Goat cheese and spinach

There's no real recipe for this post... I hadn't much time for cooking. I was so busy and when I realized I was hungry it was too late to cook something. I had to eat immediately. This was a must.

I opened the fridge and collected what I found. Spinach leaves, goat cheese, mini peppers filled with cream cheese, some slice of bread and  I felt myself in heaven instantly. I'm lucky to find these ingredients not pizza slices or some junk food stuff... this would have happened too.

Baked stuffed zucchini

Hello guys! Spring is around the corner! Are You happy about it? I waited so desperately for spring to come. And, if spring is coming it's time to eat lighter dishes. Am I right or am I right? This zucchini is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. If it's dinner enjoy it with a glass of white vine:-)

The cornerstone of my cooking philosophy is not to spend much time in the kitchen, but create tasty and healthy meals. This is one of my healthy-but - You- don't- need- much- time- to- make- it recipe.

Ingredients:

3 big zucchinis
150 g bacon finely chopped
150 g mozarella, chopped into small pieces
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic (thin slices)
salt, pepper
bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Start with washing the zucchinis. Then scoop out the pulp, and chop it.

Put the bacon in a pan and roast it for 5-6 min. Add the onion and the garlic to the bacon. After another 5 min add the zucchini pulp and cook it for 5 min.Season it with salt and pepper. Put everything in a bowl and add the mozarella pieces.

Now stuff the zucchinis with the bacon, mozarella, onion mixture.

Grease a baking dish. Place the stuffed zucchinis in it. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake it for 30 minutes, until browned.

Potato salad with mayonnaise and lilac onion

This is our traditional family recipe. When  my family come together we eat this salad. This is perfect as side dish or on it's own. 

You'll need:

10 medium size potatoes

200 ml sour cream 

2 lilac onion

ground pepper

a little bit of sugar

salt

and for the mayonnaise:

2 yolks

1 pinch of salt

1 tbsp of mustard

250 ml of vegetable oil

1 tsp of lemon juice

The easy process:

Wash the potatoes and cook them until tender. During the cooking, peel the lilac onion and cut into thin slices. When the potatoes are cooked set aside for cooling. Now peel and cut the potatoes into slices, season it with salt. The thickness of the slices depends on You, do it just how thick You like it.

Making the mayonnaise is very easy, but You have to be patient and careful. Whisk together the yolks, the salt and the mustard. Stir continuosly and add the vegetable oil. You have to stir 'till the yolks soak up the whole amount of oil. Now add the lemon juice and more salt if it's needed. Your mayonnaise is ready. ( I have to confess, that I had several "mayonnaise failure" before my first real mayo....)

Now add the sour cream and the sugar tho the mayo and mix everything together. Put the salad in a big bowl and set into the fridge for an hour to cool it down well.

As a side dish this is perfect for roasted meats.

Goulash

This is a very very very good soup for cold days. It's rich in flavours ( and vitamins!!!) thanks for the huge amount of vegetables and the good choice of meat. After eating a big bowl of this soup You won't be hungry anymore, and You won't have to make a second dish. Which is also an important point of view, isn't it?

What You need for 4:

500 g beef ( which part? You can buy round, neck or shankle)
1l broth
1 tbsp of grease
2 potatoes
1 carrot
1 turnip
1 celeriac
1 green pepper
2 tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
more parsley to sprinkle on top

First, You have to cut the meat into cubes. In a large pan heat the grease and sauté the meat. When browned, add the finely chopped onion and the green pepper cuted into cubes. Season with salt and pour 0.5 l broth onto the meat. Put a lid on it and simmer for 45 - 50 min.

Clean and cut into slices the turnip, the carrot, the potato and the celeriac. Chop up the parsley and smash the garlic.

When the meat is almost tender add the vegetable pieces. Mix together and stirr until the gravy becomes thicker. That is the point when You season with paprika. Add the garlic, the tomato cubes and the grounded cumin. Pour so much water which is enough to cover the meat. Without the lid simmer 'till the vegetables become mellow. When serving sprinkle with parsley.


XOXO, The Foodista

Bagel

It was a busy weekend guys! I planned to post this recipe on Friday or at least on Saturday... but it's Monday. It's just the second post, and I'm already in late.... What I'd like is to share my fav recipes with You every other day... This is a big pledge.

But the main point is the BAGEL.

I first thought about to make bagels at home when I read this. Then I googled for more recipes and I found one which was the basic of mine. I did some changes (because it wouldn't be me:-). 

You'll need:

11g yeast (dried)

3 tbs of sugar

2 tsp of salt

500 g flour

300 ml warm water

poppy/sunflower and sesame seed to sprinkle on top

When the bagels take a bath

The process:

Mix the yeast, 1 tbs sugar and 100 ml warm water together. Set aside. It takes 5 to 10 min to become frothy.

Put 250g flour, the rest of the water and the salt in a bowl and merge it. Then add the rest of the flour and keep kneading 'till the dough become soft, elastic but not sticky. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a dish-cloth and put in a warm place. I heat my  oven to 40 - 45 Celsius. It takes 30 min to double the dough.

When the dough is doubled I heat up the oven to 220 Celsius. On a floured surface I divided the dough on 12 pieces. Form the pieces into  plane balls and cut 3 cm wide rounds from the middle.

And now, it's time to cook! Bring water to the boil and cook the bagels  for 1 - 2 minutes. (Do not cook  more than 4 bagels at a time).

Place the bagels on a baking dish (I always use grease - proof paper under), sprinkle with the seeds, set in the oven and bake it for 20-25 minutes, until browned.

I hope You give it a try!

XOXO, The Foodista

Risotto - the first post

Please welcome my blog as I welcome You, Dear Reader! Take a seat and enjoy the food and photos.

As first post, I decided to choose one of my favourite dish: the risotto. At first sight it seems a bit complicated and time-consuming, bur trust me! It's worth to give it a try!

Risotto for 6

Ingredients:

1 l chicken or vegetable broth
1 tbs of vegetable oil
3 onions - finely chopped
3 big cloves of garlic - roughly chopped (perhaps it's just me, but I like to feel the garlic pieces)
300 g celeriac - finely chopped
500 g risotto rice
300 ml dry white vine
salt, pepper freshley grounded
100 g butter
150 g parmesan
100 g roasted hazelnut -  roughly chopped
6 tbsp mascarpone cheese

The most important part in the risotto making process is to never leave the rice unattended. You have to stir it continually.

First of all heat the broth. In an other pot heat the oil.  Add the onion, garlic and celeriac and cook for 5 min. When the vegetables are soft add the rice. Turn up the heat.

From this point don't move just stir. When rice become glassy add the vine. After the vine evaporated You can add one ladle of broth and 1 pinch of salt. Turn down the heat. While You're stirring You have to add more and more broth. All the process takes 15 mins or so.

Taste the rice if it's soft enough. If it is not continue stirring. Season it with pepper and more salt if it's needed.

Remove the pot from heat and add the butter. Put a lid on it and set aside for 3 min.

What You  have to do now is serving. Put 1 tbsp of mascarpone on top of each portion and sprinkle it with the roasted haselnut.

Now, You're really done. Enjoy!

Comments, e-mails are welcome!