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Wednesday, 28 August 2013

Broccoli with Caramelized Onions & Pine Nuts

News headlines today - Eating broccoli could prevent the most common form of arthritis! So now we know what our wise grandparents always knew  - eat your greens (especially cabbage, broccoli and sprouts!) if you want to stay young and healthy. Here is a lovely dish to get you going but remember never overcook your greens -


Here is the article link for your information:
Posted by French Dining School at 05:07 No comments: 

Tomatoe & Basil Salad

It's that time of year when your greenhouse can be overrun with tomatoes! This year Brittany has had the best summer in 7 years and so everything has blossomed to excess including our tomato plants. What better time to concentrate on some of the non cooking recipes of summertime and this is one wonderful dish. All you need to ensure is that you have baked some nice bread earlier in the day! This is a very healthy dish as well as tasty and if you don't believe me, just take a look at this website which praises the health benefits of basil:


20 small tomatoes
1 shallot
1 handful basil leaves
½ handful oregano leaves
1 small clove garlic
1 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil

Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a large serving plate. Slice the shallot into thin rings, chop the garlic as finely as you can, and scatter over the dish. Roll the basil leaves into little tubes and slice them thinly to cut it into thin strips and throw them over the salad with the whole oregano leaves.
Immediately before serving, drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over, and season with salt and plenty of pepper. Crusty fresh bread will come in handy to mop up the juices.
You don't need to add anything else to this dish but you could apply some mozzarella cheese if you have a longing for protein or have some very hungry guests! Oh and a nice cool bottle of Sancerre will complete the magic and ensure you don't overdo it on the health side! Enjoy.
Posted by French Dining School at 06:22 No comments: 

Stir Fried Cabbage Salad with Mushrooms & Quinoa Cabbage Salad Bowl

Cabbage is often regarded as a bit of a boring vegetable. However nothing could be further from the truth. Its just what we do to it that can so easily ruin it! Boil any brassica for more than 10 minutes and you are left with a tasteless sulphurous smelling dish. I like cabbage for a number of reasons. Firstly it is a very healthy vegetable with amazing properties see here: http://level1health.com/why-the-bad-smelling-vegetables-like-broccoli-cabbage-cauliflower-brussels-sprouts-may-be-the-healthiest/. It is also very helpful for those who wish to slim being low on the calorie front. It is so very flexible you can match it with many different ingredients and even serve it as a light salad in summertime. This is a recipe (for 6 persons) I developed over the last few weeks and I think you will love it for both health properties of all the ingredients as well as for texture and taste. Let me know what you think!


I fresh green cabbage
2 Charlotte onions
100g pearl barley
100g quinoa
200g button mushrooms thinly sliced
1 fresh chili
250ml balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
Tablespoon of sake (optional)


Wash the cabbage thoroughly removing any leaves which may be damaged. Once cleaned, roll up the leaves like a tight thick cigar and using a sharp vegetable knife, cut the leaves into very fine shreds. Place the shredded cabbage into a glass container. Finely chop the onions and garlic into shreds and add to the cabbage. Sprinkle the cabbage with the balsamic vinegar toss well and leave for 30 minutes. Boil the pearl barley for 30 minutes and once cooked strain and let cool. Boil the quinoa for 10 minutes, strain and let cool. Place a large skillet on the gas and raise the heat to maximum for a few minutes. Using an oil of your choice (I prefer coconut oil) add the cabbage, sake, balsamic vinegar and chili stir frying for about four minutes. Remove from skillet, strain and add to mixing bowl and let cool. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms to the skillet and stir fry till soft (about 4 minutes stirring often). Remove and add to the cabbage in the mixing bowl. Add the barley, mushrooms and quinoa to the mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper as required. This dish is to be served cold as a salad but is equally good served hot.

Posted by French Dining School at 16:01 No comments: 
Special Offer Deal in September

We are as busy as bees this week with a full program of cooking but I thought I would just tip you off about a very special deal we have coming up next month. Any persons booking a course for the week 9-13 September 2013 will get the the full five day cooking course for only Euros 500 instead of Euros 925!!! This offer is only open to new bookings, does not include accommodation (add an extra 250 euros for that!). Places are limited so book up fast to avail of this fantastic offer.

We start at 10am with introductions, course program, safety issues (use of knives etc). We discuss each daily menu before we commence preparation and actual cooking. We also make our chicken stock for the week ahead.
Starter: Bruschetta on toasted bread
Main: Langoustine stuffed chicken leg with mushroom sauce
Dessert: Panna Cotta with fresh summer fruits
Starter: Gazpacho
served on a salad with toasted pine kernels
Main: Veal fillet with basil sauce, crème fraiche potatoes and rosemary roasted vegetables
Dessert: Lemon cake with cointreau crème fraiche
Main: Warm smoked fish on a salad with horseradish cream
Starter: Grilled Langoustines with garlic butter
Main: “Frikadeller” Danish styled meat balls with
potato salad and cucumber salad
Dessert: Tiramisu
Visit to local food market where we will taste Galettes
Dessert: Caramelized strawberries served with
Cinnamon and a poppy seed ice cream
Graduation Dinner
Main: Beef Wellington with oven baked vegetables
Dessert: Poached peach with a sabayon sauce and fresh raspberries
Posted by French Dining School at 08:06 No comments: 

Sole Meuniere Brittany has the longest coastal stretch of any department in France so it is not surprising that fish and sea food are a key ingredient in Briton cuisine. Most visitors to Brittany are struck by the variety of seafood available in the food markets whether it be mussels, oysters, lobsters crabs, sea snails and numerous cockles and periwinkles but lets not forget fish! If you get a chance make your way on a Saturday morning to "Marche de Liece" in Rennes, the capital of Brittany for a seafood feast!  Having said that you just can't beat simple fresh fish and sole meuniere is one of the easiest to prepare.


6 sole fillets
8 tb salted butter
1 lemon juiceSea saltFresh black pepper10 sprigs fresh parsley

Bunch of fresh chives cut fine


Remove the black skin from the soles. Chop the parsley sprigs, discard the stems. Season fillets with salt and pepper.Spread the flour in a plate. Dredge fillets in flour, shaking off any excess flour. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add a sole fillet or if the skillet is large enough, place 2 fillets at the same time. Cook over high heat for 4 minutes. Turn the fillet and cook on the other side for 4 minutes again. Set aside and keep fillets warm. Sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley. Cook the other sole fillets the same way. Add butter if needed.
Melt the remaining butter in the skillet. When brown, remove from heat and place the sole fillets.
Garnish with lemon slices and chives. Sole Meuniere is excellent in combination with potatoes, salad, vegetables or rice. Serve with a nice cool Riesling, Chablis, Sancerre or a white wine of your choice.
Posted by French Dining School at 03:06 No comments: 

Mushroom Risotto

I cooked mushroom risotto for a group of five friends on Saturday and I had forgotten how wonderful a dish it is. A number of people asked me for the recipe afterwards so I thought I really should add it here. It is one of those dishes people tend to put off because you do have to pay some attention during the cooking process but believe me it is real easy dish to make and well worth the effort! Prep time is 10 min; Cooking time 20 mins.


Posted by French Dining School at 03:40 No comments: 

Bordier's Butter

Posted by French Dining School at 12:34 No comments: 
Home Made Lavender Lemonade

Lavender is one of my favourite flowers. We have it growing all over the front of the house and this time of year it is in full bloom. Meadows of lavender tricker memories of Provence but with changing climates it is not unusual to see lavender fields in Brittany now! So in this hot sunny weather I thought I might introduce an addition to our elderflower cordial. Home made lavender lemonade is absolutely delicious and  so easy to make:


A small handful of freshley picked and rinsed lavender flowers
1 cup of white granulated sugar
2 cups of boiling water
2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice
some ice


Brush the lavender flowers from their stems into a glass dish. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the 2 cups of boiling water, stir and allow to infuse for up to three hours. Sive the lavender infused syrup and pour into a large serving pitcher. Add the lemon juice, tasting as you go to ensure the desired taste. Add ice, slices of lemon and a sprig of lavender and serve.

Posted by French Dining School at 02:49 No comments: 

Cycling Holidays in Brittany for the Gourmet Traveller Posted by French Dining School at 03:33 No comments: Labels: Cycling brittany

Potato & Artichoke Salad

This is a great back up for the summertime garden BBQ. Simple and easy to make before your guests arrive and keep in the fridge till serving time.

1kg of small new potatoes
Half cup of finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons of apple vinegar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Quarter teaspoon of black pepper
4 fresh artichoke hearts
1 cup fresh mayonnaise
Half cup of pimiento stuffed olives - sliced
3 tablespoons of fresh finely snipped chives or parsley.

Boil the potatoes in their skins. Peel and cut into halves or quarters. Combine the spring onion with the vinegar, water, salt and pepper and pour evenly over the potatoes, tossing to mix well. Cut the artichokes into quarters, add to potatoes and pour over the fresh mayonnaise. Sprinkle with sliced olives and fresh herbs (parsley or chives). You may also serve this dish with a spoonful of sour cream if you wish.

Posted by French Dining School at 03:16 No comments: