Batch of links

- Cassava flour contains high levels of lead and, well, there go those chips I like.

- Is protein powder safe for teens? Not necessarily. And many brands contain too much lead.

- Did you know that Americans tend to eat more sugar as the weather gets hotter?

- Skin injuries could bring on food allergies, which would explain why people with eczema report more allergies.

- Also, good news, food allergies in children have plummeted.

- Lactose intolerance – and food restrictions in general – are linked to nightmares, though it looks like it only affects you if you consume the food that triggers you.

- One cool tip if you are ordering pizza for a kids’ party: get it double cutso that the pieces are smaller. Frankly, even as an adult, I think that would be helpful if you want to taste different flavors of pizza!

- Using ChatGPT isn’t as bad for the environment as we think.

- Two vaccines are associated with a lower risk of dementia (it’s shingles and RSV). This was a big study, and they compared to people getting a flu shot.

Mousse au chocolat protéinée

 

Voici une recette tirée de Déjeuners protéinés d’Hubert Cormier. Ça demande une certaine préparation, parce que le lait en poudre sans lactose, ça ne court pas les rues (de un), et je n’ai pas encore trouvé de poudre protéinée au chocolat végétalienne que j’aime (de deux). Le défaut, c’est que je n’ai pas assez de satiété avec ces portions (19 g de protéines, alors que je vise plutôt 30 g), mais tant qu’on a une poudre protéinée dont on aime le goût, c’est une bonne mousse!

12 oz. de tofu soyeux (les paquets ici font 10.8 oz.)
3 c. à soupe de poudre de protéines végétales au chocolat
1 c. à soupe de cacao
1 c. à soupe de sirop d’érable
2 c. à soupe de beurre d’amandes
¼ tasse de lait en poudre sans lactose
1 c. à thé d’extrait de vanille
1 c. à thé de rhum brun (j’ai plutôt mis de l’essence de noix de coco)
1 pincée de sel
1 pincée de piment broyé (je ne l’ai pas utilisé)

Au robot culinaire, mélanger tout d’abord les ingrédients de la mousse jusqu’à l’obtention d’une belle texture aérienne.

Verser dans 2 bols. Garnir au goût et servir.

Chicken Noodle Wonton Soup

 

I tried making a chicken potato soup in the Instant Pot. Honestly, it was good, but my kids weren’t crazy about it. Plus, I had to go out of my way to get white sweet potatoes. And using the Instant Pot doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a fast recipe, you know? But then I made this chicken noodle wonton soup, which is all about shortcuts. This one is super fast AND delicious! Plus, I can keep the ingredients on hand easily. It’s reminiscent of chicken noodle soup in its flavors, but it has chicken wontons instead of noodles. I made this for a quick lunch and I’m planning to do so again soon! This makes about 2 servings for me.

4 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, such as peas and carrots
20 frozen chicken and vegetable wontons (I prefer them on the smaller side)
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
dried thyme, optional

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the frozen vegetables, chicken wontons, salt, pepper, and dried thyme, if using, and simmer until the wontons are warmed through and float to the surface, 8–10 minutes.

Divide the soup among 4 bowls and serve immediately. The soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Salade automnale aux légumes rôtis

 

Voici une délicieuse salade automnale aux légumes rôtis. J’ai adoré ça comme lunch!

1 chou-fleur (pour une touche colorée, opter pour le mauve ou l’orangé)
1 petite courge butternut
2 patates douces
4 carottes
2 avocats
4 poignées de verdure au choix (épinards, laitue frisée, roquette, chou frisé, fanes de betteraves, etc.)
4 poignées de noix (noix de Grenoble, pacanes, noix de cajou, mélange du randonneur, etc.)
8 tranches de fromage à griller sans lactose de type halloumi (ou le fromage de votre choix)
1 grenade
2 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive
vinaigrette de type balsamique du commerce ou votre recette maison (au goût)
poivre et sel (au goût)

Préchauffer le four à 385 °F.

Éplucher la courge butternut, les carottes, les patates douces. Couper la courge en grandes lamelles, les carottes en deux sur la longueur et les patates douces en rondelles. Déposer tous les légumes dans un saladier. Verser 2 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive, saler et poivrer. Mélanger afin de bien enrober les légumes.

Couvrir une plaque de cuisson de papier parchemin et y déposer les légumes en une couche uniforme. Cuire 30 minutes en retournant les légumes de temps en temps.

Pendant la cuisson des légumes, couper les sommités de chou-fleur en morceaux de taille similaire. Déposer le chou-fleur dans un mélangeur et pulser 4 ou 5 fois afin d’obtenir la consistance du riz.

Chauffer un filet d’huile dans une poêle et y ajouter le riz de chou-fleur et un peu de sel. Cuire de 1 à 2 minutes pour attendrir. Réserver. Cette étape est facultative.

Faire chauffer une poêle à blanc et y torréfier les noix quelques minutes en brassant continuellement pour éviter qu’elles brûlent. Réserver.

Griller les tranches de fromage dans une poêle avec un peu d’huile.

Extraire les arilles de la grenade.

Avant de servir, éplucher et trancher les avocats. Arroser d’un filet de jus de citron.

Disposer dans un bol le riz de chou-fleur, la verdure choisie, les légumes rôtis et le fromage. Garnir avec l’avocat, les noix et les arilles de grenade. Assaisonner et arroser de vinaigrette.

Mochi Latkes

 

I saw this recipe in an old issue of Celebrate magazine, and I traced it back to Kristin Eriko Posner (it has this photo by Blaine Moats and is similar to this recipe from Posner’s website). These latkes were delicious; we all love mochi here, and it was fantastic paired with Asian pear sauce and matcha salt! Plus, it’s gluten-free. I’ll be making these again! The amounts below make about 8 latkes, and I would definitely want more next time.

For the mochi latkes
1 Russet potato (1 lb.), peeled
1 medium yellow onion
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp. mochi flour (also called sweet rice flour or mochiko)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying (I always shallow-fry my latkes and use way less oil, but I’m the shiksa)

Using a box grater, grate potato and onion. Place on a double thickness of 100% cotton cheesecloth (I used the tea towel that I have dedicated to latkes); squeeze to remove liquid. Transfer potato and onion to a large mixing bowl. Add mochi flour, eggs, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.

In a heavy 12-inch skillet, heat oil to 325 °F over medium-low. Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet. Pat potato mixture into 2 ½-inch rounds. Cook a few at a time in hot oil 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Remove from the pan and cool slightly on the wire rack.


For the Asian pear sauce
1 lb. cored Asian pears
1 small cored Fuji apple
2 Tbsp. water
1 ½ tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes or until fruit is very soft, stirring every 10 minutes.

Uncover and let cool. Transfer to a blender (I used a stick blender) and blend until smooth.


For the matcha salt
1 tsp. culinary matcha
1 Tbsp. kosher salt

Sift the matcha into the salt and mix.

Serve the latkes with a sprinkle of matcha salt (you will have extra leftover) and a side of Asian pear sauce.

Maple Pumpkin Pie

 

We’re getting some rain today, and a nice reprieve form the heat, so here’s a fall recipe. I decided to try another pumpkin pie recipe after seeing this maple pumpkin pie in Real Simple. There’s no sweetener beyond the ½ cup maple syrup, and it was really good!

The top of my pie cracked. The funny thing is that in the very same issue of the magazine, they said to bake pumpkin pies at 325 °F, and adjust the cooking time accordingly, to avoid this very problem. But their own recipe says to bake it at 350 °F! If I had been serving it, I could have covered it with whipped topping and no one would have known.

1 homemade or store-bought pie crust, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate
2 large eggs
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin purée
1 cup lactose-free cream (mine was vegan)
½ cup pure maple syrup
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 pinch ground cloves
lactose-free whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Set an oven rack in the lowest position and heat oven to 350 °F (see note above). Place pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust. Bake until center jiggles slightly, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes; a toothpick should come out clean, and if you are using a thermometer, the temperature should be 180 °F. (Cover edges with foil if crust browns too quickly; I used a silicone ring.) Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Serve topped with whipped cream, chopped pecans, and/or maple syrup, if desired.

Beef Wellington

 

At some point last year, I started thinking of beef Wellington – namely, how I really wanted to eat some! But to me it’s more of a winter dish, and not the kind of thing I would eat on a Texan summer, so I waited until closer to the holidays (I am catching up on my blogging). Meanwhile, the Little Prince has started being *very* interested in cooking, and he’s watching a lot of YouTube videos starring Nick DiGiovanni (who, I’m told, trained with Gordon Ramsay). It just so happens that one of his most-watched videos is him making beef Wellington. So when I told the Little Prince that I wanted to make it, he was all in!

Honestly, my first thought was to make the version in Maya Angelou’s Hallelujah! The Welcome Table, because the story that accompanies it is great and had really stayed with me (you can read it in two parts starting here). That being said, when I read the recipe and compared it with Nick DiGiovanni’s, I had to admit that his just sounded like it would be way better, so that’s the direction we went. I didn’t make my own mustard because I have a life, I used store-bought chicken bouillon because it’s faster, and I made a few other adjustments here and there, but I really like the result! My only criticism of our version is that the duxelles was a bit too dry. And, well, the sauce was too salty and we don’t think it’s necessary, so I’d skip it next time. (And obviously, since this is both labor-intensive and expensive, I won’t be making it often. But maybe for Christmas?) I served it with carrots (you could try roasting carrots and just starting them in the oven prior to the beef Wellington.)

You can see the recipe ingredients in the description here, the short version of the video here, and compare to Gordon’s Ramsay’s written instructions here. Below is my interpretation.

For the beef
1.5-lb. beef tenderloin
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ cup Dijon mustard (my estimation of the quantity)
2 sheets puff pastry
6 slices prosciutto
2 egg yolks + water (for egg wash)
flaky salt, to taste
finely chopped chives (for garnish)

For the duxelles
1 lb. assorted mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. red wine
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste

For the crepes (or you can use your own trusted recipe) 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 pinch of salt
3 cups lactose-free milk

For the sauce (see note above)
2 Tbsp. lactose-free butter
6 sprigs thyme
½ cup chopped shallots
1/3 cup red wine
1 ½ cups reduced chicken stock


For the beef tenderloin
Make sure your beef tenderloin is relatively cylindrical. (You can trim it, and use the trimmings in another recipe.) Liberally salt and pepper the beef tenderloin on all sides.

In a pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sear the beef tenderloin for a few minutes on each side. So here’s one place where we deviated: you want your beef to be just about done to your taste at this point, and we both felt like rare was too raw. We put our seared tenderloin in the oven at 475 °F for 15-20 minutes. We were aiming for medium and perhaps undershot a bit, I blame this on not having a Thermapen, but all this to say, once your beef is seared, feel free to cook it longer, because past this point in the recipe it won’t cook any more, just get warmed up a bit.

Once done, take it off the heat. Brush the beef tenderloin with Dijon mustard on all sides. Set aside.

For the duxelles
Finely chop the mushrooms. (I did this in the food processor.)

In a pan (I would use the same one as for the beef, without even washing it), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sweat until they are translucent, but not browned.

Add the mushrooms and cook down; add the wine, bay leaves, and a generous amount of salt. Cook until the moisture has evaporated and you are left with a paste. (See, mine was perhaps a bit too dry and not pasty enough.) Set aside.

For the crepes
Mix together all the ingredients.

In a clean pan, melt some butter over low to medium heat. Cook your crepes, one at a time. You will probably need two for this recipe; the rest make a great breakfast.

On a work surface like a big cutting board, lay two crepes so that they overlap. Cover at least one crepe (the one furthest away from you) with the prosciutto, then spread out the duxelles over that. Place the beef tenderloin crosswise on the edge furthest away from you, then gently roll it toward you, keeping the crepe around it. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 °F.

Meanwhile, spread out your two sheets of puff pastry in the same fashion. Beat together the egg yolks and water to create an egg wash, then brush it over the puff pastry. Unwrap the log of crepe-wrapped beef, then place it crosswise on the side of the puff pastry that is the furthest away from you. Gently roll it forward, wrapping the pastry around it as you go, making sure you pinch the dough over the short ends as well. Trim away the excess pastry and place the roll seam-side down on a baking sheet (I covered mine with parchment paper). Brush the puff pastry with the rest of the egg wash (you can get fancy with the decoration of the dough here). If you are using it, you’ll want to make the sauce now (see below) so that it is ready by the time the beef Wellington is done.

Cook the beef Wellington for 15 to 20 minutes or until the puff pastry has a golden-brown crust.

For the sauce
Heat the butter in a small saucepan, then add the thyme and shallots. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots turn golden brown. Add the wine and boil until almost completely reduced. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until you have the desired consistency. (I ended up making a slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and mixing that in to help things along.)

When everything is ready, slice the beef Wellington, sprinkle with flaky salt and chives, and serve with the sauce. (I also made carrots.)

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Pudding

 

This recipe is from Angela Liddon’s Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook, and it’s also online here. I’ve made chocolate pudding with vegetal ingredients before (like avocado, black beans, or tofu), but I think it’s the first time I made one with sweet potato? It was really good! The amounts below are slightly adapted.

For the pudding
1 ¼ cups (6 oz/170 g) diced peeled sweet potato
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (I used lactose-free milk)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 Tbsp. raw or roasted smooth almond butter or raw cashew butter
1 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, softened
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. fine sea salt

Topping suggestions
coconut whipped cream (I used vegan ReddiWhip)
fresh berries or pomegranate arils
sliced almonds, toasted
granola

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and set a steamer basket on top. Steam the sweet potato in the basket, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork-tender. You may also use a steamer appliance. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Transfer the sweet potato (you should have 1 lightly packed cup) to a food processor and add the maple syrup. Process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust the sweetness, if desired. I find this pudding tastes a bit sweeter after chilling, so keep that in mind. You can always adjust the sweetness after it chills.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least a few hours or up to overnight to thicken. If the pudding is too thick for your liking, you can thin it out with a splash of almond milk.

Serve the pudding with coconut whipped cream, fresh berries, and toasted sliced almonds, if desired. You can also enjoy it on its own, or with homemade granola sprinkled on top. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wraps with Caramelized Onions and Pesto

 

These roasted sweet potato wraps with caramelized onions and pesto were very well received by my family! It’s the kind of thing that I would normally make for lunch for myself, but I made it as a family dinner, and it worked! I ended up wrapping them in foil just so that they would keep their shape, even though it’s a but awkward to eat.

6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
3 large portobello mushrooms (10 to 12 ounces total), stems removed and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. water
8 large whole-wheat tortillas (or a low-carb version)
½ cup basil pesto
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat to 400 °F.

Toss the sweet potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast until the potatoes are tender and browned around the edges, about 35 minutes total, stirring halfway through. Cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer the sweet potatoes to a large plate, reserving the baking sheets.

Toss the mushrooms with 1 ½ tablespoons of oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the tomatoes with ½ tablespoon oil and arrange cut-side up on the second rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring the mushrooms once about halfway through. Cool on the baking sheets.

Meanwhile, caramelize the onions. Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a large skillet over low heat until shimmering. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and deeply browned, scraping any fond from the bottom of the pan, about 40 minutes total. Add the water to deglaze the pan and allow the moisture to cook off.

Place the tortillas on a work surface. Spread 1 tablespoon of pesto on a tortilla. Add ½ cup of sweet potato over the tortilla, just below center. Top the sweet potatoes evenly with a couple mushroom slices, and a tablespoon each of caramelized onions, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Roll tightly by folding the sides over the filling, then rolling from the bottom up. Repeat with assembling the remaining wraps.

Poulet et riz au curcuma dans un poêlon

 

J’ai adoré ce plat de poulet et riz au curcuma dans un poêlon, sauce yogourt, lime et coriandre! Regardez comme la couleur du riz est belle. Et c’était super bon!

Pour la sauce yogourt, lime et coriandre (donne environ 1 tasse)
1 tasse de yogourt grec nature 2 % sans lactose
1 tasse de coriandre fraîche
1 c. à thé de zeste de lime râpé
1 c. à table de jus de lime
sel et poivre

Au pied-mélangeur, réduire en sauce lisse le yogourt et les feuilles de coriandre, le zeste et le jus de lime. Saler et poivrer. (La sauce se conservera jusqu’à 5 jours dans un contenant hermétique au réfrigérateur.)


Pour le poulet et le riz au curcuma
6 à 8 hauts de cuisses de poulet désossés (environ 1 ¼ lb/625 g)
2 c. à thé de curcuma moulu
1 c. à thé de thym séché
2 c. à table d' huile de canola
1 c. à table de gingembre frais , râpé
2 gousses d'ail hachées finement
1 oignon haché finement
1 ½ tasse de riz basmati rincé et égoutté
1 2/3 tasse de bouillon de poulet à teneur réduite en sel
1 tasse d' eau
¼ tasse de coriandre fraîche , hachée
quartiers de lime (facultatif)
sel et poivre

Préchauffer le four à 425 °F. Dans un bol, mélanger le poulet avec 1 c. à thé du curcuma et le thym. Saler et poivrer. Dans un grand poêlon allant au four muni d’un couvercle, ou dans une grosse cocotte, chauffer la moitié de l’huile à feu moyen-vif. Ajouter les hauts de cuisses et cuire de 3 à 4 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient dorés de tous les côtés (les retourner à mi-cuisson). Retirer du poêlon et réserver.

Dans le poêlon, chauffer le reste de l’huile à feu moyen. Ajouter le gingembre, l’ail et l’oignon, et cuire, en brassant, de 2 à 3 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils aient ramolli. Ajouter le riz et le reste du curcuma, et cuire 30 secondes en brassant. Verser le bouillon de poulet et l’eau. Saler et poivrer. Porter à ébullition. Déposer les hauts de cuisses réservés sur le riz.

Couvrir le poêlon et cuire au four de 20 à 25 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le riz ait absorbé tout le liquide et que le poulet soit cuit. Parsemer de la coriandre. Servir avec la sauce au yogourt et des quartiers de lime, si désiré.

Pain à la citrouille et au chocolat

 

Bon, une autre recette de Ricardo, parfaite pour l’automne! Ce pain à la citrouille et au chocolat était vraiment très bon pour déjeuner; le crumble chocolaté fait vraiment toute la différence! La recette d’origine précise qu’on pourrait aussi en faire des muffins, en les faisant cuire de 20 à 25 minutes.

Pour le crumble au cacao et aux épices
40 g (¼ tasse) de farine tout usage non blanchie
2 c. à soupe de beurre sans lactose, ramolli
2 c. à soupe de cassonade
1 c. à soupe de cacao
½ c. à thé de cannelle moulue
¼ c. à thé de cardamome moulue
1 pincée de fleur de sel

Pour le pain
225 g (1 ½ tasse) de farine tout usage non blanchie
2 c. à thé de cannelle moulue
1 c. à thé de poudre à pâte
1 c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude
½ c. à thé de cardamome moulue
¼ c. à thé de sel
115 g (½ tasse) de beurre sans lactose, ramolli
210 g (1 tasse) de cassonade
1 œuf
1 tasse de purée de citrouille
½ tasse de crème sure sans lactose
140 g (5 oz) de chocolat noir à 70 % ou au lait, coupé en gros morceaux


Pour le crumble au cacao et aux épices
Placer la grille au centre du four. Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Beurrer un moule à pain de 23 x 13 cm (9 x 5 po) et le tapisser d’une bande de papier parchemin en la laissant dépasser sur deux côtés.

Dans un bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit tout juste humectée. Réserver.

Pour le pain
Dans un autre bol, mélanger la farine, la cannelle, la poudre à pâte, le bicarbonate, la cardamome et le sel.

Dans un troisième bol, crémer le beurre avec la cassonade au batteur électrique. Ajouter l’œuf et mélanger jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit homogène. À basse vitesse, incorporer la purée de citrouille, puis les ingrédients secs en alternant avec la crème sure. Ajouter le chocolat et mélanger. Répartir la pâte dans le moule. Presser le crumble au cacao avec les mains et le laisser tomber en morceaux de différentes grosseurs sur la pâte dans le moule.

Cuire au four 1 heure ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dents inséré au centre du pain en ressorte propre. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille, soit environ 3 heures. Démouler et couper en tranches.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

There’s been quite a delay in posting recipes this past year! This is one that I made as a Thanksgiving side, and the problem with it is that it was SO good that it may have ruined regular mashed potatoes for me. The secret is that instead of cooking the potatoes in water, you cook them in half-and-half, which makes them extra creamy – and since you rice them, the texture is perfect! It is from Real Simple; the amounts below make 8 generous servings.

4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. pieces (about 10 cups)
4 cups lactose-free half-and-half (or half lactose-free milk and half lactose-free cream)
5 tsp. kosher salt, divided
½ cup (1 stick) lactose-free butter, melted
½ cup lactose-free sour cream
freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes, half-and-half, and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook, stirring often, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully drain mixture into a colander placed over a large heatproof bowl. Reserve cooking liquid in bowl.

Working in batches, transfer potatoes to a potato ricer; press over saucepan. Stir butter and the 3 remaining teaspoons of salt into potatoes. Fold in sour cream and enough cooking liquid to reach desired consistency. (Reserve any leftover cooking liquid for reheating.)

Serve topped with melted butter, if desired, and pepper.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

 I’m not sure how I came across this turkey and sweet potato chili, because it’s from a website that I typically don’t have anything to do with, but hey, this looked good! I’m a sucker for variations on chili, and even though I tweaked the spices, this one did not disappoint.

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
½ serrano chili, minced (I omitted it)
1 Tbsp. chili powder (I used 1 tsp. Korean pepper)
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 lb. dark meat ground turkey
2 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into half-inch cubes (or about the size of a pinto bean)
1 quart chicken stock or chicken bone broth
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onion, garlic, serrano chili, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Cook down until caramelized and fragrant, about 15-20 minutes (in my case, the onion was cooked, but not caramelized, and I decided that was good enough given the time that I had).

Add the ground turkey and cook until crumbled and combined with the onions. Add the sweet potatoes and chicken stock (or bone broth) and bring to a simmer, then cover and let cook for another 20 minutes (I did 30 minutes).

After the sweet potatoes have cooked, add the beans, stir to combine and cook for another 20 minutes uncovered (I just warmed it up at that point).

Taste for salt and spice, then garnish with your favorite toppings, such as avocado, cilantro, scallions, lactose-free cheese or lactose-free sour cream.

Poudings au chocolat et petits fruits

 

Et une dernière recette de Ricardo aujourd’hui, ces délicieux poudings au chocolat et petits fruits! La recette annonçait « du bonheur en pot », et c’est exactement ça!

Pour les poudings
225 g (8 oz) de chocolat au lait, haché (j’ai pris du chocolat noir)
40 g (3 c. à soupe) de sucre
2 œufs
1 tasse de crème 35 % sans lactose à fouetter (végétalienne pour moi)

Pour le crumble
95 g (¾ tasse) de chapelure de biscuits au chocolat
55 g (2 oz) de chocolat au lait, fondu et tempéré (j’ai pris du chocolat noir)
¼ c. à thé de fleur de sel

Pour la garniture
½ tasse de crème 35 % sans lactose à fouetter (végétalienne pour moi)
1 c. à soupe de sucre
130 g (¾ tasse) de fraises fraîches coupées en quartiers 70 g (½ tasse) de framboises fraîches



Pour les poudings
Dans un bol, déposer le chocolat. Réserver.

Dans une petite casserole, hors du feu, mélanger au fouet le sucre avec les œufs jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit homogène. Ajouter la crème en remuant.

Cuire à feu moyen-doux, en remuant constamment à la cuillère de bois et en raclant le fond et la paroi de la casserole, jusqu’à ce que la préparation ait un premier bouillon, épaississe et nappe le dos de la cuillère, soit environ 10 minutes. Verser sur le chocolat et laisser reposer 2 minutes sans remuer. Mélanger au fouet jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit homogène.

Répartir le pouding au chocolat dans 6 pots en verre d’une contenance de 250 ml (1 tasse) chacun, soit environ 75 ml (1/3 tasse) par pot. Couvrir et réfrigérer 3 heures ou toute une nuit.

Pour le crumble
Entre-temps, dans un bol, mélanger la chapelure avec le chocolat et la fleur de sel. Répartir le mélange sur une petite plaque de cuisson ou une assiette tapissée de papier parchemin. Réfrigérer 1 heure ou jusqu’à ce que le crumble soit ferme. Concasser en morceaux. Le crumble se conserve 5 jours dans un contenant hermétique au réfrigérateur.

Pour la garniture
Dans un bol, fouetter la crème avec le sucre au batteur électrique jusqu’à l’obtention de pics fermes mais encore souples. Répartir la crème sur les poudings. Garnir des fruits et du crumble. Les poudings garnis se conservent 1 jour au réfrigérateur.

Gemellis à la saucisse et aux poivrons

 

Et puis voici un plat principal, des gemellis à la saucisse et aux poivrons, également de Ricardo. J’ai apporté quelques modifications : pour me simplifier la vie, et parce que j’ai comme un ras-le-bol des saucisses italiennes, j’ai utilisé des saucisses déjeuner à la dinde émiettées de Jimmy Dean, et j’ai omis le fenouil ainsi que le piment broyé. J’ai passé les légumes au robot, et à défaut de trouver des gemellis, j’ai utilisé des casarecce. Je recommande également d’utiliser moins de bouillon de poulet, car la sauce n’a pas épaissi. Malgré tout, c’était de très bonnes pâtes!

2 courgettes, coupées en petits dés (j’en ai pris une seule)
2 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive
15 g (1/3 tasse) de persil plat ciselé
340 g (¾ lb) de chair à saucisse italienne (environ 3 saucisses; j’avais 9,6 oz ou 272 g de viande)
3 poivrons de couleurs variées, épépinés et coupés en dés (au robot pour moi)
1 oignon, haché (au robot pour moi)
2 gousses d’ail, hachées (au robot pour moi)
1 boîte de 398 ml (14 oz) de tomates italiennes en dés
1 ½ tasse de bouillon de poulet (je recommande moins)
1 c. à soupe de pâte de tomates
1 c. à thé de graines de fenouil moulues
1 pincée de flocons de piment broyé
340 g (¾ lb) de gemellis
35 g (½ tasse) de fromage parmesan frais sans lactose râpé

Dans une grande poêle à feu élevé, attendrir les courgettes dans l’huile. Saler et poivrer. Transvider dans un bol. Ajouter le persil et mélanger. Réserver.

Dans la même poêle à feu moyen-élevé, cuire la chair à saucisse en l’émiettant à la cuillère de bois jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit dorée. Ajouter de l’huile au besoin. Ajouter les poivrons, l’oignon et l’ail. Poursuivre la cuisson 4 minutes en remuant fréquemment jusqu’à ce que les légumes soient tendres. Saler et poivrer.

Ajouter les tomates, le bouillon, la pâte de tomates et les épices. Porter à ébullition et laisser mijoter à feu moyen-doux de 15 à 20 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les légumes soient bien cuits et que la sauce épaississe légèrement.

Entre-temps, dans une grande casserole d’eau bouillante salée, cuire les pâtes al dente. Prélever ½ tasse d’eau de cuisson. Égoutter les pâtes.

Dans la poêle avec la sauce, ajouter les pâtes. Poursuivre la cuisson 1 minute en remuant pour enrober les pâtes de la sauce. Ajouter de l’eau de cuisson pour détendre la sauce, au besoin. Rectifier l’assaisonnement.

Dans des bols, répartir les pâtes. Garnir du mélange de courgettes et parsemer du parmesan.

Pain à la courgette, au citron et au pavot

 

J’écris moins souvent depuis un an, hein? J’ai l’impression que j’ai mis toute cette énergie dans mon entreprise plutôt que dans mon passe-temps… Anyway, je vais essayer de publier des trucs en rafale cette fin de semaine, on verra bien ce que ça donne! Ici, il s’agit d’une recette de pain à la courgette, au citron et au pavot de Ricardo, que nous avons bien aimée!

Pour le pain
300 g (2 tasses) de farine tout usage non blanchie
2 c. à soupe de graines de pavot
½ c. à thé de poudre à pâte
½ c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude
½ c. à thé de sel
160 g (¾ tasse) de sucre
2/3 tasse d’huile végétale
2 œufs
325 g (2 ½ tasses) de courgettes râpées
1 citron, le zeste râpé finement
¼ tasse de jus de citron

Pour le glaçage au citron
55 g (¼ tasse) de sucre
2 c. à soupe de jus de citron


Pour le pain
Placer la grille au centre du four. Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Beurrer un moule à pain de 23 x 13 cm (9 x 5 po) et le tapisser d’une bande de papier parchemin en la laissant dépasser sur deux côtés.

Dans un bol, mélanger la farine, les graines de pavot, la poudre à pâte, le bicarbonate et le sel.

Dans un autre bol, mélanger au fouet le sucre avec l’huile et les œufs jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit homogène. Ajouter les courgettes, le zeste et le jus de citron. À la cuillère de bois, incorporer les ingrédients secs. Répartir la pâte dans le moule.

Cuire au four 1 heure ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dents inséré au centre du pain en ressorte propre.

Pour le glaçage au citron
Dans un petit bol, mélanger le sucre et le jus de citron. Verser sur le pain chaud. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille, soit environ 3 heures. Le glaçage durcira en refroidissant. Démouler et couper en tranches.

Seattle

In early June, we got to take a family trip to Seattle with the Engineer’s mother. We had a short trip (three days), but squeezed in the main things I wanted to see and do (and eat!), so here’s a quick summary.

Day 1
We got there midday, driving in from Seattle. Our first stop was Red Mill Burgers for lunch, which was quite good. I ordered the red onion jam burger, but was mistakenly given the verde burger, which was not at all what I had wanted, but I could tell that the base of the burger was great. One thing that I noticed there, and it was going to be a theme in the state of Washington, is that all of the items that registered in my brain as “disposable plastic” were in fact made from plant fibers and compostable! I wish they were standard everywhere – I know that in Texas, plastic is still the norm. And in Quebec, people complain about paper straws that don’t hold up. But these straws and cups seem like the perfect compromise!

We then went to our first attraction, the Chihuly Garden and Glass at the foot of the Space Needle. We bought tickets to visit both, and spent time in the former while waiting for our entry time at the latter. We had seen some of Chihuly’s work at the San Antonio Museum of Art, but this was so much more impressive! There are sculptures that are 20 feet tall, and in every color you can imagine! One of the docents told us that they are dusted every day before the museum opens (we were really wondering ). I really don’t know if I preferred the Sealife Tower, Mille Fiori, or the chandeliers. Most of the glass sculptures are indoors, but there are many outdoors as well, looking like alien flowers in the greenery. This was really worth the visit! The gift shop is also superb, and it took a lot of self-restraint on my part not to buy anything.

Then we moved on to the Space Needle. I liked that there are exhibits explaining its history as well as building factoids as the line of people winds its way to the glass elevators. The top has a revolving restaurant (honestly, it looked more like a bar with only small 2-seater tables); the viewing deck was nice, as we got beautiful views of both Seattle as well as Mount Rainier. This was worth the visit!

Then, we went to Pike Place Market. Honestly, this would be much better in the morning, as shops were closing up already when we got there, but our schedule was tight and this was the best we could do. I almost bought peonies, but I didn’t know if our lodging had a vase, so I ended up just taking pictures. We spent some time looking around, bought pastries at Le Panier, saw the flagship Starbucks with the original logo, and made our way down to the Gum Wall.

We had booked an Airbnb on Dayton Avenue, a nice townhouse near the Woodland Zoo. We stopped at Trader Joe’s on the way and bought our dinner there before settling in for the night.

Day 2
We started off our day with a visit to the Fremont Troll, which was just as I imagined it to be, except the surrounding area was nicer than I imagined it. You can actually climb on the troll as long as you are being respectful of the surroundings, and I think everyone in our group had fun.

We then swung by the Lake View Cemetery to pay our respects to Bruce and Brandon Lee. The site itself if wonderful, too! And it was on to our next stop.

As this was a Saturday morning, the first one of the month, we’d had to foresight to book free tickets to the Spheres. They are a greenhouse with tropical plants in downtown Seattle, and it’s a project by Amazon (the company, not the forest). As the Engineer says, it’s a bit like trying to book concert tickets, on that there’s a lot of demand and you need to keep refreshing the page until you can get through! And you can only book 4 tickets at a time. I really enjoyed the visit. Plus, we were delighted to see that there was a General Porpoise right on the premises, so of course we took a break for doughnuts – and yes, they were every bit as good as advertised! (The kids and I had a cinnamon sugar crueller, a Boston cream doughnut, and a marshmallow chocolate doughnut.)

We then went to lunch at The Whale Wins, which again was just as I had imagined it. It was much quieter than I had expected for a Saturday lunch, which was actually really nice! We ate quite well.

After a pit stop at our townhouse, the Engineer and I took the kids out for a few hours. Our first stop was to visit Frankie Feetsplinters. I’ve become obsessed with Thomas Dambo’s troll sculptures, and since there are six in the Pacific Northwest, I wanted to see some! (The map on his website is unfortunately impossible to navigate, but you can use this one for the USA.)

Our second stop was Discovery Park, where we took the trail recommended by Molly Wizenberg: “Park in the south lot, walk up and over the hill, down through the meadow that slopes toward Puget Sound, and then wind your way down through the woods to the beach. It’s beautiful, year-round.” Well, we didn’t have time to go down to the beach, but we saw the sound, and it was beautiful.

For dinner, since we wanted a broader gluten-free selection for my mother-in-law, we went to a/stir – it had a great menu, and the entire place is gluten-free! We didn’t try the dessert, because I had my heart set on a nearby shop…

We had dessert at Frankie and Jo’s. I had been waiting literally for years to go there! It’s a vegan ice cream shop with awesome flavors; even non-vegans from Bon Appétit love it! I tasted the Blueberry Lavender Pie ice cream (seasonal), and it was really great; I wish I had been hungry enough to eat that one too! I should have asked for a taste of California Cabin, too. But I went with the ones I’d had my eye on all this time, the Salty Caramel Ash ice cream and the Beet Strawberry Rose sorbet. They were out of this world! I’d really like to figure out the recipe for that sorbet in particular. And I just found out that Frankie & Jo’s ships their ice cream domestically, so that’s where my next paycheck is going…

Day 3
We drove out to Mount Rainier, which we’d been seeing from afar since we got there. You definitely have to get there early (before 9:00am) to get a parking spot, but keep in mind that the visitors’ pavilion doesn’t open until 10:00am. We had read that in early June, “it’s possible there will still be snow on the ground.” We’re Canadian, we figured that was totally fine. As it turned out, though, there was so much snow that one of the two trails we were considering (Nisqually Vista Trail) was closed, and the other (Skyline Trail to Myrtle Falls) was open, but… under a lot of snow. People starting their trek had spikes on their shoes (or snow shoes or skis), and walking sticks of ski sticks, and proper snow suits in most cases. I walked up the slope for a bit (maybe a total of 50 feet up, according to Strava), then decided that my shoes were not adequate and I went back down. (The Fox and his grandmother were waiting in the visitors’ center by then, and the Engineer and the Little Prince went up a bit further than I did.)

We did get to enjoy the scenery on the way up and down, though (at least, those of us who weren’t driving), and made a little stop at Narada Falls on the way down.

We then had lunch at Mount Rainier Railroad Dining Company, partly because it was a good location that offered some gluten-free options, and maybe partly also because in Vancouver, we hadn’t been to the “right” location of the Old Spaghetti Factory and I felt like I had been cheated out of the railroad car. This place was all railroad cars, though, and the food was really good! I ended up splitting a hamburger with the Fox because he finished his corndog and was still hungry; the Little Prince and my mother-in-law both had the salmon with blackberries, and the Engineer had the Montecristo sandwich.

On the way back, we stopped by Lincoln Park to see a second Dambo troll, Bruun Idun. I think I liked her more than Frankie! The surroundings are gorgeous, too, as she’s on the edge of the forest near the water. This was a great outing! And the kids spent a little time at the playground too.

We dropped off my mother-in-law at the townhouse so she could rest and made our way to Delancey. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might know that I’ve been wanting to go to Delancey since… before it opened over 15 years ago? I can’t help it, I’m such a big fan of Molly Wizenberg, so I was following the whole thing on her blog (Orangette) and then read her memoir about that phase in her life. And on the way there, as we were driving downhill in Ballard, I think we passed her on her bike, then met up again with her at the intersection of 75th Street and 8th Avenue. Molly Wizenberg, if you were wearing a lime green bike helmet and biking with your toddler in her trailer, just know that I was super happy to catch a glimpse of you!

Anyway, we made it to Delancey. Somehow, this was also just as I imagined it, though I couldn’t sum up all the background info I got from Molly Wizenberg (and honestly, it’s not necessary to enjoy a good pizza!). The white pizza looked great, but I decided to go the classic route and got the margherita (and I took Lactojoy, which was totally worth it). We got some of their famous salted chocolate chip cookies to go, too.

So, I hadn’t realized that there was a Frankie & Jo’s literally next door, but what we had on our schedule that evening was Salt & Straw – I’d been wanting to go there ever since I saw this on Instagram! I tasted the Strawberry and Coconut Water Sherbet, and it was good, but I got the Peanut Butter Brittle Caramel Fudge, and that was fantastic! And Salt & Straw does sell online too, including a pack of dairy-free flavors.

Of course, with such a short stay, we didn’t get to do *everything*. If I ever go back, I’d like to go to Bateau, meet up with two friends who live there, maybe explore some neighborhoods more in depth or see more of Molly Wizenberg’s recommendations. And, like, eat at Frankie & Jo’s everyday!