Coffee Walnut Cupcakes with Coffee Cream

Ingredients: 250 grams butter, 250 grams golden caster sugar, 4 eggs, 250 grams flour, pinch of salt, baking powder, 45 grams walnuts, 4 tablespoons strong coffee,

Number of cupcakes: 18

Preheat the oven at 160 degrees. Put in a muffin form the paper shapes. Mix 250 grams butter with 250 grams golden caster sugar to creamy. Add gradually 4 eggs and mix until pale and frothy batter. Add 250 grams flour, a pinch of salt and baking powder and mix it well. Put 45 grams chopped walnuts and 4 tablespoons strong coffee to the batter. Fill the cupcakes with the batter. Place the muffin form about 30 to 35 minutes in the oven. Let the cupcakes cool well.

Coffee Creme
Ingredients: 250 grams mascarpone, 200 grams golden caster sugar, 4 tablespoons strong coffee, 1 sachet Oetker whip it,

Mix 250 grams mascarpone with 200 grams golden caster sugar, 4 tablespoons strong coffee and 1 sachet Oetker whip it. Decorate the coffee walnut cupcakes with the coffee cream. Keep the coffee walnut cupcakes with coffee cream cold! Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Spinach, Walnut and Crème Fraîche

Ingredients: spaghetti, salt, 300 grams spinach, 1 garlic clove, 100 ml crème fraîche, 75 grams grated cheese, pepper, walnuts,

Number of persons: 2

Cook the spaghetti al dente in boiling water with salt. Stir fry the spinach until it has shrunk. Add 1 finely chopped garlic clove and stir fry brief. Add 100 ml crème fraîche and 75 grams grated cheese. Allow to melt and bring to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the spinach with the spaghetti. Put on your plate some walnuts over it.

Lentil Walnut Burgers with Yogurt Sauce

Obviously we are intrigued by lentils. They require some effort, but have so much potential we just can’t ignore them.

Side note, lentils also make a great filling for handmade computer wrist rests. Just sew a tube of fabric, fill it with uncooked lentils, sew shut, and save yourself $15 by not having to buy a fancy schmancy gel one.

Back to food…
These were quite good. The yogurt sauce is a MUST. So is the egg, apparently… I had made cookies earlier in the day, and failed to realize that we needed the last egg for these burgers. Ooops. So we made the recipe without the egg. Tasted great, still, but they were very volatile and a bit dry, crumbling all over the place. We ended up cooking them in the oven for 8-10 minutes per side instead of pan frying them, which is probably healthier anyway! Didn’t want to take a chance that the patties wouldn’t flip. :)

Lentil Walnut Burgers with Yogurt Sauce

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Everyday Food.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, cooled
1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup lentils, cooked, drained, and cooled
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg

Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce:
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; process until finely ground. Add lentils and 1 tablespoon oil; pulse until coarsely chopped (some lentils should remain whole).

In a large bowl, whisk egg. Add lentil mixture; mix well. Divide into 4 equal-size parts; roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand into 3/4-inch-thick patties.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add burgers; cook over medium-low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently with a thin-edged spatula, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, cilantro, and lemon; season with salt and pepper.

Assemble burgers and top with yogurt sauce, sliced red onion, tomato, and lettuce.