Risotto with caraway seeds, fried sauerkraut and mustard (ice cream)

I really wanted to find sauerkraut a nice place in Christmas dinner. But in a way that everyone would like it. If you know what I mean. I came up with this risotto with caraway seeds – of course that matches well with sauerkraut anyway. And I fried the sauerkraut. It’s a great find. All the goodness of sauerkraut remains, and the worst of the acidity is gone. To make it even more festive and special, I asked our Bart from ice cream parlor Hygge if he wanted to make mustard ice cream. With mustard seeds. And it did. A mini scoop of ice cream on top was the surprise of the day. And delicious. Of course, you can also add mustard to the risotto.

Leek from the oven that melts on your tongue with leek cream and dukkah

With a lot of patience, leeks can become the highlight of the evening. The same is true with this dish. You let it simmer for a long time in the oven in oil. It becomes as tender as you’ve never tasted leeks before. And then with a delicious almost sweet leek cream. And crispy dukkah on top. Man, it couldn’t get better. And you never make enough.

Pasta with braised radicchio and pine nuts

Radicchio is not so common while it is such a delicious vegetable. Raw but certainly also smothered like in this pasta. Nicely ‘lit up’ with lemon zest and balsamic vinegar. And made ‘earthy’ again with the pine nuts. A feast. A nice quick lunch dish or just nice for the evening meal… All is fine.

Mushroom risotto with cavolo nero and hazelnuts

This is where all the great earthy flavors come together. Mushrooms, palm cabbage, hazelnuts. With the counterpart of the fresh lemon and white wine. We often bring a meal to an elderly sweet man, Jos. He said this risotto is my favorite. Well, all is said with this one.