Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Happy Holidays

Before the holidays I was in Paris for four days. At Julie's sweet home it was a heaven of cheese and wine and many other things such as friendship, babies and salted butter. Can anything be better than salted butter, please tell me.


And Iznik for the holidays. Nice sunsets and again delicious food everywhere.






Friday, November 12, 2010

Pumpkin Soup


From now on I declare it officially autumn. It's time to eat soup in the evenings, stay home with pyjamas till noon on week-ends, going to movies, walking around the city and stopping for a steaming cup of coffee and reading a brilliant novel... After all, it's time to return to old habits and eat comfort food at home.
Although it is still indian summer in Turkey ( called "pastırma yazı" in turkish, meaning literally salami summer ) for me fall begins in november. 
Soup is my all times favorite comfort food. There is this gingered chicken broth and noodle soup that we are cooking quite often with my beloved which this year already took over the adored lentil soup's thrown. But those two recipes will come another time. Today it is pumpkin soup.


I tried pumpkin soup in various places quite a few times so far and kept telling my self to do it. I've been collecting recipes, making plans, thinking of special occasions where I can make it and finally I have decided to have pumpkin soup for our traditional Christmas dinner ( which as you can understand is itself nothing but traditional). And once the decision was made I started the trial runs. 
After careful considerations I picked the recipe form "le cook book" (or for those of you who prefer the original english version "The soup book" ).


I modified the original recipe a little bit. First of all I have not used the fried sage leaves ( for two reasons: I happen to not have fresh sage leaves at home at all moments and also I was not quite sure that crispy leaves on top of my soup will be good).  Second modification was the curry which suited elegantly the sweetness of pumpkin.

Ingredients

1kg of pumpkin, peeled and deseeded
2 small potatoes, peeled
1 knob of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 tablespoon curry 
ground black pepper
salt



Chop the pumpkin and the potatoes into small cubes and stir them in a large pot for about 5 minutes. Add boiled water ( or better vegetable broth ) and cook until the vegetables are tender. Use a hand blender to blitz the soup until you have a silky consistency. Season bit by bit by salt and pepper while tasting and add the curry.



PS: You can freeze this soup and have it in your freezer for lazy nights up to 3 months.

Bon appétit!!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Chicken with Parmesan and Basil

I think this is the first time that I start writing a recipe just after eating the dish. It was so good that I couldn't wait. I had to share it. Also I am pretty much sure that you'll agree with me once you try it.


Ok, enough bragging about myself. But it was just such a simple dish that it is surprising that it can be so delicious.

Ingredients

400 gr of chicken breast ( cut in half through so that you'll have approximately 6 thin pieces)
1 large plum tomato (or 2 to 3 regular, juicy tomatoes)
3 tablespoons of red wine
2 gloves of garlic, finely sliced
3-4 basil leaves, finely sliced
parmesan cheese ( not grated but sliced, enough to cover the top of the dish )
salt and pepper

A notice about the basil before starting the recipe. You can easily grow it at home, in your kitchen and believe me it makes all the difference to sparkle some fresh leaves over any dish.



So, first turn the oven on to 200 degrees. Boil water in your kettle. Cross the back of the tomato. Put in the boiled water for 1 minute and then in cold water for 1 minute ( or just running tap water) so that you can easily take its skin off.




In a skillet heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil, add the garlic. Put salt and pepper on chicken breasts and cook them in the skillet. At this point you have to be careful not to let them dry. Once cooked, transfer the chicken breasts to a about 10 cm deep ovenproof dish.


In the same skillet that you used for cooking chicken breasts you are going to prepare the tomato sauce. Slice finely the tomato and transfer it to the already hot skillet. Add the red wine. Cook for at least 15 minutes. Taste for the seasoning. It should be juicy with a nice dark red color.  Towards the end add half of the basil leaves.



Pour the sauce on top the chicken breasts. Add the resting basil and cover the top with parmesan slices. Again a warning about the parmesan. Please, please , please never buy previously grated cheese. It has to be grated or sliced freshly. You'll see the difference. So don't go lazy on cheese.


Cook in the oven until the cheese is melted and have a partly brown color.



Bon appétit!!