Zucchini-Leek Soup with Chili and Cilantro

I had a huge lunch today. Schnitzel and french fries, thus I felt like a huge glutenous blob and wanted something light for dinner. I still had quite a bit of green vegetables at home, so I decided to opt for a light and, here it comes, VEGAN soup.

Ingredients:

1 Zucchini
1 Small leek
2 Scallions
1 Clove of garlic
1 Tsp Olive oil
400 ml Vegetable Stock (Instant)
1/2 Half of a chili
Couple leaves of cilantro

Method:
Chop all the vegetables into small cubes. Mince the garlic. Place a pot on the stove and quickly sautée the zucchini and garlic. Deglaze with the broth and add the leek and scallions. Cook on high temperature for about 10 minutes. Finely chop the cilantro and chili and add to the soup. Take an immersion blender and purée the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy

Skinny Pizza and Skinny Tarte Flambée

Are you craving a pizza, but do not want to feel like a huge blob after eating a whole pie? Try this easy and delicious alternative to the carb loaded original.

Ingredients:

1 Flour tortilla
1 Tbsp low fat sour cream
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
20g lean smoked ham cubes
2 Cherry tomatoes
1 scallion
1 Tbsp low fat grated cheese

Preheat Oven to 180 Degrees Celsius. Place the flour tortilla onto a baking sheet. Stir the sour cream with 1 Tbsp of water and mix in the oregano, salt and pepper. Spread the sour cream mixture onto the tortilla and slice the scallion and tomatoes. Arrange the vegetables onto the tortilla and sprinkle the ham and grated cheese on top. Place into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.


You can also do something similar to create a Tarte Flambée

You could also use tomato paste as a base for the sauce and then top the "Pizza" with ham, salami or fresh arugula.

Enjoy

Baked Turkey Breast Wrapped In Bacon And Stuffed With Spinach and Mozzarella

So I have decided to become somewhat fancy and cook something completely out of my comfort zone. A stuffed turkey breast. After watching countless episodes of Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey, I finally decided it was time to stop salivating over their fabulous creations and start cooking! A stuffed turkey breast was much easier to create than I had anticipated.

Ingredients for 2:

2 Turkey breasts
2 Thick slices of mozzarella
2 Slices of bacon (The good kind. No low fat stuff here)
2 Handfulls of fresh spinach
2 Tbsp of herbed cream cheese
5-6 Scallions
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil
1Tsp Butter
1/2 Cup of Cream
Salt
Pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius. Pat dry the turkey breasts and cut deep pockets into the meat. Spread the cream cheese into the pocket and stuff the spinach into the crevice. Place the mozzarella onto the breast and secure by wrapping the bacon slice firmly around the turkey breast.  Place into a baking dish and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile clean the scallions and chop into 3-4 parts. Sautée in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper until almost limp. Melt the butter in a small sauce pot and whisk in the mustard. Add the cream, some salt and pepper.

Plate the scallions as a nest on the plate and spoon the mustard sauce on top. Take the turkey breast out of the oven and place on top of the scallions.

Pretend you are a fancy cook and let everyone oooh and aaah over your fabulous wonder creation.

Enjoy.

Dorado With Spinach and Tomatoes

I recently bought some beautiful dorados at my grocerie store. Dorado has a lovely flakey meat and when mixed with lemon and garlic it is just a beautiful explosion of flavors.

You will need for 1 portion

1 Dorado about 300g
1 Lemon
2 Cloves of garlic
1-2 Spriggs of Rosemary
Olive Oil
Butter
1 Handful of baby spinach
3 Cherry tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius. Meanwhile cut the lemon in slices and insert 2-3 slices in the opening of the fish. Add rosemary and slice one clove of garlic and insert it as well. Season the fish with salt and pepper and place it into a baking dish. Place remaining lemons onto the fish and drizzle with olive oil. Take some alumium foil and rub butter onto the matt side of the foil. Wrap the baking dish with the butter side down and place it into the oven for about 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile clean the spinach and chop the tomatoes. Sautee with some olive oil and salt and pepper.  Serve with the cooked fish and enjoy.

Sun Dried Tomatoes Hummus with Cucumbers

Last weekend I was back home in Hamburg to see the family. Now everyone in my family is a huge foodie. They can have hour long conversations about how to make a steak perfect or at what temperature a  turkey or better yet a goose becomes just right. Even I find it to be tedious at times. Now this weekend my parents had a couple of friends from Rotterdam visit. They are connaiseurs of food and are used to gourmet molecular tiny peppeles of frois gras menues. Needless to say Momma dearest and I were slaving away in the kitchen to make the entire menu.

For hors d'oeuvres I made my famous hummus. I have been making hummus for a good 10 years, but this times I decided to venture out of the traditional tahini, garlic, lemon hummus and mix it up a bit. It's easy, it's delicious and for us europeans it is something that you just don't get every day. So here in Germany, it is gourmet!

You will need
1 Can of chickpeas
Juice of one fresh lemon
2 Tbsp Tahini
Salt
Pepper
Good Olive Oil
2-3 Tbsp of Yoghurt (try to use 3,5% Fat or Greek)
5 Sun dried Tomatoes with oil
1 Tsp cumin
Water

1 cucumber


Drain the chickpeas and put them into the food processor. Pulse them a couple of times, so they look well chopped. Add the lemon juice and tahini. Mix it all up again. Add salt and pepper. While you mix those ingredients, slowly pour in the olive oil. The Hummus should be really nice and smooth. So you have to do it by feel. Add the yoghurt to give it some more tanginess. Then chop up the tomatoes and add them to the mixture. Add the cumin. Depending on how chunky or smooth the dip is add water until the desired consistancy is reached.

Pour the hummus into a bowl and sprinkle a bit of olive oil and paprika on it for garnish. Peel the cucumber and cut it into sticks. Use these for dipping.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Tomato Sauce

My roommate and I have been very social and have been cooking together now on almost a daily basis. Next to our usual habit of making artichokes (recipe to follow), we have found are old love to stuffed peppers with hamburger meat in a delicious tomato and basil sauce. This recipe is so easy to make, it is almost shameful to write a post about it.

2 Red bell peppers
2/4 Lbd of Hamburger Meat. I used a mix of pork and beef. But any type of minced meat will do.
1 Egg
1 Small red onion chopped
1 Tsp tomato paste
Salt
Pepper
Pinch of Chilipowder
Tabasco
Dried Herbs such as Parsley, Dill, Oregano

1 can of crushed tomatoes with basil
1 Tbsp of heavy cream
1 Cup of low fat grated cheese such as gauda, emmenthaler or mozzarella

Preheat the Oven to 180 Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

 Wash the peppers and cut of the top. Cut out the seeds and white parts. Put aside.Mix the meat, egg, onion, tomato paste and the spices and herbs. If you want to taste the mixture, just fry up a bit in a pan and taste it. If need be you can add some salt or other herbs. Lowfat Fetacheese is also a delicious option.

Stuff the mixed meat into the peppers and set aside. In a casserole dish pour in to crushed tomatoes and mix in the cream. Set the peppers into the sauce and top off everything with the grated cheese.

Put the dish into the oven and bake for about 30-45 minutes.

Serve this with rice or a nice fresh salad.

Enjoy!

Poached Egg on Salad

There comes a time in a persons life when you are starving and the fridge just does not want to give you anything inspiring. For times like these, I always have some fresh eggs and salad in the fridge.  Many people are scared to make poached eggs because it seems to be such a difficult task, but with just a tiny bit of practise anyone can do it.

1 Fresh Egg at room temperature
2 Cups of leafy greens
2 Cherry tomatoes.
1 Small slice of cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp Vinegar

3Tbsp Olive Oil
1Tbsp White balsamic vinegar
Mustard
Honey
Salt
Pepper

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
 
meanwhile make a vinaigrette out of the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper by whisking everything together.

Chop the greens and tomatoes and place in salad bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette onto the salad.

Once the water is boiling crack the egg into a small bowl and add 1Tbsp of vinegar to the water. This will bring the boiling water down to a simmer.

Here comes the tricky part:
 Take spatula and start to rotate the water clockwise. While the water is moving gently slip the egg into the water. Use the spatula to gently nudge the egg into place. The eggwhite should be intact and around the yolk like a nest. Let it sit in the hot water for about 2-3 Minutes. Gently lift the egg out of the water and let any excess water drip of. Place onto salad and top with cheddar cheese. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top and serve.

Enjoy

Corn and Pomegranate Salsa Salad

Finally the weather has decided to adapt to the actual season. With temperatures climbing up to a swealtering 33 degrees Celsius, there is nothing that screams summer more than a barbeque with lots of meats, salads and drinks. For one of these functions, I was in charge of making the salads. Instead of making a traditional mixed green salad, I opted for something a little bit more exotic. The mix of corn, pomegranate seeds, cilantro and lime will transport your tastebuds to a lovely beach with tumbling waves. No all that is missing, is a margharita!

1 Can of corn drained of excess water
1 1/2 cups of fresh pomegranate seeds ( You can find these seeds in asian food stores)
Juice of 1 Lime
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro
1/2 of a red onion
4 small tomatoes
Salt
Pepper

Chop the cilantro, tomatoes and onion very finely. Mix the corn and pomegranate Seeds into a salad bowl and add the chopped vegetables and herbs. Pour the limejuice over the salad and season with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour so all the flavors can be absorbed.

This salad can be altered with either some red chilis for spice or try different kinds of berries and fruits for an extra burst of flavor.

Enjoy!

BLT Extravaganza

The BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomatoe). A classic amongst Sandwich lovers. You bite into delicious soft bread and immerse your tastebuds in the smokey and sultry (yes sultry) flavours of crisp bacon, ripe tomatoes and fresh lettuce. There are many different ways to make a blt. Many use Avocados or add some fancy cheese. The options are endless. I for one have always been a fan of the basics. I do however go a little hard on the bacon because let's be honest, we all need more bacon in our lives.

For one serving of complete oral satisfaction use the following:

1tbsp of light Mayo (Hellmanns is your best choice)
1 small hand full of lettuce. I used Mache or lambs lettuce, but any kind will do.
2-4 slices of a ripe tomatoe
4 slices of bacon
2 slices of whole wheat bread

Toast the Bread. Meanwhile fry up the bacon in a non-stick pan WITHOUT any butter or oil. The bacon is fatty enough that nothing will stick. Once the bacon is crisp place it on a paper towel to drain excess fat. Spread the mayo on both slices of bread and add the lettuce, and tomatoe. Add the Bacon. Season with salt and pepper and place the secons slice of Bread ontop of the other.

Eat and be merry.

Salmonfilet on a bed of spinach and tomatoes with cilantro and lime

The Summer has finally decided to show its face in Berlin, thus I have been inclined to cook something light and healthy. I very seldomly make any type of fish, mainly because I never quite know how to make it delicious. However! Finding out I had a tiny asian shop right around the corner from my apartment changed things. The store had fresh spinach AND cilantro! Two things you can hardly ever find in Berlin. So here it goes. A feast of iron and Omega-3 Acids!

Inredients for 1 serving:

1 Filet of salmon with skin (Roughly 125gr)
2 Cups of spinach
3 Small tomatoes (not cherry tomatoes but the ones inbetween)
1 spring onion
2tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic cloves
1 Lime
Fresh cilantro
Salt
Pepper

Slice the garlic in small slices and cut small slits in the salmon. Insert a couple of the garlic slices in the slits of the salmon and season the fish with salt and pepper, reserve some of the garlic for the spinach. Finally cut a slice of the lime and sprinkle the fish with the lime. Chop the tomatoes and spring onion

On medium heat, sauteé the Salmon skin side down in 1tbsp of olive oil. Meanwhile heat another tbsp of olive oil in a small pot and add the rest of the garlic, tomatoes and spring onion. Sauteé until soft. Add the spinach and flip the salmon. Let the spinach wilt and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the plate. Chop the cilantro finely and arrange the salmon on the spinach. Sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle some more lime on the fish. Season with a tad more salt and serve with a good glass of white wine.

Bon Appetite!

On medi

Peach Pie

Now, I mentioned before that I am not a good baker. It really is not my forte, however I am a huge fan of pies. Any type of pies really but this pie is my favourite. Granted I did make this in the summer when peaches were in season but considering the lousy weather in Berlin, I decided to bring some summer into my dreary evening.

Here is what you will need:

1 Pkg fresh pie crust. You can get great "ready to roll" crust in the supermarket. I do not bother making the crust myself. As said before...flour and I are not good friends.

6-8 Ripe peaches
8-10 Tbsp brown suger
flour for dusting

What to do:
Put the Pie crust into the fridge. The cooler the crust is, the easier it is to roll out and handle. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil and dip the peaches in it for no more than 10 seconds. Take them out and peel the peaches. Careful! This is going to be a mess! When the peaches are peeled, cut them into slices and place them into a bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and flour over them so that they are nicely coated.

Take the crust and roll it out on a floured surface. Throw it into a pie dish and if you want to be really nifty you can make a lattice top with the leftovers. Pour the peach slices into the piecrust and bake at about 180 Degrees Celsius for about 30-40 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream or  vanilla ice cream.

Creuset Bread

For Christmas I got this beautiful cast iron pot called a Creuset! I believe that next to a Kitchen Aid, this is really a must-have for everyone who likes to cook and loves hot things out of the oven. A couple of years back (2006 to be exact) the New York Times came out with an ariticle about a type of bread that is cooked in this creuset pot. They said it was so easy, even a six-year old child could do it. My Mom and sister have been baking this bread for years, so I decided to give it a go. Bearing in mind that I am a lousy baker (I always say cooking is an art and baking is a science...I failed bio chemistry and physics), I was very skeptical. Thus I was every so pleased when it turned out perfectly!

Here is how it goes!

You will need:
3 Cups (500gr) Flour
1/4 Tsp Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups lukewarm water

Mix together the flour, yeast and salt. Then stir in the water until it is just combined. It should be very sticky. Cover it up and let it sit over night. This sucker really takes its time to rise, but it is worth it.
The next morning, dump the dough onto a floured surface and form it into a big glob of dough. Put it back into the bowl and just let the gluten relax a bit. Meanwhile put your cast iron pot into a 300 Degree Oven and let it get super hot. Put some oil or flower into the pot so that the dough won't stick. Plop the dough into the pot, cover it up and put it back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Take off the lid and continue baking the bread for another 10-15 minutes. This will allow the crust to brown. Take the pot out of the oven and let the bread cool for a bit.

Eat and pretend you own a bakery!

You can also vary the recipe by adding yummie things such as herbs, olives etc. I read one version that used lemon peer and cheese. That shall be done next!

Sauteéd Talapia on mixed greens

Cheerio and happy new year to all! New Years resolutions have been made and now it is time to keep them! Mine was to write more, cook more and to actually continue the blog. Thus I have revamped the design and have been slaving at the stove. Now that the christmas season is over, it is time to get rid of the extra pounds and look after our health again. For me, that means tons of veggies and protein. Thus I am here to present you with this lovely bit of food porn.

You will need:
1 Filet of fresh Talapia
Salt
Pepper
1 Tsp Molasses
1 Tblsp low sodium soy sauce
3 Radishes
2 Cups of mixed leafy greens (I like swiss chard, arugula etc.)
1/2 Half of a medium sized Zucchini
2-3 Cherry Tomatoes
Balsamic Glaze or Crema di Balsamico

 Mix together the molasses and soy sauce, so you have a nice marinade going on. If you want to be daring, add some chili flakes for extra spice. Next salt and pepper the talapia and spoon the marinade on the fish. Let it sit for no more than 10 minutes, as the flavors are very strong and talapia does not have a lot of flavor on its own. Meanwhile slice the radishes, tomatoes and zucchini. Put the leafy greens onto a plate and arrange the sliced radishes and tomatoes on the plate.

On medium heat, fry up the zucchini with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. About two to three minutes. The zucchini should be warm but not soggy. Remove from the pan and arrange on the plate. Finally over medium to hot heat sauteé the talapia for about 5-7 minutes. Frying fish always goes very fast, and it should not be too well done. Drape the cooked talapia on the plate and finally sprinkle the whole thing with the balsamic glaze, salt and pepper.

Bon Appetite!

Corn Chowder...because my bones are cold

It's summer. It's July and it is 15 degrees Celsius and f***ing freezing frigid. There is rain, and grey skies and, well to be honest just plain gloomieness lurking through the Bourgois Streets of Berlin City. On this particular dreary and non-stop rainy Saturday, after a productive morning of IKEA and such, I decided to tackle somthing that would warm my body and soul after being outside in the wet wet rain. Corn Chowder. Granted, I have never done this before so this was a first for me, but I tried my best and I have to say it came out pretty damn well (My roommate had two huge portions. And she is a picky eater!) I did do some research just to see how other chowder affectionados prepare their chowder and they almost all call for celery. I think celery in soup or warm celery in general should be made illegal, because let's be honest, who likes the taste of old grandpa anyway?

Here is my celery free version of Corn Chowder.
1tbsp Butter
1 yellow onion
2/3tbsp of cubed bacon
2 Ears of fresh corn
3 Medium sized carrots
2 medium sized potatoes
2-2 1/2 cups of low fat milk
Instant chicken broth
curry powder
Paprika
Salt
Pepper

Peel and chop the carrots, onion and potatoes into small cubed. In a bowl, cut the corn kernels off of the corn cobs (You could theoretically use corn from a can, but the fresh stuff is so much better. And cheaper!) Melt the butter in a pot and sautee the onion and bacon until the bacon is crisp and the onion translucent. Add all of the vegetables and stir until all the fat has covered the vegetables. Add the milk and just a bit of the chicken broth and bring it all to a boil over low heat. Once the potatoes and carrots are fully cooked, use a pureé stick to homogenise the soup to your liking. You can leave it as chunky or smooth as you wish. Add the curry powder, paprika, salt and pepper to taste and bring again to a boil. Serve with croutons or some fresh cut herbs on top. If you have, sprinkle some chipotle into the soup. The smokey flavour of the spice goes wonderfully with the corn and brings out the comforting flavor.

Salad with Strawberries and Feta Cheese

Spring has sprung all over the northern hemisphere and in Germany the strawberry season has begun. I like to believe that I am a strawberry connaisseur, which basically means that I only buy strawberries that come from Germany. The flavor is much more intense and it's local, so really it's the best of both worlds.
As much as I love eating strawberries with cream or shortcake, I really like pairing these sweet sweet berries with something savory such as shallots, cheese and pepper. I had this idea from my roommate who has been making this salad with Tunafish. But because Fokushima has basically killed the ocean and there are only about twenty Tunafish left in the sea, I opted for fruit.

Here it goes:

2 Cups of Lettuce (I use either Arugula or mixed greens)
1 small shallot
7 really big strawberries (I really encourage you to buy local ones)
1 tomato
1/2 cup of Feta Cheese (use the good crumbly kind here. The firm feta cheese makes it whole salad kind of funky...in a weird way)

Dressing
1 1/2 tbsp White Basamic Vinegar
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1tsp Mustard
Salt
Pepper


Wash the lettuce and dice the shallots very finely. Cut the Strawberries into big chunks and add to the lettuce and shallots. Dice the tomato finely and add to the lettuce.
Make a vinaigrette with the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper and sprinkle over the salad. Add the feta cheese and toss quickly. Serve immediately.

P.S. This is a great starter if you are planning a nice spring dinner with asparagus, potatoes and ham.

Salmon Ceviche on a bed of lettuce with orange miso dressing

About one month ago, I had a birthday. As per usual, I invited a couple of friends for dinner. For a starter I made a Salmon Ceviche, which, if I may say so myself was to die for and so easy tomake. I always like mixing food cultures, so this time I paired this latin American dish with a Japanese sea weed salad, lettuce and a fat free orange miso Dressing.

You will need for the ceviche:
About 1/2 lbs or 250g of raw salmon.
3 tblsp of lime juice
1/2 shallot
Cilantro
Salt
Pepper
Tabasco

Have the fishmonger give you a nice bone free piece of salmon and cut off the silver skin. thedice the salmon into nice small chunks. Not too small, but smaller than bite size and put into a bowl. Pour the lime juice over the salmon and cover with plastic. Put into the fridge for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. During this time the lime juice will start to "cook" the salmon, i.e. the protein will react with the acid and cook it slightly.

About 1/2 hour before serving, take the bowl out of the fridge and add the diced shallot andcilantro. Add Salt, Pepper and Tabasco for taste and let sit for 1/2 hours. Then serve!


For the Orange Miso dressing:
about 1/2 cups or 250 ml of fresh orange juice. Squeeze it or buy it.
2 tblsp of Miso Paste (keep the left over paste for soups etc)
couple of drops of sesame oil (optional)
1tblsp of Sushi ginger

In a bowl mix the orange juice and miso paste into a homogenous dressing. Add more orange juice if it is too thick or miso paste it is too thin. Add a couple of drops of the sesame oil, but nottoo much, as this can be very strong in flavor. Chop up the Sushi ginger and add to the dressing. Serve over some fresh lettuce such as Arugula or field greens and add some store bought Sea weed salad for some extra green.

Merguez Sausage with Pumpkin and Ricotta Ravioli

Friends of the Sun, words cannot describe how sorry I am for not posting something in six months. Things have been slightly crazy in my frenzy of finding a job and thus I am currently sitting in a little attic room in Ulm (Bavaria) with a glass of red wine and am writing again. Because I am now living on my own for a while, I am of course on a tighter budget, however here in Germania we have many discount grocery stores that sell brand names for half the price. Don't ask me how they do it, but I think it's genius. Last week, while I was traipsing through the isles, I found this strange looking sausage for 2 Euros for 500 grams. It was called Merguez. It is oddly reddish in color and is made from beef and lamb. The word lamb was what caught my attention. Along with it, I found some pre-packaged Pumpkin and Ricotta ravioli that looked so wonderfully delicious I could not resist. I went home with my newly bought posessions and got to work

You will need
2 cloves of garlic
Olive Oil
1 onion
2 plumb tomatoes
Arugula Lettuce
1 pgk of Ravioli (as said before, I used Pumpkin Ravioli but I think any vegetarian kind will do. Try Spinach)
2 Merguez Sausages
2 buillion cubes

In a pot bring water and bullion cubes to a boil. While the water is working itself to a boil, chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes into fine squares. Next heat some olive oil in a pan and brown the onion. Add the sausage and sauté until it is tender (about 5 minutes) then add the tomatoes. When the water is boiling, dump the Ravioli in it and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes. But these in a bowl and to the pan of tomatoes and sausage, add a handful of arugula lettuce. Season with Salt, Pepper and some italian herbs such as Oregano or Rosemary. Pour the Sausage etc onto the Ravioli, toss and serve while piping hot. If you want to, add some parmesan cheese on top, however this can be overpowering with the flavors of sausage and pumpkin.

P.S. I know the image is slightly odd, but if you are at a loss of a camera you just have to be creative.

Greek Salad with Ostrich Steak Tips

Ok, so I don't have a picture for this one. Shoot me, but my mumsie is in the States as I write and she took her camera along with her. Silly Mommy! Anywho, yesterday I had the seldom luxury of being home alone, and because my father decided that a 2 month old head of cauliflower would suffice as dinner, I went grocery shopping. There I stared in the meat isle because, if you haven't noticed, I love meat. There, while staring into the refrigerated section I saw it. Ostrich! I was intrigued, I was confused, I bought it. Ostrich meat is known to be extremly healthy for you, and although pricey (I paid about 5 Euro's or 8 Dollars for a decent sized steak) I do think that sometimes you need to indulge. When I was home, I paired this gem with some fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onions and feta cheese and I was in culunary seventh heaven!
For this dish you will need:

1 Ostrich steak (I do not know where you would find it in the States, here in Germany it's in the meat isle)
1/2 Cucumber
2-3 Nice ripe Tomatoes
1 red onion
A couple of Olives (I prefer Kalamata, but any will do)
1/2 Cup of Feta cheese (try to get the lowfat kind. If we are going to be healthy, might as well go all the way)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Balsamico Vinegar
Cajun Spice
A dash of red wine.

Cut the steak into chuns or strips and season them with Salt, Pepper and the Cajun Spice mix. In a pan heat up some butter or olive oil and fry the meat until tender (about 5-10 minutes) on medium heat. When the pan and meat are very hot, throw some wine into the thing and let the juices of the meaet combine with the wine. You should have a delictable brown syrup (experts call this a "Demi Glace"). Put a lid on the pan and turn off the heat.
Now cut the Onion, Tomatoes, Olives, Cucumber and Feta and place them in a bowl. Drizzle some Olive Oil and Balsamico onto it and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Finally add the Ostrich and serve this either on its own or with Baguette.

Bon Appetite!

You say potato I say BAKED POTATO

It is round, it is gold, it is the German vegetable of choice (Or the vegetable that made Denise Austen what she is today). The Potato! Now, as a true hardcore German, I am required by instinct, law or just tradition, to worship this starchy filled edible diamond. There are thousands, and I mean thousands of recipe's that pay homage to the potato. I for one am a traditionalist and a purist. I like the potatoe without much jazzy stuff in or on it. Forget potato dauphinois, or latkas. I bring you the healthy, the wholesome, the one and only BAKED POTATO.
Boring you might say? Genius says I! It's easier to make than easy mac, and yes, although it might take longer than filling up a styrofoam cup filled with overprocessed fried noodles with boiling water, it is suprisingly low in calories and fat. Carbs? Well, you can't have it all. Pair a nice baked potatoe with some salad and greek yoghurt, and you have a perfect meal to really get rid of those winter blues and welcome the spring with all its new glory.

So this is how it goes:
For about 4 servings, you will need

8-10 Medium potatoes. (Use the ones that are slightly firm)
1 1/2-2 cups of Greek Yoghurt. (In Germany we have this dairy produkt called quark, which is basically a fat free version of sour cream and yoghurt mixed in one...Greek yoghurt should technically do the trick.)
2 tsp curry powder
3-4 dashes tabasco sauce
Salt
Pepper
chipotle
fresh chives
Herb de Provence

Wash the potatoes. Prick with a fork a couple of times and throw them into the oven at 350 degrees (180 celsius) for about 40-45 minutes.
Mix all the herbs and spices into the yhogurt, season to your liking (some like hot, some like it mild...you do what you gotta do) and let stand at room temperature, so the flavors can really develope. Once the potatoes are soft, cut them down the middle and add th yhogurt on top.

Eat this with lettuce, or a yummi lean peace of beef, or other veggies.
SPRINGTIME IS COMING PEOPLE!!!!

Senioritis Food or Chicken Breast in Mushroom Cream Sauce with Rice.

A while back, and with a while back I mean about two months ago, my Mumsie dear and I were home alone. As she was playing working girl, I decided to suprize her with a nice comforting warm meal once she arrived back home. This Chicken dish is the a-typical dish that is served for an "Early Bird" dinner Special for the not-so-young. And although it has great potential to taste bland and boring, my jazzed up Version had my mom go for THIRDS! So what is the recipe that has a diet crazy woman disregard her daily calorie dose? You just wait and see!

You will need:
500 grams of Chicken Breast (or 1 lbd) without skin and removed from the bone.
About 200 grams of mushrooms (I prefer the brown ones, but any type will do)
100ml of heavy cream
Milk
Salt
Pepper
1 Onion finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tblsp of Mushroom Pesto (get this at a delicatessen Store...most of them have it)
Sherry
Chili flakes
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary

Cut the chicken into thin strips and set aside. Chop the Onions, garlic. Cut the Mushrooms into fine slices and sauté in a pan with Olive oil, the onions and the garlic. Be sure not to crowd the Mushrooms, as this will hinder them to release their moisture. Now add the chicken and continue to sauté until the chicken is almost fully cooked. Add the cream to the chicken and stir. Should more liquid be needed, add milk and stir. Add the Pesto. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, sage, rosemary and chili flakes. Right before you serve, heat again and add a generous splash of cooking sherry.
Serve with Rice and Broccoli.

It'll have your granny screaming for more.