Day 33 Stay at Home or In the Garden: Inspiration Sald

Inspired by the ingredients available at home, we created this composition and we enjoyed it as a light full dinner in the garden, just before the sun went down.

Inspiration Sald

• Servings: 2
• Time: active time=60 min; for all recipes
• Difficulty: easy
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Fennel Salad with Oranges

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 white balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste (I used my basil flower salt)
• 1 fennel, cleaned finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, seed removed and sliced
• 1 orange, peeled and sliced

Procedure

1. For the dressing, combine oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir until combined
2. Pour the dressing over the fennel and the pepper, toss.
3. Place orange slices on the plate and top with the salad

Gingered Guacamole

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, ripe but firm
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 small garlic clove.
• 1 dash chili powder
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Open the avocado with the knife, remove the seed and spoon out the pulp.
2. Mash the avocado pulp with the fork and the vinegar.
3. Add the additional ingredients and mush until soft.

Roasted Prawns

Ingredients

• 10-16 shrimps, uncooked and peeled
• 1 small garlic pow
• 1 dash smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Combine all the ingredients, let rest for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a non-sticky skilled at maximum and fry until done and lightly roasted (about 2 minutes).

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes Slices

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 5 mm thick slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Seasoned salt (I used my basil flower salt), to taste

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C
2. Combine all the ingredients.
3. Line a parchment foil on you baking tray or brush with oil a baking mold.
4. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking tray in one layer or only light overlapping.
5. Bake until tender and the border get light brown. This takes about 20 minutes.

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

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Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

 

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I love teriyaki very much and I use this in many recipes especially for improvisations meals (I mean without following any recipe), but sometimes I’m running out of store

bought and sometimes these are too sweet or salty. For this reason, I use this recipe and I’m very happy with it!

All the listed ingredients may differ a lot between each brand. For this reason adapt the recipe to you taste.

My favorite recipe with this sauce is Teriyaki Salmon with Sesame.

• Time: 1/2 hr
• Difficulty: easy
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Credit :Artandkitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine); alternatives sweet white wine, vermouth, or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
• 1⁄3 cup brown sugar
• 5 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 pinch chili, or to taste
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring mirin to a boil in a small saucepan and let simmer for 5 minutes or reduced to half volume.
2. Add all the additional ingredients and simmer additional 5 minutes.
3. Let cool down and use it directly or sieve and fill it up in a tightly sealed container; store in the refrigerator.

 

Spiced Orange Ginger Ale Syrup

 

Hi! Today I would like to show you how to make an excellent and refreshing beverage for the warmer coming days. Making this syrup is so easy and you may change the spices to you taste but now I would like to suggest you to use cardamom and star anise as they give to the drink a special touch!

You can use this syrup directly with soda water or to add it to your tea, to prepare cocktails or to flavour desserts or whatever you like.

• Servings: about 20
• Time: 4 including resting time
• Difficulty: easy
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You need:

For the syrup

• 3 oranges, juice (quantity to adjust to 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 orange, orange peel part only
• 1/4 cup of roughly chopped ginger, don’t need to peel it
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 star anise, optional (skip if you don’t like it)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 3/4 cups or sugar

To serve:

• Water (plain or sparkling water)
• Orange slice (optional)

Procedure

1. Combine all the ingredients except of water and sugar in the mixer and pulse for about one minute.
2. Pour the mixture in a saucepot and heat just above of the boiling point, let sit for about 30 minutes. Sieve place aside the liquid and bring the pulp again in the pot with the water. Heat in the same way again, sieve and press out all the liquid. Discard the pulp.
3. Now place the liquid in the saucepot, add the sugar and heat again just under the boiling point.
4. Pour immediately in heat resistant bottles or jar, let cool down and place in the fridge.
5. Pour the syrup in tall glasses filled with ice. Add the water and decorate with an orange slice.

 

Note: This syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, but if you wish to keep the syrup this for longer time, sterilize (or pasteurize) the bottles or jars after filling.

 

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

 

Gold Chai Powder

 

My favorite way to serve and outstanding specialty hot beverages to my family or friends is by introducing them to flavored teas or coffee. We make our flavored spice mixtures in batches, using fresh grinded whole spices and other high quality spice powders, so that the blends stay aromatic and highly enjoyable, without being too artificial tasting.

This special precious like gold and intense flavored blend is based turmeric, cardamom, ginger and enriched with other aromas like star anise, nutmeg, fennel and cinnamon.

It’s delicious with simply hot milk or with black tea or even with coffee! A small quantity in cakes (for example carrot cake) would give a special note in a very simple way.

The first time I used a similar blend was simply with soy milk as a chai latte recipe  but then I‘ve discovered how delicious is it with black tea and even with coffee.

I’ve changed the basic recipe a little bit and now I have the blend I need and which is best with the quality of spices I have.

Please don’t forget that each spice can have a very different intensity of aroma (quality, storage and age of the ingredients) and I suggest to check the taste first and if needed adjust to your personal taste.

 

• Servings: quantity to taste
• Time: 30 mins preparation
• Difficulty: easy
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Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

 

You need (about 2.5 cups in total) big batch 

• 1/3 cup whole cardamom
• 1/4 cup whole star anise
• 1/4 cup whole fennel seed
• 1 cup ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup ground ginger
• 1/4 cup cinnamon powder
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 10 teaspoons vanilla sugar

You need (about 2/3 cups in total) smaller batch

• 4 teaspoons whole cardamom
• 3 teaspoons whole star anise
• 3 teaspoons whole fennel seed
• 12 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2-3 teaspoons vanilla sugar

Procedure

1. With a spice grinder or a food processor work cardamom, star anise and fennel until the powder turns very fine (if necessary sieve it).
2. Place into a bowl add the other ingredients and stir until well combined.
3. Store in closed jars in a fresh and dark place.

Roasted Carrot Soup with Ginger and Nutmeg

 

Comforting and tasty soup, easy to prepare and to adjust to your taste.

Roasting the veggies makes a big difference and the flavor will be improved.

You may change the spices and herbs to taste, you may also use pumpkin instead of carrots and why not perhaps beet roots, tomatoes and red peppers!

For an Asian taste you may replace the broth with a mixture of water, coconut milk and light soy sauce.

Create your own soup and enjoy!

• Time: 40 min
• Difficulty: easy
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Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

You need

• 600 g carrots, cleaned and diced in big pieces
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 cups broth, any kind (quantity to taste, it depends how thick you like)
• 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled grated
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ground, to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Green onion, sliced (alternative: fresh cilantro or parsley)

Procedure

1. Place carrots, potato and onions in a baking mold, toss with olive oil and bake at 220°C until veggies turn soft and roasted.
2. Transfer the veggies in a big pot, bot reserve some for the topping
3. Add garlic, broth, ginger and nutmeg.
4. Blend with your hand blender until smooth.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bring to boil.
7. In the meantime slice the reserved veggies.
8. Serve topped with the sliced veggies and green onion.

Ww 7 smart points per portion (calculated as 4 portions in total)

 

 

 

 

 

Elderflowers Fizz

I was always fascinated by this amazing recipe, but I never tried to make it.

Searching in the net I found that sometimes this is called “Elderflower Champagne”, sometimes “Elderflower Sekt” and sometimes “Elderflower sparkling Wine”.

Finally now that elderflower are ready I decided to prepare this fresh and low alcoholic sparkling beverage.

I found many recipes and many different methods of preparation. For this reason I had to make my choice:

• I used cold tap water (if you water has too much chlorine you should boil it first and then let cool down)
• I did not add vinegar; I added some citric acid instead.
• I did not add yeast. The fermentation comes form the wild yeast spores on the flowers! However some people use wine yeast, champagne yeast or baker’s yeast.
• Flowers were just in bloom and clean (no dust and no parasites). I did not wash them.
• Once I added only lemon juice and the second time lemon slices
• I gave more taste adding thinly slices ginger.
• Sugar / Water ratio: 1 kg sugar for every 10 linters water.

The result? Much better that imagined, it’s delicious and I have my stock to serve in special occasions!

I found it not too sweet, sparkling, fresh and aromatic. WOW next year I will do it again!

Note: I’ve posted this recipe 3 years ago, but as now elder flower are ready again, I would like to bring this suggestion again! Try this experiment and have fun!

• Time: a few days
• Difficulty: medium
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Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/ 

Ingredients:

• 20 -30 elderflower heads, dry and fully mature
• 10 liters cold water
• 1 kg sugar (may be increased to 1.4 kg)
• 2 lemons, juice or thin slices
• ginger, washed about 10-20 thin slices (optional)
• 1 tablespoon citric acid

Procedure:

1. Pick up 20-30 elderflower heads; best on a sunny day when they are most fragrant.
2. Half fill a clean bucket with 10 liters cold water
3. Dissolve 1kg sugar and the citric acid into the water.
4. Remove partially the stem of the elderflowers heads and add them to the flowers to the water.
5. Slice lemons and ginger if used thinly and add them to the bucket.
6. Stir gently and cover with a loose lid or with a clean tea towel.
7. From now on stir occasionally (3-4 timer per day).
8. After 2-3 days the drink should begin to produce bubbles witch bring the flowers to the top.
9. Let ferment it until the speed of fermentation has slowed. You don’t want exploding bottles! At this point the liquid should taste dryer and less sweet.
10. Strain the liquid and fill it into champagne-style bottles (with the appropriate little wire cage) or (not as pretty but much safer) use plastic bottlers of carbonated soft drinks as Coca Cola. Glass, swing-top lemonade bottles are not really man enough for the job. Don’t fill the bottle, leave 6-7 cm air from the top! I recommend releasing the accumulated gas every day until the production of gas is slower enough.
11. In about 8 days it should be ready to drink best for several weeks to allow the fermentation to add fizz to the wine.
12. Let decant the bottle in the fridge before serving. Be very careful opening the bottles.

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Gingered Chicken with Quinces

This is what happens when my quinces are ripe and ready to be enjoyed: I can’t stop to look for inspirations for this incredible fruit.

Today I combined them with chicken and used them as vegetables. In fact their taste, their delicate smell, the sourness and their slight sweetness make them excellent to be used in combination with savory ingredients.  The potatoes come out great and transformed this main dish in a complete meal and the meat resulted moist and very tender. An easy, delicious and time saving dish!

The quantity of potatoes and quinces for this recipe is very versatile, you may like more potatoes and quinces than we do, feel free to adapt it to your need.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 5 mins preparation and 1 hr baking time
• Difficulty: easy
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Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

You need:

• 1 medium whole chicken, wash before use (alternatives 4 chicken tights)
• 1000 g small potatoes, peeled (if bigger quartered)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 medium quinces, peeled cored and cut into wedges
• 10 thin slices fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup (200 ml) vegetal broth
• 2 garlic heads, horizontally halved (don’t remove external peel)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil to drizzle

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 250°C /480°F.
2. Place chicken and potatoes in a baking mold. Season with salt and pepper add 2 tablespoon olive oil and rub inside and outside of the chicken and potatoes; toss to coat.
3. Place chicken in the hot oven for about 5 minutes.
4. In the meantime prepare the quinces and place them in a bowl with the ginger, honey and broth.
5. Remove chicken from the oven, immediately reduce heat to 160°C/350°F, and add the quinces with the juices to the chicken.
6. Arrange the halved garlic head (I placed one half on the bottom of the mold to add more taste to the juices). Drizzle with the additional 2 tablespoons olive oil.
7. Bake at 160°C/350°F for about 50-60 minutes until the chicken skins begins to brown. During cooking add more liquid (water) if the liquid are evaporated; with my oven this was necessary, but it is better to check.
8. Enjoy!

Carrot and Ginger Yogurt Sauce

Traveling is my main source of inspiration and this sauce had been ispired form the Indian dish Gajar ka raita (Carrot with yogurt) we had the chance to try years ago in north India.

Having good plain yogurt always on hand and not being a mayo friend yogurt sauces became my favorite quick sauces; they are light, fresh and very versatile. Traveling from Greece to India we can find many different kind of them, starting for example with the Greek Tzatziki.

I can’t call this this sauce “carrot raita” as it’s a very simplified version of it, but we loved this crunchy and refreshing one very much.

• Servings: 2/3 cup
• Time: 220mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

You need:

• 1 teaspoon vegetal oil
• 1-2 teaspoons black mustard seeds (optional, this time I did not use this)
• 1 pinch of cumin ground (whole is fine as well, but in this case fry it with the mustard together)
• 1 pinch of garam masala ground
• 1 pinch coriander ground
• 1/2 cup of strained plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh grated
• 1 tablespoon red onions, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. If you like to use the mustard seeds heat oil in a small skillet and fry mustard seed until they start splattering. Remove from heat and until hot add the spices (cumin, garam masala and coriander), stir.
2. In a medium bowl whisk yogurt and carrots together.
3. Press out juice from ginger through a sieve or simply pressing the grated ginger in your hand. Press it directly in the yogurt mix.
4. Mix now everything together.
5. For decoration I reserved little carrots, onion and ginger, but seed are great as well.
6. Chill until serving.

Chicken Baked with Indonesian Soy Sauce

A quick and tasty dinner with quick preparation? If you like ginger an Asian spices this is for you and for your family or for your guests!

In Indonesia I learnt to appreciate the local sweet soy sauce called “ketjap manis”. It’s always easy to find it, for this reason I gave you a substitute composition, but the original one is really better and if you have the opportunity to find it I really recommend to buy it and have a try.

Some people would like to have this dish sweeter, in this case I suggest to add 1 teaspoon sugar to the marinate; this up to you!

A few days ago I had the inspiration: bake the chicken in a sweet soy sauce, add some red bell pepper and combine this with yellow rice! The bright colors of red pepper and the yellow rice made the brownish chicken look spectacular and more palatable. In this way I had the opportunity to combine the proteins with delicious roasted veggies in one step.

For decoration I carved the bottom of the peppers like flowers and placed this over the chicken for baking! It’s super easy and fast!

Chicken Bake with Indonesian Soy Sauce

• Servings: 4
• Time: 40
• Difficulty: easy
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Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

 

You need:

Main:

• 1 tablespoon vegetal oil
• 500 g chicken breast, sliced in 5 to 1 cm pieces
• 6 tablespoons sweet Indonesian soy sauce (ketjap manis), alternative 4 tablespoons dark soy sauce +2 tablespoons light soy sauce + ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar, if you like it sweeter
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander ground
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, quantity to taste
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced

Side dish (double if needed):

• 1 tablespoon vegetal oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cup Asian rice
• 1 1/2 cups water,
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons roasted onions

Procedure:

1. Grease a baking mold of about 30 to 25 cm with little oil.
2. Combine in a bowl chicken, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, water, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin. Toss well.
3. Arrange chicken into the baking mold and arrange pepper slices between chicken slices. Pour the reserved 2 tablespoons soy sauce over all. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
4. In the meantime prepare the rice and preheat the oven to 250°C.
5. For the rice: in a pot provided of lid roast turmeric with oil until fragrant. Add all the other ingredients at once, stir let come to boil. Reduce heat to minimum, cover tightly and let cook until done. Cooking time about 12 minutes + 10 minutes resting in the tight covered pot.
6. After marinating time place the baking mold into the oven and cook at 250°C until the borders of the red bell peppers turns brown. If after 20 minutes these are not browned switch on the broiler for a few minutes, remove before “burned”.

Serve the immediately with the yellow rice!

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Coconut Coffee with Ginger –Bajigur (Indonesia)

Bajigur is a hot and sweet beverage originated from West Java (Indonesia) by the Sundanese people, Indonesia. The local population (the Sundanese) love this when the weather is cold, or when temperatures are decreasing or for example when one is travelling through the mountains.

The main ingredients of this beverage are with coffee, coconut milk, palm sugar, ginger and spices.

Traditionally the fragrant pandan leaves were added, but you can add some vanilla powder or skip this ingredient.

Bajigur is very easy to prepare and adapt it to your taste. If you have the possibility to find fresh coconut flesh, you can add it to the ready beverage.

Coconut Coffee with Ginger –Bajigur (Indonesia)

• Servings: 4
• Time: 20 min
• Difficulty: medium
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Autor: https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/

Ingredients for 4 cups:

• 2 tablespoon finely grinded coffee, best if you find “Robusta” variety
• 1 cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 dash fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 pandan leaf or 1/6 teaspoon vanilla or 1 cardamom pod crushed
• 1 stick cinnamon (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ground)
• 2 cloves (optional)
• 1 teaspoon lemon grass, minced (optional)
• 2 cup water
• 2 cup coconut milk (or 1 cup coconut milk + 1 cups cow milk, to taste!)
• 1/2 cup palm sugar (substitute brown sugar)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons young coconut flesh (optional)

Procedure:

1. Boil coffee, the ginger, nutmeg, pandan leaf (knotted), cinnamon, cloves and lemon grass in 2 cup water. Simmer lightly for 10 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat, allow sit for a few minutes.
3. Strain the solids from this liquid (this step is optional, but it’s my choice).
4. Heat liquid again and add the coconut milk, palm sugar and salt. Simmer gently for 2 minutes.
5. Add the coconut flesh and serve immediately.