Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

 

This muffin recipe is from Real Simple. The lemon-rose glaze is optional, but I’m a sucker for rosewater, so I highly recommend it! I changed the amounts a bit – the version below is mine. These muffins were fantastic! 

For the muffins 

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 

¼ tsp. baking powder 

¼ tsp. baking soda 

¼ tsp. kosher salt 

2 tsp. poppy seeds 

¾ cup granulated sugar 

1 tsp. lemon zest + 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 

1 large egg 

1 large egg yolk 

½ cup canola oil 

½ cup buttermilk substitute (½ Tbsp. vinegar + lactose-free milk) 

For the glaze 

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 

1 Tbsp. rosewater 

1 splash lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tray (I greased my silicone tray). 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Set aside. 

Place sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub zest into sugar until coated and fragrant. Whisk in egg, egg yolk, oil, buttermilk, and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients; stir until batter is smooth. Stir in poppy seeds. 

Pour batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake until center of each muffin springs back when gently pressed, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer tray to a wire rack and let muffins cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tray and let cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes. Top with glaze, if using. 

To make the glaze, simply whisk all ingredients together, and adjust for consistency. Spoon over the cooled muffins.

Raspberry Jam Waffles

I may be eating low-carb overall these days, but I still make exceptions. Especially when the kids complain that I haven’t made waffles in a while! I recommend the banana waffles from Weelicious, but here’s another recipe that I thought was more original: these raspberry jam waffles. I’m sure you could use another type of jam, but the kids and I really liked this one. (Sorry about the photo – there’s just no light early in the morning!) 

2 large eggs 

1 ½ cups lactose-free whole milk 

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 cup seedless raspberry jam, divided 

2 cups (about 8 ½ oz.) all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat) 

1 Tbsp. baking powder 

½ tsp. kosher salt 

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer instructions. 

Whisk together eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, and ¼ cup of the jam in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined (small lumps are OK). 

Spray waffle iron with oil, and cook waffles according to manufacturer instructions, 3 to 5 minutes per waffle. 

While waffles cook, heat remaining ¾ cup jam in a small saucepan over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve waffles with warm jam.

Japanese Cheesecake

 

I made sour cherry cheesecake recently and, although I admit to changing the recipe a bit by swapping half the sugar for coconut sugar, it really wasn’t great. 

I still wanted a good cheesecake, and I remembered this recipe for Japanese cheesecake. I’d been meaning to taste it for a long time, and I never had the chance, because they don’t make them lactose-free. But with a recipe, I can make it lactose-free myself! 

This dish is also called Japanese cotton cheesecake, because the addition of flour changes the consistency as compared to our traditional cheesecakes, making it lighter and fluffier. It is also not overly sweet, so feel free to serve it with fruit or powdered sugar, though it was delicious plain as well. This recipe makes a small cheesecake 6 inches in diameter, so you really won’t feel like you’re over-indulging. The Engineer and I absolutely loved this; the kids did not care for it, so we ate their portions (total of 8 pieces, over 2 days, totally reasonable). 

½ cup lactose-free cream cheese 

3 large eggs, separated 

¼ cup lactose-free milk 

2 ½ Tbsp. lactose-free butter 

1/3 cup cake flour 

¼ cup sugar 

½ tsp. lemon juice 

Preheat the oven at 250 °F. Prepare a 6" cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Make sure to use a standard aluminum cake pan (not spring form and not non-stick), so that the cake can rise appropriately. 

In a bowl, put the cream cheese, milk and butter. Then, place the bowl over a double boiler and heat the mixture until it has a creamy consistency. 

Remove from heat and stir the egg yolks into the mixture until well combined. 

Sift the cake flour and add it to egg mixture and mix until combined. 

In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and lemon juice. Be sure to start the whisking in a slow speed to stabilize the egg whites, and gradually speed up. 

While whisking, when egg whites start to form bubbles, slowly add in sugar. Whisk the egg whites until medium peaks form. You should see the tip of the egg whites curl when you hold up the whisk. 

Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture until well combined. Fold in the remaining 2/3 egg whites into the mixture in 2 turns until well incorporated. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place the filled-pan into a bigger pan. Fill the bigger pan with boiling water until it's about 1/3 height of the inner pan. 

Bake the cheesecake for about 60 mins. After that, turn the oven to broiler mode for 2 mins to brown the top. Keep an eye on it as the browning will happen very quickly. (In my case, after 60 minutes, the cake was still pale and wobbly, so I put it back in the oven for 10 minutes. At that point, it was no longer wobbly, and the color looked perfect to me, so I didn’t use the broiler at all.) 

Remove from oven and let it cool. Don't be alarm if the cake shrinks a little. Once it's warm to touch, remove the cake from the pan and place it on a plate. 

Chill the cake for 2 hours and enjoy!

Soba Noodle Salad

 

This recipe is from The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook by Angela Grassi. I’ve made a few recipes from it, and this one was surprisingly good! 

1 (8-oz) package buckwheat soba noodles 

2 cups diced cucumber 

2 cups chopped red cabbage 

2 green onions, chopped 

1 ½ cups frozen shelled edamame, unthawed 

¼ cup sesame seeds 

½ cup chopped cilantro 

2 Tbsp. sesame oil 

2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce 

4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 

1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup 

Cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

In a large bowl, combined cooked noodles, cucumber, red cabbage, green onions, edamame, sesame seeds, and cilantro. 

In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup (I did this by shaking a lidded jar). 

Pour vinaigrette over noodles and vegetables. Toss well to coat. 

Serve at room temperature or cold.

Carrot Cake Cookies

 

I got this recipe from Real Simple. They’re called breakfast cookies, though I served them as dessert. I omitted the walnuts from the recipe below. There are still nuts, though, because the recipe calls for almond flour, which is low-carb and contains protein, healthy fats, and fiber. The Little Prince and I liked these a lot! 

1 ½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats 

1 cup almond flour 

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 

¾ tsp. kosher salt 

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg 

1 large egg 

1 egg white 

½ unrefined coconut oil, melted 

1/3 cup pure maple syrup 

1 ½ tsp. vanilla 

1 ½ cups packed freshly grated carrots (from about 4 medium carrots – about 8 oz. total) 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Whisk oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. 

Make a well in center of dry ingredients; pour in wet ingredients and stir, incorporating wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir in carrots until a uniform dough forms. 

Scoop mixture by ¼-cupfuls (I used a 3-oz cookie scoop); squeeze each scoop tightly with wet hands into a compact ball. (You should have 12 balls – I got 16.) Arrange balls about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and press to flatten slightly. 

Bake until cookies are golden and tops are slightly cracked, about 30 minutes (25 minutes did the trick for me). Let cool on baking sheet for about 20 minutes. 

Store loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (room temperature was fine for a few days); let come to room temperature for at least 15 minutes before eating. To freeze, let cool completely and store in a sealed freezer bag or other container for up to 3 months.

Beignes et muffins chocolat, pommes et courgettes

 

J’ai trouvé cette recette sur le site de Loounie cuisine. On peut en faire des beignes ou des muffins, ou les deux! La pâte est très épaisse, alors le dessus des pâtisseries n’est pas lisse. Ça peut rendre le tout moins appétissant, mais dans le cas des beignes, ils sont servis à l’envers de toute façon, alors ça passe! 

La recette d’origine indique donner de 12 à 16 beignes ou muffins. Pour ma part, j’ai eu 12 beignes ET 12 muffins, ce qui m’indique que je devais avoir plus de pommes et de courgettes que Loounie, et cela explique donc le temps de cuisson plus long. J’ai remarqué seulement après-coup qu’elle dit en avoir eu environ 750 grammes, et je n’ai pas pesé les miens, alors voilà, tant pis. 

Pour remplacer la farine de blé à pâtisserie, j’ai mis 3 cuillères à soupe de fécule de maïs et j’ai ajouté de la farine de blé blond jusqu’à avoir 300 grammes du mélange en tout. J’ai saupoudré les beignes de sucre à glacer, et les enfants ont adoré! 

Pour ce qui est des muffins, je recommande de les garder au réfrigérateur ou de faire congeler ceux qui ne sont pas mangés rapidement. 

2 courgettes de grosseur moyenne avec la pelure, bien lavées et râpées 

2 pommes de grosseur moyenne avec la pelure mais sans le cœur, bien lavées et râpées 

½ tasse de dattes dénoyautées (environ 8-10 petites dattes) 

50 g (½ tasse) de poudre de cacao 

1 ½ c. à thé de poudre à pâte 

½ c. à thé de sel 

2 c. à soupe de sirop d’érable 

1/3 tasse d’huile végétale ou de margarine végétalienne fondue 

1 c. à thé de vanille 

300 g (2 ½ tasses) de farine de blé à pâtisserie 

150 g (1 tasse) de morceaux ou de pastilles de chocolat noir 

sucre en poudre (facultatif) 

Placer la grille au centre du four et préchauffer le four à 375 °F. Chemiser les moules à muffins avec des caissettes de papier ou de silicone (je les ai huilés), ou huiler légèrement les moules à beignes (au choix). 

Dans le contenant d’un robot-culinaire, mettre les zucchinis râpés, les pommes râpées et les dattes. Broyer jusqu’à l’obtention d’une texture de purée légèrement grumeleuse. 

Ajouter la poudre de cacao, la poudre à pâte, le sel, le sirop d’érable, l’huile et la vanille. Pulser à nouveau jusqu’à ce que les ingrédients soient bien mélangés. Transférer dans un bol. 

Ajouter la farine tamisée et mélanger doucement en repliant à l’aide d’une spatule, jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit bien humectée (elle restera épaisse). 

Ajouter les morceaux ou pastilles de chocolat noir et mélanger doucement pour bien les répartir. 

Répartir le mélange dans les moules à muffins (12 à 16, mais voir note plus haut) ou encore les moules à beignes (pareil). 

Enfourner 17 à 20 minutes pour les muffins et 15-17 minutes pour les beignes (le trou accélère la cuisson). Ça a été plus long dans mon cas – je devais avoir davantage d’humidité avec mes pommes et mes courgettes. 

Attendre environ 10 minutes, et démouler. Laisser refroidir sur une plaque ou encore sur un linge propre et sec, qui absorbera l’humidité. 

Saupoudrer de sucre en poudre (facultatif, mais joli, d’autant plus que ces pâtisseries ne paient pas beaucoup de mine sinon).

Banana Bread with Less Sugar

 

I had quietly been trying new banana bread recipes without reporting on them because they didn’t seem worth the hype. There was Alton Brown’s oatmeal banana bread, the photos of which have been sitting on my hard drive since May 2019. Honestly, it would have been better if I had toasted the oatmeal less and if I had baked the bread less too, but even then, not great. Then this banana bread with yogurt and chocolate chips from August 2019 that promised to be super moist, but wasn’t. Followed in September by Nana’s Banana Bread that was simply unremarkable. And, in January of this year, Soom’s chocolate chip tahini banana bread, which was gorgeous, but a little dry – for some reason, they removed it from their site, but it looks like there’s still a cached version. (Oddly, the same thing happened with Soom’s chocolate chip coconut tahini granola bars – beautiful, but not a hit.) 

Now that I’m trying to eat fewer carbs, I don’t make baked goods as often. Except that when I was flipping through Joanne Chang’s Baking with Less Sugar again, I realized that I had never made the banana bread. And this bread was fantastic, and certainly the kind of thing I want to share on here! The author does specify that the bananas have to be *really* ripe – “black and spotty on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside” – probably as far as you’re comfortable letting them go before throwing them out! The bananas are then cooked to further enhance their sweetness. It should be said that the original version had walnuts, but I omitted them in my recipe and below; that being said, I wouldn’t be against throwing a handful of chocolate chips in here. 

175 g (1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour 

½ tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

½ tsp. kosher salt 

3 large eggs 

75 g (6 Tbsp.) sugar 

70 g (1/3 cup) vegetable oil 

3 large or 4 medium super-ripe bananas (see note above), divided 

90 g (6 Tbsp.) lactose-free crème fraiche (I used lactose-free sour cream) 

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 °F. Butter and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or butter and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. 

With the mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil. (Be sure not to pour the oil in all at once; add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn’t deflate the air you’ve just beaten into the batter.) 

In a small saucepan, mash all but 1 of the bananas thoroughly with a fork. Cook on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they break down and get soft and mushy. Let cool a bit, then whisk in the crème fraîche and vanilla until thoroughly combined into a purée. Mash up the remaining banana and stir into the mixture. 

Add the banana mixture to the egg mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. With a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients by hand until thoroughly combined, so there are no more flour streaks in the batter. 

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the banana bread is pale golden brown and springs back when you poke it in the center. If your finger sinks when you poke the bread, it needs to bake a little longer. Don't worry if the top of banana bread hasn't domed like it does other recipes — Flour Bakery's banana bread recipe doesn't do that. When the bread is done, transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy! 

This bread will keep for 2 days at room temperature, or you can freeze it.

Strawberry and Peach Eton Mess

 

Alright, so to start with, I want to specify that Eton mess is traditionally made with strawberries only, therefore this recipe from Parents clearly takes some liberties. That being said, it’s delicious! I’m sure you could make it with berries or tropical fruits and it would still be good, though maybe at that point the purists among you might start sweating… Anyway, this went over really well with my family, and it’s just so easy to make! This makes 6 to 8 servings. 

1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped 

1 fresh ripe peach or nectarine, peeled and chopped 

1 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar (I used monkfruit powdered sugar) 

2 cups lactose-free whipping cream or substitute 

1 more Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar (same) 

8 vanilla meringue cookies (mine were from Trader Joe’s), plus 2 for topping 

Gently toss together strawberries, peach, and 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Process 1 cup of the chopped-fruit mixture in a blender until puréed (I used an immersion blender). Set both mixtures aside. 

Beat cream and additional tablespoon confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until medium-soft peaks form. Lightly crush 8 vanilla meringue cookies directly into the cream mixture.

To serve, you can either do as I did (the trifle way) and layer the three mixtures in a glass, or gently fold everything together without overmixing (which the original recipe suggests). Crumble the additional meringues on top and serve.

Sandwichs fondants au porc effiloché

 

Bon, il fallait bien passer ce reste de porc effiloché que j’avais au congélateur! Alors j’ai décidé de faire la dernière recette que j’avais sauvegardée à ce sujet, les sandwichs fondants au porc effiloché dans Coup de Pouce. Il s’agit de sandwichs qui rappellent un peu les Monte Cristo parce qu’ils sont trempés dans un mélange d’œufs avant d’être cuits dans une poêle (mais sans confiture de framboises ni sucre en poudre ni élément sucré, mis à part peut-être la sauce barbecue et les assaisonnements de votre porc). Alors, moi j’ai trouvé ça bien bon; l’Ingénieur a trouvé ça correct; le Petit Prince et le Renard ont tous les deux trippé ben raide et ont dit que c’était le meilleur sandwich qu’ils avaient mangé de leur vie. Va falloir que je refasse du porc effiloché cet hiver! 

4 œufs 

2/3 tasse de lait sans lactose 

8 tranches de pain de campagne 

¼ tasse de sauce barbecue 

2 tasses de porc effiloché (voir lien plus haut)

4 tranches de fromage sans lactose 

3 c. à soupe de moutarde de Dijon 

2 c. à thé de beurre sans lactose 

Dans un plat peu profond, à l'aide d'un fouet, battre les œufs et le lait. Réserver. 

Tartiner 4 tranches de pain de la sauce barbecue. Répartir le porc effiloché et le fromage sur les tranches de pain. Tartiner les tranches de pain restantes de moutarde de Dijon et les déposer sur le fromage, côté moutarde dessous, en les pressant. 

Tremper les sandwichs, un à un, dans le mélange d'œufs réservé, environ 1 minute de chaque côté (je l'ai fait bien moins longtemps). 

Dans un poêlon à surface antiadhésive, faire fondre la moitié du beurre à feu moyen. Y déposer deux sandwichs et cuire pendant environ 5 minutes ou jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés et que le fromage ait fondu (les retourner à la mi-cuisson). Répéter avec le reste du beurre et les deux autres sandwichs.

Raspberry Smoothie Bowl

I’ve tried a few different smoothie bowls these past weeks. I like them in theory, but I notice that they don’t usually contain enough protein to keep me full all morning. Perhaps I should just add a scoop of protein powder when I mix them… There was a very simple PB&J smoothie bowl from Parents magazine (¾ cup milk of choice, ½ cup each frozen bananas and strawberries, 2 Tbsp. peanut butter, topped with jelly and halved grapes) that was just okay. And then a banana-almond-oatmeal smoothie bowl that was more to my liking. 

That being said, I think smoothie bowls should look pretty, and so this raspberry smoothie bowl was my favorite. Not that the toppings have to be perfect, but having the smoothie part of it be bright pink instead of beige was really nice! The toppings are adaptable, of course. I used kiwi, coconut chips, and hemp seeds.

For the smoothie 

1 large banana, sliced 

¾ cup frozen raspberries 

½ cup almond milk 

1 Tbsp. honey 

¼ tsp. vanilla 

1 pinch ground cinnamon 

For the toppings 

1 kiwi or banana, sliced 

1 Tbsp. chopped or roasted almonds or walnuts 

1 tsp. flaxseed or chia seeds 

2 Tbsp. puffed rice cereal or granola 

Place the banana, raspberries, almond milk, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon in a blender. Blend until smooth and frothy. 

Pour the smoothie into a bowl. 

Top with the kiwi or banana, almonds, flaxseed, and cereal.

Chocolate Budino

 

I don’t think there’s ever a bad time for chocolate pudding, and I had Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for chocolate budino calling my name, so I went for it. “Budino” is the Italian word for pudding or custard; this version is particularly rich, what with the egg yolks and the cream, but this was worth it. I used Silk heavy whipping cream alternative instead of cream, and it worked perfectly! 

You can top this with more vegan whipped cream, and optionally dust that with cocoa or cinnamon, but it was also delicious plain. 

5 egg yolks 

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

2 cups lactose-free whipping cream (see note above), plus another ½ cup for topping (optional) 

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (60% or so), finely chopped 

2 tsp. lactose-free butter 

2 pinches sea salt 

¼ tsp. vanilla extract 

2 tsp. bourbon, brandy, or another liqueur (optional; I didn’t use it) 

In the bottom of a medium-sized saucepan, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar until fully combined. 

Slowly drizzle in 2 cups of cream, whisking the whole time. Warm mixture over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it is thick enough that it coats a spoon. (Don’t let it simmer or boil.)

Place chopped chocolate in the bottom of a large bowl and set a fine-mesh strainer over it. Pour egg yolk mixture through strainer, onto the chocolate. Remove strainer and stir; the heat of the egg yolk mixture should melt the chocolate. 

Add butter, salt, and vanilla, and mix until butter is melted and combined. Divide between small cups (you’ll have about 2 1/2 to 2 2/3 cups of budino mixture; I made 8 servings out of it) and chill until fully cold and set. 

Either right before you serve it or, when the chill is off the custard enough that it won’t melt the cream, whip remaining ½ cup lactose-free cream to very soft peaks. Spoon generously over each cup. Serve cold.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I found this cookie recipe on Eat Yourself Skinny. (I haven’t had time to explore the whole site, but it does look full of good things!) The cookies are small and very plump, which gives them an adorable look! They were delicious to boot – we all loved them, and I even prefer them to the keto chocolate chip cookies I made recently. 

1½ cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat) 

½ cup almond flour 

1 tsp. baking soda 

¼ tsp. sea salt 

2 eggs 

5 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted and cooled 

¼ cup honey 

1 tsp. vanilla 

½ cup dark chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 °F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda and sea salt and set aside. 

In the bowl of your stand mixer or using electric beaters, mix together eggs, coconut oil, honey and vanilla until smooth then slowly add in flour mixture until just combined. 

Fold in the chocolate chips and scoop out a tablespoon each of dough balls onto the lined cookie sheet (you should get roughly 30 balls – I got 28) and flatten them just a tad with your fingers. 

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until cookies have puffed up and have a nice golden coloring on the tops. Allow cookies to cool then enjoy!

Mushroom-Walnut Bolognese

I dug this recipe out of a folder and decided to make it, now that I have access to a lactose-free cream substitute here (Silk brand). I keep reading that walnuts are anti-inflammatory and full of omega-3s, and mushrooms are also recommended against diabetes. That being said, since there is “cream” and pasta (I couldn’t find a low-carb long and wide pasta, so had the real thing for the first time since early summer, I think), probably all those foods cancel each other out. In any case, this was really good! 

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered 

1 cup toasted walnuts 

1 yellow onion, quartered 

1 medium carrot, chopped 

1 medium stalk celery, chopped 

6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 

1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided 

½ cup dry white wine 

⅓ cup tomato paste 

2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock 

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 

½ cup lactose-free half-and-half substitute 

1 lb. tagliatelle pasta, cooked according to package instructions 

grated parmesan cheese, for serving 

Working in 2 batches, pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Add walnuts to food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add onion, carrot, and celery to food processor; process until very finely chopped. 

Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms in an even layer; cook, undisturbed, until browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, toss, and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with walnuts. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Stir in onion mixture and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until mixture is golden and almost dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and walnuts. Add wine; cook until absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, until combined, about 5 minutes. Add stock; simmer over low, stirring once or twice, until sauce is very thick, 35 to 40 minutes. Add pepper, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and half-and-half; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes 

Toss pasta with desired amount of sauce. Serve with cheese. Place any remaining sauce in an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Banana Muffins

I tried blueberry protein muffins from A Balanced Approach to PCOS –sadly, they weren’t great. We ate 7, I think, and 2 ended up in the trash. But then I tried these banana muffins from Eat Yourself Skinny and we all really liked them! I served them with a little fruit salad composée, given that we had an abundance of fruit that (dark) morning! 

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 

1 tsp. baking powder 

½ tsp. baking soda 

¼ tsp. sea salt 

½ tsp. cinnamon 

1 large egg 

3 ripe bananas, mashed 

½ cup unsweetened applesauce 

¼ cup honey 

1 tsp. vanilla 

3 Tbsp. lactose-free plain Greek yogurt 

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Grease a muffin tin (I ended up with 15 muffins). 

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt); set aside. 

In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg then add mashed bananas, applesauce, honey and yogurt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. 

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full and bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool, serve and enjoy!

Sesame Chicken

 

This isn’t really a recipe, but it got such rave reviews in my household that I have to share! I had a big container of deep-roasted sesame dressing that I wanted to use up (it’s absolutely delicious, but I just wanted to make room in the fridge). I ended up using it to marinate chicken. I basically used split chicken breasts and poured out the rest of the container on top of them, mixed things around, then left them in the fridge all day. I roasted the chicken for 15 minutes at 425 °F. And BOTH of my kids liked it, even the Fox! He likes very few things and may not even go for a chicken nugget dipped in ketchup, so this is special indeed. I served it here with butternut squash with white beans and bacon.

Biscuits aux brisures de chocolat presque cétogènes

 

J’ai fait ces biscuits aux brisures de chocolat cétogènes en adaptant un peu la recette, parce que mon garde-manger n’est pas (encore?) équipé tout à fait comme il le faut. J’ai utilisé du sucre de noix de coco au lieu du remplacement de sucre granulé, qu’on peut trouver dans certaines épiceries ou en ligne (tout comme les brisures de chocolat – les miennes étaient de Hu). Je n’ai pas écrasé les biscuits en les faisant cuire (notez d’ailleurs que la gomme de xanthane est facultative, mais si vous l’omettez, les biscuits seront plus aplatis et moins moelleux). Les miens sont un peu plus moches que ceux sur la photo d’origine, mais je pense que ça a rapport au type de farine d’amandes utilisé ainsi qu’au remplacement de sucre. D’ailleurs, à ce sujet, je recommande fortement la farine d’amandes écalées (donc blanchies, sans pelure); ça fait un biscuit nettement plus joli! 

1 ½ tasse de farine d'amande 

½ c. à thé de poudre à pâte 

½ c. à thé de gomme de xanthane (voir plus haut) 

1 pincée de sel cachère 

½ tasse de beurre sans lactose 

¾ tasse de remplacement de sucre granulé (voir plus haut) 

1 œuf 

1 c. à thé de vanille 

¾ tasse de brisures de chocolat sans sucre 

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. 

Mélanger la farine d’amandes, la poudre à pâte, la gomme de xanthane et le sel. Réserver. 

Faire fondre le beurre, puis le laisser tempérer pendant 2 minutes. 

Verser le beurre dans un grand bol; ajouter le remplacement de sucre. Mélanger avec une cuillère de bois jusqu'à ce que le mélange devienne pâle et léger, environ 2 minutes (j’ai fait ça au batteur sur socle). 

Incorporer l'œuf et la vanille; bien mélanger. 

Ajouter les ingrédients secs. Mélanger jusqu'à ce que les ingrédients forment une pâte homogène, mais pas plus. 

Ajouter les brisures de chocolat délicatement à l'aide d'une spatule. 

À l'aide d'une mini-cuillère à crème glacée, former environ 18 boules de 1 c. à soupe de pâte chacune (les miennes étaient plus grosses; j’ai pris ma cuillère à biscuits de 3 oz et j’en ai quand même obtenu une vingtaine). Les déposer sur une plaque à pâtisserie recouverte d'un tapis de silicone ou d'un papier parchemin. (Ici, je trouve que j’ai eu de meilleurs résultats en mettant les boules de pâte au frigo avant de les faire cuire.) 

Cuire sur la grille du milieu du four pendant environ 6 minutes, puis sortir du four et aplatir légèrement avec une fourchette. Si désiré, saupoudrer quelques grains de fleur de sel sur chaque biscuit. Retourner la plaque puis remettre au four pendant encore 6 à 8 minutes, jusqu'à ce que les biscuits deviennent légèrement dorés. (Dans mon cas, je n’ai pas ouvert la porte du four. J’ai fait plusieurs « batchs » et selon moi, j’ai eu les meilleurs résultats en mettant la pâte à biscuits froide au four 11-12 minutes, préalablement saupoudrée de fleur de sel si on veut – j’ai pris des flocons de sel de Maldon.) Les biscuits vont terminer leur cuisson une fois sortis du four; c’est donc normal qu’ils aient encore l’air un peu humides. Attendre 10 à 15 minutes avant de les déguster.

Upside-down banana muffins

 

These muffins are not “healthy” or low-carb or anything, but I decided to try them anyway because I thought the kids would like them. It turns out the Engineer was the biggest fan! They have a bananas-foster vibe going on, which was really nice. I’d probably recommend reducing slightly the amount of butter and sugar in each cup, because I ended up with a crystallized sugar layer that, while not unpleasant, was probably not the intended result. I used only 1 banana instead of 3 – I really think that the muffins would overflow if you were to use that much! (The recipe is originally from Parents magazine, but they don’t have it up online.) 

24 tsp. lactose-free butter (see note above) 

24 tsp. brown sugar (see note above) 

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat) 

½ cup brown sugar 

2 tsp. baking powder 

¾ tsp. cinnamon 

¼ tsp. kosher salt 

1/3 cup canola oil 

2 eggs 

¼ cup lactose-free milk 

1 ½ tsp. vanilla 

1 banana (see note above) 

Preheat oven to 375 °F. 

Place 1 teaspoon of the butter and 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar in each of the wells in a mini-muffin pan. Bake 5 minutes and set aside (but leave the oven on). 

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

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined. 

When butter mixture is cool, cut the banana into 24 thin slices. Place 1 in each muffin cup and fill with batter. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry (there may be melted sugar or banana on there, but there should be no batter). 

To unmold, I decided that the best thing to do was to place a baking sheet over the muffin tin, then flip the whole thing over. I pushed down on each cup to make sure the muffin was dislodged before removing the pan and placing the muffins in a container.  

Muffins can be stored for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container, or in the fridge.

Another chia bowl

I took my inspiration from this post, and it’s really more of a formula than an actual recipe. It originally called for 2/3 cup chia seeds, but after making it twice, I realize that I prefer using ½ cup, otherwise it ends up too thick for me. It also called for light coconut milk, but I think another plant-based milk would do just fine here. And while mango would have been great, I didn’t have any, so I used a clementine (and omitted the nuts). I think topping a breakfast bowl can absolutely be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants thing. 

 

1 cup canned light coconut milk (see note above) 

½ cup chia seeds 

½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt 

¼ cup pure maple syrup 

¼ tsp. salt 

½ cup chopped fresh mango 

¼ cup raw coconut chips, toasted 

¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts (see note above)

In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, chia seeds, yogurt, syrup, and salt. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. 

Spoon pudding into bowls (I had 2-3 servings, I think). Top with mango, coconut, macadamia nuts, and additional chia seeds.

Pizza Muffins

 

These pizza muffins definitely taste best served warm. Those of us who tasted them warm at home really liked them! The Little Prince had them for lunch at school (his lunchbox has a built-in cooler, though things are obviously no longer freezing cold by lunch time) and he wasn’t fond of them. I’d recommend warming them up and putting them in a wide, warm thermos to pack them for school. Live and learn. 

Note that I used 2 cups of white whole wheat flour. Also, since I don’t have pizza seasoning, I replaced it with my own mix of spices below. 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup whole-wheat flour 

1 tsp. baking powder 

½ tsp. baking soda 

½ tsp. teaspoon salt 

½ tsp. garlic powder 

½ tsp. onion powder 

½ tsp. dried basil 

½ tsp. dried oregano 

1 ½ cups lactose-free milk 

1 cup grated carrot 

1 cup lactose-free shredded mozzarella cheese 

¼ cup lactose-free grated Parmesan cheese 

¼ cup melted and slightly cooled lactose-free butter or neutral oil 

¼ cup diced pepperoni, plus 2 Tbsp. (optional) 

2 eggs, lightly beaten 

Preheat the oven to 375 °F and grease a standard muffin tin well. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, stir together the milk, carrot, cheeses, butter, pepperoni (reserving the 2 tablespoons), and egg. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 

Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin. Top each with reserved pepperoni. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. (There may be some melted cheese on it though!) 

Let cool in the pan for 2-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. You may need to use a paring knife around the edges of the muffins to help remove them from the pan. 

Serve slightly warm.

Chocolate Chia Pudding with Raspberries

This recipe is from the cookbook A Balanced Approach to PCOS, by Melissa Groves Azzaro. She’s a registered dietician whose advice I trust, mainly because she makes her recommendations based on actual data and doesn’t sell supplements. I bookmarked many recipes in this book and will let you know how it goes! 

For this pudding, I increased the maple syrup slightly and added a pinch of salt – my modifications are below. 

By the way, this worked so well that I think you could absolutely use coconut milk beverage (or another plant-based milk) instead of coconut milk in this golden milk chia pudding, to reduce the fat content. 

2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk of choice 

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder 

2 Tbsp. maple syrup 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

½ tsp. ground cinnamon 

1 pinch of salt 

½ cup chia seeds 

¼ cup (2 scoops) unflavored or vanilla-flavored protein powder 

1 cup fresh raspberries, for serving 

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. 

Stir in the cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Remove from heat. 

Pour the chia seeds and the protein powder in the milk mixture and whisk together. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Serve with the raspberries.

Turkey Burrito Bowl

 

I got this recipe from Parents magazine. It’s a bit like the taco bowl, but I found the meat more flavorful, thanks to the addition of salsa and chicken broth.! I’ve made it a few times, playing around with the ingredients, and I’m really enjoying this. If you want to avoid the quinoa, you might like RightRice. 

1 cup quinoa 

2 tsp. olive oil 

½ red onion, chopped (about ½ cup) 

1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped (about ¾ cup) 

1 lb. ground turkey (93% lean) 

1 tsp. ground cumin 

¾ tsp. kosher salt 

½ tsp. chili powder (I used 1 pinch Korean pepper) 

½ tsp. black pepper 

½ cup jarred chunky mild salsa 

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

sliced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded cabbage, lactose-free cheese, lactose-free sour cream, and any other topping of your choice 

Rinse quinoa well under cold running water. Cook according to package directions. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is almost translucent, about 5 minutes. Add turkey, cumin, salt, chili powder, and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in salsa and broth; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquids reduce and turkey mixture is well coated in salsa mixture, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Serve over quinoa divided evenly among four bowls. Top with avocado, tomatoes, cabbage, cheese, and sour cream, if using.