Mirabelle Kitchen

Delicious Home-made Spinach and Quark Easter Pie.
I used the excellent Rachel Roddy recipe in the Guardian, available here: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/apr/04/spinach-herb-and-ricotta-pie-recipe-rachel-roddy-torta-pasqualina

I did make a couple of changes though - I used Dinkel Mehl (spelt flour) and full-fat Quark instead of Ricotta because that's what I had - the pastry was really good and easy to work with. Being in an experimental mood (!) I also added a layer of prosciutto on the bottom and a layer of sliced tomato on top. It turned out really well, I would definitely make it again :)

Ahhh, the bread is German, the jam is French... what more could you ask for? Lovely traditional Oster Brot from farm shop Hof Rosenköppel in Frauenstein (baked by Backhaus Bürger on Röderstrasse - excellent traditional breads). I love the dense, slightly chewy texture and there's plenty of fruit, almonds and citrus peel. Perfect with salted butter and/or jam :) Who needs Hot Cross Buns?

Phew, spring has finally arrived! Here's one of our first meals of the year enjoyed outside: noodle salad with cucumber, radish, carrot, pumpkin & pomegranate seeds and a miso-lemon juice dressing; simple grilled aubergines with olive oil, salt & dill; delicious creamy black beans; feta and kalamata olives. Simple, nutritious, healthy :)

Peter's Birthday Cake
When asked a few weeks ago what kind of birthday cake he would like, Peter's answer was quick and unequivocal "a 'Royal Chocolat' with a crunchy bottom". So that's what he got! A crunchy bottom layer made with chocolate, hazelnut praliné (caramelised hazelnut paste) and crushed wafer biscuits, and another layer of 'biscuit dacquoise' (a bit like a macaron, soft and chewy), sandwiched between rich chocolate mousse. Apparently it hit the spot although I have to say it was waaaay too chocolatey for me, definitely one for the chocoholics!

Last weekend's "it's too hot to go out" project was a French pâtisserie classic, the Framboisier... two layers of biscuit joconde (a moist almond sponge) with layers of vanilla crème mousseline and juicy fresh raspberries. I made a couple of non-traditional additions: a crisp dark chocolate shell around the outside and a very thin fresh raspberry gelée glaze on top. It was pretty heavenly even if I do say so myself!

More delicious seafood from Morlaix market with a lovely fresh salsa-style sauce inspired by "sauce chien", which is a speciality of the French Caribbean (no dogs were harmed in the making of this sauce!), and homemade mayonnaise :)

Enjoying the lovely local seafood on holiday in Brittany! A steaming casserole of delicious home-cooked mussels with a very nice Quincy wine from the Loire region, and a very improvised supper of whiting fillet with tomatoes,courgettes and aubergines topped with breadcrumbs. May the culinary pleasures continue, with or without the sunshine!

Lovely carrot cake and raspberry tart at the very cool Heimathafen café & co-working space at Karlstrasse 22, Wiesbaden!

http://heimathafen-wiesbaden.de/

A big thank you to Denise, bride-to-be Laura and all her lovely friends! Some very impressive artistic skills on show for the fondant icing self-portrait challenge!!! I hope you all had a really fun evening and best wishes for the big day :)

Getting ready for today's hen party!

http://www.mirabellekitchen.com/recipe-blog/

New recipe blog post for Individual Rhubarb & Ginger Trifles - if you are running out of ideas for using the lovely seasonal rhubarb available at the moment then these trifles - traditional British desserts of layered biscuits/cake/fruit/custard & cream - make an impressive dessert for weekend barbecues and summer dining!

Delicious Strawberry & Buckwheat Breakfast Bowls.

Recipe: Mix 2 Tbsp. chia seeds in a bowl with 4-6 Tbsp. milk or water. Leave to thicken for 5-10 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp. buckwheat flakes or rolled oats (or other cereal of your choice), top with quartered strawberries, pour over extra milk & drizzle 1 or 2 Tbsp. maple syrup or rhubarb syrup over the top. Keeps you feeling full until lunchtime :)