The Joy of Homemade Jam

Posted on May 21, 2013 by chefgabi

I just wanted to share with you a simple recipe for a bit of healthier jam. Guilt free, almost!Honey sweetened and freshly made, it may make a great option for breakfast, cakes, cookies or desserts.

When ever I have some fruits or berries that are a bit on the softer and riper side, I combine them in a small sauce pan, add a slice of organic lemon with the skin, a small piece of vanilla pot and as much acacia honey as required to sweeten the fruits. This depends pretty much on the fruits and on your taste.

Then I simmer them on low temperature for around 10 – 15 minutes. This is enough to deconstruct the fruits and still leave them in a vivid color a flavor. After that I add a spoonful of either arrowroot, agar agar or tapioca flour, or and stir that in for a last bubble up on the heat. Again here it depends on the pectine content of the fruits if I need a little bit more of the thickening agent or not. Rule of thumb: 1 teaspoon for around 350 – 400 ml of jam.

Now the jam is ready to be filled in a glass or bowl and it goes in the fridge, awaiting its final use! It keeps well for around 3-5 days when refrigerated. So I never produce too much of it. Making such a small amount of deliciously smelling jam in your kitchen is no work at all and so much pleasure. You should give it a try! I love to eat this jam with some fresh yoghurt for example when I am craving something sweet….

Talise Nutrition on MBC 1

Posted on March 14, 2013 by chefgabi

Our latest filming will be aired tomorrow, Friday, at 9 pm, at the Green Apple Show on MBC1…..very excited, and hope you all watch!

I have been very busy at work the last few weeks. Oh what am I saying, the last few months! No chance for even a short trip abroad to visit my beloved Bavaria, where I come from, to see the winter. Everyone at home is jealous though that I have everyday sunshine and warm weather while they have been freezing and shoveling snow. At least until recently, now finally some signs of spring are in the air.

To cure my longing for Bavaria I cooked some

flavors from home – away from home.

My home grown sweet marjoram (oregano family, but sweeter and milder) is beautiful and just perfect with its fragrant little leaves. Apart from its antioxidative benefits (think eternal youth!) it is a staple seasoning ingredient in Bavarian cuisine. I added it to my very simple but delicious

Potato Vegetable Soup with fresh Marjoram
2 portions

What to Buy
1 carrot, diced
1 parsnip or parsley root (however parsley root is difficult to source here in the Middle East), diced
2 small potatoes, peeled, diced
1 small leek, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 small piece mace
2 tablespoons olive oil
500 ml vegetable stock
salt, pepper
5 sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves picked

How to Make It
Braise in olive oil until golden the potatoes, parsnip and carrot with bay leaf and mace. Then add the vegetable stock and simmer for around 15 minutes on low heat. Add the leek, season with salt and pepper and serve with fresh marjoram leaves sprinkled all over.

Chef Gabi’s Tip:
I add sometimes dried cepes to the soup – they give this simple soup a significant upgrade! Must try.
This is what I cook at home when I feel not like cooking. A really easy to make recipe.

Baking Rediscovered

Posted on February 10, 2013 by chefgabi

Recently I have rediscovered baking. My mom bakes almost every day fresh crispy wholesome rolls and baguettes, and her dark and aromatic sourdough bread is famous! I have done her recipe for gluten free sesame rolls and you wouldn’t believe it they are really lovely. They will be definitely on my hitlist from now on.

GLUTEN FREE SESAME ROLLS
12 small rolls (they turn out crispier, when they are smaller)

What to Buy
50 gm millet flour
100 gm buckwheat flour
20 gm quinoa flour
150 ml water
10 gm fresh yeast
20 gm butter, melted (you can also use olive oil instead)
5 g salt
20 gm wholesome white sesame, toasted

How to Make It
Liquidise the yeast in the water. Combine it with the flours, toasted sesame seeds, salt and butter. It can be that you need to add some more water or a touch more flower. Just bear in mind the dough is rather soft as pictured above.
Preheat the oven at 250 degrees Celsius. Lay a baking tray with parchment paper and spoon the rather soft dough in portions on the paper. Give them an even more rustic look by dusting them generously with some of the flour mix from above ingredients. Allow the rolls to rise for around 15 minutes, then bake them in the oven for around 10 minutes, with an initial spritz of cold water sprayed into the oven before you close the door for baking. This is to create the best crust. For more baking tips please click here.

They are best when eaten slightly warm. I am a big fan of dipping them in quark with herbs, little garlic and diced tomatoes!

Here some information on the flours used in this recipe:
Millet is an excellent source of silicium, good for bones, teeth, skin and hair strength. Its golden color makes all baked goods appear brighter and lighter, even though they are wholesome. However the flour is slightly sandy on the tongue. For this reason I use it mixed with others for bread rolls.
Buckwheat provides plenty of lecithin, good for your heart. It has a very special flavor, a bit nutty in an unusual way (unless you are Russian born and raised on buckwheat based dishes). The flour is slightly grey in color, a reason why I tend to mix it with golden ones for a sunnier look. The lecithin makes it a perfect flour for baking, and doughs turn out smooth and fluffy.
Quinoa is a protein powerhouse supplying all essential amino acids. Its flower is similar bright than millet flour and lifts the color of any baked food even though it is wholesome.

The Magic Cabbage Soup

Posted on January 14, 2013 by chefgabi

Even though I am far from recommending a diet restricting anything else than just one food item I admit that cabbage soup works wonders…..and is truly recommendable to be included in your healthy menu plan.
But I just wanted to use the headline. Because my cabbage soup is magic - only look at this color! It is made of red cabbage. I love purple anyway. Purple in foods is due primarily to their anthocyanin content. The darker the blue hue, the higher the phytochemical concentration. Anthocyanins are antioxidants that are particularly heart healthy and may help support healthy blood pressure. As a color is so special for food and a little bit irritating at times. But nothing to worry. Everything in the following recipe is natural. You can make it for a great entree in a menu, or just use it as the “Magic Soup”, that helps you to manage your weight and to detox. Enjoy!

Red Cabbage Capuccino
2 Portions

What to buy
300 gm red cabbage, chopped
1 shallot, diced
¼ apple, peeled, chopped
2 cloves
5 ml agave syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, pepper
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
50 ml soy milk

How to Make It
Braise the shallot, cloves, apple and cabbage in olive oil and agave syrup. Add 300 ml water and simmer for around 20 minutes. Blend the soup and work through a semi fine sieve. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Top the soup with soy milk foam.

New Year – New You

Posted on January 9, 2013 by chefgabi

Who has not made some New Years resolutions that are related to a fitter, healthier body?

Detox is key after the festive season just concluded and some extra pounds gained! You can easily get back to a healthy and new you with some carefully selected food that helps to flush out the toxins and in the same time is nourishing your cells with the right amount of nutrients. Especially when working out we need to have some healthy proteins, good complex carbohydrates and plenty of vitamins with our food. In the same time it should be not so heavy on calories and fat. See here one of my favorite salads, that can make a complete lunch or dinner, and is even suitable to be taken to the office in a lunch box. Try this deliciouysly nourishing salad with cleansing beetroot, liver function supporting artichokes and vegetable protein providing lentils. In the same time this dish is vegan and free of gluten. Not to mention it is easy to make and tastes great….

Beetroot Lentil Salad

What to Buy
2 large or 4 smaller portions

50 g Du Puy Lentils
500 ml Vegetable stock
2 Cloves and 1 Bay leave
1 White Onion, peeled
500 gm Beetroot, cooked
1 Artichoke bottom, cleaned
8 ml Balsamic Vinegar
5 ml Lemon Juice
10 gm Parsley and Mint, leaves picked and washed
10 ml Olive oil
80 gm Mixed Lettuce, picked and washed
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

How to Make It
Stick the bay leave with the cloves on the onion surface. Cook the lentils with onion, cloves, bay leaf and vegetable stock. This may take up to 25 minutes to get them soft. In the meantime dice the beetroot, slice the artichoke bottom and mix olive oil, lemon juice and baslamic vinegar to a dessing.
Remove the onion with the bay leaf. Toss the warm lentils with beetroot, artichokes and the vinaigrette. Season to taste and arrange with lettuce and the herbs on plates.

To round up your resolutions and make them work much more effective, visit beautiful Talise Spa at Madinat Jumeirah. Be guided to a new glowing you by a consultation with Dr Erzebeth Makk and Kay Vosloo. Besides that we serve at the Spa carefully selected healthy dishes that restore energies and help to create that “feel good in the inside” supporting whatever treatment you choose.

Nevertheless as a chef I am running around all day, but specific training and guided movements are much more effective to tone muscles and build shape. I have started some workout recently and can only recommend it. Besides it is fun it makes you feel much better after only a few sessions already.
Have a look at what the new Talise Fitness at Madinat Jumeirah has on offer. I am sure there is something for everyone. And their new menu at Quay Cafe is tuned up with healthy options that suit and support deliciously your work out aspirations. Enjoy!

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and successful New Year!

POTATOES – INCREASE ENERGY

Posted on December 2, 2012 by chefgabi

The humble starchy vegetables are in season in autumn. When weather is cooler we tend to especially appreciate energy rich and warming food. Potatoes are underground tubers storing all the vitamins and minerals needed for growing new potato plants. Hence they are full of nutrients – the immune-boosting vitamin C, and also a rich source of vitamin B 6 (for cellular renewal, healthy nervous system and balanced mood), folate and potassium, magnesium and iron.
Potatoes are in particular worthy when eaten with their skin like in the following recipe. Enjoy!

Anna Potatoes

2 Portions

What to buy

300 g potatoes
1 onion
200 ml vegetable stock
10 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It
Brush the potatoes under running water until their skin is clean. Then slice the potatoes with the skin thinly using a mandolin slicer. Dice the onions and braise them in some olive oil until they are translucent. Brush 10 oven proof cups with some olive oil. Arrange the potato slices and the onions in layers, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour as much vegetable stock over the potatoes as needed so that the stock appears when you press the potatoes down.
Place the cups in a deep oven tray half filled with hot water and cover closely with aluminum foil. Bake the potatoes at 180 degrees Celsius for around 60 minutes.

Remove the Anna potatoes carefully from the cups and place them on plates.
Serve them for example with reduced beetroot juice, shaved fresh horseradish and bouillon turnips.

Chef Gabi’s Tip: Anna potatoes are low in fat, a perfect dish to consider when you try to loose a little bit of weight but still need energy to work out. And this dish can be easily prepared in advance when you cook for friends.

Autumn – Time to Strenghten Immune Power

Posted on November 30, 2012 by chefgabi

With the most welcome weather change it is wise to prepare our immune system to fight off flu attacks. Vitamin C rich foods help to stengthen immune power best. With cranberries in season I made this a vitamin packed delicious smoothie in almost no time. It features a great combination of lactic protein, pectine to bind and eliminate toxins, plenty of vitamin C, which is besides a great immune shield also helping to burn fat if you work out, Provitamin A, and it is wholesome. Perfect.

My Cranberry Smoothie

2 Portions

What to buy
200 ml fresh pressed carrot juice
200 ml fresh pressed apple juice
200 ml low fat yoghurt or laban
2 Passion fruits – pulp and seeds
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons fresh or frozen cranberries
Crushed ice

How to Make It

Blend the cranberries with the agave syrup, the juices and the yoghurt or laban. Serve on crushed ice, toped with fresh passion fruit pulp.

Here are some interesting facts about cranberries:
The tart little red fruits are high vitamin and high health supportive phytonutrient wonders (phytonutrients are for example phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins – they are all impressive antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties) while they are extremely low in calories. They contain plenty of vitamin C, K, and E, manganese and fiber.

Wishing you a great and healthy UAE National Day – enjoy the festivities!

Summer Treat with Zucchini the Arabian Way

Posted on September 23, 2012 by chefgabi

It was lovely being home in Bavaria, with some rainy days, cool air and the impressive nature scenery I grew up with. As you could see I indulged extensively in my favorite mushroom hunting, and all culinary experience related to it. It was just wonderful. Now I am already a couple of days back to Dubai, with everyday sunshine, sand, sea and a still very warm summer! No question my food reflects on the weather …..
Try my middle eastern inspired squash recipe, glutenfree, vegan, light and very summer! (taken from one of my cookbooks, Ludwig Verlag Germany, also the image)

Basmati Rice and Pomegranate stuffed Rondini
4 Portions

What to buy
8 rondini (or optional small zucchini)
200 gr brown Basmati rice
500 ml vegetable stock
1 onion
20 g pistachios
1 organic orange
5 g agave syrup
10 ml olive oil
1 g saffron
1 pomegranate
1 bunch dill
1 bunch spring onions

How to Make It
Wash the orange and grate some of the skin off. Press the juice. Peel the onion and dice it finely.Wash the dill and the spring onions, pat dry and cut finely. Open and clean the pomegranate. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and add the basmati rice. Cover and simmer on low temperature for around 15 – 20 minutes. Prepare the rondini or zucchini to be filled: Cut a lid off and scrape out the inside with a small spoon. Steam the rondini or zucchini until semi soft for around 3 minutes. Braise the onions in olive oil and agave syrup until golden. Add the orange juice, skin and saffron. Season the rice with this mixture and some salt. Add dill, spring onions and pistachios. Spoon the stuffing into the rondini and keep warm until you serve them.

Chef Gabi’s Tip
Zucchini bring summer on our plates – they are easy to prepare and taste just great when temperatures outside are still high. Zucchini and all summer squashes are hydrating, very low in calories, and easy to digest. They contain a significant amount of vitamin A, potassium, manganese and folate.

Cool and Green Lemonade for Hot Summer Days

Posted on August 8, 2012 by chefgabi

My favorite drinks in summer are green herbal or sweet fruity lemonades – home made of course.
If you happen to have a similar blessing of mint like me, cut it to encourage even better growth and make this refreshing green lemonade:

Place 10 freshly cut mint stalks with the leaves in the blender, add 500 ml still water, 1 cup of crushed ice, the juice of 1 organic lemon and approximately 2 tablespoons of agave syrup or acacia honey (take more if you love the lemonade sweeter).
Blend the ingredients well for around 30 seconds, then strain through a fine sieve.
Enjoy the green drink immediately after preparation to avoid discoloring and loss of freshness.
This drink has a convincing strong green and minty flavor, is full of chlorophyll, menthol and Vitamin C and is my secret weapon against the summer heat and thirst. The fresh breeze you feel on your taste buds when you take the first sip is something you won’t want to miss anymore once you have tried it.

Stay healthy and enjoy the summer!
Another fruity and mild lemonade recipe will be featured soon on this blog.

Summer Greetings from Dubai

Posted on August 1, 2012 by chefgabi

Summer greetings from Dubai !

To maintain a herb garden is providing much culinary joy for a chef. I do have one in Dubai in Madinat Jumeirah (picture on the right with Burj Al Arab in the background) and one in my Bavarian home. These two herb gardens work quite different. While the garden in Dubai comes live and lush in the winter season, the other one disappears under a thick layer of white snow from December until February. And while my lovely Dubai herbs are suffering in the summer heat, I can harvest large bunches of various herbs in Germany. When I am there.
I usually don’t plant any new herbs in Dubai between June and October to avoid my disappointment when the young greens are slowly reducing until they have vanished. Without me cutting them.
But I leave what is already there and strong. And see, what is nicely growing as if weather is pleasant and not hot at all? My mint!
Just to compare: Mint in Dubai ……..

…..and Mint in Bavaria (a different type though, called apple mint)

I love mint. This refreshing taste. So cooling. Perfect for summery dishes. Look at below little salad I made today – steamed baby carrots, fava beans, baby zucchini with feta cheese, toasted pine nuts and a good hand of picked mint leaves. I added a few mint blossoms just because they are so pretty. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a dash of fresh pressed lemon juice and voilà, a nourishing, cooling and summery dish is ready to serve.

For aromatic drink with mint you can also see a recipe here.
Enjoy the summer.

Talise Nutrition

Madinat Jumeirah's wellbeing Chef shares her passion about healthy cuisine!

Tag Archives: gluten free