Fish in breadcrumbs (poissons panés).

Years ago, when we were young and crazy, my husband and I used to eat  homemade fish in breadcrumbs.

They were good and flavored. And we liked to be together in the kitchen.

Then, we had children and they used to prefer industrial fishes and, quickly, to clean the messy kitchen after this dish's preparation, stopped us in our cooking surge !

What a shame.

But yesterday, my husband told me :

"WIFE ! ... "

I love when he says that. It just gives him the feeling to be the master in our home. 

Sometimes, you know, we have to let them this belief ...

So, he says :

"WIFE ! Tonight, I cook !"

I do LOVE when he says that ! It gives me the feeling to be the master in our home. And this is not a belief but the Truth ! Yes, baby !

So, he prepared us our fish in breadcrumbs.

And I cleaned.

I'm not sure to be the master in our home, finally.

Here what you'll need, for 4 persons :

• 4 fish filet (I took Tilapia, but of course, it's tastier with sole)
• 1 lemon
• 3 eggs
• Some flour
• Some breadcrumbs
• Some parsley
• Some neutral oil.

Step 1 :

Beat your eggs.

Step 2 :

In one or two separate dishes, pour some flour and some breadcrumbs.

Step 3 :

Then, grate an entire lemon in breadcrumbs.

Step 4 :

And cut some parsley.

Mix all that.

Step 5:

Pour some oil in a pan, on a medium fire.

Step 6 :

Flour your fish.

Step 7 :

Then, into eggs.

Step 8 :

And in breadcrumbs.

Step 9 :

Finally, let it cook for several minutes, on the both side, in your pan.

Bon appétit.

Recapitulative for 4 persons :

• 4 fish filet ( I took Tilapia, but of course, it's tastier with sole)
• 1 lemon
• 3 eggs
• Some flour
• Some breadcrumbs
• Some parsley
• Some neutral oil.

Beat your eggs.

In one or two separate dishes, pour some flour and some breadcrumbs.

Then, grate an entire lemon in breadcrumbs.

And cut some parsley.

Mix all that.

Pour some oil in a pan, on a medium fire.

Flour your fish. 

Then, into eggs.

And in breadcrumbs.

Finally, let it cook for several minutes, on the both side, in your pan. 

The wooden spoon's game.

Here's a cruel joke but  who makes me die of laughing, as we say in French !

New easy meringues (nouvelles meringues faciles)

Because I couldn't stand on a failure !

Because I'M THE MASTER IN MY KITCHEN, once for all !

Because I can't accept that eggs defeat me !

Because I'm a winner !

And most of all, because my mother gave me this and I couldn't say no :

I've decided to try once again to give a beautiful form to my meringues. Remember, my easy meringues ?  Here they come again. And this time, I want you to do them with me and we'll succeed.

Here what you'll need :

• 4 eggs whites
• 250 gramme sof white sugar
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (I used both of them)
• A pinch of salt.

Your oven must be preheated at 150°C (300°F / Th4)

Step 1 : 

Carefully, separate whites from yolks. There mustn't be any yolks in them. Add a pinch of salt. 

Step 2 : 

Whisk them until they become tough. There must be "birds peaks", as we say in French "Bec d'oiseau" and when you put them upside down, they must not fall. Cross fingers ...

Step 3 :

Cut your vanilla pod in two and with a knife's tip, recover the grains and add the to the sugar. No problem if it's not real well stirred at the moment. 

Step 4 :

Then, LITTLE BY LITTLE, whisking each time, pour the sugar into the whites, until combined. 

Step 5 :

End with vanilla extract. 

Then, THE COMPLICATED PART BEGINS ! 

Step 6 : 

Use a piping bag (I failed at this step, do you remember) ?

But I found a solution ! 

Use a high jar and follow me on this short video, that my daughter made : 

Then, you can play to form some little meringues or, as my children said : snowmen's pooh ... 

Respect is dead, friends.

And finally.

Step 7 :

In the oven for 50 minutes, if they are small or 1 hour if they are a little bit bigger.  

Don't open the oven during the cooking time.

If you don't want to make them with this form, you can make them much more simply : meringues for hopeless.

Recapitulative : 

• 4 eggs whites
• 250 gramme sof white sugar
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (I used both of them)
• A pinch of salt.

Your oven must be preheated at 150°C (300°F / Th4)

Carefully, separate whites from yolks. There mustn't be any yolks in them. Add a pinch of salt. 

Whisk them until they become tough. There must be "birds peaks".

Cut your vanilla pod in two and with a knife's tip, recover the grains and add the to the sugar. No problem if it's not real well stirred at the moment. 

Then, LITTLE BY LITTLE, whisking each time, pour the sugar into the whites, until combined. 

End with vanilla extract. 

Use a piping bag .

In the oven for 50 minutes, if they are small or 1 hour if they are a little bit bigger.  

Don't open the oven during the cooking time ! 

Simple potatoes (pommes de terre au four)

Some days, you don't want to eat healthy.

Some days, you're fed up with vegetables.

Some days, you just need fat and sugar.

Some days, you're dreaming about a glass of white fresh wine. Or even two, or three, or ...

Then your children yell :"MUUUM !! Can we eat french fries tonight ?" and time catches you up.

So you have to find a balance between your dreams and the cruel reality.

You KNOW you can't eat french fries each day.

You KNOW vegetables are better for health.

You KNOW you're not Sue Ellen (Gen X, welcome here).

So, here's a quick and not too fat recipe of pototaes. It will help you to fill your fat desire.

Here what you need :

• Some potatoes (for 3, I used 6)
• 2 tablespoon of Olive oil
• Rosemary
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Salt and pepper

Your oven must be preheated at 180°C (350°F / Th6)

Step 1 : 

Rinse your potatoes carefully.

Step 2 : 

Cut them in slices, in the length direction and arrange them on a sheet paper. 

Step 3 : 

Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, olive oil, rosemary and garlic not peeled.

Step 4 : 

Then, in the oven for 15 minutes. After this time, stir them gently. 

And let them cook for 15-20 minutes more.

Bon appétit ! 

Recapitulative : 

• Some potatoes (for 3, I used 6)
• 2 tablespoon of Olive oil
• Rosemary
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Salt and pepper

Your oven must be preheated at 180°C (350°F / Th6)

Rinse your potatoes carefully.

Cut them in slices, in the length direction and arrange them on a sheet paper. 

Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, olive oil, rosemary and garlic not peeled.

Then, in the oven for 10 minutes. After this time, stir them gently. 

And let them cook for 10 minutes more.

Talking dog

One year ago, my sister send me this talking dog. I just LOVE him and wanted to share it with you. 

Even if you surely already know it.

:)

Tomatoes Pie (tarte à la tomate)

Tomatoes are here ! Well, I mean, REAL tomatoes.

Not the one full of water, without any flavor, and with tennis ball consistence.

No, no, THE Tomato, with a capital T.

The juicy one, the sugared one, the shiny one. Oh, how much I love those fruits.

Years ago, while I was to my childhood friend, the Hunter, her wife served me traditional mozzarella-tomatoes. I tasted and asked : "Do you sugar your tomatoes ?".

She replied :"Of course, not ! Just need sun and water".

The best tomatoes I ate for all my life.

So, we're finally in the good season for those fruits.

I'm going to share with you a very usual provencal recipe : the tomatoes pie.

There's a million ways to prepare it. But this one is very simple and yummy.

Here what you'll need for a 4 person's pie.

• 5-6 tomatoes
• 1 pastry
• 1 big tablespoon of mustard (I use sweet mustard, I mean, not too strong)
• Oregano
• Salt , pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil

Your oven must be preheated at 180°C (350°F / Th6)

Step 1 :

Unroll your pastry on a dish and stick it with a fork. I used a cake pan, for fun. But you can use a pie plate.

Step 2 :

Slather the bottom with mustard.

Step 3 :

Then, cut your tomatoes in slices and arrange them, even in several stairs, into your pie.

Step 4 :

Salt, pepper, and oregano.

Step 5 :

And water with the olive oil.

Step 6 :

Then, I closed my pie. But if you use a large dish, you're not obligate to.

In the oven, for 25 minutes or so.

Bon appétit !

Recapitulative for a 4 person's pie.

• 5-6 tomatoes
• 1 pastry
• 1 big tablespoon of mustard
• Oregano
• Salt , pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil

Your oven must be preheated at 180°C (350°F / Th6)

Unroll your pastry on a dish and stick it with a fork. 

Slather the bottom with mustard.

Then, cut your tomatoes in slices and arrange them, even in several stairs, into your pie.

Salt, pepper, and oregano.  

And water with the olive oil.

In the oven, for 25 minutes or so. 

Light zucchini soup (soupe légère aux courgettes)

If you're like me, every time I hear "light food", I understand "tasteless food".

Really, I do prefer eating a few piece of cheese, for example, than a big one "light".

So, when I heard about this soup, I was a little bit sceptical. Then I ate it. And I forgot all my doubts, regarding this dish. Just this one, ok.

When you'll make a heavy meal, when you'll feel guilty after two pieces of cake or some glass of wine, when you'll feel, in your stomach, that this time, it was a little bit too much , eat this soup. She's magical. She's got the power to take away your guiltiness.

It's tasty but, my fingertips are burning to type it, LIGHT. Oui, madame.

The ingredients I'll give is for 2 persons or just for one, during 2-3 days.

I use to eat it just before the principal meal. This was, I'm less hungry, I eat less and everybody is happy in a happy world !

Then, I spend my entire night going to the toilets, doing ten thousand liters wee !

But as we say in french : "Il faut savoir ce que l'on veut !" (you have to know what you want !)

Here what you'll need :

• 4 zucchini
• 1 onion
• 50 grammes of cream cheese (philadelphia is perfect, for example)
• 1 garlic stock cube (or 2 cloves of garlic and some parsley).

Step 1 :

Cut onion and zucchini in large piece and put them in a pan, with the stock cube.

Step 2 :

Cover all this with water and  let cook until your vegetables become tender. For me, it was 25 minutes.

Step 3 :

Then, when it's cooked, add your cheese and blend the soup.

That's it ! Bon appétit, friends !

Recapitulative : 

• 4 zucchini
• 1 onion
• 50 grammes of cream cheese (philadelphia is perfect, for example)
• 1 garlic stock cube (or 2 cloves of garlic and some parsley).

Cut onion and zucchini in large piece and put them in a pan, with the stock cube. 

Cover all this with water and  let cook until your vegetables become tender. For me, it was 25 minutes.

Then, when it's cooked, add your cheese and blend the soup.