Nini's Easy Recipes

Vegan Tostada

2011-11-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

VEGAN TOSTADAS
4 Lentil crisps, Fresh-baked
1 cup Alfalfa srpouts, or broccoli sprouts
½ avocado, mashed
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
⅛ tsp. salt
pepper, or cholula hot sauce

Servings/Yield: 2 servings | 4 tostadas

Difficulty:

1.Place 2 crisps on each plate:

2.Layer on top: mashed avocado, salt, sprouts, tomatoes

3.sprinkle: with cracked pepper and/or hot sauce

Source

Marie Dufour Rd

Categories

Cuisine

Latin American

Lentil Crisps

2011-11-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Lentil crisps

1cups lentil sprouts, 4-day sprouts
¼ cup almonds, 1 day soaked, peeled
¼ cup hazelnuts, 1 day soaked, peeled
½ cup garbanzo beans, cooked, canned
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1.5 tbsp. Olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1.5 tbsp. Rice milk
½ teaspoons chili powder

Servings/Yield: 2 servings | 4 crisps

Rating:

Difficulty:

1.Preparation: Pour all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Grind until you get a thick paste.

2.Spread onto a cookie sheet into a 2mm thickness. Press a round biscuit cutter (or inverted class or cup) to make 4 discs.:

3.Bake : Bake in the oven at 250 for an hour. Turn the oven off. Let cool in the oven. Save in a hermetic container.

Source

Marie Dufour Rd

Categories

Cuisine

European : Mediterranean

2011-11-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

Shrimp Belize

12 Shrimp, skin on
2 teaspoons ginger, Chopped
1 cloves, garlic, chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 green onions, chopped
1.5 oz. white rum, (1 shot)
salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 tablespoon Seasame seeds

Servings/Yield: 2 servings | 12 shrimps

1.In a skillet: heat up olive oil, saute ginger and garlic.

2.Add shrimp: and saute on both sides. Add tomatoes, cook 3 min.

3.Pour rum and flambe.: Add chopped scallions.

4.Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with sesame seeds.:

Source

Marie Dufour Rd

Cuisine

Latin American

2010-06-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2010 -
Marajo Island, Brazil

I first taste a "Salade Chouchoute" in the Seychelles. The sweetness of the coconut milk paired with the acidity of the lime juice gives the rather bland chayote an interesting aspect. Blanching (boiling for 1 minute) the chayote removes the unpleasant starchy taste. Paired with a mango, this makes a very refreshing vegetarian salad.

1 chayote
1 mango
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

Peel the chayote and grate it.

Bring 1 quart of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the chayote for 1 minute. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Let cool in the refrigerator.

Peel a mango and slice it. Refrigerate.

Prepare the dressing: mix together the coconut milk, olive oil and lime juice. Add salt an pepper to taste. Toss the chayote in.

Dress 2 plates, each with 1/2 a mango, fanned, and 1/2 of the chayote salad.

Categories:

30 Minute, Basic, High Fiber, Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol, Salads, Simple

Keywords:

Chayote, chouchoute, salad, mango

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 176

Total Fat: 9.90g
Cholesterol: --
Sodium: 5mg
Total Carbs: 23.23g
Dietary Fiber: 3.62g
Sugars: 17.13g
Protein: 1.69g

Fish Rillettes

2010-06-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

We have been lucky on board DOMINO and have caught a lot of fish: yellow fin tuna, skipjack, dorado. We also find ourselves hosting "happy hour" on the aft deck. A refreshing appetizer is this fish rillette that we spread on crackers or on DOMINO bread. The rillettes will keep in the refrigerator 2 to 3 weeks. I haven't frozen any yet, but I think it's worth a try.
Keep in mind that 1 pound of fish will give you enough to make appetizers for 20 guests!

500 grams fish
1 onion
1 clove clove
2 cloves garlic
1 leaf bay leaf
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoons tomato paste
100 grams cheavy cream
100 milliliters coconut milk
¼ teaspoon saffron
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon piment d'Espelette
½ teaspoon wasabi
1 teaspoon ground ginger

In a large pot, boil 2 liters of water with the onion stabbed with the clove, garlic, bay leaf, lime juice and tomato paste. Bring to a rolling boil. Add the fish. Bring back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Let cool in the broth. Clean the fish of all remaining skin and bones.

In a large bowl, place the pieces of fish, well separated by hand. Add the cream, coconut milk, wasabi, saffron, ginger, salt and pepper. Grossly mix all the ingredients with a plunger-mixer or food processor. Take care to keep some texture to the mix. Avoid over-mixing. Adjust salt, pepper and coconut milk to taste.

Place in a container and refrigerate for 12 hours before serving.

Notes:

NOTE TO THE FISHERMAN --- I usually keep the best of the fish to grill or freeze. I'm always left with odd pieces: tail ends or raggedy head ends. If the day has been good, I'm likely to have a variety of fish: white or red tuna, wahoo, Cero, or dorado. I throw all the odd pieces in the broth, skin, bones and all and let them boil for 10 minutes. All I have to do then is retrieve the flesh and add the cream and seasonings. It's no problem to mix fish!

Categories:

Fish, Simple

Keywords:

fish, rillettes, pate appetizer

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 20

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 54

Total Fat: 2.46g
Cholesterol: 15mg
Sodium: 361mg
Total Carbs: 1.78g
Dietary Fiber: 0.41g
Sugars: 0.42g
Protein: 6.23g

GAZPACHO DOMINO

2010-06-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2010

Marajo Island, the Amazon

Brazil

THIS IS IT! We have reached the EQUATOR on board DOMINO. After 5 months of living aboard and traveling, I'm ready to write new recipes. Fish, shrimp, refreshing and cool recipes... the DOMINO Recipe Cards are coming to you.... Enjoy!

GAZPACHO

Living in hot climates and on board a ship, I wanted to have an easy recipe to make, to store and to serve. Gazpacho is a refreshing appetizer. Healthy fibers too!

1 white onion, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
1 red belle pepper, chopped
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon saffron
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Put all the ingredients in a blender. Turn blender on high until well mixed. The texture should be soupy but not too liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Serve cold.

Gazpacho can keep in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. It is better on the 2nd day, when all the flavors have mixed. It's not very suitable for freezing: the texture gets compromised.

Categories:

High Fiber, Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol, Simple, Soups, Vegetarian

Keywords:

tomato, cold soup, summer soup

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 6

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 109

Total Fat: 4.60g
Cholesterol: --
Sodium: 124mg
Total Carbs: 15.86g
Dietary Fiber: 3.59g
Sugars: 9.04g
Protein: 2.58g

Until next meal
Domino Nini

Baked Bananas

2009-09-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - What to do with ovre-ripen bananas? Flambé or baked, of course. Although we love "bananes flambées" the butter and sugar content has been scary to me for a number of years. So, I switch to another one of the recipes I learned in Tahiti: baked bananas. Very simple and kids love eating the "Bananas in a Blanket." As for the adults, if they miss their pyrotechnics, they can flambe after the kids are served.

Ingredients: (for 6 people)

- 12 small ripe bananas

- 2 Tblsp. raw sugar

- 1 Tblsp. rum

- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Production:

Heat up the oven at 375F - Peel only ONE strip of each banana, on the inner (small) side. Place the bananas on an oven tray. Sprinkle the exposed banana flesh with the sugar, and drip the vanilla and rum on top. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the banana, until soft.

- For the kids: wait until slightly cooled down, scoop the syrup at the bottom of the tray and pour over the exposed flesh. Serve.

- For the adults: pour another 2 Tblsp. of rum over the bananas and flambé, scooping the sauce with a serving spoon and pouring over the banana flesh. You should be getting a nice golden caramel.

Serve. No need for vanilla ice cream, guys. This is rich enough as it is.

Variante: I add fresh passion fruit juice to the rum-vanilla mix: Cut a passion fruit in 2, scoop the inside and press through a tea strainer to get the juice.

Nutrition Facts (tomorrow, my new computer and I can re-install the program!)

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Ten-Minute Salad

2009-09-28T05:36:00.001-07:00

Paraguay - Does it seem to you that I have a tendency to cook with the same ingredients over and over again?

Sure! and there are several reasons for that.

The food choices are rather restricted around here: virtually no fish, no lamb, no turkey, and a limited choice of fruit and vegetables. All fresh and in season, however.
I've simplified the pantry: this makes shopping easier and cheaper with small shopping lists and bulk buying.
To demonstrate that you can come up with a great variety of dishes using only a few ingredients.
Time consideration is part of a healthy cooking strategy. I only have on hand things that cook quickly. After all, this is Nini's EASY recipe website, no?

Today, a quick salad for lunch, using the staples I almost always have around: lettuce, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, and some protein food (canned fish, roasted meat, hard boiled eggs, beans). Always lots of variety in texture and color to be pleasing to the eye and satisfying to the belly (yes, we eat with the eyes too!) - TEN MINUTES is all you need...

Ingredients: (for 2 people)

- 1 carrot

- 1/2 head small red cabbage

- 1 tablespoon vinegar, heated

- 2 Roma tomatoes

- 1/2 head lettuce

- 1/2 cup hummus or beans (black, white, red....)

- 1 stem green onion

- 6 oz of roasted pork loin (or canned tuna, or 4 hard boiled egg whites)

- 2 tablespoon home-made vinaigrette (1Tbsp. vinegar, 3 tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper)

Production:

Peel and grate the carrot; wash and slice the cabbage, pour the heated vinegar on top (the cabbage will become bright purple); wash and slice the tomatoes; wash the lettuce leaves; slice the roast;

Arrange it all on a serving platter. Sprinkle veggies with vinaigrette and scallions.

DONE!

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Homemade Hummus

2009-09-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Hummmm... How much are you paying for a box of hummus these days? I've left the US 3 years ago and at that time I was paying about $6.00 for a pint-size container. Ridiculously expensive! Sure, it's great stuff, healthy and all, and I love to have hummus-dipped veggies while chatting with JP over a drink (or green tea) at the end of the day. In fact, I've been known to have hummus for breakfast, or to use it to line the bottom of a pizza or onion tart (that's really yummy!). But paying that much money for something I can fix for 50 cents, forget it!

So, here is my basic recipe for homemade hummus. Usually, you're supposed to use sesame paste. And where, please, would I find this in Paraguay, uh? Forget that too, and follow my simple recipe to prepare enough hummus to last you a week. This is the basic recipe. Then, you can flavor it any way you want: the world of spices is wide open!

To cut down on cooking time, I use a pressure cooker. But you can also use a slow cooker overnight, or the regular stovetop method.

Ingredients: (yields 7 cups of hummus.... that's more than 3 times that little pint-size container!)

- One 400g package of dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

(you can also use canned garbanzo beans, but more $)

- 1 medium onion, peeled

- 1 head of garlic cloves, peeled

- 1 tsp. coriander grains

- 1/2 cup olive oil

Production:

Soak the dried chickpeas overnight. Drain them. Put them in a pot (or pressure cooker), well covered with water. Add the onion, garlic, and coriander. Boil for 20 min. with pressure cooker (1 hour on stovetop, 12 hours in slow cooker.)

Pour the chickpeas in a blender with enough liquid to blend to a thick paste. Add the olive oil and salt to taste.

Seasonings: Once you have a basic paste, you can vary the seasoning by adding the following:

- sundried tomatoes in oil

- cumin

- fresh coriander

- curry

- sesame paste and seeds

- harissa

and anything else you want to try.

COST? how do you feel about it now? Almost nothing! and you have hummus for a week... or to gift your friends!

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Baked Apples Crown

2009-09-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - I've said it often:

NO BIRTHDAY CAKE!

Actually, that ban came into effect some 20 years ago, enacted by my family physician of a husband. With a staff of about 50 women, our medical clinic was sure to have a birthday celebration every week. This meant cake, of course! Dr. JP, concerned for the health of his employees as much his wife's and his own, banned birthday cakes and soda. Good for him! Of course, we were all upset-who's-HE-to-tell-us-what-to-do sort of attitude. But, little by little, we learned to celebrate without the fat and sugar of pastries and soda. We came up with fabulous fruit salads, mini sandwiches, trifles, fruit baskets and flavored coffees. We also banned from the clinic all vendors of chips, crackers, pretzels, and even --yes, even-- Girls Scout Cookies. RADICAL? Perhaps, but the point was well made and well taken: healthcare workers need to be leaders in caring for our own health. I now look back at pictures of our staff then: wow! what a group of healthy-looking women!

One of the celebration dish is the Baked Apples Crown: looks like a cake, has individual portions, can be eaten warm or cold or very-very-cold.

Ingredients: (for 8 portions)
- 8 small apples (no bigger than a tennis ball)

- 8 teaspoons of sugar-free apricot preserve

- 8 pitted prunes

- 1 tablespoon rum

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Production:

Core the apples and place them in a baking dish. Drop a teaspoon of jam at the heart of each apple and insert a prune in the center. Bake at medium heat for 30 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven, place the apples in a serving dish. There should be a fair amount of juice left in the bottom of the dish: this is the base for your syrup.

Syrup: in a small pot, pour the baking juice, add the vanilla and the rum. Reduce on high heat until thickened but not caramelized. Pour the syrup over the apples, making sure to fill the heart of each apple. Do this slowly to give the apples time to absorb the liquid.

Nutrition Facts (for 1 apple)
Servings: 1 - Calories/serving: 80
Total Fat: 0g - Saturated: 0g - Monoinsaturated: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Grilled Ham & Watercress Lunch

2009-09-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - One of the challenges of weight loss is to overcome boredom. Here, in Paraguay, watercress is a staple. They call it Berro. It has a spicy taste, not bitter, and I use it by itself or mixed with other greens.

Yes, food boredom can derail any diet. Solutions include:

trying new foods (today: watercress)
mixing cold and hot
mixing textures
making it colorful
fixing it yourself

Today, I used a trusted classic: the grilled ham sandwich, and revived it with texture and color.

I like watercress. Growing up in the Marais Poitevin, a swampy area of France AKA "The Green Venice," watercress was on the weekly menu: in salads, soups, or added to mashed potatoes. With 4 calories per ounce, a zero glycemic load, and 1g of protein per ounce (Amino Acid Score 47), it has mild anti-inflammatory properties.

By the way, where do I get all this nutritional data from and what does it mean? Check it out at http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2718/2

Ingredients:

- 1 slice cracked wheat bread

- 2 slices boiled ham, low sodium

- 2 cups watercress

- 1 tsp. red vinegar

- 2 tsp. olive oil

- 3 slices Roma tomato

Production:
Toast the bread, spritz 1 spray of olive oil on one side. Add the ham, slice diagonally, fold.

Wash the watercress several times. Drain well. In a bowl, toss the watercress with oil and vinegar.

Mount the watercress on a colorful plate. Add the Roma tomato slices on top. Place sandwich on the side. You now have a pretty nice lunch that won't derail your diet. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

WOOHOO! 200% of your daily needs for Vit. C and Vit. A !
Servings: 1 - Calories/serving: 250
Total Fat: 13g - Saturated: 3g - Mono/Polyunsaturated: 10g
Cholesterol: 22mg
Sodium: 717mg - Calcium: 356mg - Iron: 4mg
Carbs: 18 g - Protein: 15g - Dietary fiber: 3g
Vit.C: 150mg - Folate: 25mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Apple Spinach Salad

2009-09-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Of the low-calorie, high-nutrition lunch choices, I put spinach and watercress to the top of my list.

Raw spinach score a 91 on the nutrient balance chart, zero glycemic load, and with a 119 amino acid score it's a complete protein. For only 7 calories per ounce and zero fat, it's a fabulous diet food.

Today, I added half an apple and 2 oz of chicken for a complete salad.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw baby spinach

- 1/2 apple, sliced, with skin

- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

- 2 teaspoons olive oil

- 2 oz cooked chicken breast, skinless

- 7 walnuts (optional)

No salt needed, a pinch of fleur de sel if desired

Production:

Wash and drain the spinach. In a bowl, pour the vinegar and oil over the spinach, add the walnuts if desired, toss.

Pile up the spinach on a small plate, place the sliced apple on top, and add the chicken breast.

Nutrition Facts - Waiting for my computer to get fixed.....

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Chicken Wings Tomato-Beet Casserole

2009-09-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Looking through the grocery stores aisles, the only racks that can rival the sodas and cookies are the tomato sauce displays. Paraguay must have the corner on tomato processing. Most sauces come in soft packs or bricks, easy to store and use. I love tomato sauce because of the lycopene content of cooked tomato. This antioxidant is only active when cooked, therefore more available in tomato sauce than fresh tomatoes.

The problem I've had with most tomato sauces is that they contain added sugar to balance the acidity of the tomato. NO MORE! Here, they sell a tomato-red beet combination sauce. The sweetness of the beet balances out the acidity of the tomato, with an added bonus of even more antioxidant. I love it! If you can't find it in your grocery store, just get a can of cooked beets and process a few slices with your tomato sauce in the food processor. It's really worth a try!

For a complete meal, I include brown rice in the dish. Here, we call it "guiso."

Ingredients: (serves 3)

- 1 pack of chicken wings, skinless (about 9 wings)

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 2 zucchini, medium

- 3 garlic cloves

- 1 tblsp. olive oil

- 1 sprig rosemary

- 1 pack tomato-beet sauce (or 1 pack tomato sauce blended with 3 slices of canned red beets)

- 1/2 cup brown rice

- 1 cup water

Production:

In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil, and glaze the onions. Add the zucchini and garlic, then the chicken and the rice. Toss until all the rice is glazed. Add the tomato sauce, water and rosemary. Cook 30 minutes, until the rice is tender. No need to add salt: enough in the sauce.

Nutrition Facts: since my other computer is still out of commission, I have to estimate a portion to about 350 calories, more if you load up on the rice, less if you select to eat mostly the chicken and zucchini. This is a complete meal, with protein, starch, 2 servings of vegetable per portion.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Filet Mignon Putanesca

2009-09-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Cooking Italian food in Paraguay is pretty easy. Onions, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, basil, garlic, and olives are plentiful. Canoli beans and polenta are easy to find. My latest discovery on the shelves are cans of olive paste (green and black). While I find the paste a little too salty to just spread on crackers, I find that black olive paste makes a great addition to sauces. So, I wanted to try it, and since beef is king here, I had to serve the thick sauce with grilled filet mignon medaillons.

Thick sauces based on onions, garlic and tomatoes are as healthy as you can get, filled with antioxidants. Add a little olive oil and basil and you're set for a healthy meal.

Ingredients: (for 2)

- 6 oz of fillet mignon (3 0z is the normal portion size)

Sauce:

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- 4 Roma tomatoes (or 2 large Beefsteak tomatoes), chopped

- 1 tablespoon black olive paste

- 1/2 cup green olives (optional)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 bunch basil, chopped

- 1 sprig fresh rosemay

Production:
- Sauce: In a deep skillet, heat up the olive oil. Add onions and cook them until translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, garlic and rosemary. Let reduce for 20 minutes. Add olive paste and basil. Pepper to taste. Salt is not necessary: the olive paste provides all the salt needed.

- Meat: while the sauce is reducing, grill the steaks on a hot grill, with sprigs of rosemary.

- Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or polenta.

Nutrition Facts - oops, my other computer is out of order...
But I'd say this will run you about 300 calories a portion (including the 1/3 cup of starch), and loaded with selenium, iron, omega 6, lycopene and fiber. It's a complete, healthy meal in 30 minutes!

Until next meal

Domino Nini

POLENTA de la TIA ROSA

2009-08-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - With all the muchachos working on the boat, I've had to feed what sometimes looks like an army. Getting vegetables into this group used to "carne asada" has been a mission of mine in the last 3 years. But never fear, Nini's here!

*** Don't be afraid by the list of veggies... get everybody in the kitchen and start chopping... really easy dish to prepare and beautiful golden curst with peeking jewels result... kids love it! ****

POLENTA is traditional dish from Northern Italy and the Alps region of France, Swiss, Austria, but I find it around South America a lot: Argentina, and here in Paraguay. Even found it in Zimbabwe under the name of "Sadza." It is made of boiled cornmeal, either yellow or white. Once prepared, it can be served as is or baked. I can find a hundred different ways of serving Polenta...

This dish will feed a group of hungry men. It's a power feeder. Good carb base, with olive oil and a bounty of summer vegetables, all held together by a couple of eggs. It can be prepared ahead of time and warmed up last minute when you have a big family dinner or group gathering. Nothing better to take to a BBQ, and one sneaky way to have kids eat veggies.

The greens I use here may be basil leaves, swiss chards, spinach, or green onions. As for the bell peppers and tomatoes, I choose a variety of colors: green, orange, yellow, red.. and also of flavors: chili peppers if you like it hot.

Ingredients: (If you grow your own veggies, use whatever is in season!)

2 cups onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bell peppers, chopped
2 cups zucchini, chopped
2 cups greens, chopped
3 cups tomato, chopped
2 eggs
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
3 cups polenta
9 cups water
1 tablespoon pepper
1 bunch basil leaves

Production:

- Heat up the oven on high.
- Wash and chop all the vegetables.
- Prepare the polenta as directed. The one I chose asks for 3 cups of boiling water per 1 cup of dry polenta.
- In a large pot on the stove, heat up the olive oil and pour the onion and garlic. Stir for a minute, until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the bell peppers. To make it colorful, choose a mix of yellow, green and orange peppers. You can add some hot peppers if you like it hot. Stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and chopped greens. Stir until reduced, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes.

In the big pot, mix the polenta to the vegetables. Add the eggs, salt and pepper if you like (I don't salt) and mix well. Decorate with basil leaves.

Coat a 2" deep oven pan with olive oil. Pour the mixture in it. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in hot oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until top and sides are crispy.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 12

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 95

Total Fat: 3.65g
Cholesterol: 36mg
Sodium: 65mg
Total Carbs: 12.08g
Dietary Fiber: 2.56g
Sugars: 4.41g
Protein: 3.79g

Until next meal

Domino Nini

LEEK & SPINACH SOUP

2009-08-20T17:14:00.001-07:00

Leek & Spinach veloute is my "pick-me-up" soup. Super-rich in antioxidants and minerals, it's my soup of choice on cold evenings or when I need a boost. A cold coming? Leek & Spinach soup.

I also like it because I only use the green part of the leeks. I save the white part to make Leeks in Vinaigrette, a fiber-packed and refreshing appetizer.

When I write "GREENS," I mean you can use any kind of green-leaf vegetable: collard green, turnip greens, mustard greens, swiss chards (acelga), and (my favorite) taro leaf. I use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking time. This is one more trick for quick-fixes!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 small red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups leek greens, chopped
2 cups greens, chopped
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 medium potato, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 quart water
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Production:

In a pressure cooker, heat up the oil.
Add the onion and garlic, stir 30 sec.
Add the leek greens and diced potato, stir 30 sec.
Add the collard greens, stir 30 sec.
Add the spinach, stir 2 minutes until volume is reduced.
Add the water. Salt is optional.
Closed the pressure cooker Cook 10 minutes after the pressure has built.

Plunge in the plunger-mixer and process until very smooth. Serve hot in bowls, sprinkled with parsley and a few crystals of fleur de sel.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 153

Total Fat: 3.66g
Cholesterol: --
Sodium: 628mg
Total Carbs: 28.35g
Dietary Fiber: 3.76g
Sugars: 7.37g
Protein: 3.60g

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Strawberries in Red Wine

2009-08-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

In our native Poitou region of France, we call this dish a MIGE (pronounced Mi'jay) and it's a refreshing summer afternoon snack. Imagine coming back from working in the field or the vegetable garden and sitting under the porch in 80F temperature and enjoying strawberries in red wine. Ahhhh!

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 cups strawberries
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1 teaspoon mint
1 tablespoon rum

Production:

Wash the strawberries under running water. Drain and slice lengthwise.
In a bowl, mix the strawberries with the sugar and rum until sugar is dissolved and strawberries look shiny.
Add the wine and mint. Stir. Refrigerate for an hour, mixing occasionally.
Serve cold.

Wine Selection: Cabernet or Merlot

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 124

Total Fat: 0.33g
Cholesterol: --
Sodium: 5mg
Total Carbs: 17.98g
Dietary Fiber: 3.08g
Sugars: 12.45g
Protein: 1.09g

Until next meal

Domino Nini

CARROTS VENEZIA

2009-08-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here's another quick vegetable dish, with enough vitamin A to last you 4 days and a moderate anti-inflammatory score of 209 (a score of 50 or more indicates anti-inflammatory property.)

I grew up being told that carrots gave you an amicable character, gave you blue eyes and pink thighs... I guess 2 out of 3 ain't bad (I let you guess which two!) Seriously, carrots are rich in vitamin A, essential for night vision and an antioxidant. They are also rich in fiber (4 g/cup). So yes, after all, carrots ARE good for your eyes and your heart.

MYTH: Carrots are full of sugar and make you gain weight... Carrots only contain 50 calories per cup, with 12g of carbs and 4g of fiber (8g net carbs) and a glycemic load of only 3... that's right, a miserly THREE... so, enjoy your carrots without guilt.

This is a recipe I created when I wanted to make an osso bucco but didn't want the meat. I used the Italian traditional gremolata, a mix of garlic, parsley and lemon zest with a twist: lime instead of lemon. Sweet carrot, zingy lime and dry vermouth... carrot, re-defined!

Ingredients:

- 4 cups Carrots, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dry vermouth
- 1 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons Lime peels, sliced
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water

Production:

In a thick-bottom pan, heat up the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and the sliced carrots. Stir until carrots are glazed but don't let them burn or stick to the bottom. Add the dry vermouth and the tomatoes. Stir, add the water, and cover with the pan with a lid and let cook for 15 minutes. Make sure it does not attach to the bottom.

Meanwhile, blanch the lime peels by plunging them in boiling water for 1 minute. Make sure that the peels had no white pith left on the inside: the pith gives a bitter taste and would ruin the dish. Drain the peels and pat them dry.

Add the lemon peels and parsley to the carrots, check for doneness, add a little water if the carrots are sticking to the bottom, and cook 5 more minutes or until tender. Salt is optional.

Serve hot, with a twist of pepper and fresh lime zest. Accompany with rice pilaf or whole wheat pasta.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 3 - Calories/serving: 151
Carbs: 22 g - Protein: 3 g - Dietary fiber: 6 g

Total Fat: 5 g - Saturated: 1 g - Mono- & polyunsaturated: 4 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 310 mg - Calcium: 78 mg - Iron: 1 mg
Vit.C: 27 mg - Folate: 45 mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

The Skinny on Zucchini

2009-08-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - It's winter here, but I hear the zucchini war is underway in the vegetable gardens of North America. For sure, zucchini (Summer squash) grow incredibly rapidly, and if you don't want to end up with a game of Zucchini-horseshoe-toss with overgrown gourds, you need to check those baby zuchs every day. Three days without checking and it's tossing time.

The sweeter, nuttier zuchs are the young ones, of course, about 6 to 7 inches long, 1 1/2 inch in diameter. They are compact and firm. But when overgrown, they become hollow at the center, spongious, and full of seeds.

Nutritionally, they are a well-balanced vegetable, rich in Vitamin C and Manganese, with an 86 completeness score on nutrient balance. (see more at: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2639/2 )

But what to do with the bountiful crops? First, harvest them when small (6-7 inches max). As for using them, here are a few ideas. (You can also find zucchini tomato tart below)

1 - Zucchini Farci Provencal- Wash and slice 12 zucchini lengthwise. Scoop out the hearts to make little "canoes" and chop that flesh up. In a pan, saute 1 large minced onion, 5 crushed garlic cloves, and the chopped zucchini flesh. Add a cup of chopped dried bread (but not too fine) and 1 or 2 tablespoon of chopped parsley. Mix in 1 egg. Salt and pepper. Fill the "canoes" with the stuffing, bake in hot oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. can be prepared a day ahead and served as aperitif or buffet.

2 - Zucchini Saute Provencal - Quick and easy, great low-cal, filling side dish. Wash and slice (1/2" thick) 4 small zuch. Heat up 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute with minced garlic for 5 minutes, until browning. Add 2 tbsp. of parsley - Serve as is, or to accompany fish, meat, or omelette.

3 - Fake Ratatouille - Ratatouille is a fantastic dish, a real summer melting pot, with onions, garlic, bell peppers of all colors, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes (in that order). But it takes time to prepare. If you have time, go for the ratatouille: Slice all the veggies listed above, heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil and cook them in the order listed.

If you don't have time or only have a few of the veggies listed above, start with the onion and garlic, then add any of the listed veggies, including a big bowl of sliced zucchini. Finish with a handful of basil chifonnade (finely sliced basil leaves).

4 - Zucchini Rigatoni - Is anyone still eating pasta out-there? Cook a batch of pasta (rigatoni). Meanwhile, slice the zucchini in half by the center, then again in 1/2" slices. Heat up 1 tablsp. olive oil and saute the zuch, with 2 or 3 garlic cloves. When they brown, add the pasta, and toss in a handful of basil. Serve hot and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

5 - Tomato-Zuch Tian - This is a baked dish. Can be prepared the night before and baked last minute. It can be done with larger zucchini. How many zucchini do you have? Pick the same amount of Roma tomatoes and slice all the veggies in 1/2" slices. In a square or rectangular baking dish, alternate slices of zucchini and tomatoes (you can also add eggplant slices). Sprinkle with crushed garlic and olive oil. Bake in hot oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with gruyere or emmenthal cheese and bake quickly under the salamander. I usually don't add salt.

6 - Marinated zucchini salad - Wash 4 small zuchs and slice them lengthwise, then dice them. Reserve them in a bowl, with 2 tblsp. white vinegar (or apple vinegar) and marinate for at least 1 hour. Add sliced radishes, coarsly chopped tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve cold with a green salad.

7 - Matchsick Stir-fried - Slice 4 young zuchs lengthwise, matchstick-like. Do the same with 1 small onion, 1 thumb of ginger, 2 garlic cloves, 3 stems green onions, and a small bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow for color). In the work or pan, heat up 1 tblsp. of sesame oil. Throw in the garlic and ginger. Flash off. Add the onions, and stir 30 secs. Add the bell peppers and stir for 2-3 minutes, adding 1 or 2 tblsp. water to avoid sticking. Cover with a lid for 1 minute. Add the zucchini and green onions. Stir for 3 minutes. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce. In a serving dish, make a crown of steamed rice. Pour the veggies at the center and sprinkle with sesame seeds. You can serve with grilled pork chops or broiled fish.

I can think of a thousand ways to fix zucchini. Think of the flavor you want to give: Mediterranean, Asian, Indian, Mexican, Cuban... then, go to your spice and herb drawer and work it out:

- cumin for North African -- add couscous

- curry and Masala for Indian -- add roti / chapati

- Chile and cilantro for Mexican -- add cornbread

- garlic and parsely for French Provencal -- Add toasted whole garlic bread

- hot peppers and black beans for Peruvian -- add quinoa

- ginger, garlic and sesame for Asian, -- add steamed rice, etc...

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Mediterranean Surprise Medley Lunch

2009-08-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Considering that I've fixed a good 95% of my family's lunches and dinners for the last 37 years, it's understandable that once in a while I run out of ideas. But these times are actually the greatest fun I have in the kitchen. I open the fridge and see what's left (and still not moldy), scour the pantry for complementary foods, and tie everything together with herbs and spice.

Today is Friday, lunchtime, and I have about 15 minutes to fix lunch with what's around.

In the basket: 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 Roma tomato

In the fridge: 1 small eggplant, 1 small red pepper, 1 tomato, 2 slices of ham

In the pantry: a jar of Cannoli (Italian) beans, 1 tablespoons of olive oil left in the bottle

In the herb rack: a teaspoon each of rosemary, saffron pistils, and Piment d'Espelette (sweet red pepper, ground)

In 15 minutes, I ended up with 25g of net carbs, 15g of protein, and 11g of fiber, all for less than 250 calories. That's a healthy thing!

NOTE - I often show 3 servings. That is because I usually eat 1 portion and my husband 2 portions... This is a case of 1 + 1 = 3

Ingredients: (see above) For 3 servings

Production:

Mince the garlic, peel the eggplant, and slice all the veggies and ham into sticks.

Heat up the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and onion; stir 30 secs.

Add the red pepper, stir 1 minute.

Add the eggplant, stir 1 minute.

Add the tomato and spices (rosemary, saffron, piment), stir.

Add 2 Tblsp. water, stir, and cover 2 minutes.

Add the ham, stir 2 minutes - Ready to serve.

Meanwhile, rinse the Cannoli beans and heat them up (microwave or saucepan).

In a plate, place the cooked Mediterranean Sun at the center, and surround one part with beans: sun & moon?

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 3 - Calories/serving: 245
Total Fat: 5g - Saturated: 1g - Monoinsaturated: 4g
Cholesterol: 8mg
Sodium: 211mg - Calcium: 112 mg - Iron: 4.2mg
Carbs: 36 g - Protein: 15g
Sugars: 6g - Dietary fiber: 11g
Vit.C: 48mg - Folate: 0mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

EGGPLANT TUNA PATTIES

2009-08-06T18:50:00.001-07:00

Paraguay - Eggplants are a staple summer vegetable and always a surprise in taste. Peppery, smooth, fiber-rich, and one of the most versatile summer companion. This recipe was taught to me by my Tahitian friend Caro's mom, right on the beach of Tahiti'iti.

Caro's mom dish was a bit heavy in oil since she fried the eggplants, but I took most of the oil away and replaced the frying by some steam cooking, knocking down over 100 calories per serving.

With 21g of protein and 21g of carbs per servings and a full 11g of fiber for only 275 calories, zero cholesterol and 38mg of sodium, it's a healthy deal.

Think of these as a fresh tuna melt in an eggplant. If you don't have fresh of frozen tuna around, canned tuna will do.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. eggplants
8 oz. tuna
½ cup green onions, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Production:

EGGPLANTS - Wash them and cut them at a diagonal, each in 3 big slices of about 1 1/2" each. Re-slice in half, making sure to keep the 2 halves connected. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for an hour. Pat dry.

TUNA - Grind the tuna through a meat grinder or ask your fishmonger to do it at the store. You can also use canned tuna in water, low sodium.

STUFFING - Heat up 1/2 tablespoon of oil, add the garlic and ginger. let flash off for 30 seconds and add the minced green onions. Stir for a minute and cool off. Mix with the stuffing with the tuna and stuff it inside the eggplant.

COOKING - Heat up a skillet or a wok. Pour half of the remaining oil and cook for 3-4 minutes. Brush the exposed eggplants patties with the remaining of the oil Turn the patties around, and cook for another 3-4 minutes, lowering the heat. If necessary, add a little water and close with a lid. Check for doneness by inserting a thermometer: the fish should be at 140F.

Serve with Tahitian fish sauce (see Gingered Fish, Tahitian style) Or sprinkle with a teaspoon of light soy sauce.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 - Calories/serving: 275
Total Fat: 12 g - Saturated: 2g - Monoinsaturated: 5 g
Cholesterol: 28 mg
Sodium: 38 mg - Calcium: 52 mg - Iron: 2 mg
Carbs:21 g - Protein: 21 g
Dietary fiber: 11 g
Vit.C: 10 mg - Folate: 79 mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

BROCCOLI ASTILLERO

2009-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - I have a confession to make: I don't care for vegetables. I don't like to peel'm, cook'm, or eat'm. And I must say it's quite an effort to sick to my 5-a-day (rather, 8-a-day on the Mediterranean diet). But I do. So, I understand little kids and grown adults when they tell me that they stick to Boston lettuce. But, as a mom and nutritionist, I've had to find ways to cook'm, feed'm, and eat'm.

My least favorite are broccoli and green beans. Yes, green beans, even though my husband grew them in our vegetable garden for years. Can you imagine not liking veggies and coming home every summer evening with a kitchen counter full of fresh veggies? Have to find a way to like'm and make other people like'm.

Today: Broccoli. I know the trend is to eat them "al dente" but I never got used to the strong sulfur taste of un-blanched cruciferous (That's the cabbage and broccoli family.) The solution is to blanch them ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanching) in order to take away the strong taste. There is no need to add starch or oil to this dish. Just veggies, please.

Ingredients:

2 cups Broccoli spears, (1 big head)
½ tablespoon Seame oil
1 tablespoon Ginger, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup Onions, sliced
½ cup Red Bell Pepper, sliced
3 stalks green onions, sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Sesame seeds

Production:

BROCCOLI - In a large pot, set water to boil. Wash broccoli and separate in florets, slicing them down the stems. When the water boils, plunge the broccoli, and let them boil for 1 minute. Drain and cool under running water. This will eliminate the strong sulfur taste.

STIR_FRY - In a large skillet (or wok), heat up the sesame oil.
Add the garlic and ginger and let them flash off: can you smell that?
Quickly add the onions and stir for a minute or so, until glazed.
Add the red bell pepper and stir-fry for another minute.
Finally, add the green onions and broccoli. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the light soy sauce and give it a final toss.

SERVE in warm plates, accompanies with spinach rice noodles.
SPRINKLE with sesame seeds.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 - Calories/serving: 170
Total Fat: 6 g - Saturated: 1 g - Monoinsaturated: 2g -Polyunsaturated: 3g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 310 mg - Calcium: 214 mg - Iron: 4.3 mg
Carbs: 26 g - Protein: 7 g
Sugars: 7 g - Dietary fiber: 7 g
Vit.C: 130 mg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

2009-07-31T04:40:00.000-07:00

In Paraguay, one of my favorite fish to grill is the Pacu. It is a most delicate river fish. In spite of its fine bones that have a tendency to stick to the throat, it is an absolute delicacy. I would compare it to flounder or halibut. The flesh is really soft and flaky. Grilled whole, without any spice or condiment, is the best way to savor the sweet taste of the Pacu, directly downstream from the Pantanal. (You can use seabass, rockfish, red snapper too).

I serve it with sliced eggplants, grilled with a leaf of basil. The natural spice of the eggplant and the sweetness of the basil add dimension to the experience. This is a heart-healthy dish, low-calorie and just plain summer fun.

Note that the cholesterol content depends on the kind of fish you select. But don't worry too much about the cholesterol that comes from fish. Since there is no saturated fat associated with it, the cholesterol factor (cholesterol x saturated fat) in null. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 lb. Pacu Fish, Whole (1 whole flat fish, about 4 lb)
3 lb. Eggplants, Sliced (That's 4 medium eggplants, shiny skin)
1 tablespoon Olive oil, Spray
1 bunch basil leaves

Production:

1 - EGGPLANTS - Wash and trim the eggplants. Slice them at a slight diagonal, about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle them with salt and let them drain in a colander for about 1 hour. Pat dry with a paper towel.

2 - Heat up the BBQ grill. Make sure the grate is clean and has been rubbed with a little oil to avoid sticking. them

3 - FISH - Keep the scales on the skin. Place the entire fish as is on the grill. Depending on the fish thickness and the grill temperature, grill on each side (10 to 20 minutes each side) until internal temperature reaches 140F.

4 - EGGPLANTS - Spray each side of each slice with a spritz of olive oil and stick a leaf of basil on each side. Grill for 5 minutes on each side, approximately, until crisp.

Place the cooked fish on a serving platter. Lift the skin and watch the steam rise... You can sprinkle a little sea salt on top if you care. Place the eggplants slices around the fish, sprinkled with parmesan.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 - Calories/serving: 400
Total Fat: 6g - Saturated: 1g - Monoinsaturated: 3g
Cholesterol: 150 mg
Sodium: 280mg - Calcium: 92 mg - Iron: 2mg
Carbs: 19g - Protein: 67g
Sugars: 8g - Dietary fiber: 12g
Vit.C: 13mg - Folate: 102mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

CAULIFLOWER MEDLEY SALAD

2009-07-30T18:19:00.003-07:00

By Marie Dufour, RD - Paraguay - Spring brings fresh cauliflowers to market, as well as radishes. Rich in antioxidants and fiber, these 2 spring veggies combine well as a full meal when added to some avocado and a slice of whole wheat. A healthy lunch solution, easy to make from either fresh or frozen cauliflower. Rich in fiber and antioxidants vitamin C, folate, vitamin E and selenium, it's a good nutrition deal.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Cauliflower, 1 medium head
1 cup Avocado, Sliced
1 cup Radishes, Trimmed & washed
1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 pinch Coarse Sea Salt, (optional)
1 tablespoon Parsley, chopped

Production:

Cauliflower: Wash and drain the head. Boil water in a large pot. Drop the cauliflower in boiling water. Wait for the water to boil again, and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain the cauliflower, discard the water. Then you can either microwave the head, steam it or boil it until tender. Drain and set on a serving platter.

Dressing: Mix together the oil and vinegar, pour on the warm cauliflower. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top if so desired.

Serve with half an avocado, sliced, and a cup of radishes.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 - Calories/serving: 157
Total Fat: 11 g - Saturated: 1.8g - Monoinsaturated: 8.1g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 106 mg - Calcium: 33mg - Iron: 0.91mg
Carbs: 11g - Protein: 3.5g
Sugars: 3g - Dietary fiber: 7g
Vit.C: 61mg - Folate: 110mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Gingered Fish, Tahitian-style

2009-07-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

By Marie Dufour, RD - Paraguay - Ahhh.. finally fixed my computer woes and back on line after almost a year of silence. Here's one of my favorite and easiest full-meal recipe.

In Paraguay, since there is no pelagic fish, I use river fish for this recipe. My favorite is Surubi, a fatty fish with texture of a pike, flesh color of a salmon, and the head of a catfish. Very rich in omega 3, it really is a delicacy. But this recipe can be made with any fish. I learned how to make the sauce from a Chinese grandma in Tahiti, so this is a cross between Polynesian and Chinese cooking. A true international dish, rich in omega-3, fibers, and anti-oxidants, light in calories.

Ingredients:

10 oz. Surubi (or other fish), Fillet or slice

2 medium Onions, Sliced

1 medium Carrot, Sliced, matchstick

1 medium Zucchini, Sliced, matchstick

1 tbsp. Sesame oil

6 slices Ginger, Fresh, thinly sliced

3 cloves Garlic, Crushed

3 tablespoons Soy sauce (light)

2 tablespoons Oyster sauce (light)

1 tablespoon Lime juice

1 teaspoon Rum

1 teaspoon Seame oil

Production:

1) FISH - Any fish will do: mahi-mahi, catfish, salmon, tilapia, surubi, albacore tuna, as long as it is abasolutely FRESH. Heat up a lightly greased cast iron grill (or an electric grill, BBQ) and place 3 slices of fresh ginger on each side. When the grill is very hot, grill the fish 2 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the grill and the temperature of the grill (medium heat) until internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 F or is opaque and flaky.

2) SIR-FRY - While the fish is grilling, heat up a deep pan or a wok till very hot. Add the sesame oil until hot. Toss in the garlic and ginger (smell the wonderful mix!) - Add the onions and toss quickly - Add the carrots and toss quickly - Finally add the zucchini and toss - Keep tossing until hot and slightly tender. Add 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce.

3) TAHITIAN SAUCE - In a bowl, mix together the garlic, remaining light soy sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, rum, and sesame oil. Mix well.

PLATE PREPARATION - Divide the stir-fried vegetables and the grilled fish onto 2 plates, glaze the fish with the Tahitian sauce, place a few slices of pickled ginger on the side, and serve hot.

Serve with steamed rice and place the remaining Tahitian sauce on the table for extra helpings.

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 2

Amount Per ServingCalories: 265

Total Fat: 9.83g

Cholesterol: --

Sodium: 878mg

Total Carbs: 39.37g

Dietary Fiber: 8.38g

Sugars: 12.60g

Protein: 7.29g

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Kitchen Tools (II)

2008-08-28T16:32:00.001-07:00

Whisks, masher, garlic press, lemon squeezer, economy peeler, food thermometer, pastry cutter.

Paraguay - Three appliances (Kitchen Aid Block, Plunger mixer, and electric kettle), three knives (Chef, Paring, and Chop-chop) and 8 tools are all I use in my kitchen. Add to that an oven and a stove/broiler (or mini toaster oven) and you're set.

Over the years, I've gotten attached to some utensils. Take the lemon squeezer and the garlic press, for example. As you can see in the picture, these are very old. I found them in JP's grandmother's kitchen. They came with the apartment we moved into as newlyweds, on the 3rd floor of my in-law's house. Grand'ma Susanne had lived there a number of years. After she passed away, all had been left untouched. When JP and I moved into her place, everything was as she'd left it: plates, cups, pots and pans, utensils, tablecloths and napkins and sheets, all from the WW1 era, it seemed. Even the coal-stove "cuisiniere." Over the years, I replaced all of it, not without nostalgia, but never could get rid of the 2 pewter items: garlic press and lemon squeezer. I did, when we left France, give the squeezer to my friend Coco who had fallen in love with the little thing. But, on my first visit back to France 20 years later, Coco was waiting for me in her kitchen with one little package in her hand: Grand'ma's lemon squeezer. It hasn't left me since.

The Utensils.
- Wire whisks - I have a large and a small one. I even use them to make Chantilly when I don't feel like getting Mr. Muscle dirty.
- Potato Masher - I don't really like potato flakes. Much prefer real mashed potatoes (with skin). This masher will also handle sweet potatoes, yams, Uru (Bread fruit), pumpkin, squash, chestnuts, carrots... and then some!
- Grand'ma's lemon squeezer - for lemons, of course, but also limes, mandarines, tangerines, small oranges...peach quarters... I've even tried red berries: makes a mess!
- Grand'ma's garlic press - Take a closer look. This thing is also a hazelnut cracker, olive pitter, bottle opener...and ergonomic (see the grooves on the lower handle?) Vintage 1920's!
- Econo-peeler - A must to peel potatoes, but also apples, pears, all roots (yams, sweet potatoes, mandioca (manioc), taro, beets, turnip....)
- Food thermometer - My new best friend. How many times did I serve under-or over-cooked meat and fish? I can't recall. JP and I used to argue so much over "doneness" that I came to a point of refusing to cook meat (especially lamb) and fish. Now, I just stick the thermometer in the food and go by the food temperature chart. See it at:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/MeatTemperatureChart.htm
- Pastry cutter - Martha Stewart is the first person I ever saw use this little contraption. That was enough to send me running to the store to get one. There's no way to make good biscuits or pastry dough (by hand) without it. This is designed to cut the butter into the flour until your get a coarse mix of small butter beads coated by flour. More on pastry dough later. For those of you go-go-gadget-girls, you can always use the Cuisinart to cut the dough, but you'd miss out on a darling little thing.

Now, if it's not on my list, just throw it out.... just kidding.... but down-think your kitchen utensils. Often times, "Less is more!"

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Sopa de Albahaca

2008-08-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Basil - Basilic - Albahaca : one herb --- Pesto or Pistou - One sauce

Paraguay - Soupe au Pistou, or Pesto Soup, is a traditional soup from Provence. Since this region is very close to Italy, it's no wonder that Pesto Soup should be a cousin to Minestrone. Here, in Asuncion, Spring is coming up and fresh basil (Albahaca) is everywhere to be found, perfuming the vegetable stands and the trunk of my car, taking over the fridge as if there were a whole plant growing from the vegetable drawer.
I'm adapting the traditional Soupe a Pistou for lack of proper ingredients. You'll find traditional recipes all over the Internet. Most of them call for various kinds of beans (#1 ingredient), leek, carrots, celery, potatoes, fennel, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Since I can't find fennel or celery and I forgot to buy carrots and leeks... what's left? I have to improvise.
That's the fun part of cooking: adapting, imagining and creating. How did I go about it? Check out this substitution job:
- No leeks? Use green onions: same family.
- No fennel? Use 1 capful or Ricard or 1 tsp. of anis seeds held in a gauze.
- No carrots? Use Queen or Acorn squash: same color, sweet taste, Vit.A.
- No celery? doesn't matter.
There are many varieties of BASIL. The most common one (Italian) has large leaves and is sweet-smelling. That's the one I'm using for the recipe below. But there are many more that I like to use in various dishes; among them:
- Thai basil, small leaves almost purple, spicy smelling, used in Asian cooking.
- Lemon basil, small green leaves, taste of lemon, great with tomato salad.
- African BLue basil, an absolute favorite, thick round blue-purple leaves growing as a bush, pungent with small purple flowers.

This recipe looks like it's hard because there are lots of ingredients. But in fact, it's a no-brainer. Once your veggies are peeled and the cans opened, just throw everything in a pot of water and work on your pesto sauce. No time to make Albahaca base? Buy Pesto Sauce and a tomato sauce from your grocery store and mix them 1:1 ratio (more expensive, but it will save the day if you need it.)

Ingredients: (serves 8 to 10) Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 25 minutes.
For the soup:
- 2 TBSP. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 large bunch green onions, chopped (2 cups chopped)
- 1 small can white beans (or 1 cup fresh)
- 1 small can large flat Italian beans (cannoli)
- 1 cup French green beans, cut-up (or 1 small can)
- 1 medium potato, cubed
- 1 cup Acorn squash, cubed
- 2 small zucchini, cubed (1 1/2 cup)
- 3 Roma tomatoes, cubed
- 3 quarts water
- 2 chicken broth cubes (or 1 TBSP. chicken base)
For the Albahaca base:
- 3 Beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cubed (See below for peeling)
- 1 garlic head (about 7-8 cloves)
- 1 large bunch Italian basil (1 cup chopped)
- 1 TBSP. olive oil
For the Albahaca sauce:
- 2 large bunches Italian basil (2 cups chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
- 1 TBSP. parmesan cheese

Production:
I - In a very large dutch oven, heat up the oil. Add the onions and garlic. Sweat them. Add all the vegetables, chicken stock, Ricard (or anis) and water. Bring to a boil, simmer 20 minutes.
II - Meanwhile, prepare the Pesto base. Boil a pot of water, drop the tomatoes for 1 minute. Cool the tomatoes in a bath of iced water. Peel them, cut them in half crosswise, squeeze the seeds out, and chop them grossly. Peel the garlic cloves, crush them and chop them grossly. Wash the basil, remove the stems, and chop the leaves grossly. Put tomatoes, garlic and basil in blender with olive oil. Blend on high till it gets soupy. Add HALF of the mix to the soup. Simmer another 10 minutes.
III - Pesto sauce. Time to bring it up a notch! In the blender where you kept half of the Pesto base, add the last 3 garlic cloves, the remaining basil, the parmesan cheese, and blend. If you need a little more olive oil, go ahead. Salt to taste.

SERVING DIRECTIONS

Ladle the soup in deep soup plates. Place a dollop of Pesto sauce in the center of each plate. Mix.

Serve with croutons if you like. and calories are not an issue.
CROUTONS = Slice a baguette and brush each slice with olive oil on each side. Place in the oven or under the grill until golden.

Wine Selection: In the MIDI, they'll drink a ROSE wine. We don't care for it. I like a very light Ricard (Pastis) with lots of water ("mominette").

Nutrition Facts (to follow)
Servings: 8 - Calories/serving:
Total Fat: g - Saturated: g - Monoinsaturated: g
Cholesterol: mg
Sodium: mg - Calcium: mg - Iron: mg
Carbs: g - Protein: g
Sugars: g - Dietary fiber: g
Vit.C: mg - Folate: mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Kitchen Tools

2008-08-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

My favoite kitchen tools: enough for 95% of the preps.

Paraguay - Since my BigMac (computer) is still out of commission and therefore I have no MacGourmet access, let's talk about kitchen tools.
I come from 3 schools - Bonne Maman is a go-go-gadget-girl. She must have tried every gadget on the planet, mostly successfully i might add. Her favorite catalog is William Sonoma's. Really, gadgets are fun but take a lot of kitchen space. Then, after you find them and use them, you must wash them and store them again. Thing to consider. Bonne Maman's sister, Tante Nine ['nin], is a no-no-gadget girl. She even hides her television in an antique furniture. Her sink is still soapstone. She doesn't spin her lettuce dry; she shakes it in a wire basket, standing on her back porch. No Robot-coupe, microwave, or Cuisinart in her farmhouse in the Jura region of France. And then, there's my brother Gerard's school. Educated at the Culinary School of Thonon les Bains (at the boder between France and Switzerland), Gerard, Chef Extraordinaire, always considered the best of both world, seeking efficiency and perfection in taste and presentation.
To their heritage, I added frugality of space and time and, over the years, I've pared down my kitchen tools to the minimum. This is what I'm taking on the boat.

1) "Mister Muscle" - The nickname given by my grand daughters to the Kitchen Aid. I added the robot-coupe module and the meat grinder module. This muscle-man can handle just about everything, except blending soups and sauce.
2) Plunging mixer - I prefer it to the regular blender: smaller, easier to clean. Will blend and mix soups, sauces, nuts, just about everything, even Margaritas and Caipirinhas.
3) Electric kettle - Probably hard to find in the US. I doubt that UL will license this appliance, afraid that some airhead would stick their finger into the kettle, into the boiling water, and --chance in a billion - get electrocuted. Well, I've seen these kettles all over the world and they are the most efficient way to boil water.
4) Cutting board - Although I prefer plastic cutting boards for their easy sanitation (just throw them in the dishwasher), I love the feel of wooden cutting boards. I have about 10 of those, courstesy of my neighbor, the casket factory! With proper scrubbing and sun-drying (heat!) I keep them really clean. Love to serve a juicy steak or crisp whole fish on them.
5) Knives - Invest in 2 or 3 good knives. Henckels, of course, makes wonderful knives though expensive. Smart and Final also has an excellent and more affordable knife collection.
Chef knife will do just about every job. Choose one with a very thin and wide blade. Mine is a little thick and narrow and worn out.. but will do for now.
Paring knife will do the rest of the job. Choose a blade that goes through the entire handle and feel the knife in your hand. It should be well balanced.
Chop-chop is a new addition to my kitchen and I use it more and more as I'm widening the culinary scope. Chopping the meat and fish into smaller pieces before cooking or before serving is a way to get more with less... Next time you go to an oriental restaurant, watch how they use the chop-chop. We'll come back on that.

OK, that's all for today

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Curried Fish Stew

2008-08-26T04:20:00.000-07:00

MONCHOLO fish, curry stew
Paraguay - NOTE - With my computer screen disabled, I have to resort to my laptop and no MacGourmet for food analysis - So you're getting the recipe "old style", without scientific data for now...and old version of Blogger.

The best curried fish I ever ate was in the Seychelles, many years ago, where JP and I had gone on our 25th wedding anniversary. Best diving, fishing and hiking ever, and a trip to one of the most photographed beaches in the world: La Digue. You've seen it on just about every computer screen in the world, this white-sand beach, palm trees, turqoise waters and the huge granit boulders strewn around. Well, just back from that beach, there's a little B&B, looks like nothing, corrugated tin roof, vines hanging from secular ficus trees, and you get there by oxcart because there's no car on the island and the road leads nowhere. The B&B served us dinner in our room, by candle light because the power had gone out and there was no generator. Outside, the warm equatorial breeze (4 degrees North)... and the aroma of a plate of curried fish stew, the odor of masala and coconut milk sweetly blended...
See what I mean about taking the time to enjoy food? The experience is not just in the plate or on the palate... it's the associated sounds, places, smells, friendships. Food is so much more than carbs, protein and fat.
So, try this recipe and enjoy it with friends. Remember where you are, what you're doing, and SHARE.

Ingredients: (Entree for 6 people)
- 3 lbs white fish, in slices or fillets-River or salt -(catfish, bass, seabass, turbot, sole, pike)
- 2 TBSP safflower oil
- 2 medium onions, cut in 8 sections each, separating the layers
- 1 thumb ginger, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 large pepper (yellow or red, no green: too bitter), sliced lengthwise
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced at an angle
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into thin sticks
- spices: 1 tsp curry powder,
2 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp curcuma powder
1/2 tsp red chili peppers grounded (or 1 pinch Cayenne pepper)
1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp. starch (cornstarch, potato starch, rice starch, almidon...)

Production:
I a thick pan (get yourself a nice thick Le Creuset pan!), heat up the oil. Add the onions, garlic, ginger. Sweat them for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, pepper, tomatoes and stir. Add 1 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and spices, stir. Place the fish pieces in the pan, cover an simmer 5 minutes. Turn the fish around and add the coconut milk. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
In a cup, mix the starch with a 1/4 cup of the cooking juice. Pour into the pan. Finish cooking, stirring slightly to mix all the ingredients, without breaking up the fish, until the fish interior temperature reaches 140F. (Get yourself a food thermometer!). Serve hot.

Wine Selection: We drink Jasmine tea with this... or a nice cold beer...

JP's Grade: ***** - Lots of fiber, low fat, good omega 3, marvelous taste... and good memories... he can remember swinging off the vines on that secular ficus tree... Tarzan him!

Nutrition Facts (coming up)
Servings: 6 - Calories/serving:
Total Fat: g - Saturated: g - Monoinsaturated: g
Cholesterol: mg
Sodium: mg - Calcium: mg - Iron: mg
Carbs: g - Protein: g
Sugars: g - Dietary fiber: g
Vit.C: mg - Folate: mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Cauliflower Gratin

2008-08-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Casseroles are a life-saver. One-dish meal; can be prepared in advance; left-overs can be taken to work for lunch or be the next day's dinner. The Cauliflower Gratin is one of these comfort foods I like in winter. The recipe I give you only calls for cauliflower and Mornay sauce (Roux + milk + cheese).

You can increase the protein content if you want.

- Hard-boiled eggs: Slice 6 hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Place them round-side up on top of the caulifower. Pour the cheese sauce over them. Broil. For cholesterol control, don't eat the yolk!

- Ham: Roll 6 slices of cooked ham. Place them on top of the cauliflower. Pour the cheese sauce over. Broil.

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower, washed & trimmed
40 grams butter, cubed
40 grams flour
2 cups low-fat milk
½ tsp salt
1 oz. cheese, grated
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Production:

I - Break-up the cauliflower in florets. Boil for 10 mnutes in a big pot of water.

II - Heat up the overn on 375F. (Or the broiler)

III - Prepare the Mornay sauce - In a small pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon on high heat. The mix should bubble and whiten. Take out of the heat. Add the milk all at once. Mix with a whisk, but do not whip. The idea is to prevent lumps from forming. Return the pot to low heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Taste: if you can't taste raw flour, it's cooked. Add the nutmeg and the grated cheese and mix with a wooden spoon.

IV - Place the cauliflower florets in an oven-proof dish. Pour the sauce on top. Bake for 15 minutes (or 5 minutes under the broiler).

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 - Calories/serving: 188
Total Fat: 10 g - Saturated: 7 g - Monoinsaturated: 3 g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 414 mg - Calcium: 243 mg - Iron: 0.6 mg
Carbs: 15g - Protein: 8g
Sugars: 0g - Dietary fiber: 0.5 g
Vit.C: 3.5mg - Folate: 27mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Cabbage Marais

2008-08-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Want to increase your fiber intake? Try this dish: about 7g of fiber per serving. I grew up in the Marais, an elegant word for "swamps." It was a humid country, with low-hanging morning fog over the onion and cabbage fields. Morning frost on the apple trees. It was a land regained on the water. A place with "piates" (flat boats pushed by a "pigouille") and no cars. A green Venice. Cabbage-and-eel country. Onions in the fields and apples on the trees. So, when I'm asked for a high-fiber recipe, I'm thinking cabbage, apples and onions. To serve with that, I could go eel-fishing here, in my Paraguayan swamp, but the waterhole is a little too polluted. Or I could go catch a "Jacare" (small crocodile) but the boys already caught them all. I'll stick to skinless chicken thighs, then, grilled with garlic and parsley... almost like frog legs (another swamp food)

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage head, thinly sliced
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 medium apple, cubed
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp cumin powder
½ tablespoon apple vinegar
¼ cup water

Production:

In a thick pan, heat up the oil. Add the onion and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir for 2-3 minutes until it becomes soft. Add the apples, salt, cumin, vinegar and water. Mix and cover. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 - Calories/serving: 89
Total Fat: 3g - Saturated: 0g - Monoinsaturated: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 623 mg - Calcium: 117mg - Iron: 1.4mg
Carbs: 21g - Protein: 3g
Sugars: 6g - Dietary fiber: 6.5g
Vit.C: 120mg - Folate: 136mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Marinated Eggplants

2008-08-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

PARAGUAY - Eggplants are a good source of fiber. I prefer the thin Japanese eggplants for this dish: more flesh, less seeds. Make sure to choose smooth, shiny eggplants. An eggplant with wrinkles is old and has lost its nutritional value. A eggplant showing green ends has been harvested too late and will be bitter.

Ingredients:

1 pound Japanese eggplants, washed
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce, light
1 teaspoon ginger, grated rind and juice
½ lime, juiced

Production:

I - Steam the eggplants whole, with their skin, for 20 minutes (less if they are very thin). Let cool.

II - Slice the eggplants at an angle, about 1/2" thick. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Pour over the eggplants. Refrigerated and let sit for at least 12 hours, up to 3 days. Serve cold.

JP's Grade: ***** - Refreshing, light and healthy - A winner!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 - Calories/serving: 81
Total Fat: 3.5g - Saturated: 0.5g - Monoinsaturated: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 530 mg - Calcium: 13 mg - Iron: 0.7 mg
Carbs: 12g - Protein: 2 g
Sugars: 4g - Dietary fiber: 3g
Vit.C: 4mg - Folate: 18mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Rata-Bean Tart

2008-08-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Paraguay -RATATOUILLE is not just a cute little mouse who can cook. Before it got famous for its culinary genious, Ratatouille was the name of one of the most celebrated Summer dishes. A mix of onions, peppers, zucchini, eggplants and tomatoes, with a hint of garlic and basil, Ratatouille is THE staple vegetarian dish of French Cuisine. How many variations? As many as you can fathom. Here's mine, with a tint of Mexico: black beans, cilantro and lime, less the eggplant, adapted for portability: in a tart. I have many other adaptations, yours to discover as we go.

RATA-BEAN TART (Apetizer for 4)

Ingredients:

1 pie crust, rolled out
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large bell pepper, red or yelllow, sliced
2 cups zucchini, sliced
4 medium Italian tomatoes, sliced
0.5 cup Black beans, refried, low fat
1 small lime, juiced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Production:

I - Heat up the oven on 375F.

II - In a pan, heat up the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic, sweat for 2 minutes. Add the peppers, stir for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

III - Roll out the pizza crust as thin as possible and placed on an oiled pizza sheet. You can also use a low-fat pie crust, rolled out in a tart dish.

IV - In a small pot or pan, heat up the refried beans, adding lime juice and a little bit or water to get a paste. Spread the mix on top of the crust. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Pile-up the vegetables on top, spreading them out to the edge of the tart. Bake for 30 minutes.

JP's Grade: **** - Is it Pizza? Is it Ratatouille? Is is 7-layer-Mexicandipinacrust? Doesn't matter: healthy stuff!

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4 - Calories/serving: 328
Total Fat: 14g - Saturated: 4g - Monoinsaturated: 10g
Cholesterol: 2mg
Sodium: 399mg - Calcium: 82mg - Iron: 2mg
Carbs: 41g - Protein: 7g
Sugars: 7g - Dietary fiber: 7g
Vit.C: 65mg - Folate: 94mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Chaudree Chile

2008-08-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

FISH + LEEK + BUTTER SAUCE = CHAUDREE

This is a cholesterol-loaded recipe, but oh-so-yummy! "Chaudree" is a typical dish from the Poitou-Charentes area of France. Typically made with poached white fish, it is often served on a bed of buttered leeks. I re-created this recipe from childhood memories. The shallot-butter-white wine reduction is a traditional base for cooking fish. The twist is to add leeks (the white part only; save the green for soup) also simmered in butter sauce on the stovetop. Later, in the oven, the fish will drip its juices in the butter/wine sauce, un unforgettable and lasting taste. I used Chilean salmon for this recipe. However, if you are concerned about calories, a leaner fish may be a better choice: bass, sole, turbot, St. Pierre, rockfish. Do not use "blue" fish such as tuna or mackerel.

WINE - Sancerre, Loire Valley

INGREDIENTS

1 pound leek whites
10 ounces salmon
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 tablespoons shallotts, chopped
1 cup white wine

METHOD

I - Blanch the leeks' whites in a big pot of water, boiling for 2 minutes. Drain. Cut them crosswise at an angle, about 1" thick.

II - Heat up the oven on 375F

III - In an oven-proof enameled dish (i.e. Le Creuset), melt the butter. Add the shallots and sweat them until transluscent. Add the leeks and the white wine. Simmer 20 minutes on the stove, occasionally turning the leeks over.

IV - Place the salmon fillet in the center of the pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the fish thickness, until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 140F.

JP's Taste Rating: ***** - An absolute favorite, to enjoy once in a while only due to the high cholesterol and fat content.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 2 - Calories/serving: 601

Total Fat: 25.4g

(Saturated: 10.5g - Monoinsaturated: 8.5g)

Cholesterol: 114 mg

Sodium: 136 mg - Calcium: 167mg - Iron: 5.7mg

Carbs: 36.84 g - Protein: 32g

Sugars: 10g - Dietary fiber: 4 g

Vit.C: 34mg - Folate: 185mcg

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Leek Veloute

2008-08-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

If you believe French women, eat leeks and you'll never be fat! Leeks, indeed, are high in fiber, low in calories, are filling, and are supposed to have a mild diuretic effect. The white part of the leek is mild and soft, and I steam them for salads or as a base for "Chaudree," a fish-stew-on-leeks. I use the green parts for soups and veloutes. When you prepare your leek soup or veloute, make sure to chop the green leaves very thinly and to "sweat" them in a little bit of oil until transluscent and soft. Any leek soup may be turned into a veloute if processed in the blender. If you don't care for the texture of the leek, just drink the broth... if we are to believe the French, that will keep you from getting fat. Indded, broth is virtually calorie-free.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups leek (the green part), chopped
1 cup white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup potato, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1 quart water

PRODUCTION:

In a big pot, heat up the oil. Add the white onion and the leek. Stir until soft. Add the water and salt. Cook 30 minutes. Blend in the blender or with a plunger-mixer until a soft veloute texture. Because the leeks have a very fibrous texture, you might have to mix for a longer time than expected.

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 107

Total Fat: 3.51g
Cholesterol: --
Sodium: 601mg
Total Carbs: 17.97g
Dietary Fiber: 2.49g
Sugars: 5.24g
Protein: 1.96g

Queen Pumpkin Soup

2008-08-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins, squash, Zapallo; end of summer, harvest time, family gatherings. Orange soups are full of vitamin A. Properties: facilitate night vision, antioxidant, helps immune function.

4 cups Acorn squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup Onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 quart Water
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon masala powder
1 teaspoons salt

In a pot, heat up the olive oil. Add the onions and stir until translucent. Add the squash, spices, and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes. Let cool and mix in blender or use a mixer-plunger while hot.

Categories:

30 Minute, Soups

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 210

Total Fat: 7.03g
Cholesterol: --
Sodium: 1174mg
Total Carbs: 37.81g
Dietary Fiber: 6.22g
Sugars: 3.45g
Protein: 3.37g

Nutrition Analysis

2008-08-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

One of my former Nutrition Professors actually reads this blog and suggested that I added nutritional information to the recipe. While I don't want to ruin the Epicurian experience for some of you, I think it's a good idea.

So, I'm a quick download away from offering you Calorie count, grams of fat, Carbs, Protein, Sodium, and calcium content of the recipes. Others?

Domino Nini

Pasta Bucco

2008-08-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

Left over pasta + left over Osobucco sauce = Pasta Bucco (not to be misunderstood for BEAUCOUP PASTA !)

A little goes a long way

Paraguay - Fixing a quick and tasty dinner without having to open a can or order out is not as hard as it seems. The French cooking secret? SAUCES.

When you take the time to create a scrumptious sauce, make sure to make a little extra and save it for a rainy day. A cooked sauce will save for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. It will also freeze well in a plastic container. That little bit of sauce can be added to pasta, steamed vegetables, rice for a complete dinner.

Remember the Osobucco the other night? I saved a cup of sauce and 1/2 shank cut in small pieces. You can do the same thing with left-over soups as well: carrot soup leftover mixed with potatoe flakes = carrot mashed potatoes.

NOTE: Yes, we eat carbs in this house! In adequate quantity and mixed with a lot of vegetables and a little bit of meat or a little more of fish, carbs provide a base for a complete meal.

Ingredients: (one-dish meal for 2)
(1) 2 cups cooked pasta

(2) 1 to 2 cup Osobucco sauce

Production:

I - Re-heat the pasta -
There are several ways to re-heat pasta.

The one I prefer: boil a big pot of water. Dump the pasta in for 2 minutes. Drain.

The "modern" way: re-heat the pasta in the microwave.

II - Re-heat the sauce in a small pot. Make sure to give it a boil for 30 seconds at least.

III - In a pretty serving bowl, or directly on the dinner plates, place the pasta and pour the sauce on top.

Serve with a green salad.

Other ideas - You can serve this sauce on rice, polenta, steamed new potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or zucchini if you're anti pasta.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Chupin

2008-08-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

CHUPIN -- The Paraguayan equivalent of Cioppino, but made with river fish.

Nothing says "PARTY!" like a CHUPIN.

Paraguay - If Paraguay is landlocked, it is nevertheless drained by 2 major rivers: the Parana in the east (south of Iguazu Falls) and the Paraguay in the west. Both rivers flow from the Pantanal to join in Corrientes (Argentina) and end up in the Rio de Plata, Buenos Aires.

There are over 30 varieties of river fish recorded in the Pantanal. Paraguay was once famous for world-record setting Surubis. Unfortunately, the river has been sacked by so-called sportfishermen who used to come from Brazil by the busloads and fish till they dropped. I've heard many stories of freezer-trucks leaving Paraguay with tons of fish: Surubi, Dorado. Now, there's hardly any fish left; the tour operators had to shut their doors; the hotels and motels have closed down; the Paraguayans have killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

Mostly, the Paraguay is polluted. When I buy fish, I make sure it comes from WAY up-river, from the Pantanal. Smooth-skinned Surubi, Tres Punto, Moncholo, Mandi'i, Pati or scaled-skin Pacu, Piranah, Boga, Corvina or Dorado. With such a variety of fresh fish, it's easy to have a feast: CHUPIN!

Avoid using "blue" fish like tuna, mackerel, sardines. Better choices would be bass, pike, catfish. I would even try shark or swordfish.

I usually make Chupin for at least 8 to 10 people. You can prepare a Chupin in a big Dutch oven, "Le Creuset" cocotte, or thick-bottomed pot on the stove. Here, I make it in a rectangular enamel dish, on an open fire of "lena" -- the wood smoke gives the dish an uncomparable flavor.

Ingredients: (one-dish meal for 8)

(1) 1/2 cup sunflower oil
(2) 2 lbs onions, thinly sliced

(3) 1 head of garlic cloves, chopped

(4) 2 lbs bell peppers, chopped

(5) 3 lbs Roma tomatoes, cubed

(6) 2-3 lbs potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, kept in cold water

(7) 1 lbs Ricotta cheese (I doubt you'll find Queso Paraguayo)

(8) 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

(9) 4 lbs fish slices (or small whole fishes)

Production:
In a very large dish, heat up the oil (1). Add the vegetables (2), (3), (4) and stir for a minute or 2. Add (5) and (6). Add 1 quart of water (you can add white wine too if you prefer). Let simmer about 20 minutes until the veggies are tender. Add the cheese (7) and cilantro (8), salt and pepper to taste. Mix once. Add the fish on top. Cover with a lid. Let cook 10 minutes or until the fish is done (140F with thermometer). Bring the pot to the table and serve in soup plates.

JP's Grade: **** - He prefers it without the cheese.
(we go from NO star to 5 stars)

What I liked: The cheese holds it all together.

WINE: I usually serve a Chardonnay.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Osobucco Rosa

2008-08-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Oss Buss, or "Hole Bone" is the ethymology of this decadent Italian recipe for veal shank. It is so named because the veal shank, cut crosswise, presents a marrow-bone--or "hole bone." Once cooked, the marrow becomes the richest (and often-forgotten) part of the gastronomical experience!

My mom's first husband was Italian. As a young bride, Bonne Maman took cooking lessons from Aunt Rosa, a plump and jovial Italian matriarch. If Bonne Maman didn't keep her Italian, she saved the recipes and served us a lifetime of Minestrone soup, Ravioli, home-made pasta, and the unforgettable Osobucco.

Although traditional Osobucco consists of veal shanks braised in white wine and gremolata (garlic, parsley, lemon peel), Aunt Rosa's recipe called for the more modern version adding carrots and tomatoes. During our latest travel in Chile, we ate a very Haute Cuisine Osobucco braised with figs and red wine: stunning!

OSOBUCCO TANTE ROSA

Ingredients: (one-dish meal for 2 hungry people, or entree for 4 at a full dinner)

(1) 2 TBSP. olive oil

(2) 4 veal shanks, cut cross-wise, at least 1" thick; flour for dredging

(3) 2 medium onions, thinly slices

(4) 2 young carrots, finely cubed

(5) 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and quartered;

(6) 1 small branch Rosemary; 1 branch thyme

(7) 1 citrus zests, free of the white pith (orange, lemon, lime, mandarine), julienned

(8) 3 garlic cloves, pressed

(9) 1+ cup white wine

(10) 2 cups reconstituted veal stock (or chicken stock) from powder or cube

(11) 1 TBSP. chopped parsley; salt and pepper to taste

(12) 4 slices of Italian bread

(13) Jar of strong Dijon mustard

Production:

In a thick "cocotte" type Le Creuset or dutch oven, heat up the oil (1). Pat the shanks (2) dry with a paper towel and dredge them in flower. Shake off the excess. Brown the shanks on all sides, then set them aside. In the same pot, add (3) and (4) and "sweat" them. Add the tomatoes (5) and herbs (6). Mix well and return the shanks to the pot. Add the garlic (8) and wine (9), bring to a boil then cover and reduce the heat to simmer.

In a small pot, boil 2 cups of water and blanch the citrus zests (7) for 1 minute. Drain the zests and pat them dry. Add them to the pot.

Let the pot simmer for at least 1.5 hour, possibly more depending on the thickness of the meat, checking every 20 minutes and turning the meat around. If the dish dries up, add some veal stock (10), 1/3 cup at a time to avoid burning. Cook until the meat starts falling apart. Salt and pepper to taste. Add half the parsley (11) and stir.

SERVING:

- Toast 4 slices of Italian bread (12) and keep them warm in a basket, covered.

- Transfer the meat and sauce to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley (11).

To fully enjoy the Ossobuco, spread Dijon mustard on the toasted bread, spread the marrow on top and sprinkle a little salt over (coarse salt or Sel de Guerande/Fleur de Sel is even better).

You can serve a risotto perfumed with a little saffron if you're really hungry... I like my ossobuco plain, with the Italian bread.

JP's wine selection: an old Bordeaux (Margaux or St. Julien)

What I liked: the citrus zing balanced by the sweetness of the carrot

Note: I didn't have fresh tomatoes when I made this dish and I used canned tomato paste. It was a bit runny but still tasty. Another alternative is to use canned stewed tomatoes, well drained.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Stir-Fry Pita

2008-08-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

PITA POCKETS lend themselves to all the twists and turns of your culinary imagination.

Paraguay - Pita pockets are little life-savers. They can be stuffed with just about anything. Cold or hot, veggies, meat, fruit, cereal, fish, they redefine the concept of "sandwich" and give boring lunches a festive twist.

Today was another of these oh-no-the-fridge's-empty kind of day. Remember the PANTRY concept? We had pita pockets in the freezer, an onion in the basket, a green and a red bell pepper in the fridge, 1/2 a cucumber left over, and a sprig of basil. Stir-fry time!

You can really use anything you want in your pita pocket. Two days ago, it was an all-cold stuffing of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and tuna with cilantro.

STIR-FRY PITA

Ingredients: (Lunch for 2)

(1) 2 pita pockets, halved and carefully pre-sliced for later stuffing.

(2) 1 tsp. mustard, 1 tsp. low-fat mayo, mixed

(3) 1 TBSP. olive oil

(4) 1 thinly sliced onion,

(5) 2 bell peppers, mixed colors, thinly sliced lengthwise

(6) 1/2 cucumber, sliced

(7) 1 TBSP. chopped basil (or cilantro, or parsley)

Production:
In a skillet, heat up the olive oil and saute (4) and (5) on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add 2 TBSP. water and cover with a lid immediately. Reduce the heat and steam for 1 minute. Remove the lid. If any water is left at the bottom of the skillet, heat up quickly to evaporate. If you like your peppers a little roasted, cook on high heat a little longer but take care not to burn your veggies ! Transfer to a serving plate.

Assemly:

On a tray, place the pita pockets, the mayo/mustard mix, the hot veggies, and the cucumbers. Bring to the table. Each one stuffs his or her own pocket, starting with spreading the mayo/mustard inside the pocket. Provide plenty of paper napkins!

JP's Grade: **** - loves it. Healthy, light, quick, colorful and tasty.

(we go from NO star to 5 stars)

How could it have been better? A slice of cheese or crumbled feta would have made this a complete lunch. I'll settle for yogurt or kefir on the side for dessert.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Tomates Farcies

2008-08-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Before putting the dish in the oven, get the kids to help with the final touch: a little pad of butter.

Paraguay - "Meatloaf Tomatoes" would possbily be an accurate translation for the wonderfully plump and juicy meat-stuffed tomatoes, but the translation would, indeed, be very dry. Stuffed tomatoes are really a mouth-watering summer treat.

Tomatoes can be stuffed with other ingredients than meat: couscous, rice, polenta, mashed potatoes with cheese, anything that will absorb the tomato juices while cooking. If stuffed with meat, the kind of meat you choose will determine the juiciness of the final result. Each meat has its corresponding flavoring herb and spices for enhanced taste.

Pork is the 1st choice, of course, tender and mild.

Herb: sage, pineapple sage, rosemary, thyme, parsely, garlic;

Curry, masala (Indian flavor)

Lamb is my 2nd choice, very tasty and juicy

Herb: thyme, rosemary, oregano

Cumin, Harissa (North-African flavor)

Beef has a tendency to dry-up. I would mix it with pork.

Herb: garlic, thyme

Chicken and Turkey are my last choices, too bland and dry, but can be mixed with pork.

Herb: all of the above!

As for the tomatoes, choose big round plump ripe Beefsteak tomatoes.

This dish can be prepared up to one day in advance and placed into the oven 1 hour before dinner.

Ingredients: (one-dish meal for 2 hungry people)

(1) 4 large Beefsteak tomatoes. A pinch of salt.

(2) 1 chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 TBSP olive oil

(3) 1 lb ground pork (or 1 lb pork, well marbled, that you grind yourself or ask your butcher)

(4) 1/2 lb ground beef (7% or 15% fat content)

(5) 1 TBSP chopped parsely (or other spice of your choice)

(6) 1 cup of dried bread, crumbled (do not use "breadcrumbs" or your dish will be mushy). French bread crust will work.

(7) 1 egg yolk (as emulsifier, to keep it all together)

Production:
I - Prepare the tomatoes - Cut off the tops and save them. With a teaspoon, empty the seeds and throw them out, but save the tomato "meat" in a bowl (1*). Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with salt and turn them upside-down on a plate. The salt will get the water out of the tomatoes BEFORE you cook them instead of giving you watery tomatoes in the oven.

II - Prepare the stuffing - In a pan, warm up the oil and saute (2) and add the reserved tomatoes (1*) until the onions are transparent. Add the meat (3) and (4) and brown well for about 5 minutes. Discard the fat and water from the pan. Add (5), (6) and (7), salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Stuff the tomatoes with the meat and place them in a baking dish. Cover each tomato with its top "hat". Refrigerate up to 1 day.

III - Bake in a hot oven (375) for 45 minutes to 1 hour (the larger the tomatoes, the longer) until the center of the tomato reaches 155 F. Serve with couscous, polenta, rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, or green beans.

JP's wine advice: CHENIN BLANC

GET THE KIDS INVOLVED -- Fixing dinner is a great family time. Turn the TV off and let the kids help you. For this dish, cut-up little pieces of butter and let the kids place them in the center of each tomato "hat."

HOW ARE YOU MAKING IT? Enter your comments, send your photos and let's make this page INTERACTIVE!

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Quick Onion Tart

2008-08-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - "Oh No! The fridge's empty!" It happens a lot these days, since the closest decent grocery store is 20 minutes and 1,000 potholes away. Which brings home the concept of PANTRY.

I've never been a fan of delivery pizza, ordering out, or fast food. I think I had lived 15 years in the US before I dared ordering DOMINO's pizza... and felt like a traitor, a failure for not having been able to fix dinner for my family. Ok, I got over it, but never developed a taste for home-delivered food because I usually find it too greasy and a poor value, both economically and nutritionally. Even if the fridge's empty, there's a way to come up with something better, cheaper, and healthier.

PANTRY is not just synonym for a closet in which you store cans and packs of foodstuff. It's actually a class taught in culinary school. PANTRY is the concept of having on hand basic ingredients out of which you can fix a meal.

Dry pantry might consist of your dry goods (flour, sugar, rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, couscous, polenta) and all canned foods (beans, lentils, peas, corn, tuna, sardines, tomato sauce, etc...) Add to that a few bases (chicken, veal, clam, lobster, even UHT milk) and dry-storage vegetables (onions, garlic, squash and tomatoes.) Finally, consider a few specialty items: olives, canned roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, artichoke hearts, even anchovies. Staple items in your freezer include mixed vegetables, pastry crust, OJ. Don't forget a wide variety of dry herbs. Julia Child's favorite PANTRY item was Peanut Butter!

With a well-stocked pantry, you can always fix a meal in a pinch. Here's a dish I like to make either as an apetizer for unannounced friends, or for a dinner for 2 of last resort, or even to take to a picnic or a barbecue or a potluck.

QUICK ONION TART

Ingredients: (one-dish meal for 2 hungry people, or apetizer for 6 at a full dinner)

(1) 1 frozen pastry crust (or pizza crust)

(2) 1 TBSP olive oil

(3) 2 medium onions, sliced

(4) 2 fresh bell peppers (green, red, orange, and/or yellow) or 1 small jar roasted peppers in olive oil, drained (save the olive oil)

(5) 2 garlic cloves, minced

(6) 1 Roma tomato, sliced or 8 sliced sundried tomatoes in olive oil

(7) 16 slices of black (or green) olives

(8) 1 tsp of dried or fresh herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil)

(9) Fresh grated parmesan cheese (or dash of boxed parmesan)

Production:

Roll or press the pastry crust in a tart mold (or the pizza crust on a pizza oven plate).

In a pan, heat up the olive oil (1). Add and quickly saute (3), (4), and (5). Soften for 5 to 7 minutes. Pour on top of the crust. Arrange (6), (7), and (8) on top. Bake in the oven 375F for 20-25 minutes. Add the cheese (9) and let stand in the oven 5 minutes. Take out and serve hot or let it cool and take it to a party!

JP's Grade: ***** - loves it. Add a green salad and he's in heaven.
(we go from NO star to 5 stars)

What I liked: to do something with nothing

How could it have been better? ANCHOVIES on top.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Carrot Soup

2008-08-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

CARROT SOUP

Paraguay - Soup is a wonderful comfort food and has been a clutch for me in the Paraguayan winter nights. Vegetable soup has also been a counterbalance to the high red meat content of the Paraguayan diet.

When I was growing up, "Bonne-Maman" served us soup almost every night, as I recall. There were thick soups: Minestrone, all-veggie, "Mojette" bean, and cabbage soups where your spoon would just stand up. There were veloutes: spinach, radish leaf, pea-pod, potato-leek, tomato, where the cream content would just send your cholesterol through the roof. There were thin soups too: watercress or lettuce. And there were the "there's-nothing-in-the-cupborad" soup, precursor of the Ramen soup: the "Royco-Poulet"--a cube of chicken broth in which she cooked a handful of "vermicelle" (cut-up Angel Hair pasta), so thin you could see the "ROYCO" design at the bottom of the plate.

As a young bride and living on a student income, soup figured daily on the lunch and dinner menu, to which we sometimes added cheese and wine "lifted" from my mother-in-law's kitchen and a loaf of French bread, piping hot from the corner bakery.

As a mom and with a half-a-dozen kids around the table, I hung on to the soup habit. I would cook a HUGHE pot of soup on Sunday evenings and that would provide dinner for at least 2 more nights. Healthy and practical. I'm sure some of my kids still remember the big white Le Creuset pot brimming with Minestrone; also remember the Pillsbury breadsticks they'd steal right out of the oven.

I want to share with you a recipe that my own mom gave me before I left the US a couple years ago: Carrot-ginger soup. It's probably the most delicious soup I know.

Ingredients: (one-dish meal for 2 )

(1) 1 TBSP sunflower oil

(2) 1 "thumb" ginger, minced

(3) 3 garlic cloves, minced

(4) 1 lb carrots, chopped (Choose young carrots. Avoid carrots that have hard cores)

(5) 1 glass white wine (if available)

(6) 1 tsp chicken base (or veal base, or roast juice base)

some water - Salt and pepper optional (I don't use any: enough salt in the ckicken base, and enough spicy taste in the ginger).

Production:

In a pot, heat up the oil (1). Add (2) and (3), stir without burning for 1 minute (smell that?) Add (4) and stir until all the pieces become shiny. Add (5) and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add (6) and stir. Add water to cover the carrots PLUS 1/2 inch. Let simmer slowly for at least 30 minutes (more if the carrots are old). Check for doneness: carrots should be soft. Mix with a plunging mixer until smooth. (OR, let cool and mix with the blender.)

OPTION 1: Add 1 tbsp of Port wine, or Marsala wine just before serving.

OPTION 2: Add 1 TBSP creme fraiche or whipping cream (less healthy.)

JP's Grade: ***** - Healthy, tasty, always a winner.
(we go from NO star to 5 stars)

What I like: Great to freeze or pack and take to work the next day.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Chicken Pasta Salad

2008-08-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Paraguay - How do you make a nice lunch from leftovers? Easy. Just be creative.

A balanced lunch = Protein + Carb + Veggies or Fruit + little fat.

Without getting into the polemics of Carbs-make-you-sleepy versus Protein-makes-you-aggressive, I will just say to keep your lunch light and balanced. A dish that combines all food groups will give you and your lunch partner choices. And having CHOICES is what healthful eating is all about.

To help yourself:

Try to plan ahead. When you cook dinner, save some cooked items without seasoning: roasted chicken breast, turkey slices, boiled pasta, steamed or baked potatoes, polenta.
Always have a few fresh veggies on hand: lettuce, Roma tomatoes, red onions, zucchini, red or yellow bell peppers.
Keep your cruet of vinaigrette handy (see previous post: Tomato Lunch).
Go for a combination of colors and texture.

One of my favorite lunch-time activity is to stick my head in the fridge (not just to cool down the hot flashes...) and see what's in it. Then, create!

I stuck my head in the fridge today and this is what I found.

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Ingredients: (one-dish meal for 2 hungry people)

(1) 1 or 2 cups of cooked pasta (remember the Pasta Primavera from the other night?)

(2) 1 cooked chicken breast (left over from last night's roasted chicken)

(3) 1 Roma tomato

(4) 2 Tbsp vinaigrette

(5) A few sprigs of green herbs: cilantro, parsely, green onions or basil.

Production:

In a pretty salad bowl, place (1). Slice the chicken breast (2) and place them on top of pasta. Add (3) and (4) over the pasta. Garnish with (5).

JP's Grade: ***** - For him, a perfect lunch.

(we go from NO star to 5 stars)

What I liked: CHOICES. Not hungry or dieting, I could pick only the chicken and tomato. Starved or in training? Fill-up on pasta.

ADDED - I like to serve it with a lemonade sweetened with SPLENDA*: vitamin C, calorie-free.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

* SPLENDA registered mark

Beer Crepes

2008-08-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Crepes are nothing more than the French version of pancakes. Nothing more... and everything more! But crepes are, above all, a family affair.

In our home, crepes were synonymous with winter. My mom would often feed her brood a big turreen of thick vegetable soup, followed by a stack of piping-hot crepes. THAT got the chill out of us! We'd spread sugar or marmelade (these were before-Nutella-years) on the golden disks and happily bit into them until we just could eat no more. At breakfast the following morning, a couple of cold crepes (with apricot jam) and a bowl of hot chocolate would get us going for the day. These were the only days I'd get up early: to beat everyone to the fridge and get the last 2 crepes!

Later, as a student in Normandy, I lived above a "Creperie" (a restaurant specializing in crepes) and learned that there was a lot more to crepes than sugar and marmelade. Either made of white wheat or dark "Sarrazin" flour, the restaurant served them filled with pizza sauce, saussage, fish, lobster, spinach, mushrooms, ham, cheese, eggs, fruit, veggies, chocolate, sauces and any combination of the above. You could order a whole crepe-meal.

Then I got married and I wasn't too surprised to see on my mother-in-law's kitchen ceiling a few odd rings. "Oh, your husband loves flipping crepes and sticking them to the ceiling." I knew JP and I were a match made in crepe batter!

So, here's my basic recipe for crepes-for-one. It combines many recipes I've come through, but it's one that gives me thin crepes with a lot of little holes (for the sugar and jam to run through into your fingers) and can get really crispy without being burnt.

SECRET INGREDIENT: BEER.

-Crepes made with only water are runny and tasteless.

-Crepes made with mostly milk are too thick and, if it's whole milk, too rich and heavy.

-Beer, however, is light and contains yeast. Let the batter rest for an hour (up to 3 hours) and you'll see little bubbles in the batter. That's gas released by yeast fermentation. Under heat, these gas bubbles translate into tiny holes in your crepes... and ther you go, you have the very sought-after CREPE DENTELLE...

Ingredients: (for ONE person = remember 1 egg, 3 TBSP flower and you got it)

(1) 3 TBSP white flour (if you can find Sarrazin flour from Normandy, go ahead)

(2) 1 pinch salt

(3) 1 egg

(4) 1 1/2 tsp sunflower oil

(5) 1/4 cup milk

(6) 1/4 cup water

(7) 1 can beer

Production:

- In a mixing bowl, place (1) and (2) - Mix

- Add (3), (4), (5), and (6) - Mix slowly with a wooden spoon. You get a thick pastte.

- Slowly pour the beer (7) a little at a time and mix with a whisk (without whipping). Pour, mix, pour, mix.... avoid lumps...until you get a batter a little thinner than pancake batter. If you have lumps, run the batter though your blender a few seconds.

TEST: The batter should coat the wooden spoon.

- Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let stand in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Cooking:

Mix your batter well, lifting the residue from the bottom.

Heat up a flat pan (crepe pan). You can butter the pan with a little butter (pea-size) or run a oil-soaked paper towel over the pan. This prevents from sticking (even with nonstick pan, crepes have a tendency to stick).

Using a small laddle, pour enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan, tilting the pan around to get an even distribution. Cook USING HIGH HEAT, about 1 minute on each side.

If the 1st crepe sticks and you have to throw it away, don't panic. This is normal and is called the "sacrificial crepe." Continue until you get it right.... it takes a little practice.

JP's Grade: **** (It would be a 5* if I let him stick a crepe to the ceiling...)
(we go from NO star to 5 stars)

What I liked: Crepes made with beer are just so light.

SERVING OPTIONS -

1) If you decide to only make sweet crepes and serve them as dessert, you can sweeten the batter with 1 TBSP sugar and perfume with all sorts of other things: rum, vanilla, orange flavor... now you have a good base for CREPE SUZETTE.

2) If you decide to make a crepe dinner, pre-cook your crepes and stack them up on a plate. Cover with foil and keep in a warm place. Prepare all of your stuffing ingredients (see above), let your imagination run wild.... experiment! Then, heat up your pan(s) and get everybody to make their own crepe, warming up the pre-cooked crepes and stuffing them with a filling of their choice. This makes for a really fun time. The only drawback: cooking the crepes ahead of time... Get your mom to help you!

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Croque-Monsieur

2008-07-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

(Photo: Simon Dufour)

Recipe: at Simon's request....

Literally meaning "Bite-Man" ("Bite-the-man?") a Croque-Monsieur (CM) is the French version of a grilled ham-&-cheese sandwich. The difference is in the butter, the cheese, the grilling and the cheese on top.

If you're making CM for more than 1 person, use the oven. Warm it up on high. Meanwhile, set all your buttered bread slices on a cookie sheet and, long-bladed stainless steel spatula in hand, be ready to flip that bread many times over. When your oven is really hot, switch to the GRILL (salamander) action and follow the recipe below. The idea is to have all the ingredients HOT, each one with its own taste and texture, but not burnt.

There is no palatable way to make a Croque-Monsieur healthy. Ham is high in fat, tasty cheese is high in fat, all loaded with cholesterol. Since "it's the dose that makes the poison," go ahead and indulge in ONE Croque-Monsieur (not 3!) and serve it with a nice green salad, or a tomato salad, or a bowl of fruit.

Now, if you want to be decadent, you can also serve a Croque-Madame ("Bite-the-Woman?)... but that's a surprise for another day.

Ingredients: (for 1 Croque Monsieur)

(1) 2 slices of bread (white or whole wheat), buttered on EACH side.

(2) 3 or 4 tablespoons of GOOD grated Emmenthal (or Jarlsberg, Baby Swiss) or more if you really like cheese

(3) 1 slice of boiled ham, or more if you really like ham

(4) Fresh cracked pepper

Production:

Easiest with a grill-oven.

Warm up the grill; place both slices (1) under the grill and warm-up the bread slightly. Take out the slices, flip them over, warm-up the other side.

Once both sides are warm, add the grated cheese; return the slices under the grill until the cheese is slightly melted. Take the slices out again.

Add the ham and close the sandwich. Return under the grill and warm up without toasting the top slice. Flip it over and warm up the other side. Take it out.

Add cheese on top of the CM. Return to the grill and let the top bubble up until golden and crusty.

Pepper on top

JP's Grade: 0 "Totally unhealthy - Will not eat that"
(we go from NO star to 5 stars)

What I liked: Giving the recipe to Simon - I don't cook it

What didn't work: Oh, it works!

How could it have been better? Having low cholesterol cheese? No, not the same texture.

Until next meal

Domino Nini

Pasta Primavera

2008-07-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Paraguay - Sibling rivalry when I grew up included food choices: my 5 brothers cherished potatoes, I --the only girl-- preferred Pasta. Our mom, in her very equitable handling of our preferences, settled the case: potatoes for lunch, pasta for dinner. I thought it fair.

Yes, I grew up on pasta, and I fed my kids pasta. The spaghetti generation made way to the Angel Hair years, followed by the Timbale-aux-Coquilettes, Mac'nCheese, and Top Ramen. But it was all pasta. When the no-carb craze hit, we suddenly didn't know what to eat!

Well, go ahead and re-discover pasta. One of the healthy pasta choices is all-wheat pasta, but I don't find it palatable: gritty and sticky. Instead, I've been mixing regular pasta with lots of vegetables and, depending on the season, I call the dish Pasta Primavera, or Verano, or Otono-invierno. Pasta is like a fashion show: the noodles are the same, the colors change.

The easy and time-saving way to do this. On a Saturday or Sunday, go ahead and cook a whole bag of pasta of whatever kind. Once cooked, cooled and drained, pasta will keep 5-7 days in the fridge and be a base for many dishes: pasta salad, au-gratin, with veggies, with chicken, etc... a quick, easy meal during the week.

Ingredients:

(1) PASTA: I like ROTELLI mix (that's the twisty kind) in 3 colors/flavors, but plain white will do. Fresh pasta is nice, but expensive. I just go for the store brand-buy2-get-1-free kind.

(2) VEGGIES: whatever is fresh and in season -- here, ordered by cooking time (that's the order in which you'd throw your veggies in the pan.) If nothing's available, frozen or canned will do!

Garlic, Onion
Carrots, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Eggplant
Zucchini, Summer Squash, Chayote,
Tomatoes, Cabbage, Green Peas, Snow Peas, Green Beans, Spinach, Asparagus
(Canned) Artichoke hearts, chickpeas,
Basil, Avocado (yes, avocado!), cooked mushrooms
(Herbs) Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary

Pre-Production:

Cook a bag of pasta in a big pot of water with 1 TBSP olive oil, no salt needed. When the pasta is "al dente" (cooked but not mushy), pour into a colander and run under cold water to cool down the pasta (you can add ice cubes to accelerate the process). This will keep your pasta from being over-cooked and sticky. Drain well and store in the fridge in a air-tight container (ziploc bag will do) until you're ready to prepare your meal.

Production:

In a pan with a little olive oil, saute the veggies that you have on hand, in the order above. Add the amount of pasta that you want (1 serving is 1/3 cup) - toss and serve.

JP's Grade: ***** In its class, this is great. "Light, healthy, tasty, simple, could eat it every day." (we go from NO star to 5 stars)

What I liked:

Versatile to cook: whatever is in the fridge will do
Versatile to eat: dieters can pick-out the veggies, non-dieters or people who need carbs can load-up on pasta
Quick-fix
One way to sneak veggies into your kids (and hubbies...)

Nutrition Note: Carbs are a good thing. Our brain feeds uniquely on carbs and we need a minimum of 220 grams of carbs/day to accomplish our brain function. Our muscles also burn carbs for effort, therefore active people, athletes and kids need carbs... the good kind.

Until next meal

Domino Nini