Tons of recipes combine spinach and coconut; that’s because they perfectly match together . If you never tried the combination, this soup is a perfect occasion for doing it. It’s slightly spiced thanks to half a red scotch bonnet chili pepper, a variety of hot chili from the Caribbean.  You can adapt this soup recipe’s spiciness to your own tastes: skip the pepper, use half for a slightly spiced soup or use a whole one (or two) if you like it really hot.

Preparation time: 10 minutes  – Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

1.1 lbs (500g) of fresh spinach
2 1/4 cups (56 cl) of vegetable stock
2 1/4 cups (56 cl) of coconut milk
2 garlic cloves
1 onion
1/2 lemon
1/2 red scotch bonnet chili pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger
4 tablespoons of grated coconut for decoration
Salt

Instructions

1/ Carefully clean spinach leaves and pinch off the stems if they’re thick and tough. Chop spinach leaves roughly.

2/ Peel onion and garlic cloves. Chop onions and crush garlic cloves with a spoon.

3/ Take seeds off chili pepper and finely chop it.

4/ Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and chili pepper, take temperature down to low heat and leave them for 5 minutes.

5/ Add cumin, turmeric and grated ginger. Add vegetable stock and coconut milk and take to a boil. Reduce heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.

6/ Preheat oven on broiler setting.

7/ Add spinach and leave them for 3 minutes or until they wither.

8/ Liquidize 3/4 of the soup and put it back in the pan with the remaining quarter.

9/ Squeeze lemon, add to soup and season with salt.

10/ Grill grated coconut for 2 minutes in the oven.

11/ Serve in individual bowls and decorate with grilled coconut.

Appetizer spoons are great for an « apéritif dinatoire » when your guests are only going to eat finger food. But they’re also perfect as an elaborated amuse-bouche to be served before a nice meal. We’re in the middle of holiday season, it’s a perfect time to share with you this delicious coconut ceviche recipe. Believe me, it would make a great appetizer for your Christmas or New year’s eve dinner.

Ceviche is a Peruvian dish in which citrus marinade contributes to « cook » the fish. That’s why the indicated marinating time can vary depending on your tastes. If you like eating raw fish, then you won’t let it marinate for long. On the contrary, if raw fish doesn’t appeal you at all, you can even prepare it the day before so it marinates overnight and gets a harder consistence.

Preparation time: 10 mn – Marinating time: 15 to 30 minutes

Ingredients (for 10 to 15 spoons)

1/2 lbs (225 g) of white fish fillets (sole, bass, hake, cod etc.)
1 lemon
1 lime
5 tablespoons of thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon of small chive
1 tablespoon of coriander
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 teaspoon of grated coconut (optional)
Salt

Instructions

1/ Rinse fish fillets and dry them with kitchen paper. Take bones away and dice them (size around 1 square inch).

2/ Rinse and chop small chives and coriander.

3/ Rinse lime and lemon and grate their zest (optional: you can keep some for decoration, you’ll grate the rest over the spoons before serving them).

4/ In a soup plate, combine fish, lemon and lime zest, small chives, coriander and a pinch of salt.

5/ Squeeze lime and lemon and add juice to the fish mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (depending on how raw you want to serve it).

6/ Combine in a bowl coconut milk and turmeric.

7/ Fill spoons with ceviche (leaving lemon juice in the marinating plate) and coconut sauce.  Top with grated zests, ginger and coconut (optional).

I love making brunch on week-ends. You get out of bed too late to have breakfast and still be hungry at noon. Or you get up at noon, it’s too late to call it breakfast but you’re still not ready to have lunch . This soft cooked egg and bacon salad is a perfect brunch recipe but, of course you can have it with any other meal! I usually skip mustard in the seasoning sauce when I make it in the morning, it’s less aggressive when you just woke up!

Preparation time: 10 mn  Cooking time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

4 eggs
4 slices of bread
3 1/2 oz (100 g) of bacon
3 1/2 oz (100 g) of corn salad (you can also use arugula if you prefer)
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (Click here to buy online)
1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1/ Preheat oven to 410° F (210° C / Th 7).

2/ Get water to a boil in a saucepan.

3/ Brush bread slices with olive oil (3 tablespoons) and bake in oven for 5 minutes on each side.

4/ When water is boiling, add eggs carefully. (I usually put the egg in a tablespoon, it’s much easier to get it gently to the bottom of the saucepan). Leave them in boiling water for 4 minutes. When they’re done rinse them with cold water and leave aside.

5/ Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add bacon slices. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until bacon looks crispy.

6/ When bacon is done, leave it in a plate covered with a napkin to drain its fat.

7/ Dice bread and cut bacon into pieces.

8/ Squeeze lemon in a bowl and whisk mustard, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper with it.

9/ In 4 plates, arrange corn salad, bacon and bread pieces. Serve on top lemon sauce.

10/ Carefully remove egg shells and place a soft cooked egg on top of each plate. Break it for the egg yolk to flow.

11/ Serve right away.

Asparagus season has come I love that time of the year when in season fruits and vegetables’ list starts growing. Here is a simple recipe to enjoy green asparagus with little cooking to make. You can serve them as a starter but it will also make a perfect side dish for fish. We had them with salmon, it came out great.

Preparation time: 20 mn

Ingredients (for 3 to 4 servings)

2.2 lbs (1 kg) of fresh green asparagus
6 or 7 basil leaves
1 non-treated lemon
1 teaspoon of capers
6 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of balsamiq vinegar
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Take water to a boil in a large pan.

2/ Clean asparagus. Peel the last third on the opposite side of the head and cut the hard end off.

3/ When water is boiling, add asparagus and leave for 8 to 10 minutes.

4/ Clean lemon and grate zest.

5/ Rinse and chop basil.

6/ Prepare vinaigrette in a bowl by mixing oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir energetically.

7/ When asparagus are tender, take them off water and lay them next to each other in a plate.

8/ Top asparagus with capers, chopped basil, lemon zest and a pinch of salt.

9/ Serve right away.

Lemon lovers, this recipe is for you ! If you don’t have time or you’re feeling lazy you can always use an already-made pie crust… but be aware you’ll be missing something! By adding lemon zest to the crust, we give it a delicious taste… Let’s try this at home!

Preparation Time : 40 mn (+ 1h in the fridge for the crust) – Cooking Time : 50 mn

Ingredients (for 6 to 8 servings):

For the crust
2 cups (200g) of flour
4 tablespoons (60g) of sugar
1/2 cup (100g) of cold butter
1/2 non-treated lemon
1 teaspoon of vanilla powder
1 egg yolk
Baking paper
A handful of dry beans

For the pie mixture
2 1/2 non-treated lemons
4 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 cup (200g) of sugar
5/8 cup (15 cl) of sour cream
1 tablespoon of icing/powdered sugar

Instructions:

Pie crust

1/ Mix flour and sugar in a salad bowl. Cut butter in small pieces, grate the 1/2 lemon zest and mixt it in the salad bowl together with vanilla and egg yolk.

2/ Rinse hands with cold water and knead mixture until all butter pieces are incorporated.

3/ Roll the crust and garnish a (greased) pie mold with it.

4/ Leave it in the fridge for 1 hour.

5/ Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C / Th 6)

6/ Put baking paper on the crust and fill it with the beans (rice could make it as well, it’s just for the weight) . Pre-bake in oven for 10 mn.

Pie mixture

7/ Clean lemons and grate zest.

8/ Beat eggs, yolk and sugar until soft. Add lemon zest and juice.

9/ Wisk sour cream well and add thoroughly to lemon mixture.

10/ Reduce oven heat to 300°F (150°C / Th 5). Take weights and baking paper off crust and fill with lemon cream.

11/ Bake in oven for 50 mn. Let it chill.

12/ Before serving, spread icing sugar on top and put it under grill for less than 1 mn. Be careful not to let it burn, it would be a shame now that all the hard work in done!