Asparagus but different!

What do you do when you find the taste of a vegetable great but don't succeed to properly cook it?

a) give up and pretend you didn't know about it's existence
{ booo! quitter }
b) only eat it at the restaurant
{ booo! snob }
c) ask your dear (experienced cooks) ones to prepare it for you once in a while
{ booo! leech}
d) keep on trying even if you failed several times in your 'chef wannabe' career
{way to go! you just won a free, possibly tasty, selfmade meal}

You only have the priviledge to enjoy asparagus two months a year so you'd better show it some respect. But what can one do when they come from a country where people didn't even know what asparagus is or how it looks like. Nowadays they do know what it looks like, throw intrigued glances at it in the supermarket and pass on by to the more trusted potatoes.
And what can the same above mentioned person do when she lands in what seems to be "the Kingdom of Aspargus". A country where people worship this vegetable, call it Royal and even hold annual festivals in His majestic honor.

I was about to take the road of a a+b+c, when I saw this beautiful (adoptive-land harvest) bundle of white Spargel and decided to give it one last shot.
First I mentally prepared myself for the bitter taste of failure and the very annoying ropy, firbous overcooked vegetable inbetween my teeth. Anything but royal in wood-food, I tell you.
Peeled them ( it went smoother than ever..already a good sign). Washed them well. Put them in the pan covered with about 3 big cups of water and the never missing pinch of salt. Till here I had a plan but what happened after was nothing but spontanous moves. While the water started to boil I realized I have some perfect green onions and green garlics in the fridge (home land, home garden's harvest). So I thought they cannot do any harm. Wikipedia says they are the older cousins of asparagus, so it was time for a little family reunion. Plus I didn't want them to end in the garbage one week later. This hand full of green cousins, again well peeled and washed but not cut, landed too in the pan.

After they boiled for some minutes I added some leftover cream (not more than half a glass). Poured some hot water from the pot into a cup and anded one table spoon of flour and a small cube of herb butter and stirred strongly till I got a homogenous mix, then added the composition to the asparagus and let it boil further while stirring till it got the right density. At last I added some cayenne pepper and used the blender ( the one I use for milkshakes) to get a nice dense 'Spargelcremesuppe' à la Moi. I enjoyed this great spicy soup with some smoked bacon and a lot of sunshine on my terrace.

Who followed my blog might notice a *cough* tiny resemblance with my "My Smooth Pea Soup..." last winter. In my defence I can only say : it tastes different. And I love soup no matter what time it is. There is no better proof of that than this blog being launched with a soup.

Bon Appetit! and God bless mid-week religious holidays :-) and sunny days!

Cabbage Burek...once you start, it's hard to stop

It's saturday morning, they announced unusual warm weather and sun today and there are lots of pleasant or less pleasant things to be done. But I can't do that before I have my cup of coffee and while drinking my coffee, I thought I should share a piece of my pie with you guys. And as I cannot literally share my pie, I will share my recipe.
I wanted to bake it for quite some time now, due to this vivid memory about the cabbage pie we ate on the university's halls, when we had late evening courses to attend to.

I know for many of you cabbage might rhyme well with garbage... but you may keep that thought to yourself.
For some it is fasting time, some are vegetarians or have a vegetarian friend, and this pie can be so delicious without any use of animal products.
For some it is diet time and is a known fact that cabbage is a negative calorie food.
And those who are neither fasting, nor vegetarian, nor losing weight, they might just try something else.

Ingredients:

• Burek or filo pastry. If you are as lucky as me to have a turkish store around the corner, then you might find Burek pastry. I used them for the first time yesterday. They look like some giant, raw pan cakes. And that is what they are but it turns out they are a little more sophisticated pan cakes, they are layered pan cakes. If you don't live in Cologne though, filo pastry is just as good, for sure.
• 1 small cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• olive oil - generously
  
• 1 egg (optional)
• water
• fresh dill
• spices: salt, pepper, rosmarin, caraway, marjoram etc.
• sesame seeds (optional)

How to do it:

• cut the onion and then the cabbage very small ( read: put them in the mixer, one at a time)
• put some oil in a pan, stew the onion, later add the cabbage too, add some water and keep stirring from time to time so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• spice it up (salt, pepper, rosmarin, caraway, marjoram)
• keep adding a little water as it drops down
• when the cabbage is soft (done) add some fresh dill in the composition
• oil a big backing pan, put two layers of pastry at the bottom, spray the pastry with some oil, so that it won't get to dry later
• now, depending on how big is the backin pan and how much cabbage you got, you can either put just one layer or more cabbage-pastry layers. I only had one, because I was hungry and lazy.
• another layer of pastry on top, well sprayed with oil, some water and if you like a well blended egg for a nice golden coat.
• I only now got the brilliant idea of spreading some sesame seeds on top. That should not only look good but taste good as well. Will come back with an edit when I try that. It might be sooner than you think, cause I saved some Burek 'pan cakes' in the freezer.
• slice the pie while still raw. Later it will be difficult and it will break ( I promise that).
• put it in the oven for about 40 minutes or so, at about 180 degrees, till you have a nice golden crust on top

Bon Appétit! And watch out...you might not get enough of it!

Aromatic Moussaka

I happen to like all oven-cooked dishes and I happen to be a sucker for Balkan and Mediterranean food, Moussaka included. But I wanted to make it different this time so after some research on the net, after watching a dozen of videos, each and everyone different than the other, I came up with my combo. It is a time eater this one..so take your time.

Ingredients:

• potatoes. I used about 5-6 small ones. But the bigger the easier.
• 1 x big aubergine
  
• 400g minced meat. I used beef. Alternatives: lamb for an original Greek style Moussaka, pork for a fattier one or a mix between any of the above mentioned. ( I even saw a video with turkey minced meat :)) . It was so hilarious, a body builder guy cooking this moussaka with ingredients like 'baking spray' and 'all spice'. WTF are those? )
• 1 x can of tomatoes sauce or tomatoes
• 1 x onion
• 4 x cloves of garlic
• 1 x can Greek yogurt (if Greek one is hard to find, any creamy yogurt you find at the store)
  
• 1 x Greek feta cheese package (if Greek feta is not accessible, the local feta cheese)
• 2 x eggs
• 40g grated parmesan
  
• some mint leaves
• oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, sage (the regular Mediterranean spices combo). I used Italian spices mix, still cheating but better than the 'all spice' mix the muscle man used, no offense.
  
• salt & pepper
• pinch of cinnamon
• olive oil to fatten the pan and cooking form

Preparing:

• wash and slice (in max 1 cm thick , even slices) the aubergine(s), put them on a kitchen tissue side by side and spread coarse-grained salt on them and cover with a big baking pan, preferably with something heavy on top. Leave them for about half an hour like that. This step is important so that you get all the water out of them. That is a lot of water.
  
• peel , wash and slice thin the potatoes. Oil a baking pan and put the potatoes in the oven for at least 10 minutes on each side.
  
• drain and clean the aubergines with some tissue to remove both the water and the salt. Repeat the potatoes operation with the water-free aubergines. 7 mins on each side should be enough this time.
• chop the onions and 2 of the garlic cloves. Half of the garlic cloves will go with the onions in the meat sauce and the other half in the yogurt-cheese sauce.
• sauté the minced meat till it turns brown, then add the onions and half of the garlic and stir in.
• pour the tomatoes paste and add the spices, including a pinch of cinnamon and pepper, let in on medium fire till it has a nice consistency. Add half of the parmesan, stir it in and take the sauce off the fire. I didn't add any salt at this point, because feta is salty enough and the aubergines may have also kept some of the salt we used in the dehydration process.
  
• yogurt, feta, the other 2 garlic cloves, the eggs, the other half of the parmesan and mint leaves go straight in the food processor or blender. The taste that comes out is divine.
• now finally, in an oiled backing form, set first a layer of potatoes, than a meat sauce layer, then the aubergines and on top pour the cheese sauce.
• leave it in the oven at 200 degrees for about 30-40 mins till the top coat turns golden-brown.
  

Serve with olives and red wine or ouzo!

Smooth Pea Soup with Smoked Salmon Roles

Please, don't ask where are the roles, given the above picture... trust me, they are there somewhere, in there.. Just for the record, practice is always tougher than theory :P
This is probably not perfectly fit for the cold season, neither is it a typical Advent's dinner but I really enjoyed it today. If you feel like taking a pause from all the greasy holiday dishes, this is a wonderful, very fine delight. And it is as easy to make as it is to eat :)

What you need (4 portions):

• 250 g peas - I used dried ones for a starchier, hardier flavored taste, but you can experiment fresh or frozen beans just as well
• 4 slices of smoked salmon
• 2 shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 hand of chives (tiny chopped)
• 3/4L vegetable stock
• 1 cup of cream or Crème fraîche
• butter
• spices: salt, pepper, nutmeg

How-to:
1. Boil the peas as advised on the package. Dried peas in my case 1, 1/4 h in 3/4L water. Fresh or frozen peas should be a lot less than that, if the above mentioned timing freaked you out.
2. Roll the salmon slices with some chives and pack them in sealing foil and leave them to rest a while (20 mins or so) in the fridge.
3. Chop the shallots and garlic cloves in tiny pieces and stew them in some butter. Add the drained peas, the veggies stock and let it boil for another 5 mins.
4. Spice up with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then purée the whole thing with a mixer. Add cream or crème fraîche
5. Cut the salmon roles in fine slices and decorate the soup as good as you can.

Bon Appétit!

I must say there is something that I like about the first picture, besides the taste. Probably the chromatic and non-chromatic in it.

Goat Cheese in Bacon Coat with Colored Lentils Salad

This comes out of my love for cheese and Mediterranean flavors, combined with the curiosity for what else you can do with lentils besides the traditional lentils soup. And of course you can do way much more. Lentils come in a large color palette, they are rich in proteins, dietary fiber, vitamin B, iron and other goodies. If curious, check this article in Health magazine.


Ingredients for 3 - 4 portions:

• 8 slices of goat cheese. I used "Frico Belle Blanche", a delicious, mild Dutch cheese. I think it's important to have a pretty firm cheese. Consider the fact that it would be heated and you want it melting on your tongue rather than in your pan.
  
• 8 slices of bacon or ham
  
• some branches of fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp (olive) oil
  
• 1 tbsp honey
• 250 g red lentils
• 3 stalks of spring onion
• a bunch of rucola
• a branch of cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tapenade or olives (optional - I completely forgot this ingredient and added it later, you can do without it)

For the vinaigrette:

• 4-5 tbsp (extra virgin) olive oil
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 tbsp mustard
• sugar
  
• salt
  
• pepper

How to do it. It's so simple, a child could do it.

• Boil the lentils according to the instructions on the package.
• While the lentils boil, cut about 1 cm thick slices from the goat cheese and wrap them in the bacon slices. Heat up ca. one table spoon of (olive) oil in the frying pan, add some rosemary branches. Roast gently the wrapped cheese slices on both sides. Add the honey and glace them. Too bad there is no "attach smell" option. I would have used it here, cause it's a symphony! ♫ ♬ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♬ As you take them out, spice them up with some pepper.

• When the lentils are ready, pour off the water and let them cool down. In the meanwhile cut the onions in rings and the cherry tomatoes in halves. Wash and dry the rucola.
• Mix the oil, vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, adding salt, sugar and pepper till you are pleased how your vinaigrette tastes. Marinate the lentils with this nice oily-sour-sweet-spicy potion and add the veggies & greens.
• Serve the lentils salad and the goat delicacies on a plate. Enjoy!
  

I was kind of starving at the end, and never intended to post this recipe in the first place, so excuse the leftish arrangement, the poor quality of light and so on. But I can assure you it tastes great ;)


**Note: The sources I use for this blog are the internet and cooking books. I don't take credit for these recipes, neither do I claim inventing them. I just add my personal note, replace some ingredients , adjust the quantities to my taste, sometimes mix 2-3 recipes in one, and add some information or advice that I would have found useful myself.

Steamed Chicken stuffed with Coriander - Chili - Butter

This was my first steaming experiment and also a poor attempt to start a diet. I got this nice 2-layered bamboo steamer from the Asian store the other day. And it is indeed an easy, efficient and healthy way to cook. I had some small incidents but I won't let it happen again. Let's steam!

They say these ingredients are enough for four people, but I say it's for two only, and in this particular case those two persons are the 'today-me' and the 'tomorrow-me' (being selfish, or are these the first signs of a multiple personality?)

• 4 nice full chicken breast fillets
• 50g soft butter
• 4 tbsp fresh hacked coriander - (or any herb of your choice)
• 1 chili chopped in tiny pieces
  
• a regular can of coconut milk
• 200g basmati rice
• 350 ml chicken stock or water
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 cucumber
• 3 spring onions (as you see, I used 2 and 1 small leech, cause I ran out of onions)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  

- Step 6 -

How to do it in 8 fun, simple steps:

1) mix the butter, chili and coriander

2) fill the pockets with the herb-butter stuffing

3) salt & pepper and wrap the stuffed fillet in backing paper, like a Christmas candy

4) put the coconut milk and chicken stock in a pot and as it starts boiling add the rice

5) lay the wrapped chicken in the steamer, the steamer on the pot, at (!) low heat. Here I had my first incident, the heat was too high and the milk burst out

6) let it there for 15-20 minutes, and stir the rice once or twice in the meanwhile. At this point I had my second incident. Never underestimate the heat of the steam!

7) while the chicken and rice are being cooked, you slice the cucumber, onions and carrot. For good aesthetics, you can challenge your patience by cutting them in julienne strips. Huh, now you probably wonder if I used my samurai skills to do that. No, I cheated to be honest, I used a special julienne cutter ;) Pour the vinegar over the strips.

8) when the chicken is tender and the rice has been boiled, take it away from the fire, unwrap the chicken and serve it on the coconut milk-rice and decorate with the salad strips.

Hot Flavored Pumpkin for Cold, Rainy Days

This was my Halloween themed meal, and though not my favorite of all dishes but still something to try for the open-minded (or should I say open-mouthed ?). As far as my research went, it is an African dish... but I wouldn't bet my pumpkin on it.
Start cooking this 2 hours before you are about to get hungry. Yeah, I know it sounds mean... but I talk from experience. Feel free to play with ingredients, quantities...The (imprecise) figures I will list here are enough for 2 servings:

Ingredients:

• a 2 kg Hokkaido pumpkin
• 300g chopped (or minced) lamb ( / pork / beef) meat
• a handful of rice
• half stalk of leek
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 onion
• some fresh parsley leaves
  
• raisins
• almonds
  
• 1 tbsp of hot paprika & 1/2 tbsp of sweet paprika powder
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon (not only a spice, but also a medicine)
  
• a pinch of nutmeg
  
• a dash of coriander
  
• a touch of cayenne pepper
  
• juice and peeling of half a lemon
• one small dried chili (or big, or 2 big ones..depends on your tolerated level of hotness)
• some olive oil
• salt and pepper
• playfulness
  

How to prepare your pumpkin:

• Hackle the (already washed) parsley, press the garlic clove(s) and mix them with the meat , the cinnamon, some of the lemon juice and lemon peelings, the spices and salt. Cover the crazy mix and let it rest in the fridge for a while.

• Carve a cap in the pumpkin and hollow it out, just like you use(d) to do with your jack-o'-lanterns. Just don't get carried away and start carving teeth, eyes and nose. You can do that on next occasion. After throwing the juicy part and the seeds away, keep digging the orange consistent part out. This part is a bit challenging. I did it with a spoon and my Wii-muscles. But if it is too difficult, leave it there on the pumpkin's walls. It will end up in your tummy anyway. Spread generously some salt on the empty walls and turn the pumpkin upside down on a waterproof surface. Let the chemistry do it's magic.

• Bring the rice to boil for about 10 minutes. In the meanwhile, clean and cut the leek in rings. Then dice the onion and stew it a bit in the olive oil. Add the pumpkin flesh, then the leek rings and finally the lamb meat and keep stirring till it gets a nice brown color. Salt and pepper as much as you please...

• Preheat the oven at 200°C. Mix the rice with the raisins, the almonds, the crumbled chili, the spiced meat you kept in the fridge and what's left of the lemon juice.

• You'll notice the poor pumpkin cried you a river and now you're going to dry it up with some kitchen tissues and fill it up with the stuffing. Add some water or stock over it. Lay it on the baking plate and pour 1-2 cups of water around it, so that it has the necessary moist in the sauna.

• Keep it in the oven for about one hour till the orange flesh gets nice and soft.

• Serve it in the natural shell, with playfulness. Yes, I know I said it's enough for 2. So you need some nice company, 2 spoons maybe and if you're striving for perfection, some fine flavored red wine.

Enjoy it!