quick breakfast yoghurt with raspberries, pomegranate & barberries

last weekend wasn't exactly the busiest of weekends, with lots of activity. i decided to change that this (again long) weekend: i went for dinner with a friend yesterday, at a really love new place that looks like an american yacht club. the atmosphere with the golden light over the city and the lake was unique! and tonight, i'm hosting a mexican fiesta, complete with tortillas, guacamole, mango salsa, baked beans and of course margaritas (or so i've planned - i still need to figure out how to make them, though... countdown is running; i've got a few hours left!). and, since it's my nephew's birthday, there will also be a serious, extensive cupcakes baking session. instead of a frosting, there will be a pretty looking fondant icing... mind, they probably won't look perfect (or rather like my nephew himself made them... ahem), but i like to tell myself it's the thought that counts. wish me luck! and happy weekend to you, wherever you are. xx

quick breakfast yoghurt with raspberries, pomegranate & barberries

serves 2

ingredients:

2 cup greek natural yoghurt

1 cup frozen raspberries

3 tbsp. maple syrup

1/4 cup dried pomegranate seeds or fresh ones

1/4 cup dried barberries

1 tbsp. white chia seeds

1 tbsp. pollen (optional)

directions:

divide the yoghurt between two bowls. take the raspberries freshly out of the freezer and scatter them on top of the yoghurt. sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, barberries, chia seeds and pollen. pour the maple syrup over it and serve, maybe with a side of a little quinoa, almond or soy milk.

supper club #2 jerusalem - lemony roasted baby aubergines & pearl couscous tabouleh

the second supper club 'jerusalem' is already a few weeks back and i still owe you some impressions. and the menue, not to forget! i'm always a bit sad when the pictures don't turn out the way i hoped. but i think it's okay because honestly, it was hard work and many hours on our legs (my mom helped me, luckily) got the best of me. i want everything to be perfect for the guests, so that the pictures are for once second priority.

we served ten courses. alas, it was a lot to eat. we served tiny portions, of course. and people said they weren't actually that (unconveniently) full, in the end, which seemed to surprise them. i think it's just because basically, this cuisine is rather healthy, with good oils and lots of herbs and vegetables. 

sadly, i won't have any (other) pictures of the lamb chops course; this is the only one. but rest assured: it was a lot of meat to prepare for 14! all other courses and dishes will be (or have already been; like the matzo ball 'knaidlach' soup) posted here, asap.

for the lemony roasted baby aubergines, we adapted a recipe from yotam ottolenghi's 'jerusalem', yet again. we obviously used baby aubergines (which worked just as fine as the normal, big ones), because half an aubergine would be a dinner in itself, possibly. and we left out the feta crumbs on top, as there were enough other dishes in the menu which featured feta, and not everyone likes it. so we simply skipped it. they were still as marvelous as the last time around (on christmas). 

now on to the recipes... enjoy!

lemony roasted baby aubergines

adapted from yotam ottolenghi's 'jerusalem'

ingredients: 

6 baby aubergines or 2 large ones, with stem on
150ml olive oil
salt and black pepper
4 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sumac
1½ green chillies, deseeded and chopped
1 medium lemon, juice
1 preserved lemon, skin and flesh
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

directions:
heat the oven to 200c/400f. halv the aubergines and brush generously with 100ml of oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. place cut side up on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes (for the small ones) or 45 (for the large ones), until golden-brown.

meanwhile, pour the remaining oil into a frying pan over high heat, add the onions and half a teaspoon of salt, and cook for eight minutes, stirring, until parts of the onion go dark and crisp. add the cumin, sumac and one chilli, cook for a few minutes, then turn off the heat.

with the fresh lemon, make juice. chop the flesh and skin of the preserved lemon, discarding the seeds, and put in a bowl with any juices, the remaining chilli and the garlic.

the moment the aubergines are done, spoon the lemony sauce over the flesh side. spoon the onions on top and serve warm or at room temperature.

pearl couscous tabouleh

ingredients:

2 cups pearl / israeli couscous (more like pasta), or normal couscous

1 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup mint, finely chopped

1/2 cilantro, finely chopped

1 tomato

2 drops harissa or sriracha (chili sauce)

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. fleur de sel

1 lemon, juice

directions:

cook the couscous according to directions (in the case of the israeli pearl couscous, the preparation is the same as with pasta). shortly before draining the remaining water, put the tomato in the boiling water for a minute. cool and remove the skin, deseed and dice finely. put cooled down couscous and tomato in a bowl. add the herbs (mint, parsley, cilantro), harissa, olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt. you might find that you need to add a bit more salt than expected. serve at room temperature. some hours of marinating won't hurt, so you can well prepare it ahead.

oh, and the flowers were a mix between pink peonies, pale pink ranunculus, bleeding heart (no kidding) and some others that i don't remember.... anyway, a joyful, colorful and vibrant mix of exotic looking flowers, i thought that's what a jerusalem supper needs, to add a little glamour.

mighty cherry blossoms

there is not much to add. just: the beauty of trees in bloom is healing, somehow.

baked potato with cheddar

sometimes in life, the good things are hard work. success, love, happiness... what you invest is what you get. that's just a general rule of thumb i acquired. other times, things just fall to you. and happiness comes easily. sometimes, a plain old baked potato with cheddar is all it takes to find bliss. even on a lonely, rainy night in. did you know i've discovered my new on demand digital tv box..? i fear it'll be my ruin... i'm obsessed. with downton abbey. and new girl. and... oh, only one ore two other trashy series... it's so comforting. add a baked potato (or two) and i'll never complain again, i promise.

baked potato with cheddar

ingredients:

1 baked potato (because this was obviously a dinner for one, pff)

2 tbsp. crème fraîche (or sour cream)

1 tbsp. chives, finely chopped

3 tbsp. yellow cheddar, grated

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 degrees c / 380 degrees f. wrap the potato with foil and bake for one hour, at least (or a bit more, depending on its size). add a generous dollop of crème fraîche, chopped chives and cheddar (hey, nice alliteration, buddy!) and enjoy. 

ps: i might or might not eat the potato skins, too.

vanilla & tonka bean birthday cupcakes

birthday cupcakes! not for me, silly... for a friend. i actually wanted to bring 30 bought cupcakes to the party - but (and i'm saying this in a neutral way... ahem) the shop only sold 15 at a time. 15 tiny cupcakes! what can i do with five-bloody-teen cupcakes, eh? so i told them to stuff it, bought philadelphia, sugar, and vanilla and made my own. there, take that, cupcakes shop!

vanilla & tonka bean birthday cupcakes
adapted from martha stewart's magnolia bakery recipe - makes about 30 small cupcakes

ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 pinch salt
1 cup (250 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk

1 pack (2 tbsp) vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon tonka bean, grated

for the frosting:

2 packs (500 g) cream cheese / philadelphia (use the full fat one, is what i tell you)

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 pack vanilla sugar 

optional: 3 tbsp. full fat milk

decoration; i.e. candied lavender, candied rose leaves, ladybugs, etc.

directions:

preheat oven to 180 degrees c / 350 f. line a muffin tray (mine has 12 molds, so i had to bake in two rounds) with paper cups; set aside. in a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment - or with a handmixer - cream butter until smooth and creamy. gradually add sugars, beating until fluffy and white, for about 3 minutes. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla / tonka bean, and scraping down sides of bowl in between each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. divide batter evenly among liners (i use an ice cream spoon), filling about three-quarters full. bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

transfer to a wire rack to cool in tins for 15 minutes. remove cupcakes from tins, and cool completely on rack. once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. serve at room temperature.

for the frosting:

put the philadelphia in a bowl, gradually combine with the sugar. beat with the electric mixer. add the vanilla sugar. if the consistency is too thick, add some milk. 

pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate with whatever your heart desires; i used candied lavender, candied rose leaves and ladybugs. 

matzo ball (knaidlach) soup with chicken broth

one of my favorite dishes as a kid was 'griessnockerlsuppe', an austrian soup with semolina dumplings. actually very similar to matzo ball soup; with the only difference that matzo is made from breadcrumbs (matzo bread). and that it's jewish, of course. though, technically speaking... its origin is in the jewish israel, but - as ottolenghi states - it's also a staple in some muslim households. so of course it had to be part of the last supper club with the theme jerusalem.

if you've seen this soup before here and here, it's because i am really, really fond of  it...

matzo ball (knaidlach) soup with chicken broth

adapted from 'jerusalem'

ingredients:

2 eggs

40 g butter, melted

2 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

75 g matzo meal (i took matzo bread and processed it with the blender since i couldn't find any)

4 tbsp. soda water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

good chicken or vegetable broth (preferrably home made)

directions:

to make the knaidlagh, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. whisk in the melted butter and the parsley. gradually, stir in the matzo meal, followed by the soda water, and stir to a uniform paste. cover the bowl and chill the batter until cold and firm, at least an hour or two and up to 1 day ahead. 

using your wet hands (or two spoons), shape the batter into balls the size of small walnuts (mine were smaller, since i wanted to serve them in a tea cup) and place aside. drop the matzo balls into a large pot of gently boiling salted water. simmer gently until tender, about 30 minutes. remove the knaidlagh with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate. they can now be chilled for up to two days. or they can go straight into the hot soup. be prepared to serve some more, i tell you guys.

green salad with beech tree leaves

 

there is this slightly odd new obsession with greens from the forest: ramsons (they make total sense), but also dandelion buds. and now beech leaves. gaga, i'm telling you. my mom came up with it, apparently that's a super delicious salad addition? and it was. only that you don't really see it on the picture, the tiny soft green leaves just disappear among the bigger salad leaves... but rest asured: beech tastes wonderful! especially with the world's best salad dressing.

green salad with young beech tree leaves

ingredients:
1 green salad of your choice
1 cup young beech leaves
+ world's best salad dressing

directions: 
wash the salad in ice cold water, shake dry. make the dressing. arrange the salad on a plate and drizzle with the dressing. decorate with beech leaves. serve.