Asparagus - Ricotta - Quiche - happy Business Lunch

Always looking for quick, easy and good to prepare lunch to take with to the office,  I love to make quiches and salted tartes. In fact one can use every dough (pizza dough, quiche dough, puff pastry...) fill with some ricotta or heavy cream or soy cream or.... mixed with some egg or not , add some cheese and fold in any veggie you like... Bake in the preheat oven for about 30 min. and that's it! Here is a recipe for a tasty "springtime" Quiche. I used for time sharing reason a ready to use quiche dough (one can find in good assorted supermarket), bought some fresh green Asparagus and... Check out the full recipe below.

You need:

- 1 ready to use quiche dough 

- 250 g Ricotta

- 3 Tbsp. Ground Parmeggiano

- 2 cloves garlic

- 250 g green Asparagus

- salt, ground pepper, thyme leaves nod some olive oil 

To prepare (serves 2 to 3  persons):

- Preheat the oven to 190 C

- Cut the garlic in small cubes.

- Cut the Asparagus in 2 cm long slices (throw away the harder ends)

- Mix Ricotta, garlic and Parmeggiano. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

- Put the dough in a with baking paper lined quiche-tray and fill in the ricotta mix. Then disperse over the Asparagus and season with a good lug of olive oil.

- Bake in the oven for about 30 min. until the edges are golden brown.

And now savour immediately or take for Lunch to the office and be sure that everybody will envy you...

Breakfast Quickie for working Girls

While working every weekday and having breakfast at the office, you have to plan what one can have for breakfast. It should be something delicious.. Of course... Something perfect to be prepared on the evening before.... Because who has time In the morning ? Shower , getting dressed, one cup of tea before leaving home..... So here a easy and yummie recipe for a healthy and delicious office breakfast.

You need (2 persons):

- 2 cups of some muesli mix (for this recipe I like some Bircher muesli mix with nuts)

- 300 g plain Yoghurt 

- 2 Apple

- 1 tsp grounded cinnamon 

Some honey to sweeten the yoghurt if wanted...

To prepare :

1. Mix muesli with 200 g yoghurt and sweeten with honey (if wanted ).

2. Grate coarsely the apples ( no need to peel the apples) and mix with cinnamon according to your taste.

3. First put the muesli in a glass, than top with some yoghurt and at least with the grated cinnamon-apples.

Reserve in the fridge until next morning before leaving home :). At the office: enjoy your delicious breakfast and have a good start in the new day ;).

Beetroot Salad

I confess that since now I've never prepared something with fresh beetroots and knew them only in the pickled way... But then I found a recipe in the new cookbook from Ottolenghi that I had to try and adapted it a little bit to my taste. So in fact trying this salad you'll have to confess that beetroots are underestimated. I ate this salad with some good, fresh bread and a variation of savory cheeses.... Also can imagine in a Tramezzini style Sandwich..... Oh and preparing this dish I recommend to wear some plastic gloves.... At least when dealing with the beetroot.. You will see why....

You need (serves 2-3):

- 1 medium sized raw beetroot

- 1 Apple

- 1 fresh carrot

- 150 g Greek yoghurt

- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (if you don't like fennel just omit them..the salad will nonetheless taste great)

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1tsp Apple balsamic vinegar

- a handful coarsely chopped walnuts

Some salt to season

To prepare:

1. Mix together yoghurt, crushed fennel seeds, vinegar, olive oil and some salt

2. On a grater rasp the peeled beetroot, the carrot and the peeled Apple in julienne style

3. Yeah and now it's almost done... Mix together the grated vegetables and Apple with the seasoned yoghurt, add the walnuts and season with some more salt if needed...

That's it!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin - baby spinach Quiche

Quiches can be varied in many ways and are always a tasty dish. Here I combined some leftovers from my fridge... Pumpkin, some baby spinach, some feta, some grated cheese.... And here we go..... Heat up your oven and a little bit later .... savour a delicious quiche....

You need (for one Quiche about 24 cm)

- 100g butternut squash, cut in small cube

- 1  small onion cut in small cubes 

- 100g grated cheese (like Edam)

- 50 g feta cheese ( = Greek style cheese)

- 30 g baby spinach leaves

- 250 ml Milk

- 2 medium sized eggs

- 25 g walnuts 

For the dough:

- 250 g flour

- 150 g butter

- 1 medium sized egg

- some salt

For lazy days: take a ready to use puff pastry or ready to prepare quiche / Tarte dough one can get in a good supermarket 

To prepare:

1. First prepare the dough by kneeding together all the ingredients. 

2. Between two baking papers roll the dough to a circle, big enough for your baking form.

3. Grease your baking form/quiche form. Transfer the prepared dough in it and reserve for about 1/2 h in the fridge.

4. Mix together milk, eggs and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

5. In a pan with little olive oil soften the onion and add the baby spinach for one minute.

6. Disperse onion, Baby spinach and squash on  the on the base of the dough. Then pour your egg-cheese mix in the baking form and sprinkle all over the roughly cut feta and walnuts.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes (you might have to cover the top with some baking Paper if getting to dark..).

Before cutting into pieces and serving let cool down for some minutes.

Double Choc Ricotta Mousse

Midweek.... Need a treat.... Some fast to prepare and to take with to the Office ...... In th fridge some ricotta, chocolate ever to find in the cupboard.... So let's do a sort of chocolate mousse...

You need (2 serving)

- 250 g Ricotta

- 30 g dark chocolate (I used chocolate drops from sarotti)

- 30 g white chocolate 

- 1/4 tsp ground vanilla bean

- 1/2 tsp  palm sugar (or brown sugar)

- 1 dash cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp baking sugar

- Optionally: some Fruit purée (I took Mange purée) and 1 Passionfruit 

To prepare:

1. Melt in separate bowls both chocolates in the microwave (this will take on,y few seconds. Alternatively you can melt it over boiling water)

2. In one of the bowls mix together with a handheld mixer the melted white chocolate with vanilla, baking sugar and 125 g ricotta

3. Mix in the other bowl the dark chocolate, Palm sugar, cinnamon and 125 g ricotta

4. Fill first white Mousse, then dark mousse in glasses. (Best is to pipe the Mousse in the glasses, so you'll obtain distinct layers. I did it with a spoon....layers are not so perfect...)

5. Top with Mango purée and Passionfruit

6 . Reserve in the fridge overnight and take to your office for a great Lunch-dessert and savor! Of course also perfect as dessert at home :)