Preparation time: 3 minutes

baking time: 20 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 356 F.

Cut the pumpkin into 1 inch cubes. Place a metal baking tray onto the stove and heat it up. Add some olive oil. Mean while grind the spices in a mortar. Season the pumpkin with the spices, make sure it is covered well with the spices.

Now fry the pumpkin cubes for 3 minutes. Make sure that the side with the peel faces down. Then place the tray in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

The German version of the oven baked pumpkin is here.

One can not imagine the Levant region without Falafel. The same goes for Egypt, Palesine and Lebanon. The Falafel is a classic snack or Mezze that is served in a flat bread or with salad. It is sold at little stands on the streets but also in Taverns. This vegetarian snack is versatile as it can be seasoned in many ways. The main ingredient is pulses. Often lentils and chick peas are used. The Falafel often is fried, I prefer to pan fry it though.

This recipe is just one of many possible ways of doing Falafel.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

cooking time: 20 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation

In case you use dry lentils and chick peas, soak them in water over night. Then boil them in water until al dente. This will take you between 10 and 20 minutes according to the product.

Peel the onion and the garlic and chop up in a kitchen blender. Add the herbs and chop those up too. Then ramove all from the blender.

Now add the lentils and chop them in the blender. Do the same with the chick peas. Try to create different textures so the Falafel have some bite.

Now mix the pulses with the herbs, add the egg and the spices, season with salt and pepper. Now you can form with you hands little balls and fry them in some olive oil. 3 minutes on each side.

My colleagues from the Hüttenhilfe blog invited me to try their new organic hemp oil. They produced a great oil in a neat bottle. I like the nutty taste the hemp oil has. It goes well with fruity salads.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Cut the cellery into slices. Peel the apple and cube it. Mix both with the tuna fish in a bowl.

Drain the beans and add them to the bowl.

Use a cup to mix the lemon juice, salt and pepper and the mustard. Finally add the oil and mix well.

Mix the sauce with the salad and serve.

Easy and fast was the promise of Joumana in her blog and she was right. The pudding is one of the fastest desert I ever made and the the combination of sweet and spicy is delicious.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Heat the milk with the sugar and the cocoa. Add a pinch of cayenne.

Mix the cream with the corn flour. Then mix into the hot milk. The liquid thickens instantly. Fill into small bowls or cups and leave to cool down.

This risotto is one of the best “instant food” recipes ever. I always have some dried mushrooms – porcini secchi at home. It is very practical when you have unexpected visitors and want to offer them a delicious meal. It only takes 20 minutes to prepare and takes very few ingredients.

Preparation time: 5 minute

Cooking time: 20 minutes

difficulry: easy

Preparation:

Soak the mushroom in a cup of hot water.

Dice the onions and fry them in a pan with some olive oil until they take on some colour. Then add the washed rice and fry for a minute or two. Then add the chopped garlic and stir it under the rice. Simmer for a few minutes then add the wine.

Once most of the wine has evaporated add half of the soup. The soup should always be hot when you add it to the risotto. This makes it more creamy. Stir well and reduce the heat. Let it simmer on low heat. Stir occasionally. When the liquid is soaked up by the rice add the rest of the soup.

Take the mushrooms out of the water. Cut them up a bit. Keep the water. Add the mushrooms and the water to the risotto.

Once the risotto is readily cooked ad the grated cheese. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

The Puttanesca sugo goes with all kinds of pasta. I had freshly made Tagliatelle at home so I tried this combination. I always make a classic Puttanesca sugo with anchovies, capers, olives and tomato sauce. A simple but delightful pasta dish. People are often afraid of using anchovies in cooking, but in this dish they fit perfectly.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Bring pasta water to boil. Add some salt and boil the pasta until al dente.Time this process in a way that the pasta is ready when the sugo is.

Peel and dice the onion and fry it gently in some olive oil until it takes on some colour.

Remove the stones form half of the olives and chop them up. Also chop up the capers.
Add the anchovies to the onions. They will dissolve after stirring them a bit. Now add the garlic and fry for a minute.

Cut the Pelati tomatoes into pieces and add them to the pan. Also add the vinegar. When it is season for fresh tomatoes take those instead, when they are out of season don’t bother.

Add the capers, the Oregano and the remaining olives. Season with chilli and salt and let the Sugo cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve with the pasta and some parmesan cheese.

I can´t think of anything more Greek than Avgolemono. Many dishes are cooked and served with this sauce of egg and lemon. You can also find it in the Turkish Youvalakia. I have prepared a soup from Avgolemono. A fresh and tasty soup that is creamy though light.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Peel the carrot and cut into thin sticks. Add the rice wiht the carrot bits to a pot with the chicken stock and let it cook for 15 minutes. For the last 5 minutes add the peas.

Cut the cellerie into fine slices and put aside.

Seperate the egg yolks form the white. Beat the whites.

Whisk the yolk with the lemon juice in a bowl.

When the rice is cooked remove the soup from the heat and let it cool down a little bit. Take a cup of the soup and mix it with the yolk. Add the egg whites and mix under the yolk-soup mix. Now pour the mix into the soup. Return the soup onto the stove and heat it while stirring until the soup gets a pudding like consistance. No need to boil the soup though.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with a garnish of cellery.

Fennel and cauliflower baked is the ideal warm salad but you can also let it cool off or serve it slightly chilled. Feta cheese goes well with these veggies and it does not require much time to prepare.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Heat up the oven to 392 F.

Cut the cauliflower into pieces. Cut the fennel into stripes. Add to a bowl.

Crush the garlic in a mortar with some salt and pepper. Add the fennel seeds, the coriander and the sumac and grind until it has the consistence of a paste. Add some olive oil and mix until all the spices dissolve. Pour this sauce over the vegetables and mix them well.

Put the vegetables onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.

Take the tray out of the oven. Drizzle the cheese and some lemon juice over the vegetables and serve.

I did not know Gomasio until recently, now that I know it though I love using it on salads and pasta dishes. It is a seasoning known well in Asian cuisine that basically consists of sea salt and sesame.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Wash the salad well and spinn it to dry. Peel the apple, cut into quarters and slice.

Put salt, pepper, honey and vinegar into a bowl and mix well until the honey and salt have dissolved.
Mix with the oil and then mix with the salad.

Add the apples to the salad and drizzle the Gomasion over the salad.

This risotto is similar to another Gorgonzola Risotto I have her on the blog. This one is featuring pear and walnuts as well as sage. I can only recommend this dish to cheese lovers!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

cooking time: 20 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Dice the onions and fry them in a large pan with some olive oil on medium heat. After a few minutes add the rice to the pan and fry for a minute or two.

Add the white wine and stir well. Let the wine reduce then add the soup cup by cup. Stir occasionally. Keep adding soup and then reducing it until the liquid is used up.

Meanwhile you can roast the chopped up walnuts in a pan for a few minutes to activate the aroma. Then add the butter and the sage. Fry for a few minutes then set aside the pan.

Cut the pears in quarters, remove the core and cut into slices.

Once the rice is al dente you can add the chopped up Gorgonzola and a fair amount of fresh pepper. Once the cheese is melted add the pears and half of the walnuts and salt to taste. Mix the risotto gently.

Set the pot aside and let it rest for a minute or two.

To serve sprinkle the remaining walnuts and sage butter over the risotto.