Beet and Chocolate Chip Muffins

I don’t always try to make healthy breakfasts. I mean, I made this bread pudding with chocolate chunks and custard sauce, but neither one of my kids liked it, for God’s sake! I don’t know if it was opposite day or what… But then I decided to make these coconut and date muffins that secretly have cauliflower in them. I was initially very put off by them, because the whole kitchen stank of cauliflower as they were baking, and I felt like I could really taste it. BUT, I froze half of the batch, and I have to say that when I got around to eating those muffins, even after warming them up in the microwave, they were quite good and I didn’t taste the cruciferous vegetable. It’s still not my favorite way to hide it (I think the savory cauliflower cake wins that hands down), but it was an interesting experiment.

The Engineer asked me to make apple muffins, so I made these with grated apple and no raisins, but they weren’t that great, and were not what he had in mind anyway. I’m still not sure what he had in mind. By that point, I wanted some great muffins, so I made these chocolate chip zucchini muffins from Kristine’s Kitchen, and they were perfect. They’re *so* pretty and are delicious to boot, the perfect combo!


We each had two, including the kids, and the Little Prince asked me to make them again. But, you know, I’ve already got similar recipes on here, I was embarrassed to share yet another one. And then I remembered something I had read in Parents magazine: switch things up by using raw grated beets instead of zucchini in bread and muffin recipes. Huh.


I tried it in my banana zucchini chocolate chip muffins, and it works! That being said, I really love the recipe from Kristine’s Kitchen, so I made it again with beets and I’ve adapted that one below. Note that you can also throw in a handful of rolled oats as a topping if you feel so inclined.

1 ½ cups peeled and grated raw beet (or zucchini, unpeeled and grated)
1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk substitute (i.e., 1 Tbsp. lemon juice + enough lactose-free milk to make 1 cup)
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine, melted and cooled slightly
½ cup chocolate chips (miniature will do)

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Grease a muffin tin and set aside.

If you are grating a fresh beet on the top, you probably won’t need to squeeze any liquid out of it. In my case, I was using grated beet that had been frozen and thawed, so I used paper towels to squeeze out the excess liquid. If you are using zucchini, squeeze out the liquid as well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, honey, egg, vanilla, and melted butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix gently with a wooden spoon until almost combined. Fold in the grated beets and chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin (I like using an ice cream scoop for this). Top each muffin with a few extra chocolate chips or rolled oat flakes, if desired. Bake at 400 °F for 5 minutes, and then reduce oven temperature to 350 °F. Continue baking for 10-12 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing onto a wire rack.

Brownies sans produits céréaliers ni laitiers

J’ai encore essayé de nouvelles recettes de brownies. D’abord une recette de Juliette Brun, mais je les ai malheureusement trouvés trop… moelleux, trop fudgy. Ce n’était pas ce qu’il me fallait. J’ai ensuite décidé d’essayer les brownies sans produits céréaliers ni laitiers du Tablier du Dimanche. La blogueuse, Marie-Ève Laforte, a dû arrêter de manger du gluten récemment, alors plusieurs de ses recettes les plus récentes sont sans gluten. Ici, les brownies sont faits avec de la poudre d’amandes et de la farine de noix de coco. J’ai pris du chocolat de marque Enjoy Life, qui est sans allergènes.

J’ai changé quelques petits trucs à la recette, notamment l’emploi de pépites de chocolat miniatures au lieu de « standard » (du moins, pour le dernier ¼ tasse) ainsi que l’ordre des ingrédients. De plus, je n’avais pas de sucre de noix de coco ce jour-là, alors j’ai utilisé de la cassonade – si vous faites pareil, je recommande de diminuer la quantité un peu. Enfin, les brownies ont un peu collé au moule. Si vous utilisez un moule comme le mien (un moule à tarte à fond amovible d’environ 4"x13"), je vous recommande de le saupoudrer de cacao après l’avoir graissé. Si vous utilisez un moule standard (un moule carré de 8"x8"), vous pouvez le recouvrir de papier parchemin graissé. J’ai adoré le résultat, quand même, et je trouvais ça original de faire des brownies dans un moule à tarte allongé!

Ces brownies sont délicieux. Ils ont le dessus luisant et craquelé que j’adore, avec une texture agréable, en plus de convenir à des gens qui ont certaines restrictions alimentaires. À refaire!


1/3 de tasse de poudre d’amandes
2 c. à soupe de farine de noix de coco
2 c. à soupe de cacao
1 tasse de sucre de noix de coco ou de sucre d’érable (voir note plus haut)
3 œufs
2 c. à soupe de café, légèrement refroidi
1 c. à thé de vanille
½ tasse + 2 c. à soupe d’huile de coco
1 tasse + ¼ tasse de brisures de chocolat miniatures (voir note plus haut)

Préchauffer le four à 325 °F. Graisser un moule à brownies carré (8"x8") ou allongé (4"x13"); le saupoudrer de cacao et réserver.

Dans un bol, mélanger ensemble la poudre d’amandes, la farine de noix de coco, le cacao et le sucre de noix de coco; ajouter ensuite les œufs, le café et la vanille et battre jusqu’à consistance lisse. (On peut le faire à la main ou avec un batteur électrique.)

Dans un bol allant au micro-ondes (moi je l’ai fait dans un bain-marie), verser l’huile de coco et 1 tasse de brisures de chocolat. Chauffer à puissance élevée à coups de 30 secondes, en mélangeant bien chaque fois. Tout au plus 1 minute 30 devraient être nécessaires pour faire complètement fondre le chocolat.

Incorporer le mélange de chocolat dans le premier bol et bien mélanger.

Ajouter le reste des brisures de chocolat et bien les répartir.

Verser la préparation dans le moule et cuire pendant environ 35 minutes dans le moule 4"x13", ou environ 50 minutes pour le moule carré 8"x8". Plutôt que de se fier complètement au temps, il faut plutôt vérifier les brownies : ils sont prêts quand ils se détachent légèrement des bords et qu’un cure-dent inséré au milieu ressort avec quelques miettes (ni liquide, ni complètement propre). Laisser refroidir avant de démouler et de couper en morceaux.

Gâteau danois à la courge

Il s’agit ici d’une recette de Ricardo pour un gâteau danois (nommé coffee cake par les Américains), c’est-à-dire un gâteau recouvert d’un croustillant à base de farine, de cassonade et de pacanes. Et voilà, je viens d’un coup de corriger deux termes mal traduits sur le site de Ricardo. Comme quoi on n’a pas besoin de se casser le bicycle pour parler français. ;)

Nous avons tous aimé cette recette! (Mais j’ai quand même enlevé les noix pour le Renard.) C’est un gâteau qui se mange aussi bien pour dessert que comme collation. Et si je n’essayais pas de donner le bon exemple à mes enfants, j’en aurais mangé pour déjeuner aussi!

Pour la purée de courge, il vous faudra une petite courge butternut. Ma méthode est de la couper en quatre (j’enlève le bout du haut et le bout du bas, je coupe en deux sur le sens de la largeur puis en deux sur le sens de la longueur), de la vider et de la peler, puis de la faire rôtir au four environ 50 minutes à 400 °F. Je passe ensuite la chair au robot pour en faire de la purée.

Pour le croustillant
½ tasse (105 g.) de cassonade, légèrement tassée
½ tasse (75 g.) de farine tout-usage (j’ai pris de la farine de blé blond)
½ tasse (50 g.) de pacanes grillées, concassées
¼ tasse (55 g.) de sucre
2 c. à thé de cannelle moulue
½ c. à thé de sel
1/3 tasse (environ 5 c. à soupe) de beurre sans lactose ou de margarine, ramolli

Pour le gâteau
2 tasses de farine tout-usage (j’ai pris de la farine de blé blond)
1 ½ c. à thé de poudre à pâte
½ c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude
½ c. à thé de sel
½ tasse (8 c. à soupe) de beurre sans lactose ou de margarine, ramolli
1 ¼ tasse (265 g.) de cassonade légèrement tassée
2 œufs
½ tasse de lait sans lactose
1 ½ tasse de purée de courge butternut

Pour le croustillant
Placer la grille au centre du four. Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Beurrer généreusement un moule à cheminée à fond amovible.

Dans un bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients secs. Ajouter le beurre et mélanger du bout des doigts jusqu’à ce qu’il ait été absorbé et que la texture soit grumeleuse. Réserver.

Pour le gâteau
Dans un autre bol, mélanger la farine, la poudre à pâte, le bicarbonate de soude et le sel.

Dans un grand bol, crémer le beurre avec la cassonade au batteur électrique. Ajouter les œufs et mélanger jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit homogène. Ajouter le mélange de farine en alternant avec le lait. À l’aide d’une spatule, incorporer la courge. Répartir la moitié de la pâte dans le moule. Parsemer de la moitié du croustillant. Répéter avec la pâte et le croustillant.

Cuire au four 1 h 10 min ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dents inséré au centre du gâteau en ressorte propre. Laisser refroidir sur une grille. Passer une fine lame entre la paroi du moule et le gâteau avant de démouler.

Salade de légumes-racines rôtis

Voici une recette de Coup de Pouce que j’ai faite juste après l’Action de grâces – remarquez que ça aurait été aussi bon dans le temps des fêtes, ou pas mal n’importe quand en hiver, parce qu’on n’est pas obligé d’attendre une occasion festive pour la manger! Pour la servir aux enfants, j’en ai fait une version déconstruite, avec tous les éléments les uns à côté des autres dans l’assiette, et un peu de vinaigrette pour tremper. Il y avait donc au moins un ou deux éléments qu’ils aimaient assez pour en manger. Moi, j’ai adoré; c’est le genre de choses que j’aime pour dîner. À noter que les quantités donnent un énorme saladier plein, alors si vous la faites juste pour votre petite famille, pensez à réduire les quantités – mais moi je trouvais ça plus pratique d’utiliser toute la courge, tout le chou-fleur, etc. J’ai aussi modifié légèrement la recette de vinaigrette; la version ci-dessous est la mienne.

Pour la salade
1 oignon rouge, coupé en tranches fines
2 tasses de courge butternut coupée en tranches
12 carottes, coupées en deux sur le sens de la longueur (j’ai fait de plus petits morceaux)
2 tasses de chou-fleur défait en petits bouquets
¼ tasse d’huile d’olive
¼ tasse de raisin secs
½ tasse de raisins rouges coupés en deux (j’en ai mis plus)
3 tasses de jeunes épinards
¼ tasse de noix de pin grillées
sel et poivre, au goût

Préchauffer le four à 425 °F.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger l’oignon, la courge, les carottes, le chou-fleur et l’huile. Saler et poivrer. Étendre les légumes sur 2 plaques de cuisson huilées (et recouvertes de papier parchemin, pour faciliter le nettoyage). Cuire au four pendant 30 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient dorés et tendres.

Mettre les légumes dans un plat de service. Ajouter les raisins secs, les raisins rouges, les épinards et les noix de pin. Arroser de la vinaigrette au cari chaude (recette ci-dessous).

Pour la vinaigrette au cari
½ tasse d'huile de tournesol (j’avais de l’huile de carthame ou de pépins de raisins)
1 c. à soupe de poudre de cari (j’en prends toujours une version douce)
2 gousses d’ail
1 c. à soupe de moutarde à l’ancienne
¼ tasse de vinaigre de riz

Dans une casserole, chauffer à feu moyen l’huile de tournesol et la poudre de cari. Réserver.

Dans un bol, à l’aide d’un pied-mélangeur, réduire en purée les gousses d’ail, la moutarde à l’ancienne et le vinaigre de riz. Verser en un mince filet l’huile chaude sur la préparation à l’ail et à la moutarde.

Mélanger jusqu’à ce que la sauce soit épaisse et crémeuse. (La vinaigrette se conserve au réfrigérateur; réchauffer au micro-ondes avant d’utiliser. Donne environ 1 tasse.)

Mini-quiches for the lunchbox

I bought a recipe book last summer, in the hopes it would give me ideas for what to put in my son’s lunchbox, but I think the more I use it, the more I realize I probably should have just left it on the shelf. It did have a recipe for mini-quiches, but the quantities for the filling were way off (2 eggs for 12 muffin-sized quiches? really!?!) and the crust diameter for each quiche was much too small (getting baked egg out of a muffin tin is a fruitless endeavor; even if you succeed, the coating of the tin will come off with it, so nobody wins). I liked the idea, though, so I then tried this crustless version made with cottage cheese and flour, which calls for parchment paper liners in the muffin pan – a lifesaver! Unfortunately, the Little Prince didn’t like these, though the Fox and I did.

I decided to google a good recipe and ended up with this one from Culinary Hill. The recipe makes 24 muffin-sized mini-quiches, which is perfect for me because I can make one batch and have enough to feed both kids for a few days AND put some in the freezer for another time. (To reheat frozen mini-quiches, bake for 5-10 minutes at 400 °F, or microwave for 2 minutes.) You can also serve them for breakfast or brunch, obviously, and they are highly customizable depending on your tastes and what you have on hand. I made a quiche Lorraine version, which was *very* well received by everyone.

The thing I want to warn you about is this: in order to bake these in standard muffin tins without ruining said tins, you need to cut rounds of dough that are AT LEAST 3 5/16th of an inch in diameter – DO NOT go any smaller! You could even go up to 4 inches. This means that you get fewer than the recipe called for – I got about 10 rounds from each pie crust, whereas the recipe called for 12 rounds sized 3” each. This leaves you with two options: a) use 3 pie crusts (storebought or homemade), or b) supplement with, or use exclusively, parchment paper muffin liners. The latter can take almost twice as much filling as the crusts, but in my case, they were done baking at the same time, so it was perfect. (Starting with 2 pie crusts, I made 21 rounds of dough that were 3 5/16th inch in diameter and then used 3 parchment paper liners, for a total of 24 mini-quiches.)

12 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup lactose-free milk
salt and pepper, to taste
3 pie crusts, thawed (see note above)
8 oz. diced cooked ham
8 oz. shredded lactose-free cheddar cheese (or swiss)
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Place the oven rack on the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 °F. Grease two muffin tins.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.

Unroll one pie crust. With a 3 5/16th inch biscuit cutter (or larger), cut as many rounds of dough as you can (reroll leftover dough to cut more). I got about 10 from each pie crust with the smaller size. Repeat with the other pie crust. Press each small round of dough into the indentations of the prepared muffin tins. If you do not have 24 small rounds of dough, use parchment paper liners for the rest. (This should only happen if you have 2 crusts instead of 3.)

Place 1 tablespoon each of ham and cheese into each crust. Divide scallions evenly among the muffin cups. Pour egg mixture evenly over all 24 cups, filling to within ¼-inch of the top of the crust (do be careful not to go over, and keep this in mind as you transfer your muffin tin to the oven as well – no spilling!).

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. (You can always remove one mini-quiche to check that the crust is cooked completely on the bottom.) Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Chocolate Tart

This chocolate tart is vegan and free of refined sugar and gluten, but that’s besides the point. I had first seen it here, but I am not crazy about crusts made out of chopped nuts, so when I saw it again here with a grain-free flour crust, I was in. It just so happened that I had all the necessary ingredients on hand, and since I wanted a gluten-free dessert for Thanksgiving, this was perfect (it would also be perfect for Christmas, just saying). You can easily make it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.

I changed the ingredients a bit, replacing some of the water of the filling with maple syrup, and I’m definitely recommending my way (below). That being said, as in the original recipe, there is too much filling for the crust, so what’s leftover can be refrigerated in ramequins and served as chocolate pudding. I’m sure I could fiddle with the quantities and get it just right, but who has time? I also use CocoWhip instead of making my own whipped coconut topping, because I’m never satisfied with the latter.

For the crust
½ cup (80 g) sweet white rice flour
½ cup (60 g) blanched almond flour
½ cup (45 g) cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. (12 g) tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
¼ cup (50 g) organic granulated cane sugar
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
6 Tbsp. (85 g) cold vegan butter (such as Miyoko’s or Earth Balance), diced into ½” cubes
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ oz dark chocolate, very finely chopped or grated

For the filling
1 ½ cups (225 g) raw cashews, soaked in cool water for 4-12 hours (or covered in boiling water and soaked 1-2 hours)
¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. (10 g) finely ground chia seed (use a spice grinder)
1 cup maple syrup
¾ cup water
1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup + 2 Tbsp. (130 g) melted extra-virgin coconut oil

For the assembly
1 container of CocoWhip
pomegranate arils
dark chocolate shavings


For the crust
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 °F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sweet rice and almond flours with the cocoa powder, tapioca starch, sugar, and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and drizzle with the vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to medium-low and run until the dough comes together in clumps and the butter is worked through, 3–5 minutes. (It will seem as though the dough won’t come together, but don’t worry – it will!)

Dump about half of the crumbs into a 5x13-inch rectangular loose-bottom tart pan (or 9-inch round tart pan) and press evenly into the sides of the pan. Add the remaining crumbs and press evenly into the bottom – it usually takes me a few minutes to make it look pretty.

Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips and bake until slightly puffed and firm to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and, while it’s still hot, press the sides and bottom with the back of a spoon. (This will help it hold together when cool.) While the crust is still hot, scatter the chocolate in the bottom and let sit a few moments to melt. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the chocolate over the bottom and sides of the crust. Let cool completely.

For the filling
In the bowl of a blender (preferably high-speed, like a Vitamix) or food processor, combine the soaked and drained cashews, cocoa powder, ground chia seed, maple syrup, water, salt, and vanilla. Blend until very smooth, starting on low and gradually increasing to high, about 2 or 3 minutes in a high-speed blender and longer if needed. Add the coconut oil and blend briefly until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust; you’ll have about a cup left over to chill and eat as pudding. Chill the tart until firm, at least 4 hours and up to a day or two.

For the assembly
When ready to serve, remove the sides from the tart pan and place the tart on a serving board or platter. Top with CocoWhip and sprinkle with pomegranate arils and dark chocolate shavings (optional). To serve, use a large, sharp chef’s knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts to cut the tart into slices or wedges and serve. The tart will keep, refrigerated airtight, for up to several days.

More knitting from the stash

I did my best to use up some more yarn in my stash before starting another large project. I had one last skein of yarn from the Alaskan Yarn Company - it’s a sock yarn, and I believe the colorway is Denali Autumn (it looks like this). I decided to make the Sockhead Cowl, because a) the pattern was free, and b) it uses up the whole skein. At first, I wanted to make it slouchier, so I cast on more stitches than called for, but I then decided that it didn’t work. I had made enough ribbing on the first edge to satisfy me (on the right in the photo below), but then there wasn’t enough yarn to finish it symmetrically, and the stockinette part was too short as well. Plus, the way the colors lined up with my variegated yarn wasn’t pleasing.


So I cast on again with the number of stitches called for in the pattern, and it turns out it isn’t as tight as I feared, so that’s a relief. The color pattern still isn’t my favorite when it’s laid flat, but it’s better than before, and anyway it doesn’t lay flat when I wear it, so there’s that. I also learned new techniques for casting on and binding off, in a way that makes the edge particularly stretchy, and I love learning a new trick when I knit. The rest of the pattern was pretty mindless, perfect to do when watching television. I think I’ll wear this cowl when I go to Canada for the holidays!



Then, I had to finish up my two skeins of green Rowan yarn, and I couldn’t find any pattern I liked. I decided to buy two skeins in a coordinating color (green teal) so that I could make the Tide Pools sweater in size 4T. I thought that if I changed the stripes pattern a bit and alternated 2 rows of each color, instead of 4 rows in the main color and 2 rows in the contrasting color, I’d have enough yarn. This is knit top down, so once I had finished the body, I knit up the collar and button bands in the main color, then weighed what I had left in order to divide it evenly between the sleeves. Well, I had a measly 11 grams left in my main color!


I figured I’d switch things up and use the contrasting color to knit the sleeve edges, but even then, the first sleeve was so short after using up 5 grams of the green that I knew I wouldn’t be happy with the sweater. I needed to get more green yarn, or frog it and start over in a smaller size. I sent an email to Jimmy Beans Wool, where I buy most of my yarn, and asked whether, by any chance, they still had a skein if green yarn left from the same dye lot. And miracle of miracles, they did! So I bought it and was able to complete the sweater, with long sleeves and green sleeve edges. I’m happy with how I did the color switch in the round, and hopefully it’ll show even less after a proper blocking. (The buttons were left over from the Gramps Cardigan.) I still have a bit of green and green teal left, so I’m adding that to the stash and hopefully I’ll get around to making fairisle hats one day!

F*ck it, this is my meatloaf

So, I’ve been trying to make a meatloaf of which I can be proud, to no avail. I started with my grandmother’s recipe, which my mother makes as well. It’s always been good, but when I make it, it falls apart when I slice it, even when I use 2 eggs instead of 1 (as my grandmother and mother recommend for this specific reason). So eventually I tried this recipe from Pip & Ebby, called “Best Ever Meatloaf.” It specifically calls for lean meat (90% lean), there’s apricot preserves in the sauce, and the panade is made with Ritz crackers. Are you sold yet?

It was absolutely delicious, but it *still* fell apart, even though I was careful to let it rest 15 minutes after baking, as the recipe recommended. So I made it again, increasing the panade slightly (from 2 dozen Ritz crackers to a whole sleeve, which is just easier) and using fattier meat (85% lean, 15% fat) to help keep it together. This time, I had to drain the meatloaf at the halfway point in the baking time, before topping it with the sauce. It was delicious, but still crumbled. I mean, after spending a day in the fridge, it was fine, but who wants that? I *could* make it a day ahead, but I feel like a meatloaf recipe should be eaten the day of, warm from the oven.



I read refresher articles like how to make meatloaf (it’s not rocket science!), ?), listened to Spilled Milk’s episode on meatloaf, guest-starring J. Kenji López-Alt, and then I read his recipe on Food Lab. I also used Google to find this detailed article on how to keep meatloaf from falling apart: knead the meat but not too much, salt properly, use panade, add an egg, pack it more tightly in the pan, let it rest after baking – I do all of that – then use gelatin and use different types of meat, like pork, which has more myosin.

So I halved the amount of milk in the panade and added gelatin to it, still using 85% lean beef and adding parchment paper in the pan. The meatloaf was better, especially after a day in the fridge, but still too crumbly (my notes include the acronym FFS, to give you an idea of how annoyed I was). Last week, I made one last try, using 90% lean pork and 90% lean beef in a 50-50 ratio. I made the mixture in the morning and let it rest in the fridge all day before baking it. Here’s the verdict:

This is how I will make my meatloaf from now on. It’s not perfect, but it is certainly good enough! The slices were a bit fragile, but held together, and I’m satisfied with it (especially considering that I had forgotten to line the pan with the gorram parchment paper, so unmolding was tricky). Without further ado, here is my recipe, adapted from Pip & Ebby.


For the meatloaf
½ cup lactose-free milk
1 packet gelatin
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. lean ground pork
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (from 1 sleeve of crackers)
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup ketchup
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder

For the sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¾ cup ketchup
¼ cup apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 5”x9” pan; line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 sides, and grease again. Set aside.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk, mix a bit, and set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, crackers, eggs, milk mixture, ½ cup ketchup, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix together with your hands until thoroughly combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 1 ½ hours.

In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Spread the mixture evenly over the meatloaf halfway through baking. Let meatloaf sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bubbie Gilda's Latkes

When I cook, I’m always very careful to keep my cookbooks away from my work surface. This means more back-and-forth between the book and the actual work being done, sure, but that way I get to keep my book clean. I even have a book holder with a splashguard. I’m the kind of person who always takes care of her books, not cracking the spine, not bending the pages, not writing in them… That being said, when I opened Second Helpings, Please! to make Bubbie Gilda’s latkes last December, the page was completely covered in splatters, and… I loved it. It makes me feel connected to family history, knowing that she stood at her counter with this book and made these same latkes year after year. Hanukkah is starting this weekend – I hope you get to make latkes! This recipe makes about 2 dozen.



6 potatoes
1 small onion
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup flour
1 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. baking powder

Peel and grate potatoes and onion; drain well (I have a dedicated dishcloth for squeezing liquid out of potatoes when I make latkes). Blend in remaining ingredients. Drop from a spoon into hot oil and brown on both sides, turning only once. Serve with applesauce or lactose-free sour cream.