Appetizer Shishito Peppers

You can find shishito peppers in your favorite grocery store. Prepare this super quick recipe in no time and your guests will love this delicious appetizer.

Did you know that 1 in 10 shishito peppers are really spicy?

Appetizer Shishito peppers

Natalija
Minimal preparation for an excellent appetizer (or side dish).
You can serve them with soy sauce for dipping.
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 6 oz Shishito peppers
  • a bit of olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a saute pan heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the shishito peppers and stir for 1-2 minutes, heating them up until they blister. Add salt and black pepper.
  • Place the peppers on a paper towel to remove excess oil and serve.
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Pureed Pea Soup

Pureed soups are wonderful way to enjoy vegetables. Plus you don’t have to go grocery shopping in order to make this soup. You can find all the ingredients that you’ll need in your pantry. Use any meat you have in your fridge. And same with peas, use any peas you have, it can be frozen, canned or fresh.

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Pureed Pea Soup

It takes a lot less time to make this soup, compare to regular soups. All you have to do is chop up the vegetables into chunks, and don't worry about cutting them perfectly, soup will be blended anyway.
Course Soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Natalija

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 200 g chicken fillet
  • 1 onion
  • 5 potatoes
  • 400 g frozen peas (or canned)
  • 1,5 L water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • some sour cream

Instructions

  • Cut chicken into small pieces. Peel and chop onion(half-moon). Peel and cut the potatoes in quarters.
  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil, add chicken and cook until beginning to golden brown. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, constantly stirring.
  • Add the potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil.
  • Add frozen or canned peas(drained). Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes.
  • Puree the soup with blender until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add some water.
  • Divide soup into bowls and top it with sour cream.
  • If you have some extra time, you can make a design on your soup. For this you will need to transfer the sour cream into the small ziplock, cut the tiny hole in the corner(1-2 mm) and use your imagination . 😉

Easy Apple Cake

Delicate and full of apples easy to make cake. Recipe is very similar to famous Russian Apple Sharlotka but with a little of olive oil and baking powder.  Must try!

 

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Easy Apple Cake

Take sour apples for this recipe.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings
Author Natalija

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 200 g sugar
  • 150 g sifted flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 big apples Granny Smith
  • 1 tsp confectioner's sugar (facultatif)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease and flour a round cake pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar. Add flour and baking powder. Mix well, then add oil and mix last time.
  • Peel and dice apples into small pieces. Lay out the apples on the bottom of the pan.
  • Pour the batter over the apples.
  • Bake for about 45 minutes or until а knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool then transfer to plate.
  • Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Sautéed Zucchini

Finely sliced zucchini, sautéed in a pan with olive oil and garlic. In this recipe, they are seasoned with salt, pepper, and freshly pressed lemon juice. Add your favorite fresh herbs before serving.

Цукини на сковороде

Sautéed Zucchini

Natalija
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 zucchini
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 2-3 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Some fresh parsley (dill or mint)
  • 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Cut the zucchini into thin slices.
  • Peel and chop the garlic.
  • In a large pan, heat the oil. Add the zucchini and sauté them for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat. Salt, pepper, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Powder with fresh herbs before serving.
    Цукини на сковороде
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Green Mango Salad (Кalawang)

Green and unripe mangoes can be eaten, and are often delicious. For example, this salad with shredded green mangoes is very popular in French Guyana, and if you like spicy food, you will love this salad! Serve cold, as an appetizer or as a side dish with fish, shrimp, or meat. For a pretty presentation, I serve the Kalawang in individual plates with shrimps.

Green Mango Salade (Кalawang)

Natalija
Fresh chili pepper can be substituted with chili powder.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 green mangoes (unripe)
  • 1/2 onion peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and pressed
  • 1/2 chili pepper seeded and finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon (or lime) juice
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • Some fresh herbs (cilantro, green onion, parsley)
  • 24 prawns (or shrimps) cooked and peeled

Instructions
 

  • Peel the mangoes with a peeling knife. Shred the pulp and discard the pit.
  • In the salad bowl, toss the mangoes, onion, salt and pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
  • When ready to serve, transfer the salad on to the serving plates, embellish with fresh herbs, and prawns.
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Homemade Olive Tapenade

The homemade olive tapenade is a dip or paste made with olives (black or green), anchovies and capers. This appetizer comes from Provence, France and is great with fresh bread or toast. With the help of a food processor, or blender, this hors d’oeuvre is ready within 5 minutes.

Homemade Olive Tapenade

Natalija
The anchovies are very salty. If you find your tapenade too salty, add more olives or olive oil.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g black olives pitted
  • 1 Tbsp capers (optional)
  • 20 g anchovies filets in oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 lemon (juice only)
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in an electric blender. Pulse a few times until finely chopped. The tapenade should have small pieces of olives. Do not over blend!
  • Serve with crackers or fresh baguette slices.
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Vanilla Creme Brulee

Absolutely amazing what a little cream, a little sugar and couple of eggs can turn into….  Perfect restaurant quality dessert. A rich custard topped with a hard layer of caramel.  This Vanilla creme brulee is very easy to make if you follow all the steps correctly.

It will perfectly complete your  cafe gourmand if the crème brûlée is served in small ramekins.

Look at this short video ! 🙂

Vanilla Crème brûlée

Natalija
Use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, if you don’t have vanilla bean. You could add 2 Tbsp. of rum into the cream if desired. If you don’t own a blow torch, you can always use your broiler as well. You will need to move the top rack in your oven up as high as it will go.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 6 hours 11 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 8 egg yolks
  • 120 g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean
  • 640 ml whipping cream
  • 6 tsp granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the cream. In a medium bowl, combine together sugar, eggs yolks, vanilla and whisk.
  • Add the cream a little at a time and stir. Remove the scum with a tea spoon.
  • Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and pour it into the ramekins. Divide cream mixture among ramekins (about 6 ramekins).
  • Arrange the ramekins in a baking pan with deep sides. And carefully pour water around ramekins so that the water level must reach about 2/3 of the ramekins.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will know its ready when the custard is wobbly and jiggle from side to side when nudged (it looks like jello).
  • Remove the custard from the water bath and let cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours (overnight).
  • Before serving, cover each cold creme brulee evenly with sugar (1 tsp). Caramelize using a propane torch. If you don’t have one propane torch, use the broiler: put the oven rack about 6 inches away from the broiler. Place the custards on the baking sheet and broil for about 3-5 minutes, or until sugar bubbles and turns golden brown. (Keep a close eye on them, they can burn quickly)

Notes

With remaining eggs white, you could make some Coconut cookies.

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Tomato Tart

Who said that tarts are only for dessert? Fill a square of puff pastry with colorful mosaic of tomatoes, cheese, Dijon mustard, herbs de Provence. Then surprise your friends or family with this savory piece of artwork.

Tomato Tart

Natalija
This mediterranean tart is a must make. You can make it with tomatoes of the same or different size, of different colors and different varieties. The most important thing is that they are ripe and flavorful. Perfect dish for small crowds.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 persons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
  • 1-2 Tblsp Dijion mustard
  • 5-6 tomatoes
  • 30 g shreaded cheese (parmesan)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • herbs de provence (optional)
  • couple basil leaf (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Cut tomatoes into thin (0.5 cm) slices. Put them in a single layer on paper towel. Pat dry with paper towel.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. On the floured piece of parchment paper roll out the puff pastry and poke all over with a fork, to release the steam while baking.
  • Evenly spread with dijon mustard.
  • Arrange the tomatoes on top. Fold the edges of dough.
  • Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with cheese and herbs.
  • Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through and the cheese is softening and colouring at the edges.
  • Cut the tart into quarters, garnish with fresh basil and serve.
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Cherry clafoutis

This is my favorite cherry clafoutis recipe — a delightful take from the classic version that I’ve adapted with my own twist. With cherry season in full swing, this simple yet irresistible dessert is the perfect way to enjoy summer’s sweet bounty!

Cherry clafoutis

Natalija
Here’s the classic version of cherry clafoutis made with pitted cherries. I recommend removing the pits — it’s much easier to eat that way!For a more elegant presentation, you can bake it in small molds or ramekins.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs
  • 100 g sugar
  • 110 g flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 450 ml liquid cream (35%)
  • 150 ml milk
  • 1 cuillère a soupe liquid vanilla
  • 600 g pitted cherries (griottes)
  • Bit of sugar for the mold
  • Bit of butter for the mold

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven (210°С/ 410°F).
  • Mix the eggs and the sugar
  • Add milk and liquid cream. Mix.
  • Add vanilla.
  • Add flour and salt. Mix well one more time.
  • Generously butter the baking dish(es) and sprinkle them with sugar.
  • Spread the pitted cherries over the bottom of the molds.
  • Pour in the clafoutis batter. The cherries should remain visible.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes. Baking time depends on the size of the molds.
  • Serve warm or cold. In my opinion, it tastes better cold.
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Spring Egg Salad With Green Onion

Perfect simple and plain salad, of which I think every time I see bunch of green onion. You will only need 3 ingredients to make this salad. I normally use mayonnaise as a dressing, but you can use sour cream as well, or mix of sour cream with mayonnaise (50/50).

Spring Egg Salad With Green Onion

Natalija
To avoid over salting your salad, taste the salad right after adding mayonnaise, and only then add salt and pepper. Don’t squish the salad, it has to stay light and fluffy.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 hard boiled eggs peeled and chopped
  • 1/3 bunch green onion finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch paprika (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Stir eggs, mayonnaise and green onion in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with some paprika if desire.
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