Legume Salad With Feta Cheese And Green Pepper

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils

1/2 can red kidney beans

1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly

1/3 cup feta cheese cubes

5 mushrooms, sliced

Bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, grounded

salt&pepper

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Because there are never enough salad variations and because at least 50 percent of her food stereotype comprised of salads, here is another recipe. Put the lentils in a bowl with lukewarm water and let it swell up for at least half an hour. Afterwards boil them shortly with a bit of water until soft and water evaporates, add salt, pepper, curry powder and grounded caraway seeds,  tablespoon of olive oil, sliced mushrooms and red kidney beans. Cook for a few minutes so that the mushrooms soften and soak in the flavors. Once cooked, let cool off a bit. Put thinly sliced green peppers, the legume mixture with mushrooms, feta cheese and chopped basil in a bowl and stir gently. Serve with bread as a main course or as a side dish to red meats.
Bon Appetit!

Cherry-Yogurt Crumble Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup of cherries, pitted

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup flower

1 cup sugar

1 cup white yogurt

1/2 pack baking powder

pinch of salt

a bit of butter, flower and sugar for crumb topping

icing sugar

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Super easy cake that can be used with any seasonal fruit - cherries, strawberries, apricots, plums or even rhubarb. Sift the flour and baking powder in a bowl, add pinch of salt, spices, sugar and stir gently. Beat the  eggs into the bowl, add yogurt and mix together until the mixture is soft and compact. Pour the batter into the pan. Top up with the crumb which can be created by squeezing the butter with sugar and flour together until it creates crumbs. Place in preheated oven. Bake for about 30 mins at 180C. If needed, try if the batter is baked inside by using wooden skewer. Once ready, take out from the oven and let cool off for a bit.

Bon Appetit!

Salmon Fillet With Grapefruit And Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

2 medium sized salmon fillets

1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1/2 pink grapefruit, peeled and diced

1 pack of salad leaves mix, preferably including wild rocket

Handful walnuts

1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt&pepper

*

Another healthy, supposedly low calorie combination that can get a nice twist over the summer if the salmon fillet is barbecued. If you cannot grill the salmon outside, bake it in an oven for about 15 minutes at 180C, no additional fat needed, only season with salt and pepper. While the salmon fillet is being grilled or baked (or even fried on a saucepan if you prefer), prepare the salad by placing the salad leaves in a bowl or on a plate, add the peeled and diced grapefruit and avocado, sprinkle some walnuts over, season with balsamic vinaigrette, salt, pepper and dash of olive oil. Place the salmon fillet on top of the salad once ready and drizzle with lemon juice. If the salad is not enough, it can be served with fresh bread or as here with roasted potato wedges.

Bon Appetit!

Asparagus Chicken Wrap With Brie Cheese

Ingredients:

2 pieces boneless chicken breast, pounded

1 cup rice

1 pack of fresh asparagus

2 slices prosciutto ham

4 slices brie cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

2 toothpicks

salt&pepper

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This pretty simple recipe was a spontaneous "invention" that occurred during cooking itself. As oppose to cooking a classic chicken steak with asparagus wrapped in prosciutto ham on the side, it was decided that everything will be wrapped... Pound the chicken breast, lay two slices of brie cheese on top and place a few asparagus stalks in the middle. Fold the chicken around and wrap prosciutto ham around as well, securing it all with a toothpick. Place chicken wraps into a pan along with the rest of asparagus stalks, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat. Serve with boiled rice or alternatively roasted potatoes.

Bon Appetit!

Orange Risotto With Seafood

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio rice

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup seafood (here already cooked shrimps)

1/2 cup red lentils

2 tomatoes, diced

1 medium carrot, grated

1/2 small onion, finelly chopped

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated

1 tbsp butter

Large pinch of saffron threads

1 tbsp pink pepper corns

salt&pepper

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Another experimental meal that is not only tasty but also looks nice and colorful. Put the red lentils into a bowl with warm water and leave to swell up for about an hour prior to the actual cooking. Melt the butter in a sauce pan and fry the chopped onion until soft, add diced tomatoes and cook for a bit. Add the rice and red lentils, pour over chicken stock and white wine, season with saffron, salt&pepper and cook for about 15 minutes until rice and lentils soften and liquid is fairly reduced. Add the tomato sauce and some of the Parmagiano cheese. Cook some more until liquid is absorbed. In a different pan cook shrimps or alternatively squid or scallops or similar on a tiny bit of butter. Spoon risotto on a plate, top up with seafood of your choice, sprinkle over some Parmigiano cheese and a few pink pepper corns and meal is ready to be served.

Bon Appetit!

Lamb Leaves Salad With Tuna and Fennel

Ingredients:

1 tin tuna chunks in oil or water
1/2 fresh fennel bulb, sliced
1/2 pack lamb leaves
1/2 pink grapefruit
1/4 cup feta cheese cubes
1/4 cup black olives, cut in halves
3 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt&pepper
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Another tip for a salad, this time with often unfairly neglected fennel. Adding this highly aromatic plant makes any salad a new experience. Slice the fennel bulb omitting the top green stalks and drizzle over with lemon juice. Skin the grapefruit and cut in pieces. Mix with rest of the ingredients and season with salt, pepper, balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil. If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can also drizzle with agave syrup or a bit of honey. Serve with bread or crackers.
Bon Appetit!

CousCous With Nectarines, Pecan Nuts and Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup plain couscous

1 nectarine, sliced

1/4 cup raisins, chopped

1/4 cup pecan nuts, chopped

1 boneless chicken breast, diced

Bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp agave syrup

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon dried sage

salt&pepper

*

Perfect summer dinner, fresh with an interesting mix of flavors and so easy to make. Put the couscous in a bowl and pour boiling hot water over, cover with a lid or a plate and let raise up. Roast or fry the chicken breast pieces on a pan and season with caraway seeds, sage, salt and pepper. Once couscous raises, add the chopped raisins, mint leaves, nectarine and pecan nuts along with oil, lemon juice, agave syrup, salt and pepper and stir all together. Place the chicken pieces on a top.

Bon Appetit!