Spring Recipes

I bid a final farewell to citrus season in the form of this simple Lemon Poppy Seed French Yogurt Loaf, drenched in a honey lemon syrup. It tastes deliciously moist, fluffy and zesty. And like any other French yogurt cake, it is a foolproof and ridiculously simple recipe to make.   If you’ve been following this blog for a bit, you know of my love for French yogurt cakes. Last winter, I had shared a recipe for a classic Orange Yogurt Cake (still to this day, one of the most …

Quintessentially French, Coq au Vin (literally “rooster in wine”) is a mastodon of our cooking repertoire. Made from a whole chicken cut in 8 pieces, with bacon, mushrooms and carrots, it is traditionally cooked using red wine resulting in a purple-ish sauce. But its “Blanc” version, using dry white wine, is lighter, with brighter flavors and is just a little bit more elegant, if you ask me. 

Chicken Marengo is a classic French dish named after the Battle of Marengo, a victory for Napoleon’s French troops in 1800. This saucy one-pot dish is a tasty combination of chicken thighs braised in a white wine, tomato and mushroom sauce – livened up with orange zest. This is a wholesome meal to serve for your family or dinner guests, and is guaranteed to please.

It’s berry season! And what could be a better pairing for berries than a hefty slice of pound cake with a generous dollop of whipped cream? But not just any pound cake, a Breton Pound Cake! In French, this Breton Pound cake is called a “quatre-quarts“, which translates to “four quarters”. It is very popular in Brittany, of course, but also widely known and enjoyed all throughout France. It consists – just like a classic pound cake – of four ingredients of equal weight: one quarter flour, one quarter butter, …

A French “Financier” is a notoriously delicate little almond cake (usually bite-size), made with ground almonds and flavored with “beurre-noisette” (brown butter). It has a rich, moist interior and a crisp egg-shell exterior. And if you’re a regular on this blog, you’re probably no stranger to my love for Financiers. I especially love to make them in the Spring time as they work so wonderfully nestled with fresh berries, such as blueberries, raspberries and of course, strawberries.

Who doesn’t love a perfectly roasted chicken, with juicy flavorful meat and crispy skin? One of the simplest and most delicious dinners, a roasted chicken sure is a crowd-pleaser. Now add slabs of tangy Dijon herb butter to the mix, and you’ll have yourself an unforgettable meal.

The traditional lamb is a must on every Easter table in France. And although it usually presents itself in the form of a glorious Gigot d’Agneau (roasted leg of lamb), you’ll find that variations are totally acceptable nowadays. So since I like to keep holidays stress-free (and sheet pan recipes seem to be all the rage this year), I decided that a one-pan-lamb-and-all-the-Easter-fixings would be my choice for this holiday. This One-Pan Garlic Lamb Chops with Potatoes and Carrots recipe is quick to assemble and -bonus! – a snap to …

A French “jardinière” is a colorful mixed vegetable side dish, usually served along with a big feast of meat –such as a Beef Sirloin Tip Roast. I love that there is no strict rules when composing a Jardinière: you can use vegetables according to what is in season – or in your garden (jardinière meaning a female gardener in French) By deduction, Spring is a wonderful season to compose a jardinière, and I love to play with seasonal vegetables such as spring peas, green beans, wax beans and carrots to create …