Tag: Cook

Chicken Avocado Burger

Today I went to a vernissage for the exhibition of the mother of one of my friends who is a painter. it’s a little stuffy and it’s not with petit fours that we eat so I made us burgers with what I had in the fridge and here is the result! These can also be eaten cold if you want to take them to work or for a picnic.

CHICKEN BURGER PATTIES:

  • 500g ground chicken (mince)
  • 250g panko breadcrumbs, 1 egg
  • 75g parmesan finely grated,
  • green onion finely sliced (~2 stems)
  • 2 garlic cloves minced,
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage,
  • 1/2 tsp salt and pepper , each

BURGERS:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil,
  • 4 soft burger buns or brioche buns,
  • 1 avocado (big!) (or 2 medium)
  • 60g /rocket / arugula or other lettuce,
  • 2 tomatoes sliced,
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese (or other cheese)
  • Mayonnaise, relish, ketchup or tomato sauce (to smear lid)

REALISATION:

  1. Mix Pattie ingredients in bowl, form 4 patties, 1.5cm / 3/5″ thick, slightly larger than the buns (shrinks slightly). If mixture is super sticky, either refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes, or wet hands or lightly spray hands with oil (I do this).
  2. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat, cook 2 min until deep golden, then flip. After 1 min, top with a piece of cheese and place lid on to melt.
  3. ASSEMBLE: Split buns and lightly toast, smoosh a generous amount of avo on bun base, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with Chicken Pattie, then rocket/arugula and tomato. Smear the top bun with mayonnaise (or relish, ketchup, other condiment of choice) and place lid on bun.

Devour and be happy!

Tuna Pasta Gratin

A simple and comforting recipe with the arrival of bad weather!

  • 350g of penne pasta (or other short pasta) – cook per packet minus 1 min
  • 40g of butter
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 4 tbsp of flour
  • 1 L of milk
  • 2 tsp Vegeta, or chicken or veg stock powder/granulated bouillon
  • 125g of parmesan , finely shredded
  • 1/2 tsp each mustard powder, onion and garlic powder
  • 400g canned tuna , preferably in oil, drained (sub salmon)
  • 400g canned corn , drained (or other veg)
  • CRUNCHY TOPPING – mix: 25g / 1.5 tbsp butter melted, 125g panko breadcrumbs, 75g cup parmesan finely grated, 1/4 tsp salt
  1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, cook for 30 sec.
  2. Add flour and stir into melted butter. While whisking, gradually pour in about 1/3 of the milk. Once the flour-butter mixture is incorporated into the milk, pour in remaining milk and whisk.
  3. Add Vegeta, mustard, onion and garlic powder, whisk. Whisk constantly to make sure the white sauce doesn’t catch on the base, 4 – 5 min until sauce thick enough that you can draw a path across the back of a spoon (see video). Stir in parmesan.
  4. Add tuna into pasta, flake into large chunks with fork, add corn, pour over sauce, then gently stir. Scrape into baking dish, top with Crunchy Topping.
  5. Bake 25 min until top is golden and edges are bubbling. Sprinkle with chives if desired then serve!

Take care of yourself and your loved ones. See you soon!

Chickpea Lamb Shawarma Soup | Serves 5

With the return of the cold and the arrival of autumn, soup season has come but as it is a little early to say goodbye to the sun, I offer you a soup that is full of it and which I am sure will stimulate you. the taste buds with its Middle Eastern accents.

INGREDIENTS

Spices:
2 tsp EACH cumin powder, coriander, paprika
1 tsp cardamon powder (can omit if you don’t have
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Soup:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
500g / 1 lb lamb mince (ground lamb, or beef) (Note 1)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 carrots, peeled and chopped (about size of chickpeas)
600g / 21 oz canned chickpeas, drained (1.5 standard cans)
400g / 14oz can crushed tomato
3 cups / 750 ml chicken broth / stock
1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped (about 4 packed cups) (wilts a lot)
Garnishes:
Plain yoghurt (or sour cream), fresh coriander / cilantro

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute until starting to turn translucent.
  2. Add lamb and cook, breaking it up as you go. When it has mostly turned from pink to light brown, add spices.
  3. Cook for 1 minute, then add tomato paste and cook for another 1 minute. (It smells amazing!)
  4. Add carrots, chickpeas, tomato and broth. Stir and bring to simmer.
  5. Cover with lid, lower heat so it is bubbling energetically but not crazy rapidly. Cook for 10 minutes until carrot is tender but not super soft – I like it to have a bit of bite still, if you want super soft, keep cooking.
  6. Stir through spinach. Once wilted, adjust salt, pepper and spiciness (cayenne) to taste.
  7. Ladle into bowls, add a dollop of yogurt and a generous sprinkling of cilantro. Enjoy!

NOTES

  1. Beef is the next best sub. Chicken, turkey and veal an also be used.

Spanish Waffles

Last Friday I have friends came home to watch the latest Thor. For the evening I had made waffles with spinach and goat cheese to snack on in front of the screen. The movie was really bad but the waffles saved the evening!

INGREDIENTS (for 12 waffles) :

  • 340 g wheat flour T80 if change, then modulate the added milk
  • 200 ml oat milk vegetarian milk or not of your choice
  • 100g fresh spinach leaves
  • 4 eggs
  • 100 g log of goat’s cheese or other cheese
  • 70 g pine nuts or other nuts, almonds, hazelnuts…
  • 80 ml olive oil or butter
  • salt

INSTRUCTIONS :

  1. Mix in a container the flour with the milk, the eggs, the previously mixed pine nuts, the salt and finally the olive oil. Mix until you obtain a homogeneous preparation.
  2. Then add the pieces of goat cheese and the fresh spinach leaves as they are. Mix so that the waffle batter coats the cheese and spinach well.
  3. Then pour the equivalent of a good tablespoon into the waffle iron and so on until the preparation is used up.

Have a good meal!

Polpette: Italian meet balls

This weekend my sis was at home so sunday I did some italian food to celebrate her arrival, we watched The godfather, of which we know all the lines by heart. The theme of the evening being Italy, I cooked polpette for us. These are Italian meatballs, I hope you like the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of stale bread, crust removed, cut into pieces
• 1 cup of milk
• 500g of premium minced beef
• 1 egg
• 1 handful of chopped parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 40g grated parmesan
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove crushed with the back of a knife
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 150 ml of red wine
• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes
• 250ml of water
• 1/4 bell pepper, in one piece
• salt to taste

preparation:

  1. Soak bread in milk for about 10 minutes.
  2. In a bowl, mix the ground beef with 1 egg, salt and pepper, the chopped parsley, the tip of a teaspoon of grated nutmeg and the grated Parmigiano (or Grana Padano). Use a spoon if you fancy touching raw meat, but in my opinion, hands are your best cooking tools.
  3. Squeeze the milk from the bread, add it to the meat mixture and mix.
  4. Using the palm of your hand, roll the polpette the size of small tangerines and set aside in the fridge to firm up for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil until the onion is tender and translucent.
  6. Add your meatballs and brown them on both sides, then add 1/2 cup red wine. Let the alcohol evaporate, then compose 1 bay leaf, a piece of green or red pepper (pepper) two cans of tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust with salt and pepper. Add the basil leaves and serve with bread, mash or al dente pasta

Georgian food: Ojakhuri recipe

Today it was not me who cooked but Priya. She made us a dish that her mom from Georgia often makes: Ojakhuri.

Yeah ok, the photo is not very instagramable but god it was so good!

Important:

What gives all its flavor to this recipe is a sauce called Adjika in Georgian that you can find in Turkish grocery stores under the name of Acuka. If you can’t find one, you can do it yourself:

Adjika recipe :

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp sweet pepper concentrate
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp ground walnuts
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 pinch of pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. in a saucepan, cook the tomato concentrate and the pepper concentrate for 3 minutes.
  2. add the garlic, lemon juice, and all the other ingredients, mixing as you add them.
  3. you must obtain a kind of fairly compact dough
  4. let cool before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

If you have any left over, you can eat it as an aperitif tapenade.

Ojakhuri recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Sunflower oil
  • 3 tbs adjika
  • 500g of cooked meat, here there was a rest of roosted chicken (for a vegan version use 1kg mushrooms)
  • 1kg potatoes cut into bite-sized dices
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 roasted and peeled red bell peppers cut into strips
  • 1 tomato cut into dices
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic smashed and peeled.

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, brown the garlic and the onion then the potatoes in the oil.
  2. When they begin to brown, add the shredded meat or cut into bite-size pieces (if they are mushrooms, cut them into 4), add the tomato and the peppers.
  3. Once the potatoes are well cooked, add the adjika and then serve.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. It was a great discovery. See you soon!

How to make a tasty Red Thaï Curry

Today, we have planned a cinema afternoon to watch Asian films. For the occasion, I cooked a Thai Curry for my friends and also to celebrate my move to Priya.

The recipe is simple and very tasty, I will gladly share it with you.

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of red curry paste (be careful it can be hot)
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste in a tube or finely chopped lemongrass.
  • 3 or 4 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless), cut into bite-sized cubes (chicken breasts are fine too)
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 400 ml of coconut milk (or 250 of 12% fat fresh cream)
  • 150g diced squash (not liking squash, I substituted 300g potato and 100g carrot)
  • 120g green beans
  • 12 leaves of Thai basilicas
  • 2 lime leaves
  • 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (nuoc man for example)

Achievement:

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Let simmer for 2 minutes
  2. Add the broth, stir and reduce by half. Add coconut milk, lime leaves, fish sauce and chicken. (Add potatoes and carrots if you don’t want squash)
  3. Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat.
  4. Add the squash and the beans and we are off again for 10min of cooking.
  5. Add a handful of Thai basil leaf and serve with garnish

Garnish (recommended): slices of fresh red pepper, cilantro leaves and jasmine rice for a traditional version.
My recommendation: It’s a little less traditional but personally I really like to accompany this dish with couscous semolina.

A simple and original accompaniment for grilled meats: Zucchini, Corn and Parmesan.

This afternoon, I eat with dad and my grandparents. In the program I prepared a roast chicken and to accompany it instead of the traditional mashed potato I planned this little side dish.

Zucchini, Corn and Parmesan

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup corn kernels, canned or roasted
  • 1/4 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, or more

Preparation:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute.
  2. Add zucchini, corn, basil, oregano and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes;
  3. seasoned with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones and see you soon!

Oroshka

This week I offer you a recipe for cold soup from Eastern Europe: Okroshka with beer
For me it’s more a wet salad but let’s not offend our eastern European friends. In the end it remains good and fresh, perfect in this moment of good weather.

Ingredients for 4 persons :

  • 4 red radishes;
  • 1 fresh cucumber;
  • 3-4 stalks of green onions;
  • 2-3 slices of raw ham;
  • 2-3 boiled eggs;
  • 2-3 potatoes;
  • 1l dark or white beer (or 1l of water and a teaspoon of vinegar);
  • 2 tablespoons of dill;
  • salt pepper
  • sour cream or mayonnaise (optional).
  1. Cut the radishes into rounds;
  2. Dice all other ingredients;
  3. Pour in the beer, dill, salt and pepper;
  4. You can finish with mayonnaise or sour cream. (if you don’t have yogurt and a little lemon juice).

Have a nice day guys and take care of yourselves!

Tandoori Chicken

Hello dear readers, I’m back!

I needed a little time for my family and for myself but I’m coming back to you to take care of this blog which despite everything I was starting to miss.
For my return I offer you something to prepare a good little meal for the beautiful days to come.

On the menu :

• Tandoori Chicken
• Greek Salad
• Turmeric rice (in the absence of saffron)

The real tandoori chicken is made in a Tandoor, a kind of terracotta oven in which the dish to be cooked is enclosed in bread dough that is stuck on the wall of it.
In the absence of Tandoor, I offer you a recipe that can be done in the pan or on the barbecue.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients (for 4 to 6 people):

  • 1kg of chicken (drumsticks or cutlets)
  • 2 Greek yogurts
  • 2 tbsp of lime juice
  • 2 tbsp of ginger
  • 5 garlic gloves
  • 3 tbsp of garam masala
  • 2 tbsp of chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp of cumin
  • 2 tbsp of coriander in powder
  • 1 tbsp of salt

Preparation :

  1. Mix the yogurt, spices, garlic and lemon
  2. Marinate the chicken for 12/24h (personally I cut my chicken cutlets to the size of a bite)
  3. Heat the frying pan or the barbecue then place the chicken. Once it is golden brown brush the rest of the marinade and turn it over. Repeat the operation until the end of the marinade.

Greek Salad

Ingredients (for 4 to 6 people):

  • 1 large tomato per person
  • Chilli oil or a small hot pepper and 2 or 3 tbsp of olive oil
  • 5 or 6 pitted olives to be cut into slices
  • Cubes of feta at your convenience.

Preparation :

Hey it’s a salad! Cut the tomatoes and mix everything together.

Turmeric Rice

Ingredient (for 4 to 6 people):

2 glasses of rice
1 tbsp turmeric
A few unsalted roasted peanuts
(in my dish I did not put any because one of my guests is allergic)

Preparation :

Cook the rice, coarsely crush the peanuts and mix everything with the turmeric.

Enjoy your lunch !

Take care of yourself and your loved ones! See you soon !