Zu zu zu lemon tartelette : yuzu, kuzu, anzu

A delicious fresh dessert for all the lovers of sour sweetness.

Why zu zu zu ?

Zu or su, is sourness. Many acidic ingredients have this sound in Japanese. Today :
Anzu : Apricot.
Yuzu : yuzu citrus.
Kuzu : kudzu is a root resembling arrow-root and similarly used as a jelly starch.

About 1 volume of dry apricot for two of oat meal in the blender, then just a little water. Put in the mold, dried in the oven.

Yuzu. I’ve really discovered something here : yuzu and apricot are one of those rare matches made in even. Paired they become something else, a richer fruit flavor.

Kudzu as it is sold. It is 本葛 Honkuzu, pure kuzu. There exist others (explanation here).

For more : kudzu recipes.

I mixed the kuzu powder with the juice and zest of a yuzu, a little yellow cane sugar, enough water (as suggested on the package of kuzu) and cooked while stirring, till it became transparent.

Filled the crust. Let cool a few hours. Garnished with whipped coconut cream, toasted sesame seeds and yellow cane sugar.

Electrolyte refill smoothie

When it’s hot, we sweat a lot and lose water. And we also eliminate precious elements, electrolyte or ions, whatever sports drink maker call them. We don’t need to buy their powders to replace them. Let’s get all the nutrients with a natural drink.

Moloheya (molokhia), this herb has a jelly texture like okra (gumbo), and that comes with the property of maintaining hydration. Like those sports gels.

It’s a smoothie of frozen banana (for its carbs and potassium) , molokhia and a little lemon juice. Now we need sodium ? Well on the glass.

I know the color is not superb, but the taste is very fruity, the texture deliciously creamy and it’s very efficient.

Masala fresh rolls

Today’s Spring rolls.

Here are all the ingredients. As you can see a garam masala Indian spice mix…

Mushrooms and avocado sprinkled with lemon juice. Onion and goya bitter squash are sliced, salted and later rinsed. Grated red cabbage and bell pepper.

Steamed bean sprouts.

Natto.

On rice paper. Roll and serve fresh.

Red bell pepper falafels

The falafel-mania is not over… Summer is just starting. Today with flashy red bell pepper.

It’s a base of pasted soaked chick peas, with onion, green and red pepper additions. To texture it, I’ve used oatmeal. Pan-fried.

Served them with grilled bread, shredded red cabbage, lemon, a little harissa and tahini sauce.

Freshly made tahini (pasted sesame), that I dilute with lemon juice and a little water to make the sauce.

Tahini sauce on the falafels and…

…on the side-dish of red bell pepper and wakame flavored sashimi konnyaku.

For dessert, green melon and a few drop this product that is a sweet reduction of balsamico vinegar. That magically enhances fruit flavor.

Chickpeas three ways for a casual Summer lunch

Transforming a bowl of freshly boiled chick peas into 3 dishes.

Falafels. It’s better to make them from raw chick peas, but I’ve mashed boiled ones with a little potato starch for binding, added randomly spices, mint, lemon balm, and the brown thing is the ground of sobacha.

Pan-fried.

Chickpeas in a tomato tabouleh with… what was in the fridge, sweet corn, ninniku no me (garlic stalks), bell pepper, green soy beans, mint too. And harissa.