Eines muss mal gesagt sein: ich hasse weichverkochtes Gemuese!

Nichts* ist so schlimm wie leicht braeunlicher Brokoli der sich auf sanften Gabeldruck zu Brei zerdruecken laesst, nichts* so schlimm wie fahl gefaerbte Karottenstueckchen, die schon vom hinsehen zu Brei zerfallen, nichts* kommt Erbsen nahe, die schon braun sind vor Muedigkeit und deren Geschmack sich im Kochwasser nicht aber mehr in ihnen selbst befindet.

Mal ehrlich, wenn man Brei will, soll man Brei machen und Gemuese soll Gemuese sein: schoene bunte Farben, knackiger Biss und guter Geschmack.

So manches Mal schon (so oft schon, dass meine Kollegen es vermutlich nicht mehr hoeren koennen) habe ich ueber das verkochte Gemuese der Mensa geschimpft und wieder und wieder festgestellt, dass es genau ein Gemuese gibt, das sie bissfest hinbekommen: Rosenkohl.

Und? Genau: Rosenkohl ist das einzige Gemuese, das ich lieber verkocht als bissfest mag. Dumm gelaufen, oder?

Und so geniesse ich es, wenn meine Gemuesekiste Rosenkohl bringt und sich folgendes kleine Gericht auf meinen Teller verirrt ....

Super simpel, schnell gemacht, lecker einfach so, oder als Beilage zum Weihnachtsbraten (nunja, naeachstes Jahr dann).



Lieblingswintergenuessegemuese

zu gleichen Teilen Rosenkohl und Maronen (vorgegarte)
frischer Parmesan
Pfeffer aus der Muehle
und diese Zwiebelsosse

1. Rosenkohl putzen und in einem Topf so lange duensten bis die gewuenschte Konsistenz erreicht ist.

2. In der Zwischenzeit die Zwiebelsosse zubereiten.

3. Maronen warm machen, mit dem Rosenkohl mischen. Zwiebelsosse drueber, Parmesan draufreiben und mit Pfeffer bemahlen.




*ausser vielleicht zu wenig gesalzene verkochte Nudeln, aber das ist ein anderes Thema.

This post in ENGLISH



Ich habe eine Gemuesekiste. Jeden Freitag wenn ich von der Arbeit nach Hause komme wartet zu Hause eine kleine gruene Kiste auf mich. Sie ist voll gepackt mit leckerem Bio-Gemuese nicht nur, aber vorallem auch, von einem Bio-Bauernhof aus dem Muensterland. Jeden Freitag ist es wieder eine Ueberraschung, was eigentlich in der Kiste drin ist (ja ich weiss, ich koennte es theoretisch vorher im Internet nachlesen) und was somit den Speiseplan unseres Wochenendes bestimmen wird.

Letzte Woche: Wirsing.

Schnell in alten Kochzeitschriften geblaettert und ein Rezept fuer Wirsing Pueree gefunden. Ein Traum! Von wegen langweilig-bitteres Wintergemuese! Nachmachen wird waermstens empfohlen.

Wirsing Puerree
(Aus: Schoener Essen, Nr.1 2004)

1 kg Wirsing
Salz, Pfeffer
1 Zwiebel
2 EL Butter
150-200 ml Sahne

1. Die aeusseren Blaetter des Wirsing entfernen. Den Wirsing vierteln und in ca 2cm breite Streifen schneiden. In kochendem Salzwasser portionsweise 5 min. kochen lassen. Abschrecken und sehr gut abtropfen lassen.

2. Zwiebel schaelen und wuerfeln. Wirsing trocken tupfen.

3. Zwiebel glasig duensten und Wirsing dazu geben. Zugedeckt bei mittlerer Hitze 8-10 min duensten.

4. Wirsing purrieren und dabei nach und nach Sahne unterarbeiten. . Puerree mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken.



Bei uns gab's frisches Bauernbrot und Mini-Frikadellen dazu. Und Servietten in der passenden Farbe (Zufall, ehrlich).

zurueck zum deutschen Eintrag




I am a lucky recipient of a weekly vegetable box. Each Friday when I come back from work there is a green box waiting for me outside the door (sometimes if I was lucky and my roommate still at home it's already sitting in the kitchen) containing enough fresh organic vegetables to cook meals for an entire week in a single person household. (Yes, you're right, we are 2, but usually we do not manage to eat everything during the weekend so there's always something left for my dinner during the week when my loved one is not with me.)

Each Friday I love to come home finding what will (mostly determine) the dinner plan of the weekend.

Last week: savoy cabbage

I consulted old cooking magazines and successfully made the following recipe for the first time. Try it! Even if you've always claimed not to like savoy and especially if you've never eaten it. It's definitely an urban legend that savoy is a boring and bitter winter vegetable! No, in fact it's really really good.


savoy cabbage puree
(recipe taken from: Schoener Essen, Nr.1 2004)

1 kg savoy cabbage
salt, pepper
1 onion
2 Tbsp butter
150-200 ml creme

1. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in 4 pieces and then in thin slices (about 1" thick). Boil the slices in a large pot of salted water for about 5 min. Rinse with cold water and let it drain.

2.Peel and cut the onion. Dry the cabbage with a kitchen towel.

3. Stirfry the onions in the butter until they turn translucent and almost golden. Add the cabbage and cover it. Let it steam for 8-10 min.

4. While pureeing the cabbage add the cream until everything comes together to build a creamy, well, puree. Add Salt and pepper to taste.



We had fresh bread and "Fleischkuechle" with it. More on that another time. Notice the color of the napkins :-)

Auf Deutsch



Every Christmas my Granpa tells us, that next year he'll not put up the Christmas crib. It's way too much work - his excuse.



But then, as every year, he walks down the stairs into the cellar, gets the crib and spends a lot of time arranging Joseph and Maria. He puts the little houses and the small version of the village's church in place. He himself made those many many years ago for his own children as a Christmas present.



And, as every year, he spends days and weeks in the kitchen. Uses several kilos of flour to bake lots and lots of small, retty, delicious cookies. They are his present for us grandchildren.
And every year he promises that next year he'll bake less, because he's getting older. But every year he makes something new.



After all these cookies, the heavy Christmas meals, something light was definitely necessary. My newest creation for you ...


beetroot with creamy sauce
(serves 2)

2 small beetroot
1 onion
1 EL olive oil
100 ml vegetable broth
3 Tbsp cream
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
pepper
salt
1 Tbsp Sesame seeds
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

1. wash the beetroot and boil with little water in a saucepan. Cover with a lid and check once in a while if there is still water in the pan. After about 35 min it should be done.

2. In the meantime peel and cut the onion in little pieces. Heat a heavy based saucepan and fry the sesame seeds until they turn a little darker.

3. When the sesame seeds are ready use the pan to heat olive oil and fry the onion. Add the vinegar and the vegetable broth. Reduce the sauce over low heat.

4. Remove the beetroot from the pan. Let it cool. Then peel and slice it and add it to the sauce. Also add the cream.

5. To serve sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds.

Hilfe, ich spreche nur Deutsch!



you know how this goes,...

Some days, when I come home from work, too tired to go the extra way to the grocery store, I drop of my bag, coat and shoes and make my way into the kitchen to have a look what's left in the fridge. (Not much these days, I can tell you. When you try to move your household from one end of the word to another within the next week, you can't have many things in your cupboards, freezer or fridge. )

When you finally found some appealing ingredients and managed, somehow, to create a nice dish, it's hard to tell afterwards what (and especially HOW MUCH) you actually put in it.

I liked my lemon beans, I had made the other night. They were not at all like the beans I have known since my childhood (and which I never really loved): boiled forever so that they turned mushy and brown, covered with a sticky white sauce. But guess what, I do not remember exactly how I made them.

But aren't recipes just guidelines to experiment with?
This one definitely is!



lemon beans
(serves 2)

2 cups green beans
1 onion
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tsp onion seeds
Olive oil
fresh garlic, pepper and salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp of water

1. peel and chop the onion and garlic and wash and clean the green beans (or make somebody do it for you, since it's a lousy job).
2. heat olive oil in a heavy based saucepan and fry the onion seeds, garlic and onions till they turn slightly brown.
3. Add lemon juice, water and the green beans. Cover and let simmer 5-10 min (depending on how soft you want the beans to be)
4. Uncover the beans and wait (with hight heat) till all the water has evaporated. Serve immediately.