What are we eating ? | Recipes for going on a picnic

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: verrines of raw vegetables

For the starter: a bouquet of vegetables full of colors and flavors.

Makes 8 verrines

Ingredients

• 1 can 19 oz (540 ml) white beans, rinsed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• The juice of half a lemon
• 1/3 cup (or a small handful) washed fresh parsley
• 1 C. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pepper to taste
• Your favorite raw vegetables, cut lengthwise for easy dipping.

Material

• A food processor or blender
• A citrus press
• A maryse (a flexible spatula that allows you to scrape the sides of the bowls)
• small transparent glasses
• Measuring cups and spoons

Preparation

1. Using a citrus press, extract the juice from the lemon. Then place all the ingredients in the blender and purée them smooth.
2. For the assembly, put 2 to 3 good spoonfuls of purée at the bottom of each glass and place your vegetables there. So ! Your first dish is done.
3. Phew! As with all legumes, beans can cause – um… – flatulence (aka farting)! Take care to rinse your beans well to make them easier to digest.

Published on lapresse.ca on February 27, 2017.

Quickly done well done: couscous and snow pea salad with zaatar

Whether you think meat grilled on the barbecue or a picnic in the park, the main course rarely comes alone. Pause presents all summer long a recipe for a salad, dip or other original side dish to enhance your meals. This week, Arik de Vienne’s couscous and snow pea salad with zaatar, taken from Saladpublished by Modus Vivendi.

For four persons

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 180 g (1 cup) Israeli couscous
• 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) water
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 dried figs, halved
• 1 can 540ml chickpeas, rinsed and drained (yields 375g)
• 140 g (2 cups) snow peas
• 12 radishes, sliced
• 70 g (1/2 cup) Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 35 g (1/4 cup) slivered or coarsely chopped almonds
• 60 g (1 cup) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 10 g (1/2 cup) fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 pinch of zaatar (optional)

Ingredients for the zaatar vinaigrette

• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 French shallot, chopped
• 2 tbsp. zaatar
• Salt

Preparation

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and grill the couscous for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly. Add water, salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and separate the grains with a fork. Place the figs on the couscous, cover and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
• In a salad bowl, combine the couscous, figs, chickpeas, mange-tout, radishes, olives, almonds, parsley and coriander.
• Add the dressing and mix. Sprinkle with zaatar, if desired.

Source : Salad – more than 80 colorful recipesAnne Fortin, Modus Vivendi Editions, 2016.

Posted in The Press+ on August 17, 2017.

Call me boss! : vegetarian BLT sandwich

This veggie BLT sandwich will confuse skeptics with its truly impressive faux coconut bacon. In addition, the addition of basil leaves brings an interesting touch of freshness.

I like to use beefsteak tomatoes when offered, because as my daughter says, they taste like the garden even in winter.

For 1 sandwich

Ingredients for coconut bacon

• 2 cups sliced ​​coconut
• 2 tbsp. tamari sauce
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 C. liquid smoke

Ingredients for the sandwich

• 2 slices of bread of your choice, toasted
• A few slices of tomatoes
• 1 slice of Swiss cheese
• A few basil leaves
• Lettuce
• coconut bacon
• Mayonnaise, to taste
• Salt pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the coconut bacon. Spread on the baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes (the coconut should be dark and crispy). To book.
2. Top bread slices with sandwich ingredients. Close and enjoy.

Note

Liquid smoke and sliced ​​coconut can be found in health food stores and some supermarkets.

Source: recipe by Sophie Ducharme.

Posted in The Press+ March 30, 2017.

Guilty pleasure: milk kefir (coconut, cow or goat)

Kefir can be eaten in several ways. For the photo, David and Sébastien had served it as a parfait, with a Nordic berry compote at the bottom, then a homemade granola on top.

Ingredients

• 180 g (1 cup) active milk kefir grains or 1 packet of milk kefir powder
• 2 cans (400 ml/14 oz each) coconut milk
• 200 ml (7/8 cup) of water or 1 L (1 cup) of coconut milk in carton (the best option for this recipe) or whole cow’s or goat’s milk (the worst option for this recipe )
• 25 g (1/3 cup) cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp. agar-agar (optional)
• 100 ml (3/8 cup) boiling water (optional)

Preparation

1. Clean with soap and sanitize the jars by pouring boiling water over them.
2. Place the kefir grains in a jar and pour in the milk of your choice, then the sugar. Gently swirl the jar to mix.
3. Cover with a fabric that allows air to pass (but not insects) and secure it around the mouth with an elastic band or string. Leave to ferment at room temperature (ideally 24°C/75°F), away from direct light, for 12 to 16 hours.
4. Taste kefir, which should be slightly sour and more or less bubbly. If necessary, let ferment a few more hours.
5. Strain the kefir through a sieve or cheesecloth (cheesecloth) and store the grains in the fridge, in cow’s milk – enough to submerge them – until next use.
6. For a thicker kefir, dissolve the agar-agar in boiling water. Add this still hot mixture to the filtered fermented kefir, mix well and leave to stand for 1 hour in the refrigerator. When the kefir has solidified, pass it through a blender until you obtain a smooth preparation.

Source: recipe slightly adapted from the book Fermentation revolution.

Published on lapresse.ca on March 17, 2017.

Health ! : bourbon lemonade

Ingredients

• 2oz whiskey
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 3/4 oz maple syrup
• One egg white (optional)
• Ice

Preparation

1. Put the egg white in a shaker and shake vigorously.
2. Add ice, whiskey, lemon juice and maple syrup, then shake again. Pour into a glass with ice.

Decoration idea

Mint leaves or seasonal fruits.

Source: recipe suggested by Marc André Fillion, of Mixxit Canada.

Published on lapresse.ca on June 30, 2016.