Barley and Lentil Soup (and visit to Savina Monastery - Montenegro )

This is one of my vegetarian (winter) favourites; very tasty and filling. A few of my Orthodox friends asked for the recipe, as they started their fast (Orthodox Christians don't eat meat and any product from animals during fasting, but also not using oil or drinking wine on certain days. The rules are complicated and they have a special calendar which tells them what is forbidden on what day during a year).

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1-2 garlic clove, crushed
200 g pearl barley (1 cup)
1 cup lentils
1-2 tsp curry powder
2 sprigs coriander / parsley
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsp (Himalayan) salt
1 cup carrot/corn/peas/ mixture
1 1/2 l water
Method:
Heat a non-stick pan, add onion and garlic. saute for a minute. Add all other ingredients except lentils and cook for 30 + minutes, or until barley almost done (if you pre-soak barley for few hours, cooking time will be less). Add lentils and cook additional 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Supa / Čorba od ječma i leće (i posjeta Savina Manastiru)

Ovo je jedan od mojih omiljenih vegetarijanskih (zimskih) recepata; veoma ukusno i zasitno. Par mojih pravoslavnih prijatelja me je pitalo za recept, posto su otpoceli sa njihovim postom

 ( pravoslavci ne jedu meso ili druge proizvode zivotinja, ali isto ne koriste ulje ili piju vino u odreddjene dane. Pravila su komplikovana stoga imaju poseban kalendar koji im tacno pokazuje sta treba izbjegavati u odredjene dane).

Potrebno:

1 crveni luk, sjeckan
1-2 cena bijelog luka, protisnuta
200 gr jecma (1 solja 250 ml)
1 solja lece
1-2 k kari praha
2 stabljike persuna ili korijandera
2 k Vegete ( ili drugog povrtnog temeljca)
1 k soli (Himalajske po mogucnosti)
1 solja mjesavine mrkve/kukuruza/graska
1 1/2 L vode

Nacin:
Zagrijte neprijanjajuci lonac, proprzite luk. Dodajte sve druge sastojke (osim lece) i kuhajte 30+ minuta, ili dok jecam ne omeksa (ako ga namocite na vise sati prije, vrijeme kuhanja ce se smanjiti. Dodajte zatim lecu i kuhajte jos 15 dodatnih minuta. Servirajte vruce.

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Following photos are from Orthodox Monastery (called Savina), taken in September when we visited Herceg Novi during our holiday at Montenegro. It's built between 1777 and 1799. They posses a number of historical objects, including crystal cross (decorated with gold, silver and 4 rubies) that belonged to St. Sava ('Sveti Sava').

Fotografije su iz Manastira Savina kod Herceg Novog; snimljeno u septembru, kad smo proveli 4 dana  u ovom dijelu Crne Gore. Manastir je izgradjen izmedju 1777 i 1799. Posjeduje odredjene istorijske objekte, ukljucujuci kritalni krst Svetog Save (dekorisan zlatom, srebrom i sa 4 rubina).

 

Vienna's Rye Bread Rolls

I don't know if we were exhausted, or because it was Sunday, or maybe fact that previous day we've been in Thailand, but Vienna and it's people didn't impress me much. I suppose crew from Austrian airlines had something to do with my opinion! (And I'm not saying all Austrians are arrogant and unfriendly, because one of best people I know is Austrian - Silvia, I'm talking about you!)

We had one day to explore, and this is what we saw. (Recipe for bread rolls is in the middle)

Ne znam da li je bio umor u pitanju, ili zato sto je bila nedjelja, ili mozda cinjenica da smo stigli iz Tajlanda, ali Bec i Austrijanci me se nisu posebno dojmili. Pretpostavljam da su zaposlenici Austrijskog Airlajn-a malo doprinijeli mome misljenju! (I nemam namjeru sve Austriance nazvati arogantnim i neprijateljski raspolozenim, jer jedna od najboljih osoba koje poznajem je Austrijanka - Silvia iz Graza).

Imali smo jedan dan za obilazak, i evo sta smo vidjeli. (Recept je u sredini)

Early Sunday morning in Schonbrunn / Rano nedjeljno jutro u Schonbrunn-u.

Hotel Carlton Opera (Vivaldi, Schubert, Brahms and other have been guests in this hotel. Mozart conducted 'Magic Flute' here!...Not that I cared about it in that early morning - I just wanted a bed to rest).

Hotel Carlton Opera, u kojem su nekad boravili Vivaldi, Schubert, Brahms i drugi. Mozart je komponovao Carobnu Frulu ovdje!...Ne da me je bilo mnogo briga o svemu tome tog jutra - samo sam zelila krevet da se odmorim).

Waiting for our rooms (desperately)....very tired, after whole night on a plane!

Ocajno se ocekuju sobe...jako umorni poslije cijele noci u avionu!

Bread rolls selection at hotel's breakfast (and inspiration for today's recipe)
Izbor peciva u hotelu (i inspiracija za danasnji post).

Recipe 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rye flour

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 1/2 cups bakers (or plain) flour

2 tbs milk powder 

2 tsp salt

1 tbs brown sugar

2 tsp yeast

2 cups water (skin warm)

1/4 cup oil (light olive or similar)

egg white and seeds for topping

Method:

Activate yeast, mix with all other ingredients and knead for 5 minutes.( Alternatively, you can put all ingredients into brad machine and program to knead only.)Let it rise (warm spot, covered bowl). Take out and divide into smaller pieces (I got 18 pieces of 75 grams). Shape into balls, or press into circles, then roll (as swiss roll) into crescents. Place onto oiled baking sheet. Cover and let it rest for 30+ minutes. Preheat oven to 190*C, brush rolls with beaten egg white and sprinkle with seeds.Bake for 15 + minutes.

Recept

Potrebno:

2 1/2 solje razanog brasna

1 solja intergralnog brasna

1 1/2 solja obicnog brasna

2 K mlijeka u prahu

2 k soli

1 K braon secera

2 k kvasca

2 solje mlake vode 

1/4 solje ulja

1 bjelance i sjemenke za povrsinu peciva

Nacin:

Aktivirajte kvasac, umijsajte sa svim ostalim sastojcima i umijesite tijesto. Ostavite (pokriveno toplo mjesto) odmarat dok ne narastei. (Sve ovo mozete uciniti u pekacu; izaberite program za mijesenje).

Izvadite tijesto i podijelite na komadice (ja sam dobila 18 komada po 75 grama). 

Oblikujte loptice ili polumjesece / kifle (razvaljate krug, pa ga zarolate u kiflu). Smjestite ih na nauljenu tepsiju. Pokrijte i drzite 30-ak minuta na toplom.

Ukljucite rernu na 190*C. Premazite peciva bjelanjkom i pospite sjemenkama. Pecite 15+ minuta.

 Afternoon in Vienna (after a few hours of sleep)
Jedno popodne u Becu (nakon par sati odmora)

 

Unavoidable sausage stand (with dear cousins from Graz).

Neizbjezan stand sa Beckim kobasicama (sa rodjacima koji su stigli iz Graza).

              'Bosna'

Vigor wanted to see most important churches, as he studies World's religions.

Vigor je zelio posjetiti najvaznije crkve, obzirom da studira o religijama Svijeta.

                               

     

Thailand, I'll be back!

On 19/09 we landed in Thailand (Bangkok). We went to our hotel for night, preparing for a big day tomorrow (my birthday). Everything was planned and  organised in advance; I booked hotel, transfer and a guide for a day. Later on, I would realize it was excellent move, as Thai language is unique and we wouldn't be able to understand anything from their signs (although airport and some tourist zones have English writings as well). 

If I had to describe Bangkok in a few words it would be People, Food, Temples and Royals.

People are genuinely nice and so quite, very polite and kind.

Food is unbelievably tasty, fresh and natural. I'd be happy to go back to Thailand just for food.

Temples are grandiose, beautiful and with so many details. I like the fact that you have to be decently dressed and take your shoes off when entering temples.

Royals are well respected here, their pictures are everywhere; Thai people love their King and Queen, who take good care of country and citizens.

19/09 smo sletjeli u Tajland (Bankok). Smjestili smo se u hotel, pripremajuci se za sutradasnji veliki dan (moj rodjendan). Sve je vec bilo isplanirano i rezervisano; hotel, transport i vodic za jedan dan. Kasnije sam shvatila da je to bio odlican zahvat, posto je Tajlandski jezik sasvim unikatan i ne bismo bili sposobni ista shvatiti iz njihovih znakova (mada aerodrom i neke turisticke zone imaju i Engleske natpise).

Kad bih morala opisati Bankok u parrijeci, to bi bilo Ljudi, Hrana, Hramovi i Kraljevina.

Ljudi su ovdje istinski fini i tako tihi, veoma ljubazni i usluzni.

Hrana je nevjerovatno ukusna, svjeza i prirodna. Rado bih se vratila u Tajland samo zbog hrane.

Hramovi su grandiozni, prekrasni i sa mnogo detalja. Svidjelo mi se to sto morate biti pristojno obuceni i izuti svoju obucu pri ulasku u hram.

Kralj i kraljica su ovdje veoma postovani; njihove slike svuda po gradu. Tajlandjani vole svoje 'royals', koji vode divnu brigu o zemlji i stanovnicima.

Grand Palace

 Can you imagine how much time would take for1,5 cm small tiles to be stuck on this huge golden building? The Golden Mount (Wat Saket) / Mozete li zamisliti koliko vremena je trebalo da se 1,5 cm zlatne plocice polijepe po povrsini ove ogromne gradjevine? Zlatno Brdo (Wat Saket)

Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) / Hram Zore (Wat Arun)

Lots of gold and beautiful details / Gomile zlata i divnih detalja!

 

 

Blessings at Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) / Blagoslovljavanje u Hramu Emerald Bude (Wat Phra  Kaew)

 

Grandious buildings with many different styles; many temples and hundreds of Buddhas. / Grandiozne gradjevine sa razlicitim stilovima; mnogo hramova sa stotinama Buda.

Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) / Hram Lezeceg Bude, Wat Pho 

Preparing for Canal tour / Pripremamo se za obilazak naseljenih kanala

Accsess to homes is available only from water side. /  Prilaz kucama je moguc samo sa vode.





Canal names are neatly displayed , so you don't get lost. / Nazivi kanala su postavljeni, tako da se ne zagubite.

Poor and rich live in canal areas. / Siromasni i bogati zive na vodi.

Lunch on 'floating market'. I thought I know how good are Thai flavours...I was so wrong! Nothing is so fresh and tasty as here.

Rucak na 'plivajucoj' pijaci. Mislila sam da znam kako je Tai hrana dobra... Greska! Nista se ne moze usporediti sa ovako svjezom i ukusnom hranom ovdje.









Through Bangkok's busy streets to China market; OMG, so many products, and so crowdy!

Kroz zastopane ulice Bankoka do Kineske pijace; Moj boze, toliko razlicitih proizvoda i tako puno ljudi!

 

Tuk-Tuk as most common form of transport. /
 Tuk- tuk je najzastupljenije prevozno sredstvo.

 

Best guide ever, lovely Po. /  Najbolji vodic ikada, draga Po.

I recommend / preporucujem   http://www.thaitourguide.com/privatetourguide.html