Posts tagged arugula
Fresh is so fresh – Eggplant caviar on tomato tartare and olive balsamic vinaigrette
Apr 4th
Caviar d’aubergine sur tartare de tomates, vinaigrette d’olives noires et balsamique
Caviar d’aubergine is a typical French dish, but it does not mean it includes caviar in its ingredient list, it’s basically a vegan dish if you don’t add the parmesan on top. Eggplant caviar is made out of eggplants roasted in the oven and reduced into a purée with herbs and garlic. Of course there are various variations of eggplant caviar. You can add herbes de Provence instead of just thyme, or lavender. I’ve had close friends who don’t like eggplants and loved this dish, so I guess it’s a way to initiate the non eggplant lovers to this wonderful vegetable.
Tartare describes a way of preparing ingredients, like you have tuna tartar, and salmon tartar where the fishes have been cut in tiny cubes, then marinated. In this case, the tomato is peeled, cut in small cubes, marinated with herbs and olives and finally placed in the refrigerator for about an hour. So that is called a tartare.
You can make nice presentations with the contrasts of colors, the red, the green, the white and light brown, it looks very summery and fresh. Being such a light and pretty dish, with contrasts of flavors and textures, you can serve it as a light appetizer, it will put you or your guests en appétit (in appetite) for the next courses, it’s screaming, I’m hungry now and I want more! I love this dish, it’s fresh, light, full of flavors and textures and so far everyone who tasted loved it too. Ca sent les vacances!
Ingredients for 4
- 5 medium size tomatoes
- 1 large size eggplant
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- juice of 1 small meyer lemon
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- pepper
- arugula and shaved parmesan for garnish
For the vinaigrette
- 1 tbs kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 tsp capers, chopped (optional)
- 1 tsb parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Cut eggplants in two lenghtwise. Using a knife, make three incisions from top to bottom of eggplant. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Place on top of parchment paper, placing the flat surface down. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 390F for about 30 minutes or until eggplants are soft. Remove from oven and let cool.
Using a spoon, remove eggplant flesh making sure to drain the water and remove the peel. Place in a mixing bowl. Using a blender, blend eggplant with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let it cool.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add tomatoes for about 10 seconds, drain, peel, remove the seeds and cut tomatoes in small cubes. Remove excess water.
Refrigerate tomatoes for about 30 minutes.
Mix vinaigrette ingredients all together and add to tomatoes. Spare some vinaigrette to add at the end. Mix well.
Using a rind, place tomatoes layer on your plate, then spoon one tbs of eggplant caviar on top, add shaved parmesan and arugula.
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.
For the Sunday lunch – Arugula, Shrimp, fennel and chick pea salad
Feb 14th
Per il pranzo della domenica – Insalata di gamberi, rucola, finocchio e ceci
Happy Valentine’s day to everyone! Joyeuse St. Valentin!
Valentine’s day is not only the celebration of love but also of friendship, so I think everyone is concerned. It seems like the celebration goes back to antiquity in Greece where February was the month of love and fertility and when Zeus got married to Hera. Also during Roman times, this time of year, took place a celebration honoring Lupercus who was the God protector of fields and herds and February 14 was celebrated love and fertility. So we are perpetuating a very ancient celebration.
This Valentine’s day it’s muggy and grey and all you want to do is stay inside. After looking at what is going on on the the East Coast and the snow storms, I am thankful to have an overcast sky, and not be burried under the snow. I used to have really terrible cabin fever when I lived in Boston and I am afraid I cannot handle extreme weather.
On Sunday morning, Valentine’s day or not, I like to get my croissants and pains au chocolat, it just happens occasionally but when it does, it’s a treat. So when you have that type of breakfast, lunches are usually on the light side.
I somehow love the combination and texture of this salad, the sweetness of chickpeas and fennel, the crunchiness of the shrimps and the bitterness of arugula are blending harmoniously together…just like a happy couple. Valentine’s day for me is all about harmony, balance, and of course….love.
Ingredients for 2
- 1.5 cup arugula
- 12 large shrimps, peeled, deveined, and cut in half
- 150 g cooked chick peas
- 1/2 large fennel bulb, shaved
- 2 tbs red onions, finely chopped
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 garlic crushed
- orange champagne vinegar
- salt and pepper
Preparation
For the salad, mix arugula, fennel, chick peas, red onion together. Saute shrimps in a little olive oil, add salt and pepper and let them cool.
For the vinaigrette, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Add shrimps to the salad, add dressing and toss well. Grind some fresh black pepper and serve.
Tel Aviv lentil salad – Lentil and beet salad with arugula, feta and mint
Feb 3rd
La bonne salade aux lentilles de Tel Aviv – Salade de lentilles, roquette, betteraves à la feta et menthe
On my stay in Tel Aviv, I walked almost all over the city for five days…the weather was beautiful, it felt so much like summer to me so while France was snowed in, I enjoyed my five days as if it was the last time I would be in short sleeves and eat croissants on a terrace.
As much as Jerusalem had a magic light, Tel Aviv had amazing restaurants, I loved all of them, everything was fresh and exquisite and I got to explore the city and its great neighborhoods and specialties with my map (and my high heels, shameless to say). As bad as I get in orienting myself, sometimes I think I have a disease. I can drive or walk every day by the same place, without ever remembering it. Maybe the “tête en l’air” virus.
I did remember Ben Yehuda street and the green restaurant that had been intriguing me for days with its flashy green color. It was a colorful looking place that seemed to serve organic food and decided to give it a try. It was a mixture of a traditional Californian vegetarian cafe type of decor combined with a Mediterranean menu which intrigued me. Every item on the menu had a calorie count and was under 300 calories per dish. I was not aware that Israelis were that health conscious. I finally ordered the lentil salad not knowing what to expect and thinking how exciting a bowl of lentils could be? Well, it could certainly be very exciting! that was seriously the most, delicious, flavorful, healthy lentil dish salad I had in quite a long time.
I loved it so much, that I wanted to try to reproduce it from what I remembered and it turned out quite well. Who can say no to a one meal bowl full of nutrients with so little calories? Certainly not me.
Ingredients for 2
- about 5.30 oz (or 150 g) green lentils
- 3 medium size beets (golden or red), cooked and diced
- 1 cup arugula
- 2 tbs feta, crumbled
- 2 tbs mint, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/3 tsp cumin powder
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Cook lentils in salted water until cooked but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
Cook beets in water until tender, about 45 min. Let cool, then peel them. Cut in about 1 inches pieces and add to the lentils, then add arugula. Add mint and scallion and mix well.
In a bowl, mix cumin, olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Pour dressing on top of the salad and toss. Add feta and mix carefully.
The fake crêpe readjusted – Socca stuffed with peppery greens, olives and goat cheese
Sep 19th
La fausse crêpe réajustée – Socca farcie à la roquette, chicorée, olives et chèvre frais
It looks like a crêpe, but is not one. It’s made out of chick pea flour and quite a popular little snack in the South of France. Actually there is an Italian version of it called “Farinata” or “Cecina” (ceci = chick peas) and eaten in the bordering regions of Nice. I think Socca came originally from Italy and was spread out in the South of France. Chick pea flour is used a lot in Middle Eastern cuisine and probably was introduced to Southern Europe during Arabic invasions…
There are different versions of it, actually the traditional one has only chick pea flour, no egg, no milk and is cooked in the oven. I adjusted mine a little, I placed it in the oven after I stuffed it. The real socca Niçoise is served with just cracked pepper and has to be eaten very hot, or it tends to harden quickly. Street vendors do sell it and it’s mainly eaten on the spot. I somehow like its texture, it’s softer and a little thicker than a crepe but the chick pea flour gives a specific unusual flavor. My version is a little different from the traditional socca, I combined two flours and I stuffed it. You can serve this socca with a tomato concassée (concassée de tomates). Also, you can use spinach, chards, and other types of greens, but I like the rucola because of its peppery taste, it goes perfectly with chick pea sweet flavor.
Actually, I don’t know the South of France that well (been there twice), since we always went to Italy visit the family during Easter, Summer and Christmas. My parents never went anywhere else on vacation, only to their hometown in Italy and at some point, I really wanted to visit other cities, but that was not an option, so I am much more familiar with Italian cuisine, Marchiggiano style than traditional Southern French cuisine.
Besides anytime, my mom wanted to go home, she always used all kinds of excuses, nonno Bruno being sick, zio Tonino being depressed with some kind of unexplained disease, freshen up the house, etc…so whatever reason was good to take a trip to Isola di Fano (her village). Besides Nancy-Isola is only 9-10 hour drive, so not that big of a deal. You can hop on the car, cross Switzerland and get to Italy (mainly in Chiasso, the Italian Border) in about 5 hours.
The thing is with my dad, he hates stopping when he goes from point A to point B, so he would drive non-stop from Nancy to Isola (about 1000 km) and was not happy to let the girls out not even for the “pause pipi“ Peepee break? and would tell us, not to think about it, as if you stop thinking you want to urinate, then everything is fine, the urge is gone. Yes, my father has always been a character…
Ingredients for 4-5 socca
For the socca
- 1/2 cup (a little more) Chick pea flour
- 1/2 cup white flour
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- water (enough so that it forms a creamy batter)
- 1 tbs olive oil + 1 tbs for the pan
- salt
- coarse black pepper
For the filling
- 1/2 head of radicchio, chopped
- 1 bag rucola or 2 bunches
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tbs kalamata olives, chopped
- 3 tbs goat cheese
- 1 tbs olive + extra for drizzling
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Mix the two flours together. Add egg and gradually milk, water and olive oil. If the batter is too thick add water. Add salt and mix well to obtain a creamy and smooth consistency. Set aside.
In the meantime, prepare the greens. In a pan, heat olive oil chopped garlic. Let the flavor of the garlic come out without burning it, then add greens. Adjust with salt and pepper, and stir to wilt them (about 5 minutes), when cooked, set aside and keep warm.
Heat olive oil in a pan, add one small ladle of batter and proceed like you would for a crepe, spreading the batter all over the pan and evenly spread it. Cook and turn on the other side. Proceed the same way until all the batter has been used.
Fill half of the socca with some greens, goat cheese and olives, fold the other half on top and fold once more in a quarter, in order to have a little triangle. Place in a pre-heated oven at 380F for 5-7 minutes. Crack a good quantity of black pepper on top. You can serve this with a tomato concassée.
