Tomato, basil & red pepper soup

I make loads of soup in the winter. I actually always have a container of soup in the fridge, just in case. It is the perfect guilt-free comfort food in the winter, and the best way way to eat the famous 5 a day. Let’s face it, there is no way I will eat a salad on a winter day… This particular soup warms my tummy AND gives me a taste of summer.

It is actually a little twist from the Thermomix demonstration I have had before buying my new toy. Still using it loads…cooking more than may seem reasonable.

So here is for the red pepper soup!

The Thermomix- my new toy

I have received a new cooking toy… a robot that does (almost) everything. I have been spending a LOT of time in the kitchen lately exploring its possibilities. Be prepared for more jams and spreads and home-made bread etc..I have just started to explore.

This robot replaces many many other appliances, all in one. It chops, grinds, weighs, steams, blends, purees, sautees, whips, mixes etc.. The only thing I miss is that it does not juice oranges or cut vegetables into slices. But for the rest, it is perfect.

It will have some influence on the blog, as I will start talking in thermomix terms when detailing the recipes. But I will alway make the effort to translate for people who don’t have this little baby.

See you soon for some more kick-ass recipes!

 

Lemon biscuits with blueberry jam

Valentine’s day caught me a bit off guard this year,we were not even supposed to do anything.My other half had too meet up with a friend,and I had decided to test my new gym. Lovebirds.

But Cupid had it is his way in the end:I arrived at the gym,realized I had forgotten my sneakers and came back home..to find him on the sofa and flowers on the table.His night out had been cancelled.

So I had to improvise some last minute valentine’s treat..and this is the story of these biscuits.

Polenta with tomato sauce and sausages

The gorilla of the house went back to Italy over Christmas, and came back with a full documentary on Italian cuisine. It just HAD to be on the blog..I mean, how often do you get a cooking class by an authentic Italian Mamma?

The exact recipe is not disclosed..partly because it is a family secret, partly because I don’t think there is an actual recipe with measures and all. It is all “all’occhio”… real cooks know the quantities at a glance, right?

So here it is, the first part of our documentary on traditional Italian recipes (no pasta, no pizza, that would be too easy). I am so impressed by the whole thing, with subtitles and all!

And the next episode will be a dessert made by the Nonna..you can start salivating now if you want.

Chocolate Mousse – a classic!

I think I have said it already, I am not a big chocolate fan…and since I’ve said this, I keep finding exceptions!  It was hot chocolate this winter, and now I realize I also make chocolate mousse quite often..but just because it pairs really well with fruit of course.