Al Dente Gourmet

Traveling Home --Chocolate Panna Cotta with Macerated Strawberries

2012-01-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

How was your weekend? We spent most of our weekend getting ready for our travel. But besides packing we indulged ourselves with a chocolate dessert and fresh strawberries from the farm.

Yes, indeed! I made chocolate panna cotta and strawberry compote— so we sat in our little porch and enjoyed every bit of it. It was nice to take some time off to relax, before heading home :)

Soon I’ll be taking walks with my mom and celebrating life with beloved family and friends. I cannot wait to be there and I’m very excited to see my family once again! However this trip will not only lead us to Argentina but also to Chile. Where we will be visiting more relatives! And so without further ado, here is the recipe. I’m off for now:)

Hope you enjoy this upcoming weekend- I’ll be back soon sharing photos from our travel, from Argentina and Chile.

Chocolate Panna Cotta

serves 4-6 (depending on ramekin size)

2 1/4 C. pouring cream

1.7 oz dark chocolate, grated

1/4 C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla essence

2 1/2 tsp. powdered gelatin

50 ml cold water

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, add cream, sugar and vanilla essence. And heat until sugar is completely dissolved -- do not boil-- When ready remove from the heat and add grated chocolate. Return to the heat, cover and stir --mixing with a wooden spoon--for about 10 minutes until chocolate is dissolved and smooth.

In a little cup add gelatin and cold water, mix gently and let set for a couple of minutes. Divide the mixture among ramekins and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with macerated strawberries on top.

Macerated Strawberries

2 C. Strawberry, cut in halves

3 Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, add strawberries, sugar and lemon- and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and serve over panna cotta.

The Picnic by the Sea --My Little Trip Around New Zealand and Some News

2012-01-08T02:11:00.000-08:00

Picnic by the Ocean, NZ

Living in a country surrounded by such beautiful gifts of nature makes one immediately fall in love with it. And I couldn’t help falling in love with the places we’ve visited these last couple of weeks either-- It was truly inspirational.

We certainly enjoyed every minute of our journey. Visiting farms, parks, beaches and places outside the city that made our little trip even more fascinating. Fortunately we had beautiful sunny days-- That also led me to many pictures opportunities!

Our days were filled of outstanding sceneries, picnics, and relaxing time. We traveled to the northland of New Zealand which has a unique view. And it is famous for its outstanding beaches and its picturesque parcels of vineyards.

Colorful farms full of fresh produce and aromatic seasonal fruits.

The majestic green mountains and hills neatly decorated with little sheep, goats, trees and cows—made our driving irresistibly relaxing. An absolute feast for the eyes.

The long walks by the crystal blue-turquoise waters were followed by late afternoon picnics { One of my favorite parts :) } We enjoyed sides like cheeses, nuts, salads, fresh fruits and mortadella sandwiches with rye bread.

Something easy enough and satisfying to keep us going throughout the day until dinner time.

And after enjoying such long day filled with sun and cool breezes from the ocean it was nice to warm up with a hot cup of peppermint tea.

We have walked through a farmland with more than 130 years of history. The view was simply magnificent. In fact, I had never seen a farm by the ocean. This truly fascinates me! The barn, the milking shed, and the other little farm buildings looked stunning with such a view.

Driving back home we stopped for a strawberry ice cream and a large tray of fresh strawberries at the strawberry farm.

There’s so much yet to be seen and enjoyed around here. But now I have to prepare for a different kind of trip. Yes, soon we will be traveling to my homeland; Argentina. A long time promise, that I have been looking forward for about two years.

Soon I will be cooking and sharing recipes with my mom and enjoying some time with my brothers.

I leave you with the pictures from our little trip around New Zealand. I will be back soon with a delicious strawberry recipe with strawberries from the farm. I hope you are enjoying the beginning of this New Year with your loved ones. Thank you all for your beautiful comments and thoughts!

Recap of My Favorite Recipes And A Road Trip

2011-12-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody,

I hope you’ve had a marvelous Christmas!

Thank you very much for all your beautiful words and warm wishes. It really means a lot to me! And I keep all of them close to my heart : )

Besides sharing thoughts of happiness, feasting and celebrating Christmas with wonderful friends--we have been taking good advantage of the extra -long-weekend. Indeed! We went exploring within the North land of New Zealand.

I can’t tell you how much J. and I enjoyed this two days trip! But our journey is not over yet. We will be on the road again this upcoming weekend as well. In the meantime I thought I'd share a few of my favorite 2011 recipes. These recipes are simply the kind of food that I cook and eat into my everyday life. Simple--fresh eating.

And I really hope during this year my cooking have inspired you in same way.
Thanks for your love and support!

Have a wonderful and safe New Year weekend! And I’ll share photos from our trip as soon as I return!

1-Custard with Caramelized Apples

2-Flan Recipe -- Flan a la Caramel

3- Raw Asparagus Salad with Pears and Vinaigrette

4-Pumpkin Rice Croquettes with Tarragon Mayonnaise

5-Potatoes with Béchamel Sauce and Basil leaves.

6-Pears with Mint Leaves and Lemon Syrup

7-Potato and Rosemary Galette And Breath of Summer

8-Roasted Beetroot Salad with Radishes and Potatoes

9-Garlicky Brown Lentils Salad with Parsley Leaves

10-Alfajores with Dulce de Leche

11-Whole Wheat Rosemary Focaccia

12-Savory Polenta Cake with Ricotta -Italian Ham and Tomato

13-Roasted Tomatoes with Herb Fluffy Parmesan Egg

14-Three Cheese Wheat Pizza with Pea Shoots

15-Spinach Stuffed bread

16-Easter Nest Sweet Cake With Sour Cream -Royal Icing and Pistachios

Delicate Cake Roll with A Savory Filling and Bittersweet Nectarine Appetizers

2011-12-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hello, Everybody! I really hope you all are having fun this time of the year.

Can’t you believe it?! In a few days, it will be Christmas! We are planning a Christmas with some close friends this year. So we’ve been trying to make extra time to get everything set up for this weekend. It will be a small gathering- and there will be a variety of dishes {a combination of countries :)}

We will be having some appetizers before dinner. And I’ll be cooking some of my favorites. Nothing fancy, just simple homemade fresh comfort foods! The kind of food that really reminds me of home and summer Christmas; the ‘Pionono’— the Argentinian cake roll {Remember this cake?}

A simply and versatile spongy cake that can be made sweet or savory. The taste is absolutely superb. By just preparing and baking the same basic sponge cake recipe that I made for my cake roll with dulce de leche and cherries-- But this time with a savory filling of; Tuna, parsley, tomatoes, mayonnaise with blue cheese crumbles mixed in.

This is something that we Argentinians really love and enjoy—particularly on parties and holiday dinners. It is light, simple and delicate.

Last weekend we had this savory pionono paired with a hearty vegetable soup—it was the most delightful and comfortable food for a rainy day.

And it didn’t stop raining since then. Actually it had been raining and raining for more than a week.

One afternoon a couple of weeks ago after coming back from the farmer’s market with lots of veggies, fruits and some feta cheese – I couldn’t keep my eyes away from the nectarines. They looked so juicy and tempting!

And I knew exactly what to do with them.

So I started cutting and preparing my nectarines one by one. I crumbled some feta cheese and mixed it with crème fraiche—and topped each nectarine with it.

This is ‘Delicious’ J. said after discovering my nectarine appetizer creations hiding in the fridge :)

Are we going to have a little food degustation before dinner? He said.

I laughed. Really, Seems that you liked it?!

I love these flavors together, great taste! He said.

He was right, the nectarine bites tasted amazing! The bittersweet combination between the sweet juicy nectarines, the feta cheese, herbs and balsamic- honey syrup- made this humble fruit irresistible.

I also decided to include these nectarines as an entrée for this upcoming festive celebration. It’s pretty simply if you ask me. But I like simplicity, especially this time of the year—when words such as; simple and beauty seems to be forgotten to many.

Yes, there is nothing better than delicious homemade food, a Christmas tree and a table with people that we love and care—Sharing thoughts of happiness and joy!

Feliz Navidad, Everybody!

Merry Christmas to all of you! Best wishes, lots and lots of love, happiness and a wonderful time of delectable food.

More Entrée and Appetizer Ideas:

*Pumpkin Rice Croquettes with Tarragon Mayonnaise Recipe.
*Roasted Tomatoes with Herb Fluffy Parmesan Egg Recipe.
*Easy Party ~Tapas--Three Toppings Recipe.

Savory Pionono ~ Cake Roll with Savory Filling Recipe

For the filling

1 can tuna fish in oil, remove excess oil.

2 medium tomatoes, cut into thin slices

1 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Mayonnaise (about 1 cup)

Blue cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup)

1 Pionono - Sponge cake {Recipe here}

Preparation:

In a medium mixing bowl place the tuna and flake with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise (and save the rest to spread the cake) add chopped parley and mix well until combined. Spread the cake (pionono) with mayonnaise. Then add the tuna mixture, spreading it all over the pionono- Add tomato slices (like the picture above) and crumbled blue cheese.

Carefully roll up the cake until you reach the end—Make sure the first turn is tight so the cake will roll evenly. Transfer the roll to a serving plate and keep it in the fridge before slicing and serving.

Nectarines with Feta- Herbs and Basamic-Honey Syrup
Makes 24 servings

6 Nectarines, deseeded and cut into quarters

Feta cheese, crumbled

Creme Fraiche

Fresh herbs ( I used basil and amaranth herbs)

3 Tbsp. Honey

1 1/4 C. Balsamic vinegar

Preparation:
Place nectarines on a plate and keep them in the fridge.In the meantime mix the feta cheese, creme fraiche and herbs.Topped nectarines with the feta- herbs mixture. And put them back in the fridge until ready to use.Simmer the balsamic vinegar and honey until it thickens (about 10 minutes)- Serve with the balsamic syrup and garnish with fresh herbs of your choice.

Spice Cookies with Sesame Seeds And Holiday Stencils

2011-12-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

As I was saying... I was baking cookies.

The smell in our house was heavenly.

These are the cookies that I’ll be giving to our friends and neighbours as homemade Christmas gifts.

The most fabulous thing about giving a food gift is that you know it will be enjoyed.

It’s a small thing, but it really makes people happier. Because showing true appreciation always comes from the heart. Christmas season it’s all about hearty moments.

I prepared these spiced cookies {a variation of this recipe} that I made for one of my post last year—remember this.

These cookies have a flavorful combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. I made them using brown sugar and I added sesame seed to the mixture which is a great source of fiber. But you can also add flax seeds or walnuts instead of sesame seeds.

To make the cute Christmas tree decoration, I used confectioner's sugar {icing sugar} -- And I made a simple stencil out of a file folder by simply drawing a Christmas tree on it and then cutting the edges using a craft knife.

It's very easy and fun to make.

If you would like to know more about how to decorate cookies with stencils-- visit the kaboose site. It has wonderful ideas about stencil decorations.

These are so fragrant and delicious!

And I’ll have to make some more this next weekend.

J. agreed :)

I hope everybody is doing great!

Spice Cookies with Sesame seeds

makes 40 (quantities may vary according to cookie sizes)

2 1/2 C. All purpose flour

1 1/2 Soft brown sugar

200 g / 7 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 medium eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 tsp. vanilla essence

1/4 C. milk

1/3 C. Sesame seeds

1 tsp. cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Preparation:

In a medium bowl add sugar, butter and eggs. Mix ( using an electric mixer ) until creamy ( about 2 minutes). Then add milk, spices, vanilla essence and sesame seeds. And mix for 1 minute. And finally add the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and baking soda -- combine using a wooden spoon.

Form the mixture into a sausage roll—about 20-22 cm long/ 8 inch approx.—and carefully wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for 2- 2 ½ hrs or overnight ( if you wish to bake them the next day). When ready preheat oven to 180C/ 350F --about 5 minutes before putting the tray in the oven.

Cut into slices (about 1 cm/ ½ inch thick). Put onto baking trays ( lightly floured) and bake for 15 minutes. Let them cool completely before decorating with the confectioner's sugar / icing sugar. Lay stencil on cookie. Using a fine sieve, and dust with the sugar on top.Lift stencil carefully.

Sweet Treats and Christmas Favorites

2011-11-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

How is everybody? I hope you guys had a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving weekend! Thank you so much for stopping by, sharing your friendly thoughts and letting me know you enjoyed the message in my last post. Much appreciated :)

We just started to assemble our Christmas tree. While playing Christmas songs. Beautiful songs.

Are you too?

I'm thinking a lot about baking { even though it's summer here } Are you baking any favorite Christmas sweet treats? I still have to decide. So I’m curious to know what you will be preparing :)

I hope you are enjoying your day!

I’m baking a batch of delicious and healthy cookies at the moment-- That I’ll be sharing with you in my next post :) See you soon!

Memories of Thanskgiving Aromas-- A Pumpkin And Pumpkin Rice Croquettes with Tarragon Mayonnaise

2011-11-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

And it is November already, which means there are only a few days left to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. You see; I live in a country that is not part of this celebration. But living in other countries has shown me some beautiful holiday traditions.

Traditions that I’ve learned to love and also that I adopted into my life.

It also means that we’ll be reunited by heart with the other side of our family back in the States. And even though we’ll be celebrating in separate homes and countries—and our weather and meal we’ll be different...

We’ll join the true meaning of this day.

To be grateful …for all we have received in the past year and for our families and friends.

To be more appreciative and also more understanding.

These thoughts planted memories in my mind. Memories of Thanksgiving aromas. There was joy, food and laughter. I miss them already.

However, all of this has immediately reminded me of pumpkin.

There are so many ways to prepare pumpkin. And there are always new ones. Honestly, I don’t always have a plan.

I just prefer to use what ingredients and fresh produce I have in hand—and that’s how this little cute pumpkin (that has been decorating my kitchen counter for quite some time, now) made it to these rice croquettes. I wanted something with pumpkin and nutmeg flavor.

Something delicious, light and easy to make. And practical too, because they can be prepared ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a couple of day until ready to use. Or cooked them before serving and reheated when ready to eat.

I prepared them using Arborio rice, which is perfect for this kind of recipe. I added onion, garlic, parmesan cheese and nutmeg. And I served them with lemon wedges and tarragon mayonnaise, using some fresh tarragon leaves :)

Great as an entree!

For lunch served with a green salad!

For a picnic!

Simple!

But with a lot of flavor!

J. couldn't stop eating these croquettes :)

I also wanted to let you know that I have been interviewed by tusrecetas.tv from Spain and invited to participate with one of my recipes. You can find the interview in here.

Also I would like to invite you to visit the Pasplore website—they have been preparing beautiful Mosaics about Thanksgiving Recipes using some amazing food photographs.

So I hope that you’ll check them out. And hope you like them!

In the meantime, to those who will be celebrating this festive day this upcoming Thursday! I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy, Laugh and eat well.

Pumpkin Rice Croquettes with Tarragon Mayonnaise
This recipe needs to be prepared a day before for better results
Makes 40 (depending on size)

1 C. Arborio rice
1 chicken bouillon / stock cube
Water—quantity needed to cook the rice (I used 5 ½ C) check package instructions.
2 C. Pumpkin, uncooked and grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
Flour
Breadcrumbs
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste
¾ C. Parmesan cheese, grated
Vegetable oil to fry the croquettes

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan add arborio rice and water and bring to boil. Add chicken bouillon/ stock cube and reduce heat to low.
In the meantime, sauté the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. When ready –and rice is halfway cooked-- add the sauté onion and garlic plus grated pumpkin to the rice. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stirring constantly –until cooked and liquid is absorbed. This will take about 25 minutes. Add parmesan cheese. Chill for several hours (but better to keep in the fridge all night) until firm enough to handle.

Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate dishes. And using a tablespoon start making the rice balls. Then 1-Dust balls in flour 2-followed by beaten eggs and 3- roll on breadcrumbs. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying.

Cook the croquettes in batches for about 2-3 minutes, turning until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Served with lemon wedges and tarragon mayonnaise. And garnish with fresh tarragon leaves.. Serve with sweet chilli sauce and mixed leaves.

Note:
*For better results--make the rice mixture the day before if possible.
*You can keep the croquettes cooked or uncooked in the fridge for up to two days.
*Do not use sushi rice instead of arborio—results are not the same.

For the Tarragon Mayonnaise, simply combine; mayonnaise, one garlic clove an fresh tarragon, chopped in a bowl. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Potato and Rosemary Galette And Breath of Summer

2011-11-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

Summer flavors…

Days full of colorful and refreshing thoughts…

Flavorful meals followed by light afternoon walks …

That makes me feel refreshed and drowsing afterwards. Forgetting the world around me.

Felling compelled to take a rest. Even when I know there’s so much to be done.

But like John Lubbock said;

‘Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time’

And yes, why not?!

Taking a moment in life to connect with something as simple as nature is a way to inspire myself. To relax my mind to fill it with colors of nature. It might sound silly, but using nature as a resource for meditation always makes me connect with my deepest roots of my being.

It makes me feel more aware of the most important things in life. Because the beauties of nature are meant to be enjoyed. Because is also healthy and refreshing for the body and soul.

So that will be the plan for this upcoming weekend. To take a moment, relax and connect with nature. So I’m anxiously waiting for the weekend to start :)

May be a picnic under a leafy tree…

''Suena bien, no''?

''Sounds good no''?

In the meantime I leave you with this potato, ricotta and rosemary galette and the asparagus-strawberry salad that I cooked on Sunday.

Any plans for the upcoming weekend?

More Savory Tart and Cake Ideas:

*Savory Polenta Cake with Ricotta and Italian Ham Recipe.

Potato- Ricotta- Parmesan and Rosemary Galette Recipe

makes 2 galettes

Filling

6 small to medium potatoes, cut into thin slices

2 medium onions, cut into slices

250 gr ricotta cheese

Parmesan Cheese- as much as you like--( I used around 1 cup)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Rosemary Leaves, fresh or dried-- ( I used fresh leaves)

Preparation:

Start with the potatoes. Cook in batches. In a frying pan add 3 tbsp of oil and add potatoes. Saute the potatoes for about 2-3 minutes. Remove and place on a paper towel to help remove any excess oil. Then saute the onions. Set aside until ready to use.

For the Dough:
200 g / 7 oz Plain Flour
50 g / 1.7 oz Cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Large egg
100 ml / 1/3 C. Cold Milk

Preparation:
Make the dough first.
In a medium bowl add flour and salt. Mix. Add butter pieces.And using your fingers rub the butter into the dry ingredients, until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. Make a "well" (an empty space) in the middle-add the egg and gradually incorporate the milk. Until the dough starts to come together.Knead for 3-4 minutes. Do not over-knead. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour/ or milk if it’s too dry. Let the dough rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Onto a floured surface, roll dough into two circles (size of a dinner plate)- Place them on a lightly floured baking tray. Divide filling mixture.And layer filling ingredients in the centre of the circle dough. Add the ricotta,parmesan cheese,onions and potatoes.Sprinkle with salt pepper and rosemary leaves. And carefully fold up the the edges of dough around the filling and press gently to seal the galette.

Place in the preheated oven and bake at 190 C / 375 F and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. When ready let it cool for a couple of minutes and serve immediately.

Note: you can also make mini-galettes and serve as appetizer. They are perfect for parties.

The First Harvest of Radishes with a Savory Tart – An Asparagus Salad and A Roll Cake with Dulce de Leche

2011-10-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying our first harvest of radishes from our little garden lately. Indeed! It seems that the hard work on our garden really pay off. The rainy days and the spring weather were fantastic for the radishes to grow.

They came out beautiful!

And they taste incredibly amazing too.

Peppery, crispy and fresh.

J. and I have been anxious watching the radishes grow little by little every day. After they started to appear I couldn’t resist taking pictures of these cute pink-red balloons. And we still very excited about them as they are the first vegetables we growth.

And I couldn’t miss ‘the moment’ we pulled them out from the ground either, of course :)

Our food has been loaded with radishes and their lovely green -crispy leaves. So we’ve been craving radishes in all the ways possible. Raw, baked, sliced, sauté …

Last Friday I made toasted bread bites as part of our lunch. Toasted slices of bread spread with a bit of mayonnaise, radish leaf, thin slices of radishes, grated parmesan cheese and some thyme leaves on top. J. couldn’t stop eating them.

The little bites were gone on a blink of an eye.

The following day, we headed to the farmer’s market to get our usual tray of fresh eggs.

I hope the asparagus turned up already, I told J while we were driving. ''It would be so nice to have a fresh asparagus salad'' With Vinaigrette? -he asked with a smile on his face. Great idea, we can basil Vinaigrette!

I love a fresh asparagus ribbon salad with lots of parmesan cheese. Incredibly delicious and delicate.

Oh, yes, the asparagus were there! So you can imagine how excited I was to see the fresh asparagus at the farmers market. I jumped to the table of glorious vegetables and picked a good large quantity of them.

Yes, I do love asparagus season!

They look and smell *so* nice!

That’s what I like about veggies from the farmer’s market – Their taste and their freshness.

As soon as we got home and Inspired by this vegetable and J. suggestion, I began preparing and making our salad.

I’d shaved the asparagus and I sliced some pears to add a bittersweet flavor to the salad. The addition of the vinaigrette made this salad joyful.

And for dessert pionono (remember this cake) -cake roll with dulce de leche-topped with a dollop of mascarpone cheese and dry cherries.

I couldn’t stop liking the spoon after spreading the dulce de leche on the cake.

Irresistible! Isn’t it?

On Sunday, early in the morning we went swimming, soon it was time for lunch. And after such a relaxing morning, I was looking forward to cook something that requires little to zero work :)

A couple of savory tarts with cream cheese, lots of radish leaves, tomato slices, onions and radishes.

Served with an avocado salad with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.

And some vanilla ice cream for dessert.

I feel like taking a nap, don’t you? J. asked.

I couldn’t agree more.

I wish everybody a wonderful and colorful weekend!

Asparagus and Pear Salad with Parmesan and Basil Vinaigrette
Serves 2

8 Asparagus (preferable with thick stalks)
2 pears, sliced
1 medium cucumber, sliced
Parmesan cheese, as much as you like
Feta cheese, as much as you like
Basil vinaigrette

Preparation:
Shave asparagus into ribbons (** see below for how to ribbon)- Take every single stalk on its side on a cutting board. And holding onto the tough end start to shave off thin asparagus ribbons from stalk to tip (Reserve the rough ends to make a nice soup or to slice them for a nice risotto when you’re done).

Add ribbons, pears and cucumbers into a bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss gently. Topped with feta and parmesan cheese. I was skeptical about eating raw asparagus you can always sauté the asparagus with bit of olive oil after you shaved them.

(**)To shave asparagus into ribbons you can use either a vegetable peeler or a mandolin (just be very- very careful when using it).

Radish- Radish Leaves- Tomato- Onion- Savory Tart

makes 1

2 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Cream cheese, spreadable
Bunch of radish Leaves
2 Medium Tomatoes, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
6 Radishes, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Place the two pastry sheets on a greased baking tray and turn up edges-to form a border (about 2 cm) Spread cream cheese, add radish leaves, tomato slices, onions and radishes. Salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven (200 C / 390 F) for about 10- 15 minutes. Cut and serve.

Food Styling at Home for The Food Bloggers

2011-10-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

Food styling for the food bloggers

I've been doing so many things these last couple of weeks that I couldn't pick were to start. I decided to start sharing this simple and practical tutorial.

This little magazine is a guide to food styling / how to style your food using what you have at home.

Who can read this tutorial?
Mostly...anyone. Yes, anyone that want to express the joy for food in a more creative way.

I've became to produce this issue as a way of expressing my passion for what I do. And also an answer to emails from my lovely readers.

In this tutorial you'll find practical ideas to style food--that I use myself to style my dishes as a cook working in a professional kitchen and as a blogger. So ''Shhh...don't tell anyone''

I dedicate this work to my lovely readers, amazing food bloggers and of course to my fellow food blogger friends...A true inspiration to me.

I would love to hear your thoughts. And yes, you can share this with your readers.

Hope everybody is having a fantastic week!

Pears with Mint Leaves and Lemon Syrup

2011-09-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Spring is here

First tree flowers of the spring are starting to bloom. And while you are preparing for the season of golden leaves, crisp breezes and irresistible aromas of hot chocolate--I'm certainly preparing for warmer days and thinking about salads, barbecues and ice-creams. Lots of this last one :)

But I'm also thinking about fruit salads and the kind of fruits that we enjoy the most.

Pears or Peras --as we called them in Spanish-- are one of the most delectable fruits to me. And whatever variety of pear is available in the season –I’ve always pick a large quantity of them. I love them slice in my morning oat bran breakfast, in savory and sweet salads, topped on a slice of French bread with some walnuts and blue cheese, poached and with lemon syrup and fresh mint leaves ( lately, my ultimate satisfaction).

You see; I have a very special relationship with pears- as a child my grandfather used to give me a huge bag of pears (instead of candies) as a reward for been a good girl.

He said to me; I have a surprise for you.

And while I opened my eyes looking curious, my grandfather smiled at me and said; this is for you. You’ve been a very good girl and if you eat these pears you will grow strong!

I remember how cheerful and enthusiastic I felt. As if a million people had just congratulated me!

We preferred to eat them after lunch, they were juicy tender and sometimes grainy. I could never have enough of this fragrant fruit. I would love a moment of that back--that excitement for being rewarded, just to see through lunchtime with my grandparents.

Treasured moments of life.

My inspiration for new ways to prepare pears came last week—After I found a gorgeous recipe of nectarine and almond salad with lemon syrup in the June/July issue number 20 of the Jamie Oliver Magazine.

I immediately knew that I could implement this dessert recipe with Pears and different fruits as well. Just keeping in mind the syrup flavor and the various fruit that could be enhance through this citrus flavors of lemon. Like…pears, kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, nectarines, grapes, melons and apples.

Making this syrup is a simple and quick process that put leftovers fruit to good use.

Just mix 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup sugar plus zest of 1 lemon and the juice of 1/2 lemon in a saucepan. Bring to boil and cook for a couple of minutes until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is kind of thick. Cut pears into slices, arrange on serving plate, drizzle with the syrup and sprinkle with mint leaves. Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver.

And is even more tasteful with mixed pieces of various fruits.

It’s not an elaborated super clever dessert, but it can really work wonders after dinner as a light dessert or as a little pick-me up sweet treat. This could do much more than just satisfy a sweet tooth.

Enjoy.

Indulge with the fragrant flavors of pears, citrus and mint leaves.

I hope everyone is doing deliciously great!

Note: This country has been under the highlights because of this. And I thought I’d share some photos of the beautiful places that I’ve been recently revisiting around here. Hope you like it.

Three Cheese Wheat Pizza with Pea Shoots and Gardeding for The New Season

2011-09-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

I believe we all have days when we don’t have the time or simply the energy to go shopping. Particularly after a long busy day—And even though we’re just two in the house-- Breakfast and quick lunches are always a ‘must have’ in our home to keep our selves going throughout the day until dinnertime.

At the same time it also gives us the opportunity to ‘catch up’ with each other and relax while we eat our lunch. It really makes a difference!

This means that I can’t get away with cooking! Besides I don’t enjoy feeling hungry at all—It make me grumpy and over-tired :[

I always try to have some good food staples in the house, some of my favorites are dry pasta, polenta, lentils, rice, plain and wheat flour for quick breads such as pizzas and focaccias and a good douse of potatoes, tomatoes, onions, fresh greens, root vegetables and fresh fruits (in season)--And of course parmesan cheese and a fresh stick of French bread.

I also like to keep chicken breasts and prawns or seafood mix in the freezer as they are easy to defrost and very useful to create a lot of different dishes.
It is amazing the variety of dishes that can be prepared using the same ingredients. And believe me – it works wonderfully every time.

On Friday evening, we decided our Saturday would start early. J. and I made plans to work on our little garden. Connecting with nature always bring the best of ourselves.

To me it’s one of the simplest ways to nurture my spirit.

So we spent our morning in manual labor, preparing our garden for the new season. After finishing our gardening, we sat next to the fence and observed all we have done.

But that didn’t last for long. The rain forced us back inside. Oh, nature…beautiful nature!

It was such a fun morning.

We were tired and hungry. So I prepared wheat flour pizzas—one with this topping variation—and the other one with feta cheese, parmesan, soft buffalo mozzarella topped with thin onion slices and lovely greens pea shoots. J’s favorite.

And for dessert we also enjoyed a quick fruit salad with kiwis, bananas, oranges, apples and pears. With juice of fresh squeezed oranges.

Hope everybody is well and happy!

Three Cheese Wheat Flour Pizza with Pea Shoots

Make 1 Large

2 C. Wheat flour

3/4 C. + 1 Tbsp. warm water

1 1/2 tsp. Instant dry yeast

1 tsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Vegetable oil

1/4 tsp. Salt

*Parmesan, feta and buffalo mozzarella cheese

onion slices and Pea shoots for topping.

Preparation:

Inn a bowl add flour and salt. Set aside. Take measuring cup and add yeast, warm water and sugar--Mix well and cover with a plate.Wait (about 10 minutes) for bubbles to appear in the yeast.Add yeast mixture to the flour plus the oil. Mix together all the ingredients to form the dough.Using your hands work the dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and set in warm part of the kitchen-let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

When ready, just punch down the dough over a floured surface and shape into a circle. Transfer the dough into lightly floured baking tray. Brush the dough with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with the three cheese and onion slices. Bake for 15 minutes and serve hot. When ready sprinkle with with pea shoots and serve immediately. QJVQPC9XWHSZ

Garlicky Brown Lentils Salad with Parsley Leaves

2011-09-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget how delicious and beautiful lentils are.

Like the brown lentil salad I grew up with. It was always a dish that I keep close to my heart.

After a relaxing morning at the park, we headed to our favorite bulk shop to stock up our food cabinet, coming home with brown lentils, polenta, sugar, rice, flour and spices. Food beautiful food!

With my kitchen window open and some lovely tunes from the 80’s I started chopping my parsley leaves and some garlic.The smell of garlic was absolutely irresistible :)

I made this brown lentil salad with lots of parsley leaves, garlic finely chopped, a good drizzle of olive oil, sea salt and pepper. I used parsley from my little garden to garnish this salad. And I was so happy to find out that my parley plant is giving new leaves.

We enjoyed every bit of it. It was delectable from start to finish.

The recipe I’m including here is one variation for lentil salads. But I also like to combine brown lentils with crispy bacon, grated parmesan cheese, garlic and diced tomatoes with lots of fresh herb leaves. Love how well herbs and garlic goes with lentils. Try any of this combinations with brown lentils and I’m sure you’d like it. Conclusion; Brown lentils are absolutely delectable. They can be eaten at almost any time of the year --And it would be a mistake not to mention the several nutritional benefits they have.

See more health benefits for lentils.

I wish you a colorful, restful and restoring weekend!

Garlicky Brown Lentils Salad with Fresh Parsley

Serves 2-3

1 1/2 C. Brown Lentils

2 1/2 C. Water

4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 C. Cooked Peas

Parsley leaves, chopped --as much as you like

Olive oil to drizzle

Sea Salt to taste

Pepper to taste, optional

Preparation:

Rinse lentils in cold water. In a sauce pan add water and lentils and bring to boil. Then simmer for 30-35 minutes. If you like the lentils more tender leave for an extra 5 minutes. Strain the lentils add peas, olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt. Serve with toasted french bread.

Comforting Flavorful Sauce for My Pasta --El Tuco

2011-08-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

‘’A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins’’-- Laurie Colwin

Red fresh exquisite tomatoes in ‘la pasta’ sauce always bring happy thoughts.

There is nothing more comforting than making my own tomato sauce.

I love the smell of cooked tomatoes as I make tuco-- ''Tuco'' is a classic tomato sauce that complements all of our pasta dishes from where I come from.

Fragrant and juicy.

It’s a tradition in my family that almost feels like a ritual. We have never served our pasta dishes with tomato sauce out of the can… ever!

Simply because pasta doesn’t taste the same for us.

I know I may sound silly to praise something as simple as pasta sauce, but believe me ‘la pasta’ deserves to be eaten with a fresh well prepared -flavorful sauce. In our home every pasta and polenta dish is served with this tuco sauce.

But at other times we prefer to eat our pasta with béchamel sauce or just drizzle with some olive oil and serve it with chopped garlic, heirloom tomatoes and lots of parmesan cheese.

The tuco has an intense flavor and it is quite juicy and easy to prepare. It makes the pasta or polenta completely soaked in the sauce— which makes the presence of warm crunchy French bread slices; ''unavoidable''... ...

To later - and without any sense of guilt – start dipping pieces of bread into the juicy pasta sauce that is left at the plate.

Well, that’s exactly what we did on Friday. I prepared the tuco using some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and button mushrooms that I picked days before-- with a couple of bay leaves from my tree out front. Our house smelled absolutely wonderful.

The taste of fresh tomatoes in the sauce was heavenly. And this immediately reminds me to my father in law little orchard and his home-grow tomatoes. I made the best tomato salads and pasta sauces with those homegrown tomatoes--

...these sweet memories brought a warm feeling and a strong desire to grow my own tomatoes.

Perhaps…We'll see what the new season brings.

I told J. about it while eating our dinner. Little macaroni served with tuco and fresh oregano leaves. And for dessert …caramel flan with a dollop of dulce de leche and an old classic film –Remember this?

Fortunately we had a quiet and relaxing weekend after several days of being busy.

Saturday morning I made buckwheat pancakes for breakfast with caramelize fruits (this time I sautéed some leftover apples and pears) with a bit of butter and soft brown sugar– Delicious.

The morning went by so quickly that soon was time for lunch. I remembered the large bag of cauliflowers and some broccoli I had in the fridge.

It was cold and it was the perfect time of the day for a roasted salad. I put the green and the white flowers on a baking tray, some olive oil, sea salt, pepper, feta cheese and black olives. I’ve roasted everything for about ten minutes.

Lunch was ready to eat.

And after our comforting lunch we were all set for our usual afternoon long walk.

Next morning, I woke up and all of the sudden I had an enormous urge to start baking. Yes, I made alfajores- Cornstarch sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche. I baked a batch of them and before they start to disappear... I took some alfajores to my good neighbor and she was just as excited — I was happy to see how much she liked them.

At home the alfajores came and went in the blink of an eye.

I knew this would happen, I told J. Let blame the cold whether for it ! He replied :)

I wish everybody a wonderful week ahead!

El Tuco-Pasta Sauce Recipe

250 g Whole tomatoes in juice

250 g Fresh tomatoes

1 medium carrot

3 Tbsp. Tomato paste

1 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 C. oil

1 C. beef stock / broth

3 Tbsp. brown sugar- to remove acidity from the tomato sauce.

3 Bay leaves

2 tsp. Paprika
Salt to taste

Pepper to taste (optional)

** If you like meat in your your pasta sauce--see below

Preparation:

In a saucepan add oil, garlic and onions. Fry over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until onions start to look soft and glossy. In the meantime blend whole tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and carrot. Add this mixture to the fried onions.

Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, paprika, sugar, bay leaves and stock and cook for 20 25 minutes --until liquid is absorbed. Serve over any pasta ( fettuccine, cannelloni, ravioli) or polenta dish with lots of parmesan cheese :) Remember that this particular pasta sauce has a more liquid texture- It needs to be juicy.

** You ca also add ground beef, chicken or turkey. Seafood, chicken thighs or wings to this sauce--just pre-cook any meat of your choice and add directly with the tomato paste and stock.

Roasted Mix Color Apples and Pumpkin Muffins for Busy Days

2011-08-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Another month has begun.I can hardly wait for the new season to start. The flowers are starting to bloom here and I can almost smell their scent.

New shades of bright and beautiful green colors are starting to paint the leaves of the trees again. And looking at those trees from my open kitchen window feels like a new beginning. Indeed! Whenever I have some spare time I love sitting on our small front porch and enjoy the fresh cool air and drink a cup of peppermint tea while my neighbor’s cat keep me company.

I wished I could have more time to spare.

And some more time to share things that inspire me every day. Like this little piece of inspiration…

The simple beautiful process of preparing a beet cake -video from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

But is ''not'' possible at the moment.

We have been really busy lately...

And I missed everybody so much this last two weeks!

Really, I have to say -I never thought I would say this- but the best thing about writing this blog has been the lovely friends I have made through this virtual blogging world.

And I never imagine I could connect and create relantionships with people with all over the world that I don’t actually see face to face.

But technology is an amazing thing and I’m grateful that I live in this century.Otherwise never have known any of you nor your delicious-beautiful blogs either!

I get emails from wonderful people who share their feelings with me about finding a certain recipe here or just telling me how much they liked one of my pictures—even knowing that I’m not a professional photographer – And I’m so honored that my little blog make you feel inspired or triggers some forgotten memories that somehow resemble food.

I really want to let readers know that getting their emails and comments means a lot to me.

Thank you for been there :)

But despite being so busy there’s always time for cooking and homemade food in our home. Roasted vegetables salad, radish-potatoes with basil vinaigrette and potatoes with béchamel sauce were often a great complement in our dinners.

Aromas of sauté mushroom and garlic on toasted French bread, couscous-roasted apples and feta salad filled our home for Saturday’s lunch. While pumpkin muffins were baking in the oven for our afternoon snack.

Oh, let’s not forget about the recipes...hearty roasted mix color apples and pumpkin muffins with sesame seeds. Super-Simple and Delicious.

And now back to work :)

I wish everybody a wonderful weekend!

Roasted Apples

Red and green apples

Soft brown sugar, to sprinkle the apples

Pinch of Sea salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Rosemary or any herb of your choice

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 180C / 356F. Wash apples and cut into quarters.In a baking tray add apples and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, sea salt, pepper and herbs. Roast for 10-15 minutes. Serve over salads, meats, ice creams or cakes.

Pumpkin Muffins

2 Cups of fresh pumpkin puree**
200 gr / 7 ounces self-raising flour
170 gr / 6 ounces soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
150 ml / 5 ounces canola oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, optional
1 ½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

** I used a variety of winter squash instead of butternut squash

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 190 C / 375 F. Grease a muffin pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl mix the sugar, eggs, and oil for about 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl. Stir together using a spatula and making slow encircling movements until flour is incorporated-- not living any lumps of flour. Add the 2 cups of pumpkin puree and mix.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until it feels firm and toothpick comes out clean. When ready remove from oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Missing Summer Days and Whole Wheat Rosemary Focaccia

2011-07-21T01:18:00.000-07:00

While many of you are enjoying the warmth of sunny days—I could only dream about it…Indeed! It is winter time down here and even though I don’t dislike cool days I have to confess that my heart belongs entirely to the beautiful spring-summer season :)

I love summery mornings with clear skies…don’t you?

Fortunately after many days of heavy raining the sun came out during the weekend-and my soul felt revive once and more. First thing I wanted to do was re-arrange my pots of flowers and herbs, which I did!

My hands became impregnated with the fragrant leaves of basil and I discovered that my lovely kalanchoe plant flower is already giving its fuchsia winter bloomers.

We've already began to feel thirsty J. while doing our gardening so J. went inside the house and squeezed some lemons to make lemonade with honey and mint leaves from our little herb garden--It taste heavenly.

And I have to tell you that doing this little gardening were truly a joy…because I miss it so much!

And soon was time for lunch-Time certainly flies when you are doing something that you love...

I prepared some broccoli flowers with tomato slices, garlic cloves with olive oil and sea salt. I roasted them for about twenty minutes and served it with feta cheese and slices of whole wheat focaccia.

It was such a lovely morning.

Soon after lunch J. and I started planning a long walk by the harbor and decided to postpone our weekend food-shopping for later on.

I packed some vanilla cappuccino cookies that I baked the day before and headed to the harbor.

The breathtaking blue color of the water inspired us and filled our minds with a sense of magic energy-and we were so happy and amazed that we couldn’t resist having a walked by the beach too.

We’ve got there… sat on a rock and say nothing...just listened to the foamy waves crashing on the beach.
I started to watch at the sky as seeking for an answer to such a natural beauty while watching the various shapes and figures I saw in the clouds –some of them seemed to have the shape of giant horses but to J. they looked like men with big muscles :)

The color, smell and sound of the sea water seems beautiful than ever to us…after so many days of bad weather.

It was a warm afternoon with a cool breeze but it felt so relaxing and rewarding that it wasn’t easy to leave that to do our food shopping for the week.

Once we've got home, I made some polenta with mushrooms and parmesan cheese and I (also) served it with the rosemary focaccia.Our house was warm and smelled lovely.

We ate same of the focaccia with our dinner and saved the rest for our next morning breakfast.

Sunday, we woke up early and enjoyed the focaccia I baked the day before and we ate it with some runny honey :)

And it was simply a harmony of flavors dancing in our palates.

Whole Wheat Flour Rosemary Focaccia Recipe

2 3/4 C. Whole wheat flour
3 tsp. dry yeast
1 C. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. olive oil
Pinch of salt
Dry or fresh rosemary

Preparation:

Preheat oven at 200 C/ 400 F.

In a medium bowl combine flour and salt-mix. Take a small bowl. Add yeast, warm water, sugar--mix well and cover with a plate.Wait (about 10 minutes) for bubbles to appear in the yeast. Once the bubbles have appeared, and using a wooden spoon start to mix together the ingredients to form the dough and add olive oil.
Using your hands work the dough until is smooth and elastic. Cover and set in warm part of the kitchen-let the dough rest for 40 minutes. When ready, just punch down the dough over a floured surface and shape into a rectangle. Transfer the dough into lightly floured baking tray. Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. Bake for 15 minutes and serve warm.

Buckwheat Pancakes with Cottage Cheese-Walnuts and Caramelized Apples

2011-07-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

The first time I was introduced to buckwheat flour was thanks to a Japanese friend of mine and her lovely soba noodles—which I happened to like…a lot :)

Years later I’ve re-discovered buckwheat flour in a French cooking class while learning the beauty of making ‘Galette’ { thin french pancake}

A savory thin buckwheat flour crepe—which is extremely delicious to the taste, very versatile in their filling, healthy, light and gluten free.

Mmmm absolutely hard to resist! But that’s another story...

However, there are many things that could be made with buckwheat flour. And one of my favorites is buckwheat pancakes, indeed! I make them from time to time for our lazy weekend breakfast or as a light afternoon snack. And usually served them with cottage cheese or ricotta and caramelized fruits. Or some poached pears (remember this)

A sweet twist that take pancakes to a totally high different level—that make J. and I faint-hearted after one simple bite :)

Yes, I heart buckwheat flour or as french called it...'dark flour'

Last week I received a beautiful huge bag of buckwheat flour from my friend B.—one of my best friend-She’s such a sweet and funny person- whose personality I love and admire.

And quickly came across the inspiration for this weekend.

On Sunday, after playing chess and relaxing for a while, we started to feel hungry again. And that make us crave for pancakes. I cooked some buckwheat pancakes, with a touch of soft brown sugar. Just the perfect snack for a rainy afternoon…

Served the pancakes with caramelized apples in brown sugar and lemon juice, cottage cheese and walnuts- So light and scented.

And some decaf cappuccino and orange juice to satisfy our crave :)

And the leftover pancakes were wrapped and frozen for future breakfasts and afternoon snacks!

J. totally agreed!

Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe

Make 12
3/4 C. Buckwheat flour

3 medium eggs

2/3 C. milk

1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

1 Tbsp. Soft brown sugar

Preparation:

Separate the egg yolks and white in different bowls. In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder, milk, sugar and the egg yolks and mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined-and batter is smooth and thick.

Now with a electric mixer mix the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. And then fold into the flour mixture.

Heat a non-stick pan on a medium heat and pour about 2 tbsp of the mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes or until it looks golden brown. Serve them warm with the cottage cheese and caramelized apples.

Magdalenas-Simply Irresistible Aromas-And a Thank you to a Talented Writer

2011-07-06T02:23:00.000-07:00

Magdalenas are another sweet memory from my childhood. I wanted to share a savory recipe today but I changed my mind right after feelings from the past were revived again. You see; reading beautiful thoughts from talented people that share their stories could certainly make forgotten thoughts and emotions come back to life. Indeed!

I was moved and inspired after reading Rosa’s lovely-sweet post about her Swiss Mémé’s Cake. Thank you, Rosa. You brought me back many wonderful memories of my grandmother!

That was when I started remembering many things about my grandmother and my days as a child--the tasteful and satisfying ‘Meriendas’-afternoon snacks- that I enjoyed while coming back from school-which would often be served {among many other bites} with ‘’Magdalenas’’.

And as a child having these sweet cakes for the merienda made the afternoon simply perfect :)

Even though these little babies look similar in shape to the famous cupcakes they are very different in taste and texture from the cupcakes.
I could say that the taste and texture are a combination between a moist cupcake a light muffin and a fluffy cookie with a sweet lemony flavor. I’m not sure if you could imagine the flavor of these little cakes after this description of mine… {Loud Laugh}

They are a classic from where I come from and every boy and girl experience this heavenly taste while growing up. I could say that as a child eating a 'magdalena' is almost a mandatory palate work :)

So I could not let another day go by without making some Magdalenas. I poured a few ingredients into a bowl…bake for twenty five minutes and voila! And yes, I ate more than one!

Have a wonderful and colorful week ahead!

Magdalena’s—Sweet Lemony Little Cakes Recipe

1 ¾ C. Raising Flour
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ C. Sugar**
Zest of 1 Large Lemon*
4 Medium eggs
200 ml/ 7 oz. canola oil
¼ C. Whole milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200C/ 392F. In a medium bowl add flour and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl add eggs, sugar, lemon zest and milk-- mix well and pour this mixture to the flour. Add oil and using an electric mixer beat for a couple of minutes until all ingredients are well combined. Spoon a little more than half the mixture into muffin cases and sprinkle with a little or a lot of sugar on top. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Let magdalenas cool completely and serve.
** You can always add more sugar to the mixture preparation. I only use 1/4 cup sugar because I sprinkle sugar on top as well. And I found out this quantity of sugar suited my taste.
* To enhance lemon flavor simply add more lemon zest plus a 1/4 tsp lemon juice.

In addition I want to mention that the texture of these cakes are very different from other cakes --like muffins or cupcakes-- They are spongy- fluffy and soft.

Curly Sweet Crepes with Poached Rhubarb and A Guest Post

2011-06-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks I realized that it have been a long time since I don’t post about crepes and poached fruits-- Sweet specialties that were part of my childhood and indeed they bring back tender memories of warmth sunny summers and cold winters days.

So early this month after Sonia’s request-- to have me guest posting on her gorgeous blog--I thought this post would be a great opportunity to combined and share two hearty-favorites of mine :)

If you haven't visited Sonia's blog yet, well you should- I urge you to visit her blog! She is a wonderful cook and an amazing photographer.

I Hope everybody is doing ok!!!

Please be sure to visit her lovely ‘my creative flavors’ blog and I hope you all have a lovely rest of the week!

I'll be back next week with more recipes. I would love to hear your thoughts after you check out my guest post!

Well... what Can I say about this recipe? Potatoes with Béchamel Sauce and Fresh Basil Leaves.

2011-06-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

If you have been following this blog for a while then you should know that I really enjoy making simple, quick but well-seasoned food— the kind of food that wouldn't keep me all day in the kitchen.

And this recipe is one of them.

Well what can I say about this recipe? I can’t deny how hearty this is, roasted potatoes with béchamel sauce and basil leaves.
The béchamel sauce is a wonderful –delicious –white sauce that could be made with ingredients found in any pantry. Milk, cornstarch, parmesan or romano cheese and a touch of fresh ground nutmeg is all you’d need to make this delicate and versatile sauce. I use it on pasta, cooked fish fillets, scallops and potatoes.

You could also serve this differently, with the béchamel sauce-- sauté brown onions and mushrooms topped with a generous amount of chopped fresh parsley are fabulous alongside this roasted potatoes-- Or instead of sauté veggies – Simply add blue cheese, walnuts and basil leaves, accompanied by warm bread and a fresh green salad.

I cooked this on Monday as part of our dinner. J. is a fan of potatoes and he loves them even more when they are roasted. So you can just imagine what hubby was thinking when I said I made roast potatoes :)

He looked at me with an expression that I called; ‘’His Happy Birthday face’’

All I can say is that it’s delicious, so I hope you enjoy this beautiful pleasure soon.

Roasted Potatoes with Béchamel Sauce and Fresh basil Leaves

8 Medium potatoes, cleaned and peeled

Olive oil

Sea Salt, to taste

4 Garlic cloves

Béchamel sauce *Recipe

Fresh basil Leaves

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 200 C/ 390 F. In a baking tray add potatoes and garlic cloves then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm and pour over the top the warm béchamel sauce. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Open Vegetarian Sandwich -- And The Free Gift of Giving

2011-06-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I recovered an almost forgotten feeling… the feeling of a lovely-late morning breakfast to start the morning. Particularly after a long-busy week! Beautiful Portobello mushrooms saute in olive oil, garlic and sea salt with yellow onions, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and topped with some parmesan cheese. Served with warm pieces of French baguette.

It only took ten minutes and a hungry-happy heart to have this on the table. Easy to cook, easy to serve but not to forget…

Today, I share this recipe and a lovely inspirational poem about the “Free Gift of Giving” …Please read --it would spice up your soul.

Eight Gifts that Do Not Cost A Cent

    THE GIFT OF LISTENING...
    But you must REALLY listen.
    No interrupting, no daydreaming,
    no planning your response.
    Just listening.

    THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
    Be generous with appropriate hugs,
    kisses, pats on the back, and handholds.
    Let these small actions demonstrate the
    love you have for family and friends.

    THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
    Clip cartoons.
    Share articles and funny stories.
    Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

    THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
    It can be a simple
    "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet.
    A brief, handwritten note may be remembered
    for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

    THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
    A simple and sincere,
    You look great in red," "You did a super job,"
    or "That was a wonderful meal"
    can make someone's day.

    THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
    Every day, go out of your way
    to do something kind.

    THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
    There are times when we want nothing better
    than to be left alone.
    Be sensitive to those times and give
    the gift of solitude to others.

    THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...
    The easiest way to feel good is
    to extend a kind word to someone.
    Really, it's not that hard to say,
    Hello or Thank You.

~ by Katherine Quinn

I wish you all a happy and colorful week ahead!

Open Mushroom Sandwich

Baby Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned

Yellow onion, cut into slices

Cherry tomatoes

French Baguette, Slices

Olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Parmesan cheese

Fresh Basil leaves

Preparation:
Wash mushrooms and pat dry with a paper towel. Saute mushrooms in olive oil for a couple of minutes--over medium low heat-- then add onions and sea salt. Cook mushrooms turning often to prevent sticking and to cook equally. Add cherry tomatoes to the pan and heat them for a minute.Mushrooms are ready when they are soft and have begun to brown--depending on personal preference. Serve on toasted baguette and Topped with parmesan cheese.

Roasted Beetroot Salad with Radishes and Potatoes

2011-06-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

Just right after having our usual ‘weekend long walk’ J. and I returned home with a good dose of appetite.

Temperatures are low around here and beautiful root vegetables are everywhere –different colors, sizes and shapes seems to decorate every veggie shop. A couple of my favorites are beetroot and radishes…I love how the red-purple and the little red-pink flavors could become when mix together.

Beetroots always bring inspirational thoughts of my mother’s cooking. You see; As a child I’d love eating vegetables particularly fresh beets. My mother used to make—and still does—a marvelous salad with steamed fresh beetroots, green beans and boiled eggs with olive oil, sea salt and a touch of vinegar. I called it Mom’s Hearty Salad.

And yes, I confess… ‘Beetroot’ is one of my favorite vegetables.

Over the years my palate and my heart became one and vegetables would always have a very special place in my meals. It’s almost impossible trying not to think about childhood and family cooking when I come to prepare a recipe that includes veggies.

It’s a great pleasure in my life!

Fortunately J. loves veggies too so I could steam, roast, boil and pickle as much as I like. Many delicious meals could be made by just using a single vegetable.
Tomatoes, yes —they can play a very interesting role as an appetizer or as part of a quick lunch…and mixed with a couple of simple ingredients they could become Roasted Tomatoes with Herb Fluffy Parmesan Egg.

And it wasn’t any different with this roasted beetroot salad. An addition of radishes, their greens, garlic cloves and potatoes combined with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt created a simplified satisfaction of delicious flavors that made our taste-buds jump of joy.

This salad and good nap after our long walk was all we needed :) Comforting~Tasty~Simple. I’d sprinkle the salad with feta cheese and served it with warm slices of French baguette.

Thanks for vegetables!

Do you have a favorite vegetable? I would love to hear your thoughts!

I wish you all a happy week!

Roasted Beetroot Salad Recipe

Serves 2

5 Medium beetroots, peeled and cut into halves

6 Red radishes and their leaves, cleaned

7-8 Small potatoes

4 Garlic cloves, cut into halves

1/2 C. Olive oil

3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Sea salt to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 190 C / 375 F. In a small bowl combine olive oil, vinegar and salt. Mix well. Place vegetables on a baking tray and pour over oil-vinegar mixture. Roast for 45-50 minutes or until tender.

Lemony Custard with Pears- Blueberries and Fresh Mint Leaves And My Grandmother's Gift of Herbs

2011-06-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

Dearest Readers, Thank you so much for your warmth and lovely words, thoughts and compliments--It certainly make my heart fly of joy :) Much-much appreciated!

Today, I just want to share one of my favorite dessert recipes. It’s a simple yet delicious dessert. Lemony custard with fresh fruits -Pears, blueberries and fresh mint.

The inspiration for this dessert came this past weekend while having a conversation with my mother about childhood memories and Saturday lunches at my grandmother's house and her gorgeous variety of-mint plants.

My heart jumped of joy and thoughts of the past became fresh and alive again.

My grandmother used to be a lover of fresh mint leaves; she used it in salads, desserts, teas, cool drinks and even in meat preparations.

I’d never quite understand why my grandmother included mint into her cooking. Until cooking became part of my life …

Herbs are a great and tasteful addition to any dish. No doubt!

And just like my grandmother I also have a mint plant myself ! So yesterday I picked up some fresh leaves from my little herb garden and sprinkle a couple on this lemony custard pudding. Wonderful taste!

Wish you all a lovely rest of the week!

Lemony Custard with Pears-Blueberries and Fresh Mint Leaves

500 ml / 2 C. Milk

3 1/2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter

6 Tbsp. Sugar

4 Egg yolks

Fresh Lemon zest from 1 1/2 lemon

3 Tbsp. Cornstarch

Preparation:

In a saucepan--over medium heat-- add milk butter, lemon zest and sugar. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and milk is hot-- not boil.

Remove from heat and quickly add the egg yolks and cornstarch--return to the heat--whisking vigorously, allow the custard to cook-- for 1 to 2 minutes. Until the custard begun to thicken. Allow to cool. Serve warm or cool with any fruits of your choice and garnish with fresh mint leaves :)

Savory Polenta Cake with Ricotta-Italian Ham-Tomato and Fresh Oregano Leaves--And Thoughts on Challenges

2011-05-25T03:40:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how to describe these last days. I believe "challenging" would be the most appropriate word to use.

'Having to face new battles seems always a process that takes time and effort to achieve.' Don't you sometimes feel the same?

You see; I've been having my own challenges lately and having to face these obstacles made my soul vulnerable.
But at the same time--somehow these obstacles are helping me gain more confidence in myself and to overcome my fears in a different perspective.

And to appreciate even more what I have in my life.

A long walk on the beach with J. these couple of days ago, certainly filled my heart with gratitude and clearness. As we were walking my soul brought to my thoughts one of my favorite quotes:

"Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward.''-Soren Kierkegaard.

Then I realized that in life there's no time to waste on giving up—And beautiful little things are a constant reminder of it!

Invaluable little things!

Love, laughter, being alive, wonderful friends you can talk to, good health, the sea, music, the sunset, a good meal, and of course you all…lovely readers.

Have a wonderful rest of the week, everyone!

Savory Polenta Cake with Ricotta-Italian Ham-Tomato and Fresh Oregano

1 C. Polenta -fine texture
1 C. All purpose flour-Plain flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
3/4 C. Ricotta
4 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
3 Medium eggs
1/3 C. Whole fat milk
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Fresh ground nutmeg

Topping:
Tomato slices
Italian Ham-like prosciutto
Fresh Oregano leaves, to garnish

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 190 C/ 375 F and lightly grease a medium size cake pan.

Combine polenta, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix. Add the eggs, ricotta, oil, milk and ground nutmeg. Mix well to form a smooth batter.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan and add tomato and ham slices. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. When ready allow to cool and sprinkle with fresh oregano leaves.Serve warm.

Focaccia with Red Onions-Dried Apricots-Walnuts and Blue Cheese And a Movie to...

2011-05-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello …How is everybody doing? I can’t wait for the weekend to begin—I know the week have just started but to me this past weekend flew by very quickly.

I have been busy lately, between my job, home and unexpected little things here and there. So I’m really looking forward to a relaxing upcoming weekend—

...How about you?

But I did have some fun during this past weekend though…yes, we watched a movie--actually it was the second time J. and I watched it.

Last Saturday after doing some shopping for the week , J. and I decided to stay home, enjoy cooking and watch a movie called HOME—it is a fascinated film full of breath-taking nature photography by a very talented French photographer -Yann Arthus-Bertrand --

You must have heard the saying; ‘A picture speaks a thousand words’ –Well, this movie shows you exactly that.

This is an absolutely outstanding movie!

We had this focaccia as a quick appetizer before eating dinner, I just used simple ingredients --Red onion, dried apricot, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, blue cheese and fresh basil from my little garden.

I love red onions ! I particularly love to use them as toppings for savory breads like flat breads and pizzas. Well, you know I love to keep it simple and tasty—The dough for this focaccia is easy and super-versatile-- I use the same basic dough for pizza too.

After dinner, we wrapped the soft –warm blanket around the both of us and we snuggled deep down into the couch while enjoying our movie night.

The movie is about our beautiful Planet, our species, us and the dramatic changes --already happening-- on the resources of our planet, including mineral and energy resources.

It has a very important message for all of us. Have you seen this movie yet?

I hope you'll give both these ideas a try. The focaccia and the movie :)

Wish you all a colorful rest of the week!

Easy Focaccia Dough

Makes 1

2 C. All Purpose Flour-Plain Flour

3/4 C. Warm water

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Dry yeast

1 tsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Olive oil

Topping:

1/2 Red onion, finely sliced

1/4 C. Dried apricot, sliced

1/4 C. Walnut, chopped

1/4 C. Blue Cheese

1/4 C. Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Basil, leaves

Olive oil

Garlic Salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven at 200 C/ 400 F.

In a medium bowl combine flour and salt-mix. Take a small bowl. Add yeast, warm water, sugar and olive oil--Mix well and cover with a plate.Wait (about 10 minutes) for bubbles to appear in the yeast. Once the bubbles have appeared, and using a wooden spoon start to mix together the ingredients to form the dough.

Then using your hands work the dough for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and set in warm part of the kitchen-let the dough rest for 20 minutes. When ready, just punch down the dough over a floured surface and shape into a rectangle. Transfer the dough into lightly greased baking tray. Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, onions, apricots, walnuts, blue cheese and basil. Bake for 15 minutes and serve hot.