good eating
Good Dishes
Can Be
Simple
STYLING & TEXT: GRUŠA ZORN PHOTO: MATEVŽ KOSTANJŠEK WWW.HUNGRYEYES.EU
Every good dish has a love story to tell, and every
dish, made with love, has the potential to spark a
new romance. Even high-end cooking can be kept
simple, with the right combination of ingredients
and flavors. All you need is a pinch of audacity,
and your creative journey through the kitchen can
begin. Needless to say, abstaining from food for
fear of putting on weight is not necessary, if we
know how to combine different food groups.
T
The golden rule dictates not to
combine meat and meaty products with
carbohydrates, potatoes and grain legumes
(peas and beans). Such combinations can
only slow down our metabolism. Meat
lovers may have already discovered that
they feel much lighter when meat is paired
with a side of salad, lettuce or some
other vegetable, as opposed to potatoes.
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Shrimp, Orange and Pomegranate Salad
The best meat is fresh, eco and as low
in additives as possible, bought at local
farms. The same applies to vegetables,
which you should always buy at the peak
of their seasonality. Simply tailor your
menu to the produce of each season,
and allow yourself to keep your vitamin
intake at its optimum. Keep your meals
moderate in size.
Appetizer for Two
• 2 palms of green lettuce (young lettuce if possible,
or baby spinach…)
• 150g of shelled shrimp
• 5 – 7 cherry tomatoes
• ½ of ripe avocado
• 1 tbsp of pomegranate seeds
• Pulp of a small organic orange
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper (preferably mixed)
• ½ tsp of honey
• 1 tsp of fresh coriander (optional)
Wash and dry the lettuce (I use a salad spinner, which should be
available at any kitchen supply store. I dry the lettuce, in order to be
able to store it in the refrigerator and facilitate its further use). Peel
the shrimp. Slice the tomatoes thin. Halve the avocado, remove the pit,
then peel off the skin and dice it. Squirt lemon juice on it, to preserve
its vibrant color. Peel the orange, divide it into segments, remove the
skin and cut them in half. Slice open the pomegranate and scoop out
the seeds. Pour what's left of your lemon juice over the salad. Make
the dressing: pour 2 spoons of olive oil, one lemon's worth of juice,
a pinch of salt and half a spoon of honey into a small glass and stir.
Put other ingredients into a big salad bowl, and pour on the dressing.
Finally, sprinkle fresh coriander on top and add pepper (optional).
Stir well and serve fresh, with a glass of dry white wine.
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good eating
Tenderloin with Beetroot
Tenderloin is one of the best and most expensive meat cuts, among the
tenderest and the tastiest. While the following preparation may seem
time-consuming, your efforts will be well-rewarded with the meat
literally melting in your mouth. The combination with beetroot kicks it
up a notch, and rounds it off beautifully with a hint of sweetness.
Main Course for Two
• A piece of roasting beef (preferably tenderloin, 500 - 600g)
• A spoonful of mustard seeds
• 6 small beetroots
• Fresh marjoram twigs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Balsamic glaze
Dab the tenderloin with a paper towel. Smear olive oil on the meat and
roll it in mustard seeds, coating it evenly on all sides. Let it rest for
a couple of minutes. Preheat the oven to 80°C. Brown the tenderloin
on all sides, no more than 2 minutes per side. Then place it onto a
baking tray and roast it for at least 2-3 hours at 80°C. When its internal
temperature has reached 69°C, the tenderloin is cooked medium, which
is when we take it out of the oven. While the meat is roasting, prepare
the beetroot. Choose smaller bulbs and cook them in a pressure cooker
for 10 minutes (it will take 30 minutes to cook them in a regular pot).
Take them out of the boiling water and cool them down. Once you've
peeled and halved them, place them onto a baking tray and sprinkle
them with olive oil. You may roast them together with the tenderloin.
After a good two hours, the beetroot will be ready.
Take the roast and the beetroot out of the oven. Cut the meat into halfcentimeter-thick slices and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Lash
with balsamic glaze and olive oil (a few drops only) over the beetroot
and sprinkle it with fresh marjoram leaves. Serve with red wine.
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good eating
Duck Breast with Pear, Porcini Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese
By no means will this dish leave you apathetic. The combination of
duck meat, sweet pear and the distinct flavor of porcini mushrooms
will launch you into the orbit of excellent cooks.
Main Dish for Two
• 2 duck breasts, 200 g each
• 2 pears
• 4 small porcini mushrooms (may be used frozen or thawed)
• 1 cube of butter
• 1 spoon of sesame seeds
• Fresh Parmesan cheese
Duck is very tasty. Usually sold in pairs, duck breasts of about 200g
will be enough for one serving. The preparation is very simple once
you master the technique. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Dab the breasts
dry. Score the skin lightly with a sharp knife. Rub the breasts with
salt and pepper. Place the duck breasts, skin side down, in a cold pan,
without additional oil (I recommend a pan with a heat resistant handle,
so you can place it in the oven later). Sauté the duck at a medium
temperature for 5-7 minutes, spooning the fat that has accumulated
over the meat. Once the duck has browned, turn it over and brown
it for a further 30 seconds. While still in the pan, put the duck in the
preheated oven, skin side down. If you were to place it onto a baking
tray, make sure the baking tray is hot. Put the duck in the oven and
roast it for 6-8 minutes, depending on how well-cooked you like it.
While roasting the duck, begin with the pear and porcini mushrooms
preparation. Peel the pears and slice them length-wise into strips
of 0.5cm. Put the butter (or olive oil) in a saucepan and cook it until
melted. Add a spoonful of sesame seeds and sliced pears. Cook for
about a minute, until the pears soften. Turn them over many times
for optimal fusion with the sesame seeds. Slice the porcini mushrooms
thin and sauté them in olive oil until soft. Salt lightly.
Take the duck out of the oven and cut the meat into 0.5cm thick slices.
Arrange the sliced pears across the plate, and place the duck and the
porcini mushrooms atop them. Grate the Parmesan cheese over the
entire dish. This is a dish that will make your mouth water with an
explosion of flavors. To complement the dish, try red wine.
Strawberries
with Limoncello,
Lemon and Basil
Dessert for Two
• 350g of fresh strawberries
• Basil twigs
• 1.5dl of limocello
• 1 spoon of honey
• Juice of half a lemon
• Water (ca 1.5dl)
• Black pepper, roughly ground
This simple dessert will make an
ideal conclusion to your light meal.
Strawberries go well with lemon,
while basil brings freshness to the
table. Instead of basil you may use
fresh mint.
Clean the strawberries and dice
them small. Put them in a glass.
Heat up water and honey until
you get a syrup-like texture. Add
Limoncello and take it off the
stove. Stir in lemon juice and wait
until the sauce cools down. Then
pour it over strawberries and
refrigerate for over an hour. Before
serving, cut basil into small pieces
and sprinkle, together with a pinch
of roughly ground black pepper,
over the dessert. The saying is true:
the way to a man's heart is through
his stomach.
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