Birchermüesli, My Pregnancy Superfood

Birchermüesli is a combination of fresh fruit, oatmeal, yoghurt and nuts. It was created around 1900 by a Swiss physician who promoted eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains (instead of bread and meat) for maintaining health and encouraging healing.

Now that I’m eating for two – yes! 🙂 – Birchermüesli has become my pregnancy superfood. It’s full of the vitamins and minerals recommended for pregnant women. In addition, the combination provides protein and fiber, and is easy to digest. I’ve also noticed that I feel more like cooling fresh foods than I normally would, especially for this time of year, and Birchermüesli perfectly satisfies the craving. (Usually I reserve Birchermüesli for the summer when fresh fruit is plentiful, the days are hot and I don’t feel like cooking – I’ll eat it for dinner.)

The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. It’s easy to adapt it to what’s in season and to personal taste. Lately I’ve been using fresh mango and blueberries and strawberries that I froze last summer. Another nice winter version would be with raisins and/or other chopped dried fruit, ground or chopped nuts and banana (add just before serving). In fall, chopped pear and dried cranberries. In the summer, the options abound with fresh berries, melon, peaches, nectarines, apricots, …

Pregnant or not, Birchermüesli is one of those things I feel good about eating. I’d actually consider it one of my comfort foods.

Recipe: Birchermüesli (Swiss Raw Oatmeal Yoghurt “Porridge”)

The ingredients listed below are the basic combination. Seasonality and creativity can dictate the details. I have to admit that I don’t measure the ingredients, so they are approximate – adjust proportion of oatmeal vs. yoghurt to suit personal preference. I often make it in the evening to eat the next morning. This method allows the oatmeal to soften. If you have issues with leaving cut fruit sit overnight, then add just before serving. Serves 2-4.

2 cups oatmeal (old-fashioned, not quick cook)
2 1/2 cups yoghurt
1 apple, finely grated
1/2 orange, juiced (could also be lemon, grapefruit or a combination)
1/2 cup ground nuts or hemp hearts
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
3 cups fresh fruit, chopped if necessary (frozen berries work well too)
1/2 cup raisins, chopped nuts (toasting the nuts adds nice flavour) or dried fruit (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least one hour (or overnight) before serving.

These ingredients made it into my most recent version of Birchermüesli, but this recipe is so easy to adapt to personal taste: switch up the fruit, add ground or chopped nuts, raisins or other chopped dried fruit. My dad likes to enhance it with a bit whipped cream! Note the special grater for the apple. It’s a special “Bircher” grater and reduces the flesh to a pulp (most likely to make it even easier to digest).

(Wannabe) Cape Breton Oat Cakes with Date Filling

The Harvest Loaf Bakery used to make Cape Breton oat cakes and a date-filled version. They were one of my favourite treats. About a year ago, they disappeared from the shelves. A couple of weekends ago, I finally asked if the bakery still made them and was disappointed to discover that it doesn’t anymore. Unfortunately the baker with the recipe left and it was unable to reproduce it faithfully.

For a while now, I’ve wanted to try to make them in my own kitchen. It was this recently tweeted recipe that finally encouraged me to make them. The blog post talks about how the recipe was demonstrated at the South Arm Community Centre in Richmond, B.C.. This was my neighbourhood community centre when I was growing up; I went to playschool and brownies there. What a coincidence!

After comparing  several oat cake recipes, I made three different batches in the last couple of weeks – brown sugar vs. white sugar, variations on the date filling, more butter vs. less butter, hand mixed vs. food processor – and had them taste-tested by several people. The only thing I didn’t try is to make them with shortening; I’m just not a fan.

Below is my favourite version. It has less butter than any of the recipes to which I referred. The dough may seem a bit crumbly, but it rolls out fine. The lemon in the filling brightens it and makes it a touch less sweet.

Recipe: (Wannabe) Cape Breton Oat Cakes with Date Filling

I admit, I’ve never been to Cape Breton. No clue if this recipe is authentic, hence the “wannabe” status!

Filling:
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped dates
1 cup water
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp lemon juice

Dough:
2 cups flour (I used spelt flour)
2 cups oatmeal (I used old-fashioned rolled oats)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp each ground ginger, cinnamon and cardamon
1 cup butter
1/3 cup cold water

Prepare date filling. Place dates and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until dates are soft and water is reduced by half. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Mix in lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking soda and spices. Cut in the butter. Rub mixture between fingers until it resembles a coarse meal. Add enough water to moisten and gather dough into a ball.

[Blending in the butter is much easier with a food processor. I processed together all dough ingredients except for the oatmeal and water to prevent the oatmeal from being ground too fine. Once the flour and butter resembled a coarse meal, I mixed in the oatmeal with a couple of pulses, then added the water. Finally, I brought the dough together with a quick knead on the counter.]

Work with a third of the dough at a time. Roll out thinly (approx. 1/8″) into a long, skinny rectangle. Spoon date filling onto the middle of one half of the rectangle. Wet edges with a bit of water. Fold other half over and gently but firmly seal the edges. Cut into squares/bars and place on baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Älplermagronen: “Swiss Mac ‘n Cheese”

I imagine this dish was created on a faraway Swiss alp by a farmer’s wife who just put together a meal with what she had on hand: potatoes, pasta, onions, cheese, milk or cream, and apples.  Älplermagronen is a hearty dish. It hits the spot after a hike in the mountains and is satisfying on a cold winter evening.

Cheesemaking hut on a Swiss alp. Where the stinky cheese comes from!

Recipe: Älplermagronen (Swiss Mac ‘n Cheese)

Älplermagronen are served with applesauce (go for homemade!), a nice contrast in both flavour and texture. This recipe generously feeds 4 people!

2 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 – 1″ cubes
1 lb penne pasta
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
4 tbsp butter or oil
1 cup grated cheese (Gruyère, Appenzeller, Raclette, … something aged and a bit stinky)
1/2 cup milk or cream or combination of both
salt and pepper to taste
applesauce

Heat oven to 375° F. Set a large pot of salted water (approx. 5 liters) to boil.

Heat butter/oil over medium-low heat in a frying pan. Add onions and fry them until golden brown.

When water is boiling and while onions are frying, add penne and potatoes to the salted water. Stir to make sure pasta doesn’t stick together. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain penne and potatoes.

Combine milk/cream with salt and pepper.

In an ovenproof casserole dish, place 1/3 of the penne-potatoes, sprinkle with 1/2 of the grated cheese. Make another layer with 1/3 of the penne-potatoes, sprinkle with the other 1/2 of the grated cheese. Top with the remaining 1/3 of the penne-potatoes. Pour the seasoned milk/cream evenly over the top. Spread the browned onions on top.

Bake covered for 10-15 minutes until steaming hot and cheese is melted. Serve with warmed applesauce.

Älplermagronen can easily be prepared a day ahead and heated for 30-45 minutes in 375° F oven (cover to prevent onions from burning) to serve.

Quick and Easy Almond Cake

I make this almond cake when I’ve volunteered to make dessert, but end up with little time (and/or energy) to make one. By no means though, do I consider it a lesser dessert. It’s just quick and easy to make, has great flavour and texture, and I’m likely to have all the ingredients on hand. It’s also, interestingly, always popular with the men.

Although perfectly satisfying on its own, it would also go well with fresh (sliced) seasonal fruit or a fruit compote.

Recipe: Quick and Easy Almond Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup flour (I use 2/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup ground blanched almonds + 1/2 tsp baking powder + pinch of salt)
1 tsp almond extract
approx. 1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds

The easy instructions are:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch pan with a removable bottom (not a quiche pan, but a spring-form pan).

Using a wooden spoon, mix all ingredients (except for sliced/slivered almonds) together in a bowl. Spread batter in baking pan. Sprinkle with sliced/slivered almonds. Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until golden.

Or go with the more traditional cake-making method:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch pan with a removable bottom (not a quiche pan, but a spring-form pan).

Beat butter with electric mixer. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in egg (no need to beat lightly in advance if using this method). Add flour (flour mixture) and mix until combined.

Spread batter in baking pan. Sprinkle with sliced/slivered almonds. Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until golden.

Tell no-one it was that easy! 🙂

Cooking in Jars

There’s been no shortage of buzz about Martin Picard lately. But that’s not why David decided to attempt Au pied de cochon’s Canard en conserve (Duck in a Can).

After eating at the restaurant, I bought David the cookbook as a gift. We were both pretty excited to see that it included a recipe for Canard en conserve, which I actually ate at the restaurant. This ingenious meal made of duck magret, foie gras, cabbage and a balsamic glaze comes in a can. The server opens the can at the table, then inverts the contents onto a bed of toasted brioche and celeriac puree on the plate. The duck was cooked a perfect pink. It’s a pile of goodness, certainly not short of flavourful fat. Pretty impressive!

So is it possible to successfully make Canard en conserve at home? Absolutely! David’s Duck in a Jar (instead of a can) was a delicious success. I even dare say that I preferred his version, because I found his cabbage better (a touch less cooked).

Ready to go: buttery cabbage sauteed with onions, carrots and bacon; balsamic glaze (reduced balsamic vinegar with onions and butter); roasted garlic; seared foie gras, duck magret. Recipe from the Au pied de cochon cookbook by Martin Picard

It’s not even that complicated to make, there are just several elements to prepare – the balsamic glaze, the cabbage sauteed with onions, carrots and bacon, roasted garlic and the foie gras – before being able to fill the jars. Plus the celeriac puree for serving. Once the lids on the jars are screwed on tight, the cooking is easy: 27 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Canard en conserve is cooked in a boiling water bath for exactly 27 minutes.

To serve, Canard en conserve is inverted onto a bed of celeriac puree and toasted brioche.

The result is perfectly cooked and tender duck accompanied by a great combination of texture and flavour. We were pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out and would definitely make it again. It also makes us wonder what else we could cook in a jar…!