Buckwheat pancakes (Galettes de sarrazin) - Plain

Food of my people immortalized by the character Séraphin Poudrier in Claude-Henri Grignon's "Un homme et son péché", published in 1933. Séraphin's beleaguered child-bride Donalda was forced to only eat these with molasses to satisfy her husband's avarice. Myself, I quite like them but, then again, I choose to eat them. They can be eaten with sweet toppings or there are classic savory versions that are equally delicious. This is the basic recipe for the pancake.

1 cup (120g) buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 cup+ (250 ml+) milk of choice

2 eggs

Butter for frying

1. Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until uniform.
2. Let the batter rest for 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Beat again before using. 
4. The batter will likely be a bit thick. Add more milk until you get the consistency of light cream.
5. Heat an empty 8 to 10" fry pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until it's very hot.
6. Melt some butter and pour in ⅓ cup of batter, swirling the pan to get an even distribution; you may also use a palette knife or pastry scraper to smooth it out with a deft turn of the wrist. The bottom of the pan should be completely covered.
7. When the bubbles pop and the surface dries out a bit, flip to cook the other side; this should happen within 30 to 60 seconds, if not, adjust the heat. The bottom should be a light golden colour, not too dark since the galette will be re-heated with the filling of your choice.

Quick Sautéed Kale Side Dish

1 large bunch of kale, sliced in thin strips

1 tsp oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

¼ to ½ tsp red chilli flakes

½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

3 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)

Juice from 1 lemon or lime (OR serve with lemon or lime wedges)

Salt to taste

1. Cook the onion, garlic and chilli flakes in the oil until starting to soften. 
2. Add the kale and vegetable stock; cover and lower the heat to obtain a simmer.
3. Cook at least until the kale has wilted; kale can take a lot of cooking and, in fact, cooking for a long time helps with the texture. The trick is to make sure you haven't lost too much moisture from the sauce. 
4. Uncover and sauté while the stock reduces and thickens into a bit of sauce.
5. Add the lemon juice (if not serving with wedges) and season with salt. Cover and let steam while the rest of your meal finishes cooking.
6. (Optional) Garnish with red pepper flakes and lemon wedges before serving.

Curried potatoes and beans

This is a relatively simple addition to any Indian-themed meal and has always been received with enthusiasm. It's a dry curry, and I like it matched with something creamy like a dahl.

8 to 10 oz green beans, cut into 1" lengths
1lb to 1lb 6oz potatoes, cut into wedges
2 Tbsps oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt to taste
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp + lemon or lime juice

1. Pour the oil in a saucepan and add mustard and cumin seeds. Turn on the heat to medium-high and, when the mustard seeds start to pop (this is unmistakable), add the potatoes and sautée 10 to 15 minutes, or until just starting to brown on all sides and getting soft. Keep covered when not actively sautéeing.
2. Add the beans along with the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne and salt. Mix well and sautée another 8 to 10 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
3. Add the garam masala and the lemon juice, all to just heat up, about 1 minute, and serve. A light drizzle of more citrus juice would not go amiss.