Cream of Leek and Asparagus Soup

This soup is a great way to celebrate asparagus, and the addition of leeks in the recipe gives a boost of extra iron as well as delicious flavor. This sumptuous soup tastes even better if made a day ahead, and it can serve as a creamy and satisfying main meal alongside a tender salad and some crusty wholegrain bread. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 large celery stalks, diced

1 ½ pounds asparagus

6 large leeks, white and palest green parts only, chopped and well rinsed

vegetable stock (about 3 cups or as needed)

½ teaspoon each: dried tarragon and dried basil

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 to 1 ½ cups low-fat milk or soymilk, as needed

salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste 

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and celery and saute over moderate heat until the onion is golden. 

Roasted Branzino Stuffed with Leeks and Meyer Lemons

I prepared the branzino in the Mediterranean style, with citrus and herbs and served with a risotto Primavera. You can replace the branzino with any white, flaky fish.

Ingredients:

1 whole branzino or other white-fleshed whole fish, butterflied

1 leeks cut into thin strips

1 Meyer lemon cut into thin rounds with one wedge reserved

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place fish on a roasting pan open and flesh side up. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both fish. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over each fish. Line one side of the fish with lemon slices, top with a generous amount of leeks and 2 sprigs of thyme. Fold the empty side onto the filled side. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Cook for 12 to 18 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

Enjoy!

Chicken Braciole with Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup dried Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (about 1 small bunch)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 to 2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 10 ounces angel hair or fettuccini pasta, cooked

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pound the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to about 1/4-inch thickness. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley, grated Parmesan, and garlic. Slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil until the mixture becomes the consistency of thick paste. Evenly spread the mixture down the center of each piece of chicken, leaving room around the edges. 

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup long-grain rice
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from one 15-ounce can)
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and cut in half horizontally
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just done, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.

Now, I know that a real Brazilian shrimp soup should also have okra in it, but my soup was thick enough without it. You can, of course, instead of the shrimp, to use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about three), cut crosswise into quarter-inch strips. Cook for the same amount of time.

Enjoy!

Tian of Eggplant, Tomato and Herbs

This gorgeous layered vegetable gratin requires 3 hours in the oven for its alchemy to work. A tian is an earthenware baking dish but you can use a small paella pan or any dish with a 10-cup capacity. The delicious liquid that accumulates in the dish can be used to make a vinaigrette. Serve the tian hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

- 1 large eggplant (about 1.5 lb), peeled

- 4 medium onions, about 1.5 lb

- 5 large ripe tomatoes, about 2 lbs

- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

- 2.5 tbsp dried oregano

- 10 tbsp freshly grated Pecorino Romano

- 1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Slice the eggplant into thin rounds. Toss with one tbsp salt. Thinly slice the tomatoes. Thinly slice the onions, keeping the slices intact.

Arrange half of the eggplant in the bottom of a tian or paella pan. Top with an overlapping layer of half the tomatoes, and then half the onions.

Sausages, Beans and Olives Casserole

I read that this is a traditional dish in northern Italy, usually made with lard and pork belly, which I replaced here with olive oil, sausages and pancetta, thus getting the strong flavours of pork with less cooking time. The sausages can also be replaced with small ribs.

 Ingredients:

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 2 medium onions, chopped

- 2 carrots, chopped

- 4 oz pancetta, diced

- 1 lb sausages, cut into 1-inch thick chunks (mine had cheese and parsley in them)

- 1 cup pitted black olives

- 3 oz tomato puree

- 1 cup beef stock

- 1 glass red wine

- 14oz can cannellini beans, drained

- 3 bay leaves

- salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and fry the onions and carrots over high heat for about 2 minutes, until golden.

Simple Chicken Parmigiana

This recipe renders a juicy chicken, after being "breaded" with finely grated Parmesan cheese, covered with mozzarella cheese and topped with roasted grape tomatoes. Everything happens in the oven, on one sheet pan.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large garlic clove, grated

12 oz grape tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

large pinch hot pepper flakes

4 skinless, boneless chicken (8 oz each)

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

5 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

handful of torn fresh flat-leaf parsley or small basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 500F. Combine the oil, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl. Transfer 2 tbsp to another bowl and add the tomatoes, oregano and pepper flakes. 

Veal Cutlets with Red Bell Pepper

For this recipe I used veal for scallopini, so no need to bother beating the meat. I also made some modifications, which I will mention as I go along. The listed quantities yield 6 servings, but I halved them for our needs:

• 1 1/2 pounds veal slices (about 1/4 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (I replaced with 1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I didn't use it)
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 medium sweet red peppers, julienned
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (didn't use )
• 1/2 quart chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (I omitted it)
• 2 teaspoons water

Place veal in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. dish; set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, lemon peel, garlic, sugar, salt, paprika, mustard and nutmeg; reserve 2 tablespoons. 

Red Snapper with Tomatoes and Basil

In this dish the snapper juices mingle with the tomatoes and basil in a parchment packet to create a fabulous sauce.

Ingredients;

- 1 tbsp butter

- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped 

- 1 lb ripe plum tomatoes seeded and chopped

- 1/4 plus 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

- 1/3 cup freshly chopped basil

- 4 red snapper fillets (6 oz each), skin removed

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil.

With tweezers, remove any bones from snapper fillets. Place one fillet, skin side down, on parchment paper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper; top with tomato mixture.

Fold unfilled half of parchment over the fish. To seal packets, beginning at a corner where parchment is folded, make 1/2-inch wide folds, with each new fold overlapping the previous one, until packet is completely sealed. The packet will resemble half a circle. Place the packets in  jelly-roll pan. Bake 15 minutes (the packets will puff up and brown). Cut the packets open to serve. 

Enjoy!

Crunchy Crumbed Cod with Frozen Peas

In this recipe frozen peas are used straight from the freezer, just break them up by slamming the package on the counter a few times. The peas provide moisture as the cod is roasted at a high temperature.

- 10-ounce package frozen peas

- 4 scallions

- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

- 4 tbsp olive oil

- 1 cup panko

- 1 large garlic clove

- 4 thick cod fillets (about 6 oz each)

Preheat the oven to 475F. Put the frozen peas in a large bowl. Slice the scallions thinly on the bias and mix with the peas. Add the thyme, 2 tbsp of oil, salt and pepper. Sprea on a small rimmed baking sheet.

Mix the panko with the remaining oil, grated garlic and salt. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Top each piece with a thick covering of panko and press down firmly. Place the fish atop the peas. 

Roast for 12 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and the fish is just firm. Serve the fish on the peas.

Enjoy!

Chicken Livers Peri Peri

My daughter requested that I make some chicken livers last night, and she wanted a recipe I haven't made before. So I found this one which apparently originates in South Africa. I cut down pretty much on the  heat, to make sure she can eat, too. Now, if you decide to make this recipe, please be sure you have plenty of fresh bread on hand to mop the fantastic sauce with! So, here are ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken livers, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I only used 3/4 tsp)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp brandy

Place chicken livers in a large bowl, and pour in 3 tbsp  olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice; season with garlic, cumin, coriander, chili flakes, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir together, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. 

  

Remove livers to a bowl, and reserve marinade. 

Green Lentil and Canadian Bacon Soup

My friend Sandi started the lentil soup trend and really got me into the game. My soup is obviously not entirely vegetarian, but the meat in it is very lean, as you know Canadian bacon is recognized for its lack of fats. Without further ado, let's proceed:

- 1/2 lb lentils, picked and rinsed

- 2 stalks green celery, chopped

- 1 large yellow onion, chopped

- 1/2 lb Canadian bacon, finely diced

- 4-6 cups chicken broth

- 2 garlic cloves, chopped

- 1 pinch dried thyme

- 1 bay leaf (optional)

- olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

Cheesy Gratin of Brussels Sprouts

This dish is very flexible, it can be made early in the day, refrigerated, then baked before mealtime. If you're not a sprout fan, you can substitute one very large head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets. 

My daughter had this with the veal scaloppine and red ruby grapefruit and loved the combination. So, here comes the recipe:

Tagliatelle with Sautéed Swiss Chard Ribs and Cream

 

I had some ribs left from the sauteed red Swiss chard with Parmesan cheese, I was not sure what to do with them, but then it hit me: pasta! So, here we go!

• 2 scallions, finely chopped (to cut the richness of the pasta sauce), plus a little bit for decor
• 1/2 lb swiss chard, yielding 1 cup of chopped ribs
• 1/8 cup (quarter of a stick) butter
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream
• enough dry pasta to make about 1/2 quart of cooked pasta
• salt and pepper to taste

Separate the ribs from the greens. Cut the ribs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Blanch the ribs in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes.

Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped scallions, then the drained, blanched ribs and simmer for 4 minutes.

Add heavy cream and cook until cream reduces by two-thirds.

While the cream is reducing, cook up your pasta according to the pasta's package directions.

Mix creamed chard with pasta. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Decorate with chopped scallion.

Enjoy!

Tilapia Fillets in Spanish Sauce

My daughter is not the biggest fan ever when it comes to fish; however, this recipe was a huge success with her, so much that she wanted me to pack any leftovers for the following day's lunch at school. Indeed, the combination of flavours is special and unbelievably tasty.

Ingredients:

- 6 tilapia fillets (any other mild fish is equally suitable)

- 1 head of garlic, medium

- 1 tsp hot paprika

- 2 tsp sweet paprika

- 1 small chilli pepper (optional)

- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped

- 1 tbsp ground cumin

- 1 1/2 cup tomato juice

- 1/8 tsp ground all-spice

- zest of 1 lemon

- 6 tbsp olive oil

- 1 handful black olives (I used Kalamata pitted olives)

- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

- salt and pepper to taste

Doughnuts

Beautiful, tasty, golden doughnuts! What else to say about these beauties?

Ingredients:

500 gr flour

3 tbsp sugar
2 eggs and 1 yolk
200 ml lukewarm milk
3 tsp dry yeast
3 tbsp vanilla sugar

zest of a lemon
a pinch of salt

Mix the yeast with one tablespoon of sugar and a few drops of milk, then allow it to rise

Orange and Lemon Chicken Drumsticks

A very simple and cute recipe, not costly at all, just the right thing at a time when vegetables are not so abundant, but we feel the need for some fresh flavours on the plate.

Ingredients: 

- 6 chicken drumsticks (feel free to use 8, or a whole chicken, cut in pieces)

- 3/4 stick butter

- salt and pepper to taste

For marinating the meat:

- 1 orange

- 1 lemon

- 1 medium onion, very finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 10 drops Tabasco

Cauliflower and Vegetable Soup

I honestly hope you'll forgive my photos, but the kitchen bulb died on me and no, it's not that easy to replace it, a) because I don't have a high enough ladder and b) I don't know how to remove the ceiling light fitting. On this note, I had to wait for the building maintenance personnel to assist with this very important problem, which took quite awhile. In the meantime, the light under the cabinets had to do, but they are definitely not suitable for taking photographs.

Now that I've vented, let's get down to business. For this soup (inspired by Dana) you'll need:

- 1 head of cauliflower

- 2 celery stalks, diced

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 2 large carrots, diced

- 1 bell pepper, cleaned and diced

- 2 qt chicken stock (can of course be replaced with vegetable stock)

- 1 bunch parsley, chopped

- tomato juice (to taste, about 1 cup)

- salt and pepper

- red pepper flakes to taste

Hachis Parmentier

This is a French recipe very similar to the moussaka, but with enough differences to make one curious and ready to experiment. So, for 4 persons, you'll need:

Zucchini Gratin with Cherry Tomatoes

After more than two weeks in Africa and some miserable days fighting the malaria pills' side effects, I was able to get up and running again. This time I bring you a vegetarian dish I would have liked to eat when I was in West Africa: zucchini, cheese and cherry tomatoes in an easy to make, tasty dish.

To make this, you'll need: