Hot Chicks - Hot Chickpea Salad

Moving house tomorrow, so need to get rid of my chickpeas, too! So, this lovely, filling salad is what I'll be having for dinner tonight (except that I obviously won't be using tinned chickpeas): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/5355420/Hot-chickpea-salad-with-spring-onions-and-parsley.html

Annika

Risindiano - Risotto with an Indian Touch

I am about to move house, and have realised that I have a cupboard full of food that I neither want to chuck out nor take with me. One of the things that I found in my cupboard was a good amount of Italian red rice. I'm not big into starchy foods but I decided to make an exception and try to cook a risotto, using up the rice and some cumin seeds that I got from an Indian ex-workmate a few months ago. I was quite pleased with the result - a spicy risotto with an Indian touch. However, I must say that the strong taste of the red rice and the spices overshadowed the much more subtle taste of the veggies that I decided to use - asparagus and courgettes. Next time, I might try to replace the asparagus and the courgettes with veggies that better complement the taste of the red rice (an alternative for those of you who use white rice might be to stick to the asparagus and the courgettes but use white rice instead).

So, here is what I used and did today.

Risindiano

4.5 dl Italian red rice
10 dl water
1/2 kg asparagus spears
3 large courgettes
1 medium-sized onion
4-5 cloves of garlic
fresh ginger
extra virgin olive oil
gluten-free bouillon powder
cumin
~2 tablespoons of paprika powder
~1 teaspoon of ground pepper
sea salt

1. Peel the onion, the garlic and the ginger, and chop them finely.

2. Wash the asparagus spears and the courgettes, and cut them into small pieces.

3. Heat some olive oil in a large pot, and saute the cumin, the onion, the garlic and the ginger.

4. Add the water, the rice, the bouillon powder and the rest of the spices. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes.

5. Add the veggies. Stirring every now and then, let the risotto simmer under a lid until a) the rice is soft enough and b) the water has been absorbed into the rice.

6. Enjoy.

Annika

Asparagusto Delizioso - Asparagus Soup

I had eagerly been waiting for the asparagus season to begin, so I was very pleased to find organic asparagus at the farmers' market today. It could only mean one thing: I would try to reproduce the lovely asparagus soup I made last year and share the recipe with you.

Here it is. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.






Asparagusto Delizioso

~1 kg of asparagus spears
2 medium-sized onions
3-4 small cloves of garlic
gluten-free bouillon powder
coconut milk
lemon
water
sea salt
pepper

1. Peel and chop the onions and the garlic roughly, and add them into a large pot together with the water, te bouillon powder, the sea salt and the pepper. Bring to a boil.

2. Wash the asparagus spears and chop them roughly. Add the asparagus into the boiling water. There should be enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cover the pot, and let it all cook until the asparagus is soft.

3. Blend until smooth.

4. Check the taste, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Add coconut milk and lemon juice, constantly checking the taste for the right proportions. I typically use a fourth or a third of a can of coconut milk and about half a lemon.

5. Heat it up, and enjoy!

Annika

Leeky Lentils - Leek & Lentil Soup

So far, this has been my favourite variant of the leeky lentil soup inspired by one of our (two) followers. In fact, it's one of my favourite soups.

Leeky Lentils

5 leeks
1.5-2 cups of green lentils
2 stalks of celery
a huge bunch of parsley
gluten-free bouillon powder
loads of garlic
sea salt
black pepper
extra vergine olive oil

0. Soak the lentils overnight.
1. Let the lentils cook while you're preparing the other ingredients.
2. Wash and cut the leek and the celery into smaller pieces, peel and cut the garlic in small pieces, and wash the parsley.
3. Add the leek, the celery, the garlic, the parsley, the pepper and the bouillon powder.
4. When the lentils are almost ready, add the salt.
5. When the lentils are ready, blend the soup until smooth.
6. Serve with a bit of extra vergine olive oil.

Annika

Aubergines My Way

I love aubergines. This weekend, I learnt a new way to prepare them. So, at the moment, I prepare them in three different ways (the third one is the new one):

1. Dice the aubergines. Fry them in coconut oil. Add sea salt and pepper. (My absolute favourite but also the least healthy...)

2. Slice the aubergines and add extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper on top of them. I sometimes also add fresh parsley. Bake the aubergines in the oven.

3. Go mental. Stab the aubergines all over with a fork. Rub some extra virgin olive oil and sea salt on top of the stabbed aubergines. Bake them in the oven. When ready, the skin will come off really easily and you can use the flesh whichever way you want. One of the main benefits of this cooking method (in addition to the obvious psychotherapeutic benefits) is its lightness; aubergines tend to soak up a lot of fat, and this cooking method keeps most of the fat on the outside.

Au bergine,
Annika

Eggy Brekkie - Vegetable Omelette

I started the day with one of my favourite breakfasts... Eggy Brekkie. Quick, easy and tasty.






Eggy Brekkie

organic free-range eggs
courgette
leek
(spinach)
sea salt
pepper
paprika
extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix the eggs and the spices with a fork. To get an idea about the proportions, veggies are the main ingredient! I typically use two eggs and loads of veggies.
2. Cut the courgette and the leek.
3. If you intend to use a lot of spinach, you might want to steam it first so that it'll all fit in the frying pan!
4. Heat the oil in the frying pan, add the veggies and pour in the egg mixture. Let it all cook under a lid, mixing the ingredients every now and then. Don't let it cook too long, though; it's nicer if the courgette remains a bit crisp.

Annika

Paradis du chocolat - Pure Chocolate

Ground-breaking news. I was just alerted to the existence of chocolate with a 99% cocoa content. I still don't know how to get my hands on it but I'm almost hoping for a rainy day for when I'm going climbing in Fontainbleau at Easter; I might get the chance to pop into the Michel Cluizel shop in Paris! Noir Infini. Paradis Infini.

http://www.cluizel.com/

Annika