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.

Summer Quiche

I just love quiche! You can make so many combinations and this one is perfect for the summer months when zucchini, bell peppers and eggplants are in season.

The pie crust is easy to make in the food processor. Or simply buy a frozen one. Shortcuts are okay sometimes! If you have a Trader Joe's near you, I highly recommend theirs. And while you're there, grab a bag of Quattro Formaggio. It's a blend of shredded parmesan, asiago, provolone, and fontina cheeses that will give any dish great flavor and texture. Otherwise, use 1/3 cup shredded parmiggiano reggiano or asiago and 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella or fontina.

I brought this quiche, with mixed greens on the side, to a swim team potluck recently. It stood out... and was gone quickly!

Makes one 10” quiche, 6-8 servings

• 1 pie crust (thawed as per instructions) = 1 pâte brisée
• 2 zucchini, diced = 2 courgettes, coupées en petits dés
• 1 orange or red bell pepper, diced = 1 poivron orange ou rouge, coupé en petits dés
• 5 or 6 slices of eggplant = 5 ou 6 rondelles d'aubergine
• Olive oil, in a spray bottle = huile d'olive en spray
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme = ½ cuillère à café de thym séché
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten = 3 oeufs, légèrement battus
• ½ cup heavy cream = 120 ml de crème fleurette
• ⅔ cup shredded cheese = 75 g de fromage râpé (parmesan, gruyère...)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano = ½ cuillère à café d'origan séché
• salt & pepper = sel et poivre

Place the vegetables on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and thyme. Roast in 425°F oven for 35 minutes, stirring the diced veggies and flipping the eggplant slices after the first 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8” thick. Transfer to a pie pan. Prick the base with a fork a few times and set aside.

When veggies are done, remove from oven and turn it down to 375ºF / 190ºC. Let veggies cool slightly.

Beat together the eggs and cream and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the shredded cheese, season with pepper and dried oregano. Add roasted zucchini and bell peppers and pour onto the prepared crust. Top with roasted eggplant slices. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant parmigiana is a southern Italian dish made of sliced eggplant, deep-fried then layered with cheese and tomato sauce and baked. I can not bring myself to deep-fry anything (even in olive oil!) so in this healthier version, I skip the batter and frying and simply roast the eggplant.

 

For the layering, feel free to make your own tomato sauce or use jarred marinara. As for the cheese, I use a combination of ricotta, shredded mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano (the real thing, not the so-called “parmesan” from a green can!). The traditional sliced mozzarella is a little too chewy for my taste, but the ricotta makes the whole dish super smooth and creamy. You're welcome!

Serves 6

• 3 small or 2 medium eggplants, cut into ¼-inch slices = 3 petites aubergines, ou 2 moyennes, coupées en rondelles de ½ cm
• about ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil = environ 60 ml d'huile d'olive + 1 cuillère à soupe
• 3 cloves garlic, minced = 3 gousses d'ail, émincées
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes = 800 g de purée de tomates
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar = 1 cuillère à soupe de sucre roux
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil = 2 cuillères à soupe de basilic frais ciselé
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese = 425 g de ricotta
• a pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated = une pincée de noix de muscade
• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese = 225 g de mozarella râpée
• 1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano = 100 g de parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) râpé
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano = 2 cuillères à soupe de parmesan très finement râpé
• 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs = 2 cuillères à soupe de chapelure (Panko)
• salt & pepper to taste = sel et poivre

Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray with olive oil. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Brush or spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip the slices over and repeat, so that both sides are oiled and salted. Roast until golden brown, about 40 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool while you prepare the remainder of the ingredients. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F/190°C.

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the minced garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, do not let it burn! Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Add the sugar. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the basil and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, and a pinch of black pepper and ground nutmeg.

To assemble the dish: spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish, followed by half of the roasted eggplant, another 1/3 of the tomato sauce, half of the ricotta mixture and half of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, slices 1/3 of the sauce, ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Mix panko and finely grated parmesan, sprinkle evenly on top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly. You can also put it under the broiler for a few minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Lentil Salad in Pita Pocket

In the summer, our mornings are spent at the pool for swim practice so there isn't a lot of time to plan or make lunch. I steam some green Puy lentils the night before and this pita sandwich comes together in a few minutes. I use whatever I have in the fridge or pantry: tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper (fresh or roasted), shredded carrots, marinated artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, feta, mozzarella, kalamata olives, chopped baby spinach or arugula. I love lots of colors! It's always delicious and filling!

Serves 2

• 2 whole wheat pita pockets (I use Trader Joe's Pocketful of Fiber Pita Bread), each cut in half = 2 pains pita, coupés en deux
• ¾ to 1 cup cooked lentils, at room temperature = 150 à 200 g de lentilles cuites, à température ambiante
• 1 tomato, chopped = 1 tomate, coupée en morceaux
• 1 mini cucumber, chopped = 1 mini-concombre, coupé en morceaux
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped = 1 petit poivron jaune, coupé en morceaux
• 8 mini mozzarella balls, chopped= 8 mini-balles de mozzarella, coupées en morceaux
• 1 teaspoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à café d'huile d'olive
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar = 1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre balsamique
• salt & pepper = sel & poivre

Mix the lentils, chopped veggies and mozzarella in a medium bowl, add oil, vinegar and seasonings and toss gently.

Stuff each pocket half with lentil salad and serve right away. Enjoy!

Caprese Pasta Salad

 

Simple. Fresh. Healthy. A great summer salad to share with friends and family!

I prefer using mini shaped pasta, as well as grape tomatoes and ciliegine: everything is small so you get all the delicious caprese flavors in every bite.

Serves 6-8

For the pasta:

• ½ lb mini wheels pasta = 225 g de mini-pates (style Piccolini de Barilla
• 1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved = 450 g de tomates cerise, coupées en deux
• 8 oz. ciliegine (mini-mozarella balls), halved = 225 g de ciliegine (petites boules de mozarella fraiche), coupées en deux
• 10-15 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced = 10 à 15 feuilles de basilique fraiches, ciselées

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup lemon juice = 60 ml de jus de citron
• ¼ cup olive oil = 60 ml d'huile d'olive
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste = sel et poivre fraichement moulu

Cook pasta “al dente”, drain, put in serving bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Add remaining salad ingredients.

Blend the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss gently.

Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Finger Sandwiches

These open-faced finger salmon sandwiches were my other contribution to my Cooking Club's Afternoon Tea themed meeting. The horseradish adds a nice bite to the cream cheese and you can use either chive or dill as both complement smoked salmon really well. Get the best smoked salmon you can find or afford. I love Trader Joe's Nova Smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon.

No occasion for finger sandwiches? Chop the smoked salmon and mix it into the cream cheese with all the other ingredients. Use the spread on a whole wheat bagel. Delish!

Makes 15 to 20 mini sandwiches (based on a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis)

• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature = 170 g de cream cheese ou équivalent
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or dill = 2 cuillères à soupe de ciboulette ou aneth fraiche, grossièrement hâchée
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish = 2 cuillères à café de raifort préparé
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped = 1 cuillères à soupe de câpres, hâchés
• zest of 1 lemon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice = zeste d'un citron + 1 cuillère à café du jus
• Salt & pepper, to taste = sel et poivre
• 5 or 6 slices pumpernickel bread = 5 ou 6 tranches de pain de seigle
• 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon = 225 g de saumon fumé, en fines tranches
• Additional fresh chives or dill, for garnish = quelques brins de ciboulette ou aneth pour décorer

 

In a bowl, mix cream cheese, chopped chives (or dill), horseradish, pepper, salt, capers and lemon zest and juice until smooth.

 

Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture over each slice of bread. Top with smoked salmon. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 3 or 4 circles out of each slice of bread. Place a small dollop of the cream cheese mixture on top and garnish with chive or dill. Enjoy!

Crème pâtissière / Pastry Cream

A few weeks ago, I posted a profiterole recipe. At the time, I was pressed for time and decided to fill the puffs with ice cream. It was delicious. Today, for our Cooking Club's Afternoon Tea, I filled them with the smoothest, most decadent pastry cream I have ever made. It definitely rivals any choux à la crème or éclair you would find in a French patisserie (pastry shop).

Makes enough to fill 15 medium cream puffs

• 2 cups half-and-half or whole milk = 475 ml de lait entier
• ½ cup sugar = 100 g de sucre
• pinch salt = pincée de sel 
• 5 large egg yolks = 5 jaunes d'oeuf
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch = 3 cuillères à soupe de maizena
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces = 50 g de beurre, coupé en 4 morceaux
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract = 1 ½ cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille

Heat the half-and-half (or milk), 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, use a hand mixer to whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and whisk until the mixture is creamy, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cornstarch until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 2 minutes.

When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer (do not boil!), gradually and slowly whisk it into the yolk mixture to temper. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and glossy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the butter (1 tablespoon at a time) and the vanilla.

Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate overnight  or for at least 3 hours until set.

 

It's now ready to use in any desserts that call for pastry cream: fruit tarts or tartlets, napoléons, éclairs. Enjoy!