Veggie-Packed Crustless Quiche

The only slightly tedious part of making quiche is taking the time to make a good homemade dough. For that reason, it can be hard to make quiche on a busy weeknight. I also find that dough usually makes for a heavy meal, especially in the evening. This recipe is my solution to the issue - crustless quiche! My recipe is packed with baby spinach, zucchini and feta. It's perfect straight out of the oven and maybe even better the day after, at room temperature with a nice green salad.

This quiche also works great with leftovers. Try it with some leftover roast chicken, peppers, goat cheese or prosciutto and pour the quiche mixture over top.

Veggie-Packed Crustless Quiche
Serves 4-6

5 eggs
1 cup of whole milk
1 cup of heavy cream
A pinch of nutmeg
5 heaping cups of baby spinach
1 medium zucchini
1 tsp of dried oregano
1/4 cup of Parmesan
1/4 cup of crumbled feta
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 425F. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the cream, milk, nutmeg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Reserve.

In a pan on medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the spinach and cook until it just starts to wilt, for 4-5 minutes. In the meantime, grate the zucchini. Place the zucchini in a dish towel and ring out as much liquid as possible. Add to the just wilted zucchini. fold in the dried oregano and cook for 1-2 minutes. Place the spinach and zucchini on a chopping board and coarsely run your knife through the mixture. Add to the milk and cream mixture. Fold in the feta and half of the Parmesan Pour into a 9 x 1.5 inches greased pie plate. Top with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the quiche is golden brown. Leave to cool for a couple minutes and unmold onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with a green salad. Enjoy!

Mini Pita, Haloumi and Zucchini Pizzas

Have you had haloumi cheese before? Haloumi really is one of my favourite cheeses to cook with. It's great in sandwiches, to top salads and even to use on top of your favourite burgers during this summer's BBQ season. Haloumi in often used in Middle Eastern cuisine and has that perfect mix of saltiness and sturdiness - which makes it the ideal cheese to grill and melt.

This recipe was born out of a desire to make weeknight meals more exciting and easier to put on the table. During this time of year, there is no excuse not to use seasonal produce. I tend to move away from heavy meals (especially for dinner) and to concentrate on crisp, fresh dishes that I can get to the table in minutes. These pizzas really hit the spot in our household - I use mini pitas as a base (for all those times when making fresh pizza dough just isn't an option)and pack them with fresh veggies and gooey cheese. The pita also helps make the pizzas lighter and ensures that you have a paper-thin crust that will cook in no time. These are also really perfect for entertaining - the pizzas cook in a flash and are great to enjoy outdoors, with an ice-cool glass of watermelon juice (recipe to come soon!).

And on another note, the winner of my Clean Start Cookbook giveaway is Marcella - congratulations!

Mini Pita, Haloumi and Zucchini Pizzas
Makes 12 mini pizzas

6 mini whole wheat pitas
1/4 cup of olive oil + 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan
1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
1/4 tsp of dried oregano
1 small green zucchini
1 small yellow zucchini
1 good squirt of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup of pitted Greek olives
6 medium thick slices of Haloumi cheese
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Preheat your oven to 400F. Carefully cut each pita in half lengthwise to get two round bases. Lay out the pitas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, inside facing up.

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil, Parmesan, garlic and oregano and generously brush the mixture on each pita half. Using a vegetable peeler, peel thin strips of zucchini and place in a bowl. If the strips are too large, cut them in half lengthwise using a small paring knife. Add the quartered cherry tomatoes and olives. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper and gently toss to coat. Don’t add too much salt as the Haloumi and olives are both quite salty.

Evenly lay out the zucchini, tomato and olives on each piece of pita, leaving a small border. Cut each slice of Haloumi cheese into 2 or 3 pieces and add them evenly to each pita. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the zucchini just starts to wilt. Serve immediately.

What to do with Leftovers? Roast Chicken Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

This is the very first recipe of a new series I'm starting here on Chocolate Shavings. "What do with Leftovers" will bring you some fun and easy ideas to effectively use leftovers and turn them into dishes that will feel new. If your kitchen is anything like mine, there is often a plethora of foods to sample... which usually means a lot of leftovers! Roast chicken is a very common leftover in our house. Let's face it, no matter how moist and flavourful the chicken was straight out of the oven, once it's been in the fridge overnight it tends to get a little dry. Using chicken in a well balanced salad really gives it a new life. The key is to thinly shred the chicken and to make sure there is enough dressing on the chicken itself. This salad is, of course, very versatile. All the ingredients used here meld wonderfully with chicken, but don't hesitate to use any other leftovers you might have in the fridge. I've made this with soft crumbled goat cheese, toasted almonds, mandarin oranges, and baby spinach leaves...


Roast Chicken Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Serves 2

1 Roasted chicken breast, discarding the skin
1 cup of chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 avocado, sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 mini mozarella ball, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
6 caper berries
3 basil leaves, coarsely torn
A few Parmesan shavings

Shallot Dressing:
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 good squirt of lemon
1 tablespoon of very finely diced shallots
A good pinch of salt and pepper
In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients

Add all the salad ingredients to your serving bowl. Right before serving, add the dressing and mix well. Enjoy!

A taste of Summer: Shrimp, Cherry Tomato and Oregano Bucatini

As the weather is getting warmer, I've been craving light pasta dishes tossed with fresh ingredients and a mix of vibrant colours. This dish fits the bill pretty perfectly! I like using different types of pasta to spice up weeknight meals and the bucatini works beautifully in this one. It's a thicker cut than spaghetti with a nice bite and swirls wonderfully amongst the fresh cherry tomatoes, peas and shrimp. I also like finishing off these types of pasta dishes with a few simple steps: a little lemon juice (to brighten up all the flavours), some fresh herbs and a few creamy feta cubes. It's really the perfect spring or summer meal!

Shrimp, Cherry Tomato and Oregano Bucatini
Serves 2

Bucatini for 2
4 garlic cloves, thinly minced
12 shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/4 cup of diced feta
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
4 sprigs of fresh oregano (leaves roughly torn)
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Add the peas to the pasta pot when there are 5 minutes of cooking time left.

While the pasta is cooking, place a pan on low heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and stir to coat. Add the shrimp with a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp just becomes pink and opaque. Remove from the heat and add the cherry tomatoes. Once the pasta and peas are cooked, drain and add to the pan with 2 teaspoons of pasta water and return to medium low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice, zest, cream, feta and oregano.

Transfer to a serving platter adding a good drizzle of olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Creamy Mustardy Chicken with Haricots Verts and Red Onions (and a Giveaway!)

First of all, here is one of my recipes for the ultimate one-pot meal. It's perfect for any weeknight when you're looking for something comforting and nutritious without spending hours in the kitchen. I love using creme fraiche and mustard to give flavour to the chicken. It's such an easy marinade and really helps to keep the chicken tender. Haricots verts also work wonderfully with this combination. I have a soft spot for haricots verts as they were one of the vegetables I ate the most growing up in Paris. My mom boils them in salted water and tosses them with minced garlic, good olive oil and sea salt. If you can't find haricots verts, you can definitely make this dish with regular green beans but I love the more delicate flavour and thin texture of haricots verts.

I also bring you a fabulous giveaway this week. Sterling Publishing is giving away a copy of Cristina Ferrare's Big Bowl of Love to one lucky Chocolate Shavings reader. Cristina Ferrare hosts a cooking show on Oprah's OWN network and is a New York Times best-selling author. Her cookbook includes many mouth-watering recipes like Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta, Mustard-crusted Salmon and Peach Crumble.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post or write a comment on Chocolate Shaving's facebook page and let me know what dishes you are most looking forward to trying this spring. You can write a comment on both and your name will be entered in the contest twice. The contest ends on April 28th at midnight and you must be a Canadian or American resident to enter. I will draw the winner at random. Good luck!



Creamy Mustardy Chicken with Haricots Verts and Red Onions
Serves 3-4

6 chicken drumsticks
1/2 large red onion cut into bite size pieces
200 grams of haricots verts
1/2 cup of creme fraiche
2 heaping tablespoons of grainy mustard
1/2 large lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 375F. Heat a large cast iron pan on medium high heat. Pat the drumsticks dry and generously season with salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil to the pan and place the chicken, skin side down once the oil is hot. Leave the chicken to brown, untouched for 2-3 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side up and remove the pan from the heat. Scatter the haricots verts and red onion around the chicken.

In a small bowl add the creme fraiche, grainy mustard, lemon and minced garlic. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Mac & Cheese

If there's one recipe I really learned to appreciate only recently, it has to be mac & cheese. I had never heard of the dish growing up in France and then only tasted the boxed version in my freshman year of college. This was now a handful of years of ago, and to be honest, I had never really wanted to try it again since. Call it French snobbery, but that processed orangy cheese never suited my palette. After a recent trip to the local farmer's market, I found myself coming back with more cheese than would be healthy to munch on by itself... and a homemade mac & cheese found its way into my kitchen. Topping it with a sweet roasted tomato really brings this over the top. For an indulgent night, it's really quite perfect!

Mac and cheese, although one of the quintessential American favourites, beings with one of most classic French sauces- bechamel.This sauce is wonderfully creamy and easy to make. It starts with a classic roux (a mix of butter and flour) which helps thicken the sauce once milk is added. This is also a perfect sauce to use in lasagna as a alternative to tomato sauce. I like to use it when I make vegetarian lasagna, and ladle it in between layers of goat cheese, mushroom, spinach and silky lasagna pasta.

Roasted Tomato Mac & Cheese

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
14 ounces mild cheese, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 ounces strong cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
6 ounces of cooked macaroni pasta (make sure to under-cook the pasta by 2-3 minutes as it will continue to back in the oven)
1 tsp of paprika
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
2 tomatoes, finely sliced
1 tsp of dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper


In a saucepan, add the butter. When it starts to melt add the flour and stir until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the milk and stir until the mixture starts to thicken (about 4-5 minutes). Add the grated cheese, reserving 1/4 cup to top the macaroni.

Once the cheese has started to melt, add the cooked macaroni and stir. Add a good pinch of salt, pepper and the paprika. Transfer to a greased oven-proof dish. Top with the reserved 1/4 cup of cheese and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 375F. On a parchment or silicon lined baking sheet, lay out the slices of tomato. Season with salt and pepper and the dried oregano. Bake until the tomatoes slightly wrinkle, for about 8-10 minutes. Top the mac & cheese with the tomato slices and serve. Enjoy!

Sun Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese and Olive Oil Loaf

Savory loafs are really one of the easiest recipes in my cooking repertoire. It's literally ready in minutes, and it's a wonderfully versatile recipe that you can adapt to leftovers in your pantry. You can substitute the cheeses to suit your preference, add scallions, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, olives, any herbs of your choosing... It's really adaptable to any season and any taste. I like to serve it in small slices to complement a cheese platter, for any aperitif snack food or serve it warm with a nice crisp salad. It also makes for a wonderful afternoon snack if you don't want to indulge in something too sweet.

Savory loves are quite common in France, and are misleadingly called 'cake'! I grew up eating many different variations of the recipe I bring you today and I still enjoy them just as much today.

Sun Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese and Olive Oil Loaf

3 eggs
1/4 cup of white wine
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of grated Gruyere, tightly packed
70 grams of crumbled soft goat cheese
8 large sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and coarsely chopped
2 tsp of fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 3 eggs, wine, olive oil and cream. Once homogeneous, add the flour and baking powder and whisk. Fold in the Gruyere and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Take out the loaf batter and fold in the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a greased standard loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the loaf starts to brown too much, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake. Let cool for a few minutes and unmold. Enjoy!

Lobster, Tarragon Mayonnaise and Truffled Potato Puree

Here is a little glimpse of the meal we enjoyed for Valentine's day. I opened my fridge to find that two big live lobsters had somehow made their way to my kitchen, and I couldn't be happier. I'm not usually a big fan of surprises, but this one was definitely a much appreciated one! While we were preparing the lobster, we made a quick homemade tarragon and caper mayonnaise and a potato puree that we served with a drizzle of truffle oil. This was one of the best meals I've had this month and felt like a little glimpse of summer in the middle of the wintertime. What did you have for your Valentine's day menu?

If you've never made homemade mayonnaise, I would encourage you to make your first batch as soon as you have a minute. It really does not take long to make and tastes so much better than the store bought kinds. I like flavoring mayonnaise - like this one, with tarragon and capers- so that the sauce always feel special. It was really a treat with a meaty lobster tail! We simply boiled the lobster in salty water until just cooked. As for the potatoes, I made a simple potato puree (with cooked potatoes, a little butter and a splash of cream) and finished it off with some good quality truffle oil. Using too much truffle oil can really overpower a dish, so make sure to add a modest drizzle. The right amount can really add to a dish and make it feel that much more festive.

Tarragon Mayonnaise

1 egg yolk
150-200 ml of canola oil
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 small bunch of tarragon, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl, add the egg yolk and mustard and whisk until blended. Slowly add the oil, whisking continuously. After you have incorporated about a quarter of the oil, you should feel the mayonnaise coming together and starting to form a thick sauce. Add the oil very slowly to make sure that it has time to be completely incorporated in the mustard mixture before you add more oil. Once all the oil has been added, add the vinegar and lemon and whisk again. Add the capers and tarragon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I'll be honest, cabbage rolls are definitely not the most glamorous or sexy dish out there. I don't think this would be a meal of choice for any first date or that it's the kind of dish you would want to be served at a hip restaurant. However, it's an incredibly comforting meal and with the snowy, windy winter we've had in Montreal so far, it's just about the most perfect dish to serve on a cold night. It's also a great meal to make in large quantities and have in the freezer for a quick meal at any other time. The only real tedious part of the meal is softening the cabbage leaves in simmering water, but the rest of the process is fairly straight forward. The result is a pot filled to the brim with cabbage rolls stuffed with a mix of onions, rice and meat and covered with thick tomato sauce. It's also a beautifully complete meal that needs very little around it.

I'm usually most inclined to make dishes that are not only incredibly tasty and flavorful but also aesthetically pleasing. This dish is a little bit of a let down in the aesthetics department but it definitely makes up for it in comfort. If you want to freeze an extra batch, freeze the rolls raw in ziploc bags and cook directly from the freezer by adding the rolls to a pot and covering with tomato puree as indicated in my recipe below.

Cabbage Rolls

1 large savoy cabbage
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp of dried oregano
2 cups of cooked long grain rice
8 ounces of ground beef
6 ounces of ground lamb
1 can of tomato puree, 28 ounces
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Using a paring knife, remove the core of the cabbage. Bring a large pot filled with water to a gentle boil. The pot must be big enough to fit the whole cabbage. Turn the cabbage several times during this process to make sure all parts of the cabbage are submerged in water. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the outer leaves are tender. Carefully remove the cabbage from the water and remove the softened outer leaves. Return the cabbage to the boiling water, and repeat the process to tenderize all the leaves. Using a peeler, peel the rigid center core of each leaf so that the leaves are easily pliable.

Add a good drizzle of olive oil to a pan on medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and oregano and cook until the onions are tender and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the onion mixture to a large bowl. Mix in the cooked rice, beef and lamb and generously season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Prepare a work surface to roll the leaves. Add about 1/3 cup of filling on the bottom third of a leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and tightly fold up the sides. Continue rolling as tightly as possible and lay the rolls fold side down.

Add the tomato puree to a Dutch oven and add the rolls. Depending on the size of the rolls you may have to add more tomato puree. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour or until the rolls are entirely cooked through. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche. Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Risotto

I was working on testing holiday recipes for Indulge magazine a few days ago and found myself with some leftover pumpkin puree. In the spirit of Fall and those beautiful shades of red and orange outside, I made pumpkin risotto. Risotto is always a great comfort dish. I love how creamy the rice gets after being stirred and infused with flavourful stock. Risotto sometimes gets a bad rep as a dish that is time-consuming and difficult. The fact is, it's not really either of those. You do have to be not too far from the stove for 20 minutes or so while it's cooking, but it comes together quite quickly and the prep time is pretty minimal. It's an incredibly versatile dish too, perfect to serve as a vegetarian option for Thanksgiving (if you use vegetable stock of course!).

I just love the color the pumpkin gives to any dish it's in. The flavor in the risotto is just perfect and adds that perfect touch to creamy rice. To all my Canadian readers, I want to wish you all a great Thanksgiving! Here is a link to some of my Thanksgiving side dish recipes if you're still thinking about what to serve!

Creamy Pumpkin Risotto
Serves 4
1 1/2 cup of arborio rice
4 cups of chicken stock
3 shallots, diced finely
1 teaspoon of dried sage
1 glass of good quality white wine
A large handful of cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup mascarpone (optional, to use to top the risotto)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan, and extra for serving

In a pot, bring the stock to a boil, reduce to a low simmer.
In a saucepan, add a good drizzle of olive oil on medium low heat. Add the shallots, and the dried sage. Once the shallots have softened (about 2 minutes), add the rice and mix, stirring until the rice looks lightly toasted. Add the wine and gently stir. Once the wine has almost evaporated, add the stock one ladle at a time. Keep adding stock once it has almost evaporated in the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper (the stock will reduce and is salty so make sure not to add too much salt while you're cooking the risotto).

In the meantime, heat some olive oil on medium high heat in a separate pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked through. Set aside.

Keep a constant eye on the rice, adding stock as it gets incorporated into the rice. The risotto should gently simmer for about 16-17 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, add the mushrooms and pumpkin puree. Gently mix them, making sure the pumpkin puree is well stirred through. Fold in the Parmesan.Serve immediately, adding a spoonful of mascarpone and a little more Parmesan. Enjoy!

Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce

I'm writing this post from the train, laptop on my lap and comfortably seated en route for Toronto. This train has a very bizarre sense of utter loneliness, with internet and plugs at every seat as well as this 'bubble' setup where it seems that you're sitting in a sort of space shuttle from the 1970s. While I enjoy being able to stay connected at all times, there's this sort of strange feeling that the modern way is leading us to become most distant from one another, and to continue our individual endeavours, at all times.

This week, the Social Network comes out. It's a movie I've been looking forward to seeing for some time now. The idea that facebook, the ultimate social network, could have been created by a rather quirky socially awkward Harvard student who was really quite shy and definitely not one of the 'cool kids' is fascinating to me. On the one hand, it seems that facebook (as well as all other social networks) are bringing us together in a way that was never possible before. You can track down old high school friends, colleagues and acquaintances and keep updated with their lives, as well as share with them your 2 cents on the world, your current doings and your most recent activities. On the other hand, it seems that this kind of technology makes us more distant than we've ever been. Instead of a hand written note, we send a quick email. Instead of a phone call, we write a rapid text that we can duplicate to 2,3 or 4 people if need be. We can instantly upload a photo album of a weekend outing on facebook and, instantly, share it with'friends' who will be able to know what you have been up to a couple hours ago but who might have not talked to you in weeks, months or years. The easiness with which we are able to do this also makes us lose the more intimate rapports we used to have with one another.It's the ultimate paradox: we are ever more connected, and ever more alone. We send out mass messages, and don't individualize our thoughts for specific recipients as we once used to do.

Taking the time to reflect on these subjects has helped me take a step back and find a way to get the best of both worlds. I still remember my early teens when I used to have internet dial-up at home, in Paris. My mom would make me want until 10PM so that she wouldn't miss any phone calls before then. I'd get excited just hearing the noise of the computer connecting and getting a signal. Now, I find myself in a train where my brain has been trained to get antsy if a page takes a few seconds to load.

In light of this discussion, it seems quite fitting that today's recipe is a slow-cooked tomato sauce! A good old classic, traditional tomato sauce! To be honest, you can make the recipe in less time if need be (I have a 20 minute version of this recipe here) but if you do have the time, the sauce does benefit from simmering for a while. Actually, the sauce, as many stews and slow-cooked dishes, is even better the next day. I usually make a big batch, and freeze some in small plastic bags. You can use it to top some fish, garnish a pizza, toss it in with some pasta or eat it on a big slice of crusty bread.


Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 small Vidalia onion, finely diced
2 big cans of San Marzano tomatoes
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
5 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil

Spaghetti, cooked al dente and tossed in a little olive oil and seasoned with some salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Add a good drizzle of olive oil to a stockpot on medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Pour the tomatoes and juice into a bowl, and, using your hands, crush the tomatoes. Once the mixture is smooth, add to the onion and carrot mixture and add the tomato paste. Remove the thyme leaves from the stem and finely chop. Add the thyme and stems to the tomato sauce and stir. Generously season with salt and pepper.
Leave to gently simmer on medium low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Once the sauce is ready, blend using an immersion blender until you reach the desired consistency. You can opt for a smooth tomato sauce or a more chunky kind, depending on taste.

Spoon the tomato sauce over the cooked spaghetti, and sprinkle with a good spoonful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Speedy Stir Fry Series - Chicken and Mango Stir Fry

Hi, this is O. again taking a little bit of Jenn's Chocolate Shavings space for my Speedy Stir Fry Series. Despite all the syrupy, sickly sweet concoctions served at many chinese takeout joints, I still enjoy the addition of a sweet element to a stir fry. This Mango and Chicken Stir fry follows a basic quick and simple technique, with some added finely sliced mango. It really brings this simple dish over the top. I find that it makes a perfect end of summer lunch.

Chicken and Mango Stir Fry
Serves 2-3 people

1 large chicken breast
2 tablespoons finely diced garlic
2 tablespoons finely diced ginger
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
5 green onions, cut in half lengthwise, then into 2 inch pieces.
1 mango, sliced into 1/4 inch strips

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons of Shao Hsing rice wine
1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of cornstarch

For the sauce:
1/4 cup of chicken stock
2 teaspoons of Shao Hsing rice wine
1 teaspoon of cornstarch

Mix together the marinade ingredients, making sure to dissolve the corn starch. Slice the chicken into bite sized cubes or strips and add to the marinade. In a separate bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients. Prepare your garlic, ginger, green onions, and mango and reserve.

Heat your wok until it begins to smoke. Add the cooking oil. I sometimes like to add a big chunk of leftover ginger to flavor the oil, but this is optional. Add the chicken and marinade mixture to the wok, spreading it evenly. Let it sear for 30-45 seconds without mixing. Add the garlic and ginger over top and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the green onions and sauce and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through. Add the strips of mango, stir a couple times and serve immediately with rice or noodles. Enjoy!

Creamy Mustard Chicken with Mushrooms

Working in the food industry often means having to boost your cravings at odd times of the year. Back in hot and humid June where sweaters and socks were tightly packed away, I found myself in my kitchen with my oven on for hours on end taste-testing slow-cooked recipes for different magazines I work for. Now that the leaves are slowly changing colors - my favorite, favorite time of the year - it's the best time to put these recipes to good use and get the most out of gentle and slow cooked meats.

This recipe is a real pleasure during those colder months of the year where you want to dig into a creamy and tender chicken dish after a long day. This recipe makes the most of being slow-cooked and retains all the flavor of tasty organic chicken by being cooked with the bone and skin. The skin should stay crispy and the meat be fork-tender when you bring it to the table. Served with mushrooms and a creamy mustard sauce it's pretty close to a perfect meal in my book. I like to present it alongside some wild rice mixed with nuts and cranberries, some couscous with herbs and almonds or some potato puree finished with a touch of truffle oil. It's also delicious as it is though - served with a nice piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Creamy Mustard Chicken with Mushrooms

6 chicken pieces, legs and thighs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock
16 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup of half-fat cream
2 tablespoons of grainy mustard
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
A small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place a stockpot on medium high heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Dry the chicken pieces on each side with a paper towel and generously season with salt and pepper. Place in the stockpot and leave untouched for 3-4 minutes while the chicken browns. Gently turn the chicken and brown for 3-4 minutes on the other side.

Add the chicken stock to the stockpot, leaving the chicken skin side up so it doesn’t become soggy. Cook for 45 min-1 hour until the chicken is just cooked through. When the chicken is just about done, add a good drizzle of olive oil to a small pan on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes. Lower the heat and add the reduced chicken stock from the stockpot. Add the cream, grainy mustard and stir. Reduce the sauce until desired consistency and add the lemon juice. Spoon over the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This weekend, it started to feel like Fall in Montreal. The weather got frisky and it was time for boots, scarfs and autumn jackets to come out. I aboslutely love Fall, it's one of the best times to get in the kitchen and take the time to try out some new recipes. In times like these, a comforting meal always comes to my mind. It's hard to go wrong with some tender, juicy, fork-tender pulled pork.

After having had some great pulled pork at various restaurants in North America, it was time to develop my own recipe to make it at home. This is really not the kind of food I grew up on in France but has been a wonderful food discovery. This is the kind of slow-cooked recipe that is perfect for a lazy Sunday. The prep time is pretty fast, and then the hardest part begins... waiting for the meat to be ready!


Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Serves 4

600 grams of pork Shoulder, or pork butt
1 tablespoon of paprika
A pinch of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock
2 bay leaves
Small ciabatta breads
1/2cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

In a small bowl, add the paprika, onion powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Using your hands, rub the mixture on all sides of the pork. Set to marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 220 F. Place the pork in a stockpot. Pour the chicken stock around the pork and add the bay leaves. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours, until the pork is fork tender. Flake the pork using a fork or your fingers. Place in a bowl and fold in the barbecue sauce. Toast the sandwich bread and fill with a hearty mound of pulled pork and serve with coleslaw. Enjoy!

Creamy Spinach Pasta with Pancetta and a Cookbook Giveaway!

First things first... the cookbook giveaway! I'm proud to have been asked to participate in the ThinkFood Cookbook which features brain-healthy recipes from 50 bloggers around the world. It was published by Posit Science and aims to bring awareness to brain diseases and gives advice on what foods are nurturing to your brain and body. The recipes all include 'brain-healthy' ingredients such as spinach, blueberries, matcha, pecans, cinnamon, garlic and dark chocolate. The book is absolutely gorgeous and I am honored to be a part of it.

Now, about how you can win this beauty of a cookbook! To enter the contest, simply comment on this post and tell me which recipe you are looking forward to try from my blog. Contestants must be from the United States or Canada to enter and the contest will end on Friday September 17th, at midnight. I will then randomly pick a winner and send you the book!

Now, for today's recipe! This is a take on pasta carbonara using pancetta and a healthy dose of spinach. It's nice and creamy and easy to put together. Just make sure you use good quality Parmesan as it really makes the dish. The eggs just slightly cook when tossed into the pasta and create that perfect amount of creamy goodness without using cream. It's really one of those perfectly comforting meals for the colder days ahead. I like to serve it with a simple tomato and crisp lettuce salad and finish the meal with a simple fruit salad such as this one.


Creamy Spinach Pasta with Pancetta
Serves 2

Penne pasta for 2
1/4 cup of diced pancetta
1 egg yolk + 1 whole egg
1/4 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, add the diced pancetta to a pan on medium low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and whole egg until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the cracked black pepper and Parmesan. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking water from the pasta to help temper the eggs. Whisk vigorously as soon as you add the water to the eggs.

Add the spinach to the pan with pancetta and saute for 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and stir through. Add the egg mixture and stir. Serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan. Enjoy!

Speedy Stir Fry Series - Green Been and Beef Stir Fry

This week marks the first of a Speedy Stir Frys Series from my second half in the kitchen. Long before I attended culinary school and decided to make a career around the realm of food, we were just two college students that really enjoyed good food. I started this blog and the rest is history. This small section is a welcomed addition to Chocolate Shavings and I hope you enjoy it.

Always an avid taster of the recipes I develop, O. has witnessed the making of this blog since day one. We share a passion for photography and eating and spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. He will be writing a weekly section on his favourite stir fry recipes.. many of which we enjoy on busy weeknights.... so welcome!

Dear Chocolate Shavings readers,

It's long been my belief that the advent of asian fast food joints have given stir frying a bad name. It's become synonomous with chunks of cheap meat, covered in a sickly sweet sauce sitting in a pool of oil.
A couple years ago, Jenn bought me a Breath of a Wok, by Grace Young, and it has truly transformed the way I cook. I've discovered how stir frying correctly can be a versatile, powerful style of cooking. For the many many recipes Jenn has expertly served me over the years, I thought I'd contribute a tiny amount to the culinary wisdom that she shares.

Green Bean and Beef Stir Fry
Serves 2-3 people

This is a classic stir fry of mine. It has all the essential parts: simple ingredients prepared quickly and methodically to bring out deep, clean flavors. The most important part of the dish is the sear: leaving the beans and then the beef to sit, undisturbed, on high heat.

2 tablespoons of Shao Hsing rice wine (a chinese rice wine easily available in most asian grocers)
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, diced
300 of flank steak
3 handfuls of green beans, ends trimmed
2 teaspoons of black sesame seeds

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch. Take the flank steak and cut across the grain into 2-3 inch portions. For each portion, cut with the grain into 3-4 sheets. Stack the sheets and slice finely against the grain into strips. Mix the meat into marinade.

Preheat the wok or skillet to medium-hot.

Prepare the green beans, trimming the ends and washing thoroughly. Blanch in the salted water for 2-3 minutes and drain.

Now you're ready to stir fry: Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the hot pan. Add in your meat mixture. Let it sear for 30-40 seconds. Spinkle on the garlic and ginger. Stir fry briefly then push meat to the side of the pan. Add the drained green beats and, similarly, allow to sear at the bottom of the pan for 30-45 seconds. Stir fry entire mixture for 1-2 minutes until meat and beans are cooked through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with noodles or rice.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart

I re-created this tart after enjoying it with my family in the Basque country in the South of France this summer. Served with a simple leafy green salad, it's the perfect meal. This also is part 1 of my puff pastry series for the summer.

First, a few words about puff pastry. Puff pastry is deliciously buttery, made of layers of butter and flour that rise and separate in the oven to create the perfect texture of velvety flaky pastry. If you're ever in search of a Sunday afternoon activity, you can definitely try making this at home - but be prepared to spend your afternoon working on it. For everyday cooking, buying puff pastry is really the best and easiest option. Homemade doughs are usually the way to go but puff pastry really is too much of an under-taking for everyday cooking and a good-quality store-bought puff pastry really does the trick.

I designed this recipe to make a full-size tart for 6 people as well as an easy dessert recipe for the leftover scraps of puff pastry. As you will see in part 2 of this post, you can make an easy sweet treat using the scraps. If you're like me, you often want to use leftover pieces dough but for some reason never end up making something very productive with it. This recipe makes it easy to use up leftovers and make real second dish out of them! So stay tuned for my chocolate, almond and pear tart dessert.

For now, let's stick to the goat cheese tomato tart!



Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart
Serves 6

400 g of frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
1/2 cup of soft goat cheese
1/2 cup of light ricotta
1/4 cup of whipping cream
3 eggs, beaten saving 2 teaspoons in a separate bowl
1/4 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
A handful of cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander or basil
11 Inch x 7 Inch quiche pan

Preheat your oven to 325F. Lightly flour a working surface and place the block of thawed puff pastry dough in the center. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's about 1/8 inch thick and large enough to fit your 11 x 7 inch pan. Lightly butter the quiche pan and gently transfer the dough to the pan, trimming the dough as necessary.

In a large bowl, add the goat cheese, ricotta and cream. Whisk the mixture until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs (except for the reserved 2 teaspoons) and whisk again. Add the pepper and mix. Pour the mixture on top of the dough. Top with the cherry tomatoes. Using a pastry brush and the reserved 2 teaspoons of egg, brush the sides of the pastry. Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is just golden brown and the filling is cooked. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs and serve alongside your favourite leafy greens. Enjoy!

Creamy Artichoke and Garlic Spaghetti

I just got back from a few blissful days spent in the Basque country where my family has a house we all reunite in once or twice a year. We spent a wonderful holiday filled with a lot, a lot of food, time relaxing in the sun and some much needed catching up. Family meals have always been a pretty central part of my family life and I can't imagine not recreating that feeling with my own family one day. Sharing a love for flavourful ingredients and satisfying meals, we feasted on the classic 'melon et jambon' - slices of cantaloupe with thinly sliced Bayonne ham -, curried mussels, slowly braised lamb with garlic haricots verts, goat cheese and tomato tarts, pear clafoutis.. and I much, much more!

All to say, that lighter meals are now in order! This pasta dish has become a classic in our house. We always have canned artichokes in our pantry and they come in very handy for these kinds of dishes. I get the ones that are marinating in oil and herbs so they are nice and tasty and needed little extra preparation. This really is a light pasta meal with only a couple tablespoons of cream, and is another one of those easy pasta dishes I can make in the time it takes the pasta to cook!

Creamy Artichoke and Garlic Spaghetti
Serves 2

Spaghetti for 2
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
4 scallions, finely sliced
1 cup of canned artichokes, drained
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan, and extra to serve
2 tablespoons of whipping cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, place a pan on medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic slices and leave untouched for 2-3 minutes. Add the scallions and stir. Cook for another 2 minutes and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Coarsely chop the artichokes and add to the pan. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cream and stir. Add one tablespoon of the pasta water - the starch from the pasta in the water will help thicken the sauce. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Stir so all the ingredients mix in with the spaghetti. Add the parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper, the lemon juice and stir again. Serve immediately, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

White Wine Clams

Cooking with seafood really marks the summer months for me. Seafood dishes tend to be lighter, bursting with freshness and are usually ready pretty quickly. This dish was supposed to be made into a seafood medley served with buttered spaghetti, but, after a day spent at the beach - nibbling at freshly purchased red berries and soaking up the sun - a very light meal was calling my name. The clams were deliciously soothing served with a couple slices of crusty garlic bread to soak up the sauce.

There really is something about the sauce that emanates from cooked clams. When you cook clams this way, they release their wonderfully fragrant flavors into the wine and create the most flavorful stock. If you don't want to use up all cooking liquid, try using some of it in risotto or with any seafood pasta dish. You really can't recreate the depth of flavor that the clams create. They're nothing like it!

White Wine Clams
Serves 4

2 pounds of Manila clams, scrubbed well
1 cup of good quality dry white wine
5 sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 handful of coarsely chopped cilantro

Remove the leaves from the thyme stems and coarsely chop. Add the thyme stems, leaves, white wine, garlic and clams to saucepan on medium heat. Cover. Bring the stock to a boil and reduce to a high simmer for about 3-4 minutes.Shack the pan being careful to secure the lid down to make sure the clams open. Place all the opened clams in your serving bowl and discard any closed ones. Discard the thyme stems and simmer the stock for another 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and pour the sauce over the clams. Add the cilantro and serve immediately with some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Regular readers of this blog will know that I don't do too well with spicy foods. Don't get me wrong, I want to be able to order those spicy Thai and Indian dishes - but the truth is that I just can't! I've gotten better over the years out of sheer determination but I'm not quite there yet. For that reason, I've had trouble truly experiencing good Mexican food. This next sentence might make true Mexican food connoisseurs cringe, but Chipotle really made me want to make Mexican food at home. Although a lot of their offerings are spicy, their carnitas with mild tomato salsa, a dollop of guacamole, cilantro-rice and crispy tacos are really quite amazing. I'm not a fast food lover, but in my opinion, Chipotle really delivers on flavourful food while keeping in mind the ethics surrounding meat products. The meat is naturally and sustainably raised and is absolutely delicious.

When I was completing my Culinary Arts degree at the French Culinary Institute, I lived pretty close to a Chipotle and I must admit that I was often too tired to cook for myself after a long day of intense kitchen training... so this was my inital inspiration! This recipe is a different though, and features beautiful pieces of flaky halibut. Fish tacos are a healthy and light meal for a summer night as well as a perfect party food. Lay out a plate of seasoned fish, a tangy sauce and some mango salsa and every guest can make their own taco. I use greek yogurt to make the sauce as a healthier option to sour cream, but feel free to use sour cream - it is a little more authentic!

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
Serves 4

3 medium halibut fillet
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lime
Olive oil

Mango Salsa:
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 lime, juice and zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

Sauce:
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

12 hard tacos, reheated in a warm oven

Generoulsy season the fish with salt and pepper. In a pan on medium heat add a drizzle of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the fish to the pan and cook untouched for 5 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook for another 5 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Cut the fish into cubes as soon as it's cool enough to handle and arrange on a platter with some lime slices.

For the salsa: Add the mango, avocado, tomato and cilantro to your serving bowl. Add the lime juice, zest, olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

For the sauce: In a small bowl, add the yogurt and fold in the cilantro and lime juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve the fish, tacos, salsa and yogurt sauce at the table and let everyone make their own taco. Enjoy!