Mug cake, pleasure in a cup!

Are you in a diet, are you living alone or simply you are lazy and a big cake is not for you?
Discover the new trend: the MUG cakes!
Made inside a mug and cooked in a microwave oven in only a few minutes you can enjoy a chocolate cake. Sounds too good to be true, no?  And still, it is possible... Have a look for yourself. The result is quite impressive, at least for me. Would I replace my classic chocolate cake? Probably not... but still...

Happy Birthday!

It's been exactly one year since I have started to blog here, one year of "Vivian is cooking"!

Happy birthday dear blog,
you can pass from crawling to walking little by little like babies now :) That explains the publicity part that was added.

Happy birthday with a mug cake (recipe will follow soon...). Come on in and share!

French chocolate cake (Gateau au chocolat)

Gateau au chocolat is the french chocolate cake that is more liquid in the center than a sponge cake. I started to make this cake for a friend that could not eat gluten and my kids loved it, so I keep doing it often :)
I update today this recipe by adding 2 sliced bananas and some cinnamon inside that I believe will add a sparkle to this recipe and change from the classic version. You can do the same by adding pears instead of bananas. Up to you ...
Once in a while, you have to play a bit with classic recipes, that's the fun with cooking :) 

Meat with pasta

Lazy cooking recipe but still delicious! You can cook easily in the oven any kind of meat with pasta in the following way:

Ingredients
any kind of your favorite meat red or white (like veal or chicken, but a part that is still adequate for the oven :)
2 tomatoes for the red meat, can tomato sauce for the white one
salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil
any kind of pasta that you like or is left in your cupboards :)

Fruit salad, the best desert!

If you want to stay fit and eat healthy, if you are busy or lazy with cooking and do not want to try my delicious cakes, then the fruit salad is for you!
I use apples, pears, bananas and strawberries. You could add kiwis or any other fruit that you like. You just peel them, cut them pieces, present them in a nice way and your desert is ready in a few minutes.
If you want to add some exotic touch, pour some honey over them and sprinkle them with cinnamon. But we said that we will stay fit so simple today and then it's up to you for the rest. Enjoy!  

1st of april or Poisson d'avril!

So, spring is here and in various countries they have weird ways to celebrate it.
In Greece, where I come from, we try to fool someone by saying a harmless lie. Being a person that I despise people that tell lies, the least to say, I do not like much this custom....
In France, where I actually live, that make "poisson d'avril" (april's fish) and kids try to fool someone by sticking a paper-fish in their back. I prefer this custom by far, not to say that I really enjoy it :)
Give me feedback from your country customs from 1st of April to change a bit from cooking today.
May a productive month is waiting ahead!

P.S: Fish generously provided by my personal artists, my kids ;)

Orange cake, oh my!

🌟 Difficulty	⏱️ Time	🍽️ Serves
★★ Easy	1h	10–12

Want to change from chocolate cakes? Looking for a recipe that has a strong orange taste? Then this is your cake! Pity that you cannot smell from your computer :)
It is true that it does not have the glory of a chocolate cake but if you accept this, and dare to try, you will be addicted!
(Photos and precious help provided generously from my son :*)

Easy feta rolls!

(Updated recipe!) Want an easy and tasty starter? Make this feta rolls with "filo" pastry! You will need :

12 filo layers
1-2 eggs
some feta cheese and maybe some emmental cheese
some white pepper

Greek Crispy Cod (Bakaliaros Skordalia)

[Updated 20/03/2025]

A traditional Greek dish enjoyed on March 25th, featuring golden-fried cod served with a bold garlic-potato puree Skordalia (Greek Garlic-Potato Puree). This simplified version uses fresh cod for ease and quick preparation.

Greek Garlic-Potato Puree (Skordalia)

[Updated 20/03/2025]

A creamy, garlicky potato puree, this traditional Greek side dish is rich in olive oil and garlic. It pairs wonderfully with Crispy Greek Cod (Bakaliaros Skordalia) (fried cod with garlic-potato puree), a dish especially enjoyed on Greece's National Day, March 25th.

Whole grain bread

A bread today with the healthy (and also tasty) touch of the grains. It's an easy recipe and apart from the fact that I use whole grain flour, the procedure it's similar to the one that my mother and grand mother were doing for any kind of bread. The result was soooo great that I would urge you to try it@!

Greek Oven-Roasted Summer Vegetables (Briam)

[Updated 20/03/2025]

A light yet flavorful Mediterranean dish bursting with summer vegetables. Serve with feta cheese for an authentic Greek experience!

Greek Sausage and Pepper Stew (Spetzofai)

[Updated 26/02/2025]

Spetzofai is a rustic Greek dish made with country-style sausage, peppers, eggplants and tomatoes, simmered together in olive oil. 

This one-pot meal is perfect for cooler weather, offering a balance of savory, spicy, and tangy flavors. 

A recipe coming from the mountain of the Centaurus, Mt. Pelion (famous in Greek mythology for its half-men, half-horses), it can be enjoyed as a main dish or as a starter.