Home Made Bread is Better!

Ingredient:

• dried active yeast x 2 tbsp
• water x 1 - 1 1/5 cups
• sugar or honey x 2 tbsp
• flour x 3 cups
• salt x 1/5 tbsp
• butter to brush on top of the bread

Mix the yeast, sugar or honey in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast is active. Mix the dry and the wet ingredients and knead until the dough becomes smooth and a bit elastic. Transfer the dough into a bowl, cover with a damped cloth and let it rise for 45 minutes in a warm environment. Punch the dough, knead for a minute or two and let it rise again for 45 minutes. repeat this last step one more time and then bake the bread in 350°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Brush the top of the bread with melted butter halfway through the baking process. Let it cool before serving.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Marinade:

• chicken breast x 2 cut in cubes
• yogurt x 1/2 cup
• coriander seed x 1.5 tsp
• cumin x 1.5 tsp
• chili powder 1 tsp
• turmeric x 2 tsp
• saffron x 1 pinch
• ginger x 1 inch
  

Sauce:

• crushed tomato x 250 ml
• cream x 250 ml
• butter x 1 tbsp
  
• onion x 1 small chopped
• garlic x 2 chopped
• ginger x 1 inch grated
• red chili x 1 chopped
• cumin x 1 tsp
• coriander seed x 1 tsp
• turmeric x 1 tsp
• chili powder x 1 tsp
• cinnamon x 1/2 tsp
• cilantro x handful
• almond slivers, salt, pepper

Marinate the chicken and refrigerate overnight. Thread the chicken pieces onto wooden skewers and grill until the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest.
Meanwhile make the sauce: saute garlic, onion, ginger, red chili, coriander stalks and spices in butter. Saute for 7 to 10 minutes. This lets all the flavors combine. Add tomato and salt. Cook for 15 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and cream, mix well. Add chicken and cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and almond slivers. Serve with rice or naan.

Chipotle Pinto Bean Stew

Slow cooked pinto beans in water with garlic, onion, red chili and chipotle pepper

Sabzi Polo (Persian Style Herbed Rice) with Herb Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice x 1.5 cups
• salmon fillet x 2 medium size
• dill x 1 bunch
• cilantro x 1 bunch
• frozen peas x 2 cups
• lemon x 1
• salt, pepper, oil or butter
  

Rinse the rice in cold water for a few minutes. In a medium sized pot boil 4 cups of water. Once it started boiling add a couple of big pinches of salt. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the rice is almost cooked (al-dente). Meanwhile, finely chop the herbs. Drain the rice, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. In a big bowl, mix the herbs (leave some for the fish), peas and the rice with a little bit of vegetable oil. Add the rice mixture to the same pot, let it cook in medium heat, covered, until it starts steaming. Turn down the heat and wrap the lid with a tea towel, cover and let it cook for 30 minutes.
Crust the salmon fillets with olive oil, herb, lemon zest salt and pepper. In a non-stick pan, fry the fish on medium high heat, skin side down first for 2-4 minutes each side (depending on the thickness). Once cooked, squeeze some lemon juice on the fish.
Serve with thick yogurt and Persian pickled vegetables

Banh Mi (Vietnamese-Style Pulled Pork) - Delica Kitchen

Vietnamese-style pulled pork, with fresh coriander, cucumber, pickled carrots and asian vinaigrette on ACE sesame flute
Delica Kitchen - 1440 Yonge St. Toronto
http://www.delicakitchen.ca/

Walnut x 2

Ingredients:

• chicken thighs x 2 skinned
  
• crimini mushrooms x 5 sliced
  
• red onion x 1/4 sliced
• kalamata olives x 4 finely chopped
  
• goat cheese
• walnut
• mixed greens
• ciabatta bun
  
• lime, cilantro, olive oil, butter
• dijan mustard, salt, pepper

marinate the chicken in lime, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper for a few hours. Cook the chicken in 300°F oven for 20 minutes. Let it rest and cut into small pieces. Saute the mushroom and onion in butter or olive oil until cooked. Assemble the sandwich with chicken, mushroom, onion, goat cheese, walnut, dijan mustard and greens.
Salad: mixed greens, walnut, lime, dijan, olive oil, salt and pepper

Egg Meg Muffin

Fried egg, avocado, sesame seed bagel, gouda cheese, raspberry, blueberry and grapefruit

Fesenjoon - Pomegranate and Walnut Stew

Ingredients

• ground walnuts x 2 cups
• pomegranate syrup x 1 cup
• water x 1.5 cups
• chicken thighs x 4
• onion x 1 medium, thinly sliced
• sugar x 3 tbsp
• basmati rice
  
• butter, salt, pepper
• cinnamon (optional)

Brown the chicken thighs in butter, set aside. In the same pot, add some more butter, onion, salt and pepper. After a couple of minutes, add the ground walnut and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the water, bring to boil, simmer, add pomegranate syrup, sugar and salt. Mix well, add the chicken and let it cook/simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile make the rice. Taste the stew and add sugar or salt if needed. Serve once the stew starts to thicken.

*Thanks to my mother*

Meatball Pasta

Ingredients:

• ground beef x 1 lb
• bread crumb x 1/2 cup
• egg x 1
• chili x 2 chopped
  
• herbs: thyme, rosemary, cilantro, basil
  
• mustard x 1 tbsp
• crimini mushrooms x 8 - 10 medium siz, chopped
• crushed tomato x 1 big can
• garlic x 2 cloves chopped
  
• salt, pepper, olive oil
• linguini x 1 package
  

Add bread crumb, egg, 1 chili, herbs and mustard to ground beef. Mix well, in a mixing bowl, with hands. Shape small balls. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to pan, medium high heat, and cook the meatballs, until all sides are brown (for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the balls). Set aside. Saute mushrooms in olive oil (or butter if you prefer) until cooked. Set aside. In the same pan add some more olive oil, start the sauce by frying garlic and chili for 1 minute, add tomato and season with salt and pepper. Add cilantro or basil. Meanwhile start cooking the linguini in boiling salted water. Add the meatballs and the mushrooms to the sauce and let it simmer until the pasta is cooked. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce. Mix well and serve.

Sunday Breakfast

Scrambled egg with chorizo and cilantro. Fruit salad. Orange juice.

Confit De Canard

I bought this ready duck leg from Le Petite Scierie in Paris (http://www.lapetitescierie.fr/). It was already cooked and stored in duck fat. All it needed was 15 minutes in 350 c oven.

I plated it on a bed of potato and white bean stew. This is how I made it:

• yellow potato x 3 diced
• white kidney bean x 1 can
• crushed tomato x 1 small can
• garlic x 2 cloves finely chopped
• shallot x 2 small finely chopped
• thyme and cilantro
• butter, salt and pepper
  

saute shallot and garlic in butter. add salt, pepper and thyme. add potato. after 3 minutes add tomato and more salt. bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. add cilantro and white beans. cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Paris

SOYA - Vegeterian Restaurant in Paris

20 rue de la pierre levée, Paris, Telephone: 01 48 06 33 02