Even though it is winter in nature this week and we see people skiing around the Freedom Monument in social media pictures, we still hope for spring in our hearts. Like nothing, the middle of March is already approaching. That’s why you want to eat lighter – more greens and fresh vegetables, less meat and other heavy foods.
So that’s my offer this week – a light salad with a refreshing dressing, tender beans from the oven and a fragrant champignon soup enriched with thyme, because I think this herb goes best with mushrooms. Those who don’t like thyme can add chopped parsley. It also suits mushrooms.
Creamy champignon soup with thyme
Ingredients: 1 l of vegetable or mushroom broth, 500 g of champignons, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, 250 ml of sweet cream, 2 tsp. thyme leaves, 2 tbsp. k. oil for frying
1. Clean and finely chop the onion and garlic cloves. Roughly chop the champignons.
2. Heat the oil in a pot. Sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms on moderate heat for three minutes, until all products become soft.
3. Add broth, cream, boil. Cover the pot and cook for regarding five minutes.
4. Then blend the soup with a hand blender either completely smooth or leave small pieces if desired.
5. Stir in thyme, salt, pepper and serve.
Vegetable salad
Ingredients: 1 cucumber, 1 tomato, 1 carrot, ½ red onion, green salad; for sauce – 1 tbsp. k. mustard, 2 tsp. honey, 90 ml olive oil, 2 tbsp. k. white wine vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper; for additions – roasted seeds (sunflower, sesame or others)
1. All vegetables are cleaned. Cut the tomato and cucumber into pieces or slices. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Grate the carrot on a coarse vegetable grater.
2. Mix mustard with honey, add lemon juice or white wine vinegar, salt, pepper. Stir the oil into the prepared sauce.
3. Arrange vegetables and lettuce on a plate. Pour over mustard and honey sauce. Sprinkle with toasted seeds.
4. Serve immediately.
Baked beans with cheese in the oven
Ingredients: 400 g of frozen green beans, 200 g of well-melting cheese, 2 tbsp. k. olive oil, 1 tbsp. k. fresh cheese, 1 tbsp. k. mustard, a pinch of dried rosemary and thyme, salt
1. Thaw frozen green beans and rub them in a bowl.
2. Mix the oil with mustard, fresh cheese, rosemary, thyme and salt.
3. Pour the oil sauce over the beans, mix and leave for regarding an hour so that the beans marinate a little.
4. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper, spread the marinated beans on it and place in the oven. Bake for regarding 20 minutes.
6. Grate the cheese (Holland, Tilzites) on a coarse vegetable grater. When the beans have baked for regarding 20 minutes, take them out of the oven and sprinkle with grated cheese. Put back in the oven for regarding 10 more minutes. Bake until the cheese melts and forms a golden brown crust.
