Zesty Olived ArTiChoKes

This will be a rather unusually blog entry. I normally do not post recipes on this blog, but this one sort of embrace, certain aspects of my trip to Spain and is too good not to share.As a result of very cheap artichokes and not really knowing anything about them, I decided, while I was in Spain, to experiment with this odd looking vegetable. Preparing artichokes is not difficult but takes some time.  I therefore decided to come up with a recipe, where I could precook the artichokes, preserve them and then just apply them to my food whenever I feel like eating them. Thereby, save time and the hassle of having to start from scratch every single time.
I have on purpose not added the precise amount needed of the ingredients for this recipe, as I normally just add whatever amount my taste buds dictates me. The smallest amount of artichokes, which I have used for this recipe, was about seven.

Ingredients:

Artichokes

Lemon

Vinegar

Butter

Olive Oil

Salt & pepper

1.   First set a bowl of cold water to the side, and squeeze in the juice of one of the lemons. To prepare the artichokes, remove the outer leaves. Keep going through the layers until you reach the paler, greenish-yellow leaves. Trim the stalks to about 5cm, then cut the heads into quarters and scoop out the fur/hair with a spoon. As you prepare each one, rub all of its cut sides with one of the squeezed lemon halves, then place in the bowl of lemony water so they do not go brown.

2.   In a large saucepan, bring a few cm. of water to the boil. Add some vinegar, the artichokes, and simmer for 15-18 mins, depending on the size of the artichokes, until tender. Drain.

3.   Add olive oil and butte to a pan. Toss the artichoke quarters on it when the butter has melted and the oil is warm, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they have turn slightly brown.

4.   Pack the artichokes into jars or heatproof containers, and pour some olive oil into the glass, (about 1/3 up, when the artichokes have been added). Seal while warm, and allow to cool.  Keep in the fridge for up to one week. Perfect for tapas, pizza-topping, sandwiches or to add in a pasta dish.

Caribbean Mist (Love), Portland (Pray) and Spanish Tapas(Eat)

A year has passed since I returned from the Caribbean. Originally I was suppose to stay there for just three months and ended up staying 11 months. But one should always leave space for falling in love...........right ;-)
After finding my way back to the Danish "way", which is somewhat a more organised way of living compared to the one of the Caribbean, I decided upon making a return to the world of academia, to broaden my horizon and develop on a new field of interest. My stay and work first, in Namibia, and second, in the Southern Caribbean, had sort of in natural way generated  a personal interest in developmental processes. 

After a bit of research I settled on Aalborg University  and consequently I started on a Master in Development and International Relations in September 2011. Having heard from someone who lives here that "Aalborg is like a dog that has been run over and just waiting to die", I was slightly dreading the perspective of actually  moving there. I found comfort in the fact, that after all it would only be for one year, as we on the second year would go abroad on an internship. So that is how, I ended up in a city I never thought, I would end up in.

I admit that Aalborg has started to grow on me. The city is a strange mix of unique characters, old smoked filled pubs (sailor style), china grills, bleached women with orange skin, bodybuilder types, pizzas with fries, and an occasional tractor or two in the city picture.  As with regard to my master program, I am of a split opinion. Two things are for sure, I am very happy that I chose to enroll in a specialization program on Latin America and that half of the1st and 2nd semester is devoted to project work.

Instead of talking about my course, I would rather prefer to talk about my work for Save the Children Youth. We are currently taking the first tentative steps in establishing a pilot project in Kenya. Named the Dream-Catcher, the project aims at fostering interest among students in Kenya to participate in volunteers work, and increase their awareness in the betterment of children in marginalized areas in Kenya. 

Aware that attempts from western NGOs to foster a civil society in southern countries often fails when the donations stops, we were cautious during the identification process of a local partner. This was done to ensure the viability of the project. And so far the cooperation between us and our identified partner seems promising. Next step, was the to write the application for funding for the project. This was a long but very interesting process. The application for funding was handed in early February and during this coming week we will know, whether we will receive the donation or not.......prayer time! 


After having handed in the application for funding, I took off to Spain together with Julian to devour tapas. Bringing all my readings for the coming semester, I found time to unwind, study, enjoy the sun, occasionally practice my Spanish, and perhaps gain a kilo or two from eating tapas.............  Enough talk, enjoy the virtual part of our stay!