Самбусак.

Самбусак - Алёна Спирина. Клуша Концептуальная:
Для теста:
120 мл растительного масла
120 г сливочного масла
120 мл тёплой воды
1 ч.л. соли
примерно 500 г просеянной муки

Для сырной начинки:
500 г натёртого сыра (халуми, грюйер, чеддер, эдам, гауда или их смесь)
2 слегка взбитых яйца
щепотка белого перца

1. Смешайте растительное и сливочное масла и прогрейте на бане, чтобы растопилось сливочное масло.
Добавьте тёплую воду, шепотку соли и перелейте в большую миску.
2. Постепенно подсыпая просеянную муку, замесите тесто – сначала ножом, потом рукой, пока не сформируется мягкий, довольно маслянистый шар.
Тесто нужно вымешивать как можно меньше, остановитесь, как только оно будет держаться вместе.
3. По традиции, самбусаку придают форму полумесяца.
Поэтому можно либо раскатать тесто в тонкий пласт и вырезать кружки диаметром около 8 см, либо разделить тесто на комочки размером с грецкий орех и растянуть или раскатать их до нужного размера.
В центр половины круга положите начинку, закройте второй половиной и плотно соедините края или сделайте защипы фестонами.
4. Сформируйте пирожки и либо пожарьте их в горячем растительном масле, либо в сковороде на сливочном, либо испеките в духовке при 160-180 С до бледно-золотистого цвета, примерно 35-45 минут.
В этом случае смажьте их перед выпеканием взболтанным с водой яйцом.
А ещё хорошо бы посыпать их кунжутом, тогда они будут особенно симпатичными!
Из этого количества продуктов получится около 30 пирожков, +/- в зависимости от размера.

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Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Vegetables.

Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Lemon-Tahini Dressing | David Lebovitz:
Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Lemon-Tahini Dressing.
Four to six servings
Feel free to use any root vegetables you like, or add a few other herbs into the mix; fresh dill or something else vaguely Mediterranean or Middle Eastern would be pretty tasty.
Tahini is a paste made of ground sesame seeds and can be found in well-stocked grocery stores, natural food shops, and Middle Eastern markets.

3/4 cup (125 g) wild rice
6 cups (750 g) peeled and cubed root vegetables; any mix of carrots, parsnip, celery root, beets, and butternut squash, or other favorites
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
2 spring onions or green onions, minced
1/2 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley and chives (or other favorite herbs)
Lemon-Tahini Dressing
1/4 cup (80 g) tahini
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Orange-Ginger Marmalade.

Orange-Ginger Marmalade - Food in Jars:
Ingredients

8 cups of finely diced oranges (with their juice)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
3 to 4-inch length of ginger, peeled and minced finely
2 lemons, juiced
Instructions

In a large, non-reactive pot, bring oranges, water, sugar, ginger, and lemon juice to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil for approximately 25-30 minutes, until the oranges have softened and the volume has reduced by about one-third.
When the marmalade sheets off your spoon or spatula in thick drops, it's done.
Remove the pot from the heat and funnel the finished marmalade into your prepared jars.
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude if you live above 1,000 feet in elevation).
When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool.
When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortable handle them, check the seals.
Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year.
Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
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Seville Orange Marmalade.

6 Seville oranges (see Note)
1 navel orange
10 cups (2.5L) water
pinch of salt
8 cups (1.6 kg) sugar
1 tablespoon Scotch (optional)

1. Wash oranges and wipe them dry.
Cut each Seville orange in half, crosswise around the equator.
Set a non-reactive mesh strainer over a bowl and squeeze the orange halves to remove the seeds, assisting with your fingers to remove any stubborn ones tucked deep within.
2. Tie the seeds up in cheesecloth or muslin very securely.
3. Cut each rind into 3 pieces and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the rinds into slices or cubes as thin as possible.
Each piece shouldn’t be too large (no more than a centimeter, or 1/3-inch in length.)
Cut the navel orange into similar-sized pieces.
4. In a large (10-12 quart/liter) stockpot, add the orange slices, seed pouch, water, and salt, as well as the juice from the Seville oranges from step #1.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook until the peels are translucent, about 20 to 30 minutes.
(At this point, sometimes I’ll remove it from the heat after cooking them and let the mixture stand overnight, to help the seeds release any additional pectin.)
5. Stir the sugar into the mixture and bring the mixture to a full boil again, then reduce heat to a gentle boil.
Stir occasionally while cooking to make sure it does not burn on the bottom.
Midway during cooking, remove the seed pouch and discard.
6. Continue cooking until it has reached the jelling point, about 220F degrees, if using a candy thermometer.
To test the marmalade, turn off the heat and put a small amount on a plate that has been chilled in the freezer and briefly return it to the freezer.
Check it in a few minutes; it should be slightly jelled and will wrinkle just a bit when you slide your finger through it.
If not, continue to cook until it is.
7. Remove from heat, then stir in the Scotch (if using), and ladle the mixture into clean jars.
Sometimes I bury a piece of vanilla bean in each jar. (Which is a great way to recycle previously-used or dried-out vanilla beans.)
I don’t process my jams, since I store them in the refrigerator.
But if you wish to preserve them by canning, you can read more about the process here.

Note: Sour or Seville oranges are called in French oranges amers and are available mid-winter in many other countries around the world as well.

Rice. Cooking advice.

BBC Two - Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, Series 6, Episode 2 - Should I be concerned about arsenic in my rice?:
Arsenic can be found in soil and water, small amounts can get into food, but generally these levels are too low to cause significant concern.
Rice however, has around 10 – 20 times more arsenic than other cereal crops.
This is because it is grown in flooded conditions which make it much easier for arsenic to leave the soil and enter the rice.

- Soak your rice overnight – this opens up the grain and allows the arsenic to escape
- Drain the rice and rinse thoroughly with fresh water
- For every part rice add five parts water and cook until the rice is tender – do not allow it to boil dry.
- Drain the rice and rinse again with hot water to get rid of the last of the cooking water.
- Serve your reduced-arsenic rice – it’s as simple as that!
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Japanese salad recipe.

I love a dish made entirely of vegetables. It is much easier with a Japanese mandolin; you can buy a good one at Divertimenti.

For the salad:
2 spring onions
6-7 radishes (or Daikon - white radish)
1 carrot (or a green pea)
1 small potato
1 stick celery
75g (2¾oz) mangetout (a flat-podded variety of pea)

Healthy Drinks.

Trinity's Conscious Kitchen - When I need a ‘Super Cleansing Green Kale & Coriander Drink’! | Trinity's Conscious Kitchen
The Matstone 6 in 1 Macerating Cold Press Juicer.



Healthy Drinks – Trinity's Conscious Kitchen:
Cleansing Green Kale Drink:
A few thick celery stalks
Several really big kale leaves
Two medium sized apples
A handful of fresh coriander leaves

Dandelion & Apple Juice:
2 sweet apples
Big handful of youngish dandelion greens
3 large celery stalks
2 kale leaves
a little ginger or garlic an extra boost

Tom Kerridge dopamine diet.

Tom Kerridge has released “Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet: My low-carb, stay-happy way to lose weight” - book.
Cut down on carbs!
Bloomsbury Publishing said:
Most people find it hard to keep to a long-term diet, but this one is different.
The recipes feature ingredients that trigger the release of the 'happy hormone' dopamine in your brain, so it's a diet that will make you feel good!
“Tom's 'dopamine heroes' include dairy products such as double cream and yoghurt, good-quality meats including beef, chicken and turkey, and even chocolate.”

What is the dopamine diet?
Billed as the weight loss regime that boosts mood too, this diet is all about increasing levels of the ‘happy hormone’ dopamine in the brain at the same time as shedding pounds.
There are several different versions of the diet, but all are based around foods that are thought to boost dopamine.
These can include:
Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt
Unprocessed meats such as beef, chicken and turkey
Omega-3 rich fish such as salmon and mackerel
Eggs
Fruit and vegetables, in particular bananas
Nuts such as almonds and walnuts
Dark chocolate

Most versions of the diet recommend avoiding alcohol, caffeine and processed sugar, while some also recommend cutting out or severely restricting starchy carbohydrates.
So what is the science behind the dopamine diet?
Dietitian Emer Delaney explains:

Caponata. By Katie Caldesi.

Ingredients
1 large aubergines, chopped (2 medium)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (150ml)
6 celery sticks, chopped (or 2)
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g chopped tomatoes (1 Italian tinned plum tomatoes)
3 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste
3 tbsp or 30ml red wine vinegar
1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
100g (12) green olives in brine, pitted and sliced
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method


Another way to cook aubergine dice:
Spread out the aubergine dice in a colander and sprinkle with salt, tossing to make sure all the pieces are evenly coated.
Press gently.
Allow the aubergine dice to stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
Rinse the aubergine under water to remove the salt and thoroughly dry it.
This salting process helps to remove any bitterness from the aubergine.
Using younger, smaller aubergine it's pretty rare to get a bitter one, so you can skip the salting to save on time!
Roast aubergine dice:
Drizzle aubergine dice evenly with olive oil.
This action keeps the aubergine from absorbing too much oil when cooking, keeping the aubergine's crunch.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
You’ll also need to line a baking pan with foil or lightly grease it.
Spread out the aubergine dice on a baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
Let the aubergine dice roast for 10-15 minutes.
You want each piece to have that hint of crunch while still being tender.

OR fry aubergine dice:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Olive oil substitute: avocado oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or palm oil – and it'll still be healthy.
Add the aubergine dice to the hot oil, cook for about 15 minutes until tender.




From:

This aubergine caponata is perfect over pasta.

Tinned tomatoes.

Lidl (31p) The plum tomatoes had notably thick juices without bitterness and a natural sweet, herby quality. Enough solid tomato to half fill the tin, even after draining off the juice. Outstanding overall, preferable to many of the more expensive and even premium brands.
The winner 9/10
Chopped Thinner juices than the plum and less richly flavoured. 5/10
Sainsbury's Basics (31p) The plum tomatoes had a good half-tin full of tomatoes after draining. Juices are thin and a bit metallic-tasting. Tomatoes almost flavourless. 3/10
Chopped Uniquely, these come in a handy Tetra Pak. As for the contents, they had thin juices, but a more mellow flavour than the plum. 4/10
Morrisons Saver (31p) The plum tomatoes had a huge piece of skin on one tomato. Mild juices, and sharp-tasting fruit. 5/10
Chopped Mild and very average. 5/10
Waitrose Essential (55p) Thick juices with a good tomatoey flavour, but a little tinny bitterness. Less than half full of "flesh" but those juices are thick. Great stuff but at 55p a tin, hardly fair to compare to the economy at 31p. 9/10
Chopped Thinner juices and less rich flavour. 6/10
Tesco (31p) Bland, like the Sainsbury's one, though there seems to be more tomato in the can. Juices a tad thicker, but a tinny flavour. 4/10
Chopped Fairly thick juices (good) but a lot of bits of skin, and a thin, sharp flavour (bad). 6/10
Asda Smart Price (31p) Decently thick juices and really meaty tomatoes but a touch bland – no bitterness, though. 6/10
Chopped Rich and well balanced, but an odd fermented after taste. 4/10

Herb Rub.

Makes 1 small jar

A very large bunch of fresh sage, two to three times as much as the rosemary
A large bunch of rosemary
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 heaping tablespoon Maldon salt

1. Pick the leaves off the sage and rosemary stalks. In a small food processor, chop up the herbs with the garlic cloves and salt until the mixture is pretty fine. Discard any sticks or seeds.

2. Spread the herb mixture on a baking sheet and let it dry for about three days. Once dry, store your herb in a tighly-sealed in a jar for up to a year.

Gulasch (goulash).

Gulasch (goulash) Recipe : Austrian Main Courses:
Ingredients (2 people)
300 g meat (beef or - less common - pork)
100 g butter
3 small onions
2 tablespoons of sweet, red paprika powder
Salt, pepper
1 tablespoon of caraway
a good shot of vinegar

What Austrian Goulash is
Isn't goulash a Hungarian meal?
That's what I have always been asked when the cafeteria of my college served "Austrian Goulash".
Now, let me explain this.
It is in fact the case that "goulash" is both a Hungarian word and meal.
The Hungarian goulash, however, is somewhat more soupy and slightly differently prepared than the meal that Austrian's call "Gulasch".
The goulash that I describe below was derived from the Hungarian dish much like the Wiener Schnitzel was derived from an Italian meal.

Nevertheless, it is genuinely Austrian - at least Imperial Austrian.
Hungarians would probably not identify the Austrian goulash as what they consider to be goulash and the other way round.
Goulash is prepared in many variations in all of Austria, the following recipe is a version commonly prepared in my family.
The meal served in my college's cafeteria, by the way, was neither Austrian, nor Hungarian - and certainly not goulash after all.

How to prepare Austrian Goulash
Chop the onions and roast them in butter.
Add the chopped meat and roast everything properly.
Add salt, pepper and paprika, roast everything thoroughly.
Add about 500 mL of water and a good shot of vinegar (I tried balsamic vinegar once when I had run out of normal one and that worked quite well) and the caraway.
Boil at low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is tender.
Stir occasionally and add water if necessary.
Thicken the goulash with corn starch if necessary.
It is best served with a Semmelknödel bread dumpling and some salad with sour cream dressing.
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Caponata by Nigel Slater.

Sweet and sour dishes hold great pleasure for me, and none more so than this extraordinary salad of aubergine and tomato.
I put peppers in mine - some people do, some don't - and this is one of the very few times I ever peel an aubergine.
I can eat this Sicilian dish at any time of year, but especially now, when the sun is shining.
If you make it the day before, the flavours - salty, sweet and sour - will have time to marry in the fridge.

Serves 4
aubergines - 2, very large
olive oil
a large onion
garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
celery - 2 large sticks
a large red pepper
tomato purée - a scant tbs
tomato passata - 200ml
golden sultanas or raisins - 2 tbs
red wine vinegar - 4 tbs
sugar - 1 tbs
capers - 1 tbs
green olives - a handful

Peel the aubergines and remove their stalks.
Cut them into large chunks and place in a colander.
Sprinkle them with salt then set aside for an hour.

Peel the onion and slice it thinly then let it soften - but not colour - in a shallow layer of oil.
Add the garlic towards the end of cooking.
Remove the onion and garlic, then fry the celery, thinly sliced and pepper, cored and sliced, till soft.
Remove and add to the onion.

Rinse the salt from the aubergines, pat them dry with kitchen paper then soften in the same pan.
As it approaches tenderness, return the onion and garlic, celery and pepper to the pan, stir and continue cooking over a gentle heat.
Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, raisins, red wine vinegar, sugar, capers, olives and 150ml water.
Season.

Leave to simmer, gently, for about 25 minutes, keeping a careful eye to ensure you end up with a soft tangle of sweet-sour vegetables.
Chill overnight.
Serve with crusty bread.