Kitchen time with The Kéb

Oven-cooked Mediterraneans Vegetables

2 sliced Tomatoes
1 sliced little Red Onion
1 sliced average Courgette
1 sliced little Eggplant
1 sliced little Yellow Squash
1 sliced big Portobello Mushroom
2 thinly-sliced Garlic Clovers
3 soup spoons of Olive Oil
2 tea spoons of fresh Rosemary, cut
2/3 cup of Dry White Wine
Salt and Black Pepper

1. Preheat the oven at 350°F. Grease the bottom of a pan OR a pastry plate of 13 X 9 Inches.

2. Put the vegetable slices into row to create an appealing dish. Sprinkle with the Garlic. Mix the Olive Oil and the Rosemary in a little bowl and pour on the vegetables.

3. Pour the Wine on the vegetables and then the Salt and the Black Pepper. Cover with Aluminium and cook 20 minutes. Uncover the plate/pan and cook 10 to 15 more minutes or untill the vegetables are soft.

4. Enjoy.

Gives 4 to 6 portions
Total time: 30 to 45 minutes
Source: "Le grand livre des recettes sans Gluten", Broquet Ed. 256 pages. (Via Journal de Montréal)

Avocado, Mango and Shrimps Timbale with spiced Cabbage Salad

For the Shrimps Timbale:

32 Medium-sized Shrimps, shelled.
2 Avocados
1 fresh Mango
2 Limes
4 Green Onions
6 Branches of fresh Coriander

For the Cabbage Salad:

1/2 Chinese Cabbage
30mL of Olive Oil
15mL of Red Wine Vinegar
15mL of Ketchup
5mL of Pepper Paste (Sriracha)

Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


1. Cook the Shrimps in a large amount of Salted Water for 3 minutes, then freshen them up. Cut the Cabbage very thinly, as well as the Green Onions and the Coriander. Peel and cut the Avocados and the Mango in thiny slices. Squeeze both Limes to get their juices.

2. Pour half of the Limes Juices on the Avocados slices, then Salt and Pepper them. Pour the other half on the Mango slices, Salt and Pepper them. Add the Onions and half of the Coriander. In four different cookie cutters, put a first layer of Avocado, then a layer of Mango, then four Shrimps and repeat one time. Finish the Timbale with a layer of Avocado and Mango.

3. Mix the Olive Oil, the Vinegar, the Ketchup and the Pepper Paste. Salt and pepper it and mix it vigorously to make an homogeneous dressing. In a bowl, put the Cabbage and pour the Dressing, then toss the Salad.

4. With a Spatula, put a Timbale in your plate, a generous portion of Salad beside it and finish by decorating the other side of the plate with the remaining Coriander.

5. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions
Total time: 20 minutes
Author: Olivia Lecomte, from the Ateliers et Saveurs team
Source: Journal de Montréal.

Grenoble Walnuts, Apples and Oyster Mushrooms Salad

2 soup spoons of Butter
3 Apples, in dices
375g of Oyster Mushrooms (3/4 pound)
2 soup spoons of Cider Vinegar
60mL of Olive Oil (1/4 cup)
Salt and Pepper
400g of fresh Rocket (5 cups)
60g of Grenoble Walnuts (1/2 cup)

1. Separately cook the Apples and the Mushrooms into the Brown Butter from 1 to 2 minutes at Medium-High heat.

2. In a little bowl, mix the Vinegar with the Olive Oil. Add the Salt and the Pepper.

3. In a large bowl, mix well the Rocket with the Dressing. Add the Apples, the Mushrooms and the Walnuts. Serve tepid.

4. Enjoy. *The Borwn Butter is simply Butter heated in a pan untill it get an hazelnut color.*

Gives 4 portions
Total time: 30 minutes.
Difficulty: Easy
Author: Jean-Pierre Cloutier, Chief and owner of the Café-Restaurent du Musée in Québec City
Source: "Cuisiner avec les aliments contre le cancer" (Via Journal de Montréal)

Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes Salad

2 Red Pepper, cut into quarters (400g)
4 Tomatoes, sliced (480g)
6 dried Tomatoes, cut
3 Anchovy Fillets, cut (10g)
3 tea spoons of Capers (10g)
1 soup spoon of Pine Nuts (10g, optional)
12 Black Olives
1/3 cup of Extravirgin Olive Oil (85mL)
1 soup spoon of Balsamic Vinegar (15mL)
1 soup spoon of Lemon Juice (15mL)
1 soup spoon of Parsely and Garlic Stock (15mL)
2 soup spoons of fresh Chives, cut (5g)
Salt and Pepper

1 Cut the Peppers in segments, seed them and remove the stems. Cook on the barbecue, the skin side against the grill, on a hot grill OR in the oven under the grill pan. When the skin is blackened at some spots, usually after 5 minutes, turn the Peppers and cook them some more. Transfer them into a bowl and let them cool down a dozen of minutes. Peel them, cut them in slices and put them into a plate.

2. Add the Tomatoes, the dried Tomatoes, the Anchovies, the Capers, the Pine nuts (optional) and the Olives.

3. In a little bowl, mix the Olive Oil, the Vinegar, the Lemon Juice, the Garlic and Parsley Paste and the Chive. Salt and Pepper it. Whisk it, then pour on the Salad. Serve.

4. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions.
Total time: 25 minutes.
270 Calories/portion
Source: Journal de Montréal.

For Healthy and Tasty Muffins

A great majority of "Muffins" actually sold in supermarkets are simple cakes in individual portions, often too much generous, and particulary rich in calories. For a 100g supermarket "Muffin", the numbers of Calories often surpass 400 calories and the daily percentage (according to the Canadian alimentary guide) of Lipids is around 20% while those for Carbohydrates and Sodium are both at 25%. They also often have 20mg of Cholesterol. If we look at the ingredients list, we find out that, even if the principal ingredient is Flour, Sugars and Fats aren't very far behind. Thus, they're not concidered as an Healthy choice. Here's an Healthy basic receipe for 12 Muffins who let you add whatever you like in it.

300mL of Wholewheat Flour
300mL of Oatmeals
1/2 cup of Brown Sugar
10mL of Pastry Powder
5mL of Baking Soda
2mL of Salt
1 egg + 1 egg white
500mL of Fruits or Vegetables Purée (Apples Compote, Ground riped Bananas OR Butternut Squash Purée)
75mL of Canola Oil
350mL of Little Fruits, fresh or dried (any)

Unlike the cake pastry, the Muffin pastry shouldn't be mixed too hard. Stir it slowly, enough to wet the dry ingredients. Cook as a whole in an preheated oven at 175°C (350°F). (If you want to add more Fibrs and Omega-3, sprinkle them with Ground Flaxseeds)

In this receipe, for the same quantity (100g), the total calorie numbers is only 200, and the daily percentage of Fats only 11%. Both the daily percentage of Carbohydrates and Sodium are only 10%. To finish, the total Cholesterol amount is only 15mg.

Bon Appétit (Enjoy)

Author: Karine Beauregard, owner of the Chez Beauregard resto-bar.
Source: Journal L'Impact de Drummondville.

4 Potatoes, non-peeled (800g)
2 Eggs, Large sized
6 Green Onions/Shallots, thinly cut
1/3 cup of Fresh Dill, thinly cut
160g of Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 soup spoons of Lemon Juice (30mL)
Salt and Pepper
1 soup spoon of Canola Oil (15mL)

1. Boil the Potatoes untill tenderness, so about 20 minutes. Peel them while they're still hot, put them into a bowl and mash them. Whip the Eggs lightly and add them to the Potatoes. Mix them with the Green Onions, the Dill, the Feta and the Lemon Juice. Slightly add some Salt and Pepper. Let the mix cool down in the fridge for some time untill the concistance of the mix is somewhat firm.

2. Heat the Canola Oil at Medium-High heat in a striped, thick pan. Divide the mix into golf-sized balls, flaten them and cook them untill they are well colored, 3 minutes each side, while turning them only once. Serve.

3. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions
Total time: 30 minutes of cooking + 10 minutes
320 Calories/portion
Source: Journal de Montréal

Braised Pork with Nappa Cabbage

8 Pork Chops with bones
2 Tomatoes
2 soup spoons of Olive Oil (30mL)
2 soup spoons of Butter (30mL)
Coarse Salt
Pepper
2 Garlic Clovers, cut thinly
1 big Onion, roughtly cut
Water, in suffisant quantity
1/2 Québec's Nappa Cabbage, rinced and roughtly cut


1. In a cooker, brown the Pork Chops in the Oil and the Butter, untill they turn golden on each sides. Salt and Pepper it.

2. Add the Garlic Clovers, the Tomatoes and the Onion. Pour Water untill the Chops are entirely covered and bring the Water to a boil. Skim if needed.

3. Leave it simmer for an hour and an half. Add the Nappa Cabbage and cook 20 more minutes. *You can prepare this Braised Pork a day before actually eating it. You'll just have to heat it when the dinner time come.*

4. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes.
Author: Franca Mazza
Source: "Menu Plaisirs maraîchers" Magazine. (A publication of the Association des jardiniers maraîchers du Québec) (Via Journal de Montréal)

Fingerling Potatoes with Herbs and Lardon

500g of Québec's Fingerlings OR New Potatoes
4 Bacon Strips, cut into pieces
1/2 Green Onion
1 tea spoon of Chives, cut thinly (5mL)
1 tea spoon of Parsley, cut (5mL)
1 tea spoon of frsh Garlic, cut
1/2 cup of Cream 35% of whipped Fats OR sour cream (125mL)
1 tea spoon of Horseradish
Salt and Pepper

1. Plunge the still entire Potatoes into a Salted Water-filled pan. Bring to a boil and let it simmer untill the Potatoes get well tender. Let them drip and cool down. Ideally, the Potatoes can be cooked the day before and kept in the fridge.

2. In a pan, cook the Bacon pieces untill they get crusty. Cut the Potatoes in half, lenghtwise.

3. In a big bowl, combine the Potatoes with the Bacon, the Green Onion, the Chive, the Parsley and the Garlic. Salt and Pepper them.

4. In a little bowl, combine the Whipped Cream OR the Sour Cream and the Horseradish. When it's time to serve, put the Potatoe Salad into hollowed plates or little saucepans. Garnish with some Horseradish Cream and some Chives branches.

5. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions
Author: Chief Yan Garzon
Source: "Menu Plaisirs maraîchers" Magazine. (A publication of the Association des jardiniers maraîchers du Québec) (Via Journal de Montréal)

Leeks with Dressing

4 Leeks (1,2kg)
3 soup spoons of extravirgin Olive Oil (45mL)
1 soup spoon of Vinegar (15mL)
1/2 soup spoon of Dijon Mustard (5mL)
Salt and Pepper

1. Remove the dark green part of the Leeks and roughly cut the white and the light green parts. Boil or cook them with steam for almost 10 minutes, untill the Leeks get tender. Drip and let them cool down for 2 or 3 minutes.

2. In a bowl, whisk the Oil, the Vinegar and the Mustard untill the Dressing is well emulsified. Reserve.

3. With a sawtooth knife, slice the Leeks in pieces of 1 cm, transfer them into a bowl, pour the Dressing on them, then salt and pepper them. Stir them together with care and serve them.

4. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions.
Total Time: 15 minutes.
180 Calories/portion
Source: "Bien manger au quotidien", by Cinzia Cuneo. www.SOScuisine.com (via Journal de Montréal)

Grated Sea Potpourri with Saffron Béchamel Sauce

For the Béchamel Sauce:

400mL of Milk
35g of Butter
35g of Flour
1 pinch of Saffron

For the Sea PotPourri:

400g of deepfrozen Seafood Mix
1 Shallot
2 branches of Tarragon
200mL of White Wine
40g of Breadcrumbs

Optional:

4 handfuls of Mesclun
Butter


1. Preheat the oven at "Broil" at 400°F

2. Thinly cut the Shallot, remove the leaves of the Tarragon and cut it.

3. In a pan, melt the Butter. Add the Flour and cook a minute at Low heat while moving it without interruption. Pour half of the cold Milk and whip it with a whisk untill the sauce thicken. Add the rest of the Milk and keep whipping untill the sauce thicken even more to prevent lumps. Season it, then incorporate a pinch of Saffron Pistil and let it infuse out of the heat.

4. Unfreeze the Seafoods THE DAY BEFORE and drip them well. In a pan at Low heat, put a knob of Butter and sweat the cut Shallot and deglaze with the White Wine. Let it boil down. Add the cut Tarrago and the Seafood.

5. In individual plates, place the cooked Seafood and cover them with the Béchamel Sauce. Sprinkle the Breadcrumbs on them and put them into the oven untill the top is grated. Serve hot with a little Mesclun Salad with the Dressing of your choice.

6. Enjoy.

Gives 6 portions
Total time: 40 minutes.
Source: Chief Rodolfo Martins, from the "Ateliers et Saveurs" Team (via Journal de Montréal)

Chick-peas Fast Soup

2 soup spoons of Canola Oil (30mL)
2 Garlic Clover, minced
1 Onion, thinly cut (200g)
2 tea spoons of Cumin Powder (10g)
2 tea spoons of Turmeric (8g)
1 box of 28oz of Chick-peas, dripped and rinced (796mL)
2 cups of canned Tomatoes (500g)
2 cups of Chicken Stock (500mL)
Salt and Pepper

1. Heat the Oil in a pan at Medium-Low heat. Add the Garlic and the Onion and brown them some minutes untill they get translucid without burning them.

2. Add the dripped and rinced Chick-peas, the Spices, the Tomatoes, the Stock and 2 cups of Water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the Salt and Pepper.

3. Reduce the soup into a purée with the mixer and serve it into bowls.

4. Enjoy.

Gives 6 portions
Total time: 15 minutes
220 Calories/portion
Source: Journal de Montréal

Vichyssoise

4 Leeks (1,2Kg), cut thinly
1 Onion (200g), cut thinly
1 soup spoon of Butter (15g)
1 soup spoon of Canola Oil (15mL)
3 Potatoes (600g), cut into about 1cm pieces
4 cups of Chicken Stock (1L)
Salt and Pepper
1 cup of 2% Milk (250mL)
2 soup spoons of fresh Chives (5g)(Optional)

1. In a pan, brown the Leeks and the Onion at Low heat. Cover and cook until they get tender, so about a dozen of minutes.

2. Add the Potatoes, the Stock, the Salt and the Pepper. Simmer, covered, untill the Potatoes are tender, for 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Reduce the soup to a pulp with a mixer. Add the Milk and mix. Cover and put it into the fridge for 2 hours. Sprinkle the Chives in each soup bowl and serve.

4. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions
Total time: 2 hours 50 minutes
290 Calories/portion
Source: "Bien manger au quotidien", by Cinzia Cuneo. www.SOScuisine.com (via Journal de Montréal)

Almonds and Apples Dessert

6 Apples (1,1Kg), peeled and cut into halves
7 soup spoons of non-salted Butter (100g)
1 cup of Sugar (200g)
2 Eggs, Large size
1 cup of Almonds (150g), whitened and thinly ground
2/3 cup of Custard (170mL)

1. Preheat the oven at 205°C/400°F. Butter up a pastry plate of 26cm of diameter.

2. In a pan with boiling water, whiten the Apples 4 minutes. Drip them well then put them onto the pastry plate. Save for later.

3. In a bowl, beat the Butter and the Sugar. Save for later.

4. Separate the Egg Whites from the Eggs' Yolks: put the Yolks with the Sugar and Butter mix; put the Egg Whites in another bowl. Add the Almonds to the Yolks/Sugar/Butter mix and blend them in well.

5. Whip up the Egg Whites with a whisk or a mixer, then blend the Egg Whites in the mix, while stirring it very carefully with a spatula. Pour the mix on the Apples and level the surface out. Cook at the center of the oven 20 minutes, untill the Apples are golden.

6. Let them cool down and serve at the room temperature with some Custard, if desired.

7. Enjoy.

Gives 6 portions
Total time: 40 minutes
490 Calories/portion
Source: "Bien manger au quotidien", by Cinzia Cuneo. www.SOScuisine.com (via Journal de Montréal)

"Dessert" Stew

For the Choux Buns' Pastry:

125mL of Water (1/2 cup)
60mL of non-salted Butter (1/4 cup)
5mL of Sugar (1 tea spoon)
A pinch of Salt
125mL of non-blanched, all purpose Flour (1/2 cup)
2 Eggs

For the Confectioner's Custard:

60mL of Marple Sugar (1/4 cup)
20mL of Flour (4 tea spoons)
5 mL of Coen Flour (1 tea spoon)
250mL of very hot Milk (1 cup)
15mL of Butter (1 table spoon)

For the Chocolate Sauce:

150mL of Water (2/3 cup)
60mL of Cream (1/4 cup)
75mL of Sugar (1/3 cup)
50mL of Cacao Powder (3 table spoons)
Marple Sugar

1. Let's begin with the Choux Buns' Pastry. Place the grill at the center of the oven. Preheat the oven at 200°C (400°F). Put some Parchment Paper on a pastry plate.

2. In a pan, bring the Water to a boil with the Butter, the Sugar and the Salt. Add the Flour in one shot and stirr vigorously with a wooden spoon untill the pastry coem together in a ball and detach itself from the sides of the pan.

3. Put the pan back on a Low heat and stirr the pastry for about 2 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and let it cool down for several minutes. Add the Eggs, one at the time, while vigorously whisking with a whisk or a wooden spoon between each addition, untill the pastry is smooth and homogeneous.

5. With the help of a Pastry Bag with a Round Tip of about 1cm (1/2 inch) and filled with Choux Buns Pastry, make on the pastry plate little Choux Buns with about 30mL (2 soup spoons) of pastry each.

6. Cook at the center of the oven untill the Choux Buns are golden, so about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them dry for about 15 minutes with the door ajar. Let the cool down.

7. Now for the Confectioner's Custard. In a pan, out of the heat, mix the Sugar, the Flour and the Corn Flour. Add the Eggs and whisk untill the it become homogeneous and smooth.

8. Add the hot Milk gradually while still whisking. Bring to a boil at Medium Heat while keep whisking and making sure you scrub the bottom and the corners of the pan. Let it stew from 1 to 2 minutes at Low Heat.

9. Remove from heat and add the Butter. Refrigerate the Custard untill it completely cool down.

10. Let's finish with the Chocolate Sauce. In another pan, mix together the Water, the Cream, the Sugar and the Cacao. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it reduce untill syrupy concistancy..

11. Keep it hot.

12. Now let's finish this bad boy! With a Pastry Bag, stuff the Choux Buns with the Marple Cream. Then put them into a casserole dish and pour the Chocolate Sauce on them. Sprinkle some Marple Sugar on them and serve.

13. Enjoy.

Gives 6 portions.
Author: Chief Laurent Godbout
Source: Casa magazine (from Journal de Montréal)

2 Potatoes (400 g)
1 1/3 cup of Green Beans/Green Board Beans (130 g)
2 Eggs, Large Size
2 Tomatoes, sliced (240g)
1/3 cup of Classical Dressing (85 mL)
4 Anchovies Fillets (15 g)
1 Canned Tuna can (170 g)
12 Black Olives
8 Curly OR Boston Lettuce Leaves (120g)
Salt and Pepper to taste


1. Boil or steam cook the Potatoes (about 15 minutes), peel them and then cut them into thin slices. Boil or steam the Green Beans (about 7 minutes). Let the vegetables cool down a dozen of minutes, then put them into a salad bowl.

2. Cook the Hard-Boiled Eggs (10 minutes), immediately cool them down under cold water and cut them into quarters.

3. Add the Tomatoes to the Vegetables in the salad bowl, add the Classical Dressing and salt them and peppet them to taste. Toss well. Decorate with the Anchovies Fillets, the Tuna, the Olives, the Salad Leaves and the Eggs Quarters well spread. Serve.

4. Enjoy


Gives 4 portions
Total time: 15 minutes of Cooking + 20 minutes
400 Calories/portion
Cost per portion: 2,40 CAN$.
Suggested Starter Dish: Leek and Red Cabbage Soup.
Suggested Dessert: Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Sauce.
Source: Cahier Casa (via Le Journal de Montréal).

Chicken Sauté and Bok Choi, with Lemongrass and Coconut Infusion

4 Chicken Breasts
4 Bok Choi
200g of Jasmine Rice
1 Red Onion
1 French Shallot
1 Green Onion
1 tea spoon of chopped Garlic
2 Lemongrass sticks
1 tea spoon of Powder Curry
100mL of White Wine
200mL of Coconut Milk
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Thinly cut the French Shallot. Cut the Lemongrass. Thinly slice the Green Onion. Cut the Chicken into stripes. Thinly Slice the Bok Choi and the Red Onion.

2. In a big pan, bring to a boil 2L of Salted Water (10g of Coarse Salt/L of water) Add 100mL of Coconut Milk, then the Jasmine Rice and cook between 8 to 10 minutes. Drip and resevre warm.

3. In a hot antihadesive pan, pour a string of Vegetable Oil and brown the French Shallot. Add the Curry and the Lemongrass and mix. Deglaze with the White Wine and let it reduce by half.

4. Add the Coconut Milk and stirr well. Let it stew a few minutes, then mix with a hand mixer. Pour into a sieve and add the Red Onion.

5. Season the Chicken with the Salt and the Pepper. In a big pan, pour a string of Vegetable Oil and sauté the Chicken untill it gets well golden on each side. Add the Onions and continue the cooking. Add the Garlic and the Bok Choi and sauté them a few seconds and serve immediately.

6. Serve the Chicken Sauté and Bok Choi on a Rice portion that you had make with a punch. Top the Sauté with some of the Lemongrass Infusion.

7. Enjoy.


Gives 4 portions
Total time: 30 minutes
Author: Chief Benoît Fiemeyer, from the Atelier & Saveur team
Source: Journal de Montréal

Embered Duck Legs with dried Fruits

4 Duck Legs (1kg)
1 Red Onion, roughtly cut
2 Carrots, in little dices (200g)
1 cup of stoned Prunes (180g)
2/3 cup of dried Apricot (110g)
3 1/3 cups of Chicken Stock (830mL)
1 Bunch of Rocket (150g)
1 cup of Pearl Barley (180g)

1. Put the Legs (Skin Side toward the bottom) in a frying pan large enough to contain all ingredients. Put the frying pan on the stove and cook at Medium heat. Golden the Legs smoothly and uniformly for about 20 minutes. Add some Salt and Pepper.

2. When the Legs are golden, turn them and sear them a minute, then put them on a plate. Eliminate all the grease in the frying pan but around one soup spoon of it. Add the Vegetables, some Salt and Pepper. Brown them, while tossing them from time to time, untill they begin to golden, so about 10 minutes.

3. Put the Legs back into the Frying pan (Skin side toward the top), add the dried Fruits and pour around 1 1/3 cups of Stock, without getting over half the height of the Legs. Bring the liquid to a boil, then put the whole at the center of the oven.

4. Cook for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 175°C / 350°F and continue to cook untill the meat is tender and the liquid reduced, so for about 30 additional minutes.

5. In-between, cook the Pear Barley for about 30 minutes into the remaining Stock (about 2 cups) and in 2/3 cup of Water. Serve the Duck with the Barley in side dish.

6. Enjoy.


Gives 4 portions
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
450 Calories/portion
Estimated Cost by Portion: 6,15 CA$
Suggested Starter dish/Dessert: Monica style Orange Salad / Little Fruits Mix
Source: Casa magazine (via Journal de Montréal)

Iced little Onions

16 little Italian Onions Cipollini* (440g)
4 tea spoons of Olive Oil (20mL)
4 tea spoons of Sugar (15g)
4 tea spoons of Wine Vinegar (20mL)
4 tea spoons of Butter (20g)
Salt

1. Wash the Cipollini like ordinary Onions and leave them whole.

2. Heat the Butter and the Oil in a pan at Medium-Low heat. Add the Cipollini and sauté them for some minutes, turning them untill they get slightly golden. Add the Sugar, the Vinegar and about 2cm of Water (1/3 cup)

3. Cook at Medium heat, uncovered, untill the Cipollini are tender, so about a dozen of minutes. If there's too much Water remaining at the end, make it evaporate at a somewhat High heat, and caramelize the Cipollini. Serve.

4. Enjoy.

Gives 4 portions
Total time: 20 minutes
100 Calories/portion
Source: "Bien Manger au Quotidien" Column by Cinzia Cueno (Via Journal de Montréal)

*This receipe is at it's best when we use little Italian Onions of flattened or rounded shape, from 3 to 4 centimeters of diameter, that we name Cipollini If you don't find some, replace them with ordinary little Onions.

Thank you Kebe :'D
This is like my bible for home-made foods.

1 Onion, thinly cut (200g)
1 soup spoon of Olive Oil (15mL)
1 2/3 cup of Arborio Rice (300g)
60g of Gorgonzola or any other Creamy Blue Cheeses, in chuncks
1/4 cup of Pargimiana, grated (15g)
3 cups of Chicken Stock (750mL)
Pepper, to taste


1. In a pan, sauté the Onion in the Oil, untill it gets translucid. Add the Rice and sauté 2 minutes while stirring it.

2. Add the warm Stock, 1/2 or 3/4 of cup at the time, untill the Rice gets covered, but not more, while making sure it absorb each liquid addition. Keep the Stock very hot during the entire preparation procees.

3. The Risotto is ready 18 to 20 minutes later, when the grains are tender on their exterior, but firm inside (Al Dente). Near the end, if the Rice isn't completely cooked and you don't have anymore Stock, you can add some Water.

4. Remove from the heat and add the Cheeses while vigorously stirring. Let it cool down 2 minutes, add Salt and Pepper and serve.

5. Enjoy.


Gives 4 portions.
Total time: 20 minutes of Cooking + 10 minutes.
370 Calories/portion.
Source: "Bien Manger au Quotidien", Column by Cinzia Cueno, Journal de Montréal.

Poached Mackerel with Soya Sauce

1/2 cup of Soya Sauce (125mL)
1/2 cup of Water (125mL)
1/3 cup of Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) (85mL)
1 tea spoon of Sugar (4g)
2 soup spoons of Rice Vinegar (30mL)
4 Garlic Clover, pressed
2 tea spoons of fresh, grated Ginger (10g)
4 Mackerel steaks (400g)


1. In a frying pan, well mix all the ingredients, except the fish. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it stew 5 minutes uncovered.

2. Add the Steaks with the skin facing down, cover and let it stew untill the complete cooking of the fish, from 7 to 10 minutes (the fish flesh will be opaque and it will separate easely with a fork).

3. Serve the fish in warm plates, with a few spoons of the Sauce on them. If desired, you can sprinkle some grated Ginger.

4. Enjoy.


Gives 4 portions.
Total time: 20 minutes.
Gives 230 Calories/portion
Source: Journal de Montréal.