Easy Breezy Pesto Sauce

My daughter's favorite Italian food is Spaghetti with Pesto.
I promised I would make her a Pesto dish for dinner tonight.
She loves great food, great restaurants (we take her to almost every restaurants we go to) and great company - YES, she does take after me!
She is very picky about what she eats. Of course, she loves Mac and Cheese once in a while - she's only a child. But hates those that come in little blue boxes.  
She is a very adventurous eater, more than I ever were at 10 years old.
I just wish she would eat more fruit - I am hoping she'll acquire a taste for it as she grows older.

Here's how I made the pesto sauce

Ingredients:

Bunch of Basil, washed and dried
6 Tablespoons olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic
3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
4 Tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


In a food processor, pulse basil.
Slowly add oil, pulse further.
Add pine nuts, garlic, cheese, salt/pepper. Pulse further more.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Easy - Breezy!

Gala Apple, Endive, & Arugula Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

While browsing the shelves of our local organic food market, I came upon THIS amazing fig vinegar.
I couldn't wait to get home to taste it and use it in a salad.
It has the most wonderful taste - sweet and tart. It is perfection!
Lately, I've been craving an apple salad. Luckily, I found couple of Gala apples in my refrigerator.
I also found some other ingredients to make a perfect, healthy and delicious salad.

Here's what I used ...

For 2 people

1 gala apple, sliced paper thin
2 radishes, sliced paper thin
1 endive, washed
1 cup Arugula
Goat cheese, crumbled
Pine nuts

Fig Vinaigrette:
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons Fig vinegar
4 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt/pepper

In a bowl, combine garlic and mustard.
Add vinegar and whisk.
Continue to whisk and slowly add oil.
Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, add arugula and slices of radishes.
Drizzle vinaigrette and toss to combine.
On a dinner plate, place arugula mix.
Arrange on top, 6 leaves of endive.
Arrange Apple slices on top of endive.
Add cheese.
Drizzle vinaigrette all over the salad.
Toss in some pine nuts. and Enjoy!

Blueberry Tartelette with Frangipane

I love blueberries.
I actually love all kind of berries!

I found a box of fresh blueberries in the fridge that I desperately had to use today.
Decided to make a yummy and simple Blueberry tartelette with Frangipane for dessert.

So here's how I did it ...

4 large or 12 small tartelettes
Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 box of fresh blueberries, washed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
5-6 tablespoons Frangipane - can find recipe HERE
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
some crushed pistachios
confectionery sugar

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook blueberries with sugar and corn starch.
Add zest and let simmer for 15 minutes - until sauce thickens.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out puff pastry.
Cut out large or small circles- you'll need 2 circles to make one tartelette.
In the middle of half of the circles, place 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Frangipane
Place 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon blueberry sauce.
Brush the edges with egg wash.
Cover with the other circle.
Press gently the edges with a fork - this will seal the pastry.
Brush pastry with egg wash.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.
Cool on a baking rack.
Sprinkle with pistachio and confectionery sugar.
Enjoy!

Hachis Parmentier

I prefer to prepare dinner when kids are in school.
When I pick them up from school, the first thing they ask is
"Mommy, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

Well. tonight it's just me and the kids.
I decided to make them one of their favorite French dish - Hachis Parmentier.

Hachis Parmentier is truly a French classic.
It was named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French pharmacist, nutritionist, and inventor.
In the late 18th century, he was instrumental in the promotion of the potato as an edible crop.
The word "Hachis" means chopped or minced.

It's a wonderful, delicious and simple dish.
Every time I make it, it brings sweet childhood memories back.

 For 6 people

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup water
1/2 cup gruyère cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper

4 potatoes
1 cup milk, warm
2 tablespoons butter

Heat oil in a skillet and brown beef, 5 to 7 minutes
Add shallot, parsley, bay leaf, nutmeg and salt/pepper. Cook another 5-7 minutes.
Add water and let meat cook until water has evaporated- about 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaf.

In a medium saucepan, bring some water to a boil.
Add potatoes and cook until tender.
Drain potatoes.
In the same saucepan, add milk and butter. Bring to a boil.
Add cooked potatoes and puree with a fork or a whisk - add more milk if necessary.
Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees
In an oven proof dish (or 4 individual dishes), arrange a layer of mashed potato, then a layer of meat, and finish with a layer of mashed potato.
Sprinkle cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Serve warm. Enjoy!

Roasted Potato Soup

Here's a roasted potato soup for you to enjoy.
It's not difficult to make and it tastes really nice.
Perfect for a cold wintery day!

6 people

Ingredients:

Potato Soup
5 large potatoes
2 large onions
2 cloves of garlic
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup light cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
6 teaspoons crème fraîche (or sour cream)
Minced Chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees
Dice potatoes and onion.
On a baking sheet toss potatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, salt/pepper with olive oil.
Toss to combine.
Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring chicken broth and water to a boil.
Add potatoes/onion mixture and cook over medium heat for another 30 minutes.
In small batches, liquify in a food processor.
Return to pot. Add cream. Simmer 10 minutes longer.
Serve in individual bowls.
Add 1 teaspoon crème Fraîche (or sour ceam).
Garnish with chives

Enjoy!

Apple Tartelette with Frangipane

I love recipe.

It is so simple.

End result is an amazing dessert. 

Enjoy! 

Makes 4-6 Tartelettes.
Adapted from Baking by James Peterson

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry sheet
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced paper thin (I used a mandoline)
1 egg plus 1 teaspoon milk (for egg wash)
Confectionery sugar

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees
Peel and slice the apple.
Cut puff pastry into rectangles.
Cut another rectangle from inside of each square, leaving 1/2 border.
Brush the outer squares with water.
Lift the upper right corner of the outer square and press it against the lower left corner of the inner square.
Lift the upper left corner of the outer square and press it against the lower right corner of the inner square.
Prick several times the inner square with a fork.  
Brush the outer corners with egg wash.
Place 1 teaspoon Frangipane in the middle square.
Place the some sliced apples on top.
Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Cool on a baking rack and sprinkle with confectionery sugar.

Frangipane:

1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Almond extract

Cream butter and sugar.
Add egg and egg yolk, mix well.
Add almond flour, mix well.
Add Almond extract.
Refrigerate 1 hour.

Absolutely delicious!

Pancake with Berries

It's Sunday morning.

"Mommy, what's for breakfast?" asks my daughter.

"Mommy, I'm hungry! I want breakfast!" demands my son.

So I decided to make them their favorite pancake.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour, sifted

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or regular salt)

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons butter, melted in the microwave

1 egg

Some strawberries

Some blueberries

Maple syrup

Confectionery sugar

Wash and cut your strawberries and blueberries. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk milk, butter, and egg. 

Add the dry ingredients to it and mix well.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. 

Spray oil and spoon batter. 

Cook until you see bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes - about 2 minutes.

Flip carefully, cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. 

Arrange 2 or 3 pancakes on a plate.

Add strawberries and blueberries.

Drizzle maple syrup.

Sprinkle confectionery sugar.

and Enjoy!