My Happy Meal!

When I read the topic „my happy meal” for the play along, I had this dish in my head immediately. It is very seasonal as blood oranges are only available here for about two months. So in early February I ordered blood oranges, pink grapefruits and kumquats as well. On a whim I threw them together and it has become a treat I look forward to every delivery (and now the next ten months). Grapefruits, blood oranges and kumquats are complimenting each other’s taste. Add some walnuts and a dollop of greek yoghurt and you have a firework of sweet, tangy, a little bit bitter, crunch and creaminess. Besides the awesome taste I enjoy turning the brightly colored fruits into this dessert so much that after cutting, peeling and filleting I am always smiling, happy and a little high on colors, textures and aromas.

Hail the Broccoli! (and the almonds, and the quinoa, the lemon.....)

A unique take on a salad for a sweet dessert or finish to a meal, and easy to make!

Salads are all about the mingling of a good selection of ingredients, a variety of textures, a nice and even vinaigrette coating and, in the summertime, a fresh bite.

This potato salad is divine.
I'm not a mayonnaise lover, but vinegary dressings are my thing. You can go as heavy as you want but leaving the honey-mustard shine through is key.

Watermelon radishes are the star of this creamy jewel toned salad. Colorful radishes, the jewel of the root vegetables, are accompanied by individual "gems" from pomegranates and ojia pixi wedges. Combined with the silky smooth texture of butter lettuce and mildly sweet dressing, this colorful salad pairs well with fish or poultry.

Rocket salad, Burrata apulian milk cheese and many crispy slices of radishes!

This Carpaccio is one of my favorite beet recipes, very simple, tasty and healthy!

This is the recipe for beet salad the way my parents made it. In autumn they would harvest the huge bed of beets in the garden, and then a big production would ensue. Boiling dozens of beets, first peeling and then grating them until we had a big laundry bin of salad, ready to be filled into canning jars. After all the hard work we had a big shelf full of shiny, canning jars filled with beet salad. During the winter months right into spring this was the go to on the days my mom was short on time. Mashed potatoes, eggs sunnyside up and a jar of beet salad and we were set and satisfied. Nowadays I don‘t boil 50 kgs of beets, but I still love this salad. I boil only 1 or 2 kgs beets and we eat the salad fresh, but it is a recurring item on our table.
And it is no mistake, that there is no oil listed in the ingredients. There is truly only salt, cumin and vinegar. Beets have an oily quality, when they are cooked. Adding oil would not only be superfluous, but cause an unpleasantly greasy mouthfeel. So, only salt and vinegar and don‘t be shy with them. The cumin can be a bit much, if you don‘t break it down. You can do this either by cutting it finely with a big knife, or pestle it together with the salt before adding it to the salad.

A fresh and zingy salad, that's a favourite of mine to have as a healthy side!

One of my favourite salads with juicy roasted grapes - recipe from Jamie Oliver

Named for the island of Capri, this classic Italian salad is as summery as it gets. Juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves are the three main ingredients. Thinly sliced red onions are a wonderful addition, but optional. Layer on a platter, sprinkle with salt & pepper, drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top. Serve with crusty bread.

Light salad recipe