Moussaka & Tzatziki

I love mediterranean food. Lovelovelovelovelove. And I have a tiny cookbook packed with mediterranean recipes: starters, salads, soups, main courses, breads, desserts... everything. And this is what I cooked from it on Friday night: Moussaka and Tzatziki - Two greek gods in food form!

 Moussaka.

 Tzatziki.

 And some summery rose wine. 

It's almost summer, isn't it?

Friday breakfast: Two ingredient banana pancakes

Overnight oats with cottage cheese, cafe au lait, a kiwi and the infamous two-ingredient banana pancakes. You know, the ones that are flour-, lactose-, gluten- and soy free. And very un-photogenic. But tasty nonetheless!

Mix together two eggs and a very ripe banana. Cook in a non-stick skillet with butter or coconut oil.

I swear, they taste way better than they look!

Red and white breakfast

Simple is good: red grapefruit, espresso, natural organic yogurt.

Breakfast with kiwi and lemon curd smoothie

On my breakfast menu May 14th 2013

Kiwi and lemon curd smoothie

Toasted sourdough rye bread with soft boiled eggs, chives, salt and black pepper.

...and some coffee and a shot of cold pressed rosehip juice as sidekicks. 

It's delicious - but what is it?

Gina cooked it, blogged about it, and called it Harissa Eggs in Purgatory. Some people call it shakshouka (a traditional Israeli dish, I came to understand). I just call it "The tomato- and egg-thing that is really easy to make" (and quick too). It's a pretty accurate description.

However, I don't know whether this is breakfast, dinner or something else? I've had it once for breakfast and three times for dinner - during the past two weeks. And I have no intentions of getting this addiction under control. It is that good. And fairly good for you too!

The 10-minute tomato- and egg-thing, my version, for one moderately hungry person

2 eggs

1/2-1 onion of choice, chopped

1 tbsp chili paste

200-300g (8-10 oz) crushed tomatoes

chopped chives

1. Sautee onions over medium heat, in olive oil, until tender.

2. Pour over crushed tomatoes.

3. Stir in chili paste.

4. Crack eggs first into a glass, then carefully pour over the simmering tomatoes, keeping the yolks intact.

5. Cover with a lid for ca 4-5min for over-easy eggs (1-2 minutes longer if runny yolks aren't your cup of tea).

6. Spoon it all onto your plate and garnish with chopped chives.

Breakfast at Qulma

Kicking off the day at Café Qulma in Helsinki with a croissant, juices, coffee and yoghurt with sweet mint pesto and other yummy toppings.

Home made pesto

Buying pesto is easy, but making it is almost just as easy. It makes a wonderful spread for bread or crackers or a sauce for fish or pasta. When diluted with water, it can be used to marinate tofu or chicken. And it is beautiful in color!

Green pesto (yields about 2 dl / 3/4 cup)

• 2 pots fresh basil (about 4 handfuls)
• 80-100 g (2.8-3.5 oz) pine nuts
• 80-100 g (2.8-3.5 oz) grated parmesan
• 3/4 dl (0.3 cups) olive oil
• (1-2 cloves garlic)

If using a handheld mixer

1. Put all ingredients into the mixer glass and blend until smooth

If using a mortar and pestle ("apothecary grinder")

1. Mash basil (garlic) and pine nuts into a paste.

2. Add parmesan and then the oil, gradually.

3. Mash until the paste is smooth in consistency.

Goes well with oven-baked salmon.

Breakfast in April

No-knead bread with scrambled eggs, goat cheese and sautéed cherry tomatoes + some arugula. Coffee and orange juice. Yum yum and no hunger for many hours! 

Saturday dinner: Asparagus and goat cheese risotto

Out of the risottos I've made, one has been terrible. It was NOT this one. I found out risotto is a dish that perfectly combines asparagus and goat cheese just as it does asparagus and bacon. Both combinations are my current obsessions!

Maximum vanilla ice cream with dry roasted pecans

I could write an ode to both home made ice cream and this particular ice cream flavor, but it isn't necessary as I already touched on both subjects in my previous ice cream post. I also half-promised to post the recipe for Maximum Vanilla as soon as I get pictures that do the dessert justice. And here they are, recipe and visual evidence.

I made this ice cream in late April when my parents came to visit and plates were scraped clean (I hope it wasn't just out of politeness). This rich and creamy french vanilla -type flavor easily beats all complex half-baked-cookie-dough-bonanzas and is a perfect summertime dessert.

Maximum Vanilla ice cream (yields about 0.5 l / 2.2 cups)

• 2 dl (4/5 cups) full fat milk
• 2 dl (4/5 cups) double cream
• 100g (3.5 oz) sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 gelatin sheet
• 2 vanilla beans with seeds, split open (see picture below)

First: Pour milk and cream into a saucepan, scrape in vanilla seeds and also dunk in the vanilla beans. Bring to a boil, then immediately take the saucepan off the burner once the first bubble tries to emerge.

While waiting for the milk and cream mixture to boil:
1) mix egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until smooth 
2) soak gelatin leaf in cold water

After boiling:

Pour half of the milk and cream mixture in the bowl with the eggs and sugar. Mix well and pour everything back into the saucepan.

Simmer on low heat until the mixture thickens (takes ca 10-15 minutes). Stir every now and then. Do not boil!

Squeeze the gelatin sheet dry and mix in with the thickened mixture. Fish out the vanilla beans and throw away.

Refrigerate the entire mixture until completely cool. 

Freeze in ice cream maker according to instructions. Transfer to a dish with a lid, refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Dry roast some crushed pecans in a cast iron skillet and sprinkle on top of ice creams balls.