Mushroom Crostini

Once a year, around October, my husband loves to go mushroom hunting.  I'm not so keen, as I prefer to eat them, rather than searching for them.  As a Canadian I should love outdoor activities, and I do, but looking for mushrooms, hours on end, resulting in 1 or 2 in our basket is not my idea of fun.  However, I do love making and eating these mushroom crostinis, now that's fun!

Ingredients:
-300 grams of Paris mushrooms (or any type of mushrooms)
-3 garlic cloves
-Parsley
-4 tablespoons of creme fraiche
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-baguette

Instructions:

-Chop up mushrooms into small pieces, chop up the sprigs of parsley and mince the garlic.

-Saute garlic in olive oil and add the mushrooms. 

-Once the mushrooms are cooked through, add the creme fraiche, salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid is gone.

-Add the fresh parsley and turn off the heat.

-Cut the baguette in diagonal slices and toast in the toaster. 

-Spread the mushroom mixture onto the baguette slices and serve warm. 

PS: These mushrooms are store bought.  We would have never found so many along the countryside.  Furthermore, there are no mushrooms in our area in August.  Heck, there's barely any during mushroom season in October.

Sweet Shrimp Skewers

Call it what you want, skewers, kebabs, brochettes, I love anything on a stick.  It's fun to make, cook and eat.  I grilled these skewers with our indoor electric barbecue, otherwise they can be pan fried. 

Ingredients:
-800 grams of shrimp
-12 medium sized skewers
-1/4 cup of olive oil
-1/4 cup of sweet chili sauce
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-Chopped coriander or parsley (around 1/4 cup)

Shrimp with sauce mixture

Off with their heads!

Shrimp on the grill

Shrimp on a stick

Instructions:

-Combine and mix olive oil, sweet chili sauce, minced garlic, and chopped coriander.

-Take off the head, tail and skin of the shrimps.

-Combine and mix the shrimp and sauce in a bowl.

-Place 3 shrimps on each skewer.

-Either grill on the barbecue or pan fry for a few minutes.

Optional:

-Goes great with steamed rice or stir-fried vegetables.

Korean Barbecue - Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

A great feast to be had is the Korean barbecue.  There is a grill in the middle of the table, you cook your own meat and eat while the next batch is cooking.  It's a fairly busy and entertaining way to have a meal.  There are also a variety of side dishes (banchan) like kim-chee, bean sprout salad, etc.  I'm doing a simpler version, by grilling some bulgogi (marinated beef) and wrapping it with lettuce.

Ingredients:
-500 grams of beef (sirloin), thinly sliced
-5 tablespoons of soy sauce
-2 tablespoons of water
-2 tablespoons of sugar (white or brown)
-1 teaspoon of minced ginger
-2 cloves of minced garlic
-1 chopped onion
-chopped mushrooms
-Lettuce
-1 teaspoon of pepper
-2 pineapple slices chopped into small pieces or 2 tablespoons of shredded asian pear

Beef & Onions in sauce mixture

Bulgogi on the grill

Instructions:

-Combine and mix soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, pepper and pineapple. Add sauce mixture to beef and onions, put everything in a  Ziploc bag and marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.

-Grill over a barbecue along with the mushrooms.  Pan fry, if you don't have a barbecue.

-Place some meat, onions and mushroom in the lettuce and eat as a wrap.

Optional:

-Goes great with steamed rice.

-For the lettuce wrap, there is a dipping sauce.  A mix of equal parts (1 tablespoon) of soy bean paste, gochujang (red pepper paste), honey, sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Tomato, Onion and Goat Cheese Tart

This tart is truly an excellent combination of flavors with caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes and baked goat cheese.  Personally, I'm not a fan of goat cheese, however baked goat cheese has changed my opinion.  This tart can be made as one big tart or as I prefer, personal size mini-tarts.

Ingredients:
-200 grams of cherry tomatoes
-3 onions
-75 grams of goat cheese
-90 grams of pesto
-1 package of puff pastry
-1 tablespoon of sugar
-Olive oil
-Pepper

Instructions:

-Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and chop up the onions.

-Saute the onions in a pan with olive oil and after a few minutes add the sugar.  Onions are done, once they are soft and golden.

-Use a small bowl to cut into the puff pastry to make the shape of the mini tarts (makes around 5 small tarts).  Fold in the edges of each tart.

-On each tart spread the pesto sauce, then add the caramelized onions, tomatoes, cut side up, and top off with goat cheese.  Sprinkle the top of each tart with some pepper.

-Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 200 degrees C.

Optional:

-Goes great with a side salad.

-This recipe is flexible, so add any of your favorite toppings, such as asparagus, olives, etc.

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

This is a simple vegetarian pasta dish.  I love the colors and the mixture of flavors in this dish.    Personally, I eat this as the main course, but my husband is a real carnivore, so I'll serve him a steak with a side of this pasta. 

Ingredients:
-200 grams of spaghetti noodles
-250 grams of cherry tomatoes
-Fresh parsley
-2 garlic cloves
-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
-2 tablespoons of bread crumbs
-Olive oil
-Salt & pepper

Instructions:

-Preheat oven at 200 degrees C.

-Chop tomatoes in half, mince garlic, shred parmesan cheese and chop parsley.

-In a bowl, combine the garlic, parmesan cheese & bread crumbs.

-Grease a baking dish with olive oil and add the tomatoes, cut side up.  Sprinkle the cheese-bread mixture over the tomatoes, add salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

-In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water.

-Once the tomatoes are finished roasting, combine with the cooked pasta. Mix in the fresh parsley and add olive oil until all the noodles are well coated.

Optional:

-Parsley can be replaced by basil.

-The roasted tomato mixture can be spread on top of baguette slices and served as an appetizer, rather than mixing it with pasta.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable stew usually eaten in the summer.  There are 2 schools of thought on this recipe.  Either cook the vegetables separately or cook them all together.  I'm from the school of easy peasy, so I choose the latter and cook them in a particular sequence. 

Ingredients:

-1 zucchini

-1 eggplant

-1 red pepper

-1 onion

-3 garlic cloves

-2 tablespoons of herbes de provence (mixture of dried herbs: rosemary, basil, thyme, etc.)

-1 can of chopped tomatoes (400 grams)

-Olive oil

Instructions:

-Chop up zucchini, eggplant, red pepper, onion and garlic.

-Sauté zucchini and eggplant in olive oil.  After a few minutes of cooking, add the red pepper, onion, garlic and herbes de provence.

-Once the vegetables are all cooked, add the can of tomato and simmer under low-medium heat for 15 minutes.

Optional:

-Can be be served hot or cold.

-Goes great with a crusty baguette.
-Add a bit of chili sauce while cooking. 

Baklava

Hello, my name is Shelly and I am a baklava addict.  I have an overwhelming and uncontrollable desire for this Greek dessert and it is self-destructive, especially to my derriere.  If you have the willpower, baklava is best eaten at least 24 hours after it's made, so that the syrup has time to set in.  It's even better after 2-3 days.  This dessert is highly addictive, so make at your own risk.

Ingredients: 

-200 grams of your preferred mixed nut
-75 grams of melted butter
-1 package of filo pastry
-1 tablespoon of cinnamon and vanilla extract
-3/4 cup of water
-1/2 cup of sugar
-1/2 cup of honey

Brush the pastry with butter

Place nut mixture at the bottom of the pastry

Roll the pastry like a cigar

Cut diagonal pieces

Instruction:

-Grind the nuts in a mixer and add cinnamon.  I have used my preferred mix of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts.

-The package of filo pastry will have about 10 sheets.  Take 1 sheet and brush it with the melted butter.  Take another sheet, lay it on top of the first sheet and brush with butter.  Repeat this step again, so that you have a total of 3 sheets on top of one another.
-At the end of the 3 layered pastry, lay the nut mixture lengthwise.

-Roll the pastry like a cigar, brushing some extra butter at the end to seal.

-Repeat the steps until you no longer have any pastry.  You should have about 3-4 rolls in total.

-Butter the tops of each roll and cut diagonally into approximately 2 inch pieces.

-Bake at 175 degrees C for 20 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden.

-In the meantime, make the sauce.  Simmer the water and sugar until sugar dissolves.  Add the honey and vanilla to the mixture and stir for approximately 10 minutes under low heat.

-Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon sauce over it.

-For decoration, sprinkle a few pistachio bits on top of each baklava.

-Leave uncovered, otherwise it will become soggy.

Asian Flavored Chicken Skewers

I love bbq season, but it's been over 30 degrees C everyday and as a Canadian, I do not cope with the heat very well.  Therefore, I opted for our indoor electric bbq to cook these delicious chicken skewers.  If you don't have an indoor or outdoor bbq, these skewers can be pan fried.

 Ingredients:
-1 kg of chicken breast

-2 minced garlic cloves
-1 red pepper
-1 can of pineapples
-20 wooden skewers
-3 tbsp each of soy sauce, honey and balsamic vinegar
-1 tbsp of sesame oil
-1 tsp of minced ginger

-1 tsp of pepper

Chicken with sauce mixture

Chicken skewers on the grill

Instructions:

-Combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil and pepper. 
-Chop chicken into 1 inch pieces.
-Combine sauce and chicken into a Ziploc bag and let this marinate for a minimum of 1 hour. 
-Cut up the red pepper and pineapples into 1 inch pieces and soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes.
-Skewer on the chicken, red pepper and pineapples in any order you prefer.
-Grill on the bbq or pan fry for approximately 4 minutes on each side.

Optional:
-Sprinkle sesame seeds on the chicken skewers.
-Goes great with steamed rice.
-Cook them in advance and heat up in the oven to serve warm.

Rustic Vegetable Tart

Got another delivery of vegetables from my mother-in-law's garden and to be honest I have veggie overload, but this tart recipe puts me back in the veggie mood.  Visually pleasing, simple to make and most importantly, very tasty.  Can be eaten hot or cold.

Ingredients:
-1 eggplant
-1 zucchini
-2 tomatoes
-3 onions
-puff pastry
-mixture of dried herbs (rosemary, basil, thyme, etc.)
-olive oil
-1 teaspoon of sugar
-salt and pepper

Instructions:
-Chop up the onions and sauté in olive oil.  Eventually add sugar and sauté until the onions are caramelized.
-Slice up the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes into thin slices.
-Put the eggplant and zucchini slices in a bowl and toss them in olive oil so that each slice is nicely coated. Spray or brush the tomatoes with olive oil.
-Cover the pie pan with parchment paper and place the pastry on top, so that the pastry does not stick  to the pan and is  easy to take out when finished.
-Cover the pastry with the carmelized onions.
-On top of the onions, add the vegetable slices, in a circular pattern, starting with the eggplant, tomato then the zucchini and repeat until the pastry is completely covered (circular pattern from the outside in).
-Spinkle herbs, salt & pepper.
-Cook in the oven at 200 degrees C/400 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Optional:

-Olives can be added on top prior to baking.

Eggplant Lasagna

I am a pasta lover and I was a bit wary of this recipe, since it was noodleless, however this dish is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  Every bite is warm and gooey.  This dish is also very versatile, as you can use your preferred choice of meat and cheese.    

Ingredients:
-2 eggplants
-350 grams of ground beef (or any kind of ground meat you prefer, like lamb or pork)
-1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
-1 onion
-2 minced garlic cloves
-salt & pepper
-olive oil
-200g of your preferred shredded cheese (parmesan, emmental, etc.)
-creme fraiche/liquid cream or ricotta cheese
-1 tablespoon of hot sauce
-2 teaspoons of herbes de provence

Instructions:

-cut the eggplants into thin slices, brush with olive oil on both sides and roast in the oven until soft and golden (approximately 10 minutes).  Be sure not to overcook!

-to prepare the tomato sauce, chop up the onion and garlic.  Sauté these items in olive oil and eventually add the ground beef, hot sauce and any other herbs you may have in the cupboard.  I have a convenient bottle of "herbs de provence" which is a mixture of thyme, rosemary & basil.  Once cooked through, add the can of tomato, fill the empty can with water and add to the sauce.  A pinch of salt and pepper to taste.  Let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

-spread the tomato sauce in the baking dish, add a layer of eggplant, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and top off with ricotta cheese or cream.  Repeat until all the ingredients are used up and the top layer is covered with shredded cheese.

-bake at 200 degrees C/400 degrees F for 40 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has turned golden

Optional:

-goes great with a side salad

-store bought tomato sauce can be used, if you don't have time to make the tomato sauce