Pancakes

Perfect way to spoil someone or yourself in the morning or evening is making pancakes. Very simple and fast path to true taste heaven. On top of that, if you add something more than just ordinary butter it can turn you in real chef. Add whatever you like, strawberries, blueberries, bananas...with dark or white melted chocolate!!

Let’s begin, you will need:

·         300 g self-rising flour

·         200 g yoghurt

·         220 ml milk

·         4 eggs

·         2 tablespoon of melted butter

·         90 g of sugar

·         Lemon juice of half of lemon

·         2 teaspoon of baking powder

·         1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract

·         Pinch of salt

Now when you have everything you need:

1.       Set pan for pancakes on low heat slightly coated with thin layer of oil

2.       Mix all dry ingredients and set them aside

3.       Beat eggs, yoghurt and milk until they all combine

4.       Add all dry ingredients slowly in and beat until combine, but not too long

5.       Add melted butter and lemon juice

6.       Pour small amount on middle of pan and turn it when bubbles cover whole pancake

7.       Turn on other side and keep in on heat for another minute

8.       Repeat with all mixture

Now when you have bunch of pancakes it’s your time to use imagination. Either serve then plain either make little towers with fruit, chocolate, jam, nuttela...whatever you like.

In my photo I used melted chocolate and strawberries. I lined up coat of thin sliced strawberries and poured dark chocolate

Bon Appetite!!

French potato

I always try, whenever I can to cook veggie meal every second day to reduce eating meat. On today’s plate was French potato. Because of eggs in it, this meal is perfectly loaded with proteins and asks for no extra meat a side. Preparations is a bit complicated and long but, trust me, it’s worth it.

For this lovely recipe you will need:

(Recipe is for four people)

·         4 big potatoes same size

·         8 eggs

·         200 ml of sour cream

·         200 ml of single cream (cooking cream)

·         100 g Parmesan

·         Salt, pepper, seasonal spices

·         Chopped chive for finish touch

Let’s get started:

1.       Cook whole potatoes with skin in salted water ( salt won’t let potatoes break)

2.       Cook eggs (if you want perfectly boiled eggs without blue rings, which you get because cooking it too long, set eggs in cold water and when water start to boil turn heat off. Set pot aside for 12 min and then put eggs in cold water)

3.       Preheat oven on 200 °C

4.       Coat baking tray with oil or butter

5.       Peel of potato and slice it. Do the same with eggs

6.       Start layering tray with layer of potato then layer of egg

7.       Put pinch of spices

8.       Continue doing same until you spend all then add parmesan

9.       Mix single and sour cream, add spices and pour all over your potato and egg

10.   Set 30 min in oven

11.   In addition you can add grated gouda or cheddar 10 min before end

12.   When done sprinkle chopped chive over top
Serve fresh salat with it.

Enjoy!

Red sauce pasta

In case you have lazy day or you need quick and cheap but classy way to feed guests there is always well know recipe- red sauce pasta!

Not only is it cheap but it is super easy and it’s very very hard to fail. Also, if you are doing bigger portion you can freeze it for some other time and just defrost in few minutes using microwave or pot.

For this meal you will need to get:

·         Olive oil

·         Half of onion

·         1 clove of garlic

·         Tomato passata or if you prefer chopped tomato can

·         1 or 2 Teaspoon of sugar in case your tomato is very sour

·         Salt, pepper

·         Half of teaspoon seasonal spices

·         Half of teaspoon fish spices

·         Fresh basil leaves

·         Pack of pasta you like, I suggest spaghetti

·         Grated Parmesan for finish

Let start

1.       Boil pot of slightly salted water and then add pasta following instruction on package

(you can put few drops of oil in water to prevent pasta sticking to pot)

2.       Chop onion and garlic on very tiny pieces

3.       Fry onion on olive oil until turn yellow then add tomato passata / can

4.       Add garlic, pinch of salt and pepper, seasonal spices, fish spice

5.       Try your sauce, in case it’s sour add teaspoon of sugar and try it again. Add more if needed

6.       Add  glass of water and let it cook on medium heat until all water evaporates

7.       Turn heat of and add chopped basil leaves

8.       In meantime your pasta should be ready by now, strain it and serve on plates

9.       Pour sauce over pasta and add grated parmesan

10.   For decoration you can use whole basil leaves if you have any left

11.   Serve with smile 

Čupavci

In case you get evening sugar craving I believe that this traditional Croatian recipe will satisfy your taste!

We call it čupavci and there is literally no good translation for it so I give you opportunity to give it a name 

For biscuit you will need:

·         220 g sugar

·         3 eggs

·         180 ml butter or oil

·         300 g plain flour

·         1 teaspoon of baking powder

·         100 ml milk

For chocolate cream:

·         250 g butter

·         150 g cooking chocolate

·         200 g sugar

·         200 ml milk

·         1 teaspoon of rum ( you can use food flavouring rum)

Sprinkle:

·         300 g desiccated coconut

In case you don’t like coconut go ahead and use something else, like chocolate flakes or powder

1.       Set oven on 180 °C

2.       Separate yolk from egg white (here is little help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAp8pEaWB1Y )

3.       Mix egg white with sugar until it turns white and fluffy

4.       Add oil/butter and half of flour

5.       Add baking powder, yolk , milk and rest of flour

6.       Pour into baking tray which you covered with baking paper or butter

7.       Bake about 25-30 min until it start to separate from tray or baking paper

8.       Set it to cool and in meantime prepare chocolate cream

9.       Melt butter and chocolate

10.   Add sugar and then milk

11.   Remove from fire and add rum

12.   Cut biscuit into shapes you like

13.   Dip each one in cream and then into coconut making sure all sides are covered

Enjoy your pile of happiness J

Stuffed squid

I usually leave eating seafood for traditional Friday since by Church we supposed post Fridays but I couldn’t walk away from these fresh squids today since it’s not very often I see fresh „non-fish“ creatures in stores. So on today’s menu is stuffed squid. I know, not many people like squid if it’s not hidden under nice  breadcrumbs, but that’s why you have me to show you how unexpected it can taste on very different way ( and far healthier)!

Stuffed squid:

·         2 big or 4 small squids (fresh)

·         2 slices of bacon or 4 slices of ham

·         2 slices of cheese (it can be mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, feta...whatever you like)

·         Half of small onion, ¼ big one

·         1 garlic clove

·         Tablespoon of chopped parsley

·         Pepper

·         Fish spices(garlic, thyme, rosemary)

·         Olive oil

Let’s get started:

1.       You will need to clean squids. Yeah, it’s a bit ughhh but nothing can compare to a fresh one and you will need tentacles anyway. So, first you want to wash it and dry it a bit. Then, pull out tentacles out and set it aside.  As you can see, even you pulled some organs out you will still need to put you nice fingers in and pull out everything you can find in it. Discharge it.

2.       Chop tentacles and toss head in bin

3.       Chop onion ( here is the link how to do it in case you are beginner : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDjNl5gs4nM )and fry it a bit on olive oil until turns yellow

4.       Add  tentacles, ham/bacon which you chopped into tiny pieces also

5.       Add chopped garlic, pepper and fish spices ( seasonal can do too)

6.       Remove from heat and leave it to cool down a bit then add fine chopped cheese and parsley. Mix it well

7.       Stuff the squid using a teaspoon. Make sure you stuff only half  or 2/3 of it. Close the end with toothpick like you are sewing

8.       Fry stuffed squids on olive oil using a grill pan in best case. If not, use ordinary one

9.       Squid will shrink half of it size and will be ready when it turns a bit brown, just like chicken

By my opinion its best served with boiled potato and mangold with one chopped clove of garlic and olive oil, but if you can’t find any mangold like me just boil cut potatoes in salty water and then add garlic and olive oil.

Enjoy!

Stuffed peppers

 

As we are already deep into autumn and everything is slowly turning grey I would suggest you to break those shades with a splash of colours for lunch or dinner.

Making stuffed peppers is very easy and it doesn’t ask for too much involved time but gives you vibrant and very stuffing meal which will surprise everyone. In following I will describe how to make portion for two or three people so if you need more or less it’s very easy to calculate.

Here is what you need to get started:

• ·         2 Peppers- pick colour you like of even better, pick two different colours
• ·         150 g Minced meat- beef is best but you can use mixed one
• ·         1 small onion, half big one
• ·         1 garlic clove
• ·         Grated cheese- you need it for top but I suggest using it in mince too
• ·         Pepper
• ·         Salt
• ·         Seasonal spice
• ·         Chopped parsley

Now when you got everything we can start:

• 1.       Set owen at 180°C
• 2.       Prepare baking tray buy oiling it or putting baking paper
• 3.       Split pepper on two and clean seeds out
• 4.       Mix mince, chopped onion and garlic, some grated cheese, parsley and all spices in
• 5.       Fill half’s of peppers with mice
• 6.       Set it in owen for 35 min
• 7.       Take it out, spread grated cheese over every pepper
• 8.       Put it back for another 10 min

When it’s done, pepper should be soft and mince should be separated from edges of peppers

Serve it with cream potato!

Bon Appetite!