Roasted cranberries baked Camembert cheese

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   To end the week and the year, here is a savory dish to serve as an appetizer or to end a meal if you're not a fan of dessert. This baked Camembert with roasted cranberries makes a delicious French-American association. 

   You can either chose Camembert or Brie (more creamy but richer too) as you wish. Cranberries go very well with it, once cooked, they keep their sharpness but also bring a sweet touch to balance the strong taste of this French cheese. It can also works with cherries when they're in season.

Maple syrup gingerbread home made popcorn

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    After a good red wine hot chocolate, this is a home made treat I propose to you today, to enjoy during your Christmas holidays in front of a movie or a series or for your New Year's Eve if you have planned to do it at home.

   This was the first time I made home made popcorn, I used to buy boxes that you put in the microwave but now I'm done because, after all, home made popcorn takes just a few minutes more to prepare and you can control the sugar or fat quantity you use and add your favorite topping or even eat it naked.

Red wine hot chocolate

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    A few weeks ago, I published a chocolate red wine cupcakes recipe on the French version of the blog. I recently discovered the chocolate and red wine association even if it has been quite trendy in the US for a few years already. And of course, I was not going to leave it there.

   So I thought, what better moment of the year than Christmas holidays to try another recipe with hot chocolate and mulled wine. Well, Christmas is over but not the end of the year holidays - and who said we couldn't enjoy hot chocolate or mulled wine all winter long?! 

Christmas mulled white wine

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    For this Christmas, I was looking for a festive drink or cocktail to change from the traditional or Swedish mulled wine I tried last year, even if I like it very much and will probably make some again because it's so easy and quick to prepare. And in a report on French television about Christmas markets in Alsace (in North East of France), I heard about mulled white wine, I didn't even know it was possible but after all, wine is wine.

Roasted butternut squash, rosemary and parmesan risotto

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    It was the 2nd time only I made a risotto, because it's so creamy and delicious in (good) Italian restaurants and I was told so often that it's quite difficult to cook a good one that I had never made one before this fall. 

   This one was so good, tasty and creamy that I ad to share it with you because butternut is a really easy squash to work with and the risotto was very simple and easy to prepare. I think, how I made it was not the exact traditional way of doing it but the most important thing is that it was good, right?! 

Apple and pumpkin butter (vegan)

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    A year ago, I published a recipe of raisins scones (not on the English version yet...) that lots of readers had seemed to enjoy.


   This delicious preparation needed its own article as the recipe seemed a little long with both the scones and the butter, it will also be easier to find it on the blog. You can enjoy it to replace jam or in yogurt or even with pancakes or waffles. 

Fabada asturiana, spanish white bean soup (vegan option)

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    Last Wednesday was Spain National Day. But this celebration is kind of recent, it commemorates the discovery of America that happened an October 12th, the trip of Christopher Columbus having been financed by Spain Kingdom. 

Raspberry chia fresca { A protein-packed refreshing drink }

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    Less active on the blog for the past weeks - not that I don't have any recipes in stock, they're just waiting to be written or to be tested - but I haven't had much time lately and also I was quite busy on a cooking project I wanted to finish before leaving abroad in vacation.

   Before leaving indeed, a heat wave hit Paris and its surroundings where I live and I needed something fresh to drink but wanted to try something new and I stumbled upon a chia fresca recipe on Pinterest. So it was the occasion to try a new use of these magic seeds. This refreshing drink is a must- liked by sporty people because of its high amount of proteins and fibres that help the body to recover after some efforts.

15 delicious and original recipes with raspberries

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    If you're looking for a  recipe with raspberries, you'll find about 20 on the blog - well the French version at least, but you can use the translation button on the right to translate them until they arrive in English on this version. They are one of my favorite fruit and I enjoy them all year long because you can easily freeze them (or buy them frozen) and keep their shape, sweet flavor and nutrients.


   In winter in smoothies or in cakes, the raspberries will add a lovely touch of color and acid flavor to apple and pear recipes I find lack a little of a taste sometimes. 

Zoodles (zucchini noodles), avocado pesto and cherry tomatoes

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    Today, just the once will not hurt, this is a trendy recipe I'm going to talk to you about. You may have seen those zoodles on the Web the past months. They are "noodles" of zucchinis/courgettes that are barely cooked and that you enjoy with a sauce or other vegetables like wheat pasta.

Earl Grey iced tea with hibiscus, orange blossom water (and a few raspberries)

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    In summer, I like to vary thirst-quenching drinks and discover new flavor associations. I had liked using dried mallow flowers in a few recipes - here, here or here - so I bought a few months ago dried hibiscus flowers but had never used them since then not knowing what to do with them.


   Last weekend, I took part to the 3rd edition of a food challenge organized by a food recipe French Website CuisineAZ, on Friday morning the person who has collected the most votes on her/his recipe the edition before draw lots for a letter and people who participate have to publish a recipe beginning with that letter on the Website of CuisineAZ and this time it was the letter "H" so of course, I just twisted the title so that it began with "hibiscus".

Traditional Andalusian Gazpacho

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    I think there's no need to introduce the gazpacho, the traditional cold soup from the South of Spain made of tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, onion, olive oil and stale bread. I love it very much and until last summer, I used to buy a carton at the supermarket - from time to time only because it's not very cheap - but since I tried it at home, I don't think I'm going to buy some anymore, because the liquid and red cold soup has just nothing to do with a good home made one. Plus, the pasteurization of cold soups and juices kills a good part of the nutrients of the veggies and fruit.

   The real color is light red orange, if it's bright red, you know it's not home made! Something good to know if you order one at a restaurant... The home made gazpacho is much more full of flavors and less liquid, so more satiating. Be careful to balance the seasoning and not put too much garlic or it could just ruin your dish.

Ginger lemonade

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    I had the occasion to taste a delicious home made ginger lemonade in a little restaurant in Paris a few weeks ago and it was so good that I told myself I would have to make one myself at home soon because I'm a big fan of ginger! If there is some in a dish, a dessert or a drink, I'll choose this one for sure, this is one of my favorite or maybe even my favorite spice.

Protein-packed home made super food red fruit muesli (gluten free)

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    When I went to buy some groceries at my usual organic store lately, I stumbled upon some "protein-packed" muesli with dried red fruit of a little French brand. I was ready to go for it and try but the high price wasn't within my food budget at all.


   So I bought what I needed and didn't already have at home to make it myself with additional ingredients I like. This muesli is said "protein-packed" because of the super food but most of all the toasted soy flakes there are because they bring 40 g of protein for 100 g of muesli.

Strawberry Phirni, Indian rice dessert (vegan and dairy free option)

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    Today, this is a new Indian recipe I'm offering you to try.  I love Indian cuisine so when Angélique chose this theme for the new edition of a food challenge I take part to from time to time, I jumped on the occasion. 


   For once, I hesitated long between savory and sweet recipes and then, while surfing on Pinterest - yes, again! - I stumbled upon a few sweet recipes and I finally chose to go for one that looked intriguing and propose a vegan version of the Phirni. After having discovered the Mango Kulfi recipe last year, I'm very happy of this new yummy food discovery. 

Scottish Tattie potato scones

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     Today, I'll share a new recipe of scones with you. A Scottish specialty called "Tattie Scones", they may be familiar to you if you have British origins. These ones have nothing to do with the British little "breads" made of flour, butter and eggs and sometimes raisins. Their ingredients are very similar to the Lefse, Norwegian potato crêpes like that. They only require potato, flour and plant-based margarine (or butter possibly), so they're vegan! 

   I prepared these Tattie Scones for a food challenge I'm taking part to for the first time. The rules are : each edition, the food blogger that got the most votes for his/her recipe is named new organizer and pick a new theme. Each participant is linked to another one after a draw and each one has to assign a secret ingredient to his/her "partner" to make things a little more difficult.

Red fruit, apple and cinnamon sweet scrambled eggs or omelette

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   A few months ago already, I saw a sweet omelette recipe went by on Pinterest and it really intrigued me but I wasn't more curious than that. You may have noticed it - and as I said it in my 3 year-anniversary blog post - I've been "veganizing" my cooking and diet lately. I used to love eggs - I could eat some 2 or 3 times a week, fried eggs, soft-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs - I think I got bored and kind of stopped to buying eggs just like that and it's a good thing because I don't have to force myself to quit eating them even if I still buy some from time to time to use in some pastries - but always organic or free-range of course.

   I don't remember why I thought again about that recipe but I thought that it the time to try it with the beginning of the red fruit season and the end of the apples and that if it was a tasty success I would share it with you. I've never been a fan of omelettes so I went for scrambled eggs instead, so you can enjoy this recipe for breakfast, as a dessert or a snack. And if you're watching your cholesterol, you can only use egg whites of course!

Individual strawberry and soft goat cheesecakes in a jar { raw, gluten free }

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   I don't know how are the things where you live but in France, the strawberry season is well settled and we can enjoy different kind of fruit, more or less sweet, more or less acid, a really little piece of heaven in the mouth.

   If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen the toasts I made last week with an association I tried for the first time : soft goat cheese and strawberries and I loved it! Have you ever tasted it?

{ Cocktail } Mango mojito

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    Until recently, I only wanted to have soups, comfort dishes or warm cups of tea as the Spring seemed to not really want to settle over France for the past weeks. After all, this cocktail is just perfect now that Spring seems ready to settle for good. 

Vanilla and chocolate spiced surprise mini cakes for the 3 years old of the blog (gluten free, dairy free, vegan)

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    As I was saying yesterday in my article dedicated to the 3 years anniversary of the blog, I wanted to share a recipe easy to do, a little original and that can me enjoyed by everyone whether you are gluten intolerant, dairy intolerant or vegan.


   I had already baked a "hidden cake" as a large cake with wheat flour, eggs and dairy but hadn't published the recipe and the photos as it sometimes happens for varied reasons.  

   Anyway, nothing genius in this recipe apart from the surprise hiding in the cake that is revealed when cut in half, it can be another shape and or another color, flavor...

{ Birthday } The blog is celebrating its 3 years old!

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    Three years ago, when I was back to being a student on my way to a new field job, I was making a break  during my rewiews and homework session and started this blog.

   It has since evolved, esthetically - even if it is not the most accomplished to my opinion but I'm lacking some knowledge into this field - but also concerning the type of recipes, how I introduce them and the quality of the photos - at least, most of the time and when I'm inspired - go and have a look at the first recipes' photos and you'll laugh...

Raw raspberry & chia seed jam

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    Last summer, I had seen a few pictures of raw jams with summer fruit, it seemed nice but I didn't pay more attention. And the publishing day of the Foodista Challenge approaching I thought again about these raw jams and thought it was the occasion to try as the red fruit season has just begun in France!

Strawberry, raspberry, banana, almond milk and baobab vegan smoothie

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    Today, this is a new smoothie "recipe" I share with you. It's always an occasion to hydrate oneself and add some fruit to our daily need, we can create so many combinations that we can rarely get bored with smoothies.


   The first French strawberries called Gariguettes have already arrived, indeed we had a mild Winter weather so they are quite early this year. They are very savory and you can eat them just like that without any sugar. I'm eager to go back to the self pick-up place near where I live to pick up strawberries, raspberries, cherries and summer vegetables.

Dog healthy gluten free pumpkin cookies

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    Last Friday, my hairy little girl, Jesse, mixed shepherd, celebrated her 3rd birthday! Well, it's an approximate DOB determined by the Peta shelter that rescued her as she was found in the street by the animal pound unidentified when she was 9 month-old.

   She always gets little presents or a big one for her adoption birthday, her birthday and Christmas, treats, toys, plushies, a new comfortable bed...  just like any child! This year, I wanted to make her something myself because I had seen home made healthy treats on the Web for the past months and wanted to give them a try.

Exotic mango passion fruit Eton Mess

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     Today, I took part to a new food challenge and the theme was "exotic fruit". I didn't think long, I love exotic fruit and my favorite one is mango!

   I also love Pavlova but I had never prepared its British cousin, the Eton Mess so I went for it today. What I like in Eton Mess is that you build it as you want, in the same order as the Pavlova or "in a mess". 

Little Easter rabbit brioches (vegan recipe, dairy and egg free)

    Two years ago, for Easter, I had proposed to discover the recipe and the story of the Hot Cross Buns as they are not well-known in France.


   This year, I wished to propose another type of original brioche that you'll be able to enjoy this long weekend for breakfast or the afternoon snack. You may have seen this little bunnies on the Internet, I stumbled on these cuties last year and I wanted to try them but I went on a vegan version as I had never baked a vegan brioche or bread. If you're just intolerant to eggs or milk it's also the occasion to try them.

{ Saint Patrick's Day } Irish Colcannon, mashed potatoes, savoy cabbage (and smoked tofu)

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    For Saint Patrick's Day, earlier this week, I offered you to try these Guinness chocolate cupcakes with a light matcha cream cheese frosting. I also wanted to prepare a savory Irish recipe and I saw a picture of this typical dish I didn't know about on Michelle's Instagram profile.

   Colcannon is a very simple but comforting dish to prepare and enjoy before Spring comes soon - at least in France. It's made of mashed potatoes and cabbage, that's it! Some will put green onions and eat it with meat, I chose to prepare it with only potatoes and savoy cabbage and to serve it with smoked tofu stir-fried in coconut oil. You can of course use green, savoy or kale cabbage and replace smoked tofu by smoked tempeh, seitan or even plant-based smoked sausages to keep it vegetarian.

Dairy free chocolate Guinness cupcakes, matcha cream cheese frosting { Saint Patrick's Day }

    I know quite well England, I have been to Scotland and even spent a few hours in Wales, in Cardiff, when I spent two weeks in the beautiful city of Bath when I was a teenager but I have never been to Ireland so far and I just dream to go and visit this country so I decided to take you there this week. 

   Saint Patrick's Day is next Thursday and I wanted to share a special recipe for the occasion. No pop green cake full of chemical coloring but chocolate cupcakes baked with the national Irish beer, the Guinness. I still wanted to add some green touch so I tried powdered matcha to naturally color the frosting and it gave a nice pastel green and the taste matches very nicely with the chocolate flavor.

Apple pie rice pudding seeds granola parfait (vegan, gluten free)

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    Last week, I took part to a monthly food culinary challenge and this month's theme was about seeds we had to use in our recipe in addition to a seasonal fruit or vegetable.

   As my father's birthday was last Wednesday, I decided to mix two of his favorite desserts, the rice pudding and the apple pie, in a jar. I made an apple granola full of seeds and dried fruit for the "crust" in put at the bottom of the jar, a vanilla vegan (or not) poppy seed rice pudding, topped with a vanilla apple compote.

No bake cheesecake in a jar, pink grapefruit and dried mallow flower jelly

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     Here is a recipe I made for the new edition of a French culinary challenge I'm taking part each time I can. This month theme was "Flower Power", we had to use flowers in any way in our recipe and in the decoration. 

   It had been a long time since I wanted to make a new cheesecake. I'm not a great fan because they're often too heavy for me. This is why I like to add fruit, make them light, in small sizes and this time I wanted to make a no-bake cheesecake in a jar because desserts in which you have to dig your spoon in are the most comfy food to me and I also love to revisit traditional dessert in desserts-in-a-jar! 

Lemon lavender olive oil shortbread cookies, lemon lavender icing

    Shortbread cookies are small yummy cookies but a little too rich in butter for me, this is why I rarely some. Last summer, I was in vacation at my mum's in Aveyron (in the South West of France) and I happened to try some lemon lavender shortbread cookies in bulk from an organic supermarket where I had bought other groceries and I found the association of flavors quite interesting.

  Since then, I was willing to try to find a recipe and so I took advantage of the blogger competition organized by l'Afidol (l'Association Française Interprofessionnelle De l'OLive) et les Huiles d'olives & Olives de France that is a French professional association of olive oils and olives to try a recipe of shortbread cookies but using olive oil, much healthier and savory, instead of butter, usual ingredient of this cookies. 

Black whole rice, red lentils, soft goat cheese, carrots, dried raisins and cranberries, tahini and olive oil seasoning

    Here is a yummy and comfy but healthy and complete dish thanks to the association of the rice and red lentils, rich in complex carbohydrates as well as proteins for the first one and fibers, minerals and iron for the legumes. The tahini (sesame cream) also brings calcium, magnesium and iron. 

  I chose to add soft goat cheese (that you can delete or replace for a vegan option) and mint to bring some freshness and raisins and dried cranberries to ad some sweetness to the dish but also because they offer other nutriments, antioxidants for the latter. Carrots bring a dose of vegetables but also some color and crunchy. 

Piadine, North Italian sandwiches { garnished with arugula, mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella & cherry tomatoes }

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   Today, I offer you to fly towards Italy and discover these typical sandwiches, the piadine, from the North of the country, Emilia Romagna. 

Gluten free crêpes (French pancakes)

    The end of the year and the beginning of the new one is always a busy time for food lovers, after all the caramels, Christmas cakes, in French we enjoy Kings cake or Kings crown brioche for the Epiphany in January.

Cider Crêpes (French pancakes)

   Next February 2^nd, we will celebrate Candlemas in France, if it has been a religious celebration for long but it has been more a culinary event for the past years and we traditionally make and eat crêpes (French flat pancakes). Why crêpes? It is said that they would represent the sun and the light with their circle shape and and golden color.

  Of course, crêpes car be enjoyed all year long, they are one of my favorite dessert and I often make a little batch of a few crêpes for dessert or as a snack when I have a sudden craving.

 

  Today, this is not a traditional crêpes recipe I propose to you to try but a cider crêpes recipe. Cider often accompany crêpes but you can also add some to the dough, it adds a subtil touch, you should really try it and don't worry, the little alcohol evaporates itself during the cooking of the crêpes. 

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Cider French pancakes

Prep time : 5 min
Cook time : 2 min per crêpe
Serving : about 16 6.24 inch-crêpes

- 1 + 2/3 cup (or 8, 75 oz)  flour, sifted
- 2 tbsp unrefined organic cane sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 organic eggs, beaten
- 3 tsp melted butter or oil
- 1 + 1/4 cup (30 to 35 cl) cider

• In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, add the eggs, the melted butter (or oil) and mix again.

• Pour the cider gently while whisking, be careful the mixture can foam a little. 

• In a greased (or non-stick) hot pan, cook the crêpes and pile them on a large plate to keep them warm. 

• Enjoy them with your favorite jam, bananas and melted chocolate, sugar and lemon juice for example and a glass of  fine cider.

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Yum

Banana mango ginger turmeric smoothie (vegan option)

    You may have noticed that I like smoothies, it's a nice way to eat fruit and hydrate oneself at the same time with just a glass and a straw without having to sit at a table with forks and knives, it's also very convenient to take away.

Oven baked pumpkin croquettes (vegan version included)

Happy New Year 2016! 

   Since I have started the English version of the blog, I haven't had lots of time to bring in my recipes and translate them here so this first recipe of the new year was a good way to start fresh plus it was a very good discovery. I've been wanting to cook croquettes for a long time but I don't really like fried food (to cook and to eat) so the oven baked version seemed a good alternative, I just had to try it.