Pad thai = Peanut, Rice-Noodles and Carrots in a Wok

This weekend I had my favorite vegetarian drop in for a visit. As I am a big carnivore my self I always find inspiration and challenge in cooking my dishes without a source of meat. But the result is if I may say it myself not half bad ...

Wok:
1 hand peanuts
1/2 chili pepper
1 clove garlic
70 g carrots shredded

125 g rice noodles boiled
2 eggs
100 g bean sprouts (soy)
5 spring onions chopped

Sauce:
1/2 dl soy sauce
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp citron juice

1. I suggest you make chop the veggies while the water is heated and make the sauce while boiling noodles.
2. First add the peanuts, garlic and chili and fry it lightly then the carrots.
3. Add the noodles in the pan and mix in the eggs. When the eggs appear scrambled, add the beans sprouts and spring onion and pour over the sauce. Let it heat up but reduce the plate from about maximum 7 till 2-3.

Serve with more soy sauce if wanted.

Raspberry Smoothie "Blender in the Grass" style

The first time I drank a smoothie I was 13 and living in Santa Barbara CA from a small mall on the way to my Raintree Ranch. It is cool easy and delicious.

Smoothie, shake, sorbet.....
1,5 dl frozen raspberries
1/2 banana
1 Tbs yogurt
2 tsp vanilla sugar
0,5 dl orange juice

Mix it all with a hand held mixer or even better a blender.

Check out: http://www.drinkblenders.com/

Burrito with friends

Extremely quick easy and good, so dig in! It is wonderfully filling after a long day of city walking.

1 box Mexican or barbecue baked beans (kidney beans)
1 small corn box
1 rice cooked (10 min bag 2 pers.)
2-4 tortillas
1/2 Mexican spice mix package (Santa Maria)
1 chicken breast

1. Slice the chicken breast and fry it in a pan while the rice cooks for 8 min.
2. Add the rice and spice mix and mix in beans and corn.

If served with Guacamole, salad and salsa i promiss that your mouth will water..at least mine always does.

Tortellini, champignon and herbs with a creamy touch!

A dish I whipped up today with all the rests I had in my fridge...that's why the ingredients list is so long this time...

1-2-3 pasta:
1 pack tortellini (with herbs/ricotta fill or what ever you might have or want ;))
250 champignon sliced
250 g broccoli
1,5 dl cream 7%
70 g Philadelphia cheese
30 g chèvre
1 hand fresh basil
1 hand fresh parsley
1 hand Parmesan
salt and pepper after taste
1 hand pine-nuts

1. Boil the tortellini and broccoli pieces together 3 minutes
2. Fry the chopped champignon parallel in a pan with some olive oil, butter, salt and pepper
3. Combine the pasta/broccoli and champignon. Add both cream, philadelphia, chevre, parmesan and herbs (I also added an egg at the end but this is not necessary).

To be served with the pine-nuts and toasted bread with some Roquefort, yum!

Sunday Sunshine Omelet with Chèvre, Orange and Apricot

Do you want an exotic flavored morning egg-feast for two? Then I suggest the following.

Omelet:
2 eggs
2 Tbs water
5 dried apricots
2 Tbs orange juice
70 g chèvre in pieces
1 Tbs butter

1. Fry the chopped apricot in the juice in your frying pan till most of the juice has evaporated
2. Mix the eggs and water together with a whisk. Add the chèvre pieces in the mix.
3. Add butter in the pan and pour the omelet mix in. Fry it at medium temperature and fold it when the egg-mass starts to stiffen

Salad suggestion:
salad mix
cucumber in pieces
sunflower seeds
vinaigrette

Eat with toasted multi-grain bread and some smoked ham *(Norsk: Spekeskinke eller fenalår, Deutch: Schwarzwaldschinken, Français: Jambon du cheval fumé).

As a dessert to this breakfast I personally love vanilla-yogurt with chopped bananas and quinoa muesli! (http://www.boutique-ethiquable.com/boutique/fr/cereales/petit-dejeuner)

Spring Asparagus Quiche with Apple-Roquefort Salad to make your mouth water...

This is what I served my non quiche loving German on Saturday with great success. It has a touch of spring that puts you in the mood even if the sky is heavy with rain...

Dough:
Option 1: buy a ready made "pâte brise"( if in Belgium or France, or also possible with "Blatterteig" if in Germany and "Butterdeig" if in Norway)

Option 2 make dough with:
120 g room tempered salted butter
180 g flour
1-2 Tbl water
1 Tbs vinegar

1. Mix the ingredients together by hand and let the dough rest 20 minutes before rolling it out (a wine-bottle works perfect for this if you do not have a rolling-stick). Dress the form with the dough after having oiled it first.

Fill: (24 cm in diameter form)
3-4 eggs
2 dl milk
1 dl Parmesan shredded
0,5 dl yellow cheese for topping (Gouda, Jarlsberg)
1 Tbs Maizena
2 tsp muscat
5 small boiled potatoes (approx. 15 min)
500 g green asparagus peeled and boiled (4 min)

1. Mix the eggs and milk together with a whisk. Add the shredded Parmesan, muscat and Maizena in the mix.
2. Place the potatoes chopped in pieces at the bottom of the form. Lay the asparagus on top. Pour the egg mix over and sprinkle some cheese on top.
3. In the oven for 25-30 min at 180 degrees.

Salad:
1 Granny-Smith apple
1/2 yellow paprika
1/2 handful pine-nuts
25 g Roquefort in pieces
salad mix
balsamic vinegar

Can well be served with freshly backed bread and some Parma-ham.

Carrots, oranges, walnuts and girls film night is a good "mélange"

Film night with the girls accompanied by "the carrot cake" that almost makes you feel healthy and definitely makes you happy!

Cake:
3 eggs
1,5 dl sugar (preferably brown)

3 dl flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
(1 tsp grated ginger, optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
400 g shredded carrots
0,5 dl orange juice
0,5 dl oil (raps, grape)
100 g walnuts chopped (and raisins, optional)

1. Separate egg-white and yoke and bat the egg-white it is until it is stiff. Then mix dry ingredients together, i.e. flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and add the wet the ingredients, i.e. oil, juice, carrot, egg yoke and brown sugar into the dry. Finally add the egg-white.
3. Bake at 180 degrees for 45 min in the oven, or till the dough no longer sticks to a test-stick.

Frosting:
3,5 dl powder sugar
150 g Philadelphia (for more personal touch use FR/BE/GER: chevreaux (NOR: Snøfrisk))
1 tbs butter
2 tbs citron juice

*if you decide to go for the chevreaux cheese then some fresh rosemary fits well as decoration...

1st May bruch Banana-Pecans Scones with Cinnamon-Apple Rasberry Jam

For a fantastically enjoyable weekend breakfast/ brunch I suggest a good cup of coffee and...

Banana-Pecans Scones:

(5 good sized scones)
2 tbs sugar (preferably brown)
50 g butter (melted)
1 dl milk
150 g flour
3 tbs quinoa-muesli or oatmeal
3 tbs coconut flakes
1 tsp baking-powder
50 g pecan (chopped roughly)
2 bananas mashed

Dough should have a lumpy porridge thick consistency. Adjust it with milk or flour after need. 20 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees or until golden-brown.

Cinnamon-Apple and raspberry jam:

2 dl frozen raspberries
1 granny smith apple (chopped in pieces)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp citron juice
2 tbs vanilla sugar
2 tbs sugar

Boil in a kettle on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Use the hand-blender (NOR: Stavmikser, GER: Pürierstab)

*For the Norwegian twist add some G-35 brown goat-cheese on top..hmmm