Relaxing in the summer heat with a cold grapefruit-elderflower mocktail can be one of the great pleasures in life. Flowery and citrusy – the best kind!
After the elderflower cordial recipe from yesterday, I just had to make a delicious summery mocktail. Nothing beats the summer heat like a super refreshing drink. I made a non-alcoholic recipe, but I added a hint on how to make it boozy in the notes if you like that 🙂
We’re spending so much time outside now, that it’s finally hot and feels like summer is just around the corner. You know, no more long sleeves and socks… Grrr, I hate them, I truly do! The greatest time of year is when I can move my socks to the back of the closet. So yeah, we’re thinking about buying some kind of transportable cooker or grill, so that we can prepare dinners outside.
During the Winter it’s become such a nice habit to cook the dinner together with hubby and son. We really wanna continue doing this through the Summer, but we also want to be outside as much as possible.
Back to the recipe, this is another very simple recipe and it literally takes minutes to make. And if that is not enough, it’s packed with flowery elderflower flavor and has the citrusy zing of grapefruit and lime. What else could you ask for?
What if I don’t have elderflower cordial on hand?
You can use fresh or dried elderflowers just the same. Pour half a cup of boiling water over 2 elderflowers and add 1/4 cup sugar. Let steep for 10 minutes. Let cool down. Use it as the syrup in the mocktail.
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A recipe for homemade elderflower syrup or elderflower cordial: sweet and citrusy! Making elderflower syrup at home is super easy and requires so little work.
When I think of a refreshing Spring drink, the first thing that comes to mind is elderflower cordial. It is such an essential refreshment during this time of year.
I don’t make it often, though. My parents-in-law make a ton every year. They give another ton to us. Sorry for exaggeration but it’s really a huge amount! If I made more, I don’t think we’d drink anything else during the year.
If you’ve read my Guide to seasonal eating you know I’m all about preserving food that’s in abundance for other times of the year. If you haven’t picked the guide yet, you can get it here. Elderflowers are in full bloom over here in Slovenia. They are a bit late this year as most of the flowers and foods. If you have them too, go ahead and pick some and make some elderflower cordial. It’ll last you through Winter!
I was so excited to see the blossoms that I just had to go and make a batch of the cordial 🙂
So, what makes the elderflower syrup so special, you ask?
I say it’s the flowery flavor and the added citrus zing. And it is so versatile. You can drink it diluted with water or sparkling water or make a cocktail or mocktail. But here’s the thing, you can use it in baking. I love elderflower desserts. I put elderflower in cookies and cakes all the time!
Let me know in the comments below, what is your favorite way to use elderflowers?
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Remove any insects from the elderflower blossoms. Do not wash them!
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Place the elderflowers and lemon slices into a large container (or a pot) and pour the syrup over the lderflowers and lemons. Cover and let steep for 24 hours at room temperature or in the frige.
Strain the syrup through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a cheesecloth or a paper towel and add citric acid. Stir well then pour the syrup into sterilized bottles or jars.
Once opened store the bottle in the fridge.
Notes
The citric acid adds flavor and acts as a preservative to make the syrup keep longer. You can find it in any grocery store. You can also omit it and simply add some lemon juice instead.
Walnut chocolate star bread is a eye-catching yet easy treat that will definitely make you look like a baking star!
While this gloomy weather continues, I’ll be sharing a new comfort recipe with you guys! All I want during these cold days is some sweet bread, but not just any sweet bread. I want one with nuts and chocolate – my favorite!
The idea for this walnut chocolate star bread recipe actually came from making a traditional Slovenian potica. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know my son’s allergic to eggs and he’s a kid and loves chocolate. That’s why I created this super soft and fluffy egg-free dough with a the most delicious lemony flavor. And I added some yummy chocolate to the traditional walnut filling. I baked this first during Easter and we all loved it, so I had to share it with you.
Since I never made star bread before, I decided to make it a little mor einteresting than the traditional roll. In fact, you can roll it however you like, but take into consideration that you might need to adjust the baking time if you change it’s shape.
Also, when it comes to the filling. I tested it with hazelnuts as well and it is just as delicios. Think nutella! The reason why I included wallnuts in this recipe is the traditional aspact of this dish, but basically you can try other nuts too 🙂
So, how do you make the walnut chocolate star bread?
The dough recipe is super easy. It consists of standard ingredients like flour, yeast, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, butter and milk.
For the filling you need finelly grated walnuts (or some other nuts), sugar (a part can be replaced with honey), heavy cream, butter and chocolate.
To create the beautiful star shape you need to divide the dough into three equal parts and roll each one to 26 cm (10 inch) diameter.
Cover two layers with the filling in a thin layer and not all the way to the edge. Cover with the top dough layer that’s not covered in filling.
Place a small glas or cup in the center and cut the dough radially into 16 identical strips like shown in the photo below.
Then take two strips by the ends, twist twice in the opposite directions and pinch the ends together quite firmly.
Here are some ideas to customize this chocolate star bread recipe:
swap walnuts for hazelnuts or pecans
swap lemon zest with orange zest
add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the filling
add 1/4 cup cranberries that have been soaked in warm water (or better – rum) for 10 minutes
swap dark chocolate with milk chocolate or nutella
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1TBSPmilk or 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
Instructions
Sweet Dough
In a small bowl mix 2 TBSP sugar, half of the milk and yeast. Cover and wait for it to activate and start foaming.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, vanilla seeds (or extract) and sugar at low speed to combine all the ingredients. Add the rest of the milk and melted butter and mix until the dough comes together. Lastly, add activated yeast. Continue mixing until a soft smooth dough forms. You can do this by hand, as well. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes or until double the size.
Walnut filling
While the dough is rising, you can prepare the walnut chocolate filling. Melt butter and chocolate in heat proof bowl over the top of the saucepan with simmering water.
Add sugar to the butter and chocolate mixture and stir well.
In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer (not to a boil!) and pour over ground walnuts. Add butter and chocolate mix to the walnuts and mix to get a uniform filling. Let cool to a room temperature.
Making the Walnut Chocolate Star Bread
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°C).
On a clean and lightly floured working surface, divide the dough into three equal parts and shape into spheres. Roll each of them out on a piece of baking paper into roughly 26cm (10inch) circles.
Leaving the baking paper below, cover one layer with half of the filling leaving a cm (1/2inch) room at the edge. Cover with the second layer and add the rest of the filling. Cover with the last layer. Place a small glass or bowl in the center and cut 16 equally-sized slices, leaving the center connected. Twist the slices in pairs away from each other. Then pinch the ends of each pair together. Set the star aside to rise for 40 minutes at room temperature.
Lightly brush the star with milk (or egg wash). Bake in the oven until deeply golden and puffy, about 20 to 25 minutes.
https://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/walnut_chocolate_star_bread-19.jpg15001000Anja Burgarhttps://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/logo_NEWW.pngAnja Burgar2019-05-30 09:27:122019-05-30 12:13:43Walnut Chocolate Star Bread (Egg-free)
Strawberry yogurt cupcakes with whipped cream frosting and balsamic strawberries. One bite of these and you will agree, these are the best!
Hey guys! I’m ready. For strawberry season!
Okay, I’ve been ready for months, but it’s finally a week or two away. Do you already have strawberries where you live?
The ones in our garden are just starting to grow the little green strawberries so we won’t have them for a while, but there’s a plantation right out of town where they grow the most delicious strawberries. I’m stalking their Facebook page so I can go there immediately. I know, crazy!
I’ve created this recipe a while ago for a magazine I was featured in and I’m so happy that I’m sharing it with you today. These are strawberry yogurt cupcakes with whipped cream and balsamic strawberries on top. They have a delicious little surprise in the middles also. A yummy dollop of strawberry jam.
When it comes to cupcakes, I don’t like heavy
frostings like buttercream. Whipped cream or cream cheese is what I love most.
To be honest, I usually make them without frosting anyway, but strawberries
need cream. These are the two thing I think go oh so great together.
So, why did I choose yogurt. When it comes to dessert,
I like them fresh and just a tiny bit acidic. I think it adds to the flavor and
makes it a lighter dessert in general. Yogurt is in my opinion one of the best ingredients
that adds such nice flavor and freshness to desserts.
If you’ve been following me, you know I love recipes that are easy but look like million dollars. I mean, just look at how elegant this looks. And trust me, it doesn’t take any special skill to make them. These strawberry yogurt cupcakes are so simple and I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to stop eating them. Guilty! I ate A LOT 😀
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4strawberriesgreens removed and cut into quarters lengthwise
1/2tspwhite balsamic vinegar
1/2tsphoney
Other Ingredients
1/2cupwhipping cream
1/2tspicing sugar
3TBSPstrawberry jam
Instructions
Balsamic Strawberries
Place strawberries in a small bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and honey. Mix well and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and prepare a muffin tin with liners
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla seeds. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add yogurt, sunflower oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix on medium speed to combine all ingredients. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture one spoon at a time.
Fill the muffin tins to ¾ volume and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, use a knife or a round piping tip to cut a 2-3 cm deep hole in the middle of the cupcakes. Drizzle some of the liquid from the balsamic strawberries into the holes, then fill them with strawberry jam.
In a bowl, whisk whipping cream and icing sugar until firm.
Frost the cupcakes with whipped cream. Top them with 2 strawberry quarters each and drizzle with the remaining liquid from strawberries.
These roasted strawberry rhubarb crêpes with homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread are the perfect way to celebrate spring.
When it comes to breakfast, I can’t stay away from crêpes. I love how delicate they are, but also offer so many options to eat them. One thing I have yet to try with crêpes is a crêpe cake. Have you ever made one? How was it? I can imagine it being AMAZING!
This recipe is not a cake, but it is just as delicious.
It is already rhubarb season, how about that? I’m super excited and need to figure out new ways to use the rhubarb from the garden. I’m also anxiously waiting for the first strawberries to show up. It’s going to be a while for the ones in our garden to grow, but I expect some locally grown strawberries in the next couple of weeks. Can’t wait! I wanna make more of these strawberry rhubarb crêpes 🙂
My favorite crepe filling is definitely chocolate! I’m generally not a very chocolatey person, but I definitely become one when it comes to crêpes.
Because of that, I’m adding a very simple and super quick recipe for a hazelnut and chocolate spread, so basically homemade Nutella. YAY! You can easily substitute it with any chocolate spread you like or simply melted chocolate.
So why roasting rhubarb and strawberries? First, not a fan of raw rhubarb. I don’t mind the taste but I’m not a fan of the crunch. And also, I don’t like it in combination with chocolate. Second, have you ever tried roasted strawberries? Or roasted rhubarb for that matter? When they get roasted the sugars caramelize and give them a flavor kick! I also add a bit of honey before roasting, mostly because rhubarb needs some extra love.
So there you have it. Delicious tender vanilla crêpes, homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread and delicious caramelized roasted rhubarb and strawberries.
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Cut strawberries in quarters lengthwise. Cut rhubarb into chunks approx. the size of strawberry quarters. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with vanilla seeds. Mix well and roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread
Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix to get a smooth spread.
Vanilla Crêpes
Mixing by hand: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla. In another bowl mix milk, oil, and eggs. Add half of the liquid mixture and mix well to get a paste. Add the rest of the liquid and mix well. You will get a quite watery batter. Perfect for making thin crêpes.
Using a blender: Place all ingredients into a blender, adding the flour last. Mix until you get a smooth batter.
Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes. You can store it in the fridge and use later.
After the batter has rested, heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once it is hot use a paper napkin or a brush to cover the pan with oil as thinly as possible.
Add the batter to the pan according to the pan size.
20 cm pan – about 3 tbsp of batter
25 cm pan – about 1/4 cup of batter
30 cm pan – about 1/3 cup of batter
The first crêpe is usually a tester to see how hot is the pan and how much batter you need for one crêpe.
Pour the batter in the middle of the pan and quickly rotate it to cover the whole surface. Almost immediately the edges will start to brown. That’s when you take a spatula and go around the edges to release the crêpe. After the crêpe surface has set (meaning there’s no glossy uncooked batter) turn it around with a wide spatula or by tossing it in the air. Cooking the first side should take about 30-40 seconds. Leave the crêpe to cook for an additional 10 seconds on the other side.
Repeat for the rest of the batter.
Stack the crêpes on a plate.
Serve warm with chocolate and hazelnut spread and roasted strawberries and rhubarb including the liquid from the roasting.
A beautiful and delicious spring wild garlic risotto recipe that complemented with parmesan cheese and garlic roasted prawns. The best Early Spring feast!
One of my favorite things to forage this time of year is definitely wild garlic. I love the green patches of this aromatic herb and I love how delicate it is.
Lately, there’s been a lot talk about picking other poisonous plants instead of wild garlic. The reality is, if you pick carefully and smell and feel every leaf, there’s no reason to worry, as long as you know how it should look and smell. So if it’s your first time picking, I suggest you go with someone that knows wild garlic. I always pick one leaf at a time, so I’m sure I don’t pick anything else.
Did you know the wild garlic blossoms are also edible? And very pretty, too 🙂 You can see some buds in these photos, but they weren’t open yet when I shot this. I haven’t’ been in the forest this past week, but I’m planning on going today and see if I can find some wild garlic blossoms 🙂
If you follow me on social media, you probably know I’ve been featured in Odprta kuhinja magazine two weeks ago. I created this wild garlic risotto recipe for the magazine together with two other delicious recipes, that I’ll also be sharing on the blog sometime soon. You can find Slovenian versions of the wild garlic risotto recipe here. The other two recipes (I’ll be just a little mean and not tell you what they are), also in Slovenian, are here 🙂 and here 🙂
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Heat the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat and cover so that the stock stays hot.
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped shallots. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly translucent.
Add the rice to the saucepan and stir it with a wooden spoon so that the grains are coated with the oil. Sauté for another minute or so.
Add a ladle of hot vegetable stock to the rice and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed. When the rice absorbs almost all the stock, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process.
Continue adding the stock, one ladle at a time, for 20 to 30 minutes or until the grains are tender but still firm to the bite.
Stir in finely chopped wild garlic, 2 TBSP butter, and some black pepper. Remove from the stove, cover and leave to rest for a minute.
Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add crushed garlic and sauté quickly until golden. Add cooked prawns and cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally, to cover them with garlic and butter.
After the risotto has rested for a minute, stir in the Parmesan cheese and mix to combine.
Serve immediately with garlic roasted prawns and some extra Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Be careful seasoning the risotto with salt. If your stock is already salty, you probably won’t need to add salt at all. Remember, you are adding Parmesan cheese at the end, so this will also season the risotto!
These delicious Brussels Sprout & Chicken Gyoza with a dipping sauce are so delicious, you won’t be able to stop eating!
Happy Thursday guys! Hope you are all having a great week. It’s been wild here this week. I was a busy week for me. Besides being sick I have a ton of projects and my son is turning 2 tomorrow so I have to think of a delicious egg-free cake and make it tomorrow.
I’ll make just a teeny tiny cake for him and maybe a bigger cake for Sunday when all the family comes 🙂 Or maybe my mother-in-law will make one. She makes great cakes! So plans for the weekend. Birthday party, obviously, and a photoshoot with some amazing burlesque dancers on Saturday. It’s gonna be fun, I’m sure!
No matter how busy, I always like to make some dumplings. I love all kinds… veggie, meat, fish, you name it, I’ll eat it 🙂
So today I’m making a combo thta I love very much – pan-fried Brussels sprout and chicken gyoza dumplings with a yummy dipping sauce.
Okay, I’m always intrigued by the origins of the dish. Since I ate similar dumplings in a Chinese restaurnt before, I was wondering what’s the story behind gyoza. Here it goes…
Gyoza originated in China as dumplings called Jiaozi. Those became very popular in Japan after the WWII when soldiers brought back the story about Jiaozi and wanted to recreate it. Gyoza was born and it can be filled with all kinds of fillings.
In general there are three types of gyoza – pan-fried, cooked and deep-fried. My favorite – pan-fried called yaki-gyōza.
If you are wondering what’s in these wonderful satchets, let me explain. Besides chicken and Brussels sprouts, there’s also spring onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro and soy sauce. The filling is very easy to make and if you have no time you can always go and buy the wrappers.
But trust me when I say, the wrappers are not difficult to make at all. It does take some time, but you can take it as a meditation. For me working with dough is always a great way to relax and be alone with my thoughts.
Did I tell you about the dipping sauce. I love soy sauce based dipping sauces. The first time I ever tried it, was when I made some spring rolls a long time ago and wondered where I should dip them. They needed some sauce. And I love dipping sushi in soy sauce (probably too much) so the idea was born because of that. I added some lemon juice and freshly chopped chives and to this day I love the sauce so much! Of course, later, I found out that soy sauce based dipping sauces are very common. And for a good reason.
I’m pretty sure you’re all waiting to get to the recipe by now. So here it is!
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Add salt to the water and mix until it has dissolved.
Sift the flour into a large bowl.
Add water to the flour and mix with a rubber spatula. If necessary, add a tablespoon of water.
Transfer the dough to the work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes the dough will be much softer. When it is done, cut it in two.
Shape each half into a long log, about 3 cm in diameter. Wrap each log with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, cut each log into 20 pieces and cover with a damp cloth. Roll out each piece so you can cut out a circle with an 8 cm cookie cutter. If the dough rolls back, wait a few seconds, then cut out the circle. Sprinkle with some starch to prevent the wrappers from sticking. Save the scraps under the damp cloth and use them to make more wrappers.
Gyoza filling
Heat up a skillet and add 1 TBSP cooking oil. Saute the onion until golden, then add garlic, ginger and the white part of the spring onion. Saute for a minute or two. Remove from the pan and let cool for a few minutes.
Add this mixture to ground meat, chopped green parts of the spring onion, cilantro and soy sauce. Mix to combine.
Making Gyoza
Run a wet finger around the edge of the gyoza wrappers. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center and Fold the wrapper in half and seal the edges by pressing with fingers. This will create a simple dumpling. If you want the edges to look more artistic, there are a lot of good youtube videos to show you how to do it.
Cooking Gyoza
Place dumplings in a heated skillet with 1 TBSP cooking oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until you get the nice deep brown sear on the bottom.
Add 1/3 cup water per 6 dumplings and cover. Cook for 7-8 minutes. If the water runs out, you can add more one TBSP at a time.
Dipping Sauce
Combine all ingredients to make the dipping sauce.
Sprinkle the dumplings with chopped cilantro, spring onion greens, and sesame seeds. Serve with the dipping sauce.
This healthy Kale and Radicchio Quinoa Salad is a Winter favorite at our house. With fresh kale and radicchio, quick spring onion pickles and feta cheese I’m sure it will be in yours too.
Today’s recipe is inspired by all the delicious Winter leafy produce that is still available although the long-awaited Spring has arrived. This salad is loaded with some of my favorites like kale and radicchio.
A lot of you have been asking me to share more quick lunch recipes. So here’s another one. And the great thing about it? It’s meant to be cold so it’s super easy to take with you to work! Yay 😀
Alight, so here’s the deal. I usually make quinoa warm and throw in some roasted veggies when I need to take lunch with me. So it occurred to me I should make it a dish that’s meant to be eaten cold in the first place. Like a salad. And whoa, was I right! You should see my husband’s reaction to this kale and radicchio quinoa salad. He was super excited. Who wouldn’t be, just look at these colors!
The best part of this salad is the quick spring onion pickle. It literally takes a few minutes and you can make a bigger batch so you can use it on other dishes as well. In this recipe, I use the pickling liquid as a vinaigrette. Since I cook chunks of beetroot with the spring onion the dressing has a beautiful vibrant pink color. And this salad is all about color.
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Turn a classic gin and tonic into a delicious gin cocktail by adding pink grapefruit and aquafaba for a fabulous delicate foam.
Yay, it’s Spring! I’ve been waiting for it for such a long time. I say that’s a good enough reason to have a cocktail. Are you with me?
Today’s the day for a very refreshing and just a little fancy pink grapefruit gin and tonic. Secret ingredient – aquafaba. It adds such a delicate foam and also such a flavor. I just recently discovered aquafaba and I’m in love. If you never tried it, please do. It will rock your world. I made meringue a couple of weeks ago and it’s pretty fabulous. I might even prefer it to the egg white meringue. Still deciding, they are both so good!
How to make the beautiful foam?
The trick to getting the beautiful foam from aquafaba is to use a cocktail shaker. A mason jar works as well, although it requires a bit more shaking, but you can get the job done 🙂 Funny story. After the photoshoot, I saved the cocktail so me and my husband would drink it in the evening. The foam was almost gone by the evening so I wanted to shake the whole thing a bit. But totally forgot that the cocktail also includes tonic. Hello, bubbles! And hello, explosion! You can imagine the rest. Luckily I had enough so we could both have a sip or two. And a mess to clean up 😛
Guys, tomorrow I’m turning 31! In the morning I’ll be baking a cake for myself 🙂 Oh who am I kidding, I’ll probably bake more than one. Don’t judge 😀 We’ll have some friend and family over for the weekend so I need to equip myself with some goodies. I’ll probably also bake my plum apple galette. It is a big hit at my house.
Have a great weekend and cheers!
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Keyword
cocktail, gin and tonic, pink grapefruit cocktail
Prep Time15minutes
Total Time15minutes
Servings4servings
AuthorAnja Burgar
Ingredients
1/2cupgin
1/2cuptonic
1/2cupgrapefruit juicefreshly squeezed
1/4cup+ 2 TBSP aquafaba
ice
Ginger syrup
1/4cupwaterboiled
1/4cuphoney
thimbs size gingerpeeled and roughly chopped
Instructions
Ginger syrup
Pour boiling water over chopped ginger and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes, then uncover and leave to cool for five minutes.
Once cooled a bit add honey and mix until honey dissolves. Leave to cool completely and refrigerate before making the cocktail.
Pink Grapefruit Gin and Tonic
Pour gin, grapefruit juice, aquafaba and ginger syrup in a cocktail shaker and top with a handful of ice. Close the lid securely. Shake vigorously until you see foam on top.
Pour into four glasses and serve immediately.
https://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/pink_grapefruit_gin_tonic-11.jpg15001000Anja Burgarhttps://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/logo_NEWW.pngAnja Burgar2019-03-21 09:36:242019-09-02 10:11:33Pink Grapefruit Gin and Tonic
Make this tahini bundt cake to wow everyone with a new exciting flavor! Plus a sweet kiwi glaze on top. What can be better?
It’s Saint Patrick’s Day on Sunday, so I have a little treat for you guys. A tahini budt cake with a very delicious kiwi glaze. It has to be something green, right?
I used the last of our homegrown kiwis for this glaze. I love having kiwis because they hold very well during the Winter. Leave it in a cold place and they’ll be good until Spring. Isn’t it great to have some homegrown fruits available during the Winter?
We don’t have a huge garden but it’s better than nothing. In fact, you don’t need a lot of space to grow your own food. Even a balcony works for a lot of produce. My mission this year is to expand the garden to my balconies. I have two, one facing East and one facing West, so I can have some produce on one and some on the other, depending on what each plant prefers.
Let’s get back to the tahini bundt cake.
I love any kind of bundt cake really. But tahini bundt cake is so special I’m wondering if it is my favorite so far? Probably yes! Every bite is so full of flavor. I made this cake with oil, not butter. We all know butter adds amazing taste but oil in cakes adds softness and keeps the cake moist for a longer time. This time I added olive oil, instead of plain vegetable oil, because it adds such a nice flavor and goes so well with tahini.
Even when I make my own tahini paste I use olive oil. It just makes it taste so much better! Trust me, it’ GOOD 🙂
Okay, I’m ready to share the recipe. Are you excited? I sure am! And Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone 😀
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The reason why I love this delicious rustic apple galette is because of its delicate flaky crust and the fruity plum jam.
With Spring right around the corner, I’m dreaming of Spring produce and some new recipes to test and to share with you guys.
The pantry is slowly running out of Winter foods. I had these lovely apples from my aunt’s garden still in the basement and a few glasses of my mum’s plum jam so I decided to bake an apple plum galette with my son the other day. If you have kids or have been around them for any period of time, you know you need to work fast! Although my son loves to cook and can stand on his step stool for ages and not get bored for a very long time, he’ll eventually start having some creative ideas 🙂 Meaning, things will start flying around at a certain point. Working fast keeps the kitchen clean(er).
Making dough is always fun because I’m usually making them with my stand mixer. And he loves watching at the mixer and mimicking its sound.
I tried something new here. I tried grating cold butter into the flour instead of cutting it to cubes. It takes less time to incorporate into the flour. This way the butter won’t heat up as much and will create a very flaky crust. And honestly, I think it’s the best crust I’ve made. With a little sprinkle of sugar on top it is super delicate and crunchy at the same time. I love it so much!
One of my favorite ways to make a pie or a galette is to add some jam. This way you add some sweetness and an additional flavor, like in my dried fig and blood orange tart. I love plum jam and I think it goes really well with apples. Plus, my mum makes a super delicious one without adding sugar. Her trick is to bake plums in the oven instead of cooking on the stovetop. You didn’t hear that from me, wink wink 😉
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Use a coarse grater to grate cold butter in the bowl with flour.
Use a stand mixer with kneading attachment to mix the butter in the flour. Mix only for a minute so the butter doesn’t overheat. Then add cold milk and mix until you don’t see any more dry flour. The dough will still look a little dry but if it forms a ball when squeezed, it’s done. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set and cold down.
Meanwhile cut apples into thin slices and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
When the dough is chilled roll it out to about 3-4 mm thick into a round shape. Spread the jam on the dough but leave 2-3 cm edge clean. Place apples over the jam. Again leave 2-3 cm crust edge and fold it over the apples to form a galette.
Sprinkle some more unrefined sugar over the galette.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Leave to cool until moving from the baking tray
https://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/rustic_apple_plum_galette-2.jpg15001000Anja Burgarhttps://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/logo_NEWW.pngAnja Burgar2019-03-07 07:00:012019-03-21 08:45:04Rustic Apple Plum Galette
What better way to celebrate the Carnival season but with some fluffy and soft eggless doughnuts with orange cream.
Only 5 days to Carnival. The fun starts today with ‘Fat Thursday’ as we call it. Like in other places, it gets really festive during these five days. People dress up, they go out and celebrate at processions, and of course they eat. A LOT!
Not sure about other places, but doughnuts are a big part of the Carnival in Slovenia. Each family has its own secret recipe and its favorite fillings. My mom is the one in charge of making doughnuts every year. She’s the true doughnut Yoda of the family. For years I was eating her doughnuts and never tried to make my own. This year, I decided it’s time to change that.
As you know, if you’ve been following me for a while, my son’s allergic to eggs so I’m always on search to find good eggless solutions for common foods. So why not make eggless doughnuts?
Recipes like these rarely turn out great in the first attempt but this one was spot on after the first try. It was fluffy and so incredibly soft. An stayed that way even the second day. We ate them all in a day but I always leave a bit to test how something tastes and looks the next day. These held really well which can sometimes be a problem with eggless pastry.
Since it’s still citrus season I also made an eggless pudding cream with some mandarine and orange zest to fill those delicious doughnuts. I made vanilla pudding cream, but you can play a bit here and add some cocoa powder in as well. Hmmm, I might try this as well! 😀
Do you have a ton of oranges on spare? Trust me, you’re not the only one 🙂 Why not make a delicious Dried fig and blood orange tart?
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In a small bowl mix dried yeast 1 dl of warm milk and 2 TBSP of sugar. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes so the foam starts to form.
Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest and turmeric in a big stand mixer bowl.
After the yeast has started to foam add it to the flour. Add the remaining lukewarm milk and mix on medium speed for a minute.
Add oil and melted butter and mix for 10 more minutes od medium-high speed.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough doubles in size.
After the dough has risen roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 2.5 cm thick (without kneading it whatsoever). Use doughnut cutters to cut out circles or use a knife to cut any desired shapes.
Leave the doughnuts to rise for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil to 140°C. A good indicator the temperature is perfect is to check with a wooden spoon. If little bubbles start to form around the spoon handle the oil is ready to go.
Place doughnuts top side down in hot oil, but prior to that brush away the flour. A lot of flour will burn your oil and it will not be re-usable. Fry the doughnuts for about 3 minutes covered. When they turn golden, turn them around away from yourself, so you don’t burn yourself! Fry for about 3 more minutes on the other side uncovered.
Transfer the doughnuts to a plate covered with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
Orange Pudding Cream
Mix corn starch with 50ml of milk to form a lump-free paste.
Bring the remaining 200ml of milk to a simmer and add the starch mixture. Whisk continuously until the pudding has thickened to a very think mixture. Cover and leave for 10 minutes to cool a bit.
Filling the doughnuts
Pierce the crust of each cooled doughnut with the piping tube and pipe a little pudding into each doughnut. Do not whisk or stir the pudding when transferring it to the piping bag or it will go runny.
https://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/eggless-doughnuts-orange-cream-15.jpg15001000Anja Burgarhttps://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/logo_NEWW.pngAnja Burgar2019-02-28 07:37:062019-03-04 16:37:37Eggless Doughnuts With Orange Cream
A smooth creamy white chocolate panna cotta is always a crowdpleaser especially with some hibiscus raspberry sauce on top. One of the easiest desserts that everyone will love.
I’ve been thinking about Valentine’s day recipe that would be easy and quick to make, look pretty and be super yummy. The first thing that popped into my mind was white chocolate panna cotta! I wanted to make it a little extra so I experimented with adding white chocolate to it and it turned out even more delicious than I thought it would.
Lately I’ve been drinking so much hibiscus tea. I used to hate teas that were acidic, such as hibiscus, rose hip or any fruit teas. Since we’ve been sick a lot lately we drink a lot and I really mean A LOT of tea. So we were experimenting and trying out new ones. I went for hibiscus one day and I grew to love it! It was an inspiration for the sauce I made to pour over the soft white chocolate panna cotta. I added raspberry purée to make it more fruity. I love how it adds freshness and fruityness to the whole dessert.
A few tips for making any panna cotta:
The easiest way to serve it is in jars. That way you don’t have a mold to remove.
I do like the look of panna cotta shaped in all kinds of shapes. If you are using a mold there are a few tricks that will help take the panna cotta out. You can spray a thin layer of neutral tasting oil over the inside of the mold before pouring panna cotta in. Alternatively (if the mold is not to complex) you can run a knife along the edges of the mold to release it. The method I prefer to use is soaking the mold in hot water after panna cotta has already settled. The reason why I choose this option over the others is because I seem to get the nicest shape this way without any extra oil on the surface. But that’s just my preference 😀
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White Chocolate Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Raspberry Sauce
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
Italian
Keyword
panna cotta, pudding, white chocolate panna cotta
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time15minutes
Resting time3hours
Total Time25minutes
Servings4servings
Ingredients
White Chocolate Panna Cotta
500mlheavy cream
120 mlfull-fat milk
100gwhite chocolate
4gelatine leaves
30gcaster sugar
Hibiscus raspberry sauce
1/2cupboiling water
2hibiscus teabags
1/4cupcaster sugar
1/2cupraspberry purée
Instructions
White Chocolate Panna Cotta
Place heavy cream, milk and caster sugar in a pot and bring to a simmer just until the sugar melts. Don’t let it boil! Remove from the stove,
Meanwhile, soak gelatine leaves in cold water as instructed on the label.
Cut white chocolate into small chunks or grate and add to the pot. Mix well until chocolate has melted. Add gelatine and mix again until the gelatine has dissolved.
Pour into jars or molds and immediately place in the fridge to cool down. Leave to set for 2-4 hours before serving.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Steep hibiscus tea in boiling water for ten minutes. Discard the tea bags and add caster sugar to the tea. Cook tea over medium heat until it reduces to half it’s volume.
Add raspberry purée and mix well. The sauce will thicken when it cools.
Pour sauce over panna cotta before serving.
https://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/white-chocolate-panna-cotta-hibiscus-raspberry-sauce-14a.jpg15001000Anja Burgarhttps://www.useyournoodles.eu/wp-content/uploads/logo_NEWW.pngAnja Burgar2019-02-07 06:48:382019-03-12 10:19:51White Chocolate Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Raspberry Sauce
Tender roasted orange chicken marinated in orange juice and soy sauce served with roasted potatoes is a quick and easy dinner recipe everyone will love.
Hello guys! I have an exciting new recipe
A lot of people have told me lately that they look for quick lunch and
dinner recipes that are healthy as well. I always loved anything roasted, more
so lately with my son keeping me busy. Anything that can be prepared in advance
and doesn’t take a lot of my time is super handy.
I made this roasted orange chicken last week and I love how it turned out. I
need to make something quickly with a few ingredients I had in the fridge. You
really don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to make a fancy meal. Doesn’t this
look fancy? Trust me, no fancy ingredients were added. Oranges are the
not-so-secret ingredients that add such a nice color and make it looks like you
worked your but for the meal 🙂
The marinade ends up making the most delicious sauce and adds so much flavor to he chicken. Wanna know the best part? I took me less than 10 minutes to prepare before tossing into the oven and relaxing!
The whole family was sick the past month and a half. It’s been only a few
days since we’re actually all okay and we’re hoping it ended. There’s nothing
less fun but being home with a sick kid or being sick yourself or even worst
both of you sick. We weren’t able to go out for more than a few minutes a day
and we were FREAKING OUT!
We were drinking lots of elderflower
turmeric tea and eating a ton of soup! And finally got better…
fingers crossed.
To be honest, a lot of the time I wasn’t even able to cook anything even slightly decent. Thank god for my mum, we were crashing her lunches a lot. Parents rock, right? I hope my son says that about me some day!
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Combine together soy sauce, orange juice, ground garlic, crushed black pepper, cayenne pepper, and 1 TBSP olive oil. Pour over the chicken thighs and let sit until you prepare the potatoes.
Cut potatoes in 2 cm chunks and drizzle with 1 TBSP olive oil and add salt to taste. Mix well.
Place potatoes in a baking tray and add chicken thighs skin side up. Add orange slices and thyme springs.
Orange Dutch baby. Light and airy topped with orange sauce, whipped honey and fresh oranges. It’s made in no time! My favorite Winter breakfast lately because it’s naturally sweet but also fresh at the same time.
One of my all time favorite dishes are crépes. Seriously, I used to make them at least once a week. Since little J has egg allergies we had to swith to egg-free. We usually make Amerikan-style pankakes made with banana and add all kinds of flavoring in the dough or on top of the pancakes. J’s favorite – CHOCOLATE 😀
You are wondering why am I blabbing about pancakes when this is a Dutch baby recipe. Dutch baby is also called a German pancake, so here’s where my thoughts come from. Also it basically uses the same ingredients.
I only recently tried dutch baby for the first time. I saw so many amazing photos of Dutch baby but never quite got to try them. And I must say I missed out BIG TIME. And they are sooo easy to make.
One of the reasons why I never tried them was because I didn’t have a cast iron pan. What?! I know, I know… I recently bought one so now I can try some new dishes, yay!!
Okay, back to the orange dutch baby. Oranges and Winter go hand in hand in my book. I couldn’t imagine cold days without some freshly squeezed orange juice or any dessert that includes oranges (or some other citrus). So making an orange Dutch baby is a no brainer. I think I’ll have to make them every Saturday morning. And some banana pancakes for my son 🙂 There’s no way he can watch me eat the Dutch baby and be okay with not having something just as delicious.
This orange Dutch baby has very little refined sugar. Actually, since it includes whipped honey even the light sprinkle of powdered sugar in not necessary. I love a tiny bit, though. The recipe also includes a super easy orange sauce that you can use in other desserts as well. It’s awesome on brownies 🙂
Have you ever heard of whipped honey? I love it! Whipped honey is nothing but… well, honey that is whipped. Nothing fancy or difficult but totally different to regular honey. Also, if you buy non-pasteurized honey (which I suggest you do) you know it crystalizes. Whipping it makes it runny again without heating it. Let me know if you try whipped honey or my orange Dutch baby in the comments below.
Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥
Orange Dutch baby. Light and airy topped with orange sauce, whipped honey and fresh oranges. It’s made in no time! My favorite Winter breakfast lately because it’s naturally sweet but also fresh at the same time.
Course
Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword
dutch baby, easy recipe, german pancake
Prep Time20minutes
Cook Time20minutes
Total Time40minutes
Servings4people
AuthorAnja Burgar
Ingredients
Dutch Baby
3eggs
2/3cupmilk
1/2cupflour mix(approx. 1/3 wholewheat flour and 2/3 plain white flour)
Preheat the oven to 220 °C (425 °F) placing a 25 cm (10 inch) iron pan in the oven to heat as well.
Orange Sauce
Pour freshly squeezed orange juice into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Let simmer until the volume is about 1/4 of the initial volume. Set aside.
Whipped Honey
Whip honey on medium-high speed for 10-15 minutes. The honey will become airy and pale white.
Dutch Baby
Mix eggs in a blender on high speed for a few seconds so they start to bubble.
Add flour mix, milk, cinnamon and salt and mix on medium-high speed for another few seconds or until the ingredients are well combined.
Take the pan out of the oven, place over high heat and add clarified butter. Wait until butter is bubbling then add the batter and return to the oven.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave sit in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. This will keep the Dutch baby bubbly structure.
Take out of the oven and sprinkle powdered sugar over (You can omit this step), top with orange sauce, 1 TBSP of whipped honey and fresh orange slices. Enjoy!
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