l'aventure commence français

Bonjour et bienvenue!

So, it's day 4 of my French adventure and I'm just about 'trouver mes pieds'. Antibes is beautiful and I'm loving exploring the cute little alleys, coffee shops and local sights (there is a Mango...whoop).  My over-enthusiasm for French supermarches has also come out in full force and I think the security man in Monoprix is wondering why the strange English girl comes in looking so happy every day! (though I did have a little very English strop out of Carrefour today when nothing was happening very quickly at all).

Here are a few of the foodie finds that made me smile (many of which reminded me of summer camping trips and holidays to gites in Normandy)

You can't beat Bonne Maman jam on French toasts

Courgettes rondes - apparently a traditional recipe is to stuff them and roast with a mix of onion, anchovies, egg, parmesan and a little bread. Yum!

I don't usually get excited about tomatoes but...how pretty!

Good to see I can get Agave syrup for my porridge

Seriously? Crustless bread! In the land renowned for baguettes?! Disappointing.

My favourite find has to be ready-made galettes (buckwheat pancakes) - so now I can have them every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner (if I wanted to, not that I would of course..) 

I'll be back soon with some new French recipes and tales of my vie en France!

Easy slow cook risotto!

Clam and pancetta barley risotto

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tin baby clams, drained
200g pearl barley
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
100ml white wine
250ml water
black pepper
70g pancetta (or bacon, diced)

Method:

I cheated and threw it all in my slow cooker for a couple of hours on 'high' - so easy! But you could also cook in a sauce pan or in a casserole dish in the oven. Just check it every so often to check it's not drying out (add more water or wine if so!)

Serve with green veg.

Prawn satay stir-fry with rice noodles

Ingredients: Serves 4

 
300g prawns (fresh or frozen)

3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

300g stir-fry vegetables (you can use a

packet or mix any veg you like)

1 onion

1 handful fresh basil

1 teaspoon chilli powder or dried or

fresh chilli

1 teaspoon of agave syrup

1 teaspoon of sesame or vegetable oil

100g rice noodles

Method:

Mix the peanut butter, chilli, 100ml of water, soy sauce and honey in a bowl to make

the satay sauce. Add the prawns to the bowl and stir well.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the ginger and onion to soften.

Add the prawns and the rest of the veg, and stir-fry over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until the prawns are cooked through and the veg tender.

In the meantime, cook the noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Add to the stir-fry and mix well.

 

Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Apple and oat breakfast fritters

Quick and tasty healthy brekkie (detox approved!)

Ingredients:
1 small apple, grated (with skin)
3 tbsp oats
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

How to do it:

Mix the apple, oats, egg and cinnamon in a large bowl until well combined.
Heat a frying pan and spray with low-cal spray or a small amount of butter or coconut oil. Add four dollops of the mixture to the pan and flatten to form fritter shapes.
Cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked through and browned.

Serve with a dollop of organic natural yogurt and a drizzle of agave syrup.
Perfect Sunday brunch!

Christmas tree cookies

Ingredients (makes 24)

120g olive oil spread
10g Stevia sweetener
1 egg
Finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
30g currants or cranberries
240g plain flour

Method

·         Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

·         Line two baking sheets with baking paper or lightly grease a baking sheet

·         Cream margarine and Stevia together until light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg.

·         Add lemon zest and juice and currants or cranberries.

·         Sift flour into mixture and stir to form a stiff dough. Knead well and then chill in fridge for 20-30 mins.

·         Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to about ½ inch thick. Cut into Christmas tree shapes and place on baking tray.

·         Bake for around 15mins until pale and golden.

·         Cool for 2 mins then lift on to wire rack to cool. Decorate with icing sugar if desired.

Cheeky chicken nuggets

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, cubed
wholemeal breadcrumbs (1 or 2 slices)
cous cous
40g parmesan, finely grated
2 tbsp olive oil
Olive oil spray
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and stir in the grated parmesan. Put the cous cous in a different bowl. Dip the chicken cubes in the olive oil, then the breadcrumb mixture, then coat in cous cous.

Lightly spray the olive oil spray on a large baking sheet. Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven at 220 degrees C for around 12 minutes, turning halfway through.

Serve with sweet potato chips and green veg and any condiments you like (I love these with tomato salsa).

Lemon drizzle polenta cake

This polenta cake doesn't contain any flour which makes it perfect for those on wheat-free diets. It's also low GL so you can have an extra slice and not feel too guilty!

Ingredients:

200g ground almonds
115g polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 eggs
125g unsalted butter
50g natural yogurt
225g caster sugar (or 150g xylitol/Stevia)
Zest of 4 whole lemons and juice of 1 lemon
For the drizzle:
juice of one lemon
2 tbsp granulated sugar or xylitol/Stevia

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor or with an electric whisk. Grease a springform 25cm cake tin and pour in the mixture.

Bake for around 1 hour at a low heat (160 degrees C) or until a cocktail stick comes out clean and top is golden.