Mama wants a drink - two

Especially after a tiring week like the last one, it is good just to sit down and have a nice drink, to relax, to celebrate that the weekend is finally there. Sometimes you just need a break, let's be honest, especially when you are a mama. Mama wants a drink, so here is the Strawberry Greyhound, I just picked it for the name and even more because it is a poptail!

Very refreshing, but also very misleading, because it tasts like a lemonade popsicle and then... it hits. 

 

 Grapefruit and Strawberry Greyhound Poptail

Makes 2-3 popsicles

Ingredients

60 ml fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice - 4 strawberries -

35 ml vodka

Place the grapefruit juice and whole strawberries in a food processor or a blender and process until everything is pureed. Add vodka and process for another 20-30 seconds to blend well. Pour mixture into popsicles mold.

Place foil on top of popsicle form and cut a tiny hole in the center of each well. Stick popsicle stick through the whole. Freeze for at least 6 hours or until frozen solid. To release popsicles, run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds.
(Inspired by here)

Delicious Food Weekend

If you are in need for some food inspiration for this weekend, look no further.

On Friday Evening we start off the weekend with a

Dinner of veal, tuna & green Asparagus

You will need (4pax): 7 tbsp. of olive oil - 750 gr of green asparagus - 2 tbsp. fresh oregano - 100gr fresh tuna - 3 tbsp. Italian olives - 2tbsp Lemon juice - 4 veal schnitzels - lemon - Optional: rosemary potatoes

Preheat the oven at 210°C - Put 3 tablespoons olive oil, asparagus on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper and oregano. Grill the asparagus in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.

Heat the grill pan, season the tuna and grill very shortly.

Put the tuna, together with the lemon juice, oregano, olives, and 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a boil and mix together. Reheat the grill pan and grill the meat 2 minutes per side. Divide the asparagus over the plates, add the meat and put the tuna mixture over it.

 
After a late morning, you will feel energized and balanced after this Green Goddess Detox Salad

You will need:

1 kg baby spinach - 250gr pea shoots or other shoots -125 gr feta cheese - 125 gr almonds, crushed or chopped - 1 avocado, cut into chunks - 100gr cooked green beans

Green Goddess Dressing

½ jalapeño pepper - 100 ml Greek yogurt - Juice from 1 lime -

60 ml olive oil - ½ teaspoon salt - 1 tablespoon honey - ½ teaspoon minced garlic - 125 gr cilantro - 2 scallions

For Saturday Dinner: Ravioli with broad beans and mozzarella

500 g of fresh pasta dough -   semolina flour for dusting -   1 egg -   grated parmesan or pecorino cheese -   additional: pasta machine or pasta dough roller, brush
For the filling:
  200g fresh young broad beans * (± 1 kg with cap) -   70 g buffalo mozzarella, torn into small pieces  -   30 g grated Parmesan cheese -   1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
For the sauce:
  100g fresh young broad beans * (± 500 g with cap) -   100ml olive oil -  15 g butter -   zest and juice of ½ (preferably organic) lemon -   ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves

Cook the beans in plenty of salted water 6-7 minutes until tender, drain and rinse cold. Drain well. Chop the beans very fine, this can also be done in the food processor, just push the pulse button a few times. Mix the beans with mozzarella, parmesan and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Heat all ingredients for the sauce for 8-10 minutes on your lowest heat, without boiling,  to get all the flavours going. Roll out the dough with a pasta machine as thinly as possible and sprinkle with a little more semolina so it does not stick. Cut into two halves of equal length. Brush a thin half with egg and top with 1 tablespoon filling on each. Take 3 cm spacing (on the sides of the sheet only need 1 ½ cm remain). Place the other dough sheet on it, gently press out the air and press firmly around the fillings.
Bring plenty of water in your largest pastapan to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook the ravioli with no more than 15 pieces at a time ¾ minutes until tender.
Place the ravioli on warmed plates and spoon the sauce over. Serve with grated Parmesan and some parma ham.

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A Brunch recipe that is perfect after a night out or to be ready for an active sunday.

Huevos Rancheros Breakfast burrito (serves 1)

1 large flour tortilla - 2-3 TBSP black beans - 1-2 eggs - Salsa, fresh or jarred -Fresh avocado, sliced or cubed, or guacamole - 1/4-1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced small (remove the seeds/veins if you prefer it mild) - Other veggies, fresh or grilled/sauteed (optional) -shredded cheddar - hot sauce - fresh cilantro

Gather all your ingredients, and slice/chop any vegetables. If you’d like them sauteed or grilled, go ahead and cook them, then set aside.
   Bake some fired eggs
  Warm the tortilla slightly to make it pliable, and fill with your ingredients. Fold in the ends of the tortilla, then roll it up and enjoy!

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A Sunday afternoon delight: strawberries with mint and cane sugar

An Italian Salad for dinner: Panzanella with ham

100g toasted pine nuts - 1/2 ciabatta bread -  1 red onion -  125 g capers -2 cups cherry tomatoes - 1 cucumber - 2 cup olive oil - 2 dl balsamic vinegar - 1/2 plant basil - 125g olives - 1 clove garlic - pepper and salt - 150g Prosciutto cotto italiano rosa
Tear the ciabatta into pieces and put into a bowl.
Put in the chopped red onion with a crushed clove of garlic, the halved cherry tomatoes, sliced ​​cucumber (seeded), olives, capers and basil leaves. Season well with salt and pepper.
3.Take the  oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over the salad, marinate for ½ hour.
Serve with the pine nuts and the ham.(serves 2)

 

Recipes adapted from Delicious Magazine Nederland, Delhaize magazine, Will cook for friends and Pinch of Yum

Petti Air Cadet

On our way to the day care there is this little airstrip of the military and on a good day we can see a few planes waiting to take off. For the moment Petti (Olivia) is really into anything that flies: flies, birds, planes, if its has wings, this girl spots it. So I thought it would be nice for her to go see the airplanes from a little closer. I trespassed the military domain after picking her up from the daycare, and went to ask the pilots if we could come and see the planes. They were very friendly and let Olivia go sit into one and pretend to fly (brrrrrrroeeeebroeeee - that's the sound she makes). It was funny and she was being so cute with the military boys, so I guess she appreciated our little afternoon outing.

Waffles & Inspiration

Saturday I went to my very first blogger event. It was organised by Brussels Food Friends, a food blogger community with a very international background and very enthusiastic women behind it.
They hosted it at the Hotel Bloom, a very trendy design hotel that features its very own waffle truck in their breakfast area. Of course we had to check that out. As I said, it was my first time so I did not really know what to expect from a blogger community. Blogging has always been a very natural and personal thing for me, I have never talked to other bloggers, but it was in fact very eye-opening and interesting to talk and see other bloggers. 
I especially enjoyed the inspirational talk of Miss Foodwise about creating your visual identity. It made me think about how growing and developing my little blog a bit more. It all comes down to asking yourself the right questions and then acting on it. Maybe a wise life lesson, now I think of it - hmm. Anyways, We had a fun afternoon, met some very nice people and discovered some new blogs to read :) Oh and I also won a very yummie book from one the BXL FF sponsors Luster (I love their books!), ate a gorgeous cake from La cucina Delle Zie and we got a great goodiebag! Already looking forward to the following event! Thank you for organising Brussels Food friends!