Paris mon Amour!

It was the summer of 2012, and Stelios and I had decided to take a side trip to France on our way to spending the summer in Greece.


We had a few people we wanted to visit on this trip; Stelios' cousin Charalambos(don't you love those Greek names!!) and our friends Freddie and Norma, luckily both residing in the South of France. It took me months to meticulously plan the trip that would take us from Paris all the way to the North of France and then back down to the South, hitting some special destinations in between.

The first couple of days as well as the last few we spent in Paris. Glorious, wondrous Paris did not disappoint and since we'd been there before we decide to skip the Eiffel, the Louvre and other well known attractions that we'd seen before so we could just enjoy the vibe and life of the city.

Our first bottle of wine.

 We climbed to the top of Notre Dame in late afternoon, after the crowds had left.

 We walked around the Tuileries and admired the statues.

We visited the Orangerie Museum, that houses the Monet Water Lilies Murals among other impressionist and post impressionist paintings.

 We enjoyed the resident kitty at our hotel.

 One of the best kept secrets is the Old Paris Opera House.

It's a jewel of a place, ornate and splendid!

 Our hotel kitty being courted by an outside cat.

 The Cluny Museum is another one of those lesser known jewels of Paris.

Strolls along the Seine.

 In the summertime, the Parisians enjoy the waterfront.

When you make it to Paris, don't forget to look for these lesser destinations and to take the time to stroll along the Boulevards soaking in the atmosphere of the City of Light.

Enjoy!

Maria

Asparagus soup

Two pounds of beautiful, green asparagus were sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be eaten. I thought about asparagus omelets, thought about a quiche, thought about steaming them next to a piece of cooked fish or chicken, but none of these dinners materialized the way I expected.

Asparagus is not the kind of vegetable that does well with time. I knew I had to cook them soon and the perfect recipe that came to mind was a cream of asparagus soup that I used to make quite often in the past. I adapted this recipe to my own needs, substituting the crème fraîche or heavy cream with low fat yogurt. When you make it, you can decided for yourself what to choose.

 Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green asparagus
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 to 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream(I substituted with low fat yogurt)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Preparation

Cut stalks and discard and then chop all asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.


Purée soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in yogurt, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and freshly grated black pepper.

Cooks' note: ·Soup keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days. If making ahead, add last tablespoon butter and lemon juice after reheating.

It's a light, filling meal that rounds up with a salad, and of course, what else but crusty bread.
Enjoy!

Maria

Salad March Madness

March is almost over and spring is nowhere in sight in New Jersey. I bought these lovely tulips to brighten up the cloudy day.

And, since we all know that those extra pounds I put on over the winter are not coming off by magic, I want to share with you the salads I've started making for lunch. What I love about salads is that you can put in anything you have in the fridge. In this colorful one you see here, I cut up a cup of lettuce for the base, half an avocado, a cup of ripe papaya, half a red beet, some sugar snaps and baby carrots and walnuts. I added a chiffonade of basil and, of course, extra virgin Greek olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I also always like to add some freshly ground pepper on top.

Remember that you can add in your salad anything that's sitting in your fridge. I've added cooked pasta, rice, leftover sweet potatoes, fish, chicken, apples, celery. These are just some ideas for your own, personalized March Madness salad!

The next salad I made this week was a chickpea salad. I usually try to include at least some protein in my lunch salad because the protein will keep me from getting hungry until dinnertime.

 My friend Joanne came by that day and we shared this tasty and healthy salad.

Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Chop half an onion, add half a cup of chopped fresh parsley, a 1/4 cup sliced pitted black olives and dress with lemon and extra virgin Greek olive oil. Invite a friend and share!

I served my chickpea salad with, of course, Stelios' multigrain bread and some Greek brined anchovies.

Enjoy!

First Day of Spring - Shakshuka Chicken and More Snow

The first day of Spring, so eagerly awaited by us Northerners who've been buried in snow and suffered below freezing temps this winter, came in like a lion.

While the snow piled up outside, I wanted to cook us a dish that would warm our stomachs and souls. Shakshuka is colorful and the heat in it really hits the spot!

Shakshuka, a popular Jerusalem dish usually served with eggs for breakfast, will be the base for my adaption for chicken with Shakshuka sauce. I've shared my sauce recipe with you on this blog before, but this time we're actually going to serve it with the chicken.

I'd been having a hankering for the spicy, succulent, red pepper- tomato sauce that I discovered last year in the pages of Ottolenghi's cookbook, Jerusalem. The ingredients, including the can of Harissa sauce(spicy pepper sauce) had been sitting in my pantry for a while and the red peppers were in the fridge, bottom drawer. All I needed was a can of diced tomatoes and I could enjoy this delicious meal for dinner on this snowy day.

Even though we've seen a lot of the white stuff and are tired of shoveling, I couldn't help but see the beauty of softly falling snowflakes.

Here's how to make your own dinner of Chicken poached in Shakshuka Sauce:

Shakshuka
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp harissa
2 tsp tomato paste
2 large red peppers diced into 1/4 inch
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
5 cups chopped tomatoes(or 1 32oz can of diced tomatoes)800gr.
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tspdried  oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
6 boneless. skinless chicken thighs

Heat the oil in a large, shallow saucepan over medium heat. Add the harissa, tomato paste, peppers, garlic, cumin and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until the peppers become soft.

Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining olive oil and the oregano. Simmer 5 more minutes. You should have a thick, chunky sauce. Now is the time to gently slip in your chicken thighs by making indentations in the sauce and placing the chicken inside. Ladle some sauce over the chicken, cover the saucepan, and place it in a 350F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Check for doneness. Your dinner is ready! Serves 4-6 people.

I would recommend this for a dinner party for people who like a little spice in their food. It's a tasty, colorful, dish with a kick to it that is sure to satisfy your guests.
Enjoy!

Maria

Glenmere Mansion - Chester, New York

Glenmere Mansion is an opulent, turn-of-the-century, country estate built by the industrialist Robert Goelet. It sits on top of a hill overlooking Glenmere lake in the lower Hudson Valley.

Today, the mansion is a small luxury hotel with a spa and four restaurants, surrounded by the restored formal gardens of the original estate.

On a snowy winter's day my friends and I shared a delicious lunch at the Frog's End Tavern. First, we sampled this cauliflower flatbread to accompany our drinks.

 Scallops with black lentils and broccoli.

 Seared Salmon

Pastrami sandwich

The awesome hamburger!

The Frog's End Tavern is a warm, cozy room with beautiful furnishings and a nice marbletop bar.

The surroundings are beautiful and worth a visit, but I would also definitely go back for the delicious food!

Enjoy!

Maria