All posts filed under: french healthy cooking

healthy recipe – fig chutney

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I have to admit, I love figs, fresh ones or otherwise. When they are in season, I gorge on them until I am sick to my stomach and just when I swear I wouldn’t eat  anymore, I find myself always in the gourmet section of a grocery store searching for anything made with figs. So, of course, it’s not a surprise that after finishing a jar of fig jam and eating a dozen or so fresh ones out of a basket, like an addict, I began a desperate search for fig chutney to make during the impending holiday season. A good excuse to eat figs again 🙂 Although I search the internet extensively for most any recipe to compare the ingredients so that I can create my own version, for the fig chutney, since it’s my first time making it,  I have decided to go with my favorite chef/author/connoisseur/online mentor if you will and follow the recipe he suggests to the exact just to make sure it’s the right balance in flavor. Fig Chutney Two …

day 8 to 12 – travel journal – french riviera et all

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The most amazing thing about Europe is the fact, everything is connected by train, so there is no need to stress about driving nor flying. One can simply book a point to point ticket or by a Railpass (Outside of Europe Residance only) and arrange to get from any number of destinations within Europe. The beauty of having a Railpass is that the passholder can travel on the TER train – which connects all the beach town along the French Riviera by an intrecit timetable and train schedule.  So, basically in the morning you could be in Cannes and within half an hour to an hour you could be in Antinbes, Nice, Monte Carlo, Menton (depending on the stops the train makes). So, of course we did just that, hopped on the TER everyday and ended up in different parts of the French Riviera. Our stops, on this trip were to St. Tropez, Antibes, Monte Carlo (for the hubby man), VillaFranche Sur Mer and Nice.  Now, although every town is almost the same in that …

healthy recipe: beet salad

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I love beets and will eat anything made with beets, which means mostly all salads. I actually think I have turned everyone around me into appreciating the vegetable. There are of course health benefits to them and although I was forced to eat them as a child because of the fact and of course because my father loved them,  I now make a conscious effort to include them in my weekly diet plan without any parental threats ;). Here is yet another recipe I found and have tried t and love it as usual, so I wanted to share it with you ladies and hopefully some gents. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think? The only thing I changed was the blue cheese, I am not a fan so I used Greek cheese, it works just as well French Roasted Beet Salad Consider serving this as a first course. And if you don’t think you like beets, try them roasted. You may just change your mind. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds beets (4 …

dessert fix: strawberries and cream french style

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Usually around the beginning of April I get the itch to travel, especially to Paris. So everything I research online is geared towards Paris this and Paris that. What can I say. As a result of my weakness, it’s no wonder I came across this recipe from my favorite chef and author, David Lebovitz:  Enjoy and let me know how it turned out? Sabayon Four to six servings Adapted from Ready for Dessert Any kind of white wine that you like will work well for sabayon; dry, sweet, or sparkling. I do tend to prefer sweeter dessert wines because their flavor is a little more concentrated. Wines like late-harvest Riesling, Sauternes, Muscat, or a wine that is richly flavored is good. You can use Marsala if you want to make traditional zabaglione. If you’re avoiding alcohol, you can use a non-alcoholic sparkling cider instead, perhaps adding a few drops of lemon juice, to balance any sweetness. Sabayon is lovely spooned over any kind or mix of juicy berries; toss them in a bit of sugar and …

side dishes galore for thanksgiving dinner

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I  spent this past weekend, choosing my recipes and planning my  Thanksgiving menu.  Since I am not a fan of turkey and neither are the members of my family, it is very important to have a fun selection of side dishes which are not only easy to prepare but also fun to eat. So below are the side dishes on my menu for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. {Click on the photo to get the recipe}

french pick me up in san francisco

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First rain of the season and I must say, it didn’t bother me a bit. It was almost sereal, because although the sun made an appearance through the clouds, it rained almost continuously throughout most of the day. I decided with the rain, I needed to sit in one of my favorite French Cafes for lunch and daydream the hour away.  As soon as I entered the cafe, I was seated at a round marble table near the window and offered a bottle of water and the best French bread and sweet butter on this side of the Atlantic.  While I looked over the menu to figure out what I wanted to order, I began to hear French conversation all around me, from locals and tourists alike. While I sat there smiling, the waiter asked what I was so happy about and all I could do is shake my head as if there was nothing to smile about. However, I couldn’t have asked for a better pick me up on a rainy Monday then to …

healthy eating: chicken au champagne

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Oh my, how can this get any better. A chicken dish with my favorite alcoholic beverage – champagne from my favorite site here for me to share with my readers. Let me know how it turns out for you? INGREDIENTS 4 chicken breasts (with skin and bone) Salt and freshly ground pepper Chervil, tarragon, or thyme (optional) 1 shallot, quartered 1 cup Champagne (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut recommended)  Yield: 4 Servings RECIPE Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, and season them. Pour 1/2 cup of the Champagne over breasts. Make a slit in each breast and insert a piece of shallot.  Place the pan under the broiler, skin-side up, for 3 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned. Turn and broil the other side for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broiler, baste with the pan juices, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Champagne. Adjust the oven temperature to 475 degrees and bake the chicken for 30 minutes, basting once or twice. Serve over brown rice. Sautéed mushrooms add a …

healthy cooking: filet mignon with roquefort

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Who doesn’t love a great piece of steak, except the non-meat eaters of course. I love steak and if it were up to me, I could eat one every day. But in trying to keep a balance with my healthy eating and cooking goal, I only eat steak once a month and it has to be a filet mignon. I am however, particular about the cut and often times would go to a specialty meat and poultry shop to purchase just the right cut and size. With that said, I have found a great filet mignon recipe (not that I really ever need a  recipe to prepare the steak)  here and have actually served it up by itself – without a side dish on occasion and then with the spinach sautéed with lemon and garlic and a wonderful french Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not going to recommend the wine because to each his/her own on that one. Anyway, enjoy the recipe and let me know how it turned out for you. Ingredients U.S. Metric Conversion …