Baked Oysters

I must admit, this baked oyster does look pretty!

I am not an oyster fan and I can not eat raw food, however my husband loves them and loves them raw!  Eek!  The other day we bought a box of oysters for him and he wanted me to try them, so he made some baked oysters for me.  I appreciated his efforts to have me try something new and to share his love for oysters, however I did not become a fan.   It's an acquired taste, so perhaps I need to keep trying them...

A box has about 24 oysters and cost us 
20 Euros for size 2.

Ingredients:

-7 oysters (1 serving as an appetizer)

-4 teaspoons butter

-3 teaspoons white wine

-7 teaspoons creme fraiche

-Handful of bread crumbs

-A few sprigs of chopped parsley

-Sea salt

Place opened oysters on top of the sea salt

Instructions:

-In a baking dish, place the sea salt, so that it will give stability to the oysters when baking.

-Open up the oysters, drain its liquid out and place on top of the sea salt.

Place a bit of the butter mixture on top of each oyster.

-In a small bowl, mix the white wine, butter and chopped parsley.  Place a small teaspoon on top of each oyster.

-Add a bit of creme fraiche on top of each oyster.

-Top off with the breadcrumbs.

-Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 200 degrees C and serve immediately.

This is my husband's plate! 
Raw with just a dab of lemon juice on top.

Optional:

-Eat them raw and add a bit of lemon juice or red wine vinegar mixed with chopped shallots. This is pure heaven for my husband! 

 

Tarte Tartin

Upside down caramelized apple tart

We've all made fumbles in the kitchen and this French dessert was apparently created by a mistake.  A French lady (Stephanie Tartin) was originally baking an apple pie, however cooked the apples in the butter and sugar too long, burning it a tad bit, therefore to recover from her mistake, she turned it into an upside down caramelized apple tart.  Voila, the invention of the tarte tartin a very popular and delicious dessert in France. 

Place apples cut-side up

Ingredients:
(makes 8 slices)
-4 apples
-For the caramel:
125 grams butter
1/2 cup sugar
-For the pastry:
250 grams flour
125 grams butter
2-3 tbsp water
1 egg 

Caramelize butter and sugar until golden brown

Instructions:

-Start by making the pastry: cut up the butter into small cubes and combine with the flour.  With your fingers squish the butter with the flour until it becomes like breadcrumbs.  Mix in the egg and water.  Once the pastry becomes soft, but not sticky, cover with saran wrap and stick in the refrigerator.

Poke holes in the pastry and seal the edges

-Peel the apples, cut into quarters, take out the core and cut each quarter into 2-3 large slices.

-Make the caramel: In a skillet, on medium heat, mix together the butter and sugar.  Mix for a few minutes until golden brown.  Do not over cook!

-In a cake pan, pour in the caramel.  Then arrange the apple slices in a circular pattern (place apples cut-side up).

Love the sticky caramel dripping over the apples and pastry!

-Take the pastry out of the frig and roll out the dough.

-Place the rolled pastry over the apples and seal the edges.  With a knife or fork, poke holes in the pastry.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

-Once baked, place a plate over the cake pan and flip over carefully.

-Best served warm.  Goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.  Bon appetit!

Eggplant Parmesan



Look at the mozza cheese ooze out!  Yum!

Love this vegetarian dish, especially with the fresh mozzarella cheese that becomes really gooey, once cooked.  You can make your own tomato sauce, however if you are pressed for time, buy a large jar of good quality sauce.  Top off this dish with fresh basil and serve with a garden salad and garlic bread, makes for a complete and delicious meal!

Thinly slice the eggplants.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
-2 eggplants
-1 cup flour
-5 eggs
-2 cups bread crumbs
-Olive oil
-Salt & pepper
-3 large fresh mozzarella balls
-1 cup of parmesan cheese
-1 large jar of tomato sauce

Fry up until golden and crispy.

Instructions:

-Slice eggplants width wise (round slices)

-One eggplant slice at a time, cover with flour, dip in mixed egg and coat evenly with bread crumbs. 

-Heat up frying pan with olive oil on medium to high heat.  Fry each slice on each side, until crispy and golden.

-Thinly slice up mozza cheese and grate the parmesan cheese.

Love fresh mozza cheese!  I use the cooked eggplant slices
as the last layer so the cheese does not burn in the oven.

-In a baking dish, spread the bottom with tomato sauce.  Place cooked eggplant slices as the first layer.  Season layer with salt & pepper and cover with tomato sauce.  Place mozza slices on top and sprinkle with parm cheese.  Repeat these steps until all ingredients are used.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for about 30-40 minutes or until tomato sauce is bubbling (be sure the cheese does not burn!).

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This cake only needs 3 ingredients, which does not include flour!  I like this type of minimalist baking, using just the bare necessities.  My friend and I have birthdays 2 days apart, so I baked this cake to celebrate our joyeux anniversaire.  Nothing like a chocolate cake to ease the pain of ageing.     

Ingredients:
-450 grams of your favourite chocolate
-145 grams butter
-5 large eggs

Use 2 different sized pots

Instructions:

-Butter the cake pan, line with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.

-You need 2 different sized pots.  Simmer water in the larger pot and and place the chocolate and butter in the smaller pot.  Place smaller pot in the simmering water of the larger pot and mix while everything is melting together.

Carefully fold the egg white into the chocolate

-Once everything is melted and well mixed, set aside to cool.

-Separate the egg whites from the yolk.  Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff (looks like a fluffy cloud). 

-Mix the egg yolks and combine to the cooled chocolate mixture. 

Line baking pan with parchment paper.
Easier to take out the cake after baking.

-Add bit by bit the egg white mixture to the chocolate mixture.  Do not mix!  Fold the egg whites into the chocolate very delicately.  Try not to deflate the mixture.

-Once all of the egg white has disappeared into the chocolate mixture, place everything into the lined baking pan.

-Bake at 190 degrees C for 30 minutes.

Optional:

-Once the cake is cooled, place in the refrigerator and serve after a couple of hours.

-Sprinkle with icing sugar, decorate with strawberries or raspberries and top off with whipping cream.

-Serve with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Yippee, mussel season is here!  The best tasting mussels are Moules de Bouchot from Mont Saint Michel, which is from Normandy, France.  In France, we eat mussels with French fries (moules frites).  It is an awesome combination, which actually originated in Belgium.  Mussels are super easy to make, the only long part is cleaning the little buggers!

Ingredients:
(Serves 2 -approximately 500 grams per person)
-1 kg mussels
-1/2 cup white wine
-Handful of parsley
-3 large garlic cloves
-2 tablespoon butter

Instructions:

-Chop up the parsley and mince the garlic.

-Clean the mussels (recruit your husband for this task).  Start by using a knife and scrap off the bumps of each mussel.  Soak all the mussels in water and rinse.  Soak and rinse 2-3 times to ensure it's clean and any excess sand is removed.

-Place the mussels in a large pot over medium heat with a lid. Shake the pot from time to time. The mussels will start to open up. 

-After 5 minutes add  the white wine, garlic, parsley and butter.  Keep shaking the pot from time to time.  Mussels are finished cooking once all of them are opened up (approximately an extra 10 minutes). 

-If there are any mussels that are not opened, do not eat!

-Serve warm with a side of French fries or a crusty baguette.

Banana Berry Smoothie

I don't get enough calcium in my diet, as I don't like milk, yogurt, etc.  I'm a bit like a kid, you need to hide certain ingredients I don't like in a recipe, so that I won't know the difference.  I've used banana and berries for this smoothie, however you can use any of your favourite fruits. 

Ingredients:
(Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups)
-8 ice cubes
-1 small yogurt container (125 grams)
-6 tablespoons of frozen assorted berries
-1 banana

Instructions:

-In a blender, combine the ice cubes, yogurt, berries and banana.

-Blend until you get a consistent mixture.

-Serve immediately.

Tomato Cucumber Couscous Salad

This is a refreshing and easy salad.  Furthermore, it is a welcome addition to a summer barbecue, as it goes well with any type of meat.  Make this recipe your own and adapt according to your personal taste by adding raisins, olives, fresh mint or even feta cheese.  A lot of different options for this delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

-2 cups cooked couscous grains
-3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
-3/4 cup diced cucumber
-1 finely chopped garlic clove
-Handful of chopped parsley and basil
-4 tbsp olive oil
-4 tbsp lemon juice
-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-Salt & pepper

Instructions:

-In a bowl, combine and mix the couscous grain, tomato, cucumber, garlic and herbs.
-For the sauce, combine and mix in a small bowl, olive oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.  Taste and adjust according to your personal taste.
-Add sauce to the salad and season with salt and pepper.
-Keep in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Chicken Stir-fry with Hoisin Sauce

Love stir-fry, but finding the right sauce has always been my problem, however this hoisin sauce seems to do the trick.  I've made this recipe extremely simple, as I don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen (I like to spend more time eating than cooking).  You can always add minced ginger, chilli paste and any other favourite veggies such as mushrooms, snow peas, carrots, etc.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
-1 chicken breast
-1/2 red bell pepper
-1/2 cup broccoli
-1/3 cup zucchini
-2 garlic cloves
-pepper
-4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
-2 teaspoons soy sauce
-Dash of sesame oil
-1 tablespoon of oil for frying

Instructions:

-Chop chicken breast, broccoli and zucchini into bite size pieces. Julienne red bell pepper.  Mince garlic cloves.

-For the sauce, combine and mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil.  Add a little water if the sauce is too strong (taste and adjust).

-In a large wok or frying pan, heat up the oil on high heat.  Add garlic and stir often.

-Add chicken and stir often for a few minutes.

-Add the vegetables, stir often.  Season everything with pepper.

-Once everything has been cooked, add sauce and stir well.

-Serve over rice.

Crispy Zucchini Sticks

It's that time of year again, zucchini season!  My mother-in-law has planted a bunch, so I get frequent zucchini deliveries.  No complaints here, however I do need to find creative ways to cook them, otherwise we will get zucchini overload.  This is a simple and tasty way to eat zucchinis.  Rather than deep frying, baking is another alternative.

Ingredients:

-2 zucchinis
-1/3 cup flour
-1 cup panko breadcrumbs
-2 eggs
-Salt & pepper
-Oil for deep frying

Instructions:

-Cut up zucchini into sticks (about 3 inches in length).

-Season the zucchini sticks with salt and pepper.

-Toss zucchini sticks in flour.

-Dip zucchini sticks in egg.

-Coat zucchini sticks in the breadcrumbs.

-Deep fry on medium to high heat until golden brown.

Optional:

-Dip zucchini sticks in ranch dressing, marinara sauce or mayo mixture (6 tablespoons mayonnaise, 3 teaspoons lemon juice, 1-1/2 teaspoons wasabi paste).

Shelly's Garden: Shopping in My Own Backyard

La vie est belle dans notre jardin!  I don't have a green thumb, however due to the hot summers and mild winters in the south of France, plants, trees, shrubs, etc. have a way of growing on its own.  The previous owner of our home planted a lot of stuff, so we are lucky to find wonderful surprises from our humble little garden.  Not only do we get fresh items from the garden, but it's all organic and chemical free - hallelujah! - we've got enough pollution and junk in this world. 

Orange tree in December

Basket full of oranges in February

Cherry Tomatoes - planted by yours truly!

Bowl full of cherry tomatoes - yummy!

Our sky high prune tree in July

Prunes, healthy version of sweet & sour candy!

Apricot tree, which did not produce much this year :-(

Apricots from last year :-)

Wild grapevine growing on its own

Grapes, ready to eat in September

My herb garden with basil, rosemary, parsley and coriander