Tiffany's Salad Dressing

Tiffany is head of a very large family. This dressing is guaranteed to be tasty and easy to make. She usually makes double this quantity and has it in the fridge all the time. Her kids eat pizza, salads, baked potatoes, spring rolls just about anything with it.

Ingredients:
125 vinegar
100 brown sugar
250 olive oil
1/3 fresh onion
loaded t-spoon of coarse mustard

Preparation:
1.) Whizz together and you are done.

Cesar Dip

A zesty dip with crudités is a tasty, healthy option for parties or snacks. Provide broccoli, baby carrots or your favorite raw vegetables for dipping. Perfect for Saturday night dinner guests.

Ingredients:
16 ounces cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
1/2 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
  Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
12 cups cut-up raw vegetables for dipping (such as carrots, zucchini, radishes, string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and/or sweet peppers)

Preparations:
1.) In a food processor combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, salt, anchovy paste (if desired), hot pepper sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and process about 2 minutes or until well mixed
2.) With machine running, slowly add oil through feed tube, processing for about 1 minute
3.) Transfer dip to a serving bowl
4.) If desired, sprinkle with additional black pepper
5.) Serve dip with raw vegetables

Roasted Potatoes

The simplest of recipes, a delicious side dish with minimum effort that can be served with nearly every savoury dish.

Ingredients: (serves 6 -8)
2 lb. small new potatoes, scrubbed clean, dried thoroughly with paper towels, and quartered lengthwise
2 tbsp. olive oil
a bunch of rosmary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Heat oven to 425°.

1.) Place the potatoes on an aluminum foil—lined baking sheet, and toss with the oil.
2.) Season the potatoes generously with salt and pepper, add a bit of rosmary and place them in the oven.
3.) Bake potatoes, tossing occasionally with tongs, until they are golden brown and crusty and can be easily pierced with the blade of a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes.
4.) Remove potatoes from the oven, and transfer them to a large serving bowl or platter. Season potatoes with more salt and pepper before serving.

Potato and Leek Soup

A lovely winter dish to keep you warm when you come off the ski slopes... this is the kind of soup that is so simple to make yet tastes like you really know your way around the kitchen... not just the slopes!

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced or diced
5 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, then thinly sliced, including the tender green part
Salt
4–6 tbsp. whipping cream
2–3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley or chives

Preparation:
1.) Put potatoes, leeks, salt to taste, and 8 cups of water in a large saucepan over medium heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 40–50 minutes.
2.) Mash vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass the soup through a food processor.
3.) Correct seasoning with salt.
4.) Just before serving, stir in the cream by spoonfuls. Pour soup into a tureen or soup bowls and decorate with the herbs. Add a little freshly ground white pepper, if you like.

Brownie Raspberry trifle

A smashing Valentine's recipe easy and fast to prepare and sure to make an impact!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
8 baked brownies, crumbled into pieces (about 2 cups)
2 cups fresh raspberries or dark sweet cherries, pitted
1 cup chocolate ice cream topping
Unsweetened chocolate shavings (optional)

Preparation:
1.) In a chilled large mixing bowl combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form; set aside.
2.) Divide half of the crumbled brownies between 4 large parfait glasses or water goblets.
3.) Divide half of the raspberries, ice cream topping, and whipped cream between the glasses, creating layers.
4.) Repeat layers with remaining brownies, raspberries, ice cream topping, and whipped cream.
5.) If desired, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.
6.) Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 4 hours.

Pasta salad with ham, rucola and tomatoes

Monday morning and nothing left in the fridge? The kids lunch boxes have to be packed fast and even though there is nothing else in the cupboard, you'll always find a box of pasta in an Italian household. Simple, fast and yummy!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
300 gr short pasta (such as penne)
salt
250 gr arugula salad
300 gr cherry tomatoes
80 gr of boiled ham (sliced)
½ lemon
4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch of brown sugar
pepper

Preparation:
1.) Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.
2.) In the meantime, wash arugula, spin dry and pluck little as you like.
3.) Wash and halve the tomatoes.
4.) Cut ham into strips.
5.) Squeeze half a lemon, mix with vinegar and oil and season.
6.) Drain pasta and mix all ingredients.

One bowl apple cake

This cake is so moist and rich and just perfect for this time of year. Supereasy to make!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup oil
6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

1.) In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil.
2.) Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.)
3.) Mix together the baking powder and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl.
4.) Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients.
5.) Pour mixture into a greased one 9x13 or two 9″ round pans.
6.) Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

Shrimp, Lemon & Basil Risotto

A little lemon zest goes a long way in this lush risotto, brightening up the dish and playing off the briny shrimp and aromatic basil.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup Arborio rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan (1 oz)
1 lemon
1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Preparation:
1.) Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2.) Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3.) Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
4.) Add the wine and simmer until absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes.
5.) Add the broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and creamy and the broth has been absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes.
6.) Stir in the Romano.
7.) Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, remove 3 strips of zest from the lemon, then thinly slice the strips. Squeeze the juice from the lemon (you should get 3 tbsp) into a small bowl.
8.) Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat.
9.) Season the shrimp with 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes.
10.) Turn the shrimp, add the lemon zest and juice to the skillet and cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes more.
11.) Fold the shrimp mixture into the risotto along with the basil.

Chocolate cake

Nothing tops a real Swiss chocolate cake. This is a recipe we use for all the kids' birthday cakes. It never fails! Yummy and scrumptious. You could also adapt it for a Valentine's Day cake.

Ingredients:
150 gr margarine
230 gr sugar
6 eggs
1 pinch of salt
5 gr of vanilla sugar
200 gr dark chocolate (e.g. Crémant)
125 gr ground almonds
125 gr ground plain biscuits
375 gr powder sugar
4 tablespoons chocolate powder

Preparation:
1.) Stir margarine until foam-like.
2.) Add sugar, yolk of the 6 eggs, salt and vanilla sugar, stir again.
3.) Melt chocolate with 3 tablespoons of hot water and add to the mixture.
4.) Add almonds and biscuits.
5.) Whip the whites until stiff, add to the mixture and mix well.
6.) Grease mold with butter, pour mixture into 24 cm diameter cake mould.
7.) Bake on lowest position in oven at 180°C for 50 to 60 minutes.

Frosting:
1.) Mix powder sugar with 4 tablespoons of water. Put 1 tablespoon aside.
2.) Add chocolate powder to the rest of the mixture, add a few drops of water and stir.
3.) Let cake cool off after baking. Pour chocolate mixture evenly over cake.
4.) Form a small, funnel-shaped paper with a tiny opening. Put the mixture set aside beforehand into paper cone and draw 8 concentric circles on cake.
5.) Use a small knife and pull 8 lines from the center towards the edge and 8 lines from the edge towards the center alternating.

Ciabatta Stuffing

This is my favourite stuffing. I make it every year together with my Thanksgiving turkey but you can serve it perfectly well with a Sunday roast. The chestnuts give it a wintery touch and remind me of our time in Lugano.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (7.4-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely broken
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten to blend

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1.) Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish.
2.) Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl.
3.) Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
4.) Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley.
5.) Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta.
6.) Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat.
7.) Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten.
8.) Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper.
9.) Mix in the eggs.
10.) Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.