Saturday, March 16, 2024

Tarte au chocolat blanc caramélisé et aux clémentines

 


J’ai fait cette magnifique tarte au chocolat blanc caramélisé et aux clémentines de Ricardo pour clore le temps des fêtes. C’était délicieux! (Et puis c’est drôle, parce que je pensais à Chère Sœur et à sa maisonnée, qui sont amateurs de chocolat blanc; je me trouvais justement chez eux le lendemain, et ils ont fait les bonbons aux patates de Ricardo, qui étaient aussi sur ma liste! Très sucrés, un peu comme l’intérieur des œufs Cadbury, mais vraiment très bons!)


Pour cette recette, ça vaut la peine d’acheter un chocolat blanc végétalien, pour éviter le lactose. J’ai fait caraméliser le chocolat blanc pendant 30 minutes (au lieu de 40) et j’ai trouvé ça un peu trop brun à mon goût; je le ferais moins longtemps la prochaine fois.

Pour faire les meringues, il faudrait tracer des cercles sur l’envers d’un papier parchemin, ce serait mieux que de les faire à main levée comme moi! Je trouve que les miennes étaient un peu trop grosses. Bien sûr, une fois que les meringues sont sur la tarte, elles vont ramollir. C’est très joli pour décorer, mais si vous allez manger la tarte sur quelques jours, il vaut mieux conserver les meringues dans un contenant hermétique à la température de la pièce.

Quant à la garniture, je pense que je m’en tiendrais à des arilles de grenade au lieu du sarrasin caramélisé. Ce serait plus simple, plus joli et plus è mon goût, mais c’est tout-à-fait subjectif.


Pour les meringues au cacao
160 g (¾ tasse) de sucre
3 blancs d’œufs, tempérés
1 c. à soupe de cacao, tamisé

Pour la croûte au chocolat
150 g (1 tasse) de farine tout usage non blanchie
25 g (¼ tasse) de cacao, tamisé
¼ c. à thé de sel
115 g (½ tasse ou 1 bâton) de beurre sans lactose, ramolli
45 g (1/3 tasse) de sucre à glacer
2 jaunes d’œufs, tempérés

Pour le crémeux au chocolat blanc caramélisé
250 g (9 oz) de chocolat blanc sans lactose, haché
2 c. à thé de gélatine
3 c. à soupe d’eau froide
2 tasses de crème sans lactose

Pour le sarrasin caramélisé (voir note plus haut)
1 c. à soupe de miel
45 g (¼ tasse) de sarrasin grillé (kasha)

Pour la garniture
3 clémentines


Pour les meringues au cacao
Placer la grille au centre du four. Préchauffer le four à 200 °F. Tapisser une plaque de cuisson d’un tapis de silicone ou de papier parchemin. (Je vous dirais même de tracer vos cercles sur l’envers du papier parchemin, pour pouvoir faire des meringues de la bonne taille.)

Dans la partie supérieure d’un bain-marie, chauffer le sucre et les blancs d’œufs en remuant au fouet jusqu’à ce que le sucre soit dissous. Retirer le bol du bain-marie.

Fouetter la préparation de blancs d’œufs au batteur électrique jusqu’à ce que la meringue soit complètement refroidie et jusqu’à l’obtention de pics fermes (l’utilisation du batteur sur socle facilite l’exécution de cette étape). Incorporer le cacao en fouettant de nouveau.

Transvider la meringue dans une poche à pâtisserie munie d’une douille unie. Façonner de petites meringues directement sur la plaque.

Cuire au four 2 heures ou jusqu’à ce que les meringues soient sèches et se décollent facilement. Éteindre le four et laisser sécher 2 heures en laissant la porte du four entrouverte à l’aide d’une cuillère de bois. Retirer du four et laisser refroidir sur la plaque. Les meringues se conservent 3 semaines dans un contenant hermétique à la température ambiante.

Pour la croûte au chocolat
Dans un bol, mélanger la farine, le cacao et le sel.

Dans un autre bol, crémer le beurre et le sucre au batteur électrique. Ajouter les jaunes d’œufs, un à la fois, et mélanger jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit lisse.

À basse vitesse ou à l’aide d’une cuillère de bois, incorporer les ingrédients secs en mélangeant jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit homogène. Répartir la pâte uniformément dans un moule à tarte à fond amovible de 23 cm (9 po) de diamètre et 2,5 cm (1 po) de hauteur. Presser fermement la pâte dans le fond et sur la paroi du moule. À l’aide d’une fourchette, piquer le fond de l’abaisse. Réfrigérer 30 minutes.

Placer la grille au centre du four. Préchauffer le four à 400 °F.

Couvrir la croûte d’une feuille de papier parchemin et y déposer des pois secs (ou de céramique). Cuire au four 18 minutes. Retirer les pois et le papier de la croûte, puis poursuivre la cuisson au four 2 minutes pour bien assécher la croûte. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille. Réduire la température du four à 250 °F.

Pour le crémeux au chocolat blanc caramélisé
Déposer le chocolat sur une plaque de cuisson antiadhésive ou tapissée d’un tapis de silicone.

Cuire au four 40 minutes (je recommande moins longtemps) en prenant soin de bien le mélanger à l’aide d’une spatule toutes les 10 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’il soit de couleur caramel. Transvider le chocolat dans un bol.

Déposer le moule à tarte sur une plaque. Réserver.

Dans un petit bol, saupoudrer la gélatine sur l’eau. Laisser gonfler 5 minutes.

Dans une casserole, porter la crème à ébullition à feu moyen. Retirer du feu. Verser sur le chocolat caramélisé. Ajouter la gélatine et remuer au fouet jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit complètement dissoute. Passer la crème au tamis directement dans la croûte. Réfrigérer 3 heures ou jusqu’à ce que le crémeux soit pris.

Pour le sarrasin caramélisé
Tapisser une plaque de cuisson d’un tapis de silicone ou de papier parchemin.

Dans une petite poêle antiadhésive à feu moyen, cuire le miel de 1 à 2 minutes. Ajouter le sarrasin et mélanger à l’aide d’une cuillère de bois pour bien enrober chaque grain du miel. Répartir le sarrasin sur la plaque. Laisser refroidir complètement. Le sarrasin caramélisé se conserve 1 semaine dans un contenant hermétique à la température ambiante.

Pour le montage
À l’aide d’un zesteur, prélever de longs zestes fins sur les clémentines. Réserver.

Sur un plan de travail, peler à vif les clémentines. Composter les pelures. Lever les suprêmes des clémentines.

Au moment de servir, décorer la tarte de quelques meringues, de sarrasin caramélisé, de zestes et des suprêmes de clémentines.




Ginger Sesame Pineapple Beef

 

I made this ginger sesame pineapple beef a while back, and it was delicious! I mean, it was so good that even the Fox finished his plate.

The recipe calls for homemade sweet Thai chili sauce and gave directions. I used less actual chili sauce than called for, and halved all the amounts and still had enough for the recipe. The quantities below are mine.

The original recipe called this a “20-minute dish” and, while I do not remember how long it took me to make, I do know that it was way more than 20 minutes. Plan accordingly. Serve with rice or your favorite equivalent.

For the homemade sweet Thai chili sauce
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. chili sauce (I used sriracha)
1 tsp. lime zest
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 ½ tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 ½ tsp. grated ginger
1 small clove grated garlic


Shake ingredients together in a glass jar.

For the ginger sesame pineapple beef
1 ½ lbs. ground beef (or chicken or pork; I used 2 lbs. beef)
black pepper and Korean chili flakes
2 Tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup pickled ginger (or 1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger; I used the latter)
1 ½ cups broccoli florets
1 ½ cups fresh pineapple chunks
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
¼ cup Thai chili sauce (see above)
¼ cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 cups cilantro, chopped
½ cup Thai basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts

In a large skillet, combine the beef, black pepper, and chili flakes. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, garlic, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes, until the butter browns and the beef gets crispy.

Mix in the broccoli and ¾ cup pineapple. Pour over the tamari, sweet chili sauce, and 1-2 tablespoons of ginger juice from the pickled ginger. Cook until the sauce coats the beef, 2-3 minutes. Mix in the green onions and sesame seeds. Remove from the heat.

In a bowl, toss ¾ cup pineapple chunks with the cucumbers, cilantro, basil, lime juice, and peanuts.

Serve the beef and broccoli over bowls of rice. Top with the pineapple herb salad. Add the chopped green onions, and if desired. Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

Zotter Chocolate

I tried some chocolates from Zotter Chocolate a few months ago, and I went back for more. They are an organic, fair-trade, bean-to-bar company and they have a lot of options that are vegan (ergo, lactose-free) and/or low-sugar. 


Their classic dark chocolate was really, really good. A great flavor, and very smooth – that is clearly quality stuff! 



The fruit-sweetened chocolate was too bitter for me, but I liked the maple sugar one. I also tried their candied ginger in coconut couverture, which was delightful, though I wouldn’t call it chocolate. Still good! 



For Christmas, I tried a few seasonal bars: coconut marzipan (in which the coconut was a bit too flaky for me); a tangerine, matcha and coconut bar (which was delightful); and holiday cheer, which was a cranberry ganache covered in dark chocolate. I loved that one! I also got a raspberry-coconut candy bar, which was made with vegan white chocolate and dried fruit powder. It was very pink and had a bright fruity flavor, which was sweet but not overpoweringly so. 





All in all, I really enjoy Zotter chocolates!

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Black-and-White Sesame Tarts

 



Several years ago, I read an article about the restaurant Elske in Bon Appétit, and immediately noticed the recipe for black-and-white sesame tarts. It’s more involved than I typically go for, and black sesame paste remains a specialty ingredient, but since I had bought some (see black tahini and poppy seed swirls as well as sweet potato and black sesame marble bundt cake), I knew that I had to make these already!

A few words of warning… I couldn’t find halva in stores, so I ended up getting some online; I won’t name the brand, but it was well-rated. However, the consistency was that of brown sugar, not at all what I was expecting! I would have been much better off with something by Hebel & Co, like this awesome peanut butter and chocolate crisp halva cocreated by Molly Yeh. I highly recommend it, I have only good things to say about that one!

I used bittersweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate, and that’s what I wrote below. Also, my black tahini was much stiffer than my white tahini, so I left the black tahini pudding at room temperature before piping it into the tart shells. Finally, a very important detail: I had enough filling to make about 18 tarts, but the recipe says the yield is 12 tarts. Just plan to make extra dough so you can have extra tarts, you won’t regret it!

In short, these tarts are so much work, and they are also so, so good! Worth it.

For the puddings
¼ cup cold water
1 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
4 oz. lactose-free white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup regular (white) tahini
4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup black tahini
kosher salt
1 1/3 cup lactose-free cream
1 cup lactose-free whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
8 large egg yolks

For the tart shells and assembly
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground allspice
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pink kosher salt
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the surface
11 Tbsp. chilled lactose-free butter, cut into pieces
5 oz. halva, crumbled
faky sea salt (I used vanilla fleur de sel)


For the puddings
Place water in a small bowl and evenly sprinkle gelatin over. Let sit until gelatin is softened, 10–12 minutes.

Meanwhile, place white chocolate and regular tahini in a medium bowl, then place dark chocolate and black tahini in another medium bowl. Add a pinch of salt to each bowl and set side by side. Bring cream, milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and a big pinch of salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Vigorously whisk egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar in a third medium bowl until pale yellow and thick.

Remove saucepan from heat and very slowly drizzle about 1 cup hot cream mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk egg mixture into remaining cream mixture in saucepan. Set saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick enough to hold the marks of the whisk, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and add gelatin mixture; whisk until dissolved.

Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl (you should have about 4 cups), then divide between the 2 bowls filled with tahini and chocolate. (If you have a kitchen scale and want to be exact, measure out 12 oz. custard per bowl.) Let warm custard sit on top 5 minutes so the heat slowly melts the chocolate.

Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend white chocolate mixture until smooth and incorporated. Repeat with milk chocolate mixture (no need to wash blender). Cover each one with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface and eliminating air bubbles, and chill puddings until set, at least 4 hours.

Remove puddings from fridge, uncover, and whisk vigorously until smooth. Transfer each pudding to a piping bag; twist ends of bags to seal and secure with rubber bands. Cut off tips to create about a ½"-wide opening on each bag.

Slide both filled bags side by side into a third piping bag. Simultaneously apply slow, even pressure to filled bags to push puddings into third bag in equal amounts so that they are side by side. Slide out filled bags as they empty and you fill the third bag. Once the third bag is about three-quarters full, remove original bags. Twist end of bag with both fillings and secure with a rubber band. Repeat process, emptying original bags into a fourth bag, twist end to close, and secure with a rubber band. Chill bags at least 1 hour to allow pudding to firm up again. (Puddings can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)

For the tart shells and assembly
Beat eggs, egg yolks, and corn syrup in a small bowl with a fork until no streaks remain.

Pulse powdered sugar, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, kosher salt, and 2¾ cups all-purpose flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until largest pieces are the size of a pea. With the motor running, stream in egg mixture; process until dough forms a single mass around the blade.

Transfer dough to a work surface and knead a couple of times to work in dry bits. Divide in half and form each into a ½"-thick disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Let 1 disk of dough sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper dusted with all-purpose flour until 1/8" thick (dust with more flour as you work if needed). If dough becomes difficult to handle, slide onto a baking sheet (with parchment) and chill a few minutes before proceeding.

Here, the original recipe recommended a 4” round cookie cutter, but I recommend 4 ½”. Using cutter, punch out 6 rounds; save scraps for another use. Working one at a time, firmly press rounds into jumbo muffin cups, working into corners and up sides. Press out any creases so pastry is smooth and an even thickness all over. Prick bottoms of crusts in several places with a fork and freeze until firm, 10–15 minutes.

Bake crusts, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat process with remaining disk of dough.

Scatter halvah across bottoms of crusts. Snip a ¾"-wide opening from tip of fuller bag of puddings. Applying slow, even pressure and twisting top of bag as you go, pipe puddings in a swirl pattern to fill each crust; start at edges and work your way toward the center. When pudding runs out, continue with remaining bag. Sprinkle tarts with sea salt just before serving. (Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled. Crusts can be baked 1 day ahead; store tightly wrapped at room temperature.)





Saturday, March 02, 2024

Oatmeal Banana Bread

 


I made these oatmeal pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips and found them alright, but they annoyed me from the start because they were originally billed as “flourless pumpkin muffins” even though the recipe has you put oat flakes in a blender. Which means you’re basically making oat flour, so while the muffins are wheat-free, they don’t qualify as flourless in my opinion. But anyway, I felt like I hadn’t gotten my fill of oatmeal and chocolate chips, so I made oatmeal banana bread with chocolate chips. The kids really liked this one!

(As an aside, as I type this, I can’t help but notice that on the original post, Walmart says one could purchase all the ingredients for US$41.95, which seems absolutely outrageous to me. Obviously, you have to buy a package of flour or cinnamon and then only use a bit for the recipe, but… man, inflation!)

I used 1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour instead of a mixture of all-purpose white and whole wheat flour.

⅔ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup whole-wheat flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. salt
⅔ cup old-fashioned rolled oats plus 1 Tbsp., divided
1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup lactose-free plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
¼ cup canola oil or other neutral oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips (60-70%) plus 1 Tbsp., divided (I would use ½ cup + 1 Tbsp. next time)

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides of the pan.

Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and 2/3 cup oats together in a medium bowl.

Combine banana, brown sugar, yogurt, oil, vanilla and egg in a large bowl; stir until well mixed.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon each chocolate chips and oats. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes (I baked mine 55 minutes and should have baked it a bit longer, but I think I had more banana purée than called for). Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 35 minutes. Using the parchment overhang, remove the bread from the pan and serve.



Turkey Taco Bowls

I made this turkey taco bowl to take on the plane with me in January. It was the first time I was taking a meal with me, but I loved it! The meal itself was great, the avocados were still green, and I also liked being able to have a leisurely connection during which I wasn’t running around looking for, and overpaying for, fast food. This makes about 4 servings. (My dessert was Belvita sandwich cookies with chocolate filling.)

2 Tbsp. oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 lb. ground turkey
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (I use this recipe)
28 oz. diced tomato, drained
2 cups rice, cooked
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn
1 jar salsa
1 lime, sliced into wedges
lactose-free sharp cheddar cheese, grated
fresh cilantro, for garnish
(I added an avocado, cubed and tossed in lemon juice)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened. Remove from pan, set aside.

Add ground turkey to hot skillet. Break apart with a wooden spoon to separate.

Season with taco seasoning, stir, cooking until meat has browned and cooked through.

Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

To assemble the taco bowls, add a base of rice to 4 food storage containers. Top each with a scoop of black beans, corn, salsa, cheddar cheese, cooked peppers and onions, and taco meat. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.

Store in the refrigerator (and enjoy any extras immediately). Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.



Sunday, February 25, 2024

Muffins clémentines, fleur d'oranger et miel

 


Juste après le temps des fêtes, j’ai fait ces muffins clémentine, fleur d’oranger et miel de Julie DesGroseilliers, parce que ce n’est pas très souvent que j’ai des clémentines à la maison! Ils sont relativement santé, avec les graines de chanvre et de lin, en plus du yogourt grec, et ils ne sont pas trop sucrés. Et c’est bien dur de résister au parfum de la fleur d’oranger et des clémentines! Quand ils étaient encore un peu tièdes, leur texture était parfaite, mais ils étaient un peu plus denses le lendemain. À ce moment-là, je les ai trouvés peut-être un peu fades, mais je vous dis que toastés puis beurrés, ou alors servis avec de la confiture orange-canneberges, c’est un vrai délice!

2 clémentines
2 œufs
1/3 tasse d’huile d’olive
1/3 tasse de miel
1/3 tasse de yogourt grec nature sans lactose
¼ tasse d’eau de fleur d’oranger
1 ½ tasse de farine blanche non blanchie
½ tasse de flocons d’avoine à cuisson rapide
¼ tasse de graines de chanvre
¼ tasse de graines de lin moulu
½ c. à soupe de poudre à pâte
¼ c. à thé de sel

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Graisser un moule à muffins en silicone. (J’ai obtenu 14 muffins en tout, alors j’ai essayé aussi des caissettes en papier dans un moule en métal, et je confirme que le moule en silicone est de mise!)

Prélever le zeste des clémentines et déposer dans un mélangeur (ou dans un petit robot culinaire).

Peler les clémentines et déposer les morceaux (sans la pelure) dans le mélangeur.

Ajouter les œufs, l’huile d’olive, le miel, le yogourt et l’eau de fleur d’oranger. Bien mélanger jusqu’à l’obtention d’une texture lisse. Réserver.

Mélanger ensemble le reste des ingrédients. Incorporer les ingrédients liquides et mélanger.

Verser la préparation dans 12 moules à muffins recouverts de caissettes en silicone.

Cuire 23 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les muffins soient cuits et légèrement dorés.



Carbonara Pizza

 


When my family saw this carbonara pizza in Real Simple, they asked me to make it. I followed the instructions the first night, then, based on my experience and feedback from my family, improved on them for the second night. Here is my version, though honestly it’s very similar to my bacon and egg pizza already.

4 oz. diced pancetta or chopped thick-cut bacon
1 lb. fresh pizza dough, at room temperature
all-purpose flour, for dusting
1 cup shredded lactose-free whole-milk mozzarella cheese
¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, plus more for topping
¼ tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for topping
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. chopped chives, for topping

Preheat oven to 450 °F with a rack in lower third position. Do NOT use a pizza stone.

Place pancetta in a large skillet. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until golden and starting to crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Gently stretch dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella and Pecorino Romano, leaving a ¾-inch border around edges. Top with cooked pancetta and sprinkle with pepper.

Bake until crust is puffed but still pale and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place eggs in a small bowl or measuring cup (do not whisk).

Carefully pull rack with pizza out from oven and tip eggs onto center of pizza. Using a fork, carefully spread egg whites over a larger area to help eggs cook evenly. Return to oven and bake until whites are set and yolks are jammy, about 8 minutes.

Break yolks with a spoon and drizzle all over pizza, if desired (I prefer mine a bit more set, so no thank you). Top with chives, Pecorino Romano, and several grinds of pepper.







Apple, Cheddar, and Chicken Melts

 


I made this recipe after the holidays – it’s adapted from The Kitchn. I didn’t feel like making coleslaw, so I used thinly sliced apples; you can also use leftover turkey instead of chicken. And since I don’t think my teeth could handle toasted country bread (did I mention I cracked a crown on Boxing Day?), I used Martin’s potato bread. This is basically a glorified grilled cheese, baked in the oven, and it’s great.

8 (½-inch-thick) slices sourdough bread (from a 9-inch round boule; see note above)
4 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, softened
4 tsp. honey mustard
2 ½ cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 ½ cups grated lactose-free sharp cheddar cheese
1 small Gala apple, cored and cut into matchsticks
4 oz. Brussels sprouts (about 5), finely shredded with a knife or food processor attachment
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, place a baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450 °F.

Spread the butter evenly on one side of each of the 8 slices of bread. Spread the honey mustard on the opposite side of 4 slices of the bread.

Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Place all the bread slices, butter-side down, on the baking sheet. Evenly distribute the shredded chicken among the mustard-spread bread slices, then distribute the cheese on the remaining 4 bread slices.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the slaw.

Combine the apple, Brussels sprouts, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the bread slices with the chicken to a cutting board. Evenly distribute the apple and Brussel sprouts slaw over the chicken. Place the remaining bread slices cheese-side down on top of the slaw to close each sandwich. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.




Miscellaneous product reviews

 Hebel & Co’s peanut butter chocolate crisp halva, which they made in collaboration with Molly Yeh, is fantastic. 10/10, no notes, go buy some and thank me later.





I really like these new protein granolas: Nature Valley Protein Granola (I tried Oats & Honey as well as Oats & Dark Chocolate) and Sola granola (I tried the Maple Pecan Chocolate and the Double Chocolate). They are very good, and one serving of granola plus one serving of Greek yogurt gets me to about 30 grams of protein, which my nutritionist told me is what I should aim for at breakfast. It does help me get to lunch without hunger pangs!




I tried some ramen noodles from immi – the black garlic “chicken” flavor, which I found in a brick-and-mortar store. They are vegan and made from pumpkin seeds, so they are high in protein and low in carbs. As you can see, I did not “get creative” with toppings, but I should have! It was a bit plain on its own (I was expecting something more like a Cup-a-Noodles, which doesn’t need add-ins). That being said, the noodles were good, and this would be a great substitute if I planned it out better!




I also tried IQ Bars, after getting a discount code on a podcast. I originally got a sampler of all their protein bars, and while the Little Prince liked them, I wasn’t crazy about some of the flavors. I’ve since reordered a chocolate lovers variety box, which has peanut butter chip, almond butter chip, and chocolate sea salt. They now have new packaging, too! So, the ingredients overall are good for someone with a metabolic disorder like mine, even though I don’t really enjoy pea protein. Obviously, they contain nuts, so I never put them in the Little Prince’s lunch box, but he has them at home on occasion. It’s probably my favorite protein bar, to be honest, and I like them much more than No Cow.





Trader Joe’s chocolate passport was absolutely delightful! It’s essentially a flight of single-origin dark chocolate bars, and what’s not to love? 10/10, would buy again.



I finally got around to trying Egg Life Wraps, which are made with egg whites and are gluten-free. They are a really great substitute for tortillas! I enjoyed the plain ones with chicken breakfast sausage and sharp cheddar cheese, while the cinnamon ones were good with chocolate hummus. I’ll buy them more often!






Cacao & Cardamom’s Lunar New Year chocolate selection was superb! I just love this company’s confections. The flavors in that box included strawberry Szechuan and black sesame ginger – I unfortunately don’t have a record of the others, because the company stopped printing out the flavors and just sends a QR code now, and since that box was seasonal, there’s no way to access that info anymore. I believe there was a sesame brittle and a green matcha in there. On the bright side, they changed the glue they use for their stickers to make them more easily removable, so the boxes are now reusable! Also, the chocolates were as delicious as ever.



Finally, and this is more of a public service announcement than a recommendation: Cornerstone Wellness has whey protein shakes that are lactose-free, because the whey is micronized! I didn’t really believe it at first, but it turns out I can have them without discomfort. (It is actually normal to have some discomfort the first time you try a new type of protein, but everything should be fine the second time.) This is very convenient for me, since I don’t like the taste of most vegan protein shakes! I tried the Dutch cocoa and the vanilla, and have since bought a small canister of the latter.


[Updated later the same day to add: I forgot to mention Bokksu! My sister gave me the Kawaii Gift Box for my birthday, and it was glorious! What a great way to eat delicious snacks I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise!]




Corn Soup

 


This post has been a long time in the making, because I lost some pictures for it in the great iPhone snafu last year. To sum up, I tried a few different recipes of corn soup: a summery corn soup with miso, which was fine but would have been better puréed like this one; a corn chowder with bacon and potatoes, also fine; and a Chinese corn and chicken soup that… really had potential.

I made that one twice so far; I scaled down to use less corn (3 cups or 16 oz., then 3 cups of broth), and puréed the whole soup without straining (as opposed to puréeing and straining part of it) because it was just easier. Note that recently I used frozen corn instead of fresh, and while it’s different in taste, it’s also very good! I made it with the ham and chicken the first time, then only with the chicken the second time (this is what I’m writing below). I think I would just make it vegetarian next time, and maybe reduce the amount of cornstarch a bit. The egg ribbons are great. This was definitely the best soup of the bunch!

1 (3- to 4-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken thigh, trimmed and cut into ¼” pieces
5 tsp. + ½ cup water, divided
1 tsp. + 3 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs
4 cups chicken broth, divided (see note above)
5-7 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs (5 cups), divided (see note above)
¾ tsp. table salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Combine chicken, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, soy sauce, and baking soda in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature while preparing the other ingredients.

In a liquid measuring cup, beat eggs and 2 teaspoons water with fork until whites and yolks are thoroughly combined and color is pure yellow; set aside.

Mix ½ cup chicken broth and remaining 3 Tbsp. cornstarch in a small bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.

Process 2 ½ cups corn and remaining ½ cup water in blender on low speed until a thick purée forms, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and continue to process until smooth, about 1 minute longer. Strain purée through fine-mesh strainer set over large saucepan. Using the back of a ladle or rubber spatula, push purée through strainer, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.

Add salt, white pepper, remaining 3 ½ cups broth, and remaining 2 ½ cups corn to corn purée. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and add chicken, stirring to break up any clumps. Partially cover and simmer for 5 minutes (broth may look curdled as it comes to simmer). Stir broth-cornstarch mixture to recombine. Add to soup, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until soup has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Holding a fork in one hand and the measuring cup with the egg mixture in the other hand, pour the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream through the tines of the fork in concentric circles over the saucepan until ribbons of coagulated egg form, about 1 minute. Season soup with salt and white pepper to taste. Gently ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with scallion, and serve.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Christmas round-up with a Bûche

Since we spent Christmas at home and were not hosting anyone, I was free to try new-to-me recipes. Cashew nut nog was bad enough that we threw it away, but white hot chocolate is great! (The recipe was printed from Oprah dot com in 2009; it is originally from Martha Stewart, but is not the same as the one on her website currently.) As for Advent calendars, I treated myself to the Mirzam Chocolate Spice Route Advent Calendar – it was great, and I hope they sell it again next year!

White Hot Chocolate
2 cups lactose-free cream
6 cups lactose-free whole milk
12 oz. lactose-free white chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
1 block of dark chocolate, shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler (for garnish)

Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl; set aside. Place cream and milk in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around edges of pan (about 4 minutes); do not boil.

Remove mixture from the flame. Immediately pour over white chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, gently stir to combine.

Whisk in vanilla. Continue whisking until light foam forms. Serve immediately, garnished with chocolate shavings.


For dinner, I decided to make a turkey, and since I was intimidated by brining a whole bird and didn’t want to use up too much maple syrup, I skipped the maple-brined turkey in favor of a maple-glazed turkey with onion-cider gravy from the now-defunct All You magazine. I had to buy a rack for my roasting pan at the last minute, and for the life of me I could not find the baster that I know I didn’t declutter, but it all worked out.

Since I had Brussels sprouts left over from one-pan rosemary chicken, I made up my mind to try one last recipe meant to showcase them. I never got around to posting about Brussels sprouts with bacon and raisins (that I apparently made all the way back in 2016), and you’d think that if I don’t like sprouts that way I’m never going to like them, but then… There was this cream-braised Brussels sprouts recipe on Orangette that, the Engineer and I think, is just the way to go with these. It’s still not my favorite vegetable, but if I have to eat Brussels sprouts, this is definitely the best way to make them! They get caramelized, and the cream helps tame some of the bitterness.

Cream-Braised Brussels Sprouts
1 ¼ lb. small Brussels sprouts
3 Tbsp. lactose-free butter
¼ tsp. coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cup lactose-free cream
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

First, prep the Brussels sprouts. Trim the stem end of each sprout and pull off any ragged or nasty outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half from stem end to tip, and then cut each half in half again. Ultimately, you want little wedges.

In a large (12-inch) skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are nicely browned in spots, about 5 minutes or so. Get some good color here, so that they have a sweetly caramelized flavor.

Pour in the cream, stir to mix, and then cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low or medium low: you want to keep the pan at a slow simmer. Braise until the sprouts are tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife, about 30-35 minutes. The cream will have reduced some and will have taken on a creamy tan color.

Remove the lid and stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Let the pan simmer, uncovered, for a minute or two to thicken the cream to a glaze that loosely coats the sprouts. Serve immediately.




For dessert, I finally got to try a recipe I’d been eyeing in Ashley Rodriguez’s Let’s Stay In: her chocolate peanut butter bûche de Noël with salted peanut caramel. We’ve decided that, as good as it was, we would prefer it with a caramel more like this one and topped with salted peanuts, or no caramel at all. Note that I used Green Valley Organics lactose-free cream cheese, which I had finally found in stock again at Whole Foods, and Silk vegan whipping cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bûche de Noël with Salted Peanut Caramel

For the cake
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the peanut butter mousse
1 lb. 4 oz. (from 2½ 8-oz. packages) lactose-free cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups (500 g) creamy peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup lactose-free cream
¼ tsp. sea

For the chocolate ganache
8 oz. lactose-free cream
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 pinch pf salt
For the salted peanut caramel (see note above)
1 cup sugar
½ cup (6 oz.) Lyle’s Golden Syrup or corn syrup
¼ cup water
1 cup lactose-free cream
4 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, at room temperature
½ vanilla bean, seeds removed (optional)
6 oz. roasted and salted peanuts

For the cake
Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Grease and line a 12x17-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper. Set aside.

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl, then whisk to combine. Set aside.

Add the egg yolks to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy and just starting to shift from lemon yellow to butter yellow. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar in a slow and steady stream. Continue to beat until thick and pale yellow, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the whipped egg yolks to a large bowl, then clean the stand mixer bowl and whisk. Wipe dry, then add the egg whites.

Beat starting on low, then gradually build up the speed so as not to shock the eggs. Once frothy add the salt. Continue to beat until soft peaks form then steadily stream in the remaining 2/3 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the whipped yolks. Gingerly fold the dry ingredients into the whipped eggs. Continue to fold until no streaks remain.

Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cake slowly springs back when pressed.

Lay a piece of parchment paper, as large as the cake, on a clean flat surface. Dust it generously with cocoa powder. In one swift action invert the cake onto the parchment. Peel off the still warm cake’s parchment layer, then dust the cake itself with another generous flurry of cocoa powder.

While the cake is warm and pliable, gingerly roll it up with the parchment. Let the cake cool in this position. While the cake cools, make the mousse (or once cooled, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap then save the next steps for tomorrow).

For the mousse
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and peanut butter. Beat until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar, heavy cream and salt and mix until well combined. (This can be made up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate then bring to room temperature when ready to use.)

For the ganache
Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Watch the pot carefully as cream tends to bubble up and over rather quickly. Add the chocolate to a large bowl then pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let this sit for one minute then whisk to combine. Stir in the salt.

Let the ganache cool until it’s firm enough to easily spread on the cake, about 1 hour. (Ganache can be made up to 1 week in advance; rewarm gently in the microwave or in a saucepan on low heat.)

For the caramel
Combine the sugar, golden syrup and water in a large saucepan. Stir gently to combine, then wash off the sides of the pan, using water and your clean hands to feel if any sugar remains on the side. If stray bits of sugar fall into the caramel, it can cause the caramel to crystallize, so it’s important to make sure all the sugar is in the bottom of the pan mixed with the water.

Set the pan over high heat to bring the sugars to a rolling boil. Continue to cook until the caramel turns copper in color, about 7 to 10 minutes. Carefully add the cream, butter, and vanilla bean, if using. The caramel will immediately seize, but let it come back to a boil. Once the sugar is all melted, stir in the peanuts. Let the caramel cool before serving. (This can be made up to three days in advance. If the caramel is too stiff, you can rewarm in a microwave or in a saucepan to serve. Store caramel in a sealable container.)

To assemble the cake
Carefully unroll the cake from the parchment paper. Add the mousse in an even layer, then roll the cake again. Don’t worry about any cracking or tearing in the cake, as the ganache is there to cover all that up.

Cover the entire cake with plastic wrap tightly, like a giant piece of candy, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Place the cake on your serving platter.

Spread the ganache all over the cake. Cut off the ends at an angle (I forgot to do that) and arrange in a way that resembles a log. Use a fork to create bark-like striping in the ganache.

Serve straight away or cover and refrigerate if you’ve made the cake in advance. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving. Serve with the salted peanut caramel.