Fusilli di ceci alla cinque Pi 💚

Cinque Pi is probably one of the easiest pasta sauces there are. The name refers to the main ingredients of the sauce, all starting with a “p” in Italian: pomodoro (tomato), panna (cream), parmigiano (Parmesan cheese), prezzemolo (parsley) and pepe (pepper). It’s loaded with umami and can be completed in less than a quarter of…

Salmon • Beetroot • Orange • Cream cheese

I’ve been putting some effort into ameliorating my plating skills lately. I find dishes served lukewarm best suitable for this exercise, as I don’t have to work under time pressure. This is the outcome of my latest attempt. Marinate pieces of smoked salmon in a mixture of olive oil, white aceto balsamico, orange zest and…

Chicken with pickled lemons and green olives

A little over a month ago, I pickled cute small organic lemons and today, we finally got to try them. The flavor was intensely lemony. All sourness was gone and replaced by a mild tartness. Exquisite! I slow cooked them with chicken, olives, shallots, lentils and lots of spices. Mix chicken thighs with sliced, depulped…

Elderflower marmalade 🌱

Isn’t it great when you prepare something and – as a happy coincidence – create a nice by-product. This happened to me in course of making the elderflower tart with a meringue topping. By accident, there was elderflower marmalade. Add 8 g agar agar to 0.5 L elderflower syrup ready to drink and bring to…

Elderflower tart with meringue topping 🌱

I love experimental cooking – and baking, obviously. In particular, when the result turns out delicious. This vegan tart is a combination of the lately so popular crystal clear pumpkin pie and a very traditional lemon curd pie, with which I strongly associate a meringue topping. Crust: Blend 1.5 dl whole grain wheat flour, 1…

Elderflower syrup 🌱

The sun is shining and the sambucus is blooming – a perfect time to make elderflower syrup. Collect 15 fully opened, not browning elderflower blossoms. Remove the stems and any free passengers by shaking the blossoms. Don’t wash them, though, as this would cause loss of flavor. Place the blossoms, a thinly sliced lemon, 2…

Tuna • Passion fruit • Lime • Coriander

I’m a huge fan of sashimi, ceviche and tiradito. On the other hand, I love roast notes, as well. This is my combination thereof. Strain the pulp of two passion fruits through a sieve. Mix a dressing of lime zest and juice as well as olive oil, chopped chili and coriander. Fry the tuna in…

Berries • Vanilla • Verbena • Flowers

Spongy rose water cakes with a soft creamy filling and a fresh berry topping. That sounds delicious, right? My initial plan was to combine the pudding and berries with crunchy honey meringues, though. Mini pavlovas for dessert. Meringues need a long oven time, so I started preparing them early this morning. And left them in…

Fillet • Shrimp • Tomato • Butter

How do you pimp up fillet steak? You serve it with tender shrimps and an opulent sauce. Surf and turf at its finest. Surf: Season shrimps with salt and olive oil and grill for 10 minutes in 230°C. Turf: Simultaneously fry the fillet steaks in a hot pan for a couple of minutes each side….

Goat cheese • Nectarine • Honey • Rosemary

There’s a lot of varieties of goat cheese and a lot of ways to enjoy it. I like mine on a piece of bread instead of butter or hot on my salad. Or as a flan with fruit compote. Goat cheese flan: Bring 2.5 dl goat milk, 1 branch of rosemary, 5 branches of lemon…

Wedding anniversary dinner

Yesterday, Harry and Meghan swore each other eternal love. Today seven years ago, my boyfriend at that time and I did it too. To celebrate our decision to spend our lives together and the fact that we still do, we had our own little candlelight dinner at home. I hope the itch doesn’t start. Goat…

Minted honeydew melon soup 🌱

I once made a melon soup with what I though was a splash tequila. It was a bit more than a mere splash, though. And the soup turned inedible. My hubby still refers to that soup as the worst thing I’ve ever cooked with a smile on his face. And he’s absolutely right. Without tequila,…

Aubergine with lemon soy yoghurt and pomegranate seeds 🌱

A dear friend of mine once served a dish very similar to this one based on Italian eggplants. When I saw these beautiful tiny white and thin purple Chinese eggplants, I couldn’t resist trying them with a fresh yoghurt dip and sweet pomegranate seeds. Halve the aubergines lengthwise. Drizzle wit olive oil and salt and…

Duck in a rhubarb meadow

Did I already mention that I love cooking – or rather plating – with flowers? Because I truly do. This is another seasonal, low-carb recipe pimped up with an amazing floridity. Sous vide duck: Score a diamond pattern through the skin and fat of the duck breast with a sharp knife. Be careful not to…

Rhubarb bellini

My mother-in-law brought me own grown rhubarb yesterday. And by today, it transformed into a fizzy drink. Perfect on a sunny day like this. Salute! This drink consists of one part rhubarb syrup and two parts prosecco. Really simple, actually. If you want a high-end version, you can replace the prosecco with champagne. And if…

Corn • Milk • Cinnamon • Apple

Are you familiar with Chef’s table on Netflix? It’s a documentary profiling world-renowned chefs. And it never fails to leave me feeling stunned and amazed and inspired all over again. I was watching an episode covering Christina Tosi and the Milk Bar in NYC the other day. I found her cereal milk panna cotta really…

Hot Asian-style clear soup

Just when I though Spring was here to stay, the weather played a joke on my. All of a sudden, the heaven turned dark and Thor started swinging his hammer. A cold, rainy day calls for a hot soup. Luckily enough, my homemade chicken broth survived the tasting phase and transformed into a delicious soup….

Homemade chicken broth

Do you remember my deboning operation in connection with my green springtime menu? And the mountain of chicken bones as a result thereof. Those chicken bones transformed into a delicious, full-flavored chicken broth. Fry spring onions, garlic, a carrot and the chicken bones in some olive oil. Taste with salt, black pepper, chili and parsley….

Whole grilled trout

How does a food blogger spend a lazy Sunday? She sends her hubby fishing and lets him prepare his catch for dinner. This herb-stuffed trout is juicy and flavorful. And healthy. And low-carb. A perfect meal, really. Stuff one trout per person with lime and any fresh herbs you like (we used thyme) as well…

Rib-eye steak • Shallots • Zucchini • New potatoes

What’s your favorite steak cut? Rib-eye is definitely one of my favorite ones. It’s lusciously marbled, juicy and tender. Just melting in your mouth. Here, I’ve served it with three cute floral sides: sautéed shallots, zucchini rolls and new potato towers. Sautéed shallots: Peel and half shallots. Sauté in a brew of white aceto balsamico,…

Pikeperch with sautéed fennel and raisins

Have you ever tried fennel with raisins? They combine incredibly well. The first time I tried this side, I could barely believe my taste buds. It was so delicious. Add some acid to emphasize the sweet anis-taste and cream to round the whole thing up. I like serving it with a light fish, like pikeperch…

Superfood bowl 🌱

What did you have for lunch today? I had a super healthy, super delicious vegan superfood bowl with crisp lettuce, fluffy quinoa, smoked tofu, roasted cashew nuts, grilled broccoli, dried physalis, a sweet tamarind dressing, fresh herbs and edible flowers. Boil red quinoa in salted water until tender. Roast cashew nuts. Fry smoked tofu. Mix…