I got this recipe in Bon Appétit, where it was called a tempeh bowl with nut butter sauce. I couldn’t find tempeh, but I did find locally made tofu crumbles, so I figured that was close enough! Make sure your tempeh is gluten-free if you are gluten-intolerant. I really enjoyed this lunch. The amounts below make about 4 servings.

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
2 8-oz. packages tempeh (see note above)
4 cups of 1” cubes peeled butternut squash
a 1”-piece of ginger, peeled, finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
¼ cup nut butter (such as peanut or almond)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar, plus more
1 large bunch broccolini, halved lengthwise if thick
4 large eggs
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
mint sprigs (for serving)

Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Cook two 8-oz. packages tempeh until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Let cool slightly; tear into large pieces and set aside.

Wipe out pot and pour in water to come 1" up sides. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover pot and place a large steamer, colander, or mesh sieve inside (bottom should not touch water). Place 4 cups of 1" cubes peeled butternut squash in steamer, cover, and steam until almost tender, 15–20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk one 1”-piece of ginger, peeled, finely grated, 1 garlic clove, finely grated, ¼ cup nut butter (such as peanut or almond), 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar in a small bowl. Gradually pour in warm water, whisking, until sauce is loose enough to drizzle (amount of water will depend on the consistency of your nut butter).

Uncover pot and place 1 large bunch broccolini, halved lengthwise if thick, on top of squash. Re-cover; steam until broccolini is bright green and crisp-tender and squash is tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes.

While the broccolini is steaming, cook 4 large eggs in a large saucepan of boiling water, 8 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Peel, then tear into large pieces and set aside.

Combine squash, broccolini, 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and a little unseasoned rice vinegar; toss to coat.

Divide vegetable mixture among shallow bowls; arrange reserved tempeh and eggs around. Drizzle sauce over and top with mint sprigs.

Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

 

My kids love breakfast sandwiches (the Egg McMuffin type), and I figured there should be a way to make them at home with decent ingredients and for less money than the ones in the freezer section of the grocery store. Enter these microwave prep breakfast sandwiches, which you can make with sausage, bacon, or ham. The quantities below make 5 sandwiches, but I ended up making a dozen sausage sandwiches, since they keep so well in the freezer.

I made some changes, since I didn’t actually want to prep everything in the microwave (I’ll warm up the frozen sandwiches in the microwave, but I won’t cook eggs and meat in there!). So for my version, I used a greased silicone muffin tin for the eggs and baked them at 350 °F for 20 minutes. I left some of them whole and stirred the others right in the tin to mix the whites and yolks, because the Fox doesn’t like egg yolks if he can see them clearly. My sausage patties were already cooked.

2 sausage patties
2 slices ham, quartered
5 eggs
1 splash milk
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 slices of bacon, sliced in half width-wise
5 English muffins, halved
5 slices lactose-free cheddar cheese
fresh spinach

On a large plate, arrange the sausage and the ham in a circle, then place a microwaveable mug in the center. (See the note on prep above – I cannot, in good conscience, recommend cooking eggs in a mug.)

Crack the eggs into the mug, season with salt, pepper, and add a splash of milk. Stir until evenly mixed. Microwave the entire plate for about 2 minutes until the egg is cooked through, making sure it does not bubble over.

Remove the plate and microwave the bacon strips on a separate plate for about 4-7 minutes. Check the bacon at 4 minutes, then every minute or so to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Drain the bacon of its fat, then set aside.

Invert the mug with the egg, then slice the egg cylinder into 5 equal rounds. You may have to run a knife around the mug first to ensure that the egg comes loose in one solid piece.

To assemble, layer your sandwich as you’d like with the meat, egg, cheese, and spinach. Wrap each sandwich in a damp paper towel, then with parchment paper. Place the sandwiches in a large zip top bag, then freeze for up to 1 month.

When ready to eat, remove a sandwich from the freezer, unwrap the parchment, and microwave for about 2 minutes (my microwave is pretty powerful, and 60 to 90 seconds does the trick for me). Cool for 1 minute, then unwrap the paper towel. Enjoy!

Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Soup

 

This recipe is from Bon Appétit. It’s an easy soup to make in the Vitamix, and I adapted the croutons based on what I had on hand. This was a nice lunch! This makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller ones.

For the soup
1 roasted ear of corn
1 ½ roasted red bell peppers, skins discarded (about 1½ cups)
½ cup vegetable broth
1 large garlic clove
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter
½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
¼ tsp. paprika
¾ tsp. salt
fresh lime juice, to taste (about 1–2 Tbsp.)

For the croutons
4 slices of bread (from a French baguette)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove
4-5 basil leaves
1 sprig of fresh oregano (stem removed)
small handful of fresh parsley
2 oz. lactose-free goat cheese

Cut kernels from cob, and add to the Vitamix with roasted red peppers, vegetable broth, garlic, olive oil, butter, chili powder, paprika, and salt. Use the Vitamix soup function, and blend until completely smooth. Divide between two bowls, and add lime juice to taste. Rinse the Vitamix Blender.

Back in the Vitamix Blender, pulse the olive oil with the garlic and herbs on level 1 until chunky. Add in the goat cheese, and pulse 3–4 times on level 1 until combined. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to broil.

Place bread under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes or until dark and toasted on one side. Remove and spread goat cheese mixture on the untoasted side of the bread, and place back under the broiler for another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Place croutons on top of the soup and serve.

Chocolate Graham Crackers

 

I got this recipe in one of Catherine McCord’s cookbooks, but it’s also online on Weelicious. I used white whole wheat flour in place of both whole wheat and all-purpose flour. These cookies were absolutely delicious! I’m not sure that they remind me specifically of graham crackers, but they were great, and it was hard to stop eating them. The kids loved them too! They are a great addition to a lunchbox.

I didn’t feel like using cookie cutters, and rolling and rerolling dough until it was all used up, so I just used a ruler and made rough 1”-squares, for a total of 68 squares. After I baked them, I transferred a bunch of them to the freezer for future lunchboxes, and they have served me well!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used less)
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup lactose-free butter, chilled & cubed
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

In a food processor or mixer, combine the first 7 ingredients.

Add butter to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.

Add honey and water and continue to mix until it all combines.

Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.

Roll dough out until it is ¼-inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes with cookie cutters (see note above).

Place cookies on a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Cool and serve.

Cheesy Baked Eggs in Tomato Cream Sauce

 

I got this recipe in a promotional calendar, but it’s originally from Art from my Table. These cheesy baked eggs in tomato cream sauce are halfway between shakshuka and enchiladas. I really liked them, and it’s a great vegetarian meal!

To make lactose-free half-and-half, I used literally half lactose-free milk and half lactose-free (vegan) cream.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (use gluten-free if necessary)
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
½ cup lactose-free half-and-half (see note above)
8 corn tortillas, sliced in ½” strips
8 eggs
½ cup shredded lactose-free cheddar cheese
½ crumbled lactose-free goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 °F.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium high. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and stir to coat. Pour in tomatoes, scraping up browned bits. Cook until tomato sauce is thickened and bubbling, 2-3 minutes. Stir in half-and-half and remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9”x13” dish. Place tortilla strips in an even layer over the sauce. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Break eggs over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbling and egg whites are set, about 25 minutes.

Blender Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

 

This title sure is a mouthful, I know! I’ve been buying lactose-free cottage cheese more often these days. I tried a chocolate pudding recipe I got from a friend on Facebook (basically ½ cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding powder, and 1 teaspoon of water in a blender), and it was okay, but not great.

These muffins are more up my alley! They have more protein than regular muffins, but they were still “normal” enough that my kids ate them – so, a good compromise.

½ cup lactose-free cottage cheese
3 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
¼ cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Grease 16 muffin tins (I used my silicone pans).

In a blender, blend the cottage cheese until almost whipped, about 1 minute. Add the mashed bananas, peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Blend to fully combine. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, blend again until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until just set.

Gâteau italien aux abricots

 

Voici une recette que m’a partagée Chère Sœur, tirée du livre Desserts de 3 fois par jour. Ma sœur omet le gingembre et, au lieu des abricots frais, elle prend deux boîtes d’abricots en conserve, les draine et les réduit directement en purée. Cela sauve du temps! J’ai donc pris deux boîtes de conserve de 15 onces chacune; j’ai utilisé le gingembre. C’est délicieux! Je pense peut-être le refaire en omettant la garniture aux amandes et en saupoudrant simplement le gâteau de sucre en poudre.

Pour le gâteau 

10 abricots bien mûrs, dénoyautés et coupés en 4
1 c. à soupe de gingembre frais, haché finement
6 œufs
¾ tasse de sucre
¼ tasse (80 g) de pâte d’amande, coupée en petits dés (je conseille même de l’écraser à la fourchette)
1 ½ tasse (180 g) de poudre d’amandes
1 ½ c. à thé de poudre à pâte
1 pincée de sel
sucre en poudre, pour décorer

Pour la garniture aux amandes 

¼ tasse de beurre sans lactose
1 c. à soupe de crème sans lactose
¼ tasse de cassonade
1 tasse d’amandes tranchées


Préchauffer le four à 350 °F et placer la grille au centre. Beurrer un moule à charnières de 9 po et réserver.

Déposer les abricots dans une petite casserole avec le gingembre, couvrir d’eau, puis cuire pendant 5 minutes à feu moyen. Égoutter, réduire en purée à l’aide d’un pied-mélangeur, puis réserver.

Au batteur électrique, fouetter les œufs, le sucre et la pâte d’amande de 2 à 3 minutes, ou jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit jaune pâle. Incorporer la poudre d’amandes, la poudre à pâte, le sel et 1 ¼ tasse de la purée d’abricots.

Verser dans le moule et cuire au four pendant 45 minutes. Sortir du four et réserver sans éteindre le four.

Au four à micro-ondes, faire fondre le beurre avec la crème et la cassonade. Ajouter les amandes tranchées, bien mélanger, puis verser sur le gâteau.

Remettre le gâteau au four pendant 15 minutes.

Laisser refroidir complètement avant de démouler, puis décorer de sucre en poudre.

Tortillas de poulet à l'asiatique

 

Voici une autre recette de Tous à Table! par Isabelle Huot et Nathalie Regimbal. Parce que je connais mes enfants, j’ai remplacé le yogourt grec par de la mayonnaise. (Même si le Petit Prince a déjà tellement aimé le yogourt que c’en était son premier mot, il en a maintenant une aversion.) J’ai mélangé la sauce directement avec le poulet au lieu de l’étendre dans la tortilla. Et je pense que j’aimerais davantage cela sans cinq-épices, quitte à rajouter un peu de sauce hoisin… L’important, c’est que les enfants ont tout mangé! J’ai servi ça avec un biscuit moitié-moitié aux pépites de chocolat et des fruits.

2 c. à soupe de yogourt grec nature
2 c. à soupe de mayonnaise
½ c. à soupe de sauce hoisin
¼ c. à thé de cinq-épices
4 grandes tortillas de blé entier
300 g de poitrine de poulet ou de dinde, cuite et en tranches
feuilles de bébé épinards

Mélanger le yogourt, la mayonnaise, la sauce hoisin et le cinq-épices dans un petit bol. En tartiner les tortillas.

Répartir la volaille et les épinards.

Rouler les tortillas fermement pour retenir la garniture. Garder au froid.

Peanut Butter Dragon Fruit Bowl

Well, I guess time got away from me. I got pretty busy with my home organizing business, which is great, but I’ve had less time for blogging. Let’s see what I can get done this weekend!

In my efforts to eat fewer carbs and more protein, breakfast consistently proves the hardest meal. I don’t want to eat the same thing all the time, and I’m aware that my kids aren’t into anything resembling a smoothie or chia pudding, so I keep going back and forth between recipes “for me” and recipes “for them”. Honestly, for me, it’s hard to go wrong with freezer-friendly breakfast egg muffins, though I tend to like them better for lunch (I recommend using 10 eggs instead of 12, and cooking the bell pepper and onions).

I did end up with a few recipes bookmarked from the Skippy website. Their peanut butter chocolate chip bread is nothing special, but I really liked their peanut butter dragon fruit smoothie bowl!

The recipe calls for a specific type of peanut butter that has added protein, but I could not find it in stores near me. So I used regular peanut butter, blended it in with some pumpkin seed protein and topped it with a bit of almond butter.

1 (10-oz.) package frozen dragon fruit
1 banana
¼ cup unsweetened plant milk (I used lactose-free milk)
½ cup blueberries
½ banana, sliced
¼ cup granola (I used protein granola)
1 tablespoon SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Blended with Plant Protein Creamy (see note above)
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. agave nectar (I used honey and blended it into the smoothie)

In blender cup, place dragon fruit, banana and plant milk (and, in my case, peanut butter and honey). Blend until smooth. Pour into bowl.

Top with blueberries, banana slices, granola, peanut butter, chia seeds, coconut and agave nectar.

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!

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!

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.)

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.

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.