What are we eating ? | Recipes for brunch with mom

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.

Snack: veggie cretons

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 four. Place in the container of the food processor.
2. Add the mushrooms and chop finely.
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 occasionally. 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, store-bought dairy-free breadcrumbs, or panko breadcrumbs.

Source: recipe by Geneviève O’Gleman, taken from Enjoy.

Published on lapresse.ca on December 29, 2019.

Quickly Done Well Done: Festive Scrambled Tofu

This scrambled tofu with vegetables and rosemary will confuse the skeptics! It can be served both at brunch, with potatoes, and at dinner, accompanied by rice or couscous.

Ingredients

• 1 drizzle of olive oil
• The white of 2 large leeks, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 bag 171 g spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 package 454 g firm tofu, broken into pieces
• 2 tbsp. tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 1/4 cup of red wine
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 15 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
• Sambal oelek, to taste
• Salt pepper
• Crumbled feta, to serve (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large skillet, sauté the leek in the olive oil for a few minutes.
2. Season well, then add the rest of the vegetables and the tofu.
3. Cook for ten minutes over medium heat, then add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Mix well, then serve with feta cheese, if desired.

Source: recipe by Sophie Ducharme.

Posted in The Press+ on December 20, 2018.

Call me boss! : brains of canuts

Rest assured: there is no brains in this dish. At the beginning of the XX^e century, we called “canuts” the silk workers in the region of Lyon who, not having the means to afford a dish of lamb’s brains, opted instead in the Lyonnais corks for a mixture of beaten white cheese with fine herbs and served with country bread, an inexpensive and nutritious dish. Jean-Benoît Courcoul, from La Coupole restaurant in Montreal, prepares his own with curd fresh cheese from Suisse Normande.

For 4 people

Ingredients

• 100 g fresh curd cheese from Suisse Normande
• 20g sour cream
• 2 tbsp. 1 tbsp virgin sunflower, grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 C. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 gray shallot, chopped or finely chopped
• 1 knife point of minced garlic
• 1/8 bunch of parsley, curly or flat
• 1/8 bunch of tarragon
• 1/8 bunch of chives
• 1 pinch of salt
• White or black pepper, to taste
• 4 slices of country bread

Preparation

1. Wash the herbs, dry them, strip them and chop them. In a bowl, mix the cheese, sour cream, oil and vinegar and beat everything to make the mixture homogeneous. Then add the herbs, minced garlic and chopped shallot.
2. Toast the slices of country bread, spread with “cervelle”. Enjoy at brunch, with a soup for lunch or in the park, for a picnic, with a nice green salad.

Published on lapresse.ca on May 16, 2017.

Guilty pleasure: bread pudding, double chocolate

This bread pudding is the perfect way to recycle leftover bread and pastries from the last brunch: a great way to save money and avoid waste. Catherine Martin created this double-chocolate version, in the dough as well as the icing.

Makes 8 muffins

Ingredients for the device

• 6 cups bread cubes of any kind (household bread, crusty bread, pastries, etc.)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup golden brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped milk chocolate
• big sugar

Ingredients for the icing

• 1/2 cup 35% cream
• 1 cup dark or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped, your choice

Preparation

1. Soak the bread cubes in the milk and cream for about twenty minutes.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bain-marie (or in the microwave, as desired). Remove from the heat, then add the beaten eggs and brown sugar, and mix well.
3. Pour the chocolate mixture over the soaked bread, then spread it all, slightly crushing the bread cubes, in muffin molds (8, approximately) or a single square mold (20 cm x 20 cm).
4. Sprinkle with sugar before baking for 25 to 30 minutes at 190°C (375°F), until the muffins are golden brown.

The puddings can be eaten as is, but will be even better topped with chocolate ganache prepared by mixing 125 ml of boiling 35% cream with 1 cup of chocolate cut into small pieces.

Published on lapresse.ca on April 18, 2017.

Health ! : pink melon

To hydrate without getting drunk, “mocktails” can come to our rescue.

Ingredients

• 2 slices of watermelon
• 2 basil leaves
• 120 ml white cranberry juice
• Garnish: watermelon slices, basil

Preparation

1. Shape the watermelon and basil into the bottom of the shaker.
2. Add white cranberry juice.
3. Shake vigorously with ice.
4. Pour into a glass, then garnish with watermelon slices and basil.

Posted in The Press+ on January 26, 2017.