Socca (Monaco), by Cheryl

This is post #87 for the year 2015, surpassing our other previous record for the year by 7! Will we add to it before the new year?

I completely skipped over Monaco when making my list of countries for my world cuisine theme. Whoops! At least I wasn't too far past the m's. Anyway, it's time to get back on track with my theme. Socca is a popular street food in Monaco and areas along the French Riviera. It's basically a thin crepe or pancake made from chickpea flour cooked on a griddle. People in Monaco and in southern France like to a hot piece of socca with a cool glass of wine. I did make one minor adjustment - the recipe call for the pan to be placed over a solid bed of coals to cook. I figured that my gas stove came close. They came out a little plain when eaten on their own, but made a really good stand in for bread when we had our salmon chowder. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 cups chickpea flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper

Directions:

1) In a blender mix the flour, oil, water, and salt until smooth.

2) Place a heavy frying pan and griddle over medium heat. Brush surface generously with oil. Pour enough batter to cover the pan surface. Cook until bottom is lightly browned and top is dry to the touch, about 3-4 minutes.

3) Slash pancake into random shaped serving sizes. Eat hot!

Peach "Ice Cream", by Cheryl

Okay, it's almost time to stop eating complete junk everyday... almost. The amount of chocolate and sugary drinks and treats that have been consumed in this house the past 6 weeks is crazy. It started with Julia's birthday, then on to Jon's birthday, then Hanukah and all the gelt that comes with it was soon after, and then all the food that comes with holiday parties and Christmas/New Years time... it just won't stop! I hate the cliche that comes with the statement, "After the New Year I'll... " but we have a wedding on New Years Eve so we're going with it this year. Anyway, in comes the peach "ice cream". I need to have some sort of sweet treat at night and this is a healthier alternative to the chemical ice cream dish I've been gorging on. And it's so easy to make too! I made a couple of adjustments to the original recipe - I used one tablespoon of maple syrup and one tablespoon of honey in order to give it more of a natural sweet flavor and to avoid an overpowering flavor from either of those. I also didn't feel that the recipe needed another tablespoon of either of those. I also added in another 1/4 cup of coconut milk since it was too solid. Just blend it all together and voila! If you want a softer consistency eat it right after blending. Otherwise, put it in the freezer for later and just defrost for 10 minutes before diving in. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) bag of frozen peaches
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1) Blend all of the ingredients together. Be sure to scrape down the sides so nothing is missed.

Cheryl's Egg Benedict, by Cheryl

I think I know what my new go-to weekend breakfast is going to be. I love ordering this breakfast when we go out to brunch... the goo from the egg yolk with the hollandaise sauce, combined with maybe some spinach or meat, mixed in on a toasted buttery english muffin is so delicate and creamy.

I had some time this morning to actually make myself a decent breakfast so I tackled this. I layered it with avocado, cooked spinach (previously frozen), a tablespoon of sour cream with lemon juice, and a poached egg, all on top of a toasted english muffin. I poached the egg just perfectly, about two minutes in the boiling water, and it was so amazingly delicious. The avocado really added a new layer of creaminess... I didn't want the meal to end! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 egg
half an english muffin
handful of spinach
1/4 avocado
1 tbsp sour cream
dash of lemon juice
salt

Directions:

1) Boil a pot of water. Once boiling, open an egg into the pot and poach for two minutes (three-four minutes if you want it cooked more).

2) Lightly toast an English muffin and top it with ripe avocado, spinach, a tablespoon of sour cream mixed with a little bit of lemon juice, and the poached egg. Dig in! And make sure you get each ingredient with every bite!

Paella-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, by Diane

This recipe came from a Rachael Ray magazine, and originally was supposed to use acorn squash. However, right around this time of year I get extremely fed up with cutting squash open and destroying my kitchen and so I opted for sweet potatoes. It was a great choice, and these were SO good and filling! The paella itself was also delicious and would have been great on it's own. I also added saffron to this recipe, because having just gotten back from Istanbul, I bought it there to add to my next paella dish. :)

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 package chorizo
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup arborio rice
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 threads saffron 
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup jarred, drained roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped flatleaf parsley, plus more for garnish

 

Directions:

 

1. Roast or steam sweet potatoes until tender. Cut in half lengthwise and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan to medium heat. Remove chorizo from casing and add, stirring often and crumbling, until browned. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice, paprika, cayenne, and saffron; stir 1 minute. Add the stock; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is al dente, 15 to 18 minutes. Stir in the peppers, peas and 2 tbsp. parsley; season.
3. Preheat the broiler. Turn the potatoes cut side up and mash with a fork to help create room for the filling. Fill with rice mixture, mounding in center. Broil until browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Goat Cheese Rotini with Shrimp and Tomatoes, by Cheryl

I had taken out shrimp to defrost earlier in the day with the hopes that I would figure out what to make with it eventually. Closer to dinner time I stared into my refrigerator, willing for ingredients to pop out at me in order to figure out what to make. Then I saw the goat cheese! We had a lot of goat cheese leftover from our crostini appetizers the other night and we needed to use it quickly. I decided to make a cheesy pasta dish with it, which also included shrimp and tomatoes. It obviously had a very strong taste due to the goat cheese, but it was good! The shrimp didn't contribute too much to it and can easily be substituted for chicken. I wanted to also put spinach in it, but when I suggested it to Jon he wasn't feeling it. But I would definitely add a green in there :) Yum!

Ingredients:

Rotini, or other pasta
shrimp
cherry tomatoes, cut in half
basil, chopped (I didn't have this on hand, but wanted to add it in)
2 garlic cloves, minced
goat cheese, cut into cubes
red pepper flakes
salt
olive oil

Directions:

1) Cook the pasta according to the directions.

2) Add the tomatoes, goat cheese, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Set aside

3) Add the garlic and olive oil to a pan. When hot add the shrimp and cook until done, about 4 minutes.

4) Strain the pasta when done and add immediately to the cheese bowl. Mix until the cheese has melted and the pasta is covered. Add the shrimp and olive oil from the pan. Mix until shrimp is coated.

Crostini with Heirloom tomatoes and Aged Goat Cheese, by Cheryl

Jon and I took a cooking class a few months ago at Sur La Table. This recipe was the first thing we made. It's similar to the bruschetta that we would make in Italy, except that the bread is smeared with some smooth and lovely goat cheese first. We had some friends over for dinner for Jon's birthday the other night and made these for some appetizers. They were a hit (and were super easy). Yum!

Ingredients:

8 baguette slices (1/4 inch thick)
1 large garlic clove, cut in half
1 tablespoon EVOO, plus more for brushing
2 medium heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
4 ounces soft ripened goat cheese, at room temperature
flaky sea salt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375, with rack positioned in the middle

2) Rub each baguette with the cut side of the garlic. Place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush with oil. Season bread with salt and pepper and bake for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

3) In a medium bowl, add olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice cheese and layer it over toasts. Spoon tomato mixture over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.