Apple Tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 ¼ cups flour (150 g)
1 tbsp sugar (12 g)
¼ tsp salt (1.5 g)
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed (120 g)
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp ice water (30 ml)
For the compote:
3 gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 tbsp sugar (25 g)
¼ cup of apple juice (60 ml)
¼ cup of water (60 ml)
1/8 tsp of cinnamon (2 g)
zest of 1 lemon
For the topping:
2 gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8 " thin
½ tsp of sugar (2 g)
2 tbsp apricot (or other) jam, heated until liquefied (30 ml)
juice of ½ a lemon
Instructions:
In a bowl of a food processor combine flour, salt and sugar and pulse until combined. And butter cubes a few at a time, pulsing quickly until dough resembles a coarse meal. Beat egg together with water. Add egg mixture, slowly, pulsing just until dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a ball and then pat down into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or pop in the freezer for 10)
Meanwhile, place apple chunks, juice, water cinnamon and zest in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil and let cook for 10 mins.
Simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is evaporated. Mask apples into a paste with a fork. Allow to cool completely, it will thicken as it cools.
Roll out dough onto a floured surface and fit into a 9" tart pan. Spread a single layer of compote on the bottom, and place in freezer while you prep your apples.
Peel, core and slice apples very thin, about 1/8 " thick. Place in bowl and squeeze with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Remove tart from the freezer. When you are placing the apples the idea is to create an escargot pattern. Starting from the outside and working your way into the center. Layer each apple, cut side down, one slightly overlapping the other, making your way all around the tart until you reach the center.

Bake at 400F (200 c) for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350F (175 c) and bake for 20 more minutes, or until golden brown. Then place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes just until the apples begin to get lightly charred.

Place the jam in the microwave and heat on high for 15 secs or until melted. Brush tart with jam to create a nice shine.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

Pot au feu

Ingredients:

1 lb. Tender beef shoulder or brisket

(4 pieces of oxtail, cut 1½ inches thick)

6 beef short ribs

(1 veal shank, on the bone)

2 onions

4 leeks, white part only

2 small celery roots, cut into quarters

4 carrots, cut into 4-inch lengths

4 turnips, cut in half

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half

Bouquet garni*

Salt and pepper

Lovage for decoration.

Instructions:

In a huge pot, combine the beef, oxtail, short ribs, and veal shank, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Push 2 cloves into each onion and add the onions to the pot and bouquet garni. Bring the pot to a slow simmer, gradually, and let cook over medium-low heat for around 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Skim the cooking liquid with a ladle periodically to remove scum and foam. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the meat from the broth and discard the trussing strings.

Carefully remove the vegetables from the broth, place them on a large serving platter, and moisten with some broth. Cover and keep warm. Separate the broth in two pots. Return in the biggest one the meal with onions and add the celery roots, carrots and the turnips. Cook for an additional hour. 40 minutes after that add the leeks. In the smaller pot with broth add the potatoes and cook, until soft.

Arrange the oxtails, the meats and the vegetables on the serving platter and spoon some of the cooking liquid over and around it. Serve the rest of the liquid in a soup terrine. You can offer to your friends the meats and vegetables with some homemade mayonnaise and some cornichons. Or, alternatively, you can arrange the meats uncarved, with the vegetables around them, swimming in broth in a big, beautiful pile in a deep serving platter. Decorate with some lovage.

Notes:

A bouquet garni generally consists of 1 spring of celery leaves, 1 sprig of flat parsley, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf, tied with a string and used for flavoring.

Snow-White Salad

For my dear friend Sindhu :)

Ingredients: 

1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped

2 cups strained Greek yogurt

1-2 garlic cloves, mashed

Olive oil

Dill, finely chopped

Salt

Olives (and 1/3 cup crushed walnuts) for decoration

Preparation:
Wash, peel and finely dice the cucumbers. Add mashed garlic cloves, salt, dill and the strained yoghurt. Drizzle with some olive oil. Stir the mixture, pour into a plate or a small bowl and garnish with olives and crushed walnuts.

Banana Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup White flour

1 cup Pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup milk
2 eggs
¾ cup light brown sugar
3-4 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt. In a large bowl cream together coconut oil and sugar. Add the eggs. Stir in mashed bananas, vanilla extract, cinnamon and milk. Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time, until just combined. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. 

Cool completely on wire rack.

Light Summer Fish Soup

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons butter                                                   

¾ cup milk

½ cup heavy cream

4 ½ cups fish broth

2 tablespoons flour

1 sliced onion

1 minced garlic clove

½ fennel bulb, sliced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 diced potatoes

0,50 lbs. cut salmon

0.50 lbs. cut cod

Dill
Salt, pepper

Lovage

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, garlic, and the fennel until onions are tender. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the flour. Reduce the heat, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and dill. Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in salmon and cod. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Pour the milk and heavy cream. Add the dill. Cook until heated through. Decorate with some freshly chopped lovage. Serve with some croutons. 

Vegetarian Quiche

Ingredients for the crust:

1 cup All-Purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup of ice water

Directions:

Mix flour and salt with fork. Beat oil and water whisk or fork to thicken. Pour into flour and mix with fork. Press into 9’’ pie pan.

Ingredients for the filling:

3 eggs

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup Bulgarian cheese (or Feta cheese), grated

1 garlic clove minced

4-5 sliced mushrooms

1 cup grated zucchini

½ cup grated carrots

2-3 teaspoons olive oil

Salt, pepper and mint

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (or 180 degrees C). Line pie pan with piecrust. Bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes. After that remove from oven. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, stir in the onion, mushrooms, grated zucchini, carrots and Feta cheese. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and mint. Pour mixture into hot crust. Bake the quiche at 380 degrees F for 45 minutes. The quiche is done when knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Raw Mushrooms Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups Red Leaf lettuce, washed and dried
1 cup cucumbers, cut into cubes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/3 raw field mushrooms, cut into thin slivers
1/3 cup red onion (or green spring onions), cut into thin slivers
1/3 cup Kalamata olives
Dill
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar

Instructions:
Cut the Red Leaf lettuce into slivers. Cut up cucumbers and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and thinly slice red onion and mushrooms. In large salad bowl toss together lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms with about olive oil and vinegar. Add the olives and toss again. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with the finely chopped dill.

Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients:

1 head (1 3/4 pounds) cauliflower

3 potatoes

1 cup water or vegetable stock, preferably homemade

2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Coarse salt, freshly ground pepper and some nutmeg

Cooking instructions:

Chop the cauliflower and the potatoes in cubes. Boil the water/vegetable stock with a pinch of salt, but not too much because the idea is to steam the vegetables. Put the vegetables in the boiling water. Cover the pot with the cover. After 10-12 minutes they’ll be ready. Drain the water. Put the vegetables in a blender. Add some butter, milk and/or heavy cream. Mix it well – the texture has to be very soft and silky. Add some more salt, pepper and the secret ingredient – a pinch of nutmeg. Put the mixture on the warm stove for 1-2 minutes and if it necessarily – add some more butter. Bon appétit!  

  

Raw Prune Coconut Bonbons

For my precious friend Rebecca :)

 

Ingredients for 30 tablespoon-sized bonbons:

½ cup chopped pitted prunes (or dates)

½ cup raisins

½ cup walnuts

½  teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon honey

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Pinch of lemon zest

1/4 cup coconut oil, preferably unrefined

Instructions:

Put the prunes (dates) and raisins in the blender. Add the walnuts too. Blend the dry fruits, walnuts, and the half of unsweetened shredded coconut. The mixture should be chunky. Meanwhile warm the coconut oil in a small bowl until the coconut oil is liquid. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, honey, and cocoa oil. Combine all the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or more, until the mixture is consistent. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls. The heat from your hands may slightly melt the surface of the balls, but the entire ball should not melt. If the rolling is too messy, the bonbon mixture may need more chilling time. Return the bonbon mixture to the refrigerator for 5 or 10 minutes more and then try rolling again. Place the bonbons onto a pan or sheet of parchment paper. Refrigerate for a few minutes to firm up the bonbons if desired. Roll or gently press the bonbons in unsweetened shredded coconut. Can be served chilled or at room temperature. Store in a box in the refrigerator.

Shrimp Avocado Verrine

Ingredients:

2 avocados

300 g of fresh prawns, peeled

1 lime

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

2 pinches cumin

Dill

Cooking instructions:

Start by boiling the prawns. Chop the prawns quite chunky, but leave a handful aside for decoration. Put the chopped prawns in a bowl. Chopped the onion finely and stir with the diced avocados. Add the olive oil and lime juice. Next add some salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Mix all the ingredients. Pour the mixture into cocktail glasses. Decorate with some prawns and finely chopped dill.