Host A French Style Festive Feast

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Welcome back lovely readers!  You have probably had one of the most amazing times of your life, feasting and celebrating with loved ones.  I love Christmas so much because I get to walk down the beautifully lit Champs Elysees and of course spend time with some of my favourite people.

Speaking of favourite people, I had so much fun baking with my two favourite girls over the Christmas holidays.  To ensure that there was something to delight the girls for dessert, my Christmas helpers Margot who is six and Pauline who is now three, helped me measure, mix and then finally bake these gorgeous chocolate cup cakes.

Cupcakes are incredibly popular and a fantastic treat food that also follow the rules of portion control.  You definitely cannot go wrong with these mini cup cakes.  They are a delight to make with the little ones too.  Just make sure that they keep their sticky fingers away from the bowl so that at least most of it does end up baked!

Part of hosting lovely Christmas lunches and dinners (like they do on the 24th of December in France) is the excitement in setting up the table.  I love the use of candles to create soft lighting but also these beautiful crystal glasses and ornaments to set the scene in such an elegant manner.

A glass of champagne (or two) is my favourite aperitif.  Served with appetizers such as these 'surprise' bites or amuse-bouche was a winning combination.  Each little pastry had either goats cheese, salmon, pesto, spinach or sundried tomato based fillings in them.  Truly delicious.

Seafood was featured on the 24th dinner but also for Christmas lunch.  These crevettes were incredibly delicious.  If you love seafood then your taste buds would have sung in joy over this gorgeous seafood bake made with prawns, scallops, mussels and white fish in a creamy béchamel sauce.  I simply must have this recipe!

What a surprise that lamb was chosen for both meals but duck has been a popular choice in previous years.  The first dish was a beautiful roast prepared using home grown rosemary.  Beautiful!  The second lamb meal that we ate for Christmas lunch was prepared with a pork, mushroom and fig stuffing.  It tasted incredible and was perfectly accompanied with rich and luxurious dauphinoise potatoes, quickly followed with a green salad for healthy measure.

I am horrified that we could eat more but of course we did.  A French meal is never complete without a cheese platter and plenty of wine.  The key to enjoying these calorie rich and yet gorgeously tasty meals is to stick to small portion sizes and resist extra helpings!

Dessert was ice cream laced in a vanilla and caramel flavour or wicked chocolate.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was the modern version of bûche de Noël.  

The homemade option was Cannelés de Bordeaux.  It is a little pastry like cake with a caramelised shell and a soft center.  It is prepared using flour, milk, butter and eggs and flavoured with rum and vanilla.

I must confess that I did have seconds and so am already looking forward to the weekly running club to work off any Christmas wobbles!  I had so much fun and am truly lucky to have experienced delicious and lovely French meals with some of my favourite people.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a lovely New Year!  Where did you spend Christmas lovely readers?

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How To Exercise A Little Portion Control - St Jacques With Coriander & Peanut Pesto

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Seafood, pesto, portion control.  For this week's Weekend Dinner Party themed post, I've chosen a gorgeous French number that has drawn flavours from the Asian world.  The coriander, lime and peanut based pesto sauce is phenomenal, zesty and absolutely delish.

Scallops are one of my favourite things in the world but it's always a good idea to check with your guests to make sure that they like seafood!  I've also chosen this recipe as it illustrates the essential steps every good host should bear in mind for the weight-conscious diner; portion control.

If you dread hosting dinner parties because you are worried about over-eating, let me assure you that its impossible to do so with this fabulous recipe.  Firstly, it is a tiny bit labour intensive but don't let that put you off.  It's so tasty that you will savour every mouthful when you finally do sit down to enjoy it.  Eating slowly allows you to recognise early when you are full.

I realise that everyone wants to please their guests with plenty to eat, but the health conscious diner may resent you afterwards for the extra indulgent mouthfuls eaten.

Life's just too short for regrets.  Show no signs of slowing down, there's no reason why you cannot attend or host dinner parties if you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight.  Simply exercise a little portion control, choose ingredients that boast flavour but without the weight of added calories.

And of course, this recipe is milk, egg, wheat, gluten and soy free.  It does however, contain peanuts, therefore is not nut free.  

Expecting a vegetarian diner?  No problem, simply substitute the scallops for tofu.  It will work 
beautifully with the pesto sauce.



Saint-Jacques With Coriander & Peanut Pesto Sauce


INGREDIENTS

500ml vegetable stock
2 tablespoons mirin*
1 tablespoon lemon grass
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 rounded teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon fish sauce (check thickeners to ensure gluten / wheat free)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped finely
4 red onions, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped finely
1 teaspoon ground white pepper

140g risotto rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon gluten and wheat free flour
16 large scallops
1 lime, sliced


For the pesto
2 tablespoons, dry roasted and unsalted peanuts
50g coriander leaves, chopped using scissors
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger
Pinch of white pepper
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Serves 4


Purple Tip - The rice requires 3 hours of cool time in the fridge.  If you are expecting guests in the evening, I would prepare the rice earlier in the day.


DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, add the vegetable stock, *mirin (this is a type of Japanese rice wine which I did not have, so I used wine and added a little sugar), lemon grass, kiffir leaves, ground coriander, fish sauce and allow to boil for a few minutes, then simmer.
2.  In a casserole dish, add olive oil, shallot, onions, garlic, ginger and white pepper.  Temper for a few minutes and enjoy the aromas released.
3. Add the rice and coat each grain in the oil.
4. Remove lemon grass from the stock then pour this into the rice in 100ml aliquots and only when the rice has absorbed the liquid.  Add up to an extra 200ml of water if necessary.
5. The rice is done when all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Now allow to cool then keep in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
6. To prepare the pesto, first add the peanuts into a grinder.  Grind till you have a paste but with 'bits' in it.
7. In a blender, add the peanuts, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger and white pepper.  Blend for a couple of minutes or until you have a green paste.  Now add the freshly squeezed lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and vegetable oil.  Mix well then set aside.
8. To make the risotto galettes, shape into 4 balls then press gentle with your hands to flatten.  Cover with cling film and return them to cool in the fridge for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a saucepan.  When the galettes are ready, dust with a little bit of flour then fry evenly on both sides for 2 minutes each side.  Repeat this step a few times so that the galettes are crispy on the outside.
10. Place the galettes on paper towel to remove excess oil.
11. Now temper the scallops or tofu in a saucepan with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  You will need to cook evenly on both sides.
12. Serve immediately with the galette, scallops, a generous serve of the pesto and lime slices on the side.  

Purple Tip - Don't forget a little salad or portion of vegetables on the side

Now remember, the 3 steps to a successful dieter's dinner party are:

• Go for pre-portioned meals to reduce the temptation for seconds.
• Choose tasty dishes that promote use of herbs or spices with focus on quality rather than quantity.
• Engage your guests in conversation to allow your guests to eat slowly and savour every mouthful.

Have a great week lovely readers!  What are your tips for successful dining when also trying to shed pounds?

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How To Host A Crêpe Party: Entertaining For The Busy Woman

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The only recipe you'll need for a French themed party.  Crêpes are thin pancakes prepared with flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt.  They are incredibly easy to prepare and popular throughout France.  Your guests will be stunned by the air of calmness as they step into your home.  They will long for the female personality, who with at the same time as looking elegant, can also whip up a tasty and chic dinner in less than 30 minutes.
 

CLASSIC WITH A TWIST

Recipe (after a purple makeover)
2 eggs
275ml semi-skimmed milk
130g self-raising flour
pinch of salt

This recipe makes 6 very large thin crêpes .

Directions
Beat the eggs and milk together.  Add the flour in 3 parts, with a pinch of salt and mix well.  The batter is now ready.  Next, pour a large spoonful of this batter over a very hot non-stick pan.  If needed, add a very thin scraping of butter to your pan before adding the batter.  Turn the pan so that you have the batter spreading over your pan in a lovely round shape.  Flip the pancake over once it is golden brown and add your favourite toppings.  

Smoked Salmon & Spinach
Try smoked salmon, a teaspoon of reduced fat creme fraiche and a generous helping of fresh baby spinach.  Yummy!


Smoked Ham, Mushroom & Tomato
Add a slice of ham, mushroom and tomato slices, fold the crêpe and serve immediately.

LOVE YOUR DESSERT?

The Purple girl does too and there was no escaping it being surrounded by three French people in the house.  The dessert is leaning towards a 'heavy' perspective, so thank god it's Tuesday running club tomorrow!

Toppings: fresh strawberries, Nutella OR strawberries with cinnamon sugar.  Another alternative is a sprinkling of golden raisins.  The more adventurous also added creme fraiche, definitely not recommended!  

Tip: When making the batter for your sweet crêpe, add a teaspoon of granulated sugar if desired.  

Your crêpe party will be successful, but remember to slot in exercise the next day. 

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Poulet Vallée d'Auge (Chicken, Calvados & Apple)

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For this weekend's party themed post, I've gone with a French dish that is cooked in butter, cream and calvados.  Calvados is an apple brandy made in the Calvados region of Normandy.  Sometimes, cider is added to the recipe, but we opted to drink it with our Sunday dinner meal.  I've listed the ingredients as best I can, but there was a 'bit' of this and a 'bit' of that...  This is a gorgeous hearty meal for the winter months and was absolutely perfect on a rainy Sunday like today.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken legs, without skin
Olive oil
Butter
4 medium carrots, sliced into rings
1 large leek, sliced
3 large shallots
2 large handfuls button mushrooms, sliced
5 tablespoons calvados
4 apples, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon sugar
100ml reduced fat crème fraîche
1/2 chicken stock cube (optional)
1 tablespoon tapioca flour mixed in a tablespoon of water (optional)
Parsley, chopped as a garnish


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat about a tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a casserole dish, then add the chicken legs.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Cook until it is evenly browned on both sides.  Set aide.  
3. Add the carrots, leeks and shallots into the same dish that the chicken was cooked in.  Cook on high heat for around 3-5 minutes, then reduce the temperature and cook until the vegetables have softened.  Stir in the calvados.
6. Return the chicken pieces to the casserole dish, cover and cook for 45 minutes.
7. Whilst the chicken is cooking, heat a small saucepan with a bit of butter.  I used Clover's vegetable based 'butter' with buttermilk.  Add the mushroom and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until they appear done.  
8. In an alternative pan, add butter, the sliced apple wedges and a sprinkling of sugar.  Allow to caramelise.  Sautee this, as this will be served on the side.like the mushroons.
9. When the chicken is done, drain the stock that you have made into a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil, then add the crème fraîche.  If using, add the stock cube and tapioca mixture.  Allow to thicken.  You can also add a tablespoon of thyme.  
10. Serve the chicken and vegetables with the sauteed mushrooms and apples on the side with a generous serving of the delicious sauce.  Garnish with parsley.  This meal is delicious with boiled rice or potatoes.  You could also enjoy it on it's own like we did this evening.

Serves - 4 people

What do you think lovely readers?


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