Everybody Cooks!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins

2016-07-20T21:42:00.000+02:00

What is better than a chocolate muffin? A muffin with more chocolate! So why not try to make chocolate-chocolate chip muffins?! They are easy and quick to make, and everyone at the table will rejoice. Bake them for your fancy dinner party, pack some in your kid's lunch box, prepare them for your better half for a romantic dinner, make a batch for your colleagues at work, or simply make them because it's Monday ... They work for every occasion.

For 9 muffins (7 centimeter diameter at the top, 4 centimeter diameter at the bottom, and 4 centimeter tall) or 12 small-sized muffins (6 centimeter diameter at the top, 4 centimeter diameter at the bottom, and 3 centimeter tall), you will need:

240 grams of flour
11 grams of baking powder (1 packet)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
25 grams of cocoa powder
150 grams of sugar
180 grams of chocolate chips
235 milliliters of buttermilk
100 milliliters of canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 15-20 minutes*

Start by pre-heating your oven at 205 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit).

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sugar together.

Add the chocolate chips to the dry mix and stir together.

In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, canola oil, egg, and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet mix slowly to the dry mix, and stir together.

Slightly oil your muffins trays, and add the batter into them.

9-muffin batch

12-small-sized-muffin batch

Bake the muffins for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to check at 15 minutes the inside of the muffins by poking with a knife. If the knife gets out clean, the muffins are baked. If the knife gets out with some uncooked batter, let them bake a few more minutes.

9-muffin batch

12-small-sized-muffin batch

Once baked, let the muffins rest until serving time.

As a suggestion, you can serve the chocolate-chocolate chip muffins with a delicious vanilla cream or a cardamom cream.

*Note: For the small-sized muffins, don't forget to readjust your baking time to 12 to 13 minutes.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Guacamole

2016-04-07T02:37:00.000+02:00

Guacamole is one of my favorite dips. I enjoy it with corn or tortilla chips, and as a topping in my beef burger.

Guacamole is very easy to make and you don't have to make it hours in advance, as it is very quick to make. If you have the ingredients on-hand, it is a last minute snack or appetizer when unexpected guests stop by for a drink.

To make my guacamole I use a pestle and mortar. But if you don't have one, use a potato masher and a bowl.

For 4 to 6 servings, you will need:

2 large, ripe avocados
One small red onion, for 2 tablespoons
A large handful of fresh cilantro, for 2 tablespoons
One tomato, for 3 tablespoons
One chili, for 2 tablespoons*
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper*
1 tablespoon of lime juice

Preparation time: 10 minutes

For the guacamole preparation, don't crush the ingredients to a paste, because you want a nice chunky texture at the end.

Start by dicing the red onion into small pieces and loosely dicing the cilantro.

Then, peel the tomato - I like it that way, so you don't end up eating pieces of tomato skin - and dice it. Finally, dice the chili. Reserve the diced tomato and chili until it is time to incorporate it to your preparation.

Crush the diced red onion and cilantro together in a mortar with the pestle.

Add the salt, cayenne pepper, diced tomato, and diced chili into the mortar and crush with the pestle.

Peel the avocado, remove the pit, and cut it into large chunks. Add the avocado chunks and the lime juice into the mortar and loosely crush with the pestle.

That was easy! Your guacamole is ready! Reserve it in the fridge tightly sealed until serving.

*Note: You can deseed the chili and substitute the cayenne pepper with paprika if you want your guacamole mild.

Iles flottantes with Crème Anglaise

2016-03-13T22:32:00.000+01:00

"Iles flottantes", which you could literally translate from French as "floating islands", are such a delicious dessert; poached whipped sweet egg whites that resemble a fluffy marshmallow, served on top of a crème anglaise, which is a light liquid custard, with roasted almonds and caramel. Is it enough to make your taste buds drool?! Great, so let's get this recipe started.

For 4 to 6 servings - depending on the size of your îles flottantes, you will need:

For the custard:

350 milliliters of milk
1 vanilla pod
3 egg yolks
75 grams of sugar

For the poached egg whites:

3 egg whites
A pinch of salt
40 grams of sugar

For the delicious decoration:

A handful of sliced almonds
Some caramel sauce

Preparation time: 30 minutes (15 minutes for the custard and 15 minutes for the egg whites)
Cooking time: 30 minutes (20 minutes for the custard and 10 minutes to poach the egg whites)
Resting time for the custard: 2 to 3 hours

Start by preparing the custard, as it will have to rest in the fridge.

Slice the vanilla pod open along its length.

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla pod. Warm up the milk to let the vanilla infuse, but make sure to not boil it.

After 5 to 7 minutes, the milk should be infused and warm. Remove it from the stove, remove the vanilla pod, and set aside.

Add the egg yolks and the sugar to a bowl, and whisk until you obtain a smooth and silky mixture.

Add the milk to the egg yolk-sugar and mix it in well.

Place back on the stove on low heat. For about 7 to 10 minutes, don't stop mixing gently and make sure to not let it come to a boil.

Once the custard is smooth and warm, remove it from the stove and filter it into a bowl to rest first. Then, let it cool down before placing in a airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.

About 15 to 20 minutes before serving the dessert, take the custard out of the fridge and set aside. It is also now time to prepare the rest of your dessert.

On medium heat, dry roast the sliced almonds in a pan. Keep an eye on them as they brown quickly and can burn easily. Once they are brown, take them out of the pan and set aside.

Start preparing the îles flottantes.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt with a hand-mixer until they are firm. Then add the sugar while continuously beating.

Once the egg whites are ready and firm, it is time to poach them.

Bring a pan of water to a slight boil and add a scoop of egg whites and let it poach for about 30 seconds. Then, turn it over and let it poach for the same amount of time.

Let the egg whites rest and drain for a minute or so on a paper towel.

Now that all the ingredients are ready, you can dress your plate. Pour some custard, place a poached egg white, sprinkle with some roasted almonds, and drizzle some caramel.

And here you are, ready to enjoy your delicious îles flottantes with crème anglaise, roasted almonds, and a drizzle of caramel!

Blueberry Scones

2015-06-08T13:29:00.000+02:00

Sunday mornings can mean many things; carefree lazing, sunrise jogging, or hangover nursing. But how ever you spend your early moments on the day of rest, sooner or later breakfast will become a nagging craving in the back of your mind. Sure, the classic standards are always an option; eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles; the typical diner denizen. But why not try something new? Something flaky and buttery? Something that is as comfortable with breakfast or if someone pops around for tea? Something ... British!

The lovely scone is a versatile dish. Have it with jam for breakfast, or as a late afternoon snack. Have it plain or stuffed with blueberries, raspberries, or chocolate chips. You can even have it savory; with cheese, poppy seeds, or cumin.

And the thing is, scones are easy to make! I was surprised when I first started scouring the internet for recipes. The basic recipe idea is simple and you can make whatever variation you want.

I will be making both plain and blueberry scones today, as the basic batter is the same. The only difference is that I add some blueberries in half the batter.

For 15 - 20 scones, you will need:

3 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
5 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
180 grams of cold butter
1 cup of milk
1 egg
100 grams of blueberries (if you are making a full batch of blueberry scones)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Start by preheating your oven to 200C (390F).

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and whisk everything together.

Now add the cold butter.

If you have a food processor, you could add the butter and dry mix to it, and pulse until you get a rough powder. Otherwise, you can use your fingers to incorporate the butter by taking some butter and some flour between your fingers and squeezing.

Either way, you should end up with a rough-textured, dry powder.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg well ...

... add the milk ...

... and mix well.

Make a well in the center of the buttered dry mix.

And add the milk and egg mixture to the well.

Fold the mixture together to form a sticky dough.

Yes, I know it is very sticky, but that is why your scone is going to be oh-so-melt-in-your-mouth soft and delicious. A drier dough would make a drier scone, so resist adding more flour.

Now, I divided my dough roughly into two parts and added 50 grams of blueberries to one half. Fold the blueberries in until they are somewhat evenly distributed.

Sprinkle some flour onto your working surface.

Roll out the dough onto the floured surface.

And gently knead a little, just folding it into itself on all sides until it firms up a little.

You can, if you like, roll them into small balls and flatten them, or shape them however you want. I chose to roll the whole dough until it was about 2 centimeters thick.

And then I basically cut out triangles and arranged them on a parchment-paper lined baking tray.

Allow them to rest for a few minutes and then pop them in the oven. 15 minutes of cooking time is a rough estimate, but it is going to depend a lot on your oven and the original temperature of the butter, amongst other things. It is best to keep your eye on them after 10 minutes.

And that is all there is to it! Best served with jam, for breakfast or afternoon tea, and can be kept sealed in an airtight container for a few days.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Eggplant and Chickpeas

2015-05-06T20:32:00.000+02:00

A hearty and wholesome savory salad to enjoy for lunch or dinner. This is a meal in itself, or it pairs really well with grilled meats, sausages, and other barbecue foods.

For 4 servings, you will need:

150 grams of quinoa
1 eggplant
1 can (400 grams) of chickpeas, drained
1 medium-size red onion or 2 small-size red onions
A handful of fresh cilantro
Some olive oil to roast the eggplant and chickpeas

For the dressing, refer to our sweet and spicy dressing recipe.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Resting Time: At least 1 hour if you'd like your salad cold

Start by pre-heating your oven at 220 C ( 430 F).

Drain the liquid out of the can of chickpeas, then rinse and drain them.

Rinse the eggplant, then shop it into small cubes.

Place the chickpeas and eggplant pieces in a large bowl. Add some olive oil and toss the chickpeas and eggplant pieces to have the olive oil coat your veggies.

Cover an oven rack with foil or parchment paper, and drizzle a little bit of olive oil.

Spread the chickpeas and the eggplant pieces on the foil, and place the oven rack in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, keep your eyes on it.

While the chickpeas and eggplant are roasting, prepare the quinoa per the packet's instructions - mine says one part quinoa for two parts water, and heat it up for about 15 minutes.

While everything is roasting and boiling, finely chop the red onion and roughly chop the coriander.

Once the chickpeas and eggplant are roasted and the quinoa is cooked, let them cool down for about 20 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients together.

Prepare the dressing by referring to our sweet and spicy dressing recipe.

Now, you have another decision to make!
If you would like to eat the salad warm, serve it right away after adding the dressing.
If you would like to eat the salad cold, which is my preference, cover the salad and place it in the fridge for at least one hour. Before serving, add the dressing, or simply let everyone help themselves to however much dressing they want to add.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Dressing

2015-05-06T20:27:00.000+02:00

The combination of the sweet honey mustard, paprika, and cumin make this dressing sweet with a nice spicy kick.

It is super easy to make and will be wrapped up in five minutes.

This dressing will be perfect to flavor the roasted eggplant and chickpeas quinoa salad, and will also be an ideal addition to empanadas (recipe to come very soon), or as a sauce in a vegetarian wrap.

For 100 milliliters of dressing:

2 tablespoons of honey mustard
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of cumin

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Start by grinding the cumin seeds in a mortar. If you don't have a mortar, you can smash them with a rolling pin, or use pre-ground cumin.

Once the cumin is ground, all the ingredients are ready to be combined.

Add all the ingredients in a salad shaker, and shake them well together.

That's it, the dressing is ready! Reserve in the fridge until serving.

Enjoy on your salad, as a condiment with empanadas, as a sauce in a grilled eggplant-avocado-red onion-feta panini, or inside a chicken-grilled-cheese sandwich, or anything else you might think of.

Feel free to add any suggestions, which could beautifully accommodate with this dressing.

Chicken Enchiladas

2015-04-12T19:36:00.001+02:00

Sometimes, when I crave something a little south-of-the-border and I do not have the time to make pork carnitas, I find that these enchiladas tend to hit the spot. As an added bonus, they fulfill the main weeknight dinner criteria: Easy to make, easy to eat, easy to clean up. For one person, you can even skip the plate and eat straight out of the baking dish. And this recipe is really more of a guideline, because you can customize the flavors as much as you like, to suit your taste. Oh, did I mention this can be done in about 30 minutes?

I will make the following disclaimer: These are my version of enchiladas and I am well aware they are not "authentic", but they serve me well.

For 2 servings, you will need:

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
300 grams of salsa*
1 cup of chicken stock
About half of a 435 gram-can of refried beans, or any other beans you like.
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander
About 100 grams cheddar
1 Chili
Hot sauce (Optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 large tortillas

The paprika, coriander, chili and hot sauce are variables for you to adjust, depending on how you would like your enchiladas to turn out. Feel free to add other spices as well.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes - Count at least 10 more minutes if you're making the salsa the same day
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

First, pre-heat the oven to 200 C (390 F) and let's prepare the chicken.

In a hot skillet, add some oil and then the chicken.

Add the paprika, coriander, a dash of salt and pepper, and the diced up chili.

Mix everything well and keep tossing the chicken to brown.

Once the chicken has browned, add the chicken stock, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat until the stock simmers.

Cook until the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is fully cooked, approximately five minutes.

And now we are ready to assemble the enchiladas. I have already grated my cheese here, but you can grate the cheese directly over the enchiladas if you prefer.

So, the first thing I do is to add some refried beans on my tortilla.

Then I add the chicken, and some hot sauce.

Add a little bit of cheese, and wrap up the burrito.

Repeat for the number of burritos you want to make, this recipe is for two burritos.

In an oven proof dish, add a little bit of salsa.

Then add the burritos.

And cover with the rest of the salsa.

And finally, add the rest of the grated cheese on top.

You can make this in advance and keep it until dinner time. When you want to eat, pop it in the oven at 200 C (390 F) and cook for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the salsa has warmed up.

If it is just for you ... well, I enjoy eating it directly out of the baking dish, which keeps it nice and hot.

Of course, you can also plate it, with some of the hot salsa poured over the burrito, and a side of tortilla chips.

Buen apetito!

*Note: You could by store-bought salsa, but you could also save money and enjoy fresh, home-made salsa by using our salsa recipe.

Guinness Cake

2015-03-16T23:02:00.001+01:00

St. Patrick's Day is the one time all around the world when people generally celebrate Ireland. For many, this means going down to the local Irish pub and downing a few pints of Guinness, while wearing "Kiss me, I'm Irish!" t-shirts or other blazingly green apparel. It is the day when everyone claims to be Irish as an excuse for becoming belligerently drunk; and a sure sign of my age is my preference to stay home and bake a cake instead. Well, at least it is a Guinness cake.

I struggled with making a Guinness cake for a while. I was using Nigella Lawson's recipe, and noticed many of the recipes I found online used the same basic formula, which started by melting the butter into Guinness that is being warmed on a stovetop. But my cakes always turned out quite flat and dense. Eventually, I stopped heating the Guinness up to melt the butter, and instead creamed the butter and sugar together; it works out much better. So, if you have been having issues with making a Guinness cake Nigella's way, try this method instead.

For a 21cm diameter cake, you will need:

115g of butter
285g of brown sugar
60g of cocoa powder
250ml of Guinness
2 eggs
170g of flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder

For the optional icing, you will need:

150g of cream cheese
80g of butter
3 tablespoons of icing sugar
Optionally, some orange rind for decoration

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Baking Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Preheat your oven to 175C (350F).

First, we cream the butter. Now, this is normally done by beating the butter with a hand mixer (or if you want to get a good arm workout, feel free to go at it manually) and adding the sugar slowly. However, I just did it all together, especially since I was using the robotic aid.

You want to get a consistant mix of butter and sugar. If you just dumped them together as I did, you may not get a creamy texture at this stage.

And now add the eggs, one at a time, into the butter/sugar mixture and mix them in.

After your second egg gets mixed in, you should start getting a creamy consistency.

You can set aside the creamed butter, sugar, and egg mixture.

In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients together; this will ensure they are evenly mixed. You can also sift them into the bowl, if you have a sifter.

In another bowl, add the cocoa powder.

Carefully pour the Guinness into the cocoa powder, ideally minimizing the foam that is created.

Whisk the mixture together to create a homogeneous chocolate-Guinness. This sounds better than it tastes and looks, just in case you're tempted to take a little lick. Well, go ahead, it won't kill you either.

Now, you have the three main parts ready to go.

The key is making an even mix of everything, carefully folded together so as to not over-mix.

So, first add a little of the chocolate-Guinness into the creamed butter-sugar-eggs and fold it in gently.

Next, add some of the dry mixture and fold it in, gently of course.

And again, some more of the chocolate-Guinness.

And of course, a little more of the dry mixture.

And so on and on, alternating between adding the dry mixture and the chocolate-Guinness mixture. The key here is to gently fold the batter together, you are not trying to beat or whisk everything into a jam packed rave. You are trying to simply make introductions and allow them to get to know each other.

Finally, you should have a nice, thick, silky batter. Now this - this tastes good, so go ahead and take a few licks.

Grease your baking pan.

And pour the batter in.

And pop it in the oven!

While the cake is in the oven, we can make the icing.

Simply whisk the butter with a hand mixer.

Then add the sugar and continue to cream.

Finally, add the cream cheese, and continue to cream.

And, that's it!

Check the cake after 35 minutes, and again after 45. A toothpick poked in the middle should come out mostly clean, but keep in mind this is a moist cake so there will be some residue on the toothpick. However, it should not be obviously uncooked.

Before the cake cools too much, take it out of the mould.

And once it has cooled, add the icing. I like just some icing on the very top of this cake, because I do not like to hide its lovely dark body.

And, to add a splash of colour, I throw some orange rinds on the top.

And there you have it, a lovely moist Guinness cake with cream cheese frosting.

Salsa

2015-03-11T19:32:00.000+01:00

Salsa picante! Corn chips! A good refreshing beer or a nice Margarita! Sounds like a good start for your evening.

Salsa is a very easy dip to prepare. You can adjust it to your taste, don't feel bad if you only add one chili or if you de-seed the chillies. It's fine, and it will still be tasty, and not too spicy.

Anyway, let's get started with this quick and simple salsa.

For about two cups to two cups and a half of salsa, you will need:

400g of diced tomatoes*
A glove of garlic
1/2 a big onion
2 chillies
A handful of fresh cilantro
Some salt and pepper to taste
A spritz of lime juice

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Start by finely dicing your ingredients; the glove of garlic, the 1/2 onion, the chillies, and the fresh cilantro.

In a bowl, add your diced tomatoes, the diced ingredients, and the salt and pepper.

Mix them so that the ingredients combine nicely together.

You just made your own salsa! That's it! Wasn't it easy?! So, no more need for those pre-made jars.

Cover your bowl and keep in the fridge until serving.

Before serving, give the salsa a good stir, and add a spritz of lime juice on top.

*You can use a can of diced tomatoes, or use fresh tomatoes finely diced or crushed with a hand mixer.

Tip: If you have some salsa leftovers, use your salsa to make enchiladas. Try our Chicken Enchiladas.

You can also use it to make a spicy omelet or some spicy scrambled eggs. Or, use the salsa to give a kick to your mac & cheese.

Red Wine Pulled Pork

2015-03-02T18:31:00.000+01:00

Pulled Pork is probably one of the best things you will ever make and - once you try this recipe and start spending your Sundays pacing the length of your kitchen and frequently stealing glances at the clock, all while soaking in the warm aromas of your boiling pork - you will wonder how you went this long without this dish in your life.

An added bonus is that the dish is made using pork shoulder, which is also called pork butt in some parts of the world, despite having nothing to do with a swine's posterior. Pork shoulder is one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can lay your hands on - but it creates such a strong impression in this dish, and it is easy to cook. Quite the opposite of a beef filet, which is very expensive and easy to overcook to ruin.

This dish takes time to prepare, but it is like taking the time to hike up a mountain or to write that short story you have been putting off, or to raise a child. You cannot beat the sense of satisfaction when it all comes together at the end. Especially when you see the facial expressions of your dinner guests as they spoon the tender, flaky, and moist pork into their mouths. And then you can casually remark that you spent seven hours - the whole day - on dinner, and soak in the compliments and praise.

Yes, I said seven hours. Make sure you are ready for the commitment.

For 4 to 6 servings, you will need:

For the rub:

3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of paprika powder
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt (if you have it, use fine salt otherwise)
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of pepper

- Note that this is a strong, spicy rub. Feel free to reduce the amount for a milder pulled pork!

For the Mirepoix:

2 onions
1 carrot
1 stick of celery

For the rest:

650g of pork shoulder, also called pork butt (but still comes from the shoulder)
120g of bacon or lardons
1 cup of chicken stock
1 bottle of red wine. Something rich and heavy, I used a shiraz-cabernet blend from South East Australia, but this dish is just has comfortable with a burgundy or Côte-du-Rhone, for example.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 hours

First, add the dry rub ingredients to a mortar. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can use a food processor, spice mixer, or any other creative means to make the paste.

Mash away with the pestle until you get a paste.

Rub the paste all over the pork and set aside while we do the rest.

Preheat your oven to 150C (300F).

Now to prepare the mirepoix. Dice up your carrot ...

... and your onions ...

... and your celery.

Now, a mirepoix is by ratio, two parts onion to one part carrot and one part celery. You might not have this exact ratio as your vegetables might be larger or smaller than mine. Check the diced amounts against each other and set aside any extras for use in another dish.

If you are using bacon strips instead of lardons, chop them up into bits.

Finally, time to start cooking.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, which goes in the oven, over medium high heat and add your bacon or lardons with a little bit of oil. Cook them up, and then remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the pork to sear. If your pan is getting too hot, adjust the temperature. We do not want to burn the outside.

Turn the pork until all sides are seared.

Remove the pork and set aside. In the same pan, add your mirepoix.

Let the mirepoix cook for a few minutes, then add just a bit of the chicken stock to deglaze the pan; and with a wooden spatula, scrape up the browned bits on the bottom.

Continue to cook your mirepoix for about 5 to 7 minutes, and then add the cooked bacon.

Cook the bacon in with the mirepoix for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add your pork on top of the bacon mirepoix ...

... add the rest of the chicken stock and the bottle of wine and bring it to a boil.

Once the liquid is boiling, cover the pot and place it in the oven.

That's it.

No, seriously. Go and do something else for seven hours. You will smell that fatty pork render into the wine sauce and it will tempt you to open the oven and just reach for a serving. Don't touch it. You literally cannot overcook this. In fact, it could arguably be done in less time, but the longer it cooks the better. All those juices and fats are bubbling and boiling, and trapped inside the pot they are making a savory steam around the pork as it just relaxes and allows its tough muscles to give in and melt away. This is a spa day for the pork shoulder, let it relax and leave it alone. For seven hours.

And then, take it out and marvel at the transformation.

What was once a tough, cheap cut of meat from the wrong side of town, has blossomed into something so tender - you can see that part of it has voluntarily fallen away by itself.

With a fork, start pulling (get it? That's where the name comes from!) at the pork, allow it to fall apart into fibres naturally.

You should not need a knife for this, if you do then the pork has not cooked enough, or is not a shoulder cut.

Continue until you have completely separated your pork.

Now mix this in with the rest of the juices and return to the oven for 30 minutes.

Finally, remove and serve.

This can be eaten by itself, there is nothing wrong with that! It also goes well with bread, pasta, in a sandwich or burger, or as a filling for a burrito or enchilada.

Shavige Payasa - Sweet Vermicelli

2015-02-21T18:11:00.000+01:00

Payasa is an Indian dessert from the Karnataka region. I discovered it when I was in India, and what I immediately loved was the cardamom cream flavor. The vermicelli in the dessert was more an acquired taste. But I think at the end, it gives an original texture to the cream.

For about 4 portions, you will need:

15 grams of vermicelli
Some butter (about 2 teaspoons, only to roast the vermicelli)
2 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of sugar
5 cardamom pods

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: At least 2 hours

Start by breaking your vermicelli in small pieces.

Remove the shells from the cardamom pods and crush them in a mortar or with a heavy pan.

Keep the cardamon powder on the side.

Place the butter into a saucepan and add the vermicelli pieces. Let them brown.

Once the vermicelli is golden brown, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the milk and stir for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Then add the crushed cardamom and the sugar, and stir for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat, transfer your dessert into a container and let it cool down.

Once it had cooled down, place the container in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy cold by itself, or with a few brownies!

Eggnog

2014-12-19T20:19:00.000+01:00

What a perfect season for eggnog! Whether you make it for your Christmas party, or a romantic evening next to the fireplace. Or just because you simply want to treat yourself to something tasty and delicious, or even for a family get-together; of course, don't add the rum or any alcohol if kids are going to taste it.

It is a very easy recipe to make and it will delight adults and children during this holiday season.

To make about 4 cups of eggnog, you will need:

4 eggs
1/3 cup of sugar
1 pint of milk
1 cup of heavy cream
9 ounces of spiced rum*
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of sugar

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Resting time: A few hours in the fridge until serving

Start by separating the egg whites from the egg yolks and put them in two separate bowls.

Grate the nutmeg and keep aside.

In a bowl, mix the milk and the heavy cream.

In a standing mixer, or with a hand-mixer, whisk the egg yolks until they get lighter in color.

Once it's done, gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue to whisk until the two ingredients are combined.

While continuing to whisk on a slow setting, add the milk/cream mixture, the rum*, and the nutmeg to the mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Then add the tablespoon of sugar and continue to whisk until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

Gently whisk the egg-yolk mixture to the egg-white mixture.

You've just made eggnog!

Keep the eggnog in a sealed container in the fridge until serving. Simply re-froth before serving.

Enjoy!

*Note: You can make this recipe alcohol-free by not adding the rum. The recipe steps stay the same; simply remove the rum from the ingredients.

Tip: Keep the leftovers of the eggnog in a sealed container in the fridge. Simply re-froth before serving.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2014-03-23T18:28:00.000+01:00

There is still nothing that says "Sunday Morning" more than some warm, fluffy pancakes. It is even better if they are buttermilk pancakes; but you can always make a healthier version by replacing the buttermilk with regular milk, and omitting the butter entirely, as shown here.

But I am feeling especially Sunday-ish today, so we are going full buttermilk. Mmmm; then I shall take a well-deserved nap.

For about 6-8 medium pancakes, you will need:

One tablespoon of melted butter
One egg
One tablespoon of sugar
One cup of buttermilk
A quarter teaspoon of baking soda
One tablespoon of vanilla sugar*
One tablespoon of baking powder
One cup of flour
A pinch of salt

* If you do not have vanilla sugar, you can substitute this with a half teaspoon of vanilla syrup and a half tablespoon of regular sugar.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Start by mixing all your dry ingredients with a whisk, i.e. the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Next, break and whisk the egg in a bowl until it is nice and frothy.

Add the rest of the wet ingredients, i.e. the melted butter and the buttermilk (and the vanilla syrup if you did not use vanilla sugar).

Whisk the mixture until it is homogenous and frothy.

Make a well in your dry ingredients.

And add the wet ingredients into the middle.

With a spoon or spatula, incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. Do not over stir, or mix too quickly, or you will start developing gluten which will make your pancakes taste weird and feel elastic. A general guide is to stir ten times and then stop. Okay, sometimes I go to twelve, but the point is to actually count each stirring revolution you make and be conscious of not over-stirring.

If your batter seems lumpy, that is fine.

Let the pancake batter sit for about ten minutes so that the wet and dry ingredients can get to know each other a little bit better.

After the ten minutes are up, warm up a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and grease it lightly.

Scoop some of the batter onto the pan. If you have a large enough pan, you can make a few pancakes at a time. If this is your first time making pancakes, I suggest making one at a time.

There are many different guides for when you should flip your pancakes. Some say it is ready to be flipped when the bubbles stop forming on the top. Others say the edges will seem dry. Some even follow a strict 90 second rule. I find that if you keep a close eye on the edges, you will get an idea of when is it ready to flip. It is okay, go ahead and slip the edge of a spatula under the pancake and sneak a peak to see if it is ready. Eventually, you will find your own way.

Whichever way you choose, flip your pancake when it is ready.

This side will take less time to cook, so keep an eye on it.

Finally, serve your pancakes with maple syrup and jam, or whatever other decadence you like.

Yum.

Pear, Cranberry, and Yoghurt Pie

2014-01-22T20:00:00.000+01:00

Let's try and make something other than the traditional apple pie, and venture to a delicious and sweet pear, cranberry, and yoghurt pie you can make easily.

For a 26 cm diameter deep-dish pie, you will need:

One 33 cm diameter shortcrust pastry
3 eggs
250 grams of sugar
One and a half tablespoon of flour
300 grams of plain yoghurt
One teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 medium-sized ripe pears
About 60 grams of fresh cranberries (previously cleaned)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour 10 minutes (20 minutes for the shortcrust pastry by itself, and 45 to 50 minutes for the whole pie with filling)

Start by preheating your oven to 225 C (435 F).

Cover your deep-dish pie pan with parchment paper and lay your shortcut pastry on it.

Add another sheet of parchment paper over the shortcrust pastry and add weight on it. In my case I used some baking ceramic pie weights, but you can also used dried beans.

Once your oven is preheated, place the shortcrust pastry in it for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and let it cool.

Reduce your oven temperature to 175 C (350 F).

While your pastry is cooling down, prepare your pie filling.

In a bowl, combine the eggs and the sugar and whisk until you obtain a frothy mix as shown below.

Then add the flour and mix gently.

In a separate bowl, add the vanilla extract to the plain yoghurt, and mix.

Add the vanilla-yoghurt mixture to the egg-sugar-flour mixture and mix together.

Once the shortcrust pastry has cooled down, add the filling.

Peel and core the pears.

Slice the pears into thin slices.

Place the slices in the filling, all in the same direction. Be sure to not over-crowd the pear slices.

Distribute the cranberries on the top.

Place the pie in the oven for about 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, increase your oven temperature to 200 C (390 F), and let the pie bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the color of the filling becomes golden. For the last baking part, keep your eyes on the pie.

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool down.

You can eat your pie either cold or luke warm.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Zucchini and Olives

2013-12-08T19:17:00.001+01:00

This is one of those things that came together from a "what can we whip up for dinner without going to the supermarket?" kind of evening. Chicken thighs, zucchini, black olives, and onions just come together to make a really nice, comforting dish that is mostly foolproof and fuss-free. And all you need is one saute pan.

For two people*, you will need:

Four chicken thighs
Two medium zucchinis
One medium onion
About 12 black pitted olives
Salt and Pepper
Dried parsley or other herbs to your liking
About a tablespoon of butter

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Start by salting your chicken and letting it rest outside the fridge.

Next, peel the zucchini.

And dice them into cubes.

Slice the onion into long, thin slices.

And finally, slice up the olives.

I like to brown my onions by adding them, with some butter, to a cold saute pan that I then bring up on a medium-high heat. This way, the onions slowly warm up with the butter and infuse their flavours.

As the pan gets hot, the onions will start to sizzle. Stay in front of the pan and regularly toss the onions around.

And as the pan gets really hot, the onions will start to brown. Once they are browned, take them out of the pan and set them aside.

In the same pan, just with the onion-infused butter than is left, add the chicken thighs, skin side down first. The fat will render beautifully.

After a few minutes, the skin should be nicely browned and wonderfully crispy. You can turn the chicken now.

Let the other side cook for a few minutes and then remove the chicken and set aside.

In the same pan, add the zucchini.

Let the zucchini cook for a few minutes. The rendered fat from the chicken and the liquid from the zucchini should have provided enough liquid to deglaze the pan, which basically means you can use a flat wooden spatula to scrape off all those brown bits on the bottom and mix them with the zucchini.

Add the onions and chicken back into the pan.

Now cover the pan and leave it on medium heat for about 20 minutes. The zucchini will exude its juices, which will turn into steam and delicately cook the chicken.

After 20 minutes, add the olive slices and your herbs of choice (I went with parsley).

Again, cover and let it finish cooking for another 10 minutes.

Finally, plate and serve!

*Note: Since chicken thighs do not have a lot of meat, I normally serve two per person if it is all we are having for dinner. If you have a more elaborate multi-course meal planned, one thigh per person ought to be satisfactory.

Prunes Wrapped in Bacon

2013-11-24T18:40:00.000+01:00

This sweet and savory appetizer will delight your taste buds. The sweetness of the prune and the smokiness and saltiness of the bacon make a delicious combination. And let's not forget the meltingly soft texture of the prune and the crispiness of the grilled bacon. And the icing on the cake is the fact that the preparation of your appetizer will be wrapped up in no time.

Just a piece of advice before starting: These appetizers have to be eaten hot or warm.*

The following quantities are for 33 prunes wrapped in bacon, so feel free to adjust the quantities if you are cooking for more or fewer guests (I counted about 5 prunes wrapped in bacon per person).

You will need:

33 pitted ready-to-eat prunes
11 slices of bacon
33 toothpicks

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Start by pre-heating your oven at 200 C (392 F).*

Cut the bacon slices into the right length (the right length should be one and a quarter times the diameter of the prune).

While your oven is pre-heating, prepare your appetizer by rolling each prune in a slice of bacon.

Place the prunes wrapped in bacon on a parchment paper sheet, on an oven tray.

Place the tray in the pre-heated oven and cook for about 10 minutes, then place them under the grill for about 2 minutes, or until the bacon is grilled.

Insert a toothpick into each prune.

Serve hot or warm.

Enjoy!

*Note: You can prepare your prunes wrapped in bacon per advance, leave them in the fridge, and heat them just before serving.

Brownies

2013-09-11T19:32:00.000+02:00

Brownies have always been a special treat for kids and adults, and as you will see below, really easy to make. So forgot about the pre-mix brownie preparation; get your hands dirty for 20 minutes and everyone will come back for seconds.

I know that normally people like to bake their brownies in a square or rectangular mold and cut square pieces to eat. However, I had those individual round silicone molds, and I thought "why not?". And it worked perfectly.

For 28 individual bite-sized brownies*, you will need:

100 grams of baking chocolate
150 grams of butter
3 eggs
250 grams of sugar
7.5 grams of vanilla sugar
100 grams of flour

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes

Start by pre-heating your oven at 150 C (330 F).

Break your chocolate into pieces, and melt it with the butter on a double boiler.

Melt and mix until you obtain a smooth mixture and then take it off the heat.

Let the chocolate-butter mixture cool down for few minutes, then add the eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and mix them all together.

Add the flour, and mix.

Once the batter is smooth, pour it into your molds.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

And voila! Some delicious brownies you can savour after letting them cool down.

Just be careful of the sweet food lovers running around the kitchen! Look, one just bit into one of my brownies!

*Note: If you choose to bake your brownie into a square or rectangular mold, use a 33 by 23 centimetre pan for the quantities mentioned in this recipe.

Spanish Omelette with Chorizo

2013-08-11T15:02:00.000+02:00

Tortilla de Patatas con Chorizo, as it would be called if you were in Spain, is basically a thick omelette made with potatoes - and in this case, Chorizo. You could serve this as part of an assortment of tapas, or as a brunch with a side salad. The best thing is that it does not need to be served hot, so you can make it in advance and serve it at room temperature. And since you are basically making one large omelette and then dividing it up into slices, pizza style, it is a much easier way to serve up breakfast for a family - rather than making four or five individual omelettes.

The following recipe is for four people if you are serving this as a brunch or lunch, more if you are serving small portions as tapas.

You will need:

Eight large eggs
Four medium potatoes, cut into small cubes
One medium onion, sliced
One small shallot, sliced
One clove of garlic, finely chopped
About 120 grams of sliced Spanish chorizo
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Some chopped parsley (for garnish)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

The first thing we need to do is to get the onions/shallots and potatoes started. In a hot saute pan, add about two tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the onions and shallots to the pan, and lower the heat to medium-low.

Toss the onions and shallots around for a few minutes until they start to turn translucent.

Next, add the potatoes to the pan.

And mix them well in with onions and shallots and season with salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are cooking, break the eggs into a large bowl.

Beat them vigorously with a whisk.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix it in with the eggs. You can also add some paprika, chilli flakes, and herbs, if you like.

Meanwhile, check your potatoes for doneness. They should be almost cooked, still slightly firm. At this point, add the garlic.

Add the chorizo to the pan.

And mix it in with the potatoes to get an even distribution.

Leave the mixture to sit for a few minutes for the potatoes to cook a little more and to warm up the chorizo and render some of the fat.

Then add your beaten eggs and mix everything to make sure the eggs really get all around.

Now, just cover the pan and step aside for five minutes.

Your eggs will still be runny on the top; don't worry about that. Stick a spatula around the sides to make sure the omelette is not stuck and will come away easily.

Now for the flip. There are a few ways to do this, and they all involve a third accessory to aid in the process. Do not try to simply flip this with a spatula, it is quite heavy and will definitely break. One way to do it is to place a large plate upside down on top of the pan. Ideally, the plate should be larger than the pan, but you can see that mine was just-right. Do not use a smaller plate!

Now, put one hand on the plate to hold it in place, and the other hand on the handle of the pan. In one smooth movement, invert the pan and plate so that the omelette ends up upside down on the plate.

Yes, that looks good, but we are not done yet. This is not meant to be a runny, gooey omelette, so now slide the omelette back into the pan, gooey side down, for one minute.

Again, with the aid of a plate, invert the omelette to serve.

Finally, dress with some chopped parsley, and you're done! Slice pizza style for individual sized portions, or cut into small squares and serve on toasted bread as an appetiser or with tapas.

Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2013-07-17T18:01:00.000+02:00

Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies are a delicious alternative to the "traditional" Chocolate Chips Cookies!

The following quantities are for about 30 to 40 cookies.

You will need:

250 grams of flour
A pinch of salt
1 egg
11 grams of baking powder
125 grams of butter
150 grams of brown sugar
7.5 grams of vanilla sugar
100 grams of dried cranberries
100 grams of white chocolate chips

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Baking time: 12 minutes

Start by pre-heating your oven to 160 C (320 F).

In a bowl, add the flour, the salt, the egg, and the baking powder.

Mix to obtain a crumb-type dough.

In a saucepan, melt the butter.

Make a well in your dough, and once the butter is melted, add it along with the brown sugar and the vanilla sugar.

Initially mix with a wooden spoon to obtain a dough.

Then, as it becomes more difficult, use your hands and mix until you obtain a dough shown as below.

Add the dried cranberries and the white chocolate chips (or any other toppings) to the dough and mix with your hands.

Roll the dough into balls, and lightly press them into cookie shapes. Then place them spaced enough on an oven tray covered with parchment paper or foil.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes.

Once baked, get the tray out of the oven and let the cookies sit for few minutes until they cool down.

And enjoy!

Tip: You can keep the cookies in a tin box for few days.

Note: If you feel like staying classic, why not try our Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe?

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Almond and Chocolate Truffles

2013-06-24T21:05:00.000+02:00

What a perfect treat to enjoy after your dinner!
These delicious bite-sized almond and chocolate truffles can be served as a snack, or after dinner with some coffee or tea, or even a glass of sweet wine, such as Porto. It would also be a hit for your Christmas dinner.

The following quantities are for about 72 truffles (about 1.5 centimeter diameter), so feel free to adjust them if you are baking for more or fewer people.

You will need:

185 grams of ladyfingers biscuits
185 grams of almond powder
110 grams of sugar
3 tablespoon of chocolate powder or shredded chocolate
5 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons of brown spiced rum
25 grams of bitter dark chocolate powder

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Resting time: At least 2 hours in the fridge (you can leave them longer if you want to prepare them beforehand)

Start by crushing the ladyfingers biscuits.

You can do so in a bowl.

Or in a plastic sealed bag with a rolling pin.

Or directly in a bowl with a rolling pin.

You should obtain a fine powder as shown below.

Add the almond powder, the sugar, and the 3 tablespoons of chocolate powder to the crushed ladyfingers, and mix.

Warm up the milk.

Make a well in your dry mix, and add the warmed milk and the rum to the preparation.

Then, mix until you obtain a moist, compact batter.

Spread your bitter dark chocolate on a plate.

Take a chunk of the batter and roll it between your palms to form a small bite-sized ball. Repeat the process with all of the batter.

Then, roll the small balls onto the bitter dark chocolate powder. Shake them to get rid of the chocolate powder excess.

Place them on a sheet of parchment paper on a tray, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Note: You can keep these individual bite-sized almond and chocolate truffles for a few days as long as they are in a properly sealed container.

Risotto with Chorizo and Sun-Dried Tomato

2013-06-12T14:35:00.003+02:00

I love experimenting with different flavour combinations, and I often cross foods and ingredients from one dish to another. We love using the Chorizo and Sun-Dried tomato combination, from savoury cookies to pizza toppings, and so I thought to myself, "why not risotto?" So, I tried it and it was delicious! I find that the gamut of flavours provided by the primary ingredients is enough for the dish, and there is really no need for additional spices or herbs. But that is just me; feel free to spice up this dish as you like.

For 2-3 people, you will need:

250 grams of arborio rice
100 grams of chorizo, sliced*
80 grams of sun-dried tomatoes***
1 litre of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
250 millilitres of white wine**
15 grams of butter
1 small shallot, diced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (ideally freshly grated)

* I am using cured chorizo, therefore I don't cook it beforehand. If you are using fresh chorizo, the same recipe will work after you cook your chorizo. Do not add uncooked chorizo to your risotto!

** You can replace the white wine with chicken stock, if you prefer.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

I'll just stress one point before we begin; risotto is a dish that takes more active time than most other dishes. By this, I mean you will be constantly engaged with the dish and won't have much time to run off and do something else quickly. Therefore, it is imperative that you have your preparation, or mise-en-place, ready to go before you begin cooking (as pictured above).

Start with a large frying pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the shallots.

Fry the shallots until browned.

Now reduce the heat to low, add your arborio rice, and stir the rice around the pan for about 30 seconds.

Add the white wine by pouring it all over the rice, and keep gently stirring.

In a few minutes, the wine will get absorbed by the rice, and the liquid in the pan will begin to disappear as you stir. What you are looking for is a texture that, when separated by the spatula, is not liquid enough to rejoin.

This is the time to add more liquid. Now we start with the chicken stock, adding one ladle at a time.

And again, constantly stir until you can separate the risotto with a spatula.

The key to a lovely, creamy risotto is adding just one ladle at a time.

And letting it all get absorbed.

After the third time ladling in your broth, taste one grain of rice before each new ladle to check the doneness of the rice. It might take you 20 minutes, or 750 ml of broth before your risotto is ready, but it depends on so many factors such as temperature, concentration of broth, variety of arborio, that it is better for you to check your own risotto.

When it is al dente, add the chorizo and sun-dried tomatos.

And stir them into the risotto, adding one last ladle of broth.

Allow it to simmer for half a minute, then remove from heat, add the butter and parmesan and mix. It may look like there is a lot of liquid in the pan, but it will get quickly absorbed, leaving you with a creamy and soft risotto. If you continue on heat until the liquid is fully absorbed, the risotto will dry out before serving.

And finally, plate and serve with parmesan slices (not shown). As a side dish, some blanched green beans would be delicious and aesthetically pleasing.

Note: You can see from the photos that I used whole pieces of sun-dried tomatoes. You might want to cut them into smaller, bite-sized pieces, as the large wholes can be a little cumbersome when eating.

***Tip: Don't throw away your sun-dried tomatoes, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use them.

Homemade Pizza

2013-05-28T13:39:00.001+02:00

When I first decided that I was ready to take the step towards pizza dough self-sufficiency, I scoured the web for recipes, hints, and ideas. Unfortunately, I realised there are many pizza dough recipes online, each one claiming to be the easiest way to make a pizza. Sure, the various recipes all have the same basic idea; flour, water, yeast - and something like sugar to activate it. But then they all differ in ratios, resting time, and the order of operations. After bready, soggy, floppy, and uncooked crusts, I finally stumbled upon a combination of ideas that has worked consistently.

Let me preface by saying that making pizza dough is not necessarily easy, nor quick (despite what some recipe sites love to claim). You can follow my recipe - or anyone else's recipe - to the letter and still end up with a different crust. But with patience, you will learn to 'feel' the dough. You will just know the right amount of moisture, the development of the gluton, and your pizzas will only get better.

For example, I say below that you will need "about" three cups of flour, because there is no exact measurement. And here is a secret: Pizza places do not have a set recipe either. Ask any pizza maker how much flour he uses, and he will probably shrug and say, "as much as I need."

Before we begin, I should point out that this is a quick-and-easy (yes, I know!) way of making European style pizza dough. Don't expect thick, American style pan pizza. Also, this recipe does not require the dough to rest overnight, so you can make it a few hours before eating, which is quick by pizza standards. And finally, pizza dough making is an art that constantly must evolve, so if you have any suggestions, tips, or corrections for my recipe, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know.

Now for the pizza!

To make enough dough for two, 15-inch pizzas, you will need:

One packet of yeast (7 grams)
One teaspoon of honey
One cup of warm water
About three cups of flour
Two tablespoons of olive oil
One teaspoon of salt

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 90 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

In a large bowl, add a teaspoon of honey.

Next, add about 1 cup of warm water. When I say warm, about 40-45 degrees C (110-115 F) is the target. If you don't have a thermometer, you will have to guess; the water should be warm to the touch, but not so hot it feels uncomfortable or painful.

Mix the honey to dissolve it in the water. Don't worry too much about dissolving it all perfectly, in fact try not to stir the solution too much, as that will cool the water down.

Add your packet of yeast and a teaspoon of olive oil, and mix everything together. Now we let this sit for about five minutes, or until it gets foamy and really starts to smell awful.

Add one teaspoon of salt to the activated yeast solution.

Mix the salt into the activated yeast solution with a wooden spatula. Do not take a large whiff!

Now add one cup of flour.

Mix it in well.

When the mixture is homogenous, continue adding the flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, and pretty soon you will find the wooden spatula to be quite useless. Time to get your hands in there. But first, dust your hands with flour, to help prevent the dough from sticking.

Scrape off the dough that is stuck to the wooden spoon.

With your hands, continue incorporating the flour until you end up with a smooth dough.

Uh-oh, added too much flour and now your dough is dry? Just add a little more water.

Uh-oh, added too much water and now your dough is sticky? Just add a bit more flour!

Your dough is ready when it separates easily from the sides of the bowl and it forms itself into a lump.

When the dough is just right and you can form a ball in the bowl, roll it out onto a dry, floured surface.

Toss it around to get it well coated in flour.

Now it is time to build some muscle. The way to knead the ball of dough in front of you is to press down and forward with the base of your palm, pushing the dough away from you and stretching it.
Then, fold it back onto itself, turn it 90 degrees, and do the same motion.

Or, use the method of thirds; push the dough away from you, then fold the furthest third back in, and then fold the nearest third over it. Turn 90 degrees and continue.

Knead for about 5 minutes. If it gets tiring, you can take a break for a few minutes, it also allows the dough to rest, and it will make it easier to knead when you continue.

Finally, when your dough feels like it is getting tough and really pushing back at you, start shaping it into a ball by turning the edges under themselves while constantly turning the ball of dough. This will help stretch the dough and create a membrane over the top.

If the top of the ball breaks, instead of forming a membrane, your dough is too dry, add a little water and knead it some more.

Line a large bowl with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place your ball of dough in it, turning to make sure the dough is well coated in oil.

Now we need to leave the dough to rise. If you live in a warm country, good for you. Just cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it somewhere away from drafts. If you live in a cold country, you could place it in your oven. Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, place your bowl with a damp cloth over it, and turn off your oven after the door is closed. The residual heat will be enough to make the dough rise.

An hour and a half later, the dough should be doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and roll it out onto a floured surface. You can divide the dough into two by cutting it with a knife. If you are only going to make one pizza, place one part in a bowl, cover it with cling-film, and place it in the fridge. I strongly suggest using it the next day; the day after at the latest. Make sure your cling-film is tight around the bowl; that dough is going to continue rising and it will try to push its way our of the bowl!

With the half that you are going to use immediately (or for each pizza if you're making two), knead it a tiny little bit more to wake it up, similar to stretching after a nice nap.

Use the same kneading technique for a few minutes, after which you can do the "windowpane" test to see if your dough is ready. Break of a small piece and stretch it gently while rotating, and the membrane should stretch enough where you can almost see through it, without tearing. You have to make sure that you are turning the piece while stretching; any dough will tear if you only pull in one direction.

If your dough has passed the windowpane test, it is time to get your oven ready and to form your pizza.

First, the oven. If you have a pizza stone, place it at the bottom (yes, I mean the very bottom) of your oven before you pre-heat it. Also, pre-heat your oven to its maximum, and let it stay at that maximum for at least another 30 minutes after your oven says it is pre-heated. Why? When the oven thermostat says it is pre-heated, it is telling you that the air in the oven is as hot as you would like. Air heats by convection, it circulates and heats much more efficiently than your stone, which is heating by conduction from the air and from the bottom of the oven. Its needs more time for the stone to be nice and hot so you get that crispy crust.

If you don't have a pizza stone, place your oven rack on its lowest possible rail and preheat your oven to its maximum.

Now for the shaping. I make my pizza into its shape, and then let it rest for a good 15-20 minutes before adding the toppings. I think this helps the dough relax into form, but perhaps it is all hogwash - so feel free to skip this step if you are in a rush.

How do you form your pizza? Well, the safe bet is to roll it with a rolling pin, and nobody is going to judge you for that.

You could also press the dough until it forms a rough circle, then pick up the dough by its outer edge (letting the rest dangle) and quickly turn the pizza in your hand. This allows gravity to stretch the pizza, and the faster you turn - the more evenly the pizza will be shaped.

Want to flip it? You still need to roll or press it into a basic circle, then lay that circle on your knuckles, and flip it up while spinning it. The spinning is the most important part; not only will it keep the trajectory stable (hopefully causing the dough to come back neatly onto your knuckles), the centrifugal force stretches the pizza.

More importantly, make sure you have somewhere to put your pizza after it is formed. Ideally, parchment paper or wax paper that you can then directly place in the oven, on your pizza stone or baking pan. Using paper such as this also makes it much easier to move your pizza around, place it in the oven, and slide it out when its done. I have a pizza pan that I use when forming my pizza, and then I use it as a pizza peel to transfer it to my stone. Of course, if you have a pizza peel, you can form and build your pizza directly on your peel.

While your dough is resting, make the pizza sauce. You can buy pizza sauce from the store if you like, or you can use my recipe for pizza sauce. Avoid using pasta sauce if you can, it has a much higher water content and will soak your crust. If you must use pasta sauce, cook it over low heat, uncovered, until it reduces to a thicker sauce.

So, your dough has been formed and is rested, and your sauce is ready. What kind of pizza are you making? The thing I love about pizza is the wonderful freedom to top it as you like, and there are enough sites out there with suggestions. In fact, just visit the website of your favourite pizzeria and see what they offer, that should give you a starting place.

Start by adding your pizza sauce.

Sprinkle some grated cheese of your liking. Grated mozzarella is always fantastic on pizzas.

Then your toppings (I used mushrooms and parma ham!)

And finally finish with some more grated cheese, and any other speciality cheeses you like (I added goat cheese). Garnish with some oregano and you're ready to pop it into the oven.

Put your pizza in the oven (has it been at least 30 minutes since it was pre-heated?) and lower the temperature to 200 C (390F). This should give you a nicely cooked and browned crust, without burning or drying out your toppings. Don't go too far, though. Keep your eye on the pizza as a slight temperature variation could change the cooking time by as much as a few minutes and mean the difference between beautiful or burnt pizza.

When the pizza looks good, the cheese is melted and the crust is browning on the outside, you can always open your oven and carefully lift the edge of the crust, either by hand or with a flat spatula. Your crust should be firm and dry, ideally even browned on the underside. If so, take it out of the oven.

And look at that lovely, browned bottom! If you don't have a pizza stone, I highly recommend purchasing one.

Phew! I know that was a lot of work, and now you certainly deserve to enjoy that pizza.

The next day, I made a pizza with smoked ham and mozzarella.

Pizza Sauce

2013-05-27T13:49:00.000+02:00

This is a very basic tomato-based pizza sauce, everything is up for discussion and anything can be added/removed/changed as to your liking.

The following quantities are for one 15-inch pizza:

200 grams of pure tomato sauce (or tomato paste)
Salt - to taste
Ketchup - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Dried oregano - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Pour your tomato paste into a bowl, and go ahead and taste it. It is normally quite bland and this is why we need to add some stuff. The first things I like to add are the salt, ketchup and sugar, You can start with a quarter teaspoon of salt, then add about one teaspoon of ketchup. Now taste again. It will probably still be bland, but it should at least be balanced. Feel free to add more salt if you need to. You can also try adding a tiny sprinkle of sugar, it helps to bring out that tomato taste. Once you're happy with the balance, add about a teaspoon of dried oregano and a quarter teaspoon of pepper to give your sauce a little bit of kick.

If your sauce is really, really thick, add a little bit of water. But be careful, add your water very slowly and a little at at time, and mix it well before adding more. Your sauce should be thick and gooey, not liquid.

That's it! Spread on your pizza (the back of a rounded serving spoon works well here), and continue with your toppings, and enjoy!

Mayonnaise

2013-05-22T21:55:00.000+02:00

A mayonnaise is often a good addition to your meals; it marries perfectly with French fries, burgers, shrimps, potato salad, boiled eggs, our recipe for refreshing starters, and so many more.

Here's a simple recipe for a mayonnaise, you won't even need a hand-mixer; a simple fork or even a whisk will suffice. But just a quick tip, the ingredients have to be at room temperature.

You will need:

1 egg yolk*
1 to 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard (according to your taste)
Some vegetable oil (the more you add, the more mayonnaise you will get)
Some salt
Some pepper

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Making a homemade mayonnaise is actually quite easy (and so much better than the one in the tube).

You just have to follow these few steps.

In a bowl, mix with a fork (or a whisk) the egg yolk and the dijon mustard.

Then add a little bit of the vegetable oil and beat with the fork until the mix becomes smooth and thick.

Once you mayonnaise became smooth and has thicken, add a bit more of the vegetable oil, and beat with the fork until the mix becomes smooth and thick, and so on.

Here's the consistency, the smoothness, and the thickness of how your mayonnaise should be.

Finish by adding some salt and pepper according to your taste, and give it another good whisk.

Reserve in the fridge until you serve it.

*Tip: Don't throw away your egg white, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use your egg whites.

Pesto Sauce

2013-05-22T21:51:00.000+02:00

Pesto sauce is a very easy dressing to make, and will be whipped up in about 5 minutes.

The following ingredients are for 2 to 4 portions, so feel free to adjust your quantities if you are cooking for more or fewer people, or according to your taste.

You will need:

1 1/4 tablespoons of basil (fresh basil is better, but dry basil works too)
2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil (If you like your pesto a bit thinner, add another tablespoon of olive oil)

Preparation time: 5 minutes

In a bowl, mix the basil and the parmesan cheese.

Then add the olive oil and give it a good mix.

And voilà, you just made your own pesto sauce! Wasn't that easy!?

You can keep your pesto sauce in the fridge for a few days. But remember to give it a good stir when you take it out of the fridge, before using it.

*Note: You can use your pesto sauce with our Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad recipe.

You can also use it with pasta, chicken, pizzas, or salad dressing.