Spring Vegetable Pouches

I recently was blessed to review Eat Well and Stay Slim: The Essential Cuisine Minceur

From the million-copy bestselling author of Cuisine Minceur. Over 140 exquisite recipes fuse traditional flavors with the global influences that are redefining French cuisine, all with astonishingly low calorie counts.

This book is the mecca for healthy scrumptious recipes. Tons of mouth watering photos with easy to follow directions. I would say this is the go-to book for people who want to eat healthy, but still want foodie quality food. Get yours here: Eat Well and Stay Slim: The Essential Cuisine Minceur

So today I have adapted a recipe from the book. With some changes of course.  These over-sized ravioli are scrumptious and nice and light. so great for the waistline. Enjoy! 

Spring Vegetable Pouches

adapted from  Eat Well and Stay Slim

1/2 cup peeled and shredded carrots

1/4 cup celery

1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped

8 large won ton wrappers - or fresh squares of pasta dough

1 3/4 cup vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

fresh tomatoes and chives for garnish

Cut up your veggies. 

In a medium-sized covered saucepan, gently sweat the carrots in the olive oil for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms an sweat for 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the finely chopped tarragon and set aside. 

Place 4 squares of pasta dough or large won ton wrappers.on your work surface. Place some of the cooled vegetables in the center of each pasta square. 

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of each square with water. Lay another pasta square on top and then gently press the edges of the pasta squares together, making sure that there are no openings. 

Add your vegetable stock to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add ravioli and cook one at a time for 5 minutes. Serve, topped with fresh tomatoes and chives! 

Bruschetta

 

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy that I absolutely love. I could eat it every day. I keep a big fresh plant of basil in my window planter year round specifically for this dish. Give me a glass of wine, a little cheese and this dish and I am one happy lady. Thankfully my husband shares my love for Bruschetta too. 

It is really simple to make! Give it a try!

Bruschetta for two
by Christi Silbaugh

3 tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 loaf sourdough baguette
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Core your tomatoes and then dice them into tiny pieces. Add to a bowl. Add your chopped basil and minced garlic. Add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Stir and salt and pepper to taste. 

Slice a piece of the baguette up into four slices.

Add Olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. 

Add your baguette slices.

Toast over the olive oil until golden brown and crispy.

Top your toast with the tomato basil mixture and serve.

French Onion Soup

Are you just maintaining your relationship? Or are you nourishing it, growing it, making it thrive? Just maintaining will get you nowhere. Unfortunately we are human and too much of the same thing gets boring. Romantic tip: Spice it up! Don't just maintain your relationship today. Do something that will make him or her feel special and loved. 

My husband loves french onion soup. It is one of his favorites. The soup is not hard to make, it is just time consuming. So I don't make it for him as much as I should. The crunchy toast on top, covered in cheese, just makes this soup amazing. It is a perfect comfort food.

This recipe is not just for two. Well it is, but it is enough that you will have plenty leftover in the fridge. It lasts 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container. It is even better the next day, just wait to add the toast and cheese until time of serving.  Enjoy! 

French Onion Soup

adapted from Bon Appétit | October 2013

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

6 large onions (about 5 pounds), thinly sliced

2 large shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

2 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

8 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth

8 1/4 "-thick slices country bread, toasted

8 ounces sliced Gruyère

Slice up your onions. 

Heat butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, shallots, and garlic; 

season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and dark brown, 60–70 minutes. 

Add vermouth and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Tie parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with kitchen twine; add to pot along with broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 8 cups, 35–40 minutes; discard herb bundle.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place ovenproof bowls on a large rimmed baking sheet. Divide soup among bowls and top with toasts (cut to fit if necessary) and cheese.

 Bake until cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 6–8 minutes.

Tomato Basil-Tarts

I have been having a lot of fun working with the Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry  I made. I have put this pastry through the ringer with freezing, thawing, rolling, and it stands up to the best! 

So I wanted to make a cute little side dish/appetizer to go along with our soup I made for dinner. So I went back to the book that gave me the wonderful puff pastry Baking by Hand. 

Tomato Basil-Tarts

adapted from Baking by Hand

Makes 4 appetizer tarts

1/8th of the Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry recipe

1 Organic Tomato

Extra-virgin olive oil

fine sea salt

18 fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into circles. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Slice the tomato 1/4 inch thick. 

Take out your pastry circles. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with olive oil, and place the tomato slices evenly spaced around the circle of dough. Sprinkle with sea salt. 

Bake on a baking stone for 15 minutes, or until the tarts are golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and garnish with basil leaves and serve warm.