vegetarian Archives - Page 3 of 4

Tomato Confit

Confit is a French cooking technique used for preserving poultry (duck, goose, rooster) which also involves roasting the meat in its own fat. The meat is seasoned to perfection and roasted slowly on low temperature in duck fat. The meat becomes incredibly tender, so tender that it simply melts in your mouth. This technique is also used for fruits and vegetables. The main difference is the fact that the cooking liquid is not an animal fat, but a vegetable fat for veggies or a sugar-based syrup for fruits.

Tomato confit is a wonderful way to cook these lovely veggies. The tomatoes are seasoned generously with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. After that, they are slowly roasted on low temperature until they are tender, juicy and slightly caramelized on the edges. This technique brings out their own sweetness and concentrates their own flavor. This simple and humble ingredient can elevate almost every dish, from pasta, polenta or risotto, to sandwiches or crostini or can even be served as a side dish. Even though the tomato confit can be time-consuming, the effort definitely pays off! Continue reading Tomato Confit

Poached Egg Whites

Whenever I engage myself in over-ambitious bakery projects, I end up by throwing away the egg whites. Of course I plan on using them the following days, but I almost never do. And I strongly dislike wasting and throwing things away. Lately, to avoid any waste (and all the bad energy that comes with it), I take 2 egg whites at a time, I wrap them in cling film square, I season them with sea salt, olive oil and fresh herbs and I poach them in hot water. This way, you get some flavorful egg white balls, perfect for a weekend brunch.

When you prepare a classic egg white omelette, the dish tends to be a bit blend, but using this technique, the egg whites are full of flavor. Another great advantage is the fact that you can prepare 3 or 4 packages at a time so in 15 minutes, you can prepare a very satisfying breakfast for the whole family. I usually serve my poached egg whites on a slice of homemade bread covered with a generous amount of avocado spread. Simple and so delicious! Continue reading Poached Egg Whites

Citrus Semifreddo

Semifreddo is a delicious frozen Italian dessert. It’s basicaly an icecream, a really smooth and creamy one, the cremiest icecream that doean’t require an icecream maker. Semifreddo is so easy to make, it requires just a few basic ingredients, a bread tray and a freezer. That’s all! It’s useless to use as an argument the fact that this lovely treat melts in your mouth; of couse it does, it’s an icecream after all. But its incredibly rich taste and fragrance, the interesting creamy-crunchy justaposition make from this treat a winner. As I mentioned above, semifreddo is so easy to make, the most difficult part of the recipe being the 6 hours waiting interval! Oh… but when it finally freezes… Continue reading Citrus Semifreddo

Cheese-Beer Bread

My latest obsession in the bread-making field is this cheesy beer bread. It is so easy to make, it’s quick, it’s no fuss, it doesn’t involve kneading / finding a warm place in the kitchen / figuring out what in the name of God lukewarm is supposed to mean. Even though the ingredients are pretty common, the result exceeds all expectations – a lovely crunchy cheesy crust and a dense, elastic and flavorful center. Even though the only fat-source is the cheese (and a low-fat version, to be more accurate), the taste is so unexpectedly rich and the flavor amplifies with every bite. These being said, good luck on limiting yourself to just one serving! Continue reading Cheese-Beer Bread

Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Chips

Today we’ll talk about tomato soup, a simple soup yet fascinating in its simplicity. I think tomatoes are the most versatile vegetables (or fruits, if we approach the problem in a scientific manner), they taste so good in so many combinations, this is why there are hundreds, even thousands of extremely tasty tomato soup recipes out there. I have two recipes, one suitable for cold weather, and one for hot weather. The first one is a tomato soup with homemade quadretti pasta, smoked sausage and poached egg. The second one is a tomato cream, flavored with roasted garlic and fresh basil and served with laced parmesan chips.

The cream of tomato soup is so welcomed during hot summer days, when the tomatoes are in season. It is a veritable flavor, color and texture symphony and it is so easy to make. I half or quarter the tomatoes, depending on their size, I drizzle them with olive oil and I roast them until they caramelize; this extra step augments the soup’s flavor. I serve this soup with adorable parmesan chips, which give the dish not only flavor, but also an elegant touch. Continue reading Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Chips

Baked Zucchini and Feta Cheese Patties

I grew up in a meat-lover environment and the thought of a meatless lunch was simply unbearable. I try really hard to break the chain and I try to include in my family’s diet as many fruit and veggies as possible. It’s been a while since I’ve discovered this delicious zucchini and feta patties and I tend to make them once or twice a month. They are so simple to make, you just mix some basic ingredients, you form 12 balls, you flatten them and you bake them in the oven at high temperature. This way, the patties have a crunchy crust and a soft, almost creamy center. This being said, this delicious recipe has quickly become my summer “must-make”, and I hope it will become yours, as well! Continue reading Baked Zucchini and Feta Cheese Patties

Grilled Corn with Herb Butter

Nothing reminds me of my childhood as grilled corn does. Now that I think of it, I can even taste its unmistakable flavor and its sweet and warm smell. I remember taking the hot corn right from the burning coal and devouring the whole thing, without even waiting for it to cool down. Since that particular moment I had hundreds, maybe thousands of them and I enjoyed with the same pleasure each and every single one of them. This time I chose to grill the corn to enhance its sweetness and then I dressed the knobs with a herb butter mixture. There’s not much to say about the herb butter, maybe just the fact that that beautiful bouquet of herbs came from my own garden. I wish I could describe how divine the combination was! Continue reading Grilled Corn with Herb Butter

Asparagus and Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed-Lemon Dressing

I absolutely love strawberries. I find them delicious both in desserts and in savory dishes. They go so well with a lot of other salad ingredients, from arugula, baby spinach and asparagus to green beans and cauliflower. Strawberries not only add an elegant touch to any dish, but they also add nutrients and flavor. During May and June, when strawberries are fresh and mouth-watering, I include them almost daily in a salad.

For this particular salad I sliced a few strawberries and I placed them on top of some blanched asparagus. I added pea sprouts, avocado and feta cheese and I dressed them with a fresh and flavorful poppy seed-lemon dressing. Very simple and so delicious! Continue reading Asparagus and Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed-Lemon Dressing

Spring Pea Soup with Flour Dumplings

Spring pea soup is my favorite soup. Even though I’m not a soup person, I felt deeply in love with this spring pea soup. It has a special place in my heart not only because it’s delicious, but because this was my grandmother’s signature dish. During May, while spring pea is the star of the month, I prepare this soup almost daily. Honestly, this is the only dish I could eat every single day without getting bored.

It is a lovely soup, very tasty and satisfying, even though it is made from five or six ingredients, all fresh and springy. The soup part is extremely easy to prepare. You just have to saute some veggies in olive oil, you cover them with water and you let them cook. The flour dumplings are quite easy to make, too. The first and the second dumpling is trickier, but from the third on, their preparation becomes a child’s play. I might be subjective, but from my point of view, this is the perfect soup for spring! Continue reading Spring Pea Soup with Flour Dumplings

Spring Pea Pâté with Caramelized Onions

Pea pâté made from frozen peas is a delicious appetizer but when made from fresh spring peas it’s absolutely exquisite. Spring peas are blanched and then mixed with ricotta, parmesan, spring onion and fresh mint and it miraculously transforms into a dense and flavorful cream, with an almost surreal green color. Almost.

I ran out of bread and I decided it’s about time to bake a focaccia (I used exactly this recipe), since I haven’t made bread for so long (for 3 days, to be more accurate). So, while the dough was rising, I prepared a minty ricotta-spring pea pâté. Since I finished the pâté extremely quickly, I decide to caramelize some God knows how old old white onions. I cooked them very slowly, at low temperature without the additional sugar until they turned a rich brown. I assembled the focaccia, spring pea pâté and caramelized onions and I got a cute and heavenly tasty appetizer. Continue reading Spring Pea Pâté with Caramelized Onions

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Tag: vegetarian