IKEA Salad Spinner TOKIG $2.99

Ok - I admit that I am a slave to certain brand names. I know that the quality is the best and I get my money's worth like a pair of Luck jeans or a Miele vacuum cleaner. But, there are also other things that I would not dare to spend a penny more on than I absolutely have to. Turns out that one of those items is a salad spinner.

IKEA Salad Spinner TOKIG $2.99

I was in need of a few new kitchen utensils and while browsing through IKEA I came across a few things that I have previously considered purchasing from German manufacturer, but reconsidered after taking a closer look at IKEA's products. One of them was the TOKIG salad spinner. I previously owned a Sunbeam spinner that sells for around $10. Not a beauty, but it got the job done, except the bowl had drainage holes on the bottom and water would drip everywhere. You can easily spend $40 for a nice OXO with a stainless steel bowl or $110 for one made by Rosle (Germany). Search Amazon.com for more salad spinners. 

I thought for $2.99 I can't go wrong, and if it turns out to be a dud I can always take it back. But, turns out that I actually love this salad spinner:

• very easy to assemble: simply press the round handle into the top of the lid until it goes 'click'
• made from polypropylene which is a flexible, shatterproof material, so go ahead and toss it across the kitchen - it won't break
• absolutely food and dishwasher safe
• the bowl is somewhat transparent and you can see what's in it
• the bowl also doubles as a serving bowl
• the lid fits snug and makes the container air tight, which is great if you want to store your pre-washed arugula or dandelion greens for tomorrow dinner
• the basked is easy to remove and could be used for straining/rinsing other things.

To remove the excess water simply put the washed lettuce in the basket, put the basket into spinner, put the lid on and turn the handle clockwise. It works really well! You can also use the bowl to wash/soak your lettuce instead of filling the sink with tons of water.

All-in-all I give IKEA's TOKIG salad spinner two thumbs up.

Budapest Goulash Soup

Budapest Goulash Soup

This goulash soup is savory and hearty and perfect for cold autumn and winter days. It tastes best on day 2, 3, or even day 4 ;-)

I originally go this recipe from an old cook book from my hometown in Kaufbeuren, Germany. I made a few subtle changes to make it even better - believe it or not, and I hope you love this hearty soup as much as I do, and I promise you will never eat canned soup again. Ever.

Budapest Goulash Soup

• In a large, heavy bottom pot render the bacon over medium hight heat. Add a little olive oil if your bacon does not have a lot of fat - you don't want the bacon to stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. Cook until the bacon is starting to crisp. 
• 4-5 oz bacon (Pancetta works, too), finely diced. Choose a leaner cut or remove large chunks of fat. 
• Add the onions and garlic, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions are staring to turn transparent.
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Dust the beef with the flour. Turn up the heat to high. Add the beef to the pot and cook together with the onions stirring regularly, about 10 minutes. 
• 2 tbs flour
• 1.5 lb stewing beef. Remove fat, etc, and cut into small pieces.
• Add about 1 cup of broth to the pot and cook the beef over medium low heat for about 20-30 minutes.
• 1 cup beef broth
• Add the peppers, potatoes, paprika, hot paprika, thyme, tomatoes, beef broth, water, and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat with the lid on.
• 6 tomatoes, skin removed, chopped. Whole canned tomatoes work well.
• 1 large or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 tbs paprika
• 1/2 tbs hot paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cups beef broth
• ~2 cups water
• ~1 tsp sugar
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar and Madeira. 
• 1/2 cup Madeira
• 2+ tbs red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper to season
• If you are adding pasta to the soup heat the soup and pre-cooked pasta in a separate pot. And don't worry if you have leftovers - this soup tastes better on two, three and four ;-)
• whole wheat rotini pasta or any other pasta of your choice, pre-cooked

Enjoy!

Hungarian Goulash with Potatoes

Hungarian Goulash with Potatoes served over Egg Noodles.

I love this Goulash - it is savory and very satisfying on a cold and rainy Sacramento December day or where ever you may be cold ;-)

Vegetable Soup with Fresh Spinach

Vegetable Soup with Fresh Spinach

I love to eat soup, especially when it is cold outside. Today, however, the thermometer measured 95F, but I don't have a choice, because I just finished a 7 day Master Cleanse and all I can eat is a light soup. So I decided on this easy and delicious vegetable soup with squash and a handful of fresh spinach.

Apricot and Arugula Salad

Apricot and Arugula Salad

Basic-8 Dressing

• 2 tbs grape seed oil
• 1 tbs pear infused white balsamic vinegar (Alessi)
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 1/8 tsp real salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tbs dried fruit mix (raisin, pear, apple, apricot), finely diced

Salad Ingredients

• 1-2 ripe apricots
• 1 handful arugula
• 1 handful mache (lambs lettuce)
• 1/5 red onion, finely sliced (mandolin)
• 1 tbs sliced almonds or walnut pieces
• Optional: a little bit of goat cheese

Combine the salad ingredients with the dressing and gently toss. If the apricots are very soft you may want to add them last to avoid them falling apart and getting mushy.

Enjoy!