Oven-Roasted Potatoes and Veggies

This is a great, flavorful, healthy side to any fall meal. You can swap any veggies that you have on hand. Just make sure you chop everything to about the same size for even roasting.

Serves 4-8

• Combination of any of the following: = Mélange de plusieurs légumes suivants:
• Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced = Patates douces, épluchées et coupées en morceaux
• Baby potatoes, cleaned and halves or quartered = Petites pommes de terre, nettoyées et coupées en deux ou quatre
• Pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and diced = citrouille, potimarron ou butternut, épluchés et coupés en morceaux
• Red or sweet onions, peeled and quartered = oignons doux ou rouges, épluchés et coupés en quatre
• Brussels sprouts, halved = choux de Bruxelles, coupés en deux
• Turnips, peeled and diced = navets,épluchés et coupés en morceaux
• Rutabaga, peeled and diced = rutabaga, épluchés et coupés en morceaux
• Parsnips, peeled, and chopped into chunks = panais, épluchés et coupés en morceaux
• Carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks = carottes, épluchées et coupées en morceaux

• 2 tablespoons olive oil = 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar = 1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre balsamique
• 1 tablespoon honey = 1 cuillère à soupe de miel
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary = 1 cuillère à café de romarin (séché)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme = 1 cuillère à café de thym (séché)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano = 1 cuillère à café d'origan (séché)
• Coarse sea salt = sel

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.

Grease the bottom of a shallow roasting pan or line it with parchment paper. Arrange the potatoes and vegetables in a single layer in the roasting pan.

Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl and pour evenly over the potatoes/veggies. Sprinkle with dried herbs and sea salt. Toss with your hands to make sure all the chunks get coated.

Cook for 40 to 55 minutes until potatoes and veggies are nicely roasted and caramelized. Enjoy!

Double Apple Muffins

Fall isn't official until tomorrow but it's definitely been in the air lately and I love it!

It has always been my favorite season. When I think of fall, I envision beautiful foliage, long walks in the forest, pumpkin patch and Halloween. As far as food, I hope you like apples and pumpkins because you will see a lot of recipes featuring them in the next few weeks. We'll start with these double apple muffins. Double because I use both applesauce and chopped apples in the batter. The spices are subtle and highlight the apple taste perfectly. Eat one with a spiced pumpkin latte and you are in fall heaven!

Makes 12-15 muffins

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour = 270 g de farine

1 cup sugar = 180 g de sucre
1 teaspoon baking soda = 1 cuillère à café de bicarbonate de soude
1 teaspoon baking powder = 1 cuillère à café de levure
1 teaspoon salt = 1 cuillère à café de sel
2 teaspoons cinnamon = 2 cuillères à café de cannelle en poudre
Dash ground nutmeg = une pincée de noix de muscade râpée ou en poudre
Dash ground cloves = une pincée de clou de girofle en poudre
1 ½ cups applesauce (no sugar added) = 330 g de compote de pommes (sans sucre ajouté)
2 tablespoons canola oil = 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile végétale
2 eggs, lightly beaten = 2 oeufs, légèrement battus
1 large or 2 small apples, peeled and chopped = 1 grosse ou 2 petites pommes, épluchées et coupées en morceaux

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease muffin tins and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

Mix in the applesauce, oil and eggs. Blend very well and beat with a hand-mixer at high speed for about 2 minutes. Fold in chopped apples.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from tins and cool sightly on wire rack before serving.

Orzo with Feta and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Sometimes, I get tired of jasmine rice and brown rice (both staples on our dinner table) and I like serving orzo pasta instead. Those rice-shaped pasta cook fast and feel lighter than a big bowl of spaghetti. Here, I jazz them up with sun-dried tomatoes and feta. I find that cooking the orzo in a small amount of liquid without the need for draining makes the whole dish smooth, almost creamy. While it's a great side dish, I don't mind it as a main dish, alongside a big plate of mixed greens.

Serves 4

• 2 cups vegetable broth = 470 ml de bouillon de légumes
• 1 cup water = 235 ml d'eau
• 1 cup dry orzo pasta = 225 g d'orzo ou risoni (à cuire)
• ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced = 80 g de tomates séchées (en bocal avec de l'huile d'olive), émincées
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese = 60 g de feta émiettée
• Black pepper = poivre

Bring broth and water to a boil, stir in orzo. Return to a soft boil and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Season with pepper. Enjoy!

Salmon & Spinach Quiche

Quiche is super easy. No, really, I promise. Need proof? Well... I usually make it whenever I feel lazy and un-inspired.

Homemade pie crust is a cinch to make in the food processor, or feel free to buy a pre-made one (Trader Joe's sells a very decent one in their frozen foods section). The recipe I am sharing below is for shortcrust pastry (“pâte brisée”) which is a versatile crust you can use for savory quiches or sweet pies and tarts (in that case, you can add an optional teaspoon or two of superfine sugar).

As for the filling, in addition to the eggs (2 or 3 depending on how thick you want the filling to be), heavy cream and shredded cheese, you have many options: braised leeks, sautéed mushrooms and pancetta, roasted zucchini and eggplant, etc... You can add herbs (chives, dill or thyme see to work very well) too. It's up to you! I often make this version, with salmon and spinach, serve it with a big salad and call it a day. Bonus: any leftover is perfect for my little one's lunch box!

Makes one 9" or 10” quiche, 6-8 servings

For the pie crust:

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour = 150 g de farine
• ½ teaspoon salt = ½ cuillère à café de sel
• 8 tablespoons butter, diced = 125 g de beurre, coupés en petits dés
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice-cold water = 50 à 60 ml d'eau très froide

For the filling:

• 2 or 3 eggs, lightly beaten = 2 ou 3 oeufs, légèrement battus
• ½ cup heavy cream = 120 ml de crème fleurette
• salt & pepper = sel et poivre
• ½ to ⅔ cup shredded cheese (parmesan, gruyère, asiago...) = 50 à 75 g de fromage râpé
• ½ cup cooked, chopped and drained spinach = 120 g d'épinards hachés et égouttés
• 1 salmon fillet, steamed or poached, chopped or a few slices of smoked salmon, chopped = 1 pavé de saumon cuit (à la vapeur ou poché) ou 2-3 tranches de saumon fumé, coupées en morceaux

To make the crust: put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times. Add water through the chute and continue pulsing until crumbly dough begins to stick together. Stop pulsing as soon as a ball begins to form. Turn dough onto a countertop and flatten into a round. Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for about two hours, or overnight.

When ready to use, remove the dough from fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8” thick. Transfer to a pie pan. Prick the base with a fork and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375ºF / 190ºC.

Beat together the eggs and cream and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the shredded cheese, and fold in the spinach and salmon. Pour onto the prepared crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy! 

Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce

I have always loved crab cakes but the good ones in fancy restaurants are usually way overpriced. And the cheap ones are mostly fillers and no crab meat. So now, I make my own and we enjoy them at home.

Being so close to the Chesapeake Bay, I can't imagine eating a crab dish without Old Bay seasoning and those crab cakes are no exception. Serve them on a bun, or on a bed of lettuce, and don't forget the tartar sauce!

Makes 4 medium crab cakes

For the tartar sauce:

• ½ cup light mayo or veganaise = 100 g de mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced sweet pickles = 2 cuillères à soupe de cornichons doux émincés
• 1 tablespoon minced onion = 1 cuillère à soupe d'oignon émincé
• 1 teaspoon minced capers = 1 cuillère à café de câpres émincés
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar = 1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre (blanc)
• Dash black pepper = une pincée de poivre noir

For the crab cakes:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten = 1 oeuf, légèrement battu
• ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs = 30 g de chapelure japonaise Panko
• 3 tablespoons light mayo or veganaise = 3 cuillères à soupe (40 g) de mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning = 1 cuillère à café d'épices Old Bay (ou remplacer par un mélange de paprika, sel, poivre, noix de muscade et piment de cayenne ou moutarde en poudre) 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice = 1 cuillère à café de jus de citron
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce = ¼ cuillère à café de sauce Worcestershire
• Pinch white pepper = une pincée de poivre blanc
• ½ pound fresh lump crabmeat = 225 g de chair de crabe en morceaux
• 1 tablespoon canola oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile de colza
• A few lemon slices = quelques tranches de citron

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the tartar sauce, stir, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, mayo, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Gently fold in crab and shape into four patties. Refrigerate the crab cakes for about 30 minutes to one hour so they will hold their shape better during frying.

Heat oil in a large skillet, cook crab cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping them carefully.

Serve with lemon slices and tartar sauce. Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff in the Slow-Cooker

It definitely feels like fall this week. But unfortunately, the gray and wet kind of fall so out came my crock-pot (not that it was ever really put away). The slow-cooker is always a great option for cooking beef. It will make any cut tender and flavorful.

This version of Beef Stroganoff is a little bit healthier than most with only a third of a cup of sour cream and absolutely no butter or oil. I even use reduced-fat sour cream and no one can tell the difference. Yet it's creamy, tasty and perfectly comforting on a rainy, gloomy day.

Serves 4

• 1 to 1 ¼ lb beef round or sirloin steak, trimmed and sliced into ¼” strips = environ 500 g de steak, coupé en lamelles
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced = 1 petit oignon, épluché et coupé en morceaux
• 2 gloves garlic, minced = 2 gousses d'ail, émincées
• ¾ to 1 cup (low sodium) beef broth = 180 à 230 ml de bouillon de boeuf
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce = 1 cuillère à soupe de sauce Worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon ketchup = 1 cuillère à soupe de ketchup
• 1 tablespoon red wine = 1 cuillère à soupe de vin rouge
• ½ teaspoon paprika = ½ cuillère à café de paprika
• Salt & pepper = sel & poivre
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch = 3 cuillères à soupe de maïzena
• ¼ cup water = 60 ml d'eau
• 8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and halved = 225 g de champignons, nettoyés et coupés en deux
• ⅓ cup (reduced-fat) sour cream = 40 g de crême fraiche
• A few parsley leaves, chopped or some fresh dill = quelques feuilles de persil, ciselées ou de l'aneth fraiche
• Cooked egg noodles = des pâtes (type pappardelles) cuites

Combine steak, onion, garlic, broth, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, wine, paprika, salt and pepper, in the slow-cooker. Stir, cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add to slow cooker, along with the mushrooms. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes. Turn slow-cooker off and stir in the sour cream.

Serve over noodles, sprinkle with chopped parsley or dill. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Pancakes

Those pancakes were a great way to start the long holiday week-end!

I “stole” the recipe from my friend Estelle's fantastic blog a while back and have tweaked it to remove most of the butter and oil, replacing them with applesauce. It works! The texture is still perfectly moist and soft (allowing the oats to soak overnight is key) and the taste is just sweet enough but also hearty.

Trust me, all you need on top of those pancakes is pure maple syrup (not the fake kind!). Simple and delicious! Happy Labor Day week-end, everyone!

Makes 10-12 pancakes

• 2 cups old fashioned or rolled oats = 160 g de flocons d'avoine
• 2 cups buttermilk = 475 ml de lait fermenté (ribot, babeurre ou kéfir) (à défaut, ajouter 4 cuillères à café de jus de citron ou de vinaigre blanc à 420 ml de lait, remuer puis laisser reposer 5 minutes avant d'utiliser)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour = 60g de farine
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (packed) = 1 cuillère à soupe de sucre roux ou cassonade (tassé)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1 cuillère à café de levure chimique
• 1 teaspoon baking soda = 1 cuillère à café de bicarbonate de soude
• ½ teaspoon salt = ½ cuillère à café de sel
• 2 eggs = 2 oeufs
• 4 tablespoons applesauce (no sugar added) = 4 cuillères à soupe de compote de pomme (sans sucre ajouté)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted = 30 g de beurre, fondu
• Extra melted butter or vegetable oil for cooking = beurre fondu ou huile végétale pour la cuisson

The night before, combine the oats and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Stir gently, cover and refrigerate overnight.

 

The following morning, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Remove the oatmeal mixture from the fridge, add the eggs, applesauce and melted butter and stir well. Add the flour mixture and combine thoroughly. The batter should be quite thick.

 

Warm a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat, and brush with melted butter or vegetable oil. Scoop ¼ cup of batter onto the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes until set and golden, then flip the pancake. Cook until the second side is nicely browned. Re-grease the pan, and repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve hot with maple syrup. Enjoy!