Amy's Food Room

Navy Bean Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:10:00 +0000

The thought of this soup simmering away in my friends’ Boston brownstone on a snowy winter day inspired me to gather the ingredients and get a version cooking out here in rainy California. The guidelines below are starting points, but a soup like this is very forgiving -- have fun with it! The only essentials are getting the beans cooked and seasoned to your liking. Enjoy.

Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup
serves 8

1 pound dry navy beans (approximately 2 cups); you need to soak these. You can choose from 2 methods, one overnight and one that takes about an hour before you can start the slow cooker cooking.

12 ounces bacon, sliced into 1/4 inch batons (I like Neiman Ranch applewood smoked)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic mashed with 1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

1. Prepare the beans for soaking. Put the beans in a large bowl and rinse the beans under running water, filling the bowl and pouring off the water a few times. Fill “bean bowl” or stock pot with water once more, this will be your soaking water. Water should cover the beans by at least 3 or 4 inches. Remove any floaters.

Choose one of the following:

Overnight Soak

Set the bean bowl in the fridge overnight. The next day, dump the beans into a colander and discard the soaking liquid. Beans are ready to cook.

Quick Soak

Put the beans into a large stockpot and fill the pot with water to cover the beans by 3 - 4 inches. Over medium high heat, boil the beans for 1 minute then turn off the heat, cover the pot and let beans sit for 1 hour.

2. Brown bacon in slow cooker insert on top of stove (or in a frying pan). Remove bacon to a plate, drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the onions and garlic. Cook the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, until softened.

3. Add the spices to the onions and stir with a wooden spoon. Move the slow cooker insert from stovetop to the slow cooker. Add the soaked beans, cooked bacon and 6 cups water (or enough to cover the beans by about 1 inch). Cook on “high” setting for 4 hours.

4. Taste soup for seasoning, adding sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and/or olive oil, for serving, if you wish.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

Instead of slow cooking, you can simmer this soup on the stovetop for a couple hours.

Substitute your favorite adobo seasoning mix for the oregano, cumin, chipotle and garlic powder -- I haven’t tried it, but would guess 3 teaspoons would be a good start for the amount.

If you prefer a smooth texture for the soup, puree all or part of the beans using an immersion blender, or carefully transfer some of the cooled soup to a regular blender.

Leftover transformation #1: Serve the beans under a piece of grilled fish or meat. Add some sauteed greens and you have a completely different meal.

Leftover transformation #2: Add a can of chopped organic tomatoes (14.5 oz.) to some the leftover bean soup. Simmer on the stovetop to combine flavors.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:14:00 +0000

I'm still chuckling over one of my friends stopping by yesterday afternoon and, after pausing and sniffing the air, exclaiming, "Mmmm! What's for dinner? Short ribs?!" She was right. And there is nothing like slow cooked meat and wine. I learned the master for this recipe at a cooking class given by Alex Lee, back in his Daniel NYC days. His is better, but his uses 3 bottles of wine and, hey, he's Alex, and he had help. This is a fantastic make-ahead meal. Serve it with polenta and a great bottle of red and you'll have friends for life.

Braised Beef Short Ribs
serves 4 - 6

See ingredients for “The meat”, “The veggies” and “The braising liquid” when shopping.

The meat:

4 beef short ribs, each cut into 2-3 inch pieces; approximately 6 pounds

1 tablespoon semolina flour

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

The veggies:

1 leek, sliced in half and into 1/2 inch half-moons then rinsed in a bowl of water

1 celery stick, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 carrot, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

5 garlic cloves, peeled

4 shallots, peeled and split

3 sprigs Italian, flat leaf parsley

1 branch fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1. Sprinkle the meat with salt, semolina and pepper, then brown the ribs on all sides (in batches) in a hot dutch oven (at least 6 qt size, I like Le Creuset) with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. As meat browns, remove from dutch oven and set aside on a plate while you finish with all of the rib chunks. This is going to take you around 45 minutes.

2. As you’re browning the rib chunks, make the braising liquid and prepare the veggies, as described below. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and put rack in lower 1/3 of oven.

3. When you have finished browning all of the rib chunks, remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the dutch oven, toss the veggies in, stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir and cook for a minute. Add the rib chunks and braising liquid, cover and put into preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours.

The braising liquid:

1 750ml bottle of red wine, preferably Rhone, reduced (see below)

1 32 oz. box organic beef stock, low-sodium (I like Imagine brand)

1 8oz. tub Perfect Addition frozen beef stock

1 cup water

1. Pour wine into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce by 1/2. This will take about 20 minutes.

2. Add the stocks and water and bring to simmer. Pour over ribs and veggies in the dutch oven, cover with lid. Place into preheated 350 degree F oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

If you can’t find the Perfect Addition frozen beef stock, substitute 2 cups of other liquid -- more boxed beef stock or more reduced wine, see below.
The more wine the better, but I know it is tough to pour more than one bottle into a dinner. If you happen to open a bottle while you’re cooking, pour a glass or two to drink then add the rest to the braising liquid in step 1 above. It’ll only make it better.
One of the keys to a good braise is to be patient with the browning process at the very beginning. With short rib chunks, it is essential to take the time to brown each surface -- so the browning is going to take you about 45 minutes - 1 hour. It will be time well spent, so don’t rush it.
All stews and braises get better with a little time on them. Take the pressure off yourself and make this dish a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, remove the hardened fat then reheat gently on the stovetop when you are ready to serve.
Short ribs are great served on top of soft-cooked polenta. Bring 6 cups water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt, sprinkle in 2 cups polenta, stir and cook over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, cover and let stand until ready to serve (within 30 minutes or the polenta will harden).

Chard and Leek Soup with Grilled Bread and Poached Egg

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:31:00 +0000

Here's an easy one dish meal inspired by Lidia Bastianich's recipe for Acquacotta, a traditional soup from the Maremma region of Tuscany. Serve the soup with a slice of grilled bread, a poached egg and some thin slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano. (Oh...and some wine. But you knew that!)

Chard and Leek Soup with Grilled Bread and Poached Egg

serves 6 - 8

3 leeks, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
4 stalks celery (the inner stalks with the leaves are great for this soup), sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, stems removed (mostly)
1/2 bunch basil leaves, stems removed (mostly)

2 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

1 bunch chard, large stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 cups water, boiling

for serving: grilled bread, eggs for poaching, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Rinse all vegetables with water, pat dry with clean kitchen towel and prepare as noted in ingredient list, above. Place leeks, celery, parsley leaves and basil leaves into the workbowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, not quite a paste.

2. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the leek mixture and stir for several minutes to dry out moisture and carmelize a bit. Push the leeks to one side in the pot, make a little open space at the bottom of the pan, add a touch more olive oil, sprinkle in the pepper flakes and stir to toast a bit. Do the same with the tomato paste. Then stir tomato paste and pepper flakes into the leek mixture. Cook for a total of about 10 minutes before adding the water (next step).

3. Add the boiling water to the soup pot containing the leeks+. Add the salt and the chard. Simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

4. To poach eggs in the soup: After the soup has cooked in step 3, ladle some of the soup, heavy on the greens, into a saute pan so that the soup is about 1 1/2 inches deep. Bring to a simmer, make little wells in the greens using your ladle, then crack an egg into each well. (If you are serving more than 4, do this in 2 stages -- you don’t want to try to poach more than 4 eggs at a time.) Sprinkle some sea salt on each egg yolk and cook until egg is done, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the serving bowls.

5. Prepare the serving bowls by warming them then placing a piece of grilled bread at the bottom. Place the poached egg on top of the bread then ladle the soup and greens around the bread. Pass the Parmigiano, as well as additional salt and olive oil at the table. Enjoy!

Amy's Kitchen Coach Tips

To wash leeks, slice off the root end as well as a few inches of the dark green leaves on the other end, discard. Split the leek in half, lengthwise then slice crosswise into desired size. Fill large bowl with water and add leek pieces. Swish them around in the bowl of water then lift them out onto a clean kitchen towel to dry. This leaves the dirt in the bottom of the water bowl.
This is a peasant soup and there are as many variations as there are cooks. Free yourself a bit and experiment with different aromatics (onions etc) and leafy greens.
Onion Variations: substitute 2 small yellow onions for the leeks. As we move towards spring, this is the perfect soup for using those spring onions and green garlic you will see at the farmers market.

Roasted Kale

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:47:00 +0000

Who would think that 10 minutes in the oven could turn dino kale into something even better than a potato chip? Seriously. Try it. Be careful not to overbake, it really goes quickly. I have no idea how long it will keep after roasting, because it doesn't last very long around here.

Roasted Dino Kale

serves 2

1 bunch organic dino (lacinato) kale

extra virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon)

sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Wash the dino kale in a large bowl of water, lift out and squeeze dry in clean kitchen towel. With a knife, remove the tough stem from each leaf by slicing down each side of the stem; discard the stem. Tear leaves into pieces and put in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, toss with your hands then put on cookie sheet pan. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until crispy. Enjoy!

Kitchen Coach Tips

The best way to remove dirt from winter greens like collards, kale and spinach is to immerse the greens in a large bowl of water. Jiggle them around a little bit then lift the greens out of the water to leave the dirt in the bottom of the bowl.

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:15:00 +0000

What kind of birthay cake do you want, Jane? "Cream puffs!" Aiming to satisfy, and wanting to try out Food 52's idea to flavor ice cream with the remaining post-Christmas candy canes, I set out to create the birthday "cake". Below I've adapted my fresh ice cream base, but you can also stir crushed candy canes into a pint of your favorite vanilla ice cream. I do highly recommend the profiterole treatment for serving (i.e. scoop of ice cream in a split cream puff with whipped cream on top) -- the sweet peppermint stick ice cream is balanced by the egg-y cream puff and very lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
2 cups organic heavy cream, not ultrapasteurized
2 cups organic whole milk
1 cup unrefined sugar
pinch sea salt
4 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 or 4 crushed candy canes

Thanks to Jerry Traunfeld of the Herbfarm for inspiring the following method for the custard.
1. Boil the Cream. Combine cream, milk, and a pinch of salt in a medium sized saucepan. Bring milk/cream to a boil and then remove from the heat.

2. Prepare egg yolks. Put the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl set over another bowl filled half way with hot tap water. Whisk the yolks until they are lukewarm, 90 - 100 degrees (this will just take a minute or two), then remove the bowl from the water.

3. Second boil. Add the sugar to the milk/cream and bring back to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat, stir in the vanilla and immediately pour a gradual stream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly for a minute. This will cook the egg yolks, an instant-read thermometer will register 170 - 180 degrees. Whisk for another minute to slightly cool the mixture and pour through a fine sieve into a 4 cup glass measuring cup. Refrigerate overnight for best results.

4. Freeze. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions, usually about 20 minutes total churning time. Add the crushed candy canes during the last 5 minutes of churning.

Parker House Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:54:00 +0000

I was signed up to be pastry chef at my friend Paul’s Thanksgiving feast this year and I planned a roster of delicious desserts -- everything from bourbon pumpkin pie to Daniel Boulud’s gingerbread cake. A few days before the event, what did Paul confess? “I don’t really have a sweet tooth, but you know what I’d really like? Some yeast rolls.”

My crinkled page from Gourmet magazine (1992) for Parker House Rolls has served me well over the years, but the instructions made them seem more complicated than they really are. Hopefully I have enhanced the original with my instructions below. You need about 4 hours and some basic ingredients. I hope you will try them.

Parker House Rolls
makes 32 rolls

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz.)
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup organic milk, lowfat or whole, heated to lukewarm
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum organic)
3 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg, beaten
3 1/2 - 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, melted (for brushing on rolls while forming them)

1. Measure water in 1 cup glass measuring cup (warm - not too hot or you will kill the yeast) and sprinkle yeast on top. Mix gently and let yeast “proof”, which just means to let it activate. You can tell this is happening because the yeast gets puffy in the water - this will take about 5 minutes.

2. In the work bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the warm milk, the shortening, 3 tablespoons butter cut into bits, the sugar, the salt, and the egg until the mixure is combined well. Stir in the yeast mixture and 2 cups of the flour. Beat the mixure until it is combined well and beat in the remaining 1 1/2 - 2 cups flour, just enough to make a soft dough.

3. Trade the paddle attachment for the dough hook and knead the dough for 1 minute then rest for 10 minutes. Knead the dough 1 minute more then turn the dough out on a floured countertop and knead by hand for another minute or so until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4. Transfer dough to a buttered large bowl, turning it to coat it with the butter. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towl and let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until it is double in bulk.

5. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 pieces. Keeping 1 piece covered in the bowl, roll the other piece of dough on a floured surface into an approximate rectangle, about 16x8. With a pizza wheel or knife, cut the rectangle once, down the middle, the long way. Now cut across the short way, dividing the rectangle in half, then each half into quarters, so you have 16 pieces.

6. Butter a baking sheet (a quarter sheet pan is ideal (12x8.5 inches), or you can fill part of a larger baking sheet pan) and set aside. With a pastry brush or spoon, coat the bottom half of each piece with some of the melted butter. Fold the top half of each piece over the butter-coated bottom half, so that it extends about 1/2 inch. Lay the rolls in the buttered baking sheet, so that the fold of each roll rests on the extending flap of the roll preceding it, to prevent the rolls from opening up while baking. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

7. Cover rolls on the baking sheet with the kitchen towel you used above, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 - 18 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Amy's Kitchen Coach Tips

You can mix this dough with a wooden spoon and bowl if you don’t have, or don’t want to use, a standing mixer. Sometimes this is a fun way to make bread/rolls and a great way for kids to participate.
This dough is a great basic and can be use to make other shapes of dinner rolls -- once you have the Parkers down, feel free to experiment with cloverleafs or other shapes.
This recipe can be doubled and the rolls will fit on a standard half-sheet pan.

Lemon Yogurt Waffles

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:07:00 +0000

When you’re in a waffle mood, and are willing to trade some crispy-factor for fewer fat calories, try these lemon yogurt waffles. I’ve adapted this recipe from the original in The Best of Waffles and Pancakes by Jane Stacey, and the result is belgian-shaped, but cakey and soft - tasty plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or, if you're feeling worthy, a slab of butter, as in the photo. Bake the whole batch and save any leftovers in the refrigerator for toaster waffles of your very own.

Lemon Yogurt Waffles
6-8 Belgian waffles

6 oz. organic nonfat or lowfat yogurt, lemon flavored (I like Wallaby brand)
3/4 cup organic milk, nonfat or lowfat
2 eggs
1/4 cup sucanat (or any unrefined sugar)
5 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, melted
grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup barley flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Plug in your waffle iron and get it started heating.

2. Measure milk into 4 cup glass measuring cup. Add yogurt, eggs, sucanat, lemon zest and whisk to combine. Add melted butter and whisk to combine.

3. Measure flours, leavening and salt into large bowl and whisk to break up clumps of oat flour.

4. Pour milk mixture over flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.

5. Pour a heaping 1/2 cup batter into waffle iron and cook until golden brown. (My Uno waffler takes 5 - 6 minutes to cook a waffle.)

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:22:00 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I hate to offend people with garlic breath, and, let’s be honest, it is pretty unpleasant to be on the receiving end as well. So, enter the all-purpose appetizer base that will keep everyone happy and tastebuds jumping during this festive season. I pestered this top secret recipe out of my friend, Annette. This "green goo" (as I lovingly refer to the stuff) is one of her staples from her connections at Bauman College, the holistic nutrition and culinary arts program over in Berkeley. I tweaked, tasted and documented, so I can officially call this recipe my own, but I want to thank Lauren Mendez, NE, NC (and Annette) for the original "Green Omega Spread".

Pumpkin Seed Pesto
makes about 2 cups

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, the green ones, “pepitas” (soaked in water to cover + 1/4 teaspoon salt for 7 - 24 hours; refrigerate if soaking longer than 7 hours)

1/2 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, stems removed (mostly)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch basil leaves, stems removed (mostly)

juice from 1 lemon
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Drain the water from the pumpkin seeds and discard the soaking water. Place pumpkin seeds, greens, lemon juice, olive oil and salt in the workbowl of a food processor or powerful blender (i.e. Vita Mix) and puree until smooth. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Keeps several days.

Amy's Kitchen Coach Tips

This pesto can be used as a dip for just about anything, that is why it makes such a great quick appetizer. Set it out with crispy rice crackers, pretzel sticks or veggies. The pesto pairs nicely with goat cheese and makes a great layered spread for baguette slices.

Try the pesto on hot whole wheat pasta for a healthy main dish.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Apple Mustard Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Apple Mustard Sauce

serves 8

See ingredients for both “The meat & onions” and “The pulled pork sauce” when shopping.

The meat & onions:

2.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into approximate 2” cubes

olive oil

2 yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

The dry rub, mix together in small bowl:

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

freshly ground black pepper

1. Start by seasoning the meat with the dry rub mixture, then browning (in batches) in a hot pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. As meat browns, remove from pan and set aside on a plate while you finish with all of the cubes.

2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the same pan you used to brown the pork. Add onions and cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.

3. Make the sauce, as described below.

4. Put meat and onions into slow cooker and pour sauce over the meat. Add 1/2 cup water to food processor or blender container, swirl and add that to the pork too.

5. Cook for 4 hours on high cook setting (or 8 hours on low). Ideally, refrigerate overnight and reheat before serving. Serve with toasted buns and cole slaw.

The pulled pork sauce:

2 apples, peeled and cored

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup sucanat or unrefined cane sugar (I like Rapadura brand)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

optional: 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes

1. Whir all sauce ingredients in food processor or powerful blender (i.e. Vita Mix). Pour over pork and onions in slow cooker. Sprinkle with red chili flakes, if you are using them.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

All stews get better with a little time on them. So, if you’re having a party, take the pressure off yourself and make this dish a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, and heat gently on the stovetop when you are ready to serve.

Find a slow cooker where the insert can be used on the stovetop. This makes it really easy to brown meats before the slow of the slow cooking starts.

When I’m making this dish for mixed company (e.g. kids), I set aside a few pieces of the cooked pork for them, then add the sauce back to the remaining pork to serve those looking for a bit more kick.

Green Bean Salad with Feta & Olives

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:19:00 +0000

In these transitional weeks between summer and fall, I like to use the fresh beans in the market in this tangy salad, introduced to me by Laura Chenel of goat cheese fame.

Green Bean Salad with Feta & Olives

serves 4-6 servings

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and stem ends trimmed off and discarded

8 ounces sheep or goat feta (I like Marin Cheese Company’s sheep feta)

1/2 cup favorite olives (I like oil cured black olives or Kalamatas), pits removed if desired

The vinaigrette:

1 shallot, finely diced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Have a large bowl of ice water at hand. Bring a saucepan of water to boil and add a scant tablespoon of salt. Add the green beans and blanch until just barely tender, 3 - 5 minutes. Drain the beans and immediately place them in the ice water bath to stop the cooking and preserve their beautiful green color. Let the beans stay in the ice water a few minutes, then drain and dry on a clean kitchen towel.

2. Toss the beans with the olives and your desired amount of vinaigrette (if you don’t want to use the whole amount, you can save any leftover vinaigrette for another salad). Crumble the feta in large pieces over the beans and toss very gently. Serve or store in refrigerator until ready to serve. This salad is best served the day it is made, but keeps nicely up to 2 days.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

For the beans, be inspired by what you see in the market. I sometimes mix yellow wax beans with the green beans.
If you like your vinaigrette less tart, use up to a tablespoon more olive oil.

Farro

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:18:00 +0000

Farro is an ancient variety of wheat, usually sold and prepared with its whole grain intact, meaning you are eating the grain kernel plus its bran and germ -- a great way to get fiber and lots of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, good-for-you “plant chemicals” that may help to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Farro is cultivated in the Garfagnana region of Tuscany and in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is softer and faster cooking than spelt, another ancient variety of wheat.

Farro

makes 3 cups cooked, approximately 4-6 servings

1 1/2 cups farro

6 cups water

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. Sprinkle in the salt and the farro. Cook until farro is tender, start testing at 15 minutes. You want the farro grains to be chewy, but not hard.

2. Drain out the water, season and serve (see Kitchen Coach tips below) or let cool and store in refrigerator until ready to eat another time or use in a recipe. The cooked farro will keep up to a week.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

I love browned butter and sage and farro is fabulous heated up with these ingredients. Melt the butter and cook until golden brown, add the cooked farro, some sage (fresh or even dried works pretty well) and cook on the stovetop over medium-high heat until farro is hot. The grains start to get a delicious crunchy outside, but keep their chewy center. Serve with roasted winter squash (like Kabocha, see my recent posting), nuts and/or some salty cheese like sheep milk feta or ricotta salata.

Use the cooked farro in cold grain salad recipes -- rice and wheatberry salad ideas are plentiful in cookbooks and on the web.

You can also turn this cooked farro into a fabulous risotto-type dish, which is how I was introduced to the grain -- by Joyce Goldstein back in 2001. I will post it this week -- see “Farro with Butternut Squash and Chestnuts”.

Kabocha Squash

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Does the thought of a long cooking time scare you off from buying those alluring, yet intimidatingly hard winter squash? Don't let it keep you away any longer. I find the small, green Kabocha to be especially friendly -- quick to cook, rich and creamy without being too sweet or too bitter...just right. Toss a couple into your market basket with confidence and make yourself some good for you comfort food.

They key is to prepare the squash when you do have some time, especially when you already have the oven heated up for something else. Once the squash is cooked, you can use it anytime up to 3 or 4 days later. Cooked squash in the fridge can turn into a creamy squash soup, squash stuffed with chestnuts and farro, or simple carmelized squash slices, in no time.

Kabocha Squash

serves 2 - 4

1 Kabocha squash, rinsed with water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the stem end off the squash with a sharp chef’s knife. Microwave the squash for 30-60 seconds to soften slightly, then cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds.

2. Place each squash half, cut side down, in a glass or ceramic baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until tender. Season and serve (see Kitchen Coach tips below) or let cool and store in refrigerator until ready to eat another time or use in a recipe.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

Kabocha squash falls somewhere between the acorn and butternut squashes in terms of sweetness level. It also cooks a bit more rapidly due to its softer texture. It is great pureed in soups or left in halves and stuffed with a whole grain melange, like wild rice or farro mixed with toasted nuts.

Whenever you are using the oven to roast a chicken or something else that takes some time, pop in a squash so that you can have it roasted and ready to use -- either that same night or 3 - 4 nights down the road. Meals almost make themselves if you have the component parts made in advance and waiting in the fridge.

My favorite way to enjoy the Kabocha this week has been to brown some butter, add a cup of cooked farro, some sage and cook until the farro is hot. I warm up a squash piece then fill with the farro and top with a few crumbles of sheep milk feta and some sea salt. Toasted pine nuts or pecans are gilding the lily, but do take a simple but great dish to fabulous. Have fun winging it.

Organic Artisan Teas from Naivetea

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:44:00 +0000

I am in love with a new company...Naivetea. No tea I've had before is anything like this. Organic, whole leaf Oolong, some naturally infused with carefully selected blends of florals and fruits. I enjoyed a hot tea with the Rose Violet Calendula Oolong the other night, and since then the same leaves have been flavoring my water pitcher. Fabulous. The only thing I do for you below is give you some easy measurements so you don't get distracted from your relaxation by any math anxiety.

Niavetea's Rose Violet Calendula Oolong Hot Tea and Flavored Water

makes 1 hot tea and a 34 ounce pitcher of flavored water

For Hot Tea:

1 1/2 teaspoons Naivetea tea leaves, your favorite flavor

1. Steep in 4 ounces of hot water for 20 seconds, or longer to taste. Strain leaves out and save for up to 4 more cups of tea, or use at any point in the Flavored Water, below.

For Flavored Water:

1. Put the tea leaves from your hot tea steep above, into a glass or ceramic water pitcher, and fill with filtered water. (34 ounces is a good size.) Refrigerate. Enjoy at any point but maximum flavor is achieved after about 6 hours. To serve, pour the water through a strainer into glasses. Put the leaves back in the pitcher and refill with filtered water. You can probably get a good 4 pitchers out of your tea leaves.

Farmers Market Gazpacho

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:21:00 +0000

Farmers Market Gazpacho
serves 4 - 6
The lesson I learned while creating this recipe: taste your individual ingredients. If they are not pleasant and flavorful, they are not going to get any better when you puree them into a raw soup. True, it has not yet been an incredible tomato year, but it wasn’t the beautiful Marvel Stripes that threw off my early attempts at making a luscious gazpacho; it was a nasty, acrid red wine vinegar. Taste your vinegar. It should be pleasantly flavorful, not like a bottle of wine gone bad.

This recipe is supposed to make it fun to make an easy summer soup from your farmers market bounty. Don’t stress over the exact amounts or types of tomatoes -- if you have a few little sungold cherry tomatoes laying around, toss them in. Stray bits leftover after taking the beautiful middle slices out of a plump juicy one for a BLT? Toss them in too. Easy does it with the processing, and you will have a delicious soup that will keep a few days in the refrigerator.

The Veggies:

5 medium sized, ripe garden tomatoes, approx. 2 pounds (heirlooms like Marvel Stripe and Brandywine are worth seeking out for their flavor as well as beautiful color)

2 ribs fresh celery, peeled and diced (taste it. if it isn’t pleasantly flavorful, leave it out. this is not the time to use up the limp stalks that have been languishing in your “crisper”)

1 hothouse cucumber, cut in a few large pieces

1/4 red onion, finely diced

The Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar (taste it. make sure you like its flavor.)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (again, taste it. make sure you like its flavor.)

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained of pulp

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

1. Set your food processor or blender next to your cutting board and wash and dry all your veggies. You will rough chop most of the veggies and put them in the processor, however you do want to have some attractive, tiny diced tomato, cucumber and red onion to stir into the soup as a garnish. Start by making tiny dice of the equivalent of 1 tomato, and a tablespoon each of the cucumber and red onion and as you’re doing this, toss the odd sized bits into the food processor. Set aside the tiny diced veggies.

Tiny Diced Veggies

2. Roughly chop the remaining tomatoes and other veggies, add them to the processor and pulse until combined. (If you are using a blender, particularly the VitaMix, take care not to overprocess the ingredients. You want a somewhat textured soup, not a smoothie.)

3. Pour the blended veggies into a large ceramic or pyrex bowl and drizzle in the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine. Stir in the reserved tiny diced veggies and serve.

Slow Cooker Cuban Black Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:32:00 +0000

I was inspired to make these black beans by a Lourdes Castro recipe in a recent Food & Wine. Always looking to simplify, I streamlined the recipe, added the slow cooker for timing flexibility and tweaked a few seasonings. I'm unsure if these still qualify as "Cuban" black beans, but they are rich and slightly sweet and pair great with tortillas, sour cream and the chile verde I posted earlier in the summer.

Slow Cooker Cuban Black Beans
serves 8

1 pound dry black beans (approximately 2 cups); you need to soak these. You can choose from 2 methods, one overnight and one that takes about an hour before you can start the slow cooker cooking.

Bean cooking ingredients, first cook:

soaked black beans

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Bean cooking ingredients, second cook:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic mashed with 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons organic molasses

Bean finishing ingredient:

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1. Prepare the beans for soaking. Put the beans in a large bowl and rinse the beans under running water, filling the bowl and pouring off the water a few times. Fill “bean bowl” or slow cooker insert with water once more, this will be your soaking water. Water should cover the beans by at least 3 or 4 inches. Remove any floaters.

Choose one of the following:

Overnight Soak

Set the bean bowl in the fridge overnight. The next day, dump the beans into a colander and discard the soaking liquid. Beans are ready to cook.

Quick Soak

Put the beans into slow cooker insert that is stovetop safe (or use a large stockpot) and fill the pot with water to cover the beans by 3 - 4 inches. Over medium high heat, boil the beans for 1 minute then turn off the heat, cover the pot and let beans sit for 1 hour.

2. Drain the soaking liquid from the beans and discard. Put soaked beans in slow cooker, add 10 cups fresh water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook on high for 4 hours.

3. While you’re cooking the beans, give the onion, green pepper, and garlic a few minutes in a frying pan with the olive oil, just until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. To the beans in the slow cooker, add onion mixture, stir in the molasses and add the bay leaf. Cook on high 1 hour in slow cooker or, alternatively, cook on stovetop 45 minutes - 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove bay leaf, add sherry vinegar and simmer gently on the stovetop for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and add a little kosher or sea salt.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

These beans get better with a little time on them, so they are great to make in advance of when you want them. They keep great in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.
If you have a little fresh oregano, throw a few sprigs into the bean cooking #2 with the molasses.
Serve these beans with tortillas as a main dish or as a side to accompany chile verde, carnitas, or other grilled meat or seafood.

Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:50:00 +0000

The key to success with "chinese chicken salad" is the dressing. With this savory, yet slightly sweet dressing, you can put together just about any greens, veggies, and/or nuts and you'll have a top notch chinese chicken salad. Make your life even easier and buy a rotisserie chicken. Voila! And so much better tasting (and better for you) than what you can pick up ready-made.

Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing
makes 1/2 cup, enough for 1 large group-sized salad, and some leftover for another meal

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon tamari sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1/4 cup expeller pressed organic canola oil (or other mild salad oil or olive oil)

1. In small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for the oil. Add oil by pouring it in a thin stream, while continuing to whisk. Done.

Amy's Kitchen Coach Tips

For the salad I like to use a combination of the following: shredded napa cabbage or watercress, red or green leafy lettuce, sliced cucumber, sliced green onions and salted cashews. And chicken of course -- a rotisserie chicken works great, warm or chilled.

I like to pull the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces by hand and toss them in a small bowl with a little of the dressing before adding to the salad greens and full-dose of the dressing. (This step makes the chicken extra tasty and integrates the flavors throughout the salad.)

I love the glass milk bottles from Straus Creamery, and must admit that I don't always bring them back to the grocery to get my $1.50 back. I especially love the pint size one the cream comes in -- it is the perfect size for shaking up, and storing, your dressings.

This dressing keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. (Although it tastes so good, you will never have it around that long.)

To make the salad in advance, toss the lettuces and other veggies in your serving bowl, top with the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and keep in your refrigerator (ideally not more than a few hours). At serving time, add the nuts and toss with the dressing.

Slow Cooker Chile Verde

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:29:00 +0000

I always have the most fun at my parties when I've done most of the cooking beforehand. Here is a great recipe for just that. Using a slow cooker, I made this green chile pork a couple nights before, then warmed it on the stovetop while drinking mojitos and making tortillas with my friends. (I can't say all the tortillas were round, but they sure were delicious! I'll post the wheat free tortilla recipe when I get it out of Alison. :) )

Recipe inspired by a posting in Edible Seattle, March/April 2009

Pork Chile Verde

serves 8

See ingredients for both “The meat” and “The chile verde sauce” when shopping.

The meat:

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into approximate 1” cubes

2 tablespoons ground cumin

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

1. Start by seasoning the meat with cumin, salt and pepper, then browning (in batches) in a hot pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. As meat browns, remove from pan and set aside on a plate while you finish with all of the cubes.

2. Make the chile verde sauce, as described below.

3. Put meat into slow cooker and pour chile verde sauce over the meat. Add 1 cup water to food processor or blender container, swirl and add that to the pork too.

4. Cook for 8 hours on slow cook setting. Ideally, refrigerate overnight and reheat before serving. Service with warm tortillas and sour cream.

The chile verde sauce:

12 tomatillos, husked

3 jalapeno peppers, flesh removed from seed core, seeds discarded (unless you like HOT)

2 bunches cilantro

4 small cans (4 oz. each) whole green chilis

4 cloves garlic

1. Blanch tomatillos in salted boiling water for a minute then remove from water and put into food processor or powerful blender (i.e. Vita Mix). Add jalapeno peppers, cilantro, green chilis and garlic. Pulse to puree but don’t liquify, as you want the tomatillo seeds to be visible. Pour over pork in slow cooker.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

All stews get better with a little time on them. So, if you’re having a party, take the pressure off yourself and make this dish a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, and heat gently on the stovetop when you are ready to serve.
Find a slow cooker where the insert can be used on the stovetop. This makes it really easy to brown meats before the slow of the slow cooking starts.
I enjoy any or all of the following with the chile verde: sour cream, guacamole, lime wedges, radish slices, shredded cabbage.

Meringues

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Bake up a batch of these "cookies with personality" for a fun dessert that kids and adults will enjoy. This recipe makes a beautiful, not too sweet meringue. I like to serve them when the berries are in the markets (as in now!) -- they really dress up a berries and cream dessert. The guests at my last dinner party got to choose their custom mix of accompaniments ranging from berries, of course, to ice cream, sorbet, lemon curd and freshly whipped cream. (They're also good plain!)

Meringues
makes 10 cookies

3 egg whites from large, cage-free eggs

1 cup granulated sugar
optional garnish: sliced almonds or lavender

1. Preheat oven to 200 F, if baking same day, or 300 F if using the overnight method described below. Fill a saucepan that will make a water bath for the work bowl from your mixer with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil on stovetop. Once boiling, lower heat to simmer.

2. Put egg whites into work bowl from your stand mixer and whisk in the sugar using a hand whisk. Place work bowl in the saucepan water bath and whisk egg white mixture until sugar dissolves and the mixture is quite warm, about 5 minutes. Remove work bowl from water bath, dry outside of bowl and place in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 15 minutes until mixture is cool and pillowy.

3. Line a baking sheet pan with a Silpat liner or parchment. Drop the meringue in 10 mounds on the lined sheet pan and sprinkle with sliced almonds or lavender (or leave them plain). Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 200 F then turn off oven and leave meringues in the oven for an additional hour with the heat off. Meringues will stay fresh and crispy at room temperature for several days.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

Overnight Method: Start with oven preheated to 300 F, when you put the sheet pan with meringues in the oven, turn oven off and leave meringues in overnight to cook them to perfection.
Serve meringues with ice cream, sorbet, whipped cream, lemon curd, any or all, and fresh berries for a fantastic dessert. (Blueberries are especially delicious with lemon.)
I was inspired to make these after swooning over the window display at Baker & Spice in London. Their cookbook, Baking with Passion is lovely.

Asparagus Appetizers with Soy Vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:02:00 +0000

I've had this recipe in my stash since my single girl days -- something I clipped from Self magazine. These asparagus appetizers are loved by men, women and children, and have served me well through the years, pepping up the pot luck faire everywhere from poolside to girls' night to sailing with the boys. Make them for you, yourself and you too -- they keep well in the fridge for a couple days.

Asparagus Appetizers with Soy Vinaigrette
serves 4 - 6

1 bunch organic asparagus, rinsed in water

Soy Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons organic tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, ideally expeller pressed

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sake or dry sherry

pinch of unrefined sugar

optional garnish: 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Blanch asparagus in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes until tender-crisp, then immediately shock in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Remove from ice water and dry asparagus on a clean towel.

2. Put vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar or glass measuring cup and shake or whisk to combine. Drizzle some or all of the vinaigrette over asparagus and toss to coat. Transfer to serving platter and optionally sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Amy's Kitchen Coach Tips

To prepare the asparagus for blanching, rinse in water and snap the ends off each spear by holding just below the tip with one hand and at the end of the stem with the other then bending the spear. The asparagus will break naturally at the tender/fibrous boundary.
Tamari is a wheat free soy sauce. Either tamari or soy sauce work well in the vinaigrette. (Vinaigrette is also excellent on chicken salad.)

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:36:00 +0000

I realize that I've missed the season for these little gems, but I decided to post anyway as a tribute to what the last couple months have been like for me...too busy, too fast, a blur. So now it is May. The end of May. I'd better get this posted before it is officially Summer.

I like finding new ways to prepare old standbys. Shredding the sprout instead of serving it whole or halved results in a completely different vegetable eating experience. By shredding the leaves, you create a lot of surface area which really gets the caramelization going as you cook, which is a very nice thing when you're dealing with brown butter.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter

serves 2 - 4

1 dozen fresh brussels sprouts, rinsed in water

1 - 2 tablespoons organic, unsalted butter
1 - 2 tablespoons pine nuts or split hazelnuts (optional)

sprinkling of fleur de sel or sea salt

1. Cut each brussels sprout in half lengthwise, then place cut side down and slice thinly, top to bottom using a chef’s knife. You will have a mound of shredded brussels sprouts.

2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add butter and let it brown to a nice golden color. Add brussels sprouts and toss. Cook for about 5 minutes, add the pinenuts (or hazelnuts) and cook about 5 minutes more, until sprout leaves are wilted and starting to caramelize.

Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Lemon Curd with Agave Nectar

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Fri, 08 May 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Lemon curd is an indulgence, no doubt, but make it with agave nectar to bring the sugar hit way down. There are many recipes and methods for making lemon curd out there, some quite complex in the timing and temperature over the stove. It doesn’t have to be that hard. I’ve adapted my recipe from the Joy of Cooking because I like the rich, but not too buttery outcome and it is easy. Enjoy!

Lemon Curd with Agave Nectar

makes about 1 1/2 cups

3 or 4 lemons, juiced through a strainer to yield 1/2 cup strained lemon juice

3 large, cage-free eggs

4 tablespoons organic, unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces

1/4 cup agave nectar

pinch of sea salt

1. In medium saucepan, whisk lemon juice, eggs, agave nectar and a pinch of sea salt until light in color.

2. Add the butter pieces into the egg mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes.

3. Strain lemon curd through a sieve into a glass jar for storage. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Kitchen Coach Tips

Serve lemon curd with berries and cream for a light dessert. (Blueberries are especially delicious with lemon.)
For some carb fun, serve lemon curd with a fabulous (but small, of course) scone. Since we’re on the topic of carbs, you can also use lemon curd to fill a layer cake or fruit tart.
Any lemon variety will do. If you have access to Meyer’s, they are especially delicious.

Popcorn

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:54:00 +0000

Natural popcorn with heart healthy olive oil.

No microwave. No bag of chemicals. And no, not “fat free”. Just crispy, salty, deliciously aromatic and satisfying popcorn. Fun for movie night. A great snack to share with friends when you’re enjoying a little wine. Be brave. Pop some corn...“sizzle-sizzle, sizzle-sizzle, sizzle-sizzle, POP!”

Popcorn
makes 8 cups

organic popcorn

peanut oil

sea salt and olive oil for finishing

1. Get out your trusty 2 or 3 quart saucepan, one that has a lid that fits. Pour in a tablespoon or so of peanut oil - just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add popcorn kernels to cover bottom of pan in a single layer, cover and set over medium high heat on the stovetop.

2. Listen for the popping to start and when it gets going rapidly, lift the pan a bit off the burner and shake it to get the unpopped kernels heading toward the bottom. Return to heat and when the popping slows and/or the popcorn starts pressing off the lid, pour popped corn into a large ceramic or wood bowl (looks, feels and tastes better than metal). Toss with sea salt and drizzle with a flavorful extra virgin olive oil.

Kitchen Coach Tips

Make sure your popcorn is fresh for best ‘pop’ and flavor. Check the bin area of your grocery or look for a packaged brand like Arrowhead Mills. Store your popcorn kernels in an air tight container.
Popcorn is high in fiber and makes a great no-sugar snack.
Drinks with a tart or bitter edge are delicious with this popcorn. Spike your favorite spicy ginger ale with some pomegranite juice and a hefty squeeze of lime.

Barley & Oat Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans & Agave

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:47:00 +0000

Reduce the sugar and get a more tantalizingly sweet cookie. Who would have guessed? This is what I discovered when I used an organic Demerara cane sugar and replaced half of the usual amount with some agave nectar. Add pecans, and what’s not to like?

Barley & Oat Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans and Agave
makes 36 cookies

1 cup unsalted organic butter
3/4 cup organic Demerara cane sugar (try Florida Crystals)
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 cage free eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups barley flour
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1/4 cup ground organic flax seed meal
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (try E.Guittard 61% chocolate wafers)
1 cup pecans, roasted until fragrant then cooled

1. Mix the usual cookie way: cream butter, sugar and agave nectar. Add eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk flours and leavening -- this step is important with oat flour, as it tends to clump. Add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar mixture, mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chunks and pecans.

2. Get out your plastic wrap. Aim to make 3 logs with your dough. The dough is somewhat loose, so when you put some on the plastic wrap use the plastic to help you squeeze and roll the dough into a 10-12 inch long, couple inch in diameter, log. (It doesn't have to be exact, you're just getting yourself set up for easy "slice and bake" later.) Transfer dough logs into the refrigerator.

3. When you want to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet pan with a silpat liner or with a sheet of baking parchment paper. Unwrap chilled dough log and slice every inch or so, trying to get 12 cookies out of each roll. Put the dough slices on the lined sheet pan, approximately 20 per pan. (Put remaining dough back in the refrigerator until its turn to bake.)

4. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Let cool on sheet pan for 5 minutes, then move cookies to a cooling rack.

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

Seek out a Demerara that is organic and unrefined, like Florida Crystals. The crystal size is larger than your usual sugar, even unrefined ones, and it works great in this cookie. If you’re like me, you’ll love how the larger crystals stay in tact and give you a crunch of sweetness in the cookie.)
When you’re torn between “nuts” or “no nuts”, get some of each by portioning one or two rolls of dough into their plastic wrap logs before you add nuts to the remaining dough. Everybody’s happy.

Raw Kale Salad with Quinoa

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:34:00 +0000

Fresh flavors. Seasonal greens. Creamy goodness without dairy or mayo. I've been adapting raw food "salads" to the contents of my produce box and what I feel like having on hand for a quick and tasty meal. The results make me wonder why I never thought of this before! Greens, even sturdy ones like dino kale, don't have to be cooked to be good. And the real beauty of this salad, is that it gets better the longer it sits. (I don't know how long, as it never seems to last more than 2 days in my house.)

Raw Kale Salad with Quinoa

serves 2 - 4

1 bunch organic Dino Kale (aka black Tuscan kale), washed, stalks removed, leaves sliced thinly

3 small lemons, juiced to yield about 1/3 cup lemon juice

½ small red onion, sliced very thinly

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar

¼ teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

2 cups cooked quinoa (see Kitchen Coach Tips below)

1 avocado, peeled, pit removed, and diced into 1/4 inch dice

Place the kale and onion in a large ceramic bowl and drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil and agave nectar. Sprinkle with salt and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add cooked quinoa and avocado and gently combine. Cover and place in refrigerator to let the kale relax with the lemon juice awhile.

Amy's Kitchen Coach Tips

Cook quinoa just as you would rice in a rice cooker!
Be sure to rinse quinoa with water a few times before you start cooking. The seed produces a soapy flavored residue as a deterrent to pests -- it is harmless to us, but doesn't taste very good -- so just put the quinoa in a bowl of water, swish and pour off the water two or three times.
This salad is at its best about 4 hours after mixing, but stays tasty for a couple days
(Count your lucky stars if you live near a friend with a Meyer lemon tree! They are great in this salad. (Thank you Andrea!))

Oat Flour Crepes

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Andrews) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Oat Flour Crépes
Makes about 10

1 cup oat flour
¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup organic milk
1/3 cup water
3 cage-free eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, melted
2 tablespoons agave nectar

(additional unsalted organic butter for cooking the crépes)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk oat flour with salt to combine.

2. Combine milk, water, eggs, melted butter, and agave nectar in a 4 cup glass measuring cup or medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine then pour over the oat flour and whisk to combine. (Don’t mix too much or you will overdevelop the gluten and the crépes will be tough.)

3. Heat large frying pan over medium heat and add a small amount of butter (1/4 teaspoon-ish) to grease the pan. Ladle approximately 2 – 3 tablespoons of batter into the middle of the frying pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter out into a large circle. Cook for a couple minutes, until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side. Serve immediately or keep crépes warm on heated plates to serve all at once. Roll or fold the crépes over your favorite filling, perhaps a squeeze of half a lemon, or a spoon of your favorite jam, and a sprinkle of organic powdered sugar.

Kitchen Coach Tips

Crepes are a great alternative to other breakfast options heavier on the flour factor (pancakes, waffles, muffins).

Using this recipe as a base, experiment with different flours, like buckwheat (great for savory fillings) or even a gluten-free mix.

You can keep any leftover batter in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days.Having prepared batter at the ready makes a seemingly luxurious breakfast a snap!