Len

It’s almost winter now and the vegetables market reflects that feeling. The piles of cabbage felt appealing to me and I decided on a cabbage winter dish recipe (also in romanian).

Winter cabbage

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O reteta de iarna tocmai buna pentru masa de craciun:

Friptura de porc la cuptor

Ingrediente

• 1 kg de muschi/file de porc complet dezghetat
• putina slanina
• putina carne afumata
• condimente: usturoi, cimbru, piper, coriandru
• garnitura: cartofi sau ciuperci

Metoda

• carnea se curata foarte bine si se impaneaza cu slanina, carne afumata si usturoi
• se presara cu condimente (sarea eu o pun la sfarsit)
• cartofii se amesteca cu cimbru, sare, piper coriandru si putin ulei
• se pun la cuptor pentru 20 – 30 minute sau pana carnea devine foarte moale si alba (se testeaza cu o furculita care trebuie sa intre usor).
• pofta buna si craciun fericit!

In piata a venit iarna. Ma invarteam cu tristete printre tarabe cautand inspiratie cand am dat cu ochii de varza (see recipe in english). Cumva o rotita s-a invartit si asa mi-a venit ideea sa fac varza calita in acelasi fel ca vinetele de urgenta in tigaia de teflon pe foc mic, mic.

Varza calita (photo updated 2009-11-13)

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Just a very simple and tasty salad recipe (salata de conopida si rosii)

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium cauliflower, boiled
• 2-3 red tomatoes (or a mix of orange and red tomatoes)
• fresh summer savory and basil
• seasonings: I used ginger vinegar, olive oil and preserved lemons sauce

Preparation

• just mix everything and season to taste
• for a bit of spiciness you could add a bit or fresh cut red peppers

The green squash dish (mâncare de dovlecei/mancare de dovlecei) is another “green” and very simple dish after the peas soup recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 young squash (about 30 cm in length)
• one green onion
• dill, lovage

Preparation

• cut the ends of the squash, peal the skin and cut in small pieces either round or square as you prefer. Take care with the liquid and wash your hand, it can be irritating otherwise
• cut and brown the onion in 2 tbs of oil
• add the squash and water just to cover
• boil until soft
• cut the dill and add 1 minute before the end
• cut the lovage and add it just before serving it
• enjoy

A very fresh and green recipe (supă de mazăre/supa de mazare in romanian).

Ingredients

• Green fresh peas
• mint and dill
• 1 tbs olive oil

Preparation

• clean the peas and add water to cover by 2 fingers
• boil for 5-10 minutes until the peas interior is soft
• drain and keep the liquid
• with a blender mix the peas, dill and mint. Don’t blend too much. Take good care not the splash yourself with the hot liquid. Add salt and pepper by taste, the oil and water (from the one you boiled the peas in) until you reach the desired consistency.
• add some extra mint leaves for the fancy look
• enjoy.

Alternative

As an alternative you can make mashed peas with the consistency of mashed potatoes if you don’t add any water to the end. This can be used in the place of mashed potatoes for a different taste.

While it might seem a strange combination proved a very tasty and simple fasting idea.

Ingredients

• 1kg spinach
• 2 green onions
• couscous

Preparation

• clean the spinach, leave only the leaves, clean well with water
• bring a salted cup of water to boil
• add the spinach leaves and leave for 5 minutes to boil
• drain and cut, keep some of the liquid
• cut the onion and start browning it in oil or butter
• add the spinach and half of cup of the spinach liquid and cook for 10 more minutes in the oven
• serve with couscous
• enjoy

Alternative

• as an alternative I also tried pigweed with couscous, equally good and even more considering the specific flavor and the more exotic color

Ingredients

• 1 kg spinach
• 50 gr ham
• a bunch green onion
• 250 gr tagliatelle
• butter
• some cheese

Preparation

• clean the spinach by leaving only the leaves
• start boiling 200 ml water with salt (yes, that little)
• when boiling add the spinach, it will greatly shrink
• leave 5 min then drain well and cut
• cut the onion
• boil the tagliatelle, drain and wash
• in a wok melt the butter with onion then add ham, spinach and pasta
• leave 5 min, cut the flame, add cheese and cover
• let the cheese melt and enjoy

Ro: mancare de cartofi noi

Ingredients

• 1 kg new potatoes
• 1 bundle of fresh dill
• 1 bundle of green onion
• 50g of butter

Preparation

• wash the potatoes very very well. If they are too big then you need to peel them otherwise just scratch and clean the crust. Cut them if they are larger than 3×3x3 cm
• cut the onion
• melt the butter and start browning the onion on a low flame
• add the potatoes
• wait a bit and then add just enough water to cover them
• increase the flame and boil until there is only one 1 cm of liquid
• cut and add the dill
• enjoy

Due to some bad experience the endives where associated in my mind with a bitter taste. This spring however I decided to try the endives salad and it was a very pleasant surprise.

Ingredients

• 4 medium sizes endives
• a bunch of nuts
• oil, vinegar, lemon juice as for a normal salad dressing

Preparation

• mix the oil, vinegar (I use vinegar from a pickled ginger jar I almost finished which is a bit sweet), lemon juice, salt, pepper for the dressing. I think I made about 150 ml of it.
• wash the endives very well under cold watter
• cut the endives in bite sized chunks. I think the endives leave some sort of bitter juice so I washed them under running cold water for about 5 minutes
• mix the endives with the sauce and the nuts and serve immediately
• enjoy