Winter tabbouleh with roasted vegetables.

For ➍

1 cauliflower

½ pumpkin

4 handfuls of rocket

200 g cooked chickpeas

200 g wheat semolina

120 g feta* or 20 falafels

4 tbs olive oil

4 ts ground garlic, paprika, cumin

sauce*:

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs honey

1 tbs mustard

1 lemon, juiced

1 clove crushed garlic

finishing:

pomegranate

coriander

Preheat the oven to 200°C

In the meantime, cut the cauliflower and pumpkin into pieces of about 2 cm. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Divide the cauliflower and pumpkin pieces on a plate and brush them with half of the herbs and olive oil.

Do the same with the chickpeas on a second plate.

[Or spread everything out on a large baking tray].

Bake everything for 40 m.

Cook the wheat semolina with boiling water.

Prepare the sauce. Mix the olive oil, honey, mustard, lemon juice and the crushed garlic clove in a bowl.

Prepare the winter tabouleh by combining the rocket, semolina and roasted vegetables. Drizzle with the sauce, sprinkle with crumbled feta or add the falafels and mix again. If desired, finish with fresh pomegranate and coriander. Serve warm.

The tabouleh salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

*Double the quantity of sauce for more taste.

Austrian Linzer Torte

For ➑ portions

75 g blanched almonds 

75 g blanched hazelnuts 

250 g plain flour 

225 g butter 

130 g light brown sugar 

1 egg 1 tsp cinnamon 

⅛ ts cloves 

¼ ts salt 

zest of 1 lemon 

280 g redcurrant jam* 

1 egg yolk 

almond flakes for decoration 

 

Grind the almonds and hazelnuts and place in a bowl. Add the flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon, lemon zest, light brown sugar and butter. Use a pastry cutter/blender or two knives to cut the butter into the remaining ingredients until crumbly. Then add the egg. 

Knead into a dough with your hands. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 m. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Take ⅔ of the dough and press it into a 26 cm baking tin. Make sure the bottom is completely covered with dough with a thick edge of 1 cm thick. Add the jam, make sure the entire bottom of the tart is covered with jam. 

Cut the rest of the dough into strips. Place the strips on the tart and make a nice lattice pattern on it. Brush the dough with egg yolk. Decorate the Linzer Torte with some almond shavings and bake it in the oven for 45-60 m. 

* (or raspberry jam)

♥︎Quick muesli bread

For ➓ portions

50 g oatmeal flakes

2 tbs oatmeal flakes for decoration

30 cl (oat) milk

240 g spelt flour

1½ ts baking powder

1 ts cinnamon

3 tbs honey or apple syrup

1 egg, beaten

125 g currants and/or raisins

50 g dried apricots

5 tbs coarsely chopped almonds (or several types of nuts)

a ​​little bit of butter for the tin

bread / cake tin 9 x 21cm

Put the oatmeal in a bowl and pour the milk over it and let it rest for 30 m.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease a cake tin with a little butter and place a small sheet of baking paper on the bottom.

After 30 m, add all the other ingredients to the bowl.

Stir everything together with a fork or mix in a food processor on low speed. Add the dry ingredients last and mix for another 30 s.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the top and sprinkle with 2 tbsp oatmeal.

Bake the muesli bread for 45 m or until well done and brown on top.

Let the bread cool slightly in the tin, then turn the bread out onto a rack, remove the baking paper and let the bread cool completely.

Keeps for 4-5 days.

♥︎Quiche without pastry

For ➍

2 sweet potatoes, finely mandoline sliced

bag baby spinach

4 eggs

2 tbs Greek yoghurt or whipped cottage cheese

1 clove garlic, crushed

100 g smoked salmon

100 g fresh goat cheese or 1 goat cheese slice

olive oil

salt & pepper

Spread thin slices of sweet potato in a pie dish to make a good base. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a preheated oven at 200°C for 10-15 min until edges are lightly golden.

Whisk the yoghurt, garlic, salt and pepper

Pour over the sweet potato. Divide the spinach over the dish. Add pieces of smoked salmon and crumbled goat cheese. Place in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 min.

Serve with green salad.

♥︎Tajine with cod & sweet potato

For ➋ 

 500 g skinless cod fillet 

2 onions, in half rings 

1 sweet potato, cubed 

15 cl fish stock 

15 cl passata 

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

½ red pepper, in strips 

½ orange pepper, in strips 

1 red chili pepper 

1 tin of chickpeas 

olive oil 

 marinade: 

1 handful of coriander, finely chopped 

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 

1 tsp baharat (Arabic spice mix) 

1 dash of olive oil 

½ preserved lemon, finely chopped peel 

Put the coriander, parsley, baharat, olive oil and preserved lemon in a bowl.  Stir everything well. Marinate the cod fillets in the oil for a while. Or put them together in the fridge for 30 m. 

Put some olive oil in the tajine and fry the onion in it. Add the sweet potato cubes and season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the fish stock and the passata. Put the lid on the tajine and let it cook for 10-15 m. After 5 m, add the pepper strips. 

Then add the garlic, the chili pepper and the pieces of fish, together with the marinade (optional). Let it cook covered for the rest (depending on the thickness of the fish, 15-20 m). 

Pat the chickpeas dry between two pieces of kitchen paper. Put a pan on the stove and heat a dash of olive oil in it. Fry the chickpeas with, if desired, some more coriander, mint and baharat. Put the chickpeas in a jar and serve with the tagine on the table.

♥︎Grilled tuna with green beans, lemon, garlic & eggs

For ➍

1 tbs olive oil*

300 g green beans

4 tuna steaks, 220 g each & 3 cm thick

1 tbs extra virgin oil

2-3 eggs

2 cloves of garlic

lemon (finely chopped zest of a lemon)

Hard boil the eggs in 10 m, peel them and rub them through a sieve.

Clean the beans and cook them until al dente.

Shock them in ice water and then drain them well.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic in it.

Add the beans and heat well.

Season with the lemon zest, pepper and salt and carefully mix in the finely ground eggs.

Keep warm.

Rub the tuna steaks with extra virgin olive oil and grill them for about 5 m.

Season with pepper and salt afterwards.

Serve with the beans and southern sauce of your choice.

*or vegetable fat

♥︎Fat-free apple cake

For ➑

3 eggs

1 tbs cold water

150 g granulated sugar

1 sachet vanilla sugar

3 apples

dash of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 175°C hot air. Separate the eggs and first beat the egg whites until stiff together with a spoonful of cold water and the vanilla and granulated sugar (I only added these when the egg whites were almost stiff). Then add the three egg yolks and continue mixing for a while. Then sift the flour and fold it into your batter.

Peel 2 apples, cut them into small pieces and mix them with the lemon juice. Fold them into your batter as well. Place baking paper on the bottom of a springform pan. Lightly grease the edges. Pour the dough into the baking pan. Peel the third apple. Cut into slices and arrange on top of the cake. Bake until the cake skewer comes out dry, about 45-50 m.

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♥︎Fregola sarda with shimeji in lemon & tarragon sauce

For ➋ 

150 g fregola sarda

2 garlic cloves

200-300 g shimeiji (or torn oyster mushroom)*

½ lemon, grated zest & juice

handful tarragon, chopped

1 spring onion, sliced ​​

handful sunflower seeds

olive oil

mushrooms* (optional)

feta** (optional)

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the fregola sarda until al dente in 8 m. Drain and cool under cold running water. Crush the garlic. Tear the oyster mushrooms into strips and slice the mushrooms. Wash the lemon well and grate the zest. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Finely chop the tarragon. Cut the spring onions into rings. Roast the sunflower seeds in a non-stick pan without fat on a medium heat. Remove from the pan when they start to colour.

Heat the olive oil in the pan and fry the mushrooms and oyster mushrooms until golden brown and crispy in 5-7 m. Then add the garlic and fry for 2 m. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice and stir in the lemon zest and half of the tarragon.

Put the fregola sarda in a bowl and stir in the rest of the finely chopped tarragon and the extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. [

Spoon the fried mushrooms on top*]. Sprinkle the roasted sunflower seeds on top. [Crumble the feta over it**]. Finish with the spring onions.

*If wanted, replace some with sliced ​​mushrooms

**If wanted.

♥︎Turkey with pointed cabbage & ginger

For ➋ 

piece of ginger root (approx. 1 cm), grated 

2 tbs sherry (or mirin) 

2 tbs soy sauce 

1 ts sambal 

1 ts lemon juice 

200 g turkey fillet 

500 g pointed cabbage 

1 small yellow pepper 

2 balls of ginger (e.g. sushi ginger) 

1 tbs oil 

1 clove of garlic 

½ orange juice 

salt & pepper 

Peel the piece of ginger root and grate it finely. Make a marinade of the ginger root, the sherry (or mirin), the soy sauce, the sambal and the lemon juice. Cut the turkey fillet into cubes. Marinate the meat in the mixture for 1 h in the refrigerator. 

Clean the pointed cabbage and cut the pointed cabbage into strips. Clean the pepper and cut into cubes. Cut the ginger into small pieces. 

Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the turkey in it for a few m until brown. 

Squeeze the garlic clove over it. Add the bell pepper, pointed cabbage, ginger and orange juice and stir fry the dish for another 8 m until done. Season the dish with salt and pepper.

♥︎Baked cod fillet with samphire, fennel, potatoes & lemon mayonnaise

For ➋

250 g baby potatoes*

1 red onion

1 clove of garlic

1½ pieces of fennel

½ lemon

5 g fresh dill

50 g mayonnaise

2 cod fillets

50 g samphire

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the potatoes and halve them. Place the potatoes in an oven dish and mix with 1 tbs olive oil per person. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the potatoes in the oven for 25 – 35 m. Stir halfway through.

In the meantime, chop the red onion and press the garlic. Halve the fennel, cut into quarters and remove the hard stems and core. Chop the fennel. Heat butter♥︎ in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the red onion for 2–3 m. Add the chopped fennel and fry gently for 10–12 m.

Then deglaze with 3 tbs water per person and let it reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add more water if you want the fennel to be even softer. In the meantime, squeeze the lemon and coarsely chop the dill. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with ½ tsp lemon juice per person.

Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and rub with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbs olive oil per person in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the fish for 1 - 2 m on each side.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in another frying pan and fry the garlic for 1–2 m. Add the samphire and stir-fry for another 1–2 m.

Divide the potatoes over the plates, spoon the fennel next to them and place the cod on the fennel. Spoon the fried samphire on top of the fish and garnish the dish with the dill. Serve with the lemon mayonnaise.

*Or more.

♥︎Replace with a plant-based alternative or olive oil.

♥︎Smashed Asian cucumber salad

For ➍ 

2 seedless cucumbers (about 600 g) 

1 ts salt 

2½ ts sugar 

2 ts sesame oil 

3 ts light soy sauce 

1½ tbs rice vinegar 

2-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 

1-2 ts chili oil (optional)* 

2 ts toasted sesame seeds 

a small handful of chopped coriander 

Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. 

Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside. 

On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces. 

In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil. Toss it well. 

Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and coriander. 

*If you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up 1 tbs of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. 

♥︎Roasted cauliflower salad with pancetta & baby potatoes

For ➍ 

50 g pancetta♥︎

1 cauliflower 

400 g baby potatoes 

2 cloves garlic 

½ lemon, juice 

10 g flat-leaf parsley

400 g chickpeas 

200 g hummus 

5 Medjool dates 

5 cl tahini 

1 tbs za'atar 

4 tbs olive oil 

salt & pepper 

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Rinse the baby potatoes and cut them into wedges. 

Cut the cauliflower into florets and the slices of pancetta in half. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and drain. 

Stir the za'atar through the olive oil, squeeze in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the cauliflower, chickpeas, baby potatoes and pancetta and mix thoroughly. 

Peel and halve the garlic and mix with the vegetables. 

Roast the vegetables and pancetta in the oven for 25 m until cooked and crispy. 

Stir the tahini into the hummus and spoon a generous amount of the mixture onto each plate. 

Spoon the roasted vegetables and bacon on top and finish with a generous amount of finely chopped parsley and pieces of date.

♥︎Replace with heart-friendly alternative like turkey.

♥︎Fregola with clams & fennel

For ➍ 

350 g fregola sarda

1.5 kg clams/ vongele

1 l fish or vegetable stock

2 cloves of garlic

2 large fennels, cut in small cubes, stems reserved

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely

1 organic lemon, juice & zest

1 glass of white wine

sea ​​salt & pepper

extra virgin olive oil

If you still have to clean the shells yourself, soak them in a large container of cold water beforehand. Then rinse them under the tap. The mussels will then open for a moment and you can rinse away the sand.

Boil a pan of water with the fish or vegetable stock.

Take a deep pan and now add a dash of olive oil. Cut 1 clove of garlic into slices and fry it together with the fennels for 5 m on medium heat until the fennel is translucent and just turns a brown color. Add the fregola and stir well.

Add enough stock (approximately the same volume as the pasta) to the risotto, reduce heat and cover with a lid for +/- 10 m. Fill if necessary. add extra stock.

5-6 m before the end of the risotto cooking time, cook the clams. Place a large frying pan or wok over low heat with a dash of olive oil. 

Crush 1 clove of garlic and fry with the skin on briefly in the oil. Remove after the oil has been seasoned. 

Add the shells, increase the heat and add a dash of white wine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the shells for a few m. Shake the pan regularly to ensure they all open. 

After 10-12 minutes, when the fregola is just al dente and the mixture looks soupy, stir in the clams and the cooking liquid with a little chopped parsley and the lemon zest.

Squeeze half a lemon and add it, season the pasta with salt and pepper.

Serve the dish in bowls with some of the fennel fronds kept aside and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

♥︎Fregola, cucumber & orange

For ➋ 

2 small cucumbers about 150g* 

1 tbs caster sugar 

1 ts sea salt 

1 ts coriander seeds 

5 tbs white wine vinegar 

2 tbs dill, finely chopped

150 g fregola** 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 large orange

2 spring onions, finely chopped 

a handful of watercress 

To make the pickle, thinly slice 1 cucumber and put in a small mixing bowl. Mix the sugar, sea salt, coriander seeds, vinegar and dill and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the cucumber, cover and place somewhere cool for at least 1 hour. The cucumber will darken a little in colour and soften slightly, but should retain its crunch. 

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, salt it lightly, then tip in the fregola. Simmer for about 10 m, testing regularly for tenderness. Drain thoroughly, tip into a bowl then sprinkle a few drops of olive oil over it and toss to coat evenly. This will stop the beads sticking together as they cool. 

Peel the second cucumber, halve it lengthways and cut it into 1cm chunks. Peel the orange with a kitchen knife, taking care to remove the white pith, then cut into thin slices. Warm the oil in a shallow pan, add the raw cucumber pieces and continue to fry them gently. 

Add the spring onion to the pan with the drained fregola. Season with salt and black pepper. Fold the pickled cucumber and its liquid into the ingredients, add the watercress then stir briefly. 

Divide between plates and place the orange slices at its side. 

*When using larger cucumber, cut the slices in half. 

**Use Sardinian roasted fregola. Or plain pearl couscous

♥︎Sea bass fillet with tomato & caper salsa

For ➍ 

4 large sea bass fillets with skin

1 fennel bulb,  4 slices of ½ cm, keep the fennel tops aside

2 tomatoes on the vine, peeled, without seeds, cut into cubes

4 tbs capers

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 handful of fresh thyme

6 tbs good olive oil

1 tbs lime zest

1 handful of watercress

pepper and salt

Fry the fennel, garlic and thyme in some olive oil until al dente.

For the salsa, mix the rest of the olive oil, capers, lime zest and tomato together and season with some salt and pepper.

Pat the pieces of sea bass fillet dry with kitchen paper and mark the skin of the fillets lightly with a small knife.

Fry the fish in a hot pan with a non-stick coating until nicely browned on the skin side, for about 3 to 4 m, turn off the heat and leave the fish in the pan for another 1 m.

Serve the fish skin side up together with the fennel, salsa and watercress.

Season everything with some coarse pepper and sea salt and the fennel tops.

Serve with fried potatoes.

♥︎Miso soup with pak choi & citrus balls

For ➋ large or ➍ small bowls 

1 l chicken or vegetable stock 

1 piece of ginger (1 thumb in size) 

4 small or 1 large pak choi  

2 handfuls of green leafy vegetables such as spinach or asparagus 

1 tbs dark or red miso 

for the meatballs: 

400 g minced poultry (or pork, beef or a mix) 

1 shallot 

1 clove of garlic 

1 piece of ginger (2.5 cm)

grated zest of 1 unsprayed orange & lemon 

25 blades of chives 

5 sprigs of coriander, the leaves (or other green herbs such as basil or parsley) 

salt & black pepper from the mill 

finish with available: roasted sesame oil, chili flakes, sesame seeds, soy sauce, green herbs, spring onion, fresh chili peppers, etc. 

Bring the stock to the boil with the sliced ginger (no need to peel it). Let the pot simmer gently with the lid on while you roll the meatballs. To do this, finely grate the ginger and chop the shallot, garlic and herbs. Mix together with the grated orange and lemon zest into the minced meat. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper and roll it into balls the size of a cherry. Remove the ginger from the broth. Then cook the meatballs in it for 3 to 5 minutes until done (when they float to the top, they are ready). Remove the stems from the pak choi and let it cook for 3 m, so that they are cooked but still have bite. Place a few tablespoons of stock in a bowl and dissolve the miso in it. Mix into the soup together with the green leafy vegetables. Or: after temporarily removing the balls, add the miso all the vegetables, first the hard white bok choy, then the green, to the broth. Add the balls at the end. 

♥︎Spanakorizo ​​(Greek spinach rice).

For ➋

400 g spinach leaves (wild spinach)

150 g onions

20 g dill

4 tbs olive oil

120 g carnaroli rice

5 cl dry white wine

25 cl of water

1 lemon

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Check the spinach, wash it several times in plenty of water, drain and chop coarsely. Peel the onions and chop them finely. Remove the dill from the stems, set some tops aside and chop the rest finely.

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium to high heat. Fry the onions until translucent; stir regularly.

Add the rice and fry briefly. Deglaze with the wine. Reduce the wine almost completely.

Add the chopped spinach and let it shrink. Add 25 cl of water, add some salt and let it simmer without a lid for about 15 m (depending on the type of rice) over low heat, until the rice is al dente; stir occasionally.

The rice should be cooked, but not falling apart. 

Stir in the dill. Season with the finely grated zest of ½ lemon, 1-1½ tbs lemon juice, 1-2 tbs olive oil and black pepper. The rice should taste fresh and lemony.

Divide the spinach rice over two deep plates. If desired, drizzle some olive oil over it and grate over the zest of a few lemon wedges. Sprinkle the dill tops over it.

Poached sole fillets with spinach puree & saffron

For ➍

12 sole fillets

500 g potatoes

350 g spinach

butter*

5 dl fish stock

1 dl cream**

saffron

pepper & salt

for the garnish:

thyme

spring onion

Cook potatoes in salted water, drain and crush.

Stew spinach. Mix into the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Poach the rolled sole rolls in 4 dl fish stock.

Reduce the remaining 1 dl fish stock with 1 dl cream* and a pinch of saffron. Season with salt and pepper.

Decorate with tufts of thyme and spring onion.

*Replace with olive oil

**Replace with oat cream.

♥︎Egg clouds with pancetta, thyme & oregano

For ➍

80 g pancetta*

4 eggs

2 sprigs of thyme

1 ts oregano

2 tbs olive oil

pepper & salt

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until foamy with the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover an oven tray with baking paper and spoon 4 mounds of meringue onto it. Make a well in each meringue and carefully pour in the egg yolks. Sprinkle with the finely chopped pancetta and place in the oven for 8 m.

Drizzle the eggs with a dash of olive oil and serve. Finish with arugula or another fresh herb if desired.

*Replace the pancetta with smoked turkey bacon or smoked salmon for a heart-friendly version or with spicy chorizo for an extra spicy version.

♥︎Kikerage & enoki with udon noodles

For ➋

25 g dried kikerage (black fungus)

1 tbs sunflower oil

1 tbs mirin

100-150 g udon noodles

100 g fresh enoki, without feet, in 2 portions

5 g plant butter

3 scallions, cut in rounds

2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed

1 tbs furikake

Pour warm water over the kikerage and let it soak for 15 m to 1 h. Drain it, and use as a base to cook the udon. If necessary, add some water. Heat and dissolve 1 tbs miso in it. Cook the miso as directed.

Meanwhile, fry the kikerage for 5-7 m in 1 tbs sunflower oil. Add a dash of mirin and let evaporate. Set the kikerage aside in another container. Stew the onion and garlic for 2 m in the same pan, with a little oil.

In the meantime, cook the enoki with a few small lumps of plant butter in 2 packets 1 m in the microwave.

Mix the kikerage with the onion and garlic.

Let the udon drip. Place on plate. Mix the kikerage and onion over it. Sprinkle with furikake.

Place the enoki on the plate.  Serve.

Kikerage is an edible mushroom and is a popular condiment in Japanese ramen noodles. It is also commonly known as wood ear mushroom, black fungus, jelly ear, jew’s ear, and mu-er in Chinese. It is known for its nutritious value.The edible mushroom gets its name from resembling the shape of an ear. Kikurage has a smooth surface on both sides and is dark brown in colour. Raw wood ear mushrooms carry a light woody fragrance. Once cooked, the mushroom is gelatinous and easily absorbs the flavours in the dish. To rehydrate wood ear mushroom, soak the desired amount in cold water for 1 to 2 h. The wild mushrooms can expand 3-4 times in size. For faster results, soak the dried kikurage in warm water for 20 m. However, the mushrooms will not expand as much and will be less crunchy. Once rehydrated, store in the fridge and consume within 1-2 days.