Spaghetti with kafta meatballs

Kafta meatballs are one of my favorite meatballs, I love the addition of parsley and onions, and I love to grill then and serve them plain with hummus, labneh, or eggplant dips. They're light, juicy and full of flavors. Last week, I wanted to cook something and I realized that I hadn’t posted a spaghetti and meatballs recipe.
Browning the meatballs in the pan, then adding them to the sauce incorporates the flavorful brown juices that develop in the pan. Simmering them with ripened tomatoes and onions adds a juicy tender flavor too.



for meatballs
1 medium onion, grated
2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lb (500 g) ground beef
1 egg
3 tbsps chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

for sauce
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 large onion minced
4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (about 6 large tomatoes)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
parsley, minced for garnish

In a large bowl, add the beef, egg, parsley, onion, salt and pepper. Put some gloves on and use your hands to knead the mixture together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. 
Use your hands to roll the meat into 1 1/2″ balls. Put in the fridge for about half an hour.


Heat a frying pan up over medium high heat, then add 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the meatballs in batches, gently rolling them around to maintain their shape until browned on all sides.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil then sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and salt then bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the meatballs into the tomato sauce along with any collected juices. Turn the heat down to low and gently simmer for about half an hour.

Boil some spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, then toss the pasta together with the sauce. Plate the spaghetti, then top each serving with meatballs and minced parsley.

Spaghetti avec des boulettes de kafta

pour les boulettes
1 oignon, graté

2 gousses d'ail, écrasées

500 g de viande hachée
1 œuf
3 càs de persil haché

1/2 càc de sel
1/4 càc de poivre

pour la sauce
3 gousses d'ail émincées

1 oignon émincé
4 tasses de tomates pelées, épépinées et concassées 

1 feuille de laurier
1 càc de sel

persil, pour la garniture

Dans un grand saladier, mélangez le bœuf, l'œuf, le pesil, le sel et le poivre. Mixez avec vos mains et former des boulettes. Placez-les dans le frigo environ une demie heure maximum.

Faites chauffer  2 càs d'huile dans une grande poêle puis faites revenir les boulettes de tous les côtés jusqu'à complète cuisson. Réservez les boulettes de côté.

Dans la même poête, faites revenir l'ail et l'oignon. Ajoutez les tomates, la feuille de laurier, le sel et laissez bouillir. Baissez le feu et laissez mijoter environ 10 mn.

Ajoutez les boulettes avec leur sauce dans la poêle. Baissez le feu et laissez mijoter une demie heure.

Faites cuire des spaghetti. Égouttez-les et ajoutez les a la sauce. Servez les spaghettis avec les boulettes et parsemez de persil haché.

Labneh balls

Labneh is simply a yogurt that has been strained in a cloth. It's popular in the Levant and the arabian peninsula and its very common for breakfast, dinner and sandwiches. Labneh is used as a spread on pita bread. Olive oil, vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber mint and olives are usually added to the sandwich.

Besides being used fresh, labneh is also dried then formed into balls, sometimes covered with herbs or spices and stored in olive oil glass jars. The cheese can then be kept for over a year.

We simply roll the dried labneh into balls then place them in a jar and fill the jar with enough olive oil to cover. We can find ready made labneh balls, sold in supermarket in big glass jars, but it's always better to go homemade. You can choose to make them plain, this time, i wanted to roll my labneh balls with crushed dried mint, (you can roll them in oregano, thyme or zaatar). I placed them on a bed of chopped tomatoes and served them with arabic bread.

Ingredients:
500 g labneh
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
2 tbsp crushed dried mint or oregano, thyme or zaatar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
crushed walnuts

In a medium bowl combine yogurt and salt. (The salt helps draw out the whey).

Line a colander with a double layer of cheese cloth. Place colander inside a large bowl to collect whey. (or you can also line a sieve with coffee filters). Tip the yogurt and salt mixture into the lined colander. Tie the corners to make a pouch. Cover colander/bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Allow yogurt to drain in the refrigerator 24 hours. They are ready when the cloth is no longer wet. Change the cloth and use another one then refrigerate another 8 hours, until the humidity is gone.

Combine the tomatoes, onions and olive oil. Then place in a dish.

Form labneh balls, then roll them in some olive oil, then in dried mint (or oregano, thyme or zaatar...) and place them on top of the tomatoes. Serve with pita bread, baguette or crackers.

You can place the labneh balls in a jar filled with olive oil. It can be kept over a year.

Boules de labneh

Ingrédients:
500 g de yaourt nature
1 càc de sel 

1 oignon, finement émincé

1 tomate finement émincée

2 càs de menthe séchée, d'origan, de thym ou de zaatar

une poignée de noix écrasées

 

Dans un bol moyen, mélanger le yaourt et le sel. Tapisser une passoire avec un torchon propre. Verser le yaourt dans le torchon. Refermer les bords du torchon pour former un pochon, nouer et placer la passoire dans un grand saladier.  

Laisser égoutter dans le frigo 24 heures. Changer le torchon et réfrigérer 8 h ou jusqu'à ce que le torchon ait absorbé l'humidité du fromage. Le labneh ne doit pas être humide pour former des boules.

Former des boules, et les faire tremper avec un peu d'huile d'olive, puis les enrouler de menthe séchée. d'origan ou de zaatar.

Déposer les boules sur les tomates, et servir avec du pain libanais, de la baguette, ou de crackers.
 
On peut conserver les boules de labneh dans un bocal rempli d'huile d'olive, à température ambiante, pendant plus qu'un an.

Salmon burger with dill yogurt sauce

I have a thing for burgers. My choice usually goes for a ground beef patty, grilled to medium, and topped with an array of garnishes that can sometimes defy explanation. Sometimes, I feel like going in another direction and make my burger with seafood or just veggies.

One of my favorite burgers is the salmon burger. Often made from off cuts of fresh salmon fillets and mixed with a little lemon and fresh herbs, then served simply with a green leaf salad and a simple yogurt dressing.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 buns split and toasted
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, finely diced (use a sharp knife so you don’t crush the pieces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
4 buns, split and toasted
Lettuce

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a medium bowl, combine salmon, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix gently.

Form salmon mixture into 4, 3 1/2-by-1 inch patties; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, without turning, until browned on top and opaque throughout, 6-7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine yogurt and dill in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers on buns with yogurt-dill sauce and lettuce.



Hamburger au saumon

4 pains à hamburger
500 g de filet de saumon frais (sans la peau)

1 càs de jus de citron

sel et poivre
200 g de fromage blanc

1 càs d'aneth frais ciselé
quelques feuilles de salade mélangée: frisée, roquette...

Couper en tartare très fine la chair de saumon. Assaisonner avec du sel, du poivre et de jus de ci. Diviser par 4 et former des burgers. Chauffer une poêle anti-adhérente ou en inox en huilant légèrement et faire cuire les burgers.

Pendant ce temps préparer la sauce. Mélanger le fromage blanc avec l'aneth. Saler, poivrer.  

Composer le sandwich avec: la moitié du pain, un peu de salade, l'hamburger 3 cs de sauce au fromage blanc et salade. Refermer avec l'autre moitié du pain et servir de suite, encore chaud.

Banana cake with peanut butter chips

Combining bananas and peanut butter chips in a cake is a bit gluttonous.

I did it anyway! I love banana cakes, and peanut butter too! There's no reason why I should suffer by leaving any of them out.

The cake is tender, moist, and full of flavor. Each bite is bursting with peanut butter banana goodness.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup (190 g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (135 g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 small/medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter chips, as well as more for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cake pan.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, mix the mashed bananas, egg, butter, vanilla extract and milk. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined (do not overmix). Stir in peanut butter chips.

Pour the mixture in the pan. Sprinkle extra peanut butter chips on top, if desired.
Bake for about 32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center is free of crumbs. Cool on a wire rack.

Cake aux bananes et aux pépites de beurre de cacahuètes

Ingrédients

190 g de farine

135 g de sucre

1 1/2 càc de levure chimique

1/4 càc de sel

3 bananes, écrasées

1 œuf

110 g de beurre, fondu

1 càc d'extrait de vanille

1/4 verre de lait

1 verre de pépites de beurre de cacahuètes + une poignée pour la décoration

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez votre moule.

Mélangez la farine, le sucre, la levure et le sel dans un grand bol. Dans un autre bol, mélangez les bananes écrasées, l'œuf, le beurre fondu, l'extrait de vanille et le lait. Ajoutez cette préparation à celle de la farine. Ajoutez les pépites.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Saupoudrez de pépites. Enfournez 32 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré en ressorte propre. Laissez refroidir.

Apple flognarde

Apple flognarde is nothing more than a clafoutis. In some regions in France, the traditional french dessert – clafoutis is referred to as flognarde. The flognarde is usually made with apples or pears.

This dessert is so simple - just a sweet batter poured over a layer of apple chunks and baked in the oven. You can eat this dish as a hot pudding, or a cold dessert. 

Ingredients (serves 6):
3 apples (Reine de Reinette)
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups (350 ml) milk
½ cup (90 g) sugar
½ cup + 1 tbsp (70 g) flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)

Preheat the oven at 400ºF (200ºC).

Peel and core the apples then cut into chunks.

Grease the tart tins with butter and sprinkle some flour. Place them on a baking sheet. Divide the apple chunks evenly between the tartlet tins.

Gently heat the milk until warm. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until blended and foamy. Add the sugar, flour, oil and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.

Using a ladle, carefully pour the liquid batter over the apple chunks in the tins, filling up to the rim.

Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until the flognarde is puffed and golden.

Flognarde aux pommes

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

3 pommes (Reine de Reinette)

3 œufs

350 ml de lait

90 g de sucre

70 g de farine

2 càs d'huile neutre

Faites préchauffer le four à 200ºC.

Pelez et coupez les pommes en morceaux. Beurrez et farinez les moules et déposez les pommes.

Faites chauffer le lait. Dans un saladier, cassez les oeufs. Battez-les au fouet. Ajoutez le sucre, la farine, l’huile, puis le lait qu’on a légèrement tiédi.

À l'aide d'une louche, versez la préparation dans les tartelettes à hauteur.

Faites cuire de 30 à 45 min, afin que la flognarde gonfle et dore.

Chocolate chip cake

It’s fall now. I wait for this season the whole year long, wait for the air that smells crisp and the leaves that turn vibrant pinks. I also wait for that season to start baking! I love to bake. Luckily, I woke up early on Sunday morning to bake a Chocolate Chip Cake. We were so busy the whole day we forgot to take a break to have a slice. When we came in for the night, we were thrilled to see the cake sitting on our kitchen table.
This cake is light, fluffy, and has a tunnel of chocolate chips inside. The sprinkle of some chocolate chips makes the cake sparkle and gives it a nice crunchy top.

Ingredients: 

225 g (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
200 g (1 cup) sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
240 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

200 g (7 0z) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) spring pan.

Beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy and white, about 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla extract.

In another bowl sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Leave a handful for decoration.

Pour batter in the pan and level the top. Sprinkle the handful of the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for about 35 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Gâteau aux pépites de chocolat

Ingrédients: 

225 g de beurre à température ambiante
200g de sucre

1 càc d'extrait de vanille
4 œufs, à température ambiante
240g de farine
1 càc de levure chimique
une pincée de sel

200 g de pépites de chocolat 

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule de 24 cm.

Battez le beurre avec le sucre environ 4 mn. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un en battant après chaque ajoût. Ajoutez l'extrait de vanille.

Dans un saladier, tamisez la farine, le sel et la levure chimique. Ajoutez le mélange aux œufs et mélangez délicatement. Ajoutez les pépites de chocolat. Réservez une poignée pour la déco.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Décorez des pépites restantes. Enfournez 35 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré ressorte propre.

Servez avec une boule de glace à la vanille.

Dawood Basha - Lebanese meatballs in tomato sauce

A small slice of land wedged on the edge of Asia, Lebanon sits on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It's a really tiny country, roughly the size of "Ile de France".  Lebanon had once been called (the self-proclaimed) Switzerland and Paris of the East.

It is said that the one thing that unites all Lebanese is the love of eating. Lebanese cuisine is abundant and generous, stemming from the tradition of preparing food with love and providing family and friends with much more than could possibly be consumed. A traditional Lebanese meal has many small courses, starting with a mezze (the Lebanese version of antipasti), a selection of small portions of dips, pickles, salads and khibbitz (Arabic bread). The main course is usually grilled meats, accompanied by bread, spiced rice and any remaining mezze. Dessert may entail a selection of sweets including baklava, and other variations of filo pastry combined with nuts and sweet honey-style syrup. To complete a meal, Turkish style black coffee is served.

This dish gets its name from the Ottoman pasha Dawood who governed Lebanon in the 18th century.

The dish is easy to make, tender, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs with a simple tomato sauce over rice, is irresistibly good.

Ingredients (serves 6):

For the sauce:
3 medium onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 can (400g - 15oz) of crushed tomato
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 cup water

For the meatballs:
2 lbs (1kg) finely minced lean meat
1 medium onion, peeled and grated
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground allspice
1 dash ground cinnamon
a handful of toasted pine nuts

Mix meat well with grated onion, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Divide meat into 1 inch diameter balls.

Heat some oil in a skillet and saute the onions and a dash of salt on moderate heat until soft and brown. Set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the meatballs on both sides until browned and cooked. Add the sliced onions, the crushed tomato, the pomegranate molasses and the water. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced.

Serve on a bed of rice and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Daoud Bacha - Boulettes de viande libanaises à la sauce tomate

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

Pour la sauce:

3 oignons, émincés

2 gousses d'ail

3 càs d'huile d'olive

1 boîte (400g) de tomate pelée

1 càc de mélasse de grenade

235 ml (1 tasse) d'eau 

Pour les boulettes:

1kg de viande finement hachée

1 oignon, pelé et râpé

1 càs de sel

1 càc de mélange 4 épices

1 pincée de cannelle

une poignée de pignons de pin toastés

Mélangez la viande avec l'oignon râpé, le sel, le mélange 4 épices et la cannelle. Formez des boulettes.

Faites chauffer un peu d'huile dans une sauteuse et faites revenir les oignons émincés avec une pincée de sel à feu moyen jusqu'à coloration. Réservez.

Dans la même sauteuse, faites revenir les boulettes sur les deux côtés jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient bien colorées. Ajoutez les oignons émincés, la boîte de tomate, la mélasse de grenade, et l'eau. Laissez mijoter à feu doux environ 20 minutes jusqu'à rédcution de l'eau.

Servez avec du riz et parsemez de pignons de pin toastés.

Nectarine Cake

It was definitely a busy summer for me with a flurry of activities. Although I enjoy fall, I am a bit sad that summer days are over. Once again, it is time to bid farewell to hot summer days, lemonade stands, and beach parties. The past few days have been gloomy, chilly, and dark, marking the beginning of fall. Sweat pants and sweaters days are here to stay. Hopefully we will get some Indian summers before we dive into deep freeze.

As we transition into fall, I find myself craving for summer cake. A simple nectarine cake fits the bill as it is quick and easy to prepare. This cake is commonly made with apples but it’s also made with stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and plums. And as nectarines ripen towards the end of summer, this is one last cake to say goodbye to summer days!

My mother makes the best nectarine cake. Big chunks of nectarine nestle into a moist light cake. The cake gets better the second day, when the nectarines juices seep further into the cake. I love the last taste of summer with these juicy fragrant nectarines, and now that summer has ended, I wanted to use those ripen summer fruits in a cake and savor it with a cup of coffee on those chilly morning days. So here’s one last summer cake… enjoy!

Ingredients: 

3 medium ripe nectarines, cut into cubes
1 cup 1 1/2 Tbsp (250 g) butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (200g) sugar 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (250 g) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) spring pan.

Beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy and white, about 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon zest.

In another bowl sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix. Fold in nectarines with a spatula.

Pour batter in the pan and level the top. Bake for about 50-60 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Gâteau aux nectarines

Ingrédients: 

3 nectarines mûres de taille moyenne, coupées en cubes
250 g de beurre à température ambiante
zeste d'un citron
200g de sucre

1/4 càc d'extrait de vanille
4 œufs, à température ambiante
250g de farine
1/2 càc de levure chimique
une pincée de sel

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule de 24 cm.

Battez le beurre avec le sucre environ 4 mn. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un en battant après chaque ajoût. Ajoutez l'extrait de vanille et le zeste de citron.

Dans un saladier, tamisez la farine, le sel et la levure chimique. Ajoutez le mélange aux œufs et mélangez délicatement. Ajoutez les nectarines.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Enfournez 50 à 60 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré ressorte propre.

Saupoudrez de sucre glace avant de servir.

Potato & eggplant salad

Eggplants are such a staple in the Mediterranean diet, and even though they're available all year round, I love to eat them in summer. And now, with the summer coming to an end, this is a great recipe if you still have all these garden vegetables on hand. The addition of garlic, coriander and lemon juice brings a bright, warm, citrus flavor to the salad. It's perfect accompanied with meat, fish or chicken... and it can be a light night meal.

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium eggplants, cubed
1 cup of frozen or fresh green beans
a handful of corandier, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
a pinch of paprika
salt, to taste

In a large skillet, heat some oil and fry the potato cubes. Once browned, set aside.
In the same skillet, fry the eggplant cubes. Set aside.
Finally, fry the green beans and set aside.
Put the fried vegetables in a salad bowl.
In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, salt, garlic and coriander. Add this mixture to the vegetables and mix slowly. Sprinkle some paprika and serve.

Salade d'aubergines et de pommes de terre

Ingrédients:

2 pommes de terre moyennes, coupées en cubes

2 aubergines moyennes, coupées en cubes

1 tasse d'haricots verts, frais ou surgelés

une poignée coriandre, haché

3 gousses d'ail, écrasées

75 ml de jus de citron

60 ml d'huile d'olive

une pincée de paprika

sel, selon goût

Dans une grande poêle, faites chauffer de l'huile et faites frire les cubes de pommes de terre. Réserver.

Dans la même poêle, faites revenir les cubes d'aubergines. Réservez.

Enfin, faites y revenir les haricots verts.

Dans un bol, mélangez le jus de citron avec l'ail écrasé et la coriandre. Salez. Versez sur les légumes frits, et mélangez délicatement. Saupoudrez de paprika et servez.

Pasta alla Norma

This vegetarian pasta dish originates from Sicily. It was named after Sicilian composer Bellini's hugely successful opera "Norma". Pasta alla Norma is a typical Sicilian dish with eggplants, sweet & ripe tomatoes, ricotta salata, fresh basil, olive oil and pasta. It is usually made with Ricotta Salata cheese, which gives a distinctive original flavor. However, you can substitute it with pecorino or feta, but you know it won't be the same.
Some insist that the pasta must be maccheroni… Well, I used spaghetti (this is what I had in my pantry). A delicious easy dish to enjoy on a weekday night...

2 medium eggplants, cut into cubes
1/2-cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped or 1/2 tsp dry oregano
6 leaves fresh basil, shredded
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 lbs tomatoes, ripe, seeded and chopped or canned Italian tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated ricotta salata or pecorino...
1 lb spaghetti or maccheroni

Sprinkle the eggplant cubes with salt.
Place in colander and let stand for an hour or so.
Place on paper towels to drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Brown eggplant cubes on both sides. Set aside.
Alternatively, brush both sides of eggplant cubes with olive oil, place on cookie sheet, bake in a pre-heated 450º F oven for 15 minutes or till nicely browned. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add onion and sauté till golden. Add garlic and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes.
Add the tomato, fresh oregano, red chili flakes and basil. Cook about 10 to 15 minutes at high heat; do not allow sauce to dry out.
While tomato sauce cooks, bring water to a boil. Cook pasta and drain when done. Place in a bowl, pour tomato sauce and eggplant cubes and mix. Sprinkle the cheese and serve.

Pâtes alla norma

2 aubergines, coupées en cubes

120 ml d'huile d'olive

1 oignon, haché

4 gousses d'ail, écrasées

1 1/2 càc d'origan haché ou 1/2 càc d'orgian séché

6 feuilles de basilic, hachées

1/4 càc de piment d'Espelette

1 kg de tomates mûres, épépinées et coupées en dés ou une boite de coulis de tomates

sel et poivre

3/4 tasse de ricotta émiétté ou de pecorino...

500 g spaghetti or maccheroni

Saupoudrez les aubergines avec du sel.

Laissez-les dégorger de sel pendant environ 1 heure.

Placez-les sur du papier absorbant.

Faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une sauteuse. Faites frire les aubergines.

Vous pouvez les badigeonner d'huile d'olive et les glisser au four pendant 15 mn à 220ºC.

Faites chauffer 2 càs d'huile d'olive et faites revenir l'oignon, puis l'ail.

Ajoutez les tomates, l'origan, le piment et le basilic, et laissez mijoter 10 à 15 mn.

Faites cuire les pâtes dans de l'eau salée bouillante. Egouttez et placez dans un saladier. Versez la sauce tomate dessus, ajoutez les dés d'aubergines. Mélangez et parsemez de fromage. Servez.

Chocolate chip cookie dough brownies

Even though I haven’t been posting as often as I would like, it doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking or baking. Now I'm back to blogging and I miss it so much. Summer has been hectic, but beautiful. I want to apologize for my absence, hope you didn't miss me a lot :)

Well, these chocolate chip cookie dough brownies may just take the ultimate prize.

As soon as I saw the recipe from RecipeGirl I knew it was a genius idea. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies right? I wanted an original recipe, something new and yummy!

Ingredients:

BROWNIE:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

COOKIE DOUGH (EGG FREE):
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle, optional

Prepare the brownies: 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don't over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Prepare the cookie dough:
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.

If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.



Source: RecipeGirl.com

Stuffed bread loaf

This weekend was the weekend of leftovers, and I love leftovers. I love them because I don't have to make dinner, for one thing and mostly because all the real work is already done, leftovers free me up to be creative in a low-key way.  So, this stuffed bread is an idea for an easy-to-put-together appetizer that guests will enjoy, and a way to use your leftovers too.

This is a very flexible recipe, and you can adjust amounts and ingredients to what you have hanging out in the fridge. Switch out the ham for turkey or the provolone for Swiss or cheddar. Add grilled eggplant slices, chopped olives, salami, ricotta, grilled zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes... There really is no end to combination with this recipe.

Honestly, there's nothing like a versatile recipe to make my day. Add to that affordable and quick and you have a real winner for me!!!



Ingredients:
1 round bread loaf
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 pound (115g) sliced ham
7 oz (200g) sliced provolone or mozzarella cheese
1 (12 oz / 340g)) jar roasted red peppers, drained

Slice the bread vertically but not all the way through the bottom.
Combine oil, oregano, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well. Brush generously the interior with this mixture.

In assembly line fashion, make piles of cheese, ham and roasted red peppers to fit down in your bread slices. Be sure the pepper rings are drained well to prevent a soggy sandwich.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and place the bread 20 mn until cheese is melted. 

Note : You can add other ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, sliced olives, pesto, marinated artichokes, grilled eggplant slices, ricotta, salami.... just use your imagination!!!

Pain de campagne fourré

Ingrédients:

1 grand pain de campagne

75 ml d'huile d'olive

1 càc d'origan

1/2 càc de poivre

1/4 càc de paprika

1 càc d'ail écrasé

200 g de tranches de jambon

200 g de fromage provolone tranché ou de mozzarella

1 boîte de 340 g de poivrons rouges égouttés

Couper la miche aux 2/3 de sa hauteur. Réserver la calotte. 

Dans un bol, mélanger l'huile avec l'origan, le poivre, le paprika et l'ail.

Badigeonner généreusement l'intérieur du pain de ce mélange.

Disposer en rangs successifs les poivrons grillés, les tranches de fromage, et le jambon.

Préchauffer le four à 180ºC et placer le pain environ 20 mn jusqu'à ce que le fromage fonde.

Note : On pourra substituer ou ajouter d'autres ingrédients tels que : des tomates séchées dans l'huile égouttées, des olives kalamata hachées grossièrement, du pesto, des artichauts marinés et épongés, de la ricotta, du salami....

Roasted pears with goat cheese & pine nuts

This looks good, don't you agree? Well, let me tell you something, these roasted pears taste absolutely amazing!! As long as you like fruit and cheese combo, you will hit the jackpot with this recipe. 

Well, we are basking in beautiful weather. Spring has finally arrived, bringing us the sunshine and the wonders of nature with it! I look forward to the time when apple and cherry trees start to bloom because we know that spring has finally arrived.

Though pears are basically a fall time food, this dish is all about being fresh and light to welcome the spring season.  Well, I think this dish could work really in any season! 

I loved this dish, because I love pears and I am fond of goat cheese! The sweetness of the pears contrasted the pungent goat cheese well, and the crunchiness of the toasted pine nuts complemented the soft texture of the pears. A recipe I will be making again and again!

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 ripe but firm pears

3.5 oz (100g) goat cheese, crumbled

3/4 oz (20g) pine nuts

1 sprig rosemary

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp (30g) butter

Wash the pears, slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a spoon remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling.

Heat the butter in a skillet and brown the pears, skin side down, on low heat for about 10 mn.

Preheat your oven at 350ºF (180ºC).

Place the pears in a ovenproof dish and pour the cooking butter on top. Add half a cup of water in the ovenproof dish. Bake 10 to 15 mn.

Meanwhile, gently toss the goat cheese with the pine nuts and the rosemary in a small bowl. Season.

Remove the pears from the oven. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation. Spoon a bit of honey and bake them again for another 10 mn. Serve immediately.

Poires rôties au chèvre et aux pignons de pin

Ingrédients (4 personnes):

2 poires

100 g de fromage de chèvre demi-sec

20 g de pignons de pin

1 petite branche de romarin

2 c. à soupe de miel

30 g de beurre

Lavez les poires et les coupez en deux en retirant les pépins. Creusez-les légèrement.

Faites-les dorer ensuite côté chair dans une poêle avec le beurre sur feu doux pendant 10 min.

Préchauffez votre four à 180° C.

Déposez les poires dans un plat allant au four, et arrosez-les avec le reste de beurre de cuisson, plus un 1/2 verre d’eau dans le fond du plat. Enfournez les poires 10 à 15 min.

Entre temps, mélangez à la fourchette, le fromage de chèvre, les pignons et les brindilles de romarin hachées. Assaisonnez.

Sortez les poires du four et garnissez-les du mélange de fromage de chèvre. Arrosez de miel et remettez au four 10 min. Servez aussitôt.

Eggplant Frittata

This frittata has the smell of summer, it has a savory flavor and a wonderful aroma. 

Actually, as you know, I’m a big fan of frittatas. They make a great healthy meatless meal that can be prepared with minimal effort.  Sometimes we all need meals like that, don’t we? Baked frittatas are easy to make and hold well in the refrigerator, and they’re equally good hot, cold or at room temperature.

I had originally contemplated making some eggplant parmigiana, but I was running low on energy and wasn’t in the mood for breading and frying.  I wanted something a bit lighter for dinner, so I decided to use my lovely eggplants to make a frittata!

Ingredients:
8 eggs
1.5 lb (700g) eggplants, peeled every other strip and cubed
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

Sprinkle sea salt over eggplant cubes and let them sit in a colander for half an hour. Rinse the eggplants then pat them dry with paper towels.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion. Add the eggplants cubes and the garlic and let them cook on medium low heat until golden and cooked. Stir them frequently.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with cheese, salt and pepper. Pour in the egg mixture to the cooked eggplants, lifting edges of eggplant so eggs coat bottom of skillet. Cook over low heat covered until set and cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!

Frittata aux aubergines

Ingrédients:

8 œufs

700 g d'aubergines, partiellement épluchées puis coupées en dés

1 oignon, haché

6 gousses d;ail, écrasées
50 g de Gruyère râpé

1 càs de persil haché
sel et poivre selon goût

2 çàs d'huile d'olive

Versez les dés d'aubergines dans une passoire, saupoudrez de sel et laisser dégorger 30 min. Rincez les dés sous l’eau froide et puis essuyez-les avec du papier absorbant. 

Verser l’huile d’olive dans une poêle. A feu doux, y faire revenir l’oignon. Ajouter les dés d’aubergine et l’ail écrasé. Cuire à feu doux jusqu'à ce qu'elles deviennent molles. Ne pas oublier de remuer régulièrement. 

Dans un saladier, battez les oeufs avec le fromage, sel, et poivre. Les ajouter dans la poêle, couvrez  et poursuivez la cuisson à feu doux. La frittata aux aubergines est cuite lorsqu'elle se détache facilement de la poêle. Parsemez de persil haché et servez aussitôt!

Banana and raspberry cake

I spotted this recipe in a magazine called 'Saveurs' and since the recipe looked easy enough and I had all the ingredients already, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. I think this recipe and I are going to become good friends. It’s so versatile. What makes it even better is that if you use a 4 oz. yogurt container as a measuring cup for this cake! I also converted the measures for those who don't have a yogurt cup!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk (= 1 yogurt cup of whole milk)
1 cup sugar (= 2 yogurt cups of sugar)
1 1/2 cup flour (= 2 yogurt cups of flour)
2 ripe bananas
30 raspberries
1 tbsp baking powder
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil (3/4 yogurt cup of olive oil)

Preheat the oven at 350ºF (180ºC). Butter and flour your cake pan. 

In a bowl, mix the milk with the eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and oil. Mix until you have a smooth batter.

Mash the bananas with a fork and add them to the mixture. Mix everything well.
Pour the preparation into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the raspberries evenly across the top of the batter. Gently press them into the batter.

Bake for 40 mn. Leave to cool.



Cake banane et framboises

Ingrédients:
1 yaourt nature ou 125 ml de lait entier
2 pots à yaourt de sucre
3 pots à yaourt de farine
3/4 de pot à yaourt d’huile
1 sachet de levure chimique
3 oeufs
2 bananes bien mûres
1 barquette de framboises

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez et farinez un moule.

Dans un saladier, mélangez le lait avec les œufs, le sucre, la farine, la levure et l'huile. Fouettez bien pour obtenir une pâte homogène. 

Ecrasez bien les bananes et ajoutez-les à la pâte. Mélangez bien le tout.

Versez la préparation dans le moule et enfoncez légèrement les framboises.

Laissez cuire 40 mn. Démoulez sur une grille et laissez-le refroidir complètement.