AVOCADO SALAD WITH RED GRAPEFRUIT AND SHRIMP

I love this salad is easy to make and very tasty.

4 Servings

2 avocados
2 red grapefruits
1/2 pound cooked and peeled shrimps
Lettuce leaves

Peel and cut the avocado in small pieces, arrange on lettuce leaves, alternately with grapefruit sections from which the membrane has been removed and with the shrimps.
Serve with  the following dressing:

1/4 cup Modena vinegar or grapefruit juice

3/4 cup olive oil

salt, pepper

Combine  in a small bowl, if desired the bowl may be rubbed with a cut clove of garlic, or a clove of garlic may be soaked in the dressing until it is use.

Beat these ingredients with a wire whisk until they are well mixed and smooth.

I hope you like it.

ZUCCHINI AND HAM BREAD

I apologize for being  away from the blog for almost a month. I was very busy, but now I am back with a delicious recipe.

This is a savory bread ideal to serve as appetizer. 

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup water at room temperature

3 eggs

2 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (only the green part)

2 slices of ham, chopped

2/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1 sprig of each: oregano, thyme, parsley finely chopped, if you don`t have fresh herbs, then use dried. A pinch of each one.

Salt and pepper to taste

Sift the flour with the baking powder.

Beat the eggs for 5 minutes and add the oil.

Add the flour alternating with the water.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Pour into a greased and floured pan.

Bake in moderate oven (350F) for 40 minutes.

Enjoy.

BROILED LAMB CHOPS WITH MINT SAUCE

This is a very easy and tasty way to cook lamb chops and mint is the perfect partner for them.

Lamb chops  6

Olive oil 6 tablespoons

Vinegar 3 tablespoons

1/2 cup chopped mint

1/2 cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the mint and the parsley with the olive oil and the vinegar. Set aside.

Place chops on broiler rack so that there is about 2 to 3 inches distance between top of chops and source of heat. Brown chops on one side, season with salt and pepper, turn and finish cooking on the other side.

When  almost done, spread the mint mixture over the chops and finish cooking.

Chops 1 inch thick require 12 to 15 minutes; 2 inches thick require 18 to 22 minutes.

Serve and enjoy.

ORANGE CAKE

This a delicious cake ideal to enjoy at tea time.

ORANGE CAKE - 

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

1 ¾ cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

1 cup buttermilk

Grated rind of 1 orange

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix and sift flour and salt.

Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg. Add soda to buttermilk and add to butter mixture. Blend in flour, mix well, add vanilla and grated orange rind.

Mix until blended.

Pour into a buttered cake pan.

Bake in moderate oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

For the glazing you need:

 juice of I orange, juice of 1 lemon, ½ cup sugar. Mix this well and when cake is done

and cool pour over it.

SAVORY STALKED PANCAKES

 This is a cold dish ideal for summer days, the pancakes must be very thin (French style), and they are stalked using whatever you like to fill them.

For the crèpes you need:

4 eggs

4 tbsp melted butter

2 cups water

1 cup sifted flour

1/4 tsp salt

Sift the flour with the salt.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquids, which have been beaten together.

Combine with a few quick strokes.

Heat a 5 inches frying pan, greased with a very little butter.

Add a small quantity of batter and tip the pan to let the batter spread over the bottom.

Cook over moderate heat, turning crèpe once to brown on under side.

Place a pancake in a serving dish and spread a little mayonnaise over it and one of the items in the list, could be ham for example, and then place another pancake on top, spread a little mayonnaise over it and place lettuce , place another pancake on top and go on doing this till you have a pancake cake  of 4 or 5 inches in height.

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING

Ham slices

Cheese slices

Hearts of palms

Lettuce leaves

Tomato slices

Red peppers

Avocado

Chopped olives

Mayonnaise

The only limit for the ingredients we can use is our imagination.

Enjoy!

DOLMAS - STUFFED GRAPE VINE LEAVES

DOLMAS, this is a Middle East typical dish, I like them because the grape vine leaf  infuses the stuffing with a lemony flavor.
You'll need aprox. 20 leaves.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pound ground lamb
2 medium onions finely chopped
1 1/2 cup cooked rice
2/3 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place a leaf rib side down onto your working table.

Place a tablespoon of the filling in the leaf's center.

Fold the bottom of the leaf over the filling, fold in the sides and roll.

Repeat with remaining leaves.

Place the dolmas in a steamer and steam them for 30 minutes.

Enjoy.

CLAFOUTI

CLAFOUTI- This is a dessert originated in the South of France, in an area known as Limousin, it is very fast and easy to make. It is made with black cherries and a pancake like batter on top and dusted with confectioner's sugar.
It can be made with other fruits like apples, plums, blueberries, etc  but in that case is named FLAUGNARDE.

CLAFOUTI

1 pound pitted cherries
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Prepare the fruit.  In a skillet place the butter, sugar and cherries, stir for 3 minutes. Set aside.

Beat the eggs, add the sugar, flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla extract.

Mix well and set aside.

Place the cherries in a baking pan and pour the batter over them. Bake in a pre heated oven 350F for 30 minutes aprox.

Dust with confectioner's sugar and you can serve it warm or hot, and if you want with a scoop of ice cream.
 Enjoy!