heidi swanson's weeknight curry

Another recipe from Super Natural Everyday, by Heidi Swanson. I'm considering trying them all! So easy. So quick. So good. So different. So veggie. So grains. So healthy. So whole. So diverse. So San Francisco.

meyer lemons + rosemary lemonade (w/ or w/out a twist)

Delicious as is. Even more with the twist: add 1 shot of gin to your glass of lemonade.

the sparkling cake

A cake. The cake. The one that my daughters regularly ask me to bake for their birthday parties: plain, soft, moist, sweet, very sweet. A sparkling cake, as they like to call it. The sparkling cake.

rye soda bread

The easiest and quickest bread I've ever made. And on top of that, it's healthy and delicious. At the first try, my kids were skeptical. I think it was because they were not used to rye flour (which has a strong taste) and also because they ate it when it was still warm. You should wait until the bread cools down completely before eating it. The second time, they loved it. And so do I, needless to say...

orzo+broccoli pesto salad

I couldn't resist. I had to try a recipe from the book right away. And post it here with a picture of the dish (even though I don't have a new camera yet; the picture was taken by my iPhone). And since I'm in a hurry (going to Tahoe tomorrow), I copied and pasted the recipe from another blog I love http://sproutedkitchen.com that posted the same recipe a few days ago. It was delicious! Even my two daughters, who don't like broccoli, loved it. However, for them I didn't put broccoli florets and avocado on top.

super natural every day

I pre-ordered it a few weeks ago. Just got it today. I'm talking about "Super Natural Every Day", by Heidi Svanson (author of one of my favorites blogs: www.101cookbooks.com). So inspiring. Love it.

3-seed bread

Thankfully I still have some nice pictures and recipes to share. Like this one. It's only a variation of the Tassajara Bread I've already written about here. But it is worth to mention again. The recipe is 100% trustful. 

missing

I left my beloved camera in a shuttle last week end in NY. And obviously, never saw it again. I feel empty, lonely. Really. I'll be quieter than ever on this blog until my beloved husband (do you hear me, amore mio?) will forgive me for my negligence and buy me another camera (I'd like the exact same one, honey!). 

mushroom+farro soup

A flavorful and comforting soup to help us emerging from the wet and cold weather.

strawberries+lemon+basil clafoutis

I was inspired by a clafoutis recipe because of its unusual basil "touch". The day I baked it I didn't have any basil leaves on hand, but I decided to go for it anyway.

veggie+cheese+chutney sandwich

I love love love this open-faced sandwich! You have to give it a try. The chutney's sweet and spicy taste goes so well with the creamy cheese and the earthy veggies.

raisin chutney

I didn't know what to expect from this recipe since I'm not a regular chutney eater nor a chutney maker. I tasted chutney only from time to time in some Indian restaurants. That's about it. Still, I wanted to try. It's easy and fun to make. And it tastes delicious. In the next post, I'll show you a way -that I'm crazy about- to use the chutney we just made.  Stay tuned.

endive + portobello mushroom salad

A couple of days ago I ordered some ultra-fresh Belgian endives from an independent seller. When I received them, I was very surprised to read on the box: "California - vegetable specialties - Endives".... Aren't the "Belgian" endives Belgian? This gave me the idea of going for a Californian recipe instead of my traditional Belgian one ("chicons au gratin")! In the recipe I followed, the endives are grilled, paired with portobello mushrooms, and topped with a balsamic vinegar dressing. A delight. 

for japan with love

orange whole wheat hotcakes

Last Sunday I din't  have any milk or buttermilk for cooking my usual Sunday breakfast pancakes (here or here). So I've tried these "orange whole wheat hotcakes" adapted from the Tassajara Bread Book. Even though they look like pancakes, "hotcakes" are different: they are more dense, crunchy, and fragrant.  Husband+daughters approved!

3-citrus marmelade

I'm still learning! If you remember well, last year at the same period, I was struggling to find some recipe so that i could use all the Meyer lemons from my backyard (see 1.dressing, 2.lemonade, 3. marmelade + here, 4.tart, and more recently 5.bars). This year I tried the three-citrus marmelade from Kim Boyce "Good to the Grain". Again I experienced some problems with the consistency of my marmelade. This one is a little too thick on the contrary of last year's which was too thin! It tastes really, really good though. I have big hopes for next year!

mustard butter pasta + broccoli

Usually I'm not a big fan of pasta with butter. But this recipe intrigued me. I've never thought about the association butter + mustard, even less combined with pasta. I enjoyed it. I modified the quantity of butter in the original recipe though, to fit my taste better. I'll give you both. Make your own proportions.

crustoli

Let's celebrate Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday by making - and especially by eating! - some "crustoli" (typical carnival-ish Italian sweets). Alike all carnival-ish treats around the world, the crustoli are..... fried! But they are not too sweet. They are not too greasy. They are not too filling. They are crispy. They are tasty. They are gooooood!!!!!!!

meyer lemon - 5. bars

For Edwige.

lemon poppy seeds muffins

It's here in California that I discovered the combination of lemon + poppy seeds in baked goods. And I loved it. Right away. And still do. A lot. Hmmmmm. So good. Yummy. Irresistible. Heaven. 

kenneth's mom's healthy snack

Kenneth is a very good friend of my daughter Camille. Her mom volunteers at school every single week. Here is what Kenneth's mom e-mailed me last week: "Camille is one of our biggest fans for cooked chard in the garden during Nature Zone on Wednesdays at lunchtime. She asked me to send you my recipe. I chop a bunch of chard into small pieces. Sautee it in some olive oil. Add raisins. Serve. Very simple. We serve it on saltine crackers at school. I think the kids like the mix of sweet and salty."  Thanks Kathy for teaching the kids how to grow fruits and vegetables, for taking care of the garden at school, and for giving the kids healthy food habits. Also thanks for sharing your recipe with us. 

chanterelle tart

I bought some fresh (and pricey!) chanterelles at the farmers' market on Sunday. I didn't want to waste my money improvising a recipe... So I made this quiche from Everyday Greens. Money well spent!

dates + almond milk smoothie

You might have bought some almond milk to make the blueberry almond milk smoothie posted a couple of weeks ago.  You might have some almond milk leftovers. You might be interested by another recipe using almond milk...

pesto rolls

A good place to use the almond kale pesto that you just made, right? Any kind of filling works by the way. Great for picnic and lunch boxes.

kale almond pesto

Obviously, it's kale season! I do not know how to cook it anymore*. In such cases, making pesto is always a good solution. See the recipe of the arugula pesto that I mentioned a few months ago. Today pesto has helped me to get rid of my "extra" greens. This pesto version is less oily. First of all, I wanted my pesto to really taste kale. Second of all, because I found out that since you add oil on top of the jar for preserving the pesto, adding too much oil in the pesto itself is not necessary. You can still add it later (or simply add pasta water to liquefy it when used with pasta). Finally, used in some recipes, it's better to have a denser pesto. You'll see what I mean in the next post...

homemade creme fraiche

"Chose promise, chose due". I don't know how to  say it in English. Sorry. The recipe is in English though.

after the soup, the salad

An happy combination ... some beets*, some sour oranges, some lettuce, some sprouts, some extra-virgin olive oil, and salt....

* roasted yesterday; to roast beets, see here.

romaine lettuce soup

Not in a good mood today... It's pouring rain... It's cold... It's lunch time... Need something warm and comforting so that I won't end up eating the tempting banana bread my friend just gave me! Nothing in my fridge except 2 romaine lettuce hearts. Two romaine lettuce hearts I just said?

mac&cheese?

Mac&Cheese? Yes? No? Maybe? Here is a revised version of the traditional US "Macaroni and Cheese". You will never guess what's inside! Neither will your kids. Even when they know, they'll still ask for it.

happy valentine's day

Nothing really new here. Just the pleasure to post for Valentine's day. These hearts are cut in this bread. Except it's the winter version: with dried cranberries and Californian walnuts instead of fresh blueberries. Happy Valentine's day!

brussels sprout salad

A different way to eat Brussels sprouts: as a salad. I was inspired by Heidi Svanson's recipe (here). There is also another version of her recipe in Italian (here). After the jump, I'll give you the original recipe, but I have to say that I didn't follow it because I made this salad only for me today. So I simply put the shredded Brussels sprouts on my plate and then added the nuts, the herbs (cilantro instead of thyme+ chives), a pinch of salt, a splash of olive oil, and a splash of lemon juice according to my taste. Before eating, toss the salad and let it stand 5 minutes. It helps developing the flavors. Then add the cheese (pecorino). In the Italian version, there are also some caramelized apples. Next time...

white beans + kale crostini

Another recipe from Everyday Greens cookbook. In fact I've put together 2 recipes because I had some leftovers from one of them. Perfect as appetizers or quick lunch (especially if you have the beans cooked already).

blueberry almond milk smoothie

To change from your usual breakfast or after school snack... As you know, I like to substitute dairies from time to time (cf. here and here). And smoothies are a great way to do so. For this blueberry almond milk smoothie, blend together: 6 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk  + 10 oz skim milk + 1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries + 2 tsp honey. Serves 2. Sprinkle with sliced toasted almonds if you'd like. Enjoy! NB: I like it with almond milk only, but my kids tend to like it mixed with cow milk. 

les macarons de marion

This time you will not get the recipe. If these macaroons are truly homemade, they aren't homemade by me! I would have not been able to obtain this perfection! They look perfect. They taste perfect. They are perfect. Congratulations Marion!

kabosha squash + raisins + cashews turnovers

During my last trip to Belgium, I bought several small cookbooks, easy to put into a suitcase. Among them: "Variations Potimarron", by Clea. The first recipe I tried from the book was a little bit disappointing to me. It was a "terrine de potimarron japonisante, miso, noix et oignons" (p.56). It tasted good, but it looked more like mashed kabosha squash than terrine. Maybe I did something wrong. I'll try again and let you know. On the contrary, her "chaussons individuels au potimarron facon bollyfood" (p.48) are a hit. You have to try them. They are good eaten right out of the oven, or later, and even the day after (in the lunch box for example). My kids get crazy over them.

Meyer Lemon Curd Verrines

Plenty of Meyer lemons in my backyard. An irresistible envy of sweet. No time to make crust for my usual "tarte au citron meringuee" though. So I came up with the idea of these "verrines" filled with Meyer lemon curd (the one from the tart - without butter) and topped with a (storebought) meringue. Life is so simple! And so sweet!

Tofu Steak

With this recipe, never again will you say that tofu doesn't taste anything. Just try it. 

I promise, the next recipe I'll post will be non-Japanese!

Beef + Finely Shredded Vegetables Soup

Got the essential ingredients of Japanese cooking? So you are ready to try this beef and vegetables soup. Very easy and soooo tasty.

Salad with Ponzu Soy Dressing

I hope you like Japanese food 'cause I got "Everyday Harumi" cookbook for Christmas and I'm planning to try every single recipe (just kidding!). Here is a slight and easy start with this "crispy salad with grated carrots and ponzu soy dressing" (p.176-177). Time for you to get started and buy the essentials ingredients* of the Japanese cooking. 

* (such as soy sauce, mirin, sake, rice vinegar, kombu seaweed (dried kelp), nori seaweed, katsuobushi (dried fish flakes) and/or instant dashi stick, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, sushi rice,...) 

Savory Bread Pudding

I was ready to bake my usual bread pudding with the leftovers of the bread I have been collecting for the last few days. Then I asked myself: "Is it reasonable to bake an additional dessert after all we ate during the break and after the package we just got from Italy full of Panettoni and Pandori?" Of course, not! So I was reasonable (the New Year's resolutions helping!) and I went for a savory version of the bread pudding. It is as good as its traditional sweet version.

Cougnou (Belgian Christmas Pastry)

Imagine my deception at my first Californian Xmas when I realized I wouldn't get my typical Belgian "cougnou"*. Unthinkable! So I started looking for a recipe to bake my own. I found one on Marmiton (in French) and another one here (still in French). My final recipe is a mix of those two. Every year in December I bake these pastries for my family... but also for our friends. Everybody loves them, especially the kids.  I enjoy sharing my pastries and my traditions with them.

* It tastes a little like a French "brioche", but less buttery. 

Pear+Apple+Chocolate Crumble, with Pecans+Pistachios

That's the second recipe from the foodblog La Tartine Gourmande that I made. The first one was a Chocolate and Nut Cake. They are both excellent. What I like about this crumble is the combination pear+chocolate (one of my favorites) and the crunchy side brought by the nuts. I put only pecans because I didn't have any pistachios on hand. A good excuse to make this dessert again soon.

Arugula Pesto

I received a full bunch of Arugula in my CSA box this week. Since it's almost winter time, I'm more in the mood for pasta than for salad. This arugula pesto recipe with a hint of lemon inspired me. I like pesto over pasta but also over pizzas, crackers, soups, sandwiches or quiches... The uses are endless. 

Tip for kids: To reduce the bitterness of the arugula, mix the pesto with some roasted tomatoes (or basic tomato sauce) and a bit of cream. My daughters loved it this way.

Homemade Ricotta

After the homemade yogurt, the temptation to try making homemade ricotta was high! I know... I'm not original. The D.I.Y ("do it yourself") movement is really spreading out these days. But it's a good thing. So pass on the word and do it yourself!

Drinking Yogurt

... or "how-to-save-a-homemade-yogurt-that-didn't-end-up-the-way-it-was-supposed-to" : mix a quart of yogurt that didn't-end-up... (in other words: too liquid!) with 3 tbs of a good fruit syrup (in my case: D'ARBO raspberry syrup)*. Tastier, cheaper, and healthier than the storebought drinking yogurts full of sugar, food coloring, and preservatives. If you are interested in this matter, check out this comment about the yogurt Danimals.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

The idea of baking this cake comes from a recipe published 10 days ago (here). I ended up choosing a slightly different one (here). Do not hesitate to bake this Cranberry Upside Down Cake for Thanksgiving, even it's your first try. You can trust this recipe 100%. I've used fresh cranberries from my C.S.A. box. It was a delight.

Spaghetti + Rapini + Toasted Garlic + Bread Crumbs

First time ever: I've cooked - and eaten! - rapini (or broccoli rabe). Thanks, CSA box of the week! I was inspired by a recipe in the NY Times but I have changed some proportions to better fit my taste.... and my diet! My version of the recipe is hereafter. You can also take a look at the original one, just in case.

Zuppa Inglese Veloce Veloce

The "Zuppa Inglese" is my husband's favorite dessert and is becoming my older daughter's too. I've found a way to speed up the recipe. Still delicious. That's a zuppa inglese "veloce, veloce" (very quick). 

Spinach Salad + Dried Cranberries + Pine Nuts

I discovered this salad about 3 years ago here. From then on, I have been making it regularly without getting tired of it. I love love love this salad!

Japanese Cheesecake

I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake. But this one, I can tell you, tastes like heaven! Maybe it's because it's a "Japanese" cheesecake and I like everything about Japan... No, seriously, it's damn good and much lighter than the American version. I've followed this recipe (in French). There is a similar one in English here.

Pumpkin + Feta Muffins

I baked these savory muffins today. Since I used the leftovers of a butternut squash roasted yesterday, it only took me 1/2 hour from the time I started to when they were on my plate. I ate them for lunch with soup and salad. Yummy! I've stolen the recipe here.