Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Yesterday when I got home from work, I wasn't as hungry as usual so I decided to make a soup with all the tomatoes I had in the fridge.. I also had a beautiful Eric Kayser baguette I got a few days ago and it was turning a little stale, so toasting it for the yummy soup was just perfect :)

Easy. Prep & Cook Time: ~60 minutes

Serves 4 - 6

• 6 plum tomatoes, cut into large chunks
• 2 pack of cherry tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 - 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• pinch of chili flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp Worcester cause
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 3/4 cup of light cooking cream
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• olive oil
• salt and cracked pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.. Spread the tomatoes on a tray lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with thyme, salt, cracked pepper and generously coat with olive oil.. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler function (grill on top) and roast for another 5 - 10 minutes.. 

In the mean time, sauté the onions in a little olive oil, once translucent add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.. Add the paprika, chili flakes, Worcester sauce and the roasted tomatoes with all their juices.. Add the sugar and stock and simmer for 10 minutes.. Now take a hand blender and liquefy the soup.. Add cream, basil, season to taste and cook for another few minutes just to infuse all the flavors.. Serve with toasted bread and enjoy ;)

Seared Sesame Tuna with Asparagus Mousse

picture by Murrindie Frey for ITP Publishin

Usually Phiras and I have our lazy days in on Fridays.. But today he spent the day with friends, as I was enjoying some lovely "me time" watching Grey's Anatomy and catching up on some stuff.. I actually ordered in today, since for once I was not in the mood to cook.. I ordered grilled fish and a salad as I'm trying to watch it a little these days, but then munched on Rafaello chocolates which kind of defeated the purpose.. So in the name of fish and light meals, I am posting the last of the Harper's Bazaar's detox menu.. Enjoy ;)

Serves 2 – 3

• 3 tuna steaks
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp light soya sauce
• ½ tsp cracked pepper
• 3 - 4 tbsp sesame seeds
• 750g green asparagus, removing the ends
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• ½ cup chicken stock
• salt and cracked pepper to taste

Cut the tuna in squares as you trim the sides. In a small bowl, mix the soya, the sesame oil and pepper, then rub the steaks with the mixture before coating them in sesame seeds. Heat a little nut oil in a pan and sear the tuna steaks just for a minute or so on each side. Remove from the heat and let it cool before cutting the tuna into slices.

Blanch the asparagus by cooking them in boiling salt water for 4 – 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in ice-cold water. In a pot, heat a little olive oil, and cook the onions until they turn translucent. Add the asparagus, the hot stock and cook for a few minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and with a hand blender, mash the asparagus until smooth. Return to the heat, season with salt and pepper, and cook just enough to heat through. Serve the slices of tuna with a drizzle of soya and a generous amount of asparagus mousse. Bon Appétit!

Avocado & Tomato Bowl

picture by Murrindie Frey for ITP Publishing

Wow, time is flying.. The weeks are going by so fast it's insane.. Not enough hours during the day, nor enough days during the week.. It seems everyone and everything is on full speed.. Add to that the turmoil in the Middle East and it really seems like the world is going crazy.. I had a weird day myself and just arrived home after a long drive from Abu Dhabi.. All I feel like doing is getting comfy on the couch and eating this quick, simple and beautiful bowl of goodness!  

Easy. Prep & Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves 2 - 3

• 2 avocados, cut into cubes
• 1 pack of cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp light soya sauce
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp honey
• cracked pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk the soya, lemon juice, honey and set aside. In another, larger bowl, combine the tomatoes and avocados, then toss with the soya dressing by just shaking the bowl so that the avocados don’t get too mashed. Sprinkle with the spring onions, season with pepper and serve in individual bowls. Delicious!

(As featured in Harper's Bazaar Arabia's January Issue)

Pomegranate, Berry & Banana Yoghurt Smoothie

picture by Murrindie Frey for ITP Publishing

I can actually say that I've had way too many sweet treats in the past few weeks and it might be time for me to detox as my jeans are getting quite snug.. One freshly baked cookie or a small slice of cake a day won't harm, especially since we use only real ingredients and no substitutes in our bakeries.. But I admit I've been munching on too many bakes lately, so it's the right time to post this beautiful smoothie I made for Harper's Bazaar January detox menu.. It's perfect for breakfast or snack time actually.. Yummy!

Serves 2 - 3

• 1 banana
• 170g low fat yoghurt
• 150g pomegranate seeds
• 100g raspberries
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ cup green tea, cold

In a food processor, blend all the above listed ingredients with a few ice cubes until smooth. Pour the smoothie in serving glasses and top with a few extra pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!

Greek Yoghurt with Crunchy Pears

I woke up this beautiful morning and felt like changing from the usual breakfast routine.. I absolutely love thick and creamy Greek yoghurt, it must be the best yoghurt out there.. So just before Phiras and I took off for work, we enjoyed our little morning treat.. Quick and so delicious :)

Easy. Prep & Cook Time: ~10 minutes

Serves 2

• 250g Greek yoghurt
• 1 pear, cut into small cubes
• 2 - 3 TBL honey
• a handful of mixed nuts, like pecans, almonds, hazelnuts..
• pinch of cinnamon

In a dry pan, toast the nuts for a few minutes, just to give them that extra crunch.. Then blend them in a food processor and set aside (not too fine, leave them quite crunchy).. In the same dry pan, add the pears and cinnamon, and sauté for a few minutes to soften them up a bit.. Now assemble your plate, starting with the yoghurt, then the pears, honey and sprinkle with the mixed nuts.. Simple yet so yummy!

Beef Stew in Red Wine & Berry Reduction

Yesterday we had a cozy day in with my designer friend Zeina (she has a beautiful line called Le Monde D'Ines, which I absolutely adore) and her husband Rabih.. I was in the middle of trying out my new recipe when we told them to join us for an easy lunch at home.. Since the stew took some time, we started with some nibbles and a pesto pasta, followed by this sweet and savory stew with golden potatoes.. Then, after several bottles of wine, cheese and Nutella crepes, we crashed on the sofa watching series.. Some of us even fell into a deep sleep ;) My kind of day!

Medium difficulty. Prep & Cook Time: ~3 1/2 hours.

Serves 4

• 750g of beef for stewing (topside or chuck), cut into chunks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into rounds
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 500ml chicken stock
• 300ml red wine
• 1/3 cup mixed berry marmalade (and a handful of fresh ones if available)
• 2 TBL Worcester sauce
• butter
• nut oil
• some flour 
• salt and cracked pepper

In a large pot (cast iron if available), heat a knob of butter and oil.. Coat the beef in a little flour before frying them on each side (do this in batches), browning them until they have a nutty color.. Remove the meat from the heat and set aside while you sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent.. Add the carrots, scraping all the brown yummy bits (which contain all the flavor) and cook for a few more minutes.. Place the beef back into the pot, add the wine, hot stock, berries and marmalade, thyme, bay leaves, Worcester sauce, salt and pepper.. Bring everything to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until the meat is nice and tender.. Remove the bay leaves, season to taste, then add the roasted rosemary potatoes (recipe is on the blog under Delicious Snacks & Sides) and enjoy ;)