Clatite cu ricotta si dulce de leche (Crepes with Ricotta and Dulce de Leche)

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        Pentru provocarea "Dulce Romanie" de luna Mai am ales 2 ingrediente: sparanghelul si dulce de leche. Ei, cum pentru sparanghel am primit deja cateva retete absolut superbe, m-am gandit ca ar trebui sa sparg gheata cu o reteta pentru deliciosul sos de lapte :).
       Dulce de leche este un sos gros preparat din lapte, foarte similar la gust cu caramelul si se foloseste in combinatie cu diverse creme pentru prajituri, sau ca si topping pe diverse deserturi. Eu nu o sa am timp sa prepar Dulcele de leche propriu zis, asa ca eu l-am cumparat gata in borcan, dar daca doriti sa vedeti o reteta usoara pentru acest sos, va invit sa cititi reteta Mihaelei, cea care a propus proiectul "Dulce Romanie".
Cum inca nu am apucat sa pregatesc ce mi-am propus cu deliciosul sos, am zis sa va prezint reteta de clatite peste care sa pun dulce de leche, caci e una din intrebuintarile cele mai comune. Clatitele sunt cunoscute de catre toata lumea si reprezinta unul dintre cele mai simple deserturi care exista. Eu am ales sa le umplu cu ricotta (urda romaneasca) si marar verde, de dragul amintirilor pe care le am din copilarie :)
Inspiratia am avut-o de la Andreea, careia ii multumesc pe aceasta cale.

       For May's "Sweet Romania" challenge, I've chosen 2 ingredients: Asparagus and Dulce de Leche. Because for Asparagus I've received already a few wonderful recipes, I thought it would be a good idea to be the first and post something using the delicious "milk jam" :)
       Dulce de Leche is a thick sauce prepared from milk (or sweetened condensed milk sometimes), very similar with caramel sauce and people use it in different cream combinations or as a topping on various desserts. I personally won't be making the sauce itself at home since I already bought a big jar of Dulce de leche, but if you want to see how it's made, you can check Mihaela's recipe, the person who initiated "Sweet Romania" challenge. Since I haven't had time yet to make what I had in mind with the delicious sauce, I thought I should post the recipe for Crepes, as it's a very common use for Dulce de Leche as a topping. Crepes are well known all around the world for being one of the most simple but delicious desserts. I filled them with ricotta and fresh chopped dill, for the sake of my childhood memories :) I want to thank Andreea for inspiring me!

Ingrediente/Ingredients:


 Pt clatite/For the crepes:
 250 g faina alba/250 g plain flour
 500 ml lapte/500 ml milk
 100 ml apa/100 ml water
 2 oua/2 eggs
 1 lingura zahar/1 tablespoon sugar
 1 varf de sare/1 pinch of salt


 Pt umplutura/For the filling:
 600 g ricotta/600 g ricotta cheese
 3 linguri zahar/3 tablespoons sugar
 marar tocat/fresh chopped dill (optional)


Cum se face/How it's made:


Mai intai preparam compozitia de clatite. Amestecam ouale cu zaharul si sarea bine.
We first prepare the batter for the crepes. We mix the eggs with the sugar and salt.

Adaugam faina, laptele si apa, amestecand bine sa nu se formeze cocoloase. Ar trebui sa fie ca smantana.
We add flour, milk and water, stirring very well, so the batter doesn't form any clumps. It should be like cream.

Incalzim o tigaie antiaderenta foarte bine si punem cate un strop de ulei inainte sa prajim fiecare placinta. Eu nu am pus ulei decat la prima clatita caci folosesc tigaia de la GreenPan (are invelis de Thermolon), pe care v-o recomand cu caldura, cred ca e cea mai buna tigaie pe care am folosit-o vreodata!
Cand uleiul e incins, punem un polonic din compozitia lichida, rotind tigaia usor, ca sa se formeze placinta. Lasam sa se prajeasca 1 minut, si cand marginile se rumenesc, intoarcem placinta si mai lasam 30 de secunde.
Daca vi se par prea groase, mai puteti adauga putina apa si amestecati bine compozitia.
We heat up a medium size non stick skillet and we add one drop of oil or melted butter before each crepe. I've put a drop only the first time, since I use a GreenPan (it uses Thermolon coating) which I strongly recommend to all of you, I think it's the best pan I ever used!
When the pan is heated up, we pour 1 ladle with batter and we gently rotate the skillet, so the crepe forms, and when the edges are brown, we turn the crepe on the other side and we let it fry for 30 seconds.
If you think the crepes are too thick, you can add some water and stir very well.

Continuam cu facutul clatitelor pana cand terminam compozitia (cam 15 placinte).
Dupa ce terminam cu placintele amestecam intr-un bol ricotta cu zahar si marar bine.
We continue making the crepes until we finish all the batter (around 15 crepes)
When we have finished making the crepes, in a bowl we mix ricotta with sugar and dill very well.

Intindem din crema de branza peste placinta si rulam.(clatitele pot fi umplute cu diverse umpluturi dulci)
We add ricotta on a crepe and we roll it.(crepes can be filled with various sweet fillings)

Continuam cu restul placintelor.
We continue with the rest of the crepes.

 Servim cu dulce de leche deasupra. Bon appetit!
We serve with dulce de leche as a topping. Bon appetit!

Delicios, crema de ricotta merge perfect cu sosul dulce.
Delicious, ricotta works perfectly with dulce de leche.

Sectiune mai de aproape, mmm, yummy!
Closer section, yummy!                   

                    

Poze prin Toronto si o schimbare pe blog (Toronto photos and a change on my blog)

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        Pentru ca primavara (anotimpul schimbarii) incearca din rasputeri sa se faca simtita aici in Toronto si pentru ca de curand am implinit 3 luni de bloggerit (happy me), am zis ca e nevoie de o schimbare pe blog (bine, mai multe trebuie stiu, fiti ingaduitori :)). Blogul acesta inseamna foarte mult pentru mine, am realizat cat de mult cand Blogger a avut problemele de maintenance de curand, nu pot sa va zic cum am intrat in panica (nu ca as pierde postari, ca salvez intotdeauna fiecare post) dar pentru ca nu puteam sa "intru in casa mea" vorba aia :) Ma bucura foarte tare sa vad cata lume ma viziteaza si de aceea m-am gandit sa fac tot posibilul sa va fac sa va simtiti bine cand veniti la mine pe blog.
      Atunci cand am inceput sa scriu pe aici, am hotarat ca blogul sa fie bilingv romana-engleza, pentru ca vizitatorii mei sa poata avea acces la retetele mele, fara prea multe batai de cap. Pana acum am postat traducerea la sfarsitul postarilor,  dar incepand cu postul urmator, voi face traducerea treptat, pe etape. Stiu ca va fi util pentru cei care nu inteleg romana sa vada textul corelat cu poza respectiva, plus ca imi va fi si mie mai usor sa postez. Daca aveti pareri sau sfaturi in legatura cu acest lucru, astept cu drag comentariile voastre.
      Ei, si acum sa va arat cateva poze din zona in care locuiesc eu, poze primaveratice cam de acum o saptamana, cand era caldut si soare afara, si credeam ca in sfarsit vine incet si vara...cum acum e innorat in Toronto si destul de frig, vreau sa ajut si eu putin soarele sa-si faca aparitia :)

Eu locuiesc in centrul orasului, intersectia Yonge & Eglinton, una dintre cele mai frumoase zone din Toronto (iubesc zumzetul orasului, trebuie sa recunosc)

Putin mai la nord pe Yonge street, cea mai lunga strada din lume...era duminica dupa-masa, plin de lume pe afara :) abia astept sa vina vara!

Am facut o plimbare si printre case putin...

Pe aici vezi veverite la tot pasul pe langa case, sunt foarte prietenoase :)

Si ne-am indreptat spre parcul din apropiere, o vreme splendida pentru bicicleta :) (ce dulce e baietelul!)

Unii erau la o partida de baseball, un sport foarte apreciat pe aici :)

Si dupa ce am stat si am vizionat putin, ne-am indreptat usor spre casa, admirand cerul senin si crengile copacilor inflorite! Vreau sa vina vara!!!

English version


       Because spring (season of change) is really trying to fight with the cold here in Toronto and because my blog has  recently turned 3 months, I've noticed that I need to make a change (ok, I need more than one, but be patient with me :)). This blog means a lot to me, and I didn't know how much until Blogger had maintenance issues recently, I can't begin to tell you how I panicked (not that I would loose any posts, cause I always save everything) but because I couldn't "get home" if you know what I mean :) It makes me really happy to see how many people visit me and my blog and that's why I wanted to do everything possible for you to feel welcomed here.
       When I started to blog, I wanted my blog to be bilingual, so that my visitors could have access to my recipes without too many headaches. Until now, I've placed the translation at the end of the post, but starting with my next post, I'll be translating each phrase step by step. I know it'll be a lot easier for those of you who don't understand Romanian, to see the text matched with the photo, plus it's easier for me as well. If you have any ideas or suggestions related to this change, please feel free to leave a comment, I'll be happy to see what you think :)

      And now, let me show you some pictures from the area I live in , spring pictures which were taken like a week ago, when it was sunny and warm outside, and I actually thought that summer is coming soon...now it's cloudy and pretty cold in Toronto, so I want to help the sun show up :)

      

  I live in the center of Toronto, Yonge & Eglinton intersection, one of the most beautiful areas in the city (I love the city buzz, I'm a true city-girl :))

A little bit more north on Yonge street, the longest street in the world!  It was a Sunday afternoon, and the street was pretty crowded, oh, I'm so waiting for the summer!!!

We took a walk between the houses from the neighborhood...

Here you can see squirrels everywhere, they're very friendly :)

And we went to the closest park, the weather was gorgeous, perfect for bicycling :)

Some people were playing baseball, a very appreciated sport around here...

After we watched a little, we headed back home, admiring the beautifully bloomed tree branches! Hopefully summer will be here soon!

Maki Sushi cu sparanghel, avocado si somon afumat (Smoked salmon, Avocado and Asparagus Maki Sushi)

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      Sushi este un fel de mancare de origine japoneza compus din orez preparat cu otet si alte ingrediente. Exista multe tipuri de a-l prepara, dar toate au la baza orezul pentru sushi. Maki sushi reprezinta rulouri de orez invelite in foite din alge de mare uscate numite Nori, si umplute cu diverse legume, peste crud, crab, etc....Fiind un aperitiv light, colorant si foarte apetisant, este preferat de foarte multa lume.
      Pentru ca am vrut sa postez si o reteta mai interesanta pentru Sparanghel, unul din ingredientele provocarii  lunii mai "Dulce Romanie", am ales reteta de maki sushi utilizand avocado, ardei, sparanghel si file de somon afumat, caci nu sunt mare fan al  pestelui crud :) Credeam ca modul de preparare este dificil, dar cand am ajuns pe terminate, pot sa zic ca era deja distractiv, plus ca poti deveni extrem de creativ in privinta ingredientelor. Fiind prima data ca le fac, nu m-am abatut de la ce mi-am propus, dar pe viitor, am gasit deja multe alte modele ce vreau sa le incerc. Sper sa va ajute pozele step-by-step, e tare simplu de facut si efectul e garantat :)
Pentru reteta de mai jos, m-am inspirat de aici si particip cu ea la YBR pentru luna Mai organizat de Nancy de la SpicieFoodie, care apropo are niste retete grozave, neaparat sa o vizitati!
      Sushi represents a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice and other ingredients. There are multiple ways of preparing it, but they all have in common the sushi rice. Maki sushi represents sushi rolls covered in seaweed sheets named "Nori", and filled with different vegetables, raw fish, seafood, etc...

     Because I wanted to post a more interesting recipe as well that called for Asparagus, one of my 2 ingredients chosen for "Sweet Romania" challenge, I've chosen to make Maki Sushi with smoked salmon (I don't like raw fish), peppers, asparagus and avocado. I thought that rolling these would be difficult, but it turns out that it was pretty fun to make, plus you can get very creative when using fillings for the rolls. Since it was my first time making these, I followed my plan and didn't use other combinations besides the one I had in mind, but I will make different types in the future, I already found other beautiful ways of making them :)

I hope my step by step pictures will help, they're really very simple to make and they have a great effect on people :)

I'm participating with this recipe at May's YBR, organised by Nancy from SpicieFoodie, which is a terrific blog and I strongly recommend you pay her a visit, you won't be sorry!

Ingrediente/Ingredients:   

  1 "covoras" de bamboo/1 bamboo mat
  300 g orez pentru sushi (cu bob mic sau mediu)/300 g sushi rice
  2 linguri otet de orez/2 tablespoons with rice vinegar
  1 lingura zahar/1 tablespoon with sugar
  1/2 lingurita sare/1/2 teaspoon with salt
  4 Nori sheets (alge/seawood)
  4 fire sparanghel/4 Asparagus strips
  100 g file de somon afumat/100 g smoked salmon
  1 avocado/1 avocado
  1 ardei rosu (optional)/1 red pepper
  sos de soia/soya sauce
  seminte de susan (optional, eu am uitat sa pun)/sesame seeds (optional)

Cum se face/How it's made:


Mai intai ne ocupam de orez.

We first make the rice:

Spalam orezul in mai multe ape, de vreo 4 ori, pana cand apa ramane curata.
Punem orezul la fiert la foc mare intr-o oala cu apa, cat sa-l depasesca cu vreo 2 cm. Cand orezul incepe sa fiarba, dam focul mic, acoperim cu capac oala si lasam sa fiarba inca 8 minute, fara a ridica capacul de pe oala.(orezul va absorbi toata apa).
Dam deoparte orezul si mai lasam inca 10 minute. Dupa 10 minute, il transferam intr-un alt vas, si il acoperim pana cand preparam otetul sau "Sushizu".

We wash the rice very well (4 or 5 times).

In a large pot we place the rice with water, just 2 cm above the rice, and we place the pot on high heat.

When the rice starts to boil, we reduce the heat to Low, we cover and let it boil for 8 minutes (do not take the lid off).

We remove the pot from the heat and we let it steam for another 10 minutes covered.

We transfer the rice to another bowl and we cover it until we prepare the vinegar: "Sushizu"

Amestecam cele 2 linguri de otet cu 1 lingura de zahar si cu sarea si le punem pe foc sa se incalzeasca bine (fara a fierbe!). Luam de pe foc si lasam sa se raceasca. Cand s-a racit, amestecam cu orezul usor, cu o lingura de lemn, fara a zdrobi orezul si acoperim cu un capac pana terminam cu umplutura.
Curatam si fierbem sparanghelul 3 minute in apa cu sare, dupa care dam sub jet de apa rece, pentru a-i pastra culoarea si fragezimea.
Ardeiul il taiem bastonase, la fel ca avocado, iar somonul il taiem fasii subtiri.

In a small pot, we pour the vinegar, we add the sugar and salt and we stir very well until they warm up, but not boil. We set aside. When the vinegar is cold, we mix it with the rice, mixing it gently with a wooden spoon.

We start preparing the filling by boiling the asparagus for 3 minutes, and placing it after that in cold water, not to loose the color and freshness.

We cut the pepper in thin strips, as well as the avocado and smoked salmon.

Ne pregatim de asamblare:
Asezam covorasul de bamboo pe masa (eu nu am gasit de cumparat langa mine si am folosit ce aveam, de altfel foarte bun), iar peste el, asezam o foaie de alga cu fata lucioasa in jos cu grija, caci sunt foarte fragile.

On the bamboo pad, we place one Nori sheet with the shiny side facing down.(I couldn't find a bamboo mat near me so I used what I had)

Peste alga punem orez in strat potrivit de gros, apasandu-l usor si lasand o margine de 2 cm libera in partea de sus si cea de jos.(pe lateral va fi complet acoperita alga). Orezul va fi foarte lipicios, asa ca trebuie sa va udati cu apa pe maini tot timpul pentru a-l putea manevra.
With wet hands we add one layer of rice, we cover the sheet from side to side, leaving a 2 cm space on top and bottom of the sheet. We press the rice until we get a even layer. The rice will stick to your hands so make sure you wet your hands all the time.

In marginea de jos, aproape de noi, asezam somonul, sparanghelul, bastonas de ardei si avocado, toate fiind puse in fata orezului.

We place the asparagus, smoked salmon strips, peppers and avocado on the bottom, in front of the rice.

Cu mare grija, incepem sa rulam alga cu legumele peste orez cu mana, si ajutandu-ne de covoras presam usor ruloul treptat pentru a se lipi bine orezul, (am intors covorasul ca sa se vada din fata cum rulez alga)
With our hands we gently roll the sheet with the vegetables, until it reaches the rice, and we help our selves with the bamboo pad, to roll it forward, gently squeezing and pressing the sushi roll, so the rice sticks very well.

Cand ajungeti la capatul algei, umeziti cu putina apa alga pe orizontala pentru a se lipi mai bine alga si mai strangeti putin ruloul prin covoras pentru a va asigura ca ruloul s-a inchis la capete. Et voilà! (mi-au iesit 4 rulouri in total)

When we reach the end, we wet the horizontal end of the seaweed sheet so it sticks better and closes the roll more secure. Make sure that the ends are sealed.

We squeeze some more the sushi roll with the bamboo pad and we set aside. Et Voila! (I made 4 rolls)

Cu un cutit umezit in apa, taiati rulourile bucati mai mici (eu le-am taiat mici ca sa poata fi mancate usor dintr-o imbucatura).
With a wet knife, we cut the rolls in smaller pieces (I prefer them small, for a one bite meal).

 Si din alt unghi bucatelele apetisante :)
From another angle :)

Mai de aproape...
Closer...

                                          
 Serviti Maki Sushi cu sos de soia si pasta wasabi, daca va place, eu am renuntat la pasta. Bon appetit!

We serve Maki Sushi with soya sauce and Wasabi paste, if you like it, I only wanted the soya sauce.

Bon appetit!