Ilse's Kitchen - culinary adventures of a girl who loves to eat

Sunday is brunch day - and this Sunday I’m having eggs. I’ve been eating an insane amount these last days, so I opted for a low carb, bread-free version today. Ingredients (serves 1): 1 avocado 2 eggs few slivers of smoked salmon  fresh dill and chives salt and freshly ground black pepper dash of olive oil  Instructions: 1. In a bowl, beat the eggs with some salt and pepper.  2. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan and add the eggs. When the outsides are starting to set, stir. Repeat this a few more times until the egg is nearly all cooked, then turn off heat.  3. Cut the avocado in half and remove the seed. Pour some scrambled egg on top of each half and the remaining egg on the plate beside them. Top with salmon and fresh chives and dill. 

Not long ago, I made goat cheese and peach puff pastry tarts . With a big tin of fresh strawberries in the fridge, I thought I’d try something with strawberries this time. Ingredients (makes 4): 4 squares puff pastry (the ones I used were roughly 14 x 14cm), thawed 200g cream cheese 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon lemon juice 3/4 cup strawberries 1 small egg cane sugar few leaves fresh mint, shredded Instructions: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius 1. Place the puff pastry sheets on a floured surface. Cut a small strip about 1cm from the outer rim all around, but leave a small piece at two diagonally opposing edges uncut. Then grab the corner that is not left uncut, lift it, and fold it, placing it on top of the rim opposite it. Take the bit you cut off from that side and flip it the same way, making a little raised ledge all around the puff pastry. You can use a bit of water to make it stick better. The corners you left attached ...

So, chia pudding. Like so many things, when it gets in my head it tends to stay there a while. That means it’s time for another chia recipe. This time, instead of mixing it with yoghurt and raspberries, I made a dairy-free version with mango and banana for sweetness. Completely, entirely vegan-friendly - and none the less rich for it. Happy breakfasting :)  Ingredients (serves 2): 1 cup almond milk (coconut milk is a nice alternative too) 1 tbsp honey 1/4 cup chia seeds 1 ripe mango 1/2 banana juice of 1/2 lime Instructions: 1. Mix the almond milk, honey and chia seeds. Stir well so the chia seeds don’t sink to the bottom or clump, then stick in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight to let it set. 2. When the chia is done, take the mango and cut a few small pieces to reserve for garnish. Throw the rest in a blender together with the banana and lime juice. 3. In two glasses, layer the mango and chia pudding and top with a bit of chopped mango.

Every now and then I get it: a chia pudding craving. And to be honest, I don't know why I don't make it more often - it's easy, healthy and good. Meets just about all the criteria for my go-to recipes. It’s even pretty for the eye - and let’s be honest, the eye wants something too. :) Ingredients (serves 2): 2 tablespoons chia seeds 1/2 cup almond milk 1 teaspoon maple syrup, plus some to top 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence few tablespoons Greek yoghurt per glass 200g strawberries Instructions: 1. Place the chia seeds, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla essence in a bowl and mix well. Put in the fridge and let it set for at least 3 hours, or overnight. 2. When you're ready to eat, take a glass. Pour in some chia pudding, then top with a few raspberries, then with a layer of greek yoghurt. Top with more chia pudding, then more raspberries, then another layer of yoghurt and then the rest of the raspberries. 3. Drizzle some maple syrup ove...

My body craved protein this morning, my soul wanted greens. Why not both, my mind thought. So both it was. Ingredients: 2 eggs 1 tablespoon milk handful arugula (rocket salad) 1/3 avocado, diced 1 teaspoon lemon juice olive oil dash of yellow curry powder pinch of salt Instructions: 1. Whisk together the eggs, milk and a pinch of salt. 2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan and add a dash of yellow curry powder, mixing them together. Then add the eggs. 3. Heat over medium heat for a couple of minutes until the bottom is set but the middle is still slightly runny. Flip over and heat for another minute. 4. Mix the arugula and diced avocado and sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice. 5. Place the omelette on a plate and heap the arugula and avocado on top, in a little heap.

Rhubarb - so pretty in the crate, but what do you do with it? Lots, it turns out - rhubarb pie, for one, or rhubarb jam, or... rhubarb yoghurt, to switch up your breakfasts a little :). Ingredients (serves 2): 2 sticks rhubarb 4 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp vanilla sugar Pinch of cinnamon 500mL farmers' yoghurt (any other creamy, unsweetened yoghurt will also do) Instructions: 1. Cut the ends off the rhubarb and chop the stem into 1cm long pieces. Place in a small saucepan and add a layer of water until the rhubarb is just covered. Add the sugar and boil for about 15 minutes, until the rhubarb has come fully apart. 2. Add the vanilla sugar and cinnamon and let the mixture cool down. If you move it from the saucepan to a different contained, it'll cool faster - I only waited for another fifteen minutes or so. 3. Layer it into a glass with the yoghurt, and voilà: a healthy breakfast, or easy weekday desert.

Ingredients (serves 2): 8 ripe peaches 1 cup Greek yoghurt 30g blanched (= white) almonds, halved 2 tablespoons maple syrup Honey and cinnamon to taste few drops of lemon juice Instructions: 1. Wash the peaches and quarter them. Brush each cut side with maple syrup. 2. Pre-heat a grill pan. Place the peaches in the pan until they’re ready but not falling apart. This only takes a few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. 3. Take the almonds and toast them in a skillet. (You can also do it in the oven, but on top of the stove is faster and less hassle - no pre-heating needed, etc etc). 4. Take the Greek yoghurt and add honey and cinnamon to taste. Add a few drops of lemon juice and stir.  5. Divide the yoghurt over two bowls, top with grilled peaches and almonds and serve.

Everyone with an office job and a love of creative breakfasts should stock up on puff pastry - you know, the ready made kind you keep in the freezer. This mini obsession kept me happy for quite a while, brought on partly by just how little it takes to make a decent pastry. So far, I've played around with mango, peach, cherry, pear, apple and chocolate. These cherry pin wheels were not just delicious, but pretty to boot :)