These baked eggplants are delicious both warm and at room temperature, making them perfect to prepare in advance.
Roasted eggplants with tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 3+3 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 small tomatoes
- 4 small eggplants¾
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Peel the onions and garlic and cut them into large pieces.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions over low heat until soft and translucent.Slice the tomatoes into ½ cm thick rounds and lightly season them with salt.Insert the tomato slices into the cuts in the eggplants.Place the stuffed eggplants on top of the onions in the baking dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and add a few bay leaves.Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the eggplants.
- Transfer the onions to the bottom of a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 180°C (390°F).
- Trim the stems off the eggplants. Carefully slice each eggplant lengthwise into ½ cm (¼ inch) thick slices, stopping about 2 cm from the base so the slices remain attached.
- Slice the tomatoes into ½ cm thick rounds and lightly season them with salt.
- Insert the tomato slices into the cuts in the eggplants.
- Place the stuffed eggplants on top of the onions in the baking dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and add a few bay leaves.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the eggplants.
- Bake for about 1 hour, until tender.
- If you enjoy a stronger garlic flavor, press 1–2 additional cloves over the finished eggplants just before serving.
Cowboy caviar
Cowboy caviar (or Texas caviar) is a simple, healthy, colorful, and delicious appetizer, salad, side-dish, or dip. Using canned beans and corn is a quicker alternative to cooking dry beans. Spend less time in the kitchen but don’t forget to prepare in advance to allow the different flavors to blend together before serving.
Cowboy caviar
Ingredients
- 1 can (425 g) Black beans, Red beans, or Black Eye peas, or Tri-Bean blend drained and rinsed
- 1 can (425 g) whole kernel sweet corn drained and rinsed
- 1/2 red onion peeled and minced
- 1 bell pepper (red, yellow or orange) cored and cubes
- 1 jalapeño cored and minced
- 3 tomatoes cubed
- 1/4 bunch Fresh cilantro chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl, mix, cover, and let chill for about one hour in the fridge.
Puff Pastry Swirls With Smoked Salmon
What could be better with puff pastry than sour cream and smoked salmon? Kids and adults will really appreciate these savory small appetizers. The best part is, they are very simple to make. All it takes is spreading the filling onto the puff pastry, rolling it up, cutting it into rolls and bake.
Puff Pastry Swirls With Smoked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- A bit of dill fresh or dried
- ground black pepper to taste
- 200 g smoked salmon slices
Instructions
- Roll the puff pastry out with rolling pin into 1/2 inch thick square. Spread the sour cream on the top. Leave about 1cm around the edges. Sprinkle with tiny chopped dill.
- Arrange the smoked salmon evenly on top of the puff pastry sheet.
- Starting at one end, roll the pastry up as tightly as possible.
- Tightly cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. It will be much easier to cut cold roll.
- Preheat the oven to 380 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a very sharp knife, cut the roll into 1 cm slices.
- Remove the plastic wrap and transfer them to the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 15 -20 minutes until the “snails” are puffed and golden.
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
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
Tomato and Boursin™ Puff Pastry Tart
A very easy tart to prepare made from ready-made puff pastry, tomatoes and Boursin™ cream cheese.
This French pie can be of any shape and any size, depending on what kind of dough you have on hand. I don’t even make sides so there is less dough and more filling. But this is not for everyone: if you like golden puff pastry, fold 1 centimeter of the edges inward and brush them with egg.
Tomato and Boursin™ Puff Pastry Tart
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg
- 4-5 tomatoes slices
- 100 g Fresh cream cheese (ex. Boursin™)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Few basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (thermostat 6).
- Spread the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prick it with a fork.
- Brush the entire surface with the egg wash.
- Place the tomato slices.
- Press paper towel over the tomatoes to remove liquid excess.
- Place a small piece of cheese on each tomato slice. Pepper.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until the dough is cooked through.
Italian-style asparagus gratin
A delicious vegetarian recipe that can be prepared in just a few minutes. The asparagus should not be overcooked and should remain crisp to retain all its flavor.
Italian-style asparagus gratin
Ingredients
- 2 bunches green asparagus
- 125 g provolone
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut off the tough part of the asparagus stems (if necessary, peel them using a peeler).
- Preheat the grill.
- In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and add the asparagus. Cook for 3-4 minutes, depending on their size. Drain.
- Arrange the asparagus in a baking dish. Top with the provolone slices and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.
- Brown the asparagus in the oven under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and appetizing.
Nutrition
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!
Peach Melba
This is my version of a classical dessert “Peach Melba”. You just need roasted peaches, a red berry sauce and an exquisite whipped cream.
Peach Melba
Ingredients
- 3 peaches
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar (or sugar)
- 250 g berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries)…)
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%) very cold
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 l vanilla ice cream
- Some dark chocolate
- Some sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390 degrees F. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the peaches in half, and remove the stones. Place the peach halves on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Bake in the oven about 35 minutes until the peaches are tender. Remove from the oven, let them cool down completely, then carefully peel the skin.
- Rinse and drain fresh berries and puree them until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine sieve to remove all tiny seeds.
- Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until fluffy. Don’t over beat.
- In each glass, put one half of peach and one ball of vanilla ice cream.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of berries puree.
- Add the whipped cream and finish with chocolate crumbs and sliced almonds. Serve right away.
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
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.
Green Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar
Green asparagus with balsamic vinegar is always delicious! Asparagus can be steamed, baked, pan-fried, or grilled. In this recipe, I’ve chosen the simplest method that requires minimal equipment—just a saucepan. A very light sauce with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Enjoy asparagus as a starter or as a side dish for meat, fish, or eggs…
Green Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green asparagus
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel the asparagus using a vegetable peeler and cut off the tough ends of the stalks.
- In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and add the asparagus. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on their thickness.
- Meanwhile, mix the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Check the asparagus for doneness with the tip of a knife. When they are cooked to your liking, plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain them.
- Place the asparagus on a serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the sauce.
