Posts

Gratin Dauphinois

Image
Gratin Dauphinois is a simple and delicious. Seasoned potato slices bubble away until it melts in a thick, ultra creamy sauce. It’s a kind of dish to prepare, to cook and to enjoy when it's cold outside... INGREDIENTS (4 serving) 2 pounds potatoes 150 ml whipping cream 500 ml whole milk 2 garlic cloves 30g unsalted butter 1 tsp nutmeg Salt and ground pepper Fresh herbs to decorate DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Butter a gratin ovenproof dish (9 or 10 × 2 inches) round or square. In a saucepan combine the milk and the cream. Bring to a simmer. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Wash, peel and slice the potatoes. Display the potatoes in the dish. Pour the milk and cream mixture, paying attention it doesn’t recover the potatoes completely. Add some butter knobs on top. Bake 90 minutes. The gratin must be gold on top and the potatoes well baked. BON APPETIT!

Roasted Winter Vegetables Soup "Capuccino Style"

Image
Winter vegetables are not only healthy but also good for our planet as we just have to buy it at local producers on the market. My personal recipe is made with butternut squash, pumpkin and onions (all organic)  but instead of adding whipping cream, I use coconut milk instead. Try it and you'll see it's delicious! Preparation time : 30 minutes - Baking time : 1 hour INGREDIENTS (6 serving) 1 small organic butternut squash 500g organic pumpkin 400g organic carrots 2 garlic cloves + 1 red onion ¼ tsp paprika + ¼ tsp cumin powder 1 liter of chicken stock 200ml coconut milk 1 fresh goat cheese 40g sunflower seeds  A pinch of chili pepper Salt and ground pepper Olive oil Rosemary DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the vegetables under clear water, cut the squash in half without peeling it, remove the seeds and then cut them into pieces.  Wash, peel and slice the carrots. Peel the onion, cut it in quarters. Crush the garlic cloves. Cover a baking tray with parchment pap...

Roasted squash, Toasted Hazelnuts & Poached eggs Buckwheat Crepes

Image
A winter flavors comforting buckwheat crepes that combines roasted squash with crispy bacon to enjoy the seasonal produce. This recipe is designed for gluten-free people.   INGREDIENTS (15 crepes serving) 500g buckwheat flour 15g table salt 1 liter water In a salad bowl, combine flour with salt. Gradually pour in the water while continuing to mix to get a smooth, lump-free batter. I recommend to prepare the batter one day in advance to allow the buckwheat  whole  flour to rise. The next day, take a non-stick pan and put it over medium heat with a knob of butter. Pour a ladle of batter. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coasts the surface evenly. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. In using a spatula, turn and cook the other side.  Repeat until all batter is cooked. INGREDIENTS (4 serving) 4 buckwheat crepes 400g squash 200g bacon 4 eggs 50g crushed toasted hazelnuts Salty butter Parsley DIRECTIONS Squash preparati...

Zucchini & Avocado Tartare

Image
36°C today in Paris... maybe more under the bright sun without wind... too hot to cook. I found a zucchini I brought from Provence in my fridge. I have an avocado and sundried tomatoes from Italy... For the fresh herbs, you could have it in your kitchen garden. In Paris, I always grow it on my balcony.  Here's a very good "summer" recipe, which change from the traditional tomato-mozzarella or cantaloupe melon-proscuitto. Try this recipe at home and enjoy this delicious appetizer ! INGREDIENTS (2 serving) 2 medium-sized zucchini 1 big avocado (or 2 small ones) 1/4 cup pitted olives, cut in small pieces 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, finely chopped 4 tbsp lemon juice Fresh herbs : basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, chervil Fleur de sel, Groun pepper DIRECTIONS In a bowl, mix diced zucchini and avocado, diced olives, chopped sundried tomatoes and fresh herbs. Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the zuc...

Zucchini & Quinoa croquettes

Image
Preparation : 15 minutes - Cooking time : 15 minutes INGREDIENTS (6 serving) 125g organic quinoa 2 organic zucchini 100g grated parmesan 50g bread crumbs 1 egg 3 tbsp olive oil 300ml water 1 garlic clove 1/2 tsp dried oregano DIRECTIONS Wash zucchini under clear water and dry it and grat it. Put it in a strainer with 1/2 tsp salt. Strain 10mn. In the meantime, cook the quinoa in water for 10 minutes. Remove from the stove and seed the quinoa with a fork. Leave 10 minutes. Pour the quinoa in a large bowl. Add the grated zucchini (drained). Peel the garlic clove and crush it over the bowl. Add the beaten egg and then oregano, bread crumbs and grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, and shape croquettes. In a pan, warm olive oil, and cook the croquettes 2 minutes each side over medium heat. Serve with a yogurt sauce simply seasoned with salt and pepper. Bon appetit!

Rack of Lamb topped with herbs crust, accompanied by shallots, white & green beans

Image
Preparation : 15 minutes cooking Time : 20  minutes at 400°F  (200°C) INGREDIENTS (6 serving) 6 racks of lamb (170g each) prepared by your butcher 200 ml veal stock 2g herbs of Provence Fleur de sel (table salt) and ground pepper  1 tomato A pinch of granulated sugar A pinch of Espelette ground bell pepper (or paprika) 30g carrots 4 shallots 25g chopped herbs (chive, parsley, tarragon) 70g bread crumbs 180g olive oil 2 garlic cloves White beans (already cooked) 500g green beans  + 1 leak DIRECTIONS Step 1 : Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Step 2 : Combine bread crumbs, chopped herbs with olive oil. Season with salt and ground pepper. Step 3 : Season the racks of lamb with salt and pepper. Add one spoon of sunflower oil in a pan, and heat it. Sauté the racks on all sides until lightly brown. Top the meat with the herbs mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Step 4 : Meantime, peel and crush one garlic clove. Peel and ...

KING CAKE EPIPHANY TRADITIONAL CELEBRATION...

Image
In the beginning of January, French bakeries are filled with exquisite puff pastry pies that are called “ Galettes des Rois ” in France but also "King Cake" in the US. Epiphany is a traditional Christian feast celebrating the 'shining forth' or   revelation   of God to mankind in human form, in the   person   of   Jesus Christ.  The name "Epiphany" is a greek word meaning revelation. It’s based on the biblical story that tells of the Magi or   Three Kings   - Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar - who saw a bright star on the night Christ was born and followed it to Bethlehem… The Epiphany is celebrated twelve days after Christmas. At this occasion, families meet to share the traditional “galette des rois”. This puff pastry pie is filled with almond cream and... something else ! It’s time to find the kings. The French call it “ tirer les rois ”. The traditional galette is cut in slices (one per person sitting at the table plus one...