Donnerstag, 28. Januar 2016

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

As I have been saying goodbye to my internship for the past seven months this week, me and another colleague have been throwing a goodbye after-work get-together with different types of sweet and salty snacks, wine and beer. This form of get-together is really typical for Switzerland and called "Apéro" which is a short form of aperitif, I guess. I didn't know it until I moved here ten years ago but now I really enjoy it.

I was responsible for all sweets and - hey - what better excuse could I get to try something new and mix it with all the beloved classics. 

As you all might know from different previous posts, I love a good chocolate chip cookie. It has to be a little crispy, soft and chewy on the inside and with tons of chocolate chips in it. 
I tried a new recipe from Nigella Lawson's website and these cookies were divine. They were the first thing to be gone, btw... 
This is the link: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-chip-cookies

Here's the recipe:

150g (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
125g (2/3 cup) soft brown sugar
100g (1/2 cup) caster or superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg (straight from the fridge)
1 egg-yolk (straight from the fridge)
300g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
326g (11 1/2oz) chocolate chips or dark chocolate

1) If you're using dark chocolate chips, place them in a bowl and put in the freezer while you're preparing the dough. If using chocolate, chop the chocolate into pieces any size you like, then put in the freezer, as well.

2) Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then let it cool a bit. Put the brown and white sugars into a bowl add the vanilla extract and butter and beat for about 6 minutes until a little lighter.

3) Add the egg and egg-yolk and beat further until the mixture is creamy.

4) Slowly mix in the flour and bicarb until everything is just combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

5) Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. 

6) Place on tablespoon of dough onto the baking tray leaving a little room to spread. I love to use an ice-cream scoop for this - it makes things so much easier and ours happens to be one tablespoon exactly.

7) Bake for 9-10 minutes in the oven, until the edges are lightly set. Don't be afraid - the cookies will look undercooked, but they'll continue cooking on the tray once out of the oven. 

8) Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

9) Repeat steps 6-8 until you've used all dough.

Yield: 35 cookies
Active preparation time: 20 minutes
Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Here's how mine look:


I find that chopping your own chocolate instead of using chocolate chips makes the cookies look almost like a Pollock painting with their splatters. These cookies were moist, they dense but with a little crumb left and most of all - there was plenty of chocolate in them! I loved this recipe as it was super easy.

There's no better smell than a kitchen smelling from freshly baked cookies. Soon happy weekend baking!

Have fun trying!

Montag, 25. Januar 2016

Vegan Kale and White Bean Korma

It's monday and since I've been trying to get better at writing again - here is today's vegan recipe. I have had this all week last week for lunch and I was looking for it every single day. Korma is a type of curry, usually prepared with yoghurt or coconut milk and of indian and pakistani origin.

I came across the recipe browsing the Food52 website for all things curry as I was craving the depth and creaminess of a curry. This recipe has the added bonus of being vegan and featuring healthy kale and sweet potato which helps stabilize blood sugar. 
Here's the link to the recipe: http://food52.com/recipes/25591-vegan-kale-and-white-bean-korma


And here's the recipe with conversions:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic (I omitted, as usual)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 medium sweet potatoes
4 oz (115g) tomato sauce (I used passata)
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
13 1/2 oz (380g) can light coconut milk
2 cups kale (I used a 400g (14 oz) bag)
15 oz (425g) white kidney beans (I substituted cannellini beans)

1) Chop the onion and minced the garlic, if you're using it. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and chop the kale, discarding the thick stems.

2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes or until soft and translucent.

3) Add the coconut milk, kale and beans to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes and kale are soft and cooked through.

Serves: 4-6, depending on your servings
Active preparation time: about 20 minutes
Total preparation time: 50 minutes

Here's how mine looked:


I loved the subtle sweetness from the sweet potatoes that contrasted nicely with the kale and the slightly fiery curry powder. I served mine with some cooked quinoa and it was absolutely delicious. The prep is done in no time and you'll have this crowd-pleaser served before you know it.

Have fun trying!

Montag, 18. Januar 2016

Curried Green Lentil Soup

Wow, winter has officially taken over Switzerland. It's been snowing all weekend and freezing all day today. Not that I'd mind. I love cold weather and I love to indulge in cold weather food. Soups that is - to me. I was craving a soup with more substance that the usual vegetable soup and turned to food52.com - one of my favourite websites - for inspiration. 

Today's recipe is originally by Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com and completes the soup with a curried brown butter and fried cubes of paneer. I chose to omit the cheese and instead of drizzling the soup with curried butter, I added the curry powder to the soup which gave it an Indian touch, turned it vegan and gave it a nice depth and warmth. It is super easy, with almost no prep time and incredibly warming and comforting.
Here's the link to the recipe: http://food52.com/recipes/33911-green-lentil-soup-with-curried-brown-butter

And here's my version of the recipe:

2 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil (I used coconut oil to merge flavours)
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic (I omitted the garlic, as most of the time)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 1/2 cups (1375 ml) vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 cups green lentils (about 350 to 400g)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (if you go for the curried butter)
1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
1/2 cup (125ml) coconut milk
fine sea salt, to season

1) Chop the onion and garlic cloves, if using. Rinse the lentils.

2) Combine the coconut oil, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot over medium heat, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring here and there until the onions are soft.

3) Pour in the vegetable broth and add the lentils and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender. Start checking after 20 minutes, but keeping mind that it may take as long as 50 minutes. Mine took about 35 minutes.

(4) While the lentils cook, heat the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir it constantly with a rubber spatula until it starts to foam and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and sauté until the mixture is very fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.)

4) When the lentils have finished cooking, take the pot off the heat and stir in the coconut milk, curry powder (if you're veganizing the soup) and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. 

5) Purée the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer it in batches to a blender of food processor. Add a little more salt to taste, if necessary.

(6) Stir in the curried butter and taste the soup for salt, adding more as needed. Serve the soup drizzled with the remaining curried butter and with cubes of pan-fried paneer, if you like.)

Serves: 4-5
Active preparation time: 5 minutes
Total preparation time: 40-45 minutes

Here's how mine looks:


The chili flakes add quite the punch even though the recipe only asks for 1/2 teaspoon so if you're not into hot food, take the chili down to 1/4 teaspoon. I normally am not a huge fan of hot food either, but today it hit the right spot with me. I love the earthy creaminess from the lentils, the depth from the chili and curry and the slightest sweetness from the coconut milk. This is not your typical soup and definitely serves as a whole meal because of the lentils, but it is simply perfect on a cold winter's night and beautiful comfort food.

Have fun trying!!

Montag, 4. Januar 2016

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

So Switzerland has started cooling down a little bit, work started again today and I am in desperate need for some clean, healthy, easy and warming food. And since it's Monday I'll go for a vegetarian and vegan dish. I started following Louise Parker's instagram a while ago for all of the lovely food pics she posts. I have also been addicted to her oatbran porridge for breakfast and love trying new combinations with regards to the fruit I'm adding or a tablespoon of cocoa powder. 

She writes a blog on her website that has a ton of beautiful, clean and for the biggest part sugarfree recipes in it. 
So since her porridge is so warming and delicious, I figured why not give this soup a try?

Here's the recipe:

12 vine-ripened tomatoes
12 small peppers (I used five large red peppers)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove (I omitted garlic, as always)
olive oil, for brushing the veggies
water or vegetable stock to thin

1) Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F). Wash the tomatoes and peppers. Place them on a large baking tray, drizzle with some olive oil, then rub each tomato and pepper with the oil you've drizzled over individually. 

2) Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, but be careful to take the veggies out before the skin form the pepper burns. 

3) As soon as the veggies are warm enough to handle, transfer them to a saucepan (if hand-blending) or blender. I used a handheld blender and blend until smooth. Check the consistency. If you like your soup thinner, add water or vegetable stock until you've reached the desired consistency. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, dried chili flakes or tabasco.

Yield: a little over 2 liters, about 7 servings
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 35-45 minutes

Here's how it looks:

The first thing I love is the bright color, a mixture of orange and red that instantly light up my day. The flavor is nothing short - bright, vibrant, with a nice tang from the chili, sweetness from the tomatoes and a distinct note from the peppers which the roasting beautifully intensifies. And I love how easy this is!! It's nothing but one, two, three and you've got a healthy dinner. As I have a hand-held blender, I transferred everything to a saucepan to blend. 

Have fun trying and a happy, healthy new year to all of you!