Bethmännchen
Thursday, December 12, 2024Marzipan, rose water and almonds - these are the key ingredients for traditional Frankfurt Bethmännchen. Sounds marvellous, doesn't it? For those who don't know them, Bethmännchen are the jazzed up Marzipankartoffeln / marzipan potatoes (Christmas without marzipan is like Lübeck without the Holsten Gate - simply unimaginable for many German) from Frankfurt am Main. In fact, the name Bethmännchen is derived from the Frankfurt Bethmann family and they are a must during the Christmas season. Another typical feature of the Frankfurt marzipan speciality is that exactly three almond halves are pressed into the balls before baking. They give the Bethmännchen their typical appearance and additional crunch. Store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Roast Meatballs with Creamy Shiitake Sauce
Wednesday, December 11, 2024Juicy tender meatballs in a delicious creamy shiitake mushroom sauce served with a simple leafy salad. Easy, comforting and incredibly delicious! You can serve them with mashed potatoes, polenta, noodles or bread if you ain't on low carb diet.
Had to remove bouquet garni before roasting because my baking pans are too small. If you used one large baking pan, then pour the sauce over meatballs with herbs.
Easy Red Lentil Curry with Pasta
Tuesday, December 10, 2024What a simple yet flavourful treat: this lentil curry with pasta provides you with new energy and fills you up without making you feel unwell. The nutty creamy red lentils combined with sweet tangy tomato and aromatic curry are simply brilliant. The secret is that you first roast the lentils with spices so that the smoky flavour can develop. You can serve the curry with pasta or rice.
Spelt Rose Buns
Monday, December 09, 2024Roasted Kohlrabi with Feta and Dill
Sunday, December 08, 2024Roasted kohlrabi salad with a basic shallot vinaigrette is a simple and delicious way to turn this knobby German turnip into a tasty side dish. Kohlrabi is part of the cabbage family and comes in two colours, pale green and the less-common deep purple. They both taste the same and the flesh of both is pale green to white. I didn't peel the skin for this recipe as it's edible, but you could if you prefer. If the kohlrabi bulbs you bought come with leaves (they are edible too), snip off and wrap the leaves in damp paper towels. They will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge and the unpeeled bulbs will keep for up to a month.
Sri Lankan Chicken Masala Traybake
Saturday, December 07, 2024No chicken curry will taste exactly the same throughout Sri Lanka as everyone has their own recipe and ratio of spices and ingredients. However, Sri Lankan curries basically use coconut, curry leaves, onions, and SOME chillies and a special roasted curry powder. But you can use madras curry powder or make your own if you can't find Sri Lankan curry powder and use bay leaves if you can't find curry leaves. This is the perfect make-ahead dinner-party dish and so easy too. You can marinate the chicken with the prepared masala curry and keep for up to 2 days in the fridge, just bring it back up to room temperature before roasting.
Low Carb Bread with Cottage Cheese and Hemp Seeds
Friday, December 06, 2024Healthier bread with less flour (esp. modern wheat) and more protein can now also be found on the supermarket shelves and bakeries. But nothing beats homemade bread, which is best enjoyed warm from the oven. This low-carb bread with cottage cheese is not only full of healthy nutrients, but is also incredibly tasty. The special thing about this bread is that it is not only low in carbohydrates, but also very high in protein thanks to cottage cheese. But hemp seeds are also a true nutritional wonder with healthy fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and even have an impressive 31 grams of protein per 100 grams. They also add an intense nutty flavour to the bread.
Semolina Tea Cakes with Walnuts and Balsamic Cream
Thursday, December 05, 2024These nutty semolina tea cakes are quickly mixed and baked using just a few ingredients. With date syrup and balsamic glaze in the batter, they are not too sweet but wonderfully caramelised with an intriguing tanginess. I used walnuts, but any other nuts will work beautifully. Balsamic glaze Balsamic glaze, aka balsamic reduction or cream, is balsamic vinegar that has been simmered until most of the water has evaporated away, leaving a deliciously thick, syrupy glaze with a bold flavour. You can easily buy balsamic glaze from any supermarket but if you have balsamic vinegar at home you can make the glaze yourself. For the amount needed for these tea cakes, simply bring 1 cup balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (or honey) to boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until it has become syrupy.
Shkmeruli - Georgian Creamy Garlic Chicken
Wednesday, December 04, 2024Shkmeruli is a very traditional and famous dish from Georgia that you should not miss out. It's super easy to prepare, use just a few simple ingredients and is super flavourful. The chicken legs (normally it uses a whole chicken, but chicken legs are just my favourite) are first fried in a pan until very crispy, then placed in the oven with a sauce made from lots of garlic cloves and heavy cream. To garnish the shkmeruli, I have used some parsley to sprinkle over the chicken. This is not very traditional, but it gives the whole dish a little freshness and colour, which never hurt. Of course, you can also leave out the parsley.
Kohlrabi Fries
Tuesday, December 03, 2024These kohlrabi fries, just like the potato version, go perfectly with burgers, steaks and schnitzel. However, there is one thing you should know before you go buy some kohlrabis. The homemade kohlrabi fries are not quite as crispy as conventional chips. However, they still have a great flavour, which is why you should definitely give them a try. Also because kohlrabi is really healthy. It is bursting with folic acid and vitamin C and also provides us with calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron.
With 6 grams of total carbohydrates per 100 grams, the kohlrabi is another cruciferous vegetable that you can include in your low-carb diet. Compared to many other low-carb vegetables, kohlrabi is particularly high in fibre, so it makes every meal more filling.
Beer and Walnut Bread
Monday, December 02, 2024A fuller, maltier German exprot beer in this deceivingly easy and hearty yeasted bread gives it a wonderfully deep flavour and the walnuts provide texture and substance. To give your bread an extra bit of flavour, toast the walnuts before adding to the dough. Exportbier is a pale lager brewed in Germany (around Dortmund) and has a longer shelf-life, and slightly stronger in taste than lager beer. Use Pilsner or ale if you can't find German Exportbier.
Cinnamon Hazelnut Biscuits - Gluten, Grain, Dairy, Sugar, Fat, Egg Free
Sunday, December 01, 2024These Christmasy cinnamon biscuits are made with roasted hazelnuts and without any flour, fat, dairy or eggs. They are subtly sweet and nutty with wonderful hints of vanilla and cinnamon and iced with a tangy lemon drizzle. Simply delicious with coffee and they smell wonderful! To make them even less guilty, I replaced icing sugar with powdered erythritol.