Caprese skillet eggs

For ➍
2 tbs olive oil
60 g (½ cup) chopped onion
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ ts salt
½ ts pepper
4 large eggs
120 g (½ cup) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
5 (¼ cup) mixed chopped fresh basil, oregano & chives*
toasted sliced pane Pugliese or ciabatta

Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 m. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and released their juices, about 5 m.
Use a spoon to make 4 wells in the tomato mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cover pan and cook until whites are firm and yolks are just starting to set, about 2 m.**
Sprinkle with cheese and cover again to melt cheese slightly, about 1 m. Add some freshly baked bacon or ham if wanted.
Sprinkle with herbs and serve with toast.

*Use a mix of basilicum pesto (and fresh basilicum) instead.
**Use poached eggs instead.

Brandade (Provençal cod puree)

For ➏
750 g dried salted cod*
2 dl cream
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 dl olive oil
salt & pepper
lemon juice
ciabatta or baguette for crostini
olive oil
fennel, orange & red onion for salad

Soak the salted fish at least 24 h in water that is changed 3 times or more. Put the fish in a saucepan with fresh cold water, bring to a boil, temper heat & poach for 12 m. Drain fish and remove skin and bones (about 500 g cod should remain). Bring garlic, olive oil and cream in a saucepan to the boil. Puree this mixture with the fish in a food processor until smooth. Season with lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Test whether any salt is needed. Have some bread ready, lightly rubbed with olive oil, lightly browned under the grill for roasting.
Serve lukewarm or cold brandade with some black olives and parsley. Serve with a salad of orange wheels, red onion rings, finely sliced fennel with a dash of olive oil, and maybe a few slices of garlic toast.

*Or use fresh cod filet. Put it in salt overnight. In the morning, rinse the salt away, and soak the cod in cold water for 1h.
*Or make it with milk and some anchovies as in the Venetian bacalla mantecato.

The traditional brandade de morue originated in the town of Nîmes, a popular destination in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The refined Nîmes version of the salt cod, or baccalao, brandade is made with aioli sauce and usually complemented with a leafy salad and garlic toasts, to fully enjoy the typical aromas of the Southern France food and gastronomy.
This typical fish dish from Languedoc Roussillon, made of a refined salt cod puree, is also known as 'cod brandade'. This Southern French speciality received its name from the Provençal word 'brandado', meaning 'things stirred'. Indeed, the Brandade's success is mainly based on a very prolonged stirring of the ingredients.
The original brandade cooking was first introduced into the Southern France gastronomy in 1786, when a fish lover from Nîmes decided to mash salt cod's flesh with garlic, olive oil and a touch of milk or cream. This refined recipe of brandade de morue only became a great success in 1830 thanks to the renowned French cook Durand.
Modern recipes of the cod brandade include a fine potato puree that tops a layer of mashed salt cod. Cooks in the South of France ususally serve this delightful rich dish on its own, with a simple green salad and toasts, crackers or, for a really authentic meal, croutons fried in olive oil.
Nevertheless, cooking the salt cod in a puff pastry or to accompany the brandade with truffles (especially in Nîmes) or lemon juice (in Provence) is now a must in the French gastronomy. The French brandade preparation can also make a fine and tasty ravioli stuffing.

Fried egg avocado toast

For ➍
2 medium ripe avocados, pitted & diced
juice from ½ lime
salt & pepper to taste
4 slices bread, toasted
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1-2 tbs vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

Place diced avocado in a medium bowl. Mash thoroughly with lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide smashed avocado between toast slices. Top toast with tomato and pepper slices. Set aside for a moment.
Make the fried eggs. Working in batches, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Crack 2 eggs into pan and sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Allow eggs to cook, without flipping until whites of eggs are set. Carefully remove from pan with a spatula and transfer to a plate. Repeat step 2 with remaining 2 eggs.
Carefully arrange fried eggs on top of each toast.
Sprinkle minced parsley over top. Serve.

Roasted grape & olive crostini

For ➍-➏*
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup (+/- 100 g) (purple) (seedless) grapes
1 cup (+/- 120 g) (kalamata) olives, pitted
1½ ts finely chopped rosemary, divided (or thyme)
sea salt & red pepper flakes
12 baguette slices, toasted
180 g ricotta (or blue cheese)

Heat oven to 205°C. Combine olive oil, grapes, olives, 1 ts rosemary, a couple pinches of sea salt and pepper flakes in a baking dish or roasting pan. Roast until grapes are wilted and leaking juices, about 35 to 55 m, rolling ingredients around in pan a few times throughout roasting time to encourage even cooking.
Slather each toast with ricotta, then heap each with grapes, olives and pan juices. Finish with remaining rosemary and eat immediately.

*Double ingredients for a small party.

Artichoke & olive crostini

For ➍
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 cup (120 g)large green pitted olives
1 tbs capers, rinsed and drained
6-8 medium canned artichoke hearts, drained
6 cl extra-virgin olive oil
8 large slices of crusty bread

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a food processor, process the garlic, olives, capers, artichoke hearts and olive oil to a coarse paste.
Toast the bread on the oven rack for 6 m, or until crisp and browned.
Spread the olive paste thickly over the toasts and serve.

*Do ahead: the olive paste can be refrigerated for 2 days. Let it return to room temperature before using.

London smoked eel sandwich

For ➊
1 slice of sourdough bread
butter
30-40 g fillet of smoked eel*
1 heaped ts of horseradish cream
Dijon mustard
¼ small red onion, peeled & thinly sliced
2 tbs white wine vinegar
a good pinch of sugar

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Steep the sliced onion in the pickle and let stand for 1 h.
Warm a grilling pan over a gentle heat. Lay the sour dough on the grill and brown nicely.
Cut the eel fillet into 3 largish pieces.
Butter the toasted side of the sour dough. Cut this in half and spread with Dijon mustard.
Lay on the eel and then the horseradish cream. Lay on the other piece of toast and return to the grill.
Allow the sandwich to brown, then flip and cook similarly on the other side.
Put on a plate and heap the drained pickle alongside.
Serve immediately.

*Replace with smoked trout or mackerel fillet. Or even smoked halibut.

Eggs with lemon & mint

For ➊
Flat bread, such as pita bread
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
​​2 eggs
handful of mint leaves, washed & coarsely chopped
lemon juice
salt & pepper

Put a small frying pan over medium heat. Heat the oil and fry the garlic, stirring so that the slices are evenly colored. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat the bread (preheat the oven when using it). Otherwise, use the toaster. The bread will be hot and soft in 1 m. Let it not get hard.
Pour the eggs into the pan and slide the mixture back and forth with a spatula. Before they are solidified, stir in the lemon juice and mint.

Spoon the eggs directly on a plate and give it bread. Use extra lemon and a sprig of mint if you like.

*Add 3 mounts of yogurt on the bread, cover with thinly sliced onion. Add the eggs, and add ground cumin, dried chilli flakes, crushed garlic to enhance the toast.

Toast with mushrooms, leeks & fried eggs

For ➍
2 tbs canola oil
500 g mushrooms, mix recommended
2 leeks, white & light green parts, sliced into 0.6 cm thick
salt & pepper
4 tbs butter
1 tbs sherry vinegar
4 tbs chopped herbs (rosemary, parsley, chives...)
4 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted & buttered
5 cl heavy cream
Tabasco sauce
1 lemon, halved
4 eggs

Heat the oil. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt. Cook and stir until lightly browned. Stir in 1 tbs of butter along with the vinegar and herbs.
Put the bread slices on plates. Add the mushroom mixture.
In the same pan, melt 2 tbs of butter over medium/low heat. Add the leek, season and stir until soft, 7 m. Add the cream, bring to simmer and cook for 1 m. Season with Tabasco and lemon juice. Spoon over the toast.
Heat 1 tbs of butter over medium/low heat. Crack the eggs in the skillet and season. Cover the pan, so the whites will set faster. Remove the egg when the whites have set and the yolk is still runny. [Work in batches or use different skillets].
Place the eggs on top of the toast and serve.

Try the traditional toast champignon.

Veneto sweet & sour shrimps

For ➍
4 tbs olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
10 cl dry white wine
250 g of prawns, thawed
40 g sultanas
5 cl white wine vinegar
40 g pine nuts

Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion for 3 m on low heat. Add the wine. Gently cook the onion over very low heat for 30 ms with the lid on the pan. Stir frequently. Add some extra water or wine if the mixture is too dry .
Meanwhile, peel the shrimps with a sharp knife and remove the intestinal tract but leave the tail down. Pat dry and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the shrimps for 5 m.
Put the raisins in the onion mix and cook for 2 m. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Put in a bowl and let cool for 10 m. Mix with the shrimps. Season with pepper and salt. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 h.
Heat a frying pan without oil or butter and toast the pine nuts in 3 m until golden brown.
Add the shrimps' mixture.
Serve with salad or as a snack on toasted bread. Serve with a glass of prosecco.

Spring pea purée with preserved lemon

For ➍
1 kg shelled peas (or frozen)
1 garlic clove
4 tbs parsley leaves
olive oil
salt
10 cl water
1 tbs of preserved lemon peel, chopped*
lemon juice
crushed red pepper flakes
6-8 slices of sourdough bread

Put the water in a pot. Add the peas, 1 tbs of olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt. Simmer 5 m for fresh peas, 2 m for frozen.
Drain and save the cooking liquid.
Place the peas in a food processor and process until smooth.
Scrape that puree into a bowl.
Add a tbs of chopped preserved lemon peel (you can use some of the flesh as well), a squeeze of lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and more olive oil. Mix it.
Add some of the cooking liquid to lighten it up.
Grill thick slices of sourdough bread in a very hot cast iron skillet on high heat. Use no or very little oil. Press the bread down in the skillet. Flip once.
Rub the bread with garlic and brush it with olive oil.
Top with the spring pea puree and sprinkle everything with more pepper flakes.

*You can make the same without preserved lemons and serve it on regular toast.

Pomodori fritti (fried tomatoes)

For ➍
4 large, slightly underripe (or green) tomatoes
cornmeal
olive oil

Cut the tomatoes in thick slices.*
Roll in the cornmeal.
Have a finger of oul in a pean. Heat.
Fry the tomatoes until crisp and golden.
Drain on a paper towel.
Serve hot with sliced mozzarella and basil leaves.
Or serve as a side dish for grilled fish or meat.
Or serve on a baguette, covered with some mayonnaise and pesto.

*When you got enough time, let the sliced tomatoes rest for 30 m. Dry them with a paper towel. Roll them in flour, then in breadcrumbs. Grease the pan with a paper towel paper with some oil and bake the slices for a slightly lighter dish.
Or cut the tomatoes in half. Let the slices rest upside down for 2 h. Remove the wet inside. Dry the inside. Make a mix of bread crumbs, pepper, chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and oil. Put some capers in the tomato halves. Fill the cavities of the tomatoes with the mixture of breadcrumbs. Fry the tomatoes.

Fennel soup

For ➏
2 ts fennel seeds
1 star anise or aniseed
50 g butter
1 kg fennel, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 small potato, finely sliced
2 tbs Pernod*
75 cl warm chicken stock**
10 cl double cream
salt & cayenne pepper

Place the fennel seeds and star anise in a muslin bag and tie it up to make a bouquet garni. Set a large pan over a medium heat, melt the butter and cook the sliced fennel, onion and potato with the bouquet garni, stirring constantly, for about 10 m, until slightly softened.
(Add the Pernod and bring to the boil for a couple of m to reduce it.)*  Add the warm stock to the vegetables, then simmer for 10 m. Remove the bouquet garni. Pass the soup through a blender or in a food processor. Return the soup to the pan, add the cream and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.***
Serve with toast.

*Optional.
**This will result in a rather thick creamy soup. Add more for a more liquid soup. To make a velouté, e.g. to serve with lamb cuts, reduce quantity of liquids.
***Sprinkle some North Sea shrimps on the soup when served.

Shiitakes with lime & soy sauce

For ➍
100 g shiitakes, shredded or sliced
1 lime (juice & scrubbed peel, shredded)
2 cl soy sauce
10 g sesame seeds
4 toasts

Sauté the shiitakes in a little bit of butter for 4-5 m.*
When ready, add the lime juice and the shredded peel. Add soy sauce and sesame seeds.
Serve with fresh toast.

*Or you can brush them with olive oil and grill them for 5-10 m.

Shakshuka with kale & goat cheese

For ➍
6 cl olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 heaping cup chopped kale*
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 ts ground cumin
1 ts chipotle powder (or dried red pepper)
900 g can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
sea salt to taste
4 eggs
50 g goat cheese, crumbled
1 tbs parsley, chopped
1 tbs basil, chopped

Heat oil in a 20 cm cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chopped onions, kale and garlic and stir until soft. Add cumin, chipotle powder and stir for another m. Add tomatoes and their liquid to the skillet. Reduce heat, simmer for 15 m. Add a little water, if necessary: the mixture should have a sauce-like consistency.
When the tomato mixture has thickened slightly, stir in a dash of salt.
[Move to small individual skillets].
Make a little hole in the sauce with a wooden spoon and crack egg into the cleavage, repeating three more times with the remaining eggs across the surface of the sauce**. Cover the skillet(s) and cook for 4–5 ms, depending on how runny you like your yolks.*** Remove from heat and finish with goat cheese and herbs.
Serve with buttered toast.

*use broccoli or cavalo nero instead. 
**or mix the eggs through the mixture instead of poaching the eggs.
***or cook the eggs longer on very low fire for 10-12 m. When in doubt about the freshness, or to avoid salmonella risk, cook on low fire for 20 m.

Shakshouka means 'mixture' in Arabic slang. [3] It is likely that it was first known as chakchouka, a Berber word meaning a vegetable ragout. It is a staple of Egyptian, Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian and Moroccan cuisines traditionally served up in a cast iron pan with bread to mop up the sauce. It is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Tunisian Jews.
Tunisian cooks added artichoke hearts, potatoes and broad beans to the dish. According to some food historians, the dish was invented in the Ottoman Empire, spreading throughout the Middle East and Spain, where it is often served with spicy sausage. Another belief is that it hails from Yemen, where it is served with zhug, a hot green paste. Some versions include salty cheeses.
It is similar to the Turkish dish menemen, and the Mexican breakfast dish huevos rancheros. In Turkish cuisine, there is also şakşuka, which is more like a ratatouille. Shakshouka is also similar to Spanish pisto manchego, a traditional La Mancha dish from southeast Spain, usually also accompanied by a fried egg.
This fusion version is built around healthy kale (or borecole, derived from the Dutch 'boerenkool'), of the same cabbage range as broccoli.

Ajuinsoep (Flemish onion soup)

For ➍
400 g onions, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
200 g potatoes, sliced
80 g butter
1 l beef or vegetable stock
salt & pepper
a small glass of jenever (gin)*
(80 g Gruyère cheese**)

Melt the butter. Add onions and fry until golden. Add potatoes and stock. Simmer for 20 m.*** Add jenever, pepper and salt to taste.

Serve with toast.

*Optional.
**Optionally, preheat oven to 200° C. Put the soup in small serving cups, sprinkle with cheese and put in the over for 1 m. Or put cheese on toasts and brown in the oven.
***For a smoother soup, remove most of the onions and shallots, mix the soup and return the oignons.

Goat cheese, green beans & walnuts

For ➋
150 g fresh goat cheese roll
150 g fine green beans
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs walnut halves, toasted
marinade:
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs walnut oil
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, squashed flat
1 ts fresh thyme leaves
1 ts coriander seeds, cracked
1 ts fennel seeds

Cut the goats' cheese into thick slices.
For the marinade, combine all the marinade ingredients (olive oil, walnut oil, shallots, garlic, thyme leaves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds) together in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the goats' cheese slices, cover, and leave for a few hours or overnight, turning once.
The next day, drain the goats' cheese and reserve the marinade, discarding the garlic.
Top the beans. Cook in simmering salted water for 5 m. Drain.
Toss the beans in 1 tbs of the reserved marinade and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the beans on two dinner plates.
Preheat the grill to medium. Transfer the goats' cheese to a sheet of foil and place under the grill for 2 m, or until just melted. Divide between the 2 plates, add 2 tbs of the marinade. Decorate with the toasted walnuts.
Serve with fresh toast.

Prawns & fennel

For ➍
800 g medium prawns, peeled & deveined, shells reserved*
30 cl dry white wine
20 cl cup water
1 ts salt
½ medium red onion, coarsely chopped
½ fennel stalk, coarsely chopped
8 large green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbsp minced fennel fronds

Put the prawn shells*, wine, water, and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil.
Simmer 2 m until the shells turn pink. Remove and discard the shells.
Add the onion, chopped fennel, olives, and oil to the pot and return to a boil.
Simmer 5 m until the onion is soft, then stir in the prawns and simmer 2 m until they begin to turn pink.
Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the fennel fronds.
Serve with crisp toasted bread.

*When using cleaned shrimps, use fish fumet cubes instead.
**Halve the quantities for a starter.

Southern buttermilk chicken

For ➍
8 chicken legs fillets*
30 cl buttermilk**
3 + 2 tbs vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
1 tbs crushed peppercorns
1 tbs sea salt
1 ts ground cumin
1 tbs maple syrup***

Put the meat in a container or a sealable bag. Mix buttermilk, 3 tbs of oil, garlic cloves, peppercorns, salt, cumin and maple syrup****. Add to the chicken, cover or close and put in the refrigerator for 1 night.(Out of the fridge: 2 h)
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a tin with foil. Shake the excess marinade of the meat and arrange in the tin or put on a rack in the tin****. Drizzle over 2 tbs of oil. (Roll chicken in flour or breadcrumbs if wanted. Be sure the coating is dry enough, let it rest a few m).
Put in the oven for 30 m.
Serve with a green salad and hot toasted bread.

*Use drumsticks instead.
**Use yogurt (or mix 1 tbs lemon juice through milk).
***Use ½ tbs of honey.
****Put a handful of tarragon sprigs on the rack. You might add them to to the chicken before putting it in the marinade.

This is a simple version of a classic US Southern dish. Add chopped pecans for a more authentic version.

Espinacas con garbanzos (spinach & chickpeas)

For ➍
230 g dried chickpeas, cooked until soft (or 2 cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed)
6 tbs olive oil
450 g spinach, washed
2.5 cm slice from a country loaf or about 2 slices (75 g) from sandwich loaf bread, crusts removed & cut in small cubes*
6 cl tomato sauce*
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ ts ground cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes
1½ tbs red wine vinegar
½ ts smoked paprika
salt & freshly ground black pepper
lemon juice, to taste

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add ½ the olive oil. When it is hot, add the spinach with a pinch of salt (in batches, if necessary) and stir well. Remove when the leaves are just tender, drain in a colander and set aside.

Heat 2 more tbs olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bread for about 5 m or until golden brown all over, then the remaining tbs of oil and the garlic, cumin and pepper. Cook for 1 m more or until the garlic is nutty brown.

Transfer to a food processor, blender or mortar and pestle along with the vinegar, and mash to a paste.

Return the mixture to the pan and add the drained chickpeas and tomato sauce. Stir until the chickpeas have absorbed the flavors and are hot. Season with salt and pepper.

If the consistency is a little thick, add some water. Add the spinach and cook until it is hot.

Check for seasoning and serve with paprika on top as an appetizer, or on fried bread toasts. Or as a side dish with roast lamb.

*Optional

Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Toast with scrambled eggs, North Sea shrimps & goat's cheese

For ➍
4 thick slices of bread
6 eggs
0.5 dl cream
½ bunch of chives, chopped
25 g butter
200 g peeled North Sea shrimps
100 g fresh goat cheese
black pepper & sea salt

Toast the bread slices.

Beat the eggs, the cheese and the cream. Mix in the chives and season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture and cook stirring constantly until the eggs form a smooth paste.

Remove the pan from the heat immediately and stir in the shrimps.

Spread on toast, garnish with goat cheese and serve immediately.