Pork filet and preserved lemon


A quick and tasty meal! This is another of mum's recipes.
Pork filet is simply pan fried with butter or olive oil with the preserved lemons. Ready in a few minutes and full flavour!

I have never tried preserving lemons, but I might try this recipe at some point:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_preserved_lemons/

Pasta with chorizo and vegetables

Pasta, chorizo and vegetables dish
Another colourful dish. I love pasta.

This meal was improvised with a courgette, yellow pepper, tomatoes, a red anion that I fried in a pan with chorizo slices. I had no basil in the cupboard for this one, but it would have been a nice addition. I added some of my "magic herbs" instead: Knorr Secrets d'Aromes.

It's a family favourite (my mum uses it instead of salt to season her food now) and I stock up every time I go home.
Every one I've introduced to these herbs loves them, which means I actually have to bring some back for others now too!

They're a great addition to any roast vegetables, sprinkled over chicken breasts, in salads...

Fougasse

The bread from the Provence region has many variations. A favourite is with olives and rosemary, as described in the base recipe I used, from French magazine Femme Actuelle. 

I cooked my personal favourite, with lardons and emmental cheese. Next time I'll make it, I'll need to make sure to use the website's suggestion to brush the dough with water before baking to make a nicer crust. 

Great cut in pieces and served for the aperitif!

Roast poussin and vegetables

A convenient and cheaper alternative to chicken when it's just a dinner for two!
The vege were roasted with a bit of olive oil and rosemary.

Quick winter warmer - Eggs on tomatoes or ratatouille

Eggs fried on top of tomatoes (fresh if they're in season, tinned otherwise) or ratatouille. Add a few herbs... Yum!

Steak hache - Lean burger for an easy meal

If you have ever been to France, you or your kids have probably ordered a "steak hache - frites" at one point or another.


steaks hachesTo most, a steak hache looks like any other burger. However, it's actually minced steak as Le Charcutier anglais explains. Unlike the usual burgers that contain in excess of 20% fat (the mere
thought of picturing a fifth of what I'm eating being pure fat fills me with dread), steak hache is subject to strict rules: 5 to 15% fat. It makes for a rather healthy and tasty protein intake!

Here in the UK, I buy extra lean beef mince  (around 5% fat) and shape 125g patties using my beloved burger press. This was bought for me by my mum as a Christmas present a few years ago and it's changed my life! I'm now able to enjoy one of my favourites from home on a regular basis! This investment will set you back less than a tenner and allow you to make as many as you want. Well worth it.

I usually buy 500g or a kilo of mince and make 125g steaks out of it. I freeze them and take them out as needed. They defrost quickly in the microwave (or in the fridge if I'm really organised) and only cook in a couple of minutes on each side in the pan (for medium rare). Side with with your favourite frites or with a salad, depending on how healthy you want to be et c'est pret!

Condiments such as butter (melting on top with thinly sliced shallots), mustard, tomato ketchup are a great match for steak hache. Enjoy!

Summer plate

Another summer plate: melon, parma ham, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and a balsamic vinaigrette. Just delicious on a summer day!

A couple of tips to pick the right cantaloupe melon: the heavier it feels, the sweeter it will be. If the stalk come off easily, it means it's ripe., although it's quite rare that UK supermarkets sell them already ripe. The most important thing for me is to smell them. I've made a few of my British friends laugh telling them the best way to choose melons is to sniff them (cue childish jokes and sniggers from all present, including myself!) but the stronger the fragrance, the riper the melon. Enjoy!
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