Caesar salad with prawns in cheese cup

   Caesar salads are very popular, so I thought I have to show you my version of this amazing dish. I made Caesar salad with prawns. However it is very delicious with chicken or just plain. For two portions of Caesar salad you will need:

• 70 g of ciabatta bread (you can use any kind of bread you like);
• 2 big handfuls of Romaine lettuce (also you can use any king of lettuce if you like);
• 1 tomato;
• 12 shelled and cleaned prawns (you can use chicken or nothing if you like);
• 120 g of fermented cheese such as cheddar;
• 1 anchovy fillet (true Caesar salad recipe asks for 3 fillets but for my taste just 1 is needed);
• half of garlic clove;
• salt, pepper;
• 1 egg yolk;
• 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice;
• half tsp of dijon mustard;
• 1 tbsp of olive oil;
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil;
• 3 tbsp of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

   Cut bread into cubes. Drizzle some olive oil. Sprinkle pinch of salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 190° C. Bake bread pieces for 7 - 10 minutes till they are golden.

   While bread is baking, lets prepare cheese cups for our salad. Grate your cheese and divide into two pieces for about 60 g. Put gated cheese in circles in preheated pan. Bake it for few minutes till cheese is melted and bottom of cheese pancake is firm and golden.

   When cheese pancake is baked put it onto cup. When firmed, It is going to get cup shape.

   Lets make dressing for Caesar salad. Crush anchovy fillet, half of garlic clove and pinch of salt in mortar. Mix this paste with egg yolk, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 0,5 tsp of dijon mustard.

   While whisking dressing put drop by drop 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Then while whisking constantly slowly add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (I used eco sunflower oil).

   When dressing is ready, add 1,5 grated parmigiano cheese and pinch of pepper into dressing. Also you can add more salt and lemon juice if you want. I found that this amount of dressing is too much for two portions of this salad. So you can keep extra dressing in the fridge or make more salad.

   Cut or shred lettuce into desired sized pieces. Cut tomato and bake prawns (I baked prawns with garlic and dried Provence herbs into butter).

   Finally put lettuce, tomato, bread pieces and prawns into cheese cups. Add dressing and grate some parmigiano cheese on top.

   Enjoy!

Cream of tomato soup

   Summer is over. However, our home is full of garden goodies. I was thinking what to do with tomatoes and discover tomato soup on internet. It was experiment for me. But I was totally happy with it. This soup is very delicious. Even my husband, who doesn't like soups, liked it! So for three plates of this yumminess you will need:

• 900 g. of sliced tomatoes;
• 1 head of garlic (divided in cloves) plus one clove of garlic;
• 30 g. of balsamic vinegar (I used thick balsamic vinegar sauce);
• few splashes of olive oil;
• salt;
• pepper;
• 1 tea spoon of sugar;
• 1 onion;
• 1 celery stalk;
• 1 tea spoon of dried basil;
• 0,5 l of vegetable or chicken stock;
• 3 spoons of cream;
• 3 slices of toasting bread;
• cheese of your choice (I used red cheddar).

   Sliced tomatoes, and crushed garlic cloves (from 1 head of garlic) put in baking dish. Sprinkle salt, pepper, sugar and splash olive oil and balsamic vinegar on tomatoes and garlic cloves. There will be some liquid from tomatoes, so make sure that your baking dish is with edges.

   Tomatoes with garlic bake in preheated oven to 200° C for 35 minutes.

   Chop onion, garlic clove and celery stalk. Bake onion with a bit of oil on stove in soup pot. When onion is tender, add garlic, celery and tea spoon of dried basil. Everything in the pot slightly roast. Then add baked tomatoes, garlic with all liquid to the pot. Add stock of your choice.

Wait till soup comes to a boil and turn off the stove. Then blend soup in a blender, till it is creamy.

    Stain soup through a sieve to make sure there is no chunks and tomatoes peels in this goodness. Then again come cream soup to a boil and make sure that you don't need more salt or pepper. That is it. Soup is ready.
 

While soup is coming to a boil, prepare cheese toasts. Toast bread in toaster and put some cheese between two breads. To melt cheese in bread, heat cheese toast for a few seconds in a microwave or in the oven.







 












   Serve cream of tomato soup with spoon of cream, a pinch of dried basil (fresh basil is even better) and cheese toast.

   Enjoy!