Delicious dinners don’t have to be time consuming or complicated. You can easily get a quick dinner on the table that’s full of flavour and not boring any day of the week. Dinners like the Red Thai Chicken Curry and the Lemon Crusted Baked Cod are other examples of easy and tasty dinners that you really can make in a hurry.

What is This Salmon & Lentil Dish Like

• Difficulty – This is a two part dish that’s really easy to make and on the table in 30 minutes!
• Taste – This salmon and lentil dish has a fantastic flavour . The salmon is perfectly charred on the outside and tender and flaky inside. The lentils have a soft yet flavourful taste from the mustard and tarragon. it’s also a healthy dish with under 400 calories per serving.
• Serving – This recipe makes four modest servings. If you are looking for bigger portions, I’d recommend doubling the recipe. You can easily do that in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredients

• Salmon – I used 4 small salmon fillets for this dish.
• Lentils – This dish used precooked brown lentils.
• Leek – Leeks add a wonderful earthy flavour to dishes. They are part of the onion family but not as sharp as onions.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic.
• Lemon – I used fresh squeezed lemon juice.
• Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley.
• Tarragon – I used dried tarragon for a great flavour.
• Mustard – Grainy Dijon mustard was used in this recipe.
• Balsamic Vinegar – This adds a nice punch to the lentils
• Butter – I used butter to cook the lentils as well as the salmon.
• Seasonings – Table salt and black pepper.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Make mustard mixture – In a small bowl, combine the mustard, juice of half a lemon, fresh chopped parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside
2. Cook lentils – In a large skillet set over high heat add 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1/2 of the garlic. Give a good stir and toss in the leeks. Stir for a minute and let cook for about 5 -8 minutes to cook and brown. Add the lentils, the mustard mixture and the balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Cook salmon – With a medium skillet set over medium heat, add the remaining butter and garlic. Season the salmon fillets with salt and add to the pan. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes. Squeeze over lemon juice and remove from pan.
4. Serve – Serve the salmon over the lentils, top with parsley garnish and fresh black pepper.

Recipe Tips

• Time saving – I used a jar of precooked lentils. This saves so much time in putting together this recipe . If you cook lentils from dry, they will take about 30 extra minutes.
• Multi tasking – While the lentil dish is finishing off, cook the salmon. This way both dishes will be ready at the same time.
• Don’t overcook salmon – If you overcook the salmon, it will dry out. So be careful. Times will vary depending on the thickness of your salmon. My salmon pieces were about 3/4 inch thickness and I cooked the first side for four minutes and then flipped and cooked for a further three minutes.

Substitutions

• Precooked lentils – I used precooked jar lentils. This is easy and convenient. You could use dry lentils and cook them yourself. Lentil will cook in boiling water in about 30 minutes.
• Grainy Dijon Mustard – I you don’t have or don’t prefer grainy mustard, you can just use regular Dijon Mustard for these lentils.
• Dried Tarragon – Dried tarragon adds a wonderful flavour to this recipe. Alternatively, you could use fresh tarragon, fresh chives or dried oregano with similar results.

Serving Suggestions

This salmon and lentil dish is whole meal on it’s own. It would go great with some Stove Top Nann Bread on the side and Tzatziki for a bigger meal. It’s a great meal to serve through the week on busy days or save for entertaining at the weekends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Teriyaki Salmon & Stir Fry Noodles

Stir fry dinners make great mid week meals. This Teriyaki Salmon and Stir Fry Noodles is so delicious and it comes together pretty quickly. Perfectly grilled salmon with seasoned noodles and vegetables.

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Zesty Pan Seared Salmon

Calling all salmon lovers to the table for this Zesty Pan Seared Salmon. Using fresh lemon juice, capers and garlic for a zingy flavour that comes together quickly. Serve it with the Fall Harvest Wild Rice for a complete dinner.

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Baked Salmon with a Lemon Basil Cream Sauce

Impress yourself with this delicious Baked Salmon with a Lemon Basil Cream Sauce. A quick baked salmon dish with a delicious creamy sauce made from wine, onions, cream, basil and lemons. A great meal for dinner parties or just to treat yourself.

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Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils

A delicious Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils is a dish that comes together quickly and is worthy of weekend entertaining. Stove top grilled salmon served over lentils with a mustard punch. Not only is it a delicious dish, it's healthy as well.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: lentils, salmon

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 4 Salmon fillets
• 2 cups cooked lentils drained and rinsed
• 1 Leek thinly slices cross ways and cut into small pieces
• 4 cloves garlic minced and divided
• Juice of one lemon
• Small bunch fresh chopped parsley divided
• 1 Teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 Tablespoon Grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoon butter divided
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the mustard, juice of half a lemon, fresh chopped parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside
• In a large skillet set over high heat add 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1/2 of the garlic. Give a good stir and toss in the leeks. Stir for a minute and let cook for about 5 -8 minutes to cook and brown. Add the lentils, the mustard mixture and the balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• With a medium skillet set over medium heat, add the remaining butter and garlic. Season the salmon fillets with salt and add to the pan. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes. Squeeze over lemon juice and remove from pan.
• Serve the salmon over the lentils, top with parsley garnish and fresh black pepper.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

1. This recipe uses cooked lentils.  If you are using dry lentils, you will need to use about one cup of dry lentils and cook them before making this dish.  
2. If using dry lentils, add the dry lentils to about 3 cups of boiling water.  Cook for about 30 minutes until soft.  Drain and rinse.

Nutrition Facts

Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 369 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 124mg41%

Sodium 182mg8%

Potassium 909mg26%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 35g70%

Vitamin A 810IU16%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 48mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Do you ever make your own bread? If I’m completely honest, I don’t make bread often. Well, I do make Fluffy White Dinner Rolls and Stove Top Nann Bread pretty regularly, but it pretty much stops there. But ever now and then, I do like to make Baguette bread just to serve with Soups, stews, use for Bruschetta or just eat it as it is. The thing with homemade bread is, you just need to be organized and get it going in advance. Although bread isn’t too difficult, it does take time. But there is not much better than a warm fresh loaf of bread straight from the oven! And if you don’t have time for yeast bread, there’s always No Yeast Whole Wheat Bread done in under one hour.

What’s This Bread Like

• Difficulty – I’d rate this Baguette Bread recipe with medium difficulty. It uses only a few ingredients and the hand on time isn’t too much. However, to achieve the right texture and consistency of baguette bread, you really do need to pay close attention to the instructions and follow them carefully.
• Taste – This bread is just like a classic Baguette loaf. It has a crunchy top and the inside is soft and fluffy.
• Serving – This recipe makes two baguette loaves.

Ingredients

• Flour – I used bread flour/strong flour. This type of flour is the best kind to use for making bread
• Yeast – I used instant yeast for this bread. Instant yeast is the easiest form of yeast to use as you just add it directly to the dry ingredients.
• Sugar – I used granulated white sugar in this bread. The sugar helps activate the yeast.
• Salt – Regular table salt is used to add flavour the the bread.
• Water – Warm water is used in bread making to activate the yeast that makes the bread rise.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour.
2. Make a shaggy dough – Pour 1/2 cup/120 ml of the warm water into the well. Start pulling flour from the sides into the center. Continue until you have a shaggy dry dough.
3. Make a dough ball – Gradually start pouring in the remaining 1 cup/240 ml of warm water. Stir as you pour until you have a soft dough like consistency that isn’t too sticky.
4. Knead the dough and let it rise – Place the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough. Punch it down and fold it over onto itself and continue kneading for about 3 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Place back in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
5. Form risen dough into two equal portions – When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with a fist. Remove it from the bowl and divide it into two equal portions. Form each portion into a ball.
6. Shape dough into baguettes – Take one ball and place it on a lightly floured surface and start stretching it out length ways and start folding it over itself and stretching as you fold. (see post for step by step photos). Continue this process until you have a long narrow piece of dough that’s about 40 cm/16 inches x 5 cm/2 inches. (Approximately, it doesn’t need to exact.
7. Let baguettes rise – Place the long piece of dough on a greased baking tray. Shape it the best you can like the shape of a baguette. Repeat for the other dough ball. With a sharp serrated knife, make a few slits in each baguette bread loaf. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise, about one hour.
8. Bake bread – Preheat oven to 400 degrees f/200 degrees c. Place the baguettes in the lower two thirds of the oven and spray water in the oven to create a mist. Allow to bake between 15 – 18 minutes until you have a golden crisp crust and the bottom of the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped.
9. Serve/store – Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. These can be served straight away or put into zip lock bags and frozen for up to one month.

Recipe Tips

• Use bread flour – I strongly recommend using bread/strong flour for this baguette bread. It contain higher protein which produces more gluten. This ensures the bread rises properly.
• Make sure the water is at the correct temperature – If the water is too cold, the yeast won’t activate. On the flip side, if it’s too hot, the yeast won’t work. Yeast will be activated between 105 degrees F (40 degrees C) and 115 degrees F (46 degrees C).
• Knead the dough until elastic – It’s important to knead the dough until it’s soft and elastic. This means it was easily be stretched. Kneading the dough will vary in times. Generally anywhere between 3 – 5 minutes.

Substitutions

I wouldn’t really change anything with this recipe to get the same results. However, you can use a different type of yeast. I used instant yeast for this bread. Below is a handy guide to yeast and how to use them.

• Fresh Yeast – This comes in block form and needs to be kept in your fridge. Because it’s fresh yeast it will only last a few weeks after purchase. To use it, you dissolve it in warm water.
• Active Dry Yeast – This yeast is in dry form and you have to dissolve it in warm water before using.
• Instant Yeast – This is the easiest yeast to use. It comes in dry form and you simply add it to the the dry ingredients. Easy.

What to Serve with Baguette Bread

• Use it for sandwiches – Baguette bread makes great sandwiches like the Chicken Cutlet Sandwiches or the Easy Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
• Great for bruschetta – This bread is amazing for bruschetta. You can find some inspiration with More Than 10 Great Bruschetta Recipes.
• Serve it with soups – It goes without saying that baguette bread goes great soups like the Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup, Leek & Potato Soup and so many more.
• It’s great on it’s own – And of course, this bread it great just as it is or served with butter, jam, peanut butter, honey, cheese and so much more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fluffy White Dinner Rolls

These are the perfect Fluffy White Dinner Rolls that you've been looking for. A long time love of mine and a recipe I make regularly for my family. They don't last long!

Check out this recipe

Homemade Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

These Hawaiian Dinner Rolls are honestly so perfectly sweet, light and fluffy! You're going to want to file them in favourites for all your upcoming summer barbecues, potlucks and eating!

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Whole Wheat Bread Loaf

This Whole Wheat Bread Loaf delivers big on the comfort factor. A double rise bread loaf made using whole wheat flour for higher fiber bread that's just delicious.

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Baguette Bread Recipe

Why not give this Baguette Bread Recipe a try the next time you are planning to make homemade bread. With this classic recipe and step-by-step instructions, you can easily make this too!

Prep Time35 minutes mins

Cook Time18 minutes mins

Rise Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 38 minutes mins

Course: Bread, Brunch

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: baguette bread, bread, rustic bread

Servings: 2 loaves

Calories: 933kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 4 cups bread flour a little extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 Cups warm water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour.
• Pour 1/2 cup/120 ml of the warm water into the well. Start pulling flour from the sides into the center. Continue until you have a shaggy dry dough.
• Gradually start pouring in the remaining 1 cup/240 ml of warm water. Stir as you pour until you have a soft dough like consistency that isn't too sticky.
• Place the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough. Punch it down and fold it over onto itself and continue kneading for about 3 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Place back in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
• When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with a fist. Remove it from the bowl and divide it into two equal portions. Form each portion into a ball.
• Take one ball and place it on a lightly floured surface and start stretching it out length ways and start folding it over itself and stretching as you fold. (see post for step by step photos). Continue this process until you have a long narrow piece of dough that's about 40 cm/16 inches x 5 cm/2 inches. (Approximately, it doesn't need to exact.
• Place the long piece of dough on a greased baking tray. Shape it the best you can like the shape of a baguette. Repeat for the other dough ball. With a sharp serrated knife, make a few slits in each baguette bread loaf. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise, about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees f/200 degrees c. Place the baguettes in the lower two thirds of the oven and spray water in the oven to create a mist. Allow to bake between 15 – 18 minutes until you have a golden crisp crust and the bottom of the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. These can be served straight away or put into zip lock bags and frozen for up to one month.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

• I recommend you taking the time to check out the step-by-step photos on how to shape the bread as well as tips along the way.

Nutrition Facts

Baguette Bread Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 Loaf)

Calories 933 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 2331mg101%

Potassium 268mg8%

Carbohydrates 197g66%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 26g52%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 12mg67%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You soon!

The post Baguette Bread Recipe appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

What is a Torte?

A Chocolate Torte is a rustic style European cake. Generally, they do not use any flour and have a dense and rich texture much like a brownie. The top will harden like a brownie and most likely crack in many places after baking. They rise during baking, but then will sink as they cool, leaving a well in the center.

And, there is no denying it, chocolate and raspberries are meant to be paired together. Much like my Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies and the Chocolate Raspberry Roulade Cake, this torte is amazing! This torte contains no flour which also makes it gluten free! And if you’re interested in a no bake dessert, check out the Chocolate Truffle Torte.

What Makes This a Great Dessert

• Difficulty – This torte has three components – the cake, the filling and the topping. I would say it’s a medium to difficult dessert to make. Based on the technique to make the cake and the time consideration in baking, cooling, filling and topping.
• Taste – This is a very rich, moist and dense cake. It isn’t overly sweet but and the raspberry filling and fresh whipped cream really top it off perfectly.
• Serving – I made this a smaller dessert in a 6 inch pan. It comfortably serves six good size servings. You can easily scale the recipe up for a bigger cake. You can also check out the full sized version of the Strawberry Filled Chocolate Torte to serve up to 12 people.

Ingredients

• Eggs – This recipe uses four large eggs.
• Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
• Vanilla extract
• Butter – Unsalted butter.
• Chocolate – Semi sweet chocolate (chopped or chips).
• Vinegar – Just a touch of white vinegar.
• Raspberries – Fresh raspberries to make the filling and garnish.
• Cream – Whipping cream for the top of the cake.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven and prepare pan – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C and grease and line a 6 inch spring form pan. Set aside.
2. Separate eggs – Separate the eggs while still cold. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of your electric mixer. Place the egg whites in a separate large bowl. Set aside and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
3. Melt chocolate – In a medium saucepan set over a simmering saucepan of water, add the chocolate and butter. Stir well until it has completely melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and chocolate – In the bowl with your egg yolks, add 1/3 cup of the sugar. Mix on high speed for about 3-5 minutes. The batter should be light in colour and about tripped in volume. Mix in the vanilla extract until combined. Pour in the chocolate mixture and mix on high speed until just combined. Set aside.
5. Mix egg whites – Using clean mixing beaters, mix on high speed the egg whites until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and beat until soft peaks form, about another 1 -2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, another minute or so.
6. Finish cake batter and bake cake – Fold a small amount of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the batter. Add remaining egg whites and fold in until combined. Be careful not to over mix or you will deflate the batter. Evenly pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs.
7. Cook cake – Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, go around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake. Unclip the pan and remove sides. Leave to completely cool.
8. Whip cream – In a clean bowl, add the whipped cream and beat on high until soft peaks form.
9. Make raspberry filling – Place about 8 oz of the raspberries in a bowl with one tablespoon of sugar. Mash until you have a puree like consistency.
10. Fill and top cake – Evenly fill the cake with the raspberry mixture. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe over whipped cream as desired.
11. Garnish and serve – Serve with extra fresh raspberries on the side.

Recipe Tips

• Separate eggs when cold – You are much less likely to break the egg yolk if the eggs are cold. Eggs are more stable when they are cold and therefore you can easily separate the whites from the yolks.
• Allow eggs to reach room temperature before whisking – As a general rule, I take eggs out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before using them. Eggs will whisk to full volume when at room temperature.

• Whisking egg yolks with sugar – You really do need to do this until the batter is light in colour and about tripled in volume. This is a type of foam cake and relies on the air in the cake to get it’s rise. So, please pay attention and mare sure your eggs and sugar reach the right consistency.
• Folding egg whites into batter – Again, you have to do this gently. The egg whites will be light as air and it’s recommended you fold them in with a spatula until just combined. You will be able to see air bubbles in the batter as you fold.
• Whipping cream – For best results, make sure the cream is really cold along with the bowl and the beaters. Whip until the cream starts to stiffen. As soon as it holds a shape, stop whipping or it may curdle.

Substitutions

• Fresh raspberries – You can use frozen raspberries. Just keep in mind, they will release a lot of liquid when they defrost. It’s important to drain off any excess liquid if using frozen berries. You can also use strawberries, blueberries or any mix of wild berries for this torte.

Serving & Storage

• Serving – Perfect served just as is, nothing else is required!
• Storage – This torte is perfect the day it’s baked and will keep up to two days in the fridge. Make sure to store it covered in the fridge. I recommend taking it out of the fridge about 20 – 30 minutes before serving so the cake can soften a little.

Frequently Asked Questions?

Raspberry Chocolate Roulade Cake

A fantastic dessert filled with fresh berries and cold chocolate cream. A Chocolate Raspberry Roulade will sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Check out this recipe

Chocolate Swirl Raspberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Swirl Raspberry Cheesecake! Decadent and delicious sums up this baked chocolate cheesecake. Topped with fresh raspberries to give it a seasonal touch!

Check out this recipe

Raspberry Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

These Raspberry Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies are the perfect treat for all brownie lovers. A dense brownie layer topped with a light cream cheese layer and filled with fresh raspberries.

Check out this recipe

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Chocolate Raspberry Torte

This Chocolate Raspberry Torte is a wonderful combination of a rich and dense cake layer filled with a fresh raspberry filling and topped with light and airy whipped cream!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time50 minutes mins

cool time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chocolate cake, chocolate torte, raspberry recipes, torte

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 600kcal

Ingredients

• 4 large Eggs separated
• 2/3 Cup granulated white sugar divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup butter
• 6 oz semi sweet chocolate roughly chopped
• 1/2 Teaspoon white vinegar
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
• 12 oz raspberries divided
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C and grease and line a 6 inch spring form pan. Set aside.
• Separate the eggs while still cold. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of your electric mixer. Place the egg whites in a separate large bowl. Set aside and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan set over a simmering saucepan of water, add the chocolate and butter. Stir well until it has completely melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In the bowl with your egg yolks, add 1/3 cup of the sugar. Mix on high speed for about 3-5 minutes. The batter should be light in colour and about tripped in volume. Mix in the vanilla extract until combined. Pour in the chocolate mixture and mix on high speed until just combined. Set aside.
• Using clean mixing beaters, mix on high speed the egg whites until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and beat until soft peaks form, about another 1 -2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, another minute or so.
• Fold a small amount of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the batter. Add remaining egg whites and fold in until combined. Be careful not to over mix or you will deflate the batter. Evenly pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, go around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake. Unclip the pan and remove sides.
• Leave to completely cool.
• In a clean bowl, add the whipped cream and beat on high until soft peaks form.
• Place about 8 oz of the raspberries in a bowl with one tablespoon of sugar. Mash until you have a puree like consistency.
• Evenly fill the cake with the raspberry mixture. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe over whipped cream as desired.
• Serve with extra fresh raspberries on the side.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

IMPORTANT:  I strongly advise checking the post for all the step by step photos and the recipe tips that are below the step by step photos.  If you are new to making this type of torte, the notes and photos could be very helpful.

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 600 Calories from Fat 396

% Daily Value*

Fat 44g68%

Saturated Fat 26g163%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 12g

Cholesterol 210mg70%

Sodium 220mg10%

Potassium 325mg9%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 36g40%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 1232IU25%

Vitamin C 15mg18%

Calcium 74mg7%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks for Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Chocolate Raspberry Torte appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

These Leek & Bacon Mini Quiche are an all time party favourite of mine. If you’re looking for the perfect little quiche, make these and you won’t be disappointed. And another great idea is my Bell Pepper & Egg Breakfast Muffins!

If you love Quiche, you really need to give these a try sometime. I’ve been making these for years and they are always a hit with everyone. If you do get a chance to make them, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 Cups flour
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 Cup cream
• 1 Leek ends trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 strips bacon
• 1 Cup cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

REMEMBER, The full recipe and ingredients is always located at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Make the pastry – First make your pastry. Add the flour to a large bowl and cut in the cold butter. Start mixing it with your hands until it reaches a fine bread crumb type mixture. Shake the bowl to bring the larger lumps to the surface. Then continue incorporating them into the mixture until it is all small and crumbly. Next, add your two tablespoons of cold water and stir together. Use your hands to form it into a pastry dough until a smooth ball appears. Turn the pastry out onto a floured surface and roll it out to about an 8-9 inch rough circle. Once you have done this get a 3 inch circle cookie cutter and cut out 12 pastry circles.
2. Chill pastry – Grease and line (if you like) 12 muffin tins. Place each pasty in a muffin tin and gently press it down and up the sides. It will only go up the sides a little bit. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. Cook the leeks – While the pastry is chilling, make your filling. So, in a medium sized skillet add the olive oil and leeks. Cook over a high heat for a few minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for a further 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
4. Cook the bacon – Place the bacon on a baking sheet and cook in a preheat 375 degrees f oven for about 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove, drain and crumble the bacon.
5. Make the filling -Whisk the eggs and add the cream, salt and pepper. Whisk for a further minute or so.
6. Bake the quiche – Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the pastry casings from the fridge. Add a generous spoonful of the leeks to each pastry casing. Top with bacon and cheese. Once you have done this, pour over your egg mixture. This will go above the pastry casing, but don’t worry about that at all. Bake for about 7-8 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and lay on top of a wire rack.
7. Remove from baking tray – To remove the quiches from the pans,slide a knife around the edge of each quiche. Then gently use a fork to lift it out from the bottom. Lay them on the wire rack.
8. Serve – These can be served straight away hot, or at room temperature. You can even freeze them in an airtight container for several months. All you have to do is remove from the freezer and reheat in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. Easy!

Notes About The Leek & Bacon Mini Quiche

• Making the pastry – Make sure to use cold water and don’t over work the pasty. Flaky pastry need to be folded several times and just kneaded down a bit. Don’t skip these steps!
• Make ahead tips for pastry – The pastry can be made in advance and even stored in the fridge until later in the day or the following day. Just make sure you wrap it properly.
• Cooking bacon – It’s easy to cook bacon in the oven on a baking sheet and the clean up is easy if you line the baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Storage

• To store in the refrigerator – make sure they are in an airtight container. They will keep up to three days in the fridge.
• To store in the freezer – place them in an freezer proof container to avoid any freezer burn. Allow to thaw on the counter and reheat wrapped in foil in a warm oven for 10 minutes.

Substitutions

• Pastry – I made a homemade shortcrust pastry for his recipe. You could make it using a store bought pastry if you prefer. And you can even make it gluten free by making a gluten free crust or by buying one at your supermarket.
• Heavy cream – This type of cream works great in quiche for a very rich filling. If you want to keep the calories down, you could use half and half or whole milk.
• Cheddar cheese – I used sharp cheddar cheese, but you could use Gouda, Swiss or Havarti cheese for this recipe.
• Leeks – Leeks give an amazing flavour to these quiche, but you could use sauteed onoins in their place if you prefer.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Leek & Bacon Mini Quiche

These Leek & Bacon Mini Quiche make the perfect make ahead brunch or breakfast idea. These are loaded with smoky bacon, sharp cheddar and sauteed leeks on top of a flaky homemade pastry crust. They are great for keeping on hand in the fridge and warming up for a quick on the go breakfast for busy mornings.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Chill Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: French

Keyword: cheese, eggs, quiche

Servings: 12 mini quiche

Calories: 269kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 1 3/4 Cups flour
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 2 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

• 1 Cup cream
• 1 Leek ends trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 strips bacon
• 1 Cup cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• First make your pastry. Add the flour to a large bowl and cut in the cold butter. Start mixing it with your hands until it reaches a fine bread crumb type mixture. Shake the bowl to bring the larger lumps to the surface. Then continue incorporating them into the mixture until it is all small and crumbly. Next, add your two tablespoons of cold water and stir together. Use your hands to form it into a pastry dough until a smooth ball appears. Turn the pastry out onto a floured surface and roll it out to about an 8-9 inch rough circle. Once you have done this get a 3 inch circle cookie cutter and cut out 12 pastry circles.
• Grease and line (if you like) 12 muffin tins. Place each pasty in a muffin tin and gently press it down and up the sides. It will only go up the sides a little bit. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• While the pastry is chilling, make your filling. So, in a medium sized skillet add the olive oil and leeks. Cook over a high heat for a few minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for a further 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
• Place the bacon on a baking sheet and cook in a preheat 375 degrees f oven for about 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove, drain and crumble the bacon.
• Whisk the eggs and add the cream, salt and pepper. Whisk for a further minute or so.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the pastry casings from the fridge. Add a generous spoonful of the leeks to each pastry casing. Top with bacon and cheese. Once you have done this, pour over your egg mixture. This will go above the pastry casing, but don’t worry about that at all. Bake for about 7-8 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and lay on top of a wire rack.
• To remove the quiches from the pans,slide a knife around the edge of each quiche. Then gently use a fork to lift it out from the bottom. Lay them on the wire rack.
• These can be served straight away hot, or at room temperature. You can even freeze them in an airtight container for several months. All you have to do is remove from the freezer and reheat in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. Easy!

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

These can be made in advance and frozen.  Reheat from frozen in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Leek & Bacon Mini Quiche

Amount Per Serving (1 Mini Quiche)

Calories 269 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 85mg28%

Sodium 146mg6%

Potassium 69mg2%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 786IU16%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 94mg9%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks for Stopping by & Hope To See You soon!

The post Leek & Bacon Mini Quiche appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Friends, we are almost at the end of the year. What? Where in the world did 2021 disappear? And as the year comes to a close, I know many people like to see the year out in a celebration. What will you be celebrating? Despite another crazy and unsettled year, there are always thing to be thankful for and look forward to, right! Me, for one, am looking forward to the hope and promise of yet another fresh start.

On the work front, this year has been fantastic for Julia’s Cuisine. And I have all of you lovely readers to thank for that. What started out as a hobby many years ago, is truly a full time job that I love and look forward to working on each day. So thank you all for coming back again.

This year, Julia’s Cuisine published just about 100 new recipes to add to the ever growing collection. I hope you all stick around to see what’s in store for 2022!

Here’s What We Need To Make These Endive Cups

• Endive cups
• Arugla leaves
• Goat cheese
• Pecans
• Honey

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

How To Put Together This Simple Endive cup Appetizer

• Prepare endive cups – Pull the leaves apart and rinse them. Pat dry and shake off any excess water. You can leave them in a colander to completely dry if you have time.
• Prepare filling – roughly chop the pecans and crumble the goat cheese.
• Fill cups – evenly fill the cups with a little goat cheese and pecans
• Garnish the salad cups – add an arugula leaf to the top of each salad cup and lightly drizzle over honey. Be careful not to drizzle over too much honey. You are just looking to add a light touch.

Cooking Tip – It’s best to crumble the goat cheese when it’s cold. When it’s warm, it becomes soft and is difficult to work with.

How To serve The Goat Cheese & pecan Endive cups

• Before dinner nibble – These little bites would go great before a big dinner as they are so light.
• With other Appetizers – Why not serve these alongside other appetizers like the Fig & Goat Cheese Bites, the Caprice Salad Sticks and the Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

Can I prepare This Easy Appetizer in Advance

• Prepare ingredients before hand – you can get everything ready hours before serving. Clean leaves, chop nuts and crumble cheese.
• Put together up to an hour before serving – you can put these together up to an hour before serving. Keep them in the fridge until serving and don’t drizzle the honey until you are about to serve them.

Are There Any Substitutions I Can Make To This Easy Salad Cup Appetizer

• Endive Cups – You could use chicory or escarole
• Pecans – Walnuts would make a good replacement or even raw almonds.
• Goat cheese – I used a soft goat cheese but feta would work as well or any kind of crumbly cheese that you like.

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Pecan & Goat Cheese Endive Cups

A little endive cup filled with crumbled goat cheese, chopped pecans and drizzled with honey. Your perfect last minute dinner party appetizer.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: easy appetizers, holiday appetizers, salad cups

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 96kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 26 endive leaves approximately
• 1/3 cup pecans roughly chopped
• 3 oz goat cheese crumbled
• 2 tsp honey
• arugula leaves

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Wash the endive leaves and trim the ends. Pat dry and arrange on a plate, board or platter.
• Evenly fill all the leaves with the crumbled goat cheese and chopped pecans. Finish off with and arugula leaf and a drizzle of honey.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Pecan & Goat Cheese Endive Cups

Amount Per Serving (4 salad cups)

Calories 96 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 7mg2%

Sodium 52mg2%

Potassium 27mg1%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 150IU3%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 24mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks for Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Pecan & Goat Cheese Endive Cups appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Friends, it’s almost Christmas, what? Who’s ready, I’m not. Still have stockings to buy and all the presents to wrap. Not to mention, not a thing planned for food. And I’m not even stressed which is a Christmas miracle!

I think I’ll soon start looking through the Blog to see what we’ll be eating through the next week. Yes, I also look through my Blog for dinner inspiration. I have, however, decided on appetizers for Christmas Eve and Brunch on Christmas Day. So, now I just need to finalise what will be on the menu. One thing I know for sure is that these little bites will be making an appearance. Not only are these quick and easy, they are delicious. If you’re a smoked salmon fan, keep on reading and maybe you can serve these through the holiday week as well.

Ingredients to Make The Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Canapes

• 1 baguette cut into 12 to 14 slices with ends discarded
• 8 oz smoked salmon cut into 14 small pieces
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• Fresh chives, finely chopped
• Fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Fresh ground black pepper

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

How To Make These Canapes

• Preheat oven – preheat the oven to 350 degrees f/180 degrees c. Have ready a baking tray.
• Crisp the bread – drizzle olive oil over the bread and bake for around 10 minutes until crisp. You want it crisp so it doesn’t go soggy.
• Allow bread to cool – leave the bread for about 5 minutes or so before topping it with cream cheese. Otherwise the cream cheese will melt.

• Add cream cheese – top each piece of baguette bread with the cream cheese.
• Top with smoked salmon – Add a piece of smoked salmon to the top of each piece of bread. Depending on the size you are using, you may need to fold it over. I folded my over a little.

• Garnish the Canapes – Finish off the canapes with fresh cracked black pepper, chives and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Tip – Don’t squeeze the lemon juice on until you are about to eat them. the juice will make the bread soggy, so do it at the lat minute.

How To Serve These Canapes

These need to be served as soon as you make them. They are not very forgiving if they sit around for hours. So make them just as you’re about to serve them.

• At a brunch – wouldn’t these go great on a brunch table Christmas morning?
• With other appetizers – if you¡re planning a little get together, these little bites would go great alongside so many other nibbles. Why not serve it alongside some Italian Stuffed Mushrooms and the Bacon & Pecan Wrapped Dates.
• Serve them as a starter – If you’re planning a big ol’ Christmas dinner, these would make a great starter
• Nibbles with drinks – Serve them on a big tray with a glass of bubbly to your friends.

Are There Any Substitutions I can Make For This Recipe

• Baguette bread – baguette bread works great in this recipe, but you can use any kind of rustic bread. I’ve even used regular sliced bread and cut it into 4 squares. It all works.
• Cream cheese – you can use any kind of soft spreadable cheese for this recipe. Mascarpone would work really well
• Chives – You can also use fresh dill or basil.

Enjoy the canapes friends. I hope you get a chance to make them and enjoy them as much as we did. Let me know in the comments below what you think as I love hearing from you all. I have a couple more easy recipes coming out this week and then it’s my big break for Christmas. Yes! As much as I love my work, I’m going to enjoy the break. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another easy grown up appetizer!

Get The Recipe!

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Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Canapes

These Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Canapes are a great quick & easy appetizer. Toasted baguette bread topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon and chives.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Appetizer, Dairy, Seafood

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 1 baguette cut into 12 to 14 slices with ends discarded
• 8 oz smoked salmon cut into 14 small pieces
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• Fresh dill sprigs
• Fresh lemon juice
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Fresh ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees c/180 degrees F. On a baking sheet drizzle the olive oil and spread out with a spatula to grease the sheet. Spread the bread out on the sheet and bake for 8 – 10 minutes until the bread is crisp. Remove from oven and set aside to assemble.
• Spread a little cream cheese on each toast and top with smoked salmon, a little lemon juice, fresh cracked pepper, and fresh chives. Serve immediately.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Canapes

Amount Per Serving (2 piceces)

Calories 200 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 23mg8%

Sodium 592mg26%

Potassium 129mg4%

Carbohydrates 21g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 202IU4%

Calcium 49mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks for Stopping By and Hope to See You Soon!

The post Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Canapes appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

It’s that time of year when many of you are on the hunt for party appetizers and snacks. And I’m a BIG believer in appetizers and nibbles! If you’ve ever looked around the blog, you may have noticed lots of little bites. I love putting together small bites of food and usually once a week, we eat this way as a family. It gives me a chance to try out new things and it’s great for a casual dinner.

And now that we are nearing the holiday season, appetizers and party food really are in hot demand. Nibbles like this one, my Bacon Wrapped Dates with Pecans, Italian Stuffed Mushrooms and Baked Camembert with Rosemary are great ways to kick off an evening of seasonal entertaining.

Ingredients to Make the Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans Appetizer

• Fresh figs
• Goat cheese
• Pecans
• Chives

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

How To Make This Fig & Goat Cheese Appetizer

• Cut the figs in half – cut them length ways through the stem, like shown here below.
• Cut the cheese into small pieces – the goat cheese I used for this recipe was easy to cut. So I cut it into small pieces. If the brand your are using, crumbles, just crumble the cheese. That works well too.
• Top each fig – place a piece of goat cheese in the middle of each fresh fig piece.

Finish and Serve This No Bake Appetizer

Top the figs and goat cheese with the chopped pecans and fresh chives. Serve and enjoy. These make a great before dinner nibble food as they are light and fresh. They would even go great on a holiday brunch table or even with the desserts. The options are endless.

A few Notes about Fresh Figs

If you are not familiar with using fresh figs, here are few tips to help you out. Figs can be quite pricey, so you don’t want to waste your money on a fruit that’s going to go bad before using.

• They are delicate – Figs are just as delicate and perishable as raspberries. So keep this in mind and be gentle when washing to them as cutting them open.
• Refrigerate immediately – put them in the fridge as soon as you buy them.
• Buy just before use – only buy these up to ONE DAY before using. They ripen super quick and you don’t want them mushy.

Can I make This Fig Appetizer in Advance

Yes, friends this is a total make ahead appetizer. You can completely make it in the morning, cover it and keep it in the fridge until serving later in the day.

Tips For Storing in the Fridge

• Use a sealed container – It’s best to use a sealed container so they don’t take on other smells from inside the fridge. Many times people don’t store food properly in the fridge and it leads to foods not being as fresh as they could be upon serving.
• Store them so they don’t tip – These figs will roll easily, so make sure to store them so they are pushing up against each other and don’t roll over with the toppings falling off.
• Garnish just before serving – It’s best to add the fresh chives just before serving. It’s not a deal breaker if you have to do it before, but fresh is best.
• Don’t store in a chiller drawer – some fridges have “chiller drawers” or parts of the fridge that are cooler than others. Don’t place them in these areas as the figs could start to freeze slightly.

What Substitutions Can Be Make To This Appetizer

• Figs – You got to keep the figs friends….hahaha.
• Goat cheese – Brie or Camembert would work just as well for this recipe no problem at all.
• Pecans – I think the pecans are king here, but you could use walnuts.
• Toppings – I just used chives, but a drizzle of honey or balsamic glaze would go perfect for these.

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Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans

Put this quick and easy appetizer on your holiday table this year. These Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans look holiday ready with their beautiful presentation. Fresh sweet figs topped with soft goats cheese and topped with salty pecans. The perfect bite!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack, Tapas

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: fig and goat cheese, holiday appetizers, thanksgiving appetizers

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 70kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 12 fresh figs
• 3 oz goat cheese
• 1/4 cup pecans chopped
• fresh chives

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cut the figs length ways and place them out on a large clean tray or plate.
• Cut the goat cheese into small pieces. Alternatively, you could crumble the goat cheese. Roughly chop the pecans and finely chop the chives.
• Top each fig with a piece of goat cheese, chopped pecans and a few chives.
• Make up to eight hours before serving.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 70 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 27mg1%

Potassium 126mg4%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 145IU3%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 29mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & hope To See You soon!

The post Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

What is a Galette

Have you ever made a Galette? I love making them because they are much easier than a pie! As much as I love a great Classic Apple Pie, an easier Galette deserves it’s spot on the dessert table as well.

A galette is a an open faced pastry and fruit filled dessert that is baked on a baking sheet. They are easy to make and traditionally use short crust pastry. But for this recipe, I’m making it even easier by using store bought Puff Pastry.

Don’t miss Delicious Apple Desserts for Fall! More than a dozen desserts from pie to cheesecake to strudels to danishes and more!

Why Use Puff Pastry

Puff Pastry has it’s many uses and I always have it in the freezer. When you want to make a dessert or appetizer in a hurry, it becomes your best friend. You just need to thaw it out and then it’s ready to use.

You can usually find Puff Pastry in the freezer or the chiller section of your local supermarket. It usually comes in prerolled rounds or rectangles. Sometimes you will find it in block form. If this is the case, you just roll it out to it’s desired shape.

Here’s What We Need to Make The Puff Pastry Apple Galette

• Round sheet of puff pastry
• Apples
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Corn flour
• Lemon juice
• Egg

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How To Make This Galette Using Puff Pastry & Apples

• Peel & core the apples – I like to cut the apples as thin as I can for this recipe. Otherwise they won’t cook properly. So think really thin slices!
• Add apples to a large bowl – mix with the cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch. Mix well to combine.

How To Assemble The Galette

• Unroll Puff Pastry sheet – lay the sheet on top of parchment paper. Place it directly on top of the baking tray. This will make it very easy to bake and you won’t have to move it after your formed it.
• Arrange apples in the center – I just kind of mound them all in and then spread them out leaving a 2 inch border like shown below.

• Fold the edges in – Like shown in the picture, fold all the edges in the entire way around. The idea is that is is a rustic tart, so you are not looking for perfection like in a pie.
• Brush the edges and sprinkle with sugar – Brush the entire pastry rim with the egg wash and then sprinkle over remaining sugar.
• Add butter to the filling – dot the little cubes of butter all over the apples. Don’t skip this as it adds so much flavour to to the galette.
• Bake – place in the oven in the lower 2/3rds of the oven between 30 – 40 minutes. the edges will be crisp and puffed up. The apples will be soft and golden.

Freshly Baked Apple Galette

Straight out of the oven and ready to enjoy. It’s best to let it sit for about 30 minutes before cutting into it. This will allow enough time for the juices to thicken in the galette. The edges will be very crisp as well as the base. The apples should be really soft.

Tips for Getting The Apple Galette Just right

• Don’t over stuff the Galette – over stuffing will most likely not allow the base to bake properly and you could end up with it being soggy.
• Use cooking apples – Apples like Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp work really well.
• Cold puff pastry and cold butter is key – Cold puff pastry is easier to work with and bakes better in the oven.

Can I Make My Own Pastry For This Apple Galette

Yes, you can easily make your own Shortcrust Pastry or Puff Pastry. I kept this recipe really simple by using store bought Puff Pastry.

What’s Great To Serve with the Galette

This is great on it’s own or with ice cream, fresh whipped cream, Greek yogurt or or an elevated dessert, my Homemade Caramel Sauce. You just can’t go wrong with any of these options.

Your Perfect Easy Thanksgiving Dessert

Dessert doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. As much as I love my Meringue Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake, it’s a lot of work. So something like this Apple Galette could be prefect on your Thanksgiving table if you are short on time. Everyone will love it and they won’t even miss the pie!

Happy first day of fall friends and embrace with something delicious today! Let me know what you think of the Galette if you get a chance to make it and don’t forget to check out all the other Apple desserts on the blog by searching “apples” in the search bar.

Happy baking and I’ll be back in a couple of days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s Some More Fall Dessert’s You’ll Love

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Puff Pastry Apple Galette

Kind of like an Apple Pie without all the work. This Puff Pastry Apple Galette is my take on the traditional French Tart. By using store bought puff pastry and a simple homemade apple filling, this comes together quickly. A wonderful fall dessert for any day of the week or even special occasions like Thanksgiving.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: apple desserts, galette, puff pastry, thanksgiving desserts

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 8 Apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 10 inch sheet Puff Pastry thawed
• 4 tablespoon granulated white sugar divided
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter cold, cut into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg whisked for the egg wash

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees f/180 degrees c. Have ready a large baking sheet.
• Peel, core and thinly slice the apples.
• Place the apples in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of the sugar, cinnamon, corn starch and lemon juice. Stir to combine
• Unroll the thawed puff pastry and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Put it on top of the baking tray.
• Cover the puff pastry with the apples, allowing a 2-inch border. Fold the sides over the top of the apples.
• Dot small pieces of the cold butter over the top of the apples.
• Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
• Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until apples are cooked and the pastry is puffed and golden.
• Remove from oven and allow to set for about 30 minutes before cutting. Will keep for two days.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

• Don’t over stuff the Galette – over stuffing will most likely not allow the base to bake properly and you could end up with it being soggy.
• Use cooking apples – Apples like Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp work really well.
• Cold puff pastry and cold butter is key – Cold puff pastry is easier to work with and bakes better in the oven.

Nutrition Facts

Puff Pastry Apple Galette

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 182 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 36mg12%

Sodium 60mg3%

Potassium 208mg6%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 25g28%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 304IU6%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Puff Pastry Apple Galette appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Hello my dear friends, it’s a Christmas miracle that I have a recipe for you on the 23rd! I promised, and I like to at least try to keep those little nuggets of hope.

Tis’ the season of chaotic madness alongside a few peaceful moments. I for one, am embracing it all this season. I mean, it’s nearing the end of 2020. A year that will for sure go down in history as “That year“.

For now I’m putting the final touches on Christmas and getting ready for our dear friends to come for Christmas Eve.

But first, this super easy Baked Camembert with Rosemary. It might be just what you are looking for this holiday season.

What We’re using to make the Baked Camembert with Rosemary

• 250 g round of Camembert
• Drizzle of olive oil
• A few sprigs of rosemary

To Decorate the Platter

• Caramelized onions
• Grapes
• Pomegranate seeds
• A few extra rosemary sprigs

REMEMBER, the full recipe with instructions is always found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How TO Bake the Camembert

One of the great things about this recipe is how easy it is. If you find yourself short on time and want to serve something fancy, make this! Not only it is delicious, it’s looks so pretty dressed up on a platter.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees C/190 degrees F
• Take the Camembert out of it’s plastic wrapping and put it back in the wooden box. Place it on the baking tray. NOTE: If your Camembert didn’t come in a wooden box, just place the Camembert on a sheet of parchment paper on top of the baking sheet.
• Bake for around 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is gooey inside.

Baked Camembert ready to enjoy

This stuff is so good, like delish! If you’ve never tried it, now is your chance. It’s easy to make and you can dress it up however you like. You can serve it just with crackers or bread. Or you can go all fancy and dress it up like I did. Another alternative to a Cheese Board.

How To Dress Up Your Platter

Like I said before, you can simply serve this with cracker or bread if you prefer. But you can dress it up to make it a pretty.

I just used a few simple ingredients to dress up this platter. Caramelized onions, gourmet crackers with sultanas, grapes, pomegranate seeds and a few extra sprigs of rosemary.

How to Caramelize Onions

Okay, so I use caramelized onions so much! In fact, in January there will be a whole post to just that. I believe caramelized onions can be a star on their own.

• Peel and thinly slice an onion
• Set a skillet over high heat and add a teaspoon of olive oil
• Add the onions and give a good toss or stir. Cook over high heat for just about 3 – 4 minutes until they start to brown.
• Reduce heat to medium and add splash of water if you notice them starting to stick. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes or until they are completely soft and a dark caramel colour. Caramelized onions should have a sweet taste to them.

A few Other Appetizers You Might Like To try

• Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Tarts
• Bacon Wrapped Dates with Pecans
• Fresh Tomato Bruschetta
• Spanish Serrano Ham Brushcetta
• Easy Charcuterie Board
• Cranberry & Pistachio Goat Cheese Ball

Well, there you have it, one festive Baked Camembert with Rosemary. Like I said, it’s a great appetizer to serve during the holidays.

I’m going to sign off now until next week. I’m taking the next few days off work to enjoy the season with my family and friends. I sure hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Although it may be different this year, there’s still goodness to be found. Thank you all for your wonderful support in 2020. It’s been a busy blog year and I’m looking forward to what 2021 has in store.

Merry Christmas friends!

Like what you see today? Don’t forget you can follow on Facebook for daily inspiration or over on Instagram where I sometimes do daily cooking videos for fun! I’m also on Pinterest which is a great place that you can save and share your favourite recipes. As well, if you haven’t yet, Subscribe to the newsletter. You’ll be notified whenever there’s a new recipe! You can do that at the top of the page.

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Baked Camembert with Rosemary

This Baked Camembert with Rosemary is a great holiday appetizer. Creamy baked Camembert is easy to prepare and just bakes in it's wooden box for easy serving. Have fun dressing it up like I did here and you are holiday ready for easy entertaining.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: French

Keyword: appetizers, christmas, holiday appetizers

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 109kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 250 g Camembert
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• A few rosemary sprigs
• crackers to serve

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees f/190 degrees c.
• Take Camembert out of it's plastic wrapping and place back in the wooden box. Place the box on a baking sheet.
• Slash the top of the cheese a few times with a knife. Insert a few sprigs of rosemary and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
• Serve alongside crackers or crisp bread.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

1. I served mine as a little mixed platter with crackers, caramelized onions, grapes and pomegranate seeds to make it festive.
2. To caramelize onions.  Thinly slice an onion.  Set a pan over high heat and add olive oil.  Add the onions and give a good toss around for about 3 minutes until they start to brown.  Reduce heat to medium low and add a splash of water.  Continue to cook the onions for a further 20 minutes or so until they have caramelized. Stir as they cook to ensure they do not burn or stick.  Remove from heat when done.
3. Can arrange the baked Camembert on a tray like I did above or just serve it plain with cracker.

 

Nutritional data stated in this recipe is just for the cheese as you may add different things to your platter than shown here.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Camembert with Rosemary

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 109 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 23mg8%

Sodium 263mg11%

Potassium 58mg2%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 256IU5%

Calcium 121mg12%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Baked Camembert with Rosemary appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

What is Roux Sauce? It’s a sauce made with equal parts of butter and flour. They are whisked together on the the stove top and then you add a liquid (I use milk) and continue to whisk until a smooth and velvety sauce is formed. It’s used to make creamy sauces, herb sauces, in soups, gravies and so much more. It’s uses are endless.

Roux is something I make all the time, especially in the winter when I’m targeting comfort dishes. If you understand the basis of this very basic sauce the options of using it are endless. There are so many sauces I make that use Roux as the base before adding the flavours I like. If you’re like me, and you like to understand the basics of cooking, keep reading and see how quickly this sauce comes together and how we use it in so many dishes.

Ingredients To Make Roux Sauce

It’s very basic and we’re just using equal parts of butter and flour and then we add milk. The Ingredient base is so simple which then allows you to add whatever other ingredients you choose to make the sauce you would like.

Making The Roux Sauce

Like I said this is pretty basic, but you want to get it right so let’s get started.

Add the butter to a medium saucepan set over medium heat and allow it to melt.

Add the salt to the flour and then add it in with the butter.

Whisk

Now, it’s time to get whisking. I like to use a small whisk for this job. You want to whisk the flour completely into the butter until to comes together and there are no lumps at all. This process will only take a about a minute.

After whisking for only a minute, you are going to have what looks like this in your saucepan. It will be smooth and bubbly. Continue to cook this, whisking for about 2 minutes. You will be able to smell it as it cooks.

Adding The Milk

Okay, so next up we are going to start adding the milk. Don’t pour too much in at once, probably about a 1/3 of a cup/80 ml. Instantly when you start pouring, it will start to clump together and form lumps, this is suppose to happen.

Continue pouring about a 1/3 of a cup/80 ml at a time and whisking. You will keep doing this for about 5 minutes until you have added all the milk and you have a smooth sauce like consistency.

You are going to end up with a smooth velvety sauce that coats the back of the spoon quite easily like show here. Once you have reached this stage, the sauce is done and you can remove it from the heat.

Now it’s up to you how you like to use the sauce. I’ll give you a few ideas to get you started so you don’t feel stuck

How To Use Your Roux Sauce

Make A Cheese Sauce

Add 1 1/2 Cups of cheese of your choice (Cheddar & Gouda are good choices) to turn it in to a cheese sauce. This can then be used in pasta dishes like macaroni and cheese. Use your favourite cheeses for your cheese sauce.

Make Parsley Sauce

At the beginning stage when you add the butter to the pan also add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Then when the sauce is finished, add a load of fresh chopped parsley with fresh ground pepper to make a creamy parsley sauce. This is great with white fish and baked ham.

Make a Lemon Basil Cream Sauce

I make this all the time and it’s fantastic with any kind of fish or chicken. Just add 1/4 cup of lemon juice, a bunch of fresh chopped basil and fresh ground black pepper. Stir really well and serve. It’s fantastic!

You’ll see how versatile and easy this Roux Sauce is if you give it a try sometime. Why not check out the Crusted Perch with Parsley Sauce or the Easy Stove Top Mac & Cheese to see just how versatile this sauce really is.

Happy cooking friends!

Like what you see today? Don’t forget you can follow on Facebook for daily inspiration or over on Instagram where I sometimes do daily cooking videos for fun! I’m also on Pinterest which is a great place that you can save and share your favourite recipes. As well, if you haven’t yet, Subscribe to the newsletter. You’ll be notified whenever there’s a new recipe! You can do that at the top of the page.

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US CustomaryMetric

How To Make Roux Sauce

Learning How To Make Roux Sauce is a kitchen tip we should all have in our back pocket. Roux Sauce is used as the base for making many other sauces, thickening gravies and soups.

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time12 minutes mins

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: French

Keyword: bechamel, cream sauce, roux sauce, white sauce

Servings: 3 cups

Calories: 322kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• pinch salt
• 3 cups milk

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place a medium sized saucepan on the stove top over medium heat. Add the butter and stir until it melts and starts to bubble, this will take a minute.
• Add the flour and salt and whisk until it all comes together and starts to bubble. Continue to cook for a further 1 – 2 minutes until you can smell the flour cooking.
• Gradually start adding the milk about 1/3 cup/80 ml at a time. It will initially become quite lumpy and this is normal. Continue to whisk and add milk until you have used all the milk and have a thick, smooth and velvety sauce. This will take about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add ingredients according to the dish you are making.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

Roux is a versatile sauce and the base for so many other sauces and dishes. 

Note:  I used milk for the demonstration but you can use any kind of stock, depending on what you are using Roux for. 

For making creamy sauces or creamy dishes, I would recommend using milk.  For thickening soups, gravies, or making  meat based sauces I would recommend using stock.

Nutrition Facts

How To Make Roux Sauce

Amount Per Serving (3 cups)

Calories 322 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 65mg22%

Sodium 240mg10%

Potassium 322mg9%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 868IU17%

Calcium 280mg28%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post How To Make Roux Sauce appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.