Temporary hiatus

Hi everyone,

I'm just posting a small post to let you all know my blog is going on a temporary hiatus.

Right now I'm very busy trying to find a job and then move out of my parents house. I'm so busy with other things and getting my life on track that my blog is the last thing I'm thinking about.

Apologies to everyone looking forward to posts but I'll definitely be picking up blogging again when I've got my own apartment and my own kitchen!

Love,
Laura

Holiday~

So, no update today... :(

Right now, I'm very busy packing because I'll be going on a 2-and-a-bit week holiday with a friend. And I'm leaving tonight! We're going to Lyon, Milan, Zürich and Copenhagen by train and I'm looking forward to it very much!

See you all when I get back.
 <3

Chocolate chip cupcakes with caramel and coffee frosting

So a week ago I had a bit party here at my house! Not only did I graduate and got my Bachelor’s degree, my birthday is also coming up~ yay! But since my birthday is the 9th of July most friends I want to invite to my party are long gone on holiday by then. So, I threw a birthday/graduation party at the end of June and we had a blast! I did a barbeque and – of course – there were cupcakes, because you can’t have a party without cupcakes!

These cupcakes were a real hit with my friends! Everyone especially liked the frosting, which made me feel so happy because it was a bit of an experiment. But they are right. These cupcakes are delicious! I love these chocolate chip cupcakes, with the right amount of chocolate chips in them so that they don’t overpower the cupcake but still leave so much chocolate to enjoy. The frosting is delicious, too. Not overly sweet and with a good taste of caramel with just hints of coffee that add a bit of depth to the frosting. All in all, a success that I’m proud to share with all of you!

Chocolate chip cupcakes with caramel and coffee frosting
Adapted from: The cupcakes are adapted from The Cupcake, published by Love Food (page 144)  and the frosting is slightly adapted from Glorious Treats.
Makes: About 20 to 22 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes

• 200 gram self-raising flour
• 200 gram soft butter
• 200 gram caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 200 gram chocolate chips (I used plain ones)

Frosting

• 500 gram powdered sugar
• 226 gram cream cheese
• 113 gram butter
• 4 tablespoons caramel sauce
• 3 tablespoons cold coffee

Directions
Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F and put the paper cases in a tray (I did them 12 at the time since my oven won’t fit 2 muffin trays).
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Then add the butter, sugar and the eggs and whisk/beat until the mixture is smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix them with the batter.
3. Fill the paper cases with the mixture and bake the cupcakes in 20 to 25 minutes. They’re done when they’re firm to the touch and golden.
4. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and leave them to cool. They should be entirely cooled down before you frost them.

Frosting

1. In a large bowl, lightly beat the butter.
2. Add the cream cheese and mix with the better for about a minute.
3. Add the powdered sugar, caramel sauce and coffee and stir through the butter and cream cheese mixture with a spoon. When it’s mixed a bit, beat with a hand mixer for about 1 minute.
4. Put the frosting into the ‘fridge to cool, about half an hour. I do this, so that when I pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes I have a firm frosting instead of one that’s ready to melt away. After frosting the cupcakes, I store them in a box in the ‘fridge, again, so the frosting won’t get runny.

~ Enjoy!

Apple, banana and pear smoothie

Mom and dad went on holiday last weekend and left me with a few too many pears to eat on my own. So since summer has finally started and the weather is getting to nice temperatures and lots of sun I thought of making a smoothie. Cold, fruity and the perfect breakfast for a sunny morning!

Apple, banana and pear smoothie
Adapted from: http://uktv.co.uk
Serves: this recipes makes about 1 litre

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks (make sure the apples are peeled! I decided not to because I never peel my apples but the skin left some little crunchy bits behind in the smoothie)
• 1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 250 ml yogurt 
• 250 ml apple juice
• pinches ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Put everything into a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth.

~ Enjoy!

Citrus risotto with garlic shrimp

Don’t you just love shrimp? I know I do! So when I saw this recipe I wanted to make it right away because not only does it have shrimp in it, the shrimp is paired with risotto. I happen to like risotto, a lot. This is a bit different from the one I usually have (the one my mom makes that is to die for, really). This citrus risotto is bursting with flavor and the shrimp go so very well with the creamy, lemony risotto!

Citrus risotto with garlic shrimp

Adapted from: Bills Food by Bill Granger (page 88 Dutch edition) 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1,5 litre chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 50 gram butter
• 330 gram Arborio rice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Black pepper
• 2 small red, Spanish chili’s
• 2 cloves garlic
• 20 shrimp (peeled, with the tail still attached to the shrimp. Make sure to remove the intestine)

Directions

1. In a large pan with a thick bottom, heat one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, salt and half the butter and heat until the onion turns glassy. Add the rice and stir for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the rice is completely mixed with the onion mixture.
2. Gradually add the chicken stock to the rice (I use a small ladle and add one spoonful every time). Stir constantly and don’t add a new spoonful of stock before the previous spoon is soaked up by the rice completely. The recipe says it takes you about 20 minutes but I’d count on at least half an hour before the rice is creamy and al dente.
3. Take the pan off the stove. Stir the remaining butter, lemon zest and lemon juice through the rice and add black pepper to taste. Put a lid over the pan and let it stand for a few minutes so the rice absorbs the flavours.
4. Meanwhile, grind the red peppers and garlic. In a frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil over high heat.
5. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and put them in the pan. Fry them for about 2 minutes while shaking the pan. Add the chilli and garlic mixture and fry for another minute. Put the pan aside.
6. Stir the risotto before dividing it over 4 bowls and put the shrimp on top before serving.

~ Enjoy!

Rolled oats, dark chocolate and strawberry muffins

The process of losing weight is never fun. Of course, when you get on the scale at the end of the week and see the progress you’ve made there is this moment of glee and happiness. But when you’re at a friend’s place and have to say no to cookies, snacks and have to think of cooking and eating healthy every single day it gets tiring and frustrating.

For me, it takes a lot of time, effort and perseverance to lose weight. Not because I’m not motivated, but because I’m not just looking to lower my weight temporarily. I don’t want a quick fix. I want to change my eating-habits, make them healthier so I know I’m taking proper care of myself and my body.

So, to give myself a break every once in a while I decided that I’m allowed to have a nice muffin or other delicious snack in the weekend. But eating a muffin filled with sugar and butter isn’t going to make me feel good about myself. So instead, I made myself these delicious muffins. They’re healthy, using olive oil and honey, and very tasty with the strawberries and chocolate in them. A very nice treat I don’t feel guilty eating!

Rolled oats, dark chocolate and strawberry muffins
Adapted from: Smulweb (a Dutch recipe website)
Makes: about 14 muffins

Ingredients

• 150 gram whole-wheat flour
• 125 gram rolled oats
• 12 gram baking powder
• 75 gram dark chocolate (broken into little pieces)
• 235 ml milk
• 60 ml honey
• 30 ml olive oil
• 2 egg whites
• Handful strawberries (sliced in quarters)
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F and put the paper cases in a muffin tray.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients (including the chocolate) in a bowl.
3. Add the olive oil, milk, egg whites and strawberries and mix. If the mixture is a bit dry, add a bit more milk.
4. Fill the paper cases about 2/3 with the batter and bake in the oven for about 17 minutes and then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.

~ Enjoy!

Pasta pesto with ricotta and chicken

This dish is a real hit at my house! My sister’s girlfriend in particular loves this dish and no week goes by without her asking me if I can make it again (or my Chicken Parmesan, which I’ll be posting soon too). She’ll be looking at me with a grin and ask me: “It’s been a while since we’ve had that paste pesto, isn’t it?” I can’t help but feel flattered every single time.

But she is very right in liking this dish, because it IS absolutely delicious! It’s quite a simple dish, quick and with little ingredients. But the ingredients that are in there go perfect together. The original recipe used heavy cream but I decided to use ricotta instead and, in my opinion, it works perfectly! The ricotta takes a bit off the strong taste of the pesto away and mellows it very nicely so it doesn’t take over the entire dish.

Pasta pesto with ricotta and chicken
Adapted from: Martha Stewart
Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips (about 445 gram)
• 100 gram pesto
• 250 gram fettuccini 
• 3 tablespoons ricotta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden and cooked through. Cover the pan to keep the chicken warm.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the pesto over low heat until it starts to turn liquid. Add the ricotta and stir until all the ricotta is mixed with the pesto.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining the pasta, make sure to catch a little of the cooking water (about 50 ml.).
4. Stir the cooking water through the pesto and ricotta mixture.
5. In a large bowl toss the chicken, pasta and pesto and ricotta mixture and serve with some fresh parmesan cheese.

~ Enjoy!