What are we eating ? | Recipes with flavors from elsewhere

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.

Indulgence: Moroccan batbout bread

Preparation: 50 minutes

Yield: 10 batbout loaves

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. active dry yeast or instant dry yeast
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 cup extra-fine wheat semolina flour
• 3 cups white flour, separated
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 C. olive oil

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, put the yeast, sugar, water and milk. Mix everything with a whisk or a fork. Add the semolina flour and continue mixing. Stir in 1 cup white flour and stir until combined and smooth.
2. Leave to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place, away from drafts. The preparation should be frothy.
3. Add the remaining white flour, salt and oil, then knead by hand for 5 to 10 minutes, until you obtain a soft and slightly sticky dough. Let stand 10 minutes.
4. On a floured work surface, form 10 balls of equal size. At this point, you can wrap the balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
5. On the work surface, sprinkle a little fine semolina, then, using a rolling pin or the palm of your hand, flatten each ball to a thickness of about 0.5 cm.
6. Place the discs of dough on a clean cloth, cover them with another cloth and let rise for 10 minutes.
7. Heat a cast iron skillet over the heat (or medium heat for a propane barbecue) and cook the batbout bread by carefully placing it in the pan, dry.
8. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface, then flip using a spatula or tongs to cook the other side. Return regularly; the patty will inflate and fill with air. Repeat to cook the other patties.

Published on lapresse.ca on May 22, 2021.

Quickly done well done: shish-taouk chicken from Les Filles Fattoush

It is very satisfying to finally manage to make a good shish-taouk sandwich at home. Of course, you have to prepare your spice mix (well explained here) and take the time to marinate your chicken. The little efforts are rewarded: it’s tasty and tender as you wish. We’re also delighted to be able to add the famous garlic sauce (based on egg whites) to the mix, which we like as much in the sandwich as on small potatoes. All you have to do is practice rolling your pitas properly!

Yield: 6 to 8 skewers

Ingredients for shish-taouk spices

• 1 C. ground coriander
• 1 C. white pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. Aleppo pepper
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder

Ingredients for chicken shish taouk

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) plain yogurt
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. tablespoons shish-taouk spices
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 large chicken breasts (800 g), cut into large 2.5 cm (1 in.) cubes

Ingredients for the garlic sauce

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable oil
• 2 egg whites
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

Preparation of shish-taouk spices

1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from heat.

Preparation of shish taouk chicken

1. In a bowl, combine the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, shish-taouk spices and salt. Add the chicken cubes, mix, cover and refrigerate. Let the chicken marinate for 5 or 6 hours or overnight, then thread the chicken cubes onto flat metal skewers.
2. Heat the barbecue. Oil the grill.
3. Grill the skewers for 5 or 6 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through and well grilled.
4. Serve with the garlic sauce.

Preparation of the garlic sauce

• 1. Using a blender, grind the garlic with a little vegetable oil until a creamy texture is obtained. Reserve in a bowl.
• 2. In another bowl, using a mixer, mix the egg whites, gradually incorporating the rest of the vegetable oil, until a frothy texture is obtained. Add the lemon juice, salt and white vinegar, then the garlic cream, mixing continuously until you obtain a creamy and homogeneous texture. Refrigerate.

Source: recipe from the book Fattoush Girls.

Published on lapresse.ca on November 20, 2021.

Call me boss! : roasted halibut and sea buckthorn chermoula

We are here in the high acrobatics. These are not complicated recipes, but some have many ingredients and steps. Here is a culinary project for home cooks who love challenges!

For 4 people

Ingredients for the chermoula

• 1 C. kosher salt
• 1 C. paprika
• 1 C. smoked paprika
• 1 C. ground black cumin
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 C. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 C. tablespoon candied lemon cut into a brunoise
• 1 C. tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup tomato coulis (thickest passata)
• 1 1/2 cups sea buckthorn juice

Preparing the chermoula

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Put aside.

Halibut Ingredients

• 4 fillets, 180 g each, of fresh halibut, skin on
• 20 ml vegetable oil (canola)
• Salt

Halibut preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Over medium heat, heat the oil in two nonstick skillets.
3. Sprinkle the halibut with salt and place it skin side down in the pan (2 fillets per pan).
4. After a few minutes, when the skin begins to brown, transfer the pans to the oven for about 9 minutes (or until the fish is firm to the touch).
5. Remove from the oven, place the fish, skin side down, on a plate lined with paper towel.
6. Let fish rest for 5 minutes before transferring to serving plates, skin side up.
7. Coat the fish with the chermoula and serve immediately.

Source: recipe by chef David Pellizzari

Published on lapresse.ca on August 8, 2020.

Guilty Pleasure: Homemade Chocolate Spread

This recipe from sports nutritionist Evelyne Deblock, made with dates, is without added sugar, with more fiber and protein, and contains only 3.8 g of sugar per 19 g serving, or about one tablespoon , compared to 11 g of sugar for Nutella.

Ingredients

• 2 cups pitted dried dates
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup natural, creamy almond butter
• 2 tbsp. Vega Sport Chocolate Plant Protein Powder. Or chocolate Whey Protein Isolate powder (to add protein to the product, optional)
• Water

Preparation

1. Place the dates in a saucepan and add a little water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the water is more or less absorbed.
2. Transfer the dates to the container of the food processor and add the cocoa, almond butter and proteins.
3. Blend until smooth and homogeneous. Add a little hot water as needed to achieve the desired texture.
4. Pour the mixture into four 250 ml Mason jars.

Can be stored for two to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Published on lapresse.ca on November 9, 2017.

Health ! : “between Kebek and Istanbul”

Claudia Doyon did not take a drop of alcohol in January. She took advantage of this downtime to taste non-alcoholic spirits and fell in love with Alphonse produced by the Appalaches distillery. “Its rose scents remind me of Turkish sweets,” she says. She offers a trip to Istanbul by bringing together the exotic flavors of saffron and chilli in her alcohol-free cocktail, recalling that all these ingredients are also produced in Quebec.

Ingredients

• 2.5 oz from Alphonse, Appalachian Distillery
• 1.5 oz honey and saffron syrup
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 egg white or a few drops of emulsifier
• 2 dashes of Bitter Flowers
• 1 pinch of fleur de sel
• Hot pepper powder to garnish

Preparation

1. Prepare the syrup by bringing a quarter cup of honey and half a cup of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add a few strands of saffron. Leave to infuse for a few hours, then remove the filaments using a sieve.
2. Once the syrup has cooled, combine all the ingredients, except the chilli powder, in the shaker.
3. Shake without ice until foam forms.
4. Add ice to the shaker and shake again for a few seconds.
5. Strain into a cup and add a dash of chilli powder to decorate.

Published on lapresse.ca on January 31, 2022.