Chicken cacciatore con polenta

...or hunters stew. This Italian dish can be prepared in many ways, the only common denominator really is the presence of wine and tomato sauce. Today, I propose a rustic northerly version with white wine (in the south red wine is apparently preferred). Serving it with polenta gives the dish an additional Italian touch.

You'll need:
6 chicken thighs
a glass of white wine
3 spoons of tomato puree
4 carrots
1 medium onion
fresh salvia
3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
a bay leaf
sweet paprika powder
a glass of stock
olive oil for frying
salt

polenta
grated parmesan
butter

 

1. Start off by by browning the chicken thighs, previously seasoned with paprika and salt. Once they brown, transfer them into a casserole dish. You can make cuts on the thighs, so that they better absorb the flavours while in the oven.

2. Slice the carrots and the onion and add to the casserole.

3. Pour over the wine and the stock mixed with tomato puree.

4. Add a bay leaf, fresh salvia leaves and rosemary.

5. Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

6. In the meantime prepare polenta, using the instructions on the packet and stir in the parmesan and the butter.

7. Assemble everything on a plate, e voila!

Bon appétit!

Drunken carrot pasta

A slightly unusual combination of flavours for the secret alcoholics among us for the sauce contains a little bit of brandy ;) I used trofie liguri pasta which added to the funkiness of the dish.

You'll need:

trofie liguri (or other pasta)

100g of bacon cut into small cubes

3-4 medium carrots

2-3 spoons of brandy

4-5 spoons of sour cream

1. While the pasta is boiling, prepare the sauce. Start off by frying the bacon. 

2. Peel and then grate the carrots on a medium grater and add to the bacon once it's nearly ready.

3. Add the brandy and allow the carrots to fry with the bacon for 3-4 minutes before adding the cream.

4. Stir the sauce and watch the cream turn beautifully orange, your pasta sauce is ready!

Bon appétit!

Quick lentils salad

Feel like eating something filling, but no too heavy and on top of that you have no time for preparation? Then  this recipe is perfect for you - it literally takes less than 5 minutes to make and can easily serve as a quick lunch.

You'll need:

1 can of lentils

6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil marinade

fresh parsley

olive oil or oil from the tomatoes

white wine vinegar

salt & pepper

1. Put the lentils on a sieve and wash with cold water before transfering into a bowl.

2. Chop the parsley and the tomatoes and transfer both into abowl.

3. Add 2 spoons of olive oil and half a spoon of vinegar, add a pinch of salt and pepper for seasoning, stir, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Mish-mash vegan wrap a la Manès

I have been recently invited to a celebratory dinner by my dear freund Manès. In return (and under some undeniable pressure ;)) I made a promise to him that I will post the results of his cooking endeavours here if he prepares sth interesting ;) Since his performance was really up to the standard and he managed to impress me, here it is: mish-mash vegan wrap a la Manès! 

Unfortunately, I only took a picture of the filling itself, you'll have to use your imagination to conceptualise the end result. While the cooking technique for this dish remains a secret, if you would like to try making it you'll need the following ingredients:

aubergines

potatos (pre-cooked)  

tofu

red pepper

garlic

onion 

walnuts

salt & pepper for seasoning

and of course some tortilla wraps :)

The filling goes well with rice and guacamole, a recipe for which you can find here.

Polish smoked cheese potato casserole

Remember my two cheese potato casserole? Soon after I made it I became a bit homesick and decided to make another version with Polish ingredients. The results turned out to be very satisfying, so I post the results here ;)

You'll need:
5 medium size, waxy, low-starch potatoes
1 medium size onion
150g of smoked cheese
150g of Polish sausage
oregano

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Pre-cook in salted water making sure they are not completely cooked.

2. In the meantime, chop the onion, cut the sausage and  proceed to fry them together.

4. Assemble the elements of the casserole in a casserole dish. Start with a layer of potatoes at the bottom, season them with oregano, add half of the sausage/onion mix and a  few slices of smoked cheese. Repeat the process again. Leave some potatoes for the final layer. Cover the top layer of potatoes with smoked cheese, it will deliciously melt in the oven.

5. Put the casserole in the oven pre-heated to 200 degrees for around 15 minutes. The oil from sausage/onion frying should suffice to make sure the dish does not dry up, but if you're worried you can add some more before putting the lid on the casserole.

Bon appétit!

Pappa al pomodoro

 

You have some leftover stale bread? This typically Tuscan recipe comes to the rescue! Never again will you be faced with the problem of having to get rid of stale bread. In fact, this primo piatto (first dish) is so yummy that you might want to put some fresh bread aside just to make pappa al pomodoro again :)

You'll need:

500g stale white bread

400ml tomato passata or 4 fresh tomatoes

1 medium onion

1 garlic clove

olive oil

salt & pepper

1. Warm up some olive oil in a pot and fry some previously chopped onion on it. Once the onion starts to turn golden, add garlic and fry for 30 seconds more, being careful not to burn it. 

2. It is best to add fresh ripe tomatoes at this point and cook everything until the tomatoes reach a saucy consistency, but if you want to speed things up you can take a shortcut and add a tomato passata.

3. Cut the bread into small cubes and add to the pot. Add also some water and stir. Let the bread absorb the liquids and dissolve into a gluey smooth consistency. Add some more water as you go along if need be.

4. Season with salt and pepper for taste and add fresh basil leaves (these should be added only towards the end of the cooking as otherwise basil will loose its colour and characteristics).

5. Sprinkle some extra vergin olive oil on top before serving, decorate with a basil leaf, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Fish, sweet potato and spinach curry

Fish curries were somehow overlooked on my menu so far, so I decided it's time to change that. This one is a low-fat, sweet-spicy option ideal for spring time :)

You'll need:
200g white fleshed fish (I used halibut)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
100g fresh baby leaf spinach
100ml coconut milk
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, fined chopped
mild curry powder
chili flakes
black mustard seeds
cumin
coriander leaves (optional)

1. Fry the onion on a warmed-up pan with a dose of vegetable oil. Once it softens, add garlic and the rest of the spices spices (except for the curry powder) and allow to fry for a few more seconds being careful not to allow the spices to burn.
2. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan together with the curry powder and stir. Leave on medium heat until the potatoes soften, which should take around 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Cut the fish into bite size bits and add to the pan. Add the coconut milk. Carefully stir-in the spinach leaves. Once they soften, your curry is ready! Just sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves before serving, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Empanadas

Here's is my take on this Portuguese classic dating back to XVI century. Just like original empanadas have been influenced by Portuguese conquests (possibly they were inspired by Indian samosas), my version is a real mingle of culinary traditions - the filling has Latin American, Moroccan and Polish elements to it.

You'll need:
a packet of puff pastry
300g minced beef
2 eggs
2 sour cucumbers
1 onion
1 garlic clove
sweet paprika powder
chili powder
oregano
ras el hanout (Maroccan spice mix)
cinnamon
salt & pepper

1. First, boil the eggs.
2. While the eggs are boiling, chop the onions and fry on a medium heat. Add finely chopped garlic, sweet paprika, ras el hanout, and cinnamon.
3. Add the mince to the pan. Season with oregano and salt & pepper and brown. Add  also some chilli powder for the extra spice.
4. Once the eggs have cooled down, dice them and add to the meat mixture. Similarly, cut the cucumbers and add to the filling.
5. Roll out the pastry and cut out circles of around 10 cm diameter. Put the filling inside the pastry circles, leaving 1/2 cm edge. Fold the circles into half and glue the edges with your fingers.
6. Transfer your empanandas into an oven tray covered with oven paper. Put in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Bake until the dough rises and turns golden brown (so for around 10-15 minutes).

Bon appétit!

Chicken dhansak with paprika

Staying true to my Indian soul.  A more traditional form of this dish would contain mutton rather than chicken. Dhansak is often served on the fourth day after a death of someone close. Hence, it felt strangely appropriate for me last week. Never to be served on weddings or other festive occasions.

You'l need:
1 chicken breast
200g red lentils
2 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
3cm ginger
400g chopped tomatoes
garam masala
chili flakes
cumin (optional)
bay leaf
around 300ml water
salt

1. Finely chop the onions and fry over medium heat. In the meantime chop garlic and ginger. Add both to the onion when it's nearly done. Add the remainder of the spices (except for bay leaf) and fry for another 30 seconds or so, paying attention not to burn the spices.

2. Add lentils to the pan, and then immediately proceed to add the tomatoes. Add bay leaf, some water and allow to simmer for around 40 minutes, checking from time to time if the mixture requires more water.

3. On a separate pan, preferably a grill pan, fry the chicken breast and paprika, both previously cut into bite size bits. Season them with salt and garam masala.

4. When the lentils are nearly done, combine the ingredients, et voila!

5. Serve with rice.

Bon appétit!

Banana bread

It's deliciously sweet, moist and easy to make! This traditional American recipe dating back from before the war has even its national day: 23rd of February :)

You'll need:
100g butter + some extra for tin greasing
200g sugar
350g flour
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
cinnamon
chocolate chips
1 tsp oil

 

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. In a bowl cream the butter with sugar until pale and smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time.

3. Sieve the flour and add to the bowl. Add the baking powder.

4. Mash the bananas with the oil. Combine them with the cake mixture, folding gently.

5. Add cinnamon and chocolate chips. 

6. Butter the baking tin before transferring the mixture into it.

7. Put in the hot oven for around 40 minutes. 

Bon appétit!

Lahmacun with goat cheese

...or my creative take on the classic Lahmacun recipe I wrote about last month :) yummy.

The dough is made in the same way as for the previous recipe.

For the topping you'll need: (serves 2)
250g lamb mince

1 medium onion

4 garlic cloves

pepper cayenne

fresh sage leaves

100g goat cheese

salt & pepper

 

1. Start off by preparing the dough (you'll find the instructions here)

2.Then, prepare the topping: very finely chop the garlic cloves, sage and onions and mix with the mince. Season with salt & pepper, adding some pepper cayenne for an extra spice.

3. Once the dough has risen, separate it into two smaller portions and roll out very thinly. 

4. Add the meat mixture on top of the rolled out dough transfer into piping hot oven preheated to 240 degrees. The best results will be achieved if using an oven stone. Baking time might vary a little depending on whether an oven stone or a tray is used, but should take around 10 minutes. It will be ready once the dough starts turning golden brown. 

5. Around 4 minutes before the Lahmacuns are ready, add the goat cheese on top, so that it melts right on time.

 

 

Bon appétit!

 

Two cheese casserole

A casserole is a perfect dish for the working people - it can be easily reheated, so if you prepare one ahead of time, it will be waiting to comfort you after a busy day at work. I took one of my mum's classics and spiced it up with some of the European's finest PGI products (Protected Geographical Indication).

You'll need:

500g waxy, low-starch potatoes

1 big cooked sausage (I used saucisses de Montébeliard)

75g of Danish blue cheese

150g of mature vintage cheddar

1 medium onion

sweet paprika

chili powder

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Pre-cook in salted water making sure they are not completely cooked.

2. In the meantime, chop the onion, cut the sausage and  proceed to fry them together.

4. Assemble the elements of the casserole in a casserole dish. start with a layer of potatoes at the bottom, season them with sweet and spicy paprika, add half of the sausage/onion mix and add some crumbled blue cheese. Repeat the process again. Leave some potatoes for the final layer. Cover the top layer of potatoes with cheddar cheese.

5. Put the casserole in the oven pre-heated to 200 degrees for around 15 minutes. The oil from sausage/onion frying should suffice to make sure the dish does not dry up, but if you're worried you can add some more before putting the lid on the casserole

.

Bon appétit!

Spinach and cod mini tartellettes

I have recently moved countries again, so I thought it would be appropriate to begin this new phase in my life with a recipe which is somehow connected to the country I now live in - Belgium. While the country is famous for its chocolates, fries, waffles, mussels and beer, I decided to start with something less conspicuous - a tartellette. At this point you may ask what's the difference between a tart(ellette) and a quiche, but I must admit that I find the distinction a little bit confusing: both pastries can be savoury or sweet, served warm or cold. The distinction appears to be based on the proportion of the custard filling, which suggests that there are no hard line distinction here after all. Today's recipe is based simply on cream filling, so it might fall outside either category technically speaking.

You'll need: (for 3 tartellettes)

ready made puff pastry

100g cod fillet (or other white fish)

one medium onion (finely chopped)

50g fresh spinach baby leaves

around 100ml fat cream

nutmeg (best freshly grated)

salt & pepper

a little bit of oil for frying

1. Cut the fish into small cubes and fry on a warm pan with oil, adding a little bit of salt and pepper as seasoning.

2. Remove the fish from the pan and fry the onion on the same pan. Once the onion is nearly ready, add spinach leaves and cover the pan with a lid for around 2 minutes. Once the leaves have softened, stir the contents of the pan a little bit and transfer onto a plate.

3. Allow the filling to cool down, soaking any liquid from the spinach.

4. In the meantime, cut out circles from puff pastry to fit in the ramekins. They should be around 1cm higher than the edge of the ramekins. Once fitted into the ramekins, make some holes in the pastry and put into an oven pre-heated to around 175 degrees for 3 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven, fill with cod and spinach and cover with cream. Sprinkle with some nutmeg, or better still mix the cream with nutmeg beforehand.

6. Put back into the oven for around 10 minutes, or until the pastry starts to turn golden brown, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Lahmacun

Lahmacun, also known as Armenian or Turkish pizza, is a popular fast food in Turkish, Armenian and also Syrian and Libyan cuisines. It is a thin flatbread with a mince meat topping (usually lamb). It is supposed to be sprinkled with lemon juice before serving. This version is additionally served with yoghurt based lemon and parsley sauce.

You'll need:

 For the dough: (serves 2)

     350g flour

     250ml warm water

     2 spoons of olive oil

     2 spoons of instant yeast

     1 teaspoon of sugar

     1 teaspoon of salt

For the topping:

    250g lamb mince

    1/2 of a pepper

    1 medium onion

    fresh parsley

    4 garlic cloves

    pepper cayenne

    salt & pepper

For the sauce:

    4 spoons of natural yoghurt

    1 spoon of mayonaisse

    1 spoon lemon juice

    fresh parsley

1. Start off with preparing the dough: in a glass mix the yeast with a little bit of warm water and sugar and leave aside in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. Sieve the flour, add salt, warm water and yeast mixture once it's ready. Knead the dough for a few minutes adding olive oil in the process. Cover with a cloth and put aside for 1,5 - 2 hours, allowing the dough to rise.

2. Prepare the topping: very finely chop the garlic cloves, parsley, pepper and onions and mix with the mince. Season with salt & pepper, adding some pepper cayenne for an extra spice.

3. Once the dough has risen, separate it into two smaller portions and roll out very thinly. 

4. Add the meat and vegetable mixture on top and transfer into the oven preheated to 240 degrees. The best results will be achieved if using an oven stone. Baking time might vary a little depending on whether an oven stone or a tray is used, but should take around 10 minutes. It will be ready once the dough starts turning golden brown.

5. In the meantime prepare the sauce by chopping the parsley and then mixing all of the ingredients.

6. Remove the lahmacun from the oven, sprinkle with lemon juice, et voila!

Bon appétit!

Chicken saag

Saag, sometimes also called saagwala, is a green-leaf based curry, popular especially in Punjabi cuisine. It can be served with meat (saag gosht) or with paneer cheese or as a dish of its own to be served with naans, rotis or rice. Meat version is commonly prepared with lamb, but today I suggest a quicker version with chicken. It is ideal for those preferring slightly milder curries.

You'll need:

1 chicken breast 

400g pre-cooked spinach

2 medium onions

crushed chilli flakes (or a fresh red chilli)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 cardamon pods 

cinnamon

black mustard seeds

turmeric

ground coriander

cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

2 spoons of tomato concentrate

1/2 glass of water

salt & pepper

oil for frying

Naans, rotis or rice to serve with

1. Chop the onions and fry them on a hot pan with oil. Once it softens add garlic and chilli flakes and fry for one more minute.

2. Open up the cardamom pods and empty the contents into the pan. Add the rest of the spices, except for the bay leaves. Allow to fry for a few seconds (the aroma of the onions together with the spices is absolutely amazing!).

3. Add spinach, tomato concentrate, a pinch of salt together with water and stir. Allow to cook for a minute or two and then put aside to cool down.

4. In the meantime, cut the chicken breast into small pieces, season with salt and pepper and fry on a separate pan.

5. Once the spinach mixture has cooled down a little bit, blend it. Add bay leaves and chicken pieces and simmer slowly for at least 15 minutes (if you allow it to simmer longer, the flavours will come out even better), e voila!

Bon appétit!