Day 17: Stay at Home or In the Garden: Green Bean Salad with Red Onion and Olives

We prepared this recipe by Papa D  for the first time long time ago during for our annual cooking games (for South Afrika).

This easy, quick and simple recip turned very popular in my family, because it is well balanced in flavours, the red onion gives a special touch and it looks always beautiful.

Green Bean Salad with Red Onion and Olives

• Servings: 4
• Time: active time=15 min; resting and cooking time=30 min
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

     

Ingredients

• 250 g green beans, washed and trimmed
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced (alternative white sweet onion)
• 1/2 cup olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Boil bean in salted water until just tender.
2. In the meanwhile, in a small bowl prepare the other ingredients.
3. Drain bean, add the other ingredients, season with salt and pepper, stir and cover immediately.
4. Let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the beans in a serving bowl.

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Sushi

How good,beautiful and easy to make are Twissis’s Sushi!

Original source and recipe description: http://www.recipezazz.com/recipe/smoked-salmon-avocado-sushi-24191 by: twissis

We all (8 of us) appreciated these very much and we enjoyed our Japanese dinner with these sushi rolls.

I loved the idea to use smoked salmon as this is naturally preserved and safe!  I could make 12 slices from each roll for a total of 48 bites!

• Servings: about 48 pieces
• Time: active time=1 hour
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Ingredients:

WRAPPING:

• 11 g nori seaweed (4 sheets @ 2.75 g each)

FOR THE RIce:

• 300 g dry rice (sushi glutinous white rice, 1 1/2 cups dry)
• 350 ml water (or according package instruction)
• 1/4 cup vinegar (rice or white wine vinegar)
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• a few drops sesame oil (my addition)

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 avocado, whole (large), skin and seed removed, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 80 g smoked salmon (4 large slices)
• Fresh chives (1 bunch)

For the filling (variations or additions)

• 1 small carrots, washed, peeled and then cut them into long skinny strips
• 1 small cucumber, washed and then cut them into long skinny strips

SERVE WITH (options):

• Sesame seeds
• Pickled ginger
• Wasabi paste
• Japanese soy sauce
• Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash the rice with enough water until the water comes out clear.
2. Bring water and rice to boil. Let simmer covered until the water is adsorbed (this takes about 12 minutes).
3. In a small bowl combine vinegar and sugar. Add this to the rice, stir, cover and let sit for about 15 minutes.
4. Turn rice on a plate to cool completely down if you need to prepare the sushi soon. Make 4 portions.
5. Prepare the avocado and drizzle with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning. Will make 4 portions!
6. Cover your sushi mat with plastic foil, place the nori on it and spread the rice over the sheet (let one border free to close the roll). Place the salmon, chives and the first portion of avocado.
7. Fold the bottom and roll it tightly using the mat helping yourself with the foil.
8. Close the border with little flour and a few mashed rice corns (natural glue).
9. I cut this without removing the foil making 12 sliced from each roll.
10. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger.

Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

Imam Bayildi with Feta

This eggplant dish is one of the most famous Turkish dishes and you can find many variations on them. İmam bayildi means “the imam fainted”. This is very popular in Greece under the same name: Ιμάμ Μπαϊλντί.

A legends tell that an imam (Muslim priest) swooned because he had too much of this delightful dish.

Some recipes added green peppers and most are prepared in the skillet. In my variation we used the skillet only to prepare the filling as we baked the dish. We also added some feta and potatoes to the mold. In this way we have a delicious full meal.

You need

•  4 medium eggplants (ca. 600-800 g)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 500 g onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 500 g tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can of 450 g)
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• Salt, taste
• pepper to taste
• 200 g feta (cut into 4 portions)
• 600 to 800 g potatoes, peeled in cubes (optional)

Procedure

1. Wash the eggplants and make a big long cut for the filling.
2. Place the eggplant in a baking mold and broil turning them from time to time until soft. Set aside. Some people remove strips of the skin and place them in salted water to remove the liquid that may be bitter and then they fill it directly.
3. In the meanwhile (but keep an eye to the eggplants!) fry the onions in the remaining oil, when they are soft add the garlic and fry 3 more minutes.
4. Add the half of the tomatoes, parsley, and pepper. Adjust salt and pepper  to your taste.
5. Adjust the eggplant in a mold (cut side up) and fill them with the onions mix, but reserve at least 3 tablespoons of filling in the skillet.
6. Arrange the potatoes (if used) around the eggplants.
7. Add the remaining tomatoes to the onion in the pan. Add some salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and cover your eggplants and potatoes with this tomatoes sauce.
8. Place the feta over the filling and press the pieces partially inside of the sauce.
9. Bake for about one hour at 170-180°C or until the potatoes are ready. From time to time check if it is not drying too much, if necessary add 1/2 cup of water.

Indonesian Pineapple and Celery Salad – Selada Nanas

We tried this wonderful salad during one of our trips in Asia. As we got internet I searched for this recipe (translating the keywords in Bahasa Indonesia) and finally I found it and I’m glad to share it with all of you. It’s a light and refreshing salad that is always welcome!

You need

Vegetables

• 1 pineapple, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces (about 1.5 cm)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces (about 1.5 cm)
• 4 stalks celery, cut into bite sized pieces (about 1.5 cm)
• 1 red pepper, optional, cut into bite sized pieces (about 1.5 cm), optional
• 1 -2 green onions, chopped, optional

Sauce

• 1 chili, chopped, quantity to taste
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh, peeled and grated
• 4 tablespoon light soya sauce, quantity to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, optional  (I prefer without this)

Topping

• 3 tablespoons peanuts, roasted coarsely crushed ( I use to roast them myself as the taste is more authentic)

Procedure

1. In a big bowl combine all the vegetables.
2. In a separate bowl combine all the ingredients for the sauce.
3. Just before serving add the sauce to the vegetables, toss well and top with the peanuts

Weekly Photo Challenge: The Hue of You (Sunset Colors)

I took this picture about at about 6 pm this evening from my window. It’s not the first sunset I proposed here, but I think this fits exactly with the challenge as it reveals my feeling in front of this spectacle.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Posted for http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/hue-photo-challenge/

Weekly Photo Challenge: The World Through Your Eyes (Painting: “The World”)

This is the photo of  the painting ” the World”  I painted a few years ago.

This painting  is the expression or better the fusion of my love for colors and the the love of discovering the world.

Posted for Weekly Photo Challenge: The World Through Your Eyes

Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background (Retra Vision)

Checking my pictures for the documentation of my “4 Weeks Australia in Pictures” collection, I discovered this one that would complies the challenge. The picture has been taken in January this year on the road between Adelaide and Wilmington.

The mirrow is the object in the front, the mirror reflects the town behind and in the background you see shops. On one of this shops you can read: RETRAVISION. Funny casuality!

Posted for Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background

Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape (Flying Away)

Escape the routine flying away…

Posted for Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern (As the Egyptian Sphinx Statues)

Published for Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern

Weekly Photo Challenge: Change (Sunchair on Ice)

The ice is melting and the sun is warming the air.

Posted for Weekly Photo Challenge: Change (Sunchair on Ice)