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Which Coffee Beans Are the Right Ones For Fully Automatic Machines?

Are you looking for the right beans for your fully automatic coffee machine? We explain to you what you should pay attention to when buying coffee beans.

Choosing the right coffee beans: you have to pay attention to this

In principle, you can use any bean for your fully automatic coffee machine, provided it is suitable for fully automatic coffee machines. However, this does not always make sense, since, for example, different beans are usually used for a black coffee than for an espresso. But one after anonther.

In order to find the right coffee for your fully automatic coffee machine, three points are particularly important:

quality of the coffee beans
Roasting of the coffee beans
Settings of the coffee machine
Ultimately, however, it also depends on your own taste, which you will probably only find out over time. Let’s take a closer look at each point.

Two types of coffee dominate world trade

There are around 40 different types of coffee worldwide, but only two dominate the market. The Arabica bean makes up around 70 percent of world trade, the Robusta bean just over 30 percent. The two beans differ in appearance and taste. The Arabica bean is longer, flatter and oval in shape. The caffeine content is lower compared to the Robusta bean, but it is said to have a finer, slightly sweet taste. The Robusta bean is slightly smaller and has fewer fats and lipids. Therefore, their crema is a bit firmer and is therefore often used for espresso.

Coffee bean or espresso bean?

Fully automatic coffee machines work fundamentally differently than filter machines. Instead of slowly filtering the coffee, the fully automatic coffee machine works with a pressure process. This pressure is what creates an espresso.

The espresso beans that you can buy in stores are usually a blend of different types of beans that contain a higher proportion of robusta. These ensure a strong, intense taste. With a mixture of Arabica and Robusta, you can benefit from the positive properties of both beans. This makes espresso beans ideal for use in your fully automatic coffee machine.

Don’t let the term “espresso bean” fool you. The term is somewhat misleading, because the so-called espresso bean is basically a coffee bean. However, beans used for espresso are roasted darker, have more caffeine and are stronger in taste. So it can be an orientation.

This can also be the case for medium roasted coffee beans. The use for coffee crema is often noted on the packaging.

Which beans are unsuitable?

Avoid caramelized beans for the fully automatic machine. The sugar can clog the grinder in the machine and in most coffee machines this is very difficult to reach and clean. Flavored beans such as amaretto or Irish cream are also not recommended for this reason.

Caution is also required with very oily coffee beans. If the bean is very shiny, essential oils are already escaping. This is a clear sign that they shouldn’t be using these beans. The lipids come out when the coffee has been roasted past the second crack. This is often the case with dark Italian roasts.

But that doesn’t mean that you have to do without the variety altogether. Essential oils can also leak out if you have stored the coffee beans for a long time. After buying, you should use the beans relatively quickly and only store them in airtight packaging.

Roasting: Which degree of roasting for use in the fully automatic machine?

In addition to good bean quality and the bean mix, the roasting of the coffee beans is of crucial importance. In principle, a distinction is made between light, medium and dark roasting. Some roasting masters even subdivide into five degrees of roasting and indicate their roasting as medium-light or medium-dark. The different colors are caused by different roasting times. A coffee bean has over 900 different aromas that are released at different roasting temperatures. Filter coffee beans are usually roasted lighter, while espresso beans tend to be roasted darker.

Note the drum roasting process, if specified. Because drum roasting is much gentler on the bean than industrial hot air roasting, where many flavors are lost.

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This is How Russia Has Breakfast: Kasha, Blini And Fried Potatoes For the Perfect Start to the Day!

Zavtrák is the name of the traditional Russian breakfast. If you like it hearty, this is the right place for you in this country, because things get really rich here early in the morning.

Milk porridge (kascha), sausages, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, pancakes (blini), quark pancakes (syrniki), bread, butter, jam, kefir and much more are what Russians love to eat with their morning meal. In this way, despite the harsh climate, they are already equipped with enough energy for the day in the morning.

These Russian specialties are very popular at breakfast: a national dish called kasha, a porridge made with milk, mostly made from buckwheat, but also made from oats, barley or rye, and blini – also affectionately called blinchiki – the traditional Russian pancakes.

For all lovers of hearty, hearty cuisine, this delicious breakfast offers a really tasty and energetic start to the day.

Food culture in Russia

In general, Russian cuisine is very diverse: this is because in this large country different ethnic groups live together and mix their traditions. In addition, the food culture in the city differs greatly from that in rural areas: Most people in the country eat richer and heartier food, while people in the city are also influenced by international eating habits and eat a little more “globalized”.

How do you prepare a Russian breakfast?

get hungry and want to prepare a breakfast like in Russia? Then let’s see together how to do it and what ingredients you need for it.

The first thing you should do is open your fridge and see what’s left over from yesterday, because Russians often have leftovers from the day before for breakfast, such as rice, noodles or fried potatoes.

Now set up a hearty sausage and cheese platter, warm up a few sausages and prepare the eggs – either scrambled or fried, just as you like. Don’t forget the bread: white bread is fine, although the Russians themselves prefer black bread. Just like in Russia, your morning meal should not be without various dairy products such as cottage cheese, kefir and sour cream.

That was the easiest part, now comes the preparation of the Russian kasha (milk porridge) and the blini (Russian pancakes). For this we give you the following breakfast recipes:

1. Recipe kasha – Russian milk porridge:

Ingredients (2 people)
75 grams of buckwheat
250 ml milk (1.5% fat)
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds
As you like: some sugar, butter, jam, fruit or meat preparation

preparation

Briefly toast the buckwheat in a saucepan and add the cold milk, salt and poppy seeds. Let the porridge cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir the kasha from time to time.
Russians usually serve their kasha with sugar and melted butter, more often with fruit, or sometimes with meat dishes for a savory version.

2. Recipe Blini- Russian pancakes:

Ingredients (2 people)
150 grams of wheat flour
12 grams of yeast
250ml milk
12 grams of butter
1 egg
50 ml cream
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
some oil
At will: jam, sour cream

preparation

Dissolve the yeast in the milk and add half the flour and the melted butter. Leave the mixture to rest for about 30 minutes. Now separate the egg and mix the yolk with the sugar in a bowl. Now whip the cream and then the egg white until stiff. Then fold it into the whipped cream. Stir the dough and add the remaining flour, salt, egg yolks with sugar while continuing to mix. Finally, add the cream and egg white mixture and let the dough rest for a few hours. Now heat some oil in the pan, add some batter and fry your Russian blinis on both sides.
In Russia, blinis are either filled with jam or served folded, then dipped in sour cream.

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The English Breakfast: Traditional Recipe For a Good Start to the Day

Who of you has never tried a traditional English breakfast?

Bacon, scrambled eggs, pork sausages, beans, toast, jam and much more are part of the “Full English Breakfast”, the traditional breakfast that the British love to eat in the morning. And “Full” really is. In contrast to the small, often quick bites that we eat in Germany in the morning, the English breakfast always counts as a complete meal.

When it comes to this hearty highlight of English cuisine, non-British people usually have different opinions: either you love it or you find it far too sumptuous and take some getting used to.

Especially on cold winter days, the English breakfast offers a really energetic start to the day.

Why is the English breakfast so rich?

The reasons for such a hearty breakfast have a historical background. In the past, such a high-calorie start was very good preparation for a long day’s work in the factory or in the field. The rich breakfast provided the necessary energy for this. Nowadays, so many reserves of strength are no longer absolutely necessary, since many jobs are less physically demanding. That’s why there are also lighter breakfast options in England for everyone who prefers to stay in shape and start the day carefree.

How do you prepare an English breakfast?

As previously mentioned, the Full English Breakfast consists of both sweet and savory foods. Although there are now various healthier breakfast options, this traditional morning meal remains popular and is a nice ritual for the whole family, especially at the weekend.

Now let’s take a look at how to prepare a traditional Full English Breakfast and what ingredients you need to make it.

Ingredients (2 servings)

– 6 sausages
– 4 slices of smoked bacon
– 2 medium-sized eggs
– ½ can of beans in tomato sauce (baked beans)
– 2 medium tomatoes cut in half
– 12 cleaned mushrooms
– 4 slices of toast
– some butter
– some jam
– 8 oranges
– Coffee or Ceylon tea

preparation

Fry the sausages in the pan on all sides, do the same with the bacon until it is crispy. Keep everything warm in the preheated oven (to 80°C). Warm the beans over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Now fry the tomatoes and mushrooms in the same oil as the sausages and bacon and keep them warm in the oven as well. Toast the bread slices until golden, cut each in half diagonally and brush with butter and jam if desired. Now fry the eggs in another pan: depending on your taste, you can either prepare fried or scrambled eggs.
Arrange the plates as shown in the picture above.

Coffee or tea: what do you drink with an English breakfast?

At a full English breakfast, Brits usually drink a freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of tea. However, over the years, traditional English tea has been increasingly replaced by breakfast coffee, which is best drunk thin in a large cup.

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Food

Summer Recipes: Light Dishes Suitable for Hot Weather

Summer recipes should be easy to digest and quick to prepare. We’ll give you a few inspirations and tips for dishes that taste great even when it’s hot.

As beautiful as summer and sunshine are, heat can also put a strain on the body: Our circulation and metabolism suffer as a result. For summer recipes, we intuitively use foods and dishes that are easily digestible and do not weigh us down. So the body does not have to do heavy digestion work as well.

Fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, lettuce and watermelon, are well suited for a hot diet. They have a refreshing effect, quench thirst and do not burden the circulation and metabolism.

Even if we often lose our appetite when it is hot, it is still advisable to eat regularly, but in smaller portions. If you fast at lunchtime due to the heat and help yourself to a lot at the barbecue buffet in the evening, you have to expect the food to hit your stomach: You may quickly feel unwell, heavy and tired. To avoid this, we have put together some easy summer recipes for all times of the day.

Tip: We recommend that you use organic ingredients and, if possible, seasonal and regional products for all recipes. They are not contaminated with pesticides and cause fewer CO2 emissions thanks to shorter transport routes.

Summer recipes: tips for a light breakfast in the heat

Even on a summer morning, breakfast shouldn’t be skipped. It provides you with the necessary energy for a day that can be particularly exhausting and sweaty due to the heat.

Inspiration for a quick summer breakfast:

Organic yoghurt (or plant-based yoghurt alternative) with homemade muesli and fresh fruit. Here you will find a recipe for homemade vegan yoghurt.
Homemade smoothie bowls with nutrient-rich and filling toppings like hemp seeds, roasted buckwheat, nuts and seeds.

Coconut overnight oats: Summer recipe for a fresh breakfast

Overnight oats are cereal flakes soaked in milk (or plant-based milk alternatives) overnight, which you can top with fresh fruit and granola in the morning. You can also easily prepare and transport them in sealable jars. So you can enjoy your breakfast outside when the temperatures are still cool – for example in a park.

For one portion of coconut overnight oats you need the following ingredients:

60 g oat flakes (or a mixture of oat, spelled and millet flakes)
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
250 g coconut yoghurt
100 ml coconut milk (or other creamy plant-based “milk”, e.g. homemade almond milk)
20 g grated coconut
2 tsp maple syrup, honey or fruit juice of your choice (optional)
Also: a lockable jar

How to prepare overnight oats:

The night before, mix the rolled oats with the flaxseed, yoghurt, milk, grated coconut and, if necessary, the maple syrup, honey or juice.
Put everything in a sealable jar and put it in the fridge overnight.
The next morning you can refine the overnight oats with other ingredients as you like.
For topping you can use anything you like:

Seasonal fruits, such as berries
nuts, seeds and kernels
muesli and granola

Summer light lunch recipes

When the heat is at its peak at midday and in the afternoon, you may want to take siestas rather than complaining about hearty food. Nevertheless, it is important that you also eat a small meal at lunchtime to give your body new energy. You can prepare these dishes, for example, and take them to work. So you can better endure the heat in the office.

Here are some inspirations for quick and light lunch dishes:

How about a cold, refreshing Spanish-style soup? Then try the tomato gazpacho soup – a classic summer recipe.
A salad is also quick to make – you can also vary it as you like. Nutrient-rich and yet easily digestible salads are, for example, millet salad, quinoa salad or lentil salad. You can cook the basis of millet, quinoa or lentils for several servings. So you don’t have to spend time at the stove every day when it’s hot.
Maybe just a vegetable salad is enough for you? Some farmer’s bread or potato bread goes well with it.

Easy lunch when it’s hot: summer rolls with tofu and peanut dip

Another quick and easy summer recipe: Asian summer rolls are made from wafer-thin round sheets of rice paper and are filled with lots of vegetables. Other suitable fillings include tofu, tempeh or glass noodles. There is also a peanut dip.

You need these ingredients for six summer rolls:

200 g dry glass noodles
50 g tofu (tip: make your own tofu)
1 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 carrot
40 grams of cucumber
a handful of lettuce, e.g. baby spinach
some (Thai) basil and coriander
6 rice paper sheets
For the peanut dip:

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
the juice of a lime
85 g peanut butter
30ml of water
How to prepare the summer rolls:

Prepare the dip: peel the ginger and garlic. Chop the garlic and ginger in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and mix everything together. If you like your dip more liquid, you can add more water. Alternatively, you can chop the garlic and ginger with a knife and mix the dip with a whisk.
Cook the glass noodles according to package instructions and drain.
Prepare the tofu: Cut 50 grams of tofu from the long side of a piece of tofu. Cut the small 50 gram piece into six long tofu strips. Fry the tofu in oil until all sides are golden brown. Now season the tofu with salt and pepper. Optionally, you can also use chilli, curry powder or other spices. Finally, deglaze the tofu with the soy sauce. Turn the tofu in the pan until all sides have gotten some of the soy sauce.
Prepare the vegetables: peel the carrot and cut it into thin strips. Wash the cucumber well and cut it, including the skin, into thin strips. Wash the lettuce and pat dry. Wash and roughly chop the basil and cilantro.
Now take a large pan and fill it with warm water (about an inch high). Prepare a large cutting board or plate to fill the rolls on.
Soak the rice paper: Take a sheet of rice paper and put it in the warm water for a maximum of one minute. Take it out and put it on your pad.
Now you can fill the rice paper. First put some lettuce in the middle of the rice paper. This is followed by the vegetables, tofu, glass noodles and herbs (in whatever order you like). Finally, you can put a dollop of the sauce on top of the filling.
Fold the summer rolls: Fold in the side edges of the paper slightly above the filling. Then, gently but firmly, roll the paper up from the bottom up. It might take a bit of practice to avoid tearing the paper. If you want to be on the safe side, you can just use two sheets of rice paper.
You can now sprinkle the finished rolls with sesame seeds.

Summer Light Dinner Recipe: Tomato Basil Hummus

What’s better than a long, warm summer evening sharing food with friends? A large bowl of hummus in which to dip veggie sticks and dip fresh flatbread is perfect for the occasion. There are also olives and other antipasti.

Tomato basil hummus recipe

For 15 servings of hummus you will need:

125 grams of sun-dried tomatoes
425 g canned chickpeas
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp tahini
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste
20 grams of basil
Tip: Alternatively, dried chickpeas are also available in stores. First, let them soak in water overnight. Then you have to cook the chickpeas before you can make hummus out of them.

How to prepare the hummus:

Pour hot water over the tomatoes and let them soak for ten minutes. Then drain and let them drain. (You can keep the drained water in the fridge and use it to cook pasta the next day, for example).
Cut the tomatoes into small pieces.
Rinse the chickpeas.
Add the chickpeas to the blender along with the tomatoes, olive oil, tahini, 120 milliliters of water (more if the mixture is too thick), lemon juice, cumin and salt and puree until smooth.
Wash the basil, shake dry and finely chop. Mix it in with the hummus.
Serve the hummus in a bowl. You can garnish it beforehand with olive oil, olives and roasted seeds.
Add the hummus:

You can of course spoon the hummus pure. But this summer recipe tastes even better if you add side dishes. For example:

Flatbread or Arabic bread. Just add a few spoonfuls of hummus and add any other ingredients you like.
Pickled olives, pickled vegetables or homemade antipasti
Balsamic Onions
Vegetable sticks, for example carrots, celery, peppers or cucumbers
Lettuce leaves: You can fill these with the hummus and other toppings.

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Easter Brunch: Delicious Ideas for Easter Breakfast

Anyone who likes to take time for family and friends and would like to gather everyone around a colorfully set table can score points with a successful Easter brunch. A brunch is a mixture of breakfast and lunch and lasts several hours, during which everyone sits together and enjoys. The great thing about an Easter brunch is that you can prepare a lot and nothing has to be prepared to the minute. Whether hearty or sweet, cold or warm – there are numerous ideas on how to conjure up a festive Easter table.

Of course, this also includes the decoration for the Easter brunch. This should contain classic Easter motifs and bright colors. Set accents with colorful serviettes and egg cups and decorate the table with the first heralds of spring, such as daffodils, hyacinths or primroses. A brunch can either be set up at a table where food is eaten or separately in the form of a buffet. It depends on the space and the number of people to be catered for.

What is on the table for Easter brunch?

At Easter, of course, eggs are at the center of every healthy and enjoyable breakfast. Even painted or colored, they are always a highlight on the table. But no one has ever had enough at a brunch just from boiled eggs! It should be a little more fantasy – egg salad, eggs in a glass or filled eggs are great additions here. Therefore, you should provide a good mix of numerous goodies.

Basically, bread should be served with a brunch. Here you have the opportunity to offer special varieties such as white bread, black bread and also rolls and croissants. The breakfast elements of a brunch are served with classics such as sausage and cheese platters as well as various jams, cream cheese, butter and honey. The plates can be prepared very well. Place fresh, sliced ​​fruit and vegetables, such as peppers, tomatoes or radishes. You can offer light and delicious dips with the vegetables, for example a fine egg and mustard dip, in the spirit of Easter. With salads you complement the abundance on the table. This can be fruity variants with avocado and grapefruit or classic herring salads, which are perfect for lovers of hearty cuisine.

Easter accents are of course also set with the rabbit theme. And what do rabbits like? carrots! With carrot muffins or a carrot cake you are on the safe side at a brunch. The pastry part can be supplemented with Easter lambs or small yeast wreaths, in the middle of which a brightly colored egg is placed, or with an eggnog cake. For the hearty variant, there are tender dishes and quiches, which can easily be prepared the day before. These can be enjoyed either cold or warm.

Soups are also good for an Easter brunch. These are easy to prepare and only need to be warmed up on the holiday. The table is skilfully rounded off with potato nests, gratinated pasta nests, tartlets and omelettes, which can also be served in muffin tins. It is always important to have a balanced mix of sweet and savory dishes so that everyone can find something they like to eat at an Easter brunch that lasts several hours.

Coffee or tea: what do you drink for Easter brunch?

The Easter brunch usually doesn’t start until around 11 a.m., so a glass of sparkling wine can be offered as a welcome.
Of course, juices and, of course, coffee are also offered. Good coffee rounds off every festive table and is of course indispensable for a brunch.

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Grilling Watermelon: Recipe for Refreshment From the Grill

Bring freshness to your grill: grilled watermelon tastes wonderfully fruity and is refreshing on hot summer days. You can find out how to grill watermelon here.

Watermelon is the quintessential summer fruit and grilling is the quintessential summer activity. So why not combine these two things? Grilled watermelon is refreshing and super easy to make.

Grilling watermelon: You need these ingredients

What you need to be able to grill watermelon:

1 watermelon
3 tbsp oil, for example olive oil
a pinch of salt
We recommend that you use organic ingredients. In this way you can be sure that the food is free of chemical-synthetic pesticides, which supports species protection and soil protection. When shopping, look out for the organic seals from Demeter, Naturland and Bioland – these each follow stricter criteria than the EU organic seal.

Grilling a watermelon: It’s that easy

Slice the watermelon. Note our tricks for slicing melon. If you want, you can cut off the peel right away. You can also leave them on and only remove them when you eat. Don’t throw away the rind: This is how you can use the rind of the watermelon.
Place the slices on the grill for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Don’t leave the melon on the grill for too long or it will become mushy. You can place the watermelon directly on the grill or use a grill container. You can find out how to do this sustainably in our article on grilling without aluminum foil.
Remove the watermelon from the grill, drizzle the grilled slices with some oil and sprinkle with a little salt.

Tips for refining your grilled watermelon:

If you like it sweeter, you can rub or sprinkle sugar on both sides of the watermelon before grilling. The sugar caramelizes with the heat.
If you want, you can also crumble feta (there is also vegan feta) or herder’s cheese and sprinkle it over the watermelon after grilling.
Fresh lemon or lime juice is also recommended. Drizzle a few drops over the grilled watermelon.
Chop up herbs like basil or lemon balm and serve with the melon.
Chopped nuts or seeds such as almonds or pistachios, sesame or sunflower seeds give the fruit a bite and a nutty note.
If you cut the grilled watermelon into smaller pieces and add the above ingredients and mix everything together, you will have a delicious watermelon salad.
If you serve the watermelon with ice after grilling, such as homemade vanilla ice cream, you get a summery dessert.
Test a savory version and season the watermelon with salt and pepper after grilling.

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The Right Degree of Grinding for the Perfect Coffee

Have you ever experienced this? The espresso tastes bitter even though you have used the best beans and invested in a high-quality portafilter machine? The solution to the riddle could be the degree of grinding. Because the correct degree of grinding of the coffee makes a significant contribution to the beans being able to develop their full aroma. Mamis Caffè explains what is important.

Aromatic or bitter: These factors influence the taste

How the coffee tastes depends on various factors. First of all, the type of beans and the growing area are essential. The type of roasting also determines how the aroma of Arabica, Robusta and Co. unfolds. Once you have found your favorite type and roasting method, it is up to you: the degree of grinding of the beans has a lot to do with how the finished coffee tastes.

This is how the degree of grinding affects the coffee

Whether you need fine, medium or coarse ground coffee depends on how you prepare your coffee. The decisive factor for the choice of roast is how long the powder comes into contact with the water.

If the coffee is very finely ground, it offers a lot of surface area and can develop its aroma quickly. A fine grind is therefore suitable for brewing methods in which water and coffee only meet briefly. If finely ground coffee stays in the water for too long, not only the delicious coffee aromas are released, but also bitter substances.

If, on the other hand, the coffee steeps in the water for a longer period of time, coarse grinding is recommended. The aromas dissolve more slowly from it.

Overview: Which degree of grinding suits your coffee?

There is no uniform numerical value that covers all coffee grinders. Basically, we differentiate between fine, medium and coarse when it comes to the degree of grinding. Not much can go wrong within these guidelines.

Fine grind

The consistency of the very fine degree of grinding is similar to that of flour.

It is suitable for:

mocha

portafilter machine

fully automatic coffee machine

During machine preparation in a portafilter machine or fully automatic machine, water is pressed through the coffee powder at high pressure. In the very short contact time, the aromas have to unfold as quickly as possible. This is only possible with a fine grind. If the coffee were too coarse, the water would flow through too quickly and the coffee would be sour and too thin.

Medium grind

The consistency of the medium degree of grinding roughly corresponds to that of sugar or fine sand.

It is suitable for

Bialetti (espresso maker)

hand filter

Classic filter coffee maker

Aeropress

When preparing a filter coffee or an espresso in a pot on the stove, the contact time between water and coffee is significantly longer. The water drips through the filter or slowly rises out of the jug. The ideal degree of grinding is correspondingly coarser than with the methods using mechanical pressure.

Coarse grind

Coarsely ground coffee is similar in consistency to coarse sea salt.

It is suitable for:

French Press (strainer pot)

Siphon coffee maker

Carlsbad pot

Coarse grinding is ideal wherever the coffee powder steeps in the water for a longer period of time. Finely ground coffee would release too much aroma here and end up tasting strong and bitter.

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Eat Chinese Cabbage Raw: That’s Why It’s Good for Salads

Eating raw Chinese cabbage is healthy. In addition, cabbage has a good CO2 balance. We’ll show you why raw Chinese cabbage is great for salads.

You may have eaten cooked Chinese cabbage before – it can also be eaten raw. Chinese cabbage is actually very healthy if you eat it raw. Some nutrients are lost through cooking. If you eat Chinese cabbage raw, you will notice that it is a bit more tender than other raw cabbage types and tastes similarly mild to iceberg lettuce.

Eat Chinese cabbage raw: You have to pay attention to this

If you want to eat Chinese cabbage raw, you should buy Chinese cabbage, which mainly has a lot of green leaves and few white spots. The green cabbage leaves have a slightly more aromatic taste.

Also make sure to buy your Chinese cabbage in organic quality if possible. In organic farming, chemical-synthetic pesticides are not used and you contribute to better biodiversity and soil protection with your buying behavior. You should also buy your Chinese cabbage regionally and seasonally and thus save on long transport routes. In our seasonal calendar for vegetables and fruit you will find out: Chinese cabbage is in season from June up to and including November, with the peak season starting in August and there being more of it for sale then. Out of season you get Chinese cabbage from storage.

How to prepare raw Chinese cabbage
If you want to eat Chinese cabbage raw, you can simply prepare it. You also save time because there is no need to cook or steam.

To do this, simply remove the outer leaves if they look wilted or have large brown spots.
Rinse the Chinese cabbage briefly with cold water.
Cut it in half lengthways and then cut into strips.
Wash the strips if they get dirty.
Place the Chinese cabbage strips in a large bowl and use them to prepare a salad.
Tip: You can prepare Chinese cabbage in the classic way like other types of lettuce.

Eating raw Chinese cabbage: this is how you combine it

You can eat raw Chinese cabbage particularly well as a salad. Combine it with for example:

Lettuce varieties, e.g. leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, radicchio or chicory
Vegetables, e.g. carrots, peppers, tomatoes
Fruit, e.g. apples, pears, oranges
Nuts, e.g. walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts
Seeds, e.g. sesame, linseed
Various dressings, e.g. salad dressing recipes: vinegar-oil, yoghurt dressing and balsamic dressing, raspberry dressing or honey-mustard dressing.
You can make a healthy and nutritious salad from Chinese cabbage. According to GEO, it contains, for example, a lot of potassium, vitamin C, B vitamins and folic acid, which are important for the immune system, among other things.

Tip: If the Chinese cabbage has been in the fridge for a few days and no longer looks fresh, put it in a bowl of cold water for about ten minutes and add a teaspoon of sugar. The lettuce will not taste sweet later, but will be crunchy again afterwards.

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Safe Recipe for Semolina Dumplings

Semolina dumplings should not fall apart during cooking and should not form a hard lump on the inside. Perfect semolina dumplings should be nice and fluffy. Semolina dumplings are very easy if you follow a few tips.

Ingredients

Semolina dumplings can be made with fat (butter) or without. There is not much difference in taste. Anyone who pays attention to their slim figure can certainly do without butter. Basically, you take about 60 g of semolina for one egg, a small piece of soft butter, salt, and nutmeg. Also read the sure-fire, fat-free recipe on Cooking & Kitchen Original Semolina Dumpling Soup. Simply stir the ingredients together with a spoon. The dough should not be too thin, but not too firm either. Let the mass swell and infuse for a while.

Preparation

Set up a wide pot with 1 liter of water. Lightly salt the water. When the water boils, the dough has already set and become firmer. For boiling, the water should only boil slightly. Form dumplings with two small spoons. Always push the mass with one spoon onto the other. Slide slowly into the water.

If the dumplings stick to the bottom, nudge them lightly with a spoon to loosen them. As soon as the semolina dumplings float to the top, take a close look at the water. Then free the water from the floating gravel. Add the vegetable stock cube and bring it to a boil.

Put the dumplings back into the soup and let them simmer. At least 20 minutes or until the dumplings are as firm as you want them to be. There are also people who only like dumplings if there is still a core inside. As soon as you have made the semolina dumplings a few times, you no longer have to strain the water or you know exactly how long the dumplings have to steep.

Different types of semolina

Every semolina behaves differently and if the semolina dumplings don’t get soft even after a long steep, you don’t have to throw the soup away. The dumplings can also be left in the cold soup overnight and they are usually perfect the next day. Some types of semolina taste better in soup (soup cooking), while others are good for sweet and savory main courses (semolina recipes).

Conclusion

Anyone who can prepare fluffy semolina dumplings can also cook any other type of dumpling. Cooking & Kitchen wishes you a lot of fun trying out the recipes (make dumplings yourself). The spinach and sage dumplings come without any meat at all and are prepared on the basis of potato dough.

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Food

How to Save Money, Time and Nerves When Shopping for the Week

You leave work tired and hungry and head to the nearest supermarket with a growling stomach. When you see the full shelves, you feel a bit overwhelmed and you start to think: What am I going to cook tonight? Sometimes ingredients that are actually still in stock at home end up in the shopping basket, or you reach for a quick frozen pizza again. It quickly becomes clear: something has to change in shopping behavior! We will help you here and explain how you can save money, time and nerves when shopping for the week.

The advantages of a planned weekly shop are obvious: you save time and money, eat more balanced and less food falls victim to the rubbish bin. With a menu plan for the week and a well-thought-out shopping list (or a corresponding app on your smartphone), you can do your weekly shopping without impulse purchases and endless bills.

5 tips for successful weekly shopping

With our 5 helpful tips and a practical example for a successful weekly shop, nothing can go wrong!

But before you can go shopping for the week, you first have to clarify what should/must be in the shopping cart:

Tip 1: The stocks of staple foods should be checked regularly before you go shopping. Because standing in the supermarket and not knowing whether you still have enough pasta at home for the planned spaghetti Bolognese not only costs nerves and time but also money.

Tip 2: Setting a menu plan for the whole week in advance before going shopping prevents deliberations and discussions in the hectic everyday life and every family member knows exactly what to eat on which day.

It is also a good idea to make a list of dishes that all family members enjoy eating again and again. These favorite foods can then be regularly incorporated into the menu plan. Of course, it is also great fun to browse cookbooks or food blogs together and try out new recipes.

Once it is clear what needs to be bought, it is time to write the shopping list, which ideally should not be written when you are hungry:

Tip 3: A shopping list that is clearly visible on the fridge, or an app on your smartphone that you always have at hand, is particularly useful for everyday NORMAL writing down the groceries that have run out. These foods from the list can then easily be supplemented with the ingredients required for the weekly menu plan.

It is particularly practical to build up the finished shopping list in the order in which they can be found in the supermarket (e.g. first the fruit and vegetables, then the dairy products, last the bread and pastries).

Tip 4: The most efficient way is to do your weekly shopping in a supermarket that you already know well because here you will find what you need unerringly and without hesitation. The basic purchase in the supermarket can then be supplemented, for example, with individual products from the market. Most discounters already have a large range of organic products and a great selection of top-quality fresh fruit and vegetables.

Tip 5: Even small animals make a mess: When shopping for the week, it is definitely worth paying attention to discounts and promotions and planning them for the purchase. For example, if the butter is on sale right now, more of it is bought and frozen in stock for the coming weeks.

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