Ratatouille

Sunday, I'm off to Lebanon, I can't wait to see my family and friends. I will be there for a long vacation, until september 7th. I love summer in Lebanon, though it's gonna be pretty crowded, but this is the spirit of a real vacation. People on the roads, packed beaches and night clubs, busy restaurants...
Well, I'm so excited... I promise this time I will come back with lots of pictures and new recipes.
Let's go back to our ratatouille now...

Ratatouille is a traditional French provencal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice.
It is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by pasta, rice or bread). Tomatoes are the key ingredient, flavored with garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper and garnished with herbs. It's very easy to make, the method is simply to sautee all the vegetables together. Ratatouille is also used as a filling for savory crepes, or omelets.
I really enjoy it in the summer... and it was a great way to empty my fridge before going on vacation! Now my kitchen is closed in Paris :)

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, peeled every other strip, then cubed
1 onion, diced
3 zucchinis, cubed
1 red bell pepper, cubed
4 tomatoes, diced
1 can tomato puree
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp herbes de Provence
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat and sautee the onion until softened. Add the eggplants, sautee until browned. Add the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Add the whole peeled garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper.

Do not stir, cover with a lid and stew for 12 mn. Mix the vegetables, turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 mn. Add the herbes de Provence. Uncover and simmer again for another 20 mn on low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Ingredients:
1 aubergine, épluchée en laissant de bandes de peau, puis coupée en dés
1 oignon émincé
3 courgettes, coupés en dés
1 poivron rouge, coupé en dés
4 tomates, coupées en dés
1 boîte de purée de tomate
4 gousses d'ail, épluchées
1 càc d'herbes de Provence
2 càs d'huile d'olive
sel et poivre selon goût

Faites chauffer l’huile dans une cocotte à fond épais et ajoutez y l'oignon émincé. Ajoutez les aubergines, et faites les revenir jusqu'à coloration. Ajoutez les courgettes, les poivrons, les tomates, et la purée de tomate. Ajoutez les gousses d'ail, épluchées mais entières. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre.

Ne remuez pas, couvrez la cocotte et laissez mijoter à feu doux environ 12 mn. Remuez les légumes et laissez mijoter 30 mn de plus. Ajoutez les herbes de provence et laissez mijoter à découvert 20 mn de plus, ou jsuqu'à évaporatin du liquide.

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Zucchini fritters

Zucchini is one of my favorite veggies. I love it for its fresh taste and for its health benefits too. It's a gift from the garden and I love to incorporate it into my diet. Here, zucchini mixed with onion and cheese is transformed into some heavenly fritters. I really like the combo of zucchini, summer herbs and cheese. The key is to get as much water out of the zucchinis as possible so they fry up with a good crisp crust. Zucchini fritters are incredibly easy to make and great to eat with fresh sliced cucumbers, some lemon wedges or tzaziki. In this recipe, I used kashkaval cheese, but you can substitute it with feta cheese or even Parmesan.

Ingredients:
3 to 4 medium sized zucchini
2 eggs
2 tbsp bread crumbs
3.5 oz (100 g) grated kashkaval cheese (you can use crumbled feta cheese also)
1 grated onion
2 tbsp dill, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Grate the zucchini coarsely and put into a colander. Sprinkle lightly with salt and toss, then leave for 20 minutes to drain. Rinse the zucchini briefly, then squeeze it to extract as much liquid as you can and pat dry with kitchen paper.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients.
Form zucchini patties with your hands.
Heat some oil in a large skillet, and brown them on both sides.

Beignets de courgettes

Ingrédients:
3 à 4 courgettes de taille moyenne
2 œufs
2 càs de chapelure
100 g de fromage kashkaval, râpé (ou de feta, émiétté)
1 oignon, râpé 
2 càs de ciboulette, hachée
2 càs de persil, haché
2 càs de coriandre, hachée
sel et poivre selon goût

Râpez grossièrement les courgettes sans les éplucher. Faites-les dégorger 20 mn environ dans une passoire après les avoir légèrement poudrées de sel. Pressez-les bien avec les mains pour qu'elles rendent toute leur eau.

Dans un saladier, mélangez tous les ingrédients.

Formez des boulettes avec vos mains.

Faites chauffer de l'huile dans une poêle, et faites les dorer sur les deux côtés.

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Nutella filled Banana Muffins

Muffins are a treat to bake and savor. They are the best way to kick-start a day!! I love to have them for breakfast with a cup of coffee. But I’m also happy grabbing one of these cuties on my way out the door and devour it in the car. There's another huge benefit to these muffins: Nutella. I'm addicted to Nutella, it brings back so many childhood memories. I always have a jar of Nutella in my pantry. This time, I had some speckled bananas sitting on my counter, so I said rather than making a banana cake like always, I will try some banana muffins filled with Nutella. Warm from the oven, they're a totally decadent way to greet the day.

Ingredients (makes 18 muffins):
4 very ripe canary bananas (to yield about 2 cups of mashed bananas)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
Nutella

Preheat oven to 375ºF (175ºC). Grease a muffin tins with vegetable oil.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Pour in mashed bananas, milk and vanilla and blend well.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture by hand-only until dry ingredients are just mixed in.

Using a tablespoon, drop enough batter in to the muffin tins. Next drop in a blob of nutella with a spoon. Next pour enough batter over the blob so that the liners are just about full. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Muffins à la banane et au cœur de Nutella

Ingrédients (18 muffins):
4 bananes bien mûres (environ 2 tasses de bananes écrasées)
110 g beurre, mou
2 œufs
75 ml de lait
1 càc d'extrait de vanille
220 g de farine
1 sachet de levure chimique
une pincée de sel
Nutella

Préchauffez votre four à 175ºC. Graissez un moule à muffins.

Dans un saladier, battez le beurre et le sucre en crème. Ajoutez les oeufs, un à un, en battant après chaque ajoût. 

Ajoutez les bananes écrasées, le lait et l'extrait de vanille. Mélangez.

Dans un autre bol, tamisez la farine, la levure et le sel. Ajoutez-les au mélange banane. Mélangez.

Remplissez les moules à moitié de pâte puis ajoutez une cuillère de Nutella et recouvrez de pâte. Enfournez pendant 25 minutes environ.  

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Za'atar, feta and olives quick bread

Savory breads or "cake salé" as they are called in France, are popular appetizers.

The good thing about quick bread is that they're done in 10 minutes, and what makes them truly 'quick' is the fact that they're made with baking powder, rather than with yeast, which requires no kneading. And when I say quick, it's really quick because a quick bread should not be over mixed, otherwise it can create tough results. They can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner or as a snack.

Here, French people gather for aperitifs, a kind of light dinner, or as called 'un apéritif dînatoire'. An apéritif dinatoire will include enough food to fill people up without actually having to sit down and dine. The portions are small, so that you can eat each appetizer in one or two dainty bites. Many times the food will be served in waves, maybe starting with canapés, moving to verrines, and then ending with sweets. Savory breads are the star, they might include any number of ingredients; popular combinations are olives and ham, prunes and bacon, and salmon and goat cheese... You can flavor your cake with what you like. You only need the basic proportions of flour, olive oil, and eggs, then the rest is up to your creativity. As for me, it was za'atar, feta cheese and olives!

Ingredients:
2½ cups flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
3 tbsp zaa'tar
2 tbsp olive oil
7 oz (200 g) feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup pitted olives

Preheat the oven at 350ºF (175ºC).
Grease a loaf pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder salt and zaa'tar in a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk and olive oil.

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and fold together until the dry ingredients are about 3/4 moistened. Do not over mix.

Add olives, feta and fold. Pour the batter into the greased pan.
Sprinkle with some extra zaa'tar and bake for 45 mn. Let cool before serving.

Cake za'atar, feta et olives

Ingrédients:
280 g de farine (j'ai utilisé de la farine complète)
1 sachet de levure chimique
½ càc de sel
2 œufs, légèrement battus
235 ml de lait
3 càs de zaa'tar
2 càs d'huile d'olive
200 g de feta, émiétté
½ tasse d'olives dénoyautées

Préchauffez le four à 170ºC.

Beurrer un moule à cake.

Dans un bol, mélangez la farine, la levure, le sel et le za'atar.

Dans un autre bol, mélangez les œufs battus, le lait, et l'huile d'olive.

Ajoutez le mélange de farine au mélange œufs-lait et mélangez jusqu'à ce que les ingrédients soient incorporés, sans trop travailler la pâte.

Ajoutez les olives coupés, le feta et mélangez. Versez la préparation dans le moule beurré et saupoudrez d'un peu de za'atar. Laissez cuire 45 mn. Laissez refroidir avant de servir.

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Chicken Parmigiana

I love Italian food, and anything pasta, and noodles, and parmesan... I love pasta topped with wonderful red or cream sauce, topped with cheeses, vegetables, or meat.

This dish is a classic, packed with delicious flavors. The breaded chicken breasts, are melted with cheese and served with a luscious tomato sauce. So if you’re a fan of Italian cuisine, like me, then you're gonna love this dish.

Ingredients (serves 6):
4 whole (up to 6) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded flat
½ cups all-purpose flour
Salt and Pepper, to taste
½ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 whole medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cups wine (white or red is fine)
3 cans (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 lb thin Linguine

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water, until al dente.

Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.

Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Poulet Parmigiana

Ingrédients (6 personnes):
4 à 6 poitrines de poulet, désossées et aplaties à l'aide d'un maillet
60 g de farine
sel et poivre, selon goût
100 ml d'huile d'olive
2 càs de beurre
1 oignon, haché
4 gousses d'ail, hachées
175 ml de vin (blanc ou rouge)
3 boites (400 g) tomates concassées
2 càs de sucre
¼ tasse de persil haché
1 tasse de parmesan
450 g de Linguine

Mélangez la farine, le sel et le poivre dans une grande assiette. 

Passez les poulet dans la farine. Résérvez.

Pendant ce temps, faites cuire les pates dans une eau bouillante salée.

Faites chauffer l'huile et le beurre dans une poêle. Une fois le beurre fondu et l'huile bien chaude, faites revenir les escalopes de poulet 2 à 3 mn de chaque côté jusqu'à coloration. Retirez-les de la poêle et réservez-les au chaud.

Dans la même huile, faites revenir l'oignon et l'ail 2 mn en remuant. Versez le vin et laissez le réduire de moitié pendant 2 mn. Ajoutez les tomates concassées et mélangez. Ajoutez le sucre, le sel et le poivre. Laissez mijoter 30 mn. Vers la fin de la cuisson, ajoutez le persil haché.

Déposez les escalopes sur le dessus de la sauce dans la poêle et saupoudrez-les de parmesan râpé. Couvrez et réduisez le feu. Laissez cuire à feu doux jusqu'à ce que le fromage fonde. 

Déposez les pâtes dans un plat, recouvrez de sauce et posez les escalopes dessus. Parsemez de pesil haché. Servez immédiatement.

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

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