Microwave baked potatoes experiment

Hi dolls

Usually I am very skeptic when it comes to microwave cooking,because most of the things I tried weren't that great.A few days ago I had a skype call with the lovely Kitty Rose Lovet and she was making microwave potatoes during that call.And since she is a potato lover like I am,I had to try that too.
Google had the instructions.
You need:
1 large or 2 medium sized potatoes
margarine,pepper,salt
water
(your favorite topping)

Scrub the potatoes well under hot water,poke some holes (5-10) in the potatoes with a fork,so the potato's steam can escape.
Place the potatoes in a deep dish with a little bit of water at the bottom (6-10 tablespoons) and insert into your microwave.
Cook on high setting for 5 minutes,then turn the potatoes over and cook for another 5 min.Insert a knife to check if the potato core is done.If not,add 2 min of cooking time.Slit the potato open,add a teaspoon of margarine and season with pepper and salt.
You can serve the potato with sour cream,cheddar and bacon or with some soft cheese spread,herbs and garlic.

I will definitely make this recipe again,because 40 minutes of oven baking time versus 10 minutes of microwaving is a clear victory for the microwave.


Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Reibekuchen Salad (German potato fritters)

Hi dolls

Yesterday my little German tummy was screaming at me : " Heeeey,are you forgetting your roots? I like Greek food,but pleaaaase pleassee feed me with something German"
Ooookay tummy!
This recipe is a real time saver,because the batter for the fritters is soo quickly made.

You need :
Your favorite Salad
1 small potato (finely grated)
1 egg
5-6 tablespoons flour
pepper
salt

frying oil

For the dip/dressing:
200 gr of yogurt (If you can find greek yogurt,go for it!)
1 scallion (sliced thinly)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
a dash of garlic powder or 1/2 clove pushed through the garlic press
pepper salt

To start off,squeeze all the juice out of the grated potato shreds and place them in a bowl.Add the egg and seasoning,then add the flour.Mix well to avoid lumps.
Add 4 tablespoons of frying oil to a non stick pan and let the pan get hot.With a teaspoon place a small amount of potato batter in the pan and flatten the batter so it cooks evenly.Turn the heat down a bit,because you don't want charred Reibekuchen with a raw center.
Once they are golden brown,remove them from the pan on to a paper towel to drain the excess fat.


For the dip simply mix all the dip ingredients well.
Serve the hot Reibekuchen with your salad and the yogurt dip/dressing,but if you want a separate dressing for your salad,just go with your favorite one.




Huggies+Reibekuchen
Cookingchinchillas

Creme Brulee meets Leche Flan

Hi dolls

Today I wanted to make creme Brulee,but then I saw a picture of Leche Flan.So I couldn't decide.
Why not marry them??? Take the good features of each dish and combine.I love Leche Flan,but 12 egg yolks is a lot.And I looooove creme brulee,but the top can sometimes be bitter.
You get the idea :)

For the custard :
400 ml of double/heavy cream
60 gr sugar
30 gr brown sugar
170 ml milk
30 ml water
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
a dash of salt
4 egg yolks

For the caramel : 
100 gr brown sugar
3 tablespoons of water

or 100 gr caramel syrup

for the mold : 1 tablespoon of butter

You should start with the caramel.In a heavy bottom saucepan mix the brown sugar with water and let it melt and caramelize.Don't stir,just carefully move the pan.Once the color is golden brown/amberish,you are done.

Let's move on with the custard ! If you have a blender,add all the ingredients and mix for 20 seconds,if you don't have a blender,whisk the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved.Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Now you got to grease an ovenproof deep dish and fill the bottom with the caramel.You can also use a lot of small molds.

For the oven you need a deep baking tray.Place your mold with the bruleeflan in the deep tray and fill the tray with hot water,so that the mold is inside the water.1-2 'fingers' of water will do the job.Preheat the oven to 150 degree celsius (medium heat) and cook the brulee flan for 30-40 minutes or until a inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Chill until you serve it!
To serve it simply take a flat plate and place it on top of the flan mold.Hold plate and mold together and flip rapidly.Taaadaaaaa

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Garlic Preserve (2 in 1 ) Edible gifts

Hi dolls

If you are the only person who eats garlic in your household,we share a common problem: You buy a whole bulb of garlic and you end up throwing it away because you can't use it up quick enough or it has started to sprout.
In our local food store they sell those appetizing jars of garlic in oil for a huge load of money,but they gave me the idea to try to preserve garlic my way.

You need:
1 bulb of garlic or more (peeled)
olive oil
peppercorns
chilli flakes
cheap vinegar
laurel leafs/bay leafs
optional :a twig of rosemary or thyme
airtight jars/bottles
bamboo skewer


Place your peeled garlic cloves and 5-10 laurel leafs (rosemary) in a small pot cover them with vinegar.Bring to a boil and let it boil on high heat for 7 minutes.
Meanwhile add about a teaspoon of peppercorns and chilli flakes in each jar.
Once the garlic is done,drain the vinegar and let the garlic and spices cool for 10 minutes.Now put the garlic cloves on a bamboo skewer,cut the skewer,so it will fit into the jar and place the laurel leafs in the jar.
Now just fill up the whole jar with olive oil and you will have amazing garlic on a skewer (for the easiness of taking it out of the oil).Once you have used up the garlic,don't throw away the oil,because the oil has absorbed all the amazing flavors.The oil can be used for garlic bread,salads,pasta and soups to add a kick of aromatic freshness.
The preserved garlic can be used just like fresh garlic :)
This also makes an awesome gift,especially in a bottle.(and not in an ugly jam-jar like mine )



Huggies and Happy Preserving

cookingchinchillas

Yellow Mango Nectarine Vanilla Passionfruit jam (vegan)

Hi dollies

I really have gotten into making my own jams and marmalades,because the jams in the store are just boring and have quite a flat flavor.
About a week ago I saw yellow mangoes at the store for quite a great price,but I didn't really know what to expect from a yellow mango.
They are waaaaay more succulent,fruity and tropical.Going through the fruit section I found a great variety of nectarines,which would be a great fit for the mango.Sadly I didn't find any passion fruit,so I just took a box of passion fruit juice.

The jam tastes fabulous,especially with cream cheese it has the flavor of Solero ice cream.*YuM*
You need:

5-6 screw lid glass jars : Clean them with well with hot water!
1,2 kilo Mango flesh (peel and dice the mango,then weight the flesh)
1 kilo Nectarines (don't peel,just dice and remove pit)
500 ml passion fruit juice
50 ml lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
2 kilos of sugar
a tiny dash of salt


In a very large pot mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil.Once foam starts to build up,remove it with a spoon.Take a potato masher or a balloon whisk to mash up the fruit pieces.
Simmer on medium low until the consistency gets thicker,then boil on medium high heat until the jam has fully thickened.If the jam won't thicken,add 2 tablespoons of corn starch mixed with 3 tablespoons passion fruit juice and boil for 1 min while stirring.
Set aside!
Quickly rinse your jars with hot water and fill the jam inside and leave about 1 cm of room.
Close the jars and turn upside down for 10 min,then you can let them cool and store for 6 weeks.
I prefer to store them in the fridge,just to be sure they won't spoil due to the hot weather.

I am really happy with the result and I will never go back to store bought jam or jelly.


Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Quick Creamy Curry Noodles with Tuna (Light summer dish)

Hi dolls!


Today it is unbelievably hot here and it's quite humid,so spending a long time in a tiny kitchen equals Sauna.This recipe will take about 15 minutes and it's sooo yummy.The recipe is enough for two people and the key for quick cooking is the chopping and grating.

You need:
500 ml of vegetable stock (you can use the cubed instant one)
100 ml of water
1 carrot (peeled,grated)
1 small red bell pepper (either chop it or toss it in the blender and pulse 2-3 times)
2 small cans of tuna in water (drain the tuna )
1 tablespoon curry powder
a dash of ground cumin,ginger
1 small fresh chili (chopped ) or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 peach or nectarine (diced)
olive oil
2 portions of chinese egg noodles (those dried curly noodle bricks :D)
pepper salt
100 ml of coconut milk or plain cream
a bit of dill and  coriander for garnish
A slice of lemon

In a medium sized saucepan mix stock,water,curry powder,ginger,cumin,chili,pepper and salt.Bring to a boil and add 1 tbsp olive oil,then add carrot,bell pepper and nectarine.Boil for 5 minutes,then add the noodles and if neccessary add another 100 ml of water.
Noodles usually cook very quickly,so just follow the time instructions on your noodles.
Remove from the heat and add the tuna and coconut milk.
You may add some more seasoning (a dash of everything :)
Serve in a bowl and decorate with dill,lemon and coriander.Once you are ready to eat,squeeze some drops of lemon juice on top.


Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Caramel Syrup (for coffee,ice cream,cake garnish,tea etc)

Hi dollies <3

Because the Vanilla Syrup turned out great,I thought I would experiment with caramel flavored syrup.Most commercial caramel syrups use a variety of artificial flavors and colors,which is not cool,especially when kids are supposed to consume that stuff.
Before I get started with the recipe I have to warn you: Caramel gets very very hot during the process of making it,so it would be good if you have a pair of mittens and wear a long sleeve shirt.During the process we are gonna mix cold water with hot hot caramel and it's gonna start and splash a little,so be sure you wear mittens and make sure you have expelled kids and curious pets out of the kitchen.This may sound a little dramatic,but you better be safe than sorry,right?

You need :
a deep,heavy bottomed saucepan with high walls (this is gonna reduce the chances of getting splashed)
400 gr sugar
125 ml water
a dash of salt
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

250ml of cold water (to stop caramelisation)


Mix 400 gr sugar,salt,corn syrup with 125 ml of water in your saucepan and bring to a boil.Make sure there is no sugar sticking to the sides of the pan.Turn up the heat and cook without stirring until amber/golden brown.
Now you will see that the color turns darker.Put your safety mittens on and add the cold water slowly.(Be careful not to have your face close to the pan)
Turn off the heat and whisk a little.
Now turn on the heat to medium low and simmer for about 4-6 minutes.Remove from the heat and place a little drop on a plate,wait for 5 minutes for it to cool and touch it.It should be super sticky.
If it is not sticky,simmer for another 3 minutes.

Store in an airtight jar or bottle at room temperature.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas


What is your favorite syrup flavor??

Easy,light tomato basil sauce

Hi dolls

With this heat,it is a torture to be in a tiny kitchen with no aircondition.So I try to cook quick and easy stuff that doesn't need constant supervision.This tomato basil sauce for pasta and meatballs is great,because you don't have to do a lot.

You need:
2 large,ripe,aromatic tomatoes (cut into chunky dice)
1 shallot (sliced)
1 large carrot (sliced or diced)
1 tablespoon concentrated tomato puree
1 clove of garlic
a hand full of fresh basil leafs (coarsely chopped)
200 ml of water
2 tablespoons olive oil
pepper salt
1 teaspoon sugar

In a saucepan quickly saute the shallot,garlic an carrot for 3 minutes in olive oil.Add water,pepper salt and the tomatoes.Boil for 12 minutes on medium heat.Add the tomato puree and the sugar.
Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly (3-5 min) and add the basil last minute.
Serve on your favorite pasta or meatballs.


Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Apricot jam with a twist (vegan,no gelatine)

Hi dolls

Every year it's the same : When apricots are in season in Greece friends and relatives hand you huge bags of apricots.This year I accumulated 2,5 kilos.And you can't possibly eat them all,so I decided to make apricot jam,because it's easy and it will last.

You need :
screw lid glass jars : Clean them with well with hot water!
1,2 kilo apricots (remove stone,dice)
500 ml water
50 ml lemon juice
1 tablespoon of tequila
1,3 kilos of sugar
a dash of cinnamon
a dash of ginger powder
a dash of ground clove
a dash of ground cardamom

In a very large pot mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil.Once foam starts to build up,remove it with a spoon.
Simmer on medium low until the consistency gets thicker,then boil on medium high heat until the jam has fully thickened.
Set aside!
Quickly rinse your jars with hot water and fill the jam inside and leave about 1 cm of room.
Close the jars and turn upside down for 10 min,then you can let them cool and store for 6 weeks.

I just enjoyed a bun with cream cheese and jam *nommmmmm*
You can use this recipe for almost every fruit and also you may replace a certain amount of apricots with mango,apple,passion fruit,pumpkin,cherries,peaches etc.
The spices might seem strange to you,but a little bit of spice really flatters the apricots' fruitiness.

Huggies
Cookingchinchilla

Goulash style slow cooked beef

Hi dolls

Today was quite a bizarre day: Usually when the workers are here we all order souvlakia (Greek fast food) and eat that stuff.Not today.......!
Mother in law came with a bag of ingredients and just said : Do whatever you want with that stuff today for lunch.
The veg was freshly picked from the garden and the meat is beef (rib steak-cuts).
I wasn't quite happy with the way the butcher cut the meat.Gordon Ramsay would say :" What the f*** is this?? You f***ing destroyed that beautiful piece of meat.Donkey! "  
And I totally agree.I have never seen a 'almost-mushroom-or-maybe-three-legged-elephant-like' steak.

But you gotta work with it somehow!
Making an actual steak would be impossible,because it would not cook evenly and it would have huge pieces of disgusting fat.


In those cases you have only one solution! Slow cooking.Everything will tenderize and the fat will literally melt into the sauce.

Let's get started!
1 kg of bone steak
1 onion (diced)
2 carrots (sliced)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
2 tomatoes (remove seeds,diced)
1 liter of beef stock (or two instant beef stock cubes+1 liter water)
freshly chopped parsley,dill (2 tablespoon each)
water
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of honey
pepper salt
olive oil


First mix the onions with the honey.
Cut the meat of the bone and don't forget to search for any very tough pieces of fat/sinew and remove those while cutting the meat into bite sized chunks.


In a large pot let some oil get hot and start coloring the meat,then add salt and pepper.Once the meat gets color add the honey onions and stir well.Add half of the stock,scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula if needed.
Add all the veg,herbs and spices (ketchup included),bring to a boil,then immediately add the rest of the stock.
Turn down the heat to medium low,so that the food simmers quietly.Set the lid ajar and check again in 20 min.
If a lot of liquid has evaporated,add a little water.Check again in 20 min.Don't forget to stir once in a while.
Now add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and check the seasoning.Add more spices if you need.Turn up the heat and let it simmer for another 15 min with no lid,but don't add any water.
You should have a nice and shiny sauce with very tender meat.
If your meat is still not tender,add more cooking time.
That's about it!
The other things on the plate are potato-zucchini mash,some lettuce with olive oil and lemon and funny beetroots.

A beetroot heart for my followers and readers <3

It was very yummy and everybody was satisfied I think.

Have a great Sunday!

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Spicy Dory Sandwich

Hi dolls

This is a really quick recipe which is ideal for those hot days where you don't wanna be in the kitchen for hours.
You need:
2 fillets of dory or any other white fish
2 baguettes (ideal would be warm baguettes.Microwave ftw)
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon diced pickled gherkins
4 tablespoons flour
some lettuce or any veg you like on your sandwich

curry powder,pepper,salt,paprika,chili powder
a half lemon
olive oil

Mix the flour with some dashes of each spice in a deep dish and cover the fillets with that mixture by gently turning and padding in the flour.
Fry in a very hot pan with olive oil for 60 seconds on each side.(If the fillet is thicker than the one in the picture,add cooking time!!)
Remove from the pan and drizzle with a few drops of lemon juice.

Mix pickles with the cream cheese and spread on the baguettes.Add the lettuce and the fish and you are done.

The salad you see in the background is lambs lettuce,baby corn,bell pepper,white asparagus,cucumber and beetroot with a simple yogurt dressing (Yogurt,lemon juice,oil,salt pepper)

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Creamy Celery Pork (χοιρινό με σέλινο) my way

Hi dolls

One of my favorite 'Sunday/Celebration' dishes is a Greek dish with pork and lots of celery.
But this dish is rather a winter dish and sometimes it's a pain to eat it because you will need tons of toothpicks to battle the amount of celery in your teeth.Yup right! Eww!
I came up with my own spin on this dish to accompany my pasta.

You need:
3 pork schnitzel (cut into bite size chunks)
a good hand full of celery green (coarsely chopped)
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1 spring onion (finely chopped )
500 ml vegetable stock
pepper salt
150 ml heavy cream (lightly whisked )
1 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon of parsley (finely chopped)
olive oil

2 portions of pasta(boiled)

Season your schnitzel with pepper and salt and quickly seal it in a hot pan with olive oil.Add the spring onion,lemon juice,vegetable stock and celery green.
Simmer for 10 min.
Now add parsley and dill.Simmer for 3 min
Add the heavy cream and season again.
Simmer again for 3 minutes and mix with your pasta!Serve!

Quick and delicious!

The original version of this recipe is nice,but the celery is slightly overwhelming and like I mentioned above: Toothpick alert!
I have to say that I prefer my version,because it has more layers of flavor and the heavy cream takes away that 'in your face' celery flavor.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Pizza with tuna

Hi dolls

I love Pizza! But the take out pizza in my opinion is too heavy,too cheesy, and too greasy.
And since the invention of dry active yeast making a pizza dough is really easy..

You need for the dough:
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
500 gr flour (or 200 gr flour 300 gr whole grain flour)
300-400 ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the tomato sauce :
4 tomatoes or 20 cherry tomatoes (remove seeds,dice finely)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
a few basil leaves (finely chopped)
1 shallot (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon tomato puree (the one in the squeeze tube)
pepper salt olive oil
(Optional : Oregano,Thyme,Rosemary)

Topping:
Cheese (200 gr of mozzarella or any other cheese u like)
sliced tomatoes
1 spring onion (sliced)
1 can of tuna in water (not oil)
any other ingredient you like on top of your pizza !!!

Dough:
In a large bowl mix together 100 ml of lukewarm water with the sugar and yeast.Add a tiny bit of flour and beat the mixture.Slowly add more water and flour until you have a sticky, pasty dough,but don't use all your flour yet.
Add the salt,vinegar and olive oil.Now keep adding flour until you get a soft,kneadable dough that doesn't stick to your hands.
Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

The tomato sauce :
In a small saucepan saute the shallot  in  1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent,then add the garlic and tomatoes.Season with salt/pepper then add the tomato puree.Simmer for 5 minutes
Now add the basil leaves and if you like add more herbs.


 Now roll out the dough the way you want,just don't make it too thick,because it will rise more in the oven.
Softly pierce the surface of the rolled out dough with a fork,this will prevent the pizza from rising unevenly during the baking process.
Add the tomato sauce and your toppings(cheese tomatoes tuna spring onions seasoning)
Bake at 200 degree celsius until the crust is golden.

The dough makes about 4 pizzas if you make them round like mine,but it also fits on an entire baking tray.

What is your favorite Pizza ?
Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Spice up your salad (Potatoes)

Hi dollies

My problem with salad is,that I am always hungry again a short time after eating them.So I always add a little something on top to make them more satisfying and filling.
Today I tried potatoes and it was sooooo yummy.

You need:
small potatoes (same size)
2 liters vegetable stock
pepper,salt,paprika,turmeric
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (whole peeled)
fresh dill or parsley

Peel your potatoes and bring the stock to a boil.If you want you can use those instant stock cubes or instant powdered vegetable stock.Season the stock with pepper salt and turmeric.
Boil your potatoes for 15-20 min or until cooked all the way through.
Remove from the water and cut in half.

In a hot pan with 4 tablespoons olive oil,add the garlic and the potatoes.Season again with the powdered spices and keep turning your potatoes until they just start to color.Add some fresh dill to give some freshness to your potatoes.

Remove from the heat and drain the access oil on a paper towel if you like.

Serve on your favorite salad!

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Spicy Chicken Breast For Salads

Hi dollies !

When I order salad with chicken in restaurants ,the chicken is bland! No flavor,no seasoning,hard texture or worst case scenario : overcooked.
So I came up with an idea of really infusing the chicken breast with flavor and spice,so it compliments a salad with subtle flavors.

You need:
2 chicken breasts with skin
tip: if you are not good at de-boning a chicken breast,ask your butcher to do that for you


For the marinade:
8 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
a dash of chilly powder (or if you like it hot,add more)
pepper salt


Before you start mix all the powdered spices together in a cup.
In a medium sized non stick pan add olive oil and vegetable oil and let it get hot.While the pan is heating up,season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper.Once the pan reached frying temperature drop in the chicken breasts and cook for 10 seconds on each side.Add the spices and remove from the heat.
Turn down the heat to medium low and slowly cook and turn around for 4 minutes.Remove from the heat and keep turning the chicken in the pan.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Grease a small oven proof dish that fits the chicken breast
Continue to cook the chicken breast for 25-35 mintutes and turn them around after 15 min,so the skin gets crispy.Brush the top with the marinade oil before putting it back in the oven.

Once the chicken is done,let it rest covered with aluminum foil for 5 minutes,so the juices evenly spread,then you can slice it and serve it on your favorite salad.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Fusion Cuisine: Mediterranean curry with Dover sole

Hi dolls,
Fusion cuisine is a quite cool thing: You combine different ingredients from different cuisines our planet has to offer.
If the fancy tv chefs can do fusion cuisine I can do it too!They make it sound like a whole science....
But it isn't.Every housewife/hobby cook creates fusion dishes everyday.
My idea was to marry classic Mediterranean ingredients like okra ,tomato ,Dover sole and herbs with a spicy Indian style curry.


You need:
4 fillets of Dover sole or common sole (cut in chunks) The fish will fall apart anyway :D
10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 single stalk of celery+it's leaves (cut in slices)
2 hand full of frozen okra
1 red onion (sliced)
1 pear (finely diced)
1 rosemary twig
1 carrot (diced)
2 cloves of garlic(finely chopped)
1 teaspoon fresh,finely chopped oregano
2 tablespoons fresh,finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon turmeric,chilli powder,curry powder,cumin powder,cinnamon
500 ml of vegetable stock
olive oil
pepper,salt
50 ml coconut milk


In a medium sized pot heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and quickly saute the carrot,onion,cherry tomatoes for about 1 minute,then add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds.
Add the rest of the vegetables and the fresh herbs.We use a whole rosemary twig,because chopped rosemary can be overpowering and especially children don't like the taste.
Barely cover the content of the pot with vegetable stock and water and season with pepper and salt.Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes and then add the sole chunks,continue to simmer for 5 -7 minutes.
Add the coconut milk,remove the rosemary twig and you are done :D
Serve with rice,potatoes or noodles.

Feel free to add your favorite vegetables

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Pancake tatin

Hi dolls,
Since my numerous attempts to make a tarte tartin were quite an epic failure,I had to find a way to get the flavor right without causing a mess or burning myself while flipping over the tarte.If you have ever had the chance to eat a tarte tartin,you will understand why I am so obsessed with the flavor.

For the pancakes you need:
for the dough
250 gr Flour
500 ml milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cognac
30 gr melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla syrup

Cook the pancakes in a buttered pan and set aside.

For the caramelized apples you need
2 granny smith apples,peeled,cored cut into wedges.
1-2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lightly whipped cream or ice cream  for garnish

Put all the ingredients in a small heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil.Now reduce the heat to medium and keep the mixture boiling while stirring with a wooden spoon.Once the mixture starts to change color (light golden brown),have the confidence to let it brown further without stirring.Just slightly move the pot a bit.
Never ever touch hot caramel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You should have a rich brown caramel now.Place the apples on top of the pancakes,add whipped cream and drizzle with syrup.

And that was my lunch (Yes,very nutritious and healthy lol) .Who cares!

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Baked crab cakes

Hi dolls,
Watching cooking shows can be a curse,because they make you hungry!I was watching a cooking show and they were making crab cakes.Although I have never made those delicious little things,I needed to find a recipe asap!

I followed a recipe I found on the internet,but of course I had to make some changes:
The recipe is here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Heavenly-Crab-Cakes-Fish
Italian bread crumbs are exchanged with crushed ,seasoned cornflakes
Majonnaise and mustard exchanged with cream cheese
Seasoning: Dill,Parsley,Paprika,Mustard powder,lemon zest,chilli flakes.
And instead of frying them,I baked them ;)


The result was beyond my expectations!Although I used imitation crab meat,it tasted soooo good with a fresh salad,yogurt dressing and white wine.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Veggie Burger

Hi dollies <3
How are you all doing?

Do you know the feeling of craving for a juicy,unhealthy burger?Today my cravings were beyond crazy and unbearable,but when the only meat in your fridge/freezer is a slice of ham,there is nothing much you can do.
Can you?
Yes of course! Veggie burger!You can choose from tons of fresh or frozen vegetables,leftovers or even canned corn.
For my  cabbage,broccoli,carrot,bell pepper,celery,okra potato-veggie burger patties  I used:
1/4 small cabbage head
1 carrot
1/4 bell pepper
10 okras (frozen)
a hand full of broccoli (frozen)
1 small celery stick
instant potato mash powder/flakes
1 egg
salt pepper,paprika,oregano,chili powder
breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes
oil to fry

Defrost the frozen veggies by putting them out of the freezer 3 hours prior to the preparation or defrost in the microwave.Coarsely chop all the vegetables and put them in the blender to blend them until finely chopped.
Add the egg and spices,be generous with the paprika.
Now keep adding instant potato mash powder until you get a shape-able consistency that is not too hard and not too soft.
Brush with water and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.To make the breadcrumbs stick better,lightly pad them in.
Fry from both sides in a non stick pan with about 3-4 tablespoons of oil.

Serve on a burger bun.
My buns are cheap briochettes from the supermarket,they look so busted *LOL*

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Okra puree with shallots carrot and mediterranean herbs

Hi dolls

Did you know that Okra is one of the ultimate beauty food? It has so many wonderful properties and in some parts of the world,where people consume a lot of okras,the consumers look younger,healthier and are less likely to get cancer.Okras can also be used as a facial mask and during World War II people were roasting okra seeds to use them as a coffee substitute.

Especially when you eat okras for the first time you may or may not like the texture.I love it,silky smooth and fabulous.
For the okra puree you need:
200 gr frozen okras
3 large potatoes (diced)
1 shallot (diced)
1 carrot (sliced)
50 ml soy cream
olive oil
nutmeg
1 rosemary twig
a dash of dried oregano and thyme
pepper salt
water

Add your cut vegetables in a medium sized pot,cover them with water and a teaspoon of olive oil.
Bring to a boil and add the rosemary twig to the water.Boil veggies until tender and once they are done,drain them.Season,add cream and a tablespoon of olive oil.Now mash the veggies with a sturdy balloon whisk.
Taste and season if needed.

Sprinkle with herbs and serve.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas