Month: February 2016

Waffles, the old fashioned

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No better way to start a morning during your weekend without good old Waffles topped with honey and orange slices. Fortunately, I have the traditional recipe tucked into my apron. Please note that a less calorific recipe will be added later 😉  Ingredients: 2 cups Flour 2 Eggs 40g Butter 1.5 cup warm Milk 4 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsp Sugar 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Vanilla extract Preheat the waffle iron before mixing the dough. 1. Put the flour in a bowl with the baking powder, sugar and salt; 2. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add the warm milk, butter and vanilla; 3. Stir in the flour mixture and beat until blended, it will take less than 1 minute (make sure you don’t over blend); 4. Pour in the mixture into the waffle iron and cook until the waffles are gold and crispy; 5. Serve the warm waffles with honey and some fruits on the side. Bon Appetite! The Urban Apron

Strawberries 101

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It is a Berry season! Who can resist a ripe strawberry? I surely can’t.. especially when you know its health benefits: Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins C and K as well as providing a good dose of fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium. They have been used throughout history to help with digestive ailments, teeth whitening and skin irritations. Their fibre and fructose content may help regulate blood sugar levels by slowing digestion and the fibre is thought to have a satiating effect. You get to use the leaves as well as they can be eaten raw, cooked or used to make tea. The best part is that a 100g serving of strawberries contains: 32 Calories, 0.3 Fat, 7.7 Carbs & 2g Fiber. Now the FAQ about strawberries is mainly how to wash them and store them without having a washing after taste: First rinse the strawberries quickly before washing them in a diluted vinegar bath (1 cup vinegar for 4 cups water). The vinegar will destroy the bacteria and will help the strawberries to stay fresh for al …

How to peel & store Ginger?

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I consider fresh ginger to be a super food. I like to use it in my cooking, baking and my tea remedies so I need always to have fresh ginger on hand. My first encounter with the ginger was not that fruitful. I actually used a knife to peel it and I ended up having just half of it to be used! Few years back I discovered the real technique on a French channel, it is incredibly… easy: – Break one lobe of the ginger to easily reach all the skin and hold it firmly with one hand. – Hold the bowl of the spoon in the other hand, make sure the convex is towards you. – Scrap away the skin by using the edge of the spoon. Now that you have fresh ginger you can grate them, put them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. It will be super handy when a recipe requires freshly grated ginger! Hope it helps! The Urban Aprong    

How to store Cilantro – Garlic

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This mix is used in several dishes especially Mediterranean, whether you are making “batata harry” (spicy potato), “chich barack”  or simple grilled shrimps.. For 1 step faster and less dish washing, you can prepare this mix in advance and put it in the freezer. I usually crush 2 garlic cloves and heat in 1 tbs of olive oil for 1 small cilantro sprig roughly chopped. Cook for 2 minutes until leaves have shrink. > Store in a freezer container (up to 3 months) > I don’t add salt or pepper because it all depends on the dish you’re making. Hope it helps! The Urban Apron    

Chocolate Hazelnut spread

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Last week, I decided to make my own Chocolate Hazelnut Spread and got hooked ever since! Early 2016, I decided to lower my processed food (e.g. Nutella) consumption, which pushed me to search for different hazelnut chocolate spread recipes. My preferred taste combo: less cream & butter, and more chocolate. Note that the dosage hazelnut-chocolate can be changed depending on your taste. The spread lasts 4 weeks in the fridge, just remove ahead of time to let the spread soften. Ingredients for 100g: 1 cup Skinned Hazelnut 2 tbs Cream 2 tbs Unsalted Butter 2 tbs Sugar 100g Milk Chocolate 100g Dark Chocolate 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (about 350°F); 2. Spread out the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes until deep brown color. Make sure to shake them for even toasting and let them cool; 3. Grind the hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor until smoothed, it should take 1 minute for a buttery effect; 4. Melt the chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water; or just put them in the microwave for 15 seconds; 5. …