Lët’z Cook ! – LHoFT Cooking Masterclass

In the last weeks, our lives have been drastically changed by an unprecedented state of emergency. Covid-19 has forced all of us to review our routines and find new ways to fulfil our needs.

However, this period of quarantine has also brought us great things.
Above all, it has given us the opportunity to spend time with our families and has enhanced our creativity. It allowed us to cook healthier food and share meals with our beloved ones.

Today we want to present you a 5-star menu brought to you by the LHoFT team, or maybe…the LHoFT Masterchef Team, and you will be the judge!

Appetizer

Our smiley sous-chefs Daniele and Fred are proud to offer you traditional and filling recipes from their respective countries:

Fresh egg pasta: for brave entrepreneurs, By Daniele, LHoFT’s Italian Soul 

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 400g of all-purpose flour (farine de blé type 55)
• a pinch of salt
• 4 eggs ( ~70g each)

45 minutes of preparation 

Method:

1. Make a pile of flour on a table. Make a deep, wide indentation in the centre big enough to hold the eggs.
2. Pour the eggs into the centre, add a pinch of salt and after this, beat the eggs lightly with a fork. The flour should keep piled as to contain the eggs, and with the fork bring the flour slowly into the eggs. As soon as the eggs have become pastier, you can begin to work the dough with your hands.
3. When the eggs are completely absorbed by the flour: take the dough, fold it towards you, and knead it away from you. Then turn the dough 90 degrees and do it again until you obtain a smooth and uniform pasta.
4. Cover the dough completely with plastic wrap, and let it rest for half an hour in a cool place.
5. Hold the dough with one hand and push the rolling pin out to extend the dough. Then, turn 90 degrees and repeat. You should put pressure on the pin when moving away and release pressure then bringing it back. Continue until you get the thickness of a sheet of paper.
6. Once you get the right thickness and you have chosen the kind of pasta you want to make, you can cut it uniformly with a knife.
7.  The cooking time will depend on the kind of pasta you made but should be between 2 and 7 minutes in salty boiling water. Afterwards, you can season it for example with tomato, Bolognese or any other sauce that you like. The result will always be astonishing!

Tip from the cook: if you do not have a rolling pin at home, you can use a properly clean bottle of wine.

Lëtzebuerger Kniddelen mat Speck: energy for your success, By Fred, LHoFT Luxembourger Cantine 

Ingedients for 3 people (…or one Fred):

• 500g flour
• 6 eggs
• 400-450ml of milk
• Salt & pepper
• 125g smoked bacon (250g if you love bacon)
• 1 large onion
• 200ml cream
• Parsley & chives
• Apple compote (just buy a glass)

60 minutes of preparation

Method:

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, put the salt and eggs in the middle of it. While stirring, add as much milk as necessary to obtain a semi-solid, smooth & creamy dough. Let the dough rest for half an hour.
2.  Heat water (just up to the point before boiling) in a large pot and add salt. With a tablespoon, which you dip into the hot water every time before, you can cut off small dumplings from the dough and let them simmer in portions in boiling water until they rise to the surface. Place the dumplings in a strainer.
3. Finely chop up the onions, parsley & chives. Fry the onions with a little olive oil.
4. Fry the bacon until crispy, pour off the fat and mix with the fried onions, cream & a little pepper. Let the sauce simmer for a while.
5. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the dumplings till they are slightly brown from each side.
6. Spread the “bacon & onion sauce” over the “Kniddelen” and sprinkle with parsley and chives.
7. Serve the Kniddelen with apple compote and enjoy!

Main Course 

Our skilled sauciers, Nasir and Dilek, propose you easy but really tasty meat-based recipes.

Fiery Fintech Chicken Curry, By Nasir, LHoFT Tandoori Specialist 

Ingredients (for 4-6 people)

• 1kg Chicken, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 400g button mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 400g tin chopped tomato
• 2-4 chopped red chillies with seeds (to taste, use the chillies you can handle)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons Garam Masala
• 2 teaspoons Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Handful of coriander leaves (no stalks)
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 good size knob of butter

Around 40 minutes of preparation.

Method:

1. Heat a pan on high heat; not maximum, a few ticks below. Add the oil then the butter to the pan. Add what you are comfortable with related to your nutrition, the more oil/butter, generally the better the curry tastes as the flavours absorb more into the ingredients.
2. Add the onion to the pan and cook until just beginning to brown and they have softened, usually 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and chopped chillies to the onions. I use ginger and garlic paste bought in jars from the store for ease. Fry for 1 minute more.
4. Add the spices – Garam Masala, Cumin powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric powder, Salt – to the pan. Mix quickly and fry for another minute, allowing the spices to mix with the oil.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of the tinned tomato to the pan and mix everything together. Cook until it becomes quite a thick paste, i.e. a lot of the water evaporates. Around 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the diced chicken to the pan and mix to coat the chicken in the tomato mixture. Perhaps turn up the heat one more notch so it’s a real sizzle fry. Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring every so often so the chicken pieces are just turning white.
7. Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the rest of the tinned tomatoes, the fenugreek, black pepper and chilli powder. Mix. Bring the pan to a boil, and let bubble for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Turn the heat down to low medium and cover. Let cook with the lid on for around 15 minutes.
10. Take the lid off, put the heat on high and boil of some of the juice to your satisfaction. I prefer to have a less watery curry, but it is up to you. The oil should separate from the gravy; i.e. you should see some pockets of oil resting on top of the sauce.
11. Add a good handful of coriander leaves for garnish and serve with rice, naan bread, however you like!

Tip from the cook: I buy all the spices in a fantastic shop called “Tandoori market” 219 Rue de Beggen, 1221 Luxembourg.There are several other stores in Lux that have these ingredients.

Peas with meat: the bankers choice, By Dilek, LHoFT Turkish Delight 

Ingredients: 

• 300 g peas
• 250 g sliced veal
• 8 small potatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 soups spoon of olive oil
• 2 soups spoon of tomato sauce
• Salt and one small sugar
• 1 dessert spoon of red powdered pepper
• 2 water glass of warm water

40 minutes of preparation 

Method: 

1. Cut the onions and potatoes
2. Put the oil in a pot wait until it gets warm
3. Then add the onions and stir until they have a rose color.
4. Add the meat and stir until there is no juice left
5. Add the potatoes, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, red powdered pepper and last the peas!
6. Add 2 glass of warm water and let it boil for 5 minutes
7. Then leave it cook at a low heat for 20-25 minutes
8. After that time just check the potatoes if they are cooked!

Tip from the cook: to better enjoy the dish serve with a good bottle of red wine

Dessert

Our French pâtissiers, Romain and Manon, propose you two amazing choices to complete the lunch with a smile.

Old fashioned pear pie, By Romain, LHoFT Facetious Cooker 

Ingredients for 4 people:

• • Pears: 600 g
  • Shortcrust pastry: 1
  • Almond powder: 125 g

• Butter: 80 g
• Eggs: 3
• Liquid cream: 10 cl
• Powdered sugar: 120 g
• Vanilla essence: 1 sachet

40 minutes of preparation

Method:

1. Unroll the shortcrust pastry into a pie tin.
2. Mix the almond powder with the melted butter and sugar.
3. Add the cream and the eggs one by one.
4. If the texture is too thick, add a little bit of milk
5. Wash, peel and slice the pears and place them at the bottom
6. Pour the preparation over the pears and sprinkle with a sachet of vanilla essence.
7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 180°C and leave to cool for around 15 minutes
8. Enjoy!

Yogurt Mousse, Home-made Granola and Kiwis, By Manon, LHoFT Cheerful Cooker 

Ingredients for 4 persons

• 350g greek yogurt
• 2tbsp of Honey
• 2 tbsp of Olive Oil
• 2 Kiwis
• 2 lime zest
• 50g oatmeal
• 50g Quinoa
•  20g pistachio
• 30g sunflowers seeds
• 50g almond

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C
2. Mix the Greek yogurt with the honey, olive oil and green lemon zest. Whisk well then set aside. If you have a siphon, arrange in and then gas 1 time to have a more airy texture.
3. For the granola, mix the oats, sunflower seeds, quinoa, pistachios and almonds. Add sunflower oil and mix.
4. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Mix and bake for another 15 minutes.
5. Check the colour of the granola so that it is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool flat.
6. Peel the kiwis and cut them into large cubes.
7. Place the Greek yogurt on a shallow plate, add the granola in large pieces. Finish with the kiwi cubes and enjoy without ANY moderation! 🙂

Please, share your results with us and new recipes. Give us feedback about the ones that you liked the most.

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To conclude, we want to renew our sincere thanks to the healthcare professionals and every other essential worker who is truly supporting our communities. The best way to show them appreciation is that we stay safe in our houses enjoying food, our families and all the amazing beauties of life.