Povestea unei retete/ A recipe story

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O prietena m-a intrebat odata de unde imi vin ideile. De peste tot. De multe ori de la televizor, sau din vreo revista. De pe internet, sau o reteta romaneasca pe care nu am mai mancat-o de mult. Ideea imi vine subit, cand sunt la servici, si se aprinde beculetul :) Sau vine mai lent, gandindu-ma ce sa fac cu un anumit ingredient din frigider.

Daca reteta exista deja, o iau ca atare, sau o modific, in functie de ce imi place, sau ce ingrediente am. Daca exista ingredientul, caut retete pe internet sau le combin.

Apoi vine ziua gatirii propriu zise. De cele mai multe ori ies victorioasa. Cateodata nu. Sau nu bun deajuns sa ajunga pe blog.

Dupa gatit urmeaza asezarea pe farfurie sau castron, pentru poza (dupa ce am gustat, binenteles, sa nu fac pozele degeaba) si cautarea unui loc luminos. Cu putin aranjament sa dea bine in poza. Si pozele propriu zise. Ce credeti ca urmeaza? Mananc respectiva mancare :)

Pozele asteapta cuminti in calculator pana cand am timp sa le postez.

Momentul postarii vine cu ideea ce am sa spun gata pregatita. Cateodata. Cateodata ma asez in fara calculatorului, scriu titlul si ma gandesc ce sa scriu si cum sa incep.

Si asa reteta ajunge la voi, cei care ma cititi, si vreau sa va multumesc ca ma vizitati.

Reteta salatei de azi am vazut-o intr-o revista, si am omis ce nu mi-a placut (pieptul de pui) si am adaugat ceva ce am crezut ca o sa se potriveasca (ceapa). Mi-ar fi placut sa folosesc rucola, dar nu am gasit la magazin (se pare ca nu am cautat unde trebuia).

Salata cu mango si pastai de mazare

Ingrediente:

o mana de andive, rucola sau chiar salata verde sau spanac
1/2 cana castravete tocat mai mare
1/2 cana mango tocat mai mare
1 cana teci de mazare proaspata, curatata de ate
1/2 ceapa rosie taiata rondele (daca ceapa este foarte mare, folositi un sfert)
2-3 linguri de seminte de muguri de pin (daca nu aveti, inlocuiti-le cu nuci obisnuite)

Se pune o cratita mica cu apa la fiert. Cand apa fierbe, se pune mazarea, si se lasa 4 minute, apoi se scoate si se transfera in apa cu gheata sa se raceasca. Se scurge, apoi se amesteca cu andivele, mango, castravetele si ceapa. Se toarna dressingul deasupra si se amesteca. Se serveste presarata cu seminte de pin.

Pentru dressing:

1 lingurita ghimbir dat pe razatoare
1 lingurita sos de soia
zeama de la 1 lamaie verde
sare si piper dupa gust
4 linguri de ulei de masline

Se amesteca ghimbirul, sosul de soia, zeama de lamaie verde, sare si piper. Se amesteca cu telul si mestecand mereu se adauga uleiul in fir subtire, pana cand este tot incorporat.

Se poate testa dressingul intingand cu putina mazare sau andive in ea.

Se asambleaza chiar inainte de servire, pentru ca andivele se vestejesc repede.

Pofta buna!

A friend asked me once where I get my ideas from. From all over. From TV or from some magazine. From over internet, or some old Romanian recipes that I would like to have it again. Sometimes the idea comes like a revelation, when I’m at work. Or it comes after some thinking what to do with ingredients that I already have in the fridge.

If I already have the recipe, I make it or I change it a little, after my taste, or after the ingredients I have. If I only have the ingredient, I look online for a recipe, or I combine several recipes.

The cooking day comes. Most of the times I come out victorious. Sometimes I don’t. Or the result is not good enough to end up on the blog.

After cooking is plating, for picture (I taste the food, of course) and I look for a good place for the picture. Maybe little staging. I take the pictures, and what do you think it comes next? I eat!

The pictures wait nicely in the computer until I have time to post it, time when I already know what I’m going to write, but most of the times I write the title and I stare at the screen for few minutes until I start.

And that way the recipe ends up on my blog, where you can see it, and I want to thank you all for visiting.

I got today’s recipe from a magazine, I skipped what I didn’t like (chicken breast) and I added something that I thought it fits in there (onions). I would’ve liked to use some arugula, but I didn’t find it in the store, apparently I didn’t look in the right place.

Mango and peapods salad

Ingredients:

1 cup of endives, arugula, or even lettuce or spinach
½ cup roughly chopped cucumber
½ cup roughly chopped mango
1 cup fresh peapods, strings cleaned
½ red onions, round sliced (if you have a large onion, use only a quarter)
2-3 tbsp pine nuts (it can be substituted with walnuts or other nuts that you like)

Bring a small pot with water to boil. When is boiling, add the peapods and boil for 4 minutes. Remove and drain. Place the peapods in ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again, and mix with the other ingredients.

Drizzle the dressing on top and toss. Serve with pine nuts.

For the dressing:

1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp soy sauce
The juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper after taste
4 tbsp olive oil

Mix the ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Keep whisking and add the oil, little at a time, until is all incorporated.
You can taste the dressing, dipping some peapod or some endive in it.

Ensemble the salad just before serving, the endives will wilt very fast.

Enjoy!