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Country fried Catfish with Creamy Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce

Country fried Catfish with Creamy Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Time:  30 minutes

For our Italian friends in Mantova, catfish, they call it Pesce Gatto, doesn’t have a great reputation. The big ones in the river Po taste muddy and can be quite tough.

I find catfish in the US is delicious and doesn’t taste muddy at all. Mostly farmed in a controlled environment – it’s big business in the South – catfish has a delicate and firm flesh ideal…

[chezbasilic-blog]

Green Beans with Almonds and Goat Cheese

Green Beans with Almonds and Goat Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 30 minutes

I personally have never been enthusiastic about vegetable casseroles. Too many casseroles when I was a child. I still associate it with overcooked vegetables baked and enriched with some sort of sauce. Have you ever heard dishes being praised as “simple and honest” cooking? I think to attach to food the label “honest” is disingenuous. It’s quite often a lame…

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Orzo Eggplant and Feta Salad

Orzo Eggplant and Feta Salad

Yield:  4-6 servings

Time: 45 minutes

The roasted eggplant feta orzo salad is an unassuming dish, that surprises with the deep flavor of the roasted eggplants contrasting with the tangy feta cheese and lemony olive oil dressing. It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients to prepare this light and rewarding vegetarian dish. It’s rather a main course than a salad on the side and I get the same reaction…

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Creamy Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce

Creamy Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce

Yield: about 2 cups (500 ml)

Time: 10 minutes

A mild-mannered and creamy jalapeno sauce with lots of flavors and not overly spicy. A versatile sauce that works well with grilled meats and fried fish. A zesty dipping for empanadas. Once in a while, I use it as a salad dressing. The sauce will get more  “picante” as it sits. Sauteing jalapenos briefly tames their “fire”.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive…

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Flexitarian Diet: A Farmer’s Argument I just read this rather intriguing article in today's Guardian newspaper: If you want to save the world, veganism isn’t the answer…

[chezbasilic-blog]

Peach and Almond Cobbler

Peach and Almond Cobbler

Yield: 6 servings

Time: 60 minutes 

I want the cobbler to taste of peaches – ripe summer peaches. Not mealy out of season peaches with lots of sugar added. Ripe peaches and pantry ingredients on hand are all you need. Savor the flavor and goodness of the summer – you won’t regret it.

Ingredients:

1 lb (450 g) sliced fresh peaches

3/4 cup (170 g) sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted…

[chezbasilic-blog]

Mustard Roasted Potatoes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Time: 60 minutes

Potatoes are without a doubt one of the most beloved vegetables not only because they are easy to prepare but because they are so adaptable. This recipe which uses pantry supplies creates a delicious tangy coating on the outside while keeping the inside moist and buttery.

Ingredients:

2 lbs (900 g) firm potatoes (Yukon gold/Mary Pipers), cut into 1 inch (2.5…

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Orzo and Shrimp Salad with Feta Cheese

Orzo and Shrimp Salad with Feta Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 30 minutes

A different twist on a pasta salad. No mayonnaise or any creamy dressing.  Refreshing with a salty kick of feta cheese and a garlicky oregano sauce. I got a lot of compliments when I brought it along to an outdoor party with friends in Berlin Zehlendorf. I made sure to drain the orzo pasta thoroughly, spreading it on paper towels. This resulted in a  pasta…

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Garlicky Oregano Sauce

Yield: 1 cup (240 ml)

Time: 10 minutes

Simple and quick garlic oregano sauce to liven up grilled chicken, beef, shrimp or anything on the barbie. Who needs a bottled barbecue sauce?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (about 30 g)) fresh oregano leaves

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

3 Tbsp lemon juice or to taste

1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Prepa…

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Zucchini and Feta Fritters

Zucchini and Feta Fritters

Yield: 4 servings (about 2 fritters per person)

Time: 60 minutes (fritters only, make Labneh the day before)

Zucchini Fritters are served in cafés and bars in the Middle East as a quick bite, normally accompanied by either Labneh or a spicy tomato sauce. Instead of Labneh, I often use Greek or European-style thick yogurt.

Traditionally a part of a Mezze, it’s also an excellent side dish to…

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Lima Bean and Arugula Salad

Lima Bean and Arugula Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Time:  30 minutes

As you might have noticed in my recipe collection, lima beans belong to my  “special repertoire”. I simply love them, warm or at room temperature. This tasty salad with buttery baby lima beans, peppery arugula leaves, cherry tomatoes and cubed feta cheese in between make for an eye-catching presentation on my salad buffet and is always a crowd pleaser. A sure…

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Omega-3: Fool's Gold

Omega-3: Fool’s Gold

From today’s Guardian newspaper: Fool’s gold: what fish oil is doing to our health and the planet

“The omega-3 industry [$30 billion estimated annual turnover] is in a twist. Again. Last week, an organization that compiles and evaluates medical research for the general public, released a meta-analysis – a study of studies – to determine whether or not omega-3 pills, one of the world’s most…

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Braised Endives

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 40 minutes

Endives Braisées a classic of the Belgian cuisine. Great on its own or all dressed up. Endives, are quite popular in Europe as comfort food or as a side dish worth of every dinner party. I like them best braised or roasted rather than raw as an appetizer.

In the US endives are called Belgian Endivesand are used mostly raw for dips and in salads. In the UK they…

[chezbasilic-blog]

Zucchini Flan

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 60 minutes

Flan di Zucchine (Italian) or Flan de Courgettes (French) is a delicious side dish or a prelude to a summer dinner. Zucchinis are plentiful during the summer months and an unmistakable sight in most green markets. For this zucchini flan recipe, I selected small zucchinis, large ones are too coarse and seedy. In order to add color I left the skin of the…

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Figs with Blue Cheese

Figs with Blue Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 15 minutes

Figues au Roquefort a delicious recipe from France. There I would use young Roquefort cheese, a sharp blue sheep cheese from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, a small village in the Massif Central. But any medium sharp blue cheese, like Gorgonzola, Great Hill Blue or Humboldt Fog will do.

I normally serve the figs with thinly sliced smoked ham or salami and when in…

[chezbasilic-blog]

Roasted Red Pepper Involtinis

Roasted Red Pepper Involtinis

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 30 minutes plus 1 hour marinating

I got inspired by a colorful Turkish grocery store in our neighborhood in Berlin Steglitz. Their marinated roasted red pepper mini rolls are a delight. The sweet, smoky taste of the roasted red peppers contrasts well with the tangy flavor of the soft goat cheese.

Just out of curiosity I decided to try my own version and the Red Pepper…

[chezbasilic-blog]

Tomatoes stuffed with Couscous and Feta Cheese

Tomatoes stuffed with Couscous and Feta Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 45 minutes

A popular Greek summer dish, Domates Yemistes, an ideal way to use those ripe and tender tomatoes which your neighbor just happened to bring to your door. Add some couscous and feta cheese to create a Meditteranean touch to your grill party. It’s equally good as a sidekick to a salad on a hot summer day or as part of a Mezze.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 med…