Country-Style Chicken Pot Pie

 

I was recently reminded of my mom’s chicken pot pie topped with biscuits. The Little Prince asked for something along those lines, and it was such a great idea! This recipe is originally from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (12th edition), and was adapted by my mother, then by me. I don’t know why I’d never made it before, but it’s so good! I’ll have to add it to the rotation. Here is my current version.

For the chicken, I seasoned some chicken breasts with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, ginger, salt, and pepper, and cooked them at 425 °F for 20-25 minutes.


For the baking powder biscuits
2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. cream of tartar
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ cup lactose-free butter (or vegetable shortening)
2/3 cup lactose-free milk

In a large bowl (I actually did this with a food processor), whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar, and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives (or, see, this is where the food processor blade is handy) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the milk and stir just until the dough forms a ball around the fork (or blades).

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 14 times. Pat until ½-inch thick (I used a rolling pin). Cut into rounds with a 2-inch cookie cutter or a glass. Reroll scraps and cut out more biscuits. At this point, you can either set them aside for a bit, or store them in the fridge until you need them.


For the chicken pot pie
6 Tbsp. lactose-free butter
6 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. mustard powder (optional)
3 cups lactose-free milk (or 2 cups chicken broth + 1 cup lactose-free cream)
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
salt, to taste
4 cups cooked chicken, cut into chunks
12 small white onions or 1 onion, chopped
3 smallish carrots, peeled and cubed or sliced
¾ cup peas

Preheat the oven to 450 °F.

Melt the butter into a saucepan, stir in the flour and mustard powder, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the broth, cream, pepper, and salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, until thickened and smooth.

Meanwhile, in a large pan with a bit of oil, cook the onions and carrots until almost tender, then add the peas for the last few minutes.

Stir the chicken, onions, carrots, and peas with the sauce, then pour the mixture in a large casserole dish.

Place the biscuit rounds, edges touching, all over the top of the pie. Bake for 15-20 minutes until browned.

Smoothie choco-cajou

 

Voici une recette de Famille futée 4, que j’ai un peu adaptée. Il s’agit ici davantage d’une collation que d’un déjeuner, mais c’était très bon! J’ai ajouté 2 cuillères à souper de poudre de graines de citrouille pour avoir davantage de protéines. Si vous évitez les noix, essayez du beurre de soja à la place des noix de cajou. 

1 tasse de fraises surgelées

¼ tasse de flocons d’avoine à caisson rapide 

½ tasse de noix de cajou naturelles 

2 c. à soupe de graines de chia 

2 c. à soupe de cacao 

2 c. à soupe de sirop d’érable 

2 tasses d’eau (j’ai pris 1 tasse d’eau et 1 tasse de lait sans lactose) 

1 banane mûre en tronçons 

Déposer tous les ingrédients dans le récipient d’un mélangeur électrique à haute vitesse. Ne pas mélanger, mais couvrir et réfrigérer au moins 12 heures. 

Au moment de servir, ajouter la banane et mixer 2 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le smoothie soit lisse et homogène.

Waffle Corn Dogs

Here’s something else I made for the kids’ lunches: waffle corn dogs (very similar in ingredients to corndog muffins, just different presentation). They liked these, but did not love them, I think. I thought it was original, and combined things that they liked, so it’s appealing to me!

2 hot dog sausages
1 box corn muffin mix
1 large egg
½ cup lactose-free sour cream
2 Tbsp. melted lactose-free butter
½ cup shredded lactose-free cheddar
2 Tbsp. chives (optional)

Preheat a waffle iron. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine corn muffin mix, egg, and sour cream. Stir until evenly combined, then fold in cheddar and chives.

Cut each hot dog sausage in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise; stick a skewer into each piece (I didn’t do the skewer part).

Grease the waffle iron. Spread about half of the batter onto waffle iron. Place hot dogs on top, then spread the remaining batter over hot dogs.

Close the waffle iron and cook until the waffle is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove waffle and slice into eighths.

Root Vegetable Beef Stew with Mushroom and Spinach Polenta

That’s quite a mouthful, isn’t it? And it’s a very involved recipe. But it’s also hearty and perfect for a cold winter night – that is also why I don’t have a good picture! There was no light by dinnertime, and I was hungry anyway, so all you get is two sad unsightly pictures. Just know that this dish is excellent! I made some modifications, so here are a few notes.

The veal demi-glace concentrate is there to add concentrated flavor. I couldn’t find it in stores and had to order it online, and it wasn’t exactly cheap. Honestly, next time, I would just use some Better Than Bouillon paste and call it good enough. I used baby carrots, but that was a mistake because they didn’t soften quickly enough, so I would chop regular carrots next time (I am not in a place where I can easily find the whole miniature ones). As for the spinach, I didn’t want to have to pick over 10 ounces of fresh spinach, so I bought a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed it, squeezed the water out of it, chopped it up, and threw it into the polenta.

For the stew
3 lbs. trimmed chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 large carrot, very finely chopped
1 celery stalk, very finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, very finely chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
2 cups fruity red wine
4 cups (1 quart) beef stock, plus more as needed
1 (1.5-oz.) container veal demi-glace concentrate (see note above)
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 lb. whole petite carrots, or regular carrots cut into 4-inch lengths
1 lb. fingerling or miniature Dutch potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
8 oz. rutabaga, peeled and cut into large bite-sized cubes (I dislike it and omitted it)
8 oz. parsnip, peeled and cut into large bite-sized chunks
4 oz. peeled fresh or frozen pearl onions

For the mushroom and spinach polenta
3 cups water
2 cups lactose-free whole milk
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 ½ cups fine or medium-grind polenta
2 Tbsp. lactose-free butter
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups thickly sliced gourmet mix or cremini mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 oz. baby spinach


For the stew
Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with the measured salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add the beef to the pot and sear on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the seared meat to a large bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot. Stir to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add a splash of water if the mixture begins to scorch.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring continuously, until it sizzles, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, beef stock, and demi-glace concentrate, stirring until the concentrate dissolves. Drop in the rosemary and thyme.

Return the seared meat and any accumulated juices to the pot. The braising liquid should be level with the meat, so add more stock if needed. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover tightly, and cook at a bare simmer until the meat is spoon-tender, about 2 hours.

Stir in the whole carrots, potatoes, rutabaga, parsnip, and pearl onions. Cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the polenta. (When the stew is ready, keep it warm since it will be ready before the polenta – note that I shredded the beef at this point to make it easier to serve.)

For the polenta
Bring the water, milk, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisking continuously, add the polenta in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring continuously, for 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the polenta is thick and no longer tastes raw, about 45 minutes (I cooked mine for a lesser amount of time). Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon and make sure it isn't sticking in the corner. Stir more often as the polenta thickens. If the polenta turns stiff before it is done, add a little warm water.

Stir in the butter. Season generously with salt and pepper, and keep warm over very low heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, stir to coat, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and cook until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Transfer into the saucepan with the polenta. Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring to wilt before adding more.

Remove and discard the rosemary and thyme stems from the stew. Taste and season both the stew and polenta with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the stew over the polenta.

Product review - Better Batter cake and Fitbake frosting

When my mother-in-law last came to visit, I used the opportunity to try two new products I’d been eying. First, since I get the occasional email from Better Batter, I bought some of their gluten-free chocolate cake mix on sale. I decided to pair it with Fitbake’s vegan keto vanilla buttercream frosting. 

The cake turned out really nice! The crumb was fluffy and not too sweet, and of course because it was a mix, it was super easy to make. As for the keto frosting, it was a bit bland, but I guess that’s to be expected for something low-carb! The consistency was stiff, though – I could barely spread it between the two layers of cake, and it was ripping off the crumb as I went. I ended up piping the rest on top, and as you can see, only had enough for some basic decoration. If you want to fully frost a 9-inch layer cake, you’d probably need 2 or 3 containers of that frosting. So, a handy product for a shortcut, but you still have to account for a few things... I threw on some sprinkles because why not. 

I also had some Better Batter all-purpose flour left, so I made their gluten-free vegan dinner rolls, which were great! I think my mother-in-law would have preferred something taller, as these were shaped more like biscuits than true rolls, but the crumb was perfect. For what it’s worth, my 2 eggs weighed 102 grams (without the shell), and I only used 2 tablespoons of butter for the topping.

Strawberry-Rose Vegan Cheesecake

 

This recipe was originally called a white chocolate, strawberry, rose vegan cheesecake, but I found that to be misleading. There isn’t any white chocolate in this! And I know that white chocolate is essentially cocoa butter and sugar, but still, this did not taste at all like white chocolate, so I’m dropping that part. I also found the rose taste very subtle, and since I love rose water, I think you should add more.

I made this cake when my mother-in-law was visiting us; this was perfect because she has coeliac disease, but it’s gluten-free. (And it’s raw, paleo, vegan, lactose-free, etc.) I changed the nuts in the crust too because she also has oral allergy syndrome and reacts to raw almonds, so I used 1 cup of pistachios, ¼ cup of pine nuts, and ¾ cup of walnut pieces (this is purely based on what I had in my pantry at the time – just use what you have). I had to increase the number of dates to 16 for consistency; I also omitted the ½ cup of water entirely from the filling and switched up the garnish. Here is my version, which was lovely! (Sadly, it turns out that my mother-in-law had never tasted rose water before and to her, it tasted strongly of alcohol and she did not like it. But I couldn’t have known that because she didn’t know that. I still thought it was delicious!)


For the crust
2 cups raw almonds (see note above)
½ cup medjool dates, pitted, about 8-10 (see note above)
¼ cup cacao powder
2 Tbsp. cacao nibs

For the cheesecake filling
1 bag frozen strawberries, completely thawed (I used 1 lb. of strawberries)
¾ cup maple syrup, preferably medium or dark (former grade B)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. rose water (see note above)
1 pinch sea salt
3 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup melted cacao butter

For the topping
2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
a sprinkle of organic dried rose petals (I used candied rose petals)


For the crust
Pulse all the crust ingredients in a food processor. Press into a 9-inch springform pan.

For the filling
In a high-speed blender, blend the strawberries, maple syrup, vanilla, rose water, and salt. Once smooth, add the cashews and blend again. Add the cacao butter last and blend one more time.

Pour the filling on top of the crust. Place the cheesecake in the freezer overnight.

For the topping
Take the cheesecake out of the freezer, unmold it, place it on a serving plate, and let it thaw in the fridge for about 3 hours.

Melt the chocolate chips until smooth. Pour the chocolate into a ziploc bag, snip the tip of a corner, and pipe melted chocolate all over the cheesecake. Finish with a sprinkle of rose petals.

To serve, run a sharp knife under very hot water. For pretty slices, rinse it after every cut.

Chicken Burrito Bowls

 

Here are some chicken burrito bowls I made for dinner – leftovers keep very well. For taco seasoning, I use this recipe. And I added avocado, because why wouldn’t I? This really hit the spot.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 bell peppers, any color, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (see note above)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 jar salsa (I much prefer mild salsa)
3 cups brown rice, cooked (I used a package of Right Rice)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn
1 cup shredded lactose-free cheddar cheese
1 lime, sliced into wedges
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 ˚F.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the chicken, peppers, and onions onto the baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the bell peppers and onions, tossing to coat. Top each chicken breast with a generous pour of salsa. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Rest chicken for 10 minutes, before slicing into strips.

Add a base of brown rice to 4 bowls. Top each with a scoop of black beans, corn, additional salsa, cheddar cheese, cooked bell peppers and onions, and sliced chicken. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.

Half-and-Half Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Have you noticed that I’ve been posting fewer desserts lately? It’s not actually that I’ve been eating fewer (I still definitely have a sweet tooth and have dessert after dinner), but the ones I tried weren’t that good. There was an apple and honey rice kugel that I made last September, but it disappointed me. I tried the golden squash yogurt cake from Tara Spencer’s Easy PCOS Diet Cookbook, but it was a disaster, which not only would *not* unmold from the pan, but didn’t even taste good. (I literally managed to get one piece that looked decent to take a picture, and there it is.)

I made a brown butter almond-apple cake, and while it was nice the first day, it just got too moist and crumbly after that. I also had high hopes for the chickpea and white chocolate blondie from the 3 fois par jour Desserts cookbook, but that just wasn’t doing it for us.

Then I went back to basics and made something that looked like a sure bet: half-and-half chocolate chocolate chip cookies. I reordered the ingredients below and added some weights, and I left a note about baking times. These were delicious! We ate many of them, gave some away as holiday cookies, and still have a few in the freezer (we got a total of 44-and-a-half cookies).

For the chocolate chip cookie dough
9 Tbsp. (126 g) lactose-free butter, melted and cooled slightly
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
¾ tsp. fine salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
7 oz. (200 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

For the double chocolate cookie dough
9 Tbsp. (126 g) lactose-free butter, melted and cooled slightly
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
¾ tsp. fine salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups (234 g) all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
½ cup (50 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
7 oz. (200 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)


For the chocolate chip cookie dough
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated and brown sugars, and salt. Mix to combine. Add the egg, yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda, and whisk together until totally combined. Add the flour and stir in until combined. (I’m a bit old-fashioned and prefer to mix my dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet ingredients.) Add the chopped chocolate and stir again. It may take a minute to incorporate all of the chocolate, and you can use your hands to knead it into the dough if necessary.

For the double chocolate cookie dough
Follow the directions above for the chocolate chip cookie dough (you can even use the same bowl!), but add the cocoa powder to the dough along with the flour.

To assemble
Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 °F (see note below) Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (you will need more than one pan for all the cookies, but I prefer to bake them one batch at a time and keep raw dough in the fridge or freezer until I need it.).

Form the dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon each (25 g). Press one ball of the chocolate chip cookie dough and one ball of the double chocolate cookie dough together, but keep their unique colors. Press the piece into a cookie scoop or roll it into a ball. Place 8 cookies on the sheet pan (honestly, you can fit 12). Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaky salt, if desired.

Bake one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the cookie tops are golden brown and the cookies are slightly puffed in the middle, about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use the back of a spoon to gently press the middle of each cookie to flatten it.

Let the cookies rest on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cookies are best eaten slightly warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The baking instructions above are those of the original recipe. Personally, I found that baking 8 minutes was enough, 10 minutes for baking from frozen. I also baked some straight-from-the-fridge dough at 350 °F for 11 minutes and it turned out great! So don’t worry too much about the high temps here.

Turkey sliders

I made two turkey burger recipes lately: these Asian turkey burgers with peanut butter and broccoli slaw, and then these turkey sliders with garlic and oregano. While they were both good, I think we all preferred the sliders, so that’s the recipe I’m sharing below. Note that while I did splurge and use King’s Hawaiian buns here (they’re just so good!), I had used Orowheat’s keto buns in the other recipe, and those are a better bet if you’re carb-conscious.

I don’t have Italian seasoning, so I used equal quantities of basil, oregano, and thyme. Note that I doubled the slider recipe to have leftovers (a total of 16 sliders instead of 8), but left the sauce quantities as is. Serve with baked fries, chips, or a salad. We give it a very rare 4 thumbs up!

For the garlicky mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced (I would use only 1 next time)
6 Tbsp. reduced fat olive oil mayonnaise
2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and cracked pepper, to taste

For the sliders
8 mini brioche hamburger buns (see note above)
1 lb. 93%-lean ground turkey
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (see note above)
salt and cracked pepper, to taste

To garnish
fresh baby arugula
red onion, thinly sliced


Mix together the ingredients for the mayonnaise, season to taste, and then set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Slice the buns open and spray with oil. Then place them in a baking tray face up. Place in the oven and toast for 3 – 5 minutes or until browned/toasted to your liking.

Set a carbon steel or cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. (Honestly, I just used my regular skillet.)

In a bowl, gently mix together ingredients for the burger using your hands – overmixing can make for rubbery, tough burger. Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to evenly make eight 2-ounce sliders.

Spray the pan with oil, then add the patties. As you add the patties, press down on each one to flatten. This is the ONLY time you press down on them while the burger meat is still cold and the “juices” have not warmed to flow yet.

Cook sliders on each side for 3 – 5 minutes or until sear marks appear. Since this is turkey, you want to cook it all the way through, not medium rare or rare like beef. (I used my meat thermometer to check doneness.)

Bring it all together and build the sliders! Add the mayonnaise or your choice of condiment to the sliders. Then add the patties and top with arugula and red onion. Enjoy!

Double-Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

 

This double chocolate smoothie bowl recipe is from Weelicious. The original recipe called for Earth Echo Cacao Bliss Superfood Elixir Blend, which I don’t have, so I used a greens blend with chocolate, and I’m sure you could use cacao too. The recipe below makes 2 servings; adjust as you see fit, and maybe add some protein powder if you’re having it for breakfast.

3 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen cauliflower (I used riced cauliflower, but small florets will work too)
2 scoops chocolate powder of choice (see note above)
2 Tbsp. dairy free chocolate or carob chips or cocoa nibs, divided
1/3 to 1/2 cup lactose-free milk of choice
Optional toppings: dairy free chocolate, carob chips, cocoa nibs, dried coconut, banana slices, raspberries, granola or anything you enjoy

Place ingredients in a blender. Use the tamper to force the mixture to purée.

Spread the mixture into bowls and place desired toppings on top.

Greens with Roasted Squash and Tahini

 

This green salad with roasted squash and tahini by Jenny Rosenstrach was just what I needed! It was very simple, the kind of dish that you can use as a base for what you have on hand. I added a hard-boiled egg for protein, but roasted tofu or chickpeas would have been good, too, if you wanted to keep it vegan! Note that I didn’t have a lot of greens on hand, so used them as a side rather than the focus here.

For the maple-tahini dressing
¼ cup tahini
2 tsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 dash hot sauce
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 to 4 Tbsp. warm water

Whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, olive oil, hot sauce, salt, and 1 tablespoon of warm water (I like shaking things together in a jar). Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches drizzle-able consistency (depending on your tahini, it might seize a bit, but keep adding water and whisking/shaking, and it will loosen).

For the salad
a 14- to 16-lb.delicata squash, halved, seeded, and sliced into moons (you do not have to peel)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. smoked paprika
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large handfuls fresh greens (I used spinach and would love arugula)
2 Tbsp. finely minced red onion
2 Tbsp. dukkah (or, alternatively, use crushed pistachios like I did)

Preheat oven to 425 °F. On a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet, using your hands, toss squash slices with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden. (I find they are more toasted and golden on their undersides; you could flip halfway through if you want, but I never do.) Let cool.

Divide greens between two bowls and season lightly with salt and pepper. Top each with squash slices, minced onions, a nice drizzle of dressing, and a sprinkling of dukkah.

Apple, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Quesadillas

I tried this quesadilla recipe not only because I liked the flavor combinations, but because it was baked in the oven instead of fried in a pan, so I was curious. The original recipe called for 15 minutes at 425 °F, but with some trial and error, I’m recommending 10 minutes at 400 °F instead (like those in the last photo).

8 (8”) flour tortillas
16 oz. lactose-free white cheddar cheese
1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
2 cups spinach (I used arugula)
1 cup caramelized onions

Preheat oven to 400 °F.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Grease the parchment with cooking spray or apply olive oil with a brush.

Working with one tortilla at a time, layer 1 oz cheese, 1/4 cup spinach, 1/8 cup caramelized onions, a few apple slices then 1 oz more cheese onto one half of each of the tortillas.

Fold in half and brush with olive oil. Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Pâtes au pesto de roquette et chou-fleur grillé à l'érable

 

J’ai fait cette recette de pâtes au pesto de roquette et de chou-fleur grillé à l’érable, qui est différente de ce que je fais habituellement, mais c’était très bon. Même que l’Ingénieur m’a fait promettre de l’intégrer aux recettes que je referai à l’avenir!

Pour le chou-fleur grillé à l’érable
1 chou-fleur moyen, en petites fleurettes
3 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive
¼ tasse de graines de citrouille
¼ c. à thé de flocons de piment fort
2 petites gousses d’ail, hachées
3 c. à soupe de câpres, rincées (je ne les ai pas utilisées)
2 c. à soupe de sirop d’érable
½ c. à thé de sel

Pour le pesto de roquette
1 tasse de feuilles de roquette bien tassées
1 tasse de feuilles de persil italien bien tassées
½ tasse d’huile d’olive
jus et zeste de 1 petit citron bien lavé
3 gousses d’ail hachées
1 tasse de graines de citrouille grillées
1 c. à thé de sel

Pour les pâtes et la garniture
340 g (12 oz.) de spaghettis, sans gluten si nécessaire
roquette
zeste de citron
fleur de sel
poivre
1 pincée de flocons d’érable


Pour le chou-fleur grillé à l’érable
Préchauffer le four à 425 °F et placer la grille au centre. Tapisser 1 ou 2 plaques à cuisson de papier parchemin.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients du chou-fleur grillé. Étendre sur la plaque à cuisson en prenant soin de bien espacer le chou-fleur de manière à ce qu’il grille bien. Utiliser 2 plaques au besoin.

Cuire au four 25 minutes et terminer par 2 minutes à broil. Réserver.

Pour le pesto de roquette
Déposer tous les ingrédients du pesto dans un mélangeur ou un robot et mixer jusqu’à l’obtention d’une purée lisse. Réserver.

Pour l’assemblage
Dans une grande casserole d’eau bouillante salée, cuire les pâtes selon le temps indiqué sur l’emballage. Prélever ½ tasse d’eau de cuisson des pâtes. Égoutter les pâtes.

Dans la même casserole, mélanger les pâtes avec le pesto et l’eau de cuisson. Servir avec le chou-fleur grillé et garnir de roquette, de zeste de citron, de fleur de sel et d’une pincée de flocons d’érable.

Golden Glow Flourless Turmeric Muffins

Y’all, I have been trying new muffin recipes here, and not reaping much success. It’s just an easy thing to make for breakfast, you know? But the recipes I was trying (they were relatively low in carbs) just weren’t cutting it. I mean, they were fine, but there wasn’t one I wanted to make again. From Tous à table!, I tried the banana-poppy seed muffins, the fall muffins, and the coconut muffins stuffed with raspberries. From Famille futée 4, I tried the chocolate butternut muffins. Nothing to write home about.

Then, I came across these one-bowl turmeric flourless muffins that were actually good enough to write about. And to make again! I made these in a silicone muffin pan and they unmolded without any issues.

2 ⅓ cups almond or oat flour (I used 315 g. almond flour)
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
⅛ tsp. freshly ground pepper (to activate the turmeric)
⅓ cup melted coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan
2 large eggs
⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ cup dairy-free chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir in the dry ingredients until well incorporated.

Add the chocolate chips, stirring to combine.

Fill each section of a greased, 12-section muffin tin (see note above) with roughly ¼ cup batter. Sprinkle the tops with chocolate chips, then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then cool the rest on a cooling rack.

10-Minutes Sheet-Pan Steak with Lemon Zucchini

I’ve adapted this 10-minutes sheet pan steak and zucchini recipe, and it was awesome! I will definitely have to make this again. I’d also consider serving the zucchinis in a raw salad with lemon and parmesan. I used 2 tablespoon of oil on the steak and 2 tablespoons with the zucchini slices.

1 ½ lb. (650g) sirloin steak, sliced against the grain
2-3 medium zucchinis, sliced in half moons
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce (or coconut amino if you’re strictly paleo)
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce (or any hot chili sauce you like; I used much less)
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp. fresh oregano
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup chopped parsley, for garnish

Combine soy sauce, garlic powder, olive oil, and hot sauce in a shallow plate to make the marinade. Add the steak strips into the marinade and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour.

Arrange zucchini slices in a shallow plate and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh oregano, and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Toss to combine and marinate in the fridge.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 500 °F on grill or broiler mode. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I set my rack at the second highest setting.)

Spread drained marinated steak strips and zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, until zucchini is crisp-tender and steak is cooked through. (I did 10 minutes for the steak and 5 minutes for the zucchini.)

In the meantime, you can cook the remaining marinade in a small saucepan, to drizzle over after cooking.

Remove steak and zucchini from the oven and drizzle with cooked marinade over top and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and red chili pepper flakes. Serve the sheet pan steak and lemon zucchini immediately. Enjoy!

Brownie Baked Oatmeal with Avocado Frosting

 

I get bored if I always eat the same thing, and breakfast can be particularly challenging. This brownie baked oatmeal with avocado frosting was a nice change!

You know my position on chocolate and mint, so I used fresh mint instead of peppermint extract, and that’s what I’m writing below.

The original recipe does say you can swap out the zucchini with the same amount of another grated fruit or vegetable, or with 1/3 cup of purée (like pumpkin or banana, or the rest of the avocado).

For the oatmeal
½ cup peeled and diced zucchini
scant 1/3 cup lactose-free milk of choice, or water
½ cup rolled oats
½ tsp. vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
4 tsp. cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt

For the avocado frosting
1/3 of a ripe avocado (I probably used ½)
1 Tbsp. milk of choice
fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tsp. maple syrup (can add more to suit your tastes)
a few spinach leaves (optional, for green color)

Preheat the oven to 350 °F and spray a single-serving ramekin with non-stick spray.

Purée all ingredients for the oatmeal together in a food processor. If it's too dry, add more milk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches a nice batter consistency. If it's too watery, add a little bit of oats. (It should not be as thick as cookie dough.)

Transfer mixture to prepared ramekin. Transfer to the ramekin and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until it no longer looks “wet” on top.

As the oatmeal is cooling down, prepare the frosting: dump all ingredients in a small food processor or blend with an immersion blender (that is what I did). Taste and adjust sweetener as you see necessary. Frost oatmeal only once it has completely cooled (you can either spread the frosting on top or use a piping bag).

Bouchées de pain de viande à la plaque

J’ai adapté cette recette du livre Famille futée 4 (Geneviève O’Gleman et Alexandra Diaz). Nous avons tous beaucoup aimé ce plat, surtout le Petit Prince! Nous en avons eu assez pour 2 repas, mais avec un appétit un peu plus gros avec cette quantité de viande, ça ferait plutôt 4 portions.

1 ½ lb. de pommes de terre grelots, coupées en 2 ou en 4 selon la grosseur
1 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive
sel et poivre, au goût
2 lb. de bœuf haché extra-maigre
1 œuf
½ tasse de chapelure de blé entier à l’italienne
1 boîte de 6 oz. de pâte de tomates
1 pincée de flocons de piment fort
12 lanières de prosciutto (soit 6 tranches coupées en 2)
1 sac de 1 lb. de haricots verts extra-fins surgelés (j’en mettrais la moitié)

Préchauffer le four à 400 °F. Placer la grille au centre du four. Tapisser une grande plaque de cuisson de papier parchemin.

Déposer les pommes de terre sur la plaque. Verser l’huile, saler et poivrer généreusement. Mélanger avec les mains pour enrober les pommes de terre. (J’avoue que je préfère faire ça dans un bol et verser ensuite les pommes de terre sur la plaque.)

Dans un grand bol, mélanger le bœuf, l’œuf, la chapelure, la pâte de tomates et les flocons de piment fort. Saler et poivrer généreusement.

Diviser en 12 parts sans trop façonner et les déposer sur la plaque, entre les pommes de terre. Placer une lanière de prosciutto sur chaque part de viande, sans la recouvrir parfaitement (j’ai enrobé mes parts de viande). Presser légèrement.

Cuire au four 25 minutes.

Ajouter les haricots sur la plaque, autour de la viande. Poursuivre la cuisson de 5 à 7 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les haricots soient chauds.