MTChallenge June: Horse Meat Hamburger with Eggplant, Beetroot crisps, pepper ketchup in a liquorice bun / MTChallenge Giugno: Hamburger di cavallo con melanzana, barbabietola e ketchup di peperoni in panino alla liquirizia

Here I am a little sleepy and with half closed eyes as I sit here, typing at my computer. What an adventure for this month’s MTChallenge! Diabolical Arianna saparunda.blogspot.ch, who won the contest last month, launched a pretty complex challenge inviting us to cook our own version of the world famous American Hamburger. I can’t deny it, as all the staff of the challenge is very understanding when allergies and special diets ar involved I first contemplated the option of participating with a macrobiotic hamburger. That thought lasted about thirty seconds, then I realized that it had no sense at all, at least from my personl point of view on this dish. Let’s face it hamburgers must be rich, fat and rewarding. It didn’t feel quite right to stick a vegetable burger into a wholemeal bun with a tahini and umeboshi sauce. Hey, hold on a second…now that I came up with this I must admit it does sound quite appealing. Maybe I’ll give it a try soon. But anyway back to my burger. Blame it on the diet restrictions or just my own view on burgers (burger = meat), but I decided to focus on a juicy and tasty version of the American fast food par excellence. And I don’t regret it.

Living on my own: Spelt and spicy eggplant salad / Living on my own: Insalata di farro e melanzana speziata

And here we are for the second episode of my new blog section, Living on my own, which collects simple, healthy and fast recipes especially thought for people who like me live alone and want to have a varied diet without having to spend too much time at the stove. This time the main ingredient is spelt, one of the most ancient type of wheat which has been in use in the human diet since the Neolithic times. Spelt is low in fat, rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and iron. It is also one of the less caloric type of wheat, in short, it is a very healthy alternative to the usual pasta dish. The eggplant, a vegetable originally from India, is distinguished by its slightly spicy flavor and a soft pulp which contrasts with the crispiness of the skin. Its flavor goes well with sumac, a spice very much in use in Middle Eastern cuisine which has a light sour taste (slightly lemony). It will take you very little to make this simple but tasty dish, you will not be disappointed I promise!