kesteni

Mislila sam da nema potrebe i da mi se neće ni dati, ali budući da pripremam dva recepta s pečenim kestenima, podijelit ću svoj trenutačno najdraži način pečenja kestena. Postoji više načina kako ih možete pripremiti, ali zadnjih nekoliko godina su mi ovako najslađi (a i lako se čiste). Prije sam uvijek zarezivala kestene jednim poprečnim rezom i pekla ih na vatri, u poklopljenoj čeličnoj tavi. Prije nešto godina su ih prijatelji u Lisabonu radili u pećnici i zarezali na križić, i to mi je bio prvi susret s takvim kesten-prosvijetljenjem jer sam se u Hrvatskoj bila susretala samo s ovima iz tave, s jednim rezom. Možda se samo nisam družila s dovoljno ljudi koji peku kestene. Bilo kako bilo, danas ih radim ovako i svaki put ispadnu odlično: zarežem križić na kori (na zaobljenijoj strani, velim za svaki slučaj, nikad ne znaš) i pečem ih 25 minuta u pećnici na 185 °C. Ostavim ih da se malo ohlade zamotani u krpu jer volim da ostanu mekani i da ne izgube vlagu. Ovako pečeni kesteni mogu se koristiti u raznim receptima - za juhe, umake, kesten pire... natipkam koji evo odmah!

proteinske palačinke od banane

protein banana pancakes

what/

[for 2 portions = 8 small pancakes]

2 bananas (1 + 1/3 cup sliced)

4 tbsp plant protein powder (i used pea protein)

1 tbsp ground almonds

1 tbsp tahini 

1/4 tsp powered vanilla

how/

Mash the bananas with a fork, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Bake on a dry non-stick pan over a low heat for a few minutes on each side, or until the surface turns golden. This time I served them with soy yogurt and fruits, but they also go nice with cacao and tahini or hazelnut butter. Bon appétit!

proteinski brownie keksi

The other day I made some protein brownie cookies, but, as most of the times, I didn't write down any measures, just put the ingredients by feel... I really liked them and decided to write down the approximate measures, you can try and play with it if it sonuds interesting...

This is more or less how it went: I ground 3 heaping tbsp of chia seeds and mixed them with enough oat milk to make a relatively thick jelly. I added around 3 heaping tbsp of each: cacao powder, pea protein powder, spelt flour, almond flour, coconut sugar and tahini, some salt and bicarbonate soda and mixed everything well. Kneaded a bit too, to have it well combined. I put it in the fridge to set, formed cookies and baked them for 20 minutes on 180 °C. I dipped them in raw chocolate (cacao mass + cacao butter + coconut sugar) and sprinkled some cacao nibs and edible flowers on top.

EDIT:

I made them again and measured everything this time. Here is the new recipe:

3 tbsp chia seeds

3/4 cup oat mylk

1 pinch bicarbonate soda

1 pinch salt

1 pinch ground vanilla

4 tbsp coconut sugar

3 tbsp hemp protein powder

3 tbsp tahini

4 tbsp ground oat flakes

5 tbsp ground almonds

1/2 tsp ground stevia leaves

3 tbsp cacao nibs or chopped cacao mass

4 tbsp cacao powder

Grind the chia seeds and mix them with oat milk. Let them sit for about 5 min to soak up the liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients one by one (in the same order in which they were written), mixing well each time you add a new ingredient. Shape the cookies and put them on a tray. I used a heaping tbsp of batter per cookie, and shaped them with damp hands since the batter is pretty sticky. Bake on 180 °C for 20 minutes. I dipped them in home-made chocolate, just melted cacao mass and mixed it with some agave syrup.

sirovi curry krekeri

raw flax seed curry crackers

what/
1 cup flax seeds
2/3 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sunflower protein (oil pressing leftover)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried onion powder
2-3 tbsp tamari
4 tbsp nutritional yeast

how/
Soak sesame and sunflower seeds in water for around 6 hours and drain. Cover flax seeds with water (1.5 - 2 cups, you will see how much they will absorb and add more if needed) and let them soak for 30-60 minutes; stir occasionally. Add the soaked and drained sesame and sunflower seeds and all the spices and mix well. Leave the mixture for another 30 minutes. Spread it on m dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 20 hours on 40 °C. Alternatively, you can dry them in the oven on 50 °C, or in the sun. When they are fully dehydrated, store the crackers in air-tight conteiner to keep them crispy.

pečene edamame

oven-baked edamame

Edamame are immature soy beans that are traditionally eaten in East Asian cultures. The term actually refers to a way of preparation where they are steamed in their pods, but is often used in today's western culinary world to describe the green soy beans alone. They can be prepared as vegetables and added to soups, salads, stir-frys, or simply as a snack. Green soy beans are rich in protein and contain high amounts of certain micronutrients - especially folate, vitamin K1 and manganese. They are perfectly tasty (and the healthiest to eat) just steamed for a couple of minutes. To be honest, that is my favourite way to eat them. Still, seasoning them and baking in the oven gives them a special kind of crunchy punch and makes them a perfect party snack that everyone will love, not just those few your friends that are health freaks like you (or is it just me?). Anyhow, if you want to impress the croud with something easy to make, supertasty and decadent that is also pretty healthy, here's an idea.

what/
400 g frozen edamame
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 pinch himalayan salt
1 tbsp melted coconut oil

how/
Mix, bake for 15 min on 200 °C, cool a bit, snack. :)

kuglice od badema i marelica

Moram priznati da se u Norveškoj osjećam kao doma i da mi ne nedostaje Hrvatska niti malo. I inače imam takav osjećaj kada se na neko vrijeme preselim negdje, jednostavno je prekrasno i zanimljivo istraživati novo tlo, običaje, različite detalje koji čine neko mjesto posebnim, i promatrati kako sve to svakim danom sve više postaje dio tvojeg svijeta. Ljudi u jutarnjem autobusu, ulični svirači, rozo večernje nebo, miris zraka uz more, šuštanje jasike uz potok, svaki dan drugačija ista šuma i svaki dan nova ja. Iako vjerojatno zauvijek zaljubljena u jasiku uz potok, sinoć sam sanjala bademe iz Dalmacije i sjetila se hrvatskih tržnica i sve sile domaćih proizvoda, nečega što posebno volim na Balkanu i drugim krajevima svijeta južnije od ovog gdje smo sada. Svako je mjesto na svoj način čarobno, pa tako recimo ovdje umjesto odlaska na plac bereš bobice i gljive u šumi i kupaš se u jezerima; ovdje klima ne dopušta toliko obilje domaćeg voća i povrća, a tržnice slične onima u Hrvatskoj nisu baš u kulturi. Razmišljajući tako o bademima i tržnicama, sjetila sam se da sam još u proljeće bila složila jedan slatki i jednostavni recept koji nikad nisam objavila.

što/
1 i 1/4 šalice badema
1 šalica sušenih marelica*
1/2 šalice datulja (ja sam koristila sortu deglet nour)
1/4 čajne žličice mljevene vanilije

*preporučam prirodno sušene marelice koje nisu sumporene; one nisu izrazito narančaste niti kiselkaste, već smeđe, mekane i slatke, s laganom notom karamele

kako/
Narežite marelice i datulje na manje komade i stavite u sjeckalicu zajedno s ostalim sastojcima. Preradite u kompaktnu masu koju je lako moguće oblikovati rukama. Oblikujte kuglice i zavaljajte ih u mljevene bademe.
Dobar tek!

almond and apricot energy balls

I have to admit that Norway really feels like home and I haven't missed Croatia at all so far. That is actually a usual feeling that I get when I temporarily move somewhere. It is just so beautiful and interesting to explore a new ground, customs, various details that make a certain place special and observe as it all slowly becomes a part of your world. People in the morning bus, street musicians, pink evening skies, smell of the salty air, trembling of the aspen leaves near a water stream, the same forest that is different each day, each day a new me. Although I will probably be forever in love with aspen trees by the stream, last night I dreamt about almonds from Dalmatia and all their familiar sweetness and tastiness. I remembered all the Croatian farmers' markets and their abundance of fresh produce - something that is not really customary here. It is simply because this cold climate doesn't provide such abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables and other crops. It does provide wonderful hiking, swimming in lakes and lots of wild foraging adventures with berries, mushrooms and herbs, so you cannot even feel sad that farmers' markets are not a part of the culture in the same way as they are in the Balkan countries. Anyway, all this thinking of markets and almonds made me realize that I had written a simple sweet recipe this spring and never published it. So, here it is!

what/
1 + 1/4 cup almonds
1 cup organic raw sun-dried apricots*
1/2 cup dates (i used deglet nour veriety)
1/4 tsp ground vanilla

* I never emphasize that something should be organic, completely raw or sun-dried, but here I wanted to specify that you should use the darker orange / brownish apricots that were not treated with sulfur dioxide to preserve colour. You can actually feel the difference in their taste; the untreated ones have a deeper and less fruity flavour

how/
Chop the dried fruits into smaller pieces and put all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until you get a compact mass that is easily shaped with hands. Roll the balls and (optionally) cover them with ground almonds.
Bon appétit!

chickpeas snack

Summer 2014, a hitchhike from Istanbul to Samsun, really nice new acquaintances and a Turkish trail mix with nuts, raisins and baked chickpeas. That was the first time i ate dry baked chickpeas as a snack and, like with everything else we ate in Turkey, I more or less fell in love at first bite. I mean, what can you dislike about a crunchy chickpea? It's even oil-free, so it's actually not bad for you body at all, it's nutritious and is so fulfilling in those moments when you just need a lazy (movie night) snack. These homemade ones might never turn out like real Turkish leblebi, but that doesn't matter - they sure will be tasty and fulfilling in their own way. So, here is how to make them!

what/
1 cup dried chickpeas
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/3 tsp Himalayan salt
1/3 tsp black pepper

how/
Soak the chickpeas in water for 12 hours, drain and cook in clean water for around 40 minutes, or until soft. Drain the water (you can save it and use as aquafaba; let me know if you want a post about that) and let the chickpeas dry a bit. Put them in a bowl, add all the spices and mix well. Spread the seasoned chickpeas on a baking tray and bake on 180 °C for around 30 minutes, until they are crispy from the outside.
Enjoy!