Tag Archives: recipe

Broccoli Slaw

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

Whoah….  It was 103 yesterday already.  Summer is definitely here!!! What temperature are we going to get in July?!

If you are like me, you probably don’t want to spend time in the kitchen amid warm ovens, and steaming cook stoves. Instead I bet you like to grill things and have salads.

I love all kind of salads, but the one I particularly like is broccoli salad. I don’t get to fix it often because  I am the only one eating it here at the house. But I will fix it when we have company, and when we are grilling. I offered it on Memorial Day as one of the sides. It is a refreshing salad, and a good substitution for the regular cole slaw you generally see at cook-outs. The recipe I use is my own version of a recipe from a book called “Southern Memories” by Nathalie Dupree. That book was offered to me many moons ago by friends who wanted me to know the ” local southern recipes”. I have treasured this book, and use it often when fixing traditional recipes from the South.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of broccoli slaw,
  • 1 bag of broccoli florets( diced very thinly),
  • 1 pack of uncooked bacon ( lean bacon, cut in thin strips),
  • 1/2 cup of onion sliced very thinly
  • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise,
  • 1/8 cup of sugar,
  • 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese,
  • 3 tbsp of cider vinegar,
  • 1/8 tsp of salt and
  • 1/16 tsp of pepper.
  1. First cook the bacon in a large frying pan until the bacon is fried and crumbled.
  2. Remove the bacon from the pan, and place it in a bowl covered with paper towels so as to absorb the bacon drippings. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, mayonnaise, salt and vinegar.
  4. Add the broccoli slaw and broccoli florets. Toss well.
  5. Refrigerate.
  6. Before serving, add the crisp bacon and 1 cup of sharp cheddar.
  7. Toss again.Serve.

This salad can keep for few days. It actually tastes better after a few days.

Bon Appetit! and Happy Cooking!

A Summer’s Favorite: Succotash

Posted
Filed under vegetables

In the summer I don’t like to eat a lot, and when I do eat, i like it to be light and refreshing. Luckily summer has so many fresh produces that it is easy to have a full dinner with just vegetables. My favorite thing to eat is Ratatouille but I can eat, eat , eat and eat vegetables all day long. Today I will propose you with a bean recipe that is very light unlike the Barbecue beans you will often see at cook-outs. It is a nice substitution, that is at the same time light and not so heavy.

Ingredients ( 4-6 people) : 1/2 bag of frozen corn ( 1 lb), 1 bag of frozen baby-lima beans, 4 strips of bacon uncooked, 1/2 sweet onions, pepper and salt to taste, 1 Tbsp of fresh thyme  1/4 cup of heavy cream if you desire.

Cut the bacon in small strips and cook in a saucepan until the bacon is cooked but not crispy, remove the bacon drippings. Add the diced onion and cook until it becomes translucent and golden. Add the frozen lima beans and corn and cook with the bacon and onions for about 2 minutes. Add 1 -1 1/2 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper ( about 1/4 tsp of pepper, 1 tsp of salt) and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes. At the end, you may want to add cream to have a creamier succotash.

Bon Appetit!

Maple Glazed Salmon with Vanilla Emulsion

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

I always stay busy. But when I finally find a minute to relax, I love to read culinary magazines, and flip through the pages of various cookbooks in search of inspiring recipes. Yesterday, I had seen a recipe of fish served with a vanilla sauce. It sparked my interest so much that today it was all I thought of. I imagined the type of fish I could use, and the vegetables to accompany it. So as soon as I got out of work, I went to the Fresh Market, and bought fresh corn on the cob and salmon. I was determined to cook that recipe. I actually followed the recipe to the letter even though some of the ingredients were somewhat surprising: vanilla, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, bourbon, broth and cream. I was a little sceptic, but the picture was really appetizing so I decided to go ahead.

What a disaster. That was awful! So much for a yummy dinner. I was not beaten though. I was determined to fix my fish with a vanilla sauce. And so I improvised.

Whoah… that combination of flavor was amazing!  I was almost in heaven. I totally loved the mixture of tastes. You need to try!!!

Ingredients for 2 persons:

  • 1 salmon filet of about 3-4 inches.
  • maple syrup
  • salt
  • pepper

Ingredients for the cream of corn:

  • 1 tbsp of butter,
  • 1/4 sweet onion diced,
  • 4 corn husks,
  • 1/4 heavy cream
  • salt
  • and pepper to taste,
  • (1 tsp of vanilla extract if wanted)
  • 1/3 cup of water.

Ingredients for the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup of heavy cream
  • 1/3 of a vanilla bean 

A. Salmon:

  1. Place the salmon on the flexipan.
  2. Pour some maple syrup in a little container, and with a brush, glaze the filet.
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Bake in a warm oven at 350 for 8 minutes.
  5. While the salmon is cooking, place the corn on the cob ( 4)  in a large round mold, cover it with the octogonal silpat, and cook in microwave for 5 minutes or for 10 minutes in the oven.
  6. Remove the corn from the husk with a knife. You may season with salt and pepper or not ( I did not).

You may also fix a cream of corn instead: 1 tbsp of butter, 1/4 sweet onion diced, 4 corn husks, 1/4 heavy cream. salt and pepper to taste, (1 tsp of vanilla extract if wanted). 1/3 cup of water.

  1.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan and saute the onions until they become translucent and golden.
  2. Throw in the corn kernels that you would have previously removed from the cob with a knife.
  3. Add 1/3 cup of water. Bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the 1/4 cup of heavy cream and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside.
  5. For the sauce, Pour 1/4 cup of heavy cream in a saucepan and place 1/3 of a vanilla bean that you would have previously cut in half and remove the seeds.
  6. Bring to boil, and let it simmer until the cream has reduced to half and has become thicker.

To serve, spoon the corn on the plate, place the filet on top of the corn, and drizzle the vanilla sauce over it.

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!!