What are we eating ? | Almost like at the sugar shack

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 this week some suggestions for sugar shack-inspired recipes that will make your mouth water.

Quickly Done Well Done: Albina Baked Beans

The menu at Érablière Charbonneau, in Mont-Saint-Grégoire, is authentic, like this dish of baked beans prepared by great-grandmother Albina. “People liked her recipe so much that she did just that, baked beans. They even called it La Bine,” she says. The preparation is not a slimming dish, and that would be precisely, according to its fans, what makes it so good!

Ingredients

• 475 g white beans
• 15 ml of Heinz-type ketchup
• 7.5 g dry mustard
• 3 g of pepper
• 3 g of salt
• 1.5 g of garlic salt
• 3 g of onion salt
• 100 g onions, cut into pieces
• 50 g brown sugar
• 50ml molasses
• 25 ml of maple syrup
• 70 g streaky bacon, cut into small cubes

Preparation

1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight. The next day, sort out those that have remained hard or are of a different color from the others.

2. Rinse.

3. Mix all the ingredients in an aluminum pan and bake for 4 hours at 400°C.

Make Ahead: Modern Cretons

Nutritionist Geneviève O’Gleman offers vegetarian or even vegan cretons, depending on the type of breadcrumbs used. A simple recipe to cook that she says is even better when made in advance.

Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 125 g (4 oz) white mushrooms
• 5 ml (1 tsp) olive oil
• 1 box of 540 ml lentils
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) water
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) plain breadcrumbs (see note)
• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) dried herbs (Italian mix)
• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) soy sauce
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic powder
• Pepper and salt

Preparation

1. Cut the onion into quarters. Place in the container of the food processor.

2. Add mushrooms and finely chop.

3. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.

4. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the lentils. Place them in the container of the food processor and pulse to coarsely crush them, without reducing them to a puree.

5. Add the crushed lentils, water, breadcrumbs, herbs, soy sauce and garlic powder to the pan. Pepper generously and add a pinch of salt.

6. Reduce to medium-low heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

7. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

8. Serve as a spread on crackers, fresh bread or toast. Add mustard, if desired.

Keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Note: for a vegan version, be sure to use homemade breadcrumbs made from dry bread, commercial dairy-free breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.

To be made without a machine: Rustic white bread

This recipe is a great classic in the Cooking book of the New York Times. This is THE recipe to start making bread at home, without a machine!

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour plus extra for dusting
• 1 5/8 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• Fine cornmeal, rice flour or wheat bran

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt with your fingers. Add the room temperature water and mix again, briefly, until a sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature (about 20°C) for 12 to 18 hours.

2. The dough is ready when you see bubbles on the surface. Flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Sprinkle with a little more flour. Fold the dough over itself two or three times. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

3. Sprinkle the work surface again with just enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Working quickly but gently, shape into a ball. Cover a cotton cloth with rice flour, cornmeal or bran. Place the dough on it with the folded sides down. Sprinkle more flour, semolina or bran. Cover with another cotton cloth and let sit for two hours. The dough is ready when its volume has doubled.

4. At least half an hour before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450°F or even 500°F. Heat a casserole (cast iron, Pyrex or enamelled sheet) 6 to 8 L, with lid. When the dough is ready, remove the pan from the oven. Remove the cloth from the top of the dough. Slide your hand under the other cloth and turn the bread over in the pan, folded sides up. Shake the pan a little if the batter is not well distributed. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the bread is golden brown. Let cool on rack.

Call me boss! : Pudding chômeur with maple and amaretto

“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.