Pickled Cucumbers or "Pickles"

Pickled vegetables! 

Did you know that you can pickle any veggies? Basically it is the art of preserving food with vinegar, a brine made of vinegar, water and other spices. 

I had been after this recipe for a long time, I had to conquer it to be a true homemaker. And here it is, a great blog post of Kitchn that is just beautiful to look at. I love this food blog.

INGREDIENTS:

-2 medium very fresh cucumbers.

-1/2 cup of vinegar.
-1/2 cup of water.

-1 tablespoon mustard seeds.
-pinch of salt.

-3 or 4 tablespoons of  white sugar 

-1 star anise.

-3 bay leaves.

-some blackpepper corns.

STEPS:

1. Put in a pot all the ingredients that I write in the list except for the cucumbers and heat up slowly for 15 minutes until it comes to a simmer, this way all the flavours come out and mix. 

2. In the meantime, slice up the cucumbers and place in jar. (Some blogs out there say you need to get water out by adding salt to the cucumbers for a while in a bowl and bla,bla, but seriously I don't see the need for that, they taste awesome freshly cut).

3. Now bring the liquid to a boil raising the heat and when it is bubbling, quickly pour over cucumbers in the jar and close them right away tightly.

That's it. Now let it cool and then place in fridge.  If you want them to be very sweet, add 1/2 cup of sugar, but more sour 1/4 cup is good. This is totally a country town recipe, isn't it? 

Pic: Australia, Victoria.

Homemade Minced Garlic

                                                             

We just got back from Australia where I have been using minced garlic to cook all the time. Basically all recipes begin with this if you want some kind of flavour in your food. I get to Spain and no minced garlic in supermarkets, not a chance to find that here. People in Spain would think it is absolutely ridiculous to buy or make minced garlic but it saves so much time!  

So I have googled how to make it yourself and oh! so easy. All you need is:

INGREDIENTS 
-3 garlic knobs.
-olive oil.

-a pretty small jar.

-a food proccessor.

STEPS:

1. Peel all the garlic cloves and put them food processor for 10 seconds.

2. Place in jar and fill it up with oil slowly, stirring the garlic so it is all coated with oil, which is the preservative.

I am so happy to have garlic ready to go for any recipe in the fridge. It lasts in the fridge for 6 months!  This recipe is for everyone.

Pickled Red Onions

I have loved these pickled red onions that I still needed to do from my list of meals to cook and conquer  from last year. It's so incredible that sometimes in life you are into cooking, and then suddenly you are not AT ALL. So last year was my cooking year, but this year it has definitely been NOT my priority (I am sure you have noticed giving my lack of publishing). 

How important it is to ride the waves of the moment!!! because moments come and then they just leave! and the chance may not be there anymore to explore any given topic, like this one. 

So! after this long prologue, here is this simple yet impressive recipe that Courney Adamo published the other day in her Instagram, and remided me that I yet needed to learn to pickle vegetables. 

So here it is:

INGREDIENTS:
-4 small red onions or 2 big ones. 
-1 cup of water.

-1/2 white vinegar.

-1/2 apple vinegar.

-2 +1/2 tablespoons of honey.

-1 teaspoon of sugar.

-2 + 1/2 tsp of salt.

-1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes.

STEPS:
1. So this brine could not be more simple! Just slice all the onions thinly and place in jar. 
2. Add all the ingredients in a little pot and bring to a simmer for 1 minute.
3. Add the brine into the jar and let it sit there until cools off. Once it cools off place in fridge.

That's it. They are pretty great these onions for sandwiches, salads, a bit of a crunch and colour and obviously it takes away the spiciness of the onions, it changes the flavour. A great easy recipe that will make you feel like you have achieved true womanhood.

 

Lemon and Blueberries Cake

"Do you think it should go into my blog???. Definitely", he said. 

I knew it was a winner recipe, a keeper. Deb Perelman's recipes are just so good you all, not to mention her spark, cheekiness and funness, if there is such a word. I highly recommend you follow her cooking blog, she will improve the quality of your life substantially.

This is a good recipe, so moist...who would know that the taste of strong lemon comes from pouring 80 ml of lemon juice straight into the cake! But that is how Starbucks achieves that in their famous lemon cake I guess. Here it is! Again, all credit due to Smitten Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS:
-1 +1/2 cup of flour
-2 tsp of baking powder 
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup of yoghurt (2 yoghurts)

-170 grams of sugar (original recipe 200gr)

-3 eggs

-2 tsp of lemon zest (1 lemon)

-1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.

-1/2 cup of vegetable oil

-1+1/2 cup blueberries.

For later, for pouring over the cake:

-1/3 cup lemon juice (3 lemons)

-1 tablespoon of sugar.

STEPS:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, the flour, baking powder and salt, but not the sugar.

2. Now mix all the wet ingredients: the eggs, the lemon zest, the vanilla extract, the yogurt, the vegetable oil, the sugar.

3. Now mix everything together and then mix quickly the frozen blueberries. Give it all a couple of stirs but don't toss it much or will make the whole batter blue, and you don't want that.

4. Stick in oven for 50 minutes in 180 degrees bottom heat only. I always use baking paper and you forget about greasing anything.

5. Once it's cooked let it cool a bit. And when it is warm still pour the lemon juice with the tablespoon of sugar that you have mixed before and that's it, let it cool completely. The next day will it taste splendorous.

Perfect for a merienda or to bring as a dessert for Spring. Awesome Deb.

Green Chicken Chili

Yesterday I had no idea what to cook. I was not motivated either. I am beginning to realize that cooking is a phase, you are either in it, or you are not. Last year I was in it, but this year I can tell I am not. Also to cook you have to have peace, in your heart, in your life, in your home. Just so grateful last year I was able to rest and learn to cook because I can tell that phase is gone.

To my point: I found this recipe that looked good and it turned out incredibly well the first time. Here it is:

INGREDIENTS:
-1/2 onion.
-1/2 green pepper.
-a bunch of jalapeño peppers.

-3 cloves of garlic.

-1 jar of salsa verde of 500 grams.

-700 grams of chicken breast.

-400 grams of white beans.

-a good bunch of cilantro.

-300 grams of corn.

-1 chicken broth cube.

-1 tstp of coriander.

-1 tsp cumin ground.

-1 litre and 1/4 of water.

STEPS:

1. In a big pot sautee onions and green pepper and garlic.

2. Now add jalapeños (as many as you want) and add corn.

3. Now add the spices: the coriander and cumin and sautee.

4. Now add the salsa verde, and now the water, and half of the jar of beans and the broth cube.

5. Now add the chicken breast that you have shredded.

6. Now in a separate bowl, puree with a hand mixer the rest of the white beans with a bunch of cilantro. Now add this to the soup. It is marvelous what it does, it will thicken it incredibly.

7. Okay now bring it all to a boil, and basically that's it!

You can add some pasta or potatoes to make it a complete meal. It is awesome this recipe and you can make it spicy or not spicy, it depends on how many jalapeño peppers you add. Also this recipe is quite forgiving....you really cannot mess it up and great for winter.

  

American Coffee Cake (no sour cream)

Coffee cake is without a doubt one of my favorite desserts out there, especially in the USA. And it's really just a spongy cake with brown sugar and cinnamon! 

I tried a recipe this summer but it had sour cream, which they say is the secret ingredient, but it made the whole cake so greasy, it was disgusting! I mean crumbly yes, but come on, who wants to run off so much fat??? not me. I actually threw away the whole thing to the trash, although it did taste good but it wasn't worth the calories. 

So I need to try it again. So I gave Gemma Sttaford's recipe another try again but substituting the recipe with yoghurt (and she DOES suggest this in her video, let's be fair). Well, it was pretty good. Also very impressive cake, HUGE! (she does say this too!). 

So here is what I hope to be my to-go coffee cake recipe. This recipe comes kind of in 3 parts, labourious but not hard.

INGREDIENTS for the struddle:

-1 cup of brown sugar (170 grams).

-1+3/4 cups of flour.

-3/4 cup of cold butter (170 grams).

-1+1/2 cups of pecans or walnuts (optional).

-2 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

-1/2 tsp of salt.

For the cake:

-1/2 cup of butter room temperature (113gr).

-2 eggs.

-2 cups of flour

-1 cup of sugar.

-1+1/4 tsp baking powder.

-1/2 tsp baking soda.

-1/2 tsp salt.

-1 cup of yoghur (2 small spanish yoghurts)

For the icing:
-2 tablespoons of milk.
-2 drops of vanilla essence. 

-1/2 cup of powdered sugar.

STEPS:

STEPS for the struddle:

1. Cut the cold butter into little cubes and add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients (except for the nuts). 

2. With your hands mix it all together until it all becomes this brown mix. The butter will be a little dissolved but still will have chunks. 

3. Now add the nuts that you have chopped up before to make them smaller.

STEPS for the cake:

1. Beat soft butter and sugar together.

2. Adds eggs and beat.

3. Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

4. Now add yoghurt.

5. Now add half of your dough to the tray (with baking paper underneath, of course), and then add half of your struddlel. Now add the rest of the dough on top and then the rest of the struddle.

5. Now place on tray (it is better if you place it on a square tray rather than round pot.

6. Now bake for around 50 minutes to an hour to 180 degrees.

7. At the end if you want you can make some icing but it is NOT neccesary, the icing is made by simply fixing the ingredients of the list. 

Very good cake, this cake is great with a cup of tea. Next time I need to remember to make it in a square flatter tray not this tall round pot.

Australian Lamingtons (my recipe)

Disclaimer: This is NOT a real Aussie recipe, it is my recipe, but hey, I think they work. It is the recipe of Lamingtons the popular Aussie dessert that people have on Australia day the 26th of January. Here it is.

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:
-100 grams of melted butter.
-100 grams of sugar.
-130 grams of flour.
-1 teaspoon of baking powder.
-4 eggs.

For the coating:

-250 grams of dark chocolate for melting.

-115 grams of coconut. 

-some strawberry jam.

STEPS:

1. Bake the cake. Mix all the ingredients and place on baking dish for about 30 minutes to 180 degrees.

2. Let it cool off when it is cool, cut it all in squares. 

3. Now get each square and slice it in half and put some mermelade to glue it, do this with all the squares.

4. Now melt your chocolate in saucepan and place and spoon of melted chocolate on top of each lamington. Now spread with knife around it. Let them cool for about 10 minutes. 

5. Now, before the chocolate hardens start sprinkling coconut on them, on the top and let them dry. Then I put the remainder of the coconut on a plate and just make sure all sides are coated. 

That's it. I hope the photos help to understand the process. Every year I make this recipe, and every year I forget to the logistics. But not next year. :)

And is there anything more Aussie than a gum tree?? 

 

Jewish Apple Cake recipe

 My Jewish (french) recipe book that I found last year in Retiro park is a real gem. It has great simple recipes that always work. And here is another one. A simple apple cake that has only  simple ingredients and looks pretty impressive to bring to any meal you are invited to. This cake is a little dense and buttery but also delicate and perfect, the french influence is definitely there. I'd say it would impress anyone. Also after being in Holland, the country of appleflaps, oliebols, and apple cakes, I had to bake something like this cold winter.

INGREDIENTS:
-200 grams of flour.

-4 eggs.

-200 grams of powder sugar.

-5 grams of baking powder.

-160 grams of butter.

-350 grams of golden apples or royal (4 apples)

STEPS:

1. In a bowl mix the flour, the sugar, the eggs and the baking powder. At the end add the melted butter.

2. Wash the apples and cut 3 of them in pieces, no need to peel them. Add to the mix. Pour on the mold and now decorate with your 1 apple left that you have sliced. This touch really works.

3. Preheat oven to 180 and then stick there for about an hour, only turn on the oven in the bottom part, never ever grill or it won't rise. This is a big cake and it takes a good hour to bake.

So wonderful people. So easy. You can also try to add a yoghurt for a more spongy taste. If you do that, add also 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1+1/2 teaspoons of  baking powder. 

Kaiserschmarrn or Austrian torn Pancake

 2 years ago we tried Kairserchman in Vienna. It was so fluffy, comforting and delicious during the super cold Christmas days we spent there. 

Last saturday I was cold, miserable and kinda bored. It was the perfect moment to give it a go with Deb's Steamy Kitchen recipe that I had eyeballed a while ago. And yup, it was as satisfying as it looked....not hard either! Perfect for winter.

INGREDIENTS:
-4 eggs 
-2 and 1/2 tablespoons of sugar.

-1/4 tsp of salt.

-1 tsp of baking powder.

-3/4 cups of flour (1oo grams)

-1/2 cup of milk (120 ml)

-2 tablespoons of butter to fry.

-Caster sugar to sprinkle on top.

STEPS:

1. Whisk egg yolks, with sugar, salt and baking powder.

2. Now add the milk and flour and whisk till smooth. 

3. Now beat the egg whites until they fluff up like snow, for like 5 minutes.

4. Now fold the egg whites in the mix, try not to kill the air in it.

5. Now add to sauce pan with a litle butter. In medium fire add the whole thing and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Now turn it around with a spatula and courage.

6. Now cook the other side. When it becomes gold after 3 or 4 minutes, get it out on plate and split it in pieces with your spatula (the center should still be runny).

7. Now add more butter to saucepan and golden up the bits for a few minutes...

8. That's it. Sprinkle caster sugar very very generously...

So good! So satisfying. A perfect merienda. Deb Perelman, you truly make this fallen world of ours a better place with your recipes and writings. Thank you. 

Easy Chocolate&Raspberry Cake

Great, impressive and dead easy chocolate cake. The proportions of sugar, salt, etc are seriously P-E-R-F-E-C-T  in this cake, and it is so easy and just dead easy! Thanks to my Korean friend Moises, who brought it for Thanksgiving....oh so easy people. This is the video where I got it from. 

INGREDIENTS:

-200 grams of dark chocolate (70%) 

-100 grams of milk chocolate.

-300 ml of heavy cream.

-300 grams of digestive biscuits.

-150 grams of butter melted.

-2o0 grams of raspberries.

STEPS:

1. Make the base. Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag until pulverized. Then mix with melted butter. 

2. Now, create the base of the cake. Place transparent film in the container you are using. A good size in 23 cm as diameter, but you can make it smaller. Now add all the paste and create the base with your fingers until it solidifies a bit. 

3. Now stick in freezer for 15 minutes.

4. In the meantime, melt the chocolate carefully in a pot. When it is all melted and cooled off a bit, add the cream and mix. A wonderful thick chocolate paste will appear in front of your eyes.

5. Now add to your base and let it cool for 15 minutes and now add the raspberries. What I do is draw a cross with the raspberries and that helps me then to make diagonals and create perfect lines until I fill it all up with berries. 

6. Now stick in fridge overnight.

7. Get it out of fridge 1 hour before you eat so that it is softer, and not too hard the chocolate and then sprinkle with caster sugar. 

So good people, so so good, give it a try, this cake will not disappoint a soul.