Banana Chocolate Triangles

The combination of bananas, chocolate and whipping cream makes for a great end of meal dessert!  Not a light dessert, but definitely a delicious one!  These triangles can be prepared in advance and baked right before serving.

Ingredients:
(makes 8 triangles)
-2 bananas
-2-1/2 tablespoons white rum
-2 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons sugar
-16 small chocolate squares
-4 feuilles de brick (I think it's called phyllo pastry in English or use spring roll wrappers).

Instructions:
-Peel the bananas and slice.
-On medium heat melt butter in a fry pan and eventually add the bananas.  Stir often.  Sprinkle the sugar on top and mix well.
-Once the bananas are mush like (approximate 5  minutes) add the rum and let it absorb into the banana mixture.
-Once the rum has absorbed into the banana mixture, let it cool, before making the triangles.
-Follow photo instructions below to make the triangles.  Do not over stuff!
-Bake triangles in the oven at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes or until the exterior is golden and crusty.
-Serve immediately and warm.

Optional:
-Goes great with a scoop of vanilla icecream.
-Decorate with whipping cream and chocolate.

1.  Cut in half.

2. Place the round edge down.

3. Place the mixture (about 1 tbsp) +
2 chocolate squares near top corner.

4. Take the bottom of the pastry and
fold up towards the banana mix.

5. Take the top right corner and fold
down.  This makes a mini-triangle.

6. Take the bottom right corner and fold up
to the top line, making a big triangle.





7. Take the top right corner and fold to the
bottom line, keeping the triangle shape.

8. Take the bottom right corner and fold to
the top line, keeping the triangle shape.



9. With the leftover pastry bit,
tuck into the fold.



Baked Chicken with Prunes and Olives

Opposites definitely attract as the sweet taste of the prunes combined with the salty olives is absolutely delicious!  I like to serve this dish on a bed of couscous, otherwise it can also be eaten with steamed rice or roasted potatoes. 

Ingredients:
-4 to 6 pieces of chicken thighs/legs
-1 lemon, quartered
-1 cup pitted prunes
-1 cup pitted green olives
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-3 tablespoons apple or red wine vinegar
-3 cloves of minced garlic
-Salt & pepper

Instructions:

-In a baking dish, toss together all of the ingredients.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for about 50 minutes.

-After baking, squeeze the juice of the cooked lemon into the dripping sauce and throw away the lemon skin.

-Serve on a bed of couscous along with the dripping sauce.

Meatballs in a Sweet Asian Sauce

These meatballs make for great finger food or it can also be eaten as a main meal.  If you use this dish as a finger food, the sauce is quite sticky, so make the meatballs bite size so you can fit the whole thing in the mouth in one shot, otherwise you can have a big mess on your hands.  Can be eaten warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients:
(makes approximately 20 meatballs)
-350 grams of ground beef
-1/2 cup of bread crumbs
-1 finely chopped onion
-1/3 cup of milk
-2 eggs
-3 finely minced garlic cloves
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1/3 cup honey
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1 tablespoon of white and black sesame seeds

Instructions:

-Combine and mix together the meat, bread crumbs, onion, milk and eggs.

-Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet.

-Bake for 12-15 minutes at 210 degrees C.

-Place olive oil and garlic in a fry pan and saute until garlic is soft.

-Add the ketchup, honey and soy sauce.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

-Add meatballs to the sauce and mix well.

-Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Optional:

-Stick a toothpick in each meatball if serving as a finger food.

-Serve with rice if eaten as the main meal.

Vegetable Rolls

This is a fun way to eat veggies and can serve as an appetizer or side dish.  Use any of your favourite legumes for this recipe.  For the wrapper, in French, it's called feuilles de brick.  In English, I think it's called phyllo pastry.  Otherwise, use spring roll wrappers. 

Ingredients:
(Makes 5 rolls)
-2 carrots
-1 zucchini
-1 onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-1/2 red pepper
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-5 feuilles de brick (phyllo pastry or spring roll wrappers)

1. Place veggie mixture on the wrapper

2.  Fold up the wrapper

3. Fold the edges in

4. Roll the wrapper

Instructions:

-Julienne the carrots, zucchini & red pepper.

-Chop up the onion and finely mince the garlic.

-Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft.

-Add the rest of the veggies and saute for approximately 5 minutes. 

-Do not overcook.  I like my veggies a bit on the crunchy side.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Let the veggie mixture cool off before rolling.

-Place about a 1-1/2 spoonful of the mixture on the pastry and follow the photo instructions above.

-Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or pan fry in oil for about 3 minutes on each side

until golden brown.

-Goes great with sweet chilli sauce.

Chicken Ragu

This is my favourite one pot recipe.  It's so tasty, simple and great for dinner parties as you can prepare it in advance and warm it up right before serving, so you're not spending all your time in the kitchen while the party is going on. 

Ingredients:
(Serves 4-6)
-6 chicken thighs
-1 large carrot
-1 onion
-2 celery sticks
-1 red pepper
-1/2 cup of pitted green olives
-1/2 cup of red wine + 3 cups of water
-1 small can of tomato paste (70g)
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions:

-Chop up the carrot, onion and celery.  Chop up the green olives in half. Chop the red pepper into thin slices.

-Cut off any excess skin on the chicken and season each side with salt and pepper. 
-On high heat, brown the chicken on each side with olive oil. Take out the chicken and saute the carrot, celery, red pepper and onion until soft (around 5-7 minutes) on medium heat.

-Add the tomato paste to the veggies and stir on medium heat for a few minutes.

-Add the red wine and let it evaporate for a few minutes, while stirring.

-Place the chicken back with the veggies and add the 3 cups of water.  Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
-Season with salt & pepper.

-I've served this chicken on a bed of couscous.  It can also be served with pasta or rice.

Baked Camembert

This is another recipe from Jamie Oliver's collection.  This baked Camembert can be served as an appetizer or main dish.  Personally, I like treating this meal like a fondue - dipping a warm crusty baguette in the gooey cheese with a side of salad and a glass of white wine.  Alternatively, the melted cheese can be dumped on a pile of pasta.  Many great ways to eat this cheese.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
-1 round Camembert (250 grams)
-2 cloves of chopped garlic
-1 sprig of rosemary
-Pepper
-Olive oil

Instructions:

-Cut the top of the Camembert off.

-Place cheese back into the wooden box that it came in.

-On top of the cheese, sprinkle with the chopped garlic, pepper and rosemary.

-Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

-Place the cheese in the wooden box on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 185 degrees C.

Salade Nicoise: A Taste of the French Riviera

If you ever visit the south of France, you need to order a salade nicoise at a restaurant along the beach (preferably in Nice).  This French salad has so many different flavours that compliment one another and makes for a very healthy and hearty meal.  Otherwise, making this salad is quite simple.  Goes great with a crusty baguette.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
-Butter lettuce
-Radish
-Tomatoes
-Red or green pepper
-Canned corn
-Black olives
-2 eggs
-1 small can of tuna (150 grams)
-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
-Salt & pepper

Instructions:

-Wash all veggies and chop into bite size pieces (except for the lettuce).
-Boil eggs for 9 minutes.  Place under cold water and peel the shell.  Chop up into quarters.

-On a large serving platter, place lettuce, red peppers, radish, corn, black olives, tomatoes and eggs.  Top off the salad with the tuna.

-For the mustard vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt & pepper. 

-Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.

Optional:

-Add anchovies, green beans or boiled potatoes. There are many interpretations of this salad, so add your favourite ingredients and make it your own.

Salmon En Croute

This dish is based on Jamie Oliver's salmon en croute recipe.  I love the combination of flavours and colours - salmon, tapenade (crushed black olives), tomato and mozza cheese all wrapped up in pastry. 

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
-310 grams of salmon fillet, bones removed
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-Pepper
-1 tablespoon of tapenade paste
-1/2 tomatoes, sliced
-60 grams mozzarella cheese ball, cut into small pieces
-1 puff pastry

Instructions:

-Place salmon on puff pastry.

-Season with pepper and drizzle olive oil on top of the salmon.

-Spread the tapenade paste on top of the salmon.

-Add the mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.

-Gather up the sides of the pastry, around the salmon.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes.

Optional:

-Goes great with a side salad.

-If you can not find tapenade paste, use pesto sauce.

Zucchini Gratin

I am a huge fan of gratin.  A dish that is topped off with a golden crust is always a winner.  Use any type of grated cheese for this recipe and rather than grating the zucchini, like I did for this recipe, you can chop them up into any shape you prefer (round slices, half moons, etc.). 

Ingredients:
(serves 3)
-3 large zucchinis
-1 large onion
-3/4 cup creme fraiche
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
-1/3 cup bread crumbs

Instructions:

-Peel and chop up onion.

-Grate the zucchinis.

-Sauté the onion in olive oil for 4 minutes or until soft.

-Add zucchini and sauté for another 4 minutes or until tender.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Put cooked zucchini and onion in a sifter and drain the excess liquid.

-Place everything in a bake dish and add the creme fraiche.

-Top with shredded Swiss cheese and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

-Bake in the oven, on the bottom level, at 200 degrees C for 45 minutes.

Fried Rice

If you have left over rice and don't like eating it cold the solution is to make fried rice.  It's a simple recipe and you can add any type of veggies you like.  Be sure to use cold rice for this recipe and the measurement for the sauce can be adapted according to your personal taste.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)
-2 carrots
-1 cup of frozen peas
-2 eggs
-4 cups of cooked white rice (be sure it's cold)
-6 tablespoons of soy sauce
-3 tablespoons of nuoc mam (fish sauce)
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions:

-Peel and shred carrots. 

-Mix eggs in a bowl.

-In a fry pan, on medium heat, add vegetable oil and eggs.  Stir the egg constantly, so it becomes like scrambled eggs. 

-Add carrots and peas and stir everything together well for 5 minutes.

-Add rice, soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame seeds.

-Mix all the ingredients and sauté on medium heat for about another 5 minutes. 

  

Stewed Red Peppers

Stewed red peppers is a great side dish that goes well with everything like fish, chicken,beef, etc. Otherwise, it can stand on its own, eaten with a crusty baguette or used as a sauce for pasta. 

Ingredients:
(Serves 3-4)
-2 red peppers
-1 onion
-3 cloves of garlic
-1 can of chopped tomatoes (400 grams)
-Salt, pepper & herbes de provence
-1 tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions:

-Chop red peppers into thin slices, chop up the onions and mince the garlic.

-On medium heat sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes.

-Add red peppers and sauté everything together for about 7 minutes until the peppers are relatively soft.

-While ingredients are cooking, add salt, pepper and herbes de provence (taste as you cook and add as much as you wish, according to your personal taste).

-Add the can of chopped tomatoes, mix all the ingredients well and let it simmer for about 20 minutes with a lid on top.

Sea Bass Baked in Parchment Paper

I don't feel comfortable cooking fish, however this recipe is a no brainer and a healthy alternative.  I haven't put the exact measurements for the cumin powder, salt, pepper and olive oil, as you can use according to your own discretion.  I usually eat this particular sea bass with stewed red peppers.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
-350 grams of sea bass
-1 lemon (sliced)
-Cumin powder
-Salt & pepper
-Olive oil

Instructions:

-On each side of the fish drizzle with olive oil and season with cumin powder, salt and pepper.

-Place lemon slices on top of the fish.

-Place fish in parchment paper and seal.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes and serve warm.