Avocado cream dip*

For ➌ cups
2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled
10 cl sour cream
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs finely chopped fresh coriander, plus leaves for serving
2 tbs finely chopped fennel fronds, plus more coarsely chopped for serving
salt
tortilla chips (for serving)

Process avocados, sour cream, vinegar, oil, 2 Tbsp. cilantro, and 2 Tbsp. fennel fronds in a food processor until mixture is very smooth, light, and thick. Season with salt.
Transfer avocado cream to a small bowl and top with cilantro leaves and more fennel fronds. Serve with chips.

*Use as a smoother version of guacamole. Traditional guacamole recipes in chicken bombs.

Papaya & halloumi watercress salad

For ➍
salad:
200-250 g halloumi, sliced
1 ts ghee*
1 medium punnet of cherry or baby plum tomatoes, halved
4 huge handfuls of watercress
1 medium red onion, finely sliced
1 medium ripe papaya or half a large one
1 large ripe black skin avocado, flesh scooped out & sliced
1 handful of pine nuts, or substitute pumpkin/sunflower seeds
dressing:
extra virgin olive oil
raw apple cider vinegar or lime or lemon juice
sea salt & black pepper
a squeeze of raw runny honey

Take a large flat serving dish and distribute the watercress (you can roughly snip into the stems a little for slightly more elegant eating).
Scatter the tomatoes, onion and avocado over the bed of watercress and sprinkle on a touch of sea salt if desired.
Gently toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and set aside.
Halve the papaya and scoop out the seeds.
Using a flattish spoon, scoop out thick slivers of the papaya flesh and pile onto the salad. If you're struggling to make it look nice then try slicing or cubing the fruit.
Ask everyone to be seated as this salad is best consumed when the halloumi is hot from the griddle/pan.
Heat the ghee to a high temperature in a large frying pan and lay down the halloumi slices without overcrowding (you might have to do this in batches if your pan is too small).
Fry the halloumi for approximately a minute on each side until each piece takes on a golden brown colour.*
Lay them across the salad.
At the table, sprinkle over the pine nuts, drizzle over a generous amount of olive oil, a squeeze of honey, a splash of vinegar and a good grinding of black pepper.

*or you could grill/griddle the halloumi.

Medaillons de porc aux pommes (pork tenderloin with apples)

For ➍
500 g pork tenderloin, fat trimmed
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
¾ ts rubbed sage (or dried thyme or rosemary)
½ ts salt
¼ ts ground black pepper
1 tbs butter
1 tbs light olive oil
1 large onion, cut into medium strips
2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
pinch of ground cloves

Slice the pork crosswise into 4 medallions. Place the pork medallions in a small dish and pour the apple cider vinegar over the meat. Allow the pork to marinate in the vinegar for 10 m, turning the meat over halfway through the marinating time.
Pat the pork dry on both sides and sprinkle all the surfaces with the sage, salt and black pepper. Heat the butter and oil together in a large skillet set over high heat. Add the medallions to the pan and allow them to cook, without moving them at all, for 4 m. Carefully flip them over, and allow them to cook, without moving them, for an additional 4 m.
Check the pork medallions for doneness, and continue cooking them for an additional 1 to 2 m if they appear too pink in the center. Remove the cooked pork medallions to a plate and cover them loosely with foil to keep them warm.
Add the onions to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 5 m, until they begin to brown. Add the apples and cloves to the skillet and continue cooking the mixture, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 m, until the apples have just turned tender.
Arrange the onions and apples on serving plates, slice the pork, if desired, and arrange the pork over the caramelized onions and apples. Serve immediately.

Marinated fennel salad

For ➏-➑
1 large fennel bulb
8 cl olive oil
4 tbs cider vinegar
salt

Cut fennel bulb in half. Rinse under cold water. Remove core. Slice thinly.
In an airtight container- mix oil, vinegar and salt.
Add fennel.
Close container tightly and give a good shake.
Set aside for 2 h, turning the pot upside down/right side up once in a while.
Serve individual portions, with some of the liquid & a piece of bread.
Garnish with a sprig of leaves from the top of the fennel.
Or serve as a side-dish with some grilled chicken or fish.

Kartoffelsalat (German potato salad)

For ➍
3 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
3 tbs white onion, finely chopped
½ apple, chopped
1 stalk celery & leaves, very thinly sliced
2 dill pickles, chopped
½ tbs sweet pickle relish, heaped
1 ts sugar
½ tbs cider vinegar
½ tbs pickle juice
½ tbs extra virgin olive oil
¾ ts yellow mustard
6 tbs mayonnaise
¼ ts salt
¼ ts ground black pepper
¾ tbs parsley, finely chopped
2 hardboiled eggs
½ tomato, slices for garnish (or grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes)
½ torn lettuce leaf, for garnish
½ paprika, for garnish

In a large covered pot, bring potatoes to a boil in enough salted water to cover by at least 2 cm. Lower heat to a simmer, and cook about 25-30 m or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, but still firm. Drain potatoes in colander, and briefly run cold water over the potatoes. Transfer drained potatoes back into the empty covered pot and set on a very low flame for  2 m or two, being careful not to scorch them. This will help to dry the potatoes and to ensure that they are not wet or soggy. Return potatoes to colander, and let them cool to the touch.
Peel and then slice the potatoes into 2.5 cm pieces.
In a large bowl, stir together the onions, apples, celery, dill pickles, sweet relish, and ⅔ of the chopped parsley.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, pickle juice, olive oil, mustard, mayonnaise and the salt and pepper. Pour over the onion mixture, stirring well to coat evenly.
Add the potatoes and 1 chopped hardboiled egg. Fold and stir gently to combine. Transfer to a wide and shallow serving dish.
Garnish with 1 quartered hardboiled egg, tomato slices and the torn lettuce. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and the paprika.
Cover and keep refrigerated until serving time.
Serve f.i. with Königsberger Klopse.

Chicken drumsticks with fennel & apricots

For ➍
12 chicken drumsticks or 4 chicken thighs*
2 fennel bulbs
200 g dried apricots
1.5 dl dry white wine
1 tbs apple vinegar
2 tbs butter
1 tbs bouquet garni
1 tbs dragon
salt & pepper

Cut the fennel into small cubes.
Heat 2 tbs of butter in a saucepan. Brown the drumsticks. Season with salt and pepper and 1 tbs of bouquet garni. Add the diced fennel and white wine, cover and let simmer for 20 to 25 m*.
Add the dried apricots and let simmer for another 10 m.
Remove the chicken and thicken the sauce slightly. Season with 1 tbs of tarragon and 1 tbs of cider vinegar.
Pour the sauce over the drumsticks and serve with croquettes or fresh pasta. Serve with a dry white wine like Gewurztraminer or a red wine like Côtes du Rhône.

*Cook for 50-60 m with chicken thighs.

Southern spinach salad with vinaigrette

For ➍
250 g fresh (baby) spinach

apple cider vinegar vinaigrette
crumbled cooked bacon, for garnish*

Wash spinach and let dry.

Refrigerate spinach and dressing separately until serving time.

Pour dressing over spinach just before serving and toss.

If desired, sprinkle with crumbled bacon*.

*Optional. Replaces the honey roasted pecan nuts as topping in the vinaigrette.

Apple cider vinegar vinaigrette

For ➍/ app. 15 cl
10 cl/6 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 ts grated sweet or purple onion
60 g cup granulated sugar
½ ts dry mustard
½ ts salt
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 finely chopped apples
honey roasted pecan nuts*

Whisk together sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, salt, oil and apple. Or pulse a few times in blender.

Refrigerate dressing until serving time.

Use for dressing a romaine lettuce salad, rucola or spinach salad. Pour dressing over just before serving and toss. Top with pecan nuts*.

*Optional.

Witloofsla (Belgian endives' salad)

For ➍
4 slices bacon
3 endives
1 green apple
50 g walnuts
200 g old cheese
1 shallot
raisins
watercress
chervil*
dressing:
3 tbs sour cream
dash of apple juice
splash of cider vinegar
dash of walnut oil
honey
pepper & salt

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Put the bacon strips on a baking sheet or a silicone mat. Bake in the oven until crisp (10-12 m).
Meanwhile, put the sour cream, apple juice, a dash of walnut oil, a dash of cider vinegar and honey in a mix cup. Mix with the hand blender. Add a little salt and pepper from the mill.
Cut the heads of endives and chop. Put in a large bowl.
Cut the apple into fine strips. Add to the endives. Add a handful of raisins, chopped walnuts and watercress to the salad.
Chop the shallot, add to the salad. Add some chopped chervil.*
Mix everything.
Use a peeler to shred the cheese over the salad.
Cut the slices of crispy bacon into small pieces. Add them to the salad.
Pour the dressing over the mixed salad.
Serve in a soup bowl or a deep plate.

*Optional.

Oyster shallot vinaigrette

For 12 oysters
7 cl cider vinegar
⅓ tbs shallots, very finely chopped
⅓ ts black peppercorns, crushed

Mix the ingredients together and place in a glass jar.
Leave at room temperature for three days. Or slightly heat the ingredients for a few m and let the vinaigrette cool down for immediate use.Sprinkle over half opened oysters. Deep French creuses take the vinaigrette best.
Serve with a glass of cool Muscadet.

The vinaigrette can be used to enhance other foods like plain green salad or artichoke hearts. Add some croûtons. Use it f.i. in salade lyonnaise.

Black & white salad

For ➍
320 g black trumpets
1 tbs butter
200 g endives, cut in rounds*
2 Granny Smith apples, seeded, peeled, cut in widges
apple peel, cut in long small ribbons
4 slices of good dry-cured ham (like Belgian Ganda or Italian Parma)
4 tbs apple (or cider) vinegar
1 tbs honey
6 tbs olive oil
80 g croutons

Get apples, endives and ham out of the refrigerator 1 h before serving.
Clean mushrooms. Cut apples and endives. Spread endives on a plate. Make a crown of apples and slightly heated croutons over it.
Heat butter add trumpets and bake for 3 m on low heat. Add pepper if wanted. Remove from pan and keep lukewarm.
Add vinegar, honey and olive oil to the cooking juices and heat.
Dribble glazing over the salad. Add trumpets. Tear ham in broad strips, slightly warm in heated pan off heat and add to the salad. Decorate with curled apple peels.
Serve with a glass of ruby wine.