Eating in Budapest

Welcome back to another recount from my wonderful vacation in Budapest.

This time, I want to talk about one of my favorite things, FOOD!

 

As a vegetarian, it was difficult to find traditional, yet meatless, Hungarian meals in Budapest.

Although meat is a must for Hungarian cuisine, Sebastian and I were able to find several delicious vegetarian restaurants in Budapest.

We ate at Govinda Vegetarian Restaurant and Salad Bar twice during our week-long vacation.

 

With an alle carte buffet, the dishes change daily. You can either order a set meal or just pick and choose from what’s on offer. The first time we ate at Govinda, Sebastian and I shared the Indian buffet for two.

We received two curries, one with mixed vegetables and one with potatoes and eggplant, saffron rice, dal, a samosa, two tempura eggplant slices, 1 roti, 1 parantha, two chutneys and two mango lassies.

Wow, were we stuffed!

This meal was so good that we came back once more before leaving Hungary. Although I didn’t get a photo of the meal, everything the second time around was different but equally as delicious!

Another favorite restaurant was Hummus Bar.

As the name suggests, this place does hummus and does it well.

Sebastian and I both opted for a hummus plate. He had a beer with his meal and I went for a mint lemonade which was really refreshing on such a hot day.

I couldn’t decide which toppings to get with my hummus plate so went for the option that offered everything. My favorite toppings were the falafel and spiced kidney beans.

The plates were served with hot pita bread. Needless to say, we left this meal feeling very full and happy.

My friend, Josh, would love Budapest because every restaurant seemed to have a comprehensive menu of Belgian beers. If you’re not up for the high alcohol content, don’t worry, you can always get a coke, juice or water.

Fruit stalls are spotted all over the city, especially near main train stations and metro stops.

 

One of the more decadent (read expensive) treats I had while in Budapest was a fancy gelato.

Fancy because it was formed into the shape of a rose.

It looked and tasted great.

The main food attraction in Budapest has to be the Great Market Hall.

With produce, meat, fish, grains and spices, this building has been a a one-stop shop for fresh food since the early 1900s.

  On the second floor of the market hall, across from the textiles, you can find the food stalls.

It was here that I had my one and only “traditional Hungarian” meal, a langos.

Basically a deep-fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese, this may be traditional, but I found it disgusting.

Sorry, Hungary, but I simply couldn’t eat this.

Oh well, being in new places is all about trying new things. I’m glad I tried a langos, but am happy to never eat one again.

Luckily, there was lots of beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables to drool over.

Wandering through the isles of produce was a great way to get to know the food culture of Hungary.

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Barbecue Chickpea Pizza

Last week, Sebastian came home with a BBQ Chicken pizza. It smelled fantastic. Right away, my mind started on a recipe for a completely homemade, made from scratch, vegetarian version.

I’m so glad he gave me the inspiration, because this BBQ Chickpea Pizza with sourdough crust turned out exactly as I’d hoped.

 

I made the sourdough pizza crust earlier in the week. The recipe made enough dough for two very large pizzas. I immediately used one half for the veggie pizza I posted here and simply placed the remaining dough in the refrigerator.

The dough continued to slowly grow in the fridge, holding up exceptionally well for this recipe which was made three days later.

I also made a homemade barbecue sauce for the pizza. I find the bottled sauces in Germany to be way too sweet. After tossing a bunch of ingredients in a pot and letting them cook together, I was left with a delicious, tangy, smoky and sweet barbecue sauce.

I used a bit less than 1/4 cup of the sauce directly on the pizza dough then used another 1/2 cup to cook the chickpeas in. I was left with enough sauce to fill a medium sized jar which is now hanging out in the fridge, waiting to be used.

I topped the sourdough crust and BBQ sauce with freshly shredded gouda cheese.

As mentioned earlier, I cooked about 1 cup of drained and rinsed canned garbanzo beans in 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce. I let the sauce cook until it had reduced and thickened around the chickpeas.

On top of the cooked BBQ chickpeas, I placed a few plain chickpeas, a sprinkle of smoked paprika, thinly sliced red onions and fresh mozzarella cheese.

 

The pizza was cooked at a moderately high temperature until the crust and cheese were golden brown. Sprinkled with finely sliced basil leaves, this pizza was good to go!

Delicious!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

(I sort of tossed in ingredients as I went along so this is more of an estimate than an exact recipe. Adjust the spices to fit your tastes.)

Makes about 2 cups BBQ sauce

Ingredients

1/3 cup molasses

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion

1 cup ketchup

1 tsp. tamarind paste

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/ tsp. ground mustard

1 tsp. smoked paprika

red pepper flakes to taste

Method

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small sauce pan. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce reaches a desirable consistency.

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Lentils with Shallots and Brown Rice

Tomorrow is an exciting day in my classroom.

After learning about the Ancient Roman empire for two semesters, we will celebrate the culminating activity with a Roman feast.

The kids are beyond excited.

They’ve created their togas and stollas, fashioned their jewelry and broaches, and even decided on special Romanesque hairstyles.

But who am I kidding, the party isn’t about the fashion or Roman games, it’s about the food!

Luckily I have an amazing group of parents who are providing most of the food for the feast.

The kids, however, will bake Roman bread.

I’m contributing a recipe of my own- Grape leaves stuffed with lentils and shallot cooked brown rice.

I’m not claiming that my contribution is an authentic Roman recipe, it’s more of a “What would Kendel make with the ingredients in a Roman kitchen.”

Whereas the Romans would have used cereal grains like spelt, I’ve used brown rice which has been cooked with shallots and vegetable stock. Although brown rice was unknown to the Romans, I thought it would help hold the leaves together.

I’ll top the prepared stuffed grape leaves with tomatoes tomorrow and bake them before serving.

 

Hopefully the kids will feel like they’re truly at a Roman feast.

I still had leftover lentils and brown rice once the leaves were all stuffed so ate the extra stuffing as dinner.

With a simple drizzle of olive oil, these two easy ingredients made a filling and fancy-tasting dinner.

Vegan ~ Vegetarian ~ Simple

Ingredients

For the lentils

1 can cooked lentils

2 bay leaves

For the rice

1/2 cup brown rice

1- 1 1/4 cups water

2 small shallots, chopped

1 tsp. vegetable stock granules

olive oil

fresh black pepper

Method

1. Cook the rice according to package instructions along with the addition of the shallots and stock granules.
2. Warm the lentils and bay leaves over medium-low heat until the bay leaves become aromatic.
3. Plate the rice and lentils together, drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper to taste.

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Caprese Kebabs

Insalata Caprese always reminds me of my early days in Germany.

Something strange about Germany is that the homes and apartments don’t come with kitchens. Sure, there is a room for a kitchen with a water pipe sticking out of the wall next to a water heater and a high voltage plug for an electric oven, but that’s it.

My kitchen and me circa August 2008.

I moved to Germany on love and ambition.

I was so excited to have my very own apartment that I didn’t mind building and installing an entire IKEA kitchen.

I was in no hurry. I owned a bursting pot of basil and I had a grocery store beneath my apartment which sold fresh mozzarella and local tomatoes.

For the first two kitchen-less weeks of my new life in Germany, I lived off of caprese salad.

Simple, fresh, and full of summer taste, this salad needed no kitchen.

My kitchen has changed a lot in the last 3 years.

Although I eventually set aside the daily caprese feast, I still return to this dish with nostalgia induced warm fuzzy feelings towards the early days of my life abroad.  Worthy Caprese Salad circa August 2010

This weekend, I took my beloved caprese salad and put it on skewers to create Caprese Kebabs.

Shared amongst friends I could never have imagined back in 2008, these kebabs were a hit.

Grilled summertime vegetables and Halloumi cheese coated in fresh basil and parmesan pesto.

This recipe is easy to make yet wows with every flavorful bite.

To make the pesto, one needs a blender, basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, garlic and pine nuts.

Once blended, the pesto is ready to go.

For the kebabs, halloumi and tomatoes would be enough, but I also included zucchini and green onions.

Soak the wooden skewers in water to prevent burning, then create the kebabs by alternating the vegetables and cheese.

Marinate the kebabs in the pesto sauce for 1hour before grilling or just brush it on when you’re ready to grill.

Since I took this dish to a friend’s barbeque, I decided to save the mess and just brush the pesto over the kebabs before grilling. 

Rotate the kebabs, grilling on each side until golden brown.

Serve immediately while the cheese is soft and the vegetables are warm.

Adapted from Schrot & Korn magazine

Basil pesto

• 250 grams fresh basil
• 150 ml olive oil
• 25 grams pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt
• black pepper

Skewers

• 250 grams halloumi, cubed
• 12 green onions, cut into 1 inch segments
• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 1 zucchini, cut into semi circles
• Basil leaves for garnish
• 8 skewers

1. Combine the basil ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Alternate the halloumi and vegetables on the skewers.
3. Top the prepared kebabs with the pesto and set aside to marinate for 1 hour.
4. Before grilling, brush the skewers once again with the pesto.
5. Grill until golden brown.

Although a new spin on an old classic, this dish takes me back to my empty kitchen and caprese full belly.

I hope Caprese kebabs inspire your own special memories this summer.

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CSA Veggie Stir Fry

I love my weekly box of fresh, organic, local produce.

Oh, have I said that before?

Sorry for sounding like a stuck record, but deciding to receive a weekly CSA delivery is the smallest change, but it has yielded the largest difference.

I am now saving money on groceries, eating healthier, and experimenting with new recipes and produce.

All the while, I’m supporting businesses that I believe in.

A win-win situation.

Here’s how I make the best use of this service.

1. Before Wednesday of the delivery week, I visit my CSA’s online shopping center. There I can see what produce is planned to be included in my weekly vegetable box.
2. Usually I want everything that is scheduled, but sometimes there will be items that I either don’t want or already have left from the previous week’s delivery, take carrots cor example.
3. If I want all but one item, say carrots, I usually keep with the scheduled box but just edit my order to not include carrots.
4. I also have the option to choose a completely different box. Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen offers 8 different pre-planned boxes for €12.50: Vegetable, Mother and Child, Fruit, Regional Produce,Raw Produce, Single, Quick Cooking, and Full Assortment boxes.
5. If I didn’t want any of the pre-arranged plans, I could create a Wish Box by choosing individual items from the online shop.
6. In addition to the organic produce boxes, their online shop offers almost any other product that can be found in a small organic grocery store. I usually add a box of 6 eggs from Hof Alpermühle.
7. Once my order is placed, I keep my eyes open for recipes that include the items I expect later in the week.
8. I usually plan my meals based on which food items spoil more quickly. The produce with a shorter life-span is cooked earlier in the week than the more resilient veggies. This leads to less waste and better quality.
9. On Friday, my box is delivered to my front door and the real fun begins!

Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen makes it so simple to choose items and plan my weekly delivery. I rarely need to shop the regular grocery store and as a result, have saved a lot of money.

Although I’m pretty good at planning how to use my weekly veggies, there have been times when my fridge is about to burst with produce that needs to be used.

 

When this happens, I either make soup or stir fry.

My CSA Veggie Stir Fry is less of a recipe and more of a formula for using up any vegetables that linger in the crisper…

This week, my CSA Veggie Stir Fry included pea pods, savoy cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli, shallots, ginger, garlic and sesame seeds.

The garlic and ginger were cooked briefly in hot sesame oil before I added the remaining vegetables. This allows the oil to flavor which will later help to impart an even taste amongst the veggies.

Cooked over high heat, I added a bit of water every now and then to help the veggies steam.

Once the vegetables were starting to soften and brighten in color, I added a simple stir-fry sauce made with sesame oil, soy sauce, miring, agave nectar salt and pepper.

Cooked until tender yet slightly crisp, the last step was to add sesame seeds to the vegetables.

Served with jasmine rice, this CSA veggie stir fry was one of the best I’ve made yet.

CSA Veggie Stir Fry Formula

~ Vegan ~ Vegetarian ~

Prepare the Vegetables and Oil

4-5 cups raw vegetables, all cut to a similar size

2 cloves garlic

1/2 inch nub of fresh ginger,

1-2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

Prepare the Sauce to Taste

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1-2 Tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking wine)

1-2 teaspoons agave nectar

salt and pepper

 

Step 1

Heat the wok or non-stick frying pan. Add the sesame oil, heat for a moment then add the garlic and ginger. Cook over high heat until fragrant.

Step 2

Add the vegetables and continue to cook over high heat, stirring frequently. If the vegetables begin to stick, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Step 3

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small cup and whisk well. Once the vegetables begin to brighten, pour the sauce over top and stir to well-coat all ingredients.

Step 4

Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender to the tooth but still slightly crisp when bitten into. Stir in the sesame seeds.

Step 5

Serve the stir fry over cooked rice and enjoy!

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Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower

Amidst report writing this evening, I took a much needed break to made a delicious dinner.

A lovely head of cauliflower was delivered in my CSA box this week and thanks to tastespotting, I found the inspiration for my meal.

Using the ingredients I had on hand, I slightly altered the original recipe; making this a vegan pasta dish while maintaining the addition of a protein through TVP ‘breadcrumbs’.

If you are looking interested in detailed step-by-step photo instructions, I encourage you to visit Ward Street Bistro.

The ingredient list is quite simple, relying mainly on pantry staples.

Gently toast the TVP in olive oil until it turns golden brown and resembles breadcrumbs, set aside. Wipe out the skillet, add more olive oil then cook the cauliflower over medium heat until soft.

Once the cauliflower is softened, add the garlic and tomato paste mixture. Cook for a few minutes then add the saffron water, capers, chili peppers, salt and pepper. Cook until thickened into a sauce. Add the cooked pasta with a bit of pasta water if necessary.

  Serve the pasta topped with chopped fresh parsley and the TVP breadcrumbs.

Enjoy!

Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower and TVP Breadcrumbs

Vegan~ Vegetarian~ Serves 4

Inspired by Ward Street Bistro

Ingredients

1/3 cup small textured vegetable protein (TVP,) slightly rehydrated with 1 teaspoon water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large head cauliflower, core removed, florets finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons roughly chopped capers

A generous pinch crumbled saffron dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water

3/4 pound whole wheat pasta

Finely chopped Italian parsley

2 crumbled small dried chilies

salt and pepper to taste

 

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the fresh TVP and toast until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Combine the tomato paste and juice from the can of tomatoes in a small bowl. Stir to combine (reserving the diced tomatoes).
3. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped cauliflower to the skillet. Cook the cauliflower until it is softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste/juice mixture to the skillet. Cover and simmer the sauce over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender.
5. Add the reserved diced tomatoes, the roughly chopped capers, and the dissolved saffron to the skillet.
6. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, over medium heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the crumbled dried chilies and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Turn the drained, hot pasta into the warm sauce and stir thoroughly to combine.
8. Serve immediately garnished with the toasted TVP ‘breadcrumbs’ and chopped parsley.

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Garlic Herb Bread

After 5 days in Berlin, we made it back to Bonn safely this evening.

This time around, the Berlin trip was full of Bs.

Baptism

BBQs

Beer

Not necessarily in that order.

More on Berlin to come later, for now, I’m off to do a couple more Bs.

Bath

Bed

Enjoy this previously planned post on a delicious bread that came easily be added to any BBQ this grilling season.

Although this may seem too simple to deserve a recipe, this half-homemade garlic bread is too good not to share.

 Simple, herby garlic bread- what could be better?

  I used an olive baguette, chives and parsley along with the standard soy butter, salt, garlic and spring onion.

Juicy chunks of olives really added to the taste.

Slice the bread diagonally without going all the way through.

  See? Still together although cut apart.

My food processor is on the fritz so I used a hand-held submersion blender to mix together the garlic herb butter.

  Spread the slices apart and generously smear the butter inside.

Lookin’ good.

Place the loaf on aluminum foil and wrap it up.

This can be cooked in the oven or even on the grill.

Such a lovely reward.

Ingredients

1 loaf French or Italian bread

4 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 small shallot or 1 spring onion

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup fresh herbs such as parsley, chives or rosemary

salt to taste

Method

1. Cut the bread diagonally into 1.5 inch slices being careful not to cut all the way through.
2. Add the butter, shallot, garlic, herbs and salt in a food process and combine until well mixed.
3. Spread the butter mixture between the bread slices, wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and bake at 500 F for 5-7 minutes.

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Artichoke, Olive and Asparagus White Pizza

Boy oh boy, am I behind on pizza posts.

Usually, once we’ve finished eating our homemade pizzas and cleaning up, I’m so full and exhausted that I can’t be bothered to even post the culinary creations.

This week’s pizza was really special. It was inspired by a recipe I found on the vegalicious website for a white pizza with artichokes, white asparagus and green olives.

We used our standard fresh yeast pizza dough as a base and built on from there.

For my sauce, I made a white bean hummus by blending white beans, nutritional yeast, basil, olive oil, salt and garlic in the food processor.

I spread the bean sauce on top of the pizza dough then added my toppings. This sauce makes an excellent dip as well. I topped my pizza with blanched white asparagus, artichoke hearts, green olives, red onions, fresh parsley and basil. Sebastian made his pizza first and had some leftover goat cheese that he was just going to toss, so I used that on half of the pizza as well.

Waste not, want not.

Prebaking and post-baking.

Served with a salad and glass of wine, this was one fancy pizza. I enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day.

Sebastian made a salami, red onion, cheese-stuffed pepper and goat cheese pizza.

He was pretty proud of this combination.

Although I didn’t share the pizza I made last week, here it is now.

I made a fake cheese sauce that ruined this beautiful pizza. It was a flour-based sauce and I just did not like it. From now on, I’m sticking to nut, seed and vegetable-based cheese substitutes.

Live and learn.

At least it photographed well!

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Marinated Vegetable Kebabs

Our tiny electric balcony grill was put into action this weekend.

I came home from work on Friday and made a quick lemon dill marinade, based off of the lemon thyme marinade which was my standby last grill season.

I chopped up a handful of fresh dill, grated the zest of 1/2 a lemon…

added the juice of 1/2 a lemon, some salt, red pepper flakes, olive oil and a dollop of sweet mustard. Once whisked together, I added a bunch of aging vegetables.

Mushrooms, red and green peppers, zucchini and red onions.

Once the lid was on, these veggies were given a good shake to distribute the marinade.

I thought we would have the kebabs for dinner Friday night, but we ended up spending the evening drinking beer and playing in the park by the Rhine.

Josh’s diverse beer collection.

Friday was such a gorgeous Spring day.

The two German boyfriends from our group.

Living in Europe and hanging out with friends in the park after work, who wouldn’t want this life?

 

Monkey see, monkey do.

Lucky for us, Matt and Josh both have adorable little boys who provided most of the entertainment for the evening.

Lucky for them, Jan brought his bike and trailer to entertain the boys.

After detaching the trailer from the bike, the boys took turns pulling one another around. It was a fun, relaxing, simple Friday night.

So, rather than veggie kebabs, I had a falafel sandwich for dinner. While we were out, the kebabs were back home, soaking up the marinade.

On Saturday, after marinating for 20 hours, I finally grilled the vegetables. I was worried that the mushrooms would fall apart so tried to place sturdier vegetables around them. I added a couple of potatoes to the skewers as well.

I turned my little electric grill to high power and added the prepared kebabs.

Keeping a careful eye on the grill, I rotated the veggies as they began to darken.

The charred red peppers were the best!

Eaten alongside garlic herb bread, I pulled the veggies off of the kebabs to enjoy as a grilled salad topping.

Fresh and scrumptious!

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Spring Greens Yoghurt Soup

After tasting six new, delicious Persian dishes at the cooking class last night, my mind and taste buds were still hypnotized by the first bite of the night, Spring Greens Yoghurt Soup.

Looking at the recipe, I wasn’t expecting much, but this soup packs a powerful, refreshing punch.

Served warm, this is the kind of soup that makes you slow down while you’re eating to take in the interesting combination of flavors.

Spring Green Yoghurt Soup

4 servings

Ingredients

2 bunches spring onions

5 Tbsp. butter

1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) fresh spinach

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch dill

1 bunch mint

1 bunch cilantro

150 grams (5.3 oz.) finely chopped walnuts

1 liter ( 4 1/4 cups) vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

800 grams (about 3.5-4 cups?) plain yoghurt, room temperature

1-2 Tbsp. freshly ground nutmeg

Method

1. Wash, dry and cut the spring onions into rings then cook them over medium heat in a large pan with melted butter.
2. Wash the spinach and herbs then chop roughly. Add the spinach, herbs and walnuts to the pan with the onions. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring to wilt the greens.
3. Add the vegetable broth and flavor with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the soup from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. (If the soup is too hot, it could curdle the yogurt.) Once the soup has cooled slightly, add the yogurt and nutmeg. Stir gently to combine and serve.

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