Using pumpkin purée in place of much of the oil makes this deeply spiced loaf deliciously lower in fat.
1 1/2 cups (350 mL) whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) nutmeg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) allspice
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup
1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
1 cup (250 mL) pumpkin pur'ee
1 Tbsp (15 mL) loose leaf black tea, finely ground
1/2 cup (125 mL) walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cherries
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
In large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
In separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and mix in maple syrup, oil, pumpkin, and black tea.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until all the flour is moist. Fold in walnuts and cherries.
Pour into greased 9 x 5 x 3 in (2 L) loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a tester inserted into centre of loaf comes out clean. Let cool before unmoulding.
Serves 8.
Each serving contains: 276 calories; 5 g protein; 13 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 38 g carbohydrates; 4 g fibre; 86 mg sodium
source: "A Touch of Maple", alive #340, February 2011
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.