Creamy Miso Onion Sauce with Chili Crunch

 

Preparation You'll need: A large pan A large pot with lid
Ingredients Pasta and Sauce (for 2 persons) 250 g pasta (tagliatelle or fettuccine work well) 200 g cream 2 tsp. Miso paste (light) 1 tsp. granulated chicken or vegetable stock 1 tsp. brown cane sugar 1 tsp. Worcester sauce 2 medium onions 3 cloves of garlic Some cress Parmesan
Ingredients Crunch (for 2 persons) 30-35 g hazelnuts Of course, any kind of nuts/seeds will do. But they should be hard for the crunch. I find cashew nuts, for example, too soft (but they also taste good ;-) 15 g panko breadcrumbs (normal breadcrumbs also work very well) 1 well heaped tsp. chili flakes 2 cloves of garlic
First Steps A red wine goes well with it. If you want to drink rosé with it, you should have some in the fridge, otherwise it's too late now *grin* - hint: freezer compartment. Cover a large pot and bring approx. 3 litres of water to the boil, add 2-3 tsp of salt, switch off and keep ready. Meanwhile... For the sauce: Cut 2 medium onions into strips. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, set aside. For the crunch: Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic, put to one side in a medium bowl (this is where the finished crunch will go later and be placed on the dining table), add 1 heaped tsp of chilli flakes. Roughly chop 30-35 g hazelnuts. Measure out 15 g breadcrumbs.
Cooking The crunch: Heat 2-3 Tbsp olive oil in large frying pan and toast hazelnuts and breadcrumbs until light brown (2-3 minutes, good medium heat). Now add the garlic/chilli flakes and toast for a further 1-2 minutes, stirring well. Season with salt and pepper and place in a suitable bowl together with a teaspoon on the dining table. You can also add salt, pepper and/or parmesan, as well as some chopped cress. The sauce: Heat 1-2 Tbsp of oil in a pan that has only been wiped out briefly over a good medium heat and melt 1-2 Tbsp of butter in it. Sauté the onion strips and remaining garlic for approx. 10-15 minutes until dark brown. You should find out how long the pasta needs by now at the latest, while you are busy sautéing ;-) Then cook the pasta accordingly (1-2 minutes less than prescribed, it will still be in the pan). You need 150 ml of the pasta water for the sauce before you tip it away! Skim off and put to one side. Preheat the pasta plates in the oven at 100°C. As soon as you have the 150 ml of cooking water and both the pasta (tip into a sieve and set aside briefly) and the onions are ready, you can continue: Add 1 tsp brown cane sugar to the onions and stir until melted. Add 2 tsp miso paste and 1/2 tsp grained stock, stir briefly and deglaze with 75 ml water. Simmer until almost all the water has evaporated. Then add 1 tsp Worcester sauce, 200 ml cream and the reserved pasta water, stir well and season with salt and pepper. Finally, simmer the pasta in the sauce for 1-2 minutes, turning occasionally.

Creamy Sauce with Courgette and Gremolata

Preparation You'll need: A large pan A large pot with lid
Ingredients Pasta and Sauce (for 2 persons) 250 g pasta (from boring spaghetti to great tagliatelle to huge paccheri) Either: 100 g sweet cream and 40 g yoghurt (plain), or 140 g Double cream, or 140 g mascarpone It's relatively similar, maybe you already have some of the ingredients in the fridge anyway. approx. 30 g Parmesan, plus what you need at the table for self-service 1 rather large courgette 1 heaped tsp of granulated chicken or vegetable stock 1 lime
Ingredients Gremolata (for 2 persons) 25 g green pistachios (unsalted, unroasted) If you can't find them, look for roasted ones and skip the roasting. Only unsalted is a must. 1/2 burnch of plain parsley Some thyme (approx. 1/2 tsp) 2-3 cloves of garlic 1 lime Salt and pepper Olive oil
First Steps This goes well with a red wine. If you want to drink rosé with it, you should have some in the fridge, otherwise it's too late now *grin* - hint: freezer. Cover a large pot and bring 3 litres of water to the boil, turn off and keep ready. Meanwhile... Cut 1 large courgette into sticks (approx. 4-6 cm long and 1 cm wide). Coarsely grate 30 g Parmesan cheese. Toast 25 g pistachios in a clean pan for approx. 2-3 minutes until well browned. Set aside in a medium bowl, either whole or not too finely chopped. Finely chop/press 2-3 cloves of garlic and add to the pistachios. When the pasta water is at least steaming, briefly rinse 1/2 bunch of parsley and hold the parsley leaves by the stems in the water for a few seconds (so that they are not quite so raw in the gremolata). Pluck and chop the leaves and add to the pistachios. Wash and zest both limes and put to one side. Preheat the pasta plates in the oven at 100°C.
Cooking Fry the courgette sticks in a pan with a little olive oil over a high heat for approx. 5-6 minutes until partially browned. In the meantime continue with... Bring the pot of water back to the boil, add 3 tsp of salt and cook the pasta according to the instructions (for "al dente", no longer - about 5-15 minutes, depending on the type and manufacturer). Meanwhile... Also add to the pistachios (this will become the gremolata): 1/2 tsp thyme, 2-3 Tbsp good olive oil, 1 tsp lime zest, salt and pepper. Cut one lime in half at the "equator" and juice one half. Add the juice to the pistachios. Mix well. Cut the second half into 2 wedges and place them in a small bowl on the dining table for self-service (together with additional Parmesan cheese and the bowl of gremolata). Just before the pasta is ready, remove 50 ml of pasta water (I simply do this with a 500 ml glass measuring jug) and put to one side, juice the second lime completely and add the juice to the 50 ml of pasta water. Once the pasta is ready, pour through a sieve. Deglaze the courgette sticks with the pasta water/lime juice. Then add 1 heaped tsp of granulated chicken or vegetable stock, 1 tsp of lime zest, the Parmesan and 140 g cream (100 g cream/40 g yoghurt, or 140 g mascarpone or double cream). Stir well and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the pasta and mix well. Simmer for a further 1-2 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the pasta and sauce in warmed plates and serve. Everyone can now help themselves to the lime wedges, parmesan and gremolata.

 

Lamb Tenderloin with Porto Balsamico Sauce (Updated - v3)

 

 

Preparation time: three quarters to a full hour

Preparation You'll need: a pan a medium pot with lid a casserole dish
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 400 to 500 g lamb tenderloin 4 to 5 small to medium potatoes (firm cooking) 2 ripe Avocados 2 to 3 red hot chillis Even spicier? 1 Habanero 2 to 3 spring onions (complete) 2 cloves of garlic 210 mL portwein 60 mL balsamico Plenty of thyme and rosemary some butter, regular olive oil and sunflower oil
Starting with the potatoes Wash the potatoes and cook them until they start to get soft. In the meantime continue with the sauce.
Preparing the porto-balsamico sauce Cut 2 to 3 spring onions in small pieces, press 2 coves of garlic through a garlic press, heat up a pan and melt some butter. Steam the onions and the garlic for a few minutes, then add 60 mL balsamico and 210 mL porto. Reduce the sauce until almost all is gone and it's getting thick, that takes around 10 minutes. When ready, place in a small bowl on the side.
Get the potatoes into the oven. As soon as the potatoes start to get soft, pour the water, rinse the potatoes with cold water for a moment. Peel them, cut them lenghwise into quarters. Take the casserole dish and put some oil in it. ut the potato quarters in the dish, pour regular olive oil and spread chopped rosemary and thyme over them (around 1 tsp each). Bake them in the preheated oven at 220℃ for around 20 minutes - until they get brown. When the potatoes are baking for around 10 minutes, you can continue with the meat...
The meat You can start with this when you put the potatoes into the oven. The lamb tenderloin can be left as it is, or cut into long strips (about 2-3cm thick). Pour some sunflower oil into a small bowl, add choppped rosemary (approx 1/2 tsp) and ground black pepper. Brush the meat with the marinade and fry them over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan, wrap in aluminium foil and set aside.
Last steps When the potatoes are almost browned and everything else is ready, put the dinner plates and the small bowl with the sauce in the oven for the last 2-3 minutes. Add the lamb loins to the pan again briefly (approx. 1 minute per side). Take the avocado, cut it in half and remove the seed and the skin. Put all on a large plate for serving, with the hole of the seed looking upwards. That gives a nice place for the sauce. Put the chili next to the avocado.

Everything should be ready roughly at the same time and look like this:

 

Carpaccio (Updated - v2)

Ingredients (for 2 persons) The amount is for eating this as a main course, not as an appetizier (in that case, divide by four). 350 to 400 g beef fillet in very thin slices approx. 125-150 g arugula 100 g Parmesan Good olive oil (and, if you want, lemon juice) Salt

Preparation Since the meat is going to be eaten raw, the 'preparation' is pretty easy: Simply prepare everything nicely on a plate ☺. It is best to start with a bed of rocket, then place the meat on top. Salt it a little with sea salt or, even better, fleur de sel. Then put some more rocket and lots of Parmesan on top and then some good olive oil. I would put the salt and olive oil on the table with it, so that one can add to it if one wants to. As a side dish, some farmhouse bread, Greek flatbread or baguette.

Loup de mer (fillets) with Gremolata

Preparation time: approx. 50 minutes.

Preparation You'll need: A pan A small pot A small casserole dish or fire-proof glass bowl (no lid)
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 400 to 450 g sea bass (loup de mer) fillets Alternatively, you can also take Dorade (Gilt-head bream) Olive oil Salt, Pepper for the Gremolata 8 cloves of Garlic approx. 1 bunch of Italian parsley (for 6 Tbsp.) 3-5 organic lemons approx. 6 Tbsp. mild pignolias (40 g) 3 Tbsp. (approx. 40 g) capers around 10-11 Tbsp. good olive oil Further side dish 2-3 medium potatoes (300-400 g) possibly fresh bread or flat bread
Roast the pignolia Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Roast the pignolia in a large pan until they turn brown. Set aside in a small dish, they will only be needed at the end.
The potatoes Wash the potatoes, put them in a pot, add enough water and 1 tsp. salt and cook until they are soft. Drain and let them cool down a little, then peel them.
Preparing the Gremolata All ingredients can always go straight into the heatproof bowl: Peel and press 8 cloves of garlic. Chop the parsley, you will need 6 Tbsp. Grate the peel of 3-5 organic lemons - it should yield 15-20 g zest. Add 40 g capers, 10-11 Tbsp olive oil, season lightly with salt, mix well and set aside briefly. Set 3 Tbsp lemon juice aside for later.
Preparation of the fillets Rinse briefly and pat dry. Season the inside lightly with salt and pepper. Put good olive oil in pan. Place fillets skin-side down in pan. Put just under 1 Tbsp of the gremolata on each fillet, place the rest in a small ovenproof dish (without a lid) in the oven at 170℃ for 10-12 minutes. Gently steam the fillets, covered, approx. 12 minutes on a medium heat.
Last step Put the Gremolata from the pan back into the small bowl. Add the pignolias and 3 Tbsp. lemon juice to the Gremolata and mix well. Place on the dining table for self-service.

For decoration, cut the grated lemons into wedges, add them to the plate. You can squeeze over the fish, or over the Gremolata.

 

Loup de Mer (whole fish) with Gremolata (Updated - v2)

Preparation time: approx. 70 minutes.

Preparation You'll need: A pan A small pot A small casserole dish or fire-proof glass bowl (no lid) - for the Gremolata A large casserole dish or fire-proof glass bowl (no lid) - for the 2 fish
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 2 whole fish, approx. 350 to 400 g each. Alternatively, you can also take Dorade (Gilt-head bream). 2 stalks of Italian parsley (for the gremolata, parsley is also needed). Olive oil Salt, Pepper for the Gremolata 8 cloves of Garlic approx. 1 bunch of Italian parsley (for 6 Tbsp.) 3-5 organic lemons approx. 6 Tbsp. mild pignolias (40 g) 3 Tbsp. (approx. 40 g) capers around 10-11 Tbsp. good olive oil Further side dish 2-3 medium potatoes (300-400 g) possibly fresh bread or flat bread
Roast the pignolia Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Roast the pignolia in a large pan until they turn brown. Set aside in a small dish, they will only be needed at the end.
The potatoes Wash the potatoes, put them in a pot, add enough water and 1 tsp. salt and cook until they are soft. Drain and let them cool down a little, then peel them.
Preparation of the fish Rinse the sea bass, pat dry and salt and pepper inside and out. Stuff each with a stalk of parsley and then sear on both sides in regular olive oil for 2-3 minutes in a non-stick frying pan or roaster until the skin turns brown. Then bake in the oven at 170℃ for about 25-30 minutes (depending on the size of the fish. If the fish go into the oven in the hot pan/broiler: 10 minutes shorter and no need to pre-heat!). Now you have roughly 10 minutes to make the gremolata (see next step).
Preparing the Gremolata All ingredients can always go straight into the heatproof bowl: Peel and press 8 cloves of garlic. Chop the parsley, you will need 6 Tbsp. Grate the peel of 3-5 organic lemons - it should yield 15-20 g zest. Add 40 g capers, 10-11 Tbsp olive oil, season lightly with salt, mix well. Then, 10-12 minutes before the fish are done, this also goes into the oven with them (without the lid). Set 3 Tbsp lemon juice aside for the last step.
Last step Add the pignolias and 3 Tbsp. lemon juice to the Gremolata and mix well. Place on the dining table for self-service.

For decoration, cut the grated lemons into wedges, add them to the plate. You can squeeze over the fish, or over the Gremolata.

 

Bolognese Sauce (Updated - v2)

With ceps and parma ham

This is certaily for Spaghetti or Linguine. If you want, you might add Parmesan. I use plenty!

Preparation time approx. 60-90 minutes
Attention! With dried ceps, note that they must already soak for several hours (see instructions on the packaging) when you start cooking! Mushroom connoisseurs even speak of 12 hours (if you are not in a hurry, why not 😉).

Preparation You'll need: A medium sized pot with lid A large pot for the Spaghetti A small pan
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 180 g minced meat (beef) 60 g Parma ham 8 g dried ceps (or 100 g fresh) 1 medium-sized onion 2 celery stalks 1 small to medium sized carrot 1 clove of garlic 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. tomato puree 2 large tomatoes 150 mL beef broth When using dried ceps, I would soak the (rinsed) ceps in that. 125 mL red wine 75 mL cream Salt, pepper, oregano Grated parmesan 200 g Pasta
Using dried ceps ChezTeddy Tip: Heat 150 mL of beef stock in the pot. Cover and let the dried mushrooms soak in it for at least 1 hour (the longer the better). Then pour the mushroom broth through a sieve, collecting the broth and putting it in a cup on the side. The cep flavour becomes much more intense! Then you can start with the actual recipe.
Preparation Cut the mushrooms and 60 g Parma ham into small pieces and put them aside together. Skin the beef tomatoes, cut them into small pieces and put them on their sides. Finely dice 1 medium onion, 1 clove of garlic, 2 stalks of celery and 1 small/medium carrot and add everything immediately to the medium saucepan. Add 2-3 Tbsp. plain olive oil and sear for a few minutes. Add half of the meat and continue to stir-fry until it starts to stick to the bottom and turn partially dark brown. Add the Parma ham and mushrooms and fry briefly. Add 1 Tbsp tomato paste, tomatoes, beef/cep broth and 125 ml red wine. Season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp oregano and some ground pepper and simmer covered on a low heat for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally and soon continue with the second half of the mince: Over a high heat, fry the remaining minced meat in a little oil or butter until brown and slightly crispy, adding a little salt. This will take about a quarter of an hour. Think about the pasta too ☺!
Last Steps At the end of the 40 minutes, stir in 75 ml cream and bring to the boil briefly, then simmer for a few more minutes until the cream and meat are completely combined. To serve, pour the Bolognese sauce over the pasta and then top with the crispy pieces of meat; grate Parmesan over the top if desired.

Arrabbiata e Tonno (Updated - v2)

Preparation time:
Approx. 1.5 hours as cannelloni filling,
approx. 1 hour as pasta sauce

Preparation You'll need: A large pan One large or two small oven dishes (if cannelloni)
Ingredients (for two persons) 13 cannelloni (or 250 g spaghetti or other pasta) 2 Tetra-Paks diced tomatoes (ca. 400-500 g each) 1 can of tuna in olive or sunflower oil (ca. 150 g) 1-2 branches rosemary 1 small onion 2 hot big red chilis 150 mL Crème Fraîche 75 mL Balsamico 3 Tbsp. olive or sunflower oil (whichever was not used for the tuna) 30 g butter 4 cloves of garlic 1 tsp. tomato purée 1 tsp. brown cane sugar Salt and pepper
Step 1 Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Finely dice the small onion and 4 cloves of garlic, chop 2 chillies. In the case of the tuna, tip away the excess oil (simply what drains off with only little pressure). Heat 3 tsp olive oil in a large pan, melt 30 g butter in it, then glaze the onion, garlic and 2 chillies in it, then caramelise with 1 tsp. sugar. Add the tuna and fry until lightly browned, then deglaze with 75 mL balsamic vinegar. Add 2 tetra packs of chunky tomatoes and 1 tsp tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Add rosemary sprigs.
Step 2A (as stuffed cannelloni) ChezTeddy tip: Filling the cannelloni I had already tried this with a piping bag, but that the tomato sauce is so hot, it doesn't make much sense. I fill the cannelloni, one by one, always by putting them into the tomato sauce and pushing the sauce in with the stirring spoon. With a bit of practice, it goes quite quickly. Now you should let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, covered, then add 150 g crème fraîche, mix well and fill the cannelloni with it and put it in an oven dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over it and place in the oven preheated to 180℃ for about 25-30 minutes. or: Step 2B (as a sauce for pasta) Now simmer the whole thing covered on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, then remove the rosemary sprigs, fold in the crème fraîche and bring to the boil again briefly.

This sauce goes well with all kinds of pasta - here with Cannelloni

Citrus cream with Prosciutto

 

 

Preparation You'll need: A pan
Ingredients (for 2 persons) Around 140 g of ham (Parma or Serrano, or both) 30 g butter 2 Shallots 2 Cloves of garlic 200 mL chicken broth 250 mL whipping cream 5 g freshly grated orange peel (of 1 orange) 10 g freshly grated lemon peel (of 1 to 2 lemons) Juice of 1 lemon (50 mL) 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper 80 g peas 2 Tbsp. mint Parmesan cheese
Preparation Finely chop 2 shallots and 2 cloves of garlic, chop 2 Tbsp mint leaves and shave off the zest of the lemons (for 10 g) and the orange (for 5 g).
Preparation of the sauce Briefly sauté shallots and garlic in 30 g butter until the pieces become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the 200 mL of stock. and then reduce the whole thing a little, about 5 minutes. Add 250 mL cream, orange and lemon zest and 1 tsp cayenne pepper. Simmer again for 3-4 minutes, but the sauce must not thicken too much. Now add 80 g peas and simmer until they are completely thawed (if frozen) and hot. Finally add the chopped mint and 50 mL lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare for serving Put the pasta into the plates, pour the cream over them, and decorate with parmesan cheese and ham.

 

Carbonara (Updated - v2)

 
 

Preparation: You'll need: A pan Pasta ☺ - 250 g
Ingredients (for two persons) 1 shallot 1 clove of garlic 25 g Parma ham - or bacon cubes (smoked) 40 g ham cubes or slices, cut in small pieces 25 g parmesan, freshly grated 1 Tbsp. parsley, roughly chopped 200 or 300 mL sweet cream (30%) The pasta with egg which I usually use, absorbs the sauce, you can only marvel :-) Then 300 ml, otherwise 200. The same goes for the water. 100 oder 125 mL water (from the cooking pasta) 3 egg yolks some ground pepper some olive oil
Preparation Bring pasta water to boil. In the meantime... Finely chop 1 shallot and 1 clove of garlic, wash and pluck the parsley, chop coarsely. Grate 25 g Parmesan if necessary. Chop 25 g Parma ham and 40 g cooked ham. Separate 3 egg yolks. Now throw the pasta into the boiling water (takes 4 to 12 minutes, depending on the kind of pasta. See manufacturer's instructions). Sauté the shallot and garlic a little in olive oil. Add the Parma ham and cooked ham and sauté for a while. Deglaze with 200/300 ml cream and bring to the boil. Add the parsley and Parmesan, season with freshly ground pepper. When the pasta is almost ready, quickly skim off 100/125 ml of water from it and add to the pan, mix well. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer until the pasta is in the plates. Then add the egg yolks to the sauce (a second person should stir well while you pour in the yolks), mix well and bring to the boil very briefly. Pour over the pasta.