Super Easy Recipe for Lemon Soufflé

This recipe is super simple to make and you will be able to put on a show for your guests :) Light, fluffy, the Lemon Soufflé is the perfect dessert after a great family meal. The only trick is to prepare it right on time and serve it immediately because it can go down quickly.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: **

Ingredients:

- 80g granulated sugar (20g + 50g + 10g)

- 3 organic lemons

- 3 eggs

- pinch of salt

1. Place 4 ramekins in the fridge. After about 15-20 minutes, coat the ramekins with butter and sprinkle 20g of the granulated sugar all over the inside. All the sides should be covered.

2. Preheat your oven at 350°F/180°C.

3. Separate whites from egg yolks. Mix the egg yolks with 50g of granulated sugar. Add the zest of 2 lemons and mix well.

4. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks form. Continue beating and slowly add 10g of sugar and the juice of 1 lemon.

5. Slowly fold in the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Pour it into the ramekins.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the soufflés are fluffy and golden on top.

7. Sprinkle each soufflé with confectioner's sugar and serve immediately.

Amazingly light and delicious...!

The secret to succeed in baking Meringues!

Meringues are delicious sweet treats with a crunchy texture outside and a soft heart inside. They melt in your mouth but are pretty tricky to make... The secret to succeed is to beat the egg whites for a loooooooooooooonnng time. Yes, a VERY long time. You know, like in the old times, when they did it with a wooden spoon while looking outside the window. Take your time and you'll make delicious Meringues.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Baking time: 1:30 hours

Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites (get your eggs out of the fridge about 15 minutes before starting baking)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 125 g (1 1/4 cup) caster sugar

1. In a large bowl, add the egg whites and the pinch of salt.
2. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, little by little, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks.
3. Keep on beating the egg whites, for at least 10 minutes.
4. Using a pastry bag or 2 spoons, place small amounts of the preparation on baking sheet covered with greased parchment paper.
5. Preheat your oven at 248°F/120°C. Bake the meringues for about 1 hour and let them dry for at least 2 hours in your oven. Let them stand in there all night if you can.

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!

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.

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.

French Chocolate Macaroons

Macaroons are small cookies which look like mini-burgers :) They are perfect for any occasion but you'll need time and probably practice to get perfectly shaped macaroons. However, if you are not too picky with the way they look, that's good because they'll still be delicious and melt in your mouth.

For about 15-20 macaroons
Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 12-15 minutes per baking sheet
Special equipment: parchment paper, a gallon-size sealable plastic bag or pastry bag
Difficulty: ***

Ingredients:

For the macaroons
- 2/3 cup (90g) ground almonds
- 3/4 cup (100g) confectioners' sugar
- 1/8 cup (15g) cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (90g) caster sugar
- 2 egg whites

For the chocolate ganache
- 1 1/4 cup dark or milk chocolate
- a bit less than a cup (0.8 cup or 21cl) whipping cream

1. Make the ganache.
Place the chocolate in a bowl. Boil the whipping cream and pour it over the chocolate. Cover and let melt for about 3 minutes. Stir the ganache until very smooth. When the mix is warm, add the soft butter cut into small pieces and stir. Cover with plastic film and let stand in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

2. Make the macaroons.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse almond powder with the confectioners' sugar and the cocoa powder until very fine, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks.
Add caster sugar, little by little, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks.

Stir almond mixture into meringue very slowly with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. The batter should be shiny and smooth but not liquid!

Spoon batter into bag, pressing out excess air, and snip off 1 corner of plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening. Twist bag firmly just above batter, then pipe peaked mounds of batter (about 1-inch diameter) onto lined sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Let cookies stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C.
Bake cookies until crisp and edges are just slightly darker, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets.

3. To assemble the macaroons, carefully peel cookies from parchment. Spoon the ganache into another plastic bag (like described above) or use a pastry bag and sandwich a thin layer of ganache (using a plastic bag as described above, or a pastry bag) between flat sides of cookies.

If you can wait, macaroons are even more delicious the next day. They can be kept in an open box in the fridge.

Broccoli Gratin with Parmesan cheese

This Gratin can be made with broccoli or with zucchinis. It is very simple and quick to prepare. And while it's baking, you can do something else! It is a good recipe to have your kids eat veggies :)

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 medium broccoli bunches
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 (375 ml) cup milk
- 1 1/2 (100 g) cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
- a pinch of grated nutmeg

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart.

Steam the broccoli florets for about 5 minutes: they shouldn't be too tender but rather a little firm - they will finish cooking in the gratin.
Drain the florets and place them in a rectangular baking dish (I usually use a glass cake dish).

Preheat your oven at 200°C/390°F.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and add the grated nutmeg, salt and pepper and finally the parmesan cheese.
Pour over the broccoli florets.

Place your dish in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes. The gratin should be firm, not liquid, and golden brown on top.
Serve with a salad.

Eggplant and Celery Stew - Easy Vegetarian dish

This stew is a vegetarian dish with can be served with rice. For the story, I wanted to make an Indian Eggplant curry but since a dinner was planned at an Indian restaurant at the end of the week, I decided to use my eggplant in another dish. Celery is a vegetable which is rarely used: it's a pity in my opinion because its taste is very aromatic. I personally use both the stalks and the leaves, the latter being even more aromatic.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 big eggplant
- 1 onion
- 4-5 celery branches, with leaves, chopped - Separate the leaves from the branches
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup vegetable broth (more if needed, depending on the consistency)
- salt
- pepper


Cut the eggplant into medium size squares. Sprinkle them with salt and let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.

Chop the onion very finely, cut the celery stalks into small pieces, crush the garlic cloves and cut the celery leaves roughly.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan and add the onion, garlic and celery stalks. Cook for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, rinse the eggplant squares and pat dry. Add them to the sauce pan. Stir and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, the heavy cream and the vegetable broth. Add the celery leaves to the stew.

Cover and cook on low heat. Check after 15-20 minutes and add broth if the preparation sticks to the bottom of the sauce pan or is too thick.
There should not be too much liquid but it shouldn't be dry either.

After 45 minutes to 1 hour, the eggplants should be very tender. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot with jasmine rice.

Vegetarian Millefeuille with Summer Vegetables

This recipe came out of my imagination yesterday evening... no meat in the fridge but tofu, one eggplant, tomatoes and feta cheese. By adding some basic ingredients that I always have in my pantry, I prepared this flavorful dish which my husband liked a lot :-)
The presentation in layers is very cute and it's not difficult at all. Try this receipe as an appetizer or an entrée, and make it your own!

Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: **
--Vegetarian dish--

Ingredients:
- 8 slices of eggplant (1 long eggplant should be enough)
- 8 slices of tomatoes (2 medium size tomatoes should be enough)
Note: try to find an eggplant and tomatoes which are almost equal in diameter
- 8 slices
Note: same as for the eggplant and tomatoes : it's better if the tofu has the same diameter - if not, double the quantity
- 1 handful of basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 4 big dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon almond powder (or pine nuts powder)
- about 4 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese
- olilve oil
- sesame oil

Grate the garlic cloves and rub each side of the eggplant slices. Pan fry the eggplant slices in olive oil until golden: you can proceed in batches. Pat dry to remove the excess of oil. Reserve aside.

Pan fry the tomatoes until soft and golden. This should be quick - make sure the tomatoes don't "melt", they need to keep their shape.

Wipe your pan and heat some sesame oil. Pan fry the tofu until golden brown on each side, turning once.

Chop the basil leaves and the dried tomatoes. Mix with 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and the almond powder.

Prepare the millefeuilles - place the different ingredients in this order:
1 slice of eggplant
1 slice of tomatoe
1 slice of tofu
a small quantity of basil/dried tomatoes preparation
feta cheese
1 slice of tofu
1 slice of tomatoe
1 slice of eggplant

Repeat to make 4 millefuilles. Top with crumbled feta cheese.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 390°F / 200°C, then broil on high for 5 minutes.
Enjoy with a baby greens salad and a balsamic vinaigrette.

French Potato Gratin: Gratin dauphinois

This traditional French recipe is very simple and requires only a few ingredients: potatoes, whipping cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Very easy! I suggest you add some grated nutmeg for a light nutty taste. Cooked slowly and for at least 1 hour, the potatoes melt in the mouth, it is delicious!

French Stuffed Cabbage for the last days of Winter

Comfort food is really something that I enjoy cooking. It is synonym of cosiness, fireplace, family and wool socks among other things.
Well, I don’t have a fireplace… but it is always a pleasure to eat a slowly cooked and delicious meal when it is cold and rainy outside. That’s my way of getting better in middle of the winter.
Last week-end I prepared a French recipe that my mom does a lot in winter time. In French, it is called “Chou farci à l’auvergnate”. It could be translated as “French Stuffed Cabbage“.

Serves 4
Preparation: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2 hours
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 1 green cabbage
- 1 pound ground meat (you can use pork, veal, beef or a mix of these three – I have a preference for pork or veal)
- 2 onions
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 carrots
- 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup stock (vegetable stock is preferred)
- salt and pepper
- 2 long bacon strips and 2 long pieces of cooking string
(optional)

Mix the meat with the onion finely chopped, the garlic and the parsley. Season to taste.
Prepare the cabbage: remove the leaves that are damaged or don’t look good. Without detaching the leaves, try to cut and remove as much stalk as you can. This part is harder and it is better to remove it.

Place the cabbage in cold water in a large saucepan. Heat slowly until water is boiling. Remove the cabbage, drain it and let cool down a little bit.
Open delicately the cabbage, unfolding the leaves, one after the other; make sure you do not detach them. When you reach the core, remove it, chop it and add it to the meat mixture.

Fill the cabbage with 3/4 of the meat mixture. Fold back some leaves and place small amounts of the remaining mixture between the leaves, delicately closing the cabbage for it to have its initial shape.


Optional step: Cross the 2 pieces of cooking string (X-shape) and place the bacon strips on top. Place the cabbage in the center, cover with the two bacon strips and then tie up the cabbage with the string.
This step might seem complex but it is simple when you so it.
Place the butter and olive oil in a saucepan (large and tall enough for the cabbage). Add the chopped onions and the carrots thinly sliced.
Place the cabbage on top and add the stock.


Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low.
Let cook for about 2 hours, making sure the vegetable bed does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. You can completely cover with the lid the first hour and then half cover for the time remaining.

Et voilà! Cut into quarters and serve hot.

Tangerine Creme Caramel - So Sweet

Try this original dessert inspired from the traditional Crème Caramel. I added my own touch by making a Tangerine caramel instead of a regular one. It gives a nice and subtle citrus flavor to the creme.

Beef Bourguignon: traditional stew for meat lovers

Since I’m French, it’s a must for me to know how to cook this dish. Even if beef is not my favorite meat, I always enjoy preparing a Boeuf Bourguignon for my family and friends. The best way to prepare this stew is using your pressure cooker: it reduces the cooking time and you do not have to check your pan all the time. It’s great if you are planning a diner with several people.

Today is the day of crepes!

In France this Tuesday, every family will make crepes to celebrate La Chandeleur. Learn more on these thin delicious pancakes (Wikipedia). I recommend you to make crepes all year long since it's very easy and can be either sweet or sour. This recipe is for sweet crepes but if you want to try the sour version, do not add sugar and replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. You can then fill the crepes with mushrooms, cream, ham and shredded cheese for instance... mmmm!!

About 10-12 crepes
Preparation: 10 minutes + 15 min resting time
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 cup/125g all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup/25cl milk
- 1 pinch salt
- zest of 1/2 lemon or orange (optional)
Note: you can add any flavor you want to the batter: grand marnier, vanilla extract, orange blossom extract etc.

Heat the milk in your microwave just a little bit (15 seconds are enough): it will ease the mixing of the ingredients.
Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a hole in the middle and add the egg, the sugar, the salt and the zest or flavour if you are using any. Add a little bit of milk and start whisking. Gradually add in the milk until the batter is smooth.
Let rest for 15 minutes minimum; if you have more time, you can wait up to 1 hour.
Before starting cooking, check the consistency of the batter: if it is too thick, add a little bit of milk.
Cook the crepes for about 2 minutes on the first side, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, then turn and cook the other side for another 1 or 2 minutes.
Serve warm with your topping: sugar, chocolate spread, jam, fruits, whipped cream etc. My favorite is sugar and lemon: sprinkle granulated sugar on your crepe and then drizzle some lemon juice...

Coconut Rocks: so easy, so good

If you like coconut, you'll love this recipe. These rocks are crispy outside and soft inside, it's a real pleasure. They go wonderfully with tea and are very quick to bake!
Give it a try and let me know what you think!


Makes about 15 rocks
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients
- 100 g grated coconut
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 10 g flour
- 1 egg

Preheat your oven at 400F°/200C° . In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients and stir well. With your fingertips, form small balls (about 1 inch diameter) and give them a semi circle or pyramid shape.
Place the dough balls on a baking sheet previously buttered and floured.
Bake for 10 minutes, monitoring the color of the rocks. They should turn brown.
Let cool.