Extra wide tagliatelli with Shrimp and Natural Yoghurt Sauce

Ingredients for Recipe:

• 350 g tagliatelle large
• 1 large carrot (peeled and thinly sliced the cartoons)
• 1 large courgette (cut into very thin strips)
• 250grs peeled raw shrimp (cut into halves)
• 1 small pot of yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 finely chopped garlic (+1 crushed)
• 1 / 2 an onion (thinly chopped)
• A cube of fish stock (knorr or other brand)
• 2 teaspoons flour (diluted one-third of a cup of water)
• Some olive oil, salt and black pepper

  

   A very simple dish to make quick and tasty as well as having a yoghurt tang which is unparalleled resembling a lemony taste.

   Prepare all the ingredients, once prepared the dish takes only about 15 minutes to make.

 

  Put the pasta cooking in boiling water with a crushed garlic clove, and at  the same time place  a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, and the (2 finely chopped) garlic,  to that add the onion and carrot bring it to sizzling point, stirring constantly to avoid burning (for about 5 minutes).

  Once the carrots soften then add the courgette the bay leaves the fish stock and 1 / 3 cup water, bring to a boil stirring regularly for 5 minutes. Finally add the tablespoon of butter and (water diluted ) flour, yoghurt then let it reach boil and add the shrimp, reduce the heat to minimum and cook for another 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally (do not forget to taste it to see if you need adding any salt and or black pepper).

 

   Drain pasta and serve it on a plate making a nest, in the middle place the shrimp sauce and finally add a little drizzle all around of extra virgin olive oil .Bon appetit!

Chicken and Mushroom Strogonoff (with a fresh mint touch)

Ingredients for the Recipe: (enough for 2)

• 2 chicken thighs (cut into small cubes)
• 200 grams of whole fresh mushrooms
• 1 and 1 / 2 cup of rice pilau
• 1 garlic clove, (finely chopped)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 / 2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons of "creme fraiche"
• 2 tbsp chilli oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of "chives" baby spring onion chopped baby 
• 1 / 4 cup of water with a teaspoon of Gravy (if you have no gravy, use the same amount of water with a tablespoon of plain flour ½ cube of meat stock) 
• Salt and mint leaves to taste

The preparation of this tested delicacy is very quick, it only needs a pan to cook the rice for about 12 minutes containing only salt and water, plus you will need a frying pan.
Place a tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan until very hot. Once hot, add the garlic, the bay leaf and a pinch of salt, and stir-fry the garlic (which is pretty fast) adding the chopped chicken once the garlic is golden, stir regularly with a wooden spoon so that the chicken can be sealed all-over,  let the chicken gain a little colour, and at this stage add the wine, the chilli oil and the fresh mushrooms.

Continue stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes, add the crème fraiche and a quarter cup of water with "gravy powder" (if you have no gravy use a quarter cup of water with half a cube of bouillon and a teaspoon of plain flour diluted, it will form a thick liquid "not too thick though" . 

Once it reaches boiling again, reduce heat and simmer it for 10 to 15 minutes. In the last five minutes add the chopped chives.
Serve and garnish with mint, which is also to eat as is super delicious and compliments the dish. If you fancy something more exotic arrange more chopped mint and use it instead of chopped chives. 

 YUM YUM! must try.

Drunk Duck with Chorizo With Herbed Oven Backed Potatoes and Veg

One more of my personal recipes, that is easy to make yet healthy and as always it has been tried and tested by me and my family, in order to guarantee a successful meal for you.

For this you will need: (for 4 people)

4 Duck full legs (drum and thigh)

5 Large potatoes (cut into eight parts length ways to form wedges)

4 Large carrots (peeled and sliced)

3 Garlic cloves (2 sliced, 1 minced)

2 large brocolli heads (cut into pieces)

20 slices of spicy chorizo (Portuguese or Spanish)

2 soup spoons of butter

1 lemmon (juice)

1 bunch fresh parsley (chopped)

1 Glass of white wine (cheap one will do, or even some old beer)

Salt, pepper, bay-leaves, olive oil and chilli powder (to taste)

To prepare this delicious meal, you place the duck in a container after making some insisions into the skin (see photo). Over it you poor the wine (or beer) and sprinkle it with some rock salt some pepper, a couple of bay leaves and some chilli powder. Place it in the fridge and let it marinade for two hours or more (as the more the better).

Later when you ready to make the meal take the duck out of the marinade and prepare it to go in the oven by inserting in the incisions a couple of slithers of garlic, a piece of bay-leaf and a slice of chorizo (each leg should have about 5 of these incisions), once done powder it with some chilli powder (or smoked paprika if you don't like it hot) another sprinkle of salt and black peper place in a tray (pyrex dish will do) and pour the marinade liquid around it. Place it in the oven which should have been preheated to 180/190 degrees Celsius, set it for 20 minutes.

After the 20 minutes have passed remove the duck from the oven and from the tray, and put the liquid marinade into a container place a wire rack into the pyrex and put back the duck on top of it basting it with some of the liquid marinade, and placing it in the oven for a further 30 (in which for each five minutes you baste them again). Simultaneously put the wedges in a bowl sprinkle it with rock salt, dried parsley, half of the lemon juice, chilli powder, the minced garlic and a bout 3 soup spoons of olive oil....toss these well together place them in a baking tray and place it in the oven with the chicken.

After 10 minutes, of the second oven stage of the duck place the carrots and the brocolli (in pieces) in a pan add about 1 glass of water cover it with a lid and place it on the stove on a medium to low heat once the water boiled.

It will all now be ready at the same time so all you need to do is dish it all together, in bain Marie melt the butter add the other half lemon juice and some fresh chopped parsley to pour over the veg (alternatively you can make a thick bechamel sauce, and pour this over the veg). How easy was that a meal, all in all 50 minutes from beginning to end.

Delicious Mushrooms Stew with Chickpeas and Quorn

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

    * 1 pack of Quorn "pieces" (or soy) about 250 to 300grs
    * 200grs squash pumpkin (peeled and cut into cubes)
    * 1 can of chopped tomatoes (or fresh peeled tomatoes 400grs chopped)
    * 2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
    * 2 red-skinned potatoes (peeled and diced)
    * 8 medium mushrooms (cut in quarters)
    * 1 can of beans (rinsed and drained)
    * 2 large carrots (peeled and cut into pieces)
    * 1 large onion (chopped)
    * A small turnip (peeled and cut in cubes)
    * 1 / 2 teaspoon turmeric
    * 1 red pepper (chopped)
    * 3 garlics (chopped)
    * A bunch of parsley (chopped, reserve some leafs for presentation)
    * Salt, pepper, and olive oil "sufficient"

How to prepare:

Place in a pan (on medium) a little olive oil + salt + pepper. Once hot, add the garlic, onion and carrot, stirring regularly until it starts going golden. At this stage add the can of chopped tomatoes, and as soon as they start to boil add the potatoes (both kinds), the turnip, pumpkin, beans, Quorn, turmeric and red pepper.

Place a lid not fully covered and cook covered over low heat for about a minimum 30 minutes, taste to see if this as you like and add to taste the salt pepper, as well as the mushrooms and cook another 4 minutes. Finally add the parsley and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 

Then you only need to serve and decorate the dish, when I tried this recipe I decided that it would be very good served with a nice  cold Rose Wine, or  a good sparkling white. Kisses and bon apetit! ...

Chocolate Cheese Cake

Ingredients for Recipe:

• 1 bar of dark chocolate, around 150grs (cocoa, min 50% max 65%)
• 250grs of whipping cream.
• 250grs of Mascarpone cheese.
• 70grs + 50grs of butter
• 10-12 digestive biscuits (crushed)
• White chocolate buttons (about 20)
• 1 cap of chocolate liquor
• (Optional 1 to 1 / 2 sheets of gelatin dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of warm water)

Get two bowls and a cheesecake tin, put the biscuits in one of the bowls and completely crush them till resembling breadcrumbs, to these add the 70 grams of softened butter and the chocolate liquor as well as two tablespoons full of the chocolate ganache (see below on how to make this ganache, made with butter instead of cream ) mix well and put it in the cheesecake tin, pressing it with a smooth surface like the bottom of a glass, to about 1 cm thick.

In another bowl put the cream and whisk it until almost fully whipped, adding to it the powdered sugar, continue whisking until fully thick whipped. Aside mix chocolate ganache (also optionally add the dissolved gelatin, I prefer it without) with mascarpone cheese, after being well integrated pour it in the the whipped cream and mix lightly until well blended.

Now put this mixture over the pressed down biscuit mixture and spread it evenly with a spatula. Garnish it with white chocolate buttons and refrigerate a minimum 1 hour, better if it stays a few hours.

The ganache is very simple to make .... put the chocolate squares in a glass bowl immersed in a bain marie once melted, mix it with the butter 50g (+ or-) until well incorporated.

This is a recipe that I tried and would recommend to be tested by you too. I promise you  not to be disappointed.

Tagliatelli Mushrooms and Asparagus with Garlic Breads

Ingredients for the recipe:

• 300grs tagliatelli egg pasta
• 250mls fresh cream
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 2-3 tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese
  
• 2 garlic cloves
• 8 mushrooms
• 10 asparagus
  
• 1 cup self raising flour
  
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• salt and pepper and a little olive oil

In a small saucepan boil the asparagus for about 10-15 minutes, when cooked remove them from the water and throw them in a (hot) wok pan with the mushrooms cut in halves with the chopped garlic plus a little butter and olive oil , season them with a little salt and pepper.

Cook them for aprox 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally, then add the cream, continue until the cream comes to a boil, then next add the egg yolk diluted in about three tablespoons of milk and add the cheese also, continue stirring it until the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes). After which you just serve.

While making the sauce, boil the tagliatelli in some water for about 12 minutes, then drain it and drizzle a little olive oil so that the pasta doesn't stick together, finally serve it with the previously made sauce on top.

The breads I made as follows. In a bowl, mix the flour with a pinch of salt and a little Luke warm water, until it was mixing it until it forms a ball, after which you kneed it and stretch it for about 10 minutes, then make small balls and put them on a floured tray and covered these with a cloth for 20 minutes, on the side in a little bowl crush a garlic with a little oil, which you then brush over the balls before placing them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown, then serve them with the tagliatelle. 

Real good food like this has to be made and eaten, especially as is a quick homemade delicious dish.

Roasted Pork tenderloin on Saffron Rice with Oven Potatoes and Broccoli

Ingredients for the recipe: (for 2 People)

• 1 organic pork loin about 300grs
• 250grs rice
• 1/2 onion
• 2 long potatoes (washed and cut into wedges)
  
• 2 pieces of broccoli (cut into small pieces)
  
• 1 soup spoon of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate
• 1 tablespoon of butter
  
• 1 Tea Spoon of chilli powder
  
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece of ginger (size of a clove of garlic)
• 1 sprig of parsley
  
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Very simple good wholesome food, as most of my dishes. Make small incisions in the pork loin as you see in the picture. Then in a small bowl crush the garlic, ginger, a little salt, pepper cream until it makes a consistent, rub it well in the back especially in the incisions, and let the rest for about 30 to 60 minutes.

Then put a skillet pan on the stove and in a little oil, once hot put it and let the loin fry sealing it and making crispy and golden all around, cooking is done pretty fast so it will still be raw inside, then place the skillet in the oven (or transfer the pork to an oven-proof dish and bake it for about 15 minutes 200celcius. 10 minutes before putting the pork loin in the oven, put the potatoes in a baking tray seasoning them with a little olive oil and some salt, these then bake for 25 minutes ending at the same time as the loin. While the pork cooks make the rice placing this in a pan with only a little salt and water, boil it until it is almost cooked (only short about two minutes).

Meanwhile in another pan put the chopped onion, the remaining chopped garlic, the chilli, a tablespoon of turmeric, salt and black pepper to taste, and about four tablespoons of olive oil and fry until the onions have caramelized a little, about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Once cooked, add a little water and a tablespoon of tomato concentrate and one of butter, stir it and cook a further 3 minutes.

Now add the drained cooked rice to this sauce cook for a further 1 minute, mix in the chopped parsley cover with a lid and let it rest 3 minutes. Of course while the rice is doing, on another little pan cook the broccoli. Then just arrange the plate, this dish if if you notice is the header on my blog. Bon appetit!

Cherries Cheesecake

Recipe Ingredients:

• 300grs well matured cherries
• 250grs mascarpone cheese
• 200grs sugar
• 8-10 digestive biscuits
• 2 soup spoons of butter
• optional, cherry liquor + a little vanilla essence
  

Preparation:

Put in a pan the cherries chopped + the sugar, boil it as if you were going to make jam, but you turn of the stove one step before it becomes jam, as you just want a delicious fruit compote, and then let it cool down completely.

Meanwhile place in a bowl the finely crunched digestives, the butter and half of the cherries liquor, mix all very well. Once well mixed place them in the container you wish to make the cheesecake spreading it evenly throughout the base and press firmly down with the base of a drinking glass.

Next step is to get another bowl and place there the mascarpone two thirds of the cooled compote and the remaining cherries liquor, mix all very well in a folding motion, and place the mix on top of the previously laid biscuits spreading it evenly....finally place the remaining compote on top of this in a circle smaller than the circumference of the cheesecake, and with a stick go around the circle line twirling circles over this one to get the same effect, or do it your own way hehe!!...it wil taste the same.

Finally refrigerate for a minimum of one hour and serve it with very strong black coffe for a treat. Bon Apettit!!

Salmon with Philadelfia and Caremalized Onions En-croute

Beautifull en-croute, made with salmon and a topping of caramelized onions and Philadelphia cream cheese.

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 1 skinless and boneless salmon fillet (I purchased it with skin and removed it after as is cheaper this way)
  
• 1 packet of puff pastry (I purchased it already rolled, as I didn't want the trouble to make it myself)
  
• 1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
  
• 2 tomatoes sliced
  
• 2 minced garlic cloves
  
• 21/2 a shot of Port Wine
  
• 2 Heaped soup spoons of Philadelphia Cream cheese (or similar)
  
• 1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
  
• a little salt, black pepper and virgin olive oil
  
• 1 egg yolk to brush the pastry
  

In a frying pan put a little olive oil and once hot add (salt and pepper), onion and garlic. Let them cook until they caramelize well, when this happens add the port wine, cook for another minute, remove from heat and leave to cool.

After cooling add the two tablespoons of Philadelphia over the chopped parsley and stir until it becomes consistent. Place the fillets of raw fish over the pastry (add a little salt and pepper on top), spread fillets with cream cheese and onion, put on top of the slices of tomato.

Now lift the flaps of the pastry covers the fish but do not completely cover it, use the excess of the ends of the wrap to make the strips to put over, these will not let the dough open more when cooking (see photo). Press the edges with the teeth of a fork and brush the dough thoroughly with the egg yolk. insert it in the hot oven (200 degrees C) for 25 minutes, and is ready to serve.

The vegetables are just boiled, I used as you can see, round beans, carrots and potatoes. You can use the same or even cauliflower, broccoli etc. You can also quickly after boiling the vag sauté them for one minute with butter on a frying pan then sprinkle some chopped parsley and a little lemon juice.

For the sauce puts the milk in a saucepan with the nutmeg, butter plus a dash of salt and pepper. Once it boils, mix the wine with the flour premixed, and stir until it thickens, finally add the chopped parsley and is done, pour over the vegetables. Bon Appetite