Tuesday 30 July 2013

Spicy pasta with chicken

This is my old idea of making a delicious dinner out of simple ingredients! And, what is more important, with that dish, everyone will find something suitable for themselves, for example: 
For children - there is pasta, which, if they are faddy - might be served only with chicken or with butter+sugar. 
For vegetarians: just take away the chicken.
For those on a diet - no mushroom sauce and no cheese.
Perfect!
The recipe is mostly mine, I took the recipe for the sauce from this website.


Ingredients:

  • 500g of chicken breasts, chopped
  • 1 packaging of wholemeal Fusilli pasta
  • 100-200 g of cheese, grated (or some slices to put on the top)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • pepper, salt, cayenne pepper (be careful with cayenne, it is spicy)
  • parsley - leaves, to sprinkle the top
Mushroom sauce:
  • around 1/2 kg of mushrooms (penny buns)
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 50 g of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 125 ml of 30-36% cream 
  • pepper, salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons of fresh, chopped parsley
Optional sauce ingredients:
  • 5 tablespoons of beer or white wine


Preparation:

Pasta:
  1. Take a bigger, clean pot, pour water and a pinch of salt inside. Put on a stove, boil on a middle heat. When it reaches 100C, add pasta, stir, change the heat into low. Boil  for 7-12 minutes. Stir from time to time*.
  2. When it's done, put the pasta on a colander and pour cold water on the pasta.**
*It is important, because pasta tends to stick to the bottom of the pot and burn as well as it tends to boil over.
** This is a good way to avoid sticky pasta.

Meat:
  1. Chop into pieces, season with salt and pepper and cayenne.
  2. Take a very big frying pan, grease it a little bit with oil. Turn the heat on.
  3. Put the chopped chicken on the frying pan and fry for 10-15 minutes.
Mushroom sauce:
  1. Clean the penny buns very precisely using a knife or a brush. If necessary - clean them quickly under cold water. Dry on a paper towel. Chop.
  2. Chop the onion and garlic.
  3. Take a frying pan, put 30g of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil on it. Add chopped onion and fry for 5 minutes on a middle heat. Add garlic and fry for another 1-2 minutes on a low heat. It needs to be gold, not burnt.
  4. Add optional ingredients. Boil till water evaporates and a thick substance appears.
  5. Add the rest of the buter and the oil. When it starts frying, add penny buns and fry on a high heat for around 6 minutes, stiring from time to time. 
  6. Take the cream, add 2-3 tablespoons of sauce from the frying pan, stir. Pour everything on the frying pan and boil on midle heat. Season with salt (1-2 pinch(es)). Stir. Boil for around 2 minutes so that the sauce has a chance to get thicker. At the end, add parsley and season with pepper. Stir, turn the heat off.

  1. Take the sauce and pour it on the frying pan with meat. Add pasta, boil for few minutes, stiring. Turn the heat off.
  2. Bon Appetit! :)

Monday 29 July 2013

Smiling Strawberry Muffins

Well, that was a pretty risky move, baking these muffins. I was afraid that this would be a complete disaster. But, to my surprise, they are very tasty and soft :) Useful, cause they can be prepared with many different fruit. And, accidentally, some of them smiled to me ;) 


Ingredients:

All the ingredients have to be in a room temperature.
  • 150 g of butter, melted and cooled down
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 glass of powdered sugar
  • 1 glass + 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 
  • fruit
Optional ingredients:
  • powdered sugar, to sprinkle the top

Preparation:
  1. Put the whites in a mixer's bowl, beat for 3-5 minutes to get soft (not stiff!) foam.
  2. Take powdered sugar and flour, mix it. Then, slowly, one tablespoon after another, mix it with egg whites, stiring gently. Add butter (remember that it needs to be cold), vanilla extract and mix till it links.
  3. Take muffin tins (either silicone or metal ones - but if metal - paper muffin cases are necessary*) and put the dough inside every tin. Then, put some pieces of fruit inside** (3-6 pieces, depending on the size of the fruit and the size of the tin)
  4. Bake in 170C for 20-25 minutes (to the dry toothpick)
  5. Cool down, optionally sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  6. Bon appetit! :)

* It is also possible to grease the tin with butter and sprinkle with flour.
** It is perfectly okay to put a lot of fruit in them - the dough will manage to cover them anyway.
smile ;)

Muffin cake with seasonal fruit and meringue


There is one, particular muffin recipe that I do love. The dough is soft, fluffy, it melts in your mouth. And I thought about a cake made of that recipe, with seasonal fruit... and some my private topping ideas...and it appeared to be delicious :) worth trying :) 


Ingredients:

  • 300 g of butter
  • 2 glasses of sugar
  • 1 glass + 2 tablespoons of potato flour
  • 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 6 small eggs or 4 big ones
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • 3/4 glass of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • fruit - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc

Top:

  • 2 packagings of budyn (or 2x ingredients from this recipe)
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
  • 1-2 packaging(s) of ready-made meringue (of course you can use your own, home made if you wish)

Preparation:


Base, the dough:
  1. Take a bigger pot. Cutting butter into smaller pieces, put it inside. Melt on a low heat (2-4 minutes or shorter if it starts burning). 
  2. Take it out of the stove. Add sugar, potato flour, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir quickly to make it link. Cool down.
  3. Add eggs - one after another, stiring after every egg. Add flour, baking powder, stir.
  4. Take a rectangular pan, put the dough inside, distribute all over the form.
  5. Add fruit - all over the cake.
  6. Put in the oven for around 30-45 minutes on 150-170C, till it gets golden colour. (I set 160C).*! Check, using a toothpick, if the cake is ready.
  7. When done, cool down.
Top:
  1. Prepare 2 ' budyń ' as the packagings (or recipe - double it) says. When ready, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, stir. Pour it on the cake, distribute all over the cake.
  2. Sprinkle with meringue (try to choose meringue that has no additional flavour)
  3. Sprinkle with fruit.
  4. Keep in the fridge.
  5. Bon Appetit ! :)

*Keep looking - every oven works differently (mind that some ovens tend to burn some parts - for example things that are at the back of the oven) don't let it get gold too fast, because the inside will be raw.



Friday 26 July 2013

Meatballs with rice

Might be considered as a dietary meal. Healthy, tasty, without oil. Of course it is possible to fry those meatballs instead of boiling. I do recommend!


Ingredients:


  • 500g of turkey/pork mince
  • 1-2 handfuls of chopped parsley or dill
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 bigger grated carrot
  • 1 small chopped leek
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3-1/2 glass of breadcrumbs
  • spices: basil, oregano, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, poultry/pork spice mix
  • oil

Optional ingredients:
  • rice
  • potatoes
  • vegs - broccoli, carrot, parsley, beans, sweetcorn
  • light/dark meat sauce



Preparation:
  1. Take a big bowl, put all the ingredients inside, mix.
  2. Sprinkle with  all the spices, mix.
  3. Take 2 pots, put some water on them, boil till it reaches 100C
  4. Put the rice to the first pot with boiling water. Sprinkle it with salt.
  5. Form small balls out of meat, put inside the second pot with boiling water and boil for around 15 minutes* on a middle heat.
  6. Bon Appetit!



* It might take a little bit more or less time, depending on meat, stove, etc. Check if the meat is ready just by cutting it into 2 halves.


Thursday 25 July 2013

Custard Pancakes



I bought a new book with plenty of recipes for pancakes :) This is one of the ideas, slightly changed.
And this is the book: 'Biblioteczka Poradnika Domowego. Naleśniki, placki, omlety' (wyd. spec. 03/2013), wyd. Prószyński i S-ka.

Ingredients:
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 glass of water
  • 1 glass of milk
  • pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar
  • 2 glasses of flour
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 packaging of powdered vanilla 'budyń' (=custard)
  • oil
Accompaniments:
  • whipped cream, chocolate, powdered sugar, caramel, fruit, marmalade, etc.*
* I used cranberry jam(=jelly) and pear 'sauce'(chopped pear boiled with sugar and cinnamon)

Preparation:
  1. Take a pot, put eggs, water, milk, salt, powdered sugar and vanilla sugar, flour, custard, stir till all the ingredients mix and till the dough is smooth (without lumps). 
  2. Take a frying pan, put oil on it, preheat.
  3. Put some dough on the frying pan, distribute on the entire surface. Fry both sides for 2-4 minutes on a low(to middle) heat.
  4. Add favourite accompaniments.
  5. Bon Appetit! :)

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Honey Cinn Breakfast

I've read some articles about healthy lifestyle. It appears that among many different spices chilli, pepper, ginger, etc. which are very important) there is also a place for cinnamon with its magical powers to strenghten the immune system, improve health, help with losing some weight, regulate the amount of sugar in our blood and much much more! You can read a lot about it on the Internet, obviously, on trustworthy pages.

So here is another breakfast idea. I do enjoy it as I am a cinnamon fan. There is no sophisticated recipe, as you probably guess. I believe everybody knows how to prepare a decent sandwich ;)

Ingredients:
  • bread
  • butter (optional)
  • honey
  • cinnamon

Courgette pancake

That's an easy, healthy and delicious meal. Good idea for dinner, lunch or supper. Tzatziki matches it very much. Recipe taken from my uncle, greetings and thanks for him!

Ingredients (for around 15 pancakes):
  • 1 courgette
  • 1/2 of marrow
  • spices: salt, pepper, chilli, cayenne pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1,5 glasses of milk
  • 2-2,5 glasses of flour

Optional ingredients:
  • onion

Preparation:
  1. Wash the courgette and the marrow. 
  2. Peel (optional).
  3. Grate both vegs on a grater, put in a big bowl. 
  4. Sprinkle with salt. Leave for a few minutes so that water comes out.
  5. Pour the water away by squeezing vegs or using a sieve. It has to be done precisely.
  6. Sprinkle the vegs with spices.
  7. Add chopped onion (optional)
  8. Add milk, stir. Add flour - one glass after another, stiring all the time. The consistency of the dough needs to be very thick.
  9. Take a frying pan* grease it, start preheating. Put 1-3 tablespoons of the dough on the frying pan and distribute on the entire surface, so that the pancake is thin.
  10. Fry for 2-3 minutes on a low heat (each side).
  11. Other vegs, Tzatziki, etc. matches that pancakes, so feel free to take your favourite ones.
  12. Bon Appetit! :)

* I've got a frying pan that doesn't require any greasing before frying. It does have its price, but believe me, it is a real miracle. Nothing burns, your meal will be fried in a colour you let it be, not burnt brown. I do recommend it. If you are willing to buy it - one, middle size, will be enough and you'll probably stop using the rest of your frying pans :).

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Cod Pilaf

Pilaf, (also known as pulaw, pulao, polow, plov and pilav) came across while looking for an unusual way of preparing a meal. A very weird-looking recipe from http://www.kwestiasmaku.com/dania_dla_dwojga/pilaf_z_jajkiem_dorszem/przepis.htm has gained the name 'The fushion of flavours' because, indeed, it undoubtedly is. 
Definitely worth trying!

Ingredients (4 portions):
  • 200 g (2 bags) of rice
  • 2-3 tablespoons of raisins (= sultanas)
  • 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
  • 4 tablespoons of almond flakes (might be slightly browned on the frying pan)
  • spices: 1/2-1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 5-7 cardamom seeds (powder might be used instead, but then not more than 2 teaspoons), 2 teaspoons of Sichuan Pepper (I used basic, classic, black one instead), 3 teaspoons of yellow curcuma, 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 of the lemon or lime
  • 300-500 g of cod fillets
  • 2 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 boiled eggs, chopped
  • salt and pepper

Preparation:
  1. Take a pot, pour water inside, salt it. Boil. When the water reaches 100C, add rice. Boil it for 10-15 minutes, till the rice gets soft.
  2. Take a quite big casserole, cut the rice bag and put the rice inside.
  3. Turn on the oven and start preheating it to 150C.
  4. Take the cod, wash it, cut it into smaller pieces, sprinkle with pepper and salt.
  5. Mix the rice with raisins, parsley, almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, 2 teaspoons of curcuma. Stir. Add bay leaves and lime/lemon wedges.
  6. Put the cod in the casserole, sprinkle with the last teaspoon of curcuma and with oil.
  7. Cover the casserole with foil and put in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
  8. If the fish is not ready after spending 30 minutes in hot oven, take the foil off and bake for additional 3-5 minutes.
  9. Add the eggs, cut into wedges.
  10. Bon Appetit! :)

Monday 22 July 2013

Pineapple smoothie

Refreshing, healthy supper (or its part ;) ). Recipe is my own idea.

Ingredients(for 4 latte glasses):
  • 1/2 pineapple, peeled, chopped
  • 3-5 handfuls of cherries

Optional ingredients:
  • 1/3-1/2 glass of milk/natural yoghurt
  • sugar
  • ice cubes

Preparation:
  1. Put the pineapple in a bowl, blend till smooth. 
  2. Take cherries - if frozen - defrost in a pot by heating them. 
  3. Mash the cherries, to get cherry mousse with no skins (make sure there are no kernels).
  4. Add cherries to blended pineapple. Blend till smooth.
  5. Add sugar, milk and ice cubes. (step by step, tasting, to make it suitable for you)
  6. Bon Appetit! :)

Dill Pickles

Why to buy some artificial ones in markets, while you can make your own, tasty dill pickles, without all those chemicals? Here is the recipe, coming from my mum.

Ingredients:

  • 3kg of fresh cucumbers
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 3 pieces of fresh horseradish
  • 6 bunches of dill
  • water and salt*

* for 1 litre of water - 1 tablespoon of salt, if the jug is smaller, then automatically 500 ml of water + 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

Preparation:
  1. Wash the cucumbers.
  2. Take a big jar. Put 1 kg of cucumbers inside, so that 1/3 of the jar is full. 
  3. Add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 piece of horseradish and 2 bunches of dill. Add another 1 kg of cucumbers, and another 2 cloves of garlic, 1 piece of horseradish and another 2 bunches of dill. Put the rest of cucumbers, the last clove of garlic, the last piece of horseradish and the rest of the dill on the top.
  4. Take measure jug, put 1 litre of water inside, add 1 tablespoon of salt, stir, pour to the jar. Fill the entire jar with salted water.
  5. Close the jar, shake.
  6. Put aside, for at least 3 days.
  7. Bon Appetit!

Sunday 21 July 2013

Semifreddo cake a'la Tiramisu

A few days ago, I was asked to prepare a Tiramisu... of course I will do it! my pleasure! But... it's summer.. it's so hot outside... and Tiramisu has a lot of cream which tends to melt... I found a brilliant, refreshing and delicious solution... ;) 
Recipe comes from: http://www.kwestiasmaku.com/desery/semifreddo/torcik_semifreddo/przepis.html but there are a lot of my private changes, as this recipe skips some more or less obvious activities. 


Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs 
  • 1/2 glass of sugar 
  • 250g of mascarpone 
  • 4-5 drops of vanilla extract 
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon peel 
  • 1-2 packagings of ladyfingers 
  • 50-70 ml of chocolate/amaretto liqueur or a couple of drops of almond extract 
  • cocoa and instant coffee (for sprinkling every tier) 


Optional ingredients - for a strawberry sauce: (I skipped that part and added caramel sauce): 
  • 500 g of strawberries (either frozen or fresh) 
  • some sugar for the taste* 
  • 1 teaspoon of corn flour melted in 2 tablespoons of water 
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 
*start from 2 tablespoons, taste, add more.

Preparation:

Strawberry sauce:

  1. Defrost strawberries if frozen. Put in a pot, add sugar, boil for 7 minutes. Sieve. 
  2. Add flour, boil, add lemon juice, boil. 
Semifreddo:
  1. Take a loaf pan, put baking paper inside, so that some of it sticks out of the loaf pan. Put it in the freezer. 
  2. Peel the lemon, squeeze, to get the juice, put aside. 
  3. Separate egg yolks from whites, put in two different (quite big) bowls. 
  4. Mix yolks with sugar on the highest rotation power of the mixer, till it gets smooth. 
  5. Keep mixing - add mascarpone, vanilla extract and lemon peel. 
  6. Beat the whites (around 7 minutes) 
  7. Add whites to yolks. Stir gently. 
  8. Take the loaf pan out of the freezer. 
  9. Put the first tier of ladyfingers inside. Add some liqueur/almond extract*. Put some cream, sprinkle with cocoa and instant coffee. 
  10. Repeat all the steps from 9 - ladyfingers, liqueur/extract, cream, cocoa+coffee. 
  11. Put the foil on the top and put the cake into the freezer for at least 8 hours. 
  12. Max 30 minutes before giving the cake to your guests, take as many portions as you need and put them in the fridge. The rest of the cake remains in the freezer. 
  13. Add some sauce if you wish - caramel, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, etc. 
  14. Bon Appetit!

Saturday 20 July 2013

Hungarian Sausages

The air smells of holidays, at last the barbecue season is officially open, because the weather is so pleasant and warm during late afternoons and evening. But after many BBQs there are always some leftovers and there is a doubt - what to do with them? Well, if you don't enjoy reheating them, this is a mouth-watering solution.
Obviously, this is not only an idea for BBQ's leftovers. ;)
Recipe comes from my friend's mum. Enormous thanks for her for the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 tablespoons of oil
  • 1/2-1 chopped onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic cut info slices
  • sausages cut into slices
  • tomato puree
  • (sweet&)spicy sauce
  • ketchup
  • 1 pepper - cut into stripes or small parts
Optional ingredients:
  • courgette - cut into slices
  • sweetcorn
  • red (kidney) beans
  • tomato wedges

Preparation:

  1. Put the oil on the frying pan. Put garlic, onion and sausages, fry (on an average heat) till their colour get light gold. Turn the heat off.
  2. Take a tumbler. Put 5 tablespoons of tomato puree inside. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Stir. Pour it on the frying pan. 
  3. Starting from 3 tablespoons of each - add the sauce and ketchup. Stir. Turn on the heat, on the lowest power.
  4. Add optional ingredients and the pepper. Stir.
  5. Taste it and decide which flavour of the 3 ingredients (tomato puree, ketchup, sauce) you want to predominate. Of course it might be one of them, two or all of them. Add one tablespoon after another, trying it by taking a clean spoon every time you try it. While adding more tomato puree - it is essential to stir it with some water first.
  6. This meal might be eaten on its own or, for instance, with bread.
  7. Bon Appetit!

Something wet... (Golden) Mojito

This is what Mojito literally means - 'something wet'. It seems to be a perfect drink - chilling and refreshing, it might be prepared as a traditional drink as well as a soft drink. I do recommend both versions.
Slightly changed, recipe comes from BBC Food.
This one, if prepared with an alcohol, is called 'Golden Mojito' as it is prepared with golden rum. Basic Mojito is prepared with white rum, though Mojito, on its own, has plenty of flavour variations.


Ingredients for one glass:

  • 3-4 fresh mint sprigs* 
  • 3 lime wedges (3/4 of a lime)
  • 2½ teaspoon of sugar
  • ice cubes
  • soda water(=fizzy drink, tonic, sparkling water)
For decoration:
  • fresh mint sprig, thin lime wedge, etc.


Optional ingredients:
  • 25 ml of golden rum

*yes, sprigs, not only leaves. I've read that these enhance the drink's flavour as they contain some vital oils. But if you wish you can only use leaves from those sprigs.


Preparation:
  1. Clean the mint springs. Dry them on paper towels.
  2. Cut the lime into 4 wedges. 
  3. Take a highball glass. Put 1 lime wedge, add 2 mint sprigs and sugar. 
  4. Using for example a clean rolling pin (or a teaspoon), slightly muddle them (be careful not to break the glass) to release the flavour of the mint and lime. 
  5. Put another lime wedge, another 2 mint sprigs and muddle again. Add the last lime wedge and muddle it as well.
  6. Add ice cubes - almost as many as a glass can take.
  7. Slowly pour the rum and soda. Using for example a clean latte spoon, stir.
  8. Decorate the edges of the glass with mint or lime wedge, add a straw.
  9. Bon Appetit! :)

Thursday 18 July 2013

Banana Coffee

I haven't posted any coffee ideas for a quite long time, so here is one :) It isn't a hot coffee, rather room temperature one or frappe. Very filling. 
That recipe comes from my friend.


Ingredients (for 1 glass):
  • 1 banana
  • 1/2-3/4 glass of milk
  • 1-2 teaspoons of instant coffee
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (or more, if you like)

Optional ingredients:
  • sugar
  • ice cubes
  • optional topping: whipped cream, caramel/chocolate sauce, cinnamon, chocolate chips, cocoa


Preparation:
  1. Put the banana in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (optional).
  2. Take a blender with its bowl, put coffee and cinnamon inside, add sugar-if you want, add banana, blend till smooth.
  3. Add milk, blend again.
  4. Add ice cubes, mix till smooth (= till you don't hear them cracking).
  5. Decorate the topping with your favourite ingredient.
  6. Bon Appetit! :)

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Tiramisu

Gourmet sensation. Always, in every variation :)
Recipe from this websitebut changed, to fit a springform pan.

Ingredients:
  • 2-3 packs of ladyfingers
  • 300 ml of strong espresso
  • 120 ml of Amaretto syrup
  • 8 egg yolks (in a room temperature)
  • 8 tablespoons of sugar
  • 500 g of mascarpone (cold)
  • cocoa (bitter one, for baking), to sprinkle the tiers and the top
Preparation:
  1. Prepare yolks. They need to be in a room temperature.
  2. Take a bowl. Prepare espresso, mix with Amaretto syrup in the bowl. Cool down.
  3. Take a metal bowl, put yolks inside, add sugar and using a mixer, mix on its highest rotation for at least 8 minutes till you get thick, fluffy and light substance.*
  4. Using a tablespoon, add one of mascarpone to yolks, mix (average rotation) till smooth, then add another, etc. till all the mascarpone is added. This cream needs to be thick and fluffy.
  5. Take a springform pan, ladyfingers and all the bowls. 
  6. Take 1 ladyfinger, put for 2 seconds in coffee-Amaretto mixture(2 seconds for both sides of a ladyfinger**), put in the springform pan. Repeat till you get one full tier of ladyfingers on the bottom of the springform pan.
  7. Sprinkle it with cocoa, using a sieve.
  8. Put the yolks-mascarpone cream on it (do not worry that cocoa mixes with the cream)
  9. Put another tier of ladyfingers, cocoa, cream.
  10. Repeat all the steps, till all the ingredients are gone. The top is the cream and cocoa.***
  11. Put in the fridge for at least 3 hours (entire night is perfect, especially if the cream isn't thick enough)
  12. It may stay in the fridge for few days. But I don't think it will ;)
  13. Bon Appetit!

* This is the most important part of making a good Tiramisu. While beating, it is advisable not to move the mixer too often. Beaten yolks need to be thick, fluffy, bright. If they aren't - add special powder that will stiffen, consolidate it (in Poland - śmietan-fix). If you don't have such powder and the cream is wet, with water and is more like a liquid (which is bad) you can either use it - but then Tiramisu needs to stay in the fridge for the entire night (even though it won't fully fix it, there will be a problem with taking it out of the springform pan and cutting a decent piece to put on a plate) or prepare the cream from the very beginning - advisable. 

** It needs to be done quickly, otherwise ladyfingers will crumble.

*** It is possible to make 3 tiers out of this recipe. But I do not recommend it. With 3 tiers, there are too many ladyfingers and too little cream. 
It is better (both if it comes to its appearance and the easiness of taking it out) to finish on 2.

Monday 15 July 2013

Italian Almond Cookies

 These cookies were an absolute, astonishing surprise to me. Right after taking them out of the oven, my first thought was 'my God, what a disaster, it's burnt and hard'. And that is what I told my friends. Even so, I didn't throw them away. My mum and my friends tasted it and with a delight claimed that the cookies were really delicious. How come...? 
Well, it appeared that these cookies need some time to get soft and tasty (a couple of hours, every next day they get better ;) ). 
Must try. Quick, easy, delicious.
Recipe comes from this website.

Ingredients (for 50-70 cookies):


  • 3 egg whites
  • 300g of grounded almonds (= almond flour)
  • 300g of powdered sugar (+some, to sprinkle the cookies)
  • 1 tablespoon of honey or golden syrup (I used it instead of honey)
  • filling: caramel sauce*, lemon curd, whipped cream, creme patissiere, Nutella, honey, etc.

* I used it, matches perfectly

Preparation:
  1. Mix all the ingredients using a food processor, till you get thick, malleable dough. It may be sticky. Cover it using a foil and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 
  2. During that time, prepare your baking sheet - put some baking paper on it and - optionally - put a foil under the baking paper.*
  3. Take the dough out of the fridge. 
  4. Start forming small balls (around walnut's size), sprinkle it precisely with powdered sugar, put on a baking sheet and using something small with a round, smooth ending - make a hollow in every cookie (so that after baking, you can put the filling in there).
  5. Leave some space between the cookies on the baking sheet - they double their size during baking. 
  6. Bake in 160C for around 15 minutes.** 
  7. Cool them down and then add the filling.
  8. Bon Appetit ! :)

* Foil is important, if your oven likes to burn the bottom of the food. 

** Again, it depends on the oven. It is crucial to keep looking at cookies for these 15 minutes - don't let them get too gold (even though it is a little bit hard, because they remain white because of the powdered sugar). You can easily open the oven during baking (nothing bad will happen) and check(using a toothpick) or even taste one cookie to check if it is ready or not. It is advisable to lift one cookie, using for instance a fork, to check whether the bottom is burnt or not.
If you are afraid that it is baking too fast - decrease the temperature.



Sunday 14 July 2013

Curry Cod


Well... if it comes to fish, my favourite one is.. chicken. Yes, that's a joke and yes, I am not really a fish-fan. But, this way of preparing cod is beyond gorgeous (both if it comes to the time of the preparation and the taste).

Try it :)
Part of the recipe comes from this website.


Ingredients:
  • 4 cod fillets (fresh or frozen)
  • salt, pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 2-3 teaspoons of curry (powder)
  • oil
Preparation:
  1. While using frozen fillets - totally defrost. Wash under running water, dry using paper towels.
  2. Mix flour with curry on a big plate. 
  3. Put one fillet on the plate, sprinkle it with the mix of flour and curry (both sides of the cod)
  4. Heat the frying pan with some oil.*
  5. Put the fillets (as many as your frying pan can take) and on a low heat - fry. When gold - turn around.
  6. When ready - put on a paper towel (optional - to dry it from the oil, if you don't want to, don't do it)
  7. Before putting next fillets on the frying pan, clean it using a paper towel and grease again.
  8. Serve with potatoes, rice, salad, etc.
  9. Bon Appetit!


*Don't use a lot of money. 1-2 tablespoons are enough, just grease the entire frying pan with it.

Monday 8 July 2013

Yoghurt pancakes

Delicious! Mouth-watering, soft, melting in your mouth. I will never ever make casual, classic pancakes again. These are absolutely brilliant! A definite must-do. Perfect for the entire day - either breakfast, dinner or supper.
Enormous thanks for http://www.kwestiasmaku.com/kuchnia_polska/placki/placki_jogurtowe_z_truskawkami/przepis.html for the recipe.

Ingredients:
  • 250 g of natural yoghurt (or greek one)
  • 2 big eggs (or 3 smaller)
  • 2 tablespoons of oil or melted butter
  • 2-3 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 + 1/3 glass of flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • some sliced strawberries

Optional ingredients = decoration:
  • Powdered sugar
  • strawberry mousse
  • caramel sauce
  • whipped cream

Preparation:
  1. In a bowl, mix or stir: yoghurt, eggs and oil. 
  2. Add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. 
  3. Keep stiring till all the ingredients mix (smooth consistency -  (no lumps)
  4. Take the frying pan. Preheat with some oil (around 2 tablespoons).
  5. Prepare your pancakes on a very low heat, so that you won't burn them.
  6. Put one, full tablespoon of dough on the frying pan. Distribute it on the frying pan (just make that tablespoon wider, thinner on the frying pan). 
  7. Leaving some space, put another. 
  8. After around 30 seconds, put 2-3 slices of strawberry. 
  9. Using a fork or spatula, check whether they are gold on the other side. If gold, turn around. Check again, if gold. If yes - take them off the frying pan.
  10. Decorate with anything you want.
  11. Bon appetit!