Showing posts tagged food
Another salmon I`m not very good at cooking fish. My latest favorite was tilapia in egg whites and almonds (next time I make it, you`ll have a picture and a recipe). This time: the boring salmon with a more original seasoning. Rub salmon filet (whole) with coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, brown sugar, and orange zest. Pour over juice of 1 orange. Bake in the oven. A bit of ginger would work as well; I chose not to add it in a hope that the kids would eat dinner. Rice:In a skillet coated with roasted sesame oil, gradually add and fry a chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, bell pepper, and rice. Season with salt and curcuma, cover with water. With the lid on, simmer until rice is soft and the water is soaked. Baiba View high resolution

Another salmon

I`m not very good at cooking fish. My latest favorite was tilapia in egg whites and almonds (next time I make it, you`ll have a picture and a recipe). This time: the boring salmon with a more original seasoning.
Rub salmon filet (whole) with coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, brown sugar, and orange zest. Pour over juice of 1 orange. Bake in the oven. A bit of ginger would work as well; I chose not to add it in a hope that the kids would eat dinner.
Rice:
In a skillet coated with roasted sesame oil, gradually add and fry a chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, bell pepper, and rice. Season with salt and curcuma, cover with water. With the lid on, simmer until rice is soft and the water is soaked.


Baiba

Spinach Soup Although it`s raining outside and you still need gloves in the morning, the summer has entered our kitchen and dining room. This is the time for local asparagus, rhubarb, and green leaves, including spinach. I find fresh spinach rather blunt, and when overcooked, it does not look very appealing either. For me, the right way is just blanching it, like in this hearty yet fresh tasting soup. Allow several hours to prepare it unless you have the stock ready. 30-minute rule does not apply until June, since I`m at home with a baby and have the time for cooking. For the soup, you will need: beef (with bones - a cut suitable for stock) aroma vegetables and herbs: thyme, rosemary, garlic, onion, persil, carrot, celery stick carrots potatoes spinach a couple of eggs 1. Beef stock. Cover the beef with cold water. Bring to boiling, then discard the water. Cover the beef with fresh water and bring to boiling again. While it simmers, prepare aroma herbs and vegetables in a gauze wrap, adding some black pepper corns. Put the wrap in the simmering water, add sea salt. Continue simmering at least an hour, preferably more. In the end, discard the aroma wrap and lift out the beef. 2. Peel and chop the carrots and potatoes. Add to the stock. Chop the cooked beef, add to the pot as well. While the vegetables are cooking, chop the spinach (discard the hard stalks). When carrots and potatoes are soft, add spinach and take the pot off the stove. The soup is ready; serve with boiled eggs. Baiba View high resolution

Spinach Soup

Although it`s raining outside and you still need gloves in the morning, the summer has entered our kitchen and dining room. This is the time for local asparagus, rhubarb, and green leaves, including spinach. I find fresh spinach rather blunt, and when overcooked, it does not look very appealing either. For me, the right way is just blanching it, like in this hearty yet fresh tasting soup.
Allow several hours to prepare it unless you have the stock ready. 30-minute rule does not apply until June, since I`m at home with a baby and have the time for cooking.
For the soup, you will need:
beef (with bones - a cut suitable for stock)
aroma vegetables and herbs: thyme, rosemary, garlic, onion, persil, carrot, celery stick
carrots
potatoes
spinach
a couple of eggs
1. Beef stock. Cover the beef with cold water. Bring to boiling, then discard the water. Cover the beef with fresh water and bring to boiling again. While it simmers, prepare aroma herbs and vegetables in a gauze wrap, adding some black pepper corns. Put the wrap in the simmering water, add sea salt. Continue simmering at least an hour, preferably more. In the end, discard the aroma wrap and lift out the beef.

2. Peel and chop the carrots and potatoes. Add to the stock. Chop the cooked beef, add to the pot as well. While the vegetables are cooking, chop the spinach (discard the hard stalks). When carrots and potatoes are soft, add spinach and take the pot off the stove. The soup is ready; serve with boiled eggs.

Baiba

Eggplant casserole In the previous post, I complained about the prolonged season of hearty dishes. And finally it has arrived: a sunny spring. It feels so good that I fast-forwarded a few months and served this casserole of summer vegetables and low-fat mozzarella. Slice an eggplant lengthwise. Whisk an egg with salt and pepper. Dip each slice in the egg, then breadcrumbs, and fry in a skillet. In a casserole dish, layer slices of mozzarella, the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Sprinkle with chopped garlic, basil leaves, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Repeat the layers. I only had the eggplant and mozzarella twice. Bake in the oven and serve with fresh salad greens.Reminds of august evenings, of vacation and late dinners on the terrace with friends. Baiba View high resolution

Eggplant casserole

In the previous post, I complained about the prolonged season of hearty dishes.
And finally it has arrived: a sunny spring. It feels so good that I fast-forwarded a few months and served this casserole of summer vegetables and low-fat mozzarella.

Slice an eggplant lengthwise. Whisk an egg with salt and pepper. Dip each slice in the egg, then breadcrumbs, and fry in a skillet. In a casserole dish, layer slices of mozzarella, the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Sprinkle with chopped garlic, basil leaves, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Repeat the layers. I only had the eggplant and mozzarella twice. Bake in the oven and serve with fresh salad greens.
Reminds of august evenings, of vacation and late dinners on the terrace with friends.

Baiba

Chicken and bean stew Winter just wouldn`t go away, and hearty comfort food are still on the top of the list. This chicken and bean stew is really good: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1570643/spicy-chicken-and-bean-stew. I almost followed the recipe this time. The exceptions are a can of chickpeas instead of 2 cans of butter bean, and lots of fresh bell pepper instead of 250 g frozen peppers. No coriander, served with rice and lamb`s lettuce. Baiba View high resolution

Chicken and bean stew

Winter just wouldn`t go away, and hearty comfort food are still on the top of the list. This chicken and bean stew is really good: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1570643/spicy-chicken-and-bean-stew.

I almost followed the recipe this time. The exceptions are a can of chickpeas instead of 2 cans of butter bean, and lots of fresh bell pepper instead of 250 g frozen peppers. No coriander, served with rice and lamb`s lettuce.

Baiba
Potato dumplings with pesto and green beans Pesto potato salad sounded a bit weird, though all the ingredients are among my favorites: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/06/pesto-potato-salad-with-green-beans/. I planned to go for the traditional pasta instead, but then it turned out Sandis already had pasta for lunch. What`s in between pasta and potatoes? Potato dumplings! Otherwise, the recipe is from the link above. I also added some salad leaves, as they were withering in the fridge. Crumble feta on top to make the dish more filling. Baiba View high resolution
Potato dumplings with pesto and green beans
Pesto potato salad sounded a bit weird, though all the ingredients are among my favorites: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/06/pesto-potato-salad-with-green-beans/. I planned to go for the traditional pasta instead, but then it turned out Sandis already had pasta for lunch. What`s in between pasta and potatoes? Potato dumplings! Otherwise, the recipe is from the link above. I also added some salad leaves, as they were withering in the fridge. Crumble feta on top to make the dish more filling.

Baiba

Baking night

The 7-year-old asked for cinnamon buns. I doubled the amount of yeast dough to make sweet potato calzones for the adults at the same time.
For the filling, you`ll need:
Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes in approximate proportion 2:1
Feta cheese
Rucola
Peel and chop the potatoes. Boil until almost soft. Mix with the crumbled cheese and rucola, and you`ll have the filling. I hoped feta would be strong and salty enough, but I suggest you add some nut oil and spices as well. Roll out the dough (you want it to be rather thin), fill the calzones and glaze them with a whisked egg. Bake in the oven until slightly brown and cooked through. Serve with salad greens. The filling is tasty also without any baking or crust, don`t discard the leftovers.

Baiba

Lazy turkey salad I am ill, and have no energy for cooking. This salad is a quick combination of what I found in the fridge.Marinate turkey pieces in chili flakes, soy sauce, honey and roasted sesame oil for some 15 minutes. In the meanwhile, chop an onion, a bell pepper and prepare the sauce. For the sauce, mix tahini paste, lemon juice, water, salt, pepper, and a minced garlic clove. Fry the onions, then add the pepper. Pour over some porto and saute a little. Set the vegetables aside, and fry the turkey. Serve on a bed of mixed salad leaves, sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. Baiba View high resolution

Lazy turkey salad

I am ill, and have no energy for cooking. This salad is a quick combination of what I found in the fridge.
Marinate turkey pieces in chili flakes, soy sauce, honey and roasted sesame oil for some 15 minutes. In the meanwhile, chop an onion, a bell pepper and prepare the sauce. For the sauce, mix tahini paste, lemon juice, water, salt, pepper, and a minced garlic clove. Fry the onions, then add the pepper. Pour over some porto and saute a little. Set the vegetables aside, and fry the turkey. Serve on a bed of mixed salad leaves, sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds.

Baiba

Burgers

Usually, I cook for the adults, and the kids have rice or make a sandwich. Tonight, it’s the other way round. I made chicken patties, and Sandis combined the burgers.

Baiba

There has been a long silence and very few posts with various regularity for some while on this blog. Well… it will most probably continue to be so, as the meaning of regularity has reached a new level in our house. Since the beginning of January there are five of us. Needless to say, the young addition of the family isn’t too keen on haute cuisine quite yet… However, we will still eat, hopefully not too much junk, and will try to drop a line and a pic here now and then. Thank you for being faithful. Cheers and enjoy! Sandis ——————————————————————————— Coleslaw I do like cabbage, but try to avoid mayonnaise. The baby is born, and there is no more legitimate excuse for unhealthy indulging. After a quick search for “coleslaw dressing”, I found this recipe:  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1815,136162-235200,00.html. Blend mustard, garlic, apple juice, oil, an apple, honey, tabasco, vinegar, salt, and pepper. I used far less oil than in the recipe to save on calories. A tablespoon of pistachio oil and 2 spoons of olive oil seemed sufficient. Vinegar and tabasco was added more generously. So full of flavours, after you try this out, you’ll never come back to mayo! Baiba View high resolution

There has been a long silence and very few posts with various regularity for some while on this blog. Well… it will most probably continue to be so, as the meaning of regularity has reached a new level in our house. Since the beginning of January there are five of us. Needless to say, the young addition of the family isn’t too keen on haute cuisine quite yet… However, we will still eat, hopefully not too much junk, and will try to drop a line and a pic here now and then.

Thank you for being faithful. Cheers and enjoy!

Sandis

———————————————————————————

Coleslaw

I do like cabbage, but try to avoid mayonnaise. The baby is born, and there is no more legitimate excuse for unhealthy indulging. After a quick search for “coleslaw dressing”, I found this recipe:  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1815,136162-235200,00.html. Blend mustard, garlic, apple juice, oil, an apple, honey, tabasco, vinegar, salt, and pepper. I used far less oil than in the recipe to save on calories. A tablespoon of pistachio oil and 2 spoons of olive oil seemed sufficient. Vinegar and tabasco was added more generously. So full of flavours, after you try this out, you’ll never come back to mayo!

Baiba

Holidays Two weeks off, a festive season with guests and the last month of pregnancy: a valid excuse to indulge. I even baked a honey cake. Tonight: a pork tenderloin in puff pastry and winter veggie curry with lentils, served with lettuce. For the pork, you`ll need a piece of tenderloin, an onion, a package of puff pastry dough (not a healthy option, just for the occasion), salt, pepper, sugar, and thyme. Chop an onion and fry in some oil with sugar, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread over the dough. Fry the pork from all sides to seal the juices and wrap in the dough. Cover with foil and bake in the oven until cooked through. Winter veggie and lentil curry: will work with any vegetables you have. I used carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, potatoes and celery root. Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces. Chop an onion and a couple of garlic gloves. Fry each veggie (except potatoes) in a teaspoon of butter, then put in a pot and cover with stock. When boiling, add a couple of spoons of curry paste. Since I had red lentils that only need 10 minutes of cooking, I added them shortly before the vegetables became soft. Happy New Year. Baiba View high resolution
Holidays
Two weeks off, a festive season with guests and the last month of pregnancy: a valid excuse to indulge. I even baked a honey cake.
Tonight: a pork tenderloin in puff pastry and winter veggie curry with lentils, served with lettuce.
For the pork, you`ll need a piece of tenderloin, an onion, a package of puff pastry dough (not a healthy option, just for the occasion), salt, pepper, sugar, and thyme. Chop an onion and fry in some oil with sugar, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread over the dough. Fry the pork from all sides to seal the juices and wrap in the dough. Cover with foil and bake in the oven until cooked through.
Winter veggie and lentil curry: will work with any vegetables you have. I used carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, potatoes and celery root. Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces. Chop an onion and a couple of garlic gloves. Fry each veggie (except potatoes) in a teaspoon of butter, then put in a pot and cover with stock. When boiling, add a couple of spoons of curry paste. Since I had red lentils that only need 10 minutes of cooking, I added them shortly before the vegetables became soft.
Happy New Year.

Baiba