Sweet Potato Gnocchi - healthy, easy and homemade!

Recipe of the month!
Sweet Potato Gnocchi - healthy and easy to make!

Hey guys,

ever wondered what you can do also with sweet potatoes ? 

I just love the taste and the health effects which sweet potatoes bring with them. I thought so why not trying out a recipe to make gnocchis out of them. Its not a rocket science and it does not take you forever in the kitchen. 

All you need is some good ingredients and a bit of time in the kitchen! 

So here we go !

2 Persons 

Ingredients for the Gnocchi:

ca. 400 g sweet potato (cooked & smashed)

ca. 130 g flour (all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon of nut meg powder

2-3 table spoons of freshly grated parmesan 

Ingredients for the sauce:

150 g cocktail tomatoes (quartered)

Pepper & salt 

For serving: 

ca. 50 g splits of parmesan on top at the end 

Ruccola (cutted and mixed in the sauce at the end)

1-2 tabel spoons of roasted pine nuts, mix them at the end underneath the sauce (roast them over minmal heat in the pan, be careful burns quick,)

This is how we do it ! 

Cook (sliced and peeled) & smash afterwards the sweet potatoes in a bowl, mix in the nut meg and parmesan. Add slowly the flour and knead the ingridents all together till the dough is not sticky anymore. Be aware that you only knead till everything is one dough, dont add too much flour as it can make the gnocchi to hard. 

When ready place it for around 15 minutes covered in the fridge.

In this 15 minutes roast the pinutes in medium heat, place it aside. Quarter the cocktail tomatoes and stir them slowly (medium heat) in a bit of olive oil with a drizzle of salt and pepper till a nice sauce comes out. Afterwards put the sauce ot the side.

Get your dough out of the fridge. Add some flour over it and cut the dough into 3-4 slices. Roll the slices on a floured work surface till they get the look of a long sausage. Than cut the long sausage into 2 cm thick gnocchis. If you want you can also do the typical fork thing to the gnocchis, but I woud skip that part. 

Now get water in a pot to boil (reduce heat - not boiling anymore) and add the gnocchis till they come on the surface of the pot. The best you can use to get not too much water with this is a ladle. Collect them all on a plate.

Use your pan and put some little olive oil and heat it, add the gnocchis at medium heat and roast them a bit on each side (be careful not to smash them). Turn off the heat and add the sauce, cutted ruccola and pinuts and mix it all together. 

Serve it on a plate and add some parmesan splits above your Gnocchis ! Enjoy!

Follow me for more on instagram @melainesinsights,

Cheers,

melainesinsights 

Amsterdam, Netherlands, my insights! Part 2 - food guide!

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Travel Amsterdam, Netherlands? My food guide Amsterdam for you!

Part 2 - where to eat in Amsterdam City?

Hey guys,

as promised my second part from my Amsterdam guide - the food guide - posting is finally coming to you. Sorry for being a bit late with it, but due to some work I didnt have much time to write on my blog lately.

If you travel Amsterdam, you need to make sure to check also these restaurants/bars/hotels while being in this great city.

I was doing my research based on locals recommendations and Instagram. Which I normally always do that way to get the best food experience while traveling.

Out of all the restaurants and bars tested and tasted here are my top recommendations for you, when traveling the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands:

First one is a casual one. Veggie, Vegetarian and Vegan food sounds not good to you? I bet you will change your mind after heading to the famous and really Instagram place called "Vegan Junk Food Bar". I had the best sweet potatoe fries and veggie burger of my lifetime. The restaurant itself is easy and modern designed, so I would say its easy chic. I loved the pink design by the way :-)

If your into sea food I highly recommend you to visit the "Seafood Bar". It serves fresh sea food and you can choose between all your favorite fishes directly in front of you. The interior is really clean and modern. This one is great for dinner or lunch. 

For all Asian infused kitchen fans - more correct its Japanese kitchen - the "Wagamama". I had a great soup and they offer great starters ! Amsterdam has some "Wagamama" Restaurants in different parts of the city. Make sure to place a reservation as it is especially crowded at the evenings. 

Last but not least the best roof top terrace bar in Amsterdam. Its located on top of the W Hotel, which is in a historical building but the inside is really modern and stylish. We only had drinks there, but you can also reserve a table at the restaurant. I enjoyed a signature W Hotel mint iced tea, it came along with popcorn and nuts. It has also a pool outdoor and check the event calendar as they also host some DJ nights there. 

Enjoy your lunch // dinner // snack!

I linked you all the restaurants and bars, just click on them and you will be forwarded to the locations.

In case you missed my first posting about where to stay in Amsterdam, check it out: Part 1 - where to stay in Amsterdam.

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

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Orange Carpaccio, recipe, my insights for you!

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Orange Carpaccio with fresh basil and mozzarella, ready in 15 minutes to serve, vegetarian ! 

One of my favorite recipes for this time of the year, a great, easy to make and healthy appetizer.

Hey guys,

its that time of the year again, Christmas is about to come and finally time to spend some time with your loved ones. And what is better then to have dinner with family and friends?

I got this recipe from a friend of mine, which visited Stockholm recently for travel and got this dish in a restaurant while exploring the city. 

This home made recipe is just easy to prepare and you also get extra credit points as normally no one ever tried it before. Beside that recipe is easy to make and needs only really good and fresh ingredients theres nothing more really to have in mind.  Thanks to the oranges, it gives you an extra vitamin fill up for the cold winter times. 

Carpaccio - an Italian dish- was invented at "Harrys Bar" in Venice back in 1950. Normally Carpaccio is a dish of raw meat or fish, thinly sliced or pounded thin and served mainly as an appetizer. This recipe is the vegetarian alternative for you, even if you are not a veggie (I totally love Carpaccio also with beef) it is just a great option to check out. 

For the ingredients please only buy and use really the best you can get, as this dish taste is living threw the high quality of the ingredients I would recommend you to only buy bio orange, basil and only - really ONLY - buffalo mozzarella. Once again its all about the taste. 

Ingredients Orange Carpaccio (2 persons)

1 tea spoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil 

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1/2 bunch fresh basil, leaves only

250 g of buffalo mozzarella

2 big oranges 

Directions

1. cut of both ends of the oranges, start removing the orange peel running your knife along the sides, turn the orange upside down and remove any white membrane that is still attached to the orange. Then slice the orange into very thin slices. Prepare the slices on a large serving platter.

2. cut the buffalo mozzarella into small pieces.

3. place mozzarella slices on the orange carpaccio.

4. combine oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitted lid, shake well. Drizzle over oranges and mozzarella; sprinkle with the fresh basil leaves.

5. Depending on your taste you can also add some more freshly grounded black pepper over the orange carpaccio.

6. Enjoy your appetizer. I serve along Italian bread, ciabatta, and a great match is rose wine.  

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Bruschetta, recipe - my insights for you!

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Bruschetta, the very best Antipasti recipe!

If you guys are into Italian food, check this out - easy to make and ready in only 15 minutes! Say ciao Italia!

Hey guys,

just came back from a wonderful trip to Italy and Im fully inspired by all the great ingredients they use for making such great dishes.

Most of the dishes the Italians serve are really fresh, healthy and with simple but high quality ingredients.

This one is for me the perfect starter or goes perfectly along with a glass of wine on hot summer days. Its really easy to make and you only need 15 minutes of your time to get it done. 

The food is called in Italy "Bruschetta" (pronounced bru-sketta) and is vegetarian, pure veggie recipe. Think of it as the Italian version of the perfect summer toast :-) 

Things you should have around in your kitchen before starting - a contact grill, I use the CaterPro available on Amazon. Of course you can also use your grill to prepare the bread, or your oven. 

Ingredients for Bruschetta (2 Persons):

2-4 fresh tomatoes (suggestions is to use tomatoes with more flesh as they are not that juicy - depends on the size if you have 2 really big ones thats enough, if you have just only middle ones better be on the safe side and buy 4)

Basil (a full hand of Basil leaves)

2 shallots 

2 ciabatta rolls (French or Italian bread)

5-6 spoons of olive oil 

Salt & Pepper

How to make Bruschetta? 

For me its all about the tomatoes you use. As written before I suggest you to use tomatoes with less juice and less seeds and thick flesh. 

1. Preheat the contact grill or grill for the bread.

2. Peel the tomatoes and quarter them, put away the seeds and chop the tomatoes into thinly slices. There are many ways to prepare Bruschetta, but I only use the thick flesh of the tomatoes without the seeds and the skin. 

3. Peel and chop the shallots into small slices. 

4. Thinly slice the basil leaves as well.

5. Put it all together and add the olive oil, pepper and salt. Be aware that tomatoes do need more salt then you would expect normally. 

6. Mix it all together and let it rest for some minutes, as the  flavor will need to develop some minutes.

7. Use a bread knife to slice the bread into two pieces. Then place the bread on your contact oven or grill, depending on the heat the bread needs about 5 minutes (if the contact grill was pre-heated) to get a fine toasted tan. 

8. You can now take the warm bread and place it on a large plate, put the topping on top and if you would like you can add some basil leaves for decoration. Make sure you serve it right away when finished. 

If you would like to bring the topping to a party or event, no problem - you can bring it along and the people just can use it as a dip.

BOUN APPETITO (BOUN APPETIT!) !

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Barcelona, foodies where to go? My insights for you! Part 4

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Barcelona, my foodie insights for you!

PART 4 I La Boqueria Market

Hey guys,

my posting series about where to go in Barcelona for foodies and restaurant lovers is continuing. Make sure you did not miss part 1, 2 and 3 by clicking on the numbers you will be forwarded to my other food and restaurant recommendations from my blog.

If you travel to Barcelona you normally heard from this location when searching for places to go. 

I dedicate my part 4 of my food series the unique and great "La Boqueria Market".

The La Boqueria Market is located central, only a side step away from the well known street "la rambla".

The origins from the history of the market go back to the 1200s, it was born as a traveller market - which was at the beginning an open-air market. Developing over the years the market has become one of the must-sees when visiting Barcelona, one of the best markets world wide. 

When you entering the market stalls from the street of "la rambla" you enter a a market for your senses. 

The market stalls itself are close one to another, also enclosed in the market stalls many bars and restaurants where you can directly order your food or a  drink an watch the scene. 

I personally loved the fruit market stalls. A smoothie costs around 1,50 euro. We went there for dinner and tried many things as slices of Empanadas and cheese / ham. We also had a glass of cava at the market. Round about we came to 20 euros all together for two persons, which is really cheap for an European city attraction. 

Make sure you never leave your handbag unattended, but this doesn't stop the fun. 

The market is also offering a food school, where you can book courses for cooking and learning from local chefs and artists. Check the homepage for more information. 

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Barcelona, foodies where to go? My insights for you! Part 3

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Barcelona, my foodie insights for you!

Part 3 I SURF HOUSE BARCELONA

Hey guys,

I decided to do a series of the top foodie places when traveling to wonderful Barcelona. 

My insights about foodie places you should go to started two weeks ago, so make sure you don't miss something out by clicking on Part1 and Part 2. 

The restaurant I choose to write about today is the "SURF HOUSE" in Barcelona. 

This location is directly located at the beach. And as the name is already giving you some idea, it is a surf spot and a restaurant decorated with all things relating to surfing. 

You have a beautiful view from the restaurant facing the beach life of Barcelona. 

The restaurant itself is offering a big menu  where you can choose from breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner.

We choosed an Avocado Toast with smashed avocado, feta cheese, basil and cherry tomatoes. Beside this great high quality fresh dish I choosed a drink called Lime Juice, with mint and a bit of sugar. I can really recommend it, also they offer a smoothie of the month, just ask for the fruits at the moment. Also you can do your own healthy creation of course.

As it is a surfer spot, they also offer activities - which you can book. For example SHB SUP Yoga & Pilates and afterwards you can get your well deserved smoothie or Mojito. On some days they also have live music with special cocktail prices. 

And don't miss the free paddle surf, when hitting the 15 Euro bill you can borrow paddle board for 45 minutes free. Check the website for actual activities. 

Make sure you don't miss this place, when traveling to Barcelona.

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com