Grilled Lamb Fillets served with Garlic/Olive Oil, Steamed Broccoli and Potato Gratin

The year 2012 is coming to an end and a new year 2013 is just around the corner.  To welcome the new year, I prepared this simple dish for my family.  It is quick to prepare and tastes delicious!

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):

12 lamb fillets

6 cloves of garlic, to be peeled and cut into fine cubes

olive oil (sufficient to cover the cubed garlic)

Method:

Mix cubed garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.  Leave aside.

Grill the lamb fillets without seasoning.  If panfried is preferred, heat a little olive oil in a pan.  Add lamb fillets and fry over medium heat until all sides are slightly brown.  It is important not to overcook or else the meat will be hard.  Once browned, remove to a baking tray.  Leave tray in a preheated fan oven (120° C) for about 10 minutes.

To serve, season with salt & ground black pepper and spoon the garlic/olive oil mixture over it. Serve with steamed broccoli and potato gratin.

Potato Gratin

Ingredients:

750 g waxy potatoes (festkochende Kartoffeln)

200 g fresh cream

salt and ground pepper

a little butter for the casserole dish

Method:

Peel potatoes and place them in a bowl of water.  By using a vegetable slicer, slice the potatoes thinly.  Arrange them in a buttered medium-sized casserole dish.  Season with salt & pepper and pour a little cream over each layer.  Continue until all potatoes are used up.  Add some cubes of butter on top and bake in a preheated fan oven at 180° C for about one hour.

Bon Appetit!

Linsensuppe (Lentils Soup) served with Turkey Sausages

Linsensuppe is a traditional german main dish and normally pork belly is added to the soup.  Since pork is prohibited in our home, I serve it with turkey sausages.  This healthy and delicious recipe was handed down to me by my mother-in-law.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
250 g lentils (Tellerlinsen)
2 medium-size carrots, to be washed, peeled and cut into cubes
1 small celery root, to be washed, peeled and cut into cubes
1 leek, to be washed and cut into cubes
3 big potatoes, to be peeled and cut into cubes
1 clove garlic, to be peeled and crushed
1 litre water
beef stock cube (for 1 litre liquid)
salt and pepper to taste
4 turkey sausages
some chopped parsley

Method:
In a medium-size pot, add lentils, carrots, celery, potatoes, leek, crushed garlic and water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and cover.  Let it simmer for about 45 minutes.  More water may be added if necessary.

Add beef stock cube and check seasonings.  Add turkey sausages and a little chopped parsley to soup and bring to a light boil.

Serve sprinkled with some chopped parsley.

Bon Appetit!

Spaghetti served with Salmon Cream Sauce

We have some balance of fresh salmon fillets in the fridge and to use them up, I prepared this simple and quick dish.  The following recipe serves 4 persons.

Ingredients:
300 g spaghetti, to be cooked according to packet instructions
400 g fresh salmon fillets
1 medium-sized onion, to be cut into fine cubes
2 carrots, to be washed, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 leek, to be washed and cut into thin strips
1 small piece of celery root, to be washed, peeled and cut into thin strips
60 g butter
1 tbsp flour
400 g fresh cream
2 tsp instant stock granules
salt and ground white pepper to taste
fresh dill leaves

Method:
Season salmon fillets with salt & pepper and steam for about 8 minutes.  Leave aside to cool down and then, cut into cubes.

Heat butter in a pot and add cubed onions.  Then, add carrot, leek and celery strips.  Stir-fry for about 5 minutes and then, add in flour.  Stir well before adding in the fresh cream and instant stock granules.  Bring to a light boil.  If the sauce is too thick to your liking, just add a little milk to thin it out.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add in dill leaves by cutting them with a scissor into pot.  Lastly, add in cubed salmon.  Bring to a light boil before serving with spaghetti.

Bon Appetit!

Steamed Salmon served with Bechamel Sauce & Butter Rice

Since I managed to get fresh salmon this morning,  I prepared this simple dish for dinner.  The Bechamel Sauce, Vegetable Strips and Buttered Rice really complement the salmon!  Following recipe serves 4 persons.

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets

2 carrots, to be washed, peeled and cut into fine strips

1 leek, to be washed and cut into fine strips

1 small celery root, to be washed, peeled and cut into fine strips

salt and ground white pepper to taste

Method:

Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper.  I am using an electric steamer.  Arrange salmon fillets in a buttered perforated tray.  Add the vegetable strips in a normal tray and season with salt & pepper.

Place the vegetable strips tray on the first rack from bottom and the perforated tray on the second rack.  Steam for about 8 minutes.  Remove from steamer and serve salmon fillets with vegetable strips.  Pour Bechamel Sauce over salmon and serve with Buttered Rice.

Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:

80 g butter

1 small onion, to be cut into small cubes

1 tbsp (not heaped) flour

1/2 tsp instant vegetable stock granules

200 fresh cream

salt and ground white pepper to taste

Method:

Heat butter in a saucepan and add cubed onions.  Stir-fry until translucent.  Then, add flour and stir well. Add cream and stir thoroughly.  Then, add stock and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Buttered Rice

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized onion, to be cut into cubes

90 g butter

3 cups (250 ml cup) rice, to be washed and drain into a sieve

3 cups hot chicken stock

salt to taste

Method:

Heat butter in a pot and add cubed onions.  Stir-fry until translucent.  Add rice and mix thoroughly. Then, add chicken stock and salt to taste.  Bring to boil.  Once the stock has evaporated, stir well and put the lid on.  Reduce heat to minimum and cook until rice is done!

Bon Appetit!

Lachs-Wirsing Lasagne

This Salmon-Savoy Cabbage Lasagna is simple to prepare and is a wonderful change to the Beef Lasagna.  I strongly recommend to make your own Bechamel sauce instead of using an instant sauce.  The self-made Bechamel sauce will bring out the delicious flavour!

Ingredients (serves 3 - 4 persons):
650 g Savoy cabbage (Wirsing)
salt and ground white pepper to taste
1 big onion, to be cut into fine cubes
750 g salmon fillet
50 g butter
50 g flour
½ litre milk
200 g cream
2 tsp vegetable stock granules
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
12 lasagne pieces
50-75 g grated cheese (Gouda or Emmentaler)

Method:
Clean, wash, quarter and shred cabbage.  Blanch shredded cabbage in salted boiling water for about 2 minutes.  Drain in a colander and set aside.

Wash and dry salmon and cut into big pieces to fit into a rectangle pyrex dish.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat butter in a saucepan and add cubed onion.  Stir fry until transparent and then add flour and mix well.  Add in milk, cream and stock granules.  Stir well and bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Butter the pyrex baking dish.  Spread some sauce on the bottom of baking dish and arrange a layer of lasagne.  Spread sauce on top and add half of cabbage mixture and spread evenly.  Add another layer of lasagne and sauce on top.  Then, place the salmon pieces.  Add another layer of lasagne, spread sauce and the rest of cabbage.  Finally, add on the last layer of lasagne and spread the rest of sauce on top.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven (Fan: 160º C/Conventional: 175º C/Gas: 2) for about 40-45 minutes.

Bon Appetit!