Pomodoro

"Easy and tasty italian tomato sauce. You can serve it over pasta and chicken or use it as a base to more complicated dishes such as lasagna or spaghetti meatballs."

Prep Time:    10min

Cook Time:    50min

Total Time:   60min

Servings:     6

Difficulty:   Easy

Ingredients: 

1,3 kg of caned pealed tomatoes (3 big cans)
3 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dry oregano or a palm full of fresh oregano leaves
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp black pepper 

1. Crush the garlic with the side of the knife  and cut it as small as you can. 
2. Pour the tomatoes with their sauce in to a medium sized bowl and cut then in to roughly smaller pieces or simply crash them with your hands. 
3. Add the olive oil to a preheated pan.
4. Place the garlic in the pan and sauté for about 3 minutes until golden.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes with juice to the pan and stir well.
6. Also add the oregano, salt and pepper.
7. While occasionally stirring, let the sauce simmer over low heat for 45minutes.
8. If you feel as tho the sauce is too thick, add a little water. 
9. Taste, if needed add more salt or pepper. 
10. Pour the sauce in to a clean bowl.
11. Serve over pasta and enjoy.

Sour Cream Dip

"This easy to make dip goes perfectly with chips, potato wedges, buffalo wings or simply on a slice of bread."




Prep Time:    5min
Total Time:   25min
Servings:     4-6
Difficulty:   Very Easy

Ingredients:

1 cup of sour cream

1cup of cottage cheese

1 bunch of spring onions

1 garlic clove

1/3 Tsp of salt

1/2 Tsp black pepper 

1. Wash the spring onions, dry them and slice them in to very small pieces.
2. In a medium sized bowl mix together the sour cream, cottage cheese, spring onions, salt and pepper.
3. Grate the garlic in to the mix using the small holes on a grater. 
4. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together.
5. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 20min to cool off.
6. Serve the dip and enjoy.

Pork

BBQ Ribs

BBQ Ribs

"This recipe has been tested to work both in the oven and on the grill. You can choose to keep the  pork rack whole or cut it in to individual bone slices. I personally prefer the second option. By doing so I guarantee more sauce with every bite and meat falling right of the bone."

Prep Time:    20min

Cook Time:    40min

Total Time:   60min
Servings:     4-6
Difficulty:   Easy-Medium 

Ingredients:

2kg pork spare ribs                          "The BBQ Ribs are best served 

250g tomatoes                           with a baked potato and sour cream dip."

2 garlic cloves                  

2 Tbsp ketchup             

2 Tbsp honey                 

3 Tbsp sunflower oil

1 Tbsp vinegar

1 Tbsp paprika powder

salt

pepper

1. Cut the ribs in to individual bones and rub in some salt and pepper. Let them rest while you prepare the sauce.
2. Pour water in to a medium pot and bring to boil. 
3. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water. 
4. Once the skin of the tomatoes has cracked removed them from the water and wait for them to cool of.
5. Peel of the skin of the tomatoes and dice them in to small cubes. 
6. In an other pot, cook the tomatoes and grate in the garlic. Cover the pot and continuously stir till the tomatoes thicken.
7. Stir in the ketchup, honey, oil, vinegar and paprika.
8. Turn on your oven and place in the ribs. Turn them once around after 10minutes.
9. After another 10 minutes have passed, turn them back around and cover them in sauce using a spoon or a kitchen brush.
10. Keep cooking the ribs another 15-20minutes while turning them every 5 minutes and applying more sauce.
11. The ribs should have a nice brown color and be coated in sauce by the time they’re done.
12. Remove the ribs from the oven and serve. 
13. Dig in using your hands and enjoy.

Tzatziki

"This refreshing yogurt based dip goes well with pita bread and kebabs as well as nacho chips. You can either dice or grate the cucumber. I personally prefer grating it to give the sauce thickness and consistency."

Prep Time:    20min
Total Time:   1h 20min
Servings:     3
Difficulty:   Easy

Ingredients: 

1 cup plain white yogurt (unsweetened) 

1 smaller cucumber 

2-3 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp of olive oil

1 Tsp of salt

a handful of mint leaves

1. Peal the cucumber and cut it in half following it's length. 
2. Using a tablespoon scrape out the seeds from the cucumber.
3. Grate the cucumber using the large holes on the grater. 
4. Drain the grated cucumber in a colander for 30minutes while adding the salt to it. Occasionally stir it with a fork to make sure you really get rid of all the juice. 
5. Chop or blend your washed and dried mint leaves. 
6. Transfer the yogurt from it's original cup to a medium sized bowl.
7. Add the mint, lime juice, olive oil and grate the garlic cloves in to the yogurt.
8. Once the cucumber is drained of all the juice, mix it in with the yogurt.
9. Stir everything well together and cover it with a plastic wrap.
10. Set the tzatziki in the fridge for 30minutes or more to get all the flavors to mix together.
11. Remove the tzatziki from the fridge and serve with pita, nachos, kebab or really anything you would like. And of course enjoy. 

Soups

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Pumpkin Curry Soup

"A creamy, delicious and earthy soup to keep you warm when winter comes knocking on your door. I find it incredibly easy to make and very tasty."

Prep Time:    25min

Cook Time:    45min

Total Time:   1h 10min
Servings:     4
Difficulty:   Easy

Ingredients:

1/2 small-medium pumpkin

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 l milk

1 cup sour cream

4 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 Tsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 Tsp salt

2 Tbsp black pepper

a big handful of coriander leaves

1 baguette or 1/2 a dark bread loaf 

1. Fill a tall pot with water and bring to boil.
2. In the meantime rinse the pumpkin and with a spoon remove the seeds. Cut it in to large slices the same way you would cut an apple, leaving the skin on.
3. Add the pumpkin in to the warm matter and let it cook for 20-25minutes.
4. In the meantime, rinse, dry and chop finely the parsley.
5. Cut the onions in to rough peaces and blend them in a blender till they have a puree consistency. 
6. Test the pumpkin by cutting in with a knife. It should be soft and easy to cut through. If it is still hard, leave it in to cook an extra 5minutes.
7. Remove the pumpkin from the water and place it in a bowl to cool off for 10minutes. 
8. Once cooled off, remove the skin, roughly cut the pumpkin and blend it in a blender until it turns in to puree.
9. Heat up the milk in a big pot. Add in the 1/2 of the sour cream, onion and pumpkin mash and stir slowly till all components blend in to one. 
10. Add in the lime juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, curry and parsley. Using a grater grate in the garlic using the small holes.
11. Keep stirring for a few more minutes.
12. Cut the bread and toast it.
13. Serve the soup in small bowls and decorate with a small spoon full of sour cream. 
14. Serve with the toasted bread for dipping and enjoy. 

Rocket Salad

"This is definitely one of my favorite green salads. It is easy, light and delicious."

Prep Time:    15min

Total Time:   15min

Servings:     3-4

Difficulty:   Very Easy

Ingredients:

1 bag of rocket salad (rucola, arugula)

1/2 box of cherry tomatoes 

handful of grated(sliced) parmesan cheese 

extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar 

1. Wash and cut your rocket salad. Let it dry.
2. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half thru it's length.
3. Cut really thin slices of parmesan. You can also grate it.
4. Place the rocket salad and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle over some olive oil and balsamic vinegar according to your taste. 
5. Lightly stir from bottom to top to make sure all of the salad has sauce.
6. Decorate with the parmesan and serve. 
7. Enjoy your salad.  

Salads

Tabbouleh           Rocket Salad

Tabbouleh

"This is an easy and refreshing mediterranean salad. I personally prefer it with more parsley and less tomatoes, but the majority of people like equal parts of both. I'll let you try for your self and decide what's best."

Prep Time:    25min

Cook Time:    25min

Total Time:   55min

Servings:     4-6

Difficulty:   Easy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of bulgur grain (cuscus)

1 1/2 cup of water

2-3 bunches of parsley 

1 large onion

2-3 tomatoes

4-5 Tbsp of lemon juice

1/2 Tsp of salt

2 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil 

a handful of mint leaves

1. Bring the water to boil and in a flat container (you can use a plate) pour the hot water over the bulgur. Add 1/2 a table spoon on olive oil and gently stir in with a fork. 
2. Cover the bulgur with a plastic foil and let it rest for 20-25minutes until it has absorbed all or most of the liquid and is now puffy and soft.
3. Strain the remaining liquid from the bulgur.
4. Wash your parsley and mint and let it dry of. Then you can roughly chop them or you can simply toss them in a blender and let it do the work for you, but be careful not to over blend it.
5. Dice your tomatoes and onion in to small bits. Removing the skin from the tomato is not necessary. 
6. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, salt and remaining olive oil. 
7. In a large bowl mix together the parsley, mint, onions, tomato and bulgur. 
8. Pour over the sauce.
9. Taste and add more lime, oil or salt if needed. 
10. You can serve your Tabbouleh right away. Enjoy. 

Guacamole

"I absolutely love Guacamole, but it is so hard to find a good one. Restaurants tend to disappoint me every time I order it, that is why I believe it taste best homemade. I hope you enjoy my Guacamole recipe."

Prep Time:    15min

Total Time:   1h 15min

Servings:     4-6

Difficulty:   Easy

Ingredients:

1 ripe tomato (2 if smaller) 

2-3 well ripe avocados 

1 small shallot

1 small onion (or 1/2 a large one)

1/2 a red chili

1-2 garlic cloves 

2 Tbsp of lime juice

a handfull of coriander leaves

1/2 Tsp of salt

1/2 Tsp of black pepper 

1. Cut the avocado in half following it's length and remove the seed. 
2. Depending on how thick you like your guacamole, you can blend the avocado or chop it in to smaller cubes.
3. Cut the tomatoes, shallot and onion in to small fine pieces. 
4. Chop the chili very finely, if you don't want it to be too spicy remove the seeds. 
5. Finely chop or blend the coriander leaves.
6. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl adding the salt, pepper and lime juice. I suggest mixing it with a fork, this way if you have previously cut the avocados, they mush up just a little bit to stick everything together without completely turning in to a pure.
7. Cover your guacamole with a plastic wrap and place it i the fridge for 1hour to rest. This way all the flavors will have time to nicely blend together. 
8. Serve your homemade Guacamole with some Nacho chips and enjoy. 

Dips and Sauces

Mango Salsa            Guacamole              Tzatziki

Sour Cream Dip         Pomodoro               Béchamel

 

Mint Chutney

Mango Salsa

"I would like to dedicate this recipe to my friend Anika as she has been nagging me about it for almost a year now. Hope you enjoy it as much as she does."

Prep Time:    15min

Total Time:   45min

Servings:     4-6

Difficulty:   Very Easy

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango

1/4 pineapple or papaya (optional) 

1 small red onion

1/2-1 green chili

1/2-1 red chili

2-3 Tbsp of Lime juice

a hand full of mint leaves 

a pinch of salt

black pepper (powder) 

1. Finely chop the red and green chili, if you don't want the salsa to be to spicy remove the seeds. 
2. Wash the mint leaves and finely chop them as well.
3. Cut your mango and other fruits in to small cubes. 
4. Cut the onion as finely as you can. 
5. Mix your chopped mango, onion chili and mint in to a medium sized bowl.
6. Add lime juice, salt and pepper and mix all ingredients carefully together. Keep tasting as you do so to find the right balance of acidity and saltiness. 
7. Cover your mango salsa with a plastic wrap and place it in fridge for 30minutes to rest. 
8. Serve and enjoy your fresh Mango Salsa.