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
Tomatoes are not necessary in this recipe: they are mainly there to add color and make the dish more appetizing.
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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This post was posted in Appetizers
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
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.
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This post was posted in Salads
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
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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This post was posted in Desserts
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
Chocolate King Cake (Galette des Rois)
King Cake is a very popular French pie that celebrates the Epiphany, in early January. My children love this cake as well as chocolate so the Chocolate King Cake makes them twice as happy!
Chocolate King Cake (Galette des Rois)
Ingredients
- 100 ml heavy whipping cream
- 100 g dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
- 50 g softened butter
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 50 g almond flour
- 2 sheets ready-to-use puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Bring the heavy whipping cream to a boil. Pour it on the chocolate, wait a few seconds then mix well until the mixture is homogeneous.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together.
- Beat in the egg. Mix.
- Then, add the almond flour and mix well.
- Add the melted chocolate to the almond preparation and mix well. If this preparation is too thin (because it is still hot), leave to cool in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- Roll out one sheet of puff pastry. Spread the chocolate-almond filling over the center of the dough, leaving a 1 inch (1.2 cm) exposed border. If you wish, place a little porcelain figurine “fève” in the filling.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with water and cover with another circle of dough on top and press down to seal the edges.
- If you want, with a knife or just with your fingers, decorate the edges.
- Brush with beaten yolk. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 390F (190C).
- Brush with yolk one more time. Using a knife, create a design on top of your galette. Poke 3-5 holes, to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
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This post was posted in Desserts, Puff Pastry
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.
Prosciutto Rolls Ups with Boursin™
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.
- Roll up the slice.
- Put on a nice dish and serve.
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This post was posted in Appetizers
Profiteroles With Vanilla Ice Cream And Chocolate Sauce
Profiteroles – French cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce. Chocolate sauce on this profiteroles is the “live jazz”. Don’t let the long recipe scare you, it is very easy and worth all the time involved. It is a great dessert you can impress your family and friends with.
Profiteroles With Vanilla Ice Cream And Chocolate Sauce
For chocolate lovers, use chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla.
Ingredients
Dough
- 200 ml water
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 g butter
- 120 g sifted flour
- 3-4 eggs
Filling
- 800 g chocolate or vanilla ice cream
Chocolate sauce
- 250 ml milk or heavy cream
- 300 g dark chocolate (60% cacao)
Instructions
The dough
- Preheat oven to 390 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium pot, add water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
- Add sifted flour and mix well.
- Mix until the dough comes away from the walls and forms into a ball.
- Add the eggs, one by one and mix well. (If the eggs are large, use only 3 eggs.)
- The dough should become smooth and shiny. Return saucepan back on the heat and keep mixing for about 30-50 seconds, to dry out the moisture. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag to pipe specific shapes (size of the walnut is the best). Space the puffs slightly apart on the baking sheet, because the dough will rise.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the puffs are puffed and golden brown in color. Do not open the oven while baking. Remove from the oven, let it cool completely and carefully transfer to a flat surface.
Filling
- Cut puffs in half. Place one small scoop of ice cream ball on the bottom of each puff.
- Replace the top. As soon as you done, place them in the freezer, until they are ready to be served.
Chocolate souce
- In a small, saucepan bring milk to boil, remove from the heat and pour the liquid over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for 1 minute.
- Mix it until the mixture is smooth.
- Remove the profiteroles from the freezer. Arrange 3 puffs per plate. Drizzle each serving with chocolate sauce and Voilà! 😉 Bon appetite.
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This post was posted in Cafe gourmand, Desserts
Italian bell pepper salad
Another delicious recipe from the cookbook “Delices d’Italie” by Loukie Werle.
Italian bell pepper salad
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.
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.
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This post was posted in Salads
Quick Almond Cake
This is very unique recipe. All you have to do is whisk all the ingredients together in the mixer bowl for 1-2 minutes, bake for 30 minutes and voilà, you can enjoy the cake with your favorite cup of tea.
Quick Almond Cake
You can use any cake pan you like or have. My favorite one is loaf pan, and I usually make it without the almonds on top. Easy to cut and easy to pack for lunch or picnic.
Ingredients
- 180 g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 pinch of salt
- 100 g almond flour
- 60 g all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds (optional)
- 1 tsp confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease a cake pan.
- In a medium bowl whisk all the ingredients together until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. You can sprinkle with almonds if desire.
- Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove your cake from the oven and allow it to cool. Transfer to a plater. Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
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This post was posted in Desserts
Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimps
The reason I love making Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimp so much is the simple ingredients. And because I almost always have frozen shrimp and puff pastry left in my freezer!
Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimps
Ingredients
- 20 medium peeled shrimps
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Season shrimp with salt, pepper and seasoning.
- Roll out the pastry dough and cut into 1 cm wide strips.
- Starting at the top, wind one pastry strip around one shrimp, slightly overlapping the pastry and ending just before the tail. Repeat with each shrimp.
- Place shrimp onto the baking sheet. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork, to make egg wash. Brush the shrimp pastry with egg wash.
- Bake for about 12 min, or until golden brown. Do not overcook.
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This post was posted in Appetizers, Puff Pastry