recipes

Though I have no plans of writing numerous hugely successful operas and then retiring to run a restaurant, I do enjoy inviting friends over for diner occasionally. So here I'm including recipes for some of the things I cook. I'm still working to improve some of them (by trial and error) and hopefully I'll keep this page updated of any major changes (I know, you all read similar well intentioned statements on numerous obsolete pages...) . If you try one of these and have suggestions for improvments let me know.
One general remark: at least 80% of good cooking is good ingredients.
Stuffed Zuchinnis

4-5 large zuchinnis
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 table spoon olive oil
3 table spoons grated parmesan cheese
Herbs (basil /parsley /mint leaves)
salt and pepper

cut zuchinnis in half and carefully remove core. dice 1/2 the core (use the other half for soup or pasta) and mix with bread crumbs, olive oil, cheese herbs salt and pepper. stuff back into zuchinnis and bake in medium heat for about an hour.

Salmon with Leek and mustard

Salmon filet
1/2 cup white wine
1 tea spoon olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt, pepper, thyme

put salmon in oven bags (very useful to have see also chicken below) with the above ingredients and cook ~20 minutes in medium high heat.

2 leeks
a little olive oil
salt and pepper
1 table spoon mustard
bunch chopped fresh dill weed

Clean leek and cut to small pieces. sauté in olive oil for 10-15 minutes. add mustard and dill and cook for 2 more minute. serve on the fish.

Mashed yams or sweet potatoes

2-3 yams (or sweet potato)
1/2 cpu diced fresh parsley
1 tea spoon ground nutmeg
~50g of butter
salt

peel yams, cut into large pieces and cook in water till soft. Mash in a bowl (without the water) and add the rest of the ingredients.

Oven baked chicken

cut chicken (or parts of) about 1kg
2 carrots
2 celery stems
onion
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
1 cup white wine
3 table spoon soy sauce
salt, pepper, caraway seeds, ground paprika, ground cloves

cut onion, garlic, carrots (peeled), and celery into small pieces. sauté in olive oil for about 10 minutes. add spices and cook for additional 5 minutes. put into oven bag. heat a little more oil in the pot and add chicken parts. stir and turn occasionally to fry chicken from all sides. after 5-10 minutes add wine and soy. scrub the bottom of the pot. add content into oven bag and bake in medium-high heat for about 1 hour.

Baked root vegetables

1 yam or sweet potato
2 carrots
2-3 potatoes
1 onion
1 table spoon butter
1 cup whipping cream (or 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup sour cream)
1 egg
100g grated cheese (ementhal, or similar)
salt, pepper, ground nutmeg

peel potatoes, yams, and carrots and slice thinly (about 2-3 mm slices). Cook potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes, add carrots and cook for 5 more. Chop onion, saute in butter till it becomes transparent. add whipping cream and spices. continue cooking while stirring for 5-7 more minutes. let cool a bit and than add egg (and sour cream). layer about 1/3 of the vegetables in a bakind dish, pour 1/3 of cream mix, and 1/3 of the grated cheese. repeat 2 more times. bake in high heat for about 45 min.

Mocha cheese cake

1/2 an egg (both white and yellow we use the other half later)
50g GOOD chocolate cut into pieces
3 table spoons sugar
20g butter
3 table spoons flour
pinch of salt
few drops of vanilla extract

over very low heat melt chocolate in small pan. with a blender stir butter and sugar add egg, salt, and vanilla, than melted chocolate (keep the pan!) and flour (continue stirring well). spread thin in a baking pan and cook ~10 min. 350F.

300g cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 eggs (see above)
1 table spoon flour
2 table spoons liquid coffee
1 cup whipping cream

add coffee to pan used to melt chocolate and stir. Soften the cheese in a microwave oven or beat it soft. add sugar, eggs and flour to the cheese and stir well. whip the cream and add to cheese as well. pour coffee/chocolate mix and stir a little to create swirls. pour the mixture over the baked chocolate base and cook 1 hour in low heat. Serve cold.