Orzo with zucchini and shrimps

250 g orzo, 1 zucchini, 400 g shrimp, 1 l vegetable soup, 140 g cream cheese, 1 teaspoon curry, 50 g parmesan, 4-5 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs, 2 cloves of garlic

Fry the garlic and zucchini cubes in oil, add the orzo pasta, cream cheese, curry, and vegetable soup to a saucepan. 
Put the lid on and cook for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. 
Then add shrimp, parmesan, Italian herbs and cook for 2 more minutes.

Sea bream in crazy water (Orata all’acqua pazza)

Quick recipe from Good Foods

4 tbsp good quality extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Sea Bream fillets, or sea bass (about 450g each), gutted and cleaned, 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced, ½ small red chilli, chopped, 400g small tomato (a mix of different-coloured cherry tomatoes would be best), 4 tbsp white wine, chopped parsley, small handful capers

Heat half the oil in a large, lidded frying pan. Carefully slip the Sea Bream Fillets into the sizzling oil and cook for 4-5 mins until starting to brown. Flip over and scatter the garlic around the fish. Sizzle for 1 min more, then add the chilli and scatter over the tomatoes. Pour over the wine and let it bubble for 1 min, then pour over 100ml water and season generously with sea salt and pepper.
Put on the lid, turn up the heat and simmer for 15 mins until the fish is cooked through – you can tell when the eyes turn bright white and the flesh feels softer.
Lift each fish out the pan onto a serving plate and put the pan back on the heat. Add the capers and parsley, and boil hard for 1 min. You can now serve the fish and the sauce separately or slip them back into the pan, spoon some of the sauce over and bring the pan to the table. Drizzle with a little more oil just before serving.

Roast Carrot, Shallot, Butter Bean & Dill Salad

4 large carrots cut into rounds on the diagonal, 4 banana shallots peeled and sliced in half and then lengthwise, 2 tbsp olive oil, big pinch sea salt flakes
For the dressing: juice 1/2 lemon, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard, 1/2 tsp maple syrup, pinch sea salt
For the salad: 1 can butter beans drained, 1 bunch dill chopped roughly, 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

To roast the veg: Pre heat your oven to 180c. Add the carrots, shallots, olive and seasoning to a baking tray and roast for 40-45 minutes until caramelised and soft on the inside.
To make the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a jar and mix to combine.
To serve: Toss together the roast carrots, shallots, butter beans, dill and pumpkin seeds. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine again.

Thai Red Butterbean Curry

Recipes that you find on facebook, sometimes are good, sometimes not. This is very yummy: 

 

1 leek, 1 capsicum, 1 handful of cauliflower florets, 1 drained tin of butter beans,  1 large handful of spinach, 1 tin of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of Pad Thai sauce, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1 can of tomato puree

Fry the leek, capsicum and cauliflower for 5 minutes in oil, add the pad thai sauce, curry powder, tomatoes and coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the butter beans and simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the spinach and pop the lid on for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Season it and serve with basmati rice.

Saratele din 3 ingrediente – cu mascarpone

Snacks snacks and more snacks.

Easy and tasty recipe from Savori urbane saratele 

 

300 g flour, 250 g mascarpone, 200 g butter with min. 80% fat

Optional: ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 egg yolk for greasing

 

Mix the butter with the mixer or rub it well with a wooden spoon, add the mascarpone and after it has homogenized, add the flour. You can add the salt and cumin before with the flour because it homogenizes better.

The dough obtained in this way (which is quite sticky) is placed in a transparent film and chilled for an hour in the refrigerator or 15-20 minutes in the freezer

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a floured surface. Roll it out with the rolling pin so that it has a thickness of 3-4 mm.

The dough sheet is cut in the form of long and narrow sticks.

If you wish, it can be smeared with a beaten egg and sprinkled with cumin or poppy seeds.

Bake the sticks for 20 minutes at 180°C (preheated oven, medium to high setting for gas ones). They must be golden. Check if they are cooked and if necessary leave them for another 2-3 minutes.

Spring risotto

Small bunch of mint, leaves picked, 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, Juice of ½ a lemon

6 spring onions, whites finely sliced into rounds, green ends julienned, 1l chicken or vegetable stock, 350g asparagus, woody ends snapped off, 200g frozen peas,
25g butter, plus a large knob to serve, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 bay leaf, 350g risotto rice, 125ml dry white wine or vermouth, Zest and juice of ½ a lemon, 100g broad beans, blanched and peeled, 30g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus extra to serve, 1 tbsp truffle butter or truffle oil (optional), 6 egg yolks

First make the mint oil by blitzing together the mint, oil and lemon juice in a mini chopper.
Fill a bowl with ice and top up with water, then plunge in the green spring onion ends – they should curl up while you make the risotto. In a pan, bring the stock to just below the boil over a medium heat and poach the asparagus spears for 2 mins, then remove with tongs. Chop the stalks into 1.5-2cm wide discs and leave the tips intact. Put the frozen peas into a bowl and pour over a ladle of warm stock to defrost them.
Put a large casserole or deep frying pan over a low heat. Melt the butter into the oil and fry the spring onion whites and bay leaf for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add in the rice and coat in the fat, cooking for a few minutes until the rice has absorbed some of the fat and is glossy and slightly translucent at the edges. Pour over the wine or vermouth and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the lemon zest and then a ladleful of the warm stock, and stir, cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to cook the risotto over a low medium heat for 20-25 mins, stirring and adding the stock a ladleful at a time, allowing it to be absorbed completely before you add the next one, and keeping the rice moving to cook it evenly and help it release its starch.
Once the rice is puffed and tender all the way through, with no chalky core (you may not need to use up all the stock), pour over the peas and their stock, and stir them into the risotto. Add the asparagus stalks, tips and broad beans, cooking for a few minutes to heat through. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and stir in the knob of butter, along with the parmesan, adding some truffle butter or oil, if you like. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly, then spoon into warm bowls and use the back of a spoon to create a shallow well in the rice.
Carefully put the egg yolks in the wells and then top with some of the green spring onion. Spoon over a little of the mint oil and stir everything together to enrich with the egg yolk and crunchy spring onion.

Pastry bagel

Saw an easy recipe on facebook, I had to try it

2 packs of puff pastry, 2-3 tablespoons ketchup, oregano, parsley, grated cheese and 1 egg

Baste with ketchup a pack of puff pastry, sprinkle with oregano, parsley and shredded cheese. Put over the second sheet of puff pastry, press it with a rolling pin and then cut in thin 3-4 cm stripes.
Brush them with the beaten egg and then form bagels.
Put them in the oven for 25 minutes at 180 degrees.
Serve them warm.

Korean Pickled Radish (danmuji)

I went to a Korean BBQ place and tried different things to eat and fell in love with the pickled radish. So I had to try to make it at home.

1 Large Daikon radish (about 600g), 1½ tbsp Salt ((1 tbsp for marinating the radish, ½ tbsp for the broth)), ½ tsp Turmeric powder, ½ cup Sugar, 1½ cup Water, 1 cup Rice vinegar

Peel off a large daikon radish, slice it into half-moon shape thin slices.
Put sliced radish into a large bowl, sprinkle 1 tbsp of salt over the radish. Rub the salt evenly on radish. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan, add turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat. Add rice vinegar to the saucepan. Set aside.
After the radish strips and slices have been marinated for 30 minutes, drain, rinse with potable water, squeeze out excess water, put radish strips and slices in clean containers.
Pour the turmeric vinegar mixture over the radish.
Let it cool down, cover the lid and keep in the fridge overnight before using.
Homemade picked radish can last in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Santorini Tomato Fritters

I have tried them for the first time on my holiday in Santorini and I was sold. Finally I found the recipe online and the taste is the same.

4 ripe medium tomatoes (600 g), chopped finely, 1 large red onion (300 g), chopped finely, 4 green onions, sliced thinly, 1 cup mint leaves, chopped coarsely,
2 tsps dried greek oregano leaves, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 100 g feta, crumbled,
½ cup (75 g) self-raising flour, ½ cup (75 g) white spelt flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1.25 litres (5 cups) vegetable oil, for deep frying, 1 cup (280 g) Greek-style yoghurt, ¼ cup mint leaves, sliced thinly, 60 g baby spinach leaves

Combine tomato, onions, mint, oregano and paprika in a large bowl; season generously. Stand for 30 mins to release juices from vegetables; drain excess liquid.

Add feta, sifted flours and soda to tomato mixture; fold gently until well combined (mixture should hold together and will look quite chunky). Drop ⅓ cup of mixture at a time, leaving space between them, onto a baking-paper-lined oven tray.
Heat oil in a medium heavy-based saucepan to 180 C (or until a cube of bread browns in 15 secs).
Carefully place six of the fritters into the oil at a time, ensuring they don’t stick to the base of the pan. Cook for 1½ mins on each side or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined tray; drain. Repeat cooking in batches until all fritters are cooked.
Mix yoghurt and mint in a small bowl; season to taste.
Serve hot fritters with minted yoghurt and spinach leaves.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Yummy kitchen recipe : https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a19636089/creamy-tuscan-chicken-recipe/

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, Kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 3 tbsp. butter, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved, 3 c. baby spinach, 1/2 c. heavy cream, 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan

In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook until golden and no longer pink, 8 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to burst then add spinach and cook until spinach is beginning to wilt.
Stir in heavy cream and parmesan and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and cook until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Sausage and mushroom ragu with polenta

It's winter, it's cold, so it's the perfect time for a ragu

400 g sausages, cut into chunks, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 onion, chopped, 150 g button mushrooms, sliced, 400 g can chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste, 600 ml milk, 200 g quick-cook polenta, 75 g mature Cheddar, grated, 2 tbsp freshly grated Grana Padano, fresh parsley leaves, to garnish

Fry the sausages, paprika and onion in a non-stick pan to brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few mins before pouring in the tomatoes, vinegar and sun-dried tomato paste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 mins for it to thicken slightly.
While the ragu is cooking, pour the milk into a separate pan. Add 400ml water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, add the polenta and stir continuously for 1 min, or as directed on the pack.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Cheddar and Grana Padano. Spoon into bowls and serve with the ragu and a sprinkling of parsley, if using.

Sea bass with braised courgettes & harissa mayo

Goodfoods always has the best recipes: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sea-bass-braised-courgettes-harissa-mayo

 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 thyme sprig, 2 sea bass fillets, ½ lemon, juiced
For the braised courgettes: 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, pinch of fennel seeds, 1 red onion, finely sliced, pinch of dried red chilli, handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped, 2 medium or 1 large courgette (about 200g), sliced 0.5cm thick, 100ml white wine or sherry, 1 lemon, juiced, plus extra wedges to serve, handful of dill, chopped
For the harissa mayo: 4 tbsp good-quality, shop-bought mayonnaise, 1 tbsp harissa, or more, to taste

Stir the mayonnaise and harissa together and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the courgettes, heat the olive oil in a high-sided, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the fennel seeds, red onion and chilli with a pinch of salt for 5 mins until softened and fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic and courgette, then season and cook down for a few mins. Pour in the wine, lemon juice and about 200ml water and simmer for 15-20 mins until the tomatoes and courgettes are collapsing. Bubble off any excess water. Stir through the dill and keep warm while you cook the sea bass. (Take your fish out of the fridge 20 mins before you cook it to bring it up to room temperature.)
Heat the olive oil with the thyme in a non-stick frying pan over a low-to-medium heat. Place the sea bass fillets skin-side down in the pan. Season the flesh-side of the fillets with salt and pepper. Cook gently for about 8 mins until the skin is crisp (it might spit during this time, so best to wear an apron), then add a small amount of lemon juice and baste the flesh of the fish in the warm oil and lemon for about 4 mins, or until opaque and cooked through.
Divide the vegetables between plates and top with the bass. Serve with the harissa mayo and lemon wedges.

Gin infuzat cu rubarba

Let's start the year with a drink recipe...

250 gr rhubarb cut into 3 cm pieces, 100 gr sugar, 200 ml gin

Put the rhubarb in a glass, add the sugar, mix it well, put the lid on and leave it for 24 hours.
Add the next day the gin and leave it in a dark place for 3-4 weeks.
And drink it.

Tomatotart

Quick recipe found on instagram...

1 puff pastry, 5 beautiful heirloom tomatoes, 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, 3 sweet onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of old-fashioned mustard, 1 dash of cider vinegar, salt, olive oil

Chop the onions and the garlic. Fry everything in olive oil, let color and stir often. When they have browned, deglaze with the vinegar, Let it evaporate and add the mustard. Set aside and let cool.
Slice the tomatoes into 1 to 1.5 cm rounds, salt generously and let them draw a little water.
Roll out your dough, and brush it with the cooled onions.
Place your tomato slices well distributed, a little olive oil, then bake at 180° for 35-40 minutes.

Käse-Lauch-Suppe mit Hackfleisch

Winter is coming, let's cook some hearthy soup

500 g leeks, 1 onion, 2 tablespoons oil, 200g mixed minced meat, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp flour, 1 l vegetable broth, 200 g processed cheese, 75g whipped cream
 

Clean the leek, cut into rings and wash. Peel onion and chop finely. Heat oil in a pot. Fry the mince for about 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper and remove.
Fry the leek and onion in the frying fat for about 2 minutes. Dust with flour. Deglaze with the broth, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and cream. Add hack. Season with salt and pepper.

Ton pe grill cu salsa de mango

I never thought that the mango salsa can be this tasty... Grilled Tuna and mango salsa

2 large slices of tuna, about 2 cm thick, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic crushed and finely chopped, juice of half a lemon, salt, butter
For the mango salsa: 1 well-ripened mango, chopped into small cubes, half a red bell pepper cut into cubes, cold-pressed sunflower oil, a bunch of chives, lime juice, chopped parsley, half a finely chopped hot pepper, 1 teaspoon honey, salt

Salsa is made in the following way. Put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix and it's ready.

Wash carefully the fish - tuna meat is very sensitive - and dry by dabbing with absorbent paper. In a wide bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon and salt, a mixture used for brushing the fish.
Heat the pan well beforehand on a high flame, that is, somewhere between medium and high, and when it is hot enough, put the fish to fry. Leave the fish in the pan for one minute and 40 seconds on each side.
When you take the tuna meat out of the pan, put a little butter on top and a little lemon juice.
Serve with with the mango salsa.

Pateuri cu ciuperci si oua de prepelita

Yummi festive snacks Pateuri cu ciuperci

800g puff pastry, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 red onion, finely chopped, 500g mushrooms, washed and cleaned, 200g smoked sausages, cut into rounds, salt, pepper, 50 gr spinach, 12 quail eggs, 1 beaten egg

Fry in oil the chopped onion and the sausages. Add the mushrooms, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Leave 2 cm at the edge and cut with the back of a knife to the middle of the dough. In the middle put the mushroom filling, add 2 or 3 quail eggs over the filling.
Put in the preheated oven, at 220 degrees, for 15-20 minutes or until they are browned.

 

Ciorba falsa de burta din ciuperci pleurotus

When you want to eat tripe soup but you have no tripe, try this recipe: Ciorba falsa de burta
200 g kaiser, bacon or speck, 2 chopped onions, 500 g pleurotus mushrooms (oyster mushrooms), 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, pepper, dried thyme, 1 red pepper, 1 medium grated carrot
Liaison sauce: 4 fresh egg yolks, 300 g sour cream or creme fraiche, 4-5 cloves of crushed garlic

Chop the onion and the kaiser into cubes. Clean the mushrooms and cu them in stripes.
Saute the onion and the kaiser in very little oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and season everything with salt and pepper. Add the diced red pepper and sautee everything for a few more minutes.
Pour 2.5 L of hot water and add a little dried thyme. Thyme goes well with mushrooms and garlic. Bring everything to a boil and cook it for 20 minutes.
In a small saucepan, cook the carrot on low heat until softened, stirring constantly. Add it to the soup and let it boil there for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
Make the liaison: In a large bowl, mix the 3 egg yolks with the cream and crushed garlic and salt.
Add a laddle of hot soup over, mix it well, add another laddle of soup and then you cand pour it in the soup pot and mix it well with a whisk.

“Coaste” de porumb cu sos spicy

4 cobs of pre-boiled corn, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika powder, onion flakes, Hellmann's vegan mayonnaise sauce, siracha sauce

Cut the corn into 4 parts vertically, it is best to cut the corn lengthwise, standing it up on the chopper.
In the meantime prepare the mix with which we will coat the corn cobs, mix all the spices in a small bowl together with the olive oil, then coat the cobs.
Place the pieces of corn in a tray lined with baking sheet and add them to the oven preheated to 190ºC for 25 minutes.
While the corn "ribs" are getting crispy in the oven, you can prepare spicy mayonnaise sauce. It's very simple, mix 3 generous tablespoons of Hellmann's Vegan Mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon of Siracha Sauce.

One-Pan Cajun Orzo with Sausage

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 small yellow onion, chopped, 1 red bell pepper, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced, 8 oz. orzo, 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tsp. cajun seasoning, Kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper, 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes, 2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a large deep skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and pepper and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add sausage and cook until warmed through and golden, about 2 minutes.  

Add orzo and stir to toast for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, broth, and cajun seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until orzo is cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Add cream cheese and stir until melted, then stir in green onions.