Crispy Zucchini Tart

Hello everyone! 

I have here a different method of cooking zucchini and I develop it into a very simple but a very yummy tart experience. You may not believe this, but  I have used the same ingredients for the Zucchini Crunchies that I posted about 3 days ago. Same ingredients and almost the same method of preparation and it´s exactly what I used for the fillings of this tart. The only difference is....I used a Filo Pastry Dough for a crispy tart. Come and have a go on this recipe, you´ll love it!

Zucchini Tart

2 ready made Filo pastry dough

4 med zucchini, grated

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 cups bread crumbs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese  or gouda cheese 

2 eggs, 1 egg yolk to brush the top of the pasry dough

1 tsp ground cummin (optional) 

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

2 tsps salt 

Instructions: Preheat the oven at 190°C

1.  In a bowl, grate the zucchini, add salt, carefully combined with your hands 

    and let it stand for about 20 minutes. The salt will help release the liquid 

    from the zucchini.

2. Place a clean cloth in another bowl and pour zucchini wringing out its liquid   

    until all water is squeezed-out, discard the liquid.

3. Place zucchini in a bowl, add the onions, breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, eggs, 

   garlic powder, ground cummins (optional) and pepper. Mix well until the 

   ingredients are well blended.

5. Roll-out the 1st pastry dough, do not remove the paper lining. With a spatula, 

    spread the zucchini mixture onto the dough carefully covering it until 

   about 3 cm from each of the four sides. Roll-out the 2nd pastry dough and cut 

   4 strips at 3cm each, set aside. Cut 1 cm strips and arrange these on top of the 

   zucchini (see photo below) as grids. Place the 4 bigger strips on each side to close    edge of the tart. Prick the dough with a fork to prevent bubbling.

 

           

6. Brush the pastry dough with battered egg yolk  and place the tray in the 

   middle oven rack. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the tart becomes crispy 

  and golden brown in color. Can be served as a snack or main dish

Happy Baking!!!

Beef Stew with Soy Sauce

A favorite in my family´s household, my mom would cook this on Sundays. 

This was something special for us particularly if Dad would cook this

meal, just like he used to cook the Menudo when he was at home 

and not working...  

Here in my version, .....I always add créme fraíche to 

give it a finer taste and a good consistency of the liquid. 

I hope you will try this one. It´s really yummy

 and a favorite in my own household too!

Below is my recipe....

Beef Stew with Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

1 kg Beef chuck

2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 bay leaves 

4 medium size potatoes, peeled , cut into 

bite size

1 onion , diced

carrots, peeled and cut coarsely

1 green bell pepper, cut  coarsely

salt & pepper

1 beef bouillion cube

2 tbsps créme fraíche

1 tbsp soy sauce 

1 tbsp corn flour

oil for frying

Water

Preparation:

1. Rinse beef and pat dry with paper towels. Cut beef into bite size pieces and set aside.

In a deep pan or casserole with 2 tbsps oil, fry the onion  until golden brown in color. Add the beef and continue frying til the meat color turns pale, add the crushed garlic, bay leaves and 1/2 liter of water. Cover, let boil, then simmer  under low fire for at least 1 hour. If the liquid has evaporated, add more water to adjust the consistency of the mixture. 

2. Add the carrots and the potatoes and the beef bouillion to the meat mixture and continue cooking for 15 minutes on low fire. When the carrots and potatoes are done
( try to prick the potatoes and carrots with a toothpick for its softness), add the cut green bell pepper, adjust the liquid if necessary by adding 1 cup water, cook for 3 minutes more. 

3.our dissolved in 3 tbsp water + 1 tbsp soy sauce stirring carefully  until the flour is well blended to the mixture. Add the créme fraíche and blend well . Season with salt & pepper according to your taste preferrence. 

Serve hot with cooked rice or Baguette.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sharing at:

Amaze Me Monday, Inspire Me Monday

Feathered Nest Friday

Beef roulade + Recipe

Making a beef roulade is very simple even if you don´t have that much cooking experience. The most important thing to do is to gather the ingredients and make them  ready before starting to cook. With all the ingredients ready on hand, your cooking is halfway done.

There are many variations in cooking this dish depending on how fillings are preferred by the cook . 

Some like it with pickles or with bacon and cheese, some use only vegetables.  And so, if you plan to make this dish, think first on how you would like your fillings would have to be.

Here´s how I prepare mine:

Ingredients:

1 Kg beef filet cut thinly (of good 4 pieces

size of about 250 grams each)

emmentaler cheese (gouda will also do) 

thinly ready-cut ham 

Soy sauce (optional)

3 1/2 cups Beef broth

ground dried garlic

Salt & pepper 

Créme fraíche 

cornflour (optional)

For additional fillings:

1  cup zucchini, 1 cup red bell pepper

1 medium onion, 1 cup celery stalk 

(all cut into small cubes)

4 mushrooms - sliced

1 clove crushed garlic

1 tbsp butter 

Preparations:

1. Prepare and cut the meat thinly, pounding it carefully to extend the side and to make it larger for later folding. Stack the pounded meat on a platter and set aside for later use.

2. Heat a larger pan with 1 tbsp butter under medium heat, fry the crushed garlic,  the onions, bell pepper, zucchini, sliced mushrooms and the celery stalk until all are brown in color.

Add 1/2 cup of the beef broth and simmer in low heat until the veggies become soft (but not too soft). Cook until the liquid evaporates and the vegetable pieces are glazed. Set aside as filling and the rest braised veggies as additional pieces to be served  with the roulade + gravy later.

3. Spread the meat on a cutting board to fill it... beginning with the ham, then the cheese and the vegetable filling....

4. Fold all the sides using metal skewers or toothpicks to tightly close the holes

to prevent the melted cheese from flowing  out of the roulade.

Season with salt, pepper and ground garlic on all sides.

This is optional, you may brush the meat with soy sauce too if you like.

5. In a hot pan with  2 tbsps olive oil, fry each roulade for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the 3 cups beef broth and simmer under low fire for abou 40 minutes.

Take out the roulade and put them in a bowl, set aside.

Meanwhile, add 2 tbsps of créme fraíche to the pan, stirring constantly that it completely blends with the broth.

If necessary, add 1 tsp of cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp water to thicken the liquid and to make it into a gravy.

Put the roulade back to the pan and coat each of the pieces with the gravy.

Arrange each roulade on a plate, adding the braised vegetable (rest of the fillings, to add color to the plate) plus a bit of the gravy. 

Serve hot with cooked rice and green salad  with tomatoes and  vinaigrette.

Happy Cooking!

Mushroom Teriyaki

Teriyaki sauce is a condiment that I always have in my kitchen. The mixture of soy sauce , rice wine (sake) and sugar gives a fine taste to every dish that I cook particularly beef. 

Today, I have prepared a very quick one with mushrooms.  I prefer the brown champignons than the white ones as they are so firm in form when they are fresh. 

If you don´t want to spend so much time cooking, then make this dish because they are so simple to make and yet it´s a deli.. and the whole family will love it too! 

In cooking this, I always prepare the ingredients beforehand ...that way, you only have to stir-fry everything and simmer slowly under low heat until the sauce is reduced  and the vegetables become tender and glossy.. 

...so, let´s start with the ingredients and the preparations... 

Mushroom Teriyaki

Ingredients: 

400 grams Mushrooms ( Champignon) rinsed in cold water and dried, quartered

around 10 Cherry Tomatoes cut into halves

4 spring onions, cut 

1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce diluted in 1/2 cup water

salt  (optional) 

1 tsp sugar (optional)

ground black pepper

cooking oil

Preparation

1. 

In a casserole with 2 tbsps oil, fry the spring onions til  al become golden brown in color.   Add the mushrooms and the tomatoes, stir-fry for about 8 minutes or til the  liquid evaporates. 

2. 

Add the diluted teriyaki sauce and the sugar (optional). 

Let the ingredients boil while stirring constantly, add the pepper, reduce the heat and cover the casserole, simmer for about 10 minutes.

Salt and sugar are optional here, but if you want you may add them to adjust seasoning according to your taste. 

3.

Arrange o
o
on a platter, serve hot with boiled or fried rice. 

Happy cooking and enjoy it!

xoxo,

Mercy 

Linking to:

The Charm of Home

Pork Skewers with Braised Vegetables

This was actually a spontaneous decision to cook my leftover pork filet today... so the meat wouldn´t get spoiled. For me, the easiest way to get rid of it was to make skewers... so here´s how I made them... Remember, this dish is so delicious aside from the fact that it is easy and quick to prepare and cook... I hope you´d try this one..

 Pork Skewers with Braised Vegetables

Ingredients

(makes 2 servings)

300 grams Pork filet cut into thin elongated strips

 of around 6-7cm long

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite pieces, around 2x3 cm 

10 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves  

1 medium size onion, diced

2 cloves crushed garlic

10 medium size champignons/mushrooms (quartered)

1 zucchini cut into bite pieces

1 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)

soy sauce

olive oil

salt & pepper

wooden skewers

 Preparations: 

1. Set aside a cup of the cut vegetables to be used for the skewers. 

Heat 2 tbsps. olive oil in a casserole and fry the crushed garlic til the pieces become golden brown. Add the onions and fry for 1 minute. 

2. Add all rest of vegetable ingredients to the casserole and stir-fry til all pieces become medium soft. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon soy sauce to randomly cover the  vegetable pieces,  cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add 2 spoons of vegetable broth or water. Cover the casserole and braise the vegetable for 8 minutes under low fire. 

Season with salt & pepper. Set aside, keep warm for later use as by-dish for the skewers.

For the skewers:

Slide the pork strips into the skewer alternately with the cut vegetables. Brush all sides of the meat with soy sauce. Season with salt & pepper. Let stand for about ten minutes.

In a hot frying pan with 3 table spoons of olive oil, fry each skewer until all sides are golden brown and crispy. Arrange the skewers and the braised vegetables on a platter. Serve hot with couscous or rice or white bread. Can go with white wine or beer...

Guten Appetit!

Stir-fry Rucola - Mung Bean Sprouts

Mung bean sprouts are the most popular and most recognized of all sprouts. You can find them mostly in asian dishes. They are very healthy and rich in vitamins, protein and minerals. In this recipe, you can also use Soy bean sprouts.

                                               Fresh Mung Sprouts image: source here

  Soy Bean sprout image : source here

Rucola below as what they call it here in Europe, or wild rocket (Arugula) also offers many health benefits and if you wish to find more , you can read it here. They can also be costly if bought fresh from supermarkets... This season, I may want to try sowing some in containers.

                                                       Rucola image : source here.



And now,  here is the recipe: 

Stir Fry Rucola - Soy/ Mung Bean Sprouts 

Ingredients:

100 grams ground beef or ground pork filet or mixed of  both (50-50)
100 grams Mung bean Sprouts or Soy Bean Sprouts, washed
2 cups Rucola leaves , washed
1 Medium size onion, diced
2 cloves crushed garlic
salt 
ground pepper
Olive oil

Preparations:

In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil and fry the crushed garlic til golden brown in color.. add the diced onions and fry til the pieces get glassy, add the ground meat... fry til the meat becomes pale in color ( about 3 minutes).. add the sprouts and rucola. continue mixing til the rucola becomes a bit soft (but not too soft). 

Add a 1/2 cup of water and let the liquid boil , turn off the fire and season with salt & pepper.. Serve with baguette or white bread.                                                  

                                                           

Enjoy cooking this simple but delicious dish!

Happy Easter Monday!

Linked to : Savvy Southern Style

Stir-fried Aubergines (Eggplants)

This is a favorite of our family.  The recipe came from my Dad who cooked this on weekends. After tasting the first spoon, you won´t stop eating this, it´s delish!!!

And if you´re vegan, you can skip the meat, you won´t notice the difference... It´s so yummy that I eat this even  without a side dish. 

So here, I´m sharing with you a recipe that is not only yummy in taste but will surely save you a lot of money. 
You can prepare this in advance and even freeze in portions... 

Stir-fried  Aubergines ( Eggplants)

Ingredients :

 1 Kg Aubergines ( around 3 huge eggplants)

200 grams pork filet 

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves crushed garlic

cooking oil ( olive oil preferrably)

3 eggs

2 tbsp soy sauce

salt & pepper

Preparations:

1. 

Wash, dry and slice the eggplants thinly.

2.

Cut the pork filet into small pieces and marinate this in 2 tablespoons soy sauce. let stand for 10 minutes. Fry in a hot pan with 1 tbsp oil for about 4 minutes. After frying, take out meat out of pan and set aside for later use.

3

 In a large frying pan or skillet, heat 3 tbsps. olive oil...add the crushed garlic and fry it  til the pieces become golden brown, add the onions... then the aubergine slices.

4.

  Stir fry the pieces until the aubergine becomes

 limpy and  soft.  Continue stirring until the

 whole slices crumbles... this may take to around 30 minutes or more of stirring.

Add  a spoon olive oil from time to time if the pieces are still dry.

 In the last minutes... the consistency of the

     aubergines should look similar to the above photo

 (all pieces crushed).

5. 

Season with salt, pepper,

 and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Stir properly so the seasoning

gets evenly distributed in the mixture.

6. 

Beat the  3 eggs, add these to the aubergine mixing properly so that the crushed pieces are well coated with the eggs.

 Stirring more often, cook for about 5 minutes more until egg becomes solid and cream in color . Adjust seasoning if necessary.

 This goes well with cooked rice.

Happy cooking!