Chicken á la Neigella

In the time before I did unsubscribe the satellite TV and went back to the listening to the radio, reading books or just a simple home atmosphere with kitchen and home creativity, my favourite TV channel was (i.a. CSI and news) the Food Channel.

Nigella Lawson was my favourite presenter and I would like to present to you one of my favourite chicken dishes – with a slightly modification to my own conservative taste and according to the availability of ingredients in a small western Canadian village.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

2 bigger onion (cut into the quarters)

2 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 package of hot Italian sausages

 

Directions:

1. Into the ZipLock add quarters of onion, squeeze out lemon and add then the pericarp, salt, pepper, bay leaves and olive oil.

2. Close the bag and squeeze with hands into the consistency of mayonnaise.

3. Cut chicken into pieces (incl. bones).

4. Add chicken to the marinade and squeeze gently for couple of minutes between finger like a “massage”. Leave in the fridge for couple o hours or over night marinating.

5. Put chicken into the baking pan and spread the hot Italian sausages over the chicken. Bake in the oven (180°C/350°F) at least for an hour or until the chicken is done. Serve with baked potatoes with rosemary and garlic or with rice. Of course can be serve and eaten without side dishes – just how do like it best…

Plums stuffed pork tenderloin with plum brandy sauce

I created today a speciality from Dalmatia which I got from my pen friend Verunka from Holland. This speciality was made already in 16th century. Very tasty and very easy to make! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins
about 30 soft dry plums without stones
piece of cold butter to stuff plums and piece to roast tenderloins on a pan
glass of white wine
little shot of plum brandy
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
sůl, pepř

Directions:

1. Make a hole into each tenderloin with a help of a spurtle or rod – it is very easy.

2. Stuff plums with butter and then stuff the tenderloin with these stuffed plums – as much as possible.

3. Remain plums cut into a little strips and soak in a glass of white wine.

4. Roast the tenderloins from all sides on butter.

5. Add the soaked strips of plum in wine and roast for a while.

6. Then add both creams and let the liquid evaporate. Don’t add any flour, just take your time – the sauce turns nice creamy and think. Add some salt and pepper for taste.

7. In the end add a shot of plum brandy and turn the sauce off.


8. Serve with home made pasta or rice.

Brownies

 

A chocolate brownie is a flat, baked square or bar introduced in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century and popularized in both the USA and Canada during the first half of the twentieth century. The brownie is sliced from a type of dense, rich chocolate cake, which is, in texture, like a cross between a cake and a cookie. Brownies come in a variety of forms. They are either fudgy or cakey, depending on their density, and they may include nuts, frosting, whipped cream, chocolate chips, or other ingredients. A variation that is made with brown sugar and no chocolate is called a blondie.
Brownies are common lunchbox fare, typically eaten by hand, and often accompanied by coffee. They are sometimes served warm with ice cream or topped with whipped cream.
This beautiful recipe is from Kristen – wife of my colleague and friend Rolando – and she is author of a great blog, that you probably would be interested to check as well: http://hypervocal.com/tag/kristen-boye/
As she characterize the recipe on her blog.: „The beauty of this recipe is that you can effortlessly mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula in the same pan that you melt the butter and then just pop them in the oven. They take but minutes to prepare… They also freeze beautifully.“
Me and my colleagues here in Canada which we share my home now for couple of months tried her recipe and we can guarantee – it is just amazing!

Happy Valentine's Day!
 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups organic brown sugar
2 organic eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup organic unbleached flour
 

Direction:

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Once butter is melted mix all the other ingredients into the butter until well incorporated.
 
2. Pour brownie batter into pan lay out with parchment paper bake for about 20-30 minutes in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F.

3. Cool and cut into squares and serve.

Steven’s Artichoke Dip

My colleague and friend Steven made this dip last time for our “lunch together” what we are organising every month in my work. It is very simple and tasty dip – best as an appetizer or just as a great little snack with glass of wine or some beer.
Enjoy!
 

Ingredients: 

2 cans artichokes (drained) 
2  4oz cans chopped green chillies (drained)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup parmesan cheese
 

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a bowl

2. Use food processor to blend slightly.

3. Pour in baking pan and bake at 180°C/350°F until brown around the edges (approx. 30 minutes).
 

Occasional Cheese Shortbread

This recipe brought to us Simona’s frien Katerina and for long time it was for us one of traditional Christmas cookies. Because it is soooo tasty and sooo easy to make anytime this Shortbread became more like “occasional” treat – and it suits perfect to bear or wine, or just like a tasty snack anytime during the year – weather independent…

Ingredients:

150g shredded cheese (gouda, edam, cheddar…)

150g butter (best frozen and shredded)

1 egg

1 egg white

250g flour

1 tbsp baking powder

salt

pepper

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

For decoration:

- depends on taste (small cubes of cheese, caraway seeds, paprika, pieces of almonds or nuts, blue cheese…)

1 egg for smear

3 tbsp evaporated milk

 

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and knead nice dough.

2. The best is cover dough with wrap or use Ziploc and leave it for couple of hours (or over night) in the fridge. It is of course no problem to continue in process immediately or opposite way – leave dough in the fridge for weekend…

3. Roll nice think piece, smear with beaten egg with evaporated milk and cut pieces (strips, squares…) with a shaper or dough cutting wheel. Transfer these onto baking tin, decorate with nuts, caraway seeds, paprika or cheese – depends on taste.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven 180°C/350°F approx. 7 minutes until light brown. Let cool down.

Home made Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut contains lot of valuable bioactive matters – bacteria of lactic fermentation, B-vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin K, mineral – like potassium, magnesium, gauze and enzymes. Sauerkraut stimulate hormones and haemopoiesis. Helps as well fight against fatigue and stress, improve immune system against viruses and bacteria. Help normalize blood pressure and activate function of intestine, support metabolism and has a diuretic effect – so help with cleanup of organism.

I was thinking about the discussion about acidity of commercial brands of sauerkraut here in Canada and in the USA and coincidentally got an inspiration by Kristen’s post on her blog about fermentation. I got the technological knowledge of preparing sauerkraut from Czech, but I didn’t want to make such a big amount of sauerkraut (as we usually did with my parents 30-50kg and of course), so I decided to make a little experiment. Everything turned great and I would like to present you today my recipe.

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage

1 smaller onion

1 tbsp salt

3 tbsp kefir or plain yoghurt

1 tbsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp fresh chopped dill

 

Directions:

1. Shred cabbage (coarseness depends on taste – I do like finer cut better). Chop onion and dill. Mix everything with salt, caraway seeds and kefir in a bigger bowl, use hands to squeeze everything nicely.

2. Press the mixture into a jar and use meat beater to press everything down. Strain the remaining liquid. Cover with lid, but don’t tight too much!

3. Let sit on kitchen counter for 3 days and after that transfer the jar into the fridge. Sauerkraut is ready for consumption or for further procession (cooking or canning).

Old Czech Chicken on Sauerkraut

It is quite hard to say when I prepare this recipe for the first time. But I think it is couple of years – that is for sure. Anyway – probably because the cold weather, or winter generally generates craving for Vitamin C or just my craving for sauerkraut in these days – but try this simple and tasty recipe and review.

Ingredients:

1 chicken (divided into four) or 4 chicken legs or 4 chicken breasts
1 jar sauerkraut 
10 balls allspice
4 bay leaves
some strips of bacon

Directions:

1. Put sauerkraut to the frying pan (incl. liquid), add allspice and bay leaves.

2. Put the pieces of chicken on the top of sauerkraut.

4. Cover with strips of bacon and bake at least an hour or until chicken is done.

5. Serve with potato or regular dumplings (same as Chicken a la Duck) or with boiled potatoes – according to taste.

Quick Apple Strudel for Sunday’s Dessert

Sunday’s lunch usually ends with a nice piece of dessert and coffee. One of my favourite dessert is traditional Apple Strudel. It is very easy and tasty dessert and doesn’t necessary mean that has to be done for Sunday’s dinner only. Do you know the situation: sometimes sweet-tooth craving comes in the middle of night and nothing is ready in the cabinet? No worries – this kind of strudel is ready in 20 minutes!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup of shredded butter (best is frozen one)

2 tbsp plain yoghurt or kefir

3 apples (peeled and shredded)

handful fine bread crumbs

handful sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

handful raisins (optional)

handful shredded coconut

1 egg for smear

 

Directions:

1. Mix in a bow flour, butter and yoghurt.

2. Knead a nice dough.

3. Divide into two equal portions and roll into two rectangles. On the first third sprinkle crumbs, shredded apples, raisins, coconut, cinnamon and sugar. 

4. Roll, slightly form press, smear with beaten egg. Bake until golden colour at 180°C/350°C.

5. Cut into 2in pieces and serve with vanilla ice cream, hot vanilla sauce or just with a little bit of sprinkle of icing sugar.

Home made bread II.

I got this recipe from my friend Iveta from Vancouver and I have to say it is the simplest and best European style of bread I got and tested.
Iveta’s recipe is based on Jim Laheye book “My Bread” and this bread taste evokes my memories of Brno – my favourite one was made in a bakery in Zabrdovice (Brno city borough) since 1922.
I would like to present you today my modified variation of this recipe and would be pleased – as usual - to hear your experience and comments.

Ingredients:

4.5 cup All Purpose flour
1.5 cup Light Rye flour
2.5 tsp salt 
1 tsp dry bakers yeast
2 2/3 cups of lukewarm water
1/2 tsp caraway seeds

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in water and let rise for a while.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bigger bowl or in a KitchenAid.
 
3. Place dough into a big pot (approx. 7-10l) and cover. Place pot into the oven and turn the light on. Let rise for 12-24 hours (depends on your daily schedule).

4. Prepare deeper frying pan, bowl or wicker scuttle. Personally I’m using a special dish for baking fish – the loaf seems like to have a great “microclimate” and shape as well. Place the dough into the form, pot or scuttle and cover with cloth. Let rise for another 1.5-3 hours again in a oven with light turned on.

5. Heat oven approx. 30 minutes before baking for 250°C/490-500°F. If you are using cast-iron pot – pre-heat this one as well and then place the loaf on a parchment paper. Cover the pot and turn the temperature back to 200°C/425°F and bake for 30minutes, then uncover and bake for another 30 minutes.

6. Take out of the oven and smear with salt-water. Let cool down.