A Delicate Pleasure:Sweet Omlette Soufflé

When I first read this recipe from handwritten recipe collection my grandmother left to me, I remembered that she told me never to prepare this dessert when in a hurry. You will see, she said , it's very easy to cook and its ready in no time but it´s delicate as a mimosa and demands your full concentration.
As I am a rather impatient person and, very much a child of the 21st century, do like practical and no time consuming cooking, I banned the recipe in a remote corner of my cooking book collection and forgot about it.
When we got installed in Lima after a two years stay in Italy, I reorganized my books and somehow this one drew my attention.
Today, on one of this rather gray and cold Peruvian winter Saturdays, I thought, OK, why not -  let´s try it.
And boy a surprise it was.
First of all it was ready in about 10 minutes, second it was not difficult to prepare at all but tasted so delicate that, if I would not have known better, could swear that this was a very complex mission to achieve.
My grandmother proved to be absolutely right- the only thing this dessert demands is not to hurry it up and a  bit of concentration - exigencies that are well deserved after all.
Ingredients:

3 egg whites
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup ripe strawberries cut in slices
2 spoonful sun flower oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 spoonful of Strawberry Jam
1pinch of salt
Meant leaves  
For the sour cream filling:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup icing sugar

Method:
 -Put the egg white in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until foamy.

-Add a pinch of salt and then gradually add icing sugar and  keep beating until firm peaks are formed and the mixture is thick and glossy.
-mix the egg yolks gently and add them one by one

-mix carefully with the egg white mixture

 -in a non-stick frying pan heat the oil and melt butter

 -add the egg white mixture

-Gently smooth surface, cook over medium heat

-cook until omelette is puffed and lightly browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. (Lift omelet at edge with spatula to judge color.)

Turn omelette gently  (the best way is to lift the omelette with the help of 2 spatulas) and cook until the other side is lightly browned.

-brush the upper side with a bit of strawberry jam

-mix sour cream with sugar

-place omelette on serving plate,top generously with sour cream filling, add strawberry slices.
-fold omelette in half ,sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with halved strawberries and mint leaves
-If you prefer you can serve this dessert as well open faced.
Serve immediately.

Serves 1 portion
Enjoy!
See you next week.

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Sweet Rice Soufflé With Strawberry Sauce

Sweet treat from Austria : Rice Souffle with Strawberry Sauce

This is a classic of the renowned Austrian Patisserie.

 Austrians love candies as much as the love music, so tradition and the cuisine, especially the sweets, are part of our culture and history.

Even though not as famous as the Sacher Torte, the sweet rice soufflé has made a remarkable career among  the ones with a sweet tooth.

It is also another one of my son´s, the biggest sweet tooth in our family, favorites.

It takes a bit of patience to prepare, but you will see that you will be well rewarded.

You need:

250 g (8.8 oz.) short-grain rice

1 l milk

1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest* (I used lime because I can't find lemon over here, but the taste is more delicate using lemon)

1 teaspoon butter (for the milk)

1/4 cup sugar   (for the milk)

100g (3.5 oz.) butter

150g (5.2 oz.)sugar

3 eggs

A pinch of salt

For the apple filling:

¾ kg apples, peeled and sliced

1 spoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar

Cinnamon

For the strawberry sauce:

4 cups ripe, fresh strawberries

3/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

 Preparation:

Strawberry sauce:

Mix strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in blender until creamy.

Rice Soufflé :

Peel and thinly slice the apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Pre cook the rice for 3 minutes in abundant, boiling water.

Drain and rinse with cold water.

Set aside.

Add sugar, the teaspoon of butter and lemon zest to the milk and bring to a  boil.

Add the rice and  cook  at low heat, stirring from time to time for about 10 to 15 minutes or until rice gets soft and creamy.

Set aside and let cool down.

Grease a large, rectangular casserole.

Beat butter (at room temperature) and sugar until creamy then add the yolks one by one

 Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Add the lemon zest and incorporate to the rice mixture.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.

Gently combine 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into rice mixture, and then add carefully the remaining egg whites.

Spoon half of the rice mixture into a casserole.

Cover with the apples.

Spread the remaining rice mixture until covered.

Bake at medium heat  (220 C) for about 45 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Let cool down, then cut into small squares or, with a ring mold, into small, round cakes.

Serves 12.   Enjoy!

See you next Tuesday.

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