Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday, my beloved sister! Happy Birthday to all who celebrate their birthday today! Happy Birthday to me!

 

Sfintii Constantin si Elena

La multi ani, Elene si Constantini! Fie ca sfintii carora le purtam aceste frumoase nume sa vegheze asupra noastra. Iar noi sa ne traim viata, cu tot ce aduce ea, pentru ca merita! 🙂

C’mon Inner Peace, I Don’t Have All Day…

Happy Easter to all Cristian  Orthodox and less Orthodox! It is a time for forgiveness and peace in our hearts and minds. They go together always. Otherwise, the mind will drive you insane, and will make you unhappy. Trust your heart and go with it. I asked my heart what shall I do? It answered back to return to the state I was some years ago and it felt happy suddenly. But then my mind turns me around and gives me trouble. If I can’t find peace for a while then I must go through this. I accept and pray for peace in my heart and mind. Where are you, peace? Please, please, come back to me! Talking to myself sometimes helps and I even manage to make myself laugh. ;)) Just imagine me talking aloud or in my mind makes me smile. I remember a pic I found on the internet some time ago. It describes perfectly the state I am in: C’mon inner peace, I don’t have all day… God, I am so restless… In fact I have all day as this is a unique process for every person. 🙂

It helps if I do something I enjoy so I thought of writing on my blog and whinge a bit. I am soo good… I kiss myself… I make myself smile and laugh even. Thanks myself. xxxxxxxxx

And now back to writing a delicious recipe for hot days. I can not say summer days as hot days start in April now or even March. This weather!  If you don’t want to stay in the kitchen but still want to eat something good why not try this Mediterranean Chicken Parcels recipe? The source is “Cookshelf Chicken” by Tom Bridge, 2000. I recommend it for your kitchen, and you can find it zucchinihere,  too. And of course I made it once upon a time…and eat it too.

Mediterranean Chicken Parcels

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 skinless chicken breast fillets
• 250 g (9 oz/ 2 cups) Mozzarella cheese
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/ 3 1/2 cups) courgettes (zucchini), sliced
• 6 large tomatoes, sliced
• 1 small bunch fresh basil or oregano
• pepper
• rice or pasta to serve

Method:

• Cut 6 pieces of foil each about 25 cm (10 inches) square. Brush the foil square lightly with oil and set aside until required.
• With a sharp knife, slash each chicken breast at intervals, then slice the Mozzarella cheese and place between the cuts in the chicken.
• Divide the courgettes and tomatoes between the pieces of foil and sprinkle with black pepper. Tear or roughly chop the basil or oregano and scatter over the vegetables in each parcel.
• Place the chicken on top of each pile of vegetables then wrap in the foil to enclose the chicken and vegetables, tucking in the ends. To aid cooking, place everything on the shiny side of the foil so that once the parcel is wrapped up, the dull surface of the foil is facing outwards. This ensures that the heat is absorbed into the parcel and not reflected away from it.
• Place on a baking tray (cookie sheet) and bake in a preheated oven, 200 °C/ 400˚F, Gas Mark 6, for about 30 minutes.
• To serve, unwrap each foil parcel and serve with rice or pasta.

Bon appetite!

Pana de inspiratie pentru titlu

Am o mica-mare problema legata de acest post. Nu stiu ce titlu sa ii pun asa ca l-am denumit dupa cum vezi. De obicei ma descurc dar am o pana de inspiratie totala. Se mai intampla. Nu imi caut scuze dar sunt om si la naiba, chiar nu gasesc un titlu potrivit. Presupun ca acesta e cel potrivit, pana la urma, asa ca fie ca iti place sau nu, altul nu am. In schimb reteta pe care o voi scrie aici e foarte inspirata si perfecta pentru zilele acestea de vara, in aprilie. Si e foarte usor de gatit, dureaza foarte putin totul iar rezultatul e, cum altfel, decat delicios. Inspiratia pentru ea am luat-o dintr-o carte cu retete numai de pui, numita “Cookshelf Chicken” scrisa de Tom Bridge, 2000. Iar sectiunea cu reteta este “Quick Dishes”, soooo…

Ma gandesc la mine cand aleg o reteta si ma intreb, pentru zilele acestea toride, ce sa gatesc fara sa stau mult in bucatarie si sa mor de cald? Sa cada usor la stomac, pentru ca vara eu nu vreau sa ma simt prea grea, nu cu mancare, in orice caz? Ce sa mananc, ce sa mananc. Hm… imi place puiul…cateodata. Apoi, imi place mozzarella. Si dovleceii zucchini. Si rosiile. Si busuiocul sau oregano. Si pastele si orezul. Wow, imi plac exact ingredientele pentru reteta care urmeaza. 😉  Ia sa vad, daca le combin, ce iese? Esti curioasa/ curios?  Pun pariu ca o sa iti placa la nebunie, asa simt. 🙂

Pachete mediteraneene cu pui 

6 portii

Ingrediente:

• 1 lingura ulei masline
• 6 piepti de pui, file si fara piele
• 250 g (2 cani) branza mozzarela (din aceea alba, nu de pizza)
• 500 g (3 1/2 cani) dovlecei zucchini, feliati
• 6 rosii mari, feliate
• 1 legatura de busuioc sau oregano proaspat
• piper
• orez sau paste, ca garnitura

Preparare:

• Taie 6 bucati de folie de aluminiu in patrate de cca 25 cm latura. Ungele cu putin ulei si pune-le deoparte.
• Cu un cutit ascutit, taie fiecare piept de pui deasupra de cca 3 ori. Feliaza si mozzarela si pune feliile rezultate in taieturile rezultate.
• Pe foliile de aluminiu, imparte in mod egal feliile de dovlecei si rosii si aranjeaza-le ca pe un pat apoi presara piper. Fii generoasa/ generos. Pune apoi busuiocul sau oregano, fie intreg, fie maruntit, dar nu prea fin.
• Aseaza pe patul de legume fiecare piept de pui si fa-l pachet, avand grija sa strangi bine la capete folia.
• Aseaza pachetele astfel formate pe o tava si lasa-le la cuptor la 200 °C/ 400˚F, gaz 6, pentru cca 30 de minute. Serveste apoi cu orez sau paste.

Pofta buna!