When I feel “barbouillé” or “pas dans mon assiette”, like when I feel a cold or flu coming on, I take a large bowl of this soup, go to bed, sweat it out and I usually feel a lot better the next day. Since I always have these ingredients at hand, this soup is very easy to put together in a few minutes.
2 cups filtered or spring water 4 cups of mixed field greens, or any greens you happen to have 8 broccoli or cauliflower florets 1 carrot, sliced 2 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon fresh ginger 1 Tablespoon fish oil 1 Tablespoon miso paste 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon turmeric spice
Bring water to boil. Meanwhile, put all the ingredients listed in your blender’s jar. Be creative and add any fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. What you put in is probably what you need.
If you want it to be thicker, you can add 1 cup of cooked rice, a small cooked sweet potato, or even a raw egg for additional protein. Pour hot water over the ingredients and start blending slowly, then at high speed until finely pureed. Enjoy hot and go to bed to detox your body with a good sweating.
Chef’s tip: This is a hot but raw soup. The water is boiled but the vegetables are not cooked which makes it a raw soup. All the vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll are fully active and ready to help you feel better. Enjoy!
Traditionally, this soup was served as a mid-morning meal at bistros near Les Halles (the wholesale food market) in Paris. In some establishments, they left some of the meat used for the broth in the soup for additional flavor. This is my version with red onions and red wine. It’s a good soup to build your blood and keep you warm in the winter.
1 quart beef broth 2 teaspoons sea salt 2 laurel leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme 6 black peppercorns 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons butter 2 pounds red onions, sliced 1/2-inch thick 4 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup dry red wine
4 slices of baguette, sliced 1-inch thick 2 garlic cloves 2 cups grated Gruyère or Emmental cheese
Bring beef broth, sea salt, peppercorns and herbs to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook onions in oil and butter with the sea salt in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until tender, about 15 minutes. Add wine to onions and boil until reduced to half its volume, about 1 minute. Strain broth through a sieve into onion mixture and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes to allow all the flavors to blend. Adjust seasoning if needed. Preheat broiler.
While the broiler is heating, toast 4 baguette slices in your toaster. Grate fresh garlic cloves over the toasted bread. Ladle hot soup into 4 ceramic bowls set on a sheet pan. Place toasted baguette slices on top of the soup and sprinkle each with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil about 4 inches from heat until the cheese gratinée turns golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Chef’s tip: The trick here is to cook the onions and garlic until they are slightly caramelized. That is what gives this soup its flavor. The salt added to the cooking onion help bring out their sweetness and accelerate the caramelization process. The red wine adds another layer of flavor.
If you prefer a sweeter taste, feel free to substitute sweet Vidalia onions for red onions.
Some chefs like to add the bread slices without toasting them. I not only prefer mine toasted; I like to scrub fresh garlic over it to add a hint of Provencal flavor. I also like the still crunchy mouth feel of the toasted bread while eating my soup. Enjoy!
This wonderful dish is the essence of Provence. The best time to prepare it is in the Summer when the tomatoes are full of flavor. If you want to prepare it at other times, I recommend using Muir Glen organic crushed tomatoes with basil. I know, it’s a sacrilege, but it helps you savor this dish in all seasons. You can savor ratatatouille as a main dish, soup, side dish, or as a great pizza topping. Here’s the version Helene taught me. Enjoy!
1/2 cup vegetable broth 3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium white onion, peeled and cut in half moons 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 small green bell pepper, cut in thin slices 1 small red bell pepper, cut in thin slices 3 small eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces 3 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces 3 large perfectly ripe tomatoes, or 1-28 ounces Muir Glen Organics crushed tomatoes with basil 3 ounces tomato paste (skip if you use ripe fresh tomatoes) 1/2 cup red wine (the secret ingredient) 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped fine 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped fine 1 Tablespoon Herbes de Provence blend 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Peel and chop onions and garlic. Toss together in a bowl and let sit for 5 min. Cut green and red bell peppers, take the seeds out, cut in four sections and slice thin. In a large skillet or pot, heat the vegetable broth and olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onions, garlic and bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes (or canned tomatoes); mix well and cook for 10 more minutes until they start to soften.
In a separate bowl, mix the tomato paste and red wine together. Stir in the parsley, basil, Provence herbs and spices. Add this flavorful mix to the vegetables and stir well. Lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook, covered, one more hour until all the vegetables are melted, like a stew or thick soup. Serve in white porcelain bowls to show off the ratatouille’s bright colors (remember, we eat as much with our eyes as with our mouth) and sprinkle with a few fresh parsley leaves.
Chef’s tips: This dish can be a satisfying dish by itself, eaten warm or at room temperature. The flavors seem to bloom better at these temperatures than when hot. It also is a wonderful side dish with a sautéed filet of white fish. Another trick I learned from Helene is to prepare or buy a par-baked pizza crust and top it off with ratatouille mixed with one beaten egg and bake. The ratatouille tends to be runny so the egg holds it together. Sprinkle your favorite grated cheese on top: Romano, parmesan, or Swiss. Enjoy!
Here’s another classic from my hometown, Nice. Also called “la salade du soleil” (salad of the sun) in our region. It is loaded with fresh produce brought from the daily neighborhood open market or picked fresh from the garden. This salad will evolve with the seasons. It will be slightly different in Spring than in Summer. I will give you a modern version. Have fun and be proud of your own version. Needless to say, this is a whole meal enjoyed with family and friends.
1 head of fresh lettuce or your favorite garden salad 8 heirloom tomatoes, firm and not too ripe 1/2 pound of new small potatoes or small red potatoes 4 ounces haricots verts or green beans (about 3/4 cup) 2 small artichokes, peeled and sliced or 1 can artichoke hearts (optional) 1 colorful pepper (green, red, yellow) 8 ounces canned tuna pieces in water 1 celery branch with leaves 2 green onions or 2 shallots
6 eggs, hard-boiled 2 ounces small black olives Niçoises (about 1/3 cup) 8 anchovies filets in olive oil, patted dry
8 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cut the salad leaves from the core, wash and drain properly. Wash the tomatoes; cut them in 8 parts, do not slice them (it looks prettier and you won’t have tomato seeds all over the salad). Sprinkle them with sea salt and let sit in your refrigerator. Hard-boil the eggs; cool and peel them and cut them in quarters. Cook the potatoes until tender but not too soft. Drain, cool and set aside. Cut in halves. Steam your haricots verts for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain, cool, set aside. Cut in 2 inch pieces. Peel and mince the green onions or shallots.
Place the anchovy fillets between two paper towels to pat them dry. Wash the pepper; cut the top off; take the seeds out and slice thin. Wash the celery and cut into small dice. If you wish to use fresh artichokes, pull the outer leaves out and with a small knife, cut out the outer part to expose the heart. Rub with a half fresh lemon all over to keep it from darkening. Slice thin and reserve. Or drain canned artichoke hearts.
Using a large deep platter or salad bowl, place the salad leaves at the bottom; add a layer of tomatoes, a few potato halves, a few cut haricots verts, a few slices of artichoke (optional), a couple of slices of colorful pepper, tuna pieces, a couple of pinches of diced celery and green onion slices. Repeat this operation until you run out of ingredients. Prepare your vinaigrette. Toss the composed salad gently. Decorate the top of your salad with hard-boiled egg quarters, small black olives and anchovy fillets. Bon Appétit!
Chef’s tip: If you want to prepare a luxury version of this salad, you can replace the canned tuna with fresh grilled tuna. Other options are fresh shelled green peas or beans, add a few leaves of parsley or basil; add finely minced garlic. You can use any salad greens you like or even mixed field greens (my favorite). Have fun and be creative. Just don’t go too far out there or you will not be able to call it “Salade Niçoise” any more.
I love the subtle blend of bitter greens with the sweetness of the oranges and the saltiness of the olives. The sherry vinegar add a sweet and sour note to the flavor symphony.
3 Blood or Valencia oranges 2 heads of radicchio salad (about 4 cups) 1 bunch fresh arugula 1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced thin 1/2 cup pitted black olives Niçoise 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
2 Tablespoon sherry vinegar Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Cut off both ends of each orange. On a cutting board, stand your orange on one end and peel the skin and white pith with a small paring knife cutting from top to bottom. Over a small bowl to catch the juice, cut each orange segment between the membranes to remove the segments. Let drop into the bowl.
Squeeze the remains of the orange into the same bowl. Drain the segments and reserve the juice. Wash and drain your salad greens. Orange-sherry vinaigrette In another small ceramic, glass, or stainless steel bowl, whisk together the sherry vinegar, 2 Tablespoon of the reserved orange juice, salt and pepper and finally the olive oil.
To serve the salad, place your radicchio and arugula salad leaves artistically on each plate. Top with the orange segments, sliced red onion and black olives. Drizzle with the orange-sherry vinaigrette and finish with slices of goat cheese.
This refreshing fruit salad is loaded with goodness: fiber, vitamin C and B. Add to that the exotic ginger flavor and your taste buds will want more!
1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 Tablespoon local honey or raw agave nectar 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cubed (or buy it precut) 1 small cantaloupe, peeled and cubed 11 cups fresh strawberries 1 cup fresh blueberries
Prepare the sauce first to allow your ingredients to macerate: mix the orange juice, honey and chopped ginger. Set aside. Slice off the top and bottom of your pineapple. Peel the outside skin with a serrated knife. Cut in quarters. Remove the core, and slice remaining pineapple in half-inch slices. Place in large mixing bowl. Cut your melon in half. Scoop out the seeds. Cut in eight sections.
With a small knife, slice along the bottom of the melon, between the skin and the meat. Cut into half-inch chunks. Add to the mixing bowl. Rinse your strawberries in cold water and pat dry. Cut the green part off, and quarter. Add to bowl. Add the blueberries. Toss all the fruits together. Add the sauce and mix gently. Keep in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
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Photo credit: French onion soup, ©iStock.com/robynmac; Nicoise salad ingredients,©iStock.com/Floortje
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