Three round peppers tart

Still hot here. Thank goodness, because I'm not very fond of winter, we have had very light lunch and dinner, and we are leveraging these long days that we have now.
I'm also with a new project  and that has kept me busy, because there is much to think and plan. I would, moreover, organize myself, to update the blog twice a week and visit you and your  lovely blogs. But back to the topic of hot days, I have prepared pies and tarts, which I think are easy and light,  when I saw these beautiful red peppers seemed to me a tart and color highlighting in a smooth degrade . Use red, yellow and orange. The creamy texture is  provided by the cream cheese and  fresh cream, I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients 1 Sheet frozen puff pastry  1 yellow pepper 1 red pepper  1 orange pepper  1 tablespoon butter  1 leek 200ml fresh cream 2 large eggs  300 g of fresh cheese or cream cheese Salt, pepper and nutmeg

Method:  Cut the peppers and leeks in julienne (strips) Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the leeks until tender Add peppers and frying for 4 minutes more  Mix  cream with  eggs add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg Stretch the puff pastry on a baking sheet. Put on the bottom slices of cheese Put over the saute mix Cover with the mixture of cream and eggs,   Bake in pre-heated  oven to 220C until golden

Baby eggplants tart

I guess it has been well over weeks since I’ve posted about a savory tarts. I am going through tart rescue, so yesterday whipped up this simple vegetable tart, with fresh, organic vegetables and baby eggplants. In fact it was to be a red onion tart. But I didn’t found red onions in my local grocery, instead I found this lovely baby eggplants and I couldn’t resist. The flavors worked quite well together in particular, the baby eggplants that was the first time that I tasted. It was quite smooth and delicate. This tart is perfect trough all over the year and you can replace for any season vegetable ore anyone other that you like.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped or minced Freshly ground black pepper to taste 400g tin chopped tomatoes, drained 400g tin chopped zucchini 400g baby eggplant cut in halves or 400g eggplant cut in dices 200g cream cheese 1 package ready rolled puff pastry

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish. Place onion, peppers, zucchinis, eggplant and, garlic in prepared pan. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt, and sprinkle a little olive oil over them. Roast in preheated oven for about 10 minutes. When the vegetables are tender, remove from oven. Spread tomatoes evenly over the vegetables, and carefully mix with cream cheese. Keep it warm. Or roast at the same time that you bake the pastry Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface, cut in circles. Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Pile vegetable mix into hollowed out case Serve immediately while the puff pastry is still crisp. Garnish with dried apricot stuffed with Roquefort

Friday’s quick ideas for the week end #5

Chicken Curried Pie Well, well. Another Friday arrives. At this time my suggestion is a pie, a chicken pie in fact. But this is not an ordinary chicken pie. I am proud to say that my “invention” works so well. The crust is tender and melted in the mouth and the filling is delightful. The pie is rich and delicate; you can bake it in individual shape if you like and serve as starter. I don’t remember if a mentioned that I bought a new machine in our vacations. Never mind, I am very pleased with my new hand mixer, powerful (750W), quick and had a beautiful vintage design. Is ready to use and had a large l litre processing bowl, whisk, frothing spindle and stick blender. I am telling this because I hate make crust pie, it never woks so well for me, mainly when I don’t had much time. This machine made my life easier. In five minutes less my crust was ready into the fridge. After made this dough I never bought industrialized crust anymore I keep some discs in the fridge and I use when necessaries .I made only the filling. I had not many ingredients, so I only used,, once more, ingredients that I had in the fridge and pantry, cherry tomatoes, fresh cream, powered curry, onions and chicken breast, of course. I hope that you enjoy the recipe as we enjoyed. Believe me. You don’t regret if you make it Your favorite crust or use this recipe. Crust

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup self rising flour
• 1 cup (200g) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut in dices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 5 Tbsp ice water

Cut the butter in dices and pour onto the freezer for 15 minutes or more In a food processor combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again. Remove dough from machine and place preferment on marble, granite or another cold surface Gently shape in two discs, do not over knead Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. Tip: Remember if the crust is chill use warm filing. If the crust is warm use chilled filling For the stuffed

• 400g chicken breast, boneless and skinless, boiled in broth
• 1 Tbsp canola, sunflower or corn oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 200g cherry tomatoes, but you can use regular tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp medium yellow curry powder
• 1 teaspoon muscovado sugar
• 200ml fresh cream
• 2 large eggs lightly batten
• Salt and pepper to taste

Roll the dough and garnish a medium round mold and leave to refrigerate. Cut in quarters cherry tomatoes, or cut in small dices regular tomatoes In a large skillet heat oil, add the onions, always stirring cook until became transparent. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 or 4 minutes more Add the chicken boiled cute in small pieces, curry and muscovado sugar. Cook for one, two minutes more in low heat Add fresh cream and leave to boil. Remove from heat and ad the eggs batten Preheat the oven at 220°C Pour the filing the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the filling. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven. Bake for about 45 to 55

Chicken & spinach soufflé roll

Daylight Saving Time started on the weekend here and I’m so tired and dining late. I have been thinking about this roll since Monday. I wanted to have a light meal for dinner and also dine earlier. I found inspiration in my folders recipes. In fact are a loose leaf papers that I come collecting thru the years. Some of those are yellowish for the passage of time, some were writing for my mother and another by my aunt, and others by me in a childlike writing, that even mine, is hard to believe that these writing belong to me once time . And these roll recipes catch my attention, so I made and now I am sharing with you this delicious and delicate taste.

Here the most of the people prefers Swiss chard and I had a serious discussion in a restaurant that try to cheat me and make me believe that the tart was made with spinach as showed in the menu. The fact is that I love spinach and heat Swiss chard, less the stalk that I love fried.

I love it because they taste delicious and also because still has a large nutritional value, especially fresh, steamed, or quick boiled. I also know that is a rich source of vitamin A, C, K, magnesium and several antioxidants and folic acid. This last is good for pregnancy. To preserves all vitamins it is better to steam it than to boil it.

And always remember, when cooked, the volume is decreased by three quarters

Chicken & spinach soufflé roll:

4 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup. Flour 1/2 tsp. salt 2 cups hot milk

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 cup. Cooked, drained, and chopped spinach (or frozen)

1 Tsp chopped Parmesan

5 eggs, separated

Chicken & cream chesse filling:

2 tbsp. sunflower oil 4 shallots, finely chopped

2cups, chicken breast (boneless and peel less), cute in small pieces

1 tomato peeled and cute in dices 1 yellow pepper cute in dice 6 oz. cream cheese, softened Salt & fresh pepper to taste

Method

Grease, line with wax paper; grease again and dust with bread crumbs a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly roll pan.

Melt butter in saucepan. Blend in flour, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Boil, stirring and cook 1 minute. Beat yolks to just mix. Add a little hot sauce while beating. Return all to pan. Cook medium heat 1 minute, stirring. DO NOT BOIL; add the drained spinach and set aside. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into cooled sauce. Pour into jelly roll pan and spread to form even layer. Bake 25-30 minutes until well puffed and browned. Turn onto a dish towel. (Peel off wax paper.) Spread with warm filling and roll with the aide of the towel, sliding it onto a serving platter, seam-side down.

Chicken cream chesse filling:

Melt butter in skillet and sauté shallots until tender. Add chicken and cook until golden brown (3 minutes). Stir in cream cheese, add tomatoes, yellow pepper and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Do you have leftovers in the fridge? Try this

There’s nothing easily to make that Blender’s savory cake. You can use almost anything to make it, meal, vegetable, chicken, tuna, and sardines. If you had leftovers you can use, as Antoine Lavoisier said, to turn in a delicious savory cake too. Just let free your imagination. These kinds of savory cakes are so common in Brazil and the recipes are basically always the same with a little variation here and there. I never was a huge fan of these cakes, but as my husband never tastes these cakes and as I had a f roasted chicken leftover, Philly cream cheese, a few sun dried tomatoes, and a little bit of tomatoes sauce and I confess that I was quite tired and lazy; I made one.

In this recipe I add onions in the batten and the result was pretty good, better than my regular recipe without onions. Honestly, delicious.

This recipe is my submission from my friend bloger Ivy. from Kopiaste. Who is hosting the savory pies event..In fact is not a real pie, but is filled and I think is ok.

Blender Savory cake Filled with cream cheese&sun dried tomatoes

• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 1 small onion coarsely chopped
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup sunflower oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Fill

Mix together:

• 1 large chicken breast (boneless and skinless) poached or roasted (I used a leftover) cute in dices
• 200g cream cheese
• 100g mozzarella cute in dices
• 2 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
• 20g sundried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomatoes sauce
• 1to 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt

Topping

Combine:

• 50g grated parmesan
• 50 g bread crumbs

Method:

Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and whisk the ingredients together to combine.

Put the eggs, parmesan, onion, and oil in blender. Beat for about 2 minute, until they’re foamy and blended.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and, using a sturdy rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, gently mix until the batten comes together.

Turn the half batten into a buttered pan, spoon the filling and add the other half dough.

Sprinkle the mix of bread crumbs and grated parmesan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until cake is golden and a slender knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Finishing the foyer and a good tart

The kitchen was not the only room that I remolding in my place, in fact I built a new room. A foyer was incorporated in the house. Before that, I only had a laconic and solitaire entryway front door in a horrible 7,2 sq ft porch.

You know, it's really hard to undo a bad first impression. A foyer is a terrific opportunity to make a statement about who you are and what your house is like so you have to make it count. So I demolished the porch walls and build up new walls with a large window. Is almost finish they are painting the walls and I am thinking in decoration, right now. And I bought these beautiful vases and those beautiful skinny dry branches with a delicate wood detail. What do you think? Isn’t it beautiful?

As long as they don’t finish the paint I was seeking for some ruled out photos that I pretend save in CD, Don’t ask me why I would do that, if I ruled up once , but definitely is me .

So, I found a folder from my husband’s birthday and I saw my roasted red onion tart.

I was inspired for one recipe (Roasted red onions) that I found in Donna Hay’s book; Off the Shelf; Cooking from the pantry. I discover and bought this book in my last vacation, and was love at first side. Her recipes are seldom difficult. In fact, they are simple. But she inspires beauty in her creations

Donna Hay is an Australian-based food stylist, and one of the best-known names in cookbook and magazine publishing in the world. Donna Hay inspired a new trend in cookbooks; clear close-ups of food. This focus on the food has made her cookbooks bestsellers, for although the recipes may seem simple, the mouth-watering photos.

. Selling over 3 million copies worldwide her books are renowned for their fresh style, easy-to-follow recipes and inspirational photography. She was named one of the ‘Magnificent Seven' cookbook authors by the judges of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in January 2007.

Roasted Red Onions & Cheese tart

Pate Brisee

(Savory dough pie)

350 g all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

220 g unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into small pieces

¼ to ½ cup ice water

In a food processor, place the flour, salt, Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour ¼ cup water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. Add remaining water, if necessary. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and gather it into a ball. Roll in foil; refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours before using.

For fast preparation: Put the dough in the freezer for 40-50 minutes before working with it.

For the roasted Onions

Ingredients

6 medium red onions, peeled and halved 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Pinch salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Arrange onions, cut sides down, in a baking pan or on a broiler pan

Sprinkle with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour over the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or so, turning them (with tongs or a wooden spoon) and basting half way through cooking. When the onions are ready, they should be deep purple in color.

For the cheese filling

100g Taleggio cheese, fontina, or similar semi-soft cheese, chopped

200g cream cheese

2 eggs yolk

Mix all ingredients and spoon on crust pre baked for about 10 minutes. Top with onions and bake about 30 minutes in Pre heat oven (220C)

Spanakopita

Remolding kitchen is not an easy job. I confess that I am exhausted with the noise and dust. If, are you planning make an remolding, keep in mind that you don’t have a cooker for a few weeks, or, worst, for month. In my case I think is a month now. And I really miss cook and blogging.

In the other hand, this week, I had a serious problem with my internet line. So, without internet I started to watch photos, which I pretend transform in little pictures for decorated one of the walls of my new kitchen and I found Spanakopita’s photo. I made one for my husband’s birthday, and I made equal Peter’s recipe. If you don’t know Peter´s blog Kalofagas you must know, is full of delicious Greek recipes But I do not made, like him, the dough, I just bought. The recipe is easy and delicious

Spanakopita

12 Phyllo sheets

500gr. ricotta cheese 3 large eggs 500 gr. feta cheese 1/2 cup chopped fresh dil 2 bunches of scallions, sauteed in oil (softened) 3 bunches of spinach, washed, blanced, drained (or 3 boxes of from frozen spinach) salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all of the above ingredients and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, reserve.
2. Lay 6 phyllo sheets in the pan, lightly brushing each with oil or melted butter before adding the next layer. Brush all the edges first since that is where drying will begin.
3. Spoon the spinach mixture over the top of the phyllo and carefully spread evenly to within about 1/2 inch of the edges
4. Lay 6 more phyllo sheets on top, brushing each one with oil or melted butter before adding the next layer.
5. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes to set.
6. Bake until golden, about 30-minutes.

Tarte Pasqualina

The pasqualina is a tart coming from the kitchen of Ligúria in Italy.

You toward in Easter, but now is used in all the times of the year Is a very, healthy tart and whit low calories. It can eat up cold or heat and it is taken very well in the pic nics. Here in Argentina, it is one of the ordinary pastries, I believe that tart arrive here for the Italian high immigration that Argentina had. My husband is of Italian origin and this it is one of his salted favorite pastries

Pasqualina Tart

A recipe of your favorite crust

400g of sewn spinach

2 tablespoons of soup of oil

50g of grated (the traditional one requests ricotta, but I prefer with grated bread) bread

5 Eggs

30g of grated Parmesan or grated pecorino

1 Onion

½ sweet red pepper

2 Cloves of garlic

A pinch of salt and pepper

Sweat the onion, the sweet pepper and the garlic. Sauté until this soft one and put the cooked an cut spinach, it picks up a little more and retire of the fire. One with grated bread and Parmesan (or pecorino) Mixes with two eggs.

Put the filler on the mold and make three holes in the mixture of the filler.

Insert the eggs in them and sprinkle the eggs with salt. Put the other part of the crust and close carefully for not ruining the eggs.

Bake in pre heat oven. During 45 to 50 minutes. The temperature of 220 C