Healthy eating with whole wheat tortillas

As you all might already know, I like breads or bread like food. Tortillas are no exception. These are always my “to go” food for quick lunches or even breakfasts.
They are so unsophisticated and can be filled with anything (haven’t yet tried sweet fillings, but I am sure I could find some good match).

I haven’t wrote about them until now, because I always wanted to blog about more “exotic stuff” and these looked too ordinary for me. But they are not, trust me. I learned this myself and now I am sorry I did not post them earlier.

These are perfect for kids, at least my little one loves them stuffed with spicy grilled meat (either chicken, pork or veal), grated mozarella, sweet corn, red bell peppers and tomato sauce.
Hubby likes them with lots of guacamole, shredded pork, grated emmentaler, red onion rings, red bell pepper and salsa. And that’s what he has in his lunchbox for today.

For the tortillas
390 g flour (i have made them with a mix of all purpose-140g and whole wheat – 250g, but they are great with only one of them)
10 ml olive oil
6-7 g salt
265 ml warm milk
13g baking powder
Mix all the above ingridients and then kned for a couple of minutes until you get a smooth, elastc, firm dough.
Place the ball of dough on a cutting board and cover it with a dump towel and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
Make balls out of the dough (50g are mine), place them on the board, cover with the same towel and let them rest for 10 minutes, so the gluten relaxes and makes them easier to roll.
Heat a pan (do not oil/ butter it) on medium. Lightly flour the work surface and roll you balls into thin circles. Place them in the pan for 30-40 s per side – you will know they are ready when bubbles form on the surface and they start to get slightly brownish.
Tortillas can be kept in the fridge well wrapped and reheated when needed but have their best taste when eaten right after being made.

As I made more of them yesterday evening, I am having them as breakfast and as lunch.
For breakfast they are filled with: shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, a few shrimps, strips of red bell peppers all mixed with creme fraiche and topped with a bit of salsa.
For lunch: grilled pork tenderloin, sauteed mushrooms, green salad leaves, cucumber sticks and salsa of course.

Spinach cheesy lasagna

I have done lasagna a couple of times so far, trying different recipes and combinations which promised to the lasagna, the perfect one. This one is the first one without meat. It is good, cheesy and garlicky.
Ruxandra: I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

For a baking dish of 15/ 30 cm
160-200 g lasagna sheets (about 3-4 per layer)
For the tomato sauce:
400 g peeled whole tomatoes
350-400 g tomato puree
3-4 garlic cloves
oregano, salt, pepper
a pinch of sugar
1 medium onion
15-20 g of butter

Melt the butter in a pan and add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Add the tomatoes and puree and the seasonings and let it simmer on low for a few minutes.

For the spinach fillling
500 g mushrooms
700-800 g spinach (cooked)
250 g cream cheese (I used a mix of skim and full fat)
200-300 g mozarella
50 g Parmesan
3-4 cloves of garlic
salt and peper

Cook the mushrooms with a little butter. When done, add the already cooked spinach and the chopped garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
When it cools a bit, add the cream cheese and Parmesan.

To asemble
Butter the baking dish. Spread a few spoons of filling and some sauce and top them with the first layer of lasagna sheets. Spread some more filling and sauce and generously sprinkle mozzarella above. Continue with the rest of the sheets, filling and sauce. For the top reserve a few spoons of filling and sauce which you top with mozarella. Bake covered at first for 30 minutes at 180 degrees. Uncover the dish and let it cook until you can easily insert a knife down to the bottom.
After removing it from the oven sprinkle some more parmesan on top. Serve warm. It is also good reheated on the next day.

Gulas

Dupa ce ne-am casatorit, bucataria sudica a acaparat bucataria noastra: asta stiam, asta trebuia sa manance si M, obisnuit cu bucataria ardeleneasca si ungureasca. Nu stiu daca i-a fost greu sa se obisnuiasca, nu mi-a zis.
Mai tarziu, am inceput sa inteleg farmecul altor culturi, a altor bucatarii.
Ieri am incercat sa-l surprind pe M cu goulas, traditional unguresc, iar reactia a fost pe masura: mancarea a fost apreciata si savurata cu placere.

50-100 g sunca afumata
700 g carne de porc sau vita (eu am folosit pulpa de porc) taiata in cubulete mici
ulei/ unt (eu am folosit unt)
2-3 cepe tocate marunt
3-4 catei de usturoi taiati marunt
2-3 linguri de paprika dulce
chimen (1 lingurita)
25 g faina
30-40 ml otet din vin rosu
50 ml suc de rosii si optional pasta de boia
2-3 cani de concentrat de vita/ porc (fie apa fiarta+ cuburi, fie apa in care ati fiert in prealabil oase de vita/ porc)
sare
2 ardei grasi rosii taiati patratele

Intr-o tigaie mare, se caleste sunca pana e rumenita bine. Se scoate pe o farfurie. In tigaie se pune unt/ ulei si apoi ceapa si usturoiul. Se calesc pana se fac sticloase. Se adauga parika, chimenul si faina, amestecand in continuu aprox 2 minute. Se adauga otetul si pasta de rosii si se mai amesteca cam 1 minut (este destul de gros amestecul). Apoi se adauga: carnea, sunca calita, ardeii, concentratul. Se fierbe la foc mic cam 60 minute – pana ce sosul scade suficient. Se poate servi cu piure, cartofi natur, paste.
Daca vreti sa faceti supa goulas, se adauga 1-2 cani de bere odata cu carnea si nu se lasa sa scada prea tare.

Creveti dulci acrisori cu legume thai

450 g de creveti
3-4 lg sos de soia
1 lgt miere
2 catei de usturoi
1 lingurita de unt
suc de lamaie (lime preferabil)
legume thai (eu am folosit congelate)

Crevetii se curata (daca sunt proaspeti) si se fierb. In wok se pune untul si apoi crevetii si usturoiul. Se lasa cam 5 minute sa se rumeneasca. Se adauga legumele. Cand legumele sunt facute se adauga restul de ingrediente si se mai lasa 2-3 minute sa prinda gust.

Asian chicken and eggplant

450 g de vinete taiate in forma de bete mai groase
150 de grame de piept de pui toca
2 cepe verzi
2 catei de usturoi
ghimbir proaspat feliat
3 lg sos de soia
pasta de fasole iute
1/ 3 cana stock de pui (sau apa+condimente de pui)
1 lgt otet de orez
1 lgt de zahar
1/2 lgt amidon
1 lg de apa

Vinetele se pun in wok cu sare, cu capac si se lasa la foc mic pana se inmoaie.
Se dau deoparte.
In wok se pune o lingurita de unt si pieptul de pui. Cand pieptul s-a albit, se adauga ceapa taiata
mic, usturoiul, ghimbirul si pasta de fasole iute.
Dupa aprox 5 minute, se aduga vinetele si restul de ingredinte in afara de apa si amidon.
Se amesteca apa cu amidonul si se pune peste mancare. Cand sosul s-a ingrosat se ia de pe foc.
Se poate servi asa sau cu orez.

Rulou de vinete cu pui, ciuperci si mozarela

Ingrediente:
2 vinete mari
150g de piept de pui
200 g ciuperci
mozarela (50 g)
sos salsa
piper, paprika, sare, oregano

Vinetele se taie felii subtiri pe lungime. Se presara cu sare si se lasa la scurs pana pregatim carnea si ciupercile.
Carnea se taie in fasii mici si subtiri si se caleste in wok cu sare, piper, paprika si oregano. Separat se calesc ciupercile cu sare.
Se amesteca ciupercile si carnea si se adauga sos salsa atat cat sa se lege amestecul
Pe fiecare felie de vanata se pun 1-2 lingurite de amestec si mozarela taiata fasii subtiri. Se ruleaza, se prinde cu o scobitoare si se baga la cuptor (200g) pentru aprox 15-20 de minute.
Se pot servi cu piureu si sos de salsa.

Scoici cu sos de vin, telina si busuioc

Ingrediente
scoici (400 g)
telina radacina (75-100 g)
ceapa (verde de preferinta – 2)
usturoi
busuioc, paprika, sare
vin alb
rosii (fie proaspete decojite, fie in conserva – aprox 300g)

Scoicile se fierb in vin alb.
Separat, intr-un wok, fara ulei preferabil, se calesc usor ceapa, telina, usturoiul impreuna cu sare, paprika si busuioc – cu capac. Cand telina e moale, se adauga rosiile. Se da un clocot si apoi se adauga scoicile (se mai poate adauga putin vin si 1 lingura de zahar). Se lasa, fara capac la fiert inca 15 minute.
Se pot servi cu orez, paste.

Coltunasi chinezesti

Aluat:
230 g de faina
1/2 (aprox) cana de apa calda
sare
Se pune intr-un castron faina. Peste ea se adauga cam jumate din apa si se amesteca bine. Se mai adauga apa, pana ce aluatul devine elastic si nelipicios. Se framanta bine inca 5 minute. Trebuie sa fie foarte elastic. Se lasa deoparte cam 10-15 minute.
Umplutura:
piept de pui/ muschi de porc/ amestec pui-creveti sau porc-creveti (250 de grame)
1 morcov potrivit ras sau bambus daca gasiti
ghimbir proaspat ras (aprox 15 g)
ceapa verde taiata marunt (1-2 mici)
cateva foi de varza noua sau napa (aprox 75 g)
3 linguri de sos de soia
sare
1 lingura de amidon de porumb
ciuperci taiate marunt (cam 100 g)

Se amesteca toate.

Din aluat, se face un sul si se taie felii din el. Eu am facut felii de aprox 12 g. Se intind foi subtiri, care se umplu cu amestecul de carne (aprox 15-20 de grame/ coltunas ca sa nu fie prea plin).
http://www.chinatouching.com/wp-content/photos/Chinese_Dumpling.jpg – aici aveti o pozuta cu modul in care arata.
Se umplu toti coltunasii si ii puteti face in 2 feluri: fierti sau prajiti
Pentru cei fierti:
Se pune apa la fiert cu putina sare. Se pun coltunatii in apa si se lasa la fiert aprox 15-20 de minute sau pana incep sa pluteasca.
Pentru cei prajiti:
Se pun 2-3 linguri de ulei intr-o tigaie, se pun coltunasii si se lasa cateva minute pana se rumenesc. Nu se intorc, ci se pune cam 1/2 cana de apa si se acopera cu un capac pana s-a evaporat apa. Se ia capacul si se mai lasa inca aprox 2 minute la foc mic.

Ii puteti servi cu: sos de soia, sos de chili dulce sau un sos din:
sos de soia
otet balsamic
sos de chili dulce
ghimbir ras sau praf
usturoi pisat/ ras
ceapa verde taiata rondele
sare
sahar sau miere