Bulgur Salad

Yay, the sun is back in London!! After two weeks of almost constant rain I couldn't have been more excited in the past couple of days - the warm light dancing around your nose while you shuffle through miles and miles of piles and piles of leaves in gold-orange-brown tones - quintessentials of autumn!
Most times I actually took off my jacket while sitting in the sun - it almost felt like summer.

And summer reminds me of this:

A slightly tangy, slightly sweet, light and bursting in flavour Bulgur Salad with green bean, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, onion and lime. I had it for lunch for a week straight once and planned on bringing it to a bunch of get-togethers: picnics and bbqs during the whole past summer months, well in the end those plans got cancelled by the german summer weather but I can assure you that this recipe can easily be transformed into an autumn one: it comforts you when you sit on the couch and eat it with a spoon straight from the bowl (and no, I definitely did not do that.. or maybe I did but you won't tell anyone, right!?). And if you can why not incorporate some roasted pumpkin or carrots? Adding a little autumn-y orange and even more flavour for a vitamin-packed-flu killer salad - 'cause that's another one who seems to have settled in in London for now.. Have a great and hopefully flu-free autumn everyone!

Bulgur Salad

- makes 6 generous (main course) servings

- 1 and 1/2 cup bulgur

- 2 cups/300g green beans, cooked

- 1/2 a cucumber

- 1 onion

- 1 tomato

- 1 bell pepper (I used a green one)

- 4 Tbsp of black pitted olives

- juice of 1 lime

- 5 Tbsp olive oil

- 3 Tbsp white vinegar

- handful of chopped parsley

- salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the bulgur in water according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile chop the vegetables: cooked beans, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper and olives into small cubes/pieces. Then slice the onion into rings.

3. Mix the cooked bulgur with the chopped vegetables.

4. Prepare the dressing: Mix the oil and vinegar with the limejuice, parsley and salt and pepper.Pour over the prepared salad and mix well. Let it sit in the refrigerator preferably at least 2 hours or overnight before serving to allow for the flavours to sink in. Serve and enjoy!

Quiche with Smoked Salmon and Sundried Tomatoes

 

Ask one about the indicators for spring and he or she will probably give an answer like "twittering birds in the morning, first green and colourful spots in nature and dishes with fresh veggies and fruit". While I totally won't argue about those facts, as I am a great fan indeed, I've found yet another factor to show me that the warmer seasons has arrived: quiches!

Yes, those crisp crusts filled with an egg mixture and savoury or sweet produce which start to pop up at every corner in the digital as well as the real-life world in the moment: in cafeterias and food galleries. And I'm totally with that vibe: nothing comes close to the taste of a fresh homemade quiche enjoyed at a picnic or get-together on one of the first warmer evenings! (how can one not love the changing of the clocks - okay, minus the hour that was "stolen" and the all-dark-again mornings...).

Conclusion is: ithappens to be springtime - I've also munched on the first aspargus this week and to kickstart the endorphine production decided to bake up a quiche that already tastes like summer with yet a touch of spring: Smoked Salmon and Sundried tomatoes get accompanied by fresh basil leaves and a dash of parmesan.  The red splash of colour and sunny tastes pairs beautifully with the smoky nuances and the basil leaves can also be found in the crust to give it all a fresh, green-dotted appearance. Happy springtime!

Quiche with smoked salmon and sundried tomatoes
- makes enough for one 9 inch pan (I've used several smaller ones and froze the leftovers)
Crust:
- 200 g flour (I've used whole wheat flour)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ~4 tbsp water
- a dash of pepper
- a generous handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 200 ml milk
- 2 Tbsps creme fraiche
- dash of each pepper and ground nutmeg
- 200g smoked salmon
- 30g sundried tomatoes
- 50g parmesan, freshly grated
- a few fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 175 °C.
2. Mix together the flour and salt, then add in the basil, olive oil and pepper and gradually mix in the water until a soft dough is formed.
3. Roll the dough out and press into a pan. Blindbake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile prepare your filling: finely chop the tomatoes and basil leaves and cut the salmon in small stripes. Beat together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add in the grated cheese but reserve about one Tbsp. Take the crust out of the oven, evenly distribute the salmon, the tomatoes and the basil on top, then pour the egg mixture all over. Bake for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle the reserved cheese on top and continue baking until top is golden and middle is set. You might need to temporarily cover the quiche with aluminium foil or a lid to prevent browning. Take it out, let cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan and allow for further cooling or serve straightaway. Best accompanied by a fresh green salad. Enjoy!

Baked Spinach with White Beans & Quinoa {vegan + gluten-free}

Yay, it's that time of the year again when fresh (baby) spinach is in season 'round here :D
Sooo, I'm getting creative to sneak these super power greens in my daily diet in all ways possible - call me addicted, I'll admit it!

I'm wrapping it up in a tortilla, using it as is in a salad, sauteeing, or chopping into a stir-fry, never getting tired at all!

Just a crazy fact btw before I'll continue with the recipe: I've never liked spinach as a little kid ever, and my parents really tried everything: raw, cooked or sneaked into different kind of bakes. There's a leafy green inside - no chance that I would've touched it! But luckily tastebuds change and so I'm all in for spinach now!





Today's recipe is one of my most favourite ways to have it: baked, with (white) beans and quinoa, plus a good squeeze of lime, some herbs and spices - healthy comfort food perfection!
This dish is vegan and gluten-free and doesn't require a lot of work: all you do is to basically mix the ingredients into a skillet or oven-proofed baking dish, cover it, bake for 20 minutes and further 5 minutes uncovered if you like to have some crispness on top like me ;-).

So it's perfect for these current first days of spring weather, when basically all you want to do is to soak up as much sun as possible and spending long hours in the kitchen aren't an option. Of course it is easily whipped up and devoured on other days as well ;-).
Top it with a good dollop of yogurt (using soy or similar to keep it vegan) or add an egg or some chicken for non-vegans/non-vegetarians :) (my favourite way is the chicken!).

Baked Spinach with White Beans & Quinoa
- serves one, recipe can easily be doubled, trebled, quadrupled, .... adjusted to the needed serving-size
- 150g/ Spinach, use defrosted one if needed
- 30g/ 1/3 cup uncooked Quinoa or 100g/ 1 and 1/3 cup cooked Quinoa
- 120g/ 1/2 cup White Beans, canned or cooked
- 1 Tbsp Lime juice
- 1 pinch of each: nutmeg, ginger, pepper and salt
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
-optional, for garnishing: lime juice, yogurt, parsley, pepper, salt

1. Cook the Quinoa according to package directions.
2. Finely chop the spinach, then mix all the ingredients into a skillet or oven proved baking dish, cover with aluminium foil.
3. Bake in the oven at 375°F/175°C for 20 minutes, then remove and serve or bake for a further 5 minutes uncovered to get a criper top.
4. Garnish with some optional yogurt, parsley, pepper and salt and give another good squeeze or splash of lime juice on top. Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Hokkaido Wedges

Pure clear orange, brilliant and bursting with vibrant tones. When you cut into it you'll find lighter, slightly yellow flesh, filled with the typical seeds. Let me introduce you to Hokkaido Squash, also known as Red Kuri Squash it's a typical winter squash with a nutty-slightly sweet flesh, perfect as a regular soup or to enrich casseroles, stews or even cakes and pies.



As I opt for salad for dinner during the week I always look for some nice seasonal add-ins to create an interesting meal. And there is hardly anything better than roasted hokkaido squash in the moment: it doesn't only adds the complementary colour of orange to the pale green - it's also a perfect low calorie vitamin source! (to be honest, I totally feel bombed with bacterias in the moment as everyone is coughing around me...)



And once again it's a recipe as easy as 1-2-3! Roast it on a sunday afternoon and you'll be left with a take-out-of-the-fridge topping for salad, bread or even just plain maybe with a drizzle of olive oil and some feta cheese - delicious (and so good for you)!



I'm currently munchin on some of this goodie, to keep me going through all the studying that needs to be done, so this post's quite short - sorry for that, but be prepared for some interesting long(er) posts during the holidays (taking place in two weeks)!


- all lined up, drizzled in oil and herbs, ready to be roasted -

Roasted Hokkaido Squash Wedges
- 1 Hokkaido/Red Kuri Squash
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- optional: salt, pepper and herbs like rosemary or thyme for increased flavour

1. Preheat your oven to 225°C/430°F. Wash your squash and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds - you might consider keeping them for later roasting. Cut the two halves in 4-5 Wedges each.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil, lay the wedges on the sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Optionally garnish with some fresh or dried herbs to your liking - I used some fresh rosemary.
3. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Either serve the wedges right away with some feta cheese or let cool completely and serve in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge. Enjoy!

Homemade 1 Hour Bread

20.2 Megapixels, vari angle LCD Display with touchscreen, up to 7 pictures per second, Full HD 1080p Video or a built-in Wireless Connectivity....

Those are the things that currently keep me around cloud 7.895.385.398.....934 - UNIMAGINEABLE!

After approximately two years of regular working and keeping all most pennies I've finally got it:
my new camera!! I first noticed the Canon EOS 70D a few months ago and immediately fell in love, 'cause it had everything I've wanted, for a price in my budget (or at least one I was willing to work for even harder ;-)).



I will never need any (psychedelic) drugs: the first pictures absolutely killed it! No comparison to my (still) beloved Canon EOS 1000D which will hold a place in my heart but for now also on the shelve... Sorry, I'm getting melancholic :-P.



If you've ever bought something similar (saving anything and everything for a long time for this ultimate goal) then you quite possibly can relate to my current state: dancing around, bawling out christmas songs (sorry to my dear neighbours, but the first snow this week just increased my need for all things christmas-y) and randomly hugging everyone in sight (you know: family and friends, 'cause I'm not thaaat weird - or at least I think so...).
So we can sum up: I'm in love!



Add a wakeful hour at 4 am in the morning to the impatiently wait to try out my new darling (like really, why do batteries always have to charge over night when they're new?) and we'll end up with something fresh-made in the morning, to soon be the first "victim" for my horrible skills with getting to know new cameras ;-P.

And what's easier then an 1 hour homemade bread, using half whole wheat and half all purpose flour to be devoured for breakfast? Yep, not much :D I sadly just managed to take some photos of it in the early afternoon, so the light was already fading and the pics got quite dark :-/.



But I don't want to bother you any longer with how weird I can act out in person, just one last ultimate tip on how to enjoy fresh bread - which in my opinion is the only way you should ever choose (!!) - Sorry to be so direct guys, but I'm trying hard to inherit this to all my friends, who mostly just see bread as bread instead of a piece of art made of flour and water with optional add-ins - you see I have a really personal relationship to things - and yaa I'm one of these crazy people who speeks with objects, don't judge me!



Back to how to eat bread (okay, that sounds weird, like who doesn't now how to eat...): take (fresh) bread, the best olive oil you can get your hands on and some good quality grainy sea salt. Slice the preferably still warm bread and either drip the oil on top of a slice and sprinkle with the salt, or first dip the bread into the oil and then the salt = HEAVEN (sorry butter, but for me you just have to move over, nothing tops fresh steaming homemade bread with aromatic oil and luxury salt). When you have the chance to get some fancy variations of oil and salt (the black sprinkles on top of the slice in the pictures isn't pepper, it's actually black hawaiian salt :-O totally addicting!) this makes a nice unique appetizer when guests are around - really quick preperation and you have enough time to share with them instead of nervously whirling around in your kitchen.

Homemade 1 hour Bread
- makes one medium sized loaf (serves 5-6 people for breakfast)
- 300g/ 2 and 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour (can be substituted with All Purpose, it just makes the bread a little heartier)
- 325g/2 and 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 and 1/2 tsp Salt
- 500 ml/ Buttermilk

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Mix all dry ingredients, then add in the buttermilk, stirring with a wooden spoon until a thick and wet dough resembles.
2. Line a baking pan (I used a ~30x12cm pan) with parchment paper, then spoon in the dough.
3. Bake in your oven for 1 hour, until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Take it out, let cool for 10 minutes on the countertop, then remove from the pan and let cool for at least a further 5 minutes. Serve fresh bread with olive oil and sea salt. Enjoy!

Wake me up Breakfast Buns

If someone asks me about my favourite food it takes me a mere second to answer: breakfast! I just can't be specific, as all things breakfast-y are in the permanent top spots of my food favourites: from some crisp french toast to eggs and spinach or some baked beans and sausages - looove them all! One staple in our home are buns. When during the week it's all about my loved oatmeal with fruit and yogurt on saturdays and sundays cold butter melts on a fluffy but crusty bun right on my plate, just waiting to be topped with some cheese or homemade jam: weekend perfection! 

 

 

It's like a sport here to find the bakery with the most perfect buns: crusty outside but pillowy soft on the inside, not to sweet but not to salty either. In the end there's just one thing better then some fresh baked buns from out favourite bakery - that is, you might have guessed: a homemade bun, just taken out of my beloved oven still hot to the touch and steaming as it cools of.

 

At some time in the past years my body decided for me to be a morning kind of person. I could easily sleep until lunch during elementary school, but now: not so much. 7 am in the morning and I'm awake, no further possibility of drowsing or turning around for 5 more minutes, my eyes won't close and my feet just wait to start moving. As if to say "the early bird gets the worm" my body wants to start being productive. Not that this isn't a bad thing, we had some discussions and try outs about it in the past, and now accepted this fact: during the weekend he lets me wake up early and during the week he's more of a lazy one... Bad Compromise I guess, but hey: with waking up early I can spent some time in the kitchen, preparing fresh homemade breakfast goods for the family, to wake up to all those comforting smells coming from the kitchen!

 

 

For today's breakfast buns you certainly don't have to be an early bird: these take 30 minutes from start to finish, which means you can whip them up in your pyjamas and while laying the table the dough will be turned into a crisp crust with soft interior! The ingredients are so basic and the process is so easy, that you might as well still be sleeping with an eye ;-).

What makes them even better: the basic recipe makes 4 buns, perfect for a whole weekend for one person or for one breakfast for two! As tomorrow's sunday you can wake up your loved one(s) with a lovely homemade breakfast or just treat yourself alone and freeze the leftovers - and all without waking up too early for hours of kneading!

 

Breakfast Buns
- makes 4 buns, each about 4 inch in diameter
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour (can be substituted with all purpose)
- 1/2 cup Milk (you might need more, according to the texture of your flour)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- optional: about 2 Tbsp of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients and the optionals if you prefer a certain taste direction. Then gradually add in the milk and stir with a fork until well incorporated and a sticky, thick dough is formed. If dough is too dry just add in a little more milk by the tablespoon.
4. With a tablespoon put dollops of dough (about 4 inches in diameter) onto the parchment paper and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. The buns are done when they can easily be taken of the parchment paper and sound hollow when tapped. Take them out and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Quick Recipe Post: Pumpkin Soup with Veggies

 



Just a quick recipe post, as I have a healthy cookie recipe to be posted this weekend!
Lightning kept killing me this week - 5 pm and it's pitch black! When should I take my photos? Ahh, the daily time problem... :-((

So, please excuse the quite dark picture, but I just didn't want to hide this so easy yet incredibly delicious soup. Some basic pumpkin gets paired with tomatoes and carrots to create a healthy yet rich soup - perfectly topped off with some (greek) yogurt!

Pumpkin Soup with Veggies
- serves 4 people as a filling main dish
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 kg fresh pumpkin (or use your favourite squash instead!)
- 4 medium sized carrots
- 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
- 600 ml water
- 2 Tbsp Chicken/Vegetable Broth
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- optional: salt, pepper, (greek) yogurt for topping.

1. Carve the pumpkin, removing skin and seeds - you'll just need the flesh. Peel and cut carrots into small pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot to medium high heat. Peel the onion and add it to the heated oil, watch as it might burn quickly. Peel the ginger and cut it into small cubes.
3. Add the carrots and the ginger to the pot. Sautee it for 5 minutes then mix in the pumpkin and the tomatoes with their juice. Mix the water with the broth and add it to the pot. Let it simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Give the soup a good stir and add in the cinnamon and salt/pepper according to your taste.
5. Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup together until its smooth. If its too thick you might want to add in some more broth.
6. Return to heat and let it simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with some greek yogurt, pepper and top with a few parsley leafes. Enjoy!