Healthy, French, Home-cooking, always fresh, (almost) no cream required!
This is about simple cooking for my kids away from home, family and friends and friends of friends. Not quite recipes, just inspiration.Often, no exact quantities, certainly no scientific potions, but a bit of magic and lots of love! and you could always ask for more details.
Share my love of cooking, enjoy the Pacific West Coast bounty and help me pass along the French Heritage from my Grand-mothers and my Dad who taught me.Salt and Pepper
Even when I don't say so, use Baleine sea-salt and fresh ground pepper from your Peugeot pepper mill, goes without saying!
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Greek Salad
Can you chop vegetables? Then you can make Greek salad in no time. No cooking, no waiting, an easy dinner for a hot summer night. So I don’t get too many things dirty, I start by making the dressing right … Continue reading
Fresh cream of pea, no cream required
This is a cold soup with a light green colour, nothing to compare with traditional Royal Navy style pea soup, more like a contemporary designer pastel…The taste is also completely different because there are no split peas in it, but … Continue reading
Posted in Soup
Tagged buttermilk, cold soup, cooking, Cream of pea, food, fresh pea soup, low-fat, no cream, nutrition, pea soup, recipe, recipes, root cellar
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Chicken in “Gros Sel”
Of course, this dish is for show, pretty amazing when you break the salt crust to deliver a moist chicken with incredible flavour. No such thing as dry chicken breast. It is not a lot of extra work but there … Continue reading
Posted in Main Course
Tagged chicken, coarse salt, cooking, food, French cooking, french cuisine, gros sel, kosher salt, moist chicken, recipe, recipes, salt
2 Comments
Markus’ Wharfside, possibly the best on Vancouver Island
Anchored the sailboat behind the breakwater in Sooke basin last night after an 80 nautical miles ride from Effingham Bay in Barkley sound. Quickly inflated the dinghy and left it at the Government dock, and walked up the few steps … Continue reading
Pommes Mousseline (aka mashed potatoes)
At a restaurant, people eat “pommes mousseline”, but at home they eat “purée” and here it is mashed potatoes. Of course, one can have great mashed if they add enough cream. But, at home, I prefer this much healthier recipe … Continue reading
Posted in Side
Tagged cooking, food, mashed potatoes, pommes mousseline, puree, recipe, recipes
1 Comment
Gateau de semoule better than cream of wheat pudding!
This was another favorite of Mémé Marie-Louise always pushing for healthy desserts. This meets her criteria with lots of iron, low fat, and a delicious taste. Frankly, you could do worse than eat this for breakfast! Soak 3/4 cup golden … Continue reading
Posted in Dessert
Tagged cooking, cream of wheat, food, gateau, pudding, recipe, recipes, wheatlets
2 Comments
Cream Spinach
Another favorite at Chez Solange Restaurant in London in the seventies where I started as a waitress with a French accent. It is often served with a roasted ham with tomates provençales on the side for a colorful plate. Interesting … Continue reading
Posted in Vegetables
Tagged cooking, cream spinach. Epinards a la creme, food, recipe, recipes
1 Comment
Chilled Watercress Soup
This is very refreshing on a hot summer lunch, like today. We have not really had many yet here in Victoria, BC. this year. Start by rubbing a split garlic clove at the bottom of a small pot, then turn … Continue reading
Posted in Soup
Tagged cooking, food, recipes, soupe au cresson, soupe froide, watercress soup
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Gratin de Poireaux
This is a nice filling dish and my vegetarian guest tonight seem to love it, I had no left-overs. Pick your leeks well, only young leeks that do not have a woody core in the centre. The centre should be … Continue reading
Posted in Main Course, Side
Tagged cooking, food, gratin, gratin de poireaux, leek au gratin, leeks, poireaux, recipes, vegetarian
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Cheese Soufflé, a French family tradition
This is perhaps the ultimate cliché of French home-cooking, a staple of a typical French diet. It is always exciting as you never know if it is actually going to rise and even worse, you never know how quickly it … Continue reading
Posted in Main Course
Tagged Cheese souffle, food, french, French cooking, pictures, recipe, recipes, soufflé au fromage, souffle
1 Comment
Fresh Peas in artichoke hearts, a highlight of French cuisine
I had not eaten this in years and years. Typically, you would not eat this at home, as it takes some trouble, but it used to be a classic in restaurants in France on the Sunday menu as a side … Continue reading
Posted in Vegetables
Tagged artichokes, food, food photography, France, french cusine, peas, photography, pictures, recipe, recipes
2 Comments
Hot Artichoke dip
This is just a quick dip. Chop together in the food processor one can of artichokes hearts, 2 sliced green onions, 5 green olives, 5 black olives, both pitted, 1/2 tsp seasoning salt, two small cubes blue cheese, 1/4 bunch … Continue reading
Sorrel not spinach!
Gardeners, I am telling you, this is the most rewarding crop you will ever plant in your garden. Sorrel looks likes a bit like lettuce, a bit like spinach, grows easily, and is the tastiest vegetable. It can be added … Continue reading
Tarte au Citron
This is my absolute favorite dessert, ahead of chocolate mousse and tarte Tatin and even Paris-Brest. It takes a bit of time but it is well worth it. The pastry: It is a pâte sucrée. Mix 1 + 3/4 cup … Continue reading
Posted in Dessert
Tagged food, lee valley tools, lemon dessert, lemon pie, recipe, recipes, tarte au citron
5 Comments
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