Low in sugar and packed with fibre and good fats, these bites are great for a quick on-the-go snack that will keep you satisfied until your next meal! Drink plenty of water—oats and flaxseed can get sticky!
Make these snack balls nut free by substituting sun butter (from sunflower seeds) for almond butter and unsweetened coconut milk for almond milk.
Per serving (2 bites):
In food processor, pulse and chop sprouted oats to the consistency of quick oats—about 1/8th original size (about 5 to 10 seconds).
Add ground flaxseed, vanilla, dates, cinnamon, almond butter, almond milk, and coconut oil and blend to sticky consistency. If mixture sticks to edges, scrape down with rubber spatula between blending.
Add cranberries and shredded coconut and lightly pulse until blended into oat mixture.
Scoop 1 Tbsp (15 mL) mixture in your hand, squeeze, and form into 1 in (2.5 cm) balls. If mixture is too soft to handle, place in fridge for 30 minutes before creating balls. Place formed balls in parchment paper-lined container.
Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or, alternatively, store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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.