November 2015 archive
Tapas & San Sebastian style pinxtos party for my birthday!
It took me 3 days to plan, shop and prep for his party but it was totally worth it.
The house always looks like a mess while I prep, I need a much larger kitchen!
I started to roast and toast days before the party.
Fennel, orange and arugula salad.
Pickled fish, green onions, roasted red peppers and cocktail pearl onions.
Pickled leeks, hot pepper, anchovy and olive.
Oyster mushrooms with bacon and roasted peppers with garlic.
Olive tapenade.
Caramelized onions with goat cheese and thyme.
Mushroom pâté with toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds.
Gazpacho jelly with hot peppers.
I also made gazpacho shooters with bacon, patatas bravas and sangria.
Yummmmmmy
Dj Nick, Vera, Carina and Matt!
Dj Nick was super happy with the tapas.
Amalia’s bar.
My personal hair stylist gave me a beautiful Spanish inspired hairdo.
Dramatic pose.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!
A few phone photos from my girl weekend in Sofia with Krassi, Eli and Maya.
I had such a wonderful time with these ladies! We visited about a thousand shopping malls, walked around town in the beautifully sunny weather, I made homemade pesto pasta for everyone, we drank wine, ate macarons and laughed our heads off.
View from Bulgaria Mall.
View from Maya’s aunt’s apartment.
25 degree weather in the middle of November!
Eli and Krassi at a TERRIBLE restaurant.
Eli!
Quick lunch in Plovdiv on the way back.
My favorite pizza and beef Carpaccio.
Duck confit with Julia Child’s Tian de Courgettes au Riz (Zucchini Tian).
This photo is very dark and it may look like I burnt the whole meal but in fact it was golden brown, crispy and delicious!
Duck confit is very easy to make but I will warn you that it can take up to 4 days to make.
Duck Confit
2015-11-24 11:28:16
Serves 2
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
4 hr
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
303g
Servings
2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 755
Calories from Fat 392
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 44g
67%
Saturated Fat 13g
66%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 18g
Cholesterol 289mg
96%
Sodium 238mg
10%
Total Carbohydrates 1g
0%
Dietary Fiber 0g
1%
Sugars 0g
Protein 84g
Vitamin A
2%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
5%
Iron
46%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 2 duck legs
- 500g goose or duck fat (enough to cover the legs completely)
- your favorite French marinade ingredients.
For example
- -2 cloves of garlic
- -salt & pepper
- -herbs de Provence
- -olive oil
Instructions
- 1.Marinate the duck leg in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
- 2.Lightly wipe off the marinade and place in a deep oven dish (make sure the dish isn't too big).
- 3.Cover the legs completely with goose or duck fat.
- 4.Cook without a lid in the oven for 2.5-3.5 hours at the lowest setting. The fat should be bubbling and the meat almost falling from the bones.
- 5.Let cool. You can store the duck very simply by placing it in any container, covering it with the fat and keeping it in the fridge: as long as it stays covered with fat it will last for weeks.
- 6.To cook, remove the confit duck legs from their fat. Put an ovenproof frying pan on the stove until it is hot. Add the duck legs, skin-side down, and cook for 4 mins. Turn the legs and transfer the pan to a hot oven for 20 mins, until crisp.
Amalia and Matt's blog https://mattandamalia.com/
Tian de Courgettes
2015-11-24 11:48:14
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
909g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1256
Calories from Fat 498
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 57g
87%
Saturated Fat 35g
176%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 16g
Cholesterol 151mg
50%
Sodium 2530mg
105%
Total Carbohydrates 114g
38%
Dietary Fiber 5g
21%
Sugars 25g
Protein 73g
Vitamin A
53%
Vitamin C
109%
Calcium
215%
Iron
21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- -1 cup white rice
- -2-3 large zucchinis, shredded
- -1 large onion, diced
- -3 cloves garlic, minced
- -1/3 cup milk
- -3/4 cup Parmesan
- -salt & pepper
- -a pinch of nutmeg
- -oil or butter for cooking
Instructions
- 1. Shred the zucchini, add salt then place in a colander on top of a pot and drain the liquid (reserve liquid) for 20 minutes.
- 2. Parboil the rice by cooking it for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- 3. In a hot pan, cook onions until soft.
- 4. Add the garlic, zucchinis and seasonings. Cook for 6-8 minutes.
- 5. Stir in the rice, milk, half the cheese and zucchini juice.
- 6. Place in an oven dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
- 7. Bake in a medium heat oven for 30 minutes, or until top has browned nicely and the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
Amalia and Matt's blog https://mattandamalia.com/
Check out our cool steam train trip from Sofia to Bankya and back.
Click on image
Click image for Bankya
And more train
