• Wash, clean, and cut the vegetables into large pieces.
• Simmer the vegetables in water along with the vegetable stock cube and olive oil. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
• Transfer the vegetables one at a time to a blender along with the cooking cream and then gradually pour in the soup to get the desired consistency.
• Serve in bowls and enjoy with your favorite toppings. I added sundried tomatoes, pistachios, and brie cheese.

• Preheat the oven to 180° C/356° F, with both top and bottom heat elements.
• Lay the pork loin out on the kitchen top. Using a knife, make small incisions all over the surface. Insert the garlic into these holes to infuse flavor. Brush the entire surface with mustard.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the bacon for 3-4 minutes until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add a little olive oil if needed and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and oregano. Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.
• Pour in the white wine, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Return the crispy bacon to the pan. Remove from heat and let the filling cool for 5 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the pork loin.
• Roll the pork loin up tightly and secure with kitchen twine.
• Brush the rolled pork loin with olive oil and mustard. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and oregano.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Sear the pork loin for 1 minute on each side, until browned.
• Place the roll in a baking tray lined with parchment paper, then cover it with another sheet of parchment paper and aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then uncover and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
• Let the roll cool for 10 minutes, remove the twine, cut into portions and serve – either with mash or baked potatoes.

• In a bowl, combine the raisins and the sparkling wine, allowing the raisins to soak for 30 minutes. After, drain the raisins and reserve the sparkling wine for later use.
• Heat a pot over medium heat, adding a drizzle of olive oil and the sliced onion. Sauté until caramelized.
• Next, add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Deglaze the pot with the reserved sparkling wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
• Meanwhile, fill a deep pot with water and bring it to a simmer. Add a splash of olive oil, salt, and pepper, then introduce the rice. Cook for about 7 minutes until tender.
• In the pot with the sautéed onions, add the cinnamon and cloves, stirring to combine.
• Drain the rice and add it to the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, then incorporate the raisins and chopped cashews. Stir until everything is heated through.
• Transfer the mixture to a 20 cm (8 inch) bundt pan, pressing it down gently with a spoon. Invert onto a serving plate.
• Serve the festive rice garnished with additional raisins and cashews. Enjoy!

• Preheat the oven to 200° C/ 390° F, on convection mode.
• Wash the potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt (without peeling them).
• Heat a pot with plenty of salted water and boil the potatoes for 15 minutes until they start to soften.
• Remove the potatoes from the pot and let them cool completely.
• Place the potatoes on a cutting board, placing 2 wooden spoons underneath the potatoes to prevent cutting through the bottom. Using a sharp knife, make slices into the potatoes without cutting all the way through.
• Place the potatoes in a baking dish, and insert a piece of ham into each slit.
• In a bowl, mix the melted butter, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and brush this mixture over the potatoes.
• Top with the grated gruyere cheese and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown.
• Once the potatoes are done, serve them garnished with arugula and cherry tomatoes.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/355° F, with both top and bottom heating elements.
• Heat a pan over medium heat, add a little olive oil, and sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes until it starts to caramelize.
• Add the spinach, dill, mint, parsley, and green onion. Sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
• Add the feta cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the filling to a strainer and let it cool and drain excess liquid.
• On a work surface, lay out the chicken, brush with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the chicken, roll it up carefully, and tie it with kitchen twine at 5 points.

  If the chicken is uneven in thickness, you can gently pound the thicker areas with a meat mallet to flatten them. This will help it roll more easily and cook evenly.
• Heat a large pan over high heat and sear the roulade for 1 minute all over until well browned.
• Transfer the roulade to a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover first with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil, and bake for 1½ hours. Then uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
• Let the roulade rest for 10 minutes, remove the twine, slice into portions, and serve with mashed or roasted potatoes.

• Grate the carrot, dice the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, and sauté in olive oil.
• When the vegetables turn golden brown, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and the rice.
• When the liquid is almost completely absorbed by the rice, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, sprinkle thyme, salt, pepper and 350 ml (1 ½ cups) water. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, then add the chopped dill. Once cooked, allow to coll to room temperature.
• Choose the softer, easier to handle cabbage leaves for the sarmale. Rinse with water if they seem too salty.
• Place a small amount of the filling on the cabbage leaf and roll to your preferred size. Place in a clay pot or non-stick pan (place some chopped pickled cabbage on the bottom of the pot to make sure the rolls don't stick).
• Once the pan is filled with cabbage rolls, cover them with the water and the rest of the tomato paste (optionally add extra thyme) mixed together, and simmer for about an hour (or until the cabbage is soft and easy to cut. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the leaf and how pickled it is.
• Serve with sour cream or Greek yogurt, while for the vegan version you can try soy cream or coconut yogurt. Don't forget the chili, polenta or freshly baked bread.

For the Apple Relish:

• In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the apple relish, mix well, and set aside.

For the Osso Buco:

• In a separate bowl, season the veal shanks with salt, pepper, and olive oil, ensuring the meat is evenly coated.
• Heat a deep pot over medium heat, then sear the meat until browned. Remove and place back in the bowl (add more olive oil if necessary).
• In the same pot, without cleaning it, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables soften.
• Return the meat to the pot, deglaze with red wine, and once the alcohol evaporates, add the remaining ingredients. Let it simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours.
• For more tips on deglazing, be sure to check out our guide.
• Serve the osso buco warm, accompanied by the apple relish.

• Preheat the oven to 180° C/ 356° F, on convection mode.
• In a bowl, mix 200 g (7 oz) of butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper thoroughly, wearing disposable gloves.
• Place the butter mixture under the skin of the chicken. This is done by gently separating the skin from the meat (without removing it entirely) to create a pocket between the two. The herbed butter mixture is then spread directly onto the meat beneath the skin.

  This technique helps keep the meat moist and infuses it with the flavors of the butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper during roasting.
• Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper, then stuff it with the pine nuts, prunes, and the remaining butter. Tie the legs with kitchen twine.
• In a roasting pan, spread out the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and pour in the water.
• Place a rack over the pan and put the chicken on top. Cover it well with parchment paper and aluminum foil and roast for 1 hour.
• After, uncover the chicken and continue roasting for an additional 20 minutes, until the skin turns golden brown.
• Transfer the contents of the pan to a saucepan and blend with an immersion blender until it becomes a thick sauce.
• Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the sauce to achieve a smooth texture.
• Return the sauce to the saucepan and simmer until it thickens.
• Serve the chicken hot, drizzled with the sauce.

• Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F, on convection mode.
• In a bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, mixing well with a spoon.
• Place the pork belly on a work surface with the skin side facing up. Using a sharp knife, score the skin vertically, leaving about 1cm (0.4 inches) of space between each cut.
• Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the pork belly and evenly spread the herb mixture over it.
• Roll up the pork belly and tie it securely with kitchen twine.
• Fill a baking tray with water, place a rack on top, and set the pork belly on the rack.
• Cover the tray with parchment paper and aluminum foil, then roast for 2.5 to 3 hours.
• Switch the oven to grill mode, uncover the tray, sprinkle a bit of coarse salt on top, and roast again until the skin is golden and crispy.
• Remove the porchetta from the oven, slice into pieces, and serve with apple sauce.

• In a skillet, heat the olive oil and butter.
• Add the onion. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of salt and cook on a low heat until it softens and becomes light golden.
• Add the garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, thyme, pepper, the remaining teaspoon of salt and the peppers. Continue cooking on low for about 25 minutes or until the peppers softens.
• Remove from the heat, sprinkle the cheese over the top and place in the oven under the broiler/grill setting for about 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with pita bread.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F, using both top and bottom heating elements.
• Drain the dried porcini mushrooms, pat them dry with a paper towel, and chop them finely.
• Heat a pan over medium heat, add a little olive oil, and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Next, add the sliced white mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the cognac, season with salt and pepper, and let it simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Lay the pork roulade on a work surface, rub with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the surface of the pork. Roll it up tightly and tie it with kitchen twine at 5 points.
• Rub the outside of the roulade with olive oil, and season with additional salt and pepper. Place in a large, preheated skillet over high heat and sear for 1 minute on each side until it gets a nice color.
• Transfer the roulade to a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover with parchment and aluminum foil, and roast for 1.5 hours. After, remove the cover and roast for an additional 20-30 minutes.
• Let the roulade rest for 10 minutes before removing the twine. Slice into portions and serve with mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes.

• Preheat the oven to 150°C/300° F, at convection mode.

For the glaze:

• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter until it turns a beautiful golden brown.
• Add the sugar, honey, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, and crushed garlic. Stir well and let it boil for 2 minutes. Set the glaze aside.

For the ham:

• Place the ham on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to create small diamond-shaped cuts on its surface.
• Wrap the ham tightly in aluminum foil and place it on the oven rack, with a tray filled with water underneath to catch the dripping.
• Roast the ham for 30 minutes.
• Remove the ham from the oven, unwrap it, and brush it with one-third of the glaze mixture.
• Increase the oven temperature to 220° C/430° F and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Repeat this glazing process two more times, roasting a total of 30 minutes, until the ham is nicely caramelized.
• Serve the caramelized ham alongside roasted vegetables.