Food, travel and photography

Category: Main courses

RED PEPPERS WITH GENUINE HALLOUMI AND CHOPPED CHERRY TOMATOES TOPPING

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, 

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.

UPSIDE DOWN RED ONION PIE

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 

BLACK PUDDING SPICED WITH BANANAS & CINAMMON COOKIES

BLACK PUDDING SPICED WITH BANANAS & CINAMMON COOKIES

This dish is ideal when you don’t have much time but wish to impress your guests with an exotic unique delight. Moreover, it’s quick and easy to make. Served with a large green or mixed salad on the side, it stands as a main course 

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 

Steamed turbot or wild-caught young turbot

Steamed turbot or wild-caught young turbot

Wild-caught turbot is a white meat lean fish and is precisely sought for its firmness and its exquisite qualities. It is quite a budget and the waste to remove after cooking is also substantial. It is rich in vitamins and proteins. Young turbots like to 

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.

Endive tarte tatin

Endive tarte tatin

Inexpensive, easy to prepare, endives are low in calories. They have diuretic and digestive properties and are rich in minerals. So, don’t ignore them and add them to your fresh produce shopping list! They are a very pleasant seasonal side dish in its various forms

Shrimp profiterole with pastis and garlic cream

Shrimp profiterole with pastis and garlic cream

This recipe is incredibly delightful!!! Profiteroles are best when baked at the last minute (at most 2 hours before serving). However, the puffs’ dough as well as the garlic cream can be prepared early.

Avocado Féroce

Avocado Féroce

This exotic dish from the French West Indies is essential to the traditional culinary experience when traveling around the Islands. It’s made of salted cod fish, avocado, and cassava flour.

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 

Forbidden Black rice with Gorgonzola and Speck

Forbidden Black rice with Gorgonzola and Speck

Brigitte is an outstanding cook as well as a great photographer. I took this picture myself, but I must admit that I am not as talented as she is! Do take a look at “Popote et Fleur de Sel”, her website, and check it up 

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 

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.

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.

Mango chutney

Mango chutney

Traditionally served with venison, meat, or grilled fish, this chutney is also excellent with shrimp, lamb, or chicken curries.

Pork filet mignon with maroilles cheese sauce

Pork filet mignon with maroilles cheese sauce

This recipe is terrific and is made in no time! Many thanks to my friend Benedicte, a great cook, and who had me discover this dish served with braised endives. It was amazing!

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! 

Makis

Makis

These Japanese rolls are made of sushi rice seasoned with rice vinegar and a variety of ingredients held together in nori seaweed. One of my family’s favorites!

Perfect soft-boiled eggs

Perfect soft-boiled eggs

Here are some useful tips to make your soft-boiled eggs: -Eggs should be extra fresh; here is how you check on their freshness: dip the eggs in cold water. The perfect egg for the soft-boiled recipe is the one that remains at the bottom of 

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!

Guacamole

Guacamole

The most difficult part in this recipe is to have a ripe avocado …then, it’s only a matter of putting your talent at work and enjoy the Guacamole!

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!

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, 

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 

Combava steamed cod fish

Combava steamed cod fish

Steamed cod is a sure value as it is always delicious. For this recipe, I used a steam oven, but you also may cook in a bamboo steamer or wrapped in wax paper in your oven. 

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 

Harissa grilled Eggplant

Harissa grilled Eggplant

Preparing this delicious dish couldn’t be easier. Thank you Mapie for this recipe. Harissa comes from North Africa. It is made of chillies and a mix of various spices including cumin and caraway. The difference in chilli strength between one harissa and another can be 

Melitzanosalata

Melitzanosalata

It’s a light eggplant caviar easy to make. Paloma who gave me Mania’s recipe says that this eggplant caviar will become light and foamy as would a mayonnaise when you mix it properly. Adjust with olive oil to your taste accordingly.

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.

Grilled duck breast with honey and rosemary

Grilled duck breast with honey and rosemary

A classic in French cuisine, so simple to make … you can’t miss it! Use French and high-quality duck breasts.

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 

Mint and cucumber mousse

Mint and cucumber mousse

You’ll need French fromage blanc to make this recipe. If you don’t have any you can use Greek Style Natural Yogurt.