0 CORNFLAKES TERRINE - TERRINE AUX CORNFLAKES

If like me you have abused a little to much of goodies during the Christmas holidays, then you might want to calm down and start eating more healthily again as I'm pretty sure that you are not willing to change your whole wardrobe or stop wearing those cute skinny jeans that you cherish so much because they make you look so slim...

I am not ashamed to confess that for the past 3-4 weeks I have been devouring (like crazy and without thinking about the effects such mindless scarfing might have on my waistline) big quantities of sugar-loaded, butter-rich, calorie-laden cookies, breads, chocolates, cakes and desserts of all kind. I carelessly and happily wolfed down quantities of sweet treats, and had much pleasure indulging in such a naughty fashion!

When the God of Gluttony possesses you, there is no way you can escape. You just have to accept it's taking over your soul and bend to it's will. If you resist, it will whisper in your ears words that'll awaken your craving until you give up the fight and sacrifice yourself on the altar of epicurism. It is impossible to struggle against the urge to "sin".

As a result, my size 36-38 (size 6-8 US) trousers are slightly too tight now and I feel not really comfortable in my body anymore. But hey, what the heck? Eventhough I care about my weight, find it important to exercise regularly and control my diet I also have food desires like everybody else and sometimes have to fulfill them. The delight and beatitude conferred by this nosh marathon was so big that the few centimeters I had gained around my waist, hips and thighs were not that dramatic.

Anyway, once you get back to your normal routine you will lose the extra fat you had acquired and get fit again (as a matter of fact I've already lost most of it), so why be afraid of a short break in your regime. If it happens once in a while and it is not a habit, then it can't be bad. You just have to be in control of things and know when to stop. It's only once it becomes an addiction that it develops into something dangerous and negative. Then you have to raise the alarm and consider taking your problems seriously.

All year long (most of the time, festive holidays aside), I try to eat well and to follow my usual dietary pattern which consists of meals that are mostly vegetarian (80% of the time), poor in carbohydrates (sugar, cereals, starchy vegetables & starches), rich in protein (eggs, dairy produces, legumes, nut, seeds & animal products) and vegetables. This way of feeding is what fits me best. Since I've started preparing less carb-loaded dinners I have more energy, feel a lot less hungry all the time and more comfortable in my body. Not forgetting that it is also very budget-friendly as you don't need to buy tons of overpriced meat.

Although I love meat I cannot cook it more than twice a week otherwise it'll affect my well-being. So, in a way I am nearly a full-time vegetarian. I don't mind being a carnivore, but I also love veggies since there are so many ways you can cook them. At my place, eating vegetarian meals isn't synonymous of boring and bland, all the contrary!

One of my favorite meat-free recipes that I cook at home is a groovy terrine made with cornflakes. This original vegiloaf is very versatile, tasty and nourishing. It has a pleasant herby, corny and nutty flavor, and a soft as well as moist texture. This "Vegetarian Cornflake And Hazelnut Terrine" can be pan-fried, eaten either cold or hot, served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner and accompanied as well as presented in many different manners.

A multi-faceted dish which is easily prepared, good for the health and which will not ruin you. Perfect!

~ Vegetarian Cornflake And Hazelnut Terrine ~
Recipe by Rosa @Rosa's Yummy Yums 2011.

Serves 4.

Ingrédients:
500ml Milk
160g Cornflakes
100g Ground hazelnuts, lightly toasted
2 Big eggs
1 Big Onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp Nutritional yeast
1/2 CC Garlic powder
A pinch Ground paprika
A pinch Curry powder
A few drops of Tabasco (optional)
1 1/4 Tsp Italian herbs
A pinch dried thyme
Sea salt (fine), to taste
Pepper, to taste
A bit of butter to grease the pan

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220° C (420° F).
2. In a big bowl, crush (coarsely) the cornflakes.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs with the milk, garlic, spices, Tabasco, herbs, salt and pepper.
4. Pour this mixture over the cornflakes, add the yeast, hazelnuts and onion and mix well.

5. Butter generously your rectangular cake pan and cover the bottom with sulfurised/baking paper.
6. Scrape the mixture in the pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for aboput 30-40 minutes (test with a skewer).
8. Remove the terrine from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before releasing it delicately from the pan.
9. Serve.

Remarks:
you can replace the hazelnuts by any other ground nuts of your choice, but don't forget to roast them a little.
You can also use the herbs (fresh or dried) and spices of your choice.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot or cold, with tomato sauce, steamed or stir-fried vegetables, a seasonal salad or pan-fried mushrooms.

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~ Terrine Végétarienne Aux Cornflakes Et Aux Noisttes ~
Recette par Rosa @Rosa's Yummy Yums 2011.

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingrédients:
500ml De lait
160g de Cornflakes
100g de Noisettes moulues, toastées
2 Gros oeufs
1 Gros Oignon, finement haché finement
1 CC de Levure nutritionnelle
1/2 CC d'Ail en poudre
Une pincée de paprika en poudre
Une pincée de poudre de curry
Quelques gouttes de Tabasco (en option)
1 1/4 CC d'Herbes italiennes
1 Pincée de Thym séché
Sel de mer fin, selon goût
Poivre, selon goût
Un peu de beurre pour le moule

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 220° C.
2. Dans un grand bol, concasser grossièrement les cornflakes.
3. Dan un bol moyen, battre les oeufs avec le lait, l'ail, le Tabasco, les herbes, les épices, le sel et le poivre.
4. Ajouter le mélange liquide au cornflakes et ajouter les noisettes ainsi que l'oignon. Bien mélanger.

5. Beurrer généreusement un moule à cake rectangulaire et recouvrir le fond de papier sulfurisé.
6. Verser le mélange dans le moule et lisser le dessus.
7. Cuire pendant 30-40 minutes (vérifier la cuisson avec la pointe d'un couteaux).
8. Sortir la terrine du four et la laisser reposer 5 minutes sur une grille, puis la démouler délicatement.
9. Servir.

Remarques:
Vous pouvez remplacer les noisettes moulues pour d'autres noix moulues, mais n'oubliez pas des les torréfier avant.
Vous êtes libres d'ajouter les épices et herbes (fraîches ou séchées) de votre choix.

Idées de présentation:
Servir cette terrine chaude ou froide, avec de la sauce tomate, des légumes vapeurs ou sautés, une salade de saison ou des champignons légèrement poêlés.

0 FOIE GRAS TERRINE - TERRINE DE FOIE GRAS

I can quite understand if you might be put off by the thought of eating foie gras (again) after having feasted over the holidays as if there would be no tomorrow, yet I really want to share with you this wonderful recipe I found on François-Xavier's blog and which I made for New Year's eve...

Foie gras is something I have discovered (taste-wise) only very lately. At first, I liked the taste of it, but the texture made me feel a little uneasy, because I found it had an unpleasant feel in the mouth. As it is an aquired taste, I got to really understand fully that unique speciality and fell madly in love with it. Now, I love this gourmet treat and cannot imagine not having any foie gras for Christmas, New year or Easter.

I particularly love my foie gras to be pan fried a few seconds only on each side and served with balsamic vinegar, but I also enjoy making terrines with that luxurious offal and serving it with homemade toasted bread and a sweet and sour jam (Vin Santo jam) or sauce (spicy cranberry sauce). It is just simply heavenly!

Well, last year, I stumbled upon a recipe for "Foie Gras Terrine" on the gorgeous as well as instructive blog named "FX Cuisine". Ever since I discovered it there, I have refused to use any other terrine recipe as this one really rocks and is easy to make.

The roasted nuts blend perfectly well with the sweetness of the liver and the whisky adds a little structure to the whole, thus giving it more character. Lovely!

~ Foie Gras Terrine ~
Recipe by François-Xavier (FX) at "FX Cuisine" (Switzerland) and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes one terrine.

Ingredients:
1 Whole duck or goose fresh foie gras (uncooked)
30g Dried apricots
13g Almonds, roasted
13g Hazelnuts, roasted
13g Pistachios
Himalaya pink salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
A small glass of whiskey

Method:
1. Wait until the liver is at 18° C (65°F) temperature (measured with a probe inside the liver), warm your knife blade and seperate the two lobes, then cut each lobe in two. Remove the veins.
2. Soak in cold water for 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile chop the dried fruits and nuts and soak them in the whiskey.
4. After two hours, drain the water and cover the bottom and sides of a terrine dish with 2/3 of the foie gras. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Fill the center with the dried fruits and nuts, and cover with the remaining foie gras. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Place the terrine on a plate in a larger ovenproof dish filled with water and bake for 30-40 minutes at very low temperature, between 60°C to 100°C (140° to 210°F).
7. Remove the rendered fat from the terrine and set it aside. Let the terrine cool.
8. Cover the liver with foil and a very flat weight and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
9. When the terrine has set, remove the weight and foil and melt the rendered fat on top to protect the terrine from turning rancid.

Remarks:
Leave in the fridge for about 24 hours before serving.

Serving suggestion:
Serve with sea salt, toasted brioche bread, sourdough bread or pain d'épice (see bread recipes).

There is a great video tutorial to bee seen on FX Cuisine (Switzerland).

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~ Terrine De Foie Gras ~
Recette par François-Xavier (FX) de "FX Cuisine" (Suisse) et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Ingrédients:
1 Lobe de foie gras de canard ou d'oie (frais)
30g d'Abricots séchés
13g d'Amandes, torréfiées
13g de Noisette, torréfiées
13g de Pistaches
Sel rose de l'Himalaya, à volonté
Poivre noir fraîchement moulu, à volonté
Un petit verre de whisky

Méthode:
1. Sortir le foie gras du frigo et attendre qu'il atteigne les 18° C afin de commencer à le déveiner en utilisant un couteau dont la lame a été trompée dans l'eau chaude (méthode).
2. Reconstituer le lobe et le déposer dans de l'eau froide et le laisser tremper pendant 2 heures.
3. Pendant ce temps, hacher les abricots et noix, puis les mettre à tremper dans le whisky.
4. Après deux heures, retirer le foie de l'eau et placer les 2/3 du lobe dans le plat. Poivrer et saler à volonté.
5. Répartir avec les fruits secs sur le foie gras et couvrir avec le reste du foie gras. Poivrer et saler à volonté.
6. Mettre la terrine dans un bain-marie et cuire pendant 30-40 minutes à basse température (60°C to 100°C).
7. Retirer la graisse de la terrine du four et la mettre de côté. Laisser refroidir la terrine.
8. Couvrir la terrine avec du film plastique, puis déposer un poids plat sur la terrine et mettre au frigo pour 2 heures.
9. Quand la terrine se sera solidifiée, enlever le poids, faire fondre la graisse et recouvrir la terrine avec cette graisse afin de la protéger pour qu'elle ne devienne pas rance.

Remarques:
Laissez reposer cette terrine pendant au moins 24 heures au frigo avant de la servir.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec du sel de mer, de la brioche toastée, du pain au levain ou du pain d'épices (voir mes recettes de pain).

Pour plus de précisions, visionner la vidéo de FX Cuisine (Suisse).