Author: The Urban Apron

French Ratatouille

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Ratatouille is the epitome of Provençal vegetable stews made primarily of eggplants, zucchinis and ripened tomatoes. I got the chance to try this authentic dish during my vacation in south of France. First, the vegetables are sautéed individually in oil before being stewed, so they keep their shape and texture. Then the addition of thyme and basil to the vegetables will make all the difference. This dish still tastes excellent when reheated, and can be eaten both cold and hot as an hors d’oeuvre topped with small black olives and lots of bread. This recipe can also be adapted with other vegetables of your choice but I wanted to try the authentic recipe and bring back the taste of my holiday. Ingredients: 3 Eggplants 3 Zucchini 2 peeled Bell peppers (red, orange, green or yellow) 2 Onions 5 ripened Tomatoes; peeled, halved and seeded 4 Garlic cloves 2 sprigs Thyme 2 sprigs Basil 2 bay leaves Oile Oil Salt & Pepper 1. Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onions and roughly chop the peppers, zucchinis, and tomatoes into cubes. Mince the garlic. keep each …

How to peel Bell Peppers?

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Bell peppers contain high quantities of vitamin C and add great taste to dishes but sometimes they are tough to digest so it is better to peel off their skin by roasting them. What you might not know is that roasted bell peppers are tender, smoked, and delicious. They add flavor and texture to a variety of dishes and sauces. The method I use guarantees a faster way to peel off the skin without loosing any tasty flavor. This method can be used with any peppers; bell or chiles. 1. Chargrill the bell peppers on an open grill at medium flame, use the tongue to turn them until completely black, it should take about 10 minutes. 2. Remove the bell peppers and rub off their black skin. 3. Remove the stalk and pips and cut the bell peppers into large strips. >> Make sure to peel the bell peppers without holding them under water since it will make the sweet smoked flavour disappear.  

Chocolate Tart

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Friends are coming over and you don’t have time to bake something fancy? Well, if you already have a baked tart (pie crust) in the freezer here is a 5 minute chocolate ganache preparation to dazzle them. Please note that the chocolate quality is key to a tasty flavor. My favorite brands are Lindt (for pastry) and Poulain: not easy to find in Jeddah, so I purchase them every time I travel to stock up my pantry. The original french recipe has 2 eggs, but I like to reduce the amount of eggs I use. In this case, I increase the chocolate and lower the milk to keep it well balanced. Eventually, you have to get a concentrated ganache (not too liquid). You can also find other recipes without eggs: with sugar instead, which in my opinion, kills the chocolate taste. Ingredients: Tart Sablee 1/4 cup Milk 120 g Heavy Cream 140 g Dark Chocolate 1 Egg 12 g Butter Salt flakes (optional) 1. Break the chocolate into pieces in a bowl. 2. Boil the cream, the milk and the butter in a pot (keep stirring so …

The Tart Edition (1) Tarte Sablée

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I have a sweet tooth, what can I do? When it comes to pastry there are some basics to be praised. My first learning and practice in my culinary workshop was the “Sablage” –  the basic of making a tart, known as pie crust. There are 2 methods of Sablage: – Classic Sablage using your bear hands takes you 15 minutes to prep the dough. – Modern Sablage using the robot only takes 8 minutes to prep it, which is great when you are on a hurry! I prefer the classical Sablage even if it takes me 10 minutes more because I feel I am in control of the dough shaping and texture and I usually make more than one dough when I am not in a rush. Another thing to know about French pies is that there are 3 types – it is not that complicated: – Tarte Brisée: the basic unsweetened pie crust, used for savory pies and salted tarts. – Tarte Sucrée: Same as tarte brisee but with added sugar, used with any sweet filling. – Tarte Sablée: my preferred pie …

Homemade Mankoushe (in the pan) – Lebanese Flatbread

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Mankoushe how I miss you! Sometimes it gets to me like a strike, the smell of dough and fresh thyme would trigger my senses like if I was walking by a “fern” in the street (communal oven: referred to the location where the mankoushe is baked). Mankoushe is a typical Lebanese dough similar to a flatbread or pita, it is usually topped with herbs, cheese or meat. You can have it folded, wrapped or open at breakfast or lunch since it would make you feel full & satisfied. You can find it in the “fern” (communal oven) in almost every street at a very cheap price (1$). Yes, it is street food and my favorite… 🙂 When we were kids, my grandma used to take me with my brother to the “fern” every time we had a sleepover, usually early Sunday mornings before the family lunch gathering. Over the years, I used to have the Mankoushe wrap with Zaatar (thyme blend) and vegetables (tomato, cucumber, mint & olives) at school every Fridy until a fern/restaurant opened next to my school and we went over after school …

The Apple Tart

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November deserves a warm welcome. This weekend I decided to check out that easy apple tart recipe as seen on several YouTube accounts and bring warmth to my kitchen table! I used o think apples are boring and underestimated its taste in baking. I think I consumed them a lot as a snack and didn’t find it attractive anymore. Luckily this year I made peace with the apple! In fact, my new neighbor-friend made me discover its taste via her yummy German baking! The recipe is super easy however I adjusted the apple-cooking step since I am not a microwave fan for cooking directly. Ingredients: 1 frozen Puff Pastry dough 4 pink Apples (red & yellow stripes) 1 tbs Flour, to sprinkle the counter 3 tbs Lavender-Apricot jam (simple apricot jam can do the trick) 1 tbs Cinnamon (as much as you like) 2 tbs. Agave Syrup (replacing granulated sugar) 100 ml Water 1. Take out the frozen Puff Pastry 30 minutes before you start rolling it. 2. Cut the apples in halves, remove the core and cut the apples in paper thin slices. …

Work Lunch in a Jar: My Favorite Quinoa Salad

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Oh Quinoa what have you done to me! When I was in Dubai 3 years ago, I discovered quinoa on a TV documentary which pushed me to look for it. Initially, it could only be found in specialized stores. It was only until it got more popular, and the demand grew exponentially that it became available in common supermarkets. Quinoa is now considered a superfood thanks to its qualities: a complete protein source, high in iron, magnesium, and fiber. Quinoa has not only become one of our healthiest pantry staples, but also one that’s fast and simple to cook – the solution to anyone’s hectic working day! I personally like quinoa in both cold dishes as a salad or in baked recipes like cakes and crackers! My typical quinoa salad includes something grilled, fresh and cheesy. Its dressing should preferably be lemon-oil: better to keep it simple! The ingredients could vary depending on what’s available in my fridge. I tend to prepare it overnight, put it in a glass jar and keep in the fridge (dressing aside). This salad is ready to be taken to work as my lunch! I …

Almond Butter 101

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Are you hearing a lot about ALMOND BUTTER (or not)? Well, let me tell you more about it so you could make-up your own mind – unless you are allergic to nuts, then forget about it! First and foremost, it tastes GOOD which makes it suitable to be part of your diet: eaten on its own or added in sauces, homemade baked recipes and even smoothies! However, reasonable consumption should still be considered (like any other food product). Making nuts part of your diet supports your health by helping your body regulate blood sugar and lowering a risk of a heart attack. The STAR Nutrients: Vitamin E: As an antioxidant, vitamin E can neutralize free radicals, preventing these harmful chemicals from oxidizing your DNA and proteins, which damages your cells. Magnesium: Magnesium contributes to the function of your nervous system, facilitates muscle contraction, makes up a component of healthy bone tissue and helps support your metabolism. Iron: Iron promotes healthy oxygen transport — it helps you make hemoglobin and myoglobin, two proteins that oxygenate your tissues. Like vitamin E, iron protects your cells from oxidative damage by …

Batrouni Lemonade

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“When life gives you lemon make a Batrouni Lemonade!” This is my saying for summer days when I need a refreshing drink. A typical choice during hot days is a Soda or an energy drink. Being a fruity/smoothie person I tend to avoid such drinks by making a healthier alternative: a freshly squeezed Lemonade and more specifically my mum’s Batrouni Lemonade. Batroun is a coastal village in Lebanon known for its beach, fish and lemonade! You can’t pass by Batroun without trying the traditional lemonade! Fortunately I can have mine whenever and wherever I am thanks to my mum’s recipe! Don’t you love the smell of lemons!? Ingredients: 1kg Lemon 200g Sugar (normal powder) 30ml Blossom Water 1L Water 1. Cut Lemons’ top and bottom. Then cut them in halves and put them in a bucket. 2. Add sugar and blossom water to the lemons 3. Refrigerate overnight or max 24h 4. Squeeze the soaked lemons 5. Add the water and the remaining sugar-blossom water syrup (marination) to the lemon juice and keep refrigerated 6. Serve with ice This Lemonade can be refrigerated for up to one …

Homemade Olive Bread

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Making Bread at home is not that difficult, you just need patience to raise the dough and usually it takes 2 hours at least before baking it! To tell you the truth, I didn’t wait that long because I just wanted to try this recipe during my intensive workshop. As you can see it doesn’t have lots of crisps on top because the dough was baked 40min after it was prepared! However the taste is just GOOD and if you follow the steps nothing can go wrong! Ingredients: 500g Flour 1 tsp. Sugar 1 tsp. Salt 2 tsp. Yeast 300ml Warm water 100g Black olives (I used some remaining olive paste) The dough process: 1. Put the flour in a bowl with the salt and sugar and make a hole in the center. 2. Mix the yeast with warm water and leave for 5-10 min till you see a soft crust on the top. 3. Pour the yeast-water in the center of flour and mix until the dough catches a little consistency. At this stage nothing can go …