Tomatoes creme brulée

Daylight Saving Time or Summer time as we say here is officially finishes and reminds me that summer is barely ending just more few days and its over. So, no more long days and lazy readings under sunshades at 8PM.

Looking forward its mean more housework; get it out for the drawer heavy clothes and eiderdowns and bring it out into the sun.

I've already put away all our summer clothes. Well, in fact the most part of it, because even feeling a cold wind in the morning, is still warm over the day. But, for other way

the perfect time for cook and bake is just begging.

So, I started to try new flavors and textures for new dishes I really want to try something new and one more time my pantry was my inspiration.

I always have a pack of sun dried tomatoes, just in case. They are a joker, at least for me, of the ingredients. You didn’t go wrong with it. So I try this as a cold starter and was really good.

Tomatoes crème brulée

Ingredients

150 g died tomatoes

6 eggs yolks

250 ml heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar

And extra sugar to sprinkle

Method

Drain the tomatoes and blend

Mix cream and egg yolks then add tomatoes, salt sugar and pepper

In a metal bowl that can be suspended over simmering water, set the mixture over the simmering water and whisk constantly. You want to cook the eggs slowly so the mixture stays very smooth. Batten until thick and foamy. Don’t over cooing

Set on individual ramekins, or custard cups and leave chill at least 3 h.

Chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Sprinkle top of each custard with 1 teaspoon raw sugar. Using kitchen torch, melt sugar on each custard until deep amber. (Alternatively, preheat broiler. Arrange custards on small rimmed baking sheet; broil until sugar topping melts and browns, about 2 minutes.)

Taste of France: Brandade

Salt cod is very appreciated in Brazil, Portugal and also Spain. Last week I found a good piece in my local market and I can’t resist and bought a tray with two large pieces. So I kept it until I had an inspiration, that came when I saw my dear friend Carlos’ brandade photo .

Brandade is a classic French dish; it goes by the formally name of, Brandade de Morue Nîmes (Ragout of Cod Nîmes). I had been sawing the recipe in several blogs, like Elvira´s Bistrot and many others. However I make the recipe from Narda Lepes’ cookbook she adds a poached egg on top and I like the idea. The most of recipes had smashes potatoes to dilute the flavor but I didn’t use.

Brandade was conceived in Provence but is today a traditional dish of the neighboring region, Languedoc an area west of the Rhone River with its southern boundary being the Mediterranean Sea.

Lightly flavored with garlic, nutmeg, and white pepper, it can be eaten cold on toast but is generally warmed and served as a main dish with croutons. And it can be accompanied by plain boiled potatoes. Alternately, it can be served au gratin with a light dusting of bread crumbs and passed through the oven.

Ingredients

• · 1 kg of salt cod
• · Bouquet garni
• · 1 garlic head (roasted)
• · 1 cups of olive oil
• · 1 cup of cream
• · poached egg per person
• · juice of one lemon
• · Nutmeg, freshly parsley and white pepper

The night before

Cut the cod evenly into squares, put in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Change the water several times during the next 24 hours. When ready, the cod should taste just a bit saltier than a cooked fish that has been seasoned with salt.

Method

For the roasted garlic:

Cut the tips of the garlic head, (unpeeled) wrap up into an aluminum foil with a tread of olive oil. Bake (220°C/428F) for about 10 minutes or until the cloves are soft.

Note: Making this you see that the garlic flavor turns soft. You may, also use this paste as a dip with olive oil and salt, is delicious!!!

Poach the cod very gently in water for 8 minutes with bouquet garni. Drain, and then remove the skin and all bones, and reduce the flesh to small shre ds. Put a half of the oil in a small pan and the cream with the roasted garlic in another. Heat each in medium te mperature and maintain this temperature while doing the following:

Heat the other half oil on a pan. Add the cod then crush and work the mixture with a wooden spoon, while heating gently. Mix carefully until the oil is absorbed and there no lumps fish. When it forms a fine paste, remove the pan from the heat. Without stopping the mixing process, began to alternatively add the oil and then the cream, using no more than a half teaspoonful at a time. Mix well after each addition.

When the mixture is very creamy it can be seasoned with the lemon juice, nutmeg and white pepper. The result should be a smooth white paste with the consistency of potato purée

Stir in parsley, spoon into a serving bow l, a nd serve topping the toasts. Garnish with green salad, the poached egg and drizzle with truffle oil if you have it.

Refrigerated, it will keep up to a week.

A easy and simple recipe

Yesterday night I came back late at home.

I can't be bothered to cook now -I thought to myself. So, I opened the fridge searching inspiration. I saw two endives packages that I bought last Friday. Some leftovers chesses and a few slices of Parma ham. That’s it, I thought happily. Those ingredients would make a perfect dish to tired and full days. Unfortunately my husband is not a huge fan of Parma ham. So I came out and bought 50g regular ham for him. He said Parma ham is too salty for his taste Can this??

I had seen some endives recipes around the blogs, but most of them are made with béchamel sauce. In this recipe I use fresh cream for three things. First the endive boiled and cooked in cream, saving steps as previous boil or steam, second it is easier to make than béchamel sauce and third, I learned this recipe like this, a long time ago, from my aunt who was geriatric doctor in Switzerland. She loved cook and was a big inspiration to me.

Argentine had good endives, almost on the same Belgian endives level. To truly enjoy them, select endives that are smooth and white with yellow tips and leaves that are closed at the tips.

Endives au gratin

Ingredients: 3 large endives

3 slices Parma ham 200ml whipping cream

50g Grated Gruyere cheese (I used, blue cheese, gruyere, Parmesan, and cheddar) Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Butter for greasing the dish Preheat oven to220°C.

1 Slice off the base of each endive.

2. Pour salt and ground pepper on cream

2. Wrap a slice of ham around each lightly salted endives and lay them on a baking dish

3. Pour the cream on top of the wrapped endives and sprinkle some grated gruyere cheese on top of it.

5. Bake it for about 20 to 30 minutes. Or until the cheese is golden brown

(Serves two)

Asparagus Soufflé

The asparagus is cultivated all around the world. Lightly cooked, in water or vapor, it can compose a salad or being the accompaniment of many plates and sauces. It is flavorful and nutritious.

The asparagus provides essential many nutrients. Six medium tails or a cup, provides 25 calories and it contains many fibers, and is a source of vegetable protein.

It should be consumed, if possible soon after that their harvested, for that reason they deteriorate quickly, and, without cooling they lose half of the vitamin C and its flavor in two or three day. If they are frozen quickly they keep most of the nutrients. They are also a source of vitamins, B, C, calcium and iron. After the orange juice, it is the best source of folic acid, confessedly reducer the risks of heart illnesses , colon cancer, the liver illnesses and dorsal thorn. The asparagus is also rich in mineral salts, as potassium.
We should not consume asparagus in cans, because the process destroys part of the flavor and some nutrients, the best thing is always to consume them fresh.

Asparagus Soufflé

½ kg fresh Asparagus

1 cup milk

Salt

1/2cup boiled milk

Pinch of nutmeg

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon purpose flour

2 Tablespoon chopped Parmesan Cheese

Method

Wash the asparagus, and retire the hardest part, cut in pieces and take them to a pot. Add the milk, a pinch of salt and cook until boil. Reduce the fire, cover the pot partially and cook until the asparagus this soft one. Let cool and put the asparagus and the milk in a blender. Move the mixture into the bowl, cover with plastic and reserves. Melt the butter and sprinkle the wheat flour and cook, whisk during 1 minute. Retire of the fire and add the boiled milk, without stopping to whisk. Take again to the fire and continuing whisk it hardens and have a cream structure. Correct the salt and add the nutmeg. At once join that cream to the blender concoction and put the grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well, reserve. Previously heat the oven in low fire. Separate the yolks of the egg whites. Puts the yolks in a bowl and work (reserve the egg whites) with a manual mixer until to obtain a clear mixture and thickens. Reserve. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with a manual mixer until they form very firm peaks. Add the yolks and the egg whites beaten to the asparagus mixture, and gently fold in. Immediately scoop contents into soufflé containers Bake until gold

Mille feuilles de pommes de terre et Poireaux

Potato Mille feuilles and Leeks

2 pounds potatoes or about 4 big potatoes

1 pound leeks

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup withe dry wine (200 ml)

Fresh rosemary

Ground black Pepper

Salt

Peel the potatoes without washing and neither leave in water, because the starch will unite them. Cut in slices

Cut the leek in circles and undo them.

In a pan grease with butter, prepare the potatoes, sprinkle

with salt, pepper and leaves of rosemary. Put a litter of leeks in a uniform way and drip some drops of melted shortening

To continue the litters until finishing in potatoes, paint with butter melted, salt, pepper and leaves of rosemary .Put the white wine on the whole preparation

Take to the oven until gilding.