Stuffed Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese and Pistachios

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A stylish seasonal dish made from fresh ripe figs, creamy mild Chavroux, and crunchy pistachios, served with a green pepper grape syrup. You can serve this as an appetizer, a snack or even as a light dessert.

Stuffed Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese and Pistachios

adapted from Küchengötter

250 ml Grape juice 5 tsp Honey 1/2 tsp Green peppercorns Fresh thyme 30 g Pistachio nuts 100 g Fresh goat cheese Freshly ground black pepper 3 Fresh figs

1. Place grape juice and 3 teaspoons of honey in a saucepan. Cook the mixture on high heat until it becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F. Crush the green peppercorns with a mortar and pestle and add to the grape syrup. Finely chop the pistachios.
   
3. In a bowl, stir together fresh goat cheese, 2 teaspoons of honey, thyme leaves, and freshly ground black pepper.
   
4. Slice each fig in half lengthwise. Make a depression in the middle with the back of a teaspoon. Fill the depression with goat cheese filling. Place them in a baking dish. Switch the oven function to grill and roast the filled fig halves for 6-8 minutes until the goat cheese is lightly browned. Serve with the grape syrup.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Tomato Goat Cheese Tartlets

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

A French-inspired fresh cherry tomato tartlet recipe, baked in a buttery spelt-cornmeal crust with fresh goat cheese, thyme and served with balsamic syrup. An excellent way of using up an excess of home grown tomatoes.

Pâte Brisée	Filling
200 g Whole grain spelt, ground 50 g Cornmeal 125 g Butter, cut into small pieces 5 g Salt 10 g Sugar 1 Egg 1 tbsp Cold milk	150 g Fresh goat cheese 500 g Cherry tomatoes 4 tsp Breadcrumb Black pepper Fresh thyme 2 tbsp Olive oil

1. Heap the flour and cornmeal on a counter and make a well. Put in the butter, salt, sugar and egg. Using your fingertips, mix until it has a grainy texture. Add in milk and incorporate gently with your fingertips until the dough begins to hold together. Gently knead 4 or 5 times until smooth. Roll it into a ball and flatten slightly into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour before working with it.
   
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 2-mm thickness. Using a 18-cm cutter or plate as a guide, cut out 4 circles. Use them to line 4 individual loose-bottom tart pans, 12-cm in diameter and 3-cm deep. Chill for 30 minutes.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Prick the tart shell bases. Line the tart shells with baking parchment and fill with a layer with dried beans to weigh the dough down and prevent it from rising unevenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven setting to 170C/340F. Remove the beans and paper and return the pastry shells to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and leave them on a wire rack and let cool.
   
4. Sprinkle each tart shell with one teaspoon of breadcrumb, then divide the fresh goat cheese onto the tart shells, and season with freshly ground black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Fill in the tomatoes and drizzle the olive oil over. Bake in the center of the hot oven for 20-25 minutes.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Lentil Salad with Mozzarella

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An easy peasy comforting lentil salad tossed with a simple white balsamic vinaigrette served on the thinly sliced Mozzarella. The salad can be served as a side dish or as the main course with some crunchy toasted bread.

150 g Brown lentils 1 Shallot, diced 6 Cherry radishes, diced 250 g Mozzarella, regular or low-fat 4-5 tbsp Vegetable stock 3 tbsp Balsamic bianco 2 tsp Mild mustard Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp Walnut oil 2 tbsp Chives,chopped

1. Combine lentils with 3-4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Simmer 25-30 minutes, until lentils are tender. When lentils are done cooking, drain then place them in a large mixing bowl.
   
2. Peel and dice the shallot. Finely dice the cherry radishes.Drain and cut the Mozzarella into thin slices. Arrange them in two serving plates.
   
3. Mix together the vegetable stock,Balsamic bianco, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl. Beat in walnut oil.
   
4. Add diced shallot, cherry radishes, and chopped chives to the lentil together with dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the lentils and mound onto the Mozzarella. Garnish with chives.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Rolled Spelt Flakes Cheddar Crackers

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These crackers are unique rolled spelt crackers with cheesy and nutty flavours. They go well with a yogurt dip and delicious with soups too. Rolled spelt can be replaced with old-fashioned rolled oats.

Rolled Spelt Flakes Cheddar Crackers

adapted from Food and Wine

Cracker	Egg Wash
45 g Rolled spelt flakes 60 ml Milk 90 g Refined spelt flour 1/4 tsp Baking powder 1/4 tsp Salt 100 g Cheddar, shredded 30 g Cold butter, cut into small pieces 1 Large egg, lightly beaten	1 Egg yolk 1 tbsp Milk

1. Combine rolled spelt flakes and milk in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes until rolled spelt flakes soften slightly.
   
2. Whisk together refined spelt flour, baking powder and salt until blended. With your fingers, rub in cheese and cold butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
   
3. Add the egg into the softened spelt flakes, then add into the cheese mixture. Mix until a dough forms. Scrape the dough onto a large sheet of plastic film and gently knead a few times until thoroughly blended. Pat into a round and wrap it up. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
   
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Work with half of dough at a time. On a lightly floured work surface, cover the dough with a plastic film. Roll out to 1/8-inch / 3 mm thick. Quickly cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares or stamp out different shapes. Place them on the prepared baking sheets. Chill until the rounds are firm, about 20 minutes.
   
5. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Whisk the egg yolk and milk together. Lightly brush the crackers with the egg wash. Bake for about 15 minutes until the crackers are golden brown.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Quark Dip with Chive and Shallot

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http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

The light, tangy flavour of German fresh cheese is complemented by chives, shallot fritters and minced garlic for this healthy and tasty dip. It is perfect with crunchy vegetable sticks, crisp baked potatoes, and grilled meat. It is even nice as a spread on a hearty rye bread.

250 g Low fat Quark (German fresh cheese) 70 ml Milk 1 clove Garlic, minced 1/2 tbsp White wine vinegar Salt and pepper 2 tbsp Shallot fritters A handful of chives, chopped

1. Stir Quark, milk, minced garlic and white wine vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
   
2. Add in shallot fritters and chopped chives. Stir until combined. Garnish with more fritters and chives if desired.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Fig Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Reduction

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

This simple yet delicious fig salad incorporates with all wonderful flavours of the saltiness of Parmesan, the sour tang of vibrant red currants and the sweetness of figs and balsamic reduction.

60 ml Balsamic vinegar 1/3 head Lollo rosso lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces 2-3 Ripe figs, cut into wedges 2 tbsp Parmesan, shaved 1 handful Red currants 1-2 tbsp Argan oil Salt and freshly mulled black peppercorns

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add in balsamic vinegar and reduce for about 5 minutes until thick and syrupy.
   
2. In a salad bowl, combine lollo rosso lettuce, figs, shaved Parmesan, red currants and argan oil. Divide between two serving plates and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Baked Fresh Strawberries with Pistachios in Quark Spelt Blankets

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

The dough ‘blanket’ is mainly prepared with Quark, wholegrain, and refined spelt flours. Strawberries can be replaced with banana and use apricot jam instead of strawberry jam.

Quark, literally translated as ‘curd’, is a German fresh cheese, very similar to the American cottage cheese. It’s a curd cheese made from skimmed milk and soured with a lactic starter. Quark is very popular in Germany. It can be eaten plain on its own or make it into a sauce, spread, dessert or cake.

Quark Dough	Filling
200 g Wholegrain spelt flour 100 g Refined spelt flour 1 tbsp Baking powder 150 g Low-fat Magerquark (German fresh cheese) 6 tbsp Milk 6 tbsp Rape seed oil 70 g Caster sugar 1 tbsp Vanilla sugar Pinch of salt	300 g Fresh strawberries, halved Strawberry jam 1 Egg, lightly beaten 3 tbsp Pistachio nuts, roughly chopped Sugar pearls

1. Whisk the spelt flours and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Add in quark, milk, oil, sugars and salt. With a handheld electric mixer fitted with dough hooks at high speed, stir all the ingredients until just incorporated, for 1 minutes. Don’t overdo it, or the dough will be sticky.
   
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cover it with a plastic film and roll out the dough into a 24x60cm rectangular. Cut out 10 squares, each 12x12cm.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Place two strawberry halves in the center of dough. Brush strawberries with strawberry jam. Brush four corners lightly with beaten egg. Pinch two corners crosswise to make an open pocket. (look a bit like Duchess Danish pastry) Brush the pockets with beaten egg and sprinkle with chopped pistachios and sugar pearls.
   
4. Bake open pockets in the center of hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla sauce or whipped cream.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Pasta with Green Asparagus and Black Olives

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A quick, tasty everyday pasta made with green asparagus, tomatoes, and olives for a stress-free supper.

120 g Pasta 300 g Green asparagus, trimmed and cut into chunks 2 tbsp Olive oil 1 Large clove of garlic, crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 200 g Chopped can tomatoes 2 tbsp Black olives, pitted Parmesan for dusting Cilantro leaves for garnishing

1. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for about 8 minutes or according to package instructions until al dente.
   
2. Trim, rinse and cut the green asparagus into 2-inch chunks. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in green asparagus chunks and crushed garlic, stirring occasionally, cook for 2-3 minutes.
   
3. Pour in chopped can tomatoes and pitted black olives. Stir to combine all the ingredients until incorporated and asparagus chunks are tender.
   
4. Drain the pasta and mix with sauce. Serve with chopped coriander leaves and grated Parmesan.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Sweet Potato Salad with Baby Spinach and Feta

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Nothing tastes fresher, happier and better than a spring salad just picked from your own garden or windowsill. Besides that, salad is a great way to increase your fruit and vegetable consumption.

Baby spinach is amazingly easy to grow, as seeds germinate in cool weather. I started mine outdoors in containers around the mid-April and 3-4 weeks later, they were ready for harvest.

The flavour of this salad sparkles with the subtle depth and bright note of acidity from Balsamic vinegar, its tartness tempered by the natural sweetness of tasty, low-calorie roasted orange sweet potatoes.

Salad	Dressing
700 g Orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into slices 2 tbsp Olive oil Salt and black pepper 100 g Baby spinach 1 handful Almonds, toasted and chopped 1 Small red onions, cut into thin wedges 100 g Feta, crumbled	3 tbsp Balsamic 1 tbsp Olive oil 2 tbsp Clear honey 1 tbsp Wholegrain mustard Salt and pepper

1. Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high. Place the potato slices, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss well. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and broil until they are nicely caramelised, 5 minutes on each side. Adjust the oven to the bake setting at the temperature 180C/350F. Cook for 15 minutes until they are fork tender.
   
2. Toss baby spinach, toasted almonds, and red onions together and divide the mixture into two serving plates. Top with crumbled feta.
   
3. Whisk the balsamic, olive oil, honey and mustard together. Season well. Pile sweet potato slices on top of the salad and drizzle with the dressing.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com