As you probably know, Mediterranean cuisine is very healthy 💚 and mainly made with plant products. You’ll find these common ingredients in this cuisine: olive oil, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, herbs & spices. The reason I love this cuisine so much is that I enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients and prefer using herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of my dishes rather using salt 🧂. I’ve never been a fan of salt since childhood, and when I do use it, I stay away from table salt and opt for the much healthier version, which is Himalayan Pink Salt. This Mediterranean Fish Fillet with Tapenade recipe started because I had some chopped black olives sitting in the fridge, and I didn’t want to waste them. From the very first attempt, this recipe was a success 🏆! Each bite is packed with flavor, and it tastes so amazing… In the video 🎥, I use red snapper because this is what I had in my freezer. If you want another white, lean, and flaky fish like snapper, you can use sea bass, tilapia, flounder, cod, or rainbow trout. If you prefer a white, lean, and firmer fish, go with halibut, catfish, swordfish, or sole. It’s a matter of preference and also what is available at your local fish market. An added bonus is that it’s quick to prepare as well. This Mediterranean Fish Fillet with Tapenade takes only 20 minutes ⏳ from start to finish. This is the ideal recipe for a quick weeknight dinner, or when you don’t feel like spending too much time in the kitchen. This Mediterranean Fish Fillet 🐟 with Tapenade is so delicious! It’s light and fresh with a little zip to it. It’s a simple and healthy recipe that everyone will enjoy! Here’s another delightful recipe to try… Olive Tapenade. Bon Appétit!🍽 Here are more delicious fish recipes for you to try…😀 – BBQ Salmon Steaks – Creamy Creole Red Snapper – Grilled Tuna Steaks – Pacific Coast Salmon on the BBQ – Grilled Fish Tacos – Panko Breaded Fish Fillet – Grilled Marlin Steaks – Beer Battered Fish – Red Snapper en Papillote and for even more fish and seafood recipes 🐡🦞, click on this link… Recipe Category • Fish & Seafood
Every fall 🍂, my mother made almost the same recipes. From my parents’ garden, she canned cucumbers by making Bread & Butter Pickles, Sweet & Savory Homemade Ketchup, Dill Pickles, and used the tomatoes for pasta sauce. For the carrots, she baked Carrot Cake and Carrot Bread. For the main course, from what I can remember, it was Bouilli, Stuffed Peppers, Cabbage Rolls, and Ratatouille. None of them were my favorites as they were bland. There were some limitations back then. She relied either on her small collection of cookbooks 📚, family recipes, or friends. David’s mother was the same. The internet didn’t exist, and there wasn’t a wide selection of cookbooks in the store. Both our mothers took inspiration from women’s magazines or TV shows 📺. Church was another resource. Also, back then, many product packages had recipes printed on their labels. For what it was, they did fabulously 👏! At the beginning of our relationship, my husband and I enjoyed enhancing recipes we weren’t fond of when we were kids. We altered many of them – Stuffed Peppers were on that list 📃. After being pleased with our results, I decided to take it a step further by turning them into other delicious recipes… Besides French Onion Dijon Pork Chops, Nacho Cheese Sandwich 🥪, Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, Eggs Benny Poutine, Tomato Avocado Tartare, Moo Shu Pork Tortillas, Cauliflower Fried Rice, and others, there was also this one… Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Casserole! This casserole has most of the same ingredients found in my classic Stuffed Peppers. There’s Italian sausage 🐖 along with ground beef, veggies, and Italian seasoning. It’s not an exact duplicate of the original one, but it’s pretty close in flavor. An ingredient that is added to this Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Casserole is jalapeño pepper. There’s not a lot, only 2 tablespoons, enough to add a little heat 🔥 to the dish. Because jalapeño pepper is finely chopped, it doesn’t need that much time to cook. For a jump start, I bring the mixture to a boil and then transfer it to a greased baking dish. This little step helps to save some time, as it takes anywhere from 35 to 40 minutes in the oven or until the rice 🍚 is tender and the liquid is absorbed. The casserole goes back into the oven after the top has been sprinkled with Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese 🧀 along with paprika. Uncovered this time, it’s baked until the cheeses are melted. It’s removed from the heat and allowed to cool for 10 minutes before serving. This Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a delicious 😋 twist, providing a new way to enjoy this old classic! It’s an unpretentious meal, perfect for weeknight dinner. Good as is, it can also be served with a dollop of sour cream on the side. Bon Appétit! 🍽 Check out these other delicious casserole recipes… 😀 – Chicken Scarpariello – Pierogi Casserole (Perogies) – Tuna Casserole – Lancashire Hotpot – Breakfast Sausage Croissant Casserole – Frankie’s Macaroni Casserole – Southwest Chicken & Green Bean Casserole – Pepper & Sausage Casserole – Cod au Gratin – Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole and for even more casserole recipes 🍲, click on this link… Recipe Category • Casseroles
While I was growing up, my father 👨🦳 loved his soup. It didn’t matter if it was winter or summer, he enjoyed having soup before a meal. I didn’t mind it from September to May, but during the warmer months, I couldn’t stand it! Every time, I asked my mother not to serve me any. Later in life, I came across a few “chilled” soups 🥣 like Gazpacho and Vichyssoise. That was it! I was hooked and delighted to have soup during the hot summer months. As I’m not the type of lady who likes routine, I simply had to create more cold soup recipes, and this is how I came up with my version of Cream of Asparagus Soup! This is an amazing recipe! It’s flavorful, smooth, and so refreshing… perfect when the mercury rises. Another plus with this soup is it’s also scrumptiously delicious cold as well as hot 🔥 therefore, you can enjoy it all year round. I love asparagus, and buy it all the time when it’s in season. Besides this Cream of Asparagus Soup, I like to make other recipes with this vegetable like my Asparagus Summer Salad 🥗, Mediterranean Chicken Pesto Pasta, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Asparagus with Maltaise Sauce, Pickled Asparagus, and many others, including using it as an ingredient for my Pancetta Vegetable Frittata When prepping it , I like to set the tips aside for a nice presentation. Although this tasty soup is spectacular, visually it needs a little help. By drizzling on some heavy cream and garnishing with asparagus tips, it not only looks more appetizing but also gives an elegant touch 🥰 to this dish. This easy Cream of Asparagus Soup is quick to make. If you decide to serve it hot, bring it to a simmer otherwise, spoon it into a bowl, cover, and transfer to the refrigerator until chilled. Either way, after trying this flavorful recipe, you’ll be enjoying it all year round, just like we do at our home 🏡… Bon Appétit!🍽 Check out these other delicious cold summer soup recipes…😀 – Chilled Thai Pesto & Potato Soup – Chilled Avocado Soup – Chilled Pea Soup – Chilled Roasted Pepper Soup – Salmorejo – Chilled Cucumber Soup – Chilled Leek & Fennel Soup – Sopa Ajoblanco – White Gazpacho – Tarator Soup and for even more soup and chowder recipes 🥣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups & Chowders
When I attended a private girls’ school for three years before going to public high school, it wasn’t around the corner. I had to take public transit to get there. Like me, all the girls had to take buses 🚌, and obviously, we were all eating our lunch there. Generally, I had a thermos carrying either stew 🥘, pasta, or soup. I didn’t eat sandwiches often unless my father made me ham, chicken, or egg. There was also another thermos for my beverage – individual bottles of water didn’t exist back then. For dessert, it was a fruit 🍎. On rare occasions, I brought an individually wrapped cake or pastry made by Vachon. I didn’t like having them in my lunchbox because most of the time they came out squished. Besides fruits, or squished pastries and mini cakes, one of my favorite snacks was a mini box of Sun-Maid, California sun-dried raisins. It was convenient, healthy 💚 (not that I really cared about it back then), and simply delicious! Knowing I loved these little guys, my mother 👱♀️ decided to surprise me by making a popular dessert from Québec: tarte à la farlouche, which is made with raisins, brown sugar, and dark molasses. I didn’t like it at all. A couple of decades later, I was over for dinner at my friend Carole’s. She made a pie, and when I found out what it was, I declined it. I told her how much I disliked 😣 this French-Canadian dessert. She agreed with me. Puzzled, I asked her how hers differed… It was a plain and simple raisin pie! It was very tasty! It didn’t have that heavy molasses background. I asked her for the recipe and made 👩🍳 it a few months later. Mine was different from hers. I enhanced that dessert, which I called Rum Raisin Pie! This lovely dessert is so easy to make. The filling takes 5 minutes ⏳, then has to cool off before being poured into a pie crust. It’s baked until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes… done! The chosen raisin for this dessert is undeniably Thompson for its rich and caramelized sweetness. Its chewy texture holds up well during cooking 🔥 and baking. Sultanas are also another option for a plumper and juicier texture. What makes this Rum Raisin Pie stand out from regular ones is clearly the alcohol 🥃 added to the filling. It creates a complex flavor profile by adding notes of oak and caramel while cutting through the heavy sugar to balance the overall taste. I use dark rum, which adds that gorgeous nuance of warmth to the pie 🥧. It has notes of molasses, with a more pronounced flavor than white rum. The one I use is my husband’s favorite brand: Goslings Black Seal Rum. If you’re pregnant 🤰, have kids, or simply want to avoid alcohol, you can omit it or substitute it with rum extract or even vanilla extract. In that case, add only 1 teaspoon of it. Just keep in mind that there’s still alcohol in the extract. Here are some facts about cooking or baking with alcohol… 😉 – Besides enhancing flavor, a portion of alcohol evaporates during cooking and baking, leaving a trace behind as well as a distinct taste notes of the liquor. – When using some to flambé, 75% to 80% remains. – According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, baked goods like pies cooked for about 25 minutes still retain roughly 40% of the original alcohol. – This pie bakes anywhere from 35 to 40 minutes ⏰ therefore, the alcohol content remaining is approximately 30% to 35% – Baking or simmering for 2.5 hours will still leave 5% of the alcohol content behind. After the filling is thick and removed from the heat, it’s important to let it cool off for a good 20 minutes before pouring it into the pie crust. This prevents the hot filling from melting the raw butter 🧈 or shortening in the unbaked bottom crust, keeping the pastry flaky rather than soggy. Making 🔪 slits in a pie crust is necessary! It allows the steam to escape during baking, preventing the pie from bursting open or boiling over. It also avoids creating a massive air pocket, known as a pie gap, between the filling and the top crust. Brushing on an egg 🥚 wash gives a beautiful glossy shine and a rich golden-brown color. To add that crunchy texture, you can sprinkle on some granulated sugar on top. I don’t because I think there’s enough sugar already in the filling. The baking time is roughly between 35 and 40 minutes. This pie is served cold or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I enjoy mine simply with a tall glass of milk 🥛. This fabulous Rum Raisin Pie is perfect to enjoy this season. Although pumpkin 🎃, apple, or pecan pie is traditionally served for Thanksgiving, it doesn’t stop you from adding it to your menu… Bon Appétit! 🍽 Here are more scrumptious dessert recipes for you to try… 😀 – Pumpkin Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust – Pavlova – Chocolate Beet Cake – Orange Flan – Red Velvet Cake – Eggnog Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce – Black Forest Cake – Poires Belle Hélène – Pirate Peanut Butter Cookies Copycat – Grand-Pères (Maple Syrup Dumplings) and for even more dessert recipes 🍩🍰, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert
There are fast-food recipes, healthy recipes 💚, dessert recipes, elegant recipes, and everyday recipes, which we like to call “comfort foods”. As a passionate home cook 👩🍳, I enjoy creating recipes and pushing myself to excel in all categories using different ingredients, techniques, and flavors. This is so much fun for me! There’s such great personal satisfaction when I create a recipe, mixing herbs, spices, and ingredients to obtain delicious end results with a “new” dish. Nonetheless, I also enjoy making recipes that aren’t fancy or complicated. Recipes that we grew up with, which we call “comfort foods”. Depending on where we’re from and what our parents 👵👴 served us, these are our everyday recipes. In North America, who didn’t grow up eating meatloaf? This dish is popular in the United States as well as in Canada, but interestingly enough, it’s also common in many other countries worldwide 🌍. Everyone likes to call theirs the “best” 🏆🥇 meatloaf ever, and we all add our own list of special ingredients that make it unique. Some use ground chicken instead of ground beef. I recently created another version… Glazed Pork Meatloaf. It’s incredibly delicious! My Beef Meatloaf is like most Canadian 🍁 recipes, except I add a couple of ingredients that differ from the rest. Besides using my own onion soup mix simply because that’s the way I am (if I can make it at home, why buy it?), I use Turkish oregano and chipotle chili powder. Another key ingredient that actually keeps the meat moist and juicy is cream of tomato soup. It protects the top from getting dry and moistens the meat while baking. I could have posted this recipe in Club Foody’s early years, but I didn’t because I thought it was too “pedestrian” to share with you. The reason why I’m sharing my Beef Meatloaf now is that David insisted I publish it 📰. As hard as it is to believe, this is one of David’s favorite comfort food recipes that he really enjoys. When we spent over a month in the Palm Springs area last October, he made a special request for this dish along with mixed mashed potatoes 🥔🍠 and steamed green beans! Men can be hard to understand sometimes! This Beef Meatloaf recipe is easy to make with terrific flavor. This is “comfort food” 🥰 at its best, and everyone in your family will love it even when you’re vacationing somewhere! Bon Appétit!🍽 Check out these other great comfort food recipes…😀 – Lamb Keema – Cuban Picadillo – Frankie’s Macaroni Casserole – Orzo with Chicken & Asiago – Slow Cooker BBQ Sloppy Joes – Texas Cowboy Stew – Chicken Ham sausage Jambalaya – Tourtière – Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy – Shepherd’s Pie and for even more beef recipes 🐂, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beef
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