Sun Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese and Olive Oil Loaf

Savory loafs are really one of the easiest recipes in my cooking repertoire. It's literally ready in minutes, and it's a wonderfully versatile recipe that you can adapt to leftovers in your pantry. You can substitute the cheeses to suit your preference, add scallions, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, olives, any herbs of your choosing... It's really adaptable to any season and any taste. I like to serve it in small slices to complement a cheese platter, for any aperitif snack food or serve it warm with a nice crisp salad. It also makes for a wonderful afternoon snack if you don't want to indulge in something too sweet.

Savory loves are quite common in France, and are misleadingly called 'cake'! I grew up eating many different variations of the recipe I bring you today and I still enjoy them just as much today.

Sun Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese and Olive Oil Loaf

3 eggs
1/4 cup of white wine
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of grated Gruyere, tightly packed
70 grams of crumbled soft goat cheese
8 large sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and coarsely chopped
2 tsp of fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 3 eggs, wine, olive oil and cream. Once homogeneous, add the flour and baking powder and whisk. Fold in the Gruyere and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Take out the loaf batter and fold in the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a greased standard loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the loaf starts to brown too much, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake. Let cool for a few minutes and unmold. Enjoy!

Pita Sandwiches with Flank Steak, Tomato and Avocado and Lemony Yogurt Sauce

When the weather warms up, I'm usually in the mood for lighter lunches, bursting with color and flavor that I can make pretty quickly. This was the perfect, perfect summer lunch. It allowed us to inaugurate our BBQ for the season - having been gone for a while, we hadn't used it this month yet - and to make the most of the fresh produce we got at the farmer's market. Flank steak is always a great option for a cheap and satisfying meal in my book, and for a light lunch you really don't need much. It's perfect to grill on a BBQ, is ready in minutes and is perfectly juicy. Paired with a lemony cucumber yogurt sauce and a medley of colorful tomatoes with some plump avocado, we were set for our perfect summer lunch. What great summer lunches have you been making so far this year?

Pita Sandwiches with Flank Steak, Tomato and Avocado and Lemony Yogurt Sauce
Serves 2

One 300g piece of flank steak
8 cherry tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 avocado, cut into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 circles of pita bread
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup of seeded cucumber, finely diced

In a small bowl, add the quartered tomatoes and avocado. Drizzle with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil and two teaspoons of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Leave to marinate in the fridge while you prepare the rest.

Set your BBQ (or indoor griddle) to medium high heat. Generously season the flank steak with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the steak is just medium rare.

While the meat is resting, make the yogurt sauce. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and add the diced cucumber. Thinly slice the meat against the grain.

To make the sandwiches, lay out a piece of pita bread, add a few slices of beef, a couple spoonful of the tomato and avocado salad and yogurt sauce. Wrap the pitas. Enjoy!

Mini Salmon Burgers with Herbed Mayonnaise, Capers and Red Onions

The funny thing about working in the food media industry is that you often find yourself working on summer recipe ideas in the middle of winter. Similar to department stores that start thinking about Christmas ideas in the heat of the summer months, I've been writing summer recipes while the snow still keeps on falling. Thanks to indoor grills, I've been able to fairly easily recreate a summer outdoorsy feel in the middle of my kitchen - which overlooks perfectly white-covered roofs and tired, overweight trees. It almost makes me want to trade my warm sweaters for light summer dresses and flip flops..

I have a thing for salmon burgers - they're light and flavorful, easy to make and are a nice change from your traditional ground beef burgers. They can work wonders to brighten up a cold winter day (they sure did for me) but more traditionally make for great finger food in the summer, by a pool, with a cocktail. And there is just something about mini food items isn't there?

Mini Salmon Burgers with Herbed Mayonnaise, Capers and Red Onions
(makes 10 mini burgers)
10 ounces of wild salmon, cut in bite-size cubes
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of drained capers
1/2 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon of grainy mustard
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 brioche loaf, sliced and cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 handful of baby spinach
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of mayonnaise (recipe for homemade mayonnaise found here)
A handful of dill, parsley and chives, thinly minced

In a food processor, add the salmon, parsley, capers, lemon zest and grainy mustard. Lightly blitz until the mixture holds together but is still chunky. Add the egg and blitz again. Place the mixture in a bowl and fold in the breadcrumbs. Generously season with salt and pepper.

Shape the mixture into 10 round burgers using the palm of your hands. Grill on an indoor or outdoor grill. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. While the salmon is cooking, lightly grill the brioche buns.

Add the chopped herbs (parsley, dill and chives) to the mayonnaise. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. To serve, place a dollop of herbed mayonnaise on a brioche bun, add a couple leaves of baby spinach, a salmon burger, a couple slices of red onions and close with another brioche bun. Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

I've always loved entertaining, but especially love easy entertaining. I've learned from trial and error to always make something fresh and simple, and something you've made before! These bacon-wrapped scallops make for great finger food. you can make them ahead of time and reheat them at the last minute and switch the ingredients around. You can use pancetta in place of the bacon and dates or figues instead of the scallops. Any crispy and salty cured meat will pair wonderfully with, in this case tender scallops, or fruity and soft fruit.

The only thing about this recipe is that because it is simple, the ingredients have to be really good .. so try to get the bacon from a good deli, and the scallops as fresh as can be.

Recipe: (for 12 scallops)
12 scallops
12 thin slices of bacon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
12 wooden toothpicks, soaked in water for 20 minutes

Set your oven on broil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Tightly wrap them with a piece of bacon and seal by inserting a toothpick to hold the bacon together. Place on a bacon sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 6-10 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops. Remove when cooked through. If the toothpicks burn a little while in the oven, gently remove them once out of the oven, and replace with new ones.