Chanterelle & Spinach Lasagne

I got some fresh, locally picked chanterelles from a nearby market place and used them in this simple, tasty lasagne.

1 litre chanterelles (roughly chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

olive oil

(butter)

150 g spinach

thyme

white pepper

black pepper

salt

splash of red wine

Cheese sauce:

25 g butter

1/2 dl wheat flour

6 dl whole or semi skimmed milk

mild cheese (grated)

green pepper

black pepper

nutmeg

salt

9 lasagne sheets

parmesan (grated)

mozzarella (sliced)

Mushroom filling:

- Fry the onion and garlic in a low heat until they are golden, and then add the chanterelles and thyme and fry for a few minutes.

- Stir in the spinach and fry until it's just cooked, then add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Season well.

Cheese sauce:

- Make the cheese sauce in a heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat. Melt the butter, and gradually pour in the flour, whisking constantly. Whilst continuing to whisk the mixture, slowly pour in the milk and bring to the boil, letting the sauce boil for a couple of minutes.

-Take the pan off the heat and add the cheese and seasonings.

- Lightly grease a lasagne dish and start layering the sauce, filling and pasta, finishing with a layer of cheese sauce. Top with the parmesan and mozzarella.

- Bake at 175 degrees until the pasta is soft and cheese has some brown spots. Let the lasagne stand for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Tip: If the cheese browns before the pasta is cooked, cover the baking dish with some tin foil or baking paper.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Roasted vegetables are a wonderful autumn or winter side dish. Use any of your favourite root vegetables but make sure to remember different cooking times when you cut them into pieces! For example sweet potato should be left quite big and carrots should be cut fairly small. Use some or all of the following vegetables:

potatoes

carrots

sweet potato

swede

parsnips

turnips

small onions (whole with peel)

fat garlic cloves (whole with peel)

olive oil

salt

pepper

rosemary

thyme

- Oil a large baking tray and add the vegetables, turning them to ensure they each have an even coating of oil. Bash the garlic cloves once each with the flat side of a knife to release their flavour, and finally sprinkle the seasonings evenly over the top.

- Roast the vegetables at 200-225 degrees until they are soft and golden.

Tip: If you serve roasted vegetables as a main course it's nice to have a dipping sauce with them, for example spinach or tomato.

Halloumi Fajitas

This recipe is originally from Celia Brooks Brown but it has been changed a bit. Lime and halloumi make a perfect combination in this texmex dish.

2-3 peppers (different colours)

1 courgette

mushrooms

2 small red onions

halloumi (slice the halloumi cube in 3 pieces)

marinade:

1/2 dl olive oil

(splash of dark rum)

pinch oregano

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

fresh or dried chili

(splash of chili sauce- chipotle is nice for a subtle smokiness)

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cumin seed

juice of 1 and peel of 1/2 a lime

fresh coriander/parsley

tortilla bread

- Roughly chop the vegetables and marinade them and the halloumi (separately) for at least 1/2 an hour.

- Fry the vegetables in a hot pan until they soften up (approximately for 20 minutes). Garnish with fresh coriander or parsley in the end and add some extra salt, pepper and lime juice if needed.

- Grill the halloumi both sides until it has brown spots.

- Serve with some kermaviili (or creme fraiche) and quacamole.

Tip: To make the marinade combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil. Then, while stirring, drizzle just enough olive oil to make the mixture emulsify.

Aubergine Paté

This recipe is originally from Jamie Oliver. It's very simple and tastes superb. This time we had it as a small appetizer but it makes a great dip to have in larger quantities as well.

1 large aubergine (grilled)

1 clove garlic (crushed)

lemon juice

salt

pepper

- Halve the aubergine lengthwise and grill, skin side up, until the skin has blackened and the insides are soft

- Scoop out the flesh and mash it in a bowl

- Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Rucola & Grilled Pepper Salad

This salad makes a perfect starter to almost any Italian meal. We had it with the goat's cheese pasta (recipe below). All the tastes click together perfectly in this dish when you have it with a light vinaigrette.

rucola

red and yellow pepper (grilled, peeled and sliced)

pinenuts (toasted)

parmesan

olive oil

small clove garlic (crushed)

balsamic vinegar

sugar

salt

pepper

- Grill the peppers skin side up until they are blackened, place in a plastic bag and let cool. Peel and slice into strips.

- Toast the pinenuts in a dry pan until lightly browned.

- Put the rucola in a large bowl and add the peppers, pinenuts and parmesan.

- Make a light vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and just a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, and drizzle over the salad.

Grilled Goat's Cheese Pasta

My boyfriend made this for me as my birthday main course. It was delicious in its simplicity.

1 red onion

2-3 cloves garlic

olive oil

6 tomatoes (peeled and chopped)

balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

goat's cheese

fresh basil

- Fry the onion and garlic on a low heat until they are soft and slightly caramelised, adding the balsamic vinegar at the end and letting it evaporate.

- Add the tomatoes and let them cook on a low heat for about half an hour.

- Start boiling the pasta.

- Brush the goat's cheese with olive oil and grill until it has a few brown spots on top (about 5 minutes).

- Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little olive oil.

- Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Tip: It's best to grill the goat's cheese straight from the fridge to prevent it from melting too much. Be careful with the timing, you want to have the goat's cheese straight from the grill when the pasta is cooked.

Nut & Chocolate Brownies

These brownies are moist, dark and delicious, and are perfect with some vanilla ice cream. I have modified this recipe from a book called Chocolate Ecstasy by Christine France. This recipe is quite dangerous, it's very addictive...

150 g dark chocolate (broken into squares)

125 g butter (melted)

2 dl dark muscovado sugar

1 dl white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or essence

2 dl flour

1-2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

75 g walnuts (chopped)

50 g dark chocolate (crushed)

- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over hot water.

- Beat the sugar and eggs.

- Add the butter and vanilla and mix well.

- Stir in the melted chocolate.

- Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and fold in thoroughly.

- Stir in the walnuts and crushed chocolate.

- Tip into a greased tin (approximately 20 cm square) and spread evenly out to the edges.

- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 180°C until the top is firm and crusty.

- Let cool in the tin before cutting into squares.