Yellow Like Sunshine - Kourouma Curry

Named after the king, this house specialty invokes royalty. It is a dish with a savory perfumed scent that invades our favorite Sri Lankan restaurant and holds many fond memories. 

When I asked the restaurant owner why none of the Indian import shops had any curry mixes called Kourouma, he grinned the biggest grin and confirmed, "You can only find it here!" So he helped me understand the recipe with an emphasis on the yellow curry. "It has be yellow curry or it won't taste the same." I finished my plate, fetched a to-go bag to freeze for later, and went out shopping to scout out the ingredients.

Now I can make it on my own at home with several simple Indian ingredients. 

1 whole Chicken
3 tbsp Yellow curry
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 can Coconut milk
3 tbsp Almond powder
1 star anis 
5 cloves (clou de girofle)
1 tsp cumin
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp Fried basil
3 Green onions
1 tbsp Fresh cilantro


Basmati Rice tinted with safran


Cook the curry in the coconut milk to make the sauce. Add the chicken and the other spices. Simmer together for 20 minutes. If you're using chicken pieces without bones you may need to add some bouillon because the bones are flavorful. Serve over safran rice.

Northern Thai Green Curry

Northern Thai Green Curry
2 chicken legs and thighs with bones and skins
6 thai mini green eggplants
a large handful of fresh green beans
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 onion
A recipe of green curry sauce
1 can of coconut milk
Thai sticky rice

Brown the chicken. Add the onions until soft. Add all of the other vegetables chopped and the curry sauce and coconut milk.

Cook your sticky rice separately. Both pots should simmer for about 20 minutes.

Green Curry Sauce From Scratch
6 green chilis
1 stalk lemon grass
3 cloves garlic
1 inch chunk of galanga
1 tbsp shrimp paste or 2 tbsp fish sauce
1 kaffir lime
10 asian basil leaves
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt & pepper

Chop the vegetables. Zest the lime. Simmer everything together.

Thai Mini Green Eggplants

Best In Show - Arnaud's Tropical Rice Salad

Not your ordinary carry-in dish, this salad has flare! Arnaud found this recipe and brought it to Rob's birthday picnic. It was a smashing success! If there were a trophy for the most impressive carry-in dish, he deserves it!

If you're preparing this as a main dish for dinner at home with the family, like we just did last night, half of the recipe should feed four people nice generous portions.

Arnaud's Tropical Rice Salad
2 cups (350 g) basmati rice
2 cups (200 g) shrimp
3 green onion (oignon nouveau)
2 cups (150 g) bean sprouts (pousse de soja)
1 mango
1/2 cup (50 g) peanuts

1 cup (15 cl) coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 tsp (càc) cayenne pepper (piment d'espelette)
2 limes
3 branches fresh mint
Giant sea salt

Cook the rice. Cook and clean the shrimp. Slice the green onion. Dice the mango. Crush the peanuts.

Zest and juice the limes. Mix together the coconut milk with the lime juice, zest & pepper. Pour the sauce over all of the other ingredients. Toss. Chill.

Sprinkle with giant salt and mint to serve.

Pizza Soup

Pizza Soup

1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 cup (12 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
2 (8 in / 20 cm) zucchini / courgette
14.5 oz beef broth
14.5 oz tomatoes
16 oz can pizza sauce
1 lb (4 oz) fully cooked smoked sausage links
1/2 tsp herbs de provence (pizza seasoning)

GARNISH
shredded cheese
sour cream

In a medium saucepan, combine onion, sweet pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, and 1/4 cup of broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 5 minutes.

Thinly slice the sausage.

Stir in the remaining broth, the undrained tomatoes, pizza sauce, sausage, and seasoning. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.

Dollop sour cream on each serving and top with cheese.
Makes 6 servings.

Potato Soup

Potato Soup

2c ham roast
8 raw potatoes
Boiling water, just enough to cover the top of the potatoes
6 bouillion cubes
¼ cup parsley
¼ tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper
16 oz sour cream

Start with a ham roast that is well cooked it should it falls off the bone, cut into spoon sized chunks.

Boil first seven ingredients. (15-20 min) When the potatoes are tender, gently mash them, leaving lots of small lumps. Then stir the sour cream into the soup before serving. At the very end, if the soup is thin, add instant potatoes until thickness and creaminess are as you like it. ;)

Tradition Meets Inovation - Quinoa Chili

What happens when all the best stuff of life converge together in a bowl of chili?

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 tomatoes (or one 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes)
2 (19 ounce) cans black beans
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 zucchini
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tbsp chipotle pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, soften the onion in a tablespoon of water over medium heat. When the onion is transparent add the spices : garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook and stir 1 minute to release the flavors. Add 2 cups water. Stir in the diced vegetables : tomatoes, black beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, jalapeno pepper, chipotle pepper, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in the cooked quinoa. Remove from the heat, add the cilantro to serve.

Tastes Like Spring - Classic Risotto Italiano Alla Fungaiola

Risotto Italiano Alla Fungaiola
1lb (500 g) risotto rice (round Arborio)
olive oil
*optional splash of white wine
1 onion
1 branch of celery
1 clove of garlic
10 oz (300 g) mushrooms of your choice
6 cups natural chicken broth
3/4 cup (50 cl) sour cream (crème fraîche)
2 cup (150 g) fresh or frozen peas
1 or 2 sprigs of parsley (1 ou 2 brins de persil)
5 oz (150 g) fresh parmesan grated

In a large thick bottomed pot, soften the diced onion and diced celery and pressed garlic in olive oil. This is where you would add the splash of white wine if you want.

I used baby portobello mushrooms this time. Slice the mushrooms and cook them separately - Don't crowd the mushrooms!

When the onions are soft, add the rice to the pot and stir until rice has absorbed the oil and becomes transparent.

Add just enough broth to cover the rice. Allow it to boil uncovered until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Continue adding broth to keep the rice moist until it is thoroughly cooked 15-20 minutes. The risotto should be slightly firm and creamy, not mushy.

Stir in the dollop of sour cream, peas, mushrooms and then add the grated parmesan. Stir well. Dress with sprigs of parsley, and serve steaming hot!

*I made this without broth the other day, I just used water. Turned out great!

Food Is Art - Pomegranate Salad

"You first taste your food with your eyes"

Dress up a simple meal. Serve your drinks in stemware and serve your salad in your juice glasses. Why not? Set out the nice tablecloth you rarely use and suddenly excitement will be teeming through your veins!

Pomegranate Salad
pomegranate fruit
granny smith apples
arugula leaves (roquette)
feta
white wine vinegar
*optional foie gras

How To Prepare A Pomegranate
Slice off the end at the navel. Immerse the fruit in a bowl of water. Gently peel the tough skin off revealing the fragile fruit. Harvest the unblemished fruit jewels for your salad. Eat any nicked jewels immediately. Store unblemished fruit jewels for several days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Let's Do Brunch - Kimm's Sunny Florida Quiche

My Aunt Kimm comes up with the most creative recipes!!! This crustless quiche comes out with a crispy buttery edge that is to die for! If you like this recipe you'll love Kimm's Festive Squash Gratin.

Kimm's Sunny Florida Quiche

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 lb sausage
1/2 bag of fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 onion
1 1/2 cups sharp cheese

QUICHE MIXTURE
9 eggs
3/4 cup (20 cl) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (10 cl) milk
2 shavings of fresh nut of nutmeg

Soften the butter and spread it evenly over a 10 inch flat bottomed tart pan (you can substitue a 9 in round cake pan, but you won't get the best results with a pie pan).

Cook the sausage.

Cut the thick stems off the spinach and wilt it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Whisk your eggs, cream, and milk. Rub the nutmeg with the edge of a sharp knife to create nutmeg powder over the mixing bowl. Whisk, Whisk, Whisk.

Layer the sausage, spinach, diced onion and shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar).
Pour the egg mixture over the toppings.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350°F (176°C).

After making the quiche I realized that I had exactly half of everything I bought left over so I decided to use the rest of the ingredients in a pie crust this time, just to demonstrate that it works just as well.

Ingredients layed out in a quiche crust.

Only You Can Be You - Mediterranean Fish

Want to feel special? Fix this simple gourmet dish and flatter yourself. Want to make someone else feel special? Serve this dish to them and savor life together.

There are way too many providential circumstances in this cosmic universe for life to just happen by chance. You are a treasure. No one else sees the world the way you do, you are really that unique. You are intentional. You are caring. You are loved. And caring for your soul enriches all your relationships.

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes. As you can see, it's just gorgeous to serve to guests! It will make any first time chef feel like a Cordon Bleu. It's colorful. It's flavorful. And it's ohh, soo, healthy!

Mediterranean Fish
(serves four)
Two whole white fish
One red bell pepper
One green bell pepper
One-half onion
Grape tomatoes cut in half
One jar of whole greek black olives

Clean (gut) the fish. The fish monger or supermarket clerk will gladly do this for you. ;)
Lay the whole fish in a shallow baking dish.
Slice the peppers and onion super thin, cut the tomatoes in half.
Layer green peppers, red peppers, onion, tomatoes, and black olives. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for a half hour or until the onions and olives are blackened, and the fish flakes off the bone loosely.
Serve with red quinoa tossed with fresh Italian parsley.

Real Mediterranean black olives are the key to this meal. The non pitted ones have the best flavor. Here you can see that baking caramelizes the onions and olives. The olives get a bit wrinkly and the flavor changes completely. They are absolutely incredible! 

Chicken Muscatel

Chicken Muscatel
4 fresh chicken breasts
1 onion
2 heads of garlic
1 bottle of Muscatel

Sear the chicken breasts to seal in their juices. Remove them from the pan.

Brown the onions and garlic in a tablespoon of water. When they're thoroughly colorful, add the chicken  and half a bottle of Muscatel. Simmer until cooked through and tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed fresh asparagus.

Berry Frost

Berry Frost
Stir a tablespoon of honey into a vanilla flavored yogurt. Pour over your berries and toss to coat them in sugar. Freeze.

Put more vanilla yogurts in the freezer. They will transform into frozen yogurt in about 2 hours.

In pretty little cups layer frozen berries, and vanilla yogurts, and then top with more berries and a drizzle of honey for decoration.

The Most Bourguignon Boeuf Bourguignon An American Ever Did Make - Doris Julien's Boeuf Bourguignon

I attended the anniversary party for the Château de Saint-Albain. Hundreds of people gathered together to sing praises of this wonderful château that serves as our favorite conference center in the heart of the Burgundy region of France. As story after story unfolded about the château, it was clear that everyone believed their season in the château's history were the glory years.

One story stands above the rest. You see, a group of local Bourguignon families wanted to thank a family of caretakers who had worked at the château for over two decades. Bourguignon families are very proud (in the best sense), proud of their land, proud of their culture, proud of their cuisine. And so, to flatter this couple and make them feel at home, the best compliment they could come up with was, "Thank you Doris, you make the most Bourguignon, Boeuf Bourguignon that an American has ever made!" Followed by an uproar of applause.

So try your hand at their traditional recipe, but beware, if you change one ingredient in this recipe they'll taste it and say, "Nice stew, but that's not Boeuf Bourguignon." And you can disagree with them all you want, but in the end they did invent the recipe, so you can't really complain if they get to decide whether it has been recreated properly.

Boeuf Bourguignon
6 oz bacon
1 tbsp oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp flour (traditionally all purpose flour, but rice flour works too)
1 bottle of red wine from Bourgogne
2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
bay leaf
18-24 white canned onions
1 lb fresh mushrooms
fresh parsley sprigs

You'll need a baking casserole that does double duty on the stove and in the oven. Imagine a big thick iron pot with a lid. Mine is stainless steel, but make sure your handles won't melt.

Fry bacon over moderate heat until lightly brown, remove, break into pieces, set aside in your large baking casserole.

Cut beef into 2 inch chunks. Dry the beef with a papertowel. Sear beef in bacon fat until brown, set aside with the bacon.

In the same fat brown the sliced vegetables, remove to a separate bowl.

Toss meat with salt, pepper, and flour. Place casserole uncovered in the middle of the oven at 450°F for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and continue baking another 4 minutes until flour has browned. Remove and set oven to 325°F.

Empty the bottle of wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, vegetables, crushed garlic and herbs. Bring to simmer on the stove.

Cover the casserole, place in the lower third of the oven. Regulate the heat so the liquid continues to simmer very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when it falls apart when pierced with a fork.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms by browning them lightly. Add these to the meat 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Check the meat every half hour, if it's too dry add more stock, by the end of the cooking time the sauce should be gravy-like.

Give A Man A Fish - Fish Tacos

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." - Maimonides

Fish Tacos

Tilapia. Cooked in olive oil and seasoned with chipotle seasoning.

Amazing Fish Taco Sauce. Half sour cream and half light mayonaise seasoned with chipotle seasoning.

Pico de Gallo. Fresh diced tomatoes, diced onion, and generous amounts of chopped cilantro drenched in fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Red Rice.

Raspberry Roast

A light roast that says, spring is here! Let's all get twitterpated!

If you're feeling like mashed potatoes just won't do the trick tonight then try this nice potato gratin ; parboiled sliced potatoes, cheese, cream, white wine, nutmeg.

Raspberry Roast Sauce
1/4 cup black raspberry preserves
1/4 cup red raspberry preserves
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup wine/grape juice
1/2 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) reduce to 325°F (160°C) when putting the roast in fat side up smothered in sauce. Cook 25 minutes for each pound (500g).

How To Prepare An Avocado

There is only one way to slice an avocado. - Surprised?

CHOOSE YOUR AVOCADO
You choose a ripe avocado the same way you choose a ripe peach. Don't let it's lizard-like appearance throw you off. The skin will be tough, but underneath the flesh should be soft to the touch, not soupy, not hard, just right, even peach-like.

CHOOSE YOUR KNIFE
Choose a sharp flat knife. I've noticed some of you do not have a knife like this in your kitchen, it's worth the investment because you'll have less mess during the preparation process, and prettier food to serve. Do not use a butter knife, not a steak knife. What you really want is a smooth non-serrated knife.

READY-SET-SLICE!
Flip your avocado over so you can see it's stem, which always grows crooked, so look it straight in the eye and look for it's seem. Hold your knife handle toward your belly button, and blade facing down. Slice straight in the stem and through the avocado until you feel you've hit the seed. Then, maintaining contact with the seed slice backward around the seed until you've made a complete circle. Remove your knife and twist the two halves of the avocado like an oreo cookie.



CARVE
Set the half of the fruit containing the seed on the table in front of you. Wielding your knife like a mini ax, you should be able to wedge the flat sharp blade of your knife into the seed with one flick of your wrist. As in the photo at the top of this post. With the blade embedded in the seed as your own personalized custom handle, twist the seed gently and it will dislodge from the avocado. Peel the skin off with your fingers starting at the stem and slowly undressing it. Slice as you like. Wrap unused avocado tightly in plastic wrap, or better yet, eat it immediately.

Amazing Quinoa and Roquette Salad

Four layers make the heartiest salad you've ever had!

Start by cooking & cooling your quinoa grains, mine is a mixture of red and white quinoa. Then prepare a generous pile of young roquette salad - these aromatic leaves look like baby dandelion leaves, but they taste nutty and are often called arugula in the Americas.  Layer equal quantities of roquette, quinoa and fresh parsley, topped with cherry tomatoes cut in half. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, et bon appetite!

Dreaming of Luscious Summer Vegetables

First grill the eggplant / aubergine, zucchini / courgette, summer squash and mushrooms with olive oil.
Then in a springform pan, layer grilled eggplant, zucchini, summer squash and portobello mushrooms followed by fresh heirloom tomatoes, pressed garlic and basil leaves. Then sprinkle bread crumbs and fresh grated parmesan cheese before drizzling olive oil over the whole dish. In the oven for 40 minutes at 400°F (200°C)

Fondant Parisien de Julien

You'll notice the cake is perfectly done when the chocolate is golden and blackened on top!

I left the original recipe in French because I love the personality that gushes out through all of the alterations...


Fondant Parisien de Julien

250 g de chocolat (8oz baking chocolate)
175 g de sucre (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup sugar)
125 g de beurre (1 stick of real butter)
30 à 35 g de farine
5 œufs (5 eggs)

Faire chauffer le four. Preheat the oven.

Faire fondre 250 grammes de chocolat dans très peu d’eau ou de lait, à feux doux. Melt the chocolate.

Quand il est fondu, ajoutez 125 grammes de beurre, 5 jaunes d’œufs un à un. Add the butter and the yolks to the chocolate. Puis 30 à 35 grammes de farine.

Mélangez bien et ajoutez ensuite 175 grammes de sucre. Once blended add the sugar. 

Pour terminer 5 blancs d’œufs battus en neige ferme MAIS PAS TROP. Incorporer A LA MAIN d’abord 2 cuillerées et battez fortement puis ajoutez le reste en soulevant la pâte. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl to form soft peaks, fold into the batter.

Une fois le moule beurré, je le saupoudre de sucre cristallisé. Butter and sugar the inside of a round cake pan. 

Faire cuire à four modéré 180 degrés 210 °C environ 40 minutes les 15 premières minutes puis 180° Celsius les 15 dernières minutes. Bake at 410°F for the first 15 minutes, and 356°F for the last 15 minutes.

Cover the surface of the plate with english custard to create the 'pac-man' effect.
Bon appétit

Because eating should leave you feeling great! - Moussaka Allègée

Who knew a detox fitness retreat could taste so great!

A friend of mine came back from her detox fitness retreat, pumped and ready to live healthy. We talked late into the night about the great friends she met; real quality people who are seeking healthy lifestyles. And we talked food! Menus, calories, and most of all recipes!

Here's her favorite recipe direct from the nutritionist's desk, but you'll never believe it...

Moussaka Allègée
serves 6

2 lb (800g) ground chuck (beef 5%)
3 (9 inch) eggplant / aubergine (750g)
2 tbsp (càs) olive oil
1 large onion
1 tbsp (càs) corn starch (maïzena) ***
1 cup (8 oz / 250g) yogurt 0% fat
3 large tomatoes (375g)
fresh grated nutmeg
1 oz fresh grated parmesan
1 whole egg + 1 egg white
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Slice 2 of the eggplants into centimeter thick slices and salt them so that they start to give off their juices.

Poke the other eggplant with a sharp knife and boil it whole in salt water for 10 minutes. This just gives them a good head start while you're busy grilling...

Grill the sliced eggplants brushing both sides with olive oil.

Soften the diced onion on medium high heat in a thick bottomed pot with no oil, but a spray of water to keep them from drying out as they soften.

Mix the cornstarch into 1/2 of the yogurt.

Peel the whole eggplants and cook the flesh with the onions until it becomes sauce-like.
Peel the tomatoes and add them to to this sauce. When they boil down to sauce add the ground beef. Then when the beef is browned, add the yogurt-cornstarch mixture and grate the nutmeg directly into the pot, add just a pinch of salt and ground black pepper.

Layer your baking pan with grilled sliced eggplant. Cover with the sauce, and sprinkle fresh grated parmesan on top. Repeat as necessary.

Beat the egg, plus the egg white, plus the other half of the yogurt. Pour this over the entire dish, grate fresh nutmeg directly over this cream layer, and sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes.

***Nichole's variation - If you don't have cornstarch you can thicken the sauce any way you want. Lite : 1 tbsp of rice flour. Less light : 1 tbsp of instant potato flakes.