Imagine a buckwheat crêpe; The texture is “country” or if you want, a bit coarse, but the melting cheese is steaming the spinach and the “sweetness” of the roasted red peppers unite this trio with perfect harmony…

INGREDIENTS for 1 or 2

• Batter for crêpe
• 1 cup of buckwheat flour
• Enough milk or water to make a fluid and “pourable” paste
• 1 egg

TOPPING

• 1 cup of raw spinach
• 1 cup of cheddar or mozzarella (shredded)
• 3 tablespoon (45ml) of Le Grand’s Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
• 3 green onions (diced)

PREPARATION

• Whip the ingredients of the batter until smooth
• Heat up a little oil in a pan and sauté the green onions for a minute
• Pour the batter right over the green onions and spread evenly by rotating your pan from right to left ( Big effect! )
• Lower the heat and cook for a minute and add the cheese, spinach and pesto
• After a minute or 2 when the cheese has melted a bit and the spinach is wilted fold the crêpe and flip
• Remove from the pan and separate gently, flip  and let the crêpe sit in the pan for a minute to allow flavors to blend and serve!

The vote was unanimous! Tatiana, Casimir, Siméon and myself ranked this sauce amongst the very best sauces I made in the last little while. And believe me this jury votes everyday so they know an ordinary sauce from a winner!

MY BEST GRILLING TECHNIQUE FOR MEAT OR FISH

In a pan sprinkle dried rosemary generously and add a little less then a tablespoon of sea salt. Heat up to maximum.

When you start to smell the perfume of the rosemary’s add your meat or fish. Wait until it no longer sticks to turn.

If you feel that it gets too hot add a couple tablespoons of water.

Once turned the meat or fish is 80% cooked so be careful not to overcook…

INGREDIENTS for the sauce

• 150 ml (5 ounces) 35% cream
• 150 ml (5 ounces) 10% cream
• 75g (2.5 ounces)  Le Grand’s Sun dried tomato Pesto or Tapenade
• 30g ( 2tbsp) of Dijon’s mustard

PREPARATION

• While your meat/fish is cooking, mix the 35% cream and the Pesto and mustard in a bowl
• Set aside your meat/fish and while the pan is still hot add the 10% cream and stir
• Then add the 35% cream mixture and cook at low heat for 2 to 3 minutes
• Top the meat or fish and serve!

Do you get the blues when fall comes around, when the light changes and the north winds blows the last sunny days in the yonder. I do. This “not too spicy “omelette however, is a modest contribution to ease the transition between seasons. To boost the effect, serve with a glass (or two) of good cab.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs
• 100g (3,5 ounces) of mozzarella or cheddar cheese
• 75g (4 tablespoons) of Spicy or Mild Tapenade or Le Grand’s Sundried Tomatoes
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1/3 of zucchini, shredded

PREPARATION

• Sauté the onion and zucchini in a little oil (a minute or 2 @ high heat)
• During that time whisk the eggs and Tapenade and pour over your “sauté”
• As soon as it gets a little firm, add the cheese
• Fold the omelette when the cheese starts to melt
• Flip and serve!

A little recipe for a rainy night… Might come in handy!

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 or 6

• 1 1/2 lb (680g) of frozen shrimps peelled and deveined
• 2 cups of green beans, cut in 2 or 3
• 12 onces (350ml) of pasta of your choice (uncooked)
• 1 cup (250ml) of sour cream or yogurt
• 5 tablespoons (75ml) of  Le Grand’s Spicy Tapenade, or Mild or Sundried Tomaoes Pesto
• 1 bunch of coriander, chiseled
• 4 green onions cut in 3
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

PREPARATION

• Cook the pasta
• In a big pan, “sauté” the garlic in oil (High heat)
• Ad the frozen shrimps and cook them until they turn to pink (turn down the heat)
• Ad the green beans and cook until they turn dark green (not grey…) 1 or 2 minutes, then ad the Tapenade and the sour cream
• Toss a little then ad green onions and the coriander, let them warm up and serve!

Our kids are picky eaters… Except, when it comes to junk-food, they love it all!  This recipe  almost generated the same enthousiasm amongst them, if I may brag. And remember it’s easy and quick, but it does taste like slow lovin food…

INGREDIENTS for 4

• 1/2 a spanish onion,minced
• 3 peppers, red, orange, and yellow ( or the most colorful ones… )
• 5 or 6 merguez sausages
• 4 tablespoons (60ml) of Spicy or Mild Tapenade
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander, minced

PREPARATION

• Heat up some oil in a pan and “sauté” the onion at medium heat
• Add a little water if it gets too dry
• Add the Merguez sausages and cook for about 10 minutes
• Remove the saussages from the pan cut them in 1 inch size and put them back in the pan (you cant do that when they are not cooked because Merguez are not firm enough)
• Mix a the Tapenade with a cup of water cup and add to the mixture
• Cook for 5 minutes
• Add the coriander, mix and serve!

A tasty Pizza for all occasions!

INGREDIENTS for 1 small pizza

• 1 pizza crust
• Le Grand’s Sundried Tomato Pesto or Tapenade (enough to cover)
• A few thin slices of red or orange pepper
• A few slices of red onion
• 5 to 6 slices of Brie
• Chopped chive or green onion to sprinkle

PREPARATION

• Spread Le Grand’s Sundried Tomato Pesto or Tapenade on the pizza crust
• Add the peppers, onion, Brie, and chives
• Cook untill the crust has hardened and the cheese has melted

• 1 pork filet, about 8 onces (400g)
• 1 apple, minced
• 1 or 2 cups of prunes, cut in half and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes (at least double the volume of the prunes, you will need it to “steam” this recipe)
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 8 onces (200ml) of 35% cream
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) of Dijon’s mustard
• 3 tablespoons (45ml) of Le Grand’s Spicy Tapenade or Mild Tapenade or Sundried Tomato Pesto

PREPARATION

• Soak the prunes for about 15 minutes in hot water
• Cook the pork to about 80% in the oven or BBQ
• In the meanwhile sauté the apples in oil and butter for 5 minutes at high then lower the heat a bit
• Add the garlic and brown lightly
• Add half of the prune juice
• Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes
• Once the pork filet is cooked cut in very thin slices
• Add the pork, mustard, Tapenade and stir gently
• Add the rest of the prune water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 5 minutes

I used to be intimidated by mussels because I did not have a good and easy recipe to test. Intimidated no more!
This recipe is very flexible , you can play with it, make it your own. As long as the garlic, the Tapenade and mussels are in the casserole, you can’t go wrong!

INGREDIENTS serves 4

• 2 lbs (1k) of mussels (washed)
• 10 onces (300g) of fresh or frozen shrimps
• 10 onces (300g) of fresh or frozen scallops
• 2 cups of green beans, cut in bite size
• 3 cups of cooked fusili pastas
• 1 cup (250ml) of white wine
• 5 tablespoons (75ml) of Le grand’s Spicy Tapenade or Mild Tapenade or even Sun dried Tomato Pesto
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed

PREPARATION

• Sauté the garlic in oil for a minute and add the Tapenade
• Cook for 2 minutes and add the scallops, the shrimps and the white wine
• Cook for 5 minutes at low heat (or more if frozen) and add the mussels and add water to cover
• Cook for about 5 minutes then add the cooked pasta and the greenbeans which should take another 5 minutes to cook.
• Remove from heat and serve!

Turkey leftovers are delicious any old way, but in this Pizza with our sundried tomato pesto it becomes a must for the holiday season!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pizza crust
• 5 oz (140g) of Le Grand's Sundried tomato Pesto or Tapenade
• 7 oz (200g) of cooked turkey
• 1 large tomato, diced without the juice
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• Soft goat cheese to cover loosly
• 1 cup (250g )of  shredded swiss cheese to sprinkle
• 1 green onion, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400F
• Spread Pesto on pizza crust
• Add turkey, tomato, onion, both cheeses and green onion
• Bake for about 20 mins and broil just a little
• Let it cool a bit and serve!

Dont get fooled by the title… This recipe delivers a full load of tasebuds satisfaction. I know you cant realy say that in english, but I’m french voilà tout!

INGREDIENTS serves from 4 to 6

• 4 filets of tilapias ( big ones )
• 1 leak, washed and minced
• 1 cup (250ml) of dried cranberries
• 1 cup of shitaké mushrooms (soaked for 30 mns)
• 5 tbsp (75ml) of Le Grand’s Tapenade (mild or spicy )
• A hint of truffle oil  (optional but so good!)
• 2 cups of water (if you dont have water melt some snow…)

PREPARATION

• Sauté the leak at high for 5 mins
• Add all the ingredients, mix a bit, cover and cook at low heat for 45 mins.
• Enjoy doing nothing, it is so rare!