Romanian white bean soup - Ciorba de Fasole

 Romanian white bean soup - Ciorba de Fasole 

A Romanian classic. Every Family has their own recipe. We really like that one a lot.

This is what you need:

- Smoked pork Belly 

- 3-4 cans of white Great Northern beans

- soup vegetables (2 Carrots, 2  Celery, 1 Parsnip, 1 big Onion)

- Tarragon (put in a glass with Vinegar to preserve) 

-  1 TBSP Tomato Paste

- Milk and a bit flour for a slurry 

- Salt and Pepper to taste

This is how you do it:

Take the biggest cooking pot you have. Add around 1 Liter of Water. Cut the Celery, Onion and Parsnip in big junks. Cut the Meat in mouth size pieces. Add everything to the water and let it simmer until the meat is nice soft. Around 30 min.. Then remove the Vegetables and add the carrots to it (however you want to cut it. Just has to be mouth size) and let simmer another 10 min.. Now add the beans (rinsed) Tomato Paste and the milk-flour slurry. Stir everything well and bring back to a simmer. Salt and pepper it to taste. Use around 3 forks full of your in vinegar preserved Tarragon and cut it slightly in smaller sizes. Add to the soup. 

Traditionally the soup is served with a side of hot, marinaded Pepperoni. We can't eat that spicy so we left that part out. Still a very hearty and good soup to eat it plain like this.

Guten Appetit 

Pofta buna 

Shrimps with Zucchini

                    Shrimp with Zucchini

This is a very quick but super delicious Shrimp Recipe. Try it, you will love it.

This is what you need:

- 2 Zucchini, julienned (means, cut in short, thin strips)

- Shrimps

- 2-3 gloves of Garlic

- Zest of 1 Lemon

- 1 TBSP Lemon juice

- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

- spritz of white wine

- little bit of Butter

- Parsley for Garnish

This is how you do it:

Cut the Zucchini in the short, thin strips. Pan fry them in a bit of Olive oil, salt, pepper and red Pepper flakes until they are nice loose and a bit brown. Remove from pan and put on a serving Platter.

Same Pan, add a bit of Butter and fry the Shrimps until they are orange in color. Around 1 min each side. Press the Garlic through a Garlic masher, you don't even have to bother taking the skin off. It will come out just perfect. Season with salt, pepper and red Pepper flakes. Stir for a couple of sec., then cool down the pan with a Spritz of white wine (of your choice). Let the Alcohol cook out for a min.. Now add the Lemon juice and the Lemon zest. Pour the Shrimps over the Zucchini, garnish with Parsley. 

Serve immediately.