Hash Browns with Goat Ricotta and Chorizo

Lulu worked from home today, so I brought him breakfast in bed. I love this little ritual we have once in a while. It's my way of showing him how much I love him. I love seeing my hubby's smile when I give him special treats in the morning.

I made some hash browns with goat ricotta cheese and placed a surprise vegetarian chorizo in the center. The chorizo adds a little spiciness to the dish without overpowering the hashbrowns and also some protein. The goat cheese has a tangy taste and velvety texture that complements the other components of the dish quite well.  There's nothing wrong with good ol' fashioned hash browns (we get them from the local pancake house all the time), but if you're in the mood for something a little different, this is a great recipe to try.

Peanut Butter Caramel Dip with Sliced Apples

Yesterday, I packed some grapes for the girls when packing their school lunches. I thought I would make something different today. I had a little leftover caramel au beurre salé from the weekend. It's a sweet caramel  sauce with salted butter. We drizzle it over ice cream. I decided to mix a little creamy peanut butter into the caramel, along with some raw honey that I just discovered at the local market.

Peanut butter caramel is a great dip with any fruit, drizzled over ice cream or even on celery. Enjoy!

Croque-Monsieur: A Perfect Back To School Lunch Recipe

In France, the croque-monsieur sandwich is as much a staple of school children's lunches as the PB&J is in America. I grew up with them, and they are still the ultimate comfort food for me. 

The girls are going back to school today and I wanted to share with them one of the fondest culinary memories of my childhood. When I was in middle school, I would come home early on Wednesdays. Since I didn't eat lunch at school, I would always make myself a croque-monsieur.

Croque-monsieur is super easy to make. All you need is a few ingredients such as sliced white bread, emmental cheese and ham (I used smoked turkey). To make it fancier, I bind all the ingredients together with a Mornay sauce, which is basically a béchamel with cheese. I use béchamel a lot; it's really just a white sauce made of flour, butter and milk.

Vichy Carrots (Carottes Vichy)

Carottes Vichy is named after the town of Vichy, located on the banks of the Allier River in the northern part of the Auvergne region in France. Vichy is famous for its numerous spas and its carbonated water, which is used in this dish to soften the carrots.

This recipe is ultra easy. All you need are some carrots, some Vichy water and some butter.

Veni, Vidi, Vichy! Maybe it's just me but I find this funny. It's in reference of Julius Caesar's immortal words "I came, I saw, I conquered" when he announced to the Senate his victory over Pharnaces. I spent 5 years studying classical Latin in school; that's probably the only few things I remember.

As a child, carrots Vichy was probably my favorite meal at the cafeteria of my elementary school. It was easy to eat (I was a slow eater), tender, sweet and so flavorful. For lunch time, I remember it was always served with a filet de merlan au citron et persil, which is a pan seared sage-flavored whiting (fish) drizzled with lemon juice with some capers and parsley.

Check back often to follow my French-inspired menu this week. We're having a 4-course "French meal" in honor of the opening of the movie called Julie and Julia. 

Basil and Chive Flavored Homemade Butter

Nope, this is not ice cream. I can't believe it's butter! This recipe is ultra simple; all you need is a food processor and heavy cream. I always make butter whenever I have leftover heavy whipping cream from making desserts (usually from making cake frosting).

The flavored butter can be used as a spread for sandwiches, in pasta or as a garnish for a juicy steak; the possibilities are endless. How you flavor the butter is up to you and what you have in your pantry. I had some sweet basil and garlic chives from my garden. You'll never waste your remaining cream again.

For the more traditional method, check out the tip section.