Cheese Puffs for any occasion

I was reading a French cooking magazine and there was a full section about 'gougères', which are cheese puffs. The beautiful pictures tempted me.

The base recipe can be sweet or sour and is pretty simple. So while my daughters where napping this afternoon, I made a batch. We'll probably eat it in front of the Super Bowl with our friends tomorrow, if they can last until then...

For about 15-20 puffs

Preparation time: 10 min

Cooking time: 25 min

Difficulty: **

Ingredients:

-115 g flour

-20 cl water

-75g butter

-salt and pepper

-75 g shredded cheese - ideally 'comté' if you can find it, or sharp cheddar or swiss cheese

-3 eggs

-1 egg yolk (optional)

-a bit of nutmeg

1.  In a saucepan, cut the butter into pieces, add the water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.

2.   When the water is boiling, remove from the heat and add the flour at once. Stir very well with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball. Let cool a bit.

3.   Add the eggs one by one, stirring well between each egg. 

4.   Add the cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

5. Preheat your oven at 400°F / 200°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a pastry bag or simply 2 teaspoons, place little mounds of mixture on the baking sheet.
Optional: Brush each little puff with egg yolk.

6. Bake for 25 minutes.

How to make Toasted Pumkin seeds

When baking a pumpkin, make sure you keep the seeds to toast them. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds make a very healthy snack, full of fibers. It's preferable to use organic pumpkins or squash for this.
Try it, it's very easy!

Seeds of 1 pumpkin
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 8 to 10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- seeds of 1 pumpkin or squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- species: salt & pepper / paprika / dried herbs / chili powder...

1. Preheat your oven at 375°F / 280°C

2. Place the seeds in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and spices of your choice. It's good to always add a bit of salt if you don't go for the "salt & pepper only" seeds.

3. Spread the seeds evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once. Make sure the seeds brown very slightly but not too much because they would taste like burning.

Let the seeds cool and store them in an airtight container.

Fast & Delicious: Citrus Scallop Carpaccio

No cooking time, super simple and delicious, this recipe is for you! It is very stylish and tastes great. Try this Scallops Carpaccio, you'll love it. You can also prepare this carpaccio with other fish pieces like salmon, cod or rockfish.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 3 hours in the fridge
NO cooking time!
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 4 big sea scallops
- juice of a 1/2 lime
- 1 mandarin, preferably organic (or tangerine, or even a small orange)
- 4 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- salt and pepper/red pepper berries

1. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry.
2. Slice each scallop thinly horizontally.
3. Arrange on plates in layers.
4. Grate the mandarin zest and reserve.
5. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, the lime juice, the mandarin zest and a pinch of salt.
6. Drizzle the citrus olive oil over the scallops. You can use a pastry brush to make sure all the pieces are coated.
7. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Grind some pepper or red pepper berries on top, and serve with a sprouts salad and toasted bread.

A simple Zucchini Soup to warm you up this winter

A simple soup is always appreciated in the heart of winter. We all have already canned soup in our cupboards but you should try this recipe: you'll change the way you think about soups!! It is super simple and delicious. Even kids will love it! And thanks a lot to my friend Frank who once prepared this soup for me and my husband in Montréal!

Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 pound (500g) zucchinis - preferably organic to keep the skin, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese or 3 Laughing Cow portions
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- water
- salt & pepper

Wash the zucchinis and cut them in to cubes. As mentioned in the ingredients list, if you buy organic zucchinis, you do not need to peel them. It's the best way to prepare this soup.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the zucchinis. Coat them with butter and let cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring.

Pour the broth into the saucepan and then add water to cover. Add a bit of salt and pepper.

Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes, or until the zucchinis are tender.

Add the cream cheese to the soup, stir well and mix everything with a hand blender until there are no more zucchini pieces and the soup is smooth.

Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. Enjoy!

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with Shrimps

Fresh spring rolls are a delicious and healthy appetizer. They are a nice change from the fried rolls (eggrolls) which are served warm. For this recipe, I added shrimps in the rolls for a more complete dish but you can replace them with fried tofu if you like. Enjoy!

Serves 2 (2 rolls per person)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 oz (75g) dried rice vermicelli
- 4 jumbo shrimps, cooked, peeled and sliced half lengthwise
- 1 romaine heart (or other lettuce you like), leaves separated, rinsed, and dried
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 4 rice-paper wrapper
- 1 small Persian cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped

- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

Place the rice vermicelli in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes. Drain well.
Fill a bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper at a time into the water for about 15 seconds or until soft.
Place the wrapper on a flat surface. Top the central part of the wrapper with vermicelli, cucumber, carrot, peanuts, mint, lettuce and two shrimp halves.

Fold the lower part of the wrapper on the ingredients and roll tightly, folding in the sides. Put on a plate, cover with a damp cloth and repeat.

For the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.
Serve with the spring rolls.

Guacamole: the king of dishes for your fiesta!

Guacamole is an avocado-based dip which originated in Mexico. It is quite easy to do and always appreciated as a dip in parties. The traditional recipe only includes ripe avocados and salt. To give it a twist, I like to add garlic, red chili, lemon juice and diced tomatoes. Try it and let me know!

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: none
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 1/2 red chili, very finely minced or 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
- salt

Dice the tomato, grate the garlic and mince the chili.
Note that the chili and the cayenne pepper are optional. The give a nice kick to the dish but you can exclude them if you want to.

In a bowl, place the scooped avocado pulp and add the lemon juice. Using a fork, start mixing and mashing the avocado pulp.

Fold in the garlic, diced tomato and chili or cayenne pepper (if you use it).

Mash more until you reach the consistency you like: you can leave some avocado chucks for a more authentic guacamole of mash it more (even using a potato masher) for a smoother texture.
Serve quickly with tortilla chips or pita bread. Yum!

Vegetarian Millefeuille with Summer Vegetables

This recipe came out of my imagination yesterday evening... no meat in the fridge but tofu, one eggplant, tomatoes and feta cheese. By adding some basic ingredients that I always have in my pantry, I prepared this flavorful dish which my husband liked a lot :-)
The presentation in layers is very cute and it's not difficult at all. Try this receipe as an appetizer or an entrée, and make it your own!

Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: **
--Vegetarian dish--

Ingredients:
- 8 slices of eggplant (1 long eggplant should be enough)
- 8 slices of tomatoes (2 medium size tomatoes should be enough)
Note: try to find an eggplant and tomatoes which are almost equal in diameter
- 8 slices
Note: same as for the eggplant and tomatoes : it's better if the tofu has the same diameter - if not, double the quantity
- 1 handful of basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 4 big dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon almond powder (or pine nuts powder)
- about 4 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese
- olilve oil
- sesame oil

Grate the garlic cloves and rub each side of the eggplant slices. Pan fry the eggplant slices in olive oil until golden: you can proceed in batches. Pat dry to remove the excess of oil. Reserve aside.

Pan fry the tomatoes until soft and golden. This should be quick - make sure the tomatoes don't "melt", they need to keep their shape.

Wipe your pan and heat some sesame oil. Pan fry the tofu until golden brown on each side, turning once.

Chop the basil leaves and the dried tomatoes. Mix with 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and the almond powder.

Prepare the millefeuilles - place the different ingredients in this order:
1 slice of eggplant
1 slice of tomatoe
1 slice of tofu
a small quantity of basil/dried tomatoes preparation
feta cheese
1 slice of tofu
1 slice of tomatoe
1 slice of eggplant

Repeat to make 4 millefuilles. Top with crumbled feta cheese.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 390°F / 200°C, then broil on high for 5 minutes.
Enjoy with a baby greens salad and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Apricot-Melon Smoothie: Delicious morning shot

Smoothies are great for summer: fresh, natural, and healthy, they provide you with a real good amount of vitamins, and are great in the morning to start your day.
You can make a smoothie with any fruit and vegetable you like, add herbs, sweetener (agave syrup is ideal), etc. If you do not know how which ones to choose, pick them for their colors!
It is recommended to drink your smoothie right away after making it, to keep all the vitamins.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: none
Difficulty: *
- you'll need a blender -

Ingredients:
- 3 apricots
- 1/4 small melon
- 1/4 teaspoon lime juice
- agave syrup (optional)
- water

Wash the apricots and cut the melon into small pieces. Place them in a blender with a little bit of water and the lime juice.
Start blending for 30 seconds. Check the taste and texture: if it is too thick, add a little bit of water and if you like, a little bit of agave syrup.
Blend again for 5 seconds and enjoy!

Note: if you want your smoothie extra cold, crush 1 or 2 ice cubes in the blender before adding the ingredients. You probably won't have to add water to the smoothie in this case.

Mini Herb and Hazelnut Goat Cheese Balls

This fresh appetizer is great if you have a party with a lot of people. You can prepare the Goat Cheese Balls in advance and create a lot of variations, depending on the likings of your guests.
For this recipe, I used hazelnuts but at the end of this post, I'm sharing more ideas to garnish your cheese balls.

Serves 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: none
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 log of herb & garlic goat cheese (or use a regular goat cheese and mix with 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of herbes de provence - or savory)
- 10/15 hazelnuts

Prepare your herb and garlic cheese if you did not find one ready: mix the cheese, the herbs and the crushed garlic with a fork, until smooth.
Crash the hazelnuts and chop finely. Spread the hazelnut pieces on a flat baking sheet or plate.

For each cheese ball, take 1 big teaspoon of goat cheese. Form a ball with your hands and coat it in the hazelnut pieces. Proceed in batches and place the cheese balls on a plate.

Other ingredients to coat the cheese:
- freshly ground pepper
- spices: paprika, ground cinammon, ground cumin, ground coriander...
- any type of nuts, finely chopped: walnuts, brazilian nuts, pecan nuts...
- dried fruits, finely chopped: apricots, prunes, raisins, peaches, cranberries...
- seeds: flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds (white and black)...
and more!

Pineapple Cocktail

Special drink for a special occasion... or not! If you have friends coming over or if you feel like trying the taste of the carribean, right in your sofa, prepare this exotic cocktail in only 5 minutes. Of course, it's better to buy fresh pineapples in season (summer) to preserve the natural cycle. In winter, you can use canned fruits if you can't wait!

Cantaloupe with Port

This appetizer is one of the simplest you'll ever make. There is no cooking time and it's ready in 5 minutes. The condition is to have a well-ripened cantaloupe and a good-quality port. The combinaison of both ingredients makes a sweet and original appetizer which your guests will remember.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: none
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 cantaloupes, well-ripened
- 3/4 teaspoons port for each serving
- salt and pepper

Cut the cantaloupe in half and remove the seeds using a spoon.
Scoop round balls of cantaloupe out of each half with a melon baller or a small round spoon. You can also cut the cantaloupe into squares (simpler).
If you like, you can reserve the halves and use them as serving bowls. Otherwise, fill 4 regular bowls with the cantaloupe balls/pieces.
Drizzle 3 to 4 teaspoons of port on each bowl. You can add more if you like :-)
Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour since this appetizer is better served chilled.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper just before serving.
Let me know how you like it, it's a wonderful summer dish.

Homemade Crab Cakes

I had crab cakes once in a restaurant and always wanted to try to make some myself. I did this week-end and I'm pretty happy with the result. They turned moist, tender inside and crispy outside. Served with a green salad, it's a great dish to eat while watching a good movie!

"Eggs Mimosa" (Deviled eggs), cute appetizer

This recipe is called "Mimosa eggs" (oeufs mimosa in French), probably because the egg yolk gives the mimosa color to your plate. You probably know it better as Deviled eggs. This appetizer is one of the easiest existing and you need a minimal number of ingredients to prepare it. I usually serve the Mimosa eggs atop a Belgian endives salad because I like the way the egg tastes with endive but any type of salad works.

Serves 2
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon regular mayonnaise or Vegenaise (vegetarian mayonnaise, without eggs)
- salad: Belgian endives, red and green oak salad, spinach salad, or any other salad you like
- paprika (optional)

Boil the eggs for about 10 to 12 minutes. The egg yolks need to be hard.
Let them cool and divide them in two, lengthwise.
Remove the egg yolks and set aside. Fill the holes of the egg whites with mayonnaise and crumble the egg yolks on top of the mayonnaise. You can also divide the yolks in two and place them directly on top, without crumbling them.

Prepare your salad and lay it in your plates. Place the eggs on top and sprinkle paprika over the eggs.
Serve right away.

Primavera, Mushroom, Seafood Risotto... Invent your own!

Risotto is an incredibly flexible dish which you can adapt according to your envy. There are some basic principles and techniques to know which I'm going to explain but it is not difficult to prepare.
Depending on the ingredients you use in your risotto, it can be an appetizer or an entree and you can make it with veggies, seafood or meat.


Serves 4
Preparation: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
Basic ingredients needed for any type of risotto
- 400g risotto rice (14 ounces)
- 2 liters of stock (6 1/2 cups)
I prefer using chicken stock or vegetable stock. Clam juice can also be used for seafood risottos.
- olive oil or butter to fry the onion at the beginning of the preparation
- 2 tablespoons butter to add at the end of the preparation
- 1 small onion
- 2/3 cup wine or liquor (10 cl)(optional)
Any wine can work with risottos. White wine is the best bet but for more "fancy" dishes, I already used Sake or Ricard to customize my risottos.
- 2 nice handfuls of parmesan cheese (better if freshly grated)

Boil the stock and reserve it aside, keeping it very hot.
Heat the olive oil or butter in a large pan. Slowly fry the onion without coloring them, they should become transparent.
-- You might now add ingredients that need to cook with the rice, like raw vegetables, meat cut in small pieces... --
Turn up the heat and add the rice and stir so that it is coated with butter/oil.
Then add the wine and keep stirring until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
Add salt and pepper.
Turn the head down and add the stock in small batches, stirring and waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding more stock.
-- If you are making a seafood risotto, you can add the seafood in the middle of the cooking process here. Since seafood does not need to cook for a long time, do not add them too early. --
After about 30 minutes, the rice should be "al dente" and the texture of the risotto should be creamy. Add more stock if you feel that it's too dry.

Take the risotto out of the heat and check the seasoning: add salt and pepper if needed.
Stir in the butter and the parmesan. If you like, you can top with freshly grated parmesan before serving.

Examples of other ingredients to be used in risottos
1) Risotto Primavera: carrots, celery, green peas, artichokes, asparagus, green beans...
Cut them in cubes and add them to your preparation.

2) Mushroom Risotto: fresh or dried mushrooms like porcinis or chanterelles. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water before using them in this recipe.
For a "Japanese style" mushroom risotto, you can use shitake and/or oyster mushrooms. Sake can be used in this version.

3) Seafood Risotto: bay scallops, shrimps, calamari, ...
It's better to use fresh seafood but if you have a frozen medley for example, you can heat it in a pan first and reserve the juice to cook the rice. As mentioned above, do not add the seafood too early or it will become chewy, especially if you are using frozen seafood.

Enjoy!

“So simple” Sweet and Sour Salad

Nothing to prepare or almost? This recipe is perfect if you are running late and when your stomach is screaming.
I am going to share a very simple sweet and sour salad recipe that is delicious and comforting.
The preparation is quick and the taste is great :-)