My little avocado seed

Well, probably not little :).

If you cook with fresh avocado, why not use the seed to plant one yourself?

Clean the seed with warm water. Do not remove the brown skin.

 

Pin the seed with 2 tooth picks, so it will help it balance on the top of the glass. What we need is to submerge the bottom of the seed into water.
Put the tooth pick in, while holding the seed with the pointed side up. Fill a glass with water and arrange the seed on top.
Make sure the pointed end is up and the rounded end is in the water, otherwise your avocado will not grow.

Quinoa, kale and carrot salad with avocado and courgette dressing

Ingredients: 100 g quinoa, 3 handfuls of fresh chopped kale, 1 carrot, 1 avocado, 1 courgette, 1 handful of almonds, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt.

Put 300 ml water in a pan. Add the quinoa. Bring to a boil then turn the heat low and  let it cook for 15 min.

Blend the almonds, avocado and courgette. Mix everything with the oil and vinegar. Season for salt.

When the quinoa is cooked, drain it and let it cool down in a large bowl.

Add the grated carrot.

Add the kale and the dressing.

Mix everything together, until the dressing covers all the kale. Taste for seasoning.

Bread and butter pudding

Ingredients: 6 dried apricots, 1 handful of raisins, 3 tbsp Marsala, 1 egg, 2 tbsp custard powder, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 350 ml skimmed milk, 4 tbsp low fat creme fraiche, 4 slices of bread, apricot spread, butter, 1 tsp vanilla essence.

Put the dried apricots and raisins in a bowl. Add the Marsala and let them soak.

Mix the egg, sugar and custard powder in a bowl. Add the vanilla essence.

Heat up the milk until it starts boiling. Add it to the egg mixture.

Whisk well and let it cool down and rest for 15 min.

When the custard is cooled, add the creme fraiche.

Spread butter on the bread slices and cut them into triangles. Spread the apricot jam on top.

Butter an oven-proof dish. Start Assembling the bread on the bottom, with the apricot jam side up.
Sprinkle some raisins and apricots.

Another layer of bread and fruits. Also pour the Marsala the fruits soaked in. Add half of the custard and let it soak in for 10 -15 min.
Preheat the oven at 180° C.

Pour the rest of the custard and bake in the oven until golden - 20 25 min.

Leak and potato soup

Ingredients: 5 leaks, 4 large potatoes, 2 carrots, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp oil, 4 tbsp creme fraiche. 

Chop the vegetables. Add the oil to a large pan and fry the vegetables for a few min. Pour enough water to cover everything and boil until the potatoes are softened.

Blend everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Add the creme fraiche and stir well.

Serve with fresh bread and some pickled chillies.

Grilled courgettes and eggplants with grilled peppers sauce

Ingredients: 2 red peppers, 2 aubergines, 2 courgettes, 10 cherry tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp oil, 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar. 

Grill the peppers on the flame directly.

Heat a grill pan and start grilling the aubergines for 6 min on each side.

Grill the cherry tomatoes as well. Cover the grilled tomatoes and peppers with a towel. This will help peeling them easily.

Grill the courgettes as well.

Chop the peppers.

Fry the crushed garlic in a pan with the oil. Add the tomatoes and the peppers.

Add the rest of the vegetables. Remove from the heat. Pour the vinegar in and stir well.

2000 views: thank you everybody!!!!

My blog reached 2000 views yesterday. I would like to thank everyone for the help. See you at 5000!!!!!!

Apple and blueberry pudding

Ingredients: 1 apple - peeled, 200 g blueberries, 2 eggs, 140 g flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla essence, 80 g melted butter, 1 tsp baking powder.

Preheat the oven at 180° C.
Peel the apple and cut it in quarters.

Slice 3 of the apple quarters. Mix them with 1 tbsp sugar and blueberries.

Grate the left apple quarter. Mix it with the butter, 1 tbsp sugar, eggs, baking powder and flour.

Mix everything together.

Butter an oven dish. Put half of the fruit mix, then half of the dough.
Repeat with the rest of the fruits and dough.
Bake in the oven for 25 min.

Serve with some sour cream, whipped cream or custard.

Coq au vin

Ingredients: 5 chicken thighs, 200 g bacon - cubed, 5 shallots - peeled and quartered, 4 garlic cloves - chopped, 500 ml red wine, rosemary, thyme, 250 g mushrooms - chopped.

Fry the bacon in a little oil, until golden and crisp.

Remove from the pan. Add the shallots. Cook until golden.

Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the chicken and cook until golden all around.

In a large pan, add the garlic and fry it for a few min.

Pour in the wine. Add the chicken.

Add the bacon, shallots, rosemary and thyme.

Cover and let it simmer for 45 min.
Before serving, fry the mushrooms until crisp.

Serve in a bowl with some of the sauce and mushrooms on top.