Guacamole


Guacamole is a Mexican dip made from avocado, with chili, garlic and lime juice. Please don't ask me why I'm publishing it here - let's call it "imported taste" and don't think about it too much. Guacamole is usually served with nachos but while we're in Poland, I suggest using Lajkonik or TUC crackers. It also makes a great sauce to the sandwiches.

GUACAMOLE

1 ripe avocado

1 teaspoon of fresh lime juice
1 small tomato
1 garlic clove
fresh or powdered chili
salt & black pepper

Good tip: Don't add onion unless you're not going to kiss your co-eaters!

1. Cut avocado in half. Remove the seed.
2. Scoop out avocado from the peel and mash it with fork in a mixing bowl.
3. Chop the tomato and the garlic. Add it to the avocado.
4. Add lime juice, mix everything.
5. Add chili, salt & pepper, amount adjusted to your taste.
6. Serve with crackers or with nachos.

Smacznego :)
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Spinach pancakes

Green food tastes like it's healthier than the others, doesn't it? Maybe it's Popeye's fault. Many people don't like spinach but when you mix it with garlic, add some nutmeg and serve with sour cream or yoghurt, it would smell and taste wonderful. Try this recipe. I love making veggies pancakes, especially in summer. Quick, simple & delicious meal, perfect for hot days.

SPINACH PANCAKES
for 2 people

300 g fresh spinach leaves
2 eggs
50 ml sweet cream
40 g flour
2 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper
olive oil

Good tip: add some blue cheese to the batter to get more luxurious taste!

1. Clean the spinach leaves and blanch them (put on collander and pour boiling hot water on it).
2. Drain the spinach and put it to the bowl.
3. Add eggs, cream, flour, minced or crushed garlic and spices.
4. Blend together until thick batter.
5. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan.
6. Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using one spoon for one pancake.
7. Serve hot with sour cream or homemade tzatziki dip.

Smacznego!

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Cold cucumber soup (tarator)

Summer ended but I still believe we have some hot days ahead... In 5 months ;) This soup makes great lunch for a sunny, warm day. Can be even taken for a picnic in small jars. The recipe is used in my family for years and comes from Balcans. Tarator is really easy to prepare!

TARATOR 
for 4 people

1 l greek yoghurt (very thick)
some cold water
2 spoons of olive oil
8 short cucumbers
6 cloves of garlic
fresh dill
salt & pepper

Good tip: the soup tastes great by itself but with fresh bread, grissini or baguette is even better!

1. Mix the yoghurt with olive oil. Add some water to have more soup-alike consistency. Put in a vase or a bowl.
2. Add peeled cucumber, cut in small cubes.
3. Mince or crush the garlic. Add to yoghurt.
4. Add chopped dill.
5. Stir everything, add salt & pepper as you wish. 
6. Leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Serve cold.

Smacznego! :)
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Almond brownie

The secret of a good brownie is TRUST. Trust the recipe, not your kitchen wisdom and certainly not your instincts. Don't add baking soda, don't try to mix it too long, turn off the oven after 20 minutes, not more. Until yesterday, I had some problems with trust so my brownie wasn't soft & fudgy but hard and dried. Don't make the same mistake. Trust.

ALMOND BROWNIE
8 portions

200 g dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa)
150 g butter
100 g muscovado sugar
75 g almonds, slivered
75 g wholegrain flour
salt
1 spoon of cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 eggs

Good tip: use salted butter to make a brownie and add some powdered chili. You'll be surprised how chocolate can taste like!

1. Chop the chocolate.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, slowly. Add chocolate and blend delicately until it melts.
3. Turn off the stove and add sugar. 
4. Mix the flour with salt and cocoa powder.
5. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (360 F). Grease a small cake mould (round 18 cm or square 15x15 cm) with butter.
6. Put almonds on a dry pan. Roast for a while.
7. Put butter with chocolate and sugar into a bowl. Add eggs, mix.
8. Add flour and blend with spoon. Add roasted almonds.
9. Pour everything into the mould. Bake for 20 minutes, not longer.
10. Serve cool with ice cream or whipped cream and fresh red fruits.

Smacznego!
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Polish donuts (pączki)

Traditionally, donuts are eaten here on Fat Thursday - Polish equivalent of Mardi Gras or Pancake Tuesday. But for donut lovers there's no bad time to prepare them! This recipe was given to me by my Gran. That's how real Polish pączki taste like!

POLISH DONUTS
about 20 small sized

DOUGH
500 g white flour
50 g fresh yeast / 20 g dry / 16 g instant
60 g sugar
250 ml milk
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
50 g butter, melted
25 ml strong alcohol (vodka, rum)
a pinch of salt
750 g of lard or palm, or coconut fat (to fry)

 FILLING & TOPPING
1 big jar of fruit jam (preferably rose petals)
caster sugar
hot water

 Quick tip: adding alcohol doesn't mean it's only for adults. It evaporates during frying. Instead of jam, you can use Nutella or custard, whatever you want - in Polish traditional is rose petal jam.

 1. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt.
2. Shatter the yeast into a smaller bowl, add some flour, half of warm milk (about 35 degrees) and some sugar.
3. Melt the butter and put it away to chill.
4. Mix the egg with egg yolks and the rest of sugar.
5. Pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl. Add the rest of milk, eggs with sugar and alcohol.
6. Mix and knead until it's smooth and homogenous. Add melted butter and knead a while more.
7. Cover with kitchen towel and leave it to raise for about 45 minutes.
8. Prepare a large pan and put the fat into it.
9. Roll the dough into about 1 cm thick layer. Cut circles with a glass.
10. Stuff fried donuts using filling tip decorating sleeve. Cover them with simple frosting made of caster sugar and a little of hot water.

FRYING THE DONUTS

 It's a bit tricky when you're not experienced so I decided to write a short instruction.

- before frying, sweep raw donuts with a pastry brush to get rid of flour that can spoil the fat
- flatten the donuts before putting them into the pan, don't worry, they'll rise
- fry donuts SLOWLY, don't let the fat be as hot as it can be
- put fried donuts into a layer of paper towel to drain off the oil from them
- and please be careful! don't let your kids or pets enter into the kitchen while frying

Good luck & smacznego!
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Basic Tiramisu

I know it's not a Polish recipe but this dessert is in the menu in most restaurants here, even not Italian ones. Tiramisu is really easy to make and has many delicious variations. I'm starting from the basic one which I found in an old Italian cookbook. 

The tricky part is that many people are afraid of raw eggs. But I assure you, there's absolutely no risk if you do as follows:
- wash the eggs in warm water with dishwashing liquid
- be careful not to crash the shells!
- boil some water and pour some on the eggs.
That's it, you have totally salmonella-free eggs!

Now you can prepare your tiramisu :-)

BASIC TIRAMISU
for 2 dessert freaks

500 g of mascarpone cheese
200 g of ladyfingers bisquits
4 egg yolks
4 spoons of sugar
100 ml of strong coffee
2 spoons of Amaretto (optional)
dark cocoa

Good tip: save the egg whites. You can use them to make protein-ful scrambled eggs or freeze them to prepare the macaroons later.

1. Whip the yolks with sugar until they're white and fluffy.
2. Add mascarpone and just blend with spoon.
3. Prepare a dish: large bowl or cake mould will be good.
4. Mix coffee with alcohol in a shallow bowl.
5. Soak every bisquit in the bowl and make a layer in your dish.
6. Put half of your yolk-sugar-mascarpone cream on the layer of bisquits.
7. Repeat soaking bisquits, making a layer and putting the cream on it.
8. Hide in the fridge, lick the bowls and wait at least 2 hours.
9. Powder the surface with dark cocoa.
10. Serve cold. 

How did you like it? Let me know in comments!
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