How to make Toasted Pumkin seeds

When baking a pumpkin, make sure you keep the seeds to toast them. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds make a very healthy snack, full of fibers. It's preferable to use organic pumpkins or squash for this.
Try it, it's very easy!

Seeds of 1 pumpkin
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 8 to 10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- seeds of 1 pumpkin or squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- species: salt & pepper / paprika / dried herbs / chili powder...

1. Preheat your oven at 375°F / 280°C

2. Place the seeds in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and spices of your choice. It's good to always add a bit of salt if you don't go for the "salt & pepper only" seeds.

3. Spread the seeds evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once. Make sure the seeds brown very slightly but not too much because they would taste like burning.

Let the seeds cool and store them in an airtight container.

Bread Pudding Soufflé and Whiskey sauce

How to use bread leftovers? Bake a Bread Pudding Soufflé! This dessert is old fashioned light, and fluffy. My recipe includes raisins and pecans but you can replace the raisins with fresh fruits (diced apples and blueberries are my favorites), other dried fruits (cherries, apricots, figs..) use honey, chocolate chips, etc.

Serves 8
Praparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
Soufflé
- 5 cups (about half a medium round loaf) day-old French bread (from a loaf, not a baguette), cut into 2 cm cubes
- 4 eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 1 cup (225 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmated
- 4 cups (1 l) milk
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in dark rum (to cover)
- 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
- butter and sugar for the mold

Whiskey sauce
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
- 2 egg yolks at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon


Prepare the soufflé first.
Coat a large, deep baking dish with butter and sugar.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar, the spices, the vanilla extract until creamy. Mix in the milk

Place teh cubed bread in a large bowl and pour the milk mixture over it. Set aside for 30-45 minutes.

Preaheat your oven to 350°F / 180° C.
In a bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and the remaining 1/4 of the sugar until peaks form.

Add the raisins and chopped pecans to the soaked bread and slowly fold in the beaten egg whites with a metal spoon.

Pour the mixture into the preapared mold and bake for 35-40 minutes until puffed and golden.

For the Whiskey sauce, heat the cream over simmering water in a double boiler.

In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar. Off the heat, whisk the egg yolks into the warm cream.

Return the preparation to the double boiler and cook over simmering water, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Slowly add the bourbon. Continue to cook until the miwture is lightly thick and smooth.

Serve the soufflé with the warm Whiskey sauce.

Homemade Crab Cakes

I had crab cakes once in a restaurant and always wanted to try to make some myself. I did this week-end and I'm pretty happy with the result. They turned moist, tender inside and crispy outside. Served with a green salad, it's a great dish to eat while watching a good movie!