Cheesy Courgette Bread AKA Zucchini Bread

Tags

bread, Cheese, courgette, savoury, zucchini

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This quick and delicious bread is about as easy as it gets.  No mixers, no kneading but here are a few little handy tips to ensure it turns out perfectly each time.

Firstly, you must squeeze all the water out of the grated courgette.  This is really important or your bread will not cook and will remain a sticky, dense mess stuck to the bottom of your pan.  Believe me, this happened to me the first time.  There is no need to peel the courgettes though. Use a box grater to grate the veggies then squeeze all the water out firstly with your hands then using a clean dish towel wrap the grated courgette in it and wring it out with all your might.  Now, measure that you have about 1 ½ cups, packed very tightly.

Regarding the cheese, use a strong cheese.  I used a vintage gouda or you could use an aged cantal or vintage cheddar, something with lots of flavour.
For the herbs, I used basil and chives from my garden but feel free to improvise and use what you have on hand.  If you do not have any fresh herbs handy, do not despair, a few teaspoons of dried herbs will do.

In this recipe I used milk and vinegar to basically make my own buttermilk as it is not always something I have around, especially in times of limited shopping and lockdown.  If you have buttermilk, use 1 cup of that and leave out the vinegar.  Otherwise making your own buttermilk is the easiest thing ever: for one cup of milk, (I used full fat but you may use low fat if you prefer), add 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, mix and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. How easy was that?

For an extra cheesy version, sprinkle the top of the loaf with a few tablespoons of cheese and place under the grill for a few minutes.
Freezes beautifully too.

Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups grated courgette (2 medium)
1 ½ cups grated cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil & chives)
2 cups / 250g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup / 250ml milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F
Spray a 23cm X 13cm (9″ x 5″) bread tin with non-stick cooking spray
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl
In another bowl, mix the milk and vinegar and allow to sit for a few minutes (or use buttermilk)
Add to the milk, the egg and butter and stir
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until just combined – do NOT overmix
Add the courgette, cheese and fresh herbs
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
Allow the bread to cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the tin
Remove from tin and place on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing
Add lots of butter and serve
Bon Appétit!

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Puff pastry maroille quiche

Tags

brunch, Cheese, lardons, leeks, lunch, maroille, puff pastry, quiche, tart

Maroilles is French, AOC approved, square cow’s milk cheese made in the Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais regions of Northern France. The cheese gets its name from the village of Maroilles where it is still produced. It is also said that the cheese has been created in the 10th century by a monk, Maroilles in northern France. It is matured from five weeks to four months during which it is regularly washed with salt and water.

At four months, the ivory pâte is soft and oily. It has a powerful, pungent aroma suggestive of fermenting fruit and the flavour reminds of smoky bacon. Earthy notes of walnuts and mushrooms contrasted by a strong, pungent aroma are very typical of an aged Maroilles.

Makes 1 quiche, about 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry
250g / 9oz Maroilles cheese (1/2 cheese, with rind removed)
4 eggs
1kg / 1/2 pound leeks, (white and light green parts only)
225g / 8oz lardons or bacon – optional
200ml / 3/4 cup thick cream
30g / 2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C / 360F
Place the cheese in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up and make slicing it easier
Cut the leeks finely
Over medium heat, melt the butter and gently sauté the leeks and lardons for about 15 minutes in a large skillet
Line a quiche pan, about 9″ / 23 cm with the puff pastry
Cut the Maroilles into small pieces
In a bowl, whisk the eggs lightly
Add the cheese. the cream, the salt and pepper and mix well
Add the leeks and lardons
Pour the mixture onto the puff pastry
Bake for about 30 minutes
Can be eaten hot or cold
Enjoy!

 

Croque Monsieur or Madame

Tags

bistro meal, Cheese, classic french, croque, croque madame, croque monsieur, grilled cheese, lunch, sandwich, toasted cheese

At its best a croque monsieur is a strong contender for the world’s finest cheese and ham sandwich.  It basically is a french gourmet version of the grilled cheese.

There are very few ingredients but to make the classic bistro favourite, each ingredient must be of the best quality and of course the right choice.

So as this is a sandwich, it makes sense to start with the right bread. A good croque monsieur is both crisp and tender. You need a soft yet firm white sandwich bread, (pain de mie), reasonably thick slices. Some people like brioche for their croque because it’s both soft and buttery, but any high-quality white sandwich bread is good here.

Next the cheese. The traditional is a delicious gruyère. Gruyère is a firm, slightly elastic mountain cheese with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour. Most importantly for our purposes, it melts magnificently, but a good comté or cantal is just as good. Freshly grated is very important. You do not want to use pre grated and packaged.

Next is the ham. Again here, not any old packaged ham. Nice medium sliced french ham is best.

Of course, there is one thing that sets the croque apart from other great cheese and ham toasted sandwiches, namely that it arrives at the table drowned in golden and bubbling bechamel sauce.

The croque monsieur often comes accessorised with dijon mustard, the acidic heat tempering its outrageous cheesiness.

And of course if you wish to make a croque madame, it is exactly the same thing but with a fried egg added on top.

Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 8 thick slices white bread
• 8 slices ham, preferably Paris ham (jambon blanc)
• 150g / 5oz. Gruyère, grated
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

béchamel

• 30g / 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 30g / ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 250ml / 1 cup whole milk
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F
Béchamel: Melt the butter on low heat
Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes Add the cold milk, bit by bit, while whisking continuously
Add the nutmeg and season to taste
Allow to thicken slightly
Pour into a bowl, cover with cling film or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes
Spread some of the cold béchamel on each slice of bread
Add a bit more than half of the grated cheese onto 4 slices of bread
Place a slice of ham on top of the cheese
Close the slices of bread by placing the slices with béchamel on top of the slices with the cheese and ham, béchamel side inside
Press firmly to close
Spread the remaining béchamel on the sandwiches and top with the rest of the grated cheese
Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper
Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until they are golden brown
Serve immediately
Bon Appétit!

 

 

 

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