Not much to say today except that this meat balls recipe is sOoo easy to
make and sOoo tasty it's a pleasure to cook them. You just have to mix
all ingredients together and grill them. You can use any herbs you like.
(I personnaly have a thing for mint). No fat added.
I am usually not a huge meat eater and no meat balls can compete with my
grandma's recipe but in a very different way this are earning there way
into the selective world of "often made" recipes. Maybe they will enter
your world as well...
iNGREDiENTS: -make 15 to 20 balls-
600 gr ground beef
1 egg
2 garlic cloves
half a cup of chopped: mint + basil + parsley + chives
a pinch of chili pepper flakes
salt & pepper
RECiPE:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl : ground meat + egg + chopped garlic + herbs + chili pepper flakes + salt & pepper.
With an icecream scoop or by hand, form little balls (about the size of a golf ball).
Heat grill pan over medium high eat (wait for the grill to be very hot) and cook meat balls about 4-5 minutes on each side.
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.
Who doesn't like a lovely sunny greek salad for a light lunch? And who doesn't like a bagel (at any time of the day)? I don't know why I though this two would make a nice match but I'm pretty happy with the result and it's super easy to make. I'm using spring onions because they are a bit less strong then regular raw red onions (usually used in greek salad) but if you're either brave, or married for more then 60 years, go for it. (Ok. I am sorry, I do sound like a raw onion hater but I do love onions. Just not the taste of them all day long in my mouth. And that, ladies and gentlemen was some sexXy talk. This blog is going way out of line. I might need the PJ13 label soon :o )
iNGREDiENTS: -serve 2-
2 bagels (you can only use one and eat this as a tartine whithout the top part)
1 tomato
1/4 of a cucumber
5 black olives
2 spring onions
feta cheese
olive oil
a pitch of dry oregano
RECiPE:
Peel cucumber and slice in thin slices.
Cut tomato in small cubes.
Cut stoned olives in 4 pieces each.
Cut spring onions in small pieces as well.
In a bowl, stir: tomato + olives + onions + a tsp of olive oil.
Toast your bagel.
Spread feta cheese (like you would with creamcheese) onto both sides of bagel.
Arrange cucumber slices on top of the feta. Add a bit of salt & pepper.
No time for a video recipe this week but i'm sure you'll manage to make this leek & onion tart anyways. If not, don't hesitate to complain and i'll shoot it right away! I love tarts. It's a tasty way to eat vegetables instead of classic sad boiled ones. And it's great for a picnic or a party where you have to bring food easy to eat with fingers. I think leeks are unappreciated and it's a shame. So go get some lonely forgotten leeks and try this recipe! (and leave me some comments ;))
iNGREDiENTS:
one pie dough (recipe over here) just substitute sugar with chives, oregano or any herb you want.
4 leeks (white and pale green parts only), cleaned and chopped.
1 big onion, chopped
chives or dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
a pinch of ground nutmeg
3 eggs
300ml (1+1/4 cup) cream (i'm sure buttermilk works as well)
a handful of grated gruyère cheese (optional)
salt & pepper
RECiPE:
Prepare your pie dough and leave to rest for a bit.
Preheat your oven at 175°C (350°F).
Over medium high heat, cook onions for 2-3 mintues in olive oil.
Add leeks and chives (or thyme). Add salt and pepper. Cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, about 12-15 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and leave to cool.
Roll out your dough in your round bakingpan. Butter pan before or use parchement paper (much easier to take the tart out afterwards)
In a bowl, whisk together: cream + eggs + cheese (if using) + nutmeg.
Mix in cooled leek and onion mixture.
Pour into rolled out pie dough.
Bake the tart for 30 minutes, checking after 15 it's not getting to dark. If it is, lower oven temperature. A knife inserted in the middle should help you know if it's cooked.
First of all, I would like to apologize for not posting anything in more then a week (yes I know, it's unbelivable. Has it been that long?) Things are getting a bit crazy over here. Anyways, the important thing is that the new post has arrived and it's a good one. A full of roots one. Family roots, not the eatable kind. This recipe is a classic in Buenos Aires (yes again the damn Argentina).
I love milanesas and make them all the time (thanks grand-ma ;) ). You can just use this recipe to make a simple yet delicious milanesa, forget all about the sandwich and serve it with ratatouille or potatoes or anything you like. Milanesas are super easy to make but people don't know that so if you want to look fancy or just eat something a bit more elaborate then usual, this is for you. If you go for the sandwich version you can use mustard or mayonnaise and any type of salad that you like.
iNGREDiENTS :
-for 1 sandwich-
half a baguette bread
1 chicken scallop
breadcrumbs
flour
1 egg, beaten
olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
sesame seeds
a handful of lamb's lettuce
3 cherry tomatos
mustard or mayonnaise
salt
RECiPE :
Start by making the milanesa:
Salt and flour your scallop on each side.
Dip in scallop into beaten egg.
Spread breadcrumbs in a plate and press the scallop on each side into breadcrumps. Don't be scared to press hard so the breadcrumbs will properly stick to the scallop.
Over medium high eat, fry your scallop in olive oil about 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the scallop). Don't be afraid to put a big amount of olive oil in your pan before frying the scallop.
Drain excess oil of fried scallop on a paper.
Prepare the salad by mixing: cherry tomatoes cut in 4 + lamb's lettuce + 1tsp of lemon juice + 1 tsp olive oil + a pinch of sesame seeds. Stir and set aside.
Make the sandwich:
Cut your baguette lengthwise and toast it. (Is there something better then hot bread?)
Cover each bread sides with mustard or mayonnaise.
Place your salad on top of one bread side.
Place hot scallop on top.
Finish your sandwich by closing with the remaining bread piece.
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.
I first made those dumplings during a summer holiday in the south of France. I basically spent my mornings cooking for my family. And I have to say those made a great impression. They are so easy to make (easier if you have a steam cooker I admit) and very delicate. They will make a very pretty and tasty original entrée.
iNGREDiENTS: - make 10 -
10 pieces of rice paper (you can easily find them in a Chinese store. Just as the rest of the ingredients)
200 gr raw shrimp (I used frozen shrimps)
A handful of bamboo
2 chinese mushrooms
1/2 shallot
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp of ginger
chives
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn flour
1 tbsp soya sauce
a few salad leaves
RECiPE:
Start by preparing all your ingredients.
Take the shell of the raw shrimps and cut them in 4 pieces each.
Cut the bamboo and mushrooms in small pieces.
Finely chopped shallot, garlic clove and ginger (peel the ginger before chopping it!!)
Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add: shallot + garlic + ginger + chopped chives (save some for later) and cook for 1 minutes.
Add : mushrooms + bamboo + shrimps + soya sauce + 1 tsp corn flour (keep the 2nd one for later) and Stir.
Cook for 4/5 minutes. Add the last tsp of cornflour and put aside.
Before filing each rice sheet with the shrimp mixture, put them one after the other into a bowl of water so they will hydrate and get soft.
Spread out a rice sheet in your work surface and fill with a tsp of the shrimp mixture.
Bring the corners of the rice sheet together and tie with the chives.
Repeat this with a new rice paper until you don't have any shrimp mixture left. (you will make about 10).
(If that's not clear enough you might wanna check the video recipe)
Cook with steam for 15 minutes, over a salad leaf. Don't forget the salad or the dim sum will stick and break down.
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.
