layerd salad jar

it's been a while, hum?
well, I blame it on school and tests and homeworks (or just on my laziness, perhaps)
speaking of school, here's my ultimate salad jar for the days I get home late and have lunch ready in minutes!

from the bottom to the top:
- "pickled" red onions ( simply add lemon juice to the onions and it's done )
- paprika and saffron couscous
- tomatoes
- tuna
- feta cheese
- fresh spinach

plus the most amazing vinaigrette:
 - 2 parts balsamic vinegar, 4 parts olive oil, 1 part honey and 1/2 part dijon mustard.
( just shake everything really well in a jar and it's done! )


you can prep everything the night before and when it's time to eat just mix everything together with the vinai
grette and enjoy yourself! D E L I C I O U S and super healthy as well!!

raspberry cupcakes

fresh out the oven!
oh my god, the whole kitchen smells amazing!!
it's CUPCAKE TIME !!

I simply added frozen raspberries to my cupcake batter (flour, brown sugar, olive oil, eggs, plain yogurt, baking powder, zest and lemon juice) and baked it !
I also added a bit of dark chocolate in the middle of the cupcake, so when you slice it, you can see that melted chocolate in the center, d e l i c i o u s !!!

you can pretty much add any fruit you like to your cupcake batter, bluberries, raspberries, bananas, strawberries, grapes... it's your choice!

chicken curry

dinner yesterday, the most delicious chicken curry!

for a super easy and amazing curry:

1. to marinate the chicken, don't mince the garlic and ginger, just grate it, otherwise it will burn. and, in addition to marinate the chicken with the garlic and ginger ( beyond the lemon, salt and pepper), I also add them along with my super minced onions and white eggplant, to start off my curry paste.
2. to my spice mix, I add dried cumin powder, saffron, 5 peppers and, of course, curry powder. (add this mix after the onion, white eggplant, ginger and garlic paste is cooked.)
3. after that, just add half coconut milk, half milk to make the sauce and let it cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.
4. add the chicken (already cooked) to the curry sauce and let it cook for just 2 to 3 minutes. add parsley and a squeeze of lemon right at the end and serve it with basmati rice and naan bread.

believe me when I say this.. this was the most perfect curry I have ever made and ate, it is THAT good!

red pepper and dried tomatos hummus

hummus is an egyptian dip and it's basically mashed chickpeas, tahini (toasted sesame seeds paste), lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt. it's a delicious way to eat chickpeas and it's also healthy!

besides these basic ingredients, I add to my hummus recipe grilled red peppers, dried tomatos, cumin and a handfull of basil leaves.

it's fast and easy to make and it's amazing!

mango, peach and passion fruit juice

one peach, half a mango and some passion fruits, all blend into one cup of happiness!
topped with chia seeds for even healthier juice!

yummy, yummy, yummy !!
and perfect for a hot summer day !

tomato soup with poached egg

dinner today!

only three ingredients in this soup: onions, parsley and, of course, tomatoes.
about one large tomato and half a onion per person. plus a little bit of parsley, olive oil and salt.
let it cook at medium heat for about half an hour and then blend it, D O N E !!!
for a perfect poached egg, my trick is a splash of vinegar in the boiling watter.
add a drizle of olive oil and some parsley to garnish and delight yourself!

easy, right? can't go wrong with this one!

black forest kind of cake

heaven on earth, right? 

chocolate cake with cream filling and icing and wild berries on top.
what more can anyone ask for? D E L I C I O U S 

 

italian for dinner

last night we had friends for dinner.
I made bruschettas and a tiramisu, both of them, not to brag, were really delicious!

Daniela, my mother's friend, made an amazing risotto and a stunnig beringela parmegiana.
(the risotto is below, as for the rest, no pictures were taken)

In masterchef they call risotto, "the death dish" but, for what I saw, it isn't that hard to do.
I picked up some tips and I think that there are 3 crucial points to make the perfect risotto:

1. different temperatures for different stages of cooking: low heat to soften the onions (1st stage) and high heat to cook the rice (2nd stage), adding boiling watter or vegetables stock to the rice.
2. for a strong flavour in herbs (basil, mint,..) add them while the rice cooks and then, at the very end, fresh herbs to garnish. it will give a wonderfull flavour and an amazing perfume.
3. add an huge (and I mean h u g e ) spoon of butter and a handfull of parmesan cheese at the end, for extra flavour and a super creamy risotto.

It doesn't seem that hard, does it?
As for the flavours, anything you have in your pantry and fridge will do, as long as it goes well together, you can choose pretty much anything you want.

This one had peas, zucchini, basil, watercress and tomato. (and of course lots of parmesan cheese)

chocolate & hazelnuts

( what to do with lots of time and great ideas? a blog.
in my case, a food blog. )

I love to cook and photograph, so why not photograph what I cook and write about it?
I guess that would be a great idea, wouldn't it?
And, of course I need to combine these two passions with my third one, english.

so, a blog. a food blog. an english food blog.

the name?
well... I ate a spoon full of nutella on my way here so, chocolate and hazelnuts !