Profiteroles

Profiteroles, those elegant small bite-sized golden buns of choux pastry that nestle sweet savory scoops of crème pâtissière or vanilla ice cream, topped with a warm chocolate glaze, are definitely my all time favorite dessert.

As you may know, profiteroles are made from “pâte à choux” a dough created from few simple pantry staples. Choux is French for cabbage; when you bake the dough in little mounds with rounded tops they do puff up to look like tiny cabbages.



The choux paste is piped through a pastry bag or dropped with a pair of spoons into small balls and baked to form largely hollow puffs. The puffs tend to deflate if left out to cool immediately after baking. To reduce the likelihood of the puffs deflating, I keep them still-warm, in a turned off oven. The heat in the oven makes most of the wet dough inside the cream puff dry out and helps keep the shape of the puff.

I was delighted to discover how easily those puffs came together. It took no longer than 2 hours from start to finish, including the time needed for baking. Once you know how to make the Pâte à Choux dough, you can use it in surprising new ways.

Ingredients (makes 35 puffs): by Conticini

16 cl (5.4 fl.oz) water

16 cl (5.4 fl. oz) whole milk

145 g (10 tbsp) butter

5 g sugar

4 g salt

190 g (1¾ cup) flour

5 to 6 eggs (335 g)

Bring milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to boil in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring once or twice. When mixture reaches full boil (butter should be fully melted), immediately remove saucepan from heat and stir in the sieved flour with a wooden spoon until combined and mixture clears sides of pan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, using smearing motion, for 3 minutes, until mixture is slightly shiny.

Remove the dough and place it either in the bowl of a stand mixer or the bowl of a food processor and let the dough cool off for a few minutes.

With the mixer running, using the beater blade, add the eggs one at a time.  It's important that you let each egg incorporate fully into the dough before adding the next one.  The dough will look curdled and weird - don't worry about it.  After all eggs are added, mix until the dough forms a nice paste consistency. (If you do not have either a mixer or a food processor, you can beat in the eggs one at a time using a spoon).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

Pipe the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large tip. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use 2 teaspoons to place the dough onto the baking sheet. Pipe the dough into mounds about 2 to 2-1/2 inches wide, spacing them apart.

Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 30 minutes, or until the puffs are a nice golden brown. Turn off the heat and open the oven door a few inches with a wooden spoon and let the puffs sit in the turned off oven to dry out for about 10 minutes.

Crème Patissière

1 cup (225 ml) whole milk
2 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp (100 g) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
1 tsp natural vanilla extract

Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture.

Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking. Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil.

Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla. Pour cream into a ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface.

Chill immediately and until ready to use.

Chocolate sauce

1 cup cream
7 oz (200 g) semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Heat the cream and chocolate just until it scalds (bubbles will form on the outside perimeter of the pot).  Turn off heat, whisk until smooth.

This sauce can be kept in the refrigerator a few days - just bring to room temperature to serve because it firms up when it is cold.

Ingrédients (environ 35 pâtes à choux): Selon Conticini

16 cl d'eau

16 cl de lait entier

145 g de beurre

5 g de sucre

4 g de sel

190 g de farin

5 à 6 œufs (335 g)

Dans une casserole, versez le lait, l'eau, le sucre et le sel puis le beurre coupé en morceaux.

Portez à ébullition. Hors feu, versez, en une seule fois, la farine tamisée.

Mélangez bien, à feu moyen environ 5 min pour assécher la pâte.

Versez cette dernière dans le robot, puis pétrissez avec le batteur plat du robot (ou à l'aide d'une spatule si vous n'avez pas de robot), en y incorporant un à un les oeufs.

Vous devez obtenir une pâte à chou souple et luisante.

A l'aide d'une poche à douille (12 mm) ou de 2 cuillerées, pochez des boules de pâte (de la taille d'une boule de glace environ), sur une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé. Espacez-les car ils gonflent à la cuisson. Préchauffez le four à 180ºC.

Enfournez pour 30 mn, ou jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés. Éteignez le four et laissez la porte entrouverte avec une cuillère en bois, et laissez les choux se dessécher environ 10 mn. 

Entaillez les choux et remplissez-les chacun de la crème patissière (recette ci-dessous)

Crème Patissière

225 ml de lait entier
2 càs de fécule de mais
100 g de sucre
1 œuf
2 jaunes d'œuf
30 g de beurre doux
1 càc d'extrait de vanille

Dans un grand bol, faites dissoudre la fécule de mais dans 60 ml de lait.
Mélangez le reste du lait (165 ml) avec le sucre dans une casserole. Portez à ébullition. Retirez du feu.

Ajoutez les œufs (entier et jaunes) au mélange fécule-lait.

Versez 1/3 du lait bouillant dans la préparation aux œufs, tout en remuant constamment avec le fouet.

Remettez la casserole de lait au feu. Versez la préparation aux œufs doucement, tout en remuant (il faut remuer constamment) jusqu'à ce que le mélange s'épaississe et commence à bouillir.

Retirez du feu et ajoutez le beurre et la vanille. Versez dans un bol. Couvrez de film alimentaire et mettez au frigo jusqu'à utilisation.

Sauce chocolat

20 cl crème

200g de chocolat à 60%

Chauffez la crème liquide, versez le chocolat en morceaux dessus. Mélangez bien.

Maintenez la sauce chaude et servez les choux accompagnez de cette sauce.

Read More

Zucchini and laughing cow cheese soup

We woke up to frost Saturday, which can only means one thing: Winter is here!
It was pouring rain, bleak gray clouds were rolling across the sky, and the sun reduced to a feeble orb through the thick, dark atmosphere. As I peered into the gloom, I was dreaming of soup, a thick, rich warm-me up soup!

We decided to spend the day snuggled up inside under a blanket, sipping hot chocolate and watching movies.
I somehow love the days, when it’s gray and rainy outside, and all you want to do is curl up on the couch listening to the drops of rain relentlessly pattering against the window.

So came this soup, without spending too much time in the kitchen. It is creamy, cheesy, velvety and healthy. The addition of ‘la vache qui rit’ adds a great flavor and texture. Actually, that's just what a soul needs on cold lazy days like this!

Ingredients (serves 4):
6 zucchinis (1.5 kg)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp allspice
salt
4 cups water
6 portions laughing cow cheese

Wash and cut the zucchini in chunks. In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with a pinch of salt and the allspice just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the zucchini. Add the water. Bring to a simmer and cook until zucchini are soft throughout, about 5 mn.

Drain the zucchini reserving some cooking liquid. Transfer the zucchini to a blender, add the cheese and puree until smooth. (You may have to add a bit of the cooking liquid to achieve the desired consistency). Taste and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Velouté de courgettes à la vache qui rit

Ingredients (serves 4):
6 courgettes (1.5 kg)
2 gousses d'ail, hachées
1 oignon, émincé
2 càs d'huile d'olive
½ càc de quatre-épices
sel
4 tasses d'eau
6 portions la vache qui rit

Lavez et coupez les courgettes en morceaux. Faites chauffer l'huile dans une grande marmite, et faites revenir l'ail et l'oignon quelques minutes. Assaisonnez de sel et d'épices. Ajoutez les courgettes. Versez l'eau. Portez à ébullition et faites cuire les courgettes environ 5 mn.

Égouttez en réservant l'eau de cuisson. Versez les courgettes dans le bol du mixeur, ajoutez le fromage et mixez finement. Si vous préférez une texture plus fluide, ajoutez un peu d'eau de cuisson. Goutez et réctifiez l'assaisonnement. Versez un filet d'huile d'olive et servez chaud.

Read More

Squash and sweet potato gratin

The air is heavy with the smell of wintry weather making its way little by little… where has the summer gone? I don’t know if I am ready to welcome the cold weather, the shorter days, the gloomy clouds, and the crispy mornings!! Ahhh! I feel I’m getting a little bit nostalgic around this time. I mean, I love the change of season, the way the air becomes a little bit (just a little bit) chilly, the changing of the leaves… and above all the abundance of fall squashes at the market.

I know I will definitely miss the daylight here in Paris, cause winter is much too long comparing to Lebanon, but I'd better enjoy the sun while it’s out there now and think of just snuggling up rather than not sleeping at night due to swampy, sweaty summery nights! Yes, I should be positive! But to be honest, I do really love wintry weather, I love the hearty meals, the hot soups, the lovely fall scenery, the crackle of the colorful leaves beneath my feet…

Well, with the days getting cooler, I could see my appetite growing with the bounty of autumn treats that fills the farmers’ markets. So today, I greet the arrival of fall with mixed emotions and with this squash and sweet potato gratin! 

Ingredients (serves 4):
14 oz (400 g) butternut squash
14 oz (400g) sweet potatoes
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp sweet paprika
pinch of nutmeg
3 oz (80 g) gruyère, shredded
3 sprig of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven at 350ºF (180ºC).

Butter a baking dish, round or square.

Peel the squash and sweet potatoes then cut them into chunks.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the onion, add the paprika.

Add the squash and sweet potatoes and saute 10 mn, stirring frequently. They should stay firm. Season with salt and pepper and transfer into the baking dish.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, cream and nutmeg. Add half the cheese. Pour over the squash and sweet potatoes.

Top with remaining cheese and chopped parsley. Bake 35 mn then brown under the broiler for 5 mn.

Gratin de patates douces et courges

Ingrédients (4 personnes):
400 g de courges (butternut, potiron...)
400 g de patates douces
1 oignon, émincé
2 càs d'huile d'olive
2 œufs
20 cl de crème fleurette
20 g de beurre
½ càc de paprika doux
1 pincée de muscade
80 g de gruyère râpé
3 brins de persil, ciselé
sel et poivre

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC.

Beurrez un plat à gratin.

Pelez la courge et les patates douces et coupez-les en morceaux.

Faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans un faitout et faites revenir l'oignon, saupoudrez de paprika.

Ajoutez les morceaux de courge et de patates douces et faites cuire pendant 10 mn, en mélangeant de temps en temps. Ils doivent rester fermes. Salez et poivrez. Transférez dans le plat à gratin.

Battez les œufs, la crème et une pincée de muscade dans un bol. Ajoutez la moitié du fromage. Versez le mélange sur les légumes dans le plat.

Parsemez du reste de fromage et du persil ciselé. Enfournez 35 mn environ, puis faites gratiner sous le gril 5 mn.

Adapted from: Saveurs

Read More

Camembert tartles with pancetta and pine nuts

My obsession with French cheese started about 4 years ago, when I first moved to France, before that, I was never a fan of cheese, especially French cheese. Yes about 4 years ago, I would have never eaten a piece of camembert, brie, and especially Roquefort. I found that even the smell of those cheeses was so pungent and overwhelming. Little did I know that only a few months after I moved to Paris, those same cheeses would become my obsession. Can you imagine this?!

How did this obsession begin? Well, it started right after the first time I went to a fromagerie, I was so uncomfortable, standing there speechless, scanning my way through a mélange of French cheese, lost between hundreds of various types. I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of creamy, velvety, and smelly goodness that is French cheese, and it was at this moment that I decided that my quest for cheese tasting should begin… and my love for French cheese was born!!

Ingredients (8 tartlets):
1 puff pastry
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 oz (60 g) pancetta, cut into strips
7 oz (200 g) camembert cheese, cubed
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
¾ cup heavy cream
pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the onion until caramelized. Set aside.

In the same pan, brown the pancetta.

In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and cream then season with pepper. You don't need to salt, cause the pancetta is already salty.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease 8 small tartlet forms. Line each form with a layer of the puff pastry. Set aside.

Next, spoon a little of the onion and pancetta mixture into each pastry case, spread it out evenly. Cover with the slices of cheese, spreading them evenly. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Garnish with the pine nuts and bake in the centre of the oven until golden and puffed, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Tartelettes au camembert, pancetta et pignons de pin

Ingrédients (8 tartelettes):
1 pâte feuilletée
1 oignon, émincé
60 g de pancetta, coupé en lanières
200 g de camembert, coupé en gros cubes
2 càs de pignons de pin, grillés
1 càs d'huile d'olive
2 œufs
20 cl de crème épaisse
sel et poivre

Faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une poêle et faites revenir l'oignon jusqu'à caramélisation. Réservez.

Dans la même poêle, faites revenir la pancetta.

Dans un saladier, mélangez au fouet les œufs avec la crème. Poivrez. Pas besoin de saler à cause de la pancetta.

Préchauffez le fout à 180ºC. Beurrez 8 moules à tartelettes. Tapissez les moules avec 8 disques de pâte feuilletée.

Répartissez sur le fond de chaque tartelette les oignons et la pancetta. Repartissez dessus les dés de camembert. Versez dessus le mélange aux œufs. Parsemez de pignons de pin et laissez cuire 25-30 min au four.

Read More

Potato frittata

I love brunch. I love coffee. I love eggs... and I'll eat them almost any way they can be prepared, scrambled, fried, poached, boiled, baked... I don't care. The ever versatile egg is the basis for quiches, omelets, casseroles and of course frittata. Frittata can be breakfast, brunch, an appetizer, a starter or the main course of any dinner, they are that versatile. It is a great way to use up all of those leftovers in your refrigerator.

Every country has its own recipes for egg dishes. In France, it's the omelet, in Italy, it's the frittata, and in Spain it's the tortilla. I love the three variations, especially when I have a fridge full of bits and pieces of leftovers. The frittata include all sort of goodies mixed into it... so you can be very creative!

Ingredients:
5 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, sliced
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
3 tbsp unsalted butter
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
7 large eggs
2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp minced chives
2 tbsp heavy cream

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

Heat a medium saute pan over medium high heat and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the canola oil.  

Add the onions and cook until caramelized, about 8 to 10 minutes.  

Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of water, scraping any brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook until the water evaporates and the onions take on a uniform brown color, about 5 minutes.  

Transfer the onions to the roasting pan and toss with the raw sliced potatoes.  

Add 1 tbsp of butter and the remaining 3 tbsp of oil. Toss with your hands. Season generously with salt and pepper.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  

Set the potatoes aside to cool for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350ºF (180ºC). 

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, herbs and cream together.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in the skillet, making sure that melted butter greases the side of the cast iron as well. Add the cooked potatoes to the pan.  Top with the egg mixture.  Cover the skillet with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more.  

Slice and serve directly from the skillet, warm or at room temperature. 

Frittata aux pommes de terre

Ingrédients:
5 càs d'huile
1 oignon émincé
4 pommes de terre, pelées et coupées en fines rondelles
3 càs de beurre non salé
sel
poivre noir 
7 grands œufs
2 càs de persil plat, haché
2 càs de ciboulette, hachée
2 càs de crème fraîche

Préchauffez votre four à 200ºC.

Faites chauffer 2 càs d'huile dans une poêle.

Ajoutez les oignons et faites-les revenir 8 à 10 mn jusqu'à caramélisation.

Déglacez la poêle avec 1/4 tasse d'eau, grattant le fond de la poêle avec une cuillère en bois.

Laissez cuire jusqu'à ce que l'eau s'évapore et que les oignons soient dorés, environ 5 mn.

Transférez les oignons dans un plat allant au four et ajoutez les pommes de terre.

Ajoutez 1 càs de beurre et les 3 càs d'huile restantes. Mélangez avec vos mains. Assaisonnez généreusement de sel et de poivre.

Couvrez le plat avec du papier aluminium et enfournez 25 à 30 mn ou jusqu'à ce que les pommes de terre soient tendres.

Réservez les pommes de terre pour qu'ils refroidissent. Réduisez la température à 180ºC.

Pendant ce temps, battez les œufs avec les herbes et la crème. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre.

Faites chauffer  2 càs de beurre dans une poêle allant au four, en répartissant bien sans oublier les bords de la poêle. Ajoutez les pommes de terre et versez le mélange œufs-herbes.

Couvrez la poêle avec du papier alumimium et enfournez 30 mn. Enlever l'aluminium et poursuivez la cuisson 10 mn de plus.

Coupez et servez, chaud ou à température ambiante.


Adapted from: Joy the Baker

Read More

Baked Hasselback potatoes

 

Take a break from baked potatoes! This Swedish dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. The seasoned fancy looking potatoes turn out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Yes, there's nothing too fancy about these Hasselback potatoes, they are just part-sliced baked potatoes garnished with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and some chives. Be careful when you’re cutting them not to go all the way through the potato or you’ll just end up with sliced potatoes!

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed (leave skin on)
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp of olive oil
salt
pinch of smoked paprika
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
chopped chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220ºC).

Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.

Be careful not to slice all the way through. The potato will fan out a bit as it bakes.

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, smoked paprika and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet. Carefully insert pinches of this mixture in between the slits of the potatoes. Rub the outsides of the potatoes with residual oil.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes. The inside should be cooked through and the outside of the potato should be a bit crispy.

Garnish with additional parmesan and chives!

Pommes de terre hasselback

Ingrédients:
4 pommes de terre, lavés (non pelées)
4 gousses d'ail, émincées
3 càs d'huile d'olive
sel
pincée de paprika
2 càs de parmesan
ciboulette hachée pour la décoration

Préchauffez le four à 220ºC.

Tranchez une fine lamelle 2 ou 3 mm d’épaisseur, presque jusqu’à la base de la pomme sans séparer les lamelles.

Mélnagez huile d'olive, ail, sel, paprika et parmesan dans un bol.

Arrangez les pommes de terre sur une plaque huilée. Badigeonnez-les avec le mélange d'huile en passant entre les lamelles.

Enfournez 40 à 45 mn. L'intérieur sera cuit et l'extérieur croquant.

Parsemez de parmesan et de ciboulette.

Read More

Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant parmigiana, also known as melanzane alla parmigiana or Parmigiana di melanzane, is a well-loved Italian classic originating in Naples. There are many versions of eggplant parmigiana and I definitely like them all. The breaded crispy slices of eggplant, the gooey mozzarella, the sharpness of Parmesan cheese all layered in a tomato basil sauce makes this a delectable dish.

The breaded and fried eggplant add a whole extra flavor to the dish, but some people don’t find it necessary, of course for the extra calories, and just choose to roast the eggplant slices.

Eggplant parmigiana is a simple dish, yet tricky because you have to press the liquid out of eggplant as much as possible cause you don’t want mushy slices that won’t fry properly. The time consuming part of the dish is the preparation of the eggplant. The trick then is to remove the excess water in the eggplant and sweat out the bitterness. Sprinkle them with salt, and then lay them in a colander laid on top of a plate, and leave them for about 2 hours.

This goes great with some fresh Italian bread and a garden salad, or with pasta… It also makes outstanding leftover sandwiches!

Buon Appetito! 

Ingredients (serves 6):
2 large eggplants
salt
1 (28-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
4 eggs, beaten
1 lb (400 g) mozzarella, sliced
1 cup grated parmesan
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
pepper

Slice the eggplants. Arrange one layer in the bottom of a large colander and sprinkle evenly with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant, salting, until all eggplant is in the colander. Weigh down the slices with a couple of plates and let drain for 2 hours. The purpose of this step is to have the eggplant release some of its moisture before cooking.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Combine tomatoes, garlic and 1/3 cup olive oil in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

When eggplant has drained, press down on it to remove excess water, wipe off the excess salt, and lay the slices out on paper towels to remove all the moisture.

In a bowl, combine flour and breadcrumbs. Mix well.
In another bowl, beat the eggs.

In a deep skillet, heat some oil. When hot, dredge eggplant slices in the flour mixture then in the beaten eggs. Working in batches, slide coated eggplant into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC). In the bottom of a baking dish, spread 1 cup of tomato sauce. Top with one third of the eggplant slices. Top eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with one third of the Parmesan and half of the basil leaves.

Make a second layer of eggplant slices, topped by 1 cup of sauce, remaining mozzarella, half the remaining Parmesan, and all of the remaining basil. Add remaining eggplant, and top with the remaining tomato sauce and Parmesan.

Bake until cheese has melted and the top is slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.



Aubergines à la parmigiana

Ingrédients (6 personnes):
2 grandes aubergines
sel
1 boîte de tomates concassées
2 gousses d'ail
75 ml d'huile d'olive
60 g de farine
60 g de chapelure
4 œufs, battus
400 g de mozzarella, coupé
200 g de Parmesan
1 tasse de basilic, haché
poivre noir

Coupez les aubergines en rondelles. Disposez une couche dans le fond d'une grande passoire et saupoudrez avec du sel. Répétez l'opération avec les aubergines restantes, salez, jusqu'à épuisement des aubergines. Disposez au dessous une assiette et laissez égoutter pendant 2 heures. Le but de cette étape est d'extraire le maximum d'eau des aubergines avant la cuisson.

Pendant ce temps, préparez la sauce tomate. Mixez les tomates, l'ail et l'huile d'olive dans un blender. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre. Réservez.

Quand les aubergines ont bien dégorgé, pressez-les pour extraire l'eau et l'excès de sel. Placez-les sur du papier absorbant pour enlever toute l'humidité.

Dans un bol, mélangez la farine et la chapelure.

Dans un autre bol, battez les œufs.

Dans une gran de sauteuse, faites chauffer un peu d'huile. Passez les aubergines dans le mélange farine/chapelure puis dans l'œuf battu. Faites frire les tranches des deux côtés. Continuez ainsi jusqu'à ce que toutes les tranches soient dorées. Égouttez-les sur du papier absorbant.

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Dans un plat allant au four, mettez la sauce tomate au fond, disposez dessus le tiers des tranches d'aubergines. Étalez la moitié des tranches de mozzarella. Saupoudrez du tiers de Parmesan et de la moitié des feuilles de basilic hachées.

Etalez une deuxième couche d'aubergines, ajoutez de la sauce tomate, le reste de la mozzarella et la moitié du parmesan restant et tout le basilic. Ajoutez les aubergines restantes, et terminez avec la sauce tomate. Saupoudrez de parmesan.

Enfournez jusqu'à ce que le dessus soit légèrement doré, environ 30 mn. Laissez reposez 10 mn avant de servir.

Read More

Kibbe stuffed with cheese

The most common form of kibbe is the torpedo shaped balls with an outer layer of ground meat and bulgur and an inner filling of minced meat and pine nuts. This is probably how you may have encountered kibbe in a restaurant. However, kibbe can be tweaked with different stuffing. In Tripoli, on Lebanon’s coast, ground fish and bulgur make up the outer shell, and a mixture of caramelized onions and pine nuts make up the stuffing. The filling varies, and you can use many ingredients, some fill the kibbe with spinach, chickpeas and onions. Others fill them with labneh and onions. This time I decided to go for the cheese filling, I thought the melting cheese in those little meatballs would turn out great… and it actually did!!

Ingredients:

For the kibbe: 
1 to 1½ lb (500 to 700g) ground beef 
2 cups bulgur (cracked wheat) 
1 onion 
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp cumin 
1/4 tsp pepper 
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Wash burghul under running water then soak in water for about 10 minutes. Drain then press to remove moisture as much as possible.

Mash onion in the food processor then add minced meat in batches. Remove and place aside.
Mix meat mixture with burghul, salt, spices. Process well in batches into a firm paste.
Knead mixture with wet hands into a smooth paste. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes covered with a piece of wet texture.

For the filling:  
Cheese (I used Gruyère, cut into small cubes) but you can substitute it with any other cheese

Divide paste into egg sized balls. Dip your hands in cold water then roll each ball between the palms of your hands until smooth. Make a hole in the middle with your forefinger. Work finger round in the hole until you have a shell of even thickness. Fill hole with cheese and close opening.

Moisten with cold water to seal well and to shape with two pointed sides. If any breaks appear in shell, close with wet fingers. Place balls on a tray. Heat oil in a pan then fry till brown evenly and cooked.

Kebbés farcis au fromage

Ingrédients:

Pour le kebbé: 
500 à 700 g de viande de mouton 
2 tasses de boulghour
1 oignon
sel
1 càc de cumin en poudre
1/4 càc de poivre
1/4 càc de cannelle en poudre

Rincez le boulghour, trempez-le dans de l'eau environ 30 mn, pressez-le à la main pour se débarrasser de son eau. Hachez l'oignon au robot, ajoutez la viande. Mixez et réservez.

Mélangez au robot la viande et l'oignon avec le boulghour, le sel, le poivre, le cumin et la cannelle afin d'obtenir une pâte homogène. Malaxez bien et conservez au frigo pendant une demie heure et couvrez d'un torchon humide.

Pour la farce: Du fromage coupé en cubes (J'ai utilisé du Gruyère) mais vous pouvez choisir un fromage de votre choix.

Prendre le kebbé, en faire à l'aide du doigt de petites boulettes ovales creuses aux parois minces, les farcir et en colmatez l'orifice.

Chauffer de l'huile végétale à feu doux et les faire rissoler.

Read More

Lahm b'ajeen - Lahmacun - Lahmajoon...

Those of you who have experienced the pure joy of lunching on lahm b’ajeen in Lebanon or the Middle East, know the utter delight that these paper-thin pizza-like bring to any table. Lahm b’ajeen, lahmacun, lahmajoon…is a delectable Middle Eastern flatbread smeared with minced meat, tomatoes and spices. Lahm b’ajeen, as pronounced in Lebanon, is a symbolic street food that is so important to us as Lebanese. You find it everywhere: all around the country from the North to South. In fact, it is impossible to walk down the streets of Beirut, and not notice the food. Street food is sold everywhere; from pushcarts, to storefronts, to tiny corner shops…

In Lebanon, I remember my mom waking up early and heading to the baker carrying her own topping mixture. In Lebanon, lahm b’ajeen is baked in brick ovens, but I can assure you, it is absolutely doable in your oven. It is very customary in Lebanon to have your meat prepared at home or at the butcher’s before taking it to the bakery to be spread on dough for lahm b'ajeen. As you see, this is an easy way of making lahm b’ajeen, you just prepare the topping and the rest of the work is done for you at the bakery; isn’t this nice!! 

Ingredients (10 lahm b'ajeen):

For the dough: 

1 tsp dry active yeast
½ tsp sugar
1½ cup of warm water
4 ½ cups of flour
a bit of oil to brush the dough

For the topping:

12 oz (350 g) of minced beef or lamb
1 big onion, grated
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ tsp of chili pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp allspice
salt according to your own taste
juice of 1 lemon

Combine the yeast and sugar with a ½ cup of the warm water, and set aside until mixture is frothy. Sift the flour into a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, along with the remaining warm water. Using your hands, work the mixture into a dough. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until pliable and springy, about 5 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a log and cut into 10 equal balls.

Preheat oven to 420ºF (210ºC).

Prepare the filling: Melt the butter in a skillet, add the onion and saute until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly with your fingertips.

Place a ball of dough on a floured surface and roll into a round, flat circle, about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick. Place the round on a baking sheet. Brush the top with olive oil and spread with a thin, even layer of the meat filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The dough should still be soft enough to roll up.

Squeeze a little lemon juice over each of the hot lahm b'ajeen, and serve immediately.

Ingrédients (10 lahm b'ajeen):

Pour la pâte:

1 càc de levure instantanée
½ càc de sucre
1½ tasse d'eau chaude
4 ½ tasses de farine
un peu d'huile pour badigeonner la pâte

Pour la garniture:

350 g de viande finement hachée
1 oignon, finement émincé
3 gousses d'ail, finement hachées
2 càs de beurre
½ tasse de persil plat, haché
¼ tasse de menthe fraiche, hachée
2 tomates, pelées, épépinées et coupées en dés
½ càc de piment
1 càc de paprika
1 càc de 4-épices
sel selon goût
le jus d'un citron

Diluer la levure et le sucre dans ½ tasse d'eau chaude et laisser reposer dans un endroit tiède jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit mousseux. Dans un grand saladier, tamiser la farine, faire un puits au centre et ajouter la levure délayée, et l'eau chaude restante. Pétrir jusqu'à obtention d'une pâte lisse. Recouvrir d'un linge et laisser reposer dans un endroit tiède pendant 1 heure.

Diviser la pâte en 10 boulettes. Les abaisser sur un plan de travail légèrement fariné en de minces disques.

Préchauffez le four à 210ºC.

Préparer la garniture: Faire fondre le beurre dans une sauteuse, et faites revenir l'oignon 5 à 7 mn. Ajouter l'ail et faites revenir 1 mn. Transférer dans un grand bol et ajouter les autres ingrédients et mélanger bien.

Disposez les disques sur une plaque à pâtisserie, les badigeonner d'huile et étaler uniformément 2 càs de garniture.

Enfourner 10 à 12 mn. La pâte doit être légèrement tendre pour pouvoir l'enrouler.

Pressez un peu de jus de citron sur les lahm b'ajeen et les déguster chaud.

Read More

Alsatian Apple Tart

Last weekend we drove a few hours from Paris to the Alsace, one of the loveliest and most picturesque regions in France. In fact, the Alsace is one of the country's smallest regions of France but it boasts mouth-watering specialties.

La petite France

German influence can be found all over Alsace, not least in the cuisine and the wine. It can be seen by simply looking around at the architecture and tasting the food.

They say Alsatian cuisine is like none other in France. This French North-East region, that shares borders with Germany, perpetuates the traditional gastronomy of France.

If you like good, hearty food, Alsatian cuisine won’t disappoint. Baeckeoffe (Baker’s oven), a casserole of pork, lamb, beef and vegetables; choucroute garni, sauerkraut with sausage;  Flammeküche, or what is called tarte flambée in French, a pastry filled with cream, onions, cheese, mushrooms and bacon; Zweibelküche or tarte à l'oignon, which is an onion tart; Tourte, a pie containing ham, bacon or ground pork with eggs and leeks.

Kougelhopf molds

Alsace is also renowned for its patisseries, including the kougelhopf, a sultana and almond ribbed molded dome-shaped cake, or the tarte alsacienne, a custard tart with local fruits.

We meandered the medieval streets, drank some great wine and excellent food. As with any quint French village, the bakery has to be the place to go, one of the stops I had to make was “la boulangerie” to taste the Alsatian pastries.

 Srasbourg

I love the distinctive culture of French food accompanied with pride, exclusive ingredients and techniques. I love the idea how a region's food is heavily influenced by the region's own history and border countries. And I feel that if I truly want to experience France, I should experience the food, both regional and national.

Ingredients (serves 6):
Shortcrust pastry:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
9 tbsp (125 g) cold butter, cut into pieces
2 tbsp cold water

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

In a large bowl, mix the flour, butter, sugar, and salt with your fingertips until the butter is in pieces about the size of peas. Quickly stir the water into the mixture and then gather up the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a flat dish shape. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Butter the bottom and side of a tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a circle. Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and then unroll it directly onto the pan.

For the filling:

1 pound medium sized sweet apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Layer the apples on the bottom of the dough. In a bowl, mix the eggs and sugar, add the cream and the vanilla extract. Pour on top of the apples and bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 50 to 55 minutes.

Tarte aux pommes à l'alsacienne

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

Pâte brisée: 
170 g de farine 
1 càs de sucre 
1/4 càc de sel 
125 g de beurre froid, coupé en dés 
2 càs d'eau froide

Préchauffer le four à 190°C.

Mélanger ensemble du bout des doigts la farine, le beurre, le sucre et le sel afin d'obtenir un mélange sableux assez grossier. Ajouter l'eau afin d'amalgamer le tout et former une boule de pâte. Emballer la pâte dans un film plastique et lui donner la forme d'un disque de la grandeur d'une assiette moyenne. Mettre au frigo pendant 1 heure et foncer un moule beurré de 24-26cm.

Beurrer un moule à tarte à fond amovible. A l'aide d'un rouleau à pâte, étaler la pâte en un cercle et étaler la dans le moule.

Pour la garniture:
4 pommes Golden
20 cl de crème épaisse
6 càs de sucre
1 œuf
1 jaune d'œuf
1/2 càc d'extrait de vanille

Epluchez les pommes, coupez-les en quartiers, éliminez le cœur et les pépins, recoupez les quartiers en lamelles et disposez-les harmonieusement sur la pâte. Dans un saladier, battre les œufs avec le sucre, la crème et l'extrait de vanille. Verser l'appareil sur les pommes. Enfourner à 190ºC de 50 à 55 mn.

Read More