Food Nerd Ciao!

Sweet Corn Omelette

2012-08-20T09:27:00.003-07:00

Sweet Corn Omelette

3 Ears Mirai Sweet Corn

1-2 Jalepeno Peppers

1/2 cup Cilantro

4 oz. Cream Cheese

10 Eggs

1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1-2 Tablespoons Butter

Salt

Dice Jalepeno peppers and set aside. Place cream cheese in separate large bowl. Wash and chop cilantro.

Steam corn in a 2 Quart stock pot for 2 1/2 minutes. Cut corn from ears and mix with cream cheese while hot.

Pre heat skillet over medium high heat, add oil and butter together. Beat together 5 eggs and add to skillet. Push cooked egg with spatula to center of pan for first 30 seconds then let edges be and turn down heat to medium low. Let eggs cook until no longer glossy on top, lightly salt and spoon corn mixture onto half of cooked eggs.

Top with diced Jalepeno and chopped cilantro. Fold cooked egg in half with spatula and slide onto plate. Cut in half and repeat.

Makes four servings.

Garnish with cilantro and sliced tomatoes.

Ciao!

Peach and Fig Croustades

2012-07-08T08:09:00.004-07:00

Peach and Fig Croustades

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup fig pieces

2 TBSP brown sugar

dash of nutmeg

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. butter, divided
5-6 fresh peaches diced
1/2 cup sugar, divided

18 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed (one-half 16-oz. pkg.)

Pour rum over figs in bowl, mix in brown sugar and nutmeg. Set aside to soak 15 minutes.

Heat 2 Tbs. margarine in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peaches, and sauté 5 minutes. Add fig mixture, and cook 2 minutes, or until alcohol has evaporated. Transfer to bowl. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt remaining 1/2 cup margarine. Brush 12-cup muffin pan (1/2 cup size) with melted margarine.

Unroll phyllo, and keep under damp towel to retain moisture. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush with butter, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sugar. Top with second phyllo sheet, brush with butter, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sugar. Repeat until you have 6 layers of phyllo sheets, but do not sprinkle top sheet with sugar. Cut phyllo stacks into 4 squares. Press 1 square into 1 muffin mold buttered sides down, letting edges hang over. Fill phyllo with a few tablespoons peach mixture. Brush edges with butter, and fold over peach mixture. Brush top with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with remaining squares. Repeat layering and assembly with remaining phyllo sheets, margarine, sugar, and peach mixture.

Bake croustades 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden-brown. Cool 10 minutes in muffin pan, then carefully unmold, and cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweet Strawberry Salsa Fresca

2011-05-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend the sweetest surprise found it's way into my kitchen. Mr. Food Nerd stopped by a local produce stand on his way home and bought me a basketful of freshly picked super sweet strawberries! These are honestly the best strawberries I have ever had! They were quickly eaten as they were and I had to go get a few more for this recipe!

Sweet Strawberry Salsa Fresca
use organic ingredients whenever possible

1 pint ripe strawberries, roughly chopped
1 Anaheim pepper, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
Fleur de Sel to taste
small pinch of saffron threads

Toss together strawberries, Anaheim peppers and red onion in a small bowl. Using a mortar and pestle, grind together the saffron threads and Fleur de Sel. Sprinkle on strawberry mixture along with red pepper flakes.

Change it up! Try adding dried currants, cilantro or a dash of balsamic vinegar! Awesome on Terra Vegetable Chips!

THE DARING BAKERS’ APRIL 2011 CHALLENGE: MAPLE MOUSSE SERVED IN AN EDIBLE CONTAINER

2011-04-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of

the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone

to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being

awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote

on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at

http://thedaringkitchen.com!

Vegan Maple Mousse:

Ingredients:
• 1 package (12 oz.) soft silken tofu
• ¾ cup (14 fluid oz.) pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp agar-agar (xanthan gum or other natural thickeners may also be used)

Directions:
1. Let tofu come to room temperature. Using a food processor, blender, or hand mixer, blend tofu until just smooth.
2. Sprinkle agar-agar on the maple syrup and let it rest for 10 minutes. Heat maple syrup on the stove to a boil and then let it simmer 5 minutes until the agar-agar has dissolved.
3. In a food processor, blender, or a large bowl, blend the tofu with the maple syrup until creamy.
4. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Remove from the fridge and divide among your edible containers.

Garnish with fresh fruit and vanilla infused sugar.

I used a simple fillo dough for my edible container. Brush the top sheet with maple syrup and brush the other sheets with a melted coconut oil. Five sheets total. Place in muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees until browned and flaky. About 7 minutes.

Lemon and Lavender All Purpose Cleaner

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Having just spent the last 10 days on the Master Cleanse or otherwise known as the Lemonade Diet, I have quite a few lemon rinds around. I have done this for the last 2 years now at the end of March beginning of April, a nice Spring cleaning for myself. I have had great results, it works really well with my body, though I don't recommend it for everyone.

I saved a few lemon peels just to make this great all natural household cleaner for more Spring cleaning!

After attending the YumUniverse launch party last year, this is the only cleaner I use anymore. Heather at YumUniverse gave a sample of her three citrus cleaner in the swag bags at the party. It works great on countertops and glass. I even use it on the tub!

Lavender is a natural disinfectant, and we're all familiar the cleansing power of vinegar, add the fresh scent and cleansing power of lemon and you have yourself a great mix!

Lemon and Lavender All Purpose Cleaner
Adapted from Heather @YumUniverse.com

enough organic lemon peels to fill your mason jar (2 will fill the pint size)
1 teaspoon organic lavender (a little more for quart size jars)
organic vinegar
optional: lemon essential oil (a drop or two will do)

Fill the jar with sliced lemon peel, add lavender, a drop of essential oil and fill with vinegar. Seal the jar and let sit for three weeks. After three weeks strain the liquid through a mesh strainer or very fine cheesecloth. I like to do it twice. Pour into a spray bottle and get to cleaning!

THE DARING COOKS’ APRIL, 2011 CHALLENGE: EDIBLE CONTAINERS (SAVORY)

2011-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

Yes, this recipe may look familiar, however, I felt it the perfect match for this month's Daring Cooks Challenge! It has been posted here before (last September), but according to the Daring Cooks, you can post something you have already done, and besides they were delicious! Vote for it!

Multi-Grain Scalloped Tomato Pockets

6 slices Nature's Pride Healthy Multi-Grain Bread
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
3 slices prosciutto, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using a rolling pin, roll out bread slices till thinned. Spray both sides of bread with olive oil using a Misto sprayer or other olive oil non stick spray. Arrange thinned bread slices into muffin pan so that the sesame crust side is swirled together and forms a pocket. Bake for 10-12 minutes until toasted and holds the shape of the muffin pan.

Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add diced tomatoes, garlic and onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes until onion begin to turn translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add Parmesan and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat.

Fill baked bread pockets with tomato mixture. Top with shredded prosciutto and cilantro. Great hot or cold.

Try an alternate filling, Multi-Grain Breakfast Pockets: scrambled eggs, tomato, green onion, cheddar cheese and chopped bacon!

THE DARING COOKS’ FEBRUARY, 2011 CHALLENGE: HIYASHI SOBA AND TEMPURA

2011-02-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

The February 2011 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by Lisa of Blueberry Girl. She challenged Daring Cooks to make Hiyashi Soba and Tempura. She has various sources for her challenge including japanesefood.about.com, pinkbites.com, and itsybitsyfoodies.com

Soba is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. It is served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup. It takes three months for buckwheat to be ready for harvest, so it can be harvested four times a year, mainly in spring, summer, and autumn.

Hiyashi Soba is a popular dish in summer. It's like a noodle salad. Restaurants in Japan serve Hiyashi Soba only in summer. Even if you don't have much appetite because of the heat, Hiyashi Soba can be appetizing. Common Hiyashi Soba toppings are omelet strips, ham, cucumber and grated Daikon. You can also have the noodles just with the dipping sauce.

Tempura is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. A light batter is made of cold water (sometimes sparkling water is used to keep the batter light and soft wheat flour (cake, pastry or all-purpose flour). Eggs, baking soda or baking powder, starch, oil, and/or spices may also be added.

Here are the recipes provided by Lisa:

Hiyashi Soba:

Recipes courtesy of Globetrotter Diaries and About.com-Japanese Food

Serves 4

Soba Noodles:

Ingredients

2 quarts (2 L) water + 1 cup cold water, separate

12 oz (340 g) dried soba (buckwheat) noodles (or any Asian thin noodle)

Directions:

Cooking the noodles:

1. Heat 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the noodles a small bundle at a time, stirring gently to separate. When the water returns to a full boil, add 1 cup of cold water. Repeat this twice. When the water returns to a full boil, check the noodles for doneness. You want to cook them until they are firm-tender. Do not overcook them.

2. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse well under cold running water until the noodles are cool. This not only stops the cooking process, but also removes the starch from the noodles. This is an essential part of soba noodle making. Once the noodles are cool, drain them and cover them with a damp kitchen towel and set them aside allowing them to cool completely.

I used precooked Soba noodles I found in the refrigerated section next to the Tofu.

Spicy Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients

3⁄4 cup 70gm/21⁄2 oz spring onions/green onions/scallions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar

1⁄2 teaspoon (21⁄2 ml) (4 2⁄3 gm) (0.16 oz) granulated sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon (11⁄4 ml) (1/8 gm) (0.005 oz) English mustard powder

1 tablespoon (15 ml) grape-seed oil or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil (if you can’t find this just omit from recipe.)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste - roughly 1/3 a teaspoon of each

Directions:

1. Shake all the ingredients together in a covered container. Once the salt has dissolved, add and shake in 2 tablespoons of water and season again if needed.

I made a few substitutions in the sauce: Braggs Aminos instead of soy sauce, Fish Sauce instead of sesame oil and Spicy Brown Mustard instead of English mustard powder.

Common Hiyashi Soba Toppings:

Thin omelet strips

Ham Boiled chicken breasts Cucumber Boiled bean sprouts Tomatoes Toasted nori (Dried Seaweed) Green onions Wasabi powder Finely grated daikon (Japanese radish) Beni Shoga (Pickled Ginger)

All toppings should be julienne, finely diced or grated. Prepare and refrigerate covered until needed.

Serving:

Traditionally soba is served on a bamboo basket tray, but if you don’t have these, you can simply serve them on a plate or in a bowl. Divide up the noodles, laying them on your serving dishes. Sprinkle each one with nori. In small side bowl or cup, place 1/2 cup (120 ml) of dipping sauce into each. In separate small side dishes, serve each person a small amount of wasabi, grated daikon, and green onions.

The noodles are eaten by sprinkling the desired garnishes into the dipping sauce and eating the noodles by first dipping them into the sauce. Feel free to slurp away! Oishii!

Tempura

Recipes courtesy of pink bites and itsy bitsy foodies

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 egg yolk from a large egg 1 cup (240 ml) iced water 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) (70 gm) (21⁄2 oz) plain (all purpose) flour, plus extra for dredging 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) (70 gm) (21⁄2 oz) cornflour (also called cornstarch) 1⁄2 teaspoon (21⁄2 ml) (21⁄2 gm) (0.09 oz) baking powder oil, for deep frying preferably vegetable ice water bath, for the tempura batter (a larger bowl than what will be used for the tempura should be used. Fill the large bowl with ice and some water, set aside)

Very cold vegetables and seafood of your choice ie:

Sweet potato, peeled, thinly sliced, blanched

Carrot, peeled, thinly sliced diagonally

Pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, thinly sliced blanched

Green beans, trimmed

Green bell pepper/capsicum, seeds removed, cut into 2cm (3⁄4 inch)-wide strips

Assorted fresh mushrooms

Eggplant cut into strips (traditionally it’s fanned)

Onions sliced

Directions:

1. Place the iced water into a mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg yolk and gradually pour into the iced water, stirring (preferably with chopsticks) and blending well. Add flours and baking powder all at once, stroke a few times with chopsticks until the ingredients are loosely combined. The batter should be runny and lumpy. Place the bowl of batter in an ice water bath to keep it cold while you are frying the tempura. The batter as well as the vegetables and seafood have to be very cold. The temperature shock between the hot oil and the cold veggies help create a crispy tempura.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan or a wok. For vegetables, the oil should be 320°F/160°C; for seafood it should be 340°F/170°C. It is more difficult to maintain a steady temperature and produce consistent tempura if you don’t have a thermometer, but it can be done. You can test the oil by dropping a piece of batter into the hot oil. If it sinks a little bit and then immediately rises to the top, the oil is ready.

3. Start with the vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, that won’t leave a strong odor in the oil. Dip them in a shallow bowl of flour to lightly coat them and then dip them into the batter. Slide them into the hot oil, deep frying only a couple of pieces at a time so that the temperature of the oil does not drop.

4. Place finished tempura pieces on a wire rack so that excess oil can drip off. Continue frying the other items, frequently scooping out any bits of batter to keep the oil clean and prevent the oil (and the remaining tempura) from getting a burned flavor.

5. Serve immediately for the best flavor, but they can also be eaten cold.

Whatever's In The Fridge Pizza!

2011-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

This is totally a DIY pizza. Basically, a find what you have and throw it together kinda meal. A good one to make when say, you have absolutely nothing to make pizza with! Such was the case here. No tomato sauce, only one tomato, no meat, no real pizza dough, not much of anything. Oh yeah and no cheese!

So, how do you make pizza with nothing? Here goes:

1 loaf Rhode's bread dough thawed and risen

Toppings:

whatever you have!

1 tomato, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 an eggplant diced
almost a 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tablespoons flour

For the sauce, melt butter in a pan and add garlic till fragrant. Add red pepper flakes and flour. Cook about one minute. Whisk in cream, continue cooking until thickened.

Roll out bread dough into a pizza round. Lightly oil a pizza sheet and place dough on top. Add sauce and whatever you found to top it!

This was actually really good! The bread dough made a nice thin and crunchy crust! Mr. Food Nerd loved it!

THE DARING BAKERS JANUARY 2011 CHALLENGE: BISCUIT JOCONDE IMPRIME/ENTREMET

2011-01-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

Let me begin by making a really lame excuse for this looks like a first time house wife who is the next contestant on Worst Cooks in America amateur dessert! This is my first Daring Bakers challenge in about 3 months, and quite honestly I started it today (the due date), found out the recipe just yesterday (it's been available for a month), and just wasn't that into it. I had all these ideas in my head but I burnt the first two sheets, and used what was left to come out with this. Now, that said, I will perhaps give myself a "web redemption" (thanks Tosh) say next month around Valentine's Day.

Really I am quite embarrassed to even post this one! But what the hell, I am an amateur, what do I have nine followers? And besides, Daring Baker's is all about trying things we never have before, so here it is, my first Joconde Inprime.

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by

Astheroshe of the blog accro.

She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde

Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

These are the recipes provided:

Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:
¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour *See note below
3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

*Note: How to make cake flour: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/

Directions:

In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )
Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
Fold in melted butter.
Reserve batter to be used later.

Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan
Ingredients
14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus1½ tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
1¾ cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

COCOA Décor Paste Variation: Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g. Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
Fold in sifted flour.
Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:

Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.

Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.

Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.

Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.
Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.
Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

Preparing the MOLD for entremets:

You can use any type of mold. I would suggest:

Start with a large piece of parchment paper laid on a very flat baking sheet. Then a large piece of cling wrap over the parchment paper. Place a spring form pan ring, with the base removed, over the cling wrap and pull the cling wrap tightly up on the outside of the mold. Line the inside of the ring with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping top edge by ½ inch. CUT the parchment paper to the TOP OF THE MOLD. It will be easier to smooth the top of the cake.
A biscuit cutter/ cookie cutter- using cling wrap pulled tightly as the base and the cling covering the outside of the mold, placed on a parchment lined very flat baking sheet. Line the inside with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping.

Cut PVC pipe from your local hardware store. Very cheap! These can be cut into any height you wish to make a mold. 2 to 3 inches is good. My store will cut them for me, ask an employee at your store. You can get several for matching individual desserts. Cling wrap and parchment line, as outlined above.

Glass Trifle bowl. You will not have a free standing dessert, but you will have a nice pattern to see your joconde for this layered dessert.

Preparing the Jaconde for Molding:

Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.
Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is ½ the height of your mold. This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full height.
Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a very sharp paring knife and ruler.)

Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.

The mold is done, and ready to fill.

*Note: If not ready to use. Lay cake kept whole or already cut into strips, on a flat surface, wrap in parchment and several layers of cling wrap and freeze.

Entremet- Filling Options:

It is nice to have a completed dessert so you can unmold and see the Joconde working. Fill with anything you desire. Layers of different flavors and textures! However, it needs to be something cold that will not fall apart when unmolded.

Suggestions:
Mousses, pastry creams, Bavarian creams, cheesecakes, puddings, curds, jams, cookie bases, more cake (bake off the remaining sponge and cut to layer inside), nuts, Dacquoise, fresh fruit, chocolates, gelee.

For the filling I chose a Blackberry Mousse.

Blackberry Mousse:

Adapted from Food and Wine

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

1 cup blackberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg white

3/4 cup heavy cream

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of the water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. In a blender, puree the blackberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Strain the blackberry puree into a small saucepan; there should be about 3/4 cup. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer the blackberry mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved. Let the mixture cool.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg white until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cooled berry puree until no streaks of white remain. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until softly whipped. Fold the whipped cream into the berry mixture and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Peanut Butter Cookies ~ Dairy Free ~ Made with Coconut Oil

2011-01-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Cookies ~ Dairy Free ~ Made with Coconut Oil

Adapted from Epicurious

3/4 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil
2 1/2 cups organic King Arthur flour
1/4 cup Agave
1 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (or Turbinado sugar)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

3 tablespoons organic flax seeds
5 tablespoons purified water
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (fresh ground best)
1 ½ cups natural peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

Soak flax seeds in water for about 45 minutes or until jelly like.

Combine all the dry ingredients, ( baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, cinnamon) and set aside. Beat together the coconut oil and peanut butter. Stir in soaked flax seed mixture. Add the brown sugar, agave and vanilla.

Combine this with the dry ingredients. Add almond milk and thoroughly combine. Roll into balls and use a potato masher to make a pattern on top.

Bake at 350 for about 10 mins for chewy cookies and 2-4 minutes longer for crunchy.

Mini Pecan Pies

2011-01-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

This is seriously the only thing I made during the Holidays this year. On top of that I actually made it nine or ten times. I was even paid for a batch of them! So, do yourself a favor and save some time by doubling this recipe, they go quick and are in high demand.

Mini Pecan Pies

2 tablespoons finely ground pecans
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
1 egg white, chilled
2 tablespoons ice water, only if needed

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups pecan halves
2 eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup Grade B Organic Real Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Agave
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the dough:

Directions
In a food processor combine the ground pecans, flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the egg white and blend it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount of dough together, if it is crumbly, add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tray with nonstick spray. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about a 2 foot square, then use a small tea cup or round biscuit cutter to cut out circles. They should be slightly larger in diameter than the muffin tin hole, so when pressed in, the edges come half-way up the sides of the tin.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:
In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs until frothy then blend in sugars. Stir in the melted butter, vanilla, syrup and salt until well blended. Arrange the pecans on the bottoms of the tart shells. Pour in the filling to fill the shells almost to the top. Bake until the filling is set and slightly puffed, about 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

For an alternate filling use walnuts and dates in place of the pecans, very yummy!

Soap Nuts?

2010-12-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I was given a sample of Yoreganics Soap Nuts. I sort of forgot about them and after running out of laundry detergent earlier this week, I remembered them as I put it on my list. I really was hesitant to try them. I mean the load I needed to do has THE jeans and THAT shirt, you know the one! The outfit that if anything happened to it you would be totally devastated, the one that just fits perfect!

Well, that was in this load. I took a chance, and I must say, I am quite pleased. Then I thought "Hmm, How about stains?" So I grabbed some of Mr. Food Nerds jeans that he worked in (the ones that look so great on him that he's not supposed to work in, you know the ones) and sprayed some stain remover on them. Do not inhale this stuff! It might be all natural but the stain remover has a quite harsh scent! But, it works!

Then I moved on to towels, and whites. Added a bit of brightens & whitens and was again pleased.

So, what are Soap Nuts? Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree (Sapindus mukorrosi), similar to the lychee. A long time ago, local folks in the South East Asia figured out that when the nuts get wet, they release saponin, a natural cleaner, making them great for washing clothes!

SoapNuts are super-easy to use, and you'll find they’re far less messy than your other detergents.Put 3-5 soapnuts in the cotton drawstring bag that comes with your order.Pull the bag closed. If you desire scent, add a few drops of essential oil. Pop it in the washing machine and wash the clothes on warm or hot. It's very low suds so you can use in high efficiency washers too.

That’s it!

Take the bag out before you put the laundry in the dryer. You can re-use the same soapnuts for your next load, since they’re good for 5-6 rounds. If you don’t have any more laundry to do, just set them aside to dry and you can use them again later.

Soapnut Soak is a wonder. Use it for washing clothes in cold water.

It basically turns soapnuts into liquid detergent — convenient and easy to use. But it can also be used to safely replace many household chemicals: window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, floor cleaner, multi-purpose cleaner, liquid hand soap, delicate laundry soap, and even shampoo.

Making it takes less than 5 minutes — including the time it takes to find the utensils. Even if you’re no kitchen whiz, you’ll find the process is as effortless as making a pot of tea — with useful, economical results.

The Recipe

Bring four cups of water to a boil in a heavy saucepan with a lid.

Turn off the heat and toss 6-8 soapnuts in the saucepan with the hot water.

Cover the saucepan, and let it sit overnight.

In the morning, fish out and discard the remaining soapnut shells.

Pour the cooled liquid into a container with a lid.

(Optional) If you’d like your Soapnut Soak to have a scent, add your favorite essential oils. We suggest lemon or tea tree oil for bathroom cleanser, lavender for cold water laundry loads, and Sweet Orange for dishwasher cleaning liquid.

This batch of Soapnut Soak will wash at least 8 loads of laundry. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup for each load. (You can adjust this amount as needed, depending on the size of the load and how dirty the contents are).
You can also double or triple the recipe to accommodate your laundry schedule! Keep in mind, though, that If you’ve made enough to last more than a week or two, it’s a good idea to keep it refrigerated in a clearly labeled bottle.

Yoreganics has other products too, get them here.

OCTOBER 2010 DARING BAKERS CHALLENGE: Let's Go Nuts for Doughnuts!

2010-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

When I saw this challenge I immediately thought of Voodoo Donuts in Portland, OR. I was going to go crazy like that and top them with Apple Jacks or Crunch Berries, however, the challenge got closer faster than I got to the store! So the craziest my toppings got was Reese's peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts over dutch chocolate ganache! My son and I had a lot of fun making these! We still like the plain sugared doughnut best, what do you expect from a vanilla girl!

Alton Brown making the Yeast Doughnuts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP8L9FXVNq4

Yeast Doughnuts:

Preparation time:

Hands on prep time - 25 minutes

Rising time - 1.5 hours total

Cooking time - 12 minutes

Yield: 20 to 25 doughnuts & 20 to 25 doughnut holes, depending on size

Ingredients

Milk 1.5 cup / 360 ml

Vegetable Shortening 1/3 cup / 80 ml / 70 gm / 2.5 oz (can substitute butter, margarine or lard)

Active Dry Yeast 4.5 teaspoon (2 pkgs.) / 22.5 ml / 14 gm / ½ oz

Warm Water 1/3 cup / 80 ml (95°F to 105°F / 35°C to 41°C)

Eggs, Large, beaten 2

White Granulated Sugar ¼ cup / 60 ml / 55 gm / 2 oz

Table Salt 1.5 teaspoon / 7.5 ml / 9 gm / 1/3 oz

Nutmeg, grated 1 tsp. / 5 ml / 6 gm / ¼ oz

All Purpose Flour 4 2/3 cup / 1,120 ml / 650 gm / 23 oz + extra for dusting surface

Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil (can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)

Directions:

1.Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. (Make sure the shortening is melted so that it incorporates well into the batter.)

2.Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.

3.In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. It should get foamy. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.

4.Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer (if you have one), combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined.

5.Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.

6.Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes (for me this only took about two minutes). If you do not have a dough hook/stand mixer – knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.

7.Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

8.On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch (9 mm)thick. (Make sure the surface really is well-floured otherwise your doughnuts will stick to the counter).

9.Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) doughnut cutter or pastry ring or drinking glass and using a 7/8-inch (22 mm) ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

10.Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 °F/185°C.

11.Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side or until golden brown (my doughnuts only took about 30 seconds on each side at this temperature).

12.Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

Chicken and Tomatillo Stew with Wheat Berries

2010-10-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Tomatillo Chicken Stew with Wheat Berries

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Tomatillo Sauce
1 1/2 lbs organic tomatillos
1-2 organic jalapeño peppers
1 clove organic garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons organic lime juice
Pinch of organic sugar

Stew
6 free range chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
organic olive oil
2 organic yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves organic garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups tomatillo sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup packed chopped cilantro

Method

1 Make the tomatillo sauce. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut-side down on an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Broil for 5-7 minutes until blackened in spots. Let cool. Place the tomatillos, their juices, jalepeno peppers, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in a blender, and pulse until well blended.

2 Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium high heat until almost smoking. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Brown the chicken on both sides. Do not cook through, but only brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and lower the heat to medium. There should be a nice layer of browned bits at the bottom of the pan.

3 Add the onions to the pan, and a tablespoon or two more olive oil. Add ground cumin and coriander. Cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and the browned bits from the chicken have been picked up by the onions and are no longer sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.

4 Add the browned chicken, the tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, and oregano to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the cilantro to the stew in the last minute or so of cooking.

Serve over cooked wheat berries (1 cup wheat berries, 3 cups water, boil for 45 mins to 1 hour until soft), and with sour cream if desired. The stew will thicken as it cools.

Serves 4-6

Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolate

2010-10-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

As part of the Food Buzz Tastemaker Program I received three samples of Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolate. Hazelnut, Almond and Milk Chocolate. I am supposed to write about how I enjoyed the chocolate and whether or not it inspired any new recipes.

Well, I opened the envelope snapped a photo (a blurry one at that) and Mr. Food Nerd and I devoured them right then and there at the post office! The Hazelnut was absolutely euphoric and I am not a milk chocolate person at all! This was good chocolate!

http://luxemilk.com/

Pea Soup Anderson's

2010-10-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Every so often, Mr. Food Nerd proclaims, "It's a Pea Soup day!" and we head off in search of a good cup of Pea Soup from Pea Soup Anderson's in Buellton, CA. We usually make a day of it and end up at the beach.

Now, Mr. Food Nerd and Pea Soup go way back. In fact his mother, Judi, will tell you that Pea Soup is his favorite! This is not particularly true, however, after discovering Pea Soup Anderson's it is becoming more and more so.

The story takes place in small town Chicago suburbs, a town of about six thousand at the time. Mr. Food Nerd was just a boy of maybe eight years old. He spent most of his time outside in the woods building forts on the five acres he grew up on. There were rivers, creeks, and plenty of other things to keep a boy busy for hours. His mother left for a few hours leaving him and his friend preparing a place for a tent and getting the fire pit ready for night. She told them as she left "I left Pea Soup on the stove for you, it will be ready soon. Check it in about a half hour." Seriously, who does that? They are eight! So, yes this does seem strange to be leaving eight year old children in charge of Pea Soup on the stove, however, I suppose it was a different time and maybe his friends mother was at home next door. Let's just think this was so.

Of course, being the children they were, they got wrapped up in gathering wood and clearing a nice area for their tent. A couple hours went by, then suddenly, they looked at one another and shouted in sync "Pea Soup!" They scrambled up to the house to find the it filled with smoke! Mr. Food Nerd was sure the house was on fire. In the kitchen was a smoking, smoldering pot of Pea Soup! Quickly they turned off the stove and grabbed the blackened pot of Pea Soup (hopefully with pot holders!) and took it outside. The house smelled terrible! They opened every window and door to air out the house, turned on fans and ran around trying to swoosh all the smoke outside. The smell still lingered. "Air freshener!" little Mr. Food Nerd exclaimed. They used up all the spray fresheners in the house, the smell was still there. Two little 8 year old boys searched the home for money, under couch cushions, on top of the grown ups dressers, the laundry room and of course their own piggy banks. Mr. Food Nerd sent his friend on several trips by bicycle to a little convenience store (actually called The Convenience Store at the time) about a half a mile (round trip) away buying (one can at a time, mind you) cans of air freshener to hide the smell of burnt Pea Soup!

Can you imagine these little guys? All to avoid a lecture regarding forgotten Pea Soup! To this day Mr. Food Nerds mom still believes this is his favorite soup, (until she reads this!) Of course she would think this after the boys had eaten up the entire pot! Somewhere on that five acres is a buried pot with a scorched bottom of blackened Pea Soup!

The mischievous Mr. Food Nerd!

Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese and Peppered Maple Syrup

2010-10-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese and Peppered Maple Syrup

Adapted from Epicurious

I feel like the title says it all! It does. Take four fresh organic figs, quarter them. Mix 1/2 a teaspoon black pepper with 1/4 cup organic grade b maple syrup. Spoon a tablespoon of goat cheese over each quartered fig, drizzle with peppered syrup and voila! Great appetizer or salad substitute, or enjoy for breakfast like I did!

Serves 4

Mashed Potato-Stuffed Peppers

2010-10-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

For my 35th birthday, Mr. Food Nerd got me the greatest new cook book. Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool. The book is filled with some really awesome recipes! You can learn more about the author here.
This cook book is also filled with all sorts of organic resources. It's divided up into seasons, which I love, and this one falls in Indian Summer.

Get your own Simply Organic Cookbook at the the Food Nerd Ciao Store!

Mashed Potato-Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Simply Organic

4 medium organic Anaheim Chile peppers
2 organic garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons organic balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Fleur de Sel
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 pound organic Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh organic chives
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup organic milk
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stems. In a medium bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss the peppers to coat. Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes for 15 minutes in a pot of salted water. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Mash the potatoes with the chives. Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the potatoes while mashing. Add enough milk to make the potatoes smooth and creamy.

Turn the peppers cut side up and mound the potatoes into the baked peppers. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note: Alternately you could keep the peppers whole and pipe the potatoes in, this would be a better presentation, I think.

The Daring Cooks October, 2010 Challenge: WE ARE ON A ROLL!

2010-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

Historical Note: Stuffed grape leaves are a part of many cultures including the Syrians, the Turks, the Greeks, the Lebanese, the Albanians, the Israeli's, the Iranians, the Iraqis and the Armenians (just to name a few). Generally speaking the stuffed part could be in zucchinis/courgette, eggplant, tomato or peppers. Really it also extends to stuffing certain types of fish as well. It is suggested that the origin of stuffed grape leaves goes back to the time when Alexander the Great besieged Thebes. It has also been suggested the Byzantines refined and spiced up the recipe and used the leaves of other vines such as hazelnuts and figs.

Here is one of the recipes Lori provided.

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice with Apricot Tamarind Sauce/ Yebra

Adapted from Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen. Published by Harper Collins, 2007

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients for hashu/filling:
1 pound (455 gm) ground (minced) beef
1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 1/3 oz) (65 gm) short grain rice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) all spice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use ½ tsp.**
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) white pepper
1 onion, chopped **optional**
1 cup (5½ oz) (150 gm) pine nuts **optional**

Directions:

1.Soak rice in water, enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Combine meat, rice, allspice, vegetable oil, cinnamon, salt, white pepper, and if desired, onion and pine nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Ingredients for assembly:

1 pound (455 gm) hashu/filling (see recipe above)
36 preserved grape leaves, stems trimmed, drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
6 dried apricots – or more if you desire
3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamarind concentrate **if you can’t find it, you can omit it**
¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (9 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use 1.5 tsp.**

Notes:

If using grape leaves preserved in brine, to remove salt put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers, and leave them soaking for about twenty minutes, then change the water a time or two using fresh cold water.

If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.

Tamarind is actually fairly easy to find. There is a paste that is in package already made up. You can find it at Asian, Mexican or Indian grocers. You can also find the pods (a little more difficult) and make it yourself. It is akin to a sweet/tangy tea flavor. If you can’t find it, you can skip the sauce all together. The grape leaves will be just as delicious without the sauce. But we hope that those that can find it will use it.
Directions:

1.Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, vein side up. You can trim the little stem if you would like.
2.Place about two teaspoons (10 ml) of the filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge.
3.Roll the leaf end to end, starting from the stem edge. As you roll, fold the sides of the leaf in toward the center. The leaf should resemble a small cigar, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (50 mm to 65mm) long.
4.Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

a.(You can freeze the stuffed grape leaves at this point. Just line a baking sheet with wax paper. When firmly frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag place back in the freezer.)

5.In a medium saucepan put in the vegetable oil and then place the filled grape leaves in the pot.
6.Place apricots in between the stuffed grape leaves. Cover and cook over low heat for 5- 8 minutes or until the grape leaves begin to sweat.
7.Using all three tablespoons, place a little of the tamarind concentrate, if using, over the rolls.
8.Combine lemon juice, salt, and water then add to pan, filling it ¾ full.
9.Weigh down the grape leaves with a heat proof plate or board to prevent them from unraveling. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes.

a.Alternatively, place the saucepan in an oven preheated to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for an hour.

10.Spoon cooking liquid over the grape leaves occasionally. You will know they are done, when the grape leaves are neither soupy nor dry.
11.Tilt pan sideways over serving platter, allowing the grape leaves to tumble out. Try not to handle them individually to reduce unraveling.

Unable to get grape leaves, I opted for stuffed cabbage rolls. I will still be trying the grape leaves in the future! Here is the recipe I used.

Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

1 cup shredded carrots
1 large head green cabbage
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1 cup rice, cooked
2 eggs
1 tbsp paprika
1/8 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup water mixed with 1 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup butter milk
1/4 cup cream cheese

Method

1 In a large saucepan, bring to a boil enough salted water to cover the cabbage. Add the cabbage, turn the heat to low and simmer 8 minutes. Remove the cabbage and let it drain while it cools enough to handle. Pull off 16 large unbroken leaves and lay them on paper towels to drain and cool further.

2 In a 10-inch skillet, cook sausage thoroughly. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sausage, rice, eggs, paprika, marjoram, salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Mix well with a fork or wooden spoon.

3 Place 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the center of one of the wilted cabbage leaves and, beginning with the thick end of the leaf, fold over the sides, then roll the whole leaf tightly, as you would a small bundle. Repeat with more leaves until all the stuffing has been used.

4 Pour the water and tomato puree on the bottom of a 5-quart casserole dish, add carrots and arrange the cabbage rolls on top of it. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover the pan tightly and cook the stuffed cabbage over low heat for 45 minutes. Transfer the rolls from the casserole to a warm plate. Stir in the butter milk and cream cheese into the carrots and tomato sauce. Simmer another 5 minutes. Puree sauce mixture with stick mixer. Arrange the cabbage rolls on a serving plate and pour some of the sauce over them. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
Serves 4-6.

Veggie Pizza with Roasted Garlic White Sauce and Whole Wheat Flaxseed Crust

2010-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Inspired by october:Unprocessed. I found this list very helpful in determining the goal of eating unprocessed foods for the rest of October. Basically, if you can make it in your own kitchen then it would be safe to assume it's unprocessed. Cheese for instance can be homemade, butter too (obviously consuming in moderation), whole wheat flour (if you have a Vita-mix it's pretty easy). Now, granulated sugar does not really fall into this category. Turbinado sugar does (again in moderation). Salt? Unprocessed Fleur de Sel would be fine. Beer? You can make it at home, wine too. Head over to http://www.eatingrules.com/ to find out more about october:Unprocessed and sign the pledge!

All that said, here is a great recipe with unprocessed ingredients for some very yummy pizza! So yummy, Mr. Food Nerd said we never have to order pizza again!

Veggie Pizza with Roasted Garlic White Sauce
and Whole Wheat Flax seed Crust

Pizza Crust:
1 cup soaked (at least 2 hours) organic flax seeds, with soaking water
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon real organic maple syrup (I use Grade B)
1 tablespoon organic olive oil
2-3 tablespoons water

Note: Soaked flax seeds are used primarily in "Raw" food. I use them as an egg substitute as well.

Mix soaked flax seeds and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for 10 minutes. Mix in flour and knead for about 5 minutes. (You can use a dough hook in a mixer or by hand.) Add a couple tablespoons water if dough is dry. Once dough comes together drizzle olive oil on top and let rise for 30 minutes.

Once risen, punch down dough and roll out onto a floured surface. (Makes a 15" round pizza with a thin crust.) Spray olive oil (using Misto or other non-stick spray) onto pizza pan and place dough on pan.

Sauce:

4 cloves roasted organic garlic (see below)
1 teaspoon organic olive oil
1 cup organic milk
1/4 cup milk solids
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons organic whole wheat flour
Fleur de Sel and fresh ground pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place peeled garlic cloves on it. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes till golden. Remove from oven and rude oven heat to 375 degrees for baking the pizza.

In a medium sauce pan, combine milk with milk solids and butter. Heat until butter melts over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Add roasted garlic cloves (whole) and Parmesan cheese. Continue to cook about 10 minutes till thickened. Remove from heat and blend with stick mixer to puree garlic into the sauce. (you could use a food processor or blender too.) Spread sauce onto pizza dough.

Toppings:

2 cups fresh organic spinach
2 large organic tomatoes, sliced
1 cup shredded organic zucchini
1/4 cup Jack cheese (I mixed this in with the zucchini, gives Mr. Food Nerd the illusion of more cheese!)
1/4 cup organic chick peas, pre-cooked
1/4 cup Feta cheese

Top pizza in the above order, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. (more if you like veggies to crisp on the top.)

Wild Lobster Mushroom Crepes de Mille

2010-10-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe using the bunch of wild dried mushroom samples from Marx Foods. This could be made entirely with Lobster mushrooms alone, however I only had a half ounce of each kind and really needed a full ounce or more. I found that the Matsutake mushrooms didn't over power the Lobster flavor so I paired them. I used a whole wheat crepe and cooked the edges a bit crispy and uneven for a ruffled effect.

Wild Lobster Mushroom Crepes de Mille

Filling:
1/2 ounce reconstituted dried organic wild Lobster mushrooms
1/2 ounce reconstituted died organic wild Matsutake mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter
1 clove organic garlic
1/4 cup diced organic yellow onion
1/2 cup reconstituted Lobster mushroom stock
1/4 teaspoon Fleur de Sel
3/4 cup organic milk
5-7 threads of Saffron
1 teaspoon organic sugar
1 tablespoon King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 mild Italian sausage links removed from casing

Note: I cooked and served the sausage on the side but found the flavor of the sausage really needed to be within the filling. So don't let the pictures confuse you!

Reconstitute Mushrooms: Place in medium bowl and cover with boiling water, let sit for 20 minutes. Reserve the stock.

Brown sausage in large pan over medium. In a separate pan add diced mushrooms and butter with diced onion, saute over medium for 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk flour into 1/2 cup lobster mushroom stock and Fleur de Sel, add to pan and simmer 5 minutes. Add sausage and milk. Grind saffron threads with sugar with mortar and pestle and add to filling mixture. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until thick and bubbly.

Crepes:

3 large organic eggs
1 1/2 cups organic milk
1 cup King Arthur whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon organic olive oil

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Whisk in milk and flour until smooth.

Heat oil in crepe pan or medium frying pan. Using 1/5 cup batter for each crepe, pour batter into pan, rotate pan in a circle to spread batter. Cook until lightly golden on bottom. No need to flip as long as batter on top is no longer shiny or wet.

Assemble:

Beginning with a crepe on the bottom add filling to each layer and stack like pancakes. End with filling on top and garnish as desired.

Get your organic wild dried mushrooms in all varieties at Marx Foods. All of their mushrooms are hand-foraged in the Pacific Northwest. Don't forget about truffles too!

Canned Mexican Sauce

2010-10-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

As soon I turned on the stove and added the tomatoes to the pot, my kitchen began to smell like hers. "Hers" is my grandmas. She past on several years back but the smell of this recipe takes me back to her kitchen immediately! It smelled so good!

I can remember every year she would have us grandkids (usually unwilling) help her peel freshly blanched tomatoes for canning and sauce. My fingers got so scorched and turned to raisins from peeling them for hours! Her garden would produce more than she knew what to do with every year, that meant lots of work, but lots of great Mexican Sauce (as she called it) all year long!

Lucky you, I am sharing the recipe!

The recipe card above is the actual one, she typed it up on a non-electric typewriter. She did that to quite a few recipes back then, but my favorite are the hand written ones. Now, I did not have 8 quarts of tomatoes on hand, nor did I have the right peppers, so I altered (gasp!) the recipe. Yes, I altered a classic! It turned out very good , too!

Canned Mexican Sauce
Adapted from Belva Beauregard

4 large (approx. 3 cups) organic tomatoes, diced
1 large organic green pepper, diced
1 organic yellow onion, diced
4 small organic yellow tomatoes, diced
1 Serrano pepper, seeded and diced
Salt to taste

Bring all ingredients except salt to a boil. Cook down for about 20 minutes. Add salt to taste. Pack in hot jars with sealing lids. Invert for 20 minutes to seal. Makes 3 pints.

Pork Chops with Wild Porcini Mushrooms and Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction

2010-10-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

Justin at Marx Foods sent me a few samples of dried wild mushrooms in exchange for a great recipe. Wild Porcini's were one of the varieties. Upon opening the package these Wild Porcini mushrooms had an amazing aroma. Like a batch of browned butter! Very deep and woody, my first thought was to pair it with something sweet. I ended up with a bit of sweet and sour, but it was a perfect match!

A little info from Marx Foods about Wild Porcini Mushrooms:

Porcini mushrooms are valued for their meaty texture, great depth of flavor and distinct shape. They have a classic embellished mushroom shape and large slices. The meat-like texture of Porcini, with its earthy and somewhat nutty flavor is unequaled among mushrooms and lends itself to countless dishes. Dried porcinis have a buttery fragrance. All of the wild mushrooms at Marx Foods are organic.

Porcinis grow wild in Pacific Northwest forests typically from June to July and again in September. These mushrooms are sustainably hand-foraged from these forests.

It takes about 5 pounds of fresh mushrooms to create 8 ounces of dried mushrooms.
Marx Foods offers dried wild Porcini's for $22.00 for 2 ounces, a great value.

Learn more about wild foods here.

Pork Chops with Wild Porcini Mushrooms and Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction

1/2 ounce organic dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms, reconstituted
1/2 medium organic yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons organic olive oil
1/3 cup stock from reconstituting mushrooms
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar infused with pomegranate
2 teaspoons organic sugar
2-4 pork chops
salt and pepper

Reconstitute mushrooms: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Pour boiling water over dried mushrooms in a medium bowl, make sure water is enough to cover mushrooms. Let sit for 20 minutes. Strain. Reserve the extra flavorful stock for other uses.

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Rinse and pat dry pork, season with salt and pepper. Saute onion in olive oil for 3 minutes then add pork. Cook pork thoroughly, turning once after browned. Remove pork and onion from pan.

Add the vinegar to the same pan with the 1/3 cup mushroom broth and sugar. Bring to a boil and add chopped reconstituted Porcini mushrooms. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vinegar mixture is reduced by 1/2 and somewhat thickened. Return pork and onion to pan, turn to coat. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Pork accompanied by organic acorn squash baked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes flesh side down in a pan filled with an inch of water. Salt and pepper to taste and a pat of butter.

Zucchini Berry Muffins ~ And the end of Project Food Blog :(

2010-10-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

I regret to inform you that Food Nerd Ciao! did not make it to Round 3 in Project Food Blog. Thank you all for your support and votes! I give you Zucchini Berry muffins for comfort food! Enjoy!

Zucchini Berry Muffins

Adapted from King Arthur Flour
2 large organic eggs

1/4 cup real organic maple syrup

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup organic granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup King Arthur whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups shredded, unpeeled organic zucchini

1 cup organic blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375° lightly grease muffin pan, line it with parchment or use paper liners . In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, oil, molasses, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture

Stir in the zucchini, raisins and walnuts.

Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the muffins test done with a toothpick coming out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven, and place on a rack to cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together sugar and cream cheese until smooth, mix in vanilla. Pipe through a piping bag, color as desired.

Nature's Pride Healthy Multi-Grain Scalloped Tomato Pockets

2010-09-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

As part of Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program, Nature's Pride bread company sent me a coupon for a free loaf of bread in trade for a great, unique recipe.

Nature's Pride Healthy Multi-Grain Scalloped Tomato Pockets

6 slices Nature's Pride Healthy Multi-Grain Bread
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
3 slices prosciutto, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using a rolling pin, roll out bread slices till thinned. Spray both sides of Nature's Pride bread with olive oil using a Misto sprayer or other olive oil non stick spray. Arrange thinned Nature's Pride bread slices into muffin pan so that the sesame crust side is swirled together and forms a pocket. Bake for 10-12 minutes until toasted and holds the shape of the muffin pan.

Fill baked Nature's Pride bread pockets with tomato mixture. Top with shredded prosciutto and cilantro. Great hot or cold.

Try an alternate filling, Nature's Pride Healthy Multi-Grain Breakfast Pockets: scrambled eggs, tomato, green onion, cheddar cheese and chopped bacon!

Nature's Pride bread is an official sponsor of the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. This recipe is entered to be a part of the Nature's Pride Bread Ambassador Program.