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French  Menu

Roasted Vegetables Soup

 

Serve  6-8
 

Ingredients
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  • 1 Sweet onion

  • 1 big or 2 medium potatoes

  • 4-6 garlic cloves

  • 1 large sweet pepper

  • 1 jalapeno pepper

  • 1 carrot

  • 2 asian eggplants

  • 1 zucchini

  • Chicken broth or water (if you making vegetarian option)

  • Cream to taste

  • 3 tsp of Vegeta Nautre seasoning or 1½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more

  • 2 Tbsp. or more extra-virgin olive oil

  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley for serving

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Recipe Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. Cut zucchini, eggplants, carrots, potatoes, onions in a big chunks, separate 4-6 cloves of garlic, do not clean skins and place it all on a big roasting pan (I cover it with parchment paper for easy clean up). Sprinkle salt, black ground pepper and splash olive oil all over vegetables - place in the oven for 30-45 min, keep an eye on it, it might take all hour, but take it out when veggies are golden. Let cool a little bit, place all but garlic in the pot. Clean garlic cloves from their skins and put it to the pot too. Add water or chicken broth, get to boil.  Add Vegeta Natur or salt and pepper, add few tablespoons of cream or more. Use insertion blender to blend the soup, if you don't have it, use regular blender and do it in batches. Taste soup and add more cream and salt  if  needed.

Serve with parsley or cilantro ( if you prefer)

Enjoy! 

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Beef Bourguignon

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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 8 ounces smoked bacon, diced

  • 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks

  • 2 yellow onions, sliced

  • 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)

  • 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir

  • 1 can (2 cups) beef broth

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 pound frozen whole onions

  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

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Recipe Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

  3. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

  4. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

  5. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

  6. To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley. Or serve over mushed potatoes.

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Green Salad with the French Vinaigrette

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar

  • 3 tablespoons Fresh orange juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • dash of Agave syrup

  • 1/2 cup good olive oil

  • Salad greens or mesclun mix

Recipe Preparation

  • In a two-cup glass measure, whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil and continue whisking until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Toss the greens with enough dressing to moisten and serve.

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Ratatouille

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Ingredients

for 8 servings

  • Veggies

  • 2 eggplants

  • 6 roma tomatoes

  • 2 yellow squashes

  • 2 zucchinis

  • Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

  • salt, to taste

  • pepper, to taste

  • 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves

  • Herb Seasoning

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves

  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

  • salt, to taste

  • pepper, to taste

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

Recipe Preparation

  • Preheat the oven for 375˚F (190˚C).

  • Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into approximately ¹⁄₁₆-inch (1-mm) rounds, then set aside.

  • Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.

  • Arrange the sliced veggies in alternating patterns, (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan if circle or in rows. Season with salt and pepper.

  • Make the herb seasoning: In a small bowl, mix together the basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spoon the herb seasoning over the vegetables.

  • Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.

  • Serve while hot as a main dish or side. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day--cover with foil and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for 15 minutes, or simply microwave to desired temperature.

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