Tabbouleh Salad/ Tabouleh/ Tabouli

For this delicious and full of flavour salad we used:

100 g bulgur (we had medium)

3 tomatoes

2 bunches flat leaf parsley

1 bunch mint

1 onion

salt and pepper

olive oil 

lemon juice

Remove the parsley leaves from the stems and chop them finely. The same with the mint. Mix them.

Chop the onion (you can use the regular, yellow kind), sprinkle some salt on it and rub it. 

Also dice the tomatoes and add the prepared, washed and drained  bulgur in the same bowl. Mix the bulgur and the tomatoes, so that the bulgur can take on  the juice.

In a salad bowl mix the parsley and the mint with the onion and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper if necessary and drizzle olive oil and lemon juice on top. 

Enjoy,
Mrs. G.

Spaghetti Indiavolati Recipe

If you are into the simple kind of pasta dishes, like aglio e olio, you should try this.

It is a less known type of Pasta, using not a sauce, but in which the spaghetti is cooked in the water that has been infused and that creates the taste.

Spaghetti is what you usually use for this recipe, but I tried a new setting of my pasta machine to obtain a smaller width and this is what I got. I think you can say they are Bavettine or Spaghetti alla Chitarra. Both versions sound cool anyway. :)

The recipe for homemade pasta is the same, 1 egg at every 100 g of flour, as mentioned here.


You will need:

 water

2 very hot peppers

4-5 cloves of garlic

some parmesan for grating

parsley or  fresh basil

salt

olive oil

In a blender grind the garlic + hot peppers + 500 ml water. This is the magic infusion.
In a large saucepan bring water to a boil, then add the mixture. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the water in a pasta pan, discarding the chillies and garlic. Cook the pasta in the infused water according to the directions.

After the pasta is al dente dress it with olive oil and parmesan. Add chopped fresh herbs for some colour and additional flavour. I added basil, because I love it, I had it and I wouldn't refuse basil on pasta ever.

This is the final dish, with parmesan and basil on top!

RO: Daca de obicei va plac felurile de mancare cu paste foarte simple, cum e aglio e olio, ar trebui sa incercati reteta asta. E un fel mai putin cunoscut pentru ca nu se foloseste un sos, ci spaghetti se fierb direct in apa care a fost infuzata si acest proces creeaza gustul. In mod traditional, se folosesc Spaghetti, dar noi am incercat o alta setare la maisna de facut paste si am obtinut o latime foarte mica, dar nu sunt rotunde evident. Cred ca putem spune ca sunt Bavettine sau Spaghetti ala Chitarra, amandoua suna super oricum! :) reteta pentru paste de casa e aceeasi, mentionata in postul acesta. Mai departe avem nevoie de apa + 2 ardei foarte iuti + 4-5 catei usturoi + parmezan + sare + ulei masline. Intr-un blender mixam usturoiul, ardeii si 500 ml apa. Asta este infuzia magica. Intr-o cratita mare, aduceti niste apa la punctul de fierbere, apoi adaugati apa iute, lasati-o sa fiarba incet fara clocot 10-15 minute apoi transferati apa in oala in care veti fierbe pastele, strecurand ardeiul si usturoiul. Fierbeti pastele al dente conform instructiunilor de pe pachet apoi aranjati-le cu niste ulei de masline si parmezan. Putina verdeata deasupra, pentru culoare si aroma suplimentara. Noi am avut busuioc, daca am busuioc proaspat, il folosesc la orice ora pe paste.

Buon appetito!

Sorrel Soup Recipe (Supa frantuzeasca de stevie)

If you don't know sorrel by now, you should meet :)

Honestly now, sorrel (garden sorrel) is a plant, similar to spinach, but a bit more sour and it is perfect for your garden because it is very resistant and it is one of the first greens that wake you up from winter.
In most countries it is used for soups, but it can also be used in stews ( on its own or with spinach), salads or sandwiches.

All around Europe you will find different versions of cooking it and in France its sourness is balanced with cream and eggs.

You will need:

4-5 bundles of sorrel
2-3 spring onions
1 small glass of white wine (optional)
2 egg yolks
100g cream
2-3 tbsp flour
butter
salt

First, make sure you clean the sorrel thoroughly. Put some water or stock to boil. In a pan, heat some butter and cook the onion for 8-10 minutes to get it tender. Then, add the chopped sorrel and you will notice how your meal shrinks in a minute. Add the wine and let it cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Then, you should incorporate the flour.

Add the water\ broth stirring continously adn bring to a simmer. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and the cream, carefully adding some stock from time to time, so that your cream mixture and soup wwill have a similar temperature and your eggs won't scramble. Then add the eggs and cream to the soup, whisk again, let it simmer but don't boil it and you're done!

Don't forget the crunchy baguette or crutons.

You can chop the sorrel as fine as you preffer, I like to keep it in longer strips.

RO: In Franta, gustul usor acrisor al steviei este balansat cu smantana si oua.

Ingrediente:

4-5 legaturi de stevie

2-3 cepe verzi

1 pahar mic de vin  (optional)

2 galbenusuri de oua

100g smantana

2-3- lg faina

unt

sare

Curatati bine stevia, puneti la fiert apa sau supa. Intr-o cratita sau tigaie inalta, incalziti unt si caliti ceapa 8-10 minute cat sa se inmoaie. Apoi, adaugati stevia taiata fasii sau foarte marunt, dupa preferinte, si veti observa cum cantitatea se micsoreaza drastic. Adaugati vinul si lasati totul la foc mediu pentru 10 minute. Apoi, puteti incorpora faina. Adaugati apa/ supa amestecand continuu si lasati sa fiarba domol. Intr-un bol separat, bateti galbenusurile cu smantana, adaugand usor usor cate putina supa pentru ca mix-ul de smantana sa aiba o temperatura similara supei pentru a nu se taia. Adaugati apoi intreg amestecul in supa, amestecati iarasi, lasati-o sa ajunga la fierbere, fara sa clocoteasca si gata. Sa nu uitati de o bagheta crocanta sau crutoane.

Enjoy!

Fried Mussels with Bean Sprouts

Really interesting and light dinner!

When i prepared the mussels for cooking, i also saved some shells for serving purposes becuase i also made a rice later. As you can see, they were pretty big mussels.

I used a simple egg and seosoned flour batter, but you can add different condiments or beer.

Served with whatever sauce you fancy. I chose a simple one that won't overshadow the mussels. I wanted something refreshing and fresh: olive oil, lemon, rice vinegar, chilly, garlic and salt.

For the crunch we crave waiting for summer to come and for that Thai accent, serve them on bean sprouts. You can even cook them separately with some garlic.

Midii prajite cu germeni de fasole

O cina foarte interesanta si usoara.

Cand am curatat si pregatit midiile am pastrat si cateva cochilii intregi pentru servire pentru ca am facut si un orez din aceleasi midii. Dupa cum se poate vedea, au fost niste midii foarte mari. Am folosit un aluat simplu de ou si faina asezonate, dar puteti incerca cu alte condimente sau cu bere. Puteti servi cu orice sos preferati. Am ales ceva simplu care nu va acoperi gustul midiilor. Am vrut ceva foarte fresh: ulei de masline, lamaie, otet de orez, chilly, usturoi si sare. Pentru a avea parte si de ceva proaspat si crunchy dupa care tanjim tot asteptand vara si pentru an accent  tailandez, serviti-le pe germeni de fasole.  Chiar puteti gati separat germenii cu putin usturoi. 

Hope you'll have an amazing weekend!

Leftovers Lunch- Fish Salad

I do not like throwing away food, so with the leftover fish  from dinner, I made a simple salad the next day, for lunch.

I only had some salad and rucola in the fridge, so that is what i added. Of course, some oil and lots of lemon.

Pranz din resturi- Salata de peste

Nu imi place sa arunc mancarea, asa ca cu pestele de la cina de aseara am facut o salata a doua zi, pentru un pranz usor.

Nu am avut decat niste salata si rucola in frigider, asa ca asta am adaugat. Bineinteles, am daugat si ulei si suc de lamaie.

Voila! xoxo