Transylvanian Saxon Recipes: Traditional Horns

Might be because there are only 66 days left for Christmas or because I just simply like writing about food, today I decided to open a new ''category'' here for Saxon recipes. Transylvanian Saxons are people of German ethnicity that moved to Transylvania from the 12th century onwards. They love to preserve traditions and form a strong Lutheran (usually though they can also be Orthodox) religious bond, however, the last generations are starting to feel way apart from religion.

Hermannstadt, Transylvania

In any case, due to the strong traditions and the willing of these people to preserve these, passing from grandparents to parents and kids, they enjoy a great variety of rich delicious food that has been cooked according to grandmother's traditions until nowadays. There is currently a cookbook out there and it's a pretty thick one but however is only in German and currently impossible to find it.

But I came up with this idea of sharing some of the recipes that got to my hands and some that I have tried since I was a kid, which are truly delicious and you won't regret, despite these using sugar, margarine,... there are some things that you cannot simply change and when comes to traditional recipes it's truly important to stick with the original recipe otherwise the result it's going to suffer quite a bit. So I suggest not to juggle too much with the quantities or ingredients...

The first recipe today it's going to be Transylvanian Saxon ''Croissants'' (literally: Transylvanian Saxon Horns)

♥ 2 big sour apples
♥ 2 tablespoons of butter
♥ 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
♥ 2 tablespoons of sugar
♥ some icing sugar
♥ 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
♥ 80 grams poppy seeds, ground
♥ 1 package of puff pastry dough (you can find it in your local supermarket, in Finland this is found at S-Market, Alepa or Citymarket and it's pretty common once the winter season is on)


INSTRUCTIONS: Get the puff pastry dough out of the freezer and defrost it. Peel the apples and cut them in slices. In a pan, melt the butter and add the sliced of apple and sauté them until they are really tender Get the pan out of the heat. Add in the pan your sugar, the lemon juice and cinnamon and mix them in the pan to get the flavors together. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes. At the end add the poppy seeds, mix and leave them sit aside for 15 minutes.

Now you take your puff pastry dough and cut it in 6 big squares. In the middle of each square you place some of the apple mix and roll the square in such way that you actually get shape of a horn/croissant.

Place baking paper on your baking sheet and make sure that when you'd place the horns to leave some space in between (as they will expand - so you will avoid them to stick to eachother).
Bake them at aprox. 190 Celsius degrees for about 15 minutes or until you see they are done (easy to stop when the puff pasty has raised and is getting golden).

Enjoy them both cold or hot with some icing sugar sprinkled on top!

Enjoy!

Kitchen pantry is the best Pharmacy: Natural Home Remedies

Most of the time I happen to get sick on a Friday night or Saturday evening, when obviously all the Pharmacies are closed...what a convenient time!

But today I am here to share the little tips we all can use when we happen to feel unhealthy out of a sudden, in the middle of the night or simply when we're not in the mood to visit the Pharmacy.

Sore Throat?

♥ Honey: Antibacterial properties due to its high sugar levels, pH and certain acids, will calm down your throat. Mix 2 tablespoons with lukewarm water or in some herbal infusion and have the drink every 2-3 hours. It is known that the darker types of honey the bigger the antibacterial properties these have. So check that out when you shop for honey next time, as well as sticking to organic.

Another way to use honey to deal with your throat infection is to mix a little bit of honey with a yoghurt and add spices and serve this in your salads or baked food.

After workout muscle pain?

♥ Ginger: With 2 grams a day for a week and a half will reduce to 25% the pain produced after a lifting session. All this because of some antioxidants called gingerols that have the power to reduce the inflammations, similar to what an Ibumax (Ibuprofen) effect. Ginger is also used for reducing nausea and dizziness.

Another way to use it is to grate it and use it in soups, when preparing a chicken breast or for teas, sushi or salads.

Insomnia? Trouble sleeping?

♥ Kiwi: This fruit increases the levels of serotonin, one of the main neurotransmitters inducing you in a nice cozy sleep every night. Add it to your salads, fruit bowls or make a mash out of it and mix it in your favorite smoothies.

Migraine, annoying headache?

♥ Pumpkin seeds: Due to their high content of magnesium, these seeds will provide you with the right quantity you need to unclog your blood vessels around your brain area, softly lowering your blood pressure. A handful of pumpkin seeds everyday will provide you with more than half of the right amount of magnesium you need. Keep in mind that it can provoke constipation for some people, so always have a good source of fiber and natural yoghurt. 

You can have the seeds mixed on your morning oatmeal as well as in your lunch salad.

PMS...?

♥ Almonds: Great source of riboflavin, these are supposed to act on the PMS symptoms and reduce them significantly. Only 30 grams of almonds or nuts will provide you with the 30% of the daily riboflavin intake. You can add them to your yoghurt or cereals, as well as preparing them with quinoa, rice or stir fry them for a delicious green beans dish. By crushing them you can use them to bath your chicken or fish before frying - cooking them!

Jet Lag, travellers!?

♥ Sour Cherries: Great source of melatonin that will get you in a sleepy mood when is dark outside. The day you're travelling, you can eat or have a handful of sour cherries or drink a glass of sour cherry juice as for the next 2 days keep on taking them when it's already dark outside. You can prepare yourself a smoothie or mix the juice of the sour cherries with a little fizzy water!

Stomach acidity, anyone?

♥ Kidney Beans: Fiber fiber fiber, amazing for your heart and digestion. The only thing you need to watch out are the condiments, make sure you wont add too many since it can make this dish a little too heavy for you. You can add them to your vegetarian burrito or you can make a mash out of them and enjoy as a dip.

Hope all these will come on hand next time you will need a medicine! All-natural and effective! Just make sure you have them in your kitchen pantry! 

Pumpkin Spice Latte, inspired by Starbucks'

Hello there! Long time no seen! I know...I know...but uni takes all the time (well uni and transportation) so it has been impossible to me to keep up with the blog, but I am surely not gone for real, just a little break! However today I decided to come back here with one of my favorite type of posts, recipes. Just because I love food and I like sharing them so you all can recreate them back home!

So today I wanted to share with you the Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe. This one is perfect for those who have never got the chance to try the Starbucks' one and for those who would like a more natural, better way better version of it, and home made! You can surprise your dear ones with this one evening and they will surely love it and ask for more! But now let's start with the recipe and please let me know if you've tried it home! 

♥ 3 pieces of a skinless pumpkin slice (placed in boiling water until they are tender - mash them to get 2 and half tablespoons of mashed pumpkin)

♥ a glass of milk

♥ whipped cream

♥ 3 teaspoons of brown sugar (or less if you prefer)

♥ 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla sugar or extract

♥ 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

♥ 1/5 teaspoon of ground ginger

♥ 1/5 teaspoon of ground cloves

♥ 1/5 teaspoon of nutmeg

♥ 1 teaspoon of coffee (add your favorite)

INSTRUCTIONS: First thing to do is boiling the water with your slices of skinless pumpkin, once they are tender (try them with a fork, for instance) get them out of the water and mash them using a blender.

Now you need to mix all the spices all together. Set aside.

Get the milk ready by heating it (medium-high heat) on a pan together with the 2 and a half tablespoons of mashed pumpkin, mix it well until the mash blends with the milk. Add the spice mix you've just prepared and mix well. Add the coffee and keep on mixing. Add the brown sugar and mix until everything is well disolved.

Now you can blend it once again with your blender and add more milk if you want and serve right away with some whipped cream on top and sprinkles of cinnamon and you're done!

Try it out and let me know what you think of it and if you already know the Starbucks version, I would love to hear which one you liked most!

Have a wonderful Thursday evening!