How to make a delicious Carrot Soufflé....

... very easily! You'll love this simple recipe. A soufflé is a great side dish which you can make with a lot of different vegetables: potatoes, broccolis, zucchinis etc. I prepared one with carrots and it turned out great. Try it out and let me know if you liked it!

Serves 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 2 pounds carrots
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup grated cheese (parmesan or gruyère)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 40 g (3 tablespoons) butter
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- salt & pepper

Wash, peel, cut the carrots and place them in your pressure cooker with the thyme and the bay leaf. Cover with water and cook for 10 minutes with the pressure regulator slowly rocking
Note: You can also cook the carrots in boiling water until they are tender (about 20 minutes)

Separate whites from egg yolks.
Drain the carrots, remove the thyme and bay leaf, and mash the carrots to obtain a smooth puree. Mix this puree with the sour cream, egg yolks and cumin seeds. Add salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven at 150°C / 305°F. Coat six small ramekins or individual baking dishes with butter.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks form. Slowly fold in the beaten egg whites into the puree with a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into the 6 dishes until they are three-quarters full.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot with meat, poultry or a salad.

Spiced Chicken and Vegetable Couscous

The Couscous is a dish originating from North Africa. The Moroccan people were the first ones to export it abroad. The term of couscous comes from the name of the cereal (processed from semolina) which is usually served with meat, poultry and vegetable stews or tagines.
It is very rare to find twice the same couscous since any combination of meats and vegetables can be created to prepare this dish. So get creative and make your own!

Spiced Duck and Potato Soufflé: Stylish!

You can plan on cooking Duck for Valentine's Day this year, it 's very simple and it's original. I suggest that you serve it with a light Potato Soufflé: simple and memorable!! The flavors of both dishes marry well together and you'll surprise your partner with the secret ingredient used in the Soufflé.... sssshhhh.


Serves 2
Preparation: 5 minutes for the Duck + 1 hour marinating, 10 minutes for the Soufflé
Cooking time: 5 minutes for the Duck, 10 minutes for the Soufflé
Difficulty: *

Ingredients for the duck:
- 2 duck breasts (about 1 pound)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
For the marinade:
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground 5-spices
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ingredients for the Potato Soufflé:
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
- 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds -this is the secret ingredient!-
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper

For the Duck:
Remove the skin off the duck breasts and cut each breast into 4 slices (not too thin).
Prepare the marinade: wisk together the lime juice and spices in a non-metallic dish and add some pepper. Coat the duck breast slices with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a big frying pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, fry the duck breast slices for about 1 minute on each side.
Reduce the heat to low, add the honey and let cook for 2 to 3 additional minutes.
Serve immediately.

Prepare the Potato Soufflés (make sure they'll be ready at the same time as the duck - you can let the soufflés stand for about 5 minutes before serving):
Separate the egg white and the yolk.
Mix together the mashed potatoes, the fennel seeds and the egg yolk.
Add a pinch of salt to the egg white and beat until stiff.
Delicately mix the stiff egg white and the mashed potatoes.
Preheat your oven at 400°F / 200°C.
Fill in 2 small ramequins with the preparation and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Your soufflés will be fluffly and light.

Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day!!