Fresh vegetable soup -- Minestrone style

Who doesn't know the feeling? You are either on the local market or in any supermarket, trying to think about what to cook. Perhaps a friend said he'd come over and you are not really in the mood to cook up a storm. Perhaps you're even trying to lose some weight and don't want to compromise taste.
Well, here's quick, easy and rather delicious recipe for you. I cooked it tonight and I can highly recommend it.

You need (for two):
    
1 large carrot
2 sticks of celery
1 few slices of fresh fennel
1/2 a medium courgette
A few spring onions or 1 leek
1 red pimiento pepper
a hand full of green beans
1 teaspoon of tomato puree
1 stock cube/stock granule
Fine egg noodles if you wish.


It's dead simple: wash and chop the vegetables coarsely. In the meantime bring the water with some salt in a pan to the boil, add the vegetables. Let it cook. Add the tomato puree, salt, stock and a pinch of curry powder after about 15 minutes. If you cook for two people, add a hand full of the noodles and let it simmer for another 10 min.

Serve as it is or with bread.

A gorgeous and fast snack: feta cheese with cherry tomatoes

Often, I have a lust for a savoury snack, but instead of reaching for the packet of crisps, I'd rather do my own. I love cherry tomatoes and I love feta cheese. They are best friends and a light little something you can enjoy with a glass of white wine. Choose something stronger, dry, like a Sauvignon Blanc, for example or a Pinot Grigio, a Sancerre or Chablis. Chardonney, which is one of my favourites, might be a tad too fruity and they wouldn't compliment each other.
Of course you can also have a light red wine or rose, it's down to your taste.

It's a snack you can prepare easily and store in the fridge, so when have a visitor, you'll always have something to offer.

You need:

Feta cheese
Cherry tomatoes (if possible vine riped)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tarragon (fresh if possible)
Thyme (fresh, if possible)

Dice the feta cheese and cut the tomatoes in quarters, chop the herbs and add, then drain it all in the Olive Oil. No salt needed, the feta is salty enough. You can add chili, it's up to you.

If you have it with wine, serve with slices French stick. Enjoy :-)

Mix all thoroughly and let it marinade. If you expect visitors, prepare at least an hour prior serving.