Pixie's kitchen... on special request! After willow came up with the idea and i had put it in my weblog, i got some more positive reactions. So from now on, recipes developed, tried out and tested in Casa Karenina will be available here.
I'll try to keep it updated with new recipes. This means i'll have a perfect excuse to make more time for experimenting in my kitchen. As you'll notice most of my recipes won't take you very long. I love cooking, trying new stuff, but i'm not the person to spend hours in the kitchen on a regular week's day.
Don't have time for that anyway. Half an hour is long enough to get some good food on the table. And don't be too exact with the amounts of the ingredients, i just put some wild guesses. Normally i never measure anything, except when i'm baking a cake or something. Hope you'll enjoy it... i'll put a comment system with each recipe, so you can tell what you think about it, if you have ideas for improvement,... or if it just went wrong completely, you can try to blame me...
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Pasta with Philadelphia sauce
Courgette and carrots with almonds, coriander rice, and banana in jasmin sauce Fabulous pixie goat cheese with an apple salad |
Pasta with Philadelphia sauce
The first recipe i'll write down here, the famous Philadelphia sauce, an original pixie recipe, the result of having half a package of philadelphia left in the fridge once... A favorite of my sister, already tasted and approved of by a lot of guests.
What you need for 2 large portions or 3 regular ones: 1 courgette, some carots, a small package of mushrooms, 1 clove of garlic, 2dl cream, 3/4 of a philadelphia cheese package (normal one, or light), pasta, salt and pepper, fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese
Peel and cut the garlic in very small pieces. Chop up the courgette in slices (bite-size pieces), same with the carrots (might want to scrape them first) and the mushrooms (do not wash the mushrooms, just clean them with some tissue, otherwise you'll get too much water in your pan).
Take a deep pan, and heaten some olive oil. (At the same time put on the water for the pasta, should be ready in approximately the same time then.) First fry the garlic shortly, then bake the carrots, courgette and mushrooms. When they're done, add cream and philadelphia cheese. You really should use enough cheese, so you can really taste it. Season with salt and pepper, stirr until you have a smooth sauce. Make sure it's nice and hot. Serve with pasta, chopped fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese. Variation: For those who are not vegetarian, it's good idea to bake some bite-size chicken fillet together with the garlic and then add all the other stuff... This is actually the way i used to make it at first. But nowadays i don't eat a lot of meat anymore, and i rarely cook meat for myself. |
Courgette and carrots with almonds, coriander rice, and banana in jasmin sauce
This is obviously one of my favourites. A complete meal, with side dishes and rice... Did some thinking to create this, three things that taste really well together. One of the things i often make for visitors. I'm actually quite proud of this one.
It's not a lot of work, but it's quite an original recipe. If you want to impress, this is an excellent choice!
What you need for 2 persons:
Thai rice (or Basmati, check package for the right amount), fresh coriander 2 or 3 bananas, honey, cinnamon, a cup of jasmin tea 1 onion, 1 courgette, about the same amount in carrots, handful of almond slices, rice wine, white wine vinegar, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, Maizena, sugar, a teaspoon of five spices powder, a spoonful of cardemom (this is hard to find in powder, so you'll probably have to squash it first with a pestle and mortar - yes i used a dictionary for that!- or with a spoon in a cup...) Koriander Rice Boil the rice, Thai rice (rice perfumed with jasmin) is the best choice, but normal Basmati will do, too. Add a lot of chopped fresh coriander. Banana in Jasmin sauce Peel the bananas and cut in slices. Fry the bananas in butter for a few minutes, add a spoonful of honey, a cup of jasmin tea and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Let it summer for about 10 minutes, covered with a lid and on low heat, so the sauce will reduce and become thicker. Courgette and carrots with almonds This dish is made in a wok. Peel and chop the onion. Wash and slice the courgette, grate the carrots. Roast the almond slices in the frying pan (or in the wok) without butter or anything until they are golden brown. Take them out and put them aside. Prepare the sauce for the vegetables in a separate cup by mixing the following ingredients: 2 spoons of rice wine (can be replaced by dry sherry), 2 spoons of white wine vinegar, a spoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of tomato ketchup, a spoonful of Maizena (or how is it in English??), and a little bit of sugar. I'd suggest to taste if measures are fine, but you'll notice this sauce does not taste so well (yet!!), so you'll have no idea if you have to add some more vinegar or sugar...It should be neither too sour or too sweet.Well just use your intuition, it will work out fine, i bet. Heaten the oil in the frying pan (a neutral oil, not olive oil!) and fry the onion. Then stirrfry the courgette and carrots until they've softened. Add the sauce, cardemom, five spices powder. Taste it and maybe add some more five spices powder... Bring to the boil and let it simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. At the very end, put in the almond slices. Serve with fresh coriander. Fabulous pixie goat cheese with an apple saladA really delicious, and yet very simple recipe. A true pixie recipe, kinda sweet. The salad wit apple and raspberry vinegar is also very good with bacon. What you need for the pixie goat cheese: goat cheese, of course, pecan nuts, an onion, a few dates, honey, if you have it some thyme is nice too. And for the salad: lettuce (for example a package of mixed lettuce), an apple (best choice is a rather sour one), raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper Goat cheese: Pre-heat the oven on low heat, 150°C. Chop up the onion, the nuts and the dates. Warm some oil and fry the onion. If you want to you can put in some fresh thyme too. Add the nuts and dates and heaten. Then pour some honey on it. Put the pieces of goat cheese in an oven dish, pour over the onion-nuts-dates mixture and put in the oven for a few minutes, app. 5 minutes, it doesn't have to be really hot. Salad: Peel the apple and cut in slices. Make a vinegar with olive oil and raspberry vinegar (app. two parts of oil for one part of vinegar, taste to be sure). Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the warm goat cheese and some bread. |