Maple-Cinnamon Yogurt Dip

Back to school = back to packing lunchboxes and healthy snacks. This one is quick and easy and one of my son's favorites!

Serves 2

• ¾ cup (6 oz.) plain Greek yogurt = 170 g de yaourt nature grec
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup = 2 cuillères à soupe de sirop d'érable
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon = ½ cuillère à café de cannelle
• 2 apples, sliced = 2 pommes, coupées en lamelles

Mix yogurt, maple syrup and cinnamon together . Serve with apple slices.

Hummus in Cucumber Cups

In the summer, I could live on hummus. Seriously: hummus + pita bread + carrots, cucumber and bell pepper strips = lunch. Every day. There is nothing like hummus made from scratch. Sorry, I just don't like the taste of pre-packaged hummus. {Yes, I am a hummus snob}. You can use canned chickpeas but dried chickpeas are so much cheaper, and you don't have to worry about the lining of the can, recycling, etc.. Better for your wallet, better for the environment: win-win!

There are several ways to cook dried chickpeas: in a pressure cooker, on the stove, or in a slow cooker. I like the latter because that way you don't need to pre-soak them. Place 7 cups of water, 1 lb of dried chickpeas (sorted and rinsed), and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda in the slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours --7 (for firmer chickpeas) or 9 hours (for softer chickpeas – ideal for hummus or chickpea salad). Drain and use immediately, or refrigerate for a few days.

The nice thing about making your own hummus is that you can customize it to your taste: some people like theirs garlicky, some like it lemony. The recipe below is just in the middle, feel free to taste and adjust as you go. Sometimes, I even throw in a few kalamata olives, or roasted bell peppers.

There's nothing wrong with serving hummus in a bowl but he cucumber cups make for a cute and fun presentation, and a nice little one-bite appetizer for a summer cook-out!

For the hummus:

• 2 cups well-cooked or canned chickpeas, drained = 450 g de pois chiches (cuits ou en conserve,  égouttés)
• ¼ cup tahini (sesame seed paste) = 4 cuillères à soupe de tahini
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (optional) = 2 cuillères à soupe de yaourt grec nature (facultatif)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling = 60 ml d'huile d'olive + 1-2 cuillères à soupe pour la présentation
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled = 2 gousses d'ail
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste = sel et poivre
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika, plus a sprinkling for garnish = 2 cuillères à café de paprika + une pincée pour la présentation
• Juice of 1 lemon = jus d'1 citron

Put everything in a food processor and puree until smooth. If you want to serve as is, transfer to a bowl, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle a little paprika on top.

 

 

 

For the cucumber cups:

• Hummus
• 2 or 3 long cucumbers
• Crumbled feta or chopped olives for garnish

Using a vegetable peeler, peel strips on each cucumber to make a stripe pattern. Cut cucumbers crosswise into ¾-inch slices. Use a melon baller or a round measuring spoon and scoop out the center of each cucumber slice to form a little cup. Fill each cup with about a tablespoon of hummus. Top with crumbled feta or chopped olives. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Mini Greek Frittatas

I love eggs for a quick protein boost in the morning or for a snack. I often make those mini frittatas for our Sunday brunch and save extras for busy week-day breakfasts or for my son's lunchbox. The best part is that you can use customize them with what you have: bacon (cooked and crumbled) and cheddar, zucchini (diced and sauteed) and goat cheese, bell pepper and gruyère...

Makes 24 mini frittatas

• 6 large eggs = 6 oeufs
• ¼ cup milk = 60 ml de lait
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream = 2 cuillères à soupe de crème fleurette
• Salt & pepper (about ¼ teaspoon each) = sel et poivre
• ¼ cup shredded spinach (fresh or thawed) = 60 g d'épinards hâchés et égouttés
• ¼ cup crumbled feta = 40 g de feta émiettée
• A few black olives, sliced = quelques olives noires, coupées en rondelles

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Generously grease one (24) or two (12) mini muffin pans with olive oil spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in the spinach and feta. Pour egg mixture evenly into the 24 mini muffin cups and top each with an olive slice in the middle. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from muffin pan and serve right away.

 

Note: You can also keep those (cooked) in the fridge for a few days, just pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to reheat. They are also great at room temperature in your kids' lunch box.

 

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Have your kids gone back to school yet? We're getting dangerously close here (woohoo!) and I am already thinking about new healthy ideas to fill my son's lunchbox, and mine!

This vegetarian alternative to tuna and chicken salad is so easy to make, and it's delicious! I have a feeling it's going to be on our weekly rotation.

Makes 4 medium sandwiches

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed = 1 boite de 425 g de pois chiches, égouttés et rinsés
• ¼ cup light mayonnaise or vegenaise = 4 cuillères à soupe de mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard = 2 cuillères à café de moutarde forte
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice = 1 cuillère à café de jus de citron
• 1 rib of celery, roughly chopped = 1 branche de céleri, coupé en morceaux
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped = 1 carotte, épluchée et coupée en morceaux
• Pinch cayenne pepper = une pincée de poivre de Cayenne
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste = du poivre noir fraichement moulu
• Whole grain bread = des tranches de pain aux céréales complètes
• Lettuce leaves = des feuilles de laitue
• Tomato slices = des tranches de tomate

Place chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to roughly chop. Add mayo, mustard, lemon juice, celery and carrots and pulse a few times to incorporate. Season with cayenne and black peppers.

 

Assemble sandwiches by layer bread, lettuce, tomato and chickpea mixture. Top with another slice of bread, or serve open-faced. Enjoy!

 

Note: If you don't have a food processor, you can simply mash the chickpeas and finely chopped the carrot and celery, before mixing all the salad ingredients together.