I wanted to make a video recipe but Tabbouleh is so easy to make I realised it wouln't bring anything to the table. (and I'm not trying to play with words here). Basically you just have to mix all ingredients together. This couscous salad is fresh, light, healthy, fast, easy and delicious. (yeah just that!) Mint is the key to succes. I also like to add dry figs and avocado but you can drop those and add cucumber instead if you are more of a purist.
iNGREDiENTS:
200 gr whole weat couscous
10 small cherry tomatoes
1 small avocado
1 red peper (peeled)
2 spring onions
juice of 2 big lemons
2 dry figs (or 4 apricots) cut in pieces
a big handful of dry raisins
a handfull of sliced mint leaves
a pinch of sliced chives
6 sliced basil leaves
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
RECiPE:
Stir couscous in a large bowl with one teaspoon of olive oil.
Add salty boiling water (about 1 + 1/2 cup) or until the couscous is fully covered with water.
Cover bowl with a plate and set aside for 5 minutes.
Then remove plate and fluff with a fork. (This is usualy the simplest method but check the package instructions to be sure it works with the brand you bought)
Mix all ingredients together: tomatoes + avocado + red peper + onions (all choped in small cubes) + chives + basil + mint + lemon juice + the rest of the olive oil + dry raisins + dry figs + salt and pepper. Stir well.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
You know, how sometimes you feel blue? Well I felt orange the other day. Yes, I know, this doesn't make any sense. What does "feeling orange" even means? Truth is I have no idea what to say here. In a way, It doesn't make any sense to me neither, but in another somehow it does. I swear to god I didn't use any drugs.
Anyway,
feeling orange lead me to hearing the little voice in my head telling me this: "you have to bake sweet potatoes" (By the way, the little voice in my head speaks english with a perfect accent.) This potatoes are so sweet
(I wonder why we call them sweet potatoes? :p) and flavorful. I love them. This recipe is based on
this blog recipe. It's so sunny, fresh, healthy and wonderfully tasty.
Do not have doubts, go get some sweet potatoes and try it now. I said now. I
know you are still reading this. Go! Go! Go!
iNGREDiENTS: - serve 4 as side dish -
5 sweet potatoes
2 limes
a good pinch of paprika
a pinch of cumin
1 garlic clove
a handful of cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
RECiPE:
Preheat oven at 200°C (400°F)
Clean, peel and cut potatoes into equal size chunks.
(Yeah I know, I should totally stop cooking and become a poet, right?)
Gnocchis are probably my favorite pasta and maybe even my favorite dish of all times (if it does make sense to have only one favorite dish. Not so sure of anything anymore). Gnocchis are so much better when you make them yourself. It's a bit of work (it takes some time) but it's not very complicated once you know what to do. I am giving you here my favorite recipe and a few tips I learnt while making them over and over. This way you will be sure not to fail. This post is about how to make the dough. Soon I will post a recipe that involes baking them...
TiPS:
It's better to use a floury potato variety (the less water they contain the better)
Cook potatoes with skin on.
Make the puree with cool but not cold potatoes.
Incorporate flour little by little. (easier)
Use
corn flour and egg yolk to give a more firm texture to the gnocchi. You
can do this recipe without any of this two (I personally prefer gnocchi
a bit firm)
If
you like smooth gnocchi, you can use a mixer to smash the potatoes. I
love to feel little pieces of potatoes here and there when I eat gnocchi
so I do it by hand.
Gnocchis
froze very well. The only thing is to lay them flat for 1 or 2 hours
in the freezer so they won't stick to each other afterwards and then you
can put them in a plastic bag and keep in your freezer for months. This
way you can use them anytime. Don't even bother to unfroze them before
cooking. Directly drop them in boiling water and that's it.
Don't use a colander when gnocchis are cooked or you will end up with one huge messy gnocchi. Use a slotted spoon instead.
I like gnocchis whitout strips but the sauce does stick better to them with strips.
iNGREDiENTS: -serve 4 -
1 kg potatoes
300 gr all purpose flour + a bit more
1 tsp corn flour
1 egg yolk
a pinch of nutmeg powder
salt
RECiPE:
Boiled potatoes in salty water until knife tender (about 30 to 40min).
Drain potatoes and leave to cool for a few minutes.
Peel potatoes and mash them (like you would for a puree). Like I said in the tips, you can use a mixer if you like.
Add salt + egg yolk + half flour + corn flour + nutmeg. Stir. I like to get my hands dirty but you don't HAVE to stir with your hands. Whatever you prefer.
Stir rest of the flour.
Form a big bowl with your dough, then cut in slices and roll into logs of 30cm long and 1cm thick.
With a knife, cut small pieces 1-2cm wide.
Flour well gnocchis with some flour so they won't stick.
If you would like gnocchis to have little strips, lightly press each piece onto back of a folk.
Place on a sheet of baking paper.
At this step, you can either froze gnocchis or cook them.
To cook them, bring a pan full of salty water to boil.
Stir in gnocchis.
They are cooked once they float to the surface. Use slotted spoon, accommodate with any sauce you like.
This recipe comes directly from an island which makes me feel cosy inside just talking about it: Mauritius Island. A place of white sand, deep clear blue sea, warm and heavenly sunny...
Ok i'm stopping right here. Not trying to be a jerk. Or maybe a little.
Jokes apart, I figured a little fresh and sunny recipe wasn't gonna be bad with this indecised weather. This fish salad is super easy, healthy and delicious. It makes a very tasty entrée. (Just a little warning: don't make this recipe on a date's night because I'm not sure the combination of raw onions and fry garlic will help the romantic mood :p )
iNGREDiENTS: - serve 4 -
500 gr Sea bream fish fillet (or any white fish)
1 medium onion
1 tomato
40 gr spring onions
cilantro
1/2 tsp chili
2 garlic cloves
20 gr ginger
Olive oil
juice of half a green lemon
salt and pepper
RECiPE:
Start by marinated the fish with salt, pepper, chopped ginger and garlic.
Pour a little oil in a pan and fry the fish. About 3-4 minutes on each side.
Shred the fish and leave to cool.
Chop onions, spring onions, cilantro, tomato and chili.
This recipe is based on April Bloomfield's recipe. I was looking at her
book (A girl and her pig) at a friend's house the other day and this
salad recipe started screaming at me: "try me! try me!" Yes, sometimes
books can talk. You should listen more carefully.
The lightly warm roasted carrots combine with orange, avocado and cilantro is perfect ! What a great way to eat something healthy yet tasty after a food feast made of caramel cookies and chocolate fondant, eh?
iNGREDiENTS: -serve 3-
15 young carrots, unpeeled, half of the green tops left on
1 big orange
2 small avocados
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbs pumpkin seeds
4 tbsp olive oil
juice of half a lemon
Cilantro
Salt
RECiPE:
Preheat oven at 200°C (400°F)
Clean and cut your carrots (like you would a lemon) leaving half of the green top on them.
Pound garlic with a large pinch of salt until you have a smooth paste.
In a bowl, stir: 2 tbsp olive oil + garlic paste + cumin + pepper flakes + pumpkin seeds.
Place carrots in a large baking dish in a single layer. Add oil and spice mixture and stir. Add one large pinch of salt and toss again.
Pour 2 tbsp of water into the baking dish.
Cover tightly with foil and cook for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, remove foil and cook for 35 minutes more or until carrots are lightly browned and tender.
While carrots cool, peel orange and segment it.
Halve avocados lengthwise and remove peel and pits. Slice them lengthwise into thick slices.
Put the avocado slices in a large bowl. Add lemon juice + 2 tbsp oil + a pinch of salt. Toss gently with your hands.
Add orange slices and cool carrots. Stir very gently and arrange with cilantro on top. Serve right away.
1 tbsp chives (plus some more for decoration if you want)
one bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp vinegar
juice of one small lemon
salt & pepper
RECiPE:
Start by peeling the carrots and chop them in small pieces, like for a "brunoise": first into long thin strips and then turned a quarter turn and cut into small blocks again, producing cubes of about 3 mm or less on each side, or 1/8-inch dice.
Peel and chop the onion.
Rinse the lentils.
Put one tablespoon of olive oil into a saucepan over medium hight heat.
Add onions and carrots. Let them cook for 5 minutes.
Add: bay leaf + thyme + sage + lentils + salt & pepper.
Stir well and add a quantity of water equivalent to twice the high of the lentils. (about 2/3 cups of water)
Bring to a boil and cook for 25 to 35 minutes.
While it cooks, prepare the vinaigrette, with the olive oil + vinegar + lemon juice.
When lentils are done cooking, drain them in a colander and leave them to cool completely.
In a salad bol, mix: cold lentils + vinaigrette + sliced chives and salt & pepper if needed.
