All tagged French food

Spinach, tapenade and feta baked filo triangles

Spinach, tapenade and feta baked filo triangles

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

I used to make those as a kid with my Jewish grandma in the South of France. Now I have passed this on to my 15yr old. If you have made my tapenade before and enjoyed it, this simple delicious recipe makes great use of it. It is so so quick to make. It’s a perfect starter or ideal with summer drinks or for a picnic. Spinach, black olives and feta are a classic greek combo I adore. You could swap the tapenade for a pesto and generally be creative with flavours. Great finger food for the little ones too!

Quick and easy French asparagus soup

Quick and easy French asparagus soup

Val Simpson
Recipes, Soups and salads

When you love asparagus, the season is not really long enough, so I really try and come up with new recipes to include them at least a couple of times a week. This new recipe could very quickly become a seasonal staple for my family. It is quick to prepare, nutritionally balanced, can be adapted, can be eaten hot or cold, makes a perfect picnic or lunchbox item and when cut into squares it's a great finger food for the younger ones. What are you waiting for? 

Simple and delicious oat cakes

Simple and delicious oat cakes

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

Good old fashioned oat cakes are so so delicious and versatile. They are also super easy to make, as a batch and keep. With the main ingredient being pinhead oats (or steel cut oats) they make the perfect high fibre savoury snack teamed up with our smoked mackerel pâté or French sardine pâté. Another French way to enjoy those is with a little butter, some sliced radishes and a little salt. I like to vary the herbs or spices I mix in them; I have tried and tested rosemary, oregano, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, cumin and paprika. If you want to have them with cheese, I recommend to stick to herbs.

Easy Chickpea flatbread - Socca

Easy Chickpea flatbread - Socca

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

This is hand on heart the easiest flatbread you can make and it’s naturally gluten-free! Socca is a traditional French dish from Nice where I partly grew up. It was probably my favourite street food. Cooked on very hot grills, they were usually served in a cone of brown paper with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt and pepper, maybe thyme or rosemary. It it was one of those South of France classic for which everyone has their own technique for cooking, but the ingredients however are pretty much always the same: equal parts chickpea flour and water, add olive oil, that’s it. That simple!

Easy French moules marinieres

Easy French moules marinieres

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

Mussels are usually something I don’t prepare at home. I tend to have them as a foodie treat when I go back home to France. But as I write, we are in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restaurant trade has collapsed. So local fishmongers normally selling to pubs and restaurant are selling direct and have an amazing selection of seafood, including mussels. Please don’t be scared by them as they are the easiest to prepare. I hope you have a go!

Simple braised French Puy lentils

Simple braised French Puy lentils

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

In an effort to simplify good home cooked family food without compromising on taste or essential nutrients, having a few recipes for versatile delicious sides is key. This is a dish I used to make with my grand mother as a child in France. She used to serve it with Toulouse sausages, or roast chicken. Should you have leftovers( I doubt it unless you save yourself a portion) I have found that cold the next day it makes a delicious salad, topped with crumbled feta.

provencal stuffed courgettes

provencal stuffed courgettes

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

If you visit Provence in the summer "Petits farcis" are everywhere. My grandma used to make a large saucepan of the sauce and add to a wide variety of mediterranean vegetables including: courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines, artichokes, red and green peppers and onions! How lucky was I growing up always eating such a delicious rainbow? This simple one pot recipe is my take on it. Merci Mamie.

French black olive summer tapenade

French black olive summer tapenade

Val Simpson
Dips and sauces, Recipes

As days get longer and the summer approaches, not fast enough may I add, we start longing for relaxed alfresco eating ideas. What better than to look at classic Mediterranean dips and starters? One of my favourites from childhood summers spent on the French Riviera is Tapenade. It's so easy to make...