Waitin' on summer

Cheeseburgers on my mind...

Summer is close,

BBQ's and BEACH!

Albondigas

Photo: Jill Schweber

Nothing better then a taste from home. These Albondigas (meat balls) are full of flavor yet simple to make. My mom always made these at home with warm corn tortillas and rice. We used avocado instead of rice as a side in order to keep things carb free. She also preferred to use ground turkey meat (which is leaner) but we kept it classic and cooked with ground beef from the local butcher. This tomato sauce even goes well poured over a sunny side up for savory breakfast. 

Albondigas

(Serves 4)

Tomato Sauce:

1 onion

7-8 tomatoes 

2 cloves of garlic

salt & pepper

1 tbsp chicken stock

1 whole green chili

Meat Balls:

1/2 onion

1/2 kg meat

handful of parsley

1 egg

1 tbsp bread crumbs

salt & pepper

Instructions

In a big sauce pan throw in the chopped onion, tomatoes and garlic and use a mixer to blend together. Chop the chile pepper in two and put it in together with the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. 

In a big bowl mix all the ingredients for the meat balls together and form them into balls. Add all the meat balls into the simmering sauce. Let simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve with white rice, warm tortillas and or avocados.

Buen Provecho!

Jill

 © 2013 Jill Schweber and Channa Waje, all rights reserved

Zucchini Gratin

Photo: Jill Schweber

This is a great pasta alternative, instead of the old fashion pasta lasagna, this recipe has an interesting twist in form of zucchini (thanks mamma Birgitta). Not only healthy, also tasty, big like! 

Zucchini Gratin   

900 grams of zuccini , sliced 1 cm
250 grams of mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs of mushroom paste
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
oil for frying
100 grams of green olives, sliced
6 dl milk
1/2 cup + 150 grams of cheese, shredded
2-3 tbs of butter
2 tbs of flour
salt
white pepper
   
Instructions 
Heat the oven to 225 degrees C. Bring water to boil in a big pot and add salt. Put in the sliced zucchini and let them boil for about 10 minutes and set aside (without the water of course). Fry the onion for a few minutes, then add the garlic, the mushroom paste and the sliced mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes until the mushrooms are done. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a pot, add the flour and stir. Add the milk and bring to a boil. The sauce is soppose to get thick before it's ready. Add 1/2 cup of cheese and stir until completely melted. Season with salt and white pepper. Take out a tin and greese it with oil then add a layer of the zuccini slices, then the mushrooms and sprinkle over the olives, keep doing it in layers. Add the milk sauce on top and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese. Put it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese recives a nice color. Serve with a salad!   

 © 2013 Jill Schweber and Channa Waje, all rights reserved

Winter Orange Lentil Soup

Yes it is almost February and summer is just around the corner. Living in Tel Aviv it is literally around the corner. So we are going to be posting delicious healthy recipes to help you eat right and look great. 

Photo: Jill Schweber

There's nothing better then lentil soup made from scratch on a cold winter's night. This soup is healthy, delicious, vegetarian, and easy to make. 

Lentil Soup

oil for frying

1 onion

1 leek

1 fennel

3 carrots

half a butternut pumkin (or full if its small)

2 cups of lentils (orange lentils)

1 cup cilantro (finally chopped)

2-3 cm of fresh ginger, (chopped)

1 tsp of oriental cumin 

1tsp of paprika

chicken stock

salt&pepper

spring onion for topping

Instructions

Heat up some cooking oil in a big pot. Roughly chop onions and throw them in together with the ginger. Add the spices. Chop the leek, fennel and carrots and throw them in once the onions soften. Peel and chop the squash and put that in as well. Pour water in the pot (enough to cover vegetables). Simmer till the carrots are soft which takes approx. 20 minutes. Put in two cups of orange lentils. Season with salt, pepper and chicken stock. Simmer for another 20 minutes until lentils are soft. Throw in the cilantro and use a hand mixer to blend until smooth. Just before serving top it off with chopped spring onion. Enjoy! 

 © 2013 Jill Schweber and Channa Waje, all rights reserved

The Art of French Baking

If you, like me, are into French baking, you have to check out the book "The Art of French Baking". The book has all the classic recipes as well as some less famous but still delicious ones. It also looks mighty fine in my bookshelf, and that is more than enough for a cookbook junkie (right?).

Lovisa's Grandmother's Fabulous Cake

This cake is famous among my friends back home. Every time there is a dinner party, we make sure that Lovisa brings her Grandmother’s fabulous chocolate meringue cake. It might not look like very much, but it is, trust me on this one, the best. It's very easy to make and simply delicious. And if you are looking for a cake without flour, this is your lucky day!

Chocolate Meringue Cake 

Meringue
4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
100 g almond flour

Chocolate filling
1/3 cup of water
1/3 cup of sugar
75 grams of butter
3 egg yolks
100 grams of dark chocolate, melted

Instructions
1. Turn on the oven at 175 degrees C.
2. Whip the egg whites with the sugar until firm. Fold in the almond flour.
3. Put the mix in a round tin with loose bottom and put in the oven for about 15 minutes.
4. Bring the water and sugar to boil, and let it boil until hazy. 
5. Add the butter, egg yolks and chocolate. Let it cool.
6. Add the chocolate on top of the meringue.
7. Whip cream and put on top and serve!

YUMMY!

 © 2013 Jill Schweber and Channa Waje, all rights reserved