Sweet Treat for Mother’s Day: Orange-Polenta-Cake

It’s not that I don’t like baking, but I don’t like eating cake alone. Many people suppose I prefer eating salty than sweet - you’re maybe right, but it’s also about the fact that I don’t like baking and eating a cake for several days. There is something festive about sharing a cake, it’s like a little celebration of the day, the moment, the sun, a good exam….Further, I like the fact to make someone happy, to surprise with a sweet treat. I tried a polenta cake before, but I have to say that this one is even better than the first one, give it a try!

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London. Borough Market.

Sometimes life has a soundtrack. The Eurostar drove out of the tunnel, the sun shining in my face and suddenly Elton John is beginning to sing in my ear. Funny coincidence. Hello London! The must go place for food lovers in London. I had a delicious fish pie and bought original sweet corn tortillas, a real good investment, not like these industrial white flour tortillas that smell like wetting agent. 

End of Winter Salad: Radicchio, Citrus Fruit and Beetroot with Roasted Chickpeas

Berlin kulinarisch: The Barn

Ich bin keine große Kaffeekonsumentin, aber wenn, dann sollte es guter sein. In Berlin, nach einer kurzen Nacht, hab ich mich auf die Suche gemacht nach einem geschmackvollen Muntermacher. Fündig bin ich geworden in Mitte. Der Kaffee selbst hauseigen geröstet, fruchtig nach Blutorange. Frisch gepresst sozusagen - gepresst durch nichts anderes als Luft, auch Aeropress genannt.

The Barn - Auguststraße 58  10119 Berlin

Bananenbrot, Sonnenschein und GlückLINKs

Ein neues Hobby: wenn ich wieder in Deutschland bin, muss ich hier mal die Regale durchforsten.

Neue Inspiration im Kochbuchregal. Neue Frühstückslektüre, Bettlektüre, Kaffeetischlektüre.

“Dich kann ich gut riechen” - dufte verliebt.

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Winter Picnic: Beetroot Burger and Glutenfree Spinach Rolls

I was asking myself what it’s about temporary changing eating habits and preferences. These last weeks I was seeking for snacks, little bites and kind of healthy fast food snacks. Maybe I try simulate summer and picnic time. Even though it was to cold for a real picnic, I packed a little basket and went over to a friends house - indoors picnic with beetroot burgers and spinach rolls. Do you remember I wanted to try out gluten free cinnamon rolls? I found a glutenfree baking mix for bread that is elastic and works for savory rolls. I will experiment with my own mix using xanthan for finally finding a perfect recipe for a sweet variation.

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Something orange fresh from the market: Carrot cake for the easter brunch

In fact I like easter because it reminds me of these sunny sunday mornings in spring when you wake up early as a child to go for egg hunt in the garden. The grass is still wet and there is a slight of dust above the fields. You can imagine little rabbits hobble along with you. And after having spent 2 hours in the garden - because there was always an egg to well hidden somewhere we couldn’t find it - it was a huge pleasure to spend the day sitting around the kitchen table with family and friend and eat a batch of colored eggs and homemade raisin buns. Now that I can’t be home for easter every year, I love to have a brunch with friends. This year I had a particularly special and comforting day with my food design friends in Antwerp - discussing about food, taste and pleasure. After the first course with pancakes, carrot cake, scones, pains perdus, fruit salad, savory beetroot cake and a little of champagne, we relaxed on the sofa with a cup of tea for starting to eat a second and third course during the day.

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When the kitchen smells can make you happy: Baked apple porridge

I woke up today, totally reposed and immediately aware of being off this day. No work, no responsibilities at least for this morning. I need this kind of days sometimes when I am not rushed to start a productive day. It may sound contradictory but after a good warm breakfast with tea and a little bit of fresh air, I am perfectly able to start into a long working session. While my porridge unfolds its unique sweet smell in the kitchen, I jump under the shower, slip into one of my favorite dresses and let some fresh air into the room. I read some mails, check my blog feed and sit then down for an amazing breakfast - sweet apples, caramelized nuts and creamy porridge caressing my palate.

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Between Winter and Spring: Chioggia Beet Carpaccio with Blood Oranges

It’s (nearly) springtime but unfortunately the temperature isn’t rising so much. It’s quite frosty outside. But this week the sun came out changing me into spring time mood. With Hanna, a friend of mine, we did a beautiful springlike carpaccio. Mild chioggia beets in a fruity and slightly sweet vinaigrette paired with creamy hummus, fresh mint and juicy blood oranges of this season. The sprouted chickpeas has plenty of health benefits and give the hummus a kind of herby taste. While preparing I was constantly tasting and couldn’t stop to dip my fingers into the fruity vinaigrette.

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Little Spinach and Chèvre Cakes: “Il faut se faire plaisir”

Yesterday - the sun was shining - I wanted to do a picnic but hadn’t the time for it. Today - it’s snowing - have I missed the chance for this weekend? I went to a new indoor market in Saint Gilles, Brussels and found amazingly fresh spinach. Earthy, crunchy and even with roots. And because everyone here is complaining about this horrible weather I want to prove that the contrary is the case. If you want to, you always can - it’s kind of a my favorite sentence in this last time. You can go out. You can have fun. You can do sports. It’s not the weather which should inhibit. It’s about attitude, it’s in your hands so. Normally I had packed a little picnic basket with my fresh from the oven cakes - warm, moist, nutty and slightly acid - and a sweet and spicy apricot-sunflower-avocado spread, fresh herb tea and juicy blood oranges. But finally I was so hungry I couldn’t wait, so I did a picnic in bed - quite enjoying a cold “spring” day.

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Falafel with beetroot and goat cheese

University. Work. Going out. Being creative. Sleeping? Find the mistake in the row. It’s time for energy boosting! Enjoy - it’s really good and I’m so happy to have found out that sprouting is the key to a peaceful gut.

For 1 Portion:

Falafel

• 100 g (sprouted) chickpeas
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp coconut or olive oil
• 1 tsp wheatgrass powder (optional)

Beetroot Sauce

• 1 cooked beetroot
• 1 tbsp tahin
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• salt
• pepper

To serve

• goat cheese
• radicchio leaves

Cook the sprouted chickpeas for about 15 Min. Rinse and put them into a blender with flour, baking powder, cumin, parsley, onion, garlic and oil. For a healthy twist add wheatgrass powder. Form balls and bake for 15 Min. on 200°C in the oven.

Mash beetroot and mix with the rest of the ingredients. If you want, you can add goat cheese to your beetroot sauce, it gives a creamier texture and connects very good with the earthy beetroot taste.

Serve your falafels in radicchio leaves and sprinkle with cheese.

About planting seeds and sprouting: Soba with sprouted hummus, avocado, beetroot and tuna

Life is like nature. Weather changes from snowy to sunny, from cold to warm; there are rainy days but also sunny ones, you plant seeds and see them grow. It’s the same with us. Without water you won’t have a good harvest, so just take the (rainy) days as they are and be happy when the sun comes out again. By the way, I also love dull days because I can stay at home, being creative, reading and working on lifelong plans :) It’s just like this I am exceedlingly happy when I see the spring getting up from hibernation. I even transformed my room into a “greenhouse” with sprouting glasses, flowers and herbs making me smile every day when I can observe their growth. This weeks little wisdom: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant”.

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Back to the roots: Fermented Carrot Pickles

1. Wash 1 kg carrots. Chop into bite-sized chunks, julienne or grate carrots. Place carrots in a very large bowl.
2. Add spices you like: ginger, garlic, chili, cumin. Add this mixture to the bowl of vegetables along with 1 tbsp natural sea salt.
3. Mix all ingredients together until the carrots begin release fluid. Let the bowl sit out at room temperature for a few hours.
4. In a large, sterilized jar (I heat the jar for 30 Min. in the oven on 120°C), pack in the carrots trying to avoid any air pockets between them, making sure to leave a few inches of space at the top. Close the jar and make sure to open it now and then to release carbon dioxide. Leave the jar in a dark place for 4-6 days. Once the flavour is to your liking, place it in the fridge.