Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin
I think 2018 is shaping up to be a pretty good summer! Of course while Berlin is hardly a Mediterranean climate I am fortunate to live in a city that experiences proper seasons such as cold winters, blooming springs, crisp and cosy autumns and a scorching summer. Yet this year summer has felt like it did when I very first moved to Berlin. I cannot remember the last time…
I always have some tins of tuna in the cupboard. They are perfect for those last minute dinners or if you are cooking for one. If I am cooking for just myself and don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen then I will often make some tuna and sweetcorn to stuff inside a baked potato. It did however take me some time to start eating tins of tuna again after finishing University. While I don’t actually find tins of tuna particularly cheap to buy, for some reason this was more or less all I ate as a student. I think it must have been because it doesn’t really involve any cooking!…
The summer months can include a lot of tempation to go out and eat. Berlin summers can be quite warm and on some days a little too stuffy. It is so easy to want to just pop to a beer garden after work and grab some food on the way home. But this Goats Cheese, Caramelised Onion and Rocket Tart is one of my favourite summer dishes because it is so quick and easy to make. It takes just minutes to prepare and then just sits in the oven for a short time….
It’s happened – I am officially more of a fan of the white asparagus than the green kind. There was me thinking that my love for bread and salami in the morning for breakfast, constant grilling of sausages in the summer months and my love for anything pickled had made me continental enough. But now I have joined the rest of Europe and fully welcoming the delicious spears of white asparagus. Not that I don’t enjoy green asparagus….
I love a quiche! It is one of my favourite things to make, especially during the spring and summer months. For me a quiche is a vital part of a picnic or easy and laid-back al fresco dining. It is also a great one to keep in the fridge for a couple of days, ready to pack up a slice for lunch or to have a quick and simple dinner waiting for you that evening. I like to make a big quiche on a Sunday and to let it cool down before serving with a salad on the side for a delicious and easy Sunday lunch on the balcony in the sunshine. I then use all the leftovers for lunch the following days….
Just like with Christmas, I think one of the best things about Easter lunch is all those leftovers! And while there may only be one more day of holiday until back to work, Easter leftovers are some of the most delicious out there! This Harissa Lamb with Couscous and Tzatziki is the perfect recipe to make on Easter Monday when you want to spend more time relaxing but it is also perfect for that after work meal. What better treat at the end of the first day back at work than coming home to this hot and spicy lamb with a fresh couscous salad that is also ready in just under 20 minutes!…
Something terrible has happened this last month. Our favourite Thai restaurant has temporarily closed down! OK, so the staff have simply just gone back to Thailand for their holidays and the restaurant will be open up again soon. I guess I should be grateful that it isn’t another story of a restaurant closing down because the food is either too spicy for the sensitive German palate or too expensive for the rather frugal average German….
Some days all you need is a bowl of pasta. I feel a little sorry for pasta these days. The ‘clean eating’ crowd have made it almost a sin to enjoy this much loved easy and simple ingredient. These guys have more or less put pasta under the same category of bad foods as frozen ready-meals. But pasta has been serving the Italians, and Mediterranean diets, perfectly well for a very long time. For me this is a key ingredient, it crops up on my meal plan once, or twice, a week as it is so versatile and is perfect for a quick yet delicious meal. This Pappardelle with Pork and Sage Meatballs…