Croque-nature

Une autre recette de granola! J’en ai une demi-douzaine que je veux essayer, dans le but de trouver la meilleure. Celle-ci est sans aucun doute une finaliste! Il s’agit de la recette de ma mère, adapté d’une recette publiée dans Le Soleil en 1977. Les quantités ont l’air impressionnantes (environ 8 tasses de granola en tout), mais vraiment, ça se mange vite chez nous.

6 tasses de gruau
1 tasse de noix (pacanes dans mon cas)
½ tasse de germe de blé
½ tasse de noix de coco
½ tasse d’huile de canola
½ tasse de miel
2 c. à thé de vanille
½ tasse de dattes hachées

Préchauffer le four à 200 °F.

Mélanger les ingrédients secs dans un bol.



Mélanger les liquides dans une petite casserole et faire réchauffer jusqu’à une consistance homogène.




Verser sur les ingrédients secs et bien mélanger.




Étaler les céréales sur deux plaques à biscuits. Rôtir au four jusqu’à ce que le tout soit doré (entre 1 heure et 1 ½ heure). Laisser refroidir avant de défaire en morceaux (cela permet d’avoir une texture plus intéressante en variant la grosseur des morceaux).




Ajouter les dattes. Conserver au frais ou dans un contenant hermétique.

Oscar night

I just wanted to share a funny link: 10 ways to win an Oscar. Enjoy! I'll be watching the broadcast tonight.

MSG

I decided to bring this article to your attention, because it is extremely informative. It explains the origins of MSG and reports about the fact that its perceived negative side-effects may be imagined. I don’t necessarily agree, because I remember having mild headaches after eating at Chinese restaurants even before I thought about MSG, but the article is very interesting. I personally continue to avoid MSG as much as possible, but this is food for thought.

Gluten intolerance

Recently, when I boasted about the fact that a dessert I had baked was gluten-free, the Engineer asked me why that was important to me, since I’m not actually gluten intolerant. The answer is that some of the people I love are gluten intolerant, so I can’t help but think about which dishes they can/cannot eat. And I love finding something good I could serve them. I realize, though, that a lot of people don’t know much about this condition (including some people who suffer from it). I figured I would give you some pointers, like I did once for lactose intolerance.

Gluten is the elastic protein in certain grains that, when baked, causes the food to rise higher and hold together. Gluten intolerance is also called celiac disease. It is an under-diagnosed digestive disorder that causes damage to the small intestine when it is in contact with gluten, because it is treated as a foreign body. So really, it is an auto-immune disorder. The reason it is so under-diagnosed is because symptoms vary greatly from one person to the next, perhaps depending on how much of the small intestine is affected. The classic symptoms are bloating, chronic diarrhea and stomach upset, but some people never experience that. Other possible symptoms include weight loss, anaemia, fatigue, nausea or rashes. Luckily, gluten intolerance can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

Left untreated, gluten intolerance can cause secondary lactose intolerance (i.e., the small intestine that is damaged by gluten can stop producing lactase and thereby cause lactose intolerance, but this condition is reversible if gluten is avoided for several months and the intestine heals), osteoporosis and even lymphoma (an immune system cancer).

Gluten intolerance is NOT a wheat allergy. And wheat-free does NOT mean gluten-free. Other grains can contain gluten, like barley, rye or spelt. This is why people who are allergic to wheat can eat spelt without a problem, but people who are gluten-intolerant can’t.

Shauna James Ahern, also known as the Gluten-Free Girl, wrote a great book where she explains the condition quite well. She also helpfully gives names under which gluten can hide on an ingredient list (such as modified food starch, caramel coloring and barley malt, just to name a few) and shares gluten-free recipes. I am very much looking forward to the gluten-free cookbook that she and her husband, Danny Ahern (a chef), wrote, due out September 28th, 2010.

There is no cure to gluten intolerance, but the treatment is this: avoid gluten. Period. If you think of all the things you are giving up, you’ll drive yourself crazy. Think of all the things you can still have and discover the substitutes. Based on my experience with lactose intolerance, I divide food into two categories: the substitutes, i.e. the foods that look like they should have the ingredient that makes me sick but don’t; and the other foods, the ones that naturally don’t contain the ingredient I don’t want. For example, a steak with mashed potatoes and a green salad are naturally gluten-free. You’ll definitely have to read labels more closely, though, and only buy products certified gluten-free if you have any doubt (commercial foods are often made with thickeners that contain gluten, and even if that’s not the case, cross-contamination is always an issue). There are cases of people who claim their products are gluten-free when that is a lie, but thankfully, those are isolated cases. And that’s where gluten test strips come in handy – along with better laws.

It’s true that when you go to restaurants, your choices will be limited: either pick ones that don’t serve gluten (like Zero8), or pick ones that can accommodate you (many Indian restaurants, for example, serve foods that are naturally gluten-free; other restaurants might have dishes that are fine for you as well, if you check with the staff). In any case, once you are diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance, you’re better off if you start cooking for yourself from scratch more. This can be so much fun once you taste the delicious, safe food you can make. You can buy (or make) gluten-free pasta, for example, and have all the pasta dishes you want knowing that they won’t make you sick. There are more and more gluten-free options in stores, especially in ready-made food and mixes (even Betty Crocker’s got them, and there are instructions to make them without dairy if that’s what you need!). Specialized online stores also sell items geared towards those of use with allergies or intolerances, like Dairy-Free Market (which does have gluten-free items).

There are many magazines that cater to gluten intolerance, such as Living Without, as well as specialized cookbooks. If you are looking for blogs to help you, either for support or with recipes, there are hundreds out there. Here is a list of some of them. I’ll recommend Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef in particular: it is extremely well written and has great recipes. To give you hope, I’ll point out here some of those that I consider substitute recipes (even though they are good in their own right), in the sense that you should try them if you are looking to replace some of the gluten staples (as opposed to recipes that naturally wouldn’t have any gluten in them anyway): gravy, cinnamon rolls, gingerbread, graham crackers, pancakes, Irish soda bread, pie crust, sandwich bread, dinner rolls and a crusty boule. (Note that I haven’t tried all of these yet, but I’ve bookmarked a bunch of them and added them to the long list of recipes I must try.)

Finally, here’s a great article titled For the people who love people who cannot eat gluten. If you or someone you love suffers from this condition, please educate yourself about it. With a little practise, cooking gluten-free becomes much easier, so keep trying new things!

Canada Gold

I just wanted to mention how happy I am about Canada's performance in these Olympics, and more particularly about our gold medal in last night's hockey game. It just makes me love this Coca-Cola ad even more.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Walnuts and Bacon

I saw this recipe on Chocolate & Zucchini and tweaked it just a bit to my taste. The Engineer and I just loved it! I’m really looking forward to making it again. We used pecans instead of walnuts because that’s what we had on hand, but I think this gratin could easily be made without nuts (though I’d insist on the bacon). Clotilde Dusoulier recommended using mozzarella cheese, but I used some lactose-free sharp cheddar – delicious. If you’re cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you can find them, or omit them altogether.



1 or 2 spaghetti squashes, about 4.5 lbs
olive oil
ground chilli pepper (I used smoked Korean pepper)
salt, pepper
a few slices of smoked bacon
a handful of halved walnuts or pecans
2 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese or your choice)
2 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375 °F and lightly grease a baking sheet.

Using caution and a sharp chef’s knife, cut off a slice on both ends of the spaghetti squash, to remove the stem and the bottom. Set it upright on the cutting board and slice it vertically in two equal halves. Scrape, scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy flesh.



Rub the insides with olive oil, then sprinkle them with chilli pepper, salt and pepper.




Place both halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut-side up, and place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. A knife should meet minimal resistance when you try to pierce the flesh, but the squash should not feel completely soft, or it may be overcooked and therefore bland. (In my case, it took considerably more than 40 minutes; be sure to test it with a knife.) Turn off the oven. Set the squash halves aside to cool, until you can bear to handle them (or use silicone oven mitts, like I did).

While the squash is roasting, slice the bacon into thin strips, about 5-mm wide. Place them in a small skillet and cook over medium heat until they’ve released their fat and they’re nicely browned. Scoop them out of the skillet and set them on a plate lined with a paper towel.



Lightly grease a medium baking dish, about 2 L in capacity.

When the squash is just cool enough to handle, run a fork across the flesh to separate it into strands.



Scoop out and arrange the flesh from one half of the squash to form a layer at the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle evenly with the bacon strips and walnuts.



Arrange the remaining squash flesh in a second layer and top with the grated cheese to cover the surface. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.



(You can prepare the gratin ahead up to this point. Let cool completely, cover and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.)

Switch the oven on again to 375 °F (no need to preheat again, as it should still be quite warm). Return the dish to the oven for 5 minutes, until the squash is heated through again (if you’ve refrigerated the gratin, you’ll need to preheat the oven and it will take a little longer to reheat – say, 20 minutes). Then, switch to grill mode for a few minutes, until the cheese topping is melted and browned. Serve immediately.




(Here, I served it with Escarole Salad with Avocado and Parmesan.)

Grated Beet Salad

The Engineer recently had a job interview in Edmonton. Since I had to spend two days by myself, I decided to make a dish that I knew the Engineer wouldn’t like. You see, he’s officially decided that he doesn’t like beets (except the ones hidden in dessert), and he’s still on the fence about goat cheese. So what better time to make this grated beet salad and throw in some lactose-free goat cheese to complement it? (Seriously, follow the first link to Tea and Cookies to see the beautiful pictures! And the second one to encourage the makers of delicious lactose-free goat cheese, too.)





I went to the store to buy yellow beets and some “beet-colored” ones, but I wasn’t really paying attention and I ended up with Chioggia beets, which are really beautiful. I threw in a “beet-colored” beet I had on hand too. It was my first time using yellow beets, though, and I didn’t realize how quickly they oxidize. Maybe there would be a way to get around that by putting the dressing on the salad right away (as the original recipe suggested; I just didn’t listen), so that the acid in it could stop the oxidization. I’ll also mention that raw beets do tend to accelerate digestion, so it might be better to have this salad as a side dish so as not to overdo things. This salad might still work with cooked beets, though.

4 cups beets, grated (with a hand grater, NOT a food processor)
3 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 cup walnuts (optional; I didn’t use them this time, but I threw in some slivered almonds)
1 cup chopped cilantro
lactose-free goat cheese, to taste (optional, but recommended)

In a salad bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar until smooth. Continue mixing and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth and has emulsified (thickened, slightly). Add salt and pepper. (Again, I tend to simplify things and shake the dressing in a little jar.)

Toss grated beets in the dressing. Add walnuts and chopped cilantro, toss again.





*Side note: with the leftover beets I had in the fridge, I tried this recipe for chocolate beet cupcakes. I roasted pretty beets and made pretty purée and mixed it in the chocolate batter. I scrambled around looking for extra molds. And the one dessert I didn’t unmold was the best – the rest were not meant to be cupcakes. I decided that, since those were full of fat and sugar anyway, I would stick to my Chocolate and Roasted Beet Pudding Cakes, which are healthier, easier to make and better-tasting – and are gluten-free as a bonus.)*

Escarole Salad with Avocado and Parmesan

I bookmarked this recipe on Orangette a while back, and luckily, I remembered that since escarole is a winter lettuce, now was the right time to pull out this recipe. Escarole is in the same family as endives, which I normally don’t like, as I find them too bitter. However, according to Wikipedia, escarole is the least bitter of the family, so the Engineer and I decided to give it a try – and we’re really glad we did. The creaminess of the avocadoes went perfectly with it, and the parmesan and the dressing tied the whole thing together beautifully. We didn’t have champagne vinegar, though, so we used apple cider vinegar.

For the salad:
1 head escarole, leaves shredded and thoroughly washed
1 firm-ripe avocado
1 hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano
crunchy sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel

For the dressing:
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp champagne vinegar (or something similar)
½ tsp fine sea salt
5 Tbsp olive oil




In a small bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, and salt, and whisk well to combine. Add the oil a tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously to emulsify. Taste, and adjust vinegar-oil balance, if necessary. (I admit I usually take the easy way out and put everything in a little glass jar with a screw-on lid, that I shake to emulsify.)

Place the escarole in a bowl or on a plate. Cut the avocado into thin slices and put them on the escarole.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave a small palmful of Parmigiano Reggiano over the escarole and avocados. Add a good splash of dressing, and toss to combine. Taste, and add dressing until the salad is dressed to your liking. Serve, with additional shavings of Parmigiano and crunchy sea salt to taste. (Here, I served it as a side to Pork Filets with Caramelized Pears.)

Filets de porc aux poires caramélisées

Encore une recette de Coup de Pouce. J’en avais beaucoup d’accumulées et j’en ai fait plein la même semaine, voilà. Et puisqu’elles sont habituellement simples et santé, je n’y vois pas d’inconvénient! Nous avons beaucoup aimé ce plat (qui donne 4 bonnes portions). Servir avec une salade verte ou des haricots vapeur.

2 filets de porc, le gras enlevé (1 ½ lb en tout)
1 c. à soupe de feuilles de thym frais
2 gousses d’ail coupées en tranches fines
1 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive
1 c. à soupe de beurre ou de margarine sans lactose
3 poires, coupées en quartiers et le cœur enlevé
sel et poivre, au goût

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F.

Avec la pointe d’un petit couteau, faire de 8 à 10 incisions dans chacun des filets de porc. Glisser quelques feuilles de thym et une tranche d’ail dans chacune des incisions. Saler et poivrer.




Dans une grande poêle allant au four, chauffer l’huile et le beurre à feu moyen. Ajouter les filets de porc et les cuire, en les retournant souvent, pendant environ 8 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient dorés. Ajouter les quartiers de poires et poursuivre la cuisson pendant quelques minutes (retourner souvent les poires pour qu’elles soient légèrement dorées).




Poursuivre la cuisson au four pendant environ 15 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le porc soit encore légèrement rosé à l’intérieur. Laisser reposer la viande 5 minutes.



Couper les filets de porc en médaillons. Répartir les médaillons et les poires caramélisées dans les assiettes et arroser du jus de cuisson.

Kiwi Matcha Lime Tea Cake

I hesitated a bit to post this recipe, as I feel it needs to be perfected. You see, before the Engineer and I went to San Antonio, I decided to make a quick bread to take a few slices on the plane with us for breakfast (since we were leaving very early and airlines no longer seem to serve any food). The problem was that this tea cake fell apart. It was very good, mind you, but the slices just didn’t hold together, so it was definitely not the type of food to eat on a plane. We ended up freezing most of the loaf (for an occasion when plates and forks will be alright) and ate breakfast at the airport. I’m not sure whether simply adding more flour (or less kiwi purée) to this tea cake would do the trick – I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Also, it wasn’t very sweet. That’s not a bad thing, really, but I have to point out that our kiwis were not very ripe, so if yours are the same, you could add a little sugar. (Maybe the acid in the kiwi reacted with the dairy substitute and curdled it, which made the cake fall apart? I really don’t know.) The flavours did complement each other really well, though.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
2 tsp matcha powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter (softened) or lactose-free margarine
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup peeled mashed very ripe kiwi fruit (green, yellow or combination)
zest of one lime



Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 9 X 5 loaf pan, preferably non-stick. Whisk together flour, baking powder baking soda, matcha powder and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture and thoroughly combine.




Stir in mashed kiwi fruit and lime zest.



Fold in dry ingredients, stirring until batter is completely moistened.




Spoon batter into pan and bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and continue cooling on rack.