Pasta with Vegetable Sauce

Mmmm… homemade pasta!

We make the best pasta right in this tiny German kitchen.

Topped with tomato sauce absolutely loaded with fresh, CSA veggies, this meal hit the spot!

CSA Tomato Sauce

Feel free to alter the vegetables depending on what you have on hand.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 shallots, finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

1/4 cup red wine

1 zucchini, diced

6 crimini mushrooms, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 dried chili peppers, crushed

dried basil, oregano, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat a large sauce pan over medium high heat with the olive oil. Add the shallots, celery and carrots. Cook until the shallots begin to release their liquids. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.
2. Stir in the red wine and cook until the liquid reduces by about half.
3. Add the zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes. Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried chilies and herbs. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low.
5. Continue to cook over a low heat until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Taste then season as needed.
6. Serve over hot pasta with fresh basil and graded parmesan cheese.

I’ve been busy working away at school in an attempt to finish my classroom before going to Budapest.

The school hausmeister is away this week so the projects I needed his help with will have to wait until I’m back.

My biggest project this summer has been to reorganize the classroom library.

I bought two extra book shelves at IKEA and Sebastian helped me put them together this morning. The books are all in their new homes and the labels are designed and waiting to be printed tomorrow. 

I can not wait to have my new and improved classroom library up and running!

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Zucchini and Eggplant Galette

 

If I told you that the trees are already changing colors in Bonn, would you believe me?

I’ve only worn shorts once this year and have spent most of the days in blue jeans and long sleeved shirts.

The weather this “summer” has been unbelievable, and to accompany this cold weather, I’ve come down with a terrible cold.

Luckily I had two cuddly cats who have been doing their best to help me feel better.

Getting well has been my top priority for two main reasons:

1. I have to completely prepare my classroom by Wednesday afternoon.

2. Thursday morning, Sebastian and I are off to Budapest, Hungary for our summer vacation.

Sadly, this has been my view from the couch since Friday. After three days out flat with this terrible cold, today is the first day I’ve felt human again.

Now that I’m feeling more like myself, I am back in the kitchen!

This recipe for zucchini, squash and ricotta galette had me at hello.

While unpacking the zucchini and eggplant from my CSA box on Friday, I knew I wanted to put my own spin on Erin’s mouthwatering recipe.

I quickly put together the pastry dough in the food processor this morning before heading out to the local flea market.

Flea markets in Germany are fantastic. More like a good, community garage sale in the US than a crappy parking lot flea market.

Today I bought two items, a spaetzle maker and this wonderful bag of giant butterflies that I will use to decorate my classroom.

With these giant butterflies suspended from the ceiling, I hope my new students feel like they’ve walked into a magical world on their first day of school!

I’ve become a bit partial towards nylon butterflies since last year’s Carnival costume.

Once back home, I cut up the vegetables and made the ricotta filling for the galette.

I followed the original recipe with only one substitution. I used an eggplant in place of the yellow squash.

Beautiful!

This dish is light and delicate. My only complaint is that the moisture of the zucchini and eggplant created a slightly soupy center even though I thoroughly drained the sliced veggies before baking.

I absolutely adore the pastry in this recipe. It is so flaky, tender and perfect!

If these photos have grabbed your attention, please head over to Naturally Ella to find the recipe.

Served with a mixed salad, this was a wonderful recipe to get me back on my feet again.

I hope to finish a few projects at school tomorrow. I am so eager to share what I’ve been up to, but want to wait until the whole class is prepared.

I hope all of you are well and have had a great weekend!

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Sourdough Pizza Dough

Yesterday I shared a recipe for sourdough bagels from a book published 8 years before I was born: Sourdough Cookery by Rita Davenport.

Today I’m here to share another recipe from the oh-so-talented sourdough baker, Rite Davenport.

In her book, Rita shared not only her recipe for the dough, but also her pizza sauce recipe and suggested toppings.

You’re going to have to buy her book to get the whole kit and caboodle, but I’m happy to share the sourdough pizza dough recipe.

Sourdough Pizza Dough

Makes 2 very large pizzas

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter

1 cup warm milk

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

2 1/2- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

olive oil for brushing

Method

1. Add the milk, salt, sugar and vegetable oil to the sourdough starter. Stir together. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Stir well after each addition. Add enough flour until the dough is too stiff to stir with a spoon. Dough should be heavy but elastic.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 5-10 minutes.
3. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place, free from drafts and let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
4. Divide dough into two equal parts. Stretch or roll out each part to create a round pizza dough. Create a slight ridge to form a crust.
5. Brush the dough with olive oil and continue to create your pizza as you wish.

Our first pizza dough was used as a base for a vegetable pizza which included tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach and broccoli.

Oh so good!

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Israeli Couscous with Garlic Green Beans

Green beans have always been one of my favorite vegetables.

I attribute my green bean love to my grandparents.

Every spring, my grandpa plants an incredible vegetable garden. He plants lettuce, sweet corn, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, even peanuts, garlic and strawberries.

Although he was always on a careful planting schedule when I was young, he’d save green bean planting to do with me.

Green beans were always our special crop.

 

Together, we’d prepare the soil, plant the seeds, give them their first drink of water and mark the rows. Every time my family and I would visit between spring and summer, my grandpa would take me out to the garden and proudly announce, “Look how much our beans have grown.”

In my mind, they were our beans, Grandpa’s and mine.

When the green beans were ready to harvest, Grandpa would call me up and exclaim that it was time to pick our beans.

He always waited and let me pick the first bean of the season.

Once we had a bucket full of freshly picked green beans, we’d bring them into the kitchen and my Grandma would take over.

She taught me how to snap off the ends and cook the beans to perfection with a butter and bacon.

Years later, when I announced my vegetarianism, my grandparents made the ultimate sacrifice- they stopped cooking bacon with the green beans.

My brothers will be the first to admit that Grandma and Grandpa’s green beans just aren’t the same without the bacon, but they all lovingly made that change for me.

Even now, when I travel back to the US, my grandparents cook up green beans from the garden; specially saved and frozen for my next return.

As I opened my CSA delivery this week and found a brown paper bag full of green beans, I was instantly taken back.

Taken back to my grandparents’ garden, full of love, learning, gentleness and guidance.

Although I wish I could have shared this green bean meal with my grandparents, I’m happy I can share it with you.

Israeli Couscous with Garlic, Green Beans, Zucchini and Pine Nuts

Makes 3 servings ~ Ready in 15 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces

3 large handfuls fresh green beans

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 Tablespoons butter

1 1/3 cup Israeli couscous

1 3/4 cups boiling vegetable broth (or water with stock granules)

2 Heaping tablespoons pine nuts

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parmesan cheese to garnish

Method

1. Clean the green beans, remove the ends and cut into 1 inch pieces. Steam until slightly tender. Remove from heat.
2. Place 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium sized pan along with the couscous. Cook over medium-high heat until the couscous begins to turn golden brown. Slowly stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until melted. Add the garlic, shallots and zucchini. Sauté until the zucchini becomes slightly tender. Add the steamed green beans and continue to cook for a couple more minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Add the pine nuts to the vegetable mixture and cook until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To serve, place the vegetables over the couscous and sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese.

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful fathers and grandfathers out there… especially mine.

I love you all so much.

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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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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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Italian Cooking Class Day 4

I can’t believe it’s all over. I have had such a great week and although I’m excited to get back to Sebastian, I’m sad to be leaving tomorrow.

No words can describe how fortunate I feel to have had the opportunity to come to Italy for a week, cook amazing food, stay in a fantastic apartment and spend my days with two new-found friends.

I am blessed beyond my own understanding!

For our final cooking class we prepaerd stuffed tomatoes and zucchini, homemade tagliatelle with a pumpkin sauce, breaded fish cutlets, a mixed salad and lemon poppy seed cake.

We also had wine. Lots and lots of wine. Hey, it might have only been noon but it was our last day together in Italy, what do you expect?

Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini

Although I’ve stuffed tomatoes many times before, I’ve never used bread crumbs. This way was much more crunchy.

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes
• 4 zucchini
• 1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 Tbsp. bread crumbs
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Prepare the tomatoes by cutting them in half width-wise and scooping out the seeds. Reserve the seeds in a small bowl.
2. Prepare the zucchini by cutting out and discarding the seeds and spongy bits. Place the zucchini and tomatoes on a baking dish and sprinkle with salt.
3. To make the filling, smash the tomato seeds with a fork to break up and then mix in the parsley, garlic, bread crumbs and enough olive oil to make a slightly moist mixture.
4. Fill the tomatoes and zucchini creating a flat top which covers the entire top of the vegetables.
5. Bake in a hot oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the stuffing is golden brown.

Pumpkin Sauce

I knew I’d love this sauce from the first mention of it’s name. Eating pasta with a pumpkin sauce was a nice change. It was savory, rich and absolutely delicious! I will certainly make it again!

Ingredients

• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 800 grams pumpkin, seeds and skin removed, chopped into tiny cubes
• 8 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, chopped
• wild fennel leaves
• 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 3 handfuls fresh grated parmesan
• water

Method

1. Coat the bottom of a non-stick pan with olive oil and fry the sliced shallots until they soften, stirring constantly.
2. Add in the pumpkin, 1 Tbsp. chopped fennel leaves, 2 fennel stalks, a generous pinch of salt and fresh black pepper. Cook 10 minutes over medium high heat, stirring and tossing frequently. Add water as needed to keep the sauce moist and prevent the vegetables from sticking.
3. Add the tomatoes and toss to incorporate.
4. Dry toast the pine nuts until golden brown then add them to the sauce.
5. Stir in 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Homemade Tagliatelle

Rolling out pasta by hand it hard work but the reward is worth it! I can’t wait to make pasta at home. I’ll have to invest in a long rolling pin, Stefania said my wine-bottle-rolling-pin method just won’t do.

Ingredients

For 2-4 servings.

• 200 g. all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• good pinch of salt
• drizzle of olive oil

Method

1. Create a large circular well in the flour which goes all the way down to the cooking surface. Crack the eggs inside the well and add the salt and a little olive oil.
2. Using a fork, begin to whisk the eggs pulling in flour from the side as you go. Keep the well sturdy and continue pulling in flour. Continue to whisk in the flour until you have only a small well-wall left.
3. Begin to knead in the remaining flour with your finger tips. Work gently at first and then, as the dough starts to harden, knead regularly.
4. The dough will be quite dry. Keep kneading for about 10 minutes or until your dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Make a ball with the ugly sides under and then squeeze out your dough until it is like a thick pancake. Dust your working table very lightly and dust the top of your ball of dough.
6. Using a rolling pin, start in the center and push all your weight into a back and forth motion until you reach the ends. Rotate the dough 45 degrees and then repeat.
7. Keep rolling out the dough and when it becomes too big, have a friend hold down the ends for you or simply fold some of the dough over the edge of the table and lightly lean on it. Roll until your dough is about 2 mm thick.
8. Fold in two inches of the ends of your dough on both sides. Dust with flour then fold over again on both sides. Dust and repeat until you reach the middle. Fold the two ends on top of one another.
9. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down through your pasta to create a uniform width of about 1/2 cm. Keep slicing without moving your already cut pasta.
10. Grab a hold of the first layer of pasta and shake out to separate the strands and remove excess flour. Pile up.
11. Cook your pasta in a pot of boiling water which is very well salted (as in one whole handful of salt.) When you add the pasta the water will stop boiling. Once it begins to boil again, your pasta is cooked.
12. Remove the pasta from the water and add directly into your prepared sauce. You may need to add a little more pasta water.
13. Serve your pasta with more parmesan, salt and pepper.

 

Breaded Fish Cutlets

This is such a fast dish to make. The fish was incredibly moist and flaky inside. I’ll be doing this one at home too.

Ingredients

• 1 large fish fillet (4 servings worth) we used a fish from the local lake but perch or another soft white fish would also work well
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• lemon wedge

Method

1. Cut your fish into medium sized pieces with scissors.
2. Prepare your breading station, 1 bowl with flour, 1 bowl with the egg, 1 bowl with the bread crumbs and parsley.
3. Coat the fish with flour then dip into the egg and cover well. Drip off the extra egg and then place in the bread crumbs and coat well. Repeat with all fish pieces.
4. Fill the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, about a pinky-width deep. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it is hot. Fry the fish until golden brown on both sides.
5. Remove fish from oil and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
6. Squeeze the lemon wedge over the cutlets. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

I love lemon poppy seed anything but as far as the cake goes, I like my mom’s version better. This cake wasn’t lemony enough for my taste and was too dry to eat alone.

Ingredients

• 125 g. butter, melted in a double boiler
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 150 g. sugar
• 180 g. flour
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1.5 lemons
• 8 g. baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• powdered sugar

Method

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and eggs until it has doubled in size. Sift in a little flour at a time while continuing to mix.
2. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder and butter- mixing the whole time. Incorporate the poppy seeds.
3. Butter and dust a bunt pan. Spread the batter evenly inside and bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
4. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

If anyone is interested in coming to Italy for cooking classes, I would highly recommend Let’s Cook in Umbria. The classes are small and personalized. I learned so much over the four cooking classes and would stay if given the opportunity! You can also come for 1 day classes if you’re just passing through the area!

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Italian Cooking Class Day 3

I woke up this morning to another beautiful view in Umbria.

I was a little sore due to the intense yoga class last night.

I have never been to a class where the moves aren’t choreographed to music and the instructor isn’t wearing the latest fitness fashion.

The class last night was two hours of intense breathing and movements. Real yoga. I found some movements difficult but the teacher was very good at giving a helping hand.

There were about 9 other students of all ages, genders and gestational periods. (The pregnant couple was especially delightful to watch.) After the course, we were all invited to stay for dinner.

I can honestly say that last night was one of those, “I can’t believe this is my life,” kind of moments. I sat around a table with a master yogi and students from all different walks of life in a small, fire-heated room around a large table in Italy enjoying a delicious homemade Indian meal. It was wonderful. Everyone was very friendly and did their best to communicate with me. I can’t wait to go back for another lesson on Friday.

This morning I woke up still stuffed but ready for another cooking class.

On the menu for today we had two different bruschettas, artichoke rissoto, vegetable gratin and chocolate pear cake.

Yummy!

Bruschetta with Tomatoes

I found out I’ve been doing this all wrong according to traditional Italian cooking. When we asked about the balsamic vinegar, Stefania laughed at us. We were told we could add garlic, cheese, onions, even whole peppercorns if we wanted, but not vinegar!

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 handful fresh basil, torn
• olive oil to generously coat
• sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
• Toasted bread

Method

1. Toss together the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Put on top of toasted bread and enjoy!

Bruschetta with Spicy Fresh Cheese

I’ll certainly make this one to bring along to parties. Make it ahead as the flavor will only improve with a little more time.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh cream cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh marjoram leaves
• dried chili peppers, to taste, chopped (this should be very spicy)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted Bread

Method

1. Soften the cream cheese with the back of a spoon until it’s smooth. Add in the garlic, marjoram, chili peppers, salt and pepper and mix well.
2. Serve on top of toasted bread

To toast the bread, she used a very practical pan which fit over the flame of the stove. Especially in Umbria, it is common to even cook a pizza-like dish on this pan.

Artichoke Risotto

This was divine. Although preparing the artichokes took a lot of time and it wasn’t the easiest dish to toss together, it was all worth it. The taste was incredible.

Ingredients

For the Stock- “Never. Use. Cubes. Never. They will make a disaster!”

• 1 tomato, cut in half
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced in thick chunks
• 1 stalk celery
• generous amount of salt
• water

For the risotto

• 4 artichokes
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2-3 cups risotto rice
• 2 handfuls fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 handfuls grated fresh parmesan cheese

Method

For the stock

1. Place all vegetables in a large sauce pan and fill with water. Salt generously and put on medium high heat for at least 30 minutes to create a good quality stock.
2. In Italy, stock cubes will ruin a meal. I’m afraid to even say the words “stock cubes” in Italy now. Do not use them. Ever. Just take 1/2 an hour and make your stock.

Prepare the artichokes

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze 1/2 a lemon into it. Drop the lemon in the water as well. This will help prevent the cut artichokes from becoming black.
2. Cut off the bottom of the artichoke stalk leaving about 2 cm.
3. Peel off the outside leaves until you reach the soft inner leaves. It will feel like you’re throwing away more than half of the artichoke, but that’s just the way it is. Keep peeling.
4. Cut off the top of the artichoke leaves, just above the natural groove.
5. Quarter the artichoke heart and place in the lemon water.
6. One quarter at a time, cut out and discard the hairs which are inside the artichoke. slice the artichoke into thin slices length-wise. Return slices to the lemon water.

Put it all together

1. Heat a large sauce pan over high heat. Coat the bottom with a generous amount of olive oil and add the chopped shallots along with a half ladle of stock. After a moment, add the drained artichokes and season with salt. Continue to cook until the artichokes are soft, stirring constantly.
2. Add the rice and toast until it begins to turn golden brown. Add two ladles of stock. Do not stop stirring!
3. Cook the liquid down and add another 1-2 ladles of stock, stirring the whole time to cook the liquid down.
4. Add a handful of fresh parsley, more stock and repeat the stir, cook down procedure. Continue this process until the rice is al dente. Don’t worry about the measurement of liquid. You want the rice to cook and the mixture to become creamy.
5. Remove the rice from the heat and stir in 3 Tbsp of butter and a handful of grated parmesan cheese. Stir to melt.
6. Plate the risotto, dressing with another handful of parmesan, parsley and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Let the risotto rest for a few minutes before eating.

Potato and Zucchini Layered Bake

A late autumn affair. Perfect for using up the garden remains and settling in to the warmer food of winter.

Ingredients

• 4 zucchinis, cut in small cubes
• 5 potatoes
• 1/2 large white onion, sliced thinly in half-circles
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• taleggio cheese, cubed (or another sweet, soft, fatty cheese like brie)

Method

1. Boil your potatoes, skin on, for about 15 minutes or until cooked but still slightly dense in the middle. Cool for a little while then pull off the skins. Slice into thin circles.
2. Coat the bottom of a non-stick pan with olive oil and fry the onions for a moment. Add the zucchini and flavor with salt and pepper. Continue to fry until the vegetables are soft then remove from heat.
3. Rub olive oil into the bottom and sides of a baking dish. Place a layer of potatoes (using about half) in the bottom. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
4. Top the potato layer with all the onions and zucchini. Spread the mixture evenly. Evenly distribute the cheese cubes over the zucchini mixture.
5. Top the cheese with another layer of carefully arranged potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil. Gently massage the olive oil into the potato layer.
6. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 40-45 minutes.

  

Chocolate Pear Cake

I still have this to eat. I was so full by this point that I only took a couple of bites. Let me tell you, this cake is so moist it’s almost fudgy. It’s not too sweet and is really quite light.

Ingredients

• 80 grams room temperature butter
• 70 grams sugar
• 2 room temperature eggs, yolk and white separated
• 1 cup milk plus more as needed
• 140 grams flour
• 80 grams coco powder
• 16 grams baking powder
• 4 hard pears, peeled, cored and chopped into cubes
• powdered sugar

Method

1. Soften the butter using the back of a spoon until it becomes soft and silky. Beat the sugar and butter together until creamy using an electric mixer.
2. Beat in one yolk at a time to the butter mixture. Repeat with the second yolk.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients, flour, coco powder and baking powder.
4. Place half of the dry mixture and half of the milk into the butter mixture. Beat together. Repeat with the remaining dry mixture and milk, adding more milk if needed to reach a thick batter.
5. Make a meringue with the 2 egg whites and a bit of sugar. Stir half of the meringue into the batter.
6. Carefully fold the remaining meringue into the batter.
7. Pour the batter over your pears and mix to combine.
8. Wet a piece of parchment paper and then squeeze out the excess liquid. Shape the paper into a spring-form pan and place the cake batter inside. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.
9. Remove from the oven, cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

 I think this will be my midnight snack!

It was another great day of cooking and eating in Italy.

After taking a nap this afternoon, we went to a wonderful winery… but that will have to wait for another post!

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An Italian Dinner

Hello everyone! Today I had lunch at my friend Kate’s house while we relaxed in front of English TV. I mentioned to Kate that one of the best things about renting an apartment while in London was to be able to get up, turn on the telly and hear my native language. Ahh…

So, being the sweet girl she is, Kate invited me over to watch my favorite British TV program which she has been recording for me all week. The show is called Come Dine With Me. 5 people take turns cooking a 3 course meal for each other over a week. They then vote on the meal and the winner receives £1,000. I’ve talked about the German version before, same concept.

It was a great afternoon and I even came home with 3 new cookbooks to borrow.

I read cookbooks like novels, always have as my mother would say.

While reading through Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italy cookbook, I fell in love with the concept of a recipe to the point that I had to make it regardless of the fact that I possessed only half the ingredients- the other half I improvised and I’m happy to say, the results were outstanding.

Before we get to the main course, let me introduce the antipasti.

Simple Zucchini Antipasti

Ingredients

• 1 small to medium sized zucchini, sliced
• juice from one lemon wedge
• olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Boil a pot of salt water and drop in the zucchini pieces. You want to cook the zucchini until it is no longer crispy but still slightly firm. Be careful not to over blanche the zucchini or else they will be mushy.
2. Take the cooked zucchini out of the water and let rest on a towel for a few minutes to remove excess water.
3. Put into a serving dish and lightly drizzle with fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and serve either warm, room temperature or cold.

This is so light and fresh- a great way to get a few veggies in before the main dish.

Speaking of the main dish….

Pasta alla Norma

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 large, firm eggplant
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
• pinch of hot pepper flakes
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• small bunch of fresh basil, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved
• 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 fresh tomatoes, blanched, deskinned and seeded
• 6 sundried tomatoes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 servings of dried whole wheat spaghetti
• soft goat’s cheese

Method

1. Cut the eggplant into quarters lengthwise. If the centers are really seedy and fluffy, cut them out and throw away. Next, cut the eggplant into finger-sized lengths.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the eggplant (probably in 2 batches) adding a little more olive oil if you need to. Toss the eggplant to be sure that each side has a bit of oil coating it and sprinkle with the oregano. Fry until all sides are golden brown.
3. While the eggplant is cooking, create a tomato sauce using the prepared tomatoes and dried tomatoes by blending them together in a blender or food processor. (If you have a can of tomatoes, you can exchange them in place of the fresh and dried tomatoes. The original recipe calls for canned tomatoes but I didn’t have any.)
4. When the eggplant pieces are all cooked, return both batches to the pan and add the chili flakes. Turn the heat down to medium and add a little more olive oil, the garlic and the basil stalks. Stir so everything is evenly cooked then add the balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce.
5. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to package instructions. Taste the tomato mixture and add salt and pepper as needed. Tear half the basil leaves and toss in to the sauce.
6. Once your pasta is cooked, drain (reserving a little pasta water) and add it to the sauce. Toss the pasta and sauce together with a splash of the pasta water. Divide the pasta between 2 plates and garnish with the remaining basil leaves and fresh, soft goat’s cheese. If you wish, you can even top it off with another small drizzle of olive oil.

This recipe may look complicated, but it came together quite quickly. The taste was absolutely outstanding, something I’ll certainly make again and often.

Best of all, I was able to enjoy the whole meal on my balcony over candlelight and a glass of wine with great company.

A true food culture experience.

Thanks, Italy!

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Try to remain humble

Now, I am certainly aware that being humble is an honorable trait. I am also aware that when you rock out all day and things just all fit into place, it’s good to celebrate the high!

In my experience, awesome days frequently follow the awful days. Today is proof for the pudding.

I mentioned yesterday how tired I was. I had a headache all day long that wouldn’t go away no matter how much water I drank, ibuprofen I took, or peace I found. I had trouble sleeping because my head hurt so bad and finally woke up at 3:30 am with a full out migraine that shook my world in the bad way. Tired, frustrated, and in complete misery, I reached for the Excedrin migraine, rubbed a bit of Tiger Balm on my temples and tried to go back to sleep.

Praise the Lord, I woke up still tired but with no pain in the brain.

Being able to function was the first success of the day! The second was the deliciousness of my morning oats. Same routine as yesterday.

Minus the Greek yogurt today.

The school day started out in the most positive way. All good there. (As opposed to the trouble with 3 disobedient girls like yesterday.)

Lunch was another success. I had left-overs from dinner, but opted for something more fresh… and I’m glad I did.

Behold…

I present to you, veggie loving between German genius.

Have you had enough or do you want more?

That’s what I thought!

Isn’t it amazing how a sandwich can bring a smile to your face?

Delicious pumpkin seed German bread

Yellow mustard

Cream cheese

Zucchini, thinly sliced

Mushrooms, thinly sliced

Tomato, thinly sliced

Carrot, shredded

lettuce

The kiwi and clementines are equally worthy of praise!

The day continued to go beautifully. Obviously, I haven’t gotten a lot of exercise lately… so my PE lesson was really hard today. Is it bad that I use PE as a personal exercise session? Regardless, these 8 and 9 year olds can certainly keep up and give me a run for my money! We have so much fun together!

As you know, I’ll be away this coming weekend. Even though it’s only for 2 nights, I’m in holiday mode. Holiday mode= clean out the refrigerator mode. Last night while surveying the loads of produce I have stocked up, I decided on making homemade pizza for dinner tonight. Some times, it’s hard to remain humble.

My pizza idea rocked!

First, may I introduce Herby Wheat. No, that’s not an elderly chap from the British Isles; that my friend, is my pizza dough.

Now for Herby’s sauce in life, Pesto Sun-dried Tomato Pizza Sauce.

Ladies and Gentlemen, choose your toppings.

Cherry tomatoes

Mushrooms

Zucchini

Fresh mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Spanish olives

Artichoke hearts

I later decided to also add crumbled feta cheese

Let’s bring back our friend Herby Wheat- he obviously needed that rest. Look how plump and happy he is!

Form the dough as you wish. Spread the sauce. Begin layering veggies!

Once you’ve got everything just the way you want it… toss it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.

Now, I say this in the most humble way. If you could smell the euphoric fumes that wafted from my oven tonight, you’d buy a ticket, come to Germany, knock on my door, and beg for me to make this beauty again. And I would. Gladly. Except next time, I’d make my own pesto so it isn’t quite so salty.

May I add, this is the best pizza I have ever eaten. So good it made me slow down to really enjoy it.

Cheers! Have a wonderful evening everyone!

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