Samantha Verant's Blog, page 4

Tomates et Courgettes Farcies (Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini)

Tomates et Courgettes Farcies is one of my favorite recipes to make for the family. It's easy. It's simple. And it tastes good. I like to chop everything up on my plate and combine everything together. (That's the way we do it here in La Belle France, at least in my house). Even our non-vegetable eating kid has no complaints for this dish-- although he typically removes the parsley garnish). It's kind of like the American version of stuffed peppers I had as a kid. Hey, if you want to stuff peppers- try that too! (I'd go with medium sized...no tomatoes or zucchini). Just cut off the caps, de-seed, and stuff!


Your basic ingredients at a glance...
Ready to get cookin', good lookin'? Le's go...

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Tomates et Courgettes Farcies (Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini)Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes2 large zucchini1 1/4 pounds ground beef, pork, or preferably a mix of both3 cloves garlic, peeled, de-germed, and finely minced2 shallots, finely minced3 healthy pinches herbes de Provence1/4 cup minced parsley, pus extra for garnish 2 slices white bread, crusts cut off, torn into pieces1 egg1/4 cup dry white wine 1 handful breadcrumbs or panko (optional)Extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly cover the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish with olive oil. Slice the caps (top) off the tomatoes, and place them to the side. Hollow out the tomatoes with a knife and a spoon, without cutting through the bottom, so they resemble small bowls. Set the tomato pulp aside. Lightly salt the interior of each tomato, setting them upside down on a plate to drain. Coarsely chop the tomato pulp and place it in the baking dish. Cut the ends off the zucchini. Slice the zucchini so each portion stands about 3-4 inches high. (They should look like shot glasses). Hollow out the center meat without cutting through the sides or the bottom. Place the meat in the baking dish with the tomato pulp. Chop.

For the farcie (stuffing), mix the ground meat in a large mixing bowl with the garlic, shallots, parsley, and herbes de Provence. Season with salt and pepper. Place the chopped bread slices on the mixture. Add the egg to the meat mixture, and mix all of the ingredients with your hands.



Once the meat is well-combined with the herbs, use a spoon to fill the tomatoes and zucchini to the top with the meat stuffing. Place the vegetables in the baking dish, meat side up.** Drizzle with olive oil, and place a “cap” on each tomato. Add the wine to the tomato pulp mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the entire dish with a bit of fleur de sel. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve with rice, spooning the sauce from the bottom of the baking dish on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.


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Bon Appétit, Baby!
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Potato Gnocchi with Marinara or Pesto Sauce and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

  Special Equipment needed: A Hand-held Potato Ricer. 

Here it is my last gnocchi post (for now)- regular, good ol' potato gnocchi! What can I say, save for I love gnocchi any which way! Sweet potato gnocchi! Beet gnocchi!  I'm an American cooking in France and I like fresh, homemade food. Forget about buying packaged gnocchi- make it your own. It's worth the effort and full of yum! Ready? Grab your flour and let's get to it.

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Potato Gnocchi with Marinara or Pesto Sauce and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes 
Servings: 4

Ingredients for the Gnocchi: 2 medium-sized potatoes, preferably Yukon Golds (but use what you've got!)Two cups all-purpose flour, plus extra1 pinch of salt1/2 cup ricotta cheese1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus freshly grated for garnishOne eggBasil/chives (for garnish) Fresh ground pepper (garnish) 
Ingredients for Sauce:Your favorite marinara or pesto sauce  Roasted cherry tomatoes, around 1 1/2 cups, sliced in half– optional
Instructions for the Gnocchi:Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Peel your potatoes and cut in half. Boil potatoes for about 16-18 minutes. Drain. Set aside. If roasting tomatoes, place them on parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350°F. Set aside. Pour two cups flour into a large mixing bowl and create a hole (think volcano), to place the ingredients in the "nest"– salt, ricotta, parmesan, and using, a handheld potato ricer, squeeze the meat of the potatoes on top of all this. Then, add the egg. Mix well. Transfer to a floured cutting board/work station. Roll out the dough using the palms of your hands, pushing it until it's smooth. (It's a workout!) If the dough is too wet, add a bit of flour. If it's too dry, add a bit of water. Work that dough--and your arms! Finally, when it's ready, nice and smooth– shape it into a ball. Cut the ball into six-eight pieces. Flour your board again. Take each piece and roll it into a long snake- about 3/4" thick. Cut each snake into pieces- about 1/2" long. If you want to get fancy, make indentations with the back of a fork or a gnocchi board. Place each gnocchi on parchment paper...and continue.

When all of your gnocchi are formed, sprinkle with flour, and then bring a pot of slightly salted water to boil. Cook the gnocchi for about 1 minute-- or until the gnocchis float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place the gnocchis on individual plates/bowls...and coat with your favorite marinara or pesto sauce. Garnish with roasted cherry tomatoes, if using, basil or chives, fresh ground pepper, freshly grated parmesan, and serve. This dish is nice with a salad and a fresh baguette.

Note: the gnocchi can be prepared in advance and will keep frozen. So get thee a gnocchi making!

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Bon Appétit, Baby!
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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter/Sage Sauce

In the last post, I shared a beet gnocchi recipe, which is delish. In this post, we have sweet potato gnocchi. So many ways to make gnocchi, so little time. This recipe is all sweet and savory and lick the bowl clean.

  Special Equipment needed: A Hand-held Potato Ricer. 




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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter/Sage SaucePreparation Time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour and fifteen minutes
Servings: 4


Ingredients for the Beet Gnocchi:
1 large sweet potatoTwo cups all-purpose flour, plus extra1 pinch nutmeg1 pinch cinnamon1 pinch of salt1/2 cup ricotta cheese1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus freshly grated for garnishOne eggBasil/chives (for garnish) Fresh ground pepper (garnish) 
Ingredients for Sauce:
Three-four tbsp. butter1 splash olive oil1/4 cup leaves of fresh sage, or 1 tbsp. dried sage(optional) roasted cherry tomatoes, around 1 1/2 cups, sliced in half
Instructions for the gnocchi:Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Place the sweet potato in a baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes. (Dance in the kitchen- or do whatever you need to do while cooking.) Remove from oven. When cool, peel the potato. If roasting tomatoes, place them on parchment paper, drizzle olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350°F. Set aside.

Pour two cups flour into a large mixing bowl and create a hole (think volcano), to place the ingredients in the "nest"– the nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, ricotta, parmesan, and using, a handheld potato ricer, squeeze the meat of the potato on top of all this. Then, add the egg. Mix well. Transfer to a floured cutting board/work station. Roll out the dough using the palms of your hands, pushing it until it's smooth. (It's a workout!) If the dough is too wet, add a bit of flour. If it's too dry, add a bit of water. Work that dough--and your arms! Finally, when it's ready, nice and smooth– shape it into a ball. Cut the ball into six-eight pieces. Flour your board again. Take each piece and roll it into a long snake- about 3/4" thick.
Then cut each snake into pieces- about 1/2" long. If you want to get fancy, make indentations with the back of a fork or a gnocchi board. (See below). Place each gnocchi on parchment paper...and continue.

When all of your gnocchi are formed, sprinkle with flour, and then bring a pot of slightly salted water to boil.

For the sauce: in a pan, heat up the butter with a splash of olive oil. Once bubbling, add in the sage. Stir. Reduce heat to low.

Cook the gnocchi for about 1 minute-- or until the gnocchis float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place the gnocchis on individual plates/bowls...and drizzle with the sage butter sauce. Garnish with roasted cherry tomatoes, if using, basil or chives, fresh ground pepper, and serve. (Add some parmesan, if desired). This dish is nice with a salad and a fresh baguette.

Note: the gnocchi can be prepared in advance and will keep frozen. So get thee a sweet potato gnocchi making!Save This Recipe to Yummly!Yum
Bon Appétit, Baby!
Sharing is Caring! Use the Social Media Buttons Below, please and merci!

Beet Gnocchi (with Buttered Walnuts and Roquefort Cheese)

Mmmm–beets! And homemade gnocchi! I love both! This recipe is a bit different, though, as the gnocchi isn't potato-based. And it's good. Of course, with gnocchi- the sauce is up to you, but I'm also including one that is yummy. Beets go well with walnuts and a nice stinky cheese...
It's a lot of work--and it's messy-- but it's fun. And really, really delish!

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Beet Gnocchi (with Buttered Walnuts, Roquefort Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze)
Preparation Time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour and fifteen minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients for the Beet Gnocchi:
1 1/2 large red beets (baseball sized), uncookedTwo cups all-purpose flour, plus extra1 pinch nutmeg1 pinch cinnamon1 pinch of salt1/2 cup ricotta cheese1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnishOne eggBasil/chives (for garnish) Fresh ground pepper (garnish) Salt
Ingredients for Sauce:
Three-four tbsp. butter1 splash olive oil1 cup crushed walnuts3/4 cup balsamic vinegarRoquefort or Blue Cheese
Instructions for the gnocchi: Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Place beets in a baking pan. Fill with about 5 cups of water. Drizzle the beets with olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 50 minutes. (Dance in the kitchen- or do whatever you need to do while cooking.) Remove from oven. When cool, peel and chop into 1" chunks. Place in a food processor and pulverize!

Rolled gnocchi snakes... cut em, and... Pour two cups flour into a large mixing bowl and create a hole (think volcano), to place the ingredients in the "nest"– the nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, ricotta, parmesan, the pulverized beets, and the egg. Mix well. Then transfer to a floured cutting board. Roll out the dough using the palms of your hands, pushing it until it's smooth. (It's a workout!) If the dough is too wet, add a bit of flour. If it's too dry, add a bit of water. Work that dough--and your arms! Finally, when it's ready, nice and smooth– shape it into a ball. Cut the ball into six-eight pieces. Flour your board again. Take each piece and roll it into a long snake- about 3/4" thick. Then cut each snake into pieces- about 1/2" long. If you want to get fancy, make indentations with the back of a fork or a gnocchi board. (See below). Place each gnocchi on parchment paper...and continue.

When all of your gnocchi are formed, sprinkle with flour, and then bring a pot of slightly salted water to boil. Cook the beet gnocchi for about 1 minute-- or until the gnocchis float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

For the sauce: in a pan, heat up the butter with a splash of olive oil. Once bubbling, add in the walnuts. Stir. Reduce heat to low.

In a small pot, heat up the vinegar over high heat for about five minutes, until it reduces to a syrup-like consistency. Set aside, allowing to cool.


Add the gnocchi to the walnuts, stirring and coating them with the butter/olive oil/walnuts for about one minute. Place the beet gnocchis/walnuts on individual plates/bowls...crumble the cheese over them...and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Garnish with basil or chives, fresh ground pepper, and serve. (Add some more parmesan, if desired). This dish is nice with a salad and a fresh baguette.

Note: the gnocchi can be prepared in advance and will keep frozen. So get thee a beet gnocchi making!

Save This Recipe to Yummly!Yum
Bon Appétit, Baby!
Sharing is Caring! Use the Social Media Buttons Below, please and merci!

French Kitchen Fusion: My New Foodie Blog

Be sure to check out my new site for recipes! French Kitchen Fusion! I've been working hard on improving my photo skills and I'm posting recipes 1-2 x per week!

Testing 1, 2, 3 (photo tests)

In preparation for the new year and my new "chef" book, I'm upping my photo skills and plan on posting more recipes like this one with beautiful, mouth-watering food shots. I still need to get a set of cheap photo lights. (Perhaps Santa will read my blog?) At any rate, I'm excited to turn a new page...and get creative! Plus, if I cook in the morning, I'll have excellent lunches.




In other exciting news,  I have a new agent(s). I am now represented by Kim Witherspoon and Jessica Mileo of InkWell Management. I'm thrilled to pieces! My next book is fiction, tentively titled  FLAMBÉ: a novel of food, love, and burning ambition. It's about a female chef...

Stay tuned.

Comments are disabled on the blog, but please feel free to join me on my Facebook page.

Many bisous,
Samanthaxox

Janice MacLeod's Paris Letters is also an October kindle deal...

So, the other day I posted about Seven Letters from Paris being an October Monthly Kindle Deal on Amazon. I'm also happy to report that my friend and pub-sister's memoir, Paris Letters, is also a deal cheaper than a spice pumpkin latte at $1.99.

You must be wondering- why on earth are you promoting a book on your page/site with almost the same title? Aren't you competitors?

The short answer to this is no.

I met Janice in 2014 when I asked her to endorse Seven Letters. Shortly after this, we found out she worked for my dad in advertising. Yep. We became fast friends. We are supporters. We endorse one another. We read for one another. We celebrate victories...and we are there for one another when the going gets tough. Although we haven't met in person yet, I feel like I know her. Like know her know her. And her book– about restarting her life– is wonderful. I highly suggest you buy it.

Here's what Paris Letters is about.

Finding love and freedom in a pen, a paintbrush...and Paris

How much money does it take to quit your job?

Exhausted and on the verge of burnout, Janice poses this question to herself as she doodles on a notepad at her desk. Surprisingly, the answer isn't as daunting as she expected. With a little math and a lot of determination, Janice cuts back, saves up, and buys herself two years of freedom in Europe.

A few days into her stop in Paris, Janice meets Christophe, the cute butcher down the street-who doesn't speak English. Through a combination of sign language and franglais, they embark on a whirlwind Paris romance. She soon realizes that she can never return to the world of twelve-hour workdays and greasy corporate lingo. But her dwindling savings force her to find a way to fund her dreams again. So Janice turns to her three loves-words, art, and Christophe-to figure out a way to make her happily-ever-after in Paris last forever.

Here are the links:

Amazon
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

#authorssupportingauthors#tellyourfriendsaboutourbooks
As always, shares of this post are greatly appreciated! Big time! Sharing is caring! I'll cook you dinner if you're ever in the Toulouse area! (Yes, I'm bribing you!) Comments are disabled on the blog, but please feel free to join me on my Facebook page. 
Bisous!

Seven Letters from Paris is an October monthly kindle deal!

Happy book birthday to Seven Letters from Paris, which turns three on October 7th. (The same age as Juju the cat!) My birthday is also this month– so there's lots to celebrate. Funny, I'm turning 30 again. Weird. I know. I'm in a time warp. Anyhoo, as mentioned, Seven Letters from Paris is an October monthly Amazon kindle deal! Pick up your copy for a $1.99– cheaper than a pumpkin spiced latte! Plus, Kobo and B&N are price matching! Woo-hoo! The links are below.


Amazon U.S.Amazon CA

Amazon UK Barnes & Noble
KoboIf you already have a copy, why not gift the book to a friend? As always, shares of this post are greatly appreciated! Big time! Sharing is caring! I'll cook you dinner if you're ever in the Toulouse area! (Yes, I'm bribing you!) Comments are disabled on the blog, but please feel free to join me on my Facebook page. 

Many bisous!xoxSam, Juju, and JL

Seven Letters from Paris is an October monthly kindle deal on Amazon!

Happy book birthday to Seven Letters from Paris, which turns three on October 7th. (The same age as Juju the cat!) My birthday is also this month– so there's lots to celebrate. Funny, I'm turning 30 again. Weird. I know. I'm in a time warp. Anyhoo, as mentioned, Seven Letters from Paris is an October monthly Amazon kindle deal! Pick up your copy for a $1.99– cheaper than a latte! Plus, Kobo and B&N are price matching! Woo-hoo! The links are below.


Amazon U.S. Amazon CA Barnes & Noble
Kobo If you already have a copy, why not gift the book to a friend? As always, shares of this post are greatly appreciated! Big time! Sharing is caring! I'll cook you dinner if you're ever in the Toulouse area! (Yes, I'm bribing you!) Comments are disabled on the blog, but please feel free to join me on my Facebook page. 

Many bisous!xoxSam, Juju, and JL  

How to Make a French Family is today's Daily Kindle Deal !

July 31,2017

How to Make a French Family is today's Daily Kindle Deal with price matching across all channels, including Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, and other outlets. Grab a copy of the Ebook for a mere $1.99- cheaper than a latte! Even JuJu is shocked! Already have your copy? Gift the book to a friend!

Click HERE to take advantage of this special offer!
Gros bisous!

Xox
Samantha