Prirodne boje za pisanice / Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

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Glavna tema ovih su dana - jaja. Ni manje ni više. Pa kad je tome tako, hajde da se i ja malo pozabavim jajima. Sigurna sam da niste ni svjesni da u svojoj kuhinji, hladnjaku ili smočnici trenutno imate barem tri, a sigurno i više, namirnice kojima možete na prirodan i siguran način obojati uskršnja jaja. Zaboravite ljuske crvenog luka i dosadnu smeđu boju pisanica. Izvucite iz hladnjaka voće i povrće i ove godine dodajte svojim pisanicama malo živosti. "Dodaj svetu malo boje...", kao što lijepo kaže Balašević.

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Rižoto od jabuka / Apple Risotto

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Sjedim pred ekranom i pokušavam sabrati misli. Sve sam više uvjerena da bolujem od nekog blagog oblika poremećaja pažnje koji mi u ovakvim situacijama dodatno otežava posao. Pomalo iznervirana hrpom nepovezanih misli koje mi lete kroz glavu počinjem gubiti koncentraciju. Prsti napeto počivaju na tipkovnici u iščekivanju. Osjećam se kao da sjedim na satu hrvatskog jezika u osnovnoj školi. Ispred mene otvorena je zadaćnica, a na otvorenom listu piše jedna jedina riječ. Proljeće.

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Pileća juha s limunom i brokulom / Lemon Chicken Soup with Broccoli

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Jučer sam prvi put ove sezone izvukla omiljene balerinke iz tame ormarića za cipele i ponosno ih obula za posao. Jedne balerinke možda ne čine proljeće, ali složit ćete se da svakako nagovješćuju optimističan rasplet prirodnih zbivanja. Poput nestpljivog djeteta iščekujem toplije doba godine i pokušavam ga dodatno požuriti svojim inzistiranjem na balerinkama, platnenim Starkama i laganim jaknicama. Možda upali.

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Juha od pečenog češnjaka i kestena / Roasted Garlic And Chestnut Soup

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Na prste jedne ruke mogla bih nabrojati one namirnice ili jela koje ne volim. Ona hrana koju pak volim, a to je, kao što smo upravo ustanovili, gotovo sve, morala bi biti u potpunosti upropaštena da bi meni bila nejestiva. Ukratko, niti jedno jelo ne može biti toliko loše da ga ja ne bih mogla pojesti. Da, postoje neke namirnice ili načini pripreme koje u svakodnevnom kuhanju i prehrani nastojim izbjegavati, poput masnih komada mesa i suhomesnatih proizvoda, velike količne maslaca i šećera u kolačima ili hrane pržene u dubokom ulju. To nikako ne znači da ih ne volim, to samo znači da sam svjesna potencijalnih negativnih utjecaja na vlastiti organizam i zdravlje. 

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Peciva od bundeve i parmezana i juha od bundeve / Pumpkin Parmesan Bread Rolls And Pumpkin Soup

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U slučaju da u zabačenom kutu balkona, tamo negdje iza teglica sa začinskim biljem, sanduka mandarina ili ljetne sjedeće garniture koja još uvijek hrabro stoji i odolijeva sezoni prvog jutarnjeg mraza, čuči poneka zaboravljena bundeva ili tikva, ovaj je post kao stvoren za vas. Seriju recepata s bundevom, koju sam  započela s prethodnim postom, danas nastavljam u nešto drugačijem tonu. Na redu su slani recepti. 

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Tart s kruškama i gorgonzolom / Pear And Gorgonzola Tarts

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Ne sjećam se koliko sam bila izbirljiva kao dijete. Navodno sam oduvijek voljela dobro pojesti. Suočena sa bilo kojom vrstom hrane, rijetko sam odbijala otvoriti usta, bez obzira radilo se o bočici toplog mlijeka, tanjuru juhe ili nekom slatkišu. Sjećam se doduše da su mi slatkiši uvijek spadali u posebnu kategoriju. I najmanje omiljen slatkiš meni je još uvijek bio dovoljno dobar da ga bucmastim prstićima uguram u usta i sa sjajem u očima i musavim debeljuškastim obrazima s veseljem progutam. Neke stvari se očito nikad ne mijenjaju. 

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Salata s tjesteninom, pršutom, komoračem i mandarinama / Orecchiette Salad With Prosciutto, Fennel and Tangerines

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Kilometarski nazivi postova poput ovog današnjeg svaki mi put zadaju glavobolju. Vjerujem da ni vi niste imuni na predugačke jezične konstrukcije.

Kad se radi o nekom kompleksnom jelu, jelu sa zanimljivom ili neobičnom kombinacijom sastojaka ili kolaču koji se sastoji od nekoliko različitih komponenata, smišljanje naziva tog jela može biti pravi izazov. Ako eliminiramo glupave nazive poput "čokoladna fantazija", "šarena salata" ili "voćna rapsodija", izbor se bitno smanjuje. Ono što nam preostaje, a što uglavnom dobro funkcionira, jest opisni naziv. Takav je naziv dovoljno samo letimično pogledati da bismo sa priličnom sigurnošću mogli pretpostaviti o kakvom se jelu radi, koji su dominantni okusi u njemu i hoće li nam se ono svidjeti. Osim toga, čitatelji se na taj način mnogo lakše mogu snaći među velikom količinom recepata, a tražilice ih lakše pronalaze prema ključnim riječima i sastojcima. 

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Tart s rajčicama i mozzarellom i nagradna igra / Tomato Mozzarella Tart

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Kažu da su najbolje stvari na svijetu jednostavne. Iako ne volim generalizacije i trudim se izbjegavati ih, recimo da se uglavnom slažem s tom konstatacijom. U većini slučajeva se ipak sve svodi na moje raspoloženje i nadahnutost u danom trenutku pa često vrludam između obje krajnosti i ostajem neodlučna.

Kad su u pitanju domaće rajčice, zrele, mirisne i slatke, tu nema dileme. Mjesta za kompliciranje i filozofiranje nema. Da se mene pita, većina bi ih završila u salati uz dodatak svježeg bosiljka, maslinovog ulja i balzamičnog octa, sastojaka koji se savršeno nadopunjuju s okusom sočnih rajčica i dodatno ga naglašavaju. Ili u jednostavnom umaku za tjesteninu, sa malo češnjaka i chili papričice. Ostatak bi završio u pećnici, posut samo sa malo morske soli i preliven maslinovim uljem. Tako pečene rajčice, iako na prvi pogled neugledne i smežurane, imaju neopisivo aromatičan okus, sladak i zavodljiv. 

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Džem od rajčica / Tomato Jam

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Zvuči neobično? Pa rajčice su navodno voće, zar ne? Gledano iz te, strogo botaničke perspektive, logičnim slijedom razmišljanja dolazimo do tvrdnje da je džem od rajčica jedna od najprirodnijih stvari na svijetu. Niste uvjereni? Izazivam vas da odbacite predrasude, izvučete kuhaču, obučete zaflekanu pregaču i pripremite se na totalni i apsolutni umami.

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Tagliatelle s pečenim cherry rajčicama i maslinama / Tagliatelle With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

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Za jednu knjižničarku koja živi od svoje sposobnosti organizacije i klasificiranja radi lakšeg snalaženja, u nekim sam stvarima potpuno kaotična i neuredna. Eto, još jedna mračna tajna je razotkrivena. 

O čemu se radi? Ni manje ni više već o receptima koje pripremam za blog. Da, da istina je. Dok kuham za interne potrebe naše male zajednice sastojke mjerim odokativnom metodom, odnosno prema vlastitom nahođenju. Čak i kad se pri tome služim nekom kuharicom ili receptom ne trudim se svaku namirnicu izvagati, osim ako ne se radi o kolaču ili torti gdje je određena doza preciznosti neophodna. Dok kuham s namjerom da recept kasnije i objavim, priča ide potpuno drugačije. Svaki sastojak izvažem, izmjerim i zapamtim. Da, iz nekog su razloga olovka i papir u mojoj kuhinji egzotični predmeti i uopće se ne koriste. 

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Tortellini s ricottom i sušenim rajčicama u umaku od smeđeg maslaca / Ricotta and Sun Dried Tomato Tortellini With Brown Butter Sauce

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Vrijeme prolazi sve brže i brže. Sad sam definitivno sigurna u to. Možete tvrditi suprotno koliko god hoćete ali nećete me razuvjeriti.

Znate one naporne situacije kad stare bake cokću jezikom, odmahuju glavom i konstatiraju da ste zadnji put kad su vas vidjele bili majušni i pjegavi, ne viši od njihovog pupka, slatki i nestašni, bucmasti i zaigrani? Vi se diskretno pokušavate izmaknuti i nadate se da vas neće poželjeti zagrliti ili, još gore, poljubiti. E, pa ja se ponekad ponašam poput tih baba. I to doista tako mislim, što je nagore od svega. Osim ovog dijela s grljenjem i ljubljenjem, naravno.

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O kulinarskoj apstinenciji i egzotičnoj salati / Mango Chicken Salad & Some News

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Nakon tromjesečne kulinarske apstinencije, vraćam se među lonce i zdjele, s kuhačom u jednoj i fotoaparatom u drugoj ruci te obiljem novih recepata u rukavu. Bilo je i vrijeme, reći će neki, a ja ću se složiti s njima. :) Ovaj post planiram u svojoj glavi već gotovo mjesec i pol dana, ali nikako da taj plan i sprovedem u djelo. Imam vam toliko toga za napisati i ispričati da ne znam odakle bih počela. To je jedan od razloga zbog kojeg sam ovu aktivnost toliko dugo odgađala i izbjegavala.

Otprilike dva do tri puta godišnje upadnem u neku vrstu kreativne blokade koja se manifestira pomankanjem novih i zanimljivih ideja, što dovodi do zasićenja blogom i izbivanja na neodređeno vrijeme. Ponekad se jednostavno radi o čistoj lijenosti ili pomanjkanju vremena, a nerijetko me sputava i poprilična doza vlastite samokritičnosti. No, ovog puta u pitanju nije bilo ništa od navedenog. Ovog sam puta imala sasvim valjane i legitimne razloge za izbivanje. Al' stvarno! :)


Prvi, a ujedno i najljepši jest da sam 29. svibnja uplovila u bračnu luku. Već pogađate da su dio mjeseca travnja i cijeli svibanj bili obilježeni planiranjem i organiziranjem tog događaja, kao i usklađivanjem detalja i obavljanjem posljednih priprema za samo vjenčanje. Kada vjenčanje za osamdesetak gostiju planiraju dvije temeljite i pedantne osobe poput mog supruga i mene (iliti dvije picajzle, kako ja to volim reći), excel tablice su apsolutno neophodne, a mi smo ih na lageru imali desetak. Isprva su nam se svi rugali, no na kraju su se naše tablice isplatile. Sve je proteklo upravo onako kako smo i zamišljali, u veseloj i ležernoj atmosferi i divnom ambijentu.


Smilovali su nam se čak i bogovi vremenske prognoze koji su nam omogućili da naše vjenčanje na otvorenom prođe u toplom i sunčanom proljetnom raspoloženju. Bio je to doista najljepši dan mog života. No, za sada ću vas poštedjeti sladunjavih detalja. Opširniji izvještaj o samom vjenčanju slijedi u nekom od idućih postova, a ovih nekoliko fotografija koje danas dijelim s vama neka budu svojevrsna najava.


Ukoliko želite, sve fotografije s vjenčanja možete pogledati u našoj web galeriji, ali upozoravam vas da se oboružate strpljenjem jer ih stvarno ima mnogo. :)


Nakon što je vjenčanje prošlo i nakon što su se slegli dojmovi, privela sam kraju još jednu školsku godinu, odradila sve izgubljene sate, ispravila svu silu testova, predala tonu dokumenacije, otišla na godišnji i konačno se propisno naspavala. Sve je bilo bajno i sjajno, a novopečena gospođa uživala je u ljepotama bračnog života i počela smišljati nove recepte sve dok nije ustanovila da umor, iscrpljenost, vrtoglavice i konstantan gubitak tjelesne težine u posljednih par mjeseci ipak nisu uzrokovani samo stresom, kao što je sama sebe do tada tješila. Nakon posjeta liječniku ustanovila sam da imam potencijalno ozbiljnih zdravstvenih problema. Nije pogubno ali je ipak dovoljno ozbiljno da čovjeka izbaci iz takta. Ispostavilo se da u mojoj obitelji postoji povijest sličnih bolesti, zbog čega sam još ozbiljnije shvatila sumnje liječnika. O samoj dijagnozi ne bih sad puno, barem ne dok ona ne bude potvrđena i dok ne saznam do koje mjere ona doista jest ozbiljna. Do tada se moram pridržavati posebne prehrane i maltene biti na rigoroznoj dijeti, što čini cijelu ovu situaciju potpuno paradoksalnom. Kad se zainatim zaista mogu biti karakter i pridržavati se pravila, što i činim. Sukladno tome će i recepti koje ste navikli čitati na ovom blogu biti bitno drugačiji. Moći ćete ovdje pronaći dosta žitarica, salata, laganih povrtnih jela te jela od ribe, piletine i puretine. Bit će i slatkiša, no u mnogo manjoj mjeri, i to onih prirodnih, cjelovith i zdravih, bez dodatka šećera i masnoća, ali nema više torti od sira ili čokolade, nema deserata koji sadržavaju jaja, slatko vrhnje ili bijelo brašno. S jedne strane, to mi dođe kao pravo osvježenje. Polako otkrivam potpuno novi svijet prirodnih i zdravih namirnica i novih jela, pregršt novih okusa i mirisa i to mi se sviđa. No ipak mi nedostaju klasični kolači. Odnosno, nedostaje mi proces njihove izrade, sama priprema i pečenje, razmazivanje kreme i završno ukrašavanje, a ponajviše opojni mirisi koji su se širili iz moje prastare pećnice. Spašava me to što imam ogromnu podršku svoje bolje polovice i to što je otvoren prema novim stvarima i okusima i što se zajedno sa mnom prilagođava novom načinu prehrane bez imalo gunđanja i sa velikom dozom razumijevanja. Niti jednom nije spomenuo cheesecake ili čokoladu i s nestrpljenjem očekuje slatke okruglice od bulgura ili riže i zobenu kašu. Na tome sam mu zahvalna.


Uz sve to, planiramo i bračno putovanje u London na koje krećemo za 2 tjedna, a temeljiti kakvi jesmo, želimo maksimalno isplanirati tih 7 dana kako bismo stigli obići sve ono što bismo željeli. Pogađate da su opet u igri excel tablice :D Put u London je moja velika neispunjena želja i moram priznati da sam već sada poprilično uzbuđena i neuračunljiva od silne želje da konačno tamo stignem. Obećajem iscrpni izvještaj po povratku, potkrijepljen mnoštvom fotografija i subjektivnih dojmova.

Nadam se da ćete mi nakon svega ovoga opravdati izostanke sa bloga, a ja zauzvrat obećajem nove postove i recepte, počevši od danas :) Ne znam kako se vi nosite s ovim nesnosnim vrućinama, ali mene doslovno spašavaju sočne, osvježavajuće salate u svim oblicima i bojama. Osim što je za njih potrebno minimalno izmotavanje po kuhinji te zanemariva količina termičke obrade, financijski su vrlo pristupačno rješenje zdravog i dobro izbalansiranog obroka, a o raznovrsnosti upotrebljivih namirnica da i ne govorim. Posebno mi se sviđaju razne kombinacije voća, povrća i mesa, pogotovo ako su prelivene nekim zanimljivim preljevom. Upravo je takva i salata koja slijedi. Naizgled egzotičan spoj namirnica daje nevjerojatno osvježavajuć okus i podiže raspoloženje bez obzira na sparinu i vrućinu.


Salata s piletinom i mangom
za 2 osobe

2 pileća filea bez kožice (oko 120-150g svaki)
sol
svježe mljeveni papar
chilli u prahu
1 režanj češnjaka
2 žlice maslinovog ulja
1 žlica soka od limete
1 zreli mango
3 šake miješane zelene salate (matovilac, radič, rikula, kristalka...)
1 crvena chilli papričica
1 žlica indijskih oraščića

Preljev od limete
korica jedne limete
100 ml soka od limete
2 žličice sitno sjeckanog svježeg đumbira
3-4 žlice maslinovog ulja
1 režanj sitno sjeckanog češnjaka
malo sitno sjeckanog svježeg korijandra
sol
svježe mljeveni papar


Piletinu operite, posušite i narežite na kockice ili štapiće. Posolite i popaprite te dodajte malo chillija u prahu i zgnječeni režanj češnjaka. Prelijte je maslinovim uljem i sokom od limete te ostavite da odstoji 30 minuta.

Mango ogulite i narežite na kockice, a chilli papričicu prerežite, odstranite sjemenke i sitno je nasjeckajte. Zelenu salatu dobro operite i posušite te natrgajte na manje komade. Sve zajedno pomiješajte u jednoj većoj zdjeli.

Na dobro zagrijanoj grill tavi najprije kratko popržite indijske oraščiće. Izvadite ih iz tave pa na istu tavu dodajte piletinu. Pecite je sa svih strana oko 5-6 minuta dok ne dobije zlatno-smeđu boju, a potom je prebacite u zdjelu sa salatom i mangom.

Za preljev od limete sve sastojke dobro pomiješajte i prelijte preko salate. Salatu na kraju pospite sa indijskim oraščićima i poslužite kao lagano predjelo ili osvježavajuće glavno jelo uz krišku prepečenog kruha.

• Verzija za ispis

First of all, I apologise for my long absence from the culinary sphere. I really needed a break and it turned out to be a bit longer than I expected. I do have legitimate reasons for it, though. :) So, here's a quick update.

The biggest and happiest news of all is that I got married! Those of you who have gone through planning and executing such an event know very well that it can be a stressful and painstaiking process, taking up all of your free time. We've been carefully planning this day for months, but the last few weeks were very intense and exhausting. However, I'm thrilled to say that it was all worth it. It was truly the happiest day of my life. Everything turned out exactly the way we imagined and we had the time of our lives. I'll save the details for some other post, but if you'd like to see the photos, feel free to browse through our wedding photo gallery.

I have some more news. These are not so pretty, however. I have recently found out that I have potentially serious health problems. I'd rather not go into details before the diagnose is official, but it hit me pretty hard. It was completelly unexpected and I'm still finding it hard to grasp the whole situation. It's not anything lethal, but it's serious enough to throw your life off the tracks. Until I get all the results back and hear the official diagnose, I have to follow a strict diet, although I've been rapidly loosing weigh in the last few monts. That means no more cakes and desserts, no eggs, no heavy cream or butter. All the good stuff is off the limits. So, from now on, the recipes I'll be sharing with you will be a bit different from what you're used to, starting from today.

Oh, and I have another announcement. In two weeks time I'll be going on a trip to London. It has always been my dream to see London and it's finally coming true. I'm planning a detailed receport with tons of photos, so stay tuned.

Mango Chicken Salad
serves 2

2 boneless skinless chicken breast (120-150g each), cut into strips
salt
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of chilli powder
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 mango, diced
3 handfuls of mixed salad greens (lamb's lettuce, radicchio, rocket, leaf lettuce...)
1 red chilli pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. cashew nuts, toasted

Lime Vinaigrette
100ml freshly squeezed lime juice
zest of one lime, finely grated
2 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
3-4 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add a pinch of chilli powder and crushed garlic. Add olive oil and lime juice and mix thoroughly to coat the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, wash the salad greens, pat them dry and cut into smaller pieces. Transfer to a big bowl and add the mango and chilli pepper. Mix well.

For the lime vinaigrette, put all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir them well.

Place the chicken strips on a hot grill pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on both sides. Transfer the chicken into the bowl with salad greens and mango, pour the lime vinaigrette over it and mix to coat. Sprinkle with cashews and serve as a light appetizer or a refreshing main dish with a slice of toasted bread.

• Printable version

Tajlandska pileća salata / Thai Chicken Salad

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Ove godine nas je proljeće očito odlučilo bojkotirati. Kad je već tome tako, ja sam ga odlučila simulirati, pa ako nikako drugačije, onda barem na tanjuru. Ukusna, egzotična i nadasve šarena tajlandska salata sigurno će vam popraviti raspoloženje i napuniti baterije te vam pomoći da lakše preživite još jedan tmuran zimski dan.


Tajlandska pileća salata
za 2 osobe

2 pileća filea bez kostiju (svaki oko 150g)
2 žlice ulja od kikirikija
svežnjić svježeg korijandra
sok jednog limuna (ili limete)
1 žličica naribanog svježeg đumbira
2 žlice sojinog umaka
1 veća naranča
6 cherry rajčica
4 rotkvice
2 pune šake miješane lisnate salate (matovilac, rikula, kristalka)
1 žlica neslanog kikirikija
sol & svježe mljeveni papar



U manjoj zdjelici pomiješajte limunov sok, đumbir, ulje, soja umak i sitno sjeckani korijandar. Posolite i popaprite te dobivenom marinadom prelijte pileća prsa. Ostavite da se marinira najmanje 30 minuta.

U međuvremenu ogulite i filetirajte naranču, operite i prepolovite cherry rajčice, a rotkvicu narežite na tanke kolutove. Lisnatu salatu operite, ocijedite, istrgajte na manje komade i rqsporedite na tanjure. Na salatu rasporedite rajčice, rotkvice i naranče.

Piletinu izvadite iz marinade i posušite ju kuhinjskim ručnikom pa ju ispecite na grill tavi. Narežite na ploške i rasporedite na salatu i povrće. Prelijte marinadom i pospite prženim kikirikijem.

• Verzija za ispis

Thai Chicken Salad
serves 2

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (150g each)
2 tbsp. peanut oil
1 small bundle of fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of one lemon (or lime)
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 large orange, peeled and segmented
6cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 radishes, sliced
2 handfuls of fresh salad greens (lamb's lettuce, rocket and leaf lettuce)
1 tbsp. unsalted peanuts, toasted
salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade, mix together lemon juice, ginger, soy sauce and chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over chicken breasts. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, wash the salad greens, pat them dry and cut into smaller pieces. Arrange them onto plates together with cherry tomatoes, radishes and orange segments.

Take the chicken out of the marinade and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Place on a hot grill pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan, cut it into pieces and arrange on the plates. Spoon some marinade over it and add toasted peanuts. Serve immediately.

• Printable version

Tagliatelle s limunom i pršutom / Tagliatelle With Lemon And Prosciutto

Please scroll down for English.


Fbi rukavice su igra za food bloggere s područja bivše Jugoslavije u sklopu koje svaki mjesec odabiremo jedan blog, kojeg potom pomno istražimo i isprobamo jela koja nam se sviđaju. Ovu igru pokrenula ja Maja s bloga Cooks and Bakes, a ovog mjeseca istražujemo blog Cooketa, čija je autorica Sarajlijka Selma.

Selma je urbana i inteligentna mlada žena koja vrlo uspješno žonglira poslom, obitelji i ljubavi prema kuhanju. Tako nas Selma svakog mjeseca sve iznenadi količinom pripremljenih i objavljenih recepata, od kojih su svi do jednog originalni i toliko dobri da ih čovjek sve poželi odmah isprobati. Upravo je to moj problem ovog mjeseca. Kako od pregršt zanimljivh i ukusnih jela odabrati samo njih nekoliko? Nemoguće. Stoga je moj popis za isprobavanje podugačak, a na kuhanje sam se bacila čak i prije nego što je službeno objavljeno da je Selmin blog odabran za ovomjesečnu istragu. Ipak, zbog silnih obaveza razne prirode, uključujući i planiranje nadolazećeg vjenčanja te pripreme vezane uz isto, čini se da ipak neću stići pripremiti baš sve što bih željela. No, ja ću se ipak potruditi i dati sve od sebe, jer Selmini recepti to zaista i zaslužuju.


Prvi recept u nizu kojeg sam isprobala bile su Tagliatelle s limunom i pršutom. Recept me osvojio na prvi pogled. Jednostavnost i aromatičnost najveći su aduti ovog laganog jela. Kiselost limuna daje upravo savršenu protutežu slanom pršutu, dok vrhnje daje finu kremastu strukturu i na neki način ublažava jake okuse pršuta i limuna. Napravila sam sitne preinake u postupku rada, a količine sam smanjila i prilagodila našem ukusu. Budući da jako volim kombinaciju limuna i češnjaka u slanim jelima, dodala sam i jedan režanj češnjaka da dodatno oplemenim ovu ukusnu tjesteninu. Bila sam zaista oduševljena kombinacijom.


Tagliatelle s limunom i pršutom
(originalni recept)
za 2 osobe

200g tjestenine (tagliatelle)
100g smrznutog graška
žlica maslinovog ulja
1 režanj češnjaka
1 limun, sok i korica
200ml vrhnja za kuhanje
150g tanko narezanog pršuta
sol & papar
svježi mažuran

svježe naribani parmezan za posluživanje
cherry rajčice za dekoraciju


U dosta posoljene kipuće vode stavite grašak i kuhajte 2-3 minute. Potom mu dodajte tagliatelle i skuhajte ih al dente pa sve zajedno procijedite.

U dubljoj teflonskoj tavi zagrijte žlicu ulja pa kratko prepržite sitno sjeckani češnjak. Dodajte sok i koricu limuna, vrhnje te nekoliko listića svježeg mažurana. Posolite i popaprite i kratko prokuhajte pa umiješajte tjesteninu i grašak. Kuhajte još 2-3 minute da se okusi prožmu. Na kraju dodajte tanko narezane trakice pršuta, pospite svježe naribanim parmezanom i odmah poslužite.

• Verzija za ispis

Tagliatelle With Lemon And Prosciutto
(original recipe)
serves 2

200g of pasta (tagliatelle)
100g frozen peas
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
zest of one lemon, finely grated
juice of one lemon
200g cooking cream
150g prosciutto, thinly sliced
salt & pepper
few leaves of fresh marjoram

freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve
cherry tomatoes for decoration

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and frozen peas. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add pasta. Cook the pasta according to instructions and drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a non stick frying pan. Add garlic sauté for a few seconds. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cream and fresh marjoram and stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook for a few minutes. Add the pasta and peas, stir until blended and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add prosciutto slices. Serve immediately with few cherry tomatoes and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

• Printable version

Waldorfska salata / Waldorf Salad with a Twist

Please scroll down for English.


Zahvaljujući Maji te priči o djevojčici Kingi i njenoj neobičnoj užini, i ja sam se odvažila i po prvi put isprobala kombinaciju majoneze i jabuke. Kombinacija mi se toliko svidjela da nisam mogla ostati samo na tome. Odmah idući dan napravila sam i najpoznatiju salatu na svijetu - Waldorfsku salatu. Kombinacija osvježavajuće jabuke, aromatičnog celera i hrskavih oraha ostavila me bez teksta. Još i sada ne mogu vjerovati da mi je toliko dugo trebalo da se napokon odvažim i isprobam tu poznatu salatu. Salata me jednostavno oborila s nogu i od tada sam je pripremila nekoliko puta, svaki puta sa malim izmjenama u odnosu na original, dok na koncu nisam dobila salatu koja u svakom pogledu odgovara mom ukusu. Evo i recepta.




Waldorfska salata
za 2 osobe

50g rikule
250g korjena celera
1 Granny Smith jabuka
30g tostiranih oraha i badema, grubo sjeckanih
2 žlice limunovog soka

Salatni preljev
2 žlice majoneze
2 žlice čvrstog jogurta
1/2 žličice senfa
2 žlice limunovog soka
sol i svježe mljeveni papar
tucana ljuta papričica (po želji)


Rikulu operite i posušite. Celer ogulite i narežite na štapiće. Jabuku prepolovite i narežite na tanke ploške te prelijte sa 2 žlice limunovog soka.

Za salatni preljev promiješajte majonezu, jogurt, senf i limunov sok. Posolite i popaprite po ukusu te po želji dodajte malo ljute papričice.

Sastojke za salatu pomiješajte ili dekorativno servirajte na tanjur te prelijte salatnim preljevom. Salatu pospite kombinacijom sjeckanih oraha i badema te poslužite sa kriškom tosta ili prepečenog kruha.

• Verzija za ispis
  

Waldorf Salad With a Twist
serves 2

50g rocket salad, washed and dried
250g celery, finely sliced
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into thin slices
30g toasted walnuts and almonds, coarsely chopped

Dressing
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. yogurt
1/2 tsp. mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

For the dressing, mix together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste and some red pepper flakes if you wish.

Pour lemon juice over the sliced apples. Mix the rocket salad, apples and celery all together or arrange them decoratively onto a plate. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Serve with a slice of toasted bread.

• Printable version
  

Rižoto s bundevom / Butternut Squash Risotto

Please scroll down for the English version.


Ajme, koliko nas je! ide dalje. Naša domaćica ovog mjeseca je Gaga sa bloga Iz moje kuhinje, a tema je bundeva. Kao ulaznicu za ovaj krug odabrala sam lagani rižoto s bundevom.


Rižoto s bundevom
za 4 osobe

1 manja butternut bundeva (oguljena i očišćena oko 800g)
2 žlice maslinovog ulja
2 žlice maslaca
3 ljutike (ili 1 veći ljubičasti luk)
2 režnja češnjaka
1 veća mrkva
300g arborio riže
150ml bijelog vina
700-750ml povrtnog ili pilećeg temeljca
30g svježe naribanog parmezana
2 žlice creme fraiche
25g neslanih pistacija
sol & svježe mljeveni papar
prstohvat muškatnog orašćića
svježi bosiljak, timijan, vlasac i peršin

creme fraiche i svježe naribani parmezan za posluživanje


Pećnicu zagrijte na 180°C. Obložite veliki lim papirom za pečenje.

Bundevu prepolovite, odstranite sjemenke i ogulite. Narežite na kockice i u jednom sloju rasporedite na lim. Posolite i popaprite te prelijte sa dvije žlice maslinovog ulja. Rukama dobro promiješajte tako da ulje dospije na sve komade, a zatim pecite oko 30 minuta. Tokom pečenja povremeno promiješajte žlicom. Pistacije tostirajte 2 minute na tavi bez dodatka ulja, a potom ih grubo nasjeckajte.

U međuvremenu ljutiku i češnjak sitno nasjeckajte, a mrkvu narežite na tanke štapiće dužine oko 2 cm. Na žlici maslaca kratko propirjajte ljutiku, potom dodajte češnjak i čim zamiriši ubacite mrkvu. Pirjajte oko 5-7 minuta. Potom dodajte rižu. Pirjajte 1 minutu, a zatim zalijte vinom. Posolite i popaprite po ukusu te pirjajte miješajući dok riža ne upije vino. Potom malo po malo dodajte temeljac uz često miješanje. Temeljac dodajemo postupno, onoliko koliko riža upije, sve dok ona ne omekša. Tokom kuhanja, riži dodajte sitno sjeckano začinsko bilje, a pred sam kraj kuhanja svježe mljeveni muškatni orašćić.


Kad je riža kuhana maknite je s vatre, dodajte joj bundevu i parmezan te dobro promiješajte. Dodajte preostali maslac, creme fraiche i umiješajte sjeckane pistacije. Ako rižoto u ovom trenu postane pregust, dodajte još malo temeljca. Rižoto poslužite sa žlicom creme fraiche i naribanim parmezanom te pospite sjeckanim pistacijma.

• Verzija za ispis
  

Butternut Squash Risotto
serves 4

1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
3 small shallots (or 1 large onion), chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, cut into 2 cm strips
300g arborio rice
150ml white wine
700-750ml vegetable or chicken stock
30g freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. creme fraiche
25g unsalted pistachios
salt & pepper
pinch of nutmeg
fresh basil, thyme, chives and parsley

creme fraiche and freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a large baking pan and set aside.

Cut the squash into 1cm cubes. You should have about 800g. Transfer the squash to a baking pan, season it with salt and pepper and pour two tablespoons of olive oil over it. Toss it with your hands and roast for 30-35 minutes, until tender. Stir once or twice with a spoon during baking. Meanwhile, toast the pistachios. Toast them for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, in a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat, until the nuts have browned evenly. Let them cool down and chop them roughly.

Heat a tablespoon of butter in a deep, heavy-based pan. Saute the shallots and garlic until softened. Add the carrots and saute for another 8-10 minutes. Add the rice and stir for about a minute until the grains are coated with the butter. Pour in the wine and stir continuously until it has cooked into the rice. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Meanwhile, chop the fresh herbs and add them to the rice and when the rice is almost done, add some freshly grated nutmeg.

Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir the roasted butternut squash into the risotto with the Parmesan, the remaining butter and creme fraiche. Stir in the chopped pistachios and season to taste. Add any extra stock if the risotto seems particularly thick. Serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped pistachios.

• Printable version

Daring Bakers, September 2009: Puff Pastry & Vols-au-Vent

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

This was my very first Daring Bakers' challenge and I must say I was both excited and intimidated by it. When I saw the puff pastry recipe I was completely and utterly terrified. I knew there was a good reason why I never tried to make it before. It's so darn complicated! Well, at least it seemed complicated from my perspective. Anyway, since there was no way out, I rolled up my sleeves and walked into my kitchen determined to make puff pastry and bake cute little vols-au-vent. Like a complete nerd that I am about those things, I studied the recipe in detail before embarking on my puff pastry mission and saw the Michel Richard video (which was extremely helpful) at least five times. I scrutinized his every move and admired the ease with which he prepared the dough. He made it all look so easy. So, armed with a detailed recipe and a lot of patience, I started working on my very first puff pastry. I did everything by the book and, surprisingly, there were no apparent difficulties during the process. So that's it?! No way! That was too easy! I must have missed something, I thought. I stood there looking at the dough, wondering at what point things will start going wrong. But, in the end, my puff pastry turned out just fine, better then I expected. Imagine my pride and joy! But above all I felt relief. My first Daring Bankers' challenge was successfully completed.


Once my vols-au-vent shells were successfully baked, I made two different fillings: a refreshing chicken salad filling and a sweet caramelized apple filling. You can find those recipes at the end of the post, if you have enough patience to read through all this gibberish first :)

Without further ado, here's the Michel Richard's puff pastry recipe, followed by instructions on how to assemble cute little Vols-au-Vent (which, in case you're wondering, is a fancy French name for little puff pastry cases designed to hold a filling).


Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough

From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: slightly more than 1kg of dough

Ingredients:
354 g unbleached all-purpose flour
142 g cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
300 ml ice water
454 g very cold unsalted butter
plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:
Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.

Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:
Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps. Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.

To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:
Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).

With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn. Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:
If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.

The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.


Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent

Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 4cm vols-au-vent or 4 10cm vols-au-vent

You will need:
well-chilled puff pastry dough
egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
your filling of choice

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 3-6 mm thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting. Make clean, sharp cuts with a cookies cutter and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)

Using a smaller cutter cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.) Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)

Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings. Fill and serve.

And now for my two fillings.

Chicken Salad Filling
enough for 6 9x12cm vols-au-vent

200g boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
50g rucola (rocket salad)
50g Camembert cheese
70g feta cheese
100g cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
fresh basil, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped
salt & pepper

For the marinade
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp. olive oil
fresh basil, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt & pepper


Cut the chicken breast into small pieces. Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade and add the chicken. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime prepare the cherry tomatoes. Put them in a bowl and cover with a mixture of olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Let them marinate for 15-20 minutes. Wash the rocket salad and pat it dry. Cut the cheeses into small pieces and set aside. Fry the marinated chicken on one tablespoon of olive oil until golden and crispy. Remove from heat and let it cool a bit.

Bake your vols-au-vent shells, let them cool down a bit and fill them. First arrange a few leaves of rocket salad in each shell, then add the chicken followed by marinated cherry tomatoes and the cheeses. Spoon some leftover tomato marinade over each filling and decorate with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Caramelized Apple Filling
enough for 6 12cm vols-au-vent

40g butter, diced
40g granulated sugar
40g brown sugar
3 apples, peeled and diced
130ml heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

To serve
creme fraiche
chopped almonds


Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Continue cooking the butter until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the sugars evenly on the skillet. Arrange the apples into the skillet cut side down. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook for about 3-4 minutes(or more, depending on the size of your apple pieces). Turn the apples onto the other side and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the apples are a deep golden brown. I cooked them a bit too long, as you can see by their color (but that didn't affect their taste). As soon as the apples start getting that brownish color remove them from the skillet. Once they start browning, they tend to burn very quickly.

Remove the apples, leaving the caramel in the skillet. Add the heavy cream and the lemon juice to the caramel. Lower the heat and whisk continuously to deglaze. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the caramel is thickened and warm.

Bake your vols-au-vent shells, let them cool down a bit and then arrange the apples in the shells. Spoon the caramel over the apples and serve while still warm. Serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche and some chopped almonds.