Grapefruit, avocado and crab appetizer spoons

By French Cooking for Dummies Posted in Appetizer spoons, Appetizers, Easy / 26 Comments »

Can’t get enough appetizer spoons recipes, I just can’t get enough ;-)
Their secret resides in mixing textures and getting the flavors not to override one another. In general, 2 to 3  different main ingredients are enough.

In this amuse-bouche recipe, we have a creamy texture thanks to the avocado and mascarpone cheese contrasting with the grapefruit pulp’s distinctive texture. My advice so the flavors are well balanced is to be very generous when topping with the crab flesh. Grapefruit’s bitterness tends to be too prominent otherwise. And don’t forget avocado oxidates pretty quick, so don’t prepare your appetizer spoons too much in advance.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (for 15 to 20 spoons)

2 crab claws
1 ripe avocado
1 grapefruit
2 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon of pimentón (smoked paprika)
Tabasco drops (optional – quantity according to your taste)
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop the flesh out with a spoon and leave in a food processor bowl.

2/ Open grapefruit and remove pulp carefully with a teaspoon. Keep juice in a small cup and pulp in a bowl.

3/ In the food processor bowl, add mascarpone cheese, grapefruit juice, pimentón and tabasco (optional). Mix until you get a smooth texture. Add salt and pepper. Mix again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4/ Crack crab claw and carefully remove flesh. Set aside.

5/ Prepare the Chinese soup spoons by adding to each one a tablespoon of the avocado mixture, followed by a piece of grapefruit pulp. Top generously with crab flesh.

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Herbed mascarpone stuffed chicken

By French Cooking for Dummies Posted in Cheap, Easy, Main dishes / 12 Comments »

The herb mix used in this stuffed chicken breasts recipe is commonly used in French cuisine, we call it ‘fines herbes‘. It’s a mix of chives, chervil, parsley and tarragon… Perfect with fish and white meats.
I cook herbed mascarpone stuffed chicken quite often because it’s really easy and quickly made. Fines herbes are really tasty and trust me the herbs and wine sauce is to die for with mashed potatoes ;-) .

Preparation time: 10 mn  Cooking time: 20 mn

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
9 oz (250 g) of Mascarpone cheese
4/5 cup (20 cl) of dry white wine
2 tablespoons of butter
1 handful of chives
1 handful of parsley
1 handful of chervil
1 handful of tarragon
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C/Th 6).

2/ Rinse and chop chives, chervil, parsley and tarragon.

3/ In a bowl, combine mascarpone cheese with herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4/ Open chicken breasts by entering a knife in the center. Slice to both sides being careful not to break it.

5/ Stuff them with the herbed mascarpone. (If there are thiner parts of the chicken breasts you can’t stuff, top the stuffed chicken breast with a layer of herbed mascarpone and finish with a layer of chicken.)

6/ Dispose chicken breasts in an ovenproof dish. Pour white wine over them and top each chicken breast with a piece of butter. Top with salt and pepper.

7/ Bake in oven for 25 minutes.

Serve right away with boiled potatoes, rice or broccoli. Perfect with mashed potatoes.

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Tiramisu

By French Cooking for Dummies Posted in Cheap, Desserts, Easy / 7 Comments »

I know Tiramisu is not French but it’s so easy to make, it definitely has a place on this blog ;-) It’s a perfect last minute making dessert. This recipe is so simple you’ll end up making Tiramisu quite often, believe me.
It’s an amazing Italian dessert; if you’ve never tried it, what are you waiting for?!

Preparation Time: 15 mn   +1 h or 2 in the fridge

Ingredients (for 6 servings)

5/8 lbs (285 gr) of mascapone cheese
1/2 lbs (225 gr/8 oz) of lady fingers
1/8 lbs (55 gr/2 oz) of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of expresso
1 teaspoon of Marsala or coffee liquor
Cocoa powder

Instructions

1/ Separate yolks (and set aside) from egg whites. (The easiest way to do it is by taking the broken egg in one hand and let white fall in a bowl when keeping yolk over your fingers). Beat the egg whites until stiff.

2/ Add sugar to yolks and beat until they turn white. Add mascarpone cheese and mix thoroughly. Fold stiff eggs into mixture.

3/ Dip ladyfingers in expresso and cover the bottom of a pan (or 6 small glasses as on picture) with it. Add a layer of cream, reapeat with ladyfingers and finish with cream.

4/ Let chill in the fridge and dust with cocoa right before serving.

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