May 18, 2011

Toblerone muffins

Ingredients :

270 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
175 g sugar
25 cl creme fraiche
150g dark chocolate
2 eggs
8 cl oil
Toblerone

Mix the flour with the baking powder, a pinch of salt and the sugar. Melt the chocolate over a hot water bath. In an other container, mix the eggs together with the creme fraiche and the oil. Pour this mix into the flour mix. Mix well but shortly. Add the melted chocolate. Pour one big table spoon of dough in each muffins molds. Place one piece of Toblerone in the center, cover slightly with some more dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees C. For about 15 muffins.

PS : Mathilda turns 9 tomorrow, she will bring some of them to school.

May 18, 2011

Pineapple flambé with black pepper

Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple

1 tablespoon black pepper (freshly ground)

2 tablespoons raw sugar

10 cl rum

50g butter

Preparations

Peel the pineapple and cut into 1 / 2 inch slices. Cut each slice in half. Put the pieces in a bowl of black pepper and raw sugar. Mix well.

Fry the slices in butter about 2 minutes and pour in half of the rum. Let simmer 2-3 minutes.

Put the pineapple pieces on serving plate and pour over the sauce.

Heat the rest of the rum in a saucepan (NB do not bring to a boil!). Pour the hot rum over the pineapple pieces and light it with a lighter. Let the flames die out by themselves.

May 18, 2011

Honey & sesame seed pork wok

Serves 4-5

approximately 800g pork
black pepper
1 minced garlic clove
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons liquid honey
1 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon oil
2 tbsp chopped coriander

Marinade

1 cup light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 garlic cloves

Cut the meat into small cubes. Put the meat in a bowl, add the soy sauce, 2 crushed garlic cloves and grated ginger. Mix well and let stand covered and cool about 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the minced garlic and ginger. Fry on medium heat about a minute, add the drained meat and stir. Fry for about 10 minutes and pour off excess juice if necessary, then continue frying until all the liquid has disappeared and meat is golden.

Season with pepper and add the honey and sesame seeds Mix and cook about 5 minutes until the meat is caramelized.

Top with freshly chopped coriander and serve with rice or roasted sweet potatoes.

May 12, 2011

Moroccan carrot salad

Tangy and spicy North African salad. Excellent as an accompaniment to meat, poultry, etc., or as part of a buffet

Ingredients

4 medium carrots
2 garlic cloves
juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cube chicken bouillon
salt, pepper

Preparation:

Peel the carrots and cut into 1/2 cm slices. Slice the garlic thin and fry it in the oil. When garlic starts to get brown add 1 / 2 liters of hot water with bouillon cube and the lemon juice and bring to boil while stirring.

Add the carrots, the groundcumin, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered about 25 minutes.

The carrots should be soft and the liquid should have reduced and thickened slightly. When the carrots are ready, turn the heat to high for few minutes to further reduce the amount of liquid.

Serve at room temperature.

This dish can be made one day in advance to really let the carrots soak in the lemon, garlic and cummin sauce. Just remember to take it out of the fridge in time to let the olive oil dissolve if has turned solid.

May 9, 2011

Muffins with prosciutto, feta and sun-dried tomatoes

Ingredients (for 14 muffins – form 6-7cm diameter)

6dl flour
100g prosciutto
1 handful fresh basil
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes
3 eggs
6g baking powder
150g feta
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp grated parmesan
3 dl sour milk (filmjölk for the swedes) – I guess yoghurt does the job too!
1/2 dl rapeseed oil

Heat the owen to 175 degrees. Shred the prosciutto, the sundried tomatoes and the basil. Cut the feta in small cubes.

Mix the flour, the baking powder, the salt and add the prosciutto/sundried tomatoes/the basil/the cubes of feta and the grated parmesan. Mix few seconds. Pour the sour milk (or filmjölk or yoghurt), the eggs and the oil into the flour mix. Mix quickly.

Grease the forms. Fill 2/3 of each muffins form with the dough. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the muffins are done and have a nice golden colour.

Excellent for brunch, picnic or just for an aperitif!

May 9, 2011

Salmon pie

Ingredients

pate feuilletée (puff pastry)
250 gr salmon
4 eggs
4 shallot (minced)
4 tbsp crumbs
2 dl creme fraiche

Warm the oven at 180 degrees C. Cook the salmon in water and let it cool, mince it with your hands. Mix the salmon with the eggs, the minced shallot, the crumbs and the creme fraiche. Salt and pepper. Line a buttered 27 cm pie pan with the pastry and pour in the salmon mix. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a tomato/green salad. 4 servings.

May 8, 2011

Black olive tapenade

Ingredients

300 gr black olives (with pit)
100 gr anchovies (canned in oil)
100 gr tuna fish (canned)
100 gr capers
10 cl olive oil
pepper
some thyme if you have

Mix all ingredients (after taking off the pits of course!). You can save this tapenade for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

Original recipe from Boubou (Bargemon).

PS. nothing to do with the recipe....but for the curious ones, discover bargemon on http://www.beyond.fr/villages/bargemon.html

May 8, 2011

Spicy beef

Ingredients

500g beef fillet

For marinade

1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp red thai curry paste
1 tbsp soy sauce (japanese if you have)
1 tsp raw sugar
a pinch of salt and pepper

1. Cut the beef in 1 cm dices

2. Mix the marinade ingredients till you get a paste (it looks like not enough but don't worry, it will do the job!)

3. Add the beef, mix well and put in the fridge for 30 minutes

4. If you are in a hurry : Grill the beef as it is ! If you have time : do some nice skewers for your guests

Serve as apetizers or main dish with steamed rice. Careful, it's very hot!

May 6, 2011

Tarte Bourdaloue (French Pear Tart)

For the crust

200g flour
100g butter
a pinch of salt
water as needed

For the filling

1kg good pears
200g sugar
1 vanilla pod
3 egg yolks
40g butter
40g flour
1/3 l milk
some raspberry or black currant jelly

Making the crust

Cut or chop the butter finely and mix rapidly with the flour, salt and if needed some water (not too much) to get the pastry dough. Let the dough rest for while before pressing it gently into a 28 cm pie plate. Pre cook the crust in the oven 20 minutes at 200 C. Take out and let it cool

Prepare the pears and the filling

Peel and remove the seeds and cut the pears in 2 or 4 pieces each (depending on their size). Boil them in 1/4 l water, 100g sugar and 1/2 of the vanilla pod until they become soft. Keep the sugar syrup after removing the pear pieces.

Heat the milk together with the remaining 1/2 vanilla pod. Mix the egg yolks with 100g sugar and the flour. Add the milk to the egg mixture and heat carefully on low heat until it starts to thicken. Let it cool.

Pour the vanilla cream into the cool crust and place the pear pieces circularly in the cream.

Mix the raspberry or black currant jelly in the remaining sugar syrup and boil it until it thickens. Distribute evenly over the pie.

Enjoy with a glass of Champagne!

May 5, 2011

Yellow lentils stew (with chicken)

Ingredients (for 3-4 persons)

400g yellow lentils
3 tomatoes
1 carrot
1/2 minced onion
1 pressed garlic clove
persley
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 tsp minced ginger
20g butter
pepper + salt according to taste

+ some grilled chicken breast or pork

Dice the carrot. Fry the pressed garlic, chopped onion and the carrot in butter. Rince the lentils carefully..

Put the lentils and the chopped persley in a stewpot. Add the bouillon cube and water so that it covers the lentils. Peel the tomato and take away the seeds. Cut them in small dices and put in the stewpot together with the ginger. Season with pepper.

Cook for about 30 minutes with cover under medium heat. Stir every now and then. Taste before serving and eventually add some salt if necessary.

Serve with sliced grilled chicken or sliced grilled pork.

Perfect dish for a rainy winter day.

Gastronomica

Because good food matters

Toblerone muffins

Pineapple flambé with black pepper

Honey & sesame seed pork wok

Moroccan carrot salad

Muffins with prosciutto, feta and sun-dried tomatoes

Salmon pie

Black olive tapenade

Spicy beef

Tarte Bourdaloue (French Pear Tart)

Yellow lentils stew (with chicken)