Applesauce breakfast bread

If you're wanting a hearty, filling bread that's just a bit sweet to start your morning - this is it.

1 cup flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 cup oatmeal
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup oil
1 1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt or 1/3 cup buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt/buttermilk and applesauce and mix well.

In a second bowl, mix the flour, wheat bran, oatmeal, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder,baking soda and salt.

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just mixed (flour 'disappears').

Pour batter into non-stick loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Pumpkin pie filling from scratch!

It doesn't take long to figure out that bringing cans of Libby's over in your suitcase isn't a light-weight option. There's really no need to as we have great pumpkin and winter squash options in France. (And for those outside of France, consider using carrots. Just don't tell your guests and they'll never know!)



1 large wedge of pumpkin (or winter squash), about 1 kilo
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup cream (15% or more)

Cut peel off pumpkin then cut into 1 inch pieces. Microwave on high for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Check often to be sure it's not drying out. Sprinkle with water if needed. Drain off liquid. Puree with stick blender or food processor.

Add seasonings.



If you're making this ahead of time, pour mixture into a Ziploc bag and freeze until needed.

Beat eggs, then add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in cream. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until set. Test by sliding a knife into the center. If it comes out clean, your pie is ready.

Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream.

Vietnamese nems (with video!)

The beauty of nems, other than their deliciousness, is that they are so versatile. You can use many combinations in the filling. We made vegetarian nems using chickpeas, lentils and tofu. (I hear mung beans are good too.) But you can also use ground pork, chicken or shrimp, add in corn, peas or tarrow root, and even season them with curry. Have fun!

Ingredients:
60-80 spring roll wrappers (egg based)
1/4 bag of vermicelli (glass) noodles
4 zucchini, shredded
4-6 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cups cooked, cooled lentils
1 lg can chickpeas, drained
1 package firm tofu, crumbled
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
salt
pepper

Serve with nem sauce, mint leaves and/or green onions, and lettuce leaves for wrapping.




Dry vermicelli noodles

Soak the dried vermicelli noodles in cold water until soft, about 15 minutes. (You can break them if too large for your bowl.)



While the vermicelli soaks, you can grate the carrots and zucchini and whop the onion, placing them in a very, very large bowl, or dividing equally among several large bowls.


Soaked vermicelli

Drain the noodles.



Using kitchen scissors, cut the noodles into pieces about 4 inches long.



Using your hands, mix the noodles with the grated vegetables.



Firm organic tofu



Crumble the tofu, then mix in well. Don't be afraid to get elbow-deep!



Stir in cooked lentils, drained chickpeas, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, mixing well. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. When seasoning is good, add one egg (serves as a binder) and mix well. Fun, right? :)



These spring roll wrapper are MUCH easier to use than the rice based papers that have to be soaked individually. Plus, I think these have a much better taste and texture.



A lovely video of our expert showing us how to roll them. Once rolled, stack them on a plate. (Don't worry - they don't stick like the rice paper ones.)



Fry in batches, being careful not to crowd them in the pan. We fried ours on medium-high and it took about 10 minutes per batch. If you use meat, you need to be very careful to fry them long enough to cook through.

Place cooked nems on a plate lined with paper towels and serve hot.

If you want to freeze them, allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Use wax paper to separate them and place in a freezer bag. To reheat, place frozen nems on a baking sheet and place in the oven as it preheats to 350°. Once oven is hot, cook 5-10 minutes until crispy.

Chickpea falafel with cucumber yogurt sauce

I need to come clean up front and say that I'd never had falafel before making these, so had no idea what I was aiming to copy. I've since had falafel at an amazing Lebanese restaurant and would say that mine were close, but the shape was flatter, the consistency was smoother and more moist (less hush-puppy-ish), and the taste was more flavorful than those at the restaurant. Both were very good, but I think I'll stick with this version!

Falafel
1 large can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1/2 tsp dried garlic)
2-4 Tbsp tahini (opt)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup flour

Purée all ingredients with stick blender/blender/food processor. Shape into balls and flatten slightly with palms.

Pour just enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan. Heat to med-high and cook falafel 'patties', flipping once browned. This method is much healthier than the traditional deep fried version, but the taste is still wonderful because of the garlic, lemon juice and tahini.

Serve falafel hot with:
bunch of parsley, rinsed and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
lemon slices
bunch of mint leaves
lettuce leaves
pita bread or Turkish bread

Taziki sauce
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped finely
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Mother-in-law's Mounds cake

This cake is definitely one of our favorites. The recipe comes from my mother-in-law and usually make it for our birthdays.

Mix and refrigerate (covered) overnight:
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups sour cream (crème fraîche épaisse)
12 oz flaked coconut

Bake a 2-layer devil's food cake. Cool completely. Frost with coconut mixture. Cover and refrigerate 3-4 days before serving.

Anna's minestrone

1 lg can white beans, drained
3-4 strips uncooked bacon
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 carrots, diced
crushed garlic
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon
1 potato, cubed
1 zucchini, diced
1 lg can whole tomatoes
salt
pepper
Parmesan

Cook bacon in a large frying pan. Set bacon aside once crispy. Keep the drippings in the pan. Add 1 Tbsp oil and heat to medium. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic cooking until just browned, about five minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it starts browning.

Add 4-5 cups water, chicken bouillon, potatoes, zucchini and canned tomatoes. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Purée half the white beans using a stick blender. Stir the purée and whole beans into the soup. Simmer five minutes. Taste and season as needed. (More salt, papper, bouillon or tomato paste?)

Serve with Parmesan.

Lemon yogurt cake with cranberries

This cake recipe, 'gateau au yaourt', is often taught to French children who are just learning to cook. It's very much like a sour cream pound cake, but you can play with the flavors by using different fruited yogurts.

Pour 1 pot of lemon yogurt in a mixing bowl. Now use the yogurt cup as your measuring tool.

2 yogurt cups flour
1 1/2 yogurt cups sugar
1/2 yogurt cup oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp alomond extract
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup dried cranberries, soaked in hot water then drained

In a large bowl mix together yogurt, sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs and stir in lemon juice and almond extract. In a small bowl mix flour and baking powder. Stir it into the yogurt mixture. Fold in zest and cranberries.

Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Butternut soup with roasted peppers

3-4 cups butternut squash, cooked and cubed
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 onion, sliced
3/4 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp curry (opt)
1 tsp olive oil

Roast peppers. (See here.)

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, stirring often until soft and the edges begin to brown a bit.

Using a stick blender, purée the butternut squash, yellow peper, half of the red pepper, onions and 1 cup warm water. Pour back into the skillet. Stir in the curry and bouillon. Add more water if needed to reach desired thickness. (I like mine pretty thick!)

Cut remaining red pepper into thin strips and top each bowl with them.

Black bean chili

The delicious secret in this chili is in the larger chunks of tomato and creamy black beans

1 large can whole tomatoes, roughly mashed
2 cups black beans, soaked and cooked
1/2 cup ground beef (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp red wine vinegar
salt

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, paprika and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until flavors are well blended. Salt to taste.

Serve with grated Gouda or Chedddar cheese and tortilla chips.

Applesauce spice bread

From here...


...to here.

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup raisins (soaked first in very hot water)!

In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, sugar, oil, and eggs. beat well.

In a second bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Stir until just mixed (flour 'disappears') then stir in raisins.

Pour batter into non-stick loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cinnamon rounds

Seriously good. These aren't 'cinnamon rolls' but a sweet breakfast treat with just the right amount of richness and goodness without overdoing it.

Dough
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp melted butter
3 1/3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp oil

To make dough, follow the steps from the dough tutorial through the first rise here.



Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2-3 tsp cinnamon



2 delicious options for icing
- sauce caramel
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1/4 hot, strong coffee to make a coffee-flavored glazee



After the first rise, roll dough into a long rectangle about 1 cm thick.

Place the raisins in a mug and cover with water. Microwave on high one minute, then drain. Combine sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Spread over dough.

Roll the dough into a long cylinder (think paper towel tube, not t.p. roll). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough at one inch intervals. Place rolls side-by-side in a non-stick pan.

(Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, if desired.)



Let rolls rise an hour. Bake at 350 degrees in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes or until bubbly and rolls are golden - don't overbake!

Top with icing of your choice.

Dive in...before they're all gone!

Apple-raisin coffee cake

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup softened butter
1 pot yogurt (I used apple flavor)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 apples, chopped
1/2 cup raisins

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and and salt. In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and yogurt, beating until just combined.

Spread apples and raisins on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Pour batter over top. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle sugar on top. Let cool before serving.

Red pepper sloppy joes

1/2 pound ground beef
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 to one cup tomato purée
salt and pepper to taste
2 toasted buns

Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain off fat. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for five minutes. Add tomato purée and stir. Reduce heat to simmer and cook five minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over toasted buns.

Wild blueberry muffins

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
3/4 cup wild blueberries (myrtilles sauvages at Picard)
1 tsp lemon zest
pinch cinnamon

In a large bowl mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and cinnamon ingredients. I a second bowl, beat the egg then mix in the yogurt, sugar and oil. add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until the flour blends in, but not any more. (It can make the muffins tough.) Gently fold in the blueberries and lemon zest.

Pour batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven at 350° until golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.

Black bean tacos

2 cups black beans, cooked
1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1/2 cup cooked corn, drained
tortilla chips
lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
fresh cliantro
lime slices
grated Mimolette or Cheddar
crême fraîche or sour cream
1 packet taco seasoning or:

3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine black beans, ground beef (optiona), and taco seasoning. Mix well and heat through.

Serve hot over tortilla chips. Top as you want. Olé!

Zucchini pomodoro

1 box tomato purée / pomodoro (about 2 cups)
2 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1/2 cup carrot purée (optional)
4-6 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp sugar
5-10 basil leaves, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
1 tsp olive oil
Optional: 1/2 lb ground beef, browned and drained

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add zuchinni and cook 5 minutes or until soft and bright green around the edges. You may need to add a little water to keep it from sticking.

Add tomato purée, carrot purée, sugar, thyme and rosemary. (If using beef, add now) Simmer on low at least 15 minutes.

Serve over hot pasta with basil on top.

Britt's zucchini bread

The original recipe came from Jonathan's sister when we got married. I've adapted it a bit since then, but the basic genius is hers.

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the zucchini until evenly mixed.

In a second bowl, mix the sugar and oil well. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed. Spoon the batter (it will be thick) into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Slooow roasted pork belly

This one really couldn't be easier. It turns a fat-filled piece of pork belly into a melt-in-your-mouth treat topped with crispy pork cracklings. It got two thumbs up from the husband.

2-3 lbs pork belly, skin on
3-4 onions
salt
crushed garlic
rosemary
thyme

Peel onions and slice them in half. Place them flast side down in a roasting dish. Add crushed garlic on top of the onions.

Rinse the pork belly well, then pat the skin dry wihth paper towels. This will ensure the crispiest cracklings. Place the meat over the onions, skin side up. Score the skin like a tic-tac-toe board so that there are 1 inch squares all over the top. Sprinkle heavily with salt and herbs..



Roast at 275° for three hours. The fat will dissolve, running down into the onions which caramelizes them while keeping the meat moist. The skin will crisp and puff up. For extra crispy cracklings, you can broil it for a few minutes at the very end.

Garden of Eden bran muffins

This recipe revamps boring old bran muffins, giving them a lightness (buttermilk batter) and natural sweetness (figs and apple).

1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups wheat bran
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk*
1 tsp vanilla
1 apple, chopped
6-8 dried figs, cut into small pieces (size of raisins)

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.

In a second bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing well.

Pour wet into dry and mix until just blended. Stir in fruit. Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with paper baking cups, filling 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container. These muffins freeze well for a breakfast or snack on the run.

To make buttermilk: 1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice. Microwave on low for 15-30 seconds.

Mafé with spinach

I agree it sounds like something you'd eat on a dare: peanut butter, spinach and hot pepper. But it's actually really good. Really good.

1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small can tomato paste
2-3 cups peanut butter*
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
2-3 tsp Scotch bonnet hot sauce (to taste)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oil

* If possible, use all-natural peanut butter without added sugar. Otherwose, you can certainly use 'regular' store-bought peanut butter. If you use crunchy, skip the additional peanuts.

First, cook the carrots. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Set aside. Do not pour off the water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent and soft, stirring frequently. Lower heat to medium. Mix in tomato paste, then stir in 2 cups peanut butter. Add seasonings and carrots with the water, and spinach. Add more water if needed to make a soup consistency. Simmer on low, uncovered, 10 minutes. Taste and adjust if needed.

If too peanut buttery, add more tomato paste - and v.v.
If not enough flavor, add more ginger and hot sauce, maybe a little salt..

Serve over hot, white rice.