Risotto

I know to cook a proper risotto you need time, but it's worth it. This is a fantastic basic dish for 4 persons.

Shopping list:

300 gr. Risotto
75 gr. Real butter
1.25 Liter (chicken/vegetable) stock (from cubes)
1 Onion
2 Cloves of garlic
250 ml Dry white wine

Finely cut onion and garlic
Put them in a pan with butter.
Add the risotto and let it 'swollow' the butter.
Pour the wine in the pan so that the risotto is covered and let it boil.
Then add some of the stock (don't use it all yet) and bring to boil.
Again add the stock, and again and again until the risotto is cooked.

It's nice to serve the risotto with some parmesan cheese.

Tip:

If you like mushrooms, why not fry them separately in a pan and serve it with the risotto.

Buon Appetito

Stuffed courgettes with roquefort

Even for the non-vegetables fans a great dish! 
For 4 persons

Shopping list:

2 medium courgettes
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
200 g Roquefort cheese, crumbled
Cut courgettes in half lengthwise, scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
Fruit puree and let drain.
Heat oil and fry the onion 10 minutes mix with the pulp
Blanch the courgettes for 5 minutes in boiling water.
Leave to drain the courgettes.
Preheat oven to 200 ° C.
Fill the courgettes with the Roquefort
Arrange the stuffed courgettes in a baking dish and bake 35 minutes in the oven.

Courgette soup

I know it has been a while, but here I am.  From friends of ours I got a courgette as huge as you can imagine so I decided to make soup with it.

Shopping list
1 or 2 courgettes
1 Onion
2 Cloves of garlic
Jar of green pesto
Chicken or Vegetable stock (from cubes)
Fresh herbs (basil/parseley/thyme)

Cut the onions finely (think about Gino) together with the garlic
Fry in the pan with some olive oil
Add the sliced courgettes and fry until soft
Add about 2 tablespoons of pesto

I had mine with French bread and garlic butter

Then it's time for the stock to pour in
Let them cook for about 15 minutes and then
mash them with the mixer.
Add the chopped herbs
Seasoning to taste

Variation:

Put some sliced tomatoes in it
Garnish with some stripes of smoked salmon

How to chop onions by Gino D'Acampo

Make sure the volume is on and even chopping onions will become a pleasure listening to Gino's voice.

Pancakes

Pancakes I hear you thinking, yes pancakes but my Dutch way :-). Before I give you my recipe what's going to be difficult because I don't measure things, I will tell you that in The Netherlands where -shouldn't you know by now- I have been born, there are typical 'Pannenkoeken' (pancake) restaurants. It sounds a bit bizar but I searched on the internet some typical Dutch pannenkoeken restaurants so you have an idea how they look from the out and inside. The outside wasn't too difficult, but the inside was...they are nowadays so modern, so a picture of a man with a pile of pancakes but you have to look at the tablecloth ;-)

For +/- 6 pancakes:

Shopping list

About 300 grams of flour (plain)
Real butter
Almost half a liter of Milk

2 large Eggs
A pinch of salt
For the topping:
Sugar (which you prefer)
Syrop (stroop in Dutch)
Apple* (cut in small pieces or rings)
Sultana's (rozijnen in Dutch)*

I always siff the flour in a bowl then I add 2 large eggs and start stirring with a whisk, then I add milk until I have a smooth substance. And then and don't forget it because your pancake wouldn't taste as nice as it should be add a pinch of salt.

* If everybody likes their pancakes with apple and/or sultana's, it's easier to add them to the liquid, if not then  when frying the pancake, add some apple/sultana's, then put some more liquid on them to cover them.

Take a frying pan (best is to use one which you use for eggs but...any will do besides a fish one) melt some butter and then pour some of your mix so that it covers the whole bottom of the pan.
When you see that the pancake starts to get dry, put some more butter in the pan and turn the pancake. You can throw them up high towards the ceiling, but I can't.
Then just fiddle around with the pancake knife to see if it's ready....it doesn't take long!

According to taste put some syrup or sugar (whatever you fancy) on top of it and I say 'eet smakelijk'!

Tip....the first pancake is never the best, so give that to ........ (fill in the blancs) :-)

Amuse Buche variety

This is a variety I thought about myself. It doesn't have much to do with cooking but it's different to spoil your friends. There are lot's of possibilities for this 'apéro snack' and this was mine.

Shopping list:
1 Pack of Blini's

1 Pot of guacamole (or make it yourself when the avocado's are available)
1 Pot of aubergine mash
1 Pot of taramosalata (no typo here officially it's with an o).
100 Gram of serrano or parma ham

For garnishing I have used black olives (well to be precise I have used 1) and some parma ham. Just think what you have in your cupboard or fridge and use that (tomato, pepper, cucumber, herbs,....)







Toast the blini's in the toaster first. I have put the aubergine mash on top of a little bit of parma ham.

The picture tells you the story. Try it and your friends will be impressed.

Amuse Buche with salami

Our daughter worked hard in the kitchen as well on a Sunday morning and she created her own style of Amuse Buche with salami.

Shopping list:

1 Cucumber
1 Salami
1 Tin of black olives

The idea is to layer all the ingredients which need to have the same size to start with salami, cucumber, salami, olive.