Creamy Zucchini Soup

This deliciuos Creamy Zucchini Soup is extremely easy to cook. Only three main ingredients: zucchinis, onions and milk.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

Natalija
If you like Maggi broth cubes, add one to the soup while it is being boiled. By doing so, it is no longer needed to add salt, pepper, or herbs.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5 zucchinis
  • 3 onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
  • salt and ground pepper
  • 300 ml water
  • 300 ml milk (2%)
  • 100 ml heavy cream
  • 1 tsp mix of herbs de Provence
  • Few pinches of paprika for serving

Instructions
 

  • Peel and chop onions.
  • Peel and chop garlic.
  • Cut the zucchinis.
  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil, add onions and garlic. Cook until golden, while stirring constantly.
  • Add zucchinis, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
  • Add water, milk and heavy cream. The level of liquid should just cover the veggies. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the herbs of Provence and simmer about 20 minutes.
  • Puree the soup with blender until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add some milk or heavy cream. Bring to a boil once again and remove the pan from the heat. Taste the soup, and add salt and pepper accordingly.
  • Serve the creamy soup and don’t forget to sprinkle with paprika or decorate with fresh herbs.
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Walnut Cake with Plums

You will love this walnut cake with plums.

“All prunes are plums, but not all plums are prunes. When dried, plums are called prunes, but the prune fruit comes from a different type of plant than plums.”

Whatever you call them, they’re the best combination with walnuts! 🙂

Walnut Cake with Plums

Natalija
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 240 g softened butter
  • 200 g granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 200 g sifted flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 160 g ground walnuts
  • 6-12 pieces pitted dried plums (cut into 2-4pieces)
  • 8-10 halves walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Generously butter a skillet.
  • In a medium bowl combine butter and sugar together and beat until creamy.
  • Add eggs, flour, baking powder and mix until the batter is smooth. Add ground walnuts and mix.
  • Scrape the batter into the skillet and smooth the top with spoon. Lay slices of plums and walnuts halves on top of your cake.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes. (Check often last 5-10 minutes).
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Prosciutto Rolls Ups with Boursin™

A quick and simple appetizer recipe to accompany your aperitif drink. Your guests will love these Italian Prosciutto Ham rolls ups with Boursin™ Cheese. Add more or less cheese, depending on your taste. Or, cut the rolls in half if you want smaller portions.

Jambon Prosciutto au Boursin™

Prosciutto Rolls Ups with Boursin™

Natalija
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 12 pieces

Ingredients
  

  • 12 slices Prosciutto ham
  • 150 g Boursin™ (or any fresh cheese with herbs)

Instructions
 

  • Spread the Boursin™ on about half of each slice of ham.
    Jambon Prosciutto au Boursin™
  • Roll up the slice.
  • Put on a nice dish and serve.
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Almond Croissant

How do you transform a simple croissant into a delicious almond croissant? If you find that the croissants from your supermarket are not good enough or if you want to “revive” yesterday’s croissants, fill them with almond cream and put them in the oven. Here’s an easy way to enjoy almond croissants for breakfast at home.

Almond Croissant

Almond Croissant

Natalija
You can prepare the almond cream and fill the croissants in the evening. In the morning, all you have to do is take the croissants out of the fridge, preheat the oven and prepare the coffee while waiting for your delicious almond croissants to be cooked.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 croissants (not so fresh)
  • 50 g softened butter
  • 50 g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 50 g almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp liquid vanilla (or a little rum)
  • A bit flaked almonds
  • A bit icing sugar (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C (400F).
  • In a bowl, beat the softened butter and the sugar together, then beat in the egg.
    Stir in the almond powder.
    Add the vanilla (or rum) and set it aside.
  • Cut the croissants lengthwise, without cutting them completely.
  • Fill the croissants with the almond cream.
  • Spread a little almond cream on the surface of the croissants.
  • Finish by putting the flaked almonds on the top, so they will stick together.
  • Place the croissants in the hot oven and let brown for 7-10 minutes.
  • Let the croissants cool a little then sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
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Cucumber and feta salad

This cucumber, feta, and mint salad is not only tasty but also very refreshing. It is an ideal summer meal. This salad goes very well with pita bread.

Print

Cucumber and feta salad

Feta cheese is naturally salty so be mindful to avoid adding too much salt.
Course Salads
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Author Natalija

Ingredients

  • 1 long cucumber diced
  • 200 g feta cheese diced
  • 1/4 bunch Fresh mint chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Some freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
  • Some olive oil

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, feta, and fresh mint. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently. Cover and let stand in the fridge for at least a half hour.

Italian bell pepper salad

Another delicious recipe from the cookbook “Delices d’Italie” by Loukie Werle.

Salade de poivrons à l'italienne

Italian bell pepper salad

Natalija
A delicious salad, found in an Italian cookbook (Délices d'Italie by Loukie Werle).
A recipe that will please everyone, vegetarian or not. The peppers are roasted under the grill and then mixed with a tomato. An appetizer that is best eaten cold, so it can be prepared ahead of time.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Refroidir 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large bell peppers (of different colors)
  • 1-2 tomatoes
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1 handful of basil leaves chiseled
  • 1 handful of mint leaves chiseled
  • 1 Tbsp capers (rinsed)
  • Salt and fresh pepper
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat grill.
  • Cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes.
    Place peppers on a broiler rack, skin side up
  • Roast until the skin is blackened. Remove the peppers from the oven and put them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave for about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into small cubes.
  • Chop the garlic cloves. Chop the basil and mint leaves
  • Remove the skin from the peppers and cut them into strips
  • Put all the chopped ingredients in a serving bowl. Add the capers. Season with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for about one hour before serving.
    Salade de poivrons à l'italienne
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Flourless chocolate cake

The flourless chocolate cake is a delicate gluten free dessert that melts in your mouth. The recipe is absolutely simple without any flour! All you need is chocolate, butter, sugar and eggs.

My Cafe Gourmand

Flourless chocolate cake

Natalija
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g chocolate chips (60%)
  • 150 g unsalted butter
  • 200 g sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 1/4 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Melt the chocolate and butter on a water bath or in a microwave. Mix well.
  • Add sugar and mix well.
  • Separate yolks from egg whites.
  • Add yolks into the melted chocolate and mix.
  • Add salt to the egg whites, and beat into a thick foam.
  • Using a spatula carefully fold in whipped egg whites into chocolate mass.
  • Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Generously butter a baking pan and pour the batter into the cake pan.
  • Bake in in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The exact time of baking depends on the oven, size and quality of the baking pan. Once the the cake is moist and not liquid inside (it’s not a lava cake) – it’s ready. Please, don’t overcook!
  • Let the cake cool then carefully remove it from the pan. Dust it with powdered sugar and serve.
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Pineapple Vodka

Pineapple Vodka is nicely flavored and has a pleasant taste. A vanilla bean is not a must but will improve the experience by softening the drink.

Pineapple vodka

Natalija
Pineapple needs to be ripe and juicy. Vodka needs to be good. And don’t think that ripe pineapple will save your bad quality vodka, or good vodka will make your green pineapple taste better!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ripe pineapple
  • 750 ml vodka
  • 1 vanilla bean (not necessary but highly recommended)

Instructions
 

  • Peel and core fresh pineapple, cut into cubes. Place the pineapple into a large bottle or mason jar with lid. If using vanilla bean, slice the bean from top to bottom in one long slit keeping it attached at the upper stem, like a v-shape. With help of the knife scrape, scrub the seeds and add them into the jar. Fill the jar with vodka. Cover and put it off to the side for 5 days in a fresh and dark place, to let the flavors infuse.
  • After 5 days, strain pineapple out through a fine mesh strainer and pour your infused vodka into a nice, fancy bottle. Refrigerate. It will be ready as soon as it is chilled.
  • You can eat the leftover pineapple. And of course make sure not to offer it to kids or pregnant women.
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Cucumber Bites With Boursin Cheese and Salmon

The freshness of the cucumber and the bite of Boursin cheese in this smoked salmon roll will hit all of your taste buds.

Cucumber Bites With Boursin Cheese And Salmon

Natalija
If you are not familiar with Boursin™ cheese or you don’t have any, don’t worry. A good substitute for Boursin is Philadelphia cream cheese or farmer cheese with some garlic and fresh herbs.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 persons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 english cucumber
  • 8 thin smoked salmon slices
  • 90 g Boursin cheese
  • some fresh dill (optional)
  • 2 pinches paprika (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Cut the cucumber into slices (1/2 cm). Cut each slice of smoked salmon in half lengthwise (smaller than your cucumber slice).
  • Spread 1tsp of Boursin™ cheese on each salmon strip and roll it up.
  • Top each cucumber slice with a salmon roll. Insert a wooden stick down the center to keep everything together. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill and paprika. Serve at once or keep refrigerated until needed.
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Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles is one delicacy that no one can refuse. The roasted hazelnut compliments the rich cacao powder. Store the truffles in container in the fridge for up to 5 days, but they will disappear from the fridge a lot faster, trust me on this.

Chocolat Hazelnut Truffles

Natalija
If you don’t have hazelnuts, feel free to use almonds, cashews, walnuts or any other nuts you like. Just don’t forget to roast them in the oven before making the truffles. Fresh nuts taste way better.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 22 minutes
Servings 45 pieces

Ingredients
  

  • 150 ml heavy whipping cream
  • 200 g dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 30 g hazelnuts
  • 2 Tbsp cacao powder

Instructions
 

  • Bring the heavy cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips. Wait 1-2 minutes until chocolate melts.
  • Add butter and whisk until smooth. Place it in the frizzer for about 2 hours, until firm enough to roll.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts in an even layer on the baking sheet, and roast it for 10-15 minutes. Stirring every 3 minutes. Check the nuts. You are looking for the color to be a few shades darker. When the nuts are browned and smell nutty, remove from the oven and transfer onto a plate. Cool it and clean from the flakes. I like my truffles extra tiny, so I cut each hazelnut in half. You don't have to cut them if you are making large truffles.
  • Use a teaspoon or small cookie scoop to portion the ganache, hide one hazelnut inside each piece, roll the balls between hands, until smooth and place on a plate.
  • Roll in cacao powder.
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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