Poitrines de poulet grillées, salsa de melon d'eau

J’ai trouvé cette recette dans Coup de Pouce, mais elle n’est malheureusement pas sur leur site web. J’ai vraiment aimé ce plat! C’était simple à faire, très estival, et délicieux. Même qu’après y avoir goûté, le Renard (qui aimait déjà le melon d’eau) a déclaré qu’il aimait maintenant les concombres ET l’oignon rouge! Gagnant, comme plat! Veuillez noter que j’ai découpé les grosses poitrines de poulet du commerce en deux sur la longueur, question d’avoir non seulement des portions plus raisonnables, mais aussi du poulet qui cuit plus vite (dans une poêle au lieu du grill, chez moi). On en a eu environ 8 portions. 

2 tasses de melon d’eau coupé en dés 

1 concombre anglais coupé en dés (je l’ai pelé) 

½ tasse de coriandre fraîche, hachée 

1/3 tasse d’oignon rouge haché finement 

1 c. à soupe de miel liquide 

1 c. à thé de zeste de lime râpé 

2 c. à soupe de jus de lime 

4 poitrines de poulet désossées (voir note plus haut) 

1 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive 

sel et poivre, au goût 

Dans un grand bol, mélanger délicatement le melon d’eau, le concombre, la coriandre, l’oignon, le miel, le zeste de lime et le jus de lime. Saler et poivrer. Réserver. 

Régler le grill (voir note plus haut) à puissance moyenne. Badigeonner les poitrines de poulet d’huile d’olive. Saler et poivrer. Mettre les poitrines de poulet sur la grille huilée et fermer le couvercle du grill. Cuire 10 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les poitrines soient marquées et qu’elles aient perdu leur teinte rosée à l’intérieur (les retourner à mi-cuisson). Déposer le poulet grillé dans une assiette de service et garnir de la salsa réservée.

Golden Milk Chia Pudding

 

It’s been hard finding low-carb breakfast options, given that I love muffins and banana bread and baked goods in general! I did try Zero Net Carb bread, and it’s… not horrible? I mean, it won’t get any color on it when I toast it (because it’s the sugar content that would normally make it go darker), and if I’m eating it spread with peanut butter, it’ll do. But I have to admit I don’t like it in sandwiches (I tried both grilled cheese and fried egg sandwiches), and it’s not something that I enjoy eating. To be honest, I typically can’t quite finish the sandwich because I get really sick of it. I do think it could be something to buy once in a while, though, to help get me through a breakfast rut. And it comes in different flavors, so maybe I could explore those options at a later date. 

That being said, one of my favorite breakfast options these days is chia puddings. Chia seeds contain protein and fiber, so they help keep me full until lunch. They also contain calcium and omega-3s, so they are considered very healthy. I really enjoyed this raspberry coconut chia pudding from Ricardo, which I served with sliced bananas, raspberries, and pumpkin seeds. 

I also really enjoyed this golden milk pudding with orange and ginger from Vegan Richa. Turmeric has known anti-inflammatory properties, and inflammation is a symptom of PCOS, so this felt more targeted to me. That being said, as much as I liked it, this pudding (as well as the raspberry one above) is made with coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat. Next time, I will try using a plant-based milk, such as coconut milk beverage, to see if I can achieve a similar (or at least pleasant!) consistency with less fat. I garnished this pudding with coconut chips and raspberries. The quantities below yield 2 servings.

1 can coconut milk (or 1 1/3 cup non-dairy milk of choice?), divided 

1 tsp. turmeric 

¼ tsp ground ginger 

¼ tsp ground cinnamon or cardamom or other spices 

a good dash of black pepper 

1 Tbsp. orange preserves (or zest of half a small orange) 

2 Tbsp. maple syrup, or to taste 

6 Tbsp. chia seeds 

Heat 1 cup of the coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, pepper over medium heat until just boiling. Take off heat. 

Add rest of the coconut milk, orange preserves, maple syrup and chia seeds and mix vigorously. Taste and adjust sweet, flavor if needed. Let it sit to cool completely for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Whisk the mixture vigorously again. The chia seeds should have expanded a bit and should distribute well. You can directly serve at this point, or pour into serving containers and chill overnight for more hydrated chia seeds and thicker pudding (this is my preference).

Phi Kind

 

 

As you know, I’ve been searching for options with lower carbs. And of course, algorithms picked up on this, so eventually I saw ads for Phi Kind Organics, a small company that makes low-carb chocolates with healthy, ethical ingredients (vegan and keto-friendly, but not allergy-friendly). They are sweetened with erythritol and stevia, which have a low glycemic index value. Honestly, they looked delicious, so I decided to try them! I got a sampler similar to this with five flavors of truffles: golden coconut milk, matcha ginger, almond butter cookie dough, strawberry coconut butter, and cherry almond butter. 

First, I need to admit it: I was really surprised by how small each box was! It’s not false advertising, in the sense that the product description does state a weight; it’s just that I hadn’t realized how dainty these are. That being said, they are well-packaged (albeit with a lot of plastic) and quite beautiful. 

The golden coconut milk truffles were delicious! It was just spiced enough while still being mellow.

The matcha ginger, though, was a bit overpowering, even though I love ginger. Perhaps it’s just not what I’m looking for in an evening treat? 

The almond butter cookie dough, with house-made almond butter, felt less refined, but not at all in a bad way. I didn’t really get a “cookie” vibe from this, though the almond butter filling is denser than that of the other flavors. 

The strawberry coconut butter truffles were melty at room temperature (my thermostat was set to 79 °F and the other truffles were fine). They taste really good, though I felt like the coconut butter was subduing the strawberry even while it was making the truffles extra creamy. 

As for the cherry almond butter, they were really flavorful and delicious! 

While these truffles are low in carbs, they are still a bit high in overall calories (50 per little truffle). Even if I were to dole them out in the evening while watching television, as I like to do with chocolate (instead of sneaking one during the day on occasion as I’ve been doing with these to make them last), I’d definitely be going through a whole package of four truffles in one evening, because it’s only four bites. And then they would be gone so very fast! Additionally, they are fairly expensive – even with the 10% off coupon I used, including shipping and taxes, it came out to $48.23 for 20 small truffles. The price may very well be justified based on the ingredients, but I can’t spend almost $10 on chocolate *daily*. So as much as I like them (love them, really), I don’t think that I’ll be buying them again.

Green Dip

 

Here’s a quick recipe for a delicious green dip that is a) full of vegetables, and b) eaten with vegetables. And, best of all, the Little Prince really liked it! He ate it heartily. I now serve dips and sauces in little individual melamine cups like these – they don’t break, there’s no double-dipping, and they’re just overall more fun. 

I served this green dip with carrots and broccoli; il would also be good with cucumber, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, or asparagus, for example. Or you could serve it with potato chips or pita chips. 

5 medium scallions, trimmed 

1/3 cup drained and rinsed canned cannellini beans 

1/3 cup roughly chopped chives 

¼ cup mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise or lactose-free yogurt) 

3 Tbsp. olive oil 

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 

½ tsp. kosher salt 

2 cups packed baby spinach 

Heat an oiled grill pan over medium-high. Add scallions to hot pan and cook, flipping once, pressing down with a spatula occasionally, until grill marks appear and scallions are charred in spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. (Alternatively, broil scallions in oven on a baking sheet until charred in spots, about 3 minutes – this was my preferred method.) Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop; you should have a heaping ⅓ cup. 

Add beans, chives, mayonnaise, oil, lemon juice, and salt to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and chopped scallions; blend, stopping to push contents down and scrape sides of bowl as needed, until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. 

Dip can be made up to 2 days in advance; cover and refrigerate.

Cloud Bread

 

I made cloud bread for the first time. It’s basically something that you can use instead of bread, but it’s more like a light omelet. It’s meant to be used in a sandwich, sort of like this keto bread. The thing is that I don’t really have it in me to make “bread” and then ALSO make a sandwich at the same meal. I think I’d do better at making this bread ahead of time (I don’t know if it freezes well, but cooked eggs usually do, right?). I’d suggest a BLAT, a tuna melt, or a grilled turkey-apple sandwich. The original post also has flavor variations for the cloud bread itself, like pumpkin spice, cinnamon raisin, or everything bagel. The one I made was quite good – I just need to remember to actually use it for sandwiches! Come to think of it, it would make a good substitute for a soft tortilla, too… 

This recipe yields 4 small breads. 

3 large eggs 

½ tsp. baking powder 

3 Tbsp. (1.5 oz.) lactose-free cream cheese 

¼ tsp. kosher salt 

1/8 tsp. onion powder 

2 tsp. white or black sesame seeds 

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 300 °F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Separate 3 large eggs, placing the whites in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, and the yolks in a smaller bowl. 

Add baking powder to the egg whites. Beat with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes for a hand mixer or 2 minutes for a stand mixer. 

Place 3 tablespoons cream cheese in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second bursts until very soft, about 30 seconds total. Stir until smooth and let cool slightly. 

Add the cream cheese, kosher salt, and onion powder to the egg yolks and stir to combine. Add the egg yolk mixture to the whipped egg whites and gently fold until there are no visible streaks and completely combined. 

Dollop a quarter of the batter (about ¾ cup) onto the prepared baking sheet and, using a spoon, gently flatten into a round that's about 6-inches wide. Don’t fuss too much, it doesn’t have to be perfect. (Mine turned out oval for some reason, perhaps because my egg whites were a bit too loose?) Repeat with the remaining batter. Sprinkle each round with ½ teaspoon sesame seeds. 

Bake until golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes (the “breads” will firm up slightly as they cool). Gently lift from the parchment paper.

Raw Tuxedo Cheesecake Brownies

 

This is another recipe from Practically Raw Desserts (where I got the awesome marzipan buckeye bars). My only beef with the name here is what I expect from a brownie, because there is no “cake” at all here, only a mixture of nuts, dates, and cocoa – to me, that’s more like a gluten-free pie crust, not a gluten-free brownie. But hey, it’s raw too, so I guess a cake is not realistic. I was already used to cashew cream for vegan cheesecake, though, so that didn’t throw me! 

Once you know what to expect, these were really good. They are best served straight from the fridge (not the freezer), so that the “cheese” part has a creamy texture. And of course, they’re not too sweet, so that’s what I was looking for! The Fox wasn’t too fond of them, but everyone else liked them. 

For the “brownie” layers 

1 cup dry pecans 

1 cup dry walnuts 

1/3 cup cacao powder 

1/8 tsp. sea salt 

¾ cup pitted dates (I recommend chopping them, and perhaps softening them in hot water) 

For the “cheesecake” layer 

1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 to 4 hours and drained (I soaked them overnight) 

¼ cup water or nondairy milk of choice 

2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil 

2 Tbsp. lemon juice 

 ½ tsp. vanilla extract 

1/8 tsp. sea salt 

30 drops liquid stevia (or equivalent sweetener of choice – I used 3 Tbsp. maple syrup), or to taste 

For the brownie layers 

In a food processor, combine the pecans, walnuts, cacao powder, and salt and pulse until finely ground (be careful not to overprocess). Add the dates, 2 to 3 at a time, pulsing between additions until each date is well-incorporated and the mixture is sticky. Taste for sweetness and add another date or some stevia if desired. (I added a little maple syrup for both taste and consistency, but perhaps I would not have needed it had my dates been softer, hence my recommendation above.) 

Press half of the mixture (about 1 heaping cup) firmly and evenly into an 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper for easy removal. Place the pan in the freezer to chill. Set the other half of the mixture aside while you make the cheesecake layer. 

For the cheesecake layer 

In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and stevia and blend until smooth. You can add more water, a teaspoon at a time, as needed to help the mixture blend. Taste for sweetness and add more stevia if desired. 

Remove the pan from the freezer and transfer the cheese- cake mixture onto the brownie layer, spreading it evenly with a spoon or spatula. Place the pan back in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours to allow the cheesecake layer to firm up. Once frozen, remove the pan from the freezer again, and evenly scatter the remaining half of the brownie mixture on top of the cheesecake layer. Gently but firmly press the brownie bits into the cheesecake. You may still be able to see the cheesecake layer underneath; that’s ok. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. (It truly is best served from the fridge after this point, as opposed as from the freezer.) 

Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.