Tag Archives: basil

Basil, Thyme and Parmesan Oven Roasted Potatoes

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Filed under Fleximolds, Large round mold, octogonal silpat, potato, Recipe with Demarle Cookware, silpat, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

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Do you love summer? I do, I do!!! I love the heat as long as I can go swimming and I love wearing those cute light summer dresses. For those of you who may not know me, I am really a girly girl. I wear a dress every time I can.

Summer is the best time to wear dresses because you don’t have to deal with panty hoses, and jackets to match. Plus summer dresses come in some many fun colors that it would be difficult to wear some of them in other season. Think about it- Would you wear a canary yellow, or a bright pink in winter or spring? I am certain that people would be looking at me as if I came from another planet if I did.

In the summer, and you may have noticed my lack of posts, I don’t like to stay in my kitchen too long because it gets hot with the stove on and I rather be outside enjoying the outdoor. Sometimes I even go for a jog at 9 in the evening because it finally gets cool. No need to say that for dinner it is not fancy, it is a lot of fish and chicken on the grill.  I also to make salads, and easy things.

This past Sunday, for our family dinner I decided to fix steak  with grilled asparagus and corn. Because there was not any room left on the grill for potatoes I decided to roast them in the oven. Quick, easy and yummy!!

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Ingredients for 4-6 people:

  • 8 small potatoes,
  • 1/3 cup of parmesan,
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil,
  • 2 tbsp of dry basil
  • 1 tbsp of dry thyme
  • 1/4 tsp of salt,
  • 1/8 tsp of pepper.
  1. Peel the potatoes and slice them in quarters.
  2. Place the potatoes in the large round mold, cover it the octogonal silpat and cook them for 5 minutes.
  3. Empty the potatoes in a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil, and sprinkle the salt, pepper, thyme, basil, and parmesan. Toss the potatoes so that they are well coated with the olive oil and everything else.
  4. Empty the potatoes on the large perforated sheet covered with a large silpat and spread out the potatoes.
  5. Cook them in the oven for 15 minutes at 450.
  6. Sprinkle some sea salt and eat up! Yum!!!

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Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Tomato and Tuna Salad

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Filed under entree, Recipe with Demarle Cookware, seafood, stainless steel cookware, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

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Yesterday, I had a millions of things to do and I knew that I could not spend too much time in the kitchen so I decided to swing by the fresh market to pick up some sirloin steaks.
I knew I was not going to eat that ( I am not a red meat fan), but I still had not a idea of what I would eat when entering the store. I was not worried because I can always find something;-)

Well as soon as I walked in, I saw a beautiful display of bull tomatoes.

photoTomatoes, unlike fruit never really picked my interest but those were so pretty that they looked that they would make a great dinner;-) Those tomatoes came in so many colors that I thought it would be fun to have a colorful salad for a change:-)

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But what to eat with it???? Fish?? maybe.. as I looked into the fish display I saw some beautiful tuna steaks.
Tina sashimi had been so rare to find this past year that I decided that they too would become my dinner.

Dinner for me was set: Tuna and tomato salad:-)

Ingredients for 2:

  • 1 red bull tomato
  • 1 green bull tomato
  • 1 yellow
  • 1 tsp of chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp of salt
  • 1/8 tsp of pepper
  • 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
  • olive oil or 1/2 tsp of butter
  1. Rinse the tomatoes very well.
  2. Cut them in their width and again in their length to make cubes. Set aside.
  3. In a bowl, mix the mustard, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well.
  4. Add the tomatoes and the fresh basil and stir. Set aside.
  5. In a small frying pan, warm up the 1/2 tsp of butter. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on both sides of the tuna steak.
  6. When the butter is sizzling, add the tuna steak and sear it for 1 minute. Turn it and sear it for another minute. Cook it longer if you want it more done (I like mine rare).photo
  7. Slice the steak in cubes and mix those with the tomato salad. Et voila!

photoIf you like to eat your steak warm, you may add the tomato salad as a side. It is up to you;-)

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Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Red Curry Shrimps with Peas and Baby Corn

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Filed under entree, Recipe with Demarle Cookware, shrimps, stainless steel cookware, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

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Last night I was craving some Thai food. All day I dreamt of eating my favorite Thai dish: Tofu in a Red Curry Sauce. I had so much to do though, that they were no time to go to a restaurant, and since the word “take out” is not in our vocabulary, I just swung by the store in search of what I needed to make that dish right after school;-)

I hope that you will try this dish at home, it is very inexpensive, needs only 5 minutes to cook and is delicious!!!!

Ingredients for 4:

  • 1 lb. of shrimps, unpeeled and deveined.
  • 1 bag of frozen peas thawed out.
  • 1/2 can of coconut milk or about 1 cup.
  • 3 tbsp. of Roasted Red Chili Paste
  • 1 tbsp. of fresh basil
  • 1 can of baby corn, drained.

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  1. If using fresh shrimps, peel the shrimps, and slice the back of each shrimp to remove what looks like a vein.
  2. Rinse the shrimps and pat them dry. If using frozen shrimps, thaw them out and pat them dry before using them.
  3. Scoop the foamy part of the coconut milk into a small saucepan.photo 3
  4. Add 2-3 tbsp of the Roasted Red Chili Paste, mix well and place onto a warm stove.
  5. Bring this mixture to boil.
  6. Add the shrimps, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Then add the rest of the coconut milk and stir.
  8. Add the peas, and the corn and cook for another 2 minutes. photo 4
  9. Before serving, chop some basil, and mix it well into the mixture.
  10. Eat… Yumm, Yumm…

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You may want to fix some coconut rice to serve with it. I did not, it tasted great without it. 

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Strawberry, Basil and Tofu Smoothie

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Filed under breakfast, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

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What you guys eating for breakfast? I wish I had time to fix eggs in the morning, but I am not a morning person, and I rather sleep a little later than preparing a balanced breakfast. So if I don’t think to fix quiches the night before, i am left with eating cereal bars, peanut butter on wheat or a smoothie.

This past few days I was trying to figure out what to add to my shake/ smoothie to include more protein. I don’t like peanut butter in my smoothie, and I can’t really eat yogurt because it upset my stomach. That’s when I thought of tofu. I will say that I really like the texture of my smoothie. It was not too liquid or thick, and tasted great. I hope you will give it a try.

Ingredients for 1 smoothie of about 2 cups:

  • 1/2 of a container or about 8 oz. of the soft tofu shown herephoto 5
  • 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1 tbsp of fresh basil
  • 1-2 tbsp. of honey, aguave, or brown sugar
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup of almond milk if necessary to liquify the smoothie.
  1. Place all the ingredients into a chopper and puree until it is smooth.
  2. Add almond milk if necessary to make the smoothie to your liking.

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Grown-Up Chicken a la Creme

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Filed under entree, meat, poultry, Recipe with Demarle Cookware, stainless steel cookware, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

The recipe of the cream chicken is really good and like my children, it used to be my favorite growing up. But as I took a bite I also thought it could taste better with the addition of a few other ingredients such as red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes…..So here it is;-)

Ingredients for 4: 12-16 chicken tenderloins, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 whole bell pepper roasted and peeled and sliced in very small strips, 2 tbsp of sun-dried tomatoes ( kept in olive oil), 1 tbsp of fresh chopped basil, 1 cup of fresh spinach, salt and pepper.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter and when the butter is sizzling, add the chicken. Saute the chicken for a few minutes on each side ( 1-2 minutes). Season with salt and pepper ( 1/8 tsp of salt, 1/16 tsp of pepper) and remove the chicken from the pan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the bell pepper and saute them on a medium heat. Add the cream, and the spinach and bring to boil. Add salt ( 1/8 tsp) and pepper ( 1/16) and stir well. Add the chicken for a few minutes, just enough to cook the chicken through. To serve the chicken, place the tenderloins on the plate and spoon a bit of the sauce over the chicken. Eat with rice or pasta. C’est tout!!!

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

A Summer Vegetable Side: Ratatouille.

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Filed under vegetables, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

If you have a few squashes, zucchinis and tomatoes left in your fridge, you can make a quick yummy side: Ratatouille. Now your man is probably not going to like it. I know… even in France very few men like ratatouille but ladies if you like vegetables, you will love this side!!! Even if no-one here eats it, I will eat it for lunch and dinner until it is all gone. I love to eat it cold as a side to a grilled meat or scrambled eggs, or warm over fresh pasta and grated parmesan.

Ingredients: 4 tbsp of olive oil, 2 medium sized yellow onions, 2- 3 bell peppers diced ( not green), 2 eggplants cubed, 3 zucchinis cubed, 3 yellow squashes cubed, 4-6 tomatoes peeled and diced, 2 tbsp of fresh basil chopped, 2 tbsp of fresh parsley chopped, 1 tbsp of fresh oregano chopped, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of fresh back pepper.

In a large stockpot, warm up the olive oil and saute the yellow onions until they are becoming golden and soft. Add the bell peppers and saute them. Stir regularly to prevent scorching. Add the 1/2 of the tomatoes, and stir. Add zucchinis and squashes and eggplants and saute them. Stir well. Add the rest of the tomatoes. Bring to boil. Add salt, pepper and the herbs and stir. Lower the temperature and let it simmer for 2-3 hours until the vegetables have somewhat “melted” and lost their shapes. Eat warm as a vegetables or cold with a yummy omelet. Yum!

Savory Tomato and Feta Cheese Pie

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Filed under What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

I cannot believe that summer is already coming to its end. And with it, its yummy vegetables. I am really going to miss those yummy tomatoes, and squash and fresh corn….I guess unconsciously these past few days I have been cooking all those yummy recipes so as to enjoy the last of those vegetables….

Today I made a quick tomato pie. If you are at loss of what to cook, that is a great alternative for pizza and much much healthier!!!

Ingredients: 1 pie crust, 5 roma tomatoes sliced thinly, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of heavy cream or milk or skim milk, 1 cup of feta cheese crumbled, 1/2 tsp of sea salt, 1/4 tsp of fresh pepper, 2 tbsp of fresh basil chopped or 1 1/2 tbsp of dry basil.

Unroll the pie crust, and place it in a large tart tray or in the large individual tartlet tray. Poke the dough with a fork so as to prevent air pocket. Spread the tomatoes thinly in a circle, starting from the outside of the pie, to the inside of the pie. In a bowl mix the  eggs, the milk, salt and pepper. Pour the content over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the feta cheese and the basil, and bake again in the oven for 15-20 minutes for the individual pies, or 30 minutes for the large one.  Et voila! How easy was that;-) Your turn!!!!

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

A Healthy Breakfast: White Egg Omelet with Corn Salsa ( also called Texas Caviar)

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Filed under breakfast, vegetables, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

Last night I made a salsa to serve with tortilla chips. The salsa was made with beans and corn. Since I did not want to waste any of it, and always eat scrambled egg whites on week-ends, I thought I could marry the two this morning for my breakfast;-) So here it is… It was so so yummy….

Salsa ingredients ( this recipe yields a lot of salsa, but it will keep a while in your fridge, and you can serve it in various ways… over fish.. in pasta..)

1 can of black bean , 1 can of black eye peas or pinto beans, 1 can of white corn, 1 can of yellow corn, 1 red bell pepper diced very thinly, 1 purple onion diced very thinly, 2 firm Roma tomatoes diced thinly, 8 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 4 tbsp of olive oil, 2 Tbsp of sugar, 1/16 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1/8 tsp of salt, 3 tbsp of fresh cilantro chopped thinly, 2 tbsp of fresh basil chopped thinly.

First drain the liquid of all the cans, then pour the content in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Let it rest for at least 4 hours.

Ingredients for the omelet: 3 egg whites, 1 tsp of grated parmesan, and pepper to taste.

Break the eggs and separate the egg whites from the yolks. Dispose of the egg yolks if you are not going to use them in another recipe ( they do not last). Place the egg whites in a small bowl. Add the parmesan and a pinch of pepper, and mix well. In a small frying pan, melt 1 tsp of butter and when the butter is sizzling, throw in the egg whites mixture.With the spatula, stir lightly by pushing the eggs to the outer side of the frying pan. When the egg whites are becoming white but not too dry, turn the heat off and fold your omelet 1/3 over 1/3 and again 1/3.

To serve, place the omelet on a plate,  spoon the salsa over it and devour;-) YUMMY!!!!! and so healthy!!!

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!