Archive for March, 2010
Duo of mousses – Yogurt mousse with rhubarb and peaches
Mar 31st
Duo de mousses – Mousse de yaourt et mousse de pêches-rhubarbe
Rhubarb has been on the shelves lately and it has been a while I since used it, so this rhubarb post was overdue.
Rhubarb is often associated with strawberries, but it does make delicious desserts combined with peaches as well. Obviously the final color of the mousse is not as pink as with strawberries, it’s more of an orange pastel tone that looks quite summery.
I don’t know how rhubarb is used in the US, but in France we use it in tarts, and tarte à la rhubarbe is a famous dessert specialty. You have those who love it and those who hate it, so for a long time, I hated it, my childhood friend’s mom always gave us some rhubarb tart, and I could not stand the taste of that long stem which to me tasted like celery. Over the years, I developed a taste for it, and now I love it in compotes mixed with other summery fruits.
Technically rhubarb is a vegetable and is a cousin of sorrel so it can be prepared in savory dishes such as salmon and meat stews.
Rhubarb you can find in the US is different from the one grown in Europe but has a similar taste, it’s a lot redder, so basically the color changes but not the flavor.
I like to use fromage blanc (white cheese and I am not sure what it would be called in English) but it’s a fresh cheese often eaten with sugar or fruits, but also popular savory mixed with chives and other herbs. I love to use fromage blanc in those types of desserts, but it’s not easy to find in the US, so I substituted with Greek yogurt which has a similar texture and it worked fine.
*If you are using agar agar (the vegan jellying substance) it needs to be dissolved in liquid before using, then it needs to cook in the mixture for a few minutes. If using gelatin sheets, soften it in cold water then add the the hot mixture but does not need to boil like agar agar.
Ingredients for 6
For the rhubarb mousse
- 1 lb rhubarb, peeled, cut in 1 inch pieces
- 3 yellow ripe peaches, peeled and cut
- 4 tbs sugar or more to taste
- 1 tbs orange blossom water
- 4 g agar agar dissolved in liquid or 3 gelatin sheets
For the yogurt mousse
- 200 g greek yogurt or fromage blanc
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbs sugar
- crème fraîche whipped or whipped cream (optional)
Preparation
In a large pot, mix rhubarb, peaches and sugar and cook at low heat until the mixture turns soft and is cooked. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher. Add orange blossom water. While the fruit mixture is still hot, add gelatin* see above for agar agar or gelatin use.
Let the mixture cool and place in the refrigerator until it hardens a little.
For the yogurt mousse, mix yolks and sugar and beat until the mixture whitens and doubles volume. Add yogurt of fromage blanc carefully. Beat whites and add to the yolks. Whip the cream and add to mixture carefully.
Place in individual cups and alternate one layer of rhubarb/peach mousse and yogurt mousse. Place in the refrigerator for one hour before serving.
Come here little turnip – Turnips stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, roquefort and walnuts
Mar 30th
Petit navet, viens par ici – Navets farcis au champignons, épinards, roquefort et noix
Aren’t those irresistible? Turnips tend to be forgotten as a vegetable, even though often used in soups. In France we eat turnips in so many ways, and we even use their leaves in soups. I love turnips, they have a peppery taste and are equally delicious, roasted with lavender salt, braised, or even steamed. They always make great presentations and combine tons of wonderful flavors. Stuffed turnips like any other root vegetable are delicious, I rarely make them, once in a while I get that particular urge, but it’s rare.
Navet in French means of course turnip, but also can be used in a more familiar language to refer to a bad movie, quel navet! meaning, what a lousy movie!
One block down the street, we have a “fruit and vegetable barn” a great little grocery store filled with fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds, owned by a very funny Greek guy, who sometimes works at the cash register making jokes with its clients. This morning he started singing La Marseillaise (the French anthem) as soon as he saw me, then gave me a bunch of gossips about the French president Sarkozy. Since I am not following the teledrama, I had no idea of what was going on, but he seemed to be well au courant! I told him I came to get some turnips and one was going to be for him because I was very impressed by his “knowledge”…no matter what, it is still knowledge!
Ingredients for 6 turnips
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 6 medium sized turnips, peeled
- 6-7 medium size mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked spinach, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbs Roquefort cheese or Stilton, crumbled
- 2 tbs walnuts, finely chopped
- butter
- 1 tbs olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation
After peeling the turnips cut the top and start removing the inside with a small scoop or melon baller. Chop finely and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a pan, brown the onions, then add mushrooms and chopped turnips. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, then add spinach. Add garlic, stir well and cook for a few minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper
In the meantime, cook turnips for about 5-10 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain and remove excess water.
In a mixing bowl, combine mushroom mixture with walnuts, and Roquefort.
Fill in the turnips with mixture. Cook in a 370F pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes add a small piece of butter on top of each turnip and let it melt and brown for another 10 minutes.
Serve hot with a salad, as a side dish, or any way you want to enjoy them!
A huge chocolate craving – Double chocolate-pear tart
Mar 27th
Une grosse envie de chocolat – Tarte aux poires et double chocolat
Amis du chocolat, Bonjour!!
This is the chocolate addict dessert par excellence! When you have a chocolate craving, this tart is the perfect choice…chocolate crust and chocolate filling, how much more chocolate can you have? I am not a chocoholic, but I do love chocolate, besides what’s better with espresso than a piece of very dark bitter chocolate melting in your mouth?
I got inspired by a recipe I found on a book called “Cuisinez en Souplesse“. I changed the proportions but I kept the concept of the chocolate crust and chocolate filling which is what we call a ganache. A ganache is a mixture of cream, milk, butter and chocolate that is used to fill pastries. If you had more chocolate than cream, then your ganache will be thicker. I like it a little unctuous and slightly creamy rather than harder.
Canned pears can be used for the filling but I prefer to use fresh ingredients. No matter what type of pear you are using, they need to be well drained. If you are using fresh pears, you need to cook them in water with honey and vanilla for about 3 minutes, then drain them and pat them dry carefully to remove excess liquid.
I had guests for dinner, and that was the dessert, I would not make this for just the pleasure of eating chocolate, it’s too dangerous, because no matter how big your slice is, you just cannot resist a second one. Will power is fighting with cocoa and the latter is definitely winning. So yes, chocolate rules!
Ingredients for 6-8 people
For the dough
- 4.58 oz (or 130 g) flour
- 1 oz (or 30 g) unsweetened cocoa
- 2.80 oz (or 80 g) soft butter
- 2.11 oz (or 60 g) sugar
- 1 egg
For the filling
- 7 pear halves
- 1.70 fl oz (or 5 cl) milk
- 7.4 oz (or 210 g) baking chocolate
- 6.76 fl oz (or 2o cl) crème fraîche or heavy cream
- 0.90 oz (or 25 g) butter, diced
Preparation
In a mixing bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, sugar and soft butter, mix until the dough has obtained a “sandy” texture. Add egg and mix all together. If the dough is too thick add a little water. Make a ball, with dough, wrap with plastic film and place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
Roll dough on a flat working surface, place it in a round tart mold, cover it with a parchment paper and add some beans on top to prevent it from inflating while baking. Place in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 360-370F.
Drain pears. Heat milk and cream in a pot at slow temperature. As soon as it boils, remove from heat. Add butter, chocolate and mix well until obtaining a smooth consistency. Beat the egg and add it to the chocolate mixture.
Remove parchment paper from mold, place pears inside mold and add chocolate mixture. Cook for 10 minutes. Let the tart rest for 20 minutes when removing from the oven. Let it cool before serving.
Ready for a chill? – Chilled avocado and cucumber soup
Mar 26th
Prêts pour l’été? – Soupe d’avocat et concombre froide pimentée
Il y a du citron mais pas de vanille! Doesn’t this feel like summer? I am so ready for it…well a real summer somewhere…where it’s warm and sunny, where you can wear tank tops without a sweater on top, and where the fog doesn’t make your hair curl (it was my teenage nightmare, now I cut it, so no more curls). Oh well, I’m sure I can find this place, I just have to drive 20 miles North or South from the city. In the meantime, I got myself in the summer mood with a chilled soup. I made this a while ago and since I had a lot of ripe avocados left, I thought it would be a good remake.
When I think of avocado, I think about skin care products, avocado’s flesh is incredibly smooth that I just want to spread it on my face, extremely delicate and subtle. Cucumber is also a wonderful ingredient for skin care as a matter of fact, so eating this soup makes me feel like I am just getting double benefits, nutritious and beautiful skin, even though I doubt that I will wake up tomorrow with a smooth and peachy skin like you see on magazines! Anyway, on peut toujours rêver, you can always dream about it.
I bought so many of those mini glasses for mise en bouche while I was in France, and they did not even break in the suitcase, so now I have to use them, and this chilled soup is perfect for these mini presentations. Actually I like to use mini glasses for avocado soup, avocado being quite high in calories, it’s better to serve it in small portions than regular plates.
What’s more perfect for informal dinners where you want to serve small bites and cute apéritifs to nibble on without feeling stuffed?
I don’t know about you, but my favorite dishes to prepare are appetizers and hors d’oeuvres. It’s where I have the most fun, probably because they are related to entertainment and that’s really one of my favorite activity (if that can be called one).
This soup needs to be consumed chilled, so you can prepare it in advance and leave it in the refrigerator until serving. It’s quick, tasty and delicious, so a “keeper” in my food world.
Ingredients for 15-20 mini glasses
- 1.5 avocado
- 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
- juice of 1 Meyer lemon
- 3 tbs Greek yogurt or regular yogurt
- 2 scallions, chopped
- cayenne pepper
- 1 cup or more vegetable broth
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Remove the flesh of the avocado, mix with cucumber and add lemon juice. Mix all ingredients well. Add all other ingredients and, using a hand blend, mix to obtain a smooth consistency.
For the broth, I added it gradually until I got the consistency I wanted. Avocado being creamy, you might need to add more broth.
Refrigerate for a few hours, and serve chilled.
Who's in for okra? – Spicy okra, green beans and shrimp stew
Mar 25th
Qui est pour le gombo? - Gombos, haricots verts et crevettes épicées
What’s up with okra? My feeling is that very few people like it. Now, I have to admit that I never cooked okra before, and always ate it at my Indian friend’s house…I never was motivated to buy it and found other vegetables I was more attracted to, mostly because, anyone who is talking about okra doesn’t seem to like it, due to its sliminess, so I was not really convinced it was worth it.
After seeing a beautiful picture of a okra and anchovy dish on Mary’s site, I changed my mind and attempted a little experiment. I loved Mary’s recipe, but obviously I will leave to her, the Asian techniques, recipes and flavors, since I am no expert in Asian cuisine, but will definitely try out her recipe once I find those tiny anchovies.
Okra is popular in Moroccan cuisine and West African lands, so I figured I would go that route, and spice it up in some tomato base, shrimps and add green beans to the mixture. It is indeed slimy so, you should know that before you prepare it and before you eat it, not everyone likes that particular texture.
If you want to decrease its sliminess you need to leave it whole and stir fry it quickly. In case you would prefer a vegan version, just substitute potatoes to the shrimps and it will be nonetheless delicious. Any rice or grain would be a perfect accompaniment, I served it with toasted walnut bread and garlic et c’était bien bon, and the whole dish was really delicious! Now you’ll certainly ask me what’s the greatness of cooking and eating that quite unappealing vegetable? To be quite honest, I like it, the mixture of the tomato base flavored with cumin and saffron, green beans and shrimps made it a delicious and light dish. I liked okra’s flavor, it reminds me of zucchini, so if you are not bothered by its texture, try it out. I am not picky as far as vegetables are concerned and there is not one I don’t eat.
You’ll have to see for yourself if you like it or not. For the sake of at least once cooking it and trying it out, I think it’s worth it. As the French say, Il ne faut as mourir bête! (you don’t want to die stupid, or maybe the word ignorant would be more accurate).
Ingredients for 3-4
- 3/4 lb okra
- 1/2 lb green beans
- 1 small yellow onion
- 5 medium sized tomatoes, peeled and seedless
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 20 shrimps, deveined and shells removed
- 1 tbs ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- chili flakes
- saffron
- 1 tbs olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Cut the top part of each okra, cook in salted boiling water for about 5-10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Pre-cook beans the same way, they still need to remain firm.
Heat olive oil in a pot, brown onions with ginger, add garlic at the end to prevent it from burning. Add cumin, chili flakes and saffron, stir well to get the flavors out, then add tomatoes and broth.
Let the tomatoes cook and reduce (about 15 minutes) at medium heat.
Add okra and green beans, let it cook for about 10 minutes. Add shrimps, and let the stew cook for another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve hot.
Lilou's gourmande galette – Quinoa galette with bell peppers, mushrooms and mint – Leek cream
Mar 24th
La galette gourmande de Lilou- Galette de quinoa aux poivrons, champignons et menthe, crème de poireaux
Feeling like quinoa? after quinoa salads, I wanted something cakey but savory…My baby parrotlet Lilou ate all of the quinoa I made last Saturday, he loves quinoa and barley so now we share the same meals. There is always an extra portion for Lilou – Seems like quinoa is a bird seed along with millet but I do love bird seeds.
This particular parrotlet loves when I cook, he is so curious and intrigued to the point that when I chop vegetables, he gets so excited, he flies from his cage into the kitchen and starts chirping; just adorable.
I had a quinoa galette a few years ago in Paris at “La Maison du Danemark” on the Champs Elysées, a quite famous fish and seafood restaurant serving a Danish contemporary cuisine with an elegant touch and once in a while when preparing quinoa, I think about that galette.
With years going by, I really don’t remember what was in the galette, it seemed plain, I just felt like turning those cute seeds into something solid to bite on. After all, galettes are delicious, you don’t need to add too many ingredients into the mixture, you just enhance them with a coulis or a cream of vegetables like this one.
Dans le même esprit (in the same style), I made millet galettes a while ago, that are a derivative of those, so you can just play around with the ingredients and have fun. I used almond flour to thicken the batter and it added a pleasant nutty flavor. I like to steam quinoa, like I would do for steam rice, and usually I use 2 doses of water for one dose of quinoa.
Ingredients for 3-4 galettes
For the quinoa galettes
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (or 1 cup uncooked)
- 1/2 orange bell pepper, finely diced
- 4 cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbs almond flour
- 1 tbs mint, chopped
- salt and pepper
For the cream of leeks
- 1 large leek, chopped
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tbs crème fraîche or heavy cream
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Cook quinoa in a pot covered with twice its quantity of water. Cover with a lid and cook slowly until the water has been absorbed.
Heat olive oil in a pan, brown onions, then add mushrooms and bel pepper. Adjust with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and let it cook until the vegetables are tender but still firm. Remove from heat and add to the quinoa.
Add eggs and almond flour, mix well. Add mint and adjust with salt and pepper. At this point, the mixture will be thick but still smooth.
Place in silicon molds of about 10 cm diameter or greased ramequins. I love silicon molds because the food doesn’t stick and cooks quickly. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 370F for about 20 minutes.
While the galettes are cooking, prepare the cream of leeks. In a pan, heat olive oil then add leeks. Stir for about 3 minutes, then add broth, salt and pepper. Cover and let it cook until the leeks are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and stir well, cook for another additional 5 minutes.
Blend in a mixer, and if the sauce is too thick add more broth.
Serve each galette with a few spoonful of leek cream around.
In and out Focaccia – Focaccia with green olives, oregano, cherry tomatoes, and ricotta salata
Mar 23rd
Focaccia fuori e dentro – Focaccia alle olive con origano, pomodorini e ricotta
Fougasse stuffed with olives is quite a common little bread in France, nothing too original in here, but then I added oregano to the olives inside the dough and topped it with cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata to make it a little more “full”.
In Italy focaccia is a little different, it tends to remain simpler with rosemary and onions or just tomatoes, but I have never really seen focaccia with cheese. Oh well, that’s not really a problem. I had leftover dough from another focaccia I made when I had guests, and I really love leftover dough so you can play with it, it’s like a little toy.
The great things with such a “loaded” focaccia is that you can just eat it as is, and don’t need extras to accompany it.
Whoever has been to France probably knows the boulangerie Paul, it’s somehow a huge chain that sells bread all over France…yes the word chain is not very sexy nor has a great connotation in terms of quality….BUT Paul makes good quality breads, very consistant (and not cheap, referring to the baguettes with the grid marks on the bottom, yuck, I really hate those) so you can be in Orleans, Nantes or Paris, the bread is always the same…which is unlikely to happen if you enter an unknown boulangerie. Some breads can be ecstatic and others below average…and getting an average baguette IS a spoiled day for a French. Of course boulangerie Paul cannot compete with the best local boulangeries in town but they do have cute and delicious little breads and their petits pains aux olives, aux noix (walnuts) or aux lardons (bacon) are quite good. So basically my point was that I made this fougasse thinking about my friend Paul…
So when in France and you’re not sure where to find good pastries or bread, check out Paul, even though it’s not top of the line, little artisan baker, their breads and pastries are fresh and good.
When making bread dough like this one, it is important the dough remains very fluffy and elastic, if your ratio of flour vs water is too high, the dough will be hard and will have a tough time rising. You need a soft and almost sticky dough.
Ingredients for one focaccia
For the dough
- 1/2 lb flour
- about 6 g compressed yeast
- about 120 ml water
- salt
- 2 tbs green olives, chopped
- 1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
For the topping
- about 15-20 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
- 2 tbs ricotta salata, crumbled
- rock salt
- olive oil for drizzling
Preparation
In a mixing bowl or working surface mix flour with salt olive oil and yeast that had been previously dissolved in lukewarm water.
Knead the dough, if too sticky add flour but the dough needs to be elastic and borderline sticky when kneading it. At the end of the kneading period, the dough will be elastic and very soft.
Cover with a towel and let it rise for one hour, then knead again and let it rise for two hours.
Spread the dough using your hands, you don’t necessary need a rolling pin, you can flatten it up using your fingers.
Top with cherry tomatoes, placed evenly on top, then ricotta. Sprinkle with rock salt and olive oil.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 390F for about 20 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and top as well.
You can serve it hot, lukewarm or even cold, it’s delicious either way!
The exotic panna cotta – Coconut panna cotta with pineapple, rum and mint chilled soup
Mar 22nd
Una panna cotta esotica – Panna cotta con noce di coco, e zuppa fredda di ananas, rum e menta
I have been on a strange coconut cravings lately, coconut and more coconut, if it was not as high in calories, I would eat it all day long and that goes the same for panna cotta which I absolutely adore. Vado pazza per la panna cotta! I realized that I do like desserts, as long as they’re fruit based. Maybe technically this cannot be called panna cotta, because it’s predominantly made with coconut milk, and a little cream, quindi la panna non c’è (there is not really panna).
Traditional panna cotta is delicious, but this one can be quite a pleasant surprise for your palate, as it’s lightly sweetened and creamy. I have been thinking and thinking and me creuser les méninges (litterally meaning to dig your meninges) to find a light dessert combining coconut and pineapple, and this one popped into my mind. Lately I have decided I will develop great recipes for entertaining which do not require the “host” to stay in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun next door. I do not like food that has been prepared too long in advance and re-heated at the time of serving. For some dishes, it could work, but for some others it doesn’t and taste like “réchauffé” (not only it means re-heated but also old and re-heated, with that unfresh after taste).
Pineapple has been crushed raw into a purée with an immersion blender, which is perfect for this kind of job. You get a perfect texture and do not need extra liquid. I used agar agar instead of regular gelatin sheets in the panna cotta since it’s a seaweed based gelatin and 100% natural and vegan. Agar agar has been used in Japan since centuries. It’s usually used to the proportions of 4 grams per 1 liter of liquid and needs to be dissolved in a small amount of cold liquid before adding it to the hot mixture.
This panna cotta is not too sweet, very light and so refreshing, so just THE little final note to a beautiful meal.
Ingredients for 4
For the panna cotta
- 10.14 fl oz (or 300 ml) coconut milk
- 3.38 fl oz (or 100 ml) milk
- 3.38 fl oz (or 100 ml) heavy cream
- 4 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp agar agar (or the equivalent of 2 grams)
For the pineapple soup
- 1/2 pineapple
- 3 tbs agava nectar
- 2 tbs rum
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ground vanilla beans powder
- 1 tbs mint, chopped
Preparation
In a pot, bring to a light boil milk, cream and coconut milk, add agar agar dissolved in a little milk, and let it cook stirring for a few minutes, then remove from heat. Add sugar and stir to get it dissolved.
Place in small ramequins, let it cool and refrigerate until it solidifies (at least a few hours).
For the pineapple purée, mix all ingredients together (except for the mint) and using an immersion blender, mix until it turns into a thick purée. Cut mint very finely and add to the purée. Refrigerate for about one hour.
Remove panna cotta from ramequins and spoon some pineapple purée all around.
The sandwich for uncomplicated people – Spicy chicken herb patty sandwich
Mar 21st
Le sandwich pour les gens pas compliqués – Sandwich aux boulettes de poulet épicé et herbes
One day I was challenged and told that I am incapable to do simple things, all I do is complicated (maybe that matches my complicated mind as well, since I am known to be une fille assez compliquée!) so I did not like that statement too much and decided to make something simple that I don’t really eat, because I am staying away from meat and lots of white bread, so I prepared it for some friends who came to visit…who are quite traditional and quite French, and of course meat eaters. Vous voulez du simple? hein? ben voilà des sandwiches!!!
When I cook for the French, I don’t have to worry about the health issue, they have a tendency to lean towards heavier meals. I just want to clarify maybe one misconception about the French, they don’t eat light food, well my friends don’t and most French I know don’t (overweight problem in France is becoming an issue)….and the Friday night steak and Fries with extra fries and extra sauce at Café Bastille is the living proof of my statement! Now I know there IS a new generation of people, foodies and chefs promoting a new cuisine using less grease and more fresh ingredients, emphasizing of natural flavors and preservation of nutriments. But overall people tend to be quite traditional in their eating habits.
There is a new sandwich place in San Francisco called Ike’s Place, and I have been driving by almost every day, the line of people on the sidewalk waiting to get served is insane, never seen something like that here, feels like Russia during the bad years. I am just wondering how this could be possible, waiting one hour in line for a sandwich? I never wait for an hour not even not even for my favorite restaurant, so it seems like sandwiches are more popular than ever…well Ike’s Place for sure is.
If you are in the mood for some fancy and delightful chicken sandwich try this one…the patties are mixed with herbs and spices topped with melting cheese, peppery arugula and an avocado sauce! Watch out Ike! I might be complicated but I make great sandwiches!
Ingredients for 4 sandwiches
- Flat bread or also called “pain rustique”, or herb focaccia
For the spread
- ½ tsp curry powder
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tbs red onion finely chopped
- 1/3 tsp. chili flakes
- salt and pepper
Sandwich ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 16 slices pancetta
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tsp oregano, finely chopped
- 2 tsp basil, finely chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp capers
- 12 garlic stuffed green olives
- 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced
- 2 heirloom tomato, sliced
- 2 cups arugula
- salt and pepper
Preparation
For the spread: Peel avocado and remove the kernel. Crush avocado with a potato masher. Add curry powder, lemon juice, onions, chili, salt and pepper. Mix well and place in the refrigerator until use.
For the patties: In a mixing container, mix ground chicken with garlic, parsley, oregano, basil, lemon zest, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well to obtain a smooth consistency paste. Make 2.3 oz (or 6 cm) diameter patties and 0.4 inches thick.
Grill pancetta until golden brown on both sides.
Grill on a grill pan for about five minutes on both sides. Two minutes before removing from grill add Fontina cheese and cover with a lid to enable the cheese to melt. Remove when the cheese has melted but before it starts liquefying.
Grill bread on both sides on a grill pan, or regular grill. Add 1 tbs avocado spread on each slice of bread. Add arugula, tomatoes then add patties. Top with jalapeno peppers, sliced garlic green olives and capers.
A far away cousin of vegetable paella – Saffron brown rice with mixed vegetables
Mar 19th
Un cousin éloigné de la paella végétarienne – Riz brun au saffran et méli mélo de petits légumes
It’s time for some rice…rice and potatoes are two ingredients I rarely use, French people eat a LOT of potatoes, at my parents my mom rarely made them, Italians are more pasta eaters than potato eaters. A while ago, I started buying all the different kinds of rices I ran into, from black rice, to bamboo rice, any shape and color rice I saw. It seems like the excitement faded away, but I don’t want to leave rice aside, because I love it. It’s nutritious, healthy and can make wonderful side dishes.
The world of food has so many items to explore than sometimes, you get caught trying out new ingredients, and leaving aside the ones you know too well.
This rice has a rich and deep yellow color you get with combining saffron and paprika or pimenton as they say in Spain but I found Spanish pimenton to have a more smokey flavor.
Basically the rice is steamed in a vegetable broth with saffron and paprika, so it comes out almost orange. Such a vibrant color to have in ones plate.
Plain white rice is great with spicy dishes, it enables to decrease the powerful and strong flavors of the spices and balances everything perfectly. Sometimes I enjoy some more intricate rice dishes like this one, you can just eat it as a main dish and as is, because it’s a whole meal in itself and full of fragrant flavors. I certainly don’t want to call this vegetarian paella, which would be so wrong, but it has some similarities in some of the spices and cooking method, even though I did not use a paella tray, nor used Spanish rice.
Ingredients for 2-3
- 5.29 0z (or 150 g) brown rice
- one dose saffron
- 1/4 tsp Spanish pimenton
- vegetable broth (rice x 2)
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbs mixed oregano, very finely chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut in very small cubes (1/4 inch)
- 1 cup fresh peas (or frozen)
- 1/2 bunch asparagus, cut in small chunks (1/2 inch)
- 1 tbs olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation
In a rice cooker or regular pot, mix broth, rice, saffron, pimenton and salt. Let it sit for a few minutes until the saffron has dissolved. For broth quantities, I use about twice the amount of rice, in this case, since it’s brown rice, which takes harder to cook, I use about 3 times its quantity. If using rice cooker, broth needs to be at 2 cm above the level of the rice.
Heat olive oil in a pan, add shallots and let them soften. Add all the mixed vegetables and stir well. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked but still firm, add garlic and oregano and cook for a few additional minutes to get the flavors out.
Mix in the rice, stir well until all the vegetables are well incorporated into the rice.
