Thai Cuisine: Stir Fry de porc, ardei si lemongrass (Stir Fried Pork with Peppers and Lemongrass)

Share

   
        E timpul pentru o noua reteta din bucataria thailandeza, de care eu m-am indragostit cumplit!!! de data aceasta am ales sa folosesc si lemongrass, o planta cu aroma de lamaie ce creste in Filipine si care este des folosita in mancarurile asiatice; eu am folosit lemongrass proaspat, dar se poate folosi si uscat sub forma de pudra. Carnea de porc cu ardei si lemongrass are un gust absolut superb iar pranzul nostru e gata in maxim 10 minute, ca de altfel toate mancarurile asiatice :)
       It's time for a new Thai recipe, a cuisine I'm totally in love with btw!!! this time I chose to use Lemongrass, a herb with a subtle citrus flavor that grows in Philippines and which is often used in Asian cuisine; I used it fresh, but it can also be used dried and powdered. Lunch is ready in 10 minutes and it's super tasty, like all Asian recipes for that matter :) Enjoy!

Ingrediente/Ingredients:  

 350 g carne de porc/350 g pork
 2 linguri sos de soia/2 tablespoons with soy sauce
 1 lingura zahar brun/1 tablespoon w brown sugar
 1/2 lingura pasta de ansoa/1/2 tablespoon w anchovy paste (fish sauce)
 1 lingurita amidon/1 teaspoon cornstarch
 1/2 lingurita sare/1/2 teaspoon w salt

 1/2 ceapa rosie/1/2 red onion
 2 catei de usturoi/2 garlic cloves
 2 ardei colorati/2 colored peppers
 1 tulpina lemongrass/1 lemongrass stalk
 2 fire ceapa verde/2 green onions

Cum se face/How it's made:


Mai intai facem marinada pentru carne. Intr-un vas mic punem sosul de soia, zaharul brun, pasta de ansoa, amidonul si sarea si amestecam foarte bine. Carnea o taiem fasii subtiri, o amestecam cu sosul si o dam la frigider pt 1 ora.
We first make the marinade for the meat. In a small bowl we combine soy sauce, brown sugar, anchovy paste, cornstarch and salt. We cut the pork in thin strips and we mix them well with the sauce. We marinate them for 1 hour in the fridge.

Curatam si tocam ceapa si usturoiul iar ardeiul il taiem fasii subtiri. Curatam lemongrass-ul si tocam marunt partea alba din mijloc.(il vedeti cum arata in imaginea cu ingredientele)
We peel and chop the onion and garlic and we cut the pepper in thin strips. We peel the lemongrass and we chop the middle part of the white part.(you can see it in the ingredients picture)

Incalzim wok-ul sau o tigaie mare si punem in o lingura de ulei ceapa si usturoiul tocat si le prajim la temperatura ridicata pt 1 minut.(stir fry)
We heat up 1 tablespoon with vegetable oil in a wok or a big skillet and we stir fry the onion with the garlic for 1 minute.

Adaugam ardei si lemongrass si continuam sa prajim pt alte 2 minute, amestecand mereu.
We add the pepper and lemongrass and we stir fry them together for 2 minutes.      

Adaugam carnea de porc marinata si prajim totul pana cand carnea e facuta, amestecand continuu.
We add the marinated meat and we stir fry everything until the meat is done. 

Cand carnea e gata, adaugam si ceapa verde tocata marunt, potrivim de sare si piper si mai prajim pt 2 minute.
When the meat is done we add the chopped green onion, we sprinkle salt and pepper if needed and we stir fry for another 2 minutes.

Servim cu garnitura de orez sau taitei de orez. Bon appetit!
We serve with rice as a side dish or rice noodles. Bon appetit!            

Super bun si se poate face si cu pui sau vita daca preferati!
Super tasty and it can also be made with chicken or beef if you like!

Mai de aproape.../Closer...

Ciorba de ardei umpluti (Stuffed Peppers Soup)

Share

            Desi imi place foarte mult supa de ardei umpluti o pregatesc destul de rar acasa deoarece sotul meu nu e fan supe cu bulion si banuiesc ca noi toate incercam sa gatim pe gustul intregii familii de obicei, nu? Din cand in cand o incerc totusi in speranta ca voi obtine aroma deosebita pe care i-o dadea bunica mea si chiar daca nu e la fel, amintirea e foarte frumoasa! La mine fiecare mancare are o anumita istorioara si mereu corelez aroma cu amintirea :) Cum afara caldura inca nu a preluat controlul de tot, am zis ca e o ocazie buna sa pregatesc ciorba aceasta :)
          Aceasta reteta merge si la YBR, provocarea organizata de Nancy de la SpicieFoodie! Va recomand cu mult drag blogul ei, e unul dintre cele mai bune!
           Though I love stuffed peppers soup I rarely make it since my husband is not a huge fan of tomato based soups and I guess all of us try to cook food that all family enjoys right? Once in a while I make this soup hoping that I'll get that special flavour my grandma's soup used to have, and even though it's never the same, the way I remember it is always special :) For me every dish has a history and I always relate the flavour to my memory :)  Because heat didn't take control outside yet, I thought it'd be a great occasion to cook this delicious soup :)
            This recipe also goes to YBR, the challenge organised by Nancy from SpicieFoodie! I greatly recommend her blog, as it's one of the best out there! 

Ingrediente/Ingredients:

400 g carne tocata  porc/400 g ground pork
100 g orez bob mic/100 g Arborio rice
8-10 ardei mici dulci/8-10 small sweet peppers
2 morcovi/2 carrots
2 patrunjei radacina/2 parsley roots
1/4 telina/1/4 celery root
2 cepe/2 onions
1 rosie mare/1 big tomato
300 ml bulion/300 ml tomato sauce
1 lingura faina/1 tablespoon with flour
patrunjel frunze/parsley leaves
sare, piper/salt, pepper            

Cum se face/How it's made:  

Mai intai pregatim umplutura de carne/We first prepare the meat filling:
Intr-un castron punem carnea, orezul spalat, o ceapa tocata marunt, sare, piper si le amestecam bine.
In a bowl we combine meat, washed rice, one chopped onion, salt and pepper.

Spalam bine ardeii, taiem capacul si scobim cu grija miezul si semintele din interiorul ardeiului. Ii scobim pe toti si ii dam deoparte.
We wash the peppers and we roundly cut the tops off and we discard stems and seeds. We set aside.

Curatim ceapa, si radacinoasele si le tocam toate marunt.
We peel vegetables and chop them.  

Intr-o oala prajim putin ceapa, adaugam legumele tocate si punem cam 2 litri de apa si sare.
In a large pot, we  fry the onion, we add the vegetables and 2 litres of water plus some salt.  

Pana cand supa incepe sa fiarba, umplem ardeii cu carne si ii presaram cu putina faina la capete, ca sa nu iasa carnea.
Until the soup starts to boil, we stuff the peppers with the meat filling and we sprinkle some flour at the ends, so the meat doesn't get out.   

Cand apa incepe sa fiarba adaugam ardeii cu grija si ii lasam sa fiarba pana cand orezul este moale.
When the soup starts to boil we add the stuffed peppers carefully and we let the soup boil until the rice is cooked.

Cand ardeii sunt fierti, intr-o tigaie prajim faina cu putin ulei si adaugam bulionul, amestecam bine si adaugam la supa. Amestecam bine, lasam sa fiarba vreo 2 minute si adaugam patrunjel tocat si condimente.
When the peppers are done, in a skillet we fry the flour with some oil, we add the tomato sauce and we pour it in the soup. We stir and we let it boil for another 2 minutes and we add chopped parsley and spices.

Servim cu multa pofta. Se poate pune smantana daca va place, eu o prefer simpla. Bon appetit!
We serve the soup with lots of appetite. You can add sour cream if you desire. I prefer it simple. Bon appetit!

Orez cu pui si legume + astenie de primavara (Rice with Chicken and Vegetables + spring fatigue)

Share

Please scroll down for English version


          De cand am venit in Toronto nu mai prea stiu ce e aia primavara, deoarece aici iarna e mai lunga ca in Romania, iar trecerea de la iarna la vara se face rapid de obicei, cu diferente foarte mari de temperatura, cel putin asta am observat eu in cele 2 primaveri petrecute deja aici; chiar daca frumosul anotimp ne insoteste cu prezenta foarte scurt daca nu deloc, organismul meu resimte o astenie grozava ca in fiecare an, de nu am chef nici sa gatesc si de aceea nu am activitate in ultimul timp pe blog...daca aveti sugestii pentru alungarea asteniei please let me know...cam asa ma simt zilele astea:




      

        M-am gandit sa postez reteta aceasta super rapida cu orez pe care am facut-o cand ma aflam intr-o stare de lene maxima :) e simplu si delicios si merge perfect cu o salata de ridichi si ceapa verde.

Ingrediente:                                                                                

      200 g piept de pui fiert (il aveam ramas)
      1 ceapa
      1 ardei
      1 morcov
      250 g orez Arborio (bob mic, bun pt risotto)
      patrunjel verde
      unt pt prajit



Cum se face:


Se curata legumele si se toaca marunt. Puiul se taie bucati mai mari. Orezul se spala si se scurge de apa.

Intr-o tigaie punem untul la topit si prajim ceapa cu ardeiul, adaugam morcovul si punem apa, lasam sa fiarba 5 minute.

Adaugam orezul spalat, condimentam cu sare si lasam sa fiarba la foc mic pana orezul e moale, amestecand din cand in cand sa nu se prinda (adaugati cate putina apa daca e nevoie).

Intr-o tigaie separata prajim bucatile de pui condimentate cu sare si piper.

Cand orezul e aproape fiert, adaugam puiul prajit, avand grija sa amestecam.

Condimentam cu sare, piper si presaram verdeata tocata. Servim cu salata de cruditati sau muraturi dupa preferinta. Puiul prajit ii da o aroma mai buna decat daca am face pilaf de orez cu pui proaspat.

Mai de aproape...

Si o poza cu salata minunata si super gustoasa! Bon appetit si va doresc multa energie!!!

English version 


       I can't remember what spring means since I came to Toronto, because here winter lasts longer than in Romania, and passing from winter to summer is so fast, with huge temperature differences, at least that's what I observed in the last 2 springs that I spent here; even though the beautiful season is so short if not absent, my body experiences a very intense spring fatigue like every year, that I'm not in the mood to cook or anything else for that matter, that's why I don't have too much blog activity lately...if you have any suggestions to make this spring fatigue go away, please let me know...this is how I feel lately:
    
  Finding myself in a terrible laziness, I thought I should make this super fast rice recipe. It's simple, delicious and goes perfectly with a radish and green onion fresh salad :)


Ingredients:

      200 g cooked chicken breast

      1 onion

      1 pepper

      1 carrot

      250 g Arborio rice

      fresh parsley leaves

      butter for frying

How it's made:

We peel and chop the vegetables. We cut the chicken in bigger pieces. We wash the rice and drain the water.

In a pan, we melt the butter and fry the onion with the pepper, we add the chopped carrot and pour water, leaving them to cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

We add the washed rice, we sprinkle salt and we let it cook on low heat until the rice is tender, stirring often, to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan.

Meanwhile in a separate skillet we fry the chicken in a little bit of butter.

When the rice is almost cooked we add the fried chicken and we stir them all together, leaving them to cook until the rice is fully cooked.

We spice the rice and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley leaves.

We serve with a fresh radish salad or pickled vegetables if you like. The chicken tastes better with fried chicken than the rice pilaf with fresh chicken.

 Bon appetit!

Varza a la Cluj (Romanian Cabbage a la Cluj)

Share

Please scroll down for English version


            Varza a la Cluj este o mancare traditional romaneasca specifica zonei Ardealului de unde sunt si eu, probabil de aceea imi place atat de mult :) Unii cunosc aceasta reteta sub denumirea de "sarmale imprastiate" sau "varza in straturi la cuptor", dar indiferent cum o numiti, este o mancare extrem de delicioasa ce ocupa un loc de cinste in cartea mea de bucate! Imi pare rau pentru cei care tineti post daca va fac pofta (in caz extrem puteti inlocui carnea cu un amestec de legume)

Ingrediente:  

       800 g carne tocata de porc+vita
       1 varza mare (1-1.5 kg)
       1 ceapa mare
       1 rosie
       150 g orez
       200 g bacon optional
       300 ml suc tomate
       sare, piper



Cum se face:

Mai intai curatam si spalam varza, o taiem fidea, presaram sare si o punem intr-o oala mai mare la calit pentru aproximativ 20 minute la foc mic, avand grija sa amestecam ca sa nu se prinda.

Cand varza e moale, o condimentam cu sare si piper si o dam deoparte.

 Tocam ceapa marunt si o punem la calit in o lingura de ulei.

Cand ceapa s-a inmuiat putin, adaugam carnea tocata, amestecam si lasam la foc mic sa fiarba.

Intre timp fierbem orezul in apa cu sare si il strecuram.
Cand carnea incepe sa se rumeneasca, adaugam orezul fiert si amestecam, condimentam cu sare si piper si dam deoparte.

Taiem cateva felii de bacon pentru decor iar restul taiem cubulete si le prajim intr-o tigaie.(se poate renunta la bacon)

Intr-un vas ce intra la cuptor (sticla, vas roman, dutch oven, ce doriti) punem 2 linguri ulei si incepem sa facem straturi, asezand primul strat de varza calita peste care punem din loc in loc bacon prajit.

Asezam un strat de carne tocata cu orez.

Punem bulion din loc in loc deasupra.

Continuam cu straturile, iar ultimul strat va fi cu varza, peste care asezam felii de bacon si rosii si turnam 100 ml apa.

  Dam tava la cuptorul preincins la 180 grade pentru 40 minute, timp in care aromele se vor imbina frumos :)

Dupa 40 de minute si o pofta cat carul scoatem tava din cuptor. Voila!

Lasam sa se raceasca putin si servim cu ardei iute sau smantana (cui ii place). Desi e o mancare "heavy duty", are o savoare de nedescris! Bon appetit!

English version    


         Romanian Cabbage a la Cluj it's a traditional dish that comes from Ardeal, where I come from as well, probably that's why I love it :) Some people know the recipe named as "scattered cabbage rolls" or "layered cabbage in the oven", but whatever the name you know it by, it's a delicious recipe which occupies a special place in my cook book.
        

Ingredients:    

       800 g minced pork+beef meat

       1 big green cabbage (1-1.5 kg)

       1 big onion

       1 tomato

       150 g rice

       200 g bacon optional

       300 ml strained tomatoes

       salt, pepper

How it's made:

First, we wash the cabbage and we chop thinly the cabbage, we sprinkle salt and we cook it in a large pot on medium heat for 20 minutes, making sure we stir once in a while.

When the cabbage has softened, we spice it and set aside.

We peel and chop the onion and we fry it in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil.

When the onion has softened, we add the minced meat, we stir and we let it cook on low heat.

Meanwhile we wash the rice and we cook it in salted water and when it's done, we drain the water.

When the meat starts to fry (the water has evaporated) we add the cooked rice, we add spices, stir and set aside.

We cut some bacon slices for decorating the dish, and we chop the rest and fry it in a pan.

In a large glass dish or a dutch oven (if you prefer) we start to make the layers.

We put 2 tablespoons of oil and we place the first layer of fried cabbage and some bacon above.

We add one layer of meat and rice.

We pour some tomato sauce from place to place and continue with the layers until we finish with a cabbage layer. We add bacon and tomato slices and we pour 100 ml of water.

We place the dish in a preheated oven at 365 degrees for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes and a lot of hunger, we take the dish out of the oven. Voila!

We let it cool off and we serve it warm with hot pepper or sour cream (optional). Even though it's a heavy duty meal, it has an unbelievable flavor! Bon appetit!

Ghiveci de legume (Vegetable Stew)

Share

Please scroll down for English version


         Daca tot suntem in post cred ca e foarte indicata aceasta reteta si cum o facusem cu ceva timp in urma m-am gandit sa o postez acum.


Ingrediente:

    3 ardei capia rosii
    1 ardei gras verde
    1 ardei gras galben
    2 morcovi
    1/4 telina
    1 ceapa
    200 ml bulion (300 g rosii daca aveti)
    100 g orez
    patrunjel verde
    sare, piper


Cum se face:


Spalam legumele si le curatam de coaja si le tocam marunt.

Intr-o cratita, punem 2 linguri ulei si prajim ceapa.

Cand ceapa incepe sa se inmoaie putin, adaugam ardeii si amestecam mereu.

Lasam sa se inmoaie putin ardeii si punem morcovii si telina.

Mai lasam pe foc timp de 2 minute, amestecand tot timpul sa nu se arda.
Punem apa peste legume (sa nu depaseasca legumele), punem sare si lasam sa fiarba la foc mic timp de 10 minute.

Dupa 10 minute adaugam orezul curatat si spalat si amestecam din cand in cand.

Lasam sa fiarba pana cand bobul de orez e moale. Cand orezul e fiert, iar apa a scazut, adaugam bulionul, condimente, lasam sa mai fiarba timp de 5 minute. Adaugam si patrunjel verde tocat si dam cratita deoparte.

Servim ca atare sau langa niste oua facute ochiuri. Bon appetit!

    


English version    


         Since we're fasting, I think that the vegetable stew is recommended, and I thought I should post the recipe since I made it some while ago.


Ingredients:

    3 red peppers

    1 green pepper

    1 yellow pepper

    2 carrots

    1/4 celery root

    1 onion

    200 ml strained tomatoes (300 g tomatoes if you have)

    100 g rice

    parsley leaves

    salt, pepper

How it's made:

We wash, peel and chop the vegetables.

In a pot we heat 2 tablespoons of oil and we fry the onion.

When the onion has softened, we add the peppers, we stir.

When the peppers softened, we add the carrots and celery, we stir for another 2 minutes.

We add water over the vegetables (not to cover them), salt  and let them boil for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes we add the  rice previously cleaned and washed and we stir.

We let it cook until the rice is tender.

When the rice is finished, we add the strained tomatoes, we stir very well and we let it simmer for another 5 minutes or more, until the water has evaporated.

We add the chopped parsley, spices and set aside.

We serve as it is or with poached eggs. Bon appetit!