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.