Françoise La Prune

Food can be like magic!

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Wild Garlic & Butter Bean Soup with Roasted Buckwheat

'Wild Garlic & Butter Bean Soup with Roasted Buckwheat' Discover soup perfection with the leaf of the season!

Wild garlic has become all the rage recently and, along with forced rhubarb and asparagus, it has come to symbolise the arrival of spring. It has even become a staple at selected shops – although who doesn’t like to go for a bit of foraging for themselves?  I loved going with my mum to pick wild garlic as a child – we had an abundance in the woody bit of our garden so we didn’t have to walk far.…

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Roasted Beetroot with Greek Yoghurt & Wasabi Peanuts

‘Roasted Beetroot with Greek Yoghurt & Wasabi Peanuts’ This stunning and simple salad is wonderfully delicious and will give your gut some love! ;-)

The ‘Roasted Beetroot with Greek Yoghurt & Wasabi Peanuts’ is such a simple dish to make and, although it only uses a limited amount of ingredients, it is quite a looker – thanks to its striking combination of strong colours. Added to that…it is simply delicious!!! Finally, eating beetroot has a lot of benefits for your gut health – read more below! Keeping All this in mind, there is a high…

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Rose Buttermilk Panna Cotta & Drunken Rhubarb

Rose Buttermilk Panna Cotta & Drunken Rhubarb - a Romantic Dream of a Dessert!

Overall, Panna Cotta must be one of the best desserts to experiment with! It is a very easy dish to prepare (although it doesn’t look it) and you can make it ahead of time, which is fantastic when you have guests to deal with. It also has a great shelf life – some sources mentioned 10 days, although that sounds a bit optimistic! 😉 It is just so versatile! Once you have found a good base recipe,…

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Blood Orange & Rosemary Negroni

Blood Orange & Rosemary Negroni This version of a Negroni takes advantage of Blood Orange season. It is milder than the original but no less characterful.

Okay, so I’m milking Blood Orange season in every possible way and, of course, I can’t get passed doing a cocktail! Negroni is one of my preferred pre-dinner cocktails (although a good Champagne is hard to beat!!!). Negroni is typically a cocktail that you drink slowly as it is so terribly strong. It makes you happy after just a few sips and, as Orson Welles used to say: “The bitters are…

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Nopi's Burrata with Blood Orange, Coriander Seeds & Lavender Oil

'Nopi's Burrata with Blood Orange, Coriander Seeds & Lavender Oil' A feast for the eye and an incredible flavour combination make this dish an absolute dinner party favourite!

This is my go to dish whenever we’re in Blood Orange season. Not only is it beautiful to look at but the flavour combination is just incredible. Also, it is a simple to make (which is rather unusual for Ottolenghi) and you can prepare it ahead of time. No wonder I love serving it at dinner parties either on individual plates or on one big serving dish. Both have a wow factor and will leave your…

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Roasted Red Pepper Risotto with Burrata & Pesto

Roasted Red Pepper Risotto with Burrata & Pesto

Welcome Spring with this beautiful Risotto. It is comforting, satisfying and bursting with flavour. It has the perfect level of creaminess and feels even more indulgent thanks to the burrata. The pesto adds that extra bit of flavour and the rocket some freshness. To sum up, this could become one of your staple dishes as it will leave you wanting more – I’m drooling just looking at the…

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Grapefruit Rosemary Margarita

'Grapefruit Rosemary Margarita' This is a Dream of a Cocktail which is beautiful to behold and heavenly on your palate. It will overwhelm your senses! Just on time for National Margarita Day this Monday!!!

This is a Dream of a Cocktail which is beautiful to behold and heavenly on your palate. It will overwhelm your senses! Grapefruit, Rosemary, Cointreau and Tequila fuse gloriously in a harmonious drink that is both subtle and powerful. Its appearance has all the richness of a Renaissance Masterpiece. And all this in time for National Margarita Day on the 22nd of February! 😉 Continue reading

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Green Smoothie Pancakes

It's National Pancake Day! Why not celebrate with these 'Green Smoothie Pancakes'!!! They are seriously morish! #nationalpancakeday #pancakes #brunch

February 16th is National Pancake Day, a fun day to celebrate. These ‘Green Smoothie Pancakes’ will surely add a dash of colour to your breakfast / brunch and the spinach will make you feel as though you are doing something healthy. They are seriously morish! Healthier Swaps Pancakes are not necessarily the healthiest breakfast choice as they often include processed flour and refined sugars.…

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Garlicky Squash, Kale & Blue Cheese Quiche

Garlicky Squash, Kale & Blue Cheese Quiche

Who doesn’t love a good quiche? It is the ultimate comfort food; you can eat it anytime; hot or cold; it is totally versatile…the perfect allrounder! Some of you might be in awe of preparing a Quiche…trust me so was I! But Quiches are actually a super simple dish to make. Get a puff pastry, make a custard with some eggs and milk and chuck in any vegetables, fish, meat etc that you fancy. Sounds…

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10 Min Carrot Mug Cake & Cream Cheese Topping

10 Min Carrot Mug Cake & Cream Cheese Topping

It’s the 3rd of February which means it’s ‘Carrot Cake Day’ and we should definitely celebrate it! But rather than going for “the Full Monty” Celebration Carrot Cake with an incredible cream cheese frosting that will take you at least an hour, why not make a plain and simple Carrot Mug Cake that takes you precisely 10 minutes and totally does the trick? Too good to be true? Nope! Continue reading

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Garden of Eden Mocktail / Cocktail

'Garden of Eden Mocktail / Cocktail' Lime, apple, cucumber and elderflower come together to create a harmonious, refreshing floral bouquet which will transport you straight to the Garden of Eden.

The ‘Garden of Eden Mocktail’ could make the final days of Dry January truly glorious. You really won’t feel like you are missing out on the real thing. It is as creamy and flavoursome as any alcoholic cocktail. Also…it can be enjoyed by the whole family. Date Night Lime, apple, cucumber and elderflower come together to create a harmonious, refreshing floral bouquet which will transport you…

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Rustic Mushroom Pâté

This 'Rustic Mushroom Pâté will enchant you with its rich flavour and its decadent texture.

“A great pâté is always decadent and delicious.” Dean & Deluca. Pâtés are the ultimate versatile food that can add a dash of excitement to any meal. Served with some freshly baked bread and a salad, it will provide a comforting lunch at short notice – this pâté tastes great the next day! It is a perfect match for a picnic and can be served as a canapé with some bubbly. Pâté is the reliable…

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Super Seed & Fig Shards

Super Seed & Fig Shards They have all the “naughtiness” without the unhealthiness!

Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? If yes, there is a good chance that “health” is high on the list, be it in the form of: exercise, losing weight and/or improving your diet. This usually lasts precisely three week… maybe these will help! 😉 Any health kick will include both  mental and physical lows during which it is just too tempting to grab a consolation chocolate or some sugar laden…

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Lemongrass Ginger Mockito

Lemongrass Ginger Mockito - will give you the feeling of the real thing without the hangover or the restless sleep.

This year’s ‘Dry January’ could be one of the easier ones to follow as everything is shut and we can’t meet anyone. On the other hand, it is very tempting to have a glass or three in the evening to unwind, as we again have to juggle with being stuck inside, kids being homeschooled, housework, cooking…the list is endless.  Continue reading

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Pitta Crisps

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Pitta Crisps

Veganuary being the hype of the moment, a tasty hummus hits the spot perfectly. Hummus is probably THE food staple of vegans and vegetarians, being rich in plant-based proteins, vitamins, minerals and being readily available.  The beauty of hummus is that there are an endless variety of beans you can use (chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils…), flavours you can add (pesto, beetroot, caramelised…

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Passion Fruit Chilli Margarita

Passion Fruit Chilli Margarita

Contrary to what you might imagine, Passion Fruit doesn’t allude to the heat of the act of love – even if the chilli in this cocktail may help in this regard – rather, it refers to a deeper act of devotion. When catholic missionaries first came across this strange fruit in 16th century Brazil, they felt that its flowers resembled the five wounds inflicted during the Crucifixion central to the…

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Salmon Pâté

Dishes you can prepare in advance are literally life savers during the holiday season or if hosting a dinner party – unfortunately rather the exception at the moment. The beauty of this ‘Salmon Paté’ is that it works on any occasion: serve it as a canapé on blinis or crackers, a starter or for lunch accompanied by a green salad and some crusty bread. And…it only takes about 5-10 min so what’s not…

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