Posts tagged mint
Fresh, fruity and pink – Strawberry gaspacho
Apr 14th
Frais, fruité et tout rose – Gaspacho de fraises
I wanted to make something quick and fresh before my trip to LA leaving tomorrow, and use that big case of strawberries I bought. After strawberry tarts, coulis, cake, crumble, the only thing I haven’t tried with strawberries is soup and salad. So here is the soup…
There is a new tendance about using fruits to make cold soups which is something I really love. For many years, I was stuck with the idea that fruits are sweet, therefore need to be eaten as a dessert or in sweet preparations. With years going by, I opened my mind to using fruits in savory preparations and not necessarily eating them as desserts. After making watermelon gaspacho, and cantaloupe-port soup, I wanted to try making a cold soup with strawberries. Et voilà, c’est prêt! Spring is coming and hopefully summer will take away the allergens and pollen.
Who doesn’t like strawberries? I think it’s the most popular fruit among kids and adults, everything about a strawberry is sexy, its heart shape, its color, sweetness, and all the wonderful desserts, with which you can make. I don’t know what I like most about this soup, its color, its sweetness, it’s texture?
I have to be honest and admit that I still haven’t found flavorful and ripe strawberries lately, they might look good, but they’re not, you need ripe and sweet ones for this gaspacho, so you might want to wait for summer if you can resist and wait that long.
Anyway, I think fruits are the best thing on earth, try this gaspacho and you’ll agree with me!
Ingredients for 4
- 1 lb strawberries, stem removed and cut in halves
- 3 well ripe tomatoes, seedless, peeled and cubed
- 1 tbs red onion, chopped
- 2 slices white bread or ideally brioche
- 2 tbs good quality balsamic vinegar, or strawberry vinegar
- 2 pinches piment d’espelette
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- mint leaves
Preparation
In a mixing container, soak brioche with vinegar for about 30 minutes. Then combine all other ingredients except mint and water. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Using a hand blender, mix soaked brioche with the rest of the ingredients, until obtained a purée type of texture. Add water and pass through a sieve. Decorate with mint en chiffonade and serve chilled.
My little volcano – Egg nests in a green crater
Sep 15th
Mon petit volcan – Nids d’oeufs en cratère vert
I got inspired by a very popular Turkish dish called “Mthlama” made out of Swiss chards, onions, mint and eggs. I used kale in this dish, simply because I love the texture of a thicker green leaf.
Turkish cuisine has combined flavors of Mediterranean and Arabic cuisine, of course Ottoman Empire was so powerful and rich in culture and arts, that left a huge trace in a large part of the Asian continent. Turkish cuisine is high in colors and flavors, it has evolved during centuries into a very refined cuisine. Due to their geographical location, the seven Turkish regions have various specialties all sharing a common point of having powerful flavors. I would like to visit Turkey some day, not only for their gastronomy but for their designers as well.
When you’re in the mood for some greens, this is a very fragrant and light recipe that will satisfy you without leaving you hungry. I would not call this a very elegant nor sophisticated dish, it’s definitely a rustic dish that sits in your plate with an imperfect shape. But when the yolks starts dripping on the minty greens, and you dip your “mouillette” (toasted bread sticks for dipping) in it, it is pure pleasure…you know, one of those simple pleasure, such as smelling a rose, or biting on a crunchy and fresh piece of baguette (that’s the French in me).
So if you have a bunch of greens but have no idea on how to prepare them, this is perfect. It does not need advanced culinary skills, just a few eggs, mint, et voilà c’est prêt!
Ingredients for 4
- 2 bunches kale
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 3 tbs mint
- 4 eggs
- 4 slices country bread sticks, toasted
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Blanch kale for 5 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain and chop in small strips, removing the stem which tends to be hard.
Heat olive oil in a pan, add onions and brown then them. Add Kale and broth, cover and let the kale cook and soften. Adjust with salt and pepper. Add paprika and mint and stir for another 5 minutes until the water and juices evaporates.
In a baking and deep dish, form little nests and break an egg in the middle. Add salt and pepper on top of the egg and drizzle with olive oil.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 375F for 10 minutes, ensuring the egg is not over-cooked. Serve with toasted bread.
When you have too much dough – Mini quiches with zucchini, olives, feta and mint, wholewheat crust with herbes de Provence
Jul 29th
Quand on a des restes de pâte – Mini quiches aux courgettes, olives, feta et menthe, pâte brisée complète aux herbes de Provence
I made a large quiche just like those mini ones for a dinner party, and I had leftover dough…which I did not want to throw away. Why throw away food that you enjoyed making and put time into it? I love to play with crusts, quiches and tarts, after all, they’re the basics of French cuisine. For savory tarts, I love to use olive oil instead of butter in the crust, and make it wholesome. Olive oil adds a wonderful flavor to crusts and cakes and make them lighter. Of course traditional French cuisine uses more butter, but this blog is not about traditional French food.
I love the combination of zucchini, feta and mint, they pair so well in almost anything such as in savory cakes, flans, couscous, etc…The crust and its herbes de Provence flavor, gives you a kick of Southern French cuisine, with all its aromas, and fragrant scents. Yes indeed, these quiches will bring some warmth and will brighten your day, as Southern French food does, it’s filled with flavors, colors and freshness…so isn’t this a bit of happiness too?
I am one of those crazy people that get affected by the weather, and a bright day with natural light gives me so much happiness. If I could chose the perfect weather it would be a sunny day with 80F temperature, with a light breeze. If anyone of you live in that particular climate, please let me know and I will just move there!
(no humidity please). There is a French expression that most old people would respond to when asked, comment allez-vous? “How are you doing?” most of them respond, oh comme le temps!, meaning “like the weather”, which really can show you how much the French are truly “doing” like the weather! so if it’s raining, you can just imagine how they’re doing! Ask no more…
Ingredients for 4 mini quiches
For the crust
- 4.4 oz (or 125 g) wholewheat flour
- 1.69 fl oz (or 50 ml) olive oil
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
- water
- a pinch of salt
For the filling
- 2 tbs kalamata olives, chopped
- 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced with a mandoline
- 2 tbs feta, crumbled
- 1 tbs mint, chiffonade
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbs heavy cream
- 4 tbs milk
- cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper
Preparation
For the crust
Place flour in a mixing bowl, then add herbes de Provence, salt, oil, and start mixing, add water gradually enough to make the dough elastic and not crumbly. Mix well to form a ball. Wrap in a plastic film and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Divide dough in four parts and using a rolling pin, roll into 4 round sheets. Lay flat inside four tart molds.
For the filling
Place sliced zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle with coarse salt, mix well to coat. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water, squeeze extra water using your hands and pat dry using a paper towel. Cut roughly.
Place olives on top of crust. Mix zucchini, feta and mint and put mixture on top of olives.
Beat eggs with cream and milk, a little salt (not too much since the feta is salty and the zucchini have absorbed some salt too), and cayenne pepper. Pour on top of zucchini mixture.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 375F for about 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the crust is cooked on the bottom.
Peach folie – Peach-mint soup and peach-rosemary bouchées
Jul 7th
Folie de pêches – Soupe pêches-menthe et bouchées pêches-romarin
This is only for those days you have a lot of peaches in your kitchen, lots of mint in your garden and a huge desire to eat peaches…berries and peaches are some of the fruits I don’t get tired of eating. When my Greek grocer next door saw me with all those peaches in my basket, he asked me if I was going to kill myself with them. I told him that’s what was probably going to happen…that would be a great way to die, if you ask for my opinion. Death by peaches. As much as I am not a sweet tooth, I adore fruits and fruit-based desserts, they’re refreshing, light, put me in a great mood and energizing me for the day. Alors voilà, encore des pêches!
The peach syrup has been infused with mint and vanilla, then enhanced by a a dollop of yogurt and light touch of cayenne pepper. The bouchées which are really tiny (1.5 inch diameter) look like muffins but they’re really not, have a subtle rosemary flavor, since the peaches have been caramelized in a butter, honey and fresh rosemary blend. This makes a light and refreshing dessert. I served this as a dessert to a dinner and it’s always so pleasant to have a fruity bite when people are no longer hungry. It cleans your palate and the herbal touch tells you: This is the end.
Ingredients for 5-6
For the peach soup
- 2 white peaches, peeled and cut
- 2 yellow peaches, peeled and cut
- 1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise
- 10 mint leaves
- 2 tbs agave syrup
- 1.2 cups water
- 6 tbs plain yogurt
- 6 pinches cayenne pepper
For 12 rosemary bouchées
- 2 eggs
- 60 g butter, melted (+ a tsp extra)
- 20 g kamut flour
- 30 g chestnut flour
- 20 g white flour
- 3 tbs almond flour
- 40 g agave syrup
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 rosemary sprig, chopped
- 1 tbs honey
- 2 peaches, peeled and diced
Preparation
For the peach soup
Mix water, agave syrup, mint, vanilla beans and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then let it cool and infuse the syrup. Drain and set aside. When syrup is cool, place some of it in a blender with peaches and mix into a smooth consistency. Refrigerate for at least one hour. When ready to serve add one 1 tsp of yogurt in the middle and a pinch of cayenne.
For the peach rosemary bouchées
Melt butter in a pan, add honey, then when the mixture turns thick, add peaches. Coat peaches with mixture for about 3 minutes, then add rosemary, cook for an additional 2 minutes, then remove from heat. In a mixing container, beat eggs with butter, agave syrup and the different flours. Add baking powder and mix well. Fill up individual mini molds such as silicon molds with the batter. Add 1/2 tsp of the peach mixture in the middle with some rosemary. Bake in pre-heated oven at 360F for about 20 minutes. Let them cool and serve with peach soup.
For French mother’s day – Sauté shrimps with cardamom and blackberry coulis
Jun 1st
Pour la fête des mères – Crevettes sautées à la cardamome et au coulis de mûres
I have felt the whole day as if today was Sunday…what a “tête en l’air” (head in the air) that would translate into air-headed, I do not have that particular reputation but today it really felt like a Sunday to me, the energy in the streets, the pace, just the overall feeling did not seem like the beginning of the week. Three day weekends are so rare in the US, that when it happens, you get confused.
Yesterday was Mother’s day in France and this would have been the type of dish I would have prepared my mom, she would have been intrigued and skeptical to see a blackberry next to a shrimp, but I’m quite sure she would have loved the flavor.
Even though French cuisine does not often traditionally combines sweet and savory flavors, there are indeed many recipes that do combine fruits in savory dishes. Some fruits such as berries are combined with game, I do like to associate them to seafood once in a while, you know for those particular days when you have one of those cravings…
Now when you look at the title, that might seem odd to you, shrimps and blackberries, well if you decide you ever want to try it out, you will definitely realize that the flavors are matching in a very harmonious symphony and this dish is something has a refined and subtle touch to it.
I love those types of quick dishes that look like they have been taking forever to prepare…this dish fits the express category and is a perfect choice when you want to impress your guests with a chic touch.
For a long time, I have been reluctant to add sugar to some savory dishes, just because I had a more traditional culinary background where sugar was an ingredients mainly used in desserts. I love berries of all kinds, and the first time I saw blackberries in the US, I was amazed by their huge size, they are just BIG (like everything else in the US)…nonetheless delicious. Now I only buy the big kinds, if they’re small I don’t even look at them!
Ingredients for 4 (20 shrimps)
- 20 large shrimps, peeled and deveined
- 5.29 oz (or 150 g) blackberries
- 5 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed
- Szechuan pepper
- Fleur de sel
- 0.88 oz (or 25 g) balsamic vinegar
- 0.70 oz (or 20 g) salted butter
- 0.70 oz (or 20 g) sugar
- 3/8 cups (or 50 cl) water
- mint leaves, finely chopped
Preparation
Dissolve sugar with water and bring to a boil. Add blackberries, stir carefully, remove from the stove and blend the mixture with a immersion blender. Pass the coulis through a sieve to remove the seeds. Keep aside.
Crush cardamom seeds (the seeds inside the pods) with a mortar and set aside. When the
In a pan, saute shrimps in butter, add salt and Szechuan pepper, then add cardamom seeds. Remove shrimps from the pan, and keep them warm. Deglaze pan with vinegar, and reduce to a half. Add blackberry coulis and let it reduce for 1 or 2 minutes.
Place some coulis in a plate, add shrimps in the middle, and sprinkle with mint.
Are you ready for summer? – Ricotta terrine with roasted peppers and mint
May 25th
Êtes-vous prêts pour l’été? – Terrine de ricotta aux poivrons grillés et menthe
I wanted to feature a vegetarian terrine for those interested in a new and French cuisine and demystify the world of French food and some wrong concepts associated with it. When talking about terrines, usually we tend to think about meat or fish dishes such as duck terrine, rabbit or game terrines that are part of the French culinary traditions, which are the most common types of terrines…Like many other traditional dishes, terrines can take a wonderful light and fresh twist.
Yes there was a time, when French food was considered heavy and rich with the use of butter and creams, game and lots of animal products. There is still this side of French food if you go to France and want to explore traditions but for those interested in a lighter and more health conscious French cuisine, we do have a lot of wonderful restaurant, trends and recipes that emphasize on a nouvelle cuisine.
This particular cuisine among the best chefs (even the traditional ones) has emerged, fresher, healthier and lighter in many aspects, a more modern and contemporary cuisine, based on fresh ingredients and flavors. That’s what I am interested in bringing to people’s attention with this dish.
I had a lot of ricotta left so what’s a better use of it than in this terrine? It’s delightful with a green salad, served with toasted country bread, or as a buffet item, it’s light, fresh and flavorful, combining Mediterranean flavors.
I used a mini loaf pan for this terrine, so usually it’s enough for 3 people, and I serve two slices each. You can adapt ingredient quantity accordingly if you want to make one regular size terrine for a buffet. This is a very easy terrine to prepare and that does not require extra culinary skills or experience.
For a terrine for 3
- 10.58 oz (or 300 g) ricotta
- 4 tbs fromage blanc
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- about 20 mint leaves
- 3 gelatin leaves or agar agar
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Roast peppers by putting them under broiler until their skin turns black. Remove from the oven, place in a plastic container and let them cool. Remove skin and seeds. Cut in strips.
In a blender mix ricotta, fromage blanc, garlic, mint, salt and pepper. Blend into a smooth consistency.
Soak gelatin sheets or agar agar in cold water, then dissolve in a little hot water. Add to the ricotta mixture.
In a small loaf pan, add one layer of peppers, add half of the ricotta mixture, then add another layer of peppers. Proceed with another ricotta layer.
Refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight.
Carefully remove from the mold and cut in slices. Serve with toasted country bread.
Salad or tapas? – Smoke Trout on a cucumber mint and chives salad
May 3rd
Salade ou tapas? – Salade de truite fumée sur concombre à la menthe, fromage blanc et ciboulette
This weekend has been busy with birthday parties and other types of events, and we have been experiencing a hot and sunny weather in the Bay Area so when I see a ray of sun, I cannot help and be outside…which usually means quick dishes, nonetheless savory, one cannot be neglected to the expenses of the other.
I like to serve this as a small dish, I call it salad but can be called tapas as well. I have a little weakness for smoke trout but any smoke fish will work as well. In France you can find a large variety of smoked fishes in the supermarket, usually in the packaged fish specialty area of the supermarket. It’s either cooked and smoke or raw and smoked. Smoke trout is easy to find in the US but always saw this cooked version. Every year when I go home, there always a bunch of new products to discover and try out.
Another wonderful use of fromage blanc here, where the smoke flavor of the fish combined with creamy fromage blanc, faisselle (I don’t think it’s available in the US), or any other kind of fresh cheese, makes a perfectly balanced combination. The smoke flavor which can be sometimes strong is toned down by the creaminess and softness of the fromage blanc.
Ingredients for 2
- 1/2 english cucumber, seeds removed and diced finely
- 1 smoke trout fillet
- 2 tbs fromage blanc
- 1 tsp chives, chopped
- 1 tsp mint chopped
- 1 tsp dill, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp strong Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- pepper
- 1 tsp rock salt
Preparation
Sprinkle rock salt on cucumber to drain them from their water. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse and remove squeeze extra water.
In a bowl combine fromage blanc with herbs, mustard, lemon juice and pepper. Mix well and add to the cucumbers.
Place a slice of cucumber in a small plate, add one or two tbs of cucumber mixture on top and finish withsome smoke trout. Decorate with fresh herbs and serve.
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.
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.
That little red spice – Grilled chicken sumac
Dec 18th
La petite épice rouge – Aiguillettes de poulet grillé au sumac
I don’t cook with sumac very often but when I do, I make this dish and it’s been quite popular among chicken lovers. Sumac is a wonderful Middle Eastern spice, it enhances the flavor of the dish without altering its taste. Sumac is a little tree whose leaves turn red in fall somehow like maple trees and produces little round balls which contains little brownish grains.
I usually serve it with curried Israeli couscous and it makes an excellent combination with Middle Eastern flavors. Sumac is very used in Middle Eastern cuisine, it has a tangy flavor and is used somehow like lemon. If you are vegetarian, chicken can be replaced with white fish and it works beautifully too on light flavored fishes. This spice is one of the most delicate spice I know because of it’s subtle flavor, it will not overpower your dish like curry or cumin would but give it a very fresh and elegant after taste.
Ingredients for 4
- 1.5 lb chicken tenders or breasts cut in strips
- 2 tsp sumac
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- cayenne pepper
- 3 tbs mint
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Cut chicken in small strips. Add sumac, cumin powder, cayenne, salt and pepper and let it marinate for about one hour or so.
In a small mixing bowl, mix lemon juice and olive oil.
Grill chicken in a grill pan. When grilled on the outside and still juicy in the middle, remove from pan, add olive oil/lemon juice mixture. Coat well. Sprinkle with mint and serve hot.
