It’s the season for those gorgeous keitt mangoes, so nothing better that using seasonal fruits. They only last for a couple of months so don’t miss on that. You will recognize them because they’re very large, and whose skin remains green even when ripe. They’re so large that I used one for this dessert. I made some mango vinegar and wanted to experiment its use in different preparations. This turned out really well. The warm and soft mango is topped with mango coulis and diced mango with Poivre la Luna.

Poivre La Luna is a pepper from Madagascar with a vanilla and cocoa aroma that a friend of mine brought me from France. It’s a mild pepper but very aromatic that you can use on fruits, and seafood. I was reading about it and apparently it’s unknown to chefs in America, whereas chefs in France refuse to use something else. I guess, it’s worth a try. Madagascar was a French colony, so we got a lot of their wonderful products exported to France.

This can be a snack, a treat, a dessert or whatever suits you. It was my dinner one of those nights, and perfect for when you need something light yet delicious. You can substitute Greek yogurt with vanilla whipped cream, to make it more like a dessert and less of a snack.

For the mango papillote

• 1/2 keitt mango sliced
• coconut sugar (to taste)
• vanilla bean powder
• 1 tbs pistachios, toasted
• Greek yogurt or whipped cream

For the mango coulis

• 1/3 mango
• 1 tsp mango vinegar (optional)
• sugar of your choice to taste (stevia, coconut sugar, etc…)
• 1/2 tsp orange blossom water

For the mango salad

• 1/4 (about 2 tbs) finely diced mango
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp Poivre la Luna

Preparation

For the papillote

Pre heat oven at 380F. Using parchment paper, cut a circle of about 25 cm diameter. Place cut mango on one half of the circle. Add coconut sugar and vanilla bean powder. Fold the other half of the circle on top of the mangoes and start sealing the border all around.

Place in the oven and cook for about 15-20 min. Remove from oven and let it cool a bit.

For the mango coulis

Place mango and sugar in a blender and mix until smooth. Add mango vinegar and orange blossom water and mix well.

For the mango salad

Mix mango and lime juice and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Add Poivre la Luna at the end, when ready to serve.

When the papillote is ready, remove from oven. Cut the top part with scissors to open it. Let it cool a little.  Add mango coulis, then add a spoon of yogurt and top it with mango salad and pistachios.

I still have brick sheets that I brought back from France last May and need to use them, the expiration date is coming close, so here is a delightful fruity dessert that lightened up my Sunday. I treat myself as often as I can and today was one of those days.

Peaches in my opinion are a perfect match with apricots and mangoes. I remember my favorite chewing gum flavor when I was a child was “pêche-abricot“, since then they remained my favorite fruits.

I served this warm fruity brick with coconut ice cream, it’s a non dairy ice cream made with just coconut milk and no added sugar that is absolutely delicious, it’s low in calories and is a lovely addition to any fruit based dessert. Usually, I do not advertise for any brand, but this time, I decided to mention it, since I haven’t found anything similar in terms of flavor/calories ratio. I poured some coconut milk with rum, on top with toasted coconut chips and that made twice my day. I am not a calorie counting freak, but I like to keep dishes light without “killing” the flavor, which is a tough task, because everyone knows that fat is a flavor enhancer.

When I find my ice cream maker, I will make coconut ice cream until then, I will gladly eat this one. A warm crunchy brick filled with fruits and combined with a little cup of coconut ice cream is a real treat.

Ingredients for 4

For the bricks

• 8 brick sheets
• 1 mango, peeled, and sliced
• 2 peaches, peeled and sliced
• zest of one Meyer lemon
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• a few pinches of lavender
• olive oil or melted butter for brushing

For the ice cream cup

• 4 scoops of coconut ice cream
• 1/2 pint light coconut milk
• stevia (to taste)
• 1-2 tsp rum (to taste)
• toasted coconut chips
• raw pistachios

Preparation

For the bricks

Mix cut mango and peaches together in a bowl. Add coconut milk, lemon zest and lavender. Let infuse for 15 min in the refrigerator.

In a large wooden board, lay flat one brick and place about 2-3 tbs of fruit mixture in the middle. Then fold over the sides as if you are wrapping a present. Proceed the same way using a second brick sheet but this time, doing it on the other side (turning the brick on the other side with the folded sides being underneath). Brush bricks with butter or oil (to your preference)

Proceed the same way with the other sheets until all mixture is used.

Preheat oven at 390F and place in a non stick tray brick. When top is golden brown, turn bricks the other side until golden and crunchy.

Serve warm.

For the ice cream cup

Mix coconut milk with rum and stevia.

Place one scoop of ice cream in a small cup. Pour some coconut milk on top. Sprinkle with pistachios and toasted coconut chips.

Since chia is all over the place, and that everyone is talking about it in the nutrition world as a miracle little seed, I decided to try it out too. I used to sprinkle it on top of yogurt or fruits, but I never cooked with it or never made anything out of it. At least now, I can have an opinion for myself. I love to try new things when they get that much press, I am thinking it cannot get all that bad.

Chia is supposedly very nutritious, lots of proteins, fibers and amino acids. It’s good for me because I do not eat many proteins, so I thought this would supplement my needs. The fun part in this, is to play with it and make something interesting and pleasurable to the palate. If I don’t like something, it could be the most nutritious thing on earth, I will not eat it. So if it’s good and nutritious, that’s a winner because one without the other one doesn’t work.

I have been reading about chia and how to prepare it. Since it’s a very absorbing little seeds that expands, it needs to be in contact with some liquid. I used coconut milk here, but any other dairy or non dairy milk will work (almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk, etc…). Yes, it did expand and those little seeds look like caviar with a transparent shell or some dark fish eggs.

I was a bit skeptical when I took the first bite, but then I liked it. I think the more you eat it the more you like it. I don’t know why but I feel good after I eat chia and I have no idea why.

Ingredients for 3-4

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1.5 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut
• agave nectar or stevia to taste
• 2 tbs raw pistachios
• 1 banana, sliced
• dark chocolate (optional for decoration)

Preparation

In a mixing container, mix all ingredients together, except the bananas. Mix well and let rest for about 30 min until it thickens. Place in individual cups and refrigerate for about 6 hours.

Place banana slices on top and sprinkle with some additional pistachios, shredded coconut and dark chocolate

When summer comes again, I just need to find new light and fresh desserts to use peaches, my favorite fruit. If you are like me, cannot get enough of them, here is another a cool recipe to try.

This recipe is quite versatile, you can also saute the peaches in a pan with a little butter and sugar. Personally I love to grill them, I think the flavor stands out more. Also, you can see the rice cream at the bottom of the dish to be a little dark, it’s just because I used coconut sugar which is naturally amber color. You can use regular sugar to get a snow white cream which I think is prettier in the plate. This dessert is also vegan which can be interesting for those who are lactose intolerant but can also be made using regular milk as well. For coconut milk, I used the light one which has 45 calories per servings and that comes in a large paper box, not the one in a can.

For the ice cream, I used a vanilla ice cream made with coconut milk that is delicious (usually I don’t like to advertise brands on this blog, but this one is really , on top of it, it has no added sugar, so if you are like me and that you don’t have a sweet tooth and no taste for sugar, this ice cream is perfect.

Ingredients for 2 people

For the rice cream

• 70 g white round rice
• coconut milk, one pint or more (depending on the rice absorption)
• 2 tbs coconut sugar (or more to taste)
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half and scarped

For the peaches

• 2 large peaches, cut in 6 quarters
• 2 tbs raw unsalted pistachios
• vanilla ice cream made with coconut milk
• agave nectar or honey for drizzling

Preparation

Start by cooking the rice. In a pot, add vanilla bean to milk and bring the mixture to a to a boil at medium temperature. Add rice and sugar and let cook the rice until tender at low temperature. Add milk if necessary and adjust sugar. stir once in a while ensuring the rice does not stick to the pot. When the rice is cooked, let it cool and mix in a blender to obtain a smooth cream. Place in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, grill peaches in a skillet or grill pan. Grill on both sides.

In a plate, place 3 tbs rice cream, top it with grilled peaches. Spoon ice cream in the middle, sprinkle with pistachios and agave nectar.

Quel est le meilleur ami de la banane si ce n’est que le chocolat? What’s banana’s best friend other than chocolate? During my trip to France, I brought back some brick sheets. Here is some more info on those sheets. Like filo dough, they can be used in savory or sweet preparations.

Those rolls are ridiculously quick to prepare. No need to stress out if you have guests for dinner and no idea on the dessert choice. Kids will love it, and adults too. Melting chocolate on warm banana with a touch of coconut and crunchiness of pistachios is a always winning combination. Some flavors like banana and chocolate are made for each other, they’re like soul mate.

These rolls are quite large, so one would be sufficient for one person, or if your dinner was light, two rolls per person would work as well. As far as chocolate goes, you can use milk chocolate too, I personally prefer dark chocolate, its flavor is more intense and it contrasts quite well with the banana.

Ingredients for 6 rolls

• 6 bananas, not too ripe
• 2 tbs agave syrup
• 2 tbs coconut, shredded
• 12 tbs pistachios, chopped
• 6 tsp dark chocolate, broken in small pieces
• 6 brick sheets
• olive oil or butter for brushing

Preparation

Peel and slice the banana in 1 cm slices. Grill them on both sides in a skillet or grill pan. In a mixing container, combine banana, pistachios, agave syrup, coconut. Mix well.

Take one brick sheet and place 2 tbs of the mixture. Add chocolate on top and roll the sheet. Brush with olive oil or butter. Proceed the same way with the rest of the mixture.

Pre heat oven at 390F and bake rolls in the oven for about 15-20 min until they turn golden brown.

One of the best meals I have ever had was in Biarritz, for those who have traveled to France and who went to Pays Basque, must know Biarritz. It’s located in the Southern part of France on the Atlantic coast, close to the Spanish border.  I remember this rustic restaurant that looked more like a chic cabin with dark wood decor and an amazing menu. The dessert I ordered was quite simple, just the way I like it. It was a long glass filled with a sheep milk yogurt type of mixture, a cherry compote and topped with honey but it was so good that I still vividly remember at this time the sensation of pleasure I got at the first spoonful.

In the Basque region, you can find wonderful cheeses made with sheep milk since the Pyrénées Mountains are close by, where lots of sheeps are raised.

It’s been a while, I felt like having this particular combination of grilled fruit and goat milk yogurt. I adore grilled fruits, the grilling makes the flavors and sweetness stand out but I find sheep milk yogurt to be stronger and goat yogurt suits my taste buds better. This can be a snack, a dessert or something you make anytime because you have some cravings.

After seeing some beautiful juicy and sweet apricots at my Greek barn, next door, I decided that apricots were part of the game…Summer fruits are out, maybe not at their best quality yet, since it’s still the beginning of the season but Mr. Greek grocer found delicious and sweet ones. He picks himself his fruits and vegetables and gets up at 2am to go to the market, so he always get gorgeous produce.

Langues de chat is literally translated into Cat’s tongues, just because those flat cookies do have that long shape  resembling a tiny tongue. They’re usually longer  and narrower than the ones I have made.

Their origin is traced back to the XVII century, and their deliciousness kept their popularity through the times. They’re traditional French cookies, and very easy to make, you cannot fail making langue de chat, I promise. Even the beginner bakers will make great langues de chat.

Ingredients for 2

• 3 apricots
• 1 goat milk yogurt
• 2 tbs lavender honey
• 2 figs
• cardamom powder
• 1 tbs pistachios, chopped

For the langues de chat

• 2.64 oz (or 75 g) butter
• 3 egg whites
• 3.52 oz (or 100 g) flour
• 3.52 oz (or 100 g) powder sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

For the langues de chat

Take the butter out of the refrigerator to room temperature about 30 minutes before using it. In a mixing container, mix butter and sugar together, add vanilla extract. Beat the white slightly (don’t whip them), and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Add flour and mix again.

Using a piping bag (douille) lay a small amount of batter on a silicon sheet (silpat) or parchment paper. Leave some space in between each cookie, they tend to spread when cooking. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 355-360F for about 10-15 minutes until the langues de chat are slightly golden from the sides. Let them cool and set aside.

Grill apricot halves in a grill pan or grid, on each side. Sprinkle some honey on top. Mix cardamom with yogurt.

In a bowl, place 3 apricots halves in the bottom. Add yogurt, top it off with remaining honey, figs and pistachios. Serve with 2 or 3 langues de chat.

Des pommes, des poires et des….bananes!! I have been thinking about those papillottes for so long. I thought about them kept thinking about them, and always made something else…I kept doing that for weeks. Time to stick to the plan! They’re an express dessert and extremely delicious. We tend to forget that quick meals can be exquisite.  Papillottes are so much fun to make and look great when you give one individually to your guests.

Fruit based desserts are light and cooked fruits go deliciously well with spices. Of course, if you like cinnamon, you can add some. I am a big vanilla fan and could use vanilla everywhere. The only place I don’t like vanilla is in perfume. I think it’s way too sweet as a scent but I could drink it! I brought from France some vanilla powder which is basically vanilla beans and pods ground, so the powder is brown like the bean and not white (I have seen it white here) , if you can’t find it, you can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Those papillotes are perfect with apples and pears because they remain firm, and don’t get mushy like peaches or other summer fruits would. Fall just got here and we can enjoy the beautiful fruits it brings along.

Papillote has different meanings, but traditionally it refers to a chocolate candy wrapped in a golden or silver wrap with a personal message included in it. Supposedly it comes from Lyon and they’re consumed during Christmas.

Ingredients for 2 papillotes

• 1 golden apple, peeled and sliced
• 1 large pear, peeled and sliced
• 1 large banana, sliced
• 1 tbs unsalted pistachios
• 1.5 tbs golden raisins
• 1 tbs honey
• 1.5 tbs grated coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla powder

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, add all fruits together, then add honey, vanilla powder, raisins, coconut and pistachios. Mix well. Place in a parchment paper, wrap tightly so no air can get in and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes at 375F. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

I have been thinking about this recipe for a while that my grandmother used to make when I was a child, called tacconi. I loved those so much, because they’re always remained a little crunchy and I have always loved pasta that remains al dente, even more al dente than it should be. I would never eat overcooked pasta. My grandmother used to make a ton of those tacconi on Sunday and distribute them between my parents and I and my oncle and kids (since we all lived in the same house, different floors). That was the Sunday treat.

Tacconi are some rustic pasta from Marche region made with half fava bean flour and half regular flour. They’re cut thick and long and are served with a garlic tomato sauce.

I could not find just 100% fava bean flour, so the closest I could get is a mixture of half chick pea, half fava bean flour. Instead of white flour, I used whole wheat flour, that’s why those tacconi have a deep brownish hearty color.

Now the original tacconi have a different shape too, they look like thick spaghetti, not short like those gnocchi shape little nuggets. Actually, I somehow reproduced the shape of gnocchi sardi, called malloreddus. Obviously this dish is somehow a result of two Italian cuisines, the Sardinian  and the Marchiggiana…then if you think that pesto is from Genoa, then it combines three cuisines.

As for the pesto, rucola pesto is something I really love, the bitterness of wild rucola mixed with parmesan and pistacchios make a wonderful combination. The asparagus add another green and delicate touch.

Ingredients for 4

For the pasta

• 1/2 cup fava bean flour (or mixed chick pea and fava bean flours if just fava bean not available)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• water

For the pesto

• 2 cups of wild rucola
• 3 tbs pistacchios
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 tbs parmigiano reggiano
• 4 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 bunch asparagus

Preparation

Start preparing the pesto. Mix all ingredients in a mixer and mix until medium consistency, you don’t want to pesto to be too thin, but with some grainy texture, and feel the pistachios.

Cut asparagus in about 1 inch length and cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes or until cooked but still firm.

For the tacconi, mix both flours together in a bowl and add enough water to make a dough that is not sticky or soft but rather thick and dense. Remove from the bowl, and transfer to a well-floured surface, add flour if necessary. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.

Let rest in a plastic wrap for about 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in about 2 or three pieces and roll dough into a 1/8 inch cylinder, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Roll each piece pressing with your thomb on a gnocchi board or a fork to give it some ridges. Repeat process with all the dough.

Bring water to a boil, add salt. Transfer the tacconi and cook for about 6-7 minutes.

Drain, transfer to a bowl, add pesto and asparagus. Mix well but carefully not to break tacconi nor asparagus.