Food
Blueberry cheesecake lemon bars
This decadent dessert combines the tang of blueberry and lemon with the creamy texture of cheesecake. It’s sure to be a showstopper.
Start to finish: 2.5 hours (30 minutes active)
Servings: 24 bars
Ingredients
Crust
• 1-1/3 cups flour
• 2/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
Lemon layer
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Cheesecake layer
• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Crumble
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and set aside.
2. To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them by hand until you’ve achieved a crumbly texture. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and press it along the bottom using a spatula to make an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
3. To make the lemon layer, combine the eggs and sugar in another bowl. Add the flour and mix well. Add the lemon juice and zest and incorporate it well. Pour the lemon mixture over the crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes.
4. To make the cheesecake layer, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a third bowl until well combined. Add the egg and beat again. Add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice and stir to incorporate. Fold in the blueberries and set aside.
5. To make the crumble, combine all the ingredients in a fourth bowl and mix them until the crumble has the texture of wet sand.
6. Pour the cheesecake layer over the lemon layer and spread it out carefully with a spatula. Sprinkle the crumble over the cheesecake layer, making sure to cover it completely.
7. Bake for 60 minutes or until the cheesecake is firm. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
Food
Maple matcha tea latté
It’s Maple Syrup Season!
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
Servings
4
Ingredients
• 4 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder
• 2 tablespoons maple sugar
Directions
1. Pour milk into a saucepan. Warm over low heat until simmering.
2. Put matcha green tea and maple sugar into a teapot and mix together well.
3. Pour in half of the heated milk and stir into a creamy latté.
4. Froth the other half of the milk with a whisk.
5. Serve in attractive cups, garnished with foam.
This tea can also be served cold.
Source: Pure Maple from Canada / puremaplefromcanada.com
Food
Maple zucchini ricotta roll-ups
It’s Maple Syrup Season!
Prep time
15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
• 2 zucchinis (about 2 inches thick), green or yellow
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or less)
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
• Ground pepper, to taste
• Espelette pepper
Directions
1. Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to slice the zucchini lengthwise into ribbons about 1/16 inch thick.
2. Place the zucchini ribbons onto a clean cloth and allow them to dry.
3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, maple syrup, parsley, chives, and salt and pepper. Adjust the seasonings as you see fit.
4. Spread a thin layer of the ricotta mixture onto each zucchini strip. Roll them up and place them vertically onto your serving plate. Sprinkle with Espelette pepper and garnish with sprigs of parsley or chives.
Created by Stéphanie Côté, nutritionist
Source: Pure Maple from Canada / puremaplefromcanada.com
Food
Maple mania: How to turn your home into a sugar shack
It’s Maple Syrup Season!
As the ground slowly begins to thaw in the weeks leading up to spring, the starches stored in maple trees during winter turn into sap. In Quebec, Vermont and other maple producing regions, this period of warming signals the start of the sugaring-off season.
Far more than your average agricultural event, the making of maple syrup is a cause for celebration. This is especially true in Quebec, where families and couples head out into the wilderness to visit producers, sample syrups, and enjoy a hearty brunch doused with plenty of the sweet stuff.
Fortunately, the tradition of sugaring-off is starting to spread across North America, and you can now enjoy the flavors of the season in your own home.
To recreate the cabane à sucre experience, you’ll need the following:
• Copious amounts of maple syrup. (It’s impossible to have too much.)
• A variety of brunch foods including scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and ham.
• One or more traditional salty dishes. Think savory meat pies, baked beans, cretons, and pickles. Salt will help cut the sweetness of the syrup.
• Beverages of your choice. Coffee and juice are traditional, but mimosas are more fun.
• Hungry friends, family members, and neighbors.
• Lively music and a roaring fire, if possible.
Ask guests to arrive in their comfiest jeans and lumberjack shirts.
After everyone has eaten more than their fair share of the maple-infused food, it’s time for dessert. Indeed, no sugaring-off experience is complete without sampling a bit of maple taffy. Simply fill a bowl or baking dish with fresh snow and drizzle thin ribbons of hot maple syrup on top. The syrup should be heated to about 240 F. Let the syrup cool for a few seconds, then twirl it onto wooden popsicle sticks.
Bon appétit!
Food
Maple “shepherd’s pie” dessert
It’s Maple Syrup Season!
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
Servings
4
Ingredients
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups plain bran cereal (such as All-Bran)
• 2 mangoes, cubed
• 2 cups Mediterranean style plain yogurt
• Maple sugar (for decoration)
Directions
1. In a saucepan, pour maple syrup and add cocoa. Mix well and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat and add cereal.
3. In 4 glass dishes (dessert bowls, mini Mason jars, or other), preferably wider than higher, assemble “shepherd’s pie” in successive layers: cereal mixture for meat, mango cubes for corn, and yogurt for mashed potato.
4. Sprinkle with maple sugar and serve.
Source: Pure Maple from Canada / puremaplefromcanada.com
Food
Heart-healthy roasted butternut squash with red onion and tahini sauce
This heart-healthy, vegetarian-friendly recipe, adapted from Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, features roasted butternut squash, which is naturally rich in potassium to help regulate blood pressure.
Butternut squash is also high in insoluble fiber, which helps control blood sugar and promote fullness. Tahini-based sauce, made from sesame seeds, is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil is used to roast the squash and contains omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol. The result is a sweet, flavorful, warm side dish, perfect for a simple, healthy, filling meal. Za’atar spice is available in the international section of many grocery stores or Middle Eastern specialty grocery stores.
Ingredients
1 large butternut squash, peeled and sliced (discard seeds and pulp)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 tablespoons light tahini paste
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon za’atar spice
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toss squash and onion in a bowl with olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and some black pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are fully cooked. The onions may cook quicker and need to be removed earlier than the squash. Remove the sheet from the oven and let cool.
For the sauce, whisk the the tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until you have a liquid the consistency of honey. Add more water or tahini as necessary.
To serve, spread the vegetables on a serving platter and drizzle with the tahini sauce, followed by the za’atar and parsley.
Food
Maple-nut caramel corn
It’s Maple Syrup Season!
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
Rest time
30 minutes
Servings
4
Ingredients
• Canola oil
• 2 cups popped corn
• 1 cup your choice of mixed nuts
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
1. Brush a cookie sheet with canola oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix together popcorn and nuts.
3. In an 8-cup bowl, combine the maple syrup and butter. Use a little butter to baste the inside rim of the bowl and prevent the caramel from overflowing while cooking. Microwave 8 minutes.
4. While stirring vigorously, add baking soda, then pour the caramel over the popcorn and nuts. Mix to coat well.
5. Immediately, spread the mixture on a cookie sheet, then leave it to harden for 30 minutes. Break the caramel corn into small pieces and munch away.
Source: Pure Maple from Canada / puremaplefromcanada.com
