Posts Tagged ‘starter’

Spiced carrot-lentil soup

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November 26th, 2009

It’s soup season, so of course I’ve been making SOUP! This recipe resulted from a previous cooking endeavor that only used one carrot out of a whole bunch, and a half packet of red lentils that had been glaring at me sadly from the cupboard. As the carrots wilted and the lentils moped, I said “ENOUGH ALREADY!” And then I blitzed them all into a quick, hearty soup.

I am really proud of my soup, as I’ve always hated the bland, overly sweet flavor of many carrot soups. This one, instead, is zingy, zippy, zesty and all kinds of good things that start with z. It is also nutrient dense, without becoming something you eat only because it’s supposed to be healthy. It’s a filling soup without being to heavy, with light flavors that can be spiced up or mellowed down to your own taste.

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Grilled eggplant with basil and mozzarella

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October 10th, 2009

This is one of my favorite quick meals. It takes no more than half an hour (depending on how you tackle the tomato sauce issue), but is still fresh and, not unimportantly, beautiful! It also works well as an hors d’oeuvre, if you cut the eggplant slices in half and offer toothpicks on the side, or as a pretty starter for a small crowd. But I usually want to just scoop it all into my maul as soon as it comes out of the oven…

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Potato gnocchi with sage butter

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October 9th, 2009

Gnocchi. Food of the gods! I even liked the gummy, prepackaged kind sold at Dutch supermarkets before I moved to Slovenia, where, by virtue of being located right next to Italy, people know how to make really NICE gnocchi. Then I had the pleasure of tasting some FANTASTIC potato Gnocchi in Gardona in Italy, at a little restaurant up in the hills frequented by local workmen and such. Those were something else altogether! They were light and fluffy and perfectly seasoned, accompanied by a simple brown butter with fresh, wild sage. That’s when I decided I had to master the art of making gnocchi. (more…)

Quesadillas, guacamole, and simple salsa

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August 26th, 2009

Today was supposed to be leftovers day. I always like to add something new alongside leftovers, just to keep things interesting. Stew one day, stew with a side of bread and dip two days later – that kind of thing. So today I decided that my spinach and chicken soup needed a side of quesadillas. But I forgot that my 9 month stint living in California had left me unable to even contemplate quesadillas without automatically checking the fridge for tomatoes, chiles and lime. Because quesadillas require salsa, and only home made will do. And if you’re making salsa you may as well go the extra mile, and make some guacamole, too. I also forgot that my idea of adding quesadillas as a side inadvertently ends in a huge stack of quesadillas in my belly and a lot of forsaken leftovers in the fridge.

Now, I must apologize to my American friends for daring to post  a recipe for quesadillas, guacamole and salsa on this blog. I know you know how to make that shit with your eyes closed, one hand tied behind your back, while being spanked by a German dominatrix named Inga. This post is for my Dutch friends, some of whom have been tricked into believing that guacamole is a type of grayish sludge that contains 2% avocado and lots of mayonnaise, and that salsa is a ketchup-type of condiment produced by the Doritos ™ company and can be found in the snacks isle, next to the paprika-flavored chips.

Everything on the plate above was made by me out of raw ingredients, except for the tortillas and the cheese. And it took me no more than 20 minutes.

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