The Recipe Room

Last night I wanted to try out my new oven-safe form and thought that lasagna would be a good idea. I took the ingredients I had at home and, lo and behold, made a delicious tuna lasagna with goat’s cheese and ginger that turned out to be quite a success! At first, the ingredients may sound a bit odd, but why don’t you try it yourself? I think you’ll like it.

Lasagna is an ideal food for students  because you can often use basic ingredients that you have at home – such as tomato sauce, and then add the ingredients that you happen to have at hand. Top it off with some cheese, pop it in the oven, and voila!

What we need:

• 150g of tinned tuna
• 2 large mushrooms or many small ones (should fill a medium-size frying pan)
• 1 large red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 350g of tomato sauce
• 1 dl of milk
• 100g of goat’s cheese
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Lasagna noodles (about 10)
• 100g of Cheddar cheese, grated

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
2. Pour the olive oil into a medium-size frying pan.
3. Wash and chop the mushrooms into chunks.
4. Place the mushrooms in the frying pan and let them fry for 10 minutes.
5. Chop the onion into slices. Once the mushrooms are done, place them on a plate for later.
6. Place the onion in the frying pan and let fry for 3 minutes. Add the garlic.
7. Pour the tomato sauce into the frying pan. Add the mushrooms and the milk.
8. Let it all simmer for 3 minutes.
9. Add the tuna and the grated ginger. Mix it all properly and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
10. Add a small amount of the tomato and tuna sauce to the bottom of the oven-safe form.
11. Now, alternate between lasagna noodles and the sauce.
12. In one of the layers, add the sliced goat’s cheese.
13. On top of the last layer, sprinkle the grated Cheddar cheese.
14. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Note: There are several ways to bake pasta, and lasagna is just one of them. Another option is this baked penne with Dolcelatte and radicchio. Try it!

Time needed: 60 minutes
Serves: 4
Level: easy-intermediate

Pesto is an all-time favourite of mine and one of my must-have sauces at home. There is both a green and red variety, but I prefer the green one because it is so versatile. Here is a dish of pasta with pesto, broccoli and Feta cheese that I make a lot – often in the morning before I rush to catch the bus to Uni!

A typical pesto is made by first placing garlic and pine nuts in a mortar and reducing it to a cream. After that, you add washed and dried basil leaves and grind it to a creamy consistency. Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheeses are then added together with some olive oil. However, if you don’t want to go to all this trouble, you can find pre-made pesto in most supermarkets. The most common one is pesto alla genovese.

You may believe that pesto is only used as a sauce for pasta, but think again! These pesto cod and chips use it as a dressing on top of seafood. Play around with pesto, and you never know what new delights you might discover!

What we need:

• 200g of tricolour pasta
• 2 tablespoons of green pesto
• 1 large red onion
• 1 large red pepper
• 1 dl of broccoli florets
• A small tin of green beans
• 10 black olives
• 100g of Feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Tip! If you want to make your life easier, you can even use frozen vegetables instead of fresh.

How to make it:

1. Wash and chop the onion, pepper and broccoli into pieces.
2. Pour 1 litre of water into a saucepan and bring it to the boil.
3. Add the pasta and cook it according to instructions on the package.
4. Pour the olive oil in a frying pan.
5. Place the vegetables in the frying pan and let it all fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft.
6. Add the green beans.
7. Chop the olives into halves and add to the frying pan.
8. Drain the pasta when ready.
9. Add the pesto to the hot pasta and mix carefully.
10. Add all the vegetables from the frying pan.
11. Grate the Feta cheese over the pasta and stir once or twice.
12. Serve hot or store it in a Tupperware for later use.

Time needed: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Level: Easy

I´m a big fan of Italian cooking, but usually I don´t have time for more than throwing a handful of macaroni and some vegetables into a saucepan and letting them boil together. Last Friday night I thought I´d try a more elaborate pasta dish and found this recipe for mushroom lasagna with mozzarella and tomatoes to be easy enough even for a busy student like me.

Although the preparation does take some time, after that the lasagna makes itself in the oven while I bury my head in the books. Half an hour later, the dish is ready and you can have yourself a well-deserved treat!

What we need:

• 300g dry fusilli pasta
• 450g of sliced mushrooms (frozen or fresh)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1/2 a courgette
• 400 grams of chopped tomatoes from a tin
• 400 of crème fraîche
• 400g of mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• a sprig of fresh basil (optional)

How we make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, boil the pasta, but not too much as it will later go in the oven as well.
3. If you use frozen mushrooms, place them in a frying pan and fry until the liquid is gone. Place them on a plate for later use.
4. Peel and chop the garlic, onion and courgettes.
5. Fry them along with olive oil in a frying pan and then add the chopped tomatoes and the sugar. Let it boil for around 10 minutes.
6. Heat the crème fraîche in a saucepan and take half of the mozzarella and place it in lumps in the crème fraîche. Let them melt together. Add the salt and pepper.
7. Take an oven-safe form and put some of the tomato sauce in the bottom.
8. Place a layer of the fusilli on top, covering the form.
9. Now, alternate between the crème fraîche sauce, tomato sauce and fusilli pasta.
10. On the top, place the rest of the crème fraîche sauce and add the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
11. Place in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and sprinkle over the fresh basil.

Serves: 4
Time needed: 50 minutes (including oven time)
Level: easy – intermediate

I try not to eat a lot of meat, but recently I have taken a shining to finding lamb dishes, and the other day I went on a splurge to a Moroccan restaurant searching for something new and interesting. There I realised that couscous is a rice substitute that I had overlooked. After seeing that I could combine lamb and couscous together, I thought I’d try this lamb with couscous and apricot salad, which is a really light and fresh lunch that won’t leave you feeling heavy in any way.

If you are a vegetarian, you could also try this pistachio and cranberry couscous with goat’s cheese. Either way, couscous makes a satisfying salad!

As it is equally delicious served warm or cold, it is also ideal for a spring picnic. Just put the lamb in one container and the couscous and apricot salad in another and combine them on arrival!

What we need:

• 600g lamb, cubed or cut into small pieces
• 400g of couscous
• 12 dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon of pressed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 dl of cashew nuts
• 30g raisins
• a handful of chopped almonds
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 pinches of ground pepper
• 2 pinches of salt
• 10 coriander leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick (to garnish)

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
2. Fry the lamb in a frying pan in the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place the meat in an oven-safe form and place in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes until ready.
4. In a sauce pan, boil the couscous according to the instructions on the package.
5. Meanwhile, chop the apricots into small pieces.
6. Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice and cinnamon.
7. Add the apricots, cashew nuts, raisins and almonds with the lemon juice/olive oil mixture.
8. Add the couscous when it is ready. Mix it all carefully. Add salt and pepper according to taste.
9. Serve the couscous salad as the base on a plate and place the lamb on top.
10. Sprinkle over the coriander leaves and garnish with the cinnamon stick.

Time needed: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Level: Easy

I tend to use Japanese soy sauce quite often when I cook. It is really versatile and adds a little saltiness to a dish. I prefer it to the Chinese version as Japanese soy sauces typically have a slightly sweeter taste than their Chinese counterparts.

A few years ago, I lived with two Japanese flatmates and they taught me many different ways how to use their soy sauce. Since then I have used it in everything from avocados to eggs, like this scrambled omelette with cherry tomatoes. In coming recipes I will tell you more about how you can use Japanese soy sauce in ways you might not have considered before.

If you love the flavours in sushi, but like me, can’t afford to splurge too often, then this Japanese-style rice dish with shrimp and ginger is for you. It combines several main ingredients in sushi: ginger, rice and soy sauce. I have also added shrimp and sun-dried tomatoes for an extra salty taste.

What we need:

• 100g of peeled and washed shrimp (use de-frosted if you like)
• 300g of rice
• 6 big mushrooms
• 50g of sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of Japanese soy sauce
• Around 1 centimeter of freshly grated ginger (about a teaspoon)

How to make it:
1. Defrost the shrimp on a plate for later use.
2. Place the rice in a sauce pan and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
3. Grate the garlic into a frying pan and fry in the olive oil for 2 minutes.
4. Peel and chop the onion and add to the frying pan. Let it fry until soft.
5. Chop the mushrooms and add to the frying pan.
6. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the frying pan.
7. Add the soy sauce and let it all blend together until soft.
8. Add the shrimp and the ginger. Mix it all carefully and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
9. When the rice is ready, fluff it and add it to the frying pan.
10. Mix very carefully into a rice dish and serve immediately.

Serves: 2

Takes: 20 minutes

Level: easy

Attention fish lovers: Sweet chilli fish with rice is a dish for those of you who like the taste of the delights from the sea but don´t really have the patience to cook dishes which use up a lot of your precious time.

You know who you are: you are always on the run, and your greatest wish is for food to cook itself, but you also want your food to be healthy. You are tired of ready-made microwaved food and of counting just how many E-numbers have been thrown in.
Here you will learn how cooking fish dishes need not be difficult or time-consuming, and your health will thank you.

This dish literally cooks itself; while the rice is simmering, you have time to tend to other things. All you have to do is chop an onion or garlic, mix the ingredients, and the rest takes care of itself.

This sweet and sour chilli fish dish is an easy, no-fuss, midweek dish. Just don’t forget to put the timer on!

What we need:
• 600g of cod
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 garlic clove or 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 decilitre of parsley
• 50-75g of butter
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek

Tip to save time: You can also use a ready-made sweet chilli sauce instead of lemon, honey and sambal. It can be found in most food shops. With the remaining sauce, try sweet chilli and lemongrass prawns!

How to make it:
1. Set the oven to 225 degrees Celsius.
2. Place the cleaned fish in an oven-safe form and sprinkle some salt over it.
3. Chop the garlic and parsley.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix in the garlic, lemon juice, honey and sambal oelek.
5. Slowly pour the mixture over the fish.
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes.
7. Serve with whole grain rice mixed with lightly cooked vegetables. (These can be defrosted frozen vegetables which are added at the last minute to the rice.)

Time needed: approximately 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Level: easy (especially when using the ready-made sauce)

I never tire of roulades, and neither do my taste buds. My personal favourites are chicken and bacon roulades with cream cheese and rosemary. For me, there is something about mixing two distinct flavours into one that has a strange appeal. Besides being easy to prepare, roulades combine two or more different foods, and by doing so, often create a surprising culinary sensation.

Often roulades are considered a fantastic dessert option. This Chocolate Roulade is absolutely scrumptious.

I myself am a “meat and potatoes girl”. Veggies are delicious, but nothing beats the idea of mixing two kinds of meat into one dish and having potatoes as the carbohydrate base. And I know I’m not alone. My girlfriends are known to throw pot luck dinners, granting me the opportunity to show off my culinary skills as well as the possibility of tasting others’ dishes. I take lots of ideas away from those meals, but my friends always demand that I bring these roulades! And that is just fine with me.

For your next dinner function, I recommend this dish. Not only is it quick and easy, but your friends will vote you “Top Chef” of the night.

What we need:

• 3 big potatoes
• 4 thin chicken fillets
• 250g bacon
• 3 tablespoons of cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon of rosemary
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

How to make it:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees celsius.
2. Put some oil in an oven-safe form.
3. Peel and slice the potatoes.
4. Place the potatoes in the form, pour the olive oil and sprinkle the rosemary and salt over them.
5. Take the chicken fillets and pat them as flat as possible.
6. Spread the cream cheese onto the chicken and sprinkle the pepper over them.
7. Roll the chicken fillets into tubes and wrap the bacon around them.
8. Place the chicken and bacon rolls on top of the potatoes.
9. Place in the middle of the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
10. Serve with an iceberg and tomato salad.

Serves: 8

Time needed: 20 minutes

Level: easy

Sometimes in the evening I just want a little something. I feel like a small snack to put me to bed without a rumbling stomach so that I get my daily beauty sleep and well-deserved rest. (If I do say so myself!)

On other occasions, I have a house full of dressed-up friends and want to keep them entertained while they wait for the main dish. Sometimes on those occasions, a single glass of white wine just doesn’t cut it because their stomachs are rumbling.

Mini pancakes with savoury toppings is a great way to keep my mingling guests happy while still hungry enough to tuck into the main dish once it arrives on the table.
Be it an evening snack or a formal appetizer, these mini pancakes are perfect and always welcome. Spinach and mozzarella blended with tomatoes and pine nuts are a heavenly combination and will do the trick on any occasion. They are delicious – and so easy to make.

Be prepared to receive recipe inquiries!

What we need:

• 2 eggs
• 75g of flour
• 5 decilitres of milk
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 125g of mozzarella cheese
• 150g of fresh spinach
• 2 chopped cloves of garlic
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 1/2 decilitres of pine nuts

How to make it:
1. Whip together the eggs, flour and milk.
2. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the mixture.
3. Pour the paste into a mini pancake cast-iron skillet (or one by one if you don’t have one) and fry on middle temperature.
4. Crumble the mozzarella cheese over the mini pancakes when they start to harden.
5. Let the cheese harden.
6. Fry the spinach and garlic in a saucepan using some butter or olive oil.
7. Chop the tomatoes.
8. Add the chopped tomatoes and pine nuts to the spinach and garlic.
9. Place a tablespoon of the mixture onto the pancakes and serve immediately on a large plate.

TIP: If you don’t have an iron skillet for mini pancakes, you can use ready-made blinis found in most supermarkets. Or you can try a similar basic pancake batter recipe.

Serves: 8
Time needed: 20 minutes
Level: easy

I love Mexican food for its spiciness and simplicity of the dishes. The typical foods such as spicy tortillas, nachos, quesadillas, and fajitas all are really filling and use combinations of flavours that I can´t get enough of! Plus, in my opinion, they are quite easy to throw together for a hearty meal.

Chicken fajitas with red onion and guacamole is a dish that I make at least twice a week because it is so yummy and simple to make. Fajitas make perfect student food because they are easy like a sandwich but with proper meal ingredients.

I usually cosy up with these fajitas and my favourite TV series after a full day at Uni. Although, since I stuff them so full, I have to be careful not to let all the ingredients spill out onto the couch. Regardless, I love this dish. All I can say is: Viva Mexico!

What we need:

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 large red onion
• 6 Mexican tortillas
• 100g of grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons of spicy red Mexican sauce
• 200ml of guacamole
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Herbs: garlic, ginger, pepper and cayenne pepper (a pinch of each)

How to make it:

1. Chop the chicken breast into long slices.
2. Place them in the oil in a frying pan and fry until cooked and sprinkle the herbs over it.  Place in a bowl for later.
3. Chop the peppers and onion and fry them in the frying pan.
4. Now, put the chicken back in the pan together with the peppers and onion. Add the Mexican sauce to taste, depending on how spicy you want it.
5. Preheat the tortillas in the oven or microwave.
6. Spread a tablespoon of guacamole on a tortilla and add some of the chicken and pepper mixture.
7. Sprinkle some of the grated cheese on top according to taste.
8. Roll the tortilla into a roll and eat with your fingers or a knife and fork.

Enjoy!!

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Level: easy

You can either buy ready-made guacamole or make it yourself. Try this spicy guacamole recipe.

During the winter time, I have found that my body craves more starchy foods such as potatoes. Mmmm…. The best part is that there is a huge variety of potato dishes! They can be baked, cooked, fried, boiled, and sautéed. They can be served hot or cold; as an accompaniment, main ingredient or in a salad. I have tried elaborate crushed new potatoes with feta cheese or plain potatoes with just a pinch of salt. This veggie can be cooked in any way imaginable and still be delicious.

The best part is that potatoes are year-round and cheap. These types of meals definitely fit into my student budget.

One easy potato dish is the baked potato. I have always loved how versatile baked potatoes can be, with basically hundreds of different fillings to choose from. For me, crispy baked potatoes with leek and Mascarpone cheese has become one of my personal favourites, since I can add whatever I want to the basic recipe: crispy bacon, sliced ham, sliced and fried chicken, tuna, or why not pieces of fried salmon? It is so easy to make and perfect for a winter evening!

What we need:

• 4 large potatoes for baking
• 1/2 a leek
• 1 red onion
• 25g of Mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 a red pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 a decilitre of chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 a decilitre of chopped green onion

How we make it:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees.
2. Wash the potatoes and place them in the oven for 50-60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, chop the pepper and onion into very fine pieces and chop the leek.
4. Fry the leek in the olive oil and add the red pepper, onion and thyme. Let it fry for 1-2 minutes and add salt and pepper according to taste.
5. Prepare the Mascarpone cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. When the potatoes are ready, cut a cross on the top and make a hole by removing some of the inside of the potato.
7. Place a tablespoon of the cheese in the hole made in the potatoes.
8. Let it melt a little and then add a tablespoon of the leek, onion and pepper mix.

Voila! Sprinkle a bit of chopped green onion on top for presentation, and your baked potatoes are served!

Serves: 4
Time needed: 10 minutes + 50 minutes for the potatoes in the oven
Level: very easy