What are we eating ? | Cook without breaking the bank

Just before the weekend, all readers who cook ask themselves this eternal question: what are we going to eat? In order to inspire you, The Press suggests some suggestions for seasonal recipes that will make your mouth water.

Quickly done well: rutabaga soup, pears and white beans

The rutabaga, commonly called turnip, is really highlighted in this soup: the sweetness of the pears softens the bitterness of the vegetable. White beans add creaminess as well as protein. It’s one of our favorite dinners, served with crackers and cheese.

Servings: 10

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 drizzle of olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 large rutabaga, peeled, cubed (about 7 cups)
• 3 ripe pears, diced
• 1 can white beans (540 ml), rinsed and drained
• 2 x 900ml cans of vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt pepper

Preparation

• 1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add all the rest of the ingredients, then bring to a boil.
• 2. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the rutabaga is tender. Season well.
• 3. Remove the bay leaves, then blend the soup in a blender until smooth and consistent.

Posted in The Press+ on March 15, 2018.

Snack: tomato and cucumber salad

There are as many variations of this “salad” as there are people who prepare it. And it’s far from rocket science. The recipe is almost optional! It is sometimes served with a walnut sauce, which Georgians particularly like and add everywhere. We opted for a lighter version.

For 6 people in a meal formula to share

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 nice medium tomatoes (red, yellow, striped…), quartered
• 3 or 4 small Lebanese cucumbers, sliced
• 2 green onions, chopped or 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp. tablespoons quality extra-virgin sunflower oil + a few drops of toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• About 1/3 cup of coarsely chopped fresh herbs: purple basil, cilantro, dill and mint, or a few leaves of sorrel or very spicy arugula

Preparation

• 1. Place the tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a salad bowl or on a serving platter.
• 2. Combine vinegar, oils, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Add the herbs and toss.

Published on lapresse.ca on June 12, 2018.

Call me boss! : roast blade with shallots and merlot

For 4 people

I’m a fan of Jean-François Plante’s decadent bistro recipes, which you can’t eat seven days a week if you don’t want to inevitably gain weight. But to receive is the foot. This recipe which is part of his best of “, he does it with bibs. One day, a little ill taken, I made it with a blade roast, more economical. And it works very well, but this roast is only an excuse for the candied shallots. Put it in mass, otherwise you will regret it.

Ingredients

• 1 good sized blade roast
• French shallots (a good twenty)
• 7 or 8 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup demi-glace sauce
• 1 bottle of merlot
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Steak spices (if you have those from Joe Beef or Schwartz’s, even better)
• Salt, pepper, butter, olive oil

Preparation

• 1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
• 2. Peel the shallots and the garlic cloves and leave them whole. Rub blade roast liberally with steak spice on both sides.
• 3. On the stove, in a casserole that will go in the oven, melt the butter in the oil. Sweat the shallots and garlic. To book.
• 4. Sear the blade roast on both sides in the same casserole dish for 3 minutes. To book.
• 5. Return the shallots and garlic to the pan, and deglaze with the wine. Let reduce for 5 minutes. Add the demi-glace sauce, thyme, rosemary and blade roast. The meat should be just covered with the liquid.
• 6. Cover and bake for three hours, or until the liquid has turned into a sauce.
• 7. Serve with Parmesan mashed potatoes (to enjoy the sauce!).

Published on lapresse.ca on September 28, 2019.

Guilty pleasure: maple and amaretto chômeur pudding

With this dessert, you can replace a more expensive ingredient (maple syrup) with a more economical ingredient (brown sugar syrup). “When I think of an emblematic dessert from Quebec, the chômeur pudding is definitely one of the first that comes to mind. It’s hard to find a more comforting and friendly dessert,” says Patrice Demers. The pastry chef replaces the brown sugar here with maple syrup, both for its unique flavor and its local side. He makes another delicious twist on the original recipe by adding a splash of alcohol. With or without amaretto (in this case, we replace the amaretto with more maple syrup), this dessert is definitely a little pick-me-up!

Ingredients

• 340 g (1 cup) maple syrup
• 360 g (1 1/2 cups) 35% cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 125 g (1/2 cup) Avril maple amaretto, from Distillerie Mariana (or honey amaretto from Anicet, from Iberville Spirits)
• 112 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100g (1/2 cup) sugar
• The zest of an orange
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 300 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 250 g (1 cup) milk at room temperature or slightly lukewarm

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil and cook over high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes to caramelize it slightly. Slowly pour in the cream and bring back to a broth. Remove from the heat, then stir in the salt and amaretto. Divide the maple sauce among 10 ramekins.
• 2. Using an electric mixer or a mixer fitted with a flat beater, mix the butter, sugar, orange zest and cardamom for 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix for another 2 minutes.
• 3. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix, adding the milk, just enough to obtain a homogeneous paste.
• 4. Using 2 spoons, divide the batter into the ramekins (at least 200 ml size) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped, barely sweetened cream.

Good to know: Even if the puddings are best the same day, it is still possible to prepare them two days in advance and store them in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Simply reheat them for 5 minutes at 350°F (180°C) before serving.

Published on lapresse.ca on May 2, 2020.

Health ! : amazing green juice

With the help of a good blender, it’s easy to make yourself a green smoothie at home in the morning that’s packed with vitamins and minerals and fuels you for the day. We asked nutritionist Caroline Allen to suggest a recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 fresh pineapple, diced
• 1 cup baby spinach, washed
• 2 tbsp. tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 green apple, chopped
• 1 C. fresh ginger, chopped
• A few mint leaves
• 1 cup coconut water

Preparation

• 1. Put everything in the blender and pulverize until you get a very smooth texture.
• 2. Add a little coconut water if needed.

Posted in The Press + on March 1, 2014.