Home to make Plum-Vanilla Jam

I am lucky to have a plum tree in my garden so it's easy to make Plum Jam in this season. But you can also buy the fruits of course and make this jam the exact same way. I use red plums, ripe and sweet. The good thing with jam is that you can prepare several jars and eat it all year long! And my secret to get natural pectin is... lemon pips!

For about 4 jars
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: about 2 hours
Difficulty: **

Special utensil: empty spice bag/tea bag or gauze for cooking

Ingredients
- a bit more than 2 pounds red plums (use 1kg)
- 1 pound (use 500g) caster sugar
- lemon pips (from one lemon)
- 1 whole vanilla bean

1. Pit the plums and weight the pitted fruits. You should have about 2 pounds.
2. The quantity of sugar should be twice less than the quantity of plums. So if you have 2 pounds of fruits, you should use 1 pound of sugar.
3. Slice your lemon to get all the pips from it. Put them into the spice bag and close the bag securely.
4. In a big stainless steel pan, mix the pitted plums and the sugar. Add the bag containing the lemon pips.
5. With a knife, halve the vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape the seeds into the fruit mixture and add the whole bean (optional).
6. Heat your pan on medium heat until it starts boiling. Then lower the heat and let cool slowly for about 2 hours. Mix frequently to prevent sticking.
7. To test if the jam is ready, use the spoon test: Dip a spoon into the hot jam and let the liquid drip off on a cold plate. The drops should be thick and not liquid. That's when your jam is ready!
8. Pour your jam in the jars, and return each jar upside down. Let cool like this and only return the jar when the jam is completely cool.

Enjoy right away, if you are patient, in a few days!!

Eggplant and Celery Stew - Easy Vegetarian dish

This stew is a vegetarian dish with can be served with rice. For the story, I wanted to make an Indian Eggplant curry but since a dinner was planned at an Indian restaurant at the end of the week, I decided to use my eggplant in another dish. Celery is a vegetable which is rarely used: it's a pity in my opinion because its taste is very aromatic. I personally use both the stalks and the leaves, the latter being even more aromatic.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 big eggplant
- 1 onion
- 4-5 celery branches, with leaves, chopped - Separate the leaves from the branches
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup vegetable broth (more if needed, depending on the consistency)
- salt
- pepper


Cut the eggplant into medium size squares. Sprinkle them with salt and let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.

Chop the onion very finely, cut the celery stalks into small pieces, crush the garlic cloves and cut the celery leaves roughly.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan and add the onion, garlic and celery stalks. Cook for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, rinse the eggplant squares and pat dry. Add them to the sauce pan. Stir and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, the heavy cream and the vegetable broth. Add the celery leaves to the stew.

Cover and cook on low heat. Check after 15-20 minutes and add broth if the preparation sticks to the bottom of the sauce pan or is too thick.
There should not be too much liquid but it shouldn't be dry either.

After 45 minutes to 1 hour, the eggplants should be very tender. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot with jasmine rice.

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.

Grilled Lime-Ginger Marinated Scallops

Tired of traditional BBQs? This summer, try grilling scallops for a change! They cook very fast and are delicious on the grill. Big and juicy scallops are preferred because they are much easier to handle and they will not break up during cooking. I did not do it this time but you can thread the scallops onto skewers, it will be even easier.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 2 hours marinating
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 10 big scallops, fresh or thawed
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 0.5 inch grated fresh ginger (about 1.3 cm)
- juice of 1/2 lime
- zest of 1 lime
- 3-4 basil leaves, chopped
- salt and pepper

Start with the marinade: grate the ginger root, zest the lime (keep some zest strands aside to top your dish before serving) and mix with all the other marinade ingredients. Check the seasoning.

Pat dry the scallops to absorb all the liquids.

Pour the marinade in a plastic freezer bag (like Ziploc®) and add the scallops. Close the bag and gently shake it to coat the scallops with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
If you chose to make skewers, place them in a large flat pan and turn the skewers from time to time to make sure the marinade coats each side of the scallops.

Heat the grill; grease it with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. When hot, start grilling the scallops. It will be pretty fast. Make sure the scallops don't stick to the grill and turn them after 4-5 minutes. Continue grilling on the other side for about 4 more minutes.

Just before serving, top with the remaining zest strands and/or chopped basil. Enjoy with a fresh salad.

Low-fat Lemongrass Chicken Skewers

Ideal for summer, this recipe is very simple and healthy. You can cook on a barbecue or simply pan-fry. Serve these delicious chicken skewers with a mango sauce and some rice or a baby green salad.
Happy cooking!

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes + 4 hours marinating
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
4 chicken thigh fillets
1 1/2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons green curry paste
Grated rind of 1 lime
2 stalks lemongrass


Mango salsa:
1 mango (small to medium size)
Grated rind of 1 lime
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

Cut the chicken fillets half lengthways. Combine the brown sugar, lime juice, curry paste and grated lime rind. Add the chicken, mix well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, covered.

Trim the lemon grass to measure about 20 cm (8 inches). Leave the root intact. Cut each lengthways into four pieces.

Cut two slits in the chicken and thread onto the lemongrass. Repeat with the remaining chicken and lemongrass.

Barbecue or pan-fry until cooked through.

For the mango sauce, stir together all the ingredients and serve with the chicken.

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!