Bruschetta Beans and Greens

Hi Friends!

I hope wherever you are, your day was as beautiful as mine.

The sun was out, the skies were blue, and the air smelled like summertime today.

One of those days when you’re just happy to be alive!

This morning I got up, ate a quick piece of toast and then got dressed to head out the door. My big plans for the day were to head into Bonn to do my produce shopping at the fresh market then shop for fabric to use while photographing my friend Rosetta’s baby.

Any crafting material is much more expensive over here than it is in the US. The first fabric shop I went to, the cheapest black fabric I could find cost €12 for a meter. I said no way Jose then found the deal of a lifetime at the only department store that has fabric.

I bought 4 meters of black fabric to use as a backdrop- grand total, €6. I also picked up some very soft mellow moss pastel green fabric for €1.50 as well as a periwinkle fabric with a soft but scrunchy texture for also €1.50. I’m really getting excited to take these photos now that I feel a bit more equipped!

At the market, I picked up 3 little zucchinis, 1 eggplant, 3 chili peppers, a bunch of parsley (I’ve depleted my garden,) blueberries, a peach, tomatoes, and a baguette. I love market shopping. Everything is so fresh and local.

Anyways, once I was home, I was hungry and in need of something quick.

I filled that hunger with bruschetta, beans and greens!

My lovely assistant was nice enough to slice, spray and toast the baguette.

First up for me, tomato and olive bruschetta.

I sliced some tomatoes and green olives, tore up some basil and drizzled balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the first batch.

Then came the beans (with rosemary olive oil.)

For the rosemary infused olive oil: crush some rosemary leaves with salt using a mortar and pestle. Add a couple glugs of olive oil and set to the side while you’re cooking your beans.

For the beans: cook 2 sliced gloves of garlic in a glug of olive oil until they are lightly golden. Add a can of drained and rinsed cannelloni beans, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes. Then mash the garlic and beans together. Add a bit of water if it’s dry like mine. Smoother would have been better.

 

Next up, the greens!

1 avocado, some fresh tomato, fresh cilantro, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, cumin, and sea salt.

We enjoyed our lunch in the sunshine of the balcony.

Ah, summertime!

Later in the day, I used up the rest of the bruschetta and beans in my dinner salad.

Honestly, I was a little bruschetta and beaned out so only ate about half of the salad… but now I’m getting hungry again. What shall I have next?

Alright, I’m off. Have a great weekend everyone!

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World Cup Fever

I’ve never been into sports.

Baseball. Football. Basketball. Hockey. Soccer

None of them.

But there is something about being in Germany during the World Cup that makes me passionate about soccer (affectionately called football throughout the remainder of this post.)

The last few days have been busy enough with work and life… but throw the World Cup in there and I really have no time.

No time to blog. No time to work out. No time to even think of new and exciting things to eat.

I do have time to get together with friends, eat, drink, cheer, scream, jump around, and laugh.

Basically, I have time to LIVE!!!

Last night I did my living at my friend Kate’s house. She had a bunch of people over to watch the England vs. USA game.

There were only 2 of us Americans…. and about 20 English.

Luckily we had a lovely German girl to cheer on our side!

Let’s just say it made for a fun game. Especially since their Goal Keeper scored a point for the US, making the game tie.

A draw is a victory for the USA but certainly a total loss for England.

Regardless of the poor performance by the English team, the cooking performance by my English hosts was certainly World Cup worthy!

The tiny red spotted grill is their dedicated vegetarian grill.

My contributions to the feast included watermelon salsa, guacamole, spring rolls and peanut sauce.

Guacamole

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• cumin, salt, pepper to taste

All smashed up together.

I should have made more because this stuff was gone in no time at all.

Fresh Watermelon Salsa

From How Sweet it Is

This was wonderful! The watermelon was a wonderful treat. Many people didn’t notice the watermelon until I mentioned it was in there.

Strange but true.

Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce

I followed Iowa Girl’s step-by-step instructions. She’s a genius. If you want to make these spring rolls, head over to her website.

These rolls included:

• rice noodles
• cucumber
• carrot
• tofu
• basil
• avocado

I didn’t have all the ingredients for Kristin’s sauce, so tried to mimic her recipe with ingredients I had on hand.

Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce

• 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. raw sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 4 tsp. soy sauce
• 4 heaping tsp. peanut butter
• 1 tsp. Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp. corn starch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water

Mix all ingredients together and microwave 1 min. 30 seconds, stirring half-way.

I made a ton and they were all eaten, a great sign of a good recipe!

What do we say? Go USA!!!!!

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Pollen Power

The pollen count this spring has already broken records in Germany.

Pollen is everywhere; visibly blowing through the air and reeking havoc on allergy sufferers like myself.

For the past three days, my head has felt heavy and full. I’ve been making it to work, but that’s about it. Once I’m home, it’s all I can do to eat something, prepare for the next day, and get to sleep.

On Friday, the fluffy white pollen and seeds of some terrorizing plant was blowing in through the classroom door and window so thickly that one students interrupted my reading of “Snow in Jerusalem” to inform me that it looked like “Snow in Class 4B.”

source

He was right, the floor was covered in “snow.”

So, let me share some of the food that’s been consumed in my past 3 day absence.

I’ve been on an omelet kick lately. So many filling veggies! The best combination yet?

Spinach, red peppers, mushrooms, vegetarian “ham,” 2 eggs and goat’s cheese.

I’ve also been filling up on some delicious whole meal raisin bread. The Years 5/6/7  went on a field trip to a whole meal bakery this week. My assistant went along and brought me back a loaf of this delicious, unsweetened bread.

Almond butter and olive oil spread both sprinkled with cinnamon

Apple, carrot, and ginger juice

Dipping Dinner

Sundried tomato ciabata bread, baked cheese, easy parmesan creamed spinach

Easy Parmesan Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 large handfulls fresh spinach
• 1/3  cup creme fraiche
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. water

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Put into an oven-safe container and bake at 375 until bubbly.

After the gym this morning, I was craving bruschetta. Since I had a huge appetite but only one small tomato, I created a Mexico meets Italy plate.

Crispy Baguette

1. Cut your baguette (mine today was wheat and onion) into one inch slices.
2. Lightly coat with olive oil spray on both sides.
3. Pan fry over high heat until the bread begins to turn golden brown. Flip and repeat.

Tomato Bruscetta

Ingredients

• 1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
• 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• drizzle of olive oil
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix together, let sit for a few minutes. Spoon on top of crispy baguette slices.

Guacamole Spread

Ingredients

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1 heaping tsp. finely sliced tomato
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
• Cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Smash all ingredients together and spoon over toasted baguette.

Apparently my appetite wasn’t as huge as I had imagined as I only ate two of each. Sebastian was happy to finish the remaining treats.

Speaking of Sebastian, this week I was given the greatest privilege any European football-loving man can bestow. I was allowed to place the very first sticker in his FIFA World Cup Official Sticker Book.

Yes, a professional, grow man can and does get excited about a sticker album.

There it is, the first sticker of the German football team. South Africa, here they come!

And here I go, off to the Rhein in Flammen- the Rhine in Flames 2010! A firework and light show along the Rhine.

Have a great Saturday everyone!

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