Risoni and Wild Rice Salad

As you are already accustomed, here it is the original recipe that was translated before in Romanian. It is from a book called “Cooking for Two” , 1996 and writen by two chefs, Richard Olney and Simon Wheeler. I followed it years ago and I liked it. Simple. Now here it is.

Risoni and Wild Rice Salad

Serves 2 of course

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup risoni (a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice)
• 1/4 cup wild rice (you can replace it with other rice but remember the boiling time too)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 green shallots, chopped (spring onions)
• 3 tsp chopped fresh lemon grass
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp fish sauce
• 30 g butter

Method:

• Add risoni to a pan of boiling water, boil, uncovered, until tender; drain. Add rice to a pan of boiling water, boil, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until tender; drain.
• Heat oil in pan, add shallots and lemon grass, cook, stirring, until shallots are soft. Add risoni, rice, juice and sauce, stir until heated through; transfer to serving dish.
• Add butter to same pan, cook until butter is lightly browned, pour over nice mixture; mix gently.

Enjoy your meal!

• Risoni and rice can be cooked a day ahead.
• Storage: Covered, in refrigerator.
• Freeze: Not suitable.
• Microwave: Risoni and rice suitable.

Ps: writing this it felt like a broken English to me today. I don’t know why. I may be tired but I do not realize I am. 🙂

Elena G

15 Minutes

For some days I’ve felt the need of something sweet. Probably to compensate me, as I am bitter and sour, more like a lemon. Don’t squeeze me, as I am not in the mood. Running away is how I feel. I am in desperate need of a vacation. I am so tired. I can’t wait for this one that comes with the 1st of May and for the longer one that comes with the 1st of July. I want to forget about everything and just relax. And I want to be alone, to recharge. Somewhere, over the rainbow. I remember a holiday I had in Bilbor, a beautiful village in the mountains, near Toplita town. I went there alone, to stay at a friend and I remember taking a small blanket and a book with me and lying down on a secluded clearing and falling asleep. Now, that’s a perfect holiday: sleeping in the nature.

The next perfect thing is to enjoy a delicious meal or desert. For a hot summer day, I recommend a fruit salad. No cooking, no sweating, no exiling yourself for hours in the kitchen and miss a beautiful sunny day. Just a quick and refreshing bowl of fruits with cream. You need 15 minutes of your life. Is it too much? I think not. If you want more quick recipes, get your inspirations, as I got mine for this recipe and more, from Carolyn Humphries’ “Simply Stylish Meals in 15 Minutes”.

Fruit Brulee

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes plus chilling time

Cooking time: about 3 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 225 g (8 oz) strawberries, sliced or raspberries (or peaches, plums or nectarines, sliced and pitted)
• 150 ml (1/4 pt, 2/3 cup) double cream
• 150 ml (1/4 pt, 2/3 cup) thick plain yoghurt
• light brown sugar

Method:

• Arrange the fruit in a shallow flameproof dish.
• Whip together the cream and yoghurt until soflty peaking. Spread over the fruit. Chill, if time allows.
• Sprinkle liberally with sugar so it covers the top completely.
• Place under a very hot grill (broiler) until the sugar melts. Serve straight away.

Bon appetite!

Pasta, Prawn and Apple Salad

Today, I am going to write about a simple yet stylish recipe, that is just right for a hot summer day. So keep it in mind when is hot outside. I got this from a book I keep mentioning here, “Good Housekeeping Cookery Book” – 1985. All you need is love, pasta, prawn and apples. You can find these in your heart, on the shelves of a supermarket and for the first thing you don’t need money. For the rest, well, you can always ask a friend or your neighbour or your mum. So, you need very little. 😉 Ready, steady, cook

Pasta, Prawn and Apple Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 175 g (6 oz) pasta shells
• 150 ml (1/2 pint) unsweetened apple juice
• 5 ml (1 tsp) chopped fresh mint
• 5 ml (1 tsp) white wine vinegar (you can use fresh lemon juice instead)
• 225 g (8 oz) peeled prawns
• 2 crisp dessert apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• lettuce leaves
• salt
• pepper
• paprika, to garnish

Method:

• Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 6-12 minutes until tender or according to the instructions. Drain well, rinse in cold running water and drain again.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the apple juice, mint, vinegar and seasoning.
• Dry the prawns with absorbent kitchen paper. Quarter, core and roughly chop the apples. Stir the prawns, apple and cooked pasta into the dressing until well mixed. Cover tightly with cling film (or aluminium foil or just a lid for ecological purposes) and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
• Wash the lettuce leaves, dry and shred finely. Arrange the lettuce in a bowl and spoon the prawn salad on top. Sprinkle with paprika. Now, share the bowl and enjoy the food. x

Bon appetite!

Jackfruit Salad

My dear friend, James, this is for you. Thanks to you I have learned about something new today, about chakka fruit or jackfruit, that it is your favourite fruit and that is so popular in India where you eat it 6 months a year. I have to say it is the first time I hear about this fruit and I googled for it to learn more. And even when I read that there are fresh jackfruit in London I still haven’t seen one or I haven’t noticed yet, but I will pay more attention now. ;). But it sounds like a very interesting fruit and as I searched for recipes I think I would like a jackfruit curry to eat once and a jackfruit salad. I must add that the recipes with jackfruit are suitable for vegetarians so I know I would like it as I am not into meat most of the times. I will put here a recipe taken from the internet, from this site: http://www.virtualherbarium.org that has more jackfruit recipes so feel free to check it out and cook. Providing you have the ingredients. There is jackfruit in Romania now so I can cook something. But because cooking requires imagination and creativity, I will slightly adapt the recipes so that I can cook it anywhere, even when I don’t have jackfruit. I would take advantage that this special fruit tastes like mango and banana and smells like banana and pineapple so I think one of these fruits can replace it successfully. If you don’t agree, let me know why. Enjoy now a light, fresh and cooling desert for what was left of the hot days of summer. 🙂

Jackfruit Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 cups fresh jackfruit (or mango, pineapples, bananas for when you can’t find this giant fruit)
• juice of one lime (or lemon for that matter)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• ¾ cup golden raisins
• 450 g (16 ounces) sour cream (go for full cream or full fat yoghurt)
• ¾ to 1 cup toasted walnuts (optional; I love walnuts so these are a must for me ;))

Method:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine jackfruit, lime juice, coconut, raisins and sour cream. If, after combining all ingredients, you feel mixture needs more of one above item, slowly add according to your taste. Add and mix in toasted walnuts just before serving.

NOTE:   Place walnuts on a cookie sheet, single layer, and toast 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 300-degree oven. Turn walnuts over after 4 or 5 minutes.

Bon appetite!

source: http://www.virtualherbarium.org/tropicalfruit/jackfruit-recipes.html

 

Caesar Salad

My blog is not just about food, but it is mostly about it. This is what interests me mainly. Among other things. But one at a time. Today I come with a very easy and famous salad. I have eaten this salad most of the times with chicken but this recipe is with anchovies. If you don’t eat meat, than eat this. Fish is very good for you. But you already know this.

In case you know Romanian, check the recipe here. If you don’t, than stick with English. The original is in English, taken from the “Good Housekeeping Cookery Book” -1985. That old it is. The book, not the recipe. The recipe is even older. :)) Check here.

Here is the salad, a very tasty, quick, easy to make and a good choice after the Easter meal.

Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large garlic clove, skinned and crushed
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) olive oil
• 75 g (3 oz) croutons
• 1 Cos lettuce (replace it with any other salad, make sure it is a crispy one)
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (or cheddar or any other cheese that you like, but remember, there is nothing like Parmesan cheese)
• 8 anchovies, finely crushed (well, you can try it out with one chicken breast, skinned, cut in small cubes and fried in butter – please, please – the 80-82% fat butter, it is the best, unsalted)

Method:

• Add the garlic to the oil and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
• Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in a salad bowl. Pour over the garlic oil and toss until the leaves are completely coated. Season well.
• Boil the egg for 1 minute only, break it into the salad and toss well. Add the lemon juice, cheese, anchovies and croutons and give a final toss. Serve immediately.

Bon appetite!