Prawns With Asparagus

Prawns With Asparagus

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 175 g/ 6 oz fresh asparagus, cut into  2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
• salt
• 4 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 500 g/ 1 lb peeled prawns
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp finely chopped root ginger
• 4 spring onions, chopped

Method:

• Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2 minutes; drain well and set aside.
• Mix the sherry and soy sauce together in a  large bowl. Stir in the prawns and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a wok and quickly stir-fry the garlic, ginger and half the spring onions. Add the prawns and marinade, and the asparagus and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the ingredients are hot.
• Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining spring onions. Serve immediately.

Enjoy your meal!

Source: Sainsbury’s Stand-Up Cookbook: Wok Dishes”, 1985 by Caroline Ellwood

Elena G

Rumanian Baked Fish

I found this recipe years ago, in a book from a London library. It was called, the book I mean, “Encyclopedia of European Cooking” and it was from 1962. It is interesting how words, not more than 70 years ago, changed so much. I am not a linguist but here it is a nice to read and to follow “rumanian” recipe. 🙂

Rumanian Baked Fish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cutlets any firm, white fish
• 4 oz French beans
• 4 oz carrots
• 2 tbsp cooked peas
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp sultanas
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• few springs parsley
• 1 gill sherry
• 1 tsp cummin seeds
• salt and pepper
• frying oil
• 1 gill water

Method

• Place the fish into a deep oven dish, greased with oil. Chop the onion and fry for a few minutes in hot oil, then add sliced French beans and diced carrots. Fry for 5 minutes then mix with the tomatoes, cut in quarters, the peas, aultanas, chopped garlic, cummin seeds, salt and pepper. Add the sherry and water, stir well then pour over the fish. Cover with lid and cook in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Then take off the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy your meal!

Glossary

gill – or teacup is a unit of measurement for volume equal to a quarter of a pint.

Elena G

Idle March…Not

It seems that March is my most productive month of the year so far. I am in the mood for writing, about many, many things but most of them I will keep them unwrapped or just let you have a glimpse of them. Like a teasing. And you can guess whatever you like. It’s up to you. What is up to me is just to lead you on, if I want to. Now make sense of THAT! :))

Disclaimer: “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.” Dr. Seuss quote.

So from now on proceed with caution. :)) Definitely I am in a joking/ flirting mood today. Or not. Blame it on the weather.

What I like to say and I have no clue how to introduce this is that I want to present to you today a very easy to make sandwich. :)) I came home one day, from the job and I was hungry and tired and I wished I would find something already made but, no chance. On my way I was thinking what should I eat, using what I got. I scrambled my grey cells and probably it would had become an omelette if I hadn’t stop in time. May be I was a bit late because look what I write now. It’s not even proper English.

In fact I knew what I would eat a night before that, but I just like to over-think it. It wakes up my brain. So, today (drummings) I present to you my special sandwich. All you need is …. Oh, no, this is not on the menu. Some other time. It is not in the kitchen, on my plate, in the salt, nowhere to find. Precious little thing called … Cynical. Sarcastic. Can you read between the lines? Can you feel the hurt?

So, here’s to you my own sandwich with just 3 ingredients. Feel free to experiment though.

Sandwich plain and simple

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 1 egg
• 2 slices of cheese

Method:

• This is how I do it: I put a medium size non-stick pan on the stovetop over a medium heat. I crack the egg in the middle, trying not to move the pan as I like my egg as round and as collected as possible. I leave the pan for about 30 seconds so that the egg starts to cook and the white appears and because the pan is large enough, I put next to the egg the 2 slices of bread and cover. After 1-2 minutes, I turn the slices. 1-2 more minutes, then I remove the slices, cover the pan and turn the heat off. The egg will cook a bit more but don’t worry. It will be ok. I like the egg a bit runny but not too much.
• I spread a bit of butter on the slices (optional) then cover with cheese. I remove the egg from the pan and put it on a slice of bread. I cover with the other slice and it’s done.
• You can add salad, ham, bacon, cured pork, etc, but remember, simple doesn’t mean less tasty.

Good appetite!

 

Aromanian Pie

Well, with my forgotten English I would like to share with you, other language speaking friends, acquaintances, random readers and food lovers, a new recipe, a traditional one. It is simply called Aromanian pie because I am Aromanian and it is done by all Aromanian women since I don’t know when. I will not get into historical and mythological facts, as I, myself get lost in them too, but I will explain, my way, what are Aromanians, for short. They are people like all these over 7 billion in this world, who live mostly in the Balkan Peninsula and who speak an old and almost lost language, Aromanian and they are close relatives to Romanians. How close or not, I will let the historians and others decide, the thing is that their songs, their costumes, their traditions, their food are unique and if you are interested in them just check my youtube channel, my mom’s youtube channel and others on youtube for music mostly, read Irina Nicolau’s book “Aromanian. Beliefs and traditions”, check Proiect Avdhela – The Library of Aromanian Culture, Gustav Weigand’s new published book “. ”ARMÂNII – ȚARĂ ȘI OAMENI””, 1st volume, etc. There are many resources to check, feel free and open minded, mostly. Google is here to help 😉

Ok, let’s get back to our business. This pie was eaten exactly on the first day of this year. How can I forget, right? I was visiting my godson and his family. His grandma offered me this pie and it was absolutely delicious. It reminded me of the pies my grandma did, decades ago and I asked for the recipe. She generously shared it with me and now I  do the same with you. I did it myself too, a couple of weeks ago and it was not as good as my godson’s grandma, Cati, but I think I know better for the next time. So, here it is an old and tasty traditional recipe of a pie.

Aromanian Pie (Cati’s Pie)

Servings: countless, as many as you get from an oven tray.

Ingredients:

• 500 g flour
• about 100-150 ml of water
• a pinch of salt (don’t cripple the knife, you know what I mean;)) )
• about 3-4 tbsp oil
• about 4-6 tbsp melted lard (if you haven’t got any, go for butter, 80-82% fat)
• 500-700 gr spinach/ garden patience/ nettle, a combination of these or any other green leaves that work in any combination
• approximately 500 g salty cheese (not extremely salty but fatty)
• 2-3 medium size eggs (preferably free range)

Method:

• Mix flour with oil, water, salt into a kneading bowl and well … knead. Besides the flour and salt, put the rest of the ingredients slowly and check until the dough is not too soft nor too hard, so that means that you can add more water and oil if needed. Knead  the dough until no longer sticks on the walls of the bowl.
• Divide the dough into two equal parts. Spread a sheet from the first part, not very thick nor very thin. Use a traditional paddle called shtzala (it looks funny, in Aromanian would be written like this: șțala) or a longer paddle. In fact the traditional one looks like a paddle without handles, which allows the dough to be stretched into bigger and thinner sheets. Spread 2-3 tablespoons lard or butter on the pie sheet (for my first attempt I put less lard and the sheets were less crounchy). Fold it in 3 parts the sheet then cover with cling film. Repeat the same steps with the second pie sheet. Put them in the fridge for about an hour or overnight.
• After an hour or after a day, start preparing the filling. Put the spinach or any greenery in a pan over medium heat together with 1-2 cups of water and stir until it becomes paste and the water evaporates more or less. Add the eggs and the cheese (crumbled with a fork) and leave for about 1-2 minutes on the heat then remove. You can use also frozen spinach, it is as good.
• Take the dough from the refrigerator and stretch the sheets on a table sprinkled with a little flour. Sprinkle a little flour on sheet and start rolling. I use a tray that measures 20 cm wide by 35 cm length (inside) but if you happen to have a tray a little bigger than this, you adapt. As long as it is not too big. Make sure you leave about 2 cm  more of the sheet for the folding of the edges.
• Put again a thin layer of room warm butter/ lard on top and place the first sheet in the tray. If it is too big, just arrange the sheet so it fits. Add all the filling. Spread a bit of lard/ butter/ oil on the second sheet and put it with the oily side on the filling. Do not forget to fold the edges of the sheets, otherwise the filling will get out. Brush a little sheen of oil or warm butter/ lard on top. This will prevent the dough to harden. Place the tray in a medium heated oven at about 200 ° C / 400 F for 25-30 minutes. My oven is not that high-tech, so I use my head and eyes and nose and common sense when I cook, so you use them too.
• Remove the pie when browned a little on top and put a few drops of water all over. That keeps the dough soft and easy to cut and bite. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and possibly a plastic bag or cellophane to keep a bit of moisture in. When it cools, just cut it in same size pieces and serve with yogurt. I like it so. 🙂

Good appetite!

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!

15 Minutes

For some days I’ve felt the need of something sweet. Probably to compensate me, as I am bitter and sour, more like a lemon. Don’t squeeze me, as I am not in the mood. Running away is how I feel. I am in desperate need of a vacation. I am so tired. I can’t wait for this one that comes with the 1st of May and for the longer one that comes with the 1st of July. I want to forget about everything and just relax. And I want to be alone, to recharge. Somewhere, over the rainbow. I remember a holiday I had in Bilbor, a beautiful village in the mountains, near Toplita town. I went there alone, to stay at a friend and I remember taking a small blanket and a book with me and lying down on a secluded clearing and falling asleep. Now, that’s a perfect holiday: sleeping in the nature.

The next perfect thing is to enjoy a delicious meal or desert. For a hot summer day, I recommend a fruit salad. No cooking, no sweating, no exiling yourself for hours in the kitchen and miss a beautiful sunny day. Just a quick and refreshing bowl of fruits with cream. You need 15 minutes of your life. Is it too much? I think not. If you want more quick recipes, get your inspirations, as I got mine for this recipe and more, from Carolyn Humphries’ “Simply Stylish Meals in 15 Minutes”.

Fruit Brulee

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes plus chilling time

Cooking time: about 3 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 225 g (8 oz) strawberries, sliced or raspberries (or peaches, plums or nectarines, sliced and pitted)
• 150 ml (1/4 pt, 2/3 cup) double cream
• 150 ml (1/4 pt, 2/3 cup) thick plain yoghurt
• light brown sugar

Method:

• Arrange the fruit in a shallow flameproof dish.
• Whip together the cream and yoghurt until soflty peaking. Spread over the fruit. Chill, if time allows.
• Sprinkle liberally with sugar so it covers the top completely.
• Place under a very hot grill (broiler) until the sugar melts. Serve straight away.

Bon appetite!

Cooking For Two

I would like to introduce you today to a new recipe I tried years ago in my beloved city, London. I got it from the book “Cooking for two”, published in 1996. What a reasonable title! And what a perfect day to cook, at the end of the week. Imagine yourself tired from the week. You don’t feel like looking at all. May be not a very difficult recipe. You would love some eggs too. Hmmm…ah…there is it…

Souffle omelette with mushroom sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 20 g butter (lovely butter…)

For the mushroom sauce

• 60 g butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 125 g baby mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tsp plain flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp French mustard
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

Method:

• Whisk egg yolks, water and tarragon in a large bowl until well combined.
• Beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Fold egg whites gently into egg yolk mixture in 2 batches.
• Heat half the butter in the omelette pan. Pour the half egg mixture into pan, cook omelette until lightly browned underneath.
• Place the pan under a hot grill until top of the omelette is just set.
• Slide the omelette onto plate, fold omelette in half, spoon over half the mushrooms sauce.
• Repeat with remaining butter, egg mixture and sauce.
• Mushroom sauce: heat the butter in a pan, add onion, garlic and mushrooms, cook stirring, until onion is soft. Add flour, cook stirring, until combined.
• Remove from heat, gradually stir in combined remaining ingredients, stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. If you like to ease your work, you can make the sauce a day ahead.

Bon appetite, my love!