I'm back with delicious recipes!

After another baby (a sweet little girl), I'm back and decided to share even more delicious recipes so you can cook like a chef without being one (yes, I love Ann Burrell's show Secrets of a restaurant chef). Well, okay, I'm not a professional cook but I know what works in the kitchen and in the plates!

Today I have a friend coming at home for afternoon coffee, and I made Meringues. They are quick and easy, if you beat the egg whites long enough, this is the secret!

I hope you'll take some time to read my blog and cook some of my recipes. I'll start posting pictures of each step, so it's even easier for you!

Cheers!

Mini Pizzas With Rosemary - Provence

Enjoy the taste of Provence with mini-pizzas: easy to make!

For about 2 small pizzas
Preparation time: 10 min + resting time 2 hours
Cooking time: 30 min
Diffoculty: *

Ingredients:
-300g flour

-3 tbsp. olive oil
-15 cl lukewarm water
-1 pack of dry yeast + 3 tbsp. lukewarm water
-1 pinch of salt
-100g plain yogurt
-1tbsp sour cream
-1 bunch of rosemary sprigs

1.   Prepare the dough: in a small bowl, mix the dry yeast with 3 tbsp. of lukewarm water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the olive oil and the lukewarm water, and then add the yeast.
Mix well and knead the dough during at least 5 minutes. Put the dough back in the large bowl, cover with a clean cloth and let rise during 2 hours.

2.   When the dough doubled in size, flat it down with your hand and make several small pizza shapes. Place them on a baking sheet.

3.   Pre-heat your oven at 425°F/250°C. In a bowl, mix the sour cream and the yogurt, plus salt and pepper. Wash and dry the rosemary. Spread the cream on the mini pizzas and sprinkle the rosemary. Add salt and pepper, and put in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the pizzas are golden and crispy.

4.   Enjoy with a dry white wine.

How to make Pistachio Biscotti

This is a super easy recipe and these cookies are delicious with tea or coffee. You can replace the pistachios with almonds for your Biscotti. They can be kept several days in a box on your countertop, if they last this long...!

For about 30 cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 300g (2 1/2 cups) of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 50g (1/3 cup) very finely ground almonds
- 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk + 1 egg white
- 100g (2/3 cup) coarsely chopped pistachios - or almonds


1. Preheat your oven at 180°C / 350°F.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, sugar, and salt.
3. In a bowl, beat the 2 eggs with the egg yolk. Stir this mixture into the flour preparation.
4. Add the pistachios.
5. Manually knead the dough until it forms a ball.
Note: if you notice that your dough is too dry, add water (very little at a time) until the dough holds itself to form a ball.
6. Cut this dough into 4 pieces. Shape them to form 4 cylinders which you will flatten a little (to make oval biscotti).
7. Place the 4 pieces on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Brush them with the egg white.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, wait until the dough pieces cool slightly (5/10 min) and cut them into slices.
10. Place the biscuits back on the baking sheet and continue baking for 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Let cool and enjoy!

Tajine of eggplants with coriander and mint

Tajine is a stew originated from the region of North Africa.The meat and/or vegetables are slowly simmered to allow all the spices to diffuse into the buttery sauce. The Eggplant Tajine is made is delicious served with couscous or bulgur. It is best made with baby eggplants but can also be prepared with larger eggplants cut into quarters lengthwise.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 16 baby eggplants or 2 larger eggplants, cut into quarters lengthwise
- 1 tbsp butter (or ghee)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 small red onions, slices
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp dried red chili flakes
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and crushed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and crushed
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 cans of chopped tomatoes or 1 jar of basic tomato sauce
- salt and pepper
- 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1. Heat the oil and butter in a tajine (the name of the traditional vessel in which the food is cooked) or in a heavy-based casserole dish.

2. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until they begin to color.

3. Add the chili flakes, coriander and cumin seeds. Add the sugar.

4. When the seeds begin to give off some aroma, toss in the eggplants. Stir to coat them with the spices.

5. Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are tender.

6. Season to taste and add half the cilantro and mint leaves. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Just before serving, sprinkle with the rest of the cilantro and mint leaves. Serve hot.

Baked Acorn Squash Recipe

You'll love this recipe for fall and winter. It's a very easy recipe which everyone will love. The Acorn Squash is baked with butter, brown sugar and maple syrup: it's sweet and buttery. You can follow the exact same steps with a butternut squash. Yummy!

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat your oven at 400°F / 200°C.

2. Cut the squash into half, scoop out the seeds (you can toast them! See Recipe).

3. Melt the butter in your microwave, then add the sugar and the syrup to the butter. Add some salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Stir well the butter mixture and brush it on the inside of the squash as well as on the cut edges.

5. Place the halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife or fork. Serve 1 half per person.

Enjoy!