Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

Boursin-yogurt-artichoke-gratin

Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

French and American gratins, pronounced “Grawh-tAHn”, range from dense, cheesy and cream-laden to light dishes made simply with a béchamel sauce.This artichoke gratin, satisfyingly filling yet not overly cheesy works well as a dip or topping for a tartine (open-faced sandwich).

The French cheeses used, Boursin and Gruyère, are commonly available in U.S. grocery stores. The unusual gratin ingredient is the Greek yogurt as a complementary creamy element. It also adds a hint of acidity that balances the sweetness of the artichoke hearts.

Yogurt is a source of B-6 and B-12 vitamins, vitamin D, potassium but Greek yogurt offers more protein, a more diverse probiotic profile and is thicker and creamier than most regular yogurt.

Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

10-12 servings as an appetizer

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces of low-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 5.2 ounces (150 grams) herbed boursin cheese, softened (see substitutes below)
  • 1 cup low-fat Greek plain yogurt
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (too much cayenne can mute the herb flavors)
  • 4 ounces gruyère (about 1 ⅓  cups shredded), divided (see substitutes below)
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and adjust a rack to the middle position.
  2. Place the cream and boursin cheese in a mixing bowl to let them warm up a bit. Shred the gruyère and add to the bowl.
  3. Drain the artichokes. Squeeze by hand the liquid from the artichokes. Doing this twice works best.
  4. Once the cheeses are soft enough to mix together with a large spoon, add the yogurt, cayenne, 1 cup of the gruyère (the rest is for a topping) and add the artichokes (break these up between your hands as you add them to the bowl).
  5. Mix all ingredients and spread mixture in an 8×8” baking dish or gratin dish. Sprinkle on the remaining gruyère and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling. Turn on the broiler for 2-3 minutes to create a lovely, cheesy crust. Serve hot or warm (see serving ideas below).

Substitution and taste notes options:

  • Salt: This is not a missing ingredient! There is salt because the ingredients have enough added sodium to enhance flavors and balance the taste profile.
  • Yogurt: Greek yogurt adds tang and a thicker texture than typical yogurt. Often artichoke gratins or dips use lemon juice or zest for a fresh tang, but Greek yogurt does double duty.
  • Boursin: This soft cow-milk French cheese is often made with parsley, chives, white pepper and garlic. Or add these ingredients to a soft-style goat cheese.
  • Gruyère: A cow-milk cheese that melts well with nutty flavors. Can be replaced by other cheeses that melt well like fontina and have mild flavors. Strong flavored-cheese like cheddar overwhelm the artichoke and herb notes.

Love cheese? Here’s a few notes on enjoying cheese & French cheese passion:

  • Top with some Panko or fresh bread crumbs that have been lightly softened with some butter or olive oil for a crunchy bread topping
  • Serve as a dip with crackers, crostini or use as a topping for a sandwich tartine
  • Toss in 3/4 cup of cooked spinach that has been well squeezed to remove any juices but add just a bit more cheese and yogurt to maintain the gratin texture
Boursin-yogurt-artichoke-gratin-on-table
“Tout le gratin sera là!” = “Everybody who’s anybody will be there!”

Laura K Lawless French language expert

    About Me

    The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
    Michele Redmond

    Michele Redmond

    French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

    It's about Making Food First

    Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

    Purse Crêpes (Aumônières de Crêpes)

    Purse Crêpes (Aumônières de Crêpes)

    by | Health and Food Culture, Le Blog

    Purse Crêpes (Aumônières de Crêpes)

    Beggar’s Purse Crêpes Aumônières

    Purse Crêpes

    Purse Crêpes (sometimes called a Beggar’s purse) are an ironic description for a crêpe-based dish given that these elegant, plump flavor packages allow for an extra cha-ching to that restaurant bill. For the home cooks, this food bling bling upgrades your status as a chef de maison and offers fun ways to showcase what is truly a “fast-slow food”. Purse crêpes are versatile and can be stuffed with savory or sweet ingredients.

    Crêpe batter is easy to prepare (5 ingredients in 5 minutes)

    After learning a couple simple tricks, crêpes are easy to make—see my take on crêpes.

    Aumônières de Crêpes

    My chefs in Paris had me adding some chopped chervil into the batter and calling the recipe Crêpes Celestine without any mention of the “purse” food styling. Celestine refers to in the style of and often includes green, leafy herbs. Typically the French version is called aumônières de crêpes where aumônière means purse in French.

    The tasty morsel above is from Amarosa vineyard and restaurant in Tuscany, Italy. The herbed version below I made in Paris where the chefs had us stuffing them with a creamy scallop filling.

    Beggar’s Purse Crêpes Aumônières

     “extravagant, flashy—bling on a plate. .  . No matter their price, the purses were always hot sellers”

    Cuisinesolutions.com

      About Me

      The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
      Michele Redmond

      Michele Redmond

      French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

      It's about Making Food First

      Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

      Almond and Hazelnut Dukkah

      Almond and Hazelnut Dukkah

      by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

      Almond and Hazelnut Dukkah

      Almond and Hazelnut Dukkah

      Dukkah, a savory spice and nut mix, has Arabic roots and worldly applications. Traditional key ingredients are nuts, coriander, cumin seed, salt and sesame seeds, but it can also include other seeds such as fennel and peppercorns. The word Dukkah is attributed to Arabic references to crush or turn to powder which can be done with a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder.

      • 1/3  cup whole unroasted hazelnuts
      • 1/3  cup unsalted whole unroasted almonds
      • 2  heaping tablespoons of sesame seeds
      • 2  tablespoons coriander seeds
      • 1  tablespoon cumin seeds
      • 1  teaspoon fennel seeds
      • 1  teaspoon black peppercorns
      • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt (fleur de sel is nice)

      Steps: Preheat oven to 375°F

      1. Distribute the hazelnuts and almonds each to their own baking trays to control for cooking differences
      2. Toast nuts in the oven or toaster oven until lightly browned for 4-8 minutes, then remove from oven to cool. Rub the hazelnuts together in batches between your palms to remove most of the skin
      3. Chop the nuts into ⅛” size bits and add to a bowl. A bread knife helps to keep nuts from escaping
      4. Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the sesame seeds until golden, remove
      5. Toss the spices into the skillet, shaking it a few times and heat the spices until they become aromatic
      6. Put the sesame seeds and spices in an electric grinder or mortar and pestle grind to a coarse powder
      7. Add the mixture to the chopped nuts. Sprinkle in the salt and stir.
      • Nutrient-dense food with high-satiety protein & healthful spices
      • Because of the natural oils in the nuts and sesame seeds, dukkah does not have a long shelf life but can be stored for a month in the refrigerator.
      • A spice blend of savory and nutty with hints of sweet and heat
      • Coriander adds a hint of lemon and wood notes
      • Crunchy textures from whole and crushed nuts and spices
      • Use as a dip for crudité: radishes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, green onions, jicama, carrots
      • Use as an dip for bread by combining olive oil with the Dukkah
      • Use as a seasoning topping for flat bread
      • Sprinkle on roasted vegetables
      • Add to a fresh grated carrot salad

      “A popular spice blend that modern Egyptians enjoy just as their ancestors did thousands of years ago”

       

      History.com Spice of Life in Egypt

        About Me

        The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
        Michele Redmond

        Michele Redmond

        French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

        It's about Making Food First

        Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

        Garlic and Walnut Herb Sauce with Nutritional Yeast

        Garlic and Walnut Herb Sauce with Nutritional Yeast

        by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

        Garlic and Walnut Herb Sauce with Nutritional Yeast

        Garlic walnut herb sauce with nutritional yeast

        Garlic and Walnut Herb Sauce with Nutritional Yeast

        This sauce is a creamy pesto-like sauce with parsley, walnuts and extra garlic but instead of cheese or added salt, it uses nutritional yeast.   Some people call this “nooch”, to give it a more affectionate, shorter name. Despite the technical, yet correct, ingredient name or its cutesy nickname, nutritional yeast offers authentic nutrient benefits and culinary options as a cheese substitute, low-sodium ingredient and thickener.   I don’t typically use products to substitute for authentic or “real food” ingredients, but I make an exception periodically with nutritional yeast. In addition to its great amino acid and fiber profile, has surprising savory, umami notes when cheese isn’t an option (see the tasting section below).

        Garlic and Walnut Herb Sauce with Nutritional Yeast

         Makes 1 cup

        Ingredients

        • 5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and the hard stem base is removed
        • ⅔ cup unsalted walnut pieces
        • 1½ cup tightly packed fresh parsley ( 1½-2 ounces w/ stems)
        • ½ cup tightly packed fresh basil (a bit over ½ ounce w/ stems)
        • ¼ cup nutritional yeast (picture posted below)
        • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus 2 tablespoons if a more liquid sauce is desired)
        • 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
        • ¼ teaspoon salt

        Optional: ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (resist the temptation to add a lot more cayenne since it will mute the herb and nutty flavors)

        Prep Steps:

        1. Add the garlic and walnuts to a blender and pulse a few times for a course mixture.
        2. Rinse and dry the herbs. Destem the herbs, but some of the thinner parsley stems won’t be a problem.
        3. Add the herbs, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Blend until sauce is smooth.
        4. Serve immediately. If storing in the refrigerator for later use, place plastic wrap directly on the exposed surface area to reduce oxidation which will turn the bright green color to a more muted army green color.

        Garlic and Walnut Herb Sauce

        • Nutritional yeast provides the full range of essential amino acids, but most importantly (since it has to taste good!), it offers savory umami attributes due to glutamic acid.
        • In this recipe, the perception of umami is further triggered by the use of walnuts, also high in glutamatic acid.
        • Nutritional yeast adds salty notes to the sauce despite its minor sodium contribution of 5 mg for 3 tablespoons. Three tablespoons of this brand also offers a nice fiber boost at 5 grams.

        I used KAL Brand of Nutritional Yeast Flakes purchased from Whole Foods and available in bulk at some grocery stores. I have no preference for brands; however, there are some taste, texture and quality differences.

        • Serve as a topping for roasted veggies
        • Excellent as a dip for roasted cauliflower florets or raw vegetables
        • Use as a sauce for pasta, rice, salmon, sautéed tofu or poultry
        • Use to garnish tops of creamy soups
        Nutritional yeast spoon

        “A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat.”

        ~Old New York Proverb

          About Me

          The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
          Michele Redmond

          Michele Redmond

          French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

          It's about Making Food First

          Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

          Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

          Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

          by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

          Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

          Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas with Sumac

          Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

          This chickpea appetizer or snack creates bean lovers. The balanced spicy, citrusy and salty sensations with a crunchy bean exterior are crave-able features. The health benefits of the beans and spices are a bonus. Quick and easy to make, these can be made ahead of time or served hot and crunchy from the pan.

          Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

          Ingredients

          • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
          • 1 tsp sumac (see spice notes for options)
          • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder or chili powder
          • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
          • 1/4 teaspoon salt
          • 2 teaspoons of olive oil

          Steps:

          1. Heat the oven to 425°F (218C) and arrange a rack in the middle position.
          2. Rinse chickpeas in a colander and let drain while preparing the spice mix.
          3. Add the dry spices to a bowl that is larger than needed to hold the chickpeas.
          4. Use a paper towel and gently pat the chickpeas to dry them further. The drier the chickpeas, the more crisp they will be.
          5. Add the chickpeas to the bowl. Shake them sauté style a few times until coated.
          6. Add the oil to the chickpeas and gently stir the chickpeas.
          7. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and add chickpeas in an even layer.
          8. Once or twice during the baking, gently shake the baking sheet for more even cooking. Chickpeas with high internal moisture content will pop like hot popcorn, so be careful to not get zinged by a hot bean.
          9. Chickpeas will become crisp between 18-24 minutes. Place two layers of paper toweling on a large plate and when chickpeas are done, pour them onto the paper towel to cool down, then move to a dry bowl or plate to stay crisp. Some brands of chickpeas get very crisp and stay crisp and others lose the texture in a few hours.

          Nutrition Highlights:

          • Because of the fiber content, chickpeas are a high-satiety food–keeps you fuller for longer. One 15-ounce can provides about 25 grams of fiber.
          • High amounts of insoluble fiber that helps to create a health flora in your gut.
          • Fiber also helps control blood sugar changes and insulin secretion.

          Fried Option: This adds calories but is an option for even crispier chickpeas

          1. Rinse chickpeas in a colander and let drain while preparing the spice mix.
          2. Add the dry spices to a bowl that is larger than needed to hold the chickpeas.
          3. Use a paper towel and gently pat the chickpeas to dry them further. The drier the chickpeas, the more crisp they will be.
          4. Add the chickpeas and give them a sauté style shake a few times until the chickpeas are coated.
          5. Heat a 10-12” skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat and add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully add the chickpeas.

          Spice Notes: The gorgeous purple-red spice mountain in the photo are dried and ground sumac berries. These add a tart-lemony element to dishes where lemon might be too strong or the moisture from lemon juice isn’t desired as in the case with these chickpeas. Sumac powder has increases your versatility in the kitchen, but if you don’t have it, go for a different spice profile and add some cumin or cumin plus coriander.

          Ancho chile powder (the rusto-brown spice mountain in the photo) adds a hint of a fruity element where chili powder (a blend of herbs and chiles) not present in chili powder blends.

           

          Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas with Sumac

          Gimme your Garbanzos or Chuck me the Chickpeas—either way they’re the same bean!

            About Me

            The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
            Michele Redmond

            Michele Redmond

            French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

            It's about Making Food First

            Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

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