Salade Niçoise

Nothing says summer in France like a salad Niçoise and a glass of Rosé. This beautifully constructed salad, featuring the best of the farmers’ market, is the ultimate in French recipes.

Vinaigrette:
1 medium shallot, minced
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from approximately 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
optional: fresh herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, tarragon, parsley

Salad: (serves 4)
2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce
1 pound green beans, French if possible
8 anchovies packed in olive oil
8 ounces canned albacore tuna in olive oil
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup black Niçoise olives
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved

Preparations:
1. Place minced shallot, lemon juice and Dijon mustard in a bowl and whisk.
2. Slowly add the olive oil to the mixture until combined.
3. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
5. Trim the ends of the green beans.
6. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook for approximately 3 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain the beans and place them in a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking and keep them crisp.
7. Arrange the washed greens in a large bowl and dress with the vinaigrette.
8. Place each additional ingredient on top and drizzle the remainder of the vinaigrette. Salt and pepper as needed.

Optional: you can always add some potatoes to give it a little more texture.

Roasted Potatoes

The simplest of recipes, a delicious side dish with minimum effort that can be served with nearly every savoury dish.

Ingredients: (serves 6 -8)
2 lb. small new potatoes, scrubbed clean, dried thoroughly with paper towels, and quartered lengthwise
2 tbsp. olive oil
a bunch of rosmary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Heat oven to 425°.

1.) Place the potatoes on an aluminum foil—lined baking sheet, and toss with the oil.
2.) Season the potatoes generously with salt and pepper, add a bit of rosmary and place them in the oven.
3.) Bake potatoes, tossing occasionally with tongs, until they are golden brown and crusty and can be easily pierced with the blade of a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes.
4.) Remove potatoes from the oven, and transfer them to a large serving bowl or platter. Season potatoes with more salt and pepper before serving.

Potato and Leek Soup

A lovely winter dish to keep you warm when you come off the ski slopes... this is the kind of soup that is so simple to make yet tastes like you really know your way around the kitchen... not just the slopes!

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced or diced
5 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, then thinly sliced, including the tender green part
Salt
4–6 tbsp. whipping cream
2–3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley or chives

Preparation:
1.) Put potatoes, leeks, salt to taste, and 8 cups of water in a large saucepan over medium heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 40–50 minutes.
2.) Mash vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass the soup through a food processor.
3.) Correct seasoning with salt.
4.) Just before serving, stir in the cream by spoonfuls. Pour soup into a tureen or soup bowls and decorate with the herbs. Add a little freshly ground white pepper, if you like.

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.

Tortilla Española

This typical Spanish recipe was given to me by an English friend who calls Spain her home. Nothing beats a properly cooked tortilla. Except maybe Jamon Iberico de Bellota! ;)

Ingredients:
5 big potatoes
1 Spanish onion
4 large or 5 small eggs
Olive Oil
Salt

Preparation:
1.) Peel and slice the potatoes into fairly thin "rounds"
2.) Do the same with the onion.
3.) In a non stick frying pan pour a generous amount of olive oil (spanish is better ;)
4.) Heat gently and add the potatoes and onions. The idea is to kind of "boil" the potatoes in the oil rather than fry them violently.
5.) Meanwhile lightly beat the eggs.
6.) When the potatoes and onions are nice and soft and a little brown (if preferred), then drain them and add straight into the bowl with the eggs. Mix quickly and return to the pan. There should be enough olive oil left in the pan to cook it.
7.) When the eggs have set on one side and the mixture feels firm you can then flip the tortilla over onto a plate and return to the frying pan to cook the other side.
8.) Eat warm or cold with crusty baguette and a glass of tinto!

You can also add spinach, ham, peppers or whatever takes your fancy.

Que aproveche!

Potato Salad with onions and celery

Red onions can be used in so many dishes. I love them and my kids have started to appeciate their tangy taste in all kinds of salads and dips. Here's a delicious potato salad recipe with my favorite ingredients: red onions and celery.

Ingredients:
900 gr small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 ribs celery, minced
½ medium red onion, minced
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. dill pickle relish
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Preparation:
1.) Put potatoes in a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook until just tender, about 12 minutes.
2.) Drain and transfer to a large bowl along with celery and onions.
3.) In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, relish, parsley, mustard, salt, and pepper.
4.) Add to potatoes along with eggs (optional) and toss. Chill.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is as British as it gets. My mother used to serve this every once in a while so we would not forget our roots.

Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation:
1.) Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl.
2.) Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
3.) While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings.
4.) Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5.) In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.
6.) Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.
7.) Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Spanish Tortilla

This recipe actually came to me via an e-mail chain message: send-your-recipe-to-the-first-name-on-the-list. Well, it worked for me. I received lots of great menu ideas.
When I feel a little homesick for past times the best cure is a Spanish tortilla.


Ingredients:
6 Potatoes (1 onion if you like)
6 Eggs
Olive oil
Salt

Preparation:
1.) Peel and cut the potatoes in slices, not very thin.
2.) Fried the potatoes in a frying pan with some oil. Oil should cover the potatoes.  (Peel and chop the onion too)
3.) Meanwhile you can beat the eggs in a bowl
4.) Add the potatoes and onion in the bowl with the eggs. Mix together with a spoon.
5.) Put all the mixture in a non-stick frying  pan (very important): In the pan there is some oil and on medium heat.
6.) Let the omelet cook for 3/4 minutes. Check that the egg is cooking but it is slightly brown.
7.) When the mixture has browned on the bottom you have to turn it over to cook the other side. Place a plate( a little bit larger than the frying pan) upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet  will fall onto the plate. Put again the omelet into the frying pan. Let it cook for 3/4 minutes.

Serves 6.