Focaccia cu usturoi si oregano (Garlic and Oregano Focaccia)

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        Chiar daca afara e foarte cald pofta e totusi gigantica, mai ales cand vad la altii pe blog :)) inspirata de reteta Ana Mariei de la Just Love Cookin', m-am apucat de dimineata sa pregatesc o focaccia minunata, care zic eu ca a iesit destul de bine pentru prima data :) a meritat cu varf si indesat sa suport cateva grade in plus in casa, doar ca sa simt pentru cateva minute mirosul incredibil ce venea din cuptor!!! OMG, deci e o reteta ce clar se potriveste cu sloganul blogului meu : Explore the flavour! God, daca ar exista device-uri pentru inregistratul mirosului, focaccia aceasta s-ar califica garantat pentru testare :))) va provoc sa riscati o ora dimineata pentru aceasta minunatie care va va deschide usa spre paradisul aromelor, da ati inteles bine, doar o ora cu totul, e super rapid procesul cu un rezultat ce mie mi-a depasit asteptarile! Sa vedem cum se face, eu am adaptat usor reteta dupa gustul meu :)
        Even though it's hot outside I'm  still craving for some things, even more when I see stuff on blogs :) inspired by Ana Maria's recipe from Just Love Cookin', in the morning I started making a wonderful Focaccia Bread, which I dare to say turned out pretty good for my first time :) the degrees in the house were well worth compared to the smell that came from the oven!!! OMG, this is a recipe that fits my blog's motto: Explore the flavor! God, if there were any devices for recording the smell, this Focaccia would certainly qualify for testing :))) I dare you all to take one hour in the morning and prepare this yummyness which will open the door to the  paradise of flavors, yes, you read correctly, just an hour, it's super fast with a result that really exceeded my expectations! Let's see how it's made, I slightly adapted the recipe according to my own taste :)

Ingrediente/Ingredients:

500 g faina/500 g all purpose flour
300 ml apa carbogazoasa/300 ml carbonated water
25 g drojdie proaspata/25 g fresh yeast
40 ml ulei de masline/40 ml olive oil
1 lingurita sare/1 teaspoon with salt
1 lingurita zahar sau miere/1 teaspoon with sugar or honey
3 catei usturoi/3 garlic cloves
oregano/oregano 

Cum se face/How it's made:   

Incalzim apa cat sa fie calduta si dizolvam drojdia si zaharul in ea, apoi adaugam si uleiul de masline si amestecam. Turnam lichidul in bolul cu faina amestecata cu sare si usturoi zdrobit.
We heat the water so it's lukewarm and we dissolve the yeast and sugar, and we add the olive oil, mixing them. We pour the liquid in the bowl with flour mixed with salt and crushed garlic.

Framantam aluatul pana se desprinde usor de pe degete aproximativ 10 minute. Chiar daca el va fi destul de moale, rezistati tentatiei de a adauga faina. Rasturnam aluatul intr-o tava mare unsa cu ulei.
We knead the dough until it comes out of our fingers around 10 minutes. Though the dough will be pretty soft, resist the tentation of adding more flour. We place the dough in a big oiled pan.

Intindem aluatul cu degetele dupa forma tavii, apasand usor fara a trage de el. Lasam sa creasca pentru 30 de minute pana isi dubleaza volumul.
We flatten the dough with our fingers following the shape of the pan, without pulling it. We let it rise for 30 minutes, until the dough doubles its volume.

Dupa 30 de minute, facem mici gauri in aluat cu degetele (dezumflam aluatul), apasand pana la fundul tavii. Ungem aluatul cu un mix de 3 linguri ulei de masline+3 linguri apa.(se adauga apa, pentru ca gaurile sa ramana albe dupa coacere). Presaram sare de mare deasupra si oregano, sau alte mirodenii dupa plac: rozmarin, cimbru, busuioc, etc.
After 30 minutes, using our fingers we make holes in the dough (flattening the dough), pressing till the bottom of the pan. We grease the dough with a mixture of 3 tablespoons with olive oil + 3 tablespoons with water.(we add water so the holes will remain white after baking). We sprinkle some sea salt on top and oregano or other spices, according to your own taste like rosemary, thyme, basil, etc...     

Lasam aluatul sa creasca inca 30 de minute. Dupa ce a crescut introducem tava in cuptorul preincalzit la 205 grade pentru 25 de minute, cand e frumos rumenita deasupra. O scoatem pe un gratar sa se raceasca.
We let the dough rise for another 30 minutes. After that we place the pan in the preheated oven at 410 degrees for 25 minutes, when it's golden brown on top.  We remove it from the pan and we place it on a rack to cool.

Taiem felii si servim, nu va zic cu ce, ca merge cu orice, chiar si goala! Bon appetit!
We slice and serve, I won't say with what, because it goes with anything, even plain as it is! Enjoy!

Mirosul era atat de frumos incat cu greu m-am rabdat sa o las sa se raceasca :)
The smell was that lovely that I barely waited for the slices to cool :)

Fellile erau frumos crescute si delicioase!
The slices were puffy and delicious!

Mai de aproape.../Closer...  

   

Ciuperci marinate (Marinated Mushrooms)

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        Nu cred ca sunt legume pe care sa le iubesc mai mult decat ciupercile, micutele palarii aromate ce dau o savoare deosebita oricarui tip de mancare! Noua personal cel mai mult ne plac ciupercile marinate, obisnuiam sa cumparam de la deli bar din supermarket cu vreo 3$ suta de grame, desi destul de scumpe sunt delicioase, problema este insa ca nu se gasesc in toate supermarketurile aici; nu pun la socoteala cele la borcan pe care le gasim peste tot pentru ca nu se pot compara deloc!
        Tot cautand o reteta pentru ciupercile acestea gustoase, am gasit reteta care imi place la Mary de la One Perfect Bite si nu pot decat sa-i multumesc inzecit in numele meu si al sotului meu, pentru ca le adoram!!! Sunt zemoase, usor acrisoare cu aroma de usturoi si oregano, atat de bune ca nu te poti opri din mancat! Merg perfect ca salata langa friptura sau ca aperitiv (Antipasto) la mese festive, sau de ce nu, la un picnic langa niste branza, mmmm, senzational! pentru cei care sunteti fani ciuperci va recomand calduros sa le incercati, veti fi vrajiti cu adevarat :)
        I don't think there are any vegetables that I love more than mushrooms, the little caps that bring flavor to any prepared meal you can think of! We personally love best marinated mushrooms, we used to buy them at the deli bar in the supermarket with 3$ for 100 g, though pricey they're delicious, the only problem is that we can't find them in all supermarkets here; I'm not counting the ones you find in jars everywhere since you can't compare their taste!
        Browsing the web for the perfect recipe, I found what I was looking for at Mary's from One Perfect Bite, who I can only thank a hundred times, because we just adore the mushrooms! they're moist, a little bit sour and beautifully flavored from garlic and oregano, so yummy that you just can't stop eating! you can serve them as a salad next to steak, or as an appetizer (Antipasto) for special dinners, or why not, eat them at a nice picnic with cheese, mmmm, awesome! for those of you that love mushrooms this recipe is a must, I truly recommend it and believe me when I tell you that you'll be charmed forever :)


Nota/Note:   eu am facut din 750 g ciuperci, reteta de mai jos e pentru 500 g/I used 750 g mushrooms, the recipe from below is for 500 g mushrooms  

Ingrediente/Ingredients:

500 g ciuperci Champignons/500 g white mushrooms
1 ceapa/1 onion
3 catei usturoi/3 garlic cloves
130 ml ulei de masline/130 ml olive oil
70 ml otet/70 ml white vinegar        
1/2 lingta sare/1/2 teaspoon with salt
1 varf de zahar/1 pinch of sugar
1 varf piper/1 pinch of pepper
1/2 lingta oregano/1/2 teaspoon with oregano

Cum se face/How it's made:
         
Curatam ciupercile si le spalam bine--data viitoare voi face reteta cu mai multe tipuri de ciuperci pentru mai multa savoare!/We clean and wash the mushrooms--next time I'll try the recipe with more types of mushrooms for enhanced flavor!

Fierbem ciupercile in apa sarata pentru 10 minute, pana cand se inmoaie putin. Cand sunt gata, le scurgem de apa si le punem intr-un recipient.
We simmer the mushrooms in salted water for 10 minutes, until they are tender. When they're tender we drain the water and we place them in a bowl.

  
Intr-un recipient punem ciupercile, uleiul, ceapa tocata, usturoiul zdrobit si celelalte ingrediente si le amestecam bine.
In a container we place the mushrooms, oil, vinegar, the chopped onion and crushed garlic and the other ingredients and we stir everything.
  

Punem capac si lasam in frigider pana a doua zi sa se marineze, minim 24 de ore preferabil. Cu cat lasam mai mult cu atat vor fi mai gustoase. Servim cu pofta la micul dejun sau la cina langa branza, masline, sunca, etc.
We cover the container and we place it in the fridge to marinate overnight, 24 hours is preferable. The longer it stays in the fridge the tastier they'll get. We serve them for breakfast or dinner next to cheese, olives, ham, etc. 

Sunt dementiale, trebuie sa le incercati! o sa va atraga ca magnetul pana cand vor fi gata :)) Bon appetit!
They're amazing, you gotta try them! they'll attract you like a magnet until they'll be finished :)) Enjoy!

Tian de legume (Vegetable Tian)

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        De multa vreme am vrut sa fac tianul de legume si sa-l postez, dar tot am asteptat sa-mi cumpar o forma ceramica colorata ca sa o inaugurez cu splendoarea de culori ale legumelor :) nu stiu cum se face, dar tot cautand una care sa-mi placa nu am apucat sa cumpar inca, asa ca am pregatit tianul anyway :) reteta e foarte simplu de preparat si extrem de creativa in sensul ca se pot pune ce legume doriti, plus ca e perfecta pentru caldurile de afara, e usoara si delicioasa! noua ne-a placut atat de mult ca am facut-o de 2 ori intr-o saptamana :)
        I wanted to make this vegetable tian a long time ago, but I kept waiting to buy a colorful ceramic dish so I can obtain an overall beautiful color :) searching for "the" dish, I haven't bought it yet, so I prepared the tian anyway :) the recipe is very easy to make and extremely creative since you can use whatever vegetables you like, plus it's perfect for the hot weather outside, because it's very light and delicious! we liked it so much that I prepared it twice in one week :)

Ingrediente/Ingredients: 


1 vanata mica/1 baby eggplant
1 zuchini/1 zucchini
4 cartofi de 4 feluri (cartof alb, mov, pt copt, si dulce)/4 types of potatoes (white, purple, for baking and sweet) 
5-6 ciuperci mari albe/5-6 big white mushrooms
3 rosii mari/3 Roma tomatoes
1 ceapa/1 onion
2 catei usturoi/2 garlic cloves   
3 linguri ulei de masline/3 tablespoons olive oil
Parmezan/Parmesan     
sare, piper/salt, pepper
cimbru/thyme


Nota/Note:


       In poza apare mai mult material decat am folosit pt o tava. In functie de marimea tavii puteti folosi mai multe sau mai putine./In the photo there are more ingredients that I actually used. Depending on the dish size, you can use more or less vegetables.


Cum se face/How it's made:      


Curatam ceapa si cateii de usturoi si tocam ceapa (eu am pus si rosie putin) marunt. Intr-o tigaie prajim ceapa putin si la final adaugam usturoiul tocat. Dam deoparte si punem ceapa intr-o tava unsa in prealabil cu putin ulei.
We peel the onion and the garlic cloves and we chop the onion (I used some red onion as well). In a skillet we fry the onion and at the end we add the crushed garlic. We place the fried onion in an oiled rectangular baking dish.

  
Spalam foarte bine legumele cu tot cu coaja si le uscam cu un servet de hartie. Le taiem felii cu un slicer sau cu mana daca nu aveti, doar sa fie relativ subtiri si uniform taiate. Ar trebui sa aiba maxim 1 cm in grosime.
We  wash the vegetables very well with their skin on and we dry them with paper towels. We slice them all using a mandolin slicer, or by hand if you don't have one, just make sure the slices are the same size. They should be 1/4 inch thick slices.   

Asezam feliile de legume alternativ in strat uniform peste ceapa. Eu am facut 3 randuri.
We place the vegetable slices alternately on top of the onion. I made 3 lines.             

  
Condimentam cu multa sare pentru ca sunt foarte dulci, adaugam piper, putin cimbru uscat (dupa gust) si picuram cate un strop de ulei peste legume. Acoperim tava cu folie de aluminiu si o introducem in cuptorul preincins la 185 grade pentru cca 35 minute. Dupa 35 min, presaram Parmezan, luam folia jos si mai punem in cuptor pentru inca 25 de minute. Dupa ce s-au rumenit frumos scoatem din cuptor. Servim cald simplu sau langa ceva friptura eventual.
We sprinkle lots of salt because they're very sweet, we add pepper, some thyme and we drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. We cover the dish with foil and we place it in the preheated oven at 370 degrees for 35 minutes. After 35 min, we remove the foil, we sprinkle Parmezan and we place the dish in the oven for another 25 minutes. When the vegetables are golden brown on top, we remove the baking dish from the oven. We serve them warm as they are or with steak if you prefer.     

Bon appetit!

Fusilli tricolori cu broccoli si ciuperci (Tricolor Fusilli with Mushrooms and Broccoli)

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        Cateodata simt nevoia sa mananc o salata usoara fara carne sau diverse sosuri, asa ca pentru astazi am pregatit o salata de paste cu broccoli, pe care noi il consumam destul de des. Am folosit pastele Catelli Bistro tricolore pe baza de morcov, spanac si rosii, ca sa adaug un strop de culoare salatei, plus ca au un continut ridicat de vitamine. Daca doriti sa variati salata, puteti adauga putin bacon, branza, sau diverse dressing-uri. Eu am ramas la o varianta mai dietetica de aceasta data :)
       Sometimes I feel the need to eat a light salad without any meat or various dressings, so for today I've made a pasta salad with broccoli, one vegetable that we consume often. I've used Tri-Colour Catelli Bistro pasta that have carrots, spinach and tomatoes, to add a little bit of colour to the salad, plus they have a significant vitamin content. If you want to vary the salad, you can add some bacon, cheese or different dressings. I wanted something light this time :)

Ingrediente/Ingredients:                                                                            

 200 g fusilli colorati/200 g coloured fusilli
 1 capatana broccoli/1 broccoli head
 200 g ciuperci/200 g white mushrooms
 2 catei usturoi/2 garlic cloves
 ulei de masline presat la rece/cold pressed olive oil
 sare, piper/salt, pepper
 4 rosii cherry optional/4 cherry tomatoes optional




Cum se face/How it's made:

Mai intai spalam bine legumele, le curatam si taiem felii ciupercile, iar broccoli il desfacem buchetele.
We first wash the vegetables, we peel and slice the mushrooms, and we cut the broccoli in smaller pieces.

Fierbem pastele conform instructiunilor si le dam deoparte.
We cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package and we set them aside.

Intr-o tigaie, prajim in 1 lingura de ulei usturoiul tocat pentru 30 de secunde, adaugam ciupercile si broccoli si le prajim pana se inmoaie broccoli putin.
In a skillet, we stir fry the chopped galic for 30 seconds, we add the broccoli and mushrooms and we continue to fry them all until broccoli softens a little.

Punem legumele peste paste si condimentam cu ulei de masline, sare, piper si amestecam bine. Uleiul de masline presat la rece le da un gust deosebit de bun.
We place the vegetables on top of pasta, we add olive oil, salt and pepper and we mix them all together. The cold pressed olive oil gives them a very beautiful flavor.

Mai de aproape...
Closer...

Eu am adaugat si rosiile taiate in 2, caci stateau degeaba in frigider :) Bon appetit!
I've also added halfed cherry tomatoes since they were sitting in my fridge :) Bon appetit!

Sparanghel fript cu sos de iaurt si usturoi (Roasted Asparagus with Yogurt Garlic Sauce)

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       Unul dintre ingredientele alese de mine pentru Provocarea lunii Mai "Dulce Romanie" este Sparanghelul, o leguma minunata de sezon, pe care sa fiu sincera nu o folosesc prea des in retetele mele, de aceea mi s-a parut perfect pentru provocare, astfel urmand sa vedem mai multe modalitati de a-l prepara.
       Pentru ca am vrut sa pastrez pe cat de mult posibil aroma sparanghelului, am incercat o reteta simpla cu un sos minunat care sa acompanieze fragezimea acestei legume (Reteta am vazut-o in revista Chatelaine). E gata in 15 minute si merge foarte bine langa o fripturica :)

Ingrediente:  

   500 g sparanghel
   250 g iaurt simplu
   3 linguri ulei de masline (presat la rece)
   1 catel usturoi
   putin patrunjel verde
   sare, piper
                           



Cum se face:  

Mai intai spalam sparanghelul.

Rupem capetele lemnoase de la baza si le curatam de coaja subtire (daca sunt mai groase)

Asezam sparanghelul intr-o tava, presaram peste el o lingura de ulei, sare, piper, si intoarcem sparanghelul pe toate partile sa se acopere bine.

Dam la cuptorul preincalzit la 200 de grade pentru 10-15 minute, in functie de grosimea legumelor.(nu trebuie sa fie moale)
Intre timp facem sosul: punem intr-un bol iaurtul cu usturoiul zdrobit, uleiul de masline, sarea si piperul.

Adaugam patrunjelul verde tocat, amestecam bine si dam deoparte.

Eu intre timp am pus si o bucata de carne in tigaia grill, sa servim langa sparaghel :)

Servim sparanghelul simplu cu sos de iaurt (pentru cei ce tin dieta)

E super gustos, fraged pe interior si usor crocant pe exterior :)

 Din alt unghi...

Langa friptura...Bon appetit si astept in continuare retetele voastre pentru provocare :)

English version


       Asparagus is one of the 2 ingredients I've chosen for May's "Sweet Romania" Challenge", a wonderful season vegetable, which to be honest I don't use that often in my recipes, that's why I thought it would be perfect for the challenge, that way we can see different dishes with it.
       Because I wanted to preserve the flavour of asparagus original as possible, I've prepared it using a very simple recipe, with a delightful sauce that would only complement the vegetable (I saw the recipe in Chatelaine). It's ready in 15 minutes and goes very well with steak :)

Ingredients:    

   500 g asparagus (a bunch)

   250 g plain yogurt

   3 tablespoons olive oil (cold pressed is great)    

   1 garlic clove

   some fresh green parsley

   salt, pepper

                           

How it's made:    

We first wash the asparagus.

We snap off tough ends and peel the base if it's thick.

We place the asparagus in a roasting pan, we drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, we sprinkle salt and pepper and we toss very well to coat.

We place the pan in the preheated oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes (depends on thickness).

Meanwhile, in a bowl we mix very well the yogurt, crushed garlic, olive oil, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

We serve the asparagus with yogurt sauce on top.

I fried some steak in the grill pan and served with the asparagus.

Bon appetit!

I'm waiting for your recipes for this challenge!

Ciorba de pui cu smantana (Sour Cream Chicken Soup)

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      Nu cred ca am mancat vreodata ciorba de pui sau radauteana cum i se mai spune si ma gandeam sa o incerc daca tot e frig afara. Ce a iesit mi-a placut tare mult, mai ales ca are si usturoi, iar mie imi plac aproape toate mancarurile cu usturoi :)

Ingrediente:   

     2 pulpe de pui
     2 morcovi
     1 ceapa
     1/4 telina
     1 ardei mic
     3 catei usturoi
     1 ou
     200 g smantana
     patrunjel verde
     sare, piper


Cum se face:     

Spalam puiul foarte bine si il punem la fiert intr-o oala cu 2 litri apa si 2 lingurite sare, avand grija sa luam afara spuma care se formeaza.
Intre timp, tocam ceapa, morcovul si telina marunt, iar cand supa incepe sa fiarba le adaugam la supa.

Cand puiul e fiert (il incercam cu o furculita), il scoatem cu o paleta pe o farfurie si il taiem bucatele, indepartand oasele.

Tocam marunt ardeiul si il adaugam la supa impreuna cu puiul tocat.

Apoi batem oul si zdrobim usturoiul cu presa.

Adaugam in bol smantana si amestecam bine cu oul.

Tragem oala cu supa deoparte si punem un polonic de supa in smantana, omogenizam si adaugam la supa. Amestecam bine, punem din nou pe foc pentru 2 minute, condimentam si punem patrunjel.

Servim cu ardei iute sau cu gogosar murat dupa gust. Bon appetit!

 


English version


      I don't think I've ever eaten sour cream chicken soup, and I was thinking I should try it since it's still cold outside. I really liked the soup, especially because it contains garlic, and I love foods that contain garlic :)

Ingredients:

  

     2 chicken drumsticks

     2 carrots

     1 onion

     1/4 celery root

     1 small pepper (jalapeno)

     3 garlic cloves

     1 egg

     200 g sour cream

     fresh parsley

     salt, pepper

How it's made:

First we wash the chicken and we let it boil in a pot with 2 litres of water and 2 teaspoons of salt, making sure we remove the foam from the soup.

Meanwhile we chop the onion, carrots and celery and when the soup starts to boil, we add them to the soup and let the soup cook for 30-40 minutes on low heat.

When the chicken is tender, we take it out on a plate and we cut it in smaller pieces. 

We chop the pepper and we add it to the soup with the chopped chicken.

After that, we beat the egg, add the crushed garlic and the sour cream and mix them all very well.

We set aside the pot with the soup, and we add 3 tablespoons of soup to the sour cream mixture, we mix them very well and we add them to the whole soup, stirring until it all blends on low heat for 2 minutes.

We add salt, pepper and chopped parsley and we stir again.

We serve with marinated peppers and sour cream. Bon appetit!