I am not sure how to call this…it’s not a pizza, not a tart, not a galette, and not sure it fits into the flat bread category. So I decided to call it a Jeanette. Jeanette is a female’s old fashioned name, that I thought could as well fit in the food world (actually in mine it does) so here is a Jeanette. The crust is made out of whole wheat einkorn flour, topped with a garlic-herb paste, wild mushrooms, cauliflower. Originally, I had a in mind a vegan tarte flambée (flammekueche), one thing leading to another, then Jeannette was born.

Einkorn flour does not have the same texture than regular flour, therefore you will get a different type of dough. When mixed with yeast, einkorn flour will not rise as much as regular flour, and you will not get a airy and fluffy dough. It’s more dense  (which I like). So you your dough does not rise as much, don’t throw it away, it’s normal.

This became a favorite in the house and I make it once a week now!

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 1/4 cup einkorn whole wheat flour
• salt
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1/2 tsp dry yeast

for the herb paste

• 1 cup of mixed herbs (cilantro, oregano, chives, parsley, etc…)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 tbs + olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the topping

• 1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1.2 cups mixed wild mushrooms
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 onion, sliced very thinly
• chili flakes (to taste)

Preparation

For the dough

In a mixing container, add flour and salt and mix well. In a cup add water to yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes until yeast starts to activate. Mix and pour into flour. Using your hands knead the dough until you obtain a smooth ball. Set aside, cover with a towel and let it rise for about one hour.

For the herb paste

Mix all ingredients in a mixer and set aside

For the topping

Bring a pot of salted water into a boil. Add cauliflower. Boil for about 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat and drain.

In a pan, heat olive oil, add mushrooms and let cook at medium heat until water evaporates (about 5 minutes). Adjust with salt and remove from heat.

On a flat surface spread dough thinly (about 3 mm) with rolling pin. If too sticky add flour. Lay dough on a pizza pan, as if you are making a pizza. Spread herb paste all over the dough. Add mushrooms, then cauliflower and finally the onions. Sprinkle some chili flakes and oregano, salt and pepper.

Pre heat oven at 400F and place the Jeannette on rack closer to the flame/heat. Cook for about 10-15 min, ensuring the bottom is not burning. It needs to be crunchy and golden brown.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with some olive oil. Serve hot

I made this dish a while ago, then never got the chance to finish writing it. So here we are now, during the holiday season with a non Christmassy dish…It’s not quite the best recipe for the occasion but it is definitely delicious so we’ll make it festive.

Anytime I buy octopus, I think about Paul the famous octopus who predicted all the soccer games in the 2010 world cup. I have a weakness for octopus dishes but then when I buy one and see it staring at me, I am thinking, that’s the last time I will buy one. I have strong mixed feelings about it. Eventually, at some point, I will stop buying it. Maybe this one is Arthur, Paul’s relative.

Since I bought Arthur, I will make the best out of it. I have made many octopus dishes before, and this one with a tomato base is a classic Italian or Southern France dish. The white bean puree goes well with the tomato base, and it’s all enhanced by a herb oil. I loved it. Herbs are an essential part of my cooking style, I could not cook without them. They make any dish taste better, they give it more character.

It’s fairly easy to make herb oil. You need excellent olive oil, the most fragrant you can find. I used Paesano brand (from Sicily). I would use some unrefined and unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, cold press. You can use any herbs you want. I used a mixture of parsley, chives, mint, mixed with garlic, jalapeno pepper. The oil needs to be infused for a while, a minimum of two hours. Then you can store it in a glass bottle and use it when needed.

Ingredients for 2-3

For the octopus

• 1 whole large size octopus (about 2.5 lbs)
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 3 large heirloom tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• Piment d’Espelette
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp tomato vinegar (optional)
• chives for garnish

For the cannelini bean purée

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400 g cooked cannellini beans
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

For the herb oil

• 1 cup unfiltered cold press extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• one handful mixed fresh herbs (mint, parsley, basil, chives, etc…)

Preparation

For the octopus

Cook octopus in boiling water until tender but not over cooked (about 30 minutes) or alternatively in a pressure cooker for 15-20 minutes. When cooked, drain and cut in medium size pieces (about3-4 inches).

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven. Add shallots and brown them. Add tomatoes, garlic, piment d’Espelette, salt and pepper. Let cook for a few minutes. Add wine, stir well and place in the oven with lid on for 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking until some liquid has been absorbed. Remove from oven and add tomato vinegar. Let cook for another minute an serve.

 For the cannellini bean purée

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onions and let them cook until translucent, then add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add beans and broth, salt and pepper. Let it cook to absorb the flavors for about 15 min. Then mix in a mixer to obtain a smooth puree. Add more broth if too thick.

For the herb oil

Mix all ingredients in a mixer until smooth. You could drain and press the mixture in a cheese cloth to obtain the oil (I like texture so I didn’t, and kept it mixed without pressing the oil)

Serve purée in bottom of plates, add octopus on top and herb oil all around. Sprinkle with chives.

I am not sure how this recipe was made alive, I kept looking at my two packs of polenta, thinking I need to use them at some point. I love polenta, I just never think of making it. It’s one of those things that you need to have it in your pantry but then, in the pantry it remains. I grew up eating the traditional polenta from Marche region in Italy, the way my mom used to make it, with tomato-rabbit sauce. It was delicious but a little too stuffy.

Polenta has many uses and is quite a versatile ingredient. You can make sweet cakes, or use it as a thickening agent, or anything you like.

I used almond milk in this recipe, the natural kind which contains only almonds and water, and no thickening agents and flavors.

This is a simple dish, enhanced by the sweet pepper coulis. A perfect dish for a hearty lunch for one of those muggy days in the city. This pepper coulis could be the base of pesto, but I didn’t add any parmesan nor nuts so it has a smoother texture and more liquid.

Ingredients for 3-4 cakes

For the cakes

• 300 g baby spinach
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup natural almond milk
• 6 oz (or 170 g) express polenta
• 3 tbs feta, crumbled + 2 tbs
• 1 tbs mixed herbs, chopped
• salt and pepper

For the pepper coulis

• 2 red bell peppers
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp piment d’espelette
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs basil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the cakes

Preheat oven at 380F.

Heat non stick pot, add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from pot, squeeze water and chop roughly.

In a mixing container, combine milk and eggs and beat well. Add spinach, onion and polenta. Add crumble feta and herbs. Adjust with salt and pepper and mix well.

Using silicon molds (about 8 cm each) or non stick mini pans, divide the mixture in each container.

Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until the top gets golden.

Serve hot with pepper coulis.

For the pepper coulis

Roast peppers under broiler until the skin gets burnt on all sides. Remove from oven and let it cool in a plastic bag.

Remove the peel and seeds.

Add all ingredients in a mixer and mix to a smooth texture.

Since I came back from Japan, I have been wanting to make Takoyaki which are Japanese octopus balls usually find in the streets of Japan and eaten as snacks. They are delightful (of course if you like octopus). I went to Japan town and got all the ingredients, then when I arrived home, I decided to change my menu and went for a more Mediterranean recipe instead. As we say in French “il n’y a que les imbeciles qui ne changent pas d’avis” (only imbeciles don’t change their mind). I was quite hungry, and I thought I didn’t want to eat something called a “snack”. So takoyaki will have to wait.

Needless to say I adore octopus, in any shape or form, and my two favorite ways to eat it is either as a stew or grilled.

I made this herb salsa a few days ago to eat with grilled fish and I had some left that would be perfect for this dish as well. You don’t need to make two sauces. You can pick between the roasted pepper sauce or this herb one…or both if you don’t mind the extra work (which is very minimal). Honestly, I love to serve it with both. The roasted pepper salsa brings out the sweetness and the herb salsa is more pungy and citrussy and both are really a great combination for grilled octopus.

This dish is fairly simple as far as technique and likelihood to mess it up. Now, it require many different ingredients, but not too many spices. I don’t like dishes that are too complicated where you lose the essence of the primary ingredient, therefore end up not knowing what you are eating anymore. So this dish does not fit in that category despite its ingredients.

I included some saute greens that are optional, but I love my greens so it’s up to you to decide if you want to add some or not. The ones are used are Asian greens that looks like rapini, but any stems green would work.

Ingredients for 2-3

For the roasted pepper salsa

• 2 red peppers
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the herb salsa

• 1/2 bunch dill
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1/2 bunch basil
• 1 garlic clove
• zest of 1 meyer lemon
• juice of 1 meyer lemon
• 1/2 ts cumin
• salt and pepper

For the fava beans and fennel saute

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 fennel head, shaved very finely and thinly
• 1/2 cup fava beans (shelled)
• 2 tbs dry white wine
• salt and pepper
• lemon oil for drizzling

For the octopus

• 400 g cooked octopus
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

For the roasted pepper salsa

Roast peppers under broiler until they turn black on all sides. Remove from oven and let it cool. Remove seeds and skin and place in a mixer with the rest of the ingredients until the mixture becomes smooth.

For the mix herb salsa

Mix all ingredients in a mixer less the lemon zest until fine, like a pesto texture. Add lemon zest at the end.

For the fava bean and fennel saute

Remove fava beans from pod. Bring a water to a boil in a small pot.  Cook fava beans in water for about 3 minutes. Drain and remove the fava bean from their shell. Keep aside.

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add fennel and mirin and cook at medium heat for a few minutes until the fennel starts to soften but still remain firm. Let mirin evaporate. Add fava beans and mix well. Adjust with salt and pepper and drizzle with lemon oil.

For the octopus

You either need precooked octopus you can find at any Asian market or raw octopus that you will cook yourself in water until soft (it should take about 40 minutes). When cooked, cut a few tentacles in about 4.5 inches long. Marinate them in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper for about one hour. Grill on barbeque on skillet until golden brown and crispy on each sides (about 10 minutes).

I had some leftover saffron quinoa that I didn’t want to throw away but I didn’t want to eat either. Obviously the choices were limited…so I used the quinoa to make galettes. I figured it would be a nice balanced meal with a butternut squash purée with it.

The quinoa was originally cooked using as a risotto ingredients, with shallots, saffron, broth and white wine minus the parmesan. I did not add cheese, I think it would add some heaviness that it did not need. If you want a more pungent galettes, you can of course add parmesan or feta for the matter.

I steamed the quinoa with all the ingredients instead of slowly adding broth while cooking.

Ingredients

for the quinoa galettes

• 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (risotto-style)
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 tbs amaranth flour
• 2 tbs corn starch
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbs mixed herbs (chervil, chives, basil, parley, etc…), chopped
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbs olive oil

For the butternut squash purée

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed in 1.5 inches cubes
• 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 tbs coconut cream
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the galettes

Place quinoa in a mixing container. Add flour, corn starch and baking powder and mix well, coating the quinoa with the flours. Add carrots and herbs and mix again. Add beaten eggs and adjust with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too liquid add a little more flour.

Using your hands, form a galette of about 2 inches diameter and 3/4 inch think.

Heat olive oil in a pan and cook galettes at medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Keep warm.

For the butternut squash

Cook squash in a deep pan with vegetable broth at low temperature with lid on. Add salt and pepper. When the squash is tender and cooked all the way through and liquid absorbed, remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add coconut cream and stir well.

That dish just gets me all excited, it’s just an amazing combination that I will make again and again. I don’t think I can never be tired of eating this.

I call this ratatouille even if it’s not the traditional way to make it. All the ratatouille vegetables are included, but the cooking method is completely different. Roasted rather than stewed, so obviously the texture is different, nonetheless delicious.

When I discovered skyr, I did some research on its use and how to use it in different dishes other than desserts. I found on Siggi‘s website some interesting new ways to use skyr, and that’s where I found the inspiration for this flat bread. I modified it a bit, I only used whole wheat flour, and used more skyr.

Ingredients for 2-3

For the ratatouille

• 4 zucchini, sliced
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut in slices
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in 2 inch pieces
• 1 eggplant, cut in cubes
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• olive oil

Yogurt sauce

• 1.5 cups goat milk yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbs mint, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbs lemon juice

For the skyr flat bread (3 pieces)

• 100 gr whole wheat flour
• 140 g skyr
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 ts salt
• olive oil for sprinkling
• Za’atar spices for sprinkling

For the chili-herb oil

• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 2 scallions
• 2 handfuls parsley
• 2 handful mint
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the roasted ratatouille

Heat oven at 420F, in the meantime, place all vegetables on a large tray, add garlic, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and lighly browned, but still firm

For the Skyr bread

In a container, mix all ingredients together and form a homogenous dough (no sticky), if sticky add a bit of flour. Cover and let it rest for 30 min. Divide the dough in four portions, roll each portion to make it round in a ball shape. Using a rolling pin, flatten each ball to a 4 mm thick galette. Heat grill pan, and cook each flat bread on each side until golden brown. Sprinkle with za’atar and olive oil.

For the herb oil

In a blender or mixer, add all ingredients and mix until a smooth mixture (the mixture needs to be smooth with no visible pieces of herb)

Serve roasted ratatouille hot and top it with yogurt sauce, herb oil and a skyr galette,

These razor clams remind me of my childhood with my grandmother on a beach on the Adriatic. We used to find those inside the sand and pick them to bring home. It’s been so hard to find them in the stores in the US, and even in Europe. I was reading an article saying that they were no longer part of the culinary world and that the chefs stopped serving them in restaurants for years. The good thing is that, they have decided to introduce them back into their menus and you can now find them in the stores.

The ones you find in Italy or France are smaller, not as thick and longer, they look like a knife. Actually the literal translation of “couteau” in French means knife. These razor clams being so big, they need to be cleaned a bit different than the ones you find in Europe. Those come from the Pacific North West so maybe that’s another type of razor clam.

Unfortunately those clams have been previously frozen, the good thing is that it was easy to open them. To clean them you have to remove the digestive system which is the dark part. Cut it off with scissors and it’s done.

Ingredients for 2

• 6 razor clams
• 1 spring shallot
• 1.2 cup parsley
• 3 garlic cloves
• olive oil
• zest of one lemon
• chili flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper
• lemon oil for drizzling

Preparation

For the herb mixture

In a blender, mix all ingredients except lemon zest. The mixture needs to be smooth, but not like a paste, you need some texture

For the clams

If using frozen ones, open them and wash them well. Clean them removing the digestive system, rinse and pat dry. Place clams back on their shell.

Preheat oven at 370 F. Add herb mixture on top of clams and place in oven for about 15 min or less, until clams are cooked but not too hard. Remove from oven and drizzle with olive oil

I was reading an article on cauliflower on a French magazine, and I thought I would like to try roasting it whole. What a wonderful idea to slowly cook a whole cauliflower in the oven, rubbed with herbs and spices. For those who love vegetables and who watch their calories intake, this is a perfect meal.

You can serve this cauliflower with various side dishes who will enhance the whole meal. I love mixing cauliflower and bell peppers, probably a childhood combination that my mom used to do.

The cauliflower remains firm yet soft, I like firm vegetables. If you like them more cooked, then you have to leave the cauliflower in the oven longer, or boil it for 5-10 min prior to baking it. In addition to the pepper salsa, I served it with some yogurt sauce, that’s optional. I love yogurt sauce in general with spicy dishes.

I loved it so much that I ate a whole cauliflower by myself. Talking about moderation…I know, that is a bit exaggerated but as we say in French “quand on aime, on ne compte pas“, when we love, we don’t count. Se here we go…

Ingredients

For the cauliflower

•  1 whole cauliflower
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin

For the bell pepper salsa

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 tbs olive oil
• juice of one meyer lemon
• 1 tsp chives, chopped
• salt and pepper

For the yogurt sauce

• 5 tbs plain Greek yogurt
• 1.5 tsp mixed herbs (parsley, cilantro, tarragon, etc…)
•  1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Preparation

First roast the peppers in the oven. Place under broiler and cook until the skin gets burnt. Turn around peppers until the whole peppers are roasted. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Remove skin and seeds. Cut peppers in small cubes. Mix all ingredients together and set aside.
Wash cauliflower and dry well with a towel. Mix together all other ingredients in a bowl and rub cauliflower with it. Let it sit for about an hour.

Preheat oven at 375F and bake cauliflower for about one hour. Check after 45 min with a knife to see if it’s cooked or still hard and add more cooking time according to how you’d like to eat the cauliflower.

For the yogurt sauce, mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Cut cauliflower in portions, like you would cut a cake. Serve with side dishes.

Here I am, in France again visiting my parents. I made this recipe while in the US a while ago and never managed to finish it. So I figured to post it from France even if it has nothing to do with my stay, nor with what I eat here.

I bought wild salmon, I don’t feel very good about buying wild fish, since we have been fishing way to much and it does hurt the environment, buying farm raised fishes makes me worry about the antibiotics and the way it’s raised…even if it said it’s sustainable…how sustainable is it? In this case, I don’t know what makes me feel better. I think veganism would be a great way to help the environment but that’s not a realistic approach to the problem.

Salmon has not been on the menu for a while, so I thought why not…I love this dish, it’s very quick to make, so if you happen to have some salmon and have no inspiration on how to prepare it, this would be an nice option. It does not require many fancy ingredients, just the basics. What makes this salmon fragrant are the herbs and walnuts mixed with bread crumbs, the crust gets crunchy and so flavorful.

As for the salsa, I have no idea why I called it “salsa” it is definitely not a puree, it has the ingredients of a salsa but that’s about it. I couldn’t find a better name for it, so salsa it will be. No matter how you name a dish, as long as it tastes good, that’s the most important thing.

 Ingredients for 2

For the salmon

• 2 salmon fillets
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 5 tbs panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbs chopped walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 tbs mixed herbs, chopped (tarragon, parsley, chives, etc…)
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• salt and pepper

For the broccoli salsa

• 2 large broccoli heads
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbs cilantro, chopped
• 1 large tomato, seedless, peeled and diced finely
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

 Preparation

For the salmon

In a mixing container, combine all the ingredients together except salmon fillets and egg whites. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on each sides of salmon. Dip each side of salmon in egg whites, then coat each side with the bread/herb mixture.

Heat olive oil in a pan, then cook salmon until one side is cooked and golden brown. Turn on the other side and proceed the same way.

For the broccoli salsa

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook broccoli until tender. Drain well and mash finely using a potato masher. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Tian is a traditional dish from Provence, and should be made in a clay dish…since I just broke mine, I had to use a Pyrex one. The vegetables are sliced thinly, placed upright and cooked in the oven for a long time. You can add goat cheese as well, but I wanted to keep it vegan and light, so to get additional Mediterranean flavors, I served it with a tapenade tartine. This is a very simple dish to make yet delicious due to the slow cooking of the vegetables and all the herbs that have infused in it.

Of course, there are various recipes for tian, some people don’t add onions, but fennel, or potatoes, but tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants should always be around. You can play around with herbs, cheese, etc…but I wanted to keep it simple. Sometimes I like simple flavors and don’t want to add too many intricate and complex flavors into a dish. The slow cooking turned the vegetable almost “confits” in the herbs and own juices.

Usually tians are served with grilled meats or fishes, they add wonderful aromas to a dish. I have to admit that I ate the whole tian by myself and was still hungry. Usually this would be sufficient for four, if you serve it with a fish or meat, or also rice in case you want to keep it vegetarian. It really depends on how much vegetables your guests can eat. Quand on aime, on ne compte pas, that’s what the French say, when you love, you don’t count…which is true for many things. The tapenade tartine is a nice element if you want to keep your meal vegan, that olive spread is simply divine with this tian.

Ingredients for 3-4

• 3 large tomatoes, sliced crosswise
• 3 zucchini, sliced crosswise
• 2 medium eggplants, sliced crosswise
• 1 onion,
• lavender salt
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tsp basil, chopped finely
• 2 tbs olive oil
• pepper

For the tapenade, see recipe here

Preparation

Spread some olive oil, all over the dish, preferably a clay dish.

Place all vegetables upright in the dish, alternating between a slice of tomato, two slices of zucchini (since the zucchini tend to be smaller), one slice of eggplant, and onion. The vegetables need to be tightly arranged so they stand still.

Add herbs and garlic, sprinkle with lavender salt and pepper. Add olive oil all over the vegetables.

Cover with aluminium foil and cook in a pre heated oven at 365-370 for about 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and let the vegetables get golden brown.