A very belgian lunch

When I worked at Burson-Marsteller (I was a digital strategist) one of my biggest and favourite clients was the Rezidor Hotel Group. Not only do they have gorgeous hotels around the world, stellar customer service and some of the most amazing people I have ever met. They also know a lot about great food.

A couple of years ago I spent the day with them and we cooked up a very typical belgian feest - fromage blanc and radishes 'tartines', stuffed tomatoes with grey shrimps, smoked salmon on potato waffles and duck and pear salad. The best part about these recipes is that they are all super easy, affordable and stress-free.

The four recipes are awfully simple and easy to make. Next time you have people round for lunch or dinner why not try some of these crowd pleasers out. 

1. Potato waffles with smoked salmon
Check out my waffle recipe here and substitute the grated cheddar with some pieces of smoked salmon.

2. Stuffed baby tomatoes with grey shrimp
This recipe is super easy and a typical belgian appetizer. Simply, wash the tomatoes, slice the top off and remove the flesh inside then sprinkle with salt and put on skewers. In a bowl mix together the grey shrimp, mayonnaise, half a lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fill the tomatoes with the mixture and sprinkle with parsley.

3. Fromage blanc, radishes and spring onions on toast
Another super easy recipe and favourite in Belgium. Mix the 'fromage blanc' with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and chopped spring onions. Spread mixture on good bread or toast then add thin slices of washed radishes and/or cucumber.

4. Duck and pear salad
Season the duck breasts with sea salt. Coo breast on medium high heat until duck fat is rendered and sides are crispy then flip over and cook the other side. Cook until medium rare which will take approximately 10-12 minutes. Leave to rest before slicing. In the meantime, put the rocket in a bowl and add the pear slices (you can fry these too if you wanted to) and nuts. Dress the salad with olive oil, salt and pepper. Finally cut the duck breast and add the slices on top.

Follow me on Bloglovin’, Twitter and Instagram 

Mexican scrambled eggs

This is a recipe I stole from Nigella one day when I was starring at an almost empty fridge and starving yet too lazy to go shopping. This is a nice base for any type of Mexican scrambled eggs - it is great with diced chicken or chorizo.

YOU WILL NEED (TO MAKE ENOUGH FOR 2):

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 soft corn tortillas
- 1 tomato chopped or a handful of baby tomatoes
- 2 spring onion chopped
- 1 red chilli (deseeded and chopped)
- 6 large eggs (beaten
- salt and pepper

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Roll up the corn tortillas and then snip them into strips with a pair of scissors. 
2. Fry the tortilla strips for a few minutes until crisp and golden, and then remove to a bowl.
3. Add the chopped tomato, spring onion and chopped red chilli to the hot oily pan, turning everything about for a minute or so with a wooden spoon.
4. Beat the eggs and add some pepper.
4. Put the corn tortilla strips back in the pan, and add the beaten eggs and salt. Using the same spoon, move everything about the pan continuously (just like when scrambling eggs).
5. Remove the pan form the heat when the eggs are setting and continue stirring the eggs until they are done to your liking.

I served it with fresh ciabatta bread and a tomato, onion and cucumber salad.

Follow me on Bloglovin’, Twitter and Instagram 
* All pictures were taken with the Olympus Pen E-PL7

Turkey banh mi

YOU WILL NEED (TO MAKE ENOUGH FOR TWO):

- Leftover turkey (breast and skin)
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Olive oil
- Mayonnaise
- Lime
- Parsley
- Garlic
- One carrot
- 1/3 cucumber
- White cabbage
- Red chilli
- Fresh coriander
- 2 medium baguettes

Christmas has come and gone and you now have enough leftovers to feed a mini army. Please don't through it away - there is so many great things you can do with them.

I wanted to make a 'light' and fresh sandwich for boxing day - and so I opted for the Turkey banh mi. Jamie Oliver has a great recipe for a leftover turkey sandwich with coleslaw, sweet chilli sauce and spicy mayo. There is a good little step-by-step video too that is very useful when you are cooking a new recipe the day after Christmas day. I changed the recipe a little and maybe a bit simpler by ignoring some of the ingredients that I didn't have in my kitchen. 

1. Heat the oven at needed temperature to cook the baguettes
2. Heat the pan with some olive oil and heat up the leftover turkey
3. Add the chilli sauce and cook for an additional minute
4. To make the spicy mayo - I simply add one clove of garlic, parsley, coriander and lime.
5. For the coleslaw - I simply grated some cabbage, carrots and cucumber
6. Once the baguettes are done cut them open and let to cool for a couple of minutes, spread a bit of mayo, add the turkey, then the coleslaw, some more spicy mayo and then add some coriander and red chilli.

Follow me on Bloglovin’, Twitter and Instagram 

Flammekueche

YOU WILL NEED (TO MAKE ENOUGH FOR TWO):

- Puff pastry
- One onion
- One packet of diced pancetta
- Mushrooms (optional)
- Emmental cheese (optional)
- Fromage blanc or créme fraîche
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg

Flammekueche, otherwise known in France as tarte flambée is a quick and easy dish to make. Actually depending on the region it can have a variety of names, including Flammekueche, Flàmmeküeche, Flammekuechle in Alsatian and Flammkuchen in German which literally translates to a "flame cake" or in french a tarte flambée which translates to "pie baked in the flames" which can be very misleading.

This has to be one of my all-time favourite dishes for many reasons. First of all, it is an Alsatian speciality which is a typical dish from the region where I was born - Strasbourg. Secondly, it just bring backs loads of memories going back there and always having as many tarte flambées as I could possibly eat. Thirdly, it is such a simple yet delicate and delicious dish, as well as having as many varieties possible - including sweet versions.

The dish is composed of bread dough that is very thinly rolled out. Unlike pizzas a Flammekueche is rectangle. The dough is covered with fromage blanc (or crème fraîche), thinly slices onions and little bacon or pancetta pieces.

1. Preheat the over at 200C and roll out the pastry onto a baking sheet
2. In a pan cook the bacon pieces (don't let them get too crispy as they will continue to cook in the oven), remove and drain.
3. Remove nearly all of the bacon fat from the pan but leave about 1 tbsp then sauté the onion pieces until they starts to brown (they will continue to cook in the over as well) and set aside.
4. Finally put your mushrooms in a pan with some butter and cook until golden and set aside.
5. In a bowl mix together the sour cream and the fromage frais, then stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
6. Spread the dough with a thin layer of the sour cream/fromage frais mix leaving 1cm from the edge with not mixture - this will allow for the dough to rise and create an edge. Then sprinkle the bacon and onions (and any other ingredient) on top.
7. Place your tarte flambée into the oven - mid-level for 15 minutes until the edges are puffed up and golden.

Follow me on Bloglovin’, Twitter and Instagram