spiced carrot apple and pecan muffins

makes 6 muffins:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 medium peeled, shredded carrots
1 peeled, shredded apple
a handfull of chopped pecan nuts
6 pecan nuts

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C, grease 6 muffin cups.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt. In a seperate bowl, whisk together yogurt, butter, and egg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add yogurt mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in carrots and chopped pecan nuts.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Garnish each muffin with a pecan nut. Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted in center of one comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I read this muffin recipe (without apples and nuts) on bread & honey. It can also be found on marthastewart.com. I think of adding brown sugar instead of white the next time.

roasted hokkaido squash salad with feta

I love autumn. I love squash. Definitely one of the best autumn vegetables. I bought the hokkaido squash in Gföhl, directly at the squash field! This dish is perfect: easy to prepare and sooo appetizingly! Btw: I observed that roasted squash tastes a bit like the sweet chestnuts you can buy on each street corner in winter :)

serves 2:
approx. 300 g hokkaido squash, cut into wedges (don't peel it)
a drizzle of olive oil
salt, pepper
nutmeg
red lollo rosso lettuce
cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
100 g feta
Styrian pumpkin seed oil
a handfull of roasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. Cut the squash into four wedges, deseed and scrape. Place the squash in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bake for 45 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned.
While the squash is roasting, divide salad between serving plates, garnish with tomatoes and feta cheese. Drizzle with pumpkin seed oil and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Place the squash wedges on top and serve immediately.

moroccan pasta with red lentils and spinach

This pasta is spicy and delicious, simply perfect! I have to tell you to try this. I found the recipe in Sarah Wiener's fabulous cook book – but as often I changed some ingredients. I bought such a huge amount of red lentils – I'd appreciate recipe ideas and tips!

makes 2 servings:
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
40 g red lentils
150 ml vegetable broth
salt, pepper
grounded caraway, grounded cilantro, cinnamon
200 g fresh spinach leaves
fresh parsley, chopped
grated parmesan
2 carrots
200 g whole wheat spaghetti

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add half the onion and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add red lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to boil and simmer, about 8 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and spices. Be generous with the spices and taste. Drain the lentils, reserve the spicy broth. Whisk together broth and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add onions and garlic and let them get glassy. Add spinach leaves and leave them to wilt. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Slice carrots diagonally. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. For the last 5 minutes add carrots. Drain, toss together pasta & carrots, broth, lentils and spinach. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated parmesan.

red lentil soup

makes about 4 cups:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 bunch root vegetables (celery, carrot, yellow carrot, leek...), chopped
1 courgette, chopped
canned tomatoes in juice, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 cup dried red lentils
4 cups water
1 cup vegetable broth
salt, pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, root vegetables, courgette, tomatoes with juice and garam masala and sauté, stirring, 5 minutes. Add water and broth, bring to boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add lentils and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender (about 10 more minutes). Add more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper and stir in parsley.

Vollkornbrot

Zutaten für eine Kastenform:
500 g Weizenvollkornmehl
10 g Salz
20 g Hefe
3 dl lauwarmes Wasser
Olivenöl

Den Germ in 3 dl Wasser auflösen. Das Mehl in eine Schüssel geben, eine Mulde formen und die Germmischung hineinleeren. Mit den Händen so lange vermischen, bis kein trockenes Mehl mehr übrig ist, dann das Salz hinzufügen. Den Teig gut durchkneten und noch extra 1 bis 1,5 dl lauwarmes Wasser beifügen. Den Teig unter einem Tuch gehen lassen, bis er ca. 1/3 seines Volumens zugenommen hat.

DenTeig kurz durchkneten und weitere 30 Minuten gehen lassen.

Den Teig platt schlagen und in eine mit Olivenöl ausgefettete Brotbackform geben. Noch so lange gehen lassen, bis der Teig nicht ganz so hoch ist wie die Backform.

Das Brot ca. 35 Minuten im vorgeheizten Ofen bei 220°C backen.

Dies war mein erster Versuch, ein Vollkornbrot selbst zu backen. Ich habe ein bisschen zu wenig Salz verwendet. Das Rezept stammt von einer Bäckerei in Amsterdam, Hartog's Volkoren.