Home-made Gnocchi

Hi guys!


It's Meat Free Monday again and I've been looking for something other than pasta or rice this week, so I've chosen gnocchi. Originating from Italy, they are little small potato-flour-rounds cooked in salted water. I love that they are incredibly versatile. You can pair them with any sauce you like. Paired with cheesy, creamy Gorgonzola sauce they are a classic dish, but they are just as tasteful accompanied by a light Tomato sauce or any type of pesto. You can buy them at any grocery store or get down to business and make them yourself. It's not as hard as you might expect. I am going to take you through the recipe step by step. It's actually quite fool-proof.


Here's the recipe:


1 kg starchy potatoes
coarse sea salt
100g (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
salt
pepper
2 egg yolks


Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Line a baking tray with salt. Be sure to use a generous amount. The salt will help absorb the moisture from the potatoes which is crucial for ending up with fluffy gnocchi. Place the potatoes on the baking tray and cook them in the oven for 1 hour. 

When they're cooked, scrape the flesh out of the shell with a tablespoon and place in bowl. Mash the flesh using a masher or a ricer. The texture might vary depending on what tool you're using. I am using a masher.

Add the flour, salt and pepper for seasoning and mix to combine. Add the egg yolks and stir until a uniform mixture. Knead the dough for about a minute on a lightly dusted surface. Don't knead your dough too much, because the gluten will be set free and make your gnocchi tough rather than light and fluffy. 


Split the dough in half. Roll each half to a string of about 2cm width (a little less than one inch).  

Cut the string into 2cm (little less than one inch) pieces and spread on a flour-dusted baking tray. Use measuring tape or a ruler to ensure even-sized gnocchi. They should be the same size to make sure they are cooking at the same time later.

At this point, you can freeze any excess gnocchi. I like to make a huge batch and freeze them for later use. That way, you have to work once and can benefit from it later.


Making gnocchi is a great Sunday project when you have some spare time. I have thrown mine in the oven with a few different kind of vegetables and a splash of basic tomato sauce. I will share the recipe with you tomorrow!


Have fun trying! I promise it's worth the effort!

Banana Bread, Pt. 2

Hi guys!


Weekend is here and I wanted to bake something again. As I told you last week, I love the Donna Hay magazine app so I decided to try her banana bread. I wanted to stick with a classic version, although she gives various ideas for additions like raspberries, dates, chocolate or peanut butter. The recipe is very easy to make and the result is just amazing.


Here's how mine turned out:

The recipe:

125g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

175g (1 cup) brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

225g (1 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

2 cups (ca. 6 or 7) bananas, mashed
115g (1/3 cup) golden syrup
100g chopped nuts (by choice)


1) Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat for 8-10 minutes. It's easiest to use a hand blender or kitchen machine. 


2) Gradually add the eggs and beat well.


3) Add the mashed banana, cinnamon and soda and sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir to combine. Add the golden syrup and combine. Fold in the chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans work great), if using them. Put it into a greased and floured loaf tin (11x26cm; ca. 4x10inch).


4) Bake for 60-65 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, turn on a cooling rack.


It took about 25 minutes to prepare the dough. My banana bread took quite a bit longer to bake until completely cooked. I left it in the oven for 70 or 75 minutes. Golden syrup it a typically british and australian ingredient to use. The syrup is a form of inverted sugar syrup that's made in the process of refining sugar cane into sugar. It can be hard to get, but it's worth the search. I found the original british Lyle's golden syrup at a delicatessen store in the city centre. If you're in Germany and you can't find any, you can substitute Grafschafter Zuckerrübensirup. It's a little different in taste, but as close as you can get.


I like this banana bread even better than the version by Cynthia Barcomi which has been my favorite until now. I am definitely going to bake it again and try the fancier versions of it.

Have fun trying and have a great weekend!

Almond and Lemon Biscotti

Hi guys!


It's the time of year again when you can meet friends at for coffee outdoors and spend time drinking lattes, cappuccinos - enjoying life. I love something to nibble on with coffee, but I don't want an entire piece of cake. Biscotti or cantuccini are twice baked cookies originating in Italy. They are traditionally served with espresso or any coffee. My recipe is from Cynthia Barcomi's cookbook "I love Baking". You can buy very good quality cantuccini at any grocery store in Europe, but I like the idea of making my own and adding ingredients I love like chocolate, almonds, pistachios or dried fruit.  


Here's the recipe:


250g (1 + 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
150g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon anise (if you like, I left it out)


60g (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
lemon zest from one lemon


100g (3 3/4oz; about 1 cup) almond slivers


1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (365°F). Line a tray with baking paper. 


2) Mix the butter, eggs and lemon zest in a bowl. Sift in the flour and baking powder and add sugar, salt and anise (if used). Stir to combine. Stir in the almond slivers (I chopped them roughly). 


3) Divide the dough in two equal parts. Form each half into a rectangle (about 8x6 inches; 22x6 cm) on the baking tray. Make sure you flour your hands so the dough doesn't stick to them. 


4) Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. Afterwards, let it rest on the baking tray for 20 minutes. 


5) Put the rectangles on a cutting board and cut it into 1.5cm (0.6 inch) wide slices. Put the slices back on the baking tray, cutting side up. 


6) Bake at 170°C (338°F) for another 7 minutes. Turn the biscotti and bake them for 7 more minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack. You can bake the biscotti one week ahead and store them in an airtight container. 
© Copyright: Cynthia Barcomi, "I love Baking"


This is how the rectangles look after baking:

Sunny side up:

Here's how the finished Bicotti look like:

I like this recipe, because it is super easy and pretty fool-proof. Cynthia advises to first combine the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ingredients. She also forgoes the flour-sifting. I like to sift flour because it makes sure that you don't end with lumps and it takes basically not time. Mixing dry ingredients into wet ingredients can be difficult, because the dough might lump, but if you sift your dry ingredients beforehand, it works just as well. The lemon zest adds nice freshness to the biscotti while the almond and sugar combined are giving the biscotti their characteristic marzipan-esque flavor. These biscottis make a great addition to your afternoon break - whether you enjoy them plain, with coffee or tea.

Have fun trying!

Date and Ginger Pancakes with Apple Butter

Hi guys!


It's summertime, but raining in Switzerland and a pretty awful, cold day which is why I was looking for something comforting to eat today. The new winter issue of Donna Hay magazine came in very handy. It features a really nice spread with recipes containing ginger and as I love ginger, I decided on a recipe for date and ginger pancakes and apple butter (for lunch). 


Here is the recipe:


For the apple butter:


4 apples (Granny smith or any sour kind)
1/2 cup (110g) superfine sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) water
80g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar


1) Peel and dice the apples. Place the water, sugar and apples in a saucepan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until softened.


2) Combine the butter and icing sugar in a bowl, strain in the apple mixture using a sieve to get rid of the pieces. Refrigerate until needed.


For the pancakes:


10 fresh dates
1/4 cup (60ml) boiling water
1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (110g) superfine sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 eggs, separated
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk


1) Chop the dates and place them in a bowl, pouring the boiling water over them. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then purée it until smooth.


2) Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and ginger in a bowl and mix. Add the egg yolks and buttermilk and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggwhites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the eggwhites through the batter.


3) Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook 1/3 cup (80ml) of the mixture for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining mixture.


4) To serve, drizzle the pancakes with honey and top with a piece of apple butter.


Serves 4-6 (Yield: ca. 24 pancakes)
© Copyright: Donna Hay magazine, June/ July 2012 Issue, inspired


I used a 1/4 cup (60ml) of batter for one pancake, which worked nicely. The yield refers to the amount using 1/4 cup. I also topped my pancakes with maple syrup instead of honey. 


Here is how mine turned out:

The pancakes are wonderfully thick and fluffy. The combination of sweet dates and spicy ground ginger definitely brightens up plain-old pancakes and adds a new and unexpected twist to an everyday basic. I especially like the slight hint of apple the butter takes on that complements date and ginger perfectly. It may not be the ideal summer recipe, but it certainly can turn a rainy day around!


Have fun trying! 

Strawberry Muffins

Hi guys! 


Yesterday has been another Meat Free Monday and I didn't only want to concentrate on regular warm dishes, but on dessert as well. As a lot of desserts ask for eggs, butter and milk you can cook and bake them for vegetarian friends, but not for vegans. The muffins I am showing you today are vegan but don't sacrifice any flavor. Another plus is they are baked without sugar but maple syrup and light agave nectar. These two natural sweeteners are pretty low on the glycaemic index so you won't get super hungry after eating them, because maple syrup and agave nectar won't increase your blood sugar level as much as regular sugar does. 


The recipe is from Gwyneth Paltrow's cook book "My father's daughter" or "Notes from my Kitchen Table", as the UK version is called. I know what you might be thinking right now. "An actress writing a cook book? How is that going to turn out?" I came across it a few months ago in a book shop and got curious. As I started skimming through, I found that a lot of the recipes sounded very interesting and good. I also liked the idea of using healthier alternatives in some recipes and bought the book. When I started cooking the recipes at home I was immediately falling in love. All the recipes I have been trying so far (almost all of them) have worked wonderfully and tasted great. Another positive aspect is that Gwyneth not only indicates the preparation time, but splits it in active and total preparation time so you can choose your recipes depending on how much time you've got.


Here's the recipe:


1/2 cup (125ml) soy milk
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil (I used rapeseed oil)
1/2 cup (125ml) maple syrup
4 tablespoons light agave nectar


2/3 cup (100g) white spelt flour
3/4 cup (125g) whole spelt flour (make sure the cup is packed)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt


300g (10 oz) strawberries (the original recipe uses blueberries, but you can substitute any fruit you like)


Yield: 12 muffins; Active preparation time: 15 minutes (20 if you chop strawberries); Total preparation time: 45 minutes


1) Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) Chop the strawberries.


2) Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine.


2) Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir the wet ingredients in the dry until just combined. Be careful not to beat the dough too much.


4) Fold in the strawberries. Divide the dough equally between the muffin cases. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. 
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow "Notes from my Kitchen Table", healthier version of the blueberry muffins, p. 230


Here's how mine turned out:

These muffins are not as sweet as regular muffins when you bake them with sugar. Don't expect them to be really sweet, they are a little more savory. If you are looking for muffins that are not sticky-sweet, these are perfect for you. Make sure you are using spelt flour. It is a little different in taste, but it is easier to digest although not gluten-free. If you are looking for gluten-free muffins, try substituting buckwheat flour. 

Have fun trying!

Pasta with Mint Pesto

Hi guys!


It's Meat Free Monday again! I am going to try and introduce you to vegetarian as well as vegan recipes in order to show you how tasty meat-free dishes can be. I am a big pasta lover, so I'm always trying to find new recipes for pasta sauces or interesting vegetable combinations to pair my pasta with. 


I've come across this recipe in Donna Hay's book "Fast, Fresh, Simple". I have been trying to find it online, but it is not available on Donna's website or via Lifestyle Channel that airs the accompanying show. So here is the recipe:


90g (3 oz) mint leaves 
45 g (1 1/2oz) flat parsley leaves
25g (1 oz) parmesan
40g (1 1/2 oz) peeled almonds
1 garlic clove
80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
(1 pinch salt)
(1/2 teaspoon honey)


Combine the leaves, parmesan, almonds and garlic in a blender. Blend until pretty smooth. Add the olive oil slowly while blending. Season with ground pepper. Serve with spaghetti. I slightly altered the recipe by adding a little bit of salt and some honey to create a little more depth of flavor as well as using less olive oil. The original recipe calls for 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil, but I find the olive oil too dominant should you use that much. I added 3 tablespoons of pasta water to thin the pesto before combining it with my cooked pasta.
© inspired by: Donna Hay "Fast, Fresh Simple", Pasta with Mint Pesto


Here's how mine turned out:

I love the freshness the mint is adding to this new spin on classic pesto. It's a great way to live up your everyday dishes with an unexpected taste. The recipe says it serves 2, but I find that the pesto should be enough for at least 4 people. Simply load an empty jam glass with the leftover pesto and store in the fridge. It should keep well for up to one week.

Have fun trying and tell me about your favorite summer dishes!

Banana Bread

Hi guys!


You might have noticed that I am a big sweets lover... It doesn't always have to be rich, sugary and heavy cakes - a piece of loaf cake or a wholeweat muffin will do the job just as well. This is why I got excited when my sister, who is working in London, UK, as an au-pair this year, introduced me to classic Banana Bread. The combination of sweet cake and fresh fruit is something you just have to love. 


The recipe I have tried is by Cynthia Barcomi. She is originally american, but has been living in Berlin for years now. In Berlin, she owns a coffee roasters and a deli that I visit every day whenever I am in Berlin. I'm not joking. As soon as I am spending a week or only a couple of days in Berlin, I am going there once a day. They offer the best sandwiches, muffins and cakes I can imagine as well as great coffee. I especially like their flavored coffee. Instead of using tons of syrup to your coffee that makes it almost too sweet to stand, they have infused their coffee beans with aromas. Your coffee will have a hint of aroma. 


The recipe I've tried comes from Cynthia's book "I love Baking". As the book is in german, I am trying to translate the recipe for you.


Ingredients:
125g (4 oz; 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g (5.3 oz; 2/3 cup) sugar


2 eggs
1 vanilla bean
4-5 bananas (about 400g; 14 oz); smashed
300g (10 oz; 2 cups) flour 
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg


60g (2.1 oz) chopped walnuts


Preparation:
1) Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F). Grease a cake tin and dust with flour.


2) Beat the butter and sugar in a kitchen machine for about two minutes until light and creamy. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat for another two minutes.


3) Mix in the mashed banana using a wooden spoon. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon powder and nutmeg and stir until just combined. Fold in the walnuts. Spoon the dough into the cake tin. 


4) Bake for 50-60 minutes until cooked when tested with a skewer. Let it rest in the tin for 10 minutes then retrieve it from the tin and leave it to cool on a kitchen rack.


(Copyright ©: Cynthia Barcomi, "I love Baking")


Here is how my bread turned out:

My bread only took 50 minutes to bake, whereas the original recipe suggests 60 minutes baking time. You can vary your banana bread any way you like adding chopped chocolate, macadamia nuts, raisins or other dried fruit or nuts. I added chopped walnuts, but you can omit them. 


Have fun trying this comforting classic and let me know if your efforts bear fruit!