Lori-Anne Poirier's Blog

 

 

 

While the weather outside is not awfully frightful yet, Soup Season has definitely arrived! For us soup lovers, there’s nothing like a comforting bowl of homemade soup or stew to cap off the day.

This hearty vegetarian stew is a family favourite at the Pear Tree House, and is especially delicious after a snowy, winter walk or a play in the snow.

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon flour

454 g mushrooms, quartered

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups vegetable stock

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 whipping cream

2 cups frozen peas

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Directions

Add the oil to a large pot set to medium heat. Cook onions 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown.Add flour, mushrooms, carrots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the stock and potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are fork tender.Stir in cream and peas, and cook another 5 minutes, until peas are cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Growing up, my absolutely most worstest breakfast ever was porridge. Oh, the dramatics I went through every morning trying to avoid eating that bowl of warm mush. The gagging, the pleading, the subtle trips to the bathroom with a mouth full of oatmeal to deposit in the toilet – a technique that worked pretty well at first until my younger brother and sister caught onto it and my mom knew something was definitely up!

Believe it or not, today I adore oatmeal for breakfast! I still can’t endure it with milk poured over, and I need to have lots of “stuff” in it to help with the texture. So I play around a lot with variations, usually involving some sort of fruits and nuts. A new favourite in the Pear Tree House is a recent configuration of orange marmalade and almond butter. It’s so scrumptious that I had to share the recipe with you, so that you could try it, too!

Ingredients

4 cups water2 cups oats2 tablespoons maple syrup1 teaspoon vanillaPinch of salt1/4 cup smooth almond butter1/4 cup orange marmalade1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add oats, maple syrup, vanilla and salt and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.2. As the oatmeal starts to thicken, stir in almond butter and marmalade. Dish out into bowls and top with sliced almonds.

Are you Camp Muffin Liner or Camp Parchment Paper? A muffin liner can add a dash of colour and fun and make a kid’s lunch more enticing, but parchment paper gives that deliciously artisan look that entices adult eyes.

Whatever mode of packaging you prefer, these dairy free pumpkin muffins are a treat to eat. Instead of eggs, they use flax as a binder and you would never know the difference! They are moist as well as hearty, with a wonderful pumpkin spice infusion. A most excellent addition to a school or work lunch, or even to have ready for breakfast when time is short.

If you try them, I’d love to hear how they worked out for you!

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup ground flax

12 tablespoons water

Dry Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup raisins

Wet Ingredients

3 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla 
1 cup oil

1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

 

Instructions

Combine ground flax and water and let sit at least 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with paper baking cups parchment paper.In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.In a medium bowl combine all wet ingredients (including flax mix) and whisk until smooth.Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a spoon or spatula, mixing just until combined (do not over-mix).Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins until they are ¾ full and sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 1 teaspoon of pumpkin seeds.

Bake 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

 

Every Sunday morning, ever since my 16-year-old could eat solid food, we’ve had pancakes for breakfast. When I started making them, I used a popular box mix (an old family recipe) like we always had growing up. But it wasn’t long before I wanted something more wholesome and hearty for my family, and I started experimenting with pancake mixes made from scratch. After trying several that were pretty meh, I came across this one – well, a higher maintenance version of this one. After cutting out several superfluous steps, I – and my family – fell head over heals in love with this one. It’s so easy, my kids can make it on their own, as well.

If you’re like me, and want great taste but an element of healthiness (I mean, they’re oil-fried pancakes so they’ll only ever be so healthy) and made in as few easy steps as possible, this is your recipe!

In addition to a yummy-scrummy breakfast, you can also make smaller pancakes that would be a perfect snack, or even main course, for lunch for school. Pop in a side of jam, or sandwich them with cream cheese and jam as an extra treat.

Oatmeal pancake batter being cooked in a frying pan on the stove

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups milk

2 large eggs

Vegetable oil for frying

 

Directions

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.Stir in the milk before adding the eggs and stir lightly.Add the oats and stir until just combined.Heat about a tablespoon of oil on a large skillet or frying pan, then place a ladle-full (or less) of the pancake batter on the pan when it’s hot. Depending on the size of the pan, you can cook four or more at a time. Flip the pancake first after small bubbles or holes start to form in the batter. Flip again, as necessary, so that both sides are a golden brown, and the centre is cooked through.Apply more oil and repeat the process until the batter is all used.Keep warm on a plate in the oven until ready to serve, or cool and store in the fridge for up to a week if using for snacks. Reheat in a toaster, rather than microwave.Mini pancakes are a fun option for school lunches. Serve with cream cheese and jam.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you ever worry about your child’s vegetable intake? Do they skillfully avoid every salad and veggie item you throw their way, like they’re in some sort of edible Dr. Dodgeball game? Time to take the game up a notch with this Crafty Mom’s Zucchini Loaf – a snack so yummy they’ll never guess there are vegetables hiding inside!

Similar to banana bread, this zucchini bread is appealing for its cake-like quality, combined with its wholesome attributes. We moms can certainly get onboard with that! Plus, if you have a rich harvest of zucchini growing in your garden right now, consider yourself blessed with a new way to present it!

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 cup oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts (if making for a nut-free school, leave out or replace with raisons or chocolate chips)

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
In a smaller mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs and stir in oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla.
Add egg mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Stir in the nuts or optional ingredient if using.
Pour into two, well-greased loaf pans and bake until golden, for approximately one hour or until a toothpick plunged into the centre top can come out clean.

 

For many of us – especially in the Okanagan Valley – apples are synonymous with back to school. There’s nothing like a crisp, juicy apple, fresh from the tree, to accompany back-to-school lunches. 

And while fresh is best, it’s also fun to mix it up a little bit, infusing those delicious apple flavours into other yummy foods. Here is a recipe for healthy, apple caramel flavoured (minus the sugar content of real caramel) energy balls – a great pick-me-up snack for mid morning, whether at school or at work. There’s actually no caramel – the naturally sweet dates just give that impression. They’re also fast and easy to make, which makes them a favourite at our home.

Ingredients

2/3 cup pitted Medjool dates

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 1/2 cups oats, divided

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

Blend dates, apple sauce, 1/2 cup oats, chia seeds, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg in a food processor, pulsing until mixture comes together. Stir in remaining oats.With slightly wet hands, roll about two tablespoons of mixture at a time into bite-sized energy balls. They can be kept refrigerated in a sealed container for up to a week or in the freezer for a month. 

I remember, back when I was a kid, my family used to can a lot of fruit – peaches, pears, cherries, and apricots, especially. It was a big deal, with friends and family members coming over to help out, juggling boxes of fruit, sinkfuls of fruit, steaming jars and the bubbling, speckled blue canner on the stove. It was a big ordeal, and whenever a new fruit was in season, the process would start all over again. When it was finished, and the last jar had popped, tightly sealed, the jars were lined up neatly on shelves in “the cold room,” downstairs. It was always nice to have preserved fruit on hand throughout the year.

When I grew up and went out on my own, I still enjoyed the fruits of this labour, both from my mom and my grandmother, who would generously share their stash. When I started my own family, my mom so kindly volunteered to help me start canning my own produce. For a few years, I tried to do the grown-up, motherly thing and can a few dozen jars of peaches for my kids. They enjoyed having them in oatmeal, and sometimes just by the bowl. As I recall, I tended to can about two dozen jars, which would give us a ration of two jars a month which would be plenty, I assured my mom (who was convinced I really should do more).

But the fact is… I hate canning. Oh the steam, right in the hottest part of summer, the fiddly peeling of fruit, the fussing over sterile jars and lids… Okay, I admit I’m a culinary wimp. But I quickly swore off of canning, much to my mother’s chagrin.

Instead, I switched to freezing, which is still a bit fiddly when it comes to preparing the fruit, but is much quicker and more straight forward than canning. After cleaning, cutting and peeling the fruit I usually measure 1-2 cupfuls into a freezer bag, pop them in the freezer and Bob’s your uncle! 

I started this summer off with about 20 cups of frozen cherries. This year they’re in ginormous  bags (five cups of cherries per bag!) because they only had the big bags in stock at the store at the time. Five cups frozen together is a bit unwieldy, and I recommend measuring smaller amounts like 1-2 cups per much smaller bag, as that’s more likely what you need for a recipe.

Sadly, I missed our Okanagan strawberry season this year, but they are wonderful to slice and freeze as well. Next week I will have 20 pounds of blueberries to freeze, and by the end of the month the peaches should be ready. That will give us a nice stash of fruits to use in smoothies, pancakes, sauces and other treats, through the fall and winter until the next year of fresh fruits are ready.

What will you preserve this summer, and what’s your favourite way to do it?

Cranberry Almond Granola and Mango Parfait

School day mornings are such a rush at the Pear Tree House and it feels like we have to crunch so much bustle into the little window of time between waking up and flying out the door to school and work. So much for leisurely – or even healthy – breakfasts! Most mornings it’s a bowl of cereal from a box or maybe some toast.

But when I can carve out a little bit of time on a Sunday afternoon, I like to make a big batch of granola, to eat with milk or sprinkled on top of yogurt for an easy parfait. If you need a little breakfast pick-me-up in your home, I recommend it.

Cranberry Almond Granola

Ingredients
5 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups roughly chopped almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup hemp hearts

Granola mix ready for the oven

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.In a separate medium bowl whisk together oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extract. Pour over oat mixture, stirring well to combine.Split granola evenly between two pans and spread. Bake 30-40 minutes, mixing lightly every 10 minutes, until a light golden brown. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Layer a serving of vanilla yogurt with Cranberry Almond Granola and top with fresh mango

Spring break has arrived, and with it a little bit of freed up time to potter around the kitchen. So instead of dry cereal from a box for breakfast this week, we can take things up a notch with some healthy, homemade breakfast treats. First up is a big batch of these delicious Cran-orangeberry muffins – a favourite for breakfasts, lunches or snacks.

Use squares of parchment paper for a more artisan look.

Ingredients

2/3 cup water
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 navel oranges, zested & juiced
1/2 cup hemp hearts
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup olive oil
3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Zesting the oranges.

Directions

1.
Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease or line muffin tin.

2.
In a small bowl mix together the flax and water and let sit 5 minutes.

3.
Zest and juice the oranges and set aside.

4.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, hemp hearts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

5.
In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, flax mixture, vanilla, olive oil, orange zest, and the orange juice (1 cup). Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, adding the cranberries last.

6.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

Makes 24 muffins

Healthy AND delicious![image error]

There’s no shorter way to a teacher’s heart than a crisp, juicy apple in the fall. Unless it’s first diced up and put in a freshly baked crisp and served with a side of vanilla ice cream! That definitely deserves an A++.

Such apple delicacies should not just be reserved for teachers, though. A side of apple crisp (minus the ice cream) can also make a tasty, fruit-based snack in a student’s lunch. And in my family we also enjoy it for breakfast – again, minus the ice cream.

This recipe, while sweet enough, is low on sugar in order to keep it suitable for quick, yummy-but-still-healthy breakfasts or snacks on a weekday.

Apple-icious Crisp

Topping Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds

Filling Ingredients
10-12 Spartan apples, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 F and grease a 9×9′ baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, toss the apples, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Transfer to baking dish.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt and 3/4 flour. Using a pastry blender and then your fingers, incorporate the butter until coarse crumbs form. Mix in oats and almonds.
4. Squeeze the topping into marble-sized clumps and sprinkle on the apples.
5. Bake until the top is golden, between 45-55 minutes.

Let cool 30 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream.

First taste of the Apple-icious Crisp.