Basil paste

I came across this recipe while looking for an alternative breakfast recipes. This paste sounded really perfect to me - something new, quick and easy to make. And - believe me, it tastes really, really good - some of you may know flavoured butters (smaksełko? ;) ) - they were extremely popular some time ago and very tasty, though I can't find it in any shop, can you? This is not a butter, as it is made of cottage cheese. Though I'm sure it would be same delicious as a butter! It is perfect for example with: fresh, hot bread/rolls, with cold meats, tomatoes, for brushetta, ciabatta bread... :)

Recipe, slightly changed, comes from this website.

Ingredients:

• 250g of cottage cheese (low-, semi- or full-fat)
• a bunch of fresh basil
• 1/2-1 clove of garlic
• 8 tablespoons of oil 
• 1 teaspoon of black ground pepper
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sichuan pepper

Preparation:

1. Put the cheese in a bowl, add spices (black pepper, salt, sichuan pepper). 
2. Take a blender and its bowl (or any bowl suitable for blending), put basil, garlic and oil inside, blend till smooth (or almost smooth). 
3. Mix basil paste with cottage cheese, blend till smooth.
4. Store closed in the fridge.
5. Bon Appetit! :)

Banana Pancakes

Fantastic! I finally managed to prepare them ;) With an irreplaceable help of Nigella's 'Feast' Book :)

I do recommend them, they're outrageous!
I slightly changed the original recipe as I personally prefer them without a banana.

Ingredients:

• 150g of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 30g butter
• 1 egg
• 250ml of buttermilk*
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar

Optional ingredients:

• 1 banana

Additionals:

• maple syrup (I honestly do recommend it)
• honey
• more bananas
• shredded coconut
• jam
• etc ;)

* buttermilk makes pancakes springy, but I realize that it is fat, so you can easily add milk, 1,5-3,2% but then it is very important to add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar


Preparation:

1. Take a bowl in which you can mix ingredients (preferably a bowl suitable for using a mixer or blender).
2. Melt the butter and put it aside to let it cool down.
3. Optionally - Wash and peel the banana, chop, put in the bowl and mix till smooth.
4. If you're using milk - put it in another bowl, add vinegar and leave for 5 minutes. After that time add all the ingredients (without butter, unless it is already cold) and mix, till smooth.
5. If you're using a buttermilk - add all the ingredients except for melted butter in a bowl. Mix to receive smooth mixture.
6. When the butter is cooled down, add it and whisk again, till smooth.
7. Take a frying pan, put some oil on it and distribute the oil using a paper towel (yes, pancakes aren't supposed to swim in that oil ;) the frying pan just needs to be greased).
8. Turn on the lowest heat. Wait a minute.
9. Put some dough on the frying pan, fry for a minute or two, till the colour is gold (keep paying attention to your pancake, they fry really fast), overturn.
10. Take it off from the frying pan, add your favourite additional ingredients. 
11. Bon Appetit! ;)

Rum & Ginger Pancakes

 Something new and quite unusual :) Very tasty :) I think it is hard(impossible!) to prepare awful pancakes ;) This is my own recipe, but the idea comes from the book I've mentioned some time ago ('Biblioteczka Poradnika Domowego. Naleśniki, placki, omlety').

You can prepare either rum pancakes or ginger pancakes or rum and ginger pankes. 

Ingredients for the basic pancake dough:

• 500 ml of milk
• around 300 g of flour*
• 1 egg
• pinch of salt
• 16 g (1 packaging) of vanilla sugar
• 1/2 glass of sugar (or less or a little more, depending on a personal taste)
• 1/2 or 1 flat teaspoon of baking powder

Additional ingredients:

• 1-4 teaspoons of rum (I used Golden Rum)**
• 1/3-1/2 teaspoon of grounded ginger***

* I don't measure flour - which is why it is 'around' 300g. The easiest way - put all the other ingredients in the bowl, mix and at the end start adding flour - the dough needs to be quite thick, it cannot be thin.

** and *** Be careful while adding rum and ginger as they're strong additionals. Add them step by step, tasting the dough every time, using a clean teaspoon everytime, though remember not to eat too much of the dough cause it causes stomachache.

Preparation:

1. Take a big bowl. Put all the ingredients inside, stir or mix till smooth.
2. Now you can add additional ingredients - whichever you wish and in a desired amount. If you want to have ginger and rum pancakes separately, you can make second basic dough in a different pot.
3. Take a big frying pan. Grease it with oil and start preheating on a low heat. After a few seconds, pour some dough on it and distribute the dough on the entire frying pan. Fry for around 30 seconds or more, on a low heat, till the dough congeals. Overturn when the colour is gold.
4. Decorate with a favourite additional ingredient - whipped cream, chocolate/caramel sauce, fruit, etc.
5. Bon Appetit! :)

Carrot Salad

Refreshing :) Perfect for a hot day :) Extremely easy. It might be sour or sweet, depending on a personal taste. 

Recipe is my own idea.

Ingredients:

• 3 big carrots
• 2-3 lemon wedges
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2-5 teaspoons of sugar

Preparation:

1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots. Put them in a big bowl.
2. Wash lemon, cut into wedges, add to the bowl.
3. Wash the grapefruit, peel and cut into wedges. Add to the bowl.
4. Add lemon juice and - step by step - sugar, stir, try. Add as much sugar necessary for you.
5. Bon Appetit :)

Home-made bread with thick, crunchy skin

A very tasty bread and a very good recipe. I guess it is impossible to fail... :) The only disadvantage is time, which is why it is good to prepare the dough in the evening and bake it the next day, in the afternoon/evening.

Recipe comes from this website.

Ingredients:

• 300 g of flour
• 100 g of wholemeal flour
• 1,5 teaspoon of salt
• 20 g of fresh yeast (or 1 teaspoon of instant yeast)
• 300 g of cold water

Optional ingredients:

• wholemeal flour or bran or poppy to sprinkle the top of the bread
• a handful of pumpkin or other seeds to 'upgrade' the bread :) 

Preparation:

1. Put the flour in a big bowl. Add salt, crumbled yeast and stir using a spoon. Add water and stir again(quickly, shortly, so that all the ingredients link).
2. Cover the bowl with foil and put aside for 12-14 hours in a room temperature (it grows).
3. Sprinkle the kitchen surface with flour, put the dough on it. Fold it 3-4 times, using your hands.
4. Take a clean cloth, sprinkle it with flour, put the dough on it. Cover the dough using the same cloth and put aside in a warm place for another 1-2 hours (it grows again).
5. After 1,5 from these 2 hours in point 4, put the oven's lattice on the lower part of the oven (1/3), take a clean casserole (with its lid) and put it in the oven. Start preheating the oven to 240-250C.
6. When these 2 hours end, take out the casserole from the oven (be careful it will be very very hot!) and put the dough inside it (sprinkle your hands with flour, it is easier to move the dough then).
7. Cover the casserole with its lid and bake for 30 minutes. 
8. After 30 minutes, take of the lid and bake for another 15-30 minutes. Advisably, after 5-10 minutes, cover the top of the bread with foil.
9. Take out from the oven, cool down.
10. Bon Appetit! :)

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! :)

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!

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!

Scrambled Eggs with Tofu

 

A perfect idea for a breakfast for those who don't have much in their fridge or who bought tofu and don't know what to do with that or for example, for those, who have stale bread ;)
Recipe, partially from http://www.kwestiasmaku.com/dania_dla_dwojga/sniadania/jajecznica_z_tofu/przepis.html

Ingredients:

• Tofu
• Oil/butter
• Eggs
• Pepper
• Salt
• Bread

Optional ingredients:

• red/yellow/green chopped pepper
• 1/2 chopped onion
• chopped chive

Preparation:

1. If you didn't open your tofu yet - open it, dry on a paper towel. Chop into smaller or bigger pieces - as you wish. Sprinkle pepper and salt on them.
2. Take a frying pan, put some oil or butter on it, heat.
3. Put the tofu on pre-heated frying pan (be careful it will splash a little).
4. Fry for 1-2 minutes (they get softer, but the longer you fry, the harder they become)
5. Add optional ingredients if you want to.
6. Move to one side of the frying pan, add eggs, add some pepper and stir (exactly like preparing basic scrambled eggs.). You can also add other condiments that you like.
7. Put the slices of your bread in a toaster, and prepare some toast. You can put some butter on them.
8. Bon Appetit :)

A method for a night's hunger nightmare

There are days (especially during the summer) when you can eat absolutely nothing during the entire day, but when the evening starts you could devour a horse. And simultaneously you want to stay fit and not put on weight. How to combat that urgent need? 

Here is your answer...

this particular smoothie is my own idea

Ingredients:

• 1 apple
• 150-200g of strawberries
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Optional ingredients:

• ice

Preparation:

1. Wash, peel and chop the apple. Put aside.
2. Wash the strawberries, throw away the green tops/hats.
3. Put the strawberries in a food processor. Blend till smooth. 
4. Now you can add 2-3 ice cubes if you want to. Blend till smooth.
5. Add a few pieces of chopped apple. Blend till smooth. Repeat the actions till all the chopped pieces of apples are blended.
6. Add lemon juice.
7. Bon appetit :)

This particular smoothie, if not blended for too long is really thick and what comes after that - very filling. You will probably need a spoon to eat it ;)

Pear breakfast with the scent of the cinammon

Well this is my own idea. I was fed up with the small amount of varieties I have when it comes to savour breakfast. So I upgraded my it :) I am also a big fan of cinnamon which explains its presence. But it does match here.

Ingredients:

• 150-250 ml of milk (measure your own amount - put as much as you always do while preparing cereals/cornflakes/etc)
• 1 pear (or 1 banana), washed, peeled and chopped
• from 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• cornflakes (preferably), some honey-cereals will be fine too, muesli, granola, etc (I used basic fibre flakes)

Preparation:

1. Boil the milk on a low heat (as much as you like). 
2. Wash, peel and chop the pear, put it in a bowl.
3. Put the milk in (the hotter the milk the faster your cereals will change into pulp)
4. Add cereals/other and cinammon to the bowl.
5. Bon Appetit!

Sweet Omelette

Delicate, like a sponge cake, magic mix of whites and yolk. If your parens have ever told you that you can't mix whisked, stiffed egg whites with yolks because it will be a complete disaster - prove that they were/are wrong ;) 

Thanks for Kwestia Smaku for this recipe -

The original recipe isn't for a sweet omelette. So I changed it a little.

Ingredients: (1 omelette)

• 2 eggs
• a pinch of salt
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• a little bit of butter 

On the top:

• powdered sugar
• golden syrup
• honey
• jam/marmalade
• fruit
• cinnamon
• cocoa

* If you have a really big frying pan, you can use 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of flour.

Preparation:

1. Melt some butter on your frying pan. (butter must cover the entire frying pan, also sides)
2. Seperate whites and yolks. 
3. Stir the yolks.
4. Put the whites in a bigger bowl (food processor's bowl) add salt and start beating the egg whites(high speed of the mixer). After a few seconds add sugar. Keep beating, until the whites are stiff.
5. Reduce the speed of the mixer to average, without stopping the mixer add yolks (around 1/2 of a minute)
6. Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest and add flour. Mix only for a few (10) seconds, till it links.
7. Turn on the heat and put the omelette on the frying pan on a middle/low heat.
8. Look at it carefully - it is different than a pancake, it is harder to look if the bottom is ready or not. Frying every side will take around 3-4 minutes.
9. How to turn the side? You can either use one big spatula or two smaller  (not recommended, because it is a very delicate kind of cake) or you can take another greased frying pan (bigger preferably) and try to put them together and turn over. You can also take it out from the frying pan, put it on the plate, cover the plate with the frying pan and then flip so that the omelette is on the frying pan again.
10. Put it on a plate and add 'toppings' :)
11. Bon appetit! :)

* Well-prepared omelette should be stiff after frying and should neither crincle nor get softer.

Smoothie

The easiest and the tastiest juice in this world that will cool you down during a hot day.

The idea for this smoothie comes from this website. But - again - I changed it a little bit :)

Ingredients: (for 2-3 cups)

• orange juice (from 1 orange)
• 1 peeled mango
• 1 banana
• cherries - fresh or frozen

Optional ingredients:

• 1/2 tumbler of milk
• sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons of greek yoghurt
• ice

Preparation:

1. Wash the banana and put it in the freezer.
2. Put orange juice and chopped mango to your blender/mixer/food processor. Mix till smooth.
3. Add banana. Mix till smooth.
4. Now it's time for optional ingredients (except for ice). Add carefully one element, mix, taste it, add another. Try it after every mixing so that you are sure that your smoothie suits your taste.
5. Add ice, mix till smooth.
6. Now you can make two - pour the smoothie in one cup so that you have a yellow smoothie.
7. Leave the rest in your food processor and now add cherries. Mix till smooth.
8. Bon appetit :)