French Onion Soup

I got this recipe from Leena and Mikko who made a generous amount of it at a New Year's party. The soup may not look nice in the picture, but tastes smooth and lovely.

500-600 g onion

3 tblsp butter

1 tblsp oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

3 tblsp flour

2 l vegetable stock

1 dl white wine

salt

pepper

- Fry the onion with oil and butter on a low heat for about 15 minutes until golden and soft, stirring occasionally.

- Add the salt and sugar and let simmer for 30-40 minutes.

- Add the flour and fry for a few minutes, then add the stock and white wine and simmer for at least half an hour.

- Season to taste and serve with some french bread.

Couscous & Mediterranean Vegetables

This quick and fresh-tasting dish makes a nice lunch or a light dinner.

aubergine (chunks)
courgette (chunks)
pepper (chunks)
red onion (peeled, chunks)
2 tomatoes (whole)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
olive oil
pine nuts
sesame seeds
chili
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
pinch of caraway seeds
salt
pepper
lime juice

couscous
salt
oil
lime juice
(raisins)

fresh coriander
yoghurt

- Mix all the vegetables, oil and spices except for the tomatoes.
- Grill or roast the vegetables until they have some colour and are soft but firm to the bite. The tomatoes take less time than the other vegetables, so add them towards the end.
- prepare the couscous as advised in the package.
- Serve with fresh coriander, yoghurt and a slice of lime.

Jamie's Cauliflower Risotto

The ever-reliable Jamie Oliver is one of my favourite chefs - this time we tried his cauliflower risotto recipe finished with spicy bread crumbs and it was tasty as always! We substituted the anchovies with capers and some extra olive oil. We didn't have celery in the risotto but it's not essential.