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Herb Couscous Salad

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Couscous is a staple food throughout North African countries and a dish enjoyed worldwide. It's a Berber dish that costs little and nourishes a lot. The one we usually find in the grocery stores is the tiny grained Moroccan couscous that has been pre-steamed. All you need to do is to mix them with boiling stock or water, and let stand for a few minutes, fluff the grains with a fork--incredibly easy to prepare. However, couscous is fairly flavorless on its own and tends to take on the flavour of other ingredients or sauces that it’s prepared with. This simple salad, inspired by one of my favourite recipe websites Essen und Trinken, is prepared with fluffy couscous, freshly diced tomatoes, pickled gherkins, and spring onions tossed with a fresh herb vinaigrette.

	Dressing
50 g Couscous 100 ml Vegetable stock 100 g Pickled gherkin, diced 100 g Tomato, diced 2 Spring onions, cut into rings Salt	2 tbsp Mint leaves, finely chopped 2 tbsp Parsley leaves, finely chopped 2 tbsp Olive oil 1-2 tbsp Lemon juice Pinch of sugar Salt and black pepper

In a saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Dice the pickled gherkin and tomatoes. Place them in a bowl. Cut the spring onions into thin rings and add into the bowl.
Finely chop the mint and parsley leaves. Whisk together with the remaining dressing ingredients. Toss together the couscous, diced vegetables and the dressing. Taste, and adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the flavours to mingle, for 30 minutes.

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Streusel Damson Plum Cake / Zwetschgendatschi

Monday, August 29, 2011

Zwetschgenkuchen, a delectable German Plum Cake, also called Sommerkuchen-summer cake, or Zwetschgendatschi is available during the late summer during the damson plum harvest. Datschi, presumably come from a southern German dialect datschen or detschen, means to press in, is a sheet cake (could be prepared in a springform pan too) made with a yeast dough or short pastry, and very often has a streusel topping, which is similar to a crumble. Streusel comes from the German word streusen, to scatter, which is how the topping is applied to the cake. The recipe is adapted from daheim und unterwegs - wdr.

Cake	Streusel
400 g All purpose flour 2 tsp Baking powder 160 g Cold butter, cut into small pieces 90 g Sugar 1/2 tsp Lemon peel, finely grated 2 Small eggs 2 tbsp Milk 1200 g Damson plums	125 g Sugar 150 g Butter 200 g Flour 3/4 tsp Cinnamon powder (optional)

Place all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl, mix them well to form a dough. Chill the dough, wrapped well with a plastic film, for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, wash and dry the damson plums. Cut them open and remove the stones. Grease a 28cm springform pan. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Remove the dough from the fridge and press it onto the bottom of prepared pan. Lightly press the damson plums into the crust.
Use a fork or spoon to combine all the topping ingredients until mixture is like coarse cornmeal. Taste and adjust cinnamon to your liking. Sprinkle streusel topping over the damsons.
Bake the cake in the center of hot oven for about 45-55 minutes until done and beautiful golden brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Unmould and serve at room temperature.

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Peanut Butter, Sesame Paste and Raisin Cookies

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Those peanut butter cookies are crisp and slightly crumbly, and have an fantastic peanut butter taste. Feel free to replace rolled spelt flakes and spelt flour with oats and wheat flour. The recipe has been adapted from Delicious Magazine.


100 g Butter, softened 180 g Crunchy peanut butter 80 g Sesame paste 150 g Light soft brown sugar 1 Large free-range egg A few drops of vanilla extract 125 g Rolled spelt flakes 80 g Raisins 125 g Spelt flour #630 1 tsp Baking soda

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper. Beat the softened butter, peanut butter and sesame paste in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and beat again until well mixed.
Add in egg and vanilla to the peanut butter mixture. Beat again with the wooden spoon. Add the rolled spelt flakes and raisins to the mixture, sift over the flour and baking soda and mix well.
Put large spoonfuls of the mixture onto the trays, spacing slightly apart, and bake for 20 minutes until light golden. Remove from the oven. Leave to firm up on their trays for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 days.

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Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Sunday, August 21, 2011

A fresh and delectable summer cake layered with Joconde sponge and yogurt mixture that has been lightened up with whipped cream and elegantly finished with fresh strawberries and pistachios as topping. It’s perfect for people who enjoy creamy and light desserts.
Adapted from Das Neue Blatt magazine (No.29 13.July 2011)


2 slice Square Joconde sponge cake (9-10 inch) 10 sheet Leaf gelatine 150 g Strawberry jam 1000 g 3.5% Wholemilk yogurt 1 package / 8 g Vanilla sugar 100 g Sugar 250 g Whipping cream 350 g Fresh strawberries 2-3 tbsp Pistachios, finely chopped

Soak the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water until softened. Spread half of the strawberry jam on one piece of sponge cake and place it onto the bottom of a 9-inch square springform pan.
Beat together the yogurt, vanilla sugar and sugar in a bowl until well-blended. Gently squeeze the softened gelatine to remove the excess water and place the gelatine in a saucepan. Over a very gentle heat, allow the gelatine to melt slowly, stirring once or twice. Once it has melted, stir about 3 tablespoons of yogurt cream into the melted gelatin, then pour it back to the rest of yogurt mixture. Stir until smooth and blended.
Whip the cream until firm and fold into the yogurt mixture. Pour 2/3 yogurt mixture onto the sponge. Top with second sponge cake, then spread with the rest of strawberry jam.
Attach a pastry bag with a star tip and fill in the rest of yogurt cream. Pipe the cream on the top of cake. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours until set. Decorate with chopped pistachios and fresh strawberries. Slice and serve.

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Brown Rice Salad with Beet and Herbs & Roasted Beet Chips

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

It’s a shame that many people (my husband included) are averse to this appealingly rich purple bulb, that has been considered beneficial to the digestive system, as a cancer preventative, and a tonic of blood. It is a nutritious vegetable with many health-giving and healing properties. Aside from bringing immeasurable good to human health, the sweet, earthy and velvety beet makes attractive, colourful and delicious dishes.

Sweet, spicy and satisfyingly crunchy...could those chips convince your husband to eat beets who passionately dislikes them?

Brown Rice Salad with Beetroot and Herbs

Salad	Dressing
250 g Brown rice 350 g Roasted beetroot, chopped into chunks 2 tbsp Spring onions, finely sliced 1 tbsp Fresh tarragon, finely chopped 2-3 tbsp Fresh dill, roughly chopped	3 tbsp Freshly squeezed orange juice 1-2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the brown rice according to the packet instructions. It takes about minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain really well and tip into a large bowl.
Stir the spring onions, chopped tarragon, dill and beetroot though the rice. Mix together the dressing ingredients and taste to check the seasoning. Stir the dressing through the salad. Pile the rice salad on a large serving dish and garnish with some roughly chopped dill. Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Beetroot Chips

3 Medium beetroots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp Olive oil
Pinch of chilli powder
Sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Clean, dry and peel the beetroots. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice them into wafer-thin crisps.
Toss in a bowl with olive oil, chilli powder and salt. Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning halfway through, until crisp. Check often to make sure they don't burn. Spread out on paper towel until cool and crisp. Sprinkle with additional chilli powder and salt if necessary.

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Linzertorte with Port Stewed Damsons

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

A Linzertorte, originated in Linz, Austria, is basically a giant jam cookie with black currant jam filling, nutty pastry (usually hazelnut or almond) and a distinctive criscross design atop. Instead of using an usual jam, this recipe uses port wine stewed damsons to fill the crust, which I believe it tastes even better than the classic. If you can't find oval-shaped dark tannic damsons, use other types of plums.

Port Stewed Damsons	Short Crust
800 g Damson plums, pitted 100 g Sugar 60 g Butter 100 ml Port wine 30 ml Orange juice 50 ml Lemon juice 1 Cinnamon stick	200 g All purpose flour 200 g Ground almond 1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder 1 tbsp Lemon rind, finely grated 1/4 tsp Salt 150 g Sugar 200 g Cold butter, , cut into small pieces 1 Egg

Wash the plums and cut them in half to remove the pits. Add sugar and butter in a pan. Cook the mixture until caramelized. Pour in port wine, orange juice and lemon juice. Add in damson plums and cinnamon stick. Cook the mixture over the medium heat, stirring constantly, until you have a thick paste, 35-40 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool.
To prepare the crust by mixing all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add in butter and egg. Using your fingertips, mix all the ingredients together. Shape into a ball and wrap with a plastic film and chill at least for 2 hours.
Line a 30x20 cm baking pan with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough until it’s 3-4mm thick. Cut out a rectangular to fit into the baking pan, lightly press the dough about 2 cm up the sides of the pan. Prick the bottom a few times with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes. Wrap the rest of the dough in a plastic wrap and chill until firm.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Roll the rest of the dough between two sheets of wax paper into 3-4mm thick piece. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut it into 1cm wide strips, then freeze strips 5 minutes.
Spoon the prepared damson paste onto the bottom of the crust-lined baking pan, then arrange half of the strips 1 inch apart across stewed damsons. Arrange remaining strips diagonally across first strips to form a lattice. Bake on the second rack from the bottom for 45-50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes, then remove and completely. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

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Minty Grated Raw Beet Salad and Beet Greens Stir-fry

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Beets are delicious cooked or raw, in salads or soups, as an appetizer or a meatless main course with some couscous. This beet root salad recipe is really easy and tasty, and takes little time to prepare. The dark-green colored leaves with red tones are an excellent source of carotenoids, flavonoid anti-oxidants and vitamin A.

Minty Grated Raw Beet Salad

500 g Beets
3 tbsp Freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler, and grate in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade. Finely chop the mint leaves.
Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with the beets and chopped mint leaves. Season to taste with salt.
The raw beet salad can be served immediately or kept in the refrigerator, covered well, for a couple of days. It will soak up flavours and become more tender, yet stay crispy and crunchy. Toss again before serving.

Beet Greens Stir-fry with Shallot and Garlic

350 g Beet greens
2 tbsp Corn oil
1 Shallot, finely diced
1 clove Garlic, sliced
Sea salt
White pepper

Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced shallot and sliced garlic, cook 3to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the beet greens to the skillet. Cook and stir until they are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper.

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Blackberry and Hazelnut Muffins

Thursday, July 28, 2011

They are simple to make, and they are moist, tender and packed with flavours. If you plan to use frozen berries, don't thaw them as it will stain the batter purple, and you may have to bake the muffins slightly longer than the stated time.

300 g Blackberries
100 g Hazelnuts, chopped
250 g All-purpose flour
3 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
200 ml Buttermilk
150 g Brown sugar
130 g Butter, melted
50 ml Baileys
1/2 tbsp Vanilla sugar

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Prepare 15-17 muffin cups with paper liners. Place a small skillet over medium heat, add the chopped hazelnuts and toast until golden, stirring occassionally. Remove and cool.
Whisk together the 60 grams of roasted chopped hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter and Baileys. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in the fresh blackberries.
Mix the rest of roasted chopped hazelnuts and vanilla sugar in a small bowl. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the vanilla mixture on the top of each muffin. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

I am sending this to Buttery Throwdown!- Blog Event and Giveaway hosted in Fun and Food Cafe.

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Radish Salad with Radicchio and Garden Cress

Sunday, July 24, 2011

A crispy, juicy, and sweet radish salad with white radish, radicchio, garden cress and a simple vinaigrette.
White radish, also known as daikon, is moderately high in Vitamin C, and contain dietary fiber which is important to help keep your body's digestive system functioning smoothly. According to "Traditional Chinese Medicine", white radish is sweet in taste and cool in nature. It aids to clear away heat in the body effectively and promote the digestion.
It is also used in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis, mineral deficiencies, and liver and gallbladder troubles.
While white radishes can be eaten cooked, such stir-fried or in soup, they are very delicious in raw form and juiced. If you are interested in learning more about this humble root vegetable, read more here.
Recipe adapted from Essen und Trinken


200 g Large white radish 1 small head Radicchio 1 handful Garden cress 2 tbsp White wine vinegar 2 tbsp Argan or vegetable oil Pinch of sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 tsp Crushed red peppercorns

Peel the radish and slice it into thin disks or half-moons. Try using a mandolin slicer if you have one, for even thin slices. Finely shred the radicchio.
Whisk the white wine vinegar with the oil, sugar, and salt. Arrange the radish, radicchio and garden cress on a serving dish. Drizzle the dressing over and sprinkle with the crushed red peppercorns.

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Rolled Spelt and Peach Crisp

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Juicy, ripe peaches　in a warm cinnamon/nutmeg scented crisp is the ultimate comfort food. Substitute peaches for other stone fruits like nectarines or plums, or a mix of any seasonal juicy fruits. This is very easy and quick to put together and a great way to enjoy those tender, flavorful and delicious peaches that have high levels of water and dietary fiber.

Filling	Topping
6 Large ripe peaches, pitted and cut into chunks 1/2 Lemon, zested and juiced 2 tbsp Whole grain spelt flour 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract	80 g Rolled spelt flakes 40 g Almond slices 30 g Whole grain spelt flour 50 g Brown sugar 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder Pinch of salt 80 g Unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Lightly butter a rectangular baking dish, about 25x15-cm / 10x6-inch. Toss the peaches with the lemon juice, zest, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of whole grain speｌt flour. Spread peaches in the prepared baking dish.
Stir together rolled spelt, almond slices, flour, sugar, spices, and salt in a bowl, and then work in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture forms small clumps. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over fruit.
Bake in middle of oven until topping is golden and peaches are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm, dusted with icing sugar, if desired.

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Cherry Tomato and Mint Salad

Monday, July 18, 2011

A healthy and delicious summer salad with lovely juicy cherry tomatoes, garden fresh mint leaves, and a little of finely diced red onions. Don't overdress this salad....just a little bit salt, black pepper, drizzle of quality olive oil and if desired, a sprinkle of finely grated lemon zest to finish off.


200 g Cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1 tbsp Finely diced red onion Some mint leaves Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling Salt and freshly mulled black pepper 1/2 tsp Lemon zest

Halve the tomatoes and scatter over a large plate. Finely chop the red onion and tear up the mint leaves.
Throw the onion and mint over the tomatoes. Can be kept, covered, 3-4 hours ahead. Just before serving, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and ground black pepper and finely grate a little lemon zest over the top.

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Ricotta and Chive Filled Rye Loaf

Friday, July 15, 2011

This is a rustic rye loaf hollowed out and refilled with a mixture of ricotta, cream cheese, chives, and vegetables. Original recipe calls for 150 grams of bacon bits for the filling, I omitted it for the sake of eating healthy and just used more potatoes and ricotta instead.
Recipe adapted from Essen und Trinken

150 g Floury potatoes, such as Russet
2 Eggs, hard boiled
1 bunch Chives
1 Yellow bell pepper
1 Red bell pepper
100 g Pickled gherkin
380 g Ricotta
100 g Cream cheese
Salt and freshly mulled black pepper
1 / 750 g Rustic rye loaf from the bakery

Cook the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain. Peel the potatoes while still warm, and push through a passatutto or potato ricer.
Hard boil the eggs for about 8 minutes. Drain, cover with cold water and leave to cool. Cut the chives into rings with scissors. Deseed the sweet bell peppers and finely dice. Cut the gherkin into fine dices. Peel the eggs and roughly chop them.
Combine the chive rings, diced bell peppers, gherkin, eggs, ricotta and cream cheese in a large bowl together with mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut an inch off the top of bread loaf, and hollow out center of loaf.
Refill the loaf with the prepared cheese mixture. Store the whole loaf in a paper bag and chill for 2-3 hours until the filling is set. Slice and serve.

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Featured Recipe: 85 Recipes that highlight the beloved humble Pumpkin

Herb Couscous Salad

Streusel Damson Plum Cake / Zwetschgendatschi

Peanut Butter, Sesame Paste and Raisin Cookies

Strawberry Yogurt Cake