Today's recipe
 

Gougères (cheese puffs)

Ingredients for about 30 to 40 gougères:

250g Water

1teaspoon Salt, pepper

 

80g Butter

150g Flour

4 Eggs

150g Comte Cheese

1 pinch Nutmeg (Optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400F

In a saucepan, bring water, salt and butter to a boil.

Off the flame, add in one shot the flour and stir immediately.

Put back on low heat and stir for 1-2min.

Turn stove off, transfer dough to a stand mixer.

Mix in the eggs slowly waiting for complete incorporation before adding more.

Stir in the grated cheese, pepper and nutmeg.

 

Drop spheres of dough with 2 spoons onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet.

 

Bake for about 25 to 30 min without opening the oven.

Enjoy as finger food or serve with a salad.

 

Today's recipe

Minestrone

Ingredients:
4 carrots

2 zucchinis
4 potatoes
1 cup of small macaronis
6 cups of chicken bouillon or chicken broth (or vegetable bouillon)
Parsley
3 spoons of olive oil
1 can of kidney beans
Peas (or green beans...)

1 onion

2 stacks of celery

Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

In a Dutch oven (or a large pot), sauté the celery, onion and parsley in oil.

Add bouillon, water, carrots, cook for about 10 minutes, then add the rest of vegetables  and salt, pepper.

Let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add pasta and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans. 

 

Serve with one tablespoon of pesto per serving.

Today's recipe

Last minute salad from the garden

Ingredients:

One pink raw beet, grated
1/2 zuchini, grated
cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, about 12
basil, about 10 leaves
3 naesturium flowers
roasted almonds
vinaigrette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper)

Today's recipe

Eggplant tarte

 

 

Ingredients:

1 pie crust

4 eggs

200 gr of crème fraiche

2 eggplants

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

Parsley

Olive oil

Preparation

 

Sauté the onion. Cut the eggplants in cubes and add them into the pan with the sautéed onion. Sauté them as well. If you don't want to add too much olive oil (as the eggplants absorb a lot), you can add a little bit of water (about 3/4 cup) in order for the eggplant to cook

.

Cook for about 15 minutes, do not cover but stir regularly.

Stretch the dough to fit a baking pan.

Mix the eggs, crème fraiche, salt and pepper. Add the "persillade" (mix of minced garlic and finely chopped parsley) to the batter.

Place the eggplants+onion on the dough, add the batter on top.

 

Place into the oven (400 F) for about 45 minutes.

 



Today's recipe

Gazpacho

Ingredients

6 tomatoes chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste

1 cup water

Preparation
Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate. You can serve it right away or wait overnight, allowing flavors to blend. 

serves 8.

Today's recipe

Caponata (Sicilian Sweet-Sour Vegetables)

Lamb kebabs with caponata and green couscous

Ingredients 2 eggplants (about 2 lbs.), cut into 1⁄2" cubes

10 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 anchovy filet, chopped
3 ripe medium tomatoes (about 1 lb.), cored, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced crosswise
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. golden raisins
2 tbsp. pine nuts
2 tbsp. capers
12 pitted green olives, such as cerignola, coarsely   chopped
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded,  thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, Salt
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped basil
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
1. Put eggplant into a colander set over a large bowl; toss with 1 tbsp. salt. Top with a plate weighted down with several large cans; let drain for 1 hour. Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the eggplant and cook until golden brown, 7–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to a bowl. Repeat with oil and remaining eggplant.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining oil, onions, and anchovies; cook until soft, 14–15 minutes. Add tomatoes and celery and increase heat to medium; cook until tomatoes release their juices, 5–6 minutes. Add vinegar, tomato paste; cook until thickened, 3–4 minutes. Add cooked eggplant, raisins, pine nuts, capers, olives, roasted peppers, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until hot. Transfer to a plate; let cool slightly. Top with basil and parsley. Serve at room temperature.

Today's recipe

Madeleines

Ingredients:

3 eggs

½  cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon of orange blossom water

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons salted butter

Preparation:

Pre heat the oven at 420.

Melt the butter and let it cool down.

In a bowl, combine the eggs and sugar and mix. Add flour and baking powder combined.

Mix with butter and orange blossom water.

Let it stand for about 30 minutes.

Butter the molds.

Pour the batter into the Madeleine molds (about ¾ of the molds) and bake for about 5 minutes at 420 and then about 8 minutes at 400.

Today's recipe

Papillote de sea bass (or other fish like salmon, cod…)

On one square of parchment paper:

•  1Tablespoon of Jerusalem couscous
• 1 fish filet (6oz)
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Salt and pepper
• ½ Grated zucchini
• 1teaspoon of capers
• A few thin strips of lemon preserve
• 3 or 4 pieces of sun dried tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon of dry white wine

Close the paper carefully so no liquid gets out and it cooks in its own juice.

Cook at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes

serve into the paper. Each person open it's own papillote.

Today's recipe

Ratatouille

Ingredients:

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 large onion, sliced

·         1 small eggplant, sliced

·         1 bell pepper (yellow or red, will be sweeter), chopped

·         4 large tomatoes, chopped

·         3 to 4 small zucchini, sliced

·         1/4 teaspoon thyme

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

·         1 teaspoon rosemary

·         Salt and pepper
 

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, not brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add eggplant; stir until coated with oil. Add peppers; stir to combine.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep vegetables from sticking.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Then add tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs; mix. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.

Ratatouille is even better when reheated. Can be eaten as a cold side as well.

Today's recipe

Cold asparagus soup

Ingredients:

 

2 lbs. asparagus

1 yellow onion

2 leeks

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 gold potatoes

1 bay leaf

8 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp. crème fraiche

Butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Hazelnuts

Balsamic glaze

Directions:

Melt a little bit of butter and oil in a heavy saucepan (Dutch oven type), add the chopped onion. When transparent, add the chopped leeks, chopped celery. Cook until tender, but not brown. Add the potatoes cut in cubes. Add the stock, the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the asparagus, cook again for another 10 minutes.

When asparagus are tender, mix the soup in a blender.

Add some crème fraiche, salt and pepper to taste.

 Let it chill in a refrigerator for a few hours. 

For decoration: add a little bit of crushed hazelnuts, a few drops of balsamic glaze.

Today's recipe

Hummus

Ingredients:
250 gr of dry chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
Salt
2 TSP of olive oil
1 TSP of Tahini
The juice of 1 lemons
The juice of 2 oranges
For decoration:
Cilantro
Pomegranate seeds

Directions:
Let the chickpeas soak for one night, covering them with water (twice the amount of chickpeas) then drain them.
Cook them (20 minutes in a pressure cooker, or 1h30 minutes in a saucepan).
When ready, mix them in a blender with olive oil, garlic, salt, tahini lemon and orange.

Serve with pomegranate seeds and cilantro for decoration.

Today's recipe

 

Bread

Ingredients:
400 gr bread flour
300 gr lukewarm water
8gr salt
5 gr active dry yeast

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients first with a spatula and then add water until you have an even consistency.

Place a dishtowel on top of the bowl, let the dough rise for about 10/12 hours.

Spread some flour on the countertop and make a bowl. Start kneading the dough about 6 times, until it becomes harder to do.

Let it stand again for about one hour.

Preheat the oven (with a Dutch oven in it) up to 475 F.
When the oven is ready, score the bread with a very sharp knife.

Place the loaf into the Dutch oven.

Let it bake for 30 to 35 minutes, then remove the lead (to finish the crust) for another 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it stand for, at least a half hour in order for the crust to finish forming.

 

Today's recipe

Fish Blanquette

(serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 pieces (about 150 gr each) cod
150 gr white mushrooms
2 carrots
30 gr butter
5gr sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil
150gr heavy whipping cream
1 clove garlic
Thyme
4 scallions
Salt and pepper
1 star anise

Directions:
Cut the cod into large cubes. Peel and cut the carrots, cut the mushrooms in 4 pieces each. Keep only the white end of the scallions.
Glaze the vegetables: in a large pot, place the carrots as well as the scallions. Add half the butter, the sugar, salt and pepper. Add water up to half the carrots. Let the vegetable cook until the water has evaporated.  
In a pan, melt the rest of the butter with one spoon of olive oil. Add the pieces of fish, let them cook for one or two minutes. Add the mushrooms. Place the pieces of fish on a plate. Pour the cream into the pan (it's called deglazing). Add the garlic and thyme,  the star anise, salt and pepper. Let it boil a few seconds and return the pieces of fish into the cream to finish the cooking, for one or two minutes. Do not overcook, or the fish will disintegrates.
Place the vegetables and pieces of fish in a plate, add the reduced cream on top. Serve with potatoes or fresh pastas, or only with the vegetables.
You can also decorate your plate with nice slices of the green parts of the scallions, or chives etc...

Today's recipe:

Baeckeoffe (beef, lamb and pork stew) a dish from Alsace

Picture taken before cooking

Ingredients: (serves 8)
For the marinade:
2 onions minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 bay leaves
pepper
Fresh thyme
Fresh parsley
3 cups of dry white wine
For the meats:
1lbs beef for stew
1lbs pork butt cut into cubes
1lbs for stew
3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes sliced (use a mandolin for easiness)
2 leeks julienned
1 lbs carrots sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place the marinade ingredients into a bowl. Add the meats and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for, at least, 5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350F
Cover the bottom of a Dutch oven, or large casserole, with a little bit of olive oil.
Add one layer of potatoes and carrots, s&p, then cover with one layer of meats, one layer of potatoes and carrots, s&p, one layer of meats, repeat until you finish the meat. The last layer has to be a layer of vegetables, this time including the leeks. Pour the marinade over (removing the leaves). Add two more cups of water to almost reach the top of the vegetables.

Cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 3 hours.

Today's recipe

Endives gratin with ham

Ingredients: (serves 2)
3 endives
2 slices of ham
1 cup of milk1 large garlic clove1 pinch of sugar2 tablespoons of olive oil
12 cup of grated Swiss cheese

Remove the core of the endives, they bring bitterness  to your dish (remove only the ends, so that the leaves remain attached together). Cut the endives in half lengthwise. Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry the endives in it. Add 1/2 crushed garlic and a pinch of sugar.

Add a little bit of water, cover and allow the endives to cook 15 minutes.

For the sauce: blend one of the cooked endives, the other half of the garlic clove, a little grated cheese and half the glass of milk. Wrap each endive with half a slice of ham, then pour a little sauce and add some grated cheese.

Broil. Serve.

Today's recipe:

Tarte Fine (apple pie)

250 g either puff pastry or sweet dough
3 apples
One tsp brown sugar
cinnamon
30 g butter

Roll out the dough, place the aples in a nice round shape.
Add some pieces of butter, spread some sugar and cinnamon
Cook at 380/400F for about 20 minutes

Today's recipe:

Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts 
 
Serves 6
1 small savoy cabbage 1/3 cup walnuts (the flavor is always better if they are roasted)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 lime
Salt and pepper
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream)
2 apples (any crisp, tasty eating variety, such as Sierra Beauty, Granny Smith, or Fuji)
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Anyone Can Cook!
 Todays' recipe: Tajine de Légumes

 

Temps de préparation : 15 minutes

Temps de cuisson : 120 minutes

Ingrédients (pour 4 personnes) :
- 500 g de patates douces
- 500 g de courgettes
- 50 g de raisins secs
- 3 oignons
- 3 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive
- cannelle, coriandre en poudre, piment doux en poudre, sel et poivre.
 

Préparation de la recette :
Mettre l'huile d'olive à chauffer dans le fond d'un cocotte. Y ajouter les oignons préalablement épluchés et hachés.

Les faire 'fondre' à feu doux pendant 15 mn. Si besoin, ajouter un peu d'eau pour que cela n'attache pas.

Préchauffer votre four à 350 degres F.

Pendant ce temps, éplucher les courgettes et les patates douces. Laisser une lamelle de peau sur deux pour les courgettes.
Les couper grossièrement.

Les oignons doivent avoir une couleur caramel.
Ajouter alors les courgettes et patates douces, ainsi que les raisins.

Assaisonner avec les épices selon votre goût, plutôt sucré, ou salé... 1 cuillère à café de cannelle, 1/2 cuillère à café de coriandre, une pincée de piment doux en poudre, et du sel et du poivre en vrac. Conseil : goûter! Et puis il sera toujours temps d'ajuster l'assaisonnement en fin de cuisson.

Ajouter un peu d'eau dans cette cocotte (pas trop!), la recouvrir de papier alu perforée à la fourchette afin de cuire le plat en tajine (c'est encore mieux si vous possedez l'un de ces plats en poêlon faits à cet usage).

Enfourner et laisser mijoter au minimum 1h30.

Servir chaud, accompagné de graines de couscous (que l'on peut cuire avec une cuillère à café de cannelle si l'on veut la parfumer - perso, je préfère à ce moment, le contraste sucré-salé et donc je sale ma graine - Au choix!).