Fruit Salads & Serving Bowls

Summer may soon be winding down, but there's still plenty of time to enjoy a fresh, fruit-y summer salad.  A friend of mine made the most delicious grape summer salad a few weeks ago and I just had to share it!  I made a batch of my own only days after having my first taste! 

Grape Salad
2 lbs Green Grapes
2 lbs Red Grapes
8 Oz Cream Cheese
1.5 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 cups Pecans, sliced or halved
4 Tbs Butter

Combine cream cheese and sugar, beat until smooth.  Add grapes.
Spread 1/2 cup brown sugar over grapes.

Make the glazed pecans by combining 2 cups pecans, 1 cup white sugar, and 4 tablespoons butter.  Heat in a pan over low heat until pecans are well coated.  Let cool and then top the salad.

Bon Appetite!  Make this great salad for yourself and then show it off in these fabulous, large salad serving bowls.

Shown above (clockwise from top left)
Mathilde Beige, two sizes $96 and $108, Pasyphae Bleu, $63, Mathilde Blue, two sizes $96, $108, Bondi Beach, $84, Pasyphae Green, $63, Nature Enchante, $59, and Un Patio a Corduoe, $40.

Recipe: Sardine Carpaccio

Try this easy appetizer to impress your guests.  Created by Genevieve Lethu in conjunction with their Sardine table top collection.  Serve your fabulous dish alongside these fabulous Sardines Napkins, $11 each, in bold reds, yellows, and greys (shown above).

Sardine Carpaccio

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation: 30 minutes, Marinates 1-2 hours

12 Sardines

1 Shallot

1 Lemon

Fresh Chives

Olive Oil

Freshly ground Salt and Pepper

*Fillet the sardines and remove the skin.

*Place the fillets on a plate and pour over the juice of 1/2 the lemon.  Leave to marinate 1-2 hours.

*Finely chop the peeled shallot and chives.  Put to one side.

*Remove the Sardines from the refrigerator and transfer to a flat dish.  Discard the remaining marinade.

*Lightly sprinkle the sardines with the other 1/2 of the lemon juice, add a good dash of Olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the chives and chopped shallots on top.

*Serve chilled.  Accompany with salad leaves dressed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil if desired.

Bon Appetite!

Petite Casseroles & Mini Coquettes

Looking for a way to spice up your dinnerware without buying a whole new china collection?  Add some petite casseroles and mini coquettes into your cooking repertoire.  These petite baking dishes come in a rainbow of colors and multiple sizes and are perfect for any small portion dish.  Impress your family or guests by serving them delicious macaroni and cheese in their own personal dish complete with the lid.  They go straight from oven to table and even to the fridge to minimize clean up!  Above, the Marise Set or four terrines in a cute gift  box, $34.

Le Creuset also makes some gorgeous petite dishes in round and oval shapes.  Purchase as many as you like as they're sold individually as shown above, $25 each, or in a boxed set of three featuring one each in grey, black, and white, $84..Try them with the yummy recipe below or check out their book full of tips and recipes for your mini dishes.  Available directly from Le Creuset or your local book shop (shown below). 

One of my favorite recipes to make in my mini casserole dishes or even ramekins is this yummy Pear Crisp from Kraft Foods.  It also tastes delicious with apples!

Pear Crisps from Kraft Recipes

1 oz. (1/8 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 Tbsp.  brown sugar

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 large  fresh pear, peeled, chopped

4 Nilla Wafers, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp.  chopped  pecans (optional) 

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp.  thawed whipped topping

 

*Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
*Mix cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl until blended. Stir in pears. Spoon into 2 custard cups sprayed with cooking spray.
*Mix wafer crumbs, nuts and butter; sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. Place cups on baking sheet. 
*Bake 25 min. or until hot and bubbly. Cool slightly. Top with COOL WHIP just before serving.

Bon Appetite!

National Lasagna Day

Tomorrow we celebrate national Lasagna day!  So I thought it fitting to show off some of our pretty pans for baking that delicious Italian dish along with my favorite, easy lasagna recipe.

I love baking lasagna in pretty, bright colored dishes that can go right from the oven to the table.  The Delicio line boats a bright rainbow of colors including Cherry, Saffron, Coconut, and Aubergine.  Smaller dishes like these are perfect when cooking for two, I love the square oven dish (shown at top, $37) and the narrower Rectangle oven dish (shown above, $33).  They're made in France and have cute little handles for easy lifting right out of the oven.

Or if you want to get creative and make mini lasagnas use these petite coquettes by Le Creuset.  Leave the lid off for baking and then add it back on to keep it warm before serving.  Le Creuset 8 oz Mini Round Availble individually for $25 or in a boxed set of three for $84 (one each of black, grey, and white).

Easy Lasagna - Straight from the Barilla No Boil Lasagna Box

I usually make this recipe for two...so I cut it in half and use a pretty, petite dish to bake.

Ingredients:

1 (9 ounce) box of barilla no-boil lasagna noodles

2 eggs

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

1 lb ground beef or 1 lb sausage, browned

spaghetti or pasta sauce

parsley (to garnish)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

In bowl, combine beaten eggs, ricotta cheese and two cups of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan. If you choose not to use the parmesan, just add more mozzarella. Set aside.

In a 13X9X3 pan, spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of pan. (If you are using a 13X9X2 pan---just make 3 layers to avoid boiling over.)

Layer in the order, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (they will overlap), then 1/3 part of the ricotta cheese mixture, half the browned meat, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of spaghetti sauce.

Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/3 part of the ricotta cheese mixture, and 1 1/2 Cups sauce.

Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining ricotta mixture and remained meat, 1 cup of sauce.

For top layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

Bake covered with foil for 50-60 minutes.

Uncover and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted on the top (about 5 minutes).

Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Bon apetite!

Tagine Cooking

One of the things that makes our world so fascinating, are all the unique and fabulous ways we cook.  There are so many different kitchen utensils, pots, and cooking philosophies.  We hope to share some unique and fun ways to cook with you!  With that...meet the Tagine.  You may have see the Real Housewives of New York cooking with one of these in their last season, or have seen them in various ethnic restaurants, or grazing the shelves of your favorite cooking shop.  The Tagine is a Moroccan earthenware cooking dish.  Their tall conical lids make them ideal for their traditional use with slow cooking methods and stews. 

Tagines come in all shapes and sizes from the very petite to the extra large.  Our petite Tagines are my favorite, made in Tunisia.  The Zagora Tagine, $18 each (shown above and open below).  We also have a Large Marrak, available for $88 (not shown).

Try this recipe from Staub en France for a Fruit Tagine.  Try cutting it into small parts and cooking them in the mini tagines as a special individual serving dessert treat for your guests.

Fruit Tagine from Staub
Ingredients:

4 apples
3 pears
1 orange
1 tablespoon of honey
1 vanilla pod
120 g currants (roughly about 1/4 pound or 5 oz)
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

*Pre-heat your oven to 350.
*Place the cubed apples and the pears in the tajine.
*Pour the juice of the orange, the spoon of honey and the cinnamon into the saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod in two length ways and scrape the grains out. Heat the saucepan just enough to melt the honey. Then pour the juice over the fruit.
*Put in the vanilla pod and the currants.
*Cover the tajine and cook in the oven for 30 minutes
*Serve the fruit hot with a scoop of ice-cream with flaked almonds that you have browned in the frying pan beforehand. Or serve the fruit as it is, warm or cold decorated with fresh mint leaves.

Bon Appetit.

Recipe: Lemon Cheesecakes

These petite cheesecakes created by Genevieve Lethu are perfect for summer with their fresh, lemon flavor and look stunning on the table when plated and set in front of each guest.  After all, who doesn't love a personal dessert?

Lemon Cheesecakes

For 12 Cakes:
100 g crushed biscuits (In the US, you may use Graham Crackers, approx. 4oz or 1/4 lb)
50 g melted butter (approx. 1.7oz)
500 g fromage blanc (May substitute Greek Yogurt, approx. 17.7 oz)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
110 g caster/superfine sugar (approx. 4oz or 1/4 lb)
2 eggs
12 cupcake moulds (individual cupcake pans are best, but you may substitute a standard 12 cupcake pan.  Try Silicon for it's easy removal like the Lethuflex Muffin Pan, above, $32)

Sugar Topping:
200 g icing/confectioner's sugar (about 8oz)
1 egg white
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

*Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F/150C
*Crush the biscuits or graham crackers to crumbs, put them in a blender, add the butter and mix together until smooth.  Pour into the cupcake pans evenly, pressing down firmly.  Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
*Using an electric beater, whisk the fromage blanc or Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until smooth.  Add the beaten eggs in the sugar mix, blend together and poor into the cupcakes.
*Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.  Remove from over and let cool.
*To make the icing: Energetically whisk the egg white with the sugar using a spatula until white.  Add the lemon juice and continue to beat quickly for ten seconds.
*When the cheesecakes have cooled, spread the icing over them (if using a 12 cup cupcake pan, remove the cheesecakes before icing.)  Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Serve cold.

Bon appetite!

Microwave Egg Cooker

Looking for a colorful way to start your morning?  Look no further than Megg the Egg Cooker.  We all know mornings can be hectic and stressful, but with Megg (which stands for Micro Egg) you can have a delicious, protein filled breakfast or snack in 45 seconds or less.  Make them anyway you like or let your kids prepare their own snack.  These little microwave egg cookers are microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and made in France.  Better yet?  They're budget friendly too at only $6.00 each.

Megg Egg Cooker Directions

Prepare your eggs perfectly in the microwave: soft boiled, semi soft boiled, scrambled, meurette, coquotte, Benedict, or hard boiled.

1.  Crack open the egg and drop into Megg (or called micro egg) Discard the egg shell.

2.  Poke a hole in the egg yolk.  Add any seasonings desired.  Twist the lid back on to your Megg.

3.  Put Megg into the microwave at full power for as long as your cooking method calls (see the list below).

Cooking Times

Soft Boiled Egg: 25 seconds

Semi Soft Boiled Egg: 35 seconds

Hard Boiled Egg" 45 seconds.

Any egg with heavy cream added: add 5 seconds to cooking time

Tasting Tips

Chef Bernard Raymond offers these cooking tips for add in's to make your eggs extra yummy.

Add:

-Half a teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese

-A teaspoon of ketchup and/or tabasco sauce

-A teaspoon of old fashioned mustard and chopped parsley

-A teaspoon of heavy cream

-Shrimp and Dill

Bon appetite!