HOTEL LES PEUPLIERS, LE PRAZ COURCHEVEL

One of the things I hate most about being a divorced parent is sharing the holidays. Arabella went to her father's yesterday afternoon & I am missing her so much already. However I try and look on the bright side and as Pascal & I were footloose and fancy-free last night we decided to have a date night at a hotel restaurant where we spent a lot of time when we first met. It is full of good memories & has the most amazing food - it is my favourite place to go when I am over here.

The first thing I love about this place is the canapés you are given when you have a drink - no boring peanuts here - we started off with a glass of champagne & a charcuterie board!

It came with the most incredible coarse terrine, rustic bread with salted butter and hams, chorizo & salami. Pascal & I were literally fighting over the last bit of pate….I nearly stabbed him with my fork to get it!

We ate this at the bar while Pascal chatted to the lovely owner Norbert & his staff (I didn't contribute much due to my lack of French)! and then it was time to go to the table.

The restaurant is very cosy and we were seated by the window watching a massive snow storm going on outside. The menu is incredible - there is so much to choose from and I literally want EVERYTHING!

And there is also specials board.

I knew I was going to want to study the menu for a while (my type of porn) so Pascal ordered some guacamole which is a new addition to their menu (most unfrench) & of course some wine.

The guacamole was incredible - better than lots of places in England - instead of red onion I think they used spring onions and such a small alteration made a huge difference. We scraped the dish clean and had I been at home alone I would have licked it!!

Even though I read the menu for ages and I ended up having my usual - snails in garlic butter and then the best pasta dish in the world - truffle ravioli.

Both were incredible! The snails were covered in garlic and I ate about a loaf of the rustic bread to soak up all the delicious sauce. I think I would have preferred just 6 snails but I wasn't going to waste any.

The truffle ravioli is literally a work of art - creamy, cheesy & full of truffles - I couldn't stop inhaling the smell (Pascal had to tell me to calm down)!! YUM!! It tasted heavenly.

Pascal is way more adventurous than me and he had two dishes off the specials board - beef carpaccio with rocket, Parmesan & truffles and then spelt risotto with chanterelles & sweetbreads.

As expected the carpaccio was delicious - it is not something I ever choose but I should do as it was really good. Now sweetbreads is something I would NEVER choose - the thought of offal makes me want to vomit! However I had a mouthful and wow - they were incredible as was the spelt risotto. I couldn't believe how good it tasted and I was shocked how much I enjoyed it….maybe I need to become more adventurous in my food choices!!

By this point we were both fit to burst and so there was no puddings for us - I did notice other people having them and they looked delicious.

We finished with shots of genepi, or more like I did, as pascal had already had several for lunch and then it was time for bed.

I would have been very happy to stay in the hotel in one of the cute, quaint rooms as I was not happy to go out in the snow but unfortunately like always the hotel was fully booked (it is a fantastic place).

Another incredible meal - I will need some starvation after this as I must have consumed about 2000 calories but it was definitely worth it. My favourite place….I hope to be back very soon as they also do an amazing burger, truffle fondue and I already want that pasta again!!!

LES PEUPLIERS RESTAURANT

Hotel Les Peupliers
73120
Le Praz
Courchevel
Tel: +33 (0)4 79 08 41 47

A VEGGIE DIET

I don't think anyone would be surprised to know that my How To Lose A Stone In One Week Diet is the most popular blog post….who doesn't want to lose weight?!! It's my lifetime goal and I'm proud to say that sometimes I have reached my "ideal' weight' but then I can never sustain it as I am too much of a piglet.

Lots of people have asked about the vegetarian option which I haven't done as I am not veggie. I would suggest you could just replace the meat with quorn or fish however the diet might not be as effective as it is all about chemicals. I expect you will still lose a lot of weight though as it is very restrictive (700-800 calories a day). 

I searched for a vegetarian diet online and found this as an alternative. I hope it helps. It is a lot more complicated than the original diet as there is more cooking involved and it also has more calories but it will still help with weight loss. If anyone does give it a go please let me know how you get on & I will try & persuade myself to give it a go sometime.

Good luck everyone and I hope it goes well!!

DAY 1
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
190g of reduced-sugar and reduced-salt baked beans with 60g grilled mushrooms and 65g grilled tomatoes followed by a 125g pot of diet bio yoghurt with 120g stewed prunes.(306cals, 2.2g fat) 


Lunch 
1 portion of brown rice salad with chickpeas (mix together 50g canned chickpeas, 100g canned tomatoes, 1tsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, a dash of Tabasco, 30g onion, 1/2 clove garlic, 200g boiled brown rice and 1tbsp fresh basil).(376cals, 4.3g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit)
Beetroot, fennel and lemon risotto with aubergine salad
1 portion of beetroot, fennel and lemon risotto served with 1 portion of grilled aubergine salad. (547cals, 20g fat) 


DAY 2
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 serving of baked summer fruits served with a 125g pot of plain very low-fat fromage frais, followed by a slice of sesame Ryvita topped with 150g sliced apple and 2 tsp lemon curd. For the summer fruits bake 60g raspberries, 70g peach, 50g strawberries and 40g blackberries in a slow oven for 30 minutes. (285cals, 2.8g fat) 


Lunch
1 bowl (250g) of canned potato and leek soup with 80g French bread. (346cals, 8.9g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit)Ratatouille and baked potato
1 portion of Romanian ratatouille served with 1 medium (180g) baked potato. (591cals, 20.4g fat) 


DAY 3
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 bowl (30g) Weetaflakes, topped with a handful of raisins and 125ml skimmed milk, followed by a glass of banana and strawberry smoothie (whizz 60g fresh strawberries and 250ml cold skimmed milk in a blender with 100g chopped banana; top with ice). (336cals, 0.9g fat) 


Lunch 
100g baked tofu burger served with 120g baked yam, 120g tomato and onion salad with 7g fat free dressing For the tofu burger recipe (serves 4), you need 350g firm tofu, 1 medium onion, chopped, 45g chopped leeks, 75g rolled oats, 20ml soya sauce, 25g breadcrumbs, handful of coriander leaves, chopped. Mix all ingredients together, season with celery salt and pepper, shape into burger shapes and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.(408cals,10g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Carrot and orange soup and broccoli flan. 1 bowl (300g) of carrot and orange soup, followed by 1 slice (120g) of wholemeal broccoli flan served with 1 baked yam (130g) and 1 portion of green vegetable medley. For the carrot and orange soup you’ll need 500g grated carrots, 1 litre of water, 1 medium onion, chopped, 60ml unsweetened orange juice, salt and pepper, a handful of chopped coriander, 20ml single cream or creme fraiche. Put the main ingredients in a pan and bring to boil, simmer for 1/2 an hour or until carrots are soft. Liquidise, season, garnish with coriander and cream. Serves 4. (568cals, 20.9g fat)


DAY 4
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 bowl (30g) unsweetened tropical muesli with 125ml skimmed milk, followed by a slice of multigrain rye crispbread topped with 30g sliced fresh pineapple and 15g reduced fat cottage cheese. (270cals, 3.4g fat) 


Lunch 
1 portion of rice noodles with Quorn, followed by 100g mixed fruit salad. For the noodles, add 270g cooked rice noodles to 300ml miso-flavoured stock (miso paste is sold in supermarkets) and garnish with 90g Quorn fillets, shredded, 110g pak choi, 60g sliced carrots and 10g sliced spring onions. Season with Shoyu (low-salt soya sauce). (363cals, 5.5g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit)
Vegetable moussaka, plus yoghurt dessert
1 portion of vegetable moussaka, followed by 1 pot (125g) of diet bio yoghurt with 120g stewed prunes. For the vegetable moussaka you’ll need 500g aubergines, thinly sliced, 120g corn oil, 225g onions, thinly sliced, 5g garlic, crushed, 225 chopped mushrooms, 280g cooked red split lentils, a handful of torn basil leaves, 2 bay leaves, 25g tomato puree, 250g tomatoes, sliced, 500g boiled potatoes, 500g white sauce made with skimmed milk, 2 small eggs and 150g grated mature cheddar cheese. Fry the aubergines with half of the oil and drain. Fry the onions and garlic in the remaining oil and add the mushrooms, lentils and tomato puree. Now add the bay leaves and basil leaves, season, cook for 5 minutes and spread onto the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Layer with aubergines, followed by the tomatoes and then the potatoes. Beat the eggs into the white sauce and pour over the potatoes; sprinkle over the cheese and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 25-30 minutes. (Serves 4).(560cals, 21.2g fat)


DAY 5
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
1 bowl of instant porridge (made with 1/4 pint skimmed milk) topped with 60g fresh chopped strawberries, followed by a bowl of fig, melon and banana salad with crystallised ginger (mix 100g sliced banana, 55g halved figs, 100g chopped honeydew melon and 10g chopped crystallised ginger together; chill until ready to eat).(307cals, 2.5g fat) 


Lunch 
1 serving of pea and pumpkin curry with 175g steamed Thai fragrant rice.(392cals, 7.5g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Quorn korma and rice. 1 portion (250g) of shop-bought Quorn korma served with 1 portion (180g) of boiled Basmati rice and a tomato and cucumber salad (145g).(591cals, 18.4g fat) 


DAY 6


Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option)
2 slices (72g) of wholemeal bread topped with 30g reduced-fat cottage cheese and 40g canned pineapple chunks, followed by a bowl of crunchy tropical fruit salad (mix together 25g sliced papaya, 30g sliced kiwi fruit, 30g pineapple chunks and 1/2 passion fruit; top with 15g unsweetened muesli, lightly toasted under a medium grill for 5 minutes). (288cal, 3.4g fat) 


Lunch
150g boiled wholemeal spaghetti, served with 85g tomato and garlic pasta sauce and 15g Parmesan cheese, followed by a small serving (100g) of canned rice pudding topped with 30g fresh strawberries.(377cals, 10g fat) 


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Beanburger pitta pocket. 1 grilled beanburger (180g) served inside a large wholemeal pitta bread, stuffed with 90g mixed salad leaves and topped with a tablespoon of low-fat Greek yoghurt flavoured with a squeeze of lime juice. For the beanburger recipe (for the beanburger you’ll need 270g canned pureed red kidney beans, 20g vegetable oil, 90g finely chopped onion, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 90g grated carrots, 75g oatmeal, 1 tbsp Vegemite, a handful of basil leaves, torn. Fry the onion in half of the oil until brown, add garlic and the remaining ingredients. Form into 8 burgers, brush with the remaining oil and grill under a high heat for 5-7 minutes turning halfway during cooking.(559kcals, 12.9g fat) 


DAY 7
Breakfast
(Include a glass of fruit juice with each option) 
Any of the above breakfast meals


Lunch 
1 bowl (300g) canned lentil soup, followed by 1 plain toasted bagel (70g) filled with 30g hummus and 40g grated carrots.(352cals, 5.8g fat)


Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit) 
Chickpea curry and salad. 1 portion (280g) of chickpea curry served with 2 chapattis (110g) and a green salad with yoghurt-based dressing.For the chickpea curry you’ll need 1 large onion, chopped, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, one and a half tbsp vegetable oil, half a tsp chilli powder, 1tsp ground cumin, half tsp ground coriander, half tsp ground ginger, 250g chopped canned tomatoes, 20g tomato puree, 650g boiled or canned chickpeas, 450ml vegetable stock. Fry the onions until soft, add garlic and spices and cook for another 4-5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the other ingredients and bring to the boil, cover and then simmer for 1 hour. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. (Serves 4).(576cals, 17.5g fat)


Snacks (twice a day)
Bio yoghurt - any flavour (125g contains 68 calories, 0.1g fat) Dried fruit - any kind (60g mixed dried fruit contains 160 calories, 0.2g fat) Vegetable crudites with low-fat soft cheese (30g celery, 30g carrot and 30g Tesco Healthy Eating Light Soft Cheese contains 49 calories, 2g fat) Fruit - any kind (80g banana contains 76 calories, 0.2g fat; 160g mango contains 91 calories, 0.3g fat; 112g apple contains 53 calories, 0.1g fat) Popcorn (30g contains 68 calories, 0.8g fat) Malt loaf (35g contains 108 calories, 0.8g fat) Breadsticks (30g contains 118 calories, 2.5g fat) Pumpernickel bread (33g contains 73 calories, 0.3g fat) Rye crispbread (30g contains 96 calories, 0.6g fat) Tesco Healthy Eating Currant Bun (55g contains 142 calories, 2.5g fat) Fruit teacake (40g contains 110 calories, 0.9g fat)

It does sound a lot more exciting than the original diet as it is a more varied, plus it is probably healthier as it contains a lot of fibre, veg & carbs however as I said before I do not know what the weight loss would be. You are eating 1200 calories a day rather than about 700-800. You could try exercising with it & burning off the extra calories or just try and stick at it for longer. I did a diet of 1200 calories a day & I lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks and Pascal lost 14 lbs in 2 weeks.

Good luck & please leave a comment if you try it!!

MY MAC & CHEESE

It is sometimes quite difficult being in a relationship with different nationalities as we all have our own traditions especially around Christmas - in France they celebrate on 24th December with presents and a huge supper - just like we have but on 25th. The logical (although expensive) idea would be to celebrate on both days but the thought of two huge Christmas meals is not appealing to Pascal, Arabella & I. So we decided to celebrate on Christmas Eve with one of our favourites - Mac & Cheese - in fact it turned out to be a perfect day of eating for me as I had had my other favourite for lunch - a cheeseburger!!

I rarely cook when I am in France, this is one of the first times, I couldn't buy all the correct ingredients so had to improvise in places (for example Arabella broke up the bread into tiny pieces to make the breadcrumbs and the cheddar was a combination of emmental, mozzarella & Comte cheese)!

Ingredients for 4 people:

250g macaroni
2 big leeks trimmed and chopped
splash of olive oil
100g spinach
2 x 125g balls of mozzarella cheese
200g half fat creme fraiche
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
150g mature cheddar cheese
50g fresh breadcrumbs
50g Parmesan cheese, grated or flakes
350g lardons (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C fan/ 200C /gas mark 6.

First of all cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions (the macaroni should be slightly undercooked). 

At the same time fry the lardons and the leeks for about 8-10 minutes. If you are vegetarian you can always leave the bacon out.

A couple of minutes before the macaroni is ready, add the spinach in the same saucepan.

Once this is ready take the pan off the heat and drain away the water in a colander. Then put it all back in the pan and mix in the bacon and leeks.

Now for my favourite part - tearing in half/two thirds of the mozzarella and mixing in the cheddar (I'm always over generous with the amount of cheese obviously), creme fraiche & Dijon mustard.

Put the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Top with the rest of the mozzarella and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Then cook in the oven for 25 minutes until it is crispy and golden. 

And then tuck on in!!

Absolutely delicious - it was devoured by both adults and child. We adore it as it's a naughtyish dish but it also has the added bonus of healthy green veg. 

We all enjoyed it immensely (I wish I could have had it all over again for Christmas lunch) - and it is the perfect heart warming dish for miserable weather….although I would be happy to eat it on a beautiful summer's day or anytime for that matter!! I once cooked it for a dinner party and Arabella cried as there was none left for her the next day!!

To save time you can easily prepare it the day before or that morning and then put it in the fridge until you are ready. It will take 30-35 minutes if you cook it straight from the fridge. 

Enjoy!

COEUR DE CRISTAL, MERIBEL

Thankfully life in France has become more peaceful and yesterday we managed to have a good day. Arabella is so happy - she adores skiing and is the only child I have ever met who is happy to go to ski school (I used to cry my eyes out and one time even wet myself which my brother still likes to kindly remind me about). Pascal & I had a great ski and then it was a couple of drinks at our favourite mountain top bar and finally lunch (the highlight of my day).

As the sun was out we decided to go to Le Coeur de Cristal as it has a terrace however unfortunately we ended up sitting inside as it wasn't quite warm enough and no one likes their food to become freezing cold within a matter of minutes.

I like this place as it is nicely decorated in cool greys, it is only a short ski down to the bottom, the food is great plus it is a very fun place for apres ski drinks….it can turn into quite a party!!! Sadly not for us though as we were with Pascal's kids and his dad. Another time though.

There is plenty on the menu to choose from - salads, burgers, pasta, local dishes and french favourites like steak tartar. I was at a loss of what to order as I wanted most dishes. As there are no menus online - here are a few photos of the menu:

We ordered a "Planche du Chalet" to start which was delicious.

Sauccison, ham, cornichons and cheese lollipops - such a fantastic idea - I would choose this over a chupa chip any day!!

Then - no surprise - I had a burger!! It wasn't any old burger, it was smothered in onions, reblochon cream, salad and even potatoes!! I removed these as I couldn't comprehend the idea but the rest of it was totally delicious and the fries incredible. It kind of reminded me of a cleaner Big Mac. To make it perfect I would exchange the potatoes for pickles.

Pascal had the same as me and then his two daughters had a cheeseburger which they also said was excellent.

I didn't taste as they have their burgers blue (ick) so we just have to take their word for it! It was just a normal burger with a slice of cheese.

Pascal's father had the daily special which was a vegetable risotto.

He ate the entire plate so I can say he definitely liked it - conversation between him & I is stilted as he doesn't speak English and my french is only slightly better than Joey's in Friends. I just smile a lot!!

There was no room for puddings which was unfortunate as they make the most incredible pies, cakes and macaroons - they even have a macaroon tree (I need one of those) - if you have a sweet tooth, you will love it here.

Another fantastic place to eat and drink in France - Pascal tells me it is impossible to gain weight while skiing - I think I am going to be the exception to the rule if I carry on going at this rate. I am now about to try and sweat it out with some bikram in the sauna….should be interesting!!!

Le Coeur de Cristal

Se situe au croisement des pistes des Rhodos et Marmottes
.

73550

Meribel

Tel: +33 (0)4 79 22 46 09

HOTEL ALLODIS, MERIBEL

It's only taken 3 days to realise that me + pascal + skiing holiday = row row row!!! 

After an afternoon of non stop arguments over the fact that being here is not a holiday, we had to put a smile on our face and go for a supper organised by his mother. Oh I miss London!! As a friend told me - at least I have the journey home to look forward to!!

Anyway as I mentioned yesterday - at least I have food to keep me happy and I starved myself all day so I could go to town at Hotel Allodis and I really did. The hotel has recently been redone and is absolutely stunning, I did think of continuing mine & Pascal's row in hope I could move in to one of the amazingly beautiful bedrooms….however not surprisingly they are fully booked……and expensive!

While having an aperitif in the bar we had some amazing canapés like fish croquettes, saucisson and Parmesan chips….I love the way they do this in France - plus they just keep on coming (I do not understand why all french aren't obese). Then it was time to order - the menu is pretty sophisticated but I knew immediately what I wanted - crispy bourgogne escargot cannelloni with parsley pulp followed by marbled fillet of beef with foie gras - no point not going the full hog!

We made our way to the dining room and we were given an amuse bouche of scallop ravioli with seafood veloute.

It was delicious, light but tasty and a perfect way to start the meal. I love a free course!! Then the starters arrived. As I said I had the snails which were amazing. I always think I like snails mainly because of dipping bread in the garlic oil, these were served completely differently and I absolutely loved them.

The snails were encased in filo pastry with garlic and accompanied by a parsley puree, incredible!! Pascal had the same as me and we both ate every morsel! One friend we were with had pumpkin and chestnut veloute with foie gras ravioli which he raved about.

Then Pascal's mother had scampi puff pastry with a light coconut milk broth.

Like the rest of our starters, it was absolutely incredible with huge prawns.

For a main I went for the beef with foie gras, I was worried it might be a bit rich but it was perfect. 

It was foie gras poele inside and then extremely tender steak served with truffle mash and parsnips. I loved it and once again didn't leave a crumb.

Pascal had veal sweetbreads, zita pasta with green asparagus.

Even though I don't eat sweetbreads, it looked yum and apparently was excellent.

Pascal's mum had yuzu-seared savoury bass and I had serious food envy - it looked amazing and tasted heavenly.

Our friend had Viennese Sole with boletus mushroom cream. Even Pascal was amazed by how incredible the fish was!!

Despite being fit for burst we carried on. The moment I saw the cheeseboard I could not resist!

The other puddings taken were Blueberry-heart apple with vanilla bourbon and the exotic meringue surprise. Once again everything was eaten so I can safely say they were delectable.

It was a fantastic meal, I would recommend staying at this gorgeous hotel and eating at the fabulous restaurant. It certainly wasn't cheap (nowhere is round here) but it was worth every penny - exquisite french cuisine.

Hotel Allodis

Route du Belvedere
73550
Meribel
Tel: +33 (0)4 79 00 56 00

LE BLANCHOT, MERIBEL

As Pascal is French, it means that we have to spend quite a bit of time at his place over there. I have to admit I am not the most enthusiastic house guest as I am such a homebody and miss London and all the comforts....very different to Meribel when for a third of the year all the restaurants and shops are closed within a 30 minute radius!! Plus I am not the keenest skier....Pascal believes the only way to improve is to push yourself and go as fast as possible but I am a big fat scaredy cat!!

Anyway the best thing for me about France is the food...I basically plan my days around what and where I am going to eat. It was a no brainer for our first lunch - we went to Le Blanchot which does fabulous food, has a beautiful terrace in the sun but is still warm and cosy inside. It has been taken over this year by one of the original owners and the menu has changed for the better - there is a variety of starters and then a choice of fish, meats, risotto or pasta - something for everyone.

We arrived after a very good morning skiing (well a couple of runs and a couple of glasses of wine) and met Arabella who had skied separately from us. We were all starving so tucked into the fresh bread and salty butter while we perused the menu. There were so many yummy things to choose from as well as a children's menu. Arabella being a typical Brit went for chicken nuggets and fries.

You won't be surprised to hear she polished the whole lot off and I stole as many chips as I was possibly allowed - they were delicious.

I ordered one of my favourite dishes ever...foie gras poele which is foie gras cooked over a high heat for a minute on each side and seasoned with salt. It was absolutely delicious and literally melted in my mouth...I wish my starter could have lasted forever.

It was served with some parsnip puree and roasted veg...a faultless starter.

Pascal also had his favourite - pata negra with tomato bread - I obviously stole a bite of ham which was incredible, it is cut fresh from the leg in front of you and is a very generous portion.

I was torn over the main courses - I was tempted by a steak since we were in France but I can never resist a truffle risotto so went for that instead. I had half a portion as I don't want to gain a stone over Christmas and while I could have eaten a full portion, half was a perfect amount.

It came with roasted vegetables on top which to be honest weren't really necessary but they made it look very pretty. The risotto tasted delicious, creamy and full of truffles. I added a bit of Parmesan - it didn't really need it but I am a cheese fanatic. I loved what I ordered so much I am going to be hard pushed to try anything else!

Pascal ordered one of the daily specials which was veal in a mushroom sauce with spaghetti. This was once again extremely tasty - big chunks of slow cooked veal with a light mushroom sauce and al dente pasta.

The pasta and the veal came separately so you could serve yourself, it was a very generous portion and even Pascal couldn't finish it all (no surprise I had a couple of "tastes")!

What a fantastic meal - we were too full for puddings but if you can fit one in I would recommend it as they are also phenomenal. 

This was a perfect first meal and I know I will definitely be back over the holidays. It is open winter and summer so perfect for skiing or golf plus there is no nicer place to be when the sun is shining - delicious food, attentive service and a fabulous setting and atmosphere.

Le Blanchot

Route de l'Altiport

73550

Meribel

Tel: 00 33 (0)4 7900 5578