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Pois chiches grillés au Ras El Hanout… et des vacances

16 Mar

Un snack au goût du Maroc. Enfin les vacances!

C’est enfin ce soir que je décolle pour le Maroc! Je suis excitée et nerveuse à l’idée de découvrir ce pays si différent, si mystérieux. Les souks, les médinas, les tajines, les gens, la culture et surtout… le désert! Avez-vous déjà pensé à quoi ressemblent les étoiles dans la noirceur complète? Ce qu’est le silence total? Ou comment on se sent devant l’immensité de dunes de sable qui font 300 mètres? Moi, j’en rêve depuis des mois…

En attendant de pouvoir vous partager des photos et quelques recettes authentiques (j’ai réservé un cours de cuisine à Fès!), je vous laisse avec cette recette de pois chiches grillés au Ras El Hanout – un mélange d’épices marocain.

Dernièrement, j’ai vu une foule de recettes de pois chiches grillés et je me suis dit que ça ferait un excellent ajout à mes apéros habituels ou un snack santé. OK, je les mangerai sûrement avec une bonne bière froide, mais vous n’êtes pas obligés de tout faire comme moi :-) .

Alors, qu’est-ce que je dois absolument rapporter du Maroc? C’est certain que je vise les épices, mais lesquelles choisir? Et l’huile d’arganier, ça vaut la peine? Sinon, avez-vous des bonnes adresses ou activités à me suggérer? Ou peut-être quelques techniques de négociation…?

À très bientôt.

Recette pour pois chiches grillés

  • 1 boîte de pois chiches
  • 1 c. à table d’huile d’olive
  • 3 à 6 c. à thé de Ras El Hanout (ou les épices de votre choix – ça peut être aussi simple que du sel et du paprika!)

Ras El Hanout - mélange d'épices marocain.

Ras El Hanout Trouvée sur Epicurious Donne 6 c. à thé

  • 1 c. à thé de cumin
  • 1 c. à thé de gingembre
  • 1 c. à thé de sel
  • ¾ c. à thé de poivre moulu
  • ½ c. à thé de cannelle
  • ½ c. à thé de coriandre
  • ½ c. à thé de piment de Cayenne
  • ½ c. à thé de piment de la Jamaïque
  • ¼ c. à thé de clou de girofle

Préchauffez le four à 400 degrés F. Rincez les pois chiches et séchez-les au maximum avec des essuie-tout ou un linge propre. Mettez-les dans un bol avec l’huile et la quantité souhaitée de Ras El Hanout (attention, c’est piquant!). Enrobez bien les pois chiches et mettez-les au four pour environ 40 minutes jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient croustillants, mais pas brûlés.

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Muesli : petit-déj santé rapido presto

8 Mar

Cette recette de muesli me rappelle des souvenirs d’enfance, alors que je regardais ma mère préparer sa crème Budwig. Rien qu’à penser à la tête que je lui faisais quand elle me proposait d’y goûter me fait sourire. Jamais au monde n’aurais-je pensé échanger mes Cap’n Crunch contre un truc aussi santé et nature à cette époque. Mais les temps ont changé… Et mon métabolisme aussi! Aujourd’hui, je recherche des solutions de petit-déjeuner rapides à préparer (je suis systématiquement en retard le matin…) et qui me fournissent l’énergie nécessaire pour me rendre au dîner sans perdre de vapeur.

Depuis plusieurs mois, j’ai mis le granola maison sur mon menu du matin, mais j’avoue que je commence à m’en lasser. Le muesli me permet de varier en plus d’avoir l’avantage de ne contenir aucun sucre et de fournir un apport élevé en fibres et protéines. En plus, il n’y pas de préparation compliquée et aucune cuisson. On mesure et on mélange – c’est tout!

J’ai fait cette recette le weekend dernier et j’ai beaucoup aimé tout comme MJ, qui a un petit côté grano comme moi.

Recette
Adaptée et traduite de Super Natural Every Day
Donne environ 4 tasses

  • 3 tasses de flocons d’avoine
  • 1/4 de tasse de germe de blé (préférablement non grillé)
  • 1/4 tasse raisins secs dorés Sultana
  • 1/2 tasse d’amandes hachées grossièrement
    (Utilisez des amandes Marcona si possible. J’en ai trouvées des salées aux Douceurs du marché au Marché Atwater, mais il paraît qu’on en vend nature chez Loblaws et Costco.)
  • ¼ c. à thé de sel de mer fin (omettez le sel si vos amandes sont salées comme les miennes)

Rassembler tous les ingrédients dans un grand bol et mélanger. Conserver au frigo dans un contenant hermétique.

Pour chaque portion, mélanger ½ tasse de yogourt avec ¼ de tasse d’eau et ¼ de tasse de muesli. Laisser tremper au frigo au moins une heure ou toute la nuit. Au service, ajouter un filet de sirop d’érable ou de miel et des fruits frais (fraises, bleuets, bananes, etc.) si désiré.

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Quinoa cakes and some new cookbooks

28 Feb

Quinoa cakes are a quick, healthy, vegetarian meal anyone can whip up on a weeknight. AND they taste great. Who doesn't love quinoa anyways?

Lately, I’ve been trying to include healthier ingredients in my day-to-day cooking. But I was a little overwhelmed by it all: organic, natural, whole-grain, polyunsaturated, unbleached, stone-milled… Can someone just make it simple, PLEASE! I have no time to compare heat tolerances of various oils when I’m on the verge of caving in to honey-flavoured Shreddies (they’re amazing, BTW). So was I ever happy to come across a pair of cookbooks by blogger Heidi Swanson that sum it up like this: choose ingredients that are as close as possible to the way you would find them in nature: no chemicals and no modifications – genetic or mechanic. Ahhh… Now that makes sense!

But before I tell you more about my new favourite cookbooks (and you start to yawn), let me win you over with these babies: quinoa cakes. I came across a picture and recipe of them in one of the books that stopped me dead in my tracks. Making patties resembling meatballs or crab cakes with quinoa. AMAZING! Enough with the quinoa salad already, these little patties are a great new way to use the grain we’ve all come to love for its taste as much as its nutritional value. Quinoa is high in protein, so this mean two of these puppies will keep you going until your next meal, no problem. Plus, the recipe is quick and easy. Consider this: tonight, I made this recipe (with ingredients I had on hand, mind you), took pictured of it, ate my dinner in a civilized fashion, did a whole load of dishes, scrubbed my ceramic cook top (which I admittedly had not cleaned for quite some time) drove Mat to the metro, BBM’ed with my good friend AND wrote this post - all by 10:30 p.m. Not bad! So give it a shot, why don’t ya.

Super Natural Every Day, Heidi Swanson's second cookbook, is packed full of healthy recipes for the every day.

Recipe
Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson
 Yields 6 quinoa cakes

  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled (in 1.5 cups of simmering salted water for about 15 minutes)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup of cheese, grated (Whatever you have on hand will do. I had parmesan and leftover Gruyère, which happen to be the recommended cheeses for this recipe.)
  • 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • Green parts of 4 shallots or small bunch of chives, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (I had Italian breadcrumbs and used that although the recipe calls for whole grain – no biggie.)
  • A splash of olive oil for browning the patties

Mix the cooked and cooled quinoa with the eggs and salt. Incorporate all other ingredients and let stand a few minutes for the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture. Adjust the consistency with a little water if needed so that you can easily form patties with your hands. Heat the oil on medium heat and cook the patties, covered for about 5 minutes on each side.

Quick dipping sauce
This is a last-minute invention that I came up with when I realized the quinoa cakes might need a little sauce to call its buddy. It turned out great and I’m happy to share it with you, but be sure to taste it as you go and adjust it to your liking.

  • Big dollop of plain yoghurt
  • Small dollop of mayonnaise
  • Big spoonful of smoked paprika
  • Medium spoonful of regular paprika
  • Couple shakes of coriander
  • Couple splashes of Tabasco sauce
  • Salt

Mix it all together. Taste. Adjust. Repeat until satisfied :-)

So, back to the cookbooks. The one I cooked from tonight is Super Natural Every Day. It’s Heidi Swanson’s second book and includes a lot of great vegetarian recipes featuring natural ingredients. Although it has a solid introduction that shares some basic info about “natural cooking”, I would recommend her first book to anyone who wants to get educated on healthy eating.

Super Natural Cooking is the author's first cookbook. I recommend it to anyone who wants to get the basics on "natural cooking".

Super Natural Cooking (the first book) contains all the basic information you need to make better choices – which flours, oils, grains, sweeteners, etc. to favour and why, as well as those to avoid. The information is concise and the more technical explanations are explained simply. I read the 17-page chapter called “Build a Natural Foods Pantry” in less than an hour last night and feel like I’ve already gained a world of knowledge. The book contains quite a few recipes, but if that’s more what you’re after – either because you’re already up to speed on natural cooking or because it bores you – get her second book (mentioned above). Together, I think the pair of cookbooks works great: one sums up all the basic information you need to get you going and the second give you a wide repertoire of recipes to choose from.

Still not convinced? Check out Heidi’s award-winning food blog, 101cookbooks.com. There, you’ll even find a downloadable six recipe sampler in pdf format from her second book.

So, how do you go about incorporating healthier ingredients in your cooking? Is organic important to you? Should we stop eating meat? All questions that I haven’t dared pondering yet. I’m taking this one step at a time…

Full disclosure: I bought these books with my own dough. I have not been approached by anyone looking to promote them. I am just genuinely stoked and wanted to share :-)

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Chicken tikka masala from scratch

15 Feb

It’s February, it’s cold and I need a kick in the rear to get anything done… So, on Sunday, when I plopped my tired bum down on the couch in front of a bowl of this scratch-made chicken tikka masala after a full day of cooking, I proclaimed it the perfect antidote to winter blues. It’s warm and comforting but has enough heat to jolt some life back into you.

Chicken tikka masala, naan and beer - one of the most comforting meals I've put together in a while.

I made the chicken tikka masala with MJ as part of our first ”cooking day” during which we made three freezer-friendly dishes for the week ahead. I have a post brewing on “freezer cooking” and “pantry stocking” in the works for you and was planning to include this dish in that post, but I couldn’t wait. And given we made everything from scratch (or just about… hey, who cans their own tomatoes and makes their own coconut milk anyways?), I figured it deserved your full attention and a post all its own.

Chicken tikka masala - a closer look.

Step 1: Garam masala
Makes about 10 tablespoons (you’ll have leftover – and that’s a good thing!)
Garam masala is a spice mix commonly used in indian cooking. You’ll need some for the curry paste.

  • 4 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp cardamom seeds (removed from their pods)
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 stick of cinnamon

Warm the spices separately in a dry pan to the point where they become fragrant. Crush them all together using a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder.

Step 2: Tikka masala curry paste
Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food

Tikka masala paste. It can be made in advance. Next time, I'll try marinating the chicken in it for a few hours before cooking. Hmm... I wonder how this paste would freeze...

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp peanut oil
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 fresh red chili pepper
  • a small bunch of fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds

Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan. Peel the garlic and ginger. To make the paste, either place all of the ingredients in a food processor with the toasted spices, garlic and ginger OR chop and mix everything by hand.

Step 3: Make the curry
Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food
Makes 4 portions

  • 4 skinless, chicken breasts
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 fresh red chilli (we used a nondescript orange chile because that’s all we could find!)
  • a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
  • a small bunch of fresh coriander
  • vegetable oil
  • a heaping tablespoon of butter
  • 1/2 a cup of tikka masala curry paste
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 can of tomatoes (400 g)
  • 1 can of coconut milk (400 ml)
  • Sliced almonds for garnish

Onions, ginger, coriander stalks and chiles melting away in the pot right before the curry paste and chicken go in.

Slice the chicken breasts lengthways into thick strips. Peel, and finely slice the onions. Finely slice the chili pepper. Peel and finely slice the ginger. Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side, then finely chop the stalks.

Put a large pot on a medium to high heat and add a few tablespoons of oil and the butter. Add the onions, chili pepper, ginger and coriander stalks and cook for about 15 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Add the curry paste and the chicken strips. Stir well to coat everything with the paste and season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on. Check the curry regularly to make sure it’s not drying out. Adjust by adding some water, if required. My curry was quite liquid to start with because I used light coconut milk, which is thinner (and less tasty…) than full-fat.

Serve with a spoonful of plain yoghurt and sprinkle with sliced almonds and coriander leaves. To round out the meal, consider roasted cauliflower and rice. Whatever you do, don’t forget the naan bread! Perfect for moping up the sauce…

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Cupcakes to die for

1 Feb

Guest post by my friend MJ, who’s also a published author (I’m so proud!). In fact, if the thought of Valentine’s Day around the corner is making you cringe, bake up a batch of these ice cream cone cupcakes and curl up with her book J’ai une amie célibataire. Full of tongue-and-cheek humour about being single and owning it, MJ’s book is a light read that’s bound to get your spirits up!

Choca-Mocha Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes: the decorating is the fun part, so many options!

I know, I know… cupcakes are so 2009. But what can I say? I just love their bite-size cuteness. When my boyfriend told me he had seen a recipe for cupcakes in an ice cream cone, I was intrigued. It could be the best idea ever… or the worst!

To be honest, I had my doubts about the whole ice cream cone thing. So to make sure they’d be at least delicious even if totally ruined or deformed, I used my favorite cupcake recipe: choca-mocha cupcakes, with chocolate-covered coffee beans mixed into the batter, to die for!!!

To ensure that the top rises like an ice cream scoop instead of dripping over the edge of the cone, it’s best to wrap the cone in parchment paper. It’s a b@#&! to do, but totally worth it. Use a string to hold the parchment paper in place, but not the cheap kind… I learned the hard way that cheap string can melt all over your muffin tray :-(

The parchment paper is key in order to prevent the mix from dripping down the cone.

My doubts lingered until the final stage: the frosting application. That’s the part where the cupcakes really become ice cream cones. I was satisfied with the look of them but the biggest test was still to come: the appreciation of my dinner guests. I was afraid I had overcooked them but turns out they were a hit! Did the fact that 4 bottles of wine had already been consumed by the 4 people present have anything to do with it? I’ll never know. But I had a blast making them and they simply were too cute to disappoint.

WARNING: Eating too many cupcakes can cause insomnia.

Album to cook to: Something to die for, The Sounds.

Ingredients:
3 ½ oz. bittersweet chocolate
10 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
¾ cup of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 eggs
¾ cup of self-rising flour
2 teaspoons instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of boiling water
¼ cup of chocolate-covered coffee beans

To decorate:
7 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
1 ⅔ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of boiling water

CHOCA-MOCHA CUPCAKES (makes 12)
Adapted from: Cupcakes by Susannah Blake

Preheat the oven to 350 ° F and get your cones wrapped in parchment paper. The cones can be put in a traditional muffin tray.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave, then set aside to cool.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the melted chocolate and cocoa powder. Sift the flour into the mixture and stir in the dissolved coffee, followed by the coffee beans.

Spoon the mixture into the ice cream cones and bake for about 20 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

To decorate, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar and dissolved coffee in a bowl until pale and fluffy (I added a bit of melted chocolate to the frosting). Spread the mixture smoothly over the cupcakes and decorate to your liking.

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Blueberry, almond and maple yogurt parfait

12 Jan

In keeping with the theme of eating healthy in January, I wanted to share this with you. It’s more of an idea than a recipe, but sometimes inspiration is all you need. For the past few weeks, this blueberry, almond and maple yogurt parfait has been my breakfast of choice.

My most recent healthy breakfast concoction. Low-cal, filling and easy to make!

I’m not one to make the classic New Year’s resolutions (I strive/struggle with my good intentions year-round…) but if yours include eating healthier, know that this dish only has about 160 calories and packs the punch required to sustain you until lunch. In addition, as is the case with most healthy foods, it’s not very complicated to make.

“Recipe” (if you can call it that…)
Makes 1 parfait  of approx. 160 calories

Add 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup to about ¾ cup of reduced-fat (1% or 2%) plain yogurt. The quality of the yogurt you use makes a big difference here – it’s the star of the show. For texture and taste, my favourite brands are Liberté and Astro. Both contain only natural ingredients. As a general rule, when it says “no gelatin” (yuck!), chances are it will taste better. Top it off with a handful of blueberries and 1 heaping tablespoon of ground roasted almonds.

The best part about if for me, is that I get to use up the leftover ground roasted almonds I made for my Christmas cookie extravaganza. But honestly, sliced or chopped almonds would be fine too. In fact, you can use any nuts and fruit you like. However, I highly recommend you take the time to roast and cool your nuts beforehand. It enhances the flavour and gets rid of any stale taste they might have developed from sitting on a store shelf.

Looking for more healthy breakfast options?

Enjoy and good luck with your other resolutions! Sorry I can’t help you with those…

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Roasted cauliflower with red harissa

8 Jan

I love my veggies. But like with most foods, it’s hard to find new recipes that are worthy of a spot on my weekly menu. I know you see a lot of restaurant reviews and higher calorie foods on this blog, but the truth is, on weekdays, we eat quite healthy around here and we don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen or running to the market to get obscure ingredients. And Ottolenghi’s veggie-centric recipes are amazing and all, but a tad too involved for the everyday… So “healthy”, “quick” and ”easy” are search terms I tend to google a lot. And when I stumble upon something that also provides a party in my mouth, it’s a winner.

Golden brown, fragrant, delicious roasted cauliflower is a sinch to make. And healthy to boot!

Roasted cauliflower is the bomb. It’s popping up everywhere – food blogs, cooking shows, magazines - in different variations. I favour indian spices and kick it up a notch with a red harissa sauce made with roasted red bell peppers (that I buy in a jar for weeknight cooking!), jalapeno peppers and garlic. Do it! This week. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Recipe
Adapted from Food Network Canada, courtesy of Roger Mooking.
Makes about 4 portions

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/2 tablespoon of turmeric
1 head of cauliflower, cut into large chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

See recipe for red harissa here.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, combine all ingredients until cauliflower is well covered with spices. Cook 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with red harissa sauce. Voilà!

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Paella

28 Dec

C’est moi, ou on est perpétuellement à la recherche d’une bonne recette pour quand on reçoit? Vous savez le genre pas trop compliqué (avez-vous déjà essayé de suivre une recette élaborée après quelques verres de vin tout en continuant à faire la conversation à vos invités? Désastre!), qui nous évite les portions individuelles et qui fait bonne impression. PAELLA! J’ai redécouvert cette recette à Noël et me suis rendue compte à quel point elle était facile.

Paella facile aux crevettes, palourdes, chorizo et asperges.

Si vous aimez le chorizo et les fruits de mer, vous serez comblés. Mais gardez en tête que vous pouvez adapter la recette comme bon vous semble. Vous cuisinez pour chéri, le carnivore? Ajoutez du poulet (que vous aurez saisi à l’avance) et laissez tomber les asperges. Vous voulez un peu de piquant? Pourquoi ne pas ajouter du piment d’Espelette au bouillon? Hmm… Vous voulez plus de légumes? Ajouter des pois mange-tout et des poivrons.

Pensez-y si vous recevez pour le jour de l’An!

Recette
Donne 4 ou 5 portions
Trouvée sur Epicurious et adaptée.

6 asperges, coupées en tronçons
2 1/2 tasses de bouillon de poulet
12 grosses crevettes crues, décrotiquées (conserver les carapacse), déveinées mais avec la queue intacte (pour le look)
3/4 de tasse de vin blanc sec
1/2 c. à thé de safran émietté
1/4 de tasse d’huile d’olive
1 saucisson chorizo portuguais doux (pas sec), tranché
2 oignons coupés en dés
3 gousses d’ail hachées
1 grosse tomate épépinée, coupée en dés
3/4 tasse de poivrons rouges rôtis (on les trouve en bocal à l’épicerie), coupés en dés
2 c. à thé de paprika fumé
1 c. à thé de sel
1 1/4 tasse de riz à paella ou pour risotto
12 palourdes moyennes, nettoyées

Blanchir les asperges et réserver.

Faire bouillir le bouillon de poulet. Y ajouter les carapaces de crevettes et faire mijoter 10 minutes. Faire bouillir le vin dans une autre petite casserole, y ajouter le safran et enlever du feu. Laisser infuser 5 minutes. Verser le vin dans une grosse tasse à mesurer  (au moins 3 tasses) en utilisant un tamis pour récupérer les filaments de safran. Y ajouter le bouillon de poulet pour que le liquide fasse 2 1/2 tasses et réserver. Si vous avez du liquide en trop, conservez-le à part en cas de besoin.

Chauffer l’huile dans une grande poêle profonde d’au moins 3 pouces allant au four (je préfère les poêlons non anti-adhésifs pour ce plat). Faire dorer les tranches de chorizo environ 5 minutes. Ajouter les oignons et faire suer environ 5 minutes. Ajouter l’ail et mélanger 2 minutes. Ajouter les tomates et les poivrons rôtis jusqu’à ce que les tomates ramolissent et que le liquide s’évapore, environ 3 minutes. Y ajouter le paprika et le sel et  mélanger. Vous pouvez réaliser toutes les étapes précédentes à l’avance (max. 2 heures) et attendre 45 minutes avant le service pour poursuivre.

Chauffer le four à 350 degrés F. Ajouter le riz au mélange de chorizo (assurez-vous de chauffer le mélange si vous l’avez préparé à l’avance) et bien mélanger. Ajouter les 2 1/2 tasses de liquide au mélange de riz et laissez mijoter 2 minutes en remuant à l’occasion. Mettre la paella au four et cuire environ 15 minutes. Sortir du four et ajouter les crevettes et les palourdes en les enfonçant dans le riz. Ajouter également les asperges blanchies (et autres légumes le cas échéant). Cuire encore 10 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le riz soit cuit, les crevettes soient rosées et les palourdes ouvertes.

Notes : si les palourdes refusent d’ouvrir, sortez-les de la paella et faites-les cuire à part quelques minutes à la vapeur dans un chaudron avec un fond de bouillon. Réinsérez-les dans la paella dès qu’elles ouvrent. De plus, il se peut que votre riz prennent plus ou moins de temps à cuire. Goûtez-y à quelques reprises et ajoutez le liquide réservé au besoin pour cuire davantage.

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Inappropriate Christmas cookies

12 Dec

It certainly wasn’t our intention to bake inappropriate Christmas cookies… They just seemed to turn out that way. It all started with David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Crack Cookies. Next thing we knew, our gingerbread men were acting naughty and even the snowballs turned out dirty! Oh well, let’s just hope we’re still on Santa’s “Nice” list.

Naughty Gingerbread Men

Next year, a chaperone is definitely in order for these naughty little guys.

Our gingerbread men got a little too friendly… We swear there was safe distance between them before entering the oven.

Dirty Snowballs

Dirty Snowballs: just as delicious as their pure white cousins with some extra funk.

Despite our best efforts to remove the nut skins, our snowballs turned out dirty… However, they’re just as melt-in-your-mouth delicious as the pure white variety we made last year with blanched almonds. With butter, sugar, hazelnuts and walnuts as the main ingredients, how could they be bad?

Chocolate Crack Cookies

Chocolate Crack Cookies - our new addiction.

What’s inappropriate about these cute little gems, you ask? Pop one in your mouth and see for yourself. Scantily clad in sweet icing sugar, these cookies have a moist dark chocolate centre that will have your mind in the gutter in no time. They’re our new favourite addiction.

Recipe for Chocolate Crack Cookies
Adapted from The Urban Baker blog, originally from “Ready for Desserts” by David Lebovitz.

Makes about 40 cookies

- 16 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons espresso
- 2 cup toasted almond slices, ground (or almond meal)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup regular granulated sugar, plus more for coating
- Powdered sugar for coating

Mix together the ground almonds or almond meal, flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

Place chocolate, butter and espresso in a bain-marie and melt until smooth. Set aside.

Whisk together the eggs and the sugar using a hand-held or stand mixer set on high speed until the mixture forms ribbons. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture and then the almond mixture.

Chill dough until firm (minimum 2 hours and ideally overnight).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put a liberal amount of granulated sugar in a small bowl and do the same with icing sugar.

Shape the chilled dough into one inch balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar. Place them on a baking sheet, spacing one inch apart.

Bake between 8 and 10 minutes, rotating the pans midway, until edges are firm but centre is still very soft. Keep a close watch because overcooked chocolate cookies are a serious disappointment! Once cooked, let them cool on a wire rack.

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Quick Mac & Cheese

1 Dec

I’m not proud of it, but I’m a pretty big fan of KD – Kraft Dinner. Yes, I said it. It reminds me of my CEGEP years when we would get together in a friend’s basement – or rather parent’s basement – and satisfy our “munchies” with toxic orange goodness. It was either that or nachos with cheese from a jar… The beauty of KD is that it takes just a few minutes to prepare and it’s so comforting. It hits the spot.

A grown up version of KD that's almost as quick - stove top Mac & Cheese from scratch.

Recently, the grown up in me has been on a mission to replicate the quick cheesy goodness of KD with more natural ingredients than orange powder. I found a lot of baked mac & cheese recipes, but they all required about an hour in the oven. That wouldn’t stand a chance against KD! So, I was happy to come across this stove top mac and cheese recipe by of one of our favourite Québec chef’s no less – Ricardo. It turned out great and makes for a nice weeknight dinner. ALMOST as satisfying as the orange goop of KD ;-)

Recipe
Adapted and translated from “Parce qu’on a tous de la visite…”, Ricardo.
Makes 4 portions.

3/4 lb of macaroni – I used cellentani
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard
a pinch of nutmeg – I like to grate the fresh stuff but beware the extra strong flavour
1 3/4 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of old cheddar or Gruyère or a mix of both
A splash or two of Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper

For the topping:
5 slices of bacon
1 cup of bread cut in cubes
3 tablespoons of butter

To make the “croûtons” topping, start by cooking the bacon in a pan, reserving until cool and breaking up into bits. In the same pan, brown the bread in the remaining bacon fat and butter until crispy and golden (mine is a little too dark). Add the bacon bits to the bread and mix together. Reserve.

While you’re making the topping, cook your pasta al dente in a large pot of salted water, strain and reserve.

In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the flour, paprika, mustard and nutmeg. Cook 1 minute while stirring. Gradually add the milk while whisking and bring to a boil. Let simmer 2 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Incorporate the pasta and Tabasco. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add milk to adjust the consistency if needed.

Serve immediately, topped with the bacon croûtons.

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