Garlic and basil pattypan squash stir-fry

There is nothing simpler than this delicious pattypan squash stir-fry! Fresh seasonal ingredients and literally 12 minutes from cutting board to belly.

Try it and let me know how you liked it!



INGREDIENTS (2 people as main vegetarian dish, 4 people as small side):
- 2 lbs assorted summer squash (I used a mix of pattypan squash and round zucchini)
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- dice the squash into bite-sized cubes, crush the garlic clove and chop the basil leaves

- in a large pan, infuse the olive oil with the garlic clove and a basil bloom (if you have one on hand, otherwise just a few strips of chopped basil will do) over very low heat, then remove the golden garlic and either reserve for service or discard

- saute the diced squash in the infused olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste as well as the basil leaves and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until the squash is cooked to your liking (I like mine quite al dente)

- serve hot, room temperature or cold as a main vegan dish, along with some rice or quinoa, as a side to grilled pork, chicken, tuna or swordfish (that's how I ate mine). The leftovers are delicious as a cold salad with a splash of balsamic vinegar, or just as a snack on toast!
- Enjoy!

Pea tendrils, raw kohlrabi, chioggia beets and goat cheese salad

This recipe was born yesterday morning after I hauled a ton of veggies from a local farmers market. Simple as that. I found myself with a bag of pea tendrils (never tried them before), two kohlrabis (50 cents apiece) and a bunch of beets, which until I sliced them open that same evening I thought were plain red (my inner food dork was hella happy). I started thinking of a dish as soon as I was back on my bike and on my way home, and this is what I came up with.

Hope you'll enjoy!



INGREDIENTS (for 2 people):
- 1/2 bag of pea tendrils (about 2 cups)
- 1 raw kohlrabi
- 1 cooked chioggia beet (any beet will do)
- about a 1 inch slice of fresh goat cheese (the recipe can be adapted to a vegan diet by leaving out the goat cheese)
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper


RECIPE:
- peel and slice the kohlrabi and beet very finely using a mandolin

- prepare the dressing: mix the salt, pepper, honey, vinegar and oil
- place the sliced roots on a bed of pea tendrils, sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese and drizzle the dressing over the salad
- enjoy!

Refreshing shrimp, grapefruit and millet salad

This very refreshing shrimp, grapefruit and millet salad is absolutely perfect for hot, sunny days.

Not much to say about it, except it is very easy to make, wallet friendly and super healthy! If you do not like shrimp, you can absolutely replace the protein source by grilled chicken, tofu or grilled tempeh, or even roasted chickpeas.

This recipe can be adapted to a vegan diet.

Here is how you can make it too!



INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
for the salad:
- 2 cups of millet
- about 1/2 lbs frozen raw shrimp (you can also use fresh, or already cooked shrimp, I just happened to have frozen raw shrimp at hand)
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 1 bunch of scallions
- 1 heart of romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch of radishes
- 1 large carrot


for the dressing:
- 1 tbsp raw granulated sugar (you can use brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil (plus extra olive oil if you find it too lean, but I liked mine like that)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 inch of grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 tsp sesame seeds



RECIPE:
- cook the millet according to the package instructions and let cool until ready to use

- while the cooked millet cools to room temperature, prep all your veggies and fruits: slice the radishes, chop the romaine and green onions, julienne the carrot and pare the grapefruit segments

- bring about 1-2 cups of salted water to a boil in a skillet and boil the shrimp until cooked through (about 3-4 minutes), drain and peel the shrimp until ready to use

Note: you can cool the cooked shrimp faster in a bowl of water with ice cubes
- prepare the dressing: mix all the ingredients and set aside until ready to use

- when the millet and shrimp are cooled, assemble the salad in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing on top

Note: take a good look at this serving bowl guys, because the next day I broke it into a million pieces! This is the last time you will ever see this beauty :(
- enjoy!

Clafoutis aux cerises (Classic French dessert with black cherries and flan batter)

It's summer time!!! And that means cherries are in season right now! Color me happy, because cherries are one of my absolute favorite fruits :)

For my first post of July, I decided to treat you guys (and myself at the same time!) with a delicious classic French dessert: Clafoutis aux cerises. It is a simple flan batter poured over juicy, plump black cherries and baked to golden custardy perfection.

Sounds good? It is! Try it and let me know how you liked it.



INGREDIENTS (for 4 people):
- about 1/2 lb of pitted fresh black cherries (my advice: invest in a cherry pitter. I did this with chopsticks and it was a bloody mess!)
Note: the traditional recipe calls for unpitted cherries, as they give an almond flavor to the cake. But I like my teeth, thank you very much, so pitted cherries it is!
- 1 tbsp AP flour
- 4 to 5 tbsp granulated sugar, depending on how sweet your cherries are
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 eggs
- a little bit of cold butter, for the pan


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 400F
- using a paper towel, thoroughly grease an 8" pan with the cold butter

Note: I used a 9" pan and it ended up being a little big for the amount of batter
- mix all the ingredients, except the cherries, until smooth like a very thin pancake batter

- place the cherries in the bottom of the pan and pour the batter on top of the fruits

- lower the oven to 300F and bake for 1 hour until golden at the corners

- enjoy lukewarm or cold with a nice glass of cold milk, or a steaming cup of black tea

Pink grapefruit curd

Today, I have a really fun and easy recipe for a delicious, sweet, tangy and slightly bitter pink grapefruit curd. It is delicious as a filling in a pie, or swirled in yoghurt with a few berries and raw almonds on top. This would also make a fantastic flavor in a vanilla ice cream base.

Here's how to make it!



INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large pink grapefruit
- 1/2 to 1 cup of granulated sugar (according to how sweet you like the curd to be, and how sweet your grapefruit is)
- 4 egg yolks, you can keep the whites for an another recipe like a chocolate mousse or macarons
- 1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter, cold


RECIPE:
- zest and juice the grapefruit

- mix the zest, sugar and yolks in a bowl, whisk in the grapefruit juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved

- cook over very low heat (even better in a double boiler) and stir continuously until the mixture starts to thicken a little, then add the butter cube by cube and stir until the butter is melted and blended in and the cream thickens. The perfect consistency will stick a wooden spoon held above the pot

- strain in a mesh to remove stringy zest (or don't if you like the texture; I like it very smooth) and refrigerate

Note: this curd will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator
- enjoy whichever way you want! I like mine by the spoon(ladle)ful, right out of the jar!