Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

No-fuss Saturday lunch salad

I am always starving on a Saturday afternoon. But I don’t have the desire to take on cooking a meal. And I don’t want bread and jam. And I don’t want MacDonald’s or the likes. And I don’t want loads of dishes and cleaning up to do. I want no-fuss. I want something that is quick and easy and light, because we play tennis afterwards, but it still needs to be filling.

A protein salad like this one works for me. With a banana in the tennis bag.

Make a salad from the following ingredients:

  • Mixed salad leaves, a huge bowl.
  • mixed herbs of your choice
  • Bocconcini cheese
  • a can of “Catalan tuna” (tuna in a tomato sauce)
  • a small can of sweetcorn(or frozen)
  • sun dried tomatoes
  • cucumber sticks
  • dry roasted almonds
  • dried cranberries
  • A vinaigrette made of: sun dried tomato paste, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, small finely chopped shallot.

serves 2

…moulin rouge…

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Vegetable tagine à la Thursday.

On Thursday evenings I have life figure drawing class and I get home late. A vegetable tagine is always a good choice on these evenings. I make it earlier in the day and reheat it for a late dinner. I’m ravenous when I get home! Serve with a simple fluffy white rice(ok, go more heathy with full grain or wild or some other grains, but I prefer the stark whiteness of white rice ). 

Vegetable tagine a la Thursday.

  • Three courgettes
  • Four large spring onions with the greens
  • One large red bell pepper
  • Four carrots
  • four tomatoes
  • Two potatoes
  • A handful of green beans
  • can of chickpeas
  • A handful of petit pois(fresh or frozen)
  • A cinnamon stick
  • olive oil
  • Cardamom pod
  • Juniper berries 
  • Two teaspoons of curry masala
  •  Flatleaf parsley
  • A tablespoon or two of dry roasted almonds
  • About two cups of vegetable stock
  1. Wash and chop the vegetables into chunks.
  2. Mix together the spices in a mortar and pestle (except the cinnamon stick), along with some olive oil.
  3. Sautee the chopped onion with the spices.
  4. Add the carrots and potatoes and sautee for a few minutes.
  5. Add the vegetable stock and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
  6. Add the tomatoes and bell and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  7. Add the chickpeas, green beans and and turn off the heat.
  8. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
  9. Serve in a tagine, sprinkle with the fresh petit pois, the roasted almonds and finish off with flatleaf parslay.
  10. Serve with white rice or couscous.

   Serves 4 people

 

…I’ll draw, you pose…