This recipe is an experiement that turned out very well . I started out from the Barres ÉnerJo recipe from Ricardo. First, I switched some of the cereals and seeds for stuff I had lying around. I was also finishing up a soy milk recipe, so I removed some of the cereals and a bit of the liquid and used the okara instead. This recipe is easy to adapt to what you have on hand, but try to find the cardamon : it adds an heavenly smell to the bars.

 

Ingredients (Yield : about 20 bars)

40 oatmeal squares cereals
2 cups of quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup of wheat germ
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon of cardamon pods, ground
4 teaspoons of flax seeds, ground
2 teaspoons of chia seeds, ground
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds, ground
A pinch of salt

1 egg
1 1/2 cup of soy milk or cow’s milk
1 cup of fresh okara
2 tablespoons of canola oil

1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

• Put the oatmeal squares in a large bowl and smash them a few times with a potato masher to break them in small pieces.
• Add the oatmeal, wheat germ, baking powder, spices, grounds seeds and salt in the bowl and mix well.
• In another bowl, mix together the egg, milk, okara and oil. Pour it in the big bowl with the dry ingredients and stir well.
• Add the chocolate and the raisins and mix again.
• Pour the batter in a pan, spreading it evenly. I used two pans, one 8″ X 8″ and one 8″ X 4″.
• Cook at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes. When the mix has cooled enough, cut in bars. This recipe freeze well if the bars don’t disappear within 3 days…

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I found this recipe when I was looking to use some leftover ricotta. It tastes more like French toast, but I’ll call it a pancake for lack of a better word. The light, fluffy texture is closer to that of an omelet, but cranberry omelet sounds too weird …

I ate one of them as a late breakfast, but for a weekday morning half a pancake it with some fruits was more than enough. It does keep for about a week in the fridge though so you don’t need to eat everything right away.

 

Ingredients (Yield : 3 big pancakes)

1/3 cup of flour
1 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup of frozen cranberries, chopped

Preparation

• In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Stir in the eggs,ricotta and chopped cranberries.
• Pour 1/2 cup of batter in a hot pan and cook, turning the pancake when the top starts to bubble and the bottom is brown. It will brown pretty fast but don’t worry, it won’t taste burnt.

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I’ve tried to make popcorn at home the traditional way, in a pot on the stove. It tasted fine, but it required too much cleaning and preparation for a fast snack compared to a prepacked popcorn bag.

Unfortunately, the bags sold at the grocery store are pretty expensive if you take into account that they only contain a few popcorn kernels, not to mention the salt and/or the artificial flavours they add for the taste. Also, it produces a lot of waste : you have to to throw away the greasy bag, the plastic wrapper and the box. That’s a lot for three or four bags of popcorn!

The best option I’ve found is to make my own popcorn bags. The only things needed are a brown paper bag (I use lunch-style bags) and 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels. Put the kernels at the bottom of the bag and fold it a few times. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes in the microwave like you would for a store-brought bag, stopping when the pops are more than a few seconds appart. You don’t need to add grease or oil : it works fine without anything. The only time I ever used oil, it was all absorbed by the bag, with none left for the popcorn.

When it’s done, you can add your seasonings of choice. I usually just eat it plain, or with some nutritional yeast. Any other good ideas? I’ve got a lot of pop-corn grains left…

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Creton, a pork spread, is a breakfast staple in the province of Quebec. There are many versions going around but this one has pretty simple ingredients and preparation and the taste is great with just the right amount of spices. It’s based on the creton recipe in L’Encyclopedie de la Cuisine by Jehane Benoit, a classic French Canadian cooking book.

Cretons are usually eaten on toasts (sometime with a dash of mustard) or on crackers. This makes a pretty big batch for one person but it can be frozen and it will be as good when thawed.

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) of ground pork
2 slices of white bread
1 cup of milk
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

• Remove the crust from the bread and tear in small cubes. Put in a pan with the milk and stir together.
• Add the pork,the spices, the salt and the pepper to the pan and mix. Cook over low heat for about an hour, stiring from time to time.
• Once the cretons are well cooked, you can eat them as is or put them in the blender and chop a few seconds for a smoother texture. They can be stored in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a long time.

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