When do you celebrate Christmas? In our family, we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Yesterday, it was our turn to host the party and I cooked for 14 people. With lots of preparation and help, it was possible to enjoy five distinct dishes and an assortment of cheeses. One of the dishes was this vibrant…
Category: low-carb
Venison tartare
With falling temperatures, my appetite for raw meat rises. Lucky me, I still have some venison in the freezer. Finely dice fillet of venison and mix it with mustard, finely chopped cornichons and borretana onions. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, fleur de sel and black pepper. Assemble by placing quenelles of tartare on a…
Tea smoked duck with tamarind plums
I’ve been watching lots of The Chefs’ Line on Netflix lately. In one episode, the task was to prepare Zhangcha duck. I was intrigued by how uncomplicated it seemed to smoke meat at home and decided to give it a go. Remove silver skin and excess fat from a duck breast. Score the fat (just…
Crudités on peppered goat cheese 💚
Crudités is the fancy French word for “raw things” within the meaning of veggie dippers. Fancy words call for fancy plating, don’t you think? Clean and halve or quarter baby carrots, French breakfast radish and snack cucumbers lengthwise. Stick into a generous dollop goat cheese seasoned with black pepper. Decorate with baby carrot tops and…
Raw food on carrot top pesto 🌱
Turning carrot tops into pesto is an excellent way of avoiding food waste. Not only are these greens super rich in vitamin C, calcium and potassium, they are utterly delicious as well. Decorate the pesto with raw waves of rare veggie variations and voilà: A treat for your palate and eyes. Finely blend baby carrot…
Smoked and grilled trout on bean salad
A fresh and crunchy bean salad filled with protein, high in fiber and rich in essential nutrition is not only super healthy. It’s super tasty, as well. A great dish to get in shape for the bikini season. Yes, I’m that vain. Chop green beans and blanch them for a couple of minutes. Simultaneously, prepare…
Lamb loin with pineapple salsa
The last couple of days in the Swiss capital have been rather rainy. And cold. Sad weather calls for happy food. Perfectly pink lamb loin with a vibrantly yellow pineapple salsa – nothing better to cheer one up on a grey day! Pan sear lamb loin in olive oil seasoned with garlic. Season the meat…
Nettle soup with 65°C egg 💚
In spring, when the nature awakens from its winter sleep, my foraging instincts come to life again. After wild garlic, it’s the turn for nettles. For the nettle soups, collect young nettle buds and then blanch them. Strain them, collect the water and chop the buds finely. Prepare a roux by melting butter. Add the…
Green asparagus salad with burrata
Springtime is asparagus time. The green ones are sweet and crisp and combine perfectly with soft and rich burrata. Add some pine nuts and fresh basil and you’ll have yourself a super easy, super quick and super delicious salad. Start with the green asparagus. Wash the spears, snap off the woody ends and halve the…
Rabbit fillets with baby heirloom carrots, refried beans and tarragon foam
In earlier days, according to common belief, the folkloric Easter Bunny brought colored eggs, candy and sometimes even toys to the children behaving well. Similar to the Santa Clause tradition, the disobedient ones were left empty-handed. Today, the Easter Bunny is less strict and offers a delicious meal for young and old. Beans: Simmer a…
Grilled rapini salad
Rapini – or cima di rapa – is a signature ingredient of the southern Italian cuisin hitting its peak season in spring. Sightwise, rapini resembles turnip tops with small broccoli buds. Tastewise, it’s nutty and somewhat bitter. Dishwise, this veggie transforms beautifully into a grilled salad. Fry two peeled and quartered red onions in olive…
Hazelnut spätzli with carrot ragout
Combining elements of different culinary traditions is not only the definition of fusion cuisine, in my opinion, it’s the most exciting part of it. Very bourgeois, very Swiss egg noodles served with a veggie ragout filled with Moroccan flavors and a smooth cream made of Greek sheep milk feta cheese. That’s my second dish featuring…
French omelet 💚
Egg is one of my go-to ingredients when I’m in a hurry. It’s something I always have at home, it cooks fast, it’s wonderfully versatile and it’s low carb. Today, I treated myself to a smooth and silky French omelet paired with a fresh green salad. At medium temperature, melt butter in a pan. Homogenize…
An ode to cabbage 🌱
The cabbage family is plentiful. In taste. In structure. And in color. I bumped into beautifully vibrant purple and shining white cauliflowers, neon lime green Romanesco and richly deep green broccoli. I couldn’t resist the temptation of these organic goodies and used my plate as a canvas for a luscious vegan dish. Rehydrate sultanas by…
Pork • Parsley root • Parsley • Pimenta
Remember my Cinque Pi? This is my Quattro Pi (with some additional ingredients). Turn pork shanks (also know as ham hocks or pork knuckles) in wheat flour and roast them in olive oil. Taste with salt and black pepper. Add quartered onions as well as pimenta (allspice) and rosemary. Braise in white wine until the…
Gift in a jar: Good Luck Soup 🌱
On New Year’s Eve, lentils are traditionally eaten in Italy for good fortune and prosperity in the new year. An edible Christmas present embracing this lovely custom – is there a more suitable giveaway by a food blogger? This hearty lentil soup has a nice balance thanks to the sweet coconut and tart apricot. The…
Duck and scallops accompanied by beetroot and orange
Sous vide duck a l’orange with pan seared scallops – doesn’t that sound scrumptious? It’s a surf and turf marriage made in heaven. Sous vide duck: Score a diamond pattern through the fat of the duck breast with a sharp knife. Be careful not to score the meat. Starting with the fat side down, pan…
Monkfish with mountain lentils and beetroots
Fish with lentils is an inseparable team. I don’t even remember when I had it for the first time. And I think I have tried every possible combination. This recipe is a self creation resulting from ingredients available in the fridge. Boil 100 g mountain lentils according to the instructions on the package. Separately, boil…
Lamb sirloin • Barley • Pomegranate • Mint
A sous-vide stick – what a game changer! Precise temperatures, impeccable textures, foolproof. Never has cooking been easier. And the outcome more perfect. Start with the meat. Sear lamb sirloin in oil and butter seasoned with garlic and rosemary. Season the meat with salt and black pepper. Transfer the meat and the herbs to a…
Where the wild things are
On this plate – that’s where the wild things are. Ten of them to be more precise. And I’m quite sure, this is the supper Max enjoyed after returning home from his imaginative adventures. Deer fillet Deer escalope Wild boar entrecôte Wild boar salami chips Malaga morels Steamed Brussels sprouts Roasted pumpkin Mashed purple potatoes…
Parmigiana tower 💚
Parmigiana is an Italian oven dish consisting of thinly sliced veggies – usually eggplant – served with tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. I built a nifty little tower with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella coated tomatoes, red onions and – last but not least – eggplant as well as Parmesan cheese chips and served it…
Trout • Apple • Celeriac • Chives
This soup combines a smoky fish piquancy, a tart autumn apple note, subtly earthy celeriac flavors and an oniony chive aroma. It’s easy to make, low on carbs and it plates beautifully. In other words: perfect for your next dinner party. Soup: Peel and chop celeriac and apple, half and half. Boil them in salted…
Sturgeon with artichokes and Kalamata olives
At our wedding seven years ago, we decided to serve regional food. Back then, local Swiss harvested sturgeon farmed in the Tropenhaus Frutigen less than 45 km away from our wedding location was a novelty. It was served on rösti – what else? Every time I eat sturgeon, it reminds me of our beautiful wedding….
Pork tenderloin • Chanterelle • Apple • Kale •
Today is my birthday. And yesterday, while I cooked dinner with my husband, he whispered something to my daughter, who immediately left the kitchen only to return a moment later. With three gift wrapped presents. For me. In spite of our no-gift rule. What did I get? A set of culinary precision tongs. Which I…
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