{Waiting for Christmas } Cinnamon cranberries biscotti (vegan option)

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    Christmas is just around the corner, so here are my last recipes for these holidays and yes, cranberries again! I love them and the season is so short, you have to enjoy them as much as possible. Last year, I had frozen some but as it is rare that I use frozen fruit now so I didn't even use them because, let's be honest, the texture is different and sometimes not appropriate for some recipes. Don't we appreciate fruit and veggies when they're in season after having waited for them impatiently, after all?

{ Waiting for Christmas } Orange spiced hot chocolate (vegan option)

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    Let's continue with some typical Winter drink, hot chocolate! I don't know about you but I love Christmas drinks, whether it is mulled white wine, Swedish Glögg or more comforting drinks like this red wine hot chocolate. Of course, there's the typical American eggnog.


   I'm more about coffee in the morning and then I like to enjoy tea or infusion during the day. On Winter cold days, I sometimes go for more comforting drinks like hot chocolate and I loved this one I made last year so now is your turn to enjoy too! Orange and chocolate always do a good marriage like here or here. 

{ Waiting for Christmas } Riisipuuro, cinnamon Finnish rice pudding and stewed cranberries (vegan option)

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    Today, I'm taking you to Scandinavia again because it had been a long time since I shared a recipe from Northern Europe and that I love its - sweet most of all - cuisine and hope to be able to enjoy it over there one day!

   The riisipuuro is a typical Finnish rice pudding but I could have shared the Swedish recipe of the risgrynsgröt or Danish risengrød. It's a Christmas specialty that most families enjoy during the celebrations of the end of the year. The rice is cooked slowly in milk (I chose plant-based) then served and each one can add sugar and cinnamon according to one's tastes. 

Home made burgers buns (vegan)

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    A year ago, almost to the day, I published the recipe of pink burgers with beetroot buns and patties (here). I had wanted to make some again since but with buns more sweet and moist like brioche and less bread because they're my favorite. So I made a new burger recipe that I'll publish by the end of the week.

   I don't often take time to make bakery, however I love it, I like to knead the dough for bread, brioche and else and watch it rise slowly like magic. I don't have a food processor so I do everything by hand but I like this step I find relaxing like those little foam balls you knead inside of your palm to destress yourself.  And after all, this is not so long, you just have to think about the rise time ahead.

Apple pie cinnamon porridge / oatmeal

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   Today is the World Porridge Day, this event is quite recent and was created in 2009 by the charity Mary's Meals  based in Scotland in order to raise funds to help starving children in developing countries.

   To that occasion, I made a new seasonal porridge/oatmeal recipe, with cooked and raw apple and spices for a filling and healthy breakfast to face those future Winter cold days.

Raspberry, coconut, speculoos vegan popsicles

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   Well, it's seem that this year, Summer has decided to take some liberties, at least on the Northern part of France and maybe Europe. It's either a heat wave or rain and "cold" weather, hard to know what to where or to plan anything, especially when you're working outside. I have had a whole bunch of different clothes and shoes just "in case of" in the trunk of my car at work.

   Anyway, I decided to share this recipe of popsicles because, hey, Summer is going to come back anytime! Since I've been back from Amsterdam and the delicious speculoos cookies I brought back, I often prepare a dessert with this coconut yogurt, fresh raspberries and speculoos cookies, I don't know where that association came from but I love it! So I thought, why not make some popsicles with these ingredients 😉

Avocado cucumber apple cold soup

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   If you've been following the blog for quite some time, you may have noticed that I love soup, I repeat it each time I publish a soup recipe. Whether warm and comfy in Winter or fresh and light in Summer, it's a good way to stay hydrated and eat veggies, legumes or even cereals in a simple manner.

   Lately, we've been brainstorming about what to do with our huge numerous cucumbers we have at work with my colleagues apart from tzatziki and salads and we talked about cold soups. One of them made a cold cream with cucumber and some "kid cheese" as I like to call it, I don't know if it exists outside of France but to me and cheese amateurs, it's not really cheese, it's something chewy wrapped into individuals packs. Anyway,  thought about what to use instead and I thought about avocado to bring some creamy texture.  

Quinoa flakes cookies (vegan, gluten free)

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    Long time I didn't published a new recipe here, I'm very sorry about that, I've been publishing on the French version but I've been doing long hours at my current job and I'm exhausted - or very busy with groceries, cleaning, cooking meals and taking care of Jesse, my dog - on my days off.


   I'll try to get back on track and publish the seasonal recipes I've published in French for the past weeks.


   About the recipe, I made these cookies last May, I love cookies as you can see on the blog and when I bought these quinoa flakes, I knew I wanted to bake them in a dessert and first went for cookies in order to make another recipe with them later on.

Raw Spring pointed cabbage, fennel, carrot and apple salad, almond butter and soy sauce seasoning

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    A few days ago, I stumbled on a type of cabbage I didn't even know about called "chou pointu" which means "pointed cabbage" in French because of the shape its leaves give it. It's a Spring cabbage, sweeter and more easily digestible. Its leaves are tender and slick. It had been a while since I wanted to make a raw cabbage salad so I gave it a try.

   Lately, the weather has ben very ugly in France and I kind of only crave for comforting and warm dishes but I thought a good salad would be nice to celebrate May. 

   I had a fennel and a carrot to use in the fridge and I thought that an apple would bring some sharpness. If you don't like fennel just skip it and put more cabbage.  

{ Jesse 4-year-old birthday } Banana gluten free dog cookies

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    Last year,  I prepared some healthy pumpkin cookies for Jesse 3-year-old birthday - muffins too but she liked the cookies way better - with healthy natural ingredients. This year, I promised her to bake a new recipe for her 4th birthday and she enjoyed these cookies last weekend.


   These two recipes are either eatable by our fury friends but also ourselves, so no problem if one of your kids you happen to grab one to taste. These cookies are vegan but do not forget that our dogs and cats are not vegetarian nor vegan, whatever our diet is and for whatever reason, they need to eat meat/fish or it could be dangerous for their health. However, a few vegetarian/vegan treats from time to time is not bad for them.

Banana bread porridge

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    A few weeks ago, I went back on the porridge track. It had ben my usual breakfast almost everything week days morning for many years and then I got bored and quite even disgusted and didn't want to hear about porridge. At that time, I used to make it with only oats, milk and cooked in the microwaves. And lately, I've stumbled upon recipes cooked with water in a saucepan and garnished with fruit and else and it made me want to try again.


    Since then, I've started collecting flakes as for flours, I have oats, oat bran, rice, millet, buckwheat or even toasted soy flakes. It's as many possibilities to make different porridges in flavor or texture. And actually, cooked in a saucepan doesn't take more time than in the microwaves. I also like it better cooked in water, it's less thick at the end but I like to do half and half with milk too. So, now I want to try lots of porridges and today's recipe is really yummy, filling and won't let you down until lunch time. It's quite rich in carbs so better as a pre-workout breakfast. 

{ Where to eat - Paris, France } Alma the Chimney Cake Factory, rolled brioches from Central Europe Europe

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   Today, no new recipe but a new good address where to eat. Well, the first one on the English version of the blog, I really have to translate and give you my other good addresses to eat in Paris and Barcelona.


   I had the occasion to go back to Alma the Chimney Cake Factory a few days ago to the new address and as it was another good time there, I thought it was time to tell you about it. Alma proposes rolled savory and sweet brioches called "chimney cakes" in English but "Kurtoskalacs" in Hungary and "Trdelníks" in Czech Republic where they're from. Originally, these Central Europe brioches are only sweet rolled into sugar and cinnamon.

Aloo gobi, cauliflower and potatoes dry Indian curry & carrot raita

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   Another Indian recipe, yep, I love that cuisine! Because of its flavors but also because it's easy to eat vegeterian, what is most appreciated when you go and eat at the restaurant. And this is just in an Indian restaurant we often go to when I visit my mom in my home town that I discovered this dish. I had had a painful dental intervention the day before and I had trouble eating and appreciating any solid food so I chose this dish hoping it would be soft enough for my sore teeth.

   The veggies were not only soft but deliciously cooked with spices so when I had some cauliflower leftovers a little time after that, I wanted to enjoy some aloo gobi again at home. "Aloo" stands for "potatoes" and "gobi" for cauliflower, it's a dry Indian curry. 

Raspberry pear cardamom chia and millet pudding

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   Here is a recipe I had not scheduled on the blog but I made it last weekend and it was so easy, delicious and filling enough to wait until lunch that I thought you may like too. I also thought about all the people who say they don't have time to eat in the morning because you prepare everything at night and you just have to assemble it in the morning and enjoy! You'll excuse the minimalist pictures but as I said the recipe wasn't planned and I was quite hungry and eager to eat this delicious thing so I made it quick!

   This is not the first time I made an overnight pudding but the first I used millet instead of oats - I love millet since I tried it a few weeks ago! I bet you've heard about chia pudding, well, an overnight oats or overnight "other cereal" is just the same with oats or any other cereal flakes and, even if I like chia puddings (like my favorite one here), I just love overnights! 

   And if you've tried and were not satisfied, I bet you will find your favorite version, I suggest you to try different milks, add some yogurt or not, change flakes, add or remove some of the chia seeds, etc.Then you can top your pudding with whatever you want, fruit, seed butter, chocolat, seeds and more!

Pink grapefruit cranberry ginger cocktail • For The Love Of Cocktails, Las Vegas premier charity cocktail festival

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    Today, we'll talk about cocktails, Las Vegas and charity. A few days ago, I heard about For The Love Of Cocktails, a cocktail and charity event hosted in Las Vegas once a year. The celebration is not only a mixology party but also a 72-hour fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. In honor of the next edition of the festival taking place in May this year, I created a fun cocktail I wanted to share with you! 

   The event brings, every year, the finest mixologists, cocktail bars and chefs. I'm not a big drinker, ageing, I've been drinking alcohol less and less but I like to enjoy a good cocktail once in a while. If I could, I would have been delighted to meet some professionals there and also because Las Vegas is one of my top destinations I wish to visit. It sounds like a lot of fun but most of all for a great cause.

Orange mango immune booster Winter smoothie (turmeric, ginger, cardamom and baobab)

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    Let's begin this week with a vitamins packed smoothie, because it's good and to fight the bad weather of March, between Spring and apocalyptic rainy days.

   At first, I had tried this smoothie with fresh orange juice and it was delicious but I thought it would be interesting to use the whole orange flesh in order to add more fibers that help to digest and make you feel hungry later because they regulate the carbohydrates and lipids. Mango is also a fruit rich in fibers but also antioxidants (and it's my favorite exotic fruit). 

Winter vegetable vegan patties and their yoghurt sauce (gluten free)

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   Hide veggies and fruit for children who don't really like them, that the theme of the last Bataille Food of yesterday proposed by Anne-Laure. I confess I had a little trouble finding a really original idea with seasonal vegetables (that was not already on the blog) because I've always liked vegetables and fruit in general (apart from Brussel sprouts and green peas... still true today), I don't really understand how can someone (child or adult) not like them and most of all why.

   So this challenge was a reason to try a new recipe from the book Vegan from Marie Laforêt (a great French vegan food blogger). I adapted her mini vegetable patties with seasonal veggies such as carrots, leek and cauliflower.

Avocado mango green smoothie bowl

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    If you're not familiar with those famous green smoothies, don't worry, they're good! You just need to put the right fruit (and greens) in the right quantities. I didn't do this on purpose but a year ago, I published a tutorial on what is a smoothie bowl and how to build one. To my surprising,  this article is one of the most read and pinned on Pinterest!

Avgolemono, Greek rice and lemon soup

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    For this special lemon week on the blog to celebrate the Lemon Festival held in Menton, on the French Riviera (France), between Nice and the Italian frontier, I wanted to find a savory recipe to propose on the blog because, even if I like cakes and pastries, one is enough in a week ! At least, not to my stomach but my body... ha ha.  I could have share the recipe of the Italian lemon pasta but I already have a recipe of macaroni with lemon and mascarpone cooked like a risotto here.

   And after a few researches, I stumbled upon this typical Greek dish. I know well the Greek cuisine but didn't even know this recipe called Avgolemono that is made of egg (avgo) and lemon (lemono) - as its name says. Traditionally , it's prepared with meat broth, egg and rice, some put meat inside too, most of the time chicken.

Lemon chia seed cardamom moist cake (vegan)

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    In France, we have several celebrations in some regions and before Carnival, the 84th Lemon Festival is being held in Menton, on the French Riviera between Nice and the Italian frontier since last Saturday and until March 1st. So I decided it was going to be lemon week on the blog! I love citrus fruit and lemon is part of them of course, the lemon cake is one of my favorites but I had never baked one, except these Italian lemon ricotta individual cakes. 

Orange cardamom rice pudding brulee (vegan option)

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    I think rice pudding is a comfort dessert most people seem to like, maybe because it reminds of childhood for some, like me. I like to make different versions of it like here or here. Today, I'm taking part to a new edition of the Battle Food and the theme chosen by Lova was "Rice Battle", I love it either in savory or sweet dishes but I really wanted to try rice pudding with citrus fruit and I chose the oranges because this is a fruit I cook too rarely. 

{ Candlemas } Farz Buan, scrambled crepe from France (Brittany)

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    Next week will celebrate Candlemas as we're almost, already, in February ! In France, it has been a long time tradition to make crepes on February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas. But don't worry, you can enjoy crepes all year long and this is what I do because I just love them. 

   Here are a few words about Candlemas if you're not familiar with this celebration - that the Romans used to celebrate already - and crepes tradition. 

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The tradition to make crêpes on Candlemas... Well, there are various origins. One says that it was created to follow a myth that if we didn't make crepes on Candlemas day, the wheat would be rotten all year long. So people would make crepes and flip the first one with the right hand while holding a gold coin in the left one. then, the coin would be wrapped into this crepe and put on top of a closet in the bedroom and left there until the following year. A year after, people would take the remains of the crepe off and give the gold coin to the first poor individual that they would meet, it was supposed to insure them money all year long. 

Chocolate cocoa kaki persimmon mini cakes (vegan and gluten free option)

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   For once, we start the week with a sweet recipe but this is because there will be three recipes on the blog. Last week, I caught an ugly virus, a not common and child illness, more fun! Something between the flue and the chickenpox, with a few days of fever and a facial edema, not glamorous at all, I really not wish it to you. The only good thing about it is that you only catch it once in your life, thank you very much!


   Anyway, this is why I didn't have the strength or appetite enough to cook or even sit and write on the blog. But, in exchange, you'll be more spoiled this week! 😊


   A few weeks ago, I had the chance to win the book The Vibrant Table from Anya Kassoff (named Green in France) thanks to a giveaway on a French blog. It's a book of "a vegetarian, gluten free, mostly vegan and sometimes raw kitchen". It's about 300 pages so there is a bunch of recipes to try. What I liked about the book : there is a long introduction where the author, an anglo-saxon food blogger, born in Russia, who lives in Florida, explains her culinary path and how she got there with a blog and book. She also writes about her favorite ingredients, their benefits and gives basic recipes. Each recipe is also introduced with a little text and I liked it a lot because it's quit rare in cook books. If you don't know her blog yet, you can also find recipes online on Golubkakitchen. 


   I was seeking for comfort food recipes and I stumbled on this chocolate persimmon cake and immediately wanted to try it, because I like persimmons but don't often think to buy some and I had never cooked any. I went for individual cakes because I think it's handy to eat and also because I always find them cuter than a large cake. 


   I first try her version and it was good but I added my own modifications because I wanted to taste the buckwheat flour and banana less, I also replaced the ground nuts with almonds and the quinoa flakes with toasted soy (because I has some in the kitchen). I also replaced the egg with yogurt because I only made half of the quantities and using half an egg is not that easy...

Savoy cabbage lasagna (gluten free, vegan option)

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    Lasagna are, I guess, one of the dishes everyone likes because it's comforting, easy to make and you can put everything you like in it, depending of the season. I saw a recipe of lasagna made of cabbage and meat on the Internet a little time ago and I thought it was a great idea to change from the regular ones (the cabbage thing of course, not the meat... ha ha) to serve to gluten intolerant people or enjoy a lighter meal. 

Skolebrød or Skoleboller, little sweet cardamom, pastry cream and coconut Norwegian buns (vegan, dairy free, egg free)

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   Today, I'm hosting the first 2017 edition of a French food challenge called Battle Food. I had been chosen to be the "godmother" last month by another blogger thanks to my vegan cranberry Christmas pavlova and I had proposed the theme: Yummy Trip because I love to travel and discover new cultures and food specialities but I haven't been able to travel much this past years so I travel with food instead.

   I wanted to go toward a type of cuisine completely unknown to me but I didn't find anything inspiring in some countries. So after going through Pinterest, Internet and my books, I made short list and finally... I went for a Scandinavian recipe because I just love its cuisine and pastries.

French onion soup au gratin (vegan option)

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    I usually don't publish traditional recipes because I think there's enough Chef recipes online but from time to time I like to stick to the basics such as I did for the Spanish traditional Gazpacho last summer or with French onion soup. I wanted to share this comfort dish I used to enjoy as a child in Winter or around Christmas holidays. Onion soup with bread croutons is just delicious.