Un pranz rapid / Quick lunch

Salata contine / The salad:
- mix de salata mediteraneana (la punga) / mixed salad leaves;
- rosii cherry / cherry tomatoes;
- ceapa verde / green onion;
- mozzarella / mozzarella cheese.

Pentru dressing / For dressing:
- ulei de masline / olive oil;
- otet balsamic / balsamic vinegar;
- sare si piper / salt and pepper.

Salata se spala, rosiile si ceapa se feliaza si mozzarella se taie in cuburi mici. Se toarna dressingul peste si asta e tot. Eu am servit cu o jumatate de mini-bagheta :).

[You wash the salad, slice the cherry tomatoes and onion and dice the mozzarella. Then you add the dressing and that's it. I served with half of a mini-baguette  :)]

Penne cu zucchini si rosii cherry / Penne with zucchini and cherry tomatoes

Pentru ca voiam sa gatesc ceva rapid si fara carne :)
[Because I wanted to cook something very fast and without meat :)]

Ingrediente / Ingredients:

- penne / penne;

- 1 zucchini mare sau 2 mai mici / 1 big zucchini or 2 smaller ones;

- rosii cherry / cherry tomatoes;

- masline kalamata / kalamata olives;

- parmezan / parmesan;

- busuioc / basil;

- 3 catei de usturoi / 3 cloves of garlic;

- un cub mic de unt / a small cube of butter.

In primul rand se taie zucchini se taie in cuburi, rosiile se feliaza si se scot samburii de la masline.
[First you must slice the zucchini in small cubes, slice the tomatoes and remove the kernel from the olives.]

 

Intr-o tigaie se pune ulei de masline si se caleste usturoiul, apoi se adauga cuburile de zucchini si se soteaza timp de 8 minute la foc mediu.
[In a pan add some olive oil and the garlic, then add the zucchini cubes and sote for 8 minutes on a medium heat.]

 

Intre timp pennele se pun se pun la fiert in apa cu sare.
Cand zucchini incep sa se rumeneasca se adauga rosiile si maslinele si se asezoneaza cu sare, piper si busuioc. Se adauga apoi o jumatate de polonic din zeama in care au fiert pastele si cubul de unt si se amesteca pana se formeaza sosul.
[Meanwhile, boil the pasta in some salted water.
When the succhini start to brown, add the tomatoes, olives and season with salt, pepper and basil. Then add half a ladle of the pasta water, the butter and mix until the sauce is done.]

 

La final se adauga pastele si parmezanul in tigaie si se serveste :)
The final step is to add the pasta and the parmesan in the pan and serve :)

Clatite pufoase / Fluffy pancakes

In the mood for some fluffy pancakes :)

Ingrediente (10 clatite) / Ingredients (10 pancakes):

-1 cana faina / 1 cup flour;

- 1 cana lapte / 1 cup milk;

- 1 lingura zahar / 1 tablespoon sugar;

- 1 lingurita praf de copt / 1 teaspoon baking powder; 

- 1/2 lingurita esenta de vanilie / 1/2 teaspoon vanila extract;

- 1 ou / 1 egg;

- sare / salt;

- putin unt (pentru a unge tigaia) / butter for greasing the pan.

Toate ingredientele (mai putin untul) se pun intr-un castron si se amesteca bine cu un tel. Nu foarte mult insa, pentru ca altfel nu vor mai fi pufoase. Dupa aceea, compozitia se lasa de-o parte pentru 5 minute.

Tigaia se pune pe foc si dupa ce se incalzeste foarte bine se unge cu putin unt.

Se adauga cate o jumatate de polonic pentru fiecare clatita. Cand aluatul incepe sa faca bule la suprafata, se intoarce pe partea cealalta si se mai lasa cam 30 secunde.

[You whisk together all the ingredients (except butter) in a bowl Careful not to mix to much or the pancakes won't be fluffy. Then let the batter sit for 5 minutes.

Preheat a skillet and add a tiny bt of butter.

You add half a ladle for each pancake and turn it to the other side when it starts bubbling and leave it for another 30 secundes.]

     
 

Hummus

O reteta usoara pe care merita sa o incerci. Iar hummusul este mult mai gustos decat cel cumparat din supermarket :)

[It's a very easy recipe that you need to try. And the hummus is tastier than the one you buy in the supermarket :)]

Ingrediente / Ingredients:

- 1 cutie de naut / garbanzo beans (chickpeas);

- ulei de susan (sau ulei de masline) / sesame oil (or olive oil);

- seminte de susan / sesame seeds;

- lamaie / lemon;

- sare si piper / salt and pepper.

Nautul se spala si se pune in blender impreuna cu 2 linguri de zeama din conserva si o lingurita de seminte de susan. Peste de adauga o lingura de ulei de susan si zeama de la o jumatate de lamaie si se amesteca. In mod normal se foloseste tahini (pasta de susan) insa eu nu am gasit in magazine si am improvizat :).

La final gustati hummus-ul si mai adaugati sare si piper dupa gust si apoi amestecati din nou.

[You must drain and rinse the chickpeas, put them in a blender with two tablespoons of the liquid in the can and add 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds. Then add a tablespoon of sesame oil and the juice from half a lemon and mix it. Usually you use tahini for hummus but I couldn't find it in the supermarket so I improvised :).

At the and taste the hummus and add salt and pepper if you want, then mix it again.]

Eu l-am servit cu castravete, morcov, biscuiti sarati si branza crema. Delicios! :)

[I served it with some cucumber and carrot sticks, crackers and cream cheese. Delicious :)]

Risotto de ciuperci cu ficat de pui la gratar / Mushroom risotto and grilled chicken liver

Cum mi-au mai ramas niste ciuperci de seara trecuta, m-am gandit sa fac pentru cina un risotto delicios, pe care l-am servit cu ficat de pui la gratar.

[I had some mushrooms left from last night and I decided to make a delicious risotto for dinner, served with grilled chicken liver.]

Ingrediente / Ingredients:

- ficat de pui / chicken liver;

- orez / rice; 

- 1 morcov / 1 carrot; 

- ceapa verde (eu am folosit 3 foarte subtiri) / 3 spring onions;

- 8 ciuperci taiate / 8 sliced mushrooms;

- 2 catei de usturoi / 2 cloves of garlic;

- parmezan / parmesan;

- vin alb / white wine;

- unt / butter;

- ulei de masline / olive oil;

- 1 cub de gaina Maggi / Maggi chicken stock cube;

- sare si piper / salt and pepper.

Mai intai se pune 1L de apa la fiert si se dizolva cubul de gaina Maggi. Apoi se spala ficatul de pui, se asezoneaza cu sare si piper, se unge o tigaie grill cu putin ulei de masline si se aseaza ficatul. Cand este facut pe o parte se intoarce si pe cealalta si se stinge focul cand este gata complet (10-15 minute).

[First you must dissolve the chicken stock cube in boiling water. Then you wash the chicken liver, season it with salt and pper, put a little bit of olive oil on a grill pan and add the liver. When it's done on one side you turn it over and then you turn the heat off when it's all done (10-15 minutes).]

 

Pentru risotto se foloseste o tigaie adanca in care se pune o lingura de ulei de masline si un cubulet de unt (pentru a face risotto mai cremos). Se adauga apoi orezul (eu am folosit o cana si jumatate pentru 4 portii) si se caleste timp de 2-3 minute. Peste orez se toarna o jumatate de pahar de vin alb. Dupa ce vinul este absorbit de orez, se adauga un polonic de supa de pui, sare si piper, se amesteca pana cand este absorbita si apoi se adauga inca un polonic Se continua asa pana cand se termina supa de pui. O data cu ultimul polonic de supa se adauga ciupercile, ceapa verde, morcovul si usturoiul, se amesteca bine si se mai lasa la foc mediu inca 5-10 minute. La final se adauga parmezan.

[For the risotto you will need a large skillet, you add a tablespoon of olive oil and a cube of butter (to make the risotto creamy). Then you add the rice (I used 1 and 1/2 cups) and cook it for 2-3 minutes Then you add half a glass of wine. Once the wine is absorbed, you add ladle of chicken stock, salt and pepper and stir until is absorbed. Then you continue this process until you finish the stock. With the last ladle you also add the mushrooms, spring onions, carrot and garlic, you mix everything well and you leave it on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Finally you add some parmesan and it's ready] 

 

La final m-am gandit sa fac rapid un mujdei de usturoi cu iaurt pentru ficat. Am pus intr-un castronel iaurt de capra, usturoi, ulei de masline, sare si piper si am amestecat bine.

[As a final touch I decided to make a garlic sauce. In a small bowl I combined goat yogurt, garlic, olive oil, salt and pper and mixed well.]

Cam asa arata farfuria mea, cu un pic de patrunjel pentru decor :)

[This is how my plate looks, with a little bit of parsley for decor :)]

Mic Dejun hranitor / Nutritious Breakfast

In aceasta dimineata m-am trezit mai infometata ca de obicei si m-am hotarat sa fac un mic dejun foarte hranitor: Omleta cu salata si cascaval afumat.

[This morning I woke up being very hungry and I've decided to make a very nutritious breakfast: Omelette with smoked cheese and salad.]

Ingrediente / Ingredients:
- oua / eggs
- salata / green salad
- rosii cherry / cherry tomatoes;
- castravete / cucumber;
- cascaval afumat / smoked cheese;
- lapte / milk;
- ulei de masline / olive oil;
- sare si piper / salt and pepper.

Ouale se bat cu putin lapte (pentru a face omleta mai pufoasa), sare si pier si se pun pe o tigaie incinsa cu putin ulei de masline.  Omleta se face ca o clatita si se intoarce pentru a se praji pe ambele parti.

Intr-un castron se pune salata tocata, rosiile cherry si castravetele, se asezoneaza cu sare si piper si putin ulei de masline si se amesteca.

Pe o farfurie se aseaza omleta (eu am folosit jumatate pentru o portie), cateva bucati de cascaval afumat si salata.

[You beat the eggs with a little bit of milk (this is to make them fluffy), salt and pepper and you put them in a hot skillet with some olive oil. You should make the omelette as a pancake and turn it on the opposite side as well.

Then you cut the salad and put it into a bowl with the cherry tomatoes and cucumber, olive oil, salt and pepper and you mix it well.

On a plate you put the omelette (I used half for one portion), a few slices of smoked cheese and the salad]

Somon glazurat cu sote de brocoli si ciuperci / Glazed salmon with broccoli and mushroom sote

Ce spuneti de o cina sanatoasa care este gata in mai putin de 30 minute?

[What about a healthy dinner and done in less than 30 minutes?]

Aveti nevoie de / You'll need:

- somon / salmon;

- brocoli / broccoli;
- ciuperci / mushrooms; 

- usturoi / garlic;

- rozmarin / rozmary;

- lime / lime;

- miere / honey;

- ulei de masline / olive oil;

- sare si piper / salt and pepper.

Mai intai se curata brocoli, se taie in manunchiuri mici, se spala si se aseaza intr-o sita pentru a se scurge de apa.

Intr-un castronel se face glazura pentru somon. Din lime se taie doua felii pentru decor si se pun de-o parte iar restul se stoarce. Peste sucul de lime se adauga 2 linguri de miere si se amesteca bine. Somonul se asezoneaza cu sare si piper, se aseaza o tava acoperita cu folie de aluminiu, iar peste el se toarna glazura. Se baga la cuptor pentru 15 minute (se intoarce pe ceaalta parte dupa 10 minute).

Intr-o tigaie se adauga putin ulei de masline, si se soteaza ciupercile cu 3 catei de usturoi presati.

[In a small bowl you make the glaze for the salmon. Cut the lime and set aside two slices for decor. Juice the rest of the lime and add 2 tablespoons of honey and mix well. Then season the salmon with salt and pepper, place it on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and cover with the glaze. Put it in the oven for 15 minutes, turning it on the opposite side after 10 minutes.

In a pan add some olive oil and sote the mushrooms and 3 cloves of garlic minced.]

Dupa 3-4 minute adaugati brocoli rozmarin, sare si piper si mai sotati pentru 10 minute. In functie de cata zeama au lasat ciupercile, mai puteti adauga putina apa. 

[After 3-4 minutes, add the broccoli and rosemary and sote for another 10 minutes. Depending on the moisture left from the mushrooms you can add a lille bit of water.]

Dupa ce totul este gata, decorati somonul cu o felie de lime si puteti servi :)

[After everything is done, you can decorate the salmon with a lime slice and serve :)]