Roti

A very good friend of mine had the excellent idea of starting a cooking club. She hosted the first meeting and we all cooked and got together for an amazing Indian feast. It was incredible to learn about spices, techniques, traditions and dishes of beautiful India. But trust me, it was even better to taste all the delicious foods that were brought in! I decided to make bread -- must be the French in me! I chose roti, an unleavened flatbread that is a staple in Indian cuisine. It is very easy and fast to make as there is no rising or baking involved! Try it with this yummy butter chicken in the crock-pot for a great Indian night-in.

 

Makes 12 rotis

• 2 cups whole wheat flour = 250 g de farine de blé complet
• ½ tsp salt =  ½ cuillère à café de sel
• 4 tsp (vegetable) oil = 4 cuillères à café d'huile végétale
• ¾ cup warm water = 175 ml d'eau chaude
• All-purpose flour, for rolling and dusting = de la farine pour rouler et saupoudrer

In a large mixing bowl, mix flour and salt well. Add oil and mix until all lumps are gone. Add water a little at a time to form a soft dough ball. Do not overwork the dough. Add a few more drops of oil to coat the dough ball. Cover and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

 

Heat a skillet on medium heat.

Meanwhile, knead the rested dough once and divide into 12 golf ball size balls. Dip one ball into the all-purpose flour to coat lightly and roll it out into a very thin disc. Sprinkle more all-purpose flour as you roll the dough to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface and pin. Shake or rub off excess flour from the flatbread and place it onto the hot skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes and flip to the other side once you see bubbles appear on the surface and the bread puffs up. Cook the other side for another 1 minute or so and remove. Place the cooked roti on a clean dish towel and cover to keep it warm. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

 

You can brush some ghee (clarified butter) on each roti, and serve them with any Indian dish or chutneys you like. Enjoy!

Chicken Paprika with Bell Peppers

This is my quick, dairy-free version of the famous Hungarian dish. Great for a busy weeknight when you need comfort food, fast. The marinara and wine give it that rich "been-simmering-all-day" flavor. I added bell peppers for good measure and it really works well with the paprika (duh, makes sense since they are from the same family). Use sweet or hot paprika, or a combination of both, and serve over egg noodles.

Fast. Check!
Healthy. Check!
Hearty and delicious. Check!

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 2 bell peppers (assorted colors), chopped = 2 poivrons, coupés en morceaux
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces = 2 gros blancs de poulet, coupés en morceaux de 2-3 cm
• Salt and freshly ground pepper (about ½ tsp of each) = sel et poivre
• 1 ½ tablespoons paprika = 1 ½ cuillères à soupe de paprika
• 1 ½ cup marinara sauce = 350 ml de marinara (sauce tomate)
• ½ cup red wine = 120 ml de vin rouge
• ½ cup water = 120 ml d'eau

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with olive oil. Add bell peppers to pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook for 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Stir in paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add pasta sauce, red wine, water, and sauteed bell peppers. Bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over egg noodles. Enjoy!

Fruit with Kefir and Granola

I discovered Kefir last year and quickly became addicted. Kefir is a thick and tangy fermented milk. At first, it will remind you of drinkable yogurt. But nutrition-wise, it is so much better: it packs high-quality protein and provides plenty of calcium and probiotics too. Added bonus: it is low in lactose so it's easy to digest. You can find Kefir in most grocery stores now. I stick to the plain and low-fat kind, as the fruity versions contain added sugar. You can also use it in place of buttermilk in pancakes and breads, or mix it in smoothies.

As always, the combination below is just one of many. Another favorite of mine it to use berries (I keep frozen ones in my freezer in the winter months) with vanilla-almond granola. No granola? No problem, any healthy cereal will do!

I love how this breakfast keeps me feeling light, yet full and energized, all morning long!

Serves 1

• ¼ cup pineapple bits = 45 g de petits morceaux d'ananas
• ½ banana, sliced = ½ banane, coupée en morceaux
• ½ cara-cara orange, cut into chunks = ½ orange, coupée en morceaux
• ½ cup low-fat kefir = 120 ml de kefir
• 2 tablespoons mango passion granola cereal = 2 cuillères à soupe de granola (ou muesli) mangue-passion

Put fruit chunks into a shallow plate. Pour kefir over fruit and top with granola. Sit down and savor every bite!

Chicken à la Mirepoix

Mirepoix is a combination of chopped celery, carrots and onions and is used as a base for stews, soups and stocks. Here, it takes center stage and brings incredible flavor to plain chicken breasts.

This dish is so easy to make and comes together quickly (especially if you do the chopping earlier in the day). The inspiration behind it is chicken noodle soup, which I love. However, for some people I know (and live with), soup is not satisfying enough to be a meal by itself. For a soupaholic (is that not a real word?) like me, it's insane but I am open-minded. So I created this dish and served it with egg noodles. It was like having chicken noodle soup, only in a more substantial way and everyone left the table feeling happy and full. It is now a classic at my house!

Serves 4

•  2 tablespoons olive oil = 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced = 4 grosses carottes, épluchées et coupées en morceaux
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped = 2 branches de céléri, coupés en morceaux
• 1 medium onion, diced = 1 oignon moyen, coupé en morceaux
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth = 350 ml de bouillon de poulet
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste = 1 cuillère à soupe de concentré de tomates
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme = 1 cuillère à café de thym séché
• 1 bay leaf = 1 feuille de laurier
• 4 skinless chicken breasts = 4 blancs de poulet
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper = sel et poivre

In a heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion, and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, turning the chicken over once and stirring occasionally. Uncover and let cook a few more minutes to reduce liquid to desired consistency. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Enjoy!

Galette des Rois

 

Happy New Year! May 2013 be healthy and kind... and yummy, of course!

 

I love how, for the French (and many other countries), the holiday season is not over until Epiphany on January 6.

Epiphany is celebrated in many different ways around the world. There are different customs even within France. In the south, the traditional cake is a brioche with candied fruits (similar to the Spanish roscon de reyes) called a royaume. In most other regions, we bake a galette, which is flaky puff pastry filled with frangipane, a sweet filling made of ground almonds, butter, eggs and sugar. All Epiphany cakes do share a similar feature though: they hold a trinket, usually a porcelain figurine or fève. If you get the slice with the trinket (try not to break a tooth on it!), you become king (or queen) for the day and get to wear a paper crown. If you buy your galette from the bakery, they provide one, but otherwise, it's a fun craft to do with your kids.

So why not start a new, fun and tasty tradition this year on January 6?
 

Makes 1 galette, 8 to 10 slices

• 1 lb. puff pastry, homemade or store-bought   = 450 g de pâte feuilletée
• 1 cup almond meal = 100 g de poudre d'amandes
• 5 tablespoons butter, softened = 70 g de beurre, ramolli
• ½ cup sugar = 100 g de sucre
• 3 large egg yolks, divided = 3 jaunes d'oeufs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille

Optional:

• 2 medium apples or ripe pears, thinly sliced = 2 pommes ou poires bien mures, coupées en tranches fines
• ⅓ cup chocolate chips or chunks = 50 g de pépites ou morceaux de chocolats

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

Divide the puff pastry in half, and roll each piece out into a large circle. Using a template (a plate works well), cut one 10" circle from each piece.

Make the frangipane filling by beating the almond meal, butter and sugar until creamy. Add two egg yolks and vanilla, and continue beating until well blended.

 

Spread the filling over one of the circles, leaving a 1" rim around the edge of the pastry. Place the trinket towards the edge (so you minimize the chances of cutting into it when you slice the galette) and top with apple/pear slices and chocolate if using. Brush a little water around the edges. Gently place the second circle of puff pastry on top. Press and crimp the rim with a fork to seal the galette.

 

Mix the last egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water together. Brush this glaze over the top of the galette and trace a pretty pattern on the surface (softly, with a knife).

 

Bake the galette for about 30 minutes until it is beautifully golden. Remove it from the oven, and cool before serving. Enjoy!

 

Merry Christmas

May the magic of Christmas fill your homes with love, peace and happiness ♥

For those who are in pain, may you find the strength in your heart to know

that there will be better tomorrows...

 

*** Merry Christmas ~ Joyeux Noël ***

 

Bûche de Noël ~ Christmas Log

Chocolate Sponge Cake, filled with Whipped Mascarpone-Chestnut Cream and

topped with Silky Dark Chocolate Ganache

 



 

Good Morning Quinoa

This is very similar to oatmeal but using quinoa makes for an even healthier breakfast!

There are many ways to create your own version: use fresh berries in the summer, top with walnuts or almonds, add a couple drops of vanilla extract in the milk, substitute honey for the maple syrup... Be creative! Just make sure you cook the dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, figs...) with the milk so they end up plump and soft. If using fresh fruits (berries, banana, mango...), add them just before serving. Any milk will work: whole for a creamier mixture or skim for a lighter version, also almond, soy or rice milk.

Serves 2

• 1 ½ cups milk = 120 ml de lait
• ½ cup quinoa = 85 g de quinoa
• ¼ cup dried cranberries = 40 gr de cranberries séchées
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup = 2 cuillères à café de sirop d'érable
• Pinch of ground cinnamon = une pincée de cannelle
• 1 banana, sliced = 1 banane, coupée en lamelles

Bring milk, quinoa and dried cranberries to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer, covered, until most of milk is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to two serving bowls, top with maple syrup, cinnamon, and banana slices. Enjoy!