What are we eating ? | Recipes to warm up

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.

Small hollow: polpettines

Fashion is meatballs. You should know that, in Italy, they preceded, and by several centuries, the consumption of pasta. Here is a variation straight out of the De Marchi family kitchen.

Ingredients

• 500g minced veal
• 1 egg yolk
• 200 g very fresh ricotta
• 1/2 potato, peeled, cooked and mashed
• 1 clove garlic crushed and minced
• About 1 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary and sage
• Salt and pepper
• A little breadcrumbs

Preparation

• Put the meat in a bowl and add the ingredients one by one, mixing well with your fingers. If you use the food processor, you will get a meat puree without texture, so it is recommended to avoid it.
• Shape into small balls and sauté in olive oil until cooked through.
• Add the tomato sauce to the meatballs and cook for a few minutes before serving as is, without pasta.

Published on lapresse.ca on July 3, 2010.

Quickly done well done: pea, white bean and mint soup

At home, this soup is always a success, with adults and children alike. Peas and mint, it’s a winning combination. With white beans, this recipe becomes an excellent meal, in addition to being super quick to prepare for busy evenings.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups frozen green peas
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 can white beans (540 ml), rinsed and drained
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• Olive oil, for cooking and for serving
• Slices of lemon or lime, for serving (optional)
• Chopped green onion, for serving (optional)
• Salt pepper

Preparation

• 1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the oil. Add all the ingredients except the herbs. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Let simmer for fifteen minutes. Add the herbs and season well.
• 2. In blender, purée soup until smooth. Serve with a wedge of lime or lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and chopped green onion.

Source: recipe by Sophie Ducharme.

Posted in The Press+ on February 2, 2017.

Call me boss! : root vegetable and gremolata stew

This dish can be made with cubes of beef, pork or veal. And if the budget is tight or if you don’t like large portions of meat, it is not necessary to have a large amount of meat as in traditional stews. We focus more on root vegetables, which are very fragrant, and therefore the taste will be very enhanced by the gremolata. Finally, the leftovers of this recipe are really excellent on pasta, which makes one more meal.

For 4 people

Ingredients

• 500 g meat cubes (beef, pork or veal)
• Half a bottle of red wine
• 950ml vegetable stock
• Sage
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 chopped onion
• A little butter or oil
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 2 parsnips, sliced
• 1 turnip cut into large dice
• About ten baby potatoes, cut in half

Ingredients for the gremolata

• Zest of a lemon
• Rosemary (or another herb you like)
• 2 cloves garlic

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• 2. In a large casserole dish, which will then go into the oven, drop seven or eight sage leaves into a little melted butter.
• 3. Then sweat the garlic and onion.
• 4. Add the meat cubes and color their surface.
• 5. Add all the cut vegetables. Stir in the wine and broth (there should be enough to cover the meat and vegetables), and a full tablespoon of tomato paste.
• 6. Bring to a boil.
• 7. Cover and put the casserole in the oven.
• 8. Braise gently for 3 hours, without stirring. The dish is ready when the liquid has the consistency of a light sauce.

Preparing the gremolata

• 9. Chop together the zest of one lemon, the rosemary and two or three cloves of garlic, which will make the gremolata.
• 10. Just before serving, sprinkle the gremolata over the stew (as much as you like, according to your taste).

Published on lapresse.ca on May 30, 2020.

Guilty pleasure: soft chocolate-hazelnut

Even diabetics can enjoy this creamy chocolate dessert, because it contains very few carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates per serving: 13 g

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 12 mins

Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 60 ml (1/4 cup) hazelnuts, crushed
• 170 g (6 oz) 85% cocoa dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) hazelnut liqueur (optional)
• 3 eggs, tempered
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

Preparation

• 1. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
• 2. Generously butter six ramekins with a capacity of approximately 125 ml (1/2 cup) and sprinkle with hazelnuts, pressing them well into the butter. To book.
• 3. In a bain-marie, melt the chocolate and the butter. Add hazelnut liqueur if desired. To book.
• 4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture whitens, doubles in volume and forms a ribbon when falling from the whisk, about 6 minutes. On low speed, stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute.
• 5. Divide the mixture into the ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes depending on the power of your oven. Immediately invert each ramekin onto a plate and unmold. The center of the cake should be runny.
• 6. Cake mix will keep in the fridge for two to three days. However, the cooking time for a mixture straight from the refrigerator will be around 15 minutes instead of 12 minutes.

Note

This is an irresistible dessert, whether you are diabetic or not. These cupcakes require very little flour and sugar, two sources of carbohydrates. Also, by choosing a quality chocolate with a high cocoa content, you limit the sugar. Hard to believe, but a portion contains less carbohydrates than a slice of bread… Finally, hazelnuts provide added value thanks to their fiber and protein. Who said delicacies weren’t allowed?

Published on lapresse.ca on June 11, 2009.

Health ! : hot chocolate with juniper berries and scotch

For the hot chocolate to be less rich, it is possible to cut the 35% cream and readjust the quantity of milk. But it is imperative to use good quality chocolate pellets, rather than cocoa powder, which will give all the creaminess and thickness to the drink. Valrhona brand chocolate was used in this recipe. When ready to serve, Catherine sprinkled meringues with crushed cocoa nibs on the hot chocolate, to imitate the traditional marshmallow. She suggests dipping a fir branch into the cup, decor permitting.

For 2 people

Ingredients

• 125ml milk
• 125 ml 35% cream
• 150 g chocolate pastilles (70% cocoa and more)
• 6 juniper berries, crushed in a mortar
• 2 ounces of scotch
• Meringue nibs with cocoa nibs, optional

Preparation

• Heat the milk and cream until boiling.
• Add the spices.
• Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Pour the infusion over the chocolate drops.
• Put back on the fire.
• Whisk gently to melt the chocolate, until completely smooth.
• Add alcohol.
• Pour into two mugs and garnish with meringue chips and a fir branch.

Source: recipe by Catherine Lépine-Lafrance.

Published on lapresse.ca on February 18, 2012.