Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

I don't have the exact measurings for this recipe, but I don't think you need them.

For 2 portions

Broccoli - enough for 2 people
Sour Cream - 2-4 tablespoons
Mustard - 2-4 teaspoons
Milk - 1-2 tablespoons
Cheese, grated - 80-100 grams + more for the top
Salt, pepper

- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Boil the broccoli for 2-3 minutes in salted water, until it's tender but still crisp.
- In a separate bowl make the sauce: combine the sour cream, mustard and cheese. If the mixture is too thick, add some milk. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Put the boiled broccoli into a baking dish, pour the sauce over it, sprinkle with more cheese.
- Bake for about 10-13 minutes until the sauce is thick and the cheese on top melted and started to brown.

Comments:
- The sauce is the same as in Fish baked with Tomatoes in Cheese Sauce, but the dish is completely different.
- It's really easy to make and tastes great!

Fish baked with Tomatoes in Cheese Sauce

adapted from http://www.carina-forum.com/carina/

For 2 portions

Filet of Sole (or any other light white fish) - 2 pieces
Tomatoes, sliced - 2 medium
Sour Cream - 2-4 tablespoons
Mustard - 2-4 teaspoons
Milk - 1-2 tablespoons
Cheese - 80-100 grams
Salt, pepper

- Preheat the oven to 426F (220C).
- Put the filets in a baking dish, salt and pepper to taste.
- Put the tomato slices on the fish.
- In a separate bowl make the sauce: combine sour cream, mustard and cheese. If the mixture is too thick, add some milk.
- Pour the sauce over tomatoes.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the fish is ready.

Comments:
- I taste the sauce, if it's too plain, I add more mustard, if it's too spicy, I add more sour cream. So, number of spoons in the ingredients list is only a guidline.
- I also grate some cheese over the sauce.
- It's a really easy and tasty dish, very helpful on busy nights!

Chocolate Ricotta Ravioli with Garlic Sauce

adapted from "Cooking with Chocolate" by Avner Laskin

For the dough:

Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Cocoa powder, unsweetened - 1 tablespoon
Eggs - 2
Olive oil - 1 tablespoons
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

For the filling:

Egg - 1
Ricotta cheese - 1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese, grated - 1/4 cup
Hazelnuts, ground - 1/2 cup
Nutmeg, ground - 1/4 teaspoon
Garlic, chopped - 2 cloves
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

For the sauce:

Oil - 1 tablespoon
Garlic, finely minced - 2 cloves
Chicken stock - 1/2 cup
Cold butter - 1 tablespoon
Cilantro, chopped - to taste
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

- For the dough: Place all the ingredients for the dough in a food processor, and process until the ingredients form a ball of dough.
- Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Place all the ingredients for the filling into a bowl and mix well until the mixture is uniform.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer to a floured work surface. Roll out the dough as thin as possible. Cut into two equal portions.
- Place spoonfuls of the filling 3-4 cm apart on one half of the dough.
- Brush a thin layer of water on the dough around each spoonful of filling.
- Place the other half of the dough on top of the first half. Press the dough around each filling to seal.
- Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut around each pocket of filling.
- In a large pot, boil water with a generous amount of salt. When the water is boiling, drop the ravioli in the water and cook for 6-8 minutes. Strain.
- For the sauce: In a small pot, heat some oil and add minced garlic to it. Saute for about 1 minute on medium heat. Make sure that the garlic does not burn.
- Add the chicken stock and let boil for a minute.
- Add the butter, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce bubble for a few minutes until it thickens a little bit.
- Add the chopped cilantro.
- Pour the sauce over the ravioli and serve immediately.

Comments:
- Cocoa only gives the dough colour, it does not effect the taste much.
- Do not over mix the dough or it will become tough.
- Make sure the dough is rolled very thinly.
- The original sauce called for 1/2 cup of butter and some sage leaves which I didn't have. This sauce is really really tasty and not as fattening. I had to make a double batch of the sauce it was soooo good!

Filo Triangles

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Filo Triangles

Filo Dough, thawed
Butter, melted
Goat cheese, softened
Sun-dried tomatoes, drained

- Cut the whole stack of thawed filo lengthwise into quarters.
- Working with 1 filo strip at a time and keeping the others covered with a barely damp towel, place the filo strip on a dry work surface.
- Brush it lightly with the melted butter.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of softened goat cheese 2.5 cm from the bottom edge. Place a piece of sun-dried tomato on top.
- Fold the lower right corner of the pastry up and over the filling, forming a triangle.
- Roll the triangle straight forward, then again on a diagonal.
- Continue folding, forming a triangle each time, until you reach the end of the strip.
- Transfer to a prepared baking sheet and brush the top of the triangle with a little more butter.
- Repeat with the other strips.
- Bake them for 20 minutes at 180C/350F.
- The triangles can be frozen, then baked straight from the freezer, adding about 5 extra minutes.

Cherry Filo Triangles

Same as the above, but with pitted cherries tossed with some sugar.