Leek and Potato Soup

A great meal for a cold winter. It's cheap, quick and easy to make, and it will always be aprecciated. Top it with bread, bacon, chorizo, parsley and/or spring onion.

Cooking time: 25 minutes active, 30 passive.

For the Leek and Potato Soup you'll need the following:

(4 persons)
1 kg Potatoes (Use a mashing/baking type)
3 Leeks
1 l Chicken or Vegestable Stock
25 g Butter
Salt
Pepper

Start of by peeling the potatoes and rinsing the leeks. Cut into chunks. Saute the leeks in butter until it is clear and soft. Add the potatoes and the stock. Let it simmer for 30 minutes and blitz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with croutons, bacon, chorizo, parsley and/or spring onion as topping and a piece of bread on the side.

Suggested drinks: Pilsner or a fruity white wine.

Mashed Potatoes

Everyone likes Mashed Potatoes, but it can get screwed up easily. So here's a fool-proof version, with lots of butter. Serve with a slow-cooked dish like Gullasch or Braised Pork Cheeks.

For Mashed Potatoes you'll need:

(4 persons)
1½ kg starchy Potatoes
3 dl Whole Milk
100g Butter
1 tsp Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper

Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into smaller pieces (to lower the cooking time). Boil for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and leave it to steam off the last water (water can make the mash grainy). Add butter and wait for it to melt. Mash with a whisk and add the whole milk until it has a creamy consistency. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Serve with a slow-cooked dish like Gullasch or Braised Pork Cheeks.

Suggested drinks: Beer

Braised Pork Cheeks

This is a great comfort food for the cold of winter. It doesn't require a lot of work, a bit of cutting, roasting and a lot of time by itself in the oven. So it is the perfect dish for the weekend, after being out in the harsh weather.
The protein can easily be swapped with Pork Butt/Shoulder or other sinew and fat high meats.
Serve with Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Roots.

Cooking time: 45 minutes active, 4-6 hours passive.

For the Braised Pork Cheeks you'll need:

(4 persons)
600g of Pork Cheeks
1 large Onion
1 large Carrot
2 sticks of Celery
2 cloves of Garlic
2 tsp Tomato Pure
1 tbs Butter
1 tbs flour
½ l Dark Beer (Porter/Stout)
Chicken Stock to almost cover the meat
A few sprigs of fresh Thyme
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Pepper

Start by preheating an oven to 150 C. Dice the vegetables and saute them in butter, in a oven-proof pot (le Creuset etc). Put aside in a bowl. If your butcher haven't cleaned the cheeks for outer sinews, remove these carefully. Flour the pork cheeks and saute them until browned. Add the tomato pure and let it saute for a minute. Then add your vegetables, beer and stock to almost cover the meat. Put in the oven for 4-6 hours. Check on it every hour to see if too much liquid has disappeared, if so add some stock.
You can serve this with the cooked vegetables or remove them and make a sauce of the juices.
Serve with Mashed Potatoes or mashed roots.

Suggested drinks: Dark beer or a powerful red wine