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.

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Advice: Le Pain (bread)

Summer time in Lyon, it's almost like a beautiful... magical.. swealtering hot time in which we can abandon all worries and take a weekend off to have a summer picnic.

Everyone has their own preference as to what makes a *perfect picnic*, but I have my own special picnic that I find.. well frankly amazing.  A few months back I talked about my favorite food shops, so you'll need to know the addresses for these in order to make up a Sasha Picnic.  The Sunday post I do will be on my own special picnic- but first thing's first; the bread.

It starts with a baguette.

Baguettes are the staple food in France, every French person has a baguette on their table during a meal, pieces torn off and put directly on the table (not on a plate).

Little know the history of bread in France, and I'm not about to give a detailed account... just a basic summary.

Every few steps in Lyon, one can find a Boulangerie- not every boulangerie holds a high quality baguette, but every boulangerie definitely has a baguette.  Sold unwrapped and set about the shop, the baguette is an experience in it's own.  Nothing compares to a French baguette in the states; from the crisp of the crust, to the dense bubbly interior- ready as a staple to sauce your plate, or simply to cut open and smother with a thick camembert cheese.

Bread has been a staple in the French meal since the middle ages, but has taken changes over time.  Upon introduction of white flour in the 16th century by the Italian nobility the Medicis, and the idea of using bread as a leavening agent, bread began to take on the whiter hue we see in modern day Baguettes.  Crisis in the 19th century turned Bonaparte to create laws to protect the prices of bread, and as always, bread has remained an essential.  The one stereotype that rings true, most French people to have a baguette in their hand when returning home.

Made an average of three times a day, a majority of boulangeries in France make it fresh from the start- from this flour is considered a state commodity and the government actually provides subsidies so flour retains a moderately low price in market.  One can buy 1 kilo of farine for only 2€, that's about 1€ a pound!

But- there are more than baguettes.  Allow me to explain (source: observatoire du pain):

Le Pain Tradition Français

A bread created from bread flour, water, salt and a rising ingredient.  Due to simplicity it is a very 'bubbly' bread, meaning there are many holes in the dough.  Great for picnics as it retains wells, and works great with creamy cheeses.








Under this category:

• La Banette (more triangular shaped than a baguette, tends to be fluffier, specialty recipe)
• La Baguette (typical slim round baguette)
• Pain au Levain (Sour Dough bread)

Le Pain Complet

Complet, meaning whole wheat.  This bread tends to be a much toothier bread , whole grain.  I usually eat sliced with melted butter/honey for breakfast.  Tends to over ride the flavor of dishes and doesn't mesh well with cheeses.  Better as a breakfast item.

Other 'complet'

• Pain au Siegle (rye bread)
• Pain aux 5 céréales
• Pain aux Noix (nut bread, very delicious)

Le Pain de Compagne

Campagne, the countryside, this bread is even more toothy than the pain complet. It's fabulous a little on the dry side served in the winter with a nice potage de boeuf or a soup.

Pain de Mie

Pain de Mie, is the sliced bread we are used to in the states.  I have rarely eaten this in France; but it is used for French Toast (which is a dessert; not breakfast in France).  Even sadnwiches are not made with it; usually we use baguettes sliced open.  The French love their crusts.

Le Pain Brioché

Pain Brioché, or just simply Brioche, is a dense, fluffy and rich sweet bread that is often served toasted for breakfast.  Tends to be full of butter, so be aware!  Definitely not for a dinner bread, but fabulous for breakfast with some butter and jam.

So.  In the states we think *bread*, we think sliced white packaged from last week.  In France, bread is an art and a sustenance for the daily meal.

Now, you gotta try all the types of bread and find your favorite- personally I'm a Banette type of gal.

P.S.  My favorite boulangerie:  Les Garçons Boulangers.  Miam.

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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.

Monday Week's Menu

A few weeks back I wrote about the concept of planning meals ahead... I wanted to share my 'Sunday Plan' with ya'll as an example... and make it a habit to post on Mondays what I plan to make/eat during the week.

Every Sunday I sit down with a piece of paper, internet, my cookbooks and my mind.. I determine what we're gonna eat for the week.. mostly dinners.

I usually eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, a snack at lunch and dinner is the big meal.

Here's this weeks, I attached recipes if I found one.. as a note I often deviate from a recipe and make it my own.. however it helps to get an idea of how to make something.. oh and you might notice... I'm a HUGE fan of Food Network and it breaks my heart it doesn't exist in France:

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Monday October 4
Skillet Rosemary Chicken
+Eggplant & Zucchini sautée


Tuesday October 5
Pork & Fennel Ragout


Wednesday October 6
Marinated Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Grilled Veal Chops


Thursday October 7
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
+Buttery Croutons & Romano Melty Cheese Topping


Friday October 8
Chopped Salad Niçoise


Saturday October 9
Eat @ Chez Parents  (every two weeks or so we go visit his parents in Genas)

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Then I create a grocery list and where I will buy the product... I often buy everything that's meat related from Marché-U down the street from me because the prices aren't too high for meats.

Vegetables are bought from the marché on Tuesday.

Other necessities, like baking paper or sponges, I can feel not guilty and buy from Lidl.

Bread, ALWAYS, at a boulangerie.

Happy eating!

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