Fast & Delicious: Citrus Scallop Carpaccio

No cooking time, super simple and delicious, this recipe is for you! It is very stylish and tastes great. Try this Scallops Carpaccio, you'll love it. You can also prepare this carpaccio with other fish pieces like salmon, cod or rockfish.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 3 hours in the fridge
NO cooking time!
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 4 big sea scallops
- juice of a 1/2 lime
- 1 mandarin, preferably organic (or tangerine, or even a small orange)
- 4 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- salt and pepper/red pepper berries

1. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry.
2. Slice each scallop thinly horizontally.
3. Arrange on plates in layers.
4. Grate the mandarin zest and reserve.
5. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, the lime juice, the mandarin zest and a pinch of salt.
6. Drizzle the citrus olive oil over the scallops. You can use a pastry brush to make sure all the pieces are coated.
7. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Grind some pepper or red pepper berries on top, and serve with a sprouts salad and toasted bread.

How to make delicious and original Chocolate Truffles

Continue celebrating the Holidays with fresh homemade truffles! It is very simple and you do not need to wait for Christmas to prepare these treats. You only need 3 ingredients to prepare the base and then, use your imagination to coat each truffle!

For about 60 truffles
Preparation time: 30 minutes + 2-3 hours in the fridge
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (10cl) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 pound (200g) good quality dark chocolate
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (50g) butter
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- ingredients for coating: cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chopped almonds/peanuts/pistachios, dried fruits, shredded coconut...

1. Grate the chocolate or cut it into small pieces and place it in a bowl.

2. Melt the butter in the microwave.

3. Gently boil the whipping cream on medium heat and pour it slowly on the chocolate, stirring until melted. Add the melted butter to the chocolate. Then add the Cointreau. Stir well.

4. Pour the chocolate in a baking dish which is not too deep so that the preparation is not too thick and can harden easily.

5. Cover your dish with plastic film and place in the fridge for about 3 hours.

6. Take the preparation out of the fridge. Use a spoon to scoop regular size chocolate balls. Roll them quickly in your hands to create a round shape. Place the truffles on a parchemin paper lined sheet pan and refrigerate 5 to 10 minutes.

7. In the meantime, prepare your coating ingredients and pour them in different dishes.

8. Take the truffles out of the fridge and roll them, one by one, into the desired coating. It can be cocoa powder for traditional truffles or coconut, pistachios, dried fruits etc. for more fancy truffles.

Enjoy!

Happy 2011 !!

We wish you all the best for 2011! May the new year bring you health, happiness and plenty of delicious recipes ;)

A simple Zucchini Soup to warm you up this winter

A simple soup is always appreciated in the heart of winter. We all have already canned soup in our cupboards but you should try this recipe: you'll change the way you think about soups!! It is super simple and delicious. Even kids will love it! And thanks a lot to my friend Frank who once prepared this soup for me and my husband in Montréal!

Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 pound (500g) zucchinis - preferably organic to keep the skin, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese or 3 Laughing Cow portions
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- water
- salt & pepper

Wash the zucchinis and cut them in to cubes. As mentioned in the ingredients list, if you buy organic zucchinis, you do not need to peel them. It's the best way to prepare this soup.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the zucchinis. Coat them with butter and let cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring.

Pour the broth into the saucepan and then add water to cover. Add a bit of salt and pepper.

Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes, or until the zucchinis are tender.

Add the cream cheese to the soup, stir well and mix everything with a hand blender until there are no more zucchini pieces and the soup is smooth.

Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. Enjoy!

Ham + Lentils = great comfort food!

This recipe is based on the traditional French "petit salé aux lentilles". However, I changed the ingredients to make it easier and also a bit cheaper: I used red lentils and ham steak. It's a great unique dish, ideal for winter days.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound ham steak, cut into small cubes

- 1 cup red lentils

- 2 cups water + 1 chicken or vegetable broth cube (Knorr) OR 2 cups liquid broth

- 1 small onion, chopped

- fresh parsley, chopped
- pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onion and the cubed ham. Cook until caramelized.

Rinse the lentils and add them to the saucepan. Stir in the lentils and mix.

Add the water + broth cube or the liquid broth.

Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let cook for about 25 minutes. Check and mix the preparation from time to time. If the liquid is absorbed too quickly, add some. Add pepper.

This dish will be already salted because of the ham and the broth. I would recommend to check the seasoning and to add salt only if necessary.

Remove from the heat, top with the chopped parsley and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve.