Food, travel and photography

Category: Batch cooking ideas

GRATINATED EGGPLANT

GRATINATED EGGPLANT

I never get tired of eating eggplants; I just love them! My friend Michelle who lives Southern France and who is a great cook, gave me this recipe. Try it, you’ll see how easy and delicious it is.

APPLE ROSES

APPLE ROSES

This lovely dessert is easy to warm up! Although shaping the flowers is a bit tricky at first, once you’ve got the technique, you’ll finish the preparation in a breeze. You can even let your creativity take over and vary the toppings … for example, 

FRESH BEETROOT, COCONUT MILK, GINGER & LIME SOUP

FRESH BEETROOT, COCONUT MILK, GINGER & LIME SOUP

My friend Karin has a gift for introducing me to fanciful and delicious recipes. I love it! This velouté releases all its flavours once it has been mixed. It’s easy to warm up and to freeze as well.

Savoury zucchini feta & mint cake

Savoury zucchini feta & mint cake

The feta cheese and the Greek yogurt bring a nice fresh touch to this delicious zucchini bread recipe. This one is from my friend Marina. I am a fan of her cooking always healthy, inspiring, and so savoury.

Niçoise-style salad by Laurent

Niçoise-style salad by Laurent

For your perfect information, or for the Salade Niçoise purists, this is what I have gathered: the authentic Salade Niçoise does not use vinegar, nor lettuce, never tuna with anchovies, but one or the other. Only raw vegetables that are in season are used, and 

Pine nut lamb keftas, dried barberry and chili

Pine nut lamb keftas, dried barberry and chili

Sabrina Ghayour, a Persian chef, lives in the United Kingdom and is known for preparing easy, delicious and colorful recipes. Her books have become great references for Persian cooking in the past few years. I love her cooking and I was very touched by her extreme kindness 

THE IRRESISTIBLE CHOCOLATE FONDANT

THE IRRESISTIBLE CHOCOLATE FONDANT

My friend Florence likes to make this recipe at the last minute. She loves serving the Chocolate Fondant warm and is so delighted to see that, each time, there are no leftovers at all. That’s how irresistible it is!

Mushroom cappucino

Mushroom cappucino

This very tasty dish is to be prepared 24 hours in advance. My friend Isabelle is now a nutrition coach, and runs cooking workshops in Brussels. She always has great new recipes to share with me.

Tomato and olive pie

Tomato and olive pie

Use cherry tomatoes for this recipe. The result is stunning whether served warm or cold.

Persimmon goat cheese and roasted hazelnuts salad

Persimmon goat cheese and roasted hazelnuts salad

Choose firm and crunchy fuyu persimmons for this recipe as their pulp will not be too juicy. This variety is crunch, sweet, and best for salads.Thank you, Hélène, for sharing this delicious starter. Hélène’s French recipe website is now running under the name “Minute Papillotte”. 

Caribbean coconut pudding

Caribbean coconut pudding

This is my mother-in-law’s Caribbean coconut pudding family recipe! I must say it is very sweet, but it is an absolute delight. When I make this pudding, I use small individual custard cups or small bowls.

My pumpkin soup

My pumpkin soup

This rich and creamy soup is ideal to face the winter weather and replenish with plenty vitamins.

Alexandra’s healthy soup

Alexandra’s healthy soup

This is a genuine healthy soup: made with leeks, garlic, and onions for the pre-biotics (high in fibers), and with kale known to be high in nutrients and anti-oxydants (carotenoids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C, K …) I love it and I 

Vegetable chutney

Vegetable chutney

Using chutney is common in Great Britain, but this condiment originates from India. I do love this sweet and sour dressing made of fruits, vegetables, sugar, vinegar, and spices.

Blueberry smoothie

Blueberry smoothie

When your blueberries are stored in the refrigerator, this delicious smoothie can be prepared and served in 5 minutes-time.

Apple and red cabbage velouté

Apple and red cabbage velouté

Apparently, cooking red cabbage is not very popular. That is quite unfortunate because this vegetable is not only delicious, but it also contains excellent nutrients and can be stored in the refrigerator for days… Thank you, Stéphanie, for sharing your red cabbage velouté recipe. 

Fall season fruit sauce

Fall season fruit sauce

An elegant dessert for a good meal. To be served with some cookies or cannelés . 

Beef Fatayas

Beef Fatayas

This Senegalese recipe is also called “pastel” and originally comes from Lebanon. Lebanese people call them “sambousiks”, and Argentines also love these tiny savory beef pastries and call them “empanadas”.

Chinese fried rice

Chinese fried rice

Simple to make, this delicious and easy to make recipe is one of my teenage years-favorites … thanks, Chantal, for this and for your appetizers I shared on my site too!

Vegetables confit

Vegetables confit

This dish is delicious when served with a green salad; it’s also great with grilled fish or meat. The secret for this recipe? Time: slow cooking is the key!

Italian style eggplant gratin

Italian style eggplant gratin

This is another great recipe from Mary. If you are a fan of her pesto sauce, you are going to love this one! In case you don’t have nice fresh tomatoes at hand or if they are not in season yet, you can use the 

Vegetable tajine

Vegetable tajine

This recipe is an extract from Martine Fallon’s book, “Energetic Bomb”. I wish to thank this wonderful Lady, the energetic food Ambassador in Belgium, for allowing me to publish her recipe on my website. Check her French Website martinefallon.com for more. Special thanks to my 

My watercress dressing

My watercress dressing

This dressing is ideal when served with fish and potatoes and it is incredibly easy to make. You will need a food processor.

Green pea salad

Green pea salad

Yes, you did read correctly: when in season, the green peas are raw from your vegetable garden or fresh from the market, or when not in season use the frozen ones. One day, I forgot to add the bacon, another day my friend Bertille did 

Tomato crumble

Tomato crumble

Adeline Brousse who created this delicious recipe I found in a magazine years ago, gave me her go to publish my own version of her recipe. Many thanks to her. Adeline is a French journalist specialized in gastronomy and wine.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

This cake is famous and a classic in England and in the US. Thank you Raphaël for this precious recipe. It’s moist, perfectly spiced and the best part is the topping!

Lamb pear and prune tajine

Lamb pear and prune tajine

This recipe originating from Northern Africa is absolutely delicious and frankly easy to make. You may even give it a personal touch by adding almonds, pine nuts, or a little bit of honey, as the ingredients and spices differ from one region to another.

Butternut & red lentil soup

Butternut & red lentil soup

You will need a blender to make this smooth and rich soup. If you prefer the Vegan version, just remove the bacon and the chicken broth.

Virginie’s seed crackers

Virginie’s seed crackers

These crunchy shortbreads are absolutely delicious. You may even sprinkle a bit if cumin seeds or aniseeds to vary the flavour or simply add a pinch of Espelette chili to spice it up. 

STEPHANIE’S FRENCH CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ

STEPHANIE’S FRENCH CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ

Stéphanie, who is a great cook and who is used to organising large dinner parties, managed to convince me to make this fantastic recipe. Use one of your nice terrine dishes as it will be served on the table.

cream of butternut and chestnut with roasted seaweed

cream of butternut and chestnut with roasted seaweed

My friend Armelle, who had me discover this great starter, used pumpkin and I did too. She steamed the vegetables in her steam oven at a temperature of 100° for 15 minutes. If you use a pressure cooker, allow 5 minutes to cook after it 

Severine’s banana cake

Severine’s banana cake

Although this sweet cake is a classic, there is a large variety of banana cake recipes. Severine’s is just one of  the countless ways to make it. You may also try Karin’s recipe. I love it too!