Olive Oil Tart Crust

Usually, I buy my pastry and freeze it but if you have 15 minutes to spare this recipe is worth trying.

Ingredients:
250 grams (approx. 2 cups) light whole wheat flour (French T80), or a 50/50 mix of all-purpose and whole wheat
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon dried herbs (I use rosemary or thyme)
60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil (or the oil of your choosing, provided it withstands cooking)
120 ml (1/2 cup) cold water

Preparation:
1.) Grease the pan lightly if it doesn't have a nonstick coating
2.) Combine the flour, salt, and herbs in a medium mixing bowl
3.) Add the oil and mix it in with a fork
4.) Add the water, mix with the fork until it is absorbed, then knead lightly (I do this with just one hand, in the bowl) until the dough comes together into a ball
5.) Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the ball of dough and on the rolling pin, and roll the dough out into a circle large enough to fit your tart pan. Turn the dough by 45 degrees (a quarter of a circle) every time you roll the pin and back, adding a little more flour underneath and on the dough when it seems on the verge of becoming sticky. The trick is to do this in quick, assertive gestures (channel the spirit of Julia Child) to avoid overworking the dough.
6.) Transfer the dough carefully into the prepared pan and line it neatly.
7.) Trim the excess dough (re-roll it and cut into decorative shapes to top the tart), and place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
8.) You can then blind-bake the crust (prick with a fork first), or garnish it straight away, depending on the filling. Either way, it will take 20 to 25 minutes at 200°C (400°F) to bake thoroughly.

Birchermüesli

Birchermüesli is as Swiss as it gets. It can be eaten for breakfast, brunch or light dinner. It is a healthy alternative to cereals and the kids love it.

Ingredients: 
200 g Birchermüesli flake mix with no added sugar
4.5 dl milk
1-2 apples
other fruit, e.g. berries, grapes, bananas, kiwi etc., according to taste/season
1 red fruit yoghurt
some orange juice or mixed fruit juice
0.25 dl cream (or more )

Preparation:
1.) Mix the Birchermüesli flake mix with the milk.
2.) Grate the apples or cut them into small pieces. Add them to the Birchermüesli.
3.) Finely chop your other fruit, add it to the Birchermüesli and mix well.
4.) Add the yoghurt.
5.) Stir in some orange/mixed fruit juice to make it more refreshing.
6.) Add the cream.
7.) Optional: before serving whip some cream and decorate onto the Birchermüesli for nicer presentation.

Note: The consistency should be more “liquid” than solid. To adjust the taste if the consistency is too thick, add additional orange juice and/or milk.

Pizza Scrolls

This is a fun and easy recipe to make with your kids. The perfect after-school snack that every child will love.

Ingredients:
Puff Pastry Sheet
Basilico Tomato Sauce
Salami
Cheese

Preparation:
1.) Defrost the pastry slightly and roll out
2.) Cover pastry sheet with basil tomato sauce
3.) Cover with salami and cheese
4.) Roll up pastry sheet and slice into 1.5cm segments
5.) Place on lined baking tray and cook in a very hot oven 220C for 8 minutes or until golden.
6.) Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Carrot muffins

No Swiss gourmet journey would be complete without indulging the sweet tooth. All over Switzerland fruit is featured in many desserts, such as incredibly flavorful fruit tarts and fresh berries with whipped cream. However, vegetables can make delicious sweet dishes as well. Following is one of my daughters favourite recipes that we enjoy preparing and devouring together: Carrot muffins

Ingredients:
50gr butter
120gr sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs
1dl milk
200gr grated carrots
150gr ground almonds
100gr flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180°C

1.) Melt butter
2.) Place into a large mixing bowl along with sugar, salt and beaten eggs
3.) Mix well with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
4.) Pour milk into mixture
5.) Add grated carrots. Mix well.
6.) Add ground almonds, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda
7.) Place patty cases into muffin pan.
8.) Place heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture into pan.
9.) Bake for 25 minutes until cooked through. Do not overcook.

Let muffins cool down and decorate with marzipan carrots and a whole load of fantasy!

Crunchy Carrot Quiche

A quiche makes an easy, satisfying main course. This colorful carrot-bacon quiche looks and tastes great with a side of dark green vegetables or salad. It is super-easy and super-fast to make.

Ingredients:
180 gr cream fraiche (1 pot)
150gr carrots, coarsely grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
some pepper
ready-made dough (approx. 25x42 cm)
80 gr bacon bits

Preparation:
1.) Mix creme fraiche with carrots and season
2.) Place dough into a baking tin
3.) Pour mixture onto dough leaving an approximately 2 cm wide margin free and fold in
4.) Spread bacon bits onto it.

Bake: 20 minutes in the bottom half of the preheated oven to 220 degrees.

Mushroom Gruyère Quiche

Quiche is awesome because it’s easy to prepare. It looks beautiful. It travels well, I send a slice with my kids to school. It makes a great lunch AND a light dinner. It’s versatile – throw in whatever ingredients you want. It’s also really, really delicious.

I use frozen pie crusts. A homemade crust will always taste better, but a frozen one is good enough when you want something easy.

Ingredients:
12 inch pastry shell (homemade or prepared like Feuilletée)

2 tbsp. butter

2-3 tbsp. minced shallots

300gm fresh mushrooms or mixed with dried, sliced

1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp of fresh or dried thyme

4 eggs

1 c. or 250gm (2 pots) plain “nature” yogurt (whole milk or non-fat)
1 c. milk

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (optional)

1 cup or 150gm grated Gruyere cheese

Directions:
1.)  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet.
2.) Add shallots and cook a minute or so, stirring occasionally.
3.) Stir in mushrooms, salt, thyme, and dash of pepper. Cook until liquid is completely evaporated.
4.) Remove from heat and let completely cool.
5.) Beat eggs, milk and yogurt together with nutmeg.
6.) Sprinkle half the cheese on the bottom of pastry shell (cheese on the bottom reduces risk of a soggy pie crust on the bottom).
7.) Put mushrooms/shallot mixture on top of cheese and add egg mixture.
8.) Sprinkle remaining cheese on top with some freshly ground pepper.
9.) Bake 35-45 minutes at 185C or 350F degrees (until quiche is puffy and golden on top). Knife inserted in center comes out clean.
10.) Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.

French Apple Pie

Yet another delicious apple pie recipe, you might think. If you were in France you could purchase this delicious treat from any number of patisserie stores from Paris to Provence.  If not, this recipe is as close to the taste and texture of what you would enjoy in France and it’s so simple to make.

Ingredients:
1 puff pie pastry
3 - 4 apples
50 gr powdered sugar
200 ml or 1 brick of liquid cream
2 eggs
1 table spoon vanilla sugar
1-2 table spoon dark rhum

Preparation:
1.) Preheat your oven to 180 ° C
2.) Take a puff pastry base and lay it out in a pie dish
3.) Cut apples into strips and drop nicely onto pastry until the pie is filled
4.) Sprinkle apples with powdered sugar
5.) In a bowl you mix liquid cream, two eggs and vanilla sugar (you have to taste to know if you have to put more or not)
6.) Add a cap of dark rhum (optional)
7.) Pour mixture into pie.
8.) Bake pie in the oven for 25 minutes.

You can lower the temperature to 150°C, and sprinkle your pie again with a little bit of sugar to caramelise it and let bake it for 15 minutes.

Tomato crumble and fresh goat cheese

A good friend of mine once gave me six adorable Le Creuset mini-pots for a house warming party. I have found the perfect recipe to go with it:

Ingredients:
For the crushed tomatoes and fresh goat cheese:
- 4 tomatoes
- 150 gr of fresh goat cheese
- 2 table spoons of olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 twig of basil
- pinch of La Baleine Fine Salt
- 1 pinch of sugar
- Pepper
For the crumble dough:
- 70 gr of flour
- 70 gr of parmesan
- 70 gr of butter
- 2 table spoons of fine breadcrumbs
- 1 branch of fresh rosemary

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180°C (thermostat 6) and take the butter out of the icebox.
For the crushed tomatoes:
1.) Bring water to boil in a cooking pan.
2.) Remove the tomato stem and cut them slightly with the tip of a knife before dipping them about 20 seconds in boiling water.
3.) Remove with a skimmer and dip them in a salad bowl of cold water in order to stop the cooking and refresh them.
4.) Remove the skin from the tomatoes then cut into small cubes.
5.) Thinly chisel the garlic and shallots.
6.) Pan fry the garlic and shallots with a thin dash of olive oil and add the diced tomatoes.
7.) Add the chiseled basil and a small pinch of sugar to avoid the acidity of the tomatoes.
8.) Allow to cook on a low flame with a top for 10 minutes stirring from time to time.
9.) At the end of the cooking, add some La Baleine Fine Salt and pepper.
For the crumble dough:
1.) In a salad bowl, mix the flour, the parmesan, the softened butter and the rosemary twigs.
2.) Knead until you get a sandy texture.
Presentation:
1.) In a baking dish previously oiled, alternated the crushed tomatoes and goat cheese.
2.) Finish with the crumble dough.
3.) Cook 10 minutes at 180°C (thermostat 6).
Serve tepid or cold, slightly sprinkled with La Baleine Fleur de Sel to  convey the touch of exception and crispness. Delicious with an arugula salad!

Petra's Sheperd’s Pie with Sweet Potato

This shepherd's pie recipe is perfect for using up leftovers. This traditional dish has been given a twist with the sweet potato topping - not just a fantastic colour but a great taste too.

Ingredients:
-500 g ground beef or lamb
-1 onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-spice mix: 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt
-500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 teaspoon salt
-2 tablespoons milk
-500 g mushrooms, chopped
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 clove of garlic, chopped

Preparation:
For the filling:
1. Add olive oil to the pan along with the onion, garlic, cumin, ginger, chili powder, salt and cinnamon and cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat until the onion is softened.
2. Add the meat to spice mix and brown the meat over medium heat.

For the mashed potatoes:
1. Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until tender.
2. Drain well and add the olive oil, milk and salt.
3. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or food mill (passe-vite), blend until they reach a creamy consistency.
For the mushrooms:
1. Add olive oil, onion, garlic to a pan and brown the mushrooms. Add peper and salt.

Assembly:
1. Preheat the over to 180° Celsius.
2. Fill a casserole dish with the meat filling, add a layer mushrooms and spread the mashed potatoes mix on top.
3. Bake for 40 minutes until the topping is beginning to brown.