Porcini Mushroom Soup

A tasty porcini mushroom soup. And to make things easier, we use frozen mushrooms here. They are fried in a pan without defrosting. Serve very hot with a spoon of sour cream.

You can also find these mushrooms under the name of ceps or bolets.

Porcini mushroom soup

Natalija
Excellent mushroom soup made of porcini (ceps)
Prep Time 55 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 400 g frozen porcini mushrooms
  • 1-2 tbsp flour
  • 3-4 medium-size potatoes peeled
  • 3 leaves bay
  • 1 onion peeled
  • 1-2 carrots peeled
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tbsp sour cream
  • A few sprigs dill or chopped chives
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the mushrooms directly from frozen.
  • Once the mushrooms are golden, sprinkle them with flour. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat.
  • Slice the onion and grate the carrots.
  • Heat the remaining oil in another frying pan. Sauté the onion and carrots until softened. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pan from heat.
  • Cut the potatoes into cubes about 1–1.5 cm on each side.
  • Bring about 3 liters of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the potatoes and bring back to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat, add salt, mushrooms, and bay leaves, and simmer.
  • Add the sautéed vegetables to the pot. Cook everything together for another 10–15 minutes.
  • Serve hot in bowls. Add a tablespoon of sour cream to each serving and sprinkle with dill or chives.

Nutrition

Serving: 150mlCalories: 1kcal
Keyword mushroom soup, Soup
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Boursin™ Stuffed Mushrooms

Tasty and very easy recipe with only 2 main ingredients that you can find in every store: mushrooms and Boursin.

Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms

Natalija
The Boursin™ Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese is aleredy salty enough so don’t add more salt. On the other end, if you like spicy food, season with pepper.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 30 small mushrooms (Cremini or Button Mushrooms)
  • 1 block Boursin™ Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • Some fresh herbs (cilantro, green onion, parsley) finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Wash and dry mushrooms. Remove stems. (You can use them for another recipe),
  • Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Fill each mushroom’s hole with 1-2 tsps of Boursin™.
  • Bake about 25 minutes until mushrooms are golden and cooked through.
  • Sprinkle the baked mushrooms with fresh herbs and they’re ready to be served!
Keyword Appetizers, mushrooms
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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

Natalija
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.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 6 people

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
Keyword french recipe, ratatouille
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Black olive dip

Provençal recipe, this black olive dip is a tapenade without anchovies nor capers. This black olive paste is ready in just a few minutes, served with fresh bread, toast, or pita bread.

Black olive dip

Natalija
Simplified version of tapenade without anchovies nor capers.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 180 g black olives (picholine ou kalamata) pitted
  • 1 clove orgarlic épluchées et coupées en 4
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 lemon (juice only)
  • 4 Tbsps olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Separate the basil leaves from the sprigs. Peel the garlic clove and cut into 3-4 parts.
  • Place olives, garlic and basil leaves in a food processor bowl. Add lemon juice and olive oil.
  • Pulse 2-3 times for a few seconds.The olivada should have a slightly grainy texture.
  • Season to taste and serve with your favorite bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 10gCalories: 1kcal
Keyword Appetizers, Olive, Provence
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Pumpkin Soup

French recipe for a silky and smooth Pumpkin Soup with two main ingredients. Healthy, colorful, and easy to make. If you have a blender, you have to try this recipe as soon as pumpkins are in season.

To impress your guests, serve this soup in individual pumpkins.

Pumpkin Soup

Natalija
This soup is delicious and silky even without any cream. I add very little, just to make it look beautiful.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 leeks (white part only)
  • 1 medium pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (about 1.5 kg)
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Some heavy whipping cream or sour cream (optional)
  • Some fresh herbs (cilantro, green onion, parsley) to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Wash and chop the leeks.
  • Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half horizontally. Scrape the inside of the pumpkin clean with the spoon or ice cream scoop (you can use the seeds for another recipe).
  • Peel and cut into regular cubes.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook and stir leeks until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add pumpkin cubes and cook for 5-7 more minutes. Stir occasionally.
  • Transfer the veggies into a large pot. Add just enough water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Simmer about 15 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked.
  • Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Add a little more boiling water if the soup is too thick. Taste for flavor, and feel free to add more salt or pepper.
  • Serve hot, with sour or heavy whipping cream and fresh herbs.

For a special presentation:

  • Cut off the top of a small pumpkin and scrape the inside.
  • Before adding the soup, heat the pumpkin for few minutes in the oven, then add the hot soup and serve immediately.
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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

Natalija
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

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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Tomato Mozarella

What could be more delicious than a ripe summer tomato paired with authentic Italian mozzarella made from the milk of black buffaloes? This is a perfect snack for warm days when you don’t feel like spending time at the stove.

Print

Tomatoes Mozzarella

Enjoy this simple and refreshing dish!
Course Starter
Cuisine Italian, Italien
Keyword mozzarella, tomates mozarella, tomato
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 2kcal
Author Natalija

Ingredients

  • 1 large, flavorful tomato
  • 1 large ball of mozzarella (from buffalo milk)
  • A few fresh basil leaves
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • A drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

  • Slice the tomato into wedges, removing the stem. Arrange the slices beautifully on a plate. Place the ball of mozzarella in the center.
    Lightly season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
    Add a few fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil.
    Done!

Nutrition

Calories: 2kcal

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

Natalija
You can use a regular bell pepper for this recipe, but don’t forget to add some more time when cooking.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings

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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Baked eggplant slices

The eggplants are cut into slices and roasted with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Eggplants with garlic are delicious whether served hot or cold, which is why they can be prepared in advance.

Baked eggplant slices

Natalija
Tomatoes are not necessary in this recipe: they are mainly there to add color and make the dish more appetizing.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 eggplants
  • 1-3 cloves garlic
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3-4 Tsp olive oil
  • Some fresh herbs (cilantro, green onion, parsley)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to the broil setting.
  • Wash the eggplants and slice them into 0.7 cm thick rounds. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer.
    Season with salt, pepper, and brush both sides with olive oil.
  • Cook under the broiler for 15-20 minutes. Flip to the other side.
  • Cook for another approximately 10 minutes.
  • Peel the garlic, grate it using a fine grater (or crush it). Then spread it over the eggplant rounds before they cool down.
  • Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with parsley or coriander.
    Add slices or wedges of tomato if desired.
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Zucchini Salad

A delicious and very simple way to consume raw zucchini. You will love this salad drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.

Zucchini Salad

Natalija
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 personnes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 zucchinis washed
  • 1 clove crushed garlic
  • 1/2 lemon (juice)
  • A trickle olive oil
  • Salt and pepper from the mill
  • A bit grated cheese (parmesan)
  • A few leaves parsley finely chiseled (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Cut both ends of the zucchinis. Using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, slice them lengthwise into long, thin slices.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.
  • Place the zucchini slices in a dish, pour the sauce over them. Add salt and pepper. Mix well.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately, or chill first in the refrigerator. Add fresh herbs just before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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