main courses recipes
Back to the basics and traditions (or at least my traditions) ! … Last May, I made the the vegetarian and vegan version of this oven-baked dish with zucchini and rice and fresh herbs. Now it’s time to remake my mother’s (and other mothers’) original Greek stuffed bell peppers with a mix of rice, herbs and ground beef ! The...
"Summertime, and the living is easy" . . . so it’s also time for you to roast some vegetables ! Well, to be honest, life is easier if you have a mandoline to slice the vegetables thinly and evenly before roasting them ! Yeah, yeah , ha ha ! Obviously with this summer heat, I try to make things as simple as possible which is why I...
We are all familiar with falafels, chickpea balls or fritters that are wonderfully crispy-fried on the outside, soft on the inside, served as a main dish or in a bread as street food, often paired with pickled vegetables or coleslaw and salad and a few different sauces. Here is a version that is half spinach and just as great for vegetarians and...
Bifteki is not a hamburger. Bifteki is not a steak. Bifteki it's something in between ! When I was young boy, we would always go to my uncle's diner in northern Greece, in Thessalonike, to have a wonderful bifteki ! Bifteki is a very simple beef recipe with no extra herbs or flavours. You can prepare it beforehand and keep it in the...
The first time I tasted matcha (green tea) ice-cream, probably around 20 years ago, it was heavenly. It felt as if I was tasting the cream made from the cow's milk as well as the grasses it fed on in order to create this milk. This is the idea behind my hay and twig roasted leg of lamb. A lamb prepared in a traditionally Greek manner but...
Back to salted cod again ! I can’t help myself ! This recipe is an adaptation of my oven-baked bacalhau salted cod with vegetables dish, yet different in texture, a more compacted and crispier version, almost like a barbecue (but not quite) because the skewers are baked and then grilled in the oven. Of course, the extra touch which consists...
I have always found that the tart taste of rhubarb was fantastic with pork. My first trials with rhubarb were always with savory dishes, sweet dishes came much later ! I often cook my meat with lemon juice but this time, rhubarb would be enough, with a little honey and ginger and garlic. Don’t forget that the rhubarb must be disgorged of its...
Did you know that it is possible to buy a fresh ball of bread dough from your bakery ? Just simply ask for a ball of dough that weighs about 200-250 grams, the same weight as a baguette and there you go ! The idea behind this recipe is to to be able to enjoy a last minute urge and the speed of making an almost home-made pizza. Of course, we will...
It’s time for my favorite Spanish stew, but with a Belgian touch. This is one of those comfort foods I absolutely adore and that I can eat for several days (because I make a lot) and it gets just gets better and better with time. A stew that is usually made in Spain in order to feed many family members all at once, combining veal (I used...
The outdoor market had pretty lovely seafood so I obviously bought some. The tartlets were prepared with a more exotic and Asian flavour, because of the wonton wrapper shells, holding it all together. Mixed in with some julienned vegetables, some coconut milk and coriander and ginger root too ! An explosive flavour that is addictive…...
Tomato acidity, ricotta freshness, mustardy sharpness, herby crust …only 4 steps to make summer tomato ricotta tartlets, including the crust ! I appreciate this recipe because I use 1 egg yolk and 1 egg white so no need to waste or to store any extras in the refrigerator. The shortcrust is not there to contain the filling but closer to a...
Chicken is just one of those foods you can do so much with, whether using only the wings, the drumsticks, the breasts or the whole beast. Cooking it whole obviously takes longer and looks great, but then you have to carve it correctly, unless you’re eating it at home and simply attack it with your fingers that get stickier and stickier. My...
A nice and tasty vegetarian and vegan version of a dish often prepared with ground beef and also mixed with rice. With this rice & herbs stuffed zucchini dish, the zucchini pulp replaces the meat and the fresh aromatic herbs give it those extra green flavours. You can also prepare this dish with bell peppers (very easy because they're already...
Or rather when Belgium meets Quebec… This my friends was freaking amazing ! A readaption of the typically simple and delicious mountains of mussels in their shells (cooked in white wine, beer and sometimes cream) with a side-order of fries and mayonnaise like we eat in northern France and further north-east in Belgium (where it originates)....
"The robot-kids are coming over and bringing along their non-robotic parental units. They're good kids, they don't say much or even look up much. They're watching their mobile phone screens and staying connected and texting and/or updating their statuses". . . I could just send them a text message to get their attention...