Slovenian Recipes

It has been cold in Lisbon for the last month or so. I get cranky when skies are gray and temperatures get to one digit, and student papers seem to grow from my desk! Although I like wintertime, I'm not happy with rain every other day, cold feet and a running nose. There's just one way to get my mood right when that happens: hot spicy soup ! For the record, I'm yet to make it to Morocco. No idea why I haven't really since it's just around the corner... The smells and flavours of ras-el-hanout couldn't be more perfect to cheer me up! Moroccan Chickpea Soup Adapted from Rachel's Food for Friends Serves 4-6 3 tbsp olive oil 1 onion (125g), chopped 2 stalks celery (100g) chopped salt and pepper 2 ½ tsp freshly ground cumin 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes a pinch of sugar (for the tomatoes) 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 600ml vegetable stock juice of half a lemon 2 tbsp coriander leaves and stalks, chopped Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add ...

Sorry for my absence. I still have a post about Slovenia to write, and a few recipes to share, plus a few complains about the weather and my usual nonsense. But once again it won't be today. It's time for another short trip to Paris - I'll be joining a conference this week but didn't want to leave you all without a little something to evoke la cuisine française . My (british) friend N. always says that "if you want a perfect queue ask a briton, if you're craving for an awesome crumble trust a frenchie!" And from my experience N. is absolutely right! This Crumble à la Ratatouille is a nice version of a French classic dish in a traditional British fashion. All I can say is that everybody loved it, and I'll be making this again. À bientôt Crumble à la ratatouille Adapted from Trish Deseine, recipe here 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 aubergine, cubed 1 red pepper, cut into strips 1 green pepper, cut into strips...

The Daring Bakers are a well known group of people who dare to... bake! The million dollar question is: do daring bakers dare to cook? This one does! I didn't have too much time to give this challenge a thought, so I just gathered what there was available in the fridge and (dared!) to cook us dinner. And it tasted nice. Almost forgot to say that the very first Daring Cooks' challenge is ... Ricotta Gnocchi ! Major thanks to Lisa and Ivonne for everything they've done. Thank you Ladies! Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi The Zuni Café Cookbook. Serves 4-6 For the gnocchi: 1 pound (454 grams/16 ounces) fresh ricotta (2 cups) 2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter 2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional) ½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed) about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt) all-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi F...

I'm not much into spicy dishes. Anything hot is usually too hot for me but I'm learning to adjust my taste to "new" flavours, and my cooking experiences (for instance with chilies) to my (mild) tastes... I guess the spice girl in me is not overly spicy or (anywhere) hot!! Which brings us to a soup. What were you thinking?? ;) But this is no ordinary soup. This is one of the best soups I had in a while. Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries is not just an adorable voyage in his daily kitchen but a very good recipe book. This is the soup Nigel made in New Year's, and it's not just a good start for a book. It's a darn good suggestion for a hearty soup. Dal and Pumpkin Soup Adapted from Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen Makes 4 good-size bowls 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic A walnut-sized knob of ginger 225 grams split red lentils 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground chili 250 grams pumpkin small bunch coriander, roughly chopped For the o...

It's officially Springtime. Or so says my calendar. A quick look outside the window, and I feel like rephrasing it: it's Springtime, right? So why does it keep on raining? Why do I keep wearing extra layers of clothes? And we're a little itchy today, aren't we?! Don't know about you but I could use a little sunshine. Sigh. Like the 'philosopher' Jagger once stated " You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you just might find you get what you need ". Bright guy. ;) I need colourful food with a hint of sunshine. Something slightly mediterranean... Bell peppers and Feta cheese! Aren't they springy? Stuffed peppers are great as a side dish to any meat or as a starter. For me is good enough for a light meal with a bowl of green salad. Where's Spring, anyone knows? Stuffed Red Peppers with Wild Rice, Broccoli and Feta Serves 2 2 sweet red (bell) peppers 1 cup cooked wild rice 2 cups small broccoli florets, steamed ...

It's been a while since I shared a recipe and some thoughts with you. I have no idea about where March went to... I've been doing so many things, dreaming of so many more that time just wasn't enough to pass by and say hello. But I'm back to tell you all about a great project I've been working together with a bunch of talented Portuguese bloggers! When my friend Mariana asked me to take part on 4 por 6 working balanced meals for 4 persons with a budget of 6€, I was really happy with the idea of helping people plan their food with little money. Although this is obviously focused on Portugal's present scene, I thought I could share the recipes with you anyway. So today we're doing potato an ode, and will be having the first strawberries of the season! Potato, Onion, Zucchini and Bacon Tian Tian aux pommes de terre, oignons, courgettes et pancetta Adapted slightly from French Magazine Saveurs, n.162 July/August 2008 Serves 4 4 small-medium potatoes (500 grs)...

It's hot. It's hot, and I have to work. Actually, it's hot, I have to work and my vacations in the beach seem like ages away (when there's just a couple of weeks to go). You probably guessed it by now: I'm grumpy. I'm also tired which helps my bad mood. Time seems to vanish these days! Before I can get to half of my daily things-to-do list, the evening arrives and my body refuses to keep going. My kitchen has been more or less idle with little time and energy after long days at work. Soups, sandwiches, salads, savoury muffins and tons of summer fruits did the trick for us. It is said that human beings could live on figs alone — such is the goodness and nutrition in this fruit. I could definitely corroborate that myself! When my mom-in-law brought me a bunch of figs - first ones of the year - I knew exactly what to do with them: a salad, no more. Fig and Rocket Salad Serves 2 2-3 handful rocket 4 ripe figs, halved 3 Tbsp golden raisins 1 cottage che...