Good Morning Quinoa

This is very similar to oatmeal but using quinoa makes for an even healthier breakfast!

There are many ways to create your own version: use fresh berries in the summer, top with walnuts or almonds, add a couple drops of vanilla extract in the milk, substitute honey for the maple syrup... Be creative! Just make sure you cook the dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, figs...) with the milk so they end up plump and soft. If using fresh fruits (berries, banana, mango...), add them just before serving. Any milk will work: whole for a creamier mixture or skim for a lighter version, also almond, soy or rice milk.

Serves 2

• 1 ½ cups milk = 120 ml de lait
• ½ cup quinoa = 85 g de quinoa
• ¼ cup dried cranberries = 40 gr de cranberries séchées
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup = 2 cuillères à café de sirop d'érable
• Pinch of ground cinnamon = une pincée de cannelle
• 1 banana, sliced = 1 banane, coupée en lamelles

Bring milk, quinoa and dried cranberries to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer, covered, until most of milk is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to two serving bowls, top with maple syrup, cinnamon, and banana slices. Enjoy!

 

Pasta and Bean Soup

Vegetarian, yet hearty and satisfying, this Italian-inspired soup comes together quickly on a weeknight. Let everyone stir the pesto into their individual bowl and watch it melt and flavor the soup as if by magic.

Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 1 small onion, chopped = 1 petit oignon, émincé
• Salt and pepper = sel et poivre
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped = 1 gousse d'ail, finement émincée
• 5 to 6 cups vegetable broth = 1.2 à 1.4 l de bouillon de légumes
• Pinch of dried herbs (thyme & oregano) = une pincée d'herbes séchées (thym & origan)
• 1 cup mini-wheels pasta (or other small pasta) = 75 g de petites pâtes
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed = 1 boite ou 1 bocal de 440 g de cannellini (haricots blancs italiens), égouttés et rinsés
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes = 1 boite de 410 g de tomates concassées
• 6 teaspoons pesto = 6 cuillères à café de pesto

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, herbs and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the beans and the tomatoes and their juice, and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle into serving bowls and top each with a teaspoon of pesto. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Caramelized Oranges & Cranberries With Vanilla Custard

I know Thanksgiving dessert is all about pies: apple, pumpkin, pecan. But frankly, after all the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pumpkin rolls and a few other succulent side dishes, I am stuffed (pun intended!). This bright and simple dessert is a nice way to end a rich and filling dinner. The tartness of the cranberries is offset by the sweetness of the custard, while the oranges deliver an energizing punch.

I usually make the vanilla custard from scratch the night before but if you wish to make it even easier, just top the broiled fruit with vanilla ice-cream instead. It's just as delish!

Serves 4

Vanilla Custard: click here for recipe from Gourmet magazine

I half the recipe and use a vanilla bean, cut in half, that I drop in the milk while heating. No need for a thermometer, you'll just know it's ready when the sauce starts thickening. Strain through a sieve and transfer to a serving dish to chill overnight in the fridge.

Broiled Fruit:

• 4 navel oranges, peel and pith removed, sliced  = 4 oranges, épluchées et coupées en tranches
• ½ cup fresh cranberries = 50 g de cranberries fraiches
• 4 teaspoons brown sugar = 4 cuillères à café de cassonade

Heat broiler. Divide fruit among four shallow ramekins. Sprinkle with sugar. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Broil until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Cool for a couple minutes. Pour a little vanilla custard on top and serve immediately. Enjoy!

 

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy

 and yummy Thanksgiving!

Spinach, Pancetta, Mushroom & Fontina Pasta Bake

 

I love pasta casseroles. They are the perfect make-ahead comfort food. This particular one is packed with flavors and rather healthy: no bechamel sauce, not even an ounce of heavy cream. The creaminess comes from the fontina cheese, which melts beautifully. Its mild flavor lets the mushroom and spinach really shine, and the pancetta provides a bit of saltiness and smokiness.

It reminds me of the spinach-gruyère cheese pasta gratin my mom used to make when we were little, but in a grown-up, more sophisticated way. Perfect to warm my body and soul on a cold autumn night!

Serves 4-6

• ½ lb penne pasta = 225 g de penne
• 4 oz. diced pancetta = 115 g de pancetta, coupée en petits dés
• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 2 cloves garlic, minced = 2 gousses d'ail, émincées
• 1 small onion, chopped = 1 petit oignon, coupé en petits morceaux
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped = 450 g de cremini (petits champignons bruns), coupés en morceaux
• Salt and pepper = sel et poivre
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes = ¼ cuillère à café de flocons de piment rouge séché
• ¼ cup white wine = 60 ml de vin blanc
• 6 oz. baby spinach = 170 g de jeunes pousses d'épinards
• 6 oz. fontina cheese, grated = 170 g de fontina, râpée
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan = 45 g de parmesan en poudre

Cook pasta in a large pot of unsalted water, according to package directions. Drain but reserve a few tablespoons of cooking liquid.

 

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brown pancetta for a few minutes. Set aside and drain fat from skillet. In same skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking and stirring, until mushrooms are nice and brown. Add white wine and scrape bottom of skillet for 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.

Steam spinach in microwave for 1 minutes. Add to bowl. Stir and add grated fontina and cooked pasta. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Stir everything thoroughly. If the mixture seems too dry, add a few tablespoons of pasta cooking liquid.

Transfer to a buttered baking dish and top with grated parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: you can make this casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it, unbaked for 24 hours. The chilled dish will take about 1 hour to fully bake.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes are perfectly spiced and moist. The cream cheese frosting adds a touch of sweetness and the nut topping a nice crunch. I made them for a bake sale at my son's school and they were gone. Fast. We didn't even get one... So we went home and I made another batch the next day! Happy Halloween!

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour = 125 g de farine
• 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1 cuillère à café de levure
• ½ teaspoon baking soda = ½ cuillère à café de bicarbonate de sodium
• ½ teaspoon salt = ½ cuillère à café de sel
• 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon = 1 ¼ cuillère à café de cannelle
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger = ¼ cuillère à café de gingembre en poudre
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg = ¼ cuillère à café de noix de muscade en poudre
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves = ¼ cuillère à café de clou de girofle en poudre
• 2 eggs = 2 oeufs
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (canned or homemade) = 245 g de purée de citrouille
• ½ cup (packed) brown sugar = 100 g de cassonade
• ¼ to ½ cup sugar = 50 à 100 g de sucre
• ½ cup vegetable oil = 120 ml d'huile végétale

For the frosting:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened = 110 g de cream cheese (Philadelphia ou équivalent), ramolli
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened = 45 g de beurre, ramolli
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract = ½ cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
• 2 cups confectioners sugar = 250 g de sucre glace
• 1 tablespoon milk (optional) = 1 cuillère à soupe de lait (facultatif)

For the topping:

• ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans = 30 g de noix ou de noix de pecan, concassées

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180° C. Line muffin tins with 12 paper liners.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and spices.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs, pumpkin purée, sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture, in two batches, and stir until combined.

Fill cupcake tins three-quarters full and bake for 20 to 24 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, to make the frosting: in a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and mix slowly until completely incorporated. For a thinner, more spreadable consistency, add one tablespoon of milk and blend well.

Spread the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and top with nuts. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Sweet and Spiced Butternut Squash Stew

Easy and satisfying vegan dish with all the flavors of autumn. Adjust the spices to your liking (think cumin, turmeric, curry).

Serves 4

• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes = 1 boite de tomates concassées (800 g.)
• ½ cup currants or raisins = 70 g de raisins secs
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger = ½ cuillère à café de gingembre
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon = ½ cuillère à café de canelle
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg = ½ cuillère à café de noix de muscade
• Dash ground coriander = une pincée de coriandre
• Salt and pepper = sel et poivre
• ½ red onion, cut into wedges = ½ oignon violet, coupé en demi-lunes
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” chunks = 1 courge butternut, épluchée, dépépinée et coupée en morceaux de 2-3 cm
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar = 1 cuillère à soupe de cassonade

Place the tomatoes (and their juices) in a 6-qt slow cooker. Add the raisins,spices, salt and pepper.

Add the onion and squash, sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Cover and cook until squash is tender, about 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high.

Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Maple Apple Crumb Loaf

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words... or maybe I am just over-tired and not inspired to write much. In any case, go ahead. Bake. This. Loaf. Now. You're welcome!

Makes 1 loaf

For the batter:

• 1 ½ cup white whole wheat flour = 180 g de farine
• 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1 cuillère à café de levure
• 1 teaspoon baking soda = 1 cuillère à café de bicarbonate de soude
• Dash nutmeg = une pincée de noix de muscade râpée
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon = 2 cuillères à café de cannelle en poudre
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened = 60 g de beurre, ramolli
• 2 tablespoons applesauce = 2 cuillères à soupe de compote de pommes
• ½ cup maple syrup = 120 ml de sirop d'érable
• 1 egg = 1 oeuf
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
• ⅓ cup buttermilk = 80 ml de lait ribot
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced = 1 grosse pomme verte, épluchée et coupée en petits dés

For the topping:

• ⅓ cup flour = 40 g de farine
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, diced = 40 g de beurre, bien froid, coupé en petits dés
• ⅓ cup brown sugar (packed) = 65 g de cassonade

 Preheat oven to 350°F / 180° C.

Sift dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) together. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except the apple. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches and mix until just combined. Fold in the apple. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch greased loaf pan.

 

Mix the topping ingredients together (with your fingers or a pastry cutter). Sprinkle mixture and press gently into the batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a serving platter. Enjoy!