French – Cooking Therapy

CAPRESE GALETTE

7 Sep 20201 Comment

The Summer Season brings us many joys. Of those joys, the humble tomato is one of them. The tomato is a versatile fruit and can be found in many of our favorite foods and condiments. For this recipe, I was inspired by one of my favorite salads, the Caprese, which is just a simple combination of sliced, ripe tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, and pesto. I then baked that awesome combination in a French pastry dough that I infused with herbs and cheese. The combination of flavors is extravagant. I could eat this for any meal of the day. Besides being very flavorful and filling, it is also very light. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Wait time: 40 Minutes

Bake Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the galette

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick of unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

2 tbsps red wine vinegar

3 tbsps cold water

1 large tomato or 2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 cup of pesto (see ingredients and instructions below on preparing pesto)

1 16oz package of sliced mozzarella, or a 1 pound mozzarella ball sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 egg yolk

3 tbsp milk or heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan or manchego cheese

For the Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)

2 tablespoons pine nuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts, toasted

4 large cloves garlic

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

To make the pesto

Before working on the pesto, begin work on the galette pastry. See below
Add all the ingredients together into the food processor and process until it forms a smooth paste.

To make the galette

In a food processor, add the flour, herbs, salt, parmesan or manchego cheese, and butter, and pulse for 5 seconds to blend it
Mix the cold water and vinegar in a glass. Slowly add the water, little by little, and pulse until the pastry starts to come together. When you touch it, you should be able to press and mold it. It should have the texture of wet sand
Transfer it to your work surface and roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disc. Plastic wrap it and refrigerate it until it is chilled. While the dough is chilling, prepare the pesto

Once chilled, sprinkle some flour on your work surface and roll out the dough to a 14 inch oval. Make sure you work quickly so that the dough remains cool. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Spread and smooth out the pesto across the surface of the dough, leaving a little more than an inch for the crust

Layer the tomato and fresh mozzarella by placing alternate slices on the pesto. Drizzle more pesto on top

Fold the crust part of the dough up and over sort of forming a tucked wall. Mix the yolks and the milk or heavy cream to make an egg wash. Using a brush, spread the egg wash across the outside. Add in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about an hour or until the pastry has browned and crisp

Let cool before serving. Garnish with some more chopped, fresh basil

Enjoy!

PEACH GALETTE WITH TOASTED ALMOND FRANGIPANE

8 Aug 2020Leave a comment

Summertime and the living’s peachy! I have said it before and I will say it again, I love baking galettes!!! They are like a dessert pizza and can be made both sweet and savory. For this recipe I used the juiciest peaches, as they are in season, tossing them in sugar, cinnamon, and cognac. That took them to the next level. Add a toasted almond frangipane and you have a real party going. While it may look intimidating to bake, galettes are quite simple to do and my step by step guide below will show you. Top with fresh whipped cream or ice cream and you have a real treat! Galettes are also my go-to baking items if I am bringing something to a party or a dinner. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Wait time: 40 Minutes

Bake Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the galette

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons sugar, for cooking peaches

¾ cups of sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick of unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

3 large peaches, pit removed, cleaned, and cut in ¼ to ½ -inch slices

2 tbsp of brandy, cognac, or Armagnac

Cold water

2 tbsp of ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, for peach filing

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 egg yolk

3 tbsp milk or heavy cream

For the frangipane

1 cup of almonds

1 large egg at room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon almond flour

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 capful of vanilla

2 tbsp of brandy, cognac, or Armagnac

Instructions

To prepare the peaches

In a large bowl, toss the peach slices with the brandy, corn starch, cinnamon, and sugar set aside

To make the frangipane

Before working on the frangipane, begin work on the galette pastry. See below
Add all the ingredients together into the food processor and process until it forms a fluffy paste. I kept mine a little nutty and crunchy, but that’s just personal preference

To make the galette

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, salt, and butter, and pulse for 5 seconds to blend it
Slowly add the water, little by little, and pulse until the pastry starts to come together. When you touch it, you should be able to press and mold it
Transfer it to your work surface and roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disc. Plastic wrap it and refrigerate it until it is chilled. While the dough is chilling, prepare the frangipane
Once chilled, sprinkle some flour on your work surface and roll out the dough to a 14 inch oval. Make sure you work quickly so that the dough remains cool

closeup so you can see the cinnamon in the dough

Spread and smooth out the frangipane across the surface of the dough, leaving a little more than an inch for the crust

Top with the fruit in a design you see fit.

Fold the crust part of the dough up and over sort of forming a tucked wall. Mix the yolks and the milk or heavy cream to make an egg wash. Using a brush, spread the egg wash across the outside and sprinkle some raw sugar across the edges.

Add in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about an hour or until the pastry has browned and crisp

Let cool before serving. Eat as is or top with some ice cream or whipped cream
Enjoy!

Coq Au Vin

26 Feb 201718 Apr 2020Leave a comment

This traditional French dish consists of a whole chicken braised in wine and cooked with veggies and bacon. It can be eaten as is or paired with mashed potatoes or rice for an ultimate comfort food that will have you stuffed. It is easy to prep and you can have it in the oven while you finish any wine left over basking in its aromatic scent.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour and a half

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs with the skin on or a whole roasting chicken cleaned and sectioned

4 strips of thick cut bacon, diced

3 red onions, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 packages of cremini mushrooms, stems off and thickly sliced

All-purpose flour

1 ½ cups red wine

1 cup chicken stock

6 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

Sea salt

Black pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes

Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or skillet cook the bacon over a medium heat until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess grease
Coat the chicken with the flour and cook it skin down in the leftover bacon grease over a high heat. Cook until both sides are brown and begin to crisp
Remove the chicken and place it in a separate paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess grease. If there is no oil/grease left in the pan, add some olive oil
Decrease the heat to a medium high and add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook until caramelized. If there is excess liquid due to the mushrooms caramelizing, add a sprinkle of flour to absorb the liquid
Add the red wine to the vegetables and bring to a boil. Add the bacon, bay leaf, thyme, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until wine is reduced by a third.
Once the wine has reduced, add the chicken and pour in the chicken stock until the chicken is submerged and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer
Cook uncovered over a medium high heat until the wine-stock mixture reduces by half and any pink is cooked from the chicken
Before serving, remove the thyme and bay leaf
Serve as the main dish or over mashed potatoes or rice
Enjoy!

Ratatouille

17 Feb 201618 Apr 2020Leave a comment

Ratatouille is not just a Disney movie about a rat that can cook, it is an exuberant dish based out of Southern France using only the finest and freshest vegetables. The beauty of this dish is that it can be enjoyed year round, using vegetables that are in season. It is simple to make as you just combine the vegetable and let them stew in the oven in some hearty tomato sauce.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 3.5 Hours

Ingredients

2 large eggplants, preferably Chinese eggplants, sliced into ¼ inch slices

2 zucchinis, sliced into ¼ inch slices

3 yellow squashes, sliced into ¼ inch slices

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large carrot, diced

1 celery root, diced,

1 red or green pepper, diced

1small 12oz can of tomato sauce

6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 280 degrees
In a large ovenproof pan or Dutch oven, drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions and garlic over a medium flame until the onions become translucent and the garlic golden
Add the celery, carrots, peppers, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes into the pan and cook until they soften and the mixture thickens. Add the basil, a dash of salt and pepper to taste and mix
Using a large spoon, smooth out the sauce around the pan so it becomes a base of sauce
Take the eggplant, zucchini, squash and layer them in any order you wish in a circle around the pan so it forms colorful rings that cover the sauce base
Drizzle olive oil over the ratatouille and sprinkle a dash of salt, pepper and some of the chopped basil
Cover in aluminum foil and bake for about 3 hours, or until the vegetables begin to soften
Afterwards, take the foil off and bake for about half an hour uncovered until the vegetables roast
Let sit for ten minutes and sprinkle some parmesan cheese to garnish
Serve and enjoy! You can either eat it as is or use it to accompany a side of rice

French Toast with Strawberry Cheesecake Cream

13 Feb 201618 Apr 2020Leave a comment

This is a quick fix breakfast recipe that will take at most 30 minutes out of your day to create. It makes for a sweet beginning to any morning. The fresh strawberries and sweet cream over delicious french toast make a for a dynamite combination full of flavor that will leave you smiling all day long.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

1 cups of finely chopped strawberries

Thickly slices of bread, preferably sweet, I used cinnamon raisin

3 eggs

Heavy cream

1 Teaspoon of cinnamon

4 Teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 package of cream cheese at room temperature

½ cup of powdered sugar

Instructions:

For the Cream:

In a bowl add the cream cheese and sugar and using a hand mixer, or whisk, blend them until nicely combined
Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and the strawberries until the mixture forms a more whipped consistency and the cream cheese begins turning pink from the strawberries. If you want a sweeter flavor, add more sugar and vanilla depending on personal taste
In a separate large metal bowl, whisk ½ a cup of the heavy cream until it begins to thicken
Add the heavy cream into the cheesecake mixture and using a whisk, blend
Leave this to the side

For the French toast

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over a medium-low heat
In a bowl, add the eggs, cinnamon, remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and a quarter cup of heavy cream, and whisk
Dip the bread in the egg mixture on both sides, but not too much as it will get soggy
Transfer it to the frying pan and cook on each side over a low heat until each side crisps slightly
Plate the bread, sprinkle powdered sugar and add drizzle the cream and add the remaining of the diced strawberries
Enjoy!