Greek style savoury cake

 Great for a picnic, an apéritif or a light summer lunch with a mixed greens salad. Don't be shy, keep the basic recipe and substitute the ingredients with leftovers eg, salmon, or that piece of leek, courgette, etc. In winter, I like to pair up a warming soup with a savoury cake for a hearty meal 😻

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 150g f flour, I used 80g white flour and 70g buckwheat flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 50g grated emmental (or cheddar cheese)
• 1 marinated red pepper cut into cubes
• 5 to 6 sun-dried tomatoes cut unto small pieces 
• 8 green olives cut into quarters
  
• 75g feta cheese cut into cubes
• Half a ball of mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
• I T olive oil
• 2T fromage blanc
• 1t black pepper
• 1 t dried parsley
  

Method:

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder and spices with the emmental and combine. 

Add all the other ingredients except the eggs, olive oil and fromage blanc. Mix with a spatula until all ingredients are coated with flour.

Add the eggs, mix gently until eggs are incorporated, the mixture will be quite sticky.

Lastly drizzle in the olive oil and add the fromage blanc. The batter should be thick but not dry, add a little more olive oil/fromage blanc if it's too stiff. Don't overmix, just bind it all together gently with a silicone spatula. The batter should look like this:

Pour into a cake pan and bake at 180° for 45 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.

 

Sushi rice

 As I don't make sushi very often, I tend  to forget how to make a perfect sushi rice, this recipe is just a "post-it" 📝 for a quick reminder of how to make it. Use it for sushi, onigiri or other Japanese delicacies calling for sticky rice.

 Ingredients:

• 400g round white rice (I use organic rice from the Camargue)
• 500ml water

For the vinegar seasoning:

• 80ml rice vinegar
• 1/2 T sugar
• 1/2 t salt
  

Method:

Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Allow to dry for at least a half an hour. 

Prepare the seasoned vinegar.

When the rice is dry, put the rice in a non stick pot, cover with the water and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer on low heat for about 12 minutes. 

All the water must be absorbed. 

Turn off the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes without removing the lid.

 

Transfer the rice to a large recipient (wood, ceramic or plastic, not metal) and with a special rice spatula or a flat wooden spatula, slice through the rice to separate the grains at right angles while sprinkling with the vinegar seasoning. 

Continue the operation until the rice is cooled.

Spread the rice onto a wooden board and cover with a clean, damp dishcloth. 

Use as needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choucroute

Choucroute is simply lacto-fermentation, healthy, easy to make, if you just follow a few simple rules. The first being, one should use very fresh ingredients, the salt used must not have any added fluoride or iodine, etc, just pure salt. The jar must be clean but not sterilised. Fermentation was one of the first methods used to conserve food, it's almost as old as man! A passionate history of food conservation told by Marie-Claire Frédéric on her blog, Ni cru, ni cuit, as well as recipes such as this recipe for choucroute. 

 

Ingredients:

• 900 g Cabbage, white, green or red
• 9 g pure sea salt, no additives
• A few Juniper berries
  
• 1 jar with a rubber seal
  

Method:

No need to wash your cabbage, just the remove dirty and/or damaged leaves. 

 

 

Shred finely (I used a mandoline) and place in a large plastic mixing bowl. 

 

Add the salt and massage the salt into the cabbage until the water from the cabbage is released and your hand is wet. 

 

 

Throw in the Juniper berries and mix with your hand to incorporate.

Still using your hand, place handfuls into the prepared jar and push down to remove all air bubbles. Continue until the jar is full and all the cabbage is in the jar. The water will now completely cover the cabbage. 

Seal and leave for 2 weeks. Place on a saucer as it may leak (do not open during this time) After 2 weeks, the choucroute is ready to eat. It may be kept for a year or more without opening.

 

Serve with veggie sausages, steamed potatoes and a very cold glass of beer!

 

Can also be eaten cold as a salad.

Seitan Couscous

Why not use up those last summer veggies from the potager in a delicious couscous. Couscous is a Maghrebi dish usually made with vegetables, chickpeas and cubed mutton or chicken served on top of steamed wheat semolina. Substituting seitan for meat, this recipe makes a delicious veggie couscous!

 

Ingredients:

• 400g seitan, cubed
  
• 300g chickpeas
• 2 aubergines
• 3 courgettes
• 4 carrots
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 large yellow or red bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• 4 large cloves garlic
  
• 2T tomato paste
  
• 2T ras-el-hanout
• 1T cumin
• 2t paprika
  
• Harissa to taste
• at least 500ml of water (about 2 cups)
• Spicy veggie sausages (optional)
  

 For the semolina (for 4 people)

• 2 cups wheat semolina
• 2 cups boiling hot water
• 1T olive oil
  

Method:

In a cast iron pot, fry the sliced onion and spices in some cooking oil. Add the diced peppers, aubergines and carrots. Cook for 5 min then add the cubed seitan, courgettes and tomatoes as well as the water and tomato paste (add more water if needed). Cover and allow to simmer for 30-40 min.

If using veggie sausages add them and simmer for a few more minutes to heat them.

In a dish with a lid, put the semolina, hot water and olive oil, then stir and cover for a few minutes. Remove the lid and with a fork separate the grains. The semolina will have doubled in size and is ready to serve!

 

With a ladle, scoop some liquid from the couscous and pour into a small serving bowl. Add about 1T of Harissa (according to taste) and mix well.

Serve the couscous with the semolina and the spicy sauce.

Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower at it's best...make an easy bechamel, steam the cauliflower, bake and enjoy! Comfort food for those cold winter days ⛄

Ingredients:

• 1kg fresh or frozen cauliflower 
• 600 ml Bechamel sauce (see recipe link)
• Breadcrumbs and grated cheese for the topping
  

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Steam (or boil) the cauliflower. Drain and place into an ovenproof dish.

Spread the bechamel sauce over the cauliflower, covering the florets completely.  Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs and some Parmesan or Emmental cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

Pumpkin Soup

Winter blues? Make this full-bodied, comforting and creamy soup for when it's too cold to go outside! Also, pumpkin is super low in calories, only 26 kilocalories for 100gms and is an excellent source of provitamin A, beta-carotine and Vitamin A.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 kg pumpkin
• 1 onion
  
• 1T turmeric
• fresh cream (optional)
• sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional)
  

Method:

Fry the onion and turmeric in some cooking oil. Add the peeled and diced pumpkin. Cover with water and let simmer for 40-50min or until the pumpkin is soft, then blend the soup with a stick blender.

 

Enjoy with cream or and/or a sprinkle of seeds.

 

Nine Vegetable Tagine

Delicious veggie dish from North Africa. This is made in a tagine pot, the conical shape of the lid makes a moist, hot environment for the food. The base is wide and shallow, and the tall lid fits snugly inside. As the food cooks, steam rises into the cone, condenses, and then trickles down the sides back into the dish. After a short spell on the stove, it bakes in the oven. Cooking time is rather long so start early 😅😀Serve with cous-cous and Harissa. Serves 6 with leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 300g chick peas
• 200g chard
• 4 small onions
• 4 potatoes
• 4 carrots
• 4 tomatoes
• 8 small florets of cauliflower
• 1 turnip
  
• 1 big courgette
  
• 1 red pepper
• 2t paprika
  
• 2t cumin
• 1t quatre épices
• 1t ground coriander
  
• 1t ground ginger
• 300ml warm water (or more according to the size of your tagine pot
  

Method:

Mix the water and spices. Chop all the vegetables into chunks or slices. Preheat the oven to 180C.

 

On high heat, fry the vegetables and stir them well to get a little char (with enough oil so they don't burn). After 5-10min, add the water and the chick peas and cover the tagine. 

 

 

Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

Ever so often, take the tagine out of the oven and stir it, making sure there is enough liquid so it doesn't stick.

Before serving, remove about 200ml of juice and mix with 1 or 2T of Harissa for a spicy sauce.

Braised endives

The preferred recipe for chicory at home. The balsamic vinegar counteracts the bitterness of the chicory and the soy sauce perfectly compliments the recipe. A main meal ( allow at least a kilo for 2 or 3 persons) or a side dish with grilled fish or chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1kg endives
• 2T soy sauce
• 1T Balsamic vinegar
• Vegetable oil ( I use rice bran oil)
  

Method:

Wash and cut the endives into quarters lengthwise. Remove the bitter core. 

Heat some vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan.Add the endives. Fry on high heat for a few minutes to brown (braise)

 

 Once a little smoky add the balsamic vinegar and the soy sauce and stir to combine.

 

 Lower the heat, cover and simmer until soft. Liquid will form from the endives and condensation.

 

Remove the lid, adjust the heat setting to a little higher for the excess liquid to evaporate.

 

 

 

Remove with a slatted spoon and serve as a dinner as is or as a side dish with a main course.

Batch-cooking: Canned Roasted Tomatoes

For those long winter months without lover summer veggies like tomatoes (actually a fruit), try this recipe. Although canning seems like a long process, which it can be, using roasted tomatoes goes rather quickly as there is no blanching, peeling, etc. To correctly sterilise your jars, check the Le Parfait website.

Ingredients:

• 2,5 kg fresh organic tomatoes 
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
  
• A mix of herbs and spices such as paprika, herbes de Provence, ground coriander or use my Yummy spice mix
• A little olive oil for the roasting dish and drizzling
  

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. 

Wash all the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Place the tomatoes in a lightly oiled roasting dish with the garlic cloves and spices. Lightly drizzle with the olive oil.

 

  

Place in the hot oven for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160°C and allow to roast for about an hour.

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, sterilise clean jars and their lids (by boiling, or in the microwave without their lids or in a steamer)

Remove and place on a clean dish towel.

Once the tomatoes are done and whilst still hot, spoon them into the jars, closing tightly.

Sterilise the sealed jars with your preferred method, I usually use the oven and occasionally the steamer.

The jars will keep a few months in the pantry.

Ktipiti

Another delicious and easy Greek ''meze'' recipe ... usually served as an appetiser but works well for a finger food luncheon or a picnic. They also work in sandwiches, wraps or drizzled over a veggie bowl. If you enjoy"meze" dips, try my Tzaziki recipe.

 Ingredients:

• 2 chopped roasted red peppers either freshly roasted or brined peppers, rinsed and drained
• 1 block Feta cheese
  
• 125g Fromage frais
• 1 to 2 fresh chilli peppers or dried chilli flakes
• 1/4 cup lemon juice or wine vinegar
• 2 – 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt as needed
• 1T olive oil

 

Method:

If using fresh peppers (I used yellow as I couldn't find organic red ones) wash them, place in an oven proof dish or on a baking tray and roast in a hot oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. This makes them easy to peel. 

Once roasted, allow to cool, then peel and remove all seeds.

 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until everything is nicely blended.

Serve chilled as an appetiser (meze) with plenty of pita bread. 

Airfried Bhaji

Makes 10-12 bhajis.

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 red onions (1.5 if large)
• 50g flour
  
• 50g chickpea flour
• 100ml cold water
  
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 green chilli pepper
  
• 1/2 t baking powder
  
• 1/2 t turmeric
  
• 1/2 t coriander
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t cayenne powder
• 1/2 t salt
  

Method:

Mix the flour, chickpea flour, spices and baking powder together, then add the water and stir to make a thick batter. Slice the onions, garlic and green chilli pepper finely, then add them into the batter and mix well. Let the mixture rest for 10min.

Line the airfryer with cooking oil. Form little patties with the batter and airfry them for 5-7min, turn them over and airfry for another 5-7min. Let them cool down on a paper towel before serving.

Mushroom and leek risotto

Risotto is an all-in-one meal. You can vary the vegetables according to the seasons. Don't forget that you have to stay next to your pot and stir it the whole time... so pour yourself a glass of wine!

 

Ingredients:

• 300g round rice
• 1200ml vegetable stock
  
• 1 punnet of mushrooms
• 1/2 leek
• 1 small onion
  
• 2 glasses white wine
• 4 cloves garlic 
• 1 t coriander
  
• parsley
  

Method:

Wash the rice and set aside to dry. Roughly chop the mushrooms, finely slice the leek and mince the onion. In a heavy based pot, lightly fry the leek and onion. When translucent, add the rice and lightly fry, stirring all the time. Add the coriander and parsley.

 

Once the rice is translucent, add the wine and keep stirring until all of it is absorbed. Slowly incorporate the stock by adding about 200ml at a time and stirring until completely absorbed, repeating this step until there isn't any stock left.

 

Courgette soup

This is a recipe from one of my best friends, Michèle which she gave me many years ago and I still make it today as it's simplicity itself. This time I used yellow and green from our veggie garden. Enjoy this soup hot or chilled, it's simply delish! 😋

 

 

Ingredients:

• About 6 to 8 courgettes depending on size
• 1 bouquet fresh basil leaves
• Olive oil for frying
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Roughly slice the courgettes into thick slices. In a heavy based pot with a lid, warm the olive oil and lightly fry the courgettes until they begin to brown.

 

 

Just cover with water (not too much) and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. when the courgettes are soft, turn off the heat and add the bouquet of basil. Put the lid on to allow the basil to 'melt'.

Lastly, with a stick blender, mix until smooth. Decorate with a few basil leaves and serve immediately or cool and refrigerate. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Plain rice pilaf

This basic stovetop rice recipe consistently delivers a great result.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice
• 1.5 cups of boiling water
• cooking oil

Method:

Wash the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Let it dry for about 20min or until dry (toss it around for it to go faster). In a pot, heat up the cooking oil and fry the rice until translucent. Add the boiling water and stir. Cover the pot and set the heat down to medium-low, let it cook for 12min. Once cooked, let the rice rest with the lid on for a few minutes before serving.

Variation with Brown Rice

The rice pilaf recipe is exactly the same as for white rice except that the brown rice needs more water and a longer cooking time.

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice
• 2 1/2 cups of boiling water
• cooking oil

Method:

Wash the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Let it dry for 20min or until dry (toss it around for it to go faster). In a pot, heat up the cooking oil and fry the rice until translucent. Add the boiling water cup by cup stirring until all the rice is covered.. Cover the pot and set the heat down to medium-low, let it cook for 45 to 50 min. Once cooked, let the rice rest with the lid on for a few minutes before serving.

Kimchi

Kimchi is a Korean spicy side dish. Being lacto-fermented, it is an excellent way of getting those probiotics. I have adapted this recipe from "Salted and Styled’s Cooking Class: Kimchi" where there is a step by step description with fantastic photography to help along...

Ingredients:

• 1 white cabbage (Nappa), cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 cup coarse sea salt, divided
• 4 cups of cold water
• 1 large white radish (optional)
  
• 4 green onions

Hot pepper mixture:

• 1/3 cup white onion, pureed
• 1 cup Korean pepper flakes (gochugaru*) or Cayenne pepper
  
• 2 t ground ginger
• 1/4 cup ground garlic
• 3 T fish sauce (anchovy or nuoc mam)
  
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1 T light brown sugar

 

 Method:

In an extra large mixing bowl dissolve 3/4 cup of the coarse sea salt into 4 cups of cold water and place cabbage halves in to soak. Sprinkle the remaining salt between the layers of the cabbage.

Leave the cabbage to soak in the salt water for about 6-7 hours or overnight.

The following day, rinse the cabbage in cold water to rinse off all the salt and squeeze tightly to to drain. Cut into quarters and allow to dry in a colander.

Slice the radish and green onions in to fine julienne pieces and place in a medium size mixing bowl.

Assemble the ingredients for the red pepper mixture. which you then add to the radish and green onions and mix well with your hands.

Spread the red pepper mixture in between the layers of the cabbage.

With your hands, squeeze the cabbage together to make it narrow enough to stuff into your sterilized jar. 

Cover and allow the kimchi to ferment for about two to three days at room-temperature then refrigerate.

Taboulé

A very refreshing and  summer salad to use up all those cukes! I usually make this recipe without measuring, that is how it was taught to me when I arrived in France over 30 years ago. My daughters have asked many times for the exact recipe, so I have at last taken the time to measure all the ingredients and add it to this family and friends blog😇 So get those knives out and start chopping!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small cucumbers (400g)
• 5 tomatoes (480g)
• 450g medium grain wheat semolina (couscous)
• 120ml lemon juice
• 40ml olive oil
• Nice bunch of fresh mint 
• Salt to taste (optional, the lemon juice does the job!)

 

Method:

Finely chop the cucumber and tomatoes, if organic, no need to peel anything😅

Place in a large salad bowl, add the couscous, stir so that everything is well coated.

Add the olive oil & lemon juice and stir well. Use a fork to separate the grains.

Finely chop the mint, mix well making sure that the grains are separated and that there are no lumps. Refrigerate for at least an hour, loosening the grains about twice. The longer you wait, the better it tastes ;)

Serve as a starter or a main course. Great for picnics 😋

Enjoy!

 

Seitan Stroganoff

Delicious veggie stroganoff, serve with a side of lemon rice.

 

Ingredients:

• 250g seitan
• 150g mushrooms
• 200mL vegetable stock
• 250g fromage blanc
  
• 1 onion
• 2T whiskey
• 2T tomato paste
  
• 1T mustard
• 1T maizena
  
• 1t smoked paprika
• 1t black pepper
  
• 1t cayenne powder
  

Method:

Finely slice the onion and mushrooms and fry them until soft. Chop the seitan into chunks and add it. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the fromage blanc and whiskey. Stir until the mixture thickens, and let it simmer on low heat (start making your lemon rice in the meantime).

 

Mix the fromage blanc and the whiskey, then gently incorporate it into the mixture. Serve with a side of pasta or rice.

Spanish Tortilla with vegetables

This recipe concerns the Spanish omelette, not the Mesoamerican flatbread. It is made with vegetables instead of potatoes for a healthy and delicious version. It is perfect for using up those vegetables and left over cheeses in the fridge, especially raclette cheese! Serve with a green salad for a summer lunch.

 

 

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 eggs (depending on size)
  
• A head of broccoli, broken into florets and steamed (crunchy)
  
• A punnet of cherry tomatoes,
  
• 1/2 red pepper, roughly cubed
  
• A handful of mushrooms, roughly chopped
  
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
  
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
• Herbs & spices (don't forget the smoked paprika!)
• Black pepper
  

 

Method:

Prepare the vegetables.
Beat the eggs with the black pepper until fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

In a cast iron skillet, lightly fry the shallot on medium heat in a little cooking oil. After a few minutes, add herbs and spices and the red pepper, cook for a further few minutes, then add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have rendered their juice, then add the broccoli and the finely chopped garlic. Slowly add the beaten eggs and cheese, stir a little and let the omelette cook. As soon as the sides start to turn brown, remove from the heat and transfer to the hot oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheeses melt and turn golden brown.

Carrot confit and mashed potatoes

 Recipe taken from France info (Thierry Marx). Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg potatoes
• A bunch of carrots (around 600g)
• Olive oil
• Crushed black pepper

Method:

Boil the potatoes with the skin (or steam). Peel them, mash them and with a fork whisk them with a fork with the olive oil. Add the pepper and set aside. 

Peel the carrots. Boil the peels until soft, remove and keep the water. 

 

Cut the carrots lengthwise, place in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil  and the crushed black pepper. Pour in the water from the carrot peels to cover. 

Bake at 180°C for about an hour. The carrots must be nicely grilled on one side and tender on the other.

Serve with the mash and the caramelised left over juice from the carrots.