Tender-Roasted Sweetness: White Apricots

Hello hungry fellows! What's up?

It is so damn hot here in Switzerland! Hot damn! And I am getting ever lazier. There are a only few things left to do for University before I can enjoy my semester holidays and if I finally managed to get up and did this EFFICIENTLY, it would not take very long, frankly speaking. But as you might know, I am easily distracted. And distraction is frequent these days. Like, for example, the sweet distraction I really wanna share with you guys today! 

And my new resolutions about sports and nutrition, well, they have been made use of but...but. Yeah. It was hot outside. And I had to realise that I totally can be knocked out by one single workout. Thanks, Jackie Warner, for your wonderful 2in1 Workout that made me walk like a fool for at least three days! 

But I won't give up, of course. I am gonna have a rendez-vous with virtual DVD-Jackie tomorrow again and I do not know if I am ready for this. I guess not.

So let's turn to more pleasing stuff. More tender, sweet and nice-to-look-at stuff. Like those lovely, roundish guys here: white apricots. God, I love fruit-season!

So I decided to prepare them in a new way. I mean, sure, who does not love fruit smoothies and fruit salad, but it's nothing that would strike you, right?

So I decided the white apricots to meet the oven. And some other tempting, charming sweet and sour companions. For example birch sugar (this is one of my favourites right now: no calories, good for your teeth but damn close to sugar). And basil. And lavender.

And, people, I have to say (sorry for self-complimenting): what came out definitely falls into the category "must-try". Especially because it's easy, ideal for a lovely, warm evening with friends and family. 

So, promise you try these:

Oven-Roasted White Apricots with Lavender-Basil-Lemon-Dressing

ingredients (4 people):

12-14 white apricots

4 tablespoons birch sugar (you can also tak real one, birch sugar is however awesome for thos who want to watch their sugar-intake)

***

3 tablespoons yogurt

6 tablespoons birch sugar

1 lemon

1 handful basil

1 tablespoon lavender

preparation:

1. preheat the oven on 200° C and cut the apricots in half, spread the birch sugar on them and roast for about 10 minutes

2. bring the lemon juice with brich sugar and lavender to a boil, sieve and mix with hashed basil and yogurt

3. serve the warm apricots topped with the yogurt sauce and enjoy!

SEE YOU, SWEETIES!

Fall(ing) for summer

Hi there guys! Everything all right?

It seems as if summer had decided to come back for a few more days (for a last good-bye?)!

So, although I wanted to celebrate the first ones of my beloved autumnal signs such as chest nuts, pumpkins, spices and coloured leaves, I decided to create a last but fantastic food-hommage towards summer (who actually wasn't part of my life very much these holidays).

Guys, some time ago I already told you about the perks of being a flight attendant's daughter. I could make use of those advantages once more this weekend. My Mom had gone to a lovely market during her stay in Boston and brought me the most beautifully coloured veggies!

As I have got quite a lot of homework to do for my Geography studies (Thanks, Mrs. human geography!), I will not get chatty today and just give you this superhealthy, refreshing, colourful and summery recipe I created for you yesterday (already looking forward to autumnal menus in my heart):

Garlic-Moghrabieh-Couscous with summery veggies, Kale, Limes and Peppermint

Ingredients (4-5 people)

230 g Moghrabieh (pearled couscous)

270 g couscous100 g prosciutto crudo

4 tablespoons butter

8.5 dl bouillon

4 handful peppermint

4 limes

2 lemons

4 handful basil

4 handful baby kale

6 colourful tomatoes

4 mini aubergines

2 yellow zucchini

1 dl olive oil

8 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons cane sugar

salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. roughly slice veggies, 1 lemon and 2 limes and mix with olive oil, 2 pressed garlic cloves, salt, pepper, 2 handful of peppermint, 2 handful pf basil and cane sugar, spread on a baking sheet

2. melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pot, add 6 pressed garlic cloves and pearled Couscous and roast until golden brown, add Bouillon and juice of remaining limes and lemon and let simmer for 5 minutes

3. in the meantime, put veggies in the oven, roast on 220° for 15 minutes

4. After 5-7 minutes, add Couscous to pearled Couscous and turn down the heat, stir well and add kale, peppermint, 3 tablespoons of butter and basil

Serve veggies and Couscous all together and enjoy this summery meal!

refreshing, colourful "threesome": creamy, summer-scented frozen yogurts

Good evening, guys! 

Summer is returning! I have already prepared myself for a rainy, wet, chilly summer, but, good news, I will not have to spend the rest of my semester holidays at home with a cheesy skin-colour. Instead, I, well, all of us, will have to get prepared for hot temperatures. And I am here to help you, guys. See what I brought along:

After having seen the weather forecast for next week, I did not only have the impulse to prepare some frozen yo'. No, I actually had the impulse to prepare loads of frozen yo'. With refreshing, colourful, summery ingredients. So I took a quick look at our supply (which was astonishingly manifold) and let the cookery-addict-part of my brain work to finally come up with:

* Blackberry-Rose-Frozen-Yogurt

* Lime-Peppermint-Lemon-Balm-Frozen Yogurt

* Honeydew-Melon-Lemon-Orange-Frozen-Yogurt

I have just tried them and my favorite flavour is definitely Rose-Blackberry. Not only due to the colour, of course. However, I'd say that Peppermint-Lime-Lemon-balm is the most refreshing one. You might like to prepare all frozen yogurts at once (If you have guests that might be a good idea, so that everyone can find their favourite flavour). Or you might like to test just one version. If so, you would have to divide the frozen-yo-basis by three. 

Ingredients and Preparation (for three tupperwares of 20x10 cm):

* Frozen-Yogurt-Basis

700 g greek yogurt

2,5 dl cream

300 g raw cane sugar

2 egg whites

1. Mix Yogurt and raw cane suagr

2. Whisk stiff egg whites and cream

3. Mix carefully and divide into three portions

__________

* Lime-Peppermint-Lemon-Balm-Mix

2 handful peppermint

2 handful lemon balm

4 tablespoons raw cane sugar

2 Limes: zest and juice

1. put all ingredients in a cutter and blend well

2. Mix with one third of frozen-yo-mix and freeze for 5 hours

__________

* Blackberry-Rose-Mix

150 g fresh blackberries

6 tablespoons raw cane sugar

5-6 tablespoons rose water

1. Blend all ingredients well in a mixer

2. Mix with one third of frozen-yo-mix and freeze for 5 hours

__________

* Honeydew-Melon-Citrus-Mix

1 orange: zest

1 lemon: zest and juice

 2/6 honeydew melon

1. finely slice melon

2. Blend all ingredients in a mixer

3. Mix with one third of frozen-yo-mix and freeze for 5 hours

If you should have too much of the flavor-mixes, just put the rest into the fridge. It tastes awesome with fresh yogurt or some muesli.
If you would like to prepare a skinny version of it:

1. leave away 50-100 g of sugar
2. leave away cream and take 200 g more yoghurt

ENJOY!

Blackberry-Rose

Honeydew-Melon-Citrus

Lime-Peppermint-Lemon-Balm

SEE YOU GUYS! 

xoxo, Florence

save the pasta for last

Buonasera a tutti!

Do you already smell tempting italianità by looking at this picture? I hope so!

Whenever I had a hard day, I kinda really feel like eating pasta. Always. And I can tell you: It's a pretty good compensation for whatever has happened during the day. First of all: it always works. secondly: it is easy to prepare (except for me, for I always boilover that damned stuff, but I got faith in your abilities...). Thirdly: You can do whatever you like with it (as long as you PLEASE do not add chocolate sauce or mix it with other carbohydrates or something weird! But I have also got faith in your common sense and your love for pasta).

So, given the fact that I had my last, but also hugest University-exam in geography today: guess what I had for dinner? Pasta, yeah! And as it was pretty hot today I had that version of it:

Tepid Penne-Salad with Chicken-Breasts, grilled Veggies and Tomato-Olive-Herb-Dressing

ingredients (6 people)

750 g Penne

250 g pelati

1 zucchini

1 eggplant

400 g chicken breast

200 g dried tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

175 g olive paste

1 handful fresh origano

1 handful fresh thyme

2 handful fresh basil

1,5 dl olive oil

0.5 dl balsamico

salt, pepper

preparation:

1. bring water in a large pan to a boil, add chicken breasts and cook well, then put aside, but in fine slices or cubes and add some pepper

2. preheat a pan with 0.5 dl olive oil, finely slice zucchini, dried tomatoes and eggplant and roast well, put aside

3. after having taken out the chicken breats, use the water for the Penne to cook

4. mean while, blend pelati, olive paste, rest of olive oil, pressed garlic cloves, balsamico, thyme, basil, origano, salt and pepper in a cutter

5. Mix everything and stir well

Buon appetito!