Good weekend brunch.

Mid week is just perfect timing to start preparing weekend plans. And weekend meals of course!

The idea of brunch was on my mind for a while - and then there was this perfect Sunday to try a new recipe for the delicious little pancakes. Brunches like this make all Sundays sunnier - and then start the week in a very positive way.

So, how about some brunch this weekend....?

Ricotta pancakes with blueberries.
prep time 10 min + frying, serves 4 people

200g blueberries
2tbsp sugar
for the pancake batter
3 eggs
250 g ricotta cheese
50g sugar
2tsp vanilla sugar
25g melted butter
50g flour

1. Warm the blueberries very gently with the sugar, until they begin to break open. Cool a little while you make the pancakes.
2. Separate the eggs, and whisk the white until stiff. Mix all the other pancake ingredients together in a bowl, then gently fold in the whites.
3. Fry pancakes on a large, thick bottomed frying pan. Make sure you don't tip them over until they are properly set underneath.
4. Eat hot with warm blueberries

This perfect inspiration comes from Camilla Plum's book 'the Scandinavian Kitchen'. I must admit that it was the very first recipe I tried from this book, and now I'm very excited to try more delicious meals from it. The pancakes are very fluffy and reminded me of lazy summer mornings and eating late breakfast on the balcony.

Tiramisu for a May weekend.

So finally it's really May! Sure - it still gets cold in the evenings, and I haven't dared to pack my winter jacket into the bottom of the 'seasonal clothes only' suitcase in the basement, but at least I did take out my spring coat! And in this very spring coat, halfway unbuttoned I paraded to and from work yesterday - with a big smile on my face.
Spring, it's really in the air, the Sun is shining brighter and the air smells like fresh grass. To make sure that it's really spring everywhere, we took a little car ride into the country side - and this is what we found:

perfect blue skies, green grass and yellow blooming fields.... What a nice beginning to this spring weekend!

Spring is the time for more light and fruity cakes - rhubarb, strawberries and blueberries... But before I officially start this kind of cooking, I want to tell you a story of one tiramisu...

I ate the original tiramisu at an Easter get-together with my high school girlfriends and completely fell in love with it. I realize of course that there's a recipe for tiramisu on every mascarpone box, but this was really special, and tasted amazingly delicious while chit-chatting and catching up after months of not seeing each other. So I decided to try it myself and as usual, all I needed was a good occasion. And then it appeared - another friend's from the office birthday +  I discovered that it was an anniversary of me working with them! Voilà, the excuse ready!

Tiramisu - simple cake for many occasions.
prep time 15min, cooling 2hrs

750g mascarpone cheese
3 eggs (separate yolks from whites)
3tbsp sugar
1 cup espresso, cooled and mixed with
2tsp dark rum or amaretto
24 packaged ladyfingers
2tbsp dark cacao

1. In a glass bowl (here 20x20cm) arrange half of the ladyfingers in order to fit the bottom, then soak them with half a cup of coffee + alcohol mix.
2. Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, for about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth.
2.  Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until thick (turn the bowl up side down, it's ready when the mixtures stays attached to the bottom of the bowl). Then gently add to the egg yolk mix.
4. Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone + egg whites mixture over the ladyfingers (about 2-3cm layer). Arrange another layer of ladyfingers soak with coffee and top with remaining creamy mixture.
5. Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before serving, sprinkle with dark cacao.

I've decided to share this recipe here because of the combination of its simplicity and deliciousness - very high rankings in both. The final product looks very yummy, unless of course it's more than halfway gone - as on the here attached photo. But it only means that they loved it - what else is there to want?

Pea soup for a cold evening.

So it's May. Heard on the radio today someone saying that a third of 2012 is already behind us - incredible how fast it went! Still remember our skiing escapades, the crisp cold nipping at your skin, and the promenade by the lake covered in a thick layer of ice...

Winter is gone, spring slowly turning into summer. Soon there will be time for picnics, strawberry tarts and berry muffins. Can't wait!

Meantime, with the window open just enough to let some fresh air in, but not so much that the cold gusts of air get in, we are enjoying another Indian soup. Good for evenings like this - spring greens infused with a bit of hot spices, to shut that night chill firmly out.

Indian Potato and Pea Soup
serves 4, prep time 30min

2tbsp vegetable oil
5 medium potatoes, diced
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
4 cups of vegetable stock/bullion
1 red chilli, chopped,
1 cup frozen peas
4 tbsp of unsweetened yoghurt
chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan, add potatoes, onions and garlic, then gently saute for 5min, stirring constantly
2. Add ground spices, cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the vegetable stock and chilli, bring the mixture to boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20min, or until the potatoes get soft
4. Add the peas and cook for another 5min. Stir in the yoghurt, season to taste.
5. Pour into soup bowl and garnish with coriander. May be served with warm garlic bread.

This is definitely one of our all-time favorites. It's very refreshing, and leaves a warming sensation - its spicy notes softened and sweetened by the peas and potatoes, while the coriander and yoghurt add a discreet citrus/sour counter-point. Perfect for a long but still a bit chilly first day of spring. Happy Walpurgisnacht!