Broccoli Puree (Mashed Broccoli)

Mashed potatoes are my guilty pleasure. I've flavored them in the past with garlic, pesto, plaintains, olives and purple sweet potatoes, just to name a few. This time, I used broccoli. It complements the flavor and gives a beautiful color to the purée.

My favorite way to make this dish is to simply mash them using a potato masher, then add milk, cream and lots of butter. It might not be the healthiest approach, but it's certainly the most delicious for creamy mashed potatoes! 

Chinese Cabbage Salad Recipe

This salad course is simple and very easy. I shredded a head of Chinese cabbage and mixed it with pickled onions, Vietnamese mint and pickled garlic. The mint enhances the flavor of the cabbage and gives it a fresh taste.

The best part is that this type of gơi (Vietnamese pickled salad) can be done very quickly and it's very low in calories. I'm attending a yoga class today, and this salad will keep me in a Zen state of mind long after the class is over.

Plantain Stuffing Recipe

We had a little bread left-over from the Superbowl party, and instead of wasting it, I turned the stale bread into a delicious side dish. I added plantains, water chestnuts and green beans, then finished the dish with crumbled goat cheese. I paired the plantain stuffing with veal scallopini.

Crosnes Sauteed in Butter

Crosnes, also known as Chinese artichoke, chorogi, knotroot or stachys affinis, are French rustic root vegetables. The little worm-looking tubers were brought to France from Japan around the 19^th century and were renamed after an area near Paris (in the Essone region), called Crosne.

The vegetables are considered gourmet and are served at upscale restaurants. They cost 35 Euros  ($46) a kilo. My husband Lulu saw them at an open air market and was intrigued by their shape; he'd never tasted them before. The preparation was quite simple. I boiled them, then sautéed them in butter and squeezed on a little lemon juice. Crosnes can also be eaten thin-sliced raw or pickled in salad. They're very healthy; they're rich in protein and betaine (improves digestion and helps fighting stress). In Asia, they're called chorogi, which means "longevity" because of their nutritional value. So if you come across these "forgotten" vegetables at a farmers' market in your area, give them a try!

Olive Mashed Potatoes

I came up with the idea of making olive-flavored mashed potatoes (purée de pomme de terre aux olives) while strolling through Parisian open-air markets. Most of them carry the most delicious varieties of olives that are not overly salty. After tasting many varieties, I bought delicious bright green olives that are large, meaty and slightly sweet with a nutty taste to the palate.

Parisian kitchens in general are tiny and contain the bare minimum when it comes to cooking. I mashed the potatoes using the back of a fork, pitted and coarsely chopped the olives and finally mixed them into the purée, adding a little crème fleurette (cream). My husband Lulu loved it and was totally impressed that I was able to pull it off in our tiny kitchen!

Besides visiting museums and monuments in Paris with Lulu, I have to admit that perusing the Parisian open-air markets was my favorite activity! Tasting and seeing the wonderful colors and produce gave me so many ideas and inspirations for new flavor pairings. I’ll be sharing them soon.