tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29889434670933938422024-03-18T02:48:41.320-07:00Adventures in CookeryOur families decided to create a blog to share our culinary escapades. Below you will find our cooking world travelogue.Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-74666680548701152502012-12-07T16:40:00.000-08:002013-10-18T09:10:22.906-07:00Bulgarian Feta Cheese Bread ( Tutmanik/Mesenitza )<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdZ-7ciKIeU/T6FV-oDjjZI/AAAAAAAAKK8/d3bKOE9rSas/s1600/IMG_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdZ-7ciKIeU/T6FV-oDjjZI/AAAAAAAAKK8/d3bKOE9rSas/s400/IMG_2245.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am posting this recipe for my friends V&M and R, who have been asking for this for such a long time, so I started to feel bad for not responding. Finally, I have all the pictures taken and all the measurements done!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tutmanik is very popular in Bulgaria. Every region, every village, and even family have different recipes and names for it. You may know it as mesenitza, or tutmanik, and the shapes and recipes vary but the basic idea remains the same – make dough filled with the feta cheese, brush the top of the bread with
egg yolk and bake until it starts to smell insanely good!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The standard ingredients for tutmanik
are flour, oil or butter, eggs, feta, yeast and lots of flour. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Starter (biga): </i></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>3 tsp yeast</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>1 tbsp sugar</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>3/4 cup water</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Dough: </i></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>2 tbsp olive oil</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>1 tbsp salt</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>1 tbsp vinegar</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>3 cups water</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>8 cups flour</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> Filling:</i></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Feta cheese 1/2 lb and more, depending on your taste</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>3/4 cup Olive oil/ grape seed oil/sunflower oil , depending on your taste. I like using grape seed oil. </i></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Glaze:</i></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>1 egg yolk</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 tsp oil </span></i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Preparation:</span></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">First mix the <span style="font-family: inherit;">ingredients</span> for the starter. Cover with plastic wrap and put it in a warmer place to rise, until double its size. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes. </span></div>
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In a big bowl, mix 2/3-rds of the flour and the rest of the ingredients. Add the starter. <br />
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Knead soft dough, adding the rest of the flour. If dough is sticky, knead in up to 1/2 additional cup flour to form a
smooth, soft, elastic dough. Transfer dough to a very lightly oiled
large plastic container or bowl. Cover top of container with plastic
wrap and let rise until almost increase 1/2 of its in size - around 30-40 minutes. The dough will be rising again, so you don't need to wait for it to double its size.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK8SVe5hN2EH50urEFgacbnv52lghPbROIJBdiA3kMTkAvNDvfHaydpJSZ9RFawMEzBq8BlRh3PCtwbPYmqdYesFPhmckpWrtYw1iBvI4um4zGooL8WLk52guR8sXEjpsPDnjzk4ZviNC/s1600/IMG_2228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK8SVe5hN2EH50urEFgacbnv52lghPbROIJBdiA3kMTkAvNDvfHaydpJSZ9RFawMEzBq8BlRh3PCtwbPYmqdYesFPhmckpWrtYw1iBvI4um4zGooL8WLk52guR8sXEjpsPDnjzk4ZviNC/s400/IMG_2228.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Warm the oil and put it in a medium pan, as shown on the picture above. Brake the feta to small crumbs.<br />
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Cut the dough to 12-16 balls, with the size of a tennis ball or slightly bigger, depending on the portions you would like to make. Put them in the pan to absorb oil.</div>
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Grease your hands and begin delicately pushing dough into 8- to 10-inch circle. Add the feta.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T1NHtoIiikE/UHStVYRJ2dI/AAAAAAAAKPo/ag340oWC41Q/s1600/IMG_2231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T1NHtoIiikE/UHStVYRJ2dI/AAAAAAAAKPo/ag340oWC41Q/s400/IMG_2231.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Gently roll the dough, until you form a log. Then twist the log as shown in the picture above.<br />
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Make a swirl, tucking the end under neat. Use the same procedure for the rest of the balls.<br />
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Beat the egg yolk and the oil. Brush the swirls with the egg mixture.<br />
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Cover the pan with a plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to double its size. <br />
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Depending on the temperature in your home, the tutmanik will need approximately 60-90 minutes to rise.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 360F. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the tutmanik becomes golden brown. If you have doubts use an instant-read thermometer pushed through top side into center of a swirl. The thermometer should register 185F to 190F degrees.</div>
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Serve with yogurt and enjoy!</div>
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Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-77265774337105330762012-11-02T15:59:00.003-07:002012-11-02T18:44:37.181-07:00Thai Squash Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love Thai food. If you are like me then this simple and flavorful soup will completely satisfy your cravings. The recipe does not require expensive, exotic ingredients and special skills. The result is absolutely delicious and especially perfect for cold winter days.</div>
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I have cooked the soup with butternut and kabocha squashes, but my favorite is the kabocha squash version.</div>
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<em>Ingredients:</em></div>
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<em>1 large kabocha squash, peeled and cubed</em></div>
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<em>4 cups vegetable broth</em></div>
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<em>1 can coconut milk</em></div>
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<em>1 stalk lemongrass or lemongrass paste</em></div>
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<em>1.5 " knob of ginger</em></div>
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5 <em>keffir lime leaves ( check Indian supermarkets )</em></div>
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<em>1 hot chili, for example serrano</em></div>
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<li><em>2 tbsp soy sauce</em></li>
<li><em>Cilantro, for garnish</em><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<b>Instructions:</b></div>
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First, prepare the ingredients. Cut the lemongrass into 3 pieces and bruise the pieces until slightly broken. Peel the ginger and grate it. </div>
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Mix the broth with the squash, the coconut milk, and the rest of the ingredients in a pot. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGY059VRSqXIonlyYeYKG5yroN0SsoqxsnHeY34-uRe0YVRh2Hzjafbca0ZO0Z9wR7K8zOACdbeHDdwb9_tzvLn_IuLdYdgXCrk_BCdyN1ewPR8MFXNJzOTepfA3_q6jkGZtTiES3qB4me/s1600/kabocha+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGY059VRSqXIonlyYeYKG5yroN0SsoqxsnHeY34-uRe0YVRh2Hzjafbca0ZO0Z9wR7K8zOACdbeHDdwb9_tzvLn_IuLdYdgXCrk_BCdyN1ewPR8MFXNJzOTepfA3_q6jkGZtTiES3qB4me/s400/kabocha+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li>Fish the lemongrass out of the pot and puree the soup using a stick hand blender</li>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5zCK0MQrj6E/TWqDyhnwVMI/AAAAAAAAHeo/M1cLxtg_ypU/s1600/kabocha+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5zCK0MQrj6E/TWqDyhnwVMI/AAAAAAAAHeo/M1cLxtg_ypU/s400/kabocha+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Garnish with chopped cilantro, and peanuts to serve.</div>
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Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-42576825836336903882012-10-16T16:09:00.001-07:002012-10-17T15:58:03.759-07:00Healthy Bonbons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp8-SfJ8_qhZYrvpC7Z_IzMeMbylMS1JV88ecu7VgYTI0j6HL5ipP4W7POmBFeYF-TQvoohTkhgiJDMMm5wgKnTO8TDrX8d87FGYbIxAzIHZaRoP5n2oU9yLwndUv8l5Wps2NlcdIPaU_/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp8-SfJ8_qhZYrvpC7Z_IzMeMbylMS1JV88ecu7VgYTI0j6HL5ipP4W7POmBFeYF-TQvoohTkhgiJDMMm5wgKnTO8TDrX8d87FGYbIxAzIHZaRoP5n2oU9yLwndUv8l5Wps2NlcdIPaU_/s400/photo.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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I found this <a href="http://fitnessista.com/2012/10/pumpkin-amazeballs/" target="_blank">recipe</a> online and changed it a little bit to my taste. The best thing, it takes only 5 minutes to make it. You can add sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or dates. The sweetness of butternut squash is perfectly sufficient for me.</div>
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Here is my version:</div>
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<i>2 tbsp rolled oats</i></div>
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<i>2 tbsp coconut flakes ( I use unsweetened )</i></div>
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<i>2 tbsp peanut butter</i></div>
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<i>2 tbsp cooked butternut squash ( could be canned)</i></div>
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<i>1/2 tsp cocoa powder</i></div>
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<i>1/2 tsp vanilla</i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Z0mZQ4Zco4/UH3kHqfNG3I/AAAAAAAAKQw/yjNwzt93u9k/s1600/photo7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Z0mZQ4Zco4/UH3kHqfNG3I/AAAAAAAAKQw/yjNwzt93u9k/s400/photo7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Process the ingredients in a food processor to make a paste. Roll 6 balls and cover them with cocoa powder, coconut, or grated walnuts, if you wish.</div>
<br />Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-87091361184013794932012-10-09T15:11:00.000-07:002012-10-16T16:45:46.181-07:00Root Vegetable Salad<br />
Hello everybody,<br />
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We've been absent for almost an year from this blog. Many wonderful things happened, while we were off, and the most important are the two new, beautiful baby boys that took all our time, and made us forget about the blog :)))<br />
Now, the babies are almost toddlers, and we spend more time in the kitchen again. Glad to be back and share our new concoctions with you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljHvqpf8rtsiy2LAtpYtPN4u6ahVwk5r3aoDIUe9SiW20qpJBOc_MrAnpnYUjQUtpFX7cWNN1kvznwEqgRWcrk_YZBFnXMkMqJ40xaVRPrcsQMryKYk0pIDiCMkRMFPMDxYJ_XTvIl9ag/s1600/photo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljHvqpf8rtsiy2LAtpYtPN4u6ahVwk5r3aoDIUe9SiW20qpJBOc_MrAnpnYUjQUtpFX7cWNN1kvznwEqgRWcrk_YZBFnXMkMqJ40xaVRPrcsQMryKYk0pIDiCMkRMFPMDxYJ_XTvIl9ag/s400/photo2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My dear friend T.V. has been asking for this recipe for ages. Finally, I am ready to post it. Root vegetables can be enjoyed throughout the year, but I prefer them in Fall and Winter, when most of them are in season and taste better. These vegetables are usually inexpensive, and have tremendous health benefits. They grow underneath the ground and absorb many nutrients and minerals available in the soil. </div>
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For this recipe, you can use any root vegetable that can be eaten raw. I usually buy whatever vegetables are available in stores. On my last trip, I came back with beets, red and golden, watermelon radishes, rutabaga and carrots. The salad is very easy to make and tastes fresh for long time, if kept in a fridge.</div>
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
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<i>2 beets,</i><br />
<i>2 golden beets,</i><br />
<i>2 turnips</i><br />
<i>2 watermelon radishes</i><br />
<i>1 rutabaga</i><br />
<i>5 carrots</i><br />
<i>1 bunch cilantro</i><br />
<i>dill</i><br />
<i>3-4 tbsp olive oil </i><br />
<i>3-4 tbsp vinegar and/or lemon juice</i><br />
<i>salt to taste</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCS7UUCd_Dfkjf01MidruolCpO8en3X1C1cWvIH2oPEQ-cjbLZ5qspF6Ms_du6gXwGuMfxz24bAXdVdhz8uryB71AfC2y1-txj0w03rPTLB3jlpvk1Wr19ndbK10x6vL7FzujrZoI197T1/s1600/photo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCS7UUCd_Dfkjf01MidruolCpO8en3X1C1cWvIH2oPEQ-cjbLZ5qspF6Ms_du6gXwGuMfxz24bAXdVdhz8uryB71AfC2y1-txj0w03rPTLB3jlpvk1Wr19ndbK10x6vL7FzujrZoI197T1/s200/photo1.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bRxAFL7zSZo/UHSQ6x6N03I/AAAAAAAAKOA/F0YCr733zf8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bRxAFL7zSZo/UHSQ6x6N03I/AAAAAAAAKOA/F0YCr733zf8/s200/photo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Clean and peel the vegetables. I used a food processor to shred them, that is why I cut them to pieces that would fit the opening of my food processor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0aiJL8miDZCqrA7J3Hm8vV6P_JvGT-lcrO-RGz60mqZJKq9D5r1-NlnmAcXaTv_VXEa3aDnFVc55itO3Sa9Uo_rZrWYdtXZLGiv55UDegxt7qNKTgucZcpMWYPWq0c7JZtwEarHDszsH/s1600/photo3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0aiJL8miDZCqrA7J3Hm8vV6P_JvGT-lcrO-RGz60mqZJKq9D5r1-NlnmAcXaTv_VXEa3aDnFVc55itO3Sa9Uo_rZrWYdtXZLGiv55UDegxt7qNKTgucZcpMWYPWq0c7JZtwEarHDszsH/s400/photo3.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Add salt, olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, and dill to your taste. You can store the salad in your fridge for about a week.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4N72-PZg2zQRkpibh-GjR1uNsPdFsu7dr1jYDscQ5WZlaT4A-uKQhmSz5FQWQUiVnjdADL1a0QEO_mOfRbylQIVQ72sJj_8svPcASCI95Cgxsb3rHnO2GG8z2jqFY22iaRK2p7EsFprT/s1600/photo4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4N72-PZg2zQRkpibh-GjR1uNsPdFsu7dr1jYDscQ5WZlaT4A-uKQhmSz5FQWQUiVnjdADL1a0QEO_mOfRbylQIVQ72sJj_8svPcASCI95Cgxsb3rHnO2GG8z2jqFY22iaRK2p7EsFprT/s400/photo4.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-45015171411174711972011-07-01T11:18:00.000-07:002011-07-01T11:18:09.796-07:00Fiesta Farro Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8x6qNNSbZyJPf2UMUI__bud8haPS9PTmtXHbcA1ud9hfQQacZKoRnZ-GGOmxQ0r-02iRfarKGkTZf_I4pNI-FI6ii6BWqclp7AHv1C39fWck6cWEBGJB_Pg4o9HG7P-Ah36NZ9INGLr1/s1600/DSC00091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8x6qNNSbZyJPf2UMUI__bud8haPS9PTmtXHbcA1ud9hfQQacZKoRnZ-GGOmxQ0r-02iRfarKGkTZf_I4pNI-FI6ii6BWqclp7AHv1C39fWck6cWEBGJB_Pg4o9HG7P-Ah36NZ9INGLr1/s400/DSC00091.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I prepared a nice summer farro salad inspired by a similar dish I had tried at Il Cane Rosso in the San Francisco Ferry Building. Less tomatoey, more festive because of the touch of cilantro and the (semi) home-made tortilla strips... </div>
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It was perfect on a nice summer evening - filling because of the whole grains and at the same time light and refreshing because of the fresh veggies without lacking flavor (freshly boiled corn and grilled peppers are key!) <br />
Farro works great here not only because it has a rich nutty flavor but also because it has the right amount of chewiness and can stand up to the juicy tomatoes and peppers. <br />
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Here are the ingredients I used: <br />
<ul>
<li>Italian farro (love Costco's variety) </li>
<li>Diced tomatoes </li>
<li>Grilled red/yellow bell peppers </li>
<li>Corn </li>
<li>Diced cucumber </li>
<li>Diced onion </li>
<li>My best extra virgin olive oil </li>
<li>Rice vinegar (I'm a die hard Trader Joe's vinegar fan) </li>
<li>Cilantro </li>
<li>Tortilla strips </li>
<li>Feta cheese (cotija cheese would be great too!) </li>
<li>Salt a black pepper </li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-37410664328068051862011-05-24T22:03:00.000-07:002012-10-16T16:38:25.395-07:00Fresh Peas and Carrots Pasta Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLRRVwrpdQDAm4imViyuhzBFIP1AOeGng0Ml9ofY4SWeaZplUe7RHDFw6P34jO4TLRpf-PMQjvudEuowrJMKIGTAtCH7vizvopo_rpL3IFcjsUgwL3lVqJeefooER6l1xEZs6k_nc82o/s1600/IMG_4099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLRRVwrpdQDAm4imViyuhzBFIP1AOeGng0Ml9ofY4SWeaZplUe7RHDFw6P34jO4TLRpf-PMQjvudEuowrJMKIGTAtCH7vizvopo_rpL3IFcjsUgwL3lVqJeefooER6l1xEZs6k_nc82o/s400/IMG_4099.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We got a big bag of fresh English peas from the vegetable box and I decided to use them in a pasta salad. The shelling takes a while but let me tell you, the effort was well worth it! The peas were really flavorful and together with fresh carrots and bell peppers made for a delicious pasta salad dish.<br />
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</u><br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>3 cups fresh shelled peas</li>
<li>2 cups finely chopped carrots</li>
<li>1 cup finely chopped kalamata olives</li>
<li>2 red bell peppers, finely chopped</li>
<li>1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese </li>
<li>1 lb penne pasta</li>
<li>1/2 bunch basil (finely chopped) </li>
<li>olive oil, salt, black pepper </li>
</ul>
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Bring ~1 L of water with some salt to a boil and add the fresh peas and boil for 2 min, then immediately remove from the hot water and put into a bowl with iced water to stop the cooking process. Repeat the same with the carrots and set aside to cool to room temperature. <br />
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Boil 1 lb of penne pasta for 9 - 10 min (or according to instructions) in slightly salted water. Drain the pasta but make sure to save ~ 1/4 cup of the water. Do not rinse the pasta after draining, but instead sprinkle with olive oil and mix well to prevent it from sticking together. Also add couple of table spoons of the leftover pasta water to make sure the pasta stays hydrated and does not stick.<br />
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Let the pasta cool for ~10 min and then add the peas, carrots, peppers, olives and the chopped basil. Mix well and season with salt, black pepper and some more olive oil. Lastly, add the feta cheese, mix and enjoy!slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-48927109883757098242011-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:002011-04-20T20:46:23.127-07:00Creamy Asparagus Soup (with no cream :)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rtZiKXV5l1jtjilFqh6W0Bwc9JOjo-IqHpHw-P5gRaciOOnjQ3k34MPBPuObJSAn5K0Erdg-WVcMmHzxq9NaqDTpsiP30nvzSeXCn-JFs3a3U3udNCCjeO0lRPpRFOunApdELe-Kt9E/s1600/IMG_4071.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rtZiKXV5l1jtjilFqh6W0Bwc9JOjo-IqHpHw-P5gRaciOOnjQ3k34MPBPuObJSAn5K0Erdg-WVcMmHzxq9NaqDTpsiP30nvzSeXCn-JFs3a3U3udNCCjeO0lRPpRFOunApdELe-Kt9E/s400/IMG_4071.JPG" width="400" /></a> <br />
Very delicious, nutritious and easy to make soup made from fresh asparagus. Muhlio Muhlev suggested adding in some cauliflower and potatoes and the soup turned out very tasty. For a vegan recipe, omit the butter and cheese!<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
3 lb fresh asparagus - chopped into 2cm pieces<br />
1 small leek<br />
2 stems fresh garlic<br />
1 fresh spring onion<br />
2 sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes)<br />
1 head of cauliflower<br />
2 table spoons of unsalted butter<br />
2 table spoons of olive oil<br />
salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and cumin to taste<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-qe794dyBBddAd87-mTwlUo4c38WYcSsnaJ-LtH2w3vD6GblPbo2rO0NoNrS_MFs9j9KaD7u85DcHQObyImfn7QqHKJtQIV5D9r4jN-XSOOuTXJHCvF4sk8GM-FZJYxPmlB2ysukvqA/s1600/IMG_4059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-qe794dyBBddAd87-mTwlUo4c38WYcSsnaJ-LtH2w3vD6GblPbo2rO0NoNrS_MFs9j9KaD7u85DcHQObyImfn7QqHKJtQIV5D9r4jN-XSOOuTXJHCvF4sk8GM-FZJYxPmlB2ysukvqA/s200/IMG_4059.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXYyKsU8BJzckk-P6LSgSPO_e5rtPkdFKUvXvvrWjTmO3yjIEX_sirw4Mw7RSArHdAheA-qaRSp5u9gyuitPK4NgvdyAIOr790FCMpWooKM5zHjLBfFavqruaiSQdtnEaMqsx7k_E7wA/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXYyKsU8BJzckk-P6LSgSPO_e5rtPkdFKUvXvvrWjTmO3yjIEX_sirw4Mw7RSArHdAheA-qaRSp5u9gyuitPK4NgvdyAIOr790FCMpWooKM5zHjLBfFavqruaiSQdtnEaMqsx7k_E7wA/s200/IMG_4060.JPG" width="200" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJqpvUWjylFUuZnA7V1e49zNC3K59DfJGLNVePTa5KJQkL681jpKXx8gdj7kX8W8Jl0qYqMLG_DRbwtSCXlhLieNdqeiyK_Uba5o8blkM4pvFRFX67eELaZfblXcdQ8TkHYmATYUq5vo/s1600/IMG_4061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJqpvUWjylFUuZnA7V1e49zNC3K59DfJGLNVePTa5KJQkL681jpKXx8gdj7kX8W8Jl0qYqMLG_DRbwtSCXlhLieNdqeiyK_Uba5o8blkM4pvFRFX67eELaZfblXcdQ8TkHYmATYUq5vo/s200/IMG_4061.JPG" width="200" /></a> </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> 1. Finely chop the leek, garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat in 2 table spoons olive oil for 5 min, or until soft and translucent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCeewRGZ2MhsqbL0OCa07ZD134ITuJnD_yFS0XQesx7Ix25UggOu6tmA8GMwSVGPf-5nWoJ4W42qxjkcHWJv55d1NmEoX28EHAmfAdozDNHb810mbjJxaXZm6-AQdwvTdqwbI4UViTNM/s1600/IMG_4063.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCeewRGZ2MhsqbL0OCa07ZD134ITuJnD_yFS0XQesx7Ix25UggOu6tmA8GMwSVGPf-5nWoJ4W42qxjkcHWJv55d1NmEoX28EHAmfAdozDNHb810mbjJxaXZm6-AQdwvTdqwbI4UViTNM/s320/IMG_4063.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YsZL_oA-EaNhllJ5HOPHC4knwNd6r2hcZYlzqTbC3leUHg9cJz_Im8fGp-lzdPiwjsutAuOb24r3qBx_l4Aa8uGsy8Z0gUq12-Dl5Na1WL0_ZXlKz47rFRGab5t9K7jkJL3-gajqNOI/s1600/IMG_4065.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YsZL_oA-EaNhllJ5HOPHC4knwNd6r2hcZYlzqTbC3leUHg9cJz_Im8fGp-lzdPiwjsutAuOb24r3qBx_l4Aa8uGsy8Z0gUq12-Dl5Na1WL0_ZXlKz47rFRGab5t9K7jkJL3-gajqNOI/s320/IMG_4065.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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2. Add the asparagus, cauliflower and chopped sweet potatoes and sauté for additional 5 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and some cumin to taste.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvN7q8vC0Hkd1-Y9YLSyApIWhZ0MmpgEBeL7KjZ2edaBrIpNgLSc7_KYcvL8gG2Q8CQe_3ypAtQfm22wS9fPtujZdFu_RQeyj2WGIl7EtADx5YObcbyhFTV5gcealScax_lqXxTzv0pow/s1600/IMG_4067.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvN7q8vC0Hkd1-Y9YLSyApIWhZ0MmpgEBeL7KjZ2edaBrIpNgLSc7_KYcvL8gG2Q8CQe_3ypAtQfm22wS9fPtujZdFu_RQeyj2WGIl7EtADx5YObcbyhFTV5gcealScax_lqXxTzv0pow/s320/IMG_4067.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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3. Add water and bring to boil and boil for 10 min or until all the vegetables are fully cooked.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9EPLqWgiKmQgKUnzmTH4xCAeCbg1pdMU6SFvqfN-Gve2B9C_NEAkZ9UcgluEGZKGUeLpuM_p0JirfEglDsYmfeCxYE44pw5JBnd02yDvOG8vfqA6G2STSWRR0-obHVk5RagVMak3aIQ/s1600/IMG_4068.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9EPLqWgiKmQgKUnzmTH4xCAeCbg1pdMU6SFvqfN-Gve2B9C_NEAkZ9UcgluEGZKGUeLpuM_p0JirfEglDsYmfeCxYE44pw5JBnd02yDvOG8vfqA6G2STSWRR0-obHVk5RagVMak3aIQ/s320/IMG_4068.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
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4. Carefully transfer to a blender (do it in several batches) and puree the soup. Once it is all pureed, transfer back to the original pot and add 2 table spoons of butter. Heat for 2 min and stir well until the butter has completely melted. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoLihKIcpQ9U4x_IoyVQ6Hn5bHTWhMQNSkQ9g7g2m3BIuKzxbBLlMhUcNYiwhS0aHRUrm1XOIsjXwEHIE4VDipxA6o8w_QXlr1d9S3NArYViIRtklWSJXFDoSq-6M9qr5Fk29DKNaU4g/s1600/IMG_4069.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoLihKIcpQ9U4x_IoyVQ6Hn5bHTWhMQNSkQ9g7g2m3BIuKzxbBLlMhUcNYiwhS0aHRUrm1XOIsjXwEHIE4VDipxA6o8w_QXlr1d9S3NArYViIRtklWSJXFDoSq-6M9qr5Fk29DKNaU4g/s320/IMG_4069.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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5. Serve with some shredded Parmesan cheese and some croutons and ENJOY!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG9SZeuz0aU3jDUoTcqHPE3aUwK-sWIVP6njE_QQILZuSgPfWeQWaW5_GCBLqK3UWt_sfKhxdNATC9fpeOT5dw4yYagTH3SF5JrfQaPPbzdkhWQe7bX4z11cz-W0Mx3xtcMCNji3U644/s1600/IMG_4070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiG9SZeuz0aU3jDUoTcqHPE3aUwK-sWIVP6njE_QQILZuSgPfWeQWaW5_GCBLqK3UWt_sfKhxdNATC9fpeOT5dw4yYagTH3SF5JrfQaPPbzdkhWQe7bX4z11cz-W0Mx3xtcMCNji3U644/s320/IMG_4070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxd7l62bzYA9p5-Kue3X7N7UlbvLJNbq8lY7gB3nCsQPTF2KlhPZK6cv8b_30uepBEbWUaT4P8pPGm_CmyuO7UtC9g3Iwzy4sqMNV_W4SgQ1ecqfxgWzf9uY8nZP-Gvex-A8KgNuFf00/s1600/IMG_4072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxd7l62bzYA9p5-Kue3X7N7UlbvLJNbq8lY7gB3nCsQPTF2KlhPZK6cv8b_30uepBEbWUaT4P8pPGm_CmyuO7UtC9g3Iwzy4sqMNV_W4SgQ1ecqfxgWzf9uY8nZP-Gvex-A8KgNuFf00/s320/IMG_4072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-85514864256901112312011-02-26T17:27:00.000-08:002011-02-26T17:27:09.451-08:00Bibimbap (Mixed rice with vegetables) - Bulgarian style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-xZKScWI/AAAAAAAAF2o/HeX7JSSf7gM/s1600-h/IMG_4106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-xZKScWI/AAAAAAAAF2o/HeX7JSSf7gM/s400/IMG_4106.jpg" width="400" /></a><span id="goog_243932929"></span><span id="goog_243932930"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This delicious dish is a perfect refrigerator cleaner. You can use any type of vegetables, meat, or cheese to compose this dish. It is an ideal food to serve when you have friends over. Just prepare everything in advance and arrange in individual clay pots. Bake and serve when your guests come.</div><br />
<div> <strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6-8 servings</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 big onion, sliced </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 large carrots, julienned</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 leek, sliced</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 different colors bell peppers, julienned</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 bunch of collard greens (or spinach), julienned</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cloves of garlic, minced</div></li>
</ul><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 chicken thighs, cut into small bites</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 eggs</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 tbsp olive oil</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups steamed rice</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> First steam the rice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfYjh3-wB2_rvY97zJ4XdSnQ_RsRflHChgOnh2vE3_XFoD_zSBmFjHRds4ukm3FCnLjbwvT4xWkLpyEg1u5sk4qqcLopSxjcv1LRcHkhlbl4QECGLD5Qr_TEEsssxs3EuXBrMa-G0ZG6P/s1600-h/IMG_4090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfYjh3-wB2_rvY97zJ4XdSnQ_RsRflHChgOnh2vE3_XFoD_zSBmFjHRds4ukm3FCnLjbwvT4xWkLpyEg1u5sk4qqcLopSxjcv1LRcHkhlbl4QECGLD5Qr_TEEsssxs3EuXBrMa-G0ZG6P/s400/IMG_4090.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Till the rice is cooking, clean and slice the vegetables. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinb4VU1IGAJxbv_MS9t-ArJXKL1KicI31EhJCW89ilbxADhR47bKOHi99FNaKMlcudzpK6-3wxLGgKhS58q54Cm-jWGFfFfiR2uUN2m7jcJ6FvBOOVNmxQf5pyryHJ9V2wugZgkU5tYe0N/s1600-h/IMG_4087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinb4VU1IGAJxbv_MS9t-ArJXKL1KicI31EhJCW89ilbxADhR47bKOHi99FNaKMlcudzpK6-3wxLGgKhS58q54Cm-jWGFfFfiR2uUN2m7jcJ6FvBOOVNmxQf5pyryHJ9V2wugZgkU5tYe0N/s400/IMG_4087.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v9d4HDcfI/AAAAAAAAF1g/IqYHcB1hi_E/s1600-h/IMG_4091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v9d4HDcfI/AAAAAAAAF1g/IqYHcB1hi_E/s400/IMG_4091.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgoD8A-AMA8ECnMIWjIDz_iriU4yKt65Rvw64TM3aM9ON5UJr_17ypal8zs2CEsP5KDSf78fFkEZAuXZ4KSJ1MkIHZpnHhsJKALsmKljIdN211roe5S9GfknYVGnzkkV8Cu98ayhMmGBp/s1600-h/IMG_4099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgoD8A-AMA8ECnMIWjIDz_iriU4yKt65Rvw64TM3aM9ON5UJr_17ypal8zs2CEsP5KDSf78fFkEZAuXZ4KSJ1MkIHZpnHhsJKALsmKljIdN211roe5S9GfknYVGnzkkV8Cu98ayhMmGBp/s400/IMG_4099.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Brown the chicken in 1 tbsp oil. Add spices to your taste, such like salt, fresh ground black pepper, cumin, and savory.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTEzIlwCyhbteMDTg82i8RkyaPxb1Wl64kQkkPvzgV1SZv0JDIstq-d6YDeRm50MFz_BPx_xvoQCrmcgjZTHR-YsJSoqqjWi1WTipo8Yo_8OhQmLGjuXqWOZ7DDLoceBeijCqxAKLX2Q-/s1600-h/IMG_4094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTEzIlwCyhbteMDTg82i8RkyaPxb1Wl64kQkkPvzgV1SZv0JDIstq-d6YDeRm50MFz_BPx_xvoQCrmcgjZTHR-YsJSoqqjWi1WTipo8Yo_8OhQmLGjuXqWOZ7DDLoceBeijCqxAKLX2Q-/s400/IMG_4094.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-HNq4gmI/AAAAAAAAF1w/O2PlBaGeApE/s1600-h/IMG_4095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-HNq4gmI/AAAAAAAAF1w/O2PlBaGeApE/s400/IMG_4095.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Take out the chicken, add a another tablespoon of oil and saute the onions. Season the vegetables.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzagoxCpBZngn3WOGlgUd9ziJXL_C77h5WaNoYawjijte4hNZtfOE9x6bVD8g-A_N4vHwjcQ_DzhvrLJLtGX3LvNj68oN5uBilGgWt0FsduevU1CZzqYEPSIP0O0GRN_1nhHDjJ1vsrRx/s1600-h/IMG_4096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzagoxCpBZngn3WOGlgUd9ziJXL_C77h5WaNoYawjijte4hNZtfOE9x6bVD8g-A_N4vHwjcQ_DzhvrLJLtGX3LvNj68oN5uBilGgWt0FsduevU1CZzqYEPSIP0O0GRN_1nhHDjJ1vsrRx/s400/IMG_4096.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Turn the oven on to preheat to 400 F. Next saute the peppers, and the jalapenos.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-VYtXzjI/AAAAAAAAF2A/TAmarg2Vo-Y/s1600-h/IMG_4097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-VYtXzjI/AAAAAAAAF2A/TAmarg2Vo-Y/s400/IMG_4097.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Then the Collard greens. Add oil if needed.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BuAhw_FSKIlt_LAxlkEBghbZYJ9LeUcnVgJrCr6suCdiLHLD2Jpw3Kzy8UxM2shDczlUAqS468AZ30cGnKVNx83h7IPqj_TSAHJK5SOPGq9_fK9uY2KhTjr4kK0cgQWlLYY8Lyq5p0sb/s1600-h/IMG_4100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BuAhw_FSKIlt_LAxlkEBghbZYJ9LeUcnVgJrCr6suCdiLHLD2Jpw3Kzy8UxM2shDczlUAqS468AZ30cGnKVNx83h7IPqj_TSAHJK5SOPGq9_fK9uY2KhTjr4kK0cgQWlLYY8Lyq5p0sb/s400/IMG_4100.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Arrange the ceramic pots on a cookie sheet. and start layering the ingredients. Start with the rice.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-nIZn8pI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/fU1_TpEjPL8/s1600-h/IMG_4101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-nIZn8pI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/fU1_TpEjPL8/s400/IMG_4101.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Next add the carrots, onions, peppers, greens and the chicken. Crack an egg on top of each, add a pinch of salt and black pepper on the egg.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-7RaSDnI/AAAAAAAAF24/eA8P-oNqohw/s1600-h/IMG_4105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-7RaSDnI/AAAAAAAAF24/eA8P-oNqohw/s400/IMG_4105.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wx-39_cNVIpDxxd60HaNFBaZq2AlrJrHQU_qEsaB6kmsUdOEeR8mnS6X8euSO6lYbbqWGKuyjIGENPJsyzdQKi3fNNfx9Ih2VQwWO4cD68hZz9cGEql57AejMsalyhob9nxkXZ8L37m-/s1600-h/IMG_4103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wx-39_cNVIpDxxd60HaNFBaZq2AlrJrHQU_qEsaB6kmsUdOEeR8mnS6X8euSO6lYbbqWGKuyjIGENPJsyzdQKi3fNNfx9Ih2VQwWO4cD68hZz9cGEql57AejMsalyhob9nxkXZ8L37m-/s400/IMG_4103.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"> Place the lids and bake for 30 minutes. Take out the lids at the last 10 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-xZKScWI/AAAAAAAAF2o/HeX7JSSf7gM/s1600-h/IMG_4106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/S4v-xZKScWI/AAAAAAAAF2o/HeX7JSSf7gM/s400/IMG_4106.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Pour a glass of red wine and enjoy!</div><img height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfYjh3-wB2_rvY97zJ4XdSnQ_RsRflHChgOnh2vE3_XFoD_zSBmFjHRds4ukm3FCnLjbwvT4xWkLpyEg1u5sk4qqcLopSxjcv1LRcHkhlbl4QECGLD5Qr_TEEsssxs3EuXBrMa-G0ZG6P/s400/IMG_4090.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 423px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 666px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-16612758793560739792011-02-08T16:17:00.000-08:002011-02-08T16:22:19.034-08:00Mint Chicken Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is another meal my children adore, so I am publishing the recipe per their request. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ingredients:</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2 chicken breasts cut into large cubes, or 6-8 chicken thighs </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2 big carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2 lb potatoes, cut into big, ~1 inch cubes</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1 can diced tomatoes</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2 tbsp olive oil</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1 big onion, chopped</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1 tbsp dry mint</div></li>
<li>1 tbsp flour</li>
<li>salt to taste</li>
<li>fresh parsley</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In a big pot saute the chicken in the olive oil. Add the mint, the salt, and the onions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Add few sprinkles hot red pepper flakes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TSNqWdF2tXI/AAAAAAAAHWI/p4LqtSBLEUg/s1600/IMG_5772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TSNqWdF2tXI/AAAAAAAAHWI/p4LqtSBLEUg/s400/IMG_5772.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Cook until the onions become soft. Add the sweet paprika, the carrots and the tomatoes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TSNqto_VbyI/AAAAAAAAHWM/VJ1lh_n_Qbw/s1600/IMG_5773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TSNqto_VbyI/AAAAAAAAHWM/VJ1lh_n_Qbw/s400/IMG_5773.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Add 3-4 cups water or chicken broth, close the lid and cook it until the chicken and the carrots are ready, about an hour. Then add the potatoes. While the potatoes are cooking take out a cup of the stew sauce in a bowl and wait for 5 minutes for it to get colder. Mix well the flour into the sauce and pour it back to the pot. Cook for another 15 minutes till the potatoes are ready and the sauce thickens. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmea0uM6unZQ99eUM1ALuZEp5DwbfLvSJudHJWL9jspss_eyNgK7JH6WxTABHfVqHsYPOGwWKof9i1AtfYuA_uWM1sX9KdtUNPaKHWRZilWrPTCelSXMAs8f4ffYZyrlA1o3e07lRYSk2/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmea0uM6unZQ99eUM1ALuZEp5DwbfLvSJudHJWL9jspss_eyNgK7JH6WxTABHfVqHsYPOGwWKof9i1AtfYuA_uWM1sX9KdtUNPaKHWRZilWrPTCelSXMAs8f4ffYZyrlA1o3e07lRYSk2/s400/IMG_5774.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with salad and bread.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TSNroX-Y9EI/AAAAAAAAHWU/WmHUm2WLGU4/s1600/IMG_5775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TSNroX-Y9EI/AAAAAAAAHWU/WmHUm2WLGU4/s400/IMG_5775.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-7735199872978809372011-02-01T12:16:00.000-08:002011-02-05T08:37:49.082-08:00Pickled Vegetables - "Trushia"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC6gSDN6AfevRAG631By7c11e8VWl1Y5-TwRb5Tb7Gz6_LfGCx6sm7KhhIe9hzP2pa3TzJUG3raSHaZP0ORP8xOql3PnOi6cHcmCpYTsdgNl_NQKRkKwRu-oK9fDCXu7TiYdCuAB8kvO9/s1600/IMG_5757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC6gSDN6AfevRAG631By7c11e8VWl1Y5-TwRb5Tb7Gz6_LfGCx6sm7KhhIe9hzP2pa3TzJUG3raSHaZP0ORP8xOql3PnOi6cHcmCpYTsdgNl_NQKRkKwRu-oK9fDCXu7TiYdCuAB8kvO9/s400/IMG_5757.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Pickled vegetables, a.k.a. turshia or trushia, as it is pronounced differently in different parts of Bulgaria, is an excellent accompaniment to meat dishes. Typically it is made in the late fall with the last load of vegetables picked in the home gardens. Made in huge amount, the turshia is then stored in the darkest and coldest places of the houses to last till spring. In the older times people ate only produce in season, so the typical winter diet consisted mainly of grilled pork cutlets, and home made sausages, pork stews with potatoes, beans, pork cooked with pickled cabbage, and of course turshia. All the households in the villages had pigs and the killing and processing of the meat from the pig, usually happening around Christmas, was a pleasant occasion for family and friends gatherings and celebrations. The trushia had permanent place on the tables, used as an appetizer that people had when drinking rakia and a side dish for the meat dishes. Every family had their own recipes, or tips and tricks, and there was always a silent competition going on of who makes the most crunchy, fresh and delicious turshia. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">These days, when we eat fresh vegetables all year round, we don't make turshia very often. It happens once in a while, usually around Christmas, to follow the years-long tradition and satisfy the cravings we usually experience. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A friend of mine DM gave me this simple recipe for a quick turshia. It gets ready in 2-3 days. There are variations of what types of vegetables you can use. In addition to my list below, you can add regular cabbage, green tomatoes, and small sweet peppers. The original recipe recommends slightly grilling the tomatoes and peppers before adding them to the mix.</div><br />
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<em>This is what I used: </em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>(Adapted from the original recipe)</em></div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>2-3 heads cauliflower, cleaned and cut in small pieces</em></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>8 - 10 carrots cut in 1/2 inch pieces</em></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>5 celery stalks, cut in 1/2 inch pieces</em></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>2 lb peppers cut in pieces. I use different colors peppers</em></div></li>
<li><em>1 head garlic, each clove peeled and cut into 3 pieces</em></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>1 bunch of parsley</em></div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>Marinade:</em></div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>300 g vegetable oil</em></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>500 g sugar</em></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>200 g salt</em></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><em>700 g apple cider vinegar</em></div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Procedure:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Boil the marinade and leave it aside. Mix all the vegetables, with the exception of garlic and parsley, in a big pot. Pour the marinade over the vegetables. Be careful not to use very hot marinade, because the vegetables will loose their crunchiness and become mushy. Cover with plastic foil or a lid and leave it for 24 hours in a cool place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On the next day, add the garlic and parsley. Pack the turshia in glass jars and store in the fridge. If you live in a cold weather you can keep it outside. Usually the turshia is ready for eating in 2-3 days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-50896759858731911622011-01-30T14:09:00.000-08:002011-02-05T07:03:53.441-08:00Crepes or Palachinki (Палачинки)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvatyeDgRTK3ARqPnj3gxgklEjhA_K1FogdWtRlvjIWDRfrVe2mifKEiSWAsB8k8URAr-OJW38DttjTq1bduV4UKmsXxq4NqAq7cGgunDwKrRno05YSUz44V2gD4uHBjrkK4TIjPBNw4A/s1600/IMG_3945.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvatyeDgRTK3ARqPnj3gxgklEjhA_K1FogdWtRlvjIWDRfrVe2mifKEiSWAsB8k8URAr-OJW38DttjTq1bduV4UKmsXxq4NqAq7cGgunDwKrRno05YSUz44V2gD4uHBjrkK4TIjPBNw4A/s400/IMG_3945.JPG" width="400" /></a> <br />
Palachinki (Crepes, or Палачинки) is a popular Bulgarian brunch item. When we were growing up my mom and grandma would make them on the weekends and we would wait around the stove and just grab them as soon as they were done and devour them with either honey, jam or feta cheese! The recipe is quite simple and with the modern kitchen appliances (such as Blenders) everyone can make perfect batter and enjoy delicious home made crepes!<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>4 eggs</li>
<li>16 table spoons all purpose flour</li>
<li>1 table spoon sugar</li>
<li>1/2 table spoon salt</li>
<li>1/4 table spoon vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 cup whole milk</li>
<li>1 cup water (sparkling water works great but if you don't have any then tap water is just fine)</li>
</ul>Process:<br />
<br />
Put eggs + flour + sugar + salt + vanilla + milk + water in a blender. Blend until the mixture is nice and homogeneous and there are no more chunks of flour left.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6D79Rswd_jj70JlQDqfChtFM3tbqK39s1MRGuyHXEPRjUfkkkudmmh9n_2pp5rt7Sp80_H8FL9H72-v4eHPRJG-BfXEXjnqsZvZYn3R4sYC827w4PaTb3cKcFH6IAhSq8yr3mlV2pao/s1600/IMG_3942.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6D79Rswd_jj70JlQDqfChtFM3tbqK39s1MRGuyHXEPRjUfkkkudmmh9n_2pp5rt7Sp80_H8FL9H72-v4eHPRJG-BfXEXjnqsZvZYn3R4sYC827w4PaTb3cKcFH6IAhSq8yr3mlV2pao/s200/IMG_3942.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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Put very little olive oil in a pan and heat on med/high setting.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaciEtYB3P6iOYs5tDpoqIxni92-LrYmtV33GPhfgP3UuvCG1mvNFvX36ARGvRbGT5wRxc4j16t-GwA0dWTzOnDr1Q0CeeF7U5Z7A9FdHO9Uem6_d1Mkk5fRGR5gi3MlrGdipkfs6fwuY/s1600/IMG_3946.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaciEtYB3P6iOYs5tDpoqIxni92-LrYmtV33GPhfgP3UuvCG1mvNFvX36ARGvRbGT5wRxc4j16t-GwA0dWTzOnDr1Q0CeeF7U5Z7A9FdHO9Uem6_d1Mkk5fRGR5gi3MlrGdipkfs6fwuY/s200/IMG_3946.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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Then gently add ~ 2/3 laddle of the batter and swirl the bottom of the pan while adding in order for the batter to be evenly distributed. Cook on med/high heat for ~ 1 min then flip the crepe and cook for another minute.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgml4mxbxRUXRXd97xc0qyGvJdtFDcHNwYp2zXaqU5NbwRc5vHfINKbWi9OKPYFhD7pI9Zq9BYwF5BhudQQElH75zoZZuoVnjSFYHBGf8O5GIV1TJVUhvK-F1Ja4jyIj4WAU7yrPSEp00/s1600/IMG_3948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgml4mxbxRUXRXd97xc0qyGvJdtFDcHNwYp2zXaqU5NbwRc5vHfINKbWi9OKPYFhD7pI9Zq9BYwF5BhudQQElH75zoZZuoVnjSFYHBGf8O5GIV1TJVUhvK-F1Ja4jyIj4WAU7yrPSEp00/s200/IMG_3948.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadammUbaOC1aq6urbxSGjNLx3g52UlOPtOV0g2_wmFKTrmjhuxzdaIyRj_LaReGXgIX-M5dApasqPZd_QfdGvfbQ8cQ6prHo2uAsV3zQeU_Ke9OqLkA48C6fQVyqovKMwLsJ7LnQoRqI/s1600/IMG_3949.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadammUbaOC1aq6urbxSGjNLx3g52UlOPtOV0g2_wmFKTrmjhuxzdaIyRj_LaReGXgIX-M5dApasqPZd_QfdGvfbQ8cQ6prHo2uAsV3zQeU_Ke9OqLkA48C6fQVyqovKMwLsJ7LnQoRqI/s200/IMG_3949.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Serve with your favorite jam or honey or whatever else you like on your crepe.<br />
ENJOY!<br />
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This traditional Bulgarian variant of Banitsa (Баница) is really delicious and our favorite during the Holiday season. Usual recipe calls for leeks, spinach and sorrel, but you can put any leafy greens that you have on hand and you will not be disappointed. Lokuma made this couple of weeks ago and she put kale and it tasted really good! Online you can find other recipes for Zelnik and some of those even include meat, but where we come from we've always had it vegetarian.<br />
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<u>INGREDIENTS:</u><br />
1 pack fillo dough<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 cup plain yogurt<br />
1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled<br />
3 leeks<br />
1 bunch spinach <br />
1 bunch kale<br />
1/8 cup butter + 1/8 cup olive oil<br />
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<u>PROCESS:</u><br />
0. Preheat oven to 400F.<br />
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1. Wash the leeks really well to get rid of any dirt and slice them finely (using food processor really helps here). Wash the kale and chop really finely. Wash and chop the spinach.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUOBIMpq-yjlVRWYS2s1iipb7RZDBkHTJgvyJ2EmOI_B8pKjIfby8BudSOX22LJWprfDmUlgSow1jQrwm0vu4hw3DUmIVqNAI4u0jKGhkY91q3PxlHKSZJlPdgX1SqkOXzw2rlvA5Cu4/s1600/IMG_3905.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUOBIMpq-yjlVRWYS2s1iipb7RZDBkHTJgvyJ2EmOI_B8pKjIfby8BudSOX22LJWprfDmUlgSow1jQrwm0vu4hw3DUmIVqNAI4u0jKGhkY91q3PxlHKSZJlPdgX1SqkOXzw2rlvA5Cu4/s200/IMG_3905.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpXH162dZehQTu_2p2jAYKlzwu_csCXhN5g9En_z-5-F3Cr8N9P-1puPumF_IsPJ6SMMadmVWjkOsp-xuUEGzEUOxoRc9NBbYm_F715s6gduWKVngjyiZMOFwQv9d8Isz0Au1U5_tgHE/s1600/IMG_3912.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpXH162dZehQTu_2p2jAYKlzwu_csCXhN5g9En_z-5-F3Cr8N9P-1puPumF_IsPJ6SMMadmVWjkOsp-xuUEGzEUOxoRc9NBbYm_F715s6gduWKVngjyiZMOFwQv9d8Isz0Au1U5_tgHE/s200/IMG_3912.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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2. Saute the leeks with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat for about 5 min. Then add the chopped kale and cook with the leeks until fully cooked (10 min). Last add the spinach and cook until all water has been released (5 min).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEseiNno3fBpJPM39ooAcRxjghvXy8b7uYrG_yXlxrJZPr0FopeXZIh2OuBD3dEjFejyQTCzuVSRz9qqOfqkIcvA4PMQPCjZUz0qAJPovyW0LblwdaMzFtTDVZBlgY_GGad2_KFszPAfc/s1600/IMG_3909.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEseiNno3fBpJPM39ooAcRxjghvXy8b7uYrG_yXlxrJZPr0FopeXZIh2OuBD3dEjFejyQTCzuVSRz9qqOfqkIcvA4PMQPCjZUz0qAJPovyW0LblwdaMzFtTDVZBlgY_GGad2_KFszPAfc/s200/IMG_3909.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW9mVcIOgcf31vD4v0asm6L5mancGcoU3q1RREuQgPjyPcsMGMqKi8VS1N3jXXtheeg3oyx7qaKrsSQ-maUztLPTigJRlAFJJkiEv99HB_MKtfi7HjlvMJtZLk8_0P8kaHoTjS5GBk4Q/s1600/IMG_3914.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW9mVcIOgcf31vD4v0asm6L5mancGcoU3q1RREuQgPjyPcsMGMqKi8VS1N3jXXtheeg3oyx7qaKrsSQ-maUztLPTigJRlAFJJkiEv99HB_MKtfi7HjlvMJtZLk8_0P8kaHoTjS5GBk4Q/s200/IMG_3914.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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3. In a large mixing bowl combine the crumbled feta and eggs and mix well. Then add the yogurt and mix until homogeneous consistency.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCWoVb7FuhTxGYQq6kbF039B6vxe7gd6qoFY8V_2l6bc5zzyJZkWtgVxawA7DIxHloj2mwpYhXhOSGKK82wbrwe8nFtS29tDzFhVWruQNukEAmwh8hS0X16mzaAngbE6F1bog3Ss71Gc/s1600/IMG_3916.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCWoVb7FuhTxGYQq6kbF039B6vxe7gd6qoFY8V_2l6bc5zzyJZkWtgVxawA7DIxHloj2mwpYhXhOSGKK82wbrwe8nFtS29tDzFhVWruQNukEAmwh8hS0X16mzaAngbE6F1bog3Ss71Gc/s200/IMG_3916.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQCLy5e5S4BpA66eRfzry4UHSDr9fg0cmNYLxDkcmUy8yfVVKWgiU95_erZpKeddDBMBZgO6wZlIBC5OT6LYpC77MmiVhStQDhi2pJEoKgV4CXH__bDaXF2oGJctsnrGVJ7krQPa6EaM/s1600/IMG_3917.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQCLy5e5S4BpA66eRfzry4UHSDr9fg0cmNYLxDkcmUy8yfVVKWgiU95_erZpKeddDBMBZgO6wZlIBC5OT6LYpC77MmiVhStQDhi2pJEoKgV4CXH__bDaXF2oGJctsnrGVJ7krQPa6EaM/s200/IMG_3917.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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4. Melt the butter and the olive oil and lightly grease the bottom of a 9' x 13' pan.<br />
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5. Place one sheet of fillo dough and grease it slightly with the oil+butter (very easy if you have a brush). Then place a second sheet of dough on top of it and grease again. Place a third sheet and this time add 1/3 of the sauteed greens (distribute evenly along the surface) and 1/3 of the egg+feta+yogurt mix. Cover the filling with new sheet of fillo dough and repeat the layering (pretty much 3 sheets of fillo dough greased lightly in between => filling =>3 sheets fillo dough => filling => 3 sheets of fillo dough => filling => 3 sheets fillo dough).<br />
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6. Once done layering, cut the Zelnik into squares and put in the oven.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTd7dpY9AAzhm3oyt-c2fsTlqmOoVmPY1RI-IQ8YyPEHo9ZGC3qf4Ifh2m7BZ876ECpINX08WBosbywov1AhUmDGglXaNZMWlyjaWIEUiH82To5Q6v5x7i1f9_asUPb3u8TKtEZwxJbQ/s1600/IMG_3921.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTd7dpY9AAzhm3oyt-c2fsTlqmOoVmPY1RI-IQ8YyPEHo9ZGC3qf4Ifh2m7BZ876ECpINX08WBosbywov1AhUmDGglXaNZMWlyjaWIEUiH82To5Q6v5x7i1f9_asUPb3u8TKtEZwxJbQ/s400/IMG_3921.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
7. Bake at 400F for ~ 40 min or until nicely brown. You can cover with aluminum foil for the first 20 min to prevent the edges from becoming too brown.<br />
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<u>Recipe (makes four 1 lb loaves):</u><br />
<ol><li>6.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour (i use 5 cups all purpose flour + 1.5 cups whole wheat flour)</li>
<li>1.5 tsp salt</li>
<li>1.5 tsp dry yeast</li>
<li>3 cups lukewarm water (~ 100ºF)</li>
</ol><u>Method:</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>In a large mixing bowl mix the yeast with the water until the yeast is all dissolved. Then add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until there are no dry patches left and the mixture is homogeneous. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for at least 2 hours.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlw2emxm8aa8aIU9jApjmx-NKAwScUSLl-PutGBeM8-iqpajcSszNh3736BPxQZAQ_iSAVGn65sEVIuU068TKIPzSm5Em3pXt9vdunLEmVzbE7aXQfAEzD42C1omuxilDjEVEGcd4Oxs/s1600/IMG_3893.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlw2emxm8aa8aIU9jApjmx-NKAwScUSLl-PutGBeM8-iqpajcSszNh3736BPxQZAQ_iSAVGn65sEVIuU068TKIPzSm5Em3pXt9vdunLEmVzbE7aXQfAEzD42C1omuxilDjEVEGcd4Oxs/s320/IMG_3893.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Split the dough into four pieces. Take one piece and shape it into a rectangle, dust with flour and put it in the bottom of a 9'x6' pan. Leave the dough in the pan and let it raise for ~ 2 hours. Also, 20 min before baking, preheat oven to 450ºF and put an empty broiler tray at the very bottom tray of your oven that will be used for holding water. The remaining three pieces of dough you can put in separate zip-lock bags and keep it in the freezer for up to 14 days. Then when you want to bake a new batch, take out of the freezer, shape and place in pan and let sit for ~ 2 hours before baking it.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd2TIM1hKsdtWq99t9Qn6iQA1nz2GRMIRHKCiVxY6Lxjj9Dh7ELe6T7WX94gCDDjvYiHC7ypt40vv7n6YkgrI3o_TVtovTkHfuzyq7UXI-swA77Hs0sNbePIGha8JIHtryVmrHna3VF8/s1600/IMG_3894.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd2TIM1hKsdtWq99t9Qn6iQA1nz2GRMIRHKCiVxY6Lxjj9Dh7ELe6T7WX94gCDDjvYiHC7ypt40vv7n6YkgrI3o_TVtovTkHfuzyq7UXI-swA77Hs0sNbePIGha8JIHtryVmrHna3VF8/s320/IMG_3894.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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You can slash the surface of the dough with a sharp knife to get a more artisan looking bread.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROGpelHYvS0XqpbRe6hE4DUtv5bEmk-YK5D-I2rlO_b-TsnjtABN3scZgeRmYyYyEQAhVgr0Zej47t67LdoJMPD1z-0Oq-7nKKHnF1BerjZQmlpKjWOH31VjngH0L8VBNHheiXLF-b4M/s1600/IMG_3895.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROGpelHYvS0XqpbRe6hE4DUtv5bEmk-YK5D-I2rlO_b-TsnjtABN3scZgeRmYyYyEQAhVgr0Zej47t67LdoJMPD1z-0Oq-7nKKHnF1BerjZQmlpKjWOH31VjngH0L8VBNHheiXLF-b4M/s320/IMG_3895.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Place the bread in the oven in the middle tray. Then VERY CAREFULLY pour a glass of water into the empty broiler pan that has been sitting in the bottom tray of the oven and be very careful not to get burned by the steam.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8E4blRk1UNmBkPRmcctNRaza14sdiaC8L-NNlr1YBZ2XDG1wTj7mRUIHo2J4sKSgD7bG_hVNSLkbgioEivHMbD4qmgHCdhWS2nwYALoXyRSsaPjobrMBvV7k1aF1Z9eOZde9L2tSiLg/s1600/IMG_3896.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8E4blRk1UNmBkPRmcctNRaza14sdiaC8L-NNlr1YBZ2XDG1wTj7mRUIHo2J4sKSgD7bG_hVNSLkbgioEivHMbD4qmgHCdhWS2nwYALoXyRSsaPjobrMBvV7k1aF1Z9eOZde9L2tSiLg/s320/IMG_3896.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The steam from the water will make the crust really nice and crunchy. Bake for about 30 - 40 min or until the crust is nicely brown and firm to the touch. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtU_KV3bktlIKhVlSCb10lkYITihbK9XKFGJToE35msWd6jv3wngaFvMCHUHuxT225_TZDFw5Op81c8-7tbRduyhLpEAoIjN9i-9BJyAC9bno1XcwlyeQnEeggL9bgsBqOoAySrEVNVo/s1600/IMG_3897.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtU_KV3bktlIKhVlSCb10lkYITihbK9XKFGJToE35msWd6jv3wngaFvMCHUHuxT225_TZDFw5Op81c8-7tbRduyhLpEAoIjN9i-9BJyAC9bno1XcwlyeQnEeggL9bgsBqOoAySrEVNVo/s320/IMG_3897.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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ENJOY!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCVpoK4H1KxvqPhjm_2BU-8m_WZqrvM1kAf9jVKZRktZLIrmcFQ5LT9xTU2ve5h9Fym0XrLCuE-ziSoF8QGEoKXLU0v7ONadMSxd9HluhaD6kY4nIsJGTwEvQbXhxrnJ2bzEqnuyN6zw/s1600/IMG_3900.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCVpoK4H1KxvqPhjm_2BU-8m_WZqrvM1kAf9jVKZRktZLIrmcFQ5LT9xTU2ve5h9Fym0XrLCuE-ziSoF8QGEoKXLU0v7ONadMSxd9HluhaD6kY4nIsJGTwEvQbXhxrnJ2bzEqnuyN6zw/s400/IMG_3900.JPG" width="400" /></a>slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-34352702728010383972011-01-12T20:01:00.000-08:002011-02-04T19:26:36.866-08:00Grissini (Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwkAwS_beAyyvr8K8g4VJ-ucY8UXn3ABqgdQ4AYwnO-5tP4KHs4cdFs0cTYJPj0uXy-WoYHeaWwN0THV8lcQgk3vN7iruqO8VYFdwtXeOnZYu1BBjKYYW_UAp0iEJPvOp_E2KUDTZVY4u/s1600/DSC02235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwkAwS_beAyyvr8K8g4VJ-ucY8UXn3ABqgdQ4AYwnO-5tP4KHs4cdFs0cTYJPj0uXy-WoYHeaWwN0THV8lcQgk3vN7iruqO8VYFdwtXeOnZYu1BBjKYYW_UAp0iEJPvOp_E2KUDTZVY4u/s400/DSC02235.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Dona Domata reignited my passion for breadmaking with a groundbreaking <a href="http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/">no-knead & refrigerate approach</a> that she shared with me over the holidays....and I am not the only one going gaga over homemade loaves of bread - fellow bloggers Lokuma, Plodova Salata and Slaninka have all started baking bread from scratch on a regular basis. Since Christmas, I have experimented with multiple whole grain recipes using the same method and have baked pizza, flatbread, crackers, foccacia, boule, pain d'epi, ficelle and just now...grissini.<br />
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I won't go over the mechanics in detail here as I am told that MM and Slaninka will be sharing their tips and tricks for making artisan bread in 5 minutes in a detailed post ( stay tuned). Instead, I'd like to show you a quick idea for using your refrigerated dough whenever you don't feel like waiting 20-90 minutes for a proper bread rise or just want a crunchy snack in 15 -20 minutes flat...<br />
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Breadsticks are super easy to make and you can easily customize them to your liking - I sprinked mine with garlic salt and cayenne pepper for a little kick. I can imagine that they would be wonderful with a touch of parmiggiano regiano and some rosemary... I used a Bavarian-style whole grain pumpernickel bread dough which was fantastic but you can easily sub any of the ABin5 or HBin5 pre-mixed doughs...<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312545525?ie=UTF8&tag=arbrinfimiada-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312545525">Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day</a>:<br />
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour<br />
2 3/4 cups rye flour<br />
2 1/1 cups unbleached all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast<br />
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten ( I used Bob's Red Mill's gluten - thank you Lokuma!)<br />
2 tablespoons molasses<br />
1 tablespoon kosher salt<br />
4 cups lukewarm water<br />
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If using a baking stone, allow for a 30 minute preheat to 400F, if not 5 min should be fine. Shape the dough into a ball using the cloaking method then roll the dough into a rectangle, sprinkle with salt and then cut into strips (you can vary the thickness and width of the strips depending on your taste - thicker / wider strips will yield chewy and doughy breadsticks, while thinner / narrower strips will result in crunchy grissini). Bake for 10 - 16 minutes depending on thickness and width.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/No69c3e5IuU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-63879202139957230702010-12-18T21:08:00.000-08:002011-02-04T19:25:50.263-08:00Stir-Fried Pork Loin cubes with Balsamic vinegar and Orange reduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb7Kgy9c7TrQ98Gdn8-7uKPdphyphenhyphenKOnG77lfklFwl0YTDS0vR2uPyUMgE9e5UZOMM4o_tMweO3bwOuWiW5Vi6FrV9zsIHX_J8gnnH_Jb608nLbExyoWwggGucGc-4I6qttnNcHQWO1UZY/s1600/IMG_3872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb7Kgy9c7TrQ98Gdn8-7uKPdphyphenhyphenKOnG77lfklFwl0YTDS0vR2uPyUMgE9e5UZOMM4o_tMweO3bwOuWiW5Vi6FrV9zsIHX_J8gnnH_Jb608nLbExyoWwggGucGc-4I6qttnNcHQWO1UZY/s400/IMG_3872.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This turned out so good! I pretty much followed the recipe as described <a href="http://www.tastehongkong.com/recipes/meat/stir-fried-pork-cubes-with-balsamic-vinegar-and-orange-sauce/">here</a> except I had to scale up, since I had twice the amount of pork and I also added some onions. I also did it in a cast iron pan, since I don't have a wok, and it still turned out really tasty!<br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
5 pork loin chops, boneless, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes.<br />
2 orange bell peppers, chopped into cubes.<br />
2 white onions, peeled and sliced into strips.<br />
3-4 garlic cloves.<br />
2 oranges, juiced <br />
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<u>Marinade:</u><br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper <br />
2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice<br />
1/4 inch piece ginger, smashed<br />
2 tsp olive oil<br />
1/2 tsp corn starch (or 1 tsp flour if you don't have corn starch)<br />
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<u>Glazing sause:</u><br />
3 tsp balsamic vinegar<br />
juice of 2 oranges, freshly squeezed<br />
1 tsp brown sugar<br />
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Method is exactly as described in the<a href="http://www.tastehongkong.com/recipes/meat/stir-fried-pork-cubes-with-balsamic-vinegar-and-orange-sauce/"> recipe</a> that I found on the web:</u><br />
1. Rinse pork chops, pat dry and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Put in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients EXCEPT THE FLOUR. Mix well, cover with clear foil and put in fridge for ~ 1 hour.<br />
2. Once the meat is done marinating, heat some olive oil in a pan and saute the garlic for ~ 2 min.<br />
3. Then add the flour to the meat, mix well and transfer the pork into the pan. Cook on medium heat until done. Can season with additional black pepper and some cayenne pepper. Then remove the pork from the pan and set aside.<br />
4. Saute the onions and peppers briefly in the pan with whatever oil was left from the meat. Then pour the glazing sauce and stir constantly until it gets reduced to about half the original volume.<br />
5. Put the pork back in the pan and cook for ~ 5 more minutes or until the glaze is nice and thick.<br />
6. Serve with rice or with mashed potatoes and enjoy!<br />
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p.s. When I ate this with mashed potatoes, the flavor reminded me of "vinen kebab"! Yummy!slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-77370455916991982092010-12-18T20:41:00.000-08:002011-02-26T17:31:43.457-08:00ETL: Fennel, Bok Choy and Watermelon Radish salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RlVuazQNFFbCnVuok3M-vXSBcKfxE0vg11t6hftkT4a-0u-l7viMCyWUQAwmBlhwFa4823VsocJJ7lGEuQLTCccALa7qP1C9tO0AGatIqbL4zCqpWDXlj2B-jcCpoZqnsxW4HmS3A6I/s1600/IMG_3865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RlVuazQNFFbCnVuok3M-vXSBcKfxE0vg11t6hftkT4a-0u-l7viMCyWUQAwmBlhwFa4823VsocJJ7lGEuQLTCccALa7qP1C9tO0AGatIqbL4zCqpWDXlj2B-jcCpoZqnsxW4HmS3A6I/s400/IMG_3865.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We got fennel from our <a href="http://terrafirmafarm.com/">CSA</a> box and I remembered that last year Marulka had made an amazing fennel and celery salad, topped with shaved cheese. Well I was out of celery and did not have any cheese so I decided to improvise and used only the ingredients that we got from the box. The result was awesome!<br />
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<u><b>Ingredients: </b></u><i><br />
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<i>1 fennel bulb, cleaned and thinly sliced.</i><br />
<i>2 heads of bok choy, cleaned and thinly sliced.</i><br />
<i>2 watermelon radishes, washed, peeled and thinly sliced.</i><br />
<i>5-6 kalamata olives, sliced lengthwise </i><br />
<i>1 lemon, juiced</i><br />
<i>some olive oil, salt and black pepper.</i><br />
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Wash all vegetables well and slice thinly (i used food processor and it took 30 sec!). Mix in a large salad bowl and add some olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the leftover fennel fronds and enjoy!<br />
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p.s. Here is what watermelon radish looks like :) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtmwKZYteEb0l0Jzv4Lvfj7o47r-AN8RXow1uBtZYPMuOQZKuPak34OcoCxuigY9wc9eBreGlcc74voIVYKvPdD4GF9BbPXr7ZDd-f0u_-QncjgG5WgLovPboZOL-Jcx4sDjibyoALqQ/s1600/Watermelon.radish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtmwKZYteEb0l0Jzv4Lvfj7o47r-AN8RXow1uBtZYPMuOQZKuPak34OcoCxuigY9wc9eBreGlcc74voIVYKvPdD4GF9BbPXr7ZDd-f0u_-QncjgG5WgLovPboZOL-Jcx4sDjibyoALqQ/s200/Watermelon.radish.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-88713522181050412032010-12-04T14:59:00.000-08:002010-12-04T15:03:10.010-08:00ETL: Easy and Delicious Pumpkin Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QegkQuSiemRbwZki2T_rn8HAVM3G8ie_M6ZhO1jaRw2TJ0KWyE6YB6MRiPkuIACfqCO-p72RmEgFbCQxxzLNWYTph6q3lY6JM3dCK7BZvLTH59BDEJhzMbMmhgiiG9te0WlNkseHkHnG/s1600/Pumpkin+cake+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QegkQuSiemRbwZki2T_rn8HAVM3G8ie_M6ZhO1jaRw2TJ0KWyE6YB6MRiPkuIACfqCO-p72RmEgFbCQxxzLNWYTph6q3lY6JM3dCK7BZvLTH59BDEJhzMbMmhgiiG9te0WlNkseHkHnG/s400/Pumpkin+cake+040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
If you LOVE pumpkin, as much as I DO, you must try this easy-to-make pumpkin layered cake. Each bite melts in the mouth, leaving a perfect flavour of pumpkin, cinnamon, and walnuts.<br />
I must give all the credit for this recipe to my friend D.M. She worked on the recipe for years and gave me a perfected version of it. I made very small adjustments to reduce the calories.<br />
<br />
<em>Ingredients:</em><br />
<em>Makes 12 squares</em><br />
<br />
<em>Dry Mix:</em><br />
<br />
<em>1 1/4 cup of semolina or farina</em><br />
<em>3/4 cup of flour</em><br />
<em>1 cup sugar</em><br />
<em>1 cup walnuts, chopped or grounded</em><br />
<em>1 tbsp baking powder</em><br />
<br />
<em>Wet Mix:</em><br />
<br />
<em>6 cups of shredded butternut squash<br />
3 tbsp vegetable oil</em><br />
<em>3 tbsp sugar</em><br />
<em>1 tbsp cinnamon</em><br />
<em>1 tbsp vanilla</em><br />
<br />
<em>2 tbsp butter or olive oil (optional )</em><br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 375 F.<br />
<br />
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a sauce pan saute the shredded pumpkin with the oil and the sugar. Add the cinnamon and the vanilla at the end.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TPKfWqM06HI/AAAAAAAAHPA/tB7i4tUopys/s1600/Pumpkin+cake+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TPKfWqM06HI/AAAAAAAAHPA/tB7i4tUopys/s400/Pumpkin+cake+001.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Grease a 8x8 cake pan. Lay 1/3 of the dry mix in the bottom of the pan, following with a layer of the 1/3 of the wet mixture. Continue layering, alternating dry and wet, finishing with the wet mixture as shown on the photos below.<br />
I made 2 batches at once and used a 13x9 pan.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlmw8TidlSXQopkRK-KD4Uw3x0Ke_bz60uBptMsG59-g9mJuw03we7RzLf8UKC-u9X_FUBwVjCTVcSMYECt54Wzz5Ah_6sMr1T8W1Li34PIU-mEr6wG3NehL_UR7OSJqEn19rwdH8l9Sa/s1600/Pumpkin+cake+moist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlmw8TidlSXQopkRK-KD4Uw3x0Ke_bz60uBptMsG59-g9mJuw03we7RzLf8UKC-u9X_FUBwVjCTVcSMYECt54Wzz5Ah_6sMr1T8W1Li34PIU-mEr6wG3NehL_UR7OSJqEn19rwdH8l9Sa/s200/Pumpkin+cake+moist.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TPKkXvA_stI/AAAAAAAAHQ8/3dGw1dn4IgY/s1600/Pumpkin+cake+dry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TPKkXvA_stI/AAAAAAAAHQ8/3dGw1dn4IgY/s200/Pumpkin+cake+dry.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Cut 2 tbsp of butter into small chunks and space them out on top of the cake. I think using additional fat ( butter or oil) in this step can be avoided. The cake is moist enough from the pumpkin and can do without extra fat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnJJaWQ9UoAQMwiP9pqob-wYAoapA3W1AIBWoxX8EGvdeeZAsKfICp7UNTxsDPnxaI01G9OVi3QUuxxNhUG6dbUIw3_xOoNKkbkRXq2FspO7ua286gTXyNFvjp6PzYve_teqmbukjSi-0/s1600/Pumpkin+cake+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnJJaWQ9UoAQMwiP9pqob-wYAoapA3W1AIBWoxX8EGvdeeZAsKfICp7UNTxsDPnxaI01G9OVi3QUuxxNhUG6dbUIw3_xOoNKkbkRXq2FspO7ua286gTXyNFvjp6PzYve_teqmbukjSi-0/s400/Pumpkin+cake+007.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Bake the cake for 30-40 minute. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TPKikK6Lq5I/AAAAAAAAHQM/-GC8661I6Ag/s1600/Pumpkin+cake+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TPKikK6Lq5I/AAAAAAAAHQM/-GC8661I6Ag/s400/Pumpkin+cake+009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Allow to fully cool and cut into 12 squares. Decorate with a spoon of whipped cream and enjoy!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QegkQuSiemRbwZki2T_rn8HAVM3G8ie_M6ZhO1jaRw2TJ0KWyE6YB6MRiPkuIACfqCO-p72RmEgFbCQxxzLNWYTph6q3lY6JM3dCK7BZvLTH59BDEJhzMbMmhgiiG9te0WlNkseHkHnG/s1600/Pumpkin+cake+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QegkQuSiemRbwZki2T_rn8HAVM3G8ie_M6ZhO1jaRw2TJ0KWyE6YB6MRiPkuIACfqCO-p72RmEgFbCQxxzLNWYTph6q3lY6JM3dCK7BZvLTH59BDEJhzMbMmhgiiG9te0WlNkseHkHnG/s400/Pumpkin+cake+040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">PS. Did I tell you that cooking with wine is always GOOD ? :)</div>Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-43512546387116512512010-11-25T06:46:00.000-08:002010-12-21T08:25:32.161-08:00ETL: 30-minutes Corn Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMx9LsE-8gr1JiJ0Pth0qXKBXqOJIp-ioJqubCuVqPjPTMM4WbYISmAY5s1mDBw85k6OxBFPRs8vvAel4WUN-s-0NAc2F8zPwLrAypouEQRT0mNJx8dIXF-j6mwprkb9bzTx_mFDUI7Tm/s1600/corn-bread+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMx9LsE-8gr1JiJ0Pth0qXKBXqOJIp-ioJqubCuVqPjPTMM4WbYISmAY5s1mDBw85k6OxBFPRs8vvAel4WUN-s-0NAc2F8zPwLrAypouEQRT0mNJx8dIXF-j6mwprkb9bzTx_mFDUI7Tm/s400/corn-bread+073.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I can't wait to share this recipe with you. It was so good, I could've eaten the whole pan by myself. It is again this time of year, when I crave hot stews and warm breads. The fresh, (cold) salads are not on my mind anymore. I know, I know, it means packing a few pounds, but if that is the price, let be it. I won't fight it :)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><strong><u>Ingredients:</u> </strong><br />
16 squares<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.basilandwine.com/search?q=corn+bread">Basil and Wine</a>. Krystina knows good food. So far I cooked two of her recipes and they came out great.<br />
<ul><li>1 1/2 cups old fashioned cornmeal or polenta</li>
<li>1/2 cup spelt flour</li>
<li>2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp raw sugar</li>
<li>1 cup almond milk</li>
<li>3 tbsp canola oil. Per Marulka's suggestion, I'm reducing the oil next time, by replacing 2 tbsp oil with 2 tbsp apple sauce.</li>
<li>1 flax egg ( 1 tbsp flax seed + 2 tbsp water )</li>
<li>1 tbsp vinegar ( I used rice vinegar )</li>
</ul>I used polenta bought from Whole Foods. As you see from the picture below, it is quite coarse, not that fine like corn meal. Next time I'll try using polenta from Golden Pheasant. It is even more granular.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mmaWmgSZPkmopBnxSzRdzw1BpCw6vbUqgWrod6yvJIVjjW0Lzqj5j5a2Js9OYYNhMPbOkzsWlS2TD_zYPIWq7XpuXCsmii7-GyBI7hBAsIsffp0FjAaqYHaTm_3kDjfVJyleRjPFI7vq/s1600/corn-bread+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mmaWmgSZPkmopBnxSzRdzw1BpCw6vbUqgWrod6yvJIVjjW0Lzqj5j5a2Js9OYYNhMPbOkzsWlS2TD_zYPIWq7XpuXCsmii7-GyBI7hBAsIsffp0FjAaqYHaTm_3kDjfVJyleRjPFI7vq/s400/corn-bread+082.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO1Ql4oJodI/AAAAAAAAHOI/pjJ_1wGk5CM/s1600/corn-bread+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO1Ql4oJodI/AAAAAAAAHOI/pjJ_1wGk5CM/s400/corn-bread+084.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div></div><u><strong>Instructions:</strong></u><br />
<br />
<div></div>Preheat oven to 375.<br />
<br />
<div></div>Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and the wet ingredients (aside from flax egg) in another bowl. Add wet to dry then add flax egg and mix until the batter comes together. <br />
<div></div>Allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. This is the key to ultimate cornbread moistness.<br />
<br />
<div></div>Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pan. Shake and tap the pan to smooth out the batter if needed. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean out of the center.<br />
<br />
<div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO1PMqTYenI/AAAAAAAAHN0/Nos2O1WehiQ/s1600/corn-bread+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO1PMqTYenI/AAAAAAAAHN0/Nos2O1WehiQ/s400/corn-bread+055.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> Serve with hot stew. I made chili, and the corn bread was just a perfect compilment. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsUcCYAMT57DXeH5XMtJV4pwIPTjzbFHWpar3CRju2pY-13EwwsY9K1Pa00VxOXonkjiMdkJgElqTFvE3c4LHjc78cnmtHK_LYAHUuVJHxBcMKzlcG551GfMLVUdGTWtb85xuwT-slEHq/s1600/corn-bread+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsUcCYAMT57DXeH5XMtJV4pwIPTjzbFHWpar3CRju2pY-13EwwsY9K1Pa00VxOXonkjiMdkJgElqTFvE3c4LHjc78cnmtHK_LYAHUuVJHxBcMKzlcG551GfMLVUdGTWtb85xuwT-slEHq/s400/corn-bread+097.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-8993711232304118722010-11-24T09:24:00.000-08:002010-11-24T12:40:15.360-08:00ETL: Thai Curry for Beginners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPis-7ng8W00AIBmBwgulNUU4uZmaMdjo7ZpWfvJ3SpZB3FhCizz-P59bHBkXiVrgeudeIfcHRG12lhQq4GLGExIG-i4uRJypgfxAvcHeLdkPFAryDiJ6d8ll9GlM_kCymdeZ1rVGNURDu/s1600/Thai-Curry+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPis-7ng8W00AIBmBwgulNUU4uZmaMdjo7ZpWfvJ3SpZB3FhCizz-P59bHBkXiVrgeudeIfcHRG12lhQq4GLGExIG-i4uRJypgfxAvcHeLdkPFAryDiJ6d8ll9GlM_kCymdeZ1rVGNURDu/s400/Thai-Curry+018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="justify">If you like Thai food like me, you should try this recipe. The taste is 100% good and as close as it could be to the authentic version. I used all the vegetables, I found in my fridge, and a stick of rice noodles. Steamed white or brown rice works as well. Surprisingly, the dish holds well when reheated. I was concerned the rice noodles would get mushy, but they were just fine.<br />
<br />
</div><div align="justify"><strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
Serves 6<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.basilandwine.com/2010/08/curry-cheat.html">Basil and Wine</a></div><ul><li><div align="justify">1 block firm tofu. My tofu was already cubed, I just squeezed the cubes to take out the water.</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2 large bell peppers, yellow and red for colors, cut in strips</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">3 carrots, cut</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2 zucchini, cubed</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2 potatoes, cubed</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2 cups mushrooms, sliced</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">1 onion, finely chopped</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2-3 clove garlic, chopped or minced</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">1 tbsp ginger, grated</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">1 Thai chili, minced, I used jalapeno</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">4-5 basil leaves, preferably Thai</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2 cans coconut milk</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">4 tbsp red curry paste</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2 tsp coconut oil</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">Zest and juice of 2 lime</div></li>
<li><div align="justify">4oz rice noodles </div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">First chop the onions, the garlic and the chili, Grate the ginger and the lime zest. Juice the limes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTCw25L2NYIYLhEUwDNT1JnVattACcce7RYG__mVAlYvS2LcV3aiE1Kh_c4cNXIweD0ALaI4ION1roShTezHSFijWQQm7Ba5SWA9f5jV9RUSTfWTby9F3aaQ4aoQK_h5F25LrHwuZ53zw/s1600/Thai-Curry+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTCw25L2NYIYLhEUwDNT1JnVattACcce7RYG__mVAlYvS2LcV3aiE1Kh_c4cNXIweD0ALaI4ION1roShTezHSFijWQQm7Ba5SWA9f5jV9RUSTfWTby9F3aaQ4aoQK_h5F25LrHwuZ53zw/s400/Thai-Curry+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Prepare your vegetables, washing and cutting them in equal sizes. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihS5LdjXMEPbgmgXgbIohmjGekrlOw4XUfQ891t3RaQCWpL_uCEBuA3Cn_ugOilxk4XnintysucGAM84NNDUQGoytgMc_yeyQfIzbcBZp42VlF_o8e5MwW51esKF8C9iBBMtddEsU0qh38/s1600/Thai-Curry+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihS5LdjXMEPbgmgXgbIohmjGekrlOw4XUfQ891t3RaQCWpL_uCEBuA3Cn_ugOilxk4XnintysucGAM84NNDUQGoytgMc_yeyQfIzbcBZp42VlF_o8e5MwW51esKF8C9iBBMtddEsU0qh38/s200/Thai-Curry+003.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO08lP_3mUI/AAAAAAAAHNY/ZDOEiZWQvLQ/s1600/Thai-Curry+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO08lP_3mUI/AAAAAAAAHNY/ZDOEiZWQvLQ/s200/Thai-Curry+004.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe28me5m3HpmbRIN-2uC111q_2hWxPkn3ubBpns7ikZUNoHbTwCaacLMkz-JbIDlaGE5NHB3dgPb5Pi0JWQKoFsc1KAAZWJXpvf0Azxmc1kqtIvMSsou6jUFYBlBAasvrsYmEzax8nZPkr/s1600/Thai-Curry+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe28me5m3HpmbRIN-2uC111q_2hWxPkn3ubBpns7ikZUNoHbTwCaacLMkz-JbIDlaGE5NHB3dgPb5Pi0JWQKoFsc1KAAZWJXpvf0Azxmc1kqtIvMSsou6jUFYBlBAasvrsYmEzax8nZPkr/s200/Thai-Curry+002.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Wash the rice noodles with cold water, or act according to package directions, and set them aside.<br />
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Dry fry the tofu in a non-stick skillet on medium/medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides. Set aside. <br />
For omnivores, you can use chicken instead of tofu. Just cube a chicken breast and saute the chicken in a tea spoon of coconut oil.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMF7YJhE3WO7Iz1UCO3gW5XwuafjlXJ3vz09WG6RogVorOUYjGrPchJBFrvDhAJBu71M9j43auI13Jlk1uTl0gpnVWSCjZNYQ0xeZVppp91T-3mcTJd03sv34IIpJhlpgBrdNJ7hm4Dny/s1600/Thai-Curry+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMF7YJhE3WO7Iz1UCO3gW5XwuafjlXJ3vz09WG6RogVorOUYjGrPchJBFrvDhAJBu71M9j43auI13Jlk1uTl0gpnVWSCjZNYQ0xeZVppp91T-3mcTJd03sv34IIpJhlpgBrdNJ7hm4Dny/s400/Thai-Curry+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Add coconut oil to a large pan on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, chili and ginger and cook until translucent. Add the vegetables to the pan, starting with the vegetables that require the most time to cook, in this case, the carrots and potatoes, then the mushrooms, and the peppers and the zucchini at the end. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyK8PY1ulCBr8GT4JSB8P5lUtctSTnEPwZttHeAbahFSsyR6KneVQmvzueM3A4c9js4Paq1c5CiSCzcDO_bZB4fY1PRZYxoBqIgkZz_DSUQxP-kn_ms9ni7dvcxrqJMu6KuKXFdjGc83H/s1600/Thai-Curry+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyK8PY1ulCBr8GT4JSB8P5lUtctSTnEPwZttHeAbahFSsyR6KneVQmvzueM3A4c9js4Paq1c5CiSCzcDO_bZB4fY1PRZYxoBqIgkZz_DSUQxP-kn_ms9ni7dvcxrqJMu6KuKXFdjGc83H/s400/Thai-Curry+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">While vegetables cook, heat coconut milk in sauce pan. Stir the red curry paste into the coconut milk until dissolved, and the coconut milk is boiled. Add mixture to vegetables and stir to combine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Add lime zest and juice, soy sauce, basil and tofu. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. During the last few minutes of cooking, add rice noodles. Stir to break them apart and coat them in the curry sauce. Plate with a garnish of lime and cilantro and enjoy!</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO09dqGLX7I/AAAAAAAAHNk/gGwOYBhvwXk/s1600/Thai-Curry+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TO09dqGLX7I/AAAAAAAAHNk/gGwOYBhvwXk/s400/Thai-Curry+013.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div>Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-71214944217398561642010-11-17T07:43:00.000-08:002011-01-22T13:57:16.019-08:00Holiday Sunflower Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpPnirgTPdTTOTivobrvfhQEoOIx35qB7d1CCyitBkl4zEZDbMrDvuoXoXtwK_QwivqJ_Ml09gvNH88tdSQRxekdsxDhM2TivWmvhERZjl1DkFvwAFyrnoqCoxYLC_wYP08fPbi0M6AKb/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpPnirgTPdTTOTivobrvfhQEoOIx35qB7d1CCyitBkl4zEZDbMrDvuoXoXtwK_QwivqJ_Ml09gvNH88tdSQRxekdsxDhM2TivWmvhERZjl1DkFvwAFyrnoqCoxYLC_wYP08fPbi0M6AKb/s320/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="justify">This bread is named "Sunflower bread" because it looks like a sunflower. It is a traditional Bulgarian bread made for special occasions, like engagement parties, weddings, baby showers, or Christmas.</div> I got the recipe from my mother in law and I've been making the bread for years.<br />
<br />
<div></div>INGREDIENTS:<br />
<br />
<div></div><u>Sponge:</u><br />
<ul><li>2.5 tsp dry yeast</li>
<li>1/2 cup warm water</li>
<li>2-3 tbsp flour</li>
<li>1 tbsp sugar</li>
</ul><u>Dough:</u><br />
<ul><li>5 eggs</li>
<li>500 g yogurt</li>
<li>1 tbsp salt</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 tbsp vinegar</li>
<li>1 kg + flour. I used whole wheat organic flour from Costco.</li>
</ul><u>Bread preparation:</u><br />
<ul><li>125 g soft butter</li>
<li>1/2 cup sesame seeds</li>
<li>1 yolk</li>
</ul>In a small bowl mix the ingredients for the sponge. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place for 15 minutes, till the yeast rises.<br />
In a big bowl, mix the eggs with the yogurt, salt, oil, vinegar, and pour the yeast mix to it. Start adding flour to the mix till you form the dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead the dough to form a smooth, round ball. You may need more than 1kg of flour, depending on the amount of the used liquids. The dough should be easy to knead, not very soft, but not very hard either. Place the dough in the bowl again, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.<br />
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<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw5WhswHqE42L53lkz_5-ORnlYJZVPweaHgbwAcOYl8SuL7CnPiAQbWRznYM6qXn-nI9JQVfepCG2DS_scoHJlHoYOAhWsqPkMn0agMhE3PQgpOjvkbM-K1GBatGQQwYphlR5dY7yL7l3/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw5WhswHqE42L53lkz_5-ORnlYJZVPweaHgbwAcOYl8SuL7CnPiAQbWRznYM6qXn-nI9JQVfepCG2DS_scoHJlHoYOAhWsqPkMn0agMhE3PQgpOjvkbM-K1GBatGQQwYphlR5dY7yL7l3/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Meanwhile soften the butter in a microwave. Grease a 13" pan with butter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0oCGMifI/AAAAAAAAHKw/CLjxB8Z5uFQ/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0oCGMifI/AAAAAAAAHKw/CLjxB8Z5uFQ/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter.You'll need a rolling pin to make the bread. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprcGV5fEPfC5y-Ph36i-SMX0dLV5Z9iq6-gfglwNKvp9jzBK1EAzJSosBXltcoT9uRJVgSXuvTWZaCLW0Q6IWS_StCXyeXAWOo8TP6WVa7AT3bzbO-WmuuvohFx88AyoQUHO1o_yUhrZ7/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprcGV5fEPfC5y-Ph36i-SMX0dLV5Z9iq6-gfglwNKvp9jzBK1EAzJSosBXltcoT9uRJVgSXuvTWZaCLW0Q6IWS_StCXyeXAWOo8TP6WVa7AT3bzbO-WmuuvohFx88AyoQUHO1o_yUhrZ7/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Cut some dough into a size of a tennis ball and set it aside. Divide the rest of the dough into three equal pieces and form three balls.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0fLriI7I/AAAAAAAAHKo/y50FOgwNWHs/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0fLriI7I/AAAAAAAAHKo/y50FOgwNWHs/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> With the rolling pin roll the 3 balls into 10-inch circles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiB3t2Eo0oXCJP2C0Toxc1qzMrlQvLMangauvw0oX2YqwTQ33-UjPbXKVATqUyfMdnEi40TfGNQmGZ0SWL08uCHkx9J4PhpdKhsB4zJVCH0ZbHY2UurF8D4tCwImq2IjrgP-QTWiuECr5/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiB3t2Eo0oXCJP2C0Toxc1qzMrlQvLMangauvw0oX2YqwTQ33-UjPbXKVATqUyfMdnEi40TfGNQmGZ0SWL08uCHkx9J4PhpdKhsB4zJVCH0ZbHY2UurF8D4tCwImq2IjrgP-QTWiuECr5/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Spread one third of the soften butter onto the first circle and place the second circle on top of it. Spread the other third of the butter on the second circle. Place the third circle on top of the second. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0uPaaVCI/AAAAAAAAHK0/msTkcjwkpPQ/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0uPaaVCI/AAAAAAAAHK0/msTkcjwkpPQ/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div></div>Roll the three circles into a big 1/4 of inch thick circle. <br />
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<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0xy4Ee9I/AAAAAAAAHK4/Sb_yTE3aktg/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_0xy4Ee9I/AAAAAAAAHK4/Sb_yTE3aktg/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Spread the rest of the butter over it. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the circle into 16 equal wedges.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_03BXgP8I/AAAAAAAAHK8/ZFvzPXYDEr0/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_03BXgP8I/AAAAAAAAHK8/ZFvzPXYDEr0/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Roll each wedge up, starting from the wide end and following one of the edges, as shown on the images below. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgml-Jn8IMwrufCsLyzPfomOYLiqF7KTyUdmR_K8qFhSRvfK164ZdZXOH9ZTCHoqryas1seMQzg8aeF53XdNIRPrR1N4jbQApIQ-50VbMSy6P7H-muiujcf1Dv1JtnsHMDIWvmFmynQYqUM/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgml-Jn8IMwrufCsLyzPfomOYLiqF7KTyUdmR_K8qFhSRvfK164ZdZXOH9ZTCHoqryas1seMQzg8aeF53XdNIRPrR1N4jbQApIQ-50VbMSy6P7H-muiujcf1Dv1JtnsHMDIWvmFmynQYqUM/s200/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+021.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0nainuEmd5DsDldshphtksm7KvYwDcIzjuqgEgjKNxJC2Ra1_zOLUMM4auocKAAab2oY_d4tPJ97IRdoGStsX4d1OrfSrcn7eEEPw8aFoxaxFzai60h13AvMZpNX81FR4N_qtbT-S0QU/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0nainuEmd5DsDldshphtksm7KvYwDcIzjuqgEgjKNxJC2Ra1_zOLUMM4auocKAAab2oY_d4tPJ97IRdoGStsX4d1OrfSrcn7eEEPw8aFoxaxFzai60h13AvMZpNX81FR4N_qtbT-S0QU/s200/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+023.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Lay the rolls into the pan with the pointed tip to the center, spaced equally from each other. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8YcALxzqM-yZgx9zwiGUH25djW4zypaBq-TqmjRS9rI4wZiak6ns2dmZOw85Wn3yOYwVlT3piyBygv3DhShwYMzlUNeLrSIHh2DifliFurN6rA-gMhJ0ncyLLF15BVa6u0G9pJpNzilR/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8YcALxzqM-yZgx9zwiGUH25djW4zypaBq-TqmjRS9rI4wZiak6ns2dmZOw85Wn3yOYwVlT3piyBygv3DhShwYMzlUNeLrSIHh2DifliFurN6rA-gMhJ0ncyLLF15BVa6u0G9pJpNzilR/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+022.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Lightly press the small ball, you put aside at the beginning, into a small circle. Place the circle on the middle of the pan. The small circle represents the sunflower head and the rolls are the leaves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagx7kQGJwT8B1zd6dPXrKZywOHJvloC0BUagUUyz7CMo26m_azf0CmZeFWArZmMy-SxQyQVgRLWe3XJQ8vFSM3fOLBb7wxh6h2dM0g4ZsArhFpxvlGQXWrly8OKCMNp3OpTb4mDX-uFNx/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagx7kQGJwT8B1zd6dPXrKZywOHJvloC0BUagUUyz7CMo26m_azf0CmZeFWArZmMy-SxQyQVgRLWe3XJQ8vFSM3fOLBb7wxh6h2dM0g4ZsArhFpxvlGQXWrly8OKCMNp3OpTb4mDX-uFNx/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Beat the egg yolk with 1/3 tsp olive oil and lightly brush the bread with the mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size and dough barely springs back when poked with a knuckle, 45 to 75 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMurxDhABYGbZgswYllYk1eHmyR-7j5CX1dFQb3zFZEt8acWwyZUX0bfXyRRq3eExMtI4I-wYqWC1N1vtQMwNnMveZRO95eXwfMdAZY-bHF0DzFSuh6Iqg0we6emK16ZaTWbdJzcvF6NRg/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMurxDhABYGbZgswYllYk1eHmyR-7j5CX1dFQb3zFZEt8acWwyZUX0bfXyRRq3eExMtI4I-wYqWC1N1vtQMwNnMveZRO95eXwfMdAZY-bHF0DzFSuh6Iqg0we6emK16ZaTWbdJzcvF6NRg/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+030.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Adjust the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake until golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Cover the pan with foil for the last 5-10 minutes, if needed, to prevent the bread from burning and make sure it is well baked.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_21baRZrI/AAAAAAAAHLc/7FnJ5uS73l0/s1600/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TN_21baRZrI/AAAAAAAAHLc/7FnJ5uS73l0/s400/Vasko%2526Iana-EngParty+031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Cover the bread with a towel and let it cool in the pan for 1/2 hour before serving. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QXDxiO7YJINyXy7UTUmMUKkEHUQamV626una6NdwpO1R3PYS6g1vebeEzDTvd8c0OFJuIfBPROObluUIWDYU_GAt-3yJN4GtfSS3IiY3MsUrBBIM5XV7FdPyIm9-O3zSXCtDDEJ8wEPS/s1600/pita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QXDxiO7YJINyXy7UTUmMUKkEHUQamV626una6NdwpO1R3PYS6g1vebeEzDTvd8c0OFJuIfBPROObluUIWDYU_GAt-3yJN4GtfSS3IiY3MsUrBBIM5XV7FdPyIm9-O3zSXCtDDEJ8wEPS/s400/pita.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div></div></div>Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-74923718702127621922010-11-13T22:16:00.000-08:002011-02-27T08:05:28.556-08:00Stinging Nettle Soup, aka "Supa ot Kopriva" or "Супа от Коприва"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIxz8rUcmYV7-DW4TOKwdZuFwn3QuDVhZIUPIMBDggr40MEZSgfvCPI81d9B1DnM2cTqF10jMSB4rXp0eVOG0JEZfplkdCywJNSU58Dk8bMDIDaDGE-SoXfR7kon46W3Ig9nTv-0t6pI/s1600/IMG_3721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIxz8rUcmYV7-DW4TOKwdZuFwn3QuDVhZIUPIMBDggr40MEZSgfvCPI81d9B1DnM2cTqF10jMSB4rXp0eVOG0JEZfplkdCywJNSU58Dk8bMDIDaDGE-SoXfR7kon46W3Ig9nTv-0t6pI/s400/IMG_3721.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Words cannot describe how much I like nettle soup and how excited I was today when I saw fresh nettle leaves at the farmers market... I went CRAZY!!! I ran to the ATM to get some cash and got myself a bag of fresh stinging nettle leaves and as soon as I got home I started cooking. Last time I had nettle soup was in 2006 when I went back to Bulgaria and my grandma made it for me. I have been craving it ever since and today I finally had some of this amazingly delicious soup. The flavor is very unique and nutty and it just tastes so so good. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjUmKYpEoI2H-WHVBsEHQkQAy15zM1Dwgm7ph4FY1lr3AxxdonDEQAcKbjZdFp_8cQw3igQ7y-4NCN-6DNKzDgiFIyW12F5TPnFoROewAA2xgc5VcnqZvaB9fm48rgODZag_73UHXq88/s1600/IMG_3726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjUmKYpEoI2H-WHVBsEHQkQAy15zM1Dwgm7ph4FY1lr3AxxdonDEQAcKbjZdFp_8cQw3igQ7y-4NCN-6DNKzDgiFIyW12F5TPnFoROewAA2xgc5VcnqZvaB9fm48rgODZag_73UHXq88/s320/IMG_3726.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlaiq1nDgzaEvOem2Nn-kmFqUFsmEvclLhT4vwgt8igK5WQuf6vZfhsQpgPJESrKp4zL-5ShYof_GQH6uCIpAZu_Igwr5SSOqnudhz_BsHhUzzdFVC-77Gp2Sk6lNcb9NxilSzhLP2KA/s1600/IMG_3731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlaiq1nDgzaEvOem2Nn-kmFqUFsmEvclLhT4vwgt8igK5WQuf6vZfhsQpgPJESrKp4zL-5ShYof_GQH6uCIpAZu_Igwr5SSOqnudhz_BsHhUzzdFVC-77Gp2Sk6lNcb9NxilSzhLP2KA/s320/IMG_3731.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
<ul><li>1lb fresh nettle leaves, stems removed, washed well and chopped</li>
<li>3 - 4 small carrots, chopped</li>
<li>1 onion, chopped</li>
<li>4 - 5 garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li>1/2 cup white rice</li>
<li>1/3 cup walnuts, chopped</li>
<li>some feta cheese to garnish</li>
<li>salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika to taste</li>
</ul><br />
In a large boiling pot sauté the onions and garlic in some olive oil until soft and translucent. Then add the carrots and cook for 5 min until soft.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB5-oQ8Lz12Tcl0XQDJaGZVIjBcljmeLztsJRV7oGP97eUQ3jAQK_Uw6TJLROkgfnnQi6y2b1guk9vN5CO3jqoGXNLPrp-6pR0koi5sI_7Kla9CrnRL09G1ePoz535zA9taZpQBRLwvM/s1600/IMG_3730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB5-oQ8Lz12Tcl0XQDJaGZVIjBcljmeLztsJRV7oGP97eUQ3jAQK_Uw6TJLROkgfnnQi6y2b1guk9vN5CO3jqoGXNLPrp-6pR0koi5sI_7Kla9CrnRL09G1ePoz535zA9taZpQBRLwvM/s320/IMG_3730.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Then add the chopped nettle leaves and cook about 5 min, or until all the water is released (nettle leaves behave like spinach and will pretty much evaporate upon cooking so do not get alarmed if the 1 lb of leaves seems too much) and season with salt, black pepper, red pepper and some cayenne pepper.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_wK2v62G5F4UPImdSWHqZISA96WHtAGUrFm5CV-L2zj93yHEDGI3sKVN9LVd0uccVRu2Cv903bzoxdNwveWcn65sb_20m_Zz-uZ8U7K55-CvffRcXpIynhAuMTpSNZ3E2ObCbuQboGE/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_wK2v62G5F4UPImdSWHqZISA96WHtAGUrFm5CV-L2zj93yHEDGI3sKVN9LVd0uccVRu2Cv903bzoxdNwveWcn65sb_20m_Zz-uZ8U7K55-CvffRcXpIynhAuMTpSNZ3E2ObCbuQboGE/s320/IMG_3733.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Then add water (add little by little until you reach a desired consistency), the rice and the walnuts and bring to a boil and cook for ~ 15 minutes, or until the rice is ready.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimD6s7A0-5e6ougvUfwXJcV4MIIUHiw5LAK0jzPfC3rX3sFB6RFbXsCl308_TXNC_IO1BDoAhPJE6OURXLON7OtshTRTkK41IIecQQLphnWHGuGHxYICM1n5u81SX1ugy5_IklEoMDcCY/s1600/IMG_3735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimD6s7A0-5e6ougvUfwXJcV4MIIUHiw5LAK0jzPfC3rX3sFB6RFbXsCl308_TXNC_IO1BDoAhPJE6OURXLON7OtshTRTkK41IIecQQLphnWHGuGHxYICM1n5u81SX1ugy5_IklEoMDcCY/s320/IMG_3735.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Serve as is or with crumbled feta and a spoon of plain yogurt and ENJOY!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0w0_zR4wbytVBAkkdHHgi8fiJpMzZxWIXYnGGK9QH_jrzpIY55A7eycAGacUbIPxhM9Et13Psh3jL_3EDrueSB7T0VWuIs3mNeIknO1bhc-SKny8uSrn3i4TJyrLtUM_1dTSB1j5F8Y/s1600/IMG_3739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0w0_zR4wbytVBAkkdHHgi8fiJpMzZxWIXYnGGK9QH_jrzpIY55A7eycAGacUbIPxhM9Et13Psh3jL_3EDrueSB7T0VWuIs3mNeIknO1bhc-SKny8uSrn3i4TJyrLtUM_1dTSB1j5F8Y/s400/IMG_3739.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BW7ry5_TYYS-69PQ4Viwi_f4XU0pE-060G0TfUV9wm7aLGkSDZJRUQHTfjXn_j8XyxUkMkaGkgjBdhxPRljLdOQBnJvzbzvcY6viiwFp8boxWmVDUwpSHQU70Y-euge3G_1-ipduHpA/s1600/IMG_3741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BW7ry5_TYYS-69PQ4Viwi_f4XU0pE-060G0TfUV9wm7aLGkSDZJRUQHTfjXn_j8XyxUkMkaGkgjBdhxPRljLdOQBnJvzbzvcY6viiwFp8boxWmVDUwpSHQU70Y-euge3G_1-ipduHpA/s400/IMG_3741.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-14960413250318352742010-10-17T23:40:00.000-07:002011-02-05T07:04:23.104-08:00Spinach and Sorrel soup, aka "Supa ot Spanak i Kiselec"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMVXbZ_pBVRpZcH-Q6SXQWsyVRqoTaiNDz6htAx7Hssk_2Uv8DiQ1FrgSpeImdRLVIV8iGkaX1gZVVwXvtyRdikVlSlHED2X2LqMgK9ryeUvoFnNGOU9ERcVgdcey-1ep-hgv_Sh6PG8/s1600/IMG_3704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMVXbZ_pBVRpZcH-Q6SXQWsyVRqoTaiNDz6htAx7Hssk_2Uv8DiQ1FrgSpeImdRLVIV8iGkaX1gZVVwXvtyRdikVlSlHED2X2LqMgK9ryeUvoFnNGOU9ERcVgdcey-1ep-hgv_Sh6PG8/s400/IMG_3704.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
Another one of my all time favorites and a great soup for all you vegetarians and vegans! Alternatively, it can be made with spinach only, but I really like the taste of sorrel - it adds slight sour-flavor that is surprisingly refreshing and delicious. As always, feel free to scale up or down, depending on how many hungry throats you will be feeding :) ... And I have to give Plodova Salata credit for this soup, since she made it for me first and kindly provided sorrel from her garden!<br />
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INGREDIENTS:<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced <br />
4 carrots, sliced<br />
2 bell peppers, chopped <br />
1 lb fresh baby spinach, washed (or 2 lbs if you are not adding any sorrel)<br />
1 lb sorrel (this is "киселец"... I only had frozen kiselec), washed and coarsely chopped<br />
1 cup rice<br />
Spices: salt, black and red pepper, cayene pepper, cumin, savory<br />
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In a large pot, saute the onions and garlic with some olive oil over medium heat. Then add the carrots, celery, bell peppers and all the seasonings / spices and continue cooking until all the vegetables are soft (5 min). Then add the washed spinach and sorrel and cook for additional 5 minutes or until all the leaves have released water. Add water (~ 1.5 - 2 Liters) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the rice and simmer for 20 min. (TIP: If you are in a hurry, you can reduce the cooking time by adding pre-heated water to the spinach.)<br />
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Serve and ENJOY!<br />
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Also for the non-vegans, this soup goes incredibly well with a spoon of plain yogurt and some feta cheese! Double Enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3vqSxWJYgIqOq0MZChO1GPizuhACroDxyECF3Ov8KnmZp9p0Bb2grSotUaAGQ8hCO-R48G9BYJmoBV0MCwJC-6AdXaHP98BX8W9yyTeR74R3y0zsygtbbx2Rj9Z-EYqFsqCnKGpeYJU/s1600/IMG_3710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3vqSxWJYgIqOq0MZChO1GPizuhACroDxyECF3Ov8KnmZp9p0Bb2grSotUaAGQ8hCO-R48G9BYJmoBV0MCwJC-6AdXaHP98BX8W9yyTeR74R3y0zsygtbbx2Rj9Z-EYqFsqCnKGpeYJU/s320/IMG_3710.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-80937614306372596672010-10-09T11:35:00.000-07:002011-02-04T19:19:51.407-08:00ETL:Bulgarian Vegetable Stew - "Gyuvetch"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TKIP3mYSCgI/AAAAAAAAHIc/z6irdH8jlx8/s1600/IMG_5453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TKIP3mYSCgI/AAAAAAAAHIc/z6irdH8jlx8/s320/IMG_5453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There are many healthy and tasty vegetarian dishes in the Bulgarian cuisine. One of them is the famous gyuvetch. Many people cook gyuvetch with meat, beef, lamb or pork. Traditionally it is cooked with seasonal vegetables, baked in in a clay pot. Since not many spices are added to this dish, the key is to find the perfect selection and proportion of vegetables and cook them the right amount of time to get the best blend of flavors and texture. For me the gyuvetch is one of the most difficult dishes to cook, and extremely rewarding when I get it right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here is my humble version of gyuvetch:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ingredients:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1 onion, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2 cloves of garlic</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2-3 small or 1 big eggplant, cubed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2 zucchini, cubed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1 celery stalk, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">3-4 carrots, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1/2 lb green beans, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2-3 bell or other kind sweet peppers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1/2 okra cleaned and cut at 2 " pieces</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1 can diced tomatoes (optional )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2-3 Yukon gold potatoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">few sprigs mint and savory</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2 tbsp olive oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">salt to taste and 1 tbsp paprika</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>1 cup Veggie broth<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLB-4goQT8I/AAAAAAAAHIs/3xisAqmVG-c/s1600/IMG_5443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLB-4goQT8I/AAAAAAAAHIs/3xisAqmVG-c/s400/IMG_5443.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">First clean and chop all the vegetables. Try to cut into similar size pieces to get the veggies cook simultaneously. Also the dish looks better when you get a mix of good shaped and bright colored vegetables. You must be careful to not overcook the vegetables to keep their colors fresh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Saute the onions and garlic. I added salt, a little bit dry mint, and savory (chubritza).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazRXOcwvj7hHISzyUbi5GVZuQIZFt2Uw0saUfHXhskkce5TvdjKwBPgmLWm1PvhPUQIe7zQ7lGTgJYI1pusY5mE6D8dYVbQ63x7mupVgAcRR35ga7stWKA3VXWw0g5dDZZiCIly5fmDo7/s1600/IMG_5442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazRXOcwvj7hHISzyUbi5GVZuQIZFt2Uw0saUfHXhskkce5TvdjKwBPgmLWm1PvhPUQIe7zQ7lGTgJYI1pusY5mE6D8dYVbQ63x7mupVgAcRR35ga7stWKA3VXWw0g5dDZZiCIly5fmDo7/s400/IMG_5442.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Meanwhile boil water and pour it over the okra. You must soak the okra in hot water for 10-15 minutes and rinse it to get rid of the slime.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtRLdedzqAUShXaztvk6qJn-Zqo_cu7WkZezkmekJz2Pok_KaDDWrMyat4-Mq5QkfhyphenhyphensMa5LqlDHsgZdLYsJCxc2a81CgMBsQAniSTC5bWoiXYQu6SbSdnjxUNvcLip-4SkDsftPKs75G/s1600/IMG_5447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtRLdedzqAUShXaztvk6qJn-Zqo_cu7WkZezkmekJz2Pok_KaDDWrMyat4-Mq5QkfhyphenhyphensMa5LqlDHsgZdLYsJCxc2a81CgMBsQAniSTC5bWoiXYQu6SbSdnjxUNvcLip-4SkDsftPKs75G/s400/IMG_5447.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Add first the carrots, then the celery, and then the eggplant to the pot and saute them for 2 minutes before adding the next veggie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLCB9RLy3EI/AAAAAAAAHJ0/249Lma26R5E/s1600/IMG_5448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLCB9RLy3EI/AAAAAAAAHJ0/249Lma26R5E/s400/IMG_5448.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> Add the peppers and the green beans and sate them for 2 minutes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijJWz8_tZpGyp9JPSH9c26puyQFX9FZxNgHoo_JE7oybbKncTot6gNKfNij5DcqS7wblniDy8gRGWaRHLAa5KRXG9YBdILxNSssgfRUBCrw7G69qpEcEgibyjnAZToDI2yMZRJYqhW0GW/s1600/IMG_5449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijJWz8_tZpGyp9JPSH9c26puyQFX9FZxNgHoo_JE7oybbKncTot6gNKfNij5DcqS7wblniDy8gRGWaRHLAa5KRXG9YBdILxNSssgfRUBCrw7G69qpEcEgibyjnAZToDI2yMZRJYqhW0GW/s400/IMG_5449.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Then add the paprika and pour the broth. Cook for about an 30 minutes, before adding the okra, and the zucchini. After 30 more minutes add the potatoes. Cook them for about 20 minutes and then add the tomatoes. Always add the tomatoes at the end, otherwise the acids from the tomatoes would prevent the vegetables from cooking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLCwTxbHaII/AAAAAAAAHKI/u5vUTPOOsn0/s1600/IMG_5451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLCwTxbHaII/AAAAAAAAHKI/u5vUTPOOsn0/s400/IMG_5451.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Cook till the potatoes get soft. Add parsley, and serve with <a href="http://www.bgcooks.com/2010/09/how-to-make-perfect-brown-rice.html">MM's brown rice</a> on a side or dip the <span id="goog_1279928392"></span><a href="http://www.bgcooks.com/2010/01/hearty-minestrone-crusty-ciabatta-rolls.html">Marulka's crusty ciabatta</a> in the delicious sauce.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><img height="72" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLCwTxbHaII/AAAAAAAAHKI/u5vUTPOOsn0/s320/IMG_5451.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 450px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 2840px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span id="goog_1279928393"></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLCBQYNE8hI/AAAAAAAAHJc/t4kEdSRNL6E/s1600/IMG_5452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TLCBQYNE8hI/AAAAAAAAHJc/t4kEdSRNL6E/s400/IMG_5452.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-76891211214107019222010-09-29T20:12:00.000-07:002010-09-29T20:26:45.106-07:00How to make perfect Brown RiceThis recipe has been conceived and perfected by the mind and hands of none other than renowned chef, author and food critic <i>Muhlio Muhlev.</i><br />
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It is a straightforward and reliable way to cook brown rice at home, without a rice cooker, using a pot, tin (aluminum) foil, and your ability to follow simple instructions. The water to rice ratio has been optimized for absolute perfection. This recipe represents the preferred method of cooking brown rice in the rarefied strata of the culinary elite.<br />
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Before you start, determine how much brown rice you want. A cup of uncooked (raw) brown rice contains around 650-700 calories. If you are cooking dinner, it would not be unreasonable to have about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of raw rice per person. Adjust as needed if you are pigging out, dieting, or want to have rice left over.<br />
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The whole process will take slightly less than an hour.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wzjNpuQQzJ9aANqk0eQPfdOc4Jac9cJIDweliui1tROWf9MvqLAx6wHA1CPNZdBPjzHpStDkaDra66L6m00SqNkHcYjiGxfYJCsuiBbDhe6rI4tKgmFZgN9LFcWV7oHHtsCx1WiPtQk/s1600/IMG_3612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wzjNpuQQzJ9aANqk0eQPfdOc4Jac9cJIDweliui1tROWf9MvqLAx6wHA1CPNZdBPjzHpStDkaDra66L6m00SqNkHcYjiGxfYJCsuiBbDhe6rI4tKgmFZgN9LFcWV7oHHtsCx1WiPtQk/s400/IMG_3612.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Things you need:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li>a boiling pot.</li>
<li>aluminum foil</li>
<li>brown rice</li>
<li>olive oil</li>
<li>salt </li>
</ul>Steps:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ol><li>Add olive oil to pot (1-2 tablespoons per cup of rice, or whatever you want.)</li>
<li>Add raw rice to the pot once the oil is hot.</li>
<li>Add salt (1/2 teaspoon per cup) </li>
<li>Stir the rice over the hot olive oil, so that it doesn't burn, but gets cooked slightly for 1-2 minutes.</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Add</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.5 cups of water per cup of brown rice</b>.</span></li>
<li>Once the water is boiling (this should happen very quickly since the rice and oil are hot), reduce the stove top heat to low/medium. (settings 4 out of 9)</li>
<li>Cover the boiling pot with a square piece of aluminum foil (big enough to cover it completely and stick out) , and place the pot lid on top of the foil.</li>
<li>Wait <b>45 minutes. </b>There is no need to disturb the rice while it is cooking.</li>
<li>Remove the lid and foil, and leave uncovered, so that the moisture/vapor can escape completely.</li>
<li>Fluff with a fork.</li>
</ol>That's it. If you wish, you can skip the olive oil, but you would sacrifice a lot of flavor in a misunderstood quest to reduce calories.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>If you found this recipe useful, use the comments area to pass your praise and adulation to Muhlio.slaninkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429647696162180024noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2988943467093393842.post-41815975872060895402010-09-18T13:07:00.000-07:002011-02-04T19:19:16.523-08:00ETL: Easy Breezy Tortilla Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TJUWSljZDWI/AAAAAAAAHH0/a7e27FjxDt0/s1600/tortilla+soup+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TJUWSljZDWI/AAAAAAAAHH0/a7e27FjxDt0/s400/tortilla+soup+038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
If you feel under the weather with stuffy nose and scratchy throat like me the only thing you'd need to get better is a hot and spicy soup. I hesitated between a Pho take-out from a near by vegan restaurant and a home made tortilla soup. The tortilla soup won. It took me 15 minutes to cook it and the result was superb. I used a Vitamix blender to cook, but I am sure it can be done with any blender, using some additional prep work and small adjustments.<br />
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This is what you need:<br />
<ul><li>2 cups vegetable broth, hot</li>
<li>1 large Roma tomato or two small, halved</li>
<li>3 small carrots</li>
<li>1/2 stalk celery</li>
<li>1 thin slice red onion</li>
<li>1 garlic clove, peeled</li>
<li>1/2 yellow bell pepper</li>
<li>1/2 jalapeno pepper</li>
<li>1/2 cup frozen corn</li>
<li>1 can beens, rinsed. It's best to use home cooked, but since I did not plan to cook this soup, I used a can of black beens.</li>
<li>1 tsp tortilla soup or taco seasoning. With the taco seasoning you may need to add a dash of cumin and black pepper. </li>
<li>1/4 of avocado</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaZI9PA6XcAUABh5iL2nE7HV8P8zdWzbclf4dtpZHv2njkrM2m4OZgDQPu5I-L5NHpaI6z3eQ1HIQ8U_UuLftAYa7z_71AbK_t_xNIhWSvk7k_11deFdFtMzsz1DWyBYFCNcKxEbLTFzs/s1600/tortilla+soup+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaZI9PA6XcAUABh5iL2nE7HV8P8zdWzbclf4dtpZHv2njkrM2m4OZgDQPu5I-L5NHpaI6z3eQ1HIQ8U_UuLftAYa7z_71AbK_t_xNIhWSvk7k_11deFdFtMzsz1DWyBYFCNcKxEbLTFzs/s400/tortilla+soup+022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Process:<br />
Boil two cups of hot water to speed up the process. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCL0jCPX1TvI1uozVbHVJN0jp94XK7DcUQ_oeoCXJ6govzOOoiIomTMkx2PYRvAZPbq3AEbmDM1gctWBZQ9FdCnGyhKzNZsQlJmlRFgc3z-r1aefJkQFoAlhUWch_WYDgGqKn6tZyCymx/s1600/tortilla+soup+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCL0jCPX1TvI1uozVbHVJN0jp94XK7DcUQ_oeoCXJ6govzOOoiIomTMkx2PYRvAZPbq3AEbmDM1gctWBZQ9FdCnGyhKzNZsQlJmlRFgc3z-r1aefJkQFoAlhUWch_WYDgGqKn6tZyCymx/s400/tortilla+soup+031.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Place the tomatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, garlic, and celery in the blander. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vc4VZKieIza6KA6fYeI8-3xQKRXOdKtJf9E3vhnHxcPJMZLMOpnxiCTMHZ_C2M4iRrZ0s__Mf2lZchSjDnT0LMV3tg8YUTizl7Ef2K4sEaITCwY4k7lf_JkJrN793t2XOGyKDsln8opL/s1600/tortilla+soup+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vc4VZKieIza6KA6fYeI8-3xQKRXOdKtJf9E3vhnHxcPJMZLMOpnxiCTMHZ_C2M4iRrZ0s__Mf2lZchSjDnT0LMV3tg8YUTizl7Ef2K4sEaITCwY4k7lf_JkJrN793t2XOGyKDsln8opL/s400/tortilla+soup+032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Pour the hot broth and blend quickly to Variable 10 and then High for 3-4 minutes if you are using Vitamix.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TJUaNbIe56I/AAAAAAAAHIQ/CMQZK7FlkLA/s1600/tortilla+soup+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qx="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPHeKiYqQa4/TJUaNbIe56I/AAAAAAAAHIQ/CMQZK7FlkLA/s400/tortilla+soup+036.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
When the mix is steaming, add the avocado, beans, frozen corn, the cilantro and spices. Blend to 10-20 sec on very low speed (2 for Vitamix). The goal is to keep the beans and corn almost intact for texture. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qCpnHdBn9Ao6ssEDpL6Ia-aqQuSLbaqhJSI8_rcqUb4miQoYhDgJWeIjAymJNdjOY9GUYYUsivZLXyHLCOm6IuRvIlS3MJ0TQ5IiVkhy_fRq8mtCVb9Ofx-Guon6TAd2gIi2xprbPE-A/s1600/tortilla+soup+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qCpnHdBn9Ao6ssEDpL6Ia-aqQuSLbaqhJSI8_rcqUb4miQoYhDgJWeIjAymJNdjOY9GUYYUsivZLXyHLCOm6IuRvIlS3MJ0TQ5IiVkhy_fRq8mtCVb9Ofx-Guon6TAd2gIi2xprbPE-A/s400/tortilla+soup+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Optionally you can add cooked chicken breast, pitted olives and serve with tortilla chips.<br />
Delicious! :)Lokumahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07240308848402727919noreply@blogger.com0