Pupupöperöä

Sweet Potato Soup with Garlic Oil

2011-04-02T15:05:00.006+03:00

A small bowl of this soup works well as a light starter. The garlic oil adds depth to this simple-tasting dish.

1 sweet potato (peeled and diced)

1 celery stick (finely chopped)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

1 dried chili (crushed)

2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)

butter

olive oil

vegetable stock

salt and pepper

Flat leaf parsley (to garnish)

- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion and celery. Cover and cook on a low heat until both are soft and transluscent.

- Add the sweet potato and cover with stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a low heat until the sweet potato is tender.

- Season to taste and blend the soup until smooth

- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and fry on a medium heat until it is lightly browned.

- Place the soup into serving bowls, spoon over the garlic oil, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Raw Chocolate

2011-04-02T12:24:00.014+03:00

This is a healthier and tastier version of the delicacy. All the ingredients I use are raw and organic.

75 g cacao butter

(1 tblsp coconut oil)

1-2 tblsp honey

3-4 tblsp cacao powder

1 tblsp carob powder

a pinch of good quality salt

Extras: for example nuts, dried berries, cacao nibs, chilli... (This time I used cacao nibs, walnuts and goji berries)

- Grate the cacao butter (and the coconut oil) and melt it in a bowl sitting in hot water.

- Add the honey and powders and mix until smooth.

- Spoon the chocolate mix into moulds with berries, nuts etc. Freeze for about half an hour, or refrigerate for couple of hours.

Sri Lankan White Curry (Elolu Kiri Hodhi)

2011-02-15T21:10:00.008+02:00

This mild curry recipe is from Charmaine Solomon's The Complete Asian Cookbook.

3 cups thin coconut milk
1 onion (finely sliced)
2 fresh chillies (de-seeded and split)
2 cloves garlic (finely sliced)
1/2 tsp grated ginger
cinnamon stick
1 stalk lemon grass
8 curry leaves
750 g sliced vegetables (for example courgettes, peppers or beans)
salt to taste
1 cup thick coconut milk

- Simmer all ingredients except for the vegetables, salt and thick coconut milk in a large saucepan for approximately 10 minutes. Then add the vegetables and salt and cook gently until the vegetables are just about tender. Add the thick coconut milk and simmer another 5 minutes.

Mum's Lingon Berry Christmas Cake

2010-12-25T13:06:00.011+02:00

This cake has lovely seasonal flavours and the lingon berry makes it moist and gives it a fresh taste.

4,5 dl flour

3 dl dark muscovado sugar

2 tsp vanilla sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp bitter orange peel

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 dl lightly crushed lingon berries

2 eggs

1 dl double cream

1 dl kermaviili (or cream fraiche)

1,5 dl melted butter

- Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add the eggs and berries carefully.

- Mix the cream and kermaviili (or creme fraiche) in a separate bowl. Add the cream mix and butter to the dough.

- Pour the cake mix into a greased dish and bake low in the oven at 175 degrees for about an hour.

Spicy Lentil Soup

2010-12-09T19:36:00.001+02:00

The spicy lentil soup is a perfect winter warmer.

1 onion (chopped)

2 carrots (chopped)

1 stick celery (chopped)

2 inches ginger (finely chopped or grated)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

chili to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tin tomatoes

about 200 g red lentils

1 l vegetable stock

salt

pepper

(fresh parsley/coriander to garnish)

- Sweat the onion, carrot and celery in a soup pan until soft. At the end throw in the ginger, garlic and chili and cook them for about 5 minutes, add the rest of the spices and fry for a further minute.

- Add the tinned tomatoes and blend the mixture. Let it simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.

- Add the stock and lentils and cook until the lentils are soft.

Apple Tart

2010-11-10T20:40:00.013+02:00

2 eggs

1 dl sugar

1 dl milk

2 dl flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 dl melted butter

3 apples (peeled and sliced)

sugar

cinnamon

- Whip the sugar and eggs until foamy.

- Combine the flour and baking powder and then stir this mixture plus the milk into the whisked eggs. Finally add the melted butter.

- Grease the oven dish, and pour in the dough. Top with the sliced apples and sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on top.

- Bake at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Lingonberry Muffins

2010-10-28T17:30:00.000+03:00

I used the same basic batter for these muffins as I did for the mint chocolate ones. These, however are spiced up with some cardamom and lingonberries.

150 g butter

1,5 dl sugar

2 eggs

3,5 dl flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2-1 tsp cardamom

1,5 dl milk

2,5 dl lingonberries

- Beat the butter and sugar until foamy.

- Mix in the eggs one at the time.

- Mix the flour, baking powder and cardamom together and sieve into the batter, adding milk at the same time.

- Stir the berries gently into the batter.

- Bake at 225 degrees in the middle shelf of the oven for about 15 minutes.

Jamie's Cabbage Soup

2010-10-28T17:00:00.002+03:00

This cabbage soup was quite different from the boring, tasteless stuff you often get. Being vegetarians we left out the meat and anchovies and added some green olives and capers instead. The garlic bread and sage butter made this dish extra delicious.

Jamie's Coleslaw

2010-10-28T15:25:00.001+03:00

This is another good way to use cabbage. Coleslaw is a great accompaniment to cheese, falafel and other salty foodstuffs.

Avocado and Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta

2010-09-03T22:45:00.001+03:00

This fresh tasting Celia Brooks Brown recipe makes a perfect appetizer, starter or snack for any occasion.

crusty white bread

1 avocado

dried chili to taste (we had some nice apple tree smoked habaneros a friend gave us)

1 tsp cumin seed, toasted and ground

salt

pepper

lime juice

sun dried tomatoes

olive oil

- Peel and mash the avocado, add the spices, season and add the desired amount of lime juice (roughly one lime).

- Drizzle some olive oil on the bread slices, and bake at 180 degrees until crisp.

- Spread a generous layer of the avocado paste on the hot bread and top with a sun dried tomato.

Beetroot and Coconut Soup with Cucumber Salsa

2010-09-03T22:40:00.001+03:00

This is a perfect autumn or winter dish with a lovely citric and soft coconutty combination. The recipe is from Celia Brooks Brown's cook book called Entertaining Vegetarians.

Cucumber Salsa:

- 1/2 a small cucumber, cored and finely chopped.

- 1 red chili, de-seeded.

- salt

- lemon juice

Combine the ingredients and season with a twist of salt.

The Soup:

-1/2 kg of fresh beetroot

-zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1/2

-1 tsp ground cumin

-400 ml coconut milk

-vegetable stock

- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped.

- In a large pot of salted, boiling water, simmer the beetroot for 45-60 minutes until tender. Rinse them with cold water, remove the root, top and peel.

-Warm some stock in a pot, retaining a small amount for later, add the coconut milk and continue to gently warm the mixture.

- Combine the lemon zest and juice, ground cumin, some of the stock, garlic and beetroot and blend until smooth.

- Add the blended mixture to the pan and gently simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes.

-Serve with a few spoonfuls of the cucumber salsa sitting on the surface of the soup.

Stuffed Turkish Aubergines and Lemon Roast Potatoes

2010-09-03T22:39:00.003+03:00

These are another perfect Celia Brooks Brown recipes. The sweetness of the dates and cinnamon perfectly complements the citric potatoes.

Lemon roast potatoes:

about 500 g small new potatoes

olive oil

lemon (juice of half and zest of one)

salt

pepper

1 tsp sugar

- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

- Wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly.

- Par-boil the potatoes for 5 minutes in salted water.

- Place the potatoes in an oven dish and coat with the dressing.

- Roast for about 30 minutes at 200 degrees, turning and basting the potatoes regularly.

Turkish Stuffed Aubergines

1 large aubergine

50 g couscous

3 dates, pitted and chopped

olive oil

25 g pine nuts

handful of parsley, fine chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp ground cumin

salt

pepper

A tomato half

(vegetable stock)

(Olive oil)

-Cover the couscous with an equal volume of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and set aside.

-Being careful not to break the skin, gently bash the aubergine all over with a rolling pin until it feels soft to the touch. Then gently flatten it as much as possible and make a shallow cut around the tip, avoiding simply chopping it off. Twist and pull the top off the aubergine, and the core should come away with it. Liberally salt the insides of the aubergine and leave upside down to drain.

-Fry the onion and finely chopped aubergine-core in some olive oil until golden and soft. Add the ground spices and garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.

-Fry some pine nuts in neutral oil until lightly browned.

-Combine the couscous, pine nuts and onion mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

-Stuff the aubergine with the filling, plug the hole with a tomato half, and barbecue until the skin is charred and the insides tender.

OR: In a baking tray, sit the aubergine in 1 cm of vegetable stock mixed with a few glugs of olive oil, cover with foil and bake for around 45 minutes at 200 degrees, turning the aubergine over halfway through.

Cut the aubergine into slices and serve with the lemon roast potatoes, or with lemon slices and greek yoghurt for a lighter meal.

Waffles

2010-07-22T20:05:00.009+03:00

I love waffles! One savory and one sweet waffle make a perfect sunday brunch for example. This recipe makes about 5-6 waffles.

Batter:

1,5 dl milk

1,5 dl sparkling water

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

about 3 dl flour

a pinch of salt

20-25 g melted butter

Allow the batter to sit for half an hour before cooking.

Savoury topping:

cream cheese

chopped spring onion or red onion

sun dried tomatoes

fresh basil

Sweet toppings:

For example jam and whipped cream or ice cream and berries.

Warm Potato Salad

2010-07-22T19:55:00.011+03:00

One of my work mates made a warm potato salad for my boyfriend and I, and we have been enjoying making it in different ways ever since, especially with new baby potatoes.

potatoes (preferably new baby potatoes, washed and boiled)

sun dried tomatoes (chopped)

capers

pepper (grilled and peeled)

red onion (sliced and flash-fried)

a bunch of fresh basil

olive oil

salt

pepper

- While boiling the potatoes, chop all the other ingredients. When the potatoes are just cooked, drain, chop into bite-sized pieces and combine with the remaining ingredients. Best served warm.

Grilled Halloumi Salad with Lime and Caper Dressing

2010-07-22T19:47:00.007+03:00

Lime and halloumi are a perfect match. Sweet grilled pepper goes nicely with the salty and sour combination.

halloumi (sliced and grilled)

pepper (grilled and peeled)

green salad (for example with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes..)

Lime and caper dressing:

juice of one lime and zest of half

olive oil

1 clove of crushed garlic

1 tsp capers

a handful of coriander (or parsley), finely chopped

1 dried chilli, crushed

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl, adding the olive oil last, whisking the mixture until it emulsifies. Serve immediately after the halloumi is cooked as it becomes rubbery when it cools.

Gazpacho

2010-07-22T19:38:00.008+03:00

We have been enjoying/suffering a long heat wave so this cold soup was a perfect meal to make - no need to cook anything!

5-6 ripe tomatoes (peeled)

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

a whole cucumber

a small onion

olive oil

balsamic vinegar (or cherry vinegar)

salt

pepper

- Finely chop the cucumber, half of each pepper and half the tomatoes.

- Blend the remaining ingredients until smooth.

- Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and whisk in some olive oil. Season well, chill for a few hours and serve with ice cubes.

Paguette

2010-06-18T18:37:00.004+03:00

I found this recipe from a Finnish bread blog called Viva Ciabatta! The original recipe is from Richard Bertinet´s book "Dough".

500 g flour

3,5 dl water (hand temperature)

10 g yeast

10 g salt

- Mix all the ingredients well, nead the dough, and let rise for about an hour.

- Make the baguettes and let rise under a kitchen towel for another hour.

- Sieve some flour on top and bake at 220-250 degrees for about 20 minutes or until they have a bit colour.

If you want the baguettes to rise only upwards, you can let them rise with help of a towel. If you do this, move them to the baking tray very carefully in order to avoid knocking the air out.

Spinach, Tomato and Pesto Pasta

2010-06-18T18:30:00.001+03:00

This is a simple and quick pasta that serves two.

olive oil

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

half a courgette (sliced)

2 tomatoes

a couple of handfuls of spinach (frozen or fresh)

salt

pepper

(lemon juice)

ready pesto sauce

parmesan/feta to garnish

pasta

- Boil the water in a large pot and start cooking the pasta.

- Fry the garlic for one minute, add the courgette and fry with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until cooked but firm to the bite.

- Add the tomatoes and spinach and simmer until just cooked, then season to taste.

- Sieve the pasta and mix in a couple of spoonfuls of pesto sauce. Serve into bowls and spoon over the sauce.

- Garnish with parmesan or feta.

Jamie's Chickpea Salad

2010-06-15T18:42:00.011+03:00

I highly recommend another Jamie Oliver salad; easy to make, healthy, affordable and obviously very tasty! This salad makes a good starter, side or main course depending on your needs.

Carrot Cake

2010-06-04T18:07:00.022+03:00

Even my boyfriend, who usually is not a huge fan of sweet desserts, likes this moist cake. This recipe is big enough for an oven sized baking tray.

4 eggs
3 dl sugar
4 dl flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1-2 tsp vanilla sugar 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 dl vegetable oil
6 dl grated carrot (maybe 3-5 carrots depending on their size)

topping:

200 g cream cheese
100 g butter
300 g icing sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla sugar

crushed almonds for decoration

- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, soda, vanilla sugar and cinnamon) in a bowl, peel and grate the carrot and mix it with the oil.
- Beat the eggs and sugar until foamy and add the dry ingredients, oil and carrot to the mixture.
- Spread on a big baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake at 225 degrees for about 15 minutes and let cool.
- Mix room temperature butter and soft cheese together and then sieve in the vanilla sugar and icing sugar and mix with a spoon.
- Spread on top of the sponge and sprinkle with crushed almonds.

Mint Chocolate Muffins

2010-05-24T21:04:00.011+03:00

I found this recipe from a Finnish baking blog "Kinuskikissa". These muffins were really crumbly and nice, I will definitely try them again with different fillings and tastes, this time I used mint truffles. This recipe makes about 16 muffins.

150 g butter

1,5 dl sugar

2 eggs

3,5 dl flour

2 tsp baking powder

2,5 tblsp cocoa powder

1,5 dl milk or cream

150-200 g chocolate

- Beat the butter and sugar until foamy.

- Mix in the eggs one at the time.

- Mix the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together and sieve into the batter, adding milk at the same time.

- Crush half of the chocolate and mix into the batter. Leave half of the chocolate into chunks and use them as hearts of the muffins as shown in the pictures.

- Bake at 225 degrees in the middle shelf of the oven for 12-15 minutes.

Thai Curry

2010-05-09T18:45:00.004+03:00

This is one of many ways to make a thai curry and an easy introduction to the cuisine. You can use any vegetables you like and make the curry paste to your own taste adding more chilies if you like it hot.

Curry paste:

2-3 fresh chilies (or to taste)

4 cloves garlic

1 - 1.5 inches fresh ginger

1/2 onion

handful of fresh coriander

lemongrass (preferably fresh, I had to use jarred lemongrass)

soy sauce (or fish sauce)

oil for frying

about 500 ml coconut milk

200 g mushrooms (chuncks)

1 pepper (sliced/chuncks)

1 small courgette

1/2 block tofu (small chuncks)

salt/soy sauce/ fish sauce

lime juice

fresh coriander

- Roughly chop all the curry paste ingredients before blending, blend until smooth.

- Fry the curry paste on medium heat for about 10 minutes, then add the coconut milk and bring to boil.

- Add all the vegetables and tofu, simmer until cooked, about 20-25 minutes

- Season to taste, add some lime juice if required and garnish with some fresh coriander.

- Serve with rice or noodles.

Baba Ghannouj

2010-05-09T18:40:00.001+03:00

Baba Ghannouj is best served with freshly baked bread.

2 aubergines

1/4 red onion (finely chopped)

1 clove garlic (crushed)

1 peeled tomato (chopped)

1 tblsp tahini

lemon juice

salt

parsley (finely chopped)

- Half the aubergines lengthwise, Place them the peel side up on an oiled oven dish and grill until soft.

- Scoop the flesh out, mash or blend and add onion, garlic, tomato and tahini. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley.

Spaghetti Siracusani

2010-04-19T19:13:00.012+03:00

This recipe is from "The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook", very simple and tasty dish. We have made small alterations to it but it's still basically the same.

olive oil

3-4 garlic cloves (crushed)

1 pepper (cut into strips)

1-2 courgettes (cut into strips)

2 tins good-quality tomatoes

1 tblsp capers

3 tblsp good calamata olives

salt

pepper

fresh basil

parmesan

spaghetti or other pasta

- Fry the garlic on a low heat for a minute, then add courgette and pepper and cook on a medium heat with the lid on, stillirg occasionally, until cooked but still firm to the bite.

- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Boil your pasta.

- Season to taste and garnish with fresh basil and parmesan.

Mung Dal & Aloo Gobi

2010-04-18T19:00:00.036+03:00

These are my boyfriends versions of the famous curries. The coconut milk adds softness to the cauliflower and potato curry and makes it moister. Daal shouldn't be too dry either. Daal is flexible with spices so you can change them to taste. We try to use different spices in all the curries served at once so each of them has an unique taste. We had the curries with homemade naan bread and raita.

Mung Daal:

3-4 dl Mung lentils (or other lentils), soaked for 1/2 hour

oil/ghee

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

small bit of star anis

1/2 tsp cumin seed

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

(cardamon pods)

(caraway seeds)

(kalonji)

(cloves)

water

salt (to taste)

oil/ghee

1 medium onion

1-2 fresh chillies

an inch ginger

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

lemon juice

fresh coriander

- Fry the seeds in hot oil adding the bigger seeds at first, smaller seeds next and finally the mustard seeds and bay leaves.

- When the bay leaves are browned add the lentils and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

- Cover with water and add the salt.

- Put the lid on and and simmer until soft, adding small amount of water if necessary.

- Fry onion, garlic, ginger and chili in a separate pan for a couple of minutes, then cover with a lid and simmer until soft. When the onion mix is soft, add the ground spices and fry for a further minute, and then add to the lentils.

- Cook for another two minutes, then season to taste with salt and lemon juice, and garnish with fresh coriander.

Aloo Gobi:

4-5 medium potatoes (chopped)

a small cauliflower (florets)

a tin coconut milk

oil/ghee

4-5 green cardamom pods

fresh coriander

for the curry paste:

a medium onion

3 cloves garlic

inch of ginger

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground fennel

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1-2 fresh chillies (to taste)

1/2 tsp salt

lemon juice

fresh coriander

- Blend the curry paste.

- Heat the oil, fry the cardamom pods for a couple of minutes. Add the curry paste and fry for a few minutes on a high heat, then keep cooking the paste on a low heat for about 10 minutes.

- Add the coconut milk, potatoes and cauliflower and simmer in the sauce until soft.

- Season to taste with salt and lemon juice, and garnish with fresh coriander.

Lingon Berry Tart

2010-03-12T18:27:00.016+02:00

I got this recipe from a friend's mum and I've been using it quite often since it's quick to make and tasty. You can use any berries, apples or rhubarb on this crumbly tart. The dairy topping suites extremely well with sour berries, it's made with "kermaviili" but you can use quark as well.

Pastry:

150 g butter (room temperature)

1 dl sugar

1 egg

3 dl flour

1 tsp baking powder

Topping:

200 g kermaviili, quark or sour cream

1/2 dl sugar

1 tsp vanilla sugar

1 egg

Any fruit or berries on top.

- Mix all the pastry ingredients using your fingertips, put into a fridge for a while.

- Butter a tart dish and tap the pastry mix evenly on to it.

- Add the topping and sprinkle your berries on top.

- Bake at 200 c for about half an hour on the lowest oven shelf.

Cretan Briam

2010-03-12T18:18:00.002+02:00

We tried to imitate a lovely dish we had in a Cretan restaurant: a soft and smooth vegetable stew with tomatoes and a hint of cinnamon.

a medium aubergine (chunks)

a large courgette (chunks)

a large pepper (chunks)

3-4 medium potatoes (sliced)

a large onion (sliced)

3 cloves garlic (sliced)

a few glugs olive oil

2 tins tomatoes

tomato puree

splash of water

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cinnamon

salt

pepper

- Mix all the ingredients expect for the potatoes in a big bowl. Oil a big casserole dish and put the vegetable mix in it. Place the potatoes on top, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cover.

- Bake at 170 degrees for about 2 hours until the vegetables are very soft.

Wild Mushroom Pasta

2010-02-16T18:39:00.001+02:00

We have a generous amount of dried wild mushrooms stockpiled, thanks to an enthusiastic mother who picks more than she can eat herself. Soaking the mushrooms in boiling water creates a rich stock that serves the basis of this dish.

dried wild mushrooms (soaked, with their stock retained)

(some regular mushrooms)

olive oil (for frying)

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

fresh chili (chopped)

fresh parsley

lemon juice and zest

2 tsp capers

salt

pepper

(parmesan)

- Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water, keep the water to use as stock later on.

- Fry the garlic for a couple of minutes, then add the mushrooms and chili and fry until they soften up.

- Add the capers, some lemon juice and zest and a little seasoning and start adding stock a little by little, just enough to cover the mushrooms. While doing this, start boiling your pasta.

- When the pasta is cooked, toss everything together, season to taste and drizzle with a little olive oil.

-Serve with optional grated parmesan.

Mozzarella Salad with Grilled Chili & Vegetables

2010-02-15T20:42:00.001+02:00

Grilled chili, fresh mozzarella and lemon zest are a perfect combination. In this salad they are accompanied by grilled vegetables, crispy leaves and toasted bread.

fresh mozzarella

2 red chilies (deseeded)

red onion (wedges, grilled)

pepper (grilled, peeled and sliced)

cherry tomatoes (grilled)

rucola

lemon zest

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

2 tsp capers

white bread (toasted)

1 garlic clove

- Grill the vegetables and chili. Notice that the peppers and onion take longer to grill than chilies and tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar before grilling.

- Toast or grill the bread, rub some garlic on it and drizzle with olive oil.

- Arrange everything on a plate and sprinkle over some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers and lemon zest.

Tagliatelle, Pesto & Grilled Vegetables

2010-02-15T19:57:00.001+02:00

Homemade pesto is a perfect partner of pasta. In my opinion pesto and pasta needs something fresh to accompany it, so this time I used some grilled cherry tomatoes and peppers.

Pesto:

50 g parmesan (grated)

50 g pine nuts (lightly toasted)

3 handfuls fresh basil leaves

1 garlic clove (crushed)

olive oil

salt

pepper

(a squeeze of lemon juice)

tagliatelle/spaghetti

tomatoes (grilled)

peppers (grilled and peeled)

- Blend all the pesto ingredients well, add enough olive oil to make it smooth.

- Boil the pasta and mix the pesto-sauce in it. Serve with the grilled vegetables.

Falafel

2010-02-13T09:45:00.002+02:00

The secret to falafel is not to cook the chickpeas, otherwise they fall apart when you deep fry them. When the oil is at the correct temperature the bean mixture cooks well and the result is golden brown and crispy on the outside, well-cooked and soft in the inside. I like the falafel with some pita-bread, fresh salad, tzatziki, hummus and chili-tomato-sauce.

3-4 dl dried chickpeas (soaked over night)

1/2 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

2-3 fresh chillies (chopped)

1 tsp cumin seeds (toasted and ground)

1/4 tsp ground coriander

fresh coriander and/or parsley

salt

pepper

(1 tsp bicarbonate of soda)

oil for deep frying

- Combine all the ingredients except for the chili and blend them together.

- Add the chili and stir well. Leave the mixture at least for an hour.

- Shape into small balls with wet hands.

- Heat up the oil in a large, heavy saucepan and deep fry the falafel in batches of 5-7 until golden.

-Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on top of kitchen paper.

Tip: Make a test falafel to ascertain that the oil temperature is correct. If the falafel gets too dark after a few minutes of frying, the oil is too hot; if the oil doesn't bubble vigorously enough when you put the falafel in, it's too cold.

Jamie's Minestrone Soup

2010-02-09T19:40:00.003+02:00

Jamie Oliver's Minestrone is one of my favourite soups at the moment. The flavours are well balanced and the beans and pasta make it very filling. Being vegetarians we obviously left the bacon out and we didn't have fennel either, but the essence of this recipe remains the same.

Delia's Goat Cheese Souffles

2010-02-09T19:15:00.001+02:00

This recipe is probably as easy as souffles get - it takes a bit of time to prepare but the result is fabulous and easy to achieve. Delia Smith serves her souffles with salad and vinaigrette, but we had these with roasted vegetables. I highly recommend to try this lovely dish on a special occasion. You can even make these souffles beforehand since they are double-baked and freeze well, according to Delia.

French Onion Soup

2010-01-16T21:15:00.001+02:00

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

2010-01-11T17:25:00.001+02:00

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

2010-01-05T19:15:00.001+02:00

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.

Cheese Fondue

2009-12-19T19:31:00.001+02:00

I have to have this guilty pleasure occasionally, so tasty, so fatty... This makes enough fondue for two. I have a fondue pot with a burner but you can make it on a stove as well - if so, it's important to keep the cheese from congealing while eating by keeping the mixture hot.

1 clove garlic

1,5-2 dl white wine

1-2 tsp lemon juice

300 g emmental or gruyere (grated)

1-2 tsp corn or potato flour

- Halve the garlic and rub it around the pan.

- Heat up the wine and lemon juice but do not boil them.

- Add the cheese little by little simmering on a low heat and stirring constantly.

- Mix the starch with a small amount of water and add it to the mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture is nice and smooth.

- Serve immediately for example with some french bread keeping the fondue hot under a small flame (if you don't have a burner, candle is fine or just eat by the stove).

Ratatouille

2009-12-15T18:38:00.001+02:00

olive oil (for frying)

2 peppers (chunks)

2 courgettes (chunks)

aubergine (chunks)

onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

red haricot beans (soaked and boiled with a bay leaf and some salt)

tin tomatoes/pasata

dried basil

salt

white pepper

black pepper

fresh oregano

- Sweat the onion on a low heat with the lid on, add the garlic and basil and fry for a couple of minutes.

- Add the vegetables and turn up the heat to medium, keep the lid on and stir occasionally until the vegetables are cooked but still firm to the bite.

- Add the tomatoes, a little salt and a pinch of black pepper and simmer for half an hour, then stir through the beans and warm them in the mixture. Season to taste and garnish with fresh oregano.

Scottish Broth

2009-12-15T17:28:00.001+02:00

Scottish Broth is a hearty soup with root vegetables and lentils. Barley is great in it too but this time we didn't have any in our cupboards. You can also use for example cabbage, kohlrabi, turnip or any other root vegetable you have.

potatoes (diced)

swede (diced)

brown or green lentils

leek (chopped)

oil or butter (for frying)

carrot (grated)

celery (chopped)

vegetable stock

bayleaf

white pepper

salt

black pepper

- Sweat the leak in a pan, add the stock and all the ingredients except for the carrot and potato, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about an hour.

- Add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes before adding the carrot. Then simmer until the potatoes are soft and season to taste.

Tortilla de Patatas

2009-11-29T10:15:00.002+02:00

I rarely eat eggs but Spanish tortilla is a nice and hearty meal to have occasionally.

olive oil (for frying)

one large pepper (halved)

onion (chopped)

3-4 floury potatoes (coarsely chopped and par-boiled)

4-6 eggs (beaten and seasoned)

paprika

(cayenne pepper)

fresh parsley

salt

pepper

- Roast the pepper skin side up under a grill until the skin is blackened. Place in a plastic bag, seal and leave until cool enough to handle. Peel the pepper and cut into long strips.

- Fry the onion in a large frying pan until golden, and then add the potatoes, season and fry for a further few minutes.

- Stir through the roasted pepper and spices, and fry for a couple more minutes.

- Add the eggs and fry on a gentle heat until the base is cooked, then grill until the top is solid.

- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with salad.

Quark Desserts

2009-11-29T09:52:00.001+02:00

Quark with Satsumas:

500 g quark

2 dl double cream (whipped)

4-6 satsumas (peeled and coarsly chopped)

sugar (to taste)

(vanilla sugar)

few peaces dark chocolate

- Mix all the ingredients together except for the chocolate, place in the dessert bowls and grate some chocolate on the top.

Quark with Lingon Berries:

500 g Quark

2 dl double cream (whipped)

2-3 dl lingon berries

sugar (to taste)

vanilla sugar (to taste)

caramel sauce

- Mix all the ingredients together except for the caramel sauce, place to the dessert bowls and pour some caramel sauce on top.

Tip: You can use any fruit or berries you like, and if you want to make a healthier version use yoghurt instead of double cream.

Quesadillas with Quacamole & Fresh Tomato Salsa

2009-11-16T20:53:00.004+02:00

This Tex-Mex dish is quick to prepare and makes a nice snack or meal. The dips are also great with tortilla chips or any Tex-Mex food, such as burritos or fajitas.

Quesadilla filling: (makes 3-4)

cheese (grated)

half a small red onion (chopped)

tomato (peeled, de-seeded and diced)

bunch of fresh coriander (coarsely chopped)

fresh chili (finely chopped)

tortilla bread (2 for each quesadilla)

- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

- Heat a dry frying pan on a medium to medium high heat until hot, add a tortilla and cover with the filling. Then add the second on top to form a 'sandwich' and press it down to help the cheese stick the two pieces together. Continue cooking until the tortilla is slightly browned, then turn over and fry the other side.

Quacamole:

2 ripe avocados (peeled and mashed)

1-2 tomatoes (peeled, de-seeded and diced)

half a small red onion (finely chopped)

a small clove of garlic (crushed)

lime juice

salt

pepper

(fresh coriander)

- Mix all the ingredients together. You can keep the avocado stone in the dip until it's served as it prevents the quacamole from turning brown.

Fresh Tomato Salsa:

4-6 tomatoes (peeled, de-seeded and chopped)

1/4 cucumber (de-seeded and chopped)

half a small red onion (finely chopped)

fresh chili (finely chopped)

fresh coriander (chopped)

salt

pepper

lime juice

- Mix all the ingredients together and serve soon after making it as it gets wet quickly.

Stuffed Mushrooms & Double Baked Potatoes

2009-11-09T19:36:00.002+02:00

This is Geoff's own creation, which he cooked us for our anniversary - it's not very hard to make but takes some time to prepare.

Stuffed Mushrooms:

big breakfast mushrooms

camembert style cheese

tomato (sliced)

red onion (finely chopped)

garlic (finely chopped)

fresh basil

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

sugar

- Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and set aside, lightly brush with olive oil and bake for about 5 minutes at 200 degrees.

- Stuff the mushrooms starting with a layer of basil leaves and sprinkle of onion and garlic. Then add a generous knob of cheese and top with a slice of tomato. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sugar and season to taste.

- Bake approximately for 20 minutes at 200 degrees until the tomatoes are roasted and the mushrooms are cooked.

Double Baked Potatoes:

floury potatoes

onion

thyme

capers

parmesan (grated)

butter

salt

pepper

(fresh herb such as basil or parsley)

- Wash the potatoes well and puncture with a fork, and bake at 200 degrees until cooked, about 45 minutes. (You can microwave the potatoes instead if you are in a hurry)

- Meanwhile, fry the onion and thyme until soft.

- When cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes and scoop their insides into a bowl. Mash with some butter, and stir in the onions, capers, parmesan and season well.

- Refill the potato skins with the mixture, top with some grated parmesan and bake at 225 degrees until the cheese is golden.

Lentil Patties

2009-11-04T17:11:00.002+02:00

Served with salad, these crispy patties make a delicious lunch or a light dinner.

red lentils

1 onion (finely chopped)

3-4 cloves garlic (crushed)

fresh chili (finely chopped)

fresh parsley (finely chopped)

paprika

(cayenne pepper)

(fresh coriander)

lemon juice

salt

pepper

bread crumbs

egg (beaten, seasoned)

oil for frying

- Rinse the lentils well and boil them in salted water- you should aim to end up with a thick paste, so don't add too much water. Cook on a low heat and stir occasionally to avoid sticking. Let cool.

- Fry the onion and garlic until golden, then add the dried spices and fry for a further minute.

- Mix the lentils, chili, onion and fresh herbs, and season well; then form into small patties using wet hands.

- Dip the patties in the egg and roll in bread crumbs. Fry on each side on a medium heat until the patties are crisp and golden.

- Place on top of kitchen paper to get rid of any extra oil.

Tip: If you have any extra time leave the patty mixture to sit for a few hours to allow the flavours to develop.

Nut & Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-10-25T09:41:00.001+02:00

I got this crunchy and delicious cookie recipe from my sister. They are easy to make and hard to store, since you always want to have just one more... Otherwise they would keep fine in a sealed cookie jar.

200 g butter

2 dl white sugar

2 dl brown muscovado sugar

1 tsp vanilla sugar/extract

2 eggs

6 dl flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

150-200 g dark chocolate (coarsely crushed)

50 g almonds (crushed)

50 g hazelnuts (crushed)

- Whip the room temperature butter with the sugars, then add the eggs one by one.

- Mix the flour with salt and soda and then start adding the flour mix, nuts and chocolate slowly to the dough.

- Scoop a small amount of the mixture, shape between two spoons and place on a baking tray covered with baking paper.

- Bake at 175 degrees for 10-15 minutes and let cool before storing.

Black Bean Salad

2009-10-24T11:05:00.003+03:00

Black beans have an unique, nutty flavour and they are one of the tastiest beans to use in salads. This recipe is based on one found from "The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook" by Susan Tomnay.

black beans (soaked over night and boiled)

1 red pepper (diced)

2 tomatoes (diced)

1/2 small red onion (thinly sliced)

sweet corn

honey melon/cantaloupe/water melon (diced)

avocado (sliced)

crispy lettuce/rucola

fresh corriander

Dressing:

olive oil

lime juice

chili/cayenne pepper

1 small clove garlic (crushed)

salt

pepper

- Combine all the ingredients except for the avocado, melon and lettuce/rucola, add the dressing and set aside for half an hour to let the flavours develop. Add the rest of the ingredients and gently mix through.

Beetroot Soup

2009-10-21T17:53:00.001+03:00

This is a nice beetroot soup recipe adapted from Delia Smith's original idea, it's healthy, cheap and tasty!

700 g beetroot (peeled and chopped)

1 carrot (peeled and chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

a few celery sticks (chopped)

1 bay leaf

1 l stock

small tub sour cream

lemon juice

salt

pepper

cayenne pepper

- Fry the onion, carrot and celery on a medium heat until they are softened and have some colour.

- Add the stock and boil for a while, then add the beetroot and simmer until it's cooked, approximately an hour.

- Blend the soup and add some lemon juice, salt and pepper, and then stir in 2/3 of the sour cream and heat gently for a couple of minutes.

- Garnish with some sour cream and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Tip: Always use plastic gloves when you handle beetroot, and remember to wash your chopping board immediately after use!

Vegetarian Bolognese

2009-10-14T21:19:00.002+03:00

I'm not a huge fan of soy mince in many dishes but this is very tasty. My boyfriend makes a lovely spaghetti bolognese and he has changed my mind about so called meat substitutes on occasion. The taste gets better the longer you simmer the sauce, so take your time to make this dish.

onion (chopped)

carrot (chopped)

celery (chopped)

3-4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

soymince (covered with hot stock)

2 dl red wine

1 tin tomatoes (or 4 fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped)

tomato puree

1 bay leaf

thyme

rosemary

black pepper

salt

pinch of nutmeg

olive oil

spaghetti

fresh basil

parmesan

- Fry the onion, carrot and celery on a medium heat until soft and then add garlic and soy mince and fry for a few minutes. After this add the red wine and simmer until half of it has evaporated.

- Add the tomatoes, dried herbs, white pepper and puree and let simmer at least half an hour.

- Boil the spaghetti in a big pan of salted water, drain, rinse with hot water and then season with pepper and olive oil.

- Season to taste, add the nutmeg and drizzle with olive oil to settle the flavours. Serve with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan.

Carrot and Corriander Soup

2009-10-02T20:28:00.001+03:00

This sweet classic is a nice autumn warmer.

1/2 kilo carrots (peeled and diced)

1 onion (chopped)

2-3 cloves garlic (sliced)

stock (enough to cover the mixture)

salt

black pepper

cayenne pepper

pinch of turmeric

fresh corriander

(cream)

- Sweat the onion and garlic in a covered pan on a low heat for about 10-15 minutes.

- Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper and carrots and fry for a couple of minutes.

- Add the stock, bring to the boil, and simmer until cooked.

- Blend and season the soup and serve with some fresh corriander (and cream if you wish).

Goat's Cheese Salad with Orange Sauce

2009-10-01T20:55:00.002+03:00

This is one of the nicest dishes my boyfriend has created and one of my favourite salads. The orange sauce is the best dressing I've had with goat's cheese.

Salad:

rucola

lettuce (for example lollo rosso or curled lettuce)

cherry tomatoes

(cucumber)

goat's cheese (thickly sliced)

white bread (sliced)

black pepper

Dressing:

olive oil

2 oranges (juice of 2 and zest of 1)

(half a small red onion, sliced)

a splash of balsamic vinegar

a pinch of salt

sugar

- Fry the onion for a few minutes until it's softened.

- Add the orange zest and fry for a further minute, and then add the juice, salt, balsamic vinegar and sugar.

- Continue to cook the dressing on a medium heat until it has thickened slightly.

- Grill one side of the bread, then turn over and place the goat's cheese on top of the slices. Drizzle some olive oil on top, give it a twist of pepper, and grill until the cheese has some brown spots.

- Spoon the dressing over the salad and cheese.

Chanterelle & Spinach Lasagne

2009-09-19T22:19:00.001+03:00

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

2009-09-16T18:16:00.003+03:00

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

2009-09-15T17:22:00.002+03:00

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

2009-09-02T20:23:00.001+03:00

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

2009-09-02T20:09:00.002+03:00

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

2009-09-02T19:50:00.002+03:00

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

2009-09-02T19:25:00.001+03:00

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.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

2009-08-29T23:58:00.001+03:00

We picked some wild mushrooms (I don´t know the names in English, one big "tatti" and a couple of "haperos") on a forest trip and used them in a creamy risotto. Wild mushrooms have more flavour than basic shop ones, but if you can´t get anything else then the cultivated variety will do. This recipe makes about 4 portions.

3 dl abrorio rice

1,5 dl white wine

2 shallots or a small onion (chopped)

olive oil

1-1,5 litres vegetable stock

mushrooms (chopped)

thyme

parmesan (grated)

fresh basil

salt

pepper

(splash of double cream)

-Fry the onion in olive oil on a medium heat until it's soft golden, adding the mushrooms and thyme towards the end. Make sure not to brown the onion!

- Add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes.

- Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

- Add a couple of ladles of stock and keep on a simmer.

- Keep adding small amounts of stock, stirring and letting the liquid evaporate before adding more. Continue doing this until the rice is cooked but still a little chewy.

- Right at the end season the risotto with salt and pepper, adding some parmesan (and also some cream if you wish).

- Garnish with some extra parmesan and fresh basil (or some other fresh herb) and enjoy!

Tips: To get a nice creamy texture keep stirring the risotto constantly. The perfect risotto is slightly runny and the rice firm to the bite.

If you boil chick peas keep the boiling water and freeze it - it makes a tasty veggie stock perfect for the risotto.

These are the kinds of mushrooms we happily used in the risotto! :)

Classic Potato Gratin

2009-08-25T20:07:00.001+03:00

This is a very basic potato gratin recipe found at epicurean.com - I don't usually like gratins very much but this recipe is a worthy exception. We had this lovely gratin with some steamed broccoli and a tomato sauce.

floury potatoes (thinly sliced)

few cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)

cream

butter

salt

pepper

(parmesan cheese)

- Soak the potatoes in cold water for half an hour, drain and dry with a towel.

- Butter an oven dish and sprinkle about half of the garlic along the edges of the buttered sides of the pan.

- Make a thin layer of potatoes and add some butter pieces, salt, pepper, cream and garlic on top. Repeat this until the potatoes have been used.

- Bake for one to one and a half hours at 200 celsius, adding the parmesan halfway through, until the potatoes are very tender and have absorbed all the cream.

Bean Burgers

2009-08-25T19:51:00.002+03:00

This is originally Celia Brooks Brown´s recipe, although we've altered It a bit. We had the burgers with some potato wedges + home made buns, tomato, cheese, lettuce, rucola, fried onion, jalapenos, kermaviili (mayo would do too) and ketchup. Guacamole or a home-made salsa is also an excellent addition to these burgers.

pinto beans (soaked and boiled)

1 onion (chopped)

150 g mushrooms (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

bread crumbs

1 egg

1 teaspoon dijon wholegrain mustard

splash of vinegar

salt

pepper

chili flakes

ground cumin

fresh coriander

soy sauce

- Fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft

- Mash the pinto beans in a bowl

- Add all the other ingredients except breadcrumbs and mix well

-Add the breadcrumbs until the mixture is just dry enough to handle

- Preheat the oven 200-225 degrees and line an oven tray with baking paper

- Make the burgers with wet hands and place them on the oven tray

- Brush the burgers with olive oil and bake until they are firm and slightly crispy on top (about 20-25 minutes).

Basic Pizza

2009-08-25T19:45:00.002+03:00

I love homemade pizza with a crispy base and good toppings. Here is one very simple recipe that doesn't require a pizza oven or pizza stone.

Dough:

2,5 dl warm water

2 teaspoons salt

6-7 dl flour

1/2 bag yeast

oil

Quick tomato sauce:

1/2 tin tomatoes (drained)

tomato puree

garlic

salt

pepper

sugar

herbs

Toppings to taste: this time we had mushrooms, pepper, red onion, tomato, fresh mozzarella and some basic cheese + some rucola for garnish.

- Add salt to the warm water

- Add half of the flour and yeast

- Add rest of the flour and knead well

- Add a splash of oil

- Let the dough rise at least 1/2 hour in a warm place (until its size has doubled)

- Oil a baking tray and, using your hands, shape the dough until it's flat and evenly covers the baking tray.

- Add the tomato sauce and toppings

- Bake at 250°c for 15-20 minutes

Tomato Bruschetta

2009-08-17T17:28:00.001+03:00

We had a lovely pre-festival brunch on sunday with some friends: lots of food was provided, and I made a tomato bruschetta with my boyfriend. We also had some feta salad, hummus, fresh fruit, smoothie and orange juice among other things. A lovely start for a lovely day!

White bread (sliced)

olive oil

garlic (crushed)

black pepper

dried herbs (eg. oregano and thyme)

salt

fresh mozzarella (sliced)

topping:

tomatoes (peeled, de-seeded and chopped)

1/2 small red onion (finely chopped)

fresh basil (chopped)

salt

pepper

rucola to garnish

- mix the spices and garlic into the olive oil and spoon on to the bread

- put the mozzarella on top and bake at 200 degrees on top shelf of the oven until the cheese develops some brown spots

- combine the tomatoes, red onion and basil

- spoon them on to the hot bread

- garnish with some rucola

Tip: The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to make a small x cut on the bottom before covering them with boiling water. Don´t soak them for too long and rinse thoroughly in cold water or the tomatoes will start to cook.

Geoff´s Enchiladas

2009-08-12T18:51:00.002+03:00

This is my boyfriend´s own recipe: very warming and tasty with just the right amount of spicyness.

wheat or corn tortillas

kidney beans (soaked over night and boiled in salted water)

1 tin tomatoes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

tomato puree

3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 pepper, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons paprika (or 1 teaspoon of paprika and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika)

2-4 chilis (dried or fresh)

1 tub kermaviili (sour cream if you can´t get kermaviili)

vinegary chili sauce (for example Tabasco, Encona or something more exotic)

ground white pepper

salt

black pepper

jalapenos

grated cheese

handful fresh coriander, coarsely chopped

- fry the pepper and chili on a high heat for a couple of minutes

- add the onion and garlic, fry until nicely coloured, then turn down to a low heat, cover and cook until onions are soft and golden

- add the ground spices and fry for a minute

- add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and a little water

- bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1/2 hour

- add the beans and simmer for another 1/2 hour

-season to taste with salt, pepper and some chili sauce

- fill and roll the tortillas and place in a baking dish

- cover with kermaviili, jalapenos, grated cheese and a twist of black pepper

- bake at 225 c until the cheese has browned

- garnish with fresh coriander and serve with salad

Hummus, Tzatziki and Courgette Dip

2009-08-11T19:12:00.003+03:00

Dips are perfect party food and great for picnics since you can pre-prepare them and keep them in the fridge until it's time to eat. This time we had a few dips for dinner and served them with some basic veg and homemade bread.

Hummus:

chickpeas & stock

tahini

garlic

lemon juice

salt

(pepper)

- Soak the chick peas over night and boil them. (You can use tinned chickpeas too but I prefer the dried ones)

- Mash the chickpeas well in some of their own stock

- Add crushed garlic, salt and lemon juice (for your own taste)

- Add couple of table spoons of tahini

Tip: The hummus mix should be a bit runny before you add the tahini which thickens it up.

Tzatziki:

thick Greek yoghurt

cucumber

small clove of garlic

mint

(salt and lemon juice)

- Grate some cucumber (you can drain it if necessary to get rid of its juices)

- Stir cucumber into yoghurt

- Add the crushed garlic and mint (fresh mint if available, dried is ok too)

- Salt and lemon juice for taste.

Tips: Be careful with garlic, salt and lemon juice! If the yoghurt is bitter, lemon juice is not needed at all.

Courgette (Zucchini) Dip:

(original recipe from one of Jamie Oliver´s cook books)

plenty of courgettes

olive oil

chili flakes

garlic

lemon juice

salt

pepper

mint

- Chop the courgettes fairly small

- Heat up olive oil in a big pan.

- Add some chili and garlic and fry them for a couple of minutes

- Add the courgettes and fry them in a medium heat until they are soft (add the mint towards the end of this if dried)

- Add salt, pepper (fresh mint) and lemon juice to taste, and add some extra olive oil to loosten the mix if needed.

- Let cool before eating.

Simple Berry Smoothie

2009-08-10T21:04:00.002+03:00

I make smoothies whenever I feel like having something quick, healthy and refreshing. This time I used some lovely Finnish berries that I had in a freezer. Almost any fruit or berries will do. Smoothies make a lovely breakfast or a healthy dessert as well.

small handful of blueberries

small handful of strawberries

2,5 dl (a cup) of plain yoghurt

splash of milk

couple of ice cubes

sugar/honey to taste

(vanilla sugar or extract)

Blend everything in a blender and voilá, it´s ready to serve.

Tip: If you use frozen berries, no need for defrosting them unless they are really big. At least my blender can handle them easily enough.

Grilled Aubergine Salad

2009-08-09T21:50:00.002+03:00

This is a lovely dip-kind of salad that goes extremely well with crispy white bread. We had it with fresh home baked flatbread and some nice greens. The recipe is from a book called New Vegetarian Food ("Kansainvälisiä kasvisherkkuja" in Finnish) by Christine McFadden.

2 aubergines

1 red onion

1,5 dl olive oil

dried chili flakes

cummin seeds

sesame seeds

2 garlic cloves

salt

pepper

30 ml (2 table spoons) lime juice

Yoghurt sauce:

1,5 dl plain yoghurt

good handful of chopped fresh corriander

zest of half a lime

1 garlic clove

salt

pepper

- Slice the aubergine and onion into chuncks. Put into a big bowl.

- Mix the olive oil, chili flakes, cummin seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour on top of the veggies and stir well. Marinade for at least half an hour.

- While the veggies are marinating, mix yoghurt, fresh corriander, grated lime zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Leave to sit.

- Lay the vegetables on a oven tray and grill both sides approximately 5 minutes or until they are slightly browned. Cool them down for a while.

- Mix the grilled vegetables with the yoghurt sauce and let it sit in room temperature for an hour.

Tip: Don´t slice the red onion or garlic too small before grilling since they burn easily!