12 light recipes to sublimate leeks this winter
[RECETTES POIREAUX HIVER] Slimming ally, rich in fiber and friend of the microbiota, leek has only benefits for health and for the line. Discover recipes as beautiful as they are delicious…
Leek is a vegetable that has been consumed for a very long time, especially by the Celts. Its sweetness and delicate aroma lend themselves to many dishes, beyond soups and “leek vinaigrette”. As a gratin or muffin, to enhance lasagna or tartiflette… It can be cooked in many ways. Leeks bring a delicate and original flavor to your menus.
Leek helps digestion and regulates transit
Source of fibers soluble (inulin, in the white) and insoluble (especially in the green), the leek helps regulate intestinal transit. Diuretic, it has an effect “detox” on the body and as it is rich in water, it promotes hydration, especially among seniors who do not always feel thirsty. In addition, it contains many vitamins (more in the green than in the white) and minerals, including sulfur compounds and manganese, which help fight against excess fat and promote good digestion.
Leek provides a good supply of energy, acts on the nervous system, and reduces fatigue.
Nutritionally, it improves transit and can even be laxative thanks to its fibers.
Low in calories and rich in vitamins
With 27 kcal per 100 g when cooked, leek is a good slimming ally. Like all vegetables of the Liliaceae family (onion, garlic), it would also have anti-cancer properties. Leeks contain many minerals and different vitamins (C, B6, B9), some of which are destroyed by heat. It is therefore necessary to prepare them “al dente”, that is to say, do not overcook them. Frozen, they keep about the same nutritional value as fresh. And cook them directly without defrosting them preserves their flavor.
How to choose leeks?
Harvest times are not to be overlooked. Harvested in autumn or winter, leeks will be much larger than in spring. To choose them well, make sure that their stem is straight, fleshy, firm and white. The leek should not contain brownish spots. Prefer green leaves, neither too withered nor too yellowed and above all not dried out. If it is often recommended to cook the green part, rich in fibre, the white part remains interesting, because it is sweeter. Here are some recipe ideas to put a little health on your plate!
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2/12 –
Leek pancakes
Preheat the oven to 180° (th. 7). Peel and slice 3 onions in order to sweat them in the butter in a saucepan. Wash the whites of 2 leeks, drain them and slice them finely. Add the leeks to the pan. Add salt and pepper. Let cook for a few minutes while stirring. When the leeks become translucent, turn off the heat. In a bowl, whisk 3 eggs, add 100 g of 0% cottage cheese, then 70 g of sifted flour, as well as 1/2 sachet of baking powder. Work the preparation with a fork. You should get a smooth paste. Integrate it, then add 30 g of grated Emmental cheese. Mix and distribute the preparation in small lightly buttered moulds. Cook for 30 minutes, then serve hot or cold.
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3/12 –
Leek rillettes
sweat 4 leeks thinly sliced with a shallot until well reduced, then deglaze them with a glass of white wine and let reduce. Grill 200 g of bacon in parallel then add them to the mixture. Mix everything with 50 g of fresh cheese then leave to cool.
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4/12 –
Spaghetti with leek cream
Wash, then cut 2 leeks into thin rings. Melt them for 15 minutes in a pan with a piece of butter. Cook according to the instructions on the package. When the leeks are well melted, prepare the sauce. Off the heat, mix 1 small pot of 0% cottage cheese, 1 egg yolk, salt and pepper. Put the leeks in the blender and add the cream cheese mixture. Drain the spaghetti, pour it into a dish and pour the leek sauce on top. Add grated parmesan and serve immediately.
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5/12 –
Leeks in salad
Split 1 kg of leeks in two then wash them well. Cut them into strips. Pour 20 cl of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Plunge the leeks into boiling water, then cover with a lid for 10 minutes. Peel 1 shallot and cut it into cubes. Wash 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley and chop. Prepare the seasoning by mixing all the ingredients. In a salad bowl place the leeks, the shallot and pour the sauce on top. Serve warm or cold.
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6/12 –
Leek tartiflette
Cook 600 g of potatoes in their jackets (in the microwave, in boiling water or in steam). Fry 300 g of smoked bacon in a sauté pan with the oil. Remove them with a slotted spoon and fry 4 white leeks cut into sections, as well as 2 chopped onions.
Add 5 cl of water, cover and let sweat for 15 minutes over low heat. Cut the potatoes into slices and preheat the oven to 220°C (th.7). Rub a large baking dish with 1 clove of garlic cut in half. Add the potatoes to the sauté pan, pour 15 cl of dry white wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bacon and pepper. Pour half into the dish, cover with half a reblochon cut into strips, then with the rest of the preparation. Cut the demi-reblochon in half, then each quarter in half horizontally. Lay them down, crust side up. Brown for 20 minutes in the oven and serve hot with a green salad.
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7/12 –
Leek lasagna
Chop 2 onions. Wash 4 white leeks and cut them into rings. Wash, then grate 3 courgettes and 4 carrots. In a skillet, brown one of the onions, the leeks, the zucchini and the carrots for 20 minutes, in 1 tbsp. s of olive oil. Add salt and pepper. In another skillet, sauté the second onion with 8 tomatoes previously pruned and diced. Let cook slowly. Sprinkle with dried or frozen basil. Season. Put a little semi-thick liquid cream in the bottom of the previously buttered dish, then position the first plates of lasagna.
Then add 20 cl of cream, then half of the vegetable preparation. And finally half of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan. Place a second layer of lasagna, then repeat. Finish with plates covered with cream. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Bake at 210° for a good half hour.
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8/12 –
Leek flan with red onion
Wash 3 leeks: keep the white as well as 2 cm of the green part. Thinly slice the white part, then finer the green part, which is harder. Peel 1 red onion and chop finely. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the leeks and onions. Let confit over medium heat for at least 20 minutes, then set aside. For the flan mixture, whisk 2 eggs with 10 cl of liquid cream. Add 1 heaped tablespoon of cornflour, whisking constantly. Add 30 g of grated cheese, salt and pepper, then mix. Add the cooled leek fondue to the preparation. Pour everything into molds and bake at 180° for 25 minutes.
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9/12 –
Leek gratin with salmon and cod
Cut 140 g of salmon fillet and 280 g of cod fillet into 4 pieces, sprinkle with lemon juice. Peel 3 carrots. Cut the vegetables into slices and blanch them for 5 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain everything, keeping 25 cl of cooking water. Try to dilute the fish stock. Whisk 1 tbsp. at s. of strong mustard, 10 cl of 12% liquid cream, 2 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tsp. of fish stock. Add salt and pepper. In a gratin dish, arrange the vegetables, then the pieces of fish, as well as their juice. Stir the parsley into the mustard sauce to coat the preparation. Bake for 20 minutes at 220°.
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10/12 –
Leek croquettes
Cook 3 potatoes and 2 egg whites leeks steam, let them cool and then blend them. – Add 1 egg, salt, cumin and 50 g of grated parmesan. – Form balls with this dough then roll them in breadcrumbs. – Fry the dumplings in a pan and serve hot.
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11/12 –
Leek soup
Peel 2 to 3 leeks, 2 small carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 stalk of celery and rinse them well in cold water. Pour a drizzle of olive oil into a pan. Add the vegetables and the chicken cube. Let come back for a few moments. Add thyme, then 1l of water and close the casserole. Leave to cook for 20 mins. Check the cooking of the vegetables with a knife blade. Mix the preparation using an immersion blender. Season with white pepper, then add a knob of butter or margarine.
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12/12 –
Leek fondue with langoustines
Clean 6 small leeks and cut them into fine julienne strips. Heat 3 tbsp. at s. of olive oil in a sauté pan to sweat the leeks for 5 minutes. Season lightly and sprinkle with 5cl of water. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 mins. When the leeks become tender and the water has evaporated, pour in 25 cl of fresh cream. Mix and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Keep warm. Fry 16 peeled langoustines in a pan with olive oil for 3 minutes. Distribute the leek fondue on each plate, then arrange the langoustines on top.
