BBQ Marinade

Well, I don't know how closely you have been following the world cup. All I can say is that this past weekend has not gone to my liking...

It has brought back summery weather to Switzerland though. This inevitably brings out the Weber Grill in this part of the world. I have had BBQ for dinner two out of three dinners so far.

I am not a big fan of repetition. Although I am very well aware, that BBQing is not a specific dish but a preparation method, it does lend itself to just giving the favorite recipe another go... every weekend. :-)

The only thing that helps is having a vast array of standby marinades/sauces/what have you, to keep things from getting boring.

This variation covers two very important aspects; quick and easy. I love making it, when I am invited somewhere and want to give my protein a little bit of extra flavor.

It needs all of two ingredients:
a couple of cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or even pressed
and liberal quantities of soy sauce.
That's it.



Make sure your meat is evenly covered with the mixture on both sides, let it marinate for at least 20 minutes and you're good to go.
Grill to your liking and enjoy.

Here comes the sun...

Switzerland has been having a major doozie of a May, where weather is concerned. It has been cold, wet and gray.
SO when last weekend beckoned with warmth and lots of sunshine, the Swiss people surged into the open like marmots after the winter. It was just as gorgeous as promised and I read of sunburns on facebook statuses without end.
Thank god I managed to forgo that experience myself.

I decided it was time to try out something new. The lamb rack I bought on impulse on my way home would meet it's fate on the barbecue outside. Even though it was just me.
I know. I'm weird like that.

The marinade I threw together was improvised but I was very pleased with the results. The measures listed here are approximate;

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1 clove of garlic
a squeeze of lemon juice

Chop the herbs and the garlic finely and mix with the other ingredients to a paste. Liberally coat the lamb rack with it and let it stand at room temperature. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.

We have a big charcoal barbecue. If you purchase smaller charcoal baskets, you have the possibility of having the hot coals in only a part of the grill. This allows indirect grilling which is great for bigger cuts of meat. My father does a to-die-for roast chicken this way.

I filled only one if the two baskets with coal and lit them. They were allowed to get really hot before I got out the lamb rack and seared on both sides for one or two minutes. Then the rack was placed to the side, out of the way of the direct heat, the lid was put on and left to finish for about seven minutes.

The finished product was tender, juicy and absolutely delicious.
I can't wait to make it again.

Simple Carbonara

Well, what do you cook when you get home ravenously hungry?
This is one of my favorite sauces of all times and I have long ago given up ordering it at restaurants... they just don't measure up to the homemade stuff.

I don't normally use any cream in it. I know this to be a break from traditions that will have purists shaking their heads. But try before you judge.
I have added a splash of cream or a bit of cream cheese when I wanted it (aka I was even hungrier than normal).



Ingredients per person:
100-150 gr of semolina wheat pasta (personal favorite is linguine)
ca. 3 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
a handful of freshly grated parmesan
black pepper to taste

1. First of all, put on your water for the pasta and add salt when it comes to the boil. Put in your pasta.
2. Fry your bacon on a medium heat until crispy.
3. When your pasta is almost done, mix the egg yolk, the parmesan and three to four tablespoons of the pasta water together well. The pasta water adds salt and will help the thicken the mixture with the egg yolk.
4. When your pasta is just cooked reserve a cup of the water and drain the rest. Immediately return the pasta to the still warm pan, add the eggy mixture, mix well, cover and let it sit for about ten seconds. If the pasta is too dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water and mix again.
5. Mix again, add black pepper to taste and put onto a serving platter. Top with the fried bacon.

This is a sauce that doesn't take longer to make than the pasta takes to cook. My favorite kind!

Focaccia

The recipe I want to share with you today is a favorite of mine. Even though the cookbook it has originated from has gone MIA for some time now, it hasn't stopped this tasty bread from being made.

It started out as a tongue in cheek nod to the tradition of bringing a loaf of bread and some salt when someone moves in. I brought this to a friend who was moving apartments and it was very well received by the tired, hungry and desolate person in question.

As the preparation is really simple and well worth the effort, I since brought this to a couple of gatherings with friends. It always got me points!



ingredients:

350 gr flour
1 packet (7 gr) instant yeast
1 teaspoon of salt (I like the bread dough to be salty. If you prefer it more neutral only add half)
210 ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings:
olive oil
sea salt
Whatever suits your taste: Herbs (rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano, thyme, etc), sliced onions, olives... The possibilities are endless.

1. Mix the dry ingredients before adding the water and oil. Knead until it forms a pliable and coherent dough. Spread a splash of olive oil onto some plastic wrap and use this to gently cover your dough. Put the dough into a warm place and let it rise for an hour. (It should double in volume.)

2. Spread a baking sheet or a 26 cm pie form with olive oil. Get out your dough. Kneed it gently for about 15 seconds, just to knock the air out. Roll it out into your form (2-3 cm thick) and cover it with the oiled wrap. Let it rise for another 20 minutes.

3. Use your finger tips to press dimples into the dough. These will hold small pools of olive oil later on. Cover again with the same plastic wrap and let it rise for the last time for 10 minutes.

4. While the dough it resting for the final time preheat your oven to 180°C. Prepare your topping for the foccacia. I went with; sliced onions, sage and marjoram this time.

5. Get your dough. First pour on olive oil all over it.(I'm guessing about four tablespoons as a minimum.) I use my hand so make sure it covers everything. Sprinkle with sea salt. Add whatever you like. If there are some chunky items (olives, onions) remember to press them into the dough a bit. They tend to fall off during or after baking.

6. Shove into the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes until it has a golden brown color. Let it cool before serving.

Glorious Orange and White Asparagus Soup

Have you been enjoying the fresh tastes of Spring as much as I have?
Strawberries with sugar... cress and boiled egg sandwiches... Asparagus with Parmigiano and melted butter.
In that case; SAVE YOUR ASPARAGUS WATER!!!!

This along with a couple of leftover spears will give you a delicious meal and one of my favorite soups (of all time, I have to add).

This recipe is made with white asparagus. I think it pairs better with the sweetness of the orange juice and the delicate sharpness of the zest than its green siblings...

It's a rich, velvety soup that packs enough calorific punch to leave one satisfied as a meal on its own. It is unusual in taste as it combines the sweet aroma of the fruit with the savory freshness of the spring vegetable. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.



ingredients:
(serves two or four, if served as a starter)

2 Tablespoons/30 grams of butter
2 Tablespoons of flour
one Orange, zest and juice separately
one litre/4 cups of asparagus cooking water
a couple of leftover asparagus spears (if on hand)
125 ml/half a cup of whipping cream
one egg yolk

1. Melt the butter over medium heat and toss in the flour. Mix with a whisk. After a minute add the orange zest. Let this mixture fry gently until it turns the slightest bit brown in colour. The smell should change towards nutty.
2. Pour in the asparagus water slowly while whisking the mixture constantly. (If this isn't done well, you will risk ending up with a lumpy soup.) Turn up the eat, whisk every couple of minutes and let it come to a gentle boil. I wouldn't recommend leaving the room as this mixture "likes" to boil over.
3. Let it boil gently for at least five minutes to thicken and get rid of any residual floury taste.
4. If you have the asparagus spears at you disposal you can either cut them into bite size pieces and put them into the soup at this stage to warm up. Or you can blend them with a little bit of the soup and add them to the dish like this.
5. In a separate bowl whip the cream into gentle peaks. Beat in the egg yolk. Beat the orange juice into this mixture slowly.
6. Take your soup off of the heat. Spoon one ladle of hot soup into the cream mixture and whisk well. Repeat two times. Add the whole mixture back into the hot soup and whisk well again. (This step is called proofing and, while slightly cumbersome, will prevent you from having scrambled egg soup.)Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. (If you didn't put salt into the asparagus water, you will have to through in an astounding amount now...)

Serve with good bread.

Homegrown tea

Surviving the first week of a challenging new job seems to have a similar effect as surviving grueling exams back at university. An illness of some ilk is sure to follow.

So while I am feeling utterly miserable, the few advantages of being sick in spring, and not in the depths of winter, are not lost on me.
I could, if bundled up to a sufficient degree, sit outside and let the sunshine, smells, sights and birdsong work some healing magic. (Not feeling particularly inclined at the moment.)
But what I definitely will do is take advantage of the first harvest of the 2010 growing season!


I have a special affection for herbs that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Mint is probably the most widely used of these. I love making sweet drinks and desserts with it. But think it is even better in salads like Tabbouleh.*

As you can see in the pictures this plant reemerges from apparent death after even the coldest of winters. It is basically a weed and therefor an easy plant to keep in a pot on a window sill. Some people will even discourage you from planting it in your garden without proper boundaries. I've always been convinced you can never have enough of it though!

Fresh mint tea is probably the simplest way I use this herb. And probably the most often. Depending on the strength of your plant you pick enough leaves.

Bruise the leaves (twist and turn a little) to release the oils and put it into a mug with sugar to taste (the darker the better).

Pour over just boiled water and let it stew for a couple of minutes.
Easy as pie.

Coupled with a laptop and a dvd of choice it's my idea of regenerating.


*The other one I always think of strait away it basil. Have you ever put some into a vodka cranberry? Good stuff.

A new job...

... seems to have temporarily sucked up all my energy and (culinary) creativity.

Dear reader(s), I hope you had great Easter festivities. I did.

Please excuse me whilst I try to get my bearings with the new responsibilities and a commute. (I have never had to commute in my life.)

Regular posting to resume soon. I promise!

L