I don’t know what is going on with me lately, I just want to eat flan, sweet, savory anything that looks like a flan or tastes like a flan…and I am not even pregnant. I think it has to do with its consistency…anyway my life functions with waves as well as are my culinary tendencies. Flans don’t necessarily have to be sweet, they can be made with so many vegetables, such as asparagus, carrots, broccoli, leeks, etc… you just need the egg/milk and/or cream mixture. You could also substitute cream with silken tofu blended into a creamy texture.

For those who do not want to use cream, you can find a substitute cream made out of soy, it’s called Mimicreme, and is available now in California at the Rainbow. I was waiting for it to arrive in california, and here it is, la voilà qui est arrivée! In France we have many types of non dairy creams that are delicious, without the weird soy unpleasant taste at all, and  the texture is as smooth as dairy cream.

These flans are a wonderful way to eat vegetables and for those who are just beginning to add more veggies into their diet and who don’t know how to prepare them. 

Cauliflower has very little calories and is rich in fibers, magnesium, calcium and potassium. It’s one of the “kings” among light vegetables, so I would not worry about eating too much cauliflower. Vive le chou fleur!!

Ingredients for 4 

• 1 cauliflower
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/8 cup cream 
• 2 tbs gorgonzola
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Steam the cauliflower cut in florets. You can also cut it in small pieces and boil it in water for about 20 minutes, or until cooked. Drain and mash with a potato masher.

In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, milk, cream, thyme, salt and pepper. When everything is well mixed, add crumbled gorgonzola.

Butter individual flan or souffle cups, and pour evenly the mixture.

Cook in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes or until flan is cooked. You can use a knife to slide in the flan and if it comes out dry, that means the flan is cooked. Sprinkle with fresh thyme.

You can serve flan in their individual molds or unmold them in a dish. You can serve this with a salad or as a side dish with some white broiled fish.

Summer is around the corner and we just want more greens and lighter meals for those hot summer nights…I don’t know if you’re like me, but during summer I mainly eat salads, fruits and greens. I just had my first peach of the season tonight, it was still a little hard, and not very sweet…I can’t wait for summer to show up so I can live on peaches.

With six zucchini, you can make a huge quantity of those tagliatelle (tagliatelle is the Italian pasta, it’s flat and long and 1/2 inch thick, not sure how you call this in English). I really like the combination of zucchini and edamame, they both remain crunchy and full of texture. The interesting thing is that you feel like you are eating carbs but you’re just eating vegetables so you feel light and energized.

I try not to eat carbs at night, I tend to sleep better and I love to go to bed feeling light as a feather, and get up in the morning with a healthy hunger, avec le ventre qui gargouille.

I like those as a main vegetarian dish with nothing else, they’re so satisfying, but you can serve them with any grain or meat dish of your choice. 

Ingredients for 4

• 6 zucchini
• 1/2 lb edamame
• 1 shallot
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 tbs black sesame seeds
• olive oil
• rice vinegar
• salt and pepper

Preparation

First slice the zucchini with a potato peeler. Keep in a large container.

In a wok, heat up olive oil, add shallots, brown them. Add ginger and garlic, stir then add zucchini. Cook for a few minutes only, to keep them crunchy. Add edamame, vinegar, salt and pepper, sesame seeds. Stir carefully not to break the zucchini, mix all ingredients. Add cilantro at the end and serve hot.