Beet Salad Recipe

I've realized that I haven't been sharing many of my recipes lately, even though I try out new ones all the time. Only about 1/4 of them manage to wow me though, and perhaps that's the reason why. Here's a salad I whipped up recently that I was really happy with.

First, I prepared the bulgar according to the directions on the package. Then, I cut up some cucumbers, red & green peppers, tomatoes, red onions and some parsley and mixed 'em all in with the bulgar. Next, I cut up some creamy cheese that I found from the local Turkish supermarket and added them to the mix. A little olive oil, lemon juice and salt & pepper are all that you need to season the dish. I topped off the salad with chopped, cooked beets at the very end just so the entire salad wouldn't turn red. Serve chilled for a light & lovely meal, enjoyable even in the chilly autumn-winter months.

Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

I remember seeing Alton Brown's face quite regularly back when I had The Food Network and watched the channel religiously. Never did I think I'd try out one of his recipes one day and actually really like it. Well, thanks Mr. Brown. For our first stab at homemade macaroni and cheese, I'd give it a 7/10. The cheesiness was definitely there (but I think I'll use a sharper/older cheddar next time), the crispy bread crumbs contrasted amazingly against the dish's creaminess.. I'm also glad André talked me into adding sliced ham; the dish would've lacked punch without it! All in all, a satisfying hunk of burnin' love.

How to Make the "Perfect" Schnitzel

I've made schnitzel a few times before, but it's never turned out as good as it did one time at dinner not long ago. I pondered and pondered as to why this time was different, but I still have no clue. Perhaps it was sheer luck. Either way, I figured I'd share the steps I took so that you, too, end up with what I believe is the "perfect" chicken schnitzel (that in my opinion tastes best sans sauce, sorry Jägerart).



Step 1) Buy some meat (likely chicken, pork or veal) labelled "schnitzel" somewhere on the package so that the meat is already thin enough and you don't have to pound it down with a meat tenderizer.

Step 2) Set up your "schnitzel station" and make sure its close to the stove. Grab 3 plates and cover the 1st one with flour, scramble one egg onto the 2nd one and cover the 3rd one with bread crumbs.

Step 3) Turn on the stove to middle heat. Take a large pan and cover its entire surface with a thin layer of oil (when frying stuff, I prefer to use canola oil or vegetable oil). Give the oil some time to heat up.

Step 4) Dip each piece of meat into the flour first, then into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, and then finally place it in the heated pan. You should be able to fit 2-3 pieces in the pan.

Step 5) Cook each schnitzel about 3-4 minutes on each side (until golden brown). Do not overcook (or should I say overfry?) otherwise your schnitzels won't be tender & juicy! That's the best tip I can give!!

Chocolate Truffles

None of Saveur's recipes that I've tried have ever turned out that great. Maybe it's me? Maybe it's our crappy oven? Luckily, these truffles don't require the use of an oven and they turned out surprisingly YUMM-O! I followed the recipe to a T except for the fact that I used 2 cups of oats instead of 2 1/2. And who needs a food processor when a no-name version of the Magic Bullet pulses the oats down perfectly?! The end product was a rich-tasting, sweet but not sickly sweet coconut-y truffle that tasted best straight out of the fridge (i.e. hard rather than soft). Buy cute jars from a Euro/Dollar shop, fill 'em with these babies and gift 'em to all your friends for their birthdays! That's what I did, heehee.

Pancake Sundays

On weekdays, we mainly stick to bread or cereal for breakfast and so sadly, there's no actual cooking involved. That's why I luuuuurrrve whippin' something up for breakfast on the weekends. Here's a recipe I haven't prepared in a while. Another one of Sab's creations! Ladies and gents... behold, Sab's Peanut Butter Pancake Recipe! Love how they turn out just as I expect each time; mos def tried, tested & true!



Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions

Sift the flour together with the baking powder and sugar. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour all the other wet ingredients inside. Whisk everything until you end up with a smooth batter. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk. Using 1/4 cup scoops, ladle pancakes onto a medium-heated pan. Cook a few minutes on each side ('til golden brown). *Add choc chunks to the batch fo' mo pizzazz!

Sab's Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Much love to my girl Sab not only for sending me a beautiful, heartfelt letter recently in the mail, but also for including a few of her fave recipes in the envelope. This particular recipe surprised me in that it turned out much better than I expected! See, whenever I bake cookies in our mini oven, they tend to slightly disappoint... but Sab's recipe right here is foolproof and highly recommended. Thanks Sab!!! ♥



Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Combine flours, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. 2) Place 1/2 cup choc chips in a small pot or microwave bowl and melt. 3) Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, vanilla and melted chocolate. Beat until well blended. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in remaining 1 cup choc chips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. *Sab suggests rolling the dough into small balls first and then flattening slightly. 4) Bake 10-11 minutes.

Chocolate Squares with Whipped Cream & Almonds

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, June! We all celebrated June's birthday with a potluck last Saturday, and it was a smashing good time!!! Most of the guests brought savoury dishes, so it was a good thing I made somethin' sweet (wie immer). Here's a recipe I tried out for the first time. I was so impressed with how it turned out (moist/chocolatey/nutty @ the same time) that I'll def be baking it again. Thanks, Dr. Oetker!

Vanillekipferln / Vanilla Crescents

Xmas cookies are a big deal here. We call 'em Weihnachtsplätzchen and they're all the rage in the bakeries during Xmastime. The Vanillekipferl is a rather popular variety, and one of my personal faves. As such, I decided to try and make em myself, but not without altering the original recipe a tad bit. I used grounds hazelnuts instead of ground almonds and I also added a splash of vanilla extract, an unknown ingredient to German bakers. They turned out softer and nuttier than traditional Vanillekipferln, however André gobbled them down none the less. Tip: Dip em in icing sugar while they're still warm!

Tiramisu Recipe

I will not, by any means, call this recipe my own. I think it's a Renate original, of which I've made minor changes here and there. Anyhoodles, I am very proud of myself because it turned out heaps better than I expected! And it was the first time I'd made tiramisu with whipped egg whites. Another delightful thing about this recipe is the nutty, textured addition of chopped almonds. Woo-hah! (Got you all in check..)



Ingredients

4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
7/8 cup icing sugar
500 g mascarpone
30-40 ladyfingers
5-6 shots of espresso
1/8 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/8 cup amaretto
1/8 cup cocoa powder
1 deep (glass) baking dish

Instructions

Using a mixer, whip the egg whites vigorously until they form stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks and icing sugar until frothy. Gradually fold the mascarpone into the egg yolk and icing sugar mix. Afterward, gradually fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mix. Set aside.

When the espresso has cooled down to room temperature, one by one, quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso and place it into the dish. Create a layer of dipped ladyfingers in the dish. Using a pastry brush, spread some amaretto over the ladyfingers. Then, cover the layer with some chopped almonds. Finally, cover the layer with 1/3 of the mascarpone mix.

Repeat this process twice to create 2 more layers of ladyfingers so that mascarpone ends up being your topmost layer. Using a sifter, sprinkle a thin layer of cocoa powder over this topmost layer. Wrap the dish in saran wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Then, hear your guests oou and ahh when they finally get the chance to dig into your homemade tiramisu the following day. Showstopper!!!

Chicken Tinola Recipe

Oh, Tinola. It's that heart-warming dish that I took for granted each time Mom made it for us. Believe you me, it is damn hard to get right! I was happy with how my first stab at it turned out, but I was left yearning for a richer and more gingery-flavoured sabow. Next time, I'll use a whole palm of ginger root.



Ingredients

1/2 a palm of ginger root
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumettes
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. fish sauce
4 pieces of chayote
1 bag of fresh spinach

Instructions

Peel and slice the ginger into thin slivers. Peel and dice up the garlic cloves and the onion. Sautée the ginger, garlic and onions in a little bit of oil. Prepare the chicken broth (with bouillon cubes, for example) and add the broth to the sautéed ginger, garlic and onions. Put the pieces of chicken into the broth and boil until tender (about 10-15 mins).

Meanwhile, peel and slice the chayote into medium-sized chunks. Since the chayote cooks quickly, add it to the pot when the chicken is almost done cooking. Once the chayote is tender and cooked, add the spinach to the pot and turn off the stove (it'll soften quickly and cook in less than 2 mins). Then, do it up authentic Filipino-styles and eat your Tinola with white rice! Or be like us and enjoy as a soup.

Shelley vs. BBC Good Food

It was Megan who first made this dish for me. Inspired to have a go at it myself, I got a copy of the recipe and here's how mine turned out in comparison to the original. First off, I think my red onions could've been less daunting to eat and cut into slightly smaller chunks. Secondly, I opted to use bulgar instead of farro (I love its nuttiness). Thirdly, due to budget restraints, fresh spinach was substituted for frozen spinach. Lastly, I doubled the amount of dressing and highly recommend that you do the same! Definitely a dish I'd make again. Next time, however, I'd increase the ratio of bulgar to veggies.

Champorado ― Breakfast of Champions

How could I have let 8 years fly by without having eaten Champorado all that time?! I swear, the last time I remember eating it was when I went camping with Erika America's familia back when we were 17! I must say, though, that I can't really remember Moms making it that often for us when we were kids. Anyhoo, I prepared my sugarless version for brekky just yesterday using this recipe as a guide. Unlike Jun, however, I added 1/8 cup cocoa, used less dark chocolate and refrained from adding sugar as I already mentioned. Just to my liking, oh jaaa! EZ to make and great with a dollop of soya yogurt!

Macaroni Omelette Recipe

I'm warning you now — this recipe is WACK. I can't say the omelette was delicious, but I've decided to share it with you because I believe there's hope for it yet! The idea stemmed from the fact that there was leftover cooked whole wheat macaroni in the fridge that I didn't want to go to waste. Go figure!

Instructions

Whisk 3 eggs, a splash of milk and 1/2 cup grated emmentaler in a bowl. Dice up 1 garlic clove and fry it for a few minutes in a heated pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add about 1 1/2 cups macaroni to the garlic, and immediately afterward, pour the egg mixture evenly into the pan. Season the omelette with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg and put a lid on top of the pan. The omelette should be ready in about 7 minutes. What's important is to keep the heat on low to medium (to avoid burning the bottom).

In all honestly, the texture of the macaroni inside the omelette isn't as horrible as it seems. And I, for one, seriously believe this recipe has the potential for greatness. I bet adding diced red peppers and chunks of chorizo to the recipe would elevate it heaps! Or perhaps some sautéed mushrooms, spinach and feta instead of emmentaler? After eating this slice of cinnamon-y cake at a resto somewhere in small-town Croatia, my outlook towards pasta as an ingredient completely changed. Be open-minded!

Orada sa Blitvom // Sea bream with Chard

OMFG, guys. This was by far the best meal we ate in Croatia. And we cooked it ourselves, camping-dinner styles! But I gotta give it up to the friendly folks at Camp Tamaris. The owners of the home-y camping place were super friendly and helpful. We asked them what they usually eat for dinner, and they verbally gave us the recipe for this classic Croatian dish. Turned out stellar, if I do say so myself.



This dish was super easy to make! All we did was fry up the fresh Sea bream in good quality Istrian EVOO. Took about 5 minutes to cook on each side. As for the chard dish, it was also easy to make! We washed, peeled, diced and boiled a buncha potatoes first. When the potatoes were nearly cooked, we added two heads of washed/dried chard leaves to the pot, in addition to 3 cloves of chopped garlic.



Then, you gotta stir in heaps of Istrian EVOO and salt & pepper to the pot. After you've added the greens in, the dish takes about 5 minutes to fully cook. Since Sea bream is commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea, it was so cheap in Croatia! That is, compared to buying fresh fish in Germany, anyway. I wish it always cost around €3/kg for fresh fish here! I'd eat fish errrrrryday if it did!

Tacos at Trizza's

Bombbbbbest dinner for the simple fact that it was fun preparing the food with lots of people, as well as sharing the meal as a big group, of course. Hanging out at Trizza's WG made me miss the randomness of hostel living (shoutouts to the Bev & Mick's crew)!!! But anyhoo, here are the ingredients we used: ground beef, taco seasoning, onions, corn, kidney beans, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, shredded cheese, crème fraîche, hot sauce, soft tortillas, hard taco shells andddddd that about it! Hungry young people + short prep time = awesome recipe. Thanks for cleaning up, guys! Hope it wasn't too hellish.

Grilled Bananas

Who would have thought that grilled bananas could be such a thing of beauty??! We had a BBQ in Museumspark last last Sunday and aside from the typical Wurst/Brot fare, Mariana introduced us all to grilled bananas for dessert! She told us it's common to grill bananas back in her Heimatstadt, Rio de Janeiro. I myself had never tried it before, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed 'em!



...and they're so easy to make! Step 1: Throw the bananas onto a grill until one side of the bananas turn black. Step 2: Turn the bananas over to get the other sides black as well. Step 3: Carefully unpeel them and then sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar. There you have it, folks! I dunno what you'll think but... I effing died for the combination of superhot straight-off-the-grill mushiness + cinnamon-y sweetness.

Mom's Chicken Adobo Recipe

Making adobo was easier than I thought! The second time around turned out very similar to the first time, even though this time around, the major difference was that I marinated the chicken for a few hours. As well, this time I added potatoes. Interested in taking a stab at it? Here's the ingredient list:

3 chicken thighs
3 chicken drumsticks
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
3 dried bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp black peppercorns
salt + freshly ground pepper
5 medium potatoes, chopped



Directions

1. Fry the potatoes in 1 tbsp oil for 5 mins. Set aside.
2. Combine all the other ingredients in a large pot or pan.
3. Let the ingredients marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
4. When ready to cook, add the slightly-fried potatoes to the pan.
5. Bring the pan to a boil, then after a few minutes, lower heat.
6. Cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. When the chicken is tender, remove the pan from heat.
8. Serve with steamed rice and diced tomatoes.



This is not really a "traditional" Filipino Adobo recipe. Instead, it is my Mom's recipe, which just so happens to include potatoes. Having said that, feel free to alter the recipe to your liking, omitting or including ingredients as you please. Another tip: I recommend marinating the chicken in its sour/salty bath overnight. Though Mom doesn't think this is necessary, I think it increases the flavour factor by leaps and bounds. If you choose to do this, however, then prepare the potatoes the next day as well.



What I love is that Adobo is so simple to make, and it takes so little prep time! You just gotta throw ingredients into a pot or pan and voila! Hm. It's funny... Filipino food has never been my favourite food of all time, but living abroad has made me miss it more and more. I guess because the very sight of it conjures up memories of home and familia. But on another note: Here's Giada Di Laurentiis's version of Adobo. She definitely wants to battle it out with me. I like her lime idea but sugar?!?!?*! C'mon naow!

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temp
1 cup dark/milk chocolate
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1 egg, whisked
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup peanut butter

Instructions

—Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 20 cm x 30 cm baking tray and set aside.
—Chop the chocolate bar into small chunks. Mix the flour and baking soda in a large bowl.
—Cut the butter into cubes and incorporate into the flour mixture, creating a crumbly texture.
—Roughly chop the mixed nuts. Then add the nuts, oats and sugar to the butter/flour mixture.
—Take 1/4 of the dough and mix it in a separate bowl with the chopped chocolate. Set aside.
—Whisk the egg into the initial butter/flour mixture. This'll make the dough more moldable.
—Construct a ball-like form with the dough. Press the dough evenly into the buttered pan.
—This will be the bottom crust of your squares. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
—In the meantime, whisk the whole milk and the peanut butter together. Whisk well.
—When the crust is done, take it out of the oven. Pour the whisked milk mixture on top.
—Then, distribute the dough with chocolate chunks in it evenly on top of everything.
—Bake the whole thing for about 20 minutes, or until it turns golden brown on top.
—Let the tray come to room temp after baking, then cut into 25 equal squares.

Apricot & Marzipan Cake

Ever since we inherited this mini oven, my mind's been in baking mode. Some goodies have flopped miserably, but this lil number turned out okay, if but a tad strange. I found the recipe from a book I borrowed from Megan called The Great British Bake Off. Gaudammit we still don't have a loaf pan, so mine didn't turn out looking like this chick's Apricot & Marzipan Cake. Mah well. My only qualm with this cake is that it got really dry/crumbly 2 days after being baked and the flavours didn't really mature.