Best tastes in Antibes today!

Today I tried my first local Pissaladiere and it was fabulous! I bought it from a boulangerie tucked away in one of the beautiful vieux vielle streets (and it seems to only be open a few days a week which makes it more intriguing!). The owner told me that their Pissaladiere (a kind of pizza topped with caramelized onion, anchovies and olives) goes back three generations and is their speciality. It certainly didn't disappoint.

I also tried some very cute mini 'croissant aux pignons' (pine nuts) which are apparently another speciality of the region. Not the traditional croissants, but a sweet, dense, almondy sweet-like treat.

Now for slightly more virtuous foodie find - Michel Montignac jam! It uses apple concentrate rather than sugar. A bit like the St Dalfour kind you can get in the UK.

The GI guru (although I've just found out in France it's IG (Index Glycemique of course) Michel Montignac was one of the first to use GI for weight loss. www.montignac.com and someone who's principles I promote (when I'm not eating Pissaladiere and croissants - I don't think they're allowed!)

My foodie update from le sud!

I've been here almost one month now and here are some of my 'amours' and 'detestes' from the beautiful south. 

Amour - the flavour you get from simple homemade meals like this:

5 minute spaghetti with simple ratatouille

Simple ratatouille:
tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 courgette, diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 mushrooms

(Also loving the quinoa, garlic and parsley (quinoa, ail et persil) spaghetti I found in the organic food shop in Antibes).

Deteste - paying more for du the de menthe (mint tea) than for a cafe creme in Nice! Seriously?

Amour - Fritto misto, bien sur. Especially when eaten in the sunshine by the sea.

Deteste - Paying 3.50 euro for 2 grapefruit! Though they were very good pamplemousse.

Amour - The French interpretation of a salad. Protein-hit! Yum.





Deteste - Going to the supermarket and seeing that half of the fruit and veg comes from Africa or Spain (and that strawberries cost about 5 euros a punnet!)



Amour - the amazing mint tea with toasted almonds I found at the antiques market in Paris. Definitely one to try at home.

Deteste - ordering 'legumes vert' and getting spinach covered in cream. I just want some plain green vegetables! (s'il vous plait).

Amour - the little nibbley bits you always get when ordering a glass of wine (and the chocolate almonds you get with a coffee!)

Deteste - still not knowing how to order a SMALL white coffee in a cafe.

Amour - those chocolate biscuits that you can of course buy in the UK yet only allow yourself to buy in France (Le petit ecolier)!

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.