Bring Mediterranean flavours to everyday meals with ripe vegetables, fragrant herbs, good olive oil and uncomplicated methods. Choose from light salads, pasta, fish dishes and comforting oven recipes.
Recipes
Salmon fillets are oiled and grilled with lemon, and a fresh cucumber salad is made with yoghurt, dill and a little honey. Grill the salmon on the skin side first and turn only once; salt the cucumber salad just before eating.
Grated zucchini is salted and squeezed thoroughly, then fried with egg, feta, flour and dill to form crispy fritters. The drier the zucchini, the better the fritters will hold and the less flour is needed.
Courgettes, peppers, aubergines and mushrooms are oiled, grilled in portions and served with chive curd. Do not cut vegetables too thinly and do not overfill the grill to create real roasted flavours instead of liquid leaking out.
Short pasta is cooked al dente and mixed lukewarm with tomatoes, olives, mozzarella and balsamic dressing. do not rinse the pasta under cold water; warm it up with the dressing, adding rocket and basil before serving.
Watermelon and cucumber are mixed with feta, mint and lime vinaigrette and sprinkled with roasted pine nuts. Drain the melon and cucumber well and salt just before serving, otherwise too much liquid will accumulate.
Tomato gazpacho is a cold summer soup made from ripe tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, olive oil, sherry vinegar and some white bread. It is pureed, well chilled and served fresh to taste.
Kisir is a Turkish bulgur salad with tomato paste, paprika, lemon, pomegranate syrup, herbs and spring onions. It tastes fresh, spicy and easy to prepare.
Pide is a Turkish dough shuttle with a crispy rim and spicy filling. This recipe combines yeast dough with minced meat, peppers, tomato paste and parsley.
Mercimek Çorbası is a creamy Turkish lentil soup made from red lentils, onion, carrot, tomato paste and spices. Lemon and paprika butter give it its typical finish.
Imam Bayildi is a Turkish eggplant dish with lots of olive oil, onions, garlic and tomatoes. The eggplants are stuffed and slowly stewed until soft.
Turkish Köfte are kneaded from minced meat, onion, parsley and spices, shaped and fried or grilled briefly. Rest time and strong flavour make them juicy.
Menemen is a Turkish pan dish made from tomatoes, green peppers and eggs. The eggs are only gently thickened to keep the pan juicy and perfectly match fresh bread.
Börek succeeds with yufka or filo dough, a juicy cheese-spinach filling and a yoghurt-egg mixture that joins the layers together. The oven makes the surface golden brown and crispy.
Lahmacun is made from very thinly rolled yeast dough and a spicy minced tomato mixture. It tastes fresh as from a Turkish bakery with parsley, lemon and sumac onions.
Minestrone is an Italian vegetable soup with beans, vegetables, broth and small noodles or rice. Vegetables come in stages depending on the cooking time.
Osso Buco is braised in the classic way with slices of veal. White wine, broth, tomatoes, vegetables and gremolata make an aromatic, delicate braised dish.
Caprese salad consists of ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Good ingredients and room temperature are crucial.
Bruschetta is made with roasted bread, ripe tomatoes, basil, garlic and good olive oil. Let the tomatoes simmer for a short time to make the topping aromatic.
Sage gnocchi need only a few ingredients: potato gnocchi, butter, fresh sage leaves, Parmesan cheese and a little cooking water. The butter may become nutty but not burn.
Milanese risotto is mixed with risotto rice, saffron, broth, butter and Parmesan. The rice should be soft but still have a light bite in the core.
Pizza Margherita lives on a well-done dough, simple tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil and high oven heat. Few ingredients are enough when the bottom becomes crispy.
Lasagne Bolognese needs a slow-cooked ragù, a smooth béchamel and enough rest time after baking. This allows the layers to be cut clean.
Spaghetti Carbonara is cooked without cream: eggs, pecorino romano, black pepper, guanciale or pancetta and hot pasta water make a creamy sauce.
Baklava consists of many buttered layers of filo pastry, nuts, cinnamon and syrup made of honey or sugar. Hot pastries absorb cold syrup particularly well.
Fasolada is a Greek bean soup with white beans, tomatoes, carrots, celery and olive oil. The beans are boiled until soft and the soup is calmly seasoned.