Chicho's Kitchen

Cocoa Brownies

2012-02-24T08:49:00.002-08:00

I finally had a day for ME, a day when the time to bake aligns with the desire to bake and not the need to bake. Last week, I had a day off. I woke up late, had my coffee in the sun, watching the blue bright sky and contemplating the sea.

I haven't told you yet, but we moved back to Lebanon a couple of months ago. I didn't have the time nor the chance to tell you about this change in my life, and every time I wanted to write a post about our move, words wont come out easily and I just shut down the computer.

It was a hard decision to take, I know, I have lived in France for the last 5 years, and I was discovering the city with all its beauty... but when my husband came home that night telling me that we're moving back to our homeland, Lebanon, I was overwhelmed. You know, the idea of returning back home was tatooed in my brain... His announcement brought tears to my eyes, I hugged him and thanked him.... as if i was waiting for this years ago.

And here we are, back in our lovely country, sharing our happiness with the people we love. I can't tell you how it feels to be back home, how secure you are when you're surrounded by your family and friends.

I used to be a beautiful city… Some people say I’m still as beautiful as I was before...

Every day I stand there, waving to all these people, mostly young, leaving on these big things so called airplanes… Jealousy kills me, knowing that they will go and enjoy grocery shopping in a street I’ve never heard of, smiling to a stranger who doesn’t even know where their country is… Working hard and becoming successful… I wish they could be here with me, becoming successful with me… I feel helpless without them, thousands and thousands leave, few come back while I sit waiting and waiting and waiting…

“I miss you Beirut
I miss your weather
Miss your sea breeze
Miss staring at you at night from my bedroom balcony… when the world is sleeping and there is only you and I
Miss feeling loved
Miss belonging to you
Miss feeling the security…

I order you to come back… Yes I can’t promise you security but I promise you that you and me can make it together, come back and bring all those people who once left… because I miss them, miss their faces and their laughs… Come back and fight for me, clean my body from rotten creatures, change the world for me, help me stand… I can’t do it alone.

I’m your city
I’m your mother
I’m your child
I’m Beirut

This is what brought me home, because I love my country and I am proud to be Lebanese.
I know I was away from my blog for a while, it was not easy settling down, and having a full time job again... that was pretty hard for me; but I'm happy...

Ingredients: Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies

10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (280 grams) sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (160ºC). Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. (Deb suggests putting the cooled pan in the fridge or freezer for a while, which helps if you want clean lines when cutting the brownies.)

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Brownies au cacao

80 g de cacao en poudre non sucré type Van Houten
140 g de beurre mou
2 gros oeufs
280 g de sucre
1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille liquide
70 g de farine

Préchauffez votre four à 160°C.

Dans un bol supportant la chaleur, versez votre beurre, sucre et cacao. Mettez ce bol au dessus d'une casserole d'eau bouillante sans que le bol ne touche l'eau!

Bien mélanger le tout jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit assez chaud pour que dès que vous plongez votre doigt, vous ayez envie de le retirer immédiatement...

Retirer le bol de la casserole et laissez ce mélange tiédir. Une fois tiède ajoutez un oeuf, bien mélanger. Quand la pâte est lisse, ajoutez le deuxième. Bien mélanger à nouveau. Puis ajoutez l'extrait de vanille. Enfin ajoutez la farine. Mélanger vigoureusement.

Versez votre préparation dans un plat carré de 21 cm sur 21 cm. Enfournez environ 20 minutes. Surveillez la cuisson (et ce surtout si vous utilisez un moule plus grand). Plantez un couteau, il doit ressortir légèrement humide.

Une fois le plat sorti du four, attendre 10 minutes et découpez en carrés!

Adapted from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet

Novica Review

2012-02-12T04:34:00.000-08:00

We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow.

At the deepest essence of our philosophy, we want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe.

We want you to know about who you’re buying from. We want you to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it.

In the spirit of the Internet, let us bring you together.

NOVICA. The World is Your Market.

Novica gave me the greatest opportunity to discover the quality of their products. Not only was my order packaged beautifully, it came with an artisan story card so that I could truly understand who made my item and where it came from. You should visit their website and check their beautiful collection.

Novica sells wonderful items that would make great gifts. They have great fair trade Unique Corporate Gifts. The stationary and jewelry would make great gifts too for family and co-workers.

Novica has introduced a new idea for selling their worldwide artistic products. They have created Novica Live.

Novica Live is an at home party program that can help individuals be able to make some good money and support artisans worldwide. Like many at home party programs you purchase a starter kit to have products and business materials to host a party in your home.

I invite you to check the website.

Spaghetti with kafta meatballs

2012-01-28T00:19:00.000-08:00

Kafta meatballs are one of my favorite meatballs, I love the addition of parsley and onions, and I love to grill then and serve them plain with hummus, labneh, or eggplant dips. They're light, juicy and full of flavors. Last week, I wanted to cook something and I realized that I hadn’t posted a spaghetti and meatballs recipe.
Browning the meatballs in the pan, then adding them to the sauce incorporates the flavorful brown juices that develop in the pan. Simmering them with ripened tomatoes and onions adds a juicy tender flavor too.

for meatballs
1 medium onion, grated
2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lb (500 g) ground beef
1 egg
3 tbsps chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

for sauce
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 large onion minced
4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (about 6 large tomatoes)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
parsley, minced for garnish

In a large bowl, add the beef, egg, parsley, onion, salt and pepper. Put some gloves on and use your hands to knead the mixture together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Use your hands to roll the meat into 1 1/2″ balls. Put in the fridge for about half an hour.

Heat a frying pan up over medium high heat, then add 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the meatballs in batches, gently rolling them around to maintain their shape until browned on all sides.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil then sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and salt then bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the meatballs into the tomato sauce along with any collected juices. Turn the heat down to low and gently simmer for about half an hour.

Boil some spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, then toss the pasta together with the sauce. Plate the spaghetti, then top each serving with meatballs and minced parsley.

Spaghetti avec des boulettes de kafta

pour les boulettes
1 oignon, graté

2 gousses d'ail, écrasées

500 g de viande hachée
1 œuf
3 càs de persil haché

1/2 càc de sel
1/4 càc de poivre

pour la sauce
3 gousses d'ail émincées

1 oignon émincé
4 tasses de tomates pelées, épépinées et concassées

1 feuille de laurier
1 càc de sel

persil, pour la garniture

Dans un grand saladier, mélangez le bœuf, l'œuf, le pesil, le sel et le poivre. Mixez avec vos mains et former des boulettes. Placez-les dans le frigo environ une demie heure maximum.

Faites chauffer 2 càs d'huile dans une grande poêle puis faites revenir les boulettes de tous les côtés jusqu'à complète cuisson. Réservez les boulettes de côté.

Dans la même poête, faites revenir l'ail et l'oignon. Ajoutez les tomates, la feuille de laurier, le sel et laissez bouillir. Baissez le feu et laissez mijoter environ 10 mn.

Ajoutez les boulettes avec leur sauce dans la poêle. Baissez le feu et laissez mijoter une demie heure.

Faites cuire des spaghetti. Égouttez-les et ajoutez les a la sauce. Servez les spaghettis avec les boulettes et parsemez de persil haché.

Labneh balls

2011-12-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Labneh is simply a yogurt that has been strained in a cloth. It's popular in the Levant and the arabian peninsula and its very common for breakfast, dinner and sandwiches. Labneh is used as a spread on pita bread. Olive oil, vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber mint and olives are usually added to the sandwich.

Besides being used fresh, labneh is also dried then formed into balls, sometimes covered with herbs or spices and stored in olive oil glass jars. The cheese can then be kept for over a year.

We simply roll the dried labneh into balls then place them in a jar and fill the jar with enough olive oil to cover. We can find ready made labneh balls, sold in supermarket in big glass jars, but it's always better to go homemade. You can choose to make them plain, this time, i wanted to roll my labneh balls with crushed dried mint, (you can roll them in oregano, thyme or zaatar). I placed them on a bed of chopped tomatoes and served them with arabic bread.

Ingredients:
500 g labneh
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
2 tbsp crushed dried mint or oregano, thyme or zaatar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
crushed walnuts

In a medium bowl combine yogurt and salt. (The salt helps draw out the whey).

Line a colander with a double layer of cheese cloth. Place colander inside a large bowl to collect whey. (or you can also line a sieve with coffee filters). Tip the yogurt and salt mixture into the lined colander. Tie the corners to make a pouch. Cover colander/bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Allow yogurt to drain in the refrigerator 24 hours. They are ready when the cloth is no longer wet. Change the cloth and use another one then refrigerate another 8 hours, until the humidity is gone.

Combine the tomatoes, onions and olive oil. Then place in a dish.

Form labneh balls, then roll them in some olive oil, then in dried mint (or oregano, thyme or zaatar...) and place them on top of the tomatoes. Serve with pita bread, baguette or crackers.

You can place the labneh balls in a jar filled with olive oil. It can be kept over a year.

Boules de labneh

Ingrédients:
500 g de yaourt nature
1 càc de sel

1 oignon, finement émincé

1 tomate finement émincée

2 càs de menthe séchée, d'origan, de thym ou de zaatar

une poignée de noix écrasées

Dans un bol moyen, mélanger le yaourt et le sel. Tapisser une passoire avec un torchon propre. Verser le yaourt dans le torchon. Refermer les bords du torchon pour former un pochon, nouer et placer la passoire dans un grand saladier.

Laisser égoutter dans le frigo 24 heures. Changer le torchon et réfrigérer 8 h ou jusqu'à ce que le torchon ait absorbé l'humidité du fromage. Le labneh ne doit pas être humide pour former des boules.

Former des boules, et les faire tremper avec un peu d'huile d'olive, puis les enrouler de menthe séchée. d'origan ou de zaatar.

Déposer les boules sur les tomates, et servir avec du pain libanais, de la baguette, ou de crackers.

On peut conserver les boules de labneh dans un bocal rempli d'huile d'olive, à température ambiante, pendant plus qu'un an.

Salmon burger with dill yogurt sauce

2011-12-06T03:28:00.001-08:00

I have a thing for burgers. My choice usually goes for a ground beef patty, grilled to medium, and topped with an array of garnishes that can sometimes defy explanation. Sometimes, I feel like going in another direction and make my burger with seafood or just veggies.

One of my favorite burgers is the salmon burger. Often made from off cuts of fresh salmon fillets and mixed with a little lemon and fresh herbs, then served simply with a green leaf salad and a simple yogurt dressing.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 buns split and toasted
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, finely diced (use a sharp knife so you don’t crush the pieces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
4 buns, split and toasted
Lettuce

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a medium bowl, combine salmon, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix gently.

Form salmon mixture into 4, 3 1/2-by-1 inch patties; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, without turning, until browned on top and opaque throughout, 6-7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine yogurt and dill in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers on buns with yogurt-dill sauce and lettuce.

Hamburger au saumon

4 pains à hamburger
500 g de filet de saumon frais (sans la peau)

1 càs de jus de citron

sel et poivre
200 g de fromage blanc

1 càs d'aneth frais ciselé
quelques feuilles de salade mélangée: frisée, roquette...

Couper en tartare très fine la chair de saumon. Assaisonner avec du sel, du poivre et de jus de ci. Diviser par 4 et former des burgers. Chauffer une poêle anti-adhérente ou en inox en huilant légèrement et faire cuire les burgers.

Pendant ce temps préparer la sauce. Mélanger le fromage blanc avec l'aneth. Saler, poivrer.

Composer le sandwich avec: la moitié du pain, un peu de salade, l'hamburger 3 cs de sauce au fromage blanc et salade. Refermer avec l'autre moitié du pain et servir de suite, encore chaud.

Banana cake with peanut butter chips

2011-11-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Combining bananas and peanut butter chips in a cake is a bit gluttonous.

I did it anyway! I love banana cakes, and peanut butter too! There's no reason why I should suffer by leaving any of them out.

The cake is tender, moist, and full of flavor. Each bite is bursting with peanut butter banana goodness.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup (190 g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (135 g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 small/medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter chips, as well as more for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cake pan.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, mix the mashed bananas, egg, butter, vanilla extract and milk. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined (do not overmix). Stir in peanut butter chips.

Pour the mixture in the pan. Sprinkle extra peanut butter chips on top, if desired.
Bake for about 32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center is free of crumbs. Cool on a wire rack.

Cake aux bananes et aux pépites de beurre de cacahuètes

Ingrédients

190 g de farine

135 g de sucre

1 1/2 càc de levure chimique

1/4 càc de sel

3 bananes, écrasées

1 œuf

110 g de beurre, fondu

1 càc d'extrait de vanille

1/4 verre de lait

1 verre de pépites de beurre de cacahuètes + une poignée pour la décoration

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez votre moule.

Mélangez la farine, le sucre, la levure et le sel dans un grand bol. Dans un autre bol, mélangez les bananes écrasées, l'œuf, le beurre fondu, l'extrait de vanille et le lait. Ajoutez cette préparation à celle de la farine. Ajoutez les pépites.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Saupoudrez de pépites. Enfournez 32 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré en ressorte propre. Laissez refroidir.

Apple flognarde

2011-11-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

Apple flognarde is nothing more than a clafoutis. In some regions in France, the traditional french dessert – clafoutis is referred to as flognarde. The flognarde is usually made with apples or pears.

This dessert is so simple - just a sweet batter poured over a layer of apple chunks and baked in the oven. You can eat this dish as a hot pudding, or a cold dessert.

Ingredients (serves 6):
3 apples (Reine de Reinette)
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups (350 ml) milk
½ cup (90 g) sugar
½ cup + 1 tbsp (70 g) flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)

Preheat the oven at 400ºF (200ºC).

Peel and core the apples then cut into chunks.

Grease the tart tins with butter and sprinkle some flour. Place them on a baking sheet. Divide the apple chunks evenly between the tartlet tins.

Gently heat the milk until warm. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until blended and foamy. Add the sugar, flour, oil and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.

Using a ladle, carefully pour the liquid batter over the apple chunks in the tins, filling up to the rim.

Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until the flognarde is puffed and golden.

Flognarde aux pommes

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

3 pommes (Reine de Reinette)

3 œufs

350 ml de lait

90 g de sucre

70 g de farine

2 càs d'huile neutre

Faites préchauffer le four à 200ºC.

Pelez et coupez les pommes en morceaux. Beurrez et farinez les moules et déposez les pommes.

Faites chauffer le lait. Dans un saladier, cassez les oeufs. Battez-les au fouet. Ajoutez le sucre, la farine, l’huile, puis le lait qu’on a légèrement tiédi.

À l'aide d'une louche, versez la préparation dans les tartelettes à hauteur.

Faites cuire de 30 à 45 min, afin que la flognarde gonfle et dore.

Chocolate chip cake

2011-10-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

It’s fall now. I wait for this season the whole year long, wait for the air that smells crisp and the leaves that turn vibrant pinks. I also wait for that season to start baking! I love to bake. Luckily, I woke up early on Sunday morning to bake a Chocolate Chip Cake. We were so busy the whole day we forgot to take a break to have a slice. When we came in for the night, we were thrilled to see the cake sitting on our kitchen table.
This cake is light, fluffy, and has a tunnel of chocolate chips inside. The sprinkle of some chocolate chips makes the cake sparkle and gives it a nice crunchy top.

Ingredients:

225 g (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
200 g (1 cup) sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
240 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

200 g (7 0z) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) spring pan.

Beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy and white, about 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla extract.

In another bowl sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Leave a handful for decoration.

Pour batter in the pan and level the top. Sprinkle the handful of the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for about 35 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Gâteau aux pépites de chocolat

Ingrédients:

225 g de beurre à température ambiante
200g de sucre

1 càc d'extrait de vanille
4 œufs, à température ambiante
240g de farine
1 càc de levure chimique
une pincée de sel

200 g de pépites de chocolat

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule de 24 cm.

Battez le beurre avec le sucre environ 4 mn. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un en battant après chaque ajoût. Ajoutez l'extrait de vanille.

Dans un saladier, tamisez la farine, le sel et la levure chimique. Ajoutez le mélange aux œufs et mélangez délicatement. Ajoutez les pépites de chocolat. Réservez une poignée pour la déco.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Décorez des pépites restantes. Enfournez 35 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré ressorte propre.

Servez avec une boule de glace à la vanille.

Dawood Basha - Lebanese meatballs in tomato sauce

2011-10-09T00:23:00.000-07:00

A small slice of land wedged on the edge of Asia, Lebanon sits on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It's a really tiny country, roughly the size of "Ile de France". Lebanon had once been called (the self-proclaimed) Switzerland and Paris of the East.

It is said that the one thing that unites all Lebanese is the love of eating. Lebanese cuisine is abundant and generous, stemming from the tradition of preparing food with love and providing family and friends with much more than could possibly be consumed. A traditional Lebanese meal has many small courses, starting with a mezze (the Lebanese version of antipasti), a selection of small portions of dips, pickles, salads and khibbitz (Arabic bread). The main course is usually grilled meats, accompanied by bread, spiced rice and any remaining mezze. Dessert may entail a selection of sweets including baklava, and other variations of filo pastry combined with nuts and sweet honey-style syrup. To complete a meal, Turkish style black coffee is served.

This dish gets its name from the Ottoman pasha Dawood who governed Lebanon in the 18th century.

The dish is easy to make, tender, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs with a simple tomato sauce over rice, is irresistibly good.

Ingredients (serves 6):

For the sauce:
3 medium onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 can (400g - 15oz) of crushed tomato
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 cup water

For the meatballs:
2 lbs (1kg) finely minced lean meat
1 medium onion, peeled and grated
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground allspice
1 dash ground cinnamon
a handful of toasted pine nuts

Mix meat well with grated onion, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Divide meat into 1 inch diameter balls.

Heat some oil in a skillet and saute the onions and a dash of salt on moderate heat until soft and brown. Set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the meatballs on both sides until browned and cooked. Add the sliced onions, the crushed tomato, the pomegranate molasses and the water. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced.

Serve on a bed of rice and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Daoud Bacha - Boulettes de viande libanaises à la sauce tomate

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

Pour la sauce:

3 oignons, émincés

2 gousses d'ail

3 càs d'huile d'olive

1 boîte (400g) de tomate pelée

1 càc de mélasse de grenade

235 ml (1 tasse) d'eau

Pour les boulettes:

1kg de viande finement hachée

1 oignon, pelé et râpé

1 càs de sel

1 càc de mélange 4 épices

1 pincée de cannelle

une poignée de pignons de pin toastés

Mélangez la viande avec l'oignon râpé, le sel, le mélange 4 épices et la cannelle. Formez des boulettes.

Faites chauffer un peu d'huile dans une sauteuse et faites revenir les oignons émincés avec une pincée de sel à feu moyen jusqu'à coloration. Réservez.

Dans la même sauteuse, faites revenir les boulettes sur les deux côtés jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient bien colorées. Ajoutez les oignons émincés, la boîte de tomate, la mélasse de grenade, et l'eau. Laissez mijoter à feu doux environ 20 minutes jusqu'à rédcution de l'eau.

Servez avec du riz et parsemez de pignons de pin toastés.

Nectarine Cake

2011-09-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

It was definitely a busy summer for me with a flurry of activities. Although I enjoy fall, I am a bit sad that summer days are over. Once again, it is time to bid farewell to hot summer days, lemonade stands, and beach parties. The past few days have been gloomy, chilly, and dark, marking the beginning of fall. Sweat pants and sweaters days are here to stay. Hopefully we will get some Indian summers before we dive into deep freeze.

As we transition into fall, I find myself craving for summer cake. A simple nectarine cake fits the bill as it is quick and easy to prepare. This cake is commonly made with apples but it’s also made with stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and plums. And as nectarines ripen towards the end of summer, this is one last cake to say goodbye to summer days!

My mother makes the best nectarine cake. Big chunks of nectarine nestle into a moist light cake. The cake gets better the second day, when the nectarines juices seep further into the cake. I love the last taste of summer with these juicy fragrant nectarines, and now that summer has ended, I wanted to use those ripen summer fruits in a cake and savor it with a cup of coffee on those chilly morning days. So here’s one last summer cake… enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 medium ripe nectarines, cut into cubes
1 cup 1 1/2 Tbsp (250 g) butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (200g) sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (250 g) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) spring pan.

Beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy and white, about 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon zest.

In another bowl sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix. Fold in nectarines with a spatula.

Pour batter in the pan and level the top. Bake for about 50-60 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Gâteau aux nectarines

Ingrédients:

3 nectarines mûres de taille moyenne, coupées en cubes
250 g de beurre à température ambiante
zeste d'un citron
200g de sucre

1/4 càc d'extrait de vanille
4 œufs, à température ambiante
250g de farine
1/2 càc de levure chimique
une pincée de sel

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule de 24 cm.

Battez le beurre avec le sucre environ 4 mn. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un en battant après chaque ajoût. Ajoutez l'extrait de vanille et le zeste de citron.

Dans un saladier, tamisez la farine, le sel et la levure chimique. Ajoutez le mélange aux œufs et mélangez délicatement. Ajoutez les nectarines.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Enfournez 50 à 60 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré ressorte propre.

Saupoudrez de sucre glace avant de servir.

Potato & eggplant salad

2011-09-18T01:04:00.000-07:00

Eggplants are such a staple in the Mediterranean diet, and even though they're available all year round, I love to eat them in summer. And now, with the summer coming to an end, this is a great recipe if you still have all these garden vegetables on hand. The addition of garlic, coriander and lemon juice brings a bright, warm, citrus flavor to the salad. It's perfect accompanied with meat, fish or chicken... and it can be a light night meal.

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium eggplants, cubed
1 cup of frozen or fresh green beans
a handful of corandier, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
a pinch of paprika
salt, to taste

In a large skillet, heat some oil and fry the potato cubes. Once browned, set aside.
In the same skillet, fry the eggplant cubes. Set aside.
Finally, fry the green beans and set aside.
Put the fried vegetables in a salad bowl.
In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, salt, garlic and coriander. Add this mixture to the vegetables and mix slowly. Sprinkle some paprika and serve.

Salade d'aubergines et de pommes de terre

Ingrédients:

2 pommes de terre moyennes, coupées en cubes

2 aubergines moyennes, coupées en cubes

1 tasse d'haricots verts, frais ou surgelés

une poignée coriandre, haché

3 gousses d'ail, écrasées

75 ml de jus de citron

60 ml d'huile d'olive

une pincée de paprika

sel, selon goût

Dans une grande poêle, faites chauffer de l'huile et faites frire les cubes de pommes de terre. Réserver.

Dans la même poêle, faites revenir les cubes d'aubergines. Réservez.

Enfin, faites y revenir les haricots verts.

Dans un bol, mélangez le jus de citron avec l'ail écrasé et la coriandre. Salez. Versez sur les légumes frits, et mélangez délicatement. Saupoudrez de paprika et servez.

Pasta alla Norma

2011-09-11T03:18:00.000-07:00

This vegetarian pasta dish originates from Sicily. It was named after Sicilian composer Bellini's hugely successful opera "Norma". Pasta alla Norma is a typical Sicilian dish with eggplants, sweet & ripe tomatoes, ricotta salata, fresh basil, olive oil and pasta. It is usually made with Ricotta Salata cheese, which gives a distinctive original flavor. However, you can substitute it with pecorino or feta, but you know it won't be the same.
Some insist that the pasta must be maccheroni… Well, I used spaghetti (this is what I had in my pantry). A delicious easy dish to enjoy on a weekday night...

2 medium eggplants, cut into cubes
1/2-cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped or 1/2 tsp dry oregano
6 leaves fresh basil, shredded
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 lbs tomatoes, ripe, seeded and chopped or canned Italian tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated ricotta salata or pecorino...
1 lb spaghetti or maccheroni

Sprinkle the eggplant cubes with salt.
Place in colander and let stand for an hour or so.
Place on paper towels to drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Brown eggplant cubes on both sides. Set aside.
Alternatively, brush both sides of eggplant cubes with olive oil, place on cookie sheet, bake in a pre-heated 450º F oven for 15 minutes or till nicely browned. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add onion and sauté till golden. Add garlic and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes.
Add the tomato, fresh oregano, red chili flakes and basil. Cook about 10 to 15 minutes at high heat; do not allow sauce to dry out.
While tomato sauce cooks, bring water to a boil. Cook pasta and drain when done. Place in a bowl, pour tomato sauce and eggplant cubes and mix. Sprinkle the cheese and serve.

Pâtes alla norma

2 aubergines, coupées en cubes

120 ml d'huile d'olive

1 oignon, haché

4 gousses d'ail, écrasées

1 1/2 càc d'origan haché ou 1/2 càc d'orgian séché

6 feuilles de basilic, hachées

1/4 càc de piment d'Espelette

1 kg de tomates mûres, épépinées et coupées en dés ou une boite de coulis de tomates

sel et poivre

3/4 tasse de ricotta émiétté ou de pecorino...

500 g spaghetti or maccheroni

Saupoudrez les aubergines avec du sel.

Laissez-les dégorger de sel pendant environ 1 heure.

Placez-les sur du papier absorbant.

Faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une sauteuse. Faites frire les aubergines.

Vous pouvez les badigeonner d'huile d'olive et les glisser au four pendant 15 mn à 220ºC.

Faites chauffer 2 càs d'huile d'olive et faites revenir l'oignon, puis l'ail.

Ajoutez les tomates, l'origan, le piment et le basilic, et laissez mijoter 10 à 15 mn.

Faites cuire les pâtes dans de l'eau salée bouillante. Egouttez et placez dans un saladier. Versez la sauce tomate dessus, ajoutez les dés d'aubergines. Mélangez et parsemez de fromage. Servez.

Chocolate chip cookie dough brownies

2011-08-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

Even though I haven’t been posting as often as I would like, it doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking or baking. Now I'm back to blogging and I miss it so much. Summer has been hectic, but beautiful. I want to apologize for my absence, hope you didn't miss me a lot :)

Well, these chocolate chip cookie dough brownies may just take the ultimate prize.

As soon as I saw the recipe from RecipeGirl I knew it was a genius idea. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies right? I wanted an original recipe, something new and yummy!

Ingredients:

BROWNIE:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

COOKIE DOUGH (EGG FREE):
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle, optional

Prepare the brownies:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don't over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Prepare the cookie dough:
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.

If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

Source: RecipeGirl.com

Stuffed bread loaf

2011-06-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the weekend of leftovers, and I love leftovers. I love them because I don't have to make dinner, for one thing and mostly because all the real work is already done, leftovers free me up to be creative in a low-key way. So, this stuffed bread is an idea for an easy-to-put-together appetizer that guests will enjoy, and a way to use your leftovers too.

This is a very flexible recipe, and you can adjust amounts and ingredients to what you have hanging out in the fridge. Switch out the ham for turkey or the provolone for Swiss or cheddar. Add grilled eggplant slices, chopped olives, salami, ricotta, grilled zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes... There really is no end to combination with this recipe.

Honestly, there's nothing like a versatile recipe to make my day. Add to that affordable and quick and you have a real winner for me!!!

Ingredients:
1 round bread loaf
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 pound (115g) sliced ham
7 oz (200g) sliced provolone or mozzarella cheese
1 (12 oz / 340g)) jar roasted red peppers, drained

Slice the bread vertically but not all the way through the bottom.
Combine oil, oregano, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well. Brush generously the interior with this mixture.

In assembly line fashion, make piles of cheese, ham and roasted red peppers to fit down in your bread slices. Be sure the pepper rings are drained well to prevent a soggy sandwich.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and place the bread 20 mn until cheese is melted.

Note : You can add other ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, sliced olives, pesto, marinated artichokes, grilled eggplant slices, ricotta, salami.... just use your imagination!!!

Pain de campagne fourré

Ingrédients:

1 grand pain de campagne

75 ml d'huile d'olive

1 càc d'origan

1/2 càc de poivre

1/4 càc de paprika

1 càc d'ail écrasé

200 g de tranches de jambon

200 g de fromage provolone tranché ou de mozzarella

1 boîte de 340 g de poivrons rouges égouttés

Couper la miche aux 2/3 de sa hauteur. Réserver la calotte.

Dans un bol, mélanger l'huile avec l'origan, le poivre, le paprika et l'ail.

Badigeonner généreusement l'intérieur du pain de ce mélange.

Disposer en rangs successifs les poivrons grillés, les tranches de fromage, et le jambon.

Préchauffer le four à 180ºC et placer le pain environ 20 mn jusqu'à ce que le fromage fonde.

Note : On pourra substituer ou ajouter d'autres ingrédients tels que : des tomates séchées dans l'huile égouttées, des olives kalamata hachées grossièrement, du pesto, des artichauts marinés et épongés, de la ricotta, du salami....

Roasted pears with goat cheese & pine nuts

2011-05-29T05:06:00.000-07:00

This looks good, don't you agree? Well, let me tell you something, these roasted pears taste absolutely amazing!! As long as you like fruit and cheese combo, you will hit the jackpot with this recipe.

Well, we are basking in beautiful weather. Spring has finally arrived, bringing us the sunshine and the wonders of nature with it! I look forward to the time when apple and cherry trees start to bloom because we know that spring has finally arrived.

Though pears are basically a fall time food, this dish is all about being fresh and light to welcome the spring season. Well, I think this dish could work really in any season!

I loved this dish, because I love pears and I am fond of goat cheese! The sweetness of the pears contrasted the pungent goat cheese well, and the crunchiness of the toasted pine nuts complemented the soft texture of the pears. A recipe I will be making again and again!

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 ripe but firm pears

3.5 oz (100g) goat cheese, crumbled

3/4 oz (20g) pine nuts

1 sprig rosemary

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp (30g) butter

Wash the pears, slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a spoon remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling.

Heat the butter in a skillet and brown the pears, skin side down, on low heat for about 10 mn.

Preheat your oven at 350ºF (180ºC).

Place the pears in a ovenproof dish and pour the cooking butter on top. Add half a cup of water in the ovenproof dish. Bake 10 to 15 mn.

Meanwhile, gently toss the goat cheese with the pine nuts and the rosemary in a small bowl. Season.

Remove the pears from the oven. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation. Spoon a bit of honey and bake them again for another 10 mn. Serve immediately.

Poires rôties au chèvre et aux pignons de pin

Ingrédients (4 personnes):

2 poires

100 g de fromage de chèvre demi-sec

20 g de pignons de pin

1 petite branche de romarin

2 c. à soupe de miel

30 g de beurre

Lavez les poires et les coupez en deux en retirant les pépins. Creusez-les légèrement.

Faites-les dorer ensuite côté chair dans une poêle avec le beurre sur feu doux pendant 10 min.

Préchauffez votre four à 180° C.

Déposez les poires dans un plat allant au four, et arrosez-les avec le reste de beurre de cuisson, plus un 1/2 verre d’eau dans le fond du plat. Enfournez les poires 10 à 15 min.

Entre temps, mélangez à la fourchette, le fromage de chèvre, les pignons et les brindilles de romarin hachées. Assaisonnez.

Sortez les poires du four et garnissez-les du mélange de fromage de chèvre. Arrosez de miel et remettez au four 10 min. Servez aussitôt.

Eggplant Frittata

2011-04-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

This frittata has the smell of summer, it has a savory flavor and a wonderful aroma.

Actually, as you know, I’m a big fan of frittatas. They make a great healthy meatless meal that can be prepared with minimal effort. Sometimes we all need meals like that, don’t we? Baked frittatas are easy to make and hold well in the refrigerator, and they’re equally good hot, cold or at room temperature.

I had originally contemplated making some eggplant parmigiana, but I was running low on energy and wasn’t in the mood for breading and frying. I wanted something a bit lighter for dinner, so I decided to use my lovely eggplants to make a frittata!

Ingredients:
8 eggs
1.5 lb (700g) eggplants, peeled every other strip and cubed
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

Sprinkle sea salt over eggplant cubes and let them sit in a colander for half an hour. Rinse the eggplants then pat them dry with paper towels.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion. Add the eggplants cubes and the garlic and let them cook on medium low heat until golden and cooked. Stir them frequently.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with cheese, salt and pepper. Pour in the egg mixture to the cooked eggplants, lifting edges of eggplant so eggs coat bottom of skillet. Cook over low heat covered until set and cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!

Frittata aux aubergines

Ingrédients:

8 œufs

700 g d'aubergines, partiellement épluchées puis coupées en dés

1 oignon, haché

6 gousses d;ail, écrasées
50 g de Gruyère râpé

1 càs de persil haché
sel et poivre selon goût

2 çàs d'huile d'olive

Versez les dés d'aubergines dans une passoire, saupoudrez de sel et laisser dégorger 30 min. Rincez les dés sous l’eau froide et puis essuyez-les avec du papier absorbant.

Verser l’huile d’olive dans une poêle. A feu doux, y faire revenir l’oignon. Ajouter les dés d’aubergine et l’ail écrasé. Cuire à feu doux jusqu'à ce qu'elles deviennent molles. Ne pas oublier de remuer régulièrement.

Dans un saladier, battez les oeufs avec le fromage, sel, et poivre. Les ajouter dans la poêle, couvrez et poursuivez la cuisson à feu doux. La frittata aux aubergines est cuite lorsqu'elle se détache facilement de la poêle. Parsemez de persil haché et servez aussitôt!

Banana and raspberry cake

2011-04-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

I spotted this recipe in a magazine called 'Saveurs' and since the recipe looked easy enough and I had all the ingredients already, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. I think this recipe and I are going to become good friends. It’s so versatile. What makes it even better is that if you use a 4 oz. yogurt container as a measuring cup for this cake! I also converted the measures for those who don't have a yogurt cup!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk (= 1 yogurt cup of whole milk)
1 cup sugar (= 2 yogurt cups of sugar)
1 1/2 cup flour (= 2 yogurt cups of flour)
2 ripe bananas
30 raspberries
1 tbsp baking powder
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil (3/4 yogurt cup of olive oil)

Preheat the oven at 350ºF (180ºC). Butter and flour your cake pan.

In a bowl, mix the milk with the eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and oil. Mix until you have a smooth batter.

Mash the bananas with a fork and add them to the mixture. Mix everything well.
Pour the preparation into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the raspberries evenly across the top of the batter. Gently press them into the batter.

Bake for 40 mn. Leave to cool.

Cake banane et framboises

Ingrédients:
1 yaourt nature ou 125 ml de lait entier
2 pots à yaourt de sucre
3 pots à yaourt de farine
3/4 de pot à yaourt d’huile
1 sachet de levure chimique
3 oeufs
2 bananes bien mûres
1 barquette de framboises

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez et farinez un moule.

Dans un saladier, mélangez le lait avec les œufs, le sucre, la farine, la levure et l'huile. Fouettez bien pour obtenir une pâte homogène.

Ecrasez bien les bananes et ajoutez-les à la pâte. Mélangez bien le tout.

Versez la préparation dans le moule et enfoncez légèrement les framboises.

Laissez cuire 40 mn. Démoulez sur une grille et laissez-le refroidir complètement.

Penne with artichokes

2011-04-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ahhh springtime in Paris! I love everything about spring; a time when flowers start sprouting up from the ground and trees growing their leaves. I just appreciate the smells and sights of spring! Oh how I love spring. I love to hear birds chirping in the newly leafing trees, see the crocus peeking out of the flower beds and what I mostly love is not having to bundle up before going anywhere! It’s that time of year when I'm looking forward to a change in the weather and getting out of the doldrums of winter.

At this time, I go for simple light meals! I love to spend my days out, so this dinner recipe came into rescue! It was ready in less than 30 mn, and the best part is that it was delicious!

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 lb. penne rigate
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 artichoke hearts, quartered
1 1/4 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and the garlic in the olive oil. Add the artichoke hearts. Cook to a pale gold color over high heat, then add the tomatoes, seasoning to taste. Simmer 15-20 minutes over medium heat.

Cook the penne rigate until al dente according to package directions in boiling, salted water. Drain and add to the artichoke sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

Penne aux artichauts

Ingrédients (serves 6)

500 g penne rigate
1 oignon, finement émincé

2 gousses d'ail, écrasées
60 ml d'huile d'olive
8 cœurs d'artichauts, coupés en quarts
1 boîte de tomates pelées, coupées en dés
1 càs de persil ciselé

1/2 tasse Parmesan

Sel et poivre

Dans une sauteuse, faites chauffer l'huile et faites-y revenir l'oignon et l'ail. Ajoutez les artichauts et laissez cuire à feu doux jusqu'à légère coloration. Ajoutez les tomates, assaisonnez selon votre goût et laissez mijoter 15 à 20 mn.

Faites cuire les penne dans de l'eau bouillante salée. Égouttez et ajoutez-les à la sauce d'artichauts. Parsemez de persil et de Parmesan.

Greek meat sausages with tomato sauce - Soutzoukakia Smyrneika

2011-04-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Greek food! It is probably one of my favorite food. I'm biased though mostely because I've had the chance to go to Greece and taste their authentic cuisine. I just loved everything, from the ingredients to the taste, from the essence to the flavor to the overall taste. It's so authentic, yet so natural and just so good. All I can say is that I have a small spot in my heart for anything Greek: like this wonderful rustic dish, meat sausages cooked in a tomato sauce!!

Ingredients (serves 4):

For the meat sausages:
1 lb (500 g) ground beef
2 slices of bread with the crusts removed
1/4 cup of red or white wine
1 onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 egg lightly beaten
3 tbsp of chopped parsley
1 tsp of ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

For the tomato sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare your sauce:
In a skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let them simmer 25 mn until thickened.

Prepare the meat sausages:
Soak the bread in wine until softened. Squeeze it well and mix it with the other ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands until everything is combined.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Once chilled, remove and shape the meat mixture into sausage shape.

Heat a griddle pan and brush it with a bit of olive oil. Cook the meat sausages until browned on all sides.

Add the meat sausages to the sauce and cook for about 10 mn.

Serve them with rice, mash or fried potatoes.

Boulettes de viande à la grecque

Ingrédients (4 personnes):

Pour la viande:
500 g viande hachée
2 tranches épaisses de pain rassi
60ml de vin rouge ou blanc
1 oignon, finement émincé
3 gousses d'ail, hachées
1 oeuf, légèrement battu
3 c. soupe de persil haché (frais)
1 càc de cumin
sel et poivre selon goût

Pour la sauce tomate:
2 càs d'huile d'olive
1 oignon, finement émincé
1 boîte de tomates concassées
2 gousses d'ail, émincés
1/2 càc de cannelle
sel et poivre selon goût

Préparer la sauce:
Faire revenir oignon et ail dans un peu d'huile dans une poêle. Ajouter ensuite les tomates, la canelle et assaisonner. Une fois que cela boue, baisser le feu et laisser mijoter pendant environ 25 minutes. Laisser refroidir ensuite.

Préparer les boulettes:

Faites tremper le pain dans le vin, puis essorer et mettre dans un saladier.

Ajouter le reste des ingredients : la viande, l'oeuf, l'oignon, l'ail, persil, sel poivre et cumin. Malaxer.

Couvrir et mettre au frigo 1h.

Sortir du frigo et avec des mains humides former des "boulettes" ou plutots des petits boudins et les mettre sur un papier sulfurisé au fur et à mesure.

Chauffer une poêle (une poêle grill est conseillée) avec un peu d'huile. Cuire les soutzoukakia sur tous les côtés jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient cuites (environ 10min).

Rechauffer votre sauce et mettre les soutzoukakia dedans, laissez mijoter ainsi pendant 10 min.

Servir immédiatement avec du riz ou de la purée de pomme de terre.

French onion tart

2011-03-27T01:39:00.000-07:00

Une tarte à l’oignon, or onion tart, quickly became my favorite dish when I first came to France. During the winter months making this tart and eating it hot from the oven with a green salad made for a most satisfying evening meal. I used to eat it a lot when I first came to France, a kind of grab-and-go food when I was strolling the cobblestone streets of Paris, especially during those wintry days, when the air was chilling, and I was searching for lunch and a chocolat chaud, passing by those food stands and finally picking up a steamy onion tart.
This tart is very easy to make and it's perfect with a glass of white wine and a light green salad!!!

Ingredients:

1 pâte brisée (pie crust)

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

6 oz (180 g) smoked bacon, cut into strips

1 1/2 oz (40 g) gruyère cheese, grated

salt and pepper

Sauté bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until bacon is cooked through and crisped, about 7 minutes. Set aside. In the same skillet, add the onions, and let them cook for 10 mn until cooked but not colored.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and the milk.

Season with salt and pepper (Do not add too much salt, as the bacon is already salted).

Preheat the oven at 400ºF (200ºC).

Grease a tart pan and fit the pie dough into it then lightly prick all over.

Add the onions and the bacon on top of the tart and then sprinkle with the cheese.

Pour in the egg-milk mixture.

Bake in the oven 25 to 30 mn or until golden.

Tarte à l'oignon

Ingrédients:

1 pâte brisée

2 oignons, émincés

3 oeufs

10 cl de lait

180 g de lardons

40 g de gruyère râpé

sel et poivr, selon goût

Faire chauffer une poêle et faites-y revenir les lardons. Ajouter les oignons et laisser les cuire à feu doux environ 10 mn. Ne pas les laisser colorer.

Dans un saladier, fouetter les oeufs avec le lait.

Saler et poivrer.(Attention ne pas trop saler puisque les lardons sont déjà salés).

Préchauffer le four à 200ºC.

Etaler la pâte dans un moule à tarte, chemisé de papier sulfurisé, puis piquer le fond avec une fourchette.

Répartir les oignons et les lardons sur le fond de tarte puis parsemer avec le fromage.

Verser ensuite la préparation oeuf-lait.

Enfourner 25 à 30 mn ou jusqu'à ce que le dessus soit doré.

Raspberry clafoutis

2011-03-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Clafoutis are a French dessert, typically made with cherries. And if cherries are substituted with other fruits, we are supposed to call it a flognarde. This homely dessert originates from Limousin, a region in central France. If you enjoy raspberries, you'll love this dessert. The juice of the raspberries seep into the flan-like dessert and add a fresh flavor. Here's the recipe!

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 egg + 1 yolk
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
4 1/2 oz (125 g) raspberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).

Butter 4 ramekins. Divide the raspberries between the ramekins.

In a bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk in the flour, then pour the milk and the cream. Mix until smooth.

Pour the batter into the ramekins and place them on a baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes, until the clafoutis is set and golden. Let cool slightly.

Clafoutis aux framboises

Ingrédients (4 personnes):
1 oeuf entier + 1 jaune d’oeuf
40 g de farine
60 g de sucre
pincée de sel
10 cl de crème liquide
1/2 càc d'extrait de vanille
100 ml de lait entier
125 g de framboises

Préchauffez le four à 180°C.

Beurrez 4 ramequins. Divisez les framboises entre les 4 ramequins.

Dans un saladier, cassez les oeufs. Ajoutez le sucre et la vanille. Mélangez. Ajoutez la farine puis versez le lait et la crème. Mélangez. Versez la préparation dans les ramequins à l’aide d’une petite louche. Mettez le tout au four pendant 35 minutes. Laissez refroidir.

Croque Madame

2011-03-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Originated in France as a fast-food snack, and served in cafés and bistros, croque Monsieur is the hot ham and cheese grilled sandwich we all love.

A croque monsieur topped with a fried or poached egg, is a croque madame, or in parts of Normandy, a croque-à-cheval.
I love this sandwich with french pressed coffee for brunch, and I also love it with a glass of wine for dinner. That’s particularly why I love this sandwich, because it can go either way: breakfast or dinner.

Ingredients (serves 4):

8 slices of white bread
4 tsp of Dijon mustard
½ pound smoked ham, thinly sliced
¾ cup shredded cheese (Gruyère)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups milk
Dash of salt and pepper
4 large eggs

The sauce:
In a saucepan, melt 3 tbsp of butter, add 3 tbsp of flour and whisk continuously for abt 3 mn. Add the milk, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer 5 mn, whisking periodically, until thickened. Remove from heat and add ½ cup of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and stir until the cheese is melted and combined.

The sandwiches:
For each sandwich, apply about a teaspoon of mustard on one side of the bread. Pile the ham on top of the mustard. On the other piece of bread, spoon about 1 to 2 tbsp of bechamel-cheese sauce and spread it evenly. Add about 1 tbsp of shredded cheese on top of the sauce and close the sandwich. Repeat for each of the sandwiches.

Preheat the broiler.

In a non stick griddle pan, grill the sandwiches on both sides until golden.
Remove the sandwiches to a baking dish. Spoon about ⅓ cup of the sauce on each of the sandwiches. Place the dish under the broiler for approximately 2 minutes, or until the sauce is browned.

Now fry 4 eggs until the whites are cooked and the egg is just sunny side up perfection. On each sandwich, place one egg and serve immediately.

Ingrédients (4 personnes):

8 tranches de pain de mie
4 càs de moutarde de Dijon
4 tranches de jambon
150 g de Gruyère
40 g de beurre
40 g de farine
45 cl de lait
sel et poivre
4 œufs

La sauce:
Dans une casserole, faites fondre le beurre, ajoutez la farine et fouettez environ 3 mn. Versez le lait, petit à petit, tout en fouettant. Portez à ébullition, puis réduisez le feu et laissez la sauce s'épaissir tout en continuant de fouetter. Hors feu, ajoutez 100 g de gruyère et mélangez jusqu'à ce qu'elle fond. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre.

Les sandwiches:
Sur un pain de mie, étalez une càc de moutarde. Déposez une tranche de jambon dessus. Sur l'autre pain étalez 1 à 2 càs de sauce puis saupoudrez 1 càs de gruyère dessus. Fermez le sandwich et répétez avec les autres pain.

Préchauffez le grill four.

Dans une poêle, faites griller les sandwiches des 2 côtés. Transférez les dans un plat allant au four. Étalez sur le dessus des sandwiches 2 càs de sauce. Placez les sous le grill 2 mn.

Faites cuire 4 oeufs au plat dans une poêle. Sortez les croque du four et déposez-y l'oeuf au plat dessus.

Omelette roulade

2011-03-09T00:03:00.000-08:00

Omelette is certainly the most common dish served in each household. It was one of my childhood favourite dish. Whenever I smelled my mother’s freshly cooked omelette, I would sneak into the kitchen and eat a few bites.

This roulade or roll up is a stuffed omelette with cream chesse, red peppers and rocket salad; a great make ahead appetizer!

Ingredients:

For the omelette
6 large eggs
a pinch of paprika
salt & pepper
1 tbsp of olive oil

For the filling:
6 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
1 red pepper, julienned
a handful of rocket salad

Whisk the eggs, paprika, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12 inch diameter nonstick skillet. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook on medium heat till the underside of the omelette is slightly golden. Carefully flip the omelette over and cook the other side till done. Using a large spatula, trasfer the omelette to a large sheet of cling film. Let omelette cool completely.

When the omelette is completely cool. Spread the cream cheese over the omelette. Then arrange the rocket leaves in a single layer. Place the pepper juliennes in a single layer over the watercress layer. Gently roll omlette. Wrap the omlette roll in cling film, gently but firmly. Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Place 6-8 tooth picks at regular intervals on the omelette roll. Using a sharp knife, cut in between each tooth pick, to get spiral shaped omelette pinwheels. Serve at room temperature.

Omelette roulée

Ingrédients:

Pour l'omelette
6 œufs

une pincée de paprika
sel & poivre
1 càs d'huile d'olive

Pour la farce:
6 càs de St Moret
1 poivron rouge, coupé en julienne
une poignée de roquette

Battez les œufs en omelette avec paprika, sel et poivre. Faites chauffer un filet d'huile d'olive dans une poêle antiadhésive à feu moyen. Verser la préparation aux oeufs dans la poêle chaude. Faites cuire juqu'à le dessus soit pris. Retournez l'omelette et laissez cuire quelques minutes. Débarrasser l'omelette sur un film alimentaire et laissez-la refroidir.

Une fois refroidie, tartinez l'omelette de St. Moret sur le dessus, déposez de la roquette en une seule couche puis déposez les poivrons coupés en julienne et roulez l'omelette sur elle-même, bien serré dans le film. Réservez au frigo 30 min.

Enlevez l'omelette du film, et coupez-la en biseaux en déposant des piques en bois.

Parmesan roasted potatoes

2011-03-04T05:22:00.000-08:00

I make mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, hasselback potatoes, and even grilled potatoes all the time! However, Parmesan roasted potatoes provide a taste that’s beats them all!

With only a few simple ingredients, these potatoes are a cinch to whip up as a side dish. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, they're so tasty!
A little olive oil combined with salt, pepper, paprika and some minced garlic, and some Parmesan, and you're done. The mixture coats each potato wedge, which infuses it with flavor and a heavenly aroma that is just irresistible.

Ingredients:

4 medium red potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Cut the potatoes in wedges.

In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, garlic, and paprika and set aside. Next, toss the potatoes and oil together in a mixing bowl then add the bowl of cheese and seasonings and stir to coat.

Arrange them on a cookie sheet in a single layer.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes then remove from oven and turn over all the potatoes. Bake for another few minutes until crispy and golden.

Pommes de terre au parmesan

Ingrédients:

4 pommes de terre à chair rouge
2 càs d'huile d'olive
1/3 tasse de parmesan

1 càc d'ail en poudre
1 càc de paprika
sel et poivre selon goût

Préchauffez le four à 200ºC. Coupez les pommes de terres en quarts.

Dans un bol, mélangez le parmesan, l'ail et le parprika. Dans un autre bol, mélangez les pommes de terre avec l'huile, assaisonnez de sel et de poivre. Ajoutez le mélange parmesan-ail et mélangez bien le tout. Déposez les pommes de terre sur une plaque à four en une seule couche.

Enfournez 30 à 35 mn. Faites retournez et laissez cuire jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient dorées et croustillantes.

Molten Chocolate Cake or Coulant au Chocolat

2011-02-28T01:31:00.000-08:00

Mmm Chocolate "Coulant", this nice little cake with a smooth and runny center...

So if you love chocolate, especially, the ooey-gooey style, so this is for you!

This dessert has become so popular that one might think it has always existed, when in fact it was created in 1981 by Michel Bras, France’s most venerated chef, in his restaurant of Laguiole.

The original recipe uses a frozen ganache filling surrounded by a cookie dough. Since 1981, the recipe has been simplified and the principle of 2 textures, 2 different temperatures is now often neglected. Many food writers have rhapsodized that this coulant has been copied often but never equaled.

Although simplified, this coulant au chocolat is just as appetizing as the original one. Fortunately, there’s a classic version of this amazing chocolate cake that’s easier to accomplish. Unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to taste the Michel Bras version. Hopefully soon!!

Ingredients:
100g (3.5 oz) of dark chocolate (over 70%)
100g (7 tbsp) of butter
100g (1/2 cup) superfine sugar
50g (1/3 cup) of flour
3 eggs
An untreated orange

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200°C).

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Remove from heat, add sugar and stir with a wooden spoon or with a normal one, but not with a whisk, you do not want to incorporate air. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Add flour, stir and add the eggs 1 by 1 stirring after each addition.

Grate an orange into the chocolate mixture.

Place in moulds or ramekins. Bake in the oven 10 to 12 minutes.

Moelleux au chocolat

Ingrédients:

100g de chocolat (70%)

100g de beurre

100g de sucre

50g de farine

3 œufs

Le zeste d'une orange

Préchauffez le four à 200°C.

Au bain marie, faites fondre le chocolat et le beurre coupés en morceaux.

Hors feu, incorporez le sucre et mélangez à l'aide d'une cuillère en bois.

Ajoutez la farine, mélangez puis ajoutez les œufs, un par un, en mélangeant après chaque ajout.

Ajoutez le zeste d'orange. Versez dans des moules ou des ramequins et enfournez 10 à 12 mn.