This is my favorite cherry clafoutis recipe — a delightful take from the classic version that I’ve adapted with my own twist. With cherry season in full swing, this simple yet irresistible dessert is the perfect way to enjoy summer’s sweet bounty!

Cherry clafoutis
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 100 g sugar
- 110 g flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 450 ml liquid cream (35%)
- 150 ml milk
- 1 cuillère a soupe liquid vanilla
- 600 g pitted cherries (griottes)
- Bit of sugar for the mold
- Bit of butter for the mold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven (210°С/ 410°F).
- Mix the eggs and the sugar

- Add milk and liquid cream. Mix.

- Add vanilla.

- Add flour and salt. Mix well one more time.

- Generously butter the baking dish(es) and sprinkle them with sugar.

- Spread the pitted cherries over the bottom of the molds.

- Pour in the clafoutis batter. The cherries should remain visible.

- Bake for 30-40 minutes. Baking time depends on the size of the molds.

- Serve warm or cold. In my opinion, it tastes better cold.

Ice Cream Cake Iceberg
I don’t mean to brag, but as far as homemade ice cream cake recipes go, this one is the winner. The red berry coulis topping is the perfect balance between sweet and sour. This No-Bake Ice Cream Cake Iceberg is the ideal dessert to serve at your next party on a hot summer day.

Ice Cream Cake Iceberg
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 100 g granulated sugar (50 + 50)
- 1-2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 300 ml sour cream
- 100 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%)
- 1 pinch salt
- 300 g red berries (blueberry, huckleberry, boysenberry, raspberry…) fresh or frozen
- Some Fresh berries for garnish
Instructions
- Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Whisk egg yolks with sugar (50 g).

- When the sugar is dissolved add vanilla extract and mix well.

- In a mixer bowl, whisk together very cold sour cream and heavy cream together until fluffy. Add sugar and continue whisking until firm (don’t over whip).

- Using a spatula, combine egg yolks with whipped cream together.

- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.

- With a spatula, carefully combine egg whites with whipped cream.

- You should get a nice fluffy cream.

- Spread the cream evenly into a silicone pan or salad bowl.

- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

- Rinse and drain fresh berries and puree until smooth. If you are using a frozen berries, place them in a leak-proof container and set the container in cold water for 10-15 minutes, then puree them.

- Pass the puree through a fine sieve to remove all tiny seeds. Coulis is ready.

- Remove it from the silicone pan and return it back to freezer until serving. (If you used a salad bowl, place it into hot water for a couple seconds). Prepare fresh berries for garnish.
- Right before serving, pour the coulis over the ice cream cake and garnish with fresh berries.

Ground Beef Hardshell Tacos
These are to die for tacos. I’ve made it so many times and each time, it turns out so great. It goes awesome with Virgin Mojito.

Ground beef hardshell tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 5 Tbsp cold water
- 1/2 cup cheese shredded
- 2 cups lettuce shredded
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 10 taco shells hard
Instructions
- Fully cook the ground beef. Drain extra grease. Add water and taco seasoning then cook for 3 more minutes.

- Dice tomatoes.

- Cut avocado into small cubes.

- Shred lettuce.

- Finely chop cilantro.

- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place empty taco shells on a cooking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

- Assemble each taco with meat mixture, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and lettuce. Top it with sour cream and salsa. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Serve immediately.

Puff Pastry Swirls With Smoked Salmon
What could be better with puff pastry than sour cream and smoked salmon? Kids and adults will really appreciate these savory small appetizers. The best part is, they are very simple to make. All it takes is spreading the filling onto the puff pastry, rolling it up, cutting it into rolls and bake.

Puff Pastry Swirls With Smoked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- A bit of dill fresh or dried
- ground black pepper to taste
- 200 g smoked salmon slices
Instructions
- Roll the puff pastry out with rolling pin into 1/2 inch thick square. Spread the sour cream on the top. Leave about 1cm around the edges. Sprinkle with tiny chopped dill.

- Arrange the smoked salmon evenly on top of the puff pastry sheet.

- Starting at one end, roll the pastry up as tightly as possible.

- Tightly cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. It will be much easier to cut cold roll.

- Preheat the oven to 380 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a very sharp knife, cut the roll into 1 cm slices.

- Remove the plastic wrap and transfer them to the baking sheet.

- Bake for about 15 -20 minutes until the “snails” are puffed and golden.

Hachis Parmentier
Hachis Parmentier is a delicious French casserole made with layers of mashed potatoes and ground beef.
The dish is named after Antoine Parmentier (1737-1813). He was a French pharmacist who made potatoes popular in Paris and northern France.

Hachis Parmentier
Ingrédients
- 1 kg large potatoes
- 100 g butter (50+30+20)
- 50 ml milk (heated)
- 1 large onion
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 500 g ground beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 30 g grated cheese
- Some seasonings or minced parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and chop them into cubes. Boil in salted water until easily pricked with fork, about 20 minutes. Then drain water.

- Add 50 g of butter and mash. Add warmed milk and mash together to smooth consistency. Taste the puree, add more salt if needed.

- Peel and chop the onion and garlic.

- Melt 30 g of butter in a large pan and saute onion and garlic until soft.

- Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.

- Take the pan off the fire and let cool down a little. Add a row egg.

- Process to finer texture by using a food processor, if desired.

- Preheat oven to 380F/190C. Grease baking dish.
- Add 1/2 of mashed potatoes in thin layer to the prepared dish. Then layer beef preparation on top of potatoes. You can also add your favorite seasonings at this point or some chopped parsley. (This time, I added paprika).

- Top with remaining potatoes. You can make some shapes on the top using the fork. Add remaining butter and dot on the potatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

- Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes until the top is golden.

Spring Egg Salad With Green Onion
Perfect simple and plain salad, of which I think every time I see bunch of green onion. You will only need 3 ingredients to make this salad. I normally use mayonnaise as a dressing, but you can use sour cream as well, or mix of sour cream with mayonnaise (50/50).

Spring Egg Salad With Green Onion
Ingredients
- 6 hard boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- 1/3 bunch green onion finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Stir eggs, mayonnaise and green onion in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with some paprika if desire.

Easy Walnut Cake
There are quite a few nut cake recipes; but this one, which my mother-in-law is preparing is a little different. With that easy walnut cake, you can really taste the taste of nuts thanks to the small pieces that crunch under your teeth!

Easy Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 220 g sugar
- 100 ml milk
- 90 ml olive oil
- 200 g sifted flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 300 g walnuts
- 40 g butter
- Some confectioner’s sugar
- Few walnuts halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease and flour a round cake pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Using a mixer, beat eggs with sugar.

- Add milk, olive oil, flour, and baking powder. Mix well.

- Place the walnuts in the zip-lock and cruch them using a pastry pin.

- Pour the batter in the cake pan (mould). Lay walnuts halves on top of the cake.

- Bake for 20 minutes. The cake should be well raised with a thin crust but not fully baked. Place the pieces of butter on top of the cake.

- Continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool before removing it from the mold.

- Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.

Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
This cabbage and carrot slaw is simple, healthy and nutritious. It is super easy to make and requires only a few ingredients. A perfect side dish to literally anything.

Cabbage and carrot slaw
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized cabbage head
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 carrots
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 4-5 Tbsp 5% white vinegar
- 4-5 Tbsp olive oil
- fresh herbs (dill, parsley, green onion)
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage in half and peel of a few of the thin outer layers. Cut each half into quarters, then cut out the tough core in the middle. Slice each quarter crosswise into thin shreds. Add salt and squeeze the shredded cabbage with your hands.

- Peel the carrots and shred them.

- Transfer the shredded carrots and cabbage into the mixing bowl. Add sugar, white vinegar and olive oil. Gently toss everything together. Taste and add some more salt if needed. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

French Buckwheat Crepes with smoked salmon
French Buckwheat Crepes with smoked salmon and sour cream are delicious. Must try!

French Buckwheat Crepes with smoked salmon
Ingredients
- 250 g buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 350 g milk
- 350 g water
- 2 eggs
- 50 g melted butter
- 8 thin slices of smoked salmon
- 8 Tbsp sour cream
- Some fresh or dry dill (optional)
Instructions
- Mix buckwheat flour with salt, milk, water, and eggs together. Add melted butter and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Let rest for at least 2 hours. When you are ready to cook the crepes, stir the batter before frying each crepe.

- Heat a lightly buttered nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/4 cupful batter to skillet and immediately tilt to fully cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Cook for a few seconds.

- Without flipping the crepe, place a slice of smoked salmon in the center, add 1 Tsp of sour cream, and sprinkle with dill.

- A few seconds later, as the crepe seems to be ready, carefully lift one side with a spatula and fold it to make a triangle, or a square.

- Transfer the crepe to the plate and serve right away.

French Buckwheat Crepes with ham and cheese
French Buckwheat Crepes with ham and cheese are easy to make at home, and are delicious. It is important to prepare the Buckwheat crepes batter (gluten free) the day before, or at least 2 hours before cooking.
Family and friends have told me this is as good as the “Galettes Bretonnes” you can find in Brittany, in western France.

French Buckwheat Crepes with ham and cheese
Ingredients
Buckwheat Crepes (for 12 galettes)
- 250 g buckwheat flour sifted
- 350 ml water
- 350 ml milk
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 50 g melted butter
Filling (4 servings)
- 8 slices ham
- 120 g grated cheese (Emmental, Gouda, Gruyere…)
- Some butter
Instructions
- Mix buckwheat flour with salt, milk, water, and eggs together. Add melted butter and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Cover with plastic and and let rest for at least 2 hours. When you are ready to cook the crepes, stir the batter before frying each crepe.

- Heat a lightly buttered nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

- Add 1/4 cupful batter to skillet and immediately tilt to fully cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Cook for a few seconds until the surface isn’t liquid.

- Without flipping the crepe, place a slice of ham in the center and sprinkle a little cheese.

- A few seconds later, as the cheese is melting and the crepe seems to be ready, carefully lift one side with a spatula and fold it.

- Fold the other sides to make a square.

- Remove the crepe from the pan and serve quickly.

- You can add more grated cheese over the top.
