Gorgonzola Radicchio Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Saturday, October 01, 2011Like arugula, this bright purplish red radicchio has a slightly peppery and bitter taste. It is loaded with nutrients and has no fat or cholesterol. The salad, a perfect blend of sweet, sour, salty and bitter, tastes so crispy, really flavourful, and easy to throw together.
Orange Vinaigrette | Salad |
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- In a small jar with a tight-fitting cover, combine all vinaigrette ingredients. Cover and shake well until blended. To store, refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake well before serving.
- Combine all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.Toss with orange vinaigrette. Serve with a glass of Chardonnay for a pleasant and light lunch.
Baked Peanut-Filled Pumpkin Patties
Wednesday, September 28, 2011A telltale sign of the arrival of autumn and harvest time is the presence of all sizes and kinds of pumpkins. This humble vegetable (or fruit?) is far more than just a festive symbol. Pumpkins are delicious and very low in calories yet good source of vitamins, fibers and antioxidants. The golden colour and sweet, mellow taste adapts really well to many flavours and wonderful in all kinds of autumnal dishes. So if you've been searching for a healthy and tasty autumn snack recipe, go ahead and try this quick and delectable pumpkin recipe!
Pumpkin Dough | Peanut Filling |
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- Cut the pumpkin in half. Scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. Place pumpkin halves on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in a 180C/350F for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. Peel off the skin from the pumpkin. Place them in a blender and process until smooth. You need about 500 grams of pumpkin puree. Store the rest in the freezer for the later use.
- Mix the pumpkin puree, whole grain spelt flour, and spice in a bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth. Add more flour if needed. Stir together the chopped peanut, melted butter and powdered sugar in a bowl.
- Divide dough into 28 portions and shape each into a ball. Flatten each dough into a round, fill the center with a teaspoon of peanut filling. Gather the edges to enclose the filling. Coat the ball with sesame or poppy seeds. Lightly press it down to flatten the ball.
- Grease a baking tray with olive oil. Place the pumpkin patties on the tray and bake at 180C/350F for 20 minutes.
Passionfruit Curd Hearts
Saturday, September 24, 2011The addition of passion fruit has taken the classic lemon curd to delectable new heights. The exhilarating blend of the tangy, sweet, and heavenly floral scent of passion fruit and citrus flavour has resulted in a refined and sophisticated curd that’s a perfect dessert on it's ow or as a filling for cookies and tarts.
There are two types of passion fruit, purple passion fruit and yellow passion fruit, which differ in appearance but taste the same. The pulp and the seeds are both edible.
Passion fruit has hundreds of medicinal properties that have been used throughout history. The properties and compounds in passion fruit are used to lower blood pressure, aid in digestion, control spasms and treat asthma.
Cookie | Passion Fruit Curd |
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- Beat butter and icing sugar mixture until pale and creamy. Stir in flour until a soft dough forms. Wrap the dough with a cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180C350F. Roll out dough to 3-4mm thick. Use a 5cm heart cutter to cut out 40 shapes. Use a 3cm heart cutter to cut the centre out of half of the hearts. Place on a baking tray. Chill in freezer for 15 minutes. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Combine eggs, butter and caster sugar in a medium saucepan. Whisk in fresh lemon juice and passion fruit pulp. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour to chill. Sandwich a heart base and a heart outline together with the passion fruit curd.
Almond Bars with Bergamot and Mint & A Visit From The Fairy Hobmother
Tuesday, September 20, 2011Before getting down the details of this delicious and healthy energy bar recipe, I want to take this opportunity to share with you something exciting....Many of you have heard of the Fairy Hobmother from the Appliances Online who has been visiting blogs, granting wishes and spreading joy!
A little while ago, I left a comment and a wish on The Peach Kitchen, who had just been visited by the Fairy Hobmother. And to my pleasant surprise, the Fairy knocked on my door and gifted me an Amazon gift card, so I can treat myself something nice.
Want to be the next LUCKY one? Just make a wish with your *heart* and leave a comment under this post......I am sure the Fairy is listening...Good Luck and thank you again, Fairy Hobmother!
Almond Bars with Bergamot and Mint
Inspired by Schrot&Korn- 70 g Almond meal
- 35 g Chopped almonds
- 1 tbsp Bergamot herb, finely chopped
- 1/2 tbsp Mint, finely chopped
- 40 g Cranberries, chopped
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Walnut oil
- 1 tbsp Maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Water
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 23 cm x 14 cm loaf pan with a baking paper. Stir together the almond meal, chopped almonds, chopped herbs, cranberries and salt in a bowl.
- Add in walnut oil, maple syrup and water. Mix well with a fork or your hand until all the ingredients come together. Press it onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake in the middle of the hot oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut into slices and serve.
Pumpkin Maple Cookies with Quark Frosting
Saturday, September 17, 2011Those cookies, a great complement to afternoon tea, are not the typical cookies. They are soft, spongy and light textured cake-like pumpkin cookies flavoured with rich maple syrup and warm, fragrant spices, that enhances the delicate earthiness of the pumpkin. They are delectable without frosting and pepitas garnish, but even better and more fun with them!
Pumpkin Maple Cookies with Quark Frosting
Inspired by Joy of BakingCookie | Frosting |
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- Preheat oven to 165C/325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, clove, and salt.
- Beat the eggs, brown sugar and maple syrup until light and smooth. Beat in oil, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Sift in the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to measure about 1/4 cup of batter and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches / 5 cm apart.
- Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Beat the quark cheese and butter until soft and creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until frosting is soft and creamy and of spreading consistency.
- Place small dollops of the frosting on each cookie or put the frosting in a piping bag, fitted with a small plain tip, and pipe swirls of frosting on the top of each cookie. Store frosted cookies in the refrigerator.
Orange Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Tuesday, September 13, 2011This bright golden-coloured, creamy pumpkin soup is perfect for a light lunch with some crusty artisan bread rolls. Roasted pumpkin, potato and spices work together creating a rich depth of flavour and creamy texture without addition of heavy cream.
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- Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Place pumpkin and potato in a roasting pan. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of walnut oil and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft. Add in garlic, pepper, curry, and coriander powder. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic.
- Add in pumpkin, potato, stock, orange juice and milk. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Blend the mixture in a food processor or with a handheld blender until smooth. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and lime juice. Ladle among serving bowls. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds, chopped chives, and chilli threads.
Pumpkin Seed Whole Grain Spelt Cookies
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Whole grain spelt's natural sweet and nutty flavours don't just make those rustic cookies taste GOOD, it also helps you increase daily fiber intake. And the addition of protein and minerals-rich pumpkin seeds, also known as pepita, has added crunch and texture.
Recipe adapted from Ulrike Kraus -"Kekse und Gebäck rund ums Jahr"
- 200 g Whole grain spelt flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 100 g Pumpkin seeds
- 1 Vanilla bean
- 40 g Brown sugar
- 3 Egg yolks
- 150 g Cold butter
- Sift the whole grain spelt flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Reserve 4 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds for garnishing and finely chop the rest.
- Slice the top outer layer of the vanilla pod in half lengthwise. Pull open the vanilla pod. Scrape out the seeds. Cut the butter into small pieces.
- Add chopped pumpkin seeds, vanilla seeds, brown sugar, 2 egg yolks and butter into the flour mixture. Combine all the ingredients into a ball. Wrap with a plastic film and chill for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and place it between two sheets of baking paper.
- Roll out to a thickness of about 1/2 centimeter. Use a 5cm cookie cutter to mould out the rounds and place them on the prepared baking trays. Mix the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the cookies with the egg glaze and lightly press the pumpkin seeds on the surface. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
Beetroot Salad with Walnut Oil and Chervil & Mangelwurzel Stir-fry
Wednesday, September 07, 2011Here is another very simple and surprisingly tasty cooked beet salad simply dressed with walnut oil and sherry vinegar. Except for cooking the beets, which takes less than an hour to boil in water, the salad is ready in no time at all.
Mangelwurzel, shortened to mangel, or mangold, aka chard, is one of the cultivated leafy vegetables derived from beet. Like pumpkin, mangelwurzel was traditionally grown as cattle food. However, during the 18th century, European farmers improved mangelwurzels in size and flavour, it has become an excellent addition to our tables. If you love beets, then give this rustic crop a try. You will love them!
Beetroot Salad with Walnut Oil and Chervil
- 3-4 Medium beetroots
- 1 tbsp Freshly chopped garden chervil
- 1/3 tsp Fleur de sel
- Walnut oil
- Sherry vinegar
- Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 30-40 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool.
- Once the beets are cool, thinly cut beets acrossways with a mandolin slicer. Finely chop the garden chervil.
- Arrange the slices of beets on a serving plate. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and fluer de sel over the beets. Drizzle walnut oil and sherry vinegar over.
Stir-fried Mangelwurzel with Garlic and Black Forest Smoked Bacon
- 3 slice Black forest smoked bacon
- 300 g Mangold leaves
- 2 tbsp Canola oil
- 2 clove Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Cayenne chilli pepper
- 1 tbsp Medium dry sherry
- Salt to taste
- Cook bacon until crisp in a skillet over medium-high heat and drain. Crumble the bacon and reserve the dripping.
- Wash the mangold leaves well and trim. Cut into the inch pieces. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Slice the pepper open, remove the membrane and seeds, then slice.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add in the canola oil, bacon dripping and the garlic slices. Stir briefly, then add the mangold and sliced pepper, and stir-fry until the leaves wilt. Drizzle in sherry and taste with salt. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the bacon crumbles over.
Homemade Muesli Bars
Sunday, September 04, 2011Those muesli bars, a mixture of seeds, oats, dried fruit and honey along with some brown sugar, so simple to prepare and perfect for those who enjoy the natural goodness of seeds, cereals and fruit. They are a healthy and high protein snack you can add to the daily lunch box.
Recipe adapted from Taste.
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- Grease and line a 3cm deep, 16cm x 28cm baking pan with baking paper. Cook oats, coconut, wheatgerm, sesame seeds, sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool. Stir in sultanas.
- Cook butter, honey and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, without stirring, for 7 minutes or until mixture forms a soft ball when a little is dropped into ice-cold water. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
- Spoon mixture into pan. Use a large metal spoon to press down firmly. Allow to cool. Cut into squares. Store in a foil-lined airtight container for up to 7 days.
Herb Couscous Salad
Thursday, September 01, 2011Couscous 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 | |
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- 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.
Streusel Damson Plum Cake / Zwetschgendatschi
Monday, August 29, 2011Zwetschgenkuchen, 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 |
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- 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.