Food, travel and photography

Category: Make-ahead recipes

Red mullet escabeche

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

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!

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.

Mint & goat cheese tart with vegetables

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.

Beef bo būn

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

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

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

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

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.

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 

Christmas Toffee Barbara’s way

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

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 

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.

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 

double chocolate French charlotte

double chocolate French charlotte

You may also moisten your ladyfingers with kirsch if you wish. If you do so, you need 1 cap of alcohol for 100 ml of water. Raspberry or other types of berry syrups are good too, according to Caroline. She just adds one layer of 

Fall season fruit sauce

Fall season fruit sauce

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

Moroccan style eggplant wraps

Moroccan style eggplant wraps

I forget who gave me this delicious recipe a long time ago but after making some changes along the way, this is my own version of this irresistible recipe! Many thanks anyways to my unknown contributor! 

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”.

Leek fondue – “fondue de poireaux” in French

Leek fondue – “fondue de poireaux” in French

Fondue de poireaux is a common side-dish in France. Due to the delicate taste of leeks, it goes well with a wide variety of main dishes. Placing your fish fillet or your scallops on a bed of leek fondue is simply sublime! It takes no time to prepare, 

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.

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.

Goat cheese truffles

Goat cheese truffles

Suzanne’s chives, raisins and pomegranate goat cheese truffles is an original and easy recipe that can be prepared ahead of time.

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.

Beetroot & goat cheese millefeuille

Beetroot & goat cheese millefeuille

Stylish, delicious, and festive do not necessarily mean expensive…No particular hardship for this beautiful recipe which tastes as good as it looks!

Gary’s grilled ribs

Gary’s grilled ribs

We tasted the ribs in different sauces before finding the right recipe that comes directly from North Carolina. The ribs are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside…Mmmmm! Obviously, we eat them with our fingers and can eat them pretty much anywhere! Thanks 

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. 

homemade orangettes

homemade orangettes

How to make orangettes? Buy fresh oranges and premium luxury dark chocolate, and give this easy orangette recipe a try. You’ll love 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!

Maryse’s Veal Stew

Maryse’s Veal Stew

When you go grocery shopping, let your butcher know if you prefer fatty or lean meat. He will advise and help choose the pieces that suit your taste. I have tried the recipe with only one can of tomatoes and it was delicious too. Better if the 

Beef tataki my way

Beef tataki my way

I usually serve this beef tataki dish with grilled mushrooms and zucchini, Japanese rice or a green salad.

creamed zucchini & pumpkin soup

creamed zucchini & pumpkin soup

Full of flavors this bicolor soup is just beautiful and delicious. Although you can use any kind of squash here. Butternut works well, I tried!