Healthy cucumber salad with dill cream vinaigrette

You know those days when you know you've been abusing the calories all week long but you're still hungry and you still need to eat? Well, look no further, I've got the perfect recipe for you! Try this cucumber salad with a dill cream vinaigrette, you won't be sorry.

Plus, it's super healthy and makes you feel good about yourself :D



INGREDIENTS (for 2 people):
- 1 large cucumber
- 1handful of fresh dill
- 1/3 cup light cream
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- slice the cucumber thinly

- mix the vinegar and cream (the cream will curdle into a thicker consistency, almost yoghurt-like; that's absolutely normal!) and add the chopped dill and stir well

- douse the sliced cucumber in the cream sauce, salt and pepper and mix until evenly coated

- serve sprinkled with a little paprika, with perfectly fried eggs and toasted pumpernickel bread for a super healthy lunch or light dinner

- enjoy!

Ras el hanout chicken meatballs and israeli couscous stew

The inspiration behind this post came about two days ago, when Virginie at Chefnini (if you don't know her yet, she is an amazing cook! She posts exclusively in French however) posted an entry on couscous-flavored meatballs. Couscous as in the north-african stew dish, not just the grain, of course! I thought this was such a genious idea that I decided to adapt it to the pound of chicken I had waiting to be transformed into deliciousness in the fridge.

Here's what I came up with, with whatever was around in my pantry.



Note: Sorry guys, no step by step photos for this one. I concocted this on a whim, with no natural day light so there was no point... Still, hope you will try (and like) this recipe!

INGREDIENTS (3-4 people):
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 shallot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp ras el hanout (click here for a recipe)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (more or less, depending on the moisture level)
- 1 egg
- one 15oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup israeli couscous
- fresh cilantro

RECIPE:
- chop the shallot, garlic and chicken very finely with a food processor (or meat grinder if you're lucky enough to have one!)
- add an egg to the mixture and mix thoroughly
- add the spices, salt and pepper and adjust moisture level with the flour, until you are satified with the texture
- form into small meatballs and dredge in flour
- brown the meatballs in a little bit of olive oil and butter, over high heat
- when the meatballs are golden brown (but still raw inside), add the can of tomatoes with the juice, the broth and israeli couscous
- bring back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered on low for about 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs and couscous are cooked through
- if the stew gets too dry before the couscous is cooked, add some warm water (I personally like this stew a bit on the liquid side)
- serve piping hot and sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro
- enjoy!

Roasted poblano cream and Mahi-mahi tacos

First off, apologies for the crappy photo quality. I made this in the evening, with no natural light and no blogging aspirations, but it turned out to be so delicious, I just had to share!

Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you of my love for poblano peppers. As a European, I must say poblanos have been one of the most eye-opening culinary experiences I've had since I moved to the US. They have a particular smokey flavor that I just cannot get enough of! Especially when they are roasted on an open flame.

Now, I don't know about you, but they are not readily available in my regular supermarket, so when I found fresh poblanos at the farm produce stand at work last week, I took advantage and stocked up.

This is what I came up with that very same evening.

Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS (for 2 people, or 1 with leftovers)
- 1 pack of frozen mahi-mahi bits, thawed (very affordable - I found mine at Trader Joe's for less than 4 dollars)
- 1 large shallot, diced very finely (you can use onions, but I had shallots on hand)
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced very finely
- a handful of cilantro, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, charred on an open flame, peeled and chopped in large chunks (make sure to remove all pits and membranes, as this is where most of the heat is)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup light cream (any liquid cream, sour cream or even greek yoghurt will work too)
- a splash of olive oil
- salt pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- in a medium pan, heat a little bit of olive oil and gently fry the shallot and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes until transparent (do not brown)

- then add the poblano chunks and chicken broth, and simmer for a few minutes on high heat, until the pepper is almost cooked through

- add the cream and cilantro and simmer for another 2-3 minutes, until the cream thickens a little and the poblano is soft and completely cooked through

- using an immersion blender, puree until smooth

Note: if the mixture is still too liquid for your taste, transfer back into the pan and cook over medium heat until thickened to satisfaction 
- serve grilled mahi-mahi bits over a whole wheat tortilla and a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, doused in the poblano cream sauce
- de-lish!

Himalayan salt block seared scallops and buttered garlic spinach

I haven't been this excited since the arrival of Piotr the Kitchenaid!

A couple of months ago, I got a super duper dorky-cool himalayan salt block for my birthday and I'm christening it today!

I decided to celebrate the awesomeness of owning such a cool gadget with seared scallops and buttered garlic spinach.

Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS (for 1 very excited kitchen dork):
- 5 scallops
- a splash of olive oil
- a handful of fresh spinach
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- pepper to taste
- a cooking grade salt block
- NO EXTRA SALT


RECIPE:
- gradually heat your salt block on a gas stove (20 minutes on low, 20 minutes on medium, 40 minutes on high)

- it is normal at this point to observe discoloration of the salt block

- pat dry the scallops and lightly brush with olive oil and sear on the hot salt block (about 5-7 minutes per side), reserve on the side

- melt the butter on the block and deglaze as much caramelized juices as possible before adding the spinach and as soon as it begins to wilt, add the garlic and toss

- serve the scallops on a bed of spinach and add pepper to taste

- Bon appetit!

Moussaka

What what?! An oven-baked dish right smack in the middle of a heat wave? Girl, you cray-cray!

But let me explain the rationale behind this rather unconventional choice for a meal in July:

July = hot = beautiful weather = beach = Mediterranean sea = Greece = Moussaka. See? Barely convoluted :D


INGREDIENTS (for 4 people):
- 2lbs eggplants
for the meat sauce: 
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 15oz can diced tomato, with juice
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/8 ground cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste

for the white sauce:
- 2 cups of milk (normally whole, but I used skim)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup AP flour
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup grated feta cheese


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 350F
- slice the eggplants thinly (~1/8 inch), salt them and put them on a dish cloth for an hour so they can release water

- in the mean time, fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes on medium-low heat, until translucent and soft

- add the meat and brown for a few minutes on high heat until cooked through

- add the remaining ingredients for the meat sauce, stir well and let simmer covered for about an hour on low heat

- while the meat sauce is cooking, prepare the white sauce: start with a roux. Melt the butter over medium heat, and add the flour, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. It will bubble and fluff up

- add the milk in one go, and whisk immediately to avoid lumps. cook for a few minutes on medium-low heat, until the sauce thickens to pancake batter consistency

- remove from heat and stir in the grated feta cheese and beaten egg; reserve on the side until ready to assemble the Moussaka

- when your white sauce is cooling and the meat sauce is finishing cooking, shallow fry the eggplant slices (patted dry). To minimize the oil intake, I used a cooking spray and fried the slices in batch, about 1-2 minutes per side over medium-high heat

- you can now proceed to the assembly: start with a layer of eggplants, and spread half of the meat sauce on top, then add a second eggplant layer, other half of the meat sauce and finish with a third eggplant layer. Pour the white sauce on top and smooth out with a spatula


- bake in a 350F oven for an hour, until beautifully golden

- enjoy!!

PS: this keeps extremely well and tastes even better reheated. You can also freeze leftovers in batches and enjoy your Moussaka during cold winter days :)