Komen Eten @ Gabi's Bistro

***
Komen Eten ("Come Dine With Me"): an awesome TV experience: delicious food, great participants and SO MUCH FUN!!!

***

Plum Cake & how to enjoy Autumn

Autumn rarely gets the credit it deserves.  People tend to favor hot summer days, crisp winter snow or the fresh spring breeze.  Nonetheless, autumn is the most picturesque season - that is if you're lucky enough to get some sunshine and a clear blue sky.

On sunny autumn days, Mother Nature paints the most colorful and elaborate pictures.  Bright reds dancing with yellows and oranges, mosaics of all sorts of leafs covering the ground, and the contrast between already bare, sad tree branches, and the still covered die-hards.  Such days are a huge inspiration to me - I just can't resist grabbing my camera, and going out for hours and hours of exploring, admiring and capturing this dazzling, flamboyant beauty.

These pictures were taken in November in Philadelphia, where I lived at the time. I'd been wanting to capture the autumn colors for a while, and when the right sunny weekend came, I ventured on the quest. I was so hungry for nice shots, that I walked and walked for hours, not even noticing I spent almost an entire day taking pictures. A day very well spent, in my book ;-)

But even when it's gloomy and rainy outside - autumn has its charms. Don't you ever feel like not doing anything particularly "ambitious" on a free day? Just curling up under a blanket, with a good book in one hand and a cup of hot lemon & honey tea in the other. In my always-busy-and-hectic-every-day-life I truly long for such cosy moments of peace. 

However, I find you can only enjoy such days when it's pouring with rain and gloomy outside. Nice weather lures me out: I want to go running, cycling, taking pictures: OUT. But when it's cold and wet, I feel absolutely no urge to go outside. Watching the rain fall and hearing the wind blow while you're sitting next to a heater (nice & cosy; dry & warm) makes you feel so safe and peaceful. Autumn is great for such slow-paced and easy-going moments.

The great thing about autumn is also the produce available during this season. Fragrant apples, pears and plums, fresh walnuts and hazelnuts, chestnuts, and let's not forget Queen Pumpkin. With such delicious fruits and veggies at hand, the range of autumn recipes is endless. Hearty soups, warming you up on cold, long evenings; roasted root vegetables; purées, mashes and stews of all kind.  And of course, the many great desserts: pumpkin bread or pie, plum crumbles, upside-down pear cakes, caramelized apples, cranberry cheesecakes... this divine list goes on and on.  This recipe is one of my favorite desserts during plum season.

This plum cake is the definition of what I know to be good old-fashioned, home-made cake.  Simple, not too fancy-schmancy, but so delicious and homey.  The cake is moist, because of the the huge amount of added fruit, not too sweet, and topped of with a delicious crumble.  You can add almost any type of fruit to the cake - also frozen if you prefer (no need to defrost beforehand).  The recipe is foolproof, and always works.

The cake stays fresh for quite a few days, which means you can make a bigger batch at once, and enjoy it longer.  We all know, the world looks a little bit better with a piece of cake in your hand.  So go ahead, bake the cake and enjoy this beautiful autumn season!

CAKE INGREDIENTS (all at room temperature):

• 200 g butter
• 160 g sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 200 g flour
• 40 g potato starch or 1 package of pudding powder mix (vanilla flavor, approx. 40 g)
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• a pinch of salt

CRUMBLE INGREDIENTS:

• 150 g flour
• 100 g cold butter
• 50 g powdered sugar

ALSO: 

• 800 g plums, halved and pitted (other fruit will also work, e.g. peaches, strawberries)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
• Sift the flour, pudding powder and baking powder.
• Mix the butter in a mixer until light and fluffy.  Keep on mixing and add the sugar and salt.  Add the eggs, one by one, mixing after every addition.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter mix, and stir them in with a spatula until just combined (don't over-stir).
• Line a baking tray (20 x 30 cm) with parchment paper.  Transfer the batter onto the tray, even out.
• Distribute the plums evenly on the batter, skin side down.
• Prepare the crumble by quickly mixing the ingredients by hand.  Sprinkle on top of the plums.
• Bake for approx. 45 minutes.  Test if the cake is done wh a woden skewer / matchstick - if they still come out wet, bake a bit longer.

The recipe comes from Dorotus' blog (modified by me).

Bon appetit!

AA (or Avocado Appetizer)

Aaaaaaaaaavocado appetizer - an actually a-complicated and astonishingly appetizing antipasto!  

Yet another simple and healthy dish.  Avocados are a great source of healthy fats (actually reducing bad cholesterol), they are high in fiber contents and packed with vitamins.  But they are also very delicious!  Their creamy, smooth texture makes a great base for various salads and salsas.  They go so well with a whole bunch of different ingredients, which leaves the door open for you to experiment and try to pair them with all sorts of things.  This very recipe is the product of a quick experiment - based on what I thought would go well with avocado and.... what I had in the fridge at that time.

This appetizer has a great combination of different tastes and textures.  You have the smooth and rich avocado, tangy-sweet apple, crunchy shallots and peppers, and nutty roasted pine nuts.  The freshness of the lemon gives it an extra twist, and thick Greek yoghurt combines all the ingredients into one delicious salad.  Avocado really is a great canvas/background that brings out the crunchy, tangy and sweet components.  Yet again, without them, it would be bland and too rich.  With them, it's elevated to the super fruit status it fully deserves.

This appetizer can be served on its own or with a slice of good bread.  Double the portion (two halves per person) and you have a healthy, nutritious and filling lunch.  You could also serve it as a simple salad - a side dish to a main course.   

Makes 4 appetizers

Ingredients:

• 2 ready to eat avocados
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 small crisp, tangy-sweet apple (e.g. pink lady)
• 2 shallots (a big red onion would also work)
• a big handful of pine nuts (approx. 70-80g)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of very thick greek yoghurt (or mayonnaise if you prefer the taste - but this makes the recipe a bit less healthy ;-) )
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

• Toast the pine nuts in a very hot dry pan until golden brown (watch out not to burn them!).  Set aside to cool.
• Slice the avocados in half, get rid of the stones.  Gently remove the flesh, leaving the shells intact (this can be very easily done with a tablespoon).  Set the shells aside - they will serve as bowls.  Gently dice the avocado (in rather large pieces), put in a bowl and immediately generously sprinkle with lemon juice (this will prevent the avocado from going brown).
• Dice the shallots (finely), pepper and apple and add to the avocado.  Sprinkle some more lemon juice over the apple (otherwise it will also go brown).  Add the pine nuts, yoghurt and season well with salt and pepper.  Stir gently (e.g. using two forks) not to mash the avocado.
• Serve inside the avocado shells, garnished with basil.

Bon appetit!

Revolutionary bread

Today's recipe is one of my favorite recipes ever, for three reasons.  It is (i) sooo simple, (ii) sooo delicious and (iii) sooo healthy!  

Simple

It's really like magic -- you throw a few ingredients together, wave your magic wand around (aka stir a bit with a spoon) and there is your bread.  No machines or complicated equipment needed, no waiting for the yeast or sourdough levain to kick in, no tricky procedures.  The preparation takes no more than 7 minutes (basically spent on weighing ingredients) and sure is no rocket science: it's pretty much foolproof.

For me the discovery of the recipe was really revolutionary!  The super busy person I am - I never thought I would have the time to bake my own bread.  I thought only retired or unemployed people (or those with a non-demanding job) would have the time to do it.  Luckily, thanks to this recipe, busy lawyers no longer have to feel excluded from the elite Group of Non-Professional Bread Bakers :)

Delicious

This bread is insanely delicious!!!  You can basically eat it on its own, like cake.  But it also goes well with savory and sweet toppings -- cheese, meats, pesto, hummus, honey, jam...  It is crunchy on the outside, and insanely moist within.  It practically doesn't get stale and tastes just as good on the next days (though if someone else is "helping" you eat it, it never lasts more than a day).  The loaf is very small, but every bite is filling.  You can also freeze the bread, which is very practical if you want a loaf on storage (good tip: slice it before freezing and defrost a slice in a toaster: phenomenal!).

I stopped eating bread almost entirely before I discovered this recipe.  I was used to dense and moist sourdough bread in my native Poland (klick for example 1 and example 2 - Poland truly has the most amazing bread!), and was very disappointed by the fluffy bread in Western Europe.  Unless I would go to a pricy specialized bakery every day, I could not get anything decent.  Baking my own, Polish-style bread would take too much time, so I simply stopped eating bread.  But with this recipe, I can again enjoy excellent bread on a regular basis.

The only problem is a mysterious phenomenon occurring whenever you make the bread - the loaf disappears extremely fast.  So fast that you need to bake yet another loaf before you know it...

Healthy

Delicious things are rarely really good for you -- life just isn't that good.  But this bread is one of the few exceptions.  All ingredients are very healthy and nutritious; it's also gluten-free (if you use buckwheat flakes instead of oatmeal).  The bread is packed with fiber and nutrients, and has a lot of seeds and nuts that contain those really good fats.  On top, the psyllium seeds on their own have medicinal properties for the colon, so eating the bread is almost like taking food supplements ;-)  I am sort of a healthy food freak (although you probably can't tell by the amount of dessert recipes on the blog).  For me there is an added pleasure to eating food when I know it is actually good for me.  I love eating healthy food, knowing I'm taking care of my body and not just dumping junk in it. 

Some ingredients may sound a bit exotic, but trust me: you can easily get them in health food stores off- or online.  I was hesitant at first, but had a look around and it turns out you can buy this stuff.  Sometimes we just don't pay attention to what is available, because we never use these ingredients.   

So there you go: 3 reasons for baking this bread.  Now there is nothing left for you to do, but to try this recipe out!

1 small loaf

INGREDIENTS:

• 135g sunflower seeds
• 90g flax seeds
• 65g hazelnuts or almonds
• 145g buckwheat flakes or rolled oats 
• 4 tbsp psyllium seeds or psyllium seed husks or ground flax seeds (or 3 tbsp psyllium husk powder)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee (or melted butter)
• 350ml water

DIRECTIONS:

• Combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. In another container, whisk together the wet ingredients (honey, water, coconut oil/ghee).  Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix very well (you can add one or two teaspoons of water if the dough seems to dry). Line the smallest bread pan you have with parchment paper and put the mixture in it (it will not grow).  Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.  Cover this with some cling film, and let sit out on the counter for at least 2h, maximum 24h.
• Preheat the oven 175°C.
• Place the bread pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, flip it upside down directly on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and bake for another 30-40 minutes (watch out - it is hot!). The bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped.  
• Let it cool completely before slicing!

*The recipe comes from the blog My New Roots.

Bon appetit!

Above: bread + home-made baked lentil, soy & mushroom pâté.

The good life: Greek island bliss

Above: Knossos Palace, Crete.



Sometimes we don't need to go very far to have the best vacation ever.  We don't need to overload our activity plan with millions of ambitious trips, we don't need to have a check-list of highly recommended must-do's, we don't have to want it all and want it now.  Eating good food, drinking local wine and simply enjoying the sun and the sea breeze is, frankly, all you need.  

 

Because when you're in paradise, a little goes a long way...

Below: the lovely village of Loutro, Crete (close to the Samaria Gorge).

Above: restaurant Okeanis in Elounda, Crete -- spicy meatballs, tzatziki, Mum's Aubergines, Cretan bread, lamb in wine stew, fava.

During our summer holidays, we usually go somewhere way more exotic than Europe, move from hotel to hotel every day, plan ambitious trips and explore-explore-explore!  Or actually, should I say "deplore, deplore, deplore"?  Yep, the result is often that we come back more exhausted than we were before leaving, and that we need another week of vacation to rest after our vacation. 

 

Well, not this time.  This summer we went to the Greek islands of Crete and Santorini, adamant to do justice to our newly adopted resolution "this time we R E S T".  And boy - did we have the time of our lives...

Below: breathtaking village of Oia, Santorini

Above: a selection of mezze: dolmadakia, olive & feta pancakes, zucchini pancakes, and tyrokafteri.

 

People living in the Mediterranean have an incredible knack (unfathomable to us, People of the North) of truly living the moment: unwinding, making the small worldly pleasures count, taking the time to enjoy a glass of good wine in even better company -- be it of a good friend, or of a good book (or of good cheese ;-) ).  

 

Food is strikingly simple, but mind-blowingly delicious.  Some signature local products - such as bread, cheese, olive oil, honey - are paired with the unquestionable stars of the meals: sun-fed fruit and vegetables.  And so the dance begins: ** fragrant juicy tomatoes with salty goat's cheese, fruity olives, red onions and herbs ** tangy vine leaves wrapped around soft rice, and dipped in a fresh cucumber-lemon tzatziki ** thick, velvety yoghurt with lightly roasted almonds, sweet figs and golden honey **  A dance I could dance whole day...

 

Below: the breakfast of Kings: Horiatiki salad, a selection of olives and cheeses, fresh vegetables.

Above: the breakfast of Kings: spanakopita, tyropita, baked tomato with salty cheese and basil, sesame bread stick.

I completely rediscovered Greek food while in Greece.  Obviously I have had it before in Greek restaurants located in other parts of the world, but it was not the real deal.  That's why I generally preferred Italian or Spanish cuisine when going for Mediterranean food. 

 

The trip to Greece was an epiphany: Greek food is absolutely amazing!  Of course the freshness and flavorfulness of the local ingredients contributed to this epiphany: a Greek salad in Greece and a Greek salad outside of Greece are two different stories...

 

Below and middle: the breakfast of Kings: thick, Greek sheep's milk yoghurt, dried fruit, roasted nuts, preserves, honey.  Local coffee and sweets.

Above: huge watermelons, fresh figs - torn in half and growing on trees.

During the trip we tasted quite a few local specialties.  At Okeanis, a traditional restaurant near Elounda, Crete, we started our evening with a selection of mezze - small appetizers.  The set included the locally famous "Mum's Aubergines" - aubergines slowly baked in a clay pot, with tomatoes and herbs, sprinkled with salty cheese (no wonder the dish was praised by local newspapers: the flavors were simply divine!); fava - a rich, earthy puree of yellow split peas sprinkled with spring onions; tzatziki - a wonderfully fresh cucumber and garlic yoghurt dip; spicy mint meatballs; and a Cretan specialty called "Cretan bread" - slightly stale, hard bread, topped with diced garlic tomatoes (moistening and softening the bread), grated salty cheese, olives and herbs - giving a very original, yet tasty, flavor combination.  As a main course, we ordered lamb, slowly cooked in a sweet red wine sauce -- the meat was simply divine, super tender and spicy.  Before we left, the owners surprised us with a free dessert - a great finish of a delicious meal.

We also tried other mezze on Santorini and Crete.  Among our favorites were the classic dolmadakia (dolmas in Turkey) - marinated vine leaves stuffed with rice, served with a fresh lemony tzatziki; tyrokafteri - a spicy feta & hot pepper spread, one of our favorite things during the trip; as well as various little pancakes -- with olives, zucchini, feta, spinach etc.

What is also amazing in Greece is the seafood.  Different kinds of seafood are incorporated in mezze (e.g., fish roe paste taramosalata), but to me there is nothing better than fresh fish from the grill.  The lovely, romantic little restaurant Taverna Giorgos in Plaka, Crete, serves the best grilled fish I ever had.  The jovial and extremely friendly owner welcomes you to choose a specimen from his catch of the day -- fish he freshly caught in his fishing boat earlier that day.  I tried a red sea bream, which was divine -- meaty and flavorful -- you could really taste the freshness of the fish.  Pair that with a glass of good wine and a sea-view-to-die-for, and your evening is perfect.

Above: Taverna Giorgos, Plaka, Crete: a selection of mezze; grilled freshly caught red sea bream.

I can hardly imagine a better place to relax and enjoy the good life than Crete.  I'm sure we will go back some day, and, who knows, maybe even buy a little summer house there (there is no harm in dreaming, right?).  I can already see myself sitting on the terrace, watching the sun set, sipping good Cretan wine and munching on some local pistachios. 

So why not repeat after the Greek philosopher Epicurus: "Pleasure is the beginning and the end of living happily"...? 

Reactivation: almond & basil-crusted salmon

Hello world!  It's been a while since I posted here.  Obviously the circumstances are to blame - not me.  You are asking: how come?  Well, my inspiration for writing was brutally beheaded time after time by the changing aura.

First, I wanted to complain about the bad weather (not an infrequent inclination of mine :P)  And the weather got much better...  So then I wanted to write about the sun, hot weather, ice cream, running through fountains, pleasant evenings on the terrace, and lying on the grass waiting for that first sunburn -- pretty much your average summery stuff.  Before I got to that, however, the weather changed again.  It got chilly and rainy, and the possibility of catching sunburn was exchanged for the possibility of catching a cold.  Nonetheless, at that point it seemed pointless and so-oh passé to complain about the bad weather, and I was left without topic, yet again.

 

This whole (questionably interesting) inner debate brought me to the conclusion that maybe I shouldn't base my blog posts on weather descriptions -- as fascinating as they may be (...for grannies waiting for weather reports whilst finishing knitting new scarfs). After all, this blog is about so much more than weather (theoretically, at least).

I guess what I'm trying to say by this whole litany of excuses and boring weather talk: I missed this blog, and will make sure to start posting on a regular basis again! The good thing is that I managed to take an insane number of pictures in the meantime -- all of insanely delicious food -- so I have plenty of great resources to draw from.

 

Thanks for bearing with me. And hold on to your hats: the reaaaaally good stuff is just about to start!   

 

Speaking of really good stuff: this almond & basil-crusted salmon is packed with flavors and utterly delicious.  The freshness of the basil paired with zingy lemon zest and buttery roasted almonds makes a perfect combination.  When you are making the dish, the most amazing harmony of scents fills your kitchen and hungry housemates intrigued by the smell flock to you.  I also like the combination of textures - meaty salmon, crunchy almonds and delicate herbs -- it really melts in your mouth.

 

The dish is very easy to make, so you can prepare it for a simple weekday dinner.  At the same time, the perfect flavor blend and appealing presentation make it a sure winner for dinner parties with friends -- your guests will love it!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless salmon fillets (approx. 600 g)
• 100 g of whole unsalted & unroasted almonds
• small bunch of fresh basil
• 1 lemon (juice + zest)
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt
• pepper

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 180-200 °C.
• Chop the almonds coarsly and roast for a few minutes in a hot dry frying pan, until golden-brown.  Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon juice and lemon zest.  Let cool.
• Chop the basil and add to the almond mixture.  Add the butter and a bit of salt and pepper.
• Spread the crust on top of the salmon fillets.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes (check if your almonds are not burning -- if so decrease the heat).
• Serve with steamed veggies and/or garlic baked potatoes.

 

*I found the recipe (by doktorek) on a Polish discussion forum.

Bon appetit!

Thai red curry with shrimp & noodles

Have you ever wondered how your imagination can write the most fascinating, yet somewhat bizarre scenarios?  My mind, in any case, seems very prone to coming up with the craziest ideas.  One thought I'm often puzzled by, for example, is what would the world look like if everybody had the same personality, talents and flaws as me.  I'm not talking about looks, educational choices, or even interests.  Just hard skills & character = what you are born with.

Imagine all the plumbers, architects, athletes, policemen, doctors and taxi drivers would have your take on life (optimistic or pessimistic), your enthousiasm (or the lack of it), your ability to learn (slowly or quickly), to tackle problems and face challenges, your dedication or your laziness, as well as your social skills.  

It's a funny exercise for your mind and I recommend you have a go at it and see what kind of world you would come up with.  All you need to do is think of yourself in every possible social scenario and profession -- and assume you have full power to do things your way.  After all -- the only person who could stop you would be you.

You don't need to dig deep when playing this game and keep it simple.  Think about things you are good at / not good at.  Maybe with your skills there would be a cure for cancer by now?  Or maybe we wouldn't have even made it to the Moon?  What would the buildings designed by you look like (IOW: what is your style?)?  How would cities and road networks be planned (IOW: do you have a decent spatial intelligence and can you predict social needs or technological developments?)?  What would you find on the shelves of an ordinary supermarket: more types of yoghurt? more exotic fruit? less meat?  Would the Air Force One have a SPA on board?  Would there be different TV channels? 

If you do wish to dig a bit deeper -- focus on the more fundamental issues.  Would the world be a cleaner, safer and more peaceful place?  Think carefully!  The fact that now you are against war does not mean much.  You probably live a nice, cheerful life in a safe country, have a decent job and never go hungry (except when on a diet :P ).  But would you still be against war if you were born poor, in a third world country, and some guys sent by a ruthless dictator threatened your family?  Would you fight -- or still choose peace?

But enough of this philosophizing: let's get to the food :D  This Thai red curry is really one of the best things I ever ate!  Spicy, creamy, and with a perfect balance of flavors and textures.  I love curries in general, but used to be more familiar with the Indian ones, rather than the Thai, which I discovered quite late.  I love their exotic taste: the blend of heat, sweetness and zingy freshness, combined the lovely smoothness of coconut milk.

Once you get a grasp of the basics and are able to make this amazing red sauce, you can throw in almost any ingredients you like.  You don't need to go for shrimp -- try using meaty fish, chicken or veal instead, if that's more to your liking.  Also various types of veg go very well with this.  Based on the original recipe you should add bamboo shoots and soft green peppercorns -- but baby corn or red peppers are great too.  Enjoy!

[METHOD]

Bon appetit!