In a Hurry?

If you are in a hurry but still want to impress someone special or your friends, here is a recipe that it is both delicious and easy to make: liver Stroganoff. The book I found the recipe in, is titled how else but “Cooking in a Hurry” by Anne Ager, published in 1980. In those times I guess it was still kind of boring to stay in the kitchen and just cook, one wanted to live her/his life too. In Romania it was a way of life cooking not for your family but organising festive meals for the entire clan. I speak for myself because I have seen my mom many times doing that during a year and my sister and I had to help too. It was fun for us but if I put myself in her shoes I guess it was not that fun. I know I wouldn’t do that but occasionally. Well, if my mom had known this recipes she would’ve got away with it easily. Joking. 🙂

Though I made this recipe just once, a few years ago, I loved it and I thought to share it with you. So here it is.

Liver Stroganoff

Preparation and cooking time : 25 min

Ingredients:

• 750 g (1 1/2 lb) calf’s or lamb’s liver, cut into strips, 5 mm (1/4 inch) thick
• seasoned flour
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 50 g (2 oz) butter (80-82% fat please)
• 100 g (4 oz) button mushrooms, sliced
• 6X15 ml spoons (tbsp) dry sherry (if you don’t have sherry, don’t worry now, try to make sure you have for some time in the future, there are plenty of recipes with sherry)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) soured cream

Method:

• Dust the strips of liver in seasoned flour, then shake off any surplus flour.
• Fry the onion gently in the butter for 2 minutes in a shallow frying pan.
• Add the liver and continue frying, stirring occasionally, until the liver begins to colour.
• Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 3 minutes. Add the sherry, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. And close the kitchen window so you take pity on your neighbours.
• Stir in the soured cream and heat through carefully, without boiling.
• Serve with boiled noodles and a salad. Do not forget to toss the noodles in butter and add some pepper, if you like.

Bon appetite!

Ficati de mancat

De la Imperiul Otoman la alt imperiu azi. Imperiul Rus. Si o reteta celebra dar cu un organ de vitel sau miel, dupa preferinte: ficat. Din el mai poti face si un delicios pate de casa. Cand ai pofta. Sursa de inspiratie pentru reteta de azi a fost o poza foarte colorata si apetisanta din cartea lui Anne Ager “Cooking in a Hurry” din 1980. Veche si cartea dar ideea e haioasa. Cui nu-i place sa termine rapid de gatit ca doar nu ar vrea sa stea ore intregi in bucatarie? Mai ales cand ii este foame sau mai sunt si altii care asteapta mancare. In mod ideal ar trebui doar sa bati din palme si sa apara felul la care te-ai gandit. Day dreaming? Wake up, please. Acum se potriveste o vorba pe care o am pe un magnet de frigider: I love you, I need you, I like you, I vrea tu. Dap, ai vrea tu! :))

Du-te in bucatarie si transpira putin muncind la o reteta de-li-cioa-sa. Nu o sa iti para rau si cine va manca alaturi de tine va avea un stomac fericit. Si zambitor. Si tu la fel. Spor la treaba!

Ficat Stroganoff

Preparare si gatit: 25 minute

Ingrediente:

• 750 g ficat miel sau vitel, taiat fasii de cca 5 mm grosime
• faina
• 1 ceapa medie, taiata fin
• 50 g unt (gras, cat mai gras)
• 100 g ciuperci feliate (de preferinta ciuperci albe, mici si rotunde sau Champignon)
• 6 linguri sherry sec (nu-i bai daca nu ai, nu pui, dar pe viitor daca poti, cumpara un sherry ca sa il folosesti la gatit )
• sare
• piper negru
• 150 ml smantana (grasa, grasa – nu de alta dar am citit recent ceea ce stiam cu totii, ca grasimea naturala e grasime buna si oricum cu sport si portii mici o poti elimina)

Preparare:

• Trece fasiile de ficat prin faina asezonata cu sare si piper si scutura-le bine de orice surplus.
• Prajeste ceapa la foc mic in unt cca 2 minute, intr-o tigaie mai adanca. Adauga ficatul si lasa-l sa se rumeneasca incet, intorcandu-l pe toate partile, tot la foc mic.
• Adauga ciupercile si lasa totul cca 3 minute.
• Adauga sherry, sare si piper, acopera si lasa sa se patrunda totul cca 5 minute.
• Adauga apoi smantana si las-o sa se incalzeasca dar fara sa o fierbi. Acum e gata mancarea
• Serveste-o cu salata si taitei fierti. Dupa ce ii strecori de apa, pune-le cateva bucatele de unt, in functie de cantitatea fiarta si putina sare. Sunt deliciosi asa.

Pofta buna!

Braised pork in orange sauce

For me, this recipe was a surprise the first time I saw it. I haven’t thought before of proper food with fruits. In my mind, fruits go with desserts, not other dishes. When I tasted this meal, I liked it. And I think you would agree if you are open to try. Plus, you can cook it ahead so if you want to eat it next day, all you have to do is to put the casserole in the preheated oven and this is it. Simple and easy. I have to say that I have found this recipe in Ann Ager’s book “Cooking in a hurry” edited in 1980 and I cooked it some years ago when I was in London. I would like to cook it again, someday. 🙂

Braised pork in orange sauce

Advanced preparation and cooking time: 45 min.

Preparation and cooking time on the day: 40 min.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 tbsp oil
• 500 g (1 1/4 lb) pork fillet, cubed seasoned flour
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) pure orange juice
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) chicken stock (or water if you don’t have stock)
• 225 g (8 oz) carrots, peeled and grated
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 oranges, peel and pith removed, cut into segments
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) double cream
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Method:

• Fry the chopped onion in the oil for 3 minutes over low heat. Dust the cubed pork in seasoned flour and add to the onion. Cook over moderate heat until the meat is lightly browned on all sides.
• Gradually stir in the orange juice and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and add carrot, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the orange segments, double cream and walnuts and allow to cool.
• Transfer to a casserole, cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• On the day: cook in a covered casserole in a preheated oven at 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4,  for 40 minutes. In case you eat this immediately, skip the  “chill overnight” step. And enjoy the flavours!

Bon appetite!

Interesant

Am facut o pauza cam mare de la ultima mea postare de reteta dar am o scuza (care acuza, evident! ;)). Am inceput sesiunea si nu am starea necesara sa scriu zilnic dar cand o fac, constat ca regret ca nu am facut-o mai devreme, pentru ca imi face bine. Ultima reteta era de porc si am zis sa ma tin pe firul asta, daca tot am umblat la dosarul cu retete de carne de porc. Si am gasit o reteta delicioasa si interesanta in acelasi timp, un mix la care putini se gandesc. Porc cu portocale. Da, exact ce ai citit. Porc cu portocale. Ca de obicei, si reteta asta are o poveste in spate. Intr-o zi oarecare de acum cativa ani, la Londra, am dat peste ea intr-o carte scrisa de Anne Ager “Cooking in a Hurry”, aparuta in 1980. Numai titlul cartii si mi-a placut din start. Pentru ca de mult ori ma grabesc si mai ales nu imi place sa stau ore intregi in bucatarie. Cu cat e mai usor si mai repede, cu atat mai bine. Asa zic eu, dar cand gasesc o reteta complicata ador s-o migalesc. Deci, dupa titlul, am zis: iata o carte inteleapta si care trebuie folosita, macar o data. Rasfoind-o, aceasta reteta mi-a atras atentia, prin neobisnuitul ei. Iti dai seama ca nu asociasem niciodata pana atunci fructe cu carne. Asa ca m-am decis sa o gatesc, neaparat. Ce mi-a mai placut la ea e ca o poti prepara cu o zi inainte si o poti lasa la frigider ca sa o continui a doua zi cand nu mai ai altceva de facut decat s-o bagi in cuptor. Si uite asa ca ai scapat de munca pe o zi. Genial, nu?

Porc inabusit in sos de portocale

Timp de preparare in avans: 45 minute

Timp de gatit: 40 minute

Ingrediente:

• 2 cepe medii, tocate marunt
• 3 linguri ulei
• 500 g filet de porc, taiat cubulete si dat prin faina
• 300 ml suc natural de portocale (fa-l casa din portocale sau ia unul de calitate, cu pulpa, din comert)
• 150 ml supa de pui (strecurata evident sau apa daca nu ai)
• 225 g morcovi, razuiti
• putina scortisoara
• sare
• piper proaspat macinat (sau gata macinat)
• 2 portocale, feliate si fara pielita aceea subtire, pe cate se poate
• 150 ml smantana
• 2 linguri de nuci maruntite

Preparare:

• Prajeste ceapa tocata in ulei cca 3 minute la foc mic. Adauga cubuletele de carne de porc, date prin faina si lasa-le la foc mediu, pana se rumenesc.
• Adauga pe rand sucul de portocale si apoi supa de pui. Lasa sa fiarba totul si apoi pune morcovii, scortisoara, sarea si piperul. Acopera si lasa la foc mic pentru 30 minute.
• Adauga portocalele, smantana si nucile, opreste focul si lasa sa se raceasca.
• Muta totul intr-o caserola sau intr-un vas termorezistent si lasa mancarea sa se raceasca intai. Acopera cu capac si pune-o in frigider peste noapte. Daca cumva vrei sa mamanci in aceeasi zi, sari peste momentul asta.
• A doua zi, pune caserola acoperita in cuportul pre-incalzit la 180°C, 350°F sau nr. 4 la cuptorul cu gaz.

Pofta buna!

PS: de ce mi se face foame scriind despre mancarea asta?