miercuri, 21 decembrie 2016

Candied Kumquats

Found some lovely kumquats at the market and I didn't know what to do with them, so I tried this recipe..

4 cups of roughly chopped kumquats (roughly 1-1½ lbs.), 1 cup of water, 2 cups of sugar

With a pairing knife roughly chop the kumquats. Discard any seeds you can that are easy to get too, but they're edible so don't fret if some get chopped up or stay in the fruit. Feel free to leave any small kumquats whole. Heat the water and sugar over high heat until it comes to a boil. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add the kumquats and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the kumquats through a sieve set over a bowl. Return the syrup to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the syrup. Combine the kumquats and 1/4 cup of the syrup together. Serve or jar and refrigerate. Can be stored for up to two weeks.

marți, 13 decembrie 2016

Smothered Pork Chops

4 bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1 inch thick), Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2/3 cup buttermilk

Sprinkle the pork chops all over with salt and the Cajun seasoning. Pour the flour into a shallow bowl. Dredge the chops in the flour, turning to coat, and tap off any excess. Reserve the remaining flour. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops; cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the butter, onion, thyme and a pinch of salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved flour to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by one-third, about 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk and return the chops to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the sauce is thickened and the chops are just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

luni, 5 decembrie 2016

Dreamstime 12

A new sell, in this rhythm, my pension is secured...
 

marți, 29 noiembrie 2016

Crispy pancakes with creamy chicken & bacon


You can always find tasty recipes in Good Foods, this is one of it...
For the filling: 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, 2 chicken breasts, 200g pack smoked bacon lardons, 1 onion, chopped, 200g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped, 3 tbsp flour, 400ml milk, handful parsley, chopped
For the pancakes: 100g plain flour, 2 large eggs, plus one beaten, for brushing, 150ml milk, 50g breadcrumbs

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Cook the chicken breasts for 5-8 mins each side until golden brown and cooked through, then transfer to a plate. Tip the lardons into the pan and sizzle for a few mins until crispy, then tip out onto the plate with the chicken.
If the pan looks dry, add the remaining oil, then the onion. Cook for 5 mins until softened and translucent, then stir in the mushrooms and some seasoning. Cook for 5-10 mins until the mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid in the pan has cooked. Stir in the flour, mixing it into the mushrooms to make a chunky paste, then pour in the milk, a little at a time, whisking continuously until you have a smooth sauce. Bubble for 2-3 mins until thick. Chop the chicken into small chunks and add back to the pan along with the lardons and any juices from the plate. Check the seasoning, stir in the parsley, then leave to cool and chill until you’re ready to fill the pancakes.
To make the pancakes, tip the flour into a large bowl and season with 1/2 tsp salt. Make a well in the centre and crack in the 2 eggs. Pour in the milk, then use a large whisk to combine the eggs and milk, working the flour into the liquid until you have a smooth, thin batter. Heat a large frying pan or crêpe pan with a drizzle of oil.
When the pan is hot, pour in just under a ladleful of the batter and quickly swirl the pan to spread it across the surface, filling any gaps with an extra drizzle of batter. When the underside of the pancake is golden, flip and cook for 30 secs more. Transfer to a plate and make three more pancakes in the same way, then cool until you’re ready to assemble. If you want to make the pancakes a day ahead, once cool stack on a plate, separated with sheets of baking parchment, then wrap the plate in cling film. Chill for up to 2 days.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking trays with baking parchment. Take one pancake and brush a circle of beaten egg around the edge. Pile a quarter of the chicken mixture into the centre of the pancake (the sauce should have thickened while chilling), then fold the pancake over and press the edges together to make a pasty shape. Transfer to a baking tray and continue assembling the remaining pancakes. Brush the top of each one with more egg and scatter over the breadcrumbs, then bake for 20-25 mins, swapping the trays halfway through. Leave to cool for 5 mins before serving with salad or baked beans, if you like.

marți, 22 noiembrie 2016

Smoked trout & horseradish pâté

140g cream cheese, 1 tsp creamed horseradish,zest and juice ½ lemon,1 tbsp finely chopped dill, plus extra fronds to serve, 2 smoked trout fillets, 500g rye bread, sliced, to serve, 1 Baby Gem lettuce, leaves separated, to serve

Put the cream cheese, horseradish, and lemon zest and juice in a bowl, and mix together until smooth. Season.
Add the chopped dill and flake in the smoked trout, removing any bones or skin as you go. Stir well to combine and add more seasoning to taste. The pâté will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Serve garnished with dill fronds and sprinkled with cracked black pepper. Eat with rye bread and lettuce leaves.

vineri, 18 noiembrie 2016

Dreamstime 11

Sold this picture twice, so Winter is really coming :D
 

marți, 15 noiembrie 2016

Chicken with mushrooms

A Good Food recipe, easy to make and tasty :D

2 tbsp olive oil, 500g boneless, skinless chicken thigh, flour, for dusting, 50g cubetti di pancetta, 300g small button mushroom, 2 large shallots, chopped, 250ml chicken stock, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 50g frozen pea, small handful parsley, finely chopped

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Season and dust the chicken with flour, brown on all sides. Remove. Fry the pancetta and mushrooms until softened, then remove.
Add the final tbsp oil and cook shallots for 5 mins. Add the stock and vinegar, bubble for 1-2 mins. Return the chicken, pancetta and mushrooms and cook for 15 mins. Add the peas and parsley and cook for 2 mins more, then serve.

marți, 8 noiembrie 2016

Bandnudeln in Porree-Meerrettich-Rahm

salt, pepper, 400 g leeks, 50 g white bread or toast, 1 tbsp butter, 125 g diced ham, 1 tbsp oil, 400 g tagliatelle, 1 tbsp flour, 150 g whipped cream, 3-4 tbsp horseradish

For the noodles boil 3-4 l salt water (1 tsp salt per liter). Clean the leeks, wash and cut into rings. Coarsely crumble the bread.
Heat the butter in a frying pan, fry the breadcrumbs and ham cubes. Heat the oil in the pan. Pour leeks and saute for about 2 minutes.
Place the noodles in the boiling salt water and cook according to the pack instructions.
Sprinkle the leeks with flour, sweat, and whisk the cream and 1/4 l of water. Boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the horseradish. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce. Serve with the ham and bread crumbs mix. 

miercuri, 2 noiembrie 2016

Apfel Schalotten Suppe

350 g shallots, 1 apple, 50 g butter or margarine, sugar, 400 ml apple juice, 200 ml vegetable broth (instant), 4 slices bacon, 150 g whipped cream, 1 tbsp crème fraîche, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp oil

Peel the shallots, put aside 4. Cut the rest into fine strips. Peel the apple, quarter it and remove the core casing. Cut the apple into rough cubes and set aside.
Heat the butter in a pot, saute the shallots and the apple. Add 1 pinch of sugar and pour in apple juice. Add the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, finely chop the bacon slices and fry golden brown in a pan without fat. Add the cream and the crème fraîche to the soup. Mix finely with a blender and pass through a fine sieve into a pot, season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, season the 4 shallots till golden brown, season with salt, pepper and 1 pinch of sugar. Place soup with bacon and fried shallots in bowls.

joi, 27 octombrie 2016

Dreamstime 10

Sold this statue twice...
 

miercuri, 19 octombrie 2016

Dreamstime 09

Winter is coming, you can have it for 35 cents :D


sâmbătă, 15 octombrie 2016

Sheppard - Geronimo (International Version)



First time I heard it last year in Italy, and now it's everywhere thanks to a commercial...


vineri, 7 octombrie 2016

Dreamstime 08

Hehe, if I only knew when I took this picture that it would sell twice... maybe I would have crossed the street :D

vineri, 16 septembrie 2016

Dreamstime 07

Hehe, cats rule the world and they just bought one of their pictures :D



luni, 5 septembrie 2016

Lauchsuppe

2 onions, about 450 g leek, 200g floury potatoes, 3 tbsp cooking oil, 200 ml white wine, 800 ml broth, 150g Dr. Oetker Crème fraîche Classic, salt, freshly ground pepper

Wash the onion and leeks and cut into pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes.
Heat oil in a large pot. Sautee the onion and the leek, add the potato cubes and sweat briefly,  deglaze with the white wine. Let the white wine boil down. Add the broth and cook for about 20 min.
Puree the soup and pass through a sieve. Add the Crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper.

duminică, 4 septembrie 2016

Zucchini Tater Tots

Sometimes you see a video on Tasty.com with How to make... and it looks interesting, you have to try it, and then the result is yummy :D

4 medium-sized zucchini, salt (to pull moisture from the zucchini), ¾ cup bread crumbs, ¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F/200˚C. Grate the zucchini into a bowl and salt generously. Allow zucchini to sit for 20 minutes as the salt draws out moisture. Pour zucchini onto a clean dish towel and wring it out over the sink or into a separate bowl. Pour the zucchini back into your bowl and add bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, eggs, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix together until well-blended. Take a tablespoon of mixture and roll it into a tot; repeat for rest of mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tots are crunchy.




sâmbătă, 3 septembrie 2016

Spargelcremesuppe mit Räucherlachs

Another German recipe, they make the most amazing soups...

500 g white asparagus, 1 1/4 l stock, 1 onion, 100 g potato, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 100ml dry white wine, 100 g smoked salmon, sliced, 1 tablespoon horseradish, 2 fresh egg yolks, 100 g whipped cream, salt, pepper

Wash asparagus and peel with a vegetable peeler. Boil asparagus in water with a little salt and sugar. Depending on the thickness of the rod cooking time is 10-15 minutes.Cut the asparagus diagonally into 3 cm pieces. 
Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion, peel the potato and dice it.
Heat the butter in a pot. Saute the onion and potato. Dust with flour and sauté briefly light. Deglaze with wine and stock, boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for another 5 minutes. 
Meanwhile cut the salmon into thin strips.
Take soup from the heat and puree. Whisk the egg yolks and cream, add the horseradish. Stir in approximately 6 tablespoons soup. Then stir in the hot, not boiling soup.
Season with salt, pepper and 1 pinch of sugar. Sprinkle the soup with the chopped salmon.

vineri, 2 septembrie 2016

Simon's Cat - Trash Cat

Simon's Cat strikes again :D


luni, 29 august 2016

Schinken-Käse-Quiche mit Champignons

100g cold butter, 75 g walnuts, 50 g rye flour, 100 g flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, 5 eggs, 125g baby spinach, 500 g brown mushrooms, 1 small bunch scallions, 2 tablespoons oil, 200g crème fraîche, 100g blue cheese, 150 g cooked ham, thinly sliced, 1/2 bunch of chives
 
Brush a springform pan (24 cm diameter) with a little bit of butter. Grind coarsely the walnuts. Mix rye and wheat flour, nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add 100 g butter into small pieces and 1 egg. Knead a dough, and then roll it out on a floured surface and put in the springform. Refrigerate.
Wash the spinach, wash and halve the mushrooms. Cut into rings the spring onions. Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry the mushrooms, add the spring onions and the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Place everything in a colander and drain.
Preheat oven (electric oven: 200 ° C/ fan 175 ° C). Mix the Crème fraîche with 4 eggs, add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Dice the cheese. Cut ham into strips. Distribute the mushroom mix, ham and cheese on the dough. Pour over the egg mix. Put it in the oven on the lower rail for 35-40 minutes. Wash chives, shake dry and cut into rolls. Take the mushroom pie from the oven and serve. Sprinkle with chives.

duminică, 28 august 2016

Upside down Plum and Chocolate Cake

I think you can try it with any fruits: peaches, apricots, pears or apples...

180g butter, 50g brown sugar, 10 plums, halved and stoned, 275g cups sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 eggs, 225g plain flour, 50g cocoa, 100g almond meal, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and spray a 22cm springform pan with spray oil and line it (base and sides) with baking paper. Melt 20g of the butter, and paint it onto the base of the lined pan with a pastry brush. Scatter the brown sugar evenly over the base of the pan, and place the plum halves, cut side down, on top of the sugar, leaving a 1cm border from the sides of the pan (to avoid sticking).
In a stand mixer, beat together the sugar, vanilla and 160g butter until light in colour and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one. Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Beat into the cake batter in two batches until just combined.  Spoon the cake batter evenly over the plums in the pan, and smooth out the surface with a metal spatula.  Tap the pan on the bench to remove any air pockets. Place the springform pan on a cookie tray, then bake the cake on the tray in the oven for 65 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove the  cake form the oven and allow it to cool in the oven for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate

sâmbătă, 27 august 2016

Indian-Spiced Lamb with Spinach Lentils, Salsa and Yogurt

I found this recipe in an Australian magazine, and I tried with pork instead of lamb, because the lamb is a rarity this days...
Of course you have to cook it longer, but apart from that, the rest is easy to make.

1.5kg piece of boneless lamb shoulder, 1/3 cup store-bought curry sauce, 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, minced, a piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated, 4 cups of baby spinach leaves (or regular spinach leaves torn into bite size pieces), 400 g can of lentils, rinsed and drained, 1/4 of a cucumber finely chopped, 1/2 cup thick Greek yogurt, 1 cup parsley leaves, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, 1/2 small red onion, finely sliced, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Lamb: Preheat oven to 475° F. Using a small sharp knife, score the bottom side of the lamb at 2cm intervals. Rub the lamb with the curry paste and season with salt and pepper. Place the lamb, skin side down, on an oven tray lined with parchment paper (or foil). Roast for 20 minutes. Turn and roast for another 20 minutes. (This makes the lamb medium-rare, if you like your lamb well done, add a few minutes per side).

Salsa: Toss to combine the parsley, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

Cucumber Yogurt: In a small bowl stir, cucumber pieces and yogurt together until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Be generous with the pepper.

Spinach Lentils: Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 30 seconds until just wilted. Add the lentils, stirring, until heated through.

Slice the lamb and serve with spinach lentils, salsa and yogurt.






vineri, 26 august 2016

Brunnenkresse Suppe

Another German recipe from Lecker.de

1 bunch watercress (about 250 g), 1 bunch of parsley, 2 onions, 200 g potatoes, 3 tablespoons canola oil, 500ml vegetable stock, 300 g whipped cream, salt, pepper, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 200g whole milk yogurt

Wash the watercress and parsley, dry shake and chop them. Peel the onions and potatoes. Dice the onions and the potatoes.
Heat the  oil and sauté onions and potato cubes in it, then pour in broth and cream. Simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes, add the watercress and parsley to the soup.
Let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes. Puree the soup and season with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.
Finely crush the caraway and fennel seeds in a mortar. Mix the yoghurt with the spices and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup, garnish with some spice yoghurt.

joi, 18 august 2016

Motopony - Daylight's Gone

If you watch enough Tv series, you hear a lot of music, and sometimes you discover a hidden jewel...

Here are Motopony - Daylight's Gone from Lucifer OST

miercuri, 17 august 2016

Chicken and Mushrooms with Taleggio Polenta

Discovered this recipe on Rachael Ray website, tried it, it's delicious.
Don't let the sauce to reduce too much, it will be great with the polenta.

Polenta: 750 ml chicken stock, 200 gr stone-ground cornmeal, Salt and pepper, Freshly grated or ground nutmeg, 150 gr ripe Taleggio cheese
Chicken: 50 gr package dried porcini mushrooms, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons butter, 350gr mushrooms, sliced, 2 large shallots, halved and thinly sliced, 1 rib celery with leafy top, finely chopped, 4 cloves garlic, sliced, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, 1 rounded tbsp. tomato paste (a fat squirt from a tube), 250 ml dry white wine, 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. In a bowl, whisk the cornmeal and 1 cup cold water into a paste. Add the cornmeal to the boiling stock and cook over low, whisking occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Add the Taleggio; stir until the cheese melts. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, simmer the porcini mushrooms in the stock and 1 cup water until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil, two turns of the pan, over medium. Season the chicken liberally; cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the butter to the skillet. When the butter foams, add the mushrooms. Season and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots, celery, garlic, rosemary and thyme; stir until the shallots soften, 2 to 3 minutes . Add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add the porcini to the skillet, then add the mushroom cooking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Slide the chicken back into the skillet and simmer until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the parsley. Pour the polenta onto a serving platter; top with the chicken and mushrooms.

marți, 16 august 2016

Dreamstime 06

After three months of no sale, somebody wanted this Labyrinth picture from Prague.
Thank you :D


miercuri, 20 iulie 2016

Banuti cu gem

They are soo easy to make, 15 minutes tops!

150g margarine, 2 tablespoons honey, 20 tablespoons powdered sugar, 250 g flour, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon bicarbonate, apricot jam, salt
 

Mix well the margarine with sugar, add honey, lemon juice, baking soda and salt. Add the sifted flour and mix until you get a dough. Knead the dough and spread it on a floured worktable.
Cut out disks of dough and lay them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake them in a moderately hot oven for ten minutes, until golden amber color.
Pair them in twos with apricot jam (or any jam you prefer).

luni, 27 iunie 2016

Memphis - Zůstávám

Traveling has its advantages, you discover good music everywhere... to find out who is singing is a total different story - you just go to the pub where you heard it and ask people there :D


miercuri, 15 iunie 2016

Rote-Bete-Sellerie-Suppe mit Grießnockerln


Another day, another soup :D

1 tablespoon walnuts, 1 onion, 500 g beetroots, 500 g celery, 150g floury potatoes, 1 tsp oil, brown sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg, 2 tablespoons vegetable stock (instant), 30 g hard cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, 125 g semolina, 1 egg, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 bunch of chives, 4 tsp crème fraîche

Coarsely chop walnuts. Roast them in a frying pan, remove. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and coarsely chop the beetroot. Peel and wash the celery and the potatoes, dice into small cubes.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Braise the onion until soft. Add the beetroot, celery and potatoes and cook briefly. Sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar and caramelise briefly. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with 1 1/4 liters of water, stir and boil the broth. Cover and cook about 25 minutes over medium heat.
Meanwhile, for the dumplings grate finely the cheese. Bring to boil 1/4 liter of water, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 pinch nutmeg. Stir in the semolina with a wooden spoon until you obtain a thick cream. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly. Then stir in egg and cheese. 
Puree with a blender the soup, add the dumplings and boil over, serve with walnuts sprinkles.

marți, 31 mai 2016

Dreamstime 05

Sometimes you photograph places not knowing what they are, and then you spend hours canvasing the internet to find out :D
This is the Petruzzelli Theatre in Bari.


miercuri, 20 aprilie 2016

After-work-Maissuppe mit Schinkenchips

Really easy, 5 minutes soup!
 
1 big can of corn (850 ml), 1 onion, 80 g Parma ham, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 3/4 l milk, 2 tsp chicken broth (instant), 50 g sprout mix (beetroot and pea sprouts), Salt, pepper

Drain corn. Peel the onion, dice. Roast the ham in hot butter until crispy, remove and drain on absorbent paper. Sauté onion and corn in the bacon dripping. Add the flour, fry for 2 minutes, add milk, 1/4 l water and broth while stirring. Boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Rinse sprouts, drain. Ham break into pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with sprouts and ham chips. 

luni, 28 martie 2016

Dreamstime 04

The Strauss Monument in Stadtpark is one of the main attraction of Vienna
 

duminică, 20 martie 2016

Radieschen Minz Suppe

Radishes + mint = soup?
I should definitely try it...
And the end result was yummy yummy!

400g radishes, with greens, 1 bunch spring onions, 600g floury potatoes, 1 tbsp vegetable broth (instant), 4 sprigs of mint, 100 g whipped cream, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil

Clean the radish and set aside the green. Wash radishes and coarsely chop them up. Wash, shake dry and chop coarsely the radish green. Clean, wash and cut into rings the spring onions.
Peel the potatoes, wash and dice. Boil potatoes in 800 ml of water, stir in broth. Cook them for about 15 minutes. After about 10 minutes add the chopped radishes, the greens and the spring onions.
Wash mint, shake dry, pluck leaves from the stems and cut into fine strips.
Puree the soup, add the cream and the mint. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

vineri, 11 martie 2016

Dreamstime 03

A winding road of Romania has also fans around the world ;)


miercuri, 9 martie 2016

Fried eggs with spicy onions and spinach

Found this recipe in an aussie magazine, sounded interesting, so I gave it a try...

Butter for frying and spreading, Oil for frying, 4 portobello mushrooms, sliced, 3 onions, sliced, Worcestershire sauce, to taste, Tabasco sauce, to taste, 100g young leaf spinach, Juice ½-1 lemon, 4 large free-range eggs

Put a knob of butter and a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. When the butter is foaming, add the mushrooms and cook for 6-8 minutes until golden brown, stirring regularly. Remove and set aside.
Turn the heat to low, pour a little more oil into the pan, add the onions and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to medium-high, then cook for 10 minutes more until golden brown. Return the mushrooms to the pan with any resting juices, add Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce to taste, then season with salt and pepper. 
Add the spinach to the pan with the juice of ½ lemon and stir until wilted. Taste and add more lemon juice or seasoning. Using the back of a spoon, make four indentations in the vegetables in the pan and crack an egg into each. Cook for about 3 minutes until the whites are set, then serve with buttered, toasted rolls.

miercuri, 2 martie 2016

Dreamstime 02

This time the picture is from Devin Castle, just outside of Bratislava...

marți, 1 martie 2016

Sticky ribs with 'dirty rice'

1/2 cup tomato passata, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 garlic clove, crushed, 1 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1.8kg American-style pork ribs
Coleslaw, to serve
'Dirty rice': 20g butter, 1 cup SunRice basmati rice, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican chilli powder, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, 2 green onions, thinly sliced, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced. Line a large roasting pan with baking paper.
Combine passata, tomato sauce, sugar, garlic, worcestershire sauce and mustard in a bowl. Place ribs in prepared pan. Brush ribs all over with marinade. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Turn ribs over. Baste with pan juices. Bake, uncovered, for a further 40 minutes, basting halfway through with pan juices.
Meanwhile, make ‘Dirty rice’: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until rice is coated in spices. Add corn and 1.5 litres cold water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in onion and parsley.
Cut ribs into pieces. Serve ribs with 'Dirty rice' and coleslaw.

sâmbătă, 27 februarie 2016

Xavier Naidoo - Frei

Now this is a birthday present :D
The new Xavier video...


vineri, 26 februarie 2016

Şakşuka - The Turkish Delight

Such a yummy aubergine recipe, you can eat it simple, with yoghurt, or cheese, or fried eggs...

I found this recipe at www.petersommer.com

2 aubergines, 2-3 peppers, finely chopped, 2 tomatoes, peeled and cubed, Tomato purée/paste, 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely sliced, Olive oil

Peel alternate strips off the aubergines lengthwise to create a stripey pattern. Chop into chunky cubes, sprinkle generously with salt, and leave to soak in a bowl of water for about half an hour.
Rinse the aubergine chunks, pat dry, and then fry in a light olive oil until golden brown. Stir in the finely chopped peppers and the tomatoes and cook over a gentle heat. When these start to break down and disintegrate, add the tomato puree/paste and garlic, and continue to simmer for a few minutes. If the tomatoes aren’t especially juicy then feel free to supplement with a little water. You should be aiming for a really moist and juicy consistency.
Leave to cool. Serve with fresh bread and yoghurt on the side.

joi, 25 februarie 2016

Dreamstime 01

I just sold my first picture on Dreamstime!
It's a statue from Bratislava... so it finally pays off to take so many pictures during my travels :D 


sâmbătă, 20 februarie 2016

Spinach and ricotta pull-apart sunshine pie

A little bit tricky to assemble it, but the final result si absolutely spectacular!
 
250g pkt frozen spinach, thawed, excess liquid squeezed, 200g fresh ricotta, 120g goat's cheese, crumbled, 100g cheddar, coarsely grated, 3 green shallots, finely chopped, 3 eggs, 2 sheets good-quality frozen puff pastry, just thawed 

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Combine the spinach, ricotta, goat's cheese, cheddar and shallot in a large bowl. Add 2 of the eggs. Season with pepper and mix until well combined. 
Cut a 24.5cm disc from each pastry sheet. Place 1 of the pastry discs on a large sheet of baking paper. Spoon the spinach mixture onto the centre, leaving a 1.5-2cm border. Lightly whisk the remaining egg in a bowl and brush the border lightly with egg. Top with the remaining pastry disc and press the edges to seal.
Use an upturned bowl as a guide to gently score a 9cm circle in the centre of the pie. (Do not cut right through.) Whisk the remaining egg. Brush the top of the pie with the egg. Gently cut the outside ring into quarters. Cut each quarter into four wedges (do not cut through the centre circle), to make 16 wedges. Slide the paper with the pie onto a large baking tray.
Carefully lift and turn each wedge 90° to expose the filling and make petals. Use a small sharp knife to score the centre of the pie to decorate. Brush the top of the pastry with egg. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and puffed.

marți, 16 februarie 2016

Hozier - Cherry Wine

Hozier my love :D
Hopefully this year I'll see him live!


luni, 15 februarie 2016

Caramel apple upside-down cake

Yummy cake, easy to make...

220g caster sugar, 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1cm thick, 175g softened unsalted butter, 100g brown sugar, 200g dulce de leche, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 eggs, 175g self raising flour, 100g almond meal, Pure (thin) cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 24cm loose-bottomed cake pan, and wrap the outside with foil (to prevent any caramel leaking out during cooking).
Place caster sugar in a pan over low heat with 2 tablespoons water, stirring until dissolved. Increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until a golden caramel. Pour in the cake pan and set aside to cool.  
Cover the caramel with overlapping circles of apple. Beat butter and brown sugar in an electric mixer until thick and pale, then add dulce de leche and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. (The mixture may look curdled at this stage.) Fold in the flour and almond meal, then pour into the cake pan. Place the pan on a baking tray, then bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Rest the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then release the pan and invert onto a plate. Drizzle over caramel from the pan. Serve warm with cream.

duminică, 14 februarie 2016

Simon's Cat - Tough Love

Love is really tough :D


duminică, 3 ianuarie 2016

Ganache Cake with Orange Jam

Sooo, I discovered an amazing cake, easy to make on this website: http://www.edithskitchen.ro/tort-ganache-cu-jeleu-de-zmeura/. I didn't have all the ingredients so I improvised a little, and the result was absolutely delicious ;)

Cake: 3 eggs, 50 ml of oil, 3 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 package baking powder
Ganache: 500 ml cream, 350 g of chocolate
Orange jam or any jam of your choosing, cream for decoration 

For the cake: Mix the yolks with sugar for about 1 minute, add oil, little by little and mix to homogenise. Add the flour mixed with cocoa and baking powder. Incorporate the whipped egg whites. Pour batter into the pan coated with parchment paper and bake for about 25 minutes. Leave it to cool.
For the ganache: Melt the chocolate in the heated cream, add some liquor and let it cool overnight in the fridge. Beat the ganache with mixer until you get a compact cream. 
Pour some jam over the cake, then add the ganache and serve it with a dollop of cream.