Posts Tagged ‘cheese’

Tortellini with Rosée Sauce & Basil

Ingredients

  • 3 cups tortellini
  • 4 cups heavy cream (“Crème fraiche if available)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh parmesan (grated)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 slice of Prosciutto
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 4 tsp tomato paste
  • fresh black pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Melt Butter in a pan with the garlic and prosciutto.
  2. Stir in cream, basil, cheese, salt and pepper.
  3. Add tomato paste and heat until thickened.
  4. Cook the tortellini meanwhile per the pack instruction, Pour sauce over tortellini and mix.
  5. Serve and bon appetit!

Quick Notes

you can replace basil with parsley.

You can add fresh mushroom or a chicken breast along your dish.

Variations

A nice chilled Rosée wine will be fantastic.

Cooking time (duration): 18

Number of servings (yield): 8

Meal type: supper, dinner or lunch

Culinary tradition: Italian

My rating:5 stars: ?????

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Beef Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 kg ground beef
  • 18 taco shells (Hard or soft)
  • 1 large onion (a la julienne)
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 large bell pepper (a la julienne)
  • 1 tsp Chili powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a skillet, over medium heat, add the meat, chili powder, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and cover the meat with water. let it simmer for an hour.
  2. Add onion, bell pepper to the ingredients and keep cooking for another 5 minutes.
  3. In a hard taco shell, add your liking of meat, then garnish with chopped tomato, lettuce, and cheese.
  4. Top the shell with sour cream and guacamole if available.

Quick Notes

You can serve rice and black beans and salsa on the side. and lots of margarita.

Variations

You can replace beef with chicken or seafood to your liking.

Cooking time (duration): 90

Number of servings (yield): 6

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Mexican

My rating:5 stars: ?????

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Red pepper & Aubergine Lasagne

Guest Recipe (Liz Zachopoulos)

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe tomato sauce
  • 1 recipe cheese sauce
  • 4 large red peppers
  • 3 medium or aubergines
  • 500 grams Lasagne sheets
  • 50g parmesan freshly grated.
  • Tomato sauce

  • 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
  • 30ml Olive oil
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Cheese sauce

  • 1 liter of milk
  • 1 heaped tablespoon of flour
  • 50g of butter
  • 200g of grated cheese, a good melting cheese such as gouda, emmental or cheddar.
  • 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg.

Instructions

  1. Tomato sauce: place the chopped tomatoes, half the oil, the garlic, basil and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer a little longer until the sauce is slightly concentrated. Cool.

  2. Cheese sauce: Put the all the ingredients except for the cheese in a saucepan and bring to the boil slowly whisking all the time. Once thickened, remove from the heat and leave for a minute or two to cool. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted into the sauce.
  3. Cut the peppers into quarters, brush with a little oil and grill for 5-7 minutes each side until charred and tender. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover the bowl tightly with clingfilm (cellophane wrap). This will loosen the skin of the peppers.
  4. Cut the aubergines lengthways into thick slices , brush with oil and grill for 5-7 minutes each side. Leave to cool.
  5. Peel the cooled peppers.
  6. Grease a large oven proof dish with a little oil and begin layering your lasagne. Start with tomato sauce, then aubergine, red pepper, lasagne sheets and cheese sauce. Finish with lasagne and a coating of cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan.
  7. Bake in the oven at 200 C for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
  8. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Variations

Serve with garlic bread and green leafy salad.

Cooking time (duration): 60

Diet type: Vegetarian

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: lunch

Culinary tradition: Greek

My rating:4 stars: ★★★★☆

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Posted: March 7th, 2010
Categories: Greek
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Pizza con Prosciutto e Fichi

Pizza with ham and figs

Ingredients

  • 500 grams of pizza dough
  • 250 grams ham often cut into strips
  • 250 grams fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 14 fresh figs
  • salt and fresh black pepper.

Instructions

  1. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet with a rolling pin or your hands.
  2. Put the dough in an oiled baking sheet, brush with oil also the
    surface of the dough, sprinkle with the fennel seeds.
  3. Peel and cut the figs, place them over the pizza dough.
  4. Place cutted mozarella cheese on top.
  5. Season with olive oil, fresh black pepper and salt.
  6. Cook in oven at 250C degrees for about 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with ham.

Quick Notes

Serve with rose wine.

Cooking time (duration): 40

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: lunch

Culinary tradition: Italian

My rating:5 stars: ★★★★★

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Posted: January 29th, 2010
Categories: italian
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Spanakotyropita (Spinach Pie with Feta Cheese)

Ingredients

Spinach & herb mixture:

  • 2 kgs of fresh spinach,washed, trimmed, and chopped
  • 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 bunch of fresh dill, stems removed, chopped
  • 1/3 cup of water

Pita mixture:

  • Cooked spinach and herb mixture (above) at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 300 grams feta cheese
  • black fresh ground pepper
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 500 grams phyllo sheets
  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Spinach and herbs

  1. Over medium heat, sauté the onion with dill.
  2. in olive oil in a large soup or stew pot until soft.
  3. Add water and spinach and bring to a boil.
  4. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Put in a colander to drain.
  6. When cooled, cover and continue to drain in the refrigerator overnight.

Pita Making

  1. Remove spinach from the refrigerator and keep in the colander over a bowl while allowing it to reach room temperature. As ingredients are added, it will continue to drain.
  2. Preheat oven to 175C.
  3. Beat the egg with a fork and add to the spinach.
  4. Crumble the cheese and add to the spinach, and toss with one or two forks until evenly distributed.
  5. Unroll the phyllo and count the sheets.
  6. Oil a pan measuring the same or slightly less than the phyllo sheets with 2 tablespoons of oil using a pastry brush.
  7. Lay half the phyllo in the pan, and fold in any overlap toward the
    center to fit the dough into the pan.
  8. Brush the top of the phyllo with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, covering
    it from side to side.
  9. Pour the spinach mixture into the pan and use a fork to spread it
    out evenly over the dough. Lay the other half of the phyllo sheets
    on top of the spinach, and fold in the overlap so the sheets fit in
    the pan.
  10. With a sharp knife, cut into 20 pieces, cutting all the way through
    to the bottom. Use your hand to sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water
    evenly over the top. Work with small amounts of water to
    distribute evenly. Do not touch the dough with wet hands.
    Bake at 170°C for 40 minutes until golden brown.
  11. Cut and serve.

Cooking time (duration): 70

Diet type: Vegetarian

Number of servings (yield): 6

Meal type: lunch

Culinary tradition: Greek

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Posted: December 27th, 2009
Categories: Greek
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Polpette di Gioia (Italian Meatballs)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

  • 1 beaten egg
  • 500 grams ground meat
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 100 grams sweet sausage stuffing
  • 6 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • lemon zest
  • fresh black pepper, red pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix the bread crumbs, egg, ground beef, sausage meat, Parmesan cheese, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and black/red pepper.

  2. Knead the ingredients together well until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Shape the meat into small balls to suit your taste.
  4. Lay the meatballs out on a tray, cover with wax paper and chill for an hour.
  5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat.
  6. Cook the meatballs on all sides until brown.

Quick Notes

serve with tomato and basil sauce.

Cooking time (duration): 40

Number of servings (yield): 6

Meal type: lunch

Culinary tradition: Italian

My rating:4 stars: ★★★★☆

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Posted: November 30th, 2009
Categories: General, italian, lunch
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Comments: 1 Comment.