Category: Make-ahead recipes
Pissaladière – The Provençal Onion Tart
There are recipes that instantly smell like sunshine and holidays… Pissaladière is one of them. With its slowly caramelized onions, anchovies, and black olives, it evokes the South of France, Provençal markets, and shared meals. Here I offer a simple and quick version with no …
Easy Authentic Vitello Tonnato (Italian Veal with tuna Sauce Recipe)
Vitello Tonnato is an Italian dish, a classic originating from the Piedmont region in northern Italy. It consists of roasted or poached veal, thinly sliced, served with capers and a flavorful sauce made with tuna and anchovies. The combination may seem surprising, but personally, I …
Strawberry, Cucumber, Mint Infused Water Recipe
To mix things up, you can add a sliced lime to the preparation and replace the mint leaves with sprigs of rosemary.
STEAM OVEN CRÈME CARAMEL
Slow, low-temperature cooking makes this dessert extra smooth and creamy.
CHESTNUT MOUSSE WITH CANDIED CHESTNUT PIECES
A festive dessert that can be prepared in record time with very few ingredients. It keeps well in the refrigerator (if you hide it well!) for more than 48 hours.
Pear, Apple, Cardamom & Ginger Compote
Here’s a lovely way to finish a light meal on a sweet note while delighting your guests. For a touch of indulgence, serve this compote with shortbread cookies or gingerbread.
Cinnamon–Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
These festive treats are perfect to make with children and wrap beautifully as gifts. For perfect cookies, I recommend storing them in a metal tin, lined with tissue paper, and packing them snugly so they don’t break. Enjoy them with green tea within 2 to …
PUMPKIN AND SQUASH SOUP IN THE STYLE OF POL GRÉGOIRE
This starter is inspired by the cookbook Vitalité Gourmande: les secrets de l’Alimentation vive written by Françoise De Keuleneer and Pol Grégoire. In this book, the recipes of Belgian chef Pol Grégoire, who sadly passed away in 2024, are inspiring, unexpected, easy to prepare, and …
The monkfish curry, madagascan way
This is an easy, flavorful, and festive dish — I never get tired of it. It’s inspired by a recipe by Blanche Vaughan that appeared in the English magazine House & Garden a couple of years ago. You can prepare it in two stages.
Zucchini rolls with goat cheese & lumpfish roe
I love preparing these little delicious bites — if you have someone to help you with the assembly, it will be more fun, and they’ll be ready in no time!
SLOW COOKED LEG OF LAMB
In France, lamb is traditionally served for Easter in the spring season, but it is also available all year round as it is easily frozen too. This recipe can be prepared in different ways; this is my version of it but feel free to add …
VANILLA CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES
These festive treats are prefect to make with children and to wrap up beautifully as gifts. For flawless cookies, I recommend storing them safely in a metal tin lined with tissue paper. Be sure to pack them tightly so they donc break. Enjoy them with …
My gingerbread
Lightly sweetened for gingerbread, with an exquisite taste, it is soft and melt-in-your-mouth.
My almond and Pecan Granola with a hint of orange
One of the most iconic and well-known stores in London sells a granola that I love. It is rich in seeds, flavored with vanilla and orange, and very crunchy. I was inspired by it to create my own recipe using organic ingredients. After many attempts, …
MY EGGPLANT AND SWEET POTATO CURRY
I was waiting to have a photo that I liked before sharing this delicious recipe. Done! You’ll need a few pantry ingredients, a pot, a cutting board, a frying pan, sweet potatoes, and eggplants to make this delicious dish.
Tami’s lasagna
Tami isn’t a fan of béchamel sauce, so she prepares her lasagna with cooking cream instead. For me, it was a revelation. Feel free to try this recipe; it’s delicious and easy to make. If you can’t find the specific cooking cream, you can use …
FIG CHUTNEY
A unique and delicious, sweet-and-savory condiment that pairs perfectly with foie gras from my friend Caroline.
FRENCH FOIE GRAS
Monsieur Ducasse shared this recipe on a radio show at least 20 years ago. I quickly grabbed a pen to jot down the details. You can substitute Port wine for Pineau, but I think that little touch of cognac really makes a difference. I’ve never …
ENDIVE AND SAGE VELOUTÉ
I really like sage. I grow it in my garden and try to use it regularly. This dish is a creamy, light starter that awakens the taste buds. It’s quick to make with just a few ingredients and can be adapted in countless ways. I …
MONKFISH TERRINE
It was during a very pleasant evening many years ago that I tasted this delicious dish, and I have Eliane to thank for the recipe.
Vichyssoise Soup
I rediscovered this American starter recipe in London. This delicious soup may be served chilled as well as hot! For the record, this very simple recipe (an inspiration from our French Potage Bonne Femme) was added to the Ritz-Carlton restaurant menu between WWI and WWII. …
ORANGE GLAZED LEEKS, DILL LABNEH
This starter is quite unique and can easily be prepared in 2 steps. I found it in the February 2024 issue of Saveurs a French magazine. It was created by Audrey Cosson who is a culinary author and designer. Her recipes usually enable interchanging its …
QUINOA AND CAULIFLOWER NUTTY SALAD
This salad is inspired by a recipe found on a Cuisine et Vins de France magazine. Thank you, Frédérique, for pointing out this lovely recipe: I loved it.
PINEAPPLE CARPACCIO
Only 2 ingredients, a good bread knife, that’s all you need to make this light and exotic dessert in no time! Thank you, Marcela, for this wonderful idea.
RED PEPPERS WITH GENUINE HALLOUMI AND CHOPPED CHERRY TOMATOES TOPPING
Halloumi cheese originates from Cyprus, it is white, it is quite stiff, and strangely makes your teeth grind. I love it! It is made of goat and ewe milk. I like to have it sliced and grilled, often with grilled vegetables, salad, olives, citrus fruits, …
UPSIDE DOWN RED ONION PIE
I love my Delhaize Supermarket magazine. It is filled with great ideas and often features delicious recipes: I never forget to get the latest copy when staying in Brussels. Surprisingly, I even found this upside-down Red Onion pie recipe, which I had discovered a few …
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
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.
Red mullet escabeche
Thank you, Mary for your recipe ! Escabèche is a delicious marinade made of olive oil, garlic and vinegar. It is also used to marinate sea bass fillets. In Cuba, they use it for swordfish too. Another pleasant option is to add the juice of …
Gazpacho Asian style
A nice refreshing recipe (thanks to my friend Virginie) to be prepared with a food processor in no time. Served ice-cold, it is delicious, healthy, and it does not need any cooking. Try it, you’ll love it!
Homemade beef pita pockets
These delicious bites are prepared in no time and will be served immediately.
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.
Mint & goat cheese tart with vegetables
This recipe is another version of my Mint and Goat Cheese Pie. With its minty flavor with the vegies, it’s a pleasant summer meal in its own.
Prune sauce by Patrick
This sauce perfectly suits the Grilled Duck Breast recipe.
Beef bo būn
This Asian dish is a rice vermicelli and stir-fried beef mixed salad with optional pork spring rolls. Be ready to provide chopsticks to your guests.
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 …
Roasted cabbage with olive tapenade
A delicious and crunchy recipe made in USA. The kind of simple dish that comes as a good surprise and that you can’t wait to replicate at home… many thanks to Chloé for sharing.
Alicante paella
For a proper storage of your Paella pan between two paella dinner parties, I advise you to rub in some olive oil with a paper towel on the inner part of your pan. That way, your pan won’t rust.
Pickled carrots and whipped feta dip
This is a British recipe to which I made a few changes to suit my personal taste. Very easy to prepare, you just need a five-hour marinating time for the carrots. With a food processor, the dip will be ready in no time.
A dual couscous recipe with roasted cherry tomatoes and smoked paprika
This dish is my own version of a mix between two recipes from Ottolenghi and Sabrina Ghayour’s recipes.
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 …
Christmas Toffee Barbara’s way
This is Barbara’s very own special recipe for Christmas Toffee. Believe me: it’s a killer! This is perfect as a homemade treat. It was a nice and delicious experience to watch Barbara make this delicious candy.
Prawn Indian Curry
With red chilies, the sauce has a nice red color and the taste is spicier. With green chilies (as shown on the picture), the dish has more flavor and you can taste the coconut cream better. It’s a matter of personal touch … This recipe …
Lentil and shallots salad
Simply delicious and tasty, this salad can be served warm or cold.
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!
REFRESHING ZUCCHINI, FETA CHEESE AND MINT SALAD
This is definitely this summer’s Bestseller at home. Thank you Cécile for this great idea!
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.
Chia pudding
The more the chia seeds, the thicker your pudding will be. The proportions for this recipe here are for a smooth texture, neither too thick nor too runny. Red berries, mangoes, kiwis, any type of fruits works for decoration.























































