Beignes au four glacés à l'érable

 

J’aime bien les beignes au four, parce que les enfants les adorent même si c’est vraiment santé comparé à des beignes traditionnels. C’est ici une recette de Coup de Pouce. Je l’ai aimée, mais le glaçage était un peu trop liquide, alors je vous recommanderais d’être prudents avec le lait et le sirop d’érable.

Pour les beignes
1 1/3 tasse de farine
1/3 tasse de cassonade, tassée
1 cuillère à thé de poudre à pâte
½ cuillère à thé de cannelle moulue
¼ cuillère à thé de bicarbonate de soude
1 pincée de sel
1/3 tasse de beurre sans lactose, fondu, puis tempéré légèrement
1/3 tasse de sirop d'érable
1 œuf
1/3 tasse de crème sure sans lactose
1/3 tasse de lait sans lactose
1 cuillère à thé d'extrait de vanille

Pour le glaçage
1 tasse de sucre glace
2 cuillères à table de sirop d'érable (voir note plus haut)
½ à 1 cuillère à table de lait (voir note plus haut)
1 cuillère à thé d’extrait de vanille
sucre d'érable, pour garnir (facultatif)

Pour les beignes
Préchauffer le four à 400 °F. Huiler un moule à beignes au four de 12 cavités (ou 2 moules de 6 cavités chacun). Réserver.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger les ingrédients secs au fouet. Réserver. Dans un deuxième bol, bien mélanger le reste des ingrédients. Ajouter, en deux fois, les ingrédients humides aux ingrédients secs. Mélanger jusqu’à consistance homogène, sans plus. Un peu à la fois, si nécessaire, transvider le mélange dans une poche à pâtisserie ou un grand sac à glissière percé dans un coin et remplir les cavités du moule aux deux tiers.

Cuire les beignes au centre du four de 8 à 10 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient bien gonflés et dorés. Placer le moule sur une grille et laisser refroidir 10 minutes. Démouler délicatement les beignes et les laisser refroidir complètement sur la grille (environ 30 minutes.)

Pour le glaçage et l’assemblage
Dans un bol, fouetter tous les ingrédients (je recommande d’y aller doucement avec les liquides).

Tremper chaque beigne dans le bol de glaçage, jusqu’à la moitié environ. Retourner délicatement et secouer pour retirer l’excès de glaçage. Déposer les beignes sur la grille et saupoudrer d’un peu de sucre d’érable, si désiré. Laisser le glaçage prendre avant de déguster, soit environ 30 minutes. (Les beignes se conserveront 3 jours dans un contenant hermétique, au réfrigérateur, ou 3 mois au congélateur.)

Sesame-Ginger Potato Salad

 Sometimes, when I tear recipes out of a magazine, I end up stalling on making them because there might be different recipes on each side of the same sheet of paper, which means that I can’t just make one recipe, cut it out, and file it, because then I’ll lose the second recipe. That’s what happened with this spread from the July/August 2022 edition of Real Simple, which had two salad recipes I wanted to try. I finally decided to just plow ahead and make both of them on consecutive weeks.

First was a cornbread panzanella that I served for lunch, with a hard-boiled egg for protein. It was good, but as much as I like cornbread, I think I prefer more savory panzanellas. The other recipe that had caught my eye was this sesame-ginger potato salad, which was so good! This is one I will have to make again. We all really loved the Asian-inspired flavors in this dish.

The amounts below make 8 large servings; consider halving it if you want less. I also reduced the amount of fish sauce; the quantities below are mine.

3 lbs. red baby new potatoes
¼ cup lower-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 3 or 4 limes)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger (from a 2-in. piece)
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce, such as sambal oelek (optional)
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for cooking potatoes
4 cups shredded red cabbage (from 1 head)
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
4 scallions, thinly sliced (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
3 Tbsp. toasted white and/or black sesame seeds

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; simmer until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes (avoid overcooking). Drain and rinse under cold water. Let cool in colander for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half, or quarter if large.

Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, honey, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce (if using), and salt in a large bowl.

Toss potatoes, cabbage, cilantro, and scallions with dressing in bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with more cilantro and scallions.

Lemon-Pistachio Bars

 

I found this recipe in Real Simple, and thought it was a nice variation on classic lemon bars! (The same article also had a chocolate-hazelnut swirl cake that was fine, but this dessert was better.)

9 oz. unsalted shelled pistachios, plus ¼ cup chopped pistachios for topping
½ cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 stick lactose-free butter
6 lemons, divided
8 large eggs
28 oz sweetened condensed lactose-free milk
¼ tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 °F with rack in center position. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on long sides.

Process shelled pistachios, sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until mixture comes together.

Transfer pistachio mixture to prepared baking dish. Using damp fingers or an offset spatula, spread mixture in an even layer on bottom and about ¼ inch up sides of dish. Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in baking dish on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Zest and juice 5 lemons to yield 2 tablespoons zest and 1 cup juice. Place zest and juice in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, condensed milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Pour lemon juice mixture over crust. Bake until filling is just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in baking dish on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and flaky sea salt. Zest remaining lemon over top before slicing.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

 

These chocolate crinkle cookies would be great for a holiday cookie swap or for Valentine’s Day, but I feel like they are good year-round. They were easy to make and really delicious! I got 24 cookies from this recipe.

½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil (like canola, or light olive oil)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine flour together, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir to combine.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Scoop dough with a mini ice cream scoop for even portioning (mine holds about 1 tablespoon of dough), then roll cookie dough into even-sized balls (it's easier to roll with wet hands). Roll each ball into powdered sugar.

Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, being sure to leave space between each of the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down. (I baked mine for 9 minutes because that gave them a nice chew and that’s how I like them.) Allow cookies to cool slightly, then move them to a wire rack to fully cool down.

Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

 

This is absolutely similar to other dishes I’ve posted before, yes, but I’m the kind of person who needs directions as a starting-off point most of the time, so there you have it. I made these chicken quinoa burrito bowls from Gimme Some Oven, but with avocados instead of guacamole. I had 4 chicken breasts that I did not bother pounding, and I cooked them in the oven instead of in a pan (20 to 25 minutes at 425 °F does the trick) with my own seasoning (written below).


For the bowls
2 cups cooked quinoa (I started with 1 cup raw quinoa)
1 batch taco-seasoned chicken (see below)
1 batch sautéed vegetables (see below)
1 batch corn salsa (see below)
⅔ cup guacamole
¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese (or your preferred lactose-free option – I used feta)
lime wedges (for serving)


For the chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
½ tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. Korean pepper (or chili flakes)
½ tsp. Morton kosher salt (double that if you are using Diamond Crystal)
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix the cornstarch, Korean pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin together. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.

Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for about 5 minutes per side, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer translucent. (I did this in the oven, 20-25 minutes at 425 °F.) Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized cubes (I sliced them).


For the sautéed vegetables
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and cored, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

Return the same sauté pan to the heat and add the oil. Heat over medium-high heat, then add peppers and onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the veggies are cooked and softened. Remove from heat.


For the corn salsa
1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
½ cup finely diced red onion (I used a small shallot instead)
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Toss all ingredients together until combined.


For assembling the bowls
Portion quinoa evenly between two serving bowls, spreading it out so that it covers the bottom of the bowls. Divide the chicken, peppers and onions, corn salsa and guacamole evenly between the two bowls, and add them on top of the quinoa. Sprinkle each bowl with some crumbled cheese. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with a lime wedge if desired.

Confetti Party Cake

 

It occurred to me that I haven’t posted this Smitten Kitchen recipe for Confetti Party Cake, which is a tragedy because it is ah-ma-zing. It’s easy to make, it’s beautiful, it’s delicious – I dare you to find a flaw in this cake! We’ve made it for a few birthdays now, always to great acclaim. I’ve adapted the recipe to make a 9” layer cake by doubling the cake recipe and quadrupling the frosting recipe; the version below is mine. Note that you need the jimmy-type sprinkles here, not the non-pareil ones, as the latter would bleed too much.

For the cake 

1 cup (8 oz. or 4 sticks) lactose-free butter, at room temperature 

1 1/3 cups (260 grams) granulated sugar 

1 tsp. kosher salt 

4 large egg whites 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

1 cup lactose-free buttermilk substitute (1-2 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice plus lactose-free milk) 

2 tsp. baking powder 

¼ cup (32 grams) cornstarch 

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour 

½ cup rainbow sprinkles (see note above)

For the frosting 

2 cups (1 lb. or 4 sticks) lactose-free butter, at room temperature 

5 cups (600 grams) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy 

¼ tsp. of fine salt 

2 tsp. vanilla extract, plus more to taste 

4 Tbsp. lactose-free milk or cream 

rainbow sprinkles for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and coat the bottom and sides with nonstick spray or butter.

Beat butter, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating until combined and slightly fluffy. Add vanilla and buttermilk and beat to combine. The mixture will instantly look like cottage cheese and you will be sure it’s ruined, but I promise it is not. Add baking powder and cornstarch and beat very well to combine. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat one second more. Add flour and mix just until it disappears. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in sprinkles.

Spread batter in prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free. Let cool in pans on cooling rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake, flip it out onto the cooling rack, and slide the cooling rack into the freezer until cake is cool, about 10 to 15 minutes. (Honestly, I just let it come to room temperature on its own.)

While the cake cools, beat butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy, then add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until smooth. Once cake is fully cool, transfer it to a serving plate. Spread frosting on top — you’ll have more than enough, so if you need to set some aside for small decorations or tinting and writing on the cake, this won’t be a problem. Finish with sprinkles. Share with friends.

2024 knitting projects

I’ve been mostly knitting from the stash this year, while still taking it easy because I didn’t want to make matters worse with my carpal tunnel. I started with a skein of Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Disfraz and made the Bedford hat with it. The pattern reminds me of small bricks, and I really like the horizontal braided line to break it up! It was easy to memorize the pattern once I got started, and I like the result! The resulting fabric is thin enough that I could wear this in Texas. It’s a bit more colorful than it looks in the photos.

Then I bought some yarn because the Actor and his Leading Lady had their fourth baby last summer. I got some Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Translation because it seemed gender-neutral enough, and it was lovely to knit with! I made the French Macaroon sweater (with a single plastic star button from my stash in the back) and matching Tiny Tot hat.

I also used some scrap yarn to make another hat with a wave pattern, this time for the Fox’s teacher who had a baby over the summer.

I had two skeins of Handmaiden Mini Maiden Yarn that I bought forever ago (as in, I still lived in Montreal). It’s a lovely shade of green that is now discontinued, and is 50% wool and 50% silk. I had planned to make some sort of baby cardigan with them, I had even bought buttons for it, but never found the right pattern. So I used one of those skeins to make the Honey Cowl. The pattern creates a waffle-like fabric that is really pleasant! The first go-around, I made a few mistakes, like having one row out of sync, and I felt like it was a little too long and not quite wide enough. So I remade it at a better length, and without mistakes this time! I put it in my shop, and if it sells, I’ll make another one with the last skein.

Finally, I used up most of what I had left of the Nirvana 5 Ply in Charcoal to make another Brioche Hood Hat. I didn’t leave a keyhole opening this time, because I remember how hard that was to style… But anyway, it came out nice, and is now in my shop as well, along with a dark teal lace scarf that I ended up never wearing and decided to part with as well.

Steak Salad with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

 

I got this recipe while leafing through The Whole 30, by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig. It’s different from the meals I usually make, but it was a welcome change! Note that the recipe below makes 2 generous or 4 small servings, so feel free to double it. We really enjoyed this!

For the cilantro-lime mayonnaise (my adaptation)
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced


Mix the ingredients together and set aside. (You might want to add a tablespoon of water or two to get the consistency of salad dressing.)


For the steak salad
½ cup EVOO
4 limes, juiced
¼ cup onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. mustard powder
1 lb. beef (flank steak, sirloin, or strip steak)
4 cups greens
1 avocado
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), diced

Combine oil, lime juice, onion, garlic, cilantro, and mustard powder in a food processor and blend on low speed. Place beef in a resealable plastic bag or nonreactive bowl with a lid and add the marinade. Seal and marinate in fridge for 1-8 hours (more is better, especially for tougher cuts).

Remove steak from fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Heat a grill to high heat or heat a heavy skillet over high heat on stovetop. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Remove the beef from marinade; discard the marinade. On the grill or in the skillet on the stovetop, sear the beef over high heat until a light crust is formed (2-3 minutes each side). Transfer the beef to the prepared baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 8-15 minutes. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes, then thinly slice.

While beef rests, toss the salad greens with the avocado, tomato, and bell pepper in a large bowl, then divide between 2 plates.

Place slices of steak on top of the greens. Drizzle the dressing over the steak and salad and serve.

Late 2024 outings

I haven’t been great at updating these past six months or so, but I am still alive and well! I’ve been working on my business (did you know I’m a professional organizer and KonMari Consultant?) and it’s been busy, even though sadly not all work hours are billable hours.

In August, I did this crazy thing where I flew to Montreal on a Thursday, drove with Dear Sister and Dear Brother-In-Law to (and back from) a small town south of Quebec City for my grandmother’s funeral on Friday, flew to Dallas-Forth Worth on Saturday to meet up with the Engineer and our kids for a concert, then drove home to San Antonio with them on Sunday. I had never been so jet set in my life! Anyway, this gave me the opportunity to see a bit of Forth Worth. Of course we made it to the Stockyard for the cattle drive and walked around that part of town. We also went to Bass Performance Hall, where the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra was performing the music from Final Fantasy VII. It was a beautiful building, in a nice part of town, and we really enjoyed the show!

 

In September, my friend Jen from Montreal was in town for a conference. She was staying at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa. I had been dying to try out their famous lazy river, so this was the perfect opportunity to spend time with a friend WHILE lazing down a river – 10/10, highly recommend.

October flew by and I don’t remember a special outing that month.

Finally, in November, we went to Escape Room San Antonio, where we escaped from the Harry Potter room with minutes to spare! It was the second escape room puzzle for the Engineer and I, but the first for the kids and my mother-in-law. We really had fun! There were a few times when we needed a hint – funnily enough, each time, one of the kids had obscured (or absconded with) an essential piece of the puzzle without us realizing it! Anyway, I loved it; I feel like it’s a great activity, it’s fun and works my brain in a different way than I’m used to, and hopefully we’ll go again next year.

This month, we’ll probably stick to driving around neighborhoods with beautiful holiday lights and enjoy the season.

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

 

This meal was a hit with my family! I saw the recipe on Sweet Peas and Saffron, though Coup de Pouce has a very similar one. I wanted to make sure we had leftovers, so I used 2 pounds of ground turkey and increased the quantity of carrots as well. I’ll be sure to make it again – we all really liked it!

For the sauce
¼ cup natural peanut butter
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. water (or more, if your peanut butter is stiff)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice

For the filling
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves, garlic minced
1 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 cup shredded carrots

To serve
romaine lettuce leaves
green onions, to garnish
peanuts, to garnish

In a small jar or salad dressing shaker, put the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sesame oil and lime juice. Shake it up until smooth.

Heat oil in a large pan and add the onions, garlic, and Thai red curry paste. Stir until red curry paste is heated through and mixed in evenly with the onions (2-3 minutes).

Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, for 5-7 minutes, until no pink remains and the turkey is cooked through.

Stir in the shredded carrots, then the peanut sauce. Stir to combine. Toss until everything is evenly coated, then set aside to cool slightly.

To serve, spoon the filling into romaine lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with green onions and/or peanuts, and enjoy!

Biscuits déjeuner au beurre d'arachides et à la framboise

 

Encore une recette de Déjeuners protéinés d’Hubert Cormier! J’ai décidé de faire les biscuits déjeuner au beurre d’arachides et à la framboise. Il s’agit de biscuits de style « thumbprint » que les enfants étaient bien contents d’essayer. C’est un bon accompagnement au déjeuner ou encore une bonne collation!

Pour la garniture aux framboises
½ tasse de framboises fraiches ou surgelées
1 c. à soupe de graines de chia

Pour les biscuits déjeuner
2 tasses de flocons d’avoine à cuisson rapide
¼ tasse de cassonade
1 banane, légèrement écrasée
3 c. à soupe de graines de lin, moulues
¼ tasse d’eau
1 pincée de sel
¼ tasse de beurre d’arachides en poudre
¼ tasse d’eau
¼ tasse de beurre d’arachides naturel

Préchauffer tout d’abord le four à 350 °F. Tapisser une plaque de cuisson d’un tapis de silicone ou de papier parchemin.

Dans une casserole, chauffer à feu moyen les framboises et les graines de chia environ 15 minutes en remuant fréquemment. Écraser grossièrement à l’aide d’une fourchette et réserver.

Dans un grand bol, bien mélanger tous les ingrédients des biscuits.

Former ensuite 12 boules de pâte d’environ 1 c. à soupe (j’en avais 15). Déposer sur la plaque de cuisson.

À l’aide du pouce, creuser une petite cavité en pressant sur chaque biscuit.

Déposer environ 1 c. à thé de confiture de framboises dans chaque cavité et enfourner 12 minutes.

Si désiré, garnir d’un filet de beurre d’arachides fondu.

Chicken Cucumber Avocado Salad

 

This was a simple meal that was right up my alley! You can buy a rôtisserie chicken or use leftover cooked chicken. As always, I prefer to prep the salad just before serving; leftovers keep better separately.

1 rôtisserie chicken, deboned and shredded, skin on or off
1 large English cucumber or continental, halved lengthways and sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
4-5 large Roma tomatoes, sliced or chopped
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped (cilantro would be more my thing here; basil might be nice too)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice or the juice of 2 limes
1 pinch salt, to taste
1 pinch pepper, to taste

Mix together shredded chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, avocados, and chopped parsley in a large salad bowl.

Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice (or lime juice), and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to mix all of the flavors through.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

I found this recipe on Cup of Jo, though it’s originally by Sara Forte of Sprouted Kitchen. I adapted it a bit by reordering the ingredients and steps and, the second time I made it, by using miniature chocolate chips, which I think was an improvement. The Engineer loves these, and the Little Prince said they are now his favorite! These muffins are moist with a crisp top, and they have fewer carbs than regular muffins. I’ll be making these again!

1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium/large)
¾ cup almond flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour (or superfine rice flour – I actually used white whole wheat)
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup cane sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil (or avocado oil or coconut oil)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup lactose-free buttermilk substitute or plain yogurt
½ cup semisweet miniature chocolate chips
turbinado sugar, to finish, optional

Start by grating the zucchini. Put the gratings in a fine mesh sieve and press out excess water. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 360 °F and grease a muffin tin. (I got 12 muffins each time I made it.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla, vinegar and buttermilk or yogurt, until well combined. Add dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add the zucchini and chocolate and fold it all in.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full (they don’t rise much) and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, if using.

Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes, or until golden around the edge and a little tap on the center bounces back (I used the good old toothpick method).

Vegetables Pancakes with Sesame Fried Eggs

 

I got this recipe from Real Simple. It’s inspired by Korean vegetable pancakes, and it was really good! I used the food processor to make fast work of all the vegetables. This was great for lunch!

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp. cornstarch or potato starch
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into matchsticks
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 large bunch of scallions, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 3-in. lengths; plus more, thinly sliced, for topping
6 Tbsp. neutral oil (such as canola), divided
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 250 °F and place a wire rack inside a baking sheet.

Whisk flour, cornstarch, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large bowl until combined. Gradually whisk in 1 ½ cups ice-cold water until smooth (batter will be thin). Stir in sweet potato, mushrooms, and scallions.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high. Using tongs and letting excess batter drip back into bowl, add about 1 ½ cups vegetable mixture to skillet and pat into an even layer (about ½ inch thick). Cook until browned on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked pancake to prepared rack and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining vegetable mixture to yield 4 pancakes total, wiping skillet clean and adding 1 tablespoon oil between each pancake.

While last pancake is cooking, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sesame seeds; cook, stirring often, until seeds turn pale gold, about 1 minute. Add eggs and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, spooning hot oil and sesame seeds over eggs, until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Serve eggs on vegetable pancakes. Top with thinly sliced scallions.

Pepperoni Pizza Hand Pies

 

I’m always open to variations of pizzas for the kids’ lunches, because that’s an easy sell with them. We all really liked these pepperoni pizza hand pies! They were great warm and dipped in pizza sauce. If they are going to school in a lunchbox, it might be a better idea to include a bit of pizza sauce in the pies themselves instead of dipping them.

1 box refrigerated pie crust, at room temperature (14 oz.)
3 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 ½ cups lactose-free shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 425 °F. Allow pie crust to come to room temperature before unrolling (see package directions).

Unroll pie crusts and cut 6 circles from each crust using a 4-inch biscuit cutter. You may have to re-roll the scraps to get the 6th (or 7th) circle. I got a total of 15 little hand pies.

Place about 3 pieces of pepperoni and a big pinch of cheese in the center of each circle. Fold the sides over and pinch the edges closed. Press the edges with the tines of a fork to seal.

Bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (1 inch apart) for about 13-15 minutes, until browned.

Serve immediately, with pizza sauce, if eating at home.

 

Mrs. Bean's Nutmeg Apple Ginger Snaps

 

The Fox (my youngest) was obsessed with Fantastic Mr. Fox (the movie), so I decided to make Mrs. Bean’s nutmeg apple ginger snaps – a recipe created by The Live-In Kitchen. This is a great fall cookie for anyone, but even better if you’re a fan of the movie! (Full disclosure: while the Fox was tickled that I made the cookies from the movie, and while he thought they looked nice, he still refused to taste them.)

After a bit of trial and error, I decided that it is best to shape each cookie with a scant 1.5-oz scoop of batter; I got a total of 30 cookies, of which 4 were not topped with sliced apple, but the Fox still didn’t want them. I would have gotten a few more cookies had I figured out my scoop measurement from the start.

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for topping if desired
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch salt
2 cups butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger root
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 Gala apples (Braeburn or Honeycrisp would be good, too)
organic refined sugar and cake sparkles for sprinkling, or any coarse sugar, like turbinado

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully blended.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, carefully and on low speed, until the ingredients are fully blended.

Working in batches as necessary, roll 2-3 tablespoons of dough into balls and use your hand to flatten them on the prepared cookie sheet to about ¼ inch high and 2 inches apart.

Slice the apples as thinly as you can (crosswise so you can see the star of the core in the middle) and press slices firmly into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle coarse sugar and extra cinnamon evenly over cookies to coat, making sure to cover the edges (I had turbinado sugar, but it would have been prettier with white cake sparkles).

Bake 20 minutes or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more sugar, if desired, and cake sparkles. Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Acai Bowl

 

It was inevitable that I would make an acai bowl at some point, right? Acai is regarded as a superfood for its antioxidants; I don’t think it has more than most berries, though it does have less sugar. For this recipe, I didn’t freeze all the fruit, because I felt like the mixture would be too stiff, but as a result my smoothie bowl was actually too liquid. I guess you should follow instructions; just remember that you need enough liquid in your blender to get things moving.

1 banana - sliced and frozen
½ cup blueberries - frozen
½ cup strawberries - frozen
¾ cup milk or juice - use your favorite milk (lactose-free dairy milk, soy, almond, etc.) or juice (apple or grape)
½ cup lactose-free plain yogurt - (substitute with lactose-free milk or juice if desired)
200 g (2 packets) frozen acai purée - broken into pieces
assorted toppings - nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, granola, coconut, etc.

If you haven’t done so ahead of time, slice your banana and transfer it to a small baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper. To the same plate, add the blueberries and strawberries (store-bought frozen fruit will work just as well). Transfer tray or plate to the freezer and allow fruit to freeze completely.

Put the milk and yogurt in the bowl of a large, high-speed blender with a tamper (I have a Vitamix). Add the frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana, and broken up acai. With the blender on low, use the tamper to push the frozen fruit down, mixing around as much as possible. Continue to blend on low until smooth, only adding additional liquid when needed.

Divide the smoothie into two bowls and top with all your favorite toppings. Popular additions include sliced banana, nuts, seeds, granola, and berries. Serve immediately.