Black olive tapenade

Try this tapenade recipe for a quick appetizer with the authentic taste of Provence. This blend of olives, garlic, oil, and capers is a sharp and tangy spread for breads, breadsticks and vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

•     2 cups pitted olives
•     2 tablespoons capers
•     1 clove garlic, crushed
•     2 tablespoons olive oil
•     1 tablespoon lemon juice
•     pepper

 METHOD

       1 Place olives, capers and crushed garlic in a food processor and process until smooth. With the food processor on, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream to form a smooth paste. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with pepper.

       2 If you place the tapenade in a sterile jar and cover it with a thin layer of olive oil, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Although the French do tend to eat tapenade as an appetizer, you will also find it as an ingredient in recipes of Provence.

Ham and leek quiche

This quiche makes a very full pie plate, and is very tasty, creamy and rich! All types of vegetables and cheeses can be combined and used in the quiche filling.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 lb leeks (about 3 medium; white and pale green parts only)
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced smoked ham
• 1 cup Swiss cheese, coarsely grated
• 3 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 3/4 cup sour cream 
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add leeks; cook and stir until tender. Stir in ham. Remove from heat; set aside.

3 Prepare pie crust for unfilled 1-crust pie using 9-inch pie plate.

4 In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and heavy cream. Season with the salt, black pepper and the nutmeg. Scatter the leek mixture evenly over the bottom of the pastry shell. Pour in the egg mixture and mix lightly with a fork to distribute evenly. Sprinkle evenly with the Swiss cheese.

5 Bake 35 to 40 min. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Marinated peppers

Simple, quick and delicious!!!

INGREDIENTS

•      3 large red bell peppers (about 2 pounds)
•      1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
•      1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or more to taste)
•      1 1/2 medium clove garlic, minced
•      1 tablespoon chopped minced  fresh Italian parsley
•       Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

METHOD

       1 Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the whole red peppers, in the oven directly on the rack. Roast for about 15 minutes, turning if needed, until the skin is well scorched. Immediately place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or in a paper bag, and allow to cool.

        2 Remove the skins from the peppers and rinse under cold water. Cut in half, remove stem and seeds, then cut into strips.     
   
         3 Add balsamic vinegar, garlic, and parsley. Toss gently to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more vinegar to taste if desired.

 Allow to come to room temperature before serving. 

Tapioca pearls with sweet coconut and mango

It is a delicious exotic dessert and so fresh.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup 1mm small dried tapioca pearls
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 cups 1/2 inch diced mango
• 1 vanilla bean, split along the length (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

METHOD 

      1 In a medium sized pot, bring the water,vanilla bean and sugar to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat to low and stir in the milk. When the mixture returns to a boil, turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk. Make sure that you are not boiling the coconut milk. Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

      2 Soak tapioca pearls in cold water for 20 minutes. The pearls will expand and turn bright white. Drain. In a medium pot, add about a quart of water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add the drained tapioca pearls and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Immediately drain in fine mesh sieve and run cold water through the sieve to stop the tapioca pearls from cooking further. Combine with the coconut milk mixture and continue to chill in refrigerator. You can prepare everything above up to 3 days in advance.

      3 To serve, ladle the sweet coconut milk with tapioca into a bowl and add a big spoonful of diced, fresh mango.

Coconut red lentils curry

INGREDIENTS 

•     1 medium onion, finely chopped
•     2 tablespoons olive oil
•     1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
•     2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•     1 teaspoon ground cumin
•     1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
•     1 teaspoon turmeric
•     1 tablespoon curry powder
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     2 cups water
•     1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
•     1 can unsweetened coconut milk
•     1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs

METHOD

       1 Cook onion in oil in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, about 6 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cumin, coriander, curry powder, turmeric, salt, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

        2 Stir in water, lentils, and coconut milk, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and serve with cilantro sprigs scattered on top. 

Rochers coco

 
When I have extra egg whites from pudding, custard, crème caramel or crème brulée, I always whip up a batch.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g coconut flakes (not sweetened)
• 3 large very fresh egg whites 
• 180 g sugar
• a pinch of salt

 METHOD

       1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

       2 In a medium bowl, mix all four ingredients with a fork. Using your hands and a small spoon, shape balls of dough and deposit them on a regular cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

       3 Bake for about 10 minutes, until they turn golden. It’s important not to overcook them, otherwise they will get too dry.

Sesame shrimp

Simple and delicious. My husband absolutely enjoyed it!

INGREDIENTS

•     2 tablespoons soy sauce
•     2 tablespoons olive oil
•     2 teaspoons lemon juice
•     1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
•     1 dash lemon-pepper seasoning
•     1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
•     1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

METHOD

       1 In a resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and lemon-pepper; add shrimp. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

       2 Drain and discard marinade. In a skillet, saute shrimp in remaining sesame oil until shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Serve with rice if desired. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.