List of recipes from category Starters: 118 recipes (lactose free)

Small foie gras pasties

Dainty pasties, filled with a morsel of seasoned foie gras.
September 7^th 2018312K4.6 2 hours

Little vegetable omelettes

As an appetiser or starter, little thick soft omelettes, with diced tomato, courgette and smoked ham.
June 11^th 2011296K4 1 hour 10 min.

Smoked salmon sacristains

Sacristain (sexton in English, a strange name though common in French cooking) is a small pastry twist, made with puff pastry. There are many recipes with different flavours, sweet or savoury. Here is one with smoked salmon, ideal as an aperitif.
February 21^th 2011225K 33.9 1 hour 30 min.

Dauphinoise potatoes with Serano ham

These tasty, bite-sized rosettes can be served as an aperitif snack or to accompany a meal.
January 23^th 2013101K4.6 40 min.

Ham spirals

These puff pastry spirals made with smoked ham are delicious and quick to make.
September 7^th 2018119K3.8 58 min.

Olive twists

These savoury puff-pastry twists (rather like smoked salmon sacristains) make an ideal aperitif snack. The pastry is simply spread with tapenade.
September 7^th 201862K3.7 1 hour 39 min.

Bread with Tomato

This tomato-flavoured bread, the famous "pan con tomate" of our Spanish friends, is ridiculously simple, but such a treat! It only takes a few minutes to prepare and makes a delicious aperitif snack.
November 8^th 201549K4 6 min.

Spicy hot toasted cashew nuts

Toasting cashews greatly improves both their flavour and texture over the plain raw nuts. This is also the ideal opportunity to spice them up a little, like in this very simple recipe.
September 20^th 202042K 29 min.

Seb's Italian-style aperitif slices

These Italian-inspired snacks are ideal for a light supper or with an aperitif: a thin slice of bread spread with pesto, sliced potatos, hard-boiled egg and a generous sliver of Parmesan. Pop them in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.
January 12^th 202220K 49 min.

Verrine of avocado mousse and crab

A layer of light avocado mousse on a bed of crab meat in a herb rémoulade dressing.
October 16^th 2011176K5 35 min.

Mimosa eggs

Mimosa eggs are hard boiled eggs where the yolks are removed, chopped and mixed with a herb mayonnaise, then this mix is used to refill the whites. It's a classic recipe of traditional French bistro cooking.
February 21^th 2011286K 25 46 min.

Eggs with mayonnaise

Simply known as "œufs-mayo" in French bistros, these hard-boiled eggs are garnished with mayonnaise and are best served with sharply flavoured crudités to balance their creaminess. For this recipe, I have chosen a salad of grated carrot with shallot.
October 5^th 201464K5 33 min.

Mexican ceviche

Ceviche is typical of South American cuisine, made with avocados, tomatoes and fish fillet cured in lime juice. This is a personal version of Mexican-style ceviche.
October 13^th 2010355K 15 3 hours 9 min.

Scandinavian cocktail

A very refreshing starter, containing prawns and smoked fish.
February 21^th 2011292K5 54 min.

Ham à la Russe

Ham "à la Russe" is a slice of cooked ham rolled up around a macédoine of vegetables in mayonnaise.
September 10^th 201499K4.3 8 min.

Avocado with Tuna

Here is a quick recipe for a simple starter: avocado, tuna, chopped herbs and mayonnaise.
April 29^th 201579K5 12 min.

Mixed salad stack

A stack ("pressé" in French) can be made of sliced vegetables or other ingredients piled up and pressed in a ring mould to keep them in shape. The ring is removed before serving. This stack consists of tomato, avocado, red onion, hard-boiled egg and anchovy fillets. Serve surrounded with with a...
November 25^th 201557K5 30 min.

Green hummus

You are probably already familiar with classic hummus. Here's a "green" version, still mainly chickpeas, but with added herbs and vegetables.
November 29^th 202028K 17 min.

Alsatian-style salad

This salad is based on a traditional Alsatian recipe: cabbage julienne, warm potatoes, bacon, parsley and vinaigrette.
January 3^rd 2014275K4.4 1 hour 11 min.

Celeriac Rémoulade

A classic recipe of traditional French bistro cooking (winter salad).
December 21^th 2020394K5 18 min.

Broad bean salad with Parmesan

A salad that combines crunchy almonds, tender broad beans, with the flavours of balsamic vinegar, parmesan and herbs.
February 21^th 2011267K3.8 25 min.

Mixed salad

Mixed salad is one of those simple but delicious summer recipes which go so well with a barbeque. It's a mix of several fresh vegetables, herbs and French dressing (vinaigrette).
February 21^th 2011284K4.6 1 hour

Piedmont salad

Piedmont salad is a mix of potaotes, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, gherkins and cervelas sausage dressed with mayonnaise.
September 29^th 2012268K 14.5 1 hour 19 min.

Warm lentil salad

Lentils boiled until just tender, then mixed with fried smoked bacon, onion, chives and dressed with a good vinaigrette.
September 5^th 2010177K4.6 53 min.

Cucumber and salmon salad

For this summer salad: slices of cucumber, morsels of smoked salmon, diced avocado and a little tuna, dressed in a herb mayonnaise.
August 15^th 2010170K4.6 28 min.

Crunchy salad

Crunchy vegetables, pine nuts and rice with a rémoulade dressing.
April 3^rd 2011146K 14.6 36 min.

Raw beetroot salad

This is a very simple salad. It contains raw beetroot (of course), but also walnuts, parmesan shavings and a vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar.
November 2^nd 2015148K4.1 31 min.

Poivrade artichoke Salad

"Poivrade" artichokes are the small purple ones, often eaten raw in salads. Choose the smallest ones, as they are the tenderest and have practically no fibrous "choke". For this recipe, they are combined as a salad with herbs, spring onion and Parmesan shavings in an olive oil and lemon dressing.
August 26^th 201594K5 23 min.

Warm chicken salad

This salad is a mixture of fresh, crunchy ingredients (spring onions, radishes and lettuce) with ribbons of pan-fried chicken, added while still warm.
June 24^th 2012118K4.2 29 min.

Prawn salad with a crunch

This salad combines contrasting crunchy ingredients (radish, cucumber, gherkins, onions) with the softer textures of cold rice and tomatoes. The oven-roasted prawns are addded hot. The salad is brought together with herbs and a vinaigrette dressing.
September 15^th 201397K3.5 1 hour 51 min.

Cervelas salad

This bistro-style salad combines potatoes and gherkins with, of course, the famous cervelas sausage.
December 5^th 201394K4.4 54 min.

Valay salad

This salad combines ratte potatoes, lettuce, radishes and chicken with a herb dressing.
August 9^th 201589K3.9 1 hour 3 min.

Salade Niçoise

Salade Niçoise is a typical Mediterranean dish that originated around the French city of Nice. As there is no real "official" recipe, everyone has their own personal version. This is mine.
June 7^th 201894K4.9 40 min.

Endive and walnut salad

This salad has a double dose of walnut flavour: walnut oil in the vinaigrette and crunchy walnut kernels.
May 11^th 201472K4.9 22 min.

Green Piedmont Salad

In this version of Piedmont salad, the usual tomato has been replaced by raw courgette.
July 16^th 201481K3.9 33 min.

Lebanese Tabbouleh

Lebanese tabbouleh is different from the classic version. It is made from bulgur wheat (burghul), rather than semolina and, most characteristically, includes a lot of parsley.
September 28^th 201476K3.9 48 min.

Red cabbage salad with chives

This simple winter salad recipe combines red cabbage with spring onions (or chives) in a good vinaigrette.
February 18^th 201563K5 20 min.

Warm scallop and cabbage salad

This salad combines the crunchiness of raw white cabbage, the softness of fried scallops and yielding cooked potatoes, bound in a good herb vinaigrette.
January 11^th 201557K5 26 min.

Chickpea salad

This quick salad includes chickpeas, of course, but with spring onions, radishes and chopped coriander, too.
May 28^th 201465K4.7 14 min.

Lentil and cold-meat salad

This salad combines lentils, chunks of cooked meat, sliced hard-boiled eggs, shallot and herbs, with a good vinaigrette dressing.
December 7^th 201467K3.8 43 min.

Warm broccoli and Tuna Salad

In this recipe, the broccoli is served only just cooked and still warm with tuna, chopped shallot and cherry tomatoes in a good vinaigrette dressing.
March 3^rd 201659K4 22 min.

Salad paysanne

This rustic traditional dish (literally "peasant salad") combines cold sliced potatoes and green beans (cooked separately) with chopped red onion and fried lardons. The salad is finished with a vinaigrette dressing and parsley, or your choice of herbs.
October 21^th 202036K1.5 17 min.

Beetroot and fried chicken salad

A raw beetroot salad, enriched with toasted almonds, diced fried chicken and potatoes. As beetroot tends to colour everything it touches, you can be sure that your diced chicken will be an unusual but attractive bright pink - children love this!
October 16^th 201646K4.2 39 min.

Mixed tomato salad

This end-of-summer recipe is very simple: just fresh tomatoes with chopped shallot and herbs in a vinaigrette, but we can play up the variety of flavours and colours to make it something with real eye appeal and, above all, delicious!
September 21^th 201644K4.3 20 min.

Crunchy spring salad

Fresh and crunchy, this colourful spring salad combines baby courgettes, radishes, cauliflower, beetroot and spring onions with chopped herbs in a good vinaigrette.
May 22^th 201650K4.6 27 min.

Crunchy Cauliflower Salad with Lemon

Crunchy slices of cauliflower and radish in a delicately flavoured lemon mayonnaise.
March 11^th 201852K4.6 16 min.

French bean salad with vinaigrette

A very simple recipe for a salad of green (or yellow) French beans: The beans are boiled first, then thoroughly drained and served mixed with herbs, chopped shallot and a good vinaigrette (french dressing).
October 27^th 201659K4.6 9 min.

Chicken and Avocado Salad

A delicious salad of radishes, tomato, avocado and chicken.
October 14^th 201551K5 32 min.

Green avocado salad

This salad is all green and fresh, with diced avocado, lettuce, spring onion and the softness of pieces of hard-boiled egg. The flavour is brought out further with a lime and olive-oil dressing, pepped up with a touch of Tabasco.
July 8^th 201854K 27 min.

Beetroot salad with cashew nuts

This pink — almost hot pink — salad gets its colour from the raw beetroot, teamed here with toasted cashew nuts and fried croutons.
July 29^th 201840K5 32 min.

Lemony chicken and radish salad

This salad combines the crunch of finely sliced radishes with tender cubes of chicken. The tang which lifts the flavour comes from fresh herbs and the dressing of lemon mayonnaise.
September 24^th 201732K5 21 min.

Crunchy courgette and mushroom salad

This very simple salad contains a mix of crunchy raw ingredients, balanced by the softer texture of tuna, and dressed with mayonnaise.
May 10^th 202339K 41 min.

Baby spinach salad

It might not be obvious, but spinach can be eaten raw, as in this salad, where the leaves are shredded and mixed with croutons, lardons (bacon bits) and hard-boiled eggs.
June 12^th 201982K 42 min.

Mixed salad with curry mayo

A mixed salad (avocado, artichokes, mushrooms and tuna) in a classic mayonnaise, but pepped up with a good dose of curry.
May 10^th 202348K 30 min.

Red cabage salad with toasted almonds

This salad has a lovely crunch to it: not just the red cabbage, but also from thinly sliced radishes and toasted almonds.
May 26^th 201936K5 28 min.

Springtime mixed salad

This salad is a way to make the most of the first baby courgettes (if you can get them). The crunchy little darlings are mixed with shredded lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, tinned tuna and diced cheese.
June 5^th 201972K 25 min.

Rémoulette of celeriac

This is a variation on the popular French rémoulade (a celeriac salad, similar to coleslaw). Here, a julienne of celeriac is mixed with chopped shallot, fresh herbs and a lemony rémoulade dressing.
February 24^th 201939K 33 min.

Two-colour cauliflower salad

Towards the end of winter you can sometimes find purple cauliflower, as well as the usual white sort, or purple-headed broccoli (calabrese). Mix the varieties for a delicious, crunchy two-tone salad.
April 7^th 201940K 18 min.

Endive and cheese salad with croutons

This starts out as a classic salad of shredded endives, but is pepped up with sliced spring onions, fried croutons and chunks of cheese.
May 12^th 201941K 31 min.

Radish and mushroom salad

This quick salad balances the crunch of radishes with the yielding texture of mushrooms.
May 10^th 202336K 19 min.

Mexican salad

This Mexican-inspired salad combines red kidney beans with avocado, chopped onions and tomatoes. It is dressed with olive oil, lime and a touch of Tabasco heat.
October 9^th 201977K5 28 min.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern couscous salad., moistened with olive oil and lemon juice. Its flavour comes from plenty of fresh herbs (mint and parsley at the very least), onion and tomatoes. This refreshing dish is ideal for warm summer or autumn days.
July 6^th 202259K 3 hours 24 min.

Cucumber, avocado and mussel salad

A bold salad idea that brings together 3 ingredients which rarely end up on the same plate: cucumber, avocado and mussels, in a rémoulade dressing.
August 9^th 202030K 21 min.

Avocado, artichoke and chicken salad

This fairly simple recipe combines slices of avocado, spring onions, diced chicken and artichoke hearts in a good vinaigrette dressing.
September 6^th 202035K 23 min.

Simple mushroom salad with thyme and lemon, 3 ways

This aptly named salad is a breeze because you can enjoy it three different ways: raw, marinated or cooked, all prepared exactly the same way.
May 10^th 202342K 9 min.

Baby courgette salad

Early in the season, it is easy to find young courgettes that are still small and delightfully crunchy raw. They are ideal for this salad recipe, combined with radishes and tuna in a lemon mayonnaise.
July 31^th 201935K 21 min.

Breton coleslaw

Coleslaw with a French twist from Brittany, using finely sliced raw cauliflower instead of cabbage.
January 8^th 202034K 17 min.

Jerusalem artichoke salad

This very simple salad combines thick slices of tender Jerusalem artichokes with chopped hard-boiled eggs. The salad can be served warm, with the artichokes freshly cooked, or cold later.
January 11^th 202338K 11 min.

Rice and fresh spinach salad

Spinach is usually eaten cooked. Though seen less often, it can also be eaten raw, like in this salad where it is combined with rice, crunchy radishes and tinned tuna.
January 29^th 202034K 27 min.

Tahitian salad

This Tahitian-inspired salad combines fish cured in lemon juice with lettuce, tomatoes and raw mushrooms.
May 10^th 202328K 43 min.

Bistro-style red endive salad

Have you tried red Belgian endives? They are similar in size to the more common white sort, just as crunchy, but slightly less bitter. They are the main feature in this salad inspired by French bistro cuisine: combined with chopped hard-boiled eggs, fried ham and croutons, in a rémoulade dressing.
March 11^th 202038K 29 min.

Crunchy radish and carrot salad

Quick and straightforward, this fresh, crunchy salad is ideal for early spring.
June 17^th 202042K 16 min.

Cauliflower, chicken and avocado salad

In this really simple recipe, crunchy cauliflower is balanced with the soft texture of avocado and tender morsels of diced chicken. A delicious summer salad.
July 12^th 202035K 28 min.

Julia salad

This salad takes its inspiration from the famous Caesar salad, but is simpler. The combination of chicken with croutons is a delicious way to use up leftovers.
February 10^th 202126K3 32 min.

Cauliflower and egg salad

This very simple recipe combines crunchy raw cauliflower with hard-boiled eggs and herbs in a rémoulade dressing.
July 1^st 202045K 19 min.

Cauliflower, red bean and avocado salad

This combination of crunchy (raw cauliflower) and soft textures (red beans and avocado), in a rémoulade dressing with fresh herbs, makes a simple yet delicious salad.
April 21^th 202123K 19 min.

Polish-style beetroot salad

This salad combines raw beetroot with fried potato slices and morsels of smoked sausage.
February 24^th 202125K2 41 min.

Purple sprouting broccoli and endive salad

This crunchy salad combines endives with purple sprouting broccoli and radishes in a good herb vinaigrette.
May 5^th 202122K 31 min.

Cauliflower and chickpea salad

Chickpeas go well with cauliflower, so here is a salad that makes the most of this with sliced radishes for extra crunch.
February 14^th 202122K 19 min.

Beetroot and black radish salad

The slight bitterness of black radish goes well with the sweetness of beetroot in this very simple salad recipe.
December 8^th 202124K 27 min.

Brussels sprout salad

It might seem unlikely, but Brussels sprouts are very good raw, like in this salad, pepped up with lemon and Parmesan.
March 28^th 202123K 32 min.

Lemony cabbage and potato salad

This salad combines, on the one hand, finely shredded cabbage with herbs and, on the other, diced potatoes. The fresh, summery dressing is made with olive oil and lemon.
July 7^th 202127K5 28 min.

Rice and purple-sprouting broccoli salad

Like a classic rice salad, but with the crunch of purple-sprouting broccoli.
July 28^th 202120K 15 min.

Spring radish and avocado salad

This spring salad makes the most of the season's big radishes, balancing their crunch with the soft texture of avocado, in a rémoulade dressing.
June 16^th 202119K 29 min.

Cajun-style lentil salad

If you have leftover pulled pork, try this recipe to transform it into a delicious, Cajun-style, warm lentil salad.
December 22^th 202118K 36 min.

Salad lyonnaise

Salad lyonnaise conjures up the cuisine of the French city of Lyon and the region around: traditionally a salad of dandelion leaves with croutons, lardons and poached eggs. Here is a slightly simpler version with shredded lettuce instead of dandelions.
December 29^th 202120K 42 min.

Bistro-style cabbage salad

This salad, inspired by French bistro cuisine, combines cabbage with fried potatoes and lardons, and hard-boiled eggs in a vinaigrette dressing.
April 6^th 202217K 38 min.

Spring courgette and tuna salad

Crunchy baby courgettes, spring onion, fresh herbs and tuna in a rémoulade dressing combine to make a true spring salad.
June 5^th 202215K 17 min.

Panzanella

Panzanella is a recipe from the Tuscany region of Italy, originally a tomato and stale bread salad, but here's a fancier version.
October 16^th 202215K 28 min.

Zucchini and tomato remoulade

A quick summer salad with Provencal flavors: zucchini, tomatoes and shallots, bound with a remoulade and basil sauce.
September 11^th 202215K 35 min.

Cherry tomato and green bean salad

Here is a quick recipe for a very simple but delicious summer or late summer salad.
October 30^th 202213K 32 min.

Cherry tomato and two cabbage salad

Green and red cabbage with cherry tomatoes make up this quick fall salad.
November 20^th 202213K 22 min.

Celery and avocado salad

For this recipe, very simple, we mix celeriac and avocado and we bind them with a remoulade sauce. The association celery and avocado is not common, but you will see that it works very well.
March 26^th 202311K 18 min.

Creamy cauliflower and avocado salad

For this simple and delicious recipe of cauliflower and avocado salad, linked by a rémoulette dressing, you will surely notice the very creamy side of the whole, due to the association of avocado and sauce. This creaminess will become more pronounced if you stir the mixture. The name "Caulicado...
February 26^th 202310K 24 min.

Very green mixed salad

A delicious blend of crunchy and tender for this salad, featuring mushrooms, baked green beans and hard-boiled eggs.
July 2^nd 20239,140 24 min.

Rice and zucchini salad with paprika

For this very quick salad recipe, we tie together cooked rice and diced zucchini with a paprika mayonnaise.
October 22^th 20237,717 20 min.

Avocado and celery remoulade

Avocado, grated celery and remoulade sauce are combined in this delicious winter salad.
March 3^rd 20246,984 20 min.

Ardennes Salad

Ardennes salad is made with potatoes, bacon, onions and cooked green salad.
February 25^th 20247,122 1 hour 10 min.

Winter cauliflower tabbouleh

Here's a recipe for tabbouleh made with cauliflower, best served in winter, when it's in full season.
February 4^th 20247,837 25 min.

Sesame fried scampi

Scampi, coated with a sesame crust, fried quickly, and served with a herb salad.
November 11^th 2012292K5 33 min.

Avocado with Sautéed Prawns

Just a classic prawn cocktail with avocado? Oh, no! The prawns in this recipe are sautéed briefly to enhance the flavour, then mixed with a curry mayonnaise.
March 6^th 201660K4.3 30 min.

Chinese Soup

This delicious soup is a flavoursome mix of herbs, mushrooms, soya noodles and small diced vegetables briefly cooked in vegetable stock. It takes a while to make and there are lots of ingredients, but the result is worth it.
April 6^th 2017109K 24.5 1 hour 15 min.

Light Broccoli Soup

This soup is simple and light but tasty, made with a delicate vegetable stock and broccoli.
December 16^th 201561K4.6 29 min.

Leek and Jerusalem artichoke soup

Jerusalem artichoke and leek is a much rarer combination than the classic potato and leek, but it works rather well, as you will see in this recipe.
April 28^th 202125K 51 min.

Soup Cornouaillaise

This rustic soup comes from Cornouailles in Brittany – France's very own Cornwall. It is made with fried bacon and onions, and thickened with a little buckwheat flour, typical of the region.
May 9^th 202122K 42 min.

Tomato tart

This tart is very easy and quick to prepare.
January 13^th 2011273K4.8 1 hour 18 min.

Mexican tart

This unusual tart features two star ingredients of South American cuisine: red kidney beans and avocado. The shortcrust pastry case is filled with a red bean and onion purée, then topped with sliced avocado dressed with lime and garnished with fresh coriander.
December 30^th 201959K 1 hour 17 min.

Thin tomato jelly and avocado tart

For this sophisticated recipe, we'll be preparing a disc of tomato jelly to sit on a puff pastry base. This is topped with slices of avocado in a lime dressing.
September 30^th 202029K 5 hours 16 min.

Home-made terrine of foie gras

Preparing your own home-made foie gras from raw is immensively satisfying: good quality liver and a simply amazing flavour – much better than anything you can buy. This recipe is a bit tricky, but quite within everyone's grasp, as long as you follow the 3 most delicate stages carefully. These are,...
December 17^th 20235.2M 64.2 4 days 15 hours 50 min.

Foie gras cured in salt

This a quite different preparation from the terrine of foie gras, this time it does not go in the oven, the liver is salted for 48 hours and it "cooks" (or cures) in this way.
December 23^th 2017555K5 2 days 16 hours 28 min.

Terrine of foie gras

This simple way preparing a terrine of foie gras is ideal for beginners. In this recipe the liver is passed through a sieve or vegetable mill rather than kept in large pieces. The final appearance is smoother, less marbled, but just as delicious.
June 2^nd 2015245K 15 17 hours 8 min.

Hummus

Hummus (or houmous), is one of the famous and delicious Lebanese "mezzes".
May 30^th 2020328K4.7 16 min.

Four-tier glasses

This starter recipe, served in a glass, consists of four tiers of different vegetable preparations. Each can be made the day before, and it's only the assembly that is tricky.
June 2^nd 2015256K5 1 hour 36 min.

Guacamole

For this typically Mexican recipe there are two main methods: smooth mashed avocado (made with a blender), or simple mashed avocado (made with a fork) with small pieces. And you can add, or not, finely diced tomato. You will find the first version (smooth) below.
November 26^th 2011290K4.1 1 hour 21 min.

Leeks in vinaigrette

A classic dish of French family and bistro cooking. It's both simple and good. The secret lies in cooking the leeks until they are only just tender, so that they keep their lovely green colour. The special vinaigrette includes herbs and hard-boiled eggs.
September 29^th 2012174K4.3 45 min.

Cauliflower tabouleh

In this tabouleh recipe, the couscous or bulgur is replaced with grated cauliflower florets. This gives it a very fresh and amazing flavour.
April 22^th 2012120K4.1 1 hour 38 min.

Vegetable tartare

This amazing recipe from a great chef is surprisingly straightforward to make. You will need lots of different raw vegetables. These are diced really small, then bound with mayonnaise.
October 19^th 201471K4.4 49 min.

Tomatoes Macédoine

Tomatoes macédoine are stuffed salad tomatoes, filled with a macédoine of vegetables in mayonnaise.
September 17^th 201465K4 45 min.