15 Minutes

For some days I’ve felt the need of something sweet. Probably to compensate me, as I am bitter and sour, more like a lemon. Don’t squeeze me, as I am not in the mood. Running away is how I feel. I am in desperate need of a vacation. I am so tired. I can’t wait for this one that comes with the 1st of May and for the longer one that comes with the 1st of July. I want to forget about everything and just relax. And I want to be alone, to recharge. Somewhere, over the rainbow. I remember a holiday I had in Bilbor, a beautiful village in the mountains, near Toplita town. I went there alone, to stay at a friend and I remember taking a small blanket and a book with me and lying down on a secluded clearing and falling asleep. Now, that’s a perfect holiday: sleeping in the nature.

The next perfect thing is to enjoy a delicious meal or desert. For a hot summer day, I recommend a fruit salad. No cooking, no sweating, no exiling yourself for hours in the kitchen and miss a beautiful sunny day. Just a quick and refreshing bowl of fruits with cream. You need 15 minutes of your life. Is it too much? I think not. If you want more quick recipes, get your inspirations, as I got mine for this recipe and more, from Carolyn Humphries’ “Simply Stylish Meals in 15 Minutes”.

Fruit Brulee

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes plus chilling time

Cooking time: about 3 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 225 g (8 oz) strawberries, sliced or raspberries (or peaches, plums or nectarines, sliced and pitted)
• 150 ml (1/4 pt, 2/3 cup) double cream
• 150 ml (1/4 pt, 2/3 cup) thick plain yoghurt
• light brown sugar

Method:

• Arrange the fruit in a shallow flameproof dish.
• Whip together the cream and yoghurt until soflty peaking. Spread over the fruit. Chill, if time allows.
• Sprinkle liberally with sugar so it covers the top completely.
• Place under a very hot grill (broiler) until the sugar melts. Serve straight away.

Bon appetite!

Jackfruit Salad

My dear friend, James, this is for you. Thanks to you I have learned about something new today, about chakka fruit or jackfruit, that it is your favourite fruit and that is so popular in India where you eat it 6 months a year. I have to say it is the first time I hear about this fruit and I googled for it to learn more. And even when I read that there are fresh jackfruit in London I still haven’t seen one or I haven’t noticed yet, but I will pay more attention now. ;). But it sounds like a very interesting fruit and as I searched for recipes I think I would like a jackfruit curry to eat once and a jackfruit salad. I must add that the recipes with jackfruit are suitable for vegetarians so I know I would like it as I am not into meat most of the times. I will put here a recipe taken from the internet, from this site: http://www.virtualherbarium.org that has more jackfruit recipes so feel free to check it out and cook. Providing you have the ingredients. There is jackfruit in Romania now so I can cook something. But because cooking requires imagination and creativity, I will slightly adapt the recipes so that I can cook it anywhere, even when I don’t have jackfruit. I would take advantage that this special fruit tastes like mango and banana and smells like banana and pineapple so I think one of these fruits can replace it successfully. If you don’t agree, let me know why. Enjoy now a light, fresh and cooling desert for what was left of the hot days of summer. 🙂

Jackfruit Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 cups fresh jackfruit (or mango, pineapples, bananas for when you can’t find this giant fruit)
• juice of one lime (or lemon for that matter)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• ¾ cup golden raisins
• 450 g (16 ounces) sour cream (go for full cream or full fat yoghurt)
• ¾ to 1 cup toasted walnuts (optional; I love walnuts so these are a must for me ;))

Method:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine jackfruit, lime juice, coconut, raisins and sour cream. If, after combining all ingredients, you feel mixture needs more of one above item, slowly add according to your taste. Add and mix in toasted walnuts just before serving.

NOTE:   Place walnuts on a cookie sheet, single layer, and toast 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 300-degree oven. Turn walnuts over after 4 or 5 minutes.

Bon appetite!

source: http://www.virtualherbarium.org/tropicalfruit/jackfruit-recipes.html