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Red Herbal Salt | Food around the world

by principessa March 10, 2019
get creative with your salt!

Long day and you just want to have a quick but nicely made dish for the evening?
Make a salt mixture at front and you just need to boil pasta. Honestly, toss pasta with cocktail tomatoes and a little butter (vegan: oil) add the herbs – done.

Prepare in advance the salt:

(1) TAKE
– salt (medium ground) pick the type of your choice, so your favourite one
– dried chili flakes
– dried tomatoes
– cardamon (not much, cardamon can be quite intense)
– coriander
– basil
– sweet pepper (not much, sweet pepper can taste “dry” if taken to much)
– rosemary (not much, rosemary can be quite intense. BUT if you like it, go for it)
– bay leave
combine everything in a food processor and mix it. Note: it can be a little louder….

How much should I take?
This is hard to answer, it really depends on your personal taste and your favourite ingredients. If you like is more spicy, add a little more chili.

Mix a small amount first to try. You can always add more of any ingredient if you want a more intense taste.

FACTS.
Salt is good for you. Your body needs it, it helps your body to stay hydrated. Try to avoid processed salt and go for natural salt which comes in it’s whole, complex form.
The healthiest ones are: sea salt, Himalayan pink salt

TIP.
Try Lava Salt from Iceland.

Filed under food

India meets pumpkin | Food around the world

by principessa March 10, 2019
Soup or curry like dish? Pick one.

(1) TAKE – preparation
– Cashew nuts, soak them in water (water level: just cover them)
– rice, boil until tender (how to?) OR use left over rice from the day before

(2) TAKE
– onions
and fry them in a mix of an oil of your choice + coconut oil
little sweet tooth twist: add some agave syrup while frying to caramelise the onions

(3) TAKE
– garlic
– pumpkin (eg. Hokkaido)
– sweet potato
add everything cut into pieces into the pan and let it fry on high heat for a few minutes. Be careful and still a few times, you don’t want it burned. Add more coconut oil, if required.

(4) TAKE
– vegetable broth
– biryani masala spice mix (see Indian healthy spices for the recipe)
Alternatively you can also quickly combine fennel seeds, cardamon, bay leaf, pepper corn, coriander, nutmeg, star anise (if you don’t prefer one herb, don’t use it)
– safran
– chili paste (sambal brandal)
add to the pan and cook with a lid for 15-20 minutes until all ingredients are soft.
NOW, the most important part: Soup or curry like dish?!?
Choose your meal style!
For soup: blend all ingredients in the pan
For real pieces: don’t do anything with the pan

(5) TAKE – rice prep
– cooked rice
– oil of your choice (coconut oil mix strongly preferred)
– soy sauce
– sesame oil (as the taste can be very strong, carefully decide on the amount)

(6) TAKE – it’s topping time!
Want some greens? Add frozen peas and cashew at (4) after 15 minutes. They just need to heat up once. If you prepare a soup, add peas and cashew after everything got blended. (You don’t want to blend peas – the colour result is strictly against it.)
Other food friends: chives, parsley, cocktail tomatoes

DONE.
Take a plate or bowl to combine everything nicely.
ENJOY!

FACTS.
Biryani Masala is a spice mix typically used for fried rice. Masala refers to a “mixture of many spices” and Biryani is any mixed rice dish and means “fried before cooking”.



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Asia Phô Soup with Bread | Food around the world

by principessa March 8, 2019
some kind of pho bowl with noodles and crunchy bread cubes
asia meets german habits

Aren’t soups only for winter? – No, definitely no.

Bread, for breakfast and dinner, sometimes also lunch. Germans cannot get enough of their bread. So why not giving it a little tweak?!
The base is an authentic asian Phô soup, decorated with greens and roasted bread cubes. Don’t forget the garlic.

But stop the talking, let’s start!

(1) TAKE
– onion
– garlic
– ginger
– chili paste (“sambal brandal”, optional)
– honey (caramelise the phô base, vegan: agave syrup)
and fry it in a pan until crispy, starting from top to bottom.


(2) TAKE
– broth (vegetarian / vegan) + enough water
– star anise (optional, but when you want to add it, take really just a little)
– cinnamon
and add it to the pan, let simmer for 8-10 minutes.


(3) TAKE
– noodles (glas or rice noodles of any type are welcome here. Read the instruction on the package if it’s recommended to boil the noodles before. Glas noodles can be immediately put in the pan without pre cooking)
– broccoli
– snow peas
– peas
add to the pan and let it simmer 10-15 more minutes, depending on the preferred consistency of the veggies.

Meanwhile cut a few bread cubes and roast them in a frying pan with oil of your choice and a little salt. Optional: garlic and/or honey (vegan: agave syrup)


(4) TAKE – it’s topping time!
select one or multiple of the following:
– spring onion
– champignons (white or brown, all of them are welcome)
– roasted nuts (Cashew, Pignon, you name it…)
– caramelised Haselnut pieces
cut and decorate the prepared bowl for serving.


DONE.
30 Minutes and you are ready to eat a freshly prepared, home made Phô.


FACTS.
Phô soup is a traditional Vietnamese dish and around 100 years old. Most people assume it is a noodle dish, but actually it is the broth which should get all the attention when eating (rather drinking) it. While there are lot’s of existing recipes and variations (like my recipe interpretation) the original Phô soup is made of beef, onions, coriander and noodles. That’s it. Very simple but yet so complex when it comes to flavours.




Filed under food

Start.

by principessa March 3, 2019

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.

Henry Ford

So I start. today. now.


Welcome to my blog. Smile and let the sun shine. Rainy days are welcome, too. Smile using your heart. 

Filed under inspiration