Quiche Provençale Recipe!

• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red and yellow pepper
• 2 zucchinis •4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons basil, slice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 heavy cream
• 1 refrigerated pie crust (I bought a frozen quiche pie at Hen House)
• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

In a large pan set over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil, 3 minutes. Add all slice vegetables and sugar, cover and continue sautéing the mixture for an additional 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, uncover and cook until all the juice disappeared.

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the seasoned vegetables into the pastry. Beat together the eggs, cream, and salt & pepper. Pour the eggs over the vegetables and bake the quiche for 25-30 minutes, until the eggs are set in the middle. Cool slightly and serve.

 

Bon Appétit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         

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Paella Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound chicken breast, boneless, skinless
• 1/2 pound of pork
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup diced red and green peppers
• 1/4 cup diced zucchini
• 1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
• 1 cup parboiled rice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tablespoon saffron
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 12 mussels
• 1/2  Chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Rinse the mussels under cold running water while heat a medium sauce pan with oil. Add mussels and 1/2 cup dry white wine, salt and pepper. Cover for few minutes until mussels have opened. Keep the juice for later.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan on stovetop. Add the chicken breast, pork to the oil and sauté to a golden brown. Leave chicken in pan and add the onions, garlic, peppers and shrimps. Cover and cook for 10mm.

Add zucchini, tomatoes, chorizo and the mussels juice. Cover and cooked for an hour.

Add the rice, mussels, chicken stock and saffron into the mixture and bring it to a boil. Let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

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Grilled Tilapia

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa from Margarita's Restaurant

Tilapia filets
1 Mango
1 red onion
1 red pepper
1 lime
Cilantro, to taste
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Garlic

Chop and combine the mango, red onion and red pepper into a medium sized bowl. Finish it off with the juice of one lime and some cilantro, to taste.

Drizzling the fish with olive oil and then season with Margarita's seasonings available in all Margarita’s restaurants. Grill 2-3 minutes on each side. If you don't have a grill, you can use a Panini press.

Enjoy!

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Green Beans Recipe - Marina Grog & Galley

Green Beans - Marina Grog

In this recipe the beans first blanched and then sautéed with pancetta, mushrooms and onions, with some salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning. You can use thinly sliced shallots in place of the onion or substitute bacon or diced ham for the pancetta if that is what you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, strings removed (if any)
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced very small
• 1 large onions, chopped or 2-3 shallots
• 1/2 pound of white mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons butter
• Freshly ground black pepper, salt

Method

1 Blanch the beans in a large pot of boiling salted water 4 minutes, or until they are crisp tender. Drain and place the beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
2 Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the pan to a plate.
3 Add the onions to the pan. Cook, stirring often, on medium high heat, in the fat rendered from the pancetta, until lightly browned.
4 Add the sliced mushroom to the pan. Cook, stirring often, on medium high heat.
5 Add butter to the pan; add the drained green beans and pancetta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the beans are hot and are well mixed with the onion, mushrooms and pancetta. Serve immediately.

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Asparagus

Asparagus

The absolute best way to cook asparagus, and SO SIMPLE! Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese; bake at 400 for 8 minutes. / perfection.

 

Available year-round, spring is the best season for fresh asparagus.

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family. Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils. Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period. Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer. The outdoor temperature determines how much time will be between each picking...early in the season, there may be 4-5 days between pickings and as the days and nights get warmer, a particular field may have to be picked every 24 hours. After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the food and nutrients necessary for a healthy and productive crop the next season.

An asparagus planting is usually not harvested for the first 3 years after the crowns are planted allowing the crown to develop a strong fibrous root system. A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted. The larger the diameter, the better the quality! Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

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Fried Vietnamese Spring Rolls - Imperial Nems

I ate my first nem in Paris with a cousin of the family from Vietnam. She prepared the all meal, with soup, nems, crab omelet, pork caramel... So incredible meal. So my mom learned how to make the nems from her. And we learned from my mom.

The recipe is not too difficult and the only labour comes from rolling the nems, but it's well worth it since the whole family loves them.

 

Ingredients:
Rice Paper (to be immersed in hot water till soft - and only just before being filled)
500 gr (1bs) ground Pork
200 gr of Crab meat
50 gr Black dried Mushroom
100 gr Chinese Vermicille
1 Onion
3 Carrots




3 Egg
Herbs: dill, tarragon, parsley
Salt Pepper

Ground all ingredients together - add salt & pepper to taste. Roll the nems together...

In a medium high pan, start to fry the nems for a minimum of 10 minutes.

To serve:
Salad Leaves (e.g. Iceberg)
Fresh Mint Leaves

Dipping Sauce - Nuoc Mam: (not for everyone)

8 Tbsp fish sauce

6 Tbsp fresh lime juice

6 Tbsp sugar

1 deseeded and finely chopped fresh red chili

Combine everything together.

 

To eat:

Wrap the nem into the salad leaves and add some mint leaves. The contrast between the hot/crispy, the herbs and salad is delicious.  Dip into the sauce and enjoy!

 

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Brandade de Morue

It is Friday! And... We have to eat fish on Friday!

So I decided to make "brandade de morue" - Brandade is a purely French specialty of pureed salt cod, but there is some debate over the addition of potatoes. Mine is even worse! I am adding instant mashed potatoes! Oops!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz salt cod, rinsed well - Hen House has some in a small wood container
• 2 cups of instand mashed potatoes
• Milk for mashed potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or more depending texture
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Soak cod in a big bowl of water overnight.
2. Drain the cod and discard the soaking water.
3. In a separate saucepan, cover the cod with water and bring to a simmer.
4. In the same time, warm the milk and add it to the instant mashed potatoes.
5. Drain the cod and add it, along with the garlic and mashed potatoes, to an electric mixer.
6. Add the warm olive oil to the puree.
7. Add pepper to taste

Served with a salad, garlic bread and of course a nice red wine! Enjoy!
 

 

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La Parilla Guacamole recipe

Guacamole lovers...this is the day we've been waiting for...National Guacamole Day. La Parilla was kind enough to send us their original recipe. Try it and let us know what you think :)"

1/2  yellow onion, finely diced

1     jalapeno, chopped fine

1 tsp garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp cumin powder 

2 limes squeezed

4 tomatillo, peeled & chopped

8 avocadoes

1/4 bunch of cilantro, chopped fine

salt to taste

 

Put the all ingredients in a food processor until the avocadoes become smooth

La Parilla Olathe - Mexican Restaurant

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Filet de Sole au Beurre Blanc and tomate provencale

These tasty recipes for sole are ready in less than 30 minutes. Today at Hen House, they had Dover Sole Filet $9.99

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the cores from the tomatoes, removing as little as possible. Cut them in half crosswise and add some salt. Place them on a plate for few minutes. Heat the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tomatoes, cut sides down, in pan, and saute for few minutes. Remove pan from heat; turn the tomatoes over. Spoon about 2 tablespoons breadcrumb, garlic & parsley mixture over each tomato. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the breadcrumb mixture browns.

Beurre Blanc! It is the best!

• 1 cup dry white wine
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot, thyme
• 1 lb unsalted butter, cold
• Salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat wine, vinegar and shallots in a saucepan until the liquid boils, then lower the heat a bit and continue simmering until the liquid has reduced down to about 2 tablespoons. This should take about 10 minutes.
2. Once the wine-vinegar mixture has reduced to 2 tablespoons, reduce the heat to low and start adding the cubes of butter, one or two at a time, and whisk rapidly with a wire whisk.
3. As the butter melts and incorporates, add more butter and keep whisking. Continue until you only have 2-3 cubes remaining. Remove from heat while whisking in the last few cubes, and whisk for a moment or two more. The finished sauce should be thick and smooth.
4. Season to taste with salt.
5. Pan seared the sole gently for few minutes with butter!
6. Enjoy!

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Goat Cheese Spinach Tart

Pastry

1. 150 grams all-purpose flour
2. Pinch of salt
3. 125 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4. Some water
5. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water, sprinkle over the flour mixture. Stir with your hands to lightly blend, then squeeze gently until a dough forms.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Heat a large skillet with some butter. Add a large handful of the fresh spinach (Sam's Club) and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until wilted. Add some salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
3. Add butter or spam to a 12-inch tart pan, roll out the pastry with your hands!
4. Add spinach and arrange the goat cheese rounds on the spinach.(see picture)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 eggs, salt and pepper.
2. Pour the custard into the shell and bake for about 40 minutes, or until just set.

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What's for dinner tonight?

Hen House has different freshly prepared meals. I tried the Roast Turkey with potatoes & carrots. Not bad! I just added mustard, olive oil ,herbs, and spices on the potatoes & carrots – placed dish in oven for about 15 minutes – here they are!

Lentils

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• green & red pepper cut
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dry lentils
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, green & red pepper, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in lentils, and add water with glove onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour or less depending how you like the lentils. I like them dente!
3. When ready to serve stir in with vegetables, and cook until it wilts. Stir in veal stock & red wine if you have some, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vine if desired.

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My Lamb Tajine!

For 4:

2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

2 teaspoons paprika

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes

5 cloves garlic, minced              

1/2 cup water

 3/4 chicken broth

 5 zucchini, cut into cubes

 one tomatoe

 1 can of chickpeas

Directions

1. Pre heated oven at 380                   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions & garlic and cook for 5 mm.
4. Set aside
5. Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until brown
6. Add everything except chickpeas. Vegetables, onions, cumin  Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.               
7. Add chickpea 10mm before end.
8. Enjoy!

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