Vegetarian breadspread

This vegetarian paste is very basic yet versatile at the same time.  Spread on bread for sandwiches, mix it with hummus as vegetable dip or as pesto for pasta with some rocket salad thrown in.  Instead of sunflower seeds, one may use almonds.  

Ingredients:

• 200 g sunflower seeds (or almonds)
• 1 bottle (200 g) sun dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil
• Fresh milled pepper and coarse seasalt
• Dried herbs of choice, eg. thyme, garlic powder

A reliable 'work horse'

Place sunflower seeds and dried tomatoes with oil and blend till a coarse paste.  Blend till smooth would be better but I didn't want to kill my old work horse.  Add more olive oil if necessary.

Season with salt, pepper and dried herbs.   

NOTE:
This bottled paste should have oil covering the entire top to prevent any growth of mold.  The oil works like a natural conservation shield. As dried herbs were used, this will have a minimum shelf life of 3 weeks (or longer) if kept in the refrigerator.

Wine Grapes (Blue) Jelly

Summer of 2013 was typical characteristic earth warming but I don't want to go into those facts like I'm suffering a broken record syndrome.
The grapes were left on the vine to ripen till late November.  They were super juicy and sweet.

A jelly is made from fruit juice. A jam is made from crushed fruits. 
What do you call it when it's made from juice of crushed fruits ? 
How does JAMLY sound.....or JELJAM ? 

Method:

1. Place the grapes,  stalks and seeds included (my grapes were seedless) in a large stockpot. Add a cup of water to the pot.  Cover and heat the pot over medium heat until the water begins to boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes till grapes are soft.  Let the grapes cool

2. Work the soften grapes in batches with a food mill (Flotte Lotte).  Discard solubles like stalks, seeds and skin (maybe a bee or wasp as well). 

3. By now, you should know how much of  juice/pulp you have collected.  Combine juice/pulp with measured amount of pectin sugar and bring to boil. 

4. Prepare clean jars and set aside, ready to fill them.

5. Turn down heat to low and let juice/pulp gentle rolling boil.  Scoop and discard scum which float to top.  

6. The jelly/jam is ready for filling soon as skin starts to form on top.

7.  Turn off heat and fill immediately into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch (0.64 cm) of space.
Screw on the lid tight and overturn to let it sit on its head/lid. This will sterilize the jar and lid all at same time.  Wait 10 minutes and turn the jars upright, let cool.  

8. During the cooling process, you may hear popping sound, created by vacuum on the lids.  Jars without vacuum means the lid is not properly closed or defect so the contents should be consumed soonest.

9.  Label the jars (contents and date of filling) and keep in cool storage.  

A neighbor gave me some white weingrapes and I bottled them the same way.  The color may not be as rich but taste just as yummy.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Delight

Rhubarb is generally cooked and prepared like fruits -- but it is actually a vegetable.  I call it pucker food due to its tartness.  

Only the stalk which looks like celery, is edible.  Loaded with vitamin A and C, potassium and calcium.  Some even say it's a superfood for its ratio of health benefits to calories.  7 calories per 100 grams. High levels of calcium means it is a fat-free alternative to dairy products which lowers cholesterol and it actually speeds up metabolism.  

The leaves are toxic as they are loaded with oxalic acid.  So you don't cook rhubarb in aluminium, copper or iron pan as the rhubarb will turn brownish and the pan discolors. The toxicity is not wasted as it may be used as pesticide. Just boil a bunch of leaves with water, let cool, sieve and use as spray on plants.  

This 'vegetable' is often used in cakes, tarts, jams, sauces as well as compote.  

Here is one of my favourite -- rhubarb strawberry compote with fresh cheese flavoured with limocello, a lemon liquor.

Ingredients for the rhubarb compote

• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 500 g rhubarb, trimmed, washed and cut into 2cm chunks
• 100 ml orange juice or water
• 100 g caster sugar (more or less to own taste)
• 100 g fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and halved.

Make the compote

1. Place 4 tbsp caster sugar in a pan.
2. Heat sugar over low heat.
3. As soon as sugar is caramelized, add vanilla pod and orange juice.
4. Simmer till caramel dissolves.
5. Add rhubarb and low simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, cover and set aside to chill.

Ingredients for the fresh cheese

• 200 g fresh cheese (Quark)
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 200 ml whipped cream
• 1-2 tbsp Limoncello (optional)

Make the cheese

1. Mix thoroughly cheese, lemon zest and powdered sugar.
2. Carefully fold in whipped cream.
3. Serve rhubarb compote in a bowl, with a good healthy scoup of cheese, dribbled over with limoncello.

Caramelized sugar with vanilla pod.

Add rhubarb and low simmer.

Add strawberries to chilled compote.

Swabian Apple 'Cake'

I have to re-post my favourite apple recipe once again.  Don't let the creamy pudding scare you away.  You may use whatever apples you have or, with pears, berries or rhubarb. 
Believe me, once you've tried it, you're hooked !

Pumpkins

Autumn is a season of rich colour of gold......gold like these 'melons'.  Believe me, they're real.

Have look at these beauties.......

http://s2.beta.photobucket.com/user/Donlung/library/Autumn%20Wunder

Boiled Orange (Valencia) & Almond Cake

Oranges brighten up a cold winter.  Not only do they brighten up a home, you can have them after each meal, squeeze them for juice, grated zest for cakes and cookies. The tangy flavour is unmistakeable.
  
It is so special when food brings back memories and when I read through this recipe with 'boiled oranges', I started reminiscing of childhood times when I was coughing out my lungs. Medications didn't seem to work. Finally, oranges were used.  I can't remember who gave or recommended this cure but it worked.  Simply boil 1 or 2 oranges in some water till soft, squeeze out the juice, mix the warm juice with honey and drink.       

This a dense and moist cake which can keep for a week.  Not very sweet, buttery, orangey......awesome !! 
The colour would have been better if blood orange is used.  I highly recommend organic orange for this recipe because you are eating the entire orange.  If you have no other choice, wash the orange with hot water before you boil it.

Fish risotto with stewed chicory

When one mention rice in Italy, Giovanni is not thinking of fried rice or sushi.  He is thinking of RISOTTO.  Risotto rice cooked not in rice cooker but in a pan.  The rice is cooked briefly in onion and olive oil and then white wine is added followed by stock. End result will be a kind of soupy cream rice with sprinkled or stirred-in grated Parmigiano cheese.   

This was exactly what I had to for lunch - Risotto rice (without cheese) with codfish filet and stewed chicory.

Fig & Frangipane Tarts

 We don't find Figs all year round in Germany.  They start to appear  late in summer and the season is short. The varieties are limited, green or brown/purple and they're either from Turkey or Spain or from some parts of southern europe.
I usually eat them as fruit, two bites and they're gone.   Or in a salad as a component with goats cheese.  No, I don't peel them like some people do. Such a waste !!
For a change, I decided to bake them - A delightful tart with buttery casing.  This dessert is perfect for autumn, serve warm from the oven or at room temperature with or without a dollop of whipped cream.

Tomatoes

Summer is coming to an end......too soon.  Nights are getting frosty so I had to bring the tomatoes in even though they are still green.  Guess family and friends will be getting gifts of GREEN TOMATO JAM  :-)

These were my salad the last 2 days

These became soup - tomato soup 

Should anyone be interested in the seeds of this variety of tomato, let me know.  
In german, they're called reisende tomaten.  Seems it is a very old breed and originated from Peru or Ecuador.  Genetically untouched. 

Daily Menu

Not in the mood to post receipes but here are some goodies which I made/baked in August.

Kuih Salat/Pulut Seri Muka

Butter 'Cake'

Woon Cai Kou

Summer 2012 (end August)

It is end of August,  the summer is soon coming to an end. This dwarf sunflower at full bloom.   

 In a few weeks, it will look like this.

Meanwhile, it's tomato time !  First havest of the year.

Summer of 2012 (August)

Hot Summer - Temperature continue to soar.  
In such sweltering baking condition, thousands of people will wander towards water,  like lemmings on their annual suicidal migration. I'm no lemming so I stay put !! 
Summer....love it when it comes, happy to see it go. 
Too hot to tell stories so here is what's in my garden, short short....hehehe

Easy Fish Curry (sour)

You don't need hours to throw together a tasty 'authentic' fish curry ...and with minimal ingredients ! This curry tastes so delectable you will not believe it is so simple and fast - ready in 20 minutes despite the fish filets were frozen. 
It is also a healthy one-pot dish with vegetables of your choice - I used cauliflower.  

INGREDIENTS:
2 onions (coarse chopped/sliced)
2-3 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)
A handful cauliflower florets
3-4 pcs fish filet (frozen)
3-4 tomatoes (quartered)
1 heap tablespoon Garam Masala
Sugar and salt
1 heap tablespoon Tamarind pulp (dissolved in 200ml water)

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add onions, fry till soft.
2. Add the masala, stir for 2-3 minutes until you smell the aroma of spices.
3. Add the tomatoes, garlic,  cauliflower and then tamarind juice, cook for 5 minutes at high heat.
4. Reduce heat down to medium, place frozen fish filets on top, cover and simmer another 5-8 minutes.
5. Continue simmering and add salt and sugar to your taste.  A little lemon juice if you like it more sour.
6. Spoon the fish curry into a serving bowl.  Sprinkle/garnish with coriander or mint leaves.
7. Serve with rice, naan bread or chapati.  Enjoy !

Note: Fish filet is generally added almost at end of the cooking process so it doesn't fall apart in the pan.  

Summer of 2012 (June)

These were taken in late June.

Coconut Cream Tarts

Spring was a blur this year and now we're already in mid summer.....I'm still blur !!
I'm spending alot of time in the garden where time seems to pass so quickly. Most of you will surely agree with me, the more plants you put into your garden, the more time you have to spend to maintain them.  Regardless what they are - shrubs, flowers, vegetables, etc.   Even an apple tree needs care.  Ever so often, I was close to ordering a tank/truck load of cement and pave the whole garden then cover the whole area with artificial grass for the sake of a green view  for the neighbours should they get inquisitive about a cement truck in my backyard !!
I am still catching up on posting some receipes which are still in 'draft' status, some new receipes for the coming semester courses, more photos, etc etc etc........
The word Sommer Holiday does not exist in this year's itinerary.

I do not own any QUICK MEALs cook book - Most of my daily meals are quickies.  So here I share with you my quickie tart.  It is similar to Portuguese Tart but with a typical asian touch.

You may make the pastry cases from your own homemade puff pastry.  I took the easy way out....I used store bought ones

Making of Mr Bean

Temperature was 33°C and humid.  We were chilling down under the shade of a restaurant with cool beers and juice,  listening to a street performer/musician's mesmerizing rendition of Mozart's Magic Flute. Well, watching the world passing by until this caught our attention.......................................  A camera with a mini tripod attached, balancing on a soccer ball and the ball in turn was in a basket on the back of a bicycle !!   

Peonies

I have been MIA again !   BUT not voluntarily.  Freaky weather was the cause - June thunderstorms were very destructive this year. There were flash floods, hailstones and even cyclones.  Needless to say, we were not spared.  2 weeks ago, dark clouds appeared in the afternoon and within 30 mins. lightning zapped and we had power failure.  What's worse, our phone went dead and no internet connection. That's penalty for contributing to greenhouse effect on global warming.
It took almost 2 weeks to get the whole 'communication system' working again. 

I wanted to post this before the disaster - these peonies are long gone but I caught them at their peak with my camera.  The best time for viewing these beauties and experience their fragrance is between early to mid June. There are astoundingly 1400 varieties of peonies, colours ranging from white, red to yellow. To lengthen the bloom, I cut them and put them in water, in shallow plates and vases after I've shaken off ants and insects/beetles.  The fragrance filled  the house for days.

Quiche (Lorraine)

Do not be intimated by it's name - Quiche Lorraine,  a classic french dish.  Do not fret.  It is only an open tart with filling of custard and savoury ingredients like ham, onions and cheese.  

I was rummaging through the fridge, trying to find something that would whet my disinterested appetite when I came across some whimpy carrots, a slightly shriveled leek.  What would I do to use them before they expire.  Going shopping was no option so I have to make do with whatever I had lying around the house/fridge.  My eyes finally settled on a tart tin and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to put together the receipe for R & D.

Instead of going through all the trouble of measuring, kneading flour and butter for shortcrust pastry, I used ready made flaky pastry.
 Please excuse the quantities stated - they're between 'about, some, roughly, abit of.........'

Beer gardens (Germany & Vietnam)

Beer gardens are always Germany's 'water-hole' in the summer months.  The folks love to spend their time in fresh air, surrounded  by nature, with traditional atmosphere of umtata music, simple food of Weißwurst with sweet mustard, pretzels and Spanferkel (roast piglet).  It is not surprising that such traditions are spreading over every corner of the world.
Let's have a look and compare.......

In Munich

In Vietnam

Munich - You even have the city major 'helping' with the tap 

Vietnam

Entertainment - Live show
Vietnam : Live show with music from scratchy grammaphone
Germany : Live umtata music (anybody watching ?) 

  

Now comes food - Spanferkel 
Roasted over open pit.  Paper thin crispy skin.

Vietnam - NO COMMENTS !!