until beans are softened and thoroughly cook. Once the beans are cooked, taste the stew and season accordingly with salt and pepper. The required amounts will vary depending on how spicy your bacon and sausages were initially. Finally, add pasta to the stew and finish cooking until pasta is done.

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While the pasta is cooking, prepare roux by cooking butter and flour on medium heat while stirring constantly. The roux is done when it gets deep golden brown and starts smelling nutty. Carefully stir it into the stew, turn off the heat and serve.

This stew freezes and reheats great, so you just have emergency lunches to take to work or for those times when you’re too zonked to cook.

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Vrijeme baš i nije još ono pravo za jela na žlicu jer još uvijek poprilično vruće i sparno. Koristim priliku, pa sam i dalje u kratkim hlačama i japankama. Ali bez obzira na to, naletila na tako divni mladi grah da je veliki lonac čušpajza jednostavno bio neizbježan.

Naravno, ovo možete skuhati i sa suhim grahom, kao i sa onim iz konzerve, a unutra staviti bilo kakvu drugu sitnu tjesteninu. Samo imajte na umu da onda prilagodite i vrijeme kuhanja.

SASTOJCI:

(Za oko 10 porcija / 6,69 kn po porciji / 66,89 kn za sve)

Za varivo:

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

1 veliki luk (0,75 kn)

100 g suhog špeka (6,00 kn)

2 velike kobasice (30,00 kn)

1 grincajg (6,00 kn)

3 rajčice šljivara (4,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka (0,75 kn)

3 šalice mladog graha (12,00 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,20 kn)

1 žlica slatke crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

10 šalica vode (–)

2 žlice jabučnog octa (0,20 kn)

1 žličica soli (0,01 kn)

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

1 šalica pužića, ili neke druge sitne tjestenine (4,00 kn)

Za zapršku:

2 žlice maslaca (2,00 kn)

2 žlice glatkog brašna (0,05 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Za početak operite i sitno nasjeckajte svo povrće i špek. Držite odvojene sve listove i zelenje iz grincajga. Narežite kobasice na tanke novčiće. Stavite na jaku vatru veliki lonac sa maslinovim uljem, pa kratko prodinstajte luk da bude staklast. Dodajte špek i kobasicu te kuhajte nekoliko minuta da se zahruskaju. Postepeno dodajte grincajg (osim zelenja), rajčice i češnjak i kuhajte da sve omekša.

Sada ubacite grah, nasjeckano zelenje iz grincajga, lovorov list, slatku papriku i ocat, prelijte vodom i pustite da zavrije. Smanjite vatru i kuhajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem oko 1 sat, dok se grah ne skuha do kraja. Kad se grah skuhao, kušajte i po potrebi dodajte soli i papra. Količina će ovisiti o tome koliko su vam začinjeni bili špek i kobasice. Na kraju dodajte tjesteninu i kuhajte još koliko treba tjestenini da bude gotova.

Dok se tjestenina kuha pripremite zapršku tako da na srednjoj vatri na maslacu popržite brašno, uz stalno miješanje. Zaprška je gotova kada je zlatno-smeđe boje i ima orašasti miris. Oprezno ju umiješajte u varivo i onda maknite sve sa vatre i poslužite.

Ovo varivo se super smrzava i podgrijava, tako da sada imate ručak za hitne slučajeve za ponijeti na posao, ili za one trenutke kada ste preumorni za kuhanje.

Fresh Bean, Sausage and Pipette Rigate Stew / Mladi grah s kobasicom i pužićima

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

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

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

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

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)