I have been thinking lately about Thanksgiving menu and I am not sure what to make yet. Last year was mainly a “French” Thanksgiving with of course a Turkey but prepared the French way since the guests were French, and the traditional kind of French, and I wanted to make something different this year since the guests will be the same.

I love to make those vegetable galettes, they’re quick to make, original and delicious…so I might keep this for some side dishes, but not yet sure. You’ll probably think that those have nothing to do in a Thanksgiving menu, but I think it is allowed on my table since I did not grow up here. So that is my lame excuse. For years, I have been invited at friends’ house for Thanksgiving, so I never got to organize one, it’s been three years in a row that I am actually having friends over and it’s been quite fun.

I made those zucchini galettes gluten-free for some gluten allergic guests. I usually make them with regular flour but for those who cannot tolerate gluten, rice flour works fine. The flour I bought was a little more grainy than wheat flour but was not really a problem. I thought cooking without gluten would be tricky and it’s actually not. There are tons of alternative to wheat and it tastes great too.

Ingredients for about 8 galettes

• 5 zucchini, very thinly sliced
• 2 eggs
• 5 tbs or more brown rice flour or regular flour
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 3 tbs feta, roughly crumbled
• chili flakes
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Using a mandoline, slice zucchini very finely. Place in a drainer, and sprinkle with 1 tbs coarse salt for about 30 min. to let the water come out. Rinse under running water to remove the salt and squeeze tightly with your hands to remove excess water. Place in a mixing container.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with flour to make a thick paste. If paste is liquid, add extra flour. Mix well to obtain a homogenous mixture. Pour on top of zucchini. Mix well so that the zucchini get coated with egg mixture

Add thyme, chili flakes and adjust with salt and pepper, (don’t add too much salt, since the mixture is usually salty enough due to the feta cheese and salt remaining in the zucchini). Add feta, mix carefully not to break it, you want to incorporate feta pieces in the mixture.

Heat large pan, and spoon about 2 tbs of mixture forming some regular galettes. Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Serve hot as an appetizer with smoked salmon, or with a salad, or as a side dish.

I started this little post a while ago and never managed to finish it, since I have a 30 minutes break in between this craziness move, I just wanted to finish it and move on.

Originally I wanted to make savory frittelle with the ricotta I had bought, something with capers and parsley, then I woke up one morning and had nothing to eat for breakfast (like this morning), and that is bad news. It rarely happens, I always make sure I have food for breakfast. No coffee for my Brikka, and no bread for my toaster. (so I had to use the Nespresso that I really don’t like, I have to admit that I am a coffee snob). As much as I have very light dinners, my breakfasts are quite substantial and I really need to eat in the morning. Usually, I don’t get grumpy if I am hungry, I just chew a gum and I can last a couple of hours….except in the morning. Les petit-dejeûners sont sacrés!! Breakfast are sacred!

When you have nothing to eat, then pancake is the solution…I think those are similar to pancakes in terms of texture and consistency even if technically they might not be pancakes (I don’t know I am not a pancake expert). They tend to be tender and soft…

The almond butter adds a little natural sweetness and nutty taste to it. As much as don’t care for peanut butter, I love almond butter.

Those pancakes are completely made with wholewheat flour and a quite healthy little morning treat, if you have nothing else to eat and don’t feel like going out for breakfast.

Ingredients for 10 pancakes

• 2 medium size fuji apples
• 4 tbs light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 5 tbs ricotta
• 7 tbs wholewheat flour
• 1 tbs almond butter
• zest of one lemon
• 2 tbs golden raisins
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 tsp baking powder

Preparation

In a mixing container, grate peeled apples, squeeze them in your hand to somehow remove extra juice, then add lemon juice to prevent them from browning. In another container, mix ricotta, eggs and sugar and beat until the mixture becomes smooth. Add lemon zest, almond butter and flour, vanilla extract and powder, raisins and baking powder.

In a non stick pan, place one large tbs of mixture and let it cook on one side, then turn on the other side when they turn golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot with a apple sauce on the side.

]]> http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/10/apple-games-apple-ricotta-raisins-and-almond-butter-pancakes/feed/ 15 http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/08/spaghetti-squash-got-squashed-pancakes-of-spaghetti-squash-with-feta-and-oregano/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spaghetti-squash-got-squashed-pancakes-of-spaghetti-squash-with-feta-and-oregano http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/08/spaghetti-squash-got-squashed-pancakes-of-spaghetti-squash-with-feta-and-oregano/#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 06:24:53 +0000 silvia http://www.citronetvanille.com/blog/?p=3025 On a écrasé la courge! – Galettes de courge spaghetti à la feta et origan

I love galettes, or pancakes, or anything that has vegetables in it and that looks like a flat crêpe. Spaghetti squash is a great vegetable to prepare yet not very popular. You can make so many different dishes and in so many different ways. Besides, its texture and aspect are very interesting. I used to serve this squash as a vegetable dish, in its shell, then I got tired of it, and figured, it can be prepared like zucchini.

Strangely enough, I have never seen it served in any restaurants…I don’t know why it’s not popular among chefs. Now I am wondering if chefs who own restaurants do come up with menus with specialties they really enjoy preparing or if the completely adapt their menus to the tastes of the local population. Probably a combination of both. Nevertheless, I think that especially in America, where people are more open to new flavors and cuisines due to its melting pot of nationalities, people can easily be “trained” to new flavors and concepts. It is more difficult in Europe, especially France and Italy where everyone is still attached to local traditions and cuisines and are two countries with ancient and reputable culinary history.

Those pancakes have little egg and little flour, so as any vegetable pancake, they tend to be a little soft in the middle, this is not a fritter so don’t expect them to have to consistency and texture of a fried dough. One spaghetti squash will be enough to make about 20 pancakes.

Ingredients for 6 pancakes

• 10.6 oz (or 300 g) spaghetti squash (1/3 of a whole squash)
• 1 egg
• 3 -4 tbs flour
• 3 tbs feta cheese
• 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/3 tsp chili flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbs olive oil

Preparation

Start cooking spaghetti squash. Cut in half lenghtwise and wrap in aluminum foil, don’t leave any hole, the foil needs to be well sealed. Cook for about 1h30 min in a 400F pre-heated oven. Check once in a while to see the squash is a little soft but not too soft. If you cook the squash too long, it will be filled of water and you won’t be able to get the spaghetti strands out of it, therefore won’t be able to make those pancakes.

When cooked, remove the seeds, and remove the spaghetti-pulp with a fork. Place in a container.

In another mixing bowl, mix egg with flour, salt and pepper, to form a thick dough, if the dough is too liquid, add flour.

Add chili flakes, oregano, salt and pepper to the squash, mix well. Add egg/flour mixture. Mix with well, and at the end add feta cheese. Mix using tip of your fingers not to break the feta, you want to keep some chunks.

Heat olive oil in a pan, and spoon one large tbs of the mixture in pan. Cook on both sides, at medium size heat. You might need to adjust heat not to burn the outside of the pancakes but still brown them and cook them inside.

Serve hot with a salad, or as a side dish.