Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin
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….
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….
It often takes a few weeks (if not months) for a recipe to actually reach my blog after it has been tested and photographed. I like to keep a backlog of recipes and always give myself time to prepare, because sometimes there is the odd recipe fail, even if it did work out well the time before! But I just had to quickly upload this weekend’s delicious burger treat – Rosemary Beef Burger topped with Goats Cheese and a Red Pesto Mayo….
In the past I have found lunch the most trickiest of meals to plan for. While I have mentioned in my previous blog post the all too often temptation to eat out in the evening after a long day in the office, I actually find the eating out at lunchtime far more tempting. The first issue has always been that I have mostly worked in central Berlin. I am often surrounded by plenty of restaurants and cafes to go out for lunch and my colleagues have always felt the same, resulting in me wanting to go out not just for the delicious food on offer but also to socialise and not be left in the office alone…
It seems like this sunny weather is sticking around although I have felt slightly British the last few days by complaining about the heat already..! Every year it always takes me by surprise the lack of air coniditioning in Berlin. I get that Berlin is hardly the Mediterranean climate but the summers are hot! So instead, it means plenty of afterwork beer garden visits to the Prater or sitting on the balcony with a cold glass of wine….
The working week is a bit chaotic that we often end up working late, eating out or making quick dishes that can be thrown together such as a classic Leek and Spinach Spaghetti Carbonara or a Pad Thai. And so I find that the weekends are perfect for spending a little more time in the kitchen and enjoying good food. While I try and keep my freezer stocked up with mid-week leftovers such as a Classic Chilli Con Carne, ready to warm up after a long day, the evenings are still so short that finding the time to cook a nice meal is difficult….
A slice of toasted bread isn’t just to be eaten in the morning with a spread of jam and butter or topped with some eggs and bacon. The humble slice is for any time of day and meal time. At the weekends I like to buy a nice fresh loaf of bread and Germany is definitely the right place to have plenty of choice. Bread is often something that German’s miss when they are away from home and they really do take it seriously. When I first arrived in Berlin I found it difficult to get my hands on a typical loaf …
Butternut squash has to be one of my favourite foods during the autumn and winter months. There is something so comforting about it and you can add it to more or less anything! I like to make a big batch of Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup that has plenty of heat and spice to keep away those winter colds! A Goats Cheese and Butternut Squash Salad is also one of my favourites and the perfect dish for a winter’s night when you are still looking for something a little lighter …