Citrus Couscous Salad is a fresh side dish made with zucchini, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and garlic. Perfect for the hot summer days or to serve with anything. Served cold, this Citrus Couscous Salad is a fresh side dish made with zucchini, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and garlic. Perfect for the hot summer days, or to serve with anything. salad is a great summer side dish. A great side kicks to any seafood, quiche or even on its own, a light main dish lunch. Plus, it’s a “done under 15 minutes” recipe and tastes fantastic, although the longest you let it in the fridge… the better the flavours will become. Usually, I do the couscous last second, but I always make too much. This way, I get some tasty leftovers for lunch the next day. This is one of those meals that gets better over time. Tabbouleh Little Cousin This tabbouleh cousin…
Baked Ratatouille Provençale is a colourful vegetarian dish consisting of thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, tomato and bell pepper swimming in a tomato, goat cheese, and thyme sauce drizzled with olive oil and a few olives. Baked Ratatouille with Olives is a delight for the eyes and the taste buds. Simple to make in under 30 minutes. Simply need a mandoline, and you’ll get this fantastic-looking and tasting dish made in no time! The secret of this dish lay at the bottom of the dish—a sauce made with; goat cheese, tomato, garlic, pepper and thyme. When merged with all the top veggies, it becomes a splendid flavour explosion! I usually serve ratatouille with rice or couscous and add the bottom juice all over the rice. History This southern France dish is usually served as a side dish, but nowadays, like in this recipe, the dish is used as a full main meal! Two prominent variations…
This Dip for Artichokes is an easy breezy lime, basil and butter sauce; it elevates each steamed Artichoke leaf to another level until its tender heart! The way my dad showed me how to eat artichokes when I was a kid stays my favourite. I steam them, add a citrus-basil butter sauce to dip each leaf in, and then the “piece de consistency,” the delicious and tender heart. Splendide this Basil Lime Dip for Artichokes! A Flower Veggie Artichokes are flower buds cut out just before blooming; being one of the only few comestible flowers we eat along with zucchini flowers, broccoli and cauliflower. There are about 140 varieties, from small purple ones to big massive ones. In Spain, they grow all year long, although there are high seasons which are in spring and fall. You’ll see them in many restaurants, cut simply in half and cooked directly on the grill…
A homemade Marinara Sauce served in a lightly roasted Round Zucchini topped with a smooth Bechamel and served on olive oil spaghetti to have a different twist to your next pasta dish. When the season comes again for those lovely little round zucchini/courgette, I’m the first one in line to buy them! They are fantastic; you just fill them up with any kind of fillings and set them on top of rice, quinoa or in this case pasta, so adaptable! For this Marinara Stuffed Round Zucchini, I thought it would make a nice little bomb of flavour to have the Marinara sauce hidden in the roasted zucchini. It’s a kinda ‘Ratatouille’ type of sauce in the end. The format is different, but the idea is the same, and the only difference is… I’ve added a thick béchamel on top to make it extra smooth. Homemade Marinara Sauce For this recipe, I’ve done…
Simple little filo cups filled with Asparagus Mini Quiches made with a touch of Gruyere cheese and leeks because spring is at the door! Those Asparagus Mini Quiches are a bite into spring! The beauty of this meal is its polyvalence, whether you eat your quiche warm or cold… or change the vegetable in it… if you feel like mushrooms or ham etc. Go ahead and make those with whatever you feel like. A mini Quiche Lorraine, maybe? The original one with smoked pork belly bits, which is slightly less healthy… but Oh! so delicious! Make some lovely mini lard and cheese if your metabolism allows you. For this recipe, I’ve chosen my favourite spring vegetable, the green asparagus and a bit of leek and gruyère to make it extra tasty! Adaptable Dish You can prepare them in advance, serve them as tapas on a warm spring afternoon, or pack them up…
This summer, brighten your tastebuds with Almond & Pineapple Gazpacho! A fruity yet nutty cold soup also called gazpacho. This vegan soup will be all you’ll need to make an impression for your next summer feast! Almond & Pineapple Gazpacho is based on the original gazpacho recipe, “Ajo Blanco,” which contains almonds, garlic, bread and a bit of vinegar. The traditional one doesn’t have pineapple, but sometimes grapes are used. A traditional and ancestral Spanish recipe with a touch of fun pineapple! Gazpacho History Gazpacho existed way before tomatoes were imported into Europe from the New World. The Arabs imported them and later cultivated them in Spain. Back in the day, Spaniards used to make “cold soup” gazpacho with almonds and vinegar. They are quite a few excellent recipes using them in Spain. Often used in the “Picada” last aromatic touch at the end of cooking. Plus, it thickens sauces…
Highlighting the zucchini at its best! Zucchini Carpaccio is thin slices of zucchini complimented with cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Simply divine! I’ve first tried, Zucchini Carpaccio, not in Italy, but in Spain! In a small Catalan village called Montblanc, right next to Barcelona. Such a simple, elegant and delicate appetizer. I would never have imagined that raw zucchini could taste something… Was my first try at raw zucchini… and I’ve got pleasantly surprised! First of all, there is a really nice crunch to it and it’s got a super delicate taste that allows the extra-virgin olive oil to shine through. Cut Finely is the Secret It’s such a light and beautiful appetizer. All you’ll need is a mandoline or a talent to cut really fine slices. You would think the protagonist’s food here is the zucchini, but it’s also the olive oil! So bring out…
These baked beetroot and quinoa burgers are gluten-free, making them ultra-healthy. The earthy patties are made with chickpeas, onion, garlic, strawberries, pistachios and an egg. Those red fritters will go in any bun perfectly. Red beetroot, red quinoa, red pepper and why not a few strawberries to make it extra red and tasty? Those red patties are a great alternative to falafel or meat. They go where you like them to go, whether it’s a veggie burger, a wrap, a salad or a snack. Since I’ve used the famous buckwheat flour, these beetroot and quinoa burgers are gluten-free. Depending on what you intend to do with them, you have to do different shapes. To Serve with Serve them with various vegetables on the table, and everyone does their mix. You can add excellent tzatziki, mayo or an avocado-tahini sauce (check my recipe here). A few recommended sidekicks would be; avocado, goat…
Avocado coleslaw with cilantro and lime perfectly combines classical mayo slaw with Mexican guacamole. A healthier and yummier version of coleslaw! Super fast and easy recipe to make in the food processor, plus ultra healthy. This green avocado coleslaw with lime and cilantro side dish is perfect for anything grilled on the BBQ! The recipe is a standard coleslaw with extra fresh cilantro, lime and creamy avocado. So simple! The Mayo Upgrade A healthy and creamy avocado coleslaw Everyone likes a creamy mayo coleslaw… but your heart, not so much. This coleslaw contains none of the saturated fat from mayo. Only the ‘good type of fat’ from avocados lowers your LDL or bad cholesterol. This avocado dressing is an excellent alternative to the classic mayo coleslaw; it adds this bright Mexican flavour. How can you resist? Forget about this old, outdated version of coleslaw and make this version your new…
Fried Eggplant with Honey is a popular vegetarian tapa in Spain. These crunchy eggplants are deep-fried in olive oil and finished with a sprinkle of salt and good-quality honey. Have you ever wondered about nice authentic vegetarian tapas? This crunchy Fried Eggplant with Honey tapa is what you are looking for! Called ‘Berenjena con Miel’ in Spanish, this tapa originates from the south of Spain. Nowadays, you’ll find it in about every tapas bar in Spain. It’s usually served with lovely honey or darker cane syrup and a nice sprinkle of salt. A great sweet and salty dish! Deep Frying with Olive Oil Knowing the common eggplants contain lots of water which makes them often saggy once cooked, the only way to make them relatively firm and crisp is by coating them in a light coat of flour and breadcrumbs and frying them up at high temperatures. An essential element to deep…