Pogacele cu sunca si ceapa

Another amazing recipe from Savori Urbane. Here is the romanian version: http://savoriurbane.com/pogacele-cu-sunca-si-ceapa/#

For dough: 600 g flour, 30 g pork fat or 50 g butter with min. 80% fat, 2 egg yolks, 400 ml milk, 30 g fresh yeast or 10 g dry yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt

Bacon composition: 125 g bacon or ham, 1 small red onion, pepper, 50 g cheddar, 50 g butter with min. 80% fat

To glaze: 1 egg yolk, caraway seeds, coarse salt

Cut the bacon into cubes and fry it a little in a non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion. Heat the onion, 1-2 minutes and put the bacon in a bowl and leave to cool. Season it with pepper.
For the dough, heat the milk a little, add the sugar and yeast. After 5 minutes add the yolks, butter or pork fat, and gradually the flour and salt. Knead the dough which is quite soft and finally add the bacon and onion. Leave to stand for about 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on the work surface and spread it so that it has a thickness of about 5 mm. Glaze it with melted butter and sprinkle with cheese on 2/3 of the surface.
Fold the dough first laterally and then up and down. Spread the dough once more, now at a thickness of about 8 mm. Glaze it with egg yolk. Cut round shapes with the help of a glass and place them in the tray. Sprinkle them with cumin and coarse salt. Allow 10 minutes to rest in the tray.
Bake them for 18-20 minutes at 180 ° C - preheated oven

Sparanghel cu usturoi la cuptor

Easy to make side dish with few ingredients:

bunch of green asparagus, 2 garlic cloves, salt, pepper, some olive oil

Preheat the oven to 230C.
Clean the asparagus and remove the wooden parts. Put the asparagus together with the sliced garlic in a baking tray, mix with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake the vegetables for 10-15 minutes until softened slightly. Serve immediately.

Hähnchenauflauf mit Senf und Cheddar

500 ml vegetable soup, 1 onion, 1.5 kg chicken fillet, 1⁄2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, 125 g cheddar cheese (piece), 150 g white bread, 7 tbsp butter, 3 tablespoons of flour, 75 g dijon mustard, 250 g crème fraîche

Boil the meat in vegetable soup for 20 minutes.

Finely chop the parsley, grate the cheese and the bread. Mix them all together.
Preheat the oven (electric cooker: 225 ° C / circulating air: 200 ° C / gas: see manufacturer). Lift the chicken fillets out of the broth and let them cool for about 15 minutes. Pour the broth through a sieve and collect it. Measure out 300 ml of broth.
Peel 1 onion and dice finely. Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Braise the onion until translucent. Dust with flour and briefly sauté lightly while stirring. Pour in the measured broth, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Mix in the mustard and crème fraîche. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.

Cut the meat into big pieces, place them in an ovenproof dish and spread the sauce over them. Sprinkle with the bread and cheese mixture. Spread 4 tablespoons of butter in flakes and bake in a hot oven for 20–25 minutes.

Thunfisch-Frischkäse-Dip

Easy peasy party dip from www.lecker.de

You need a good, crunchy baguette.

1 organic lime, 1 bunch spring onions, 1 chili pepper (mild), 200 g of tuna in its own juice, 175 g cream cheese, salt, pepper, fresh baguette

Wash the lime hot, then peel finely. Halve the lime and squeeze out the juice. Clean and wash spring onions, drain and cut into fine rings. Clean the chilli, cut lengthways, wash and remove the seeds. Cut the pod into small pieces. Drain the tuna.
Mix the cream cheese, tuna, half of the chilli and spring onions, lime zest and 1–2 tbsp lime juice with the blender. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice. Arrange the dip in a small bowl and sprinkle with other spring onions and chilli. Cut bread into slices and serve with the tuna dip.

File de strut la tigaie

For the first time I understood the saying: melt in your mouth.
Ostrich meat is the most tender meat I have ever tasted. And it is soo easy to cook...
 

110-120g ostrich fillets, 1 clove of garlic, 30g butter, thyme or sage, salt and pepper

30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature in its original packaging. Doing so will reduce the heat shock during cooking and you will have a more juicy roast.
Rinse the meat under a jet of cold water and dry it well with absorbent paper towels.
Grease the meat with a little bit of sunflower oil.
In the well-heated pan, put 20ml of vegetable oil and when it is very hot (almost smoky) place the ostrich fillet. Fry for 1 minute to obtain a caramelized crust. Turn the meat over and repeat the roasting for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium and add 30 g butter, garlic and your favorite herbs. When the butter begins to foam, tilt the pan and cover the meat with melted butter (with a spoon) to prevent drying. Continue cooking in this manner for another 1 minute. Turn once more the meat and cook for a minute, often covering with melted butter.
Allow the steak to stand for 5 minutes and serve it with a salad and vegetables.

Rosenkohl Hack Auflauf

Found this recipe on Leckerschmecker website, and gave it a try.

350 g Brussels sprouts, 75 g mozzarella
For the meatballs: 300 g minced beef, 1 onion, 1 tbsp paprika powder
For the puree:350 g of flour-boiling potatoes, 125 ml milk, 20 g butter, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 egg, salt and pepper

Clean the Brussels sprouts, cut the stalks crosswise and cook the florets in boiling salted water for 6–8 minutes.
Mix the ground beef, the onion and the paprika together and form small balls that are about the same size as the Brussels sprouts.
Put the boiled potatoes together with the milk, butter, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl and puree everything together. Also stir the egg under the puree.
Arrange the Brussels sprouts and the meatballs in a baking dish and spread the puree over them. Then sprinkle the mozzarella over it and put everything in the oven at 185 ° C for 15 minutes.

Schnelles Chili Con Carne mit Kichererbsen und Feta

1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 large red pepper, 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, 600 g ground beef,  salt, pepper, chilli flakes, ground cumin, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 4 wheat tortillas, 4 tbsp Ajvar, 75 g Gouda, 1 can (425 ml) chickpeas, 100 g feta,
1⁄2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, a few dashes of lemon juice

For the chilli peel onion and garlic and dice finely. Clean, wash and cut the peppers into strips.
Preheat the oven (electric stove: 200 ° C / convection: 175 ° C). Heat oil in a large pan. Fry the meat. Season with salt, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes and 1–2 teaspoon cumin. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper and fry.
Briefly sauté tomato paste. Deglaze with 1⁄4 l of water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Line the baking sheet with baking paper. Place 2 tortilla on the baking sheet and coat with Ajvar. Grate cheese directly on top. Bake in the hot oven for 6–8 minutes.
Rinse the chickpeas in a sieve, drain and stir into the chilli mix. Heat for 3 minutes.
Roughly crumble the feta, wash the parsley and chop it roughly.

Season the chilli with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Sprinkle with feta and parsley. Cut tortilla slices into pieces and serve them with the chilli.

Spargel überbacken

2 kg of white asparagus, salt, sugar, 1 slice of 1 untreated lemon, 150 g butter, 2 egg yolks, 3 tbsp dry white wine, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, salt, white pepper, 200 g of cooked ham, 40 g Gouda cheese

Wash and peel the asparagus, cut off the woody ends. Boil 1/2 liter of salt water. Season with a little sugar and lemon wedge. Leave the asparagus peels in for about 20 minutes over medium heat.
Pour asparagus stock through a sieve. Bring the liquid to the boil again. Cook the asparagus in it for about 15 minutes, then drain.
Melt butter. Whisk egg yolks, white wine and vinegar over a hot water bath. Add the butter drop by drop while stirring. Season with salt and pepper.
Wrap 3-4 stalks of asparagus in a slice of cooked ham and spread over 4 plates. Pour sauce over it. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in a preheated oven (electric cooker: 200 ° C / fan oven: 175 ° C / gas: level 3) until golden brown.

Supă cremă de brânză cu sparanghel

Tasty recipe inspired by Adi Hadean

10 stalks of asparagus, 1 large onion, 1 potato, 2 liters of chicken soup, pepper and 400 grams of grated hard cheese (Cheddar or Pecorino)

Saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil, over which add the asparagus cut into chuncks. After few minutes add the chicken soup and potato cut into small cubes. Let it boil until the vegetables are cooked.
Blend the soup and then return the saucepan over low heat and start to add the grated cheese gradually. Mix till the cheese has melted, serve hot with croutons.

Vinete la cuptor cu mujdei de usturoi

Another lovely recipe from Savori Urbane

2 beautiful eggplants (approx. 1.2 kg), 3 tablespoons (75 ml) of olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, little thyme, aioli sauce

Wash the eggplant and cut it into large cubes, with a 3 cm side. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle them with plenty of salt.Move them in a colander and place a plate on them. Leave them for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven at 180 C. Squeeze the eggplant cubes and place them on a single layer in a non-stick tray. Sprinkle the eggplant with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and some thyme and mix them well by hand.

Put the tray in the hot oven at 180 C for 50 minutes. After the first 30 minutes turn the cubes to brown on all sides. In the last 10 minutes increase the temperature to 200 C. 

Serve them with a garlic sauce.

Süßkartoffel-Ingwer-Suppe

800 g sweet potatoes, 2 onions, 50 g fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 l vegetable broth, 100 ml of orange juice, 150 g crème fraîche, 2 mixed teaspoons of ground cumin, 2 tsp. Turmeric, salt, freshly ground pepper

Peel the sweet potatoes, peel the onions, cut both into cubes. Peel the ginger and cut it into small cubes.
Heat the cooking oil in a large saucepan and braise the sweet potatoes, onions and ginger in it. Pour in vegetable broth and cook with the lid on about 15 minutes over medium heat.
Puree the soup, mix with the orange juice and crème fraîche. Season with the spices.

Tortul de nuntă al prințului William

350 gr dark chocolate, 120 gr butter, 420 ml condensed milk, 200-300 gr digestive biscuits

Put half the amount of chocolate, condensed milk and butter in a saucepan, mix and melt them slowly at bain-marie, over medium heat.
Crush the desired amount of biscuits and mix in the chocolate cream.
Pour the composition into a cake pan to give it the final shape, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 -6 hours (or even more, depending on how well your refrigerator cools).
Remove from the refrigerator, flip the cake onto a plate. Melt the remaining chocolate and pour it over the cake, like a frosting. You can garnish with fresh fruits - strawberries, berries, etc. - shaved chocolate, coconut flakes, almond flakes ...

Placinta cu carne si ciuperci reteta finlandeza

Another tasty recipe from Savori Urbane Placinta cu carne

Pastry dough: 100 g soft butter (min 80%), at room temperature, 200 g sour cream (fermented), 1 egg, 400 g flour, ½ teaspoon salt

600 g ground meat, pork or beef mixture, 400 g chopped onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 400 g fresh mushrooms, salt, ground black pepper, 2 eggs, 200 g sour cream (fermented), 1 bunch of parsley leaves, 150 g cheddar cut into cubes with 1 cm side

For brushing: 1 whole beaten egg, 1 teaspoon cold milk, salt, cumin seeds for sprinkling

Put the soft butter, salt, whole egg, flour and cream in a bowl, knead by hand for 20 seconds and form a dough ball, wrap it in plastic and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Fry the meat in a non-stick pan, add the onion and garlic, add salt and pepper to taste. When the onion becomes glassy, add the mushrooms cut into larger pieces. Fry it for another 10-15 minutes.
After the contents of the pan cooled, add the cheddar, eggs, chopped green parsley and sour cream. Mix the composition well.
Roll the dough in a 40x30 rectangle, with a thickness of about 0.5 cm on a floured worktop. Move the dough on a baking paper, pour the filling in the middle and roll it.

Beat the egg with the cold milk, salt and brush the pie. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds and bake it in the oven at 180C for 50 minutes.

Schmorgurken-Cremesuppe mit Lachs

1.2 kg cucumbers, 3 spring onions, 2 tbsp butter, 200 ml dry white wine, 1 tbsp vegetable broth (instant), 100 g sliced smoked salmon, 1 bunch of dill, 150 g crème fraîche, salt and pepper, 2–3 tsp small capers

Clean, peel and halve the cucumbers. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Roughly chop the cucumbers. Clean, wash and cut spring onions into rings.
Heat butter in a large saucepan. Braise the cucumbers and spring onions until translucent. Pour in the wine and 1⁄2 l of water, stir in the broth. Bring everything to a boil and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the cucumbers are tender.
Now cut the salmon into strips. Wash the dill and shake dry, chop them finely.
Puree the soup with a hand blender. Mix in crème fraîche and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange soup and sprinkle with salmon and capers.

Slow-braised pork shoulder with cider, crème fraîche & mustard

4 pork shoulder steaks, about 750g in total, oil, 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced, 300ml cider, 2 bay leaves, 4 tbsp crème fraîche, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, small bunch parsley, chopped

Heat a little oil in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Fry the shoulder steaks on each side until golden brown. Lift out then fry the onions until softened and golden. Add back the pork with the cider and bay. Bring to a simmer then put on a lid and cook in a 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 oven for 1½ hours.
Lift out the oven and break up the steaks into chunks. Stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and parsley then cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with mash or green veg.

Piept de porc la cuptor cu salvie si lamaie

1.5 kg pork belly, 4-5 sage leaves, 3-4 cloves of garlic, juice from ½ lemon, slices of lemon, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg of potatoes, cut into halves or quarters, salt and pepper

Cut the skin with a sharp knife. You can make squares or stripes. Salt and pepper well the meat on all sides. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon and sprinkle the meat with it. Put slices of garlic and sage leaves in the cuts. Cut into slices the other half of the lemon (with whole bark - it gives a special flavor) and put it on the tray. Rub the meat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
Place the roast in the heated oven at 220C, without foil or lid. Leave it for 30 minutes, then remove the tray briefly and add the potatoes around the meat. Salt them and sprinkle with cumin. Add 2 cups of water and cover the tray with aluminum foil. Bake for another 50 minutes.
In the last 10 minutes remove the aluminum foil. With a spoon pour the juices from the tray over potatoes and meat. It is reintroduced in the oven for the final grinding, preferably with the grill function.

Ciorbă de cartofi cu afumătură și tarhon, ca în Ardeal

Yummy traditional soup from Ardeal by Laura Laurentiu Ciorba de cartofi

1 kg of waxed potatoes, 300 grams smoked bacon or smoked ribs, 1 large onion, 3 medium size carrots, 2 celery celery sticks or a piece of peeled celery root, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika of good quality, 200 ml fresh tomato juice or 150 ml tomato paste, 1 bunch tarragon, 1/2 bunch parsley, 200 grams of liquid cream for cooking (20-30% fat), salt and pepper

If the meat is very salty, keep it for 2-3 hours in cold water. Put the meat in a pot with 4 liters of cold water on the stove and gather the foam from the surface a few times. Boil it for about 1 hour. After boiling, completely debone the meat and cut it into appropriate cubes.
Peel, wash and chop all the vegetables in cubes.
Add the vegetables in the soup, if necessary add water. After boil add the meat cut into pieces. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle over the paprika and mix.
Boil the broth until the vegetables are done. Add the fresh tomato juice or paste and boil for another 5 minutes. 

Turn off the heat, add the cream and the chopped tarragon and parsley. Leave it to infuse for a few minutes, then serve.

Pogacele cu seminte si branza

These tasty snacks are so easy to make. Here is the recipe in the Romanian language: Pogacele cu seminte

350 g flour, 300 g of cottage cheese, 250 g butter minimum 82%, 50 g pork fat, 100 g cheddar, 100 g sunflower seeds, 100 g pumpkin seeds, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 egg for decoration

Cut the butter into cubes and mix it with cottage cheese and pork fat. Add salt. Finally add the flour in 3-4 batches. The dough will be extremely sticky, but it's no problem. Transfer the dough in the fridge for cold 1-2 days.
Stretch the dough until you get a sheet of about 40 × 30. Use a lot of flour so the dough doesn't stick. Sprinkle the cheddar and the seeds over the dough.

Fold the dough sideways and then top and bottom.

Stretch the dough again until you get a sheet of about 30x35 cm with a thickness of around 6-7mm.
Cut the dough into squares, grease the surface with the beaten egg, sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Place the squares on a baking sheet and bake them in the over for 15-20 minutes at 170C.

20 Minutes Corn Soup

Found this recipe on a German website www.lecker.de

It's fast and tasty

1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 piece ginger, 1 red chili pepper, 2 tablespoons coconut chips, 2 tablespoons oil, turmeric, salt, pepper, 2 tins (à 425 ml) corn, 1 tin (à 400 ml) unsweetened coconut milk, 2 teaspoons vegetable broth (instant), 1/2 lime

Peel and chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Cut chili lengthwise, core, wash and chop. Toast coconut chips in a large saucepan without fat, remove. Heat oil in the pot. Fry prepared ingredients in it. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, corn, 600 ml of water, coconut milk and broth, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup, season with salt, pepper and lime juice. Sprinkle with coconut chips.

Prune uscate umplute cu brânză de burduf, în mușchi crud-uscat

Another lovely recipe from Laura Laurentiu Prune umplute

40 dried plums, 160gr burduf, gorgonzola or roquefort cheese, 2 tablespoons cold pressed pumpkin oil, 60gr of walnuts, 160gr smoked bacon or prosciutto

In a dry pan, lightly fry the walnuts, until they begin to turn slightly golden and intensify their smell, then let them cool and chop them large, with the knife.
Unfold each plum with a knife, making room for filling.
Mix the walnuts with the cheese, then fill all the plums with this mixture.
Wrap the plums with the prosciutto and place them on a platter for serving.

Sprinkle with cold pressed pumpkin oil, chopped walnuts and microgreens to taste.

Rote-Bete-Apfel-Suppe

1 onion, 2 beetroot, 1 small apple, 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp vegetable broth, 1/2 bunch of chives, 4 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp horseradish, salt and pepper, 100 g flatbread

Peel and dice the onion and beetroot. Wash the apple. Cut and dice it.
Heat the oil in the saucepan. Braise the onion, beetroot and apple in it for about 5 minutes. Add 500ml water and broth, bring to the boil. Cover and cook until soft for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, wash the chives, shake them dry and cut them into rolls. Mix in sour cream, horseradish and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Cut bread into thin slices and toast in the toaster.
Puree the soup with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the horseradish cream. Serve with the flatbread.

Spargel mit Schinken-Pilzsoße

160 g small potatoes, 350 g of peeled asparagus, salt, 1 onion, 125 g mushrooms, 50 g lean cooked ham, 1 tsp butter/margarine, 1 tbs binder, white pepper, 1 tbsp sour cream, 1/2 bunch parsley

Wash the potatoes and cook in water for about 20 minutes. Wash the asparagus, boil in 1/4 l of lightly salted water for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion. Wash the mushrooms and cut them into thin slices. Cut the ham into thin strips.
Heat fat. Braise the onion in it. Add the mushrooms and fry them for 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 200 ml of the asparagus stock, bring to the boil and bind. Refine with sour cream and heat the ham in it.
Wash the parsley, shake it dry and chop it finely. Drain the potatoes and peel them. Arrange asparagus with potatoes, sauce and parsley.

Easy Vegan Aquafaba Mayo

I couldn't believe how easy it is to make this mayo. And it tastes like the real deal!
 

aquafaba from a can of chickpeas, double the amount of oil, 1 teaspoon of mustard, juice from half a lemon, salt if needed

Put the aquafaba, the oil and mustard in a tall glass. Use a vertical blender and mix it for 30 seconds. Add the juice from the lemon and salt if needed.
That's all.

Fresh Herb & Lemon Bulgur Pilaf

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 cups chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, 1 1/2 cups bulgur, preferably medium or coarse, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 ½ cups chopped carrot, 2 teaspoons grated or finely chopped fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, finely chopped fresh dill, mint and flat-leaf parsley, some lemon juice

Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet, add onion, until golden brown. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add bulgur, turmeric and cumin and cook, stirring, until the bulgur is coated with oil, about 1 minute.
Add broth, carrot, ginger and salt and bring to a boil, stirring. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until all the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir dill, mint and parsley and add the lemon juice.

Lavender simple syrup

2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons lavender, a few blueberries

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn down the heat to low and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool.
Once cool, strain the lavender buds and blueberries, then pour through a coffee-filter-lined strainer to remove any particles. Pour into a vinegar bottle using a funnel and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Süßkartoffel-Apfel-Suppe

3 shallots, 400 g sweet potatoes, 2 tbsp butter, 750 ml vegetable broth, 2 sour apples, 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 stems of basil, salt, pepper

Peel and dice the shallots. Peel and wash the potatoes, cut into approx. 2 cm pieces. Heat the butter in a saucepan. Braise shallots in it until translucent. Add the potatoes and sauté for about 2 minutes while turning.
Deglaze with broth and bring to the boil, cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
Now wash and peel apples. Cut thin slices from 1 apple around the core. Cut slices into fine pencils. Drizzle with lemon juice. Core the remaining apple and dice. Wash the basil, shake dry, pluck the leaves.
Add the apple cubes to the soup and bring to the boil briefly. Puree the soup with the hand blender. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Stir the apple strips into the soup. Arrange in bowls sprinkled with basil.

Aluat de tarta, dulce sau sarat

Really easy to make, the recipe in romanian is here: Aluat tarta

250 grams of regular wheat flour, 125 grams of butter with 82% fat, 1 pinch salt, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of very cold water

Put the flour and the salt in the bowl of the robot. Incorporate the butter into the flour, add the whole egg and 3 tablespoons of very cold water.
Wrap the dough in clingfoil and store it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough on a flour sprinkled surface in a sheet of 0.6-0.8 mm thickness.
Grease the tart form with butter. Roll the dough on a rolling pin and transfer over the form. Lightly press the dough with your fingers so that it molds to the shape. Perforate the dough from place to place with a fork, then refrigerate for 1/4 - 1/2 hour.
Bake the crust without filling (blind-baking), using ceramic balls put on a baking paper. Bake the tart dough with the weights for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper with the weights and bake until it becomes a nice golden.

Ciorbă de dovlecei cu iaurt, usturoi și afumătură

Another tasty recipe from Savori Urbane Ciorba dovlecei

1 kg of zucchini, 500 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 200 g smoked bacon, 2 onions, 3-4 cloves of garlic, salt, 2 tablespoons oil, 500 ml of milk

Soup thickener: chopped greens (dill, parsley), 3-4 cloves of garlic, 300 ml fatty yogurt or kefir

Cut the bacon into small cubesc.
Chop the onions and garlic, dice the zucchini and potatoes. Cut the carrot into thin slices.
In a big (4l) pot saute the onion, garlic, carrot and bacon in 2 tablespoons of oil for 3-4 minutes, over low heat, until the vegetables soften a little. 

Add the diced potatoes and sautéed them for 2 minutes.

Pour 2 L of warm water. Bring everything to a boil and checked the potatoes after 15 minutes. Add the milk and zucchini and boil for another 5-7 minutes. Check for salt.

Chop the greens and garlic and mix it with the yoghurt. Add a pinch of salt.

Put 3-4 tablespoons of hot soup, mix it well and then add it to the rest of the soup.

Prăjitură fără coacere cu mere, biscuiți și budincă de vanilie

Yumyy, tasty and easy to make.
You can make your own vanilla pudding or just use a store bought one. Of course is more tasty with the pudding made from scratch.
Here is the version in the romanian language from the Savori Urbane blog: prajitura mere

Apple filling: 150 g sugar, 600 g apples, 50 g butter, salt, vanilla, 20 ml orange liqueur

500 gr vanilla cream
To assemble the cake: 18 petite beurre cookies, 9 covered in chocolate cookies

Wash the apples, do not peel them and cut them into bigger cubes.
Caramelized the sugar in a pan, add the apples over the caramel and mixed gently to get the caramel everywhere. Let the apples brown slightly, then add the butter. Stir occasionally and add the vanilla sugar. After a few minutes add the orange liqueur and wait 1-2 minutes for the alcohol in it to evaporate.
Assemble the cake: use a deeper tray which fits 9 cookies. Put the first layer of cookies, pour the warm apple filling, next the second layer of cookies. On top pour the lukewarm vanilla pudding and leveled again and then place the chocolate covered cookies on top.

Let the cake sit in the fridge for 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Beef Stroganoff with Gherkins

I went to Ruse last weekend and I tried a similar dish and it was quite tasty, so I tried and recreate it.

Here it is:
 

600g topside beef, 150g fresh mushrooms, 2 tablespoons oil, 3 big onions, sliced, 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, 2 cups (500ml) beef stock, 1 cup (250ml) cream, 5 small pickled gherkins, 1 pinch salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste, fresh parsley

Cut the beef into fine strips. Clean the mushrooms and cut into thin slices.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Sauté beef over a medium-high heat turning from time to time. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
Fry the onions and mushrooms in the beef dripping. Add the meat, paprika, beef stock and cream. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Let them boil till only half the sauce remains.
Slice the gherkins and add them to the saucepan. Add the chopped parsley and serve.

Greek Lamb Pilaf with Orzo

Found this recipe on the net, tried it and liked it :D

6 lamb neck fillets, about 800g-900g (1¾ lb-2lb) in total, 2-3 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground allspice, 400g can chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 300ml (10fl oz) dry white wine, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp sugar, 1 chicken stock cube, 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 250g (9oz) orzo
To serve: 85g (3oz) feta cheese, 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint, finely grated rind of 1 lemon (optional)
 

Preheat the oven to 160C (fan 140C/325F/ gas 3). Cut each neck fillet in half lengthways, without trimming away any fat, then cut each halved fillet crossways into 6-8 bite-sized pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan until hot and sear the lamb in 4 batches over a medium-high heat until browned on all sides. You may need to add another tablespoon of oil. As each batch is seared, transfer the lamb to a large flameproof casserole using a slotted spoon.
Reduce the heat and add the onion to the frying pan. Fry, stirring often, for 3 minutes until golden brown. Add the garlic, cinnamon and allspice and fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the onion mix to the casserole.
Pour the canned tomatoes over the meat and onion. Fill the tomato can twice with water and add to the casserole. Stir, then add the tomato purée, wine, lemon juice and sugar. Crumble in the stock cube and add the thyme, ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring, then cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours, stirring halfway.
Stir in the orzo, cover the pan again and return to the oven. Cook for a further 20 minutes or until the orzo is plump and tender, stirring halfway. To serve, gently stir the meat and orzo, crumble the feta over the top and sprinkle with the herbs and lemon rind, if using.
Orzo swells quickly to several times its size, so don’t use too much and be careful not to overcook it. Stir after 10 minutes’ cooking or it can clump together and stick to the pan.

Roasted sweet potato & carrot soup

BBC Good food to the rescue

500g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks, 300g carrots, peeled and cut into chunks, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 onions, finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, 1l vegetable stock, 100ml crème fraîche, plus extra to serve

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and put 500g chunked sweet potatoes and 300g chunked carrots into a large roasting tin, drizzled with 2 tbsp olive oil and plenty of seasoning.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 25-30 mins or until caramelised and tender.
Meanwhile, put the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large deep saucepan and fry 2 finely chopped onions over a medium-low heat for about 10 mins until softened.
Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and stir for 1 min before adding 1l vegetable stock. Simmer for 5-10 mins until the onions are very soft, then set aside.
Once the roasted vegetables are done, leave to cool a little, then transfer to the saucepan and use a hand blender to process until smooth. Stir in 100ml crème fraîche, a little more seasoning and reheat until hot.
Serve in bowls topped with a swirl of crème fraîche and a good grinding of black pepper.

Ruth Reichl’s Grilled Cheese

So, i saw a video on facebook with a grilled cheese sandwich recipe and I had to try it.
It's delish and soo easy to make

butter, 2 slices thickly sliced, sturdy sourdough bread, mayonnaise, any combination of shallot, leek, scallions, onion, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 pound cheddar cheese, divided

Chop finely the onion mix and the garlic, add it to the grated cheese.
Butter the bread, mount the cheese on top. Smear the outside of the bread with mayonnaise and add a little cheese.
Fry the bread on both sides for a couple of minutes each.
Serve while it's hot.

Kale Sprouts with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan

8 ounces kale sprouts, 6-8 whole garlic cloves, peeled and halved, 2 tablespoons olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400F. Trim the kale sprouts and cut the sprouts in half, lengthwise. The larger sprouts may need to be cut into thirds or quarters, so that they cook evenly. Place the kale sprouts and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle and toss with olive oil. Roast for 12 minutes, give everything a good toss in the baking sheet and return to oven to roast for another 10-12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, toss with grated parmesan cheese.