Rabu, 29 Oktober 2014

Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Crust

As with most years, the holiday season always seems to sneak up on me. We get so busy with day to day tasks, that I always seem to have unaccomplished projects or loose ends to tie up when the new year finally comes around. This year however, instead of rushing through, I want to make the most of every moment. There will never be enough time to do everything or see everyone, so the only thing I can do is be present in all the activities I do find time for. I have so much to be thankful for in my life, that when I sit down to think about it I become overwhelmed with happy thoughts and a very full feeling. Taking it all in, one day at a time, will remind me of all the positive things in my life and to celebrate each of them.
Pumpkin pie was always my favorite dessert on Thanksgiving and still is. Then I realized I don't even have a recipe for pumpkin pie on my blog yet. I think the reason for this was because I've been waiting until inspiration struck. There are already so many great version of pumpkin pie out there, I wanted something different to share. So even though I posted about a pumpkin hazelnut bread recently, I just couldn't help myself to combine the two together again.

This pie however, is something amazing! And will probably end up being made every year. The best part (besides how tasty it is), it's vegan, gluten free, and low in sugar. I know how hard it can be to accommodate everyone at the table, so this might be a good option if you're looking to make only one or two desserts for the table this year, but still have dietary restrictions to maintain. The filling is smooth and creamy and full of pumpkin flavor with slight hints of cinnamon and spice. For those of you who fear pie dough, this is a pat in the pan style crust, which means no rolling or chilling! It's super easy and stays together nicely.
The most important part in making this pie is to allow it to cool completely before cutting into it. The filling needs time to rest to hold its shape. You can make it the night before and you'll already be on top of your Thanksgiving game, just add any garnish right before serving. Also, using fresh spices and grinding them yourself will lead to a better spice flavor. At the very least, make sure the spices you use are fresh and haven't been sitting on your shelf since last year.

Elsewhere: Over on the Whole Living blog I have another recipe perfect for any last minute Thanksgiving vegetarian menu items you may be looking for, Roasted Delicata Squash & amp; Garlicky Kale with Parsley-Sage Dressing. I've been eating versions of it this whole month, it's so delicious. Enjoy your holiday! I'd love to know what you all are making this year too, anything special or different than usual?

Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Crust
makes one 9-inch pie

crust
1 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut butter, melted
pinch of salt

pie filling
2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup pure maple syrup or brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

For the crust
Place the 1 3/4 cups hazelnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, then grind the nuts up to a coarse meal. Should take about 3-4 minutes. You don't want to blend too far or you'll end up with hazelnut butter.

Place the hazelnut meal into a medium bowl, add to it the almond flour, coconut butter, and a pinch of salt, blend until everything is well incorporated.

Dump the nut mixture out into a 9-inch pie pan and start pressing, from the center out, with your fingers, until you have an even crust all the way around, set aside.

For the filling
In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, and spices. Stir in the coconut milk until no white streaks are left behind. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie crust.

Bake the pie in the center of the oven for about 1 hour (check after 50 minutes) or until the sides are completely set and the center jiggles only slightly when shaken lightly. Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting into. Pie can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Right before serving coarsely chop the remaining hazelnuts and use for garnish. You can also top with whipped cream or creme fraiche, unless of coarse you're vegan.

Selasa, 28 Oktober 2014

Granola Bars

Tomorrow we leave for our work trip/mini vacation to San Francisco. Which means this entire week has brought with it some rather interesting meals as we cleaned out the fridge before leaving (strawberries with broccoli and spring onions all wrapped up in a peanut butter smeared whole wheat tortilla... anyone? It was actually pretty good). Luckily we had lots of left overs after a bbq we had on the 4th to tie us over as well. So although I still need to pack and get a few miscellaneous things together, I thought I'd share a granola bar recipe with you first.

I had two lonely bananas staring back at me this morning, getting more brown speckles on them as each day passed and I knew they definitely wouldn't be pretty by the time we returned. So I figured I'd make a batch of granola bars. I made these bars a couple weeks ago when we were up on Mt. Rainier for a weekend retreat and because they were so good I figured I'd make them again.
I wrote about finding the perfect granola bar recipe over a year ago and since then I have tested and tried many, many, different variations. Some were pretty great, others not so much. The bars I'm sharing today are very similar, but use mashed banana in place of the honey, which makes them sugar free, unless of coarse you add in the chocolate chips. & nbsp;

They are soft and chewy and they don't fall apart when you eat them. I think they are an exceptional little bar to have around for snacking. They're also great for long road trips where you're sitting a long ways, or those times when you have a busy day/weekend ahead and you need something to sustain you through the end without being loaded with sugar.
I've actually made the recipe for these bars below very adaptable to your flavor preference, giving basic guide-lines to an amount for each ingredient and options to follow. The only one I would be careful on is the 1/4 cup seeds. I used a 1/4 cup mix of sunflower, sesame, and poppy seed, you could use all sunflower, but you probably wouldn't want to use an entire 1/4 cup of smaller seeds like poppy. But really have fun with the flavors. Try a tropical bar using cashew butter, macadamia nuts, dried mango, dried papaya, and coconut.

Granola Bars
loosely adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought
makes 8-10 bars

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew), preferably all natural
1/2 cup roughly chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachio, cashew, pecan, macadamia)
1/4 cup seeds (sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia) & nbsp;
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup dried fruit (cranberry, cherry, apricots, papaya, mango, raisin, strawberry, blueberry)
1/4 cup chocolate chips or cocao nibs, optional
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, optional

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment. I haven't made these without parchment because I think they would really stick without it. Plus it makes for really easy clean up anyways.

In a large bowl mash the bananas with the back of a fork. Stir in the nut butter until everything is well combined.

Add the oats, chopped nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, cinnamon, and coconut if using. Stir well until everything is well combined. The batter will be very, very wet and you'll wonder if this will even bake, it will.

Spread the batter evenly into your prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The top should be slightly browned and give a little when pressed. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars, this is important. Store wrapped tightly in a container or in the fridge.

Asian Cabbage Salad

These days walks to the post office or down to the beach start with layers upon layers of clothing and a briskness in each step. The sky is a faded blue and barely streaked with a few white clouds, the air feels clean, crisp, and cold. There are still trees holding tightly to their leaves, all shades of deep red, brilliant orange, bright yellow and even a few green ones still left; knowing that the first strong wind and rain storm to pass through is coming soon and will tear them from their worn out branches.

As I was preparing this salad, it reminded me exactly of my walks from these recent days. Studded with orange form the carrots, reds and greens from the peppers, and yellow green from the cabbage. Even though I usually crave warming foods this season, this salad was welcome if only for it's beautiful colors. It even tasted of the crispness in the air, if you can image.
It's not very often that I make salads with an Asian inspired dressing, but cabbage seems to beg to be dressed with all things sesame, soy, and vinegar. It comes together pretty quickly once everything has been chopped and if you have a food processor it makes the task of shredding even quicker.
This salad is still great the next day, but it's not quite as pretty because the cabbage begins to soak up lots of the dressing and sort of slumps over. I would however recommend giving it at least 30 minutes to really soak in the dressing before serving if you can.

Asian Cabbage Salad
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
serves 6-8

4 cups grated savoy or napa cabbage
2 cups peeled and grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
4-5 fresh green and red chilis (use mild and hot varieties), seeded and minced
1 cup diced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
roughly chopped peanuts or almonds for topping(optional)

dressing
2 tablespoons vegetable or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar, or more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey or sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt

Place the cabbage, carrots, peppers, shallots, garlic, and cilantro in a large bowl (make sure it's large enough that you can toss everything without spilling everywhere).

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly. Taste and and more salt or vinegar if needed. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Senin, 27 Oktober 2014

Simple Chocolate Cake

I've read more books so far this year, then I feel I have in a long time. When I was younger I used to go through the scholastic reading newsletter that came every month at my school and barely be able to contain myself for the books I would soon receive. When they came, I devoured them. Summer always seemed to involve a long reading list and if I remember right, I had to keep track of each one and the time I spent for credit that would lead to a prize or reward of some kind for my efforts.

These days I feel lucky if I get the chance to read more than a few pages before slowly nodding off to sleep each night. But this Summer I found time, or at least I made the time. The funny thing is that three of the books just so happened to be food memoirs that I finally got to catch up on.

The first was Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, where I instantly wanted a plot of my own land to live off (and which may or may not have given me the canning bug this year). I was inspired to make things like my own cheese and yogurt, so far only the later has happened and with surprisingly good results.

Then I moved on to The Sweet Life In Paris by David Lebovitz. This book had me laughing out loud and even reading sections to my husband, who got a kick out of it as well. Recipes for apple tarte tatin, crepes, brownies that the French went nuts over, and of course a recipe for a perfectly simple, but oh so delicious, chocolate cake, which is what I'm sharing with you today. More on that though in a minute.

My most recent read, was A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette. Another one that was hard to put down. When she described even the most simple moments where food was involved, I felt like I was there eating right alongside. She also has a chocolate cake that I want to try next. But what I first enjoyed was a big plate of roasted eggplant ratatouille because I just can't seem to get enough eggplant this year. It was delicious.

So I've been a busy reader this summer, but more than any marks or points I can mark down on my check list, I have good food to eat, share, and enjoy. I think that is better than possibly any of the prizes I received as a little girl and ones I want to keep and share. What have you been reading this Summer? I'd love recommendations!
This is my idea of a perfect chocolate cake. No frosting, a slight direction into the brownie category, rich chocolaty flavor, and simple to make. David mentions that the cake is often made a day or two ahead of time so the flavor has time to develop. Ours lasted exactly into day two and I can say it really was a bit tastier. Odd how that works. The cake puffs up real high when first pulled from the oven, but quickly flattens and sinks down when cooling. I made mine in an 8-inch spring-form pan rather than a 9-inch loaf pan and it made for easy removal.

Chocolate Cake
Adapted from The Sweet Life In Paris by David Lebovitz
serves 8-10

9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup cane sugar
4 eggs at room temperature, separated
2 tablespoons spelt flour or plain flour
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter an 8-inch spring-form pan or alternatively use a 9-inch loaf pan, buttered and lined with parchment.

Place the chocolate and butter in a double broiler, melt until smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in 1/2 the sugar, the egg yolks, and the flour.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt. Keep whipping until soft droopy peaks form. Whip in the remaining sugar gradually until whites are smooth and hold their shape.

Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the remaining whites just until the mixture is smooth and no white streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center feels slightly firm. Don't over bake. Let cool before serving. Keeps for 3 days wrapped or covered and frozen for up to 1 month.

Minggu, 26 Oktober 2014

Cherry Almond Meal Muffins

Ahh, it feels so good to finally be home from our little trip to San Francisco. In the coarse of five days our car racked up more miles than we've probably driven this whole year, so it feels good to be back home, sleeping in our own bed, and getting back into the swing of things.

Thank you to everyone who sent along their favorite places to eat and areas we should see. I'm sad to say that apart from the Fisherman's Wharf area, where we were for two very long days and the room we slept in every night, we didn't manage to get out as much as we had hoped. Next time we plan to schedule in more free days.
Whenever I travel, even if it's not far from home, I always take back something about the trip that seems to get lost in my day to day life. I don't mean souvenirs and such so much as feelings and moments or ideas about how to simplify my life even more.

What I took away from this trip was something unexpected. Even though my husband and I were very busy the whole weekend, we pretty much ate every meal together. I don't mean together as, in the same room, but really together without distractions. It was a subtle thing and made me realize that when we're at home this doesn't happen as often as it should because we both get so busy with our work for the day.

I dislike eating breakfast while answering morning emails, but I'm guilty of this act more often then I care to admit. I always feel I have so much to do in the day and multitasking is the only way it will get done. The truth, I realized, is that most people do not need their emails answered right that second and over all I work more efficiently if I've had a moment to sit quietly in the morning with my food and take in the day before rushing to my computer.

We have a giant beautiful re-claimed wood table my dad and husband built together and although it's most often used as a second office area, since we've been home, I've made a point to pull up a chair and use it as it was meant to be used. And these cherry almond meal muffins make slow paced mornings that much more pleasurable.
If you've read this blog for some time or looked through my archives you're probably well aware that I'm not gluten intolerant. However, I've found almond flour is really great to work with and makes gluten free baking an easy place start without needing a long list of other ingredients. It has such a great flavor and distinguishably different taste from wheat flour. It's loaded with protein and healthy fats and makes for one filling little muffin. This recipe is pretty straight forward. When I was looking into almond flour recipes I found this ratio seemed to be pretty universal across the web so I went with it, using a light olive oil in place of other oils or butter and adding in some fresh cherries from the market.

Cherry Almond Meal Muffins
makes 6 large muffins

2 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the honey and oil and beat until well combined.

Add the dry mixture to the wet, stirring just until combined. Carefully fold in the cherries.

Pour batter into the muffin tin, filling to the top if you want a nice muffin dome. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes and serve warm.

Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I probably only realized my love for brussels sprouts a few years ago. Like many, my youth brought mushy, boiled sprouts that never received a second thought, until they day I tasted them roasted.

This totally changed the game for me and now I eat my fill this time of year. But while I normally roast them in a high temperature oven, they would often still be missing a certain flavor or texture I was looking for. Then about a week ago I saw a technique on The Kitchn that has you actually broil them quickly instead. It made total sence and I couldn't wait to try.

Tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, then thrown into a hot cast iron skillet before a quick roast under the broiler; it couldn't be any simpler. They turned out charred and smoky on the outside, with a perfectly cooked, but not mushy, inside. I went back for more. Even though this post is less of a recipe and more of a technique, I urge you to find yourself with a full bag of brussels sprouts and about 10 minutes of your time, because that's about all the time you'll need for this simple and healthy side dish.
A squeeze of lemon is all you really need to jazz them up a bit, but Parmesan is a nice touch if you do dairy too. I like to keep them on the side because I don't want the lemon juice to soften up the crispy outsides of the sprouts too soon.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
adapted from The Kitchn
serves 4 as a side

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and outer leaves removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
lemon wedges for serving
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Place your oven rack at the very top and turn on the broiler and set a large cast iron skillet over high heat.

Cut the prepared brussels sprouts in half lengthwise, place in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. When your cast iron pan is hot enough to where a water droplet evaporates on contact, pour all the brussels sprouts in and quickly flip them all over so their cut side is down. It's ok if they don't all fit just get them all in there and don't stir them around once they're set.

Place the skillet in the oven and broil for 3 minutes. The outer leaves should have started to darken and turn crispy. Keep them in for several minutes longer, about 5-7 minutes in total cooking time.

Serve immediately alongside lemon wedges and Parmesan cheese if using.

Sabtu, 25 Oktober 2014

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes with Spinach & White Bean Filling

I was recently invited by Guilt Taste to participate in reviewing some of their beautiful gourmet products. & nbsp;The first shipment was their Chef's Garden box from Farmer Jones Farm. It arrived on my doorstep late last week and after bringing it inside I headed straight to the kitchen to open what was inside. Carefully wrapped in insulated bubble wrap with a cold pack was a beautiful assortment of seasonal vegetables and herbs. I just about & nbsp;squealed & nbsp;with delight when I discovered the colorful little edible flowers (I guess the sight of flowers this time of year is exciting, considering most of what's outside right now around here is brown and dying). After carefully taking stock of what all was in there I had my mind set on making a healthy seasonal appetizer.

Everyone loves a two-bite sized appetizer, but most of the time they're a little on the unhealthy side, especially when it comes to twice baked potatoes. I decided to resolve that by adding a little & nbsp;protein & nbsp;(in the form of white beans) and spinach to the potato filling and seasoning it all with spices and fresh herbs. The result is so good you won't even miss the cream, butter, or cheese. & nbsp;
These are simple to make and don't really take much time to make aside from filling them, but they can be assembled a day ahead and quickly re-heated the next day to save yourself some time. It will seem like a lot of spinach when your done chopping, but once it cooks down it all fits in nicely. I had a little leftover, but I just nibbled that up myself. In fact, I could have eaten just the filling by itself, and decided you could make a lazy version of this as a meal and instead of filling the potatoes, just mash everything up together, maybe add more beans and seasoning and call it dinner.

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes with & nbsp;Spinach & amp; White Bean Filling
makes 24 small potatoes

24 small potatoes, scrubbed and washed well
2 tablespoons olive oil diveded
4 ounces spinach, washed and dried
1/2 cup cooked white beans
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. & nbsp;

Toss the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place on a baking sheet, pierce each with a fork, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Let cool for about 10 minutes or until you can handle them without burning yourself.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a small spoon to hallow out the middle. Make sure to leave enough of the side so the potatoes maintain their structure. Transfer insides to a bowl and set aside.

Thinly slice the spinach into strips. The easiest way to do this is to stack each leaf on top of one another and slice with a sharp knife. In a large skillet, heat up the last of the olive oil. Gently cook the garlic for a minute, then add the beans, cooked potato flesh, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using. Cook while mashing everything together with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Once everything is well mashed and incorporated stir in the spinach. Cook until spinach just begins to wilt. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh oregano.

Take the hallowed out potato halves and fill them with the spinach mixture. I started this process trying to be really careful with a fork, but soon found it was much easier to really fill each potato if I held it in my hand and used my other hand to grab a bit of the filling and pack it down in. & nbsp;

At this point you can either pop them right back into the oven for about 8 minutes to warm up again or you can place them in the & nbsp;refrigerator until your ready to heat and serve. If cooking later, turn your oven back up to 425˚F and heat for 8-10 minutes. & nbsp;

Some tasty topping ideas would be sliced green onion, Greek yogurt, sour cream, & nbsp;caramelized & nbsp;shallots, chives, or more fresh herbs, and cheese. & nbsp;

* Full Disclosure: & nbsp;Guilt Taste graciously provided me the spinach, & nbsp;potatoes, garlic and oregano for this recipe. & nbsp;I was not paid and all photo's, text, and opinions are my own. & nbsp;