Vegetable Carbonara

Vegetable Carbonara is a vegetarian alternative to the famous Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, which is made with pancetta, eggs, and parmesan cheese. It is a very refreshing pasta, which can be made with asparagus instead of zucchini. This also gives you the chance to cook fennel, a highly aromatic herb.

Ingredients

2 garlic bulbs

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (white part only)

3 zucchinis, cut in julienne

500g spaghetti

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Fresh Basil

Salt and Pepper

Reserved cooking water.

Directions

1. Start by roasting garlic. Follow this link if you do not know how to do so. Extract garlic from membrane and reduce in puree. In a small bowl, mix eggs with garlic puree. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, caramelize onions and fennel. Add zucchini and salt. Continue to cook until tender, about 3 more minutes.

3. In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve some cooking water.

4. In a large serving bowl, mix pasta and vegetables. Add parmesan cheese, egg mixture, chopped basil and lots of black pepper. Mix well. If pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved water. 

(Original recipe can be found in Pasta Et Cetera  by Josee DiStasio, p. 110)

Power Bars

These power bars are an alternative to store-bought granola bars. They are packed with good and natural ingredients. They are the perfect snack since they are very filling. You can store these in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week. You can substitute peanut butter for almond butter and pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds. Add any kind of dried fruit you like; be creative!

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup skim milk powder

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

2 eggs

1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup molasses

1/3 cup all-natural peanut butter

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, milk powder, wheat germ and baking powder. Stir in raisins, apricots and pumpkin seeds.

2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, vegetable oil, molasses and peanut butter. Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture and blend well. I find it easier to blend the batter with my hands. Add more oil if mixture is too dry.

3. Spread in a greased 9-inch square pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. 

4. Let cool, then cut into 24 even squares. 

(Recipe taken from Canadian Living)

Olive Oil and Lemon Cake

I know that some of you might think that olive oil and cake does not go together. But they actually do! I have taken this recipe in Josee Distasio's book Pasta Et Cetera (p.162). For a long time I hesitated to make this cake since the original recipe asks for 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary. I have not added the rosemary in the cake mixture because I was afraid that it would take over the fresh lemon scent. So if you are adventurous enough, go ahead and add some freshly chopped rosemary into the batter. Let me know how it turns out! 

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

3/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary (optional)

For the syrup:

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, cream together eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and continue to mix on medium speed, gradually adding olive oil. Beat in flour mixture and blend well. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes in the center of the preheated oven until cake is golden.

While cake is baking, prepare syrup. In a small saucepan, dissolve sugar in lemon juice. When the cake is ready, and still warm, puncture top of cake with a fork and pour syrup over cake.  

Slice and enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Cake [Updated]

This is the first recipe I have posted on my blog. I have made a new version of it, reducing the sugar and  adding whole wheat flour and not putting any pecans (since I did not have any). I have also put more cranberries, as I like them a lot and they are really healthy. You can use frozen cranberries, it does not make a difference. 

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (for me 2 tsp were enough)

2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries

1/4 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup orange juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven or until the cake is golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

Slice and enjoy!

Click here to see the original recipe.

No-Meat Tex-Mex Pie

This is sort of a Tex-Mex version of the traditional Sheppard's Pie we eat in Quebec, except that I substitute meat with ground soy protein. The topping is made with mashed sweet potatoes. I would suggest mixing both regular and sweet potatoes, since this is quite sweet.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 package (343g) Yves Veggie Original Ground Round

1 small can of carrots and peas mix, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 

About 1 teaspoon cumin

Hot pepper flakes, to taste

Chilli powder, to taste

1 can of each, creamed corn and regular corn

3 large sweet potatoes, oven baked

Milk

Coriander, chopped

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place potatoes on oven rack and bake until tender. Remove skin and add potatoes to a large bowl. Mash potatoes, adding milk, chopped coriander, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

2. In a small bowl, mix together regular corn and creamed corn. Set aside.

3. In a large pan on medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until they start to caramelize. Then add "meat", cumin, chilli, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until warm. Add black beans, peas and carrots. Mix well and set aside.

4. In a large dish, add "meat" mixture to the bottom and spread evenly. Add corn over "meat" and spread evenly. Finally, add mashed potatoes as the final layer and spread out. Place dish in oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until bubbling.

Citrus Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients 

• 350g whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/3 cup tamari (soy-sauce)
• 1 inch knob ginger, peeled and left whole
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• Ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 5 scallions, sliced on bias
• 1 cup  defrosted shelled edamame
• 2 small red peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green beans, snow peas, or sugar snap peas
• 1 cup shredded carrots

Directions

1. In a small pot, over medium-high heat, combine stock, tamari, ginger knob, marmalade and pepper. 
2. Bring to a bubble, then reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove sauce from heat, add lemon juice.
4. Over medium-high heat, heat olive oil in a wok. Add chicken and cook, tossing frequently, until golden brown and completely cooked, about 8 minutes. 
5. Remove chicken from wok and reserve.
6. To the same wok, on medium heat, add some more olive oil. Saute garlic and scallions for about 1 minute. Add remaining vegetables to the wok and cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes.
7. Add the reserved chicken, sauce and pasta to the pan. Toss and heat through.
8. Serve!

Recipe taken from Rachel Ray

Rosemary Potato Gratin with Pesto Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients for Rosemary Potato Gratin

• 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/3  cup butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• pepper
• 3-3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated cheese

Directions

1. In a small pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Then add flour, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
2. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking constantly, until boiling and thickened, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
3. Peel, wash, and thinly slice potatoes. Layer half of the Yukon Gold potatoes in a greased 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Spread with half of the onions. Layer with sweet potatoes, remaining onions, and Yukon Gold potatoes. 
4. Pour sauce over top of potatoes. Cover dish with greased aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour. 
5. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered, until tender and brown, about 15 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients for Chicken Breasts

• Chicken breasts
• Pesto
• Goat cheese
• 1 egg white
• Bread crumbs
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. On a plastic cutting board, use a very sharp knife and open up chicken breasts like a book.
3. In a small bowl, mix the same amount of goat cheese and pesto. Add some olive oil if mixture is too dry.
4. With chicken breasts opened up like a book, spread some of the cheese-pesto mix in the center of the chicken. Close the breasts over the filling and press the edges together to seal.
5. In a medium bowl, beat egg white. Place breadcrumbs in another bowl. Dip chicken breasts in the egg, then dredge in the breadcrumbs.
6. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes.
7. Place chicken, brown-side up, on a baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink, about 15-20 minutes. 

For original recipe, click here 

Creamy Rice Pudding

Ingredients 

• 3/4 uncooked Arborio (Italian) rice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups of milk, divided
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water and rice. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed.
2. Once rice is cooked, add 1 1/2 cups of milk, sugar, and salt. Cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes, stirring frequently so rice does not stick and burn.
3. To saucepan, add remaining 1/2 cup of milk, beaten egg, and vanilla. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy.
4. Serve immediately!

Creamy Spinach and Butternut Squash Gnocchi

In the same week I have tried two recipes using butternut squash. They both turned out to be quite good. I haven't ever really cooked squashed before since I was always intimidated by its shape and size. Well, peeling a butternut squash is not all that easy, but it is not all that hard either.  Make sure you have a sharp knife since the skin is can be thick. And for the gnocchi, once they float to the surface, remove them from the water (using a huge spoon with holes in it) right away or else they will over cook and have a gooey texture.

Ingredients 

• 2 pounds of butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 and 3/4 cups 15% cream
• A little bit more than 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• About 6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bag (about 280g) spinach, washed and stemmed
• 1 package (500g) whole wheat or regular gnocchi

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, turning the squash halfway through.
2. When the squash has been cooking for 15 minutes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
3. Meanwhile, on medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan. Add garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Then stir in white wine and cook for about 1 minute. Add cream, nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper, and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.    
4. When the pot of water boils, add spinach in batches and blanch for no more than 30 seconds (20 seconds was enough for me). Then, with a pair of tongs, remove spinach from water and drain.
5. In the same pot of boiling water, cook gnocchi according to directions on package. 
6. Combine cream sauce, squash and spinach to gnocchi. Gently mix to coat gnocchi with sauce.
7. Serve with a little bit of parmesan cheese if you wish (it is heavy enough with the cream, I personally don't add cheese).

I have taken this recipe from Rachel Ray's website

Molasses Cookies

Molasses cookies are very comforting, especially during cold winter nights. Enjoy these cookies with a glass of milk or some nice hot tea.

Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger (depending if you like ginger a lot)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the margarine, sugar, egg and molasses.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add this to the molasses mixture and mix well.
3. Refrigerate dough for about 1 hour, so it becomes easier to work with.
4. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place oven rack to the highest part of the oven; this will prevent the cookies from burning.
5. Roll dough into small balls and place on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8 minutes, until the tops of the cookies have cracked. Do not over bake or else the cookies will be hard as rock once cooled. 

Recipe taken from Allrecipes