Spiced Pumpkin Bread

 

The quintessential autumn bread. I like to keep it simple but feel free to add a cup of chopped walnuts or chocolate chips.

This recipe makes two loaves: keep one for yourself, give one to a friend or neighbor and make their day!

You can also bake the batter in muffin tins: bake regular-sized muffins at 350° for 24-25 minutes or mini muffins at 375° for 11-12 minutes.

Makes two loaves (based on a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine)

• 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar = 300 g de cassonade
• 1 cup granulated sugar = 200 de sucre
• ½ cup vegetable oil = 120 ml d'huile végétale
• ½ cup applesauce = 120 ml ou 120 g de compote de pomme 
• 3 large eggs = 3 oeufs
• 1 16-ounce can pumpkin (or homemade) = 450 g de purée de citrouille
• 3 cups all-purpose flour = 375 g de farine
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon = 2 cuillères à café de cannelle en poudre
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves = ½ cuillère à café de clous de girofles en poudre ou fraichement moulu
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg = ½ cuillère à café de noix de muscade en poudre ou fraichement moulu
• 1 teaspoon baking soda = 1 cuillère à café de bicarbonate de soude
• ½ teaspoon salt = ½ cuillère à café de sel
• ½ teaspoon baking powder = ½ cuillère à café de levure chimique

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugars, oil and applesauce in a large bowl. Add eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, spices, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture and blend well. Mix in walnuts or chocolate chips if using.

 

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake for about 1 hour and to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer and cool completely. Enjoy!

Thai Chicken with Fresh Basil

We often order take-out from a nearby Thai restaurant, but this dish is so easy and quick to make, you won't need to reach for the phone. The original recipe is from this great little book: Quick and Easy Thai; however, I have tweaked it quite a bit to our taste (less onion, more sauce, ground chili paste instead of fresh chilies...). If you can find some, use Asian basil, if not, Italian basil will work just as well. I usually serve this dish with steamed jasmine rice and sliced mango for dessert. Thai night-in!

Serves 3 to 4

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil = 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile végétale
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced = 2 ou 3 gousses d'ail, émincées
• ¼ cup chopped onion = ¼ d'un oignon, coupé en petits morceaux
• 3 or 4 medium chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces = 3 ou 4 escalopes de poulet, coupées en morceaux
• 4 tablespoons nam pla (thai fish sauce) = 60 ml de nam pla ou nuoc-mâm
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce = 30 ml de sauce soja
• 4 tablespoons water = 60 ml d'eau
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar = 2 cuillères à café de cassonade
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground chili paste (sambal oelek) = 1 à 2 cuillères à café de sambal ulek (purée de piments)
• 20 to 25 fresh basil leaves = 20 à 25 feuilles de basilic frais

Heat up the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a couple minutes. Toss the chicken pieces in, cook, stirring so the chicken browns on all sides.

Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, water and sugar and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the chili paste and basil leaves, toss well. Once basil has wilted, remove from heat and transfer to serving dish. Serve immediately, with jasmine rice on the side. Enjoy!

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!