Post Type ArchivesRecipes

Sweet Potato & Black Rice Salad

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With the salad bars trend in Western countries, those shops have simply popped everywhere, especially when there are offices nearby. I usually go for this handy option for lunch around once a week -often on Mondays, when you know you took things a bit too far on the week-end.

There’s this misconception about salads that they’re diet-oriented and boring ; I’d say it all depends on how your build it. To me, a salad can rival the most decadent pasta.

It’s the case for this one. I buildt it up one day in a salad bar, and I fell madly in love with it. In terms of textures, it’s just heavenly : you get the softness of the sweet potatoes and avocado, the juiciness of tomatoes, the resistance/crunch from the rice and onions, and they all pair so well. Taste-wise, it’s bursting with fresh and sharp flavours with what’s almost a pico de gallo sauce – tomatoes, cilantro, onion, lime juice. We soften it all with a bit of olive oil and fresh feta cheese ; wow. I’m craving one right now.

There’s a bit of prep work involved, but nothing too daunting ; you’ll be done within 40 minutes, and that’s because the black rice takes a bit longer to cook.

Sweet Potato & Black Rice Salad – Recipe

Ingredients – Where to find them

Those ingredients are easy to get from your typical grocery store, and for the few which aren’t, you can easily replace them !

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • I love black rice in this recipe, because it has more resistance and bite than your usual white rice, plus this nutty flavour that pairs so well with the sweet potato. If you don’t have some or can’t find it though, I’d recommend to replace it with whole-grain rice, quinoa, buckwheat -or any other cereal with a bit of bite and a nutty taste ! If all else fails, simply use white rice, it’ll be great too.
  • Feel free to play around with the ingredients used ! You could add cucumber, or radishes, or make the salad spicy using hot sauce. Have fun in your kitchen !

Come now, let’s make the best salad ever !

Shrimp & Mango Salad

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Shrimp Salad with tomatoes and mangoes

This is a summery recipe slightly inspired by my road trip in Yucatan, with almost no heat needed.

We’re basically making a fresh salsa, almost a pico de gallo, which is a condiment made from fresh, uncooked ingredients like diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and chili pepper. I’ve decided to replace the chili by hot sauce, and to add another fruity dimension with mango, that definitely pairs well with shrimp. I also add olive oil to turn it into an actual salad dressing.

Those fresh shrimps get reheated (tip : the pink ones are already cooked ; they aren’t only if they’re grey) in a bit of garlic and Cayenne.

Then your’re almost done, and all you have to do is assemble ! Easy peasy and delicious. I love those simple summer recipes.

Shrimp & Mango Salad – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • If you’re feeling lazy, you can use shelled shrimps, and all will be ready within 20 minutes.
  • You can definitely play around with this recipe !
    • If you want to make it more filling, your can put this salad into a wrap, or add, besides the salad, a bed of quinoa/bulgur.
    • Sometimes I would add avocado to the salsa. Yum.
  • Try to buy tomatoes and mangoes that are not too ripe ; it might make this salad overly sugary and mushy, lacking texture.

Let’s Salsa !

Spicy Tuna Bites (2 ways)

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Spicy tuna bite wrapped in a small nori sheet

I already posted a Spicy tuna onigiri recipe, which is quite fast to make. I find it ideal when packing a quick lunch.

When eating home with your family or guests though, I love a good dish to share and prep on the spot, where everyone is involved, like Korean barbecues, Mexican tacos, or French crepes. In all these instances, you set one large spread of ingredients on the table, and as everyone gathers around and shares it all, you get a sense of closeness and community that makes the moment precious.

I crafted those Spicy Tuna Bites in this spirit. I bought some of these cute small nori sheets, designed to individually pile a mouthful of ingredients upon it. I started to picture rice, then tuna. As a simple sauce to get everything to slide, a gochujang spicy mayo -because what’s better than tuna and mayo ??- with a touch of sesame, that I love with tuna.

Where’s the crunch though ? The special kick ? Well, kimchi here has you covered, with its spicy tang ; add a slice of green chili pepper if you dare, to make the whole bite properly spicy and crunchy and perfect. I absolutely adored this canned tuna bite. It takes some humble tuna to the very next level, in a matter of minutes.

Then I thought ; tuna + rice… Ahi Poke… Of course, let’s make a raw tuna bite !! You simply dice your sushi-grade raw tuna, then mix it with the spicy mayo. That’s it. Then everybody assembles it the way they want.

You launch your rice, then get both kinds of tuna ready within 10 minutes. You spend one minute slicing the green chili pepper, one more to quickly put the rest on the table ; that’s it ! That’s honestly my best time spent to pleasure ratio so far -around 10 minutes of active work, then just wait for the rice to be ready.

Spicy Tuna Bites (2 ways) – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • You can buy small nori sheets at Asian stores. If you can’t find them, simply cut your Nori sheets using scissors !
  • It is important to use short-grain rice here, so that it sticks together on your bite. Nowadays, you can find it in your grocery store.
  • Try to pick an oil-based canned tuna. I know, oil + mayo seems unhealthy, but remember that the oil is drained and that you actually eat a small portion of it.
  • For the raw tuna version, only pick sushi-grade raw tuna, or tell your fishmonger’s you plan on eating it raw.
  • For the Gochujang paste, you’ll likely need to go to an Asian store to find it. You can substitute it with another hot sauce, but Gochujang is a tad more relevant in this simple recipe ; as it is fermented, it brings in a nice depth of flavour.
  • Also, feel free to add any ingredient you like to this spread ! You could go for raw/pickled/spring onions, add pieces of fruit such as a cubed apple, replace your nori sheets with lettuce leaves ; or make a miso mayo if you don’t like it spicy !

Recipe – Advice & key points

  • If you want to prep it in advance, you can, except for the rice !

All set ? Let’s dig into it !

Festival Couscous Salad

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I first made this Couscous Salad at Garorock, a few months ago.

We mostly ate at the festival’s food stalls, but figured our tummies wouldn’t be very happy with a sausage/fries/kabobs diet for 4 full days. Therefore, we were looking for healhy-ish things to prep at the camping… without being able to heat anything up, or to refrigerate stuff.

Before we went grocery shopping, our friend Laurent told us that you could prep couscous with room-temp water. Bingo ! Along with couscous, we chose a mixed vegetable can to get those greens in, and bought some mackerel in oil, lemon & thyme for the protein and to get an easy sauce -as olive oils are mostly sold in glass bottles, which are forbidden on festivals grounds.

This is barely a recipe, I know, but I figured it might be helpful :

  • like us, if you’re going to a festival,
  • if you’re a broke student looking for something cheap and nourishing,
  • on a lazy summer night -3mn prep, no heat, the dream.

It is not worth a classic couscous salad of course, but sometimes it’s about real life cooking and a me-needs-eating-quick situation.

Festival Couscous Sald – Recipe

Ingredients – Where to find them

No difficulty whatsoever here !

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • You don’t really need any salt or olive oil, because of the salt canned goods contain, and the olive oil in the canned fish. Feel free to add some though if you can !
  • Of course, considering everything is made out of canned/boxed goods, there are countless changes you could make :
    • Fish : tuna, sardines, mackerel, shrimps… Anything works ! Do buy fish fillets if you can -it’s easier to make with boneless fish.
    • Veggies : choose any canned ones you like ; you could also go for beans, lentils, etc.

Got everything you need ? Let’s go !

Pink Ceviche

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Peruvian Pink Ceviche with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, red onion and cilantro

Ever heard of how biscuits were invented ? Well, the baker mistakenly baked some cakes twice.

This Ceviche wasn’t supposed to be pink. I accidentally put twice the amount of red onion that was intended. But this is the beauty of cooking ; it was still perfecty delicious, plus quite pretty if I do say so myself !

Ever since I came back from Yucatan, ceviches have been on my mind. I had already eaten ceviches in France, but none of them compared to what you can get in Mexico. Even this recipe is not up to their level -I need to get my hands on some Ají Limo, a pepper that is usually used in ceviches- but I wouldn’t post it if it wasn’t a close proxy !

See for yourself the colours and the beautiful simplicity of this dish : fresh raw fish ; a flavourful fishy broth, zingy and fresh from all the celery, ginger and lime ; and of course, the king cilantro ! Lots of flavour and power that will conquer your heart, even if you’re not a fish lover. The texture department is not lacking, with multiple sensations as you gulp the broth, get a moutful of soft fish, followed by the crunch of thinly sliced raw onions.

My ceviche has some mixed influences, mainly Peruvian, the home country of ceviches, but also Mexican, due to my own ceviches’ experiences. In Peru, steamed sweet potatoes are often added on the side. I chose to add cubed sweet potatoes directly onto the fish, along with some tomato, which is more of an ingredient you’d find in Mexican ceviches as they tend to include more veggies. You can skip those additions if you like, but I find them quite nice when serving ceviche as a meal and not a starter.

Pink Ceviche – Recipe

Ingredients – Pieces of advice

  • Regarding fish, you can choose any of your fishmongers’ freshest, white-fleshed fish. Try to pick one that has firm flesh so that it doesn’t get mushy with the acidic marinade. Common choices are sea bass, snapper, halibut, flounder, tilapia, or even cod. You can also choose raw shrimps if you prefer !
  • When it comes to the potential bitterness, here are 2 tips to avoid getting an overly sour marinade :
    • When squeezing your limes, don’t press all the way until the end ! If you press it until the final drops come out, the end result will be more sour.
    • Salt is your friend here ! It is important to salt both your marinade and your fish properly, as it makes the acidity seem less sharp and more palatable.
  • If you don’t want your Ceviche to be spicy at all, skip the green chili pepper, or at least remove its seeds.
  • I’ve also tried to let this Ceviche marinate 2 more hours, which is a more Mexican-inspired Ceviche version ; I found it really interesting too, with flavours that were more infused, and a softer fish texture. If you don’t enjoy your raw fish’s texture, which is on the firmer side, do try this version !

Off to your kitchen now !

Tomatoes, mozzarella & nectarine Salad

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Tomatoes, mozzarella, nectarines, shallots, basil

This is another quick summer recipe, with no heat needed. Yet, this salad is nothing boring.

It’s basically a simple Caprese salad ; tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, salt and basil, what more do you need ?

Well, nothing really, but a bit of nectarines & shallots bring a slight sweetness and a crunchy twist.

Tomatoes, mozzarella & nectarine Salad – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • As always, with recipes as simple as these, I recommend your focus to be on the ingredients’ quality. If you do, it instantly becomes a top-notch dish. I would buy :
    • in-season, quality tomatoes, such as Beef Heart tomatoes, Crimean Black tomatoes, or Green Zebra tomatoes ;
    • some decent Mozarella. I adore Mozzarella di Bufala, made out of buffalo milk instead of cow’s milk for the Mozzarella Fior di Latte ; its texture is creamy and soft, more delicate than the Fior di Latte which is on the firmer side ;
  • Also, to make the perfect salad, don’t forget :
    • to season everything properly with enough salt and pepper, and ;
    • ideally, to drizzle your salad with a quality olive oil, which is great to have around, in particular for all your uncooked dishes !

Let’s get this upgraded Caprese done !

Veggie Couscous Salad

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veggie couscous salad with corn, peas, tomatoes, orange bell eppper, green chili pepper, shallots, lemon

Out of respect for our Lebanese friends, I am not calling this dish tabbouleh. But it is definitely tabbouleh-inspired.

I always adored tabbouleh. In France, it is a classic summery dish that we like to eat, mostly as a side for barbecues or summer gatherings. It is so popular that small grocery stores always sell boxed tabbouleh in the fresh section, year-long. I used to eat it quite a lot as a poor student.

But, careful ! The tabbouleh we eat here would make my Lebanese friends angry, as there’s almost no parsley in it, and you mostly get couscous and veggies. I was lucky enough to try what was as close to the authentic tabbouleh as you can get when I traveled to Turkey with my parents. I remember it as if it was yesterday ; the herbs -there were several of them- made all the difference, and the fragrances were amazing. Since then, I’ve tried other Lebanese tabbouleh, but I’ve always found the parsley quite overpowering.

Instead of reproducing the classic recipe, I felt like making a hearty couscous salad, that could be eaten as a main, with lots of different veggies and several condiments and spices to make the flavours pop. 

I was very pleased with the end result. Even my companion, who’s really not into tabbouleh, kept saying how delicious it was. Plus, the recipe is budget-friendly and healthy, yes sir !

Veggie Couscous Salad – Recipe

Ingredients – Where to find them

Those ingredients are easy to get from your typical grocery store, and for those which aren’t, you can easily skip them or replace them !

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • If you don’t like it spicy, just remove the green bell pepper and the green harissa ! If you like it a lil bit spicy, only keep the harissa as it is quite mild.
  • Replace the green harissa with another hot sauce if you can’t find it ! I usually find it in grocery stores or specialized African stores.
  • Feel free to play around with the ingredients used !
    • Replace the veggies with what you have on hands ! You could add cucumber, replace shallots with onions, or add radishes, for example.
    • Go for what feels right for you when it comes to herbs ! You could use one or two instead of three, or add cilantro instead, for example. But definitely use a large amount ; it’s what brings this couscous salad to the next level.
    • You can remove the curry powder or add other spices !
    • If you don’t feel like it, remove the canned peas and corn. I find that they bring a needed sweetness though, that balances out the tang from the lemon and green harissa.

Come now, let’s get your hands dirty !

Veggie Soba Noodle Salad

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veggie soba noodle salad with carrots and cucumbers and radishes

I’ve had a real Japanese cooking phase. I was all about authentic Japanese recipes -I’m talking yakitoris, miso salmon, onigiri, the real deal- and I scrolled online to find the most delicious ones.

That’s when I found out about soba noodles. How could I have missed them ? Men, these noodles are delicious. They’re made out of buckwheat flour, and really have a taste and texture of their own. They have this delicate nutty aroma, with a taste that reminds me of sesame. I adore the texture : smooth, slighlty chewy yet quite firm. They’re good for your health, too !

With their grainy texture and their slight bite, these noodles are perfect for salads. I respected the traditional basis for this salad’s dressing, which shoud revolve around sesame, but I wanted to craft a Japanese dressing recipe with zingy, fresh flavours, to make for the perfect summery soba salad. That’s why I used my wasabi and ginger friends, for a small spicy kick, and some rice vinegar and lime for the tang.

I was very happy with the end result, and it made for a nice change from our classic Western salads, with lots of textures -the chewiness from the soba, the crunch from the carrots and cucumbers- and a real depth of taste with sesame combined to tangier flavours. Love it ! I know you will, too !

Veggie Soba Noodle Salad – Recipe

Ingredients – Where to find them

The most necessary ingredients for this dish are basic Asian pantry items (soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, wasabi). You should be able to find those in traditional grocery stores, without needing to visit an Asian one.

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • You will find Soba noodles at an Asian store, or online. You might find 2 types of soba noodles :
    • Ju-wari Soba is made of 100% buckwheat flour. It is said to have a strong buckwheat flavour, but those are the ones I’ve always used (without knowing), and trust me : the flavour is definitely not overwhelming, I still find it quite mild.
    • Hachi-wari Soba is made from 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour. If you’re worried about disliking the buckwheat aroma, you can still pick this one !
  • Careful, you must not overcook the soba noodles to get this nice bite and slight chewiness. Respect the packaging instructions ! It is also important to rinse thoroughly the soba noodles right after they’re done, to remove the excess starch. It will prevent the noodles from sticking together.
  • You will find Edamames at Asian stores in the frozen section. If you don’t, simply skip it !
  • This recipe is versatile ! Feel free to remove or replace some ingredients. The ones I find best suited for this recipe are the following :
    • raw or pickled red cabbage,
    • bell pepper,
    • green or red chili pepper,
    • white or red onions,
    • tomatoes,
    • arugula,.
  • If you’re not a vegetarian, the salad would also work well with shredded chicken.
  • I recommend serving this dish freshly out from the fridge, if possible !

All set ? Let’s make this Soba Salad !

Spicy Tuna / Kimchi Onigiri

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In Seoul, all I wanted to eat for a quick lunch were Kimbap. There are delicious, healthy, and filling, and I love them.

Nevertheless, they’re a bit time-intensive to make. What about their Japanese counterpart then, Onigiri ? Those are Japanese rice balls, often shaped into triangles, and wrapped partially in a sheet of nori (seaweed).

Well, of course it would be simpler. And equally delicious. I love the minimalistic approach of Japan when it comes to cooking ; I’ve learnt that the Japanese principle of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in simplicity and imperfection, influences many aspects of Japanese culture, including cooking. The idea is to appreciate the purity of the ingredients and the craftsmanship in preparation without unnecessary embellishments.

The Onigiri recipe follows this principle. You won’t have any authentic Japanese filling that contains more than 3 to 4 ingredients. Yet, I kid you not, the end result is much more than the sum of its ingredients.

When you bite into a pretty Onigiri, you get the moist, fluffy rice, that acts as a pillow of comfort. This rice itself must be well-seasoned, and for that purpose, I draw out my ultimate weapon : furikake. It is a popular Japanese seasoning powder which is typically used over rice, and often includes dried fish like bonito flakes, sesame seeds, seaweed, salt and sugar. The one I used is Furikake Piritto Umai – Togarashi, with red pepper and bonito flakes and I absolutely adore it. But feel free to find your favourite amongst the huge variety that exists !

Then for the filling, the most authentic ones are the following :

  • Japanese pickled plum (umeboshi),
  • Bonito flakes moistened with soy sauce (okaka),
  • Salted salmon (shake),
  • Tuna mayo,
  • Simmered seaweed (kombu),
  • Salted cod roe (mentaiko).

Being a basic Westerner, I’m a huge fan of the simple tuna mayo version. I simply decided to make it mine by adding some Buldak hot sauce (for my spicy ramen lovers, you know what I’m talking about!!) and chives.

I must admit I’m not too fond (yet) of the authentic Japanese vegetarian versions of Onigiris with umeboshi or kombu. Therefore, I thought of my vegetarian friends and made a simple Korean-Japanese fusion one, with Kimchi !!

Spicy Tuna / Kimchi Onigiri – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • It is important to use short-grain rice here, so that it is sticky enough to shape the Onigiris. Nowadays, you can find it in your grocery store !
  • Try to pick an oil-based canned tuna. I know, oil + mayo seems unhealthy, but remember that the oil is drained and that you barely put a tablespoon of filling per onigiri. I’ve tried the recipe with a non-oil-based canned, and it was definitely less tasty.
  • For the Buldak sauce, you’d likely need to go to an Asian store to find it. But simply use your usual hot sauce instead !
  • Also, if you want to buy :
    • Onigiri molds, and
    • Onigiri Packagings,

you’ll either find them in Asian stores or online !

Recipe – Advice & key points

  • I advise you to use onigiri molds for this recipe. I’ve already formed my onigiris by hand, and you can definetely do it too, but it takes more time to make and is more irregular than the mold version.
  • You can keep the Onigiri in the fridge on the day you make them, or even overnight, but definitely use :
    • a first layer or cling film to wrap them,
    • then, 1 (or 2!) kitchen towels to wrap them again, so that they’ll be protected from the excess cold ! The rice becomes too dry with the direct cold effect.
  • I don’t recommend keeping it longer than overnight. If you do, simply make grilled Onigiri (Yaki Onigiri) instead ! Brush the leftover onigiri with soy sauce or miso paste and grill them in a skillet until they develop a crispy, golden-brown crust.

All set ? Let’s dig into it !

Lemony sweet shortcrust pastry

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Lemony sweet shortcrust pastry

This lemony sweet shortcrust pastry recipe will be perfect for your sweet pies ! I love this as a base for fruit pies with custard, such as a delicious summery strawberry pie.

You can even directly use it to bake some sablés, which are delicious, buttery French biscuits.

This sweet shortcrust pastry is easy to make, and the supermarket ready-made versions cannot compare to this homemade one. Try it for yourself !

Lemony sweet shortcrust pastry – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • You need to use room-temp butter, not melted ! Don’t even use a microwave to get it to room temp faster, it might ruin the dough’s texture.
  • Do not knead the dough too long before putting it into the fridge, else the dough might harden.
  • I like to flavour this dough with lemon zest, but this is optional.

Cooking & Serving your Lemony Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

  • Bake at 180°C for around 15 to 20mn. I advise you to put :
    • some parchment paper on your pies so that the dough doesn’t get too brown, and ;
    • a few dried beans or lentils on this foil so that the dough doesn’t swell up.
    • after 10 minutes, remove your parchment paper and beans/lentils and the pies will finish cooking nicely !
  • Garnish with anything you wish for !