Cod & corn chowder

Now that the weather gets colder (at least here), we are all up for consuming all kinds of soups;)
Lately, I found this recipe and thought I'd give it a try..and it did not disappoint at all. When you've run out of ideas of what you could possibly do with some left over cod pieces lying around in your freezer, this is the one to try: Cod & corn chowder. 

Kids love chowder when we get to order it while eating out and the addition of the oyster crackers completes the bill (look: fun part). Restaurants usually make it with clams and/or other types of sea "species" but using cod just make it an easy and fulfilling alternative. And that makes life better, right?


Cod & corn chowder

Ingredients

3 slices center-cut bacon
8 scallions/green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
2 cups 2 percent milk
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound cod, skin removed, chopped
2 1/2 cups cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half (I used cream)

1. 
   

Preparation

In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; crumble. In same pan, sauté half of the scallions for 2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add flour; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes, milk, broth, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in fish, corn and 2/3 bacon; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in half-and-half and 3/4 scallion greens; simmer 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining scallion greens and bacon. Add oyster crackers on top!

Bon Apetit!

Best margarita recipe

I just found the perfect margarita recipe you guys! So, if you love margaritas or if you love Taco Tuesdays accompanied by a good margarita or if you just want a new cocktail recipe to try out, it is here for you to share:)


Margarita

ice cubes
3 oz tequila, (I use Cazadores blanco tequila which I love)
2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 tablespoon lime-salt-sugar

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add tequila, lime juice, Simple Syrup. Cover and shake until mixed and chilled, about 30 seconds. (In general, the drink is ready by the time the shaker mists up.) Place Lime-salt-sugar on a plate. Press the rim of a chilled rocks or wine glass into the mixture to rim the edge. Strain margarita into the glass.

*Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. 

*Lime-salt-sugar

zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Blend together lime, salt and sugar in a small blender or mini food chopper.

Tip: Remember to strain margarita into the glass:) no need to put the ice cubes in or it will become watery and it will ruin the whole taste

Cheers!

Kvæfjordkake (Norway's national cake)

So, this is such a (Norwegian) treat and perfect as a side for your cup of coffee/tea on an afternoon. When I first heard it's called repeatedly 'World's best cake" well I couldn't but find out why..

It is basically two layers of a really flavorful cake "interrupted" by two layers of impeccable baked meringues topped with sliced almonds (!) The overhaul taste is almondy and the cake becomes more and more intense as it stays in the fridge. Recipe comes from here.

Kvæfjordkake

Ingredients

10½ tablespoons (1 stick plus 21⁄2 tablespoons) butter, softened

1 2⁄ 3 cups granulated sugar, separated

1 1⁄ 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

5 large eggs, separated

1⁄ 3 cup whole milk

1⁄4 cup sliced almonds

1 cup heavy cream

1⁄2 vanilla bean

1. 
   

Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle position. Line an 8-x-12-inch baking pan with parchment paper. I recomend not using glass pans, use metal.

Beat the butter and 2⁄ 3 cup of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well on low speed. Mix in the egg yolks and milk. Scrape the batter into the baking pan.

In a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining 1 cup sugar to soft peaks. Spread on top of the cake layer. Sprinkle with the almond slices.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown and puffed. Cool on a wire rack in the pan. Transfer to a cutting board.

When the cake is cool, put the cream in a medium bowl and scrape in the vanilla seeds. Discard the vanilla pod. Beat to soft peaks with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes.

Cut the cake in half crosswise with a serrated knife. Place one half of the cake on a serving tray and cover with the cream. Place the other half, meringue side up, on top. Let the cake sit for 1 hour in the fridge before serving.

Serve it with some strawberries on top to make it even more indulgent..:b Good luck!

Shrimp tempura tacos

I love tacos and this one features one of my favorite basic ingredients for tacos: shrimps. Battered shrimps. Hell yeah! This is my recipe for this homemade taco-dish:

Shrimp tempura tacos

Ingredients
1/2 lb shrimps
1 egg
cold water
1 cup all-purpose flour
corn starch
vegetable oil/sesame oil
1 avocado, cut in slices
rocket salad or lettuce
2 tbs honey
1 tbs dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
sriracha sauce
1 lime
maple agave syrup
tortillas
basmati rice

For the batter:
1 cup (240gr) egg+ cold water
1 cup (sifted) all purpose flour

For the dressing of the salad:
2 tbs honey
1 tbs dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 tbs rice wine vinegar

Mayo-sriracha sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
sriracha sauce, depending on how spicy you want it
lime juice from 1 lime
some drops of maple agave syrup

Mix them all together till you have a smooth texture.

Make the basmati rice according to instructions and set aside. Wash the shrimps and sprinkle them with the corn starch. Make the dressing and sriracha sauce and set aside. Make the shrimp batter: beat the egg with the cold water and then add it to the sifted flour. Drop the shrimps in it and make sure every shrimp is covered with batter. Fry the shrimps in a pan with vegetable/sesame oil (10:1) for 2 minutes. Assemble the tacos with this order:): sauce, rice, shrimps, sauce, rocket salad, avocado, salad dressing! Bon Appetit!

Impromptu Profiterole

This is such a great option if you are sort of things in your pantry and you are craving for something sweet for your tooth;) So I came up with this idea of creating a profiterole with only three ingredients and believe me you won't be disappointed. You only need:

1 box of cream puffs (from the freezers dept, I used these)

some kind of dark or semi-sweet chocolate

milk or whipping cream

1 tbs honey

almond flakes

Put the cream puffs in a large bowl, melt completely the chocolate in a pan with the milk/whipping cream and the honey till it forms a nice ganache texture and then drizzle it all over the cream puffs (you decide the portion of melted chocolate you want to put on top of the puffs). Finally, sprinkle a handful of almond flakes to give it that extra crunchy texture.

Dig in and enjoy!

p.s. You can also whip some cream and add some on top! (I had literally run out of that!)

Sanukiya udon noodles with shrimp and vegetables

Huge fan of thick noodles, I recently found these frozen ones which are really easy to prepare, their texture is chewy which I love and compared with this recipe form another word for comfort food in my "easy and delish" taste room.

Sanukiya udon with shrimp and vegetables

3 packets of sanukiya udon noodles (package contains 5)
150-200 gr shrimp
medley of peppers, sliced
half onion, sliced
1 zucchini, cut in cubes
3-4 spring onions
1/2 cup cashews
4 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs honey
1 tbs red wine
1 tbs white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
olive oil or sesame oil
1 Jalapeno sliced, optional

Heat a non-stick pan (even better a wok pan) with oil and throw the zucchini cubes, onion and pepper slices in. Cook until they soften. Meanwhile boil water in another pan and throw the noodles in. They only need a minute or two. Add the shrimp in with the cooked vegetables and another minute or two till they become pink. Add the soy sauce, honey, red wine, vinegar and cashews and let it simmer for a bit. Finally add the noodles and give it a good toss. You want the noodles to be covered with this yummy sauce it's now created. Serve in small bowls, top it off with some sliced spring onions and dig in!

For those on the spicy side, add sliced jalapenos on top for an extra kick! Enjoy! 

My recipe for Tiramisu

This is an original Italian Tiramisu recipe I've been using lately and I wanted to share as the result is really light and fresh (with some fluffy tiramisu cream y'all!) yes, try it and (please) consume it in two, three days the most as this is a dessert that must be eaten right after it's been cooled down in the fridge for the very first time and the cream is at its best consistency. It's coming from a lady named Lorenza..

Tirami su di Lorenza

3 eggs, separated

3tbs to 1/2 cup granulated sugar

250gr mascarpone cheese

200gr whipped cream, whisked till it forms soft peaks

1-1 1/2 box of ladyfingers

3/4 cup strong espresso coffee, cold

4-5 tbs brandy or Marsala

100gr dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao)

Beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment until a meringue is formed. In another bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until white and fluffy. Add the mascarpone cheese into the batter of the yolks and sugar and beat until combined. Add slowly the beaten whipped cream and meringue. Whisk coffee and brandy or Marsala together and dip in it all the ladyfingers just for a second or two so that they get wet. Arrange half of them in a rectangular baking dish. Cover them with half of the cream batter. Do the same arrangement one more time. Use a serrated knife and cut the chocolate in shaves. Put the chocolate shaves on top of the cream. Put the Tiramisu in the fridge at least for 3 hours, up to overnight, until set. Enjoy!

Orzo with bacon and summer vegetables

This is one of the most summery dishes. It is so light yet so flavorful and delicious, perfect for all you pasta lovers out there! Easy to make and a nice way to substitute any other kind of pasta with orzo, it pairs so well with the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy it with a glass of wine!


Orzo with bacon and summer vegetables (adapted from Bev cooks)

4 strips bacon, cut into small chunks
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, finely diced
1 Tbs. lemon zest
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp freshly chopped sage
1 pinch crushed red or green pepper flakes
1 cup frozen or fresh peas
3 – 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup broccoli florets
1 1/2 cup orzo
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh basil and parmesan cheese (optional but omg, do it)

Render the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, until crispy. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and place on some paper towels to drain. Drain all but 2 Tbs. bacon fat. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until they start to soften, 4 minutes. Add the garlic, scallions, lemon zest, thyme and sage to the skillet. Season with the crushed pepper and a little salt. Sauté another minute, or until that mix is pretty fragrant. Add the tomatoes, broccoli and peas to the pan. The juice from the tomatoes will create a very light sauce, so you’ll simmer the mix until the veggies soften, 5 minutes. You may add a little water to help it along if you want! In the meantime, boil the orzo until al dente, just a few minutes. Reserve a few Tbs. of the pasta water and drain the rest. Add the bacon back to the pan. Add the cooked orzo to the pan and give everything a good toss. If you need to add a little pasta water for a little more “sauce,” go right ahead. Check the seasonings and garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Dive on in.

Awesomely baked white fish

If you have run out of good ideas on how to cook the-much-needed-in-our-diet thing called fish and you are no longer bothered to use a fryer or a broiler or even your outdoor grill (!), then I'm telling you: this is an awesome recipe for any white fish and oh god so easy to make. I just tried it out and it is such a good alternative for cooking a fish. I found it on Jamie's website and I think the use of chili makes all the difference. In fact you don't need to use a fresh one, I used a pinch of this store-bought ready ground red chili powder and it turned out just fiiiiiine..I used about 1.5 lbs (about 600gr) of tilapia (4 fillets) and 1 can of 950gr of whole marzano tomatoes which you then try to smash/squeeze them in the pan. I also used ground basil instead of fresh one (sorry none of it in my pantry guys)..The overall taste is sweet and tangy with a bit of a swing from the chili that makes the specific "boring" fish full of flavor. Enjoy!


White baked fish (adapted by Jamie Oliver)

3 cloves garlic
1 small bunch fresh basil
olive oil
1 fresh red chilli
2x 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
red wine vinegar
4x 150 g white fish fillets , such as coley, whiting or pollock, from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger, skin off and bones removed
1 handful black olives , stone in
1 tablespoon capers , drained


To make your sauce:

Peel and finely slice the garlic cloves. Pick the basil leaves and put aside, finely slice the stalks.

Add a good couple of lugs of olive oil to a large pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and basil stalks. Pierce the chilli once with a knife so it doesn’t explode when frying, and add to the pan. Fry gently until the garlic is soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally.

Add the tins of tomato and season lightly with the salt and pepper. Gently simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the chilli. Break and mush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Season the sauce really carefully with more salt and pepper, if needed, and add a tiny swig of red wine vinegar to give it a little twang.

To prepare and cook your fish:

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.

Pour your tomato sauce into a roasting tray (about 20cm x 30cm). Season the fish fillets on both sides with a little salt and pepper, then place on top of the sauce. Squash the olives, using the base of a jar or something heavy, and remove the stones. Sprinkle the olives and capers over the fish. Scatter the reserved basil leaves over the fish.

Cook in the oven for around 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through (check by cutting into the thickest part of one or two of the fillets; they should be pearly white and not transparent). Lovely served with new potatoes and a green salad. (I did the first one ;))

Three ingredient biscuit treat

This one is maybe the simplest dessert ever to make and the perfect deal for those late night (or early ones) cravings. You only need to have three (basic really, we all have those in our pantry) ingredients and you are ready to go. The result is unbelievably good and all you have to choose is between how intense or not you want your chocolate taste. So, depending on how light or darker you like your chocolate, adjust your chocolate you will use accordingly. I usually go with 60 to 70% of chocolate cause I'm a dark chocolate person but I'm eager to try the lighter one version ;)

Also, the original recipe uses digestive biscuits, I decided to go with the graham crackers. It turned out just fine :)

Three ingredient biscuit treat (adapted by Cool Artisan)

300 g chocolate
150 g butter
15 digestive biscuits

Smash the biscuits into large pieces. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler.  Once the chocolate and butter are melted and mixed, add the biscuits. Mix and convey into a pan you have covered with cling film. Let the cake in the refrigerator for at least one hour and then chop into cubes. Refrigerate.

Enjoy!

The easiest sweet mpougatsa recipe

Mpougatsa (or in other words cream filled pastry or savory dough) is a really delicious greek delicacy often eaten along with morning coffee or as a treat during the day and it can be found having savory or sweet fillings in its dough (its main component). Please remember and ask for it whenever you find yourselves in any of the gorgeous places of Greece, you will do yourself a favor, really. Oooooor, and till you do so, I can fulfill you with one of the recipes I currently use. This is the sweet version of it, was given to me by my mother-in-law and it already saved lots of time in the kitchen-plus: the kids of the house simply adore it.

This is the recipe I am currently using:

Mpougatsa

1/2 of an Athens fillo dough packet
220 gr butter (1 cup), cut in small cubes
14oz sweetened condensed milk
14 to 28oz water
1/2 tsp vanilla beans or paste (optional)
cinnamon and confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Arrange each of the fillo sheets on a 24cm round pan or you can choose whatever pan you like. Try to arrange them by kind of squishing them from their one side to the other. Once you have arranged all the sheets in the pan, putting them one next to the other till the pan is full of fillo sheets, spread evenly the pieces of butter on top of them.

Place the pan in the oven until the butter melts and the fillo sheets turn into golden brown. In the meantime mix the sweetened condensed milk with the 14 to 28oz of water, depending on how "full" or not you prefer your cream, I usually do a little less than the whole 28oz. You can warm the mix just a bit so that it isn't so cold when it goes in the pan. I like to add about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla beans or paste, it creates a nice overall vanilla flavor.

Pour the milk mixture on top of the fillo sheets and continue baking until it is all absorbed by the fillo sheets. Cool for a bit and dust some cinnamon and confectioner's sugar on top!

The little things

/anniversary tulips and their awkward movements/

/flowery dresses/

/flowery covers/

/making chocolate truffles with rum/

/pink celebrations/

Take-out style sesame noodles with peanut-lime chicken

This is a recipe for everyone who loves noodles and everyone who loves chicken bites compared with noodles. Here I combined two different recipes but obviously you can do part of the recipe if you are more into having a more veggie version of this, so you'll go making only the take-out style noodles, excluding the addition of the chicken. With or without chicken, this one is a go-to plate for all the asian-cuisine-freaks out there..

Take-out style noodles with cucumber (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

3/4 pound dried rice noodles

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus a splash to loosen noodles

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated or brown sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger, I used ground one

2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 1 medium-large clove)

cucumber, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped

A handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as mint and cilantro, for garnish

some slivered scallions and carrots, for garnish

Cook noodles according to package directions and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well. Drizzle with a tiny splash of toasted sesame oil to keep them from sticking until dressed.

Meanwhile, whisk tahini and peanut butter in the bottom of a small bowl, then whisk in soy sauce, rice vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, sugar, ginger and garlic to taste until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. It might seem a bit salty from the bowl, but should be just right when tossed with noodles.

Toss sauce with cold noodles. 

Peanut-lime chicken (adapted partly from Smitten Kitchen)

1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6)

Dipping sauce

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

6 tablespoons lime juice

1 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

Small Thai or Serrano chiles, thinly sliced, to taste 

Peanut dressing

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

a pinch of ground ginger, or shave some fresh if you have on hand

2 tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Pinch of cayenne 

Whisk all dipping sauce ingredients in a small serving bowl, making sure to dissolve the sugar. Leave to ripen for 15 minutes. 

In a blender or small food processor, puree all peanut dressing ingredients to a smooth sauce, about the thickness of heavy cream. Pour into a serving bowl. 

Stir together the dipping sauce and the peanut dressing in the bottom of a low-sided bowl or dish. Add the chicken to the mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate at least 15 minutes.

Grill the chicken under the broiler until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Let cool slightly, then chop roughly into 3/4-inch pieces. 

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To serve: At this point, you can place everything on a large serving platter, with piles or small bowls for noodles, vegetables, chicken and toppings (peanuts, herbs) and let your family and friends put it together in their own bowls as they wish. Or, you can assemble it for everyone as suggested:

Divide the dressed take-out noodles among bowls. Top each bowl with the chopped chicken, cucumber, carrots, scallions, peanuts and herbs of your choice. 

You can also serve with chile-garlic paste on the side, if you have it on hand.

Enjoy!

Wanna

1/ listen to the new !!! (chk chk chk) album, "as if"
2/ of course- watch this movie
3/ have this mirror from the Stockholm collection in my life
4/ make this decadent brownie with chocolate frosting recipe
5/ stay at The surf lodge in Montauk for a few days
6/ read this book by Marianne Faithful

Lemon lime pound cake

This cake is what you need to keep you company with your everyday morning coffee. One of its ingredients is 7up (what????) and its base is coming from an old classic recipe for cakes used in the 70s. It is moist and so flavorful with the right amount of citrus into it. The lemon and lime zest and juices create a cake so balanced and its glaze is one of the most delicious ones, not too sweet with a hint of tartness enough as to not overpowering the sweetness of it all. Make it in a bundt pan for a fancier look ;) 

Lemon lime pound cake (adapted from the Pioneer Woman)

for the cake: 

3 sticks Butter 

3 cups Sugar 

5 whole Eggs

3 cups All-purpose Flour 

1/2 teaspoon Salt 

1 cup 7-up 

1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest 

1 Tablespoon Lime Zest

for the glaze: 

2 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted 

1/4 teaspoon Salt 

1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest, Dried For At Least 30 Minutes

1 Tablespoon Lime Zest, Dried For At Least 30 Minutes

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon Water + More As Needed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Combine flour and salt, then add it 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. With the mixer on low, slowly add the 7-Up until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of both lemon and lime zest and mix. Scrape the bowl and mix again.

Thoroughly spray a bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Add large spoonfuls of batter until the pan is filled, then even out the surface. Bake for 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully turn it out onto a cake plate and let it cool.

Combine all the glaze ingredients in a bowl and gently whisk until thick but pourable. Use a large spoon to drizzle it all over the cake. Let the glaze set, then slice and serve!

Optional: Sprinkle with a little extra lemon and lime zest.

Bon appetit!

Ricotta and dark chocolate cake

This cake is so addictive that you'll want to recreate it right after the moment you'll be chewing on the last crumbles of it. Believe me if you make it once, and especially if you are a bit of a choco fanatic, you'll be wishing you'd made two tins instead of one.

It uses melted chocolate, and specifically 72% on cacao, and that explains the richness of the chocolate taste in your mouth which I find really unique (most chocolate cake recipes call for using cocoa powder which generally gives a softer chocolate flavor on the cake).

Ricotta & Dark Chocolate Cake (adapted by Emiko Davies)

300 gr sheep’s milk ricotta

3 eggs

150 gr raw sugar

200 gr spelt flour*

1 ½ tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

250 gr 72% dark chocolate, melted in a bain marie

Beat the ricotta, eggs and sugar in a bowl until you have a smooth, fluffy mixture. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and fold through until just combined. Finally, incorporate the melted dark chocolate until you have a uniform mixture. It will be quite thick. Spoon into a baking tin (prepared with some butter and dusted with cocoa powder, or some baking paper, if you don’t have a non-stick tin) and smooth the batter down, pushing it into all the edges of the tin. Bake at 180ºC for about 1 hour or until risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If you like, dust with icing sugar before serving. Keep any remaining cake in the fridge, well covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to three days.

* I used all-purpose flour and it turned out fine

Serve it with tea and you'll be drooling..

butternut squash soup with apples

This soup is an absolutely wonderful one, prefect for this autumn weather and it's been cooked on a regular rotation here. The kids will love it, the combo of the butternut squash and apples is brilliant and the ingredients are those one can find in their kitchen pantry rather easily.

I have been adjusting the recipe according to what I may or may not have in my pantry, so I have even used butternut squash from a can (yes!) and it has turned out equally perfect. Just don't be reluctant on trying out this one if you don't have all the ingredients (use ground ginger if you don't have the fresh one)!

I also like to add a dollop of greek yogurt on the top of the served soup along with some freshly grounded pepper..Try it if you feel fancy, it adds a nice spin to it :)


Butternut Squash Soup with Apples (adapted from Sweet fine day)
(serves 4-6)

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 slices of fresh ginger
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
2-3 tart apples, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and ginger, cook and stir for several minutes until the onion has softened. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the squash is fully cooked. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the herb sprigs and ginger slices. Puree the soup until completely smooth in the pot with a hand-held immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender or food processor). Reheat the soup when ready to serve.

GREEK SALAD, THE GREEK WAY

The last few years I've been living in the US, I have come upon lots of different recipes that are being called "Greek salad". Greek cuisine is becoming kind of a trend here lately and lots of restaurants include at least one greek inspired item in their menus. The truth is that it is a bit of annoying when you read that among the ingredients you will find in a greek salad is: lettuce. Greek salad never had lettuce in its form, I don't know how and why this has been reproduced but hey guys, this is the way most Greeks do greek salad:

Greek salad

2-3 fresh delicious tomatoes, cut in pieces
1/2 red onion, sliced
a bunch of kalamata olives
1/2 green pepper, sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon capers, or as much as you like
feta cheese or goat cheese (or any white kind of salty cheese will do, optional)
dried greek oregano
salt
olive oil

Put the tomatoes in a salad bowl. Add the red onion slices, olives, pepper slices (if you're using), cheese and capers on top. Sprinkle with salt and then drizzle with olive oil. Put some dried oregano on top and that's it! (hint: you can also drizzle with some drops of red wine vinegar for a tangier taste)
Also, it's really up to you on what quantities of these ingredients you want to use, you can of course adjust it to your tastes, adding more or less of each ingredient.

Enjoy:) 

Instalately

//florida rides//orzo with bacon and summer vegetables//backyard wild flowers//new tevas *view from above*//

//the dali museum installation tree//morning coffee c/o dutch monkey donuts/postcards inn photo installation//new favorite ponce city market building//

//kapa vita summer livin'it live @byzantine museum//delicious greek food//sea shells picking//my favorite beach in greece//

Tea-poached salmon noodle bowls

This plate has been cooked in our kitchen on a regular rotation and I have to admit that it's one of my favorite salmon recipes to date. It comes from one of my favorite recipe books, The Sprouted kitchen, and I daaaare you to try it out. I often find myself to really wanting to sample a new recipe just because it's giving me those signs it's going to be a good one, but most of the times "this mom" doesn't have all the necessary ingredients. So, I try to find ways to use what I have available in my pantry that may not change the overall taste/texture/flavor. After all, kitchen is a place to experiment, isn't it you guys? This time, I made some changes to some of the secondary ingredients the original recipe uses, such as using wide noodles instead of soba, substituting fresh ginger with ground one or replacing tahini with smooth peanut butter, and I assure you the result was non other than one of the most addictive salmon noodle bowls around.

Soba bowls with tea-poached salmon (adapted from The Sprouted kitchen)

Serves 4

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons agave nectar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 bunch broccoli
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of sea salt
3 bags green tea
1 tablespoon peppercorns
½ cup mirin or dry white wine
1¼ pound wild salmon fillet
1 (9.5-ounce) package soba noodles
4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup white or black sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, tahini, agave nectar, lime zest and juice, tamari, and grated ginger until smooth. Set aside.
Cut the broccoli into small florets, including some of the stems. Combine the broccoli in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, and salt and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a gentle simmer. Turn the heat down to low, add the tea bags and peppercorns and steep for 3 minutes, then discard the tea bags. Add the mirin to the poaching liquid. Gently slide in the salmon, skin side down. Cover, and cook until the salmon is just barely cooked in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. If in doubt, it’s better to undercook the salmon a bit rather than overcook it. Remove the salmon to a plate and flake it with a fork (you will notice a natural grain). Set aside and loosely cover with foil.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions or until al dente.
While the noodles cook, chop the roasted broccoli. Drain the noodles. In a large bowl, toss together the warm noodles, broccoli, dressing, green onions, and half the cilantro. Divide the noodles among four bowls, top with a portion of the salmon, and sprinkle the remaining cilantro and the sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.