Cauliflower/Broccoli with Cheese

'Brassica oleracea' vegetable family includes cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli and collard greens. Very good for you, but unfortunately many of us (especially children) don't like the taste. Maybe this recipe helps, like it did in my household. You can use it for all of above mentioned veggies.

Ingredients:
1 small head of broccoli or cauliflower, washed, separated
2-3 tbs water
1/3 teas salt
cling wrap to cover (if using microwave)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbs sour cream
1 teas mustard (Dijon or German)
3-4 tbs grated cheese (Mozzarella, Tasty)
Paprika (optional) for sprinkling
Method:
Microwave vegetables for 7-9 minutes (spoon water over it,salt it, cover with cling wrap). Drain when cooked.
Prepare 'dressing' - Mix onion, sour cream and mustard. Spoon over the top of veggies. Sprinkle with cheese (and paprika) and microwave for 2 minutes more.
Alternatively, cook or steam veggies, repeat method with dressing and cheese and put in oven/grill until cheese melts.






Karfiol / Brokoli sa sirom

Potrebno:
1 mala glavica brokolija ili karfiola, oprano i ocisceno
2-3 kasike vode + celofan za pokriti (za mikrovalnu)
1/3 kasicice soli
1/2 glavice crvenog luka, sitno isjeckanog
2 kasike kajmaka/pavlake
1 kasicica senfa
3-4 kasike ribanog tvrdog sira (koji se topi)
crvena paprika (prah) po zelji
Nacin:
Stavite povrce u posudu prikladnu za mikrovalnu, pospite vodom, posolite i kuhajte 7-9 minuta, pokriveno plasticnom folijom. Iscijedite vodu poslije kuhanja.
Pripremite preliv: Pomijesajte luk, kajmak i senf. Kasikom nanesite na vrh povrca, pospite rendanim sirom (i paprikom) i vratite u mikrovalnu na jos 2 minute.
ILI: skuhajte/naparite povrce, slijedite metod sa prelivom, pa zapecite u rerni dok se sir ne istopi.

Afghani Bread

My obsession with world breads continues! It's amazing that most of them use the same ingredients, but textures, shapes and tastes are so different.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour (unbleached preferable)
1 1/3 cups water
1 1/5 teas salt
1 teas yeast
Nigella seeds
Method:
Put all ingredients in a bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon (until incorporated). Turn over on floured surface and cover to rest (45 minutes). Preheat oven to 200-220*C. Oil baking pan (like pizza pan) and quickly transfer dough onto it. Be careful, dough is very heavy/wet. Stretch the dough and press middle with your (oiled) fingers, or cut dough in a few places and lightly stretch (pic 2). Sprinkle with nigella seeds and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.
Perfect to use with Dukkah.

Avganistanski hljeb/kruh

Potrebno:
3 solje brasna
1,3 solje vode
1,5 kasicice sol1 kasicica suhog kvasca
Nigella sjeme (eh sad,...negdje kazu da je to crno sezamovo sjeme, Turci ga zovu crni kim, a negdje se govori o sjemenu luka (Stari Bosanski naziv 'Čukurek / Čurekot')
Nacin:
Umijesite tijesto od navedenih sastojaka; veoma je tesko i ljepljivo! Stavite na pobrasnjenu povrsinu i ostavite 45 minuta na toplom.
Zagrijte rernu na 200-220*C. Nauljite tepsiju i nadoslo tijesto prenesite na nju. Malo razvucite tijesto, i pritisnite na vise mijesta prstima, ili ga  nasjecite  i lagano razvucite. Pospite crnim sjemenkama i pecite 10-15 minuta. Perfektno da posluzite sa Dukkah.
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Chocolate Cherry Beauties

Today is first day of Summer in Australia, and day that I usually start baking for Christmas. It's relieving to know that outside temperatures are unusually low this year. My list is including: Scottish Shortbread, Austrian 'Zimtsterne', Wiener Poppy Seed Mini Muffins, Italian 'Panetonne', Coconut Biscuits, Poppy Seed Spirals, Chocolate and Fresh Ginger Biscuits, and Sesame Wafers, Hazelnut Truffles and more (recipes coming!). At last but not at least, Gingerbread House from scratch.

Ingredients:
185 g flour
30 g cocoa
1/3 teas salt
185 g butter, softened
105 g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teas almond or vanilla essence
30 g almonds, toasted, chopped
Glace cherries for decorating
a bit of melted chocolate (to stick cherries)
Method:
Mix all dry ingredients, add butter, egg yolk and essence. Make a soft dough, wrap in cello paper and keep in a cool spot for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 190*C, prepare baking tins. Baking paper helps a lot.
Form small balls from dough, put on a baking sheet, and middle of every ball press with your finger (or shape dough into a log and then cut discs). Bake 8-9 minutes. When slightly cooled, dot a bit of chocolate in the middle and decorate with half of a cherry.
Keep in a cool spot for 2-3 weeks.



Čokoladne Ljepotice sa Trešnjama

Pecenje kolacica za predstojece praznike pocinje! Uvijek ispecem puno keksica, jer mogu dugo stajati i zgodni su za pokloniti.

Sastojci:
185 gr brasna
30 gr kakaa
1/3 kasicice soli
185 gr putera, omeksalog
105 gr secera u prahu
1 zumance
1 kasicica esencije vanile ili badema
30 gr pecenih, samljevenih badema
malo chocolade, istopljene
usecerene tresnje za decoraciju
Nacin:
Pomijesajte sve suhe sastojke. Dodajte puter, zumance i esenciju i umijesite tijesto. Ostavite odmarati (zamotano) na hladnom mjesu bar 20 minuta.
Ukljucite rernu i pripremite pleh za pecenje. Od tijesta uzimajte male loptice, koje cete oblikovati dlanovima, pa svaku prstom malo pritisnite na sredini (ili formirajte valjak, izrezite na diskove). Pecite 8-9 minuta, izvadite prohladiti.
Istopite cokoladu , pa na svaki kolacic stavite malo, zatim 'zalijepite' polovice usecerenih tresanja za dekoraciju.

Havana Torte

For my mums' 70th Birthday!
Time consuming cake, that needs good planing and timing.

Ingredients:
-Caramelized nuts:
250 g hazelnuts
100 g sugar (next time I'll put 150 g sugar)
-Gelatinous filling:
1 L milk
150 g sugar
3 packets of gelatin
1/2 L whipping cream
-Bottom layer:
6 tbs flour
100 g butter
2 egg yolks
8 tbs processed caramel/nuts mixture
-Layers 'in-between':
4 egg whites
10 tbs caramel/nuts mixture
2 tbs flour
Method:
1-First make caramel/nuts part, as you going to need it for many layers.
Put sugar in a saucepan, melt on high temperature. Don't stir, just swirl pan until sugar melted and golden brown. Add nuts, swirl to coat them and pour on AL foil to cool. When cooled, put into food processor and grind to coarse texture. Set aside.
2-Cook 0,5 l of milk with sugar. When boiled, add gelatin, mix well and add the rest of milk. Let it cool then put in fridge.
3-Meanwhile bake layers. Mix all ingredients (food processor) for bottom layer, bake 7-8 minutes on 180*C over AL foil in a 22 cm cake tin.
4-For 2 in-between layers, beat egg whites until stiff, add caramel/nuts mixture and flour. Fold in. Spread over baking (silicon) paper in 2 circles, that are smaller than first layer. Bake at 160*C, 10-15 minutes, or until golden.
When all layers ready and cooled, beat cream until stiff, add gelatinous milk mixture; watch it for right moment - when starts setting, but still 'pourable'. Mix well. Layering should be in this order:
Put first layer on bottom of a cake pan, pour 1/3 of milk/cream mixture, add first egg white layer (small-one), pour 1/3 of milk/cream , add another egg white layer, and finally pour the rest of milk/cream. Put it into fridge to set. When ready (3-4 hours), decorate the top with the rest of caramel/nuts crumbs.



Havana Torta

Potrebno:
-Grilijaz:
250 gr ljesnika
100 gr secera (sljedeci put stavljam 150 gr)
-Zelatinozna mlijecna masa:
1L mlijeka
150 gr secera
3 paketa zelatine (ili koliko je potrebno za 1,5 litru tekucine)
0,5 L vrhnja/kajmaka/slaga
Prva podloga:
6 kasika brasna
100 gr putera
2 zumanca
8 kasika grilijaza
-Medju-slojevi:
4 bjelanca
10 kasika grilijaza
2 kasike brasna
Nacin:
Najprije napravite grilijaz, jer ce vam on trebati u svim fazama.
Topine secer na jakoj vatri; ne mijesajte nego posudu okrecite i treskajte na jakoj vatri. Kada postane zlatno-zuto, ubacite ljesnike. Preokrenite masu na AL foliju i ohladite. Ohladjeno sameljite.
Napravite mlijecno-zelatinoznu masu: Kuhajte 0,5 L mlijeka sa secerom, u provrelo umijesajte zelatin. Smaknite sa vatre, dobro promijesajte i ulijte preostalo 0,5 L mlijeka. Ostavite hladiti, zatim u frizider.
Napravite podlogu: Pomijesajte sve sastojke, pa na foliju/papir rasporedite smjesu u obruc koji cete koristiti. Pecite 7-8 minuta na 180*C. Ostavite hladiti u obrucu.
Napravite medju-slojeve: Umutite bjelanke u cvrst snijeg, dodajte grilijaz i brasno, pa lagano promijesajte. Rasporedite na papir za pecenje (2 kruga manjeg promjera nego obruc). Pecite na 160*C 10-15 minuta. Ohladite.
Kada je sve spremno, provjerite stanje mlijeka; treba da se pocelo zgusnjavati, ali jos u tecnom stanju. Tada umutite vrhnje/slag, dodajte mlijeko i dobro promijesajte.
Slaganje torte ide ovako:
Na prvu podlogu (koja je ostala u obrucu) nalijte 1/3 mlijecne smjese, postavite sloj sa bjelancima, naspite 1/3 mljiecne smjese, stavite drugi sloj od bjelanaca, i na kraju uspite preostali mlijecni krem. Stavite u frizider na 3-4 sata da se stegne. Kada je dovoljno stegnuto, pospite preostalim grilijazem.

Mediterranean Stuffed Vine Leaves

Ingredients:
Vine leaves (40+)
1,5 cups rice (Basmati)+ dry stock
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large or 2 small capsicums, finely diced
1 small eggplant, diced
2 onions, diced
1/2-1 tbs 'Vegeta', or other dry stock
salt, black pepper
Method:
Cook rice half way through (3/4 water + 1 teas stock powder - 10 minutes in microwave). Let it cool.
Salt eggplant let it rest for 20 minutes, then squeeze the moisture out.
Heat oil, fry diced onions until translucent, add capsicum and eggplant. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Mix with rice and add spices.
Put a tbsp of filling onto each vine leaf; roll as you would spring rolls or similar. If leaves too small or broken, you have to place 2 together.
Place rolls into an oiled pot (2-3 layers), cover with a upside-down dinner plate, cover with water and boil for 20 minutes. Take care not to over salt it; some vine leaves are very salty (before stuffing them, you need to rinse them in that case). If you use fresh vine leaves, you need to precook them before stuffing.
Serve with thick yogurt or sour cream.

Mediteranske sarmice od lisca vinove loze

Potrebno:
Listovi vinove loze (40+)
1,5 solja rize + Vegeta (ili sl.)
1/4 solje maslinovog ulja
1 velika ili 2 manje crvene paprike, isjecene na kockice
1 manji patlidzan, isjecen na kockice
2 crvena luka, sjeckana
1/2-1 kasika 'Vegete'
so i crni biber
Nacin:
Skuhajte rizu u pola (sa 3/4 solje vode i 1 kasicicom Vegete - 10 min u mikrovalnoj). Neka se prohladi.
Posolite patlidzane, ostavite ih 20 minuta, pa onda stisnite da se tecnost ocijedi.
Zagrijte ulje, prodinstajte luk, dodajte ostalo povrce; dinstajte jos nekoliko minuta, zacinite i pomijesajte sa rizom.
Ako su listovi usoljeni, saperite ih; ako su svjezi, prokuhajte ih prethodno.
Na svaki list stavite po 1 kasiku mjesavine, pa in zamotajte kao sarmu. Slazite u nauljenu posudu, 2-3 sloja. Poklopite sa preokrenutim tanjirom, prelijte vodom i kuhajte 20-ak minuta.
Sluzite sa kajmakom/ pavlakom/ vrhnjem/ gustim jogurtom.

Quick Sour Dough Bread

Like the taste of sour dough bread, but don't want to wait long time for starter to get sour? Try this recipe for authentic taste. Please use bakers flour (with more than 11% protein).

Ingredients:
1 cup +1 tbs water
1/2 cup thick non-fat yogurt
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs oil
1,5 teas salt
2 teas salt
4 cups flour
1 1/4 teas yeast
Method:
If you're using bread machine, put all ingredients in listed order, and choose settings for white bread. Alternatively, just make the dough, take it out, shape it and let it double before baking it (180*C 35-45 minutes).
Or; Mix all dry ingredients, set aside. Mix all wet ingredients and add them to the flour mixture; knead for 10 minutes. Let it rest for 1 hour, before shaping /doubling/ baking.


Brzi hljeb/kruh sa ukusom kiselog tijesta

Potrebno:
1 solja + 1 kasika vode
1/2 solje gustog, nemasnog jogurta/kiselog mlijeka
1 kasika limunovog soka
2 kasike ulja
1,5 kasicica soli
2 kasicice secera
4 solje brasna1 1/4 kasicice suhog kvasca
Nacin:
Ako koristite masinu za hljeb, sve sastojke ubacite po redu i izaberite program za bijeli hljeb. Ili, umijesite u masini, izvadite poslije 1 sata, oblikujte i ostavite da naraste , pa onda pecite u reni na 180*C 35-45 minuta.
Ako rucno mijesite; pomijesajte sve suhe sastojke, u drugu posudu pomijesajte vlazne sastojke, pa njima umijesite tijesto, koje cete 'raditi' bar 10 minuta.
Ostavite nadoci, premijeste, oblikujte; Neka se ponovo odmori/nadodje pa onda pecite (kao sto je gore objasnjeno).

Zucchini and Carrot Fritters with Beetroot Tzatziki

Delightful bites at any time and occasion!

Fritters:
2-4 small zucchinis
1 large carrot
1 large onion
2-3 medium potatoes
2 eggs
1-1,5 cups SR flour
1/2 cup fine corn meal
1 teas salt, pepper
oil for frying
Beetroot Tzatziki:
1 large beetroot,peeled and grated
1-1,5 cups yogurt
2-3 gloves garlic, crushed
Method:
Grate all vegetable, put salt and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze the moisture,replace into other bowl; add eggs, flours and pepper. Mix well. Heat oil in a frying pan. Place a spoonful into hot oil (I used egg rings for shape), and fry a minute each side (or until golden). Drain on absorbent paper.
For Tzatziki:
Grate beetroot, mix with yogurt and garlic.
Serve hot!


'Prženice' od Tikvica i Mrkve sa Cvekla 'Cacikijem'

Prženice:
2-4 manje tikvice
1 veca mrkva
1 veci crveni luk
2-3 srednja krompira
2 jaja
1 -1,5 solja samodizajuceg brasna
1/2 solje kukuruznog sitnog brasna
1 kasicica soli, biber crni
ulje za przenje
Cvekla 'Caciki':
1 velika cvekla, rendana
1-1,5 solja gustog yogurta/kiselog mlijeka
2-3 cena bijelog luka, protisnutog/sitno rendanog
Nacin:
Izrendajte svo povrce, posolite i ostavite 10-15 minuta. Ocijedite visak tecnosti (pritisnite rukama), dodajte brasno, jaja i biber. Umijesite. Zagrijte ulje, vadite smjesu kasikom i przite 1 minutu sa svake strane, ili dok nebude zlatno-zute boje. Izvadite na apsorbirajuci papir.
'Caciki': Izrendajte cveklu, dodajte jogurt i bijeli luk, pa dobro promijesajte.
Sluzite dok je toplo!