by boabedecafea -

Compot delicios de mere si kiwi/Delicious apples and kiwi compote

In sfarsit a venit primavara si am inceput sa ne facem planuri pentru vara. Vacanta, silueta pentru vacanta si tot ce mai e necesar. Meniul nostru a inceput sa contina mai multe verdeturi, mancaruri mai usoare si salate proaspete. Singura problema ramane desertul. Si cine vrea sa renunte la ceva bun? Eu nu as prea vrea…
Zilele trecute am pregatit un desert pe cat de simplu, pe atat de bun – compot de mere si kiwi. Atat de aromat, proaspat-perfect pentru perioada asta a anului. 
Curioasa cum sunt, am incercat un produs nou si despre care nu stiam mai nimic – Green Sugar pulbere. Acesta este un extract de frunze uscate de stevie care se poate folosi si pentru produse preparate termic, fara a schimba gustul (ceea ce initial nu am crezut cand am citit descrierea, dar s-a dovedit a fi perfect adevarat). In plus are 0 calorii. 

GREEN SUGAR, brandul companiei LABORATOARELE REMEDIA, este inregistrat in Uniunea Europeana ca fiind un produs 100% natural, cu 0 calorii şi 0 indice glicemic, obtinut din doar doua ingrediente: extractul de Stevia rebaudiana (obtinut prin oparire) si eritritol (obtinut din porumb, prin fermentaţie cu drojdia Moniella pollinis). Spre deosebire de alti indulcitori de pe piata, Green Sugar este singurul dulce natural cu gust stabilizat, care nu schimba gustul alimentelor sau al bauturilor pe care le indulceste si poate fi folosit inclusiv la prajituri ce necesita preparare termica.
At last spring came and we started to make plans for the summer. Vacation, the silhouette for holiday and everything else necessary. Our menu began to include more greens, lighter meals and fresh salads. The only question that always remains is the dessert. And who wants to give up something good ? I would not really want…
The other day I prepared a dessert as simple as it is good – apple and kiwi compote. So fragrant, fresh – perfect for this time of year .
Curious as I am, I tried a new product about which I knew nothing – Green Sugar powder. This is a dry stevia leaf extract which can be used for cooked products without changing the taste (which I initially didn’t believe when I read the description, but proved to be perfectly true ). In addition it has 0 calories.
GREEN SUGAR , is the company’s  LABORATORIES REMEDIA brand and it is registered in the European Union as a 100 % natural, with 0 calories and 0 glycemic index, made ​​from just two ingredients: extract of Stevia rebaudiana (obtained by scalding) and erythritol (made ​​from corn by fermentation with Moniella pollinis yeast) . Unlike other sweeteners on the market, Green Sugar is the only natural sweet stabilized taste, that does not change the taste of food or drinks it sweetens and can be used also for cakes that require thermal preparation.
 Pentru compot am folosit cateva ingrediente simple. Am vrut sa incerc o reteta care nu implica prea mult efort si care sa ma lamureasca daca as putea sa folosesc Green Sugar si pentru alte preparate termic. Am pus 4 mere Florina, curatate de coaja si seminte, 4 kiwi curatate, 2 linguri de Green Sugar pulbere, apa, 1 lingurita de rom in final si cateva nuci prajite la servire.
I used for my compote just a few simple ingredients. I wanted to try a recipe that does not involve too much effort and to make me sure that I could use Green Sugar and other cooked products. I put four Florina apples, peeled and without seeds, 4 peeled kiwi, 2 tablespoons Green Sugar powder, water, 1 teaspoon of rum essence and some roasted nuts at serving.
 Am fiert merele si kiwi impreuna cu pudra de Green Sugar. Dupa ce au fiert, am stins focul, am adaugat romul si am acoperit vasul. Am servit compotul rece, cu nuci prajite presarate deasupra. Un vis!
I boiled the apples and kiwi  together with Green Sugar powder. After boiling, I took the compote aside, I added rum and I covered the dish. I served the compote cold with roasted nuts sprinkled on top. A sweet dream!
 Mai multe detalii despre produsele Green Sugar, retete si alte informatii utile gasiti aici . Eu o sa revin si cu alte retete incercate 🙂
More details about Green Sugar products, recipes and other useful information can be found here. I’ll come back with some other tried recipes 🙂
by boabedecafea -

Rulada cu banane/Cake roll with bananas

Acum cativa ani era la moda o reteta de rulada cu banana si cocos. Nu am gasit reteta si nici mama nu isi aduce aminte cum se facea. Asa ca mi-am facut propria mea varianta. Fara cocos pentru ca nu aveam prin casa.
Few years ago it was trendy to bake a cake roll with banana and coconut. I didn’t find a recipe and my mum didn’t remember how it was made. So I create my own recipe of banana cake roll. Without coconut because I didn’t had any.

Ingrediente blat:
-4 oua
-4 linguri de zahar
-3 linguri de faina
-2 linguri de cacao
-5 g praf de copt (1/2 plic de praf de copt)
-vanilie
Ingrediente umplutura:
-250g ricotta
-5-6 felii de ananas din compot
-2 linguri de zahar pudra
-vanilie
-2 banane
Ingredients for batter:
-4eggs
-4 tablespoons of sugar
-3 tablespoons of flour
-2tablespoons of cocoa
-5 g baking powder(1/2 sachet)
-vanilla
Ingredients for filling:
-250g ricotta
-5-6 slices of pineapple in light syrup
-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
-vanilla
-2 bananas

Am separat albusurile si am mixat bine pana am obtinut o spuma. Apoi am adaugat zaharul si am continuat sa mixez pana cand spuma a devenit tare. A venit randul galbenusurilor si al vaniliei sa le incorporez. In final am adaugat faina, cacao si praf de copt si am mixat pana la omogenizare.
Intr-o tava am pus hartie de copt si am turnat compozitia. Am copt blatul la 150 de grade Celsius timp de 10 minute. Inainte de a scoate blatul din cuptor am incercat sa vad daca e copt cu o scobitoare, cum fac de obicei.
Apoi am rulat blatul cu ajutorul hartiei de copt si l-am lasat sa se raceasca. Inainte de a fi folosit acesta se va desprinde usor de pe hartie. Apoi se va pune crema. Rularea se face usor deoarece blatul are deja forma si elasticitatea necesara.
Crema am preparat-o la rece. Feliile de ananas le-am facut piure cu mixerul vertical. Apoi l-am amestecat cu ricotta, zaharul si vanilia. Am obtinut o crema aromata si omogena pe care am intins-o pe tot blatul. La un capat al blatului am pus bananele peste crema. Am rulat blatul usor si in final am invelit rulada obtinuta in folie. Rulada am lasat-o de pe o zi pe alta in frigider si am servit-o a doua zi cand s-a taiat foarte frumos. Se poate pudra cu zahar, decora cu frisca sau ciocolata.
I separated the egg whites and I mixed well until I obtained a foam. After that I added the sugar and I continued to mix until the foam thickened. Then I incorporated the egg yolks and vanilla. In the end I put the flour, cocoa and baking powder and I mixed until the composition became homogeneous. 
In a baking tray I put some baking paper and I poured the composition. I baked the sponge cake at 150 Celsius degrees for 10 minutes. Before taking out the sponge cake I verified if it’s baked with a toothpick, as I usually do.
After that I rolled the sponge cake with the baking paper and I left it to cool off. Before using it, take the paper easily and after that put the cream. The rolling is made easily because the sponge cake has the shape and the elasticity already.   
I prepared the cream without boiling. Pineapple slices were transformed in puree with a vertical mixer. I mixed the puree with ricotta, powdered sugar and vanilla. I obtained a flavorful and homogeneous filling which was spread all over the spongecake. At one end of the spongecake I put the bananas over the spread filling. I rolled easily and in the end the obtained cake roll was covered with plastic foil. I left the cake roll in the fridge until the next day when I served it and it was very nice and easy to cut. It can be served powdered with sugar or decorated with chocolate or cream. 

 Sper sa va placa si voua pe cat le-a placut celor care au gustat-o prima data. Pofta buna!
I hope you’ll like this cake roll as much as the ones that tasted first did. Bon appetit!

by boabedecafea -

Jeleu de fructe rosii/Red fruits jelly

Se intampla uneori sa tii in frigider diverse alimente pe care le-ai cumparat fara un scop precis sau care au ramas dupa ce ai facut o reteta. Ei bine, eu m-am ales cu trei rodii mari si o mana de fructe de padure congelate.
Marturisesc faptul ca sunt mare fan suc de rodii dar inca nu am descoperit o metoda de a-l prepara fara a transforma bucataria intr-un camp de lupta. Oricate filmulete am vazut pe internet cu metode eficiente de desfacere a acestui fruct, se pare ca pentru mine nu merge nimic. Cu toate astea am reusit sa curat cumva cele trei rodii mari pe care le aveam si sa le transform impreuna cu fructele de padure intr-un desert acrisor.
It happens sometimes to keep in the fridge various foods which were bought without a precise purpose or which remained after you cooked some other recipe. Well, I had three big pomegranates and some frozen forest fruits.
I must admit I am a big fan of pomegranate fresh juice but I still didn’t found a method to prepare it without transforming my kitchen in a fighting field. I saw many short movies on the internet with efficient methods of cutting and peeling these fruits but it seems that nothing is suitable for me. Despite this I managed somehow to cut the three pomegranates that I had in my fridge and to transform them together with the forest fruits in a sweet and sour dessert.

Ingrediente:
– 3 rodii mari
-200 g fructe de padure
-5 linguri de zahar
-50 ml apa
-5g gelatina
Pentru decor:
-biscuiti speculoos
-decoratiuni din caramel (din 100g zahar)
Ingredients:
-3 big pomegranates
-200g forest fruits
-5 tablespoons of sugar
-50 ml water
-5g of gelatin
For decorations:
– speculoos biscuits
-caramel decorations (made of 100 g sugar)

Am pus rodiile, fructele de padure, zaharul si apa intr-un vas la fiert, timp de aproximativ 40 de minute. Dupa ce fructele au fiert, compozitia a fost strecurata si pasata printr-o sita.
Gelatina am hidratat-o cu o lingura de apa intr-un pahar. Apoi am adaugat-o in vasul in care am pus piureul de fructe si am amestecat bine. Compozitia se incalzeste usor timp de cateva minute. Atentie-nu se va fierbe deoarece gelatina isi pierde propietatile.
Jeleul obtinut se pune in recipiente monoportii si se lasa la racit. Apoi se decoreaza cu biscuiti sfaramati si caramel.
I put the pomegranates, forest fruits, sugar and water in a pot, to boil, for about 40 minutes. After they boiled, the composition was strained and mashed through a strain. 
I hydrated the gelatin with a tablespoon of water, in a glass. I put the gelatin in the pot where earlier I put the fruit puree and I stirred well. The composition will be warmed for few minutes. Pay attention-you mustn’t boil the composition because the gelatin will loose its properties.
The jelly that was obtained will be put in mono portion recipients and will be left to cool off. When is ready, the jelly can be decorated with biscuits crumbs and caramel decorations.

Pofta buna!
Bon appetit!

by boabedecafea -

Rulada cu fragute/Cake roll with wild strawberries

In ultimul timp am incercat tot felul de retete de dulciuri printre care si mai multe variante de rulade. Unele dintre ele au iesit foarte gustoase, motiv pentru care m-am gandit ca merita incercate si de altii.
Rulada cu fragute este foarte parfumata si are o crema fina, usor de facut chiar si de cei ce nu se pricep prea bine sa faca dulciuri.
In the past few days I tried all kinds of dessert recipes including several types of cake rolls. Some of them were very tasty, and that’s why I thought that it would be interesting to be tried by others too. 
The cake roll with wild strawberries was very flavorful and it has a soft filling, so easy to be made also by the ones that are not very skilled in baking desserts.

Ingrediente blat:
-4 oua
-5 linguri de faina
-5 g praf de copt (1/2 pachet)
-4 linguri de zahar
-vanilie
Ingrediente crema:
-250 g ricotta
-150 g unt moale
-2 linguri de zahar pudra
-100 g fragute
-vanilie
Am separat albusurile si am mixat bine pana am obtinut o spuma. Apoi am adaugat zaharul si am continuat sa mixez pana cand spuma a devenit tare. A venit randul galbenusurilor si al vaniliei sa le incorporez. In final am adaugat faina si praf de copt si am mixat pana la omogenizare.
Intr-o tava am pus hartie de copt si am turnat compozitia. Am copt blatul la 150 de grade Celsius timp de 9-10 minute. Inainte de a scoate blatul din cuptor am incercat sa vad daca e copt cu o scobitoare, ca de obicei.
Crema nu necesita fierbere. Am pus untul moale intr-un vas si am mixat pana am obtinut o spuma. Am adaugat zaharul pudra si am mixat pana la dizolvare. Apoi am adaugat ricotta pe care am scurs-o bine inainte si vanilia. Am mixat pana la omogenizare. In final am pus fragutele, amestecand usor cu o spatula de silicon.
Apoi am rulat blatul cu ajutorul hartiei de copt si l-am lasat sa se raceasca. Inainte de a fi folosit acesta se va desprinde usor de pe hartie. Apoi se va pune crema. Rularea se face usor deoarece blatul are deja forma si elasticitatea necesara.
Ingredients for sponge cake:
-4eggs
-5 tablespoons of flour
-5 g baking powder(1/2 pack)
-4 tablespoons of sugar
-vanilla
Ingredients for filling:
-250 g ricotta
-150 g soft butter
-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
-100 g wild strawberries
-vanilla
I separated the egg whites and I mixed well until I obtained a foam. After that I added the sugar and I continued to mix until the foam thickened. Then I incorporated the egg yolks and vanilla. In the end I put the flour and baking powder and I mixed until the composition became homogeneous.
In a baking tray I put some baking paper and I poured the composition. I baked the sponge cake at 150 Celsius degrees for 9-10 minutes. Before taking out the sponge cake I verified if it’s baked with a toothpick, as usual. 
The filling doesn’t need to be boiled. I put the soft butter in a bowl and I mixed until I obtained a foam. I added the powdered sugar and I mixed until it dissolved. I put ricotta which was very well drained and vanilla. I mixed until it became homogeneous. In the end  I added the wild strawberries and I mixed slowly with a silicone spatula.  
After that I rolled the sponge cake with the baking paper and I left it to cool off. Before using it, take the paper easily and after that put the cream. The rolling is made easily because the sponge cake has the shape and the elasticity already. 

Sper sa va placa acest desert pufos si parfumat! Pofta buna!
I hope you’ll like this fluffy and tasty dessert! Bon appetit!

by boabedecafea -

Rulada cu crema fina de ciocolata neagra si cafea/Cake roll with dark chocolate and coffee

Fac ce fac si tot la ingredientul meu preferat revin! Nu mai e o surpriza pentru nimeni ca sunt indragostita iremediabil de cafeaua buna, de povestile care se tes in jurul ei si de faptul ca a devenit un pretext ca sa fim alaturi de cei pe care-i iubim si pretuim.
Tot la o cafea am intalnit o persoana deosebita, care imi impartaseste pasiunea si chiar mai mult, ii stie toate secretele. Promit ca am sa-l conving sa ne spuna secretul celui mai bun cappuccino facut acasa dar si cum sa alegem cele mai potrivite tipuri de cafea, in functie de ceea ce preferam si alte lucruri inedite. Intre timp a ales ingredientele pentru unul dintre cele mai fine deserturi facute de mine pana acum-rulada cu crema fina de ciocolata neagra si cafea.
I do what I do and I keep coming back to my favorite ingredient! It’s no surprise for nobody that I’m irremediably in love with good coffee, with stories told near it and the fact that it became a pretext to be with the ones that we love and cherish. 
Also near a coffee I met a special person, who shares the same passion and even more, he knows all its secrets. I promise to convince him to tell us the secret of the best homemade cappuccino and how to choose the most suitable types of coffee, depending on what we prefer and other interesting things. Meanwhile he chose the ingredients for one of the finest desserts I ever made-cake roll with dark chocolate and coffee.

Ingrediente blat:
– 4 oua
– 3 linguri faina
– 2 linguri cacao
– 4 linguri zahar
– extract vanilie
– 5g praf de copt

Ingrediente crema:
– 200 ml cafea espresso (sau 250 ml daca doriti crema mai moale)
– 80 g ciocolata neagra
– 50 g unt
– 2 linguri zahar (optional)

Ingredients for sponge cake:
– 4 eggs
– 3 tablespoons of flour
-2 tablespoons of cocoa
– 4 tablespoons of sugar
– vanilla extract
– 5 g baking powder

Ingredients for cream:
– 200 ml of coffee – espresso (or 250 ml if you want a more liquid cream)
– 80 g dark chocolate
– 50g butter
– 2 tablespoons of sugar (optional)

Am separat albusurile si am mixat bine pana am obtinut o spuma. Apoi am adaugat zaharul si am continuat sa mixez pana cand spuma a devenit tare. A venit randul galbenusurilor si al vaniliei sa le incorporez. In final am adaugat faina, cacao si praf de copt si am mixat pana la omogenizare.
I separated the egg whites and I mixed well until I obtained a foam. After that I added the sugar and I continued to mix until the foam thickened. Then I incorporated the egg yolks and vanilla. In the end I put the flour, cocoa and baking powder and I mixed until the composition became homogeneous. 

Intr-o tava am pus hartie de copt si am turnat compozitia. Am copt blatul la 150 de grade Celsius timp de 9-10 minute. Inainte de a scoate blatul din cuptor am incercat sa vad daca e copt cu o scobitoare.
In a baking tray I put some baking paper and I poured the composition. I baked the sponge cake at 150 Celsius degrees for 9-10 minutes. Before taking out the sponge cake I verified if it’s baked with a toothpick.

Apoi am rulat blatul cu ajutorul hartiei de copt si l-am lasat sa se raceasca. Inainte de a fi folosit acesta se va desprinde usor de pe hartie. Apoi se va pune crema. Rularea se face usor deoarece blatul are deja forma si elasticitatea necesara.
After that I rolled the sponge cake with the baking paper and I left it to cool off. Before using it, take the paper easily and after that put the cream. The rolling is made easily because the sponge cake has the shape and the elasticity already. 

Pentru crema noi am ales cafea cu aroma deosebita si o ciocolata de foarte buna calitate.
Am preparat expresso dupa care am pus lichidul intr-un vas in care am adaugat si bucatele rupte de ciocolata. Am amestecat energic pana la omogenizare. La final am pus untul si am amestecat bine pentru a-l incorpora. Am preferat varianta cu o crema mai lichida si fara cele doua linguri de zahar optionale, considerand ca este suficient in ciocolata.
Am pus crema calduta peste blat si l-am rulat. Rulada am invelit-o in folie si am lasat-o pana a doua zi in frigider. Se serveste ca atare, pudrata cu zahar sau cu frisca.
For cream we chose coffee with a special flavor and a chocolate with a very good quality. 
I prepared espresso and after I put the liquid in a pot in which I added the small pieces of chocolate. I mixed very well until I got a homogeneous composition. In the end I put the butter and stirred well to incorporate it. I preferred the variant with the liquid cream and without the two optional tablespoons of sugar, because I considered that the chocolate has in off sugar. 
I put the cream warm on the sponge cake and I rolled it. The cake roll was put in aluminum and left until the next day in the fridge. It can be served as it is, dusted with powdered sugar or even with cream.

Pofta buna!
Bon apettit!

by boabedecafea -

Cannelés cu scortisoara/Cannelés with cinnamon

Cannelés de Bordeaux se afla printre preferatele mele si ale unei bune prietene, motiv pentru care le-am refacut cu drag. De data aceasta cu scortisoara. Mi s-a parut o alegere buna pentru aceasta perioada. Si intr-adevar, caramelul care se formeaza dupa coacere si scortisoara se combina minunat. Mmm, trebuie neaparat incercate! Nu or fi ele aspectuoase dar am reusit sa conving destui sa treaca peste acest amanunt.
Cannelés de Bordeaux are among my favorites and also of one of my good friends, and that’s why I baked them with so much joy. This time with cinnamon. I thought it’s a good choice for this time of year. And surely the caramel which is formed after the baking and the cinnamon are wonderful combined in this dessert. Mmm, they have to be tried!They might not be beautiful but I managed to convince a lot of people to pass over this detail.

Ingrediente:

– 700 ml lapte
– baton de vanilie
– 50 g unt moale
– 200 g zahar
– 70 g faina
– 30 g scortisoara
– 1 galbenus de ou
– 3 oua mari
– unt pentru forme

Ingredients:

– 700 ml milk
– vanilla stick 
– 50 g melted butter
– 200 g sugar
– 70 g flour
– 30 g cinnamon
– 1 egg yolk
– 3 big eggs
– butter for molds

 Intr-un bol se amesteca faina,scortisoara si ouale. Separat intr-o cratita se pun laptele, vanilia, untul si zaharul. Compozitia se amesteca si se pune la incalzit fara a se lasa la fiert. Ea trebuie sa fie calduta. Atentie – se amesteca in continuu.
Atunci cand compozitia s-a racit suficient (nu de tot) se adauga amestecul de oua cu faina si scortisoara si se amesteca bine. Odata omogenizata si racita, aceasta compozitie obtinuta va semana ca si consistenta cu acea compozitie de clatite.
Se acopera vasul si se baga in frigider. Se lasa cel putin 12 ore. Eu de obicei o las de pe o zi pe alta.
Apoi am pus cu ajutorul unui polonic in forme.
Cuptorul trebuie preincalzit la 200C-230C. Formele de silicon se pun in cuptor si se lasa cam 50-55 minute.
Cannelés  vor forma o crusta de caramel crocanta.
In a bowl we mix the eggs, cinnamon and flour.
Separately in a pot we will  put milk, vanilla, butter and sugar. The composition is mixed and put on the stove to warm without leaving it until it boils. It has to be warm. Pay attention – we have to mix continuously. 
When the composition is cold in off (not completely cold) we will add the mix of flour,cinnamon with eggs and we mix well. When the composition is homogeneous and completely cold, will look like the one made for pancakes. We will cover the pan and we’ll put it in the fridge.
We’ll leave it there for at least 12 hours. I usually leave it there until the next day.  After that I put the composition in the silicon molds with a ladle. The oven has to be preheated at 200C- 230C. Silicon molds will be put in the oven and left for 50-55 minutes. Cannelés will form a wonderful caramel crust.

Reteta originala o gasiti aici
You can find the original recipe here.

by boabedecafea -

Desert grecesc/Greek dessert

Imi doream ca toamna sa mai astepte putin. In fiecare an as vrea ca vara sa se prelungeasca la nesfarsit. Poate pana la Craciun, ca e sarbatoarea mea preferata 🙂 Si uite asa incerc sa-mi alin dorul de mare, soare si caldura prin toate mijloacele posibile.
Uneori cu flori, alteori cu fotografii, cu retete de vara sau cu toate odata.
Azi vreau sa-mi amintesc de vacanta, de Grecia. Asa ca am ales o reteta simpla si tare gustoasa.
I wished that autumn waited a little. Every year I wish that summer to be prolonged indefinitely. Maybe until Christmas, because it’s my favorite holiday 🙂 And so I try to ease my longing of sea, sun and heat every way that I can. 
Sometimes with flowers, other times with photos, with summer recipes or with all of them together. 
Today I want to remember about my holiday, about Greece. So I chose a simple and delicious recipe.

Ingrediente (pentru doua portii)
– 250g iaurt grecesc
-6 lingurite de miere poliflora sau de pin
-o portocala
-2 smochine mari
-nuci uscate

Ingredients (for two servings)
-250g Greek yogurt
-6 teaspoons of poly floral or pine honey
-an orange
-2 big figs
-dried walnuts

 Am stors portocala si am folosit sucul pentru a da smochinelor o aroma deosebita.
I squeezed the orange and I used the juice to give the figs a wonderful flavor.

Am taiat coditele si partea de jos a smochinelor si le-am pus intr-un vas impreuna cu sucul de portocale. Le-am fiert cateva minute, intorcandu-le pe toate partile.
I cut the upper and the bottom sides of figs and I put them in a pot with the orange juice. I boiled them for few minutes, rolling on all sides. 

Dupa ce smochinele s-au racit, le taiem in forma de floare.
Desertul se pune in cupe incepand cu miere, cateva nuci, iaurtul, smochina, si in final din nou nuci si miere.
After the figs were cooled off, we will cut them like flowers.
The dessert is put in cups starting with honey, walnuts, yogurt, the fig, and in the end walnuts and honey again.

 Acest desert este foarte simplu si de efect, aspectuos si cu putine ingrediente. Merita sa-l incercati.
Pofta buna!
This dessert is very simple and surprising, engaging and with few ingredients. It’s worth to try it.
Bon appetit!
by boabedecafea -

Jeleu de struguri/Grape jelly

Nu stiu altii cum or fi dar eu trebuie sa recunosc faptul ca toamna si iarna nu sunt anotimpurile mele preferate. Cum exceptii mai exista, iata ca si eu am cateva. Toamna o iubesc numai cand vine vorba de fructele si legumele de care avem parte si iarna pentru luminile si sarbatoarea Craciunului.
Anul acesta am pus in practica o idee mai veche pentru care nu a fost niciodata timp, chef – ce sa mai, timing.
Bunicii mei au in curte cateva tipuri de struguri. Preferatii mei sunt cei de culoare roz, denumiti capsunica sau ananas. Nu as putea sa spun exact de unde aceste denumiri sau distanta ca de la cer la pamant dintre capsunica si ananas. Pun totul pe seama folclorului sau gusturilor diferite ale oamenilor.
Una peste alta, a venit vremea sa prepar un jeleu de struguri roz.
I do not know about others but I have to admit that the fall and winter seasons aren’t my favorite. How exceptions exist, behold, I have a few. I love autumn only when it comes to fruits and vegetables that we have in this time of the year and winter when it comes to lights and Christmas holidays.
This year I put into practice an old idea for which it was never the time or mood – in a word, timing.
My grandparents have in their yard several types of grapes. My favorites are the pink ones called strawberries or pineapple type. I could not say exactly where those names come or to explain the distance from heaven to earth between strawberry and pineapple. Folklore I suspect or maybe people’s different tastes.
Altogether, it was the perfect time to prepare a pink grape jelly.


Ingrediente:
-3 kg struguri
-500 g zahar
-150 ml apa
Ingredients:
-3 kg of grapes
-500 g crystal sugar
-150 ml water

Am spalat si am curatat strugurii de codite. Am pus boabele intr-un vas si am adaugat zaharul si apa dupa care l-am pus la foc. Boabele au fiert in aproximativ o ora si jumatate, la foc mic,pana am obtinut o pasta groasa.  I washed and cleaned the grapes of their stems. I put the grapes in a recipient and added sugar and water then put it on the stove. The grapes were cooked in about an hour and a half on low heat, until we got a thick paste.

 Am strecurat pasta printr-o strecuratoare, pasand usor cu lingura. Astfel s-au separat pielitele si semintele si s-au pastrat sucul si o parte din pulpa. Nu am folosit zahar cu pectina deoarece am considerat ca este suficienta cea din struguri.
Am obtinut cam 900 ml de jeleu pe care l-am pus in doua borcane iar o parte a ramas sa-l gustam. Borcanele le-am sterilizat intr-un vas pe fundul caruia am pus hartie timp de 20 de minute, dupa ce apa a inceput sa fiarba.
I slipped the thick paste through a strainer, passing easily with a spoon. Thus I separated husks and seeds and I preserved the juice and a part of the pulp. I didn’t used sugar with pectin because 
I thought that the pectin from grapes is in off.
I got about 900 ml of jelly that I put in two jars and some left to be tasted. I sterilized jars into a pot where we put paper on the bottom, for 20 minutes, after water began to boil.
Jeleul il puteti servi alaturi de diferite tipuri de branza, la prajituri sau pur si simplu cu unt si paine prajita.E foarte parfumat si usor astringent. 
You can serve the jelly with different types of cheeses, for cakes or just with toast and butter. It’s flavored and somewhat astringent.
by boabedecafea -

Crema de ciocolata cu unt de cacao/Chocolate cream with cocoa butter

In sfarsit ma pot declara multumita ca iarna s-a terminat! Astept de mult timp primavara. Sunt entuziasmata ca in curand vor fi multe flori, iarba si copacii vor fi verzi. Abia astept sa fiu mangaiata de soarele cald al primaverii!
Azi va aduc o reteta perfecta pentru un weekend de primavara. Nu aveti nevoie de multe ingrediente si timp pentru a prepara un desert delicios pentru familie inainte de a iesi la o plimbare – crema de ciocolata cu unt de cacao.
I am finally satisfied that winter is over! I have waited spring for long now. I am excited that soon there will be many flowers, grass and trees will be green. I can not wait to be caressed by the warm sun of spring! 
Today I bring you a recipe for a spring weekend. You don’t need many ingredients and time to prepare a delicious dessert for the family before going for a walk – chocolate cream with cocoa butter.

Ingrediente (pentru doua portii):

– 3 linguri de zahar
– 7 linguri de cacao
-250 ml de lapte
– 1 lingura extract de vanilie
– 2 linguri de unt de cacao
– 1/2 lingura de miere
Intr-o craticioara se pun laptele si cele trei linguri de zahar dupa care se asaza pe foc. Se amesteca usor pana cand zaharul se topeste si laptele s-a incalzit. Se adauga pe rand cele sapte linguri de cacao, amestecand in continuu cu un tel. Compozitia va deveni omogena si in scurt timp va incepe sa fiarba. Se amesteca energic pentru a nu permite lipirea cremei. Cand aceasta s-a ingrosat se stinge focul. Apoi se adauga extractul de vanilie, cele doua linguri de unt de cacao si mierea. Se amesteca bine pentru a omogeniza si se lasa sa se racoreasca. Dupa 5-6 minute se pune crema in pahare si se decoreaza cu fructe proaspete sau chiar cirese din ciresata.
PS: Untul de cacao este sub forma solida la temperatura camerei. Eu am pus sticla in apa calda si l-am topit; asa am reusit sa pun cele doua linguri de unt in crema.
Ingredients (for two servings): 
– 3 tablespoons sugar 
– 7 tablespoons of cocoa 
-250 Ml of milk 
– 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
– 2 tablespoons of cocoa butter 
– 1/2 tablespoon of honey
In a saucepan put milk and three tablespoons of sugar then put it on the stove. Mix gently until the sugar melts and milk is warm. Add in all the seven tablespoons of cocoa (one by one), stirring continuously with a whisk. Composition becomes homogeneous and soon begins to boil. Mix vigorously to prevent the sticking of cream. When it has thickened take the saucepan aside. Then add the vanilla extract, two tablespoons of cocoa butter and honey. Mix well to homogenize and leave it to cool off. After 5-6 minutes pour the cream into glasses and decorate with fresh fruits or cherry from alcohol. 
PS: Cocoa butter is in solid form at room temperature. I put the bottle in hot water and I melted it, so I managed to put two tablespoons of cocoa butter in the cream.

Sa aveti o primavara minunata, plina de soare si flori!

Have a wonderful spring – with a lot of sunshine and flowers!
by boabedecafea -

Dulceata de kumquats cu vanilie/Kumquats confiture with vanilla

Am cumparat acum cateva saptamani o cutie de kumkuats pe care am tot mutat-o prin frigider. La inceput mi s-au parut prea verzi, apoi am fost racita, a venit Craciunul si multe alte chestii care m-au impiedicat sa pregatesc ceva cu ele.
In weekendul trecut mi-am facut vreme si am pregatit o dulceata minunata si aromata.

I bought a few weeks ago a box of kumquats which I have moved in the fridge for some time. At first I thought they were too green, then I caught a cold, Christmas came and many other things that made me not to prepare something with them.
Last weekend I took my time and I prepared a wonderful and flavored confiture.

Iata ce ingrediente am folosit:

– 250 g zahar
– 200 ml de apa
– 200 g kumquats
– 1 pastaie de vanilie
Here are the ingredients that I used:
– 250 g sugar
– 200 ml of water
– 200 g kumquats
– 1 vanilla pod

Am pus fructele in apa calda de mai multe ori, de fiecare data lasandu-le cam 10-15 minute. Astfel m-am asigurat ca nu mai au ceara pe coaja si ca le pot folosi intregi. Am intepat fiecare fruct cu o scobitoare si le-am pus pe o farfurie.
Intr-un vas am pus la incalzit apa, zaharul si pastaia de vanilie. Cand siropul a ajuns la 60-70 de grade Celsius am adaugat fructele. Am fiert fructele si siropul timp de 35-40 de minute. Avand termometru pentru zahar am stiut ca siropul odata ajuns la 120-125 de grade Celsius dulceata mea este gata. Daca nu aveti termometru nu va ingrijorati – dulceata este fiarta atunci cand siropul nu mai curge de pe farfuria intinsa unde am pus cateva picaturi.
I put the fruit in warm water several times, each time leaving them 10-15 minutes. So I made sure to not have wax on the skin and that I could use the entire fruit. I pricked each fruit with a toothpick and put them on a plate.
In a pan I put to boil the water, sugar and vanilla bean. When the syrup has reached 60-70 Celsius degrees  I added the fruits. I boiled the fruits and syrup for 35-40 minutes. With the sugar thermometer  I knew that when the syrup reached 120-125 Celsius degrees  my confiture is ready. If you have no thermometer, do not worry – the confiture  is boiled when the syrup is not flowing from the plate on which I put a few drops in order to try if it’s ready to be taken aside.

Daca aveti mai multe fructe decat mine, dublati, triplati cantitatile si veti obtine o dulceata la fel de buna.
Eu am pus-o intr-un borcan dar voi o puteti servi calduta, pe o felie de paine prajita cu unt, intr-o clatita, pe o gogoasa sau cum vreti voi. In mod clar as asocia-o si cu un ceai cald de citrice!
Poate asa alungam pacostea asta de iarna! 😉
If you have more fruits than I did, double, triple quantities and you’ll get a confiture as good as I did.
I put it in a jar but you can serve it warm on a slice of toast with butter, on a pancake, on a donut or with whatever you want. Clearly I would associate it with a citrus hot tea!
Maybe that this way we’ll chase the winter! 😉

Pofta buna!

Bon appetit!