healthy nut snack

Another great recipe from Beatrice Peltre {la tartine gourmande}. Not received her new cookbook yet. Nor for my birthday. Nor for Valentine's day. I still have some hopes. It's almost mother's day.

sesame almond brown rice balls

When I first read Heidi Swanson's post, I knew these rice balls would soon become a favorite of my daughters' lunch boxes. I was right. 

riz-au-lait {golden rice custard}

Believe it or not, it's actually the first time I succeed in the making of riz au lait. I'm not kidding. In the past, I tried several recipes, but the final result was either undercooked or burned. The cooking process was also very painful: infinite minutes stuck to the stove, milk all over the place, burned pans good for the trash... The following recipe is simply miraculous!

wheat berry salad + roasted beets, kale, toasted walnuts & Meyer lemon dressing

It is about time to post a healthy salad after all the desserts i've posted lately!

hazelnut + carrot cupcakes

 

The last time I talked about Beatrice Peltre (author of the bog La Tartine Gourmande), it was on January 23th. Back then, I mentioned the fact that it was almost my birthday, hoping somebody would understand and offer me her new cookbook. Obviously my hint was not clear enough, because I did not receive it! So I'm giving it another try. After all, today it's Valentine's day, isn't it?

tiny butternut squash + some leftovers...

I love leftovers. They allow you to make delicious (and pretty!) dishes in a very small amount of time. They  also allow you to be creative. For this "recipe" for example, I used leftovers of cooked rice and wilted kale. I added some Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and tiny pieces of baked butternut squash + some salt&pepper. But of course you can use whatever leftovers you have and use whatever spices or herbs you like. Before stuffing the butternut squash, take off the seeds, brush the inside with some extra virgin olive oil, salt&pepper, and bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about 30-35' or until the inside is soft. Then put it in the oven again with the stuffing for another 10 minutes or so. Done!

falafel (from sprouted chickpeas)

I was intrigued by this recipe using "sprouted" chickpeas. I gave it a try and it turned out very successful. Do not be intimidated by the length of the recipe. You'll need to wait 4 days before eating your falafel, but you'll spend only a few minutes in your kitchen working on it.

orzo+broccoli pesto salad

I couldn't resist. I had to try a recipe from the book right away. And post it here with a picture of the dish (even though I don't have a new camera yet; the picture was taken by my iPhone). And since I'm in a hurry (going to Tahoe tomorrow), I copied and pasted the recipe from another blog I love http://sproutedkitchen.com that posted the same recipe a few days ago. It was delicious! Even my two daughters, who don't like broccoli, loved it. However, for them I didn't put broccoli florets and avocado on top.

3-seed bread

Thankfully I still have some nice pictures and recipes to share. Like this one. It's only a variation of the Tassajara Bread I've already written about here. But it is worth to mention again. The recipe is 100% trustful. 

Fried Rice

Quick lunch with rice leftovers. 

1. Put 1/2 tbs (or less) cooking oil in a pan

2. Scramble 1 egg

3. Add the rice (+/- 10 oz; 300 gr)  to the pan and stir fry, breaking up the egg

4. Add 2 ts soy sauce+1 ts sake

Done!

Green Pea Risotto

I love risottos. So does my family. The following recipe is very basic; nothing really fancy about it, but that's the way I like it. It's in french, but there is a similar one in English here. For the Italians, no need for a recipe... Right?

Whole Wheat Pancakes

As delicious and fluffy as the "regular" ones... (really!). Also healthier. And easier to make for those of you who live in Europe (no need for buttermilk).

Spring Minestrone (with Brown Rice)

The recipe of this spring minestrone (with brown rice) comes from the book Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways To Incorporate Whole and Natural Ingredients into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. I do not have that book - yet!-, but you can find the recipe here. It's really delicious. Shallots, garlic, brown rice, snow peas, green peas, asparagus* float happily together in a homemade vegetable stock.... Even though the winter minestrone was very good, I'm so glad to have its spring version now.

* I've substituted part of the asparagus with a small Italian zucchini to make sure that my kids will eat it (and it worked)

Hummous

Cooking from scratch has become not only a pleasure, but also a real need for me. It is so simple, satisfying, and rewarding that I'm wondering why I did not do it more often in the past...

Oat Bran & Berries Squares

The good thing about this blog is that it motivates me to cook more, to try new recipes, and to empty my food pantry. For example here, I was happy to use a bigger amount of oat bran than I usually do (like a few pinches in yogurts or soups). The result is surprisingly good. At least for my taste. I'm not sure that Alberto would like these bites as much as I do. Too healthy for him, I guess.

Asparagus-Potatoes Quinoa Bowl

I discovered the existence of the quinoa during my honeymoon in Peru, 12 years ago (oh my!)... I don't cook quinoa that often because my kids still don't like it, despite all my hard work to make them like it. So from time to time, I eat it for lunch when they are at school. Today I've done this recipe from the blog 101cookbook. It's not really a recipe. It's more about an interesting ingredients' combination. I've skipped the toasted nuts, used the red quinoa (instead of the regular one), and tossed everything together in the pan at the end with a splash of lemon. Good for the body... Good for the mind... 

Rice Balls Bento Box

With yesterday leftovers...

Chicken-Tofu Rice

Three years ago my little daughter gave me a cookbook for my birthday: "Japanese Meals on the Go. Bento Boxes.", by Naomi Kijima. I did only one recipe so far, but I did it several times. The girls love it. And so do we. 

Butternut Squash/Kale Risotto Griddle Cakes

Everyday Greens Cookbook, p. 179. Mix the roasted butternut squash/kale risotto leftovers (2cups) + egg yolks (2) + flour (3tbs) + thyme (1ts) + grated fontina cheese (1/2cup) + grated parmesan cheese (2tbs). Beat the egg whites (2) with a pinch of salt until soft peaks are formed. Then gently fold the whites into the mixture and taste for salt and pepper. Heat a well-oiled skillet or griddle over medium heat, and spoon the batter on (1/4cup per cake). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the cakes are golden and puffed. Make about 12 cakes.

Roasted Butternut Squash/Kale Risotto

I know. I put butternut squash everywhere. But I love them. And the season is almost over. This risotto with roasted butternut squash and kale is really delicious. The recipe comes once again from the Everyday Greens Cookbook (p. 253 + p. 110 for the vegetable stock). I didn't find the recipe on the web and I do not have the courage to write it down. If you are interested, just let me know. I will do it for you.