Cannelloni con ricotta e spinaci

Again, a first timer. This is not exactly a typical Sunday lunch meal (anyway not around here, maybe in Italy it could be...), but for a pasta and spinach lover like myself it is a Treat. Who doesn't like spinach, should better leave the page now, because I don't have an alternative green in my mind for now..For those who do like spinach but can't imagine a meal without some meat, there is still hope, so stick around.
Why cannelloni with spinach and ricotta? Because I ordered it on Thursday from the restaurant, in the lunch break and I must say it was a disappointment. The spinach tasted like it was frozen and thawed repeatedly for decades. And the tomato sauce was sour and, well, tomatoes and spinach are not a match made in heaven, if you ask me. Spinach and garlic, eggs, cheese, cream..yes, those make a happy family.
But enough with the criticism, let's prove we can do it better.

What we have down here are the ingredients for 2 full plates:

- A football team of cannelloni and their coach, that would make 12 guys which I nicely arranged in a "S" shaped fence. There is no cannelloni without the cannelloni, right?
This fence separates what will turn into the stuffing on the left side and what will make the sauce, on the right side.

Left side -> stuffing:

• 300 g frozen spinach
  
• 100 g Ricotta cheese
• 80 g of crumbled young Gouda cheese
  
• 2 small shallots
  
• 1 garlic clove
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 tbsp. smashed pine nuts
  
• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmegs
  
• love

Meat lovers who need more than love, may want to add some salmon or some bacon...I am sure it's allowed and I promise to try it. But to be true, cheese is my meat..

Right side -> sauce:

• 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
• 50 g crumbled young Gouda cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. Parmesan
• love

How to prepare the stuffing:

1. Let the spinach thaw
2. Peel and slice the shallots and the garlic
3. Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bawl and spice them up with salt, pepper, love, grated nutmeg and smashed pine nuts. I mixed them with the blender to save time and have a fairly even composition. If you like stirring better, then make sure you do it well :P
4. Now fill those over-sized macaroons using a tea spoon. If you have better ideas or instruments for this, please share it, cause it is a pretty laborious process, especially if you have to fill 2 or more football teams. Don't be scared that you have too much spinach paste. You'd be amazed how much this buddies can eat. And I "tasted" myself some spoons of stuffing on the way...it's irresistible.
5. Lay them down close to one another in the greased baking dish

How to prepare the sauce:

1. Melt the butter in a pot and braise lightly the flour while stirring.
2. Pour some milk and vegetable stalk one step at a time and keep on stirring cause you don't want any bumps in your sauce
3. Let it boil for about 10 minutes at low heat and preheat the oven at 175 degrees
4. Take the pot away from the fire and let the sauce chill a bit
5. Stir in the cheese and the egg
6. Spice with salt, pepper, love and nutmeg
7. Pour the sauce over the cannelloni and strew some Parmesan on top. Save some for later.
8. Let them bake for 30 minutes
9. For a nice look strew the rest of the Parmesan on top and a bit of nutmeg to give some color.

Buon Appetito!

My first Miso Soup

First encountered the term miso: in Murakami's books. First tasted it: last summer when a friend cooked it for me. First cooked it myself: today. Miso is a traditional Japanese soup based on a stock (Dashi -if you stay true to the Japanese way) and the miso paste which comes in a large variety .I didn't follow one recipe alone, because it 's not always easy to find all the ingredients and also make good use of what you already have in the fridge. The good news is that this soups is very permissive: you 're allowed to use almost any veggies. There are so many possibilities, that you could never get bored of it. Long story short...


Ingreditents used:

• 3/4 L vegetables stock
• 4 tsp mugi miso paste (麦): barley
• 3 fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 stalk leek
• 1 stalk spring onion ( scallion would be a great alternative)
• 2 stripes of dried Wakame (seaweed)
• 1 carrot
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• sesame seeds to granish

Steps:

1. Soak the wakame in water until soft and cut in advance
2. Wash the leek and the spring onion and slice them in rings
3. Peel, wash and slice the carrot. To create a nice flower shape, you can cut a couple of grooves along the side of the carrot before slicing it.
   
4. Wash and slice the shiitake
5. Cut the smoked tofu into small cubes
6. Boil the vegetable stock in a pot
7. Add the leek, carrot, shiitake mushrooms and tamari
   
8. Bring soup back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes
9. Add the wakame seaweed and tofu cubes
10. Remove from heat
11. Add the sesame oil, spring onions and sesame seeds

Outcome:
どうぞめしあがれ (douzo meshiagare) = " Enjoy your meal!" in Japanese

It is easy to make and the stomach feels light and happy! Not to mention all the healthy goodies in it. Plus the soy proteins in the tofu make a great substitute for meat.