All the recipes you see here are homemade by me. I have no intentions of calling myself a chef or pretend to be one. One thing is true, I love cooking and have spent all my adult life watching cooking shows and buying cooking books. All I know I have done it buy trial an error and I continue to have fun trying new ideas.
It is hard for me to give exact quantities of this and that, because I do all my cooking by "eye". I know that a  little bit of this and a little bit of that makes the best taste combination. I am trying my best to give the exact amounts for the recipes. I am sure that I am not that off.
Suggestions are very welcome and I will reply to all the questions been placed here. What I don't know, I will try to find out. This way we will all learn and I will be the one doing the leg work...

Fettucini Alfredo

 

- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream

- 5 tablespoons olive oil or butter (I prefer olive oil)

- 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

-  half a pound of cubed ham

- salt/pepper 

- 1 pound of egg fettucini (fresh or dried)

- 2 minced garlic cloves (optional)

Preparation:

Place a large pot with water and salt to boil. Add the pasta and let cook while you preparing the rest. Don't over cook the pasta, should be al dente (still a little firm).

In a saucepan place the olive oil (or butter), the garlic and the cubed ham. Let it cook for a few seconds (if you let the garlic get dark it will give the food a bitter taste). Sprinkle some salt and pepper.

Add the heavy cream and some of the parmesan cheese (save some to sprinkle over the pasta when you plate it).

Stir for a few minutes and add the drained fettucini. Turn the stove off right after you added the pasta otherwise will dry the pasta and the cream.

Serve with a nice tomato salad.

Stuffed Eggplant

 

- 1 eggplant 

- 2 slices of mortadella (also known as Bologna sausage), cut in small pieces

- 1 tomato cut in small pieces
- 100g of fresh mozzarella cut in small pieces
- 50g of shredded mozzarella
- 50g of shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil/salt/pepper

Preparation:

Cut the eggplant in half and set aside. Spoon out the inside of the eggplant and cut into small pieces. Make sure to leave a rim on the eggplant to be able to hold the filling.
On a saucepan place the olive oil and the onion. Let it cook until transparent. Add the eggplant pieces, the mortadella, the tomato and fresh mozzarella. Add salt and pepper and stir gently to coat.
Take out of the stove and stuff the mixture inside each eggplant half.
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.  Drizzle the top part of the eggplant rim with a little olive oil and bake on a 200ºF preheated oven until golden brown. Approximately 25 minutes depending on the oven.

Eggplant Parmesan

- 2 large eggplants

- 200g of shredded or sliced Mozzarella cheese

- 100g of shredded Parmesan cheese

- bread crumbs

- tomato sauce (see recipe below)

- 2 eggs

- salt/pepper

- oil to fry

Preparation:

Slice the eggplant in thin slices. 

Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl

On a separate bowl, beat the eggs

Pass the eggplant in the egg and after, coat with breadcrumbs 

Place the oil on a skillet and fry the eggplant until golden brown. Make sure to turn it once

Place on paper towels to drain the excess moisture

Assembling:

In a baking dish place a layer of eggplant. Spread some tomato sauce on top. After, sprinkle with the Mozzarella and the Parmesan. Repeat the order until you finish. Make sure your last layer is the tomato and the cheeses. 

Bake on a 350º F preheated oven for about 25 minutes (temperature may very according to oven), or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Tomato Sauce:

- 2 cans of peeled and chopped tomatoes

- 1 large onion chopped)

- 2 garlic cloves chopped)

- olive oil

- oregano/salt/pepper 

- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)

- pinch of sugar

Preparation:

In a pan place the olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and the sliced onion. Let it fry until transparent. Add the garlic. Don't let the garlic get dark or will give a bitter taste to the sauce.

Add the tomatoes, the oregano, the salt and the pepper. Stir for a while and add the pinch of sugar and the wine.

Let it simmer for about 15 to 25 minutes.

Creamy Codfish

4 Codfish  or other fish fillets

6 deciliters of milk

1 large onion (sliced)
2 tablespoons of flour
1 kilo of potatoes (cut into small cubes)
a pinch of nutmeg
2 deciliters of heavy cream
shredded cheese
salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Poach the fish in the milk

2. Saute the onion with the olive oil until becomes transparent.

3. Drain and flake the fish, but save the milk where they were poached. Add to the onion and olive oil mixture and let it saute slowly. Sprinkle the flour on top and add the milk. Let it thicken, stirring once in a while.

4.  Peel the potatoes and cut them in little cubes. Fry in oil but only until they are soft.  Drain them and add to the fish. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

5. Pour everything on a greased oven proof pan. Add the heavy cream on top and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Place on a preheated 225º oven until the top become golden brown.

Best served with a lettuce and tomato salad.