Fennel and potatoes in bechamel sauce

Ingredients:

1 big Fennel
2 big potatoes
Bechamel Sauce
Parmigiano Cheese (grated)

Direction:

Wash and clean the fennels and potatoes. slice the fennels bulbs in 1/2 inch strips and potatoes into cubes.

Boil it in salted water for about 10 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the Bechamel Sauce (the recipe is below), using half doses for all the ingredients.

Lay the previously cooked fennel strips and potatoes cubes, after having drained them, in a baking pan and pour on top the bechamel sauce covering it entirely.

Sprinkle the grated parmiggiano cheese all over the fennel gratin.

Cook in the pre heated oven for about 20 minutes at 200 °C until the top is brown.

Serve it hot.

Light Bechamel Sauce (Besciamella, italian) is a bechamel without butter:

Ingredients:
40 gr flour
1 lt hot milk
Nutmeg
Salt
pepper

Direction:

Put the flour In a medium saucepan put then add little by little hot milk. Mix it well. Then add nutmeg
Stirring continuously,

Bring to boil the besciamella for no 3 minutes or until it became creamy.

Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and parmiggiano grated.

Banana shake

Ingredients:

2 Banana

150 ml milk

150 yogurt (with flavor)

5 ice cubes

3 tablespoon sugar

Direction:

Blend all the ingredients until smoothy and thick. 

Pour into a glass, drop in a couple of straws and serve.

Black bean salad

Ingredients (for 2 persons):

140 grams of beans (steamed)
1 cucumber
3 tomatoes
1/2 garlic, chopped finely
salt
pepper
Extravirgin olive oil
glaze of balsamic vinegar
fresh parsley, chopped finely

Preparation:
Drain, wash and pour the black beans in a bowl
Wash and cut cucumber and tomatoes into small pieces.
Mix black beans with cucumber, tomatoes and salt. Let it for 5 minutes.
Then add, extravirgin olive oil, glaze of balsamic vinegar, pepper and fresh parsley, mix all.
And ready to serve.

Risotto with dried mushrooms

Risotto is a classic italian dishes.

Ingredients:
1 ounce dried mushrooms
2 cups  rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced garlic
2 cups meat broth
salt
black pepper
Italian parmesan cheese, grated
fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:
Prepare the dried mushrooms by put them in a bowl with 1 cup boiling water. Weight down the mushrooms with something so they stay submerged for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, squeeze mushrooms (saving all liquid) and chop them finely.

Heat broth and mushroom liquid in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat. set aside.

Sauté onion and garlic over medium heat until pale yellow. Add mushroom and continue to mix all for 5 minutes. Then Add rice and mix well.When rice is coated add wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until wine has evaporated.

Stir in 1 or 2 ladles of broth and mushroom liguid to cover rice. Stir over medium heat until broth has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding broth a little at a time until rice is done, 15 to 20 minutes. Rice should be tender, but firm to the bite.

At the end, stir in butter, salt and pepper.  And put on the top italian parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Serve it warm and "Buon appetito!"

Simple Cabbage salad

A Turkey dish, simple and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 cabbage

2 carrots, shredded

olive oil

vinegar or lemon juice

salt

pepper

sugar (optional)

Directions:

Cut the cabbage in half and discard the outer tough leaves and the inner core.

Cut each half into quarters and wash under cold water.

Place each quarter on its side and slice very thin slices with a sharp knife.

Place cabbage and carrots in a bowl and dress it with salt, pepper, sugar, oil and vinegar or lemon.

Taste it well with enough dressing to suit your taste then serve.

Futomaki sushi

I remember the time when I was in the philippines where I lived together in the same house with a Japanesse girl. She was good in cooking. One is the futomaki!
Ingredients:
3 cups rice
3 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cucumber, sliced into 1/2 cm strips
2 eggs
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 carrot, sliced into 1/2 cm strips
1 fresh fish fillets (salmon, tuna or any other you like) also smoked salmon works or little prawns, surimi (edible paste made from processed meat or seafood)
4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
sushi mat for rolling

Direction:
Dissolve rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan over low heat.
Cool the vinegar mixture.
Steam rice and cool in a large non metalic bowl separating the grains with a rice paddle.
Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice the rice paddle quickly.
Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl. Add soya sauce.
Cook rolled omelet and cool. Cut it into long strips.
Put a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat.
Spread 1 cup of sushi rice on top of the nori sheet.
Place the cuccumber, carrot, egg and fishcake lengthwise on the rice. Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder.
Press the bamboo mat firmly and remove it from the sushi.
Cut the rolled sushi into bite-size pieces.

Klepon

Ingredients:
1½ cups glutinous rice powder
¾ cup lukewarm water (optionally coconut milk)
2-3 drops green food coloring or pandan paste
8 tsp. grated palm sugar
1 cup fresh-grated coconut, mixed with ½ tsp. salt

Method:
Mix the glutinous rice powder with the lukewarm water and green food coloring into a firm but flexible dough.
Pull off one full teaspoon of the dough and shape it into a ball with approximately 2½ cm (1 inch) in diameter.

Push a finger into the center of the ball to make a hole, and put in approximately ½ tsp. of the grated sugar. Seal, and roll it back into the ball shape with the palms of your hands.
Prepare all the balls and set them aside.
Prepare a pot half filled with water and bring it to a boil.
Drop the balls into the boiling water. Remove the balls with a spoon once they float to the water surface and then roll the balls in the grated coconut.
Serve at room temperature.

Octopus Rendang

This is my familly favourite food

Ingredients
1 kilograms octopus and cut up into small pieces
2 litres/8.5 cups of coconut milk
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp toasted coconut
1 tbsp tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds )
salt to taste
sugar to taste


Spice paste:
10 cloves garlic
20 shallots
2 inches ginger
100 grams/ 3.5 ounces ground chilli
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
5 kaffir lime leaves (finely sliced)
6 Salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)
3 turmeric leaves (finely slices)
3 lemongrass (white part only)
1 inch galangal
3 star anise

Method

Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
Heat the coconut milk and spice paste to boil and stir occasionally.
Add octopus, tamarind juice, black pepper, toasted coconut, salt and sugar on medium heat, stirring frequently.
Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 2 - 2.5 hours or until most of the liquid has evaporated the meat is really tender.
Season with additional salt and sugar if its needed.
Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Banana Cake

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
150g Sugar
200g Banana, smashed
150g Flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Baking soda
100g vegetable oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 °C.

Whisk eggs, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well until they became uniform and fluffier. Than mix the banana and mix well at max. speed around 15 minutes.

 Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda together into a bowl. And mix together all the ingredients. You can use spatular or hand to mix. Add in oil damp; mix well till batter is shiny damp; flowing.
Bake for 40 - 45mins.

Pandan Swiss roll

Ingredients:
4 larger eggs
80gr  caster sugar
100gr plain flour
60gr melted butter
1 tsp pandan essence
Few drops of green food colouring

Filling:
200ml fresh / whipping cream
Icing sugar
3 tbsp desiccated coconut flakes (additional for sprinkle on the top if desired)

Method:
Preheat oven at 200C. Line 10"x 15" baking tray with baking paper. You may also use 10"x10" tray for thicker cake, adjust baking time to 12 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy, gradually add in sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Fold in flour, melted butter, pandan essence and green colouring, mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Whip fresh cream until soft peak, add in icing sugar and continue to whip until stiff then stir in coconut flakes. Cover and keep in the fridge before use.
Turn cake over onto a piece of baking paper, spread whipped cream on the top and roll it up with the help of the baking paper. Put in the fridge before serving.

Crepes

 

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour or whole wheat flour
3 tsp sugar (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup (to 1 3/4 cup) water, or milk
1 egg
vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:
1 egg
pepper
fresh chives
6 slices of prosciutto
6 oz. italian parmesan (parmiggiano)
6 oz. mozzarella, or any other super-melty cheese
Extravirgin olive oil

Mix all the ingredients into a bowl. The batter should be much thinner than for pancakes. For really smooth crepes, process the batter in a food processor or with a hand.

Preheat a pan on medium heat with a very small amount of vegetable oil. The oil should just barely mist the bottom of the pan. When the pan is warm, pick it up off the stove and hold it while you pour a small amount of batter into it. As you are pouring the batter, tilt the pan slowly in all directions so that the batter spreads in a very thin layer across the bottom.When the edges start peeling away from the pan, or when they become lightly golden gently loosen the crepe with a spatula and then flip the crepe over in the pan.

The second side should cook much more quickly, so don't get distracted and let it cook too long. In my opinion, the best, most delicate and delicious crepes are cooked until they have only just a hint of color.

In another bowl, mix together all the ingredients of filling. Than take 3 spoon of it and place into a crepes. Bundle the crepes with chives. Than put all the crepes into the oven for 15 minutes with 180° C until looks crispy on both sides.