Eating Well and Quinoa Tabouli

On January 8, 2019January 6, 2019 By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be Inspired, TasteLeave a comment

You are what you eat…if this is true, I may turn into a block of dark chocolate!

To get the year off to a great start, I will be teaching a class called Eating Well. We will explore ways to get the most flavor and nutrients from the foods we eat. The fun begins with red wine, because it’s good for us and crave-able Fire Roasted Salsa, my favorite condiment. This chunky salsa is sure to become a staple in your house too for vibrant color and taste explosions!

The more we learn about food the more convincing it becomes that eating well is essential to looking and feeling our best. Foods that nourish the body can also feed the soul; the part of us that craves amazing flavor.

Join me for Eating Well, a fantastic class where great tastes rule! Seats are limited so register TODAY by clicking HERE or email lorie@atasteofparis.net

Scroll to the end to see one of my favorite recipes from the Eating Well class last year, Quinoa Tabouli.

Eating Well Friday, January 25th 11;00-1:00~ Only a few seats remain

Being well in the New Year is at the top of everyone’s to-do list. In this entertaining class we will explore simply GOOD FOOD that will feed your body and your soul. In this class we will sip red wine as we start with my favorite condiment for topping or snacking, vibrant Fire Roasted Salsa. Our breakfast recipe, Poached Egg and Veg Tartine is almost too pretty to eat. Nothing heals the soul like classic Chicken Noodle Soup, when made from scratch it really satisfies. We will prepare Baby Kale salad packed with nuggets of goodness. Wild caught Orange Glazed Alaskan Salmon with Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables is quite possibly the best dinner ever. Marinated Pork Tenderloin served with cranberry apple chutney with quinoa hash alongside will get your crew to the table fast! Cinnamon Baked Apples make a great side dish or dessert and for a truly decadent finish we will prepare chocolate cups filled with dried fruits and nuts. Class Fee $59.00

Quinoa Tabouli

2 cups quinoa

3 cups water

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic pressed

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups cherry tomatoes finely chopped

½ red onion finely chopped

1 large English cucumber finely chopped

1 red bell pepper finely chopped

¼ cup Finley minced parsley

¼ cup finely minced mint

Wash quinoa thoroughly. Place quinoa in a medium sauce pan and cover with 3 cups water. Cook over medium heat, when water comes to a boil lower the temperature and place a lid on the pot, cook stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes until seeds are tender. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining, garlic, mustard, salt, lemon juice and mix well. Add olive oil in a stream whisking to incorporate. Remove quinoa from heat, allow it to cool. Toss vegetables and herbs in dressing, coating well. Add vegetables to cooled quinoa and toss.

Autumn in Provence~Olives

On November 9, 2018November 8, 2018 By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be Inspired, TasteLeave a comment

For my last look at autumn in Provence I want to share picture of gorgeous colorful olives in the markets.

Workers scoop large spoonfuls of olives into bags to be enjoyed by their customers.

I am not an olive eater per say, but the olives in France taste amazing and once I start, stopping is difficult!! The olives are not pitted, making eating them a bit inconvenient but the flavor and meatiness is well worth the effort!

There is much variety in the brining liquid and herbs used to finish the olives, a flavor for everyone.

Olive tapenade and bread is often served on the tables of Provencal restaurants when you sit down, think salsa at a mexican restaurants. Below you will find my Green Olive Tapenade recipe, enjoy!

Green Olive Tapenade

1 ½ cups Spanish olives, pitted and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon capers

1 teaspoon each lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons or more olive oil

½ teaspoon herbs de Provence

Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixture is chunky. Serve with French bread.

The Basil Harvest

On September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of ParisLeave a comment

Can I tell you how much I enjoy my herb and vegetable garden! I have a raised bed on the side of my house, right outside the kitchen door. When we moved into this house over 10 years ago, the bed was filled with unruly shrubbery and the soil quality was terrible. Over the years, we have moved the shrubs out and my pretty little garden has taken over.

My all-time favorite herb is basil. I always plant 3-4 large plants and have more than we can possibly eat, even with cooking classes I teach!

If you are growing basil and have not harvested it, now is the time. If the weather stays warm, it will continue to grow for a second harvest.

I make huge batches of pesto in my Cuisinart food processor and freeze it in individual portions to be enjoyed all through the winter months.

My pesto does not have much olive oil, so it is thick like paste. This gives me the flexibility to use the pesto in a variety of recipes when it’s pulled from the freezer.

My favorite way to eat pesto does not even require a recipe; just toast crusty bread and smear on plenty of pesto.

Add lots of chewy sun dried tomatoes for a sweet tangy bite.

Sprinkle on plenty of cheese and toast in the oven until cheese is bubbling.

It’s that simple!

You will find my recipe for Basil pesto below; I hope to see you soon in an upcoming cooking class!

Follow me along with my sweet travelers starting next week as we taste our way through the best of Provence 2018! The very best place to find us in on Instagram @atasteofparis OR Facebook Atasteofparistrips and for information on the last 2 seats for 2019 CLICK HERE!

Basil Pesto

1½ cups fresh basil compacted

2 garlic cloves

½ cup walnuts

1/3 cup parmesan cheese grated

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Place basil, garlic, walnuts, salt in food processor and pulse until smooth, add parmesan, olive oil and process until mixed well.

European Garden in my Silverplate Punchbowl

On August 13, 2018August 13, 2018 By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be InspiredLeave a comment

I generally keep 3 large white orchids in my silver-plate punch bowl year round. This summer has been exceptionally hot and the orchids did not fare very well. I decided to brighten things up a bit by creating a European garden.

I’ll reuse the punchbowl for my garden because the scale will create a lot of impact.

To get started, collect a variety of plants. Choose 1 tall plant, 1 that will drape down and a flowering plant. My container is large so 6 plants are needed to fill it up. Going with varying shades of green and textures will give my arrangement a lot of interest.

To construct the garden, first pop a plastic liner in the bottom of the container. This will protect it and your tabletop from leeks.

Add the tallest plant first towards the back of the arrangement.

Continue to add plants until you have a balanced garden.

Use crumpled paper or even better, foil to boost plants if needed and to hold them in place.

Fill in all of the blank spaces with a variety of moss.

This will bring the whole arrangement together and give you a cohesive European garden.

I just love it! It is like a little bit of the outdoors right in my living room!

If you don’t already have a silver punch bowl, I thought you might like this one! It is an upside down pineapple. SHOP NOW

Cooking Class Fun!

On January 30, 2018January 29, 2018 By Lorie FangioIn Be Inspired, TasteLeave a comment

What fun we had making Soups Stews and Breads last week!

Teaching cooking classes is one of the true joys of my life. This is a behind the scenes look at the fun we had.

Taking a cooking class is a great way to meet new friends, learn something and taste lots of yummy food! Learning new skills can be challenging.

Trying equipment for the first time is fun!

But the best part is enjoying the results!

Hope to see you in a cooking class soon! Space is limited, register TODAY by email to lorie@atasteofparis.net or click the links below.

Truffles and Dipped Chocolate Treats Thursday, February 8th Fox 4

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate-Thursday, February 8^th 6:30-9:00 2 SEATS OPEN

Croissant Workshop- Friday, February 23^rd 11:00-2:30 3 SEATS OPEN

Los Cabos and Tequila- Thursday, March 22^nd 6:30-8:30.

Total Wine in Allen and Lorie Fangio bring you Canapes and Wine Tasting Thursday, March 29th 6:30-8:30 Mark your calendars. More details soon!

French Provencal Cooking Workshop- April 5^th-6^Th from 10:30-2:30 3 SEATS OPEN

Classic French Pastries Workshop- Friday, May 4^th 11:00-2:30

French Macarons- Thursday, May 10^th 6:30-9:00

What are Crossover Foods?

On January 17, 2018 By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be Inspired, Taste2 Comments

I’ve had so much fun getting ready for January classes. No one likes decadent French foods more than I do but getting back to the basics of healthful eating after the holidays is key to good health. Everyone is ready for a body reset including me!

To prepare for my upcoming Wellness and Anti Aging classes, I made lists of the very best foods to accomplish these goals and then I created recipes loaded with them.

There are several foods I like to call, crossovers, meaning they made both wellness and anti-aging list. Cruciferous vegetables are one of these crossover foods. This amazing subset of veggies pack a real dietary punch.

Cruciferous vegetables are the crunchy ones, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and brussel sprouts. These gems have cancer fighting compounds and reduce inflammation in the body. These foods also give you that satisfying crunch and they really fill you up.

To help you load your plates with these amazing vegetable, see several of my favorite side dishes below. Confetti slaw is so colorful, it looks gorgeous alongside any lean protein and Roasted Broccoli with shallots and just a bit of parmesan will bring even the pickiest eater to the table.

There is still time to register for both of the classes but hurry, days away! Wellness in the Kitchen AND Foods the Secret Fountain of Youth

Hope to see you soon!

Confetti Veggie Slaw

2 carrots shredded

1 green bell pepper cut in a julienne

2 cups of shredded purple cabbage

2 green onions finely diced

Dressing

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

To prepare dressing, whisk together ingredients in a small bowl. Assemble slaw in serving bowl by layering ingredients. Add dressing, toss to coat. Let salad stand for a few minutes before serving.

Roasted Broccoli with Caramelized Shallots

1 head for broccoli

2 tablespoons olive oil divided

Salt and pepper

2 shallots sliced very thin

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim broccoli florets and place on roasting pan. Drizzle broccoli with half the olive oil, add salt and pepper and toss with hands to coat. Place baking sheet in oven for 8-12 minutes until broccoli has reached desired tenderness. Meanwhile, cook the shallots in a chef’s pan using remaining olive oil until they caramelize, 2-3 minutes. Toss broccoli with shallots and parmesan cheese and serve.

Gift Boxes From the Kitchen

On December 18, 2017December 18, 2017 By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be Inspired, Taste2 Comments

When planning my 13th annual Gifts From the Kitchen class this year, the words bento boxes kept coming to my head. Collecting an assortment of goods and packing them artfully in boxes seemed like a good plan.

I bought festive gift boxes at the craft store along with crinkle paper shred and of course lots of Mason jars to stuff with goodies.

Creating a recipe for Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix, was the first step. The jars were filled with the chocolaty goodness and a “Got Milk?” tag was added. On the back of the tags are the instructions for use. Next, old fashioned peppermint sticks were dipped into white chocolate and dusted with Christmas sprinkles.

To give the boxes some whimsy, I decorated marshmallows to look like snowmen.

SnowBall Cookies rounded out the edible assortment. Each package was tied with my HoHoHo From the Fangio’s ribbon.

Add a holiday dish towel, some festive straws and you are done!

Making the Relax-Bath Boxes was a fun project too!

Creating charming gift boxes is fun and easy. I hope you will give it a try this season!

Join me in 2018 for cooking classes, new titles just posted.

Hurry several are already sold OUT!

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

3 ½ cups sugar

2 cups unsweetened cocoa extra dark

10 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate chopped

1 tablespoon salt

Mix all ingredients well in an airtight container. When ready to serve, add 2 tablespoons mix to 1 cup warmed whole milk.

Tune into Good Morning Texas, WFAA Channel 8, Tuesday!

On December 11, 2017December 11, 2017 By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be Inspired, Taste6 Comments

Are you ready for Christmas? I simply cannot believe it will be here in 2 short weeks. Are you like me, still wondering what to gift the special people in your world?

Tune into Good Morning Texas, WFAA Channel 8, on Tuesday, December 12th at 9:00 am to see me demonstrating LIVE No Cook, holiday gifts from the kitchen. I will offer up inspiration to help you take care of all those last minute gifts!

I’m closed up in my kitchen workshop, santa hat and all, getting ready to dazzle you tomorrow. I’ll show you some simple kitchen ideas, sure to make your mouth water AND festive packaging you can craft in minutes. To see my festive Ho Ho jars, you will have to tune in!

Below is a sneak peek at the recipes for tomorrow.

Marinated Mozzarella

1 pound fresh mozzarella cut into 1 inch cubes or use small mozzarella balls

¾ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 clove garlic sliced

2 tablespoons fresh herbs chopped such as rosemary and thyme

½ teaspoon black pepper corns

Dash or red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients in a glass jar and marinate over night or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Jalapeno Vodka

2 cups vodka

1 large jalapeno pepper

Score the pepper 5 or 6 times from stem to end being careful not to cut all the way through to the seeds. Pour vodka into a clean jar or container, add pepper. Shake 2-3 times a day for 1 week.

Remove pepper or leave it in for more intense flavor, and pour vodka into a bottle for storage.

Vanilla Vodka

2 cups vodka

1-2 vanilla pods

Pour vodka into a clean jar or container, add vanilla pods. Shake 2-3 times a day for 1 week. Pour the vodka and pods into a bottle for storage.

Spiced Rum

750 ml bottle gold rum

1 vanilla pod

1 cinnamon stick

1 point star anise

2 cloves

1 piece all spice

2 strips orange zest

Place all aromatic ingredients into the bottle of rum. Let steep for 24 hours shaking occasionally.

Burger Spice Blend

2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Mexican Rub/Taco Seasoning

¼ cup chili powder

2 tablespoons sea salt

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Walnut Goat Cheese Spread

12 ounces fresh goat cheese at room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

½ cup chopped dried cranberries

½ cup chopped walnuts

Pinch salt

Mix all ingredients and pack in small jars for gift giving. Store the goat cheese spread in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Mediterranean Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

On June 14, 2016October 29, 2017 By Lorie FangioIn Taste, UncategorizedLeave a comment

On a recent trip to France I spent some time on the Mediterranean coast. We were based in Nice and had a driver that took us exploring the tiny French villages of the area. To say it was picturesque would be an understatement, a virtual treasure trove of sights sounds and flavors. We even enjoyed one afternoon in Italy after driving over the border..

Our last night in Nice was spent at a local restaurant where I ordered Roasted Chicken and Potatoes. Pretty basic I know, but when you have been traveling for 2 weeks, sometimes you just want something traditional. It was the very best I have ever tasted. Could it have been the salt air? Maybe, but I think it was the perfectly caramelized potatoes yielding a rich sweet flavor.

Since then, I am convinced a bit of extra roasting time for the potatoes before you add the chicken to the pan makes all the difference. I hope you will try my Mediterranean Roasted Chicken and Potatoes soon!

Enjoy! Lorie

Mediterranean Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

4 large chicken breasts

4 pounds baking potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped

1 clove garlic pressed

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons capers

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine all herbs with garlic and olive oil. Rub the chicken breast generously with ½ of the olive oil mixture season with salt and pepper and set chicken aside on a plate. Place potatoes in greased 9×13 baking dish. Toss potatoes well with remaining oil and herb mixture and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Bake potatoes uncovered for about 20 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven and add chicken breasts to the top and top with capers. Return dish to the oven and continue to cook for 35 minute until chicken is cooked through. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

A Taste Of Paris

Tag: Mediterranean recipes

Eating Well and Quinoa Tabouli

Autumn in Provence~Olives

The Basil Harvest

European Garden in my Silverplate Punchbowl

Cooking Class Fun!

What are Crossover Foods?

Gift Boxes From the Kitchen

Tune into Good Morning Texas, WFAA Channel 8, Tuesday!

Mediterranean Roasted Chicken and Potatoes