Buffalo Mozzarella on Kaki Tomato and Chicoree

A plate of salad with a weird combination on top. But it goes well together.

From my Advent calender I have some spiced balsam vinegars and spiced oils now. I am curious to see how they work together. Lots of interesting combinations are possible. After the holidays I will try to order some of my favourite ones in larger sizes on the Internet.

Checking my fruits and veggies and the different cheeses in the fridge, i came up with this rather rare combination for some kind of Caprese salad.

Some fresh shelled pistachios added the much needed crunch to the salad.

Ingredients:

1 Buffalo mozzarella

1 kaki

10 date tomatoes

1 chicoree

2 tbsp ripped parsley, 2 basil stems

20 pistachios

Dressing: 

Olive oil with lemon

Tomato balsam vinegar

Salt, pepper, agave syrup

Dark balsamic glaze

Instant Noodles improved

A light evening snack made with Instant Noodles.

Not the best way to have Dinner, but sometimes Instant Noodles are here to save the day.

But they need a boost to taste great. I've got the inspiration from different YT videos where people pimped their instant noodles. I wanted to give it a try.

I was at the ASIA GO supermarket a couple of weeks ago and found a big pack of instant noodles with onion flavour. 5 packs for 5 meals. Since I love onions, that sounded like the right choice for me. The flavour package contains "onion soup base" with dried green onions and a second pack with onion flavoured oil.

A combination of Kewpie mayo, an egg yolk, leftover beef stock I already cooked pasta in, some fresh parsley, and a couple of pieces of Korean style pork belly made very tasty Instant Noodles. 

Quick verdict: if you crave instant noodles, try to improve the flavour profile. Some creamy Kewpie and egg yolk will make your dinner a lot less "Instant".

Vietnamese Pho

It is a long process to get the good beef broth for a bowl of Pho.

It started a day before with all the trimmings for a tasty bonemarrow dumpling soup. It was my mothers best kept secret. One day I stood beside the table to write everything down.

The recipe for them was posted 2016 and is still on the blog.

But more importantly, I needed to prepare a decent and very rich and clear beef stock. That was the base for this Pho. But for a couple of other dishes too.

I was happy to find fresh marrow bones at the supermarket. Together with a large piece of beef shank that was the start of my soup. 

To get a clear soup, I always start the beef with the bones first. After a couple of minutes, a lot of grey brown foam comes to the top. With my Japanese fine mash spoon I take that all out. That can take up to 10 minutes.

Vegetables are the foundation of a good stock. I do not cut them up, just halve or quarter them. For a bit more taste, bay leaves and dried chili were added. The only salt came in with the tablespoon if my homemade veg stock paste.

I do not salt my stocks on purpose. The Pho will get some fishsauce later.

Letting the stock through a fine mash sieve and cooling it down over night, helped to take the thin layer of fat off. I kept veggies and meat seperately in the fridge.

Now in with the spices and fishsauce. I bought thin flank steak an put that in the freezer for 30 min. Then it is easier to cut in thin strips. It goes in the soup bowl raw. Just the hot broth will cook it. Some veggies from the soup, fresh green salad leaves ( I could not find Bok Choy) and cooked pieces of beef shank went in the bowl.

But not forget the wide rice noodles, soaked in boiling water for 10 min. 

Some fresh coriander and parsley as an addition to the Pho.

 

Red Lentil Hummus

I wanted to prepare it a while ago. But my tupperware container was nearly empty of lentils. I had to buy some. 

So instead I made a great tasting yellow split pea hummus. It is on the blog too.

Ingredients:

300 g red lentils, washed

3 tbsp garlic paste

3 tbsp parsley

2 tbsp olive oil with roasted onions

1 tbsp Piri Piri seasoning

3/4 cup Tahini

1 lemon

Smoked salt, pepper, black lemon powder

Cook the lentils in twice the amount of unsalted water. After 8 min they should be ready. Drain the lentil, but keep 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Put everything in a strong blender and make a fine cream. If needed, add a little more water.

Spread it on a plate and make an indentation in the middle. Drizzle some olive oil with lemon and some black lemon powder.

Eat it with some veggie sticks.

Pepper Chicken Soup Indian style

The best kind of treatment for coughs and colds this time of the year.

So many countries offer recipes for this Pepper Chicken Soup. From Nigeria to China and India. I picked up ideas from all of them, but went Indian style.

Chicken soup with rice or pasta is common here in Germany too. It is offered to the sick sometimes too. But there is no spice just salt in these soups.

I love mine a bit on the hot side. That helps to get rid of the germs faster. You just sweat them out.

Recipe for 3:

4 boneless chicken thighs

1 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp butter

1 green chili

2 inches fresh ginger, 5 garlic cloves, 3 shallots

Cumin, black mustard seeds, coriander seeds, pepper, tumeric

Salt and pepper

650 ml veg stock from paste

2 tbsp fenugreek leaves dried  (Kasoori Methi)

Heat up oil and 1 tbsp butter and start with chopped shallots, garlic, chili and ginger.

Add the dry spices and give them 2 minutes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry it on both sides for 3 min. Add the veg stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat and cook for 20 min.

Take the chicken out and cut it in strips. Heat butter in a pot and add the fenugreek leaves. Now in with the chicken and pour the stock through a mash sieve over it. Bring back to boil and now it is ready to serve.

Amazing!

Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Bites

When organic smoked salmon is on offer, you have to give it a go.

The combination with smooth creamy goat cheese and fresh dill is awesome. I had sone butter puff pastry in the fridge that was short of its expiration date, that came in handy. Not much work to do to produce a lovely starter for a party or a nice lunch for 2.

The fresh dill is making the pastries extra tasty. The little bit of heat from my new spiceblend on top of the cheese kicks it up a notch too.

Preheat the oven 200 C fan.

Cut a 275 g piece of puff pastry in 2 squares.

Add goat cream cheese and spread it out.

Season with Piri Piri and pepper.

Lay out 100 g smoked salmon on top.

Rip fresh dill from the stems and toss it on the salmon.

Put the second part of puff pastry on top.

Brush with egg yolk.

Sprinkle with white and black sesame seeds.

Take a pizza cutter and cut it in smaller squares.

Bake for 13 min.

Oeufs Cocotte au Air Fryer

I love this French breakfast recipe. But I have not done it for so many years. This is so good for a Sunday morning.

Usually the cocotte is baked in the oven, as in Oeuf cocotte au Four. But my air fryer was still on the kitchen counter and the next best thing for a quick bake. No need to preheat the oven to put in a single tiny ramequin to bake.

My air fryer has just enough space to bake one of my Le Creuset mini ramequins.

Ingredients for 1:

Butter for the Ramequin

2 eggs

Salt, pepper, Italian herbs

Drizzle of double cream

Buttered toast

Preheat the air fryer if needed with your model to 180 C

Put the Ramequin in for 11 min. Check the consistency of the egg yolks to your preference.