Home Made Latte in France

I live big coffee, those little pinky sized cups do me no good! Lucky enough I have a fabulous mother who understands this need and had smuggled over about 6 lbs of coffee now safely nustled away in the cupboard.

So how do I make my traveler latte?

Stars needed:
Creme anglaise
Coffe type French press
Hot water
Traveler cup

I simply make the coffee.
Pour in the creme.
Close he lid on the traveler.

Voila! Delicious and not the horrifying price of Starbucks in France.

Recipe: Roasted Ratatouille

I don't often put recipes up, because hey, everyone is entitled to eat how they wish and my blog is by far one of those super-foodie blogs rampant with food photos.

But this ratatouille rocked.  It also rocked because it used cheap in season vegetables from the marché.  It rocked because it took like no time... and then we had an awesome meal.

As always, it's for two people..

What you need:
-1 aubergine, medium sized, cut into 1" or so pieces
-2 courgettes, chopped
-2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
-2 cloves of garlic
-1/2 green pepper chunky cut
-1 onion cut into large chunky slices
-Drizzle of olive oil
-Drizzle of red wine vinegar
-herbes de Provence seasoning
-Salt/pepper

I just tossed all the above into a metal bowl and stuck it into the fridge until I needed to put it in the oven.







Take a nap.

Vaccuum the house.

Do some dishes.

But remember to stick it into a baking dish and bake for 1 hour or so on 200°C.  Gets all gooey and melty, fabulous.

Serve with some protein, my our case I did a black bean purée, sliced pork roast and the ratatouille.

bon appetit!

Recipe: Beef and Shrooms

I don't normally like to write out my recipes, since I normally change our dinner every night and I can never remember what it was I made... however last night was an especially delicious, inexpensive and filling dinner and so I thought I'd share.  The total cost was about 5 euros total for a giant pot.  De-li-ci-e-use.  This recipe is for 2.

Donc.

First off you'll need just a few basic ingredients:

• 450g of beef stew meat (called boeuf bourguinon), cut into tiny morsels and deveined
• Marinate in 2 tablespoons vinaigre de vin rouge and 5 tablespoons l'huile d'olive vièrge and 1/2 cup de l'eau for 3 hours before cooking.
• Rinse and dry well before cooking.
• Shake with 1/2 cup seasoned flour
• 250g mushrooms (champignons de paris) 
• 4 tbs beef stew seasoning mix (my mom sends it, here's a recipe if your not-so-lucky):
• "2 cups Flour
  4 teaspoons Oregano (origan)
  2 tablespoons basil (basilisque)
  4 1/4 tablespoons salt (sel)
  4 1/4 tablespoons black pepper (poivre noire)
  4 1/4 tablespoons Garlic Powder (l'ail sec moulu)
  4 1/4 tablespoons Paprika (piment doux)
  1 teaspoon cayenne powder (poivre de cayenne) you can buy this at Cap épices in the 2ème 2 T Celery Seed
  4 1/4 tablespoons Onion Powder (not available in France, but just use fresh)
  2 tsp. rosemary (romarin)
  Measure all ingredients into a large ziploc bag, shake well." - from trecipes forum
• Salt/Pepper/Bay Leaf (lauriel)
• 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, both minced.

Small list- right? Now onto how to make it:

1. Take the floured meat and sauté in a pot with a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
2. *Déglace* the pan by adding 1/2 cup of water, stirring around to get the sticky bits up.
3. Add 2 cups of water.
4. Add the mushrooms.
5. Add the seasoning.
6. Boil on a low heat for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so until it thickens and bubbles.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over some patates écrasés:

Easy. Cheap. Delicious.

That's how I roll.

a+

Ugly Dinner + Recipe

Is this not the ugliest dinner you have ever seen?  I don't think there is a way to make pink sausages any more attractive.. and the risotto looks like chunk.  Bri likes to post everything we eat, and I was very upset to find this monster posted on Facebook this morning. This is the ugliest dinner I have ever made in my life.. but you know what?  It was damn good risotto!  If only we could taste pictures..

Recipe:  Curried Risotto aux Endives (ingredients in French, for easy shopping, instructions in English)

Servings: 4

Ingrédients:
185g OR 1 cup du riz (thai)
2 cups fond de boeuf preparé (beef stock prepared)
1/2 cup du vin blanc
2 tablespoons crème fraîche ou crème fermière
2 endives blancs, cut in rounds
1 echalot, diced up
1 tbsp de l'huile d'olive vierge
1 tbsp de curry en poudre
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Wash up the endives and cut into rounds.
2. Heat up a large pan, style wok or like this one to the right:
3. Toss in the olive oil, and the echalot into the oil for about 1 minute.
4. Toss in the endives, stir around on medium-low heat until they are more cooked down (around 5 minutes)
5. Toss in the cup of rice, stir around briskly, and add in about 2 luches (great french word, means ladlefuls) of the stock/wine mixture
6. Stir for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat; ensuring not to burn.  Turn heat low, cover for another 2-3 minutes until liquid is absorbed.  Add in the curry powder/salt/pepper.
7. Add another 2 luches of stock; medium-high heat, stir and stir and stir.. low heat and cover.
8. Repeat steps 6-7 until the liquid is fully absorbed... add more liquid if still crunchy.
9. Finally, add the crème fraîche and season to taste; stir around and cover leaving on a nice low heat... I topped with some parmesan cheese.

Ugly but good.  Here's the video I found that makes the process a bit more simple:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akvS38cR4b4

I didn't use 'curcurma' just curry powder, I also added salt/pepper and parmesan.  Voila.  Enjoy your ugly dinner tonight.. with some 'chipolata' saucisses.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just a quick little post to remind people that indeed, in France, one can make delicious chocolate chip cookies without the brown sugar and without the baking soda.

Yesterday I made.. well.. I was lazy so I made a 'chocolate chip pie' which is just cookie dough, shoved into a glass quiche pan and baked.  Like a giant cookie.

Here's the recipe I used that actually turned out quite nice:

Chocolate Chip Cookies in France


Ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cup flour (specifically 'farine patisserie')
150 grams of butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder (aka poudre levure chimique, available in all stores)
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring OR 1 packet vanilla sugar (little packets in the store called, 'sucre de vanille', sold next to the levure chimique)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cassonade (which is like natural sugar)
*1 bar baking chocolate (sold next to normal chocolate) chopped into small chunks
pinch of salt

It makes about 24 cookies..

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 190, if it's a convention microwave do 220.
-Blend the butter (soften it first), the egg, the sugar products, the salt and the vanilla in a bowl until creamy
-Add in the flour/baking powder (ensure it's been combined first without liquid, then add, about 1/4 cup at a time)
-Once combined, if looks to wet, add 1/4 cup flour or so to even out the texture
-Add in the chopped chocolate, stir around

NOW, either...
-Put in fridge with plastic wrap for one hour
OR
-Take tablespoon size portions in mounds, onto a greased baking plate

Bake 10-12 minutes, checking every few minutes..

Yum.


*Note:  France does not have chocolate chips.  You'll have to use the baking chocolate because it melts easier, and ensure you chop it.  Doesn't have to be perfect, big chunks made delicious surprises

Recipe: Herbed Salmon Filets w/ Chive Potato Purée

Last Wednesday Brian wanted something not diet-y and delicious.  We were wandering through Super-U and saw two salmon filets for €4.00.  It struck me suddenly to make something with those… so I created this meal.  Here’s what you’ll need…

-Milk

-Butter

-Package of Fresh Mozzarella

-1 lemon

-2 salmon filets

-1 bunch of chives

-1 bunch ofdill

-Around 500 grams of potatoes

-4 Ripe tomatoes (roma or on the vine are best)

-1 cup white cooking wine

For seasonings

-2 tablespoons herbs de provence

-Salt

-Pepper

It will become this:

So.  Let’s begin.

1. Start by the salad, as it needs to marinate for at least 30 minutes… so instructions:

            Herbed Tomato Mozz Salad

a.     Cut the tomatoes in nice sized chunks

b.     Cut the mozzarella in smaller, still nice sized chunks

c.      Mix ¼ cup red wine vinegar and ½ cup olive oil, salt, pepper and herbes de provence.  Shake or whisk in a container, mix with the tomatoes and mozzarella, cover and set in fridge.

2. Now as the salad marinates, we’ll get going on the salmon and the puree.

            Herbed Purée & Salmon Filet

a.     Begin by washing the herbs and the potatoes.  Take the potatoes and either boil or steam until squishy and easy to mash… you can leave it to cook while you prepare the salmon.

b.     Salmon: simply take out of package, lay on cutting board and season lightly with salt & pepper.  Squeeze half the lemon over the salmon filets.  Chop up the (herb) and place aside.  Chop the chives, place aside.

c.      Heat one nice size pan on the stove at medium-high heat, melt butter and a small amount of olive oil, put the salmon filets face down.. sizzle sizzle.  After about 1 minute, turn the salmon over, add the other half of lemon juice, pour in the white wine, add the (herb), reduce heat to medium-low, cover.

d.     Potatoes:  Get the potatoes out of hot water, into a metal bowl.  Either mash with fork, adding small amount of milk (as desired) and about 3 tablespoons butter.  You can also blend with a hand blender… makes it creamier.  Add lots of salt and pepper (potatoes are bland) and mix in the chopped chives.

e.     After the potatoes are done, the salmon should be done (sauce can be reduced more as desired)… serve with the marinated salad, a crusty bread and a chilled white or rosé wine!  Delicious!

Now let’s break down the cost..

Herbs (€1.20)

Salmon (€3.90)

Milk (€0.30)

Butter (€0.10)

Potatoes (€0.79)

Tomatoes (€0.80)

Mozzarella (€1.05)

White Wine (€0.25)

1 Lemon (€0.72)

TOTAL COST:  €9.02, or about €4.50 a person.  Imagine at a restaurant it would be around €13… that’s savings of 8.50!!  YAY!  And it’s super delicious.

 Enjoy!.. and A+