Pink Heart Shaped Ravioli

Ingredients (3-4 servings):

Pink heart shaped ravioli:

• 125 g wheat flour

• 125 g durumwheat flour

• 50 g water

• 70g beet juice

• 1 egg (60g)

Filling:

• 300g mushroom (I used King trumpet mushroom)

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 clove of garlic 

• 1 tbsp butter

• 0.25 tsp salt

• 0.25 tsp blackpepper

For serving: 

• 0.5 dl grated parmesan cheese

• 8st cherrytomatoes

• 8 fresh basil leaves

• 0.25tsp freshly ground black pepper

How to:

Pink heart shaped ravioli:

Measure and place the flour in a pile on a baking table or large cutting board - preferably wooden. Form a pit in the middle and crack the egg into it. Stir the egg around in the pit of flour so that the yolk and white are mixed before stirring in the flour.

Stir the egg into the flour and add first the beet juice and then the water a little bit at a time. Mix gently into a dough. Adjust so that it becomes sufficiently stiff either by adding more water or more flour.

Knead the dough until it is smooth, for at least 5 minutes. It should spring back slightly when you press it and not stick to the surface. 

Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for at least one hour.

Filling:

Chop the mushrooms into small pieces and fry them in a dry pan for 5-10 minutes. Chop the onion in equally small pieces and add that to the pan together with the butter. Lastly press a clove of garlic into the blend and cook until everything is nice and fragrant. 

Assemble:

Divide the dough into two parts, so it is easier to roll out. Add a little bit of flour to the rolling pin or the surface so that the dough does not stick to either. Roll out to approx. 2 mm thickness. Then using a heart shaped cookie cutter (mine was 9 cm across) cut out the pasta and put them on a parchment lined baking tray.

Add 1-2 tsp of the mushroom filling to every other pasta piece and then lay the one without filling over the top. Press the sides of each heart with a fork to make sure the filling doesn’t spill out during cooking. Boil a big pot of water and cook the pasta for about 3 minutes depending on the size of the hearts. 

Serve the ravioli with grated parmesan cheese, chopped up fresh basil and cut up cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!

Bánh Mì

Ingredients (4 servings):

Báhn mì:

• 250 g tempeh

• 1dl favorite bbq sauce

• 0.5dl  water

• 2.5dl  shredded cabbage

• 2.5dl shredded carrot

• 0.5dl white vinegar (12%)

• 1 dl sugar

• 2 dl boiling water

• 1 red chili, sliced

• 4 mini baguettes

• 1 dl mayonnaise

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

•  cilantro leaves (Can be skipped if you are crazy like my friend ;) )

How to:

Slice tempeh into 4 slices. Whisk together your favorite bbq sauce with 0.5dl water, and marinate tempeh in the mixture until you are ready to use it (at least 30 minutes).

Toss together shredded cabbage and carrot in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the boiling water, sugar, vinegar and chili and combine until sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and carrot so they are submerged. Refrigerate until ready to assemble sandwiches (again at least 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 175°C.

Lay marinated tempeh slices onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through baking time and using extra marinade to baste them once or twice.

Prepare the baguettes by spreading 1 tbsp of mayonnaise on the inside of each side of the bun.

Shake excess liquid off of the pickled cabbage and carrot, and place a small handful on the bottom bun. Place a couple slices of baked tempeh on top and add cucumber and cilantro.

Lasagne Bolognese

Ingredients (4 servings, 33*22cm pan):

Lasagne bolognese:

Bolognese sauce:

• 300 g ground beef

• 150 g sliced pancetta 

• 300 g tomato passata or crashed peeled tomato

• 1 small carrot

• 1 celery stalk

• 1 small onion

• 1 dl dry white wine

• 1 dl milk

• 3 dl meat broth

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• fine salt

• freshly ground black pepper

Lasagna Noodles

• 14 flat lasagna (big ones), oven ready (no cooking or boiling necessary)

• 200 g freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

Bèchamel Sauce

• 5 dl milk

• 50 g unsalted butter

• 50 g flour

• fine salt to taste

• freshly grated nutmeg

How to:

Bolognese: 

First cut the carrot, celery and onion in very tiny pieces. Set aside. Then cut the pancetta as finely as possible and place it in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time.

Add the olive oil and the finely chopped vegetables. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Lastly add the ground beef.

Stir and cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Now put the heat on high and add the white wine. Stir and let it evaporate.

Finally add the tomato passata. Cover with a lid and simmer over LOW heat for about 2 hours. If the sauce dries too much during cooking, add a little meat broth. Towards the end, add the milk to dampen the acidity of the tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Bolognese Sauce is ready when you can see an oily, creamy sauce on the surface.

Sauce: 

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat then add the flour, while mixing QUICKLY with a whisk. Cook for 30 sec to 1 min stirring, so the flour becomes tastier and absorbs the butter, it should be a nice golden color. Now set aside and let it cool. Meanwhile, heat the milk without bringing to a boil.

Pour the milk slowly over the roux (butter & flour mixture), while stirring vigorously with a whisk to prevent the formation of lumps. When the milk is completely incorporated, put the saucepan back on low heat. Keep mixing constantly, until you have a fairly thick consistency (about 10 to 15 minutes). The sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Finally, add a pinch of fine salt and grated nutmeg to taste.

Lasagne:

Preheat the oven at 190°C. Spread two tablespoons of bechamel on the bottom of a baking dish. Then put a lasagna noodle over it, trying to cover the entire bottom of the pan. If one lasagna is not enough for you, use another one, whole or in half, depending on the size of the lasagna. Layer on two tablespoons of bolognese sauce and two of bechamel sauce.

With the help of a tablespoon, cover the entire surface of the lasagna. In the end, sprinkle two tablespoons of grated Parmigiano.

Repeat these steps for at least four layers (lasagna – bolognese sauce – bèchamel – parmigiano), in any case up to fill your baking dish.

Finish by covering the last layer with plenty of Parmigiano cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes.Let the Lasagna Bolognese cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Original recipe: https://www.recipesfromitaly.com/lasagna-bolognese/

Adolins spicy pork curry

Ingredients (6 servings):

Curry:

• 800 ml full fat coconut milk

• 4 msk red curry paste

• 3 msk fish sauce

• 2 -4 tsk soy sauce

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 lemongrass

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 red bell pepper

• 0,5 zucchini

• 1 broccoli 

• 5g sweet thai basil

• 1-2 red chilies (Or as many as you prefer)

• 600 g pork stew pieces

• 6 portions of rice

How to:

Brown the meat. Add half of the coconut milk, all the red curry paste and lemongrass. Cook it and let it reduce to half the size (about 10-15 minutes).

Cook the rice according to the directions on the package. 

Chop up the garlic and chili and cut the onion into 8 pieces. Cut the broccoli and zucchini  into mouth size bits and the bell pepper into strips. Add the other half of the coconut milk, the fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion, chili and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes. 

Lastly add the peppers, zucchini and sweet thai basil and cook for 5-10minutes until all the vegetables are cooked to your liking.  

Serve right away and garnish with some cilantro. 

Nana Cohen's Meatloaf

Ingredients (5 servings):

Meatloaf:

• 500 g ground beef

• 2,5 dl dried bread crumbs

• 1 diced yellow onion

• 1 dl milk

• 1 large egg beaten

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp. salt

• 0,5 tsp. garlic powder

• 0.25 tsp. ground black pepper

How to:

Meatloaf:

Preheat the oven to 175° C.

In a large bowl, add the beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Use your hands to mush and mix these ingredients together until well combined. Add the meat mixture to a loaf pan. Pat the meat down into an even layer.

Bake uncovered for 55 minutes, then let the meatloaf rest for 8-10 minutes before serving (or it may fall apart).

The Jay Pritchett

Ingredients (1 serving):

Sandwich:

• thick slice turkey

• 2 slices bacon

• 2 slices swiss cheese

• 4 slices red peppers

• 2 ansjovis

• 2 slices wheat bread

How to:

Sandwich:

Cook bacon in a frying pan until desired crispiness is achieved, then lightly toast the bread in the bacon fat on both sides. 

Add cheese to one of the bread slices, continue by adding ansjovis, bacon, red pepper and lastly a thick slice of turkey. Serve right away.

Beetroot Risotto

Ingredients (4 servings):

Risotto:

• 6 beetroots

• 3 shallots

• 2 cloves of garlic

• olive oil

• 3 dl risotto rice

• 0.5 tsp dried rosemary

• 3 dl white wine

• 6 dl vegetable stock

• 2 dl grated cheese

• salt

• black pepper

• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

How to:

Risotto:

Peel the beet roots and boil them until almost soft. Save 6 dl of the water you boiled them in for the vegetable stock and add the bouillon cube to it.

Grate half of the beets and put them aside. Chop the shallots and garlic and fry them in oil until they turn soft, then add the rice and fry for a couple of more minutes.

Add the wine and stir, let the rice absorb the wine. Later add the rosemary and lower the temperature on the stove. Then little by little pour in the vegetable stock, always making sure the rice has absorbed it before adding the next part. Continue on until the rice is al dente. 

Finish it off by adding the grated cheese, the grated beets and salt and pepper to taste.

When plating top it off with sliced beet roots and garnish with a spring of fresh rosemary.

Sloppy Jessica

Ingredients (4 servings?):

Chili

• Ancho chilis (3-4 depending on size) 

• 2 tsp cumin

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1-2 canned chipotles in adobo (depending on heat preference)

• 500 g ground beef

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 can diced tomatoes (450g)

• Salt

• Pepper

Red Sauce

• 1 small diced onion

• Olive oil

• 1-2 cloves of garlic

• 1 can pureed tomatoes

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• Dried oregano

• 1 sprig of basil

• Salt

• Pepper

Mac and cheese

• 1 box ziti noodles

• 3 Tbsp butter

• 3 Tbsp flour

• 7 dl of whole milk

• Dried mustard

• Hot sauce

• 450 g grated yellow cheddar cheese

• 120 g grated parmesan

• Salt

• Pepper

Other Ingredients

• Mozzarella cheese

• baguette

***This recipe is from the amazing Binging With Babish! https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/recipes/thesloppyjessica

How to:

Chili

Begin by toasting your ancho chilis until they just barely start to smoke and then place in boiling water for 10 minutes.

In a blender add the chilis and water along with the cumin, ground coriander seed, paprika, and chipotles in adobo sauce and blend together.

In a pan, brown the ground beef. Once browned, remove from the pan. Put a chopped onion and cloves of minced garlic into the pan to cook in the beef fat. Once fragrant and translucent, add ancho chili mixture, the can of diced tomatoes, and the ground beef. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Mac and Cheese

Cook ziti noodles in a large pot. Once cooked, drain pasta and set aside.

In the same pot whisk together flour and butter. Once combined, slowly add the whole milk. Mix and scrape sides until everything is fully combined. Also add ground mustard and a little bit of hot sauce.

Add the grated yellow cheddar cheese and the grated parmesan cheese and mix until fully melted and combined.

Lastly add the pasta to the mix and stir until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Red Sauce

In a pan, heat some olive oil before adding the onion and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent, then add garlic and cook briefly.

Add a 50:50 mix of diced and pureed tomatoes along with a few pinches of dried oregano and 1 sprig of basil. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until mixture has slightly thickened.

Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Assembling the Sloppy Jessica

Heat oven to 220C.

Cut the baguette in half lengthwise. Add mozzarella cheese on both halves, topped with the red sauce and place in the oven until the cheese has melted.

Combine your mac and cheese with your chili and mix together to make chili mac.

Remove the baguette from the oven and top with chili mac mixture.

Fold bread in half to make a sandwich. Cut in half. Serve and enjoy!

Mock Turtle Soup

Ingredients (4 servings):

Chicken:

• 4 hard boiled eggs

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 3 stalks of celery, chopped

• 2 serrano peppers, stems removed and minced

• 500g beef loin, trimmed and cubed (beef knuckle-fransyska)

• 5 dl chicken broth

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2.5 dl cooking sherry

• 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed

• 3 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 dl fresh parsley (+ more for garnish)

How to:

Soup:

In a dutch oven melt the butter, over medium heat. Add onion, celery, peppers and beef stir and cook until beef has browned. Then add the chicken broth and sherry and stir until all is combined. Let it simmer for 1 hour.

Add the chicken, tomato, garlic and parsley and simmer for another 30 minutes. Then chop 2 of the eggs and add them as well, cook for another 5 minutes. 

When serving, remove the garlic. Pour the soup into bowls, cut the other two eggs in quarters lengthwise and add it as a garnish with some more parsley.

Iran: Khoresh Fesenjan

Ingredients (4 servings):

Chicken:

• 1.5 large yellow onion sliced thin

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 

• 1 kg chicken drumsticks or thighs

• 225 g walnuts

• 0.5 dl cold water

• 2 dl pomegranate concentrate

• 0.25 tsp salt

• 0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Pomegranate seeds for garnish

How to:

Chicken:

Add walnuts to a food processor and process until it turns to a tan-colored paste.

With the food processor running add 0.5 dl cold water through the feed chute. Continue processing until the paste becomes uniformly beige in color.

Fry the sliced onions in the vegetable oil in a large pot until golden brown. Remove from the pot. Add chicken to the same pot and top it with the fried onions. Spoon the walnut paste evenly over the fried onions. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Drizzle the pomegranate concentrate over all the ingredients.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. 

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes,or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is fork tender and falls off the bone. 

Stir every 15 minutes or so to make sure the sauce does not stick to the pot. Transfer the Fesenjan to a serving dish and sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top as garnish.

Serve over rice.

**This recipe is from: https://persianmama.com/chicken-in-walnut-pomegranate-sauce-khoresht-fesenjan/

Orange Chicken

Ingredients (4 servings):

Chicken:

• 800g chicken

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 0.5 tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp oil

Sauce:

• 1.5 dl orange juice

• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1 tbsp chinese soy sauce

• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 0.5 tsp ginger powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder 

• 1 tsp black pepper

Topping:

• sesame seeds

• green onions

• slice of orange

How to:

Chicken:

Cut the chicken into pieces. Heat up about 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, onion powder, black pepper and lastly paprika. Cook until done.

Sauce:

In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Heat it up and whisk constantly until it thickens up. Pour the mixture over the chicken and cook everything for 2 more minutes.

Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

Home alone: “A lovely cheese pizza just for me”

Ingredients (4 servings):

Dough:

• 4 g fresh yeast (about 1 tsp) 

• 700 g wheat flour (00 flour) + more for kneading

• 5 dl water

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

• Pizza sauce

• 100g mozzarella

• 100g ricotta

• 50g gorgonzola

• 50g parmesan

• ruccola or fresh basil

How to:

Dough:

Crumble the yeast into a big bowl. Add the flour and water, mix and knead for 5-10 minutes. Next add the salt and oil. Knead for another 5-10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, roll each one into a smooth ball and rub olive oil over them. Put them onto a cutting board, cover with clean cloth and let rise for 4 hours at room temperature.

Topping:

Turn the oven to 250C. Leave the baking tray you are going to use in the oven (this will give a similar effect on the pizza as a pizza stone would).

Roll out each ball onto a parchment paper, and cover with store bought or homemade pizza sauce. Add the different types of cheeses and when the oven is ready, bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes.

Zereshk Polo Ba Morgh

Ingredients (6 servings):

Chicken Ingredients:

• A few tablespoons vegetable oil 

• 6 pieces of bone in chicken (I use drumsticks)

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1.5 tsp turmeric

• 0.25 tsp cinnamon

• 0.25 tsp nutmeg

• 0.25 tsp cardamom 

• 0.25 tsp cumin

• 0.25 tsp coriander

• 0.25 tsp chili powder

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 6 dl chicken stock

• 0.5 of the saffron water (see below)

• salt and pepper to taste

Saffron Water:

• 0.25 tsp of saffron, ground with a pestle and mortar 

• 1 ice cube

Sprinkle the saffron in a small dish over the ice cube and allow the ice cube to melt. Set aside.

Rice Ingredients:

• 3 dl basmati rice (dry)

• Half of the reserved saffron water

How to:

Chicken Directions:

Heat the oil over medium high in a large pot. Combine the spices and sprinkle a little on the chicken. Saute the chicken and onion in the oil until browned.  Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining spices, tomato paste, half of the saffron water (reserve half for the rice!) and chicken stock. Simmer until chicken becomes very tender and sauce thickens and reduces. If the chicken gets done before the sauce is thick and reduced, then remove the chicken from the pot and continue simmering until the sauce is done.

Rice Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package directions. 

Pour the rice into a serving bowl. In a separate bowl, combine 1 dl of the cooked rice with the reserved saffron water. Spread the saffron rice over the top of the rest of the rice. 

Dice Smörgåstårta

Ingredients (4 servings):

Filling:

• 3 slices of any square shaped bread slices

• 150 g shrimp

• 2 eggs, hard boiled

• 1 dl diced cucumber

• 0,5 diced avocado

• 0,5 dl chopped chives

• 0,5 dl chopped dill

• 2 dl crème fraîche

• 1 dl greek yoghurt

• salt

• peppar

Garnish:

• 0,5 dl crème fraîche

• 1 dl heavy cream

• 0,5 dl mayonnaise

• 0.5-1 dl black caviar

How to:

Filling:

Chop the shrimp and eggs into the filling. Mix with cucumber, avocado, chives and dill. Stir together the crème fraiche and greek yoghurt and turn into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut off the crusts of the bread slices. Spread half of the filling over one of them and cover with a slice of bread. Add the rest of the filling and cover with the remaining bread. Let stand in the fridge under light pressure for a couple of hours.

Garnish:

Whip the cream for the garnish and mix with the crème fraiche and mayonnaise. Spread it over and around the cake. 

Make circle shapes of the roe / caviar and put them in the freezer for 15-30 minutes, making sure they hold their shape. Then decorate the cake with the circles.

Goat Cheese Polenta Balls

Ingredients (4 servings):

Polenta:

• 250 g cornmeal, polenta

• 1 l water

• 1 tsp salt 

• pepper

• 30 g butter (+ a bit more)

• 150 g chevre

• 200 g sour cream 

• 1-2 garlic

• fresh parsley or coriander for garnish

How to:

Polenta:

Turn oven to 200 C.

Add the cornmeal,water salt and pepper into a medium saucepan and cook it while constantly stirring for about 5 minutes / until it gets thick. Add the butter and stir, then pour it onto a flat surface, try to make it as rectangular as possible and let it cool.

When the polenta has cooled down and hardened, cut out 12 squares and place around 1 tbsp of chevre in each square and make them into balls. Place the balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Just so the outsides get a little colour. 

While the balls are in the oven, make the sauce. Mix sour cream, crushed garlic and the remaining chevre into a nice sauce.

Remove the polenta balls from the oven and add the sauce and garnish with fresh parsley or coriander.

Crema frutti di mare

Ingredients (4 servings):

Crema frutti di mare:

• 300g fettuccini pasta

• 600 g seafood mix

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion (medium), finely chopped

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

• 3 garlic clove minced

• 1,5 dl white wine I used Chardonnay

• 5 dl heavy cream 

• 1 tbsp reduced fish broth

• 0.5 tsp Sea salt or to taste

• 0.5 tsp black pepper or to taste

• pinch of chili flakes

• 1 Tbsp Parsley finely chopped, to garnish

How to:

Pasta:

Add the pasta to a pot of boiling water with 2 tsp of salt and cook according to package instructions until al-dente. Drain without rinsing and set aside.

Seafood Mix:

While pasta is cooking, prepare the seafood mix and the sauce. Season the mix with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place a large, non-stick pan over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add seafood mix in a single layer and cook 2 min per side or just until cooked through. Remove to a separate dish to prevent overcooking.

Sauce:

In the same hot pan, add 2 Tbsp butter with finely chopped onion and sauté until soft and golden, stirring often. Add minced garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant. Stir in the white wine and boil down until there is only 25% of the liquid left.

Then add the heavy cream and reduced fish broth and bring to a light boil then simmer 2 min. Season sauce with more salt, pepper and add the chili flakes for a little kick. 

Stir in the drained pasta and cooked seafood mix, tossing until noodles are well coated in sauce. Serve in with a generous sprinkle of finely chopped parsley.

Flower Salad

Ingredients (4 servings):

Salad:

• 2 handful of spinach

• 1 handful edible flower petals (ex. marigold, pansy, lilac, nasturtium )

• 1 cucumber

• 4 big tomatoes

• 150 g feta cheese

• fresh basil

• 1 red onion

•  2 sweet potatoes

Dressing: 

• 1.5 dl olive oil

• 0.5 dl balsamic vinegar 

• 1 dl honey

• 1 tbsp italian dressing seasoning*

• 0.5 tsp salt

• 1 pressed garlic clove

• 0.25 tsp pepper

How to:

Preheat oven to 200 C. 

Cut the sweet potatoes diagonally and place them cut down on a prepared pan. Leave in oven for 20 minutes.

Slice the cucumber, cube the feta cheese and tomatoes and cut the onion into big chunks. When the 20 minutes are up add you red onion next to the sweet potatoes and leave in for another 20 minutes.

In a small bottle, add all the ingredients for the dressing and shake well. 

Add everything to nice mixing bowl, pour as much dressing on as you like and mix well. 

Serve with freshly baked bread.

*italian dressing seasoning: 1.5 tsp  garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp dried parsley, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 2 tbsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp ground basil, 0.25 tsp teaspoon ground thyme

Vegan Jajangmyeon

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Udon noodles 

• 1 large potato

• 1 zucchini

• 1 white onion

• 100 g cabbage   

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 dl black fermented bean sauce

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• cucumber

• sesame seeds

How to:

Fry the black bean sauce in some oil on low heat, only to give it some flavour but don’t burn it! Put it aside.

Cook noodles according to package. 

In a large pan, fry the onions for a couple of minutes before adding the potatoes and cabbage. Season with garlic powder and cook for about 10 minutes. Add only the zucchini when the potatoes are fully cooked. Now add the black bean sauce, sugar and 0.5 - 1 dl water and let it all simmer until it turn into a nice creamy texture. (Taste and add more water if you feel it’s too salty, you can always add a little bit of cornstarch in the end to make it more thick.) 

Add the noodles to a plate and pour the vegetable mixture over it, decorate with cucumber cut up into matchsticks and sesame seeds.

Pesto Pasta

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 5 dl fresh basil, tightly packed

• 0.5 dl walnuts

• 0.5 dl extra virgin olive oil

• 1-2 garlic cloves 

• 1 dl parmesan cheese

• 0.5 tsp salt

• 0.25 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 2 dl green cherry tomatoes

• 500g spinach spaghetti 

How to:

Cook the spaghetti according to the package and drain. 

Place all you ingredients (except for spaghetti and tomatoes) in the food processor and blend until nice and smooth, taste and season with more salt or garlic if needed. 

Cut the tomatoes into quarters.

In a big bowl add the spaghetti, tomatoes and pesto, toss everything until all the spaghetti has been covered with the pesto. 

Howard's Mom's Brisket

Ingredients (5 servings):

• 1 kg beef brisket

• 1 tbsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tbsp flour 

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 4 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced 1 cm thick

• 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 cloves garlic

• 4 carrots, peeled and halved

• Handful fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

How to:

Preheat oven to 175 C. 

Season the brisket on both sides with salt and pepper, then lightly dust it with flour. Heat the oil over medium heat in a oven proof cast-iron pot, add the brisket and sear on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Transfer brisket to a platter and then add the onion to the pot and stir with wooden spoon until they become softened and golden brown. 

Turn off the heat and place brisket (fatty side up) on top of the onions. Spread the tomato paste over the brisket and scatter the garlic and carrots around the edges of the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and put it in the oven for 2 hours. Then transfer the brisket to a cutting board and slice it up. Put the slices back into the pot and oven, then lower the heat to 160 C and cook until fork-tender, about 2 more hours (the longer the better). Check during cooking to make sure it doesn’t get dry, (if that happens, add a couple of tsp of water). 

When it’s ready, serve with it’s juices and maybe some mashed potatoes, but it’s even better the second day when all the ingredients have gotten to know each other. :)