PASTA BOWL
with roasted cherry tomatoes

700g cherry tomatoes
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 chillis (alt. 2 pinches of chilli powder)
2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
500g spaghetti
2 pieces of mozzarella torn into bite-size bits
fresh basil leaves for serving

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and dry them well. Mix the olive oil, garlic, chilli, basil, sugar and seasoning in an oven-proof dish and toss the tomatoes in the mixture.
Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until they burst open and are soft.
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti al dente; save some of the water when draining them.
Mix the spaghetti and the roasted tomatoes in a bowl, add a little of the cooking water. Add the mozzarella and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Barbara Behrend

Barbara is based in Hamburg and has been with BLUE for over five years as Business Development Manager and Intercultural Coach.
Her interest for countries and cultures inspired her to spend a school year in Argentina as an exchange student – an unforgettable and very exciting time. After finishing school, Barbara studied German language and philosophy and then started working in the relocation industry where she spent several years in Switzerland before returning to her home town Hamburg.

Alfajores are typical Argentinian biscuits that are omnipresent and often served with a cup of Mate tea in the afternoon. Tourists like to buy them as souvenirs An Alfajor is a sandwiched biscuit that is filled with dulche de leche, a caramel cream made of sweetened condensed milk. Alfajores are not made out of the usual shortcrust pastry, but with cornstarch, which gives them a lovely fluffy consistency

Alfajores de maicena con dulce de leche

150g softened butter
80g sugar
2 egg yolks (organic)
170g cornstarch
130g flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla essence
salt
200g dulce de leche (available in well-stocked supermarkets)
5 tbsp desiccated coconut
flour for working surface
round pastry cutter (approx. 5cm Ø)

Whisk the butter until creamy, then gradually add the sugar. Add the egg yolks, the lemon rind and vanilla essence.
Mix the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp salt. Using a spoon, stir it into the butter and egg mixture. Knead it into a smooth pastry, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Roll the pastry out to about 4mm thickness, cut out rounds and place them on the baking tray. Bake at 180°C in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The biscuits should still be very light (almost white). Let them cool well.
Then spread some dulche de leche on the cooled (!) bottom side of a biscuit and set a second biscuit on top. Press together lightly. Don’t worry if some of the dulche de leche oozes out – spread it around the edge and roll the biscuit in some desiccated coconut.
¡Buen provecho!

Xenia Grinschuk
Xenia has been with BLUE since 2017.
She was born in Kazakhstan and loves the hearty food typical for Eastern Europe. This is a recipe from her grandmother:

TSCHEBUREKI

For the pastry:
1kg flour
500ml boiling water
1 egg
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp vodka (optional, but makes the pastry nice and crisp)

For the filling:
1 kg mixed minced meat (beef and pork)
5 onions
salt and pepper for seasoning
a little hot water


Mix boiling water, 1-2 tsp salt, oil and vodka.
Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the middle, add the egg and the liquid and mix with a fork as the liquid is still hot. Continue with your hands when cool enough and knead the pastry well until smooth. Add a little flour or water if necessary.
Cover and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Chop the onions finely.
Mix the meat and the onions, add seasoning and some hot water. Only add a little water at a time, as the mixture must be neither to liquid nor to firm (you will need about 1-3 tbsp).

Roll out the pastry and cut rounds by using a medium-sized plate.
Place some of the meat filling on one half of the round and flatten a little, then fold over the other half. Make sure the edges are clean, otherwise they will not stick together. Using a fork or your fingers, press the edges together well to seal them (if they are not sealed properly, the juice will leak when you fry the turnovers).

In a large, deep frying pan, heat plenty of sunflower oil (you will need about 1 litre, as the turnovers must be covered completely).
As soon as the oil is hot, turn the heat down a little. Place the turnovers in the hot oil (normally two fit into a normal size frying pan at a time).
Fry the turnovers for approx. 3-6 minutes on each side. Turn several times, but be careful not to damage the pastry case. When they are golden, take them out and place them on a plate with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Serve the Tschebureki with a dip of sour cream and freshly chopped dill, salt and pepper.

Caroline Thieser

Caroline has been living in Bangkok for three years and works remotely from there.
In her free time, she is a sporty person and enjoys playing tennis or kite surfing in her free time. She is an optimist
Caroline says she chose this dish, because it is real comfort food and makes her happy

PENANG CURRY

4 chicken breast filets (or 500g of any other meat)
1 tbsp chopped lemon leaves (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)
1 stick of lemon grass
1 tbsp fresh ginger (galgant)
4 garlic cloves
1 large onion or 3 shallots
2-3 fresh red chillis (or 4 dried chillis)
1 pinch of sugar
2 tbsp palm sugar
5 tbsp fish sauce
2-3 tsp Panang curry paste (or shrimp paste)
350ml creamed coconut (or 400g coconut milk)
1 tbsp oil

Cut the meat into fine strips.
In a mortar, squash all the herbs and spices (chillis, lemon grass and leaves, ginger, garlic, onions/shallots), add the shrimp/curry paste and mix until it resembles a smooth paste.
If you like, you could also add peanuts (1 tbsp), coriander seeds and caraway seeds (1 tsp each). Grind them with the other ingredients in the mortar.
Heat a wok and bring about half of the creamed coconut to the boil.
Add the fish sauce and curry paste and simmer at a medium heat for approx. 5 minutes. Stir well and reduce the liquid by about a third.
Slowly add the remaining creamed coconut and continue simmering.
After approx. 5 minutes, the surface of the sauce becomes oily – a sign that the meat (and vegetables, if using) can be added.
Continue to simmer for another 5-7 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
Season with sugar and salt.
Garnish with basil leaves and chilli pods and serve with fragrant rice or coconut rice.

Ingrid Wegner

Ingrid has been with BLUE for almost 10 years: She started in the Global Services Team and moved to Accounting eight years ago.
This is one of her favorite recipes because it is so quick and easy to make – either for breakfast at the weekend or when you come in from the cold and want something to go with a coffee or a cup of tea.

SCONES

350g flour
good pinch of salt
17g baking powder (1 sachet)
85g cold butter, cut into pieces
2 tbsp sugar
150g natural full-fat yoghurt
4 tbsp full-fat milk + extra for glazing
1 hand full of raisins

Put a baking tray in the oven and pre-heat the oven at 220°C.
Warm the yoghurt and the milk until hot (don’t worry if it looks a little lumpy).
Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl, add the butter and rub with your fingers until it resembles crumbs. Stir in the sugar, then make a well in the middle and tip in the hot yoghurt.
Using a knife and cutting movements, mix all ingredients together. About half-way through, add the raisins and continue mixing. Make sure you don’t over-work the dough – stop as soon as it’s all just worked in.
Tip the dough onto a floured working surface and flatten gently with your hands until it’s about 4cm thick. Take a cup or cutter, dip into some flour and then press down onto the dough to cut out rounds (do not turn the cutter, just press down).
Squash/fold the remaining dough together lightly, flatten again and continue cutting until all the dough is used up.
Brush the tops of the scones with milk. Then lay a sheet of baking parchment on the hot baking tray and set to scones onto it.
Bake for around 10-12 minutes until golden.
The scones are best eaten warm with butter or cream cheese and jam - it doesn’t have to be clotted cream.

Christian Thannheimer

Christian has been working with BLUE as Immigration Specialist for 7 years. Before that he worked in the hospitality business - helping customers is his passion. He is married with two kids.

For the pastry:
200g flour
75g sugar
75g margarine + extra for greasing
1 egg
8g baking powder (1/2 sachet)

For the filling:
125g margarine
225g sugar
8g vanilla sugar (1 sachet)
40g vanilla blancmange powder (Vanillpuddingpulver, 1 sachet)
3 eggs
500g quark
200g sour cream
200g whipping cream

Make the pastry by kneading all ingredients together. Put to one side.
For the filling, mix margarine, sugar, vanilla sugar, blancmange powder and eggs in a bowl. Then add quark and sour cream. Whip the cream until stiff and carefully mix into the filling.
Pre-heat the oven at 180°C.
Roll out the pasty and line a round baking tin (26cm Ø) bringing the pastry up the sides about 2-3cm. Pour the filling into the pastry case, smooth over with a knife and bake in the hot oven for 1 hour.

Christian’s tip:
Make sure you wait until the cake has cooled completely before taking it out of the tin. When the filling is too warm, it is not firm enough and the cake will lose its shape!  

Judith Diestertich

Judith Diestertich,

Immigration Services:
Judith joined the Immigration Team this summer.

SWEDISH CARROT CAKE

For the dough:
3 eggs
500g carrots, finely grated
180g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
200g flour
1 sachet vanilla sugar (approx. 10g)
150g butter, melted
optional: cinnamon

For the topping:
150g cream chees
75g butter, melted
150g icing sugar, sieved
1 tsp vanilla sugar
½ lemon, juice + a little of the rind, grated

For the dough, whip eggs and sugar until creamy and pale. First stir in the butter, then add the flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and cinnamon (if using) and mix well. Fold in the carrots gently.
Fill the dough into a greased baking tin (26cm Ø) and bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes.

For the topping, mix cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and lemon juice and rind and whisk together until creamy. Chill and then spread onto the cooled cake.  

Maria Pöltenstein
Maria is originally from Spain but has settled in Bavaria where – as she says – she has such wonderful people around her every day.
She selected a flavorful, typical Spanish recipe for our calendar that is easy to make:

SALMOREJO

cold appetizer puree from Cordoba in Andalusia

1kg tomatoes
200g white bread (baguette or rolls, do not use toast)
150ml good quality olive oil
1 garlic cloves, chopped
salt

Wash the tomatoes, chop them and pass them through a sieve to remove all seeds and skins.
Place the bread in a dish and cover with the tomato puree. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and blend everything with a mixer or stick blender until you have a creamy paste.
Depending on how much bread you use and how wet your tomato puree is, the paste will become firmer or creamier.
Add the olive oil and whisk again until your Salmorejo is homogenous, the right consistency and a nice orange color.
Chill for several hours.
Serving suggestion: Add a chopped hard-boiled egg and small strips of Jamón Serrano.

Stefanie Feid

Stefanie’s family is from Kleinwalser Tal, a valley in the Allgäu Alps, which belongs to Austria. Due to the mountains, however, there is no direct connection to the rest of Austria, so Kleinwalser Tal is actually only accessible via Oberstdorf in Bavaria.
Dairy farming used to be the main income for Kleinwalser Tal so dairy produce play an important role in traditional recipes. The original cheese soup recipes are very rich and heavy to set the farmers up for their physically hard work on the mountain slopes.

This recipe is a modern version that also works for people who spend most of their day sitting at the computer
For Stefanie, cheese soup is real comfort food

– and it is easy and quick to prepare!

CHEESE SOUP

2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp semolina
1 dash of white wine
1 litre vegetable stock
100g grated mature alpine cheese (such as gruyère, comté or any other hard, mature cheese)
125ml whipping cream
pepper, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powder, salt for seasoning

Topping: croûtons, sautéed leek rings, chopped chives, …

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and lightly brown the semolina in it. Pour in the wine, then add the stock. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for ½ hour. Then add cheese and cream, season to taste and sprinkle with your choice of topping.

Svenja Gerling
Svenja loves Italy and Italian food This recipe is from her friend’s grandmother from the Emilia Romagna region. The friend was her ‘language tandem’ when she went to Italy on an exchange program during university and they used to bake these Piadina together. Svenja still bakes them regularly and then likes to remember the great time they had together.

PIADINA (10 pieces)

1kg flour
4g dried yeast
150ml olive oil
12g salt
warm water

Mix flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and knead with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add a little warm water. Add the salt and knead the dough until it is smooth and homogenous. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out rounds. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and bake the Piadina.

Savoury toppings: mozzarella, parma ham, rocket leaves, tomatoes, …
Sweet toppings: chocolate spread, jam

Steffen Keller

Business Development.

RINDSROULADEN
- the world’s best –

6 beef roulades: They should be fairly large, about twice the length of an iPhone – and thin.
12 rashers of bacon
2 cornichons, sliced lengthways into three
3 onions, sliced into thin rings
Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
flour
bay leaves
juniper berries
2 handfulls of chopped, mixed root vegetables and herbs (Suppengrün, e.g. carrots, leek, celeriac, parsley)
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 bottle red wine
 
Lay the meat out flat on a board or the working surface and generously spread with Dijon mustard. Place two rashers of bacon on each roulade and season with salt and pepper. Place the sliced cornichons and the onion rings on top and roll up tightly. Tie with string and roll in flour.
Heat some oil or butter a casserole (works best with a heavy cast iron one!) and brown the roulades from all sides. Add the chopped vegetables and the tomato puree and roast with the meat for several minutes. Pour over the wine, add a few bay leaves and juniper berries.
The roulades do not have to be covered completely, about half is fine.
Cook at a low temperature (!) for about 3 hours – this way they will turn out lovely and tender. Turn the roulades occasionally.
Take the roulades out of the casserole and reduce the liquid. Season with spices.
Serve with red cabbage and potato dumplings.

Simon Gunzelmann

Simon has been with BLUE since 2014. He is a Dad who loves baking and cooking – and travelling.
This recipe is one of his favorites because he enjoys preparing the dough and then seeing – and tasting! – the result. This pizza works our really well at home. It is way better than any frozen pizza or bought dough and (almost) tastes as good as at your favorite Italian restaurant. Good quality ingredients are important, though!!

PIZZA DOUGH
1kg Italian pizza flour (Tipo 00)
600ml lukewarm water
5g dried yeast (pref. beer yeast)
30g salt (approx. 3 tbsp)
2 tbsp Italian olive oil

Put 600g flour into a large bowl.
Have the lukewarm water ready in a measuring jug. Stir the yeast and salt into the water.
Add the water to the flour and stir together lightly with a fork.
Cover with a damp kitchen towel and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes. (This step is very important for good pizza dough as first protein chains are formed during this resting time.)

Then knead the dough with dough hooks on the lowest setting for about 3 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil.
Then gradually add the remaining 400g flour while continuing to mix. This process should take about 5 minutes.
When all the flour has been worked into the dough, knead for a further 2 minutes. This time at the highest setting of your mixer.
Divide the dough into 2 portions, 800g each, and roll into a smooth shape. Place each portion into a floured bowl and cover with a damp towel. Leave to rest for at least 6 hours, or even better: 24 hours.
Then keep in a cool and dark place, e.g. the fridge.
For the pizza:
Per pizza you will need 270g of the prepared dough. Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before you want to use it so that it can reach room temperature.
Scatter plenty of flour or semolina onto your working surface. Roll the dough into a ball and flatten it. Using your hands, shape into a round, thin pizza base by pushing out from the center. Make sure you always have enough flour/semolina under the dough.
DO NOT use a rolling pin, as this ruin the fluffiness of the dough will prevent it from rising nicely in the oven!
When the dough has reached a nice round shape, you can pull up the sides and turn it like a ‘steering wheel’ (its own weight then pulls it apart almost automatically).
The pizza base should have a diameter of about 30cm and be nice and thin.
Scatter a pizza board or baking tray with plenty of flour or semolina and pull the pizza base onto it.
Now you can add toppings to your liking.
TIP: Buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di Bufala Campana) tastes best and is easily just pulled into pieces and scattered onto or the pizza.

Bake your pizza in a hot oven, min. 250°C. The higher the temperature, the better the result. Depending on the topping, your pizza will take about 12-15 minutes until it is deliciously crisp.

Verena Stidl

This is a recipe for the summer: No-bake, easy to prepare and – unlike the classic Tiramisu – without raw egg.

TIRAMISU CAKE

For the base:
200g ladyfingers
90ml Espresso
optional: alcohol such as raspberry schnapps

For the filling:
250g mascarpone
250g whipping cream
500g yoghurt (10% fat)
100g icing sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
4 tbsp lemon juice
8g whipped cream stabilizer (1 sachet)
1 tsp vanilla essence or inside of 1 vanilla pod
100g raspberries + extra for decorating
100g blackberries + extra for decorating
2 tbsp cocoa powder for dusting

Mix the mascarpone, cream, yoghurt, icing sugar, lemon rind and juice, stabilizer and vanilla essence and whip the mixture until firm.
Place a cake ring on a platter and set it to 24cm Ø. Drizzle the sponge fingers with espresso and line the cake ring with them. Make sure they are tightly packed; maybe break some to fill the gaps.
Then spread half the cream onto the base, place the berries on top and cover with the remaining cream. Cover and leave to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove the cake ring. Shortly before serving, dust with cocoa powder and decorate with remaining berries.

Britta Stoffels

Britta has been working for BLUE as Global Relocation Specialist since September 2019.
She loves pasta, so this recipe was a obvious choice:

SPAGHETTI SUGO BOLOGNESE
800g minced beef
100g smoked streaky bacon
4 medium sized onions
3 sticks of celery
1kg tomatoes
3 large carrots
garlic cloves to taste
3 tbsp tomato puree
50g butter
750ml dry red wine
1l beef stock
200g single cream
200g parmesan
Basil and rosemary
salt, pepper, cinnamon and sugar

Wash the carrots and celery, peel the onions. Then finely dice bacon, celery, onions and carrots. Cut the tomatoes into 1/8, peel the garlic clove(s), wash and chop the herbs (if using fresh).
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and fry the onions, celery, carrots and bacon until they brown a little. Add the meat and garlic and fry for several minutes until all ingredients are well browned. Add a pinch of cinnamon, then stir in herbs and tomato puree and roast briefly.
Add a splash of red wine and stir to dissolve any rich, sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. When all the liquid has evaporated, let it all brown again, then add another splash of red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan well with your spoon again.
Then add the tomatoes and the remaining red wine and stir in gently.
Add the stock and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Leave to simmer for approx. 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
During this time, the vegetables will soften and bind the sugo. If the sugo becomes too dry during cooking, add a little more stock.
At the end, add the cream and season to taste.

Markus Demuth

Founder & Owner

PANNA COTTA

For the Panna Cotta:
3 sheets of gelatine
250ml milk
250ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways, seeds scraped out
25g sugar

For the sauce:
175g sugar
175ml water
1 splash of cherry liqueur
350g raspberries

To serve:
4 sprigs of fresh mint
icing sugar for dusting

For the Panna Cotta, soak the gelatine in cold water until soft.
Place the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds in a pan and bring to a simmer. Leave to infuse, then remove the vanilla pod and discard.
Squeeze the sheets of gelatine, add to the milk mixture and take off the heat. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved.
Pour the mixture into four ramekins and leave to cool. Place in the fridge for at least an hour, until set.

For the sauce, place the sugar, water and cherry liqueur into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
Take the pan off the heat and add half the raspberries. Using a hand blender, blend the sauce until smooth.
Pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the remaining fruit.

To serve, turn each panna cotta out onto a serving plate. Spoon over the sauce and garnish with a sprig of mint. Dust with icing sugar.

Iris Wolf - Demuth

Iris has been with BLUE for 11 years and has grown with the company, moving through various positions. She says she particularly enjoys working with international clients and values the many experiences one gathers – on a personal, culinary and cultural level.
Iris loves cooking and baking. Being a working mum, she has noticed that her priorities have changed: Food needs to appeal to children as well as adults, needs to be easy to prepare in advance and it is always good if the list of ingredients is not too long or it is even things that are normally in the cupboard anyway. If you are in a hurry, this quiche can easily also be made with bought pastry.

QUICHE LORRAINE
For the pastry:
200g flour
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
120g butter, softened, cut into small pieces

For the filling:
200g smoked bacon
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion
4 eggs
400g single cream
Seasoning: salt, pepper, nutmeg, ¼ tsp fennels seads to taste

For the pastry:
Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add egg, salt and butter.
Knead into a smooth pastry quickly (do not over-knead!), wrap in foil and chill for 1 hour.

For the filling:
Cut the bacon into thin strips and fry in the butter. Chop the onion and sauté in the bacon fat until translucent.
Whisk together the eggs and cream and season well.

Roll out the pastry about 3mm thick and place in a greased tarte dish bringing the pastry up the sides. Prick the base with a fork several times, scatter the bacon on the pastry and bake in a pre-heated oven at 230°C for 10 minutes.
Scatter onions over the bacon and pour over the egg and cream mixture.
Bake for a further 25-30 minutes at 220°C.
Serve with your favorite kind of salad.

Simone Wagner 

Global Services

WHITEWINE RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS
350g risotto rice
500g mixed mushrooms
2 onions, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
450ml white wine
300ml chicken stock
2 sprigs rosemary
100g parmesan, grated
200ml single cream
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Wash the rosemary and finely chop the leaves.
Mix stock and white wine and warm slightly.
Clean the mushrooms and cut the stems of very closely to the caps.
Slice the nice looking, un-damaged caps into 5mm thick slices and finely dice the stems and any caps that are not quite perfect.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large frying pan. Sauté half of the onions, then add the rice. Stir gently until the rice becomes translucent. Add 250ml of the wine and stock mixture and leave to simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add another 100ml and continue to simmer stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed again. Repeat several more times for the next 30 minutes until the rice is cooked. If you run out of liquid, continue with warm water.

In a second frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté the remaining onions. Add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes, then add the diced mushrooms and fry with the onion and garlic for 7 minutes. Shortly before the rice is done, add the mushrooms to the risotto. Mix the cream and the parmesan into the risotto and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tbsp butter in the pan you fried the mushrooms in and stir-fry the sliced mushrooms for 1 minute from both sides.
Serve the risotto topped with the sliced mushrooms.

Pia Pratschke

Immigration Services

NOODLE SALAD WITH THAI PEANUT SAUCE
For the salad:
salt
120g noodles (wheat, rice or any other grain)
150g frozen Edamame
130g red cabbage, cut into fine strips
1 carrot, finely sliced or grated
1 large red pepper, finely chopped
5 radishes, cut into fine strips
30g spring onions, cut into thin rings
45g roasted and salted peanuts

For the Thai peanut sauce:
80g creamy peanut butter
2-3 tbsp tamarind sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2-3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp ginger, grated
2-3 tsp Sriracha (or sambal oelek to taste)
juice of 1 lime (approx. 3 tbsp)
a little coconut milk for additional liquid

For serving:
3-4 tbsp sesame seeds
lime wedges (organic)
fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, cilantro)

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water and drain. Place in a large bowl.
In the meantime, defrost the Edamame by placing them in a bowl and covering them with boiling water.
Add the prepared vegetables to the noodles.

For the sauce, place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until creamy. If the consistency is too firm, add a little coconut milk.
Pour half of the sauce over the noodle salad, add the peanuts and mix well.

Garnish with sesame, lime wedges and herbs. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Kevin Wiesehahn

Immigration Services

QUARK PUDDING / TOPFENAUFLAUF
500g quark
3 eggs
100g semolina
50g flour
100ml milk
140g sugar
8g vanilla sugar (1 sachet)
1 vanilla pod
500g mixed berries, prepared

Line a sieve with a tea towel and place over a bowl. Put the quark onto the towel and leave to drain for 3-4 hours.

Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites until stiff.
Scrape the inside out of the vanilla pod.
Mix quark, semolina, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk together until creamy.
Fold in the egg whites.

Put the berries into an oven-proof dish and cover with the quark mixture.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 165°C for approx. 25-35 minutes until golden.

Yannick Weiand

Immigration Services

Tarte flambée with pear, radicchio and walnut
1 package of tarte flambée dough
100 g crème fraîche
1 pinch(s) of fleur de sel
1 pinch(s) of pepper
0,5 small radicchio heads
1 big pear
150 g french camembert
30 g walnuts
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 220 degrees.
Roll out tarte flambée dough and spread with crème fraîche.
Season with salt and pepper.
Wash and finely chop the radicchio and spread on the tarte flambée.

Wash the pears, cut them into quarters and cut out the seeds.
Cut the quarters into thin slices and spread on the tarte flambée.
Cut the cheese into slices and place over the pears.

Bake the tarte flambée for about 12 minutes until it is crispy.
Coarsely chop the walnuts and roast them in a pan until they start to smell aromatic.

Pull the tarte flambée out from the oven.

Spread the walnuts on top and drizzle honey on top.

Charlotte Rasmussen

Basler Brunsli are one of Charlotte’s favorite Christmas Guetzli: crisp on the outside and moist inside. They turn out best when made with dark chocolate and Kirsch!

BASLER BURNSLI (makes about 60)
500g ground almonds
400g sugar
200g dark chocolate, grated
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 pinch of cinnamon
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
2-3 tbsp Kirsch (cherry schnapps, or milk for a non-alcoholic alternative)

Melt the chocolate over water at a low heat.
Mix almonds, sugar, chocolate, flour, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add egg whites and Kirsch or milk and combine. Do not knead.

Wrap in foil and chill for 1 hour.

On sugar or in between two sheets of baking parchment, roll out the dough 1cm thick, one batch at a time.

Place a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray. Using pastry cutters, cut out different shapes and lay them on the baking tray. Leave to dry at room temperature overnight.

Pre-heat the oven at 240°C.

Bake in the top of the oven for 4-6 minutes.
Leave to cool on the baking tray. The Brunsli keep for up to 2-3 week in a cookie tin.

Tagory Martins

Immigration Services

Buchteln
375 grams wheat flour
1 cube fresh yeast
120 milliliters of lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon sugar
75 grams of soft butter
60 grams of sugar
2 medium eggs
1 pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel optional

Crumble the yeast into a cup with the lukewarm milk.

Add a teaspoon of sugar and stir with a spoon until it has dissolved.

Put the flour in a bowl and make a hole in the center.

Pour the lukewarm yeast-milk mixture into the mould.

Mix with a little flour from the edge and put the dough in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes.

Add the eggs, soft butter, remaining sugar, salt and mix everything.

Knead the dough with a food processor for a few minutes.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

Butter a cake tin (about 20*20 cm, alternatively springform or box shape) and sprinkle some sugar.

Shape the dough on a floured work surface into 2 long ropes. Cut off 6 pieces from each and form the 12 portions of dough into balls with your hands.

Put them in the tin by spacing them a little apart from each other.

Cover again and let them rise for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees top and bottom heat.

Bake the pastries for around 20-25 minutes until they turn light brown.

Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy them while still warm; they can be served with vanilla sauce or stewed fruit.

Natalia Riavicz

Global Services

Short fried udon noodles with lots of vegetables
200 g carrot
150 g mushrooms
200 g pointed cabbage
3 spring onions
2 cloves garlic
1 Thai chili
2 ½ tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tbsp. soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tsp raw cane sugar
2 tbsp. peanut oil or another neutral oil
400 g udon noodles
1 tbsp. roasted sesame seeds

Cut carrot into strips or thin lozenges, pointed cabbage into bite-sized pieces, slice or halve mushrooms depending on size.
Cut the white part of the spring onion into about 2 cm long pieces, the green part into fine rings, and finely chop the garlic and chili.

For the sauce, mix Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and sugar and put aside.
Add oil to a hot wok or skillet, stir-fry the white part of the scallion on high heat for 1 minute.
Add remaining vegetables and keep stir-frying for 2-3 minutes,
Add noodle packages to wok, stir-fry them briefly, then deglaze with about 100 ml of water and let them stew while continuously stirring until the noodle nests have dissolved and the liquid has almost evaporated.
Add sauce and let it cook for 2 more minutes.

Serve sprinkled with spring onion greens and sesame seeds.

Rebecca Pratschke

„Rebecca is an open person who likes to get to know new things. This is also apparent in her meals, because she needs a lot of variety, and that starts with breakfast. For example, she can never eat the same thing in the morning. For lunch or dinner, she likes to have something unusual, but you never have that much time or don't necessarily want to take it. Deer goulash is perfect for this, as it can always be combined with new side dishes. You can enjoy it with pasta, spaetzle or potatoes. It takes a long time to prepare at the beginning, but after that you can always reheat it and the taste will only get better each time. It is perfectly suitable to eat over several days.“

VENISON GOULASH
with pear compote
For the pear compote (makes 5 jars, 500ml each):
2kg pears
300g brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 star aniseed
4 allspice berries
juice of 1 lemon
300ml apple juice
150ml white wine

For the pear compote:
Sterilize the jars with boiling water and wipe with a cloth soaked in pure alcohol.
Peel the pears, quarter them, then half the quarters.
Melt the sugar in a large sauce pan (watch out it does not burn!). Add the chopped pears, then pour over the white wine. Add the cinnamon, aniseed and allspice and stir. Add the apple juice and boil for about 25 minutes until the pears are soft. Stir in the lemon juice.
Fill the jars with the compote, screw on the tops and turn upside down. Leave to cool. Store in a cool, dark place.

For the goulash:
Prepare the meat by removing any sinews, then cut into cubes about 3cm large.
Peel and chop the celeriac, carrots, onions and parsley root. Squash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a large knife until the skin bursts. Wash the orange under hot water and cut off the zest. Squeeze the orange juice. Mix the tomato purée and sugar.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast iron casserole and roast the vegetables for about 2-3 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove from the casserole.
Heat the remaining oil and fry the meat until browned on all sides, push to the sides of the casserole.
Place the sugar and tomato purée mixture in the center and caramelize carefully, mix with the meat. Pour over the red wine and venison stock.

Add the vegetables, orange zest, orange juice, garlic, herbs and spices.
Cover and leave to cook at a medium heat for about 1-1.5 hours until the meat is tender. The meat should always be just covered with liquid, so add a little water if necessary.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with the pear compote and dumplings.