Bengali Butternut squash with chickpeas

Saw this on tv and decided to try it and I even had all the ingredients in the house - isn't that amazing?! Easy to make, once you've got all the ingredients together.

Ingredients:

3 ysp veg oil; large (? - be careful!)  pinch ground asafoetida; 1 bay leaf; 

1/2 tsp panch phoran = Bengali five spice (or just equal amounts of fenugreek, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, cumin, mustard seeds ); 

1-2 mild dried chilies (or dried chili flakes, which is what I use); 

1 small onion, chopped; 

1/2 tsp turmeric (kunjit); 

2 level (oh, really?) tsp ground cumin (sorry, I only use the seeds these days);

1 heaped tsp ground coriander; 

2 tsp ginger paste; 

500 gr butternut squash (I found a small one which cost 50p and it was perfect - so easy to peel and very few seeds, relatively), cut into 4 cm cubes;

200 ml boiling water (oh, didn't look at this, just put in what was needed!);

200 gr canned drained chickpeas ( I used dried ones and soaked and cooked them); 

1 tsp garam masala;

1 tsp ground (or not!) fennel seeds

salt and sugar to taste.

So, having got all that lot together, the rest is easy:

1. Fry asafoetida, bay leaf, panch phoran and chilies in oil for 1-2 mins
   
2. add chopped onions and coat with spices until softened and golden brown
3. add turmeric, cumin and coriander, salt, sugar and ginger - stir well. Add a splash of boiling water and cook a further minuter or two; 
4. Add butternut squash and more boiling water; bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until squash is tender (approx. 10-15 min)
5. Add chickpeas, garam masala, fennel seeds and water (if necessary)
6. Sir well and cook for a further 1-2 mins to warm through. 
7. Serve immediately, e.g with rice.

Bon appétit!

Moroccan style fruit Couscous

I took this recipe off the label of an M&S salad because it was so yummy. Didn't have all the ingredients so substituted my own...

Cooked turmeric couscous

Chickpeas (obviously), oranges, red onions, raisins, apricots (or dates), sugar, cranberries (craisins), coriander (probably preferably fresh, I used ground), Sunflower, water and Rapeseed oil (olive oil is just fine! - not sure the latter is necessary - depends on your salad dressing.)

Make Honey & Orange dressing:

Lemon juice, soft brown sugar, Wildflower (!) honey (or whatever kind you have), orange juice (or a drop of orange essence), salt, sunflower oil (olive), cinnamon, garlic puree, black pepper, cumin, ginger puree, ground coriander, smoked paprika (a pinch: it's very dominant!), cayenne, turmeric.

Add couscous (I used bulgar wheat, not sure what the difference is) to salad dressing, then the other bits and pieces. Obviously, the quantities are relative: most named first in the list, then the rest. 

This is gorgeous. Bon appétit!

Really Good Brussels Sprouts - 2 ways

Here are two ways of making Brussels sprouts. They are not anything like those overcooked stinky balls of mini-cabbages you're used to seeing!  They are also called "Brussels Sprouts for People Who Hate Brussels Sprouts"! Even Ella likes them.

1. Trim the ends off fresh Brussels sprouts and peel off any leaves that don't look nice. Blanch for a few minutes in boiling water, or cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until just tender but still firm (at TJ's, they come in a microwave bag, you just slit it open and cook). You don't want them mushy! When they are cool,  slice them in half lengthwise. If you're feeling lazy or pressed for time, just put them in a ziplock bag with bottled Italian dressing, but the fancier version is olive oil, minced garlic, minced onion, honey, Parmesan cheese, white balsamic vinegar (lemon juice works too), basil, oregano, thyme (or herbes de provence if you prefer). Warm up the honey just a bit so it mixes in with the other ingredients and pour into a ziplock bag with the sprouts. Let marinate overnight. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 475 F and put sprouts on a roasting pan or cookie sheet with just a little of the marinating liquid, otherwise they just sort of poach. Roast for about 20 minutes or until the sprouts caramelize.  

2. Here's a quicker way, less fancy but also delicious. Prepare sprouts as above (trim then blanch or microwave, halve). Make your favorite vinaigrette (mine is minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar, dried or fresh parsley & basil, little bit of mustard). Toss sprouts in this vinaigrette while they are still warm, cover and let sit for an hour or 2 or however long you have; the longer, the more time there is for the vinaigrette to get into the sprouts. Serve at room temp.

Epaule d'Agneau Frottée au Romarin, Anchois et Zeste de Citron

This recipe is for me: I want to be able to access it when I'm in the States at Christmas... it's probably not on either of your diets.

Spread 2.2 kg/5 lbs lamb with paste of: 1 sprig fresh rosemary; zest of 1 organic lemon, 10 filets of anchovies, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tsp whole mustard seed - although I would probably use the real thing, black pepper, 2 tsp balsemic vinegar, 2 tsp olive oil - stand for 3-4 hours;

pre-heat oven to 220degC/430degF.

Add 4 unpeeled garlic cloves and 8 sm tomatoes under and around the meat; place in oven and cook for 30 mins; then lower the heat to 130degC/270degF and cook for another 2 1/2 hrs, basting the meat. Cover with foil if it seems to brown too quickly.

Rest on counter under foil for 5 mins before carving, ladling the juices over farro or bulgar (should you wish to eat that!)

that's the official version, at least. I'll let you know...

Pistachio Biscotti

This is a Weight Watcher's recipe. Looks like something that would be fun to make with the kids and it's vegetarian, for what that's worth, as it's a dessert!

110g/4oz plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

50g/1 3/4 oz low fat polyunsat'd margarine

zest 1/2 orange

75g/2 3/4 oz soft light brown sugar

50g/1 3/4 oz chopped pistachios

1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tsp hot water (or real!)

1 egg white

*  Pre-heat oven to 180 degC/400F; line baking tray with non-stick banking parchment

* "Sift" (or not!) flour and baking powder into a large bowl; add margarine and rub in until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in orange zest, sugar and pistachios.

* Add dissolved coffee and egg white and knead to a soft dough, adding a little water if it is too dry.

* Shape the dough into a log 5 cm/2 in wide and 5 cm/2 in high. Place on baking tray and bake for 35 mins until golden and firm.

* Remove from the oven and cool for 15 mins. Then cut into 10 slices. Lay them side down on the baking tray and bake again for 10 mins until golden.

Alternatively, use chopped almonds instead of pistachios.

Sounds easy. Must try it.

Butterscotch Cream Cheese Dip

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (lo-fat ok)

1/4 cup butterscotch ice cream topping

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; mix with wooden spoon until smooth OR combine ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Chill. Serve with fresh fruit - Granny Smith apples cut into wedges are particularly delicious.

cook to impress! - 3 super easy recipes

Okay, the flan can be a bit of work if you really want it to be. But the others are definitely super easy and so compensate, thus the title is justified. These recipes really work the pure taste of good, simple ingredients - and they all look great. You can also use all three of these to make a healthy, light meal. Well, except for the dessert, depending on how much you eat ;)

First: zuppa di zucchini e salmone
Second: torta tricolore
Third: dessert piu facile del mondo ;)

Courgette soup
This has got to be the easiest soup in the world. But it is really tasty and again, with a teeny extra effort, you are sure to impress people with your extraordinary culinary creativity!

- 3 or 4 courgettes
(you can also use more courgettes and less water)
- vegetable bouillon cube
- spring onion or small leek (optional)
- salt and (white) pepper
- smoked salmon
- saté stokjes (sorry, don't know what these are called in English!)
- optional: light cooking cream

Sautee spring onion in a pan in olive oil until translucent. Chop courgette into course pieces, add to pan. Cover. After 10 mins or so, add bouillon cube and water (depending on how much soup you want, but don't add too much to allow for optimal courgette taste; I guess no more than about 1 liter (?)). Taste - if it is too bland add another vegetable bouillon cube. Add white pepper. Puree with staafmixer, add cooking cream if you want. Serve in bowls. Then, as a somewhat pretentious but fun finishing touch: 'thread' a strip of smoked salmon (approx 3 or 4 cm wide) on a saté stokje in a zigzag pattern. Lay one stokje diagonally on each bowl of soup. A tiny dollop of cream in the middle of the soup - and again: so simple, so tasty, and looks great!

Torta tricolore
I am not a big fan of pastry products so I transformed this quiche into a 'flan'. But you can also use filo dough or something to line it, and you can use 1 less egg (maybe). The taste and the color of this flan will definitely impress anyone, it looks really, really great, it's light and very tasty! Apart from the peppers (and even then, see my footnote...), it is super easy to make.

- 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper (paprika)
- 2 pieces of soft goat cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk* (approx.)
- 1 cup light slagroom (or just do a bit more milk if you don't want to use this)
- Italian herbs or herbes de provence (of course)
- optional: lightly roasted pine nuts

• Roast and peel paprika's. Cut into very thin, narrow slices and mix colors.**
• Crumble goat cheese into a large mixing bowl, add milk, cream, herbs and eggs, and whip lightly with a fork.
  
• Pour into a greased baking dish. Drop the paprika slices onto flan to get a nice colorful mixed up pattern.
  
• Bake in pre-heated oven on about 180-200 degrees for about 25 mins until it is set (check frequently to make sure it doesn't color too brown as this will ruin the colorful effect - if it is coloring too brown cover with foil). Serve luke warm.
• You can also throw in some lightly roasted pine nuts but make sure not to burn them while roasting (I always, always do!)

Served with for instance a salad of blanched haricot verts, sundried tomatoes (optional: artichoke hearts and pine nuts if you haven't already used the latter in the quiche) and a light dressing of yoghurt-mayonnaise, walnut oil, olive oil, salt and pepper, this makes for a nice light dinner or elegant lunch.

* (literally 1 cup, not the American size because I have no idea how much that is. I kind of just add some milk etc. to get a nice consistency and amount.)
** now that I have kids, I skip this, because it's too much work! Either buy preroasted, or just sautee narrow slices in olive oil until soft. It really doesn't make that much difference.

source: Marielle (this is, of course, a variation of the original)

The easiest dessert in the world
This is a great summer dessert.

1. Buy profiterolles or 'soesjes' (or make them yourself. Yeah right!)
2. Buy strawberries, cherries, blueberries - whatever tasty fruit there is available
3. Put profiterolles on a nice dish
4. Add fruits to dish among the profiterolles, arrange them to look nice together
5. Sprinkle a bit of icing sugar over the top.

This is so tasty, and looks very gezellig. So tell me, is this not the easiest dessert in the world..?

Seared salmon with lemon-ginger glaze

Original recipe title: Seared Salmon With Orange Glaze

I used Meyer Lemon juice and zest instead of orange juice, added honey and sugar, and replaced the fresh ginger with a ball of ginger in syrup. Oh and rosé instead of white wine and mirrin instead of sherry, and one tangerine sliced instead of orange slices. Served with russet potatoes and arugula with Brown Derby Old-Fashioned French dressing.

Originally from Dr. Weil.com
Description
Not an ounce of flavor escapes this dish! The salmon is seared, trapping its rich flavor, briefly baked, and then drizzled with a thick, lightly fragranced orange ginger glaze-a balanced companion for a fish as flavorful as salmon. Salmon provides ample amounts of protein, B vitamins, vitamin A, and omega-3 oils.


Ingredients
Six 6-ounce salmon fillets
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons sherry
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 slices orange


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Sear the fish fillets in the sesame oil in a large, very hot skillet for 1 minute on each side. You should hear the fish sizzle. Remove fillets from the heat and transfer them to a glass baking dish or baking pan.

Drizzle the soy sauce and the wine over them and bake them for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven.

Meanwhile, heat the orange juice, zest, sherry, and ginger, together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Add the orange slices, and stir once or twice, until the sauce becomes thick.

Remove from heat, drizzle the sauce over the fish, and serve.

Tips From Rosie's Kitchen:
Searing meat or fish is a way to lock in the juices by exposing it to very high temperature. The correct way to sear is in a hot skillet or on a grill, for a very short amount of time, then slowly finish cooking in the oven. Be careful not to get the skillet too hot too fast or the oil will burn. If you want to serve this dish for lunch, serve half of a fillet with a side of salad. Ono or opah works beautifully with this recipe as an alternative to salmon.

Tante Ellen's Gazpacho

I have only had Gazpacho twice, once before you were born and again at Elizabeth's birthday party. Not made it because Jon says he doesn't like it... but I think I'm going to make it anyway, now that I have the recipe. 

Also, Tante Ellen said she made it according to the recipe but felt something was missing so she looked in the dictionary and found the vinegar part which made it just right! so here it is...

"GAZPACHO

3 Cups V8 (or tomato juice with worcestershire sauce, not quite the same, imo)

1/4 C lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, peeled

5 ripe tomatoes, peeled

1 small onion in chunks

1 carrot, peeled and in chunks

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped (about 2/3 European cuke)

1 green pepper, de-seeded and quartered

1/4 C fresh parsley

1/4 C fresh basil or cilantro

1/4 olive oil

1 small jalapeno pepper (I used sambal instead)

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp pepper (ditto)

and dash vinegar as per dictionary (we use white balsamic)

In food processor, combine 1 C tomato mixture, lemon juice, garlic, 1/3 of the carrot, onion, cucumber, green pepper, parsley and basil

repeat process using 1 C tomato mixture, olive oil, sambal, 1 tomato and 1/3 remaining vegetables.

repeat process using the last cup and the remaining vegetables. 

Mix 3 batches together, add salt and pepper - and vinegar - to taste.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with chopped cuke or tomato or croutons, or slivered basil or a drizzle of olive oil.

So there it is!"

Summer Pudding

Serves 4

Official recipe:

75 g/3 oz caster sugar

2 Tbsp water*

100 g/4 oz each of black currants, red currants, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, pitted black cherries to 400g total **

6-8 large slices of white bread, crusts removed***

* OK. to start with, the amount of water and caster (fine but not icing) sugar is not going to be enough so double or triple it..

** I never use strawberries because I never read the recipe correctly, so just use whatever soft fruits are in season.

*** Buy a small loaf of white bread and get the baker to cut it lengthwise, if you can. The nicer the bread, the nicer the pudding.

Back to the official recipe (italics: my changes):

1. Place sugar and water in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar (or, indeed, Splenda) is dissolved.

2. Add black and red currants and cook over a low heat until tender. Then add other soft fruits and cook for a further 2 mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool thoroughly (or not!)

3. Turn the bowl over to measure a round of bread or two halves to make a lid. Cut bread into wedge-shaped pieces (parallelopipidums) to line base and sides of a greased (oh, that's where I always go wrong!) pudding basin (you mean a bowl?)

4. Now, here it tells you to pour the stewed fruit into the basin but my experience is that you're best pouring the juice equally over the bread first so that it is coloured because otherwise you get splodges of colour. Then add fruit.

5. Top with bread lid and cover with a saucer or small plate that will just fit inside the basin. Weight it down with a tin and chill in fridge overnight if possible.

6. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pudding, cover the basin with an inverted serving plate (well, duh!) and invert to un-mould.

7. Serve immediately, with cream for those who like it.

How easy is that??!! Bon appétit!

Portobello steak sandwiches

I haven't made these myself but I had them at wine club the other evening and they were gorgeous. Tasted just like steak! 

My friend got the recipe from Epicurious, as usual! I don't think they're very slim-line but they are delicious.

PORTOBELLO "STEAK" SANDWICHES WITH GORGONZOLA BUTTER AND RED PEPPER VIAGRETTE

For marinade

5 Tbsp balsemic vinegar

6 large cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 C olive oil

1 1/2 lbs fresh Portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed flush to cap

For Gorgonzola butter

2 oz (1/4 C) Gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

For red pepper vinaigrette

1 red bell pepper, roasted on direct fire and skin removed or 1/3 C bottled roasted red peppers, drained

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

four 1/2 inch-thick slices of crusty bread

Make marinade: 

Whisk together marinade ingredients, put half of mushroom caps and half of marinade in each of 2 large plastic bags (pressing out excess air), for 1-2 hrs Marinate at room temperature, turning over several times

Make Gorgonzola:

On a plate, mash Gorgonzola and butter together until blended welll

Make red pepper vinaigrette:

Blend vinaigrette ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth and emulsified

Prepare grill. 

Grill one side of bread until golden (approx. 1 minute). Spread Gorgonzola butter on soft side.

Grill mushrooms 2-3 mins on each side until tender. Slice thin.

Arrange warm mushrooms on toasts and spoon vinaigrette over each open-faced sandwich. Garnish with thyme (or not!)

Tofu for picky eaters

This is how I make tofu for my son. He absolutely loves it, which is fairly unusual as he doesn't really like anything that's remotely healthy. This is remotely healthy.

Cut tofu into slices of approx. 1/2 cm. Put into a shallow dish and pour shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) over it to lightly cover. Grate a small amount of fresh ginger and add to the marinade. Let it sit for a while, then heat up oil and fry tofu on both sides until it is brown (this takes about 5 mins). Let it rest briefly on a paper towel to soak up excess oil and serve.

Nicole - pls. let me know how you make it for your kids (because this is obviously still not all that healthy)!

Mexicali Corn

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I'm posting this early so you can get the necessary ingredients, should you wish to make this next Monday. Do we really care about Cinco de Mayo? Not really, but it is celebrated with verve (and mas cervesa) here in SoCal and it's an excuse to make some yummy food. This is a quick and easy recipe for a side dish made with ingredients that you probably already have.

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter or olive oil
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp (2 ml) cumin seeds or ground cumin
3 cups (750 ml) frozen corn kernels
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter or oil in a large skillet over moderate heat and saute the bell peppers, onion, and cumin seed until the vegetables are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Pizza!

I am not very fond of pizza unless it's really good - i.e. not of the frozen or take-away variety. So I bring you these recipes to make one heck of a delicious pizza! It's also fun to 'shock' your friends by telling them you're serving them pizza for dinner - esp. when you're a bit notorious for cooking well and elaborately - but then pull out this delicious home made one rather than a yucky frozen one.

The secret is in the red sauce, very simple and delicious, combined with making the dough yourself. This is also very easy after a bit of practice, and working with flour and water towards getting just the right consistency is also very therapeutic and calming, I find. It all sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't and trust me, it's soooo much better than a freezer pizza, really no comparison.

Here's two varieties: the first is a 'traditional' pizza with a really great red sauce (also perfect for pasta, lasagna, canelloni, etc.). This one also makes a great vegan meal if you skip the cheeses and add maybe some more vegetables (eg. thinly sliced sauteed mushrooms). The second is a hip pizza variety imported from LA (where else) which is made with red onions, port and brie.

For the pizza dough (2 pizzas):
500 grams of flour (white flour is easiest)
350 ml luke warm water
1 sachet yeast (7 gr.)
1 scoop of light castor sugar
salt
a sprinkling of corn meal, for baking tray

Add yeast and brown sugar to the water, stir and let sit for a moment. Pour flour in a mound onto a clean counter top, add a good pinch of salt. Make a large open space in the centre of the flour heap. Pour most of the water mixture into the flour, and using a fork, carefully stir in the flour, until the two have formed a good mush-like substance. When the water is absorbed by the flour, take over by your hands and start kneading the dough for about 5-10 minutes. You may need to add the rest of the water, or more flour, to get a good, fairly dry consistency. When the dough is 'right' (you will know when this is!), set it aside in a bowl, cover lightly and put in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour, or while you prep the pizza topping.

Turn on the oven to preheat to about 200 degrees C.

For the red sauce:
1 tin of plum tomatoes
1/2 box of passata
olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 cube veg. bouillon
herbes de provence

Pour a good layer of olive oil into a sauce pan. Don't be stingy with the oil!! Slice garlic. When oil is warm, add garlic. When it is golden (not brown!) add the tomatoes and the passata. Throw in a bunch of the herbes, some pepper and the stock cube. Turn down to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 mins for the flavours to absorb.

Oil the baking trays with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with the corn flour. Take dough out of fridge. Lightly flour the counter top, divide the dough in half and roll out for a thin crust to fit the size of your baking tray. Pop into the middle of the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until crust starts to lightly turn brown. Remove from oven, and flip over so 'uncooked' side is facing up. Repeat for the other half of the dough. The dough will also start to bubble a bit but that's okay, it will 'relax' once the toppings are on.

For the toppings:
Basically, you can add whatever toppings you like best, but the general rule of thumb is less is more. So I usually go for the original, basic 'Tuscan' variety:
- a good serving of the red sauce to cover the dough all around, leaving an edge of about 1 cm.
- a light sprinkling of grated gouda
- a can of artichoke hearts, sliced up
- a ball of mozzarella, torn into small pieces
Return pizza to oven for 5 minutes or until mozzarella is melted and starting to brown.
Pull out of oven, add a sprinkling of arugula (aka rocket salad, rucola, etc.) over the top and serve immediately!

Red onion pizza variety
For a fancier version (I usually serve both), try this.
- 3-4 red onions, sliced in thin rings
- a large glass of red port, or red wine and a heaped teaspoon full of light castor sugar
- 1 section of brie (200 gr?)
- pine nuts

Slowly sautee the red onions in olive oil. When they are halfway done (i.e. starting to soften), add the port (or the red wine/sugar). Finish cooking until soft. In the meantime, carefully brown the pine nuts in oven or dry pan. Take a cooked pizza crust (see above), turn onto uncooked side. Spread the onions over the top. Cut brie into thin slices and lay over the top of the onions, sprinkle pine nuts over this, and cook for a few minutes until the brie has melted. Make sure the pine nuts don't burn. This is a very subtle yet extremely tasty pizza.

Source: red sauce & pizza dough adapted from Jamie Oliver; onion topping adapted from Nicki Ferguson (LA Ring?)

Fergusons' famous funghi

My father and I learnt this recipe in an Italian cooking course we took a few years ago and have tweaked it a bit along the way. It is delicious, fairly simple but with a unique taste and flavour, and always a big hit. Not healthy, but it's so tasty that you should just not think about that. You can also alternate how you serve it - for instance at Christmas we served it wrapped in crepes rather than with the usual tagliatelle. Anyway, here goes:

• a bunch of mushrooms (any kind will do really; you can do the plain ones, although the darker ones ('kastanje' or 'grot' champignons in Dutch) are tastier, or go for fancy mixed paddestoelen for a special occasion)
• a tub of mascarpone (200 gr. or so)
• a bunch of garlic (to taste, but I would do at least 2 or 3)
• 1 small onion or shallot
• 1 liter vegetable bouillon
• 2 laurel leaves
• 1 twig fresh rosemary, or otherwise a handful of herbes de provence
• 1 small jar of black olive tapenade
• truffle oil (white is stronger but black (cheaper) will do also)
• tagliatelle
• butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• my father adds: a swig of marsala wine
• I add: a bunch of lemon juice, just to freshen it up

Bring a large pan of water to the boil for the tagliatelle.

Clean the mushrooms carefully with a piece of kitchen paper or a mushroom brush (not water!) and slice them (but not too thin). If you are using wild mushrooms leave them as they are. Cut the onion/shallot into small pieces and slice the garlic. Heat butter in pan, add mushrooms, onion, garlic, rosemary and laurel. Salt & pepper to taste. When they are done, scoop out of the pan and set aside.

Pour in the bouillon, loosen the scrapings from the pan, and add the mascarpone (and if you are using it, the marsala wine). Slowly stir until it reaches the consistency of a nice sauce and is reduced by about 1/3. (In the meantime, cook the tagliatelle.) Add half of the mushrooms to the sauce, all the tapenade and a good swig of truffle oil (and if you are using it, the lemon juice).

When the tagliatelle is done, drain and add olive oil. Scoop into deep plates, add the mushroom sauce and top with the rest of the cooked mushrooms. Garnish with a smattering of fresh green herbs.

Just experiment with this recipe until you have it how you like it best. But I guarantee each time it will be delicious if you stick to the basic ingredients.

original source: atelier otto & mezzo

Pasta Niçoise

Using fresh lemon juice rather than the stuff in a bottle from concentrate really makes a difference. I will probably add capers next time, too. Made this for dinner on Tuesday.

1 lb (450 g) penne, curly macaroni or other tubular pasta
8 oz (225 g) green beans (haricots verts), trimmed and
cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
1 cups (250 ml) halved cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled if desired, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml) brine-cured olives, preferably pitted
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 Tbs (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs (45 ml) lemon juice
1-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 6 1/2-oz (185 g) can tuna, drained
2 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes. Add the green beans and continue cooking until the pasta is tender but still firm ("al dente") and the green beans are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold running water. Combine the pasta and green beans in a large bowl along with the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives, and parsley, tossing to combine. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and pour over the pasta mixture, tossing to combine. Garnish the top of the salad with the tuna and eggs and serve at room temperature. Serves 4 to 6.

Halloween 3-Cheese Baked Macaroni & Cheese

This is another good one for crowds. A big hit at my office potluck.

2 lbs elbow macaroni
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, divided 5 & 3 Tbsp
5 Tbsp flour (APF or whole wheat)
2 Tbsp ground mustard
1 Tbsp paprika
4-5 cups milk
1-2 bay leaves
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 lb medium yellow Cheddar cheese, grated
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese or American Neufchatel cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups breadcrumbs (from whole wheat bread, or Panko)
1 Tbsp dried parsley

In very large pot of salted water, boil macaroni according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and rinse with water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.

In large saucepan, melt 5 Tbsp butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux and cook for a few minutes. Add milk and incorporate with whisk - let roux absorb milk a little at a time until all milk is incorporated and you have a thick sauce. Whisk in ground mustard and paprika and add chopped onion and bay leaves. Allow to simmer on very low heat for about 5-10 mins.

Remove bay leaf, then add grated Cheddar cheese, stirring while it melts into the sauce.

Put macaroni into large baking dish (eg. deep glass casserole dish or oven-proof crockpot insert). Pour Cheddar sauce over macaroni, mix through and then stir in cream cheese/Neufchatel in pieces so it's evenly distributed, does not have to be totally mixed in. At this point you can allow to cool, cover and refrigerate until needed or continue on...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in saute pan and add breadcrumbs. Toss to coat. Mix in Parmesan cheese and parsley then pour over macaroni. Pat down lightly, bake for 30 mins or until topping is slightly browned.

Spanakopita (2)

Ooohhh, how fun, who would have thought that something as innocent as family recipes could cause any controversy? Some feisty debate has emerged about how this dish should really be made: eggs, olive oil - yes or no? Maybe just try both (original versus alternative) and decide for yourself...

Oma's famous Spanakopita

beloved by small children all over the globe (especially in California and Holland!)

• olive oil;
• chopped onion;
• garlic;
• cumin (I prefer the seeds to ground cumin);
• 1x 450 gr/1 lb frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I always cook it up and Magimix it);
• 1 pkg feta cheese (recipe says 115 gr but pkg is 200 gr);
• "115 gr" cottage cheese (or thereabouts);
• salt & pepper;
• 1 pkg filo pastry

Recipe says decorate with tomato wedges and coriander sprigs; I use lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Fry onion and cumin seeds in olive oil until onion is opaque, add garlic then spinach; Remove from heat and stir in both cheeses. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Brush base of baking dish with olive oil. Now layer half the filo pastry in the dish, letting short edges hang over. Officially you should brush every layer with olive oil before adding the next; this tastes very nice but all that oil is not really necessary so I've stopped doing it! Then add spinach/cheese mixture and cover with the rest of the filo. Trim the longest overhanging edges and tuck in to seal.

Very important step: with a sharp knife cut through the layers to the base of the dish, officially into 16 pieces which I do in an oval dish diagonally, but in a smaller dish I make smaller cuts. You need to pre-cut the pieces before you bake the spanakopita so that you will be able to cut it when it's cooked!

Bake at 190 deg C/375 degF for 30 mins; leave to stand before cutting into pieces. Can be served hot or warm.

...Moi? who do you think the Swedish Chef was based on?!

Mediterranean pasta (with aubergine & tomato)

I make this quite often and in fact am making it for dinner right now - it's on the stove as we speak so you get the very quick recipe version!

• 1 large aubergine - cut into +/- 2 cm squares, pour on some salt, let sit for a while (I kind of think this is nonsense so you can skip if you want). Cook gently in olive oil until soft.
• When the aubergine is done, take it out of the pan and put it in a bowl to keep warm. Let the pan cool down.
• Put water on to boil (big pan full), then throw in the spaghetti when you are about to start the sauce.
• Slice garlic (to taste, but I would recommend 2 or 3) and dice about 6 good quality tomatoes. Add some more olive oil to the pan, when warm add the garlic and the tomatoes, plus one small chopped dried chili pepper (without seeds if you prefer milder), and of course plenty of herbes de provence, salt and black pepper, and let this gently simmer down to a thick sauce (takes about 5 mins), stirring frequently. (The official recipe has you squeeze the seeds and juice out of the tomatoes but again I think this is silly.)
• When the spaghetti is ready, drain it and add some olive oil.
• Add the aubergines to the tomato sauce, stir, and also add the spaghetti into the saucepan.
• Crumble feta, stir all ingredients together gently, plus some fresh basil if you have it. If not, no problem either. Save some feta for crumbling on top.

Serve in bowls. Very tasty vegetarian dinner!

Source: Rick Stein (on TV)

Next I will add a super pizza, and the mushroom-mascarpone sauce I have promised Nicole 100 times.

Ramen Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles, crushed, seasoning packet reserved (whatever flavor you like - Nissin Top Ramen brand Oriental flavor is vegetarian)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced/slivered almonds
1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded (or buy the bagged shredded cabbage/carrot mix)
5 green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar,
sugar, ramen noodle spice mix, salt and pepper to
create a dressing.

Place sesame seeds and almonds in a single layer on
a medium baking sheet and the ramen on another
baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes,
or until lightly brown.

In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, green
onions and crushed ramen noodles. Pour dressing over
the cabbage, and toss to coat evenly. Top with
toasted sesame seeds and almonds.

Original recipe yield: 4 servings

meatloaf recipe for evelyn

Meatloaf with tacochips
1 pak half-om-half gehakt (ca. 350 gr; biologisch)
100 gram gerookt ontbijtspek in reepjes (biologisch)
1 grote ui
2 tenen knoflook (of naar smaak)
[2 ingemaakte jalapeno pepers - optional]
85 gram tacochips (of gewoon 1 zo'n zak doritos)
2 eieren
chilipoeder
zout
flink wat gemalen komijnpoeder
40 gr geraspte belegen kaas
1 rijpe maar stevige avocado,
OF 1 groene & 1 rode paprika, in dunne reepjes en op laag vuur gaar zacht gebakken

for hot sauce:
1 blik gepelde tomaten
1 rode paprika
1 middelgrote, gehakte ui
1-2 tenen knoflook
1 grof gesneden stengel bleekselderij
zout
gemalen koriander
komijnpoeder
1 gedroogde chilipeper (met zaadjes is pittiger, zonder is milder)

Draai alle ingredienten in de blender (of mbv staafmixer) tot een vrij gladde puree.

For meat loaf:
Doe gehakt in kom, kneed even los, en dan de spekjes erdoorheen. Snipper ui & hak knoflook en evt. de jalapenos. Tacochips in een plasticzak, goed dichtmaken! en met een deegroller verkruimelen. Klop eieren los, en gooi alle ingredienten door het gehakt, goed kneden. Doe helft van het mengsel in een brood- of cakevorm van ca. 25x13x7 cm en druk een holte in het midden. Hierin strooi je wat kaas, daarover leg je de reepjes paprika. Rest van het gehakt eroverheen en goed aandrukken.

Zet 1 1/4 tot 1 1/2 uur in de oven op 175 graden C. Daarna, uit de oven halen, losjes afdekken, 10 min. laten rusten. In dikke plakken serveren met de saus er apart bij.

(source: NRC)