Perfect Roasted Potatoes

Potatoes, a vegetable so easy to use in so many ways and on top of that one that comes in so many forms. You have big, small and tiny, firm, fluffy and medium... you even have red and sweet potatoes. You name it and a the potato might exist in that shape or form. You can even pronounce this veggie in multiple ways: potAto or potAHto! ;)

But where does the potato originally come from? Good question... so I did some research.
It is well known that the potato is mostly eaten in the western world with an emphasis on the northern part of Europe. One might even think the potato originally comes from the Britain Islands as a bad crops created a famine in the 18th century. Even though the potato has become an important form of nurishment in northern Europe, it is actually originally from Southern America and was planted by the Inca's!!! Who would have thought!

Today I am giving you roasted potatoes....


Ingredients:

• small new potatoes including skin (4-5 pieces per person)
• fresh rosemary
• 3 crushes garlic cloves
• olive oil
• sea salt (big chunks give a better taste)

How to make it:

Turn on you oven on 200 degrees Celcius.

Cut up your potatoes in quarters to give them a french fry kind of shape and put them in an oven tray. My favorite potatoes are the small ones with skin as the skin contains the most vitamins and fibres, but you can take any potato you like. 

Add the rosemary leaves to your potatoes, as well as the crushed garlic cloves (you crush them with a big knive, take off the skin and voila you have crushed garlic cloves) and the salt.

Pour over a generous amount of olive oil. You want the potatoes to be crunchy and golden brown, hence the need of quite some oil. Olive oil however is better for you than ordinary sunflower oil. It is full of omega 3 fats which your body needs.

Toss the potatoes in order for all of them to be covered with oil, salt, rosemary and having touched the garlic.

Now put the tray in the oven for 40-45 minutes, but keep an eye on them after half an hour. You can also turn on the grill the last 10 minutes or so, to make them even crunchier.

Outcome: Perfect roasted potatoes. Many people boil their potatoes before which is also an option if you don't have a lot of time or when you have very big potatoes, but I discovered it is not obligatory to have perfect roasted potatoes.

Perfect Roasted Potatoes

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

How to make Hummus: part 1

Reading Andie's blog post on her favourite healthy foods, she made me think about my favourite health kick these days and I came up with: chickpeas!

You can make....

• Chickpea puree 
• Chickpea Tajines 
• Chickpea salad
• Chickpea pasta
• Chickpea con carne
• many other things that my mind can not think of at this second....

Or ... a million different types of hummus! Maybe some of you don't know this, but hummus is made with chickpeas, pureed chickpeas to be precise. And then you add whatever you feel like adding, that very moment.
As I know that a few of our readers are beginning cooks, I thought to have a little cooking series especially for them. This series is about 'how to make hummus'. We start of with part 1, making a very simply classic hummus. Then while we proceed in time, we are going to add spices, herbs and other kind of things to make hummus even more exciting.
By the end (if there is such a thing with cooking) you will be dreaming how to make hummus, and most of all, you will be craving hummus at a weekly base like I do.

Ingredients:

• one can of drained chickpeas 
• 2 tablespoons of tahini (sesamepaste) --> invest in this one as you will be needing it during the course!
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 0,5 clove of garlic 
• 1 tablespoon yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• pinch of chilipepper
• pinch of salt

How to make it:

It is the most easy thing ever!

Make sure you rinse the chickpeas after having washed them to take away most of the sodium that accompany canned foods.

Chuck everything in a high container.

Blend it down to a puree....taste.... add whatever YOU feel is missing... blend.....

Outcome: classic HUMMUS!!!

Get ready for part 2 next week or so; we will be adding some more exciting spices!

Hummus

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Cook to impress: Risotto Milanese

What is gold for a foodie??
Saffron is gold for a foodie....

Saffron is a powder extracted from a flower called the Saffron Crocus. They take it from the stigmas of the plant and seen that each plant only has 3 pieces of them, it is a rarity and difficult to cultivate and therefore so expensive. It is actually the most expensive spice that exists out there, hence the fact that saffron is a foodie's gold! Thank god that although expensive, the powdery gold is also very very powerful. The powder on each stigma is strong enough to colour and flavour a liter of boiling water into deep golden yellow, so you don't need much to cook a big bowl of risotto or paella!

And here is my link to the recipe of today.... Risotto Milanese! A simple yet impressive dish that is typical for the region of Milan. It is bright yellow risotto that I thought being boring at first, but when made right, it can be quite the taste-bomb! I made this a couple of weeks ago for Chef Stefano, and it was approved... few!

Ingredients: serves 4

• two garlic cloves peeled
• olive oil
• a big glass of white wine
• 4 cups of risotto rice and one for the guest (arborio rice is the best)
• one liter of vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 envelope of saffron powder
• 50gr parmigiano
• fresh parsley to serve

How to make it:

Contrary to what people think, risotto is actually quite easy to make. It just takes full attention for 20-25 minutes. So get ready to cook!

Prepare the broth and once it's boiling you can start making your risotto.

Heat the olive oil in a big anti-sticky pan and add the smashed garlic cloves (don't cut them up as you want to take them out after). Once they're turning golden brown and they are releasing their divine garlicky smells in your kitchen, you take the garlic out of the pan.

Add the rice and start stirring. You want to bake the rice until the grains get slightly transparant and start releasing a creamy white tail. At this point you add the white wine.

Keep stirring until the rice has absorbed the wine and releases the creamy white tail again.

Add a soupspoon of broth, keep stirring until the rice has absorbed the broth and releases the creamy white tail again. Repeat this process for 20 minutes more or less or until the rice is cooked. Some like their risotto firm and others like it more cooked - this is totally up to you, so make sure your taste it.

When it's almost done, add the saffron to the risotto and stir - this will turn your white risotto into a beautiful golden mixture of goodness. Then to finish it off, you add the parmigiano for a cheesy taste.

Outcome: GOLD! With a sprinkle of bright green if you serve it with the fresh parsley on top like I did.

Risotto Milanese

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Raffa's Quiche di Zucchine

Mi mancerete girls!!

Remember Chef Raffaella's Foccaccia di Pomodoro?
Did you make it already?
If you haven't you must.... if you have, then you're ready for step number 2: Raffa's famous Quiche!
She has made this twice for me now and each time it has been deluhcius! Like mouth-licking-give-me-another-piece-subito-if-not-I-will-kill-you goodness.

I do hope that Chef Raffa will keep up the good work by helping me post her recipes on the blog, because seriously, how do people keep up blogging EVERY single day? First of all, it takes time to create a good post, and second, where do they find the time to make all the food and then the pictures?? Don't they work????? Oh wait, it might be actually their jobs! In that case... lucky you!

My case is not as fortunate, it might become one day but until then, please cookers out there, enrich this blog with your national, international, healthy, unhealhty, original, traditional, vegetarian, meat, fish, good & bad recipes! This blog is here to share and learn from each other.. that's the goal anyways!

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 small white onion
• 2 small zucchini (summer squash)
• 1 pastry dough (pasta brisè)
• 2 yolks (the yellow of an egg)
• 200ml culinary cream
• 50gr parmigiano
• pinch of salt

How to make it:

Heat up the oven at 180 degrees Celcius.

Slice up the onion and the zucchini in thin slices.

Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and fry the onion and zucchini golden for 5-6 minutes. Add a pinch of salt.

Put the pastry in a round shape and cover it up. If the pastry goes 'overboard' cut it around the edges and add it where there is some room left or just double the pastry wherever you like it! (I like thick pastry in the corners...) Make some tiny wholes with a fork in order to avoid the pastry to blow up when it's in the oven.

In a bowl, mix the vegetables, the cream, yolks, parmigiano and a pinch of salt all together. Fill the pastry with the mixture. 

Put the quiche in the oven for circa 30 minutes. At the end heat the oven only at the bottom for a couple of minutes.

Outcome: Voila...

Keep tuned for more PicNik episodes.... I still have some in store for ya! Can you guess what the filling of these quiches are????

Baci

Chef Raffaella

Cook to Impress: old school English Poached Eggs; the real deal

As mentioned before, I do not tend to give up easily. 
As seen on this very blog, my muffins went from scrunchy misshaped little things (yet always tasty) to beautiful american style fluffy popping on the top little cakes...  and to confirm that I did really learn from my mistakes, this weekend I made Lemon Muffins and I have witnesses that they turned out yum! Keep tuned for recipes...

OK enough with the cakes and back to the eggs. So poached eggs in the Hamilton family used to be done using the magic pan right? Well, as it isn't really what they serve in England, we decided to change our way of cooking it, and try to make the real deal. Quite a bit of a challenge.... but....
So on the famous easter-skype-date night when my family had the salmon, asparagus and eggs recipe, they tried (with me live on skype) to make real poached eggs. And it worked!!!!!!!
So I followed the tips my sis gathered this weekend, and guess what: it worked again. So on sunday I had breakfast in bed with freshly poached eggs, strawberry crackers and home made cappuccino. A smile appears on my face when thinking of it again, and I am secretly wishing of the days to fast forward to the weekend....

Ingredients:

• super fresh room temperature biological eggs
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar (white wine)
• pinch of salt to taste

How to make it:

The true secret is to use super fresh eggs - preferably biological, and to take them out of the fridge 15 minutes or so before cooking them in order for them to get to room temperature.

Heat up a pan of water until boiling and when it boils, turn off the heat so that the the water returns to 90 degrees Celcius circa --> how the hell do you know when it's 90 degrees? When all the bubbles have disappeared!

Add the vinegar to the water and stir firmly with a spoon so that the water keeps turning.

Break the egg into a big soup spoon and then let it slip into the water gently. Make sure it falls into the water from a couple of cm's and not more. Because the water is turning, the egg white should twist and remain around the egg yolk. 

Let it stay/cook for 4-5 minutes.

If you like your egg slightly more well done than the usual runny poached egg: turn on the heat again at minute nr 2, but make sure it doesn't start boiling again.

Once it's done, take the egg out with a sieve spoon thing.

Outcome: your own real old school english poached egg!!! I still can't believe it!!!!! Next step is to serve it on fresh toasted scones with bacon and sauce hollandaise - just to keep you teased until next time... 

Poached Eggs

Cheers

The Hamilton Chefs

Summer is Magic.... with a Greek Salad

After a hangover... it's time for recovery with a touch of health for the body and mind, and especially a touch of freshness, and what better to do that than with a good old Greek Salad.

A greek salad for me = sun, beach & fun!
Where before I would only have it on the beach on holidays, nowadays I have to admit it has become a weekly meal during the summer months. That tradition came into my life by a certain someone who didn't like many many many things except for this salad... so yeah, there wasn't a lot of choice there! But I have grown to love the routine a little touch of greece during my boring weekdays, I guess it's all about give & take.... ;)

The main trick of a good Greek Salad is to use fresh produce! Pop by the market and get firm plum dark red tomatoes, some cucumbers and fresh black olives and you're good to go.

Ingredients: serves 2

• 2 big firm tomatoes
• 1 big cucumber - peeled
• 1 red onion
• 150 gr feta cheese
• 50gr black olives (or green ones)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil extra vergine
• 2 teaspoons Origano

How to make it:

It's a salad, so there's ZERO cooking involved - how convenient.

Slice up the tomatoes, cucumber and red onion in thin slices or cubes - depending on your taste.

Chop the feta in cubes of 1cm.

Toss all together in a bowl with the olives.

Sprinkle the olive oil and Origano on top.

Outcome: 2 minutes and you're done! Even a person with 2 left hands can make this one work. Serve with dark brown bread or a nice and tasty focaccia works well as wel - but makes it less healthy   

You can also add a drop of good quality Balsamic Vinegar if you like it. 

Greek Salad

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

THE HANGOVER CURE nr1 : Risotto Primavera

What do you eat when you have a massive hangover?!
written for and inspired by my amazing blogging friend Andie over at Can you Stay for Dinner!!!


When I was young - ok ok I still am - but I mean, out-of-school young, I was ready to fly out of my homey nest and discover the world. And that brand new world was mighty interesting, especially when the sun went down, the music turned up and the alcohol started flowing....

It's a bit like a music video in my head: a group of girls getting ready for a night out, trying out a million outfits, putting on make-up, gossiping, speculating about how the evening is going to end up, all the while with loud music, dancing and sipping a glass of wine to get into the mood. They go to a cool club where they meet up with all of their friends, they drink some more, get loose, dance all night long, make new friends, meet new boys.......................... lights on.... and lights off!

Until... the next morning! When I wished the lights were still off! From headaches to bad breaths and an occasional visit to the loo, we all know to what disease these symptoms belong to
: a classic hangover! Why does fun always have to go hand in hand with pain?! Not fair!

The cure: WATER, H2O, liquid (non alcoholic - even though they say one drink might actually help you as your body is in rehab from the night before, but don't think it will help in the long run) and foods. Your brain is dehydrated so your body gives you signs to eat greasy and unhealthy foods. It's definitely not yearning for tea and raw vegetables. So in order to give both, the mind and body, what they needed and wanted, I came up with two magic recipes, one of which is RISOTTO! Creamy, thick, full of carbs, tasteful yet healthy compared to the burger you might have craved. The other will remain a tiny secret till the next hangover....(next weekend.... :) )

Ingredients: serves 4

• 1l of chicken broth
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 zucchini cut in little cubes
• 5 espresso cups of risotto rice (one for each and one for the 'guest')
• 2,5 dl white cooking wine
• 2 handfuls of frozen peas
• 100 gr of feta cheese
• a hand of fresh cut parsley

How to make it:

Prepare the broth beforehand as you will need it ready once the rice goes into the pan.

Crush the garlic with a knife to peel it easily. Once peeled, keep it like that and don't chop it up.

Heat the olive oil in a large anti-sticky pan and fry the garlic until they release their perfume. Take the garlic out and fry the zucchini for a couple of minutes.

At this point you add the rice. Stir so that the rice and zucchini mix and fry together. Once the rice get's a 'trasparent' look you add the wine. Stir slowly until the rice has absorbed the wine and releases a creamy white trace when stirring.

Here you start adding the chickenbroth bit by bit. Each time after having added the broth, you stir until the rice has absorbed the broth. This process takes 15-20 minutes - don't worry, it might sound boring but it actually works quite hypnotising!

After 15 minutes, start tasting the rice. It has to be soft while maintaining a bite to it - at least that's how the Italians like their risotto, if you don't, then continue cooking it for a bit.

Add the peas and feta and stir until both are heated up nicely and the cheese has melted into the risotto.

Last but not least, you add the parsley for a fresh herby taste.

Outcome: A happy hangover body filled with carbs, vitamins, calcium and a bit of healthy fats! WIN WIN WIN WIN situation!

Risotto Primavera

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Cook to impress: Artichokes Souffle'

Easter is almost done... thank god! Too bad the holidays are over but at least it means all comes back to normal and that the city will be full of people again. What was I thinking to spend easter alone?! Ugh... definitely writing a reminder note in my agenda for next year. Thanks to technology I wasn't all alone, as I joined - in a computer shape - my family's easter dinner. And they actually made the traditional Asparagus, Eggs & Salmon dinner I posted the other day.

After several days of eating in big groups you are most likely to have leftovers... I see you nodding! I am also guessing that these leftovers are probably eggs, artichokes, milk, butter... and chocolate! So here I am giving you a recipe that can use up your leftovers. Who would have thought you can also impress big time with leftovers?? Well I certainly didn't, but this one proofs you can: Artichoke Souffle.

Souffles are known to be difficult recipes to make - hence the impressing part. But actually, Chef Stefano taught me that it's not that hard. The real trick is in using the right cups and the duration and heat of the oven. And the crucial secret is to NEVER EVER OPEN UP the oven while the souffle is in there. NEVER!!!!
Here is his recipe...

Ingredients: for 6 servings

• 8 artichokes
• 50gr white flour
• 50gr butter
• 300 cl milk - half fat
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• grated Pecorino cheese
• grated moss walnut
• grated breadcrumbs

How to make it:

Heat up the oven up to 175 degrees Celcius.

Clean the artichokes according to Stefano's tips posted earlier this month.

Cook the artichoke hearts in a big pan of water for about 40 minutes.

While the artichokes are cooking, melt the butter in a medium sized pan, add the sieved flour and stir for 3 minutes. Slowly add the cold milk and cook for another 3 minutes while continuing to stir. Add salt, pepper and the moss walnut to taste. Cool down the mixture - which is actually a Besciamella sauce!

Separate the eggwhites from the egg yolks. Whip up the egg whites into a firm foam. 

First you add the egg yolks to the besciamella sauce, and then you stir in the egg white foam.

Around this time, the artichokes should be more or less done. If they are, take them out of the water and squash them with a fork or chop them up using a kitchen aid. Make sure they don't get to squashy because you want to maintain the bite of the artichoke.  Add the artichokes to the besciamella mixture.

Now you are ready to prepare your souffle cups (one portion cups are best to use - comparable to muffin cups): butter them on the inside and add some grated breadcrumbs in order to prevent sticking. Pour in the mixture for 2/3 of the cup - as they will rise a lot, so you don't want them to be filled up too much.

Cook the one portion souffles for 40 minutes on 175 degrees. If you are using a bigger cup than add cooking time - circa 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size.

REMEMBER: NEVER TO OPEN UP THE OVEN WHILE COOKING!

When it's done, take it out of the oven and take the souffle out of the cup by turning them upside down on a plate. Turn them again so that the golden brown top is heading up.

Serve the souffle with a fondue of pecorino (heating up milk and pecorino cheese into a creamy mixture) or a sheep's cheese that has been slightly warmed up.

Outcome: WOW! You will be serving a starter that will blow away your guest's minds! Do you have a good recipe that always impresses you guests? Please share!

Artichoke Souffle

Con Piacere

Chef Stefano

How to clean Artichokes

It's easter time... which means: asperges, salmon, lamb, strawberries and artichokes! All of them will be on the blog sooner or later this week...

Who else has major problems cleaning artichokes like me? I think I have thrown away a dozen in forms of pasta and risotto just because I hadn't managed to clean them well.... And really, the tough leaves of the artichokes are NOT good!

But as you know, I do not give up easily so I called in some 'professional' help! So I called Chef Stefano who taught me some tricks and tips on how to clean artichokes

How to clean artichokes:

1. Cut of the top of the artichoke

2. Tear off all the hard and green leaves - you will have to tear off many many leaves!

3. Tear off the leaves until you reach the soft and white leaves.

4. Using a sharp little knife, cut off the stem in an oblique way

5. Your artichoke is ready for use...

If you have time, let the artichokes soak in lemon water (water with a couple of lemon slices in it) for 30 minutes. This will soften the artichoke heart even more.

You can do many nice things with artichokes....

• risotto
• pasta
• souffle
• quiche
• broiled with herbs and lemon
• steamed with lemon vinaigrette 
• stuffed porkribs 
• salads
• and many more...

Stay tuned for 'How to's'...

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Little Saturday Sunshine = Goat's Cheese & Avocado Sandwich + Pear/Strawberry Smoothie

The sun is out, 30 degrees celcius and it's a NON weekday!
Waking up by yourself instead of the dreadful alarm clock, and having ZERO plans sometimes is what a girl needs. After a morning of market, groceries, several specialty stores my belly was hungry for some fuel. One look at my balcony, fridge and drawer (where bikini is was stowed away) and I knew my mission.

Goat's cheese and avocado sandwich and a homemade pear/strawberry smoothie... a towel, bikini and an easy read magazine... music on and voila - my day was made!

Ingredients:

• two slices of dark brown bread - or any kind you like really
• one small tomato sliced
• 1/4 avocado sliced
• goat's cheese - or any kind of cheese that is currently in your fridge
• one pear
• three strawberries
• glass of milk
• a couple of ice cubes

How to make it:

Staple cheese, avocado and tomato on a sandwich and voila! I wanted to grill it, but without an actual panini grill that is hard to do!

Blend fruit and milk with the icecubes... and voila!

Outcome: Summer Heaven in 5 minutes!

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Quick Refreshing Side Dish

I'm feeling hot hot hot....
Summer is on the way, and besides stowing away my thick winter coats and woollen sweaters and taking out the summery flower dresses, I am also slowly exchanging my winter diet for a more appropriate and light summery diet, rich with vegetables, fruits and fresh herbs containing heaps of colour and flavour.
Nothing to do about it: summer is the best!

Yesterday I was looking for a side dish to accompany my Fennel&Pea Quiche,  and came up with this minty tomato chickpea dish made of ingredients that were all at hand.

Ingredients:

• one can of chickpeas
• 4 firm and juicy tomatoes cut up in chunks
• a handful of chopped mint
• splash of lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil Extra Vergine

How to make it:

Easy: mix all the ingredients in a bowl and you're done!

Outcome:

It was a surprising mix of flavours - mint is a perfect substitution for basel once in a while.

It goes well with grilled meats - seen the season I'd suggest a nice lambfilet, or even a chickenleg- but fish works as well. You can literally go into any direction with this side dish; add some mozzarella or feta cheese with a slice of fresh bread for a complete and nutritious lunch or dinner.

Minty Tomato Chickpea Side Dish

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Just an Ordinary Tuesday Lunch: Broccoli Pesto Orecchiette

I have lunch at the office with the 'in the office luncher crew'! Yes we consider ourselves a crew against those who eat out. And basically we vow that we always eat better, nicer and waaaaay cheaper than the rest of our colleagues.... maybe we should make tshirts to represent ourselves!

Anyways as 'brava ragazza' (= good girl) living and adapting herself in Italy, it means adopting Italian cuisine and eating habits too. Not to unpleasant to do, but quite hard to accomplish as Italian food may seem easy, it actually is quite hard to make because they have like a million gazzillion rules and idiotic guidelines. Pasta and meat together on one plate is for example a BIG FAT NO NO!!!! :(
Pasta and vegetables are a good and allowed combo, so here we go....

Ingredients:

• 250 gr Orecchiette 
• 200 gr Broccoli
• 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 clove Garlic
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons pinenuts
• 4 tablespoons Pecorino Cheese grated

How to make it:

Cook the broccoli.

Bring a pan of water with a fist of salt to a boil.

To make the pesto: put broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, pinenuts, pecorino cheese in a blender and BLEND until smooth. Taste and add whatever ingredient you feel is missing.

Cook the pasta according the package. Drain.

Mix with pesto.

Sprinkle some fresh Pecorino over you dish and voila: real southern Italian Orecchiette.

Broccoli Pesto Orecchiette

Outcome: My eating-out lunching colleagues were jealous! 

What do you like to have for lunch???

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Fruity Monday: Strawberry Goat's Cheese Salad

Seeing the beautiful weather down here - sunny and 25 degrees C - my appetite has been on a very low simmer, strangely enough. This could also be because I had the Peanut Butter Banana Brownie for breakfast and a turkey 'scallopina' (which is special Italian way of preparing chicken, veal or turkey promise to post a nice recipe soon!) that filled me up big time...
Anyways, because of the lacking of my hunger, I seriously stood for 15 minutes in my supermarket thinking of what to cook and eat, going over all the blogs and recipes I have read in the past few weeks, in my head. I was feeling like having something fresh, healthy yet easy and exciting to post on here.
Then I thought of Jessica's Warm Strawberry Orzo Salad... But remembered I still had a few things in my fridge and cupboard such as aragula, peeled orzo and sunflower seeds and decided to make my version of the Strawberry Orzo salad. You gotta like fruit in your dinner, but trust me when I say that the flavours in this salad will make you want more... much more!!

Ingredients - two servings

• 6 fresh Strawberries cut in little cubes
• 2 handfuls of Aragula
• 3 tablespoons of Sunflower Seeds (or pinenutseeds)
• 50 gr of Goats cheese crumbles
• 100 gr peeled Orzo (barley)
• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Glaze
• pinch of Salt
• 0.5 lemon juice

How to make it:

Bring a big pan of water with a fist of salt to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for circa 30 minutes. The orzo is ready when it is soft yet still with a firm bite to it - but this depends on your taste.

In the meanwhile roast the sunflower seeds in another pan without oil. Keep an eye on them because they are ready in a couple of minutes and burn easily.

Toss the seeds, strawberries, aragula, goats cheese, olive oil, balsamic glaze, salt and lemon juice in a salad bowl. 

Once the orzo is ready, rinse and add it immediately to the other ingredients in the salad bowl. The warm orzo will 'melt' the aragula and cheese making the salad really moist.

Strawberry Goats Cheese Salad

Outcome: Hmmm... it was.... setting my humbleness aside here... simply... AMAZING!!!!!!! 

Do you like recipes with fruit in it - suggestions? And have any light summery suggestions for an upcoming undecisive supermarket visit?

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

A winner's Lunch: Eggs Cremose

Last sunday I ran my first 10k on a lovely and satisfied stomach thanks to my winner's breakfast. Such a good breakfast that I ran my 10k in 1h10, something I had not expected at all. Anyways so the breakfast kept me full till two hours after my run!!!! I know, it's bad to wait so long after a workout but I had an apple...and I wanted to wait for my super duper winner's lunch and post it upon request of the dearest and most lovely Russian lady: Katia!

Ingredients:

• one piece of Wasa Fibres
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 yellow pepper cut in cubes
• 2 eggs 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 slice of Sottilette Cremose --> Italy's most plastic but creamiest 'cheddar/creamcheese' kind of things that is just perfect in eggs, on burgers, in one pot casseroles... etc.
• 50gr cooked Ham

How to make it:

Wasa speaks for itself and just needs to be put on a plate! ;)

Heat up the oil in a frying pan and fry the pepper for a couple of minutes to get the hard edge of of them. Take them out but keep the pan heated. Immediately add the two eggs and start stirring slowly. Flipping the eggs from one side to another. 

Add the salt, pepper and the Sottilette shred in little pieces to the eggs. 

Flip some more and when the cheese melted nicely you're done.

Place the egg next to the pepper and your wasa and add the fresh cooked ham.

Outcome: PROTEINS, Fiber and Healthy Carbs ... says enough!

Winner's Lunch

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Classic: American Corn Chowder anyone???

A first contribution by our American Chef Stephanie! With many others to follow... 


Feeling just *this much* better about the winter weather after supper tonight. I made one of my favorite comfort foods. Corn Chowder.
Now the original recipe has been around since my Grandma was first married. My mother made a second draft of it, which is the bacon-grease spattered index card that I have currently in my possession (Grandma's recipe card is still in the family recipe box.)
Here's the recipe.....


Ingredients:

• 4 cups potatoes diced = 
• 2 cups Water boiling =
• 1/4 lb Bacon
• 1/4 cups Onion, chopped
• 2 cups whole Kernel Corn
• 2 cups Milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon Parsley

How To Make It:

Cook potatoes in water for 15 minutes. Drain. Set aside.

Fry Bacon with onions in stock pot. Add potatoes and all remaining ingredients.

Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. 

ENJOY!

Outcome: What I do differently... I don't measure. I hardly ever measure (except when baking). So for me to give you my recipe... well I can't exactly. What I can do is tell you that I dice up about 4 potatoes, chop 1 medium sweet yellow onion, dice 1/2 package bacon and throw it all in my soup pot. I fry that all up and then I eyeball what looks to be enough corn and enough milk. I season to taste with fresh ground pepper, coarse sea salt, and garlic powder. Then I serve with a sprinkling of paprika and parsley flakes with toast or crackers on the side :). Makes enough to feed this family of four with some leftovers.

Corn Chowder

Enjoy!

Chef Stephanie from Stephanie Evers Writes

Njokkie..... aka Gnocchi!

A special recipe for my brother's sweet girlfriend Cath!!
On her first time meeting me, and meeting Milan for that matter... I took them to this little lunch place near my office at the time - right in the city center (Turati).
September friday afternoons with massive amounts of sun are just another excuse for Italians to have super long lunch breaks with a good meal and glass of wine. And we all want to integrate into the culture as much as we can... don't we? So that day I suggested them to have Gnocchi Sorrentina: basically they are boiled potato balls with a creamy and gewy tomato sauce and cheeeeeeeese! And Cath loooooved it!

Hereby the recipe with a Chef's Steph's touch....

Ingredients - for 4 servings

• a pack of fresh gnocchi (500-700 gr)
• 750 ml tomato sugo with basil
• one shallot 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 3 fresh peppers (red and yellow - whichever you prefer)
• 2 handfulls of fresh basil
• 125 gr mozzarella chopped up in little pieces
• 100 gr parmiggiano or pecorino
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:
First you have to grill the peppers - by placing them in the oven, grilling them until their skin burns off. This usually takes up to 30 mins, depending on your oven. Once they're done, take them out and wait for them to cool, as peeling them while still hot is a guarantee for burned fingers! Peel them and chop them up in cubes.
While the peppers are cooling down bring water to a boil with a fist of salt.
Heat up the oil in a pan and add the cut up shallot. Simmer for a minute until the shallot smells nicely.
Add the peppers and stir for a minute - after which you add the sugo, salt and pepper.
Once the water is boiling, put in the gnocchi. Cooking them, takes literally a couple of minutes. They are ready when they come floating up in the water. Immediately take them out of the water because overcooked gnocchi are not good at all! They become all mushy, instead you want them soft but with a firm bite.
At this point you add the mozzarella and parmiggiano to the sauce and stir until it melts in the sauce.
Last but not least - add the fresh basil.
Mix the gnocchi with the sauce and serve garnished with a leaf of basil.

Outcome: Italy's colours at it's best!!!

Gnocchi Sorrentina

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Fusion: Chickpea Tajine with a touch of Feta

Hey y'all, how ya doing??
Since the fellow members of the International Cooking Club seem to be busy.. hopefully cooking, I am just going to keep on adding my little treasures on here.
This chickpea recipe is a twist and turn of the Chickpea dish Albert Heijn (a Dutch supermarket) has on their site and it is my 'go-to' when in need of some healthy yet comforting food, as it is filled with veggies and healthy natural proteins from the chickpeas but with that satisfying creaminess of the feta!

Ingredients: (for 2 big servings)

• one eggplant
• one zucchini
• one big red pepper
• one can of tomato cubes
• one can of chickpeas - rinsed
• a couple of sjalots
• garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• salt and pepper
• 100gr of feta

What to do:

Cut the sjalots and garlic into tiny pieces.

Chop up all vegetables into similar cubes - they can be rather big.

Heat up the oil in your wok (or pan) and add sjalots and garlic until they give a nice smell and look 'trasparent'.

Add the eggplant, zucchini and red pepper.

Wok the vegetables for circa 5 mins.

Add all the spices and turn it all.

Add the chickpeas and tomato can. Stir the whole for a couple of minutes until it's steaming hot!

At the end you add the feta crumbled on top. Stir max a minute.

Outcome: From Super Healthy to Healthy and Creamyyyyy....MMMM

BUON APPETITO

Chef Steph

Papa's Poached Eggs Breakfast

What a way to break the fast better than with my dad's wonderful Poached Eggs!!!

He uses this magic pan for them as, unfortunately the real poached eggs ( the one where you drop the egg into the water without its shell ...) have still not been mastered. However the hunger for the poached egg remained, hence the use of THE pan!

A Poached Egg Pan with steaming technique  

What to do:

Basically you pour a little bit of water underneath the cups where you hold the eggs. 

Then smear the cups with some corn oil, or any kind of oil that doesn't taste too strongly. Afterwhich you break the eggs into the cups (one egg per cup).

Put the lid on the pan and put it on your stove.

Based on how you prefer your eggs, cook them for 5-8 mins.

Outcome: always yum!!! Check it out...

Cheers from Brussels
Chef Robert

That was the first entry of one of our Cooking Club members. I proudly present MY DAD:

 Chef Robert!!!!

Thanks so much for this lovely breakfast recipe. I'm sure it will be appreciated!

Ciao Ciao

Classic: Delicious Quiche alla Steph

Quiche alla Steph

This lovely and most of all tasteful quiche is unfortunately not all for my credits...as it has been based on a recipe I found in one of the Dutch Delicious's magazines. Think it was somewhere last year but can't give you a source on this one....However the addings of the different cheeses and the use of this pastry instead of puff pastry are 100% mine! :)

Ingredients:

• one 'pasta brisee' - which is paste for a crusty pie in Italian
• one fennel bulb sliced in very thin slices
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 full hands of frozen peas
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 75gr of feta cheese
• 50 gr of parmigiano or pecorino
• pinch of salt and pepper

What to do:

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Put the pastry in an oven shape for cakes or quiches and just let it set for 10 minutes.

Bake the sliced fennel in a tbsp of olive oil until soft yet still crispy.

Mix the eggs, eggwhites, feta cheese, parmigiano and the peas together in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the fennel is done, spread it evenly on your baking shape. 

Pour the egg mix over the fennel. 

Put the whole thing in the oven for 30-40 minutes. The crust needs to be golden brownish and the interior firm. To test whether your quiche is ready, stab a knife in the middle and it has to come out clean.

Outcome: Serve it with a nice salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, and voila, a wonderful dinner for your family, friends or loved ones. 

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph