TIRAMISU with wild strawberries

The reason I would move to Italy tomorrow........no actually TODAY!

And just one word to describe this creamy, dreamy dessert  - PERFECTION!

                                                                       

Recipe:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 glasses ;)

8 (large) sponge fingers (around 120g/4oz), broken - 2 fingers for each glass
500g/18 oz mascarpone(room temperature)
4 egg yolks (room temperature)
2-4 tbsp icing sugar(depending on whether sponge fingers are covered with sugar, mine were so I    used 2 tbsp)
150 ml/5fl oz coffee,made with 1 tsp ground coffee and 150ml/5fl oz boiling water
30ml/1fl oz amaretto liqueur
1-2 tsp cocoa powder
120g wild strawberries(or any alternative fruit)

METHOD:

1. Bring 1/4 water to boil in a medium pan and turn the heat right down. Put the egg yolks and sugar into a metal bowl and place over the boiling water(make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and whisk it with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Take it of the steaming water and whisk for another couple of minutes, adding 2tbsp of mascarpone at a time until the consistency is very smooth. Divide into 4 parts(drawing a line with a spoon).

2. Mix COLD coffee with amaretto liqueur in a separate bowl.

3.Dip some of the biscuit in a coffee mixture(try not to make them too soggy) and place on the bottom of each glass, layer with a spoonful(or maybe 2) of mascarpone cream on the top and sprinkle with cocoa powder, repeat again - I fit 3 layers in my glasses.

4.Chill in the fridge overnight (or at least 5 hours)

5.RELISH!

LECZO - VEGETABLE STEW

Polish traditional cuisine is full of paradox...
Russian pierogis is the most popular Polish dish and surprisingly it doesn't come from Russia.In Russia the same pierogis are called Polish ;)  Ukrainian Borscht has nothing in common with Ukraine, nor Greek-style Fish with Greece.In Hungary nobody has never heard of Hungarian Potato Pancakes,of course because it is 100% Polish dish.Not to mention Breton Beans that is not known in France at all ;) Where are ALL these names come from then???It's a mystery..... ;)

Leczo is also one of the most popular dishes in Poland but it originally comes from Hungary.It is very thick and chunky stew,in Poland often served with pieces of saussage,but I much preffer the vegetable version.

RECIPE:

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 shallots,cut in halves or quarters
4 garlic cloves
large courgette,yellow or green( around 400g),chopped
100g yellow beans,cut in halves
100g green beans,cut in halves
125g mushroom,chopped
1 yellow pepper,cut into stripes
1 red pepper,cut into stripes
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
freshly grounded sea salt
freshly grounded black pepper and mixed pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh flat parsley,chopped


METHOD:

1.Heat a couple spoonfuls of olive oil in a deep pan.Squash garlic cloves using a wooden spoon and put into the pan.Add shallots and mushrooms,stir-fry for a couple of minutes.Add chopped tomatoes and bring it to boil.Now add beans and cook for around 10 minutes.After that time add peppers and courgette and cook for another 10-15 minutes,until all veggies are soft.

2.Season with salt and pepper and add chopped parsley.

MULTIGRAIN BREAD

If you search through the ingredients on the bread packet on the supermarket shelf you will actually be very surprised that all you need to make a loaf is yeast,water,salt,flour and a pair of hands.
All the bread expects from you is a little bit of patience.....

Ps.I wouldn't be myself if I didn't add some seeds into my bread ;)

Enjoy......

 

RECIPE:

For 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS:

200g/7oz white bread flour

300g/11 oz wholemeal bread flour

300ml/10fl oz tepid water

50g/2 oz fine oats

75g/3oz mixed seeds

25g/1oz fresh yeast(room temperature) or 12g/ 1/2oz instant yeast

2tbsp sunflower oil

1tsp salt

pinch of sugar

Additionaly:egg,beaten(to brush the bread with) and 2tbsp oats and seeds(to sprinkle over the bread)

METHOD:

1.Crumble fresh(or dry) yeast into a bowl add 1 pinch of sugar,50ml/2fl oz tepid water and 1-2 tbsp flour.Mix until smooth and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.It should be bubbling and foamy after that amount of time.

2.Sift the flour with salt into a large bowl. Add yeast mixture,sunfower oil,seeds and oats. Combine using a wooden spoon.Slowely pour water into a bowl.Mix till the dough comes together.Add a little flour onto a flat surface and knead the dough for around 10 minutes adding just a little flour at a time.The dough should not be sticky but quite playable.

3.Cover the bowl with a cotton tea towel and leave to rise (around 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hours).(Just remember yeast dough doesn't like droughts).

4.Grease a bread pan and sprinkle with some fine oats and seeds. When the dough double in size,punch it down and place on a slightly floured surface.Knead for 2-3 minutes and place it in a greased baking pan.Leave for another 30 minutes.

5.Preheat the oven 190 C/170 C fan/Gas.Brush the dough with egg and sprinkle seeds and oats on the top.Bake for 45 minutes covering with aluminium foil if it gets too brown.It should have a hollow sound when you knock it.

6.Take the bread out of the tin and place on a cooling rack.

SORREL SOUP

I'm baaaack ;) Few weeks later,3 kilos havier,fresh and rested....I'm finally back.
We had absolutely fabulous holiday in our hometown,in Poland.I wish we could stay a little bit longer....It' such a peaceful and beautiful place,time goes as though in slow motion, nobady's rushing anywhere...
At last I caught up my family and friends - and my jaw it's actually still acking from rattling! ;)
It probably was the laziest holiday we have ever been to - but it was exacly what we needed to recharge the batteries.....breathtaking views,gorgeous weather and FOOD!Delicious food!
Our mum's absolutely spoilt us rotten,(that's were my ''new' few kilos came from).But nothing beats mum's cooking!Seems like even ordinary scrambled eggs taste the best in the world when prepared by my mum.And my mum-in-law cooks as nice!!!They just have magic hands ;)


Have you ever tried sorrel?These green leaves have very unusual,sour taste.I can never get it in England so the sorrel soup is alway on my 'wishlist' when I go back to Poland to visit my family.

RECIPE:

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 big carrot or 2 smaller,sliced 
300 g/11 oz potatoes,diced
1 big bunch of sorrel (around 200-300g/7-10 oz),chopped finely
2 litres/68 oz of vegetable stock
200/7 oz ml single cream(room temperature)
1 spoon of flour mix in 3 spoons of water

NECESSARY: 4-6 boiled eggs, cut into quarters

1.Cook carrot and potatos in stock for a while and add sorrel.Carry on for few minutes until veges are cooked.

2.Add flour mixture to the cream,stir and pour into the soup.Bring it to boil, continuuosly stirring.

3.Serve with boiled egg.


And a little bit of POLAND ;)

Two-layered NECTARINE JELLIES

It's definitely been to HOT to bake.And it's to nice outside to spent time in the kitchen anyway...We've been BBQ-ing all weekend.Nice and easy dinners with no effort.And for dessert.....JELLIES of course!

Summer recipes are always all about berries so I thought I'll make something with nectarines instead,because they are lovely fruit to appreciate too ;) But really you could do this light dessert with most fruit.Two layers ,the first one is just an ordinary jelly with fruit,the second - very light foam,almost like a mousse ;) Worth a try!

RECIPE:

for 5 glasses

INGREDIENTS:

2 packet granulated nectarine or peach jelly (my packet was 90g)
1 - 2 nectarines,peeled and chopped
3 egg whites
3-4 tbsp sugar,only if it's not added in the jelly

FIRST LAYER

Prepare the jelly(1 packet) with the instructions on the packet(add 1-2 tbsp sugar if needed). Pour the jelly into the glasses and add nectarines.If you would like to achieve the same effect as I did place your glasses in a bread baking dish in the position shown in the image below.Put in the fridge and let it settle.

SECOND LAYER

Prepare the jelly(1 packet) with the instructions on the packet(add 1-2 tbsp sugar if needed). Cool down.When it starts thickening beat egg whites with electric mixer, turn it down to the slowest motion and slowly add thickening jelly.Spoon it over the first layer(just make sure it's settled first).

Easy peasy ;) And taste so good!

Little trick ;)

BLUEBERRY BUNS

When I see blueberries I think buns!They are so soft and moreish that you just can't stop eating them.And if hubby reckons they're the best he ever tried, it must be true ;)

 

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

300g bread flour + 50 g for kneading
80ml tepid milk
30g sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
60ml sunflower oil
35g fresh yeast (room temperature) or 12g dry yeast(go for fresh!)
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt

BLUEBERRY FILLING:
150g blueberries,washed and drained ;) ( I know,I know-it's pretty obvious)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour

FOR ICING:
70g icing sugar
1 and 1/2 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp lemon juice

1.Crumble fresh(or dry) yeast into a bowl add 1 pinch of sugar, lukewarm milk and 2 tbsp flour.Mix until smooth and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.It should be bubbling and foamy after that amount of time.

2.Sift 300g of flour with a pinch of salt into a large bowl and add yeast mixture,combine using a wooden spoon.Add lightly beaten eggs,oil,sugar and lemon juice.Mix till the dough comes together.Add a little flour onto a flat surface and knead the dough for around 10 minutes adding just a little flour at a time.The dough should not be sticky but quite playable.

3.Cover the bowl with a cotton tea towel and leave to rise (around 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hours).(Just remember yeast dough doesn't like droughts).

4.Prepare the filling.Just mix all the ingredients together.

5.Preheat the oven 190 C/170 C fan/Gas 5 and grease round 26cm(10 and 1/4 ")baking form(I used a flan dish-without greasing). When the dough doubles in size,punch it down and place on a slightly floured surface.Knead for 2-3 minutes and pull apart into 10 equal parts.Flatten each part with hands and put a blueberry filling in the center of every one,seal it through and form a ball.Place then in a baking dish(ideally 8 around and 2 in the middle). Let it ''grow'' for 30 minutes.

5.Bake for 20 minutes(I do the last couple of minutes on fan). Test it pricking with a wooden skewer.It's ready when the skewer comes out clean.If they get too ''brown'' I cover them with aluminium foil and carry on baking.(after about 10 minutes).

6.Mix all the ingredient for the icing and pour on the top of the buns when they cool down.

MINI CHERRY PIES

Imagine a pie so delicate,crispy and buttery that it's melting in the mouth....
Imagine this pie is packed with cherries so sweet and juicy that you can't stop at one bite...
And now imagine it's all true..... ;) ;) ;)

Recipe: Martha Stewart

RECIPE:

for 12 mini pies

INGREDIENTS:

YOU NEED A MUFFIN TRAY (7 cm moulds)

CRUST:

220g plain flour
230 g butter(cold),cut into small cubes
salt,small pinch
60-70ml cold water

PLUS:butter for greasing

CHERRY FILLING:

600g cherries,pitted
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornflour,sifted

1.Sift the flour into a medium bowl,add salt and butter.Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips.Now add 60 ml water and combine together using hands.If the mixture feels too crumbly  add some more water.Divide into two balls, flatten them into discs,wrap with cling film and put in the fridge for 1 hour.

2.In the meantime put cherries into a pan over a small heat.Add sugar, 4 tbsp water and lemon juice.Let it cook for 15 minutes.In a cup mix 1tbsp cornflour and 1 tbsp water.Take the cherries off the heat and add the cornflour mixture.Mix with a spoon and put it back on the heat.Bring to boil and turn the heat off.Let it cool.

3.Preheat the oven 190 C/170 C fan/GAS 5.Grease muffin tray with butter.

4.Take the pastry out the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface (around 5 mm thick) and cut out the circles (9,5-10 cm) using a glass or a jar.Line each muffin mould with the cut out pastry so that the bottom and the edges are all covered.Fill up with the cherry mixture.Cut narrow stripes from the rest of the pastry and wove on the top of each pie and press the edges together.If you don't feel creative just cut out smaller circles(7 cm), press the edges together and cut small crosses in the middles.

5.Bake for 30-33 minutes.