Chai

While ago, under the impulse and a desire to drink a really good tea I created ( although it may be too big word) my own tea mixture. You can easily buy one like that in a tea shop, but why if you can make a lot better and cheaper one by yourself ?!
That’s how black tea with spices create a drink which I will find tasty for a long time, even though I drink it a few times a day!
* by the way I discovered that there is a Darjeeling classification. Mine is TGFOP1 second flush

Ingredients
50g (1,8 oz) black leaf tea
teaspoon cloves
5 grains cardamom
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch fresh ground nutmeg
cinnamon stick

Method
Crush cardamom and cloves in a mortar, mix with all remaining ingredients. Store the mixture in a closed jar.

Potato frittata with goat cheese and spinach

Frittata is a great way to make something good from the leftovers you can find in your fridge. You can use anything you like: French beans left after yesterday dinner, canned green beans from the can you have opened few days ago or cooked especially for frittata asparagus. Add milk, few eggs, favourite spices and your dinner is ready in 15 min.
I added potatoes, spinach and goat cheese. One frittata was enough for 2 people ( it’s a shame nothing left as frittata is also taste when cold – eaten next day for a breakfast at work). Next time I’ll have to make bigger one.

Ingredients ( anything you want, egg mixture has to cover all additions, proportions: ½ cup milk for 4 eggs)
200g (7 oz) spinach (frozen)
8-10 cooked potatoes
½ onion or leek
4 eggs
goat cheese
½ cup milk
salt, pepper
oil

Method
Cook and cool potatoes, dice them. Fry spinach. In a big pan fry the onion, add spinach and potatoes. Season, pour in an egg mixture. Fry on the low heat for a few minutes both sides (to turn the frittata use a plate), or bake in preheated oven to 180 oC (360 F). On top put cheese and fry/bake until golden brown.

The best of the best. Gingerbread

I’ve decide a while ago. Christmas time confirmed it and last week place a dot on ‘i’: the gingerbread is my – without any doubts- favourite cake! For last two weeks I’ve been eating a big amounts of it (surprisingly!) I still don’t have enough. I’m not talking about just another regular gingerbread. Mine has to be heavy, walnuts and day after day become more delicious. Such a gingerbread is not the best straight from the oven. It has to rest, than it is perfect!

The recipe is from ‘Polish Kitchen’ ( book edited in 1982, belongs to my Mum).
Seeing all those dirty pages you can tell it has been used many times J

Ingredients
50og (18 oz) wheat or wholemeal flour
250g (9 oz) powder sugar
250g (9 oz) honey (liquid one)
150g (5,3 oz) walnuts ( optional other nuts or dried fruit)
5 eggs
2 tbsp caramel
1 teaspoon gingerbread spice mixture
1 teaspoon baking soda
100g (3,5 oz) butter (+ some butter to grease the pan)

Method
Grease and flour the loaf pan. Chop walnuts. Prepare caramel: heat 2 tbsp sugar in a pan until golden, whisk it with 3 tbsp water. Sift flour and spices. Mix butter, gradually add egg yolks, powder sugar and honey, caramel, baking soda and spices and ½ flour. Whisk egg whites, gently stir them in the butter mixture, add walnuts. Bake in preheated oven to 200 oC (400 F), for about 1 hour. Cold cake you can store covered in a parchment or an aluminium foil even for a month!

Brazilian coconut buns

I don’t know how is it possible but despite of the huge amount of sweets I ate during Christmas I don’t have enough, and still want more! Today something for breakfast with a tropical flavour. Small, sweet buns with coconut filling. Warm taste like classic coconut cookies. Cold can be served also as a dessert. Extra easy to make Brazilian classic!

Ingredients (make about 12 buns)
dough:
½ cup milk
1 egg (+1 to to brush over buns)
2 cups wheat flour
30 g (1 oz) butter
2 tbsp sugar
2 teaspoon yeast
¼ teaspoon salt
filling:
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup milk
¼ cup milk
¾ cup coconut flakes

Method
Knead all dough ingredients ( for about 8 min. or if you are using a food processor with a dough hook for about 5 min.). Put it aside in a warm place, for about 1-2 hours, until double its size. In a small pan warm up (for about 2 min.) all the filling ingredients until sugar melt and coconut flakes absorb milk. Cool the filling mixture.
When the dough double its size, roll it ( about 5 mm in thickness), evenly spread the filling mixture. Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Cut the roll into equal pieces (about 12), place them on the greased baking pan, leave in a warm spot for another 30 min. Brush the buns with whisked egg, bake until golden brown (15-20 min.), at 200 oC (400 F).

Chocolate cheesecake

My husband is on a diet and that’s why there is plenty of a cottage cheese in my house. I’m not on a diet so I decided to make a cheesecake ( I’m such a good wife!)
I made moist and aromatic cake, good for at least 3 days!

Instead of using muffin pan I used a cake pan (7 in).


Ingredients
cheesecake mixture:
250g (9 oz) cottage cheese ( minced 3-times)
60g (2 oz) sugar
1 egg
Crust
180g (6,5 oz) butter
150g (5,3 oz) sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
3 eggs
120g (4,3 oz) wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Method
Cheesecake mixture: mix cottage cheese with sugar until fluffy. Beat in an egg, well combine.
Crust: Mix butter with sugar until white and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at the time. Add sifted dry ingredients. Half of chocolate mixture pour in lined cake pan, on top of it pour the cheese mixture and again the chocolate one. Using a knife gently stir all layers, so you will get a black and white design. Preheat oven to 160 oC (320 F), bake for about 50 min. Serve cold.