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Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Car review - Wolswagen Touareg

We had it rented for a week a couple of years ago.

The car is very heavy, so it did not accelerate very fast, which can be a problem when you need to overtake on national roads.

It's spacious inside, but the trunk did not have too much room.

The seats and suspensions are not very comfortable for a long route.

Overall, we would never spend the money to buy one - there are better cars out there for the same price.



Saturday, May 13, 2017

Mango and avocado cake - recipe with step-by-step photos

I wanted to try something new and for those who want to do the same...this is your chance :)


 Ingredients for the layers :
  • 100 grams of flour
  • 40 grams of sugar
  • 3 - 4 spoons with cocoa powder
  • 3 spoons with honey
  • 3 eggs

Ingredients for the mango filling:
  • 250 grams of mascarpone cheese
  • 3 spoons with sugar
  • 2 grams of gelatin sheets
  • 1 mango

Ingredients for the walnut filling:
  • 250 grams of fresh cream
  • 100 grams of sugar
  • 60 of crushed walnuts
  • 2 grams of gelatin sheets

Ingredients for the avocado glaze:
  • 30 milliliters of water
  • 30 grams of white chocolate
  • 30 grams of sugar
  • 1 avocado
  • the juice from a lemon
Prepare the dough:


Separate the egg yolks from the whites.

Mix the egg yolks with half of the sugar and the honey. Beat the composition for a few minutes.


Separately beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar.


Mix the two composition above.


Add the flour and the cocoa powder. Divide the composition in two.

Put one part of the composition in a tray and put it in the oven at 180 Celsius degrees for 10-15 minutes or until ready.

Repeat the process with the remaining dough.



Prepare the mango mousse filling:

Clean and cut the mango. Mash it and put it on slow fire with the sugar for a few minutes. Just until the sugar melts.

Meanwhile put the gelatin sheets in cold water.

When the mango is cooled, but still warm, add the hydrated gelatin sheets and mix until well incorporated. Let it cool!

When cooled add the mascarpone cheese and mix.


Prepare the walnut filling:

Caramelize the sugar and pour it in a thin layer on a baking paper when ready. Let it cool!


Mash it and mix it with the fresh cream, the hidrated gelatin sheets and the crushed walnuts.

Prepare the avocado glaze:

In a pan add the white chocolate and the sugar and let them melt. Add the water and let it simmer for a minute.


Meanwhile, clean and mash the mango. Add the juice of the lemon and mix.


When the chocolate is melted let it cool! Then add the avocado and mix.


Assembling the cake:

In a detachable circle add one dough layer, then the walnut filling, the other dough layer, then the mango mousse and the cover the cake with the avocado glaze.



Above the avocado glaze I put some petals of lavender flowers, just for decoration.


Enjoy!


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Red smoothie - recipe (including photos)

Ingredients for 2 big glasses:
  • 250 grams of strawberries
  • 250 grams of redcurrant
  • 250 grams of raspberries
  • 3-4 spoons with honey
  • ice


Put all the fruits together in a blender and run it for 20-30 seconds until you have a nice homogenous thick juice.

In a glass, add half of the juice, 2 spoons with honey and some ice and you have the perfect, healthy drink.

Enjoy!


Monday, May 8, 2017

Smart chocolate cake - recipe with step by steo photos

Ingredients:
  • 500 milliliters of milk
  • 125 grams of butter
  • 100 grams of sugar
  • 65 grams of flour
  • 40 grams of cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs


Separate the egg yolks from the whites.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they double the volume.


Melt the butter and let it cool!


Add the butter over the egg yolks and mix.


Add the cocoa powder and the flour and mix.


Add the warm milk and mix slowly until well incorporated.


Preheat the oven at 180 Celsius degrees.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and incorporate them in the cocoa composition.

Put the composition in an oven tray and let it bake at 180 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until ready.

Do not open the oven while baking!


Enjoy!


The original recipe can be found here

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Pork forestier - recipe with step by step photos

Ingredients:
  • 500 grams of pork
  • 200 grams of fresh mushrooms
  • 150 grams of bacon
  • 150 milliliters of Burgogne wine
  • 50 grams of flour
  • 30 grams of butter
  • 20 milliliters of cognac
  • 10 shallots
  • 4 spoons of olive oil
  • 2 big onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 garlic head
  • thyme



First you have to marinate the pork:

Chop the onions, the carrots and the garlic.


In a bowl mix the strips of pork meat with the garlic/onions/carrots mixture, then add the wine, the cognac, the butter and the olive oil. Let it rest for 24 h in the fridge.



The next day, in a pot add the meat, pour the flour above and let it fry for a few minutes until golden.

Pour the marinade and add the thyme and let it cook at slow fire for 1 hour, covering the pot and mixing from time to time.



Add the chopped mushrooms, the bacon and the shallots and let it cook for another 30 minutes.



Enjoy!


The recipe from the book:


Saturday, May 6, 2017

2017 Flower market, Rodemack, France

The flowers were very expensive and most of them were the same as those you can buy from DIY stores at much cheaper prices.








Friday, May 5, 2017

Chocolate, raspberry, walnut and honey mousse cake - recipe with step-by-step photos

Ingredients for the dough:
  • 300 grams of sugar
  • 250 grams of chocolate
  • 200 grams of butter
  • 50 grams of walnuts
  • 30 grams of flour
  • 7 eggs
  • 2 spoons with water
  • salt
Ingredients for the honey mousse:
  • 300 grams of fresh cream
  • 170 millilitres of milk
  • 100 grams of honey
  • 50 millilitres of water
  • 4 grams of gelatine sheets
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 spoon with flour
  • 1 spoon with sugar
Ingredients for the walnut filling:
  • 300 grams of mascarpone cheese
  • 150 grams of crushed walnuts
  • 100 grams of fresh cream
  • 2 spoons with sugar
Ingredients for the raspberry jelly:
  • 500 grams of raspberries
  • 150 grams of sugar
  • 4 grams of gelatine sheets
Ingredients for the cover:
  • 200 grams of fresh cream
  • 100 grams of raspberries
  • 60 grams of sugar


Prepare the dough:

Beat the eggs with the flour for 10 minutes.


In a pot add the sugar with 2 spoons with water and let it caramelize. When brown, add the butter and mix until well incorporated.




Melt the chocolate.

Add the caramel and the melted chocolate over the beaten eggs and mix. Add the crushed walnuts and the salt and mix.


Put the composition in an oven tray and let it bake at 180 Celsius degrees for 40 minutes. When ready, let it cool! Divide it in two equal layers.



Prepare the honey mousse:

Mix the egg yolks with the honey.


Add the flour and mix.


Heat the milk and pour it over the eggs. Pour also the water.

Put the composition over a slow fire and mix until creamy: thick, but not quite like a pudding.

While still warm add the hydrated gelatine sheets and mix until well incorporated. Let it cool!


Beat the fresh cream with 1 spoons with sugar. Add the cooled eggs/milk composition and keep it in a cold place until you use it.


Prepare the walnut filling:

Beat the fresh cream with the sugar. Add the mascarpone cheese and the crushed walnuts and keep it in a cold place.


Prepare the raspberry jelly:

Boil the raspberries with the sugar for 15 minutes. Strain the juice and add the hydrated gelatine sheets. Mix well. Let it cool!



Assembling the cake:

On a plate, in a circle, add one layer of chocolate/caramel dough, then the walnut filling, then the raspberry jelly and above, add the honey mousse.



Beat the fresh cream with the sugar.

Cover the cake with the fresh cream.

Boil the raspberries with the sugar for 20 minutes until gets thick and strain the juice. Let it cool!

Add the raspberries jelly in the middle of the cake .

You can decorate it with raspberries and fresh cream.


Enjoy!