With durian please!

Roasted rutabaga and beets

2011-03-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

This was a component to my lamb dish that I made the other day. Really simple to make and takes only minutes to put together!

You will notice that I've only listed the list of ingredients and not the quantity. That is because the amount of each and every one of your ingredients will depend on how much you want to put in this dish! Go on. Don't be afraid. It will turn out perfectly delicious! I know it!!! Again, feel free to add or change the vegetables. Just keep in mind that you need to substitute it with another vegetable that will require about the same amount of cooking time as the other(s).

Ingredients:

beets
rutabaga
red onions
garlic
parsley
herb the Provence
virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Cut the rutabaga and beets into similar size. Slice the onion. Mix with all the other ingredients. Put on a baking sheet. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F until almost fork tender. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

Note: I did not put the baking time for the first part of the cooking process. That is because it will only depend on two things: 1) the size of your vegetable pieces; 2) the texture that you like in your vegetables. Some people like it really tender. Chuck and I like it when it is still crunchy! :)

Sweet lotus roots

2011-02-11T20:42:00.001-05:00

This is one of Chuck's favorite condiment. I often like to have a Mason jar full of it in the fridge. Simple, quick and very easy!

You will need:

4 cups (or so) thinly sliced lotus roots. I sliced it with my mandolin
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sake
1 cup soy sauce
4 cups water

Cooking sake. Don't buy the expensive one. This is about 10$

Lotus roots

Put everything into one pot and let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Or until the liquid starts to have a syrup-like texture.

One pot wonder! LOL

That's it!!!

Raw, vegan, dairy-free ranch dip

2011-01-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

Did I forget to mention that Chuck and I eat raw 80% of the time? We, have been doing so for the past two years now, and feel so much better! To tell you the truth. I thought the food would be tasteless and lame. But surprisingly enough, raw food recipes are full of flavors. Not only they taste good and delicious. But it is packed with good stuff for the body and soul!

So for this recipe you will need:

1 cup raw cahews
1-2 garlic cloves
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cold-pressed olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup filtered water
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
juice of 1 lemon

Start by soaking the cashews with filtered water for 2 hours. Then put everything, except the dill, in a blender. Start by putting only 1/4 cup water. If you like to have the dip thinner, just add the rest of the water.

Once everything reaches a smooth consistency, add the dill and mix until blended. The reason why I add the dill in the end, is because it tends to make the dip green if added at the same time as the other ingredients.

This is the consistency that I like for my dip. You can even add more water to this recipe, and make a dressing out of it. You will make meat-eating people love their vegetables!

Raw, vegan and dairy-free ranch dip

Beet salad

2011-01-27T21:01:00.000-05:00

So I obviously had some beets leftover from the other recipe. I also cooked too much quinoa. I need to make something else! With almost all the same ingredients, let me sjow you how you can transform this into a totally new dish.

1 lb beets
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp dried herbs, whatever you like (optional)

Cook the beets by steaming them. Never peel the beets. And never boil them. We like it when the beets are still a bit crunchy. You can even bake them in the oven. They come out even sweeter. Once cooked, you can peel the skin off. Personally, I leave it on. It's only better for you! And PLEASE! Don't do like many out there and wear gloves while cooking or using beets. It's only food and won't kill you. Like my mom would say: "Stop being a princess!" LOL

In a bowl, mix the onion with the garlic, parsley, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Then add in the beets and mix well. Now you can either eat it as is. Or do like me and add the leftover quinoa. Try it! It's so, so good!!!

Quinoa and beet pâté

2011-01-27T20:45:00.002-05:00

Lately, all I've been wanting to do is cook some healthy and quick meals for Chuck and I. I've been so busy at work, with my classes, and my catering! So my evenings are really short. Besides, I don't want to stay in my kitchen for more than half an hour! ;)

This morning before going to work, my body was telling me that it was craving beets. Red, sweet, sexy beet! I can already see and hear my best friend's disapproval and disappointment. She HATES beets. And you know what's so funny about it all? She's German!!! "Don't you guys eat borscht?" I asked her. She says "Yup. But not me. I hate beets!" Well girl, this is not for you then. Or will you give it a try? :)

You're going to be needing:

1 lb beets
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cashews, or any other nut that you like
1 tbsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cooked quinoa

Ready for the hard part?

Put everything in a blender. Blend until smooth. Then put the mixture onto a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degree F. for about 30-40 minutes. Let the whole thing cool. It will be easier for you to cut into desired portions.

Serve it with a salad or better yet, make a vegetarian sandwich with it! With a bit of creamy dairy-free ranch dressing!

What to do with some leftovers?

2011-01-25T19:26:00.001-05:00

So remember the big turkey and barley from the other day? Have any left? Don't know what to do with it? Well here's an idea. Why not make a soup? I mean the whole idea of a soup can be something of a mesh-mash of leftover, right? I like to think so... Plus you don't have to go out and get any ingredients, because everything is in your fridge, waiting.

So all you need to do is:

take a pot out;
put the desired amount of turkey;
then put the desired amount of barley;
and then put the desired amount of water or stock

Bring it to a boil for a couple minutes. Adjusting the seasoning. Take it off the heat. Add a little dash of cream or milk, and a bit of parsley to garnish. Voilà! Soup in five minutes! Isn't it wonderful? I thought so. lol!

A little tip for you: if you have kept some of the turkey dripping and cooking liquid (I hope you did), add it in the pot as well. This would be a great way to incorporate great flavors and depth!

Barley, my sidekick!

2011-01-23T20:11:00.000-05:00

Barley is one of my favorite grain! I just love it so much. It is so versatile and delicious! This is a really quick and easy recipe to whip up. And again, you can play with this recipe by adding your favorite spices!

You will be needing:

1 cup barley
1 cup parsnips, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup Pernod
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the barley in a salted boiling water. I use 3 part water, and 1 part barley. Once the barley is al-dente, strain and reserve.

On medium-high heat,put the oil in a shallow skillet. Add the onion and cook for a minute. Then add the parsnips, carrots and garlic and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until caramelized. De-glaze with the Pernod and add the stock. If you don't have Pernod, you can use white wine. If you don't have white wine, you can just use the chicken stock. And if you don't have chicken stock, just use water! Add the herbs, and let the whole thing simmer until there is only a little bit of liquid left in the bottom of the skillet. Feel free to substitute the herbs with your favorite herbs!

ENJOY!!!

My big fat turkey (Ma grosse crisse de dinde!)

2011-01-23T19:50:00.001-05:00

Today was a lazy, cold, cold day. I had to find an excuse to use my oven for a few hours, and the thought of getting out there to go get some ingredients was very scary to me. So a looked in my freezers (yes, I have a couple), and found a 6 pound turkey that I have bought in the beginning of December. This was done at 7 in the morning. Needless to say that this bird was still rock hard solid, and I made it my mission to cook this baby up for tonight! So I gather all my strength and put the turkey in a cold bath. I made sure to change the water often. I know, I know! the M.A.P.A.C. would definitely slap my hand for doing so. Because you are supposed to thaw the meat under running cold water. But I feel really guilty toward the environment! So anyways...this subject is for another time! :)

Once I could lift and separate the turkey's skin between it and the breast, I made my quick marinade. Please note that the end result is quite different if you would have more time to marinade the bird and all. But you know me, always at the last minute!

So for the marinade:

1/2 part vinegar
1/2 part sugar
1 part Dijon mustard
1 salt (this might seem a lot, but I only had 1 hour to marinade)
1 part oil
1 medium onion
3 lemons
1 part of your favorite dried herbs

Mix the first five ingredients together. Set aside. Zest the lemons and mix the zest into the marinade. Cut the onion and two lemons into quarters. Now stuff the turkey with it!

Now pour some of the marinade between the skin and the turkey meat. Spread evenly. Pour the rest of the marinade onto the bird's skin. Be sure to cover all the turkey with it.

Slice the last lemon in to 4 slices and tuck them underneath the skin.

Cover the roasting pan and put the turkey into a 350 degree F preheated oven. Mine cooked for 3 hours and it was still frozen in the middle when I had put it in the oven. But just check it after 2-1/2 hours.

It came out really good and here are two pictures of the "before and after" on Chuck's plate

Note: It is obviously better if you put the turkey in a brine solution for 24 hours before you bake it. If you decide to do so, reduce the salt to 1/4 part!

Quick and simple curry soup

2011-01-20T19:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, yes! Another curry dish, my way! Today in Montreal, was a REALLY cold day. The coldest so far. And if you know me, you know that I hate being cold, and I don't really like winter. So when Chuck picked me up after work, I asked him THE question of the day: "What would you like for diner?" His answer was simple: "Whatever you like dear!". Ok. So I have decided that we needed to have something warm in our bellies and opted for an Asian style curry soup. It turned out pretty darn good. But be warned that this soup is a little spicy! :) You can substitute any of the vegetables and or meats that are in this recipe and make it your own. Better yet, you can see what you have in your fridge and put it in the soup. Just as long as you keep the base of the broth, you can pretty much have fun and create at your own will.

So you will need:

1 medium onion, sliced
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of baby corn
1 can of straw mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped Thai basil
2 cups any meat that you prefer
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp palm sugar, or any other you have on hand
1 tbsp fish sauce
4 keffir lime leaves
1/2 can Singapore curry gravy
1 can coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock

Start by sauteing the onions in the oil for about a minute on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and curry paste (this is usually the culprit for the "hot" in your dish). Stir and cook the paste for another minute.

Add the vegetables, meat (I used pork because that's what I had in my fridge!), keffir lime leaves, sugar, and fish sauce. Stir some more for another 3 to 5 minutes. The pour the stock over and let it simmer for 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Once this step is done, add the coconut milk, and the Thai basil. Turn off the heat as soon as you see the soup simmering.

Another easy-peasy-one-pot-meal! Tonight I served it on a bed of ramen noodles with soy sprouts. I hope you'll try this one out and tell me what you think about it. Please feel free to play with this recipe and add your personal touch!

Stuffed bitter melon

2011-01-07T20:33:00.001-05:00

For all you fans of bitterness, here is a dish for you! This is a healthy and easy recipe to make. You can use the stuffing recipe for anything else. Like: imperial rolls, stuffed calamari, anything you wish. I even make it into little meatballs, cook it in boiling water, then dipped in fish sauce!

For this recipe you will need:

1 lbs ground pork
1/2 cup dried fungus
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 tsp garlic, chopped
3 medium bitter melon, sliced into 1-inch thick
1 cup mung bean vermicelli
1 egg
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce

Cut the bitter melon into 1-inch thickness and empty out the white center. Set aside

Now soak the fungus and vermicelli in boiling water for about 5 minutes. or until softened. Chop the mixture into smaller strands with a pair of scissors.

Now add the pork, egg, green onions, garlic, sugar, pepper, and fish sauce. Mix well.

Stuffed the bitter melon slices with the pork mixture and cook in boiling hot, salted water for about 10 minutes.

Strain and add the stuffed bitter melon in a homemade stock made with pork and dried shrimps or any other broth that you prefer. Serve with a bowl of rice and some fish sauce on the side for dipping!

Apples and squashes

2010-09-21T21:03:00.001-04:00

Ever since we've been together, Chuck and I go apple and squash picking every year in September. We have a lot of fun and we obviously come back with way too much food. We have: 40 lbs of apples, 20 lbs of pears, and ten different kinds of squashes. Every year I wonder and ask myself: "What will I do with all of this?". So, I will be baking and cooking up a lot of stuff with apples, squashes and pears this year. Recipes will follow shortly! Here are some pictures of our fun day in St-Joseph du Lac.

Me trying to eat an apple of the tree

Chuck eating an apple


Holding me so I wouldn't fall off! ;)

Butternut squash and mint pottage

2010-09-21T20:34:00.009-04:00

So autumn is at our door and summer is on it's way out. I can feel the change of weather in the air and the leaves are slowly turning yellow, orange, and red. Harvesting time is now and the farmer's market is full of vegetables ready to be eaten.

My friends, boyfriend and I went apple picking and squash picking yesterday. Chuck and I picked 40 lbs of apples, 20 lbs of pears and 10 different variety of squashes. We had a blast!

So for you today, my dear friends, is butternut squash and mint pottage (thick soup). A very easy recipe to make. It's healthy and it so, so, so comforting at the same time! Who knew we could combine those two words together? :)

You will need:

1 butternut squash, chopped into chunks (about 1kg)
1 medium size onion, medium diced
4 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of butter
chicken stock, enough to cover the butternut squash
1 handful of mint leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Freshly picked butternut squash!

In a medium pot, start by sauteing the onions in the butter on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the carrots and celery and cook another 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute. Once this step is done, add the butternut and cover with chicken stock or water. Turn down the heat, cover the pot and let it simmer until the butternut squash is fully cooked.

Blend the soup with a hand blender (giraffe), or blend it in the blender. Add the mint and blend until the mint leaves are chopped. Salt and pepper to taste. Voilà!

You can serve this with a multitude of toppings: olive oil, cream, yogurt, leave it to your imagination! Today I served it with curried green lentils with a wedge of lemon.

Some herbs and other fresh ingredients...

2010-08-27T18:30:00.001-04:00

Beech mushroom

Daikon radish

Enoki mushroom

Bitter melon

Banana blossom


Galangal

Lemongrass

In my kitchen...

2010-08-27T18:28:00.003-04:00

Dried shrimps

Dried and slices fungus (mushroom)

Green bean vermicelli

Sliced Chinese sausages

Chinese sausages

Lotus rootlets

Dried big chilies

Rice paper


Red curry paste


Coconut cream


Shrimp paste


Three Crab brand fish sauce (saltier and more pungent than the Squid brand)


Palm sugar

Dried kaffir lime leaf

Panang curry

2010-08-27T18:17:00.005-04:00

A friend of ours asked me how I make Panang curry. On the next day, I went to the Asian market to get the ingredients necessary for this recipe. This curry is one of my favorite curries to make. It has such a lingering harmonious taste and so refreshing at the same time! You can make a meat version with this recipe or a vegetarian version. Just replace the meat with tofu (I like fried tofu!!!).

Panang curry is not red curry. The traditional way is made by using the cream of the coconut milk, and provides a thicker, pastier curry than the red curry, which is more of a soup curry. Furthermore, Panang curry is fried in coconut milk, as opposed to red curry, which is boiled. If you don't have the time or the will to make the curry yourself ( ^_^ ), you can probably find Panang curry in an Asian market. But trust me, the homemade version is much better, and much more rewarding! I made the beef version this time.

So this post is especially for you Alex!

You will need:

1 can (400ml) of coconut milk
1 tbsp shredded kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp palm sugar
2 cups of sliced beef or pork. Cut your meat cross-grain into thin slices.
2 tbsp fish sauce

For the curry paste you will need:

1/3 cup big dried chillies, soaked until soft with seeds removed
1 tsp salt
2 tsp galangal, cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp lemongrass, cut into thin rounds
1 tbsp coriander root
1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
2 tbsp shallots, chopped
1 tbsp roasted peanuts
1 tsp shrimp paste

First, you need to make the curry paste. Soak the chilies in water until they're soft. This could take half an hour! When soft, cut them open to remove the seeds.

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Grind the seeds together in a stone mortar and pestle until powdered. Remove and set aside.

Add the salt and chilies in the stone mortar and pestle and pound until you get a paste consistency. This can take awhile - be patient! When you get the paste consistency, add the lemongrass and pound again until you get a paste. Then add the galangal and coriander roots, and again, pound until you get a paste consistency.

Add the peanuts, shallots, garlic and powdered cumin & coriander seeds. Mash until you get a paste. Add the shrimp paste and pound to mix well. Set your curry paste aside.

Heat-up your pan first on medium-high heat, and add 1/2 cup of the coconut cream. It should sizzle right away and boil. Add the paste and mix well.

Fry the paste. You want to keep the paste dry, but not too dry that it sticks and burn. Keep adding a little bit of coconut milk when it gets too dry, maybe about 1/4 cup every minute or two. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. Keep adding coconut cream about 1/4 cup at a time, every minute or two. You should start to see a lot of oil coming to the top of the curry. This is normal and a sign that you’re doing it right!

Your paste should start to smell really good after 4-5 minutes. You’ll start to see a lot of oil rising to the top, especially where it’s bubbling. When it does, add your meat. Cook the meat until cooked, add the lime leaves, fish sauce and palm sugar, then keep going about 3-5 minutes so the meat is soft. The consistency of the curry should be similar to the photo. If it’s too dry, add a bit more of the coconut milk. Remove and serve.

Feel free to garnish with shredded lime leaves and a few leaves of Thai basil. I for myself served it with roasted peanuts and coriander leaves. Some serve it with a bit of thickened coconut cream (thickened with a bit of tapioca flour) which you’re welcome to do too! Now enjoy with a bowl of glutinous rice!!!

Note:

If you want this curry to be hotter, try adding the small chilies.
By slicing the meat thin and cross-grain, will allow it to be more tender and absorb the flavor quicker.

Tomato, tomato, tomatoes, and some other yummi vegetables!!!

2010-08-16T17:54:00.003-04:00

Here's a couple pictures of my garden. We are invaded people! We have so much tomatoes that I don't even know what to do anymore. Any suggestions? Tomato sauce, tomato meat sauce, tomato soup, BLT...

Tons of vegetables!

Our broccoli is coming...

A day's worth of vegetables

Our one and only apple fell of the tree...it was still good, but could of been better!

Our first carrots

Chicken Curry

2010-08-16T17:42:00.001-04:00

So it's really hot today in Longueuil. I've decided to make chicken curry! Ya, crazy right? Somehow I just crave the sweet, creamy and spicy. It's a really simple dish to make. And if you are a fan of hot and spicy food, this is for you.

Now this should not be confused with the Thai version. There's a slight variation to it. That version will come soon on my blog :)

You will need:

2,5 lbs whole chicken, chopped into chunks
2 medium onions, sliced
4-6 garlic cloves
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 cups sweet potatoes, cut into big chuncks
2 cups mushrooms, quartered
1 tbsp oil, olive or canola
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp red curry paste
1 can (400 ml) of coconut milk
cracked black pepper
coriander for garnish

On a medium-high heat, start by adding in a deep and shallow skillet pan, the oil and butter. Brown the chicken chunks until golden brown. We are aiming to caramelize the chicken. When done, set aside.

Pour out most of the oil, keeping 1 tbsp. Add the onions and stir-fry for a minute. The add the garlic, sugar, red curry paste, and cook for another minute. Return the chicken and it's juices in the same skillet. Cover with water or unsalted chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes and mushrooms. Continue the cooking process until the sweet potato chunks are cooked through. When that is done, turn off the heat and add the coconut milk.


I use this brand because I find it most creamy and tasting one of all!

Sprinkle fresh coriander (cilantro) and you are done! Serve with a french baguette, on a bed of steaming hot jasmin rice or even rice vermicelli.

Pickled onions

2010-07-25T15:34:00.001-04:00

You will need:

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1tsp salt

Mix the sugar, vinegar, water and salt together. Pour on the onion slices. Mix well and let sit for 15 minutes. By then, you will see that the onions has shrunken down and that there is more liquid. Mix again and make sure that the onion slices are covered with the vinegar liquid. Let it sit for another 15 minutes. After that, it is ready to use or to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

The "other sweet root" sandwich

2010-07-25T15:24:00.007-04:00

This is for my dear friend Bruce. He took me to a restaurant on St Urbain and I got a chance to try this delicious sandwich and decided to make it for myself. The reason? The sandwich cost 8$. It costs me a fraction to make this sandwich at home!

You will need:

4 cups carrots, grated
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 apple, thinly sliced
cream cheese
lettuce leaves
bread slices, the one you like!

Mix the carrots, raisins, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let it sit and marinade for at least 1 hour. That's it!

To assemble:

Spread some cream cheese on a slice of bread, and put some lettuce on it. Then add the carrot-raisins mixture and top it off with the apple slices. Close off the sandwich by putting a second slice of bread and you are ready to enjoy your "other sweet root" sandwich! Can it be any easier? LOL

I served my sandwich with a side of salad and pickled onions.

My everyday black bean stir-fry sauce

2010-07-25T15:04:00.002-04:00

I love black bean sauce and I love oyster sauce. So when ever I have a craving for a delicious and comforting dish, I would usually whip up something that will include this sauce. It's impossible to miss this and you can always adjust to your taste.

Ingredients for the sauce:

1 tbsp black bean garlic sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water

Mix all the ingredients together. Voilà!!!

The sauce will be added at the end of your stir-fry. The important thing to remember is to keep on stirring the sauce once you have incorporate it into the pan. If you don't, you will probably find some lumps in your sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil for about a minute, and your done!

This sauce can be used for any stir-fry dish you want. It goes well with any kinds of meats also. Really, it's that easy!!!

Frangipane and dark chocolate ganache tart

2010-07-25T14:51:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, we had friends over for a pot luck. It was such a fun event! For the evening, I had made some Vietnamese sandwiches (recipe to come) and some deserts including the frangipane and dark chocolate ganache tart. It's an elegant desert but yet so simple to make!

This is a three recipe pastry. The tart crust recipe, the no-fail frangipane recipe, and no super-no-fail dark chocolate ganache recipe.

The reason why I say "no-fail" is because I have simplified the recipes so that everyone can create delicious pastries at home without the fuss! Besides, it taste great and everyone can be the superstar pastry chef of the evening!!!

Ingredients for the crust:

225 g plain flour
125 g butter
55 g icing sugar
1 egg, whisked
a dash of vanilla extract

Place butter at room temperature until softened. Cream the butter and the sugar until the mixture is smooth, fluffy and light in color. Add in whisked egg, half at a time. Add vanilla, mix well.

Sift in flour in two batches, scraping down the sides the bowl between additions with a spatula, and make sure all ingredients combine well. Knead into dough. Let it rest for 1 hour in the fridge. You will want to take it out 15 minutes before rolling the dough out.

Ingredients for the frangipane:

1/2 lbs butter, room temperature
1/2 lbs sugar
1/2 lbs almond flour
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp dark rum

Cream the butter and sugar until light in color. Add the almond flour and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, the almond extract and rum, mix well. The frangipane is ready to use!

Ingredients for the dark chocolate ganache:

500 g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
500 g cream
100 g butter, room temperature.

Put the chocolate in a mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a saucepan. As soon as you see it starts to boil, take it off the heat and pour it onto the chocolate. Be careful to keep an eye on your cream, because it can easily overflow when it come to a boil. Let the mixture sit for a couple minutes. Stir to mix both the ingredients. Add the butter and mix well. Ready to pour on the tart or to use on anything else! This ganache can keep for two weeks in the fridge.

To assemble:

Pre-heat the oven to 350F

Roll out your crust to fit in your tart mold. You will need to adjust the thickness of the crust depending on the size of you mold. The bigger the pan, the thicker the crust. The smaller your mold, the thinner crust. Generally, I would have the crust 1/8-inch.

Fill the mold with the frangipane 1/2 way. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. When done, take it out of the oven and let it cool down. Once it's cooled down you are ready to pour the ganache over the tart. Cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour, if you can wait that long!

You will probably have some left over of each of the recipe. Just make sure that the are well covered and in your fridge until the next time you want to use them.

Hope you like it!

Salt and pepper shrimp

2010-07-04T10:52:00.004-04:00

When I was a kid, my parents used to take us to the Chinese restaurant after our own would close for the night. They would order a lot of different dishes, including one of my favorite: salt and pepper shrimp.

This dish is usually made with shell and head-on shrimps. I prefer it de-veined and without the shell. Although I must admit that I really love sucking on the head for that delicious shrimp row! So feel free to use the type of shrimp that you like.

You can also replace the shrimps with calamari, crab, octopus or lobster. Or just mix-and-match!!!

You will need:

1 lbs shrimps
2 tbsp cornstarch or rice flour
1 egg
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 red bell pepper, medium dice
1/2 yellow bell pepper, medium dice
1 medium size red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1tbsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp szechwan pepper
1 Thaï chili pepper
2 tbsp chives or green onions
1 tbsp cooking oil
oil for deep frying
cilantro for garnish

Start by making the batter by mixing the cornstarch, egg and water. It should have the consistency of a pancake batter, so add water if needed. Or the other option is to just cover the shrimps in cornstarch.

Mix in the shrimps and deep fry until golden. When done, just put the shrimps on paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Reserve aside.

In a shallow skillet pan, start by sauteing on medium high the onion, bell peppers for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, chili pepper, sugar, salt and szechwan pepper. Saute until it starts to caramelize. Finish by adding the chives.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the shrimps. Cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer onto a serving plate and garnish with cilantro.

Delicious served with a bowl of hot jasmine rice, on a french baguette or eaten as a snack anytime during the day!!!

Mom...as promised!

2010-06-25T21:03:00.000-04:00

The weather has been so great for my garden! Since the beginning, we have enjoyed eight cucumbers. Our tomato plants are having a lot of fruits and our bell peppers as well. I should be able to harvest those in two weeks or so.

Three weeks ago, my boyfriend decided to plant some carrot seeds and some broccoli seeds. I was skeptical about the fact that they would even grow. To my surprise, they actually did!

Broccoli Carrots

Cherry Tomatoes Bell Pepper

Only Three Pears THE Apple

And my girls that wanted to be in the picture...

Lyloo (doberman), Thalia (chihuahua)

Easy classic french pound cake

2010-06-10T19:07:00.000-04:00

I wanted to bake a simple cake during the weekend without any hassle. So I went searching in my cookbook collection and found this pound cake recipe that anyone can easily bake at home. My boyfriend loved it and my house smelled so, so good!!!

In this recipe you will need:

125g powdered sugar
125g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
125g butter, melted and cooled down
4 large whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 5 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth consistency. Add flour and baking powder with a spatula, then add the butter. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the cake is browning too much as it bakes, cover with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and lace on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

This cake will keep several days at room temperature if well wrapped, about a week if it's refrigerated!

2010-05-30T20:23:00.000-04:00

So here is an update about my summer garden.

My father in-law surprised me when I came home and he was planting in my garden. I am now the proud owner of:

green peppers
red peppers
two tomato plants
one cherry tomato plant
different kinds of fine herbs

We had two cucumbers that were ready to eat. Needles to say that we were enjoying our first cucumber bites fresh from our garden!!! It was so, so good!