Bánh Xèo (Hoi An Pancakes)

Huh. It has been way to long. Don't even know where that time has gone. The photos from Vietnam aren't even uploaded yet but it has been already more than two weeks since I left... Ah well. Better late than never! So in a (bad, but well-intentioned) attempt at keeping up my promise, here come some more recipes from my last travel destination: Vietnam.

Since I have already posted a recipe of the famous Pho Bo a while ago (see here), I thought I would introduce a new favourite of mine that I met for the first time on a food tour in Hanoi (yes, a tour where you just eat - fabulous idea if you ask me!). Originally, Bánh Xèo, or pancakes-turned-spring-rolls, are from Hoi An. But you could have guessed that from the title too! So let's get started!

Ingredients (serves about 4):
For the pancake batter:
120g dried rice flour
350 ml cold water
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (or any other yellow spice such as curry or saffron)
Pinch of salt

For the filling:
150g fresh shrimps (or other seafood - you can also add pork, chicken, etc.)
1 spring onion
250g fresh bean sprouts
Vegetable oil for frying

For the topping:
Fresh mint
Fresh coriander
Thai (or Vietnamese) basil
Lettuce
Mango
Banana flower
Cucumber
More beansprouts and spring onions

For the peanut sauce:
1 tsp garlic
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar or honey
Pinch of chilli powder
60 ml water or coconut milk

You will also need rice paper to transform the pancakes into spring rolls. To soften the rice papers, wrap them in banana leave or a wet towel for a couple of hours.

Preparation:
First, prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients and letting the mix rest at room temperature for 1 hour. In the meantinme, finely cut the shrimp (if not already done, shell and deveine them first) and spring onions. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the shrimp and any other meat you have chosen to add. Mix the meat together with the pancake batter.
Next, prepare the sauce: crush the garlic and then mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat for 10 seconds.
Spread about 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan (create a thin layer). Add some spring onions and bean sprouts, then remove the pan from the heat and add the pancake batter. Fry over medium to high heat until the bottom of the pancake is crisp and golden. Pour out the oil into a bowl and flip the pancake over. Once ready, fold the pancake in half and put it on a plate (which you can cover in paper towel to absorb the oil). Repeat with the rest of the batter.
To serve, place the folded pancake on a rice paper and top with some or all the above toppings. Then roll the rice paper and dip the roll into the peanut dipping sauce. 

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Jeow Mak Keua (Aubergine Dip)

Sabaidee!

As it is my last day in Laos, I thought it would be appropriate to catch up on my blog writing and dedicate today's posts to its dishes. After all, that was the initial promise I made for this trip ;-).

So this first dish, Jeow Mak Keua, is a little bit like a Baba Ganoush or Moutabbal, just with an Asian touch of course. The same dish can also be prepared with tomato and then it resembles a lot what you would put on a bruschetta or serve with Mexican tacos... Maybe I am drawing too many parallels here, but I have come across weird similarities in food preparation in these various regions I have visited. Maybe I am just looking for the familiar. Or maybe people across the globe have just had similar light bulbs when it comes to combining ingredients... Well, going off topic here. So let's start with this first, very easy dish, an aubergine (or tomato) dip. It is typically eaten with sticky rice (hence why you'll find the recipe for that one below too), but you can also dip steamed veggies in it!

Ingredients (to serve as an appetizer for 4):

For the sticky rice:

500g sticky rice (not the same as Basmati or jasmine rice!)

Water

For the dip:

4 small (Lebanese or Japanese) aubergines or 1-2 European aubergines

2-3 chillies (Laotians put up to 15 so suit yourself!)

1-2 small shallots

1 tsp salt

4 garlic cloves

1 bundle of fresh coriander (about a cup full)

Dash of fish sauce

Green part of 1 big (or 2-3 small) spring onion

Optional: you can add mushrooms (champignons de Paris) or a green capsicum

If you are preparing the tomato-based dip, use 12 cherry tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves only and add a squeeze of lime juice.

Preparation:

Sticky rice:

First, prepare the sticky rice as the preparation time is quite long. Wash the rice 3-4 times under running water until it runs clear. Then cover the rice with water and allow it to soak for at least 1 hour, better for 3-4. The rice is ready when you can cut it easily with your finger nail. If you can break it with your fingertip only, you have soaked it too long! 

Drain the water from the rice and rinse it several times. Rinse a bamboo steamer (can be a dumpling basket), add the rice and place it over boiling water. Steam the rice for about 30 minutes. Turn the rice over in the steamer and return it to the heat for a few minutes more. Taste to check that the rice is soft and sticky, but not mushy.

Important: in order for sticky rice to become sticky, you have to prepare a minimum of 500g!

Aubergine dip:

Put the aubergine, onion, garlic and chilli (and/or the mushroom/capsicum/tomatoes if using them) on wood skewers and grill them over open flame or in the oven. If you are using big aubergines and capsicums, you can also just prick them with a fork and place them on the coal directly. Grill the veggies until they are blackened. Allow them to cool and then peel the aubergines/tomatoes/capsicum, onion and garlic. Pound the garlic, onion, chilli and salt in a mortar. Once you have obtained a smooth paste, add the aubergine/tomatoes/capsicum and/or mushrooms and continue pounding until all ingredients have mixed well and the dip is more or less smooth. Chop the fresh coriander and add it to the mix, then season the dip with fish sauce and add the coarsely chopped spring onion. You can add lime juice to the tomato dip, but in the aubergine version, the lime might cover the smokey taste of the former.

To eat the dip, form little sticky rice balls with your fingers and then dip them in the sauce. Bon appétit!

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Phad Thai

This might well be the most famous Thai dish of them all... In Bangkok, you can hardly walk a street without encountering a small stand where it is freshly prepared in front of you. Having tasted "the real deal" plenty of times there I did not think it was possible to recreate it yourself. Yet with the recipe below (again from the Blue Elephant), you actually stand a chance of bringing Bangkok into your home!

For the vegetarians among you, just leave out the dried shrimp, fish sauce and fresh shrimp and add more tofu and salt (the fish sauce is however what makes part of the taste...).

Ingredients (serves 4):

10 tiger prawns (raw)

4 eggs

320g dried rice noodles

8 tbsp vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves

4 small (or 1 big) shallots

4 tbsp fresh tofu

4 tbsp ground roasted peanuts

4 tbsp sweet turnips (pickled - skip if not available)

2 tbsp dried shrimp powder (or entire dried shrimp)

8 stems of thin spring onion

120g fresh beansprouts

4 tbsp white sugar

4 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

4 tbsp tamarind juice

1 tsp chilli powder

2 limes

Fresh coriander

Preparation:

First, soak the rice noodles in cold water for 20 minutes.Meanwhile, start preparing the ingredients: quarter the prawns (not mandatory), cut the tofu into small cubes and the spring onion into 4-cm long pieces. Thinly chop the garlic and shallots.

In a wok, heat the oil on low heat and stir fry the garlic and shallots until an aroma develops (careful not to burn them). Then add the prawns and fry them until they start to turn pink. Push the mix to the side and crack open the eggs into the wok. Wait until the egg white starts to cook (i.e. turn white) and then scramble it. Once the egg is all scrambled, mix in the prawns and add the tofu and sweet turnip. When they are well mixed, add in the noodles (without the water!) and turn up the heat while stir frying the mix. Lower the heat again and add the seasoning: fish sauce, vinegar, tamarind sauce and half of the sugar (keep the rest for garnish). Continue to stir gently until all ingredients are well mixed. Add the dry shrimp powder and half of the chilli powder and ground peanuts. Finally, throw in the beansprouts and spring onion and mix with the rest. 

Transfer to a serving dish and add the lime, chilli powder, sugar and peanuts on the side. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 

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Tom Kha Kai

The first of a series of recipes directly imported from their country of origin has to be a good one.

So this is it - the soup of all soups ;-). Tom Kha Kai or the coconut soup with chicken. At least for me, a definite favourite (until I met its cousin, the Tom Yum Kung... more about that later). Hence it was obvious that I would pick a cooking class where this creamy coconut soup featured in the menu. And I haven't stopped tasting it everywhere I go here in Thailand. The good news is that it's easy to make at home - the bad news: the ingredients might be a bit tricky to get (at least where the wind blows me...). But I will just start an import business for galangal then. And seaweed on the side. Never forget about sushi ;-).

So here comes the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients (for 1):

100ml coconut milk

80ml chicken stock (best made yourself by boiling chicken bones)

60g chicken breast

20g young coconut meat (see my point about the ingredients?) - or alternatively any kind of mushroom

1 coriander root (or 3-4 coriander stems) - save the leaves for decoration

2 small shallots

5 bird's eye chillies

1 lemongrass stem

3 cm galangal (5 slices)

3 kaffir lime leaves

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp white sugar

1/2 tbsp tamarind juice

1/2 tsp lime juice

Chilli oil ("nam prik phaow")

Preparation:

First, prepare the ingredients: slice the chicken breast thinly, crush the coriander root, onion, chillies, lemongrass and galangal and tear the kaffir lime leave (fold it in half to remove the stem, then tear it into smaller pieces). Then bring the chicken stock to the boil (at medium heat) in a saucepan. Add the herbs (coriander root, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and onion) and continue boiling until an aroma develops. Add the coconut milk and bring the soup to the boil, but don't boil it for too long as it will separate. Add the chicken breast and, once the chicken is half cooked, the coconut meat. Simmer for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked. Add the fish sauce, sugar and tamarind juice (not all at once as you might find it too sweet/sour). Mix well and season to your taste. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice and crushed chilli. If you wish, remove the herbs before serving the soup. Pour the soup into a serving bowl and add some chilli oil and coriander leaves for decoration. Serve hot. Voilà - that's the secret. 

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Homemade Müesli (Granola)

This post has been sitting in my drafts for a very long time and it just didn't want to be published... But then, what better way to start a weekend than with a homemade muesli? Hence why this draft now finally makes it onto my blog... And I have to admit, it brings back lovely memories of the colourful and tasty Iraqi pomegranates (I would bet that they are amongst the best in the world, if not the best).

Ingredients:

1 cup of rolled oats (I just used Quaker oats)

1 cup of rolled buckwheat groats

2 cups puffed oats (the ones that look like "Smacks")

5 tbsp. honey (the liquid kind)

3 tbsp. coconut oil (liquid)

1 vanilla pod (scratched out seeds)

1 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Handful of crushed almonds

Handful of crushed walnuts

Handful of dried apricots 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Do not overheat your oven as you are guaranteed to burn your granola (yes, speaking from experience)! Combine dry ingredients (oats, salt and cinnamon) in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the oil with the honey and vanilla seeds. Then combine the two - best done with your hands and massaging the honey into the oats until they are evenly mixed. Spread out the mixture onto the baking tray, using a spatula to ensure that it is spread evenly. Put the tray into the oven and bake the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring it every 10 minutes so that it doesn't burn (again, trust me, it happens). After 30 minutes add the chopped apricots and nuts and put the tray back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Do not add dried fruit or nuts earlier as they will burn (I feel like I am repeating myself here…)! Once the granola looks golden and crunchy, take the tray out and let the mix cool down so it can clump. Finally, put the Müesli in airtight containers (like glass jars for example) for storage.

I always add fresh fruit to my granola just to make it a little less dry. These days, it's mostly pomegranate as the season has really started here. The best pomegranates in Northern Iraq come from Halabja, allegedly. I think I will abstain from speculating why that would be…

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Figues Confites (Kurdish Fig Jam)

In an attempt to collect as many Kurdish recipes as possible before leaving Iraq (that is, I am doing a pre-selection for your here… I don't think there is much appetite for sheep-head stew…), I am now prompting my office staff to come up with the recipes for yummy home-made dishes. So here is another one: fig jam - or as I call it figues confites. Perfect for the season and really easy to make!

Ingredients:
1kg fresh figs
1kg sugar
2L water
Cinnamon sticks (to your liking)
Cardamom pods (whole) (also to your liking)
Lime juice

Preparation:
Fill a cooking pot with the water and add the sugar, cinnamon sticks and cardamom seeds and bring it to the boil. Once the water is boiling, add the figs and cook them for about 2 hours until the syrup starts to thicken. Add lime juice (approximately 1 tsp) and then let it cool down before storing it in jars or pots. Voilà! Best with some cured cheese and some crunchy bread. 

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Oven-roasted Vegetables with Halloumi

Hm, after an almost 6-months silence on this blog, I don't think a lengthy explanation of why there hasn't been any post is particularly helpful. Let's just keep it short: I moved to Iraq in the meantime and have been busy with other things. This has however not kept me in the least from continuing to cook and discovering new cuisines (to be frank, there is not much to discover here). Hence it was just the action of transcribing my activities into posts that was missing.

Many people here have actually encouraged me to continue the efforts and thus I start with renewed motivation (and resolution).

This first recipe came along rather on its own. I was surfing through recipes on the internet and came across the idea to roast carrots in the oven. Somehow, I had never even thought of doing that. And since that discovery, I have been subjecting all kinds of vegetables to the oven-tanning treatment. Today it's zucchini and cauliflower. Two days ago it was capsicum and tomatoes. You can pretty much use any vegetable you like. In this recipe, I have added polenta and halloumi cheese in order to give the dish more substance. For those of you who do not know about polenta and/or halloumi, let me explain.

As Wikipedia describes it, polenta is "cornmeal boiled into porridge". Depending on the type , polenta can have a creamy texture (a bit like mashed potato) or be rather grainy (called "bramata" and looks like bulgur). Personally, I prefer the grainy, rougher texture. Polenta is frequently eaten in the Italian part of Switzerland (I actually assumed that this was its geographical origin but have discovered that it is also part of the Italian cuisine). Polenta can either be eaten right after preparing it (when it is still creamy) or it is baked, fried or grilled after a night in the fridge. Again, personally, I prefer to eat it fried crunchy in a deep layer of butter. 

Halloumi (or Halloum) is, as my grandmother calls it, "the cheese that doesn't melt". Originally from Cyprus (I would claim it is Lebanese, but don't shoot me), halloumi is a very salty (because brined), unripened cheese made of a mixture of goat, sheep and cow milk. Because of its high melting point, it can be fried or grilled without losing its form. 

So, after this introduction to the ingredients, let's start with the recipe!

Ingredients (for 2 hungry persons; if you have polenta leftovers, use them the next day):
125g polenta bramata
60cl water
1 beef-cube (can be chicken or vegetarian of course)
200-250g Halloumi
Vegetables of your choice (2 zucchini or 8 small carrots or 1 capsicum or 2 tomatoes or a handful of cherry tomatoes or half a cauliflower...)
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs (such as basil, oregane or rosemary; include mint, if you prepare zucchini)

Preparation:

Bring the water to the boil and add the polenta and the beef-cube. Let it simmer (with the lid on, but stirring regularly) for about 40 minutes. The polenta should still be slightly grainy, but no longer "al dente".
While the polenta is cooking, cut the vegetables into thin slices (cut the carrots in half lengthwise for example). Then place them in a pyrex tray (try not to "crowd" them) and season with olive oil (be generous), garlic (cut thinly) and the herbs. Then put the tray in the oven (pre-heated at 200°C) and roast the vegetables for about 20-30 minutes (check regularly). When the vegetables are already quite tanned, cut the halloumi in slices roughly 7mm thick and place them in a non-sticky frying pan. The cheese will start sweating at first, then will turn brown. Flip it to grill both sides. If the cheese is too salty, soak it in water for a couple of hours before using it.
Serve the polenta with the vegetables and halloumi. If you have decided to wait another day to fry the polenta (this is best done by storing the polenta in a tupperware so that it is formed into a block), cut the polenta in slices of about 1cm thickness. Place a significant amount of butter (20g) in a frying pan and fry the polenta for at least 10 minutes on each side (careful, the hot butter will make the corn grains jump so cover with a lid) until golden brown and crunchy.
Sahtein!

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Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef soup)

Uh, after posting the link to my blog on Facebook, the number of viewers increased drastically – obviously you would say. It was still a very positive surprise and motivates me to continue… In the hope that the number of you checking out the recipes will stay high!

Today’s recipe is Pho Bo, a Vietnamese beef soup. I discovered it in London since you know that I have never actually been to Asia… But maybe this fall, I’ll finally manage. Inshallah ;-). Until then, I just ignorantly continue to cook from (probably Europeanised) recipes. Still, they're really tasty... so I hope you like the outcome as much as I do!

 

Ingredients (for 4 to 5 portions):

1 ½ L beef stock

1 tbsp. fish sauce

2 onions

3 cm of ginger

2 stars anise

2 cloves (yes, just 2)

1 cinnamon stick

200g fresh, thick rice noodles (or dried, but cook them first)

200g beef filet

100g fresh bean sprouts

2 spring onions (with the green)

1 lime

2 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves

If you like and have: Thai basil leaves

Preparation:

Firstly, prepare the beef (same procedure as for the Bibimbap): rinse the beef under cold water, then pat it dry with a paper towel and wrap it in cling film. Freeze the meat for about 30 minutes (until it is firm to the touch, but not frozen solid). When ready, remove the beef from the freezer and unwrap the cling film. With a sharp knife, cut the beef into thin slices.

At the same time, simmer the stock with the fish sauce, the onions (cut into quarters), ginger (cut into slices), anise, cloves and cinnamon for 30 minutes. Strain the stock and bring it to the boil. Put the rice noodles (they have to be soft) and the beef (raw!) into soup bowls. Pour the stock over the noodles and beef. Put the bean sprouts, spring onions, lime (cut into slices) and coriander leaves on a plate and serve with the soup. 

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Olive and tomato tapenade

My grandmother makes this really good olive and tomato tapenades - and for these warm summer evenings, crunchy bread with some delicious olive or tomato spread is just all you need!

Ingredients for the olive tapenade:

200g black olives (or if you prefer, green olives), without stones

2-3 cloves of garlic

50-100g capers (depending on how much you like capers

Olive oil, salt and pepper

Optionally, lemon juice and anchovies

Ingredients for the tomato tapenade:

1 glass of dried tomatoes in oil (do not use the oil)

5 black olives (without stone)

Olive oil, salt and pepper

Optionally, garlic and the skin of 1 lemon

Preparation:

Purée all the ingredients, add 6 tbsp. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper according to need and taste.

Serve with fresh bread or crackers. 

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Banana times two

It was festival time in Bern so please excuse the delay in posting new recipes!

I have realised that it has been a while since I have posted any dessert recipe. In order to make up for the long silence and the absence of any sweets, here come two recipes (Asian of course) with banana – both equally healthy... ;-) Enjoy!

 

Fried bananas

Ingredients (6 baby bananas):

50g flour

5 tbsp. coconut flakes

3 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. corn starch (Maizena for example)

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 pinches of salt

100 ml water

6 baby bananas (or 3 normal ones)

Oil (for frying)

Preparation:

Mix the flour, sugar, corn starch, sesame

seeds, coconut flakes, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the water and mix well. Cover the bowl and let the mix rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Cut the baby bananas in half (in the length; if using normal bananas, cut them in half in width as well). Add about 3 cm oil into a frying pan and heat. Turn the bananas in the marinade and bake (i.e. fry) until golden (about 2 minutes per side). Put the bananas on paper towel to dry, but serve warm.

Milky bananas

 

Ingredients (8 baby bananas):

8 ripe baby bananas

150g sugar

200 ml coconut milk

1½ tsp. salt

1 L + 100ml water

Preparation:

In a glass bowl, mix the water with 1 tsp. of salt. Peal the bananas and put them in the water for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat 100ml of water in a saucepan. Add the sugar and simmer (at lower heat) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved in the water. Take the bananas out of the salty water and put them in the sugary one. Cook the bananas at low heat for 15 minutes, turning them carefully (once is enough). The baby bananas will turn yellow (other bananas turn light brown). Mix the coconut milk with ½ tsp. salt in another saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. To serve, place the bananas into little bowls (with the sugared water) and add the warm coconut milk. 

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Ham croissants

This is one of my favourite apéros… Homemade ham croissants are just ever so slightly better than their supermarket colleagues. My mouth is watering just from thinking about them now… Maybe I should make some today!

Ingredients (for about 20-30 croissants):

2 puff pastries (octagonal ones are more practical)

150-200g cooked ham

3 eggs

1 bunch of parsley

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Cut the ham finely (ca. 5x5mm). Scramble two full eggs and the egg white of the third egg (keep the egg yolk!). Season with peper and salt. Chop the parsley and mix it with the ham and eggs. Cut the pastries into triangles and place a tea or table spoon (depending on the size of your triangles) of filling onto the pastry. Roll the triangles from the bottom to the tip and curve into croissants. Brush the croissants with egg yolk and bake them for about 10 minutes at 200°C in the middle of the oven (or until they look nice and tanned). Bon appétit!

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Cauliflower-Prawn Curry

As promised, I am moving away from the salads. But not from the Asian ;-). This recipe of a prawn curry is very simple and delicious! If you don’t like cauliflower, just exchange it with another vegetable.

 

Ingredients (for 2 portions):

300-500g prawns

1 lime

1 tbsp. peanut oil

2 tbsp. yellow curry paste

300-500g cauliflowers

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

4 dl coconut milk

½ tbsp. raw cane sugar

2 star anise

1 cup of jasmine rice

Preparation:

Mix the prawns with the lime juice (keep the limes!). Prepare the rice (before cooking, wash the rice until the water is no longer cloudy). Heat the oil and fry the curry past. Chop the onion and garlic finely and add it to the paste. Break the cauliflowers into smaller pieces and add them to the pan. Steam for about two minutes. Mix in the coconut milk, sugar and star anise and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the prawns and simmer for four more minutes. Take out the anise. Serve the curry with the rice and grate some lime skin on top (or if you happen to have any around, sprinkle with cut kaffir lime leaves). 

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Summery Salads - N°4: Malaysian papaya salad

So, number two in the series is, surprise surprise, an Asian summer salad! I don't think it needs much more introduction, so here comes the recipe:

Ingredients (for 2 reasonably big portions):

50g green beans and/or 

50g sugar peas

1 small (unripe) papaya

½ cucumber

¼ Chinese cabbage (optional)

1 mandarin

½ avocado

4 cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp. fresh coriander

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ red onion (or 1 spring onion)

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1 tsp. Sambal Oelek

1 tbsp. raw cane sugar

Juice from 1 lemon

1 tbsp. fish sauce

Preparation:

Blanch the beans and/or sugar peas in boiling water for 3 minutes. Half the cucumber and papaya, remove the seeds and cut into small cubes. Fry the onion and the garlic (chopped finely) in the oil. Mix the sugar with the lemon juice and fish sauce. Cut the cabbage (if you choose to put it in), the mandarin and avocado. Roast the sesame seeds. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and decorate the salad with the sesame seeds, cherry tomatoes and coriander. 

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Summery Salads - N°2: Quinoa-pomegranate

Yep, you might think that I have a newfound addiction to pomegranates... But actually, I am just trying to use my rests in an intelligent way. So here comes a semi-self invented summery salad with pomegranates, radish and raisins.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (for 1 reasonably filling portion):

150g Quinoa (1 cup)

30 cl water (2 cups)

½ cucumber

½ pomegranate

7 radishes (or more)

Raisins or dried dates to your liking

2 tbsp. fresh mint

Lime juice

Olive oil

Salt

Preparation:

Rinse the Quinoa in water (much like rice) to remove the bitter coating. Bring the water to the boil and add the Quinoa. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes (until the germ separates from the seed and the water is absorbed).

Half the cucumber and remove the seeds. Chop into cubes. Cut the radishes into slices. Mix the Quinoa (cooled down), pomegranates seeds (see Summer Beef salad recipe for instructions on how to best remove the pomegranate seeds), cucumber, radishes, raisins (or dried dates) and mint in a bowl and add the lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt.

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Summery Salads - N°1: Ebly-strawberry salad

I thought that over the next days, I would put a series of summery salads. Technically, the beef salad with pomegranate could have been the first one of these salads. But well. Now this - own creation - Ebly salad with strawberries will be! Enjoy (and let's hope the weather will play along!).

Ingredients (for 1 person):

1 cup of Ebly

2 cups of broth

1 small onion

½ cucumber

½ capsicum (red bell pepper)

50g sugar peas

Strawberries (as many as you like)

Olive oil

Vinegar (best is a glazing Balsamic vinegar that is a bit fruity)

Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Chop the onions and braise them in olive oil. Add the Ebly and broth and simmer for about 10 minutes (or until the water is absorbed and the Ebly is soft). Cut off the ends of the sugar peas and blanch them in boiling water for about two minutes. Cut the peas, capsicum, strawberries and cucumber into cubes. Put them in a bowl and add the Ebly. Season with vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper. 

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Tarte flambée (or Flammekueche)

The tarte flambée (or Flammekueche in Alsatian, literally "pie of flames") is the Alsatian version of pizza: thin dough covered (typically) with crème fraîche, onions and bacon. I had some of the best Flammekueche in "Les Brasseurs" in Geneva and Migros has quite a good frozen version (the one with the woven crust). However, it is relatively easy to make a tarte flambée at home. Plus: you can choose what to put on top of the dough!

Ingredients (for the traditional tarte; for 1 hungry person):

200g plain flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

100ml water

1 cup (roughly 100g) crème fraîche (or sour cream)

50g bacon

Grated cheese (about 50g)

1 small onion

Dried herbs

Preparation:

Mix the flour, salt, olive oil and water and knead until the dough is soft. Let it rest for at least half an hour. 

Spread the dough very thinly (mm) onto a baking paper (the dough is a bit reticent to spread - roll out first on the edges and just insist!). Add the crème fraîche, bacon and onions (cut in thin rings) and grate some cheese over them (you can also put the bacon and onions on top if you prefer). Then sprinkle some herbs ("herbes de provence" for example) over the tarte and bake it at 250°C for about 4 minutes (until crispy and slightly brown). Serve immediately - preferably with a good beer. Bon appétit!

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