Whenever I visit my sister, we like to make stuffed phyllo pastries and invite our friends for appetizers and tea. This recipe was passed on from our Mom, and over the years we have stuffed it with many different things. These can be stuffed with anything you want. I like to sometimes add meat to the potatoes, or just make them with feta cheese, mushrooms, spinach.
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These macaroons are the perfect sweet treat for a chilly afternoon… and only take 20 minutes to bake! Read post
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Quince is one of my favorite Autumn delights. It’s a member of the apple and pear family, and it tastes almost like a pear. It has to be cooked to be eaten, and I love preparing it with honey, cinnamon, and sugar. Despite its simple recipe, the outcome is delicious! I love it for dessert, and also with something savory, like duck. It makes for a beautiful side dish to any meal, or a fantastic dessert that’s not fussy or complicated.
I love mini cocottes, and I would cook everything in them if I could! Of course you don’t have to serve them this way, but the color enhances the beauty of the dish.
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Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish tradition. Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement, and it is a day of fasting, however before the fast there is a festive meal. This year my brisket with vegetables made a wonderful centerpiece.
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Baklava is a pretty well known Mediterranean dessert, and it’s one of my favorites. In my book, I make chocolate baklava with hazelnuts and pecan pistachio baklava with orange blossom water. I make five different kinds, but this recipe is really special because it includes blueberry preserves and dried blueberries, which really bring out the flavor of the blueberries. The color is a deep, beautiful purple, and the flavor is different from anything I’ve even eaten. If you like blueberries, I think you’ll love this!
Blueberry Baklava
Serves 24
Ingredients:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 package of phyllo dough (20 sheets), thawed if previously frozen
The filling
½ pound unsalted, roasted pecans, chopped coarsely
20 ounces whole, dried blueberries
13 ounce jar blueberry preserves
2 tablespoons orange blossom water
½ cup sugar
The syrup
¾ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 cup honey
3 tablespoons orange blossom water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
1. Prepare the filling: Combine the pecans, dried blueberries, orange blossom water, and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.
2. To clarify the butter, melt it in a small saucepan over low heat until it begins to boil. Skim the foam from the top and discard it. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
3. Unwrap the phyllo dough and place it on a flat surface. While you are working with a phyllo sheet, keep the rest of the block covered with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
4. Using a pastry brush, coat a medium baking dish with a small amount of the melted butter.
5. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the dish and brush it with butter. Cover with a second sheet and brush it with butter. Repeat until you have a layer of 6 sheets.
6. Spread a third of the blueberry preserve and the nut/dried blueberry mixture over the phyllo sheets.
7. Repeat step 6 twice more and top with a final layer of phyllo.
8. Make 3 cuts across the dough about 3½ inches apart across the length and 2 cuts that are about 3¼ inches across the width. Cut diagonally across each square, making 24 individual triangular pieces.
9. Pour the remaining butter all over the pastry and bake for 1 hour.
10. While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey and the orange blossom water. Refrigerate until the baklava is ready.
11. When the baklava has finished baking, remove it from oven and pour the cold syrup all over.
12. Let it cool before serving.
Happy Cooking!
© 2018 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved
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Celebrating Mother’s Day with family is truly a wonderful privilege. On this day we take the opportunity to show our moms how important and special they are to us and shower them with a large serving of unconditional love.
Comfort, warmth, and care are some of the words that come to mind when I think of my mother, and these two dishes encompass those wonderful feelings. Salmon Lasagna is both comforting and delicious, with wonderful hints of lemon flavor. The chocolate lava cake is warm, gooey and sweet on the inside, a dessert that is sure to put a smile on your face, just like mom.
Mother’s Day Salmon and Spinach Lasagna
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1-16 ounce box of lasagna
1- 32 ounce container of ricotta cheese
3 tbsp unsalted butter for sauteing the onion and spinach
2 pound skinless salmon fillet
1 large onion chopped
6 garlic cloves minced
2-16 ounce bags of frozen spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1- 8 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella
1/2 bunch of parsley chopped
1 bottle of white cooking wine (optional)
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
9×13 baking dish
non stick cooking spray
For Sauce:
5 tbsp flour
5 tablespoon butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
1. In a large pot bring water and salt to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the directions on the box. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. Defrost the spinach, drain of excess water and set aside.
3. In a medium sauté pan melt the 3 tablespoons of butter, and sauté the onion for 4 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Then add the spinach, season with salt and pepper to taste and combine well. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes then remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a medium pot add 4 cups of water, 1 1/2 cups of white wine (optional), and juice of one whole lemon. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, and add the fish and simmer for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes with a fork. Remove the fish from pot and let cool. Flake the fish, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
6. In a medium bowl mix the ricotta, eggs, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
7. For the béchamel sauce melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Then add the flour and constantly whisk. Season with salt and pepper, slowly add the heavy cream and continue whisking. Then add the nutmeg and whisk until sauce thickens and becomes smooth.
8. Spray the baking dish thoroughly, covering the bottom and sides. Spread 3 tablespoons of sauce so that the pasta will not stick. Spread 3 pieces of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish. Then layer 1/2 cup of spinach over the noodles. Next, layer 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture over the spinach. Then layer a 1/2 cup of the flaked fish. Lastly, add a 1/4 cup of the sauce and spread it evenly over the fish. Repeat the process until you have 12 layers.
9. The last layer, which will be your top layer, you will end with only lasagna noodles. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
10. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
Mother’s Day Chocolate Lava Cake
Makes 8 cakes
Ingredients
10 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/4 stick unsalted butter
4 whole eggs ,plus 4 yolks
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
baking spray for greasing
2 tbsp powdered sugar
assorted berries
8 -5 ounce ramekins
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
1. In a double boiler set on low heat melt the chocolate and the butter, mixing frequently, until smooth. Set aside and let cool.
2. In a bowl whisk the whole eggs, and in a separate bowl whisk the yolks.
3. Pour the sugar into the chocolate mixture and combine well.
4. Add the flour, vanilla, the eggs and yolks to the chocolate mixture. With a hand mixer on medium speed mix until fully combined.
5. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and spray with the non stick baking spray.
6. Fill the ramekins 3/4 full with the chocolate mixture.
7. Place the baking tray in the oven on the center rack and bake for 12-14 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
9. Flip each ramekin over onto individual plates, dust with powdered sugar and decorate with your favorite berries.
Lets raise a glass, to all the moms of the world who provide unconditional love and endless support, and wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day!
The Petite Gourmande
© 2018 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved
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Springtime brings forth beautiful traditions and holidays such as Easter, days filled with spirit, joy and blessings. Special meals are prepared such a holiday ham glazed with pineapple, asparagus with hollandaise sauce and rosemary potatoes, are just to name a few. The soft pastel colors of springtime flowers and surroundings inspire beautiful recipes such as Easter Rolls with eggs and various cookies.
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Feeling Lucky? Green frosted doughnuts are an adorable dessert to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
These wonderful treats are sure to put a smile on your face and maybe even bring some rainbows and lucky charms your way. These are a cake type of doughnut, and they are baked instead of fried, so that’s a good excuse to eat more than one! They are excellent with a strong cup of coffee.
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St Patrick’s Day is a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and customs. One of the most traditional foods eaten is corned beef and cabbage, also known as New England boiled dinner, which happens to be one of my favorites. I love to cook this meal not only on this day but throughout the year as well. The leftovers are great for sandwiches or soup. And of course everyone’s favorite breakfast the morning after St Patrick’s day, corned beef hash… Yum! Read post
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A Valentine’s Day Raspberry Souffle
Valentine’s Day is an extra special day to honor the people that we love. I think it’s important to honor them everyday and to tell them that you love them, but this is the perfect occasion to do something extra special. I love baking fun desserts on Valentine’s Day and surrounding myself with flowers. I owned two flower shops many years ago, and I still love flowers. I believe that no gesture (or bouquet of flowers) is too big or too small because it’s truly the thought that counts.
This recipe is a favorite of mine because I love raspberries, rosewater, and the color pink! This recipe is designed for cocottes or ramekins for individual servings. You can decorate it with raspberries, or anything else you like.
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