Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders

This recipe for lemon garlic parmesan chicken tenders is different from others in that it calls for the chicken to be marinated in the flavored egg mixture before it is breaded. This step is optional, but it enhances the flavors of the lemon and garlic. We really liked this chicken, and will be making the sauce again for sure! (Also, please don’t mind the sad, sad canned vegetables on the side. I was trying something, and will never be buying those again, because they are just worse than not eating anything. Frozen is the way to go if you want a shortcut!)

For the chicken
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice or juice of ½ a lemon
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
2 tsp. minced garlic
¾ tsp. salt, to season
¼ tsp. cracked pepper
28 oz chicken tenders
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup regular breadcrumbs (or garlic, herb or Italian seasoned for extra flavor)
1 tsp. mild paprika (or sweet, smoky, spicy)
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
¼ cup freshly grated lactose-free parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Lightly grease a baking sheet (I recommend lining it with parchment paper or tin foil first). Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.

Dip chicken tenders into egg mixture and let sit for 5 minutes while preparing crumb mixture. (If you have time to allow it to marinate in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, it’ll be even better!)

In another bowl, combine both breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and parmesan cheese.

Dredge the egg coated chicken in the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture, lightly pressing to evenly coat. Arrange tenders on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking oil spray.

Bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until cooked through. (Broil in the last 2-3 minutes for a golden crispy crumb!)

For the honey-mustard sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup of honey

Mix well.

Mi-cuit chocolat sésame

Voici une recette de Coup de Pouce. Ils appelaient ça des « fondants mi-cuits », ce que je trouve redondant, et c’était une recette à faire cuire dans une friteuse à air. Bon, je n’ai pas de friteuse à air, et aucune intention de m’en procurer une pour l’instant, alors j’ai adapté pour la cuisson au four, et c’est ce que j’écris ci-dessous. J’ai bien aimé ce dessert, même si c’était un peu dur à démouler – on pourrait aussi les servir à même les ramequins, comme sur la dernière photo.

½ tasse de beurre sans lactose non salé (+ un peu pour graisser les moules)
¼ tasse de graines de sésame rôties
1 tasse de chocolat noir (j’en avais 8 oz), grossièrement haché
1/3 tasse de sucre
1 c. à table de farine
1 c. à thé de cacao
1 c. à thé de poudre de café soluble (de type Nescafé)
¼ c. à thé de sel
2 œufs
2 jaunes d'œufs
2 c. à table de tahini
1 pincée de sel de mer croquant, pour garnir

Préchauffer le four à 375 °F. Graisser 4 ramequins de 3 po (7,5 cm) de diamètre. Parsemer 1 c. à soupe de graines de sésame dans chaque ramequin et répartir de façon égale.

Dans un bol allant au micro-ondes, faire fondre le beurre et le chocolat 30 secondes à la fois, en mélangeant entre chaque fois, jusqu’à ce que le tout soit complètement liquide, soit environ 2 minutes. (Je préfère utiliser un bain-marie.) Ajouter le sucre, la farine, le cacao, le café et le sel. Bien mélanger, puis ajouter les œufs et les jaunes d’œufs. Fouetter jusqu’à consistance homogène. Incorporer le tahini dans le mélange délicatement, à l’aide d’une spatule. Remplir chaque ramequin au ¾, puis placer sur une plaque à cuisson.

Faire cuire au four environ 20 minutes, ou jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit pris mais encore un peu humide.

Servir le ramequin directement dans une petite assiette ou retourner le ramequin pour le démouler, laissant ainsi apparaît sa croûte de sésame. Garnir d’une pincée de sel de mer et servir.

Apricot Millet Muffins

 

I saw this recipe for apricot millet muffins on Weelicious and was intrigued. I knew that my kids wouldn’t go for dried apricots, and I didn’t want another banana-based muffin, but I had millet in the pantry and it seemed like the apricot was calling me name, so I decided to adapt the recipe and replace some of the banana with apricot purée. I toasted the millet for a shorter time, and after I poured 6 muffins in the tin, I added mini chocolate chips to the rest of the batter for the other 9 muffins. They’re good either way, but obviously my kids prefer them with chocolate! I found the plain ones to be a bit bland once they were no longer warm, so I served them with apricot jam. The millet in here basically gives the muffins a little crunch; it’s a nice addition, but these would still be good muffins without the millet. The recipe below is my version.

½ cup millet
1 ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup lactose-free butter, room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 (15-oz) can of apricot halves
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk substitute (lactose-free milk with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice)
½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Grease a muffin tin (you might need more than one – I got a total of 15 muffins).

Place millet on a baking sheet and toast for 5-6 minutes. Remove and toss the millet to make sure it is toasted evenly and toast an additional 2 minutes. Set aside and cool.

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the toasted millet.

In a separate bowl or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg and beat for another minute.

Drain the apricot halves, then purée them in a blender or food processor.

To the bowl with the butter mixture, add the apricot purée, mashed banana, vanilla extract, and buttermilk and beat until combined.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in the mini chocolate chips, if using, until just combined.

Fill muffin pan with batter. Bake for 20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

Cool muffins for 5 minutes in their tins, remove and continue to cool.

Stuffed Pasta Shells with Bolognese and Ricotta

 I wanted to make a dish with the comforting combo of meat + pasta. I tried one-skillet Greek meatballs with lemon butter orzo, and surprisingly, I was the only one to like them!

Eventually I remembered that I had bookmarked an issue of Molly Wizenberg’s newsletter (specifically, Marcella 4evr) with a recipe for stuffed pasta shells, and this was just what I needed! It’s based on Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese sauce and Craig Claiborne’s ricotta stuffing, assembled by Sam Sifton and adapted by Molly Wizenberg. Now it’s on this blog – teamwork!

The recipe is a bit involved in that I had to make a double-batch of lactose-free ricotta, then use it to make the stuffing, while also making the Bolognese meat sauce. However, you can assemble this dish in advance and just pop it in the oven before dinner, so that’s definitely a plus! I will be making this again. (I’ve also included a picture of the jumbo shells I found – they are labelled “jumbo” but somehow are much smaller than what I remembered as jumbo? Anyway, this size was fine.)


For the Bolognese meat sauce
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. lactose-free butter
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup carrot, chopped
¾ lb. ground beef chuck (see prefatory note)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup lactose-free whole milk
whole nutmeg (or grated)
1 cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juices
1 ¼ to 1 ½ lb. pasta
freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Put the oil, butter, and chopped onion in the pot; turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well.

Add the ground beef, a large pinch of salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well, and cook until the beef has lost its raw, red color.

Add the milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating — about 1/8 teaspoon — of nutmeg and stir.

Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes; stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well.

When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface.

Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, continue the cooking, adding ½ cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.


For the ricotta stuffing
2 cups (1 lb.) lactose-free ricotta cheese (see link above)
½ cup finely diced lactose-free mozzarella cheese
1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup finely chopped prosciutto (I omitted it)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely grated lactose-free parmesan
1 generous pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and use to stuff pasta.


For the stuffed pasta
1 (12-oz) box of jumbo pasta shells
lactose-free parmesan or grana padano

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Boil the jumbo shells according to the package instructions, but cook them a minute or so less than the recommended time. Drain them into a colander and run cold water over until the shells are cool enough to handle.

Scoop cheese stuffing into a piping bag fitted with plain piping tip that’s wide enough for the diced mozzarella to squeeze through. Pipe the cheese stuffing into the shells. As you stuff the shells, arrange them in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with the Bolognese sauce, dolloping it over and between shells. (It is normal for Hazan’s Bolognese to have a dry-ish texture; it’s not a recipe that winds up “juicy” or pourable.) Sprinkle with parmesan or grana padano if you want to, though I usually do that after baking. (You could also top with some lactose-free shredded mozzarella, if you want.) Cover the dish tightly with foil.

Bake until the whole thing is heated through and the cheese stuffing is gooey – about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you put cheese on top before baking, you might want to broil it a bit for color after you take off the foil. If you didn’t put cheese on top before baking, put it on now.

Serve hot or warm.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

 

This recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen. I was in the mood for chocolate cupcakes, and also I really wanted to try out these edible gold stars I bought on a whim. We really liked these! The only caveat was that the cupcakes were a bit crumbly, so we could not do that trick where you twist off the bottom to place it on top of the frosting and make a cupcake sandwich. And oddly enough, it’s not something we typically do, but somehow this frosting seemed to call for it! Note that the frosting needs to be made ahead of time.

For the chocolate cupcakes
1 1/3 cups (189 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (198 g) organic sugar
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup water
½ cup (43 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 oz (28 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup coconut oil
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup aquafaba (I used more, I think a whole can’s worth)
1 tsp. cream of tartar

For the chocolate frosting
2 (14-oz) cans coconut milk, refrigerated
10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 pinch salt


For the chocolate cupcakes 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400 °F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Microwave water, cocoa, chocolate, oil, and vanilla in second bowl at 50% power, whisking occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes; set aside to cool slightly. (I did this in a double boiler.)

Meanwhile, using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip aquafaba and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff foam that clings to whisk forms, 3 to 9 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir chocolate mixture into flour mixture until batter is thoroughly combined and smooth (batter will be thick). Stir one-third of whipped aquafaba into batter to lighten, then gently fold in remaining aquafaba until no white streaks remain.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake until tops are set and spring back when pressed lightly, 16 to 20 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.

Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.


For the chocolate frosting 

Open cold cans of coconut milk. Skim the cream layer from each can and measure out ¾ cup of the cream. (Any remaining cream, along with the rest of the liquid, are not needed for this recipe. You can save them for smoothies – I like freezing this in an ice cube tray. Otherwise, discard it.)

Microwave coconut cream, chocolate chips, and salt in a bowl at 50% power, whisking occasionally, until melted and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes (I like doing this in a double boiler). Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer; place plastic wrap directly against surface of chocolate mixture and refrigerate until cooled completely and texture resembles cream cheese, about 3 hours, stirring halfway through chilling. (If the mixture has chilled for longer and is very stiff, let stand at room temperature until softened but still cool.)

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip at high speed until fluffy, mousse-like soft peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes, scrapping down halfway through whipping.

Spread or pipe frosting evenly over cupcakes and serve.

Soupe au poulet et arachides de chez Olive + Gourmando

 

J’ai l’impression qu’il m’a fallu une éternité pour faire cette recette de soupe au poulet et aux arachides de chez Olive + Gourmando (surnommée la soupe préférée d’Ali), mais mieux vaut tard que jamais! C’est un peu compliqué dans le sens où il faut préparer les garnitures en plus de la soupe, mais ça vaut la peine. C’était vraiment délicieux!

Pour la soupe
¼ de tasse d’huile de coco
8 gousses d’ail, hachées
5 oignons jaunes, coupés en dés
1 c. à thé de coriandre moulue
2 petits piments thaïs ou piments oiseaux, émincés finement (je les ai omis)
5 grosses patates douces ou 800 g (environ 5 tasses) de courge butternut, pelées et coupées en dés
4 branches de céleri, coupées en petits dés
1 boîte de 398 ml de tomates entières, écrasées à la main
1 L (4 tasses) de bouillon de poulet maison ou du commerce
1 ½ c. à thé de sel
½ tasse de beurre d’arachides naturel crémeux
75 g (½ tasse) d’arachides salées, hachées
350 g (environ 2 tasses) de poulet rôti ou grillé, effiloché
1 morceau de 5 cm (2 po) de gingembre frais, râpé finement
jus de ½ lime

Pour les garnitures suggérées
salsa concombre + arachides (voir plus bas)
feuilles de coriandre fraîche
yogourt nature sans lactose
zeste de lime, râpé

Dans une grande casserole, à feu moyen, chauffer l’huile. Ajouter l’ail et les oignons et cuire environ 5 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient translucides.

Ajouter la coriandre et les piments. Cuire encore 1 minute, en remuant à l’aide d’une cuillère de bois, afin de permettre aux parfums de se développer. Ajouter les patates douces, le céleri, les tomates, le bouillon et le sel.

Porter à ébullition. Réduire à feu moyen-doux et laisser mijoter à découvert 20 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les légumes soient tendres. Prélever 2 tasses de soupe de la casserole.

Au mélangeur ou au pied-mélangeur, broyer la soupe prélevée avec le beurre d’arachides en purée.

Verser la purée dans la casserole. Ajouter les arachides, le poulet et le gingembre. Rectifier l’assaisonnement. Retirer du feu et ajouter le jus de lime juste avant de servir. Répartir la soupe dans des bols et garnir, au choix.


Pour la salsa concombre + arachides (donne environ 1 1/3 de tasse)
110 g (2/3 de tasse) de concombre, pelé et coupé en brunoise
60 g (½ tasse) d’arachides salées, concassées finement
3 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive
2 c. à soupe d’oignon rouge, émincé
2 c. à soupe de graines de sésame, rôties
½ c. à thé de graines de cumin, rôties
zeste de 2 limes, râpé
fleur de sel et poivre du moulin

Dans un petit bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients. Saler et poivrer. Transvider la salsa dans un contenant hermétique et réfrigérer jusqu’au moment de l’utiliser.

S'mores Cakey Black Bean Brownies

 

I made these s’mores cakey black bean brownies from Weelicious because I wanted a change from regular brownies. These contain black beans for extra protein and fiber, but the topping makes them really decadent!

15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 large eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup white whole wheat flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 pinch kosher salt
¾ cup chocolate chips, divided
4 graham crackers, chopped
1 cup mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line an 8”x8” baking dish with parchment paper and grease it. Set aside.

Place the beans, eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar in a food processor and purée for 1 minute.

Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt and pulse to combine.

Stir ½ cup of the chocolate chips into the batter and pour into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips, graham crackers, and marshmallows.

Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once the brownies have cooled, use the parchment paper to remove them from the pan and cut them into even squares.

Egg Toasts

I recently had a client who scheduled her sessions mid-day, so that I had to eat a light meal in the late morning and then a snack in the afternoon. What became the perfect solution for me was egg toasts. The basic premise is that you get a thick slice of bread, press down on the crumb while leaving the crust as a rim, then crack an egg in there, top with cheese, and bake until the egg is set.

I really liked the Weelicious version, called smash toast breakfast boats, which have you add avocado and tomato to the cavity with the egg. There was also a simpler version on Tasty, cheesy egg toast. From there, I just used whatever cheese I had on hand – goat cheese, feta, sharp cheddar… Simple and very versatile!

Both recipes are below.

Smash Toast Breakfast Boat
1 slice sandwich bread (the thicker the better)
1 slice tomato
2 slices avocado
3 Tbsp. lactose-free mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
kosher or maldon salt

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 °F.

Use fingers to flatten the center of the bread and press out towards the crust to create a boat. Toast bread in the oven for 4 minutes or in a toaster until lightly golden.

Place bread on a baking sheet and layer slices of tomato and avocado in the toast boat and top with mozzarella.

Whisk egg in a bowl with 1 teaspoon water. Pour egg slowly over cheese and bake for 12-14 minutes or until eggs are set and crusts are golden.

Cheesy Egg Toast
1 slice bread (ideally, thickly sliced)
½ Tbsp. lactose-free butter
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. shredded lactose-free cheese
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven or a toaster oven to 400°F.

With a spoon, press down on the center of the bread to form a pocket. Spread the butter around the edges of the bread, then crack the egg into the pocket.

Sprinkle the cheese around the egg, then season with salt and pepper.

Bake the toast for 10–15 minutes, depending on how runny you like the yolk. Serve immediately.

Biscuits beurre d'arachides et miso aux morceaux de chocolat

 

Cette recette vient du livre Loounie Cuisine 2 de Caroline Huard. Je l’ai faite au printemps dernier, en ajoutant un peu de sel dans la pâte, et tout le monde a beaucoup aimé! J’ai obtenu un total de 11 biscuits.

2 œufs de graines (soit 2 c. à soupe de graines de lin moulues + 6 c. à soupe d’eau tiède)
150 g (1 ½ tasse) de flocons d’avoine à l’ancienne
½ c. à thé de poudre à pâte
½ c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude
1 pincée de sel cachère
¼ tasse de sucre granulé
½ tasse de beurre d’arachides naturel
2 c. à soupe d’huile de coco désodorisée
1 c. à soupe de pâte de miso pâle
1 c. à thé d’extrait de vanille
75 g (½ tasse) de morceaux, pastilles, ou pépites de chocolat noir
flocons de sel

Préparer les œufs de graines et les laisser gélifier. Réserver.

Dans le contenant d’un robot culinaire, mettre les flocons d’avoine. Broyer jusqu’à l’obtention d’une texture de farine grossière.

Ajouter la poudre à pâte, le bicarbonate de soude et le sel dans le contenant du mélangeur, actionner quelques fois, puis réserver.

Dans un petit chaudron, à feu moyen-doux, mettre le sucre et brasser pour l’étaler au fond. Lorsque le sucre commence à caraméliser sur les côtés, utiliser une spatule pour mélanger en ramenant le caramel au centre. Continuer à chauffer en mélangeant jusqu’à ce que le sucre soit tout fondu.

Dans le chaudron, ajouter le beurre d’arachides, l’huile de coco, la pâte de miso et la vanille

Chauffer environ 2 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit assez homogène. Ajouter les œufs de graines.

Verser le tout dans le contenant du robot culinaire. Broyer jusqu’à l’obtention d’une texture de pâte assez collante.

Ajouter la moitié des morceaux de chocolat dans le contenant du robot. En procédant par pulsations (5 ou 6), broyer le tout jusqu’à ce que le chocolat soit haché en petits morceaux et bien réparti dans la pâte. Il fondra partiellement, ce qui est souhaitable.

Réfrigérer la pâte de 10 à 15 minutes.

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Tapisser une plaque de cuisson de papier parchemin ou d’un silpat.
v En utilisant une balance au besoin (j’ai plutôt pris ma cuillère à biscuits), séparer la pâte en 12 parts égales (environ 40 g chacune). Façonner en boulettes et déposer sur la plaque. Écraser chaque boulette pour former des biscuits d’environ 1 cm ( ½ po) d’épaisseur.

Ajouter le reste du chocolat sur les biscuits en l’enfonçant légèrement. Parsemer de flocons de sel.

Cuire au four de 15 à 17 minutes (10 minutes dans mon cas!) ou jusqu’à ce que les biscuits soient légèrement dorés.

Laisser reposer au moins 10 minutes avant de déguster.

Chicken Pot Pie Cornbread Muffins

 

Here’s a chicken pot pie cornbread muffin recipe that you can make for your kids’ school lunches this fall. I modified it a bit by increasing the amount of filling per muffin, and that’s definitely what I recommend, even though I don’t have precise measurements. These muffins freeze well, too! (In case you are curious, the dessert in the lunchbox photo is chocolate graham crackers with mini marshmallows.)

For the cornbread
1 ½ cups cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
kosher salt
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
1 ½ cups well-shaken buttermilk (lactose-free milk with a splash of vinegar)

For the filling (you’ll need to increase these amounts)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
¾ cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
½ cup shredded rotisserie chicken


For the cornbread
In a bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk the egg and buttermilk into the cornmeal mixture. Fill 12 (½-cup) greased muffin tins about 2/3 full with the cornbread batter. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the filling
In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot, then stir in the onion, garlic, carrots, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then stir in the chicken. Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling over each batter-filled muffin tin.

Bake the muffins until golden around the edges, about 25 minutes.

Chocolate Protein Tofu Pudding

 

I tried two kinds of chocolate pudding. One, made with chocolate tahini and coconut cream, billed itself as a chocolate mousse. Honestly, it was good, but the texture was not entirely homogenous, and I don’t think “mousse” was the appropriate term. 

The other pudding I tried was a chocolate protein tofu pudding from Petite Pancakery. The amounts given on there were for 1 serving, so I adapted to 4 servings below. It was good, but I found it wasn’t firm enough for my liking. Then again, it was nice to have something with protein and not much sugar!

349 g silken/soft tofu (this was one 12.3-oz package of Mori-Nu Tofu)
40 g Jell-O chocolate instant pudding (sugar-free was recommended)
40 g chocolate protein powder
1 cup lactose-free milk (or almond milk)
optional but recommended: chocolate shavings for topping

In a blender, add tofu, instant pudding, and protein powder. Blend until smooth.

Add milk and blend, blend, blend! Push it all the way to high speed just to ensure everything is smooth.

Portion into serving bowls and let chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours.

When ready to serve, top with chocolate shavings and enjoy!

Scones protéinés aux canneberges

 

Vous le savez, je cherche des déjeuners protéinés. J’ai essayé quelques recettes intégrant des haricots blancs, comme le smoothie tropical protéiné de Famille futée 4 (Geneviève O’Gleman et Alexandra Diaz) ou encore les crêpes protéinées de Stéphanie Côté, qui sont en fait des pancakes. Il y avait aussi le smoothie au thé vert et aux lentilles de Caroline Huard (alias Loounie). Puis, bon, le problème avec tout ça, c’est que ce n’est toujours pas assez bourratif!

J’ai aussi essayé les scones aux canneberges avec glaçage au citron du livre Déjeuners protéinés d’Hubert Cormier. Remarquez, ça non plus, ce n’est pas bourratif, mais c’est quand même plus protéiné – et avec moins de gras et de glucides! – qu’un scone traditionnel. C’est aussi le genre de truc que le Petit Prince accepte de manger, alors voilà.

J’ai utilisé de la poudre protéinée à la vanille Cornerstone Wellness, qui contient du petit-lait (lactosérum) sans lactose. Je connais mal les poudres végétaliennes, parce que je n’aime pas celles à base de protéines de pois. Utilisez celle que vous voulez!

Pour les scones aux canneberges
1 tasse de farine tout-usage
¾ tasse de farine de blé entier
½ tasse de poudre de protéines végétales à la vanille
1 c. à soupe de poudre à pâte
1 pincée de sel
1 c. à soupe de sucre
1/3 tasse de beurre non salé sans lactose froid, coupé en cubes
1 tasse de canneberges fraîches (ou surgelées, dégelées)
½ tasse de crème de soya de type Belsoy (j’avais de la crème végétalienne Silk)
1 citron, le jus et le zeste
½ tasse de skyr sans lactose à la vanille

Pour le glaçage au citron
1 citron, le zeste
1 tasse de sucre glace, tamisé
½ tasse de skyr sans lactose à la vanille


Préchauffer tout d’abord le four à 400 °F. Tapisser une plaque de cuisson de papier parchemin.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger ensuite les farines, la poudre de protéines, la poudre à pâte, le sel et le sucre.

Ajouter ensuite le beurre et le morceler en grumeaux à l’aide d’un coupe-pâte ou de deux couteaux (je fais ça dans mon robot). Une fois le beurre intégré, ajouter les canneberges et plier la pâte à quelques reprises.

Creuser par la suite un puit au centre et y déposer la crème de soya, le jus et le zeste de citron, et le skyr. Continuer de plier jusqu’à ce que le liquide soit incorporé en évitant de trop travailler la pâte.

Sur un plan de travail fariné, façonner la pâte en un rectangle de 30 cm x 8 cm (12 po x 3 po) et d’environ 2,5 cm (1 po) d’épaisseur. Couper le rectangle en 4 carrés égaux, puis diviser chacun en 4 triangles. Déposer sur la plaque préparée, enfourner et cuire 20 minutes.

Pendant ce temps, dans un petit bol, mélanger le zeste de citron, le sucre glace et le skyr. Réserver.

Une fois les scones refroidis, garnir finalement de glaçage au citron.

Sheet Pan Pork and Vegetables

 This recipe for sheet pan pork and vegetables reminded me a bit of Viking chicken because it has an apple. It was very good, and easy to make! I used two pork tenderloins instead of one and cooked it a little longer – my changes are below.

For the marinade
¼ cup honey
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

For the sheet pan
1 ¼ lb. pork tenderloin (I had 2 tenderloins)
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (cut in half and then in ½″ slices)
2 large apples (cut into 8 wedges)
12 oz. green beans (trimmed and cut in half)

Whisk together the marinade ingredients and add them to a container or ziploc bag with the pork. Let the pork marinate for at least a couple hours, or up to 24 hours (refrigerated), flipping it over halfway through.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450 °F (and if you like an easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil).

Place the pork in the center of the sheet pan (reserve marinade) and spread veggies and fruit around it. Pour remaining marinade over the fruit and vegetables and toss.

Bake until the pork is almost done in the middle (medium rare and still pink is 145 °F, but I like mine more done), about 23 to 26 minutes (35 minutes for me).

Turn the oven up to a high broil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, until the meat and veggies begin to turn golden brown and the pork is cooked all the way through, 160 °F (I skipped this step).

Slice the pork and serve.

Brownies aux bananes et aux haricots blancs

J’ai trouvé une recette de Laurence Bergeron dans La Presse et je l’ai faite pour la boîte à lunch des enfants. Ces brownies ne sont pas très sucrés, et en plus, les haricots blancs ajoutent des fibres et des protéines. Je les ai coupés en petits carrés et j’ai congelé les restes – c’est idéal pour dépanner!

150 g (1 tasse) de farine tout-usage
135 g (1 tasse) de farine de blé entier
50 g (½ tasse) de poudre de cacao
2 c. à thé de poudre à pâte
1 pincée de sel
1 boîte de 540 ml de haricots blancs, rincés et égouttés (ou 2 tasses de haricots blancs cuits)
3 bananes mûres
1 œuf
70 g (1/3 de tasse) de sucre
¼ de tasse d’huile de canola
¼ de tasse de lait sans lactose (ou de boisson végétale, au choix)
1 c. à thé d’extrait de vanille
80 g (1/3 de tasse) de pépites de chocolat

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Huiler un moule carré de 8 po ou le chemiser d’un papier parchemin.

Dans un bol, mélanger les ingrédients secs (farine tout-usage, farine de blé entier, cacao, poudre à pâte, sel). Réserver.

Au mélangeur électrique, mixer les ingrédients humides jusqu’à l’obtention d’une texture lisse et homogène.

Ajouter la préparation humide aux ingrédients secs et mélanger en raclant bien le fond du bol. Ajouter les pépites de chocolat et mélanger légèrement.

Transvider le mélange dans le moule. Cuire au four 40 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dent inséré au centre de la pâte en ressorte propre. Laisser tiédir avant de couper en 16 carrés (ou davantage, selon la taille de ce qui entre dans la boîte à lunch).

Bacon and Egg Cups

 

I’m back! I always seem to fall off the blogging wagon during the summer, but somehow I feel like I haven’t been productive here in months… I hope to make up for it in the next few weeks! I made bacon and egg cups for lunch and really liked them. I used a silicone muffin pan, because I didn’t want the egg sticking to a metal pan, but I admit I would have liked the bacon a bit crisper. I had leftover vegetables, so I chopped them and pan-fried them for a side.

12 strips sugar-free bacon (about 10 oz)
2 red potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick, rounded ends discarded
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
12 large eggs
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Wrap 1 piece of bacon around the inside of each cup of a 12-cup muffin tin to create rings. Put 1 slice of potato on the bottom of each cup and divide the bell pepper pieces among the cups.

Bake until the fat starts to render from the bacon (it will bubble in the bottom of each cup) and the bacon begins to crisp and turn light brown on the top edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the tin from the oven and crack an egg into each cup, making sure the yolk is inside the bacon ring. Continue baking until the bacon is crisp, the egg whites are cooked through and the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes longer (15 minutes in my case). Run an offset spatula around the edges and remove to a platter. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.

Cookie Monster Protein Cookies

 

This is a recipe that I saw on Petite Pancakery. I modified it, to simplify and get cookies that are very cakey instead of fudgy, but they were great! I doubled the original recipe, which is what I am writing below with my modifications, and I got a total of 8 cookies. (I you want really precise measurements and macros, go to the original post, but I was making this in my home kitchen for a quick dessert without buying any special ingredients.)

¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour (my notes say I added about ¼ cup more after this)
50 g vanilla protein powder (I used Cornerstone Wellness, which has lactose-free whey)
4 tsp. of blue spirulina powder (this weighed 10 g for me)
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
120 g unsweetened applesauce
2 large egg whites
40 g monkfruit sugar (I used evaporated cane juice sugar)
30 g white chocolate chips + more for the top

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a baking sheet with a slipat or parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

Whisk together applesauce, egg whites, and sugar. Add in the dry ingredients and watch the blue color come to life! Combine to form a thick cookie dough. Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide into balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Gently press balls to flatten (if dough is a bit sticky, lightly wet fingertips or back of spoon); top with additional white chocolate chips.

Bake 8-9 minutes (the original recipe said about 8, I baked mine 9). The cookies will "puff" up a bit while cooking, but should deflate when cooling (assuming you haven’t added the extra flour like I did). Once fully cooled, stuff your face like Cookie Monster!

Kale and Sweet Potato Salad

 

I loved this kale and sweet potato salad for lunch! I wrote down my modifications below – the pumpkin seeds may have been the best part about this recipe. And with some leftover kale, I made myself a kale banana smoothie the next day!

 

1 ½ cups diced sweet potatoes
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika (I used 1 tsp.)
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil, to taste
½ cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp. chili powder (I used a generous pinch of Korean pepper)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup, divided
½ cup tahini
1 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. water
1 bunch kale, stemmed and torn into large pieces
3 cups cooked quinoa
½ cup finely diced red onion (I omitted it)

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

Add the sweet potatoes to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss until the sweet potato is well-coated in the spices, then spread in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tender.

In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds, chili powder, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and a pinch of salt (I also used 1 tablespoon of olive oil) and mix until well-coated. Spread the pumpkin seeds out on a separate baking sheet in a single layer. Place in the oven with the sweet potatoes and bake for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until toasted.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the tahini, remaining tablespoon of maple syrup, the lemon juice and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix well, then add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until your desired consistency is reached.

In a large bowl, drizzle the kale with olive oil. Massage with your hands until the kale is tender and has reduced in volume by about a third. (Honestly, I never do this part!)

Add the quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, red onion, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with about half of the tahini dressing and toss well. Serve with more dressing, if desired.