Fried Green Tomatoes with Cornmeal from "Glass Gem" Corn

These fried green tomatoes are crisp outside and so succulent inside, they will melt in your mouth. So make plenty for everyone.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Black Rice & Basil

In ancient China, Black Rice was known as "Emperor's Rice", and it was reserved exclusively for Chinese Royalty. Loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E and fiber, Black Rice is as versatile as it is delicious. Its slightly sweet, slightly nutty taste, combined with its distinctive dark color, makes it appealing to the eyes and the taste buds. One serving has the same amount of antioxidants as a single serving of cultivated blueberries - without all the sugar. Simple, healthy, delicious - and easy to prepare.

Braised Artichokes with Onions & Bacon

Artichokes make a delicious addition to vegetable dinners and company lunches. Globe Artichokes - sometimes called the French Artichokes is in reality the bud of a thistle-like flower which is as decorative as the bud is palatable. A choice artichoke should have bright green leaves rather closely packed. Rusty spots or widely separated leaves indicate age or injury. The very small artichokes may be trimmed for artichoke hearts or used as small cups to hold hors d'oeuvres or hot food.

Russian Monday: Chicken Broth with Potato "Klotski", or Dumplings - Autumn is Here

This warming soup brings the summery flavor of basil to mid-autumn meals.

Avocado-Egg Salad & Poached Salmon Sandwich

Succulent poached salmon and eggs combined with creamy avocado, sautéed onions and fresh basil makes a substantial sandwich. The ingredients all blend together perfectly to create a gourmet-tasting experience. This sandwich takes a little work to prepare, but is not short on taste. It can be served warm or chilled.

Heirloom Tomato Beets Salad with Basil, Red Onion & Feta Cheese

Beets, basil and tomatoes with some red onions and feta cheese, might be my favorite ingredient combination.

I love summer!

Apricot Blackberry Shortbread Tart & Basil Cream

I wanted to bake this tart for quite some time. It has a special crust and the recipe is by pastry genius Pierre Herme. Ingredients include hardboiled egg yolk, so the crust comes out very tender and simply extraordinary. I have been waiting for the first apricots of the year and now they are finally in season. I have gotten ten of them - just enough for the tart. They have been sitting in a brown paper bag in order to get some more color and ripeness, but before starting to bake I put them out on counter top to get some extra inspiration.

Tomato Salad with Mozzarella & Avocado

Here is another interesting version of spring inspired salad. Instead of spreading out pieces all over the plate or making a mix, you can assemble them into mini-tower. You family and friends at the table will be pleasantly surprised by this. Who said all healthy things can't be beautiful as well?

Shrimp Etouffée - Spicy, Salty, Delicious!

The name Etouffée refers to "smothering" the seafood with a heavy sauce. This method of cooking has its roots in Creole cuisine, and if you take the time to prepare this dish properly you will be very proud of your Creole skills.



Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. peanut oil
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 green sweet bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. whole basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp. whole thyme leaves
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp Tabasco
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and uncooked
• cooked rice for serving

Directions:

Heat a large Dutch oven and add the oil and flour. Toast this to a peanut-butter-colored roux. This should take about 10 minutes over medium heat. Be careful not to burn this. Stir often.

Add the yellow onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the tomato paste, followed by the broth and wine. Stir constantly until this mixture thickens. Add the remaining ingredients, except the shrimp, and rice. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Add the shrimp and simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered.

Serve over cooked rice. This is also great with Zucchini Tian or Corn Pudding.

Zucchini Walnut Fritters with Lemon - Mint Yogurt Sauce

These crunchy fritters have chopped walnuts and a lot of herbs. Can be served as a side dish with salmon or roasted chicken.



This Yogurt with Lemon and Mint sauce cools the heat from fiery curries, and adds richness to Zucchini Pancakes. You also can serve it on the salad.



Ingredients:

• 3 cups coarsely grated zucchini
• salt and freshly ground pepper as needed
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup chopped dill
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp. chopped basil
• 2/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
• olive oil for pan
• capers for serving (optional)

For the sauce:

• 2 cups of yogurt 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mint, minced
• 2 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, minced
• salt and freshly ground pepper as needed

Directions:

For the sauce: Combine the yogurt with all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Place the grated zucchini in the bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Squeeze the zucchini to remove as much liquid as possible. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, scallions, eggs, oat bran, dill, parsley, basil, salt and pepper until evenly blended. Fold the walnuts into the zucchini mixture.

Add the oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high until the surface of the oil  shimmers. Working in batches, drop heaping tablespoons of zucchini mixture into the hot oil. Fry until the fritters are golden brown and cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes per side. Serve immediately with yogurt lemon sauce and capers.

From Garden to Table - Spinach and Basil Smoked Salmon Roll

I cook a lot lately with basil and I love it. Here is a little history lesson from The Spice Book, 1964.

BASIL Cut with a Golden Sickle

"Cooks gifted with a flair for seasoning have ever treasured basil as one of the most savory of culinary herbs. More delicate than some of the lustier herbs, like oregano, it may be used generously in a variety of vegetables to lend a subtle, if entirely distinctive, flavor.

The word basil stems from two possible origins. One is from the Greek for "royal" or "kingly"; the other, from a tongue-twister, also Greek, meaning "lizard". In Greek mythology this was indeed a very special lizard, a basilisk, which needed only to look at or breathe upon his victim to kill him.

The Greeks believed that only the sovereign himself should be allowed to cut the basil, using a golden sickle. Yet, according to history, basil was a symbol of hate; why this was so is open to conjecture.

On the other hand, in Italy, basil has always been a token of love, and is called "kiss-me-Nicholas" in some of its regions. Any girl who wears a sprig of basil is suggesting to hear beau, and not too subtly, that there is no need for him to keep his distance. In Romania, however, things are some-what more definite: hewn a boy accepts a sprig of basil from his girl, it means he is engaged!

In its native India, basil, called tulasi, is considered a holy herb and grown in pots near every temple and dwelling of devout Hindus. Though especially sacred to Vishnu, Krishna, and Lakshmi, all the other gods esteem it. too.

Throughout the ages, doctors and herbalists have basil in medicine and magic, although there seems to have been a happy lack of agreement as to its merits for either. "This is the herb which all authors are to-gether by the ears about, and rail at one another like lawyers," wrote herbalist Nicholas Culpeper in 1652. "Galen and Dioscorides hold it not fit to be taken inwardly, and Chrysippus rails at it with downright Billingsgate rhetoric. Pliny and the Arabian Physicians defend it."

That this fragrant herb aroused controversy add to its interest. John Gerard, Shakespeare's contemporary, was enthusiastic, saying: "A smell of Basil is good for the heart and head-cureth the infirmities of the heart, taketh away sorrowfulness which cometh of melancholia and maketh a man merry and glad."

Whatever its merits or failures may be as a remedy for physical ailments, basil is a delightful contribution to a variety of dishes. Since, as mentioned earlier, it is one of the most delicate herbs, it may be used more generously than lustier ones. Basil blends tastily with tomatoes, but also enhances vegetables such as eggplant, green beans, zucchini, peas, or cooked cucumber dishes. Basil is often used with, or as a substitute for, oregano in pizza topping, spaghetti sauce, or a macaroni and cheese casserole".



Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup fresh basil 
• 3 eggs, separated  
• 1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped 
• 1/3 pound light cream cheese   
• grated zest and juice of one 1/2 lemon
• 2-3 Tbsp. capers 
• 1/2 pound smoked salmon 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Put the spinach into a pan with a little of water, cover and bring to boil and cook for two minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze spinach dry.

Place spinach, egg yolks, basil, salt and pepper into a food processor. Pulse to a smooth paste.
Whisk egg whites until they hold soft peaks then fold into the basil-spinach mixture. Spread this mixture on a baking tray lined with buttered parchment and bake for 15 minutes or until set.Turn baked roulade out onto another sheet of parchment and leave to cool.

For the filling combine cream cheese, dill, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the spinach roulade onto a piece of plastic wrap. Spread the filling evenly over the spinach leaving a side border of 1 cm. Sprinkle with capers, more dill if you like and black pepper. Cover the filling with the salmon slices. Roll up with the help of the plastic wrap. Twist the ends to secure.

Refrigerate for few hours or overnight.

Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Basil Sauce

Bell peppers come in a rainbow of colors. They may be used here in any combination, as long as a few red ones are included in the mix. Red bell peppers are simply the mature stage of green bell peppers, having grown considerably sweeter with the extra time spent in the sun. Sweet yellow and orange peppers pass through a green stage as well, while purple peppers are tart like their green cousins.



Ingredients:

For the stuffing:

• 1 pound organic ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. oat bran
• 1 tsp dried dill
• salt and ground black pepper
• 4 bell peppers

For the sauce:

• 1 big tomato, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed 
• 1 cup leaf basil
• 8 ounces vegetable broth
• salt and ground black pepper
• yogurt for serving

Directions:

Cut off the top from each pepper. Reserve the tops. (Note: You may use reserved tops to top each stuffed pepper or chop and add to the sauce.) Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds from the center of each pepper. Set the peppers aside.

Put the tomatoes, along with their juice, in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions, basil,vegetable broth and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, stir together the ground beef, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, oat bran and dried dill. Season with salt and pepper. Fill each pepper with some of the stuffing mixture, mounding it on the top. Place them in a casserole or baking dish, add the tomato sauce and bake in the hot oven 375F for about 20-30 minutes.

When they are done serve them with yogurt and fresh basil.

Basil Chicken Salad with Mushrooms, Walnuts and Avocado on a Whole Grain Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 lb. total, cooked (roasted)
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 scallions chopped
• 1 small red onion, diced (more for serving, optional)
• 1 large avocado, firm but ripe, pitted, peeled and diced (more for serving, optional)
• 3/4 lb. mushrooms of your choice
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices of Whole Grain Bread, toasted

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl dice your chicken into 1/4 inch pieces. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, the lemon juice, and scallions until blended and smooth. Fold in the chicken, and everything else. Mix together. Serve on the toasted bread.

It does not get any simpler, or delicious.

Hard-cooked Egg and Prosciutto Sandwich with Avocado and Basil, and Giveaway

Few days ago, I've got beautiful homegrown, range-free organic eggs as a present from our dear neighbors, and I decided to make an Egg Sandwich.

I truly love this regal and scrumptious sandwich with its medley of hot and cold filling ingredients. You can vary the ingredients - substitute hot bacon or the ell for the Prosciutto for example.



Ingredients:

• 4 Ciabatta Rolls
• 2/3 cup homemade mayonnaise or use ready-made
• 20 leaves of basil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp butter
• salt and freshly ground pepper

For the filling:

• 2 oz baby spinach, shredded
• 4 oz Prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
• 4 oz cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 4 oz Rosenborg Danish Blue, creamy cheese

Directions:

Using a food processor simply mix the mayonnaise with the basil, garlic and lemon juice. Put the ciabatta rolls on the board and slice them lengthwise with a serrated knife.
Preheat the broiler. Spread the softened butter all over the inside of the ciabatta rolls and season lightly with salt and pepper.




Broil the base and lid until almost golden. Layer all the filling ingredients into the base, in order listed above or in order of your desire. Spread half the mayonnaise/pesto mixture over the spinach layer, and the rest over the eggs. Finish with a layer of Rosenborg Danish Blue creamy cheese.

Place the filled ciabatta rolls bas under the broiler for 4 minutes. Reheat the cut side of the lid for 2 minutes. Replace the lid on the roll base, pressing down with your fingertips.


Have a good lunch!


Free case of Cascal goes to comment #7 by Jaimee.

And for the GIVEAWAY
From my childhood, I remember beverage called Kvass - strong, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, it always helps during hot summer day. It was made by fermentation of bread. And we called it Kvassik (diminutive form of Kvass) when it was flavored with fruits or berries.

I was glad to find a soft drink which has similar taste, it is made using natural juices and also fermented.

Friends from Cascal offered to send a case of their new soft-drink to one of my dear reader.
So, here how you could get it:

• Visit Cascal website cheerscascal.com and pick a flavor you like the most.
• By midnight of Friday April 13, 2012 write a comment to this post with your name and favorite Cascal flavor.
• Increase your chance by following me on Facebook, following me on Twitter, or do the same for Cascal (Facebook, Twitter). Please add an extra comment after each Facebook or Twitter entry.

Good luck!

Seasonally simple garden Tomatoes with Basil

This recipe is so simple and so beautiful! Have a delicious summer!



Ingredients:

•  fresh, sweet tomatoes
•  olive oil
•  lemon juice
•  fresh basil
•  sea or kosher salt
•  fresh cracked black pepper

Direction:
Slice tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juce, salt and pepper. Slice or tear fresh basil leaves on top.



Enjoy!

Pasta with Shrimp and Garlic Cream Souce

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh basil
• 2 Tbs. salt, plus more, to taste
• 1/2 lb. any kind of pasta
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot, minced
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Add the 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package instructions.



When the pasta is within about 3 minutes of being al dente, in a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic, shallot and sauté until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté until they are just opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Add the warm cream and lemon juice to the pan and season the sauce with salt and pepper and minced basil.



Drain the pasta and add it to the fry pan. Toss the pasta to coat with the sauce and shrimp and serve immediately.

Pan-fried Yellow Tomatoes with Pistachio Relish

This recipe is incredibly easy and really tasty!
Pistachio Relish adapted from James Syhabout recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup very finely chopped shallots
• 2 Tbs small capers, rinsed
• 2 Tbs white vine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Sea salt
• 2 ripe yellow heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• Small basil leaves and alfalfa sprouts, for garnish

Preparation:
In a jar, combine the pistachios with the shallots, capers, vinegar, sugar, pink peppercorns and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with sea salt. Refrigerate the relish overnight.
The relish can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.



Cut tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and sprinkle tomato slices evenly with salt and pepper.
Heat two Tbsp olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Place tomato slices in the skillet, and cook 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.



Arrange the cooked tomato slices on plates. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Stir the relish and spoon it over the tomatoes. Garnish with basil leaves, alfalfa sprouts and serve.