Delia's Goat Cheese Souffles

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

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.

Cheese Fondue

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

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

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.