Month: August 2010

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

Summer offers so many wonderful kinds of fruits and vegetables that I don’t even know where to look first or what to grab.

What a wonderful time of year.

I wish there was a country where they have summer all the time.

Or wait …is there a country like that?

Is there?

Then I’m moving right now!

Anyway, these days I just walk through the supermarket aisles and wait excitedly which one of the luscious beauties will speak to me first.

This time it was zucchini and – mmmm – was that a good choice. It allowed me to prepare this truly light, healthy, playful and flavorful dish.

Your body will thank you if you make it too…

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

The ingredients are – as usual with me – very simple.

‘Cause I like simple…

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

1. First, wash the zucchinis and cut them in half lengthwise.

2. Then, using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and set it aside.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

3. Place the zucchinis into a baking pan…

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

4. …sprinkle them with salt and drizzle with some vegetable oil (if you want to go super-healthy here, then use olive oil).

5. Pop the baking pan into the oven which you have preheated to 350 F (175 C) and bake for about 10 minutes only.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

6. In the meantime, chop the flesh you have removed from the zucchinis into little pieces.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

7. Peel and chop the onion.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

8. Drizzle a frying pan with a little oil.

9. Add the onion, the zucchini flesh, season it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and fry, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

9. Then add you wonderful, colorful vegetables and fry for another 10 minutes (or until soft).

10. Cook the rice in the vegetable broth.

The picture above shows the initial stage of the rice cooking. When the rice is cooked it should have absorbed all the liquid.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

11. Grate the cheese.

I am using Edam here; you can choose any cheese that you like or have in the fridge.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

12. Now combine the vegetable mixture from the frying pan with the rice and 1/2 cup of the grated cheese.

You can even add a few drops of Worcester sauce – it will ‘lift’ the taste slightly and accentuate the other flavors.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

13. Stuff the zucchini halves with the rice mixture and cover the top with the rest of the grated cheese.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

14. And now, just for kicks, sprinkle the whole thing with yummy sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds if you prefer those).

The seeds add an interesting and surprising twist to this dish, just try it, it’s fun…

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

15. Put the stuffed zucchinis back into the oven and bake them at the same temperature (350 F – 175 C) for 20-25 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini with Vegetable Rice and Cheese recipe with step-by-step images

It’s delicious, I’m telling you.

A scrumptious, light summer dish.

Yum!

Enjoy, dear friends.

(This recipe makes 2 portions.)

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I’m Back!

I’m back, I’m back, I’m back …FINALLY!

Yippee!

Yaaay!

Wheeeee!

My house sitting days are OVER!

I am nothing less than excited about going back to my old life and my old routine …and now even in a new town and in a new flat where me and my boyfriend have moved.

Today I spent the day concentrating on a very important task – walking around the flat for the whole day and watching how the sun moves in relation to my windows trying to find out which spots will work best for the thing I can no more live without – my food photography.

But every now and then my thoughts flew far away to a cute little someone I can’t stop thinking about.

It’s the baby in the picture, my little sister, my parents’ beloved sweetheart – little Georgina.
 
 


This is the baby I was looking after for almost three weeks.

Actually, it was her, a canary and a zillion of Mom’s plants.

Me and Georgina, we had the best time together. Still, there were moments when we really missed the parents. To cheer us up we needed to find various funny activities – like trying out different hairstyles for example (for Georgina, of course, I was wearing no hairstyles at all, I was channeling a nature fairy).
 
 

My parents arrived home safely.

That means that mine and Georgina’s sweet and careless days are over and we both have to start doing some proper and meaningful work.

In my case, the work consists of cooking, baking and taking pictures for my site (don’t I just have the best life ever?).

Georgina’s days, on the other hand, are filled with helping my parents with the gardening. She’s irreplaceable in this aspect (and in all other aspects, too).
 
 

Just look at how much enthusiasm, vigour and responsibility she has for the chores that looking after the garden involves…
 
 

Oh, Georgina, you are the sweetest little creature that I’ve ever met – my time spent with you was just wonderful.

I think I love you.

Of course, except for those gloomy, obscure moments when you were chasing frogs, maybe ate some of them, had a physical tremor afterward and ran after another frog as soon as the tremor was gone …that haunting stuff I hope to forget really soon…
 

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Strawberry Roulade

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

When I was a kid my Mom used to make wonderful sweet treats for me and my sister.

One of the desserts she used to prepare most often was this strawberry roulade. I guess she liked to make it because it is amazingly simple and easy.

Hm, who doesn’t like that?

As I’m spending time here in my Mom’s house these day, it’s no surprise there’s been a lot of remembering the old, sweet days of my childhood …which magically gave me the idea to prepare this delicious cake, since, to my surprise, I’ve never made it myself.

Oh, and was that a good idea…

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

These are the ingredients you need in case you want to prepare this delicious cake, too.

Which I highly recommend.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

1. First, preheat the oven to 356 F (180 C).

2. Then, separate the eggs.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

3. Now, play with the yolks a little.

Add 1 cup (115 grams) confectioner’s sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

4. Using your hand mixer, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

5. Add the flour and mix again shortly, just until incorporated.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

6. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm (stiff peaks) and add them to the egg-yolk mixture.

Did you know that when you whisk egg whites there have to be no remains of egg yolk on your whisk attachment? Otherwise the whites wouldn’t just get firm. Trust me! Been there, done that…

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter.

This is basically the main and most important trick about the sponge cakes – to have the batter as light and air-filled as you can manage.

And it’s definitely not difficult, no matter what they say.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

8. I am using a 12 x 15 inch (30 x 38 cm) baking pan here. Just try to use something similar.

Line your baking pan with parchment paper, and (to stay on the safe side) spray it with some vegetable oil and flour it lightly.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

9. Pour the batter into the pan.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

10. And using an offset spatula or a knife, spread the batter evenly.

11. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

12. In the meantime, prepare a nice, welcoming home for your cake.

Place a clean dish towel on your working surface. Then put a piece of parchment paper over the towel and sprinkle it with a little of confectioner’s sugar.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

13. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, invert it onto the towel and the paper you have prepared.

So now you have the dish towel and the paper underneath the cake and there’s also a piece of paper on top of the cake (the one it was baking with).

(Oh, how I’ll miss those crazily yellow eggs from my Grandma.)

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

14. Carefully, remove the top paper.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

15. And, while still hot, roll it up.

This way we are making the sponge to get used to being rolled up. If we rolled it up when cooled it might break.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

16. Let cool.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

17. When cooled, unroll the sponge and spread with the preserves (or jam).

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

18. Then whip up the cream.

First, beat the cream until soft peaks form, then add 4 tablespoons (30 grams) sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form when the beater is raised.

19. Spread the cream over the preserves.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

20. Reroll the cake.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

21. And sprinkle with some more sugar if you wish to.

strawberry roulade recipe, strawberry jelly roll with cream recipe with step by step images

22. Slice the cake into even 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) pieces.

Enjoy, dear friends.

With Love,

Petra

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Colorful and True

When this house-sitting mission of mine is over and I come back home I am going to have a giveaway.

I am SO going to have a giveaway!

I just can’t wait.

Though I can’t reveal exactly what the prize will be, I think I am allowed to describe it remotely in a few words. It’s going to be funny, cute, very funny, you can play with it, it resembles the subjects in the picture above but there’s much more and …have I mentioned it’s going to be very funny?

Well, you’ll see.

Back to the shot glasses above now …of course, they belong to my Mom. I suppose you might have gotten used to me chronicling Mom’s colorful stuff during these days when I am defending my parents’ house like a knight in shining armor.

These shot glasses are one of the most funny ones I have ever seen…
 
 

Not only are they wonderfully cheerful and colorful, they also want to reveal little snippets of an avid drinker’s life.

An avid drinker once said: ‘I HAVE A DRINKING PROBLEM – TWO HANDS AND ONLY ONE MOUTH.’
 
 

He/She has also once been overheard revealing this memorable truth: ‘ALCOHOL DOESN’T CAUSE HANGOVERS, WAKING UP DOES!’
 
 

Oh, and I can totally feel what this person has to say: ‘I’M ON AN ALCOHOL DIET, SO FAR I’VE LOST TWO DAYS.’

In my earlier (read: brain-absent) years, there were a lot of wine diets. They involved a lot of working by day and a couple of wine glasses by night.

And let me tell you, it worked wonders.

Though I’d like to try it again these days, I can’t – my boyfriend just doesn’t allow me.

At least I have the sweet memories to cherish…
 
 

‘ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR!’

I think that if this shot glass had more space for words there would definitely be the word ‘bathroom’ standing right before the word ‘floor’.

I might or might not know a little about that …which might or might not be the reason why I am not a big fan of tequila.
 
 

Another crazy, colorful, head-spinning tour is over, dear friends.

I hope you enjoyed it.

There’s more to come soon …so stay tuned!

With love,

Petra

*hiccup*
 

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