Miam, who can resist this roasted chicken with its golden and crispy skin?! A very easy recipe.
Why not bake potatoes at the same time? Potatoes can be left unpeeled, and if they are small in size, you don’t even need to cut them into pieces.
Easy roasted chicken
To calculate the baking time for the chicken, a formula is usually used: 1 kg of chicken – 1 hour, plus 5 minutes for every subsequent 100 g, i.e., if the chicken weighs 1 kg 200 g, the baking time is 1 hour 10 minutes. Personally, I never weigh the chicken, I rely on the color of the crust, and if there are any doubts, I pierce it with a knife or use a kitchen thermometer.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken giblets removed
- 1 kg small-sized potatoes
- Salt and pepper
- 2-3 cloves crushed garlic
- a bit aromatic herbs Herbes de Provence
- 1 lemon optional
- a bit olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (420F).
- Place the potatoes in an ovenproof dish or on a baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper, and sprinkle with aromatic herbs.
- Wash and pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Rub with salt, pepper, garlic, not forgetting the inside of the chicken. Place the lemon cut in half inside the chicken. Brush the chicken with olive oil. Place the chicken in the dish on top of the potatoes.
- Put the dish in the oven for about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Occasionally, baste the meat and potatoes with the cooking juice.
- When the chicken is cooked inside (the juice that runs out is clear when pierced) and golden brown on the outside, remove the dish from the oven. Don't forget to check if the potatoes are cooked as well. If they are cooked before the chicken is done, they can be removed beforehand.
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Ratatouille
My version of ratatouille that you can prepare in any season as a main dish or side dish.
Zucchini, eggplant and sweet peppers have different cooking times. This is why they must be cooked separately. First, brown each vegetable on its own in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
Then, when all the vegetables are ready, we bring them together and then let them simmer over low heat so that the flavors mix.
Ratatouille
My version of the ratatouille that you can prepare the day before and in any season. Serve it as a main dish or side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion peeled
- 4-5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1-2 eggplants
- 2 green zucchinis
- 3 tomatoes
- 2-3 sweet peppers (various colors)
- 7-8 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Dice the zucchinis into small cubes.
- Dice the eggplants into small cubes.
- Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds, then dice into small cubes.
- Dice the onion into small cubes.
- Mince the garlic cloves.
- Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and dice them into small cubes.
- Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Separately, sauté the sweet peppers in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Separately, sauté the zucchinis in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.Then, in the same way, sauté the eggplants. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine all the sautéed vegetables in a large skillet. Add the diced tomatoes and gently mix. Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence and add the bay leaves. Optionally, add a few extra garlic cloves.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Cover with a lid and let it simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve hot or cold, garnished with freshly chopped herbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 1kcal
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Whole Roast Duck With Apple and Cranberry Stuffing
Impress your holiday guests this year with crisp, delicious and full of juices roasted duck. This recipe is very simple and easy to make. The best way to serve it is with mashed potatoes.
Whole Roast Duck With Apples And Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 (2 kg, or more) duck
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 20 g butter (or 2 Tbsp olive oil)
- 1 onion
- 2 sticks celery
- 2 apples Granny Smith
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry duck with paper towels. Season inside and outside with salt and pepper.
- Peel and finely chop the onion.
- Cut celery into thin slices.
- Peel, core and cut apples into small cubes.
- Heat olive oil or butter in a frying pan. Add onion and celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes until golden. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Add apples and cranberries. Remove from the heat.
- Add bread crumbs and mix well.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff duck with prepared stuffing. Secure skin underneath with skewer or toothpicks.
- Rub the skin with olive oil and place it into the roasting pan with the breast side down. Roast for one hour.
- Baste all over every 15-20 minutes with juices from the bottom of the pan.
- Flip the duck over and continue to roast for another 20-30 minutes. Cover wings and legs with foil if it gets too brown.
- The duck is done if the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted in the thickest part of the leg. Remove from the oven and cover the duck with aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes.
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Fried mushrooms with sour cream
Here is a hearty vegetarian dish with mushrooms, onions and sour cream. That’s all you need for this pan-fried mushrooms.
Fried mushrooms with sour cream
This dish can be served with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or rice.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 500 g button mushrooms (or portobello mushrooms)
- 10 g butter
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 200 ml sour cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Some fresh herbs (cilantro, green onion, parsley)
Instructions
- Prepare the mushrooms. If they are not too dirty, do not wash them, but simply wipe them with a damp cloth. If you decide to wash the mushrooms, do it quickly so they are not saturated with water.
- Thoroughly dry the washed mushrooms with a paper towel.
- Slice the mushrooms.
- Peel the onion and garlic, then finely chop them.
- Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a pan. First, sauté the onion over medium heat.
- Then add the garlic (if garlic is added to the pan with the onion, it will fry too quickly and start to burn).
- Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the sour cream.
- Mix well. Add salt and pepper. Keep on the heat for another 1 to 2 minutes, and it's ready.
- Delicious with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. Don't be lazy and sprinkle with fresh herbs: it will be even more tasty and appetizing on the plate.
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Roasted Pumpkin Wedges
Roasted pumpkin wedges are a simple and healthy dish that pairs well with fish and meat. This recipe is easy as pie and requires just basic ingredients like pumpkin, salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and some fresh herbs.
Roasted Pumpkin Wedges
Ingredients
- 4 wedges of a big pumpkin
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt and black pepper
- Some olive oil
- Some fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro or scallions)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F (200С). Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, cut into two parts and remove seeds with a spoon.
- Cut the pumpkin into wedges. Keep in mind that this kind of pumpkin doesn’t need to be peeled. Season the wedges with salt and pepper. Next, mince or grate finely some garlic. Coat the wedges with a mixture of olive oil and garlic.
- Place the wedges on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes (depending on the kind of pumpkin and wedges size). When the wedges are soft, remove from the oven. Make sure they are not overdone.
- Sprinkle the roasted pumpkin wedges with fresh herbs and they’re ready to be served!
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Roasted Sweet Mini Peppers
Mini Bell Peppers look so cute and perfect and tastes delicious, either roasted or raw. Normally, I’m not a big fan of bell pepper, but can’t say “NO” to this colorful bag with sweet mini bell peppers. These mini peppers add flavor and texture to a variety of dishes. You can serve it hot or cold, with meat or fish, or just eat it as a snack.
Roasted Sweet Mini Peppers
You can use a regular bell pepper for this recipe, but don’t forget to add some more time when cooking.
Ingredients
- 600 g mini bell peppers
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- some olive oil
- some green onion or any fresh herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the stems off the mini peppers, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the half peppers into the strips. Spread the mini peppers onto the baking sheet, coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove mini peppers from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs before serving.
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Buckwheat Crepes
The “Galettes de Sarrasin” – traditional french buckwheat crepes that can be served with savory filling: ham & cheese (Galette Jambon Fromage), veggies, eggs, mushrooms, salmon… The filling option is endless. My Breton husband loves them so much, he eats them plain with butter or with jam.
This recipe is gluten free!
Buckwheat Crepes
One of the most common tips you’re likely to encounter for this buckwheat pancakes is to let the batter rest for at least 2 hours. If overnight, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Ingredients
- 250 g buckwheat flour sifted
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 350 ml milk
- 350 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 50 g melted butter
- butter for cooking
Instructions
- Combine buckwheat flour with salt, milk and water together.
- Add eggs.
- Add melted butter and whisk until smooth.
- Cover with plastic and and let rest for 2 hours.
- Heat a lightly buttered nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/4 cupful batter to skillet and immediately tilt to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook until edges start to dry and center is set, for about 30 seconds, lift with spatula and cook the other side for couple more seconds, move them to the cutting board.
- Always keep your eyes on the pan.
- Brush each crepe with butter and serve while they are still hot.
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This post was posted in Gluten-Free, Main Dish
French Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms
Prepare buckwheat crepes and garnish them with this delicious, simple mushroom and sour cream combination. A French favorite!
Find other recipes on this site: the buckwheat crepes or the version with ham and cheese.
French Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms
Ingredients
Buckwheat Crepes (for 12 galettes)
- 250 g buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 350 ml water
- 350 ml milk
- 2 eggs
- 50 g melted butter
Filling (4 servings)
- 1 onion peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 400 g mushrooms cleaned and sliced or 2 jars of canned sliced mushrooms
- 150 ml sour cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix buckwheat flour with salt, milk, water, and eggs together. Add melted butter and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Cover with plastic and and let rest for at least 2 hours. When you are ready to cook the crepes, stir the batter before frying each crepe.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, mix well, and cook for another few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Heat a lightly buttered nonstick skillet. Add 1/4 cupful batter to skillet and immediately tilt to fully cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Cook for a few seconds until the surface isn’t liquid.
- Without flipping the crepe, place 2-3 Tbsps of mushroom’s filling in the center. A 10-15 seconds later, as the crepe seems to be ready, carefully lift the sides with a spatula and fold them to form a square, or triangle.
- Carrefully transfer the crepe from the pan to tha plate, and serve quickly.
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Pan Fried Salmon
This Pan Fried Salmon has crisp skin and moist, tender flesh. It only takes salt and pepper to prepare this fresh salmon fillet.
The cooking time will vary with the fillets thickness.
Pan fried salmon
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter (or olive oil)
- 4 salmon fillets or salmon steaks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet with butter over medium-high heat.
- Season the fish with salt and pepper.
- Place the salmon (skin side down) in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until fish turns golden brown.
- Carefully turn the salmon over with spatula and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- As soon as the fish is ready, transfer it to a flat plate and serve as desired.
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Duchess Potatoes
Duchess potatoes (Pommes de terre duchesse) are a French classic recipe made from mashed potatoes with butter and egg yolks. Using a pastry bag, mashed potatoes are formed into roses and baked in the oven until golden brown.
The dish looks very elegant and is served as a side dish for meat, fish or vegetables.
Duchess Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg potatoes
- 200 g butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A little (on the tip of a knife) grated nutmeg (optional)
- 4 egg yolks
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, cut into pieces and boil in salted water. Once the potatoes are cooked (pierce the potatoes with a knife or fork to check), immediately drain the water.
- Mash hot potatoes into a puree, adding butter. Salt, pepper and add nutmeg.
- Add egg yolks and mix very well. Puree should be soft and without lumps.
- Preheat oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper or a silicone mat.
- Transfer the puree to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the roses of the desired size onto a baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, for about 10 minutes.
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This post was posted in Main Dish