back in the saddle again

hey there!
how have you been?

can you believe i left this blog deserted for almost a month? that certainly wasn't planned, and i honestly wonder how i would neglect something so important to me for such a long time! thanks to a lovely yet distinct kick in the butt by a fellow foodblogger (yes, i mean you) i pulled myself together and got back to blogging.

so why was i that absent?

i could tell you now that i was in hospital for a few days. oh my god, did you ever have a lumbar puncture? they totally lie if they tell you "this is going to hurt a little" - i am not a wuss, but i actually passed out because of the pain! i think giving birth one day might be out of the picture. i am not as pain resistant as i thought!
since some of you sent me very kind mails worrying about my deserted blog - let me assure you, i am okay. i have to get treatment started as far as the ms is concerned, and the sooner i start the better.

i also could tell you that i really need to finish my bachelor's degree and university is virtually killing me right now. i have no idea if i can / will push through with a master's degree. another two years? meeeeh ... i feel i can not plan that long ahead right now, you know? but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, right? so i recently quit my job to focus on this goal right in front of me. i have never lived on a scholarship alone, i always had several jobs when i was going to university. this will be a drastic change. actually, i now live way below the austrian poverty level. that sounds really weird ... i don't feel poor at all! i am a very low key person, i don't need much (my dictionary says i am "frugal"). i make rent, i can afford bandwith, i have enough to eat - what more do i need?

speaking of which ...


i would feel poor if i had to eat potatoes all week long, instead my potatoes are accompanied by a lovely turkey steak with a herb crust. not too shabby for a penniless student, huh? sure, a regular schnitzel is a dull (yet famous!) dish in austria, but with a little sugar&spice you can really pimp this baby ...

four tbsp of bread crumbs
mixed herbs (i used 20 g fresh basil, 20 g fresh parsley and 20 g fresh tarragon)
one egg
one tbsp flour
salt, pepper
three small turkey steaks (i suppose you can use any meat suitable for schnitzel)
one tbsp vegetable oil
one orange
a little sugar
new potatoes

1. in a food processor, mix breadcrumbs with herbs and put them on a flat plate
   
   
   
2. season the turkey schnitzel with salt and pepper and lightly dust it with flour
   
   
   
3. pull the schnitzel through the whisked egg then coat it with the breadcrumb and herb mixture on both sides. make sure to firmly press on the last layer. this breading is very moist and will not stick as easily as it would on your regular viennese veal cutlet. if you want, you can use dried herbs and avoid all the moist roundabout :) i usually stick the bred+herb-mixture in the oven for a couple of minutes to dry it a little and make it easier to handle
   
   
   
4. in a pan, fry the schnitzel for a minute on each side
5. put on a baking tray and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes on 180°C
6. slice an orange and season it with pepper
   
   
   
7. put a little sugar in your pan, let it caramelize and quickly fry the sliced orange as a nifty garnish and side-dish for your turkey schnitzel. also give your potatos a quick toss in the same pan! they will taste sooo yummie and orangy ... "orangy" ... is that even a word? i don't know ...
   
   
   
8. if you want a nice orangy gravy you can add a knob of butter and a litte stock to the pan after removing the orange slices and the potatoes. go ahead, you can even use white wine here! whisk in a little flour until the gravy thickens.
   

voila, there you have a nice exotic finish to a rather mundane dish!


i do think that my leave of absence is over ... ;)