Housekeeping, Part 1

It’s been silent on here for a while. We drove back to Texas a month ago, and ever since, I feel like I’ve just been taking care of one loose end after another. Not quite the same as putting out metaphorical fires, but still, there’s been a steady stream of things requiring my attention, and it might let up next week. 

We opted to see several things along the way on our drive back, but never stopping more than a few hours in each spot. First up were St. Raphael’s Ruins in Glengarry, Ontario. The church was destroyed in a fire in 1970, but the ruins were solidified in 1974 and are now a beautiful National Historic Site. 

We had dinner at Jack Astor’s and, PSA: they have a vegan chocolate peanut butter tart with coconut whipped cream! I mean, you had me at hello, there was no way I could turn this down, and turned out to be fantastic! 

The next day, we crossed the border in what seemed like downtown Detroit, Michigan, right among the skyscrapers, then headed for Belle Isle Park. There was a long line of cars on the bridge getting there; it’s $10 for entrance, but most things after that are free to visit. We went to see the Conservatory, which is full of plants, then went to the waterside. It’s a really beautiful place! I also found the buildings in Detroit beautiful, especially the old houses in the area. (Of course, the neighborhoods themselves are probably not where I’d want to hang out after dark.) 

We eventually made a pit stop in Vandalia, Illinois, to see the Kaskaskia dragon, which actually breathes fire if you feed it a token (and tokens are free at the hardware store across the street). It was fun, and not just for the kids! 

From there, we drove a few hours south to Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri. Not only are the caverns very interesting from a natural and geological point of view, they also have historic significance. Jesse James hid out here for a few days before escaping via one of the many exits, and in more recent history, there used to be dance parties in the summer – there’s a disco ball in the huge main “room”, along with a theater in one of the back rooms. I think one of the big draws is that the caverns are cool year-round, so before air-conditioning, this was a great place to spend a summer evening! The are many wonderful rock formations throughout, including the Wine Table – it is a freestanding formation on three legs, that vaguely looks like a table with wine glasses on it. (There is only one other similar formation in the world, in Italy, and I think that one has two legs.) 

Our last hotel stay was the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. It was our first time there, and officially we billed it as a treat for the kids, but really, we had fun too! For those of you who haven’t heard of the chain, it’s a hotel that contains an indoor water park (there are also arcades and “dry” activities). There were plenty of things for the Fox to do even though he wasn’t tall enough for the biggest slides – in addition to the play structures, there was a lazy river (I made sure to ride with him) and a wave pool (we stuck to the shallow end). I ended up riding most of the slides with the Little Prince and had more fun than I thought I would! The trick was to go as soon as the place opened in the morning, before check out, so as to avoid the long lines. There’s only the biggest slide that scared him too much, so we didn’t go, but hopefully we’ll stay there again and get another chance! The hotel restaurant is a buffet, and the kids were super happy with all the choices. 

The last leg of the trip had a nice surprise: we randomly stopped for lunch in Hico and ended up at the restaurant inside the historic Midland Hotel. The place was beautiful, the service was perfect, and it was probably the nicest meal we had on our trip. I had a fried green tomato BLT and house fries, and it was great! We then went to nearby Wiseman House Chocolates, which had beautiful and, it turns out, delicious options! They have a small selection online, so I’ll consider placing an order once the weather cools down – their chocolate was really delicious!

Weekday Salad with Chicken

We’ve had a new schedule since September, one that requires me to make dinner ahead on Mondays because the Little Prince and I come home a tad after 6 o’clock and want to eat pretty much as soon as we walk in the door. So it’s not a good night to make something that must be served immediately, but I’ve found that something like quiche works well because I can just reheat it in the microwave (or, if the Engineer makes it home early enough, he can pop it in the oven to warm it up). Also, since the Little Prince doesn’t like quiche these days, I call it an egg-and-cheese tart whenever possible! I tried a vegan tofu quiche with spinach and squash from Coup de Pouce, but was less than impressed. I also tried a vegetarian Swiss chard and raisin quiche from the same magazine, but found that the crust was overbaked and the solids in the filling had fallen to the bottom, so despite the fact that it was pretty good, I don’t think I’ll be making it again. This is still my favorite. I once made a pot of beans to serve as a side to beef stew from the freezer. Another great option was BBQ beef tacos, which helped me use up the three (!) opened bottles of barbecue sauce in the fridge.

I wanted to share this recipe, though, a salad with chicken and lots of vegetables that is easy to assemble ahead of time. It’s also the kind of recipe that I could see myself eating after a week on the road every summer! I used this method to cook the chicken breasts, but any way is fine, and rotisserie chicken would be great too. You could replace the chicken with a cooked grain for a vegan option or add some lactose-free goat cheese while you’re at it. It turns out that this made a LOT of food; after layering the salad in a glass bowl and getting a 7-layer-dip effect, we ended up dumping everything in the biggest metal bowl in the house so that we had room to actually toss the salad.

For the vinaigrette
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. whole-grain Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp. sesame oil (or flavorful nut oil)

For the salad
1 medium tomato, diced
½ medium English or hothouse cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped
20 snap peas (3 oz.), cut into thirds
10 small radishes, stemmed and quartered
1 small carrot, peeled and finely grated
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup roasted nuts, such as pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)
¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or chia seeds
1 large handful arugula or mixed greens
2 or 3 grilled chicken breasts, sliced or shredded

Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, and salt together in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and sesame oil, and whisk until emulsified; set aside. (I do this in a glass jar with a lid.)

Chop, dice, grate, and mince to your heart's content, piling each vegetable in a large bowl as it is prepared (see note above). Add the parsley, chickpeas, nuts, and seeds and toss to combine.

Pour the dressing over the chopped vegetables and toss to coat before serving (the salad will keep in the fridge even with the dressing, though delicate greens might wilt a bit).

Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Maple-Sage Butter

Over the summer, I finally got to try Natrel’s lactose-free butter. I used it to make tart crusts, which were good in a way that I had forgotten tart crusts could be; I also made tomato butter, but I was expecting something like what they have at Pacini’s bread bar and was very disappointed with that recipe. I do like compound butter, though, which is why I was such a big fan of these pork chops with apples and maple-sage butter. That butter had sweetness from the maple, plus a bit of salt to enhance the flavor, and with the sage, it was absolutely delicious. I had too much for the recipe, but I slathered it on everything I could think of in the following week and it was wonderful. Wonderful, I tell you!

4 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, softened, plus 1 more Tbsp. lactose-free butter
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. minced fresh sage
salt and pepper
4 (6- to 8-oz.) boneless pork chops, ¾- to 1-inch thick, trimmed
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, halved, and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Combine softened butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, sage, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl; set aside.

Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chops until well browned and meat registers 140 °F, about 5 minutes per side (you can get it hotter if you prefer; more info on the doneness of pork here). Transfer to platter and tent with foil.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from skillet. Add apples, onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, covered, over medium-high heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup and cook, uncovered, until apples start to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

Stir any accumulated pork juices into apple-onion mixture and spoon around chops. Dollop chops with maple-sage butter. Serve.

Goat Cheese Tomato Quiche

I got this recipe from Life Is a Feast. I wasn’t too sure about it, because tomatoes can release a lot of water when cooked, so they aren’t always the best additions to quiches. I changed the recipe a bit because I made a single, 9-inch quiche instead of several small ones, so I used only one tomato instead of two. I also added a handful of grated parmesan. I loved the result! The Engineer didn’t like it, but he doesn’t like goat cheese to begin with, whereas I was incredibly happy to have lactose-free goat cheese! Note that I bought a pre-made tart shell for this, but you can make your own.

3 large eggs
1 cup lactose-free whole milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a dash of nutmeg
1 log of lactose-free goat cheese
1 handful of grated parmesan (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced to a thickness of about ¼ inch (I used only 1)
1 9-inch tart shell

Preheat the oven heat to 375 °F.

Whisk the milk with the eggs until well blended. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg.

Place one ¼-inch or so thick round of goat cheese in the pastry shell and then top with a slice of tomato; repeat. (In my case, the lactose-free goat cheese has to be crumbled, so I just spread out the crumbles as evenly as I could.) Add the parmesan, if using. Fill the pastry shell with the egg filling. Slide quiche into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the filling is puffed up and set. The top – or at least the edges – should be a deep golden color.

Feeding the freezer

I’ve been feeding the freezer a lot this past month. See, the Engineer and I bought a chest freezer, and I’ve filled it up with meals and snacks for after the baby’s born. This is obviously a long and energy-intensive project, but by tackling it a little each day, I made good progress. I found it hard to come up with recipes that fit the season (July-August in South Texas, so we don’t want to be eating lasagna all the time) and my dietary restrictions (a lactose-free flexitarian who plans to breastfeed). So I also want to come up with a list of meals that are easy enough to prepare that it would be feasible to tackle them in the weeks following the new arrival, along with ready-made products that we enjoy and should keep in stock. This post will be more about freezing food, though I do plan to have another one with the quick and easy recipes. Hopefully this can help give you ideas if you are in the same situation! (We don’t have a slow-cooker, but obviously if you do, that widens your options.)

First, here’s a post titled Freezer Meals on the Cheap on A Turtle’s Life for Me. It doesn’t have any recipes, though it does link to an inexpensive cookbook on Amazon; I like it more for the methodology and ideas. There are also some great tips in this Oregon Live article. And here’s a post on What’s Cooking, Chicago? with tons of recipes, as well as this one on Simple Bites with both tips and recipes and that one specifically for warm weather cooking.

I really recommend the blog Once A Month Mom, where the blogger basically likes to cook tons of food once a month and freeze it. Start with 25 fast freezer meals and go from there – there are lots of free recipes on the site. There’s also a Pinterest board, if you’re more visual.

Here’s a roundup of links from The Kitchn: What foods should I bring to a new mom?, Tips for making a meal for a new mom (the comments are great), Freeze and thaw: 15 make-ahead meals and tips, Dairy-free, freezer-friendly meals for a new mom, Help me fill my freezer with nourishing goodies before my baby comes!, What meals should I freeze before our baby arrives?, as well as low-carb freezer meals, easy non-spicy vegetarian meals without onions and suggestions for eating healthy while recovering from surgery.

Keep in mind that some foods don’t freeze well, while others are surprisingly freezer-friendly (including whole raw tomatoes, apparently).

There are also websites to coordinate meals if several groups of friends and family plan to visit and bring victuals with them for the new parents. Don’t forget about services offering ready-to-cook dinner kits (which save a trip to the grocery store and prep time) or, even better, food delivery services. In Montreal, I was a big fan of Mama Luv for my gifts to new moms, but last I checked they didn’t accommodate most food allergies, and I haven’t heard of anything similar in my area now.

My tips: when you package things for the freezer, be sure to write not only the contents and date, but also reheating instructions (and potentially problematic ingredients) so that you’re not scrambling around looking for the original recipe. I also keep an inventory of what’s in the chest freezer, because I know that I won’t be able to remember it all clearly in the post-baby brain fog.

I’ll admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed, because I don’t know how much food (and what kind) will be enough. I’m not sure if I’ll have any dietary restrictions like avoiding brassica (will that vegan lasagna made with kale be alright?), allium (how much onion is too much?) or legumes (should I bother freezing chili and burritos? will I be able to make bean salads?). Will I have enough oatmeal-laden foods? I’ll just try to do my best and learn from the experience. Here’s the list of what’s in the freezer, which is pretty full; recipes already on this blog have links, while new/untested recipes have asterisks and will get links once I taste the food and blog about it.

Savory
- Apple bacon quiche (2)
- Spring quiche*
- Squash bacon tart*
- Tourtière* (Quebec meat pie)
- Penne with sausage and tomato sauce
- Vegan(ish) lasagna (2)
- Spaghetti sauce (2)
- Beef and turkey hamburger patties*
- Beef and carrot stew*
- Asian barbecued pork tenderloin
- Chicken pesto manicotti*
- Tuscan chicken soup* (2)
- Breaded chicken breasts*
- Macaroni and cheese with squash and maple syrup*
- White bean tuna pita sandwiches* (6 pita halves)
- Turkey meatballs
- Cooked grains (2 bags of farro, 2 bags of quinoa)

Sweet
- Vegan banana coconut bread*
- Chocolate chip banana bread* (2)
- Cherry ginger rye scones (really not my best, so no recipe)
- Chocolate orange cupcakes (24)
- Maple olive oil granola
- French chocolate granola
- Kitchen sink granola*
- Cranberry-raspberry orange muffins (12, based on this recipe)
- Banana cereal muffins* (12)
- Fresh ginger muffins (24)
- Cherry orange poppy seed muffins (12)
- Neiman-Marcus cookies
- Lactation cookies*
- Healthy gingerbread loaf cake
- Two kinds of energy balls*
- Katharine Hepburn brownies
- Cocoa nib brownies*
- Smoothie packets*

Other things I sorta meant to make, but won’t be doing because the freezer is full anyway: burritos, spinach lasagna roll-ups, pizza and calzones, vegetable pot pie, cilantro lime chicken tacos, pulled pork tacos, roasted sweet potato soup, stuffed potatoes (which freeze well, unlike other kinds of potatoes), meatloaf baked in muffin tins, stir-fry kits with rice (or fried rice, really), chili, pesto, various kinds of cooked meat that I could serve with a quick green salad, frittata, crispy quinoa bake; pancakes and waffles, sorbets, cakes (like applesauce chocolate cake), oat cakes, various kinds of baked oatmeal. There are also cookbooks made specifically for freezer-friendly recipes, such as The Foolproof Freezer Cookbook and Don’t Panic – Dinner’s in the Freezer (I haven’t actually read either one, but they look good, and I’d consider buying one if feeding the freezer became a lifestyle for us).

Vermontfest 2010

About a month ago, we had the 2010 edition of Vermontfest. Do you think we brought enough games for the weekend?



Darwin got to run around on a 50-foot leash in a big field; he also had the option of swimming the pond, but was not at all keen to do so.




The Engineer made a tomato and mozzarella tart from Baking Illustrated, which was a success. I made a chickpea salad with lemon and parmesan as well as a potato, green bean and basil salad. We also had hummus and veggies, of course.





I had made cheese crackers based on the cheese straw recipe, but they were not as successful as the chocolate chip cookies I had made last time (I didn’t have the time to make them this year, but I’ll certainly put them on my priority list next year). I also made banana bread that was eaten on the first morning; I meant to post the recipe, and I will eventually, but not until our things have made their way to Texas and I have unpacked the cookbooks. Jen had brought fresh blueberry muffins, bran muffins and cornbread made with real corn!



The Legal Chef made cinnamon buns on the second morning, and they were delicious.




We also split duties for a pasta dinner: this time, I made my grandmother’s spaghetti sauce (I doubled the recipe and used two burners to cook it in a roasting pan, i.e. the container the Actor obstinately called his lobster pot), while the Legal Chef used his Kitchen Aid pasta attachment (on Jen’s Kitchen Aid stand mixer) to make the spaghetti, so it all went much more smoothly than last time. We even cobbled together a rack to hang the strands until we cooked them. The Legal Chef had also made focaccia with Peter Reinhart’s recipe, and it was absolutely delicious.





We also had the traditional turkey dinner, with roasted vegetables (Jen was the chef and I was the sous-chef, while the other girls went shopping and the guys had an unforgettable bachelor party for the Legal Chef’s upcoming wedding to E.); Rob made a great gravy to go with the turkey, and Jen also made a salad with a modified Caesar dressing (without fish) that was divine. I also discovered Sierra Mist.



The wildlife was less spectacular than last year, but we did get to see this guy.



The 12 of us had a wonderful time, and we look forward to repeating the experience next summer.

Roasted Tomato and Onion Tart

As you might guess, I have a long list of bookmarked websites with recipes that I want to try (along with a small pile of paper recipes in my kitchen). I was pretty proud of myself here, because I managed to combine three of them in this one dish. I used Clotilde Dusoulier’s Easy Olive Oil Tart Crust and David Lebovitz’z Aïoli as a base for a roasted tomato and onion tart. The tart called for garlic and mayonnaise, which I replaced with just aïoli.

I should mention first that I made the aïoli in the food processor. It may not be authentic, but it’s damn easy. Also, please take the instructions seriously when they say to start with only half of the garlic you have crushed. I decided to use all of it at once, since I like garlic and it didn’t seem like much. What could happen, right? Well, it was the most potent aïoli ever. Like, nuclear garlic flavour. So I ended up being stingy with it in the tart – and wouldn’t you know it, the taste was almost lost in it. The same later happened with some aïoli I had put in a ham-cheese-alfalfa, it really didn’t taste as strongly once it was mixed with other things.

Also, I did find that the tomatoes were a little watery in the tart. It’s possible that I should have let them roast longer, or maybe extra aïoli (substituting for the mayonnaise in the original recipe) would have helped. In fact, that may be why the recipe called for what seemed like an obscene amount of mayonnaise (2/3 cup). I’ll write a lesser amount in the recipe, but know that you should probably use more than I did in the pictures.


For the crust
250 grams (about 2 cups) light whole wheat flour, or a 50/50 mix of all-purpose and whole wheat
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp dried herbs (I used thyme)
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup cold water

Grease the tart pan lightly if it doesn't have a nonstick coating.
Combine the flour, salt, and herbs in a medium mixing bowl. Add the oil and mix it in with a fork. Add the water, mix with the fork until it is absorbed, then knead lightly until the dough comes together into a ball.
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the ball of dough and on the rolling pin, and roll the dough out into a circle large enough to fit your tart pan.
Transfer the dough carefully into the prepared pan and line it neatly. Place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.


For the aïoli
2-3 cloves of garlic (preferably fresh)
½ tsp salt
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (you can substitute canola if you wish)

Crush the garlic cloves with the salt in a mortar or deep bowl until you have a smooth paste. Take out some of it as it may be too much; you can add it back later.
Put the remaining paste in the food processor along with the egg yolk and process.
Add the oil to the egg and garlic mixture starting very slowly, drop by drop. You can use a spout in an olive oil bottle to regulate the flow, but you can also drip the oil in from a spoon. As the mayonnaise thickens, continue to add the oil in a very thin stream. Continue until all the oil has been incorporated. (If it gets too thick you can dilute it slightly with a tablespoon of warm water - don't add more oil, it will just get thicker.)
Taste, and add more of the garlic, if desired.






For the tart
1 ½ lbs sliced tomatoes (4 medium)
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 slices thick slab bacon
10-12 basil leaves, shredded
2 cups sharp white cheddar, grated (lactose-free if you want)
2/3 cup gruyère, grated (lactose-free if you want)
1/2 cup mayonnaise, good quality (or aïoli, but then omit the garlic cloves)
fresh ground pepper
basic pastry dough for one tart

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Core tomatoes, then slice them into ½-inch thick slices and lay them on the baking sheet. Thinly slice the onion and lay it on the other half of the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil evenly on top of the onion and tomatoes, baking them until wilted and slightly browned. This takes about 30 minutes. Set aside.
Cook your bacon, removing when crisp. Dry on paper towels and break up into 1-inch pieces.




Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on the tart shell. Layer tomatoes, overlapping them on top, and then scatter the onion on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the garlic on top, if using, along with the bacon bits. Sprinkle the basil on top.




Whip the mayonnaise or aïoli until light and spreadable. Place dollops evenly on the tart and spread to cover. Sprinkle the gruyere on top of the mayonnaise and bake in a 400 °F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is a golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, remove the ring and serve.

Tomato Tart

Years ago, I had copied a recipe for a tomato tart in Martha Stewart Living, purely because the dish looked simple, yet beautiful: red, yellow and green tomatoes in a huge tart shell. It looked delicious, even though I wasn’t really eating tomatoes yet. Unfortunately, the only recipe I can find on the official website does not quite correspond to the one I have, so I can’t show you the pictures.

My mother-in-law offered us tomatoes from her patio, and I had just bought a tart pan with removable bottom, so it seemed like perfect timing. (I also caved in and bought a set of metal bowls, even though I had said I wouldn’t. I was at Nino on 3667 Saint-Laurent and just couldn’t resist. My inner Peter Walsh is appalled that they still haven’t found a place to live, but I’ll figure it out – after all, I did find a place for the ice-cream maker.) So, the red tomatoes on the picture are hers, and the little yellow ones were from the market.



I also decided to *gasp* tweak Martha Stewart’s pâte brisée recipe, because I recently heard that a bit of vinegar helps make a flakier dough. So I added 1 Tbsp of vinegar along with the water. I ended up having a lot of trouble rolling the dough out into a circle – it seemed to want to make an hourglass shape, for some reason. But I’m not convinced that had anything to do with the vinegar (maybe I chilled the dough too much?). The dough was quite flaky, though. I’ll give you the dough ingredients as they were printed.

I’m using the lactose-free tag here because fontina is a low-lactose cheese, but you can always replace it with lactose-free cheese.

Pâte brisée
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or other herbs)
½ cup ice water

Tart
1 garlic bulb
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
5 oz fontina cheese, grated (about 1 cup) – though I would use more
3 lbs firm, ripe tomatoes (about 6 medium), cut into ¼-inch thick slices
fresh basil leaves, for garnish

For the pâte brisée
Pulse flour, salt and thyme in a food processor until just combined. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.

Add 1/3 cup ice water and process just until dough comes together, no more than 30 seconds (dough should not be sticky). Add a little more water if necessary.

Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; flatten into a disc. Wrap in the plastic and refrigerate 30 min.

For the tart
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Put garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Fold foil over to seal. Bake until garlic is very soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Squeeze cloves from skins into a small plate and discard skin. (You wouldn’t believe how good it smelled at this point!) Mash garlic with a fork and set aside.



Raise oven temperature to 450 °F. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 16-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick. Fold dough in half and lift it over a 14-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (mine is a bit smaller). Unfold dough over pan, pressing it into corners. Trim edges of dough and place pan on a baking sheet.



Spread roasted garlic evenly over crust.



Sprinkle with ½ cup of the cheese. Arrange tomatoes on top of the cheese in a circular pattern, overlapping them slightly. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp oil.



Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Reduce temperature to 425 °F. Bake until crust turns golden and tomatoes soften, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes. Garnish with basil and serve.