Asparagus Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Frittatta

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I have been quite busy enjoying the sun and fresh air to spend time fiddling around in the kitchen lately. After 2 hours pulling off the weeds and cultivating the fast growing vegetable garden, the last thing on my mind is cooking up a three course meal or anything sophisticated.

Still! Just enough energy to chop some vegetables and beat half dozen eggs for a tasty frittata! Good anytime: breakfast, lunch or dinner with one or two pieces of toast.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 small onion

1 cup cremini mushrooms

6 anchovies

12 asparagus spears

1 cup cherry tomatoes

3 celery stalks with leaves

2 zucchini squash

6 eggs

¼ cup cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Italian parsley to garnish

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in an oven-safe pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

3. Chop onions, mushrooms, celery, and zucchini.

4. Stir fry chopped onions, celery and mushrooms with the anchovies for 5 mns.

5. Add the tomatoes and zucchini.

6. Snap the asparagus and layer on the softened vegetables.

7. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with salt and pepper using a fork.

8. Pour the egg mixture into the pan.

9. Top with cheese and bake for 15-20 mns.

Oyster Mushroom and Zucchini Quiche with Strawberry Frisée Salad

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Bacon bits, melted cheese chunks, cream and onions in flaky puff-pastry, anyone? The quintessential French comfort food - mac n’cheese-style. Very tasty for sure! But with spring at our door, as I was browsing through Helen’s fresh-looking salads, I thought that a lighter, tart-like version would be more appropriate! Of course, I did not forget any bacon, cheese or onions, but the stars of this quiche are oyster mushrooms and zucchini. I would have gone for cremini mushrooms, I just could not resist their velvety and delicate texture when I saw them. The small zucchini were also too tempting to ignore.

The highlight of the vinaigrette is Angostura bitters, which are an essential, sweet and not bitter at all, ingredient in the perfect Manhattan. Their sweetness, combined with fresh, juicy strawberries and savoury celery, moderates the mild bitterness of the frisée, making a perfect counterpoint for the quiche.

Ingredients for a 9x13 inch quiche:

1 package frozen puff pastry (No time to mess around this time!)

2 cups oyster mushrooms

1 red pepper

3 small zucchini

1 small red onion

1 medium onion

4 slices pancetta

2 tablespoons capers

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4 eggs

1½ cup milk

¼ cup grated parmesan, preferably grana padano, or gruyere

Fresh Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the salad:

A few leaves of frisée lettuce

1 cup strawberries

2 stalks celery

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1-2 drops Angostura bitters

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

2. Roll the puff pastry and transfer into the paper.

3. Slice mushrooms, pepper, zucchini, red onion and scatter over the dough.

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

5. Brown then drain the pancetta on paper towel.

6. Slice, sauté the onion in the pancetta drippings, until caramelized.

7. Scatter pancetta and caramelized onion over the vegetables.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

9. In a bowl, lightly beat eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper using a fork.

10. Pour the egg mixture onto the filling and spread on the cheese, out to the edges.

11. Bake for 30-45 mins, until the filling is set and begins to brown.

12. While baking the quiche, wash, tear off and let drain the frisée.

13. Wash and chop strawberries and celery.

14. In a salad bowl, whisk together vinegar, bitters, olive oil, salt and pepper.

15. Before serving, toss the frisée, strawberries and celery into the vinaigrette.

16. Bon appétit!

Orange Meringues

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Custard-based recipes like ice-creams, crême brûlée, and tiramisu mainly require egg yolks, and you always end up with extra egg whites. One way to use up leftover whites is to make soufflé - and I will hopefully be able to share my taro root soufflé with you very soon! If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth and are not up to the challenge, a simpler way is to make meringues. Meringue cookies may seem intimidating for any beginner, but as long as you start with water- and grease-free utensils and bowls, these feather-light cookies will be a breeze to make!

Ingredients for 3-4 dozen cookies:

5 large egg whites (Tip: Make also sure that no yolk has slipped into your bowl when you separate your eggs !)

7 ounces icing sugar

Zest of 1 orange

1. Sift the icing sugar to ensure that there will be no lumps and zest the orange.

2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites using an electrical mixer until firm peaks form.

3. Slowly add the sugar while keeping the mixer on to obtain glossy peaks.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

5. Line baking sheets with parchemin paper.

6. Gently fold the zest into the whites and transfer into a freezer bag.

7. Cut one tip of the bag and pipe the whites onto the lined baking sheets, keeping about one inch between the cookies.

8. Bake for 1 hr, making sure not to open the oven door during the first 30 mns. (Tip: Try to bake all the cookies in one batch prevent the meringues from falling)

9. Let cool on a rack to room temperature.

Crême Brûlée A Ma Façon

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What is so special about this traditional French dessert?!

I love crême brûlée, I especially love to crack the warm caramel crust and dive into the cool custard. I also love to top my brûlée with a handful of raspberries and blackberries, and let the tartness of the fruit balance the sweetness of the cream.

The star ingredient of my crème brûlée is honey and this honey from my great uncle’s beehives makes this dessert even more special to me! Not only it is sweet and thick, but it has also captured the smokiness of the charcoal-burning braziers, which the main source of heat in the remote village of A. I recognize that a beekeeping great uncle, living in the Highlands of Madagascar is unique, but the rich flavours of any organic honey from your local farmer’s market or a visit to a beekeeper in the nearby countryside will make your dessert just as tasty and memorable as mine!

Ingredients for 6 servings:

2 cups whipping cream

5 large egg yolks (Tip: The whites can be saved in the freezer for a few weeks, I used mine for meringue cookies!)

1 large egg

2/3 cup honey

1 vanilla bean

1 cup fresh fruit like orange, raspberries, and blackberries

1 ounce triple sec

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and the vanilla bean cut lengthwise.

2. Let simmer for 5 mns and remove from the heat.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the honey using a whisk until creamy.

4. Slowly stir the warm cream into the egg mixture, until homogenous.

5. Pass through a fine mesh sieve, into a large measuring cup.

6. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

7. Equally distribute into ramequins.

8. Transfer the ramequins into a large baking dish.

9. Fill ¾ of the baking dish with cold water and bake until almost set (about 45 mns).

10. Let cool on a rack to room temperature and chill for at least 4 hrs.

11. To make a quick fruit salad, cut the fruit into bite-size pieces and add to a small bowl.

12. Mix in the orange zest and the triple sec.

13. Before serving, sprinkle with a thin layer of sugar and brown using a torch or under the broiler.

14. Top with fresh fruit salad.

Crêpes with Blueberry Orange Sauce

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Originally from Brittany, crêpes are one of my favourite French foods. Simple and versatile, they can be enjoyed sweet or savoury. Whenever I make them, I fondly remember my crêpe parties with my roommates and friends during my undergraduate years. Everyone would make their own, and picked their own filling. I preferred them lined with a slice of ham and generously sprinkled with grated gruyère, and for dessert, I would indulge with Nutella spread and banana slices. Our movie nights at the theatre in Montparnasse would usually end at the bustling Crêperie de Josselin with a rustic, gargantuan meal with the typical bolée

– literally, apple cider served in a huge bowl.

Sunday brunch is also a great, leisurely time to enjoy crêpes. They are as easy to make as the traditional pancakes but they are also lighter. Feel free to douse them with the yummy blueberry orange sauce. Bon appétit!

Ingredients for about 12 crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 cups milk, preferably homo milk

1-2 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 orange

1½ cup frozen blueberry

3 tablespoons icing sugar

1 splash triple sec

1. In a large bowl, make a well with the flour.

2. Add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt.

3. Stir until smooth using a whisk and let rest for 1 hour.

4. After one hour, preheat a non-stick frying pan under high heat.

5. To cook each crêpe, pour approx. ½ ladle of batter into the hot pan and swirl it around to cover the bottom with a thin, uniform layer.

6. Let one side of the crêpe cook for 1 min, until the edge browns.

7. Flip the crêpe to cook the other side for another min, and transfer into a plate. (Note: avoid stacking the crêpes to prevent them from becoming soggy. They can be kept warm in the oven)

8. To prepare the sauce, zest and press the orange into a small saucepan.

9. Add the blueberries to the saucepan.

10. Heat the fruit to medium-high and let simmer for 5 min.

11. Add 2/3 of the icing sugar and triple sec.

12. Sprinkle each crêpe with chocolate chips before folding.

13. Pour the warm blueberry sauce over the crêpes, dust with icing sugar and dig in!

White Chocolate and Persimmon Pots de Crême

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Pots de crême are of the same vein as Panna Cotta. This dessert is just as easy to prepare as its Italian counterpart, and I could not resist the temptation when I saw Ricardo and Friends. It follows the same steps, but the white chocolate definitely adds depth and richness to the cream. The refreshing persimmons balance each unctuous and decadent spoonful. Simply delicious!

(Adapted from Ricardo and Friends Pots de Crème Recipe)

Ingredients for 6 servings:

8 ounces white chocolate chips

¼ cup unsalted butter

3 large eggs

½ cup whipping cream

¼ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

3 persimmons

Fresh mint

1. Melt the butter and the chocolate in a double boiler.

2. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat.

3. Stir in the eggs, then the cream and buttermilk using a whisk.

4. Add the gelatin to the cold water and let soften for 5 mins.

5. Put the mixing bowl containing the chocolate mixture on the hot water.

6. Stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved.

7. Remove from the heat.

8. Equally distribute into ramequins or glasses.

9. Chill overnight.

10. Before serving, top with thin slices of persimmons and a sprig of mint.

Fresh Fig and Apple Breakfast Pudding

It is Thanksgiving today, South of us. One of the best times to enjoy the fruits of the harvest. A bountiful harvest of apples and figs for every meal, including breakfast! This bread pudding is my low-fat version of the traditional Pain perdu (a.k.a. French toast). Who would have though that I would go for the oven-baked instead of the ever-so-tempting pan-fried in butter original!? Believe me, the warm and juicy fruit and the cream cheese are worth coming back to this breakfast treat! I usually add toasted walnuts on top for their earthy crunch.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

½ pound bread (about 8-10 slices)

1 cup milk

1 large egg

¼ cup fancy molasses (or maple syrup)

½ cup light cream cheese

4 fresh figs

2 gala apples

½ cup golden raisins

1 stick cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup walnut halves

1. In a bowl, beat the egg with the milk and the fancy molasses.

2. Coarsely cut the bread into one-inch squares.

3. Soak the bread into the egg mixture for 5-10 mins, until all the liquid is absorbed.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

5. Grease a 9 x 9 in. pan with butter.

6. Transfer the bread into the pan.

7. Slice the apples and quarter the figs.

8. Slice the cheese.

9. Add to the fruit and the cheese to the bread.

10. Toss with the freshly grated cinnamon.

11. Pop in the oven for 15 mins.

12. At the same time, toast some walnuts on a baking sheet.

13. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter on the pudding.

14. Bake for another 5 mins, until the butter is all melted.

Not Eggs Benedict

With all those eggs in the fridge, I woke up this morning with an irresistible craving for Eggs Benedict. Could you resist those yummy poached eggs on English muffins, generously smothered with lemon-buttery Hollandaise sauce for breakfast?

Quick run through my fridge! With my luck, no butter, no lemon left! No English muffins either! With only 2 cups of whipping cream and pickled capers, I had to be creative…

And breakfast actually turned out just as it was supposed to…scrumptious.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

4 slices of bread, toasted

4 large eggs

2 slices ham or mortadella

3 large egg yolks

1½ tablespoons cold water

½ cup and 2 tablespoons whipping cream

¼ cup grated Asiago cheese

2 tablespoons capers

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Starting with the sauce, separate the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk in the cold water until light and frothy.

2. Bring some water to a gentle simmer over medium high heat in a saucepan.

3. Place the bowl on top of the hot water.

4. Continually whisk the eggs for 5 to 10 mins, until thickened.

5. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk to cool.

6. Slowly add the cream while whisking.

7. Incorporate the cheese (Note: I put the bowl over the double boiler to slightly melt the cheese).

8. Add the capers and season.

9. Reserve the sauce over the warm water while poaching the eggs.

10. Toast the bread and layer the cold cuts on the slices.

11. Bring some water to a boil over high heat in another saucepan.

12. Once the water is boiling, poach the eggs (i.e. break each egg into a ladle, slowly dip the ladle into the boiling water to keep the white around the yolk, and transfer the poached egg onto a slotted spoon.)

13. Transfer the drained eggs onto the cold cuts.

14. Pour the reserved sauce atop and serve immediately.

Fluffy Double-Decker Caper and Asiago Egg Sandwiches

Unlike the pub classic, this club sandwich with a new twist uses omelette instead of grilled chicken breasts. The extra oozy, fluffy omelette made with zesty capers mingles perfectly with the garlicky red peppers and the sharp Asiago cheese. A hearty, delicious lunch – or maybe brunch for the gourmands!

Ingredients for 2 sandwiches:

6 slices of your favourite bread

4 slices bacon

2 tablespoon capers

¼ onion

4 eggs

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 lettuce leaves

Barbeque red peppers

Asiago cheese

Mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown the bacon slices over medium high heat in a non-stick pan.
2. Chop the onion and slice the cheese.
3. Toast the bread.
4. Once the bacon is crisp, drain on paper towel.
5. Add onion and capers to the hot bacon drippings, until soft.
6. Heat some olive oil over medium high in a small non-stick pan.
7. Lightly beat the eggs with the cream and season to taste.
8. Pour the egg mixture into the hot small pan.
9. After 1 to 2 minutes, add the onion and capers to the eggs.
10. Let the omelette cook for another 2 minutes.
11. Remove from heat and divide into quarters.
12. Layer lettuce, cheese, bacon, omelette and red peppers on the toasted bread.
13. Add with a slice of bread and repeat the layering.
14. Top the sandwich with the last slice of bread.